1996 in British music

none 1996 1996 British music This is a summary of 1996 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year. Summary This year saw the start of an increase in the number of number 1 singles. 24 hit the top spot this year, the highest since 1980, which had an equal number. The first number 1 single of the year was "Jesus to a Child", George Michael's first solo #1 for 10 years. This was followed by Babylon Zoo's "Spaceman", which had been used in an advert for Levi's. The single was quite different from the version used in the advert, which had been sped up and re-arranged. It stayed at #1 for five weeks, sold over a million copies, and Jas Mann, the man behind Babylon Zoo, became the first solo male to make their chart debut at number 1. After five years, the boy band Take That announced that they were splitting up, resulting in such distress for their many fans that a telephone helpline had to be set up. Their final number 1 came in March, a cover of the Bee Gees song "How Deep Is Your Love". Several of the members went on to start a solo career, with Gary Barlow the first to hit #1 with "Forever Love" in July. However, it would be Robbie Williams who would go on to score the most success as a solo artist. After George Michael scored another number 1 with "Fastlove" in April, Gina G reached the top spot with "Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit" in May. This song was the UK's entry to the 1996 Eurovision Song Contest, and originally reached #6 when it was released at the beginning of April. It hovered around the top 5 for the next few weeks, before moving up to 1 in the week of the contest. Although it failed to win, it still became the first Eurovision song to hit #1 since Nicole's "A Little Peace", which won the contest in 1982. The next number 1 was also influenced by media events: "Three Lions", released by comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner and the band The Lightning Seeds, was the official song of the 1996 European Football Championship (Euro '96), which was being held in England. A rewritten version of the song ("Three Lions '98") would reach number 1 two years later, coinciding with the Football World Cup 1998 (France '98). The Fugees had the biggest selling single of the year, with a cover of Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly With His Song". It sold over a million copies. However, by far the most successful act of the year was the Spice Girls, who kickstarted their career with three number 1 singles – the million-selling "Wannabe" in July, which was one of the longest No 1 stints by any girl group (7 weeks); (Shakespears Sister's "Stay" is the longest girl group No 1, with 8 weeks), and remains the biggest-selling single by a girl group; "Say You'll Be There" in October; and "2 Become 1" in December, also a million-seller, the year's Christmas number one single and the UK's fastest selling single of 1996. The Spice Girls debut album Spice was the fastest selling album of 1996, shifting over 1.8 million copies in just 7 weeks. It was also the Number 1 album for Christmas 1996 and the second-best-selling album of the year. Oasis smashed the record for most weeks in the singles chart (previously held by Adam and the Ants in 1981) with 134 weeks, thanks to mass waves of re-entries of songs from their back catalogue throughout the year. 1996 is also grimly notable for having the drummers of two popular bands, Mathew Fletcher of Heavenly, on 14 June, and Chris Acland of Lush, on 17 October, commit suicide. Lush had at the time been in the final stages of planning an American tour, which his devastated bandmates cancelled; they then disbanded. Prolific classical composer Peter Maxwell Davies produced the tenth of his Strathclyde Concertos, an orchestral work which was first performed in Glasgow in October by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, under the composer's baton. In June, his new opera, The Doctor of Myddfai, was premièred in Cardiff. Other British composers who produced new works were Michael Berkeley (Viola Concerto) and John Tavener (Innocence). Andrew Lloyd Webber's new musical, Whistle Down the Wind opened in Washington D.C. in December, to poor reviews, but its score would go on to provide Boyzone with one of the best-selling singles of the decade in the form of "No Matter What"; the show did not appear in the West End until 1998. Events 19 February – Jarvis Cocker disrupts a performance by Michael Jackson at the BRIT Awards. During an elaborate staging of "Earth Song" Cocker and Peter Mansell (a former Pulp member) invade the stage; Cocker lifts his shirt and points his bottom in Jackson's direction before getting into a scuffle with security. He is arrested and taken for questioning (with Bob Mortimer acting as his solicitor), but is released without charge. Cocker later states that his actions were "a form of protest at the way Michael Jackson sees himself as some kind of Christ-like figure with the power of healing".http://www.metro.co.uk/music/855603-brit-awards-2011-top-five-moments-through-the-years Brit Awards 2011: Top five moments Through the years Lee, Ann February 15, 2011 Metro August 9, 2012 28 February – At the 38th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles: Trevor Horn (producer) and Seal win Record of the Year for "Kiss From a Rose". Christopher Hogwood (conductor), Sylvia McNair and the Academy of Ancient Music win Best Classical Vocal Performance for The Echoing Air – The Music of Henry Purcell. Annie Lennox wins Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "No More 'I Love You's'". The Chieftains and Van Morrison win Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Have I Told You Lately" 1 March – Status Quo take BBC Radio One to the High Court over a dispute in which the station refused to play their single "Fun Fun Fun". The band lost their case, with Radio One arguing that Status Quo does not fit the demographic audience that the station is reaching out to. 2 March – Melody Maker praises Jarvis Cocker for his protest at the Brit Awards ceremony, suggesting he should be knighted. 4 March – The Beatles' second reunion song is released as part of their first reunion since the band's breakup 26 years earlier. The song is a finished version of "Real Love", a John Lennon demo from 1980.http://www.rockhall.com/inductees/the-beatles The Beatles February 5, 2009 2007 The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. https://web.archive.org/web/20100104020931/http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/the-beatles January 4, 2010 live 22 March – Black Grape perform a cover of "Pretty Vacant" by the Sex Pistols on TFI Friday on Channel 4. During the performance, Shaun Ryder uses several f-words and the incident results in Ryder being banned from live broadcasting and TFI Friday being recorded instead of being broadcast live. 1 April – John Squire announces his departure from the Stone Roses. He is replaced by Aziz Ibrahim, formerly of Simply Red. 28 April – Oasis play the second of two gigs in Maine Road, home of Manchester City F.C., featured on the video "...There and Then". June – Musicians listed in the Queen's Birthday Honours include songwriter Ivan Morrison, clarinetist Emma Johnson, jazz pianist George Shearing and opera singer Felicity Lott."THE QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY HONOURS", The Independent, 15 June 1996. Accessed 8 June 2014 21 June – The Sex Pistols reform and begin their 78-date Filthy Lucre Tour. This would be the first time the band have performed together since their original breakup in 1978, and their first with Glen Matlock since his original departure in 1977. 8 July – The Spice Girls release their début single "Wannabe" in the United Kingdom. The song proved to be a global hit, hitting number one in 31 countries and becoming not only the biggest-selling début single by an all-female group, but also the biggest-selling single by an all-female group of all time. 18 July – First performance of James MacMillan’s cor Anglais concerto The World’s Ransoming, with the London Symphony Orchestra and its principal cor Anglais player Christine Pendrill as soloist, conducted by Kent Nagano at the Barbican. 22 July – Rob Collins, keyboardist with the Charlatans, is killed in a car crash on a country road outside Monmouth. July – The Spice Girls appear in Top of the Pops magazine, where each member is given a nickname based upon her image: "Posh Spice", "Baby Spice", "Scary Spice", "Ginger Spice", and "Sporty Spice"."nicknames", Halliwell, Geri (1999). If Only, p. 229. New York: Delacorte Press. 0-385-33475-3. 10 August – Oasis play two nights at Knebworth House with an audience of 125,000 per night. Over 2.5 million people applied for tickets for the shows, making it the largest-ever demand for concert tickets in British history. They are supported by the Charlatans, Kula Shaker, Manic Street Preachers, the Bootleg Beatles, the Chemical Brothers, Ocean Colour Scene and the Prodigy. 25 August – The Stone Roses perform a disastrous final gig at the Reading Festival. The performance receive a negative reception from fans and critics, with Ian Brown's vocals being particularly criticised.Perrone, Pierre (2008) "The worst gigs of all time", The Independent, 24 January 2008 The band would then split up in October. 4 September – Oasis perform "Champagne Supernova" at the MTV Video Music Awards, held in New York. During the performance, Liam Gallagher makes obscene gestures at brother Noel as he plays his guitar solo, then spits beer all over the stage before storming off. 12 September – These Premises are Alarmed for orchestra by Thomas Adès is performed for the first time at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. 14 September – The first open-air "Proms in the Park" is staged in Hyde Park as part of the Proms Last Night celebrations. 3 October – The premiere of James MacMillan's Cello Concerto takes place at the Barbican Centre with soloist Mstislav Rostropovich and the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Colin Davis. 19 October – The premiere of Gnarly Buttons for clarinet and chamber ensemble by the American composer John Adams, takes place at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, with the composer conducting the London Sinfonietta and Michael Collins as soloist. 31 October – David Brookes is fined £45 in Hampstead Magistrates' Court for disrupting the "quiet enjoyment" of the public by playing his bagpipes on Hampstead Heath. Described as "a pain in the neck" by a spokesperson for the College of Pipers in Glasgow, Brookes said he had been playing the pipes on the heath for twenty years and had been given permission to do so, adding that he is surprised by the ruling because social workers were allowed to distribute condoms there.John Ezard, "Piper Pays for His Tune", The Guardian (1 November 1996):2. November – Jesus Christ Superstar is revived in London's West End. Directed by Gale Edwards, this version stars Steve Balsamo and Zubin Varla as Jesus and Judas, with Joanna Ampil as Mary Magdalene, and a recording is released as an album. 12 December – Mike Joyce, former drummer with the Smiths, is awarded £1 million in missing royalties and damages from former bandmates Morrissey and Johnny Marr in the High Court. Charts Number-one singles Chart date(week ending) Song Artist(s) Sales 6 January "Earth Song"Michael Jackson 55,000 13 January 80,000 20 January "Jesus to a Child" George Michael 113,000 27 January "Spaceman"Babylon Zoo 417,547 3 February 204,000 10 February 129,000 17 February 80,000 24 February 63,000 2 March "Don't Look Back in Anger" Oasis 250,000 9 March "How Deep Is Your Love" Take That 257,000 16 March 120,000 23 March 90,000 30 March "Firestarter" The Prodigy 119,000 6 April 80,000 13 April 78,000 20 April "Return of the Mack" Mark Morrison 90,000 27 April 90,000 4 May "Fastlove" George Michael 110,000 11 May 74,000 18 May 56,000 25 May "Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit" Gina G 75,000 1 June "Three Lions" Baddiel, Skinner & The Lightning Seeds 110,000 8 June "Killing Me Softly" The Fugees 157,000 15 June 195,000 22 June 173,000 29 June 160,000 6 July "Three Lions" Baddiel, Skinner & The Lightning Seeds 138,000 13 July "Killing Me Softly" The Fugees 98,000 20 July "Forever Love" Gary Barlow 109,000 27 July "Wannabe" Spice Girls 108,000 3 August 154,000 10 August 150,000 17 August 145,000 24 August 125,000 31 August 110,000 7 September 90,000 14 September "Flava" Peter Andre 129,000 21 September "Ready or Not"The Fugees 72,000 28 September 75,000 5 October "Breakfast at Tiffany's" Deep Blue Something 85,000 12 October "Setting Sun" The Chemical Brothers 99,000 19 October "Words" Boyzone 232,000 26 October "Say You'll Be There" Spice Girls 350,000 2 November 163,000 9 November "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" / "Saturday Night at the Movies" / "You'll Never Walk Alone" Robson & Jerome 196,000 16 November 113,000 23 November "Breathe" The Prodigy 195,000 30 November 95,000 7 December "I Feel You" Peter Andre 87,000 14 December "A Different Beat" Boyzone 90,000 21 December "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"/"Throw These Guns Away" Dunblane 189,000 28 December "2 Become 1"Spice Girls 500,000 Number-one albums Chart date(week ending) Album Artist Sales 6 January Robson & Jerome Robson & Jerome 216,000 13 January (What's the Story) Morning Glory? Oasis53,000 20 January 48,000 27 January 46,000 3 February 45,000 10 February 48,000 17 February 42,000 24 February Expecting to Fly The Bluetones 83,000 2 March (What's the Story) Morning Glory? Oasis 81,000 9 March 107,000 16 March 84,000 23 March Falling into You Céline Dion 101,000 30 March Anthology 2 The Beatles 78,000 6 April Greatest Hits Take That 276,000 13 April 174,000 20 April 100,000 27 April52,000 4 May Jagged Little Pill Alanis Morissette 54,000 11 May 65,000 18 May 1977 Ash 54,000 25 May Older George Michael 281,000 1 June 114,000 8 June 80,000 15 June Load Metallica 70,000 22 June 18 Til I Die Bryan Adams 54,000 29 June Jagged Little Pill Alanis Morissette 42,000 6 July Recurring Dream Crowded House 80,000 13 July 47,000 20 July Jagged Little Pill Alanis Morissette 41,000 27 July 37,000 3 August 59,000 10 August 62,000 17 August 56,000 24 August 49,000 31 August 45,000 7 September 47,000 14 September Coming Up Suede 42,000 21 September New Adventures in Hi-Fi R.E.M 125,000 28 September K Kula Shaker 133,000 5 October 54,000 12 October Natural Peter Andre 45,000 19 October Greatest Hits Simply Red 87,000 26 October 84,000 2 November Blue Is the Colour The Beautiful South 80,000 9 November A Different Beat Boyzone 95,000 16 November Spice Spice Girls 128,000 23 November Take Two Robson & Jerome 187,000 30 November 168,000 7 December Spice Spice Girls 170,000 14 December 217,000 21 December 271,000 28 December 364,000 Number-one compilation albums Chart date(week ending) Album 6 January Hits 96 13 January 20 January 27 January 3 February Sisters of Swing 10 February The Best Album in the World...Ever! 2 17 February 24 February The No.1 Love Album 2 March In the Mix 96 9 March 16 March 23 March 30 March Now 33 6 April 13 April 20 April 27 April 4 May Dance Zone 7 11 May Boyz of Swing 18 May New Hits 96 25 May 1 June 8 June 15 June 22 June 29 June 6 July 13 July 20 July Big Mix '96 27 July 3 August 10 August 17 August The Best Dance Album in the World...Ever! Part 6 24 August Now 34 31 August 7 September 14 September 21 September 28 September 5 October 12 October In the Mix 96 – 3 19 October Kiss in Ibiza '96 26 October 2 November 9 November 16 November Huge Hits 1996 23 November 30 November Now 35 7 December 14 December 21 December 28 December Year-end charts Best-selling singles Top 100 Singles 1996 Music Week 25 18 January 1997 No. Number Title Artist Peakposition 1 "Killing Me Softly" Fugees 1 2 "Wannabe" Spice Girls 1 3 "Spaceman" Babylon Zoo 1 4 "Say You'll Be There" Spice Girls 1 5 "Return of the Mack" Mark Morrison 1 6 "Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit" Gina G 1 7 "Three Lions" Baddiel & Skinner & Lightning Seeds 1 8 "Children" Robert Miles 2 9 "Mysterious Girl" Peter Andre featuring Bubbler Ranx 2 10 "2 Become 1" Spice Girls 1 11 "Don't Look Back in Anger" Oasis 1 12 "How Deep Is Your Love" Take That 1 13 "Un-Break My Heart" Toni Braxton 2 14 "Breathe" The Prodigy 1 15 "Firestarter" 1 16 "Words" Boyzone 1 17 "Breakfast at Tiffany's" Deep Blue Something 1 18 "If You Ever" East 17 featuring Gabrielle 2 19 "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted"/"Saturday Night at the Movies"/"You'll Never Walk Alone" Robson & Jerome 1 20 "Anything" 3T 2 21 "Fastlove" George Michael 1 22 "Macarena" Los del Río 2 23 "Born Slippy .NUXX" Underworld 2 24 "Ready or Not" Fugees 1 25 "The X Files" Mark Snow 2 26 "One & One" Robert Miles featuring Maria Nayler 3 27 "Because You Loved Me" Celine Dion 5 28 "Give Me a Little More Time" Gabrielle 5 29 "Nobody Knows" The Tony Rich Project Tony Rich 4 30 "You're Gorgeous" Babybird 3 31 "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"/"Throw These Guns Away" Dunblane 1 32 "Cecilia" Suggs featuring Louchie Lou & Michie One 4 33 "Flava" Peter Andre 1 34 "Don't Stop Movin'" Livin' Joy 5 35 "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" Celine Dion 3 36 "I Love You Always Forever" Donna Lewis 5 37 "How Bizarre" OMC 5 38 "Jesus to a Child" George Michael 1 39 "Virtual Insanity" Jamiroquai 3 40 "Forever Love" Gary Barlow 1 41 "Hillbilly Rock Hillbilly Roll" The Woolpackers 5 42 "I Wanna Be a Hippy" Technohead 6 43 "There's Nothing I Won't Do" JX 4 44 "Insomnia" Faithless 3 45 "What's Love Got to Do with It" Warren G featuring Adina Howard 2 46 "Freedom" Robbie Williams 2 47 "I Got 5 on It" Luniz 3 48 "Earth Song" Michael Jackson 1 49 "Spinning the Wheel" George Michael 2 50 "A Design for Life" Manic Street Preachers 2 Best-selling albums Top 100 Albums 1996 Music Week 27 18 January 1997 No. Number Title Artist Peakposition SalesAlan Jones UK acts outstrip the US, but Canadian Alanis hits the top Music Week 26 18 January 1997 1 Jagged Little Pill Alanis Morissette 1 2,000,000 2 (What's the Story) Morning Glory? Oasis 1 1,840,000 3 Spice Spice Girls 1 1,678,000 4 Falling into You Celine Dion 1 5 Older George Michael 1 6 Take Two Robson & Jerome 1 7 The Score Fugees 2 8 Greatest Hits Take That 1 9 Greatest Hits Simply Red 1 10 Blue Is the Colour The Beautiful South 1 11 Moseley Shoals Ocean Colour Scene 2 12 Recurring Dream: The Very Best of Crowded House Crowded House 1 13 Ocean Drive Lighthouse Family 3 14 Bizarre Fruit/Bizarre Fruit II M People 3 15 Travelling Without Moving Jamiroquai 2 16 K Kula Shaker 1 17 The Smurfs Go Pop! The Smurfs 2 18 A Different Beat Boyzone 1 19 Different Class Pulp 2Reached number 1 in 1995 20 Everything Must Go Manic Street Preachers 2 21 Definitely Maybe Oasis 9Reached number 1 in 1994 22 Hits Mike and the Mechanics 3 23 Around the World Hit Singles: The Journey So Far East 17 3 24 18 til I Die Bryan Adams 1 25 Garbage Garbage 6 26 Wildest Dreams Tina Turner 4 27 All Change Cast 7 28 Secrets Toni Braxton 10 29 1977 Ash 1 30 Sheryl Crow Sheryl Crow 5 31 Christmas Party The Smurfs 8 32 Stanley Road Paul Weller 7Reached number 1 in 1995 33 Free Peace Sweet Dodgy 7 34 New Adventures in Hi-Fi R.E.M. 1 35 HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I Michael Jackson 3Reached number 1 in 1995 36 Said and Done Boyzone 5Reached number 1 in 1995 37 Robert Miles Robert Miles 7 38 Spiders Space 5 39 Robson & Jerome Robson & Jerome 1 40 The Bends Radiohead 4 41 Expecting to Fly The Bluetones 1 42 Natural Peter Andre 1 43 If We Fall in Love Tonight Rod Stewart 8 44 Life Simply Red 8Reached number 1 in 1995 45 Crocodile Shoes II Jimmy Nail 10 46 Walking Wounded Everything but the Girl 4 47 Evita Madonna/Various Artists 7Reached number 1 in 1997 48 The It Girl Sleeper 5 49 The Finest Fine Young Cannibals 10 50 Mercury Falling Sting 4 Best-selling compilation albums Top 50 Compilations of 1996 Music Week 28 18 January 1997 No. Number Title Peakposition 1 Now 35 1 2 Now 34 1 3 Trainspotting Original Soundtrack 2 4 The Best Sixties Album in the World... Ever! II 2 5 Now 33 1 6 New Hits 96 1 7 The Best Dance Album in the World... Ever! 6 1 8 Heartbeat: No. 1 Love Songs of the 60s 2 9 The Annual II 3Reached number 1 in 1997 10 The Love Album III 2 Notes: 30em Classical music Michael Garrett – Fantasia No. 2 for string orchestra, Op. 111 Peter Maxwell Davies – Strathclyde Concerto No. 10: Concerto for Orchestra Symphony No. 6 Howard Blake – Flute ConcertoHoward Blake official website. Accessed 22 November 2013 Opera Peter Maxwell Davies – The Doctor of Myddfai Musical films James and the Giant Peach Births 1 February – Dionne Bromfield, singer-songwriter and TV presenter 15 May – Birdy, singer 7 October – Lewis Capaldi Deaths 17 January – Harry Robertson, musician, bandleader, music director and composer, 63 21 January – the London Boys: Edem Ephraim, 36 (car accident) Dennis Fuller, 36 (car accident) 17 February – Evelyn Laye, actress and singer, 95 19 March – Alan Ridout, composer, 61 8 April – Donald Adams, opera singer and actor, 67 (brain tumour) 28 April – Christopher Headington, composer, pianist, musicologist, and music critic, 65 6 May – Wally Nightingale, guitarist, 40 (drug-related) 19 June – Vivian Ellis, composer, 93 17 July – Chas Chandler (The Animals), 57 (heart attack) 22 July – Rob Collins, keyboard player, 33 (car crash)Tim Burgess looks to celebrate anniversary with Scotland gig http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/showbiz/music-news/2010/03/14/tim-burgess-charlatans-will-celebrate-anniversary-with-scotland-gig-86908-22110650/ 5 October 2010 14 March 2010 12 October – Vernon Elliott, bassoonist, conductor and composer, 84 17 October Chris Acland, drummer, 30 (suicide)Erlewine, Stephen Thomas "Lush: Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved May 9, 2012. Berthold Goldschmidt, composer in exile, 93 23 October – Alexander Kelly, pianist and composer, 67 12 November – Gwen Catley, operatic soprano, 90 26 November – Charles Proctor, conductor, pianist, composer, 90 28 November – Anna Pollak, operatic mezzo-soprano, 84 14 December – Norman Hackforth, accompanist and broadcaster, 87 15 December – Dave Kaye, pianist, 90 17 December – Ruby Murray, singer and actress, 61 23 December – Ronnie Scott, jazz musician and club owner, 69 Music awards BRIT Awards The 1996 BRIT Awards winners were: Artist of a generation: Michael Jackson Best British producer: Brian Eno Best soundtrack: Batman Forever British album: Oasis – (What's the Story) Morning Glory British breakthrough act: Supergrass British dance act: Massive Attack British female solo artist: Annie Lennox British group: Oasis British male solo artist: Paul Weller British single: Take That – "Back for Good" British video: Oasis – "Wonderwall" Freddie Mercury award: The Help Album for the charity Warchild International breakthrough act: Alanis Morissette International female: Björk International group: Bon Jovi International male: Prince Outstanding contribution: David Bowie Mercury Music Prize The 1996 Mercury Music Prize was awarded to Pulp – Different Class. See also 1996 in British radio 1996 in British television 1996 in the United Kingdom List of British films of 1996 References External links BBC Radio 1's Chart Show The Official Charts Company British music Music Category:British music by year Category:20th century in music