1ST OCTOBER

 

 

The Whigfield phenomenon continues apace, “Saturday Night” might be cooling at retail (unsurprisingly) with sales off 20% to 176,000 raising its overall three week total to 545,000- yes it’s already in the top 10 for the year, next week we’ll have our last interim report on the year and see how far the track has risen. Corona remain a distant second on 75,000 as they fend off the fast approaching Bon Jovi who climb 5-3 (63,000) the CD incidentally contains a stripped down version of Livin On A Prayer” which was their biggest hit until “Always” overtook it this week.

 

 

 

 

 

Luther Vandross & Mariah Carey drop 3-4 (49,000) but the song has done the trick for Vandross as his covers album “Songs” becomes his first chart topper this week, and at No 5 we find Cyndi Lauper who has zapped up her 1984 #2 hit “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” into a reggae-lite version scoring herself her biggest hit in over 10 years and 4th top 10 single in total. This version of the song came about as Lauper experimented with the song on tour choosing to perform it in different versions with this proving to be a popular choice, it’s been retitled “Hey Now” and can be found on her current best of which darts 7-2 this week behind Vandross, the single sold 36,000 last week.

 

 

 

Having the honour of knocking All-4-One off the top spot in the US Lisa Loeb & The Nine Stories’ “Stay (I Missed You)” has had a far more gentle ascent here 27-21-18-12-6 perhaps because it is suffering slightly for the fact that the film it is taken for “Reality Bites” has long since stop showing at the box office. It’s the second hit to be taken from the film after Big Mountain’s “Baby I Love Your Way”, Loeb is actually actor Ethan Hawke’s neighbour and as he stars in the film it must have been easier to get onto the soundtrack, he even directs the promo for the single which sold 36,000 in the last 7 days.

 

 

 

The highest new entry this week (and indeed the highest placed single by a UK act) comes from East 17 and the lead/ title track from their new album “Steam” which is out in a matter of weeks. The group have now scored three straight top 10 singles evidencing their growing rivalry with Take That (whose new single is itself out in a fortnight), its entry at No 7 (33,000) equals their previous best start achieved with their last single “Around The World”.

 

 

Boyz II Men drop 7-9 (27,000) and M Beat Featuring General Levy reverse 8-10 (23,000).

 

Ordinarily I wouldn’t dwell on Wet, wet, wet’s “Love Is All Around” dropping 4-8 (28,000) this week but this week Polygram have admitted that the story about the single being “deleted” was erroneous and spread with the aim of getting a 16th week at the top for the record. To be clear it hasn’t been deleted and is still freely available- naughty record label!

 

 

1- SATURDAY NIGHT- Whigfield (176,000)

2- THE RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT- Corona (75,000)

3- ALWAYS- Bon Jovi (63,000)

4- ENDLESS LOVE- Luther Vandross & Mariah Carey (49,000)

5- HEY NOW (GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN)- Cyndi Lauper (36,000)

6- STAY (I MISSED YOU)- Lisa Loeb & The Nine Stories (36,000)

7- STEAM- East 17 (33,000)

8- LOVE IS ALL AROUND- Wet, wet, wet (28,000)

9- I’LL MAKE LOVE TO YOU- Boyz II Men (27,000)

10- INCREDIBLE- M Beat Ft General Levy (23,000)

 

Stay (I Missed You) is wonderful. I always thought it was a sort of template for Torn!

Didn’t realise Whigfield was such a huge weekly seller, love how in this era some songs enter really high while others still climb slowly!

 

loved loved the Lisa Loeb song <3

'Regulate', '7 Seconds', 'Live Forever' and 'Confide In Me' are big favourites from these May posts so far :wub:

 

All up to date on TOTP and it was a relief to have Whigfield in at #1 after so many showings of 'Love Is All Around' in a row :lol: wow those sales for her!

As you have done 4 weeks in one go, there was a connection between the top 10s for the 10th and 17th September.

 

On the 10th September, we had the 36th song to go straight in at number 2

On the 17th September, we had the 36th song to go straight in at number 1.

 

 

Also we will be skipping a couple of upcoming episodes of Top of the Pops - on the 9th June we will be skipping the 3rd November 1994 show ( due to R Kelly appearing during the chart countdown ) and the 10th November 1994 show due to Gary Glitter playout.

 

We will probably miss a couple of shows from December 1994 as well - The 15th where Gary Glitter is the playout and gets mentioned during the show - the 22nd December which Glitter hosted.

Kinda liked it that the fake-deletion of WWW backfired and they didn't get a 16th week, Bryan > Wet Wet Wet :D

As you have done 4 weeks in one go, there was a connection between the top 10s for the 10th and 17th September.

 

On the 10th September, we had the 36th song to go straight in at number 2

On the 17th September, we had the 36th song to go straight in at number 1.

Also we will be skipping a couple of upcoming episodes of Top of the Pops - on the 9th June we will be skipping the 3rd November 1994 show ( due to R Kelly appearing during the chart countdown ) and the 10th November 1994 show due to Gary Glitter playout.

 

We will probably miss a couple of shows from December 1994 as well - The 15th where Gary Glitter is the playout and gets mentioned during the show - the 22nd December which Glitter hosted.

It’s a shame they can’t just edit out the minor mentions and the end song?

Was thinking that does that mean every show with R Kelly on it will be not shown?

I think the ones they're skipping are where one of his songs or its video is played.

That's going to affect a lot of the late 90s episodes then surely, when they get to them. I agree they should just edit them out with a note: "this show has been edited from the original transmission".

Was thinking that does that mean every show with R Kelly on it will be not shown?

 

No it doesn't - we saw the 12th May show with R Kelly edited out and next Friday he will be edited out of the 20th October show.

 

I think the reason we will miss the 3rd November show completely is because the song, She's Got That Vibe is played over the chart rundown which is an integral part of the show.

 

 

I see I hate all these disruptions, I know R Kelly is horrendous but like it or not he’s part of the musical culture of that era and I personally don’t think it’s should be banned.

8TH OCTOBER

 

 

“Saturday Night” continues to romp home to easy victories on the weekly charts, a further 140,000 copies were sold last week which takes the song’s total to 685,000 in just a month. As we’ve hit the ¾ mark for the year let’s see how she’s doing:

 

1- LOVE IS ALL AROUND- Wet, wet,wet 1,679,000

2- I SWEAR- All-4-One 693,000

3- SATURDAY NIGHT- Whigfield 685,000

4- WITHOUT YOU- Mariah Carey 559,000

5- THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER- D:Ream 481,000

6- DOOP- Doop 466,000

7- CRAZY FOR YOU- Let Loose 451,000

8- THE SIGN- Ace Of Base 443,000

9- COME ON YOU REDS- Manchester United Football Squad 423,000

10- I LIKE TO MOVE IT- Reel 2 Real Featuring Mad Stuntman 389,000

 

Whigfield is already No 3 on the list and will easily overtake All-4-One this week though Wet, Wet, Wet may be a little beyond her! Interestingly “Saturday Night” has sold more copies in each of its weeks at No 1 than the Wets sold in any particular week at the top.

 

 

Bon Jovi nudge 3-2 (61,000) even though they lost sales week on week, thanks to the collapse of Corona 2-3 (60,000) who must now fancy their chance has passed.

 

 

Highest new entry of the week comes from Madonna who must be heartened at her entry at No 5 (40,000). Her 34th hit in 10 years is also her 33rd top 10 hit (in a row) and her 27th top 5 hit but the first in 6 releases during which serious questions have been asked about her ability to still produce the major hits here. It also grants her a 15th top 10 single of the 90s, 6 clear of nearest challengers Take That. “Secret” puts her back on form and sees the now traditional image overhaul for the new album “Bedtime Stories” (Out next month) courtesy of Jean Harlow and a new sound (for her anyway) thanks to in demand producer Dallas Austin, it’s also causing some waves in the clubs thanks to a Junior Vasquez remix.

 

 

 

Pato Banton emerged from Birmingham and into the music business thanks to The Beat in the early 80s when he featured on their 1982 album “Special Beat Service”, he also joined UB40 on their album “Baggariddum” in 1985 alongside running a solo career which failed to generate a hit single. He’s teamed back up with Ali & Robin Campbell of UB40 to give us a cover of the 1968 Equals chart topper “Baby Come Back” which flies 16-6 (38,000) this week

 

 

 

Most famous for her role as Hattie Tavernier in Eastenders Michelle Gayle left the soap this year to pursue a career in music with first single “Looking Up” reach No 11. She’s now teamed up with Narada Michael Walden on second release “Sweetness” which rises 11-9 (25,000) with an album out in a fortnight.

 

 

Cyndi Lauper inches 5-4 (41,000), East 17 surprisingly stick at No 7 (36,000) with Lisa Loeb falling 6-8 (36,000) and Mariah Carey & Luther Vandross dropping 4-10 (25,000). Next week we have a new Take That single to challenge Whigfield but with “Saturday Night” so dominant can the boys succeed?

 

1- SATURDAY NIGHT- Whigfield (140,000)

2- ALWAYS- Bon Jovi (61,000)

3- THE RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT- Corona (60,000)

4- HEY NOW (GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN)- Cyndi Lauper (41,000)

5- SECRET- Madonna (40,000)

6- BABY COME BACK- Pato Banton Ft Robin & Ali Campbell (38,000)

7- STEAM- East 17 (36,000)

8- STAY (I MISSED YOU)- Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories (36,000)

9- SWEETNESS- Michelle Gayle (25,000)

10- ENDLESS LOVE- Luther Vandross & Mariah Carey (25,000)

 

15TH OCTOBER

 

 

They’ve now scored five chart toppers (more than any other act in the 90s) and each of those five singles have entered the charts at No 1 including their latest this week. Take That’s “Sure” is the song in question and puts in a sterling performance to dethrone “Saturday Night” in selling 115,000 copies last week, just 1,000 more than the outgoing chart topper, it’s a 10th top 10 single marking only the second act in the 90s to have enough top ten singles to be in double figures. More than that it pushes Take That into pole position as the biggest selling singles act of the 90s replacing Bryan Adams (who himself only held the honour since December 1993)- a truly dominate force. Whigfield’s fight back was certainly noticeable as the week progressed but the boys were too far in front to be caught by the Danish singer, nonetheless sales of the Whigfield track now stand at 799,000 and seem very likely to top the million mark within the next month.

 

 

Bon Jovi’s “Always” put in another week of growing sales though it drops 2-3 (69,000), it will be under strain next week from Pato Banton Featuring Robin & Ali Campbell who lift 6-4 (57,000) and Push Cyndi Lauper down 4-5 (44,000). In the bottom half of the top 10 the only climber comes from Michelle Gayle who improves 9-7 (35,000), otherwise Corona slide 3-6 (42,000), Lisa Loeb remains at No 8 (34,000), East 17 drift 7-9 (27,000) and Madonna is heading south 5-10 (23,000).

 

 

1- SURE- Take That (115,000)

2- SATURDAY NIGHT- Whigfield (114,000)

3- ALWAYS- Bon Jovi (69,000)

4- BABY COME BACK- Pato Banton Ft Robin & Ali Campbell (57,000)

5- HEY NOW (GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN)- Cyndi Lauper (44,000)

6- THE RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT- Corona (42,000)

7- SWEETNESS- Michelle Gayle (35,000)

8- STAY (I MISSED YOU)- Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories (34,000)

9- STEAM- East 17 (27,000)

10- SECRET- Madonna (23,000)

 

Wow, I never realised Whigfield was so close to denying Take That a debut at #1! Wonder if they'd have climbed to #1 the following week if she had...

Madonna appearing concurrently in the 80s and 90s threads at the moment *.* 'Secret' is gorgeous. (Edit: oh Cyndi Lauper too, with almost the same song :kink:)

I couldn't even tell you how 'Sure' goes, and I have no desire to remind myself.

Sure is their worst single imo, a shame that Saturday Night didn’t beat it

 

 

Madonna, Lisa Loeb, Corona and Candi all great. Liked Michelle Gayle at the time too although it’s not aged at all well

Sure is TT's at their worst :/