It took me years to get into 'Torn' for some reason but one day it suddenly clicked and I haven't looked back since a worthy radio staple.

Those sales for 'Barbie Girl' right now are astonishing! Great to see all these huge 6-figure (or even 7 for Elton!) weeks at the top.

Pleasantly surprised by how much I'm enjoying Dannii Minogue's material at the moment as I've liked both 'All I Wanna Do' and 'Everything I Wanted' on TOTP now, should give the album a go.

On 06/05/2025 at 22:03, Jade said:

Pleasantly surprised by how much I'm enjoying Dannii Minogue's material at the moment as I've liked both 'All I Wanna Do' and 'Everything I Wanted' on TOTP now, should give the album a go.

Honestly it's so good, she really came into her own during this era! ❤️

15TH NOVEMBER





Sales dip by 20% but Aqua remain comfortably clear at the top “Barbie Girl” selling a further 190,000 to bring its haul to 802,000 at the end of its first month on sale, the million must only be a matter of weeks away!

Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn” remains its nearest competitor though that track is itself down 10% to 121,000. Of course it is also the 21st week that the No 1 has sold over 100,000 another record (certainly since 1980).





What could bring two artists like Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand together? The Oscars is the answer. Due to perform separate songs at the ceremony back in March Streisand could not perform her duet “I Finally Found Someone” and so Natalie Cole stepped in only to pull out a few days before leaving Dion to get the gig. In addition to singing “Because You Loved Me” Dion become the first singer to perform twice at the ceremony and so touched by her rendition was Streisand that she sent a note to say thank you and that they should record a song together. We get the outcome now “Tell Him” which is new at No 3 (86,000) to become Dion’s 10th and Streisand’s 6th top 10 single.

The brains behind Tzant’s No 36 hit last year “Hot & Wet” have had the idea to record a dance track around the now famous opening monologue by Ewan McGregor in the “Trainspotting” film. Now recording under the moniker PF Project and giving a credit to McGregor “Choose Life” sweeps in at No 6 (58,000).

Following the disappointment of his last single “So Help Me Girl” (it only made No 11) Gary Barlow gets his solo career back on the right track with the title track from his album “Open Road”. Opening at No 7 (56,000) it causes the parent album to re-enter at No 57 and has sold 200,000 since its debut in June which must be considered a disappointment in view of the hopes he must have had. It is, at least, the most purchased solo album by a former Take That member easily trouncing both Mark Owen and Robbie Williams album thus far.

Not, as you may expect, a cut from the recent David Arnold album “Shaken And Stirred” which gave us an alternative version of “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” last month, but a new recording of the classic James Bond Theme by Moby used in the forthcoming Bond film “Tomorrow Never Dies”. Moby pulls together his reworking with film samples from “Goldeneye” and “Goldfinger” to score his biggest hit ever eclipsing the No 10 peak of “Go” in 1991 to make No 8 (52,000).

Spending only 11 of its 40 weeks on release outside the top 10 “White On Blonde” has been an unqualified success as sales reach the 650,000 mark. It can now claim to boast 4 top 10 singles with the latest release “Put Your Arms Around Me” troubling the No 10 spot on a sale of 42,000.

The Spice Girls have had another headline making week, “Spice Up Your Life” slips 3-4 (75,000) but “Spiceworld” is an instant album chart topper and they of course sacked their manager to boot. Elton’s former No 1 slips 4-5 (61,000) and Sash! fall 5-9 (45,000).


1- BARBIE GIRL- Aqua (190,000)
2- TORN- Natalie Imbruglia (121,000)
3- TELL HIM- Barbra Streisand & Celine Dion (86,000)
4- SPICE UP YOUR LIFE- Spice Girls (75,000)
5- CANDLE IN THE WIND 97/ SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT- Elton John. (61,000)
6- CHOOSE LIFE- PF Project Featuring Ewan McGregor (58,000)
7- OPEN ROAD- Gary Barlow (56,000)
8- JAMES BOND THEME- Moby (52,000)
9- STAY- Sash Featuring La Trec (45,000)
10- PUT YOUR ARMS AROUND ME- Texas (42,000)

22ND NOVEMBER

Aqua’s reign extends to 4 weeks with another strong sale of 165,000 easily outpacing the rest of the field on its way to becoming the third million seller of 1997. Once again Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn” was its constant companion in the fight for the top spot, in fairness she’s closing the gap each week starting out with a deficit to “Barbie Girl” of 104,000 a fortnight ago it has since reduced that to 71,000 last week and now in its latest frame to 47,000. “Torn” itself has now sold 374,000 in 21 days.

The All Saints are rapidly building themselves a fanbase on a platform of being the “credible” and “urban” version of the Spice Girls, new single “Never Ever” starts out brighter than their first single “I Know It’s where it” once place higher at No 3 and on more than double the opening sales, a mighty 104,000. Their debut album is a fortnight away and just in time for Christmas.

Hanson are showing us their sensitive side with third single “I Will Come To You” new at No 5 (58,000). It follows the law of diminishing returns for the brothers who nevertheless have had an incredible year, debut album “Middle Of Nowhere” of course made the top spot though it is yet to go platinum but it lifts 61-55 this week.

Re-activated by its use in the current “Full Monty” film, Hot Chocolate’s “You Sexy Thing” is back in the charts. Originally a No 2 hit in 1975 where it got lodged behind Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” and then got the remix treatment in 1987 when it made No 10. The song has actually been in the charts two times already this year, No 63 for T-shirt in September and No 11 for Clock earlier this month, but proving that the original is always best this now enters at No 6 (57,000).

More Bond related singles now….kinda. Pulp wrote the song “Tomorrow Never Lies” to be considered as the theme for the forthcoming film but it was ultimately rejected and ends up as a supporting track on the CD single “Help The Aged”. Pulp’s first single from a brand new album, much was hoped for the track in terms of a chart topper but it was never in with a shout once the mids started coming through, it at least keeps their run of top 10 singles in tact though arriving at No 8 (46,000).

Whilst Pulp have five top 10 singles in a row Ocean Colour Scene do one better with a sixth. “Marchin Already” delivered up the goods on the album charts when it deposed Oasis’ “Be Here Now” from the top back in September and now “Better Day” hits the mark at No 9 (43,000).

Barbra Streisand and Celine Dion fall 3-4 (66,000) whilst Elton finally looks a spent force 5-7 (47,000) and The Spice Girls pay the price of having the No 1 album as they fall 4-10 (42,000), Girl Power does however replace the Boy Band officially- after being the biggest singles act of the 90s until a few months ago Take That bounce down to fourth as The Spices move past them!  We also record 200 new entries into the top 10 this year- a phenomenal rate with no sign of slowing down!

A new Prodigy single is released this week can it become a third chart topper on the trot?

1- BARBIE GIRL- Aqua (165,000)
2- TORN- Natalie Imbruglia (118,000)
3- NEVER EVER- All Saints (104,000)
4- TELL HIM- Barbra Streisand & Celine Dion (66,000)
5- I WILL COME TO YOU- Hanson (58,000)
6- YOU SEXY THING- Hot Chocolate (57,000)
7- CANDLE IN THE WIND 97/ SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT- Elton John (47,000)
8- HELP THE AGED- Pulp (46,000)
9- BETTER DAY- Ocean Colour Scene (43,000)
10- SPICE UP YOUR LIFE- Spice Girls (42,000)

Obviously the highlight here for me is Pulp’s Help The Aged. Shame it only made number 8 :(

The latter of these weeks saw a new entry at #18 in '5, 6, 7, 8' - the debut for a group called Steps. You may have heard of them - they'd go on to be rated more favourably than The Beatles.

The whole top three on 6-figure sales, wow

'Never Ever' has really clicked with me over time. The spoken intro is striking and I enjoy the emotional development throughout.

Must make a mental note to revisit 'Help The Aged' more as I've liked it a lot on TOTP.

Help the Aged definitely the highlight!!

Also love Never Ever and insane that it did >100K and "only" went at #3

least fav has to be the Celine/Barbra duet, what a non-song :)

Those are some well impressive sales for the Top 3.

There was me thinking the 90s were a bit of a drop for singles sales.

Never Ever being the main highlight here.

Don’t even care, I Will Come To You is one of my favourite ever songs.

Never Ever sold much more than I would have guessed in its first week!

That Hot Chocolate song is very irritating indeed, I'd have happily let that one stay in the 70s. Help The Aged was a good song, although it was definitely not quite on the same level as the Different Class singles... and as for Celine/Barbra, Hanson and Ocean Colour Scene, I genuinely can't remember a thing about them

Fun fact

Up to this point in 1997, the number of songs going straight into the top 10 was 199.

That is way ahead of last year's record total of 176 with 5 charts still to go.

29TH NOVEMBER

Let’s start the story right at the beginning on this one. Recorded for his album “Transformer” but only deemed good enough to be a B-side to “Walk On The Wild Side” Lou Reed’s Perfect Day” was never a hit for the singer but has become a classic over the years. It finally made the Top 40 back in 1995 in a cover by Duran Duran and got increased exposure last year when used in a key scene in “Trainspotting”.

Part 2 of the story happened this year with the BBC celebrating 75 years as an organisation and airing several adverts demonstrating all the things that it currently does including one illustrating the different genres of music that it promotes. “Perfect Day” was chosen as the song to cover by several different acts as diverse as Boyzone, Bowie (who co-produced the original), Tom Jones, Brett Anderson, Bono and Emmylou Harris as well as Reed himself. Reaction to the advert was so strong that a release of the single became an inevitable conclusion and has now been teamed up with Children In Need so that all proceeds go to the charity with each act getting paid a token £250 for their work on the record. In a year of amazing sales for the No 1 single “Perfect Day” can hold its head high after shifting 385,082 copies, that’s a bigger start than anything except Elton John this year and even beats Oasis’ opening tally.

A familiar route into the charts now, the idea of a storyline whereby a character has to perform a song in the show and then it becomes a reality served Robson & Jerome (most notably) very well indeed. It’s now been used a the blueprint for the ITV show “London’s Burning” which already launched John Alford as a popstar of sorts and can now also claim the success of Steve Houghton. His version of “Wind beneath My Wings” goes straight into No 3 (109,000) to register the best showing yet for the track and besting the No 5 version from Bette Midler in 1989.

Originally recorded by Barbi Benton in 1975 and a hit in Scandinavia “Ain’t That Just The Way” now gets reworked by former backing singer Lutricia McNeal and becomes a UK hit at No 6 (68,000).

Generating a swathe of headlines and outrage in the press The first Prodigy single of 1997 arrives with a bang. “Smack My b**** Up” has unsurprisingly been sidelined by Radio 1 and the controversial promo been demoted to only being shown post watershed meaning that the song only enters at No 8 (54,000). Given the huge success of “The Fat Of The Land” perhaps that’s only to be expected but it will still be a disappointed that the single has missed the top spot by so far.

How young do you like your popstars? Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys is only 17 years old but somewhat incredibly his younger brother is now also a top 10 act. Aaron Carter is just 9 years old (almost 10 though) but sees his version of the Jets 1987 #5 hit “Crush On You” power into the charts at No 9 (50,000), Carter was of course helped by The Backstreet Boys whom he supported on tour earlier this year and helped to promote him- sometimes it’s who you know. He's believed to be the third youngest act to have a hit (or named as the artist at least) following Little Jimmy Osmond and Natalie Casey (yes- the "Hollyoakes" actress). 

Meanwhile the Louise bandwagon goes on, the ex-Eternal singer has now accrued 7 solo hits with all but one missing the top 10 making her statistically the most successful UK female act of the decade so far. Her take on the Average White Band’s 1980 #12 hit “Let’s Go Round Again” gives the song its highest placement yet at No 10 (48,000)- that’s the highest sale for the No 10 position in 1997 and indeed since last Christmas.

Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” is finally dispensed from No 1 and slides to No 2 (142,000) but duly becomes 1997’s third million seller on total sales of 1,109,000 drawing the year equal with 95 and 96 in terms of million sellers generated. Natalie Imbruglia also gives up the ghost dropping 2-4 (97,000) keeping narrowly ahead of All Saints 3-5 (95,000), Barbra Streisand and Celine Dion complete the rundown 4-7 (58,000).

Next week new singles by The Verve and Boyzone go head to head for the top spot!


1- PERFECT DAY- Various Artists (385,082)
2- BARBIE GIRL- Aqua (142,000)
3- WIND BENEATH MY WINGS- Steve Houghton (109,000)
4- TORN- Natalie Imbruglia (97,000)
5- NEVER EVER- All Saints (95,000)
6- AIN’T THAT JUST THE WAY – Lutricia McNeal (68,000)
7- TELL HIM- Barbra Streisand & Celine Dion (58,000)
8- SMACK MY b**** UP- The Prodigy (54,000)
9- CRUSH ON YOU- Aaron Carter (50,000)
10- LET’S GO ROUND AGAIN- Louise (48,000)

6TH DECEMBER

A surprisingly buoyant “Perfect Day” by Various Acts only saw sales decline by a modest 29% which from a sale of 385,000 which means a still very impressive 274,706 this week. It is already the biggest song ever to be associated with “Children In Need” which has never had the high profile that “Comic Relief” has until now.

That means that the new Boyzone single has to settle for No 2 (137,000), not only their third No 2 single of 1997 but their 10th top 5 with their 10th release that’s just one short of the all-time best start of 11 top 5 singles from the get go currently held by Kylie Minogue (who debuts herself at #14 herself this week). Double A-Side “Baby Can I Hold You/ Shooting Star” has some pedigree to it, the first track is of course a cover of the Tracy Chapman 1988 track which failed to track here but has become something of a classic in her repertoire, “Shooting Star” meanwhile is taken from the new Disney flick “Hercules” and sees Stephen Gately taking lead vocals though to be fair it is “Baby” which is getting the main push. Of course Boyzone also feature on “Perfect Day” and so befall the same fate as George Michael who was with Wham! at No 2 whilst Band Aid were at No 1 which also featured his vocals.

Meanwhile the Verve follow up chart topping “The Drugs Don’t Work” with “Lucky Man” another cut from the “Urban Hymns” album. It couldn’t hold onto its midweek top 5 placing and ends up at No 7 (81,000) but that sale was enough for a No 1 position often enough in the first half of the year! The album itself holds at No 3 and has sales fast approaching a million.

Numbers 3-6 all drop a place to accommodate Boyzone meaning that Aqua are No 3 (121,000), Steve Houghton at #4 (96,000), Natalie Imbruglia at No 5 (88,000) and All Saints at #6 (85,000). Further down Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand fall 6-8 (69,000) despite a sales increase, Lutricia McNeal slips 6-9 (63,000) and Elton John is the only climber on the whole chart as he re-surfaces 11-10 (49,000).




1- PERFECT DAY- Various Artists (274,000)
2- BABY CAN I HOLD YOU/ SHOOTING STAR- Boyzone (137,000)
3- BARBIE GIRL- Aqua (121,000)
4- WIND BENEATH MY WINGS- Steve Houghton (96,000)
5- TORN- Natalie Imbruglia (88,000)
6- NEVER EVER- All Saints (85,000)
7- LUCKY MAN- The Verve (81,000)
8- TELL HIM- Celine Dion & Barbra Streisand (69,000)
9- AIN’T THAT JUST THE WAY- Lutricia McNeal (63,000)
10- CANDLE IN THE WIND 97/ SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT- Elton John (49,000)




With Christmas around the corner it’s time to look at the runners and riders for the festive top spot!



TELETUBBIES SAY EH-OH- Teletubbies


Favourite at the bookies and released this week can anything stop the Kids TV sensation of the year from getting the festive No 1?

TOO MUCH- Spice Girls


If anything can then surely it must be The Spice Girls? Press may have been more hostile of late but can they enter at the top again?

PERFECT DAY- Various Artists


Current No 1 and a phenomenal seller at present- the charity angle may see it repel all opposition


I AM IN LOVE WITH THE WORLD- Chicken Shed Theatre


Also covering the charity angle is this disc recorded for the Princess Diana fund and has advance sales of 250,000. Should be there or thereabouts


JUST CRUISIN- Will Smith


His last single made No 1 so this should generate enough interest to at least make this a top 10 single on the big day


DRIVING IN MY CAR- Maureen Rees


Covering the novelty angle (if the Teletubbies don’t do it for you) then this single from “Driving School”’s Maureen may tickle the nation’s fancy?

Oh wow those sales for Perfect day

Its a great song so well deserved

I first knew the song cos of the Duran Duran version from 95

From a great cover to one of the worst ever, Bzone covering Tracy Chapman, with zero gut feeling, like singing a shopping list

Love love Lucky Man, one of the best from The Verve

Perfect Day was brilliant.

Can remember seeing it for the first time and just thinking it was so much cooler than most Collab charity singles.

Perfect Day is a rare genuinely good charity record.

Also loving Lucky Man from the Verve, another great single from Urban Hymns.

Perfect Day is such nostalgia. Takes me back to a very happy time.

I’ve been loving the 1997 TOTP the last month or so-I have such vivid memories of these episodes! Really looking forward to 1998 kicking off.

Struggling to think of a charity record as good as Perfect Day. It’s only let down by Heather Small and Tom Jones’ “reap off” at the end.

Barbra Streisand with her iconic upside down headphones in the Tell Him video haha

Agreed that ‘Perfect Day’ is a great charity record, solid foundations with the song itself and the myriad of unique voices from different genres really stand out. I picked up a CD copy of it from a charity shop as it’ll likely never make it to streaming!