What Were The Top Ten Selling Singles In 1995?
The Cold Open
Britain in 1995 felt like it was running on two soundtracks at once. John Major’s Conservatives stumbled into scandal fatigue while Tony Blair’s Labour rebranded itself shiny and electable. Euro ’96 loomed on the horizon. Britpop exploded out of Camden and into Woolworths, with Oasis and Blur trading blows in the Battle of Britpop, a chart war splashed across every tabloid front page. Robbie Williams was drunk, Glastonbury was muddy, and The X-Files had us all watching the skies. Yet when it came to actual sales, the charts belonged not to swaggering rock bands but to TV soldiers, Canadian balladeers, and a rapper from Compton.
Here are the top ten selling singles in the UK in 1995.
1. Unchained Melody / White Cliffs of Dover – Robson & Jerome
Sales: 1,770,000 • Label: RCA • Catalogue: 74321 28934 2
TV’s favourite squaddies repackaged as pop stars. Seven weeks at No 1 with covers that baffled critics but emptied wallets.
2. Gangsta’s Paradise – Coolio featuring L.V.
Sales: 1,520,000 • Label: Tommy Boy • Catalogue: TBXDJ 69
From Dangerous Minds. A dark, brooding rap hit that spent three weeks at No 1 and dominated airwaves worldwide.
3. I Believe / Up On The Roof – Robson & Jerome
Sales: 1,150,000 • Label: RCA • Catalogue: 74321 31036 2
The duo returned for more covers, four weeks at No 1 and another trip to the bank.
4. Back For Good – Take That
Sales: 1,100,000 • Label: RCA • Catalogue: 74321 27430 2
Gary Barlow’s songwriting peak. Four weeks at No 1 and global recognition, even cracking America.
5. Think Twice – Céline Dion
Sales: 1,050,000 • Label: Epic • Catalogue: 660379 2
A power ballad that took 12 weeks to climb to No 1, then stayed there for seven. Britain surrendered to Céline’s lungs.
6. Earth Song – Michael Jackson
Sales: 1,050,000 • Label: Epic • Catalogue: 662569 2
An eco-epic complete with gospel choirs and bulldozers. Christmas No 1 and six weeks at the top.
7. Fairground – Simply Red
Sales: 900,000 • Label: EastWest • Catalogue: EW 322CD
Mick Hucknall riding a carnival house beat. Four weeks at No 1 and Simply Red’s only chart-topper.
8. Missing – Everything But The Girl
Sales: 870,000 • Label: Blanco Y Negro • Catalogue: NEG 84CD
Todd Terry’s remix turned a gentle lament into a dancefloor staple. Peaked at No 3 but outsold many No 1s.
9. You Are Not Alone – Michael Jackson
Sales: 800,000 • Label: Epic • Catalogue: 662310 2
First single ever to debut at No 1 in the US. Two weeks at the top in Britain and wall-to-wall airplay.
10. Wonderwall – Oasis
Sales: 745,000 • Label: Creation • Catalogue: CRESCD 215
Britpop’s national anthem. Peaked at No 2 here but became the decade’s defining singalong, echoing through terraces and student unions forever.
