Here's my weekly look at the Top 30 from 27 years ago. The plan is for these posts to go out at 17:30 on a Friday.
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 1997 with my verdict on each record:
When Supergrass appeared on Da Ali G show to have their music livened up by Ali G the song Gaz Coombes sand was "Sun Hits The Sky". I would however say this follow up record would have been more appropriate as it is a lot more dull and boring.
Verdict - Rubbish
It had been 2 years since Coolio had topped the charts with his debut Top 40 hit "Gangstas Paradise". This was hit 7th and final Top 40 hit to date. It samples "Pull Up To The Bumper" by Grace Jones. Works pretty well I guess.
Verdict - Good
28. 2K - Fuck The Millennium (New)
It had been over 5 years since the KLF retired from the music industry. This was a one off comeback at the Barbican which lasted for 23 minutes. The whole idea of the comeback was for it to be crap, thought part of me does kind of like it for that reason.
Verdict - OK
Eivissa is what Ibiza is known as to the locals, though to me it looks more like the Spanish for Elvis. 2 Eivissa are actually from Germany though and there were 3 of them. I did like this at the time, but I have to say it hasn't aged very well.
Verdict - OK
26. Rolf Harris - Sun Arise (New)
This was originally a Top 40 hit for Rolf Harris back in 1962. I first came across this record when someone in my class at school used to sing it every morning whilst we were waiting to be let into the classroom. I was therefore already familiar with it by the time I'd heard the actual song.
Verdict - Rubbish
Foxy Brown had 5 Top 40 hits in 1997 including 3 with Jay-Z with the other 2 being written by Jay-Z. Don't let the inclusion of Babyface on this record fool you into thinking it's any good. He neither writes it nor produces it, just provides some minimal vocals to it.
Verdict - Rubbish
After 2 years away from the Top 40, M People were back with the lead single from their final album to date. They've gone for the "Search For The Hero" formula one this one rather than the usual dance pop. Just as bland as well.
Verdict - Rubbish
23. Lil' Kim - Crush On You (New)
This was the Top 40 debut for Lil Kim earlier on in the year where it made number 36. Presumably those who didn't like her rival Foxy Brown bought this record to compete with her. That's the only logical reason I can find for people to buy it. If I had to choose between Lil Kim and Foxy Brown though I would pick Lil Kim.
Verdict - Rubbish
Oasis were so big in 1997 that they could release any old rubbish safe in the knowledge that plenty of people would buy it. I'm not even a fan of their earlier stuff, but to it's credit it is distinctive. Even Noel Gallagher himself has since dismissed this era of Oasis.
Verdict - Rubbish
I was once playing one of those music quizzes where you have a CD full of clips and have to name the artist and title, but it's not the original record. There was one clip I confidently said was "Runaway" by Janet Jackson, but no it was this record. I hated this record anyway but hated it even more after that.
Verdict - Rubbish
If you were to ask the question what was the only number one single for The Verve? I would guess most people would say "Bitter Sweet Symphony" but it was actually this record. There always seemed to be someone playing this at open mike night at university which is one of the reasons I wouldn't have gone to it myself if I wasn't playing songs there myself.
Verdict - Rubbish
The Top 40 debut for Smash Mouth which came 2 years before their big hit "All Star" which actually didn't chart as high. This is 1997 after all which throws a lot of misleading chart positions. I find this sort of music too American for my liking.
Verdict - Rubbish
I remember someone telling me that they liked this record because it was soothing. I could relate when it came to other Lighthouse Family records but not with this one. I've always found this one rather irritating for some reason.
Verdict - Rubbish
Primal Screams number of Top 40 hits hit double figures when this record hit the charts. You may struggle to find anyone else who had such variation in their first 10 Top 40 hits. That said I would have probably preferred 10 hits that were in the style of "Loaded".
Verdict - Rubbish
With Will Smith an established actor by this point and Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince now split up you would think Will Smith would have given up on the rapping. Unfortunately he was only just getting started as a solo artist with this being his Top 40 debut.
Verdict - Rubbish
This started off as and R&B record in 1995, but it was a Tuff Jam garage remix that got it into the UK Top 40. Now considered to be one of the garage classics and rightfully so. It may have inspired some other big garage remixes of R&B records.
Verdict - Good
The Propellerheads were big in 1997 and then completely disappeared off the face of the earth never to be heard of again. Their "Decksandrumsandrockandroll" album is excellent and of all the singles to be released from it I would say this is the best one. I would say as far as anything James Bond themed goes it doesn't get any better than this either.
Verdict - Good
The only Top 40 hit for Jimmy Ray and I can't help but think he sealed his fate as a one hit wonder with a song asking are you Jimmy Ray. Where else do you go from there. The fact this was a stupid song too probably contributed to that.
Verdict - Rubbish
Janet Jackson was back with her 24th single which was the lead single of just her 4th album. It's the one that samples "Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell. A lot of the rave music I was listening to at the time was based on samples of old record so given that someone asked me whether this was my sort of music because of the sampling. I said no.
Verdict - Rubbish
Stu Allan's commercial dance outfit Clock were now onto their 10th Top 40 hit and lead single from their 3rd album which was released in Japan only. It's a cover of the Hot Chocolate record and what I recall is this version pretty much stopped being played overnight when the original re-entered the charts thanks to its inclusion in "The Full Monty".
Verdict - Rubbish
This is a record that reminds me of The Chart Show. It came at a time where it had been over a year since Ash had their last Top 40 hit and a year until they'd have their next one. It was taken from the film of the same name. Can't say I'm a big fan.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the 12th Top 40 hit for The Brand New Heavies but it was their only one to make the Top 10 which I find quite tragic. It's a cover of the Carole King record and was a massive anti-climax to the excellent "You Are The Universe". They never made the Top 30 again so this is the last time they'll feature.
Verdict - Rubbish
Chumbawamba first formed back in 1982 but this was the first time they hit the Top 40. It sounds like the sort of record that would make the charts because of a major football tournament happening, but there wasn't. Maybe it was just compensating for the lack of major football tournament.
Verdict - Rubbish
It wasn't unusual for a British R&B act to do an inferior version of an American R&B record. This song was a chart topper in America for Monica that didn't chart here. The difference though was it was Eternal who did it first. It would be the last Eternal Top 40 with with Kelle Bryan in the group.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the 3rd number 3 for the Backstreet Boys. They'd also had a number 2 prior to this and all 4 of these record were the ones that had been written by Max Martin. An early sign that by the time I'm writing this post only Paul McCartney would have more Top 40 hits to his name as songwriter.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the Top 40 debut for Dario G. I liked this record at the time and remember enjoying it when it appeared on Top of the Pops. Then several years later this came on the music channels and it made me think what a classic it was.
Verdict - Good
I remember the intesting fact that "Encore Une Fois" was in French, "Ecuador" was in Spanish and "Stay" was in English but Sash! was German. Those first 2 hits were very commercial sounding and whilst I didn't mind them they weren't really my cup of tea. I'm not going to pretend this is anything other than commercial dance, but its found the formula to appeal to me.
Verdict - Good
The biggest selling single of all time thanks to it being a charity record and a tribute to Princess Diana. I can picture the video clip of loads of people piling into the record shops as soon as it opened with one woman going and picking up a massive pile of CDs to buy. This blog is all about the music though and not the sentiment and musically it's not to my liking.
Verdict - Rubbish / Rubbish
2. Aqua - Barbie Girl (New)
I remember someone telling me there was a song about Barbie that had just come out which had some sexual references between Barbie and Ken. I thought he was taking the piss, but then I heard this. When I heard they were from Denmark, the same country as Whigfield, it made more sense. Remember the lyrics "I need you inside me tonight"?
Verdict - Rubbish
At the time I remember somebody saying that they actually like the new Spice Girls single even though they felt they shouldn't. I told him he was on his own there. It was the lead single from their 2nd album and given the whole Spicemania nonsense going on it was always going to top the charts.
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 6/30, or 20%. This has to be the worst week of the 90s.
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