Gezza

58. YOU NEEDED ME- Boyzone (343,300)

http://991.com/newGallery/Boyzone-You-Needed-Me-134537.jpg

RELEASED: 1999

PEAK POSITION: 1

WKS ON CHART: 15

Reviving an Anne Murray record from 1978 was just the ticket for a 6th UK No 1 single for Boyzone in 1999. Involved a highly publicised battle for the top slot with Geri Halliwell’s debut solo single the boys cleverly decided to make different B sides available across the 2CD set ensuring fans bought both copies whilst Geri offered no different b-sides and the ploy worked. But only just 748 copies separated the two when the sales data came in, both had done over 142k.

59. END OF THE LINE- Honeyz (337,700)

http://www.avatune.com/pics/23040670.jpg

RELEASED: 1998

PEAK POSITION: 5

WKS ON CHART: 14

Bet this one surprises some! Spending 5 wks in the top 10 over Xmas 98, the original line up of the band lasted just 2 releases before one member, Abdi left to spend more time with then boyfriend Matthew Marsden and was replaced by a former member of Solid HarmoniE all of which lasted three singles before in late 2000 Abdi returned but by that point time was up for the trio.

60. PRAY- Take That (333,700)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1c/Pray_(Take_That_song).jpg

RELEASED: 1993

PEAK POSITION: 1

WKS ON CHART: 11

Not an enormously impressive tally for a song that spent 4 wks atop the charts but 1993 was far from a great one sales wise. Still it was their first No 1 single and set them on route for a grand total of 11 so far in their career, a film shot in Acapulco added a touch of glamour and of course getting their kit off no doubt hardly decreased from sales, indeed the band picked up two BRITS for this song (Best Video and Best British Single) at the 1994 awards.

Recap time 61-80

61. Queen Of My Heart Westlife 330,500

62. Stop! Spice Girls 330,500

63. I Am Blessed Eternal 319,200

64. Push It/ Tramp Salt N Pepa 318,000

65. I Got A Little Something For You MN8 316,800

66. Everyday I Love You Boyzone 314,600

67. Flying Without Wings Westlife 313,600

68. It's Alright East 17 312,700

69. A Different Beat Boyzone 306,400

70. Let's Talk About Sex Salt N Pepa 298,000

71. If I Let You Go Westlife 295,800

72. If Ya Gettin Down Five 291,500

73. My Love Westlife 287,000

74. Around The World East 17 285,000

75. Picture Of You Boyzone 277,000

76. Help! Bananarama 276,000

77. Sure Take That 275,400

78. Let's Dance Five 275,300

79. Until The Time Is Through Five 267,000

80. The Harder I Try Brother Beyond 266,000

61. QUEEN OF MY HEART- Westlife (330,500)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cb/10Queenofmyheart1.jpg

RELEASED: 2001

PEAK POSITION: 1

WKS ON CHART: 17

Whilst many territories were treated to “When You’re Looking Like That” as a single, we got this. Another instant No 1 (their 9th) the band were reportedly unhappy as its choice of first single over and above “Angel” which was their option, by this point I’m not sure it mattered.

62. STOP!- Spice Girls (330,500)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/77/Stop_(Spice_Girls_single_-_cover_art).jpg

RELEASED: 1998

PEAK POSITION: 2

WKS ON CHART: 15

The song that famously broke the run of straight No 1 hits from the best selling act of the 90s. Indeed it had the misfortune to be up against Run DMC Vs Jason Nevins who were on their way to a million plus sales and had it been released one week earlier it would have debuted at No 1, but all that belies that fact that it opened with sales of 115k, significantly worse than all of the preceding singles (With the exception of debut hit “Wannabe”) so clearly the appeal was diminishing and the backlash had started.

63. I AM BLESSED- Eternal (319,200)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3d/Eternal_I_Am_Blessed.jpg

RELEASED: 1995

PEAK POSITION: 7

WKS ON CHART:12

Incredibly this is their biggest hit on this rundown (though obviously beaten by “I Wanna Be The Only One” in their cannon including collaborations) yet I doubt many outside of hardcore fans can remember this. The secret to its sales lies in the fact that it was a big hit over Xmas 95 (a time when sales were very high) and once January came around the record finally peaked, six weeks into its run, it’s also our highest placed non- top 5 hit on the rundown.

Going off-topic slightly but I'm sure this is the 3rd or 4th time you've been on holiday in the past year!! Someone certainly isn't strapped for cash. :D

:lol: Yes my 4th trip in the last year- just city breaks- I like my culture trips!

Well, yes, we are basically rinsing out the Boyzone and Westlife catalogues now before we get to the upper percentile of their hits that actually managed to reach further than their ever-devoted fanbases. A Different Beat is a turd-like bore that sounds like they recorded it after listening to The Lion King soundtrack. And as for Every Day I Love You, I'm not sure there has been or will be a more non-event of a song on this countdown. I scarcely remember it from the time (I imagine I used it as a prime TOILET BREAK opportunity during its stint in the top 40) and despite having just listened to that clip, I really do not remember a thing about it STILL apart from the title was mentioned somewhere in the song - but considering that can be said about the near enough absolute majority of popular music it doesn't say much. Amazing that both these outsold Picture Of You which as gooddelta said is certainly one of their few classics IMO but I guess with the dramatic change in style/tempo at the time it was either going to reach out in a huge way or relatively underperform and it seems it ended up being the latter.

 

Interesting to see MN8 feature so high up. Does that make them the highest act with only one appearance? I've Got A Little Something For You is a good song anyhow and I have to say I didn't realise until now they were British! Whether that's a testament to how well they slipped into the American R&B sound of the time or what I do not know.

How very harsh on poor "Everyday I Love You"- I actually think it's one of their most sincere moments (the video especially is particulrly beautiful- but that's Prague for you).

In answer to your MN8 question no there at least another 2 acts with a sole entry on this list! :D

At least he did that on the back of a House Of Commons vote - a vote called after the leader of the opposition had seen the evidence.

I agree but the buck must stop somewhere- if only he'd checked out his research with Murdoch- he seems like an informed chap! :lol: ;)

I'm struggling to think of a minister under the last government who faced worse allegations and survived.

Not a prime minister who led us into war on entirely fabricated grounds? A slightly more serious charge I think?

7TH DECEMBER- THE LAST GOODBYE/ BE WITH YOU- Atomic Kitten ( 1wk)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1c/Atomic_Kitten_Last_Goodbye_single.jpg

I'm very much a fan of the later Kitten work (02-04 period), the awful "Ladies Night" aside, and whilst "It's OK" started my love for them it was this song that sealed it. "Last Goodbye" is a sweet little winter warmer about love gone wrong, it's actually one of their more simpler and heartfelt songs with an earnestness that makes you cling it to your heart and harmonies which are actually quite good, certainly in comparison to early Kitten work, it's a song that makes me all warm in the heart- not an easy thing I can tell you!

"Be With You" is just the opposite, an uptempo dance track borrowing heavily from ELO's "Last Train To London", oddly it's also a slightly melancholic air to it, a mix of depression and dancefloor magic that I've never been able to ignore (I blame 80s PSB records for that). It's a combination that makes this after "Someone Like Me" my favourite Atomic Kitten ever- yes it's THAT good!

30TH NOVEMBER- DON'T LET ME DOWN/ YOU AND I- Will Young (1 wk)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/74/WYDLMD1.jpg

Charity records are a funny old affair really, usually dreadful covers or sappy ballads (and often both) and here's Will Contribution for "Children In Need". It was with a sense of satisfaction (I think) that he would deprive the CIN single of the top slot just 12 months after this, but back in 2002 he was still a creature of Simon Cowell fresh from the "Pop Idol" victory adn to be fair "You And I" isn't actually that bad, much more dynamic certainly than the non event that is "Don't Let Me Down" (much better verses than a chorus).

With a chorus that almost emerges from nowhere it's certainly one of the best things on his debut album with less of the theatricalities and vocal flicks that surround much of his initial output. Obviously no "Leave Right Now" but all that was still in front of him, perhaps that this was seen as a "failure" after 3 straight No 1's (and this was widely tipped to follow suit) allowed him a little space to make that follow up album with less stress and expectation, given all of that I'd be surprised if many people, outside of Will fans, who would recall either track and even by Christmas 2002 the track had left the top 20 still rather nice to hear again after all this time.

64. PUSH IT/ TRAMP- Salt N Pepa (318,000)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/30/Push_It_by_Salt-N-Pepa_single_cover.jpg

RELEASED: 1988

PEAK POSITION: 2

WKS ON CHART: 19

Like a fair few acts on this list Salt N Pepa’s biggest hit was their debut one, this track spending three long weeks at No 2 behind Glenn Medeiros’s “Nothing’s Gonna change My Love For You” during July 1988. It did finally reached No 1 here, albeit in sampled form on Timbaland’s “The Way I Are” in 2007.

65. I GOT A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR YOU- MN8 (316,800)

http://991.com/newGallery/MN8-Ive-Got-A-Little-499537.jpg

RELEASED: 1995

PEAK POSITION: 2

WKS ON CHART: 13

The one and only appearance for this lot in our rundown, MN8 were very briefly (about 6 months) big news in the UK charts. This got stuck behind Celine Dion’s “Think Twice” in Feb 95 and the group went on to have 7 top 30 hits in total before they “moved” record label and where never heard of again.

66. EVERYDAY I LOVE YOU- Boyzone (314,600)

http://www.poplife.info/Bilder/548632.jpg

RELEASED: 1999

PEAK POSITION: 3

WKS ON CHART: 13

We didn’t know it at the time but this was to be the final Boyzone single for 8 years tying in nicely with the end of the 90s. A Prague set video makes a Boyzone song by numbers into something a little bit special in my opinion, but within 12 months of this track all 5 members would feature in top 40 hits of their own, clearly everyone had moved on quickly.

67. FLYING WITHOUT WINGS- Westlife (313,600)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rDobpr8ps4c/Rw26sbqcktI/AAAAAAAAAbI/_Qw_3SEPHIM/s400/fww-cd1.jpg

RELEASED: 1999

PEAK POSITION: 1

WKS ON CHART: 13

Westlife’s third chart topper did what all their first 7 releases did, debuted there. It has also, as you may know, been covered by American Idol winner Ruben Studdard as his winning song and made the US No 2 spot, and in addition to that a live version of this track by the band became the first EVER download No 1 when that chart was first compiled in late 2004.

...and here it is. :D

 

After picking out 'Around The World' as one of my fave East 17 singles, 'It's Alright' is my overall fave by them. East 17 were another of those British pop groups I found incredibly inconsistant with their single choices. For every 'It's Alright', there was a 'Steam'. I shall just reflect on their hits I liked the most. ** plays YouTube clip **

I practically DEMAND an East 17 top 5 from you Hits before the day is done! :D

Really enjoying this thread!

Always nice to get positive feedback- Thanks Vibe!

68. IT’S ALRIGHT- East 17 (312,700)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e3/East_17_It's_Alright.jpg

RELEASED: 1993

PEAK POSITION: 3

WKS ON CHART: 14

Pre “Stay” this was East 17’s best selling single garnering significant sales thanks to its top 5 position over the Christmas 1993 period. It was their first top 3 hit and was most recently covered by none other than Kim Wilde just last year (along with Tasmin Archer’s Sleeping Satellite), it was a sixth! Release from debut set “Walthamstow” but was re-recorded and remixed from its album version which perhaps accounts in part for its large sales haul.

69. A DIFFERENT BEAT- Boyzone (306,400)

http://djbrecord.free.fr/boyzone007.jpg

RELEASED: 1996

PEAK POSITION: 1

WKS ON CHART: 15

Hitting the top on the 2nd anniversary of their debut Boyzone had long established themselves as kings of the ballads with only one uptempo song (their poorest seller “So Good” at No 169) in their repertoire. This track follows in that tradition and nabbed a sneaky week at No 1 in the run up to Christmas No 1 1996, their second number one of the year.

70. LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX- Salt N Pepa (298,000)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1b/Let's_talk_about_sex!.jpg

RELEASED: 1991

PEAK POSITION: 2

WKS ON CHART: 13

Any record that spends 16 wks at No 1 is going to rack up some casualties from the records which end up at No 2 behind it, and for Bryan Adams in 1991 this is one of them. The follow up “Do You Want Me” (No 174) gave them back to back top 10 hits for the second and final time, a tale of safe sex and AIDS prevention it of course had its critics at the time but for the first girls of rap they had overcome bigger hurdles.