4 minutes ago, 777666jason said:

Good old OCC and not combining the discographies when its the same person 🙈

Although I have just learnt another novelty act had 13 top 40s in the 90s im guessing they missed the top 100 sales though as the highest only got to 9 (sorry random tidbit I thought they released something under their real names so wanted to see of the OCC was consistent like with Will )

Ant and dec by any chance?

Just now, Gezza said:

Ant and dec by any chance?

Your on the ball

No 103 in fact! So close

50 minutes ago, 777666jason said:

Your on the ball

What a pun 🤣

NO 16- WET WET WET (3,361,200)

19 UK TOP 40 HITS

BIGGEST SELLER: LOVE IS ALL AROUND (1,793,000)

 

BEST SELLING ACT OF 1994

 

The Wet’s were, unsurprisingly, the biggest selling act of 94 thanks to “Love Is All Around” which ends up making a solid 50% contribution to their decade total. The band had been heart throbs originally back in the 80s but the quest to be a “serious” band took off in the 90s as they struck the AOR bandwagon and headed for radio friendly blandness. In their favour they clearly made their money, a split in 97 probably cost the band a place in the top 10 on our rundown by curtailing their hits.....

NO 15- STEPS (3,472,400)

9 UK TOP 40 HITS

BIGGEST HIT: TRAGEDY/ HEARTBEAT (1,149,000)

 

Yes of course they were going to be here. Over 1.4 million singles sold in BOTH 98 & 99 made them one of the biggest acts of the late 90s and the leading lights of the “ultra pop” movement (ok I made that term up). The band enjoyed continual success right up until their split in 2001 when the obligatory solo careers followed with minimal success, still few could match the singles success the band had in those two years...

Of Course they later reformed and whilst they only scored 1 top 75 hit they retain a firm fanbase.

Well, Eternal are higher than expected, and generally not a fan so I guess their number of hits seems less to me due to that. Aqua are better than they get credit for, but Barbie Girl has flattered their position somewhat. Robbie not being top 20 is a shocker, even allowing for his chart sales being second half of the 90's only. That said, appearing twice on the list is pretty good and album big sales will have lost a few singles sales!

The Prodigy doing well going top 20, though only just, is mildly surprising. But not as suprising as Janet. A huge star in the USA but her bigger hits in the UK seemed to be more in the 80's, but non-stop hits for 10 years is still pretty impressive and she would def make my top 20 acts of the 90's for the first half of the 90's stuff more than the bigger-selling second half. Rhythm Nation album was her creative peak but the UK dance music changes of 1988 onwards didnt sit well with her 80's-sounding and polished Jam & Lewis stuff, which utterly dominated the US charts, to the extent that the UK label had to resort to less-good remixes for single releases to try and fit in to the scene.

Will Smith was great in the 90's musically and as a movie and TV star, which is not bad going for the little cheeky rapper kid that charted in 1986. Fun, though maybe a handful of big hits boosted the lower-charting ones for toal sales. George Michael might well have struggled to make the top 20 if not for the 1996 big sales, his 1990 album sold well but the singles didn't by and large, despite being quality, due to his decision to not release videos with him featured and being more low key. Never prolific, so it's a testament to his quality music.

Not surprisingly so high, Wet Wet Wet and Steps flattered by one huge seller each, but if I ever tot up my Artist "sales" from my personal charts for the 90's both would struggle to be top 50, but probably would be top 100.

Steps selling a million more than I estimated!