I like Never Forget. At the time I wouldn’t have given it the time of day but in retrospect I can see it’s a well crafted song that works in an anthemic way

8. Rednex – Cotton Eye Joe

3 weeks at number 1, January

The origins of this song date back to the 19th century and pre civil war America. It is likely to be a song sung by slaves in Texas and Louisiana before being picked up more widely in the American South and the song was first published in 1882. Cotton-eyed may refer to milky eyes while being drunk on moonshine or wood alcohol or blindness from a variety of diseases.

During the first half of the 20th century the song became very popular and was recorded several times. Fast forward to the 90s and Swedes Rednex mashed the song up with Eurodance and traditional American instruments like the fiddle and banjo.

I have happy memories of this song and its incredibly catchy. I still laugh at how bad the follow up is as its basically a clone of Cotton Eye Joe!

7. Shaggy – Boombastic

1 week at number 1, September

Shaggy’s second out of an eventual 4 number 1s and first since 1992’s Oh Carolina, Mr Lover Lover was rebranded as Mr Boombastic! I think this is a clever, catchy song and was a well deserved chart topper.

6. Coolio feat LV – Gangsta’s Paradise

1 week at number 1, December

A genuine rap million selling transatlantic number 1!

This was from the soundtrack of the movie Dangerous Minds with Michelle Pfeiffer and samples Stevie Wonder’s Pastime Paradise extensively. Stevie only gave his permission for the sample if the reworked version had no swearing on it.

Personally, I am not a big fan of rap, but I love this song – it is so atmospheric and dark and the lyrics are fantastic. A big choir also helps I find!

So that's unexpectedly a back-to-back of artists I've seen live as Rednex were at a 'We Love The 90s' event I went to just before Covid hit must admit that 'Cotton Eye Joe' was quite fun in that setting, although I do prefer their song 'Spirit of the Hawk' that Addy sent to BJSC once. Agreed that 'Old Pop in an Oak' was such a pointless re-tread of their chart topper!

I associate 'Boombastic' with Mr. Bean dancing lmao. It's in the top half of Shaggy's chart toppers for me anyway alongside 'It Wasn't Me'.

'Gangsta's Paradise' is the first song to appear that I properly love a masterclass in sample usage.

Not a fan of Boombastic, in fact I don't really like any of his songs that much tbh. Rednex was fun, I didn't like it enough to buy it but I could see the appeal and it was one of those songs that would get people dancing at the school parties.

HUGE step up in quality to Gangsta's Paradise. It wasn't the first rap track I loved (that honour went to Regulate) but I think it probably was the second unless I'm forgetting something else, it was also the first one I could remember being so huge with everyone at my school loving it. A real classic.

Rednex - Cotton Eye Joe is great and a childhood disco classic.

Way better than the 2010s equivalent of novelty dance/country hybrid Timber.

Gangsta's Paradise is great too.

'Cotton Eye Joe' is such a guilty pleasure.

'Gangsta's Paradise' obviously an absolute classic.

Gangsta's Paradise is great, I love that Heart play this religiously as I'm not aware of any other rap song (new or old) they play really, meaning it is possibly one of the most successful rap singles of all-time at crossing over into a very large audience. Brilliant use of sample, and so atmospheric.

Not much a fan of Boombastic, or much Shaggy stuff before his 2001 revival.

Cotton Eye Joe is good fun and even as a 7 year old, was a song that I was very aware of. It reminds me of my mum having a fall out with a snooty cashier in a posh shoe shop, which is very niche but it must have been playing in the background - even at that age I could tell it was a strange song to hear in such a shop.

Cotton Eye Joe is a cheesy oddball fun classic, it shouldnt work but it does - even the name is a deliberate laugh. Always happy to singalong to it! Boombastic, great to have Shaggy back, as someone who still buys his singles now and again, he has always been fun, tongue in cheek and better than he's given credit for. The habit of male bragadacio in lyrics has become a cliched Frankenstein in the 21st century, but Shaggy does it pretty well, with humour and nothing graphic.

That goes for Coolio's Gangsta Rap classic, too, good on Stevie for getting it toned down from the rivals around at that time - Certainly one of the singles of the year and an example of a rewrite that is a huge improvement on the original. This was the track that amended my view on gangsta rap in general. It's not the first rap crossover hit, there were quite a few of those in the late 70's and 80's and if hits programmers aren't playing Rapper's Delight, The Message, White Lines, Fight For Your Right or even poppy rap-friendly hits like Antrap, Rapture and so on then that's their and our loss. I can't rap along to most tracks, but I can do White Lines word for word! Caught the film Coolio's came from on a plane at the time, err well-meaning, but best avoid unless you are trying to get some sleep.

“Ggangsta’s Paradise” is the best song to appear by far. “Cotton Eye Joe” is fun and “Boombastic” has a decent rhythm I guess.

5. Blur – Country House

1 week at number 1, August

Well, what else is there to say about the most hyped number 1 of the year? The big battle of Britpop between this and Oasis’s Roll With It, still infamous to this day.

In reality, neither song is fantastic. This is the epitome of Chas and Dave chimney sweep music vs Oasis Quo and both had way better songs in 1995 – imagine a real quality battle of The Universal vs Wonderwall!

I don’t dislike Country House. I was obsessed with it at the time and was fully behind Blur that week whilst on holiday in Cornwall. However, I now wouldn’t even rate Country House in my top 30 Blur songs. Of course, in comparison with other music this is a great number 1 and an icon of the 90s.

4. Take That – Back For Good

4 weeks at number 1, April/May

Take That premiered their 6th number 1 at the BRIT awards in February and it was quite the sensation – they were sat, without fuss, on steps and pulled their most successful song out of the bag. This is a million seller and I would say the most well regarded Take That song from their first run and the song even casual fans like. It was also their last number 1 with Robbie Williams.

I love this song, it is a classic. It only compares to the second phase Take That’s Rule The World imo.

3. Celine Dion – Think Twice

7 weeks at number 1, February/March

French Canadian who won for Switzerland in the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest. During the 1990s she found international stardom through a series of heavy power ballads including this song that took 16 weeks to make it to number 1, then stayed there for 7 weeks! The video for this million seller showed Celine in an up and down relationship with an ice sculptor. He has a big chainsaw.

For me, this is a fantastic example of a 90s power ballad and by far Celine Dion’s best song (I seem to only like her number 1s!). I think my love for this has been heighted over the years as the opener of the Top of the Pops CD from late Spring 1995 which I still listen to (and I made a Spotify playlist of it!). Remember, before you roll those dice, baby think twice.

'Think Twice' isn't my thing and 'Country House' is far from Blur's best indeed but I'm certainly appreciative of 'Back For Good', the peak of '90s Take That I'd say the likes of 'Patience' and 'The Flood' excite me more sonically but I do think 'Back For Good' is Gary's finest moment as a songwriter.

Country House was also my choice of the 2 in the race, but yes The Universal vs Wonderwall is the real deal, both utter classics. This one isn't, if I feel like upbeat Blur I'll do Parklife or Boys & Girls, but it's OK, I certainly didnt agree that it deserved to be slagged off by hardcore fans of the time, it would def be top 20 of the year for chart-toppers, but maybe just short of the top 10 for me. Back For Good is Take That Mark I golden moment in the sun, it even made the US charts. What a song! Just a shame Barlow needed another decade to find that groove again!

Celine, fell one spot short of number one for me with Think Twice, Back For Good topped my charts twice in 2 years in contrast, but it did have a long run to the top and me buying it. It just grew on me, written as it was by Andy Hill & Pete Sinfield (ex of Prog-rockers King Crimson & poet who recently died) they of Bucks Fizz masterminds, before moving on to Cher and others. It's quality, like most of their material, and Celine did a decent job on it, toning down the OTT tendancies on ballads.

'Back For Good' is a truly hairs standing up on end song.

Think Twice stopped Set You Free from getting to No.1, bah. It's a good, powerful ballad but I prefer lots of other Celine songs - its chart run was epic though.

Love Back For Good, I think it would be my go to karaoke song, it's not that difficult to sing and is so anthemic, with great backing vocals too. Take That massively stepped up a gear in 1995 (just before the end, typical).

Country House is good fun (and that video just screams mid-90s in every way) and better than Roll With It, but I agree it was a chart battle for the ages in every way apart from song quality. Both have so many better songs and bigger classics.

The top two is defintely the top two I'd have predicted (and both would be in my top five too), so yay for that!

Edited September 27Sep 27 by gooddelta

The top 2 are the same songs I'd choose to be there, so I very much approve!

2. Oasis – Some Might Say

1 week at number 1, April

The first number 1 for Oasis whose previous releases had peaked at 31, 11, 10 (then 8), 7 and 3. This was the first release from their upcoming second album and this was an indication of what was to come from them in both terms of sound and success.

Not the best single from What’s The Story.. for me, but not the worst either and I prefer the B-side Acquiesce far more. However, this is the first Britpop number 1 and is still a great song and worthy addition to their discography.