Chart Rewind – Sida 4 – WelcheMusic.com

Today in Music: They Topped the Singles Chart in 1994

So, you might feel a wee bit old if you remember these hits by heart 20 years later. Times are a changing, unless you find Bryan Adams, Enigma and Maxx on the current charts. Back then, eurodance music (preferably German) was popular – a trend that definitely has been recycled (yo David Guetta). Check out today’s WelcheMusic’s Chart Rewind.

10. Janet Jackson – Again

Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, Janet Jackson lost to Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Streets of Philadelphia’ in 1993. Springsteen’s hit peaked at No.9 on the Billboard Hot 100, beaten by Janet Jackson’s ‘Again’ which topped the chart for two weeks. Written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, ‘Again’ was the third hit single off janet. In Sweden, it peaked at No.5 becoming Jackson’s biggest hit ever in this country.

9. Just D – Vart tog den söta lilla flickan vägen?

Based on an Jamaican hit called ‘The Naughty Little Flea,’ Swedish hip hop trio Just D sampled Owe Thörnqvist’s Swedish verson ‘Vart tog den stygga lilla loppan vägen’ (Where Did the Naugthy Little Flea Go). The 1993 hit ‘Vart tog den söta lilla flickan vägen’ (Where Did the Sweet Little Girl Go) was included on the trio’s set Tre Amigos. The set was Just D’s fourth following Rock’n’Roll which was released the previous year. The group comprised of singers Peder ‘Pedda Pedd’ Ernerot, ‘William ‘Doktor C’ Craaford and Gustave ‘Gurra G’ Lund.

8. Bryan Adams – Please Forgive Me

Bryan Adams issued his greatest hits collection So Far So Good at the end of 1993. ‘Please Forgive Me’ was the only new track, co-written and co-produced by the heavyweight producer Robert Lange. The single was an international hit, topping tallies in e.g. Australia, his home country Canada and Norway. In Sweden, it peaked at No.2 (as well as the UK), while reaching No.7 at the Billboard Hot 100.

7. Björk, David Arnold – Play Dead

‘Play Dead’ was a soundtrack cut off The Young Americans, a 1993 crime drama and debut of British director Danny Cannon. David Arnold is known for writing the scores to five James Bond movies. Icelandic singer Björk added ‘Play Dead’ to her sophomore album Debut. The set spawned no less than five singles (including ‘Human Behaviour’ and ‘Violently Happy.’

6. Ace of Base – The Sign

‘The Sign’ hardly needs any introduction. Issued at the end of October, it never topped the Swedish singles chart peaking at No.2. It succeeded Celine Dion’s ‘The Power of Love’ in Mid-March 1994, ‘The Sign’ was produced by Joker, Denniz Pop and Douglas Carr. It was featured in the 2012 top movie Pitch Perfect.

5. Depeche Mode – In Your Room

‘In Your Room’ is one of few track in this top ten tally that was actually released in 1994. Included on the album Songs of Faith and Devotion, Depeche Mode was the group’s 30^th UK hit single.

4. Captain Hollywood Project – Impossible

Captain Hollywood Project placed three hits in a row – ‘More and More,’ ‘Only with You’ and ‘Impossible.’ Evolved out of the Dutch dance project Twenty 4 Seven, front man Tony Dawson Harrison released three albums.

3. Maxx – Get-A-Way

Eurodance was definitely of fashion back in 1994. As well as Captain Hollywood Project, Maxx was also based in Germany. Preceding ‘No More (I Can’t Stand It),’ ‘Get-A-Way’ peaked at No.3, also charting in the UK.

2. Enigma – Return To Innocence

Yet another German group, Enigma returned to the charts in early January with The Cross of Changes and its introductory hit ‘Return to Innocence.’ The group had previously got its breakthrough with ‘Sadness (Pt.1)’ in 1992. Sung by Angel X (Andreas Harde), an Amis chant is heard through the song. The track topped the Swedish singles chart, peaking at No.4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No.3 in the UK.

1. Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, Sting – All For Love

Stewart and Sting also provided vocals. The track was covered by Swedish pop trio EMD in 2007, repeating the feat of topping our national singles tally.

The Top 5 Biggest Sean Paul Hits in Sweden

Welcoming Sean Paul to Sweden, the Jamaican dancehall singer performed during last night’s Idol. Sean Paul is here to promote the latest album Full Frequency, slated for release on Nov. 4. Included, is his latest single ‘Turn It Up.’

Sean Paul – Turn It Up

Sean Paul has collaborated with producers such as Stargate, The Cataracs and Benny Blanco. The first single ‘Other Side of Love’ topped the UK R&B singles chart earlier this fall and was produced by Benny Blanco and The Cataracs.

In an interview with Aftonbladet, Sean Paul hails Miriam as a probable Idol winner. He also commend the Swedish success duo Icona Pop. “They’re really great. I like their song. I love it, my mother loves it and my grandma loves it. I’ve heard my grandma singing ’I don’t care..’,” he says.

Looking back on Sean Paul’s chart career, these are his greatest achievements on the Swedish singles chart to date.

5. Sean Paul – We Be Burnin’ (2005)

‘We Be Burnin’’ was produced by Renaissance Crew Productions and was the first single off Sean Paul’s third installment The Trinity. The track spent 20 weeks on the Swedish singles chart, finally peaking at No.14. It was a UK No.2, eventually peaking at No.6 on the Hot 100.

4. Sean Paul – Like Glue (2003)

Lyrics from ‘Like Glue’ was originally included meant for ‘Gimme the Light,’ but transformed into a new song. T.O.K’s ‘Money 2 Burn’ is used as a sample on the track. The track spent 14 weeks on the singles chart, finally peaking at No.13.

3. Beyoncé feat. Sean Paul – Baby Boy (2003)

‘Baby Boy’ was included on Beyoncé’s album Dangerously in Love. The release succeeded Beyonce’s ‘Fighting Temptation’ and Sean Paul’s ‘Breathe.’ ‘Baby Boy’ was a huge hit across the globe. The track spent 19 weeks on the singles chart, finally peaking at No.5.

2. Simple Plan feat. Sean Paul – Summer Paradise (2012)

The French-Canadian pop punk band Simple Plan originally featured the Somali-Canadian rapper K’Naan on ‘Summer Paradise.’ Upon the worldwide release, guest vocals were provided by Sean Paul instead. The track spent 20 weeks on the singles chart, finally peaking at No.4.

1. Sean Paul – Get Busy (2003)

‘Get Busy’ is included on Sean Paul’s album Dutty Rock and the video was shot in Woodbridge, Ontario. Produced by Steven ‘Lenky’ Marsden, ‘Get Busy’ spent 27 weeks on the singles chart, finally peaking at No.4. A remix of the track was featured in the 2003 film Grind.

Today in Music: They Topped the Swedish Singles Chart in 1993

20 years have passed since 1993! Jurassic Park was the top grossing movie, but there was always a fresh singles chart – every week. Check out the top five tracks on the Swedish singles chart in 1993 on WelcheMusic’s Chart Rewind:

5. Twenty 4 Seven feat. Stay-C and Nance – Slave to the Music

Dutch group Twenty 4 Seven was created by the producer Ruud van Rijen back in 1989. They debuted with ‘I Can’t Stand It’ that very year, ultimately racking up no less than 15 singles and four albums. ‘Slave to the Music’ was their biggest singles, lifted off the sophomore set carrying the same name. The track was written by Twenty 4 Seven with van Riijen as co-writer and producer. Twenty 4 Seven continued to release music until 2007 when ‘Like Flames’ was released – a cover of US new wave group Berlin most famous for ‘Take My Breath Away.’ Time for a comeback? Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a good version of the original video, explaining why Li-Ann is the featured artist in this version.

4. 4 Non Blondes – What’s Up?

‘What’s Up?’ was unquestionably the biggest hit for the San Francisco rock group 4 Non Blondes. Included on the debut album Bigger, Better, Faster, More!, the track was written by singer Linda Perry. It topped the Swedish singles chart for 4 weeks, was a runner-up in the UK and missed out the top ten in the US (it peaked at No.14). While 4 Non Blondes might not be around, Linda Perry is a successful songwriter haven penned hits such as ‘Get the Party Started’ (P!nk), ‘Beautiful’ (Christina Aguilera) and ‘What You Waiting For?’ (Gwen Stefani).

3. Pet Shop Boys – Go West

Peaking at No.2, ‘Go West’ was originally a hit for the Village People in 1979. It was written by Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo, Victor Willis, while Morali helmed production. The track was chosen when the Pet Shop Boys performed on an AIDS charity event at the Hacienda nightclub in Manchester. Following the success of ‘Can You Forgive Her?,’ ‘Go West’ was the second single off Very. The set spawned no less than five hit singles!

2. Soul Asylum – Runaway Train

A giant hit back in 1993, amassing no less than 23 weeks Soul Asylum’s ‘Runaway Train’ missed out on the top position. It was written by lead singer David Pirner and produced by Michael Beinhorn (of Hole and Marilyn Manson fame). The fourth single off the album Grave Dancers Union, the track was awarded a Grammy for Best Rock Song in 1994. Focusing on missing children, the video was adapted to different markets showing pictures of children that had disappeared. Soul Asylum released their tenth album last year named Delayed Reaction.

1. Freddie Mercury – Living on My Own

Topping the Swedish singles chart for 5 weeks, ‘Living on My Own’ became an enormous hit in its remixed version by No More Brothers. The track was originally produced by German producer Mack and written by Freddie Mercury. It topped the charts in several markets, including the UK, France, Norway and Italy. The footage in the video is taken from Freddie Mecury’s 39^th birthday. The song was originally featured on Mercury’s debut solo album Mr. Bad Guy (1985), peaking at No.50 in the UK upon its single release that year. Returning to the charts 8 years later, this was Freddie Mercury’s first and sole UK No.1 as a solo artist.

You’ll Never Stop Me Loving You, Sonia!

Back in 1989, new hits did not spread like wildfire on Twitter. As an eager 11-year old I bought import copies of pop magazines Number One and Smash Hits, and managed to catch wind of the pop sensation Sonia.

I covered Sonia and ‘You’ll Never Stop Me Loving You’ back in January 2010, only realizing that this is the perfect time as it was a summer hit of 1989. Bowing at No.54 on 24^th June that year, three years later it became Sonia’s first ever UK chart-topper.

Written and produced by the immensely popular trio Stock, Aitken & Waterman, the track was one of many chart-toppers from the trio during the ‘80s. As noted in my previous post, one of the words was omitted from the title as Sonia actually sang you’ll never stop me from loving you. This was also applied to her later hit ‘Counting Every Minute’ where Sonia sings counting every single minute.

Today, Sonia is 42 years old and wrapped her career with a Greatest Hits set back in 2007. Her career spans over 18 years old and includes a cover version of ‘Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy.’ Originally recorded by the Atlanta vocal group The Tams back in 1968, Sonia bested the original peak of No.32 finally reaching No.11 in 1991. It also earned her a Stateside hit as it climbed the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart (it peaked at No.13).

The odd thing is that the bank Abbey International used the track in its commercial dubbing it ‘Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Abbey.’ Even more odd that the commercial lasted 52 seconds!

Abbey International Ad (1991)

In 1993, Sonia was the sole contender in the UK contest Song for Europe, alas the UK leg of the Eurovision Song Contest. I was actually in London at the time, witnessing the singer performing all competing songs. It wasn’t particularly nerve-wrecking as she was destined to win, and her entry ‘Better the Devil You Know’ managed to place second behind Niahm Kavanagh’s ‘In Your Eyes.’ Sweden’s entry that year was Arvingarna’s ‘Eloise’ (No.7).

Throughout Sonia’s career, she placed two other singles in the UK top ten – ‘Listen to Your Heart’ (1989) and ‘Only Fools (Never Fall in Love)’ (1991). Her final single was ‘Fool for Love’ in 2009, which never managed to chart.

The Sonia Infographic

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