Yes it's back, the title says it all, a thread designed to "best guess" the sales week by week for 1993. 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!

1990
1991
1992


In doing this I've tried to take into account TOTP performances and other factors which may have effected sales and chart positions throughout the decade.



The Internet can't tell me everything so I'm relying on the Buzzjack oldies to throw in some pertinent facts that I may be unaware of (I was only 13 when the decade began) and to discuss the tracks. 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 Dreams can come true in

yay!!! great this is back

16TH JANUARY

 

 

1993 is upon us but nothing much changes at the top with Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” ruling the roost for a seventh week. It is now officially a million seller after shifting 61,000 to bring its collective haul to 1,021,000, it’s the second million seller ever by a female act and is now the second longest chart topper by a female solo act after Doris Day’s “Secret Love” spent 8 weeks there back in the 50s. The film is atop the box office and the soundtrack remains not only the top compilation of the week but the best selling album overall. A clean sweep.

 

 

At least there’s some new blood on the way through, Snap! rise 7-2 (37,000) and could have an outside chance at the top spot next week, and Take That hold at No 3 (27,000) with a minimal sales dip but will celebrate with “Take That & Party” which moves 3-2 with only Cher now standing in its way.

 

 

Faith No More fans will now be used to hearing their band’s cover of the Commodores classic “Easy” but they’ve now committed it to record and teamed with a cut from their “Angel Dust” album called “Be Aggressive”. Indeed the album is getting re-issued in a few weeks to include “Easy” but in the meantime it rockets 78-6 (18,000), that makes not only Faith No More’s biggest hit but the highest charting version of the song ever as the original only made No 9 in 1977 and No 15 on re-issue in 1988 when it featured on advert for Halifax Bank.

 

 

 

 

Formed in 1986 Pop Will Eat Itself have long been indie darlings generating 11 hit singles between 1988 and 1992 though only two reached the top 20. Taking full advantage of the barren release schedule the band have released a third single from their fourth album “”The Looks Or The Lifestyle” entitled “Get The Girl + Kill The Baddies!” and are rewarded with their biggest hit yet as it enters at No 9 (12,000). The band have recently departed from RCA but as they hit it big perhaps the label with re-evaluate?

 

 

 

Ploughing much the same ground as PWEI back in the late 80s, Jesus Jones have since become much larger than their fellow indie rockers after conquering America in 1990 and scoring a top ten single in January 1991 with “International Bright Young Thing”. Their third album is now ready to hit the shops and lead single “The Devil You Know” is doing brisk business rising 19-10 (11,000) following a TOTP performance.

 

 

Arrested Development are on the prowl rising 8-4 (23,000) but heading the wrong way are Michael Jackson 2-5 (22,000), The Shamen 5-7 (15,000) and Charles & Eddie 4-8 (13,000).

 

 

1- I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU- Whitney Houston (61,000)

2- EXTERMINATE- Snap! Featuring Niki Harris (37,000)

3- COULD IT BE MAGIC- Take That (27,000)

4- MR WENDAL/ REVOLUTION- Arrested Development (23,000)

5- HEAL THE WORLD- Michael Jackson (22,000)

6- I’M EASY/ BE AGGRESSIVE- Faith No More (18,000)

7- PHOREVER PEOPLE- The Shamen (15,000)

8- WOULD I LIE TO YOU- Charles & Eddie (13,000)

9- GET THE GIRL! KILL THE BADDIES- Pop Will Eat Itself (12,000)

10- THE DEVIL YOU KNOW- Jesus Jones (11,000)

 

Feels like quite a lacklustre start to 1993 really, though do like the Snap song

23RD JANUARY

 

 

Whitney continues to be immovable at the top of the charts but she is, at least, looking vulnerable now, her sales of 52,000 were enough to defeat Snap! again but “Exterminate” shifted 44,000 as it reduced the deficit by two thirds week on week and setting up an interesting battle next week. “I Will Always Love You” is now in its 8th week at the top equaling the record for longest stay at No 1 by a female solo track but it does now become the biggest selling CD single ever in the format.

 

 

 

 

Dance trio West End have been formed by Denis Ingoldsby who is also a co-founder of 1st Avenue records who currently have Dina Carroll on their roster. They’ve taken the Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes 1974 #21 track “The Love I Lost” and recruited Sybil to provide the vocals. The song was the third biggest for Melvin and it’s worth noting that their two bigger hits “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” and “Don’t Leave Me This Way” have been turned into top 2 hits by Simply Red in 1989 and The Communards in 1986 so this could be heading right to the top. It marks Sybil’s first top 10 single in 3 years and is produced by Stock/ Waterman who seem to be back in the hit making mood after the WWF superstars, this track climbs 14-5 (27,000).

 

 

 

When “We Are Family” was written by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards it became the first song that the pair had written and given away to another act. That act was of course Sister Sledge and it became one of their four top ten singles between 1979 and 1985 as well as their signature tune. Remixed in 1984 it made No 33 and is now back in “Sure Is Pure” remix updating it for today’s dancefloor, it will be followed by a new best of album next month so expect other remixes as this one debuts at No 7 (17,000) one place higher than the original reached! It becomes the first single to chart three times in three different remixes folks!

 

 

 

Italian dance act Usura are responsible for the single that debuts at No 8 (14,000) entitled “Open Your Mind” which has a promo featuring morphing heads of various famous people including Thatcher, Reagan, Mussolini, Stalin, and Mary Whitehouse among others! It samples Ashford & Simpsons “Solid”, Simple Minds “New Gold Dream” along with dialogue from the film “Total Recall”.

 

 

 

Scoring 5 top 75 singles in 1989 and 1990 the Beloved have since split with founding member Jon Marsh retaining the name and allowing his wife to join in time for their third album “Conscience” which is in shops next month. Previously the single “Hello” was their biggest hit (No 19, 1990) but “Sweet Harmony” trounces that peak immediately smashing into the charts at No 9 (13,00) and comes with a mildly controversial video featuring mostly naked bodies.

 

 

 

Peter Gabriel’s most recent album “Us” debuted at No 2 last October behind R.E.M but only 9 weeks in its initial run dampened by lead single “Digging In The Dirt” only making No 24. It’s back now rising 30-21 with second single “Steam” gaining airplay and sales as it moves 17-10 (13,000) and comes with another innovative video courtesy of Stephen Johnson who also directed “Sledgehammer”, and a remix of “Games Without Frontiers” on the reverse to entice you.

 

 

Faith No More race 6-3 (31,000) and push Take That down 3-4 (27,000). Arrested Development slide 4-6 (25,000) despite registering a sales increase, their album also charges 10-4 to reach a new peak.

 

 

1- I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU- Whitney Houston (52,000)

2- EXTERMINATE- Snap! Featuring Niki Harris (44,000)

3- I’M EASY/ BE AGRESSIVE- Faith No More (31,000)

4- COULD IT BE MAGIC- Take That (27,000)

5- THE LOVE I LOST- West End Ft Sybil (27,000)

6- MR WENDAL/ REVOLUTION- Arrested Development (25,000)

7- WE ARE FAMILY (93 MIXES)- Sister Sledge (17,000)

8- OPEN YOUR MIND- Usura (14,000)

9- SWEET HARMONY- The Beloved (13,000)

10- STEAM- Peter Gabriel (13,000)

 

Sweet Harmony, one of my all time faves :wub:

Exterminate is one of Snap’s best - I much prefer their mid 90s output.

 

Sweet Harmoney is understated class, still sounds amazing.

 

Finally Open Your Mind is bonkers, with a sample from Total Recall!

Getting rather sick of 'I Will Always Love You' on the TOTP repeats :lol: at least when Shakespear's Sister were hogging the top it was with a song I loved, never cared for this cover. I have enjoyed reading the impressive stats surrounding it though at least, she really was dominating.

 

'Sweet Harmony' is indeed fantastic <3 and 'Open Your Mind' was a fun discovery this week. As was 'Broken English' by Sunscreem outside of the top 10!

 

I knew of 'Exterminate' but it's only now that it's properly clicking with me :music:

1993 was the year I became interested in pop music and, eventually, the charts, although those both came later in the year - so a fair few of these songs, even if I knew of them, I hadn't really heard before, including Exterminate, Broken English and the PWEI one, also the Open Your Mind video I'd not seen. Still I maintain the year only really started the week after this, with a certain new entry at #4...

Thought I was a big fan of the Beloved

But only figured out now after Gezzas comment that

Happiness wasnt their debut :o

So many classic singles: Hello, Sun Rising, Sweet Harmony, Time after time (my #1 Beloved song)

 

I also was a big fan of Jesus Jones, bought Doubt on vinyl

But their Perverse era was not as good and they started losing it

 

Also liked Faith no More and that was a bizarre but great cover

 

Steam was a great single from Gabriel

Gezza still owes us a week to be up to date :D

Sweet Harmony, one of my all time faves :wub:

 

I really like it, also Lady Gaga's Alejandro instrumental really reminds me of it!

“Sweet Harmony” is indeed a wonderful classic. Tess Daly was in the vid!

 

Getting close to that week where Bruno Brookes played “Killing In The Name” on the Top 40 completely uncensored at 5 in the evening !

 

The quiet January allowed some floppier hits to bounce up the chart, including this from Kym Mazelle (#35 on 17 Jan):

 

'Open Your Mind' was a fun discovery this week.

 

'Open Your Mind' for me signifies the start of the eurodance era really, I really like how dance music became more synth based for the rest of the 90s really (although piano house would make a brief revival in 1995).

Edited June 11, 20223 yr by The Sake

USURA were also great, it's a pity they didn't have any more big hits in the UK besides Open Your Mind,

I think Sweat did go low top 40 but in Italy they had lots of other hits, maybe 8-10 big hits,

it's a pity they never crossed over to the UK

think USURA were much better than 2 Unlimited, who had hit after hit and no one got tired of them

one of the biggest chart mysteries for me is why Jesus Jones did't get huge,

in the US they had 2 massive top 5 hits, with Right Here Right Now being a US #2

in the UK it was released twice but did poorly both times (#31 and #32 I think)

Right Here Right Now is all kinds of amazing and Im sure nowadays it would do a Heat Waves and be in the charts for 2 years :D

30TH JANUARY

 

 

Another week gone and still Whitney Houston can’t be moved, 9 weeks and counting for “I Will Always Love You”, another 50,000 sold bringing its total to 1,123,000 making it the second biggest seller of the 90s so far lagging only behind the 1.5 million posted by Bryan Adams. With Valentine’s Day rapidly approaching it could yet overcome it, its reign at No 1 should continue at any rate, its gentle rate of decline, 3% this week, means it stretches its lead over Snap! in the No 2 position which came in with 41,000 sales and is now unlikely to topple Houston.

 

 

 

The only new song in the top 10 comes in as a new entry at No 4 for 2 Unlimited. Their fifth single it becomes their most instant and has, for its UK release, again been stripped of Slijngaard’s rap with only the world “Techo!” retained, it is the first release from their second album due in the spring. The song has rather disparagingly been labelled as “No Lyrics” given its limited and over repeated vocals but it hasn’t put buyers off as it achieved sales of 28,000.

 

 

Also having a good week this week are West End Featuring Sybil who climb 5-3 (40,000) and were unlucky not to overtake Snap! at the death, Sister Sledge lift 7-5 (24,000), Usura nudge 8-7 (22,000) and The Beloved move 9-8 (20,000).

 

Heading out are Faith No More 3-6 (23,000), Arrested Development 6-9 (16,000) and Take That 4-10 (14,000).

 

 

1- I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU- Whitney Houston (50,000)

2- EXTERMINATE- Snap! Featuring Niki Harris (41,000)

3- THE LOVE I LOST- West End Ft Sybil (40,000)

4- NO LIMIT- 2 Unlimited (28,000)

5- WE ARE FAMILY (93 MIXES)- Sister Sledge (24,000)

6- I’M EASY/ BE AGGRESSIVE- Faith No More (23,000)

7- OPEN YOUR MIND- Usura (22,000)

8- SWEET HARMONY- The Beloved (20,000)

9- MR WENDAL/ REVOLUTION- Arrested Development (16,000)

10- COULD IT BE MAGIC- Take That (14,000)

 

not much going on in the top 10

but looks of action in the top 20:

11 NEW Duran Duran - Ordinary World

12 NEW East 17 - Deep

13 21 Bon Jovi - Bed of Roses

14 NEW Lulu - Independence

15 NEW The Cult - She sells Sanctuary'93

19 NEW Def Leppard - Heaven is

20 NEW Dinosaur Jr - Start Choppin'

 

but my fav new of the week was new at 30:

30 NEW Sugar - If I can't change your mind

The chart above was revealed on TOTP on my 17th birthday. Let’s pretend Snap were number 1!

Techno techno techno techno! :music: The first bona fide anthem of 1993, at least at my age. Most of those new entries outside the Top 10 are memorable too and the Sugar one is also my fave of them.