25 Years Since....September 2000

One thing I was expecting in September 2000 was the return of Alisha's Attic, but that got delayed. Still plenty of other music to amuse myself with:

Robbie Rivera - Bang

As someone who was into the harder side of dance music I did used to turn my nose up somewhat to house music. At the same time a lot of house fans would write off the harder styles. One house music fan though said they grew to like some of the harder dance music after hearing it in my car a lot. By the same token I'd grown to like house records such as this.

Tru Faith & Dub Conspiracy - Freak Like Me

The original Adina Howard version of "Freak Like Me" passed me by at the time. This was therefore the first version of the record I was familiar with. It's a garage record that was on plenty of tapes at the time. This was before the god awful Sugababes version of the record came out.

Encore ft Eska & Stephen Emmanuel - Coochy Coo

It felt like all the summer anthems were coming in September in the year 2000. I guess it gave them the opportunity to gather momentum in Ibiza etc. before getting a release.

Sasha & Darren Emerson - Scorchio

Darren Emerson left Underworld in the year 2000 and then collaborated with Sasha on this record. Both were big names on the DJ circuit so I guess expectations were high. This record certainly delivered though.

Zombie Nation - Kernkraft 400

One common theme with the records that featured earlier on in the year 2000 was that a lot of them were actually from 1999. Here's another one from 1999. I do very much associate this with the year 2000 though.

UK Number 40s: Yxng Bane - Rihanna (2017)

 

In the modern era the most prolific genre of music in the Top 40 is rap. This trend began in 2017 helped in part by rapper Drake flooding the Top 40 with his records. It did however mean there were new rappers making their Top 40 debut and Yxng Bane was one of those. 

He first gained mainstream attention at the start of 2017 by featuring on a remix of "Shape Of You" by Ed Sheeran. Then he made his Top 40 debut as featured artist on "Bestie" by Yungen. Then came this, his first Top 40 hit as lead artist.

The title "Rihanna" is in reference to the singer of the same name. She had been one of the most prolific Top 40 artists in the decade or so prior to this, but by 2017 the hits started drying up for her. At the time of writing she's only had 3 Top 40 hits since, though by the time you read this she may have had her comeback single.

As for Yxng Bane, he was last seen in the Top 40 in 2021 at the time of writing.

UK Number 40s: Martin Garrix ft Troye Sivan - There For You (2017)

 

In an era where collaborations seem to be the norm, a number 40 can give opposing stories for the artists featured. This is the case with this record. Martin Garrix made his Top 40 debut with a number one in 2013 with "Animals" and this was the Top 40 debut for Troye Sivan who as you see started his Top 40 career with a number 40.

Because dance music events typically require one to be over 18 to attend, many DJs tend to be older than your typical pop singer. However, Martin Garrix the DJ was only 17 when he made his Top 40 debut and not old enough to attend some of the events he would play at. Singer Troye Sivan on the other hand is a year older than Martin Garrix.

Martin Garrix, whose real name is Martijn Garritsen was sole songwriter and sole artist on his debut hit but his remaining Top 40 hits have all been collaborations with multiple songwriters. This one was written by Brett McLaughlin, Martijn Garritsen, Ben Burgess, William Bean, Troye Sivan and Jessie Thomas, a fairly typical number of writers on a modern day EDM record.

As for chart success, well Martin Garrix scored what he'd presumably consider a more important number one in 2017, the number one DJ in the DJ Mag Top 100. 

Top 30 in 1999 Reviewed: Week 39

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 Sunday.

Here is the Top 40 in full.

I've decided against repetition from previous weeks moving forward so will only feature the records I'm reviewing for the first time. I also won't repeat the reviews from the Top 20 in 1999 Reviewed posts.

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 records new to the top 30 from this week in 1999 with my verdict on each record:

27. Everything But The Girl - Five Fathoms

The final original Top 40 hit to date for Everything But The Girl. I do remember at this point they very much seemed to be considered a part of the dance music scene. Personally speaking I never liked them, their dance record all sounded the same and the dreary singing from Tracey Thorn has always irritated me.

Verdict - Rubbish

25. Andrea Bocelli - Canto Della Terra

We've never really had much opera music in the Top 40 so for Andrea Bocelli to score 2 Top 40 hits in the 90s is quite and achievement. It's not a bad record once it gets to the chorus, but I'm not going to be in a hurry to listen to it again.

Verdict - OK

22. Jamiroquai - Supersonic

In 1999 Jamiroquai released "Canned Heat" which is probably the best thing they've ever done. This was the follow up that had a lot to live up to. It obviously isn't as good as "Canned Heat", but still a decent effort and contributed to my decision to buy the "Synkronized" album.

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 11.5/30, or 38%. That's quite an improvement.

80s in the 90s: 1987

Continuing the look at whether 80s acts succeeded in the 90s here's a look at the 1987 debutants:

Public Enemy: They had 4 Top 40 hits in the 80s, all pretty well known but none of them got higher than 18 with "Don't Believe The Hype" reaching that position. In the 90s they had 5 Top 40 hits including 2 number 18s and they fared better with "He Got Game" which made 16. All their 90s Top 40 hit charted higher than their 80s hits that weren't "Don't Believe The Hype". 

Verdict: Hit

Belinda Carlisle: In the 80s Belinda Carlisle clocked up 6 Top 40 hits, 4 made the Top 10 including chart topping debut "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" and the other 2 failed to reach the Top 30. In the 90s she had 13 Top 40 hits but only 3 made the Top 10. This includes "(We Want) The Same Thing" in 1990 which is one of her better known records and enough of a reason to say she succeeded in the 90s.

Verdict: Hit

Wet Wet Wet: It originally looked as though Wet Wet Wet were finished as a chart act by 1989. Although they had Top 40 hits every year in the early 90s they failed to reach the Top 10 with any of their Top 40 hits from 1989s "Broke Away" to 1994s "Cold Cold Heart" with the exception of the 1992 chart topper "Goodnight Girl". Then in 1994 they were number 1 for 15 weeks "Love Is All Around" and they were rarely out of the Top 10 with their hits after that until they broke up in 1997.

Verdict: Hit

Heart: With 6 Top 40 hits in the 80s and 2 in the 90s they're clearly more of an 80s band. However you can't ignore that one of their 90s hits was "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You" which was one of their three Top 10s. It came out in March 1990 so was most likely recorded in the 80s and very much sounds like an 80s record. Their other 90s hit was "Will You Be There (In The Morning)" which made 19 in 1993. It goes without saying that wouldn't be enough to consider them a 90s act too and in the case "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You" it's more the 90s coming just a little too early.

Verdict: Miss

Rick Astley: He made the Top 10 with all his hits between 1987 and 1989 and they he just disappeared. Then in 1991 a now long haired Rick Astley made a comeback with a more mature sound with the hit "Cry For Help". It too made the Top 10 but this comeback was short lived. One final Top 40 hit "Hopelessly" came in 1993 and that just made number 33.

Verdict: Miss

T'Pau: They were one of my inspirations for doing these posts because of their solitary 90s hit with "Whenever You Need Me" in 1991. An example of a pop act squeezing whatever life they have left from their chart career with one final hit that nobody remembers. 

Verdict: Miss

Def Leppard: They started out in the 70s but they never had a Top 40 hit until 1987. Even then only their debut "Animal" made the Top 10 for them in the 80s. After a 3 year gap they came back in 1992 and reached number 2 with joint biggest hit "Let's Get Rocked". The 2nd time they reached number 2 was in 1995 with "When Love And Hate Collide". They had another 9 Top 40 hits in the 90s but none of them were Top 10s. Their big hits were enough though.

Verdict: Hit

WASP: They had 5 Top 40 hits in the 80s but none of them made the Top 20. Then they had their biggest hit in 1992 with "Chainsaw Charlie (Murders In The New York Morgue)" which made number 17 and then in 1993 came "Sunset And Babylon" which made 38. I think when your biggest hit only makes 17 it's more appropriate to measure in quantity.

Verdict: Miss

Luther Vandross: In the 80s Luther Vandross got no higher than number 13 in the charts with "Never Too Much". 6 of hit 8 Top 40 hits that decade failed to reach the Top 20. In the 90s he managed 2 Top 10s but both were duets, "The Best Things In Life Are Free" with Janet Jackson and "Endless Love" with Mariah Carey. His remaining 8 Top 40 hits of the 90s didn't make much impact with 7 of them charting at 20 and below. I'd say duets aside his 90s record and 80s record are pretty similar.

Verdict: Hit

Christians: They'd had a total of 10 Top 40 hits, 3 of which have "world" in the title and 2 have "word" in it. They topped the charts in 1989 as part of the collective who did "Ferry Cross The Mersey" and that same year they scored their biggest hit on their own with "Harvest For The World". In the 90s they had 2 Top 40 hits, "What's In A Word" which made 33 and "The Bottle" which made 39.

Verdict: Miss

Boy George: He topped the charts with his solo debut "Everything I Own" but never really had much impact on the charts with his other solo singles. In the 90s he had 2 Top 40 hits, "The Crying Game" which made 22 and "More Than Likely" with PM Dawn which made 40. Also he was known more for being a DJ in the 90s than an artist.

Verdict: Miss

Terence Trent D'Arby: He had 4 Top 40 hits in the 80s but did 1 better in the 90s with 5. However his 4 80s ones included his 3 Top 10s and if I asked you to name 4 Terence Trent D'Arby records then his 4 80s ones would probably be it.

Verdict: Miss

Beastie Boys: There was a 7 year gap between their 4 Top 40 hits of 1987 and their comeback Top 40 hit in 1994. That comeback single was the double a-side "Get It Together / Sabotage" which is one of their better known records. Then in 1998 came their biggest hit "Intergalactic". They had a total of 6 Top 40 hits in the 90s.

Verdict: Hit

Dutch Top 40 1995: Week 39

These were the new entries in the Dutch Top 40 that never made the UK Top 40:

Ruth Jacott - Ik Ga Door

Ruth Jacott was one of Rene Froger's friends on "You've Got A Friend" which was still in the Dutch Top 40 this week. Here she is doing a record on her own but having less of an impact on the charts. She was in the latter stages of her Dutch Top 40 career at this point. It's a dance record sung in Dutch with a short rap on it.

Me & My - Dub-I-Dub

What I learned about Me & My before listening to this was that they're a female vocal duo who are sisters and from Denmark. Going off that alone tells me this is going to be a cheesy record, and it is. It was a chart topper in their native Denmark where they continued to have hits into the 21st century. In Holland though they had no more Top 40 hits.

2000: The Good Old Days? - April

This was the month that UK garage really took off in the charts so it would only seem right to pick a UK garage record as the best record this month. This goes to N&G featuring Kallaghan with "Right Before My Eyes". The N and G stand for Norris 'Da Boss' Windross and Grant Nelson who were pioneers of UK garage in the mid-90s.

It was the month where many discovered that Craig David wasn't Artful Dodger when he had his first solo hit with "Fill Me In". We also had "Flowerz" by Sweet Female Attitude which is a great record even if it's overplayed. Then we have "Imagine" by Shola Ama which started life as an R&B record but works much better as a garage record.

It wasn't all good in the garage world though. We had True Steppers with Dane Bowers doing "Buggin Me" which is very much a pop does garage record. There was also "Slice Of Da Pie" by Monie Love that was a bit crap.

The genre garage was replacing as the dance genre of the moment was trance. We had the excellent "Airwave" by Rank 1 plus decent records from Ralph Fridge with "Angel" and Hurley & Todd with "Sunstorm" which samples my favourite Elton John record "Song For Guy". I also don't mind "From Russia With Love" by Matt Darey.

However we also had "Toca's Miracle" by Fragma. This was an example of taking a decent record (Toca Me) and ruining it with crap vocals. It worked though because it topped the charts.

Some decent house music in there too with "Jingo Jingo" by Basement Jaxx and "I Don't Want Nobody" by Cherie Amore. What wasn't so good was "You're The Reason" by Wamdue Project, one of many examples of following up your big record with something that sounds the same. 

Speaking of follow ups that sound the same, we have "Do It To Me Again" by Soulsearcher which isn't bad. It's an example of US garage which is different to UK garage.

Just the one rap record which is the double a-side "Rap Superstar/Rock Superstar" by Cypress Hill and both are decent tunes.

I could put this period of time down as me learning my music tastes were dance, rap and R&B because all the records which get full marks this month fits one of those genres.

R&B wise we have "Thong Song" by Sisqo which is a great record. There's "Only the Loot Can Make Me Happy" by R Kelly which is another great record. TQ was basically a rapper who sang and his record "Daily" was solid. Montell Jordan was back with his final Top 40 hit "Get It On Tonite. Of course we had rubbish too such as "Say My Name" by Destiny's Child.

Onto the worst record which goes to Precious with "Rewind". I wasn't 100% sure I knew it, but once I started playing it I knew it and after around 20 seconds I couldn't listen to anymore.

Here's a list of the records with the best on top, worst at the bottom and the good ones in green, OK ones in amber and rubbish ones in red (and in no particular order):

Score: 36%

Here's a look at the chart:

I get the feeling we'll remain in the same ballpark as the end of 1999. We'll soon find out.

January Charts: 1977

Here are the new entries ranked from best to worst:

1. Boston - More Than A Feeling

2. Boz Scaggs - What Can I Say

3. Thin Lizzy - Don't Believe A Word

4. Moments - Jack In The Box

5. Al Stewart - Year Of The Cat

6. James Brown - Bodyheat

7. Harold Melvin And The Bluenotes - Don't Leave Me This Way

8. Heatwave - Boogie Nights

9. Detroit Spinners - Wake Up Susan

10. Gallagher And Lyle - Every Little Teardrop

11. Brothers - Sing Me

12. Gordon Lightfoot - The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald

13. Silver Convention - Everybody's Talkin' 'Bout Love

14. David Parton - Isn't She Lovely

15. Eagles - New Kid In Town

16. Gladys Knight And The Pips - Nobody But You

17. Gary Glitter - It Takes All Night Long

18. The New Seekers - I Wanna Go Back

19. Leo Sayer - When I Need You

1977 goes down in the history books as the year punk came along and saved music. However a number 38 by the Sex Pistols was the only punk we'd had in the Top 40 by January 1977 and that record came out at the end of 1976 and therefore isn't included in this batch.

The best record is the only hit from American rockers Boston with "More Than A Feeling". It's a song that takes you on a journey without being overly complex. The main hook consists of just 4 chords.

In 2nd place we have Boz Scaggs with "What Can I Say", one of those records I've heard many times as background music but the first time I've properly sat down and taken a listen and it was an enjoyable one.

Then in 3rd we have a solid record from Thin Lizzy with "Don't Believe A Word". Not a punk record by any stretch of the imagination, but being 2 minutes long and straight to the point means it's suited to the punk era.

There's no disco overload this time and we have more credible disco records than cheese. There's "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes which was already 2 years old and they were one of the original disco acts. Then there's "Boogie Nights" by Heatwave who again I would put in the credible disco category.

The only cheesy pop disco record comes from German group Silver Convention with "Everybody's Talkin Bout Love" and whilst I can't say I like it, it's nowhere near as bad as some disco records I've heard.

Stevie Wonder opted not to release "Isn't She Lovely" as a single because he didn't want to shorten it to a radio edit. Instead we get a cover from David Parton which sounds like an all round karaoke version.

One band I've never really got is the Eagles. Their greatest hits is the 3rd best selling album of all time but I've always found their music rather boring and with "New Kid In Town" being over 5 minutes long that's very much the case there.

No Motown this time but we do have 2 former Motown acts. The Detroit Spinners have a solid if unspectacular record with "Wake Up Susan". Gladys Knight & the Pips had some great records and some really boring ones and "Nobody But You" fits the latter category.

The worst record though is another boring ballad "When I Need You" by Leo Sayer. Probably not helped by the fact the first version I heard was the 90s cover by Jambo from Hollyoaks.

Overall it's been a big improvement on 1976 and in a way it's like 1963 again.

Score: 40

UK Number 40s: Tom Odell - Magnetised (2016)

 

Tom Odell is someone I'm certain is one of the singer-songwriters that's the answer to the "Who's been recently singing..." questions you'd get on Popmaster when it was on Radio 2. I can't claim to know much about him but it appears he's not finished with the Top 40 yet though at the time of writing he's averaged around 1 hit every 3 years.

This was his 3rd Top 40 hit and this time he's been able to call upon the help of once of the most prolific songwriters in charts history, Rick Nowels. This is the man who wrote "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" by Belinda Carlisle and in more recent times has been writing for Lana Del Rey.

Given Tom Odell's singles discography is far larger than his Top 40 history I'd say this placing at number 40 would have been considered a success.

UK Number 40s: Benny Benassi & Chris Brown - Paradise (2016)

 

Both Benny Benassi and Chris Brown have had UK Number 40s prior to this. Benny Benassi in 2004 with "No Matter What You Do" and Chris Brown in 2011 with "Best Love Song".

The 2 artists had also previously collaborated on the track "Beautiful People" which made number 4 in 2011 which incidentally was the Chris Brown hit that came prior to his number 40 and the Benny Benassi hit that came after his number 40.

It would be the final Top 40 hit for Benny Benassi but given he went 7 years without a Top 40 hit between 2004 and 2011 you can't rule out him having another Top 40 hit. As for Chris Brown, well I suspect his final Top 40 hit is yet to come.

Top 30 in 1999 Reviewed: Week 38

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 Sunday.

Here is the Top 40 in full.

I've decided against repetition from previous weeks moving forward so will only feature the records I'm reviewing for the first time. I also won't repeat the reviews from the Top 20 in 1999 Reviewed posts.

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 records new to the top 30 from this week in 1999 with my verdict on each record:

28. All Seeing I - 1st Man In Space

The final Top 40 hit to date for All Seeing I which was co-written by Jarvis Cocker and features Phil Oakey from the Human League on vocals. It was apparently based on "Space Oddity" by David Bowie and "Rocket Man" by Elton John, but it just sounds like a poor mans "Blue Monday".

Verdict - Rubbish

24. Suede - Everything Will Flow

The demise of Britpop didn't stop Suede from continuing to have Top 40 hits despite them being one of the bigger names associated with it. The big hits had finished for them though so we're now into territory I don't remember. I didn't have much hope for this record and it's as I expected. Still one more Suede record to listen to later on this year.

Verdict - Rubbish

22. Lost Witness - Red Sun Rising

Even in this small sector of the Top 40 we seem to be getting a new trance record every week in 1999. Generally speaking that's no bad thing, I like a lot of the trance music that was coming out in 1999. However this one is moving into the cheesy vocal shit territory that became big as we went into the 21st century.

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 7.5/30, or 25%. That's a terrible score.

80s in the 90s: 1986

Continuing the look at whether 80s acts succeeded in the 90s here's a look at the 1986 debutants:

The Mission: They had 5 Top 40 hits in the 80s and 6 in the 90s. None of them made the Top 10, only 3 made the Top 20 with "Butterfly On A Wheel" being one of them in Jan 1990. Interestingly they had a number 12, 30 and 32 in both decades. It almost seems as identical as you can get in terms of chart record for each decade, a couple of Top 10s in the 80s would of probably meant a miss in the 90s.

Verdict: Hit

Janet Jackson: She has a total of 37 Top 40 hits to date. None of them topped the charts but she reached number 2 twice with "The Best Things In Life Are Free" and "That's The Way Love Goes" which both came in the 90s. In the 80s she failed to reach the Top 20 with 3 of her 7 Top 40 hits, in the 90s it was 2 of her 22 Top 40 hits. This is an easy one to decide.

Verdict: Hit

Erasure: They're very much known as an 80s act but some will be surprised to learn they were having Top 40 hits as late as 2007 and their last Top 10 came in 2005. Despite keeping the hits going the reality is none of the well known ones came later than the mid-90s. They did however get their only number one in 1992 with "Abba-Esque EP" and in the early 90s they were still relevant in the Top 40.

Verdict: Hit

Sinitta: It's hard to believe she was still having Top 40 hits in the 90s but she did. There was "Hitchin' A Ride" which made number 24 in 1990 and "Shame Shame Shame" which made number 28 in 1992. A sign that her time was up once we'd reached the 90s.

Verdict: Miss

Europe: They only just qualify for this list with 4 Top 40 hits in the 80s and 1 in the 90s. Europe are a band who incorrectly get labelled as one hit wonders and the reality is apart from chart topper "The Final Countdown" they didn't really make much impact on the charts. Their sole 90s Top 40 hit "I'll Cry For You" made number 28 in 1992.

Verdict: Miss

Jesus & Mary Chain: They had 6 Top 40 hits in both the 80s and 90s and each decade gave them 1 Top 10 hit. Each decade also gave them a number 30 and 2 Top 40 hits that charted outside the Top 30. An almost identical chart record in each decade then.

Verdict: Hit

Swing Out Sister: Their Top 40 debut "Breakout" is possibly the most 80s sounding record I can think of. Follow up "Surrender" also made the Top 10 but their remaining Top 40 hits charted outside the Top 20. I'm quite surprised 1989 hit "You On My Mind" only made number 28 because I remember it very well. Likewise following single "Am I The Same Girl" only made 21 in 1992 and I remember that one very well too. No recollection of their only other 90s hit "La La (Means I Love You)" though.

Verdict: Miss

Curiosity Killed The Cat: They only just qualify for this list with 4 Top 40 hits in the 80s and 1 in the 90s. Their 1992 hit "Hang On In There Baby" was their joint highest charting single making number 3 and by this point they'd shortened their name to just Curiosity. Somehow it doesn't seem enough though.

Verdict: Miss

Bon Jovi: I remember their 1992 comeback with Jon Bon Jovi's haircut really well. The probably had the most live via satellite appearances in the 90s of Top of the Pops too. They had 9 Top 40 hits in the 80s and 15 in the 90s. Just "Livin On A Prayer" made the Top 10 in the 80s, they had 10 Top 10s in the 90s including their biggest hit "Always".

Verdict: Hit

The Pogues: Another who only just qualifies for the list. Their solitary 90s Top 40 hit "Tuesday Morning" made number 18 in 1993 and by this point Shane MacGowan had left the band. 

Verdict: Miss

Samantha Fox: It's well known that Page 3 girl Samantha Fox had a pop career in the 80s but I don't think too many people would know she managed 8 that decade. It's also a bigger surprise that she had a Top 40 hit in the 90s. This was as featured vocalist on "Santa Maria" by DJ Milano which made number 31 in 1998. 

Verdict: Miss

Dutch Top 40 1995: Week 38

These were the new entries in the Dutch Top 40 that never made the UK Top 40:

C'est Tout & Anthonius Hapt - Da Tandenborstel Jive

Here's some more Dutch carnival music but this time no words are sung and it's something quite familiar. Although not exactly the same version, this used to get played on the Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Radio 1 as one of his radio jingles. I had no idea at the time that it was Dutch or even anything other than a radio jingle.

BZN - Santo Domingo

BZN were a band who were huge in Holland and virtually unknown elsewhere. Their Dutch Top 40 career spanned from 1968 to 2007 when they called it a day with the appropriately titled "Goodbye". What threw me when they started singing was that they were singing in English as I was fully expecting it to be in Dutch. It's the sort of music you'd expect to hear at a holiday resort.

Scooter - Endless Summer

This will be the last we'll see of Scooter this year. They did chart in the UK in 1995 but not with this one. Quite fitting for it to be released at the end of the summer and in my opinion this was one of their better records. 

2000: The Good Old Days? - May

In May 2000 guitars were out and turntables were in. Over half of the new entries this month could be considered dance music including the novelty effort from Kevin & Perry from their "Kevin & Perry Go Large" film which was more evidence this was the era of dance music.

It's therefore appropriate that a dance record is the best record this month. It goes to MJ Cole with "Crazy Love", one of the biggest UK garage records from one of the biggest names from the genre.

The other 2 garage records this month also came from big names who are both DJ/MC duos but one is considerably better than the other. DJ Luck & MC Neat had their 2nd Top 40 hit with "Masterblaster 2000" which is decent. Oxide & Neutrino on the other hand brought the start of garage heading in the wrong direction with "Bound 4 Da Reload (Casualty)".

Although 2000 was the year of garage we had more records this month from the big dance genre of 1999, trance. There wasn't a bad trance record this month, most getting full marks and a couple getting half. This includes St Etienne teaming up with Paul Van Dyk and scoring their only Top 10 hit with "Tell Me Why (The Riddle)". It came not long after I'd bought their "Too Young To Die" album which was their singles from 1990-95 and I assumed at the time they'd called it a day in 1995.

The dominance of dance music left little room for rap and R&B. There was just one record of each, the rap one being "Vibrant Thing" by Q-Tip which is OK and "Shorty (Got Her Eyes On Me)" by Donnell Jones which is good.

Bucking the trend of guitars being out was Iron Maiden who had a new entry with "Wicker Man". It sounds like it could have just as easily been made in 1983 and the drumming is fast enough for it to get full marks.

Onto the worst record which goes to Britney Spears with "Oops I Did It Again". I remember hearing it for the first time on the Chris Moyles show on Radio 1 and he pointed out how similar it was to "Baby One More Time" to the point he started singing it over the top to illustrate. Both were composed by Max Martin who acknowledged how well it went the first time so figured there was no point in changing the formula and it worked.

Here's a list of the records with the best on top, worst at the bottom and the good ones in green, OK ones in amber and rubbish ones in red (and in no particular order):

Score: 34%

Here's a look at the chart:

The same score as December 1999, but we're still yet to know what happened in between.

January Charts: 1976

Here are the new entries ranked from best to worst:

1. Electric Light Orchestra - Evil Woman

2. War - Low Rider

3. R And J Stone - We Do lt

4. The Sweet - Lies In Your Eyes

5. Donna Summer - Love To Love You Baby

6. Evelyn Thomas - Weak Spot

7. Smokie - Something's Been Making Me Blue

8. Osibisa - Sunshine Day

9. David Ruffin - Walk Away From Love

10. The Miracles - Love Machine

11. The Who - Squeeze Box

12. Manuel And The Music Of The Mountains - Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto De Aranjuez

13. Glenn Miller - Moonlight Serenade/Little Brown Jug/In The Mood

14. The O'Jays - I Love Music

15. Yvonne Fair - It Should Have Been Me

16. George McCrae - Honey I

17. Gloria Gaynor - How High The Moon

18. Faith, Hope And Charity - Just One Look

19. Walker Brothers - No Regrets

20. Slik - Forever And Ever

21. Wing And A Prayer Fife And Drum Corps - Baby Face

22. Tony Christie - Drive Safely Darlin'

23. The Captain And Tennille - The Way I Want To Touch You

24. Donny & Marie Osmond - Deep Purple

25. Paul Simon - 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover

26. Claude Francois - Tears On The Telephone

27. Barbara Dickson - Answer Me

28. The Four Seasons - December '63

1976 is considered by many to be the worst year for the charts, well in the 20th century at least. There were no new entries in the first week, when going through the 5 new entries in the 2nd week the word that sprang to mind was silly.

The only one of these I didn't consider silly was "Evil Woman" by ELO. One thing I remember from the early days of the Top of the Pops reruns is ELO having by far the best record on the episode and this is true of this batch of records.

We have "We Do It", the only hit for UK/US husband/wife duo R&J Stone known for it's subject matter. I do quite like the record though. Then there's The Miracles who by now were without Smokey Robinson with "Love Machine" which is essentially about a sex robot. Not a bad record but they've done better.

Then there's "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" by Paul Simon, the "hop on the bus Gus" record which is definitely silly. The subject matter of "Tears On The Telephone" by Claude Francois is actually quite serious but the song itself just sounds like a nursery rhyme.

It became more of a tough listen after that and I had to do it in installments as I was losing the will to live. One record I refused to listen to was "December 63" by The Four Seasons so on that basis it finishes bottom. I've always found it really irritating.

One of the surprise records was "Lies In Your Eyes" by The Sweet. I generally find their brand of glam rock a bit naff but this is a hard rock record.

I would say there are 3 main reasons why 1976 is poor based on this batch. First are the 60s acts past their prime, I've already mentioned The Four Seasons and The Miracles but we also have The Who and The Walker Brothers who have both gone down the country route.

The 2nd reason is the naff covers of older hits, for example "Answer Me" by Barbara Dickson, "Deep Purple" by Dony & Marie Osmond, "Baby Face" by Wing And A Prayer Fife And Drum Corps and "Just One Look" by Faith Hope & Charity.

The final reason is too much disco music. I'm not anti-disco and there are some great disco records out there. However when not done well it can be quite abysmal and this is a consequence of everyone jumping on the disco bandwagon.

Even the ever reliable Motown can't produce the goods this time. We have the only solo record from former Temptations member David Ruffin with "Walk Away From Love" which is alright but didn't have much impact on me. Then there's the only hit for Yvonne Fair with "It Should Have Been Me" which I find a bit boring.

Not a great year then but is it the worst so far? Yes, along with 1955.

Score: 27

Beyonce - Daddy Lessons (2016)

 

We've had examples of artists replacing themselves at number one in the charts, but here we have an unusual example of an artist replacing themselves at number 40.

Like the record it replaced at number 40 it was kept that low in the charts by other Beyonce records in higher positions in the charts the same week.

Last year there was a lot of hype about Beyonce changing music direction to country music. This record however shows it's all been done before, just nobody noticed

UK Number 40s: Beyonce ft Kendrick Lamar - Freedom (2016)

The inclusion of streaming in the charts meant that in theory every track on a new album could make the Top 40 singles chart and that quite famously happened to Ed Sheeran in 2017 which prompted a change to the chart rules.

Beyonce released her "Lemonade" album in 2016 which there was a lot of hype about at the time. This track appeared on that album and it's placing at number 40 could be considered a success for the simple fact 5 other tracks from that album were in higher positions in the Top 40 the same week.

Despite all the hype around the album, the highest charting single from it only made 11. This was in part due to the fact it was exclusively released on the streaming platform Tidal which unlike rivals such as Spotify doesn't have a free subscription option. 

Top 30 in 1999 Reviewed: Week 37

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 Sunday.

Here is the Top 40 in full.

I've decided against repetition from previous weeks moving forward so will only feature the records I'm reviewing for the first time. I also won't repeat the reviews from the Top 20 in 1999 Reviewed posts.

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 records new to the top 30 from this week in 1999 with my verdict on each record:

30. Sheryl Crow - Sweet Child O' Mine

As you may have guessed, this is a cover of the Guns N Roses record. It's a lot more mellow and sounds like the sort of thing you'd expect to hear on a John Lewis advert. A terrible cover and Rolling Stone readers named it the 4th worst cover of all time.

Verdict - Rubbish

26. Tin Tin Out ft Wendy Page - Eleven To Fly

The penultimate Top 40 hit to date for Tin Tin Out which came before their collaboration with Emma Bunton. Wendy Page may not be a household name but at this point she'd recently wrote the number one record "Because We Want To" by Billie and "Perfect Moment" by Martine McCutcheon. Doesn't sound too promising then, but this ones not bad.

Verdict - OK

24. Lost Tribe - Gamemaster

Matt Darey was one of the big names in trance around this time and this was his first time in the Top 40 under the name Lost Tribe alongside Red Jerry. I remember this being a pretty big record at the time and was one of the reasons I thought commercial dance music had improved massively in 1999.

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 12/30, or 40%. We stay the same.

80s in the 90s: 1985

Continuing the look at whether 80s acts succeeded in the 90s here's a look at the 1984 debutants:

Marc Almond: He scored his only number one in 1989 collaborating with Gene Pitney on "Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart". He also was featured artist on "I Feel Love (medley)" by Bronski Beat which made number 3 in 1985. Aside from that he failed to make the Top 20 with any of his actual solo releases in the 80s. In the 90s he managed to make the Top 20 twice with "Jacky" and "The Days Of Pearly Spencer". I'd say that's enough.

Verdict: Hit

Go West: The only 80s year they had Top 40 hits was 1985 when they had 4 with the biggest being "We Close Our Eyes". In the 90s they also had 4 Top 40 hits and all made the Top 20 whereas 3 of their 80s hits did. However there's no getting around the fact they were widely regarded as a naff 80s band in the 90s and I'd say this overrides the stats.

Verdict: Miss

New Model Army: They had 4 Top 40 hits in the 80s and 3 in the 90s. Just one in each decade made the Top 30 though with their biggest hit coming in 1993 with "Here Comes The War" making number 25. This helped them onto peoples Top 10 bands lists at school. Then they fell off peoples lists because they were too 80s.

Verdict: Miss

A-Ha: They made the Top 10 with 8 of their first 9 Top 40 hits with the last of these coming in 1988. The next and final time we'd see them in the Top 10 would be in 2006. We're talking about the 90s though when they had 3 Top 40 hits and you can see from chart positions that the decline began towards the end of the 80s.

Verdict: Miss

Whitney Houston: Not many people can claim to have a Top 40 hit every year in the 90s but Whitney Houston can. She also had a Christmas number one that stayed at the top of the charts for weeks on end. There are other reasons one would say Whitney Houston was also a 90s chart act but we'll leave it at that.

Verdict: Hit

Pet Shop Boys: All their number ones came in the 80s and you would certainly describe them as more of an 80s act than a 90s one. However with 19 Top 40 hits in the 90s which includes "Go West" they certainly have a case for being a 90s chart act too.

Alexander O'Neal: He had 2 Top 10 hits in the 80s, "Saturday Love" and "Criticize". The others didn't have a huge impact on the charts but he clocked up 10 Top 40 hits that decade. Then in the 90s he had a further 4 Top 40 hits but again none really had much impact on the charts.

Verdict: Miss

Bryan Adams: In 1985 Bryan Adams made his Top 40 debut with "Run To You" which made number 11. A further 3 minor Top 40 hits followed that same year. He then failed to make the Top 40 with any of his singles for the rest of the decade. Then in 1991 he was back and topped the charts for 16 weeks with "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You". That alone is enough to be considered a 90s chart act without mentioning the many other Top 40 hits he had that decade.

Verdict: Hit

The Cult: They never had a Top 10 hit but clocked up 9 Top 40 hits in the 80s with the biggest of these being "Lil' Devil". Then in 1991 they had their solitary Top 40 hit that decade with "Wild Hearted Son" that made number 40. Pretty easy to give my verdict on this one.

Verdict: Miss

Simply Red: They had the biggest selling album in 1991 and 1992 with "Stars". However we're looking at the singles chart and perhaps the most significant thing from that perspective is that they had their only number one in 1995 with "Fairground". They also had more Top 40s and more Top 10s in the 90s than they did in the 80s.

Verdict: Hit

Fine Young Cannibals: Their chart peak came in 1989 with their biggest hits being "She Drives Me Crazy" and "Good Thing". However they didn't appear in the Top 40 in the 90s until 1996 when they reached number 17 with "The Flame". At the time of release singer Roland Gift had left the group and that was that.

Verdict: Miss 

Dutch Top 40 1995: Week 37

These were the new entries in the Dutch Top 40 that never made the UK Top 40:

Hollenboer - Het Busje Komt Zo

This Dutch duo were a genuine one hit wonder in Holland. This was their only hit and it was a chart topper. It's a novelty record and although I don't understand the lyrics you can tell from the video and sort of tell from the video that it's a record about a bus. 

2 Brothers on the 4th Floor - Come Take My Hand

The 2nd and final time we'll see 2 Brothers on the 4th Floor in the Dutch Top 40 this year. At the beginning of the video they get of the bus, but fortunately it isn't a record about a bus. It's a happy hardcore record, very much of the commercial variety. I do quite like it but can't help but think it was an influence on the crappy vocally happy hardcore that would come in the UK a few years later.

Dune - Are You Ready To Fly

More happy hardcore but this time it comes from Germany. It's the 2nd time we've seen them this year, the 1st being "Hardcore Vibes". Whilst "Hardcore Vibes" was played at the UK raves at the time I can't recall ever hearing this one on a rave tape. A shame really because I like it. We will be seeing Dune again later on in the year.

January Charts: 1975

Here are the new entries ranked from best to worst:

1. Sweet Sensation - Purely By Coincidence

2. Sparks - Something For The Girl With Everything

3. The Stylistics - Star On A TV Show

4. Mac And Katie Kissoon - Sugar Candy Kisses

5. Love Unlimited - It May Be Winter Outside (But In My Heart It's Spring)

6. Stevie Wonder - Boogie On Reggae Woman

7. Betty Wright - Shoorah! Shoorah!

8. Queen - Now I'm Here

9. Kevin Johnson - Rock And Roll (I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life)

10. Elvis Presley - Promised Land

11. Pilot - January

12. Glitter Band - Goodbye My Love

13. Helen Reddy - Angie Baby

14. Johnny Mathis - I'm Stone In Love With You

15. The Carpenters - Please Mr Postman

16. Wigan's Chosen Few - Footsee

17. Johnny Wakelin And The Kinshasa Band - Black Superman (Muhammad Ali)

18. Dana - Please Tell Him That I Said Hello

In 1974 we had an early example of a disco record in the charts and it's pretty well known that by the late 70s many soul artists from years gone by were putting out disco records instead.

There's no disco records this time, but many of the soul records appear to be at least disco inspired. The top record is an example of this, though Sweet Sensation would have no more Top 40 hits after 2nd hit "Purely By Coincidence". Yes it is essentially "Sad Sweet Dreamer" part 2 but I do still like it.

The Stylistics era of Bell/Creed being songwriters was no over and they were now into the Hugo & Luigi era. Some say this was the end for them, but I think they were still making decent records such as "Star On A TV Show".

Mac & Katie Kissoon were very much the pop side of soul music and they were making their debut with "Sugar Candy Kisses" which is pleasant enough. Same goes for the final Love Unlimited hit "It May Be Winter Outside (But In My Heart It's Spring)".

Stevie Wonder had a solid record in "Boogie On Reggae Woman" which despite the title is a funk record rather than reggae. Below is a record from the Northern soul scene "Shoorah! Shoorah!" which was average at best.

An example of Northern soul starting to lose it's way though was "Footsee" by Wigan's Chosen Few which is as bad as it's made out to be. It's not as bad as novelty record record "Black Superman (Muhammed Ali)" by Johnny Wakelin which in turn isn't as bad as former Eurovision winner Dana making a comeback with the abysmal "Please Tell Him That I Said Hello".

In the 80s Australia famously gave us Kylie and Jason in the music charts. In 1975 they gave us Helen and Kevin, though I'm not aware of collaborations between them. Helen Reddy had her only hit with "Angie Baby" which I find rather dull. Kevin Johnson had his only hit with "Rock 'N Roll (I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life)" which is slightly better but still a bit dull.

I've been waiting for the 70s slump and it looks like it's finally happened. 

Score: 31

2000: The Good Old Days? - June

In my post for November I mention the breakstep sub genre of UK garage and how "138 Trek" by DJ Zinc was the only example I could thing of. This month I see I forgot "I Don't Smoke" by DJ Dee Kline which charted first. Maybe the name breakstep came about between the two records.

The other UK garage record this month is "Girls Like Us" by B15 Project featuring Chrissy D & Lady G and as a result it's full marks to the garage genre. The record "What's Your Name" by Angel Lee had a well know garage mix by MJ Cole but for the purpose of this exercise we need to go with the original R&B version which gets no marks.

In fact none of the R&B record this month get any points and all are of the pop variety. It includes the Pink debut single "There You Go" which does have a decent garage mix but again we have to go with the crap original. 

The nearest we do get to an R&B point is "Shackles (Praise You)" by Mary Mary. It's a gospel record but does make its way onto R&B compilations. I ended up buying the album but this was the only decent track on it.

Rap wise we have Richard Blackwood making his Top 40 debut with "Mama - Who Da Man?" and comes across as the British Will Smith which is never good. Jay-Z had "Big Pimpin" which is also crap. We did however have "Forgot About Dre" by Dr Dre & Eminem which is another record to have a decent garage mix but this time the original is just as good and almost good enough to be the best record.

Beating it to best record is Moby with "Porcelain". I had contemplated buying his "Play" album based on previous singles, but this one was so good it prompted me to buy the album. One of the all time chill out greats.

This month feels a bit of a turning point for trance music in the charts. We have some decent ones such as "A9" by Ariel and "Embrace" by Agnelli & Nelson. Then there's "It's My Turn" by Angelic, a Judge Jules project featuring his wife on vocals which is a bit cheesy and commercial but I like it. Then we have vocal rubbish from BT & Kirsty Hawkshaw with "Dreaming" and possibly the worst instrumental trance record of all time "Sandstorm" by Darude which just sounds plain lazy. These latter two are examples of commercial trance losing it's way for their respective reasons.

We also have one of the worst house records to make the charts, "You See The Trouble With Me" by Black Legend which just made me think dance music was getting far too commercial that we're getting nonsense like this.

The worst record though reminds me of perhaps the worst nightclub I've ever been too. It's "Reach" by S Club 7 that was played every time I went there. These were the days when pubs shut at 11pm and the only place to get a drink after was the nightclub. This was the main nightclub in a small town that everyone went to after the pub and I can still picture all those drunken people putting their hands in the air to reach for the stars.

Here's a list of the records with the best on top, worst at the bottom and the good ones in green, OK ones in amber and rubbish ones in red (and in no particular order):

Score: 26%

Here's a look at the chart:

The worst month of 2000 so far. We also had a slump in June 2001, maybe there's something in that.

UK Number 40s: Taylor Swift - Wildest Dreams (2015)

 

It could be argued that I shouldn't be including this record in here. Whilst this made number 40 when it was released in 2015, a re-recorded version made number 25 in 2021. However I like to go by the British Hit Singles book definitions which say if the artist has gone into the studio to re-record it then it counts as a separate single.

Taylor Swift is one of the biggest names in the modern era and there was clearly no decline in popularity going on here. However, her popularity hasn't always translated into chart success. At this point the majority of her Top 40 hits had failed to make the Top 10 and she was yet to have a number one. It fared better in America where it made number 5.

Max Martin and Karl Schuster are the songwriters so sounds like it should be successful on paper. Then again the previous Top 40 hit for Karl Schuster as songwriter was "This Summer" by Maroon 5 which was another record that made number 40.

UK Number 40s: Maroon 5 - This Summer (2015)

 

Whilst Maroon 5's first record to only make number 40 could be regarded as a success due to only being a promo single, the same couldn't really be said of this record.

Their album "V" had been out for a year and a duluxe version of their album was released which included this track on it for the first time. It only made number 23 in their native America too, other singles of theirs from around this time were charting much higher.

The full title of this record is "This Summers Gonna Hurt Like a Motherfucker" which obviously doesn't lend itself well to radio play. It was the last single from their "V" album but their Top 40 career was far from over.

Top 30 in 1999 Reviewed: Week 36

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 Sunday.

Here is the Top 40 in full.

I've decided against repetition from previous weeks moving forward so will only feature the records I'm reviewing for the first time. I also won't repeat the reviews from the Top 20 in 1999 Reviewed posts.

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 records new to the top 30 from this week in 1999 with my verdict on each record:

24. Caprice - Oh Yeah

Caprice is a model who decided to branch out into music and ended up having 2 Top 40 hits which both made number 24. This was the first of those. When a non-musician decides to release a record you generally expect it to be crap. More often than not it is and this is no exception.

Verdict - Rubbish

23. Mark Morrison And Connor Reeves - Best Friend

You probably didn't think that Mark Morrison was still having hits in 1999. This was his last original Top 40 hit to date. It was also the final Top 40 hit to date for Conner Reeves. I would say that Mark Morrison has done better and Connor Reeves has never made a good record as far as I'm aware.

Verdict - Rubbish

22. Ayla - Ayla

Yet another German trance record in the Top 40 in 1999. This record was originally from 1995 and would end up featuring in the film "Kevin & Perry Go Large", a film that sounds right up my street but I've never watched for some reason.

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 12/30, or 40%. Now we're slipping. 

80s in the 90s: 1984

Continuing the look at whether 80s acts succeeded in the 90s here's a look at the 1984 debutants:

Madonna: This is possibly the easiest verdict I have to give. Madonna kicked of the 90s with a number 1, followed by 2 number 2s followed by 3 number 3s. That alone would make for a successful 90s in the charts. She went onto have 27 Top 40 hits that decade, more Top 40 hits than anyone else in the 90s and more Top 40 hits than she had in the 80s.

Verdict: Hit

Billy Idol: A name you would associate with the 80s as a solo artist. His biggest hits came in 1985 with "White Wedding" and "Rebel Yell" both reaching number 6. He clocked up 8 Top 40 hits in the 80s and then had a further 2 in the 90s, "Cradle Of Love" which made 34 in 1990 and "Shock To The System" which made number 30 in 1993. Not really enough to be considered a 90s act too.

Verdict: Miss

ZZ Top: The 90s Top 40 chart record of ZZ Top is almost identical in the 90s to the 80s. Both decades gave them 5 Top 40 hits of which 2 made the Top 20 and 1 made the Top 10. Their Top 10 hits both made number 10, "Gimme All Your Lovin" in the 80s and "Viva Las Vegas" in the 90s. On that basis I'd say they're just as much a 90s band as an 80s one.

Verdict: Hit

George Michael: It could be argued that out of all the people who have left a band and gone solo George Michael has had the most successful solo career from a UK chart perspective. He topped the charts with his first 3 singles and then in the 90s he managed 3 number ones in a row again and had a total of 4 that decade. He had a total of 16 Top 40 hits in the 90s and 11 of them made the Top 5.

Verdict: Hit

Feargal Sharkey: He only just makes the minimum criteria for this list, 4 Top 40 hits in the 80s and a solitary Top 40 hit in the 90s. His 90s Top 40 hit was "I've Got News For You" which made number 12 which was higher than 2 of his 80s hits. However the other 2 80s hits include the chart topper "A Good Heart". He also called it a day as a singer in 1991.

Verdict: Miss

Scritti Politti: Another act who only just makes the minimum criteria for this list. The sole Scritti Politti Top 40 hit in the 90s was "She's A Woman" and was the lowest charting one. It was a collaboration with Shabba Ranks and afterwards came a lengthy hiatus from frontman Green Gartside which last almost the rest of the decade.

Verdict: Miss

Alison Moyet: She only failed to make the Top 10 once from her 7 Top 40 hits of the 80s. In the 90s she failed to reach the Top 10 with either of her hits, "This House" made number 40 and "Whispering Your Name" made number 18.

Verdict: Miss

Cyndi Lauper: It may come as a surprise to hear Cyndi Lauper had more Top 40 hits in the 90s than the 80s. She only had 4 in the 80s, "Girls Just Want To Have Fun", "Time After Time", "True Colors" and "I Drove All Night" which are all pretty well known. The same can't be said for her 7 90s hits with the biggest of these being "Hey Now (Girls Just Want To Have Fun)" which was a remake of her 80s hit and reached number 4. 4 of them charted outside the Top 30 whilst the other 2 failed to reach the Top 10. This is a difficult one but I'd say she just about gets a pass.

Verdict: Hit

Sade: The biggest Sade hit was her debut "Your Love Is King" which made number 6 and was her only Top 10. Her 2nd biggest hit was her only 90s Top 40 hit "No Ordinary Love" which made number 14. I'd say the lower charting 80s ones are better known and I wouldn't say this is enough to be considered a 90s chart act.

Verdict: Miss

Freddie Mercury: As a solo artist Freddie Mercury had 5 Top 40 hits in the 80s and 2 in the 90s. Both of his 90s ones came after he died, "In My Defence" was originally recorded in 1985 and "Living On My Own" was originally released as a single in 1985 but failed to make the Top 40. The latter gave Freddie Mercury his only solo number one. In theory a 90s number one should make you a 90s chart act. but given they were 80s records charting after his death in this case I don't think it does.

Verdict: Miss

Dutch Top 40 1995: Week 36

These were the new entries in the Dutch Top 40 that never made the UK Top 40:

Rene Froger & Friends - You've Got A Friend

Rene Froger's friends here are Marco Borsatto, Ruth Jacott and the Frogettes. I get the impression that Rene Froger and Marco Borsatto were just about the biggest names in Holland at the time and this collaboration would have number 1 written all over it but it only managed number 3. Maybe because they're singing in English. As you might have guessed it's a cover of the Carole King record.

Paul Elstak - Rainbow In the Sky

Some more happy hardcore from Paul Elstak. This was played a lot at the raves at the time, one set in particular that I remember was DJ Vibes at Helter Skelter NYE 96 where he opened with this and as a result I think of what Live Lee was saying over it when I'm listening.

Henny Huisman - Snuit Je

Here we have one of many examples of a non-musician getting into the Dutch Top 40. Henny Huisman is a TV presenter most notably for Soundmixshow which is a Dutch version of Stars in their Eyes. He also presented Surpriseshow which is the Dutch version of Surprise Surprise. I gather this is supposed to be a novelty record about a horse.

2000: The Good Old Days? - July

This month saw Artful Dodger and Craig David reunite on what was both artists 3rd Top 40 hit with "Woman Trouble". Truth be told Craig David doesn't sing much on this record with the bulk of the vocals coming from Robbie Craig. It's a great record and good enough to be the best record this month.

Ever since the acid house days of the late 80s the holiday destination that went hand in hand with dance music was Ibiza. The rapid rise of UK garage in the year 2000 meant Ayia Napa was now being talked about just as much. One garage record that you can't help but think of Ayia Napa when hearing is "Summer of Love" by Lonyo. Another decent garage record this month was "Neighbourhood" by Zed Bias. As with any genre that's hugely popular there's some cheesy rubbish too. This month is comes from Shanks & Bigfoot who followed up their previous years chart topper with "Sing A Long" which sounds just as silly.

There wasn't a bad trance record this month and this includes vocal tracks from Matt Darey with "Beautiful" and Alice Deejay with "Will I Ever". Chicane had the double a-side "No Ordinary Morning / Halcyon" and Mauro Picotto had "Iguana" which are the best trance records this month.

Not a bad rap record this month either, in fact they all get full marks. There's "The Real Slim Shady" by Eminem which was the lead single from his "The Marshall Mathers LP" album. De La Soul returned teaming up with Redman on "Oooh". Ol Dirty Bastard charted with "Got Your Money".

R&B was looking pretty good too. We had the final Top 40 hit for En Vogue with "The Riddle". There was the Top 40 debut for Lucy Pearl whose members included former En Vogue member Dawn Robinson. Aaliyah charted with "Try Again" which was decent and even British group Damage had an alright single with "Ghetto Romance". The only record letting the genre down was "Jumpin Jumpin" by Destiny's Child which is predictably crap.

Speaking of crap it's time to name the worst record for this month. It comes from Girl Thing who were being heavily promoted as the next Spice Girls at the time even though I'm the only one who seems to remember them. Their debut single "Last One Standing" flopped (i.e. didn't top the charts) and this pretty much spelt the end for them.

Here's a list of the records with the best on top, worst at the bottom and the good ones in green, OK ones in amber and rubbish ones in red (and in no particular order):

Score: 38%

Here's a look at the chart:

This isn't the best July of the 21st century because July 2001 was better, just.

January Charts: 1974

Here are the new entries ranked from best to worst:

1. Stevie Wonder - Living For The City

2. Clifford T Ward - Scullery

3. The Isley Brothers - Highway Of My Life

4. Harold Melvin And The Bluenotes - The Love I Lost

5. Ronnie Lane & Slim Chance - How Come

6. Alice Cooper - Teenage Lament '74

7. Diana Ross - All Of My Life

8. Billy Paul - Thanks For Saving My Life

9. Barry White - Never Never Gonna Give Ya Up

10. Stealers Wheel - Star

11. The Stylistics - Rockin' Roll Baby

12. Prelude - After The Gold Rush

13. Wombles - Wombling Song

14. The Sweet - Teenage Rampage

15. Mud - Tiger Feet

16. Lulu - The Man Who Sold The World

17. Bubble Rock - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

When I reached the end of the 2nd week I thought we could be on for the best year so far. After the following 2 weeks though I had my doubts.

There is a clear winner in this batch which comes from Stevie Wonder with "Living For The City". In the interests of time I listen to the radio edit of each record, but for this one after listening to the radio edit I went on to listen to the full 7 minute version. The best thing he's ever done and hard to believe it's the same person who did "I Just Called To Say I Love You".

A surprise record occupies 2nd place. It was the 2nd and final and lesser known hit for Clifford T Ward. I was vaguely aware of this record but this was the first time I had a proper listen and found it a real joy to listen to.

In 3rd place are The Isley Brothers with "Highway Of My Life". They had left Motown by this point but were still producing the goods.

Then we have an early example of disco in the Top 40 with "The Love I Lost" by Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes. This was a time before the popularity of disco exploded and everyone jumped on the bandwagon and as a result it's a decent record.

Folk isn't a genre I think of when it comes to 70s music but we have a few in this batch. In addition to Clifford T Ward we have former Small Faces and Faces member Ronnie Lane with "How Come" which is up in 5th place. We also have "Star" by Stealers Wheel which is also alright and "After The Goldrush" by Prelude which is also alright but suffers somewhat from being acapella.

Alice Cooper is a name I think of when it comes to the harder side of rock in the 70s. His record "Teenage Lament 74" still fits that description but is a bit different to his typical sound and I like it.

Some soul records follow, I find "Rockin Roll Baby" by Stylistics pretty average and they've done better but the records from Diana Ross, Billy Paul and Barry White are all decent.

Down the bottom we have Jonathan King doing a novelty cover of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" under the name Bubblerock and is awful. Lulu made one of many comebacks with a cover of "The Man Who Sold The World" by David Bowie but it doesn't work for me. Despite Lulu being a 60s singer coming back in the 70s and David Bowie very much being of the 70s Lulu is the younger of the 2. In fact Lulu is one of the youngest of all these artists.

Glam Rock isn't really my thing and I've never liked "Tiger Feet" by Mud. Above that is "Teenage Rampage" by The Sweet which was the reason I got 36 instead of 39 on Popmaster because I couldn't identify some lyrics from the first verse. Even now the lyrics still don't stand out.

We've now reached the mid-point of the 70s and we've not seen the nosedive in quality I was expecting.

Score: 47