I never liked fairground but it had great sales. Loved seeing the sales trek for celine Dion think twice as I loved the song back then and still do.

I don’t mind Fairground. In fact I probably enjoy it more now than I did at the time

On the 30th September, you mention about Smokie and Roy Chuby Brown climbing from 8 - 5. In fact, that 3 place climb was the only climber in the entire top 75

 

1 climber

1 non mover

44 down

29 new entries

 

The late 90s were a period of lots of new entries but most of them going straight in then straight down.

 

Discounting singles on week of release then upping the price on week 2 didn't help

7TH OCTOBER

 

 

A very tight race at the top of the charts this week saw Simply Red’s “Fairground” up against a new Pulp single touted by most as a sure fire chart topper. In the end just 3,000 copies separated the two titles but Simply Red hold on for a second week shifting another 142,000 copies to bring its tally to 353,000 in just a fortnight making it already their biggest selling single!

 

 

 

Poor old Pulp then, new single “Sorted For E’s & Whizz/ Mis-Shapes” exactly repeats the feat of their last single “Common People” by debuting at No 2 (139,000) but sold almost double of the opening tally, the second highest for a runner up single for 1995 behind Oasis in fact. A headline grabbing performance at Glastonbury propelled them to the forefront of Britpop and this single was helped considerably by the media and the Daily Mirror in particular who claimed that “Sorted” was a pro-drugs song and the inlay could be made into a wrap to hide illicit drugs which saw new copies being distributed without the offending article and helped them lead midweek at least.

 

 

The title actually refers back to the fabled Stone Roses gig at Spike Island in 1990 and a girl who recalled the experience to Cocker afterwards. In any event Pulp’s album is out later this month and should be a sure fire big seller.

 

 

Bon Jovi now have their 6th straight top 10 single with another release from the No 1 album “These Days”. “Something For The Pain” bounds 12-8 (31,000) and causes the parent album to boomerang 27-23 and is already platinum. The only other thing of interest is that the song features some lead vocals by Richie Sambora, the first Bon Jovi single to do so.

 

 

Shaggy continues his slow descent 2-3 (88,000) and similarly Michael Jakckson falls 3-4 (69,000), he’ll sell his half millionth copy next week but he is already in the top 10 YTD which now looks like this:

 

1. UNCHAINED MELODY/ WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER- Robson & Jerome- 1,843,000

2. BACK FOR GOOD- Take That- 959,000

3. THINK TWICE- Celine Dion- 927,000

4. BOOM BOOM BOOM- The Outhere Brothers- 652,000

5. DON’T STOP (WIGGLE WIGGLE)- The Outhere Brothers- 617,000

6. COUNTRY HOUSE- Blur 577,000

7. COTTON EYE JOE- Rednex- 512,000

8. SET YOU FREE- N-Trance- 502,000

9. YOU ARE NOT ALONE- Michael Jackson 483,000

10. HOLD ME THRILL ME KISS ME KILL YOU- U2- 471,000

 

Smokie and Roy “Chubby” Brown hold at No 5 (64,000) and is still growing at retail- it may have a place or two higher to go yet!

 

Mariah Carey drops 4-6 (59,000) as her album “Daydream” (which was only released on Thursday) flies into the No 1 spot! And Wet wet wet improve 10-7 (37,000) whilst N-trance fall 6-9 (30,000).

 

 

Iron Maiden have been going through some changes recently following the departure of front man Bruce Dickinson and the replacement with Blaze Bayley. The first single to feature him is “Man On The Edge” which is inspired by the film “Falling Down” and will feature on the group’s tenth album “X Factor” out this week. Given their history it’s unlikely to be in the top 10 next week but for now it debuts at No 10 (27,000).

 

 

 

1- FAIRGROUND- Simply Red (142,000)

2- MIS-SHAPES/ SORTED FOR E’S & WHIZZ- Pulp (139,000)

3- BOOMBASTIC- Shaggy (88,000)

4- YOU ARE NOT ALONE- Michael Jackson (69,000)

5- LIVING NEXT DOOR TO ALICE (WHO THE f*** IS ALICE)- Smokie Ft Roy Chubby Brown (64,000)

6- FANTASY- Mariah Carey (59,000)

7- SOMEWHERE SOMEHOW- Wet, wet, wet (37,000)

8- SOMETHING FOR THE PAIN- Bon Jovi (31,000)

9- STAYIN ALIVE- N Trance Ft Ricardo Da Force (30,000)

10- MAN ON THE EDGE- Iron Maiden (27,000)

 

oh Pulp robbed! and wow at 139K for a #2!! Sorted is Pulp at their very very very best <3 Mis-shapes I remember kinda liking it back in the day, nowadays not so much

14TH OCTOBER

 

 

A much easier week for Simply Red this week with “Fairground” romping home to a third week at the top on a sale of 129,000 a mere slip of 9% week on week buoyed as it is by a seemingly endless support from radio where it still far and away the most played song. Total sales of 482,000 place it just outside the top 10 YTD.

 

 

Half of the top 10 remain static that includes all the top 3 so Pulp are runners up on a much reduced sales of 62,000, fractional ahead of Shaggy on 61,000, he at least sees his album enter at No 38 but expect a much bigger splash from Pulp’s album in a few weeks! Other stickers are Mariah Carey at No 6 (43,000) and N-Trance at No 9 (26,000).

 

 

Highest new entry of the week comes from a returning Def Leppard who will be hoping that their new greatest hits album “Vault” will be a big seller for Christmas in much the same fashion as Bon Jovi last year. “When Love & Hate Collide” debuts at No 7 (34,000) to become only their third top 10 single of their long career, it actually dates back to 1990 and was intended for the “Adrenalize” album but was a ballad too far for the album according to the record company allegedly.

 

 

 

Back in July there was a shock departure from a group, no not Robbie Williams leaving Take That, but Louise Nurding left Eternal to launch a solo career. “Light Of My Life” climbs 12-8 (33,000) to give her a pretty perfect start to her solo stardom, it’s co-written by former pop star Simon Climie which should stand it in good stead and she competes with a new single by her former bandmates Eternal next week.

 

 

Smokie & Roy “Chubby” Brown inch 5-4 (53,000) despite having now peaked at retail and Michael Jackson drifts 4-5 (49,000), meanwhile The Rembrandts are back 11-10 (23,000).

 

 

1- FAIRGROUND- Simply Red (129,000)

2- MIS-SHAPES/ SORTED FOR E’S & WHIZZ- Pulp (62,000)

3- BOOMBASTIC- Shaggy (61,000)

4- LIVING NEXT DOOR TO ALICE (WHO THE f*** IS ALICE)- Smokie Ft Roy Chubby Brown (53,000)

5- YOU ARE NOT ALONE- Michael Jackson (49,000)

6- FANTASY- Mariah Carey (43,000)

7- WHEN LOVE AND HATE COLLIDE- Def Leppard (34,000)

8- LIGHT OF MY LIFE- Louise (33,000)

9- STAYIN ALIVE- N-Trance Featuring Ricardo Da Force (26,000)

10- I’LL BE THERE FOR YOU- The Rembrandts (23,000)

 

What!!! Pulp so close to number 1, I never knew if they were close or not.

 

Curses to Simply Red.

oh Pulp robbed! and wow at 139K for a #2!! Sorted is Pulp at their very very very best

I adore both sides, but Mis-Shapes has always been my favourite.

Testament to how big Pulp were then that they could debut that close to #1 with what haven't been much remembered songs, I don't really know either of those songs really maybe Mis-Shapes is a bit familiar to me. Not surprised I don't know the other track as its title makes it not the most suitable for radio airplay.

 

'When Love And Hate Collide' is much more like a 90s boyband song than Def Leppard's usual style lol. Good song anyway.

Edited March 8, 20241 yr by TheSnake

Testament to how big Pulp there that it could debut that close to #1 don't really know either of those songs really maybe Mis-Shapes is a bit familiar to me. Not surprised I don't know the other track as its title makes it not the most suitable for radio airplay.

 

'When Love And Hate Collide' is much more like a 90s boyband song than Def Leppard's usual style lol. Good song anyway.

Testament to how big Pulp were then that they could debut that close to #1 with what haven't been much remembered songs, I don't really know either of those songs really maybe Mis-Shapes is a bit familiar to me. Not surprised I don't know the other track as its title makes it not the most suitable for radio airplay.

 

'When Love And Hate Collide' is much more like a 90s boyband song than Def Leppard's usual style lol. Good song anyway.

Sorted for E’s and Whizz is better known I would say, but I agree they haven’t had the cultural impact Common People has.

In other associated news the market was expanding considerably with supermarkets (notably ASDA) starting to stock CD's which made estimated sales an imperfect science and would lead ultimately to panel sales being abandoned when around 97% of the market was covered in early 1997. This in turn caused the famous "re-appraisal" of sales 1994-1996 which the OCC still struggle with these days. For the record this thread will continue with the sales which were reported at the time.

Hated that Def Leppard song with a passion, one of the worst rock ballads ever. Def Leppard only did 1 good ballad (Love Bites), but even their best ballad pales compared to the ones from Heart, Guns n Roses, Whitesnake etc

 

Didn't recall that Louise single and seems kinda meh on first listen, very MOR

In other associated news the market was expanding considerably with supermarkets (notably ASDA) starting to stock CD's which made estimated sales an imperfect science and would lead ultimately to panel sales being abandoned when around 97% of the market was covered in early 1997. This in turn caused the famous "re-appraisal" of sales 1994-1996 which the OCC still struggle with these days. For the record this thread will continue with the sales which were reported at the time.

Glad to hear it! I’m not a fan of the downgraded sales, I don’t really understand why it was done as the new figures don’t seem any more certain from as much as I understand

Selected tracks outside the Top 10 TOTP 9th, 16th, 23rd & 30th September 1995

 

 

Cast - Alright

Chart entry this week & Peak: 13

 

 

The second single from the All Change album, this is another great Indie track from Cast.

 

 

 

Garbage - Only Happens When It Rains

Chart entry this week & Peak: 29

 

 

TOTP debut from the wonderful Garbage. Shame this didn't peak higher, but its a great taste of what's to come from them.

 

 

 

 

Menswear - Stardust

Chart entry this week & Peak: 16

 

 

Their second hit, inferior to their other singles imo, but still decent.

 

 

 

 

Sleeper - What Do I Do Now?

Chart entry this week & Peak: 14

 

 

 

Sleeper proving that they were an overlooked Britpop band - they deserved the plaudits that the bigger (male) bands got imo.

 

 

 

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds feat. Kylie Minogue - Where The Wild Roses Grow

Chart entry this week & Peak: 11

 

 

 

A bit of a dark turn from Kylie here. Still not sure if I like it?!

 

 

Radiohead - Lucky

Chart entry this week & Peak: 51

 

 

 

Taken from the chart topping Help! album and released as part of Warchild Help EP, it is criminal how low this peaked. Its endearing quality has shone through as it was included on the best album of all time, OK Computer.

Only Happy When It Rains is the pick of that bunch, although I do love Sleeper and Radiohead in particular too

Love the sleeper song. I got the debut album when I heard WDIDN and I wasnt disappointed as I'd loved inbetweener as well. Their best is yet to come though.

love Where the Wild Roses Grow, Lucky and Only Happy When It Rains <3 three lost gems!

Love the sleeper song. I got the debut album when I heard WDIDN and I wasnt disappointed as I'd loved inbetweener as well. Their best is yet to come though.

Yes I loved all the singles from their second album, it was a really solid album

Lucky is phenomenal and more than hold its own on OK Computer. Only Happy When It Rains is my favourite Garbage single.