1992 in British music

This is a summary of 1992 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.

List of years in British music
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Summary

1992 was a bleak time for the UK Singles Chart, with sales at a very low level. Due to several long chart runs, only 12 singles topped the chart this year (not counting the Queen single, which was a holdover from Christmas 1991), the lowest number since 1962, which also saw 12. In addition, none of them only lasted a week – all lasted at least two, the first time this had happened since 1971.

In the album charts Simply Red had continued success with Stars which would prove to be the second best selling album of the 90's and the best of 91 and 92. Although none of its singles reached no.1, title track Stars peaked at no.8 with all others making the top 40.

Shakespears Sister's hit "Stay" was the longest chart topper of 1992, holding onto the No 1 slot for 8 weeks.

The year saw the start of the ABBA revival, though, with Erasure grabbing the top spot for five weeks in June with their Abba-esque EP, which featured covers of ABBA songs. This was followed by ABBA tribute band Björn Again releasing Erasure-ish in October, which featured covers of Erasure songs. This reached number 25. ABBA's ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits album reached No. 1 for a week in September.

September also saw the Shamen attract controversy with the rave song "Ebeneezer Goode", which, though apparently a song about a fictional character, contained many jokey allusions to the drug Ecstasy, including the chorus "Eezer Goode, Eezer Goode, he's Ebeneezer Goode" (which sounded like "E's are good, E's are good", 'E' being a slang term for Ecstasy). The controversy ensured the song reached number 1 and stayed there for four weeks.

The biggest selling single of the year, and also the only one to sell over a million, was Whitney Houston's cover of "I Will Always Love You", taken from the film The Bodyguard. Originally charting in November, the song hit number 1 later that month, and stayed there until February next year.

The Wedding Present equalled the all-time record of Elvis Presley for most UK Top 30 hits in a year (12), by releasing limited edition, 10,000-copies-only 7" singles every month from January to December. Out of this they achieved their first (and only) ever top ten single, "Come Play With Me" in May of that year.

In the field of classical music, British composer John Palmer won the City of Lucerne Cultural Prize for Music. New classical works by British composers included the Flute Concerto by William Mathias and the String Quartet No. 1 by Mathias's former pupil John Pickard. Classic FM, the first national classical music station to launch since the opening of BBC Radio 3, 25 years earlier, began broadcasting in September.

Events

Charts

Number-one singles

Chart date
(week ending)
SongArtist(s)
4 January"Bohemian Rhapsody/These Are the Days of Our Lives"Queen
11 January
18 January
25 January"Goodnight Girl"Wet Wet Wet
1 February
8 February
15 February
22 February"Stay"Shakespear's Sister
29 February
7 March
14 March
21 March
28 March
4 April
11 April
18 April"Deeply Dippy"Right Said Fred
25 April
2 May
9 May"Please Don't Go"K.W.S.
16 May
23 May
30 May
6 June
13 JuneAbba-esqueErasure
20 June
27 June
4 July
11 July
18 July"Ain't No Doubt"Jimmy Nail
25 July
1 August
8 August"Rhythm Is a Dancer"Snap!
15 August
22 August
29 August
5 September
12 September
19 September"Ebeneezer Goode"The Shamen
26 September
3 October
10 October
17 October"Sleeping Satellite"Tasmin Archer
24 October
31 October"End of the Road"Boyz II Men
7 November
14 November
21 November"Would I Lie to You?"Charles & Eddie
28 November
5 December"I Will Always Love You"Whitney Houston
12 December
19 December
26 December

Number-one albums

Chart date
(week ending)
AlbumArtist(s)
4 January StarsSimply Red
11 January
18 January
25 January
1 February
8 FebruaryHigh on the Happy SideWet Wet Wet
15 February
22 FebruaryStarsSimply Red
29 February
7 March
14 MarchDivine MadnessMadness
21 March
28 March
4 AprilHuman TouchBruce Springsteen
11 April AdrenalizeDef Leppard
18 April DivaAnnie Lennox
25 AprilUpRight Said Fred
2 MayWishThe Cure
9 MayStarsSimply Red
16 May1992 - The Love AlbumCarter the Unstoppable Sex Machine
23 MayFear of the DarkIron Maiden
30 MayMichael BallMichael Ball
6 June Back to FrontLionel Richie
13 June
20 June
27 June
4 July
11 July
18 JulyU.F.OrbThe Orb
25 JulyThe Greatest Hits: 1966–1992Neil Diamond
1 August
8 August
15 AugustWelcome to Wherever You AreINXS
22 AugustWe Can't DanceGenesis
29 AugustBest...IThe Smiths
5 SeptemberGreatest HitsKylie Minogue
12 SeptemberTubular Bells IIMike Oldfield
19 September
26 SeptemberThe Best of Belinda, Volume 1Belinda Carlisle
3 OctoberABBA GoldABBA
10 OctoberAutomatic for the PeopleR.E.M.
17 OctoberLove SymbolPrince
24 OctoberGlittering Prize 81/92Simple Minds
31 October
7 November
14 NovemberKeep the FaithBon Jovi
21 NovemberGreatest Hits: 1965–1992Cher
28 NovemberPop! - the First 20 HitsErasure
5 December
12 DecemberGreatest Hits: 1965–1992Cher
19 December
26 December

Year-end charts

Best-selling singles

[2]

No. Title Artist Peak
position
Estimated
sales[3]
1 "I Will Always Love You" Whitney Houston 1 1,000,000+
2 "Rhythm Is a Dancer" Snap! 1 675,000
3 "Would I Lie to You?" Charles & Eddie 1 600,000
4 "Stay" Shakespears Sister 1
5 "Please Don't Go"/"Game Boy" KWS 1
6 "End of the Road" Boyz II Men 1
7 Abba-esque (EP) Erasure 1
8 "Ain't No Doubt" Jimmy Nail 1
9 "Heal the World" Michael Jackson 2
10 "Goodnight Girl" Wet Wet Wet 1
11 "Baker Street" Undercover 2
12 "Deeply Dippy" Right Said Fred 1
13 "Ebeneezer Goode" The Shamen 1
14 "Hazard" Richard Marx 3
15 "Bohemian Rhapsody"/"These Are the Days of Our Lives" Queen 1
16 "Sleeping Satellite" Tasmin Archer 1
17 "The Best Things in Life Are Free" Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson with
special guests BBD and Ralph Tresvant
2
18 "It's My Life" Dr. Alban 2
19 "Just Another Day" Jon Secada 5
20 "On a Ragga Tip" SL2 2
21 "Achy Breaky Heart" Billy Ray Cyrus 3
22 "My Girl" The Temptations 2
23 "People Everyday" Arrested Development 2
24 "I Love Your Smile" (remix) Shanice 2
25 "Jump" Kris Kross 2
26 "Twilight Zone" 2 Unlimited 2
27 "Sesame's Treet" Smart E's 2
28 "I'm Doing Fine Now" The Pasadenas 4
29 "I'm Gonna Get You" Bizarre Inc featuring Angie Brown 3
30 "Barcelona" Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé 2
31 "To Be with You" Mr. Big 3
32 "My Destiny" Lionel Richie 7
33 "Don't You Want Me" Felix 6
34 "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" Guns N' Roses 2
35 "Heartbeat" Nick Berry 2
36 "Something Good" Utah Saints 4
37 "Could It Be Magic" Take That 3
38 "I Wonder Why" Curtis Stigers 5
39 "Everything About You" Ugly Kid Joe 3
40 "I'll Be There" Mariah Carey featuring Trey Lorenz 2
41 "Temptation" (Brothers in Rhythm Remix) Heaven 17 4
42 "This Used to Be My Playground" Madonna 3
43 "Out of Space" The Prodigy 5
44 "Shake Your Head" Was (Not Was) 4
45 "Too Much Love Will Kill You" Brian May 5
46 "Everybody in the Place" The Prodigy 2
47 "Slam Jam" The WWF Superstars 4
48 "Finally" CeCe Peniston 2
49 "Never Let Her Slip Away" Undercover 5
50 "Give Me Just a Little More Time" Kylie Minogue 2

Best-selling albums

[4]

No. Title Artist Peak
position
1 Stars Simply Red 1
2 Back to Front Lionel Richie 1
3 Greatest Hits: 1965–1992 Cher 1
4 Glittering Prize 81/92 Simple Minds 1
5 Dangerous Michael Jackson 4[lower-alpha 1]
6 Diva Annie Lennox 1
7 Timeless: The Classics Michael Bolton 3
8 Divine Madness Madness 1
9 We Can't Dance Genesis 2[lower-alpha 2]
10 Up Right Said Fred 1
11 Pop!: The First 20 Hits Erasure 1
12 ABBA Gold ABBA 1
13 Greatest Hits Gloria Estefan 2
14 Hormonally Yours Shakespears Sister 3
15 High on the Happy Side Wet Wet Wet 1
16 Real Love Lisa Stansfield 3
17 Automatic for the People R.E.M. 1
18 The Way We Walk, Volume One: The Shorts Genesis 3
19 Greatest Hits II Queen 2[lower-alpha 3]
20 Nevermind Nirvana 7
21 Simply the Best Tina Turner 2
22 Tubular Bells II Mike Oldfield 1
23 Curtis Stigers Curtis Stigers 7
24 The Commitments Original Soundtrack Various Artists 8[lower-alpha 4]
25 Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82–92) Tears for Fears 2
26 Boss Drum The Shamen 3
27 Erotica Madonna 2
28 The Best of Belinda, Volume 1 Belinda Carlisle 1
29 The Freddie Mercury Album Freddie Mercury 4
30 The Greatest Hits: 1966–1992 Neil Diamond 1
31 Achtung Baby U2 8[lower-alpha 5]
32 Take That and Party Take That 3
33 Diamonds and Pearls Prince and the New Power Generation 8[lower-alpha 6]
34 Greatest Hits Queen 6[lower-alpha 7]
35 Adrenalize Def Leppard 1
36 Shepherd Moons Enya 12[lower-alpha 8]
37 Woodface Crowded House 6
38 Use Your Illusion II Guns N' Roses 10[lower-alpha 9]
39 Waking Up the Neighbours Bryan Adams 11[lower-alpha 10]
40 Out of Time R.E.M. 13[lower-alpha 11]
41 Michael Crawford Performs Andrew Lloyd Webber Michael Crawford 7
42 Use Your Illusion I Guns N' Roses 18[lower-alpha 12]
43 The Force Behind the Power Diana Ross 15[lower-alpha 13]
44 The One Elton John 2
45 This Thing Called Love: The Greatest Hits of Alexander O'Neal Alexander O'Neal 4
46 Legend Bob Marley and the Wailers 18[lower-alpha 14]
47 Keep the Faith Bon Jovi 1
48 Symbol Prince and the New Power Generation 1
49 Seal Seal 5[lower-alpha 15]
50 Time, Love & Tenderness Michael Bolton 6[lower-alpha 16]

Notes:

  1. Reached number 1 in 1991
  2. Reached number 1 in 1991
  3. Reached number 1 in 1991
  4. Reached number 4 in 1991
  5. Reached number 2 in 1991
  6. Reached number 2 in 1991
  7. Reached number 1 in 1981
  8. Reached number 1 in 1991
  9. Reached number 1 in 1991
  10. Reached number 1 in 1991
  11. Reached number 1 in 1991
  12. Reached number 2 in 1991
  13. Reached number 11 in 1991
  14. Reached number 1 in 1984
  15. Reached number 1 in 1991
  16. Reached number 3 in 1991

Music awards

Brit Awards

The 1992 Brit Awards winners were:

Mercury Music Prize

The 1992 Mercury Music Prize was awarded to Primal ScreamScreamadelica.

Classical music

Opera

Film and incidental music

Births

Deaths

See also

References

  1. Live Journal
  2. "Year End Charts: Top Singles". Music Week. 16 January 1993. p. 8.
  3. Jones, Alan (16 January 1993). "Best Sellers". Music Week. p. 9.
  4. "Year End Charts: Top Albums". Music Week. 16 January 1993. p. 10.
  5. Crick, Clair (12 November 2020). "Jessica Plummer – things you didn't know about the I'm A Celebrity star". What's on TV. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  6. The Stephen Oliver Archive at the British Library
  7. Henri Temianka Is Dead at 85; Violinist and Founder of Quartet - New York Times
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