Christmas chart tomorrow

actually surprised Dunblane didn't do much more

 

Faithless being the best newbie by far

 

great to see Unbreak my heart and One and one reaching new highs

28TH DECEMBER

 

 

A truly record breaking week in many ways for The Spice Girls. For the first time in chart history a song enters at No 1 in the Christmas week (albeit that wasn’t the original plan) and on such sales. “2 Become 1” might be a none too subtle plea for safe sex but the track sold an incredible 429,000 copies in 6 days last week, the second highest weekly tally of the 90s behind Robson & Jerome (whom they keep off No 1 in the album charts for revenge) but it is the highest opening week since Band Aid 12 years ago! It’s also the first time in chart history that four singles have debuted at No 1 in a row in consecutive weeks!

 

It enables the girls to become only the fifth act in history to get their first three singles to the top (following Gerry & The Pacemakers, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers and Robson & Jerome) but the first female act to do so. It is a record equaling 24th chart topper of the year matching the record set in 1965 and 1980, and the girls are only the fourth act to hold both singles and album No 1 at Christmas drawing parallels with The Beatles, Queen and Cliff Richard. “Spice” has already hit the 1.5 million mark after just 7 weeks on sale. Incidentally if you’re wondering what happened to Robson & Jerome’s “Silent Night” well it got pulled with little explanation a few weeks ago disappearing from the release schedules.

 

Along with Take That they can also claim 3 chart toppers in a calendar year in the 90s. For those with perceptive hearing you’ll note the altered lyrics in the second verse from “Boys and Girls look together” in the album version to “Love will bring us back together” allegedly because in the interim the girls have acquired a large gay following and wanted to change the lyrics to be more inclusive.

 

 

Although it only loses 12% in sales week on week to a still impressive 166,000 Dunblane eases 1-2 in the face of that Spice Girls onslaught and defeats the new entry from Madonna.

 

 

Ever since it was announced that she got the gig after years of rumour Madonna’s starring role in “Evita” meant that sooner or later we’d be getting a version of “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” arguably the most famous song from the musical. The song was originally recorded and released by Julie Covington in 1976 when it went to No 1 selling almost a million copies and was then covered by The Shadows (No 5) and Sinead O’Connor (No 53) and indeed is in the charts twice this week once by Madonna and further down by Mike Flowers Pops at No 30. Incidentally Madonna regains the crown of the biggest female soloist of the 90s thus far (though sixth overall) this week from Mariah Carey who is similarly over the 3 million mark.

 

 

Madonna’s version comes in at No 3 (87,000) marking her highest placed single since “Erotica” over three years ago and her highest weekly sale since “Like A Prayer” back in 1989 helped by the high profile premiere of the film this week though you have to wait a few weeks for general release. It is her 20th top 10 hit of the decade and with the lack of a top tier hit from Prince it means that she alone is the only act to score a top 10 single in each year of the decade so far.

 

With it being Christmas and all other big new entries thin on the ground, the rest of the top 10 re-arranges itself. Toni Braxton falls 2-4 (86,000) with a 44% sales increase and Robert Miles and Maria Naylor remain attached to her coat tails falling 3-5 (80,000). Boyzone dip 5-6 (64,000) and The Prodigy remain at No 7 (57,000), last week’s new entries fall in tandem Mark Morrison 5-8 (55,000) and Celine Dion 6-9 (54,000) and we welcome back The Beautiful South 11-10 (51,000)- you’ll note as its Christmas everything in the top 10 with the exception of Dunblane increases its sales regardless of whether it climbs or drops. It's the first time in exactly 13 years that the whole top 10 cleared 50k- sales are officially back!

 

 

1- 2 BECOME 1- The Spice Girls (429,000)

2- KNOCKIN ON HEAVEN’S DOOR- THESE GUNS AWAY- Dunblane (166,000)

3- DON’T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA- Madonna (87,000)

4- UN- BREAK MY HEART- Toni Braxton (86,000)

5- ONE AND ONE- Robert Miles/ Maria Naylor (80,000)

6- A DIFFERENT BEAT- Boyzone (64,000)

7- BREATHE- The Prodigy (57,000)

8- HORNY- Mark Morrison (55,000)

9- ALL BY MYSELF- Celine Dion (54,000)

10- DON’T MARRY HER- Beautiful South (51,000)

 

That rounds off TOTP 1996 however the first show of 1997 actually reflects 1996 sales so the thread isn't finished until January- just FYI

The sales for the Xmas #1 in 2024 might not have made the top 10 in 1996!

Not as much of a Spice fan as I was when I was a kid, but '2 Become 1' is definitely my favourite :wub:

wow 429K thats bonkers. Easily easily her best song.

also pretty good for Madonna, didn't remember the song entering so high. Not a fav of mine. Don't think I loved anything she did from 91-96, I passed on all her albums after The Immaculate collection and didn't buy any until Ray of light

in perspective 96 had some of the best dance songs ever becoming huge hits

Children, Born Slippy, Breathe and Firestarter, Setting Sun

too bad the charts also had all those crappy #1s by Peter Andre, Boyzone, etc

Amazing sales for Spice Girls :o great Christmassy song too.

 

 

Yeh I’m not a Spice Girls fan but ‘2Become1’ always sounds xmasy to me and wow at those sales. Glad to see Madonna top 3 again and now we will move into the era when she returned to being interesting with her next era!

**double post*"

Edited December 15, 2024Dec 15 by Jessie Where

Much as I love Madonna, the whole Evita era basically doesn't exist in my mind.

Agree! Even her I'm Breathless era is more impactful :D

 

"Evita" is my third favourite Madonna era, behind debut album and "Like A Virgin".

Agree! Even her I'm Breathless era is more impactful :D

I’d still take Evita over Im Breathless

But truly her lowest points

Even the Whos That Girl soundtrack is better

I honestly wouldn't - I'm Breathless is definitely corny but it's okay if you go into it with the right mood. ie, wanting to listen to a tongue in cheek musical soundtrack, plus I do actually like most of the songs on the second half of it for what they are

 

Evita is just plain boring to me

Wow that's phenomenal sales for '2 Become 1' :o stunning track and nice video to accompany it too!

4TH JANUARY

 

 

1996 draws to a close and as usual there is nothing new in the top 10 but some impressive sales anyway with 2 days pre Christmas included in the week. The Spice Girls are the main benefactors though as you might expect they are down saleswise 30% to a still outstanding 301,000, that brings its overall total to 730,000 copies in a fortnight! Another million seller seems on the cards for the girls who are already the 8th biggest selling singles act of the 90s so far in just 6 months- incredible.

 

 

Toni Braxton once again plays bridesmaid moving back up 4-2 (82,000) with a meagre 5% sales loss- impressive, “Unbreak My Heart” has sold just over 600,000 to become her biggest seller yet and for the first time in 5 weeks Braxton and Robert Miles/ Maria Naylor are not neighbours on the chart. “One & One” reclimbs but only 5-4 (46,000) and cannot overtake Dunblane which falls 2-3 (48,000).

 

Madonna falls 3-5 (46,000) but will get a boost in a fortnight with a remix which is already going down a storm in the clubs along with the film being on general release. The Prodigy and Boyzone swap places at No 6 (32,000) and No 7 (29,000) but it’s a static week for both Mark Morrison at No 8 (27,000) and Celine Dion at No 9 (22,000) and The Woolpackers are back to celebrate new year by being played at many parties, they lift 12-10 (22,000).

 

1- 2 BECOME 1- Spice Girls (301,000)

2- UN-BREAK MY HEART- Toni Braxton (82,000)

3- KNOCKIN ON HEAVEN’S DOOR- Dunblane (48,000)

4- ONE AND ONE- Robert Miles/ Maria Naylor (46,000)

5- DON’T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA- Madonna (46,000)

6- BREATHE- The Prodigy (32,000)

7- A DIFFERENT BEAT- Boyzone (29,000)

8- HORNY- Mark Morrison (27,000)

9- ALL BY MYSELF- Celine Dion (22,000)

10- HILLBILLY ROCK, HILLBILLY ROLL- Woolpackers (22,000)

 

 

Posted the final week of 1996 as then the thread is done and we can open another for 1997 before the repeats start. Plus nothing much happened!

Thanks for another year, Gezza!