Wednesday 26 August 2020

50 years of song: 1990-1999

I will be 50 soon. I can scarcely believe it. To mark the passing of time, and all of its sickening crimes, I'm going to be counting down (or, rather, up, I suppose) the tracks that were number 1 in the charts on my birthday, starting from the day I was born and working up to the present.

What will be #1 on my 50th? I don't care really - chances are I'll loathe it anyway. Anyway, here goes - part three:

  1. The Joker - The Steve Miller Band: amazing what a jeans ad could do for a song, back then
  2. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You - Bryan Adams: well, it was #1 for most of the year, wasn't it?
  3. Rhythm is a Dancer - Snap!: at least this kept that awful cover of Baker Street off the top
  4. Mr Vain - Culture Beat: utter shite. Wasn't this a peak Britpop year?
  5. Love Is All Around - Wet Wet Wet: begat a slew of bad karaoke Pellow impressions
  6. You Are Not Alone - Michael Jackson: God, I don't remember the 90s being this bad
  7. Flava - Peter Andre: I'm sorry, I can't help the day I was born on
  8. The Drugs Don't Work - The Verve: funny how movements in popular culture filter down to the charts as they are ending, isn't it?
  9. Bootie Call - All Saints: all vest-tops and camo trousers, more like
  10. Mambo No.5 (A Little Bit Of) - Lou Bega: appropriate way to end a terrible selection of songs

Wait, what? No Blur? No Oasis? No Suede? No Pulp? What a sorry selection from the decade of Britpop! There's only one choice for this week's embed, isn't there? And I really feel this is only going to get worse over the next two weeks...

Source: officialcharts.com

10 comments:

  1. Argh, shockingly awful. But worth it for your commentary!

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  2. Still a bit whiffy - the 90s really did reveal the growing chasm between my tastes and the record buying public.
    Still, Steve Miller and The Verve provide relief.
    And Mambo Number 5 was a bit of fun at the time (note: "Was" - it's just annoying and overplayed now)

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    Replies
    1. Whiffy in the extreme...and it's only going to get worse.

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  3. Number ones are notoriously awful, but that is a pretty bad selection. Only 2 I'd ever want to hear again: you choice and Steve.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, it's a rotten selection alright. Wish I could say things improve but...

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  4. For the third time my comments re No. 1 records stand. By the 90s we weren't buying as many singles so if a big feel-good movie came out with a song attached, those who wouldn't normally make a purchase did, and it stayed at the top spot for ages - Bryan Adams (16 weeks), Wet, Wet, Wet (15 weeks). It seems to be getting worse by the decade for sure.

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    Replies
    1. With worse - much, much worse - to come...

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    2. Really? I thought they stopped making the pop charts in 2000.

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