1995 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 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.

Charts

Number-one singles

Issue DateSongArtist(s)Sales
1 January"Stay Another Day"East 17
8 January"Cotton Eye Joe"Rednex60,000
15 January85,000
22 January70,000
29 January"Think Twice"Céline Dion74,000
5 February80,000
12 February86,000
19 February154,000
26 February141,000
5 March120,000
12 March50,000
19 March"Love Can Build a Bridge"Cher, Chrissie Hynde and
Neneh Cherry with Eric Clapton
150,000
26 March"Don't Stop (Wiggle Wiggle)"The Outhere Brothers90,000
2 April"Back for Good"Take That346,000
9 April185,000
16 April140,000
23 April85,000
30 April"Some Might Say"Oasis138,000
7 May "Dreamer" Livin' Joy106,000
14 May"Unchained Melody /
White Cliffs of Dover"
Robson & Jerome314,000
21 May460,000
28 May320,000
4 June210,000
11 June145,000
18 June90,000
25 June73,000
2 July"Boom Boom Boom"The Outhere Brothers62,000
9 July74,000
16 July77,000
23 July65,000
30 July"Never Forget"Take That115,000
6 August86,000
13 August54,000
20 August"Country House"Blur274,000
27 August135,000
3 September"You Are Not Alone"Michael Jackson83,000
10 September100,000
17 September"Boombastic"Shaggy93,000
24 September"Fairground"Simply Red211,000
1 October142,000
8 October129,000
15 October96,000
22 October"Gangsta's Paradise"Coolio featuring LV107,000
29 October166,000
5 November"I Believe / Up on the Roof"Robson & Jerome258,000
12 November224,000
19 November118,000
26 November80,000
3 December"Earth Song"Michael Jackson116,467
10 December149,549
17 December150,739
24 December261,851
31 December55,000

Number-one albums

Issue DateSongArtist(s)
1 JanuaryCarry on up the ChartsThe Beautiful South
8 January
15 January
22 JanuaryThe Colour of My Love Céline Dion
29 January
5 February
12 February
19 February
26 February
5 MarchGreatest HitsBruce Springsteen
12 MarchMedusa Annie Lennox
19 MarchElastica Elastica
26 MarchThe Colour of My Love Céline Dion
2 AprilWake Up!The Boo Radleys
9 April Greatest HitsBruce Springsteen
16 AprilPicture ThisWet Wet Wet
23 April
30 April
7 May Nobody ElseTake That
14 May
21 May Stanley RoadPaul Weller
28 May Singles Alison Moyet
4 June PulsePink Floyd
11 June
18 June HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book IMichael Jackson
25 June These DaysBon Jovi
2 July
9 July
16 July
23 JulyI Should Coco Supergrass
30 July
6 August
13 AugustIt's Great When You're Straight...Yeah Black Grape
20 August
27 AugustSaid and Done Boyzone
3 SeptemberThe CharlatansThe Charlatans
10 September Zeitgeist The Levellers
17 SeptemberThe Great EscapeBlur
24 September
1 OctoberDaydreamMariah Carey
8 October(What's the Story) Morning Glory?Oasis
15 OctoberLifeSimply Red
22 October
29 October
5 NovemberDifferent ClassPulp
12 NovemberMade in HeavenQueen
19 NovemberRobson & Jerome Robson & Jerome
26 November
3 December
10 December
17 December
24 December
31 December

End of Year Charts

Top 50 Singles of 1995

Position Song Title Artist Sales Highest Position
1 Unchained Melody/White Cliffs of Dover Robson & Jerome 1,844,000 1
2 Gangsta's Paradise Coolio featuring L.V. 1,110,000 1
3 I Believe/Up on the Roof Robson & Jerome 1,049,000 1
4 Back for Good Take That 960,000 1
5 Think Twice Céline Dion 928,000 1
6 Earth Song Michael Jackson 802,000 1
7 Fairground Simply Red 782,000 1
8 You Are Not Alone Michael Jackson 714,000 1
9 Missing Everything but the Girl 696,000 3
10 Wonderwall Oasis 665,000 2
11 Boom Boom Boom Outhere Brothers 652,000 1
12 Country House Blur 642,000 1
13 Father and Son Boyzone 620,000 2
14 Don't Stop (Wiggle Wiggle) Outhere Brothers 617,000 1
15 Boombastic Shaggy 557,000 1
16 Cotton Eye Joe Rednex 512,000 1
17 Set You Free N-Trance 503,000 2
18 Living Next Door to Alice Smokie featuring Roy Chubby Brown 495,000 3
19 Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me U2 471,000 2
20 Roll with It Oasis 456,000 2
21 Guaglione Perez 'Prez' Prado & his Orchestra 445,000 2
22 I'll Be There for You The Rembrandts 421,000 3
23 Two Can Play That Game Bobby Brown 413,000 3
24 Here Comes The Hotstepper Ini Kamoze 407,000 4
25 Shy Guy Diana King 405,000 2
26 It's Oh So Quiet Björk 404,000 4
27 Never Forget Take That 403,000 1
28 Don't Give Me Your Life Alex Party 395,000 2
29 Waterfalls TLC 355,000 4
30 Scatman (Ski Ba Bop Ba Dop Bop) Scatman John 352,000 2
31 Some Might Say Oasis 346,000 1
32 You'll See Madonna 342,000 5
33 Thunder East 17 339,000 4
34 Stayin' Alive N-Trance featuring Ricardo da Force 335,000 2
35 I'd Lie for You (And That's the Truth) Meat Loaf 334,000 2
36 Common People Pulp 326,000 2
37 Fantasy Mariah Carey 323,000 4
38 I've Got a Little Something For You MN8 317,000 2
39 Kiss From A Rose/I'm Alive Seal 310,000 4
40 Dreamer Livin' Joy 303,000 1
41 Alright Supergrass 2
42 A Girl Like You Edwyn Collins 4
43 (Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime) I Need Your Loving Baby D 3
44 No More I Love You's Annie Lennox 2
45 Love Can Build A Bridge Cher, Chrissie Hynde & Neneh Cherry 1
46 I Luv U Baby Original 2
47 Total Eclipse of the Heart Nicki French 5
48 The Bomb (These Sounds Fall Into My Mind) The Bucketheads 5
49 When Love & Hate Collide Def Leppard 2
50 Chains Tina Arena 6

|}

Top 10 albums

Position Album Title Artist Sales Highest Position
1 Robson & Jerome Robson & Jerome 2,040,000 1
2 (What's The Story) Morning Glory? Oasis 1,863,000 1
3 The Colour Of My Love Celine Dion 1,690,000 1
4 Life Simply Red 1,460,000 1
5 HIStory Michael Jackson 1,430,000 1
6 Stanley Road Paul Weller 1,280,000 1
7 Made In Heaven Queen 1,120,000 1
8 The Great Escape Blur 1,030,000 1
9 Picture This Wet Wet Wet 960,000 1
10 Different Class Pulp 940,000 1

Classical music

Opera

Musical films

Music awards

BRIT Awards

The 1995 BRIT Awards winners were:

Mercury Music Prize

The 1995 Mercury Music Prize was awarded to Portishead - Dummy.

Births

Deaths

References

  1. 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
  2. "The Grim Reaper's Greatest Hits". Rockmine.com. Retrieved 2008-03-16.
  3. 'Christopher Shaw' by David Drew, in Musical Times, July 1963
  4. Halligan, Benjamin. Michael Reeves, Manchester University Press, 2003. ISBN 0-7190-6351-5
  5. GRO Register of Deaths: NOV 1995 B28C 156 WYCOMBE - Marti Caine, DoB = 26 Jan 1945 aged 50
  6. OBITUARY: Alan Hull – People, News – The Independent

External links