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:
This was the 3rd Top 40 hit from their 2nd album. The first 2 hits both made number 9 but this one only managed number 15 before they made 9 again with their next single. I certainly have a much higher opinion of Garbage now than I did prior to doing these posts. They had some good hits.
Verdict - Good
Ace Of Base have gone back to the dance music formula with this record which was a cover of the Bananarama record. It would be their final Top 10 hit. They generally did a good job of making pop records that are easy on the ears, but I can't really take to this one. The fact I'm not keen on the original probably doesn't help.
Verdict - Rubbish
When I first heard this I thought that Sweetbox were back with a follow up single. It wasn't though, it was Dee-Tah who was a Chilean rapper based in Sweden. The fact I thought it was Sweetbox along with how much I liked the Sweetbox record tells you how much I thought of this record. It's one that takes me to my own little world again.
Verdict - Good
UB40 were back doing what they were best known for, the cover version. This was the lead single from their "Labour of Love III" album and was their 35th Top 40 hit and last Top 10 hit to date. They'd long had that formula perfected. The original was by Johnny Osbourne.
Verdict - Good
This was the only Top 40 hit for Jennifer Paige and it was huge at the time. The chorus is pretty catchy but the verses sound like they were written just to fill the time between choruses. Overall though I find it pretty cringeworthy.
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
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
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
Once again Bus Stop do a cheesy cover of an old record and bring back the original artist in the process. If I was Randy Bachman I would have done the same, it would have been a nice money maker for him. It would be the last time Bus Stop would feature the original artist on a Top 40 hit, but they would be back.
Verdict - Rubbish
In the summer of 1998 Robbie Williams appeared as a pundit for the World Cup where Martin O'Neill told him the he thought he'd struggle with a solo career because he couldn't write songs or play an instrument. His solo career had taken another step up with this record giving him his first number one. It samples "You Only Live Twice" by Nancy Sinatra and is simple but effective.
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
In 1998 I was a big fan of formula one to the extent that I'd get up at stupid hours to watch the grand prix live. The final grand prix of that season was the Japanese Grand Prix and at the end of the coverage they had a montage of the seasons highlights with this song playing over the top. It worked really well and probably helped me to like this record. Also as a result this record reminds me of Martin Brundle.
Verdict - Good
After Brandy scored a number 2 with her duet with Monica, she teamed up with Mase and achieved the same again. It was also written by Rodney Jerkins, Fred Jerkins and LaShawn Daniels. I would however say it's probably the most obscure number 2 of the year as I don't remember it first time round. If I had then I may have thought twice about buying Brandy's "Never Say Never" album.
Verdict - Rubbish
After having a blip with her previous hit "Wishing I Was There", Natalie Imbruglia was back in the Top 10 with this record. It would be her final Top 40 hit of the 90s, but unfortunately she'd be back in the 21st century. It's a record that never really gets started.
Verdict - Rubbish
Dina Carroll was everywhere in 1993, then disappeared until a big comeback in 1996 with "Escaping". It was a brief comeback with just one minor hit that followed. Then came this record which was her penultimate Top 40 hit of the 90s. It was also the Top 40 debut for songwriter Steve Robson who has a number of Top 40 hits to his name as songwriter. It's a pretty boring record.
Verdict - Rubbish
After Brandy was able to score another number 2 with her follow up to "The Boy Is Mine" Monica was unable to do the same getting to number 6 with this. She had Jermaine Dupri behind this record. To be fair she'd not even been in the Top 20 prior to her big hit. This would be her final Top 40 hit to date. Like with the Brandy follow up though, not my cup of tea.
Verdict - Rubbish
The only Top 40 hit for Germany based American R&B group 4 The Cause who were all teenagers at the time. Best known for their association with R Kelly these days but I'll say no more on that. It's a cover of the Ben E King record and is fuckin terrible.
Verdict - Rubbish
We'd had the solo Top 40 debuts as lead artists of fellow Fugees members Wyclef Jean and Pras. Now it was time the the debut of Lauryn Hill whose solo career was just as brief as the Fugees. Once again though it's something different and I remember I'd reached the point of openly admit to liking music that wasn't rave because I openly admitted to liking this.
Verdict - Good
I do wonder how much awareness there was of how big a part Sweden played in the pop world in the late 90s. In the case of this record, how many people were aware that Meja is Swedish. I wasn't aware myself, I never gave it much thought really. It's an honest way of saying what the Swedish songwriting model is all about.
Verdict - Rubbish
T-Spoon had previous had a Top 40 hit with "Coco Jamboo"....oh wait that wasn't T-Spoon. It was by German group Mr. President and T-Spoon were basically a Dutch version i.e. one male and two females with a very cheesy record. The lyrical content upset a few people which helped it to sell records.
Verdict - Rubbish
It had been 2 years and 7 months since Cliff Richard had last had a Top 40 hit. That had been the longest gap he'd had between Top 40 hits since he made his Top 40 debut back in 1958. During that time away he hadn't changed a bit. Why not I supposed, it's not like if he made anything that was any good the younger generation would have bought it.
Verdict - Rubbish
Dru Hill were back with a 2nd album and this was the lead single. It was also from the movie "Rush Hour" and gave them their first Top 10 hit, something they'd achieve with the remainder of their Top 40 hits to date. Nothing to do with the Bee Gees song of the same name, it's original and a good record in it's own right.
Verdict - Good
When the Beautiful South revival happened in 1996 they had 2 hits where Jacqui Abbot did the entire lead vocals and 1 where Paul Heaton did. Around 18 months after that last hit they were back with a record where both singers shared lead vocals. On a personal note I remember walking one wet Sunday afternoon with this record going round my head. It was in a good way though.
Verdict - Good
Whilst "Praise You" is credited with making Fatboy Slim a household name, he was definitely someone people were talking about by the time this record came out. I was loving this record at the time and it's quite possibly my favourite of the Fatboy Slim hits. It also appears on "Kiss Anthems 98" prior to the Norman Cook remix of "Brimful Of Asha" so I find myself drawn to that once it ends.
Verdict - Good
6. REM - Daysleeper (New)
This was the first Top 40 hit for REM without Billy Berry in the band. It was written about a nightshift worker. I remember taking a nightshift job in my student days thinking it would be up my street given my inclination to stay up till 3am, but it was awful. I was envious of those arriving for work after a full nights sleep once my shift had finished. If you are a nightshift worker and are having trouble sleeping during the day, listen to this record.
Verdict - Rubbish
Imagine that you are a songwriter in a band with varying degrees of success over the years but still await you first US Number 1 or your first UK Top 10. Then 28 years later you finally achieve both with a song written by somebody else, not just anybody else, but Diane Warren who's written shit loads of hits for other people. That's exactly what happened to Steve Tyler. Aerosmith were described as a blues-based hard rock band when they formed in 1970 but by the 90s their style was more Rock Music for people who aren't into Rock Music. The guitars are so discrete in this song you would question whether this is even Rock Music at all even if Wikipedia describes it as being "Hard Rock". I'm not one to shy away from ballads by Rock bands but this seems a step too far. Despite this though, I can't help but like it.
Verdict - Good
The 2nd Top 40 hit and 2nd chart topper for B*Witched. On thing they had over their girl group rivals the Spice Girls was they went straight into number one with their first 2 hits whereas the Spice Girls climbed to number one with their first. To rub it in further, they knocked Spice Girl Mel B off the top. Musically though they were still just as bad as each other.
Verdict - Rubbish
The 2nd Top 40 hit for Billie Piper and her 2nd chart topper, though this would be her last. I do remember making a point at the time that her music was always going to have limitations given she was only 15 but then someone pointed out that she'd just turned 16. It's very much music for kids though.
Verdict - Rubbish
2. 911 - More Than A Woman (New)
Five appeared to be winning the battle of the boy bands against 911 so 911 had to come up with a plan. They did something that worked well for their Irish counterparts Boyzone, the cover version. This was original a hit for the Tavares in the 70s. It worked as it gave them their first number 2. An inferior cover in every way.
Verdict - Rubbish
1. Spacedust - Gym And Tonic (New)
Dance music is often used for workouts so it sort of made sense to make a dance record with an instructor talking on it. I remember the confusion of having both Spacedust and Stardust in the charts at the same time. To add further confusion, this was based on a Bob Sinclar record that was co-produced by Thomas Bangalter who was part of Stardust. It's cheesy as fuck but I like it.
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 14/30, or 47%. Slight increase over last week.
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