Charting 1997: 22nd November

01. (1) Aqua - Barbie Girl
02. (2) Natalie Imbruglia - Torn
03.(NE) All Saints - Never Ever
The biggest new hit of the week, hidden behind the two immovable objects at the top of the chart. It was still a big seller at the time and in the long run a consistent one too. 
04. (3) Barbra Streisand And Celine Dion - Tell Him
05.(NE) Hanson - I Will Come To You
Their third hit and it's November so of course it's a power ballad, and of course it isn't any good. I don't suppose they realise that video looks like a Ready Brek advert.
06.(NE) Hot Chocolate - You Sexy Thing {1997 reissue}
Reaching the Top 10 for the third decade in a row (it didn't repeat this success in the 2000s, but there's still plenty of this decade to go) thanks to its extensive use in the film The Full Monty. This was the original version rather than the remix that had been a hit in 1987, but this was never one of my favourites of theirs.
07. (5) Elton John - Something About The Way You Look/Candle In The Wind
08.(NE) Pulp - Help The Aged
Their first new single since 'Something Changed' in early 1996; and of course even that was from a 1995 album so this was effectively their first new material in two years. It finds Jarvis Cocker in something of a bleak mood, albeit that he disguises this cri de coeur with typical humour. For his trouble he was threatened with legal action from the charity of the same name, although this was settled for a donation and some publicity on the sleeve. The premise for the video was originally to be "Stairlift to Heaven" but the manufacturer unsurprisingly didn't like their product being associated with death so he goes to outer space instead. It also features an early appearance by Kelly Brook.
I bought the 7" of this which has three tracks (good value) but plays at a different speed on each side (irritating). One of those B-sides is their rejected submission for the James Bond theme, 'Tomorrow Never Lies' - I'd always assumed they changed the title for contractual reasons a la R.E.M.'s 'Winged Mammal Theme' but apparently that was the original title of the film. 
Their last Top 10 single.
09.(NE) Ocean Colour Scene - Better Day
Also their last Top 10 and their least deserved, an autobiographical but ultimately uninteresting song with a rubbish video. Annoyingly, the chorus repeatedly uses the phrase "get blown away", which is the title of a far better track from the album that they should have released as the single instead. 
10. (4) Spice Girls - Spice Up Your Life
11. (6) The PF Project - Choose Life ft Ewan McGregor
12.(11) Backstreet Boys - As Long As You Love Me
13.(NE) Metallica - The Memory Remains
A fairly typical Metallica single of the era, big and crunchy but still with a recognisable chorus, It does have the addition of Marianne Faithfull, for whom this was the first Top 20 success since 1965. 
14.(NE) Conner Reeves - Earthbound
Second single from the bland but well-connected singer. 
15. (9) Sash! - Stay ft La Trec
16. (8) Moby - James Bond Theme
17.(12) N-Trance - Do You Think I'm Sexy? ft Rod Stewart
18.(NE) Steps - 5, 6, 7, 8
Yes, it all starts here with a cash-in record from the brief linedancing craze of the late 1990s. A very odd single, and an even more rubbish one, but it was one of the biggest sellers of all time not to make the Top 10.  There are Steps records I don't mind but this is not among them. 
19. (7) Gary Barlow - Open Road
20.(17) Chumbawamba - Tubthumping
21.(15) Dario G - Sunchyme
22.(19) Clock - U Sexy Thing
23.(18) Eternal - Angel Of Mine
24.(NE) Brainbug - Benedictus/Nightmare
The AA side is making its second chart appearance in six months as a supporting feature to the not dissimilar new track.
25.(NE) Portishead - Over
Second single from the untitled album, a song that's more haunting than catchy and possibly not an obvious hit. I remember hearing it used as backing music in a documentary about something really serious. 
26.(10) Texas - Put Your Arms Around Me
27.(16) 187 Lockdown - Gunman
28.(NE) Happy Clappers - I Believe 97
Third chart run for this one. That's just greedy
29.(13) Jon Bon Jovi - Janie, Don't Take Your Love To Town
30.(NE) Aaliyah - The One I Gave My Heart To/Hot Like Fire
Not yet a star here on the same scale as she was in the US, although I do remember the second track from the time. It was later covered by the XX. Parts of its video are slightly unfortunate now.
31.(14) Cast - I'm So Lonely
32.(RE) Jewel - You Were Meant For Me
One of the big breakthrough stars of 1996-7, the serious Alaskan singer-songwriter always found it harder to convince a British audience, but was a natural occupant of the Number 52 chart position. Indeed this had  peaked at 53 only a couple of months earlier but was redistributed after a bit of extra promotion to be become the first and the larger of her two Top 40 hits.
33.(25) The Brand New Heavies - You've Got A Friend
34.(22) Peter Andre - Lonely
35.(28) Tina Moore - Never Gonna Let You Go
36.(23) Double 99 - RIP Groove {1997 Re-Release}
37.(31) Toni Braxton With Kenny G - How Could An Angel Break My Heart
38.(27) 911 - Party People... Friday Night
39.(NE) David McAlmont And David Arnold - Diamonds Are Forever
Another Bond moment, although a bit of an underperformer as the follow-up to Arnold's Top 10 collaboration with Propellerheads. I suppose it looks better if you see it as the follow-up to McAlmont's Number 40 instead. I was among the few who did buy it.
40.(NE) Bobby Brown - Feelin' Inside
And coincidentally, this video also opens with a bit of a Bond theme, though that's not part of the record itself. It ends with a "surprise" celebrity cameo. In between there's a song I've already forgotten.

43.(NE) The Sundays - Cry

Their last single. Not their finiest work but it might still have been nice to hear more from them.
45.(NE) Kamasutra - Happiness ft Jocelyn Brown
55.(NE) DSK - What Would We Do? 
Dance track which was re-issued and remixed several times over the years although it only became a major hit when sampled on Wiley's 'Wearing My Rolex'.
56.(NE) Full Intention - America (I Love America) {1997}
60.(NE) God's Property - Stomp
62.(NE) 'N Sync - I Want You Back
We'd hear from this again when it went Top 10 in 1999. 
70.(NE) Mike Oldfield - Woman Of Ireland
72.(NE) Alabama 3 - The Speed Of The Sound Of Loneliness
74.(NE) Myron - We Can Get Down
75.(NE) Vanilla - No Way No Way
And this was to reappear even sooner.