Charting 1997: 5th July

01. (1) Puff Daddy And Faith Evans - I'll Be Missing You
02.(NE) Sash! - Ecuador
Faring second behind a big-selling single again, and repeating their best-known formula of minimal lyrics in a "foreign" language (ie neither German nor English).
03.(NE) No Doubt - Just A Girl {1997 re-issue}
Their first UK hit makes a reappearance as the inevitable follow-up to 'Don't Speak'. It's much closer to the ska-punk sound they first made their name with, and is in truth the more appealing record.
04. (3) Hanson - Mmm Bop
05. (2) The Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony
06. (7) Ultra Nate - Free
07. (6) Eternal - I Wanna Be The Only One ft BeBe Winans
08.(NE) The Course - Ain't Nobody
You might not have expected a second hit from them, but here it is anyway.
09.(NE) Pet Shop Boys - Somewhere
Another in their long and eclectic series of covers, this time a song from West Side Story. It formed the title song of a live residency they played in London.
10.(10) Mr President - Coco Jamboo
11. (4) Ocean Colour Scene - Hundred Mile High City
12.(NE) Fun Lovin' Criminals - I'm Not In Love/Scooby Snacks
Their signature hit re-released and flipped with a lounge-style version of the 10cc chart-topper. Surprisingly the most successful cover of the song, which you'd think would have been a standard. Not surprisingly, utterly awful.
13.(12) Sarah Brightman And Andrea Bocelli - Time To Say Goodbye (Con Te Partiro)
14.(14) Rosie Gaines - Closer Than Close
15.(NE) The New Power Generation - The Good Life {1997}
Sadly not an ode to Paul Edington and Richard Briers, this single by a psuedonymous Prince was first issued in 1995, but reappeared under the same catalogue number two years later and set a new peak.
16. (8) Echo & The Bunnymen - Nothing Lasts Forever
17.(NE) The Age Of Love - The Age Of Love - The Remixes
Apparently Scooter had a hit with a cover version in Germany, which prompted another re-release of the original. The lead track was mixed by Jam & Spoon.
18.(13) Wyclef Jean - We Trying To Stay Alive ft Refugee Allstars
19.(11) Celine Dion - Call The Man
20.(NE) N-Tyce - Hey DJ! (Play That Song)
You know the late 90s have started once the chart starts to fill up with British RnB girlgroups with oddly spelt names.
21.(NE) Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene 10
Not that he's milking one idea to death or anything.
22. (5) Blur - On Your Own
23.(NE) James - Waltzing Along
Another decent James single, re-recorded from the album track. I suspect they were a little disappointed by the chart performance in that case. It was also around this time that Tim Booth suffered a neck injury on stage during their US tour, spawning the in-joke that this was foreshadowed by the album title Whiplash.
24. (9) Cast - Guiding Star
25.(17) Az Yet - Hard To Say I'm Sorry
26.(23) Depeche Mode - Home
27.(19) Red Hot Chili Peppers - Love Rollercoaster
28.(15) Paula Cole - Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?
29.(20) Finley Quaye - Sunday Shining
30.(18) Savage Garden - I Want You
31.(22) The Rembrandts - I'll Be There For You {1997}
32.(NE) Apollo 440 - Raw Power
Much the same sort of thing as they'd done before, but with some cheap racing car sound effects over it. Not their best work.
33.(26) DJ Quicksilver - Bellissima
34.(NE) Scarface - Game Over
A rapper who topped the US chart with the parent album of this but never made much impact over here. This track also features Dr Dre, Ice Cube and Too $hort.
35.(NE) Hurricane #1 - Just Another Illusion
Second hit for Andy Bell's post-Ride outfit. I first heard this on a free cassette from the NME, and quite liked it at the time. It hasn't dated too well, especially not at such length. 
36.(NE) Lil' Kim - Crush On You
She feels a bit like a guest on her own record here. 
37.(27) Olive - You're Not Alone {1997}
38.(NE) Kenickie - Punka {1997 re-issue}

This had reached the Top 50 as their first major-label single in 1996. Now re-released on multiple formats with a Top 10 album under their belt it got a whole five places higher in the chart. My brother has never forgiven Ian McCulloch for giving this a bad review on the radio. Maybe he didn't spot the irony.
And no, that's not the official video, but I can't find any trace of that online.
39.(24) The Charlatans - How High
40.(NE) Kristine W - Feel What You Want {1997 re-issue}
Another dance reissue, this had originally peaked at 33 in 1994.

41.(NE) The Wannadies - Shorty
Follow-up to their comeback hits, a possibly autobiographical song. Rather fun. They covered Randy Newman's 'Short People' for the B-side.
43.(NE) The Beautiful South - Liar's Bar
In which Paul Heaton pretends he's Tom Waits. It wears rather thin over five minutes. One of the B-sides of this was 'Dumb', which outcharted this when re-recorded (in a cleaner version) and issued as a single from their next album.
45.(NE) BBG - Just Be Tonight ft Erin
51.(NE) Silver Sun - Julia
54.(NE) Lakiesha Berri - Like This And Like That
55.(NE) Ascension - Someone
58.(NE) Isha-D - Stay
71.(NE) Sublime - What I Got
72.(RE) Robbie Williams - Old Before I Die

Charting 1997: 28th June

A bit more action going on in the chart this week.

01.(NE) Puff Daddy And Faith Evans - I'll Be Missing You
Rather a surprising chart-topper for me; I had no idea so many people cared about the Notorious BIG, to whom this is a tribute by his producer and widow (it also credits forgotten vocal group 112, for whom this must have paid a few bills, though not as much as Sting must have made from it). 
02.(NE) The Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony

And speaking of surprises... Well, I suppose by the week of release this had become a big airplay hit and of course the video was soon to become iconic, but at the start of the year The Verve were a defunct cult band who'd split without a Top 20 single to their name. I'd bought their second album A Northern Soul during the brief time it was mid-price in 1996 (it got priced back up again after this), and little did I know that around the same time Richard Ashcroft was trying out Bernard Butler as a member of his new solo band, which was effectively the Verve minus lead guitarist Nick McCabe. Butler didn't work out and finally Ashcroft called back his former colleague: the rest was history, no pun intended. Like many people, I bought this single the week it came out so I have an original pressing with the original Jagger/Richards/Ashcroft writing credit.
03. (1) Hanson - Mmm Bop
04.(NE) Ocean Colour Scene - Hundred Mile High City
One of the few OCS songs that even people not otherwise fond of the band will admit to liking, later made famous again by Guy Ritchie. It's slightly unfortunate that it gets these slightly laddish beery associations.
05.(NE) Blur - On Your Own
And here's a band who know all about trying to avoid laddish associations. Even from the experimental Blur album, this seemed a wilful choice of third single, and it's a fair bet that it owes a lot of its chart success to the B-sides: live recordings from a performance in John Peel's garden, including a version of the then-hard-to-find non-album hit 'Popscene'. 
As you might have noticed, this is the fourth new entry in the Top 5, an unprecedented event at the time. Less than 18 months later we had a chart with five new entries in the Top 5.
06. (2) Eternal - I Wanna Be The Only One ft BeBe Winans
07. (4) Ultra Nate - Free
08.(NE) Echo & The Bunnymen - Nothing Lasts Forever
Returning after an even longer absence than the Verve, although they'd been groping towards it for a while with Ian McCulloch and Will Sergeant working together as Electrafiction. Bringing back original bassist Les Patterson (the only other surviving member of the classic line-up) made this the first quorate Bunnymen album in ten years and brought them their third Top 10 single, as well as one of the few songs by them I've ever liked. 
09.(NE) Cast - Guiding Star
These new entries are starting to look more like the tracklisting of a Shine compilation.  I realise this concept will confuse some people, but this has always been one of my least favourite Cast songs, maybe because it was their most overplayed.
10. (8) Mr President - Coco Jamboo
11.(NE) Celine Dion - Call The Man
Bit of a change from Cast here. Not one of her better-remembered hits, I think it's meant to be about God or something.
12. (3) Sarah Brightman And Andrea Bocelli - Time To Say Goodbye (Con Te Partiro)
13.(NE) Wyclef Jean - We Trying To Stay Alive ft Refugee Allstars
After sampling Abba on the last Fugees single, Wyclef makes the logical follow-up move of using a Bee Gees tune. The following year, his bandmate Pras Michel had his only two solo hits with tracks written by Gibb brothers. 
14. (5) Rosie Gaines - Closer Than Close
15.(NE) Paula Cole - Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?
Not a song I was ever keen on, a vaguely feminist lament from Peter Gabriel's former backing singer. 
16.(NE) Primal Scream - Star
Their second single release in as many months, a relatively gentle number about the importance of civil rights. Unfortunately, the lyric is poorly-written even by Bobby Gillespie's standards, notoriously suggesting that Rosa Parks was dead (she wasn't, at the time). 
17. (7) Az Yet - Hard To Say I'm Sorry
18.(11) Savage Garden - I Want You
19.(13) Red Hot Chili Peppers - Love Rollercoaster
20.(16) Finley Quaye - Sunday Shining
21.(NE) The Brand New Heavies - You Are The Universe
Another vaguely-empowering sounding hit from them. Well enough made. 
22.(12) The Rembrandts - I'll Be There For You {1997}
23.(NE) Depeche Mode - Home
I read a review of the album in my student paper which claimed that this track featured Dave Gahan's best vocal on there. Which I wouldn't disagree with, except that the singer on this track is actually Martin Gore, who'd take the odd lead vocal here and there. Possibly for that reason, one of my favourite Depeche singles.
24. (6) The Charlatans - How High
25. (9) Foxy Brown - I'll Be ft Jay-Z
26.(19) DJ Quicksilver - Bellissima
27.(18) Olive - You're Not Alone {1997}
28.(NE) ETA - Casual Sub (Burning Spear)
Instrumental dance track which I actually quite liked, oddly. I remember listening to this while playing with Lego in my student house one evening, possibly the high point of my entire experience there. 
29.(10) Supergrass - Sun Hits The Sky
30.(24) En Vogue - Whatever
31.(20) Skunk Anansie - Brazen 'Weep'
32.(23) The Cardigans - Lovefool {1997}
33.(27) Shola Ama - You Might Need Somebody
34.(17) The Porn Kings - Amour (C'mon)
35.(15) Jon Bon Jovi - Midnight In Chelsea
36.(NE) Amen! UK - People Of Love
I've already forgotten this one. 
37.(31) Toni Braxton - I Don't Want To
38.(28) R Kelly - I Believe I Can Fly
39.(NE) Travis - All I Want To Do Is Rock
A reissue of their first ever single, reminiscent of Primal Scream - but the therapy, rather than the band. 
40.(26) Wet Wet Wet - Strange

43.(NE) Funky Green Dogs - The Way
49.(NE) Q-Tex - The Power Of Love '97
53.(NE) Paradise Lost - Say Just Words
58.(NE) Urusei Yatsura - Fake Fur

68.(NE) Wireless - I Need You
69.(RE) The Chemical Brothers - Block Rockin' Beats
73.(NE) React II Rhythm - Intoxication

Charting 1997: 21st June

An unchanged Top 3 and the highest new entry at 6? Can this really be 1997?

01. (1) Hanson - Mmm Bop
Reduced to a five-figure sale this week.
02. (2) Eternal - I Wanna Be The Only One ft BeBe Winans
03. (3) Sarah Brightman And Andrea Bocelli - Time To Say Goodbye (Con Te Partiro)
04. (5) Ultra Nate - Free
05. (6) Rosie Gaines - Closer Than Close
06.(NE) The Charlatans - How High
Their third consecutive Top 10 single, and their fourth and last overall. It's one of their punchier pop songs. Also notable for the fact that the B-sides include their first recordings with replacement keyboard player Tony Rogers. He's also in the videos for the first time: I've used the slightly better US version above.
07.(NE) Az Yet - Hard To Say I'm Sorry
Ticking many a 1997 box, it's an oddly spelt RnB group who disappeared after one album, covering an old power ballad. Peter Cetera himself appears on this record, in case it wasn't bland enough already.
08. (8) Mr President - Coco Jamboo
09.(NE) Foxy Brown - I'll Be ft Jay-Z
Anybody would think Jay-Z didn't want to be there.
10.(NE) Supergrass - Sun Hits The Sky

Their album lost the Number One battle against the Charlatans and a few weeks later the 'Grass are runners up in the singles race too. It may not have helped that the B-side cupboard was bare though. Good video, even if it is a bit of a rip-off of Squeeze's 'Another Nail In My Heart'.
11.(NE) Savage Garden - I Want You
First hit from the soon-to-be-massive Australian duo. It does sound a lot like 'The Look' by Roxette, how did nobody notice that at the time.
12.(12) The Rembrandts - I'll Be There For You {1997}
13. (7) Red Hot Chili Peppers - Love Rollercoaster
14.(NE) The Bee Gees - I Could Not Love You More
Hope it's not too soon to say this, but Robin Gibb doesn't look like he's taking it totally seriously in the video. Mind you, I didn't say it was a bad thing anyway.
15. (4) Jon Bon Jovi - Midnight In Chelsea
16.(NE) Finley Quaye - Sunday Shining
A track that was tipped to be massive but underperformed slightly for reasons I can't now recall. It's a slightly reworked cover of Bob Marley's 'Sun is Shining' - not one of his best-known songs at this time but a Top 3 hit in a 1999 remix.
17.(NE) The Porn Kings - Amour (C'mon)
If you think that's a stupid name, you should hear the song. And if you think the song's bad, you should see the video. 
18.(15) Olive - You're Not Alone {1997}
19.(20) DJ Quicksilver - Bellissima
20.(11) Skunk Anansie - Brazen 'Weep'
21.(NE) Del Amitri - Not Where It's At
Charmingly self-deprecating, although the song itself seems a bit forced.
22. (9) Radiohead - Paranoid Android
23.(17) The Cardigans - Lovefool {1997}
24.(14) En Vogue - Whatever
25.(NE) Lisa Stansfield - Never, Never Gonna Give You Up
A cover of the old Barry White number, possibly more remembered for the video than the record itself. 
26.(13) Wet Wet Wet - Strange
27.(23) Shola Ama - You Might Need Somebody
28.(25) R Kelly - I Believe I Can Fly
29.(NE) Aerosmith - Hole In My Soul
Millions of dollars' worth of special effects... and that's just Stephen Tyler's face.
30.(10) The Smashing Pumpkins - The End Is The Beginning Of The End
31.(26) Toni Braxton - I Don't Want To
32.(19) Gina G - Ti Amo
33.(22) Toby Bourke/George Michael - Waltz Away Dreaming
34.(27) Damage - Wonderful Tonight
35.(24) The Sneaker Pimps - Six Underground {1997}
36.(28) New Edition - Something About You
37.(NE) Huff And Puff - Help Me Make It Through The Night {1997 remix}
Yes, it's the Kris Krisofferson song: this is a dance track sampling a live version by Gladys Night. Puff was Rollo Armstrong, also of Faithless and other acts.
38.(NE) Mint Condition - What Kind Of Man Would I Be
Long running jazz/RnB group, one of whom was married to Toni Braxton.
39.(NE) Hysteric Ego - Ministry Of Love
Follow-up to the club hit 'Want Love'. You can see what he was thinking. 
40.(31) Katrina And The Waves - Love Shine A Light

43.(NE) Cathy Dennis - When Dreams Turn To Dust
46.(NE) Mary Kiani - With Or Without You
Yes, it is the U2 song. 
47.(NE) Ariel - Deep (I'm Falling Deeper)
49.(NE) Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - Young Girls And Happy Endings/Dark Night
Very much the sort of track I'd be embedding if there was an actual video online, this combines a brand-new A-side with a track from the current Barafundle album.
57.(NE) Shades Of Rhythm - Psycho Base
61.(NE) David Devant And His Spirit Wife - This Is For Real
64.(RE) Cast - Free Me
72.(RE) Wet Wet Wet - If I Never See You Again

74.(RE) The Charlatans - North Country Boy
75.(NE) Empirion - BETA

Charting 1997: 14th June

A bit of stability at the top end of the chart this week, although in 1997 stability still means 15 new entries in the Top 40.

01. (1) Hanson - Mmm Bop
Having sold a quarter of a million the week before, this could afford to tail off a fair bit in sales without losing the top position. 
02. (2) Eternal - I Wanna Be The Only One ft BeBe Winans
03. (4) Sarah Brightman And Andrea Bocelli - Time To Say Goodbye (Con Te Partiro)
04.(NE) Jon Bon Jovi - Midnight In Chelsea
His first official solo single, not counting the Blaze Of Glory soundtrack. It's fair to say that his songwriting style isn't radically different from his band work, although he does have a drum machine on this track.
05.(NE) Ultra Nate - Free
One of the biggest - and most platitudinous - dance tracks of the year. I hated this at the time although with hindsight it's not that bad. 
06. (5) Rosie Gaines - Closer Than Close
07.(NE) Red Hot Chili Peppers - Love Rollercoaster
Scoring only their second UK Top 10 single with this track from the Beavis & Butthead movie (which is why it's not on their Greatest Hits album). The song itself is of course a cover of the old Ohio Players track, although as my brother pointed out the rap sounds like the one in 'Bodyshakin' by 911.
08.(NE) Mr President - Coco Jamboo
One of the big Europop hits of the year - though it was over a year old by the time it reached Britain, as there was assumed to be a limited window of opportunity to release this sort of thing here. I can probably admit now that my younger self was not wholly immune to the charms of the blonde woman in the video, although Shirtless Mockney Rapping Bloke can sod right off. 
09. (3) Radiohead - Paranoid Android
10.(NE) The Smashing Pumpkins - The End Is The Beginning Of The End
And another American rock group enjoying their second (and in this case last) Top 10 hit with a soundtrack single on a different label that is absent from their hits collection. The better of the two in my opinion.
11.(NE) Skunk Anansie - Brazen 'Weep'
You wouldn't have guessed it if you didn't already know, but this was actually their highest-charting single ever, even though it was the fourth single from the album. Timing is everything. A relatively quiet song for them, which is apt as it's about suppressed anger and all the more effective for it.
12. (7) The Rembrandts - I'll Be There For You {1997}
13.(NE) Wet Wet Wet - Strange
For the video of this otherwise unremarkable Wets single, Marti Pellow adopted that odd bleached hair/dark goatee look that he retained for the remainder of the group's original career. 
14.(NE) En Vogue - Whatever
Yeah, pretty much my reaction too. 
15. (6) Olive - You're Not Alone {1997}
16.(NE) Joe - Don't Wanna Be A Player
A player in this context being a man who romances a lot of girls: according to this song he's so fond of his latest girlfriend he's not going to bother with any others. Aah.
Joe Thomas has had a relatively long chart career for this genre, although this is the only song of his I can actually remember the chorus of. 
17. (8) The Cardigans - Lovefool {1997}
18.(NE) Allure - Head Over Heels ft Nas
Rather samey but not unlistenable RnB from another entry in the girl group where are they now file.
19.(11) Gina G - Ti Amo
20.(14) DJ Quicksilver - Bellissima
21.(NE) Chicane - Sunstroke
Controversial I know but I don't really get the whole "trance" thing - a lot of it sounds to me like thirty seconds of music stretched over five minutes. Still, Chicane (aka Nick Bracegirdle) is one of the big pop stars of the style, still charting into the 2010s. 
22.(10) Toby Bourke/George Michael - Waltz Away Dreaming
23.(12) Shola Ama - You Might Need Somebody
24. (9) The Sneaker Pimps - Six Underground {1997}
25.(13) R Kelly - I Believe I Can Fly
26.(19) Toni Braxton - I Don't Want To
27.(15) Damage - Wonderful Tonight
28.(16) New Edition - Something About You
29.(NE) Code Red - Can We Talk
Yes, you probably can. Pity you can't sing though. The biggest hit this boyband ever managed in the UK although they were more successful in Asia. It's a cover of a song by Tevin Campbell.
30.(NE) Erykah Badu - Next Lifetime
A song that I remember having on a free CD from Q magazine but didn't realise until much more recently had actually been a hit single. Maybe a bit too relaxed sounding for its own good. I believe that's her then-boyfriend Andre 3000 (of Outkast) in the video. 
31.(17) Katrina And The Waves - Love Shine A Light
32.(24) Strike - I Have Peace
33.(21) Warren G - Smokin' Me Out ft Ron Isley
34.(23) Blackstreet - Don't Leave Me
35.(NE) Deni Hines - It's Alright
Australian singer who had a massive hit with this in her homeland and relocated here to try and spread the success. She didn't entirely succeed. 
36.(20) No Mercy - Please Don't Go
37.(NE) Roni Size/Reprazent - Share The Fall
"OK, you can keep Mark E. Smith and Karl Burns, but I want Brix, Marc Riley and both Paul and Steve Hanley." I've been waiting years to do that joke, hope somebody gets it.
38.(18) Marilyn Manson - The Beautiful People
39.(27) Daniel O'Donnell - The Love Songs EP
40.(NE) Beth Orton - She Cries Your Name
Her third chart appearance of the year and finally she makes it to the Top 40. It's third time around for this song too - she'd originally recorded it with the group Superpinkymandy in 1993 and had released this version as a single in 1996. 

43.(NE) Jon Secada - Too Late, Too Soon
44.(NE) Cable - Freeze The Atlantic
The only chart appearance from this under-appreciated British rock act, whom I saw at their last ever gig. This track had been assisted by its use in a TV commercial - not to give away what for, but the B-side of the single was called 'The We Did The Music For The Sprite Ad Blues' - though a principled decision to hold off releasing the single until well after the campaign had ended probably cost them a higher chart position. 

48.(NE) Billy And Sarah Gaines - I Found Someone
49.(NE) Jesus Jones - The Next Big Thing
A hopeful song title.
50.(NE) Terry Hall - Ballad Of A Landlord
Despite reaching Number One with The Specials, Top 5 with Fun Boy Three, Top 20 with the Colourfield etc, this was the highest he ever got as a solo artist.
Fans of cameos in videos will notice Gwen Stefani of No Doubt in here. 

60.(NE) Akin - Stay Right Here
61.(NE) Phat 'N' Phunky - Let's Groove/Makin' A Movie
70.(RE) Backstreet Boys - Anywhere For You
73.(RE) Damage - Love Guaranteed
75.(NE) Kaleef - Trials Of Life

Charting 1997: 7th June

01.(NE) Hanson - MmmBop
The first hit from the American brothers, produced by the Dust Brothers (of Beastie Boys/Beck! fame) and Clare Grogan's husband. So a slightly different sound from your average boyband.
02. (1) Eternal - I Wanna Be The Only One ft BeBe Winans
03.(NE) Radiohead - Paranoid Android
I had to tell YouTube I was over 18 before I could watch this video.

An extraordinary piece of music by anyone's standards, and especially for the Top 3. It's a testament to just how creative Radiohead were at this stage that it doesn't feel like a forced hit either: there's a genuine melody and emotional punch to this that makes it more than sheer acrobatics. 
04. (2) Sarah Brightman And Andrea Bocelli - Time To Say Goodbye (Con Te Partiro)
05. (4) Rosie Gaines - Closer Than Close
06. (3) Olive - You're Not Alone {1997}
07. (5) The Rembrandts - I'll Be There For You {1997}
08. (6) The Cardigans - Lovefool {1997}
09.(NE) The Sneaker Pimps - Six Underground {1997 re-issue}
Since the Beastie Boys didn't chart in 1997, this band who are named after an article in their magazine are the best opportunity I get to say RIP to Adam Yauch.
10.(NE) Toby Bourke/George Michael - Waltz Away Dreaming
During one of the most prolific eras of his career, Michael also found time to establish his own Aegean record company. The only hit they actually managed was this track which he sings on himself. Bourke was dropped a couple of years later (along with the rest of the roster) but is apparently still making music.
11.(NE) Gina G - Ti Amo
Setting a precedent for many other pseudo-Latin pop hits toward the end of the decade. Including the bit where it's rubbish.
12. (7) Shola Ama - You Might Need Somebody
13.(10) R Kelly - I Believe I Can Fly
14.(11) DJ Quicksilver - Bellissima
15. (9) Damage - Wonderful Tonight
16.(NE) New Edition - Something About You
Given that the main selling point of the band seemed to be that they were children, it's hard to see why anybody wanted them to reunite as adults. But they did it anyway, and although they'd split up again by the time of this single release (hence the clip-show video) it wound up as their second-highest-charting single in the UK. 
17. (8) Katrina And The Waves - Love Shine A Light
18.(NE) Marilyn Manson - The Beautiful People
Not the biggest debut hit of the week, but a major breakthrough for Brian & chums, in the days when metal bands could make the Top 20 by releasing picture disc formats and getting a good write-up in Kerrang!! Actually, if you ignore all the tiresome shock tactics in the video this is a good track, albeit very Adam & The Ants like.
19.(12) Toni Braxton - I Don't Want To
20.(13) No Mercy - Please Don't Go
21.(14) Warren G - Smokin' Me Out ft Ron Isley
22.(NE) Bush - Greedy Fly
Their second and last Top 40 hit, to date anyway, although Gavin Rossdale has revived the name for a new album in 2012. You have to wait about three minutes into the video for the actual song to start, I'll let you decide whether it's worth it. 
23.(21) Blackstreet - Don't Leave Me
24.(17) Strike - I Have Peace
25.(NE) Korn - Good God
Third hard-rock entry in a row - and another act who've released a new album fairly recently (December 2011) although unlike Manson and Bush it's still mostly the same line-up.
26.(16) Elvis Presley - Always On My Mind {1997}
27.(NE) Daniel O'Donnell - The Love Songs EP
[Save The Last Dance For Me; I Can't Stop Loving You; You're The Only Good Thing (That's Happened To Me); Limerick You're A Lady]
OK, just a slight change in mood from the previous three new entries....
Again, not something you'd expect to see in the singles chart nowadays, but there's always been a market for this kind of thing somewhere.
28.(28) 911 - Bodyshakin'
29.(20) North And South - I'm A Man Not A Boy
30.(18) Monaco - Sweet Lips
31.(NE) World Party - Beautiful Dream
Returning from a lengthy absence for one last hit single, although Karl Wallinger had charted as a songwriter earlier that year thanks to Brian Kennedy's cover of 'Message In The Box'. The original of that appears as a B-side to one of the three CD formats of this single. 
32.(26) Eels - Susan's House
33.(15) Faith No More - Ashes To Ashes
34.(27) The Seahorses - Love Is The Law
35.(NE) The Sounds Of Blackness - Spirit ft Craig Mack
Gospel choir alert! 
36.(NE) Northern Uproar - Any Way You Look
Unless you count Radiohead, this is the highest Britpop entry of the week, from the biggest rock phenomenon ever to come out of Heald Green. Much derided as Oasis wannabes on their first album, they came back with a significantly better second one but nobody was listening by then and this proved to be their last Top 40 appearance. Surprisingly, they are back together now and have hopes for a new album in 2012.
37.(28) Gary Barlow - Love Won't Wait
38.(NE) Tindersticks - Bathtime
Their only Top 40 hit, which seems an accident of timing more than anything else. A good song but not one that was being sung in school playgrounds or anything. Nice of them to give us the lyrics in the video though. 
39.(NE) Ben Folds Five - Kate
One of the great unrequited love songs of the era. Apparently Folds did actually marry the real-life Kate, although it didn't last.
40.(56) Spice Girls - Mama/Who Do You Think You Are?
Yes, there'd been a week or two without them in the Top 40, but they weren't going away that easily. Meanwhile the album had been Top 5 all year.

42.(NE) Dionne Farris - Hopeless
46.(NE) David Coverdale And Whitesnake - Too Many Tears
At least he didn't start calling the band "David Coverdale's Whitesnake" again. 
47.(NE) Loop Da Loop - Go With The Flow
53.(NE) Coolio - The Winner
58.(NE) Frankie Oliver - Give Her What She Wants
66.(NE) Three 'N' One - Reflect
67.(NE) Monkey Mafia - 15 Steps EP
[Lion In The Hall; Krash The Decks: Slaughter The Vinyl; Metro Love; Beats In The Hall]

70.(NE) Dweeb - Oh Yeah, Baby

71.(NE) INXS - Everything

We didn't know it at the time, but this was their last chart appearance (aside from a couple of samples on dance records). Michael Hutchence died less than six months later.