agree on Enjoy the Silence, amazing song

Depeche Mode should have been an even bigger chart force than they were as their songs were incredible, the run of singles that started in 87 with Strangelove

and continued with Never Let me Down Again > Behond the Wheel > Personal Jesus > Enjoy the silence is an incredible run

 

in perspective, crazy that Pe4rsonal Jesus didn't go top 10, it's a classic, and didn't even come close to be a big hit, not even top 10...

Agreed. I'd say their run from Shake The Disease through to Dream On is pretty much all amazing.

 

I can't be doing with Condemnation and Only When I Lose Myself is not great either. The b-side Headstar is a decent instrumental.

Edited November 3, 20204 yr by Colm

@Doctor Blind, any chance to get the radio top 40 for the last 2 weeks?

@Doctor Blind, any chance to get the radio top 40 for the last 2 weeks?

 

Unfortunately there are a few gaps, I've only got 11 Feb 1990: https://www.mixcloud.com/1869300/uk-top-40-...kes-11-02-1990/

^Thanks for that. Appreciated.

 

gotta love the variability... from Faith no More to Chris Rea to Wedding Present to Michael Bolton <3

Edited November 5, 20204 yr by Bjork

That's what I miss most about the charts... I have no problem with modern music at all but I don't think you can use the charts as a way to find it any longer. The 90s were great in terms of being a clash of all sorts of styles and singers - both in genres and age groups - and I used to regularly find new styles that caught my interest and I'd explore further. This is probably just going to make me sound really old but I just can't get that any longer these days and that's the reason why I've gradually become less and less interested in the top 40 and have turned more to the internet to find music instead.

 

Me too, there was always something different and less mainstream that you'd hear from time to time in the lower part of the chart that otherwise you'd never come across. There's quite a few weeks in 1992(?) I think where you have some opera/classical followed by a hard rock song and then a hardcore rave anthem. The effect is quite jarring but it's so much better than hearing the same type of song 40 times over. I can't understand why any casual music listener would ever bother to listen to the Top 40 anymore, you're guaranteed to hear nothing of interest sadly.

 

This was in the days before the internet increased that level of exposure, but even in the early 2000s I remember hearing “The Facts Of Life” by Black Box Recorder for example and thinking 'wow, what IS this?'

I am a firm believer that the 90s was the best decade for music - for my personal taste although the 00s were also amazing due to the diversification in ways through which we found music - Youtube, iTunes, Spotify, Shazam and all the illegal file sharing sites. The internet made it possible to read about music from all around the world and not just what NME, MM, Q, Rolling Stone, etc were covering.

I remember discovering Neutral Milk Hotel in 2003 in a discussion on Audiogalaxy. That was a real turning point for me and the power of the internet and music.

 

I sometimes wonder how I'd react if during the 90s someone handed me this little black slab of glass and metal and told me that I could access over 99% of the music that has ever been recorded with it.

Edited November 5, 20204 yr by Colm

I can remember on Saturday morning TV once that they had a prank competition for April Fool's Day where they pretended they had a machine that would play any song you liked just by you asking it to... sounded so far fetched!!! Like that would ever happen... :lol:

She was amazing from Control all the way to the end of the 90s. I wasn't old enough to remember the critical reception at the time but it's so odd how she was getting top 10s either side of the Rhythm Nation era yet every single from that album comparatively struggled.

 

 

For me, Control was her best album and Together Again her best ever single.

'Enjoy The Silence' is certainly one of Depeche Mode's best songs.

 

The Chris Rea song,'Tell Me There's A Heaven',is one that I didn't notice much at the time but I've come to appreciate it a lot since the 90s as a beautiful song with powerful lyrics.

 

 

Yes it's a great song and should have been a top 10. Amazing that he only had one Top 10, The Road To Hell which reached No.10.

I can remember on Saturday morning TV once that they had a prank competition for April Fool's Day where they pretended they had a machine that would play any song you liked just by you asking it to... sounded so far fetched!!! Like that would ever happen... :lol:

Yes I recall- it was Philip Schofield on "Going Live" in 1989 because they played the No 1 at the time which was "Like A Prayer" :D

3RD MARCH

 

 

Well it was a close run thing in the end but Beats International did just enough to hold Sinead O’Connor from the top, the two titles shifting 76,000 and 72,000 respectively. “Nothing Compares 2 U” has now sold 543,000 and should help propel her second album “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got” to the top of the charts later this month. For Beats International it marks a notable achievement for Norman Cook who beats his former Housemartins bandmates to the top and for the writers of Dub Be Good To Me” (Jimmy Harris & Terry Lewis) it gives them revenge for being fired by Prince as they replace him at the top writer wise.

 

 

Michael Bolton continues to threaten the top 2 moving 5-3 (59,000) with Technotronic (3-4, 38,000) and Black Box 4-5 (37,000) moving down to make way for him. Depeche Mode can only hold at No 6 (36,000) just above the influx of new comers.

 

 

It was BRITS week and this year’s show was put together by Jonathan King who has also pioneered the idea of putting out this megamix of tracks to showcase the dance music of 1989 (and 1988 for that matter) and to publicise the ceremony itself. “BRITS 1990” is officially credited to Various Artists, itself an unusual step in this day and age, and debuts at No 7 after selling 29,000 copies.

 

 

 

The Stone Roses have rapidly become both NME darlings and flavour of the month in the music press which of course means that their back catalogue is primed for re-issue in wake of their breakthrough “Fools Gold/ What The World Is Waiting For” which made the top 10 late last year. “Sally Cinnamon” has already made No 46 and now a No 146 hit from 1988 “Elephant Stone” gets a re-issue and crashes straight into the top 10 at No 8 (26,000). The single was originally produced by New Order member Peter Hook but has subsequently been reworked for the debut album, an album which sold a little over 100,000 and only peaked at No 19 despite all the admiration!

 

 

 

Released on the small infinity label in 1989 “Infinity” failed to chart for US musician Guru Josh though it attracted a following in dance clubs causing it to be picked up by BMG and get a full issue in 1990 with the suffix “1990 Time For The Guru”. It seems that’s what we needed and the song flies 27-9 (24,000) to finally become a top 10 single.

 

 

 

Also seeing a BRITS boost is Rod Stewart whose “Downtown Train” pulls in at No 10 (21,000) to become his first transatlantic top 10 single since 1978’s “Do You Think I’m Sexy”. The song was originally by Tom Waits and appeared on his 1985 album “Rain Dogs” but did nothing when issued as a single, it’s now in much safer hands with Rod Stewart who scores his 19th top 10 single but his first in 4 years.

 

 

 

 

1- DUB BE GOOD TO ME- Beats International Ft Lindy Layton (76,000)

2- NOTHING COMPARES 2 U- Sinead O’Connor (72,000)

3- HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU- Michael Bolton (59,000)

4- GET UP (BEFORE THE NIGHT IS OVER)- Technotronic (38,000)

5- I DON’T KNOW ANYBODY ELSE- Black Box (37,000)

6- ENJOY THE SILENCE- Depeche Mode (36,000)

7- THE BRITS 1990 MEDLEY- Various (29,000)

8- ELEPHANT STONE- The Stone Roses (26,000)

9- INFINITY (1990 TIME FOR THE GURU)- Guru Josh (24,000)

10- DOWNTOWN TRAIN- Rod Stewart (21,000)

 

Maybe The Stone Roses popularity didn't translate into a lot of album sales, but they were clearly popular

as Elephant Stone showed... not their best single imho but at least it gave them another top 10

10TH MARCH

 

 

 

After last week’s splurge of new entries it’s a quieter affair this week with “Dub Be Good To Me” holding firm at the top with a near repeat of last weeks 76,000 copies shifted. It opens up a commanding lead over the rest of the field and though the “BRITS 1990” medley charges 7-2 it only sold 58,000 and is well off the pace required, it does however nip past a static Michael Bolton who holds at No 3 despite playing second fiddle for most of the week, he sold 55,000. Former Chart topper “Nothing Compares 2 U” completes the list of the 50,000+ sellers for this week as it falls 2-4 (53,000) and should sell its 600,000th copy this week when it will also become the biggest selling Prince cover into the bargain as it overtakes Chaka Khan’s “I Feel For You”.

 

 

 

 

The only new entry in the top 10 is the 22-8 (23,000) climber from JT & The Big Family. The project is the brain child of DJ Christian Hornbostal and the track “Moments In Soul” samples a range of tracks from Soul II Soul and Milli Vaniili to the O’Jays with a large slice of Art Of Noise’s “Moments In Love” to form its backbone.

 

 

 

 

Guru Josh rises 9-5 (39,000) which means that Depeche Mode spend a third week at No 6 (28,000) though they are starting to fade now, Black Box tumble 5-7 (27,000) and Stone Roses fall 8-10 (16,000) after that high debut last week. Technotronic dip 4-9 (17,000) but do see their debut album rise 3-2, that’s the 8th week on the trot it has climbed though once again Phil Collins bars entry to the top slot, “But Seriously” in charge for a 14th week out of its 15 on release.

 

Next week however sees the release of the 4th Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers single- can it arrive at No 1 and create chart history? We also get a new single from New Kids On The Block who will be chasing a third No 1 single- it’s all about to get very interesting- See you in 7 days.

 

 

1- DUB BE GOOD TO ME- Beats International Ft Lindy Layton (76,000)

2- BRITS 1990 MEDLEY- Various (58,000)

3- HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU- Michael Bolton (55,000)

4- NOTHING COMPARES 2 U- Sinead O’Connor (53,000)

5- INFINITY (1990: TIME FOR THE GURU)- Guru Josh (39,000)

6- ENJOY THE SILENCE- Depeche Mode (28,000)

7- I DON’T KNOW ANYBODY ELSE- Black Box (27,000)

8- MOMENTS IN SOUL- JT & The Big Family (23,000)

9- GET UP (BEFORE THE NIGHT IS OVER)- Technotronic (17,000)

10- ELEPHANT STONE- The Stone Roses (16,000)

 

Fascinating thread so far. This is like living my youth all over again. Having to re-consider old songs that I don't even recall very much is a real opportunity to revise my opinions on them.

This is a fantastic thread. Love following this with TOTP!

Brilliant thread that's bringing back so many great memories.

Depeche Mode were a bit unlucky with 3 weeks at #6, for some reason I thought the song had peaked higher

 

funny for me when I think Michael Bolton, I think boring adult-oriented stuff, but then I know all the wor3ds to How Am I Supposed :D

 

also lots of great songs outside the top 10, was listening to the last show posted and my fav song was Del Amitri-Nothing ever happens

such a gorgeous song, unlucky to peak at #11, sure it deserved top 10

also lots of great songs outside the top 10, was listening to the last show posted and my fav song was Del Amitri-Nothing ever happens

such a gorgeous song, unlucky to peak at #11, sure it deserved top 10

 

The lyrics are quite appropriate for 2020:

 

Telephone exchanges click while there's nobody there

The Martians could land in the car park and no one would care

Close-circuit cameras in department stores shoot the same movie every day

And the stars of these films neither die nor get killed

Just survive constant action replay

And nothing ever happens, nothing happens at all

 

Unfortunately the full Top 40 broadcast for 4 March 1990 isn't available, just the final 90 minutes. Starts at #24 Gloria Estefan which is a shame as Primal Scream are new at 32 this week with “Loaded”. What a CLASSIC!

 

https://www.mixcloud.com/espeee/bbc-radio-1...-1-part-1-of-2/

https://www.mixcloud.com/espeee/bbc-radio-1...-1-part-2-of-2/