1992 in British music

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This is a summary of 1992 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.

Summary[]

1992 was a bleak time for the UK Singles Chart, with sales at a very low level. Due to several long chart runs, only 12 singles topped the chart this year (not counting the Queen single, which was a holdover from Christmas 1991), the lowest number since 1962, which also saw 12. In addition, none of them only lasted a week – all lasted at least two, the first time this had happened since 1971.

In the album charts Simply Red had continued success with Stars which would prove to be the second best selling album of the 90's and the best of 91 and 92. Although none of its singles reached no.1, title track Stars peaked at no.8 with all others making the top 40.

Shakespears Sister's hit "Stay" was the longest chart topper of 1992, holding onto the No 1 slot for 8 weeks.

The year saw the start of the ABBA revival, though, with Erasure grabbing the top spot for five weeks in June with their Abba-esque EP, which featured covers of ABBA songs. This was followed by ABBA tribute band Björn Again releasing Erasure-ish in October, which featured covers of Erasure songs. This reached number 25. ABBA's ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits album reached No. 1 for a week in September.

September also saw the Shamen attract controversy with the rave song "Ebeneezer Goode", which, though apparently a song about a fictional character, contained many jokey allusions to the drug Ecstasy, including the chorus "Eezer Goode, Eezer Goode, he's Ebeneezer Goode" (which sounded like "E's are good, E's are good", 'E' being a slang term for Ecstasy). The controversy ensured the song reached number 1 and stayed there for four weeks.

The biggest selling single of the year, and also the only one to sell over a million, was Whitney Houston's cover of "I Will Always Love You", taken from the film The Bodyguard. Originally charting in November, the song hit number 1 later that month, and stayed there until February next year.

The Wedding Present shared the record with Elvis Presley for most UK Top 30 hits in a year (12), by releasing limited edition, 10,000 only 7" singles every month from January to December, out of this they achieved their first (and only) ever top ten single, "Come Play With Me" in May of that year.

In the field of classical music, British composer John Palmer won the City of Lucerne Cultural Prize for Music. New classical works by British composers included the Flute Concerto by William Mathias and the String Quartet No. 1 by Mathias's former pupil John Pickard.

Events[]

  • 12 February - The KLF perform a thrash metal version of "3am Eternal" with Extreme Noise Terror at the Brit Awards, the performance is rounded off with Bill Drummond firing blanks into the audience before Scott Piering announcing that "The KLF have now left the music business". And at the aftershow party, the band dump a dead sheep outside. The band then announce their retirement, deleting their back catalogue, and their Brit award statue was later found buried in a field near Stonehenge.
  • 20 April – The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert takes place at Wembley Stadium in London, England. All proceeds go to AIDS research.
  • 24 April – David Bowie marries fashion model Iman.[1]
  • 18 May - Shut Up and Dance release their single "Raving I'm Raving" but only as a limited edition single, as the single samples "Walking In Memphis" by Marc Cohn - who threatened a lawsuit after the duo had not sought permission to use the sample. A compromise is reached, with the duo agreeing to only release it as a limited single, donate all the royalties to charity and to have the single deleted after one week. The controversy saw the single chart at #2.
  • 8 August - Morrissey is pelted with coins and missiles after performing at the Madstock Festival, whilst draped in a Union Jack flag and singing "National Front Disco" in front of Madness fans.
  • 30 October - George Michael files a lawsuit against his label Sony, declaring that they had failed to promote his "Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1" album, and for what he perceived as "professional slavery" - stating that his label left him with "no artistic control". He would lose his case in June 1994. George would later state that he regretted suing his label.
  • 22 November - Factory Records is declared bankrupt, and their catalogue is sold to London Records
  • 3 December - Bill Wyman announces he is quitting The Rolling Stones.

Charts[]

Number-one singles[]

Chart date
(week ending)		 Song Artist(s)
4 January "Bohemian Rhapsody/These Are the Days of Our Lives" Queen
11 January
18 January
25 January "Goodnight Girl" Wet Wet Wet
1 February
8 February
15 February
22 February "Stay" Shakespear's Sister
29 February
7 March
14 March
21 March
28 March
4 April
11 April
18 April "Deeply Dippy" Right Said Fred
25 April
2 May
9 May "Please Don't Go" K.W.S.
16 May
23 May
30 May
6 June
13 June Abba-esque Erasure
20 June
27 June
4 July
11 July
18 July "Ain't No Doubt" Jimmy Nail
25 July
1 August
8 August "Rhythm Is a Dancer" Snap!
15 August
22 August
29 August
5 September
12 September
19 September "Ebeneezer Goode" The Shamen
26 September
3 October
10 October
17 October "Sleeping Satellite" Tasmin Archer
24 October
31 October "End of the Road" Boyz II Men
7 November
14 November
21 November "Would I Lie to You?" Charles & Eddie
28 November
5 December "I Will Always Love You" Whitney Houston
12 December
19 December
26 December

Number-one albums[]

Chart date
(week ending)		 Album Artist(s)
4 January Stars Simply Red
11 January
18 January
25 January
1 February
8 February High on the Happy Side Wet Wet Wet
15 February
22 February Stars Simply Red
29 February
7 March
14 March Divine Madness Madness
21 March
28 March
4 April Human Touch Bruce Springsteen
11 April Adrenalize Def Leppard
18 April Diva Annie Lennox
25 April Up Right Said Fred
2 May Wish The Cure
9 May Stars Simply Red
16 May 1992 - The Love Album Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine
23 May Fear of the Dark Iron Maiden
30 May Michael Ball Michael Ball
6 June Back to Front Lionel Richie
13 June
20 June
27 June
4 July
11 July
18 July U.F.Orb The Orb
25 July The Greatest Hits: 1966–1992 Neil Diamond
1 August
8 August
15 August Welcome to Wherever You Are INXS
22 August We Can't Dance Genesis
29 August Best...I The Smiths
5 September Greatest Hits Kylie Minogue
12 September Tubular Bells II Mike Oldfield
19 September
26 September The Best of Belinda, Volume 1 Belinda Carlisle
3 October ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits ABBA
10 October Automatic for the People R.E.M.
17 October Love Symbol Prince
24 October Glittering Prize 81/92 Simple Minds
31 October
7 November
14 November Keep the Faith Bon Jovi
21 November Greatest Hits: 1965–1992 Cher
28 November Pop! - the First 20 Hits Erasure
5 December
12 December Greatest Hits: 1965–1992 Cher
19 December
26 December

Year-end charts[]

Best-selling singles[]

[2]

No. Title Artist Peak
position 		Estimated
sales[3]
1 "I Will Always Love You" Whitney Houston 1 1,000,000+
2 "Rhythm Is a Dancer" Snap! 1 675,000
3 "Would I Lie to You?" Charles & Eddie 1 600,000
4 "Stay" Shakespears Sister 1
5 "Please Don't Go"/"Game Boy" KWS 1
6 "End of the Road" Boyz II Men 1
7 Abba-esque (EP) Erasure 1
8 "Ain't No Doubt" Jimmy Nail 1
9 "Heal the World" Michael Jackson 2
10 "Goodnight Girl" Wet Wet Wet 1
11 "Baker Street" Undercover 2
12 "Deeply Dippy" Right Said Fred 1
13 "Ebeneezer Goode" The Shamen 1
14 "Hazard" Richard Marx 3
15 "Bohemian Rhapsody"/"These Are the Days of Our Lives" Queen 1
16 "Sleeping Satellite" Tasmin Archer 1
17 "The Best Things in Life Are Free" Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson with
special guests BBD and Ralph Tresvant 		2
18 "It's My Life" Dr. Alban 2
19 "Just Another Day" Jon Secada 5
20 "On a Ragga Tip" SL2 2
21 "Achy Breaky Heart" Billy Ray Cyrus 3
22 "My Girl" The Temptations 2
23 "People Everyday" Arrested Development 2
24 "I Love Your Smile" (remix) Shanice 2
25 "Jump" Kris Kross 2
26 "Twilight Zone" 2 Unlimited 2
27 "Sesame's Treet" Smart E's 2
28 "I'm Doing Fine Now" The Pasadenas 4
29 "I'm Gonna Get You" Bizarre Inc featuring Angie Brown 3
30 "Barcelona" Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé 2
31 "To Be with You" Mr. Big 3
32 "My Destiny" Lionel Richie 7
33 "Don't You Want Me" Felix 6
34 "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" Guns N' Roses 2
35 "Heartbeat" Nick Berry 2
36 "Something Good" Utah Saints 4
37 "Could It Be Magic" Take That 3
38 "I Wonder Why" Curtis Stigers 5
39 "Everything About You" Ugly Kid Joe 3
40 "I'll Be There" Mariah Carey featuring Trey Lorenz 2
41 "Temptation" (Brothers in Rhythm Remix) Heaven 17 4
42 "This Used to Be My Playground" Madonna 3
43 "Out of Space" The Prodigy 5
44 "Shake Your Head" Was (Not Was) 4
45 "Too Much Love Will Kill You" Brian May 5
46 "Everybody in the Place" The Prodigy 2
47 "Slam Jam" The WWF Superstars 4
48 "Finally" CeCe Peniston 2
49 "Never Let Her Slip Away" Undercover 5
50 "Give Me Just a Little More Time" Kylie Minogue 2

Best-selling albums[]

[4]

No. Title Artist Peak
position
1 Stars Simply Red 1
2 Back to Front Lionel Richie 1
3 Greatest Hits: 1965–1992 Cher 1
4 Glittering Prize 81/92 Simple Minds 1
5 Dangerous Michael Jackson 4[a]
6 Diva Annie Lennox 1
7 Timeless: The Classics Michael Bolton 3
8 Divine Madness Madness 1
9 We Can't Dance Genesis 2[b]
10 Up Right Said Fred 1
11 Pop!: The First 20 Hits Erasure 1
12 Gold: Greatest Hits ABBA 1
13 Greatest Hits Gloria Estefan 2
14 Hormonally Yours Shakespears Sister 3
15 High on the Happy Side Wet Wet Wet 1
16 Real Love Lisa Stansfield 3
17 Automatic for the People R.E.M. 1
18 The Way We Walk, Volume One: The Shorts Genesis 3
19 Greatest Hits II Queen 2[c]
20 Nevermind Nirvana 7
21 Simply the Best Tina Turner 2
22 Tubular Bells II Mike Oldfield 1
23 Curtis Stigers Curtis Stigers 7
24 The Commitments Original Soundtrack Various Artists 8[d]
25 Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82–92) Tears for Fears 2
26 Boss Drum The Shamen 3
27 Erotica Madonna 2
28 The Best of Belinda, Volume 1 Belinda Carlisle 1
29 The Freddie Mercury Album Freddie Mercury 4
30 The Greatest Hits: 1966–1992 Neil Diamond 1
31 Achtung Baby U2 8[e]
32 Take That and Party Take That 3
33 Diamonds and Pearls Prince and the New Power Generation 8[f]
34 Greatest Hits Queen 6[g]
35 Adrenalize Def Leppard 1
36 Shepherd Moons Enya 12[h]
37 Woodface Crowded House 6
38 Use Your Illusion II Guns N' Roses 10[i]
39 Waking Up the Neighbours Bryan Adams 11[j]
40 Out of Time R.E.M. 13[k]
41 Michael Crawford Performs Andrew Lloyd Webber Michael Crawford 7
42 Use Your Illusion I Guns N' Roses 18[l]
43 The Force Behind the Power Diana Ross 15[m]
44 The One Elton John 2
45 This Thing Called Love: The Greatest Hits of Alexander O'Neal Alexander O'Neal 4
46 Legend Bob Marley and the Wailers 18[n]
47 Keep the Faith Bon Jovi 1
48 Symbol Prince and the New Power Generation 1
49 Seal Seal 5[o]
50 Time, Love & Tenderness Michael Bolton 6[p]

Notes:

  1. ^ Reached number 1 in 1991
  2. ^ Reached number 1 in 1991
  3. ^ Reached number 1 in 1991
  4. ^ Reached number 4 in 1991
  5. ^ Reached number 2 in 1991
  6. ^ Reached number 2 in 1991
  7. ^ Reached number 1 in 1981
  8. ^ Reached number 1 in 1991
  9. ^ Reached number 1 in 1991
  10. ^ Reached number 1 in 1991
  11. ^ Reached number 1 in 1991
  12. ^ Reached number 2 in 1991
  13. ^ Reached number 11 in 1991
  14. ^ Reached number 1 in 1984
  15. ^ Reached number 1 in 1991
  16. ^ Reached number 3 in 1991

Music awards[]

Brit Awards[]

The 1992 Brit Awards winners were:

  • Best British producer: Trevor Horn
  • Best international solo artist: Prince
  • Best soundtrack: The Commitments
  • British album: Seal: Seal
  • British newcomer: Beverley Craven
  • British female solo artist – Lisa Stansfield
  • British group: Simply Red
  • British male solo artist: Seal
  • British single: Queen – "These Are the Days of Our Lives"
  • British video: Seal – "Killer"
  • International newcomer: P.M. Dawn
  • International group: R.E.M.
  • Outstanding contribution: Freddie Mercury

Mercury Music Prize[]

The 1992 Mercury Music Prize was awarded to Primal Scream – Screamadelica.

Classical music[]

Opera[]

Film and incidental music[]

Births[]

  • 10 February – Misha B, singer-songwriter
  • 26 April – Danielle Hope, singer and actress
  • 19 May – Sam Smith, singer-songwriter
  • 4 July – , singer
  • 8 July – Benjamin Grosvenor, pianist
  • 2 August – Charli XCX, singer-songwriter
  • 4 August – S-X, producer and singer-songwriter
  • 16 September –Jessica Plummer, actress and singer[5]
  • 5 October – Alex Prior, conductor and composer
  • 22 October
  • 21 November – Conor Maynard, singer

Deaths[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Live Journal
  2. ^ "Year End Charts: Top Singles". Music Week. 16 January 1993. p. 8.
  3. ^ Jones, Alan (16 January 1993). "Best Sellers". Music Week. p. 9.
  4. ^ "Year End Charts: Top Albums". Music Week. 16 January 1993. p. 10.
  5. ^ Crick, Clair (12 November 2020). "Jessica Plummer – things you didn't know about the I'm A Celebrity star". What's on TV. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  6. ^ The Stephen Oliver Archive at the British Library
  7. ^ Henri Temianka Is Dead at 85; Violinist and Founder of Quartet - New York Times

External links[]

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