The Most Bizarre UK No. 1s of the 1990s
Britain in the 90s had some great number one singles. Songs that summed up a moment, stretched the boundaries of what pop could be, yet have stood the test of time. “Nothing Compares 2U”. “Don’t Look Back In Anger”. “Wannabe”. “Firestarter”. “…Baby One More Time”. From this list you would think the British record buying public had excellent, undeniable taste. But then there are other songs where you wonder “how did that become the most popular song in the country?” Whether that’s because it’s a confusing mish-mash of genres, defiantly uncommercial or offensively not very good, this is an exploration of those songs: The stories of the Most Bizarre UK No. 1s of the 1990s.
#ukcharts #90spop #musicdocumentary
Fact-checking by Chad Van Wagner.
00:00 Introduction
00:45 TV Presenter & The Phantom of The Opera
04:21 Heavy Metal at The Top
07:46 Gregorian House
11:01 Pink, Yellow, and Pear Shaped
15:26 The Charleston For The 90s
19:04 Probably about Courtney Love
23:30 Brightly Coloured Moonwalkers
26:49 Soul Legend in a Cartoon
30:46 Film Director’s Pop Career
34:54 Britain’s Elvis Bows Out
Soundtrack
Luar – Citrine (https://soundcloud.com/luarbeats)
Luar – Anchor (https://soundcloud.com/luarbeats)
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Sources
1000 UK Number One Hits by John Kutner & Spencer Leigh (2005) Omnibus Press
Stars of ‘90s Dance Pop: 29 Hitmakers Discuss Their Careers by James Arena (2017) McFarland & Company Inc
“1999: Millennium Prayer for Christmas number one?” David Sillito, BBC News, Nov 1999
“The Sunscreen Song: The class of ’99 – The Documentary” BBC World Service, Sep 2019
“I’m utterly, utterly brilliant” Mark Frith, Smash Hits, Aug 1990
“Spotlight: Enigma” Paul Andrews, Music & Media, Jan 1991
“Monk Business” Bob Mack, Spin Magazine, Jun 1991
“Dutch Dance Duo Scores Intl Hit With `Doop” Willem Hoos, Billboard, May 1994
“Armand Van Helden: Widow shopping” Calvin Bush, Muzik, June 1997
“Amos Adds Rhythm to Her Blues” Sally Straton, Music & Media, Mar 1998
“Feel good factor” Jonathan Freedland, The Guardian, May 1999
“Last laugh for Sir Cliff as prayer tops the charts” Helen Carter, The Guardian, Nov 1999
“Webber makes ‘Itsy Bitsy’ confession” Sara Rollo, Digital Spy, Nov 2008
“Timmy Mallett accused of Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny porkie” Staff, The Standard, Apr 2012
One Hit WONDER Doop – Doop” Kieron Tyler, Mojo Magazine, Apr 2012
“The best No 1 records: Cliff Richard – The Millennium Prayer” Peter Robinson, The Guardian, May 2012
“MR BLOBBY – “Mr Blobby”” Tom Ewing, Popular UK #1 Hits, Jul 2012
“DOOP – “Doop”” Tom Ewing, Popular UK #1 Hits, Nov 2012
“How we made: Teletubbies” Anna Tims, The Guardian, Jun 2013
“Armand Van Helden: My Life in 15 Songs” Nick Murray, Rolling Stone, Apr 2014
“CHEF – “Chocolate Salty Balls”” Tom Ewing, Popular UK #1 Hits, Aug 2014
“CLIFF RICHARD – “The Millennium Prayer”” Tom Ewing, Popular UK #1 Hits, Dec 2014
“Interview: Armand Van Helden” Michaelangelo Matos, Red Bull Music Academy, Apr 2015
“Mr Blobby does America: a beginner’s guide for all his new Stateside fans” Stuart Heritage, The Guardian, Apr 2016
“Chocolate Salty Balls (P.S. I Love You) (Chef)” Jon Kutner, Single Of The Week, Jan 2018
“Doop (Doop)” Jon Kutner, Single Of The Week, Jan 2020
“Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” Jon Kutner, Single Of The Week, Feb 2021
“‘Meditation and copulation’: how 90s dance act Enigma propelled a new age revolution” Ana Leorne, The Guardian, Jul 2021
“‘A Loveable Anarchist’: The Oral History of Mr Blobby” Isabelle Aron, VICE, Sep 2021
“Teletubbies: The bizarre kids’ TV show that swept the world” Timmy Fisher, BBC Culture, Nov 2022
“They had us at eh oh: the surprise staying power of Teletubbies” Kyle MacNeil, The Guardian, Apr 2023
“656. ‘Bring Your Daughter… To the Slaughter’, by Iron Maiden” Stewart McKaye, The UK Number Ones Blog, May 2023
“Timmy Mallet on why people asking him to ‘’please hit me!’ never gets old” Tina Campbell. The Standard, Oct 2023
“Gabber at 30: hard, fast, and louder than ever” Holly Dicker, DJ Mag, Oct 2023
“Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter: How a banned, censored and divisive song became Iron Maiden’s only UK number one single” Matt Mills, Metal Hammer, Oct 2023
“‘Sweet Caroline is such an odd choice for a football anthem’: Timmy Mallett’s honest playlist” Rich Pelley, The Guardian, Jan 2024
“TORI AMOS – “Professional Widow (It’s Got To Be Big)”” Tom Ewing, Popular UK #1 Hits, Feb 2024
“‘I thought it was a speech by Kurt Vonnegut’: Baz Luhrmann on making Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)” Kyle MacNeil, The Guardian, May 2024
@TrashTheory
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
Every now and then I get people asking for a playlist of every song mentioned in my videos: Well here's a Spotify link for this one:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/136HV4Fva9rWZTCVTPU6uu?si=afe28513b74b40ac
and the YouTube Music one:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLooaZ33lSalcdXbfJzuDpiZZVfq8qa-rm&si=StAyEw8bF3MyM2-D
@cupojoe9462
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
TIL Electroswing is a far older genre than I'd thought
@a_Fax_Machine
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
I wonder if Doop is the first instance of Electro-swing
@seanoconnell4091
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
Love your work. Sinead O'Connor is not British
@mrotaveria
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
The Enigma album beats were infectious, love at first hearing.
@oddunb6190
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
Oh Lord I thought I’d never have to hear the Doop ever again in my lifetime 🤣
@jmckenzie962
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
ALL HAIL THE BLOBBY ONE
@foxycinnamon7307
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
I completely forgot Cliff Richard existed…We Don't Talk Anymore played and I knew the words. My mom listened to KEARTH 101 when I was a kid, I guess it got stuck in the back of my mind. Music – didn't it just blow your mind? Also, the UK must have had a lot of drugs in radio for all those to hit…
@RobotImpurity
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
I live in the states so I had never heard of Mr. Blobby before, but I was howling at that segment. I applaud the British for making that a #1 hit.
@PennyAfNorberg
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
The lord's prayer in Swahili worked good later on.
@LordMarlle
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
Thanks I hate it
Also, f Simon Cowelll
@JayLeePoe
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
I gotta hand it to some of you folks Up North– from this side of Appalachia– you sure seem to catch a fair deal of the music nuances that other masses lack. Of course you know it, odd things come and stick around and because of your history and prominance, with a bit of isolation… viola. But I had all but forgotten about Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) – Baz Luhrmann (1997) for "The Class of '99" oddly enough… and yet it's along the same vein of odd milestones of an era– like a good Cake song or the one I remember, All These Things Are Gone – The Young Punx (2014) — which is your side of the pond. And a quite similar nostalgic waxing recap that I love.
@chaddubois8164
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
I can't tell if this video requires more drugs or less drugs.
@austinellis7625
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
tf? mandela effect moment – could have sworn the track was "sadness part 1" – sadeness? wut.
@SrSacaninha
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
holy crap, sadness part I was EVERYWHERE back in the day. You could probably do a video only on movies that used it in a sexy scene. And it spawned a whole new interest in gregorian chant too.
@Sol-Cutta
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
37:50 it must be strange now to a younger 20yr old that everyone knew the words to cliff richards lords prayer 😂😂😂 he thinks people learned it from the song.😂😂😂 not knowing of course that people of the age 40+ had to recite it at school assembly EVERY morning 😂😂😂
@wordsandgu1tar
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
I’m sorry but Gary Barlow dragging Mr Blobby by his feet made me piss myself laughing
@BraveLittlePixel
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
Id recommended changing the thumbnail to this because a friend and I presumed it was a 40 minute dive into Mr Blobby lore solely and were surprised it was about this, which was much more interesting. Some people just dont read video titles anymore.
@Arianddu
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
I can't believe you didn't mention Bob the Builder – Can We Fix It?
@ClubAiBops
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
I can't accept this Enigma slander. Nor Tori Amos. I must have been on a hundred dancefloors playing that remix back in the day. Everybody loved it.
@greva2904
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
A mate of mine had to go to the funeral of her young niece, who’d died aged 10. During the service they played the poor girl’s favourite song – the Mr Blobby single! As soon as she heard the song, she burst out laughing. Her boyfriend had to grab her and hold her head to her chest. Everyone thought she was bawling her eyes out, but actually she was laughing her head off. Awkward!
@kierontuohey1215
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
Much as I love Maiden, Bring your Daughter….. is very naff. And it would be more than ten years til the next metal number 1 if you’re counting Limp Bizkit as metal.
@otherSmallCities
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
All of this breaks my brain.
@supermariobruvva
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
Really saved the best for last here 😂
@thewabbit10882
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
You missed out on mentioning one of the greatest b side covers ever. Cartmans come sail away was definitely worth a mention alongside chocolate salty balls
@icarusandtherabbit
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
7:54 hey don’t you dare question Enigma’s number one status! That’s a BANGER !
@apexalpha4947
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
Proof the Music Industry is satanic/talmudic.
@jasonhunter2819
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
There's a lot of wretched crap on here but Millennium Prayer is the most pandering, insidiously cynical piece of garbage of the entire lot
@alligatorbelly
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
requesting a video on the 1975 🙏🏽 love your work
@Crampsam
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
The more I learn about the music Simon Cowell actually helped to make, the more I wonder why we ever let him judge other people’s talent on tv for 20+ years
@Tohereknowswhen
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
A very interesting and insightful video. As for other bizarre No.1's of the 90's, I probably would also have gone with "Spaceman" by Babylon Zoo, as it reached No.1 on the back of a Levi's ad, and many bought it primarily due to what they heard on the ad (which was an Arthur Baker remix sped up), only to discover that the rest of the song didn't sound like what they had heard as it was more of a rock song. But on the back of this, it had become the fastest selling debut single ever at that time. The only other strange one I can think of from the 90's was "Gym & Tonic" by Spacedust although I feel like that one itself has become forgotten.
@andrewboxall2945
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
i can't be the only one that recoiled in shock, then IMMEDIATELY looked up the original cotton eye joe
@hustler3of4culture3
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
No substitute was a better song by chef
@sciencefromthegroundup7227
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
Thank you so much!
I loved so many of these songs!
Looking forward to you doing a similar video with the ‘00s!
@mc.gemstone
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
I had no idea Sadeness Part 1 even made it to UK number 1 chart. It's such a beautiful song I use listen to a lot as it always spark inspiration for my own writing, it does feel odd for it to be at number 1 but in a way deserves it for how unique, mystical and other worldy sounding and a major stand out from other songs from it's time. Though I can also understand why it spark some controversy as well. Still thanks to this video I'm gonna listen to it again along Enigma's other music as well.
@PoletBally
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
Simon Cowell was behind some certified BANGERS in the 90s: Mr. Blobby, Teletubbies and let’s not forget Them Girls by Zig & Zag. Say what you want about him, but the man can spot a talented musician.
@brandonshaw2120
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
Brilliismt!!!
@Laribhaven
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
Ah, British music charts… So amazingly confusing sometimes. I mean how to mean that the Spice Girls beat the Teletubbies on the charts?
@alifrench-q7u
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
I bought Mr Blobby on cassette for my then 6 year old son 🙂 I dont care but my son does, he keeps it a secret.
@Beckah11
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
Another brilliant and informative video. Even now, I often point to the lyrics of "Sunscreen" as mantras in my life and didn't have a clue about it's background. Thanks!
@terrordisco2944
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
Jimmy Nail's Ain't No Doubt and other soap actor pop crossovers come to mind…
@TheCheekyhalfling
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
Being 38 Sunscreen actually makes me tear up lol it feels like it speaks volumes to me now but back then it was boring… also salty balls was and is awesome!
@celioski3698
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
Boys for Pele is one of the best albums ever recorded. I'm happy it gets mentioned in any context <3
@crazykobold1644
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
I would have added both 'Inside' by Stiltskin and 'Spaceman' by Babylon Zoo, both one hit wonders, made popular only by their use in jeans adverts
@slyasleep
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
I love this series. Please keep ‘em coming, Mr Trash!
@GrubStLodger
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
I was five years old and Itsy Bitsy was the first record II bought.
@calistudent6335
October 12, 2025 at 2:22 am
Music never recovered from sampling. It was proof that democratization and lowering the education barrier did not produce mountains of new genius work. That was always a self-important fantasy. It just produced shit, and then the actual professionals started making product to cater to that shit taste.
Comments are closed.