No worries- I think TOTP must just have accepted what the record labels told them based on shipments

All Saints was a nice chart-topper, and Bamboogie I felt justified at being a big UK hit as the fabulous original topped my chart in 1975 and I was disappointed it peaked at 21 when it was a US chart-topper. I was also outraged when the weekly History Of Rock magazine decided KC wasnt even worthy of a mention in the 80's, the disco sucks movement downgrading any act that had anything to do with the genre. Which was bollocks, KC was great, the first consistent disco hitmaker from 74 to 76, courtesy of The Sunshine Band and George McRae, so it was great seeing all of the hit covers and samples in the 90's and 00's. Bamboogie isnt near as good obv, though.

Lighthouse family were always pleasant but Lost In Space is prob my fave, Oasis turning into the best Beatles Tribute on record since The Beatles Movie Medley, I rated All Around The World but it needed 4 minutes coming off. Space were fun, always, a great run of singles. Radiohead continue to go over my head, No Surprises there. Robbie's long run indicative of me getting into Angels in about a year as it was still sticking around chart-wise. Obviously that's a piddling short run in the streaming era, but I would see Rob do it live in 1999 and my oh my it's a showstopper.

Catatonia had better follow-up singles than Mulder & Scully, though I loved and still The X-Files even though it's partly to blame for the gullibility of internet-based conspiracy-based nonsense so prevalent these days. I swear some thought it was a documentary not sci-fi/fantasy! Chumbawumba's follow-up is good, Usher's is passably pleasant, if forgettable, but didn't deserve to top the charts.

Catatonia had better follow-up singles than Mulder & Scully, though I loved and still The X-Files even though it's partly to blame for the gullibility of internet-based conspiracy-based nonsense so prevalent these days. I swear some thought it was a documentary not sci-fi/fantasy! Chumbawumba's follow-up is good, Usher's is passably pleasant, if forgettable, but didn't deserve to top the charts.

1998 is such a rich year musically. So many albums that I like/love and most of those providing excellent singles.

I too was anti-Lighthouse Family but loved High.

No Surprises is nice. I was never a fan of that Oasis song. In fact I lost interest in Oasis in 1997.

I loved Angels from the beginning. It had that Oasis trick of having a real long vowel sound in the chorus which meant that it could be belted out by drunk people in a pub or at a gig.

Edited June 24Jun 24 by Colm

1998 will return on the 18th July with a double bill at 7pm.

6 February - Zoe Ball presenting

13 February - Jayne Middlemiss presenting

On 27/06/2025 at 14:17, mrpopquiz said:

1998 will return on the 18th July with a double bill at 7pm.

6 February - Zoe Ball presenting

13 February - Jayne Middlemiss presenting

Personal highlights would be Saint Etienne - Sylvie, Spiritualized - I Think I’m in Love and Headswim - Tourniquet.

We have just had the provisional schedule for the 25th July and the 1998 shows continue at 7pm

:

7pm - 20th February - Jo Whiley ( Happy 60th Birthday today Jo !! )

7.30pm - Jayne Middlemiss

There will then be a Prom at 8pm and the retro hour from 9.40pm.

Hopefully that will be the pattern from now on during Prom season - according to my calculations, BBC4 can finish 1998 on the week before Christmas if there are no more breaks.

So at this rate -

2026 - 1999 and 2000 episodes

2027 - 2001 and 2002 episodes

2028 - 2003 and 2004 episodes

2029 - 2005, 2006, remaining seasonal episodes.

7TH FEBRUARY

1998 continues to produce a new No 1 every week, this week Aqua become the 16th act in UK chart history to start their chart career with a couple of No 1 singles as “Doctor Jones” takes the top spot on sales of 102,000. It trailed all the way through to the week to the outgoing No 1 from Usher “You Make Me Wanna” but came through at the death outstripping the latter by 6,000 when all was said and done. The group’s album “Aquarium” is yet to make the top 10 but gets a best position yet rising to No 13 this week, and they thought “Barbie Girl” was a one hit wonder! That single is still in the top 40 (No 34) in its 16th week!

Will Smith’s last single “Just Cruising” proved a surprising miss before Christmas when it only made No 23 so there was a lot riding on his new single “Getting’ Jiggy Wit It”. With samples of The Bar-Kays “Sang & Dance” and Sister Sledge’s “He’s The Greatest Dancer” he now enters at No 3 (64,000) to put his solo career back on track and even manages to push his album “Big Willie Style” 51-40, its highest position yet.

Aaron Carter finds success with his second single “Crazy Little Party Girl” which as you might expect is more of the pre teen pop which has supported his star. It enters at No 7 (34,000) and sets up his debut album nicely for when it is released in three weeks’ time.

All Saints drop 2-4 (48,000) but that sales drive the total to 1,007,000, the third million selling single by a girl group after “Wannabe” and “2 Become 1”- it took just 12 weeks to do it as well. “Angels” and “Together Again” both entered the charts 9 weeks ago and both are still there, the former at No 6 (37,000) and the latter at No 9 (29,000) both are big sellers with totals of 538,000 and 568,000 and they should both go platinum in the near future.



Lighthouse Family ebb again 4-5 (39,000) and Catatonia hurtle 3-8 (32,000) with Bamboo rounding out of the top tier 6-10 (26,000).


1- DOCTOR JONES- Aqua (102,000)
2- YOU MAKE ME WANNA- Usher (96,000)
3- GETTIN JIGGY WIT IT- Will Smith (64,000)
4- NEVER EVER- All Saints (48,000)
5- HIGH- Lighthouse Family (39,000)
6- ANGELS- Robbie Williams (37,000)
7- CRAZY LITTLE PARTY GIRL- Aaron Carter (34,000)
8- MULDER AND SCULLY- Catatonia (32,000)
9- TOGETHER AGAIN- Janet Jackson (29,000)
10- BAMBOOGIE- Bamboo (26,000)