Year: 1995

Track: GANGSTA’S PARADISE – COOLIO FEATURING LV

Comment: This is a welcome change of pace. It has been oft parodied, but is still quite powerful when you stop and listen to it.

Rating: B

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Year: 1994

Track: SURE – TAKE THAT

Comment: Mr Barlow’s attempt at hitting a smooth soul groove, without the soul …. or the groove. Forgettable.

Rating: C

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Year: 1993

Track: I’D DO ANYTHING FOR LOVE (BUT I WON’T DO THAT) – MEAT LOAF

Comment: This a proper bit of over-emoting baroque bombast. I am still of the opinion that anyone who doesn’t like Mr Loaf at his best is a little bit dead inside.

Rating: B+

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Year: 1992

Track: SLEEPING SATELLITE – TASMIN ARCHER

Comment: Now not heard this is a while, I remember going to see her live as well. Definitely has an early 90s feed about it but otherwise a very nice little tune, maybe a bit too nice.

Rating: B

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Year: 1991

Track: (EVERYTHING I DO) I DO IT FOR YOU – BRYAN ADAMS

Comment: This was number one so long I suppose it would have been asking too much to avoid it. A meh bit of soft rock antheming, more Costner than Rickman.

Rating: C

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Year: 1990

Track: A LITTLE TIME – BEAUTIFUL SOUTH

Comment: A lovely song, sweet and sour, like sucking a sherbet lemon.

Rating: A

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Year: 1989

Track: THAT’S WHAT I LIKE – JIVE BUNNY & THE MASTERMIXERS

Comment: For some reason Jive Bunny had a lock on the charts at the end of the 80s. It’s awful as you would expect, but I did like the Hawaii Five O at the start and I’m a sucker for Jerry Lee Lewis so that edges it up a bit.

Rating: D+

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Year: 1988

Track: ONE MOMENT IN TIME – WHITNEY HOUSTON

Comment: Whitney, Whitney, Whitney you’re so much better than this. Saccharine Coke aspirational nonsense. I think this was the official tune of the Atlanta Olympics, and that was the worst Olympics of recent times.

Rating: D

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Year: 1986

Track: EVERY LOSER WINS – NICK BERRY

Comment: Gerrouta my pub. Dire.

Rating: E

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