#UNCOOLTWO50
🎶 129 🎶
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
by
FUTURE SOUND OF LONDON (1/1)
UK 1991
Points: 81
Top rank: 4, then 8, then 33 (yep, the next one goes 4, 8 as well!)
Unseeded
UK 67/130
1991: 6/7
1990s: 47/85
This was in my #Alt50 teaser, so happy to see it here for real.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfWM...
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🎶 186 🎶
DA FUNK
by
DAFT PUNK (1/1)
France 1995 (12")
Points: 70
Top rank: 26
Unseeded
France 3/3
1995: 8/10
1990s: 62/85
Punching the air: a European country, in my #Alt50 thing, better than 'Around The World' (imo).
Link is to the 1997 video.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmi6...
(I am doing my part for #75, and my near-miss 2nd cboice was also in the #Alt50)
#80 was in my #Alt50 thing ofc.
#75 might be the act I have most fingers crossed for, due to pop snobbery and SVQ. I think GM will get one in (F90 probably).
#71 is just "please, American posters, do us a solid, as you put it" (early lists are not promising in this respect).
#UncoolTwo50
#ALT50
"DAY 50"
1999
ZOMBIE NATION
'KERNKRAFT 400'
Germany
UK #2 (UK Dance #1)
Yes, even UK No.2 hits from September 2000 can be picked!
That's it from the "Alt 50" - keep sharing your thoughts and lists while I pivot to #LetsDoIt25.
Cheers.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5LW...
#UncoolTwo50
#ALT50
"DAY 49"
1999
I'm going to finish with two tracks that were big UK hits in 2000 (and on the Ministry Ibiza Annual album).
But, by the home market release date rule, they're eligible.
DARUDE
'SANDSTORM'
Finland
UK #3 (UK Dance *and* Indie #1)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y612...
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#ALT50
"DAY 48"
1998
Thunder just stolen by @centuriesofsound.bsky.social, but I'm sticking to the plan!
MISS KITTIN & THE HACKER
'FRANK SINATRA'
France
Charts, er... non
My bonus nomination in the 1998 Peoples Pop Poll.
"HE'S DEAD!"😄😄😄
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRPz...
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#ALT50
"DAY 47"
1998
BRANDY & MONICA
'THE BOY IS MINE'
USA
US #1, UK #2
One of those songs accomplished enough to sound like it must always have existed.
Decent writers and producers :)
Should at least beat the lead single from Thriller, right?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSIO...
#UncoolTwo50
#ALT50 - ends today!
"DAY 46"
1997
RONI SIZE & REPRAZENT
'BROWN PAPER BAG'
UK
UK #20
I waited about.a month for my post-Be Here Now moment.
It came at JP's flat in Brighton, when I saw a live TV performance by the Mercury winners.
Bye Bye Britpop.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwI0...
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#ALT50
"DAY 45"
1997
NATALIE IMBRUGLIA
'TORN'
Australia
Australia #2, UK #2, US #42
Australian pop 77-99: ex-Neighbours stars or nothing :)
HOWEVER.
Still *fantastic*.
(Confide In Me & Torn #2, Kiss Kiss #1 is a #POPINJUSTICE Special Edition)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV1X...
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#ALT50
"DAY 44"
1996
THE CARDIGANS
'LOVEFOOL'
Sweden
UK #2
You and I might prefer other Cardigans singles, but does this one have bigger crossover appeal?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI6a...
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#ALT50
"DAY 43"
1996
SUPER FURRY ANIMALS
'SOMETHING 4 THE WEEKEND'
UK
UK #18
Amusingly, in the charts at the same time as 'Something For The Weekend' by The Divine Comedy.
I'd happily take either, but this one first.
Good year for Wales, 96.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1Qy...
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#ALT50
"DAY 42"
1995 (last year with three picks)
ALANIS MORISSETTE
'YOU OUGHTA KNOW'
Canada
Canada #6, US #6, UK #22 (boo!)
From the 5th best selling album of the 90s in the UK (I'd get three of the top four in a quiz).
Still a blistering listen.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPcy...
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#ALT50
"DAY 41"
1995
DAFT PUNK
'DA FUNK'
France
UK #7 (US Dance Club Songs #1)
This is the date of the original 12" release, but let's jump forward a couple of years for the music video.
Can Daft Punk add to their three songs from #FearofMu21C?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmi6...
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#ALT50
"DAY 40"
1995
TLC
'WATERFALLS'
USA
US #1, UK #4
One of my criteria for this (and my main list) is how pissed off I was about underperformance in #Uncool50.
Here's a good example: this was a singleton 11!
Please do better next time :)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WEt...
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#ALT50
"DAY 39"
1994
KYLIE MINOGUE
'CONFIDE IN ME'
Australia
Australia #1, UK #2
Absolutely nothing she'd done before - not even the uniformly excellent singles from Rhythm of Love - prepared me for this.
Only artist from my #FearofMu21C in this.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxZk...
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#ALT50
"DAY 38"
1994
DAWN PENN
'YOU DON'T LOVE ME (NO, NO, NO)'
Jamaica
UK #3, US #58
So, the last 13 "days" of this have only two UK and two US, with 9 from the rest of the world.
Starting with one of the most pleasing surprise hits of the 90s.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4vj...
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#ALT50
"DAY 37"
1993
SNOOP DOGGY DOGG
'WHO AM I (WHAT'S MY NAME?)'
USA
US #8, UK #20
I suspect I know which G-funk/gangsta rap song will be the genre leader (it's in my own list and I assume at least two others).
But let's hope it's not alone.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2soG...
The famous Select magazine cover, April 1993. Often regarded as the "start of Britpop".
#UncoolTwo50
#ALT50
"DAY 36"
1993
SUEDE
'ANIMAL NITRATE'
UK
UK #7
The closest thing in the #Alt50 list to a top 100 seed (#107).
A very important university years record for me.
And (see picture, from a month later) for many others...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7mE...
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#ALT50
"DAY 35"
1992
SOPHIE B. HAWKINS
'DAMN I WISH I WAS YOUR LOVER'
USA
US #5, UK #14
I'm just gonna say what I said last time I posted this on Twitter.
"No 1992 single has grown as much in my estimation over the last 30 years."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt6r...
#UncoolTwo50
#ALT50
"DAY 34"
1992
SL2
'ON A RAGGA TIP'
UK
UK #2
In a decade rammed with them, one of the great 'UK #2' PopInjustices.
One week behind Far Right Said Fred and two behind KWS, since you ask.
We can't change the past, but give it some points!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXCN...
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#ALT50
"DAY 33"
1992
GUNS N' ROSES
'NOVEMBER RAIN'
USA
US #3, UK #4
The only 1bn-plus-view YT videos I've posted for this just happen to be the only two power ballads I love unreservedly.
Bonnie Tyler was in my last five cuts; here's the other.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SbU...
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#ALT50
"DAY 32"
1991
THE FUTURE SOUND OF LONDON
'PAPUA NEW GUINEA'
UK
UK #22 (UK Dance Singles #1)
Number #387 in the #Uncool500.
So, it'll have its work cut out, but would easily be in my top 250.
Next up today: three singles from 1992.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfWM...
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#ALT50
"DAY 31"
1991
SAINT ETIENNE
'NOTHING CAN STOP US'
UK
UK #54 (US Hot Dance Club Play #1!)
SE have one 'seed' in the 150s and 'Only Love...' not far short of no.250.
Will they suffer away from Music Twitter?
First single with Sarah Cracknell.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLdK...
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#ALT50
1990
A TRIBE CALLED QUEST
'CAN I KICK IT?'
USA
UK #15
Former PPP runner-up. One member's other RU (and overall PPP 🥉) is in my list of course.
Also the first 90s song to hit 30pts in #Uncool50... after which it scored precisely zero more :(
www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3py...
By "staggered" I mean that it came out in the US in 1999 but the UK in 2000.
This is in the rules, using 'Still DRE' as an example.
Same applies to releases in other home markets in 1999 which were only issued in the UK in 2000. My #ALT50 will finish with two of those.
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#ALT50
1990
JULEE CRUISE
'FALLING'
USA
UK #7 (Australia #1, good on ya, cobber!)
(the six songs above it in the UK that week included four oldies, covers or near-covers)
With the instrumental Theme From Twin Peaks on the B-side.
Now that's VALUE!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkR6...
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#ALT50
"DAY 28"
1989
NENEH CHERRY
'MANCHILD'
Sweden
UK #5
Outing myself as a non-Cherry picker here.
The other behemoth beat 'Manchild' by 123 points to 10 in #Uncool50.
All I'm saying is, it should be a bit closer than that :)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ9V...
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#ALT50
"DAY 27"
1989
N.W.A.
'EXPRESS YOURSELF'
USA
UK #26 (US Hot Rap #2)
So, on the one hand, the devastating repartee of "rap with a silent c".
On the other, Dre's opening verse here.
Tough choices...
A direct influence on Englandneworder :)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=u31F...
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#ALT50
"DAY 26"
1988
INNER CITY
'GOOD LIFE'
USA
UK #4, US #73 (Hot Dance Club Play #1)
Did well enough last time to be "seeded" #149.
Instinct suggests it's the sort of genre that will do better with "Music Bluesky" than Music Twitter.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJxJ...