'You And Me Song' is such a classic. It was one of those songs I was so hugely familiar with as a kid, that when I started becoming interested in the charts years later I was astonished to find out it only peaked at #18!

 

And remarkably only had 2 weeks in the top 40, hate late 90s chart runs!

It wasn't particularly huge when it was released though, it became more famous over the years through use in films etc - in particular Romeo and Juliet later that year. I think perhaps the proximity of everything made it seem like it was around for ages

Ah I see, interesting to know! Great song!

 

The 1996 Fa Cup football songs just reminds me of my 13 yo self crying as Cantona hit a 90th min winner for United 🥲. Quite formative for me in my football journey lol.

 

What a great chart run for Gina G and Mark Morrison as late as 1996. Why did some songs still climb so much at this late stage?

I think it might have been whether or not radio and tv gave them support initially. If it hung around then support tended to increase and the song followed. It wasn't that unusual in 1996. 1997 onwards it certainly was.

 

Another factor may have been channels such as the box which really started to become popular around 96/97. I know that in my student house we got it in September 96 on my second year and all my mates seemed to have it as well. Maybe a student deal? Anyway the increased availability of music channels meant that most had heard songs 6 weeks before release so everyone that wanted it would buy it in week 1 or 2. The top 10 sales wise started to look very healthy but it was illusionary as songs could only sell that kind of quantity (in the main) for a week or two. Hence greater turnaround and a higher debut

The Box was huge in 1996 and really helped promote songs in advance as once they blew up on there they were requested again and again. From about this time, a certain song which will chart in nearly 2 months was on almost repeat once it got going.

Interesting to hear these added factors, I guess it was still a change over period when record companies were trying to align held back releases with on air radio plays!

 

As you say I’m not a fan as the sales are illusionary as they are packed into a few short weeks and some record debuted higher than they would with this method.

That's a really impressive sales total already for Gina G, I don't think I'd ever appreciated how big a success it actually was. I actually think it is better now than I did at the time - still never going to make a playlist of mine but I can appreciate it for being a decent, fun and catchy pop song.

 

Smashing Pumpkins actually climbing in the top 10 as well! :o *.*

I loved the song back then and still love it now, glad it was a huge hit for her after her disappointing Eurovision result as i was sure she was going to win, didnt realise until reading the thread how close she was to a 2nd week at number one losing out by less than 300 copies.

There are changes to the BBC 2 and BBC 4 schedules this Friday.

 

The cricket highlights have moved from BBC4 to BBC2 at 7pm which means at 7pm on BBC4 ........Top of the Pops 1996 !!

 

We will have the next 2 scheduled episodes of the 6th and 14th June 1996.

 

This is a welcome surprise

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl6b/2024/08/30

Edited August 28, 2024Aug 28 by mrpopquiz

8TH JUNE

 

 

One of the most anticipated records of the last few months was finally released last week and surprising no-one it enters at No 1 this week. The Fugees cover of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly” sold 157,000 copies to erase the competition and storm to the top, Flack wasn’t the first act to record the track (that was Lori Lieberman in 1971) but it was Flack that made it into a hit when it topped the US charts and made No 6 here two years later.

 

For the Fugees it marks their second hit after “Fu-Gee-La” made No 21 in April and their current song helps their second album “The Score” to reach a best yet position of No 3.

 

 

 

 

 

Gearing up to the release of her first solo album Louise Nurding releases the title track to “Naked” as her third single and sees it arrive at No 5 (46,000)- her biggest solo hit. It’s co-written by Trevor Steel, lead singer and former member of Escape Club who scored a US No 1 in 1988 with “Wild Wild West”. It comes with a promo that shows Louise in a rather more risqué setting than usual in an attempt to sex up her image.

 

 

 

Robert Miles follows up the 700,000+ selling “Children” with more of the same in the form of “Fable”. You only have to wait for a fortnight for his album “Dreamland” but it will contain two smashes as it debuts at No 7 (38,000).

 

 

Skinner/ Baddiel/ Lightning Seeds are down 1-2 (79,000) but may yet gain traction with Euro 96 starting next week, Peter Andre is left stranded at No 3 despite a sales increase to 72,000.

 

Gina G’s moment in the sunshine fades 2-4 (56,000) and Tony Rich Project also retreat 4-6 (44,000). Celine Dion finds it tough going only lifting 9-8 (37,000) whilst JX relaxes 7-9 (31,000) and George Michael moves 8-10 (26,000) but gets a third week at No 1 on the album charts.

 

 

1- KILLING ME SOFTLY- The Fugees (157,000)

2- THREE LIONS – Skinner/ Baddiel/ Lightning Seeds (79,000)

3- MYSTERIOUS GIRL- Peter Andre Ft Bubbler Ranx (72,000)

4- OOH AAH JUST A LITTLE BIT- Gina G (56,000)

5- NAKED- Louise (46,000)

6- NOBODY KNOWS- Tony Rich Project (44,000)

7- FABLE- Robert Miles (38,000)

8- BECAUSE YOU LOVED ME- Celine Dion (37,000)

9- THERE’S NOTHING I WON’T DO- JX (31,000)

10- FASTLOVE- George Michael (26,000)

 

15TH JUNE

 

 

Stasis takes over the top 3 with all three stuck in a rut, most impressive of all are the Fugees who see a 24% increase in sales in their second week at No 1, the first time an existing chart topper has recorded a second week increase in sales since last December. The 195,000 it sold last week evidence just how popular the cover is at present and would indicate that it may be in for the long haul.

 

 

With Euro 96 finally underway on Saturday the promo helped the unofficial theme “Three Lions” come from behind to hold the runner up spot (68,000) leaving poor Peter Andre stranded for a third week in third place on 62,000.

 

 

One of the groups of the moment are undoubtedly Ocean Colour Scene whose star remains in the ascendency with new single “The Day We Caught The Train” entering at No 4 (55,000). The group are down to support Oasis at Knebworth in August and have seen their second album “Moseley Shoals” remain top 20 since its release 9 weeks ago, rising 7-6 this week.

 

 

 

They’ve had a change in vocalist and taken a year out to follow up their chart topping “Dreamer” but Livin Joy are back with “Don’t Stop Movin’” The band are recording their debut album which is due by Christmas but they have at least avoided the tag of one hit wonder, the single is new at No 5 (47,000).

 

 

 

 

DJ James Sammon got the name Pianoman after becoming renown for playing piano led dance music on his shows on pirate radio stations in Yorkshire and some white label dance remixes he released. With the knowledge and approval of a certain Damon Albarn he’s now sampled the chorus of Blur’s “Girls & Boys” retitled it “Blurred” and finds himself at No 6 (40,000). Incidentally the “Move to the groove, dance” line is lifted from “Love Me” from Marcus Patric formerly of World’s Apart.

 

 

 

Out next month here “Mission: Impossible” is expected to be one of the summer’s big releases and naturally, much like the TV show, it needs a theme. Last year U2 got in on the film tie-in franchise when they made “Batman Forever”’s theme “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me”, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jnr must have liked it as they’ve taken the theme and remixed it for the mission film. It’s new at No 7 (35,000) and means that only The Edge is uncredited individually on any hit single in his own right.

 

 

Celine Dion holds at No 8 (33,000) whilst Tony Rich Project falls 6-9 (31,000) and Louise falls back 5-10 (29,000).

 

1- KILLING ME SOFTLY- The Fugees (195,000)

2- THREE LIONS- Baddiel/ Skinner/ Lightning Seeds (68,000)

3- MYSTERIOUS GIRL- Peter Andre Ft Bubbler Ranx (62,000)

4- THE DAY WE CAUGHT THE TRAIN- Ocean Colour Scene (55,000)

5- DON’T STOP MOVIN- Livin Joy (47,000)

6- BLURRED- Pianoman (40,000)

7- THEME FROM MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE- Adam Clayton & Larry Mullen (37,000)

8- BECAUSE YOU LOVED ME- Celine Dion (33,000)

9- NOBODY KNOWS- Tony Rich Project (31,000)

10- NAKED- Louise (29,000)

 

 

The latter show (I think) marked the move of TOTP to a Friday slot from Thursdays for the summer- though it wasn't at this point a permanent move.

'Naked is such a classic :wub:

 

As is 'Blurred'

 

As is 'The Day We Caught The Train'

Looking forward to these two episodes. Don't Stop Movin, Blurred, Naked and Fable are all great.

 

Killing Me Softly was so ubiquitous that it's hard for me to get too excited over it anymore although it's clearly a quality cover and I didn't realise it had such high sales on week two.

The provisional schedule for the 20th September has just been released and the 1996 double bills will resume that night at 7pm.

I found Killing Me Softly such a weird experience as my dad loved the Roberta version and it was strange suddenly seeing everyone obsess over a song that had always been part of my life

I found Killing Me Softly such a weird experience as my dad loved the Roberta version and it was strange suddenly seeing everyone obsess over a song that had always been part of my life

I agree you should only obsess over it ONE TIME

 

(sorry couldn't resist :D )

I agree you should only obsess over it ONE TIME

 

(sorry couldn't resist :D )

TWO TIMES surely?

 

Loads of classics from these 2 weeks - most notably Livin Joy, Ocean Colour Scene and Pianoman.

love Killing me Softly, also bought The Score

also love The OCS song and the album was great too

Great track from Ocean Colour Scene

I think The Day we caught the train is my fav OCS song

Moseley shoals also had a couple jewels that weren't singles, It's My Shadow and Lining my Pockets, both could have been singles

great album overall