1994 in British music
This is a summary of 1994 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
| 1990s in music in the UK |
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| By genre |
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Summary
The first number 1 single of the year was the 700th since charts began, a reggae version of "Twist and Shout" by Chaka Demus & Pliers. The next month saw Mariah Carey get her first (and, to date, only) solo UK number 1 with "Without You", after having 8 previous chart-toppers in the United States. Coincidentally, "Without You" did not top the US Billboard Hot 100.
In late May, Wet Wet Wet reached number 1 with "Love Is All Around", from the film Four Weddings and a Funeral. It would remain at number 1 for fifteen weeks, the second longest consecutive run at No. 1 ever in the UK Singles Chart, and become the biggest selling single of the year. When Danish singer Whigfield replaced it in September with "Saturday Night", she became the first ever act to enter the UK singles chart at No.1 with their debut single.
Manchester rockers Oasis found their success on their debut album, Definitely Maybe, which shot to number No. 1 on its first week out in September.
December saw the debut of Boyzone to the charts, with a No. 2 cover of The Osmonds 1974 No. 1 "Love Me For a Reason". They would go on to have another fifteen singles, six reaching No. 1 and the rest reaching the top five, as well as four No. 1 albums.
Aside from Wet Wet Wet and Whigfield, the only other million selling single this year came from Céline Dion, with "Think Twice" (though it wouldn't reach number 1 until 1995). In all, 15 singles topped the chart this year, the second lowest number for any year in the decade.
1994 also saw a first for Prince, who scored his only UK No.1 single with "The Most Beautiful Girl in the world"
This was the year when Karl Jenkins, soon to be the UK's favourite classical composer,[1] launched his crossover project, Adiemus, with the album, Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary. Popularised through its use in TV commercials, the title track became known to classical and popular music fans alike. It also made the name of vocalist Miriam Stockley.
Another British composer, Stephen Warbeck, won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music in a Play, awarded for achievements in Broadway theatre; the award was made for his music for a production of An Inspector Calls.
A record was broken in 1994 for the longest song to become a UK top 10 hit when Bon Jovi released the single "Dry County" in March, when it peaked at #9. The song was 9 minutes and 52 seconds long.
Charts
Number-one singles
| Chart date (week ending) |
Song | Artist(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | "Mr. Blobby" | Mr Blobby |
| 8 January | "Twist and Shout" | Chaka Demus & Pliers featuring Jack Radics & Taxi Gang |
| 15 January | ||
| 22 January | "Things Can Only Get Better" | D:Ream |
| 29 January | ||
| 5 February | ||
| 12 February | ||
| 19 February | "Without You" | Mariah Carey |
| 26 February | ||
| 5 March | ||
| 12 March | ||
| 19 March | "Doop" | Doop |
| 26 March | ||
| 2 April | ||
| 9 April | "Everything Changes" | Take That |
| 16 April | ||
| 23 April | "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" | Prince |
| 30 April | ||
| 7 May | "The Real Thing " | Tony Di Bart |
| 14 May | "Inside" | Stiltskin |
| 21 May | "Come on You Reds" | Manchester United Football Squad |
| 28 May | ||
| 4 June | "Love Is All Around" | Wet Wet Wet |
| 11 June | ||
| 18 June | ||
| 25 June | ||
| 2 July | ||
| 9 July | ||
| 16 July | ||
| 23 July | ||
| 30 July | ||
| 6 August | ||
| 13 August | ||
| 20 August | ||
| 27 August | ||
| 3 September | ||
| 10 September | ||
| 17 September | "Saturday Night" | Whigfield |
| 24 September | ||
| 1 October | ||
| 8 October | ||
| 15 October | "Sure" | Take That |
| 22 October | ||
| 29 October | "Baby Come Back" | Pato Banton |
| 5 November | ||
| 12 November | ||
| 19 November | ||
| 26 November | "Let Me Be Your Fantasy" | Baby D |
| 3 December | ||
| 10 December | "Stay Another Day" | East 17 |
| 17 December | ||
| 24 December | ||
| 31 December |
Number-one albums
| Chart date (week ending) |
Album | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell | Meat Loaf |
| 8 January | Everything Changes | Take That |
| 15 January | So Far So Good | Bryan Adams |
| 22 January | One Woman: The Ultimate Collection | Diana Ross |
| 29 January | Tease Me | Chaka Demus & Pliers |
| 5 February | ||
| 12 February | Under the Pink | Tori Amos |
| 19 February | The Cross of Changes | Enigma |
| 26 February | Music Box | Mariah Carey |
| 5 March | ||
| 12 March | ||
| 19 March | ||
| 26 March | Vauxhall and I | Morrissey |
| 2 April | Music Box | Mariah Carey |
| 9 April | The Division Bell | Pink Floyd |
| 16 April | ||
| 23 April | ||
| 30 April | ||
| 7 May | Parklife | Blur |
| 14 May | Our Town - The Greatest Hits | Deacon Blue |
| 21 May | ||
| 28 May | I Say I Say I Say | Erasure |
| 4 June | Seal | Seal |
| 11 June | ||
| 18 June | Real Things | 2 Unlimited |
| 25 June | Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? | The Cranberries |
| 2 July | Happy Nation | Ace of Base |
| 9 July | ||
| 16 July | Music for the Jilted Generation | The Prodigy |
| 23 July | Voodoo Lounge | The Rolling Stones |
| 30 July | End of Part One: Their Greatest Hits | Wet Wet Wet |
| 6 August | ||
| 13 August | ||
| 20 August | ||
| 27 August | Come | Prince |
| 3 September | End of Part One: Their Greatest Hits | Wet Wet Wet |
| 10 September | Definitely Maybe | Oasis |
| 17 September | The Three Tenors In Concert 1994 | José Carreras, Plácido Domingo & Luciano Pavarotti with Orchestra Conducted by Zubin Mehta |
| 24 September | From the Cradle | Eric Clapton |
| 1 October | Songs | Luther Vandross |
| 8 October | Monster | R.E.M. |
| 15 October | ||
| 22 October | Cross Road | Bon Jovi |
| 29 October | ||
| 5 November | ||
| 12 November | MTV Unplugged in New York | Nirvana |
| 19 November | Cross Road | Bon Jovi |
| 26 November | ||
| 3 December | Carry on up the Charts | The Beautiful South |
| 10 December | Live at the BBC | The Beatles |
| 17 December | Carry on up the Charts | The Beautiful South |
| 24 December | ||
| 31 December |
Number-one compilation albums
| Chart date (week ending) |
Album |
|---|---|
| 12 February | Sweet Soul Harmonies |
| 19 February | Dance Hits '94 Volume 1 |
| 26 February | |
| 5 March | |
| 12 March | Soul Devotion |
| 19 March | |
| 26 March | |
| 2 April | |
| 9 April | Now 27 |
| 16 April | |
| 23 April | |
| 30 April | |
| 7 May | Dance Zone Level One |
| 14 May | |
| 21 May | |
| 28 May | |
| 4 June | Energy Rush – Xtermin8 |
| 11 June | Dance Hits '94 Volume 2 |
| 18 June | Pure Moods |
| 25 June | |
| 2 July | Now Dance Summer 94 |
| 9 July | |
| 16 July | Dance Zone Level 2 |
| 23 July | |
| 30 July | It's the Ultimate Dance Album |
| 6 August | |
| 13 August | Now 28 |
| 20 August | |
| 27 August | |
| 3 September | |
| 10 September | |
| 17 September | The Best Rock Album in the World...Ever! |
| 24 September | |
| 1 October | |
| 8 October | Dance Zone Level 3 |
| 15 October | Now 1994 |
| 22 October | |
| 29 October | |
| 5 November | |
| 12 November | The Best Rock Album in the World...Ever! |
| 19 November | The Love Album |
| 26 November | Now 29 |
| 3 December | |
| 10 December | |
| 17 December | |
| 24 December | |
| 31 December |
Year-end charts
Best-selling singles
Best-selling albums
Best-selling compilation albums
| No. | Title | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Now 29 | 1 |
| 2 | Now 28 | 1 |
| 3 | The Best Rock Album in the World... Ever! | 1 |
| 4 | The Love Album | 1 |
| 5 | Pure Moods | 1 |
| 6 | Now 27 | 1 |
| 7 | Now That's What I Call Music! 1994 | 1 |
| 8 | Dance Zone '94 | 2 |
| 9 | The Very Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber | 3 |
| 10 | Four Weddings and a Funeral Original Soundtrack | 5 |
Notes:
- Reached number 2 in 1995
- Reached number 1 in 1995
- Reached number 1 in 1995
- Reached number 2 in 1995
- Reached number 2 in 1993
- Reached number 3 in 1996 as the reissued Bizarre Fruit II
- Reached number 1 in 1993
Classical music: new works
- Thomas Adès – Living Toys
- Peter Maxwell Davies – Symphony No. 5
- Graham Fitkin – Length
- Jonathan Harvey – One Evening...
- Alun Hoddinott – The Silver Swimmer, Op. 152/1 – for soprano and ensemble
- Michael Nyman – MGV
- John Rutter – "I will sing with the spirit"
Film and incidental music
Music awards
BRIT Awards
The 1994 BRIT Awards winners were:
- Best soundtrack: "The Bodyguard"
- Best British producer: Brian Eno
- Best selling album & Single: Meat Loaf
- British album: Stereo MC's – "Connected"
- British breakthrough act: Gabrielle
- British dance act: M People
- British female solo artist: Dina Carroll
- British group: Stereo MC's
- British male solo artist: Sting
- British single: Take That – "Pray"
- British video: Take That – "Pray"
- International breakthrough act: Björk
- International female: Björk
- International group: Crowded House
- International male: Lenny Kravitz
- Outstanding contribution: Van Morrison
Mercury Music Prize
The 1994 Mercury Music Prize was awarded to M People – Elegant Slumming.
Births
- 1 February – Harry Styles, singer (One Direction)
- 1 April – Ella Eyre, English singer-songwriter
- 5 May – Celeste, American-born singer
- 2 August – Jacob Collier, jazz pianist and singer
- 23 September – Andrew Johnston, boy soprano
- 24 November – Reece Mastin, English-Australian singer-songwriter
Deaths
- 6 February – Norman Del Mar, conductor, horn player, and music writer, 74
- 1 March – Tim Souster, songwriter and composer of electronic music, 51
- 23 March – Donald Swann, pianist, composer and comedy entertainer, 70
- 7 April – Lee Brilleaux, vocalist with Dr. Feelgood, 41 (lymphoma)[5]
- 23 May – Ronald Hanmer, conductor, composer and arranger, 77
- 14 June – Lionel Grigson, jazz pianist, cornettist, trumpeter, composer and teacher, 52[6]
- 26 June – Thomas Armstrong, organist, conductor, composer, educationalist and adjudicator, 96
- 29 July – William Mathias, composer, 57
- 31 July – Anne Shelton, British singer, 70
- 2 September – Roy Castle, musician and all-round entertainer, 62 (lung cancer)
- 6 September – Nicky Hopkins, pianist and organist, 50 (complications from intestinal surgery)
- 7 September – Eric Crozier, librettist, 79
- 20 September – Jule Styne, English-born American songwriter, 88
- 22 September – Leonard Feather, jazz pianist, composer, producer and music journalist, 80
- 11 November – Elizabeth Maconchy, composer, 87
See also
References
- Classic FM: Karl Jenkins: The Armed Man (‘Mass for Peace’). Accessed 7 June 2014
- "Top 100 Singles 1994". Music Week. 14 January 1995. p. 9.
- "Top 100 Albums 1994". Music Week. 14 January 1995. p. 11.
- "Top 50 Compilations of 1994". Music Week. 14 January 1995. p. 10.
- Roberts, David (1998). Guinness Rockopedia (1st ed.). London: Guinness Publishing Ltd. p. 128. ISBN 0-85112-072-5.
- Independent obituary. Accessed 7 June 2014