21 November 1997 Joe Dolan here becomes the only act to have an Irish number one single in the '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s. Surprisingly, since it was something of a signature song for him, the original 'Good Looking Woman' wasn't one of Joe's previous five Irish chart-toppers, only peaking at number four in 1970. … Continue reading Dustin & Joe Dolan – ‘Good Looking Woman’ →

24 October 1997 Right after 'Candle In The Wind 1997', here's another tribute to a famous blonde. Apart from that, two more different number ones you'd be hard-pressed to find. And lest you think this was just the Irish charts being heartless, on this same weekend in October 1997 the new UK number one was … Continue reading Aqua – ‘Barbie Girl’ →

19 September 1997 Here's Ireland's biggest-selling single ever: an Englishman singing about a British royal. It's also the biggest-selling single ever in Germany, but the British royal family are German anyway so they're practically their own. What's our excuse? Okay, 'Candle In The Wind 1997' is actually about the public shock and upset at the … Continue reading Elton John – ‘Candle In The Wind 1997’ / ‘Something About The Way You Look Tonight’ →

12 September 1997 I've never been sure if 'Tubthumping' is meant to be satirical (binge drinking and let's be havin' you!) or sincere (drowning your sorrows and soldiering on). Alice Nutter sweetly singing "Pissing the night away" and a wisp of 'Danny Boy' certainly has its charm, but again I'm wondering if this record is … Continue reading Chumbawumba – ‘Tubthumping’ →

22 August 1997 Considering Will Smith's single 'Men In Black' as a rap record feels like I'm missing the point. It's promotional collateral for Will Smith's movie Men In Black. No, wait: maybe the single is merely the pretext for Will Smith's video for 'Men In Black', the real promotional collateral for Will Smith's movie … Continue reading Will Smith – ‘Men In Black’ →

11 July 1997 If 'Don't Look Back In Anger' was the sound of Oasis going from Britpop to soft rock, 'D'You Know What I Mean?' is soft-rock Oasis kicking on to self-parody. Beatles references? It literally and randomly name-checks 'The Fool On The Hill' and 'I Feel Fine'. Cartoonish aggro? There's Liam bleating and sneering … Continue reading Oasis – ‘D’You Know What I Mean?’ →

4 July 1997 I recall reports of his death in 1997, but I don't recall the Notorious B.I.G. being as much a star name here in Ireland as he clearly was in the US. If my own mid-'90s circle is indicative, we were more into the Wu-Tang Clan, but that's as much a narrow awareness … Continue reading Puff Daddy and Faith Evans ft. 112 – ‘I’ll Be Missing You’ →

13 June 1997 If I told you a number one single was an original track speeded up and given cartoonish record scratches, all with a chorus of gibberish scat vocalising and sung by three cutesy floppy-haired American siblings, you'd assume it was a novelty hit, right? Hanson's 'MMMBop' is that single. I see a lot … Continue reading Hanson – ‘MMMBop’ →

23 May 1997 Here's the first Irish number one we can attribute to German boxing. 'Con te partirò' had already been a solo hit across Europe for Andrea Bocelli. In November 1996 Henry Maske, a former Olympic champion boxer, was coming to the end of an illustrious pro career that had made him one of … Continue reading Sarah Brightman & Andrea Bocelli – ‘Time To Say Goodbye (Con te partirò)’ →