I give every record on Popular a mark out of 10. This poll is your chance to tick any singles YOU would have given 6 or more to. In 1998 my top score was a 9 for Cornershop, my lowest a 1 for Boyzone’s “No Matter What”. Use the comments to discuss the year in general, present other lists, etc etc.
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I'm writing about every UK number one single, in order. It's taken a while, it'll take a while longer. Wander around in the archives, or join in with the marvellous bunch of commenters we've managed to attract - new voices always very welcome!
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Killer should be in there somewhere – certainly was last I looked.
At 83%, it’s probably in the top 10 across these yearly consensus polls too – I checked when it was at 87% and only Good Vibrations and Paint It, Black were higher.
#28 I turned 26 in November 1998. So…yeah.
#27 2004 seemed like a pop music nadir on both sides of the Atlantic, although for slightly different reasons. Not sure whether I’m dreading it, or perversely looking forward to everyone’s reactions….
#30 Notable that the collective performance of the 90’s has actually gotten worse since I made the observation that they weren’t doing well several months ago. Among other things, the top-rated song at the time, “Ready Or Not”, has fallen out of the top 100 entirely. Good to see White Town and Beats International hanging in there though.
#31: Whoops, right you are:
49. 8.18 ADAMSKI – “Killer” 8
I must have missed it, or momentarily misremembered it as late ’80s, when I was going down the list. Cornershop are only second-highest of the ’90s, then.
#33: Agreed, it’s not a good showing by the ’90s, only managing one entry in the readers’ top 50 and seven in the top 100. I can only see one or two songs in 1999 that might have a chance of getting there, but they may displace Beats International in the process so the overall numbers won’t get much higher than that.
A little unjust on the 90s, these scores, I think. I remember some concern from commenters past that The Modern Era would be overscored compared to some perceived Halycon Era: that really hasn’t happened.
Well #35 serves you right for being an OLD SQUARE because as any ASPIRING NON-DADDY-O would know that Modern Era still hasn’t arrived yet because G**** A**** are still merely SLOUCHING TOWARD US instead of HERE
30th December 1998 saw the first broadcast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on BBC2, as noted here: http://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/susan/sf/tv/buffy/1.htm
Of Toms 6 or more I would have marked Dr Jones, Deeper Underground, and RollerCoaster lower than him but Three Lions and It’s Like That above 6.
Cant argue with the other ones that received 5 or less.
A reasonably good year. Some terrible efforts also.
Cornershop well ahead of everything else unsurprisingly. Also the highest rated 90s song in the top 100 now.
The 90s is getting a raw deal I reckon. Only 5 or 6 in the top 100 but prominent in the bottom 100 with 30 or more from the decade.
Scottish/UK chart no 1 differences
No 1 in Scotland but not UK :
1) Madonna – Ray Of Light
2) Del Amitri – Don’t Come Home Too Soon
3) Dario G – Carnaval de Paris
4) 911 – More Than A Woman
No 1 in UK but not Scotland
1) Usher – You Make Me Wanna…
2) All Saints – Under The Bridge/Lady Marmalade
3) Baddiel, Skinner, Lightning Seeds – 3 Lions 98
4) Billie – Because We Want To
5) Another Level – Freak Me
6) Manic Street Preachers – If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
7) All Saints – Bootie Call
8) Melanie B ft Missy Elliott – I Want You Back
9) Spacedust – Gym & Tonic
World Cup allegiances at play for half of the Scotland-only number 1s. (Can this really be the last time Scotland qualified for the world cup finals?). Otherwise, urban dance music misses out north of the border, along with Billie’s better single of the year. And 911 reach the top with a crap cover version in Scotland before they do so UK-wide… And how would popular cope without a chance to discuss the Manics? (Kept off the top by Boyzone, to boot)
Re: Danny Baker’s “You stop liking pop when you’re 26” thing (which was discussed in more depth elsewhere, but can’t find it for some reason), some in-depth research which I don’t completely agree with, but interesting nonetheless – http://skynetandebert.com/2015/04/22/music-was-better-back-then-when-do-we-stop-keeping-up-with-popular-music/ – for some reason 23 or 24 looks like a better age to give.
NINETEEN. “Chocolate Salty Balls” would make 20.
Though mostly sixes. I’ve been suffering from burnout.