1992 in British music
| 1990s in music in the UK | |
| Number-one singles | |
| Number-one albums | |
| Best-selling singles | |
| Best-selling albums | |
| Summaries and charts 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 | |
| ←1989 | 2000→ |
| Top 10 singles 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 | |
| ←1989 | 2000→ |
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
- 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]
- 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 and Eddie |
| 28 November | ||
| 5 December | "I Will Always Love You" | Whitney Houston |
| 12 December | ||
| 19 December | ||
| 26 December |
Number-one albums
| Issue Date | Song | Artist(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 January | Stars | Simply Red |
| 12 January | ||
| 19 January | ||
| 26 January | ||
| 2 February | High on the Happy Side | Wet Wet Wet |
| 9 February | ||
| 16 February | Stars | Simply Red |
| 23 February | ||
| 1 March | ||
| 8 March | Divine Madness | Madness |
| 15 March | ||
| 22 March | ||
| 29 March | Human Touch | Bruce Springsteen |
| 5 April | Adrenalize | Def Leppard |
| 12 April | Diva | Annie Lennox |
| 19 April | Up | Right Said Fred |
| 26 April | Wish | The Cure |
| 3 May | Stars | Simply Red |
| 10 May | 1992 - The Love Album | Carter USM |
| 17 May | Fear of the Dark | Iron Maiden |
| 24 May | Michael Ball | Michael Ball |
| 31 May | Back to Front | Lionel Richie |
| 7 June | ||
| 14 June | ||
| 21 June | ||
| 28 June | ||
| 5 July | ||
| 12 July | U.F.Orb | The Orb |
| 19 July | The Greatest Hits: 1966–1992 | Neil Diamond |
| 26 July | ||
| 2 August | ||
| 9 August | Welcome to Wherever You Are | INXS |
| 16 August | We Can't Dance | Genesis |
| 23 August | Best...I | The Smiths |
| 30 August | Greatest Hits | Kylie Minogue |
| 6 September | Tubular Bells II | Mike Oldfield |
| 13 September | ||
| 20 September | The Best of Belinda, Volume 1 | Belinda Carlisle |
| 27 September | ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits | ABBA |
| 4 October | Automatic for the People | R.E.M. |
| 11 October | Love Symbol | Prince |
| 18 October | Glittering Prize 81/92 | Simple Minds |
| 25 October | ||
| 1 November | ||
| 8 November | Keep the Faith | Bon Jovi |
| 15 November | Greatest Hits: 1965–1992 | Cher |
| 22 November | Pop! - the First 20 Hits | Erasure |
| 29 November | ||
| 6 December | Greatest Hits: 1965–1992 | Cher |
| 13 December | ||
| 20 December | ||
| 27 December |
End of Year Charts
Top 50 Singles of 1992
Top 10 albums
| Position | Song Title | Artist | Sales | Highest Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stars | Simply Red | 1 | |
| 2 | Greatest Hits: 1965-1992 | Cher | 1 | |
| 3 | Back to Front | Lionel Richie | 1 | |
| 4 | Dangerous | Michael Jackson | 1 (in 1991) | |
| 5 | Glittering Prize 81/92 | Simple Minds | 1 | |
| 6 | Diva | Annie Lennox | 1 | |
| 7 | Timeless: The Classics | Michael Bolton | 3 | |
| 8 | Divine Madness | Madness | 1 | |
| 9 | We Can't Dance | Genesis | 1 | |
| 10 | Pop!: The First 20 Hits | Erasure | 1 |
- Michael Jackson's album 'Dangerous' first reached the top spot in November 1991.
Music awards
BRIT Awards
The 1992 BRIT Awards winners were:
- Best British producer: Peter Gabriel
- Best International Solo Artist: Prince
- Best soundtrack: "Wayne's World"
- British album: Annie Lennox: "Diva"
- British breakthrough act: Tasmin Archer
- British female solo artist – Annie Lennox
- British group: The KLF & Simply Red
- British male solo artist: Mick Hucknall
- British single: Take That – "Could It Be Magic"
- British video: Shakespear's Sister – "Stay"
- International breakthrough act: Nirvana
- International group: R.E.M.
- Outstanding contribution: Rod Stewart
Mercury Music Prize
The 1992 Mercury Music Prize was awarded to Primal Scream – Screamadelica.
Classical music
- Alun Hoddinott - Symphony No.9 'Vision of Eternity'
- William Mathias – Flute Concerto
- David Sawer – Byrnan Wood
Opera
- Jonathan Harvey - Inquest of Love.
Film and Incidental music
- Michael Nyman - The Piano directed by Jane Campion.
Births
- 10 February - Misha B, singer-songwriter
- 26 April - Danielle Hope, singer and actress
- 8 July - Benjamin Grosvenor, pianist
- 2 August - Charli XCX, singer-songwriter
- 5 October - Alex Prior, conductor and composer
- 21 November - Conor Maynard, singer
- 21 December - Louis Tomlinson, singer-songwriter
Deaths
- 8 February - Denny Wright, guitarist and songwriter, 67 (bladder cancer)
- 29 April - Stephen Oliver, opera composer, 42 (AIDS-related)[2]
- 20 June – Sir Charles Groves, conductor, 77
- 5 July - Georgia Brown, singer and actress, the original Nancy in Oliver!, 58 (surgical complications)
- 29 July – William Mathias, composer, 57
- 3 August - Don Lang, trombonist and singer, 67 (cancer)
- 19 September – Sir Geraint Evans, operatic baritone, 70
- 7 October - Harold Truscott, pianist, composer, broadcaster and music writer, 78
- 7 November - Henri Temianka, virtuoso violinist, conductor, author and music educator, 85[3]
- 29 November – Paul Ryan, singer, songwriter and record producer, 44 (cancer)
- 22 December - Harry Bluestone, violinist, 85
- date unknown
- Paul Hammond, drummer of Atomic Rooster (accidental drug overdose)
- Malcolm MacDonald, composer
External links
References
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
