Good x Elton

Not the bestest for Me

Compared to Daniel Or Rocket Man

The new Snap its no Power but not half bad

I much prefer "Healing Hands" to "Sacrifice", I bought it as a single in 89 I think.

Nessun Dorma is obv timeless, what a tune! That Pavarotti could sing too! Snap, very much not as classic as The Power, but still good.

30TH JUNE

Now that’s he’s made it there solo Elton looks like he’s not giving up that spot any time soon, “Sacrifice/ Healing Hands” improves 45% week on week to 107,899, the third highest tally of the year and only beaten by Sinead O’Connor. “Sleeping With The Past” is stuck at No 54 on limited availability but this week is re-issued fully so we’ll see if the single can withstand its arrival, it is probably the only thing can stop him recording a third week as the opposition is somewhat thin on the ground. Luciano Pavarotti and Roxette both inch a place with a 45% sales boost for the former, 3-2 (78,863) and a modest 7% for the latter 4-3 (52,445) but are still too far behind Elton to worry him.

The fourth “Neighbours” star to make the top 20 is Craig McLachlan, the 24 year old Aussie actor who plays Henry Ramsey in the show. His cover of a 1955 Bo Diddley B-Side “Mona” arrives 20-7 (28,815) and foreshadows his album in a few weeks, the official credit is “Craig McLachlan & Check 1-2” though the man himself is doing most of the promo alone. Incidentally McLachlan left Neighbours back in February this year to head to rival soap Home & Away but will be in the former show on UK screens until next year.

Those with a long memory will recall the 1975 No 20 hit “Don’t Throw It All Away” by Gary Benson, the singer songwriter went on to write several attempts at our Eurovision Song entry in 1977 and 1981 where he reached the finals with entries by himself and Wesley, Park & Smith. He’s also co-wrote “Close To You” with Max Elliott, better known as Maxi Priest, and that song this week leaps 15-8 (27,217). It’s the lead single from Priest’s fifth album “Bonafide” and his first top 10 single since “Wild World” made No 5 in 1988.

Snap’s “Ooops Up” climbs 6-5 (39,015) just nestling behind EnglandNewOrder who drop 2-4 (42,602) despite England making the last 16 of the world cup, Wilson Phillips continue to impress 8-6 (31,977) as their debut album enters at No 9. Betty Boo remains at No 9 (23,528) as Chad Jackson dives 7-10 (23,239). Incidentally the new Jason Donovan single arrived at No 21, a definite downturn and it looks like his career is now in terminal decline.



1- SACRIFICE/ HEALING HANDS- Elton John (107,899)
2- NESSUN DORMA- Luciano Pavarotti (78,863)
3- IT MUST HAVE BEEN LOVE- Roxette (52,445)
4- WORLD IN MOTION- Englandneworder (42,602)
5- OOOPS UP- Snap! (39,015)
6- HOLD ON- Wilson Phillips (31,977)
7- MONA- Craig McLachlan & Check 1-2 (28,815)
8- CLOSE TO YOU- Maxi Priest (27,217)
9- DOIN THE DO- Betty Boo (23,528)
10- HEAR THE DRUMMER (GET WICKED)- Chad Jackson (23,239)

Sacrifice and Must Have Been Love are both great emotive synth ballads.

Oops Up is good and the last bit about Little Miss Moffat is fun, discovered it on Colm's Dance Number 1s of the 90s thread.

Doing the Do is fun but a bit silly much prefer the follow up.

Oh my how I hated Craig Mclachlan both in Neighbours + as a singer, Mona was just wrong

Close to you is nice enough

Would have preferred Roxette rather than Elton at #1, that's the better ballad

My brother bought Mona. I’m not sure I’ve forgiven him yet.

What was the Jason Donovan flop at 21?

1 hour ago, Jester said:

What was the Jason Donovan flop at 21?

Another Night.

I had to go have a quick listen. It's not memorable.

9 hours ago, ChrisJK said:

Another Night.

I had to go have a quick listen. It's not memorable.

Not one I recall either - thanks!

2- NESSUN DORMA- Luciano Pavarotti
3- IT MUST HAVE BEEN LOVE- Roxette
5- OOOPS UP- Snap!

These all ended up the highest selling singles of 1990 that reached those positions.

7TH JULY



Elton’s third week at the top is accomplished with some ease and he's still improving at retail, up another 4% to 111,129 (the second highest tally of the year so far), as “Sacrifice/ Healing Hands” flies over the 300,000 mark and is now his biggest hit in 5 years. His album “Sleeping With The Past” gets a full re-issue and charges 54-2 as a result.   As it’s half way through the year it’s time to see where that places the track on the current YTD:


1- NOTHING COMPARES 2 U- Sinead O’Connor 665,958
2- KILLER- Adamski 491,912
3- DUB BE GOOD TO ME- Beats International 473,331
4- VOGUE- Madonna 419,271
5- THE POWER- Snap! 404,804
6- SACRIFICE/ HEALING HANDS- Elton John 333,081
7- WORLD IN MOTION- EnglandNewOrder 329,205
8- GET UP (BEFORE THE NIGHT IS OVER)- Technotronic Featuring Ya Kid K 317,186
9- BLACK VELVET- Alannah Myles 302,566
10- DIRTY CASH- Adventures Of Stevie V 283,169

EnglandNewOrder sink 4-6 (37,757) failing to keep ahead of Elton on the YTD, but they don’t show any signs of reversing their downward trajectory despite England making it to the semi finals this week.

The entire top 3 are all static with Elton at the top while Luciano Pavarotti closes the gap at No 2 (93,466- certainly the highest tally for the runner up spot this year and enough for No 1 in 21 of the 26 weeks in 1990 so far) and Roxette clinging onto No 3 (48,314) though they at least are losing sales. With the World Cup final next Sunday there is still scope for Pavarotti to steal a week at the top, especially if England can make an appearance there! But he does get some revenge on Elton as Pavarotti holds him off the top spot on the album charts.

Craig McLachlan rises 7-4 (42,721) leaving Snap! locked at No 5 (38,828) and Maxi Priest lifts 8-7 (36,210) while Wilson Phillips drop 6-8 (30,702).




MC Hammer (real name Stanley Burrell) got his nickname from looking like a baseball player called Hank Aaron apparently and has become something of a sensation Stateside. His first release here in the UK was as a feature rapper on Glen Goldsmith’s single “You’ve Got Me Dancing” last year which failed to chart, now onto his second album Hammer has a hit on his hands which has already made No 8 in the US. “U Can’t Touch This” samples Rick James’ “Super Freak” as its backbone, a song which surprisingly has never charted here, expect “Stop…Hammertime” to be a catchphrase of the year. The track meanwhile powers 13-9 (29,376)

And now some UK rapping courtesy of MC Tunes (real name Nicholas Lockett) who’s teamed up with dance act 808 state to give us “The Only Rhyme That Bites” which looked like it was trouble as it moved 47-31-18-12-11 in recent weeks but finally inches 11-10 (21,012) this week. It contains a sample of “The Big Country” by The City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra in the chorus and has now equalled the peak of “Pacific” from 1989 for 808 state though of course it is MC Tunes first hit.

1- SACRIFICE/ HEALING HANDS- Elton John (111,129)
2- NESSUN DORMA- Luciano Pavarotti (93,466)
3- IT MUST HAVE BEEN LOVE- Roxette (48,314)
4- MONA- Craig McLachlan & Check 1-2 (42,721)
5- OOPS UP- Snap! (38,828)
6- WORLD IN MOTION- Englandneworder (37,757)
7- CLOSE TO YOU- Maxi Priest (36,210)
8- HOLD ON- Wilson Phillips (30,702)
9- U CAN’T TOUCH THIS- MC Hammer (29,376)
10- THE ONLY RHYME THAT BITES- MC Tunes Vs 808 State (21,012)

'The Only Rhyme That Bites' is good with its film style music orchestral sample.

'U Can’t Touch This' is catchy and iconic!

Edited Saturday at 17:531 day by TheSnake

14TH JULY





West Germany’s Victory over Argentina yesterday saw the climax of the World Cup 1990 and in the process provided the final boost to Luciano Pavarotti’s chances of overhauling Elton John on the charts. His “Essential Pavarotti” holds at No 1 depriving Elton again of his first No 1 album in 16 years, but on the singles chart it’s Elton’s victory as “Sacrifice/ Healing Hands” grabs a 4th week at the top with sales only slightly dipping to 93,908 as it becomes the 3rd biggest single of the year and sees its total sales move over the 400,000 mark. “Nessun Dorma” spends a third week at No 2 but it’s already faltering with 66,725 buyers last week, the gap between the two tracks therefore widens from 17,000 to 27,000 approximately.

Tipped by many to be a No 1 The Stone Roses new single “One Love” is the first release from an as yet unnamed second album and becomes the highest new entry on this week’s chart at No 4 (46,342). Rumours are of course rife with their current issues with record label Silvertone which doesn’t seem to be improving but they remain current indie darlings and leaders of the “Madchester” movement, and certainly the biggest sellers of the genre at the moment.

So you take a TV theme to a classic Kids TV show and update for the modern dance market- sounds like commercial gold. Well it certainly is, the group is called F.A.B featuring MC Parker, used in the series of course to denote “fully acknowledged and briefed”, and the dance outfit have given us the current hit “Thunderbirds Are Go” with the help of Gerry Anderson’s puppets in the promo it seems to have hit a cord with a rise 12-7 (40,052)

Craig McLachlan seeps in at No 3 (51,884) despite a sales dip overcoming Stone Roses at the death whilst Roxette drop 3-5 (43,384), they do keep above MC Hammer however who himself moves ominously 9-6 (41,820). EnglandNewOrder misfire 6-8 (39,780) keeping the neat symmetry of their descent nicely 2-4-6-8, Maxi Priest drops 7-9 (31,858) and Snap! hurtle 5-10 (31,008). Next week a new Madonna single!

1- SACRIFICE/ HEALING HANDS- Elton John (93,908)
2- NESSUN DORMA- Luciano Pavarotti (66,725)
3- MONA- Craig McLachlan & Check 1-2 (51,884)
4- ONE LOVE- The Stone Roses (46,342)
5- IT MUST HAVE BEEN LOVE- Roxette (43,384)
6- U CAN’T TOUCH THIS- MC Hammer (41,820)
7- THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO- F.A.B Ft MC Parker (40,052)
8- WORLD IN MOTION- Englandneworder (39,780)
9- CLOSE TO YOU- Maxi Priest (31,858)
10- OOPS UP- Snap! (31,008)

I remember being very disappointed with Stone Roses -One love after their debut and Fools Gold

Thumderbirds I kinda liked

U Can't Touch This is a good track, baggy pants and all, but its very annoying Super Freak was never a hit, it's great. I never knew Gary Benson wrote Close To You! Love Maxi Priest and his hits, and it's way better than the mundane Don't Throw It All Away.

The Only Rhyme That Bites is fun, but the best bit remains The Big Country sample. I have toyed with entering that one in BJSC for years as it's fabulous and was pretty famous in the 60's and 70's, film tunes were inspiringly and sweepingly dramatic in the olden days. Mona is a bit of upbeat singalong fun, Bo Diddley beat-ish.

Never really got The Stone Roses, but they were always mildly pleasant, and One Love fits into that category. Meanwhile another childhood iconic theme tune gets a dance revamp, Thunderbirds Are Go is still one of the most exciting TV theme intro sequences in TV history, as was the follow-up FAB cover for predecessor Gerry Anderson show Stingray. This was the closest to cinematic sci-fi we had in the 60's until Star Wars dropped in 1977, though Art sci-fi exploded with Planet Of The Apes and 2001: A Space Odyssey. The cover is F.A.B.!

21ST JULY

Elton makes it 5 weeks on top with “Sacrifice/ Healing Hands” but it is now starting to flag badly with sales lapsing 35% to 60,945 as it fast approaches its half millionth sale. It becomes the longest chart topper of 1990 and indeed the longest reigning No 1 since Black Box last September. As predicted the end of the world cup sees Pavarotti trip 2-3 (36,533) just enough for Craig McLachlan to slip by him, despite moving 4-3-2 in the last three weeks he has lost sales in both the last 2 weeks clocking in at 38,454 this week and will do well to pose a serious threat.

A bit of chart history happened this week, previously the highest debuting track by a new act occurred when both Neil and Bomb The Bass debuted at No 5, but today Partners In Kryme arrive one spot higher at No 4 (33,558) with “Turtle Power”, a song featured in the new “Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles” film due here in the Winter. The duo formed in 1983 and once opened for Grandmaster Flash, their name, well the Kryme bit at any rate stands for “Keeping Rhythm Your Motivating Energy” apparently. Of course the turtles are THE phenomenon with today’s kids so they will have the power of our youngers on their side which could prove important as we move into school holiday time, expect this to be top 2 at least next week.

Nothing else new in the top 10 as the summer slump really sets in, F.A.B. rise 7-5 (31,790) but everything else is on the wane, Roxette 5-6 (31,603), MC Hammer 6-7 (31,229), Stone Roses 4-8 (30,804) and EnglandNewOrder 8-10 (21,862). Snap! do rise 10-9 but only sold 21,862, a 30% decrease week on week saleswise.


1- SACRIFICE/ HEALING HANDS- Elton John (60,945)
2- MONA- Craig McLachlan & Check 1-2 (38,454)
3- NESSUN DORMA- Luciano Pavarotti (36,533)
4- TURTLE POWER- Partners In Kryme (33,558)
5- THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO- F.A.B Ft MC Parker (31,790)
6- IT MUST HAVE BEEN LOVE- Roxette (31,603)
7- U CAN’T TOUCH THIS- MC Hammer (31,229)
8- ONE LOVE- The Stone Roses (30,804)
9- OOPS UP- Snap! (21,862)
10- WORLD IN MOTION- Englandneworder (21,862)