Here's my weekly look at the Top 30 from 30 years ago. The plan is for these posts to go out at 17:30 on a Sunday.
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 1994 with my verdict on each record:
30. Roxette - Fireworks (New)
I think the Roxette formula is getting a bit tired on this record. It sounds like a mixture of trying to replicate "Joyride" and "The Look" whilst throwing something completely different into the mix. It doesn't work for me and it's absence from greatest hits compilations implies it didn't work generally.
Verdict - Rubbish
The penultimate Top 40 hit to date for Robert Palmer and the last time he'll feature as his last hit never made the Top 30. It sounds a bit out of place in 1994 and sounds pretty bland if I'm honest. Not my cup of tea.
Verdict - Rubbish
Another sort of tribute to Kurt Cobain with a dance record that blatantly rip off "Smells Like Teen Spirit" without directly ripping it off. This was regularly played on the Essential Mix back in the day and even the Nirvana song itself would make it into the mixes too. I like it.
Verdict - Good
I knew this record would be appearing soon after "Yesterday When I Was Mad" by the Pet Shop Boys hit the charts. This record came on the radio all the time when it sounded like it could be the Pet Shop Boys for the first couple of seconds. I hate it as a result, but now I can listen at my leisure I'm actually quite liking this.
Verdict - Good
This was the final Top 40 hit to date for Bad Boys Inc. the Virgin Cola of the early 90s boy band world. Quite appropriate that they drop off the radar just before we reach the mid-point of the 90s. Unfortunately we've still got Upside Down to come.
Verdict - Rubbish
Something that is worst than D:Ream doing their usual bland dance pop music is D:Ream doing just a pop song. It's not quite a ballad but not a record you can really dance to either. It was the final Top 40 hit from their first album, but they'll be back with a second album.
Verdict - Rubbish
The Top 40 debut and only chart topper for Livin Joy which is also the hit they're most famous for. It's a commercial dance record no doubt and I've perhaps heard this too many times in my life by now. It does however push the right buttons to make it great fun to listen to.
Verdict - Good
This record means that I know "Welcome To Tomorrow" by Snap is just around the corner. That's because I remember it coming on the radio several times initially thinking it could be this one for the first couple of seconds. It was this tune that I wanted to hear.
Verdict - Good
This record topped the charts for Blondie back in 1980 but was back in the Top 40 in 1994 as a remix done by Diddy. How does this remix compare then? It's actually pretty good. It seems to lend itself well to a decent dance remix.
Verdict - Good
The Top 40 debut for Shampoo and the record they're best known for and also their highest charting. I'm actually quite surprised to learn this got not higher than 11 given how big it seemed to be at the time. At the same time thought who would really want to buy this record? It's absolutely dreadful.
Verdict - Rubbish
A lot is said about the Blur vs Oasis chart battle in 1995 but what you don't hear about is the time Blur knocked Oasis off number 10 with this record. This is a great sing along record and good fun to listen to. I would say this marks Blur at the height of their popularity.
Verdict - Good
19. Grid - Rollercoaster (New)
After having their biggest hit with the rather commercial sounding "Swamp Thing", Grid follow up with something a bit more serious. This is much more like it, but because it didn't sound as commercial it was never going to reach the same heights.
Verdict - Good
The only Top 40 hit for Lisa Loeb and also the only record of hers that I've ever heard. I don't want to ruin my perception by hearing any of her other songs. A great bit of 90s pop and they don't make them like this anymore.
Verdict - Good
One of the worst records of 1993 was "What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes. A year later we get this eurodance cover from DJ Miko which pretty much ensured we'd be hearing it on the dancefloor for years to come. Still a terrible record.
Verdict - Rubbish
When Big Mountain hit the charts I knew this record would be just around the corner because there was also no avoiding this record at the time and it used to annoy me in equal measure. It was originally a country song by John Michael Montgomery. It wasn't the only Top 40 hit for All-4-One though, they would return with another John Michael Montgomery cover but fortunately that never made the Top 30 so I won't have to listen to it.
Verdict - Rubbish
This is a song that gets better with age. I do remember liking it at the time but a few years ago I heard it for the first time in years and realised just how good it was. It's 90s pop music at its finest and records like this which made the 90s great.
Verdict - Good
The Top 40 debut and biggest hit for China Black. It was one of those records that I hated at the time but have grown to like via nostalgia for the 90s. I do remember at the time hearing someone singing that and saying what the fuck are you doing? to him. It's easy on the ears I guess.
Verdict - Good
In order to promote her greatest hits album, Cyndi Lauper returned with a reggae style remix of her debut hit. It samples "Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone. It sounds very cheesy, even more so than the original which is really saying something.
Verdict - Rubbish
There's a video I've seen of someone trying to listen to modern rap music but the facial expressions implies they find it all shit. They eventually resort to this record and breath a sigh of relief. That pretty much sums up how I feel.
Verdict - Good
The Top 40 debut for Let Loose and the record they're best known for. I remember this being universally hated at the time and rightfully so because this is an absolutely dreadful record. It's annoying and cringeworthy and hopefully I'll never hear it again.
Verdict - Rubbish
Jungle had arrived in the Top 40. The rave music that was hitting the charts in 91/92 was reflective of the rave scene but once the rave hits dried up the music was changing in the underground branching off into jungle and happy hardcore. This evolution wasn't seen in the Top 40, just straight from the original rave sound to jungle with a gap in between. I was initially gearing towards jungle when I first got into rave.
Verdict - Good
This was the lead single from their "Monster" album and one of their best known hits. It's quite a catchy record, it's pleasant enough and by no means a bad record and it doesn't irritate me either. At the same time though I don't like it enough to give it full marks.
Verdict - OK
One memory of this song that particularly stands out for some reason is it being on the car radio when it was my friends birthday in the middle of August. What does it for me with this song is what I assume to be the steel drums. I also like the 2 different styles of Brian and Tony Gold (not their real names).
Verdict - Good
Neneh Cherry has often been said to be edgy and cool and here she is collaborating with African singer Youssou N'Dour in an attempt to back up these credentials. To me though she's just a pop singer and the only positive thing I have to say about her is that she isn't as bad as her god awful daughter.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was really "End Of The Road" part 2. Once again it's a Babyface penned ballad and know by many as their other hit. I guess it worked wonders for them the first time round so why not do the same again. It didn't quite hit the same heights as "End Of The Road" in the UK but it topped the charts in America.
Verdict - Rubbish
The Top 40 debut for Corona. What I remember about this record what it came about was there was lots of eurodance about and I thought oh no not another sodding eurodance record. It summed up everything I was hating in music at the time. Listening now I have to say it's not aged very well.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the comeback single for Kylie Minogue which was her first Top 40 after the Stock Aitken & Waterman era. Amongst the songwriters are Steve Anderson and Dave Seaman aka Brothers in Rhythm who had a lot more credibility. Despite this, I couldn't stand this record at the time and still don't think much to it now.
Verdict - Rubbish
Luther Vandross is one of the best singers of all time. At the same time though he put his voice to some pretty terrible records. To make thinks worse he duets with Mariah Carey on this Lionel Richie and Diana Ross cover. I absolutely hate this record whatever the version.
Verdict - Rubbish
Aside from a chart topper in 1992, the 90s hadn't been a great decade to this point for Wet Wet Wet from a Top 40 perspective with the rest of their singles of the decade so far failing to reach the Top 10. This was all about to change with this record after it spent 15 weeks at number one and could have beaten Bryan Adams record had they not pulled it from sale. Obviously this topped the charts due to it being from "Four Weddings and a Funeral" but it's also a decent song and definitely revitalised them after some pretty poor singles.
Verdict - Good
I first came across this record via someone singing it at school. I heard her singing the "be my baby" part initially thinking she was trying to sing "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight", but it wasn't long before I was hearing this everywhere. Once the hype had died down I remember hearing it on holiday a couple of years later for the first time in while and was thinking how badly it had aged already, it was sounding far too slow.
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%. So close to 50% once again, next week maybe?
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