Kim Basinger did music? 🤯

Roy Orbison's version of 'I Drove All Night' is very good and emotive.

2 hours ago, TheSnake said:

Roy Orbison's version of 'I Drove All Night' is very good and emotive.

It's odd because I knew Lauper's version first and for years afterwards I prefered her version to his but over the last 10 years or so I genuinely have found Oribison's the better version!

1ST AUGUST




As you were at the top of the charts with Jimmy Nail on cruise control at No 1 though he’s peaked in terms of sales, they’re off 11% to 67,380, but he’s still easily outpacing Snap! who hold at No 2 (48,060) with a 30% increase to brag about. Madonna completes the top 3 as “This Used To Be My Playground” accelerates 5-3 (31,920) but her 8th chart topper is still some way off.

Three other tracks make positive moves, Was (Not Was) halve their position 10-5 (22,875) which is now their biggest hit, The Shamen creep 7-6 (20,235) and Roy Orbison still snaps at their heels 8-7 (18,360) though both lose sales. Meanwhile the Smart E’s slip 3-4 (27,945), Urban Hype reverse 6-8 (17,625) and Prince falls 4-9 (17,415).

The only new song to discuss is Michael Jackson’s fourth cut from his “Dangerous” album which rises 12-10 (16,020) this week. “Who Is It” has been released to coincide with his world tour that you can catch in the UK this week, the album also improves 17-9 as promotion finally gets underway for the event. He’s now made his first four singles from the album top 10 hits, better than he did with “Bad” you might recall, the fourth single from that album peaked at a lowly No 21 (the mighty “Man In The Mirror”).

1- AIN’T NO DOUBT- Jimmy Nail (67,380)
2- RHYTHM IS A DANCER- Snap! (48,060)
3- THIS USED TO BE MY PLAYGROUND- Madonna (31,920)
4- SESAME’S TREET- Smart E’s (27,495)
5- SHAKE YOUR HEAD- Was Not Was Featuring Kim Basinger & Ozzy Osborne (22,875)
6- L.S.I- The Shamen (20,235)
7- I DROVE ALL NIGHT- Roy Orbison (18,360)
8- A TRIP TO TRUMPTON- Urban Hype (17,625)
9- SEXY MF/ STROLLIN- Prince/ NPG (17,415)
10- WHO IS IT- Michael Jackson (16,020)

Good track from MJ, much much better than 'In The Closet'

Who Is It is my favourite Michael Jackson song, I absolutely love it <3 The production in the bass and rhythm is just amazing and very inventive. The single had a really good Brothers in Rhythm mix on it as well, the one that's titled 'The Most Patient Mix' - it's not aged quite as well as the original but at the time I loved it as much as the album version.

8TH AUGUST





Jimmy Nail’s new album “Growing Up In Public” arrives at No 2 this week and it plays a vital part in the downfall of the single “Ain’t No Doubt” which slides 1-2 (51,255). It is overtaken by Snap! who claim their second chart topper with “Rhythm Is A Dancer” as it sneaks in 2-1 (52,080) under 1,000 copies ahead, perversely their album is also out this week but limps in at No 46 subtracting far less sales from the single. The Snap! single has taken 6 weeks to climb to the top, nothing unusual pre 1990s but the last single to take as long was Chesney Hawkes some 16 months ago. Madonna looks on at No 3 (26,205) as she starts to fade here but the song does become her 10th US chart topper this week pulling her ahead of Whitney Houston as the most successful female act ever on Billboard.

With the Olympics in Barcelona now in full swing it’s only natural that Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballe’s 1987 #8 hit “Barcelona” gets a re-issue. It’s being used as the music for the BBC Coverage of the event and along with Mercury’s stock being so high at present it instantly makes a better impression second time around by debuting at No 5 (22,965)- keep an eye out for this next week it could easily top the charts with the daily promotion!  It's also the 42nd single to debut in the top 10 this year- a new record breaking the previous of 41 recorded just last year.

Arriving 13-6 (21,555) is another song that may be worthwhile keeping track of, it’s launched Billy Ray Cyrus as a major star in the US and helped to spawn a line dancing craze that is currently all the rage over there. “Achy Breaky Heart” was originally done by the Marcey Brothers last year under the title “Don’t Tell My Heart” but Cyrus is the first to make it a hit, it struggled here in the UK but an airing on TOTP helped to break the song and it is now doing the business even if it is something of a marmite record.

Rocketing 19-10 (15,060) is the new Enya single “Book Of Days”, you can also catch the song in the new Tom Cruise/ Nicole Kidman track “Far And Away” which is now in cinema’s. It is included on the recent Enya album “Shepherd Moons” but is sung entirely in Gaelic whilst the new single is sung partly in English, this is now Enya’s second top 10 single and returns her after a four year absence, her only other top ten hit is of course the chart topping “Orinoco Flow”.

Was (Not Was) continue to inch 5-4 (23,970) but giving up the fight this week are The Shamen 6-7 (17,790), Smart E’s 4-8 (17,100) and Roy Orbison 7-9 (17,100).


1- RHYTHM IS A DANCER- Snap! (52,080)
2- AIN’T NO DOUBT- Jimmy Nail (51,255)
3- THIS USED TO BE MY PLAYGROUND- Madonna (26,205)
4- SHAKE YOUR HEAD- Was Not Was Featuring Kim Basinger & Ozzy Osborne (23,970)
5- BARCELONA- Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballe (22,965)
6- ACHY BREAKY HEART- Billy Ray Cyrus (21,555)
7- L.S.I- The Shamen (17,790)
8- SESAME’S TREET- Smart E’s (17,100)
9- I DROVE ALL NIGHT- Roy Orbison (17,100)
10- BOOK OF DAYS- Enya (15,060)

15TH AUGUST



With no TOTP last week (it was off air due to the Olympics) Snap! retain the No 1 title with a slightly improved sale of 58,830, the expected challenge of Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballe did come as they surge 5-2 (49,110) and did on occasion outsell Snap! on the odd day but never with consistency, with the closing ceremony tomorrow it will also lose a major part of its promo drive so may struggle. It is however the biggest hit of Mercury’s solo career.

“Rhythm Is A Dancer” gives Snap! their second chart topper of the 90s putting them equal with Elton John and Queen as the only acts to have multiple chart toppers this decade. It has so far sold 263,175 copies enough to make it the 7th biggest seller of 1992, but it still has some way to go to overtake Jimmy Nail’s “Ain’t No Doubt” which has sold 304,500 as it enters the top 5 on the YTD list, that includes the 35,445 it sold last week as it fell 2-3. Both tracks should clear the 400,000 mark ultimately and may yet challenge Shakespears Sister’s position at the top of the YTD chart.

Highest new entry time and it’s a superstar collaboration between Janet Jackson and Luther Vandross who have teamed up to give us “The Best Things In Life Are Free” which is taken from the new film “Mo Money”. Whilst the film isn’t released here until the Autumn the single is already unleashed having been a proven club hit and debuts with aplomb at No 7 (18,535), it’s Vandross’s first top 10 single but Jackson’s 4th, it features Bel Biv Devoe and Ralph Tresvant and comes hot of the heels of the record breaking $32 million deal Jackson signed to head to Virgin records last year, indeed her involvement is a thanks to producers Jam & Lewis who asked her to appear on the track even though it isn’t released on the Virgin label.

Jon Secada is a new name on the charts but you’ve heard his work before now, he was hired as a backing singer by Gloria Estefan in the late 80s and co-wrote her hit “Coming Out Of The Dark” last year. His debut single “Just Another Day” has already made No 5 stateside and now advances 12-8 (18,495) and if you look carefully you’ll even see Gloria popping up at the end!

So first it was an underground dance hit then it hit mainstream clubs and now the charts, yes Felix’s “Don’t You Want Me” moves 14-9 (17,490) after just a fortnight. The man behind the music is currently choosing to be anonymous but we do know is that the track samples the Jomanda song “Don’t You Want My Love” from 1989.

After Rough Trade went to the wall in 1990 WEA purchased the rights to the Smiths back catalogue and the first fruits of the purchase is this re-issue of “This Charming Man” originally a No 25 hit in 1983. The song smashes straight in at No 10 (14,835) instantly equaling the highest position that any Smiths made (“Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” and “Sheila Take A Bow”) and will be followed by a new Smiths compilation album “Best….I” in two weeks.  That sale only fractionally more than the weekly tally the track recorded at the top outside the top 20!

Billy Ray Cyrus strides 6-4 (34,275) which pushes Was (Not Was) down 4-5 (23,430) and Madonna falls 3-6 (22,770).



1- RHYTHM IS A DANCER- Snap! (58,830)
2- BARCELONA- Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballe (49,110)
3- AIN’T NO DOUBT- Jimmy Nail (35,445)
4- ACHY BREAKY HEART- Billy Ray Cyrus (34,275)
5- SHAKE YOUR HEAD- Was Not Was Featuring Kim Basinger & Ozzy Osborne (23,430)
6- THIS USED TO BE MY PLAYGROUND- Madonna (22,770)
7- THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE- Luther Vandross & Janet Jackson (18,535)
8- JUST ANOTHER DAY- Jon Secada (18,495)
9- DON’T YOU WANT ME?- Felix (17,490)
10- THIS CHARMING MAN- The Smiths (14,835)

22ND AUGUST

Snap! continue to dominate the charts with “Rhythm Is A Dancer” making it three weeks at the top, it increased sales again to a healthy 60,345, its victory grew bigger by the day as Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballe’s “Barcelona” started to run out of buyers as the week progressed and in the end sold 45,195 and with the Olympics now over it will struggle going forward especially given parent album of the same name has now been re-issued and enters at No 15. That should leave the way clear for both Billy Ray Cyrus and Luther Vandross & Janet Jackson who both threaten 4-3 (36,345) and 7-4 (31,665).

Further down Jon Secada also has a good week 8-5 (29,100) and Felix advance 9-6 (27,015) and even the Smiths rise 10-8 (24,060) as they reach a new zenith in their chart fortunes 5 years after the band split. Jimmy Nail drops 3-7 (24,075) and Was (Not Was) are finished 5-10 (17,655).



John Matthews is the name of the frontman for dance outfit Undercover, he was selling artificial limbs under fame came calling with a cover of Gerry Rafferty’s “Baker Street” a No 3 hit for him in 1978. A full album of covers is apparently in the making but for the now the single moves 17-9 (21,450).

1- RHYTHM IS A DANCER- Snap! (60,345)
2- BARCELONA- Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballe (45,195)
3- ACHY BREAKY HEART- Billy Ray Cyrus (36,345)
4- THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE- Janet Jackson & Luther Vandross (31,665)
5- JUST ANOTHER DAY- Jon Secada (29,100)
6- DON’T YOU WANT ME?- Felix (27,015)
7- AIN’T NO DOUBT- Jimmy Nail (24,075)
8- THIS CHARMING MAN- The Smiths (24,060)
9- BAKER STREET- Undercover (21,450)
10- SHAKE YOUR HEAD- Was Not Was Featuring Kim Basinger & Ozzy Osborne (17,655)

Absolutely love Undercover's version of 'Baker Street'

There was no live TOTP performance of 'Rhythm is a Dancer' and only the video was played? That a shame.

The Felix tune is very good and its synth riff is very influential for later dance music.

Eastside Beat were indeed first in the revival of old hits in the house sound, and their one is better than Undercover Baker Street but its still a good cover. I still prefer the original though I think.

'Best Things In Life Are Free' is so 90s and nostalgic. A rare foray into house music for the US stars (albeit quite poppy), Don't know why there weren't as many house hits in America in the 90s as the UK.

29TH AUGUST



Another quite week in the top 10 with the summer lull in full effect, all of which means that Snap! score an easy fourth week at the top spot though they are at last subsiding in terms of sales, they’re off 13% to 52,005 but it now has total sales of 375,525 and should find itself atop the YTD chart in roughly three weeks as it now sits at No 4 with Erasure firmly in its sights. Its new nearest challenger is Luther Vandross & Janet Jackson’s “Best Things In Life Are Free” (making it Jackson's biggest UK hit) but its challenge is illusionary- it actually lost sales to 29,715 and was pushed all the way by Billy Ray Cyrus who holds at No 3 (29,025) though it too lost 18% in part thanks to the arrival of his album at No 9.

KWS’s last single “Please Don’t Go/ Game Boy” spent 5 weeks at No 1 back in May selling over 480,000 copies and now they hope to pull off the same trick again with “Rock Your Baby/ Total State of Konfusion” which again fended off a rival cover, this time Baby Roots’ “Rock Me Baby” which made No 71 earlier this month. The original was of course by George McCrae and made No 1 in 1974. An album has apparently been recorded and will be out before Christmas, meanwhile the single drives 14-8 (19,410).

Proving she can make it on her own Annie Lennox pulls a third hit from her “Diva” album and it’s already done better than her previous single “Precious” which petered out at No 23. “Walking On Broken Glass” explodes 23-9 (18,180) to become her second solo top 10, the promo features both Hugh Laurie and John Malkovich and is inspired by a film he starred in, “Dangerous Liaisons”.

Undercover power 9-4 (28,530) leaving Jon Secada stranded at No 5 (27,405) and Felix is stuck at No 6 (27,150), Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballe slump 2-7 (24,750) and Jimmy Nail clings on 7-10 (17,550)


1- RHYTHM IS A DANCER- Snap! (52,005)
2- THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE- Janet Jackson & Luther Vandross (29,715)
3- ACHY BREAKY HEART- Billy Ray Cyrus (29,025)
4- BAKER STREET- Undercover (28,530)
5- JUST ANOTHER DAY- Jon Secada (27,405)
6- DON’T YOU WANT ME- Felix (27,150)
7- BARCELONA- Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballe (24,750)
8- ROCK YOUR BABY/ TOTAL STATE OF KONFUSION- KWS (19,410)
9- WALKING ON BROKEN GLASS- Annie Lennox (18,180)
10- AIN’T NO DOUBT- Jimmy Nail (17,550)

'Achy Breaky Heart' feels like a really really really old song, and always has to me. I'm always surprised to find it's from 1992.

Walking on Broken Glass is a good pop track from Annie, bought that one and it prompted us to get the album

'Walking On Broken Glass' is great, I prefer it to 'Why'.

5TH SEPTEMBER

Snap! make it five weeks at the top though again they lose sales and post 48,540 copies bought last week, The album “Madman returns” also fails to continue its upward climb as it drops 20-28. Its failure to ignite at retail in any real way has paradoxically helped “Rhythm Is A Dancer” to maintain its sales dominance, and it nips past "The Power" as their personal best seller to boot!

Undercover move 4-3 (36,750) and put pressure on Luther & Janet who had to up their sales to cling onto the runner up spot which they did with 36,795 partakers thanks in part to TOTP, and don’t discount Billy Ray Cyrus either, he drops 3-4 but his sales are up to 35,925. The three tracks were separated by just 1,200 copies last week and this week by only 800, it really could have been in any order, and also slash Snap!'s lead in half week on week.

The highest new entry lands at No 6 (28,155) and is the third straight top 10 single from the Shamen who’ve enlisted the help of comedian Jerry Sadowitz in the promo for “Ebeneezer Goode”. The song has generated some controversy in the press given its chorus and drug references but that certainly hasn’t hampered initial sales with the group penciled in to do TOTP this week. You won’t have long to wait for the album either, “Boss Drum” is out in three weeks.

Further down the top 10 and we have a song that was first recorded in 1988 by Queen for “The Miracle” album but it didn’t make the cut. Written solely by Brian May he premiered it publicly at the Freddie Mercury concert back in April and lyrically it deals with the breakdown of his first marriage and the start of his relationship with Anita Dobson, it enters at No 9 (22,095) to become his second solo top 10 single in just 10 months. By the way we’ve now chalked up 43 new entries in the top 10 this year (including remixes, re-issues and re-releases) making it a record year for these high debuts.

Jon Secada remains at No 5 (30,855) for a third week and Annie Lennox struggles up a spot 9-8 (22,095) but moving the wrong way are Felix 6-7 (23,415) and KWS 8-10 (18,540).


1- RHYTHM IS A DANCER- Snap! (48,540)
2- THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE- Janet Jackson & Luther Vandross (36,795)
3- BAKER STREET- Undercover (36,750)
4- ACHY BREAKY HEART- Billy Ray Cyrus (35,925)
5- JUST ANOTHER DAY- Jon Secada (30,855)
6- EBENEEZER GOODE- The Shamen (28,155)
7- DON’T YOU WANT ME- Felix (23,415)
8- WALKING ON BROKEN GLASS- Annie Lennox (22,095)
9- TOO MUCH LOVE WILL KILL YOU- Brian May (22,095)
10- ROCK YOUR BABY/ TOTAL STATE OF KONFUSION- KWS (18,540)

This is a strong 10 with awesome dance tunes from Snap!, Shamen and Felix. "Baker Street" is a good cover version. "Best Things In Life" is a very good duet and "Just Another Day" by far the best Jon Secada song. Alos a very good Annie Lennox song. Not too keen on the songs from Billy Ray, Brian May and KWS.

Absolutely loved Ebeneezer Goode, although I initially wasn't allowed to buy it due to the scandal around the lyrics. I had to sneak it in to the house and only listen on headphones so my parents didn't realise I had it 😂

34 minutes ago, dandy* said:

Absolutely loved Ebeneezer Goode, although I initially wasn't allowed to buy it due to the scandal around the lyrics. I had to sneak it in to the house and only listen on headphones so my parents didn't realise I had it 😂

Naughty, naughty, very naughty!

12TH SEPTEMBER

Taking a further 20% sales hit “Rhythm Is A Dancer” remains the No 1 song for a sixth week but it sold just 38,790 copies, the lowest tally for 9 weeks. Still the song’s total of 462,855 copies means it is now the third biggest hit of 1992, it's likely to top the YTD list next week and will become the first single to breach the 500,000 mark in a matter of weeks. Erasure's tally of 98,295 remains the biggest weekly sale of the year thus far in a year which is now in its 36th week, that's a new record wait for a 6 figure weekly sale and indicates that it may be the first year when nothing sells in such quantities!

The Shamen move 6-2 (34,485) finally sailing past Undercover at the death who are left at No 3 (33,270) and unable for the second week in a row to hold runner up spot in the mids, also making room for them are Janet Jackson & Luther Vandross who slip 2-4 (27,765) and Billy Ray Cyrus 4-5 (27,570).

Brian May is up 9-6 (23,655) to equal his personal best, but bad news follows Jon Secada 5-7 (22,215), Annie Lennox 8-9 (19,515) and Felix 7-10 (18,585).




Our sole new track in the big ten rises 17-8 (19,710) for Nigerian born Dr Alban with this massive continental hit “It’s My Life”. Alban moved to Sweden when he was 23 to study dentistry and began DJing on the side to finance his studies, he scored a top 10 single on most European Charts over the course of summer with this track. It was picked up by Tampax and used on their adverts here in the UK at present helping to promote the single

1- RHYTHM IS A DANCER- Snap! (38,790)
2- EBENEEZER GOODE- The Shamen (34,485)
3- BAKER STREET- Undercover (33,270)
4- THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE- Janet Jackson & Luther Vandross (27,765)
5- ACHY BREAKY HEART- Billy Ray Cyrus (27,570)
6- TOO MUCH LOVE WILL KILL YOU- Brian May (23,655)
7- JUST ANOTHER DAY- Jon Secada (22,215)
8- IT’S MY LIFE- Dr Alban (19,710)
9- WALKING ON BROKEN GLASS- Annie Lennox (19,515)
10- DON’T YOU WANT ME- Felix (18,585)