WEA in the UK expects to release "Heartbreak Hotel" on its own as a single; we'll treat "HH" as a single in its own right once "Not Right" falls off the weekly listings.
| Single Of The Month
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| 5
| 10
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| Top Tune: Personal Airplay
| | YOU GET WHAT YOU GIVE
| Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too
| New Radicals
| | | 3
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The breakthrough single for the American act is well-known - a foot-stomping little number that is a lot more fragile than it might first appear. Wonderful one. Our overpaid and underworked "Sounds Familiar" team reckon this resembles the Waterboys: the same flag-waving pomp masking a fragile centre...
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| 6
| 5
| | TURN AROUND
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| Fats and Small
| |
| 2
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|---|
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British pair pretends to be Stardust, and almost gets away with it.
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| 7
| 6
| | 1
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A slow, boring techno tune, that's nothing more than bass and bass. The USP of this track is its use in a jeans commercial with a yellow glove puppet. Of course, it's just a cheap imitation of the original glove puppet Phillip Schofield, who with his mentor Gordon T Gopher went from kids tv to prime-time gameshows and can now be seen in "Dr Doolittle" on London's West End. But I digress. This is the creation of French film director Quentin Dupieux, who really should have stuck to making micro budget movies. He becomes the first French act to hit the top slot since Charles Aznavour in 1974.
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| 8
| 5
| | MY NAME IS...
| The Slim Shady Album
| Eminem
| |
| 3
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|---|
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The debut for an American rapper who has the uncanny knack of courting controversy. The album's subject matter tends to the very misogynistic, leading US trade publication Billboard to wonder if this was a work too far. On the other hand, no-one can deny that his work has a wit and style about it that's totally lacking in much of the rest of that genre's work. For me, the lyrical content puts this beyond the pale, and causes a link to something far more wholesome: Respond is a work by Boston area singer-songwriters who want to put a stop to anti-women violence. $15.98.
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| Sureshot
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| 9
| 5
| | THANK ABBA FOR THE MUSIC
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| Supertroupers
| |
| 4
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That would be; Steps, Billie, B*Witched, Cleopatra and Tina Cousins. They all joined forces at February's Brit awards to present a medley of classic tunes from the Super Swedes (Dancing Queen, Super Trouper, Take a Chance on me, Thankyou for the Music). It's now released on single, with proceeds going to the Brits trust. That follows in the footsteps of 1990's medley of dance hits, and last year's collaberations between Texas and Method Man, and Tom Jones and Robbie Williams. There's still no light of day for Andy Bell and k d lang's take of the Summer / Streisand classic "No More Tears (Enough is Enough)" from 1993.
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| 10
| 6
| | WITCH DOCTOR
| Toonage
| Cartoons
| |
| 9
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|---|
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Mad, bad, and kinda dangerous Danes. A total saccharine novelty act, as was Aqua just a few months ago. The song itself comes from the original Chipmunks project, the brainchild of David Seville in 1959.
|
| 11
| 8
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| DEAD FROM THE WAIST DOWN
| Equally Cursed and Blessed
| Catatonia
| |
| 6
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|---|
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The first single from their third album is a refreshing ballad asking the world to "make hay not war" and with a video featuring singer Cerys Matthews in a rather revealing peasant-girl top. Isn't she a bit old for that lark? Whatever, it's a pleasant ballad, if not quite as good as some of their earlier work.
|
| 12
| 11
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| STRONG
| I've Been Expecting You / The Ego Has Landed
| Robbie Williams
| | | 8
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|---|
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Hit single three from Robbie's new album is a quiet, reflective little number about the perils of aging that is a real grower, a la Angels.
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| 13
| 12
|
| AS
| Ladies And Gentlemen the best of
| George Michael
| | | 8
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|---|
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With Mary J Blige, on a cover of a Stevie Wonder album track. Mary's biggest hit to date was a top 10 duet with Method Man; George hit the top in partnership with another soul diva, Aretha Franklin, in 1987. This is a bit of a groover and a grower.
|
| 14
| 4
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| Top Tune: Airplay
| | ONCE IN A LIFETIME
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| Texas
| | | 7
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|---|
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There's a distinct Chinese feel to the tinkling, but it never remotely threatens to break into "Japanese Boy". Nor does it threaten to become a really memorable track, either. The same could be said of the first track off their last album - remember how "Say What You Want" didn't presage the rest of "White on Blonde"s class? Texas seem to have ditched the quality that gave them four medium albums in favour of the stadium rock of WoB. Shame.
|
| 15
| 8
|
| WE LIKE TO PARTY (THE VENGABUS)
| The Party Album!
| Vengaboys
| | | 13
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|---|
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Cheesy Euro-disco. Great for five year olds, and surprisingly popular, spending five weeks inside the top 20.
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| 16
| 2
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Top Tune: Weekly #1
Top Tune: Sales
| SWEAR IT AGAIN
|
| Westlife
| | | | | 2
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|---|
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The debut single from a band managed by Ronan Keating of Boyzone fame. It's a passable piece of soul, a little slower than boy bands tend to produce, but nothing to write home about. The band were known as Westworld, but were forced to change their name after problems with the US band who had a 1987 hit with "Sonic Boom Boy".
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| 17
| 14
| | 3
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|---|
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Back! Back!! BACK!!! We've heard nothing new from Debbie Harry and the boys since 1982. Indeed, their memories have been sullied by meaningless, pointless dance remixes a few years ago. But this is a new single, promoting an all-new album, and one of the best singalong songs of the year so far.
|
| 18
| 12
| | RUNAWAY
| Forgiven, not Forgotten
| Coors
| |
| 5
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|---|
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Three times released in 1996, three times it failed to hit the charts. After their massive success last year, and the rare feat of putting two albums in the top 10 at the same time, the Coors revisit their 1995 debut album, and feed a track to K-Class to remix. Why oh why oh why do they ruin perfectly presentable songs by forcing them through this sausage mill?
|
| 19
| 2
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| WHAT'S IT GONNA BE?
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| Busta Rhymes
| | | 13
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|---|
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Yet another piss-poor collaboration from Ms Jackson. And the return of a bloke shouting gobs*ite over a vaguely familiar tune.
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| March's Single Of The Month
|
| 20
| 12
| | 3
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|---|
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Compared in some quarters to John Lennin, this has very little to do with the rock of "Song 2", and still less with the Britrock of "Parklife". With help from the London Gospel Community Choir and William Orbit, Blur re-make themselves for the (count 'em) fourth time.
|
| 21
| 6
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| BLAME IT ON THE WEATHERMAN
| B*Witched
| B*Witched
| | | 6
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|---|
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Single four from their debut album is a slow ballad, unlike their previous hits, but a strong grower nevertheless. With C'est la Vie now taking off in the USA, this lot should be around for time to come.
|
| 22
| 7
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| WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH (THE TOUGH GET GOING)
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| Boyzone
| | | 1
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|---|
|
This year's Comic Relief single is a cheap, piss-poor cover of Billy Ocean's biggest hit, a 1986 Number One single. The flip side, though, is somewhat better; an Alison Moyet cover of "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye".
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| 23
| 6
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| BETTER BEST FORGOTTEN
| Step One
| Steps
| |
| 4
|
|---|
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With their previous single still doing the rounds, Steps come back to the forefront with the (count 'em!) 5th single from their album. It's a mid-tempo number, without the easy appeal just about all their other records, and it looks set to turn into their least massive hit to date.
|
| 24
| 5
| | I STILL BELIEVE
| Ones
| Mariah Carey
| |
| 18
|
|---|
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Yet another torch song, with the almost obligatory Morales mix (the one that sounds like every other Morales mix, ever). This becomes Carey's smallest hit since 1991.
|
| 25
| 12
|
| LULLABYE
| Soul's Core
| Shawn Mullins
| | | 8
|
|---|
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The 30 year old singer songwriter from Atlanta expected to sell maybe 20,000 copies of his latest album. Instead, radio all over the States picked up on this story, with twangy guitars and uplifting chorus (and another stunning video) and made it a monster hit. Now getting big airplay in the UK, it looks like Shawn will exceed his expectations by a long way. Sorry for the inconvenience.
|
| 26
| 2
| | RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW
| You've Come A Long Way, Baby
| Fatboy Slim
| |
| 7
|
|---|
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The fourth release from Norman Cook's album is a pulsating techno beat, with the title shouted at various points during the track. Cook has achieved Minor Celeb Status during the past few months, getting engaged to media trollope Zoe Ball, and embarking on a high-profile tour with Armand van Helden. All of this helps promote him in a major way.
|
| 27
| 4
| | HONEY TO THE B
| Honey to the B
| Billie
| |
| 4
|
|---|
|
The title track to her album is slow and sultry. This just about kills her image as a sweet, cherubic schoolgirl, and turns her into a more sultry act. The words "Minogue" and "Kylie" (or is it "Dannnniiiiiiiiii") spring to mind. As do the words "Spears" and "Britany".
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| 28
| 12
| | 3
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|---|
|
Let's face it, we thought in 1995, Kravitz is past it. The Top 10 musings of 91's "It Ain't Over (Till it's Over)", and 93's "Are you Gonna Go My Way?" had given way to a bombastic album, fronted by the single "Rock N Roll Is Dead". Not as dead as your career, as the failure of the album and last year's newie showed. Until, that is, this track was used on a car commercial. Bingo! Top 5 hit, artifical career lift, six months to pack in a Best Of compilation. See if he doesn't.
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| Sureshot
|
| 29
| 5
|
| EVERY MORNING
| 14:59
| Sugar Ray
| | | 20
|
|---|
|
While the Ray may be on the last of their fifteen minutes of fame in the US, they're still on the verge of breaking in the UK. This, of course, is the upbeat ditty about how wonderful it is to wake up with one's other half on a daily basis.
|
| 30
| 3
| | LOVE OF A LIFETIME
| Wonder #8
| Honeyz
| |
| 14
|
|---|
|
The third release from their debut album, but following a similar tack to the previous two releases. Not a big hit, as a result.
|
| 31
| 4
| | TABOO
|
| Glamma Kid and Shola Ama
| |
| 17
|
|---|
|
A cover of Sade's minor 1985 hit "Sweetest Taboo" is a ragga toaster thing. Or, bloke shouting gobs*ite over a vaguely familiar tune. You decide. Bad choice for the return of one of 1997's greatest soul voices.
|
| 32
| 9
| | STRONG ENOUGH
| Believe
| Cher
| |
| 6
|
|---|
|
Twenty years too late, Cher returns to disco, and follows up the International Megasmash with a record that almost has the unadulterated joy of "Knock on Wood", if not the kitsch of "YMCA".
|
| 33
| 8
|
| BE ALONE NO MORE
| Another Level
| Another Level
| | | 12
|
|---|
|
Another curious re-issue: this time of their debut hit single from February last year. It fell just short of the top 10 then, and suffers a fate one point worse this time out. The flip is a cover of Simply Red's "Holding Back the Years", marking the first time a cover of that band's original work has made the top 40.
|
| 34
| 14
| | YOU GOTTA BE
| Des'ree
| Des'ree
| |
| 12
|
|---|
|
Originally a hit in 1994, making #20, and re-released the following year to peak at #14. Now subtly remixed, used in a commercial, and made available again, the perrenial airplay favourite still falls short of a top 10 placing. Maybe she should give up before it gets embarrassing.
|
| Sureshot
|
| 35
| 1
|
| WHY DON'T YOU GET A JOB?
| Americana
| Offspring
| | | 3
|
|---|
|
Owing more than they'd like to the Beatles "Ob-la-di", the Offspring have their second big smash of the year. This is a catchy number about deadbeat boyfriends and girlfriends. Not the most original of numbers, but a welcome hit nonetheless
|
| Sureshot
|
| 36
| 3
| | KISS ME
| Sixpence None The Richer
| Sixpence None The Richer
| |
| 21
|
|---|
|
Now this is a good one. Jangly pop, with sultry, swooping, female vocals. And with great tunes. The album - if you can find it - is also wonderful. Single of the year; or a contender for that.
|
| 37
| 27
|
| Seven Weeks at #1
| | Very Long Runner
| | BELIEVE
| Believe
| Cher
| | | 1
|
|---|
|
There is no stopping this one. Top of the pile for November and December 98, and now four weeks as America's Number One, this is Cher's biggest hit in a 35 year career. It's been around for six months, but fell out of the weekly 40 for the first time at the end of April.
|
| 38
| 4
|
| GIRLFRIEND / BOYFRIEND
|
| Blackstreet / Janet Jackson
| | | 28
|
|---|
|
First of two collaberations from Janet is with the American R&B group. It's not the greatest tune of all time, a little heavy for some tastes, but it's a serviceable number.
|
| 39
| 5
|
| YOU STOLE THE SUN FROM MY HEART
| This is My Truth, Tell Me Yours
| Manic Street Preachers
| |
| 12
|
|---|
|
The same song, again and again.
|
| 40
| 3
|
| 14
|
|---|
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In 1992, this group was touted as the greatest hope for British music. They spawned the Britpop movement, made three classic albums, lost a bassist, and became part of the pop firmament. Now Suede return with a track that covers all their traditional bases, but adds a little synth noise. If Blur have re-invented themselves, Suede have evolved from a jangly guitar group to a five-piece orchestra. Or something.
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