I kinda like the D:Ream song too, I remember rooting for it when re-released as it under-performed in 93 when it went just top 40.

 

EDIT: just checked D:Ream's discography and is kinda crazy how many singles and re-released or even re-re-releases they did in their 1st era alonr:

 

UR the best thing/72

Things can only get better/24

UR the best thing/19 (re-issue)

Unforgiven/29

Star/I like it/26

Things can only get better/1 (re-issue)

UR the best thing/4 (re-re-issue)

Take me away/18

Blame it on me/25

 

22ND JANUARY

 

 

Sprinting way ahead of the field D:Ream become the first new chart topper of 1994, nothing could stop “Things Can Only Get Better” from ascending to pole position as it lead from the off, the outfit is essentially vocalist Peter Cunnah and some part time musicians who now seemed to have moved into the big time. The song sold 67,000 copies last week as they become the first Northern Irish act to top the charts since Feargul Sharkey in 1985.

 

 

K7 rise 4-3 (41,000) but they can’t catch the outgoing chart topper from Chaka Demus & Pliers which sold 46,000, challengers mount up below though with Bryan Adams/ Sting/ and Rod Stewart moving 7-4 (41,000) and Culture Beat hold at No 5 (34,000). East 17 drop 3-6 (25,000) but below them we have 4 new tracks to discuss as the new year clean out really hits home.

 

 

Grabbing considerable critical acclaim with her debut album “Little Earthquakes” Tori Amos also scored three top 40 singles with “Crucify” becoming the biggest making No 15 in 1992. Her second album “Under The Pink” is primed and ready and first release “Cornflake Girl” establishes her as a rising star as it debuts at No 7 (24,000), CD2 is out this week and will contain covers of songs by Joni Mitchell, Billie Holliday, and Jimi Hendrix. Typically for Amos the song deals with a rather controversial issue that of female genital mutilation, wonder if the censor’s will notice or care?

 

 

 

UK Girl Group’s are alive and kicking with Eternal currently flying the flag for the genre, their second single “Save Our Love” floats 12-8 (20,000) this week to give them a 100% success rate with their releases. Their album “Always And Forever” got lost in the Christmas rush peaking at No 33 before the big day but it has improved over recent weeks with the new single to promote it climbing 24-11 this week to breach the top 20 for the first time.

 

 

 

Released as a half-cocked attempt at grabbing the festive top spot, Haddaway’s “I Miss You” rather underperformed initially but with the tinsel a distant memory it seems that this has turned into a winter warmer rising slowly 11-9 (20,000) in its 6th week. For all his single success the album has spent just 5 weeks on the charts peaking at No 19 though it is now being re-promoted.

 

 

 

Making up for the disappointment of his last single “Pass It On” making No 35 Bitty Mclean continues to ride the current Reggae revival with “Here I Stand” which charges 21-10 (18,000). It’s also an historic week for the CD single which accounted for over 50% of all singles sold last week, a new high for the format.

 

 

1- THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER- D: Ream (67,000)

2- TWIST AND SHOUT- Chaka Demus & Pliers (46,000)

3- COME BABY COME- K7 (41,000)

4- ALL FOR LOVE- Bryan Adams/ Rod Stewart/ Sting (41,000)

5- ANYTHING- Culture Beat (34,000)

6- IT’S ALRIGHT- East 17 (25,000)

7- CORNFLAKE GIRL- Tori Amos (24,000)

8- SAVE OUR LOVE- Eternal (20,000)

9- I MISS YOU- Haddaway (20,000)

10- HERE I STAND- Bitty McLean (18,000)

 

yay Tori <3 Cornflake Girl is such a classic <3

 

btw, the song was inspired by a conversation about female genital mutilation, but that's just what started the song,

but the song is not about that at all.

29TH JANUARY

 

 

D:Ream continue to dominate having an easy time of it as “Things Can Only Get Better” makes it two weeks at the top, it also increases sales to 69,000 and increases its distance from the chasing pack! New challenger “All For Love” moves 4-2 but sold just 41,000 to make it, it was already the biggest hit for Sting but now becomes Rod’s biggest hit in 8 years, Adams was of course in the runner up spot just a few months ago with “Please Forgive Me”, the track is also currently No 1 Stateside. The D:Ream track has now sold 189,000 as it takes over from Chaka Demus & Pliers “Twist And Shout” at the top of the YTD which sold another 27,000 to take its tally to 141,000 though of course its total sales are a much healthier 368,000 and indeed it is now their personal best seller as it inches past “Tease Me”. Their album was re-issued this week and enters at No 1 capping off a hugely successful 7 months.

 

 

The remaining top 5 is filled with K7 who hold at No 3 (37,000) and Tori Amos who rises 7-4 (37,000).

 

 

Already a No 3 hit in the US Toni Braxton hasn’t looked back since leaving her sisters behind and heading out solo. Her first single “Another Sad Love Song” only made No 51 here but No 7 in the US, new single “Breathe Again” has given her a UK hit now as it climbs 13-7 (24,000). The song is another from the pen of Babyface who also co-produces it with L.A Reid and if you like the sound you might want to check out Braxton’s debut solo album which is new at No 33 this week.

 

 

 

For the first time in their long career Depeche Mode have pulled three top 10 singles from an album, the album in question is of course “Songs Of Faith & Devotion” which has yielded three singles “I Feel You” (No 8), “Walking In My Shoes” (No 14) and “Condemnation” (No 9) whilst selling just under 200,000 copies. It re-enters at No 71 this week whilst fourth hit “In Your Room” expands 18-8 (22,000) proving it was wise of the band to hold back the 2nd and 3rd CD versions of the single to this week, it’s their 30th UK single and has been remixed by Butch Vig for single release.

 

 

 

Enigma’s first album “MCMXC.AD” surprised many when it dislodged Madonna’s “Immaculate Collection” at the top of the charts three years ago this week, it of course housed the chart topping single “Sadness (Part 1)”, well they’re back with a new album “Cross Of Changes” and lead track “Return To Innocence”. It features European chanteuse Sandra (her only UK hit was the No 45 cover of “Everlasting Love”) who is also married to the main man in the outfit Michael Cretu, along with sampled chants which have now become their stock in trade. The track debuts at No 9 (22,000).

 

 

Culture Beat drop 5-6 (26,000) and Haddaway similarly descends gently 9-10 (21,000).

 

1- THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER- D:Ream (69,000)

2- ALL FOR LOVE- Bryan Adams/ Rod Stewart/ Sting (41,000)

3- COME BABY COME- K7 (37,000)

4- CORNFLAKE GIRL- Tori Amos (37,000)

5- TWIST AND SHOUT- Chaka Demus & Pliers (27,000)

6- ANYTHING- Culture Beat (26,000)

7- BREATHE AGAIN- Toni Braxton (24,000)

8- IN YOUR ROOM- Depeche Mode (22,000)

9- RETURN TO INNOCENCE- Enigma (22,000)

10- I MISS YOU- Haddaway (21,000)

 

Incidentally CD singles now account for over 50% of singles sales for the first time ever this week in 1994

Tori and Enigma, two of my favourites from the year there :wub:

 

Also, In Your Room is a great DM track too

great newbies, the Enigma track is incredible, I did prefer this 2nd era to their first

In Your Room is also great, one of DM's most under-rated

I also had a soft spot for Toni Braxton and Breathe Again is a nice ballad

 

oh just realised Cornflake Girl is on the same rounded sales as #3, so might have been close for top 3 for Tori

I only heard 'Cornflake Girl' for the first time last year (my work best friend sent me a link and said I'd love it, indeed I did), was such a treat seeing the TOTP performance for the first time yesterday :wub: 'Return To Innocence' is of course brilliant too and I enjoyed 'In Your Room' quite a bit on TOTP as well, after not being too familiar with post-Violator material from Depeche Mode.

@Jade I always think you'd appreciate the single from this DM era that didn't make the top 10, it's definitely one of my favourites:

 

@Jade I always think you'd appreciate the single from this DM era that didn't make the top 10, it's definitely one of my favourites:

 

Ooh this song is actually in my massive shuffle playlist because I heard a clip of it in a YouTube video and thought it sounded promising. However, it hasn't come on shuffle yet, so this prompted me to check it out now. Sounding hauntingly fantastic in full :wub:

'Cornflake Girl' is a classic :wub:

 

'Save Our Love' is good but it's got nothing on 'Just a Step From Heaven'

 

I saw Haddaway perform in Gran Canaria in November and the stage caught fire at the end of his performance.

 

Also kudos for the shout-out with 'Walking in My Shoes' what a phenomenal track!

Edited January 21, 20232 yr by Jessie Where

Incidentally CD singles now account for over 50% of singles sales for the first time ever this week in 1994

Coincidentally this was also the first week I listened to the entire Top 40 on Radio 1. I can clearly remember that Top 10, the #40 being Shabba Ranks, and Mr Blobby and Babe hanging on in the lower reaches. Unfortunately I have no recollection of Hyperactive at #23 which I probably wouldn't hear again until many years later.

The two piano solos in Cornflake Girl are career highlights. It was such a great time for me seeing her enter so high and then climb.

CD2 must have really helped that climb.

Edited January 21, 20232 yr by Colm

Cornflake Girl really is quite unlike anything else to be released, even in her own material. As Colm says, the two piano solos are just phenomenal :wub: and the general quirkiness of the lyrics and structure just make it so special

Also, love how the song is called Cornflake Girl

but the opening line is "Never was a cornflake girl" <3

 

agree x Walking in my Shoes, best song in the album even if it was the lowest charting single

 

Walking in my Shoes and In Your Room are the only 2 redeeming factors in Songs of Faith and Devotion but overall the album is poor, easily their weakest album of the 90s, Violator and Ultra are much better

Sharing the love for Cornflake Girl! :wub:

 

Didn't realise it was only 4k sales away from #2.

Also, love how the song is called Cornflake Girl

but the opening line is "Never was a cornflake girl" <3

 

agree x Walking in my Shoes, best song in the album even if it was the lowest charting single

 

Walking in my Shoes and In Your Room are the only 2 redeeming factors in Songs of Faith and Devotion but overall the album is poor, easily their weakest album of the 90s, Violator and Ultra are much better

 

Totally disagree with your opinion on Songs of Faith and Devotion.

 

The melodies are not as strong as Violator but the production was a huge leap forward.

 

Rush is amazing and an influence on the Prodigy. I like everything on it apart from Condemnation.

 

Also have to add to the appreciation for 'Cornflake Girl' and 'Return To Innocence' (didn't know Sandra was on the latter! Though I was aware of her relation to Enigma so not surprising). :heart:

 

I really like 'Things Can Only Get Better' too, I heard a live version of it at a lecture from Brian Cox's later career change haha.

I much prefer the album version of In Your Room to the remix that was released as a single.

 

I have no idea why Hyperactive by Thomas Dolby was a top 30 hit again ten years after it was last in the chart but it was good to see a clip of it on the programme.

 

 

I prefer the album version too, however it was good commercial sense to release a different mix as the single.