| 1996 In British Music |
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This is a summary of 1996 In Music in the United Kingdom , including the official charts from that year. SUMMARY This year saw the start of an increase to the amount of number 1 singles. 24 hit the top spot this year, the highest since 1980 , which also saw 24. The first number 1 single of the year was ''Jesus to a Child'', George Michael 's first solo #1 for 10 years. This was followed by Babylon Zoo 's ''Spaceman'', which had been used in an advert for Levi's . The song itself sounded quite different from the version used in the advert, which had been sped up and re-arranged. Nevertheless, it stayed at #1 for five weeks, sold over a million copies, and Jas Mann , the man behind Babylon Zoo, became the first solo male to make their chart debut at number 1. After five years, the Boyband Take That split up this year. Their final number 1 came in March, a cover of the Bee Gees song ''How Deep Is Your Love''. Several of the members went on to start a solo career, with Gary Barlow the first to hit #1 with ''Forever Love'' in July. However, it would be Robbie Williams who would go on to score the most success as a solo artist. After George Michael scored another number 1 with ''Fastlove'' in April, Gina G reached the top spot with ''Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit'' in May. This song was the UK's entry to the 1996 Eurovision Song Contest , and originally reached #6 when it was released at the beginning of April. It hovered around the top 5 for the next few weeks, before moving up to 1 in the week of the contest. Although it didn't win, it still became the first Eurovision song to hit #1 since Nicole 's ''A Little Peace'', which won the contest in 1982 . The next number 1 was Three Lions , released by comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner and the band The Lightning Seeds . It was the official song of the 1996 European Football Championship (Euro '96), which was being held in England . A rewritten version of the song (''Three Lions '98'') would reach number 1 two years later, coinciding with the Football World Cup 1998 (France '98). The Fugees were responsible for the biggest selling single of the year, with a cover of Roberta Flack 's Killing Me Softly With His Song . It sold over a million copies. However, by far the most successful act of the year were the Spice Girls , who kickstarted their career with three number 1 singles- the million selling Wannabe in July, which set a record for the longest running #1 by a female group (seven weeks) and remains the biggest selling single by one to this day, Say You'll Be There in October, and 2 Become 1 in December, also a million seller, and the year's Christmas Number One Single . CHARTS Singles Albums Cumulative chart |
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