1994 in British music

This is a summary of 1994 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.

Summary

The first number 1 single of the year was also the 700th, a reggae version of "Twist and Shout" by Chaka Demus & Pliers. The next month saw Mariah Carey get her first (and, to date, only) solo number 1 with "Without You", after having 8 previous #1s in the United States.

In late May, Wet Wet Wet reached number 1 with "Love Is All Around", from the film Four Weddings and a Funeral. It would remain at number 1 for fifteen weeks, the second longest consecutive run at #1 ever in the UK Singles Chart, and become the biggest selling single of the year. When Whigfield replaced it in September, she became the first act ever to make their chart debut at number 1, with "Saturday Night". After having been played frequently in clubs that summer, there was high demand for the song on its release. Since both "Saturday Night" and "Love Is All Around" were still in the charts at the end of December ("Love Is All Around" having just re-entered the top 40 at number 37) the final top 40 of 1994 contained all but one of the number 1 singles since the end of May - Take That's "Sure" (which topped the chart for two weeks, but only spent five weeks in the Top 40) was the only absentee.

Manchester rockers Oasis found their success on their debut album, Definitely Maybe, which shot to number #1 on its first week out in September.

December saw the debut of Boyzone to the charts, with a #2 cover of The Osmonds 1974 #1 "Love Me For a Reason". They would go on to have another fifteen singles, six reaching #1 and the rest reaching the top five, as well as four #1 albums.

Aside from Wet Wet Wet and Whigfield, the only other million selling single this year came from Céline Dion, with "Think Twice" (though it wouldn't reach number 1 until 1995). In all, 15 singles topped the chart this year, the second lowest number for any year in the decade.

This was the year when Karl Jenkins, soon to be the UK's favourite classical composer, launched his crossover project, Adiemus, with the album, Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary. Popularized through its use in TV commercials, the title track became known to classical and popular music fans alike. It also made the name of vocalist Miriam Stockley.

A record was broken in 1994 for the longest song to become a UK top 10 hit when Bon Jovi released the single "Dry County" in March, when it peaked at #9. The song was 9 minutes and 52 seconds long.

Charts

Singles

Issue Date	Song Title	Artist	Sales
2 January	Twist and Shout	Chaka Demus & Pliers
9 January	Twist and Shout	Chaka Demus & Pliers
16 January	Things Can Only Get Better	D:Ream
23 January	Things Can Only Get Better	D:Ream
30 January	Things Can Only Get Better	D:Ream
6 February	Things Can Only Get Better	D:Ream
13 February	Without You	Mariah Carey
20 February	Without You	Mariah Carey
27 February	Without You	Mariah Carey
6 March	Without You	Mariah Carey
13 March	Doop	Doop
20 March	Doop	Doop
27 March	Doop	Doop
3 April	Everything Changes	Take That	130,000
10 April	Everything Changes	Take That	90,000
17 April	The Most Beautiful Girl In The World	(The Artist Formerly Known as Prince)
24 April	The Most Beautiful Girl In The World	(The Artist Formerly Known as Prince)
1 May	The Real Thing	Tony Di Bart
8 May	Inside	Stiltskin
15 May	Come On You Reds	Manchester United Football Squad
22 May	Come On You Reds	Manchester United Football Squad
29 May	Love Is All Around	Wet Wet Wet	63,533
5 June	Love Is All Around	Wet Wet Wet	75,644
12 June	Love Is All Around	Wet Wet Wet	83,998
19 June	Love Is All Around	Wet Wet Wet	82,040
26 June	Love Is All Around	Wet Wet Wet	73,304
3 July	Love Is All Around	Wet Wet Wet	73,242
10 July	Love Is All Around	Wet Wet Wet	71,159
17 July	Love Is All Around	Wet Wet Wet	63,684
24 July	Love Is All Around	Wet Wet Wet	62,399
31 July	Love Is All Around	Wet Wet Wet	63,875
7 August	Love Is All Around	Wet Wet Wet	60,809
14 August	Love Is All Around	Wet Wet Wet	64,805
21 August	Love Is All Around	Wet Wet Wet	59,646
28 August	Love Is All Around	Wet Wet Wet	55,936
4 September	Love Is All Around	Wet Wet Wet	47,154
11 September	Saturday Night	Whigfield	149,000
18 September	Saturday Night	Whigfield	222,000
25 September	Saturday Night	Whigfield	170,000
2 October	Saturday Night	Whigfield	140,000
9 October	Sure	Take That	120,000
16 October	Sure	Take That
23 October	Baby Come Back	Pato Banton
30 October	Baby Come Back	Pato Banton
6 November	Baby Come Back	Pato Banton
13 November	Baby Come Back	Pato Banton
20 November	Let Me Be Your Fantasy	Baby D
27 November	Let Me Be Your Fantasy	Baby D
4 December	Stay Another Day	East 17
11 December	Stay Another Day	East 17	170,000
18 December	Stay Another Day	East 17	170,000
25 December	Stay Another Day	East 17	170,000

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