| This |
Tot
wks |
| Peak |
| Number One |
| 1
| 8
|
| I DON'T WANNA MISS A THING
| Armageddon OST |
| Aerosmith
|
|
1
|
| Finally bringing Aerosmith's wait for a British number one to an end, beating their #12 team best from "Love in an Elevator". It's the standout track from a hit-packed soundtrack, and further proof that Tyler and co can really make the great ballads. Written, of course, from the golden pen of Diane Warren (see: Leann Rimes' Hit, Toni Braxton's Dance Hit, Celine's Other Movie Hit...)
|
| 2
| 6
|
| ROLLERCOASTER
| B*Witched
|
| B*Witched
|
|
1
|
| They're back! The first band with two singles to debut at #1 since (er) Baddiel and Skinner return with Single Two. It's almost a remake of the first one, with one of the worst rhyming couplets this side of Des'ree - rhyming "sailed the seven seas" with "skinned our knees". But it's better than much of the other new stuff at the mo.
|
| 3
| 6
|
| PERFECT TEN
| Quench
|
| Beautiful South
|
|
2
|
| Paul Heaton gets all lustful about some womin with a bog-standard body, while Briana Corrigan voices the acerbic responses. They did it before, on "36D" off of "0898", the album before the album before last, but that wasn't a hit. This is, mainly because it's the first new South material in almost two years.
|
| 4
| 12
|
| MILLENNIUM
| I've Been Expecting You
|
| Robbie Williams
|
|
1
|
| For the first six months of the year, it appeared that "Angels" was never ever going to be torn away from the radio. It took the guy's new single, featuring a hook from some old song or other, to break the deadlock and reduce his old material to filler. Only, this new one is a total pile of pants, based on a loop from some old and passe Bond theme.
|
| 5
| 11
|
| CRUSH
| Jennifer Paige(12.98)
|
| Jennifer Paige
|
|
3
|
| A slight, insubstantial piece of pop-lite. It's nice in small doses, but two plays a day is too many.
|
| 6
| 6
|
| OUTSIDE
| Ladies And Gentlemen the best of
|
| George Michael
|
|
2
|
|
The first of three threatened tracks of his singles collection released as part of his agreement to leave Sony records. It's based around his experiences in a park last April, and features a TFM (Middlesborough) newsreader buried deep in the mix. It's a lot like "Fastlove", only without the "Forget-Me-Nots" sample on the end. Or the darned quality.
|
| 7
| 13
|
| TO THE MOON AND BACK |
Savage Garden |
| Savage Garden
|
|
2 |
| So, the song that follows up "Truly Madly Deeply" and becomes a massive hit is the exact same song that preceeded TMD, and flopped totally last October. Quite why radio didn't pick up on the tune then has remained a mystery; that this becomes a deserved hit for the Aussie duo is a clear fact.
|
| 8
| 13
|
| NO MATTER WHAT |
Whistle Down the Wind
|
| Boyzone |
|
1 |
|
The third single lifted from Lord Loud-Webby's new musical is a pleasant enough song, but nothing to write home about. It provides the 'Zone with their third list-leading hit, and means they break Kylie's mark by going top 5 with all of their first 12 releases. This becomes Lord Hyphen's third chart-topper, following Julie Covington's hit with "Don't Cry for me Argentina" back in 1978, and Jason Donovan's remake of "Any Dream Will Do" in 1991. Writer Jim Steinmann also gets his third topper, following Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" from 83, and Meatloaf's "I'd do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" ten years later.
|
| 9
| 11
|
| MUSIC SOUNDS BETTER WITH YOU
| |
| Stardust |
|
2 |
| In reality, this is half the French techno duo Daft Punk under a pseudonym. The anthem of the summer at the clubs in the Med finally gets released, and becomes the obligatory tune that's going to get everywhere but no-one will remember fondly in years to come. It's so-so techno, really nothing to write home about. Kevin Greening, the best DJ on Radio 1, thinks this is the worst big hit of the year. I can't disagree.
|
| 10
| 4
|
| GIRLFRIEND
| Honey To The B
|
| Billie
|
|
3
|
|
Not a cover of the Pebbles song from ten years ago. In fact, not a song at all, more a collection of disjointed mutterings and bawlings.
|
| 11
| 12
|
| WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE YOU LOVE ME?
| Talk on Corners |
| Coors
|
|
3 |
|
It took a Fleetwood Mac cover for Ireland's biggest family group of the moment (except for those moments when that's B*Witched) to break it big in the UK. They've now re-released their previous track which fell short in March. Only, rather than the original soft love song, there's a bass-heavy mix that rather ruins the fragility of the track. Shame, really.
|
| 12
| 5
|
| DOO-WOP (DAT THING)
| The Miseducation Of...
|
| Lauryn Hill
|
|
9
|
| The third and last Fugee to have a top 10 hit on her own. I'm beginning to come round to the charms of this track: subtle seems to be the best word to describe it. Certainly worth the listens...
|
| Sureshot |
| 13
| 4
|
| THE SWEETEST THING
| Greatest Hits 1980-89
|
| U2
|
|
4
|
|
Originally the B-side to 1988's "Where the Streets Have No Name", this is re-recorded, re-made and released as an A-side. And it's really rather good, a complete contrast to their recent experimental work.
|
| 14
| 2
| |
1
|
|
Well, she's back. This is only the third time she's made the top in a 33 year career; it's also one of the strangest tracks I've ever heard a 50-year-old make. With almost all the vocals filtered through a Vocoder, this could be a Dalek singing.
|
| 15
| 3
|
| THANK YOU
| Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie
|
| Alanis Morissette
|
|
5
|
|
She's back, she's wearing no clothes, and nothing much has changed in the three years since her last official release. This is the first list song from the new album; of the 17 tracks, around a dozen are little more than noun strings. This could be the best album George Bush never recorded...
|
| Sureshot |
| 16
| 3
|
| THE FIRST NIGHT
| The Boy Is Mine
|
| Monica
|
|
7
|
|
The second follow-up to That Duet is another cracker of a track. Apparently about not living up to the rep established by Ms Lewdwinsky, this one delivers a cool, calm punch.
|
| 17
| 4
|
| GANGSTA TRIPPIN'
| You've Come A Long Way, Baby
|
| Fatboy Slim
|
|
10
|
| Just as inane as his previous work, and just as over-hyped, too. Goes nowhere, does nothing, sells by the shedload.
|
| 18
| 12
|
| IF YOU TOLERATE THIS YOUR CHILDREN WILL BE NEXT
| This is My Truth, Tell Me Yours |
| Manic Street Preachers
|
|
1 |
| The Welsh wizards are back, and still only have one good song to their name. This is not the fifth re-hash of it. In fact, this is just tedious.
|
| 19
| 4
|
| TOP OF THE WORLD
| Never s-a-y Never
|
| Brandy
|
|
4
|
|
The follow-up to That Smash Hit - part one. Brandy flies past the minor hit placings of her previous hits, and makes the top 5 with a relatively insubstantial track, albeit from the same writer as The Boy, and features great rap hype of the moment Ma$e.
|
| 20
| 3
| |
6
|
| This is just tat. A gym instructor from maybe 15 years ago says aerobics instructions over an annoying drum beat. And (er) that's it. The story behind it: member of Daft Punk uses sample of Jane Fonda, it's licensed to be on an album but not a single, so the vocal is re-recorded by a Fonda-like.
|
| 21
| 5
|
| COME BACK DARLING
| Labour Of Love III
|
| UB40
|
|
12
|
| It's 15 years since UB40 scored their first number one single, a cover of "Red Red Wine" from "Labour Of Love", an album of reggae covers, and other songs done in their reggae style. The sequel came six years and three studio albums later. Nine years on, but just two more albums in the can, comes LoL III. This becomes their biggest hit in five years, and streches their span of Top 10 hits to 18 years.
|
| September's Single Of The Month |
| 22
| 8
|
| FINALLY FOUND
| Wonder Number 8 (11.16)
|
| Honeyz
|
|
7 |
| Oh, this is wonderful. A sweet dose of female R&B, and British to boot.
|
| Sureshot |
| 23
| 3
| |
11
|
|
A Swedish act with long, blonde hair, and a song that sounds a lot like something Alisha's Attic could have recorded. Utterly wonderful.
|
| Sureshot |
| 24
| 3
|
| SMOKE
| Left of the Middle
|
| Natalie Imbruglia
|
|
5
|
| Single 4 (count 'em!) from the debut album, and the first to chart since "Torn" left the listings. Of all the singles since, I think this quiet, understated, track is the best of all, making its point through sublety rather than the banging thump of competitors.
|
| Single Of The Month |
| 25
| 5
|
| STAND BY ME
| 4 The Cause
|
| 4 The Cause
|
|
15
|
| File, if you must, under "Slightly Pointless Covers of Soul Classics". The original spent three weeks at the top in '87 after featuring in a jeans commercial, after becoming a top 10 hit in 1966. This cover, by the 4-piece Chicago family group, is a credible re-make, that adds harmonies in a decent way. No thumping beat, no unfair effects, just the four of them. It's not the original, but it's still great.
|
| 26
| 7
| |
14
|
| Laid back, soulful, uplifting grooves. This should be massive on the radio; instead, it's only quite big. Madness...
|
| 27
| 3
| |
6
|
|
Possibly the most commercial cut from their new album, this is a paen to the perils of night working. Not an instant classic, but one that rewards repeated listening.
|
| 28
| 4
|
| CRUEL SUMMER
| Flowers
|
| Ace of Base
|
|
11
|
|
Crap Swedish band cover tacky British band. What a non-surprise. Bananarama did the original, now the track's thrown back in our faces, just in time for (er) autumn.
|
| 29
| 4
|
| MY FAVOURITE GAME
| Thingie
|
| Cardigans
|
|
16
|
|
More Super Swedes, this time with their biggest hit since "Lovefool". It's a strange, esoteric mix of sounds that doesn't quite hit any single base.
|
| 30
| 7
| |
10
|
| Oh sister. Is there no getting away from this tripe? A flimsy, piss-poor excuse for a record, yakking on about the joys of (er) umming next to the sea. Evidently no-one quite remembers that a) most of the beaches in Britain are shingle beaches, complete with sharp stones in delicate places, and b) it's so cold that there's another reason it won't happen. And the record doesn't have the complete silliness of Pizzaman's "Sex on the Streets" from early 96, or LaTour's bass-heavy "People Are Still Having Sex" from 91.
|
| 31
| 3
|
| MORE THAN A WOMIN
| A Message To You (va)
|
| 911
|
|
8
|
|
From a multi-artist compilation of classic Bee Gees tracks, this becomes 911's largest hit to date. I'm waiting for Diana Ross' slightly changed cover of "Secret Love"; I gather she's changed the title to "Chain Reaction"...
|
| 32
| 8
|
| SOMEONE LOVES YOU
| Lutricia McNeil
|
| Lutricia McNeil
|
|
13
|
|
The third single is almost exactly in the mould Lutrish is carving out for herself: soft, gently soul with a radio-friendly edge. And with the Eternal key-change about 40 seconds from the end.
|
| Sureshot |
| 33
| 2
|
| A LITTLE BIT OF LOVIN'
| Everybody's Somebody (11.09)
|
| Kelly le Roc
|
|
5
|
|
Cruelly overlooked in the recent rush of New Singles By Old Acts, Ms le Roc has come up with a fabulous little ditty. Radio should be falling over this...
|
| 34
| 19
|
| LOOKING FOR LOVE |
|
| Karen Ramirez |
|
8 |
| Three years ago, Everything But The Girl were nonentities, known only for a Rod Stewart cover, and their status as perrenial student faves who never crossed into the mainstream. Then Todd Terry remixed "Missing" from their "Amplified Heart" album and turned it into a worldwide smash. On the same album was a track called "Looking for love", which has now been re-made by a rising British r&b singer. The effect is clearly meant to resemble "Missing", and it succeeds in doing that. The problem is that this isn't such a good song to start with, and the result is insipid. Radio seems to love it, though. |
| 35
| 5
| |
18
|
| It may be top of the Modern Rock charts in the US, but don't try to buy it in the shops. Instead, try coming to Britain, where Fastball's oddball mixture of early Beatles and Tex-Mex has won them friends, if not quite as much influence as they should.
|
| 36
| 4
|
| A QUESTION OF FAITH
| Postcards From Heaven
|
| Lighthouse Family
|
|
26
|
| A distinct case of two singles too far from their second album. Just re-release "High" and be done with it, k?
|
| 37
| 2
|
| I JUST WANNA BE LOVED
| Greatest Moments (11.09)
|
| Culture Club
|
|
10
|
|
The return of Culture Club comes after a 12 year gap since their last sizy hit, 14 years since their last big hit (and who remembers "The War Song" now?) and 16 years since their breakthrough with "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" In the intervening period, Boy George has had a short solo career, and become a successful club DJ. The other members have had little observable success, and persuaded their flamboyant lead singer to return for a tour, a third Greatest Hits album, and this new reggae-influenced single. It's not vintage Club, but that's not stopping the fans.
|
| 38
| 3
|
| ON A DAY LIKE TODAY
| On A Day Like Today
|
| Bryan Adams
|
|
16
|
|
Oh, just listen to any of his relatively slow tracks. From anywhere in his career.
|
| 39
| 16
|
| SAVE TONIGHT |
Desireless |
| Eagle-Eye Cherry |
|
4 |
| This is still such a wonderful track. It combines a hard, almost grungy, beat with a fragility and delicacy that's a joy to behold. And it is one of the best records of this year.
|
| 40
| 3
|
| HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE
| Enter the Dru
|
| Dru Hill
|
|
29
|
|
Not from the Bee Gees cover album. In fact, not from any high quality writing team. Just a guy mumbling about something.
|
Release dates for albums are for the UK and are subject to amendment by record companies depending on the way the wind's blowing. Well, that's what it feels like...