1998 Points Chart

[Panda]

Approaching the end of the decade now and pop was beginning to take a stranglehold at the top of the charts. The Britpop bubble had burst and indie acts were trouble the top of the singles chart far less frequently. The charts slowed down a little from the turbo-charged year that was 1997, with the number of singles appearing in the top 10 dropping back under 200, though it was still significantly higher than during the first half of the decade. Towards the end of the year we saw the first instance of a top 5 consisting entirely of new entries.

This was the year we said goodbye to The Chart Show on ITV. With SMTV Live starting with Ant & Dec and Cat Deeley, its follow-on sister show CD:UK became the main music show on the channel and placed a much greater emphasis on studio performances. Top Of The Pops was becoming increasingly tired, with producer Chris Cowey abandoning the show's old rules regarding who appeared, meaning the same acts would appear week after week even if they were going down the chart. A big factor in this was Cowey's apparent reluctance to show videos when a live performance from another act could be used instead.


A reminder of the points system: 1 point for no.40 in the singles chart, 2 points for no.39, all the way up to 37 points for no.4, then it's 40 points for no.3, 45 points for no.2 and 50 points for no.1.


Before the countdown, here are some of the songs that didn't make the top 40:


(position in end-of-year sales chart in brackets)


42(43) SPICE GIRLS - Stop (216 points)



After six no.1s from their first six singles, the Spice Girls' perfect run came to an end with this release, missing out to "It's Like That" by Run DMC vs Jason Nevins. It was clear well beforehand "It's Like That" was going to be a massive success, so given the past fiddling around with release dates for Spice Girls singles to ensure they reached the top, it's somewhat surprising it didn't happen here. Was the competition underestimated, or was it simply accepting fate?


45(61) ACE OF BASE - Life Is A Flower (210 points)



This upbeat track returned the Swedish group to the top 10 after a four-year absence. It saw Jenny Berggren now established as frontwoman with sister Linn opting to take more of a background role.


48(24) FAT LES - Vindaloo (203 points)



With the success of "Three Lions" two years earlier, the 1998 World Cup saw a wave of football-themed songs released, with this ending up going head-to-head with the updated version of "3 Lions" in what was possibly the biggest chart battle since Oasis v Blur. Fat Les was actor Keith Allen (who'd co-written New Order's "World In Motion" in 1990), Blur bassist Alex James and artist Damien Hirst. It spent three weeks at no.2 behind its main rival. The video was a pastiche of The Verve's "Bitter Sweet Symphony" and included cameos from, among others, Matt Lucas, David Walliams and Ed Tudor-Pole, with comedy actor Paul Kaye (best known at the time for portraying Dennis Pennis) in the Richard Ashcroft role.


54(55) JAMIROQUAI - Deeper Underground (192 points)



A song from a blockbuster film wasn't always a nailed-on hit but there were some biggies in 1998. This one was from "Godzilla", which gave Jay Kay and co their first and only no.1 single. The film produced a second big hit with Puff Daddy & Jimmy Page reaching no.2 with "Come With Me", which was based on Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir".


60(54) GEORGE MICHAEL - Outside (181 points)



The singer's first release since his arrest in Beverly Hills six months earlier, after which he publicly came out. This single was taken from his "Ladies And Gentlemen" greatest hits compilation and spent two weeks at no.2.


76(46) MANIC STREET PREACHERS - If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next (160 points)



The first of two no.1s for the Welsh band, this was the first single from their fifth album "This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours". It denied Steps a first no.1, though we will see that track later.


81(86) LAURYN HILL - Doo Wop (That Thing) (151 points)



The debut solo hit for the ex-Fugees singer, taken from her acclaimed album "The Miseducation Of..."


83(-) FATBOY SLIM - Gangster Trippin (147 points)



The biggest hit at the time for Norman Cook under the Fatboy Slim name and even bigger would follow in 1999...


98(77) OASIS - All Around The World (136 points)



A notable single, not just because it was the band's fourth no.1 but because it is the longest UK no.1 of all-time, clocking in at over nine and a half minutes. The album version of Meat Loaf's "I'd Do Anything For Love..." was 12 minutes long but the single version clocked in at a measly 7:52. Pathetic effort.


102(-) DESTINY'S CHILD - No No No (131 points)



The track that set Beyonce Knowles on course for superstardom as the 16-year-old frontwoman of Destiny's Child. This version was a remix featuring ex-Fugee Wyclef Jean before his midas touch deserted him.


108(-) ALANIS MORISSETTE - Thank U (124 points)



The much-anticipated lead single from her follow-up to "Jagged Little Pill" wasn't quite what people were expecting but it still became her biggest UK hit, the fifth of the five new entries in the top 5 the week it entered the chart, behind Culture Club's comeback single "I Just Wanna Be Loved" at 4, U2's "Sweetest Thing" at 3, George Michael's "Outside" at 2 and track we'll see in the higher reaches of this list at 1.


126(-) BEASTIE BOYS - Intergalactic (109 points)



The second top 10 hit for the rappers, coming 11 years after their first. They had long abandoned their rowdy frat boy gimmick that brought them early success for a more sophisticated and measured sound, whilst still very much retaining a sense of humour.

[Smurfie]

Some lovely Ace Of Base in there. Lots of number ones missing the top 40! Thanks Hammy.

[Panda]

Part 1 (40-36):

40(66) DES'REE - Life (228 points)
Top 40 run: 8-15-14-16-16-21-22-21-26-30-34



"I don't wanna see a ghost, that's the sight that I fear most, I'd rather have a piece of toast and watch the evening news." One of the worst lyrics of all time, it helped Des'ree get her first top 10 hit in between the annual re-release of "You Gotta Be".


39(58) WILL SMITH - Gettin' Jiggy With It (230 points)
Top 40 run: 3-6-7-8-13-17-24-29-34



After the huge success of "Men In Black", Will Smith became a regular fixture near the top of the charts with a series of borderline-novelty tracks. This was the first of five top 3 hits in a row for Smith (six if you count his guest appearance with "Fresh Prince" co-star Tatyana Ali) in less than two years.


38(31) STEPS - One For Sorrow (231 points)
Top 40 run: 2-6-6-7-10-18-25-32-38



Narrowly missed out on becoming the group's first no.1, beaten to the top spot by Manic Street Preachers. They'd have to wait a few more months for their first chart-topper with a double a-side we'll see later.


37(48) BILLIE - Because We Want To (232 points)
Top 40 run: 1-3-8-10-14-19-24-29



The pop sensation of the year was 15-year-old Billie Piper, who'd previously appeared on TV screens shouting "Pop!" in a Smash Hits advert. Follow-up "Girlfriend" also reached no.1 but misses this list. She would have a third chart-topper from her second album, which showcased a more grown-up sound but her pop career soon lost momentum and she returned to acting, playing Rose Tyler in "Doctor Who", then starring in ITV's "Secret Diary Of A Call Girl".


36(29) ROBBIE WILLIAMS - Millennium (239 points)
Top 40 run: 1-2-6-9-13-21-26-32-36



After "Angels" had rescued his faltering career, this became one of the most aniticipated pop tracks of the year. Sampling Bond theme "You Only Live Twice", it came with a James Bond-inspired video too and gave Robbie his first solo no.1.

[Panda]

Part 2 (35-31):

35(60) LUTRICIA McNEAL - Stranded (243 points)
Top 40 run: 5-3-8-7-13-16-19-28-30-40



Lutricia McNeal was a US singer who had four top 20 hits in the UK from her debut album but never had another hit after that, though she did continue to have success in Sweden, where she'd made her initial breakthrough.


34(14) BADDIEL, SKINNER & THE LIGHTNING SEEDS - 3 Lions '98 (247 points)
Top 40 run: 1-1-1-4-18-32-28-30-37



A re-recording of their 1996 hit with new lyrics that referenced the events of the previous two years. This time, it wasn't the offical England team song, with the FA opting to go with a bizarre Spice Girls/Ian McCulloch collaboration, which scraped into the top 10 and had disappeared from the top 40 after just three weeks. With it being an unofficial song now, none of the England team appeared in the video though it did feature cameos from Geoff Hurst, Robbie Williams, Chris Evans and athlete John Regis. "3 Lions '98" went head-to-head with "Vindaloo", spending three weeks at no.1, in addition to the two in 1996. A third version of the song, featuring Williams and Russell Brand, was a minor hit in 2010 but the original returned to the top spot during England's run to the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2018 and in the age of streaming, looks set to be a regular fixture in the charts around the time of a major tournament, just like we see festive classics re-appearing at Christmas. "Three Lions" has become, by far, the most successful football record of all time.


33(36) HONEYZ - Finally Found (255 points)
Top 40 run: 5-7-4-6-8-11-17-24-34-39



Honeyz were an Anglo-French girl group who for a while, looked like giving the Spice Girls and All Saints a run for their money (though not as much as another girl group we'll see shortly), scoring five top 10 hits with their first five singles. However, the hits started to dry up and after a couple of line-up changes, the group split. Their French member Naima Belkhiati later went into acting, while a new configuration of former members took part in ITV's "The Big Reunion".


32(12) STEPS - Heartbeat/Tragedy (255 points)
Top 40 run: 2-5-5-8-8-6-4



This double a-side became the group's biggest hit and first no.1, though it took eight weeks to reach the top, enjoying a new lease of life at the start of 1999, having been released in November. It would eventually spend 23 weeks inside the top 40 and will make a significant impression on the 1999 points list...


31(21) B*WITCHED - Rollercoaster (264 points)
Top 40 run: 1-1-2-4-12-17-27-30-37



The second chart-topper for the Irish group who would become the first act to have their first four singles go straight in at no.1. We'll see the first later. The third, "To You I Belong" charted just before Christmas, while the fourth, "Blame It On The Weatherman" was a hit in the spring of 1999. They were dropped by their label in 2002 and split but later reformed, like Honeyz, for "The Big Reunion" in 2012, eventually deciding to reform permanently and embarking on a successful arena tour.

[Smurfie]

That is surprisingly high for Des'ree.

[onehitwonder]

I just wanna say that 1998 is my favourite year in music.

[Panda]

Hoping to start again with this soon...

[Panda]

Right, let's see if I remember how to do this...

Part 3 (30-26):

30(37) BEAUTIFUL SOUTH - Perfect 10 (266 points)
Top 40 run: 2-3-7-8-11-14-21-22-28-36



The group's biggest hit for eight years, falling just short of giving them a second no.1 single. By now, Jacqui Abbott was firmly established as the replacement for Brianna Corrigan and she would later continue her musical partnership with Paul Heaton after the band had split.


29(22) MADONNA - Frozen (266 points)
Top 40 run: 1-3-5-6-13-13-18-22-34



This single, complete with its flashy video directed by Chris Cunningham, was the lead single from Madonna's "Ray Of Light" album and re-established her as a global pop force after spending the previous few years occupied with "Evita". It gave her her first UK no.1 single since "Vogue" in 1990.


28(20) CORNERSHOP - Brimful Of Asha (268 points)
Top 40 run: 1-3-6-8-15-17-18-20-25



Originally released in the summer of 1997, reaching no.60, the track was remixed by Norman Cook, who was in the phase of his career where he could do no wrong, and it shot to no.1 in February, spending eight weeks inside the top 20. Ultimately, the single seemed to benefit Cook more than Cornerhshop. Tjinder Singh's band would make just two more top 40 appearances, while Cook, under his Fatboy Slim moniker, would go on to become one of the hottest acts on the planet over the next couple of years.


27(13) SPICE GIRLS - Viva Forever (269 points)
Top 40 run: 1-1-3-8-8-14-21-28-38



Released shortly after Geri Halliwell (as she was then) had departed the band, she still featured in the single's animated video, presumably because there wasn't enough time to remake it. This was really the beginning of the end for the Spice Girls. They'd lost their perfect record of number one singles earlier in the year, and whilst they would go on to have a third consecutive Christmas no.1 with "Goodbye", they would release just one more single in 2000 before going their separate ways. The group all enjoyed successful (if brief) solo careers, with Victoria the only member not to have a solo no.1.


26(34) FIVE - Got The Feelin' (271 points)
Top 40 run: 3-5-8-14-13-20-18-18-23-27-33



Stylised as "5ive" (which looks like it should be pronounced "Five-ive") they were the UK's "bad boy" boy band. This was awful in every way possible but they would produce better stuff further down the line.

[Smurfie]

I loved Beautiful South until this point - but I found Perfect 10 extremely irritating.

Frozen was a huge comeback at the time - and still one of her better songs.

[Panda]

Part 4 (25-21):

25(44) STEPS - Last Thing On My Mind (277 points)
Top 40 run: 6-7-9-7-6-9-13-17-25-34



This only reached no.6 but is their highest entry on this list thanks to its six weeks in the top 10. This was only their second single but was the first 15 consecutive top 10 hits (including the "Thank ABBA For The Music" medley at the 1999 Brit Awards).


24(38) T-SPOON - Sex On The Beach (280 points)
Top 40 run: 2-3-5-7-9-11-16-21-31-33



This was one of those annoying holiday hits that was popular in Europe and ended up being big in the UK when everyone came home and wanted to buy it. T-Spoon had already had a string of hits in their native Netherlands throughout the 90s but this was the first time they troubled the UK chart. This blatant rip-off of Peter Andre's "Mysterious Girl" was a departure from their usual Eurodance/happy hardcore sound but they would only have one more UK hit after this.


23(28) ANOTHER LEVEL - Freak Me (291 points)
Top 40 run: 1-2-4-6-10-13-17-21-26-35



This was a cover of a track by US R&B group Silk. The original was a no.1 hit in the States in 1993 but missed the top 40 in the UK, meaning a lot of people didn't realise it was a cover when Another Level released their version six years later. The group had seven top 10 hits in under two years before splitting. Dane Bowers went on to have a brief solo career that included a no.2 single with Truesteppers and Victoria Beckham. Fellow member Mark Baron married Lord Sugar's daughter Louise and works for Amsprop - his inability to get time off work granted by his father-in-law meant the group weren't able to appear on ITV's "The Big Reunion", though Bowers did take part, forming a new boy band with music giants Adam Rickitt, Gareth Gates, Kavana and Kenzie from Blazin' Squad.


22(35) LIGHTHOUSE FAMILY - High (297 points)
Top 40 run: 5-7-7-4-5-8-9-18-24-31-37-40



Considering the mid-to-late 90s were a time when alternative acts had a large presence in the charts, it's impressive how well an act so middle-of-the-road as the Lighthouse Family managed to do. The duo of vocalist Tunde Baiyewu and keyboardist Paul Tucker met working in the same bar whilst studying at Newcastle University. This was the third of their five top 10 hits between 1996 and 2001. They split in 2003 but reformed in 2011, eventually releasing a new album in 2019 before going their separate ways again earlier this year.


21(27) ALL SAINTS - Under The Bridge/Lady Marmalade (300 points)
Top 40 run: 1-2-1-2-5-10-18-27-35




This double a-side of covers was the follow-up to the monster hit "Never Ever". It featured an uptempo version of LaBelle's 70s hit "Lady Marmalade" and an absolute butchering of Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Under The Bridge". The videos for the two songs were linked with "Under The Bridge" seeing the group performing in the remains of the tower block from the first track after it had been destroyed by an earthquake. The single also achieved the rare (at the time) feat of climbing back up to the no.1 spot after being knocked off.

[Panda]

Part 5 (20-16):

20(39) EAGLE-EYE CHERRY - Save Tonight (303 points)
Top 40 run: 6-6-6-7-8-10-11-14-18-26-36



The debut hit for the son of trumpeter Don Cherry and half-brother of Neneh Cherry, this reached no.6 in the UK, no.5 in the US and no.2 in his native Sweden. Follow-up "Falling In Love Again" also reached the top 10 in the UK but he didn't reach the top 40 again after 2000.


19(32) JANET JACKSON - Together Again (306 points)
Top 40 run: 4-5-8-8-9-10-15-17-20-24-30-36



Released towards the end of 1997, this track spent a further 12 weeks in the top 40 at the start of 1998, becoming her biggest-selling single in the UK and giving her a first US no.1 since "Again" in 1993.


18(30) SAVAGE GARDEN - To The Moon And Back (310 points)
Top 40 run: 3-4-8-10-10-10-12-16-20-25-32-34



Originally released in 1997 as the Aussie duo's follow-up to debut hit "I Want You", it missed the top 40 but was given another go a year later on the back of the massive success of "Truly Madly Deeply". This time, it fared much better, becoming their highest-charting single in the UK, though not their biggest seller.


17(15) AQUA - Doctor Jones (325 points)
Top 40 run: 1-1-2-3-6-10-15-25-27-39-34-32



"Barbie Girl" was always going to be tough to follow, but somehow the Danish-Norwegian group did it, earning a second no.1 with this Europop effort. They would even manage a third consecutive chart-topper later in the year with the much more mature-sounding "Turn Back Time", taken from the Gwyneth Paltrow film "Sliding Doors", though that lacked the longevity of their previous hits and misses the top 40 of this list.


16(23) MOUSSE T VS HOT 'N' JUICY - Horny (358 points)
Top 40 run: 3-2-7-7-7-10-11-16-17-19-24-29-31



Mousse T is German-Turkish DJ Mustafa Gundogdu who scored a huge hit when he added vocals to his previously-instrumental track. The vocals came from British duo Hot 'n' Juicy and US singer Inaya Day. Mousse T would go on to have further top 10 hits with "Sex Bomb" with Tom Jones in 2000, and "Is It Cos I'm Cool?" with Emma Lanford (one half of Hot 'n' Juicy) in 2004. His last chart appearance came in 2006 with "Horny As A Dandy" - mash-up of this track and Dandy Warhols' "Bohemian Like You".

[Panda]

Part 6 (15-11):

15(11) STARDUST - Music Sounds Better With You (368 points)
Top 40 run: 2-2-4-8-9-12-13-19-23-20-21-23-30-35-38



This was a one-off single released by the French trio of Thomas Bangalter (one half of Daft Punk), Alan Braxe and singer Benjamin Diamond. The track's Michel Gondry-directed video wasn't ready at the time of release so ITV's Chart Show, due to end a couple of weeks later, took the opportunity to play the track over a load of old graphics from the show's early days.


14(25) ROBBIE WILLIAMS - Angels (375 points)
Top 40 run: 7-6-9-7-6-7-4-9-12-15-21-23-32



Originally Robbie's Christmas single for 1997, it ended up sticking around in the New Year, spending a further 13 weeks in the top 40, reaching a new peak of no.4, becoming Robbie's most famous song and ultimately saving his faltering solo career. Its combined points total across both years would've put it at no.4 on this list.


13(19) THE TAMPERER ft MAYA - Feel It (382 points)
Top 40 run: 3-4-3-5-2-1-4-5-11-21-30



The Tamperer was an Italian production duo who were joined by American singer Maya Days. The track heavily sampled The Jacksons' "Can You Feel It?".  It had an unusual up and down climb to the top spot, spending one week at no.1 after over a month on the chart. It was later shortlisted for the first "Record of the Year" award, broadcast on ITV and was named Single of the Year by Teletext's music section Planet Sound. The group would go on to have two further top 10 hits in the UK.


12(26) MAVERICKS - Dance The Night Away (394 points)
Top 40 run: 9-8-10-8-4-7-6-10-14-17-24-22-26-31-34-32



Released at the height of the line-dancing craze, this was the Florida band's first UK hit but they'd been enjoying success on the country scene in the US and Canada for a number of years and this track actually came from their fifth album "Trampoline". This single enjoyed a 16-week run in the top 40 and surprisingly, was a much bigger hit in the UK than in the US. The band split in 2003 but reformed a decade later and started releasing new music again, though their success remains mainly in North America.


11(16) ALL SAINTS - Never Ever (415 points)
Top 40 run: 2-1-2-2-4-5-3-7-11-19-25-30-37



Another carry-over from Christmas, this one managed to reach the top spot in the New Year in its ninth week on the chart. A month later it won Best British Single at the Brit Awards and with the Spice Girls on the verge of imploding, All Saints were suddenly the hottest girl group in the country. The single's combined points total from 1997 and 1998 would've seen it at the top of this list.

[Panda]

Part 7 (10-6):

10(4) BOYZONE - No Matter What (447 points)
Top 40 run: 1-1-1-3-3-3-5-9-14-18-23-25-31-33-34



The fourth no.1 single for the Irish boy band. This song was taken from the musical "Whistle Down The Wind" and was written by Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Meat Loaf's long-time collaborator Jim Steinman. It spent three weeks at no.1 and became Boyzone's biggest-selling single.


9(9) PRAS MICHEL ft ODB & MYA - Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are) (452 points)
Top 40 run: 3-4-2-2-3-3-3-5-9-10-15-22-27-34



It may surprise some that the biggest single by a member of the Fugees didn't come from Wyclef or Lauryn Hill, but the group's other member Pras Michel. This track featured Wu-Tang Clan member Ol' Dirty b*st*rd and singer Mya, who'd recently exploded onto the scene in the US but was relatively unknown in the UK. The track, with its chorus that borrowed from "Islands In The Stream" was taken from Warren Beatty's political black comedy "Bulworth". Pras would only have one more UK hit in his own right, "Blue Angels", released later in the year. Mya would later have a no.1 alongside Christina Aguilera, Lil Kim, Pink and Missy Elliot on their ensemble performance of "Lady Marmalade". ODB died in 2004 after a history of drug and legal problems.


8(1) CHER - Believe (472 points)
Top 40 run: 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-4-3



Surprise! The year's biggest-selling single only comes in at no.8 on this list, though the truth is it simply ran out of time. Released in October, it spent seven weeks at no.1 and was still in the top 3 at the end of the year. It spent a further 11 weeks in the top 40 in 1999, making 21 weeks in total. However, its combined points total would still only have been enough for the no.2 spot on this list. The dance-infused single was her first solo no.1 since "The Shoop Shoop Song" in 1990 (though she did hit the top alongside Chrissie Hynde, Neneh Cherry and Eric Clapton in 1995 with their Comic Relief cover of "Love Can Build A Bridge") and her first US no.1 since "Dark Lady" in 1974.


7(18) BRANDY & MONICA - The Boy Is Mine (473 points)
Top 40 run: 2-3-9-10-11-9-8-13-13-13-17-16-15-16-23-26-30-39



This track saw two established US stars team up to produce an R&B classic. Despite both women already being stars in the US, they'd only had minor success in the UK until this song came along. It was featured on both singers' second albums, and while both artists would go on to be equally successful in the US, Brandy would be the most successful of the two in the UK, racking up 10 top 20 hits.


6(3) RUN-DMC vs JASON NEVINS - It's Like That (477 points)
Top 40 run: 1-1-1-1-1-1-2-5-13-17-23-26-35-36



Another surprise? The track that smashed the Spice Girls' perfect record to smithereens only comes in at no.6 on the list despite being a huge no.1 hit that spent six weeks at the top. Ultimately, it only spent a further eight weeks in the top 40 after it was dethroned, which is the main reason why it's not higher on this list. The track was a remix of Run-DMC's debut single from 1983 by US house DJ Jason Nevins. The new version was massive in Europe, receiving tons of airplay and sold over 5 million copies worldwide but didn't crack the Billboard Hot 100 in the States.

[Smurfie]

Cher definitely is a surprise- I forget it was released so late it n the year. In that case I have no idea who is top 3!

[Panda]

Part 8 (5-1):

5(5) B*WITCHED - C'est La Vie (486 points)
Top 40 run: 1-1-4-4-3-3-9-11-16-19-21-25-30-37



The debut from the cheery Irish girl group. This was the start of a very successful, if brief, run which saw them become the first act in chart history to have their first four singles go straight in at no.1.


4(17) AEROSMITH - I Don't Want To Miss A Thing (491 points)
Top 40 run: 12-14-8-7-4-4-5-7-8-9-8-11-14-20-24-27-24



This blockbuster movie hit gave the veteran rock band the biggest hit of their career. It was taken from "Armageddon", which starred Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler, who'd discovered Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler was her biological father just a decade earlier. The song was written by the prolific Diane Warren (this isn't her last appearance in this list) and was nominated for Best Original Song at the 1999 Academy Awards, losing out to "When You Believe" taken from the Dreamworks film "The Prince Of Egypt". Aerosmith's hit was released at the end of August and remained inside the top 40 at the end of the year.


3(10) SAVAGE GARDEN - Truly Madly Deeply (532 points)
Top 40 run: 4-5-8-9-9-8-5-5-5-7-6-11-14-17-20-23-26-28-37



Having been a huge hit in the States, this track eventually caught fire in Europe, giving the Australian duo their biggest hit. "I Want You" had been a decent-sized hit in 1997 but "To The Moon And Back" flopped before being released on the back of this track's success and giving them a second top 10 hit in the UK. They would have two more before splitting with singer Darren Hayes going solo.


2(2) CELINE DION - My Heart Will Go On (571 points)
Top 40 run: 1-2-2-1-3-2-2-2-3-4-10-15-17-20-26-30-40



Another massive hit from a massive film but this time not written by Diane Warren. This one was written by James Horner and Will Jennings, with Horner composing the rest of the soundtrack for James Cameron's "Titanic". It gave Canadaian singer Celine Dion a second UK no.1 (achieving the rare feat of climbing back up after being knocked off the top of the chart) and won that year's Best Original Song Oscar, ahead of the song that beats it to the top spot on this list...


1(6) LEANN RIMES - How Do I Live? (666 points)
Top 40 run: 7-9-12-17-12-9-9-7-11-12-12-11-9-10-11-15-17-20-27-24-29-30-22-28-32-27-35-32-32-36



So who saw this coming? This no.7 hit takes the top spot on the list thanks to its epic run in the top 40 that saw it enter the chart at the beginning of March and stick around until late September. Penned by, you guessed it, Diane Warren, the song was featured in the Nicholas Cage action flick "Con Air", though the version featured in the film was sung by Trisha Yearwood, rather than the 14-year-old Rimes, despite Warren writing the song with the latter in mind, as it was felt the Rimes version sounded too "poppy", compared to the more country feel of the Yearwood recording. It was Yearwood herself who urged Rimes' record label to release her version as a single and it became a huge hit in the US before later going on to do well worldwide. Yearwood's version was also released but generally didn't fare as well as the Rimes recording, except in Australia and Ireland, where it was a top 3 hit. Rimes would later have another big movie soundtrack hit, reaching no.1 in the UK in 2000, with "Can't Fight The Moonlight", featured in "Coyote Ugly".

[Panda]

Top 100:

1(6) Leann Rimes - How Do I Live?
2(2) Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On
3(10) Savage Garden - Truly Madly Deeply
4(17) Aerosmith - I Don't Want To Miss A Thing
5(5) B*witched - C'est La Vie
6(3) Run-DMC vs Jason Nevins - It's Like That
7(18) Brandy & Monica - The Boy Is Mine
8(1) Cher - Believe
9(9) Pras Michel ft ODB & Mya - Ghetto Supastar
10(4) Boyzone - No Matter What
11(16) All Saints - Never Ever
12(26) Mavericks - Dance The Night Away
13(19) The Tamperer ft Maya - Feel It
14(25) Robbie Williams - Angels
15(11) Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You
16(23) Mousse T vs Hot 'n' Juicy - Horny
17(15) Aqua - Doctor Jones
18(30) Savage Garden - To The Moon And Back
19(32) Janet Jackson - Together Again
20(39) Eagle-Eye Cherry - Save Tonight
21(27) All Saints - Under The Bridge/Lady Marmalade
22(35) Lighthouse Family - High
23(28) Another Level - Freak Me
24(38) T Spoon - Sex On The Beach
25(44) Steps - Last Thing On My Mind
26(34) Five - Got The Feelin'
27(13) Spice Girls - Viva Forever
28(20) Cornershop - Brimful Of Asha
29(22) Madonna - Frozen
30(37) Beautiful South - Perfect 10
31(21) B*witched - Rollercoaster
32(12) Steps - Heartbeat/Tragedy
33(36) Honeyz - Finally Found
34(14) Baddiel, Skinner & Lightning Seeds - 3 Lions '98
35(60) Lutricia McNeal - Stranded
36(29) Robbie Williams - Millennium
37(48) Billie - Because We Want To
38(31) Steps - One For Sorrow
39(58) Will Smith - Gettin' Jiggy With It
40(66) Des'ree - Life
41(47) Sash! ft Tina Cousins - Mysterious Times
42(43) Spice Girls - Stop
43(64) Bamboo - Bamboogie
44(53) Jennifer Paige - Crush
45(61) Ace Of Base - Life Is A Flower
46(67) Various Artists - Perfect Day
47(84) Karen Ramirez - Looking For Love
48(24) Fat Les - Vindaloo
49(49) Billie - Girlfriend
50(42) Usher - You Make Me Wanna
51(63) Sweetbox - Everything's Gonna Be Alright
52(92) Bus Stop ft Carl Douglas - Kung Fu Fighting
53(52) Sash! - La Primavera
54(55) Jamiroquai - Deeper Underground
55(68) Aqua - Turn Back Time
56(60) Busta Rhymes - Turn It Up/Fire It Up
57(71) Robbie Williams - Let Me Entertain You
58(59) The Tamperer ft Maya - If You Buy This Record Your Life Will Be Better
59(41) Vengaboys - Up And Down
60(54) George Michael - Outside
61(81) Wyclef Jean - Gone Till November
62(95) Corrs - Dreams
63(89) Puff Daddy & Jimmy Page - Come With Me
64(-) K-Ci & Jojo - All My Life
65(83) Wildchild - Renegade Master '98
66(85) Touch & Go - Would You?
67(40) Boyzone - I Love The Way You Love Me
68(-) Tin Tin Out ft Shelley Nelson - Here's Where The Story Ends
69(74) Will Smith - Just The Two Of Us
70(88) Five - When The Lights Go Out
71(75) Madonna - Ray Of Light
72(62) Celine Dion & R Kelly - I'm Your Angel
73(51) Will Smith - Miami
74(93) Catatonia - Mulder And Scully
75(87) Billie Myers - Kiss The Rain
76(46) Manic Street Preachers - If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
77(-) Apollo Four Forty - Lost In Space
78(90) Corrs - What Can I Do?
79(-) Natalie Imbruglia - Torn
80(98) Culture Club - I Just Wanna Be Loved
81(86) Lauryn Hill - Doo Wop (That Thing)
82(-) Cleopatra - Cleopatra's Theme
83(-) Fatboy Slim - Gangster Trippin
84(67) Five - Until The Time Is Through
85(69) U2 - Sweetest Thing
86(-) Shania Twain - You're Still The One
87(80) Boyzone - All That I Need
88(45) Bryan Adams & Mel C - When You're Gone
89(90) Space & Cerys Matthews - The Ballad Of Tom Jones
90(78) Dario G - Carnaval De Paris
91(91) Natalie Imbruglia - Big Mistake
92(79) Five - Everybody Get Up
93(-) Celine Dion & Bee Gees - Immortality
94(99) Fatboy Slim - The Rockafeller Skank
95(-) E-17 - Each Time
96(-) Alexia - Uh La La La
97(77) Oasis - All Around The World
98(56) Jay-Z - Hard Knock Life
99(82) Melanie B ft Missy Elliott - I Want You Back
100(70) All Saints - Bootie Call

[Smurfie]

Leann Rimes also came with a very popular remix which was played literally every time I went clubbing and on The Box (I think R1 used to play it as well).

Thank you for compiling Panda.