Here's my weekly look at the Top 30 from 26 years ago. The plan is for these posts to go out at 17:30 on a Wednesday.
Here is the Top 40 in full.
Obviously some of the records will be the same as last week so therefore the review will be the same for these. I've indicated which ones are new so you can skip the others if you read last weeks post.
Once again my opinions are inevitably going to differ from other people, but I'm not trying to convince anyone something is good or rubbish, I'm simply giving my opinion.
So this is the top 30 from this week in 1998 with my verdict on each record:
The highest charting Top 40 hit for Des'ree which was her penultimate Top 40 hit to date. It had also been 4 years since she'd last been in the Top 40. This record has been widely ridiculed for it's stupid lyrics and I'm inclined to agree.
Verdict - Rubbish
This brings back memories of the god awful TV show "Man O Man" that was hosted by Chris Tarrant. This was the theme music to that as I recall. The TV show and record suited each other though given how dreadful they both were.
Verdict - Rubbish
Babybird was considered to be a one hit wonder to many, but this was his 6th Top 40 hit and he wasn't finished yet. It's one of those records that just doesn't go anywhere, I find myself waiting for it to start throughout the whole record.
Verdict - Rubbish
I remember watching the video to this and thinking what the fuck? It's a boy band trying to be gangsta rappers and is absolutely ridiculous. I stand by that, but at the same time I couldn't help but like it. I would say this is one of my guilty pleasures.
Verdict - Good
The Top 40 debut for Lovestation who had been going since 1992. It's a cover of the Womack & Womack record done garage style. I recently said that I can't think of a bad garage record that had made the Top 40 at that point in time and that continues to be true with this record.
Verdict - Good
I recall many years ago listening to a countdown of the best rappers on some radio station and Missy Elliott came pretty high on the list. There was outrage from some listeners, one I recall was saying how can anyone say Missy Elliott is a better rapper than Nas. That pretty much sums her up, music for the masses that's crap to the ears of music lovers.
Verdict - Rubbish
Billie Piper became the youngest person to debut at the top of the charts at just 15 when this record came out. It raises the question how does one manage to top the charts at such a young age. The answer is go to the Sylvia Young Theatre school like pretty much every other British pop singer seemed to do.
Verdict - Rubbish
23. Korn - Got The Life (New)
It had been nearly 2 years since Korn brought Nu Metal to the UK Top 40 for the first time. They still more or less had the monopoly on that genre by this point which was their 4th Top 40 hit. Still just sounds like a noise to me.
Verdict - Rubbish
Nicole is a different Nicole to the one who won the Eurovision song contest back in 1982. This Nicole was a protege of Missy Elliott who for some reason thought that she could sing. I find her a terrible singer, but then I once heard Missy Elliott being described as being super talented because she could sing and rap. She does both badly in my opinion.
Verdict - Rubbish
Jamiroquai had several well known hits but this was their only chart topper. Perhaps not the one you would guess, but the fact it was from a film and didn't appear on an album would have no doubt helped it. It's not your typical Jamiroquai record, but the funk is still there and that's what makes the record.
Verdict - Good
When I was picking my record of the year for each year of the charts this record was my choice for 1998. It was big in the summer and one day I was listening and thinking wow what a tune. Once it stopped being played so much I'd ring up Dave Pearce's Dance Anthems on Radio 1 every Sunday night requesting this to be played.
Verdict - Good
On May 31st 1998 we had the news that Geri Halliwell had left the Spice Girls. The same day B*witched topped the charts with this their debut single. They really couldn't have timed it any better. I immediately thought come back the Spice Girls all is forgiven. Actually I didn't because the Spice Girls weren't finished yet, but this is every bit as bad as your average Spice Girls record.
Verdict - Rubbish
Here was an early sign about how in your face Will Smith and his family would be in years to come with this being written about his son. It's obviously a shit record, but it led to Eminem doing a bit of a pisstake on "97 Bonnie & Clyde" and the Dr Evil version in Austin Powers.
Verdict - Rubbish
David Morales had previous had a couple of hits in the lower reaches of the Top 40 but this was his big hit. He'd been around for a number of years by this point and was a well known figure in the dance music world. This has a great build up and a great piano line and I liked it enough to pick as the record to see in the new year with once. I can't remember which year though.
Verdict - Good
One of the big songwriting teams in the R&B world is Rodney Jerkins, Fred Jerkins and LaShawn Daniels. This was their first Top 40 hit as songwriters. Both Brandy and Monica had only been in the lower reaches of the Top 40 prior to this. I remember hearing how great Brandy's "Never Say Never" album was supposed to be and given I liked this song I decided to buy it. This song aside it really wasn't that great and I ended up selling it.
Verdict - Good
When a record that I don't remember being particularly big reaches a surprisingly high position it's usually because it's the lead single from the upcoming album from an established band. That's the case with this record which never seems to get started.
Verdict - Rubbish
When I was reviewing the Finley Quaye hits coming into the Top 40 I thought Eagle-Eye Cherry would be just around the corner. Here he is with his Top 40 debut and best known hit. He's the brother of Neneh Cherry and his real name is Eagle-Eye believe it or not. The only positive thing I can say about this record is that's he's better than his sister, but that's not saying much.
Verdict - Rubbish
Confession time. When I first came across this record my initial thought was questioning whether it was a cover of "Freek 'N You" by Jodeci having not heard that record for years. I soon realised that it was a completely different record but took a few years for me to find out this was a cover of a Silk record that topped the charts in America in 1993. Obviously the original is better, but having been familiar with this cover for a long time before I heard the original I do like it.
Verdict - Good
It had been 2.5 years since Ace Of Base had been in the Top 40. Their previous hit was the dance record "Beautiful Life". This comeback single could simply be described as a pop single. It made sense given the music scene at the time and proof that it is possible to make a good pop song.
Verdict - Good
This was the highest charting hit for Apollo 440 which came from the film of the same name. Being from a film obviously helped achieve that, but it's one of those records with lots of energy in it from the word go and that's what I love about it.
Verdict - Good
This was the only Top 10 hit in the 90s for Puff Daddy that wasn't his chart topper "I'll Be Missing You". It features Jimmy Page on the guitar doing the riff to "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin. You could therefore say this is a rap and rock crossover record but it's done in a very watered down way.
Verdict - Rubbish
The fist time I heard this record was on the radio one morning when I was half asleep and I remember later on that day thinking what was that good tune I heard on the radio earlier. I soon found out what it was. It was the solo Top 40 debut for Fugees member Pras so should really come as no surprise I'd like it given how good the Fugees were.
Verdict - Good
Geri Halliwell had left the Spice Girls but this record had already been recorded and therefore featured her. The video was an animated one that also included Geri Halliwell. It was said to be delayed and poorly promoted but still topped the charts because of the brand. People also knew this would be the last Spice Girls single to feature Geri.
Verdict - Rubbish
When I got into rap music one of the first questions I had about each rap act I came across was are they east coast or west coast. In the case of Sweetbox though it was neither, it was Germany. This is one of my all time favourite rap records, it would send me into my own little world when it came on. I also own the single.
Verdict - Good
It had been over 18 months since Mick Hucknall was the Wanker of the Week on The Girlie Show, but I remember when this record came out I couldn't help but think of that fact. It wasn't clouding my judgement of the record though, it's a pretty decent cover.
Verdict - Good
The first 3 Sash! Top 40 hits all made number 2 but then the 4th made number 3. It was back to number 2 with Top 40 hit number 5. I always felt there wasn't something quite there with this record. I seem to recall thinking it already sounded dated by the end of the year.
Verdict - OK
I remember this being performed on Top of the Pops and thinking oh dear what a dreadful cover. The cover is of the Jackson Five record. It was the 3rd Top 40 hit for Cleopatra and final Top 10 if you exclude the Abba medley they did with everyone and everyone else the following year.
Verdict - Rubbish
One day in 1998 I got a lift from someone with a modified Ford Fiesta with a fancy stereo system. He turned it on and a tune with an electronic sounding intro came on. I was expecting it to turn into a dance record that you were likely to hear blasting out of these cars at the time, but no it was "To The Moon And Back" by Savage Garden. When "I Want You" by Savage Garden came on next it confirmed he was playing their album and not the radio. I found it hilarious, but at the same time I realised I actually quite like this record too.
Verdict - Good
Few would argue that this was the biggest dance record of 1998. It was everywhere at the time. It was a one off side project by Daft Punks Thomas Bangalter along with Alan Braxe. I wasn't impressed when I first heard it, I thought it was too repetitive. It did manage to grow on me eventually though after hearing it for maybe the 100th time.
Verdict - Good
What this record now reminds me of was the time a friend of mine tortured me with it on the way home from a Nelly Furtado concert. He agreed to go to the concert without being familiar with Nelly Furtado and decided he didn't like it so I figure playing this repeatedly on the way home was his act of revenge. I do question why he had it on tape though, but then again his taste in music was very questionable.
Verdict - Rubbish
If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 14.5/30, or 48%. We get that same score again.
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