I remember at the time Mr Blooby being the Christmas number 1 was a shock. Wasn’t it announced on the Xmas TOTP?

I remember at the time Mr Blooby being the Christmas number 1 was a shock. Wasn’t it announced on the Xmas TOTP?

No you're thinking of 1994 when Christmas fell on a Sunday

No you're thinking of 1994 when Christmas fell on a Sunday

Ahhhhhh!

I definitely was expecting Mr Blobby to be #1 by the time the Christmas chart arrived, Noel Edmunds had been doing a lot of publicity around how Blobby was going to do it. However before the week I would have guessed Take That. Although at the time I was probably assuming that they were shifting more singles whilst they were #1 than this thread has shown

18TH DECEMBER

 

 

Well they’ve done it! And in style! Take That become the first act in UK Chart history to enter the charts at No 1 with three consecutive singles, “Babe” is the track to do it and it sold a mighty 133,000 a best for the year so far! The song is Britain’s 699th chart topper and Take That are the 11th act to score three No 1’s in a calendar year and the first since Jive Bunny in 1989, but only the second to have three debuts at the top in a year (after Slade in 1973), as noted they’ve done it with consecutive singles. On top of all of that it means the group pull level with Queen as the only acts in the 90s to have as many as three No 1 hits. Parent album “Everything Changes” hasn’t left the top 10 since its release 9 weeks ago as it rises 6-4 with sales approaching half a million. The band have clearly benefited from a recent 20 date UK tour which has only just ended and has been evidenced by the group picking a record 8 awards at the annual Smash Hits awards.

 

 

All that is rather tough on Mr Blobby who himself saw sales of his single improve by 79% to 124,000 as he chased Take That from the off with the gap actually closing as the week progressed though not by enough and so Mr Blobby becomes the first one week chart topper since U2’s “The Fly” back in 1991. Meat Loaf completes the top 3 as he drops 2-3 (36,000) but that’s enough to make “I’d Do Anything For Love” the best selling single of 1993 and unless Take That continue to shift copies then it’s likely to remain there with 3 weeks left of the year.

 

 

Chaka Demus & Pliers have also had a great 1993 with two top 4 singles “Tease Me” and “She Don’t Let Nobody” , now they return with a cover of the Top Notes “Twist & Shout” which was made popular by the Beatles but was a No 4 hit for both Brian Poole & The Tremeloes and Salt N Pepa and now for this pair as it debuts at No 4 (34,000). It is in part thanks to a bit of re-organisation on the part of the record label, originally the duo were to release “Murder She Wrote” as their follow up but they had a guest spot on “Twist And Shout” which was officially credited as “Jack Radics & The Taxi Gang Featuring Chaka Demus & Pliers” and was intended as a rather low key release the week before “Murder She Wrote”. Plans changed and so did the credit and voila we have a major hit on our hands.

 

 

 

Andrew Lloyd Webber has a habit of generating chart hits from his musicals, see Sarah Brightman and Michael Ball in the 80s, and Jason Donovan in the 90s for example, his new musical “Sunset Boulevard” is no different providing the song “The Perfect Year” which is a new hit for Dina Carroll. Her last single “Don’t Be A Stranger” holds at No 8 (24,000) as her new release rises 14-10 (23,000) as she becomes the first female since Whitney Houston to score two simultaneous top 10 hits, obviously with New Year a few weeks away this should continue to rack up the sales in the interim plus it isn’t on her 600,000 debut album “So Close”.

 

 

Bee Gees move 6-5 (33,000) and East 17 rise 9-7 (28,000), but it’s over for Elton John & Kiki Dee who drop 3-6 (24,000) and Bryan Adams is stuck in that Dina Carroll sandwich 7-9 (24,000).

 

So next week is the Christmas chart- Take That look to have it in the bag but their victory was only slender- could it be Chaka Demus & Pliers or even Mr Blobby, but then no record has ever returned to the top after being deposed (re-issues and re-makes aside). Next week should be interesting.

 

1- BABE- Take That (133,000)

2- MR BLOBBY- Mr Blobby (124,000)

3- I’D DO ANYTHING FOR LOVE (BUT I WON’T DO THAT)- Meat Loaf (36,000)

4- TWIST AND SHOUT- Chaka Demus & Pliers (34,000)

5- FOR WHOM THE BELLS TOLLS- Bee Gees (33,000)

6- TRUE LOVE- Elton John & Kiki Dee (28,000)

7- IT’S ALRIGHT- East 17 (28,000)

8- DON’T BE A STRANGER- Dina Carroll (24,000)

9- PLEASE FORGIVE ME- Bryan Adams (24,000)

10- THE PERFECT YEAR- Dina Carroll (23,000)

 

25TH DECEMBER

 

 

The Christmas chart throws a major surprise this week, for the first time in 24 years a song returns to the top of the charts in the same chart run and that song comes from Mr Blobby. With the money firmly on Take That it’s left the bookies not best pleased but in the end the teen heart throbs couldn’t keep the spot and, instead of Blobby, they become the first 1 week chart toppers since U2’s “The Fly” unless they too can return to No 1. It was all down to the percentage decrease of the two records “Mr Blobby” reducing sales by 20% to 99,000 and “Babe” depleting by 31% to 92,000 which allowed the novelty disc to be crowned the festive chart topper for 1993, it has sold a healthy 339,000 in its first month on sale and may yet clear the 500,000 mark before the year end.

 

 

Sales for the Christmas chart took place as far away from the big day as is possible, December 13-18th, which accounts for the lack of anything selling 100,000+ and should mean that sales increase next week with the run in to Christmas included a week later. Take That sold just 92,000 as they drop 1-2.

 

Don’t discount Chaka Demus & Pliers either, they rise 4-3 and not only have the highest peaking version of “Twist & Shout” plus also record a 62% sales increase to 55,000. Also making positive steps are The Bee Gees 5-4 (46,000) with their biggest hit since “You Win Again”, East 17 lift 7-5 (40,000) and Dina Carroll’s “The Perfect Year” is also on the move 10-7 (30,000) whilst former hit “Don’t Be A Stranger” gets deleted and thusly falls 8-16. Former big hits on their way down include Elton John & Kiki Dee 6-9 (25,000) and Meat Loaf 3-6 (30,000) as it creeps nearer the 700,000 mark

 

 

Meat Loaf remains at No 1 in the album charts for an 11th week and has now sold a million as it becomes the biggest seller of the year too, the original “Bat Out Of Hell” is also back rising 41-32 and the title track has been re-issued by Epic as it cashes in on his current popularity. The song was a single back in 1979 making No 15 and has become Loaf’s signature tune over the years, but already it is a bigger hit 14 years later moving 11-8 (29,000), Meat Loaf therefore becomes the third act in 1993 to have two simultaneous top 10 singles after Dina Carroll and Whitney Houston.

 

 

 

Also re-released is 1984’s Frankie Goes To Hollywood Christmas single “The Power Of Love”, it famously became the band’s third chart topper from three releases. The new best of “Bang” went top 5 and has sold over 100,000 copies since its release, the last single re-issue was “Welcome To The Pleasuredome” which could only make No 18 but “The Power Of Love” storms 15-10 (24,000), it sold over half a million its original release including a solitary week at the top before Band Aid came along.

 

 

1- MR BLOBBY- Mr Blobby (99,000)

2- BABE- Take That (92,000)

3- TWIST AND SHOUT- Chaka Demus & Pliers (53,000)

4- FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS- Bee Gees (46,000)

5- IT’S ALRIGHT – East 17 (40,000)

6- I’D DO ANYTHING FOR LOVE (BUT I WON’T DO THAT)- Meat Loaf (30,000)

7- THE PERFECT YEAR- Dina Carroll (30,000)

8- BAT OUT OF HELL- Meat Loaf (29,000)

9- TRUE LOVE- Elton John & Kiki Dee (25,000)

10- THE POWER OF LOVE- Frankie Goes To Hollywood (24,000)

 

The last chart was not accompanied by the usual TOTP but by the Xmas edition. Officially there are 2 more charts of 1993 which I'll post next week but BBC4 may not get to showing them until they review 1994....

Thanks Gezza!

 

I cannot wait for 1994 to get going!

I hadn't realised Mr Blobby sold that much to be so close behind Take That on their opening week, nor that the gap was closing by the end of the week - that would have made the return to #1 less of a surprise. The two old songs from Meat Loaf and FGTH improved the Top 10 on the Christmas week.

Poor sales from Take That in the first week anyway really so it wasn’t a surprise Blobby claimed the Xmas #1

How are those Take That sales for the first week poor?

Yes it's a higher start than any of their previous singles and indeed a record for 1993 (to date). It's also the first single to be put out post the album in this era.

 

1- MR BLOBBY- Mr Blobby (99,000)

2- BABE- Take That (92,000)

 

 

At the end of the 23rd December 1993 top of the pops, Mark Franklin stated that the gap was 5000 sales.

Probably round down, nearer to five than 10

Probably as good a time as any to share one of my favourite Christmas songs “I Was Born On Christmas Day” - peaked at 37 on the Christmas 93 chart. Sadly no chance of that re-appearing on the Top 40 because of Spotify playlists.. :(

 

^so much better than all those Buble, Jingle Bells, Santa Tell Me shitty xmas songs :D

Probably as good a time as any to share one of my favourite Christmas songs “I Was Born On Christmas Day” - peaked at 37 on the Christmas 93 chart. Sadly no chance of that re-appearing on the Top 40 because of Spotify playlists.. :(

 

You can see Saint Etienne and Tim Burgess from the Charlatans perform I Was Born On Christmas Day on the 23rd December show at 7.30pm this Friday on BBC4 - they will be on after the chart rundown with the Bee Gees.

1ST JANUARY

 

 

Even though there was only 5 days of trading the Christmas run in kept sales very lively. Mr Blobby grabs a third week at the top with a 25% sales increase which went along with the kudos of having the festive chart topper, sales of 124,000 this week takes its total to 463,000 that’s enough for 7th place on the YTD chart with a week to go. Meanwhile the rest of the top 5 remains static too, Take That are No 2 (74,000) and Chaka Demus & Pliers are just below them on 68,000 they may well swap places next week. Bee Gees freeze at No 4 (67,000) and East 17 are alright at No 5 (48,000)

 

 

 

Formerly a member of Latin Freestyle act TKA Louis Sharpe has now left the group and using the moniker K7 has scored a big hit in the form of “Come Baby Come” which is the sole new hit in the top 10 rising 13-10 (21,000). The song has just made the US top 20 and so is actually behind the UK who seem to have embraced the song far quicker, it contains a few samples including Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up”.

 

 

Aside from Take That the only song in the top 10 to lose sales is Elton John & Kiki Dee who hold at No 9 (23,000) everything else gains sales regardless of movement. In keeping with the traditional Christmas freeze there isn’t much change in positions, Dina Carroll nudges 7-6 (47,000) and the two Meat Loaf tracks are side by side in the charts, “I’d Do Anything For Love” drops 6-7 (39,000) and “Bat Out Of Hell” holds at No 8 (34,000) the former disc now passes the 700,000 mark as predicted.

 

 

1- MR BLOBBY- Mr Blobby (124,000)

2- BABE- Take That (74,000)

3- TWIST AND SHOUT- Chaka Demus & Pliers (71,000)

4- FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS- Bee Gees (67,000)

5- IT’S ALRIGHT- East 17 (48,000)

6- THE PERFECT YEAR- Dina Carroll (47,000)

7- I’D DO ANYTHING FOR LOVE (BUT I WON’T DO THAT)- Meat Loaf (37,000)

8- BAT OUT OF HELL- Meat Loaf (34,000)

9- TRUE LOVE- Elton John & Kiki Dee (23,000)

10- COME BABY COME- K7 (21,000)

 

8TH JANUARY

 

 

So 1993 comes to an end and we sneak a final new chart topper into it in the form of Chaka Demus & Pliers, their version of “Twist & Shout” becomes the 700th chart topper ever as it moves 3-1 (70,000) even registering a minimal sales decrease, it’s the highest that either the duo or the song have ever been and rounds off a superb year for the genre to boot. The explanation for the sales may be that firstly it is less seasonal than offerings from Mr Blobby or Take That and more aimed at the party season including New Year’s Eve but certainly the fact that it has never exploded at retail through the festive season now appears to have reaped rewards.

 

 

Take That remain at No 2 for a third week (50,000) as they came behind to overtake the outgoing chart topper from Mr Blobby which as expected is fading fast 1-3 (49,000) that’s a 60% sales haemorrhage week on week.

 

The slump of the big two Christmas hits gives hope of further rises for East 17 and Dina Carroll, they both advance 4-3 (41,000) and 6-5 (24,000) despite losing sales but may hold up better than tracks above them. East 17 now have their biggest hit on their hands and if they can overtake Take That next week then that will be a bonus, the Take That boys have the No 1 album this week as “Everything Changes” returns to the summit which will further drain sales.

 

Bee Gees drop 4-6 (24,000) but kept ahead of K7 who rise 10-7 (19,000), and below him there’s another Meat Loaf double, the best selling single of the year “I’d Do Anything For Love” drops 7-8 (17,000) and “Bat Out Of Hell” dips 8-9 (14,000).

 

 

The sole new song is a new entry from D: Ream who spent most of 1992 and 1993 drumming up fans in dance circles and generating four top 30 singles without troubling the top 10. One of those tracks “Things Can Only Get Better” was re-issued last week to take advantage of the release lull and to capitalise on the exposure they achieved supporting Take That on tour last year and it has done the trick by re-entering at No 10 (12,000), 14 places higher than it peaked last February.

 

 

1- TWIST AND SHOUT- Chaka Demus & Pliers (70,000)

2- BABE- Take That (50,000)

3- MR BLOBBY- Mr Blobby (49,000)

4- IT’S ALRIGHT- East 17 (41,000)

5- THE PERFECT YEAR- Dina Carroll (24,000)

6- FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS- Bee Gees (24,000)

7- COME BABY COME- K7 (19,000)

8- I’D DO ANYTHING FOR LOVE (BUT I WON’T DO THAT)- Meat Loaf (17,000)

9- BAT OUT OF HELL- Meat Loaf (14,000)

10- THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER- D: Ream (12,000)

 

And that's it! The end of 93- my thanks as always to those that commented- we finally reached the mid 90s!