Weaver's UK Music Charts

Weaver's Charts

August 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 5 ROCK DJ (Sing When You're Winning)
Robbie Williams 1 x 1
The second single from his new album, it's a rip-off of the theme to 70s classic "Chorlton And the Wheelies" and Murray Head's "One Night In Bangkok" from the musical Chess. With that, plus Robbie's status as media darling par excellence, and a video too gruesome for television (and not just because Williams is in it) he has a massive hit. Shame the song really is a five-minute album filler.
2 3 GROOVEJET (FEEL SO GOOD)
Spiller 1 x 1
Spiller is an Italian DJ, who has teamed with Sophie Ellis-Bextor. SE-B was best known as the daughter of former Jigsaw and Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis, and only slightly known as lead singer with indie band Theaudience. Lending her vocal talents to this track proved the making of her, as it crossed over to sell over 200,000 copies in one week and become the most played record in one week on UK radio ever. The only problem I have is that it's a rather one-dimensional track, there's no depth at all. Still, that many people may not be wrong.
3 3 OUT OF YOUR MIND
Truesteppers 2
Involved in a massive first-week battle with Spiller, this record's hype rested mainly on the vocal contribution by Victoria Posh-Spice-Aadams-Beckham. She toured Ibiza, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Marseilles, Newcastle, and Woolworth's at the Ealing Broadway Centre. Then rivals Spiller took out tv adverts with the line: "Great record. No hype." The Steppers, also featuring Dane Bowers (ex Another Level) lost the sales battle by 10%, and trailed 20% on airplay. More importantly, this record had nothing of the staying power of its rival, slumping 2-6 second week out.
4 6 FREESTYLER (In Stereo)
Bomfunk MCs 3
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.
5 4 I TURN TO YOU (Northern Star)
Melanie C 1 x 1
Let's briefly recap on the most successful solo career from a Spice. There was Punk C (the under-rated Going Down, #6 last October). There was Torch Singer C (Northern Star, a #8 last December.) R&B C made #1 last time out, with a little help from Lisa Lopez. Unlike the here-today, gone-tomorrow pop pastiches of Geri Spice, these three tracks will stand the test of time. Single four from the album, though, is a pretty poor excuse. Dancey C is just a step too far.
6 6 SEVEN DAYS (Born To Do It)
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. It's not a patch on Sting's offering, of the same name, from his "Ten Summoner's Tales" album.
7 2 MUSIC
Madonna 1 x 1
It's been a strange year for Madge, giving birth to her second child just a few weeks before this record was released, shacking up with film director Guy Richie in central London. And also completely losing touch with her muse. February's barking cover of "American Pie" remained reasonably close to the original, while not being the original. This tune, however, is all beat and dodgy video, without having any of Madonna's known talent for rhythm, tune, or song structure. Please, let this be a one-off lapse in production; I fear it's the start of the decline of the undisputed Queen Of Pop.
8 5 DOESN'T REALLY MATTER (The Nutty Professor II OST)
Janet Jackson 5
Janet's first single in almost two years is something of a grower. What starts out as bog-standard US R&B eventually reveals the subtle defining touches of her regular work. File under interesting novelty, two week atop the world chart, and three weeks as US #1.
9 3 LUCKY (Oops I Did It Again)
Britney Spears 4 SS
Completely overshadowed on release by the Spiller / Steppers battle, Spears' sixth single becomes her sixth to go top -- four. It's the second release from her sophomore album, and is the first single that is written in the third person. Is this evidence that Spears' solipsism knows bounds, that she can sing about something other than "me"? Watch this space.
10 8 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.
11 10 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.
12 7 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.
13 9 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.
14 13 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 be the point that the track's remembered for, not for being a decent grower of a track. It may never quite be an A-grade track, but it is good.
15 16 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. The song has since shown a distinct reluctance to go away, remaining a huge airplay smash for some weeks, and threatening to overshadow the next single.
16 27 MARIA MARIA (Supernatural)
Santana 9 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.
17 9 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.
18 4 TIME TO BURN
Storm 8
Yes! It's the return of Jam & Spoon, pioneers of some great trance tunes in the mid 90s. Swing along with "Ride In The Night" (#10 in 95). Ooh and aah to "Find Me" (#22) that autumn. Wonder why they released a track as Tokyo Ghetto Pussy. And wonder where they went. To jump on the hard hat bandwagon, that's what. While this may be where the fashion vote is, giving them (just) their biggest hit yet, it's not going to be hummed in five minutes time, never mind five years.
19 6 WE WILL ROCK YOU
Five & Queen 5
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.
20 11 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, four in Canada, five on the World Chart. UK release is threatened for September, at which point it will doubtless sink without trace.
21 9 IT'S GONNA BE ME (No Strings Attached)
N'Sync 19 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, with a belated UK release pencilled in for October.
22 13 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.
23 4 CALIFORNICATION (Californication)
Red Hot Chili Peppers 16
The third single from the album is the title track, revealing just how much they dislike their adoptive home state. Maybe this wasn't the obvious single, it really does nothing for me. One week at #1 in Canada.
24 9 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.
25 10 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.
26 9 NO MORE (Ruff Endz)
Ruff Endz 18
First release for this US R&B group, who have an unfortunately forgettable single.
27 5 AFFIRMATION (Affirmation)
Savage Garden 14 SS
In which the lead singer reels off a huge list of things he holds self-evident. Think Baz Luhrmann's Sunscreen Song, only at twice the pace and with a chorus.
28 8 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.
29 11 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.
30 10 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.
31 15 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.
32 17 EVERYTHING YOU WANT (Everything You Want)
Vertical Horizon 22 Aug
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. The UK release was another overshadowed by the one-off dance hits, and just missed the sales 40. Strong airplay support suggests that we may yet see this single come back in the new year, I do hope so.
33 15 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.
34 6 TWO FACED
Louise 13
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.
35 8 I WANNA KNOW (My Name Is Joe)
Joe 33 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. Assuming, that is, the record company can shift their backsides and actually release the darned thing. Two weeks at #1 in Canada.
36 3 I WANNA BE WITH YOU (I Wanna Be With You)
Mandy Moore 26
The second single is a limp ballad. If this is the best Moore can do, I fear her career won't last the year.
37 9 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...
38 1 ABSOLUTELY (STORY OF A GIRL) (Nine Days)
Nine Days 33 SS
There are some songs that take weeks or months, and a hundred listens before the genius emerges. Others are somewhat more instant. This song had me hooked as early as the second note. It's a jaunty, singalong number that has (shockingly) not been picked up by the foolish prats who run UK radio. It is going to be as massive over here as in the US, where it spent two months top 10. It is probably going to require a second release after the initial outing in September to achieve that. This does not make me happy.
39 1 WONDERFUL (Songs From An American Movie Vol 1: Learning How To Smile)
Everclear 40 SS
The Clear has never really taken off in the UK. I really hope that this is going to be the tune to break them here. It's got the right mix of light and shade, the tune and the lyrics, and is attracting airplay from the impossibly fashion-led Radio 1. Hopes are reasonable for a decent performance.
40 8 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.
SureShots on yellow, Singles of the Month on red, records Not British hits on green.

Ps	wk	TITLE (album) Act	Peak	Hon
1	5	ROCK DJ (Sing When You're Winning) Robbie Williams	1 x 1
The second single from his new album, it's a rip-off of the theme to 70s classic "Chorlton And the Wheelies" and Murray Head's "One Night In Bangkok" from the musical Chess. With that, plus Robbie's status as media darling par excellence, and a video too gruesome for television (and not just because Williams is in it) he has a massive hit. Shame the song really is a five-minute album filler.
2	3	GROOVEJET (FEEL SO GOOD) Spiller	1 x 1
Spiller is an Italian DJ, who has teamed with Sophie Ellis-Bextor. SE-B was best known as the daughter of former Jigsaw and Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis, and only slightly known as lead singer with indie band Theaudience. Lending her vocal talents to this track proved the making of her, as it crossed over to sell over 200,000 copies in one week and become the most played record in one week on UK radio ever. The only problem I have is that it's a rather one-dimensional track, there's no depth at all. Still, that many people may not be wrong.
3	3	OUT OF YOUR MIND Truesteppers	2
Involved in a massive first-week battle with Spiller, this record's hype rested mainly on the vocal contribution by Victoria Posh-Spice-Aadams-Beckham. She toured Ibiza, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Marseilles, Newcastle, and Woolworth's at the Ealing Broadway Centre. Then rivals Spiller took out tv adverts with the line: "Great record. No hype." The Steppers, also featuring Dane Bowers (ex Another Level) lost the sales battle by 10%, and trailed 20% on airplay. More importantly, this record had nothing of the staying power of its rival, slumping 2-6 second week out.
4	6	FREESTYLER (In Stereo) Bomfunk MCs	3
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.
5	4	I TURN TO YOU (Northern Star) Melanie C	1 x 1
Let's briefly recap on the most successful solo career from a Spice. There was Punk C (the under-rated Going Down, #6 last October). There was Torch Singer C (Northern Star, a #8 last December.) R&B C made #1 last time out, with a little help from Lisa Lopez. Unlike the here-today, gone-tomorrow pop pastiches of Geri Spice, these three tracks will stand the test of time. Single four from the album, though, is a pretty poor excuse. Dancey C is just a step too far.
6	6	SEVEN DAYS (Born To Do It) 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. It's not a patch on Sting's offering, of the same name, from his "Ten Summoner's Tales" album.
7	2	MUSIC Madonna	1 x 1
It's been a strange year for Madge, giving birth to her second child just a few weeks before this record was released, shacking up with film director Guy Richie in central London. And also completely losing touch with her muse. February's barking cover of "American Pie" remained reasonably close to the original, while not being the original. This tune, however, is all beat and dodgy video, without having any of Madonna's known talent for rhythm, tune, or song structure. Please, let this be a one-off lapse in production; I fear it's the start of the decline of the undisputed Queen Of Pop.
8	5	DOESN'T REALLY MATTER (The Nutty Professor II OST) Janet Jackson	5
Janet's first single in almost two years is something of a grower. What starts out as bog-standard US R&B eventually reveals the subtle defining touches of her regular work. File under interesting novelty, two week atop the world chart, and three weeks as US #1.
9	3	LUCKY (Oops I Did It Again) Britney Spears	4	SS
Completely overshadowed on release by the Spiller / Steppers battle, Spears' sixth single becomes her sixth to go top -- four. It's the second release from her sophomore album, and is the first single that is written in the third person. Is this evidence that Spears' solipsism knows bounds, that she can sing about something other than "me"? Watch this space.
10	8	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.
11	10	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.
12	7	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.
13	9	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.
14	13	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 be the point that the track's remembered for, not for being a decent grower of a track. It may never quite be an A-grade track, but it is good.
15	16	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. The song has since shown a distinct reluctance to go away, remaining a huge airplay smash for some weeks, and threatening to overshadow the next single.
16	27	MARIA MARIA (Supernatural) Santana	9	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.
17	9	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.
18	4	TIME TO BURN Storm	8
Yes! It's the return of Jam & Spoon, pioneers of some great trance tunes in the mid 90s. Swing along with "Ride In The Night" (#10 in 95). Ooh and aah to "Find Me" (#22) that autumn. Wonder why they released a track as Tokyo Ghetto Pussy. And wonder where they went. To jump on the hard hat bandwagon, that's what. While this may be where the fashion vote is, giving them (just) their biggest hit yet, it's not going to be hummed in five minutes time, never mind five years.
19	6	WE WILL ROCK YOU Five & Queen	5
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.
20	11	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, four in Canada, five on the World Chart. UK release is threatened for September, at which point it will doubtless sink without trace.
21	9	IT'S GONNA BE ME (No Strings Attached) N'Sync	19	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, with a belated UK release pencilled in for October.
22	13	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.
23	4	CALIFORNICATION (Californication) Red Hot Chili Peppers	16
The third single from the album is the title track, revealing just how much they dislike their adoptive home state. Maybe this wasn't the obvious single, it really does nothing for me. One week at #1 in Canada.
24	9	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.
25	10	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.
26	9	NO MORE (Ruff Endz) Ruff Endz	18
First release for this US R&B group, who have an unfortunately forgettable single.
27	5	AFFIRMATION (Affirmation) Savage Garden	14	SS
In which the lead singer reels off a huge list of things he holds self-evident. Think Baz Luhrmann's Sunscreen Song, only at twice the pace and with a chorus.
28	8	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.
29	11	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.
30	10	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.
31	15	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.
32	17	EVERYTHING YOU WANT (Everything You Want) Vertical Horizon	22	Aug
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. The UK release was another overshadowed by the one-off dance hits, and just missed the sales 40. Strong airplay support suggests that we may yet see this single come back in the new year, I do hope so.
33	15	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.
34	6	TWO FACED Louise	13
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.
35	8	I WANNA KNOW (My Name Is Joe) Joe	33	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. Assuming, that is, the record company can shift their backsides and actually release the darned thing. Two weeks at #1 in Canada.
36	3	I WANNA BE WITH YOU (I Wanna Be With You) Mandy Moore	26
The second single is a limp ballad. If this is the best Moore can do, I fear her career won't last the year.
37	9	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...
38	1	ABSOLUTELY (STORY OF A GIRL) (Nine Days) Nine Days	33	SS
There are some songs that take weeks or months, and a hundred listens before the genius emerges. Others are somewhat more instant. This song had me hooked as early as the second note. It's a jaunty, singalong number that has (shockingly) not been picked up by the foolish prats who run UK radio. It is going to be as massive over here as in the US, where it spent two months top 10. It is probably going to require a second release after the initial outing in September to achieve that. This does not make me happy.
39	1	WONDERFUL (Songs From An American Movie Vol 1: Learning How To Smile) Everclear	40	SS
The Clear has never really taken off in the UK. I really hope that this is going to be the tune to break them here. It's got the right mix of light and shade, the tune and the lyrics, and is attracting airplay from the impossibly fashion-led Radio 1. Hopes are reasonable for a decent performance.
40	8	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.

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