I remember back in the day everybody was very excited that Wake Up had gone top 10, it was almost like a miracle, the band had existed for a while and only had had flop single after flop single, they were very different in sound at the start, more shoegazzers than pure brtipop like they were in 95. So maybe now it feels like it could have done better but back then it was a huge accomplishment for them. And the parent album went to #1 after the single so they cannot really complain.

also on the same week as Radiohead were in with High and Dry

The Stone Roses were in at #11 with Ten Storey Love Song, the best (only decent) song from The Second Coming

a reminder of the kinda music they were capable of doing in their early years

 

25TH MARCH

 

 

Comic relief triumphs again as the charity enables a third No 1 with “Love Can Build A Bridge” powering 5-1 on a sale of 125,000 copies. It was easily heading to the top anyway but sales on Saturday were astronomical for the record and will be hard to match next week, it marks the first chart topper for either Neneh Cherry or Eric Clapton but a third for Hynde including her part in the Pretenders and in duet with UB40. Most impressive of all is of course Cher who has now had chart toppers as a solo artist, part of a duet, and now a quartet, she’s also the only female solo act to have scored two chart toppers in the 90s so far.

 

 

 

In the end both East 17 and Rednex failed to sell enough to make the top 10 leaving the way clear for Wet wet wet to arrive at No 6 (33,000). It is the second single to be lifted from their new album “Picture This” due next month but more importantly is the follow up to the best selling single of the decade so far, the 15 week chart topper “Love Is All Around”. With Comic Relief a fading memory this could just do it!

 

 

The fly in the Wet, wet, wet ointment may be The Outhere Brothers who fly 9-2 (46,000) and are in prime place to spoil the Scots party next Sunday. Meanwhile it’s all over for Celine, “Think Twice” dives 1-3 (44,000) and was never in with a shout for an 8th week, Freak Power and Alex Party complete the top 5 dropping 3-4 (42,000) and 2-5 (39,000).

 

Further down Janet Jackson improves 10-9 (25,000) whilst her remix album debuts at No 15, bad news for Nightcrawlers who dip 4-7 (30,000), The Bucketheads tip 7-8 (27,000) and Clock rewind 7-10 (24,000).

 

 

1- LOVE CAN BUILD A BRIDGE- Cher/ Chrissie Hynde/ Neneh Cherry/ Eric Clapton (125,000)

2- DON’T STOP (WIGGLE WIGGLE)- Outhere Brothers (46,000)

3- THINK TWICE- Celine Dion (44,000)

4- TURN ON, TUNE IN, COP OUT- Freak Power (42,000)

5- DON’T GIVE ME YOUR LIFE- Alex Party (39,000)

6- JULIA SAYS- Wet, wet, wet (33,000)

7- PUSH THE FEELING ON- Nightcrawlers (30,000)

8- THE BOMB (THESE SOUNDS FALL INTO MY HEAD)- Bucketheads (27,000)

9- WHOOPS NOW/ WHAT I’LL DO- Janet Jackson (25,000)

10- AXEL F/ PUSHIN- Clock (24,000)

 

1ST APRIL

 

 

Leading the charge most of the way after a flying start “Love Can Build A Bridge” ran out of steam but still sold a healthy 71,000 as it slides 1-2 thus become the first 1 week wonder since Stiltskin last May. The new chart topper comes from Outhere Brothers whose mix of obscene language and catchy tunes has proved too great to resist. The 86,000 copies the single sold last week saw it ease pass the Comic Relief single on Saturday with some ease though it may become another sole week No 1 as the new Take That single is out this week. Trivia wise last week Comic Relief’s victory margin was a mighty 79,000 and to lose the top position after such a large gap is pretty unusual and equals the 90s record in that respect recorded when Whigfield lost out to Take That who overturned the same lead though that was a new entry. The last time a larger gap was overhauled by a track where neither single was a new entry was way back in 1982, that occasion saw Irene Cara’s 98,000 lead from the previous week diminish when Dexy’s Midnight Runners took the top spot from her the week after!

 

 

 

Two re-issues crash into the top 10 this week (1995 has been the year for the re-issue so far), first up is Mr Whitney Houston or Bobby Brown if you prefer. Brown’s career after leaving New Edition got off to a flying start with three UK top 10 singles and a US chart topper in 1989 but things have gone awry since with a well-documented battle with drugs and poor chart performances. Remixed from the original album by K-Klass the single made No 38 but now gets a re-issue thanks to ongoing support from clubland and is a new entry at No 5 (35,000)- that makes it his second biggest hit ever.

 

 

 

Lost in the Christmas rush Strike’s “U Sure Do” peaked at No 31 but now gets its moment in the sun coming in one place below Bobby Brown (28,000). It combines samples of Cubic 22’s “Night In Motion” and Donna Allen’s “Serious” to make one of this year’s best dance tracks.

 

 

 

Tipped by some to be a chart topper The Beatles are back with their version of “Baby It’s You” first recorded by The Shirelles and first a hit for Dave Berry in 1964. It is culled from the album “Live At The BBC” which made No 1 in December and for which no singles were planned but public demand has enabled the release of the song which becomes their 26th top 10 single as it arrives at No 7 (27,000) their first “new” single in 13 years.

 

 

 

After scoring the Christmas No 1 last year East 17 are onto that difficult follow up and return to their normal fare with “Let It Rain” which nips 11-10 (23,000) to become their 7th top 10 single and fifth in a row. Parent album “Steam” revives only slightly 34-28 but has already gone double platinum with sales approaching 700,000 confirming them as second in the boyband stakes behind Take That.

 

 

Wet wet wet manoeuvre 6-3 (61,000), it’s worth noting that the only other times that the group have been in the top 3 they’ve gone all the way! Celine Dion returns to the top spot on the albums but “Think Twice” continues to deflate 3-4 (36,000), Alex Party drop 5-8 (27,000) and Freak Power zone out 4-9 (26,000).

 

 

1- DON’T STOP (WIGGLE WIGGLE)- Outhere Brothers (86,000)

2- LOVE CAN BUILD A BRIDGE- Cher/ Chrissie Hynde/ Eric Clapton/ Neneh Cherry (71,000)

3- JULIA SAYS- Wet, wet, wet (61,000)

4- THINK TWICE- Celine Dion (36,000)

5- TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME- Bobby Brown (35,000)

6- U SURE DO- Strike (28,000)

7- BABY IT’S YOU- The Beatles (27,000)

8- DON’T GIVE ME YOUR LIFE- Alex Party (27,000)

9- TUNE IN, TURN ON, COP OUT- Freak Power (26,000)

10- LET IT RAIN- East 17 (23,000)

 

Selected tracks outside the Top 10 TOTP 25th March and 1st April 1995

 

 

Tin Tin Out feat. Espiritu - Always Something There To Remind Me

Chart entry this week: 14

Peak: 14

 

 

 

Nice little tune, not quite as good as their later 90s output though.

 

 

 

Rednex - Old Pop In An Oak

Chart entry this week: 12

Peak: 12

 

 

Where did you come from, where did you go, old pop in an oak.....! Original content here from Rednex! :lol:

 

 

 

Snap feat. Summer - The First, The Last, Eternity (Til The End)

Chart entry this week: 20

Peak: 15

 

 

My favourite Snap song, the follow up to the superb Welcome To Tomorrow. Probably in my top 10 dance tracks of 1995, shame this didn't make the top 10.

 

Not much I like in recent top 10s, that Wet Wet Wet song was terrible

but kinda like Two Can Play That Game

 

Looking at recent top 40s I really liked this one from Leftfield featuring Toni Halliday from alt_band Curve <3

 

 

Two Can Play At That Game and U Sure Do are both classics :wub:

8TH APRIL

 

 

The MOST anticipated record of 1995 so far was the new Take That single “Back For Good”. Premiered at the BRITS in February the release of the single has been brought forward by a month and was serviced to radio 6 weeks pre release- unprecedented until now, that allowed airplay to grow (it’s currently No 2 on the airplay chart) and generate pre orders seldom seen before. The song naturally debuts at No 1 and becomes their 6th No 1 in under two years, all of them debuting there, but none have done the first week sales of “Back For Good” which topped the 346,000 mark! That’s the second highest 7 day tally of the 90s lagging behind only Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” though that had Christmas and Mercury’s then recent death to aid sales. In total the song made up 1 of every 5 singles sold last week- truly astonishing and enough to place the track in the top 5 for the YTD which as we’re now a quarter of the way though we should recap:

 

1-Think Twice- Celine Dion 884,000

2-Cotton Eye Joe- Rednex 512,000

3-Set You Free- N-Trance 495,000

4-Here Comes The Hotstepper- Ini Kamoze 403,000

5-Back For Good- Take That 346,000

6-Don’t Give Me Your Life- Alex Party 333,000

7-I’ve Got A Little Something For You- MN8 304,000

8-Total Eclipse Of The Heart- Nicki French 285,000

9-Don’t Stop (Wiggle Wiggle)- Outhere Brothers 266,000

10-No More “I Love You”’s- Annie Lennox 262,000

 

Those with calculators might be able to calculate that The Outhere Brothers actually increased their sales by 26% as they fall 1-2 (108,000) the first time the No 2 track has broken the 100,000 mark (outside of Christmas) since Whigfield way back in October. The Comic Relief single drops 2-6 (33,000) and Alex Party trip 8-10 (22,000) as both singles attempt to continue their climb in the top 10 YTD.

 

 

 

“Rhythm Of The Night” was unquestionably one of Europe’s biggest hits of 1994 making No 2 here behind Whigfield and now some 6 months later they’re back with a cover of the Joy & Joyce’s 1991 dance hit “Babe Babe” which gets retitled “Baby Baby” and dashes in at No 7 (31,000) to erase them from the one hit wonder bus. It currently sits at No 1 in Italy but it’s unlikely to top our charts given the current situation but regardless it’s a good result for the dance outfit.

 

 

 

 

Paul Oakenfold is back, we last saw him under the guise of Perfecto Allstarz but he’s reunited with Steve Osborne his perfecto label co-founder to give us Grace which is fronted by Patti Low. The single “Not Over Yet” was first released in 1993 under the name State Of Grace but has been remixed and re-released thanks to club reaction and powers in at No 8 (27,000) and proves that Oakenfold is certainly one of the brightest names on the DJ scene at present.

 

 

No other new entries but plenty of movement with those in the pink being Bobby Brown 5-3 (78,000), Strike 6-4 (52,000), for Brown that marks his biggest hit ever as a soloist. Not doing so well are Wet, wet, wet who fall 3-5 (37,000) and The Beatles 7-9 (26,000).

 

 

1- BACK FOR GOOD- Take That (346,000)

2- DON’T STOP (WIGGLE WIGGLE)- Outhere Brothers (108,000)

3- TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME- Bobby Brown (78,000)

4- U SURE DO- Strike (52,000)

5- JULIA SAYS- Wet, wet, wet (37,000)

6- LOVE CAN BUILD A BRIDGE- Cher/ Chrissie Hynde/ Neneh Cherry/ Eric Clapton (33,000)

7- BABY BABY- Corona (31,000)

8- NOT OVER YET- Grace (27,000)

9- BABY IT’S YOU- The Beatles (26,000)

10- DON’T GIVE ME YOUR LIFE- Alex Party (22,000)

 

Wow I didn't realise that Take That sold that many in week one. I knew it was a big single for them but wasn't expecting anywhere near that :o

Blimey at Take That's sales :o :o

 

Also adore Not Over Yet and Baby Baby - 95 had so many amazing dance songs.

I always associate Not Over Yet with Your Loving Arms so I'm assuming it won't be long until we see the latter also, it being one of my absolute favourite 90s dance hits.

15TH APRIL

 

 

Take That continue to pull in the impressive sales though understandably they are substantially down week on week to 185,000 a hit of 46% but “Back For Good” has sold 531,000 in a fortnight making it already the second biggest selling single of 1995 and their personal best seller as it steams past “Babe”. If anyone was questioning just who the biggest boyband are in the land after East 17’s recent No 1 then Take That must have conclusively answered it with this- their third album is out next month.

 

 

Take That remain clear of the field and whilst the entire top 4 are static all are in decline saleswise, Outhere Brothers hold at No 2 (74,000) -31%, Bobby Brown at no 3 (69,000)- 11%, and Strike at No 4 (47,000)- 9% all of which means that Take That should be OK for at least another week.

 

 

Much has been made of the connection between Michael Jackson and the Group Brownstone who were signed to Jackson’s new MJJ label though the girls had to admit that they haven’t met Jackson yet. First single “If You Love Me” is doing the business though as it shoots 17-8 (26,000).

 

 

 

R.E.M have been in the news recently if only because of Bill Berry’s collapse on stage but the tour is still on for this summer apparently and they have another top 10 hit to celebrate in “Strange Currencies” which is new at No 9 (22,000). A fourth top 10 hit it is also a fourth release from the “Monster” album which has sold over 700,000 and arrests the law of diminishing returns for the singles from the album which have peaked at No 9, 15 and 23.

 

 

Corona jump 7-5 (41,000) just continuing to outpace Grace who are up 8-6 (34,000) while Wet wet wet drop 5-7 (30,000). Coming back like a boomerang are the Bucketheads who climb 11-10 (20,000)

 

 

1- BACK FOR GOOD- Take That (185,000)

2- DON’T STOP (WIGGLE WIGGLE)- Outhere Brothers (74,000)

3- TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME- Bobby Brown (69,000)

4- U SURE DO- Strike (47,000)

5- BABY BABY- Corona (41,000)

6- NOT OVER YET- Grace (34,000)

7- JULIA SAYS- Wet, wet, wet (30,000)

8- IF YOU LOVE ME- Brownstone (26,000)

9- STRANGE CURRENCIES- R.E.M (22,000)

10- THE BOMB (THESE THINGS FALL INTO MY MIND)- Bucketheads (20,000)

 

I always associate Not Over Yet with Your Loving Arms so I'm assuming it won't be long until we see the latter also, it being one of my absolute favourite 90s dance hits.

Your Loving Arms is such a tune too!

I love If You Love Me - always thought it was a top 15 hit only, so I was so chuffed when I realised it was actually a top 10 hit.

 

Strike :wub:

Incredible sales for Take That :o 'Back For Good' is easily my favourite of their 90s output, was more of a fan of their man-band comeback ('Patience', 'The Flood', 'Rule The World' etc.)

 

Some good dance at the moment with 'U Sure Do', 'Not Over Yet' and 'Baby Baby' (I actually prefer the latter to 'Rhythm of the Night') :music:

 

'Original', by Leftfield/Toni Halliday, embedded by Bjork was an amazing discovery on last week's TOTP :wub: I couldn't make the Leftfield album session on here at the time so I'm glad that song was introduced to me eventually, I really like what I know of both Curve and Leftfield but quite a few gaps to fill in.

Original was the track that really got me to love Leftfield. I'd half paid attention before then but it suited the Massive Attack / Portishead vibe of 95 more

To what extent was Wake Up Boo influenced by Mr Blue Sky?!

 

Crazy Frog probably wouldn't have existed without that eurodance Axel F by Clock for inspiration!

 

wow crazy sales for Take That, easily their best (only really good) song of the 90s

nearly 350K sales is bonkers

 

love Grace-Not Over Yet, my fav song in that top 10

Astonishing sales for Back For Good although clearly really kickstarted the 'held back era' that would last for over a decade in the UK charts and make them more predictable than ever in a lot of cases.

 

I'm enjoying seeing at least 2 or 3 classic dance singles each week, the first half of 1995 was insane, so many of the best dance tracks of the entire decade came within a few months of each other - I appreciate many of them though were re-releases having a second go, but they were all in the right place at the right time to capitalise.