1995 in British music
This is a summary of 1995 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
Summary
1995 saw a number of changes occur. Céline Dion's "Think Twice", which was released in October 1994 yet took until the end of January to reach the top, was the first UK number 1 single not to be available on vinyl in any form.Around the middle of the year, the way singles entered the chart started to change. Instead of entering low and climbing up to their peak, singles would now usually enter at their peak, and then fall down the chart. In May, Robson & Jerome became the first British act to reach number 1 with "Unchained Melody", after having sung the song on the ITV programme Soldier Soldier. In May, music featured in an advertising campaign for Guinness reached number 2 - mambo tune "Guaglione" by Pérez Prado was a massive hit and the advert featured on an accompanying screensaver.
This was also the year which saw Britpop at its most popular. A highly publicised chart battle in August saw Oasis and Blur battling it out for the number 1 position, having both released their singles on the same day. Blur won the singles battle, with "Country House" beating Oasis' "Roll with It" to the top spot, but Oasis, with Morning Glory?, would go on to greatly outsell Blur's album, the album of which would eventually become the second biggest album in the UK. After a decade in the business Pulp secured a first number one album while Britpop elder statesman Paul Weller also benefited from a return to popular and critical favour.
Singles that went on to sell over a million copies were Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise", the first rap single to sell over a million in the UK, both of Robson & Jerome's songs and Michael Jackson's "Earth Song". In addition, a second remix of New Order's "Blue Monday" pushed sales of that song over a million as well.
In all, there were 17 number one singles in 1995. As the 1990s continued the amount started to increase, and there wouldn't be a total as low as 1995's.
Composer Michael Tippett celebrated his ninetieth birthday on 2 January. the occasion was marked by special events in Britain, Canada and the US, including the premiere of his final work, The Rose Lake. A collection of his essays, Tippett on Music, was published in the same year. The other most notable British classical composer of the year was Karl Jenkins, whose album was released in September to become a huge hit, thanks to the music's exposure in television advertisements.
Charts
Number-one singles
Number-one albums
Number-one compilation albums
Year-end charts
Best-selling singles
| Title | Artist | Peak position | |
| 1 | "Unchained Melody"/" The White Cliffs of Dover" | Robson & Jerome | 1 |
| 2 | "Gangsta's Paradise" | Coolio featuring L.V. | 1 |
| 3 | "I Believe"/"Up on the Roof" | Robson & Jerome | 1 |
| 4 | "Back for Good" | Take That | 1 |
| 5 | "Think Twice" | 1 | |
| 6 | "Earth Song" | 1 | |
| 7 | "Fairground" | Simply Red | 1 |
| 8 | "You Are Not Alone" | 1 | |
| 9 | "Missing" | Everything but the Girl | 3 |
| 10 | "Wonderwall" | Oasis | 2 |
| 11 | "Boom Boom Boom" | 1 | |
| 12 | "Country House" | Blur | 1 |
| 13 | "Father and Son" | Boyzone | 2 |
| 14 | "Don't Stop " | 1 | |
| 15 | "Boombastic" | Shaggy | 1 |
| 16 | "Cotton Eye Joe" | Rednex | 1 |
| 17 | "Set You Free" | N-Trance | 2 |
| 18 | "Living Next Door to Alice " | Smokie featuring Roy Chubby Brown | 3 |
| 19 | "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" | U2 | 2 |
| 20 | "Roll with It" | Oasis | 2 |
| 21 | "Guaglione" | & his Orchestra | 2 |
| 22 | "I'll Be There for You" | 3 | |
| 23 | "Two Can Play That Game" | 3 | |
| 24 | "Here Comes the Hotstepper" | 4 | |
| 25 | "Shy Guy" | 2 | |
| 26 | "It's Oh So Quiet" | Björk | 4 |
| 27 | "Never Forget" | Take That | 1 |
| 28 | "Don't Give Me Your Life" | Alex Party | 2 |
| 29 | "Waterfalls" | TLC | 4 |
| 30 | "Scatman " | Scatman John | 3 |
| 31 | "Some Might Say" | Oasis | 1 |
| 32 | "You'll See" | Madonna | 5 |
| 33 | "Thunder" | East 17 | 4 |
| 34 | "Stayin' Alive" | N-Trance featuring Ricardo da Force | 2 |
| 35 | "I'd Lie for You " | Meat Loaf | 2 |
| 36 | "Common People" | Pulp | 2 |
| 37 | "Fantasy" | 4 | |
| 38 | "I've Got a Little Something for You" | MN8 | 2 |
| 39 | "Kiss from a Rose"/"I'm Alive" | Seal | 4 |
| 40 | "Dreamer" | Livin' Joy | 1 |
| 41 | "Heaven for Everyone" | Queen | 2 |
| 42 | "Free as a Bird" | 2 | |
| 43 | "Love Can Build a Bridge" | Cher, Chrissie Hynde & Neneh Cherry with Eric Clapton | 1 |
| 44 | " I Need Your Loving" | Baby D | 3 |
| 45 | "The Sunshine After the Rain" | Berri | 4 |
| 46 | "The Bomb! " | 5 | |
| 47 | "Wonderwall" | 2 | |
| 48 | "Total Eclipse of the Heart" | 5 | |
| 49 | "Alright"/"Time" | Supergrass | 2 |
| 50 | "Mis-Shapes"/"Sorted for E's & Wizz" | Pulp | 2 |
Best-selling albums
| Title | Artist | Peak position | |
| 1 | Robson & Jerome | Robson & Jerome | 1 |
| 2 | Morning Glory? | Oasis | 1 |
| 3 | The Colour of My Love | 1 | |
| 4 | Life | Simply Red | 1 |
| 5 | ' | 1 | |
| 6 | Made in Heaven | Queen | 1 |
| 7 | Stanley Road | 1 | |
| 8 | Picture This | Wet Wet Wet | 1 |
| 9 | The Great Escape | Blur | 1 |
| 10 | Different Class | Pulp | 1 |
| 11 | Something to Remember | Madonna | 3 |
| 12 | Love Songs | 4 | |
| 13 | Carry On up the Charts: The Best of the Beautiful South | 1 | |
| 14 | Medusa | 1 | |
| 15 | Daydream | 1 | |
| 16 | Nobody Else | Take That | 1 |
| 17 | Definitely Maybe | Oasis | 5 |
| 18 | Bizarre Fruit/Bizarre Fruit II | M People | 8 |
| 19 | Anthology 1 | 3 | |
| 20 | These Days | Bon Jovi | 1 |
| 21 | The Memory of Trees | Enya | 5 |
| 22 | No Need to Argue | 3 | |
| 23 | Said and Done | Boyzone | 1 |
| 24 | ' | 2 | |
| 25 | Parklife | Blur | 2 |
| 26 | Jollification | 15 | |
| 27 | Greatest Hits | 1 | |
| 28 | Dummy | Portishead | 2 |
| 29 | Greatest Hits | 2 | |
| 30 | Def Leppard | 3 | |
| 31 | Singles | 1 | |
| 32 | Power of a Woman | Eternal | 6 |
| 33 | CrazySexyCool | TLC | 4 |
| 34 | I Should Coco | Supergrass | 1 |
| 35 | Welcome to the Neighbourhood | Meat Loaf | 3 |
| 36 | Post | Björk | 2 |
| 37 | Cross Road: The Best of Bon Jovi | Bon Jovi | 4 |
| 38 | Big River | 8 | |
| 39 | It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah | Black Grape | 1 |
| 40 | Crocodile Shoes | 3 | |
| 41 | Pulse | Pink Floyd | 1 |
| 42 | Pan Pipe Moods | Free the Spirit | 2 |
| 43 | Up All Night | East 17 | 7 |
| 44 | The Very Best of Robert Palmer | 4 | |
| 45 | Chants and Dances of the Native Americans | Sacred Spirit | 9 |
| 46 | Seal | Seal | 3 |
| 47 | Monster | R.E.M. | 8 |
| 48 | Tuesday Night Music Club | 8 | |
| 49 | Jagged Little Pill | 12 | |
| 50 | Don't Bore Us – Get to the Chorus!: Roxette's Greatest Hits | Roxette | 5 |
Best-selling compilation albums
| Title | Peak position | |
| 1 | Now 32 | 1 |
| 2 | The Love Album II | 2 |
| 3 | Now 30 | 1 |
| 4 | The Best Rock Ballads Album in the World... Ever! | 2 |
| 5 | Now 31 | 1 |
| 6 | Heartbeat: Forever Yours | 1 |
| 7 | Pulp Fiction Original Soundtrack | 5 |
| 8 | The Best Sixties Album in the World... Ever! | 2 |
| 9 | Dance Tip 95 | 3 |
| 10 | Pure Swing IV | 1 |
Notes:
Classical music
- Sally Beamish - Viola Concerto
- Harrison Birtwistle – Panic
- Andrew Glover – Fractured Vistas
- Michael Tippett - "Caliban's Song"
- Graham Waterhouse - Celtic Voices and Hale Bopp
Opera
- Thomas Adès - Powder Her Face
Musical films
- England, My England, starring Michael Ball
- Pulse, Pink Floyd concert film
Music awards
BRIT Awards
The 1995 BRIT Awards winners were:- Best British producer: Nellee Hooper
- Best soundtrack: Pulp Fiction
- British album: Blur: Parklife
- British breakthrough act: Oasis
- British dance act: M People
- British female solo artist: Eddi Reader
- British Group: Blur
- British male solo artist: Paul Weller
- British single: Blur - "Parklife"
- British Video: Blur - "Parklife"
- International breakthrough act: Lisa Loeb
- International female: k.d. lang
- International group: R.E.M.
- International male: Prince
- Outstanding contribution: Elton John
Mercury Music Prize
Births
- 13 January - Jonathan Antoine, tenor
- 11 April - Dodie Clark, singer songwriter, youtuber
- 14 May - Fox Jackson-Keen, actor, dancer and singer
- 23 June - Lauren Aquilina, singer-songwriter
- 15 July - Elyar Fox, singer
- 23 July – Faryl Smith, singer
- 19 December – Elliot Evans, singer
Deaths
- 4 February - David Alexander, singer, 56
- 12 February – Tony Secunda, music industry manager, 54
- 18 February - Denny Cordell, record producer, 51
- 5 March – Vivian Stanshall, eccentric British musician, 51
- 7 March - John Lambert, composer, 68
- 20 March - Ella Halman, opera singer and actress, 98
- 4 April - Kenny Everett, radio DJ and comedian, 50
- 9 June - Frank Chacksfield, pianist, organist, composer and arranger, 81
- 1 July - Ian Parkin, guitarist, 45
- 12 July - Sean Mayes, pianist and writer.
- 18 August – Alan Dell BBC Radio 2 disc jockey, 71
- 22 September - Dolly Collins, folk musician, 62
- 27 September - Christopher Shaw, composer, 71
- 30 October
- *Brian Easdale, composer, 86
- *Paul Ferris, film composer, 54
- 31 October - Alan Bush, pianist and composer, 94
- 4 November - Marti Caine, entertainer, 50
- 17 November - Alan Hull, singer-songwriter and founder of Lindisfarne, 50
- 21 November
- *Peter Grant, music industry manager, 60
- *Matthew Ashman, guitarist of Adam and the Ants, Bow Wow Wow, 35
- 18 December - Brian Brockless, composer, organist and conductor, 69