NO 50- M PEOPLE (1,801,500)

18 UK TOP 40 HITS

BIGGEST HIT: MOVING ON UP (199,000)

With almost 600k of singles sold in 93 alone (making them the 10th biggest act of that year) the mancunian quartet were never NOT going to be on this list. They first charted back in 91 but hits were minor successes never making top 20, the breakthrough came in 93 with a remix of “How Can I Love You More” which became the first of 10 top 10 hits.

They are an act conspicuously missing from the list of acts to have a No 1 single but then many on that list would kill for M People’s singles sales tally......

NO 49- ERASURE (1,806,100)

16 UK TOP 40 HITS

BIGGEST HIT: ABBA-ESQUE EP (422,000)

For a pop duo they had quite a long period of commercial success with constant top 20 hits from 1986 to 1997, 24 hits in all (not including a remix of “Am I right” which only made No 22 in 1991). Their sole chart topper came in 92 with the “Abba-Esque EP” but the group had 8 top 10’s in the 90s proving to be a chart force certainly for the first half of the decade.

For a group that are primarily remembered for their 80s output it’s a great pleasure to see them so high on the 90s countdown, even outpacing their position on the 80s list (though not in sales)!

NO 48- KYLIE MINOGUE (1,834,500)

18 UK TOP 40 HITS

BIGGEST HIT: TEARS ON MY PILLOW (245,000)

Now people may dismiss her S/A/W/ days but she only makes this list thanks, in the main to her hits with them through 1990-92. Her comeback in 1994 "Confide In Me" was a welcome return to form but "Indie Kylie" of 97-99 proved to be less than successful for her in the Uk.

A return to pop in 2000 ensured the hits returned, but her first hit of the decade remained her biggest hit of the decade too.....

'Tears On My Pillow' is a seriously naff biggest seller for Kylie in the '90s but I enjoy a lot of her singles from that period - especially: 'Confide in Me', 'Where the Wild Roses Grow', 'Better the Devil You Know', 'Where is the Feeling?', 'Breathe', 'Finer Feelings', 'Put Yourself in My Place' and 'Cowboy Style'. An underrated time for her.

Prince is another act whose biggest '90s hit is not my cup of tea yet I still like several singles from a less popular decade - particularly 'Thieves in the Temple', 'Gett Off' and 'Cream'.

TLC, Manic Street Preachers, Jamiroquai and Erasure are the other main standouts for me since last commenting. Good to see the latter doing so well for the '90s indeed as 'Blue Savannah' and 'Always' are two of their very best singles for me 💙

Wow, was expecting Kylie to be potential top 20! I'm also amazed that TOMP is her biggest seller in the 90's.... and a tad disgusted! How didn't Better the devil you know and Confide in me outsell it? They were both such incredible singles.

18 Top 40 hits and only the 48th biggest seller of the 90s.

Come on, Kylie... You shoulda been able to do better than that.

17 minutes ago, ChrisJK said:

18 Top 40 hits and only the 48th biggest seller of the 90s.

Come on, Kylie... You shoulda been able to do better than that.

It's not her fault people don't have taste! 😎

On 07/07/2026 at 19:22, Jester said:

Missing made the million in the end didn’t it?

I love REM, one of very few American bands I like.

Same. Them and The Pixes.

Erasure making the top 50 is great to see, especially as their real hits of the decade were all in the lower sales period. They had a near perfect run of singles between Sometimes and the end of the self titled album. In My Arms wasn’t bad either.

Whigfield 'Think Of You' was a better follow up than 'Another Night'.

M People one of the most prolific chart names of the 90s.

Erasure continued to be an alternative both to regular dance and pop in the 90s.

Edited July 15Jul 15 by TheSnake

On 14/07/2026 at 22:39, jimwatts said:

'Motorcycle Emptiness' 💚

The song of the decade, utterly brilliant!

Edited July 16Jul 16 by Jaz13music

10 hours ago, dandy* said:

Erasure making the top 50 is great to see, especially as their real hits of the decade were all in the lower sales period. They had a near perfect run of singles between Sometimes and the end of the self titled album. In My Arms wasn’t bad either.

Agreed.

NO 47- THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH (1,834,500)

15 UK TOP 40 HITS

BIGGEST HIT: A LITTLE TIME (382,000)

Often overlooked, the Beautiful South quietly racked up a succession of hits throughout the 90s, evenly spreading the hits throughout the period. A return to form in 96 never really looking back for the remainder of the decade, but much like Erasure, they experienced some degree of longevity despite only claiming one chart topper. The group of course formed from the remnants of “The Housemartins” in 1988 and named themselves in irony, and sold more singles than I would have given them credit for.

NO 46- PUFF DADDY (1,903,600)

11 UK TOP 40 HITS

BIGGEST HIT: I’LL BE MISSING YOU (1,384,000)

 

Let’s file this one under he’s here and we can’t do much about it……..Part 1

I presume that Steps have made the top 50, which is a surprise to me.

What may be a bigger surprise is that B*Witched might’ve made the top 50. I’m less sure on them though.

8 minutes ago, Paddington James said:

I presume that Steps have made the top 50, which is a surprise to me.

What may be a bigger surprise is that B*Witched might’ve made the top 50. I’m less sure on them though.

I think steps sold around 2.5 million singles in the U.K. so I’m expecting them to be in the top 30. 🤞

I estimate B*Witched to be on around 2 million so perhaps they are due very shortly. 🤔

I love Beautiful South, their Blue is the colour album is one of my faves! 🥰 f

NO 45- PETER ANDRE (1,910,000)

9 UK TOP 40 HITS

BIGGEST HIT: MYSTERIOUS GIRL (753,000)

Before the “I’m a celeb” return to fame, before the Katie Price marriage, and the “heat” weekly appearances, Andre was a popstar. Famous in the mid 90s for his six pack and the hit “mysterious Girl” Andre raked in the cash. The singer actually had seven top 10 hits though most people would struggle to remember more than 2 at a push, with 96 being his biggest year. Incredibly he only sold about 500k outside of that year in which he was the 4th biggest act.

Sorry, made a boo boo but I corrected it!

lol I had such a crush on Peter Andre of then, who knew he was such a wet wipe 🙈

getting into big names now, M People and Beautiful South doing better than expected, Kylie lower than expected, erasure great to see, and the other two are due to one massive hit and a few other lesser tracks and neither are in the same league as the others. Not even close.