1992 in British music

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

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 amount 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.

The year was good for ABBA, 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 #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.

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.

Charts

Singles

Issue Date	Song Title	Artist
5 January	Bohemian Rhapsody / These Are the Days of Our Lives	Queen	68,000
12 January	Bohemian Rhapsody / These Are the Days of Our Lives	Queen	52,000
19 January	Goodnight Girl	Wet Wet Wet	48,000
26 January	Goodnight Girl	Wet Wet Wet	47,000
2 February	Goodnight Girl	Wet Wet Wet	53,000
9 February	Goodnight Girl	Wet Wet Wet	51,000
16 February	Stay	Shakespear's Sister	46,000
23 February	Stay	Shakespear's Sister	49,000
1 March	Stay	Shakespear's Sister	50,000
8 March	Stay	Shakespear's Sister	52,000
15 March	Stay	Shakespear's Sister	49,000
22 March	Stay	Shakespear's Sister	48,000
29 March	Stay	Shakespear's Sister	45,000
5 April	Stay	Shakespear's Sister	42,000
12 April	Deeply Dippy	Right Said Fred	51,000
19 April	Deeply Dippy	Right Said Fred	55,000
26 April	Deeply Dippy	Right Said Fred	52,000
3 May	Please Don't Go	K.W.S.	56,000
10 May	Please Don't Go	K.W.S.	61,000
17 May	Please Don't Go	K.W.S.	63,000
24 May	Please Don't Go	K.W.S.	62,000
31 May	Please Don't Go	K.W.S.	57,000
7 June	Abba-esque (EP)	Erasure	81,000
14 June	Abba-esque (EP)	Erasure	66,000
21 June	Abba-esque (EP)	Erasure	62,000
28 June	Abba-esque (EP)	Erasure	59,000
5 July	Abba-esque (EP)	Erasure	52,000
12 July	Ain't No Doubt	Jimmy Nail	49,000
19 July	Ain't No Doubt	Jimmy Nail	53,000
26 July	Ain't No Doubt	Jimmy Nail	59,000
2 August	Rhythm Is a Dancer	Snap!	58,000
9 August	Rhythm Is a Dancer	Snap!	60,000
16 August	Rhythm Is a Dancer	Snap!	61,000
23 August	Rhythm Is a Dancer	Snap!	57,000
30 August	Rhythm Is a Dancer	Snap!	56,000
6 September	Rhythm Is a Dancer	Snap!	51,000
13 September	Ebeneezer Goode	The Shamen	56,000
20 September	Ebeneezer Goode	The Shamen	58,000
27 September	Ebeneezer Goode	The Shamen	52,000
4 October	Ebeneezer Goode	The Shamen	53,000
11 October	Sleeping Satellite	Tasmin Archer
18 October	Sleeping Satellite	Tasmin Archer
25 October	End of the Road	Boyz II Men
1 November	End of the Road	Boyz II Men
8 November	End of the Road	Boyz II Men
15 November	Would I Lie to You?	Charles and Eddie
22 November	Would I Lie to You?	Charles and Eddie
28 November	I Will Always Love You	Whitney Houston
6 December	I Will Always Love You	Whitney Houston
13 December	I Will Always Love You	Whitney Houston
20 December	I Will Always Love You	Whitney Houston
27 December	I Will Always Love You	Whitney Houston

Albums

Issue Date	Album Title	Artist
5 January	Stars	Simply Red
12 January	Stars	Simply Red
19 January	Stars	Simply Red
26 January	Stars	Simply Red
2 February	High On The Happy Side	Wet Wet Wet
9 February	High On The Happy Side	Wet Wet Wet
16 February	Stars	Simply Red
23 February	Stars	Simply Red
1 March	Stars	Simply Red
8 March	Divine Madness	Madness
15 March	Divine Madness	Madness
22 March	Divine Madness	Madness
29 March	Human Touch	Bruce Springsteen
5 April	Adrenalize	Def Leppard
12 April	Diva	Annie Lennox
19 April	Up	Right Said Fred
26 April	Wish	The Cure
3 May	Stars	Simply Red
10 May	1992 - The Love Album	Carter USM
17 May	Fear of the Dark	Iron Maiden
24 May	Michael Ball	Michael Ball
31 May	Back to Front	Lionel Richie
7 June	Back to Front	Lionel Richie
14 June	Back to Front	Lionel Richie
21 June	Back to Front	Lionel Richie
28 June	Back to Front	Lionel Richie
5 July	Back to Front	Lionel Richie
12 July	U.F.Orb	The Orb
19 July	The Greatest Hits 1966-1992	Neil Diamond
26 July	The Greatest Hits 1966-1992	Neil Diamond
2 August	The Greatest Hits 1966-1992	Neil Diamond
9 August	Welcome to Wherever You Are	INXS
16 August	We Can't Dance	Genesis
23 August	Best...I	The Smiths
30 August	Kylie: Greatest Hits	Kylie Minogue
6 September	Tubular Bells II	Mike Oldfield
13 September	Tubular Bells II	Mike Oldfield
20 September	The Best of Belinda Volume 1	Belinda Carlisle
27 September	ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits	ABBA
4 October	Automatic for the People	R.E.M.
11 October	Love Symbol	Prince
18 October	Glittering Prize 81/92	Simple Minds
25 October	Glittering Prize 81/92	Simple Minds
1 November	Glittering Prize 81/92	Simple Minds
8 November	Keep the Faith	Bon Jovi
15 November	Greatest Hits 1965 - 1992	Cher
22 November	Pop! - the First 20 Hits	Erasure
29 November	Pop! - the First 20 Hits	Erasure
6 December	Greatest Hits 1965 - 1992	Cher
13 December	Greatest Hits 1965 - 1992	Cher
20 December	Greatest Hits 1965 - 1992	Cher
27 December	Greatest Hits 1965 - 1992	Cher

Top 40 Singles of 1992

Position	Song Title	Artist	Sales	Highest Position
1	I Will Always Love You	Whitney Houston		1
2	Rhythm Is A Dancer	Snap!		1
3	Would I Lie To You	Charles and Eddie		1
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	Shamen		1
14	Hazard	Richard Marx		3
15	Bohemian Rhapsody/The Days Of Our Lives	Queen		1
16	Sleeping Satellite	Tasmin Archer		1
17	The Best Things In Life Are Free	Luther Vandross & Janet Jackson		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	Temptations		2
23	People Everyday	Arrested Development		2
24	I Love Your Smile	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	Pasadenas		4
29	I'm Gonna Get You	Bizarre Inc featuring Angie Brown		3
30	Barcelona	Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballe		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		2

Music awards

BRIT Awards

The 1992 BRIT Awards winners were:

• Best British producer: Peter Gabriel
• Best International Solo Artist: Prince
• Best soundtrack: "Wayne's World"
• British album: Annie Lennox: "Diva"
• British breakthrough act: Tasmin Archer
• British female solo artist – Annie Lennox
• British group: The KLF & Simply Red
• British male solo artist: Mick Hucknall
• British single: Take That - "Could It Be Magic"
• British video: Shakespear's Sister - "Stay"
• International breakthrough act: Nirvana
• International group: R.E.M.
• Outstanding contribution: Rod Stewart

Mercury Music Prize

The 1992 Mercury Music Prize was awarded to Primal Scream - Screamadelica.

External links

• BBC Radio 1's Chart Show
• The Official United Kingdom Charts Company