Future Top 40 Heavyweights? - 1 Year Later

A year ago I made this post about who could be the next Drake or Ed Sheeran i.e. clock up a ridiculous amount of Top 40 hits that nobody knows. To keep it simple I looked at all acts to debut after Ed Sheeran to have 15 or more Top 40 hits to their name.

Here's how it's looking a year later:

The Weeknd (35) (LY 30)

I concluded my post last year that the artist most likely to clock up Drake and Ed Sheeran levels of Top 40 hits was The Weeknd. He's made progress clocking up 5 Top 40 hits in the last year and overtaking Little Mix and Ariana Grande in the process.

Little Mix (32) (LY 32)

They're still on hiatus so no further Top 40 hits.

Ariana Grande (31) (LY 31)

She had no Top 40 hits in 2022 and is yet to have one in 2023.

Stormzy (30) (LY 26)

He turned 30 in July which was also the month he clocked up his 30th Top 40 hit. Once rap goes out of fashion chart wise I suspect Stormzy will but that could still be a while yet.

D-Block Europe (29) (LY 26)

It's been a pretty low key year for D-Block Europe chart wise by their own standards with just 3 Top 40 hits in that time. That's not through lack of trying, they've released more singles but failed to make the Top 40 with them.

Dave (29) (LY 24)

Who will reach 30 Top 40 hits first, Dave or D-Block Europe? Dave looks like he has more momentum at the moment but then he may have a quiet year ahead of him.

Dua Lipa (23) (LY 22)

Just the one Top 40 hit in the last year. I said last year she may only clock up 3 Top 40 hits in the next 4 years like Rita Ora when she was at the same stage of her chart career. That prediction could still happen.

Rita Ora (22) (LY 22)

Nothing in the last year, but she continues to be in the limelight. I guess you can't have it all.

Sam Smith (22) (LY 20)

He's more famous these days for being a weirdo but he's still making music with 2 Top 40 hits in the last year.

Central Cee (22) (LY 15)

The newest Top 40 debutant whose been the most prolific in the last year and could find himself near the top of this list next year. Or he could go the same way as D-Block Europe and have a more low key year.

Post Malone (21) (LY 19)

Last year I said I never realised Post Malone had so many Top 40 hits. This year I'm saying I didn't realise he had any Top 40 hits in the last year but he's had 2.

Kendrick Lamar (20) (LY 20)

Nothing in the last year.

Fredo (19) (LY 16)

Last year I said he was yet to have a Top 40 hit in 2022. Then shortly afterwards he had one called "I'm Back" and has had another 2 since.

One Direction (18) (LY 18)

Still on hiatus and have been for 8 years. It took Take That 9 years to reunite, will we see the One Direction reunion next year?

Aitch (18) (LY 18)

It only took him 3 years 4 months to clock up 18 Top 40 hits but he's failed to add to that total in the last year.

KSI (18) (LY 17)

Just the one Top 40 hit in the last year for KSI but he's probably made many more YouTube videos.

Billie Eilish (18) (LY 17)

Last year I said that the chart positions in the 2nd half of her Top 40 hits in the last year weren't great so maybe she was falling out of favour with the record buying public. Just the one Top 40 hit for her in the last year but it was a chart topper. That said, it was from the Barbie movie. Even I could have topped the charts with a record from that.

Anne-Marie (18) (LY 16)

Still incapable of making a record by herself, her hits in the last year have been a collaboration with David Guetta and a collaboration with Shania Twain who hadn't been in the Top 40 for some time.

AJ Tracey (17) (LY 17)

Nothing last year and nothing this year either.

Becky Hill (17) (LY 15)

I know around 20 seconds of one of her records in the last year thanks to it being on a YouTube advert all the time. It's a drum & bass record for people not into drum & bass.

Tion Wayne (16) (LY 15)

He's doubled his solo efforts in the last year from 1 to 2.

Camila Cabello (15) (LY 15)

Nothing in the last year.

We've also had several acts who scored their 15th Top 40 hit in the last year:

Travis Scott (18)

He made his Top 40 debut in 2017 and in July of this year he scored his first Top 40 hit in nearly 2 years. A further 4 Top 40 hits since including a Drake collaboration has brought his total to 18. Drake had just 12 Top 40 hits in the first 5 years of his Top 40 career and became more prolific from his 6th year. Could Travis Scott follow suit?

J Hus (16)

Someone recently asked me whether I'd heard of J Hus and I said no. He clocked up 12 Top 40 hits between 2017 and 2020 then returned to the Top 40 this year after a gap of 3.5 years. He's also collaborated with Drake this year.

Headie One (16)

Headie One made his Top 40 debut in 2019. Prior to this year only 1 of his 12 Top 40 hits had been a solo effort but he's tripled that number this year. Once again we have someone whose Top 40 hits include a collaboration with Drake.

Doja Cat (16)

Doja Cat is just the second person on this list who made their Top 40 debut this decade. She debuted in 2020 and was most prolific in 2021 with 7 Top 40 hits that year. No collaborations with Drake yet.

Cardi B (15)

Cardi B made her Top 40 debut in 2017 and brought her total to 8 Top 40 hits a year later. This year she had her first Top 40 hit for over 2 years bringing her total to 15. 

Jax Jones (15)

I'm probably going to need a rethink about who and who not to include in the future. Jax Jones is coming up to decade since his Top 40 debut so is averaging 1 or 2 Top 40 hits a year. I guess if he manages a 40 year chart career he could get there.

That's 5 rappers and a DJ added to the list then. Let's see what happens over the next year.

Top 30 in 1996 Reviewed: Week 44

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 1996 with my verdict on each record:

30. Duke - So In Love With You

I said earlier on in the year that Norman Cooks time in the Top 40 as Pizzaman had now finished. Turns out not quite as it was the Pizzaman mix of this record which was the single version. I always thought Duke was Italian for some reason but turns out he's a Geordie. Anyway good tune. 

Verdict - Good

29. The Presidents Of The United States Of America - Mach 5 (New)

The start of 1996 brought us The Presidents Of The United States Of America who's first 3 hits got weirder with each hit. Then came this, their 4th and final Top 40 hit to date which is nowhere near as weird as it's predecessors. A bit disappointing in that respect, but I guess it shows they can do more serious music too.

Verdict - Good

28. Fugees - Ready Or Not

In 1996 you were more likely to find me listening to the drum & bass rip off of this rather than the Fugees record. In a way though I saw it as a good compromise between listening to this and staying true to the rave scene. It's a great record though, pretty dark but has a sung chorus to keep it radio friendly. There was no stopping the Fugees in 1996.

Verdict - Good

27. BBE - Seven Days And One Week

One thing that I get quite annoyed by is hearing that this record was the start of trance music. Trance had been around a long time before this and that includes Paul Oakenfold bringing it to the masses. It's legendary status has meant I've heard it too many times now, but it was a record I liked at the time and I still can find the enjoyment in it.

Verdict - Good

26. Damage - Love II Love

The Top 40 debut for Damage who were filling the shoes of MN8 as the main British male R&B group. They too suffered the same problem of British R&B being inferior to its American counterpart. It was one of the early Top 40 hits for Wayne Hector as a songwriter.

Verdict - Rubbish

25. The Chemical Brothers - Setting Sun

I've made no secret of the fact I never liked Oasis. Therefore I didn't really want to like this tune because of it's inclusion of Noel Gallagher. But I couldn't help but like it. The Chemical Brothers were already pretty established by this point, but this record was the one that made them a household name. 

Verdict - Good

24. LL Cool J - Loungin

This was the 7th Top 40 single for LL Cool J which reached number 7 and became his highest charting hit to that point. It features uncredited vocals by Total, the R&B group I described as being poundland TLC when I reviewed their record a few weeks ago. They didn't really sound like TLC here, but just make an annoying sound that is the chorus. It's far too pop for my liking.

Verdict - Rubbish

23. Mark Morrison - Trippin'

The 4th Top 40 hit for Mark Morrison and he's turning down the tempo on this one. The trouble is he doesn't really have the voice for a record like this. It works alright on the more upbeat numbers but he's singing in exactly the same voice and it doesn't work.

Verdict - Rubbish

22. Gene - Fighting Fit (New)

We've now reached the halfway point of Gene's Top 40 career with this being hit number 5 out of 10. From a personal point of view I'd say this was the most memorable of them, but I'm not sure they really had a big hit as such. It's still throwaway rubbish in my opinion. 

Verdict - Rubbish

21. Braids - Bohemian Rhapsody (New)

Whoever thought this was a good idea. I've made it known before that I think "Bohemian Rhapsody" is overhyped but I at least get the appeal of the record is that it's basically a few short songs into one and on that basis makes it an odd one to cover. They go straight into the "mama" bit, then the headbanging bit in the same style then go back to the "mama" bit with a bit of "nothing really matters" thrown in. Awful cover. 

Verdict - Rubbish

20. Suede - Beautiful Ones

Someone once told me they consider Suede to be one of the underrated bands of the 90s. I disagree, they were seen as one of the big four Britpop bands yet when you had the Blur vs Oasis battle etc. they were nowhere to be seen. Then with Britpop more popular than ever, they were releasing any old rubbish and going straight into the Top 10 with it. This being a prime example.

Verdict - Rubbish

19. REM - Bittersweet Me (New)

I've not heard this one for a long time and as I play it I question if it's the record I remember it being. Then it completely change as we go into the chorus and confirms it is the record I remember. The chorus is strong enough to carry the rest of the tune.

Verdict - Good

18. Blackstreet ft Dr Dre - No Diggity

Although this wasn't the highest charting single for Blackstreet, this is the record they're best known for. With Dr Dre rapping the intro one could think it was him who produced it, but then Blackstreet already had their own big name producer in Teddy Riley and of course it was him who produced it. I love the sampling in this record, that's what makes it really stand out. 

Verdict - Good

17. Cast - Flying

This was the 5th Top 40 hit for Cast and their 5th with a one word title which is their highest chart single to date. Hard to say which record Cast are best known for. I'd say they're better known as what The La's did next. I do remember several of their sits individually including this and remember not liking them.

Verdict - Rubbish

16. The Beautiful South - Rotterdam

Prior to this record I thought The Beautiful South were pretty much finished. They'd failed to reach the Top 10 since they topped the charts in 1990, they'd released their greatest hits and were more likely to be heard on Radio 2 than Radio 1. Then this came out and all of a sudden they were big again. I like the sentiment of this song, I've been to numerous towns and cities over the years and thought this could be anywhere. Musically though not to my liking.

Verdict - Rubbish

15. Donna Lewis - I Love You Always Forever

As someone who listened to the radio back in the 90s there were lots of records I'd hear that I didn't like. Generally I'd just put up with them, but there were some records that I hated so much I would have to turn off the radio. This was one of those records. I can also tell you that we'll be getting "Breakfast At Tiffany's" in the charts soon because that was another that made me turn off the radio at the time. Why break the habit of a lifetime, I'm stopping this before the end of the video.

Verdict - Rubbish

14. The Lightning Seeds - What If... (New)

In the summer of 1996 there was no escaping "3 Lions" to the point it was easy to forget that The Lightning Seeds were a band who did other songs too. This was their following single and I remember it seeming a bit weird seeing The Lightning Seeds on their own again. I also remember thinking it's not very good and I'm still yet to be convinced by it.

Verdict - Rubbish

13. Deep Blue Something - Breakfast At Tiffany's

After reviewing "I Love You Always Forever" by Donna Lewis I knew this record was just round the corner because it was another record that I hated so much I had to turn the radio off whenever it came on. Now I'm going to end the YouTube video before it finishes.

Verdict - Rubbish

12. Alisha's Attic - Alisha Rules The World (New)

Whilst I was disappointed to discover the Spice Girls weren't going to be one hit wonders, I was glad to see Alisha's Attic were back with a 2nd Top 40 hit. I was also glad to hear it was just as good as its predecessor.

Verdict - Good

11. Space - Neighbourhood (New)

I grew up in the sticks and I guess this was an insight into living in the city. I knew pretty much everyone down my street but when I did move to a city I knew absolutely nobody on my street and they could have been the people described in this record for all I know. I've said before that Space were definitely one of the better Britpop bands which is helped by their humour.

Verdict - Good

10. Madonna - You Must Love Me (New)

At the time I was given the option of going to the cinema to watch "Evita". I had nothing better to do so I thought why not. It was the biggest pile of shit I'd ever seen, it was truly painful to watch. This record was from that movie which had Madonna in it.

Verdict - Rubbish

9. Livin' Joy - Follow The Rules (New)

The 3rd Top 40 hit for Livin Joy and their last big one really. Their sticking to the same formula of commercial dance music. Not a bad record by any means, but with this formula it was always going to have it's limitations.

Verdict - OK

8. Celine Dion - It's All Coming Back To Me Now

This is basically Celine Dion does Meat Loaf. It was written by Jim Steinman who wrote the bulk of Meat Loafs hits including a Meat Loaf version of this 10 years later. Therefore it's long and over the top and not to my liking, but I will concede it's better than her usual dreary ballads. Still crap though.

Verdict - Rubbish

7. Babybird - You're Gorgeous

At the time I remember hearing that Babybird was a really prolific songwriter who'd written hundreds of songs. For many though, this is the only song of his they remember. It's a record I remember being out around the same time as "Breakfast At Tiffany's". It's not as crap, but is still crap.

Verdict - Rubbish

6. Reef - Place Your Hands (New)

One of my early memories of this record was it being on the Chris Evans breakfast who with wedding bells over it because I recall someone in his radio show crew was about to get married. It would of course end up being famous for the reworded "Its Your Letters" on TFI Friday. It's one of those records where the lead singing being a rubbish singer makes the record sound good.

Verdict - Good

5. Faithless - Insomnia

I've now heard this record more times in my life than I care to remember. It's one of those records that's universally loved, even by people who generally don't like dance music. I liked this so much I bought the single and I've never bought that many singles really.

Verdict - Good

4. Toni Braxton - Un-Break My Heart (New)

After having all 5 of her previous Top 40 hits written by Babyface, Toni Braxton turned to prolific songwriter Diane Warren for her 6th. It worked as this became her joint highest charting Top 40 hit, but often in order to achieve popularity you have to compromise on quality and this is what's happened here in my opinion. 

Verdict - Rubbish

3. Boyzone - Words

It had been nearly 2 years since Boyzone made their Top 40 debut and I remember when Take That were still around some said they were losing their grip on the boy band world to Boyzone. Yet it took Boyzone until this record to score their first number one. Still, it was one hit sooner than Take That scored their first number one. A cover of the Bee Gees record which could be best described as the alternative lyrics of: shits only turds and turds are all I have to take your fart away.

Verdict - Rubbish

2. East 17 ft Gabrielle - If You Ever (New)

This record was released to promote East 17s greatest hits album. To show they weren't planning on splitting up any time soon they put in the reference "The Journey So Far", but we all know what happened next. As with pretty much all the East 17 singles, I like it.

Verdict - Good

1. Spice Girls - Say You'll Be There

Once again I'm going to talk about "The Noise" with Andi Peters. This was when it became apparent that The Spice Girls weren't going to be one hit wonders. They exclusively showed the video to the new Spice Girls single. It's not as bad as their debut, that's the only positive thing I can say about it.

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 12.5/30, or 42%. With an increasing number of new entries though who knows what will happen next week. 

The Top 40 Leaderboard: October 2023

Drake is the leader by some distance now and with just 2 months left of the year including the influx of old Christmas hits it's looking like he'll still be there at the end of the year. His Top 40 hits total now stands at 89 so you can't rule out him having his 100th Top 40 hit next year.

76 of the 210 record this year have been rap which is 36%. 

Christmas Charts Rated: 1980

Top 40

Best Song: Specials - Do Nothing

The Specials a a much celebrated band and probably the first who spring to mind when you mention 2 Tone. Their Top 40 career was very brief though, this single came 18 months after their Top 40 debut and the only remaining Top 40 hit from the band as we knew them was "Ghost Town" 6 months later. The intro to this record sets the scene for a pretty good tune.

Worst Song: The Nolans - Who's Gonna Rock You

The story of The Nolans to many is that they did the very cheesy and shit "I'm In The Mood For Dancing" and then made a living from being celebrities. Turns out they had 8 Top 40 hits and they were all just as cheesy and shit as their big one.

Top 40 Review

1980 was the best year of the 80s from a Top 40 perspective, but was that still the case by Christmas time?

Let's begin with the Christmas number one which was "There's No One Quite Like Grandma" by St Winifred's School Choir. It's a record that's said to be liked by nobody and topped the charts due to people buying it as a present for their grandma. Makes sense to me.

Other novelty hits that had nothing to do with Christmas was "Rabbit" by Chas & Dave and "I Could Be So Good For You" by Dennis Waterman.

In terms of Christmas hits we had "Never Mind the Presents" by Barron Knights, "December Will Be Magic Again" by Kate Bush, "Stop The Cavalry" by Jona Lewie and "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" by John Lennon & Plastic Ono Band.

The latter came just after the death of John Lennon and he had 2 other records in the Top 40 with "(Just Like) Starting Over" and "Imagine". I like the former and the latter is OK but overplayed/overrated.

A lot of the points come from the 2 tone and reggae acts. In addition to The Specials we have The Beat, Madness, UB40 and Eddy Grant. Blondie had also gone in the reggae direction with "The Tide Is High".

A surprising source of points comes from Neil Diamond with "Love On The Rocks". I'm referring to when I first heard it years ago and assumed all his music was shit, I was pleasantly surprised.

A less surprising source of points come from the ever reliable Electric Light Orchestra with "Don't Walk Away".

That's about as good as it gets. We have a good mixture of music genres throughout the Top 40 but a lot of it is lowest common denominator rubbish.

The result is a score that's pretty poor by 80s standards.

Score: 12.5

Table

The best year of the 80s has the 2nd worst Christmas chart of the 80s:

Top 30 in 1995 Reviewed: Week 44

Here's my weekly look at the Top 30 from 28 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 1995 with my verdict on each record:

30. N-Trance ft Ricardo Da Force - Stayin' Alive

After the impact that "Set You Free" had on me I was excited to hear a follow up record which was this. This quickly turned to disappointment, this wasn't rave at all, it was a cheesy remake of the Bee Gees record.

Verdict - Rubbish

29. Let Loose - Everybody Say Everybody Do (New)

With this record only making number 29 it looked like Let Loose were finished barely a year after their debut. They weren't though, a couple more hits followed the next year. The intro to this insists they've gone with a harder edge to this one, but once we get past that it's just as namby pamby as their other hits.

Verdict - Rubbish

28. The Rembrandts - I'll Be There For You

This of course was the theme song for the TV show Friends. I used to watch Friends back in the 90s and I liked it but I have to say it's not aged very well. The theme music though was always shit, but it was probably intended to be that way.

Verdict - Rubbish

27. Louise - Light Of My Life

1995 was the year that Louise left Eternal and this was her solo debut. Simon Climie from 80s pop duo Climie Fisher was on songwriting duties. It's a dreary ballad that I don't think I've heard since 1995 anf hopefully I'll never hear it again.

Verdict - Rubbish

26. Wildchild - Renegade Master

This record made the Top 40 earlier on in the year under the name "Legends of the Dark Black pt2" but fared better under it's name changed to "Renegade Master". Wildchild sadly passed away a month or so after this so probably never saw the true impact of this record.

Verdict - Good

25. Echobelly - King Of The Kerb (New)

The chart position of 25 doesn't reflect how big I recall this record being at the time, but given it's not one of their records you hear about anymore it sort of makes sense. It's got a good chorus and I did secretly like this record at the time.

Verdict - Good

24. Jimmy Nail - Big River

1995 was the only year in his career that Jimmy Nail had more than one Top 40 hit. He had 3 that year and this was the 2nd of those. The big river that he speaks of is the River Tyne and this record made more sense to me when I lived in Newcastle. 

Verdict - Good

23. Denise Welch - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me / Cry Me A River (New)

Robson & Jerome weren't the only ones from Soldier Soldier to enter the music world. This double a-side was the only Top 40 hit for Denise Welch who was on Solider Soldier at the time. So poundland Robson & Jerome then if that's even possible.

Verdict - Rubbish / Rubbish

22. MN8 - Baby It's You (New)

British R&B artists were coming up with some decent records around 1995 which was no doubt helped by have them written by American songwriters. This one was written by British songwriters including Pam Sheyne who wrote "Genie in a Bottle" for Christina Aguilera a few years later. It's not very good.

Verdict - Rubbish

21. Pulp - Mis-Shapes / Sorted For E's And Wizz

"Sorted For E's and Wizz" is the better known song on this double a-side and it's a decent enough record. I would however say that "Mis-Shapes" is miles better and is the best Pulp song I've heard. I love the attitude this record has.

Verdict - Good / Good

20. Diana King - Ain't Nobody

Diana King is regarded by many as being a one hit wonder with "Shy Guy" but she had 2 other Top 40 hits starting with this. It's a cover of the Chaka Khan record which can't decide whether it wants to be a reggae cover or not. Sounds a bit of a mess as a result.

Verdict - Rubbish

19. The Lightning Seeds - Lucky You

This record failed to reach the Top 40 when first released in 1994 but then The Lightning Seeds had a surge in popularity in 1995 and this record fared better. It's a good uplifting number with a great singalong chorus.

Verdict - Good

18. TLC - Diggin' On You (New)

When it comes to TLC records the number one question I always have is who wrote it? Many TLC records have big name producers behind them and this one is no exception. The big name in question is Babyface and it's a solid effort as usual.

Verdict - Good

17. McAlmont And Butler - You Do (New)

The 2nd Top 40 hit for McAlmont And Butler and it would be several years until their 3rd. It's more mellow than their debut "Yes" but follows the same sort of formula. A pretty decent formula I would say.

Verdict - Good

16. Josh Wink - Higher State Of Consciousness

Listen to this tune and watch the video and this record would appear to be as British as they come. I was therefore surprised to discover a few years later that Josh Wink is American. It's a classic for sure.

Verdict - Good

15. UB40 - Until My Dying Day (New)

1995 was the year we saw Ali Campbell in the Top 40 for the first time as a solo artist. He wasn't done with his band UB40 though. It's exactly the sort of record you'd expect from UB40 and I'm a fan of that sound.

Verdict - Good

14. Mariah Carey - Fantasy

When this record came out I remember being shocked at Mariah Carey making a record that was so upbeat. It's based around a sample of "Genius Of Love" by Tom Tom Club which is a great record. However the last thing it needs is Mariah Carey's whiny voice over the top of it.

Verdict - Rubbish

13. Michael Jackson - You Are Not Alone

This record was written by R Kelly. It's a ballad and R Kelly was one of those people who knew how to write a ballad well.

Verdict - Good

12. Cher - Walking In Memphis

This had originally been a Top 40 hit in 1991 for Marc Cohn. This Cher cover charted higher but it's the Marc Cohn original that gets acknowledged these days. Rightfully so, this cover is poor.

Verdict - Rubbish

11. Madonna - You'll See (New)

I remember when this came out something that sprang to mind was that Madonna had previously made fun records like "Cherish" and "Dear Jessie" but was now making boring crap like this. Given she'd been around for over a decade and was a well established name, she could put any old crap out and people would buy it. This is what happened here.

Verdict - Rubbish

10. Shaggy - Boombastic

After this record appeared on the Levi's advert it became Shaggy's second number one out of his first three Top 40 hits. It's a silly record really but great fun to listen to.

Verdict - Good

9. Eternal - Power Of A Woman

Louise had left Eternal and this was their first record without her. It was also the best record they've ever made. Admittedly the singing does grate on me a little but musically it's great. As you might imagine with it being about the power of a woman, this song was written by men.

Verdict - Good

8. Smokie ft Roy 'Chubby' Brown - Living Next Door To Alice (Who The Fuck Is Alice)

This was originally a Top 40 hit for Smokie back in 1976. Then there was a cover by Gompie that was big in Europe where the audience would reply "Alice, who the fuck is Alice". Smokie therefore decided to revive this song and get comedian Roy 'Chubby' Brown to add the "Alice, who the fuck is Alice" bit. I think it's great.

Verdict - Good

7. Def Leppard - When Love And Hate Collide

This single was from their greatest hits album "Vault". A relative who clearly knew nothing about my music tastes bought me that album as a Christmas present that year. At the time I was listening to nothing but rave, even when I was into guitar music I never really thought much of Def Leppard. The fact Joe Elliott had gone for the Kurt Cobain look in the video may have been misleading in that respect. That all said, this is the best song I've ever heard from Def Leppard and I did grow to like it. To this very day though I've never listened to the "Vault" album and its never really been in my possession. 

Verdict - Good

6. Everything But The Girl - Missing

At the time I was a big fan of "Gangsta's Paradise" and was convinced it had been in the Top 40 longer than anything else once it had been there a while. Turns out this record entered the Top 40 the same week. As both records fell to the lower reaches, I bought the "Gangsta's Paradise" single to help give it at least another week in the Top 40. Unfortunately "Gangsta's Paradise" dropped out, but this stayed another week and I wasn't happy about that. It failed to reach the Top 40 when first released but a Todd Terry remix gave it a new lease of life. Never seen the appeal myself though.

Verdict - Rubbish

5. Simply Red - Fairground

It had been 3 years since we'd last seen Simply Red in the Top 40 and this comeback single gave them their only number one record to date. The not very musical verses followed by a really catchy chorus works really well.

Verdict - Good

4. East 17 - Thunder (New)

The lead single from "Up All Night" which was the final studio album from East 17 as we knew them. I would also say that is the East 17 album I've listened to the most. This is one of my favourite East 17 singles too. I can't pin point one thing about it, the piano intro, the chorus, the verse, everything about this song is great.

Verdict - Good

3. Meat Loaf - I'd Lie For You (And That's The Truth)

Meat Loaf had a hugely successful comeback in 1993 and here he is again in 1995 with another successful comeback. This time it's not his usual songwriter Jim Steinman writing this record, it's Diane Warren. Despite this it sounds like a typical Meat Loaf record, ridiculously long and over the top.

Verdict - Rubbish

2. Queen - Heaven For Everyone (New)

This was the only Queen Top 40 hit that was a cover. I use the term 'cover' in a pretty loose sense though, it was written by Roger Taylor and was originally done by The Cross who were another band Roger Taylor was in. The original also featured Freddie Mercury on backing vocals. a great way to do a cover I suppose.

Verdict - Good

1. Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise

I can't remember if it was the first time I'd heard it, but I can picture myself listening to this on the radio at the time and thinking this is the record I've been waiting to hear all my life. I could even tell you the name of the street I was going down when I was thinking that. There hadn't really been much of the dark side of rap music in the charts prior to this, but that's what I really wanted to hear. I even bought the single for this too which was the only thing I bought around this time that wasn't rave.

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 18/30, or 60%. A bigger drop this week.

25 Years Since....October 1998

Time to go back to October 1998, trance has a notable presence here:

Dee-Tah - Relax

When I first heard this I thought it was Sweetbox with their follow up to "Everything's Gonna Be Alright". It certainly has it's similarities, but it was Dee-Tah, a rapper from Chile.

It's quite uplifting in a way but has a certain darkness to it. Maybe that's just my own interpretation.

Nalin And Kane - Beachball

One of the big trance anthems that's been remixed a million times. As you may have already guessed Nalin & Kane hail from Germany. If you're into trance then it's almost inevitable that you will like this record, I've only ever heard this record get praised and rightfully so.

Sundance - Sundance '98

A remix for 1998 of "Sundance" which had been a Top 40 hit the previous year. It's a trance record but this time it's a British one rather than a German one. As far as trance hits went in 1998 this was about as good as it got, the stand out record on "Kiss Anthems 98".

Binary Finary - 1998

This record takes me back to Dave Pearce's Dance Anthems and the Mix Selector on Radio 1. It's a trance record that's been remixed loads of times, but when it gets remixed the titles changes to whatever year it was remixed in. This was the original version of the record though.

Afrika Bambaataa Vs Carpe Diem - Got To Get Up

I remember taping this from Dave Pearce's Dance Anthems although I questioned whether this would be considered a credible record amongst the house community. In hindsight who gives a flying fuck, it's a good record and another one that's on "Kiss Anthems 98". 

UK Number 40s: Serious Danger - Deeper (1997)

 

1997 goes down in dance music history as the year of speed garage. This was one of several speed garage records to make the Top 40 that year.

Despite the popularity of speed garage at the time, many of the speed garage records making the Top 40 tended to be in the lower reaches of the charts. The obvious consumer of the records were the DJs a no doubt many DJs bought this.

At the time same the general public were more likely to listen to the DJ sets than buy a stand alone record. If you were following speed garage at the time then there's no doubt you would be familiar with this record.

Serious Danger was the alias of Richard Philips and this was his only Top 40 hit.