never realised until now that both Take That and Boyzone had #1s in 96 with (very very very very poor) Bee Gees covers

at least Take That were known for their original songs

Boyzone is just karaoke covers, up to this point their 3 biggest hits were all covers, Love me for a reason, Father and son, and now, Words.

 

 

for me, Beautiful South started well with the first 2 album but albums 3 and 4 were a bit of a let down, so Blue is the Colour was a huge return to form and easily their best album, was all downhill after that.

Agree that their third wasn’t great outside of the singles, I really liked the fourth one though - in fact probably still my favourite of theirs, albeit a long time since I’ve listened to any of them

Why the change?

 

i just hated those singles and never bothered with the album. I don't think they released a single that I liked after that

 

Perfect 10 really irritated me too.

for me I love Rotterdam and Don't marry her

but agree Perfect Ten is so so so so irritating

Don't marry her is prob the last single I like from them

but I did like that album of covers in the mid 00s that had S Club 7, Lush, Grease covers

In retrospect I think Perfect 10 is pretty cringy, but at the time I really liked it. It's mainly the lyrics that do it, the tune and production is still very catchy.

Just a correction, "Dumb" was their last great single- late 98 coming through again with the greats!

26TH OCTOBER

 

 

From the moment the first sales flashes came through it was certain that the new Spice Girls Single would be No 1 but the scale of the victory wasn’t predicted anywhere with a whopping 349,000 copies sold in the week, a tally beaten only by Babylon Zoo this year. It of course means that the group score a second No 1 in 1996 to join The Fugees and George Michael in that exclusive club but their 8 weeks at the top this year is a record.

 

With the dust barely settled on the success of “Wannabe” (it drifts 21-29 this week) radio has already embraced the new single and it sits within the top 10 with the Mojavi desert located video at the top of “The Box” chart pre release. The promo is a homage to “Faster Pussycat, Kill Kill” and “Pulp Fiction” and has become part of the pop landscape, the rise of the group into public conscience in such a short time is nothing short of a phenomenon and they have a busy November turning on the Oxford Street Christmas lights and that debut album plus a Christmas single!

 

 

With a 41% sales loss week on week Boyzone’s time at the top is limited to a week but the 137,000 they sold of “Words” last week would normally have secured them another week at No 1 but it wasn’t to be.

 

 

A hit which has been brewing for a while up next. Faithless are a dance trio who so far have produced a string of minor hits in the charts all three of which made the top 40 with one in particular “Insomnia” peaking at No 27 last Christmas. It has become a club classic ever since and was primed for a re-issue when ready, new mixes to hand the song debuts at No 3 (84,000). The song samples Kariya’s “Let Me Love You Tonight” a No 44 hit in 1989.

 

 

 

Cast have got the biggest hit of their career so far, “Flying” isn’t available on the current album “All Change” and benefits from the fact by soaring in at No 4 (49,000). It’s their third top 10 single on the trot and should tide fans over whilst they get in the studio and complete their second album.

 

 

 

Suede’s new lineup is proving to be their most successful at retail anyway, last single “Trash” became only their second top 3 single and third album “Coming Up” smashed in at No 1. The album is also the only Suede album to house two top 10 singles as second single from it “Beautiful Ones” is new at No 8 (32,000)- you can catch them on tour at the end of November.

 

 

Celine Dion falls back 3-5 (40,000) just above a static Babybird at No 6 (38,000), Deep Blue Something start to feel the chill as they tumble 2-7 (37,000). Further down Donna Lewis slips 7-9 (31,000) as she also slips 2-3 in the US to swap places with Dion, Beautiful South fall 5-10 (28,000).

 

 

1- SAY YOU’LL BE THERE- The Spice Girls (349,000)

2- WORDS- Boyzone (137,000)

3- INSOMNIA (REMIX)- Faithless (84,000)

4- FLYING- Cast (49,000)

5- IT’S ALL COMING BACK TO ME NOW- Celine Dion (40,000)

6- YOU’RE GORGEOUS- Baby Bird (38,000)

7- BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S- Deep Blue Something (37,000)

8- BEAUTIFUL ONES- Suede (32,000)

9- I LOVE YOU ALWAYS FOREVER- Donna Lewis (31,000)

10- ROTTERDAM- The Beautiful South (28,000)

 

For a long time I have thought Insomnia was the most iconic dance track ever and I remember appreciating its re-entry to the UK chart in 2005.

To be fair, Insomnia does have a pretty decent claim to that title.

 

Loved Faithless and it's the obvious classic in this bunch, but I do also adore Beautiful Ones as Suede notched up two classic singles in a row for me. Not bad from the Spice Girls either to be fair, not something I'd listen to very often but I do think it's decent.

2ND NOVEMBER

 

 

After the sensational debut last week at the top for The Spice Girls even a sales decrease of 53% week on week (normally fatal for a No 1) means that they stroll to another week at the summit with a sale of 163,000 and of course means they have sold half a million in just a fortnight.

 

 

 

Starting off the week only slightly behind the Spices was the duet between East 17 and Gabrielle called “If You Ever”, a retitled cover of 1992 original by Shai (UK #36, US #2) called “If I Ever Fall In Love”. The group liked the song ever since, covering it regularly at live shows and when asked to perform tracks on a French TV show back in April they did a rendition with Gabrielle who was also on the show. The result went down a storm and it was recorded in the studio as a lead single from a “Best Of” by the boys due out this month. Selling 120,000 copies it arrives at No 2 to become the second biggest hit for both acts.

 

 

 

Diane Warren has penned another hit this time Toni Braxton’s “Un-Break My Heart” which is new at No 4 (61,000). The promo tells the tale of Braxton losing her lover (played by model Tyson Beckford) in a road accident, it’s a track which allegedly the singer didn’t like when she first heard it but was persuaded to include it on her album. CD2 is released in a fortnight and will include dance remixes which are already popular at radio.

 

 

 

So onto Reef, a young British band who shot to fame last year when their track “Naked” was used in an advert for Sony Minidisc, in the advert the band were turned down by a label executive but in real life it gave them the push to score a major hit when it peaked at No 11. It was their biggest hit until this week when they released a new single from their forthcoming second album due next year, “Place Your Hands” which has been helped by the group supporting Paul Weller and The Rolling Stones between albums. Thematically drawing on the lead singer’s feelings on the loss of his grandfather, the song is new at No 6 (44,000).

 

 

 

“Follow The Rules” of diminishing returns seems to be appropriate for Livin’ Joy, that’s the title of their new single and it arrives at No 9 (32,000) becoming their third top 10 single from three releases- an impressive strike rate though it is the least successful of their singles.

 

 

 

An incredible 37th top 10 single for Madonna is now fact with “You Must Love Me” new at No 10 (30,000). She’s became a mother this year and completed work on the film “Evita” for which this song forms part of the soundtrack and was written by Rice and Lloyd-Webber specifically for the film adaptation and marks the first time in a decade they have worked together. The film itself premieres next month and opens in January in the UK but the soundtrack is out this week if you can’t wait.

 

 

Boyzone’s “Words” wilts 2-3 (92,000) but has sold 461,000 copies in 21 days making it their 3rd biggest seller already. Faithless fall 3-5 (57,000) and Babybird drift 6-7 (41,000) despite a slight sales lift and the album entering at No 9, and Celine Dion completes the top flight moving 5-8 (35,000).

 

Next week will see the Spices challenged by new singles by Simply Red and Robson & Jerome- surely they can’t hold out?

 

 

1- SAY YOU’LL BE THERE- The Spice Girls (163,000)

2- IF YOU EVER- East 17 Ft Gabrielle (120,000)

3- WORDS- Boyzone (92,000)

4- UN-BREAK MY HEART- Toni Braxton (61,000)

5- INSOMNIA (REMIX)- Faithless (57,000)

6- PLACE YOUR HANDS- Reef (44,000)

7- YOU’RE GORGEOUS- Baby Bird (41,000)

8- IT’S ALL COMING BACK TO ME NOW- Celine Dion (35,000)

9- FOLLOW THE RULES- Livin Joy (32,000)

10- YOU MUST LOVE ME- Madonna (30,000)

 

I think those are very Snoop Doggy Dogg G-funk hip hop influenced synths and production in 'Say You'll Be There'. Good song. Its interesting to guess where the influences for the Spice Girls songs come from as its not something I thought about much really until recently.

 

'Follow The Rules' is more low-key than the other two Livin Joy hits but its a very nice organ house track.

 

'If You Ever' is a great duet ballad - I have liked that song for a long time. It owes a lot to the Shai original which is an interesting listen but I prefer the East 17 and Gabrielle version.

 

'Unbreak My Heart' is also iconic, very good vocal on it.

 

'Place Your Hands' is iconic too and very American or Canadian rock sounding to me, its a surprise to me that the band are British.

Edited November 15, 2024Nov 15 by TheSnake

Lots of great songs and classics

Beautiful Ones is Suede at their poppiest, had very little rock on it or even indie, but it's one of my faves from them and best newbie of the last couple weeks. Insomnia is a classic, too bad it was out in such competitive chart period, deserved the #1

I also love Unbreak my Heart, really connect the lyrics, and love the notion of "unbreaking a heart", easily the beast Toni Braxton song ever. Sure many find it easy but I love it.

Also big fan of If I Ever.. I was already a big fan of the original, which is 100% acappella I believe, and always thought it was a shame it flopped in the UK after being a #2 in the US. The Gabrielle/E17 version is not as good but still ok.

 

Less fan of Say You'll Be There. It's not bad but it's no Wannabe either. And You Must Love Me is also not a fav. Love Madonna and especially her ballads but this pales in comparison with Live to Tell for instance.

Faithless - one of the best dance tracks of the 90s, so dark and brooding. Love it.

 

Suede - Beautiful Ones is a fantastic single, probably the most iconic on Coming Up.

 

Spiceys - Say You’ll Be There is my favourite single of theirs, brilliant video and impressive sales.

 

Cast - Flying is pretty good, though I forgot it got as high as 4!

sales were really insane for Say you'll be there!

9TH NOVEMBER

 

 

The charts have been around for almost 44 years and in all that time only three acts have opened with a hat-trick of chart toppers from their first 3 releases, Gerry & The Pacemakers (1963), Frankie Goes To Hollywood (1984) and Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers (1989). Add now Robson & Jerome who top the charts this week with a first EVER triple A-Side! “What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted””You’ll Never Walk Alone” and “Saturday Night At The Movies” are all of course remakes of hits by Jimmy Ruffin (No 4, 1974 on re-issue), Gerry & The Pacemakers (No 1, 1963) and The Drifters (No 3, 1972 on re-issue) respectively and together they herald the duo’s second album due in a few weeks. The triple hit sold 196,000 last week substantially lower than the opening salvo of either “Unchained Melody” (314,000) or “I Believe” (258,000).

 

 

The experience of last year when their album became the quickest million selling album ever should tell you that you write this pair at your peril and if anyone can challenge the Spice Girl Juggernaut this year then it’s these boys. Talking of the Spice Girls they are bundled off the top spot 1-2 (116,000) though they will be concentrating on their album which is out this week.

 

 

Already a two week chart topping album Simply Red’s “Greatest Hits” fades 2-3 this week as the track “Angel” is lifted from it and is new at No 4 (79,000). It’s a cover of an Aretha Franklin track from 1973 which made No 37 here and gets the workover treatment by the Fugees who also provide backing vocals on the new version, you can also find the track on the new “Set It Off” film released in January.

 

 

 

Many wrote off Gina G as a one hit wonder but she proves them all wrong with her new single “I Belong To You” becoming a smash hit at No 6 (56,000)- an exact replica of the debut position for her chart topper “Ooh Aah Just A Little Bit” And she’s got some talent herself co-penning this track and yes she is recording an album! She is however the first Eurovision entry to debut with a Eurovision hit and follow it with a top 10 single!

 

 

 

Into an increasingly saturated market come a new boyband 911. They formed last year launching into a tour of schools to build a fanbase and releasing two independent singles, a cover of the Shalamar classic “Night To Remember” (No 35) and “Love Sensation” (No 21) as well as winning GMTV’s “Search For A Star”. This caused them to be picked up by Virgin and with a major label behind them “Don’t Make Me Wait” gives them a best yet slotting in at No 10 (31,000).

 

 

East 17 Featuring Gabrielle relent 2-3 (88,000) and despite a slight rise in sales Toni Braxton heads south 4-5 (63,000). Babybird hold at No 7 (40,000) but Faithless drop 5-8 (39,000) and Boyzone fare worst of all collapsing 3-9 (39,000) which is explained by the fact that their second album “A Different Beat” debuts at No 1 this week.

 

 

1- WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN HEARTED?/ SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES/ YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE- Robson & Jerome (196,000)

2- SAY YOU’LL BE THERE- The Spice Girls (116,000)

3- IF YOU EVER- East 17 Ft Gabrielle (88,000)

4- ANGEL- Simply Red (79,000)

5- UN-BREAK MY HEART- Toni Braxton (63,000)

6- I BELONG TO YOU- Gina G (56,000)

7- YOU’RE GORGEOUS- Baby Bird (40,000)

8- INSOMNIA- Faithless (39,000)

9- WORDS- Boyzone (39,000)

10- DON’T MAKE ME WAIT- 911 (31,000)

 

16TH NOVEMBER

 

 

The Robson & Jerome success story continues with the triple header “What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted/ Saturday Night At The Movies/ You’ll Never Walk Alone” keeping the top spot for a second week though sales are off 42% week on week and just 113,000 copies were sold last week. It now looks unlikely that it will become their third million seller having sold just 309,000 in its first fortnight.

 

 

The Spice Girls are the real victors this week with “Spice” debuting at No 1 on the album chart (the first time an all girl group has made the top) but “Say You’ll Be There” also tops the airplay chart, it remains No 2 on the sales chart selling 84,000 putting its overall sales at 712,000 after a month on sale. East 17 Featuring Gabrielle complete an all static top 3 (66,000) and that despite East 17’s greatest hits collection being new at No 3 itself- Gabrielle’s expanded album (to include the duet) also re-enters at No 16 depriving the single of more sales.

 

 

Written back in 1993, whilst his “Dangerous” tour was in Moscow, Jackson wrote a poem, subsequently worked it into a song called, funnily enough “Stranger In Moscow” which now becomes the fifth single to be pulled from “HIStory”. If you like your gaming then you may have spotted a resemblance between the song and the end music for “Sonic The Hedgehog 3”- no coincidence as Jackson also penned that and used the music and part of the instrumentation for this song! It enters at No 4 (52,000) to become his 36th top 10 single for which he has been separately credited.

 

 

 

Originally (if you believe the rumours) offered to Whitney Houston as a single and recorded by her, “One And One” ends up in the hands of Robert Miles who has help with the vocals from Maria Naylor whose only previous foray into the charts was a joint credit on Sasha’s “Be As One” which made No 17 earlier this year. Co-written by Rick Nowels and Billy Steinberg the song enters at No 6 (49,000) to be Robert Miles’ third straight top 10 single.

 

 

 

Billy Ray Cyrus has a lot to answer for! Some 4 years after “Achy Breaky Heart” scarred us the phenomenon of line dancing has inexplicably become a trend. So much so that TV Soap “Emmerdale” incorporated it into a storyline where characters formed a band and the inevitable has happened- yes it’s now a top 10 hit. The Woolpackers, as they call themselves, are legit popstars and “Hillbilly Rock, Hillbilly Roll” is straight in at No 7 (42,000) and with the Christmas party schedule just round the corner who’s to bet against still knocking around in the top 10? Incidentally it’s the first track to chart by an existing member of the cast since Malandra Burrows in 1990.

 

 

 

Meanwhile the UK continues to catch up with the European success of The Backstreet Boys. “I’ll Never Break Your Heart” was another flop here originally only making No 42 last Christmas but in the wake of the success of “We’ve Got It Goin on” it gets another whirl and results in a No 8 hit on sales of 39,000.

 

 

Toni Braxton holds up well at No 5 (50,000) thanks in part to new dance remixes being released of “Un-Break My Heart”, Babybird fall 7-9 (36,000) and Gina G slides 6-10 (32,000).

 

Incidentally the biggest selling singles act last week? Oasis! Thanks to the re-promotion of their back catalogue (all 9 are in the Top 75) and the new gold and platinum box sets which chart on the album charts.

 

1- WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN HEARTED/ SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES/ YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE- Robson & Jerome (113,000)

2- SAY YOU’LL BE THERE- The Spice Girls (84,000)

3- IF YOU EVER- East 17 Ft Gabrielle (66,000)

4- STRANGER IN MOSCOW- Michael Jackson (52,000)

5- UN-BREAK MY HEART- Toni Braxton (50,000)

6- ONE & ONE- Robert Miles Ft Maria Naylor (49,000)

7- HILLBILLY ROCK, HILLBILLY ROLL- Woolpackers (42,000)

8- I’LL NEVER BREAK YOUR HEART- Backstreet Boys (39,000)

9- YOU’RE GORGEOUS- Baby Bird (36,000)

10- I BELONG TO YOU- Gina G (32,000)

 

One & One :wub:

 

One of my fave dance songs of the 90's <3

One and one only good track from the last 2 weeks.

never knew about it being a cover

but the writers are huge names, why it never ended up in some big artist's lap??

 

Love the Robert Miles and Michael Jackson tracks, at the time Stranger in Moscow was my favourite song on the album. That Sonic the Hedgehog commentary though, I can safely say that I’ve never listened to Stranger and thought of the blue hedgehog but I’m clearly going to have to investigate now you’ve pointed it out :D

One On One was definitely in my top three songs of 1996 - I did later find out about it being a cover, and the original is nice enough, but Maria's ethereal vocal and that beautiful piano breakdown in the middle eight really make it for me.

 

We are really coming deep into the period of songs I remember people singing at discos in school, and that sadly stretches to Robson & Jerome's Saturday Night At The Movies and the Woolpackers song.

 

The Gina G song is pretty good but not a patch on Ooh Aah...Just A Little Bit for me. I'm glad she switched the sound up for Fresh, which sounded a lot more contemporary (while also ripping off Faith...).

 

Surprised Angel by Simply Red sold that well first week out? I had no idea.

 

Quite a lot of boyband filler - 911 and Backstreet Boys definitely had better to come, and that performance of Boyzone's dullest original, Isn't It A Wonder.

 

Stranger in Moscow is a great track from MJ!