1995 in British music

none June 2021 1995 1995 British music This is a summary of 1995 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year. Summary 1995 saw a number of changes occur. Céline Dion's "Think Twice", which was released in October 1994 yet took until the end of January to reach the top, was the first UK number 1 single not to be available on vinyl in any form. Around the middle of the year, the way singles entered the chart started to change. Instead of entering low and climbing up to their peak, singles would now usually enter at their peak, and then fall down the chart. In May, Robson & Jerome became the first British act to reach number 1 with "Unchained Melody", after having sung the song on the ITV programme Soldier Soldier. In May, music featured in an advertising campaign for Guinness reached number 2 – mambo tune "Guaglione" by Pérez Prado was a massive hit and the advert featured on an accompanying screensaver. This was also the year which saw Britpop at its most popular. A highly publicised chart battle in August saw Oasis and Blur battling it out for the number 1 position, having both released their singles on the same day. Blur won the singles battle, with "Country House" beating Oasis' "Roll with It" to the top spot, but Oasis, with (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, would go on to greatly outsell Blur's album, the album of which would eventually become the second biggest album in the UK. After a decade in the business Pulp secured a first number one album while Britpop elder statesman Paul Weller also benefited from a return to popular and critical favour. Singles that went on to sell over a million copies were Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise", the first rap single to sell over a million in the UK, both of Robson & Jerome's songs ("Unchained Melody" / "White Cliffs of Dover", the biggest selling single of the year, and "I Believe" / "Up on the Roof") and Michael Jackson's "Earth Song". In addition, a second remix of New Order's "Blue Monday" (reaching number 17) pushed sales of that song over a million as well. In all, there were 17 number one singles in 1995. As the 1990s continued the amount started to increase, and there wouldn't be a total as low as 1995's. Composer Michael Tippett celebrated his ninetieth birthday on 2 January. the occasion was marked by special events in Britain, Canada and the US, including the premiere of his final work, The Rose Lake, in February. A collection of his essays, Tippett on Music, was also published. In July Thomas Adès' 1995 chamber opera Powder Her Face with a libretto by Philip Hensher won good reviews, but also notoriety for its musical depiction of fellatio. And there was further controversy and much negative press when Harrison Birtwistle's uncompromising Panic was included in the typically populist Last Night of the Proms in September. The same month Karl Jenkins had a huge popular hit with his album Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary, thanks to the music's exposure in television advertisements. Events 19 January – The Cry of Anubis for tuba and orchestra by Harrison Birtwistle is performed for the first time at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. January – In a shake up to BBC Radio 1's playlist, controller Matthew Bannister states that "old music" (anything recorded before 1990) will be dropped from their playlists. 1 February – Richey Edwards, guitarist with the Manic Street Preachers, disappears. He would soon be reported as a "missing person", until 2008, when he became legally "presumed dead". 19 February – The Rose Lake for orchestra, the last major work by the 90 year-old Michael Tippett; is performed for the first time in London by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Colin Davis 24 February – Bruno Brookes is sacked from BBC Radio 1, after 11 years, by head of production, Trevor Dann. Brookes' contract, due to end in April, was not renewed. He presents his final programme for the station on 21 April. March – Drummer Reni leaves the Stone Roses, just weeks before the band are due to start their Second Coming tour. He is replaced by Robbie Maddix who remains with the band until their split a year later. 3 April – The Beltane Fire, a choreographic poem for orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies, is performed for the first time at Symphony Hall in Boston, conducted by the composer. 24 April – Chris Evans becomes the new host of BBC Radio 1's breakfast show, replacing Steve Wright, who had ended his brief run as the programme's presenter on the 21st.BBC Genome project Radio 1 listings 21 April 1995 30 April – Drummer Tony McCarroll leaves Oasis, following a bust-up, and is later replaced by Alan White 17 May – The first British performance of John McCabe‘s Symphony No 4, Of Time and the River, takes place at the Royal Festival Hall, London, played by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conductor David Atherton. 24 June – The Stone Roses pull out of their headline performance at the Glastonbury Festival, after guitarist John Squire fractures his collarbone in a mountain biking accident. They are replaced by Pulp. 25 June – Cardiac Arrest for seven players by Thomas Adès is performed for the first time, in the Purcell Room, London. 1 July – Powder Her Face, a chamber opera by Thomas Adès, is performed for the first time in the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham. 17 July – Robbie Williams leaves Take That to pursue his solo career. Louise Nurding leaves Eternal on the same day and launches a solo career. 14 August – Blur's single "Country House" and Oasis' single "Roll with It" are released on the same day, leading to a media frenzy that would be tagged as "The Battle Of Britpop". 23 August – Sixty one years after his death, two works for orchestra by Frederick Delius are performed for the first time at Leeds University: La Quadroone (1889) and Scherzo (1890). 24 August – The Violin Concerto by Jonathan Lloyd is performed for the first time at the Aldeburgh Festival. 3 September – Overture on a Nursery Rhyme Op 75a by Robin Holloway is performed for the first time in Arundel Cathedral. 16 September – Panic, by Harrison Birtwistle, is featured in the last night of the Proms, a rare inclusion of contemporary music at that event, generating many complaints. “Unmitigated rubbish” says the Daily Express. 20 September – The Daily Mirror accuses Pulp of promoting drugs with their song "Sorted for E's & Wizz" and call for the single and its inside artwork to be banned. 2 October – Oasis release their second album (What's the Story) Morning Glory?. It sells a 345,000 copies in its first week, making it (at the time) the second-fastest selling album in British history 6 November – Queen release Made in Heaven, their final studio album, and their last album to include Freddie Mercury's final vocals. 8 November – First broadcast recording of Constant Lambert’s full length ballet score Tiresias on BBC Radio 3 by the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Barry Wordsworth, 44 years after its premiere at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in July 1951. 15 November – World premiere of Peter Maxwell Davies’s The Three Kings takes place at the Barbican, conducted by Richard Hickox (LSO) 4 December – The Beatles release "Free as a Bird", originally an unreleased demo by John Lennon from 1977 and completed by the surviving Beatles, who incorporated the demo into a studio version. Charts Number-one singles Chart date(week ending) Song Artist(s) Sales 7 January "Stay Another Day" East 17 98,000 14 January "Cotton Eye Joe" Rednex 76,000 21 January 100,000 28 January 81,000 4 February "Think Twice" Celine Dion 80,000 11 February 81,000 18 February 85,000 25 February 124,000 4 March 111,000 11 March 78,000 18 March 57,000 25 March "Love Can Build a Bridge" Cher, Chrissie Hynde & Neneh Cherry with Eric Clapton 125,000 1 April "Don't Stop (Wiggle Wiggle)" The Outhere Brothers 86,000 8 April "Back for Good" Take That 346,000 15 April 185,000 22 April 140,000 29 April 86,000 6 May "Some Might Say" Oasis 138,000 13 May "Dreamer" Livin' Joy 70,500 20 May "Unchained Melody" / "White Cliffs of Dover" Robson & Jerome 314,000 27 May 460,000 3 June 320,000 10 June 198,000 17 June 145,000 24 June 90,000 1 July 73,000 8 July "Boom Boom Boom" The Outhere Brothers 62,000 15 July 74,000 22 July 77,000 29 July 65,000 5 August "Never Forget" Take That 115,000 12 August 86,000 19 August 54,000 26 August "Country House" Blur 274,000 2 September 120,000 9 September "You Are Not Alone" Michael Jackson 83,000 16 September 100,000 23 September "Boombastic" Shaggy 92,000 30 September "Fairground" Simply Red 211,000 7 October 142,000 14 October 129,000 21 October 96,000 28 October "Gangsta's Paradise" Coolio featuring LV 107,000 4 November 166,000 11 November "I Believe" / "Up on the Roof" Robson & Jerome 258,000 18 November 224,000 25 November 118,000 2 December 98,000 9 December "Earth Song" Michael Jackson 116,467 16 December 149,549 23 December 150,739 30 December 261,851 Number-one albums Chart date(week ending) Album Artist 7 January Carry On Up the Charts The Beautiful South 14 January 21 January 28 January The Colour of My Love Celine Dion 4 February 11 February 18 February 25 February 4 March 11 March Greatest Hits Bruce Springsteen 18 March Medusa Annie Lennox 25 March Elastica Elastica 1 April The Colour of My Love Celine Dion 8 April Wake Up! The Boo Radleys 15 April Greatest Hits Bruce Springsteen 22 April Picture This Wet Wet Wet 29 April 6 May 13 May Nobody Else Take That 20 May 27 May Stanley Road Paul Weller 3 June Singles Alison Moyet 10 June Pulse Pink Floyd 17 June 24 June HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I Michael Jackson 1 July These Days Bon Jovi 8 July 15 July 22 July 29 July I Should Coco Supergrass 5 August 12 August 19 August It's Great When You're Straight...Yeah Black Grape 26 August 2 September Said and Done Boyzone 9 September The Charlatans The Charlatans 16 September Zeitgeist The Levellers 23 September The Great Escape Blur 30 September 7 October Daydream Mariah Carey 14 October (What's the Story) Morning Glory? Oasis 21 October LifeSimply Red 28 October 4 November 11 November Different Class Pulp 18 November Made in Heaven Queen 25 November Robson & Jerome Robson & Jerome 2 December 9 December 16 December 23 December 30 December Number-one compilation albums {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%; text-align:center;" ! Chart date(week ending) !! Album |- | 7 January || rowspan="3"|Now 29 |- | 14 January |- | 21 January |- | 28 January || The Best of Heartbeat |- | 4 February || The Best Punk Album in the World...Ever!|- | 11 February || rowspan="2"|Dance Mania 95 Volume 1 |- | 18 February |- | 25 February || rowspan="3"|On a Dance Tip |- | 4 March |- | 11 March |- | 18 March || Smash Hits 95 Volume 1 |- | 25 March || rowspan="2"|Dance Zone Level 4 |- | 1 April |- | 8 April || rowspan="2"|Dance Mania 95 Volume 2 |- | 15 April |- | 22 April || rowspan="4"|Now 30 |- | 29 April |- | 6 May |- | 13 May |- | 20 May || rowspan="3"|On a Dance Tip 2 |- | 27 May |- | 3 June |- | 10 June || rowspan="2"|Top of the Pops 1 |- | 17 June |- | 24 June || rowspan="3"|Dance Zone Level 5 |- | 1 July |- | 8 July |- | 15 July || rowspan="3"|Dance Mania 95 – Volume 3 |- | 22 July |- | 29 July |- | 5 August || The Best Summer...Ever! |- | 12 August || rowspan="4"|Now 31 |- | 19 August |- | 26 August |- | 2 September |- | 9 September || Dance Zone Level 6 |- | 16 September || rowspan="2"|Help |- | 23 September |- | 30 September || rowspan="6"|Heartbeat – Forever Yours |- | 7 October |- | 14 October |- | 21 October |- | 28 October |- | 4 November |- | 11 November || The Greatest Party Album Under the Sun |- | 18 November || Pure Swing IV |- | 25 November || rowspan="6"|Now 32 |- | 2 December |- | 9 December |- | 16 December |- | 23 December |- | 30 December |} Year-end charts Best-selling singles Top 100 Singles 1995 Music Week 9 13 January 1996 No. Number Title Artist Peakposition 1 "Unchained Melody"/"(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover" Robson & Jerome 1 2 "Gangsta's Paradise" Coolio featuring L.V. 1 3 "I Believe"/"Up on the Roof" Robson & Jerome 1 4 "Back for Good" Take That 1 5 "Think Twice" Celine Dion 1 6 "Earth Song" Michael Jackson 1 7 "Fairground" Simply Red 1 8 "You Are Not Alone" Michael Jackson 1 9 "Missing" (Todd Terry Club Mix) Everything but the Girl 3 10 "Wonderwall" Oasis 2 11 "Boom Boom Boom" The Outhere Brothers 1 12 "Country House" Blur 1 13 "Father and Son" Boyzone 2 14 "Don't Stop (Wiggle Wiggle)" The Outhere Brothers 1 15 "Boombastic" Shaggy 1 16 "Cotton Eye Joe" Rednex 1 17 "Set You Free" (Remix) N-Trance 2 18 "Living Next Door to Alice (Who the F**k Is Alice?)" Smokie featuring Roy Chubby Brown 3 19 "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" U2 2 20 "Roll with It" Oasis 2 21 "Guaglione" Perez 'Prez' Prado Pérez Prado & his Orchestra 2 22 "I'll Be There for You" The Rembrandts 3 23 "Two Can Play That Game" (K Klassic Mix) Bobby Brown 3 24 "Here Comes the Hotstepper" Ini Kamoze 4 25 "Shy Guy" Diana King 2 26 "It's Oh So Quiet" Björk 4 27 "Never Forget" Take That 1 28 "Don't Give Me Your Life" Alex Party 2 29 "Waterfalls" TLC 4 30 "Scatman (Ski Ba Bop Ba Dop Bop)" Scatman John 3 31 "Some Might Say" Oasis 1 32 "You'll See" Madonna 5 33 "Thunder" East 17 4 34 "Stayin' Alive" N-Trance featuring Ricardo da Force 2 35 "I'd Lie for You (And That's the Truth)" Meat Loaf 2 36 "Common People" Pulp 2 37 "Fantasy" Mariah Carey 4 38 "I've Got a Little Something for You" MN8 2 39 "Kiss from a Rose"/"I'm Alive" Seal 4 40 "Dreamer" (Remix) Livin' Joy 1 41 "Heaven for Everyone" Queen 2 42 "Free as a Bird" The Beatles 2 43 "Love Can Build a Bridge" Cher, Chrissie Hynde & Neneh Cherry with Eric Clapton 1 44 "(Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime) I Need Your Loving" Baby D 3 45 "The Sunshine After the Rain" Berri 4 46 "The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall into My Mind)" The Bucketheads Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez 5 47 "Wonderwall" The Mike Flowers Pops 2 48 "Total Eclipse of the Heart" Nicki French 5 49 "Alright"/"Time" Supergrass 2 50 "Mis-Shapes"/"Sorted for E's & Wizz" Pulp 2 Best-selling albums Top 100 Albums 1995 Music Week 11 13 January 1996 No. Number Title Artist Peakposition 1 Robson & Jerome Robson & Jerome 1 2 (What's the Story) Morning Glory? Oasis 1 3 The Colour of My Love Celine Dion 1 4 Life Simply Red 1 5 HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I Michael Jackson 1 6 Made in Heaven Queen 1 7 Stanley Road Paul Weller 1 8 Picture This Wet Wet Wet 1 9 The Great Escape Blur 1 10 Different Class Pulp 1 11 Something to Remember Madonna 3 12 Love Songs Elton John 4 13 Carry On up the Charts: The Best of the Beautiful South The Beautiful South 1 14 Medusa Annie Lennox 1 15 Daydream Mariah Carey 1 16 Nobody Else Take That 1 17 Definitely Maybe Oasis 5Reached number 1 in 1994 18 Bizarre Fruit/Bizarre Fruit II M People 8Reached number 3 in 1996 as the reissued Bizarre Fruit II 19 Anthology 1 The Beatles 3 20 These Days Bon Jovi 1 21 The Memory of Trees Enya 5 22 No Need to Argue The Cranberries 3Reached number 2 in 1994 23 Said and Done Boyzone 1 24 Design of a Decade: 1986–1996 Janet Jackson 2 25 Parklife Blur 2Reached number 1 in 1994 26 Jollification The Lightning Seeds 15Reached number 12 in 1996 27 Greatest Hits Bruce Springsteen 1 28 Dummy Portishead 2 29 Greatest Hits (1985–1995) Michael Bolton 2 30 Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits (1980–1995) Def Leppard 3 31 Singles Alison Moyet 1 32 Power of a Woman Eternal 6 33 CrazySexyCool TLC 4 34 I Should Coco Supergrass 1 35 Welcome to the Neighbourhood Meat Loaf 3 36 Post Björk 2 37 Cross Road: The Best of Bon Jovi Bon Jovi 4Reached number 1 in 1994 38 Big River Jimmy Nail 8 39 It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah Black Grape 1 40 Crocodile Shoes Jimmy Nail 3Reached number 2 in 1994 41 Pulse Pink Floyd 1 42 Pan Pipe Moods Free the Spirit 2 43 Up All Night East 17 7 44 The Very Best of Robert Palmer Robert Palmer 4 45 Chants and Dances of the Native Americans Sacred Spirit 9 46 Seal Seal 3Reached number 1 in 1994 47 Monster R.E.M. 8Reached number 1 in 1994 48 Tuesday Night Music Club Sheryl Crow 8 49 Jagged Little Pill Alanis Morissette 12Reached number 1 in 1996 50 Don't Bore Us – Get to the Chorus!: Roxette's Greatest Hits Roxette 5 Best-selling compilation albums Top 50 Compilations of 1995 Music Week 12 13 January 1996 No. Number Title Peakposition 1 Now 32 1 2 The Love Album II 2 3 Now 30 1 4 The Best Rock Ballads in the World... Ever! 2 5 Now 31 1 6 Heartbeat: Forever Yours 1 7 Pulp Fiction Original Soundtrack 5 8 The Best Sixties Album in the World... Ever! 2 9 Dance Tip 95 3 10 Pure Swing IV 1Notes''': 30em Classical music Sally Beamish – Viola Concertohttps://www.sallybeamish.com/single-post/2018/01/15/viola-concerto-no-1 Viola Concerto No. 1 Sally Beamish 3 April 2022 Harrison Birtwistle – Panic (premiered at Last Night of the Proms) Andrew Glover – Fractured VistasMichael Tippett – "Caliban's Song" Gloag Kenneth The Cambridge companion to Michael Tippett Cambridge University Press Cambridge 2013 9781107021976 xxxi Graham Waterhouse – Celtic Voices and Hale Bopp Opera Thomas Adès – Powder Her FaceMusical filmsEngland, My England, starring Michael BallPulse, Pink Floyd concert film Music awards Brit Awards The 1995 Brit Awards winners were: Best British producer: Nellee Hooper Best soundtrack: Pulp FictionBritish album: Blur: ParklifeBritish breakthrough act: Oasis British dance act: M People British female solo artist: Eddi Reader British Group: Blur British male solo artist: Paul Weller British single: Blur – "Parklife" British Video: Blur – "Parklife" International breakthrough act: Lisa Loeb International female: k.d. lang International group: R.E.M. International male: Prince Outstanding contribution: Elton John Mercury Music Prize The 1995 Mercury Music Prize was awarded to Portishead – Dummy''. Births 13 January – Jonathan Antoine, tenorhttp://www.jonathanantoineofficial.com/gb/biography Jonathan Antoine – Biography Jonathanantoineofficial.com 13 October 2014 27 November 2016 11 April – Dodie Clark, singer songwriter and musician 14 May – Fox Jackson-Keen, actor, dancer and singer 23 June – Lauren Aquilina, singer-songwriter and musician 15 July – Elyar Fox, singer 23 July – Faryl Smith, singer 15 December – Leadley, singer-songwriter and musician 19 December – Elliot Evans, singer Deaths 11 January – Peter Pratt, opera singer, 71 14 January – Alexander Gibson, Scottish conductor, 68 22 January – Christopher Palmer, composer and author, 48 4 February – David Alexander, singer, 56 12 February – Tony Secunda, music industry manager, 54 (heart attack) 18 February – Denny Cordell, record producer, 51 2 March – Hugo Cole, composer and critic, 77 5 March – Vivian Stanshall, eccentric British musician, 51 (house fire) Buckley Peter The rough guide to rock Rough Guides Distributed by the Penguin Group London New York 2003 9781843531050 1002 7 March – John Lambert, composer, 68 20 March – Ella Halman, opera singer and actress, 98 23 March – Alan Barton, singer of Black Lace, 41 (road accident) 4 April – Kenny Everett, radio DJ and comedian, 50 12 April – Chris Pyne, jazz trombonist, 56 23 May – Mick Pyne, jazz pianist and brother of Chris Pyne, 54 9 June – Frank Chacksfield, pianist, organist, composer and arranger, 81 19 June – Murray Dickie, opera singer, 71 14 June – Rory Gallagher, Irish guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer, 47 1 July – Ian Parkin, guitarist (Be-Bop Deluxe), 45Simmonds, Jeremy. The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars: Heroin, Handguns, and Ham Sandwiches. Chicago Review Press, 2008. 1-55652-754-3, 978-1-55652-754-8 12 July – Sean Mayes, pianist and writer. http://www.rockmine.com/Reaper.html The Grim Reaper's Greatest Hits Rockmine.com 2008-03-16 11 August – Herbert Sumsion, organist and composer, 96 18 August – Alan Dell BBC Radio 2 disc jockey, 71 OBITUARY: Alan Dell – independent.co.uk https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-alan-dell-1598516.html 28 April 2012 London The Independent Steve Voce 29 August 1995 21 August – Anatole Fistoulari, Ukrainian-born conductor, 88 9 September – Ida Carroll, musician and composer, 89 22 September – Dolly Collins, folk musician, 62 27 September – Christopher Shaw, composer, 71'Christopher Shaw' by David Drew, in Musical Times, July 1963 30 October Brian Easdale, composer, 86 Paul Ferris, film composer, 54 (suicide)Halligan, Benjamin. Michael Reeves, Manchester University Press, 2003. 0-7190-6351-5 31 October – Alan Bush, pianist and composer, 94 4 November – Marti Caine, entertainer, 50 (lymphatic cancer)GRO Register of Deaths: NOV 1995 B28C 156 WYCOMBE – Marti Caine, DoB = 26 Jan 1945 aged 50 17 November – Alan Hull, singer-songwriter and founder of Lindisfarne, 50 (heart thrombosis)https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-alan-hull-1582853.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-alan-hull-1582853.html 1 May 2022 subscription live OBITUARY: Alan Hull 20 November 1995 Chris Welch The Independent 29 October 2018 21 November Peter Grant, music industry manager, 60 (myocardial infarction) Matthew Ashman, guitarist of Adam and the Ants, Bow Wow Wow, 35 18 December – Brian Brockless, composer, organist and conductor, 69 See also 1995 in British radio 1995 in British television 1995 in the United Kingdom List of British films of 1995 References External links BBC Radio 1's Chart Show The Official Charts Company British music Category:British music by year Category:20th century in music