More interesting results I expect.

Hard to call what will be out next.

31. Just Like The First Time | 7.125 Highest Scores: 9.5/9: (gooddelta, Hazelnuts, LM Fan), Lowest Scores: 5.5/5: (Jessie Where, gog lad84, Herbs)
30. The Runner | 7.147 Highest Scores: 9.5/9: (Pippa, Aaron), Lowest Scores: 3: (JosephStyles)
29. Take Me For A Ride | 7.156 Highest Scores: 9: (gooddelta, spiceboy), Lowest Scores: 5.5/5: (Nina West, Feel The Fever, Pippa)


At #31 is Just Like The First Time, an album track sung by Lisa that was first showcased on their 1999 tour 'The Next Step Live', before ending up on the Australian/Japanese versions of the group's 2nd album Steptacular. The song has become a major fan favourite, especially in the UK where many fans were requesting it for it to be officially released
& finally in 2001 it ended up as a b-side to their single 'Here and Now/You'll Be Sorry'. I do remember hearing this for the first time at that very tour (which my friend taped for me off Sky One) & I instantly loved it and always used to rewind back the performance over and over again. A fun & cute simple yet effective bop with the dramatic build up during the first verse before heading into a catchy as hell chorus laden with joyful hooks & of course Lisa's vocals sound absolutely stunning and the inclusion of Claire's vocals on the middle-eight makes this even more superb than it already is. This really should have been included on the main edition of 'Steptacular' instead of filler tracks such as 'My Best Freind's Girl'

At the #30 spot is the other new track on the group's Platinum Collection compilation - The Runner, a cover originally sung by The Three Degrees back in 1979 and most recently it was covered by Bananarama back in 2009 on their Viva album. Steps have done it again with this awesome cover version, very fun and energetic and perfectly updated to fit the modern sound. I hope Steps will make this their next single with a fun music video to boot.

#29 we have Take Me For A Ride, released in July 2001 as the 2nd single from their 7th studio album What The Future Holds Pt 2. The song sees Steps reunite with writers Mark Topham & Karl Twigg whose written some of their biggest hits such as 'One For Sorrow', 'Deeper Shade of Blue' & 'Stomp'. While I do appreciate the tracks darker tones and futuristic 80's flavour, I've never really clicked with it for some reason and it comes across as a rather weak single choice in my opinion. But overall the song is okay and do like the electronic synths running throughout it, but this would have worked better as an album track than a lead single.

Edited September 26, 20222 yr by Nina West

I would have preferred the runner to be ahead of take me for a ride.

Just Like the First Time is a bit low for my liking! One of their career best album tracks. :wub:

 

A bit bemused by The Runner being this high up. I think the potential is there for it to be better, but there's some strained vocals and muddy production lets it down for me.

 

Take Me for a Ride - rather underrated! A different mood for a Steps song, but it still has an extremely solid and catchy chorus.

The Runner did very well with it so new.

For a band that has got it so right, they got the singles from WTFH2 so wrong.

 

Even the right one got treated awfully!

Take Me For A Ride has really grown on me over time! I like it a lot now.

 

I doubt Hard 2 Forget will ever be a favourite of mine, it's catchy but still just feels a bit basic in their discography to me. Which is weird as I gave the Vincint original a high score when it was in BJSC.

 

Of the others out so far, the placings are all fair, although I have always really enjoyed When I Said Goodbye more than most people do.

For a band that has got it so right, they got the singles from WTFH2 so wrong.

 

Even the right one got treated awfully!

The singles were wrong, there was greater opportunities missed.

28. No More Tears On The Dancefloor | 7.593 Highest Scores: 9: (spiceboy), Lowest Scores: 6.5: (Run For Cover)
27. Wasted Tears | 7.781 Highest Scores: 10: (Nina West, spiceboy), Lowest Scores: 6.5/6: (LM Fan, Qween)


The first of 2 album tracks to drop in this bunch - No More Tears On The Dancefloor, which was the title track to their 5th studio album Tears On The Dancefloor. The song was originally sung by Anders/Fahrenkrog back in 2011 & written by Darren Hayes & Carl Falk. The track was also performed live on their 2017 tour Party On The Dancefloor where it was performed as a medley along with the Donna Summer/Barbra Streisand cover 'No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)'. A firm highlight on the group's comeback album with its crisp production, cascading instruments & a euphoric chorus. A more than welcome addition to the 'Platinum Collection'.

At #27 is the wildcard entry on this countdown Wasted Tears, which featured on their 7th studio album What The Future Holds Pt 2 . While it didn't make the official tracklist for the 'Platinum Collection' it did feature on Clarie's version along with 'I Surrender' & 'Hand On Your Heart'. This is a glorious offering that really should have been the lead single or at the very least a later single that could have added some fire to the bland run of singles from this era, with its sad & melancholic lyrics that are also empowering and uplifting at the same time ste against a thumping dance beat, this is a classic Steps anthem through and through that really deserved far more than it got. Hope we get a live performance of this one day.

Two great songs, highlights from their respective albums!

 

I may have mentioned this a thousand times or more but I love the Initial Talk remix of Wasted Tears even more than the album version :cool:

Steps just need that tik tok moment where a song takes off, i wouldnt really care what song it is but id love for something like that to happen for them.

Two great songs, highlights from their respective albums!

 

I may have mentioned this a thousand times or more but I love the Initial Talk remix of Wasted Tears even more than the album version :cool:

 

You’ve never mentioned it!

Just deserved a little better tbh. Surprised at The runner this high. Enjoyed it at first, now it’s an ok track for me. Yeah for Take me, very underrated! And wasted tears :heart:

26. Heartbeat | 7.794 Highest Scores: 10: (gooddelta, Herbs), Lowest Scores: 3: (Feel The Fever)

At #26 is Heartbeat, which was the group's first ever ballad released as a single in November 1998 as the 4th single from their debut album Step One. The song was issued as a double a-side alongside 'Tragedy' and became their first ever #1 hit and has sold over 1.2 Million copies in the UK, becoming their biggest selling single. A divisive song amongst the fanbase and often overlooked because of the other track. But this track does stand on its own with its gorgeous harmonies, warm chorus and ethereal production that blends beautifully with the group’s vocals. Sure this song is cheesy as hell and so sugary sweet that it will make your teeth rot, however I like the warm christmassy feel it has & the cheap but cheerful music video is always a treat to watch, especially for Faye's dreadlocks.





25. After The Love Has Gone | 7.906 Highest Scores: 10: (gog lad84, Herbs), Lowest Scores: 4: (Jessie Where, spiceboy)

Another mid-tempo number drops at #25 After The Love Has Gone, released in October 1999 as the 2nd single from their 2nd album Steptacular & peaked at #5 on the UK singles chart. This is obviously draw's influences from their own earlier hit 'One For Sorrow' by having a slow build up at first before dropping into an uptempo beat and of course having Clarie on lead vocals. The oriental sounds added to the production adds a nice touch and is perhaps the most distinctive thing about this track and yet sounds very mature at the same time. This always seems to have a mixed reception amongst fans, but personally I love it and while it may not stand as one of their most memorable hits, nevertheless its showcases s group who were always willing to think outside the box.

Heartbeat and after the love has have probably charted fairly here.

Two of my fave Steps songs in a row ❤️

Heartbeat is beautiful, the production certainly sounds of its time for a ballad but at its heart is such a stunning ballad, with some of the best vocals they probably ever recorded - just check out the Revisited Mix - which reuses the same vocal to a more stripped piano backing - to see how strong it was.

 

It's true that it only got to No.1 because of Tragedy, and if it had been released standalone it probably would have charted 4-7-11-18 etc and be barely remembered, but I'm so glad it does have that No.1 status, it's such a lovely track. And the video is hilariously bad, can't wait to see the HD version, unless it's not possible if all the green screen work has to be done again from scratch.

 

I wasn't super mad on After The Love Has Gone when it came out, purely because to me it felt cut from the same cloth as One For Sorrow and was the first time they'd repeated themselves sonically. But it has held up well, and always sounds so good live, the 25 Revisited Mix is maybe my favourite of all of Steve Anderson's versions, it's so good.

 

Wasted Tears is a decent enough album track but I wouldn't have released it as a single either, to me it doesn't feel like a wasted opportunity. I prefer Living In A Lie, but that feels derivative of Something In Your Eyes. I'm just not sure it was a great album in terms of single choices, even though I enjoyed most of what was on there.

I’d say Heartbeat deserves quite a bit of credit for the early portion of its chart run at least - initial promo did seem to be more focused on that song & it’s also the song that radio favoured over Tragedy, surprisingly. I’d say it was more in the direct run up to Christmas that Steps switched gears to Tragedy? Then it really exploded sales wise and began its climb up the chart again.

 

(Dates are the Sunday chart dates)

66,547 - #02 [15/11/98]

69,000 - #05 [22/11/98]

69,000 - #05 [29/12/98]

58,000 - #08 [06/12/98]

60,000 - #08 [13/12/98]

99,000 - #06 [20/12/98]

 

The 99k / #6 week was Christmas chart week, but it also directly followed their performance of Tragedy at the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party which aired on Sunday 13th December 1998.

 

It seems the label thought more of Heartbeat? Having a picture from that video shoot as its artwork, making it track 1 and including an instrumental of it. I’m not sure if they anticipated quite how well people would respond to Tragedy prior to release.

 

I wonder if the single might have sold even more than it did if there had been a CD with Tragedy related artwork & included a Tragedy remix or instrumental!

 

I really do like Heartbeat, it’s cheesy and of its time but I appreciate it for that - and it is one of the main songs that reminds me of Christmas 98 :wub:

 

As for After the Love Has Gone - so underrated! :cry: Even though Tragedy was included on Steptacular, I feel like After the Love Has Gone must have had its role to play in attracting the public into buying the album too, given it directly preceded it. :thinking:

I adore 'Heartbeat', and yeah it fills me with huge nostalgic memories of Xmas 1998 (which was the year I started secondary school!)