I guess there's a possibility Harry Styles could've been watching Shania on that TOTP episode as a 6-year-old at the time and now she's opening for him on tour!

I watched tonight's TOTP repeats with my parents and my dad said he only just realised the All Saints lyric isn't "take me to my knees" what even

'Pure Shores' blows every other 2000 hit out of the water for me so far, ambient perfection happy it was a multi-week #1 with stellar sales to boot. That and 'Movin' Too Fast' was an elite top 2. <3 glad to relive a period where garage is thriving.

Funny that Oasis and All Saints followed each other around at the top of the chart a couple of times when Liam and Nicole would go on to be an item.

That All Saints track has definitely gone on to become an enduring classic, I remember how massive and universally popular it was at the time!

Christina's follow-up is a lesser 'Genie In a Bottle's, but I like it a bit.

'Cartoon Heroes' just felt like they'd recycled what they did before but nowhere near as good, and by 2000 when they came back with this it all seemed a bit passe and like times had moved on.

'Movin' Too Fast' is spectacular

I don't like that Jamelia song at all. Before she came back in 2003 I kind of just assumed she was a flash in the pan that'd never be heard of again!

Pure Shores a classic chart-topper for me too, and the other highlight is Cartoon Heroes. As a lifelong fan of animated TV and movies and comic books I liked the topic and it's a great record.

A heads up for what is coming soon

Next Friday -7th August from 8.20pm - 10th March 2000 only - 25 minute show as Puff Daddy edited out

14th August from 8.35pm - 17th March 2000 and 24th March 2000 - a Gail Porter double !

21st August - no episodes listed on the provisional schedule due to cricket highlights at 7pm then Prom at 8pm then the retro hour from 9.15pm.

The 25 minute show has the Puff Daddy feat R Kelly - double whammy 😤

Pure Shores <3

All Saints and William Orbit really were a perfect fit for each other and this was a wonderful introduction to their second album. As someone else has already pointed out, it really was a single that you never heard a bad word about, everyone of all age groups seemed to like it or at least appreciate it. I'd go on to prefer their follow up even more but this one is definitely still a 10/10 pop moment.

"Pure Shores" still an absolute classic. In fact in common with much of All Saints' material it has stayed so timeless, and I think that's as much to do with their vocals, harmonies and overall energy as it is William Orbit's production (and on another single of theirs, but we're getting ahead of ourselves here). Either way, deserved number one and for two weeks as well.

That Rebecca Wheatley song. Damn I didn't realise Casualty was that popular to propel one of its stars into the top 10 (twice if you count that "Everlasting Love" monstrosity from two years prior).

Also loved Tom Jones and Stereophonics, Kelis, Jamelia (she looked super young there!) and Artful Dodger. To come after "Re-Rewind" and have a hit almost as ubiquitous with "Movin' Too Fast" 👏🏻

That Stereophonics + Tom Jones collab is one of my favourite songs off Tom's album! What a fun song it is!

5 hours ago, Tylky said:

That Stereophonics + Tom Jones collab is one of my favourite songs off Tom's album! What a fun song it is!

I mentioned it on the 1999 sales thread, but I will repeat it again: "Reload" is actually one of those albums that's been long overdue a vinyl pressing for something like Record Store Day.

11TH MARCH

It may have drawn some savage reviews from the music critics but Madonna’s cover of the 1972 classic “American Pie” proves commercial gold regardless debuting at No 1 this week. It shares two important links to the outgoing chart topper “Pure Shores”, both are taken from films (“The Next Best Thing” and “The Beach”) and both are produced by William Orbit who replaces himself at the top, a feat not seen by a producer since the heyday of Stock, Aitken & Waterman back in 1989. This is Madonna’s 50th hit, 46th top 10 single and ninth No 1, in terms of top 10 singles she is beaten only by Cliff Richard and Elvis Presley, and in No 1 singles by those same two acts plus The Beatles, she is however now equal with Abba. She also becomes the first act to hit No 1 in the 80s, 90s and 00s and this comes with backing vocals courtesy of co-star in the film “The Next Best Thing” Rupert Everett.

The original Don Mclean recording was kept from the top by Nilsson’s “Without You” which Mariah Carey took to No 1 six years ago, more on her in a bit. In the meantime “American Pie” sold 139,000 last week.

The only real competition in the boyband stakes Stateside to Backstreet Boys, N*Sync currently sit one place higher than their rivals over there at No 6, here in the UK the Backstreet Boys flounder 3-9 (43,000) whilst the new N*Sync single “Bye Bye Bye” replaces it at the bronze spot after moving 77,000 copies last week. The song was allegedly offered to, and turned down by Five, but now finds a home as a lead single from the boys second album “No Strings Attached”, it’s their third top 10 single in just over a year.

Vengaboys sixth release here in the UK instantly becomes their sixth top 10 single, “Shala-la-la” was originally recorded by the Walkers in 1973 which became a hit in some European countries though not here, the song is finally a smash here at No 5 (66,000) but if it climbs no higher it will become their smallest hit to date. The outfits second album optimistically called the “Platinum Album” is out in a few weeks.

Lene Marlin is still just 19 years old but has already been a star in her native Norway for over a year, her debut international release is “Sitting Down Here” which gets the Tin Tin Out remix treatment for the UK release. The song enters at No 6 (51,000), her next single will be called “Unforgivable Sinner” and topped the Norwegian charts for a month back in 1998- it could be even bigger here!

The Honeyz continue to produce top ten singles as “Won’t Take It Lying Down” becomes their fifth big hit from as many releases. It is another cut from the girls debut album “Wonder No 8” which has still get higher than No 40 itself, the single itself powers into No 7 (47,000).

Equally famous these days for dating Jennifer Lopez and being a rapper, Puff Daddy may have been in the news for all the wrong reasons (a gun incident in a New York club) but that’s hasn’t affected his ability to have hits. His second album “Forever” has so far produced two singles with “P.E 2000” being the biggest peaking at No 13, but he beats that with third release “Satisfy You” in part due to the vocals of R Kelly on the song and the sample which is Luniz’s “I Got 5 On It”- itself a lift from Club Nouveau’s “Why You Treat Me So Bad”. The package lands at No 8 (46,000).

Mariah Carey’s 15th US #1 makes a splash at No 10 (39,000) this week and features (uncredited in the UK presumably as they are unknown here) vocals from Joe and boyband 98 degrees. The song marks Carey’s first single with Jam & Lewis who co-wrote and co-produced the song “Thank God I Found You” with the singer and becomes her 17th UK top 10 single.

Only three songs survive the cull from last week, All Saints drop 1-2 (111,000), Artful Dodger dip 2-4 (74,000) and the aforementioned Backstreet Boys.

1- AMERICAN PIE- Madonna (139,000)
2- PURE SHORES- All Saints (111,000)
3- BYE BYE BYE- N*Sync (77,000)
4- MOVIN TOO FAST- Artful Dodger Ft Romina Johnson (74,000)
5- SHALALA LALA- Vengaboys (66,000)
6- SITTING DOWN HERE- Lene Marlin (51,000)
7- WON’T TAKE IT LYING DOWN- Honeyz (47,000)
8- SATISFY YOU- Puff Daddy Ft R Kelly (46,000)
9- SHOW ME THE MEANING OF BEING LONELY- Backstreet Boys (43,000)
10- THANK GOD I FOUND YOU- Mariah Carey (39,000)

Only 1 episode this week and I suppose it's with grim apropos that it's this one- R.I.P William Orbit.

Sha la la la la is my favourite Vengaboys song, and I have a soft spot for Madonna's American Pie tbh. Kind of iconic it kept Bye bye bye off the top spot!

I like Madonna's 'American Pie' also but I know that's not a popular opinion.

I do think that's one of Vengaboys weaker effort but it's still nice enough.

Love 'Sitting Down Here' <3

On 01/08/2026 at 16:37, mrpopquiz said:

A heads up for what is coming soon

Next Friday -7th August from 8.20pm - 10th March 2000 only - 25 minute show as Puff Daddy edited out

14th August from 8.35pm - 17th March 2000 and 24th March 2000 - a Gail Porter double !

21st August - no episodes listed on the provisional schedule due to cricket highlights at 7pm then Prom at 8pm then the retro hour from 9.15pm.

further to my post, only 1 episode on the provisional schedule for the 28th August.

There is no chance we will finish 2000 by Christmas.

Another decent week for new entries!

I remember buying Won’t Take It Lying Down and Shalala Lala at the time (which looking back is quite odd as it’s one of the Vengaboys’ worst songs, oops 😂)

Don’t really remember the Mariah song at all though!

EDIT: This Kelis performance is ABHORRENT 🙉

Edited Friday at 19:395 days by Lee_J11

RIP William Orbit (should we do a Buzzjack Rate maybe)?

Controversial opinion but I think prefer Madge’s American Pie to the original!

Just now, chartjack2 said:

RIP William Orbit (should we do a Buzzjack Rate maybe)?

Controversial opinion but I think prefer Madge’s American Pie to the original!

Funny I was just thinking that myself. Dunno if there has been a rate for him on here before.

I know there was one for Trevor Horn recently, so we have done producers….

3 minutes ago, chartjack2 said:

Controversial opinion but I think prefer Madge’s American Pie to the original!

It's a hot take for sure..........................haha

4 minutes ago, chartjack2 said:

Just now, Gezza said:

It's a hot take for sure..........................haha

Controversial opinion but I think prefer Madge’s American Pie to the original!

Might be a hot take...but I agree! ❤️