I still prefer the Delfonics original, but they did a great cover with it's own class and style, and I also prefer it to Killing Me Softly. I nrushed to check out my compilations and I dont have it on CD either! Looks I will need to download it sometime if it gets a revival! The US charts at the time were very much about not releasing singles on radio hits to force you to buy the album, which is why loads of key tracks of the 90's were either not hits or sneaked in on radio plays. This practice ended with downloading, by which time the CD single was long-dead anyway, killed off by the record companies who either did 99cent teen-aimed one track cheapo singles or multi-track remixes or multi-tracks expensive pseudo-albums.

11. The Fugees – Killing Me Softly

5 non-consecutive weeks at number 1, May/June

Released in May 1996, Killing Me Softly became the Fugees’ first UK No. 1 single, spending five non-consecutive weeks at the top and becoming one of the year’s biggest sellers. A reimagining of Roberta Flack’s 1973 classic, it showcased Lauryn Hill’s soulful lead vocal over a stripped-back hip-hop groove. Though not commercially released in the US, it dominated airplay and remains a defining moment in 1990s hip-hop, blending vulnerability, swagger, and global appeal.

Double Fugees! I may be alone in still preferring this to Ready or Not, but I still think this is a great cover and a well deserved number 1 and the best seller of the year (just)... One time, two times (I agree dandy* - that is still annoying)

Top 10 next!

It is a real shame about the Wyclef bits on that track as Lauryn Hill sings it beautifully, I wish there was a solo version available

1 minute ago, dandy* said:

It is a real shame about the Wyclef bits on that track as Lauryn Hill sings it beautifully, I wish there was a solo version available

Now that I would like!

a one-time-less version would be most welcome! Roberta Flack still for me, but good this made the song even more famous. And one of those rare occasions where a song about one artist who had already topped the chart, tops the chart (Don McLean).

10. Gina G - Ooh Aah Just A Little Bit

1 week at number 1, May

Gina G’s debut single topped the UK chart for one week and became the last UK Eurovision entry to reach No. 1. Despite finishing 8th in Oslo, the song achieved international success, peaking at No. 12 in the US and earning a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording. Its infectious Eurodance sound made it a defining pop anthem of the mid-90s.

Into the the top 10 and the best thing we sent to Eurovision in the 90s plus a great slow climber to the top spot. I still love this dance pop classic!

My favourite song of 1996 and favourite UK Eurovision entry ever, an absolute pop classic.

I always say that a lot of people solely credit Spice Girls with bringing back female pop in 1996 but Gina G beat them by a few months and was a proper pop star in the Kylie mould (while Kylie was dabbling in indie) and really filled a pop void at the time.

Gina’s Eurovision performance was sadly a little ropey on the vocal but the song itself deserved far higher than 8th! I think it was too ahead of its time when you listen to the rest of the 1996 entries above it which were mostly still Celtic and Nordic ballads.

Nice to see it make the top ten here.

Killing Me Softly is a good cover, agreed a stellar vocal from Lauryn Hill. And it did well to be the best seller of the year!

I have the faintest of memories of this Gina G song. I would’ve only been 8 and just starting to get into music.

The Fugees tracks are both great and Gina G's a Eurovision pop classic.

'Spaceman' is fine as well.

Gina G's was a bit of fun, though repeat plays made it more challenging, and I wonder if thats why it under-performed at the contest. That said, The Voice was a better song (the winner) and Sweden had the son of ABBA's Benny going for them. I dont mind Ooh Ah these days, its a catchy bop - as long as it's not on the radio every day for weeks on end!

Den Vilda was the song for Sweden, by One More Time (including Benny's son indeed on the piano, and his wife Nanne Grönvall - a famous star in Sweden). They also had a big European hit with Highland a few years before (I sent that to BJSC in 2015 too).

It's quite Enya-esque and really one of the most beautiful songs ever sent to Eurovision, and was my second favourite song of 1996 (only behind Gina G - very rare for me to have a Eurovision top two in my end of year chart although it happened again in 2022). And for my money this was a far better attempt at the dominant 90s ethereal sound than The Voice; as pleasant as that was, it was a bit Ireland by numbers by that point.

An eternal classic ❤️

I loved Highland, and bought that vinyl single when it was shiny and new hooray! 🤩

There was better eurodance in the 90s but the Gina G track is still good.

The Lauryn Hill vocal in 'Killing Me Softly' is great I agree.

Edited October 16Oct 16 by TheSnake

9. Spice Girls – Wannabe

7 weeks at number 1, July/August/September

The debut single that launched a pop revolution. “Wannabe” burst onto the scene with zig-a-zig-ah energy and a message of friendship over romance. It climbed to No.1 in its second week and held the top spot for seven consecutive weeks, becoming the UK’s second best-selling single of 1996. A cultural reset — loud, brash, and utterly unforgettable

I remember this being on the music channel The Box for about a month before release and being practically every video requested! This was the equivalent of a musical earthquake and brought the girl group and pop back to life (well, Gina G started it off again, but the Spiceys made it stratospheric). I like this least out of their 3 1996 number 1s, but its still head and shoulders above most. I think if one song defines 1996, then this is it.

Personally I’m not really a fan of Wannabe. I appreciate its place in pop culture history but for me it wouldn’t even be in my top 5 Spice Girls singles. So in that sense I’m happy to see it below the other two.

I agree, it’s not in my top 5 Spice songs either.

Great, iconic track and video, and a perfect statement debut single, but I also prefer their other two No.1s from 1996.

This song was absolutely everywhere at the time indeed. I was only 9 at the time and it was the biggest song to make an impression at my school up to that point.

I loved 'Wannabe' as a kid, but it makes me cringe these days.

Love the other two from that year though!

I absolutely hated Wannabe at the time, it just all felt so cheap and a bit too brash for my tastes - plus tbh pure pop wasn't really my thing anyway.

I've mellowed towards it a bit now in so much as I wouldn't turn it off if it was played, but I don't think I've ever played it through choice. I do admire what they achieved though and they definitely were one of (if not) the most impactful pop band.