June 1997. Britain’s longest-running libel case wrapped up, with McDonalds winning a £40,000 judgment against two environmentalists. It’s nice to know that large corporations can sometimes win in the legal system, isn’t it? Let’s see how the Britis public ruled on the popular music of the day.
40 - “Love Shine a Light,” Katrina and the Waves
The architects of “Walking on Sunshine” had pretty much faded into obscurity when the band stumbled into representing Britain in Eurovision and giving the U.K. its first win in sixteen years. It’s peppy, optimistic, and sounds like it was written for a soft drink commercial. In other words, it was an unbeatable Eurovision proposition.
39 - “Ministry of Love,” Hysteric Ego
This comes from a British DJ named Robert White, and is apparently an example of “hard house.” So it’s bleepy-bloop with bigger beats. For dancing, and maybe a video game soundtrack. I don’t understand how it works in any other contexts. It may, I just don’t understand how.
38 - “What Kind of Man Would I Be,” Mint Condition
A Minnesota funk group with a very good ballad about trying not to cheat when you really, really want to. More raw than its peers of the time.
37 - “Help Me Make It,” Huff + Puff
Not sure who these people are, but this is a house track mainly notable for thoroughly sampling the Gladys Knight and the Pips version of “Help Me Make it Through the Night.” So this was the background music for ravers still looking to hook up at 3 am, I gather. Well, retroactive good luck to them.
36 - “Something About You,” New Edition
The second Brit hit from the boy band’s super-reunion (featuring both the once-deposed Bobby Brown and his replacement Johnny Gill) was this piece of what the spoken intro describes as “country-western funk folk.” Not sure that quite works, but it does effectively sample Edie Brickell and New Bohemians “What I Am,” the hooks and verses are terrific, and both Ralph Tresvant’s lead and the harmony vocals are on point. This is much better than I ever would have imagined. A lost classic.
35 - “6 Underground,” Sneaker Pimps
The biggest hit for this Hartlepool trip-hop outfit was this dreamily catchy pop song. It carries you away on a cloud of catatonic delirium. But in a good way.
34 - “Wonderful Tonight,” Damage
Another British boy band, this one having their biggest hit with a cover of Eric Clapton’s 1978 ode to the beauty of his wife. The song adapts well to the R&B ballad style, and everyone involved seems to make the right choices. If you like this sort of thing, I think you’ll be pleased.
33 - “Waltz Away Dreaming,” Toby Bourke and George Michael
Irishman Bourke was signed to a label Michael founded, and the two collaborated on this ballad about mourning a woman one loved. It’s emotional but not sappy. A good song to be sad to.
32 - “Ti Amo,” Gina G
The Aussie’s fourth hit is Latin-tinged dance pop that is essentially an inferior rewrite of “La Isla Bonita.” No need for it.
31 - “I Don’t Want To,” Toni Braxton
The Baltimore native’s fourth Top Ten hit here was this ballad about lacking motivation after a breakup. Pretty much the same song as “Breathe Again,” but I actually like this better.
30 - “The End is the Beginning is the End,” Smashing Pumpkins
The second and last U.K. Top Ten for the Chicago alt-rockers was this track from the now-infamous film Batman and Robin. Yeah, the one with George Clooney in a Bat-suit with nipples and Arnold Schwarzenegger making terrible ice puns as Mr. Freeze. As for the song, it’s Billy Corgan’s general hard rock with dark meataphoric lyrics, but something about the production makes me feel that he listened a lot to U2’s hit from the previous Bat-film, “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me,” while writing this. It’s okay, but not among their best work.
29 - “Hole in My Soul,” Aerosmith
The ‘smith show up with one of their screamy, tough-sounding nineties power ballads. Unfortunately, they didn’t have Alicia Silverstone to do their videos anymore, as she was now off making can’t-miss career moves like playing Batgirl, so the chart returns diminished. Which is probably why they were okay going full-on Diane Warren-soggy the next year on that Armageddon song.
28 - “I Believe I Can Fly,” R. Kelly
Fortunately for the rest of us, you can’t. And hopefully you’ll soon be a permanently grounded jailbird.
27 - “You Might Need Somebody,” Shola Ama
The first hit for this Londoner was this cover of a 1981 Randy Crawford hit. Breezy jazz-soul, which I’m guessing is pretty close to the original. I like Ms. Ama’s voice quite a bit, so I’ll forgive her if this cover is inessential.
26 - “Strange,” Wet Wet Wet
The drenched Scotsmen had another hit with this lite-funk shuffle about confusion. I am completely certain about how mediocre it is.
25 - “Never, Never Gonna Give You Up,” Lisa Stansfield
The Rochdale lady’s last hit was this cover of one of Barry White’s best. The female perspective and Stansfield’s sexy delivery make it worth a listen.
24 - “Whatever,” En Vogue
The penultimate hit for Oakland’s funky divas was this danceable tune about romantic desperation. Between this and New Edition, uptempo R&B is having a strong showing so far this week. Very very good.
23 - “Lovefool,” The Cardigans
The biggest hit from the pride of Jongkoping, Sweden was this sultry dance-rocker about the joy of romance which broke out when it was included on the soundtrack to the Leonardo DiCaprio/Claire Danes version of Romeo + Juliet. Nina Persson exudes sunshine, even while she’s crying and begging. Irresistible.
22 - “Paranoid Android,” Radiohead
The lead single from the legendary OK Computer, and the track that started the Oxfordshire quintet on the way from the back line of Britpop’s starting eleven to their eventual status as one of the All-Time Important Bands. A six-and-a-half minute mini-epic apparently inspired by a bad experience Thom Yorke had in an L.A. nightclub, it has multiple sections and tempos that reflect moods of benusement, anger, nihilism, and resignation, and evocative lyrics about unborn chickens, Gucci piggies, and networking yuppies. Every bit the masterpiece it has been built up to be.
21 - “Not Where it’s At,” Del Amitri
The Scottish band’s twelfth Top 40 was this jangle-rocker about not being cool enough to win the girl of your dreams. Their usual pleasurable pop distraction. An underrated singles band.
In Part Two: a foul smell, a thrill ride, and the ultimate in popera.
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