Gezza

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.....

70s is problematic for a multitude of reasons so no sadly.

No 103 in fact! So close

Ant and dec by any chance?

He has 13 in the 90s when you include his Fresh Prince hits

Now I had to go and double check!😅

Well only time will tell I guess but I think by 2028 we'll be back to 2 party politics.

I've said it before but I think Reform are really spent politically. I'd be surprised if they are polling at 10% by the time the election comes round.

NO 17- GEORGE MICHAEL (3,301,100) 16 UK TOP 40 HITS BIGGEST HIT: FASTLOVE (478,000) Recording an incredible 13 top 10 hits and 4 No 1’s Michael had an impressive 90s career to add to his 80s achievements (he was No 32 on the corresponding 80s list). He was inactive during much of the mid 90s due to litigation reasons, and only recorded charity records between 1991-1995, but come 96 he was back with a new album “Older”. He became the first act to lift six top 3 singles from one studio album, and it was good timing that he returned to the fray in 96, as he became one of 12 acts to sell a million records in what was a bumper year for singles sales....

NO 18- WILL SMITH/ FRESH PRINCE (3,260,200) 13 UK TOP 40 HITS BIGGEST HIT: MEN IN BLACK (881,000) Benefitting from the sales of DJ Jazzie Jeff & Fresh Prince have helped Will Smith into the top 20 and over the 3 million mark. In addition to two No 1 singles he also had three No 2 hits fusing together dance and rap into an irresistible mix. He managed all of this in conjunction with an acting career which saw brand “Smith” turn almost everything he touched to gold in the late 90s. His success petered out in the 00s as a chart act and we’ll glaze over the last major media incident that involved him……

Ah I didn't follow that thread so wasn't aware of how it developed. I would still say it's a slightly erroneous comparison. Loads of acts can sell out a concert tour and maybe sell albums but wouldn't have a hope of topping the singles chart as they are different (although related) fields. Looking at list of 90s million selling albums for acts with comparatively poor singles sales (or were certainly never in danger of getting a No 1 single in the decade) you have the likes of Alanis Morissette, R.E.M. Lighthouse Family, Texas, Paul Weller, Genesis, crowded house etc would indicate (to me) that the two formats are not a measure of success in the other format.

Now I'm not following this! in answer to your first point- it's very difficult to get "lucky" 21 times- no? on your second point a 90s example would be Teletubbies- sold a million of one song and nothing else. I wouldn't say they were a huge umusical act! Sorry If I've misunderstood.

i agree it depends on how you are measuring that success. I would argue that given the criteria of that thread i.e that having a No 1 should be something that a "big act" has or at least be capable of, then it is the ability of the act to sell singles in the UK that count? for the record I don't mind any of the acts so this isn't a bias on my part

Not to rile the debate but if you add 80s and 90s singles sales together for the acts mentioned you get Janet- 4.085m Tina- 3.023m Bon Jovi- 2.948 m

NO 19- JANET JACKSON (3,162,100) 22 UK TOP 40 HITS BEST SELLER: TOGETHER AGAIN (743,000) To be honest I wasn’t expecting two Jackson’s to be in the top 20, but here’s Janet. She scored an impressive 22 top 40 hits during the 90s, although her name is of course famous for being missing on that list of artists with a No 1 single. In only one year (1991) did she not have a hit single and so she is rewarded for her persistence and consistency, though of course she couldn’t quite match the sales of her brother. Interesting fact- she’s the highest placed act on this list NOT to have a 90s number one!

NO 20- THE PRODIGY (2,869,100) 12 UK TOP 40 HITS BIGGEST HIT: BREATHE (727,000) Just making the top 20 are The Prodigy, the most successful of the early 90s dance acts. Their cannon of 12 top 20 hits throughout the decade proved to be enough for them to move 2.8 million singles through the decade. Of course 96 proved to be their biggest year when they hit the vein of popular music taste and scored a couple of number one hits. Ironically the success of the 96-97 period threw the group slightly, they took 7 years to produce a follow up which, though a No 1 album, spent the grand total of 6 weeks in the chart. Some controversial lyrics aside, the group regained some of the success they had lost with 2009’s “Invaders Must Die”.

19TH FEBRUARY When is Gabrielle’s “Rise” No 1 and also not No 1? This week is the answer, she loses her singles crown and drifts 1-2 (83,000) but ascends to No 1 on the album chart to compensate, her single also becomes the biggest seller of 2000 to date. Instead, and to the surprise of no-one, Oasis are duly awarded their 5th chart topper in as many years with “Go Let It Out”, it’s the first release from their fourth album “Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants” which is out next month and contains a sample of Johnny Jenkins “I Walk On Gilded Splinters” (1968). Whilst it was never in danger of not storming to the top it sold just 180,600 copies last week (including 67,000 on its first day alone), well down on the 377,000 recorded by their last lead single “D’You Know What I Mean” three years ago, however it did corner 17% of the entire singles market. It’s also the first release on their new Big Brother label. Eiffel 65's first single “Blue” topped our charts for 3 weeks last October before going on to sell a million and become the 2nd biggest seller of 1999, expectations were high therefore that new single “Move Your Body” would repeat the success. Despite an early showing at No 2 on sales flashes it quickly fell behind Gabrielle and ends up entering at No 3 (64,000), it has already reached No 1 in France, Austria and Italy so hardly a failure. Ian Brown is another act that wisely waited until after the festive rush to release a new single, lead single from his current album “Golden Greats” bowed out at No 23 (“Love Like A Fountain”) but follow up “Dolphins Were Monkeys” becomes his third top 10 single and equal biggest matching the No 5 peak of 1998’s “My Star”. It actually sold 9,000 less (40,000) than that single but was aided by Brown’s version of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” on the CD single. One of the original DJ’s from the 80s who can lay claim to have imported dance music as we know it into the UK, Dave Lee has long worked under the moniker Joey Negro, a much sought after DJ and remixer Negro has only graced the chart as an act on 4 occasions with 1992’s “Enter Your Fantasy” being his biggest hit at No 35. The story of his current hit “Must Be The Music” starts back in 1998 when Lee used another name, Z Factor, to record a track called “Gotta Keep Pushin” which made No 47 but was picked up by the producers of “Miami Uncovered” on Sky TV last year and is now reworked into “Must Be The Music” with added vocals by Taka Boom who happens to be Chaka Khan’s younger sister. The package sold 28,000 last week to arrive at No 8. Sash! is disappointed again to fall 2-4 (41,000) and Britney Spears continues her pleasant stroll down the charts 4-6 (35,000) but once again keeps just ahead of REM 5-7 (32,000). Further down Andreas Johnson tumbles 7-9 (27,000) and defying gravity DJ Luck & MC Neat cling to No 10 (23,000). Next week will be interesting with a new single by Christina Aguilera going head to head with returning chart favourites All Saints, Shania Twain and Aqua- can any of them topple Oasis? 1- GO LET IT OUT- Oasis (180,600) 2- RISE- Gabrielle (83,000) 3- MOVE YOUR BODY- Eiffel 65 (64,000) 4- ADELANTE- Sash! (41,000) 5- DOLPHINS WERE MONKEYS- Ian Brown (40,000) 6- BORN TO MAKE YOU HAPPY- Britney Spears (35,000) 7- THE GREAT BEYOND- R.E.M (32,000) 8- MUST BE THE MUSIC- Joey Negro Ft Taka Boom (28,000) 9- GLORIOUS- Andreas Johnson (27,000) 10- A LITTLE BIT OF LUCK- DJ Luck & MC Neat (23,000)

I can also confirm that we hit 3 million sales tomorrow....

Recap time NO 50- M PEOPLE (1,801,500) NO 49- ERASURE (1,806,100) NO 48- KYLIE MINOGUE (1,834,500) NO 47- THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH (1,834,500) NO 46- PUFF DADDY (1,903,600) NO 45- PETER ANDRE (1,910,000) NO 44- U2 (1,968,800) NO 43- FIVE (1,979,600) NO 42- COOLIO (1,989,600) NO 41- GABRIELLE (1,990,400) NO 40- 2 UNLIMITED (1,995,300) NO 39- ACE OF BASE (2,014,400) NO 38- BON JOVI (2,043,600) NO 37- CLIFF RICHARD (2,069,900) NO 36- THE VENGABOYS (2,079,500) NO 35- LIGHTNING SEEDS (2,110,900) NO 34 -SASH! (2,120,800) NO 33- BRITNEY SPEARS (2,128,000) NO 32- SIMPLY RED (2,148,900) NO 31- SNAP! (2,220,300) NO 30- ALL SAINTS (2,268,800) NO 29- BACKSTREET BOYS (2,349,000) NO 28- THE FUGEES/ REFUGEE ALLSTARZ (2,390,000) NO 27- R KELLY (2,451,100) NO 26- BLUR (2,532,300) NO 25- QUEEN (2,543,300) NO 24- B*WITCHED (2,651,800) NO 23- ETERNAL (2,655,200) NO 22- AQUA (2,808,000) NO 21- ROBBIE WILLIAMS (2,833,000)

NO 21- ROBBIE WILLIAMS (2,833,000) 10 UK TOP 40 HITS BIGGEST HIT: ANGELS (842,000) When he walked out of Take That in 95 the future was far from certain but by the decade end Williams was established as a solo artist. 1997’s “South Of The Border” proved the only blip in his string of top 10 hits that lasted until 2006, and not surprisingly he is the only member of Take That to make this list as a soloist. His strongest year was 1998 when he sold 1.3 million singles to be the 8th biggest act of the year thanks in the main to both “Angels” and “Millennium” his first chart topping single....

NO 22- AQUA (2,808,000) 5 UK TOP 40 HITS BEST SELLER: BARBIE GIRL (1,720,000) Aqua went the same way as Abba did 20 years prior when relationships within the group fell apart causing the group to disintegrate in 2001. All of this was to come though, and back in 1997 the group exploded onto the music scene with “Barbie Girl” which sold a million and was the first of three chart toppers in a row. They sold a million copies in both 97 & 98 meaning they finished in the top 10 best selling acts of both years, but their second album in 2000 met with a much more lukewarm reaction and matching sales. The band reunited in 2007 and are recording again but the UK remains unimpressed with the exception of “Barbie World” from the “Barbie” film in 2023, ironic as Mattel had of course sued Aqua unsuccessfully back in the 90s for infringement of the brand….

NO 23- ETERNAL (2,655,200) 15 UK TOP 40 HITS BIGGEST SELLER: I WANNA BE THE ONLY ONE (600,000) On paper this should be the biggest girl group on our rundown. Every one of their 15 releases made the top 20 with twelve of them hitting the top 10 yet they only just sneak No 2 on the girl group list. They made the top 100 best-selling acts every year 93-97 with 1997 proving to be their most lucrative year when they sold over a million to be the 10th best act of the year. Despite an ever-diminishing number of group members the group managed to roll on into 1999 when they finally gave up the ghost.....

Final three acts to miss the top 20 tomorrow including two that I suspect most would expect in the top 20!

NO 24 B*WITCHED (2,651,800) 7 UK TOP 40 HITS BIGGEST HIT: C’EST LA VIE (850,000) Bet no-one thought B*Witched would end up so high! They sold 2.6 million with only 7 singles, including four chart toppers. They were the 4th biggest sellers of 1998 and kept a top 20 place for the 99 equivalent, yet their chart career lasted in total under 2 years, but they made their money in those 24 months. They outstripped all but 23 acts of the entire decade, and all girl groups except two, I’m sure you can guess which ones they are......

NO 25- QUEEN (2,543,300) 14 UK TOP 40 HITS BIGGEST HIT: BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY/ THESE ARE THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES (973,000) Why let a small thing like the death of your lead single stop your career. Queen kept on selling singles and mining that legacy mercilessly post Mercury’s death having a good run, 7 top 10 hits including a trio of chart toppers, more than they got in any other decade of their career. “Bohemian Rhapsody” sold almost a million again in the wake of Mercury’s death and individually 91 was their best year when only Bryan Adams outsold them singles wise...