The UK Top 50 of 1992 Poll

Voted "ABBA-Esque" because Erasure's output were never better than in 1991-92.

The Brian May one is ace too. "My Girl" is of course a classic, but just isn't from 1992.

Erasure seconded

Nor are quite a lot of these; not only the hangovers from '91 but also the huge mass of cover versions.

Discounting all of these, my surprise vote goes to..."End Of The Road."

SHANICE!!!!!!!!

'i love your smile' was the very first song i ever fell in love with - the very first song i had to hear again and again.

runners up, in order:

2. the best things in life are free
3. on a ragga tip
4. end of the road
5. something good
6. justified & ancient
7. save the best for last
8. i'm gonna get you
9. finally
10. this used to be my playground
11. would i lie to you?
12. sleeping satellite
13. don't you want me?
14. twilight zone
15. i'll be there
16. everybody in the place

a good year for big r&b ballads and big rave bangerz

worst is vile vile 'bohemian rhapsody' obv - this may actually be the worst song ever i think

Right, KLF once more?

I can't see owt else...

On a Ragga Tip

Boyz II Men may have become boring MOR balladeers later on, but I agree that "End Of The Road" is great, and it would be deserved if it managed to pick up some love here.

U-U-U-UTAH SAINTS

a good year for big r&b ballads and big rave bangerz

haha even in my very first formative year my tastes were SET

I can't see owt else...

are you ~actually blind~ then

i might be...

It's not that it's all crap, there's some likeable stuff here, but little that I love.

Having voted for the KLF in 91, this time round has to be the Shamen or SL2. Though... is that Utah Saints one the one with the Crown Heights Affair sample? (will youtube when not supposed to be working)

Things from this list Dale Winton would play on POTP: Curtis Stigers, Wet Wet Wet, Richard Marx, Ugly Kid Joe, Mr Big, Nick Berry, i.e. all the crap.

U-U-U-UTAH SAINTS

YOU-YOU-YOU-YOU TALK SENSE

Interesting to see "Heartbeat" began in 1992 already.

Worst year ever.

I think 1992 was the first year that saw the British hitlists with a serious backclash against the dance/house/proto-hip-hop hits of the previous years. But they didn't seem to have much to replace them with, which means they went for a lot of MOR stuff. Of course Britpop would change all that.

It's worse than that, though. Even the big guns - Kylie, Madonna, GnR, Jacko, Wet Wet Wet - on whom you could normally rely for a decent pop tune put out their worst stuff in 1992. It's like there was a collective lurch for authenticity that year (if I remember right, Top Of The Pops went 'live' around that time as well) which was just a horrible, boring dead end. I'd've thought you'd enjoy the craftsmanship, Geir.

Rave is the only redeeming feature of 1992. At the end of the day, if pop isn't exciting and fun in some way, it has no reason to exist. SL2 and the Prodigy both did this. Normally I'd vote for 'Ebeneezer Goode' for its audacity, but in the end I went for Shakespear's Sister because it's the one record (I don't care for Boyz II Men) that took the orthodoxy of the time and turned it into a great pop record

"This Used To Be My Playground" is the best thing Madonna did between the turn of the decade and the slightly better "Bedtime Stories" album.

'Justified & Ancient' by a mile... next closest is 'On a Ragga Tip', but really not much else to even contemplate.

I agree with Lex, we must have the Stevie Wonder Fan Club on here today...

Day-ba-day ba-waddla-di-day!
Oom-ba-day ba-day ba-waddla-di-day!

Why would Stevie Wonder's fans be blind?

The Prodigy

list is 50% unimpeachable

Better than the 1991 list, I would say. Not voting for "Justified and Ancient" a second time, which leaves SL2, Felix and Luther/Janet. Went with the latter, as it reminds me of dancing in New York.

the ravey rave bangerz are all well and good but none are as brilliant as 'i love your smile', i am appalled that i am the only person who's seen fit to mention it.

and marcello's right about 'end of the road', so weepily gorgeous. "girl, i'm here for you..." <3

best place i've heard it in recent times was when hot chip were DJing at a broadway market street party and played it as their closing track. swaying all round.

I Love Your Smile is awesome but The Best Things In Life Are Free is better I think. Every rave banger on here has been utterly overplayed in the last couple of years but Everybody In The Place still stands up and might get my vote.

Is Shake Your Head as good as I remember it being?

Someone did a Eurodance cover of "End of the Road", circa 1996 or 1997. Not great, as I recall.

Justified And Ancient is overrated by the way, really loses momentum in the last third.

i know you are my baby
my one and only baby
you said it twice, i'll say it thrice -
my baby baby baby!

and i got so much love for you
and it's eeeaaaasy to give it
when i know you feel the same way too

and that's all i expect from you
just do all that you can
to be my love cuz i UNDERSTAND

(I DO!)

i was only going to type luther's bit but it all just FLOWS so awesomely

Oh, I have much nostalgic joy for I Love Your Smile and Would I Lie To You, but in terms of something I could and do actively choose to listen to instead of being randomly delighted by out of pub/supermarket speakers I have to go for one of the ravey rave bangers. Not that that's necessarily the right criterion for these threads, since the best bit of seeing the list is all the "oh yeah!" tracks.

(I do not go to the places where such things are overplayed, except youtube, my bedroom, several hours after I should've gone to bed but was too drunk to remember)

Shake your head!

Yeah, back in the days when Ozzy was credible still!

Justified And Ancient is overrated by the way, really loses momentum in the last third.

no idea how you arrived at this.

Every rave banger on here has been utterly overplayed in the last couple of years at Club Poptimism

There, fixed.

BLOW BRANFORD BLOW!!

I need to go to Poptimism then!

Sister sister, kickin' all that jazz
Ain't it funny honey, huh, what you never had
A lot of bone structure, I can make it last
A minute to win it, I deep fill the past
Materio went perio, so get the info
You know, I know, it's not about the dough
So maybe baby, if you want to be my lady
I'll forget the riches and the other itches
Mo' money, mo' money, Jam & Lewis here we go!
Mo' money, mo' money, Luther, Janet here we go!
Mo' money, mo' money, Biv DeVoe here we go!

I need to go to Poptimism then!

you may only have one more chance

Wait what? Oh right just checked the Facebook invite - last one FOR A WHILE! Well I dunno, it's not really like a FAP is it, I assume people will be with IRL friends and that, that's why I've never gone to one.

FAP, what's that when it's at home?

awl the chickens go..

Went for Shanice straight away, easy.

This is quite a strong list, actually. Other than "I Love Your Smile" I like, (in some rough order):

Ce Ce Peniston Finally
The Prodigy Everybody In The Place
Utah Saints Something Good
Felix Don't You Want Me
Madonna This Used To Be My Playground
Was (Not Was) Shake Your Head
Snap! Rhythm Is A Dancer
Erasure Abba-esque (EP)
The Shamen Ebeneezer Goode
Charles & Eddie Would I Lie To You?
Jimmy Nail Ain't No Doubt
Luther Vandross & Janet Jackson The Best Things In Life Are Free
Arrested Development People Everyday
Kris Kross Jump
The KLF featuring Tammy Wynette Justified And Ancient

The good stuff on this list:

Snap! Rhythm Is A Dancer
Shanice I Love Your Smile
Bizarre Inc I'm Gonna Get You
2 Unlimited Twilight Zone
Kris Kross Jump
The KLF featuring Tammy Wynette Justified And Ancient
Ce Ce Peniston Finally

I'll go with Bizarre Inc I think.

xpost redundancy ha

don't get why people are leaving 'it's my life' off their lists

We had to sing "Heal the World" in elementary school music class every day.

The Temptations My Girl

?????????????????????????????

is that Utah Saints one the one with the Crown Heights Affair sample?

No that's "My Mind Must Be Free," prolly their greatest track. "Something Good" samples Kate Bush.

Definitely "Justified and Ancient" here.

Wow, this was a really horrible year. Ugly Kid Joe!!

ragga tip, close thread

musically, 'My Girl' was re-released because of the Culkin film of the same name

No that's "My Mind Must Be Free," prolly their greatest track.

'Believe In Me' also has CHA sample

Wow, this was a really horrible year. Ugly Kid Joe!!

Sure. You cannot find many better examples of how horrible 1992 was. :)

utah saints, followed closely by klf/tammy.

Thanks blueski and KJB, I had mentally welded half of Believe In Me onto the chorus of Something Good. They're both sounding pretty good to me now (not so much My Mind Must Be Free, which is altogether too late-90s-Moby, but at least gets there 6 years earlier), but not enough to sway me from Ebeneezer Goode/Ragga Tip indecision.

Sad to say that in 92 itself I liked everything I just mentioned but would probably have gone and voted for Brian May or Ugly Kid Joe just for having guitars on or something. Hey, I was 12...

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.