One thing that has not been mentioned yet this week.

 

In the whole of 1995 we had a record 110 songs go straight into the top 10.

 

In 1996 we have now had 116 songs go straight into the top 10 - and we are still in the first week of September.

 

I'm more surprised by the continued slow risers throughout 1996!

You can count the number of risers on one hand in a couple of years!

Indeed!

14TH SEPTEMBER

 

 

 

From the time that the first set of midweeks came through it was clear that the reign of The Spice Girls was over and in the end Peter Andre is the act to do it. The man who has quickly become as known for his pretty boy looks and six pack as his music can do little wrong at the moment and his new single “Flava” wasting no time in debuting at No 1. It is, apparently, written about Andre’s inspirations Mark Morrison and Bobby Brown and convinced 129,000 people to buy a copy a copy last week.

 

 

 

Andre’s last single “Mysterious Girl” got lodged at No 2 behind The Fugees “Killing Me Softly” but he gets his revenge this week as the new Fugees single “Ready Or Not” debuts behind him. Sales of 95,000 are enough to earn the Fugees runner up spot, the song itself is based around the delfonics track “Ready Or Not Here I Come” and features a sample of Enya’s “Boadicea”. It all comes with a promo costing $1.3 million.

 

 

The top 3 is completed by those Spice Girls who dip 1-3 (75,000) which of course means it is now 1996’s third million seller with sales of 1,027,000.

 

 

With a sample of a loop from Earth Wind & Fire’s “Boogie Wonderland” running through it, Stretch N Verne’s “I’m Alive” is the only other new entry in the top 10 this week at No 6 (36,000). It has been a hit in the dance clubs for the last few months and finally gets a release to rapturous reviews in specialist magazines.

 

 

The Smurfs hold at No 4 (42,000) and Jamiroquai do the same one place below on 40,000. Kula Shaker however dive 2-7 (35,000) but showing more resilience are OMC who stick it out at No 8 (31,000) and Los Del Rio who ebb 7-9 (29,000), The Charlatans anchor the top flight by falling 3-10 (28,000).

 

 

1- FLAVA- Peter Andre (129,000)

2- READY OR NOT- The Fugees (95,000)

3- WANNABE- The Spice Girls (75,000)

4- I’VE GOT A LITTLE PUPPY- The Smurfs (42,000)

5- VIRTUAL INSANITY- Jamiroquai (40,000)

6- I’M ALIVE- Stretch N Vern (36,000)

7- HEY DUDE- Kula Shaker (35,000)

8- HOW BIZARRE- OMC (31,000)

9- MACARENA- Los Del Rio (29,000)

10- ONE TO ANOTHER- The Charlatans (28,000)

 

Ready or Not tune of the year for me - outstanding!

21ST SEPTEMBER

 

 

The three year wait is over! Yes the last song to debut at No 2 then rise to No 1 was Gabrielle’s “Dreams” in June 1993, but this week the Fugees surprise us all as they slide up a spot to the top of the pile even though they lost 24% week on week at retail. “Ready Or Not” had the advantage thanks in part to the fact that last week they released a second CD version of the single whilst Peter Andre’s record label released both CDs and the Cassingle versions of his hit in the first week. “Flava” falls 1-2 (71,500) losing 44% as a result and ultimately the format release schedule proves fatal for its chart topping ability, it was a close run thing however with just 500 copies separating the pair. For the Fugees it makes a second chart topper of the year for them drawing them level with George Michael in that respect, whilst the Peter Andre track becomes the 5th solitary week chart topper of the year- the last year to have more 1 weekers was all the way back in 1977.

 

 

 

First released at the end of June in the UK Deep Blue Something’s Single “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” left some disappointed at its No 55 peak but it has had rather consistent airplay at radio meaning that a re-release was always on the cards as pent up demand sees the song rechart at No 3 (63,000). The song was actually inspired by Audrey’s Hepburn’s character in “Roman Holiday” but the band thought that “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” was a catchier title, its already made No 5 in the US and is finally a hit here now.

 

 

 

Belinda Carlisle’s return to the top 10 continues apace with new single “Always Breaking My Heart” debuting at No 8 (27,000). It’s written by Roxette’s Per Gessle, whilst this is Carlisle’s 7th top 10 single it’s the first time she’s placed back to back top tenners since 1988.

 

 

 

“All I Wanna Do” remains Sheryl Crow’s biggest selling single but she now returns with a second album and another top 10 single as “If It Makes You Happy” slides in at No 9 (24,000). The song is apparently a reflection on her life during her last album.

 

 

The Spice Girls fall 3-4 (58,000) and the Smurfs are also pushed down 4-5 (36,000) whilst Stretch N Vern hold at No 6 (32,000). Further down Jamiroquai drift 5-7 (31,000) as they also miss out on the top spot on the albums behind REM, and OMC dip 8-10 (23,000).

 

1- READY OR NOT- The Fugees (72,000)

2- FLAVA- Peter Andre (71,500)

3- BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S- Deep Blue Something (63,000)

4- WANNABE- The Spice Girls (58,000)

5- I’VE GOT A LITTLE PUPPY- The Smurfs (36,000)

6- I’M ALIVE- Stretch N Verne (32,000)

7- VIRTUAL INSANITY- Jamiroquai (31,000)

8- ALWAYS BREAKING MY HEART- Belinda Carlise (27,000)

9- IF IT MAKES YOU HAPPY- Sheryl Crow (24,000)

10- HOW BIZARRE- OMC (23,000)

 

 

 

Omg iconic and great 'Ready or Not' and amazing full of energy dance track 'Im Alive'.

 

Then the great 'Breakfast at Tiffany's', heard it loads on the radio when I was younger. Then 'If It Makes You Happy' with its epic chorus which I am surprised hasn't been sampled more.

Edited October 25, 2024Oct 25 by TheSnake

The closeness between Fugees and Peter Andre :o

some fantastic tracks in there... and then Peter Andre :D how did he sell so much? did he brainwash people!!!

 

Ready or Not is genius cos of the Enya sample. Wonder how they even knew it, it's from The Celts BBC thingie...

 

I remember being obsessed with the Sheryl Crow song, always brings me memories of driving while singing/shouting/screaming those lyrics.

 

Also love the Belinda song. Didn't know it was written by the Roxette guy! One of her best songs.

Ready Or Not is great, an inspired sample (although overused since). I'm glad it got to No.1 in the second week. Flava is just naff and cheap sounding to me, one of those songs that got to No.1 based on the popularity of the artist at the time.

 

Breakfast At Tiffany's was on the radio for years and years, I never loved it but it's catchy.

agree on Breakfast at Tiffanys, it's the kind of song that it's almost too catchy, too pop

Breakfast At Tiffany’s is ace - was literally everywhere at the time and quite right too.

 

I did think it was by the Rembrandts when I first heard it though!

Ready or Not was a fantastic chart topper, really love it. I remember being really surprised that they had such a successful follow up and definitely was surprised when it climbed to #1 as most follow up singles enter high on the strength of the previous hit and then slide pretty quickly

 

 

Quite surprised in retrospect that Belinda Carlisle managed to debut higher than Sheryl Crow. Only 24K for the latter seems very low

28TH SEPTEMBER

 

 

Another tight week at the top and another week that The Fugees just manage to fend off the competition though it took a 4% increase in sales to pull it off. It is also 4% ahead of Deep Blue Something’s “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” whose own sales increase by 15% to 72,000 just 3,000 behind The Fugees- could be an interesting competition between the two next week as the rest of the field are some way behind.

 

 

 

Dina Carroll leads the new entries this week with her first single in almost 3 years “Escaping”. It’s a cover of 1992 Asia single which only made No 50 but has been rejuvenated into a hit by Carroll as it equals instantly her best ever placing at No 3 (55,000). It is also picking up considerable sales thanks to the track “Mind Body & Soul” which is No 1 in the club charts.

 

 

 

A massive hit all over Europe already BBE’s “Seven Days And One Week” finally got its UK release last week and slots in at No 4 (51,000). It was already selling well on imports and is the current dance No 1 for the French/ Italian outfit.

 

 

 

Two of the big new names in Britpop up next. Firstly Ocean Colour Scene whose album “Moseley Shoals” has already sold over half a million and made No 2 for 6 weeks so far this year. It delivers up a fourth hit in the form of “The Circle” which is new at No 6 (40,000), helped by a live of version of “Day Tripper” which features the Gallagher brothers.

 

 

 

Just below them are The Bluetones who have released a standalone single called “Marblehead Johnson”, a tribute to the late comedian Bill Hicks. The single coincides with their UK tour at the moment, it debuts at No 7 (34,000).

 

 

 

“Macarena” has been No 1 in the US for 9 weeks and for six of those weeks Donna Lewis has been runner up. She actually hails for Wales but had to gain US success before we took note, her single “I Love You Always Forever” is self written and she co-produces the single. It’s had a rather old fashioned climb in the charts so far 34-20-11-9 and has seen increasing radio support selling 28,000 in its current frame.

 

 

Former chart topper “Flava” fades 2-5 (49,000) whilst another former No 1 slides 4-8 (33,000) for the Spice Girls, that takes sales of “Wannabe” over the 1.1 million mark as it eases past “Spaceman” with only The Fugees” ahead of them! Stretch N Vern fade 6-10 (26,000) to complete the rundown.

 

 

1- READY OR NOT- The Fugees (75,000)

2- BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S- Deep Blue Something (72,000)

3- ESCAPING- Dina Carroll (55,000)

4- SEVEN DAYS AND ONE WEEK- BBE (51,000)

5- FLAVA- Peter Andre (49,000)

6- THE CIRCLE- Ocean Colour Scene (40,000)

7- MARBLEHEAD JOHNSTON- The Bluetones (34,000)

8- WANNABE- The Spice Girls (33,000)

9- I LOVE YOU ALWAYS FOREVER- Donna Lewis (28,000)

10- I’M ALIVE- Stretch N Verne (26,000)

 

5TH OCTOBER

 

 

Autumn rolls around and to celebrate we have a new number one which everyone just about managed to see- yes Deep Blue Something have the UK number one single, “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” ascends 2-1 with 85,000 sales, another leap of 19% and shows little sign of faltering yet.

 

 

So the Fugees fall 1-2 (64,000) but pay the price for people switching to their album which itself hits a new peak rising 4-2 this week behind Kula Shaker, they are also famously now in trouble with Enya for failing to clear the sample of “Boadicea” which forms the backbone of “Ready Or Not”. In total they have spent 7 weeks at the top tying with the Spice Girls for the honour of act with most weeks at the top in 1996.

 

The rest of the top 5 are made up of BBE who rise 4-3 (46,000) by virtue of having a longer lasting appeal than the falling Dina Carroll who swaps places 3-4 (42,000) but both could be overtaken by a fast rising Donna Lewis who lifts 9-5 (39,000).

 

 

Celine Dion now has 8 UK top 10 singles to her credit but she has never debuted higher than she has this week with the fabulously OTT “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now”. It will surprise few I’m sure to find that the song was written by Jim Steinman and was inspired by the novel “Wuthering Heights”, the original was performed by Pandora’s Box who took the song to No 51 becoming something of a cult classic. It now resurfaces for Dion as her third single from “Falling Into You” and has been cut by a whole minute from the Pandora Box original but it still clocks in at 7.37 on her album whilst the radio edit reduces the song to 5.31. Meat Loaf is apparently none too impressed that Steinman has given the song to Dion stating that it was given to him to record for his “Bat Out Of Hell II” album but he held it over for a proposed forthcoming album, in any event it is new at No 6 (37,000) for Dion and is already No 3 in the US behind Donna Lewis and Los Del Rio.

 

 

 

Talking about highest debuts in a long career the same applies to LL Cool J whose previous best was 1987’s “I Need Love” which peaked at No 8. Nine years later he finally tops it as “Loungin” arrives at No 7 (32,000) the song is also in the US top 10 although on the way down at No 8, he’s in the unusual position of having three songs released from the same album and all peaking higher than the other.

 

 

 

He’s no longer the chart star he once was but Phil Collins can still command a top 10 single it seems. With a new album in the wings the lead single (and title song) “Dance Into The Light” now in the charts at No 9 (29,000) it’s all off to a promising start- it’s his 13th top 10 hit (if you count the two versions of “In The Air Tonight” as separate entries). The album is out in a month.

 

 

Peter Andre falls 5-8 (32,000) but his album is finally out this week so we’ll see if he can translate his single success to the album market. Finally the Spice Girls fall 8-10 (27,000) but has it done enough to become the year’s best seller?- As we reach the ¾ mark in the year let’s check out that list:

 

1- KILLING ME SOFTLY- The Fugees 1,253,000

2- WANNABE- The Spice Girls 1,145,000

3- SPACEMAN- Babylon Zoo 1,098,000

4- RETURN OF THE MACK- Mark Morrison 838,000

5- OOH AAH JUST A LITTLE BIT- Gina G 787,000

6- THREE LIONS- Skinner/ Baddiel/ Lightning Seeds 785,000

7- CHILDREN- Robert Miles 764,000

8- MYSTERIOUS GIRL- Peter Andre 738,000

9- DON’T LOOK BACK IN ANGER- Oasis 720,000

10- HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE- Take That 669,000

 

This week's chart:

 

 

1- BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S- Deep Blue Something (85,000)

2- READY OR NOT- The Fugees (64,000)

3- SEVEN DAYS AND ONE WEEK- BBE (46,000)

4- ESCAPING- Dina Carroll (42,000)

5- I LOVE YOU ALWAYS FOREVER- Donna Lewis (39,000)

6- IT’S ALL COMING BACK TO ME NOW- Celine Dion (37,000)

7- LOUNGIN- LL Cool J (32,000)

8- FLAVA- Peter Andre (32,000)

9- DANCE INTO THE LIGHT- Phil Collins (29,000)

10- WANNABE- The Spice Girls (27,000)

 

Seven Days and One Week the inspiration for Taylor Swift’s 2024 #1!

And Donna Lewis - I Love You Always Forever was the inspiration for Romy’s 2024 song Always Forever!

 

Both Donna Lewis and BBE are fantastic.

 

Also liking that Bluetones hit more than I did at the time.

I really like the Donna Lewis song, it's lovely and was very different to everything else at the time. Clearly some inspiration from Cyndi Lauper too which was nice to hear.

Love the slow climb for Donna Lewis, a genuine growing hit in an era of re releases and high entries.

 

Love BBE as well, is that the start of trance? @The Snake?