26TH MARCH

 

 

Topping the charts by a country mile this week “Doop” is flying out of the shops, it sold 118,000 copies last week, a new 1994 record. It’s already the second time this year that the No 1 record has breached the 100,000 mark, we only had three occasions in total for the whole of 1993, an encouraging sign that sales and the market in general is on the up.

 

 

It’s command over the rest of the field is comprehensive, Ace Of Base rebound 3-2 (52,000) despite losing sales and were a distant second with Bruce Springsteen only managing a single place rise 4-3 (49,000), Mariah Carey falls 2-4 (38,000) to make way from the pair. You could excuse Ace of Base with their debut album “Happy Nation” being re-issued and re-entering at No 3 this week but more should have been expected from Springsteen though it is now his biggest chart hit. “Without You” should sell its 500,000 copy next week as it rises to the top of the YTD chart.

 

 

The record it replaces at the top is D:Ream’s “Things Can Only Get Better” which is still lingering around as it falls 20-26 this week but that hasn’t stopped the group re-releasing another of their old hits “U:R:The Best Thing” which has already been a single twice before making No 72 in 1992 then No 19 last May. It now comes with a slew of new remixes and enters at No 5 (35,000), it might even be fancied for a second chart topper were “Doop” not so far ahead at present.

 

 

 

Recorded originally by Linda Lyndell in 1968, “What A Man” has had a 1994 remake in the hands of Salt N Pepa whose new album “Very Necessary” is out next month. They’ve teamed up with En Vogue on the track which moves 16-8 (21,000) to become Salt N Pepa’s 5th top 10 single and En vogue’s 3rd it also reached the No 3 position in the US a matter of weeks ago.

 

 

 

Much like D:Ream’s current single, Degrees Of Motion have had their No 43 hit from 1992 “Shine On” remixed for the clubs by Farley & Heller and now improves greatly on its last outing climbing 11-9 (20,000)

 

 

 

Bon Jovi’s “Keep The Faith” album keeps churning out the hits, a sixth single “Dry Country” clocks in at 9 and a half minutes on the album though it is reduced to 6 minutes in the single version. It crashes into the chart at No 10 (19,000) to become only the second time in their long history that they’ve debuted straight into the big ten and only their 4th top 10 single ever! Lyrically it sees Jon Bon Jovi lament the loss of the US Oil industry- an unusual theme at least.

 

 

Elsewhere Blur fall back 5-6 (31,000) despite a sales increase, Reel 2 Real Featuring The Mad Stuntman also improve 9-7 (27,000) to reach a new peak and showing great tenacity in the top 10.

 

 

1- DOOP- Doop (118,000)

2- THE SIGN- Ace Of Base (52,000)

3- STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA- Bruce Springsteen (49,000)

4- WITHOUT YOU- Mariah Carey (38,000)

5- U: R THE BEST THING- D:Ream (35,000)

6- GIRLS AND BOYS- Blur (31,000)

7- I LIKE TO MOVE IT- Reel 2 Real Ft Mad Stuntman (27,000)

8- WHATTA MAN- Salt N Pepa Ft En Vogue (21,000)

9- SHINE ON- Degrees Of Motion (20,000)

10- DRY COUNTY- Bon Jovi (19,000)

 

Pretty Good Year <3, Streets of Philadelphia <3 and Girls & Boys <3

three amazing tracks, and then we had that monstruosity at #1 selling gazillions of records :/

Totp sale 26 mar

 

I like to move it 175k (this looks almost about right)

Doop 370k (too big)

Pretty Good Year is just magical. i had this insane hope that it would go to number 1. :D

Great to see “Waterfall” at No22 recently. Part II of the 90s Trifecta of classic defining dance tracks peaking at 22. The others of course being “Carte Blanche” and “Papua New Guinea” <3

'Waterfall' is a classic, one of the highlights of some of the earliest Top 40 shows I listened to.

Yeah Waterfall is still a classic. Have it on CD single (and it was on a triple CD compilation called on a Dance Tip from 1997)!

Great to see “Waterfall” at No22 recently. Part II of the 90s Trifecta of classic defining dance tracks peaking at 22. The others of course being “Carte Blanche” and “Papua New Guinea” <3

 

'Carte Blanche' - my favourite trance track ever :wub:

 

Although in this dimension, we have to wait another 5 years for it to exist.

I absolutely love 'U R The Best Thing', so euphoric! :wub:

2ND APRIL

 

 

Ace of Base’s “The Sign” completes a month at the top in the US but it can’t progress to No 1 here and finally falls back 2-3 (43,000) where it swaps places with Bruce Springsteen whose own “Streets Of Philadephia” moves 3-2 (68,000) with a massive 40% sales increase thanks to his performance on the Oscars last week. That might be enough to overturn an entrenched chart topper but “Doop” left the field with such a mountain to climb last week that it was almost guaranteed a third week at the top which it duly grabs now though its own sales drop 27% to 84,000 and may be in danger next week. Regardless “Philadelphia” is on the right track to give the boss his first chart topper.

 

 

D:Ream can only rise 5-4 (41,000) and Reel 2 Real Featuring The Mad Stuntman continue to impress 7-5 (31,000), that’s a best ever position- could it go all the way just through sheer stamina?

 

 

The only new track in the top 10 enters at No 10 (22,000) and is the new Madonna single taken from the film “With Honours” called “I’ll Remember”. It is now her 32nd top 10 single and makes it despite only being available on CD last week, it gets a full release this week and should improve but it gives her 2 millionth sale of a single in the 90s- only the third act to reach the milestone!

 

 

Mariah Carey seems to have halted in the US where “Without You” is still No 3, here she falls 4-6 (27,000), Salt N Pepa Featuring En Vogue nudge 8-7 (25,000) and Degrees Of Motion similarly inch 9-8 (23,000) with Bon Jovi following suit 10-9 (22,000). Next week sees releases releases by both Prince and Take That which, if insiders are to be believed, could easily both arrive in the top 2 positions! Let’s see….

 

 

1- DOOP- Doop (84,000)

2- STREETS OF PHILADEPLHIA- Bruce Springsteen (68,000)

3- THE SIGN- Ace Of Base (43,000)

4- U:R:THE BEST THING- D:Ream (41,000)

5- I LIKE TO MOVE IT- Reel 2 Real Ft Mad Stuntman (31,000)

6- WITHOUT YOU- Mariah Carey (27,000)

7- WHATTA MAN- Salt N Pepa & En Vogue (25,000)

8- SHINE ON- Degrees Of Motion (23,000)

9- DRY COUNTY- Bon Jovi (22,000)

10- I’LL REMEMBER- Madonna (22,000)

 

Finally all caught up on weeks of TOTP so can follow this thread properly again :kink: belated appreciation for 'Sweet Lullaby' and 'Streets of Philadelphia' :wub:

9TH APRIL

 

 

Chart history is once again made this week and it’s made by Take That, until today no act could boast four consecutive chart toppers from one studio album and have them all enter at No 1, or indeed four No 1’s in the 90s. The title track from the “Everything Changes” does that however with ease, it’s backed with the Beatles medley that the group performed at the BRITS this year for good measure and the package sold 128,000 copies to sweep all opposition aside. The album itself improves mildly 18-13 but has sold over 800,000 copies.

 

 

Beneath it both Doop and Bruce Springsteen make way for the boys as they fall 1-2 (61,000) and 2-3 (56,000).

 

 

Selling enough to make the top 100 for a number of weeks on import was a positive sign that the new Prince single was going to be a major release, and true to form it now gets a full UK release and slams straight in at No 4 (46,000). You’ll note no doubt that Prince has changed his name to a symbol for the purposes of this (and subsequent) releases to reflect his current dispute with the record label Warner Brothers. It’s his 14th top 10 single but only 1989’s “Batdance” got off to a better start when it debuted at No 3.

 

 

D:Ream drop 4-6 (41,000). Madonna rises 10-7 (35,000) now that all formats are available, Reel 2 Real Featuring The Mad Stuntman can’t advance any further and fall back 5-8 (30,000) and Salt N Pepa with En Vogue dip 7-10 (22,000).

 

Two of the year’s biggest hit are also dropping Ace Of Base falling 3-5 (44,000) and Mariah Carey trips 6-9 (28,000) but with the year a quarter of the way through here’s the biggest hits of 1994 so far

 

1- WITHOUT YOU- Mariah Carey 515,000

2- THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER- D:Ream 472,000

3- DOOP- Doop 384,000

4- THE SIGN- Ace Of Base 342,000

5- RETURN TO INNOCENCE- Enigma 315,000

6- BREATHE AGAIN- Toni Braxton 310,000

7- ALL FOR LOVE- Sting/ Rod Stewart/ Bryan Adams 291,000

8- COME BABY COME- K7 222,000

9- THE STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA- Bruce Springsteen 212,000

10- I LIKE TO MOVE IT- Reel 2 Real Featuring The Mad Stuntman 202,000

 

 

Mariah therefore becomes the first act to have a single selling 500,000 this year but keep an eye on Doop who are already at No 3 for the year.

 

 

1- EVERYTHING CHANGES- Take That (129,000)

2- DOOP- Doop (61,000)

3- STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA- Bruce Springsteen (56,000)

4- THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE WORLD- Prince (46,000)

5- THE SIGN- Ace Of Base (44,000)

6- U:R THE BEST THING- D: Ream (41,000)

7- I’LL REMEMBER- Madonna (35,000)

8- I LIKE TO MOVE IT- Reel 2 Real Ft Mad Stuntman (30,000)

9- WITHOUT YOU- Mariah Carey (28,000)

10- WHATTA MAN- Salt N Pepa & En Vogue (22,000)

 

I haven't been bored on a single one of these 1994 TOTP episodes, every single one there's 4 or 5 performances of interest to me, what a great period for chart music, at least - for me - compared to the earlier years of the 90s.

 

Interesting that two classics were released on the same week in Take That and Prince, it's good that both would get to No.1. I guess you could say three, as Tony Di Bart got to No.1 too - not sure if it's regarded as a classic though but I hear it from time to time.

 

I'll Remember is a very underrated track, no place for it on Celebration (DVD edition aside) or even GHV2, and it's a really quite classy song. I love the production on it, the verses have such a gorgeous melody and chords.

Edited February 25, 20232 yr by gooddelta

I've really grown to love 'I'll Remember' recently :wub:

The Real Thing is a classic imo.

All 3 are good decent songs but none is a classic

Think the TT song is very average and undeserving of #1

Only Pray was a deserving @1 out if their 4

 

love I’ll Remember, lost gem by Madonna

Should have charted higher

I really like Everything Changes - it’s way better than Babe and Sure, the TT number 1s before and after it.

Take That had built their fan base well in 91/92!

I thought Take That were abysmal at the time. I did like Back for Good, Could it be Magic and Never Forget in the 90s but that was about it. I don’t mind Relight My Fire now either but everything else I still think are varying shades of awful. Even that made them significantly better than Boyzone and Westlife though!!!

I really like Everything Changes - it’s way better than Babe and Sure, the TT number 1s before and after it.

 

I couldn't tell you how 'Babe' or 'Sure' even go! At least 'Everything Changes' is memorable.