Hot Chocolate, 'No Doubt About It': Britain's UFO flap year

Britain's favourite funk band spent 1980 talking about UFOs. So did everyone else.

The Glitter Band, 'The Tears I Cried': Gilt By Association

A quick favour for a former colleague turned them into Gary Glitter's backing band. Could they ever break free?

Celine Dion, 'Think Twice': The last real Number One

Celine's climb to Number One was a long one. And it was the last.

Kaoma, 'Lambada': Fraud, hubris, and two bad movies

The Lambada crazes ultimately ruined two of the biggest chancers in music—and two of the biggest chancers in movies.

Elaine Paige & Barbara Dickson, ‘I Know Him So Well’: Hits in a weird niche

It's a genre that shouldn't exist. Try telling that to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

David Essex, 'Stardust': The first draft of history

David Essex and RIngo Starr begin the process of mythologising the 60s.

Melanie C, 'Northern Star': The plain one at the back

Who would be the breakout star of the Spice Girls? Geri? Victoria Beckham? Or the plain one at the back?

The Specials AKA, ‘Free Nelson Mandela’: We live in hope

Sometimes the world feels beyond hope. Can the right song make a difference?

Corona, 'The Rhythm of the Night': When did men stop dancing?

Straight men are sometimes reluctant to get on the dancefloor. Why is that?

Blondie, 'Dreaming': Surviving and thriving in 70s New York

1970s New York was a hellhole. Did that dystopia inspire a creative movement?

Black Lace, ‘Agadoo’: The Sound of Butlins-Core

'Agadoo' was the record everyone loved to hate. But did it speak to something deeper in us?

Shampoo, 'Trouble': Who was the third member of Shampoo?

Shampoo released a perfect album, changed the world, and then vanished. But who was behind their success?

Manchester United, 'Come On You Reds': How Man U became pop icons

Football changed drastically in the 90s, allowing people like David Beckham to become pop culture icons.

Stiltskin, 'Inside': The rapid rise (and rapid fall) of Stiltskin

How Inside by Stiltskin became the first original hit song from a Levi's ad.

Crash Test Dummies, 'Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm': The monster behind most novelty songs

How notorious British impresario Johnathan King helped Crash Test Dummies to an unlikely success

Hole, 'Miss World': What Courtney did next

Kurt Cobain died just as Courtney Love and Hole were launching Live Through This. What happened next?

Beck, 'Loser': How Beck emerged from NY's antifolk scene

The lo-fi local scene that gave us Beck and many others

The Cranberries, 'Linger': In search of of Dolores O'Riordan

The first kiss that inspired 'Linger'

Snoop Doggy Dogg, 'Gin & Juice': When Snoop terrified Britain

Britain was terrified of Snoop Doggy Dogg in 1994...until the Queen stepped in

Cher with Beavis and Butt-Head, 'I Got You Babe': Beavis and Butt-Head Do The Charts

When MTV hit a crossroads, two idiots helped save the network.

Pearl Jam, 'Daughter': Eddie Vedder and life after Kurt

Did Courtney Love really say "It should have been Eddie"?

Mr Blobby, 'Mr Blobby': The monsters of Saturday night

A look at the strange career of Noel Edmonds

Blind Melon, ’No Rain’: Blind Melon vs The Bee Girl

No Rain created two new celebrities. Who enjoyed it more?

M People, 'Don't Look Any Further': The wonderful world of Siedah Garrett

The story of Siedah Garrrett, one of pop's sweetest success stories.

Soul Asylum, 'Runaway Train': Did Runaway Train help find any missing kids?

Soul Aslyum's video highlighted the plight of missing kids. But did they really help?

Mariah Carey, 'Hero': Mariah and the Mafia

Mariah Carey's record industry ex had some shady mob connections.

Leftfield, Open Up: Johnny Rotten vs John Lydon

John Lydon's long, painful struggle to escape from Johnny Rotten's shadow.

Aerosmith, 'Cryin': Alicia Silverstone was The Aerosmith Girl and people were weird about it

Calm down everyone, she's a teenager.

Meat Loaf, 'I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)': What happened to Meat Loaf's money?

It was the biggest hit of 1993. But who kept all the money?

The Lemonheads, 'Into Your Arms': Inside Yorkshire's secret School of Rock

How Minsthorpe High School became England's coolest venue.

Take That, 'Relight My Fire': Lulu's long path to victory

Lulu was one of the first live acts on Top Of The Pops. It'd be decades before she appeared as Number One.

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, 'Boom! Shake The Room!': Will Smith's career goes Boom!

Will Smith became the biggest star in the world, then it all fell apart.

Radiohead,'Creep': The skeleton in Thom's closet

Thom Yorke's incel phase became a key part of music history.

Pet Shop Boys, 'Go West': The queer utopia of Go West

Go West started as a dream of a gay utopia. When the Pet Shop Boys covered it, that dream had been crushed by AIDS.

Nirvana, 'Heart-Shaped Box': Grunge gets real

The fax from Steve Albini that returned Nirvana to their punk roots.

Billy Joel, 'River of Dreams': Quiet quitting with Billy Joel

Our laziest superstar calls it a day

The Breeders, 'Cannonball': The ultimate quiet/loud song

Kim Deal escapes the gravitational pull of Frank Black.

Freddie Mercury, 'Living On My Own': Freddie's fun side

Remembering Freddie's wildest birthday party.

Daniel O'Donnell, 'Whatever Happened to Old Fashioned Love': The king of the Irish soft boys

The mild-mannered Irish crooner launches one of pop's most resiliant careers.

Cypress Hill: 'Insane In The Brain': The N-Word goes mainstream

Mainstream rap exits its family-friendly phase.

Paul Weller, 'Sunflower': An old name pushes Britpop in a new direction

The Modfather rises

4 Non Blondes, 'What's Up?': A protest song about nothing

4 Non Blondes write the perfect anthem for mid-90s politics

Gabrielle, 'Dreams': The cost of chasing your dreams

Gabrielle refuses to quit until she has a hit.

Sade,'No Ordinary Love': The golden age of Sexy Date Movies

A look back on the golden age of racy adult dramas.

Haddaway, 'What Is Love': Making the shareholders happy

The annoying trend of artists selling song rights.

Spin Doctors,'Two Princes': Gen X's trolley problem

Spin Doctors grapple with the fear of selling out.

Ace Of Base, 'All That She Wants': Were Ace of Base secretly Nazis?

Probably not, but let's talk about the theory while listening to All That She Wants.

Janet Jackson, 'That's The Way Love Goes': The Queen of Pop

Michael's little sister usurps him in 90s R'n'B,

Sonia, 'Better The Devil You Know': Eurovision 1993, live from "a cowshed in Ireland"

The 1993 Eurovision had a chaotic start and a thrilling climax.

New Order, 'Regret': The fight for New Order's name

Acrimony and legal backbiting undermine one of New Order's biggest hits

Sub Sub, 'Ain't No Doubt, Ain't No Use': Doves' miraculous escape from the 90s

Ain't No Love Ain't No Use was followed by a string of bad luck.

R.E.M., 'Everybody Hurts': Songs of faith and doubt

R.E.M. tackle the loneliness epidemic

David Bowie, 'Jump They Say': The man who fell to earth

Our favourite alien learns how to live on earth

Robin S, 'Show Me Love': The Harper Lee of House Music

If you get it right first time, why try again?

Snow, 'Informer': The white rapper backlash

Snow was more street than some others, but he still fell into the white rapper trap.

Therapy?, 'Screamager': It's loud up North

If the 80s were grim for Northern Ireland, the 90s were a time of hope and kickass rock music.

Suede, 'Animal Nitrate': HMS Britpop sets sail

Grunge is dead! Here comes Britpop!

Shaggy, 'Oh Carolina': The Reggae-naissance begins

Shaggy scores the first hit in a new wave of pop-reggae.

Rage Against The Machine, 'Killing In The Name': What are you rebelling against?

It's the most incendiary protest song of the 90s. But what's it about?

Annie Lennox, 'Love Song for a Vampire': Old monsters die hard

The ancients story of the vampire becomes a modern metaphor for grief.

2 Unlimited, 'No Limit': No Lyrics, No Problem

Duran Duran, 'Ordinary World': A proper Top Of The Pops

Arrested Development, "Mr. Wendal": Clumsy liberalism hits the chart

A look at hamfisted songs about homelessness.

Paul McCartney, 'Hope Of Deliverance': Pop's biggest conspiracy theory

You think Paul McCartney is still alive? That's what they WANT you to think.

The Frank & Walters, 'After All': The Irish mini-invasion of 1993

G'wan Cork.

The Lemonheads, 'Mrs Robinson': Closing out a year of cover versions

Why did 1992 have so many cover versions?

WWF Superstars, 'Slam Jam: Simon Cowell suplexes the chart

A novelty song introduces us to pop music's ultimate heel.

Whitney Houston, 'I Will Always Love You': The Complete History of a Classic

Dolly Partner wrote it in an afternoon, but Whitney made it an all-conquering hit.

Charles & Eddie, 'Would I Lie To You?': The beginning and end of a beautiful friendship

Charles & Eddie were a beautiful story of friendship. Then they became a tale of grief.

The Prodigy, 'Out Of Space': The raver revolution

Drugs and beats briefly promised a utopian alternative to capitalism.

Vanessa Paradis, ‘Be My Baby’: Vanessa and Lenny Kravitz couldn't get the timing right

Pop's hottest couple made beautiful music together, but some things just can't last.

Boyz II Men, 'End Of The Road': Why we love breakup songs

The exquisite agony of a song about your heart getting its ass kicked.

Madonna, 'Erotica': A song about power

Madonna takes control of her own sexualization.

Tasmin Archer, 'Sleeping Satellite': Let's not say one-hit wonder

The term "one-hit wonder" is a bit harsh, especially on talented artists like Tasmin Archer. Is there a better term for songs like Sleeping Satellite?

Prince, 'My Name Is Prince': A rose by any other name

A tribute to the man who changed his name to an emoji, several years before emojis even existed.

House Of Pain, 'Jump Around': Hip-hop's weirdest beef

House Of Pain find themselves in a public war with... two kids.

Boy George, 'The Crying Game': The film's complicated legacy

The Crying Game was one of the first serious portrayals of a trans character. That was both good and bad.

Dr. Alban, 'It's My Life': Whose life is it anyway

Dentistry's loss was our gain.

The Shamen, 'Ebeneezer Goode': Jerry Sadowitz, the original Ebeneezer Goode

Jerry Sadowitz was the face of Ebeneezer Goode, and of a changing comedy landscape.

Billy Ray Cyrus, 'Achy Breaky Heart': The government made me line dance

Line dancing was socially acceptable for a brief while in 1992. Some of use were even forced to do it in PE.

Janet Jackson and Luther Vandross, 'The Best Things In Life Are Free': The long road to success

Jam & Lewis took the long road to a successful album. Along the way, they worked with the best—and had a food fight with Prince.

Freddie Mercury and Monsterrat Caballé, 'Barcelona': Opera for the masses

When high art met low culture

Jimmy Nail, 'Ain't No Doubt': Jimmy Nail's Multiverse of Madness

We could have had any number of infinite alternative Jimmy Nails. Here's how we got this one.

Electronic, 'Disappointed': The unlikely friendship of two icons

The Smiths, New Order, and finding the right people at the right time.

Kate Bush, 'Cloudbusting': Nazis, UFOs and sex cults

The incredible story behind the song

George Michael: 'Too Funky': What happened to George Michael's missing album?

Erasure, ABBA-Esque: How Erasure saved ABBA from obscurity

Kris Kross, 'Jump': The avoidable tragedy of Kris Kross

Childhood stardom can be brutal, especially when you're a hip-hop pioneer.

Flowered Up, 'Weekender': The party doesn't stop until you're dead

The tragedy of Flowered Up, plus The Cure's new album, Wish.

Marc Almond, 'The Days of Pearly Spencer': The war against boring guitar guys

Marc Almond takes a stand for thrilling pop music.

SL2 'On A Ragga Tip': From Windrush to the charts

Britain's history of immigration played a vital role in the development of rave culture.

Def Leppard: 'Let's Get Rocked': The internet was a mistake

1992 was a big time for VR, thanks to James Cameron and Def Leppard.

U2's 'One': A testament to teamwork

U2 overcome their internal differences to write a masterpiece.

Opus III, 'It's A Fine Day': The Wonderful of Edward Barton

The oddball genius behind a 90s club classic–and several other songs.

Ride, 'Leave Them All Behind': The death of indie music

Ride, J&MC and Primal Scream, but Creation Records still faced a crisis.

Shakespears Sister, 'Stay': B-Movies hit the Top 40

How 1953's Cat Women On The Moon became 1992's biggest hit.

Kylie Minogue, 'Give Me Just A Little More Time': Who owns Kylie?

Kylie's emancipation from the shackles of Stock, Aiken & Waterman.

The Beautiful South, 'Old Red Eyes Is Back': Write about what you know

Art imitates life as Paul Heaton writes a pop classic about alcoholism.

The Sugarcubes, 'Hit': Bjork escapes from the island

Before she went solo, Bjork had one last hit with her band, The Sugarcubes.

Nirvana, 'Smells Like Teen Spirit': One day, it changed

Sometimes, a song can change the whole world in under four minutes.

Color Me Badd, 'I Wanna Sex You Up: Dialing up the cringe-o-meter

Color Me Badd, Beverley Hills 90210... could this post BE any more 90s?