| This |
Tot
wks |
| Peak |
| Number One |
| 1
| 6
| |
1
|
|
Well, she's back. This is only the fourth 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. It was interesting for a few weeks, but then turned into a totally unbearable track.
|
| 2
| 12
|
| 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...)
|
| Sureshot |
| 3
| 4
|
| IF YOU BUY THIS RECORD (YOUR LIFE WILL BE BETTER)
|
|
| Tamperer featuring Maya
|
|
2
|
They finally worked out what she'd look like with a chimney on her, then. The purveyors of one of the most stupid lyrics of the year - on a par with "a bosom for a pillow" - return with the first record to legally sample Madonna. In this case, her 1985 hit "Material Girl" forms the back to the obligatory claim that your life will improve if you buy this washing powder. Record. It's one you either love or hate.
|
| 4
| 8
|
| 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.
|
| 5
| 7
|
| 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...
|
| 6
| 10
|
| 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
| 5
| |
6
|
|
The band formerly known as East 17 have shed half their name, and songwriter Tony Mortimer, and returned with a completely anodyne track.
|
| 8
| 5
|
| WOULD YOU..?
|
|
| Touch And Go
|
|
5
|
|
Let's make no bones about it. This is a novelty. A womin making very suggestive remarks is joined by a wailing free-form sax solo and nothing else. It's fun for the first - ooh - dozen or so times, but it tends to wear thin after that.
|
| Single Of The Month |
| 9
| 4
|
| THIS KISS
| Faith (2.99)
|
| Faith Hill
|
|
12
|
|
Finally getting a release, the tune I've been humming almost non-stop for the past six months or so. The video deservedly won best of breed at the CMAs recently, and it's getting non-stop play on the radio.
|
| 10
| 3
|
| HEARTBEAT / TRAGEDY
| Step One / A Message To You (va)
|
| Steps
|
|
4
|
|
A curious double A-sided single. On one, an uptempo ballad from the band's debut album, not a cover of the Buddy Holly number popularised by the piss-poor British drama. On the other, a cover of the Bee Gees number, from the recent tribute album. Both are attracting airplay, both will feature for some time to come.
|
| 11
| 10
|
| 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.
|
| 12
| 4
|
| FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN
| Save Tonight
|
| Eagle-Eye Cherry
|
|
13
|
|
Following up one of the year's biggest singles is never easy. Cherry has picked the easy route, releasing a similar song, with the attendant swift drop-off in interest that has to follow.
|
| 13
| 6
|
| I JUST WANNA BE LOVED
| Greatest Moments
|
| 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.
|
| 14
| 5
|
| BLUE ANGEL
| Ghetto Superstar
|
| Pras Michel
|
|
7
|
|
Grease is the word. Or not, though this does admit to sampling the '70s megamusical's title tune. Not a patch on "Ghetto Superstar", really.
|
| 15
| 6
|
| A LITTLE BIT OF LOVIN'
| Everybody's Somebody
|
| 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...
|
| 16
| 8
|
| MY FAVOURITE GAME
| Gran Tourismo
|
| 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.
|
| 17
| 15
|
| 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.
|
| 18
| 2
|
| SO YOUNG
| Talk on Corners |
| Coors
|
|
5
|
|
The third hit single from the Irish group's second album. This one has another slight dance remix: K-Klass are responsible for this one. While an attractive song, with soaring vocals, it would be nice if it were left to stand on its own merits.
|
| 19
| 15
|
| 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.
|
| 20
| 2
|
| I'M YOUR ANGEL
| R
|
| R Kelly and Celine Dion
|
|
4
|
|
From R Kelly's album of duets (well, that's what it feels like) comes a song that's passable, but nothing to really write home about. A platform for the two vocalists to play off each other, but they seem to play against each other. Shame.
|
| 21
| 16
|
| 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.
|
| 22
| 17
|
| 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. An insane decision by Polydor, their record company, means that the single is now being sold one penny below the minimum required to qualify for the chart. Lord Hyphen is fuming, as it ruins his chances of having the year's #1 single or the biggest seller from any musical. He's also calling the label up for breach of contract, and may refuse to sell his Really Useful Group to them in a few years' time, as arranged.
|
| 23
| 3
|
| ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST
| ...Introduces the Carnival
|
| Wyclef Jean and Queen
|
|
14
|
|
With guest vocals from Pras, this is almost the new Fugees single. It continues that group's tradition of updating old tracks; here, Wyclef and Freddie Mercury aren't so much duetting as counterpointing each other - a rare trick to pull off. Sadly, this isn't really the best track to try it on, as it's roundly abused weekly by the Gladiators tv show.
|
| 24
| 2
|
| UNTIL YOUR TIME IS THROUGH
| Five
|
| Five
|
|
9
|
|
The fifth hit single from this group's debut album, and one that is totally and utterly impossible to remember. Give it five seconds, and you won't remember a single hook from it.
|
| 25
| 2
| |
8
|
|
Rhythm track plus female vocal and a huge dollop of luck turns into a top 10 hit, for a reason that will never be adequately explored.
|
| Sureshot |
| 26
| 1
|
| THE POWER OF GOODBYE
| Frozen
|
| Madonna
|
|
7
|
|
One knows where one is with Ms Ciccone. Talking about a 40-year old lass who has pulled off her best album in a Yonk with this one. Single 4 is the emotional ballad that she's pulled off previously. This track reminds me a little of her crowning achievement, "Live to Tell". It's also her sixth top 10 single in seven releases, and 43rd from 45 singles stretching back to 1984's "Like a Virgin".
|
| 27
| 1
|
| I LOVE THE WAY YOU LOVE ME
| Said and Done
|
| Boyzone
|
|
2
|
|
Back to their own work after the monster hit that was "No Matter What". You don't enter at #2 from nothing, but this isn't going to be in the decade's premier league. Indeed, it may fail to find an audience beyond their core pre-teens.
|
| 28
| 15
|
| 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.
|
| 29
| 4
|
| GUESS I WAS A FOOL
| Another Level
|
| Another Level
|
|
12
|
|
Not 'alf!
|
| 30
| 16
|
| 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.
|
| 31
| 3
|
| THE BARTENDER AND THE THIEF
|
|
| Stereophonics
|
|
17
|
|
The first single from their new album (apparently, their debut won them the Newcomer award at this years Brit awards - I'd totally forgotten that.) It rocks out, neatly, for three minutes, then stops. Which is just about all we've ever expected from them.
|
| Sureshot |
| 32
| 2
|
| FROM THIS MOMENT ON
| Woman in Me
|
| Shania Twain
|
|
19
|
|
The third single from her breakthrough album is a countrified ballad pledging undying allegiance to Mutt Lange. Or something along those lines.
|
| 33
| 4
| |
26
|
|
It's a piece of Irish jiggery-pokery, from the same vein as Riverdance, and with a strong link to line-dancing groups. The career so far - selling respectably for some weeks with little airplay - is very similar to the one plotted a year ago by Steps' breakthrough hit.
|
| 34
| 2
|
| MOVE MANIA
| Life Goes On
|
| Sash! featuring Shannon
|
|
14
|
|
Sash! in Bubble Bursting Shock! After five releases all going top 5, suddenly the run of irrepresibly cheesy Euro-house tunes comes to a juddering halt. The featured vocalist here is a previously known act, the first time he's worked with someone more famous than himself; Shannon has a number of minor hits in the early 80s, peaking with 84's "Sweet Somebody".
|
| 35
| 3
| |
18
|
|
Off the "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air", Will Smith's tv vehicle, and into a record store near you. Not with any significant talent to show for the trip, sadly.
|
| 36
| 4
|
| TESTIFY
| One Night in Heaven: The Greatest Hits
|
| M People
|
|
17
|
|
You've heard it all before.
|
| 37
| 15
|
| 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.
|
| 38
| 2
|
| SIT DOWN '98
| Greatest Hits
|
| James
|
|
19
|
|
A late candidate for Totally Pointless Remix Of The Year. The original, a Slipped Disc in '89, and a #2 hit in '91 has deservedly won its place in the pantheon of Stadium Rock Anthems. A re-release on its own merits would have brought the bands' rather wonderful greatest hits album back to the spotlight in time for Christmas. Instead, Apollo 440 are hired to assassinate the track and turn it into a pile of mush. It falls well below the regular standards of both acts involved.
|
| 39
| 3
|
| WHEN YOU LEAVE
| On a Day Like Today
|
| Bryan Adams & Mel C
|
|
27
|
|
Two of the acts who have the longest runs at #1 during the 90s combine to make a bog-standard rockout track. Vocals are provided by Spice Girl Chisholm (Sporty).
|
| 40
| 5
| |
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.
|
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...