53. I WANNA SEX YOU UP- Color Me Badd (356,600)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/07/I_Wanna_Sex_You_Up_-_CMB.jpg

 

RELEASED: 1991

PEAK POSITION: 1

WKS ON CHART: 14

 

It was derided at the time and time hasn’t probably been that kind, but back in June 1991 this song ruled the roost for 3 weeks. Taken from the film “New Jack City” it was very fortunate to win two close fought races with Cher and Jason Donovan for 2 of those 3 wks at the top, but racked up enough sales to become the 10th biggest single of that year, It also formed part of a run of 5 chart toppers in a row to feature in films (although one of them was a musical primarily). Apart from follow up “All 4 Love” (No 140) this is their only real mark on pop history.

 

52. EVERYTHING CHANGES- Take That (359,500)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/56/Take_that_everything_changes_UK_CD1.jpg

 

RELEASED: 1994

PEAK POSITION: 1

WKS ON CHART: 10

 

Creating pop history virtually by the release, Take That became the first act to pull four No 1 singles from one album in April 1994 when this song soared to the top. Title track to their second album, its promo was shot in the same cafe as Kylie Minogue’s “Give Me Just A Little More Time” just 24 months previously, and much media attention surrounded the question could they get four straight No 1 singles and become the first act since the Beatles to achieve such a feat? Well they did on the strength of 130k in its first week, a Beatles medley appears on the B-side as recognition of the fact.

 

^ such a gay photo but another great song!

54. WATERFALLS- TLC (355,400)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3f/TLC-Waterfalls-65800.jpg

Ooh, Waterfalls... it's never one I reach for much by choice such is its overplay and ubiquity, certainly compared to other singles from CrazySexyCool like Red Light Special and Creep, but it's hard to put it down as anything less than a brilliant track. Possibly the BEST chorus of the entire 1990s with every line being as memorable as the next - that is just undeniable great songwriting on show there (even if they did plagarise a bit of the hook from that no-mark Paul McCartney song as any Beatles loon worth their salt would remind you, but at least they didn't waste it on a shit track like HE did anyway). And an overall production that sounded ten times slicker than anything they had done before this (which did have a whiff of amateur about it as I think Gezza mentioned earlier, in the sense it sounded like three young ladiezz just messing about in the music game rather than trying to make a chart topping record, but that was the case with a lot of early hip hop TBH), and earmarked as different from the generic R. Kelly or Babyface clone sound of that era, while almost being timeless sounding in the sense you imagine it could still be a hit today without much change to it. Again, that's just the mark of great song composition though.

53. I WANNA SEX YOU UP- Color Me Badd (356,600)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/07/I_Wanna_Sex_You_Up_-_CMB.jpg

Now this one is just rank!! :puke2: Like there could be anything more ridiculous than possibly the ugliest and charisma-free boyband I've ever seen singing about how they want to "sex you up"... eugh, WTF. No thanks.

 

I am amazed at how this even spent three weeks at #1. Well, I am amazed how it got to #1 in the first place but I guess perhaps the summer slump can explain it remaining there once it had climbed to the summit anyway. It's even more baffling as the British population didn't even care about R&B much in 1991 yet they put this derivative new jack swing shit right at the top? Just crazy but typical of the retarded public.

Edited May 2, 201213 yr by superbossanova

Interesting that 'Everything Changes' outsold 'Pray', despite 'EC' being released after the album.

51. FINALLY FOUND- Honeyz (362,700)

 

http://www.securecrazydiamond.com/dizq/46682.jpg

 

RELEASED: 1998

PEAK POSITION: 4

WKS ON CHART: 12

 

They must stop surprising us like this. The biggest selling hit for the Honeyz was their debut, and like the follow up “End Of The Line” (No 59) this track spent its first 5 wks in the top 10, which in 1998 would account for the sales, and in selling over 600,000 records in the year they earned themselves a BRIT nomination in early 99 but went home empty handed. A reprisal of the song was done on ITV series “Baby One More Time” but it was all we’ve seen of them since.

 

50. THUNDER- East 17 (364,000)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4f/Thunder_(East_17).jpg

 

RELEASED: 1995

PEAK POSITION: 4

WKS ON CHART: 14

 

“Up All Night” was the name of the final East 17 studio album as a four piece (naughty One Direction for pinching it) and here we have the group scoring their 8th top 10 hit. It was a return to form after the previous track “Hold My Body Tight” had broken a string of 5 releases that had made the big 10 for them. The parent album underperformed comparatively and though all the singles released were Mortimer compositions writing credits on the album began to split between the members as tensions rose, seems they were messing with a winning formula.

 

49. GOT THE FEELIN’- Five (374,600)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2f/Five-GotTheFeelin.jpg

 

RELEASED: 1998

PEAK POSITION: 3

WKS ON CHART: 13

 

Ever increasing chart positions and sales have got Five to this point by the summer of 98 with previous hits clocking in at No 135, & No 116. Unlucky to be up against a duo of football records that week (Fat Les & Skinner + Baddiel) the track still opened with sales in excess of 100k which would easily have given them No 1 the previous week. The boys consoled themselves just weeks later when their debut album sliced into the charts at No 1, truly announcing their arrival on the boy band scene.

 

Sigh, I didn't realise Got The Feelin' opened with a six figure sale. That would have been enough for #1 in sooo many weeks in 1998, especially coming in a bit later in the summer. Such a dumb week to release. And screw the football songs for RUINING the charts when they come around (with particular scorn in this case to the unnecessary re-release and re-write of the already great Three Lions; I actually don't mind Vindaloo) - another recent example only coming a couple of years ago when Example was held at #3 with the excellent Kickstarts by two World Cup-related songs, one of them being that horrendous Simon Cowell one. :no:

 

As for the track itself, I confess it's by FAR my favourite Five song and one I still listen to quite often, especially between June-August when that only multiplies. Mainly because I just love the summery sound of it, plus it's the only single from their first album that substansially nods to my favourite "Five sound" that later became their primary one - that being the tracks they did with the Biffco team - and less of the BSB cast-offs that made up much of their first album.

 

Finally Found, too. :heart: Lush balladry that just works thanks to a not so cloying arrangement and some really lovely vocal interplay between the three, especially considering this was their first single. The way the chorus builds back up following the third verse/middle-8 section is especially lovely.

 

And kudos to Gezza for digging up the HMBOMT performance, haha. I wonder if their cover of How You Remind Me from that show is also on YouTube? I've kind of forgotten how it went but I remember it being a bit dodgy. I'm sure it was better than the Nickelback version by any stretch anyway.

Edited May 3, 201213 yr by superbossanova

I did buy the first Five album (the only one I bought by them not counting the GH set in 01), I think it was in the sale in Woolworths in 2 for £15 with Steps "Step One" sometime in 1999 :lol:

 

It isn't too bad an album in my opinion, though it has its fair share of filler (I can't disguise my love for Five I'm afraid :P )

Wow, impressive how that the Honeyz's most famous singles, Finally Found and End Of The Line, sold that much (even withouth reaching top 3), outselling plenty of boyband classic tunes.

Edited May 3, 201213 yr by N-S

I did buy the first Five album (the only one I bought by them not counting the GH set in 01), I think it was in the sale in Woolworths in 2 for £15 with Steps "Step One" sometime in 1999 :lol:

 

It isn't too bad an album in my opinion, though it has its fair share of filler (I can't disguise my love for Five I'm afraid :P )

Oh, I don't own any of their albums, my comment was just going by the singles! (Slam Dunk, When The Lights Go Out and Until The Time Is Through are basically BSB rip-offs - only Everybody Get Up and Got The Feelin' have a different sound and the former is just not to my taste in that respect).

 

But yeah, I had a huge soft spot for Five as well, but giving my age and only relying on my parent's pocket money I could only buy singles really. Albums tended to be for birthdays and Christmas and as much as I liked Five they always ended up just missing out when making my lists. Plus I always imagined Five albums would encapsulate the very 90s "big singles surrounded by lots of filler" way of compiling albums, which is what has prevented me from going back and buying them now... your comment hasn't exactly helped changed my mind on that, haha. :D

Finally Found :wub: Fantastic debut single, lovely lyrics too, great to see it so high!

48. YOU GOT IT (THE RIGHT STUFF)- New Kids On The Block (380,000)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ef/Rightstuff.jpeg

 

RRELEASED: 1989

PEAK POSITION: 1

WKS ON CHART: 14

 

After “Hangin Tough” had stalled at No 52 NKOTB released a track that had already made No 3 stateside in March 1989. It was a masterstroke taking just 21 days from debut to make No 1, and with an average age of just 18 at the time they were the youngest act to make No 1 since New Edition in 1983 (the very group that mentor Maurice Starr had formed them to imitate). The track never sold amazing quantities and in all three weeks it spent at No 1 it did so either by small margins or by coming from behind in the midweek charts.

 

47. WHAT MAKES A MAN- Westlife (387,400)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/35/WhatMakesAManCD1.jpg

 

RELEASED: 2000

PEAK POSITION: 2

WKS ON CHART: 13

 

Outselling all but 2 Westlife tracks in this rundown this is to the group what “Stop!” was to the Spice Girls, the record that broke the run of chart toppers. In one of the most famous chart battles during the 00s it fought it out for the Christmas No 1 of 2000 losing out by almost 130k in the end but that masks the fact that it pulled in 230k in its debut week, the third highest weekly total of any Westlife single EVER. Interestingly the single rebounded from No 38 to 17 in February 2001- the reason?- it was simply put in the bargain bin at Woolworths.....

 

46. DON’T LET GO (LOVE)- En Vogue (400,200)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d6/Don't_Let_Go.jpg

 

RELEASED: 1997

PEAK POSITION: 5

WKS ON CHART: 16

 

The biggest selling Non top 3 hit on this rundown comes courtesy of En Vogue’s third appearance on this chart. Having recently returned to the charts courtesy of a cover on X Factor by little Mix, it originally featured in the movie “Set It Off” it stuck around for 8 weeks in the top 10, but their biggest hit came at the same point as one member, Dawn Robinson announced she was leaving the group in a Kerry Katona style departure meaning a hasty re-recording of their third album of which this was the lead. Frequent line up changes after this basically spelt the end the end of En Vogue.

 

The sales are finally starting to accelerate more quickly now with each entry. I was waiting for that. I think the top 30 could all be over half a million - or at least the top 25, anyway.

 

Don't Let Go (Love) was a VERY important track in the 1997 stage of my formative music years - that, I Wanna Be The Only One, Lovefool and another track coming up later basically SCREAM 1997 for me. Great structure, amazing vocals - controlled, emotive, soulful, powerful all at the same time, and of course, a flawless melody. A 10/10 song for me. And it was great to see the public actually buying a late 90s that isn't MoR dreck like Truly Madly Deeply or I Don't Want To Miss A Thing for ONCE, though I imagine it was more the shock of actually hearing a proper R&B song again that caused such an affect.

 

Was it What Makes A Man that caused the OCC to make that confusing rule about outperforming the market for two weeks in a row or something? It used to happen all the time before that but mainly outside the top 40. That Westlife song was in the bargain bins only like two months after release though, can't think why that would be the case. :heehee: Anyway, I don't remember it happening much after that point but I might be wrong.

Edited May 4, 201213 yr by superbossanova

I'm not sure which rule your on about? :thinking:

 

The bargain bins of Woolworths were literally the best thing in the world in the late 90s/ early 00s, some real bargains to be had, almost made buying anything in the charts (and thusly full price) seem like a con. Mind you the lure of buying a new single on Monday when you'd be waiting for weeks for it was always far too much for me to resist...

I'm not sure which rule your on about? :thinking:

 

The bargain bins of Woolworths were literally the best thing in the world in the late 90s/ early 00s, some real bargains to be had, almost made buying anything in the charts (and thusly full price) seem like a con. Mind you the lure of buying a new single on Monday when you'd be waiting for weeks for it was always far too much for me to resist...

LOL, the thing is *I* don't know what rule I'm on about either. :lol: But I remember in the late 1990s and very early 2000s it was quite common for big hits to rack up loads of time at the bottom of the top 75 because of reduced stock being sold off. Occasionally they even pushed back into the top 40 like Spice Girls - Goodbye returned to the top 40 in May 1999, but usually they just sort of meandered around at the bottom of the chart (Teletubbies Say Eh-Oh! is a good example here).

 

But around this time in 2001 the chart runs became very odd with songs being completely removed from the chart (as in the entire top 200) and then being allowed back in again, sometimes the following week but sometimes they were gone for an even more extended period of time. And then they'd pop back in as if they'd never been away. It was very confusing and I've never understood it exactly but I remember reading an explaination of how it was to do with how the track was performing in relation to the market but it kind of went *whoosh* over my head at the time.

 

I could try and find some examples of what I'm talking about if you want? :lol:

Edited May 4, 201213 yr by superbossanova