This time we're going back 20 years. On the date of this chart, the Euro '96 soccer tournament kicked off at Wembley with host England drawing 1-1 with Switzerland. Footy was everywhere, even on the pop chart, as we shall see.
40 - "Klubbhopping" Klubbheads
The first and biggest hit by these Dutch producers/DJs was this dance tune about half steps and pumping junk into minds. Again, the problem I have with dance tracks like this is I can never imagine voluntarily listening to them outside a room full of spinning lights and sweaty people. And I never go to those places, so I find it hard to fully appreciate the songs.
39 - "Light My Fire/Release Me," The Mike Flowers Pops
Londoner Mike Flowers had a brief run of fame in the mid-90s portraying a lounge singer who covered rock songs. In 1995, he hit #2 with his version of Oasis' "Wonderwall." His second hit, a single containing takes on 60s hits by The Doors and Engelbert Humperdinck, was less successful, charting only as high as it is this week. It's a gimmick that worked once but then became boring. He'd hit the Top 40 one more time later this year, then he'd fade back into obscurity.
38 - "The X-Files," Mark Snow
New Yorker Martin Fulterman's first foray into music came when he helped found the classical/rock hybrid New York Rock & Roll Ensemble in the late 60s. In the 70s he began composing for film and television, and in 1993 he created his most famous work, the theme tune for the Fox series about two FBI agents specializing in paranormal investigations. It's a haunting electronic piece that perfectly sets the mood for voyages into the unknown, and Britain loved it so much it reached #2. Why didn't it go all the way to #1.? Only the Cigarette-Smoking Man knows for sure.
37 - "Pass and Move (It's the Liverpool Groove)," Liverpool FC and Boot Room Boyz
More football music, this one by the team from the home of the Beatles. This one is a rap, and much better than you'd expect from a sports team. It was recorded by the club ahead of their FA Cup final match with Manchester United. I will tell you what happened later in this post.
36 - "Trippin' on Sunshine," Pizzaman
This London house duo was composed of John Reid and one Norman Cook, the former bassist of indie band The Housemartins who would go on to international fame as DJ/producer Fatboy Slim. The first of their four British Top 40s suffers from many of the problems I mentioned when I talked about the Klubbheads track, but there's also musicality and the semblance of a hook, which would be a trademark of the best Fatboy Slim material. Better than average for the genre.
35 - "I Will Survive," Chantay Savage
The biggest American and British hit for this Chicago singer was this cover of the Gloria Gaynor perseverance classic, She performed it as a ballad. Very interesting choice. Reminds me of Anita Baker. I like it.
34 - "A Design for Life," Manic Street Preachers
Since forming in Wales in 1986, this band had frequently courted controversy and sensationalism, most notably a 1991 incident when guitarist Richey Edwards carved "4 REAL" into his arm with a razor blade during an interview. The band had developed a loyal following and had gained some mainstream success, but in February of 1995, Edwards disappeared, and his fate and whereabouts have been a mystery ever since. With the blessing of Edwards' family, the band carried on, and this, the first song they wrote after the disappearance, became their biggest hit to date, reaching #2. It's an anthemic, orchestrated rock song about feeling trampled down by the class system. Powerful and wonderful.
33 - "St. Teresa," Joan Osborne
Kentucky native Osborne moved to New York in the 80s, and earlier this year she had scored an international smash with her meditation on God, "One of Us." Her second-most successful single was this gritty blues number that I think is about looking for beauty and hope amid urban desolation. It's fantastic, one of my favorite songs ever. She's been pretty much an afterthought ever since, but to me, her Relish album still holds up. I'll never forget it because I bought it because of "One of Us" and found upon first listen that it was easily the weakest song on the album, to the point where I find that song hard to listen to to this day. I don't remember that ever happening before or since.
32 - "They Don't Care About Us," Michael Jackson
The most infamous single from the HIStory album. It's his angriest song, railing at injustices against the world in general and to himself in particular. At the time he saw himself as the victim of persecution by the media and the legal system after the 1993 child sexual abuse allegations that dragged his career down in America throughout the remainder of his life. This victimization caused him to use some anti-Semitic slurs in the lyrics that, whatever his intentions, were seen as hateful by Jewish groups and caused him to re-record the track. Judging it strictly as a song, it's an effective blast of outrage that contains echoes of both "Beat It" and the Temptations classic "Ball of Confusion." But there is also something about it that reveals either a naïve or willful lack of self-awareness. You feel like he sees world poverty and racial inequality as problems equal in magnitude to the press and the police having the temerity to report investigate serious claims of criminal behaviour on his part. He seems unable to grasp that in so many very real ways, he was not "us" and could never be. But that's just my opinion. I am not the first person to play pop psychologist on Michael Jackson, and I certainly won't be the last.
31 - "Good Day," Sean Maguire
This Londoner began acting as a child, appearing in, among other things, the "Every Sperm is Sacred" section of Monty Python's The Meaning of Life. He became a star in the 90s playing a footballer on the popular soap EastEnders, and a singing career followed that produced eight Top 40 singles in the decade, the biggest being this okay dance-pop trifle about having a nice time. The music has long stopped, but his acting career has stayed strong, with multiple TV and film appearances on both sides of the Atlantic, including his current role as Robin Hood on the ABC fantasy series Once Upon a Time.
30 - "Tonight, Tonight," Smashing Pumpkins
Formed in 1988, this Chicago rock band rode the grunge/alternative wave of the 90s to international stardom. Their biggest British single was this lushly produced rock epic about belief in the possibilities of life. Inspiring and beautiful. Their best song by far.
29 - "Children," Robert Miles
The biggest hit by the Italian DJ born Roberto Concina. Hooky, dreamy dance music. This is how you make something that works beyond the walls of the club.
28 - "Doin' It," LL Cool J
LL and female rapper LeShaun rhyme explicitly about sex on this track that makes you almost feel like a voyeur. And I'm not sure I want to know what "candy rain" is.
27 - "Reach," Gloria Estefan
The Cuban-American superstar supplied this aspirational ballad for use at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Made a good soundtrack for track and field and gymnastics highlights, but doesn't quite work as well outside that context.
26 - "Let This Be a Prayer," Rollo Goes Spritual
Londoner Rollo Armstrong has had much British success, most notably with his dance group Faithless. He is also the brother of Dido Armstrong, of "Thank You" and "White Flag" fame. Here, he combines house beats with gospel. Another one that you don't need to dance to to get something out of.
25 - "Sensual Sophisti-Cat," Carl Cox
This DJ from Oldham has been one of the stalwarts of the worldwide dance music scene for the last quarter-century, and he has managed five U.K. Top 40 singles along the way, including this one. It's somewhat sensual, and reasonably sophisticated, so I guess as the Brits say, it does what it says on the tin.
24 - "Blue Moon/Only You," John Alford
Another child actor-turned-heartthrob Scottish-born Alford began acting as a child in the 80s, and at this time was popular for his role as a firefighter in a TV drama called London's Burning. His foray into music produced three hits, the biggest being these covers of two popular standards. The music is lite dance-pop, and Alford's singing is pretty much at the level of the last guy picked for a boy band. And like many others on that level, he has had legal issues with drugs and impaired driving since the peak of his fame.
23 - "Move Move Move (The Red Tribe)," 1996 Manchester United FA Cup Squad
Liverpool's FA Cup opponents recorded a song of their own. This is more of a house track, and it's boasts of on-field prowess are sung rather than rapped. A little more musically interesting than their rival's offering. In the chart battle, Liverpool outpeaked them 4 to 6, but in the game, Man U got the win and the Cup. I think they were happy with that trade.
22 - "Before You Walk Out of My Life," Monica
The R&B diva's third U.K. hit was this midtempo ballad about trying to avoid a breakup. Effective. But I'm not sure if referring to herself in the third person late in the song was crass or genius.
21 - "Do You Know Where You're Coming From," M-Beat featuring Jamiroquai
Not sure who M-Beat are, but Jamiroquai are Brit-funk superstars led by the sports car-driving, horned-hat wearing Jason "Jay Kay" Cheetham. This is a stuttery, rubbery groove about finding meaning and purpose. Very much inspired by Stevie Wonder's golden 70s period, and there are much worse sources of inspiration.
In Part Two: nudity, murder, and big cats.
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