1994 in British music
This is a summary of
1994 in music in the
United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
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.
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 |  | Princesymbol.png |
(The Artist Formerly Known as Prince) |
| 24 April | The Most Beautiful Girl In The World | | Princesymbol.png |
(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 |
Albums
