Kill or Save: UK No.1-hits of the 90s

[Great Uncle Bulgaria 1,282]

77 No Doubt – Don’t Speak

44 Deep Blue Something – Breakfast at Tiffany's

43 Spice Girls – Wannabe +2

39 White Town — Your Woman 

38 The Fugees – Killing Me Softly

38 Gina G – Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit +2

36 The Verve – The Drugs Don’t Work 

33 Olive - You're Not Alone 

27 Mark Morrison - Return of The Mack -2

26 The Prodigy – Firestarter -2

25 Aqua – Barbie Girl 

21 Various Artists — Perfect Day -2

09 Spice Girls – Say You'll Be There

[Youth in Asia 1,086]

77 No Doubt – Don’t Speak

44 Deep Blue Something – Breakfast at Tiffany's

43 Spice Girls – Wannabe

42 The Fugees – Killing Me Softly +4

39 White Town — Your Woman 

38 Gina G – Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit

36 The Verve – The Drugs Don’t Work 

33 Olive - You're Not Alone 

27 Mark Morrison - Return of The Mack

26 The Prodigy – Firestarter

25 Aqua – Barbie Girl 

21 Various Artists — Perfect Day

03 Spice Girls – Say You'll Be There -6

[Youth in Asia 1,086]

Probably not a popular opinion on here, but it's a shame to see Don't Look Back in Anger go so early.

There are very few songs that are elite-level anthems that you can roll out at huge national occasions, in clubs, at the karaoke etc. and be guaranteed that everyone knows them and will sing along, whether it's a full stadium or a room full of friends.

Other ones would be Hey Jude, Angels, or US ones like Sweet Caroline. No Spice Girls song or Blur song has reached that level [except possibly Song 2!]

 

Compared to some remaining on the list that even Olive's mum might have trouble recognising.

[Bibliogryphon 9,571]

5 minutes ago, Youth in Asia said:

Probably not a popular opinion on here, but it's a shame to see Don't Look Back in Anger go so early.

There are very few songs that are elite-level anthems that you can roll out at huge national occasions, in clubs, at the karaoke etc. and be guaranteed that everyone knows them and will sing along, whether it's a full stadium or a room full of friends.

Other ones would be Hey Jude, Angels, or US ones like Sweet Caroline. No Spice Girls song or Blur song has reached that level [except possibly Song 2!]

 

Compared to some remaining on the list that even Olive's mum might have trouble recognising.

 

If you say to any brit "Tell me what you want"

 

it is a national law to follow it up with "What you really really want"

[lilham 752]

77 No Doubt – Don’t Speak

44 Deep Blue Something – Breakfast at Tiffany's

43 Spice Girls – Wannabe

43 White Town — Your Woman +4

42 The Fugees – Killing Me Softly

38 Gina G – Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit

36 The Verve – The Drugs Don’t Work 

33 Olive - You're Not Alone 

27 Mark Morrison - Return of The Mack

26 The Prodigy – Firestarter

22 Aqua – Barbie Girl -3

21 Various Artists — Perfect Day



00 Spice Girls – Say You'll Be There -3

I'm a britpop fan, but maybe it's overplayed over there as it's more niche here.

[Drewsky1211 4,732]

78 No Doubt – Don’t Speak +1

46 Spice Girls – Wannabe +3

44 Deep Blue Something – Breakfast at Tiffany's

43 White Town — Your Woman

42 The Fugees – Killing Me Softly

38 Gina G – Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit

36 The Verve – The Drugs Don’t Work 

33 Olive - You're Not Alone 

27 Mark Morrison - Return of The Mack

26 The Prodigy – Firestarter

22 Aqua – Barbie Girl

15 Various Artists — Perfect Day -6

 

If we did an American version for '96 and '97, then here's what I'd vote:

Upvote: Spice Girls- Wannabe, Los Del Rio- Macarena, Biggie Smalls- Hypnotize

Downvote: Elton John- Candle in the Wind 97, Celine Dion- Because You Loved Me, Hanson- MMMBop

[Clorox Bleachman 2,410]

78 No Doubt – Don’t Speak

46 Spice Girls – Wannabe

44 Deep Blue Something – Breakfast at Tiffany's

43 White Town – Your Woman

42 The Fugees – Killing Me Softly

38 Gina G – Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit

36 The Verve – The Drugs Don’t Work

33 Olive – You're Not Alone

29 The Prodigy – Firestarter +3

28 Mark Morrison – Return of The Mack +1

22 Aqua – Barbie Girl

9 Various Artists – Perfect Day -6

[Bibliogryphon 9,571]

1 hour ago, Drewsky1211 said:

If we did an American version for '96 and '97, then here's what I'd vote:

Upvote: Spice Girls- Wannabe, Los Del Rio- Macarena, Biggie Smalls- Hypnotize

Downvote: Elton John- Candle in the Wind 97, Celine Dion- Because You Loved Me, Hanson- MMMBop

 

I was surprised that MMMBop was so quickly rejected in this game as it is a good earworm

 

@Book may give you their blessing to run an American version if you were so inclined. However there would be a lot of overlap

[Clorox Bleachman 2,410]

Excellent job, folks! I love every single song left, except for the one circling the drain as it should be. If I had to rank them:

1. The Drugs Don't Work | I like devastatingly sad songs, and this one sure is!
2. Firestarter | Keith Flint and Liam Howlett are/were such talents. There's so much going on in the production that you pick up new elements with each listen. The last minute is like nothing else on the charts. You could've kept "Breathe" as well, but I understand we're saving one artist per list.
3. Your Woman | Hasn't aged a day. "Bedroom pop" is popular with the kids, and Jyoti from Derby was arguably the first to make it mainstream.
4. Return of the Mack | Enormous-sounding 90s R&B production. The lyrics don't really matter. Slaps. Also, no human has ever looked cooler than Mark on the album cover of the same name.
5. Wannabe | Truly lightning in a bottle. The Spice Girls spent 5 years coasting on its success, and never got close to topping it. They never could've.
6. Don't Speak | Everyone adores it, so it's moot discussing it further. Gwen Stefani has always been great.
7. Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit | Way more memorable than the song that won Eurovision the following year. I'm glad we haven't killed it for being too lowbrow; acting like you're above having fun is stupid. It's funny to me watching the video, because she looks like the blueprint of how Gen X women dress nowadays in their late 40s/50s, but she was only 25. It's true that people's styles age with them.
8. You're Not Alone | A staple of my local radio station, Clyde 1. All the wee wifeys request it. They sometimes play remixes on Saturday nights. Easy to dismiss, but it's well-executed.
9. Killing Me Softly with His Song | Lauryn Hill was onto something really good, which makes it sadder that she lost the drive to make music. The mixing is really quiet. Don't go deaf by listening to "Return of the Mack" right after.
10. Barbie Girl | Wild that people are okay with kids listening to this.
11. Breakfast at Tiffany's | Twee and understated, encapsulating some of the best parts of 90s alternative. Not sure it's a stand-out though.
12. Perfect Day | My parents showed me this as a wean, and I was... confused. I think I only knew Bono and Heather Small, and some of the other people in the video looked quite scary/decrepit to a small child. Lou Reed's original is incredible, so any cover is still going to be pretty good. Maybe you had to be there.

Feel free to downvote all my favourites if you want me to mute you.

[TQR 14,386]

28 minutes ago, Bibliogryphon said:

I was surprised that MMMBop was so quickly rejected in this game as it is a good earworm

 

@Book may give you their blessing to run an American version if you were so inclined. However there would be a lot of overlap

Agree, MMMBop was robbed.

 

Good idea with the American version. What I’ll do at the start of each round is post a several paragraph whinging diatribe about how fucking stupid the American public is, then include screenshots of the UK charts.

[time 8,597]

78 No Doubt – Don’t Speak

48 Deep Blue Something – Breakfast at Tiffany's +4

46 Spice Girls – Wannabe

43 White Town – Your Woman

40 The Fugees – Killing Me Softly -2

36 Gina G – Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit -2

36 The Verve – The Drugs Don’t Work

31 Olive – You're Not Alone -2

29 The Prodigy – Firestarter

28 Mark Morrison – Return of The Mack

22 Aqua – Barbie Girl

9 Various Artists – Perfect Day

[Book 3,556]

1 hour ago, Bibliogryphon said:

@Book may give you their blessing to run an American version if you were so inclined. However there would be a lot of overlap

 

Yes, why not.

After the ESC KoS, the UK 60s No.1 KoS, the UK No.2 KoS...

But we do have enough time, don't we?

[Bibliogryphon 9,571]

20 minutes ago, Book said:

 

Yes, why not.

After the ESC KoS, the UK 60s No.1 KoS, the UK No.2 KoS...

But we do have enough time, don't we?

 

Well not much else is happening....

[En Passant 3,741]

39 minutes ago, Book said:

the ESC

 

You could run it concurrently with this, if there's 25 voting here according to @Bibliogryphon how many will bother with that? 24 max anyway, because I've always thought it was more politics than songs and don't know any of them anyway.

[wannamaker 1,407]

Always though that Eurovision was boring, I only remember 2 songs, one being a spanish joke song and the other one being Volare, which to be fair is an excellent song.

[BuffaloPhil 926]

78 No Doubt – Don’t Speak

48 Deep Blue Something – Breakfast at Tiffany's 

46 Spice Girls – Wannabe

43 White Town – Your Woman

40 The Fugees – Killing Me Softly 

36 The Verve – The Drugs Don’t Work

33 The Prodigy – Firestarter +4

31 Olive – You're Not Alone 

30 Gina G – Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit -6

28 Mark Morrison – Return of The Mack

22 Aqua – Barbie Girl

9 Various Artists – Perfect Day

[ladyfiona 2,577]

78 No Doubt – Don’t Speak

50 Spice Girls – Wannabe +4

48 Deep Blue Something – Breakfast at Tiffany's

43 White Town – Your Woman

40 The Fugees – Killing Me Softly 

36 The Verve – The Drugs Don’t Work

31 Olive – You're Not Alone 

30 Gina G – Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit

28 Mark Morrison – Return of The Mack

27 The Prodigy – Firestarter -6

22 Aqua – Barbie Girl

9 Various Artists – Perfect Day

[Paul Bearer 6,101]

78 No Doubt – Don’t Speak

50 Spice Girls – Wannabe 

48 Deep Blue Something – Breakfast at Tiffany's

43 White Town – Your Woman

40 The Fugees – Killing Me Softly 

36 The Verve – The Drugs Don’t Work

31 Olive – You're Not Alone 

30 Gina G – Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit

28 Mark Morrison – Return of The Mack

27 The Prodigy – Firestarter 

25 Olive — You’re not alone -6

22 Aqua – Barbie Girl

13 Various Artists – Perfect Day +4

[RoverAndOut 4,746]

3 hours ago, wannamaker said:

Always though that Eurovision was boring, I only remember 2 songs, one being a spanish joke song and the other one being Volare, which to be fair is an excellent song.

 

Waterloo..?

[CaptainChorizo 1,977]

78 No Doubt – Don’t Speak

50 Spice Girls – Wannabe 

46 White Town – Your Woman +3

42 Deep Blue Something – Breakfast at Tiffany's -6

40 The Fugees – Killing Me Softly 

36 The Verve – The Drugs Don’t Work

31 Olive – You're Not Alone 

30 Gina G – Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit

29 Mark Morrison – Return of The Mack +1

27 The Prodigy – Firestarter 

25 Olive — You’re not alone

22 Aqua – Barbie Girl

13 Various Artists – Perfect Day

[Sir Creep 7,070]

You should have stayed in school.  Save the ‘I’m sorry’s,’

Do us a favour and actually LOOK at your post before sending it.  We even whittled it downs to 13 songs or so for you.  
Is breathing a challenge?

[Sir Creep 7,070]

Seriously Paul, how the hell are you DUPLICATING it?  You CUT/paste the song you don’t COPY/paste it!!!

 

[Sir Creep 7,070]

78 No Doubt – Don’t Speak

50 Spice Girls – Wannabe 

46 White Town – Your Woman

42 Deep Blue Something – Breakfast at Tiffany's 

40 The Fugees – Killing Me Softly 

36 The Verve – The Drugs Don’t Work

31 The Prodigy – Firestarter +4

30 Gina G – Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit

29 Mark Morrison – Return of The Mack

22 Aqua – Barbie Girl

19 Olive — You’re not alone -6

13 Various Artists – Perfect Day

[YorkshireBanker 168]

78 No Doubt – Don’t Speak

50 Spice Girls – Wannabe 

46 White Town – Your Woman

40 Deep Blue Something – Breakfast at Tiffany's  -2

38 The Verve – The Drugs Don’t Work +2

37 The Fugees – Killing Me Softly  -3

31 The Prodigy – Firestarter

30 Gina G – Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit

28 Mark Morrison – Return of The Mack -1

22 Aqua – Barbie Girl

21 Olive — You’re not alone +2

13 Various Artists – Perfect Day

[TQR 14,386]

78 No Doubt – Don’t Speak

50 Spice Girls – Wannabe 

46 White Town – Your Woman

40 Deep Blue Something – Breakfast at Tiffany's

38 The Verve – The Drugs Don’t Work

37 The Fugees – Killing Me Softly

31 The Prodigy – Firestarter

30 Gina G – Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit

28 Mark Morrison – Return of The Mack

25 Olive — You’re not alone +4

16 Aqua – Barbie Girl -6

13 Various Artists – Perfect Day

 

Been waiting a while to do that.