10TH APRIL

A curiously slow week in the top 10 this week with lots of stasis, no more so than right at the top where the top 4 all remain as they were but only the chart topper increases its sales. “Young At Heart” sold an impressive 80,385 a new record for the year so far buoyed by a TOTP performance, major play on radio and of course daily exposure on the car ad, it will top the 200,000 mark next week but is already in the top 10 YTD. Another song in there is Shaggy who holds at No 2 (45,195) as he again fends off Snow (43,395) at No 3 and Shabba Ranks remains well adrift at No 4 (28,095). Total sales of the three tracks are 340,425, 159,390, and 136,965, and signifies that dancehall/ Reggae has certainly had a good chart year so far with Shaggy doubtless becoming the second biggest seller of the year next week and Snow in the top 10 YTD which as we're 1/4 of the way through looks like this:

1- NO LIMIT- 2 Unlimited 477,630
2- I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU- Whitney Houston 354,405
3- OH CAROLINA- Shaggy 340,425
4- LITTLE BIRD/ LOVE SONG FOR A VAMPIRE- Annie Lennox 243,240
5- THE LOVE I LOST- West End Featuring Sybil 225,765
6- EXTERMINATE!- Snap! Featuring Niki Harris 193,860
7- DEEP- East 17 191,640
8- ARE YOU GONNA GO MY WAY- Lenny Kravitz 163,455
9- INFORMER- Snow 159.390
10- WHY CAN’T I WAKE UP WITH YOU- Take That 157,935

The Bluebells already sit at No 11!

Below that stubborn top 4 there is activity with Sybil climbing 8-5 (23,895) and Robin S improves 10-6 (22,125) while Madonna tumbles immediately 6-7 (20,625) though it does improve in sales terms, and 2 Unlimited fall 5-8 (19,950), sales of “No Limit” will in all probability move over the 500,000 in the next month.

Currently sitting in the top 5 Stateside Jade are a trio of ladies whose first single “I Wanna Love You” was a top 20 hit over there though it failed here, follow up “Don’t Walk Away” is doing much better though and climbs 11-9 (18,000) to mark their arrival.

Sub Sub are a northern based dance trio who have thus far released two singles without chart success though they have garnered something of a club following and by roping on their friend Melanie Williams they finally have a hit on their hands. “Ain’t No Love (Ain’t No Use)” debuts straight into the charts at No 10 (17,910).

1- YOUNG AT HEART- The Bluebells (80,385)
2- OH CAROLINA- Shaggy (45,195)
3- INFORMER- Snow (43,395)
4- MR LOVERMAN- Shabba Ranks (28,095)
5- WHEN I’M GOOD AND READY- Sybil (23,895)
6- SHOW ME LOVE- Robin S (22,125)
7- FEVER- Madonna (20,625)
8- NO LIMIT- 2 Unlimited (19,950)
9- DON’T WALK AWAY- Jade (18,000)
10- AIN’T NO LOVE (AIN’T NO USE)- Sub Sub Ft Melanie Williams (17,910)

'Show Me Love' is good, but it's one of those songs I'd be glad to never hear again at this point. In some ways it's baffling that's the song of this era to now have the status it does, there are so many better tracks of its type from around this time.

Sub Sub! What a great song!

17TH APRIL




Impacted by both a bank holiday and the release of their singles collection LP, “Young At Heart” loses 14% of its sales week on week but still easily retains the title for a third week with 68,175 buyers as it cruises to sales of 225,915- already more than it sold in 1984. The album debuted at No 27, that’s 18 places above the new Snow album but the promo seems to have helped the single more with “Informer” losing only 10% of its sales this week to lodge a tally of 38,445, it lost sales at a much slower rate than Shaggy and thus rises 3-2 whilst Shaggy’s tally of 37,380 means he slips 2-3 with the 400,000 mark ahead of it this week..... probably.

If you’re looking for the next chart topper you’d do worse than consider Sub Sub Featuring Melanie Williams who power 10-4 (29,025) almost doubling its sales and blasting past Sybil (29,010) who gets stuck in the groove, so too Robin S at No 6 (26,055).

Shabba Ranks finally collapses 4-7 (23,670) as Jade rise 9-8 (22,455) and 2 Unlimited are down 8-10 (18,225).

The only new song comes from the Italian dance outfit Cappella who are in reality producer Gianfranco Bortolotti and they scored a No 11 hit 4 years with “Helyom Halib” and has since gone on to produce and co-write the 49ers hits but is now back under the Cappella umbrella with “U Got 2 Know” which is based on the guitar riff from Siouxsie & The Banshees “Happy House” (of all things). The track is now the biggest hit for cappella as it rises 12-9 (19,680) and you may note that different vocalists now front the outfit including Kelly Overett formerly a dancer with SL2.

1- YOUNG AT HEART- The Bluebells (68,175)
2- INFORMER- Snow (38,445)
3- OH CAROLINA- Shaggy (37,380)
4- AIN’T NO LOVE (AIN’T NO USE)- Sub Sub Ft Melanie Williams (29,025)
5- WHEN I’M GOOD AND READY- Sybil (29,010)
6- SHOW ME LOVE- Robin S (26,055)
7- MR LOVERMAN- Shabba Ranks (23,670)
8- DON’T WALK AWAY- Jade (22,455)
9- U GOT 2 KNOW- Cappella (19,680)
10- NO LIMIT- 2 Unlimited (18,225)

I absolutely love that Sub Sub track, it’s aged really well compared to a lot of other hits from this period

That Sub Sub track is a banger!

Cappella are one of those early 90s acts I basically ignore for some reason and don't really know their stuff, I might give them a listen and see.

End of 93 my favourite two songs of the year were "Show Me Love" and "U Got 2 Know" - still love both!!! "Ain't No Love Ain't No Use" is a also brilliant.

Therapy? were lucky to reach the top 10 with ShortSharpShock given the sales, but it was well deserved. "Screamager" is one of my favourite rock songs of all time.

Cappella - U Got To Know is very Felix - Do You Want Me and very euphoric! Great.

Sub Sub really sounds like an early precursor to the late 90s disco house wave.

Jade - Dont Walk Away is a nice R&B song, worlds apart from the brash and loud Diplo and Sleepy Tom remix. But I like both in their own way.

Edited April 19Apr 19 by TheSnake

24TH APRIL





Post Easter sales take a slight slump all around with only two tracks in the top 10 recording a sales increase. The Bluebells are still the nation’s favourite however as “Young At Heart” took a sales dip of 36% week on week to sell just 43,020 copies and could be in real trouble next week though its replacement is hard to identify.  It is also the lowest tally for a No 1 this year giving the track the accolades of both the highest and lowest sale for the top spot in 1993 to date, but this week's sales is still better than 17 weeks in 1992- worth bearing in mind! The track also sails into the No 4 position on the YTD behind Whitney, Shaggy, and 2 Unlimited meaning that all 4 of 1993's chart toppers are also the top 4 best sellers of the year!

A future chart topper could be New Order, their new single “Regret” jets in 11-4 (25,920) to register only the bands third (or fourth depending how you view Blue Monday 88) top ten hit. It was helped by a live TOTP from Venice Beach California on the Baywatch set pre release and is the first single from the forthcoming “Republic” album out in 3 weeks.

Whitney’s back, new single “I Have Nothing” is a third release by the singer from the “Bodyguard” album and scorches straight in at No 9 (20,280), her 11th top 10 hit but the first time she’s had back to back releases debut in the top 10. It is written by David Foster (who has also written top 10 singles for Earth, Wind & Fire, Chicago, Peter Cetera, Cliff Richard) and wife Linda Thompson.

Snow remains No 1 in the US for a 7th week and No 2 in the UK for a 3rd week but its sales are off at 30,630 the second lowest tally for the runner up spot so far this year and Sub Sub Featuring Melanie Williams inch 4-3 (26,460) though again sales are down. Sybil also spends a third week at No 5 (23,895) doing just enough to hold off Cappella who are on the move 9-6 (21,405) and Jade who strut 8-7 (21,405).

Heading down are Shaggy 3-8 (21,330) and is within a thousand copies of hitting the 400,000 mark,  Robin S drifts 6-10 (19,650) to conclude.


1- YOUNG AT HEART- The Bluebells (43,020)
2- INFORMER- Snow (30,630)
3- AIN’T NO LOVE (AIN’T NO USE)- Sub Sub Ft Melanie Williams (26,460)
4- REGRET- New Order (25,920)
5- WHEN I’M GOOD AND READY- Sybil (23,895)
6- U GOT 2 KNOW- Cappella (23,190)
7- DON’T WALK AWAY- Jade (21,405)
8- OH CAROLINA- Shaggy (21,330)
9- I HAVE NOTHING- Whitney Houston (20,280)
10- SHOW ME LOVE- Robin S (19,650)

Regret <3

The song that really got me in to New Order

The first 4 months of 1993 see Britpop start to form properly. In addition to the success of Suede, Pulp score their first top 100 single as "Razzamatazz" makes No 80 and this week (in 1993) Blur release "For Tomorrow" which is arguably their first "Britpop" single!

For Tomorrow is a good track from Blur. The follow up single, Chemical World, was the first I bought of theirs and then ended up getting the album too

The Jade single is a great one, under-rated, Robin S a dance classic, Sybil's cheesy dance fun, Sub Sub pretty good, Madonna's cover not a patch on Peggy Lee, though nice to see her callback to a great, Capella is OK, Whitney meh OTT, and Regret is in the top tier of New Order.

Love the New Order track!

That Whitney song is one I always see drag queens performing. It seems a popular choice.

1ST MAY



The last two charity releases that made No 1 (and indeed debuted there) involved George Michael (in Dec 91) and Queen (again in Dec 91) so it stands to reason that if the two combined forces for charity then it would probably make the top, and this week that’s exactly what happens. With proceeds going to the Mercury Phoenix Trust and recorded live at last year’s Freddie Mercury tribute concert and some other dates, Queen and George Michael have released the “Five Live EP” contained their versions of “Somebody To Love”, “Killer/ Papa Was A Rolling Stone”, Calling You”, “Dear Friends” and “These Are The Days Of Our Lives”, the final track includes Lisa Stansfield which also gives her a credit on the track. Collectively it sold 80,160 to debut at No 1 giving Queen and George Michael a fifth, and Lisa Stansfield a second chart topper. It’s the first song to debut at the top since Erasure’s “Abba-Esque EP” last June and the 7th of the 90s in total, but it also means that Queen become the first act in the 90s to score a hat-trick of chart toppers.

We should be thankful for the EP’s arrival, were it not for “Five Live” we would have The Bluebells at No 1 but “Young At Heart” sold just 39,045 as it descends 1-2 which would have been the lowest tally for a chart topper in over 7 months. Whitney Houston completes the top 3 with “I Have Nothing” which rockets 9-3 (31,920) and should at least make No 2 next week.

Celebrating its 30th week in the charts and featuring a run which has seen it top the charts for 2 weeks and never having dropped out of the top 15, “Automatic For The People” has turned into a major seller for R.E.M. It has already generated three top 20 singles “Drive” (No 11), “Man on the Moon” (No 18), and “Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight” (No 17), but the fourth cut “Everybody Hurts” unexpected becomes the biggest hit from it as it cruises 15-9 (17,055) and is already the second highest charting single by the group after “Shiny Happy People” in 1991 made No 6.

Sub Sub Featuring Melanie Williams drop 3-4 (30,810) despite a small sales increase, Snow drops 2-5 (28,155), Sybil reverses 5-7 (21,705) as New Order surprisingly fold 4-8 (19,035). Two non movers in among that action, Capella at No 6 (24,135) and Robin S at No 10 (16,290).


1- FIVE LIVE EP- George Michael/ Queen/ Lisa Stansfield (80,160)
2- YOUNG AT HEART- The Bluebells (39,045)
3- I HAVE NOTHING- Whitney Houston (31,920)
4- AIN’T NO LOVE (AIN’T NO USE)- Sub Sub Ft Melanie Williams (30,810)
5- INFORMER- Snow (28,155)
6- U GOT 2 KNOW- Cappella (24,135)
7- WHEN I’M GOOD AND READY- Sybil (21,705)
8- REGRET- New Order (19,035)
9- EVERYBODY HURTS- R.E.M (17,055)
10- SHOW ME LOVE- Robin S (16,290)

On 20/04/2026 at 11:09, Gezza said:

The first 4 months of 1993 see Britpop start to form properly. In addition to the success of Suede, Pulp score their first top 100 single as "Razzamatazz" makes No 80 and this week (in 1993) Blur release "For Tomorrow" which is arguably their first "Britpop" single!

I never knew Razzamatazz got to number 80!

I love the whole of Blur’s Modern Life Is Rubbish album. Got into it in 1995 after Parklife.

'Everybody Hurts' is such a sad song I always thought! Like the opposite of 'Shiny Happy People', although I often detected a sarcasm in the latter song.

Good song though.

I really didn't like that track from George Michael and Queen. I liked pretty much every other track in the top 10 at the time so was gutted that something I disliked so much went straight to the top. I wasn't really a big fan of charity tracks either and felt that people only really bought this one again to buy into being sad about Freddie Mercury's passing.

1 hour ago, dandy* said:

I really didn't like that track from George Michael and Queen. I liked pretty much every other track in the top 10 at the time so was gutted that something I disliked so much went straight to the top. I wasn't really a big fan of charity tracks either and felt that people only really bought this one again to buy into being sad about Freddie Mercury's passing.

Even as a GM fan i have to confess I find it boring. I know his performance at the concert is popularly thought to be the standout one of the evening and he does do a great job on it with fantastic vocals but the song itself just doesn't do much for me.

The Killer cover is terrific, if that had been the lead track I wouldnt have gotten so fed up with it so quickly. George's problem singing live is he makes it look effortless, when he's just so good he got taken for granted. Much prefer this to REM's dirge though. Never liked that one. They can do great ballads, but this one was one step too close to funereal for me.