24TH AUGUST

 

 

Five weeks and counting for The Spice Girls whose “Wannabe” now ties Babylon Zoo’s “Spaceman” for most weeks at No 1 this year. Saleswise it is barely moving selling another 125,000 copies last week as it glides over the 750,000 mark making it the best selling single ever by an all girl group and the longest chart topper by the genre as well.

 

 

 

The highest new entry of the week slips easily into the No 2 spot for 3T featuring their uncle Michael Jackson. The Song was written by Babyface and produced by Jackson himself for his nephews, originally it was given to Jackson for his album “HIStory” but didn’t make the cut meaning he could hand it down. It becomes the second No 2 hit for 3T following on from “Anything” earlier this year, it sold 63,000 copies last week.

 

 

 

With Take That’s demise the crown of top boyband must be up for grabs, with both Boyzone and East 17 due back before Christmas could it be that US act Backstreet Boys steal the march? “We’ve Got It Goin On” was their first single which became a substantial hit in Europe though it failed here at No 54. It now gets a re-issue after they broke the UK charts with their last single “Get Down” which leveled out at No 14 a few months back, it re-emerges at No 3 (52,000) to indicate a bright future for the US fivesome. Like Boyzone they won the smash hits award as best up and coming band last year.

 

 

 

Pet Shop Boys now have a 16th top 10 single to their credit, the Portuguese titled “Se A Vida E” crashes straight in at No 8 (28,000). It is the second single to be lifted from their forthcoming sixth album “Bilingual” which is out next month and is Latin themed.

 

 

 

After scoring 10 hit singles as PJ & Duncan Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have reverted to their real names and ditched the Byker Grove link but the hits continue. Their previous best was 1994’s “Let’s Get Ready To Rhumble” which made No 9 and they almost do better with their first release as Ant & Dec but in the end “Better Watch Out” just misses out at No 10 (23,000).

 

 

Los Del Rio increase their sales to 51,000 but regress 2-4 just fending off OMC who climb 8-5 (39,000). Top of the airplay charts seems to be paying off for Dodgy who hold at No 6 (32,000) as Eternal slide past them 4-7 (30,000) and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony boomerang 10-9 (24,000).

 

This week sees a new George Michael single released- his last two both entered at No 1 can he do it again?

 

 

1- WANNABE- The Spice Girls (125,000)

2- WHY- 3T Ft Michael Jackson (63,000)

3- WE’VE GOT IT GOIN ON- Backstreet Boys (52,000)

4- MACARENA- Los Del Rio (51,000)

5- HOW BIZARRE- OMC (39,000)

6- GOOD ENOUGH- Dodgy (32,000)

7- SOMEDAY- Eternal (30,000)

8- SE A VIDA E (THAT’S THE WAY LIFE IS)- Pet Shop Boys (28,000)

9- THA CROSSROADS- Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (24,000)

10- BETTER WATCH OUT- Ant & Dec (23,000)

 

How Bizarre is a classic

I also like the Paul Weller, Eternal and PSB singles, Se a Vida E is a bit Domino Dancing part 2.

Se a Vida E :wub:

Edited October 12, 2024Oct 12 by Jessie Where

Pet Shop Boys my favourite of the new entries this time, albeit it's not a track I'm particularly huge on.

Some great singles in these charts.

 

Se A Vida E is one of my favourite PSB songs - so joyous yet nostalgic at the same time.

 

Not wishing to give the sisters much credit these days, but Someday was another vocal masterclass by Easther Bennett - quite a quirk that it was the highest peaking Disney hit here for such a long time until We Don't Talk About Bruno (apart from - I think - a Gareth Gates cover of Suspicious Minds that was a double a-side).

 

Wannabe was such a phenomenon, I suppose a few weeks into their run at No.1 is where they really started to take over everything in popular culture, and that wouldn't calm down for a couple of years.

 

As I said last week, I do think the 3T and MJ song is a pleasant track, an album filler for him I suppose but it's quite smooth and is a pleasant production.

 

That is a Backstreet Boys song you very rarely hear, for a top three that sold fairly well first week out. Catchy enough but they had far better to come.

 

LOL at Ant & Dec - the latter carried their musical career, he could at least hold a tune, it's just a shame that hardly any of them were very good. Do you think Dec inspired the Austin Powers movie the following year??!

 

Love seeing How Bizarre every time, such a good summer tune.

When was there last a Top 2 of songs which had a greater cultural impact than 'Wannabe' and 'Macarena' (from the previous page)? Whether it was Tony Blair paraphrasing the lyrics of the former, or general discourse over what a "zig-a-zig-ah" is, or the latter being danced to at the Democratic National Convention, and becoming a staple of disco dancefloors to this day.

 

As for the latest new entries, some of the lyrics such as "why does Monday come before Tuesday...", 'Why' indeed. The Backstreets Boys song was rendered virtually redundant by another of their songs whose lyrics began with "Everybody..." in a year's time. 'Se A Vida E' these days reminds me of The Adam & Joe Show and the "Pet Shop Droids" from the

segment (0:50 in). The newly renamed Ant & Dec's entire popstar career was pretty naff, still at least they weren't troubling the very top of the chart (can you imagine...)

31ST AUGUST

 

 

 

For the first time in history four of the top 5 tracks in the charts are new entries! The only remainer?- The Spice Girls of course, “Wannabe” continues to defy the odds and lodge a 6th week at No 1 selling another 110,000 copies to bring its total haul to 863,000 making it also the third biggest seller of 1996 so far. The girls are busy touring the single and finishing off their debut album due for Christmas. This is the 7th week that the No 1 record has sold in six figures- a new 90s record.

 

 

 

“Wannabe” was matched almost sale for sale by the new George Michael single “Spinning The Wheel” at the start of the week, it’s a third single from “Older” which has already sold over 750,000 so it is a remarkable achievement that it was even in the running to be fair. Buoyed up by popular club mixes of the single and also of former No 1 “Fastlove” the song sold a respectable 90,000 copies in its opening week, it also means that “Wannabe” has now deprived two Michael compositions the top slot after Robbie Williams’ version of “Freedom” took silver place earlier this month.

 

 

Autumn is fast approaching and that means a hectic album schedule as everyone jockies for that prime spot on people’s Xmas wish list. New albums mean lead singles and two land in the top 5.

 

 

Jamiroquai are first up with “Virtual Insanity” which is immediately their biggest hit at No 3 (79,000) and comes with a memorable video which has already picked up a lot of critical appreciation and comment. It is the third top 10 hit but by far the biggest single the band have ever come up with and gives the perfect start for their new album “Travelling Without Moving” out next month.

 

 

 

In fact it will go head to head with the new REM album “New Adventures In Hi-Fi”. Round one goes to Jamiroquai as they just beat the REM lead single “E-Bow The Letter” into the charts by a spot. The group have of course just signed a 5 album deal with Warner Bros and have roped in legend Patti Smith to do vocals on the track, and an E-Bow (in case you wondered) is a device which modifies the sound of an electric guitar but the song is thematically about the actor River Phoenix who died in 1993. Stipe and Phoenix were friends and, allegedly, while Phoenix was collapsed outside The Viper Room in LA the house band were inside performing the song “Michael Stipe” so it is perhaps grim apropos that everything is connected. The single enters at No 4 (58,000) and is the group’s biggest hit to date.

 

 

 

Former Climie Fisher member Simon Climie is the songwriting credit behind another single, this time Louise’s “Undivided Love”. Her album “Naked” went top 10 and is now home to three top 10 singles, it lifts 34-29 this week having already gone gold whilst the fourth single equals the peak of the single “Naked” and arrives at No 5 (51,000)- that’s her best opening week sale ever.

 

 

 

Incredible to think that 5 years ago Bryan Adams had his first top 10 single of his long career but then “Everything I Do” kind of made up for the wait. Since that point Adams has been a regular act in the top flight and “Let’s Make A Night To Remember” is now his 7th hit to make it as it rises 13-10 (27,000).

 

 

All those high flyers mean there is no room for 3T and Michael Jackson who dive 2-6 (45,000) and even summer favourites for Los Del Rio (4-7, 42,000) and OMC (5-8, 39,000) find the going tough. Backstreet Boys complete the top 10 as they slide 3-9 (36,000) lacking staying power.

 

 

1- WANNABE- The Spice Girls (110,000)

2- SPINNING THE WHEEL- George Michael (90,000)

3- VIRTUAL INSANITY- Jamiroquai (79,000)

4- E-BOW THE LETTER- R.E.M (58,000)

5- UNDIVIDED LOVE- Louise (51,000)

6- WHY- 3T Ft Michael Jackson (45,000)

7- MACARENA- Los Del Rio (42,000)

8- HOW BIZARRE- OMC (39,000)

9- WE’VE GOT IT GOIN ON- Backstreet Boys (36,000)

10- LET’S MAKE A NIGHT TO REMEMBER- Bryan Adams (27,000)

 

some great new additions to the top 10

 

About time Jamiroquai made it big, Space Cowboy should already had been a top 3, glad Virtual Insanity finally made it big.

 

E-bow the Letter is also fantastic, crazy that it went in at #4 cos it's rather uncommercial.

 

The Louise song I also kinda like, probably my fav of hers. The Bryan Adams one is not half bad. Always a fan of Bryan and this is one of the better tracks from the 18 til I Die album.

 

The George Michael song is so-so, doesn't sound like a #2 hit, more like a #16 or 19 to me. Average album track at most.

 

 

 

7TH SEPTEMBER

 

 

Turning into something of a phenomenon The Spice Girls “Wannabe” is unstoppable at the top as it takes No 1 for a seventh week! Selling another 90,000 in the process it should sell its millionth copy sometime next week perhaps even whilst still at No 1.

 

 

 

For a third week on the trot the highest new entry comes flying in at No 2 and this time it’s Kula Shaker who are playing the bridesmaids. “Hey Dude” becomes their biggest hit improving on the No 4 peak of “Tattva” that the band attained back in May and sets it all up nicely for the release of their debut album “K” in three weeks. The new single sold an impressive 65,000 copies last week but didn’t look like unsettling the Spices at the top.

 

 

 

After losing their keyboardist and key member Rob Collins in a car crash last month there is considerable good feeling in the press and with the critics towards The Charlatans. Some tipped their new single “One To Another” as a possible No 1 and whilst it seems to have left that ambition unfilled it does it become their biggest seller by debuting at No 3 (57,000).

 

 

 

It’s been 18 years since The Smurfs last had a hit record but whilst they are yesterday’s craze as far the UK goes there has been a lasting legacy in Europe where the occasional album of covers of recent hits have kept them in the public eye. And the so the time has come to try to make the little blue characters relevant once again, parent album “The Smurfs Go Pop” was released 10 weeks ago and has been in the top 10 ever since convincing the label that a single would sell and so we get “I’ve Got A Little Puppy” which is essentially a rehash of Technohead’s “I Wanna Be A Hippy” and is new at No 4 (54,000)- seems like we’ve missed them.

 

 

 

Britpop isn’t dead yet and the success of Space proves that, the Liverpool quartet cite The Who and The Kinks as their influences and have steadily improved their chart fortunes over the last year. Debut single “Money” missed the charts but follow up “Neighbourhood” was the chart debut at No 56 and then “Female Of The Species” became a summer hit (No 14) gaining substantive airplay and enables new single “Me And You Versus The World” to become their biggest hit yet at No 9 (30,000). Their debut album will go head to head with the Kula Shaker album in 3 weeks.

 

 

Jamiroquai fall back 3-5 (54,000) but they stay ahead of the faster plummeting George Michael 2-6 (53,000), Los Del Rio hold at No 7 (37,000) and once again OMC stick close to them at No 8 (36,000) but both are in decline sales wise. Backstreet Boys dip 9-10 (29,000) to complete the run down.

 

The Spice Girls will have competition this week from new singles by both The Fugees and Peter Andre, both acts hit it big last time around with singles selling over 700,000 so it should be an interesting chart battle.

 

 

1- WANNABE- The Spice Girls (90,000)

2- HEY DUDE- Kula Shaker (65,000)

3- ONE TO ANOTHER- The Charlatans (57,000)

4- I’VE GOT A LITTLE PUPPY- The Smurfs (54,000)

5- VIRTUAL INSANITY- Jamiroquai (54,000)

6- SPINNING THE WHEEL- George Michael (53,000)

7- MACARENA- Los Del Rio (37,000)

8- HOW BIZARRE- OMC (36,000)

9- ME AND YOU VERSES THE WORLD- Space (30,000)

10- WE’VE GOT IT GOIN ON- Backstreet Boys (29,000)

 

Virtual Insanity

 

Spinning the Wheel is one of the George tracks I like more, another good new entry. Space and Kula Shaker were both great fun tracks… and One to Another is peak Charlatans, they were definitely inspired by Tim’s work with the Chemical Brothers imo

funnily the other day I was watching a TV contest on Spanish TV and they asked

What was the original name of the Spice Girls?

I didn't have a clue, never ever heard they went originally with a different name

but apparently they were first called Touch :o

'E-Bow The Letter' :wub: an unlikely candidate for R.E.M.'s highest charting song up to that point, but I think it's improved with age. Patti Smith's highest peak as well.

 

'One To Another' is my favourite of the new entries in the second week and I ended up getting the eventual album, a buoyant time for British guitar music as seen by two of the other new entries... and there was still room for 'I've Got A Little Puppy' :cheeseblock:

One to Another was such an earworm, their best easily, such a leap forward compared to previous stuff

 

This is my least fav Space single, too silly, almost Vengaboyz kinda silly.

 

Forgot to comment on E-Bow the Letter… it’s one of my favourites from REM, such a great song and from one of my favourite albums of theirs too

Spinning The Wheel and Virtual Insanity are both cool sounding jazzy songs.

 

Not really big on the other top 10 new entries - Space - Female of The Species was fab though didn't know it didn't go top 10.

Edited October 20, 2024Oct 20 by TheSnake

I absolutely love 'Me and You Versus the World' but it does seem ultra odd that this was a top 10 hit when 'Female of the Species' and 'Neighbourhood' weren't (although I expect that's probably just down to timing?)

Me and You Versus the World and Spinning The Wheel are my picks this time.

 

I guess with Space they were building a fan base instead of being instant hit makers?

Yes I agree. Their previous single had broken them and ended up being a reasonably good seller over a period of time. There was more instant demand for this one so it peaked higher.

with Space it was the typical case of every song charting higher, Female #14, me and You #9

then releasing the album

and the singles after the album of course charting lower (Neighbourhood and Dark Clouds)

The Forthright Edit of Spinning The Wheel is worth checking out, I prefer it to the album version.