Looks like we made it. Look how far we’ve come by checking out the Top Ten from 20 years ago!
In May 1998, the final episode of comedy behemoth Seinfeld aired to 76 million viewers in the US; Israel’s Dana International won the 43rd Eurovision Song Contest with the track ‘Diva’; Ginger Spice Geri Halliwell announced her departure from the Spice Girls; and the legendary Frank Sinatra died at the age of 82.
For the entire month, the ARIA Singles Chart was dominated by a Canadian country star making her cross over to the mainstream.
10. Usher - You Make Me Wanna…
Usher’s first Top 50 entry on the ARIA Singles Chart also became his first Top Ten when ‘You Make Me Wanna…’ peaked at #4 in April 1998. The American R&B star has gone on to have a further eleven Top Ten hits as a lead artist, the most recent being ‘Crash’ (#10 Aug. ’16).
9. Natalie Imbruglia - Big Mistake
Following up ‘Torn’ (#2 Feb. ’98), ‘Big Mistake’ became Natalie Imbruglia’s second Top Ten hit from debut album Left Of The Middle (#1 Oct. ’98). The album spent three weeks at #1 during the second half of 1998 and earned Imbruglia three of her six ARIA Award wins that year.
8. Spice Girls - Stop
All four of the singles released from the Spice Girls’ second album, Spiceworld (#2 Dec. ’97), charted in the Top Ten. ‘Stop’ was the final single released while Geri Halliwell was a member of the group. By the time the final single from Spiceworld, ‘Viva Forever’, peaked at #2 in September, the Spice Girls were a quartet.
7. Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On
Celine Dion’s third #1 on the ARIA Singles Chart came when ‘My Heart Will Go On’, the love theme from the film Titanic, spent four weeks at #1 in February and March 1998. She first hit #1 with ‘The Power Of Love (#1 Apr. ’94) and ‘Because You Loved Me’ (#1 Aug. ’96).
6. Madonna - Ray Of Light
Peaking at #6, the title track to Madonna’s seventh album became the album’s second Top Ten hit, following ‘Frozen’ (#5 Feb. ’98). Ray Of Light was the seventh of Madonna’s eleven #1 albums on the ARIA Albums Chart when it spent one week at the peak in March 1998.
5. All Saints - Never Ever
The first Top 50 entry for All Saints was also the British girl group’s first and only #1 on the ARIA Singles Chart. It spent seven consecutive weeks at #1 between March and May 1998. They scored two more Top Tens: ‘Under The Bridge / Lady Marmalade’ (#5 Oct. ’98) and ‘Pure Shores’ (#4 Apr. ’00).
4. The Living End - Second Solution / Prisoner Of Society
Melbourne trio The Living End took out their first entry in the ARIA Top Ten when the double A-side single ‘Second Solution’ / ‘Prisoner Of Society’ peaked at #4 in May 1998. Both tracks later appeared on the band’s self-titled debut album (#1 Nov. ’98).
3. K-Ci & JoJo - All My Life
American brothers K-Ci & JoJo picked up their only #1 on the ARIA Singles Chart when ‘All My Life’ spent one week in the top spot in June 1998. Taken from debut album Love Always (#37 May ‘98), it was one of two tracks by the duo to chart, the other being ‘How Could You’ (#35 Sept. ’98).
2. Steps - 5,6,7,8
British dance-pop act Steps took out their only #1 on the ARIA Singles Chart when their debut single ‘5,6,7,8’ spent one week in the top spot in June 1998. Taken from the British quintet’s debut album Step One (#5 Sept. ’98), the track spent ten weeks in the Top Ten and 19 weeks in the Top 50.
1. Shania Twain - You're Still The One
Canadian country pop singer-songwriter Shania Twain scored her only #1 to date on the ARIA Singles Chart when ‘You’re Still The One’ spent four weeks in the top spot during May 1998. The first single released in Australia from Twain’s third album, Come On Over (#1 Feb. ’99), ‘You’re Still The One’ hit #1 for the first time in its ninth week in the Top 50. It would go on to spend 15 weeks in the Top Ten and 26 weeks in the Top 50. Come On Over, which spent twenty weeks at #1 during 1999, produced a further three Top Ten hits for Twain: ‘From This Moment On’ (#2 Nov. ’98), ‘That Don't Impress Me Much’ (#2 Apr. ’99) and ‘Man! I Feel Like A Woman’ (#4 Jun. ’99).
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