Weaver's UK Music Charts

Weaver's Charts

July 2000

Heavy notice: These charts are not intended as any representation of sales or airplay data on any station. They are merely intended as a guide to the most successful records in the UK at the moment. Unauthorised reproduction in print, electronic, broadcast or other media is not permitted without the consent of the author.
Ps wk TITLE (album)
Act Peak Hon
1 4 BREATHLESS (In Blue)
Corrs 1 x 3 SS
It took over a year for 1997's "Talk On Corners" to properly break, but the wait was worth it. The album became the best seller of 1998, and remained a firm favourite well into 99. The gap since this album has been filled by re-releases of 95's "Forgiven Not Forgotten" and an acoustic album last autumn. That latter record provided the most recent single, "Radio", a minor hit last December. This, though, is the real deal. The trademark close-knit harmonies, the tight instrumentation, and probably their best track this side of the evergreen "What Can I Do." That it sounds like Belinda Carlisle circa "Runaway Horses" doesn't hurt proceedings.
2 5 THE REAL SLIM SHADY (The Marshall Mathers LP)
Eminem 1 x 1
It's fair to say that critical opinion is heavily divided on this chap. Some people think he is the bee's knees, a genius with the mouth, smart and witty. Others see him as a misogynistic squit, all mouth and no brain. This correspondent is firmly in the latter camp. According to those who transcribe the rantings, this one takes cheap shots at Christina Aguilera, in between all the profanity. He does have the first primarily rap #1 single since Run DMC and Jason Nevins spent two weeks at the top in April 1998. One week as the planet's biggest.
3 4 TAKE A LOOK AROUND (Mission Impossible 2 OST)
Limp Bizkit 3 Jul
Believe it or not, this is the first single release by America's biggest teen-rock band of the moment. Utterly massive stateside, they've never quite caught fire over here, in spite of having a large and growing fanbase. All that has changed now, with their first single being a re-working of the old Mission Impossible theme, with added vocals. It's the loudest, hardest thing to hit the top 10 since Iron Maiden, and provides a more-than-welcome change to the tedious screds of club music.
4 11 IT FEELS SO GOOD (Hear My Cry)
Sonique 1x5 May
Sonique was the singer with S-Express through their period of success, from 88 to 91. Since the group disbanded, she carved out a small niche as a club DJ who sang over the tracks, with a lucrative sideline as a session singer, belting out some great vocals to unappreciative audiences. Two single releases in 1998 drew minor attention, this track the larger of the pair peaking at #40 in late November. This track gained attention on farmclub.com, a dance music site. That led to massive play on US radio, where the single went top 10 - the first UK act to pull that trick since Five in November 98. Re-promotion in the UK led to a deserved #1 hit at the end of May. Two weeks at the top of the Canadian charts further advanced her international credentials.
5 3 LIFE IS A ROLLERCOASTER (Ronan)
Ronan Keating 3*
On paper, this is a great song. Written by Gregg Alexander of the New Radicals, it's structurally very similar to "You Get What You Give," the group's massive smash last year. The production is class, the talent - especially the backing vocals - shines through. Then in comes the notional star, with distinctly C-class vocals. It's not so much that Ronan has a rotten voice, just that it's so obviously the weakest part of the single. A crying shame, really. Ronan's (former) group, Boyzone, made a lot of country covers during their career, and I can see this being picked up by someone like Shelby Lynne or Alan Montgomery.
Then there's the farcical situation surrounding the record's chart places, explaining the asterisk in the line above. In its first week, "LIAR" sold 190,000 copies. That would be enough to give it #1 sales and #1 overall by a massive margin. However, over half the copies were of a CD single that contained three songs and an interactive interview with Ronan. "Ah!" said the bigwigs at the sales chart compilers. "That makes the single contain four tracks, and we've had an absurd and self-defeating three track rule for the past two years." The result was that these sales vanished, LIAR held #1 sales but slipped to #3 overall.
6 8 TRY AGAIN (Romeo Must Die OST)
Aaliyah 6
Mention should be made of this track, which became the first record ever to top the US charts without being available in stores. That will overshadow a decent grower of a track, though not one that's quite ever going to be an A-grade track.
7 6 SPINNING AROUND
Kylie Minogue 3
It's twelve years since the Pixie Of Pop graduated from the cast of Aussie soap Neighbours to the music charts, thanks to the mass-produced sounds of Messers Stock, Aitken and Waterman. Since then, Kylie has dated Michael Hutchence (Better The Devil You Know, 1990), made one classic dance record (Confide In Me, 1994), recorded a Manic Street Preachers cast-off (Some Kind Of Bliss, 1997), and kept plodding away. This is her biggest hit since the aforementioned "Confide In Me," and looked to give her first #1 single since "Tears On My Pillow" in January 1990. She would have become the first act to have a #1 single in the 80s, 90s and 00s, but in spite of strong first week sales, she couldn't get past Sonique.
8 8 SHACKLES (PRAISE YOU) (Thankful)
Mary Mary 3 SS
It's pretty darned rare for gospel vocalists to make an impact in Britain. Two of the Winans family have managed a hit single credit each - BeBe with Eternal on 1997's "I Wanna Be The Only One", and CeCe with Whitney Houston on the somewhat overlooked "Count On Me" in 1996. Yet neither has had any success on their own account, and the same story holds for other gospel acts. Until, that is, the sudden success of these two sisters - neither called Mary - from California. "Shackles" is a corking, soulful tune that underachieved in the US, reaching its deserved top ten place in the UK. Time will tell whether this group turns into a one-hit wonder. Hope not.
9 13 OOPS I DID IT AGAIN (Oops I Did It Again)
Britney Spears 1
x3 SS
Is this going to go down as the ultimate Martin / Cherion record? Probably, coz they're going to have to go the distance to beat it. This became a classic in its own pre-release, scoring unprecedented support on video and radio request lines, and it would be churlish to join the line of Birtney's knockers. Instead, I will point out that it's uberproducer Max Martin who speaks the lines in the slow bit in the middle, replacing the written-for Leonardo di Caprio. And that the chorus really is a dead ringer for that of Barbara Streisand's 1980 chart-topper "Woman In Love." Toni Braxton kept her off being the planet's biggest hit, Britney holding at #2 for an amazing seven weeks. The track had the last laugh, though, remaining top ten for three months.
10 3 SUMMER OF LOVE / WHEN I SAID GOODBYE (Steptacular)
Steps 8 SS
Dealing with the second title first: by-the-numbers ballad. The first track, not featured on an album, owes a heck of a lot to a Saint Ettienne album track, "Pale Movie." Similar tune, very similar rhythm. The chorus, though, is more like Irene Cara's non-trivial hit "Flashdance." The medley should not work, but does succeed in attracting the listener.
11 5 SANDSTORM
Darrude 3
Quickly, name three famous acts from Finland. Never mind, no-one does well on that question. Darrude is the first of three Finnish acts expected to do big things this summer, and the dance end of the country's style. This is a fairly hardcore, heavy tune that took its time to pick up airplay. When it did, though, it showed real staying power.
12 4 GOTTA TELL YOU
Samantha Mumba 5
The latest product of the stable that produced Westlife and Boyzone, Mumba is a 17 year old Irish lass. This is a completely unremarkable piece of pop, that has here-today-gone-tomorrow written all over it.
13 10 IT'S MY LIFE (Crush)
Bon Jovi 4 SS
It's been a very long time since the last BJ project. We have to go back to 1995 for the "Dry County" album, and 1994 for the group's biggest hit, the million-seller "Always." This is something of a return to the hard-rocking anthems that made the group's name in the mid-80s, while not sounding particularly slightest dated.
14 3 WILL I EVER? (Who Needs Guitars Anyway?)
Alice DJ 9
The third single is a reasonable slice of silly warblings. Would someone please explain what the relationship is between the records and the dancers on TOTP? Thanks.
15 3 WOMAN TROUBLE
Artful Dodger / Robbie Craig / Craig David 12
This is getting beyond a joke, lads. "Rewind" had its charm, and "Movin' Too Fast" had the tinkly little bells. But neither track could stand more than the occasional listen. Shorn of any such gimmicks, this is yet another example of fashion ruling over genuine content. Sad, really.
16 5 BABYLON (White Ladder)
David Gray 10 June
The breakthrough single for the Welsh rocker who has been on the verge of something big for a couple of years now. This is a rocky ballad with a hard edge, not unlike Shawn Mullin's "Lullabye" from the early part of 99. I'm hopeful that Gray will surpass Mullin's total of one hit.
17 10 I TURN TO YOU (Christina Aguilera)
Christina Aguilera 15
The scheduled third single from her album missed the release date on May 22 after Aggie fell ill with a knee problem. Or was that Birtney? Anyway, the record company wasn't confident enough to release the single without the star promoting it - which suggests a distinct lack of confidence in their product. It blew out release dates through June, finally emerging in mid July. The extra time might have allowed the song to grow on listeners a little, but appears to have bored them stiff. This Diane Warren song was originally recorded by "I Swear" heroes All-4-One in 1997, without significant success. It looks set to remain unappreciated by Brits, too.
18 2 JUMPIN JUMPIN (The Writing's On The Wall)
Destiny's Child 4
Fourth UK single, third in the US, and it's released just as the group loses its third member in less than a year. The track is an unremarkable piece of R&B that pales into insignificance against the delights of Bills.
19 21 AMAZED (Lonely Grill)
Lonestar 13 SS
Back last summer, this record spent a record-busting eleven weeks on top of the country charts in the US, and made a respectable showing on the overall airplay listings over there. We expected that to be the end of the story, leaving the group without the crossover hit they deserved. Then, just before Christmas, AC radio picked up on the track in a big way. It returned to the listings, obtained a single release, and shot to the top of the Hot 100. The stage was set for the group to take the UK market by storm; New Country has been hyped as flavour of the year for the past couple of years, but this was the first real chance to prove its value in single terms.
If South Park's Officer Barbrady were around, he have called for shenanigans on this record. It struggled to attract airplay away from Radio 2 and a few AC stations for two months, wasn't stocked by two leading record store chains, yet attracted massive interest on every television appearance. Yet it refused to go away, turning into a classic hit that everyone will know. The record remained in the sales top 40 for ten weeks without breaking the top 20, an achievement that hasn't been equalled in donkey's years. Then, in early June, the other record chains came on board, major radio groups woke up to the hit that had been passing them by since March, and it stalled agonisingly short of the weekly top 10.
Over on the sales chart, "Amazed" has now spent 13 weeks hovering between positions 21 and 36. Only six other records took a quarter year between 21 and 40: the complete list is exclusive to this site:
"Green Jeans" - Flee-Rekkers, #23 in 13 weeks, summer 1960. I know nothing about this one.
"Wheels Cha Cha" - Joe Loss, #21 in 19 weeks, summer - autumn 1961. Joe Loss led a big jazz orchestra in the early days of rock and roll.
"Adios Amigo" - Jim Reeves, #23 in 16 weeks, summer 1962. Jim was a country singer.
"Somewhere My Love" - Mike Sarmes Singers - #22 in 15 weeks, late 1966. An easy listening combo; this track went on to make #14 the following summer.
"Big Spender" - Shirley Bassey - #21 in 15 weeks, late 1967. Something of a classic.
"Snowbird" - Anne Murray - #23 in 15 weeks, late 1970 into 1971. The debut hit for the Canadian country performer who also provided Boyzone with a big hit last year.
Readers are invited to draw their own conclusions.
20 1 SEVEN DAYS
Craig David 1 x 1
Would someone please tell me what this guy has? Youth? So did Jimmy Osmond. A half-decent singing voice? See Mariah Carey (but don't hear.) Shedloads of people who should know better touting him as the greatest thing since sliced bread? Maybe, but if this is the best the UK can offer, I am really worried. Oh, the track is yet another turgid slice of mumblings about some babe our hero has just met.
21 3 I THINK I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU (Sweet Kisses)
Jessica Simpson 24 SS
Using the guitar riff from John Mellencamp's "Jack & Diane," Jessica constructs a funky little number, proving (as if it was needed) that she is not going to be the new Mariah Cantsing. It's interesting that she's landed next to Craig David, as Jessica has proven she's capable of working in dramatically different styles with her first two releases. Craig's on hit 4, and they all sound exactly the same.
22 6 BENT (Real World)
Matchbox Twenty 16 NB
It's a slow grower, but when it clicks into life, you'll know it. Unless you listen to British radio, when you'll never hear it. One week at the top in the US, two on the World Chart, three in Canada.
23 1 WE WILL ROCK YOU
Five & Queen 2
Originally performed at the Brit awards back in March, Five joins forces with Roger Taylor and John Deacon on a re-make of the 1976 classic. The song has been kept in the public eye thanks to its regular use on ITV's "Gladiators" and the hand-clap with the waltz beat.
24 4 YELLOW (Parachutes)
Coldplay 9 SS
It's only the third single for this acoustic pop band, but they already have huge support from radio, tv, and the press. One listen to this track shows why - though there may not be much on the surface, it's clear there's a lot going on underneath. Enough to draw back again, and again...
25 10 REACH (7)
S Club 7 2 SS
A year on from their debut, the smashing seven return with their second album, tying in with the UK showing of the second TV series. The lead single is a fantastic cod-Mowtown number, showcasing all the zip and zing of the group. They're beginning to conquer the US, though this won't be a single there for some months, if ever.
26 7 THE ONE (Millennium)
Backstreet Boys 6 SS
The fourth single from the album is nothing particularly special, not all that inspired, but enough of a good thing to mark itself out from the rest of the crowd.
27 16 THERE YOU GO (Can't Take Me Home)
Pink 12
One part Destiny's Child to two parts insipid R&B does not make for a memorable single. Small amounts of UK airplay led to a respectable commercial success on UK release, though it's likely to be the start of a decent career.
28 22 MARIA MARIA (Supernatural)
Santana 6 SS
Vocals this time from Wyclef Jean, under the name Product G&B. This is more of a showcase for Carlos Santana's languid guitar skills than the frenetic "Smooth", and would sound utterly wonderful on a hot summer's afternoon with a cool breeze and cool drink to hand. The UK release co-incided with summer, and gave the track an instant top 10 place with the promise of more to come. Ten weeks at the top in the US, seven on the World Chart, two in Canada.
29 2 SUNDAY MORNING CALL (Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants)
Oasis 17
The group's smallest hit since their debut in 1994, and second straight to miss the top 10. Though the fanbase remains large, as evidenced by the sold-out UK tour, they're clearly well off the top of pop's tree. This is exactly the same as everything they've put out in years, except it's sung by the big brother.
30 4 IT'S GONNA BE ME (No Strings Attached)
N'Sync 24 NB
How to follow up the perfect pop of "Bye Bye Bye"? With a broadly similar, yet slightly different song. One that is somehow a lot less refreshing than the last one. Two weeks on top in the US.
31 7 YOU SEE THE TROUBLE WITH ME
Black Legend 2
Originally this had the vocals of soul legend Barry White; then he wanted more than the producers were willing to pay, and so the commercial release doesn't have his vocals. The song itself is therefore nothing more and nothing less than a dance-ish remake of an old soul song.
32 15 HE WASN'T MAN ENOUGH (The Heat)
Toni Braxton 5
It's three years since Toni's last entry, and that was an airplay-led re-activation of "Unbreak My Heart" in the first week of September 97. After filing for bankruptcy, taking time out, and composing some killer tunes, the Braxton is Back! This release follows the man-baiting theme common to Whitney, TLC and Destiny's Child albums last year, and deserves its high placings on both sides of the Atlantic. It's not been a huge seller in the UK, but has become a firm airplay favourite. It's spent eight weeks as the planet's #1, and six weeks on top in Canada.
33 19 NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN (Northern Star)
Mel C featuring Lisa Lopez 1x1
The Tony Slattery of TLC makes her second guest appearance on a massive hit, following her work with Donell Jones in January. This is a satisfying confection of pop and soul, but isn't at all a filling. It's not a patch on the minor (#55 in 1989) Danny Wilson hit of the same name, though attracted streets more airplay. It's even threatening to become a moderate hit in the US, which would really be good.
34 1 FREESTYLER (In Stereo)
Bomfunk MCs 4
Any nearer naming those three famous acts from Finland? Here's #2. The Bomfunk MCs have been hitting big across Europe for most of the past year, and finally got their UK release at the end of July. The track isn't much on first hearing, but there's a certain something that draws the listener back. It's worth the effort. If you can't be bothered, just enjoy the video.
35 12 EVERYTHING YOU WANT (Everything You Want)
Vertical Horizon 27 SS
This starts out with a piece of guitar feedback that can only herald two types of tune: the abysmal, and the fantastic. This falls into the latter category, falling squarely into the sort of adult rock that ships by the bucketload in the USA yet never ever gets a crack of the whip in the UK. I hope this will turn out to be the exception to test the rule, but I doubt it will. The band suffered a major embarrassment when the US commercial single of this tune was pulled at the very last minute in late May. Had it reached the stores and sold anything like as many copies as expected, it would have made at least a week at the #1 slot. Instead, they had to settle for #3. The belated release, at the end of June, gave them a solitary week at #1.
36 16 BE WITH YOU (Bailamos)
Enrique Iglesias 18 NB
The third single off the album is a mid-tempo tune, not quite as fast as "Bailamos" but a lot more memorable than his Christmas release, whatever that was called, which stiffed out of sight. This has moderately large UK hit written over it, and two weeks at #1 in the US.
37 3 UNCLE JOHN FROM JAMAICA (The Platinum Album)
Vengaboys 10
I'm prepared to tolerate Alice DJ because they do something different each time. This is not the case for the Vengas.
38 17 THONG SONG (Unleash The Dragon)
Sisqo 3
The former Dru Hill frontman releases the second single off his album, in honour of a stripper he and his brother saw on a night out. It cannot be taken seriously, and ripped up the chart on its release. Radio proved far more friendly to this than anyone could have expected, and the track remained popular well into June.
39 1 TWO FACED
Louise 14
After two years on the sidelines, Louise's comeback single is a pretty dull R&B wannabe track. Nothing that's getting me excited in the least.
40 3 I WANNA KNOW (My Name Is Joe)
Joe 34 NB
The male equivalent to Brandy or Monica has never quite hit it big in the UK. This will, hopefully, be the tune to turn his fortunes around. It's a silky, soulful, smooth track full of careful arpeggios and neat vocal tricks. If this doesn't break him here, nothing will.
SureShots on yellow, Singles of the Month on red, records Not British hits on green.

Ps	wk	TITLE (album) Act	Peak	Hon
1	4	BREATHLESS (In Blue) Corrs	1 x 3	SS
It took over a year for 1997's "Talk On Corners" to properly break, but the wait was worth it. The album became the best seller of 1998, and remained a firm favourite well into 99. The gap since this album has been filled by re-releases of 95's "Forgiven Not Forgotten" and an acoustic album last autumn. That latter record provided the most recent single, "Radio", a minor hit last December. This, though, is the real deal. The trademark close-knit harmonies, the tight instrumentation, and probably their best track this side of the evergreen "What Can I Do." That it sounds like Belinda Carlisle circa "Runaway Horses" doesn't hurt proceedings.
2	5	THE REAL SLIM SHADY (The Marshall Mathers LP) Eminem	1 x 1
It's fair to say that critical opinion is heavily divided on this chap. Some people think he is the bee's knees, a genius with the mouth, smart and witty. Others see him as a misogynistic squit, all mouth and no brain. This correspondent is firmly in the latter camp. According to those who transcribe the rantings, this one takes cheap shots at Christina Aguilera, in between all the profanity. He does have the first primarily rap #1 single since Run DMC and Jason Nevins spent two weeks at the top in April 1998. One week as the planet's biggest.
3	4	TAKE A LOOK AROUND (Mission Impossible 2 OST) Limp Bizkit	3	Jul
Believe it or not, this is the first single release by America's biggest teen-rock band of the moment. Utterly massive stateside, they've never quite caught fire over here, in spite of having a large and growing fanbase. All that has changed now, with their first single being a re-working of the old Mission Impossible theme, with added vocals. It's the loudest, hardest thing to hit the top 10 since Iron Maiden, and provides a more-than-welcome change to the tedious screds of club music.
4	11	IT FEELS SO GOOD (Hear My Cry) Sonique	1x5	May
Sonique was the singer with S-Express through their period of success, from 88 to 91. Since the group disbanded, she carved out a small niche as a club DJ who sang over the tracks, with a lucrative sideline as a session singer, belting out some great vocals to unappreciative audiences. Two single releases in 1998 drew minor attention, this track the larger of the pair peaking at #40 in late November. This track gained attention on farmclub.com, a dance music site. That led to massive play on US radio, where the single went top 10 - the first UK act to pull that trick since Five in November 98. Re-promotion in the UK led to a deserved #1 hit at the end of May. Two weeks at the top of the Canadian charts further advanced her international credentials.
5	3	LIFE IS A ROLLERCOASTER (Ronan) Ronan Keating	3*
On paper, this is a great song. Written by Gregg Alexander of the New Radicals, it's structurally very similar to "You Get What You Give," the group's massive smash last year. The production is class, the talent - especially the backing vocals - shines through. Then in comes the notional star, with distinctly C-class vocals. It's not so much that Ronan has a rotten voice, just that it's so obviously the weakest part of the single. A crying shame, really. Ronan's (former) group, Boyzone, made a lot of country covers during their career, and I can see this being picked up by someone like Shelby Lynne or Alan Montgomery. Then there's the farcical situation surrounding the record's chart places, explaining the asterisk in the line above. In its first week, "LIAR" sold 190,000 copies. That would be enough to give it #1 sales and #1 overall by a massive margin. However, over half the copies were of a CD single that contained three songs and an interactive interview with Ronan. "Ah!" said the bigwigs at the sales chart compilers. "That makes the single contain four tracks, and we've had an absurd and self-defeating three track rule for the past two years." The result was that these sales vanished, LIAR held #1 sales but slipped to #3 overall.
6	8	TRY AGAIN (Romeo Must Die OST) Aaliyah	6
Mention should be made of this track, which became the first record ever to top the US charts without being available in stores. That will overshadow a decent grower of a track, though not one that's quite ever going to be an A-grade track.
7	6	SPINNING AROUND Kylie Minogue	3
It's twelve years since the Pixie Of Pop graduated from the cast of Aussie soap Neighbours to the music charts, thanks to the mass-produced sounds of Messers Stock, Aitken and Waterman. Since then, Kylie has dated Michael Hutchence (Better The Devil You Know, 1990), made one classic dance record (Confide In Me, 1994), recorded a Manic Street Preachers cast-off (Some Kind Of Bliss, 1997), and kept plodding away. This is her biggest hit since the aforementioned "Confide In Me," and looked to give her first #1 single since "Tears On My Pillow" in January 1990. She would have become the first act to have a #1 single in the 80s, 90s and 00s, but in spite of strong first week sales, she couldn't get past Sonique.
8	8	SHACKLES (PRAISE YOU) (Thankful) Mary Mary	3	SS
It's pretty darned rare for gospel vocalists to make an impact in Britain. Two of the Winans family have managed a hit single credit each - BeBe with Eternal on 1997's "I Wanna Be The Only One", and CeCe with Whitney Houston on the somewhat overlooked "Count On Me" in 1996. Yet neither has had any success on their own account, and the same story holds for other gospel acts. Until, that is, the sudden success of these two sisters - neither called Mary - from California. "Shackles" is a corking, soulful tune that underachieved in the US, reaching its deserved top ten place in the UK. Time will tell whether this group turns into a one-hit wonder. Hope not.
9	13	OOPS I DID IT AGAIN (Oops I Did It Again) Britney Spears	1 x3	SS
Is this going to go down as the ultimate Martin / Cherion record? Probably, coz they're going to have to go the distance to beat it. This became a classic in its own pre-release, scoring unprecedented support on video and radio request lines, and it would be churlish to join the line of Birtney's knockers. Instead, I will point out that it's uberproducer Max Martin who speaks the lines in the slow bit in the middle, replacing the written-for Leonardo di Caprio. And that the chorus really is a dead ringer for that of Barbara Streisand's 1980 chart-topper "Woman In Love." Toni Braxton kept her off being the planet's biggest hit, Britney holding at #2 for an amazing seven weeks. The track had the last laugh, though, remaining top ten for three months.
10	3	SUMMER OF LOVE / WHEN I SAID GOODBYE (Steptacular) Steps	8	SS
Dealing with the second title first: by-the-numbers ballad. The first track, not featured on an album, owes a heck of a lot to a Saint Ettienne album track, "Pale Movie." Similar tune, very similar rhythm. The chorus, though, is more like Irene Cara's non-trivial hit "Flashdance." The medley should not work, but does succeed in attracting the listener.
11	5	SANDSTORM Darrude	3
Quickly, name three famous acts from Finland. Never mind, no-one does well on that question. Darrude is the first of three Finnish acts expected to do big things this summer, and the dance end of the country's style. This is a fairly hardcore, heavy tune that took its time to pick up airplay. When it did, though, it showed real staying power.
12	4	GOTTA TELL YOU Samantha Mumba	5
The latest product of the stable that produced Westlife and Boyzone, Mumba is a 17 year old Irish lass. This is a completely unremarkable piece of pop, that has here-today-gone-tomorrow written all over it.
13	10	IT'S MY LIFE (Crush) Bon Jovi	4	SS
It's been a very long time since the last BJ project. We have to go back to 1995 for the "Dry County" album, and 1994 for the group's biggest hit, the million-seller "Always." This is something of a return to the hard-rocking anthems that made the group's name in the mid-80s, while not sounding particularly slightest dated.
14	3	WILL I EVER? (Who Needs Guitars Anyway?) Alice DJ	9
The third single is a reasonable slice of silly warblings. Would someone please explain what the relationship is between the records and the dancers on TOTP? Thanks.
15	3	WOMAN TROUBLE Artful Dodger / Robbie Craig / Craig David	12
This is getting beyond a joke, lads. "Rewind" had its charm, and "Movin' Too Fast" had the tinkly little bells. But neither track could stand more than the occasional listen. Shorn of any such gimmicks, this is yet another example of fashion ruling over genuine content. Sad, really.
16	5	BABYLON (White Ladder) David Gray	10	June
The breakthrough single for the Welsh rocker who has been on the verge of something big for a couple of years now. This is a rocky ballad with a hard edge, not unlike Shawn Mullin's "Lullabye" from the early part of 99. I'm hopeful that Gray will surpass Mullin's total of one hit.
17	10	I TURN TO YOU (Christina Aguilera) Christina Aguilera	15
The scheduled third single from her album missed the release date on May 22 after Aggie fell ill with a knee problem. Or was that Birtney? Anyway, the record company wasn't confident enough to release the single without the star promoting it - which suggests a distinct lack of confidence in their product. It blew out release dates through June, finally emerging in mid July. The extra time might have allowed the song to grow on listeners a little, but appears to have bored them stiff. This Diane Warren song was originally recorded by "I Swear" heroes All-4-One in 1997, without significant success. It looks set to remain unappreciated by Brits, too.
18	2	JUMPIN JUMPIN (The Writing's On The Wall) Destiny's Child	4
Fourth UK single, third in the US, and it's released just as the group loses its third member in less than a year. The track is an unremarkable piece of R&B that pales into insignificance against the delights of Bills.
19	21	AMAZED (Lonely Grill) Lonestar	13	SS
Back last summer, this record spent a record-busting eleven weeks on top of the country charts in the US, and made a respectable showing on the overall airplay listings over there. We expected that to be the end of the story, leaving the group without the crossover hit they deserved. Then, just before Christmas, AC radio picked up on the track in a big way. It returned to the listings, obtained a single release, and shot to the top of the Hot 100. The stage was set for the group to take the UK market by storm; New Country has been hyped as flavour of the year for the past couple of years, but this was the first real chance to prove its value in single terms. If South Park's Officer Barbrady were around, he have called for shenanigans on this record. It struggled to attract airplay away from Radio 2 and a few AC stations for two months, wasn't stocked by two leading record store chains, yet attracted massive interest on every television appearance. Yet it refused to go away, turning into a classic hit that everyone will know. The record remained in the sales top 40 for ten weeks without breaking the top 20, an achievement that hasn't been equalled in donkey's years. Then, in early June, the other record chains came on board, major radio groups woke up to the hit that had been passing them by since March, and it stalled agonisingly short of the weekly top 10. Over on the sales chart, "Amazed" has now spent 13 weeks hovering between positions 21 and 36. Only six other records took a quarter year between 21 and 40: the complete list is exclusive to this site: "Green Jeans" - Flee-Rekkers, #23 in 13 weeks, summer 1960. I know nothing about this one. "Wheels Cha Cha" - Joe Loss, #21 in 19 weeks, summer - autumn 1961. Joe Loss led a big jazz orchestra in the early days of rock and roll. "Adios Amigo" - Jim Reeves, #23 in 16 weeks, summer 1962. Jim was a country singer. "Somewhere My Love" - Mike Sarmes Singers - #22 in 15 weeks, late 1966. An easy listening combo; this track went on to make #14 the following summer. "Big Spender" - Shirley Bassey - #21 in 15 weeks, late 1967. Something of a classic. "Snowbird" - Anne Murray - #23 in 15 weeks, late 1970 into 1971. The debut hit for the Canadian country performer who also provided Boyzone with a big hit last year. Readers are invited to draw their own conclusions.
20	1	SEVEN DAYS Craig David	1 x 1
Would someone please tell me what this guy has? Youth? So did Jimmy Osmond. A half-decent singing voice? See Mariah Carey (but don't hear.) Shedloads of people who should know better touting him as the greatest thing since sliced bread? Maybe, but if this is the best the UK can offer, I am really worried. Oh, the track is yet another turgid slice of mumblings about some babe our hero has just met.
21	3	I THINK I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU (Sweet Kisses) Jessica Simpson	24	SS
Using the guitar riff from John Mellencamp's "Jack & Diane," Jessica constructs a funky little number, proving (as if it was needed) that she is not going to be the new Mariah Cantsing. It's interesting that she's landed next to Craig David, as Jessica has proven she's capable of working in dramatically different styles with her first two releases. Craig's on hit 4, and they all sound exactly the same.
22	6	BENT (Real World) Matchbox Twenty	16	NB
It's a slow grower, but when it clicks into life, you'll know it. Unless you listen to British radio, when you'll never hear it. One week at the top in the US, two on the World Chart, three in Canada.
23	1	WE WILL ROCK YOU Five & Queen	2
Originally performed at the Brit awards back in March, Five joins forces with Roger Taylor and John Deacon on a re-make of the 1976 classic. The song has been kept in the public eye thanks to its regular use on ITV's "Gladiators" and the hand-clap with the waltz beat.
24	4	YELLOW (Parachutes) Coldplay	9	SS
It's only the third single for this acoustic pop band, but they already have huge support from radio, tv, and the press. One listen to this track shows why - though there may not be much on the surface, it's clear there's a lot going on underneath. Enough to draw back again, and again...
25	10	REACH (7) S Club 7	2	SS
A year on from their debut, the smashing seven return with their second album, tying in with the UK showing of the second TV series. The lead single is a fantastic cod-Mowtown number, showcasing all the zip and zing of the group. They're beginning to conquer the US, though this won't be a single there for some months, if ever.
26	7	THE ONE (Millennium) Backstreet Boys	6	SS
The fourth single from the album is nothing particularly special, not all that inspired, but enough of a good thing to mark itself out from the rest of the crowd.
27	16	THERE YOU GO (Can't Take Me Home) Pink	12
One part Destiny's Child to two parts insipid R&B does not make for a memorable single. Small amounts of UK airplay led to a respectable commercial success on UK release, though it's likely to be the start of a decent career.
28	22	MARIA MARIA (Supernatural) Santana	6	SS
Vocals this time from Wyclef Jean, under the name Product G&B. This is more of a showcase for Carlos Santana's languid guitar skills than the frenetic "Smooth", and would sound utterly wonderful on a hot summer's afternoon with a cool breeze and cool drink to hand. The UK release co-incided with summer, and gave the track an instant top 10 place with the promise of more to come. Ten weeks at the top in the US, seven on the World Chart, two in Canada.
29	2	SUNDAY MORNING CALL (Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants) Oasis	17
The group's smallest hit since their debut in 1994, and second straight to miss the top 10. Though the fanbase remains large, as evidenced by the sold-out UK tour, they're clearly well off the top of pop's tree. This is exactly the same as everything they've put out in years, except it's sung by the big brother.
30	4	IT'S GONNA BE ME (No Strings Attached) N'Sync	24	NB
How to follow up the perfect pop of "Bye Bye Bye"? With a broadly similar, yet slightly different song. One that is somehow a lot less refreshing than the last one. Two weeks on top in the US.
31	7	YOU SEE THE TROUBLE WITH ME Black Legend	2
Originally this had the vocals of soul legend Barry White; then he wanted more than the producers were willing to pay, and so the commercial release doesn't have his vocals. The song itself is therefore nothing more and nothing less than a dance-ish remake of an old soul song.
32	15	HE WASN'T MAN ENOUGH (The Heat) Toni Braxton	5
It's three years since Toni's last entry, and that was an airplay-led re-activation of "Unbreak My Heart" in the first week of September 97. After filing for bankruptcy, taking time out, and composing some killer tunes, the Braxton is Back! This release follows the man-baiting theme common to Whitney, TLC and Destiny's Child albums last year, and deserves its high placings on both sides of the Atlantic. It's not been a huge seller in the UK, but has become a firm airplay favourite. It's spent eight weeks as the planet's #1, and six weeks on top in Canada.
33	19	NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN (Northern Star) Mel C featuring Lisa Lopez	1x1
The Tony Slattery of TLC makes her second guest appearance on a massive hit, following her work with Donell Jones in January. This is a satisfying confection of pop and soul, but isn't at all a filling. It's not a patch on the minor (#55 in 1989) Danny Wilson hit of the same name, though attracted streets more airplay. It's even threatening to become a moderate hit in the US, which would really be good.
34	1	FREESTYLER (In Stereo) Bomfunk MCs	4
Any nearer naming those three famous acts from Finland? Here's #2. The Bomfunk MCs have been hitting big across Europe for most of the past year, and finally got their UK release at the end of July. The track isn't much on first hearing, but there's a certain something that draws the listener back. It's worth the effort. If you can't be bothered, just enjoy the video.
35	12	EVERYTHING YOU WANT (Everything You Want) Vertical Horizon	27	SS
This starts out with a piece of guitar feedback that can only herald two types of tune: the abysmal, and the fantastic. This falls into the latter category, falling squarely into the sort of adult rock that ships by the bucketload in the USA yet never ever gets a crack of the whip in the UK. I hope this will turn out to be the exception to test the rule, but I doubt it will. The band suffered a major embarrassment when the US commercial single of this tune was pulled at the very last minute in late May. Had it reached the stores and sold anything like as many copies as expected, it would have made at least a week at the #1 slot. Instead, they had to settle for #3. The belated release, at the end of June, gave them a solitary week at #1.
36	16	BE WITH YOU (Bailamos) Enrique Iglesias	18	NB
The third single off the album is a mid-tempo tune, not quite as fast as "Bailamos" but a lot more memorable than his Christmas release, whatever that was called, which stiffed out of sight. This has moderately large UK hit written over it, and two weeks at #1 in the US.
37	3	UNCLE JOHN FROM JAMAICA (The Platinum Album) Vengaboys	10
I'm prepared to tolerate Alice DJ because they do something different each time. This is not the case for the Vengas.
38	17	THONG SONG (Unleash The Dragon) Sisqo	3
The former Dru Hill frontman releases the second single off his album, in honour of a stripper he and his brother saw on a night out. It cannot be taken seriously, and ripped up the chart on its release. Radio proved far more friendly to this than anyone could have expected, and the track remained popular well into June.
39	1	TWO FACED Louise	14
After two years on the sidelines, Louise's comeback single is a pretty dull R&B wannabe track. Nothing that's getting me excited in the least.
40	3	I WANNA KNOW (My Name Is Joe) Joe	34	NB
The male equivalent to Brandy or Monica has never quite hit it big in the UK. This will, hopefully, be the tune to turn his fortunes around. It's a silky, soulful, smooth track full of careful arpeggios and neat vocal tricks. If this doesn't break him here, nothing will.

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00-jul-31