Drowned World is one of my favourite Madonna songs, it’s such an unlikely single but I love that she was brave enough to go with it. It may not have been a huge seller but I do think it helped sell the concept that the Ray of Light album was much more of an artistic statement that could appeal to a different audience.

I also really love that Sheryl Crow track, it’s such an underrated single of hers. The album in general is also underrated, easily my favourite of hers.

Great couple of shows for me, high nostalgia value. Friday 4th September the first one was screened - that may well be the actual day I started secondary school, as the date sticks in my head. It's one of the rare occasions where I really like every song in the top ten.

The Manics single is, of course, brilliant, but I wish there had been a chance at the top for Steps too - that is still one of their very best singles, and they were growing so much. Impressive to have the top three all on 129k+.

Finally Found is a beauty, such a lovely ballad, God Is A DJ has a great riff and unlucky not to make the top five with those sales, and Drowned World (Substitute For Love) is gorgeous. Indeed, a brave third single choice when The Power Of Goodbye and Nothing Really Matters (and Sky Fits Heaven, which never got its moment) were sitting on the album.

The second week wasn't quite as strong - not really fond of Bootie Call at all (making it two poor singles in a row from an otherwise great group), and Everybody Get Up was a bit shouty for me, although a good use of sample. I love how I never really noticed at the time about how pretty much all of their singles are about getting up and/or getting down, was it an in joke to feature up/down in nearly every song 🤣

Crush is a classic <3 Deserved better than No.4 and Jennifer Paige deserved more than to be a one hit wonder, I love the lyrics, the guy falling for her and she's like 'whatever, it's not deep'.

Also outside the top ten two strong classics emerging in the form of Hole and Aerosmith, interesting that the latter debuted outside the top ten and grew in popularity, I guess it does feel like the sort of track by an older/classic act that would benefit from the double whammy of airplay exposure and people seeing the film. I know several people who call the track their all-time favourite song. It's extremely overwrought, especially some of the vocals towards the end, but it is a classic track, and Aerosmith are one of so many rock bands whose biggest hit was a ballad.

2 minutes ago, gooddelta said:

Also outside the top ten two strong classics emerging in the form of Hole and Aerosmith

Oh yes Hole completely slipped my mind when responding to this thread, 'Celebrity Skin' is fantastic, such a burst of energy on that TOTP episode!

Feels a lot more impactful than its #19 peak would suggest and especially an #85 peak in the U.S. *_*

(now you've really made it...!)

So that All Saints single literally got to #1 because it was being sold cheaply? I did always think it was somewhat an "odd" number one!

So many great nostalgic pop hits.

One For Sorrow, Finally Found, Everybody Get Up & Crush.

3 hours ago, gooddelta said:

I know several people who call the track their all-time favourite song.

It was my favorite song for most of my childhood!

I didn't like If You Tolerate This for a long time. I thought they'd messed up their chance of a number 1. The album was ok.

For years I assumed that the Bootie Call/Everybody Get Up top 2 were down to fan base purchasing first week given both collapse straight after. I still think that and the cheap price is what gave Bootie Call the no.1. I don’t have time for Everybody Get Up yet so many view it as peak Five (Keep On Movin and Got The Feeling have that title for me)

Of course, at the time my conservative mother was outraged Mel Blatt performed with her stomach on show due to her pregnancy.

I remember the launch of CD:UK was huge. It replaced the Chart Show that we all watched on a Saturday morning after Live and Kicking but Ant and Dec launching a Saturday morning kids show with a chart show tagged on to the end? People were curious and rightly so!

The Manics ❤️ that song will never be old and unfortunately probably even more relevant today than it was in 1998.

bootie Call is an odd one for me as it only got to #59 in Australia.

Though I remember it from Hitlist UK and the Top of the Pops magazine I use to get from my newsagents. They imported it though, so it was always 2-3 months behind.

I dislike Manics song.

"One For Sorrow" was # 1 in my chart, after it Hole.

I wonder how Sheryl felt about Jamie calling her "top transatlantic totty! " On the 12th September show,

The Manics greatest single for me ❤️