09. FIRESTARTER- The Prodigy (608,000)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b1/Firestarter_Prodigy.jpg

 

YEAR: 1996

PEAK POSITION: 1

 

Their 11th single became their first chart topper, “Firestarter” was the first release from “The Fat Of The Land” the album that made the band a dance supergroup. With a sampled guitar riff from The Breeders “S.O.S”, the use of judicious Art of Noise sample from 1986 and the drum beat from a 10 city single from 1989 it all combined to give us this. The video naturally created controversy and complaints to TOTP all of which helped sales.

 

Firestarter Woop. :D Still fresh and still hot, at the same time it's a massive dance classic. As is 'Better Off Alone' but it isn't as "current" as 'Firestarter'.

Better Off Alone. :wub: That was my Dad's favourite song at the time. He kept nicking my Now 43 album just so he could listen to it. :lol: Great track!

 

Firestarter is a great anthem :D

The heavy hitters. :D

'Firestarter' was only recently certified platinum so surely its sales in the 90s must have been a fair bit less than that? :unsure:

 

Also does this mean 'Breathe' actually outsold 'Firestarter'? Never knew that :o

'Firestarter' was only recently certified platinum so surely its sales in the 90s must have been a fair bit less than that? :unsure:

 

Also does this mean 'Breathe' actually outsold 'Firestarter'? Never knew that :o

 

Probably the old case of downsizing the sales 94-96 retrospectively from those of the time! :D

Great start to the top 10 :D I really love Better Off Alone, and Firestarter is a classic (I was surprised to see that Breathe had outsold it, but of course I knew this before this countdown)

Hmmm, never got the hysteria with "Better Off Alone", not a particularly bad track... but not particularly good either. I suppose it was a simple, catchy trance track which bridged the pop and trance well.

 

Don't like "Firestarter". Infact, I've never really liked the rock/electronic fusion that was big in the 90s. Much prefer their early rave days os 91 and 92. "Breathe" is better.

 

Also cannot bare "Rhythm Is A Dancer" either... this chart would've been much better upside down!!

Breathe was ahead of in the Top 20 of 1996 and was still selling in 1997 so outsold it by a non-inconsiderable amount.

Edited April 27, 201411 yr by AnthonyT

Better Off Alone is actually one of my favourite dance tracks ever :heart:

Alice Deejay 'Better Off Alone' ~ love it :wub:

Prodigy 'Firestarter' ~ iconic! <3

Better Off Alone was ok - I mean, it has a cheesy riff and as with almost all trance-lite it could do without the vocals.

I love Better Off Alone and Alice Deejay so much, and the week it missed #1 by 470 copies hurt a lot, especially as it had already been in the charts for a few weeks compared to the Westlife track.

 

The radio version was also available on the cassette single but I instead bought Now 43 to get hold of it, and seeing as I was only 12 that must have been quite a few weeks pocket money looking back :lol:

In contrast to most of the opinions, I find "Better Off Alone" to be a truly awful record, made even more evident by those records immediately around it on this countdown

I can certainly understand someone thinking it was awful.

Sorry but Better Off Alone is definitely one of the best tunes of the 90s, yeah it's simplistic but that's what makes it glorious - once you hear that melody it never leaves you. To the point where it's been my mobile phone ringtone for the last year :P

 

Firestarter, meh. As mentioned pretty much every track released by the Prodigy previous was much better.

"Better off alone" was of course one of those tracks that people baught because it reminded them of great holidays. When I was in Ibiza in Summer 1999 the song was really huge there. So were - of course - "We're going to Ibiza"and "9PM (till I come)".

I loved the misheard lyrics gold mine that Freed From Desire was.

My love has gone no money he's got is trampoline.

or alternatively.

 

My love has gone no money he's got is bumble bee.

 

Always thought it was "My lover in the morning, has got a trampoline"

 

Definitely trampoline either way. Makes more sense than "strong beliefs"...

Better Off Alone is basically "Fisher Price presents 'My First Dance Record'" - it's absolutely awful.

 

Nice to see 'Firestarter' in the top 10 - it sticks out like crazy compared to the stuff around it. Hope there's one or two grown-up records to come...

Either of the potential number 1s is pretty awful in my opinion.

 

I can't see my liking much else that's left in this chart now that Firestarter has gone. At least

Breathe

is well put together and interesting, even-though I don't like it very much.