Printable version of thread

Posted by: Gezza 14th July 2023, 06:24 PM

Yes it's back, the title says it all, a thread designed to "best guess" the sales week by week for 1995. We'll count down all the sounds of the year and hopefully generate a few "almost forgotten gems" along the way. As always thanks go to MFR, Vas tariner, Youtube, Wikipedia, MW, popscene, James Masterton, Discogs, and a few other sources who have helped over the years. Here's the links to to the 90s threads if this isn't your year!

http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=238715
http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=245540&st=0&start=0
http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=251641
http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=255296&st=0&start=0
http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=260085&st=0&start=0

The format will be the same every week with TOTP performances where available for those songs new to the top 10. So sit back and enjoy every top 10 hit of the 90s (eventually) because we've been spending most our lives living in ....

Posted by: dandy* 14th July 2023, 06:32 PM

I loved 1995 for music at the time, fingers crossed it is as good as I remember it being

Posted by: Jester 14th July 2023, 06:53 PM

1995 is my favourite year for music, I’ll be moving into this thread

2 questions though: when did the new opening titles start? Also, the first show tonight said that Stay Another Day was a million seller. Is it?

Posted by: Gezza 14th July 2023, 07:10 PM

QUOTE(Jester @ Jul 14 2023, 07:53 PM)

1995 is my favourite year for music, I’ll be moving into this thread

2 questions though: when did the new opening titles start? Also, the first show tonight said that Stay Another Day was a million seller. Is it?

Posted by: Gezza 14th July 2023, 07:26 PM

14TH JANUARY



The first week of a new year brings the traditional sales slump with only two songs retaining their top flight status with a sales increase, one is Ini Kamoze who climbs 10-5 (38,000), an exact replication of its US position this week.

The big news is of course that Rednex are the new chart toppers in the land and the only other song to get an increase, “Cotton Eye Joe” rises 3-1 (76,000) a bump of 11% at retail week on week. They are the first Swedish act to top the charts since Ace of Base, and the fourth overall following Abba, Europe in addition to the “All That She Wants” hit makers. The song also breaks the 300,000 mark.



For a song to sell that much as it hits the top spot is a rarity but the song below it is doing even better as it accelerates 4-2 on 52,000. That’s Celine Dion’s “Think Twice” which is already at the 350,000 mark and is now her biggest hit, parent album “The Colour Of My Love” surges 48-13 and is now over the 100,000 mark at least.

The remainder of the top 5 consists of boybands, Boyzone drop 2-3 (50,000) taking them over the 400,000 mark, and East 17 drop 1-4 (44,000) bringing total sales of “Stay Another Day” to 826,000 making the track the 8th biggest of the decade so far and by the far the biggest selling boyband single ever.



Dating back to 1992 in its original form N-Trance’s “Set You Free” was a much sought after white label resulting from the first press of 500 copies 3 years ago. Re-issued last year it faded out at No 39 but follow up “Turn Up The Power” raised their profile making No 23 in October and opening the way for a third issue in a soft sales period of January which has paid off handsomely with a new entry at No 6 (31,000). Vocals come from Kelly Llorenna with a promo featuring clubs in York and Stockton-On-Tees if they look familiar.





Despite scoring 7 top 10 singles in the 1980s The Human League have been missing from the upper tier of the charts for 9 years now but the wait is over as “Tell Me When” expands 12-7 (28,000), that makes it their biggest hit in 12 years! The single comes with a promo shot in Prague and is their first issue after parting ways with Virgin 3 years ago, looks like they made the right move! Parent album “Octopus” is in shops in three weeks.





11 of the last 13 Guns N Roses singles have made the top 10 and that rate is now extended to 12 of the last 14 as their cover of “Sympathy For The Devil” smashes in at No 9 (25,000). Recorded for the album “Beggars Banquet” in 1968 by the Rolling Stones, the song is sung in the first person from the view of the devil and recanting his control over the events of history, the GNR version is featured in the film “Interview With The Vampire” which is out in a fortnight.



The only songs not covered so far are fallers, Oasis drop 6-8 (26,000) and Zig & Zag fall 5-10 (18,000).


1- COTTON EYE JOE- Rednex (76,000)
2- THINK TWICE- Celine Dion (52,000)
3- LOVE ME FOR A REASON- Boyzone (50,000)
4- STAY ANOTHER DAY- East 17 (44,000)
5- HERE COMES A HOTSTEPPER- Ini Kamoze (38,000)
6- SET YOU FREE- N-Trance (31,000)
7- TELL ME WHEN- Human League (28,000)
8- WHATEVER- Oasis (26,000)
9- SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL- Guns N Roses (25,000)
10- THEM GIRLS, THEM GIRLS- Zig & Zag (18,000)

Posted by: Jester 14th July 2023, 07:38 PM

Set You Free

Also outside the top on the show: Lightning Seeds - Change (23) and Portishead - Glory Box (13). Amazing show

Posted by: Bjork 14th July 2023, 07:40 PM

come on Celine!! always hated the Rednex song with a passion

really liked the Human League track, their best in ages

GNR were only doing covers basically at this point :/

Posted by: Jade 14th July 2023, 07:41 PM

QUOTE(Jester @ Jul 14 2023, 08:38 PM)

Set You Free

Also outside the top on the show: Lightning Seeds - Change (23) and Portishead - Glory Box (13). Amazing show

Posted by: Jester 14th July 2023, 07:43 PM

QUOTE(Bjork @ Jul 14 2023, 08:40 PM)

come on Celine!! always hated the Rednex song with a passion

really liked the Human League track, their best in ages

GNR were only doing covers basically at this point :/

Posted by: Jester 14th July 2023, 07:44 PM

QUOTE(Jade @ Jul 14 2023, 08:41 PM)

Oh yes I loved hearing 'Glory Box' on TOTP Mark Goodier was on to something predicting good things to come for them, love Dummy so much.

'Set You Free' reminds me so much of Rich from here! Great to hear that already, as someone who wasn't born yet I associate it more with its 2001 renaissance due to collecting all the 2000s Now CDs growing up. Less keen on that dance version of 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' that was shown...

Posted by: dandy* 14th July 2023, 09:14 PM

Glory Box Such a shame it didn’t quite make the top 10 but 13 is still a really good result really. Loved how diverse the charts were back in these years

I loved Set You Free at the time, although I’ve cooled on it over time. I had the original on a compilation, which was far more like a ballad (or candlelight version) so was very pleasantly surprised when I heard the 95 version on the chart show

Posted by: chartjack2 14th July 2023, 09:24 PM

Btw the new titles didn’t kick in until the first week of February - episode hosted by Kylie

Posted by: gooddelta 14th July 2023, 09:25 PM

Set You Free opening the show was <3 A timeless classic, Kelly Llorenna looked so young there.

And then the treats of Riverdance (played pretty much in full no less), Nicki French (who on the other hand looks younger now than she did then!), Glory Box...loved that episode.

Posted by: dandy* 14th July 2023, 09:26 PM

OMG Riverdance?!!!!

Posted by: gooddelta 14th July 2023, 09:29 PM

Yes! Riverdance has been trending on Twitter all night too. I saw lots of comments tonight like 'why was this a hit - why would you buy this song to listen to but without seeing the visual of the dance?'

Maybe because it's a wondeful piece of music?

Posted by: Jessie Where 14th July 2023, 09:46 PM

1995 really was such a vintage year, it must have been amazing to go clubbing in this era - the dance tracks from this year have a very distinctive "1995" sound and feel to them.

Posted by: Colm 14th July 2023, 10:22 PM

Set You Free is still solid gold.
Riverdance is great once you get past the dated introduction.
Cotton Eyed Joe is enjoyable for me, despise how unlikely that might sound 😁

Posted by: Jester 15th July 2023, 06:19 AM

QUOTE(chartjack2 @ Jul 14 2023, 10:24 PM)

Btw the new titles didn’t kick in until the first week of February - episode hosted by Kylie

Posted by: Bjork 15th July 2023, 01:31 PM

ohh too bd Portishead didn't go top 10, was it cos Dummy was already out?

Posted by: Jester 15th July 2023, 01:44 PM

QUOTE(Bjork @ Jul 15 2023, 02:31 PM)

Posted by: steve201 15th July 2023, 01:48 PM

QUOTE(chartjack2 @ Jul 14 2023, 10:24 PM)

Btw the new titles didn’t kick in until the first week of February - episode hosted by Kylie

Posted by: Jester 15th July 2023, 02:11 PM

Do we have any skipped episodes coming up (due to sex offenders!)?

Posted by: Jester 15th July 2023, 05:01 PM

So Gezza has agreed that I can post selected outside top 10 peaking TOTP performances from each show! Selected meaning 2 or 3 songs that I like I will try and post a varied few each episode. If an episode is skipped I won't be posting.


Selected tracks TOTP 14 January 1995


Portishead - Glory Box
Chart entry this week: 13
Peak: 13



Glory Box was the third single released from the sleeper hit album Dummy, the second that peaked at 13 after Sour Times (Nobody Loves Me) peaked there in 1994. Interesting video with the gender swap concept and obviously a classic Trip Hop single.



Lightning Seeds - Change
Chart entry this week: 23
Peak: 13



Change was the second single from Jollification (and actually the biggest hit). This has always been my favourite Lightning Seeds single by far and although this entered the chart at 23, it peaked at lucky 13!


Also featured peaking outside the top 10:

Almighty - Jonestown Mind
Chart entry this week: 26
Peak: 26

Posted by: steve201 15th July 2023, 06:06 PM

Great idea!

Posted by: dandy* 16th July 2023, 12:01 AM

I love this idea too, would you be able to also post a list of the ones that performed that didn’t peak top 10?

Assuming Gezza doesn’t object, naturally.


Both of the first picks are great. I was always surprised that the singles from the Lightning Seeds didn’t peak higher as they were really radio friendly and good pop songs. Only one top 10 single aside from Three Lions.

Posted by: Jester 16th July 2023, 06:45 AM

QUOTE(dandy* @ Jul 16 2023, 01:01 AM)

Posted by: Bjork 16th July 2023, 11:23 AM

think Lucky You is my #1 L Seeds tracks and a travesty it didn't chart higher, they released so many ear-worms at the time

Posted by: Jessie Where 16th July 2023, 11:52 AM

Love 'Glory Box' so much

Dummy is one of the most perfect albums ever.

Posted by: Jester 16th July 2023, 12:28 PM

Also to answer an earlier question, Dummy was released in September 1994, peaked at 3 in January 1995 on the back of Glory Box, then went higher in May 1995 finally peaking at number 2 - 25 weeks into its chart run!

Posted by: Bjork 16th July 2023, 01:04 PM

I think you got it wrong x Sour Times (or maybe I misunderstood your earlier post above)
Originally only peaked at #57 in 94
then they released Glorybox and peaked at #13
then they re-released Sour Times and peaked at #13... at this point is when Dummy peaked at #2

Posted by: dandy* 16th July 2023, 01:26 PM

Yes definitely Sour Times was rereleased and triggered the album to go back up. It also then won the Mercury Music Prize so went back up again.

Crazy in retrospect that they didn’t go for more singles as there were some more than could have worked.

Posted by: chartjack2 16th July 2023, 03:39 PM

QUOTE(Jester @ Jul 15 2023, 03:11 PM)

Posted by: Jessie Where 16th July 2023, 03:40 PM

Yeah, it always puzzled me why there weren't any more singles after that point! It was like they just stopped after the album had blown up big.

Posted by: Jester 16th July 2023, 03:52 PM

QUOTE(chartjack2 @ Jul 16 2023, 04:39 PM)

Posted by: Jester 16th July 2023, 03:52 PM

QUOTE(Bjork @ Jul 16 2023, 02:04 PM)

Posted by: Colm 16th July 2023, 06:12 PM

Didn't Dummy come out in August 1994?

Posted by: Jester 16th July 2023, 06:16 PM

QUOTE(Colm @ Jul 16 2023, 07:12 PM)

Posted by: BananasInPyjamas 16th July 2023, 06:31 PM

Glory Box and Sour Times are both perfection

Posted by: BananasInPyjamas 16th July 2023, 06:34 PM

QUOTE(chartjack2 @ Jul 16 2023, 04:39 PM)

Posted by: Colm 16th July 2023, 06:52 PM

QUOTE(Jester @ Jul 16 2023, 07:16 PM)

Posted by: Jester 16th July 2023, 06:55 PM

QUOTE(Colm @ Jul 16 2023, 07:52 PM)

Posted by: Colm 16th July 2023, 07:03 PM

It always felt silly to me to have a chart dated a week after it was announced and almost 2 weeks after the start of the sales period it covered.

Posted by: steve201 16th July 2023, 09:02 PM

QUOTE(Jester @ Jul 16 2023, 04:52 PM)

Posted by: gooddelta 4th August 2023, 08:24 AM

Anyone know when BBC4 will be resuming the 1995 repeats?

They are still showing two older episodes each Friday. I guess they've taken it off while the Proms are on, but don't know for sure.

Posted by: Jester 4th August 2023, 08:51 AM

I would think it’ll be back after the Proms, they usually take it off for them.

Posted by: mrpopquiz 25th August 2023, 03:47 PM

The 1995 episodes return to BBC4 at 7pm on the 15th September.

Posted by: mrpopquiz 30th August 2023, 06:02 PM

Confirmation that on the 15th September we will have the 19th January and the 26th January 1995 episodes from 7pm.

R Kelly will be edited out the 19th January show.

Posted by: steve201 30th August 2023, 08:33 PM

Why did they miss the first two Jan episodes or have they shown them?

Posted by: mrpopquiz 30th August 2023, 10:31 PM

QUOTE(steve201 @ Aug 30 2023, 09:33 PM)

Posted by: steve201 31st August 2023, 02:02 PM

On thanks for the clarification!

Posted by: mrpopquiz 6th September 2023, 08:27 PM

The schedule for the 22nd September has now been released and we will definitely be skipping the 9th February 1995 edition of Top of the Pops presented by the late actor Gary Olsen.

The reason for this is that the video to Bump N Grind by R Kelly was played during the chart rundown from 40-11 and the BBC won't skip the chart rundown so the episode has to go.

Posted by: Jade 15th September 2023, 05:20 PM

Excited for 90s TOTP to return tonight! I've missed my weekly fix of it

Posted by: Jester 15th September 2023, 05:38 PM

Me too! I’ll be adding the outside top 10 peak favourites tomorrow.

Posted by: Gezza 16th September 2023, 02:33 PM

21ST JANUARY



A rather easier week at No 1 this time around for Rednex with “Cotton Eye Joe” selling a very healthy 100,000 copies to take the crown, an impressive 32% increase week on week to lift the song’s total to over 400,000.





It’s almost as though we’re in the 80s with Human League advancing 7-6 (30,000) and Nicki French thrusting 12-7 (incidentally an exact repeat of “Tell Me Why”’s climb last week) with her cover of the 1983 chart topper for Bonnie Tyler” Total Eclipse Of The Heart”. Much like N-Trance, French’s single is getting a second bite of the cherry having first been a No 54 hit in October but has had solid club support evert since prompting a re-issue. It’s produced by Mike Stock and Matt Aiken two third’s of hit producers Stock Aitken & Waterman who have now disbanded and gives another 80s flavour to the top 10 this week, the single sold 28,000 this week.





A four week chart topper last April in the US, R Kelly’s “Bump N Grind” gets a UK re-release and debuts at No 10 (19,000) replicating the fate of his last single “She’s Got That Vibe” which became the singer’s first substantial hit when it peaked at No 3 in November. Both tracks were of course re-issues “Bump” making No 79 last February, but despite both now being hits the parent album “12 Play” is struggling though it does 50-35 to reach a new peak following his sell out shows at Wembley.



Talking of new peaks on the album charts Celine Dion’s “The Colour Of My Love” bounces 13-3 this week to reach a new high spurred on by the success of “Think Twice” which remains hauled up at No 2 (52,000) behind the Rednex though it remains fractionally ahead of the Swedes on total sales. N-Trance move 6-3 (44,000) but are way too far behind to threaten at present, same too for Ini Kamoze 5-4 (37,000).

Heading the wrong way are Boyzone 3-5 (32,000), East 17 4-8 (25,000) and Oasis 8-9 (23,000)

Next week we’ll see the first Simple Minds single in 4 years- could it repeat the feat of “Belfast Child”?


1- COTTON EYE JOE- Rednex (100,000)
2- THINK TWICE- Celine Dion (52,000)
3- SET YOU FREE- N-Trance (44,000)
4- HERE COMES THE HOTSTEPPER- Ini Kamoze (37,000)
5- LOVE ME FOR A REASON- Boyzone (32,000)
6- TELL ME WHEN- Human League (30,000)
7- TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART- Nicki French (28,000)
8- STAY ANOTHER DAY- East 17 (25,000)
9- WHATEVER- Oasis (23,000)
10- BUMP N GRIND- R Kelly (19,000)

Posted by: Gezza 16th September 2023, 03:00 PM

28TH JANUARY



TOTP certainly did Celine Dion some favours this week, “Think Twice” holds at No 2 for a third week but upped its sales by 25% to 65,000 and will break the 500,000 mark next week possibly without ever making the top, her album “Colour Of My Love” bounds 3-1 and may prove her achilles heel as it deflects sales.

Don’t give up on her reaching No 1 yet though as the Rednex have clearly peaked and lose 19% to 81,000 and are clearly vulnerable for a fourth week at the top. The static top four is completed by N-Trance (52,000) and Ini Kamoze at No 4 (44,000) but both increase sales by too measly an amount to be the next chart topper.





The re-release season is still turning around previous flops, this time for US punkers Green Day who’s “Basket Case” made No 55 last August and now re-enters at No 7 (24,000). The band left their independent roots in 1993 signing for reprise and the hits started coming, thematically it details lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong’s struggle with anxiety.





It beat Simple Minds newie “She’s A River” which surprises some by its low entry at No 9 (20,000). Regardless it becomes their 7th top 10 hit (or 8th if you count the double A-Side “Alive & Kicking/ Love Song” as a separate release) and previews their 10th album “Good News From The Next World” which is out in a fortnight. The band are now officially a duo having shed most of their original line up and drafted in session musicians to complete the album, you may recall the band premiered the song with a live performance from the Eiffel tower for TOTP a few weeks ago.



Nicki French moves 7-5 (43,000) jumping over The Human League stuck at No 6 (29,000), R Kelly rises 10-8 (23,000) but Boyzone drop 5-10 (19,000) as its sales reach almost the half million mark.


1- COTTON EYE JOE- Rednex (81,000)
2- THINK TWICE- Celine Dion (65,000)
3- SET YOU FREE- N-Trance (52,000)
4- HERE COMES THE HOTSTEPPER- Ini Kamoze (44,000)
5- TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART- Nicki French (43,000)
6- TELL ME WHEN- Human League (29,000)
7- BASKET CASE- Green Day (24,000)
8- BUMP N GRIND- R Kelly (23,000)
9- SHE’S A RIVER- Simple Minds (20,000)
10- LOVE ME FOR A REASON- Boyzone (19,000)

Posted by: Jester 16th September 2023, 04:36 PM

Selected tracks outside the Top 10 TOTP 21 January 1995


Massive Attack feat. Tracey Thorn - Protection
Chart entry this week: 14
Peak: 14



Second single from Massive Attack's second album of the same name and featuring Tracey Thorn of Everything But The Girl, this is such an under-rated classic.



Sleeper - Inbetweener
Chart entry this week: 16
Peak: 16




A taste of the Indie Britpop to come in 1995, this is a superb Sleeper single and deserved to hot the top 10 but sadly it missed out just shy of the top 15. The video does feature Dale Winton in a supermarket!


Also featured peaking outside the top 10:

Ultimate Kaos - Hoochie Booty
Chart entry this week: 18
Peak: 17

Barry White - Practice What You Preach
Chart entry this week: 20
Peak: 20

Posted by: dandy* 16th September 2023, 04:45 PM

Excellent two to pick out there Jester, both are fantastic

Posted by: Jester 16th September 2023, 04:46 PM

Selected tracks outside the Top 10 TOTP 28 January 1995


Let Loose - One Night Stand
Chart entry this week: 13
Peak: 12



Less good than Crazy For You. Thats all I have to say!




Also featured peaking outside the top 10:

The Wildhearts - Geordies In Wonderland
Chart entry this week: 31
Peak: 31

Posted by: Gezza 28th September 2023, 08:11 PM

4TH FEBRUARY



The country goes Celine Dion crazy this week as she claims the double with “The Colour Of My Love” holding at the top in the albums and “Think Twice” climbing 2-1 on the singles whilst creating chart history! It has taken 16 weeks from debut to make No 1 moving 53-42-52-30-28-22-20-9-8-5-6-4-2-2-2-1 thus far, it therefore equals the longest continuous run to the top held by Jennifer Rush’s “The Power Of Love” which was of course covered by Dion just last year. It is also the first chart topper not to be available on Vinyl at all- surely the final nail in the coffin for the format which has been in constant decline all decade, for writers Andy Hill and Peter Sinfield it is their first chart topper for 13 years. Finally Dion becomes only the second female solo act of the 90s to do the double following Mariah Carey last year.



The song sold 80,000 copies last week as its cumulative sales move to 556,000 another record as no chart topper has attracted so many sales pre it making No 1, however it only just made it with the outgoing favourite “Cotton Eye Joe” sliding 1-2 and selling a mere 500 copies less and itself moving to a sales total of 563,000- the market, at present, being very buoyant for the time of year.

The rest of the top 5 is static but they have different sales story, N-Trance are in bronze position but do increase sales slightly to 57,000 but Ini Kamoze loses 6% to 41,000 and Nicki French is at No 5 (37,000) but diminishes 12% in the process.



Previous hit “Another Night” is still at No 3 in the US (for a 10th week!) but here MC Sar & The Real McCoy are moving onto single 2 with “Run Away” which bounds 11-6 (30,000) to dispel any notion that they were about to enter the one hit wonder club.





New on the boyband circuit are four piece MN8 and announce their arrival with “I’ve Got A Little Something For You” new at No 7 (26,000). It’s already garnered significant airplay and exposure in teen mags has generated a lot of attention in certain circles!





Starting out as an interval act in last year’s Eurovision song contest, “Riverdance” was an immediate hit in Ireland last year where it spent 18 weeks at No 1 (it was their “Love Is All Around”). That in turn led to the dance being performed at the Royal Variety Show last November and the UK release of the single which has been a sleeper hit so far with a chart history which reads 53-32-15-20-17-11-12-9 to date with over 100,000 copies sold including 22,000 in its last frame.




Green Day fall 7-8 (26,000) and Human League drop 6-10 (18,000) as their album “Octopus” debuts at No 6.


1- THINK TWICE- Celine Dion (80,000)
2- COTTON EYE JOE- Rednex (79,500)
3- SET YOU FREE- N-Trance (57,000)
4- HERE COMES THE HOTSTEPPER- Ini Kamoze (41,000)
5- TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART- Nicki French (37,000)
6- RUN AWAY- (MC Sar &) The Real McCoy (30,000)
7- I’VE GOT A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR YOU- MN8 (26,000)
8- BASKET CASE- Green Day (26,000)
9- RIVERDANCE- Bill Whelan (22,000)
10- TELL ME WHEN- Human League (18,000)

Posted by: Gezza 28th September 2023, 08:26 PM

11TH FEBRUARY



The top 5 all keep their positions in the upper circle creating a logjam at top end of the charts though there is some movement within them.

None at the top though as Celine Dion dominates on both singles and albums front once again, “Think Twice” has a much firmer hold on the title now though its own sales increase by a mere 2% to 81,000 but it is the competition falling away which is making her victory look easy.



N-Trance lift 3-2 but their sales actually drop by 2% to 56,000, enough, but only just, to overtake the Rednex who fall 2-3 (55,000). In fact with the exception of Dion they are all losing sales, Ini Kamoze holds at No 4 (37,000) and Nicki French at No 5 (36,000) but total sales of the top 5 are really clocking up. French is still the newcomer with 160,000, with Kamoze on 219,000, N-trance on 240,000, Rednex on 618,000 and Dion on 637,000, meaning the latter two disks turn platinum simultaneously!



Paul Oakenfold did a stint as an A & R man responsible for signing DJ Jazzie Jeff & Fresh Prince as well as Salt N Pepa whilst keeping working as DJ whilst founding his own record label with Steve Osborne, Perfecto records, and doing high profile work for Happy Mondays, Massive Attack and U2. Indeed Oakenfold’s work was responsible for placing “Even Better Than The Real Thing” in the top 10 three years ago.

As a performer in his own right he has charted as Electra and Rise but neither has given him a top 40 single but now under the moniker Perfecto Allstarz (again with Osborne) he returns with “Reach Up (Papa’s Got A Band New Pigbag)” which is, as you might have gathered, a cover of the James Brown hit. In truth it owes much more (including a sample) to Pigbag’s cover from 1982 which reached No 3, the updated dance version lifts 17-8 (25,000).





“Bizarre Fruit” was released 11 weeks ago and hasn’t left the top 20 racking up nearly 400,000 sales in that period. Second single “Open Your Heart” arrived at No 11 last week and now does the necessary moving to No 9 (22,000) to give them a seventh top 10 hit in a row (ignoring “Elegantly American EP” which was essentially a remix EP). The move was helped by the release of a second CD version, an increasing phenomenon to manipulate the charts but hey it’s worked.



MN8 can only move 7-6 (34,000) as they struggle to make an indent on the top 5 and swap places with MC Sar & The Real McCoy (28,000), Bill Whelan completes the top 10 dropping 9-10 (20,000).


1- THINK TWICE- Celine Dion (81,000)
2- SET YOU FREE- N-Trance (56,000)
3- COTTON EYE JOE- Rednex (55,000)
4- HERE COMES THE HOTSTEPPER- Ini Kamoze (37,000)
5- TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART- Nicki French (36,000)
6- I’VE GOT A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR YOU- MN8 (34,000)
7- RUN AWAY- (MC Sar &) The Real McCoy (28,000)
8- REACH UP (PAPA’S GOT A BRAND NEW PIGBAG)- Perfecto Allstarz (25,000)
9- OPEN YOUR HEART- M People (22,000)
10- RIVERDANCE- Bill Whelan (20,000)

Posted by: Gezza 28th September 2023, 08:27 PM

I'm running behind on these but will catch up by Sunday!

Posted by: Jade 28th September 2023, 08:32 PM

I'd be happy to never hear that MN8 song ever again after it came up at the weekly #2 hits sessions on here and then was performed on both of the TOTP episodes shown on the same day not a fan of the Celine Dion song at #1 either oops, a bit of a slog. On a more positive note I do like 'Basket Case'!

'Protection' was my biggest highlight of last week's TOTP episodes my cat came over and sat on my lap during that one song before getting up and leaving again, the taste.

Posted by: mrpopquiz 29th September 2023, 12:18 AM

QUOTE(Jade @ Sep 28 2023, 09:32 PM)

Posted by: mrpopquiz 29th September 2023, 12:45 AM

QUOTE(Gezza @ Sep 28 2023, 09:27 PM)

Posted by: Jester 29th September 2023, 06:18 AM

QUOTE(Gezza @ Sep 28 2023, 09:27 PM)

Posted by: Bjork 29th September 2023, 09:41 AM

poor MN8, for some reason I really liked the song back in the day, at least it was a good antidote to Take That and Boyzone
I always liked Think Twice but partially it's cos it's long run to the top, crazy it flopped in the US, only went to #95!
also crazy that Riverdance was #1 for 18 weeks in Ireland, that's like 4 months+

Protection is an amazing sing <3 @Jade your cat sure has good taste
the whole Protection album is a masterpiece, especially Karmakoma and the other song with Tracey, Better Things

If I remember correctly, at the time there was also this band Jade charting, you a fan @Jade?

Posted by: gooddelta 29th September 2023, 09:49 AM

I noticed yesterday that the original Riverdance album has been taken off streaming/download sites etc.

I love listening to the title track and now there's only a 2019 re-record on there.

Obviously its chart run here was fairly impressive, coming over six months after it was the Eurovision interval. I don't know why they didn't just capitalise on that and release it a few weeks after Eurovision. Not saying it would have got 18 weeks at No.1 here but top five I suspect might have been possible.

Posted by: JulianT 29th September 2023, 09:58 AM

I quite liked the MN8 song aged 10 but in retrospect it wasn’t exactly a sophisticated masterpiece haha. I’d still take it over a lot of the boyband stuff.

Posted by: Jade 29th September 2023, 12:18 PM

QUOTE(mrpopquiz @ Sep 29 2023, 01:18 AM)

QUOTE(Bjork @ Sep 29 2023, 10:41 AM)

Protection is an amazing sing <3 @Jade your cat sure has good taste
the whole Protection album is a masterpiece, especially Karmakoma and the other song with Tracey, Better Things

If I remember correctly, at the time there was also this band Jade charting, you a fan @Jade?

Posted by: Colm 29th September 2023, 05:23 PM

QUOTE(gooddelta @ Sep 29 2023, 10:49 AM)

Posted by: gooddelta 30th September 2023, 08:39 AM

Loved the last few episodes a lot, the hits of 1995 and the studio/production makeover have finally dragged the show into the kind of 90s style that I remember well.

Also been a timely reminder of why Don’t Give Me Your Life remains an all-time favourite of mine. Absolute banger <3

And while I’ve never been huge on it, Push The Feeling On is still heard everywhere now, and sampled so often.

Some really classic dance hits coming through here in recent weeks.

Think Twice is a great ballad but not my favourite Celine song by any stretch, mad that it spent seven weeks at the top after selling so much on the way up there.

Oh and Independent Love Song is such a brilliant track - if I didn’t already know its chart run, I could easily be convinced that it was No.1 for weeks. I’m not quite sure how it didn’t even go top ten, it’s not like it lacked exposure.

Posted by: Jester 30th September 2023, 10:43 AM

Loving 1995 as I expected to so far. Not a fan of MN8 at all though.

Celine Dion was superb in the studio singing live - what a song!

Posted by: Gezza 30th September 2023, 11:14 AM

18TH FEBRUARY



With Valentine’s Day rapidly approaching Celine Dion’s “Think Twice” holds for a third week at the top of the charts and grabs herself the double again. For all of that the single is not exactly expanding at retail with another 5% increase to 85,000 though of course it is STILL increasing which is a feat in itself given it is now 18 weeks into its chart life, an incredible display of sticking power.





Whether or not it can stay for another week is highly doubtful thanks to the new entry at No 2 from Annie Lennox. Her last album “Diva” was a million seller providing her with three top 10 hits the last of which “Little Bird/ Love Song For A Vampire” debuted at No 3 exactly two years ago this week. That remained her biggest solo hit until now, her cover of The Lover Speaks 1986 single “No More “I Love You”’s” which made No 58, sold 70,000 copies to debut at No 2 behind Dion, it should give the chart topper a run for its money next week with a TOTP performance and no album available until next month.





Onto a song which is now having a third release, kind of, up and coming Italian dance outfit Alex Party originally released “Saturday Night Party (Read My Lips)” in late 93 after the song became an Ibiza anthem that summer but it flopped at No 49. A second bash saw the song carried to No 29 last summer but it has now been refashioned, remixed and given new lyrics which transform it into “Don’t Give Me Your Life” and debuts at No 10 (20,000) this week. Clubland it seems cannot get enough of it.



The arrival of Lennox finally breaks up the top 5, N-Trance increase sales to 58,000 but drop 2-3, the reverse of last week, Rednex fall 3-4 (54,000) and MN8 continue their painfully slow climb 6-5 (42,000). Ini Kamoze drops 4-6 (33,000), Nicki French is out 5-8 (24,000) and Perfecto Allstarz drift 8-9 (23,000), at least Mc Sar & The Real McCoy hold steady at No 7 (25,000)


1- THINK TWICE- Celine Dion (85,000)
2- NO MORE “I LOVE YOU”’S- Annie Lennox (70,000)
3- SET YOU FREE- N- Trance (58,000)
4- COTTON EYE JOE- Rednex (54,000)
5- I’VE GOT A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR YOU- MN8 (42,000)
6- HERE COMES THE HOTSTPPER- Ini Kamoze (33,000)
7- RUN AWAY- (MC Sar &) The Real McCoy (25,000)
8- TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART- Nicki French (24,000)
9- REACH UP (PAPA’S GOT A BRAND NEW PIGBAG)- Perfecto Allstarz (23,000)
10- DON’T GIVE ME YOUR LIFE- Alex Party (20,000)

Posted by: Gezza 30th September 2023, 11:27 AM

25TH FEBRUARY



With Valentine’s day comes the spoils for Dion at least, sales of “Think Twice” shot up by 46% to an incredible 124,000 last week in its 19th week on the chart! The single has now sold 846,000 and could become the 5th million seller of the decade and 4th ever by a woman soloist, naturally she also keeps the No 1 on the album front.



The anticipated take over by Annie Lennox failed to emerge and though the song languishes far away at No 2 it actually lost sales to 62,000 and won’t become her first chart topper failing a miracle, MN8 nominally rise 5-3 (48,000) but are equally unlikely chart toppers.



She’s got a performance at the BRITS this week to help her but she may rue waiting a week! Yes Madonna is back after the chart blip that was “Take A Bow” which broke a string of 35 consecutive top 10 singles on the trot- (a record) when it only made No 16 at Christmas. Her new single “Bedtime Story” comes courtesy of the penmanship of both Nellee Hooper and Bjork and with a promo rumoured to have cost $5 million, it arrives at No 4 (48,000) a few hundred behind MN8. The album has already sold over 350,000 and remains in the top 40 and though the era has undoubtedly been a slight disappointment by her normal standards, her USA career continues unabashed with “Take A Bow” hitting No 1 this week, her 11th US chart topper sending her clear of the competition in her homeland.







Meanwhile Bon Jovi continue their strong performance, you may recall that their Greatest Hits collection “Cross-Road” became 1994’s biggest selling album and their single “Always” their new biggest seller and now they can celebrate with a 7th top 10 single in “Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night”. It smashes in at No 9 (24,000) to help promote the album which hardly needs it- it hasn’t been out of the top 20 since its release last October and sold 1.1 million so far.





Elsewhere good news for Alex Party and Perfecto Allstarz who are both on the climb 10-6 (38,000) and 9-7 (26,000) respectively, but former favourites N-Trance, Rednex, and Ini Kamoze who languish with drops of 3-5 (42,000), 4-8 (24,000) and 6-10 (23,000).


1- THINK TWICE- Celine Dion (124,000)
2- NO MORE “I LOVE YOU”’S- Annie Lennox (62,000)
3- I’VE GOT A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR YOU- MN8 (48,000)
4- BEDTIME STORY- Madonna (48,000)
5- SET YOU FREE- N-Trance (42,000)
6- DON’T GIVE ME YOUR LIFE- Alex Party (38,000)
7- REACH UP (PAP’S GOT A BRAND NEW PIGBAG)- Perfecto Allstarz (26,000)
8- COTTON EYE JOE- Rednex (24,000)
9- SOMEDAY I’LL BE SATURDAY NIGHT- Bon Jovi (24,000)
10- HERE COMES THE HOTSTEPPER- Ini Kamoze (23,000)

Posted by: Gezza 30th September 2023, 12:05 PM

4TH MARCH



Less than three months after the last “error” gave us a nonsense chart Millward Brown have once again gone and messed it up this time allowing corrupt data through which led to a much more distorted chart on Sunday, a new one was issued on Monday morning but even the top 10 were altered, albeit slightly. The problem was once again with Woolworths whose systems duplicated data again and the check that Millward Brown put in place after the last time were bypassed as the data arrived so late. The BPI are none too impressed and have advised MB (apparently) that this must be the last time!


Celine Dion completes the double for a fifth week on the trot a feat not managed by anyone since The Beatles in 1964/65 and though sales reverse “Think Twice” is still selling at a phenomenal rate after 20 weeks around. It sold 111,000 last week to bring its total to 957,000 copies, the album meanwhile sold its 600,000th copy to go double platinum- she can’t be stopped at the moment.





Annie Lennox tumbles 2-4 (43,000) as her chance now passes and in her stead MN8 are the now the nearest challengers to Dion as they inch 3-2 (64,000) though they were nearly caught at the death by Alex Party who fly 5-3 (63,000) themselves.



Announced as a new entry at No 10 on Sunday actually ends up at No 9 (24,000) in the revised version for the Nightcrawlers who are, more or less vocalist John Reid. Debut release “Living Inside A Dream” failed to chart and “Push The Feeling On” fared little better first time around in 1993. It was subsequently remixed by Marc Kinchen becoming an underground hit in early 94 and a No 22 hit when released commercially late last year, it now gets another push and is finally a top 10 single. Reid it should be noted is capable of generating hits for others including Bad Boys Inc.



Good news this week for N-Trance who grab another week in the top 5 as they cling to the bottom rung on 34,000, Perfecto Allstarz continue to defy gravity 7-6 (30,000) and Bon Jovi lift 9-7 (28,000). Madonna’s BRITS awards help her get a second week in the top 10 though the single slides 4-8 (28,000) and Ini Kamozi is stuck propping them all up at No 10 (19,000).


1- THINK TWICE- Celine Dion (111,000)
2- I’VE GOT A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR YOU- MN8 (64,000)
3- DON’T GIVE ME YOUR LIFE- Alex Party (63,000)
4- NO MORE “I LOVE YOU”’S- Annie Lennox (43,000)
5- SET YOU FREE- N-Trance (34,000)
6- REACH UP (PAPA’S GOT A BRAND NEW PIGBAG)- Perfecto Allstarz (30,000)
7- SOMEDAY I’LL BE SATURDAY NIGHT- Bon Jovi (28,000)
8- BEDTIME STORY- Madonna (28,000)
9- PUSH THE FEELING ON- The Nightcrawlers (24,000)
10- HERE COMES THE HOTSTEPPER- Ini Kamoze (19,000)

Posted by: Jade 30th September 2023, 12:11 PM

Some great dance in the top 10 at the moment with Alex Party and Nightcrawlers! There was another fab electronic new entry sitting outside the top 10 as well. I had no idea that Alex Party and Livin' Joy shared group members until Dan mentioned it on SyncTube the other week but now I totally hear it.

I've only listened to the Bedtime Stories album once so I'm not super familiar with that era. 'Bedtime Story' was sounding fantastic on TOTP yesterday so I clearly need to revisit it more.

I may not be the biggest fan of that Celine song but of course admire how impressive its chart run and sales are so far.

Posted by: Colm 30th September 2023, 12:49 PM

I had no idea that Celine's weekly sales went to 124,000. Phenomenal, so far into the chart life of a single.

Posted by: Jester 30th September 2023, 01:11 PM

Nightcrawlers, N Trance and Alex Party all in the same top 10

Posted by: Bjork 30th September 2023, 01:22 PM

had mixed feelings about no more I love yous, it's a great song and a great cover
but I wanted another album of original songs after Diva
not an album of covers
personally it's a very very lazy thing to do as album 2

Posted by: Colm 30th September 2023, 01:24 PM

On the face of it, but she was 15 years or more into her career so maybe she had this project in mind for a long time.

Posted by: Brer 30th September 2023, 02:41 PM

Not a fan of 'Think Twice' at all but its chart run is really quite one of a kind.

Posted by: TheSnake 30th September 2023, 03:34 PM

No More I Love You's is brilliant, possibly my favourite thing Annie Lennox has ever done, so atmospheric production wise and I remember it a lot from when I was younger.

The Alex Party track is fun and the Nightcrawlers track is obviously ahead of its time and very influential for 2010s-20s dance music.

QUOTE(Brer @ Sep 30 2023, 03:41 PM)

Posted by: Gezza 30th September 2023, 03:37 PM

QUOTE(TheSnake @ Sep 30 2023, 04:34 PM)

Posted by: TheSnake 30th September 2023, 03:42 PM

QUOTE(Gezza @ Sep 30 2023, 04:37 PM)

Posted by: Jester 30th September 2023, 04:14 PM

Selected tracks outside the Top 10 TOTP 4th, 11th and 18th February 1995


Scarlet - Independent Love Song
Chart entry this week: 27
Peak: 12



Fantastic euphoric ballad that really hit its peak in 1995 - similar ballads are on the way! This was on TOP 3 times and it really should have been a huge top 10 hit.



Suede - New Generation
Chart entry this week: 21
Peak: 21



The last Suede song before the massive 1996 Coming Up era. Decent, but not a classic imo.



Gloria Estefan - Everlasting Love
Chart entry this week: 19
Peak: 19



Decent cover - I much prefer the single version than the one performed on TOTP!


I will lump these together from now on when I get slim pickings!

Posted by: Jester 30th September 2023, 04:22 PM

Selected tracks outside the Top 10 TOTP 25th February and 4th March 1995


Elastica - Waking Up
Chart entry this week: 13
Peak: 13



The last single and last hit from Elastica. Personally my favourite (even if it ripped off The Stranglers!).Damon Alban 'performed' on keyboards on TOTP! A wonderful slice of Britpop.



Blur - Jubilee
Chart entry this week: Album track
Peak: Album track



One of the best album tracks from Parklife. Featured due to Blur hoovering up at the 1995 Brit Awards.



Mike and the Mechanics - Over My Shoulder
Chart entry this week: 21
Peak: 12



Really under-rated song and their first top 40 hit in four years.

Posted by: steve201 30th September 2023, 05:16 PM

Is this the end of the R1 presenters on TOTP with big west presenters every week?

Like the studio change - looks like the real britpop era now!

Posted by: mrpopquiz 30th September 2023, 06:21 PM

QUOTE(steve201 @ Sep 30 2023, 06:16 PM)

Posted by: steve201 30th September 2023, 07:59 PM

I know we lost out 3 years with the R1 presenters but Brookes. Campbell and Mayo did it for ages!

Posted by: Jessie Where 3rd October 2023, 02:36 PM

Loooove that Mike & The Mechanics song!

Posted by: steve201 3rd October 2023, 06:25 PM

QUOTE(mrpopquiz @ Sep 30 2023, 07:21 PM)

Posted by: steve201 3rd October 2023, 06:25 PM

QUOTE(Jessie Where @ Oct 3 2023, 03:36 PM)

Posted by: gooddelta 4th October 2023, 10:16 AM

Over My Shoulder and Independent Love Song both sound like big top five long-runners, it's weird to me that such brilliant tracks with such huge airplay at the time (I certainly heard them a lot) couldn't crack the top ten.

Posted by: Colm 4th October 2023, 10:50 AM

QUOTE(gooddelta @ Oct 4 2023, 11:16 AM)

Posted by: King Rollo 4th October 2023, 12:58 PM

TOTP broke their own rule on that last episode by having Scarlet on even though their single was dropping down the chart. I wonder why that was? I don't remember it happening at all before up to 1995.

Posted by: Bjork 4th October 2023, 01:38 PM

was obsessed with Independent Love Song, such a lost classic, definitely deserved higher chart placing
Over my Shoulder is great and their 3rd single from the era, Another cup of coffee is even better even if it flopped

Posted by: Colm 4th October 2023, 03:00 PM

Another Cup of Coffee is seriously good. It did have quite a bizarre video style - more like Placebo, Garbage or Skunk Anansie videos

Posted by: Bjork 4th October 2023, 03:42 PM

yes, I actually think it's my fav song from them

I was checking their discography now and they're such an under-rated band, only 1 top 10 (The Living Years) + 2 other top 10s
at least The Living Years was a US #1

Silent running(on Dangerous Ground)/21
All I need is a Miracle/53
Nobody's perfect/80
The living years/2
Nobody knows/81
Word of mouth/13
A time and place/58
Everybody gets a second chance/56
Over my shoulder/12
A beggar on a beach of gold/33
Another cup of coffee/55
All I need is a Miracle/27 (re-issue)
Silent running/61 (re-issue)
Now that you’ve gone/35
Whenever I Stop/73

Posted by: Jester 4th October 2023, 05:10 PM

Good to see the Over My Shoulder love - thought I was the only one!

Posted by: Gezza 4th October 2023, 06:24 PM

And of course the promo features a very young Tom Fletcher in it before he went on to be in McFly.

Posted by: jimwatts 4th October 2023, 07:22 PM

QUOTE(King Rollo @ Oct 4 2023, 01:58 PM)

Posted by: King Rollo 4th October 2023, 07:28 PM

I see, that explains it, thanks.

Posted by: Gezza 8th October 2023, 12:39 PM

11TH MARCH



Another week of chart records with Celine Dion grabbing a 6th week at the top, “Think Twice” is now in its 21st straight week on the chart and still No 1, a feat not seen since Frankie Laine’s “I Believe” over 40 years ago. She is however deposed on the album chart with the arrival of the new Bruce Springsteen greatest hits album.

The song experiences a mere 29% sales drop to 78,000 which means that it is now a million seller, only the fourth ever by a female soloist, it’s also the best seller of the year so far by some margin. Its days are clearly numbered though with Alex Party shaping up to be the next No 1 as it rises 3-2 (71,000) with a sales hike of 14% thanks in part to a TOTP performance. The top 2 are some way clear of the opposition with the Nightcrawlers rise 9-3 (54,000) giving a false impression of a record heading to the top.






DJ Kenny Gonzales is usually accompanied by Little Louie Vega as the production due Masters At Work who are respected remixers in the dance field. He’s gone solo under the name Bucketheads and comes with the hit “The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall Into My Head)” which samples Chicago’s “Street Player” extensively and arrives 13-5 (40,000) and could be on course for the top 3 next week.





Taking their name from a character in the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” The Boo Radley’s have had a growing ascendancy garnering considerable support from radio and a cult following. Despite that they’ve never had a top 40 hit until now but with a lot of radio help “Wake Up Boo!” smashes straight in at No 9 (24,000) riding on the current wind of Britpop, not bad for a band already 7 years into their career. Fourth album “Wake Up” is out in a few weeks if you want more.



MN8 collapse 2-4 (49,000) and also heading south are Annie Lennox 4-6 (32,000), Perfecto Allstarz 6-7 (26,000) and N-Trance 5-8 (25,000)



Touted as the UK’s answer to 2 Unlimited (if you wanted that kind of thing) Clock are really DJ’s Stu Allen and Pete Prichard who hired frontmen for their project called Clock. Four hits in and they finally hit it big with their version of “Axel F” formerly a No 2 hit for Harold Faltermeyer in 1985 giving the song a 90s overhaul. Officially it is teamed with an original composition “Keep Pushin” but it’s “Axel F” that is getting all the promo and airplay, it climbs 14-10 (22,000) this week.





1- THINK TWICE- Celine Dion (78,000)
2- DON’T GIVE ME YOUR LIFE- Alex Party (71,000)
3- PUSH THE FEELING ON- The Nightcrawlers (54,000)
4- I’VE GOT A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR YOU- MN8 (49,000)
5- THE BOMB! (THESE SOUNDS FALL INTO MY HEAD)- Bucketheads (40,000)
6- NO MORE “I LOVE YOU”’S- Annie Lennox (32,000)
7- REACH UP (PAPA’S GOT A BRAND NEW PIGBAG)- Perfecto Allstarz (26,000)
8- SET YOU FREE- N-Trance (25,000)
9- WAKE UP BOO!- Boo Radleys (24,000)
10- AXEL F/ PUSHIN- Clock (22,000)

Posted by: Jade 8th October 2023, 12:54 PM

QUOTE(Jade @ Sep 30 2023, 01:11 PM)

Posted by: Gezza 8th October 2023, 01:02 PM

18TH MARCH



Despite all predictions Celine Dion remains the Nations favourite though only just, she takes a heavy hit in the sales of “Think Twice” as it crept to just 57,000 copies last week indicating that it has simply run out of buyers but at 1,092,000 who could be surprised? Its sales lost almost 25% exactly and it can thank Alex Party’s similar sales cut to 53,000 for its seventh week and also the fact that everything else was so far behind them last week.


Dion is currently one of only 5 million sellers in the decade and this week “Think Twice” moves past “Saturday Night” in terms of biggest hits by female solo act, and should easily pass “The Power Of Love” with only “I Will Always Love You” ahead of it- though it is some way ahead of it! The current No 1 is also the 4th biggest seller of the 90s to date and, as noted last week, is still No 1 in its 22nd consecutive week on the chart, only Frankie Laine’s “I Believe” can match that though that track took two stints to do it so Dion can claim to hold the record as it has had just one run at the top. Also worth noting is that the current No 1 has sold a million without the help of a movie to promote it, something the other hits ahead of it in this decade can’t claim.





First a No. 1 hitmaker in The Housemartins then in Beats International, Norman Cook has now turned into Freak Power with a few add ons, their debut hit “Turn On, Tune In, Cop Out” only made No 29 in late 1993 but has now been picked up for the new Levi Ad’s and true to form it’s now a hit. Given the ad’s have provided so many tracks a second shot at No 1 you’d be unwise to bet against this going all the way next week but for now it debuts at No 3 (38,000).





Freak Power’s chances at the top rely more on the performance of the song which debuts at No 5 this week rather than Dion. Yes it’s been two years since the last Comic Relief so we must be due another record and with the big day itself rolling around this week the obligatory single sold 34,000 copies to crack the top end of the charts. It’s performed by Cher, Chrissie Hynde, Neneh Cherry, and Eric Clapton and is a cover of the 1991 Judds track “Love Can Build A Bridge” which has already been released twice in aid of charity without success (firstly for ITV’s “Telethon” then for the Rwandan aid appeal when it peaked at No 57 last year). It has already matched the peak of Clapton’s previous best chart outing but has to go much higher to be Cherry, Cher, or Hynde’s biggest hit but its open gambit of 32,000 copies isn’t a bad start.





There’s a long list of dance tracks that have had rather questionable lyrics, the recent hit by 20 fingers is a case in point but certainly sex still sells and the most recent hit to fall into the category comes from US duo Outhere Brothers. Their song “Don’t Stop (Wiggle Wiggle”) has been cleared up for radio and comes with an innocent enough promo but you can almost hear the screams of parents up and down the land when the normal version is played by their children (it’s widely available on the CD version). It debuts at No 9 (26,000)- expect this to rise as the nightclubs hammer the “original” version.







Both “Control” and “Rhythm Nation 1814” delivered up 7 UK hit singles for Janet Jackson and now “Janet” does the same with double A-Side “What’ll I Do/ Whoops Now!” debuting at No 10 (21,000). “Whoops” is a hidden track on the album whilst “What’ll I Do” is a cover of a Johnny Daye song co-written by Jagger/Richards, in its present form the latter track comes to us as a remix by Dave Navarro and will be available on “Janet- Remixed” which is out in a few weeks but may account for why the package is so high in the charts when the precious three releases all missed the big 10.




The Nightcrawlers fall back 3-4 (38,000) and The Bucketheads can do no better dropping 5-6 (31,000) with MN8 tumbling 4-8 (28,000). Better news for Clock who climb 10-7 (29,000) but next week all eyes are on three releases from acts who made No 1 last time out- Rednex, Wet wet wet, and East 17- who’s gonna win?


1- THINK TWICE- Celine Dion (57,000)
2- DON’T GIVE ME YOUR LIFE- Alex Party (53,000)
3- TURN OUT, TUNE IN, COP OUT- Freak Power (38,000)
4- PUSH THE FEELING ON- The Nightcrawlers (38,000)
5- LOVE CAN BUILD A BRIDGE- Cher/ Neneh Cherry/ Chrissie Hynde and Eric Clapton (32,000)
6- THE BOMB! (THESE SOUNDS FALL INTO MY HEAD- The Bucketheads (31,000)
7- AXEL F/ PUSHIN- Clock (29,000)
8- I’VE GOT A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR YOU- MN8 (28,000)
9- DON’T STOP (WIGGLE WIGGLE)- The Outhere Brothers (26,000)
10- WHOOPS UP/ WHAT’LL I DO- Janet Jackson (21,000)

Posted by: gooddelta 8th October 2023, 01:50 PM

Didn't realise Alex Party came so close on both occasions they were at No.2, what a shame they couldn't depose Celine.

Posted by: Jester 8th October 2023, 01:53 PM

Selected tracks outside the Top 10 TOTP 11th & 18th March 1995


Radiohead - High and Dry
Chart entry this week: 17
Peak: 17



Superb single from The Bends - showing a more acoustic vibe to their sound. Classic.



Des'ree - You Gotta Be
Chart entry this week: 19
Peak: 14



Nice little track from Des'ree. Not quite the song with toast and ghosts, but its still a pleasant little tune.



The Human League - One Man In My Heart
Chart entry this week: 18
Peak: 13



Follow up to number 6 peaking Tell Me When, The Human League really were having a decent comeback in 1995.

Posted by: Jester 8th October 2023, 02:00 PM

That Outhere Brothers song is awful.

Posted by: Jessie Where 8th October 2023, 02:42 PM

'Wake Up Boo' is one of those songs that always seemed so much bigger than its peak. Even as a kid I knew that song so well.

The Bomb

Posted by: Bjork 8th October 2023, 03:03 PM

a mix of great and not so great songs
love Wake Up Boo and the Freakpower song
but Outhere Brothers and Clock were terrible acts


love High & Dry, one of Radiohead best, One man in my Heart was great too

Posted by: Jade 8th October 2023, 03:06 PM

I'm also a fan of the Freak Power song! I had no idea that Norman Cook was involved with it until seeing the TOTP performance (I type this while 'Right Here Right Now' is playing on SyncTube )

Still familiarising myself with Radiohead's back catalogue, the vocal performance was stunning on TOTP

That Outhere Brothers song is indeed awful and even worse in live form!

Posted by: gooddelta 8th October 2023, 04:43 PM

Yes I meant to mention Wake Up Boo too. What a joyous, wonderful song, I think it was maybe my second favourite song of 1995 after Set You Free (of what I actually recall hearing in 1995 anyway - I rate a couple of songs from The Corrs' debut higher but I didn't hear that until early 1999).

One of the highlights of Britpop for me and unbelievable that it only peaked at No.9. I vividly remembered buying a pack of Pogs in my local shop and that blasting on the in-store radio in April 1995. I loved it as a kid.

Posted by: Jester 8th October 2023, 04:50 PM

I always thought Wake Up Boo was a top 5 hit! I certainly is a defining Britpop anthem which I think has become more of a classic than a lot of much bigger hits of the time.

Also, The Bomb

Posted by: Jade 8th October 2023, 04:52 PM

To Kill A Mockingbird is my favourite novel of all-time so I approve of the band name / song title that aside it's a definite earworm!

Posted by: Jester 8th October 2023, 05:39 PM

There can’t have been many songs from the 90s that sold their millionth copy while at number 1?

I Will Always Love You
Everything I Do
Love Is All Around
Think Twice
Unchained Melody (Robson and Jerome)
Candle In The Wind

???

Posted by: fiesta 8th October 2023, 05:50 PM

QUOTE(Jester @ Oct 8 2023, 06:39 PM)

Posted by: Jester 8th October 2023, 05:54 PM

QUOTE(fiesta @ Oct 8 2023, 06:50 PM)

Posted by: fiesta 8th October 2023, 06:04 PM

In fact Unchained Melody is one of the fastest million sellers of all time, at 3 weeks it's only beaten by Evergreen, Candle In The Wind & Do They Know It's Xmas. 9 chart (top 75) weeks is the average time to reach a million.

Posted by: dandy* 8th October 2023, 06:30 PM

The Bomb! is one of my absolute favourite 90s dance songs, it still sounds amazing even now.

Also very pleased to see the love for Wake Up Boo! It was a huge favourite of mine and the accompanying album was pretty good too, albeit more experimental than the single would suggest.

Posted by: jimwatts 8th October 2023, 07:23 PM

Agree the version of the Outhere Brothers' song as performed on TOTP is awful, but I do enjoy the version in Gezza's youtube link above, which is also on Now 30 and got the most airplay at the time.

Posted by: Bjork 8th October 2023, 08:10 PM

I remember back in the day everybody was very excited that Wake Up had gone top 10, it was almost like a miracle, the band had existed for a while and only had had flop single after flop single, they were very different in sound at the start, more shoegazzers than pure brtipop like they were in 95. So maybe now it feels like it could have done better but back then it was a huge accomplishment for them. And the parent album went to #1 after the single so they cannot really complain.

Posted by: Bjork 8th October 2023, 08:15 PM

also on the same week as Radiohead were in with High and Dry
The Stone Roses were in at #11 with Ten Storey Love Song, the best (only decent) song from The Second Coming
a reminder of the kinda music they were capable of doing in their early years

Posted by: Gezza 14th October 2023, 12:54 PM

25TH MARCH



Comic relief triumphs again as the charity enables a third No 1 with “Love Can Build A Bridge” powering 5-1 on a sale of 125,000 copies. It was easily heading to the top anyway but sales on Saturday were astronomical for the record and will be hard to match next week, it marks the first chart topper for either Neneh Cherry or Eric Clapton but a third for Hynde including her part in the Pretenders and in duet with UB40. Most impressive of all is of course Cher who has now had chart toppers as a solo artist, part of a duet, and now a quartet, she’s also the only female solo act to have scored two chart toppers in the 90s so far.





In the end both East 17 and Rednex failed to sell enough to make the top 10 leaving the way clear for Wet wet wet to arrive at No 6 (33,000). It is the second single to be lifted from their new album “Picture This” due next month but more importantly is the follow up to the best selling single of the decade so far, the 15 week chart topper “Love Is All Around”. With Comic Relief a fading memory this could just do it!



The fly in the Wet, wet, wet ointment may be The Outhere Brothers who fly 9-2 (46,000) and are in prime place to spoil the Scots party next Sunday. Meanwhile it’s all over for Celine, “Think Twice” dives 1-3 (44,000) and was never in with a shout for an 8th week, Freak Power and Alex Party complete the top 5 dropping 3-4 (42,000) and 2-5 (39,000).

Further down Janet Jackson improves 10-9 (25,000) whilst her remix album debuts at No 15, bad news for Nightcrawlers who dip 4-7 (30,000), The Bucketheads tip 7-8 (27,000) and Clock rewind 7-10 (24,000).


1- LOVE CAN BUILD A BRIDGE- Cher/ Chrissie Hynde/ Neneh Cherry/ Eric Clapton (125,000)
2- DON’T STOP (WIGGLE WIGGLE)- Outhere Brothers (46,000)
3- THINK TWICE- Celine Dion (44,000)
4- TURN ON, TUNE IN, COP OUT- Freak Power (42,000)
5- DON’T GIVE ME YOUR LIFE- Alex Party (39,000)
6- JULIA SAYS- Wet, wet, wet (33,000)
7- PUSH THE FEELING ON- Nightcrawlers (30,000)
8- THE BOMB (THESE SOUNDS FALL INTO MY HEAD)- Bucketheads (27,000)
9- WHOOPS NOW/ WHAT I’LL DO- Janet Jackson (25,000)
10- AXEL F/ PUSHIN- Clock (24,000)

Posted by: Gezza 14th October 2023, 01:18 PM

1ST APRIL



Leading the charge most of the way after a flying start “Love Can Build A Bridge” ran out of steam but still sold a healthy 71,000 as it slides 1-2 thus become the first 1 week wonder since Stiltskin last May. The new chart topper comes from Outhere Brothers whose mix of obscene language and catchy tunes has proved too great to resist. The 86,000 copies the single sold last week saw it ease pass the Comic Relief single on Saturday with some ease though it may become another sole week No 1 as the new Take That single is out this week. Trivia wise last week Comic Relief’s victory margin was a mighty 79,000 and to lose the top position after such a large gap is pretty unusual and equals the 90s record in that respect recorded when Whigfield lost out to Take That who overturned the same lead though that was a new entry. The last time a larger gap was overhauled by a track where neither single was a new entry was way back in 1982, that occasion saw Irene Cara’s 98,000 lead from the previous week diminish when Dexy’s Midnight Runners took the top spot from her the week after!





Two re-issues crash into the top 10 this week (1995 has been the year for the re-issue so far), first up is Mr Whitney Houston or Bobby Brown if you prefer. Brown’s career after leaving New Edition got off to a flying start with three UK top 10 singles and a US chart topper in 1989 but things have gone awry since with a well-documented battle with drugs and poor chart performances. Remixed from the original album by K-Klass the single made No 38 but now gets a re-issue thanks to ongoing support from clubland and is a new entry at No 5 (35,000)- that makes it his second biggest hit ever.





Lost in the Christmas rush Strike’s “U Sure Do” peaked at No 31 but now gets its moment in the sun coming in one place below Bobby Brown (28,000). It combines samples of Cubic 22’s “Night In Motion” and Donna Allen’s “Serious” to make one of this year’s best dance tracks.





Tipped by some to be a chart topper The Beatles are back with their version of “Baby It’s You” first recorded by The Shirelles and first a hit for Dave Berry in 1964. It is culled from the album “Live At The BBC” which made No 1 in December and for which no singles were planned but public demand has enabled the release of the song which becomes their 26th top 10 single as it arrives at No 7 (27,000) their first “new” single in 13 years.





After scoring the Christmas No 1 last year East 17 are onto that difficult follow up and return to their normal fare with “Let It Rain” which nips 11-10 (23,000) to become their 7th top 10 single and fifth in a row. Parent album “Steam” revives only slightly 34-28 but has already gone double platinum with sales approaching 700,000 confirming them as second in the boyband stakes behind Take That.



Wet wet wet manoeuvre 6-3 (61,000), it’s worth noting that the only other times that the group have been in the top 3 they’ve gone all the way! Celine Dion returns to the top spot on the albums but “Think Twice” continues to deflate 3-4 (36,000), Alex Party drop 5-8 (27,000) and Freak Power zone out 4-9 (26,000).


1- DON’T STOP (WIGGLE WIGGLE)- Outhere Brothers (86,000)
2- LOVE CAN BUILD A BRIDGE- Cher/ Chrissie Hynde/ Eric Clapton/ Neneh Cherry (71,000)
3- JULIA SAYS- Wet, wet, wet (61,000)
4- THINK TWICE- Celine Dion (36,000)
5- TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME- Bobby Brown (35,000)
6- U SURE DO- Strike (28,000)
7- BABY IT’S YOU- The Beatles (27,000)
8- DON’T GIVE ME YOUR LIFE- Alex Party (27,000)
9- TUNE IN, TURN ON, COP OUT- Freak Power (26,000)
10- LET IT RAIN- East 17 (23,000)

Posted by: Jester 14th October 2023, 04:49 PM

Selected tracks outside the Top 10 TOTP 25th March and 1st April 1995


Tin Tin Out feat. Espiritu - Always Something There To Remind Me
Chart entry this week: 14
Peak: 14




Nice little tune, not quite as good as their later 90s output though.



Rednex - Old Pop In An Oak
Chart entry this week: 12
Peak: 12



Where did you come from, where did you go, old pop in an oak.....! Original content here from Rednex!



Snap feat. Summer - The First, The Last, Eternity (Til The End)
Chart entry this week: 20
Peak: 15



My favourite Snap song, the follow up to the superb Welcome To Tomorrow. Probably in my top 10 dance tracks of 1995, shame this didn't make the top 10.

Posted by: Bjork 14th October 2023, 07:04 PM

Not much I like in recent top 10s, that Wet Wet Wet song was terrible
but kinda like Two Can Play That Game

Looking at recent top 40s I really liked this one from Leftfield featuring Toni Halliday from alt_band Curve <3

Posted by: Jester 14th October 2023, 07:13 PM

Two Can Play At That Game and U Sure Do are both classics

Posted by: Gezza 21st October 2023, 01:22 PM

8TH APRIL



The MOST anticipated record of 1995 so far was the new Take That single “Back For Good”. Premiered at the BRITS in February the release of the single has been brought forward by a month and was serviced to radio 6 weeks pre release- unprecedented until now, that allowed airplay to grow (it’s currently No 2 on the airplay chart) and generate pre orders seldom seen before. The song naturally debuts at No 1 and becomes their 6th No 1 in under two years, all of them debuting there, but none have done the first week sales of “Back For Good” which topped the 346,000 mark! That’s the second highest 7 day tally of the 90s lagging behind only Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” though that had Christmas and Mercury’s then recent death to aid sales. In total the song made up 1 of every 5 singles sold last week- truly astonishing and enough to place the track in the top 5 for the YTD which as we’re now a quarter of the way though we should recap:

1-Think Twice- Celine Dion 884,000
2-Cotton Eye Joe- Rednex 512,000
3-Set You Free- N-Trance 495,000
4-Here Comes The Hotstepper- Ini Kamoze 403,000
5-Back For Good- Take That 346,000
6-Don’t Give Me Your Life- Alex Party 333,000
7-I’ve Got A Little Something For You- MN8 304,000
8-Total Eclipse Of The Heart- Nicki French 285,000
9-Don’t Stop (Wiggle Wiggle)- Outhere Brothers 266,000
10-No More “I Love You”’s- Annie Lennox 262,000

Those with calculators might be able to calculate that The Outhere Brothers actually increased their sales by 26% as they fall 1-2 (108,000) the first time the No 2 track has broken the 100,000 mark (outside of Christmas) since Whigfield way back in October. The Comic Relief single drops 2-6 (33,000) and Alex Party trip 8-10 (22,000) as both singles attempt to continue their climb in the top 10 YTD.





“Rhythm Of The Night” was unquestionably one of Europe’s biggest hits of 1994 making No 2 here behind Whigfield and now some 6 months later they’re back with a cover of the Joy & Joyce’s 1991 dance hit “Babe Babe” which gets retitled “Baby Baby” and dashes in at No 7 (31,000) to erase them from the one hit wonder bus. It currently sits at No 1 in Italy but it’s unlikely to top our charts given the current situation but regardless it’s a good result for the dance outfit.






Paul Oakenfold is back, we last saw him under the guise of Perfecto Allstarz but he’s reunited with Steve Osborne his perfecto label co-founder to give us Grace which is fronted by Patti Low. The single “Not Over Yet” was first released in 1993 under the name State Of Grace but has been remixed and re-released thanks to club reaction and powers in at No 8 (27,000) and proves that Oakenfold is certainly one of the brightest names on the DJ scene at present.



No other new entries but plenty of movement with those in the pink being Bobby Brown 5-3 (78,000), Strike 6-4 (52,000), for Brown that marks his biggest hit ever as a soloist. Not doing so well are Wet, wet, wet who fall 3-5 (37,000) and The Beatles 7-9 (26,000).


1- BACK FOR GOOD- Take That (346,000)
2- DON’T STOP (WIGGLE WIGGLE)- Outhere Brothers (108,000)
3- TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME- Bobby Brown (78,000)
4- U SURE DO- Strike (52,000)
5- JULIA SAYS- Wet, wet, wet (37,000)
6- LOVE CAN BUILD A BRIDGE- Cher/ Chrissie Hynde/ Neneh Cherry/ Eric Clapton (33,000)
7- BABY BABY- Corona (31,000)
8- NOT OVER YET- Grace (27,000)
9- BABY IT’S YOU- The Beatles (26,000)
10- DON’T GIVE ME YOUR LIFE- Alex Party (22,000)

Posted by: dandy* 21st October 2023, 01:27 PM

Wow I didn't realise that Take That sold that many in week one. I knew it was a big single for them but wasn't expecting anywhere near that

Posted by: Jester 21st October 2023, 01:28 PM

Blimey at Take That's sales

Also adore Not Over Yet and Baby Baby - 95 had so many amazing dance songs.

Posted by: dandy* 21st October 2023, 01:35 PM

I always associate Not Over Yet with Your Loving Arms so I'm assuming it won't be long until we see the latter also, it being one of my absolute favourite 90s dance hits.

Posted by: Gezza 21st October 2023, 01:36 PM

15TH APRIL



Take That continue to pull in the impressive sales though understandably they are substantially down week on week to 185,000 a hit of 46% but “Back For Good” has sold 531,000 in a fortnight making it already the second biggest selling single of 1995 and their personal best seller as it steams past “Babe”. If anyone was questioning just who the biggest boyband are in the land after East 17’s recent No 1 then Take That must have conclusively answered it with this- their third album is out next month.



Take That remain clear of the field and whilst the entire top 4 are static all are in decline saleswise, Outhere Brothers hold at No 2 (74,000) -31%, Bobby Brown at no 3 (69,000)- 11%, and Strike at No 4 (47,000)- 9% all of which means that Take That should be OK for at least another week.



Much has been made of the connection between Michael Jackson and the Group Brownstone who were signed to Jackson’s new MJJ label though the girls had to admit that they haven’t met Jackson yet. First single “If You Love Me” is doing the business though as it shoots 17-8 (26,000).





R.E.M have been in the news recently if only because of Bill Berry’s collapse on stage but the tour is still on for this summer apparently and they have another top 10 hit to celebrate in “Strange Currencies” which is new at No 9 (22,000). A fourth top 10 hit it is also a fourth release from the “Monster” album which has sold over 700,000 and arrests the law of diminishing returns for the singles from the album which have peaked at No 9, 15 and 23.



Corona jump 7-5 (41,000) just continuing to outpace Grace who are up 8-6 (34,000) while Wet wet wet drop 5-7 (30,000). Coming back like a boomerang are the Bucketheads who climb 11-10 (20,000)


1- BACK FOR GOOD- Take That (185,000)
2- DON’T STOP (WIGGLE WIGGLE)- Outhere Brothers (74,000)
3- TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME- Bobby Brown (69,000)
4- U SURE DO- Strike (47,000)
5- BABY BABY- Corona (41,000)
6- NOT OVER YET- Grace (34,000)
7- JULIA SAYS- Wet, wet, wet (30,000)
8- IF YOU LOVE ME- Brownstone (26,000)
9- STRANGE CURRENCIES- R.E.M (22,000)
10- THE BOMB (THESE THINGS FALL INTO MY MIND)- Bucketheads (20,000)

Posted by: Jester 21st October 2023, 01:49 PM

QUOTE(dandy* @ Oct 21 2023, 02:35 PM)

Posted by: Jester 21st October 2023, 01:51 PM

I love If You Love Me - always thought it was a top 15 hit only, so I was so chuffed when I realised it was actually a top 10 hit.

Posted by: Jessie Where 21st October 2023, 05:28 PM

Strike

Posted by: Jade 21st October 2023, 05:37 PM

Incredible sales for Take That 'Back For Good' is easily my favourite of their 90s output, was more of a fan of their man-band comeback ('Patience', 'The Flood', 'Rule The World' etc.)

Some good dance at the moment with 'U Sure Do', 'Not Over Yet' and 'Baby Baby' (I actually prefer the latter to 'Rhythm of the Night')

'Original', by Leftfield/Toni Halliday, embedded by Bjork was an amazing discovery on last week's TOTP I couldn't make the Leftfield album session on here at the time so I'm glad that song was introduced to me eventually, I really like what I know of both Curve and Leftfield but quite a few gaps to fill in.

Posted by: dandy* 21st October 2023, 06:12 PM

Original was the track that really got me to love Leftfield. I'd half paid attention before then but it suited the Massive Attack / Portishead vibe of 95 more

Posted by: TheSnake 21st October 2023, 06:30 PM

To what extent was Wake Up Boo influenced by Mr Blue Sky?!

Crazy Frog probably wouldn't have existed without that eurodance Axel F by Clock for inspiration!

Posted by: Bjork 21st October 2023, 07:21 PM

wow crazy sales for Take That, easily their best (only really good) song of the 90s
nearly 350K sales is bonkers

love Grace-Not Over Yet, my fav song in that top 10

Posted by: gooddelta 21st October 2023, 08:38 PM

Astonishing sales for Back For Good although clearly really kickstarted the 'held back era' that would last for over a decade in the UK charts and make them more predictable than ever in a lot of cases.

I'm enjoying seeing at least 2 or 3 classic dance singles each week, the first half of 1995 was insane, so many of the best dance tracks of the entire decade came within a few months of each other - I appreciate many of them though were re-releases having a second go, but they were all in the right place at the right time to capitalise.

Posted by: TheSnake 21st October 2023, 09:44 PM

Agree about the dance standard - Not Over Yet, U Sure Do, Bucketheads all great particularly.

More piano and other house styles coming back after the eurodance of 1994, still a lot of eurodance though.

Posted by: jimwatts 22nd October 2023, 05:48 AM

QUOTE(gooddelta @ Oct 21 2023, 09:38 PM)

Posted by: Jester 22nd October 2023, 08:09 AM

I hadn’t realised either that the release of Back For Good was brought forward 6 weeks. Wonder what the impact would have been 6 weeks later on the number 1s of the time?

Posted by: Bjork 22nd October 2023, 08:48 AM

we are also at the peak of trip hop, with these 2 jewels from Massive Attack and Tricky charting, even though too low for both! I was obsessed with both at the time

Massive Attack - Karmakoma (#28)


Tricky - Black Steel (#22)

Posted by: Jester 22nd October 2023, 10:55 AM

Black Steel is good, but there were much better singles from Maxinquaye to come.

Posted by: steve201 23rd October 2023, 09:42 PM

QUOTE(gooddelta @ Oct 21 2023, 09:38 PM)

Posted by: steve201 23rd October 2023, 09:44 PM

QUOTE(Jester @ Oct 22 2023, 09:09 AM)

Posted by: Colm 24th October 2023, 08:31 PM

QUOTE(steve201 @ Oct 23 2023, 10:42 PM)

Posted by: steve201 27th October 2023, 04:42 PM

I think as most on here know I’m for the risers to the top spot as the best songs normally rise to the top anyway whereas as we can see later on in the decade some songs got to no1 by releasing in the right week but I guess that’s always been the case throughout chart history!

Posted by: Gezza 28th October 2023, 12:24 PM

22ND APRIL



“Back For Good” continues to haemorrhage sales at the top but it also continues to top the chart for a third week attracting another 140,000 sales and has now sold 2/3rds of a million in 3 weeks. Indeed the whole of the top 3 are static proving something of a logjam at the head of the survey, Outhere Brothers complete a fifth week in the top 2 with another 71,000 copies sold and Bobby Brown remains in bronze position with 62,000 copies, both tracks are selling prodigious amounts with “Don’t Stop” moving 411,000 copies whilst “Two Can Play” has sold almost a quarter of a million and will become his biggest seller next week.





Take That’s next challenger will doubtless be Bryan Adams’ new single “Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?” which features in the new “Don Juan DeMarco” film which opens here next month and stars Johnny Deep and Marlon Brando. It is only Bryan’s 5th top 10 single but a third on the trot after “All For Love” and “Please Forgive Me” both made No 2 can this go one better?
This slams in at No 4 (40,000).





A live vocal on TOTP proves just the tonic for Tina Arena and provides impetus for her single “Chains” to lift 13-7 (30,000). Arena first found fame on “Young Talent Time” in her native Australia back in the late 70s ending up as coach for a young Dannii Minogue, a solo career had the occasional highlight but “Chains” has become her first international hit.





Eurovision time is almost upon us again and whilst the UK’s official entry “Love City Groove” finally has sufficient stock to move 36-17 it is immediately outpeaked by the song that came 4th in the selection heats. That song was “I Need You” by Deuce who’s first single “Call It Love” made No 11 earlier this year, this goes one better and debuts at No 10 (19,000). They are managed by Tom Watkins who steered the careers of Pet Shop Boys, Bros, and Pet Shop Boys, lead singer Kelly O’Keefe was on work experience with Watkins which led to her opportunity to join the outfit- strange thing opportunity.



Corona hold at No 5 (38,000) whilst Strike fall past them 4-6 (34,000) and Grace descend 6-9 (26,000) but Brownstone manage to haul themselves up a place 9-8 (27,000).

1- BACK FOR GOOD- Take That (140,000)
2- DON’T STOP (WIGGLE WIGGLE)- Outhere Brothers (71,000)
3- TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME- Bobby Brown (62,000)
4- HAVE YOU EVER REALLY LOVED A WOMAN- Bryan Adams (40,000)
5- BABY BABY- Corona (38,000)
6- U SURE DO- Strike (34,000)
7- CHAINS- Tina Arena (30,000)
8- IF YOU LOVE ME- Brownstone (27,000)
9- NOT OVER YET- Grace (26,000)
10- I NEED YOU- Deuce (19,000)

Posted by: Gezza 28th October 2023, 12:49 PM

29TH APRIL



“Back For Good” equals “Pray” as Take That’s longest chart topper with 4 weeks a piece at No 1, the single has now sold 757,000 copies in total including 86,000 last week. It’s also easily No 1 on the airplay chart and proves that, given the right single, the boyband genre can appeal to the general public outside of their demographic, total sales are now around 150,000 short of “Stay Another Day” which surely the group will be aiming at surpassing. The impending release of their album “Nobody Else” in a fortnight might be the deciding factor in whether this can make the million mark or not.



The top 3 are again static for a fourth week with nothing breaking their spell, so to repeat the Outhere Brothers are No 2 (60,000) and Bobby Brown is in third spot (56,000) but they are looking vulnerable.



Not least to the newest boyband on the block Boyzone. Already a chart topper in Ireland where they knocked Take That from the top, their second single (here) is “Key To My life” which dutifully flies into the chart at No 4 (52,000) with news that the boys are busy recording their first album. At the very least the boys co-wrote this track.





Meanwhile they are jostling in the top 10 with another boyband MN8, their second singles go head to head but MN8 come off worse as “If You Only Let Me In” arrives at No 6 (42,000). Both this and their first hit “I’ve Got A Little Something For You” will feature on their album “To The Next Level” which is out next month.





If you’re not happy with Boyzone, Take That, or MN8 then how about Let Loose, these photogenic lot made No 2 last year with “Crazy For You” but their next two singles missed the top 10 causing some alarm in the camp. Tender ballad “Best In Me” has rectified that by emerging at No 8 (33,000) even though it is a 4th single from their eponymous album which re-enters itself at No 48 on the strength of this.



The challenge of Bryan Adams didn’t materialise as it surprisingly falls back 4-5 (48,000) and Tina Arena is held at No 7 (40,000) because of the boyband influx. Meanwhile Brownstone and Corona are pushed down 8-9 (24,000) and 5-10 (21,000). Next week a new Oasis single from a new album- watch out Take That!



1- BACK FOR GOOD- Take That (86,000)
2- DON’T STOP (WIGGLE WIGGLE)- Outhere Brothers (60,200)
3- TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME- Bobby Brown (56,000)
4- KEY TO MY LIFE- Boyzone (52,000)
5- HAVE YOU EVER REALLY LOVED A WOMAN- Bryan Adams (48,000)
6- IF YOU ONLY LET ME IN- MN8 (42,000)
7- CHAINS- Tina Arena (40,000)
8- BEST IN ME- Let Loose (33,000)
9- IF YOU LOVE ME- Brownstone (24,000)
10- BABY BABY- Corona (21,000)

Posted by: TheSnake 28th October 2023, 06:14 PM

I haven't heard that Deuce song before but on listening to it a few times its nowhere near as good as 'Call It Love'.

Tina Arena Chains sounds quite Mariah but then so does most mid 90s female pop.

Sounds like Bryan Adams might have been influenced by 70s/early 80s ballads by Demis Roussos or Julio Iglesias with the instrumental of 'Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman'

Posted by: Bjork 28th October 2023, 06:36 PM

it's a Spanish guitar like if Julio Iglesias had some kinda exclusive

Posted by: Colm 29th October 2023, 11:33 AM

QUOTE(Gezza @ Oct 28 2023, 12:49 PM)

Posted by: dandy* 29th October 2023, 12:29 PM

Most of 2023?

Posted by: Jester 29th October 2023, 04:30 PM

Selected tracks outside the Top 10 TOTP 22nd & 29th April 1995


Portishead - Sour Times
Chart entry this week: 13
Peak: 13




Second big single from Dummy, helping the album finally reach its peak of 2. Sometimes has Nobody Loves Me in brackets after the title to help confused people. Obviously a classic!



(MC Sar &) The Real McCoy - Love And Devotion
Chart entry this week: 12
Peak: 11




Always thought this was a top 10 hit, another very 90s dance hit with a familiar formula from The Real McCoy.

Posted by: I am Kenough 29th October 2023, 07:21 PM

Sour Times

Posted by: jimwatts 29th October 2023, 08:56 PM

QUOTE(Colm @ Oct 29 2023, 11:33 AM)

Posted by: I am Kenough 29th October 2023, 08:57 PM

I'm astonished that hasn't been broken at some point in the last 7 years tbh.

Posted by: Jade 29th October 2023, 09:07 PM

Had never heard of Deuce until TOTP, was surprised that the U.K. embraced the 3rd placed song in the national selection to this extent as well as the winner!

'Sour Times' and 'Army Of Me' were my highlights in these episodes

Posted by: TheSnake 29th October 2023, 09:33 PM

QUOTE(Jade @ Oct 29 2023, 09:07 PM)

Posted by: gooddelta 29th October 2023, 10:22 PM

I really love I Need You, probably one of the only UK Eurovision rejects to ever make the top 10 - indeed it peaked there before the actual entry by Love City Groove did too. Maybe there are some older examples, but I'm not familiar with any. Funny in comparison how Sweden's charts routinely see 4-7 Melodifestivalen non-winners make the top 10 every year, for example.

I'm not totally sure I Need You would have worked at Eurovision though as it was still the juries only era of the stuffy 90s (in Eurovision terms), when serious ballads were most in vogue. Gina G only came 8th with a stronger Europop song the following year, so I doubt I Need You would have troubled the top 10. Love City Groove was a bit of a genius if extremely ill-advised entry imo though, the music and production is so reminiscent of DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince's Summertime and I love the female rapper on the first verse. Rap and juries were never going to work results-wise though so it did well to come top 10 and become a genuine hit in this country.

Posted by: dandy* 29th October 2023, 10:33 PM

I liked Love City Groove at the time. It was shafted by Eurovision deciding everything had to be love instruments if I remember? Or something like that? Either way, the performance they gave at Eurovision was only a shadow of how the track actually sounded.

Posted by: gooddelta 29th October 2023, 10:46 PM

Yes it had to be played with an orchestra behind it, so definitely sounded much weaker live as it was a rap summer jam type song that just didn't translate properly to that setting.

Posted by: Jester 30th October 2023, 05:08 PM

I just want to celebrate how utterly amazing most of this top 10 is:

1- BACK FOR GOOD- Take That (140,000) :sub:
2- DON’T STOP (WIGGLE WIGGLE)- Outhere Brothers (71,000)
3- TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME- Bobby Brown (62,000)
4- HAVE YOU EVER REALLY LOVED A WOMAN- Bryan Adams (40,000)
5- BABY BABY- Corona (38,000)
6- U SURE DO- Strike (34,000)
7- CHAINS- Tina Arena (30,000)
8- IF YOU LOVE ME- Brownstone (27,000)
9- NOT OVER YET- Grace (26,000)
10- I NEED YOU- Deuce (19,000)

This really was the peak for 95 dance! Chains and If You Love Me are classic 90s powerhouse American ballads, Back For Good is TT's 90s best and Two Can Play At That Game really benefits from the Todd Terry touch!

On the Deuce debate, Call It Love is really decent, I Need You much less so.

Posted by: Colm 31st October 2023, 10:53 PM

QUOTE(dandy* @ Oct 29 2023, 12:29 PM)

Posted by: Gezza 4th November 2023, 02:37 PM

6TH MAY



As soon as the initial sales reports started to come in it was clear that Oasis were heading to the No 1 spot this week. It marks the arrival of Britpop at the hallowed top spot of the UK charts and also the movement of Oasis into the premiere spot in the genre, their previous peaks of 32,11,10,7, and 3 clearly show the ascension of the band in the hearts of the record buying public. It’s the first release from a second Oasis album which is primed for release later this year, in the meantime 138,000 were convinced enough to purchase this single and give the mancunian’s their first No 1.



Below them it is a battle of the boybands with a deposed Take That falling 1-2 (67,000) and a rising Boyzone moving 4-3 (66,000) the winning margin only a few hundred copies. Let loose drop out of the top 10 and MN8 go into immediate reverse 6-8 (33,000).



Two other new entries lower down the charts to deal with, first up from an act who some claim is the father of Britpop and who is certainly back in favour thanks to the current musical wind and that’s Paul Weller. He’s been missing from the top 10 in any guise since The Style Council in 1987 and even though he’s released six singles in the last 3 years which have gone top 20 the top tier has always evaded him, no longer though as “The Changingman” debuts at No 7 (34,000). The song features backing vocals from former Young Disciples frontwoman Carleen Anderson and Blow Monkey’s lead singer Dr Robert, and a healthy sample of ELO’s “10538 Overture” for good luck. Album “Stanley Road” is out in three weeks’ time and comes with rave reviews already in something of a career resurgence.





It seems odd that for an act with so much critical acclaim and clear visual flair this is the first time I’m writing about Bjork. After leaving the Sugarcubes behind in 1992 she set off on a solo career with the “Debut” album which has so far sold just under 400,000 here and generated 5 hit singles but nothing to dent the top 10 although she did co-write Madonna’s “Bedtime Story” which made No 4 in February. Indeed if you buy her new single “Army Of Me” then you can hear the “inspiration” for “Bedtime Story” in the lyrics of “Sweet Intuition” which is an addition track on CD1, regardless the single is new at No 10 (27,000) and previews her second album “Post” in shops next month. The song features in the new film “Tank Girl” out this summer but that will probably be too late to support the single but then it’s already her biggest hit!



Tina Arena is the only other gainer of the week, “Chains” clinks 7-6 (37,000) despite losing sales but 3 other tracks are losing propulsion, Bobby Brown drops 3-4 (49,000) and Outhere Brothers finally drop 2-5 (45,000) but the two tracks are now over the 300,000 and 500,000 mark respectively, finally Bryan Adams proves easier to shift than thought and dips 5-9 (31,000).


1- SOME MIGHT SAY- Oasis (138,000)
2- BACK FOR GOOD- Take That (67,000)
3- KEY TO MY LIFE- Boyzone (66,000)
4- TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME- Bobby Brown (49,000)
5- DON’T STOP (WIGGLE WIGGLE)- Outhere Brothers (45,000)
6- CHAINS- Tina Arena (37,000)
7- THE CHANGINGMAN- Paul Weller (34,000)
8- IF YOU ONLY LET ME IN- MN8 (33,000)
9- HAVE YOU EVER REALLY LOVED A WOMAN- Bryan Adams (31,000)
10- ARMY OF ME- Bjork (27,000)

Posted by: Gezza 4th November 2023, 02:57 PM

13TH MAY



Two records were neck and neck this week in the race for the top spot, the answer as to who won rests at the No 71 this week! That’s a new entry for the 12” format of Oasis’s “Some Might Say”, it has charted separately as chart rules now state that only three formats can contribute to chart position so the belated release of the 12” generates its own chart position but also steals around 3,000 copies from the main chart tally of the track which causes it to lose out on a second week at the top by just 500 copies!

Instead the nation has a new No 1 in the form of Livin’ Joy who do the very 1995 trick of re-issuing a small dance hit from the last few years and making it a smash in this year’s chart, “Dreamer” had formally hit No 18 last August in this instance. The single comes with new mixes and a new promo and if I tell you that the men behind the group are the Visnadi brothers then you might draw the connection to a record that also hit it big on re-issue in 1995, Alex Party’s “Don’t Give Me Your Life” as they are essentially the same act with different vocalists. The song is the 40th song to enter the charts at No 1 and the third song in a row to debut atop the charts equaling the record set in late 1991 and only the second song to re-enter the charts at No 1 after Queen back in 1991 (again). The 70,500 it sold to beat Oasis is the second lowest of 1995 and coupled with the Oasis error it could make this one of the luckiest No 1 singles in recent years.



On a side note a new agreement between distributors, the industry and stockists sees new releases now in shop the week before release so that shelves can be fully stocked on release day instead of new stock being supplied through the week as was the norm. As a result it should be easier, in theory, to debut at No 1 in the future- we’ll see.



The current record for longest wait between chart toppers is held by The Righteous Brothers at 25 years and 259 days but that could be smashed if Perez “Prez” Prado goes to the top with “Guaglione” which shoots up 11-3 (45,000). His previous chart topper was way back in 1955 with “Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White” and he can owe his current resurgence to the current Guinness advert on TV which has plucked his 1958 version from obscurity to chart fame. The story of the hit is quite long winded but way back in late 94 Guinness were running the “Prez” advert in Ireland (where “Guaglione” went to No 1) whilst it was running the Louis Armstrong ad in the UK but getting clearance to re-release the single was proving troublesome so Guinness switched to the Prez ad here for a few weeks last November which caused the song to peak at No 41. In the meantime the Armstrong song was finally given a re-issue causing Guinness to reflip ads and give Armstrong the push which condemned the Prez version to flop status. Now with the old ad done and the Prez one back on TV we get the re-issue and the hit. Phew- hope you kept up.





Rather simpler explanation for the new entry at No 6 (34,000) for the 53 year old Scatman John (real name John Larkin) and his pan European hit “Skatman (Ski Ba Bop Ba Dop Bop)”. He discovered his talent for “Skat” as a cure to his stammer apparently and wrote this track as a support song to anyone who suffers with the affliction, it’s topped the charts in almost every European country- can the UK resist?





Supergrass are another band who are emerging from the Britpop school of music with increasingly better placed single positions. Their first two singles peaked at No 43 and No 20 and now third release “Lenny” nips in at No 10 (22,000). You can expect an album from them over the summer if you like what you hear from the Oxford trio.





A mixed week for boybands it seems Take That drop 2-4 (43,000) and are now about 120,000 away from the million mark, while Boyzone recede 3-5 (41,000) but on the album charts Take That make a mighty splash with “Nobody Else” shifting 240,000 to debut at No 1.

Tina Arena drops 6-7 (30,000) whilst Bobby Brown falters 4-8 (29,000) and the Outhere Brothers are almost done 5-9 (28,000).


1- DREAMER- Livin Joy (70,500)
2- SOME MIGHT SAY- Oasis (70,000)
3- GUAGLIONE- Perez “Prez” Prado & His Orchestra (45,000)
4- BACK FOR GOOD- Take That (43,000)
5- KEY TO MY LIFE- Boyzone (41,000)
6- SCATMAN- Scatman John (34,000)
7- CHAINS- Tina Arena (30,000)
8- TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME- Bobby Brown (29,000)
9- DON’T STOP (WIGGLE WIGGLE)- Outhere Brothers (28,000)
10- LENNY- Supergrass (22,000)

Posted by: Colm 4th November 2023, 03:12 PM

Great sales for Oasis considering fans didn't have to buy multiple formats to get all the b-sides, just 1 CD.

Posted by: Bjork 4th November 2023, 03:29 PM

3 classics in Some Might Say, Army of Me and The Changingman
the leads for 3 amazing albums to come

also love Dreamer, Guglione and Scatman

Posted by: Jade 4th November 2023, 04:15 PM

Ooh that closeness between 'Some Might Say' and 'Dreamer'! Glad they both got a turn at the top. Oasis' ascending chart peaks from their debut to 'Some Might Say' is very satisfying.

Love that an advert could propel something like 'Guaglione' into the top 3 decades after it was recorded *.*

Already commented on my love for 'Army Of Me' when it was lower down but happy it achieved a top 10 peak in the end <3

Posted by: TheSnake 4th November 2023, 06:29 PM

That Dreamer and Scatman double entry

Posted by: Jester 4th November 2023, 06:57 PM

I despise that Scatman song! Awful.

Never realised the closeness of Dreamer and Some might Say! Both are the 2 best number 1s of 1995 imo so glad they both made it and that they repped the 2 best genres of the year - Britpop and Dance. Interestingly, Dreamer was the only number 1 of the year not featured in the Xmas special review of the year.

Also, good to read why so many songs entered straight at the top from now, due to distribution.

Finally at The Changingman and Supergrass’ debut with Lenny.

Posted by: Jester 4th November 2023, 08:06 PM

QUOTE(Jade @ Nov 4 2023, 04:15 PM)

Posted by: TheSnake 4th November 2023, 08:11 PM

Now I am thinking that the advert use/return to the charts of 'Guaglione' influenced later brassy late 90s songs like 'Would You...' and 'Mambo No.5'.

Posted by: Jester 4th November 2023, 08:18 PM

Selected tracks outside the Top 10 TOTP 6th & 13th May 1995


Adina Howard - Freak Like Me
Chart entry this week: 33
Peak: 33



You know, a Tubeway Army sample would go really well with this!



Weezer - Buddy Holly
Chart entry this week: 12
Peak: 12



I think this is the cleverest video ever and a cracking song as well!



Montell Jordan - This Is How We Do It
Chart entry this week: 11
Peak: 11



I was sure this American number 1 was a top 10 hit! Sounds massive.



Shed Seven - Where Have You Been Tonight
Chart entry this week: 23
Peak: 23



Indie Britpop debut alert! Not one of their best known songs to be fair, but still decent.

Posted by: Colm 4th November 2023, 08:45 PM

QUOTE(Jester @ Nov 4 2023, 06:57 PM)

Posted by: steve201 4th November 2023, 08:45 PM

The Weezer song sounds like a classic and that video is class!

Pity the songs now always peak on week one and there’s no room to grow, didn’t know that about the disrubution thing so would songs before have sold a lot less because of this?

Posted by: Colm 4th November 2023, 08:46 PM

QUOTE(Jester @ Nov 4 2023, 08:18 PM)

Posted by: Colm 4th November 2023, 08:47 PM

-

Posted by: TheSnake 4th November 2023, 09:52 PM

I didn't know the Montell Jordan song until the Joe Stone song came out in 2015 sampling it. Its a good song anyway!

Posted by: Gezza 4th November 2023, 10:27 PM

QUOTE(Colm @ Nov 4 2023, 08:45 PM)

Posted by: Colm 4th November 2023, 11:08 PM

Cool. Thanks.

Posted by: TheSnake 5th November 2023, 04:41 PM

Was radio airplay for tracks commencing sooner by this time; a few weeks ahead of release?

Posted by: Jade 5th November 2023, 04:42 PM

I presumed that 'Buddy Holly' was a 2000s song for years for some reason! I hadn't seen the music video for it before until the TOTP repeat, very good indeed.

Posted by: Gezza 5th November 2023, 05:01 PM

QUOTE(TheSnake @ Nov 5 2023, 04:41 PM)

Posted by: gooddelta 5th November 2023, 07:38 PM

Phew, glad to see that Dreamer got there, despite the dubious matter in which it was achieved. Going beyond Set You Free, Don't Give Me Your Life, Push The Feeling On, U Sure Do and all the rest and actually topping the chart!

It's still a song I hear very regularly on the radio - along with their follow up Don't Stop Movin', so the success was very deserved I think.

Posted by: Gezza 11th November 2023, 12:46 PM

20TH MAY



Until last September no act had ever had their first chart week at No 1 (Al Martino aside) then Whigfield re-wrote the history books, now there is a second and from a source that few suspected. Actors in “Soldier, Soldier” Robson Green & Jerome Flynn were recently involved in a storyline which saw them perform the classic hit “Unchained Melody” and such was the alleged interest in the track that Simon Cowell at RCA convinced the boys to make it into a record and teamed it with “White Cliff Of Dover” to celebrate the 50th anniversary of VE day.

Few foresaw quite how popular the double A-Side was going to be but it posted a sale of 314,000 copies last week a total dwarfed only by Take That and Queen in the 90s. It helps to create a little chart history as well as it becomes the fourth No 1 in a row to debut at No 1 (albeit one was a re-issue) and “Unchained Melody” becomes the first song to make No 1 in three different versions having already topped the charts for Jimmy Young and The Righteous Brothers. We should add that it also sees the return to the top for Mike Stock and Matt Aitken who can now claim their 14th chart topper as producers but first in 5 years since Kylie’s “Tears On My Pillow” gave them chart honours as part of the S/A/W production team.





As has become the norm over the last few years the FA Cup final is also played out in the charts with this year’s finalists both scoring hits, Everton are new at No 24 with their version of “All Together Now” but somewhat predictably it’s Manchester United that score the bigger hit. Following on the heels of last year’s No 1 “Come On You Reds” Man Utd have recruited a local rapper called Stryker and the optimistically titled “We’re Gonna Do It Again” climbs 15-6 (41,000) we’ll see if it proves prophetic on Saturday.





Definitely not winners were Love City Groove who came in 10th at Eurovision last week but it is certainly one of the UK’s more unusual entries into the competition featuring a rapper. The song experienced a slow start to its chart career moving 52-36-17-12-17-16-7 after initial stocking issues were corrected- the label appeared to think that the song wouldn’t be too popular with the public here at least! Anyway the song sold 37,000 in the run up and may get some sales this week but its chance must have passed now- it does however become the highest peaking UK Eurovision entry since Bardo in 1982.





Former frontwoman for Electribe 101 Billie Ray Martin is now out on her own and in the top 10 but not for the first time as she appeared on backing vocals (and on TOTP) with S Express on “Hey Music Lover”. Her first solo single “Your Loving Arms” made No 38 last November but gets the obligatory remixes from the Grid which sees it re-enter at No 10 (22,000)



Increasing sales by 17% doesn’t help Livin’ Joy who still fall 1-2 (81,000) understandably given the huge intro sale from Robson & Jerome and that all leaves Perez “Prez” Prado & His Orchestra stranded At No 3 (63,000) with a 40% sales hike of their own. Even Scatman John sees his sales swell by 64% to 55,000 but can only move 6-4 on the process proving just how competitive the top 5 is at the moment.



Oasis drop 2-5 (48,000), Take That remain No 1 on the album front but drop 4-8 (30,000) on the singles survey, and Tina Arena continues her slow descent 7-9 (26,000)


1- UNCHAINED MELODY/ THE WHITE CLLIFFS OF DOVER- Robson & Jerome (314,000)
2- DREAMER- Livin Joy (81,000)
3- GUAGLIONE- Perez “Prez” Prado & His Orchestra (63,000)
4- SCATMAN- Scatman John (55,000)
5- SOME MIGHT SAY- Oasis (48,000)
6- WE’RE GONNA DO IT AGAIN- Manchester United Football Squad (41,000)
7- LOVE CITY GROOVE- Love City Groove (37,000)
8- BACK FOR GOOD- Take That (30,000)
9- CHAINS- Tina Arena (26,000)
10- YOUR LOVING ARMS- Billie Ray Martin (22,000)

Posted by: Gezza 11th November 2023, 01:16 PM

27TH MAY



Another week and another historic sale, after Robson & Jerome put in a performance which saw them sell 314,000 copies to open at the top most thought the only way was straight down at least sales wise but astonishingly the opposite has happened with “Unchained Melody/ White Cliffs Of Dover” improving by 46% percent to record a sale of 460,000 in a week, that is more than any song since the 80s started with the exception of Band Aid. It may be attracting more than its fair share of criticism from the muso’s but there is no disputing the song’s appeal with the general public! As Take That creep nearer to Celine Dion in the YTD list Robson & Jerome are already at No 3 on that list and at the current rate could speed past both of them to top the list of 1995 after just three weeks on release. In short 27% of all singles sold last week belonged to this pair.



The completion, such as it is, now comes from Perez “Prez” Prado & His Orchestra but “Guaglione” only increases its sales by 7% to 67,000 meaning that the difference between the top two is 393,000 the second largest gap after- you guessed it- Band Aid and Wham! Scatman John completes the top three inching 4-3 (64,000) and may be able to hit No 2 next week.

As an aside the entire top 3 are on the RCA label, only the second time in history that the three biggest sellers are all homed on one label, the last time was back in April 1965 when Decca held sway with The Rolling Stones, Unit 4 Plus 2, and Tom Jones occupying the top 3.



UB40 are currently having a break from touring which has given lead singer Ali Campbell some spare time, we last saw him as a feature on Pato Banton’s No 1 hit “Baby Come Back” last year and that has clearly given some courage to venture out on his own albeit temporarily. Album “Big Love” is out next month and the lead single “That Look In Your Eye” spirals up 15-5 (33,000) and features uncredited vocals from Pamela Sparks.





If it isn’t broke seems to be the mantra for The Nightcrawlers, their last hit made No 3 after being remixed by Marc Kinchin and he turns remixer again for “Surrender Your Love” which debuts at No 7 (28,000) at the first time of asking. For no good reason the track credits John Reid who is the sole man behind the outfit in reality.





“Think Twice” remains the best seller of 95 so far though as noted Take That and Robson & Jerome are closing fast, meanwhile Dion is onto the follow up and here we have “Only One Road”, another cut from “The Colour Of My Love” which celebrates 20 straight weeks in the top 10 this week. The single lifts 11-8 (25,000) to become Dion’s 4th top tenner but looks unlikely to be another No 1 for her.





When Bernard Butler left Suede a year ago few thought it would be a wise move but he’s teamed up with David McAlmont formerly of the Thieves to give us the magnificent “Yes” which bounds straight in at No 10 (23,000). Lyrically the song has been described as either an ode to moving on or a reflection of McAlmont’s treatment when younger for being a gay man, either way the song will feature on the duo’s future album.



Livin’ Joy fall 2-4 (61,000) as do Manchester United Football Club who lost 1-0 at the weekend to Everton in the FA cup final and now fall 6-9 (25,000) on the charts, Everton’s track actually falls 24-31 so is no better for the victory. Better news for Billie Ray Martin who climbs 10-6 (31,000).


1- UNCHAINED MELODY/ WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER- Robson & Jerome (460,000)
2- GUAGLIONE- Perez “Prez” Prado & His Orchestra (67,000)
3- SCATMAN- Scatman John (64,000)
4- DREAMER- Livin Joy (61,000)
5- THAT LOOK IN YOUR EYE- Ali Campbell (33,000)
6- YOUR LOVIN ARMS- Billie Ray Martin (31,000)
7- SURRENDER YOUR LOVE- The Nightcrawlers Featuring John Reid (28,000)
8- ONLY ONE ROAD- Celine Dion (25,000)
9- WE’RE GONNA DO IT AGAIN- Manchester United Football Squad (25,000)
10- YES- McAlmont & Butler (23,000)

Posted by: Colm 11th November 2023, 01:57 PM

QUOTE(Gezza @ Nov 11 2023, 01:16 PM)

Posted by: Bjork 11th November 2023, 01:58 PM

Oh my R&J nearly doing half a million

Your Loving Arms is the best in that top 10

Posted by: Gezza 11th November 2023, 02:41 PM

QUOTE(Bjork @ Nov 11 2023, 01:58 PM)

Posted by: Jester 11th November 2023, 04:42 PM

Surrender Your Love - what a great follow up and my favourite Nightcrawlers single.

Yes is of course superb.

Posted by: Colm 11th November 2023, 06:49 PM

Yes was very influencial on Everything Must Go. James loved the retro sound of it so he approached Mike Hedges (who produced Yes) to work on EMG.

Posted by: jimwatts 11th November 2023, 07:15 PM

'Yes' is fantastic, my favourite in that latter Top 10 with 'Dreamer' a close second. 'Your Loving Arms' is also great. However my favourite in the entire Top 40 that week is the new entry at #21

Posted by: TheSnake 11th November 2023, 08:18 PM

'Yes' I don't know very well but on listen there now I like it, its very 60s retro-soul sounding.

'Your Loving Arms' is a great track, continuing a great year for chart dance. It's a shame that the TOTP performance cut off the last bit of the song.

I didn't know Billie Ray Martin was famous before that song or that she sung on an S-Express track, never heard of Electribe 101 either.

'Surrender Your Love' I think I prefer to 'Push The Feeling On'.

Posted by: I am Kenough 11th November 2023, 11:18 PM

460k people longed to buy a Robson & Jerome dirge in just a single week.

Talk about depressing facts.

Posted by: steve201 11th November 2023, 11:39 PM

So much amazing music round at that time and yet R&J do those numbers - guess it just appeals to all the Karen’s on Facebook which I’ve learned a lot about on the BJ Big Bro thread this past month 😂

Posted by: Jester 12th November 2023, 10:57 AM

Robson and Jerome were awful - but I’m saving my wrath for next week

Posted by: Colm 12th November 2023, 11:38 AM

Different market buying R&J, most of whom don't normally buy singles.

Posted by: Jade 12th November 2023, 12:35 PM

Those Robson & Jerome sales are mind-boggling 🤯 their appeal is unsurprisingly lost on me

Like Bjork, my favourite new addition is 'Your Loving Arms' quite liked the Fred Again.. remake a fews years ago too before his commercial breakthrough

Posted by: dandy* 12th November 2023, 12:57 PM

Both Yes and Your Loving Arms entering on the same week

Two of my favourite songs from the 90s

Posted by: Jester 12th November 2023, 01:13 PM

Your Loving Arms is a dance classic

Posted by: steve201 12th November 2023, 01:18 PM

QUOTE(Jester @ Nov 12 2023, 10:57 AM)

Robson and Jerome were awful - but I’m saving my wrath for next week

Posted by: Gezza 12th November 2023, 01:30 PM

QUOTE(steve201 @ Nov 12 2023, 01:18 PM)

Posted by: Jester 12th November 2023, 02:59 PM

Were Robson and Jerome singing live on TOTP then? I’d heard that their singing was ‘enhanced’ in the studio.

Posted by: steve201 12th November 2023, 04:28 PM

QUOTE(Gezza @ Nov 12 2023, 01:30 PM)

Posted by: Bjork 13th November 2023, 09:09 AM

^Except Sinitta of course I'd save Ella Henderson too, I mean many artists got stuck with him but got away in the end

Posted by: steve201 14th November 2023, 03:01 PM

Sinitta was quality 😜

Posted by: Jester 14th November 2023, 05:59 PM

And she’s oddly enough now in the 1986 thread!

Posted by: mrpopquiz 16th November 2023, 08:24 PM

Confirmation that Simon Mayo gets paid £35 for a Top of the Pops repeat from 1995 !!

https://twitter.com/greatesthitsuk/status/1725180269567652202

Posted by: Jessie Where 16th November 2023, 08:52 PM

Gawd, R&J were like the precursor to Westlife

Thinking about it though, I'm amazed they didn't carry on for longer. Is it because they knew when to quit while they were ahead knowing the gimmick would wear thin?

Posted by: I am Kenough 17th November 2023, 12:17 AM

From what i've read they only went ahead in the first place because of Cowell's incessant pestering and refused to do a third album despite him chucking a load of money on the table because they were sick of the whole gimmick.

Posted by: Jessie Where 17th November 2023, 12:46 AM

I've just been reading up on this, it's actually quite a fascinating story!

Posted by: Gezza 18th November 2023, 12:58 PM

3RD JUNE



Spare a thought for Take That this week, they’ve been chasing Celine Dion’s “Think Twice” for the honour of best selling single of 1995 for the last few months and in moving 14-22 this week it finally passes Dion with sales of 928,000 to date. It isn’t the biggest seller of the year though because Robson & Jerome shifted another 320,000 this week to become the 1990s 5th million seller with a total of 1,094,000 in just 21 days. Nothing has sold this quickly since Band Aid.





Britpop is with us again in the form of Pulp, a band that have been going for over a decade without much to show for it, but 1994’s “His N Hers” proved their breakthrough garnering a top 20 single “Babies EP” and a nomination for the Mercury music prize where it came second to M people’s “Elegant Slumming” by one vote. Their new album is due in autumn and lead single “Common People” debuts at No 2 (75,000) to give them by far their biggest hit to date. Cocker’s musings on “class tourism” as he calls it have certainly been a hit with radio and TV where the promo for the song features the actress Sadie Frost (who is also still Mrs Gary Kemp despite separating officially).





“Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime” was a No 5 hit for The Korgis back in 1980 and 15 years later it is back at No 5 this time in a cover version by Baby D who have vamped up the track for the 90s adding the old title in parenthesis to give a new one in “I Need Your Loving (Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime)”. The song has also recently been covered by Yazz who took it to No 56 last year but the 41,000 that Bady D sold last week already eclipses Yazz’s total sales, this is the follow up to the chart topping “Let Me Be Your Fantasy” but No 1 may be beyond them this time.



Perez “Prez” Prado and Scatman John each move down a slot to accommodate Pulp’s arrival selling 58,000 and 57,000 respectively with Scatman again coming dangerously close to overtaking. Ali Campbell slips back 5-6 (37,000) with further fallers coming from Billie Ray Martin 6-9 (26,000) and Livin’ Joy 4-10 (25,000). The Nightcrawlers hold the ship steady at No 7 (30,000) and just fend off McAlmont & Butler who are up 10-8 (28,000).

Next week sees the arrival of THAT duet between the Jackson siblings- Tipped by almost everyone as a chart topper has it got what it takes to take Robson & Jerome down?- Expect a massive chart battle!


1- UNCHAINED MELODY/ WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER- Robson & Jerome (320,000)
2- COMMON PEOPLE- Pulp (75,000)
3- GUAGLIONE- Perez “Prez” Prado & His Orchestra (58,000)
4- SCATMAN- Scatman John (57,000)
5- (EVERYBODY’S GOTTA LEARN SOMETIME) I NEED YOUR LOVING- Baby D (41,000)
6- THAT LOOK IN YOUR EYE- Ali Campbell (37,000)
7- SURRENDER YOUR LOVE- The Nightcrawlers Featuring John Reid (30,000)
8- YES- McAlmont & Butler (28,000)
9- YOUR LOVING ARMS- Billie Ray Martin (26,000)
10- DREAMER- Livin Joy (25,000)

Posted by: dandy* 18th November 2023, 01:06 PM

I never knew how many copies Common People sold, kind of pleasing in a way to see that it wasn’t even vaguely close and that it wouldn’t have been guaranteed #1 in other weeks etc. I didn’t know the song before it charted so I was definitely a week 2 purchaser

Posted by: Gezza 18th November 2023, 01:16 PM

10TH JUNE



Well this week didn’t go to plan for sure, history would suggest that a new Michael Jackson single from a new album would effortlessly top the chart just like “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” and “Black Or White” did, but more on that in a bit. Instead we congratulate Robson & Jerome whose “Unchained Melody/ White Cliffs Of Dover” spends a fourth week at the top whilst it takes another 38% sales hit but still easily outpaced the rest of the field, a sale of 198,000 taking its total to 1,292,000 after a month on sale. It’s been, all in all, a great week for Stock & Aitken who not only produced R & J but also Nicki French’s “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” which this week’s makes the US top 3.





No 2 all week in the sales updates the new Michael Jackson single (it features on his forthcoming new/ GH set “HIStory”) is a duet with sister Janet and has certainly had enough promotion even though the video isn’t out yet- you can catch it for the first time on TOTP this week, but still a lot more was expected from “Scream”. In the end the song arrives at No 3 (65,000) being overcome by even Pulp (67,000) at the death. The song is being seen as a test of faith by Sony to see how the allegations (now settled) have affected the Jackson brand, the outcome can’t be judged an overall success if this doesn’t improve. Incidentally the video is rumoured to be the most expensive in history if you believe the hype costing a cool $7 million, eclipsing his previous effort with “Black Or White” in 1991 ($4 million) and Madonna’s “Express Yourself ($5 million) as the previous holder of the title. For now it becomes Michael’s 31st and Janet’s 8th UK top 10 single.





Bon Jovi, like Janet Jackson, are an act who you assume have accumulated more top 10 singles than they have, indeed both acts score their 8th top tenner this week. For Bon Jovi “This Ain’t A Love Song” will serve as their introduction to their 6th album “These Days” out in three weeks, the song debuts at No 7 (36,000)- their 5th hit to arrive in the top flight on the trot.





Once the talk of the critic’s, drugs got in the way of the Happy Mondays which resulted in the disintegration of the group in 1993 whereupon Sean Ryder and Bez formed Black Grape. After recruiting some new rappers we finally get the first fruits of the group with the single “Reverend Black Grape” which is basically being sold off the back of Sean Ryder’s name and image and it’s certainly worked with the single flying in at No 9 (27,000)- album next month!



Baby D lurch 5-4 (47,000) swapping places with Scatman John (44,000) but both care now above Perez “Prez” Prado who sinks 3-6 (42,000). Billie Ray Martin slips 9-10 (21,000) and Ali Campbell is down 6-8 (30,000) but has his album “Big Love” to take care of this week.

This week sees the release of the new “Batman” soundtrack single from U2 which is being tipped as the next number one- surely R & J can’t hold out again?


1- UNCHAINED MELODY/ WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER- Robson & Jerome (198,000)
2- COMMON PEOPLE- Pulp (67,000)
3- SCREAM- Michael & Janet Jackson (65,000)
4- (EVERYBODY’S GOTTA LEARN SOMETIME) I NEED YOUR LOVING- Baby D (47,000)
5- SCATMAN- Scatman John (44,000)
6- GUAGLIONE- Perez “Prez” Prado & His Orchestra (42,000)
7- THIS AIN’T A LOVE SONG- Bon Jovi (36,000)
8- THAT LOOK IN YOUR EYE- Ali Campbell (30,000)
9- REVEREND BLACK GRAPE- Black Grape (27,000)
10- YOUR LOVING ARMS- Billie Ray Martin (21,000)

Posted by: steve201 18th November 2023, 11:10 PM

Common People the defining track of the decade?

Posted by: Jester 20th November 2023, 06:36 PM

Selected tracks outside the Top 10 TOTP 3rd & 10th June 1995


Reef - Naked
Chart entry this week: 11
Peak: 11



TOTP debut and their second top 40 hit. Not the most well known of their hits, but I do love a bit of Reef.



Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees
Chart entry this week: 22
Peak: 20



Stunning second single from The Bends. Although 'live' by satellite, this was oddly mimed?!



Dodgy - Staying Out For The Summer '95
Chart entry this week: 19
Peak: 19



Another hit on reissue, this is a joyous summer romp. Defiantly not dodgy!

Posted by: Jester 20th November 2023, 06:45 PM

So, Common People is my favourite song of all time and I think the most enduring and iconic song of the 1990s.

Beaten by Robson and Jerome is a musical travesty, an example of the a song of the moment being eclipsed by a song of our time! Sigh. I am just about over it. What superb TOTP performances by Pulp though - we are now at the point that I remember watching these the first time round

These songs from the 3rd June chart are all superb:

2- COMMON PEOPLE- Pulp (75,000)
5- (EVERYBODY’S GOTTA LEARN SOMETIME) I NEED YOUR LOVING- Baby D (41,000)
7- SURRENDER YOUR LOVE- The Nightcrawlers Featuring John Reid (30,000)
8- YES- McAlmont & Butler (28,000)
9- YOUR LOVING ARMS- Billie Ray Martin (26,000)
10- DREAMER- Livin Joy (25,000)

You don't get many top 10s that good!

As an aside, I loved the fist TOTP album, one of my favourite compilations ever (I have even made a version of it on Spotify).


For the 10th June chart, really like Scream, one of the best MJ songs post the Bad era. I have quite the soft spot for Black Grape as well.

Posted by: dandy* 20th November 2023, 06:56 PM

Oh yes Black Grape is great, I think their album is the best thing Shawn Ryder ever worked on

Posted by: steve201 20th November 2023, 08:41 PM

I didn’t realise Shaun Ryder and Bez even had another band - another reason to love these repeats and threads!

Posted by: Popchartfreak 21st November 2023, 09:48 AM

ah if only Yes had been the one selling in bucketloads, with Common People at 2. Class....

Posted by: Bjork 23rd November 2023, 08:21 AM

never got the appeal of Shaun Ryder, not a fan of Happy Mondays or Black Grape :/

Common People is sure the best #2 of the 90s and should have been a #1

also big shoutout to Fake Plastic Trees, how could this only be a minor hit while R&J were selling thousands at #1:/

Posted by: Gezza 25th November 2023, 09:07 PM

17TH JUNE



So U2 go the way of Pulp, Michael & Janet Jackson, and Perez Prado and fail to unseat Robson & Jerome despite leading midweek and a TOTP premiere of their video. The “Soldier Soldier” boys put in another sterling performance which saw sales of 145,000 copies meaning that “Unchained Melody” now flies past both “Think Twice” and “I Will Always Love You” to rank as the 3rd biggest selling single of the 90s behind Bryan Adams and Wet wet wet despite only being in the charts for 5 weeks!





In the end U2 debut at No 2 (120,000) with their single “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” which can be found on the new “Batman Forever” film which you have to wait a month for. It is U2’s 15th top 10 single and only 1991’s instant No 1 “The Fly” has ever debuted higher for them. Bono was originally interested in having a cameo in the film but when it failed to happen the band offered this song (originally written for the “Zooropa” album) for the soundtrack, with Nellee Hooper on production and Kevin Godley making the promo the group have pulled out all the stops. At the very least it equals the peak of Prince’s “Batdance” which was the franchise’s biggest hit until now, for U2 it is not only their fastest seller but also the biggest weekly sale ever for the Irish supergroup.





Whigfield’s back! After the million selling “Saturday Night” and the sound-a-like “Another Night” we’ve had a small break from the Danish songstress but “Think Of You” at least deviates from the formula slightly and she gets rewarded with a climber 12-7 (32,000). It’s already been a hit over Europe and proves she might have distance in her career after all.





Somebody somewhere is looking through a list of minor top 40 hits over the last 2 years and re-issuing most of them it appears. The trend of 1995 continues with the track which climbs 14-10 (24,000) for Jam & Spoon who are a German dance duo who have some help on vocals from Plavka who herself was last heard on Shamen’s “Hyperreal”. “Right In The Night (Fall In Love With Music)” was first released in 1993 when it flopped but after a remix and a new video it become a major Euro hit and we deigned to make it No 31 in February 1994. It now gets a third bash at the charts and finally gives the duo a hit.



Pulp drop 2-3 (48,000) keeping Baby D stranded at No 4 (41,000). Michael & Janet Jackson drop 3-5 (40,000) which is where “Scream” debuts at in the US chart. The video has been held back and will now be shown in full on TOTP this week which could be quite fortuitous as sales of unchained Melody” drop! Jackson’s “HIStory” is out now so that may hamper any good the video will do. Bon jovi can only limp 7-6 (36,000), but heading south are Scatman John 5-8 (29,000) and Perez “Prez” Prado mambo 6-9 (26,000).


1- UNCHAINED MELODY/ WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER- Robson & Jerome (145,000)
2- HOLD ME, THRILL ME, KISS ME, KILL ME- U2 (120,000)
3- COMMON PEOPLE- Pulp (48,000)
4- (EVERYBODY’S GOTTA LEARN SOMETIME) I NEED YOUR LOVING- Baby D (41,000)
5- SCREAM- Michael & Janet Jackson (40,000)
6- THIS AIN’T A LOVE SONG- Bon Jovi (36,000)
7- THINK OF YOU- Whigfield (32,000)
8- SCATMAN- Scatman John (29,000)
9- GUAGLIONE- Perez “Prez” Prado & His Orchestra (26,000)
10- RIGHT IN THE NIGHT- Jam & Spoon (24,000)

Posted by: Jester 25th November 2023, 09:15 PM

Right In The Night is superb, good to see it finally getting into the top 10.

Also a big fan of the U2 song, my favourite of theirs post Joshua Tree.

Posted by: Jade 25th November 2023, 09:22 PM

'Common People' is of course nothing short of brilliant I hadn't come across the TOTP performance until last week's airing and now I somehow love it even more.

Agreed that the U2 song is a good'un too. Outside the top 10 - you can't go wrong with Radiohead either, a flawless vocal from Thom on TOTP as ever

Posted by: Gezza 25th November 2023, 09:24 PM

24TH JUNE



It’s topped the charts longer than any other version of the song, yes “Unchained Melody” remains at No 1 for a sixth week! Though it seems unmovable the song’s sales drop now to just 90,000 making it very vulnerable indeed however with a tally of 1,527,000 it has made its money and is now the 2nd biggest seller of the 90s. It has, apparently, convinced RCA that an album is now necessary- you lucky lot.





The Outhere Brothers return with more of the same that made “Don’t Stop” the massive No 1 it was- namely available in a clean radio version and a rather more explicit rude version nestled away on the CD. The single powers 15-5 (30,000) proving that they have an audience but they don’t seem to be able to sell albums, their LP “1 Polish, 2 Biscuits, & A Fish Sandwich” only made the charts for 2 weeks peaking at No 69 (appropriately enough) and contains mostly lyrics that make “Relax” (banned in 1984) look like a nursery rhyme. Anyway for now the kids are loving it.






Wet wet wet continue to be rejuvenated by the success of “Love Is All Around” with a third single to be lifted from the No 1 album “Picture This” and a third top 10 hit in the bag from it. “Don’t Want To Forgive Me Now” lifts 11-7 (26,000) and helps the album retain its top 10 position where it’s been for the last 10 weeks since release!





Originally pencilled in as their second release from “Bizarre Fruit” but overlooked for “Open Your Heart”, “Search For The Hero” finally becomes an M-People single and hit at No 9 (23,000). The group are currently on a world tour which hit the UK this week and now have an 8th top 10 single to perform on it.





And the obligatory re-issue story for this week is Edwyn Collins former vocalist with 80s band Orange Juice who made No 8 in 1983 with “Rip It Up”. He’s onto album number 3 of his solo career and “A Girl Like You” was given a release here last November when it narrowly missed out at No 42 as lead track on the “Expressly EP”. It since went on to become a big European hit and that meant a second bash here, lucky thing too as it advances 13-10 (21,000).



U2 hold at No 2 (76,000) but are selling more than double Baby D who may rise 4-3 (36,000) but are far away from toppling either track. Michael Jackson’s “HIStory” was only released on Friday but sold over 100,000 to debut at No 1 (plus a price tag of around £22 to boot) and we got a full screening of the video on TOTP despite the song moving down last week plus a giant statue of himself floated down the river Thames but the single “Scream” merely bounces 5-4 (35,000) for him and Janet and won’t now reach the top position. A David Morales remix also debuts at No 43 and cost it a top 3 place- probably.

Pulp drop 3-6 (28,000) and Whigfield retracts 7-8 (26,000).


1- UNCHAINED MELODY/ WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER- Robson & Jerome (90,000)
2- HOLD ME, THRILL ME, KISS ME, KILL ME- U2 (76,000)
3- (EVERYBODY’S GOTTA LEARN SOMETIME) I NEED YOUR LOVING- Baby D (36,000)
4- SCREAM- Michael & Janet Jackson (35,000)
5- BOOM BOOM BOOM- Outhere Brothers (30,000)
6- COMMON PEOPLE- Pulp (28,000)
7- DON’T WANT TO FORGIVE ME- Wet, wet, wet (26,000)
8- THINK OF YOU- Whigfield (26,000)
9- SEARCH FOR A HERO- M People (23,000)
10- A GIRL LIKE YOU- Edwyn Collins (21,000)

Posted by: gooddelta 25th November 2023, 09:46 PM

The U2 song is great, needless to say that and Common People should have been No.1s over the dreadful Unchained Melody and its even worse double a-side that we also keep being subjected to on TOTP.

Love the Whigfield song, glad it gave her a decent sized hit.

Weird that such a clearly huge and catchy track in Boom Boom Boom only debuted at No.15 to follow up a No.1 single. It just sounds like such a big and instant song to my ears that I can't believe it didn't open in the top five at worst.

Posted by: TheSnake 25th November 2023, 10:25 PM

The 'Right In The Night' vocalist Plavka reminds me a lot of Madonna. The song is perhaps the first vocal trance hit and brilliant.

'Search For The Hero' I remember a lot from the time.

'Boom Boom Boom' has good production if nothing else.

Never knew Edwyn Collins is the singer for Orange Juice 'Rip It Up', that is a more mellow style of indie track than AGLY, which is a good and well known song!

'Don’t Want To Forgive Me Now' is one of the Wet's better 90s songs, it reminds me of Elvis Costello.

Posted by: Gezza 25th November 2023, 10:32 PM

QUOTE(TheSnake @ Nov 25 2023, 10:25 PM)

Posted by: Bjork 26th November 2023, 10:22 AM

amazed you guys like the U2 song so much, one of their worst for me but I barely like anything they did post 1991, but kudos to them for selling 120K in week 1

lots of meh newbies but at least we got a little gem with A Girl Like You, that's a great great track

Posted by: dandy* 26th November 2023, 10:39 AM

I love Right in the Night, but Find Me (Odyssey to Anyoona) was even better

I’m another that likes the U2 song, it was very well suited to a Batman movie

Posted by: steve201 26th November 2023, 08:38 PM

The U2 song is a classic for me and sounds great in the movie.

A Girl Like You is an absolute classic as well!

Posted by: Jester 26th November 2023, 08:44 PM

A Girl Like You is superb! Only the second CD single I bought in 1995 at the time

Posted by: Jessie Where 26th November 2023, 09:04 PM

I regularly listen to 'A Girl Like You', love it so much!

Posted by: Colm 26th November 2023, 09:34 PM

1990s U2 was mostly great and this single is no exception.

I definitely hear more Madonna in Plavka than Kim Wild.

I got very bored of A Girl Like You.

Posted by: Dasher 2nd December 2023, 07:45 PM

1ST JULY



Seven weeks later and still Robson & Jerome prove too popular at the top for any competition though its sales are now weak and it becomes more a default chart topper this week with 73,000 being sold which of course means it hits the 1.6 million mark in total- and STILL No 1!



Outhere Brothers are now the main challengers as they rise 5-2 (51,000) with a real possibility of toppling R & J next week, as for U2 they fall 2-3 (46,000), the film “Batman Forever” isn’t out for 3 weeks yet which may be too late to save the single.



A 1993 US #2 hit for Tag Team, “Whoomp! (There It Is)” flopped here on first release eventually making No 34 on a re-issue in early 1994 meaning its relatively unknown track here and ripe for a cover. Right on cue here come Clock with a version which is follow up to their first top 10 hit, itself a cover of the Harold Faltermeyer track “Axel F”, their new single is the highest new entry of the week at No 4 (39,000).





Since the death last year of Kurt Cobain all eyes have been on what Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl would do next, we have an answer for the latter whose new band Foo Fighters take their name from the UFO/ unexplained aerial objects witnessed by WWII pilots and given the collected terms “Foo Fighters”.

Their first regular single “This Is A Call” has met with critical acclaim and it seems the public has been eager as well sending it straight in at No 5 (38,000)- the album is out this week!





Here’s a story at No 9 (24,000) for Jamiroquai’s new single “Stillness In Time”. The release schedule from their second album “Return Of The Space Cowboy” has been the inversion of the normal rule of diminishing returns with previous singles peaking at No 17, and No 15 and now this single. At a stroke the single becomes their biggest hit in the main not due to the title track, which is what makes it interesting, but because on the CD version you’ll find the Morales remix of their previous single “Space Cowboy” which has previously been available on US import but has been a much sought after dancefloor favourite in the intervening period and thereby generated significant demand.



Baby D drop 3-6 (31,000) and Michael & Janet Jackson fall 4-8 (30,000) as Jackson is also toppled from the album chart top spot by Bon Jovi. Edwyn Collins completes our recap holding at No 10 (24,000). Whigfield bucks the trend by boomeranging 8-7 (30,000) which is probably due to the fact that adverts for her album are promoting the song whilst not overly convincing people to buy the LP which debuts at No 13 anyway.


1- UNCHAINED MELODY/ WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER- Robson & Jerome (73,000)
2- BOOM BOOM BOOM- Outhere Brothers (51,000)
3- HOLD ME, THRILL ME, KISS ME, KILL ME- U2 (46,000)
4- WHOOMPH! THERE IT IS- Clock (39,000)
5- THIS IS A CALL- Foo Fighters (38,000)
6- (EVERYBODY’S GOTTA LEARN SOMETIME) I NEED YOUR LOVING- Baby D (31,000)
7- THINK OF YOU- Whigfield (30,000)
8- SCREAM- Michael & Janet Jackson (30,000)
9- STILLNESS IN TIME- Jamiroquai (24,000)
10- A GIRL LIKE YOU- Edwyn Collins (24,000)

Posted by: TheSnake 2nd December 2023, 07:52 PM

The Clock cover of 'Whoomph There It Is' is a bop! The female singer, Tinka didn't have any singing to do for their first two top 10 hits ('Axel F' was instrumental)!

Didn't know the Foo Fighters started this early!

Posted by: dandy* 2nd December 2023, 07:53 PM

I always thought it was weird that Stillness in Time broke the top 10 - but that makes much more sense with that explanation that the Morales Mix of Space Cowboy was on it. Although tbh Stillness in Time is probably my favourite single from the second album, but couldn't imagine 24,000 people buying it.

Interesting that they never really had a big single before 1996.

Posted by: Dasher 2nd December 2023, 08:23 PM

8TH JULY



The Year reaches its half way point and we get a new No 1 to talk about! Confounding the critics Outhere Brothers “Boom Boom Boom” becomes the US duo’s second chart topper of the year. You might think that am album that now features two No 1 singles might be selling but the Outhere Brothers LP merely moves 60-56 which is in itself a new peak for the long player. Perhaps conversely its failure helps to account for the success of the single by not draining sales, in any event 62,000 copies changed hands last week, well down on the 86,000 that previous single “Don’t Stop” had to sell to grab a week at the top back in April. They are the first act since New Kids On The Block to hit No 1 with their first two releases!



So it’s goodbye to Robson & Jerome who call time after seven weeks at No 1 and sink a spot to No 2 (55,000), it will surprise no-one that they are the biggest seller of the year but let’s have an official recap whilst we’re here:

1- UNCHAINED MELODY/ WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER- Robson & Jerome 1,655,000
2- BACK FOR GOOD- Take That 959,000
3- THINK TWICE- Celine Dion 927,000
4- DON’T STOP (WIGGLE WIGGLE)- The Outhere Brothers 617,000
5- COTTON EYE JOE- Rednex 512,000
6- SET YOU FREE- N-Trance 502,000
7- GUAGLIONE- Perez “Prez” Prado & His Orchestra 423,000
8- TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME- Bobby Brown 412,000
9- HERE COMES THE HOTSTEPPER- Ini Kamoze 406,000
10- DON’T GIVE ME YOUR LIFE- Alex Party 394,000

R & J are now, roughly, about 130,000 behind Wet wet wet and should overtake them in a few weeks to become the biggest selling single of the 90s.

The chart continues to move at an increasingly frantic pace and the first time ever we have 5 new entries in the top 10!



Leading the charge are first time collaborators EMF and Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer with a cover of “I’m A Believer”, a No 1 in 1967 for The Monkees. It’s the first top 10 single for both acts since 1991 and a third overall f or both acts, and in a neat bit of symmetry, it debuts at No 3 (53,000) and was only marginally behind Outhere Brothers as the week started.





Touted as one of the blockbusters of the summer “Bad Boys” starring Will Smith is in cinema’s in a fortnight’s time and culled from the soundtrack is “Shy Guy” by Diana King which debuts at No 4 (46,000).





D:Ream return to the charts with a new album (due in the autumn) and a new single “Shoot Me With Your Love” which is new at No 7 (34,000) giving them a third top tenner, it is worth noting that the “band” is now more of less Peter Cunnah with session musicians proving help including Jools Holland on piano on this track.





The Bobby Brown revival continues as he resurrects another modest hit single with a K Klass remix, this time “Humpin’ Around” gets the treatment. The single originally made No 19 in 1992 but now crashes in at No 8 (29,000), his 5th top 10 single.





Sneaking in at No 10 (23,000) is Shaggy Featuring Rayvon and a cover of the Mungo Jerry Classic “In The Summertime” which was co-incidentally No 1 this very week 25 years ago. It had looked like Shaggy’s career was dead in the water after he followed up the chart topping “Oh Carolina” with “Soon Be Done” and peaked at No 46 then nothing for 2 years. His second album is due however and it seems as though he has defied the odds.



With all the new entries there’s no room for Clock who improve their sales to 42,000 but drop 4-5, U2 fall 3-6 (35,000) but Edwyn Collins continues to post sales increases week to week and finally gets his reward floating 10-9 (28,000).


1- BOOM BOOM BOOM- Outhere Brothers (62,000)
2- UNCHAINED MELODY/ WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER- Robson & Jerome (55,000)
3- I’M A BELIEVER- EMF with Reeves & Mortimer (53,000)
4- SHY GUY- Diana King (46,000)
5- WHOOMPH (THERE IT IS)- Clock (42,000)
6- HOLD ME, THRILL ME, KISS ME, KILL ME- U2 (35,000)
7- SHOOT ME WITH YOUR LOVE- D:Ream (34,000)
8- HUMPIN AROUND- Bobby Brown (29,000)
9- A GIRL LIKE YOU- Edwyn Collins (28,000)
10- IN THE SUMMERTIME- Shaggy Ft Reyvon (23,000)

Posted by: TheSnake 2nd December 2023, 08:47 PM

Boom Boom Boom using that Reel 2 Reel style production!

That D:Ream song has a chorus melody that might have caught the ear of Robbie Williams!

At #16 at this time and hanging around for a while there was a crazy eurodance cover of The Cranberries' Zombie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BFLY6pTLCQ&t

And at #20 Haddaway's last top 20 hit to date Fly Away https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6ffDoCQPkc

Posted by: Jester 2nd December 2023, 08:53 PM

I agree about Shoot Me With Your Love sounding like a certain Robbie top 3 hit. Oddly never noticed it before!

Shy Guy was quite the sleeper hit. Not sure if I like it? Hmmm.

Posted by: dandy* 2nd December 2023, 11:24 PM

I'm still a fan of Shy Guy, loved it at the time and still think it is super catchy. It also felt quite different at the time, we hadn't had too many dancehall style hits (well not whilst I was following the charts anyway!)... EMF with R&M was kinda fun, it's difficult not to make I'm a Believer fun though.

Don't like any of the other new ones. I think I actually bought that Shaggy song and I have no idea why as I don't recall enjoying it at the time either.

Posted by: steve201 3rd December 2023, 08:19 AM

Haven’t heard the Clocks song before - is quite ‘late 90s’ the says it’s performed and production wise.

Always thought ‘Monkey Wrench’ was the Foos opening but although was always aware they were around as early as 95 which I was always impressed by this considering R1 still support them!

Posted by: Michael Bubré 3rd December 2023, 01:29 PM

I don't think the singles off Foo Fighters' album this year got Radio 1 support.

Wasn't Foo Fighters technically a solo act (i.e. just Dave Grohl) for their first album?

Posted by: TheSnake 3rd December 2023, 04:18 PM

QUOTE(steve201 @ Dec 3 2023, 08:19 AM)

Posted by: Bjork 4th December 2023, 10:40 AM

yes the first Foo Fighters era was basically him solo, he wrote the songs alone, coproduced, played most instruments, only had some guys for touring, which he fired afterwards I think. Taylor only joined during album 2 or 3 I think.

The first single was a bit meh, but single #2 I'll Stick Around was great and single #4 Big Me was even better. Not bad for someone always overshadowed by Kurt Cobain.

Posted by: Dasher 9th December 2023, 02:52 PM

15TH JULY



The Outhere Brothers continue at the top which means that they managed one week more at No 1 than they managed with debut hit “Don’t Stop”, they are the 16th act to make the top with their first two singles. The parent album refuses to start selling dropping 56-70 this week.





Highest new entry of the week comes from the ever improving Supergrass who continue to ride the Britpop wave to score their biggest hit with “Alright/ Time” at No 2 (56,000). “Alright” is the side that is getting all the airplay and promotion but both songs are available on the album “I Should Coco” which was released in May and made No 3 it improves this week 11-7 though and may yet peak anew. Its arrival means that Diana King can only inch 4-3 (54,000).





MN8 are onto single 3 and “Happy” is a cover of a surface 1987 No 56 hit which is now a top 10 hit as it grabs the No 8 spot (28,000). It will have to improve if the group are going to challenge the likes of Boyzone and East 17 as the chart peaks are becoming an example of diminishing returns.



Robson & Jerome fall 2-4 (44,000) whilst EMF & Reeves/ Mortimer tumble 3-5 (39,000).

The bottom half of the upper rung has mixed fortunes, shaggy Featuring Reyvon float 10-7 (31,000) and Edwyn Collins holds at No 9 (27,000) but Clock drift south 5-6 (35,000) and U2 collapse 6-10 (25,000).


1- BOOM BOOM BOOM- Outhere Brothers (74,000)
2- ALRIGHT/ TIME- Supergrass (56,000)
3- SHY GUY- Diana King (54,000)
4- UNCHAINED MELODY/ WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER- Robson & Jerome (44,000)
5- I’M A BELIEVER- EMF with Reeves & Mortimer (39.000)
6- WHOOMPH! (THERE IT IS)- Clock (35,000)
7- IN THE SUMMERTIME- Shaggy Ft Reyvon (31,000)
8- HAPPY- MN8 (28.000)
9- A GIRL LIKE YOU- Edwyn Collins (27,000)
10- HOLD ME, THRILL ME, KISS ME, KILL ME- U2 (25,000)

Posted by: Dasher 9th December 2023, 03:08 PM

22ND JULY



A calm descends over the top 3 as everything remains static which means week 3 at the top for Outhere Brothers but their sales increase is just 5% to 77,000 and total sales are now 300,000 almost half the total of their first hit.



Consumers clearly are convinced enough by the Supergrass single to invest in the album which rockets 7-2 to reach a new peak, sadly though the single suffers slightly, sales up only 15% to 64,000, Diana King also improves in third place by 12% to 60,000.

The rest of the top 5 are climbers, Edwyn Collins’ album is new at No 8 but the single is unaffected powering 9-4 (40,000) after some good promo slots last week and is already No 1 on airplay. One place below Shaggy Featuring Reyvon move 7-5 (38,000).



Batman Forever” finally opened last weekend and the two current singles plucked from its soundtrack reap the rewards, U2 boomerang 10-6 (33,000) whilst Seal improves 14-8 (27,000). Seal’s track “Kiss From A Rose/ I’m Alive” was originally released (well “Kiss” at least) as a single last year when it only made No 20, and much like the Supergrass double AA side it’s really only one single that is getting the attention and that’s “Kiss From A Rose”, though “I’m Alive” does have an Adamski remix to it. It’s seal’s 3rd top 10 single but first in 4 years.






Paul Weller is another act who is going through a resurgence at present no doubt as one of the quoted “inspirations” for the current Britpop movement. His last single “The Changingman” was his first solo top 10 hit and was followed by the instant No 1 album “Stanley Road”, now second single “You Do Something To Me” arrives at No 9 (24,000).





Slipping in 19-10 (21,000) is Dana Dawson who has been a chart star in France since the late 80s but has signed a new deal and relocated to the UK to break the international market with almost immediate success with “3 Is Family”.



Robson & Jerome drop 4-7 (29,000) but have sold over 1.7 million before they leave and should be the best seller of the decade within weeks.


1- BOOM BOOM BOOM- Outhere Brothers (77,000)
2- ALRIGHT/ TIME- Supergrass (64,000)
3- SHY GUY- Diana King (60,000)
4- A GIRL LIKE YOU- Edwyn Collins (40,000)
5- IN THE SUMMERTIME- Shaggy Ft Reyvon (38,000)
6- HOLD ME, THRILL ME, KISS ME, KILL ME- U2 (33,000)
7- UNCHAINED MELODY/ WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER- Robson & Jerome (29,000)
8- KISS FROM A ROSE/ I’M ALIVE- Seal (27,000)
9- YOU DO SOMETHING TO ME- Paul Weller (24,000)
10- 3 IS FAMILY- Dana Dawson (21,000)

Posted by: gooddelta 9th December 2023, 03:22 PM

Still not out of the era of many singles climbing to their peak here. I guess it took some time to switch fully over to 'debut at peak then drop' mode, despite there being more songs entering at No.1/2 etc too at this point.

Posted by: TheSnake 9th December 2023, 04:44 PM

Kiss From A Rose is great with its baroque style instrumentation.

You Do Something To Me is very good too.

Posted by: Jester 9th December 2023, 06:25 PM

Alright is easily one of the best songs of the 90s. Such a Britpop moment!

Still love Kiss From A Rose

You Do Something To Me is by far my favourite Paul Weller song.

Also lovely to see Edwyn Collins peaking in the top 5.

Posted by: TheSnake 9th December 2023, 06:33 PM

'Alright' is very good. I remember it a lot from my childhood, more than other mid 90s Britpop songs!

Posted by: dandy* 9th December 2023, 06:57 PM

Kiss From a Rose is glorious, absolutely beautiful song. The album it's from is pretty decent too, loved how Seal came back with a different sound from his debut album.

Agree with many of the above comments that You Do Something To Me is Paul Weller at his best, definitely up there with Wild Wood at his peak. I love Supergrass but neither of the songs on that AA really do it for me. Time is very average, Alright is fun but I've always found it quite throwaway and not up to the standard of the singles before it - as a band they got better over their next couple of albums for me. Not a fan at all of either Dana Dawson or MN8.

Posted by: Jester 9th December 2023, 07:39 PM

Selected tracks outside the Top 10 TOTP 15th July 1995


Cast - Fine Time
Chart entry this week: 17
Peak: 17



The debut hit for Liverpudlians Cast. I forgot they first released in 1995, they scream 1996 to me! The lead singer was in the band The La’s and he named Cast after the last word on the La’s album.



Jinny - Keep Warm
Chart entry this week: 11
Peak: 11



A nice little slice of 1995 dance here. The woman 'singer' on TOTP was not the actual Jinny!

Posted by: Christmasteve201 9th December 2023, 08:17 PM

How on Earth did it take a re release for people to realise the beauty of ‘Kiss From A Rose’?

Posted by: Christmasteve201 9th December 2023, 08:18 PM

QUOTE(gooddelta @ Dec 9 2023, 03:22 PM)

Posted by: Jester 9th December 2023, 08:22 PM

QUOTE(Christmasteve201 @ Dec 9 2023, 08:17 PM)

Posted by: TheSnake 9th December 2023, 08:50 PM

Keep Warm is very good, another of the piano house gems of the 1995 chart.

Except it was originally from 1991 (only a #68 hit back then though so well worth being rereleased). Not sure why there were quite a few dance rereleases of 1991-2 tracks that were already top 20 hits back then (At around this time in the 1995 chart Sweet Harmony by Liquid was at #14 and Is There Anybody Out There by Bassheads at #24)

Posted by: Bjork 10th December 2023, 07:04 AM

Oh my had never heard Shoot me with your love but Robbie's Let me entertain you is 100% a copycat of that, did they sue?

Some great tracks, fav by far is You Do Something To Me, Stanley Road is a great album, Weller at his best

Supergrass I don't mind, but never liked them enough to buy an album from them

Kiss from a Rose, almost too-sugary, don't love it that much

Posted by: TheSnake 10th December 2023, 10:27 PM

Also at this time the first release of La Bouche - Be My Lover only made #27 in the UK.

Posted by: mrpopquiz 12th December 2023, 01:36 AM

On your summary of the 15th July, you say that Happy by MN8 is a cover of a song by Surface from 1987.

The song was first recorded in 1984 as You Make Me Happy by Hi - Tension.

Posted by: mrpopquiz 12th December 2023, 01:42 AM

This Friday we will have the last 1995 double bill for at least 5 weeks.


We have Christmas and New Year - then on the 5th January BBC4 will be celebrating 60 years of Top of the Pops with an evening of 1970s shows - on tne 12th January we will have an evening of 1980 shows with The Story of 1980 and the Big Hits Compilations from 1980 / 81/82/83/84


So 1995 will not return until at least the 19th January

Posted by: Dasher 16th December 2023, 03:32 PM

29TH JULY



The biggest pop news of the week was of course the news that Robbie Williams had left Take That, “Nobody Else” lifts 23-11 as a response coupled with the growing airplay for their new single “Never Forget” which is out this week.

The song it will have to depose is The Outhere Brothers “Boom Boom Boom” which completes a month at the top but it is a sitting duck already with sales off 15% at 65,000. Although the top 3 are the same again as last week there is some movement, Diana King rises 3-2 (56,000) and Supergrass fall 2-3 (50,000) but all three are losing ground at retail, in Supergrass’s case the explanation is simple as the album “I Should Coco” finally tops the charts.



“Batman Returns” dominates the top 5 otherwise with U2 climbing 6-4 (36,000) and Seal up 8-5 (34,000)- could the soundtrack yet produce a No 1 single?



Corona’s third single is their third top 10 hit- an enviable strike rate! “Try Me Out” is a cover of a single by Lee Marrow Featuring Charme which itself borrows a chord progression if not some lyrics from Teen Dream’s 1987 single “Toy”. The single improves 14-8 (26,000).





Mary J Blige’s last single “I’m Goin’ Down” proved her breakthrough making No 12 but she is back with a bigger hit, a cover of the Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell 1968 #19 single which was of course written by Ashford & Simpson. The single features on Method Man’s debut album “Tical” and so is really a guest spot by Blige, he’s a rising rap star here though his only chart entry prior to this was back in April on the No 46 single “Release Yo’Delf”- needless to say he’s a bigger star in the US.



Dana Dawson climbs 10-9 (24,000) but on the way out are Shaggy Featuring Reyvon 5-6 (29,000), and Edwyn Collins 4-7 (28,000).

Surely next week is a forgone conclusion with a new Take That single out?


1- BOOM BOOM BOOM- Outhere Brothers (65,000)
2- SHY GUY- Diana King (56,000)
3- ALRIGHT/ TIME- Supergrass (50,000)
4- HOLD ME THRILL ME, KISS ME, KILL ME- U2 (36,000)
5- KISS FROM A ROSE/ I’M ALIVE- Seal (34,000)
6- IN THE SUMMERTIME- Shaggy Ft Reyvon (29,000)
7- A GIRL LIKE YOU- Edwyn Collins (28,000)
8- TRY ME OUT- Corona (26,000)
9- 3 IS A FAMILY- Dana Dawson (24,000)
10- I’LL BE THERE FOR YOU/ YOU’RE ALL I NEED TO GET BY- Mary J Blige (20,000)

Posted by: Dasher 16th December 2023, 03:47 PM

5TH AUGUST



It’s one of pops bittersweet moments. A much loved member of a boyband has left the group in the run up to the release of a new single and that the single begins with a sample of Verdi’s “Requiem” or mass for the dead- is it really the end? Only time will tell but if it is then Take That are going out on a high with “Never Forget” becoming their 7th No 1 from 8 releases with a sale of 115,000 copies more than the rest of the top 3 combined. A seventh chart topper lifts Take That to joint sixth place with Madonna in the all time list of acts with the most No 1’s- the five above them are Cliff Richard, ABBA, The Beatles, Elvis Presley and The Rolling Stones, all the more impressive is that they’ve done it in just 2 years.

If the single sounds like a slight departure from their normal fair and a tad “Dramatic” then that’s probably because a certain Jim Steinman has had a hand in the production which means it’s his first production credit since Meat Loaf in 1993 (which knocked off Take That's own "Relight My Fire" from the top). The track also continues to shift albums with the LP moving 11-7 this week.



Just as their last No 1 was deposed by Take That (“Don’t Stop” followed by “Back For Good”) so “Boom Boom Boom” makes way for “Never Forget” and the poor Outhere Brothers are shunted from the top again, a solid sale of 61,000 takes the total for their second single to 434,000 and should clear the half million mark in a few weeks. The last act to score two No 1 singles from their first two release and sell at least 500,000 of each was the mighty Frankie Goes To Hollywood.



Rapidly accruing the hits are Black Grape, debut album “It’s Great When You’re Straight….Yeah” is out in a fortnight and will now be home to 2 top 10 singles as “In The Name Of The Father” is new at No 8 (27,000). At a stroke it gives Ryder as many top ten singles as his previous outfit Happy Mondays managed to give him.



Good news week for Seal 5-4 (41,000), and Corona 8-6 (36,000) who are both heading up. Diana King dips 2-3 (53,000), Supergrass slide 3-5 (37,000) but are still No 1 on the album charts, U2 ease 4-7 (30,000), Shaggy Featuring Reyvon fall 6-9 (25,000) and Edwyn Collins is almost out 7-10 (22,000).

Next week it’s the battle of the boybands again- can Take That hold against Boyzone?


1- NEVER FORGET- Take That (115,000)
2- BOOM BOOM BOOM- Outhere Brothers (61,000)
3- SHY GUY- Diana King (53,000)
4- KISS FROM A ROSE/ I’M ALIVE- Seal (41,000)
5- ALRIGHT/ TIME- Supergrass (37,000)
6- TRY ME OUT- Corona (36,000)
7- HOLD ME, THRILL ME, KISS ME, KILL ME- U2 (30,000)
8- IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER- Black Grape (27,000)
9- IN THE SUMMERTIME- Shaggy Ft Reyvon (25,000)
10- A GIRL LIKE YOU- Edwyn Collins (22,000)

Posted by: Dasher 16th December 2023, 03:50 PM

And I think that's it for 1995 until Mid January- so merry Xmas all!

Posted by: Jester 16th December 2023, 04:20 PM

Thanks Gezza, Merry Christmas!

Posted by: Jester 16th December 2023, 05:06 PM

Selected tracks outside the Top 10 TOTP 29th July and 5th August 1995


The Lightning Seeds - Perfect
Chart entry this week: 18
Peak: 18



Another great song from the Lightning Seeds, though not as perfect as some of their songs!



Tricky vs The Gravediggaz - The Hell EP
Chart entry this week: 12
Peak: 12



Lead song is the wonderful Hell Is Around The Corner, which samples the same song as Portishead's Glory Box i.e. Ikes Rap II y Isaac Hayes. Brilliant slice of Trip Hop from the album Maxinquaye.

Posted by: jimwatts 16th December 2023, 06:29 PM

'Perfect' is my pick of the 4 Lightning Seeds singles in 1995, and it made my top 10 for the year at the time which may have been a first for a non-Top 10 hit. However my favourite song played on either episode now is that week's new entry at #13, R.E.M. - Tongue

Posted by: TheSnake 16th December 2023, 08:56 PM

'Try Me Out' is a very good dance track. I prefer it to their previous single 'Baby Baby'.

The Mary J Blige vocal in the Method Man track is very understated.

Posted by: Feliz Navidot 16th December 2023, 11:27 PM

I didn't know Peter Kay was in Black Grape.

LOVE Hell Is Round The Corner, shame that missed the top 10.

Posted by: Christmasteve201 17th December 2023, 12:32 AM

Love Never Forget, classic Take That!

Posted by: Bjork 18th December 2023, 09:45 AM

Hell around the Corner is incredible but always felt like Tricky was a bit of a copycat
his first hit Overcome is basically Massive Attack-Karmacoma and this one is Portishead-Glorybox, so... yeah very original
at least he had other great songs in the album like Pumpkin or Black Steel

and at least he's a million times better than that Corona thing, terrible to say the least

Posted by: dandy* 18th December 2023, 07:28 PM

Tricky was actually in Massive Attack though. I may be wrong but I always thought he left before the release of Protection but was part of the process of recording it - so in a way Karmacoma was as much his as the rest of the band.

Posted by: Jessie Where 19th December 2023, 11:04 PM

I either didn't know or forgot Robbie left Take That in the run-up to 'Never Forget's release!

Posted by: mrpopquiz 20th December 2023, 03:10 AM

We have had the provisional BBC4 schedule for the 19th January and they are still celebrating the 60th Birthday of Top of the Pops with an evening of shows from 1984 to 1988 so the 1995 shows will not resume until at least the 26th January but probably later.

Posted by: Bjork 21st December 2023, 06:39 AM

i know Tricky was part of Massive Attack but he was more of a side member than a core member
he has just 1/2 writing credits overall in songs with tons of people so don't think he was central in their songwriting

Posted by: mrpopquiz 12th January 2024, 04:20 PM

We have had the provisional schedule for the 2nd February and I can confirm 1995 will return on that day with a double bill from 7pm.

Posted by: Jester 12th January 2024, 04:42 PM

QUOTE(mrpopquiz @ Jan 12 2024, 04:20 PM)

Posted by: Steve201 12th January 2024, 09:57 PM

Really been enjoying the older episodes shown over Xmas during 70s night

Posted by: Jester 10th February 2024, 05:45 PM

Are you still doing these Gezza? (No pressure, just checking!)

Posted by: Gezza 10th February 2024, 06:14 PM

Yes will update tomorrow

Posted by: Jester 10th February 2024, 06:57 PM

Brilliant thanks

Posted by: Gezza 11th February 2024, 01:07 PM

12TH AUGUST



The predicted boyband battle didn’t quite happen with Take That easing to a second week at the top (86,000) thanks in part to the release of a second CD, that’s their 17th week in total as they pass Bryan Adams as the act with the most weeks at No 1 in the decade.





Outhere Brothers bravely cling to No 2 (47,000) managing to push the new Boyzone single to enter at No 3. “So Good” is an uptempo number breaking the mold of their previous hits, giving them all a songwriting credit, and dislodging Take That from the top in Ireland at least. It’s their third top 3 single and seems to suggest that they are now officially the second biggest boyband in the land and heir’s to the Take That crown.





Former Madness frontman Suggs is now out on his own and covering The Beatles “I’m Only Sleeping” along with new composition “Off On Holiday”. The Beatles track dates back to 1966 appearing on the “Revolver” album and it’s a brave choice to start your career (solo at least) with a Lennon/ McCartney composition. The single is produced by 80s popstars Sly & Robbie and enters at No 7 (31,000).





TLC first emerged in 1992 when their cover of “Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg” peaked at No 13 but it remained their biggest hit until “Waterfalls” that is, it ascends 13-9 (25,000) and is the current US chart topper. Thematically dealing with drugs and HIV/Aids it is rather a sobering tale but clearly it’s struck a chord with the public.





Remixed by Patrick Pins and now back in the top 10 for the second time in 3 years, Felix’s “Don’t You Want Me” debuts at No 10 (22,000) four places lower than the original peaked.



Diana King falls 3-5 (35,000) while Corona hold steady at No 6 (33,000) and Supergrass trip 5-8 (29,000).

1- NEVER FORGET- Take That (86,000)
2- BOOM BOOM BOOM- Outhere Brothers (47,000)
3- SO GOOD- Boyzone (43,000)
4- KISS FROM A ROSE/ I’M ALIVE- Seal (37,000)
5- SHY GUY- Diana King (35,000)
6- TRY ME OUT- Corona (33,000)
7- I’M ONLY SLEEPING/ OFF ON HOLIDAY- Suggs (31,000)
8- ALRIGHT/ TIME- Supergrass (29,000)
9- WATERFALLS- T.L.C (25,000)
10- DON’T YOU WANT ME (REMIX)- Felix (22,000)

Posted by: Jester 11th February 2024, 01:10 PM

Waterfalls!

So Good is also……decent.

Posted by: Gezza 11th February 2024, 01:28 PM

19TH AUGUST



Take That are in trouble at the top of the charts, “Nobody Else” reverses 4-6 and though the single “Never Forget” collects its third week at the top sales are off 37% week on week to a mere 54,000 a new low for the year- it seems as though the summer slump has truly set in.





They were almost caught at the death by The Original, a US trio, who first released “I Luv U Baby” back in January and made No 31. It has been a consistent hit on the dancefloor ever since which obviously convinced the record company that a remix was all that was required, step forward Dancin’ Divaz who’s work now debuts at No 2 (53,000).





Talking about re-issues of old dance tracks 1995’s plethora of examples extends now to JX who reached No 13 in April 1994 with “Son Of A Gun” and is a bigger hit now at No 6 (30,000). JX is actually DJ Jake Williams and this is his second single (or third if you consider this a different song) but by far his biggest now, the lyrics come from a lift from Ecstasy, Passion and Pain's "Touch And Go".



Boyzone hold at No 3 (39,000) though sales are down and congratulations go to TLC, No 1 in the US they rise 9-4 (37,000) here pushing Seal 4-5 (33,000)- incidentally they also hold Seal off the US No 1 spot. In an age of increasing difficulty for records climbing the charts it seems it is still possible.

Corona fall 6-7 (27,000), Diana King perishes 5-8 (24,000) and Suggs slips 7-9 (23,000) but the biggest fall goes to former No 1 “Boom Boom Boom” which collapses 2-10 (23,000)- all eyes must now focus on whether they can make it three out of three.

Of course the real story in the charts and the news is that the great chart battle of 1995 has commenced with singles by Oasis and Blur going head to head with a media frenzy not seen in many a year and both groups publicly attacking each other in the press. This could get very messy indeed and when the dust settles next week one of them will very likely be No 1- expect a wild week!


1- NEVER FORGET- Take That (54,000)
2- I LUV U BABY- The Original (53,000)
3- SO GOOD- Boyzone (39,000)
4- WATERFALLS- TLC (37,000)
5- KISS FROM A ROSE/ I’M ALIVE- Seal (33,000)
6- SON OF A GUN- JX (30,000)
7- TRY ME OUT- Corona (27,000)
8- SHY GUY- Diana King (24,000)
9- I’M ONLY SLEEPING/ OFF ON HOLIDAY- Suggs (23,000)
10- BOOM BOOM BOOM- Outhere Brothers (23,000)

Posted by: Gezza 11th February 2024, 02:01 PM

26TH AUGUST




Will this week go down in music history? Probably, the week that Britpop broke out of the pages of NME and the music press and seeped into the pubic conscience in a way that the charts rarely do these days- hell even the national news was following the chart battle between Oasis and Blur! August 14th had been known as “Manic Monday” as soon as the release schedules were confirmed about a month ago which led to some frantic alterations for some artists (Michael Jackson for example) but when Blur moved their release date to coincide with a new Oasis single it all went a little crazy.

With daily updates on sales lapped up by the tabloids and insults flying between the two camps coupled with debates in pubs up and down the land such attention on the charts usually only centres around the Christmas No 1 only but sales last week were up by 41% to 1.7 million (and a best yet % of the market going to CD singles at 63%) meaning that the battle drove some punters to buy other singles whilst they were deciding between Blur and Oasis.

In the end there could be just one winner and it was “Country House” by blur that prevailed, whether that was down to the more casual buyer preferring the £1.99 over Oasis’s £2.99 price tag for the CD is debatable but it certainly helps to have a major label behind you. Pitched as a North Vs South and a Middle Class Vs Working Class showdown it seems that the middle class Southerners were able to motivate buyers, it’s certainly Blur’s biggest hit and first chart toppers and backs up an incredible last few years for them which saw them pick up 4 BRIT awards in February, a record. A Damian Hurst directed promo featuring Keith Allen, Jo Guest, and Matt Lucas helped the single take an early slight lead which widened over the duration of the week ending up with a mighty 274,000 copies sold, the fifth highest weekly tally of 1995.



So onto Oasis then who fail to do an exact repeat of their last single “Some Might Say” and knock Take That off the top spot (they fall 1-4, 58,000 anyway), but “Roll With It” opened with a sale of 216,000 regardless, the best opening sale for any of their singles. It was spurred on by a TOTP performance which, obliged to mime against their wishes, Noel mimed to Liam’s voice while Liam took guitar duties to make the point abundantly clear. For those tired of the competition it seems that the group’s new albums will not be heading into the shops on the same day with Blur’s “Great Escape” due next month and Oasis’ album the month after. Of course Oasis could make No 1 next week but the general consensus is that their chance at the top has now gone.



Whilst the Blur single is the 42nd song to debut at No 1, it is the 6th of 1995 drawing the year level with 1991 in the record books, and coupled with Oasis new at No 2, it marks just the third time in history that both the top 2 are new entries (excepting the first chart of all time) after 1984 (Band Aid/ Wham!) and 1989 (Jason Donovan/ Cliff Richard)

The rest of the top 5 is made up of The Original who drop 2-3 (73,000) that’s a 38% increase week on week- damn unlucky! And TLC who similarly drop 4-5 (46,000) but increase sales by 25% in the process.



Two new entries further down the top 10 and first up are Clock who “clock” up a third top 10 single in just 6 months, the song called “Everybody” at least is not a straightforward cover but instead samples Hamilton Bohannon’s “Let’s Start The Dance” (No 56, 1978).






In the also-ran’s is a new single by Madonna which arrives at No 8 (32,000), a 35th top 10 single in her decade long career and features a sample of its own, Main Source’s “What You Need”. It’s a forth cut from “Bedtime Stories” though it has been substantially remixed by Danny Tenaglia for its release, the S & M themed video has caused some minor controversy though her ability to shock these days seems very diminished. Nevertheless if the song fails to progress it will become her first single ever to peak at No 8 and will complete her sequence of having a song peak at every position in the top 10.



JX drop back 6-7 (36,000), Seal tumbles 5-9 (26,000) and Corona are off 7-10 (26,000).

1- COUNTRY HOUSE- Blur (274,000)
2- ROLL WITH IT- Oasis (216,000)
3- I LUV U BABY- Original (73,000)
4- NEVER FORGET- Take That (58,000)
5- WATERFALLS- T.L.C (46,000)
6- EVERYBODY- Clock (41,000)
7- SON OF A GUN- JX (36,000)
8- HUMAN NATURE- Madonna (32,000)
9- KISS FROM A ROSE/ I’M ALIVE- Seal (26,000)
10- TRY ME OUT- Corona (26,000)

Posted by: Gezza 11th February 2024, 02:04 PM

Will post the next chart tomorrow to bring us up to speed

Posted by: Jester 11th February 2024, 02:54 PM

Thanks Gezza.

What an iconic chart there! By far either of Blur or Oasis’ best, but Britpop really has now exploded.

I Luv U Baby as well - what a great remix!

Posted by: dandy* 11th February 2024, 03:25 PM

Waterfalls <3

Posted by: jimwatts 11th February 2024, 11:03 PM

Hadn't realised The Original were so close to getting a #1, nor that the Blur / Oasis battle led to such a sales boost elsewhere e.g. Take That increasing in sales despite falling 1-4

Posted by: TheSnake 11th February 2024, 11:17 PM

Prefer Oasis overall to Blur but I prefer 'Country House' as a song to 'Roll With It' anyway.

The Original track is another dance gem of 1995, didn't know how close it was to #1 on the 19th August week. The Clock song is good fun too, probably their best single.

The Madonna song is not great on first listen there.

'Waterfalls' and 'Son of A Gun' are both classics, very good.

Posted by: Dotty New Year 11th February 2024, 11:54 PM

Didn't realise how close The Original was to overtaking Take That to #1 either.

Neither of the Battle Of Britpop tracks show off the best of their bands.

Posted by: Bjork 12th February 2024, 11:38 AM

love Waterfalls <3 I even heard it live a few years ago at Roskilde Festival when TLC played <3

Blue & Oasis couldn't have chosen worse songs for the head to head, at least Country House is tolerable even though is far from Blur's best, but Roll with it is so lacklustre and pedestrian, how could they pick this as 2nd single when they had Wonderwall, Don't look back in anger, Champagne supernova etc etc

Posted by: Gezza 12th February 2024, 01:41 PM

I think without the fuel of the publicity and slanging match, and if they were released in different weeks "Roll With It" would probably have been a one week chart topper such was their popularity at the time. I'm not convinced "country house" would have gone to no 1 though. Probably a top 3 hit ( which would still have been their biggest hit anyway)

Posted by: Steve201 12th February 2024, 03:01 PM

Interesting to see that even by the end of the summer of 95 songs like The Original, TLC and others were still able to climb the chart.

Posted by: dandy* 12th February 2024, 03:07 PM

Don't think I agree with your view on that one, whatever Blur released first from The Great Escape would have gone to #1 imo - however I'm not sure they would have naturally beaten Oasis sales wise at that point in time had their not been the chart rivalry in that week. That single was them at their peak in terms of popularity, there was a lot of hype around them even without the battle as it followed on from Parklife - which had been a far more prominent album in the news and in sales during 1994 and early 95 than Definitely Maybe was. The tide was certainly turning towards Oasis by this point, but Blur were more than popular enough either way to get a #1 single.

Posted by: Bjork 12th February 2024, 03:14 PM

agree with that, they were at the peak of their popularity after Parklife so anything would have been #1 from them
and sure not all the 270K they opened with were cos of the controversy

do you know if there was a rationale for peaking Roll with it? seems like such a weird choice for me when they had Wonderwall or Don't look back in ager

Posted by: gooddelta 12th February 2024, 03:25 PM

Were Blur expected to win the battle at the time, or was that a surprise?

I was only eight at the time but as a child I remember being very aware of Roll With It, and Oasis generally (Liam and Noel were heavily referenced in a tongue-in-cheek way by comics I read like The Beano), but less so of Blur and Country House.

I do think Country House is the better song, but I wouldn't rush to listen to either out of choice.

Posted by: dandy* 12th February 2024, 03:47 PM

Good question - certainly my circle of friends were expecting Blur to win, but obviously that's hardly a representative sample haha.

When I went to Woolworths and ASDA to buy them on release day, they definitely had Blur at #1 and Oasis at #2 so would assume that was reflective of what the industry expected to happen. Plus Blur were out in front from the off so largely the media expected them to win with the coverage during the week, I remember tuning in on the Sunday feeling like it was definitely a done deal.

I believe there were also two CD singles for the Country House as opposed to just the one for Roll With It, which again would have helped Blur in the same way as the cheaper price point.

Posted by: Bjork 12th February 2024, 04:12 PM

was during this time that Noel told a reporter he wished Damon Albarn would catch AIDS and die? Not Noel's finest moment.

Posted by: Jester 12th February 2024, 04:26 PM

I also think that both would have got to number 1 without the battle given how huge they both were at the time.

In terms of what was expected during the week, I think from memory Blur were expected to win, but given both were pre album singles it wasn’t guaranteed. I was team Blur so clearly I picked the winning side!

Posted by: dandy* 12th February 2024, 04:27 PM

Yeah I think that quote was about 1995 bjork - I don't think that would have helped their cause tbh, most people I knew at the time thought it was an awful thing to say under any circumstances

Posted by: Jessie Where 12th February 2024, 04:52 PM

I've never been particularly fond of 'Country House', but when I saw them do it live at Wembley last summer it sounded AWESOME. It really worked for me in a bit of a rockier style.

I wish I'd been old enough to follow the Blur + Oasis battle in real time, even though I do distinctly remember it being spoken about when I was at school.

Posted by: Gezza 12th February 2024, 07:14 PM

The tracks were at 14 and 15 on the airplay charts for week of release, advance orders were greater for Oasis and they sold more in the Indie shops. RWI was not shipped to shops until the Monday (due to a barcoding error) so would not have been available everywhere on the Monday (i imagine that was sorted by Tuesday)

Posted by: TheSnake 12th February 2024, 07:20 PM

Country House has one of the most beautiful single art covers just lovely! Not sure if that helped with the sales.

Posted by: dandy* 12th February 2024, 07:29 PM

QUOTE(Gezza @ Feb 12 2024, 07:14 PM)

Posted by: Gezza 12th February 2024, 07:39 PM

2ND SEPTEMBER



Though there was much less press attention this week it rapidly became clear that it was going to be another week of Blur Vs Oasis though both titles suffered severe losses in sales, Blur down 56% and Oasis down 51%, but it didn’t matter as they romped home with sales of 120,000 to 105,000 respectively to easily retain control of the top 2 whilst both holding their positions from last week. Incidentally the 12” version of “Roll With It” debuts at No 83 but unlike earlier in the year with “Some Might Say” its sales, if added to the main version, wouldn’t have seen the song overturn Blur but what I did omit to mention last week is that “Roll With It"s opening salvo of 216k was the highest sale for a No 2 track since “Last Christmas” 11 years ago.





Meanwhile in the US Michael Jackson’s new single “You Are Not Alone” becomes the first song in Billboard’s history to debut at No 1 on the hot 100. His single doesn’t quite make as much of a splash here but is new at No 3 (62,000) to match the debut of “Scream” his last single, this is his 17th solo top 3 hit. Written and co-produced by R Kelly and with a promo featuring wife Lisa Marie Presley he’s pulled out all the stops but “HIStory” remains stubbornly outside the top 10.





Written and released by the great Ellie Greenwich in 1968 on her album “Composes, produces and sings” “The Sunshine After The Rain” was finally turned into a UK hit by Elkie Brooks in 1977 (No 10) and then given a dance overall in 1994 when it was credited as by New Atlantic/ U4EA featuring Berri and made No 26. Re-issued and re-recorded as a solo track by Berri (real name Rebecca Sleight) it now debuts at No 5 (42,000) to continue the trend of second time around dance hits that will come to symbolise 1995. Greenwich was of course co-writer of such classics as “Da Do Ron Ron Ron”,“Be My Baby” and “Leader Of The Pack” so the pedigree is high here. The backing for this version is an interpolation of “I Feel Love” by Donna Summer in case you thought it was familiar.





From the promo you may think The Rembrandts were a group but they are actually a duo formed in the late 80s but must have counted their blessings when their song “I’ll Be There For You” was chosen as the theme to the TV sitcom “Friends” which has become something of a hit over the summer here. The song debuts at No 6 (39,000).





Underlining what a great year it’s been for dance music US outfit De’Lacy smash in at No 9 (28,000) with “Hideaway” which is officially credited as the deep dish remix. It was involved in an incident this week when imports by an Italian label who also held a licence for the song were also available and which doubtless took sales from the track, colour the deconstruction label unimpressed with their rivals!



Elsewhere The Original fall 3-4 (52,000), TLC cascade 5-7 (35,000), Take That get forgotten 4-8 (30,000) and Clock are excluded 6-10 (24,000)


1- COUNTRY HOUSE- Blur (120,000)
2- ROLL WITH IT- Oasis (105,000)
3- YOU ARE NOT ALONE- Michael Jackson (62,000)
4- I LUV U BABY- Original (52,000)
5- THE SUNSHINE AFTER THE RAIN- Berri (42,000)
6- I’LL BE THERE FOR YOU- The Rembrandts (39,000)
7- WATERFALLS- T.L.C (35,000)
8- NEVER FORGET- Take That (30,000)
9- HIDEAWAY- De’Lacy (28,000)
10- EVERYBODY- Clock (24,000)

Posted by: Gezza 12th February 2024, 07:45 PM

QUOTE(dandy* @ Feb 12 2024, 07:29 PM)

Posted by: Gezza 12th February 2024, 07:47 PM

Also forgot to mention that W/E 26/8 was the first top 40 not to feature a single climber!

Posted by: TheSnake 12th February 2024, 07:48 PM

That Hideaway Deep Dish remixed version is such a great atmospheric and euphoric diva house track, a lot better than the unremixed version I think. Quite a few years before Deep Dish got a few hits of their own.

Have never really watch Friends but like the Rembrandts song anyway and remember it a lot on the radio when I was younger!

'Sunshine After The Rain' is good and uses the sample well.

Posted by: dandy* 12th February 2024, 07:58 PM

Hideaway is one of the essential dance records of the 90s in my opinion, an absolute classic and one I still listen to regularly these days. Also really still love I'll Be There For You, the nostalgia attached to it is just too high.

Sunshine After The Rain was always one I found to be merely okay, it didn't convince me to buy it which was rare for big dance songs back then. And finally MJ back in this thread as well as the 80s one! At the time I thought this was kinda okay but a bit generic sounding by his standards, like it even less now it has the R Kelly association - it's the only big hit from his major albums that I haven't included on my MJ playlist.

Posted by: gooddelta 12th February 2024, 08:02 PM

If Oasis had managed to overtake Blur in week 2 and also got to the top, I wonder if the battle would be as fondly recalled. It wasn’t close but also 15k is closer than I thought for the second week.

Some great new entries there - Berri - such an uplifting strong with a great bassline and charismatic performer - no surprise that I Feel Love was reissued while this was charting and the Now compilers then put them next to each other on Now 32! And Rembrandts is such a great theme tune, the whole song, not just the bit used for Friends <3

I like Hideaway too. But I won’t give any oxygen to the writer of the other of the week’s new entries.

Posted by: Bjork 12th February 2024, 08:02 PM

I was a big fan of The Rembrandts a few years earlier (in 1990 I think) and even bought their album, think it was their debut, cos I loved this song called That's the Way It Is, was huge in the US, but did nothing in the UK.

Posted by: Brer 12th February 2024, 08:05 PM

I never knew the second week was closer between Blur and Oasis (albeit still not that close) - neither of them are anywhere near their best song for me but I do like 'Roll With It' more out of the 2 so kind of a shame it didn't get its turn at #1.

Posted by: gooddelta 12th February 2024, 08:08 PM

Didn’t realise The Rembrandts had had hits elsewhere before this. Just looked it up and it was big in Europe too, weird it was missed here.

So weird how they came to do the Friends theme - REM turned down the gig with Shiny Happy People so Warner asked Rembrandts to sing a song written especially for the show instead, as apparently they were the only available band to do it on Warner!

Posted by: TheSnake 12th February 2024, 08:14 PM

The MJ song I found trite, boring and underwhelming anyway, I think the press also did too from what I remember.

Posted by: Jade 12th February 2024, 08:23 PM

I appreciate the tidbits from here a lot as a chart geek who wasn't born yet during the legendary Blur vs. Oasis chart battle! I had no idea that the prices of the singles were different for example. It's so good to have both this thread and the TOTP repeats back again <3 the 'Country House' and 'Roll With It' performances were memorable of course with Alex James wearing an Oasis shirt and Noel miming to Liam's vocals these songs aren't either band's finest work but would happily take one of those options over that dreary Michael Jackson single, zzz.

'Hideaway' is indeed wonderful really liked Björk's 'Isobel' and Echobelly's 'Great Things' outside of the top 10 in recent episodes too.

Posted by: jimwatts 12th February 2024, 09:39 PM

QUOTE(Gezza @ Feb 12 2024, 07:47 PM)

Posted by: dandy* 12th February 2024, 10:10 PM

That is an interesting fact... I guess this could officially be a turning point in the decade for how the chart typically worked then

Posted by: Bjork 13th February 2024, 08:22 AM

much preferred when songs climbed than from now on where the normal was to peak on release week
guess cos of the prices

Posted by: Jester 13th February 2024, 08:40 AM

My Country House CD single has a £1.99 price sticker from Our Price (Penzance!) on it.

Pleased to see the love for Hideaway - easily one of my favourite dance songs ever which I have on 12 inch. Big fan of Berri as well, was good to see it become a hit at the time.

As an aside, that JX song - for years I thought the lyric was ‘if a mango’s on the run, he’s a dirty son of a gun’

Posted by: gooddelta 13th February 2024, 09:57 AM

Although clearly it was trending that way with everything debuting then falling, it looks like Blur/Oasis just massively stole everyone else's thunder that week, added to the sheer weight of having seven simultaneous top 15 new entries, sending everything else down. I guess it was an unusual week with no other real focus outside those two.

I checked the few charts afterwards, and there were still quite a lot of climbers (seven in the top 30 about three weeks later, although that was on a week with very few high new entries).

Still seems a world away from just a few years later when seven top 10 debuts was not a rare feat. No wonder hardly anything ever had the chance to climb or grow. In many cases, radio moved on to the next thing as soon as you debuted. So many songs between about 1997-2005 achieved such massively overinflated peaks due to this trend, songs that went top five that probably wouldn't have even gone top 20 either before the mid-90s retail distribution/lower introductory pricing/six weeks pre-release at radio model, or the subsequent download/streaming era.

Posted by: Gezza 13th February 2024, 11:50 AM

I did wonder if the Blur vs oasis pricing things alerted the industry to the benefits of lower pricing first week tracks. I don't recall it being a thing before this point and I don't think was the norm until around 99/00 from memory so it may have been the first instance of it happening.

Posted by: Jester 13th February 2024, 12:49 PM

QUOTE(Gezza @ Feb 13 2024, 11:50 AM)

Posted by: dandy* 13th February 2024, 10:12 PM

It was definitely pretty common before 1997 - I can recall it throughout 1996 but not 100% certain before then... so Gezza could well be correct that it was analysis of what happened between Blur and Oasis that could have caused it.

I think even Oasis may have priced theirs lower if they went with £2.99, I can't recall them ever being under the full £3.99 price tag (although I'm solely going by my memory here so could be wrong)

Posted by: mrpopquiz 15th February 2024, 05:48 PM

Just a quick note to say that BBC4 have changed their schedule for tomorrow - no 1995 shows tomorrow night - instead, 4 retro shows featuring Steve Wright.

Posted by: Jester 15th February 2024, 06:17 PM

QUOTE(mrpopquiz @ Feb 15 2024, 05:48 PM)

Posted by: Jester 15th February 2024, 07:15 PM

Selected tracks outside the Top 10 TOTP 12th, 19th, 26th August 1995 and 2nd September 1995


Ash - Girl From Mars
Chart entry this week: 11
Peak: 11



Cracking song from Ash, by far their best in fact. Shame this just missed the top 10.



The Charlatans - Just When You're Thinking Things Over
Chart entry this week: 12
Peak: 12



I am an occasional Charlatans fan, but this is one of their better efforts imo.



XPansions '95 - Move Your Body
Chart entry this week: 14
Peak: 14



A remix from the number 7 peaking 1991 hit. This is the better version I think, it suits a more mid 90s sound.




Echobelly - Great Things
Chart entry this week: 13
Peak: 13



Their biggest and best known hit and their debut on TOTP too! This really is the start of wider Indie/Britpop explosion. I adore this song

Posted by: dandy* 15th February 2024, 07:26 PM

Love all four of those Jester!

That Charlatans track is possibly my favourite of theirs, or at least joint with One To Another

Posted by: Dotty New Year 16th February 2024, 03:33 PM

I hadn't realised Girl From Mars missed the top 10!

Posted by: Steve201 17th February 2024, 08:30 AM

Ash went to a school in the same town I went to school in, this would be their height chart wise imo!

Posted by: Brer 17th February 2024, 06:13 PM

'Girl From Mars' shame it missed the top 10 indeed.

Posted by: Bjork 17th February 2024, 07:28 PM

Girl from Mars really deserved top 10 status!
Loved that Echobelly song and even bought the parent album on the back of it

Posted by: Steve201 20th February 2024, 11:03 PM

QUOTE(gooddelta @ Sep 30 2023, 08:39 AM)

Posted by: Bjork 21st February 2024, 07:48 AM

yes

Posted by: Jessie Where 21st February 2024, 10:48 AM

Girl From Mars

Posted by: Steve201 21st February 2024, 12:56 PM

QUOTE(Bjork @ Feb 21 2024, 07:48 AM)

yes

Posted by: Gezza 24th February 2024, 11:39 AM

9TH SEPTEMBER



Michael Jackson gets his 5th solo chart topper this week with “You Are Not Alone”- but only just, its winning tally of 83,000 was just 800 copies more than the outgoing chart topper from Blur. However mirroring a situation that happened back in May this year, a fourth format of a record has charted separately, that being Blur’s “Country House” which makes it in at No 57 and would have overhauled Jackson had it been eligible to be added. Jackson himself released a second CD version of “You Are Not Alone” this week including a sought after remix of his classic “Rock With You” by masters at work which itself caused a sales spike.





Masters at Work also provide a remix to the newly remixed and re-issued “I Feel Love” by Donna Summer, the main mix is by Rollo Armstrong though. The title remains Summer’s biggest hit topping the chart for 4 weeks in 1977 and caused minor controversy at the time for its suggestive delivery, it marks her return to the top 10 after a 6 years absence. It has oft been cited as a major influence on dance music something which can be verified by the use of the song in the current hit by Berri which lifts 5-4 (56,000).





Many discounted Scatman John as a novelty act but he now scores a second top 10 hit with “Scatman’s World” which climbs 14-10 (25,000). It’s already been a big hit across Europe making No 1 in Belgium, Germany, Finland, and Spain and is contained on his album of the same name which has yet to chart here in the UK.



The Rembrandts climb 6-3 (69,000) and stand an outside chance of topping the charts next week if Jackson falters, meanwhile Oasis collapse 2-5 (54,000) and The Original relent 4-6 (40,000). Further down TLC hold at No 7 (32,000) and De’Lacy are static at No 9 (28,000).


1- YOU ARE NOT ALONE- Michael Jackson (83,000)
2- COUNTRY HOUSE- Blur (82,200)
3- I’LL BE THERE FOR YOU- The Rembrandts (69,000)
4- THE SUNSHINE AFTER THE RAIN- Berri (56,000)
5- ROLL WITH IT- Oasis (54,000)
6- I LUV U BABY- Original (40,000)
7- WATERFALLS- T.L.C (32,000)
8- I FEEL LOVE- Donna Summer (29,000)
9- HIDEAWAY- De’Lacy (28,000)
10- SCATMAN’S WORLD- Scatman John (25,000)

Posted by: Gezza 24th February 2024, 12:06 PM

16TH SEPTEMBER



Still continuing to grow at retail Michael Jackson’s “You Are Not Alone” spends a second week at the top on a healthy sale of 100,000 and a much more commanding lead. “HIStory” improves 9-4 in response and has now sold over 400,000 copies since its release 13 weeks ago.





Off to a roaring start is N-Trance’s update of the Bee Gees classic “Stayin’ Alive” which erupts into the No 2 position (64,000). They’ve roped in former KLF associate Ricardo Da Force (he’s the rapper on “3 AM Eternal”) to produce something which has already gone down a storm on the dancefloor and is now the group’s second No 2 hit on the trot following on the heels of “Set You Free” earlier this year.





Michael Bolton will be releasing his “Greatest Hits 1985-1995” in a fortnight and new track “Can I Touch You….There” will feature as his fourth top 10 single with it moving 14-6 (39,000) this week. Only “How Am I Supposed To Live Without You” has ever gone higher here and like that hit Bolton has co-written the song.





Just as Celine Dion has struck it big on the international stage she takes the decision to revert back to French for her next project! Even more surprising is that her first release from the new album “D’Eux” has become a UK top 10 single given our aversion to foreign language tracks. “Tu M’Aimes Encore (To Love Me Again)” climbs 11-7 (34,000) to become the first song sung to make the top 10 not in English since Enigma’s “Sadness”, it’s also her 5th top 10 single in 3 years and topped the French charts for an astonishing 12 weeks this summer.






One of the more unlikely hits of 1995 is a revival of sorts of the Smokie classic “Living Next Door To Alice” which made No 5 in 1977, one of 5 top 10 singles for the outfit. Come early 1995 and a record executive was in a bar in Nijmegen in Holland called Café Gompie where they regularly played the track and after the word “Alice” was sung the DJ would lower the volume for the patriots to chant “Who the f*** is Alice?”. Spotting an opportunity he got his friend Peter Koelewijn to record a version and named the project Gompie- that version went on to become a major hit in central Europe coming to the attention of Smokie who got in on the act and recruited the comedian Roy “Chubby” Brown for an equally explicit version.

Both versions got a UK release in May peaking at No 64 (Smokie/ Chubby Brown version) and No 34 (Gompie) but fizzled out. Post summer and now that the tourists have returned, having heard the song pumping out of dancefloors across Europe, there is renewed interest in the song with the Smokie version re-charted one week before the Gompie version which may have decided which is the bigger hit now as Gompie rises 29-19 but Smokie/ Brown lift 20-9 (24,000). It’s the first time that two competing versions of a song have been top 20 simultaneously since 1987 when Rick Astley and Nat “King” Cole both took “When I Fall In Love” into the top 10.



The Rembrandts hold at No 3 (57,000) as Blur fall 2-4 (53,000) but the album “The Great Escape” is out this week so attention will be switched. Berri slide 4-5 (43,000), TLC reverse 7-8 (28,000) and Oasis hurtle 5-10 (23,000). Next week The Outhere Brothers new single is out- can they make it three chart toppers out of three?


1- YOU ARE NOT ALONE- Michael Jackson (100,000)
2- STAYIN ALIVE- N Trance Ft Ricardo Da Force (64,000)
3- I’LL BE THERE FOR YOU- The Rembrandts (57,000)
4- COUNTRY HOUSE- Blur (53,000)
5- THE SUNSHINE AFTER THE RAIN- Berri (43,000)
6- CAN I TOUCH YOU ......THERE- Michael Bolton (39,000)
7- TU M’AIMES ENCORE (TO LOVE ME AGAIN)- Celine Dion (34,000)
8- WATERFALLS- T.L.C (28,000)
9- LIVING NEXT DOOR TO ALICE (WHO THE f*** IS ALICE)- Smokie Ft Roy Chubby Brown (24,000)
10- ROLL WITH IT- Oasis (23,000)

Posted by: Jessie Where 24th February 2024, 12:38 PM

That version of 'Staying Alive' is truly awful. What a way to follow-up 'Set You Free'

That combination of MJ and R. Kelly is almost like Yewtree squared 💀

Posted by: Steve201 24th February 2024, 02:01 PM

So many climbers still in Sept 95!

Posted by: Jester 24th February 2024, 02:02 PM

So much awfulness in those 2 charts! I am shook at how close Blur came to a 3 week chart topper though argh!

Posted by: dandy* 24th February 2024, 04:24 PM

Still can’t understand why that MJ single became so popular, one of his worst ever singles.

I used to like Stayin’ Alive at the time, although it does seem pretty bad in retrospect

Posted by: TheSnake 24th February 2024, 05:12 PM

Yes Staying Alive is a weird and much follow up to Set You Free. I don't mind it though, also it would start a trend.

Their true stylistic follow up to Set You Free, Electronic Pleasure (#11 hit) is fab though.

I'm sure he didn't mean it but that Michael Bolton song has one of the worst named song titles ever.

'Alice' is iconic. Loads of people remember the sweary version in my experience.

Didn't know that both Berri which samples it and a remix of Donna Summer's I Feel Love were both briefly top 10 at the same time.

Posted by: dandy* 24th February 2024, 05:21 PM

Oh I absolutely DETEST that Alice song

Posted by: TheSnake 24th February 2024, 05:22 PM

QUOTE(dandy* @ Feb 24 2024, 05:21 PM)

Posted by: dandy* 24th February 2024, 05:55 PM

Particularly that version, but I don’t really care for the original either

Posted by: Bjork 24th February 2024, 07:32 PM

that MJ song, that Michael Bolton song, the Bee Gees cover, the Celine song, all terrible
by comparison Alice is genius too bad Smokie got the glory in the UK instead of Gompie, who haad started the trent

Posted by: gooddelta 24th February 2024, 07:39 PM

Stayin' Alive is so bad. N-Trance were way too hit and miss to ever be a favourite artist of mine, despite Set You Free being my all-time favourite song. When you have it in you to make that, and to a lesser extent stuff like Forever and Destiny, but most of your hits are actually just crap disco covers Weird photo of the band with Polos around their eyes there too

I guess the explicit call and response in Alice was all that was required to make it a hit again. It doesn't surprise me that it took off in The Netherlands first, the Gompie version is such naff schlager, I can completely hear it blasting out of Benelux and Bavarian bars.

Thought both episodes of TOTP this week were poor, yet the top tens were largely good - other than MJ, N-Trance and Michael Bolton, so maybe a weak set of songs were picked on the whole.

Must admit I like the Celine track, not one I ever really hear anywhere, shows how big she was here at the time that she could take a French song into the top ten.

Posted by: Dotty New Year 28th February 2024, 01:06 AM

Has there ever been such a chasm in quality between two directly succeeding singles as the euphoric Set You Free and the dismal Stayin Alive retread?

Hardly an MJ highlight at #1 either. Plus Celine Dion crowing on and Michael sodding Bolton?

Alice on the other hand is good fun imo. Although maybe that's just childhood memories of everyone joining in with the rude bits at the pub and family parties.

Posted by: Gezza 2nd March 2024, 08:44 PM

23RD SEPTEMBER



Few saw it coming but Shaggy debuts at No 1 this week all thanks to those clever guys at Levi jeans who used his track “Boombastic” on their new ad. Its arrival at the top gives Shaggy a second No 1 single and Levi their 5th since their ads started using songs back in 1986, Shaggy’s third album, to which this is the title track, is released next month and he’ll be hoping to do better than his both his previous albums, the best of which “Pure Pleasure” only made No 67. His victory was not clear cut as he ended up only around 1,200 clear of the competition on 92,000, its entry at No 1 is the 7th track of the year to perform the feat making 1995 a record breaking year in this respect.



Shaggy’s new entry forces everything else in the top 3 down a spot to Michael Jackson falls 1-2 (91,000) and N-Trance relent 2-3 (79,000)



Mariah Carey’s last album “Music Box” plus associated singles really put Carey into the A league here in the UK and with her next album “Daydream” ready for release we get the first release “Fantasy” which is new at No 4 (74,000) giving her a 9th top 10 single. It features Tom Tom Club’s “Genius Of Love” heavily in sample form and has a slew of more R & B remixes on the CD and a promo directed by Carey herself.





And talking of returning diva’s Janet Jackson is back too with “Runaway” from her forthcoming greatest hits set. Written and produced with long time collaborators Jam & Lewis the song was, apparently, written as a duet with brother Michael until they choose “Scream” and this became a Janet only production, it means that her Greatest hits album will now contain 9 top 10 singles with this smashing it at No 6 (47,000).





“La La La Hey Hey” becomes the fastest selling single by The Outhere Brothers as it enters at No 7 (42,000) this week. It begins their search for a third chart topper from three releases but contrary to their first two singles it doesn’t feature a more risqué version on the album and can be seen as a clear bid to keep their rather more mainstream audience acquired along the way. We’ll see if the ploy works.



The Rembrandts fall 3-5 (51,000) but their album is new at No 14 to compensate, Smokie Featuring Roy “Chubby” Brown creep 9-8 (37,000), Berri tumble 5-9 (28,000) and Michael Bolton retreats 6-10 (24,000).

1- BOOMBASTIC- Shaggy (92,000)
2- YOU ARE NOT ALONE- Michael Jackson (91,000)
3- STAYIN ALIVE- N-Trance Ft Ricardo Da Force (79,000)
4- FANTASY- Mariah Carey (74,000)
5- I’LL BE THERE FOR YOU- The Rembrandts (51,000)
6- RUNAWAY- Janet Jackson (47,000)
7- LA LA LA HEY HEY- Outhere Brothers (42,000)
8- LIVING NEXT DOOR TO ALICE (WHO THE f*** IS ALICE)- Smokie Ft Roy Chubby Brown (37,000)
9- THE SUNSHINE AFTER THE RAIN- Berri (28,000)
10- CAN I TOUCH YOU.....THERE- Michael Bolton (24,000)

Posted by: Gezza 2nd March 2024, 08:59 PM

30TH SEPTEMBER



When Take That’s “Back For Good” was serviced to radio 6 weeks early back in March it seems to have set a precedent which other labels have been quick to follow meaning that many songs are now sent onto the airwaves earlier and ensuring that radio now plays tracks without a proven commercial track record. What that also means is a lot of demand built up pre-release and records debuting higher with more regularity than ever before, to illustrate this Simply Red’s new single “Fairground” has been atop of the airplay charts for a month already before it was in store and it now sells a mighty 211,000 copies to debut at No 1. The band are of course preparing to follow up the massive “Stars” album which remains the biggest selling album of the decade so far with sales of over 3 million so there is much to live up to for Mick Hucknall et al. The new single samples the Goodmen’s 1993 No 5 hit “Give It Up” and finally gives the band a No 1 hit after 19 hits, their previous bests being the No 2 tracks “Holding Back The Years” (1986) and “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” (1989), fifth album “Life” is out next month.





Wet wet wet continue to bask in the slipstream of “Love Is All Around” with a 10th top single (4th on the trot) with another cut from the “Picture This” album called “Somewhere Somehow”. It debuts at No 10 (26,000) just as the album drops 19-22 equalling the lowest position it’s ever held, not to worry it has already sold 500,000 copies!



Shaggy’s sales improve 19% to 109,000 despite dropping 1-2 and Michael Jackson is still selling well as he moves 2-3 (78,000) as sales stand at 414,000 after 5 weeks- it will become Jackson’s biggest seller since “Billie Jean” next week.

Lower down and Mariah Carey holds steady at No 4 (77,000) as she debuts at No 1 in the US only the second time that it has been achieved, and Smokie Featuring Roy “Chubby” Brown rise 8-5 (55,000) to match the peak of their version.

The bottom half of the top 10 is dominated by fallers, N-Trance drop 3-6 (51,000), The Rembrandts dive 5-7 (44,000), Janet Jackson escapes 6-8 (29,000) and The Outhere Brothers surprisingly reverse 7-9 (28,000) as it looks like a third No 1 is now beyond them!

Next week we’ll be looking at a new Pulp single- can it go one better than “Common People”?


1- FAIRGROUND- Simply Red (211,000)
2- BOOMBASTIC- Shaggy (109,000)
3- YOU ARE NOT ALONE- Michael Jackson (78,000)
4- FANTASY- Mariah Carey (77,000)
5- LIVING NEXT DOOR TO ALICE (WHO THE f*** IS ALICE)- Smokie Ft Roy Chubby Brown (55,000)
6- STAYIN ALIVE- N-Trance Ft Ricardo Da Force (51,000)
7- I’LL BE THERE FOR YOU- The Rembrandts (44,000)
8- RUNAWAY- Janet Jackson (29,000)
9- LA LA LA HEY HEY- The Outhere Brothers (28,000)
10- SOMEWHERE SOMEHOW- Wet, wet, wet (26,000)

Posted by: Jester 2nd March 2024, 09:00 PM

Wow so close for Shaggy! Love Boombastic.

Great new entries for Mariah and Janet, too.

Posted by: TheSnake 2nd March 2024, 09:39 PM

Probably not gonna be that popular an opinion on Buzzjack but I really like 'Fairground', its quite joyous. I like the Goodmen's original track too, and how Mick Hucknell refers to them in the lyrics: 'like all good men should'.

Didn't know Boombastic was in a Levi's ad. Good song.

'La La La Hey Hey' is good fun and an improvement both in lyrics and production from the Outheres' previous two hits in my opinion.

Posted by: Bjork 2nd March 2024, 10:35 PM

ouch that awful awful awful simply red song selling 211K :/
not many favourites in those recent top 10s

Posted by: Steve201 2nd March 2024, 11:34 PM

Agree with Snake there Simply Reds song is an excellent return, different for them!

Thought ‘Fantasy’ would have been a big selling no1 for Mariah since it was a big come back from a huge previous era for her and it’s a great single too, but a bit more rnb I guess!

Posted by: gooddelta 3rd March 2024, 12:06 AM

I think Fairground is a good track too, nice sample of Give It Up, and over 200k on week one is huge. Shows how their commercial stock had risen following Stars.

Largely another couple of weak episodes of TOTP, it's only struck me the last few weeks how much of a debt Louise's Arms Around the World owes to Janet's Runaway.

Posted by: Jester 3rd March 2024, 09:58 AM

I just can’t like Fairground - I’ve tried but it’s just so bland. It also has full quiet verses then sudden loud shouty choruses which grates on me.

Posted by: Padamic Tension 3rd March 2024, 03:50 PM

I never liked fairground but it had great sales. Loved seeing the sales trek for celine Dion think twice as I loved the song back then and still do.

Posted by: dandy* 3rd March 2024, 04:52 PM

I don’t mind Fairground. In fact I probably enjoy it more now than I did at the time

Posted by: mrpopquiz 4th March 2024, 11:37 PM

On the 30th September, you mention about Smokie and Roy Chuby Brown climbing from 8 - 5. In fact, that 3 place climb was the only climber in the entire top 75

1 climber
1 non mover
44 down
29 new entries

The late 90s were a period of lots of new entries but most of them going straight in then straight down.

Discounting singles on week of release then upping the price on week 2 didn't help

Posted by: Gezza 8th March 2024, 07:41 PM

7TH OCTOBER



A very tight race at the top of the charts this week saw Simply Red’s “Fairground” up against a new Pulp single touted by most as a sure fire chart topper. In the end just 3,000 copies separated the two titles but Simply Red hold on for a second week shifting another 142,000 copies to bring its tally to 353,000 in just a fortnight making it already their biggest selling single!





Poor old Pulp then, new single “Sorted For E’s & Whizz/ Mis-Shapes” exactly repeats the feat of their last single “Common People” by debuting at No 2 (139,000) but sold almost double of the opening tally, the second highest for a runner up single for 1995 behind Oasis in fact. A headline grabbing performance at Glastonbury propelled them to the forefront of Britpop and this single was helped considerably by the media and the Daily Mirror in particular who claimed that “Sorted” was a pro-drugs song and the inlay could be made into a wrap to hide illicit drugs which saw new copies being distributed without the offending article and helped them lead midweek at least.




The title actually refers back to the fabled Stone Roses gig at Spike Island in 1990 and a girl who recalled the experience to Cocker afterwards. In any event Pulp’s album is out later this month and should be a sure fire big seller.



Bon Jovi now have their 6th straight top 10 single with another release from the No 1 album “These Days”. “Something For The Pain” bounds 12-8 (31,000) and causes the parent album to boomerang 27-23 and is already platinum. The only other thing of interest is that the song features some lead vocals by Richie Sambora, the first Bon Jovi single to do so.



Shaggy continues his slow descent 2-3 (88,000) and similarly Michael Jakckson falls 3-4 (69,000), he’ll sell his half millionth copy next week but he is already in the top 10 YTD which now looks like this:

1. UNCHAINED MELODY/ WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER- Robson & Jerome- 1,843,000
2. BACK FOR GOOD- Take That- 959,000
3. THINK TWICE- Celine Dion- 927,000
4. BOOM BOOM BOOM- The Outhere Brothers- 652,000
5. DON’T STOP (WIGGLE WIGGLE)- The Outhere Brothers- 617,000
6. COUNTRY HOUSE- Blur 577,000
7. COTTON EYE JOE- Rednex- 512,000
8. SET YOU FREE- N-Trance- 502,000
9. YOU ARE NOT ALONE- Michael Jackson 483,000
10. HOLD ME THRILL ME KISS ME KILL YOU- U2- 471,000

Smokie and Roy “Chubby” Brown hold at No 5 (64,000) and is still growing at retail- it may have a place or two higher to go yet!

Mariah Carey drops 4-6 (59,000) as her album “Daydream” (which was only released on Thursday) flies into the No 1 spot! And Wet wet wet improve 10-7 (37,000) whilst N-trance fall 6-9 (30,000).



Iron Maiden have been going through some changes recently following the departure of front man Bruce Dickinson and the replacement with Blaze Bayley. The first single to feature him is “Man On The Edge” which is inspired by the film “Falling Down” and will feature on the group’s tenth album “X Factor” out this week. Given their history it’s unlikely to be in the top 10 next week but for now it debuts at No 10 (27,000).




1- FAIRGROUND- Simply Red (142,000)
2- MIS-SHAPES/ SORTED FOR E’S & WHIZZ- Pulp (139,000)
3- BOOMBASTIC- Shaggy (88,000)
4- YOU ARE NOT ALONE- Michael Jackson (69,000)
5- LIVING NEXT DOOR TO ALICE (WHO THE f*** IS ALICE)- Smokie Ft Roy Chubby Brown (64,000)
6- FANTASY- Mariah Carey (59,000)
7- SOMEWHERE SOMEHOW- Wet, wet, wet (37,000)
8- SOMETHING FOR THE PAIN- Bon Jovi (31,000)
9- STAYIN ALIVE- N Trance Ft Ricardo Da Force (30,000)
10- MAN ON THE EDGE- Iron Maiden (27,000)

Posted by: Bjork 8th March 2024, 07:51 PM

oh Pulp robbed! and wow at 139K for a #2!! Sorted is Pulp at their very very very best <3 Mis-shapes I remember kinda liking it back in the day, nowadays not so much

Posted by: Gezza 8th March 2024, 08:05 PM

14TH OCTOBER



A much easier week for Simply Red this week with “Fairground” romping home to a third week at the top on a sale of 129,000 a mere slip of 9% week on week buoyed as it is by a seemingly endless support from radio where it still far and away the most played song. Total sales of 482,000 place it just outside the top 10 YTD.



Half of the top 10 remain static that includes all the top 3 so Pulp are runners up on a much reduced sales of 62,000, fractional ahead of Shaggy on 61,000, he at least sees his album enter at No 38 but expect a much bigger splash from Pulp’s album in a few weeks! Other stickers are Mariah Carey at No 6 (43,000) and N-Trance at No 9 (26,000).



Highest new entry of the week comes from a returning Def Leppard who will be hoping that their new greatest hits album “Vault” will be a big seller for Christmas in much the same fashion as Bon Jovi last year. “When Love & Hate Collide” debuts at No 7 (34,000) to become only their third top 10 single of their long career, it actually dates back to 1990 and was intended for the “Adrenalize” album but was a ballad too far for the album according to the record company allegedly.





Back in July there was a shock departure from a group, no not Robbie Williams leaving Take That, but Louise Nurding left Eternal to launch a solo career. “Light Of My Life” climbs 12-8 (33,000) to give her a pretty perfect start to her solo stardom, it’s co-written by former pop star Simon Climie which should stand it in good stead and she competes with a new single by her former bandmates Eternal next week.



Smokie & Roy “Chubby” Brown inch 5-4 (53,000) despite having now peaked at retail and Michael Jackson drifts 4-5 (49,000), meanwhile The Rembrandts are back 11-10 (23,000).


1- FAIRGROUND- Simply Red (129,000)
2- MIS-SHAPES/ SORTED FOR E’S & WHIZZ- Pulp (62,000)
3- BOOMBASTIC- Shaggy (61,000)
4- LIVING NEXT DOOR TO ALICE (WHO THE f*** IS ALICE)- Smokie Ft Roy Chubby Brown (53,000)
5- YOU ARE NOT ALONE- Michael Jackson (49,000)
6- FANTASY- Mariah Carey (43,000)
7- WHEN LOVE AND HATE COLLIDE- Def Leppard (34,000)
8- LIGHT OF MY LIFE- Louise (33,000)
9- STAYIN ALIVE- N-Trance Featuring Ricardo Da Force (26,000)
10- I’LL BE THERE FOR YOU- The Rembrandts (23,000)

Posted by: Jester 8th March 2024, 08:11 PM

What!!! Pulp so close to number 1, I never knew if they were close or not.

Curses to Simply Red.

Posted by: Jester 8th March 2024, 08:12 PM

QUOTE(Bjork @ Mar 8 2024, 07:51 PM)

Posted by: TheSnake 8th March 2024, 08:24 PM

Testament to how big Pulp were then that they could debut that close to #1 with what haven't been much remembered songs, I don't really know either of those songs really maybe Mis-Shapes is a bit familiar to me. Not surprised I don't know the other track as its title makes it not the most suitable for radio airplay.

'When Love And Hate Collide' is much more like a 90s boyband song than Def Leppard's usual style lol. Good song anyway.

Posted by: TheSnake 8th March 2024, 08:29 PM

Testament to how big Pulp there that it could debut that close to #1 don't really know either of those songs really maybe Mis-Shapes is a bit familiar to me. Not surprised I don't know the other track as its title makes it not the most suitable for radio airplay.

'When Love And Hate Collide' is much more like a 90s boyband song than Def Leppard's usual style lol. Good song anyway.

Posted by: Jester 8th March 2024, 08:34 PM

QUOTE(TheSnake @ Mar 8 2024, 08:24 PM)

Posted by: Gezza 8th March 2024, 09:48 PM

In other associated news the market was expanding considerably with supermarkets (notably ASDA) starting to stock CD's which made estimated sales an imperfect science and would lead ultimately to panel sales being abandoned when around 97% of the market was covered in early 1997. This in turn caused the famous "re-appraisal" of sales 1994-1996 which the OCC still struggle with these days. For the record this thread will continue with the sales which were reported at the time.

Posted by: Bjork 8th March 2024, 10:01 PM

Hated that Def Leppard song with a passion, one of the worst rock ballads ever. Def Leppard only did 1 good ballad (Love Bites), but even their best ballad pales compared to the ones from Heart, Guns n Roses, Whitesnake etc

Didn't recall that Louise single and seems kinda meh on first listen, very MOR

Posted by: dandy* 8th March 2024, 10:28 PM

QUOTE(Gezza @ Mar 8 2024, 09:48 PM)

Posted by: Jester 9th March 2024, 10:33 AM

Selected tracks outside the Top 10 TOTP 9th, 16th, 23rd & 30th September 1995


Cast - Alright
Chart entry this week & Peak: 13



The second single from the All Change album, this is another great Indie track from Cast.



Garbage - Only Happens When It Rains
Chart entry this week & Peak: 29



TOTP debut from the wonderful Garbage. Shame this didn't peak higher, but its a great taste of what's to come from them.




Menswear - Stardust
Chart entry this week & Peak: 16



Their second hit, inferior to their other singles imo, but still decent.




Sleeper - What Do I Do Now?
Chart entry this week & Peak: 14




Sleeper proving that they were an overlooked Britpop band - they deserved the plaudits that the bigger (male) bands got imo.



Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds feat. Kylie Minogue - Where The Wild Roses Grow
Chart entry this week & Peak: 11




A bit of a dark turn from Kylie here. Still not sure if I like it?!


Radiohead - Lucky
Chart entry this week & Peak: 51




Taken from the chart topping Help! album and released as part of Warchild Help EP, it is criminal how low this peaked. Its endearing quality has shone through as it was included on the best album of all time, OK Computer.

Posted by: dandy* 9th March 2024, 10:39 AM

Only Happy When It Rains is the pick of that bunch, although I do love Sleeper and Radiohead in particular too

Posted by: Gezza 9th March 2024, 11:22 AM

Love the sleeper song. I got the debut album when I heard WDIDN and I wasnt disappointed as I'd loved inbetweener as well. Their best is yet to come though.

Posted by: Bjork 9th March 2024, 12:25 PM

love Where the Wild Roses Grow, Lucky and Only Happy When It Rains <3 three lost gems!

Posted by: dandy* 9th March 2024, 01:38 PM

QUOTE(Gezza @ Mar 9 2024, 11:22 AM)

Posted by: Colm 9th March 2024, 05:17 PM

Lucky is phenomenal and more than hold its own on OK Computer. Only Happy When It Rains is my favourite Garbage single.

Posted by: Steve201 10th March 2024, 10:43 AM

The Nick Cave and Kylie song is a gem!

Posted by: Bjork 11th March 2024, 07:57 AM

was Lucky a proper release? cos the band were already stablished and hitting the top 30 with every release by now
so it's weird a brand new song didn't go top 40

Posted by: dandy* 11th March 2024, 09:32 AM

It wasn’t credited to Radiohead, it was called the ‘Help EP’ or something like that and contained songs by other acts too.

I had absolutely no idea it existed at the time and only bought it later, so I assume that it wasn’t particularly well advertised

Posted by: Bjork 12th March 2024, 08:19 AM

that makes sense I just checked the Radiohead discography page at the OCC and indeed Lucky is not listed as part of their chart history

Posted by: Jessie Where 12th March 2024, 08:36 AM

Oh wow, I had no idea Pulp came that close! Shame they couldn't get it

Posted by: Gezza 15th March 2024, 08:28 PM

21ST OCTOBER



Simply Red have a had a great week…fifth album “Life” explodes into pole position with a great sale of 283,000 to become their third LP chart topper, and lead single “Fairground” makes it a month at the top. As you might expect sales of the single are down now to 96,000 making 578,000 in total over the last month, impressive tallies. Def Leppard equal their highest placed hit “Let’s Get Rocked” as “When Love & Hate Collide” soars 7-2 (71,000) and stands an outside chance of hitting the top next week if nothing emerges. Smokie & Roy “Chubby” Brown continue to climb 4-3 (45,000) but sales are down once again, bizarrely the song has lost sales each week as it moved 5-4-3 surely any further climbs must be beyond it?





Louise’s solo single “Light Of My Life” drops 8-10 (25,000) whilst her former group Eternal smash in at No 5 (42,000) with “Power Of A Woman”. It’s their first single from a second album of the same title and marks their debut without Louise so they must be feeling pretty pleased with the outcome. It’s written by Carl Sturken and Evan Rodgers who formed the group Rhythm Syndicate and hit No 2 in the states with “PASSION” in 1991, for Eternal it gives them a 5th top 10 single from 7 releases.





One of the big dance hits in Ibiza in the summer was Josh Wink’s “Higher State Of Conciousness” which has only been available on import up until now but has had strong club support. It’s new at No 8 (28,000) this week, though the song appeared on a dance compilation last year it is now remixed for the charts though the current release states “Original Mix”.



Shaggy continues his slow descent 3-4 (44,000) and Pulp hurtle 2-6 (39,000), lower down Michael Jackson drifts 5-7 (33,000) and Mariah Carey dives 6-9 (25,000)


1- FAIRGROUND- Simply Red (96,000)
2- WHEN LOVE AND HATE COLLIDE- Def Leppard (71,000)
3- LIVING NEXT DOOR TO ALICE (WHO THE f*** IS ALICE)- Smokie Ft Roy Chubby Brown (45,000)
4- BOOMBASTIC- Shaggy (44,000)
5- POWER OF A WOMAN- Eternal (42,000)
6- MIS-SHAPES/ SORTED FOR E’S & WHIZZ- Pulp (39,000)
7- YOU ARE NOT ALONE- Michael Jackson (33,000)
8- HIGHER STATE OF CONCIOUSNESS- Josh Wink (28,000)
9- FANTASY- Mariah Carey (25,000)
10- LIGHT OF MY LIFE- Louise (25,000)

Posted by: TheSnake 15th March 2024, 08:35 PM

Didn't think Def Leppard's 90s-boybandish-but-still-good song would rise to #2, assumed it would peak first week.

Higher State of Consciousness is uncommercial dance and is very good, I do think it influenced early 00s dance music like Public Domain and Scooter in the early 00s and Calvin/Fatboy Slim/Beardyman's Eat Rave Sleep Repeat in 2013.

Posted by: Gezza 15th March 2024, 09:02 PM

28TH OCTOBER



Well the charts threw up another surprise this week and Britain now has its first gangsta rap No 1. A former US chart topper “Gangsta’s Paradise” features an extensive sample of Stevie Wonder’s “Pastime Paradise” and propels Coolio and LV to the top spot here on a sale of 107,000, the track features in the new Michelle Pfeiffer film “Dangerous Minds” which also forms part of the promo.





For the fourth time in chart history (and the second time in 1995) both the top 2 are new entries and arriving just behind Coolio is a returning Meat Loaf. His last era led with the 7 week chart topping “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)” and he’s now back with the Diane Warren penned “I’d Lie For You (And That’s The Truth)”- he loves a spot of parenthesis- and whilst it isn’t produced by John Steinman it certainly sounds like it could be and female vocals come courtesy of Patti Russo on this occasion. A big budget promo featuring Loaf as a kind of Indiana Jones helps the song to sales of 90,000, the album will follow in a fortnight!





It’s been 7 years since we last saw Everything But The Girl when their cover of “I Don’t Want To Talk About It” peaked at No 3, all but one of the intervening hit singles peaked outside the top 40 including a track called “Missing” which disappointed at No 69 in August 1994. It’s since been remixed by Todd Terry which is already creating waves in the US which has prompted a UK release. It smashes into the charts at No 8 (29,000) which just goes to show the power of a dance remix especially for a group renown for playing laid back indie pop.



Simply Red spend a second week at No 1 in the album charts but “Fairground” is all spent at the top of the singles chart as it moves 1-3 (76,000) going platinum in the process, Def Leppard fall back 2-4 (63,000) and Smokie Featuring Roy “Chubby” Brown complete the top 5 as it finally reverses 3-5 (38,000).

Lower down it’s all fallers apart from Everything But The Girl, that includes Eternal 5-6 (37,000), Shaggy 4-7 (31,000) Michael Jackson 7-9 (25,000) and Josh Wink 8-10 (24,000). Next week sees the first “new” single from Queen in 4 years…another No 1?


1- GANGSTA’S PARADISE- Coolio Ft LV (107,000)
2- I’D LIE FOR YOU (AND THAT’S THE TRUTH)- Meat Loaf (90,000)
3- FAIRGROUND- Simply Red (76,000)
4- WHEN LOVE AND HATE COLLIDE- Def Leppard (63,000)
5- LIVING NEXT DOOR TO ALICE (WHO THE f*** IS ALICE)- Smokie Ft Roy Chubby Brown (38,000)
6- POWER OF A WOMAN- Eternal (37,000)
7- BOOMBASTIC- Shaggy (31,000)
8- MISSING- Everything But The Girl (29,000)
9- YOU ARE NOT ALONE- Michael Jackson (25,000)
10- HIGHER STATE OF CONCIOUSNESS- Josh Wink (24,000)

Posted by: TheSnake 15th March 2024, 09:46 PM

I knew about Coolio from the chart forum on here today (iconic song) but wasn't expecting Missing, such a great song, so atmospheric.

Posted by: Jessie Where 15th March 2024, 09:57 PM

'Power of a Woman' is such a pop classic! That used to be played so often at my school discos.

Also;

Higher State of Consciousness
Missing

Posted by: Bjork 15th March 2024, 09:57 PM

oh Missing <3 one of the best dance songs EVER <3

Posted by: Roba. 16th March 2024, 12:43 AM

Love that Meat Loaf track and also 'Missing' is great as well. I just heard it on radio 2 tonight when Gok Wan was talking about some of his rewind song memories!

Posted by: TheSnake 16th March 2024, 12:48 AM

The Meat Loaf song is good, I'm guessing it was the older vs younger record buyers in the top 2 between Meat Loaf and Coolio!

Posted by: Steve201 16th March 2024, 08:16 AM

God imagine a time when the top 10 could have a dance track as interesting as Josh Wink in it. Also Missing and Gansta Paradise are amazing songs!

Posted by: Jester 16th March 2024, 08:40 AM

Missing is the best pick from these 2 by far - and still one of the best dance songs of all time.

Gangstas Paradise is a great chart topper - way better than the last 2.

Meat Loaf is awful. Thought so then, think so now.

Posted by: gooddelta 16th March 2024, 08:58 AM

I take it Meat Loaf had been expected to debut at No.1? Seems like Coolio came as a surprise, which in itself is a surprise to me when you think of how big a classic it's seen as now.

The Missing remix is great of course, Todd Terry essentially used the same backing track for his remix of Corrs' Dreams.

I love Power of a Woman too, much more than the Louise debut.

Hopefully that was the last Smokie and Chubby appearance, sick of hearing it.

Posted by: dandy* 16th March 2024, 11:11 AM

Loved the arrival of Gangsta’s Paradise. I wasn’t huge on rap songs but had really enjoyed Regulate the year before… was really pleased it beat Meat Loaf, that single just felt like such an artistic retread, even the structure of the title - such an uninspiring comeback.

Missing is of course the best of the lot though. I hadn’t grown to love it yet, I can remember thinking it was okay but would drop like a stone as I just didn’t expect an act like EBTG to have a hit. Never in a million years would I have expected it to stay top 10 next week.

Josh Wink also a good one, loved how big some really leftfield dance tracks were in the 90s

Posted by: Bjork 16th March 2024, 01:54 PM

That Meatloaf song was. poor attempt at recreating I'd do anything for love(but I won't do that), even the title
but it's not a patch of it, Meatloaf at his worst

Posted by: Jade 16th March 2024, 02:26 PM

Catching up on a couple of week's worth of write-ups... I had no idea that 'Boombastic' was an advert song!

'Fantasy' is my favourite Mariah Carey single so nice to see that arriving the mid-to-late 90s eras of Daydream, Butterfly and Rainbow is her golden period for me

Pretty sick of that Smokie song now after I think 4 TOTP plays it's quite amusing that they concealed the swearing with "who the bleep is Alice?" but you can still hear the audience saying f**k. My best friend at University was called Alice and has had that sung to her a number of times lol, I feel for her

'Fairground' is one of the more tolerable Simply Red songs but still not great; I do love 'Give It Up' the instrumental it samples though

Fabulous double A-Side from Pulp, if I was pushed to choose my favourite then I think the exhilarating build-up of 'Mis-shapes' takes it, but do love that appropriately psychedelic production on 'Sorted' also. Aww at it being so close to #1, how annoying!

'Gangsta's Paradise' is an excellent #1 a masterful use of a sample. I had a chat with my parents about this TOTP episode, as it aired just a couple of days before they met for the first time and my mum says she does connect the song with that life event as it was everywhere. Both 'Gangsta's Paradise' and 'Missing' from the same episode have proven to be incredibly enduring, Coolio is one of the only rap songs Heart FM seem to touch. Glad it blocked that Meat Loaf song - agreed that it feels like a weaker retread of past glories.

'Higher State of Consciousness' has been skipped on both TOTP episodes so just reminded myself of it, what a tune

Outside the top 10 recently I really like the Garbage, Radiohead and Nick Cave/Kylie songs - the latter is such a juxtaposition of artists with Kylie jumping on a moody murder ballad, but works

Posted by: Jessie Where 16th March 2024, 02:54 PM

QUOTE(dandy* @ Mar 16 2024, 11:11 AM)

Posted by: Bjork 16th March 2024, 05:21 PM

Was looking at EBTG's discography pre-Missing, poor Ben & Tracie had so many flops and so few hits
only Each and Every One in the early 80s and then a couple covers but nothing else

Night and day/92
Each and every one/28
Mine/58
Native land/73
When all's well/77
Angel/93
Come on home/44
Don’t leave me behind/72
These early days/75
I Always was your Girl/87
I don’t want to talk about it/3
Driving/54
Covers EP/13
The only living boy in New York EP/42
I didn’t know i was looking for love EP/72
Rollercoaster EP/65
Missing/69

Posted by: Bjork 16th March 2024, 05:25 PM

and not much better discography in albums x EBTG, with only their Best Of doing well

Eden/14
Love not Money/10
Baby the stars Shine brght/22
Idlewild/13
The Language of Life/10
Worldwide/29
Home Movies-Best/5
Amplified heart/20

Posted by: Steve201 16th March 2024, 05:36 PM

QUOTE(gooddelta @ Mar 16 2024, 08:58 AM)

Posted by: Steve201 16th March 2024, 05:37 PM

QUOTE(Bjork @ Mar 16 2024, 05:21 PM)

Posted by: Jessie Where 16th March 2024, 08:12 PM

Their trajectory almost reminds me of Texas in that sense!

Although tbf I don't think EBTG are/were a particularly mainstream act or trying to be, but of course the dance remix of 'Missing' brought them a newfound popularity.

Posted by: TheSnake 16th March 2024, 08:21 PM

QUOTE(Steve201 @ Mar 16 2024, 05:37 PM)

Posted by: Bjork 16th March 2024, 10:02 PM

all thru the 80s and mid 90s EBTG were jazz-folk-sophisti-pop kinda uncommercial
they only become dance and more commercial after Missing

Posted by: Steve201 18th March 2024, 08:49 AM

QUOTE(TheSnake @ Mar 16 2024, 08:21 PM)

Posted by: Bjork 18th March 2024, 09:33 AM

EBTG not really, as I posted in their discography, their first single was with the lead single from their debut album

The Stone Roses had a few pre-fame singles but not that many, the 2nd single from their debut went top 40 already

Pulp yes and so many more bands in the 80s like Def Leppard or James

Posted by: Gezza 22nd March 2024, 07:37 PM

4TH NOVEMBER



Coolio Featuring LV take an easy 2nd week at No 1 and improve their sales 55% to 166,000 buoyed by 2CD versions one with extra Coolio tracks and one with extra LV tracks. Radio has finally got on board with it although Simply Red’s “Fairground” remains at No 1 on that survey for a ninth week whilst falling 3-5 (57,000) on the sales chart.





“Gangsta’s Paradise” saw off a new single from Queen with some ease, “Heaven For Everyone” started off as a single for Roger Taylor’s splinter group The Cross in 1988 when it failed to chart despite backing vocals by Mercury himself. It was revisited by the band after Mercury’s death as part of a project to piece together an album which the band were working on before Mercury’s death which has understandably taken some time to come to fruition but “Made In Heaven” will be in shops next week as the lead single drives in at No 2 (103,000) unable, at present, to give Mercury his 4th posthumous chart topper.





Back to ward off that pesky Boyzone as Britain’s second biggest boy band East 17 are about to launch their third album “Up All Night” and lead single “Thunder” is doing the trick as it debuts at No 4 (64,000) providing them with an 8th top 10 single in just 3 years. Incredibly none of their singles have ever debuted as high as this single and more than makes up for the blip of their last release “Hold My Body Tight” which broke a string of five top 10 singles when it made No 12 in June, watch the album fly off the shelves when released later this month.



Queen’s arrival is bad news for Meat Loaf who dips 2-3 (75,000) but Everything But The Girl weather the storm of the new entries at the top to climb 8-6 (47,000).

Four fallers at the bottom of the top flight, Def Leppard dive 4-7 (46,000) not helped by the arrival of their greatest hits album at No 3, Smokie Featuring Roy “Chubby” Brown slide 5-8 (30,000), Eternal falter 6-9 (27,000) and former No 1 “Boombastic” limps 7-10 (25,000). Whilst Meat Loaf, Pulp, and Eternal go head to head on the album charts next week, here on the singles front Coolio will have to fend off new singles from both Robson & Jerome and Oasis- can they do it?


1- GANGSTA’ S PARADISE- Coolio Ft LV (166,000)
2- HEAVEN FOR EVERYONE- Queen (103,000)
3- I’D LIE FOR YOU (AND THAT’S THE TRUTH)- Meat Loaf (75,000)
4- THUNDER- East 17 (64,000)
5- FAIRGROUND- Simply Red (57,000)
6- MISSING- Everything But The Girl (47,000)
7- WHEN LOVE AND HATE COLLIDE- Def Leppard (46,000)
8- LIVING NEXT DOOR TO ALICE (WHO THE f*** IS ALICE)- Smokie Ft Roy Chubby Brown (30,000)
9- POWER OF A WOMAN- Eternal (27,000)
10- BOOMBASTIC- Shaggy (25,000)

Posted by: Gezza 22nd March 2024, 07:59 PM

11TH NOVEMBER



Single sales soar by 19% this week as for the first time in almost 11 years the entire top 3 sell over 160,000 copies each!

W/E 29.12.84 was the last time sales were so astonishing, but that of course was buoyed by Christmas and Band Aid and Wham!, this time around it’s all down to eagerly awaited new singles from acts and a strong outgoing chart topper.

Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” registers a mere 2% decrease to a still phenomenal 163,000 but despite a late surge it still falls 1-3 overtaken by new entries. The headlines go to Robson & Jerome whose second single “Up On The Roof/ I Believe” charges to No 1 on a stellar sale of 258,000 copies, 18% down on the opening tally of their first hit, the 1.8 million selling “Unchained Melody/ White Cliffs Of Dover”. As you might suspect both tracks are covers, “Up On The Roof” is a Goffin/ King composition and was originally recorded by the Drifters but was first hit here for Kenny Lynch (No 10, 1962), whilst “I Believe” spent 18 weeks at No 1 (still a record) for Frankie Laine in 1953 in three separate stints. Its arrival at No 1 marks the first time in history that 4 consecutive chart toppers have all debuted there (all as genuine first releases) and sets everything up nicely for their debut album due in a fortnight. Incidentally at 2min and 8 sec “I Believe” is the shortest No 1 since The Specials topped the charts 15 years ago.





Both the top 2 are new entries then for only the 5th time in chart history, three of those occasions have been in 1995 and two of them have now included Oasis. “Wonderwall” smashes in at No 2 (163,000) selling a couple of hundred copies more than Coolio to give the Mancunian band their 4th top 3 hit on the trot. The band premiered the track on Channel 4 back in June as part of their Glastonbury coverage and is on their second album “(What’s The Story) Morning Glory” which has already sold 700,000 in its first 5 weeks of release which makes the achievement of the single all the more noteworthy. The subject of the song is apparently Noel’s girlfriend Meg Matthews FYI.





If you watched TOTP this week you’ll know that it featured the first live performance on the show by Madonna in 11 years (since “Like A Virgin” in fact) and it certainly did the trick of reversing a midweek fall into a 11-8 (36,000) climb- who said the show didn’t matter anymore? Her 36th top 10 single it will feature on her new album, a collection of ballads, called “Something To Remember” which is out this week, and is apparently an attempt to become low key after years where her image and private life has gained more publicity than her music.



Queen drop 2-4 (82,000) but will be focusing on their album out this week and going head to head with Madonna, and East 17 similarly fall back 4-5 (56,000). The top 7 all clear the 50,000 mark to illustrate the strength of the market at present, Everything But The Girl hold at No 6 (55,000) while Meat Loaf drops past them 3-7 (51,000) but his new album debuts at No 3, Simply Red cascade 5-9 (36,000) and Def Leppard are down 7-10 (30,000)


1- UP ON THE ROOF/ I BELIEVE- Robson & Jerome (258,000)
2- WONDERWALL- Oasis (163,000)
3- GANGSTA’S PARADISE- Coolio Ft LV (163,000)
4- HEAVEN FOR EVERYONE- Queen (82,000)
5- THUNDER- East 17 (56,000)
6- MISSING- Everything But The Girl (55,000)
7- I’D LIE FOR YOU (AND THAT’S THE TRUTH)- Meat Loaf (51,000)
8- YOU’LL SEE- Madonna (36,000)
9- FAIRGROUND- Simply Red (36,000)
10- WHEN LOVE AND HATE COLLIDE- Def Leppard (30,000)

Posted by: Jester 22nd March 2024, 08:18 PM

Woah, I never knew how close Oasis and Coolio were! Almost at number 3 entry for Wonderwall.

If there was a half ok Robson and Jerome song, I suppose I Believe would be it.

Posted by: dandy* 22nd March 2024, 08:51 PM

I also had no idea how close Coolio was to Oasis that week.

Amazing that Oasis had two #2 singles in 1995 that had such huge sales in a week though.

Posted by: Steve201 22nd March 2024, 11:00 PM

Wow Huge sales!

Posted by: Bjork 23rd March 2024, 09:29 AM

guess Oasis priority's was album sales otherwise they could have picked another week
Wonderwall is of course fantastic but I still remember listening to the album for the 1st time and thinking their classic of classics was gonna be Don't look back in anger

Never liked that Queen song and not a fan of posthumous albums

You'll See is ok but far from Madonna's bestest, another average song of hers from the 90s

Posted by: Colm 23rd March 2024, 10:58 AM

You'll See is one of my favourite Madonna songs. Missing is great, of course. I could live without ever hearing Wonderwall again.

Posted by: Bjork 23rd March 2024, 12:07 PM

in at #11 this week is the fabulous He's on the Phone by St Etienne at their most commercial sound

Posted by: Jester 23rd March 2024, 12:38 PM

I’ll be popping in my usual outside the top 10 post later (including He’s On The Phone).

Posted by: Steve201 23rd March 2024, 12:50 PM

Were there many more St Etienne hits to come?

Posted by: jimwatts 23rd March 2024, 01:59 PM

Good to see that even when it became the norm for #1s to debut there, some would still increase in sales in later weeks - huge week 2 & 3 sales for Coolio! Hard to imagine if 'Wonderwall' had a #3 peak...

Posted by: Jade 23rd March 2024, 02:20 PM

Oh I knew that 'Wonderwall' was blocked by Robson & Jerome (a travesty) but had no idea about the sales gap. Well, at least they weren't close at all, but a different story for the opposite direction - glad they narrowly held on ahead of Coolio. Fab sales for all of the top three!

That Saint Etienne song was a discovery for me on TOTP yesterday, sounded great

Posted by: Steve201 23rd March 2024, 05:03 PM

QUOTE(jimwatts @ Mar 23 2024, 01:59 PM)

Posted by: jimwatts 23rd March 2024, 05:35 PM

Yes the lack of airplay prior to release was a factor, but I thought the film wasn't out in the UK until early 1996 (if I remember correctly that that's what caused it to climb back up 18-11 that week).

Posted by: Gezza 23rd March 2024, 06:04 PM

Airplay wise Coolio was at 19 and 13 for the two weeks covered last so not terrible. Release date for the film was January 19th, 1996 in the UK

Posted by: Jester 23rd March 2024, 06:45 PM

Selected tracks outside the Top 10 TOTP 4th & 11th November 1995


Echobelly - King Of The Kerb
Chart entry this week & Peak: 25



The rather fab follow up to Great Things. Its a shame this didn't chart higher


McAlmont & Butler - You Do
Chart entry this week & Peak: 17



Another great follow up. Nowhere near as well known as Yes, this is still a great showcase for 2 huge talents.



Saint Etienne feat. Etienne Daho - She's On The Phone
Chart entry this week & Peak: 11




How the hell was this not top 10?! Glorious, glorious glorious tune.

Posted by: Bjork 24th March 2024, 08:16 AM

I already posted the St Etienne one just 2 posts before you

my fav top 40s from recent weeks also included

Smashing Pumpkins - Bullet with butterfly wings, was obsessed with this, how come this wasn't bigger!!!


Alanis Morissette - Hand in my pocket, another gem from Jagged Little Pill and another semi-flop


Lightning Seeds - Lucky You, their best single, pure pop perfection

Posted by: Jester 24th March 2024, 08:27 AM

QUOTE(Bjork @ Mar 24 2024, 08:16 AM)

I already posted the St Etienne one just 2 posts before you

Posted by: gooddelta 24th March 2024, 09:27 AM

Pretty weak top tens for me, although Gangsta's Paradise is a classic, one of the only rap songs Heart FM plays too I think?

Love He's On The Phone and it definitely deserved top ten, anyone know how far out it was sales wise from Def Leppard?

Didn't realise Wonderwall was so close to missing No.2 even, but maybe not a huge surprise as Coolio was such a big No.1, just the juggernaut of Robson & Jerome saw it off. I think I'd have put Wonderwall out in August instead of Roll With It (the chart battle would have been a lot closer!) and probably just canned Roll With It altogether and released She's Electric or Morning Glory in November.

I don't agree that You'll See is average, far from it. It's a lovely ballad, with tender verses and a powerful chorus, and I love the Spanish guitar. Four weeks top ten and 11 in the top 40 too, so it crossed over more than many of her prior singles managed to.

Posted by: dandy* 24th March 2024, 10:53 AM

Yes I think that You’ll See was quite a turning point, together with the accompanying ballads compilation it successfully realigned the public to her side after a lot of them had left her during the Erotica/Bedtime Stories period

Posted by: Steve201 24th March 2024, 11:17 PM

Lucky You is fabtastic - keep hearing more and more Lightebing Seeds outside of Three Lions and they really did some fantastic tracks and seemed a bit undervalued in terms of their chart peaks!

Posted by: TheSnake 24th March 2024, 11:27 PM

I know and really like 'Lucky You' and 'Hand In My Pocket'.

'He's on the Phone' is good on first listen there, thought Saint Etienne were more indie.

Posted by: Bjork 25th March 2024, 08:39 AM

yes St Etienne were more experimental in the past, here they're almost Eurodance or Europop

Posted by: Gezza 29th March 2024, 02:13 PM

18TH NOVEMBER



The Robson & Jerome phenomenon continues unabated this week with another 224,000 copies sold of “I Believe/ Up On The Roof” last week, it’s the 15th production credit for a Stock and Aitken chart topper placing them equal third in the all time list of producers with the most No 1’s with Norrie Paramor. The current No 1 has failed to ignite in the airplay charts and has been avoided by Radio 1 with just 3 plays all week but that seems to mean that if punters want to hear the song then they have to buy it, sales are now 482,000 after just a fortnight! The only potential black spot on the horizon for the single is the release of the duo’s album this week which will detract from sales.



Beneath them there is just a spot of re-arranging the furniture with Coolio reclimbing 3-2 and Oasis dipping 2-3 in the main due to the latter taking a steeper decline 36% for Oasis and just 15% for Coolio, the answer to why lies on the album chart where Coolio’s new album debuts at No 18 whilst Oasis still sit at No 2. “Wonderwall” sold 104,000 last week to “Gangsta’s Paradise”’s 138,000- total sales of the Coolio track are now at 574,000 enough to place in the top 10 YTD already.



Not many tracks get three releases in a year but the Happy Clappers “I Believe” was first given a shot in January when it missed the charts until a re-issue in the summer saw the song make No 21. Back with a slew of new mixes to support it the splash is much bigger at No 7 (38,000).





It’s been two and a half years since we last heard from Tina Turner but she now follows in the footsteps of Gladys Knight in doing a Bond theme. “Goldeneye” is out in a fortnight and the theme is new at No 10 (29,000) an is penned by Bono & The Edge of U2, it beat other entries to the honours from Ace of Base amongst others. It is her 10th top 10 single including all her duets and primes us for her return with a new album next year (her first studio album in 6 years).



Everything But The Girl are on the move again 6-4 (63,000) and are followed by Madonna 8-5 (58,000), “You’ll See” is the first of her singles to climb for 2 weeks consecutively since “Erotica” in 1992 and comes despite her album “Something To Remember” debuting at No 3 this week. One of the albums blocking her was Queen’s new album “Made In Heaven” which unsurprisingly makes the top spot, meanwhile the single falls 4-8 (35,000) and is overtaken by the still falling East 17 5-6 (47,000). Meat Loaf drops 7-9 (32,000) to complete the recap, next week should be a much busier one with new singles by Bon Jovi, Blur, M People, and Boyzone all looking for top 10 berthing.

1- UP ON THE ROOF/ I BELIEVE- Robson & Jerome (224,000)
2- GANGSTA’S PARADISE- Coolio Ft LV (138,000)
3- WONDERWALL- Oasis (104,000)
4- MISSING- Everything But The Girl (63,000)
5- YOU’LL SEE- Madonna (58,000)
6- THUNDER- East 17 (47,000)
7- I BELIEVE- Happy Clappers (38,000)
8- HEAVEN FOR EVERYONE- Queen (35,000)
9- I’D LIE FOR YOU (AND THAT’S THE TRUTH)- Meat Loaf (32,000)
10- GOLDENEYE- Tina Turner (29,000)

Posted by: Gezza 29th March 2024, 02:57 PM

25TH NOVEMBER



Every time they release something it seems to sell effortlessly and this week belongs entirely to Robson & Jerome who grab the double with their album selling an amazing 270,000 copies, a record for a debut album! “Up On The Roof/ I Believe” meanwhile makes it three weeks at No 1 though sales are off a whopping 47% to 118,000 though they easily retain the top spot. Total sales of the tracks now stand at 600,000 exactly and it’s chasing Coolio up the YTD listings where he stands on 668,000 as he holds at No 2 this week with sales of 94,000. Everything But The Girl equal their highest ever peak as “Missing” moves up a notch 4-3 (85,000).





Beneath the top 3 Oasis slip 3-4 (84,000) but it must give them some satisfaction that not only has “(What’s The Story) Morning Glory” easily outsold rival’s Blur’s album “The Great Escape” already but Blur’s new single “The Universal” debuts at No 5 (64,000) behind them. The second release from the album comes with a cover lifted from the film “2001: A Space Odyssey” and a promo which is heavily inspired by the film “A Clock Orange”- it’s their 5th top 10 hit in all.





Enya has been missing from the top 10 for three years now but “Anywhere Is” is now her second highest charting single ever as it lifts 12-7 (46,000) placing it behind her 1988 chart topper “Orinoco Flow” in her discography. It previews a fourth album from the singer “The Memory Of Trees” in shops this week.





Boyzone are back with a second cover version of their short UK career but Cat Stevens’ “Father & Son” delivers them a fourth top 10 hit without any problems as it enters at No 8 (42,000). It’s the first time that the song has been a hit in the UK and may have all the festive feel needed for a Christmas No 1- some have commented that the new arrangement seems to make little sense in the context of the meaning of the song. Written as a conversation between a wise father and a son who wants to go his own way Steven’s original version is sung in different registers to denote the different characters whilst Boyzone’s is all in one register but it seems the nuances are lost on modern ears or we don’t particularly care. Parent album “Said And Done” topped the charts in August though it currently rests outside the top 50.






Bjork’s solo career has been going for three years now but she seems to only just be getting into her stride now with ever bigger hits, earlier this year she got her first top 10 with “Army Of Me” and now her new single “It’s Oh So Quiet” debuts at No 9 (39,000). The single is a cover of a song first registered in 1948 and recorded in German before being translated to English and becoming a B-side to “Murder, He Says” by Betty Hutton in 1951 which wasn’t a hit here. Bjork’s version comes with a memorable promo which is heavily influenced by the 1964 film “Les Parapluies De Cherbourg”.





Bon Jovi are currently on the most successful chart run of their long career now with a 7th straight top 10 single in “Lie To Me”. It’s another cut from “These Days” album and keeps their career plodding along whilst the band are on a world tour which returns here in the summer. They are new at No 10 (33,000) this week.



Madonna falls 5-6 (55,000).

Next week we’ll count down the runners and riders for the festive No 1 this year- though if you believe the bookies then it’s a done deal…..


1- UP ON THE ROOF/ I BELIEVE- Robson & Jerome (118,000)
2- GANGSTA’S PARADISE- Coolio Ft LV (94,000)
3- MISSING- Everything But The Girl (85,000)
4- WONDERWALL- Oasis (84,000)
5- THE UNIVERSAL- Blur (64,000)
6- YOU’LL SEE- Madonna (55,000)
7- ANYWHERE IS- Enya (46,000)
8- FATHER AND SON- Boyzone (42,000)
9- IT’S OH SO QUIET- Bjork (39,000)
10- LIE TO ME- Bon Jovi (33,000)

Posted by: Colm 29th March 2024, 07:39 PM

QUOTE(Gezza @ Mar 29 2024, 02:57 PM)

Posted by: dandy* 29th March 2024, 07:51 PM

Amazing run of sales increases for EBTG, it genuinely was getting more and more popular

Posted by: Jade 29th March 2024, 08:41 PM

I watched A Clockwork Orange for the first time a couple of months ago so it was cool to immediately recognise the references in the music video for 'The Universal' tonight on TOTP, what a great song too.

Posted by: Jester 29th March 2024, 09:05 PM

Goldeneye, The Universal and Its Oh So Quiet are the picks from the newbies from me.

Posted by: dandy* 29th March 2024, 09:42 PM

It's Oh So Quiet is such a unique single. I never listen to it as part of Björk's discography because it's jarring against her other singles (and indeed I wish it wasn't on the Post album) but I do really enjoy it on its own.

Great to see Enya back with a really strong single. I remember I bought it at the time because there was a CD single that was backed with her three other biggest hits - after a few plays it more than matched its company.

The Universal is indeed lovely - Damon Albarn seems to still play it a lot live so I assume it must be a favourite of his work with Blur

Posted by: TheSnake 29th March 2024, 10:10 PM

'Father and Son' is a really nice song, covering the 1970 original shows more of the 70s nostalgia that was popular in the 90s.

'Its Oh So Quiet' and 'Goldeneye' are iconic.

Posted by: gooddelta 29th March 2024, 10:58 PM

Anywhere Is is my favourite Enya song, and one of my favourite songs of 1995, an absolute beauty. Love the ending - 'I might be near the end', and she was...

The Universal is great too, it's been used in various adverts since hasn't it?

Father and Son is not a bad cover from Boyzone, it's the version I'm most familiar with too. There were a lot of non chart-toppers with very meandering chart runs in the top ten at this stage - Boyzone, Björk, Oasis, Everything But The Girl...chart runs more similar to what you'd expect to see today.

Posted by: Bjork 30th March 2024, 07:07 AM

oh love It's oh so Quiet even though it should have been a one-off single and not included in Post, it really doesn't fit.

The Universal is the best track from The Great Escape

love how Enya could manage a top 10 hit, nowadays she releases a single and she wouldn't even be top 1000
that said, don't think it's one of my fav of hers, same for the album, not as good as her first two

Posted by: Jester 30th March 2024, 06:02 PM

I’m a bit meh at that Enya song too. Much prefer the lovely Book Of Days from her.

Posted by: Steve201 31st March 2024, 01:41 AM

QUOTE(gooddelta @ Mar 29 2024, 10:58 PM)

Posted by: Padamic Tension 1st April 2024, 04:45 PM

QUOTE(Jester @ Mar 30 2024, 07:02 PM)

Posted by: Mack. 3rd April 2024, 05:04 PM

19 April
19:00 Christmas 1995
20:00 17/04/1986
20:30 16/04/1981

https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl6b/2024/04/19

BBC4 had shown the Christmas episode before but it had Mike Flowers Pops as the number 1. Wonder if they’ll show that version again.

Posted by: Jester 3rd April 2024, 05:45 PM

QUOTE(Mack. @ Apr 3 2024, 06:04 PM)

Posted by: Colm 3rd April 2024, 09:17 PM

QUOTE(Jester @ Mar 30 2024, 07:02 PM)

Posted by: Bjork 4th April 2024, 08:48 AM

poor Orinoco Flow :/

Posted by: Gezza 4th April 2024, 09:06 AM

We're skipping a week tomorrow evening (Gary Glitter hosted) so I'll post two weeks tonight and the third one tomorrow to keep up to date

Posted by: Gezza 4th April 2024, 04:08 PM

2ND DECEMBER



A real tussle for the top spot this week with Robson & Jerome fading fast and giving Coolio’s far more consistent seller “Gangsta’s Paradise” a real shot at returning to the top. In the end a mere 50 copies separated the two titles after “Up On The Roof/ I Believe” suffered another 17% dip to 98,000 whilst Coolio actually increased his sales marginally by 4% to 97,950, total sales of the two tracks (which seem to have been in a duel for the top spot for ages) are now 698k and 765k respectively which places Coolio at No 6 and Robson & Jerome right below them at No 7 on the YTD survey. Robson & Jerome also retain stewardship of the album charts where they even hold off the mighty Beatles and sell another 213,000 copies of their album.





The only new entry in the top 10 comes courtesy of Passengers which is the name of a project consisting of U2 and Brian Eno and for which an album (“Original Soundtracks Vol 1”) has been produced full of tracks for, in the main, imaginary films. One track “Miss Sarajevo” does feature on a documentary though by Bill Carter an American journalist who got Bono interested in making a flick about the current Bosnia conflict which the latter gladly accepted and funded, it featured a beauty competition in Sarajevo in 1993 in the midst of the war which makes it onto the promo for the track. The song also features Luciano Pavarotti (though uncredited) but does little to lift the album which drifts 46-51 although the single is new at No 6 (54,000).



Everything But The Girl remain No 3 (78,000) but sales are easing now but with a total of 357,000 that’s hardly surprising, Boyzone lift 8-4 (68,000) to keep their top 5 string of hits intact and Oasis continual their neat descent 4-5 (68,000). Their album “(What’s The Story) Morning Glory” has now sold 980,000 copies and becomes the bestselling album of the year with just 5 weeks left.

Enya sticks it out at No 7 (51,000) which isn’t bad given her album enters at No 6, Bjork climbs 9-8 (46,000) whilst Madonna heads south 6-9 (42,000) and Bon Jovi remain in anchor place with 37,000 sales.

1- UP ON THE ROOF/ I BELIEVE- Robson & Jerome (98,000)
2- GANGSTA’S PARADISE- Coolio Ft LV (97,950)
3- MISSING- Everything But The Girl (78,000)
4- FATHER AND SON- Boyzone (68,000)
5- WONDERWALL- Oasis (68,000)
6- MISS SARAJEVO- Passengers (54,000)
7- ANYWHERE IS- Enya (51,000)
8- IT’S OH SO QUIET- Bjork (46,000)
9- YOU’LL SEE- Madonna (42,000)
10- LIE TO ME- Bon Jovi (37,000)




So onto those Festive No 1 contenders:

FREE AS A BIRD- The Beatles

There’s nothing else in the running if you believe the bookies, their album failed to enter at the top can they can get an 18th chart topper and finally break the record they currently hold with Elvis?

WONDERWALL- Mike Flowers Pop

If you’re not feeling the Beatles love then how about this easy listening version of the current Oasis single?- Unusual and worth a punt!

A WINTER’S TALE- Queen

The rate of which “Made In Heaven” is selling might spell trouble for the chances of this making No 1 but then with Queen you can never discount them

EYE OF THE TIGER- Frank Bruno

Novelty hit this year? Current Heavyweight champion going for Christmas chart honours, stranger things have happened

THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS- The Childliners

Charity single for the “Childline” helpline unsurprisingly. MN8, East 17, Boyzone, Deuce, Michelle Gayle and Dannii Minogue are among the stars for this single.

EARTHSONG- Michael Jackson

A third single from “HIStory” Jackson’s last single went to No 1 can this do the same, promo is already on heavy rotation at MTV.

COME TOGETHER- Smokin Mojo Filters

Another allstar amalgamation and again for Charity. This one includes Paul Weller, Paul McCartney, and Noel Gallagher.

LAST CHRISTMAS/ BIG TIME- Whigfield

Who can resist the festive favourite from Wham! Well it gets an update from Whigfield.

REMEMBERING THE FIRST TIME- Simply Red

Their last single spent a month at No 1, they’ll be hoping that this can do it again though it isn’t particularly seasonal.

CHRISTMAS IN BLOBBYLAND- Mr Blobby

Only 2 years ago Mr Blobby was the surprise chart topper, can the big blob do it all over again?

Posted by: Gezza 4th April 2024, 04:39 PM

9TH DECEMBER



Well the country has a new No 1 and it belongs to Michael Jackson, for a man whose career was in limbo at the beginning of the year he has delivered on all fronts and for the first time in his career has back to back chart toppers along with a No 1 album, incidentally “HIStory” is the first Jackson studio album to contain two UK No 1 singles as well.

Penned for the “Dangerous” album but not recorded until after the deadline, “Earth Song” returns Jackson to the theme of saving the world and highlighting conservation of the planet, themes obviously close to his heart, it sold a healthy 116,000 to enter at the top, the fifth song on the trot to do so- a new record.



Jackson’s arrival pushes down the former chart toppers from Robson & Jerome and Coolio who complete the top 3 as they fall 1-2 (97,000) and 2-3 (77,000)- both tracks are now in the top 5 for the YTD and could make the million mark with sales about to go crazy.

Also in decline in sales as well as position are Everything But The Girl 3-4 (56,000) and Boyzone 4-5 (55,000).



New entry time and first up is the current US chart topper from Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men. “One Sweet Day” became the 4th US No 1 single to debut there last week and give her a 10th US chart topper, she’s not as big a star here where she has a solitary No 1 to her name but it is her 10th top 10 single and ninth in a row. It marks a significant turnaround for Boyz II Men who only have their 3rd top 10 hit with the song. The track takes its inspiration from the death of Dave Cole (of Clivilles & Cole fame) earlier this year from AIDS and debuts at No 6 (49,000).





Pulp’s stab at the festive No 1 is ”Disco 2000” a third cut from the No 1 album “A Different Class”, it’s been remixed for single release by none other than Alan Tarmey who is of course more famous as one of Cliff Richard’s man writers. The guitar riff is “inspired” by the 1982 Laura Branigan single “Gloria” and tells the tale of Cocker pondering what it might be like to meet up with a crush years later, it smashes in at No 7 (47,000).





The next “Purple Rain”? well if you believe the hype from the man himself then “Gold” gets off to a decent start for Prince or AFKAP as he’s now known. Naturally you can actually buy a limited edition “gold” version of the CD and this is his 15th top 10 single as it debuts at No 10 (38,000).



Elsewhere Oasis fall 5-8 (46,000) as their album sells its millionth copy and Bjork falls 8-9 (42,000).

Next week sees the first “new” Beatles song in 25 years and a dead cert No 1 if those in the know are right! Other contenders going for it are Whigfield, Simply Red, and Childliners.

1- EARTH SONG- Michael Jackson (116,000)
2- I BELIEVE/ UP ON THE ROOF- Robson & Jerome (97,000)
3- GANGSTA’S PARADISE- Coolio Ft LV (77,000)
4- MISSING- Everything But The Girl (56,000)
5- FATHER AND SON- Boyzone (55,000)
6- ONE SWEET DAY- Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men (49,000)
7- DISCO 2000- Pulp (47,000)
8- WONDERWALL- Oasis (46,000)
9- IT’S OH SO QUIET- Bjork (42,000)
10- GOLD- Prince (38,000)

Posted by: Gezza 4th April 2024, 04:50 PM

The Missing episode for completeness (Warning: as noted it's presented by Gary Glitter)

Posted by: dandy* 4th April 2024, 05:20 PM

Gold is one of my absolute favourite Prince songs, it should have been so much bigger but was released against so many huge sellers.

Disco 2000 is the other obvious pick, still one of the highest highs from Britpop and Pulp rounding out a wonderful 1995 for them in some style.

Posted by: Jester 4th April 2024, 05:22 PM

Disco 2000 I was gutted this missed the top 5 at the time.

Posted by: Bjork 4th April 2024, 06:21 PM

it was a post album single so couldn't really do much more than it did
Disco 2000 is really one of the best singles of the 90s

and then we have that diabolical top 2 of Earth song/Robson & Jerome

not sure if I know the Prince song, will have to check

Posted by: TheSnake 4th April 2024, 06:25 PM

Had no idea until today that Disco 2000 didn't make top 5. Great song, its not very disco-ey to my ears although apparently it was influenced by disco.

Can hear the Laura Brannigan Gloria comparisons in the song though!

Posted by: Notorious D.O.T 4th April 2024, 10:49 PM

Disco 2000. what as song!!

Posted by: Notorious D.O.T 4th April 2024, 10:50 PM

So if the evil music career of Robson & Jerome had never happened, 1995's chart toppers may have looked like....

13/5/95- Dreamer- Livin' Joy (2 Weeks)
27/5/95- Guaglione- Perez 'Prez Prado & His Orchestra (1 Week)
3/6/95- Common People- Pulp (2 Weeks)
17/6/95- Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me- U2 (2 Weeks)
1/7/95- Boom Boom Boom- The Outhere Brothers (5 Weeks)

...

28/10/95- Gangsta's Paradise- Coolio ft L.V (2 Weeks)
11/11/95- Wonderwall- Oasis (1 Week)
18/11/95- Gangsta's Paradise- Coolio ft L.V. (3 Weeks- 5 Total)
9/12/95- Earth Song- Michael Jackson

Posted by: jimwatts 5th April 2024, 04:29 AM

Coolio was very close to regaining #1 from Robson & Jerome on their 4th week then! Although the following week the gap was back to 20k.

Had a quick look at the rest of the Top 40 both weeks - I had no idea the David Bowie single (#39 in the first week) was a double A-side with 'The Man Who Sold The World', a live version but glad that made the Top 40 for him in some form. In the second week was a new entry at #27 we'd eventually hear a lot more of!

Posted by: dandy* 5th April 2024, 07:09 AM

Oh I forgot to mention Passengers… I really like that these days. I bought it at the time but didn’t listen to it that often, however over the years I’ve really grown to like it - the understated first half is quite beautiful and the Pavarotti parts are really dramatic and uplifting. When he starts singing it’s like the whole song just lifts to a new plain

Posted by: Gezza 5th April 2024, 11:34 AM

Agreed. Pavarotti makes the record frankly

Posted by: Gezza 5th April 2024, 02:53 PM

16TH DECEMBER





A tight week turned into a tough battle between The Beatles and Michael Jackson with the latter finally winning out. “Earth Song” had to improve sales by 39% to 149,000 to remain top of the pile helped on, if that’s the phrase, by Jackson’s collapse and hospitilisation this week which led to some erroneous news reports that he’d actually died! A second CD version with remixes of “Wanna Be Startin Something” also aided his case, “HIStory” is also back in the top 10 rising 13-9 as sales rapidly approach the million mark.





He wasn’t the midweek No 1 however because that belonged to the most successful group ever on the British chart- The Beatles. “Free As A Bird” was promoted as the first new Beatles single in 25 years but it actually dates back to 1977 as a John Lennon demo which his widow Yoko Ono gave to McCartney for the “Anthology” project and to which he, Starr and Harrison added their contributions. The song rushed into the lead but floundered as the week progressed selling 120,000 copies to debut at No 2.



The remainder of the top 5 are tight packed with Boyzone rebounding 5-3 (89,000), total sales now 257,000, Everything But The Girl spend an 8th week in the top 10 selling 496,000 in total including a massive 83,000 last week (an increase of 48% week on week) and Coolio drops 3-5 (82,000) as he moves over 900,000 copies. Even Coolio is up week on week- Christmas must be on its way!



Two acts with Greatest hits packages currently charting are Janet Jackson (No 18) and Luther Vandross (No 36) and some may recall that back in 1992 they duetted on “The Best Things In Life Are Free” which went all the way to No 2 behind Snap!’s “Rhythm Is A Dancer”. Now remixed by K-Klass (who revitilised Bobby Brown’s career earlier his year) the song is given new life and becomes a top 10 single all over again powering in at No 7 (45,000).



Robson & Jerome cave 2-6 (82,000) but hold the album top spot on another eye watering sale of 279,000 to sell its millionth copy in just 26 days- the fastest ever time to reach the milestone!

Bjork keeps pottering about the lower top 10, this week “It’s Oh So Quiet” inches 9-8 (43,000) meaning that it has moved 9-8-9-8 so far, and Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men retract 6-10 (38,000) indicating that it won’t be repeating its US success here.



At No 9 (41,000) is the only other new entry and it comes from the Childliners who as you might suspect are a conglomeration of acts put together in aid of the Childline charity, stars to appear here include Boyzone, Dannii Minogue and East 17 among others. “The Gift Of Christmas” was written by manager Tom Watkins and East 17’s Tony Mortimer.



Next week will see entries by Smokin Mojo Filters, Queen and Frank Bruno enter the race for the Festive chart topper!


1- EARTH SONG- Michael Jackson (149,000)
2- FREE AS A BIRD- The Beatles (120,000)
3- FATHER AND SON- Boyzone (89,000)
4- MISSING- Everything But The Girl (83,000)
5- GANGSTA’S PARADISE- Coolio Ft LV (82,000)
6- I BELIEVE/ UP ON THE ROOF- Robson & Jerome (82,000)
7- THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE (REMIX)- Luther Vandross & Janet Jackson (45,000)
8- IT’S OH SO QUIET- Bjork (43,000)
9- THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS- Childliners (41,000)
10- ONE SWEET DAY- Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men (38,000)

Posted by: Jessie Where 5th April 2024, 06:00 PM

I'm a week late but Disco 2000. I think that's their best one for me.

How did I never pick up on the 'Gloria' influence before now?

Posted by: Gezza 5th April 2024, 06:19 PM

Just watched The Childliners on TOTP, appreciate it's for charity and a good cause but it really is something else posing more questions than answers. However I didn't realise it featured a pre fame (in the UK at any rate) Backstreet Boys and Peter Andre

Posted by: dandy* 5th April 2024, 07:40 PM

I remember at the time it being treated as pretty much a dead cert across the media that the Beatles would be #1 so I was really surprised when Earth Song held on - although I was already pretty surprised that Earth Song had made #1 at all.

My other main memory of this week was being majorly surprised that Björk was still in the top 10... partly because it fell last week but also because it was Björk and it just seemed so unlikely that she would have a song in the top 10 for four weeks.

Posted by: Jester 5th April 2024, 08:54 PM

QUOTE(Gezza @ Apr 5 2024, 07:19 PM)

Posted by: Gezza 5th April 2024, 09:28 PM

QUOTE(Jester @ Apr 5 2024, 09:54 PM)

Posted by: Steve201 5th April 2024, 09:36 PM

QUOTE(Notorious D.O.T @ Apr 4 2024, 11:50 PM)

Posted by: Gezza 5th April 2024, 09:36 PM

Also how am I now only finding out that the blonde girl from Deuce (who sings some lines in the childline track) was married to Ant (of Dec fame) for over a decade?

Posted by: Steve201 5th April 2024, 09:42 PM

Was watching the TOTP episode from April 95 last night with Deuce and thought the blonde girl was rather nice looking, maybe they both met on set? They both were having a big year in 1995!

Some amazing top 10 sales!

Posted by: Jade 5th April 2024, 10:23 PM

What a shame that 'Disco 2000' was on the skipped TOTP episode where Gary Glitter was the guest presenter echoing the love for that one of course

I wish that 'Free As A Bird' had outpaced 'Earth Song' for the whole week! I do feel like Jeff Lynne's stamp on it is very strong, but I am into it.

Posted by: Bjork 6th April 2024, 06:13 AM

Free as a Bird was ok but not that great, terrible top 2

can Bjork be #1 instead please!!

Posted by: Jessie Where 6th April 2024, 09:04 AM

Much as I love Björk (first 3 albums are perfection), that song gets right on my tits 😬

Posted by: Jester 6th April 2024, 11:59 AM

I remember Jacko beating the Beatles to the top spot was newsworthy at the time. MJ was quoted as being ‘thrilled’.

Posted by: Gezza 6th April 2024, 12:10 PM

By this point there was bad blood between Jackson and McCartney anyway after Jackson bought the back catalogue of the beatles in 1985 and outbid McCartney. If I recall correctly they never really spoke again.

Posted by: dandy* 6th April 2024, 12:18 PM

I’d forgotten about that. I’d have been miffed too if I was Macca.

Posted by: Notorious D.O.T 6th April 2024, 04:33 PM

It's a shame Free As A Bird couldn't hold on to it's midweek lead and topple the dirge that is Earth Song. MJ at his overblown worst.

Posted by: Doctor Blind 6th April 2024, 06:51 PM

QUOTE(jimwatts @ Apr 5 2024, 05:29 AM)

Posted by: Steve201 6th April 2024, 06:58 PM

Was Bowie not more experimental in the 90s hence the hits dried up?

Posted by: Bjork 7th April 2024, 06:05 AM

I'm Deranged is my fav song from Bowie's Outside album and the whole 90s but cannot recall if it was a single

Posted by: Jester 7th April 2024, 02:36 PM

Selected tracks outside the Top 10 TOTP 18th & 25th November and 2nd, 9th & 16th December 1995


The Beautiful South - Pretenders To The Throne
Chart entry this week & Peak: 18



Decent enough song from the Beautiful South, although not one that I have listened to in a long time.


Whale - Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe
Chart entry this week & Peak: 15



Wow, memory unlocked when I heard this! The woman's part is quite the earworm.



Garbage - Queer
Chart entry this week & Peak: 13



Adore this from Garbage. Not their best song, but close!

Posted by: Jester 7th April 2024, 03:04 PM

Do you all find my on- TOTP but peaking outside of the top 10 selection posts interesting/useful?

If so, was planning to continue into 1996.

Posted by: Steve201 7th April 2024, 04:55 PM

Yeh absolutely especially since decent songs don’t climb from 1996 onwards to some classics miss out on the top 10!

Posted by: Bjork 7th April 2024, 05:50 PM

from all the songs that missed the top 10 in recent weeks, this is my fav
Therapy? - Diane, really dark and creepy but love it



not a big fan myself but surprised Whitney Houston-Exhale peaked at #11 in the UK, was a huge one everywhere

Posted by: Jessie Where 7th April 2024, 05:56 PM

Love love love that Garbage track

Posted by: Bjork 8th April 2024, 06:54 AM

loved early days Garbage, they were so good, and love how every single was doing a bit better
first they crack the top 40, next single top 20 etc etc

Posted by: Steve201 8th April 2024, 07:50 AM

That was generally how new artists bands did in those days!

Posted by: Gezza 12th April 2024, 08:04 PM

23RD DECEMBER



The Beatles are defeated and now the only thing that stands in Michael Jackson’s way of a Christmas chart topper is a novelty version of Oasis’ “Wonderwall”. “Earth Song” racked up another 150,000 copies last week to grab a third week at the top and take total sales of the track to 415,000, album “HIStory” also improves 9-4 and will sell its millionth copy this week wrapping up a fantastic year for the singer. It is also now Jackson’s longest chart topper!



The Beatles drift 2-3 (86,000) which means that surprisingly Boyzone move 3-2 (97,000) as it seems to connect with buyers just at the right time! Boyzone were of course in the top 5 last Christmas so it is clearly a market that they seem to understand.

Talking about connecting at the right time that seems to be the story for Bjork who suddenly sprints 8-4 (75,000) to overtake Everything But The Girl who slip 4-5 (69,000).



The only new entry comes predictably from Queen and a song which was one of the last recorded by Mercury, “A Winter’s Tale” isn’t a cover of the David Essex track but a new composition reputedly written by Mercury whilst in hospital in Geneva, it becomes their 23rd top 10 single by debuting at No 6 (68,000) and now they have only the Beatles ahead of them in terms of top tenners by UK groups, they have 26!



Coolio drops 5-7 (67,000) and Robson & Jerome slide 6-8 (67,000), the two tracks still seemingly in eternal battle with each other, both are over 900,000 and both should sell their millionth copy this week. There is less competition on the album front where Coolio is yet to sell his 100,000 copy but the Soldier Soldier boys sold another astonishing 316,000 copies to come within 50,000 copies of Oasis and bagging the biggest album of the year with just 5 weeks since release.

Childliners hold steady at No 9 (41,000) and Oasis return to the top 10 bouncing 11-10 (39,000) just in time for that rival version to chart.

So all eyes on next week’s chart and the prize of the Christmas chart topper- can Mike Flowers pops do it?- they have advance orders of over 200,000 and they’ll need them all to outdo Jacko!

1- EARTH SONG- Michael Jackson (150,000)
2- FATHER AND SON- Boyzone (97,000)
3- FREE AS A BIRD- The Beatles (86,000)
4- IT’S OH SO QUIET- Bjork (75,000)
5- MISSING- Everything But The Girl (69,000)
6- A WINTER’S TALE- Queen (68,000)
7- GANGSTA’S PARADISE- Coolio Ft LV (67,000)
8- I BELIEVE/ UP ON THE ROOF- Robson & Jerome (67,000)
9- THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS- Childliners (41,000)
10- WONDERWALL- Oasis (39,000)

Posted by: Bjork 12th April 2024, 08:13 PM

Bjork advancing to #4 yay! best news of the week
that top 3 is diabolical

Posted by: Notorious D.O.T 12th April 2024, 11:03 PM

What an utterly cursed top 2.

Posted by: Gezza 13th April 2024, 08:13 AM

FYI TOTP 96 scheduled to begin on May 3rd provisionally

Posted by: Jester 13th April 2024, 02:25 PM

At least Wonderwall returned to the top 10….!

Posted by: Steve201 13th April 2024, 07:45 PM

QUOTE(Gezza @ Apr 13 2024, 09:13 AM)

Posted by: Jade 13th April 2024, 07:59 PM

Noticed on this week's TOTP that 'Are You Out There' by Crescendo was new at #20, aka one of my two winners in Club Bizarre (the dance forum song contest on this forum) - TUNE

Posted by: Gezza 13th April 2024, 08:32 PM

QUOTE(Steve201 @ Apr 13 2024, 08:45 PM)

Posted by: Steve201 13th April 2024, 09:56 PM

No worries thanks!

Posted by: jimwatts 14th April 2024, 02:41 PM

QUOTE(Jade @ Apr 13 2024, 08:59 PM)

Noticed on this week's TOTP that 'Are You Out There' by Crescendo was new at #20, aka one of my two winners in Club Bizarre (the dance forum song contest on this forum) - TUNE

Posted by: gooddelta 14th April 2024, 04:48 PM

And then immediately after the 1995 episode on Friday they played a 1992 episode that opened with Praga Khan, the most recent winner of Club Bizarre!

Posted by: mrpopquiz 19th April 2024, 11:15 AM

QUOTE(Steve201 @ Apr 13 2024, 08:45 PM)