Monday at 12:182 days It was nice to see Kinky Boots finally a hit - I adored The Avengers and everyone in it as a kid and adult. It's not a great record but has a period charm to it, as good-natured as Patrick MacNee always was. Saviour's Day is the best Cliff Xmas song - best tune for a start, and vaguely Celtic - and it's not the overplayed cheesy one, which helps. Madonna's had a great vibe to it, but the song is a bit of a non-event. I bought it of course, and the much-better follow-up, both on CD as I didnt buy the Hits album. I had my principles: True Blue was missing; other hits were missing; they were revamps and not the original single versions. As a purist who had the albums, mostly, I wanted the complete hit single versions. Still not happened oops!
Monday at 12:392 days Author 15TH DECEMBERVanilla Ice continues to reign unopposed with a further 89,845 copies flying off the shelves, that brings “Ice Ice Baby” to total sales of 357,136 after its first month on sale enabling it rank as the 11th biggest single of the year with 3 weeks left of 1990. “To The Extreme” debuts at No 11 this week and has clearly eaten into sales of the single but there is little doubt he’s started off very brightly so far.“Justify My Love” gets a full release on all formats and powers 9-2 (58,446) but with initial demand satisfied, “The Immaculate Collection” shifting over 500,000 so far and increasing each week, it must be fancied to go no further especially starved of airplay and MTV exposure. Waiting in the wings is Cliff who also climbs 6-3 (41,922) and could capitalise on any slip by Vanilla Ice.The events of Christmas Day 1914 and the famous day’s truce between soldiers on the western front forms the lyrical inspiration behind “All Together Now” by The Farm which has been married to Pachelbel’s “Canon” to give them a new hit which rises 12-4 (35,819) and could easily prove a surprise Christmas chart topper. It’s produced by Suggs and gives the band a second top 10 on the trot, the debut album is expected in Spring so you’ve got a wait, but then the original version of this single entitled “No Man’s Land” appeared on a 1985 EP by the group but didn’t contain the chorus and had 6 verses so is significantly different in its current form.Debuting at No 13 on the album charts this week is “Merry Merry Christmas” by the New Kids On The Block, an album of festive treats which surfaced in the US last year and produced the single “This One’s For The Children” which made No 7 there. The UK is clearly still catching up as the boys now have a hit with that song here climbing 13-9 (25,925), it doesn’t look like it’s going to be the festive chart topper they hoped but it is their 7th top 10 single of the year. It should also see the boys clear the 1 million singles sold in 1990 mark, a real achievement.Julee Cruise’s “Falling” drops 8-16 but is replaced in the top 10 by another song which owes some debt to David Lynch, his most recent film is “Wild At Heart” which includes the track “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak which this week nudges 11-10 (23,460). Isaak has been around for 5 years and had a few tracks from his second album featured on Lynch’s “Blue Velvet” film which has been a rich source for hits in the last few months, the instrumental for “Wicked Game” appears in his “Wild At Heart” movie though the song was first released on Isaak’s “Heart Shaped World” album at the end of last year, and released as a single earlier this year without garnering sufficient interest. Picked up by a DJ in the US after it was used in the film the track comes with two videos, the first using supermodel Helena Christensen which seems to be the preferred version and the other directed by Lynch featuring excerpts from the film, either way it’s now a hit.The Righteous Brothers slide 2-5 (33,524) but has now sold 775,608 copies as their “next” hit “you’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” arrives at No 13. EMF drop 3-6 (31,246) and Kim Appleby ebbs 4-7 (27,982), outside bets for the festive top spot Honor Blackman & Patrick McNee fall back 5-8 (26,639) surprisingly as they round off the recap.Shakin Stevens (No 34) and Orchestra On A Half Shell (No 39) enter the race but have they waited too long?1- ICE ICE BABY- Vanilla Ice (89,845)2- JUSTIFY MY LOVE- Madonna (58,446)3- SAVIOUR’S DAY- Cliff Richard (41,922)4- ALL TOGETHER NOW- The Farm (35,819)5- UNCHAINED MELODY- Righteous Brothers (33,524)6- UNBELIEVABLE- E.M.F (31,246)7- DON’T WORRY- Kim Appleby (27,982)8- KINKY BOOTS- Patrick McNee & Honor Blackman (26,639)9- THIS ONE’S FOR THE CHILDREN- New Kids On The Block (25,925)10- WICKED GAME- Chris Isaak (23,460)
Monday at 14:061 day The Farm is a great record, quite moving subject matter and the classical incorporation works well. Wicked Day is a classic, topped my charts at the time and it's still epic in a quiet Roy Orbison-esque way. Saw him support Billy Joel last year. I couldnt hum any bit of that NKOTB track if I tried - I just have a vague memory of insipidity.
Monday at 20:591 day This top 10 is absolutely full of classics. Didn’t realise The Farm is technically a Xmas song. Is the NKOTB a Christmas one too?
Monday at 21:101 day Saviours Day one of the most ambient and least annoying Christmas songs, preferable to Mistletoe and Wine and also has some panpipes in it, which will become a bit of a trend.The Farm -All Together Now is an epic! Used to be one of the songs I most associated the 90s with, probably becuase it was played a lot on programmes about the decade. Pachalbel's Canon is great too. Who else sampled it - N-Dubz and Bodyrox!'Wicked Game' is a good ambient moody ballad too.9 minutes ago, Steve201 said:This top 10 is absolutely full of classics. Didn’t realise The Farm is technically a Xmas song. Is the NKOTB a Christmas one too?Basically the same lyrical themes as Jona Lewie - Stop The Cavalry but doesn't have the bells so it is not deemed as Christmassy. Edited Monday at 21:351 day by TheSnake
Yesterday at 06:151 day Love Wicked Game, such a classic, agree its very Roy Orbsion-esqueAltogether Now I Like but dont loveLiked it more back then than nowThat NKOTB is utter crap, worst of the worst, ruins the top 10 along with Cliff and his fake Irish vibes Edited yesterday at 06:161 day by Bjork
Yesterday at 07:571 day My ratings of the songs.1- ICE ICE BABY- Vanilla Ice (6/10)Obviously this is a bit cheesy but still a fun song.2- JUSTIFY MY LOVE- Madonna (9/10)Great downtempo song - quite hypnotic.3- SAVIOUR’S DAY- Cliff Richard (2/10)Just no!4- ALL TOGETHER NOW- The Farm (10/10)Epic classic. Loved it from the first listen.5- UNCHAINED MELODY- Righteous Brothers (5/10)Was never the biggest fan of it, but it is OK.6- UNBELIEVABLE- E.M.F (10/10)One of my favourite songs of 1990.7- DON’T WORRY- Kim Appleby (7/10)Quite catchy, but not that memorable than the Mel & Kim songs.8- KINKY BOOTS- Patrick McNee & Honor Blackman (4/10)Not my cup of tea.9- THIS ONE’S FOR THE CHILDREN- New Kids On The Block (1/10)NKOTB had some good songs, but I can't stand their ballads.10- WICKED GAME- Chris Isaak (10/10)So good. This is so well produced and everything fits perfectly.
Yesterday at 12:011 day Author 22ND DECEMBERThe chart before the big one arrives and throws up some interesting movements but no alteration in the popular opinion that Cliff Richard will top the charts next week, but for this week at least he’s held at bay by Vanilla Ice. “Ice Ice Baby” makes it 4 weeks at the top and sells a mere 306 copies less than last week (89,539) to become the 6th biggest hit of the year with sales of over 446,675 so far. By way of contrast Cliff Richard has sold just 142,868 copies but has increased week on week every week since release 3 weeks ago including a 75% sales increase last week to 72,845.Madonna looks unstoppable on the album charts scoring a 5th week at No 1 as it reaches the 750,000 mark, not so good on the singles chart as “Justify My Love” goes into reverse 2-3 (58,531) to become her 6th single to falter at the final hurdle despite selling more than last week! Watch out for the Righteous Brothers though, their re-issue of the 1965 No 1 single “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” has been teamed with “Ebb Tide” and scorches 13-4 (55,454) and could yet spoil the Cliff Richard party. It famously went head to head in the charts with a rival cover by Cilla Black which saw Black’s version stall at No 2 whilst they went all the way, it also made No 10 on re-issue in 1969, and coupled with its performance this week means that it becomes the first song to be a top 10 hit on three separate occasions for the same act. As “Unchained Melody” sinks 5-9 (27,438) it also means the brothers are only the second act this year to score simultaneous top 10 single following NKOTB in January. Incidentally this song appeared on both the UK CD and 12" version of "Unchained Melody" still in the top 10- wonder how many people ended up buying it twice?Unusually all the top 4 are also available on albums in the top 20, Madonna at No 1, Cliff at No 5, Vanilla Ice at No 11, and The Righteous Brothers at No 16.German dance project Enigma are up next with the unusual “Sadness Part One” which flies 27-6 (31,858) this week, the man behind the outfit is Michael Cretu whose wife provides the whispered female vocals on the track, and who also happens to be the popstar Sandra. She’s only scored one hit in the UK, the No 45 1988 release “Everlasting Love” which benefited from a S/A/W remix but is big on the continent as they say with 8 German top 10 hits to her credit. The title of the European version of this Enigma hit reads “Sadeness” but has been renamed for the UK market due to links with the controversial writer Marquis De Sade which could be too much for us it seems.Snap! have had a great year and can now round it off with a fourth straight top 10 single with “Mary Had A Little Boy” which climbs 12-8 (28,696). Eyebrows have been raised that the group seem to be scrapping some kind of barrel having to resort to nursery rhymes to get a hit but many acts would kill for Snap!’s chart record this year, and surely Christmas is all about kids?Taking a sample from Prince’s “When Doves Cry”, MC Hammer’s new single “Pray” has already peaked at No 2 in the US at the beginning of this month and helps the album bounce 36-25 this week. Indeed the album has never left the top 40 in its 22 week life, not bad for a rap album in the UK, “Pray” meanwhile becomes a top 10 single moving 11-10 (27,217) as I suppose it has tenuous festive links.The Farm are another festive contender which failed to fulfill promise as it slides 4-5 (49,742) even with a healthy 40% boost and EMF fall 6-7 (29,223) but are holding up well with the Christmas influx. So next week is the big one! Can Ice hold off Richard?1- ICE ICE BABY- Vanilla Ice (89,539)2- SAVIOUR’S DAY- Cliff Richard (72,845)3- JUSTIFY MY LOVE- Madonna (58,531)4- YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN FEELING/ EBB TIDE- Righteous Brothers (55,454)5- ALL TOGETHER NOW- The Farm (49,742)6- SADNESS PART ONE- Enigma (31,858)7- UNBELIEVABLE- E.M.F (29,223)8- MARY HAD A LITTLE BOY- Snap! (28,696)9- UNCHAINED MELODY- Righteous Brothers (27,438)10- PRAY- MC Hammer (27,217)
Yesterday at 13:471 day Oh Sadeness debut! Love Engima if only they could defeat Cliff but his ascent to the top looks inevitableThe Sadeness/Sadness thing was Silly, especially with Justify my love top 3Not a fan of the other newbies so not the bestest top 10
22 hours ago22 hr Oooh Sadeness - what a classy song. Best thing in a string top 10 that includes The Farm and EMF.Late appreciation for Wicked Game too.
18 hours ago18 hr I didn’t realise Justify My Love was released weeks after the IC , was this the same in USA? I know it hit the top spot to there!! Great sales for a single on an album of those sales!! Did the video cassette count towards the chart position?
16 hours ago16 hr Author 1 hour ago, vibe said:I didn’t realise Justify My Love was released weeks after the IC , was this the same in USA? I know it hit the top spot to there!!Great sales for a single on an album of those sales!!Did the video cassette count towards the chart position?no they didn't.
15 hours ago15 hr And yes as I said, Cliff Richard and Enigma starting a panpipes trend in late 1990! Sadeness is brilliant!The Snap! song is good too, better than their previous single! Edited 15 hours ago15 hr by TheSnake
7 hours ago7 hr 11 hours ago, vibe said:I didn’t realise Justify My Love was released weeks after the IC , was this the same in USA? I know it hit the top spot to there!!Great sales for a single on an album of those sales!!Did the video cassette count towards the chart position?According to Wiki in the US Justify my Love was released ahead of the album on Nov 6, then the album on Nov 13.Not sure why the late release in the UK (Nov 26), to prioritise album sales maybe
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