Here's my weekly look at the Top 30 from 30 years ago. The plan is for these posts to go out at 17:30 on a Sunday.
Here is the
Top 40 in full.
Obviously some of the records will be the same as last week so therefore the review will be the same for these. I've indicated which ones are new so you can skip the others if you read last weeks post.
Once again my opinions are inevitably going to differ from other people, but I'm not trying to convince anyone something is good or rubbish, I'm simply giving my opinion.
So this is the top 30 from this week in 1991 with my verdict on each record:
A medley of 2 Marvin Gaye songs, neither of which were Top 40 hits for Marvin Gaye himself. Having not been born when the originals were out, this was the first version I heard. On that basis I tend to think of this as being a Robert Palmer song even though I do know the Marvin Gaye versions. I guess also because Robert Palmer made it his own rather than sounding like a karaoke singer.
Verdict - Good
That's right, Bananarama were still having hits in 1991. Once again they team up with Youth with a record that mirrors the dance music sound of the time, but is still clearly a Bananarama song. It's the latter that makes the song a bit crap, dance music was always about the music itself, not the singing. The vocals would only ruin a record and this is one of those.
Verdict - Rubbish
One of the better INXS hits in my opinion. I remember walking through the school corridor singing this at the time, particularly the "do do do do" bit.
Verdict - Good
When I first got into rave in the mid-90s, one of the big anthems was "SMD 3" by SMD aka Slipmatt. The was based on a sample of the piano riff of this tune. It's a good riff and both tunes are good.
Verdict - Good
I have no recollection of this song, the fact it only got to number 22 may be a factor or it could be to do with the fact Stings solo records aren't very distinctive. Ok maybe he has a couple of records that stand out, but this isn't one of them, it sounds like just another Sting record.
Verdict - Rubbish
What's this? Yazoo in 1990? Yes, although Yazoo had long split up, this record got the remix treatment and charted in 1990. It was originally the b-side to "Only You". I'd say this is an example of the b-side being better than the a-side, and I like "Only You".
Verdict - Good
Alexander O'Neal is best known as an 80s singer, but here he is in 1991 doing new jack swing, like pretty much every other soul singer was doing at the time. Whilst it wasn't his last Top 40 hit, it was his last one to be written by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. It's probably his best one too.
Verdict - Good
The normal way to wear a cap was with long bit to the front, but it was cool to wear a cap backwards. EMF singer James Atkin on the other hand wore his cap to the side. Everyone was singing this at the time, but I don't recall the cap wearing style catching on. I was one of those singing it, good record.
Verdict - Good
This has one of the most famous music videos of all time, the one with Helena Christensen in it with him. Maybe it's just as well for Chris Isaak that this video has made such an impact because it diverts the attention away from the fact it's a very dull song.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the second and final collaboration between Twenty4Seven and Captain Hollywood to make the UK Top 40. Like with the first hit, not as cheesy as your average Eurodance record but still pretty average at the same time.
Verdict - OK
I prefer this to "Mistletoe & Wine", probably because you don't hear it as much at Christmas. That's the only positive thing I can say about it though.
Verdict - Rubbish
The 40th Top 40 hit Status Quo and follow up to part one of The Anniversary Waltz. It wasn't as successful though, only reaching number 16. They've had a further 17 Top 40 hits since and none of them have made the Top 10. Like with the first part, it's ok.
Verdict - OK
The brummie rapping makes this hard to take seriously, but then again I'm not sure you're supposed to take the music of Pop Will Eat Itself that seriously anyway. I would say this is a dance/rock crossover record but it sounds like they've thrown a few more genres into the mix as well, and it works.
Verdict - Good
This was the new jack swing era for Whitney Houston, but she still did pop songs as well such as this, which was originally by Linda Clifford. It's a very dreary and instantly forgettable song.
Verdict - Rubbish
When I first heard this record my first thoughts were that it's fast and that's what I like about it. Then I discovered it was a cover of a Joe Jackson song and that Joe Jackson didn't like this cover because it was too slow. After hearing that I had to listen to the original version, but I don't find it any faster.
Verdict - Good
This was the highest charting hit for Jesus Jones. This came on the back of an American number 2, "Right Here Right Now", which never featured in this series because it only made 31 over here. This record on the other hand failed to reach the Billboard 100, as did any future Jesus Jones releases. They were missing out, this is a good record.
Verdict - Good
I didn't realise this was an old song at the time but I did think it was sung by an old lady. It was actually 29 years old and was by someone who was 29 at the time and died when she was 30. I guess the reason I thought it was sung by an old lady was that I considered it to be old ladies sort of music and not my sort.
Verdict - Rubbish
The Righteous Brothers revival continues, sort of. This song re-entered the charts after "Dirty Dancing", this film in which this appears, was shown on British TV for the first time. Whilst I like the Righteous Brothers song, this non-Righteous Brothers effort from Bill Medley is shit. The fact it's played in every cheesy bar/club probably doesn't help, but after several beers it still sounds shit.
Verdict - Rubbish
I don't think the actual "Total Mix" is on YouTube but have put a Black Box megamix from 1990 which is pretty much the same thing i.e. their hits to date mixed together, some I like and some I don't.
Verdict - OK
Many people had never heard of Lenny Kravitz until he did "It Ain't Over Til It's Over", but they would likely have heard one of his compositions in this song. I wonder how many Lenny Kravitz fans actually like this song though.
Verdict - Rubbish
When it comes to dance anthems you have those which are genuine classics and those which were just cheesy commercial crap. I place this one in the latter category, I've never been a fan of C&C Music Factory. This is probably their best tune and I don't like it.
Verdict - Rubbish
Was this the beginning of Toytown Techno? Maybe not, whilst it's based on a nursery rhyme it's perhaps not as blatant as actual Toytown Techno records, though it could have inspired it. Very cheesy though and the rapping is dreadful.
Verdict - Rubbish
Mix together Prince and Faith No More, add some gospel rapping over the top and you get this. I'd rather just listen to the Prince or Faith No More songs on their own though.
Verdict - Rubbish
After the successful re-issue of "Unchained Melody" the Righteous Brothers re-issued this record, if anything to show the kids hearing them for the first time (i.e. me) that there are 2 of them. I think I preferred this one to "Unchained Melody" at the time, but it's hard to pick between the 2, they're both good.
Verdict - Good
One could argue this is a Christmas song. It was to do with the Christmas truce during the First World War. This is one of those tunes that I like which also has a happy hardcore version that I like, "Together In Wonderland" by Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo, and I like playing them back to back.
Verdict - Good
I liked this one at the time, but then the following year I became a Queen fan and this famously sampled "Under Pressure". After hearing Brian May say it was crap, I decided it was crap too. I was easily influenced back then. Amongst rap music fans, of which I was one a number of years later, this never had much credibility. Now I'm older and have my own opinions what do I think? Well it is a bit crap to be fair
Verdict - Rubbish
This is the song that taught many people that Seal isn't Adamski. It was the official beginning of Seals Top 40 career, whereas Adamski's had already ended. I have Seals self titled debut album on which this appears, it's a good album.
Verdict - Good
This megamix was released after the film was released on video. Whilst the film has "Summer Nights" at the beginning and "You're the One That I Want" at the end, this is the opposite. I was yet to see the film, but at the time I liked "Summer Nights" but wasn't too fussed about "You're the One That I Want" and "Greased Lightnin". It's all shit really though, the only song from the film that I vaguely like is the title track.
Verdict - Rubbish
When it comes to 90s number ones I can tell you something that was going on in my life at the time for the vast majority of them. This one though completely passed my by and I've only recently figured out why. I spend pretty much the whole of January 1991 ill in bed so therefore wasn't able to follow what was going on in the charts. As for the tune, not really the sort of record you'd expect to get to number one, or even in the charts for that matter which is a compliment.
Verdict - Good
The only number one for Iron Maiden and a song I've known for years, but as mentioned in my Enigma review I was ill for most of January 1991 so don't remember this being number one at the time. The problem is the best thing about Iron Maiden is the speed of the drumming and this is far too slow for an Iron Maiden song so doesn't get the thumbs up from me.
Verdict - Rubbish
If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 14.5/30, or 48%. We're in the ascendancy again, maybe once the crap left over from 1990 is gone we'll go back above 50%.
