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:
D-Influence were and acid jazz group and this was their 2nd and final Top 40 hit to date which was a cover of the Michael Jackson record. They've sort of made it their own but haven't really done anything to make me think it was worth doing.
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
Paul Van Dyk was already a well established DJ but this was his first Top 40 hit and is the record he's most famous for. I originally thought he was Dutch due to his name, but it was around this time I discovered he was German. It's one of those anthems that can fit in any sort of set really. Slipmatt likes to include it in his old skool rave sets and it works.
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
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
24. Queen Pen - It's True (New)
The final Top 40 hit to date for Teddy Riley protege Queen Pen which interpolates "True" by Spandau Ballet. The same thing had previously been done by PM Dawn and in a few years time Nelly would do it as well. Both did a much better job, this one is rubbish.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
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
20. Truce - Eyes Don't Lie (New)
Truce were a British R&B group who's first single came out in 1994 but failed to make the Top 40. They also released their only album in 1995. They split up in 1998 but just before that happened they scored their only Top 40 hit with this. Group member Dianne Joseph would go on to sing for Shy FX and Michelle Escoffery would sing for Artful Dodger. Not really feeling this record though.
Verdict - Rubbish
This only Top 40 hit for Electrasy who were bucking the trend of obscure 1998 indie bands by having just the one Top 40 hit instead of two. It's certainly more bearable than a lot of the boring music coming out at the time, but it's still not good.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
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 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
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
13. Mansun - Nine (EP) (New)
If you regularly read these posts then you should know the theme behind the Mansun singles by now. The main song from this EP is "Being A Girl" and is probably the least boring Mansun song I've heard. At the same time though I find it quite disturbing.
Verdict - Rubbish
I'd completely forgotten about Alda, the Icelandic singer who wasn't Bjork. This was the first of 2 Top 40 hits for her. 1998 was really the year of obscure two hit wonders, most of whom did well to score a second hit given how bad their first one was. This record fits that category.
Verdict - Rubbish
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
With her previous hit "Ray of Light" Madonna had her first Top 40 hit of the 90s that I actually liked. It seemed highly unlikely she'd have 2 in a row that I'd like. She didn't though, this may have also been written and produced by William Orbit but he's not going to get it right every time.
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
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
I once purchased a love songs compilation on CD and recorded it onto tape to listen to in my car. I therefore decided to only include songs I actually liked from that compilation. This was the first song from the compilation I put onto tape. It is without doubt my favourite single by The Corrs. At the time it was released I was opening myself up to music that wasn't rave.
Verdict - Good
6. Faithless - God Is A DJ (New)
Every now and then comes a record which on paper should be a record I like and everyone else I consider to have good taste in music seems to like, but for whatever reason I can't take to it myself. This is one of those records for me. It's always bugged me.
Verdict - Rubbish
5. The Honeyz - Finally Found (New)
This was the Top 40 debut for The Honeyz and British R&B music at its finest. The bit of the chorus where Celena sings "It's always been you" is second to none. I was a big Honeyz fan for a period of time and considered myself pretty clued up on them, but I've only just discovered now that this was written by Henry Binns of Zero 7.
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
2. Steps - One For Sorrow (New)
The 3rd Top 40 hit for Steps. Whilst on their 2nd hit you wouldn't know any of the males were on it, on this song you wouldn't know anyone but Claire Richards was on it. Once again they've very much gone for the Abba sound and once again it's absolutely dreadful.
Verdict - Rubbish
When the Manic Street Preachers made their post-Richey Edwards comeback I wasn't a fan of the music they did. However, when they returned nearly 2 years later with this record I thought wow what a tune. It also became their first chart topper. They'd gone even softer with their music, but with it they found a formula that works and this record is quite profound.
Verdict - Good
If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 13.5/30, or 45%. Now we're slipping.
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