1995 in British music
1990s in music in the UK |
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This is a summary of 1995 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
Summary[]
1995 saw a number of changes occur. Céline Dion's "Think Twice", which was released in October 1994 yet took until the end of January to reach the top, was the first UK number 1 single not to be available on vinyl in any form.
Around the middle of the year, the way singles entered the chart started to change. Instead of entering low and climbing up to their peak, singles would now usually enter at their peak, and then fall down the chart. In May, Robson & Jerome became the first British act to reach number 1 with "Unchained Melody", after having sung the song on the ITV programme Soldier Soldier. In May, music featured in an advertising campaign for Guinness reached number 2 – mambo tune "Guaglione" by Pérez Prado was a massive hit and the advert featured on an accompanying screensaver.
This was also the year which saw Britpop at its most popular. A highly publicised chart battle in August saw Oasis and Blur battling it out for the number 1 position, having both released their singles on the same day. Blur won the singles battle, with "Country House" beating Oasis' "Roll with It" to the top spot, but Oasis, with (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, would go on to greatly outsell Blur's album, the album of which would eventually become the second biggest album in the UK. After a decade in the business Pulp secured a first number one album while Britpop elder statesman Paul Weller also benefited from a return to popular and critical favour.
Singles that went on to sell over a million copies were Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise", the first rap single to sell over a million in the UK, both of Robson & Jerome's songs ("Unchained Melody" / "White Cliffs of Dover", the biggest selling single of the year, and "I Believe" / "Up on the Roof") and Michael Jackson's "Earth Song". In addition, a second remix of New Order's "Blue Monday" (reaching number 17) pushed sales of that song over a million as well.
In all, there were 17 number one singles in 1995. As the 1990s continued the amount started to increase, and there wouldn't be a total as low as 1995's.
Composer Michael Tippett celebrated his ninetieth birthday on 2 January. the occasion was marked by special events in Britain, Canada and the US, including the premiere of his final work, The Rose Lake. A collection of his essays, Tippett on Music, was published in the same year. The other most notable British classical composer of the year was Karl Jenkins, whose album Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary was released in September to become a huge hit, thanks to the music's exposure in television advertisements.
Events[]
- January - In a shake up to BBC Radio 1's playlist, controller Matthew Bannister ensures that "old music" (anything recorded before 1990) is dropped from their playlists.
- 13 January - Steve Wright leaves BBC Radio 1, unhappy that his producer had been asked to leave, and because he disagreed with being told what records to play on his morning show.
- 1 February - Richey Edwards, guitarist with the Manic Street Preachers disappears. He would soon be reported as a "missing person", until 2008, when he became legally "presumed dead".
- 24 February - Bruno Brookes is sacked from BBC Radio 1, after 11 years, by head of production, Trevor Dann. Brookes' contract, that was due to end in April was not renewed.
- March - Drummer Reni leaves The Stone Roses, just weeks before the band are due to start their Second Coming tour, he is replaced by Robbie Maddix who would remain with the band until the band splits a year later.
- 24 April - Chris Evans is new host of BBC Radio 1's breakfast show, replacing Steve Wright.
- 30 April - Drummer Tony McCarroll leaves Oasis, following a bust-up, he would be replaced by Alan White
- 24 June - The Stone Roses pull out of their headline performance at the Glastonbury Festival, after guitarist John Squire fractures his collarbone in a mountain biking accident. They are replaced by Pulp who go on in their place.
- 17 July - Robbie Williams leaves Take That
- 14 August - Blur's single "Country House" and Oasis' single "Roll with It" are released on the same day, leading to a media frenzy that would be tagged as "The Battle Of Britpop".
- 20 September - The Daily Mirror accuse Pulp, of promoting drugs with their song "Sorted for E's & Wizz", and call for the single and its inside artwork to be banned.
- 2 October - Oasis release their 2nd album (What's the Story) Morning Glory? , it sells a record-breaking 345,000 copies in its first week, making it (at the time) the second-fastest selling album in British history
- 6 November - Queen release Made in Heaven, their final studio album, and their last album to include what was Freddie Mercury's final vocals.
- 4 December - The Beatles release "Free as a Bird", originally an unreleased demo by John Lennon from 1977 and completed by the surviving Beatles, who incorporated the demo into a studio version.
Charts[]
Number-one singles[]
Chart date (week ending) |
Song | Artist(s) | Sales |
7 January | "Stay Another Day" | East 17 | |
14 January | "Cotton Eye Joe" | Rednex | 60,000 |
21 January | 85,000 | ||
28 January | 70,000 | ||
4 February | "Think Twice" | Celine Dion | 74,000 |
11 February | 80,000 | ||
18 February | 86,000 | ||
25 February | 154,000 | ||
4 March | 141,000 | ||
11 March | 120,000 | ||
18 March | 50,000 | ||
25 March | "Love Can Build a Bridge" | Cher, Chrissie Hynde & Neneh Cherry with Eric Clapton | 150,000 |
1 April | "Don't Stop (Wiggle Wiggle)" | The Outhere Brothers | 90,000 |
8 April | "Back for Good" | Take That | 346,000 |
15 April | 185,000 | ||
22 April | 140,000 | ||
29 April | 85,000 | ||
6 May | "Some Might Say" | Oasis | 138,000 |
13 May | "Dreamer" | Livin' Joy | 106,000 |
20 May | "Unchained Melody / White Cliffs of Dover" | Robson & Jerome | 314,000 |
27 May | 460,000 | ||
3 June | 320,000 | ||
10 June | 210,000 | ||
17 June | 145,000 | ||
24 June | 90,000 | ||
1 July | 73,000 | ||
8 July | "Boom Boom Boom" | The Outhere Brothers | 62,000 |
15 July | 74,000 | ||
22 July | 77,000 | ||
29 July | 65,000 | ||
5 August | "Never Forget" | Take That | 115,000 |
12 August | 86,000 | ||
19 August | 54,000 | ||
26 August | "Country House" | Blur | 274,000 |
2 September | 135,000 | ||
9 September | "You Are Not Alone" | Michael Jackson | 83,000 |
16 September | 100,000 | ||
23 September | "Boombastic" | Shaggy | 93,000 |
30 September | "Fairground" | Simply Red | 211,000 |
7 October | 142,000 | ||
14 October | 129,000 | ||
21 October | 96,000 | ||
28 October | "Gangsta's Paradise" | Coolio featuring LV | 107,000 |
4 November | 166,000 | ||
11 November | "I Believe / Up on the Roof" | Robson & Jerome | 258,000 |
18 November | 224,000 | ||
25 November | 118,000 | ||
2 December | 80,000 | ||
9 December | "Earth Song" | Michael Jackson | 116,467 |
16 December | 149,549 | ||
23 December | 150,739 | ||
30 December | 261,851 |
Number-one albums[]
Chart date (week ending) |
Album | Artist |
7 January | Carry On up the Charts | The Beautiful South |
14 January | ||
21 January | ||
28 January | The Colour of My Love | Celine Dion |
4 February | ||
11 February | ||
18 February | ||
25 February | ||
4 March | ||
11 March | Greatest Hits | Bruce Springsteen |
18 March | Medusa | Annie Lennox |
25 March | Elastica | Elastica |
1 April | The Colour of My Love | Celine Dion |
8 April | Wake Up! | The Boo Radleys |
15 April | Greatest Hits | Bruce Springsteen |
22 April | Picture This | Wet Wet Wet |
29 April | ||
6 May | ||
13 May | Nobody Else | Take That |
20 May | ||
27 May | Stanley Road | Paul Weller |
3 June | Singles | Alison Moyet |
10 June | Pulse | Pink Floyd |
17 June | ||
24 June | HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I | Michael Jackson |
1 July | These Days | Bon Jovi |
8 July | ||
15 July | ||
22 July | ||
29 July | I Should Coco | Supergrass |
5 August | ||
12 August | ||
19 August | It's Great When You're Straight...Yeah | Black Grape |
26 August | ||
2 September | Said and Done | Boyzone |
9 September | The Charlatans | The Charlatans |
16 September | Zeitgeist | The Levellers |
23 September | The Great Escape | Blur |
30 September | ||
7 October | Daydream | Mariah Carey |
14 October | (What's the Story) Morning Glory? | Oasis |
21 October | Life | Simply Red |
28 October | ||
4 November | ||
11 November | Different Class | Pulp |
18 November | Made in Heaven | Queen |
25 November | Robson & Jerome | Robson & Jerome |
2 December | ||
9 December | ||
16 December | ||
23 December | ||
30 December |
Number-one compilation albums[]
Chart date (week ending) |
Album |
7 January | Now 29 |
14 January | |
21 January | |
28 January | The Best of Heartbeat |
4 February | The Best Punk Album in the World...Ever!' |
11 February | Dance Mania 95 Volume 1 |
18 February | |
25 February | On a Dance Tip |
4 March | |
11 March | |
18 March | Smash Hits 95 Volume 1 |
25 March | Dance Zone Level 4 |
1 April | |
8 April | Dance Mania 95 Volume 2 |
15 April | |
22 April | Now 30 |
29 April | |
6 May | |
13 May | |
20 May | On a Dance Tip 2 |
27 May | |
3 June | |
10 June | Top of the Pops 1 |
17 June | |
24 June | Dance Zone Level 5 |
1 July | |
8 July | |
15 July | Dance Mania 95 – Volume 3 |
22 July | |
29 July | |
5 August | The Best Summer...Ever! |
12 August | Now 31 |
19 August | |
26 August | |
2 September | |
9 September | Dance Zone Level 6 |
16 September | Help |
23 September | |
30 September | Heartbeat – Forever Yours |
7 October | |
14 October | |
21 October | |
28 October | |
4 November | |
11 November | The Greatest Party Album Under the Sun |
18 November | Pure Swing IV |
25 November | Now 32 |
2 December | |
9 December | |
16 December | |
23 December | |
30 December |
Year-end charts[]
Best-selling singles[]
No. | Title | Artist | Peak position |
---|---|---|---|
1 | "Unchained Melody"/"(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover" | Robson & Jerome | 1 |
2 | "Gangsta's Paradise" | Coolio featuring L.V. | 1 |
3 | "I Believe"/"Up on the Roof" | Robson & Jerome | 1 |
4 | "Back for Good" | Take That | 1 |
5 | "Think Twice" | Celine Dion | 1 |
6 | "Earth Song" | Michael Jackson | 1 |
7 | "Fairground" | Simply Red | 1 |
8 | "You Are Not Alone" | Michael Jackson | 1 |
9 | "Missing" (Todd Terry Club Mix) | Everything but the Girl | 3 |
10 | "Wonderwall" | Oasis | 2 |
11 | "Boom Boom Boom" | The Outhere Brothers | 1 |
12 | "Country House" | Blur | 1 |
13 | "Father and Son" | Boyzone | 2 |
14 | "Don't Stop (Wiggle Wiggle)" | The Outhere Brothers | 1 |
15 | "Boombastic" | Shaggy | 1 |
16 | "Cotton Eye Joe" | Rednex | 1 |
17 | "Set You Free" (Remix) | N-Trance | 2 |
18 | "Living Next Door to Alice (Who the F**k Is Alice?)" | Smokie featuring Roy Chubby Brown | 3 |
19 | "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" | U2 | 2 |
20 | "Roll with It" | Oasis | 2 |
21 | "Guaglione" | Perez 'Prez' Prado & his Orchestra | 2 |
22 | "I'll Be There for You" | The Rembrandts | 3 |
23 | "Two Can Play That Game" (K Klassic Mix) | Bobby Brown | 3 |
24 | "Here Comes the Hotstepper" | Ini Kamoze | 4 |
25 | "Shy Guy" | Diana King | 2 |
26 | "It's Oh So Quiet" | Björk | 4 |
27 | "Never Forget" | Take That | 1 |
28 | "Don't Give Me Your Life" | Alex Party | 2 |
29 | "Waterfalls" | TLC | 4 |
30 | "Scatman (Ski Ba Bop Ba Dop Bop)" | Scatman John | 3 |
31 | "Some Might Say" | Oasis | 1 |
32 | "You'll See" | Madonna | 5 |
33 | "Thunder" | East 17 | 4 |
34 | "Stayin' Alive" | N-Trance featuring Ricardo da Force | 2 |
35 | "I'd Lie for You (And That's the Truth)" | Meat Loaf | 2 |
36 | "Common People" | Pulp | 2 |
37 | "Fantasy" | Mariah Carey | 4 |
38 | "I've Got a Little Something for You" | MN8 | 2 |
39 | "Kiss from a Rose"/"I'm Alive" | Seal | 4 |
40 | "Dreamer" (Remix) | Livin' Joy | 1 |
41 | "Heaven for Everyone" | Queen | 2 |
42 | "Free as a Bird" | The Beatles | 2 |
43 | "Love Can Build a Bridge" | Cher, Chrissie Hynde & Neneh Cherry with Eric Clapton | 1 |
44 | "(Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime) I Need Your Loving" | Baby D | 3 |
45 | "The Sunshine After the Rain" | Berri | 4 |
46 | "The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall into My Mind)" | The Bucketheads | 5 |
47 | "Wonderwall" | The Mike Flowers Pops | 2 |
48 | "Total Eclipse of the Heart" | Nicki French | 5 |
49 | "Alright"/"Time" | Supergrass | 2 |
50 | "Mis-Shapes"/"Sorted for E's & Wizz" | Pulp | 2 |
Best-selling albums[]
No. | Title | Artist | Peak position |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Robson & Jerome | Robson & Jerome | 1 |
2 | (What's the Story) Morning Glory? | Oasis | 1 |
3 | The Colour of My Love | Celine Dion | 1 |
4 | Life | Simply Red | 1 |
5 | HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I | Michael Jackson | 1 |
6 | Made in Heaven | Queen | 1 |
7 | Stanley Road | Paul Weller | 1 |
8 | Picture This | Wet Wet Wet | 1 |
9 | The Great Escape | Blur | 1 |
10 | Different Class | Pulp | 1 |
11 | Something to Remember | Madonna | 3 |
12 | Love Songs | Elton John | 4 |
13 | Carry On up the Charts: The Best of the Beautiful South | The Beautiful South | 1 |
14 | Medusa | Annie Lennox | 1 |
15 | Daydream | Mariah Carey | 1 |
16 | Nobody Else | Take That | 1 |
17 | Definitely Maybe | Oasis | 5[a] |
18 | Bizarre Fruit/Bizarre Fruit II | M People | 8[b] |
19 | Anthology 1 | The Beatles | 3 |
20 | These Days | Bon Jovi | 1 |
21 | The Memory of Trees | Enya | 5 |
22 | No Need to Argue | The Cranberries | 3[c] |
23 | Said and Done | Boyzone | 1 |
24 | Design of a Decade: 1986–1996 | Janet Jackson | 2 |
25 | Parklife | Blur | 2[d] |
26 | Jollification | The Lightning Seeds | 15[e] |
27 | Greatest Hits | Bruce Springsteen | 1 |
28 | Dummy | Portishead | 2 |
29 | Greatest Hits (1985–1995) | Michael Bolton | 2 |
30 | Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits (1980–1995) | Def Leppard | 3 |
31 | Singles | Alison Moyet | 1 |
32 | Power of a Woman | Eternal | 6 |
33 | CrazySexyCool | TLC | 4 |
34 | I Should Coco | Supergrass | 1 |
35 | Welcome to the Neighbourhood | Meat Loaf | 3 |
36 | Post | Björk | 2 |
37 | Cross Road: The Best of Bon Jovi | Bon Jovi | 4[f] |
38 | Big River | Jimmy Nail | 8 |
39 | It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah | Black Grape | 1 |
40 | Crocodile Shoes | Jimmy Nail | 3[g] |
41 | Pulse | Pink Floyd | 1 |
42 | Pan Pipe Moods | Free the Spirit | 2 |
43 | Up All Night | East 17 | 7 |
44 | The Very Best of Robert Palmer | Robert Palmer | 4 |
45 | Chants and Dances of the Native Americans | Sacred Spirit | 9 |
46 | Seal | Seal | 3[h] |
47 | Monster | R.E.M. | 8[i] |
48 | Tuesday Night Music Club | Sheryl Crow | 8 |
49 | Jagged Little Pill | Alanis Morissette | 12[j] |
50 | Don't Bore Us – Get to the Chorus!: Roxette's Greatest Hits | Roxette | 5 |
Best-selling compilation albums[]
No. | Title | Peak position |
---|---|---|
1 | Now 32 | 1 |
2 | The Love Album II | 2 |
3 | Now 30 | 1 |
4 | The Best Rock Ballads Album in the World... Ever! | 2 |
5 | Now 31 | 1 |
6 | Heartbeat: Forever Yours | 1 |
7 | Pulp Fiction Original Soundtrack | 5 |
8 | The Best Sixties Album in the World... Ever! | 2 |
9 | Dance Tip 95 | 3 |
10 | Pure Swing IV | 1 |
Notes:
- ^ Reached number 1 in 1994
- ^ Reached number 3 in 1996 as the reissued Bizarre Fruit II
- ^ Reached number 2 in 1994
- ^ Reached number 1 in 1994
- ^ Reached number 12 in 1996
- ^ Reached number 1 in 1994
- ^ Reached number 2 in 1994
- ^ Reached number 1 in 1994
- ^ Reached number 1 in 1994
- ^ Reached number 1 in 1996
Classical music[]
- Sally Beamish – Viola Concerto
- Harrison Birtwistle – Panic (premiered at Last Night of the Proms)
- Andrew Glover – Fractured Vistas
- Michael Tippett – "Caliban's Song"
- Graham Waterhouse – Celtic Voices and Hale Bopp
Opera[]
Musical films[]
- England, My England, starring Michael Ball
- Pulse, Pink Floyd concert film
Music awards[]
Brit Awards[]
The 1995 Brit Awards winners were:
- Best British producer: Nellee Hooper
- Best soundtrack: Pulp Fiction
- British album: Blur: Parklife
- British breakthrough act: Oasis
- British dance act: M People
- British female solo artist: Eddi Reader
- British Group: Blur
- British male solo artist: Paul Weller
- British single: Blur – "Parklife"
- British Video: Blur – "Parklife"
- International breakthrough act: Lisa Loeb
- International female: k.d. lang
- International group: R.E.M.
- International male: Prince
- Outstanding contribution: Elton John
Mercury Music Prize[]
The 1995 Mercury Music Prize was awarded to Portishead – Dummy.
Births[]
- 13 January – Jonathan Antoine, tenor
- 11 April – Dodie Clark, singer songwriter and musician
- 14 May – Fox Jackson-Keen, actor, dancer and singer
- 23 June – Lauren Aquilina, singer-songwriter and musician
- 15 July – Elyar Fox, singer
- 23 July – Faryl Smith, singer
- 15 December – Leadley, singer-songwriter and musician
- 19 December – Elliot Evans, singer
Deaths[]
- 4 February – David Alexander, singer, 56
- 12 February – Tony Secunda, music industry manager, 54 (heart attack)
- 18 February – Denny Cordell, record producer, 51
- 5 March – Vivian Stanshall, eccentric British musician, 51 (house fire)
- 7 March – John Lambert, composer, 68
- 20 March – Ella Halman, opera singer and actress, 98
- 4 April – Kenny Everett, radio DJ and comedian, 50
- 9 June – Frank Chacksfield, pianist, organist, composer and arranger, 81
- 14 June - Rory Gallagher, Irish guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer, 47
- 1 July – Ian Parkin, guitarist (Be-Bop Deluxe), 45[4]
- 12 July – Sean Mayes, pianist and writer.[5]
- 18 August – Alan Dell BBC Radio 2 disc jockey, 71
- 22 September – Dolly Collins, folk musician, 62
- 27 September – Christopher Shaw, composer, 71[6]
- 30 October
- Brian Easdale, composer, 86
- Paul Ferris, film composer, 54 (suicide)[7]
- 31 October – Alan Bush, pianist and composer, 94
- 4 November – Marti Caine, entertainer, 50 (lymphatic cancer)[8]
- 17 November – Alan Hull, singer-songwriter and founder of Lindisfarne, 50 (heart thrombosis)[9]
- 21 November
- Peter Grant, music industry manager, 60 (myocardial infarction)
- Matthew Ashman, guitarist of Adam and the Ants, Bow Wow Wow, 35
- 18 December – Brian Brockless, composer, organist and conductor, 69
See also[]
- 1995 in British radio
- 1995 in British television
- 1995 in the United Kingdom
- List of British films of 1995
References[]
- ^ "Top 100 Singles 1995". Music Week. 13 January 1996. p. 9.
- ^ "Top 100 Albums 1995". Music Week. 13 January 1996. p. 11.
- ^ "Top 50 Compilations of 1995". Music Week. 13 January 1996. p. 12.
- ^ Simmonds, Jeremy. The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars: Heroin, Handguns, and Ham Sandwiches. Chicago Review Press, 2008. ISBN 1-55652-754-3, ISBN 978-1-55652-754-8
- ^ "The Grim Reaper's Greatest Hits". Rockmine.com. Retrieved 16 March 2008.
- ^ 'Christopher Shaw' by David Drew, in Musical Times, July 1963
- ^ Halligan, Benjamin. Michael Reeves, Manchester University Press, 2003. ISBN 0-7190-6351-5
- ^ GRO Register of Deaths: NOV 1995 B28C 156 WYCOMBE – Marti Caine, DoB = 26 Jan 1945 aged 50
- ^ Welch, Chris (20 November 1995). "OBITUARY: Alan Hull". The Independent. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
External links[]
- 1995 in British music
- 1995 in music
- British music by year
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