Top Music Hits of 1994: Revisiting the Year’s Chart-Toppers

1994 was a phenomenal year for music, delivering a diverse range of chart-topping hits that continue to resonate today. As highlighted on Channel 5’s Britain’s Biggest 90s Hits, one song stood above the rest in the UK that year: “Love Is All Around” by Wet Wet Wet. This iconic track became the band’s third UK Number 1 and the best-selling single of 1994, achieving an impressive 1.28 million sales according to Official Charts Company data. For a deeper dive into their chart history, you can explore Wet Wet Wet’s Official Chart history in full here.

Hot on its heels in the year-end Top 40 was “Saturday Night” by Whigfield. This infectious dance anthem, fronted by Danish singer Sannie Carlson, not only ended Wet Wet Wet’s reign at the top but also made history. Whigfield became the first artist to debut straight at Number 1 with their very first single. Fueled by its memorable dance routine (famously, one that Whigfield herself never actually performed), “Saturday Night” held the Number 1 spot for four weeks and sold 729,000 copies by year’s end, solidifying its place as one of the defining 1994 Songs.

East 17’s “Stay Another Day” secured the third spot in the 1994 songs rankings. Selling 585,000 copies, this ballad also claimed the coveted Christmas Number 1 title for 1994. Adding to the diverse musical landscape of the year, Birmingham reggae artist Pato Banton, featuring Robin and Ali Campbell from UB40, reached fourth place with their rendition of “Baby Come Back” (541k). Rounding out the top five 1994 songs was the R&B ballad “I Swear” by US group All-4-One, with 507,000 sales.

MORE: Official Top 40 best-selling songs of 1993

Mariah Carey, a prominent figure in the 1994 music charts, achieved success with ‘Without You’ and ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’.

The impact of Mariah Carey on 1994 songs is undeniable, with two entries in the year-end chart. “Without You” marked her first UK Number 1 and became the seventh best-selling single of the year (402k). Meanwhile, “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” despite missing the Christmas Number 1 spot in 1994, charted at number 12 and has since become a perennial holiday classic, finally reaching Number 1 in 2020.

1994 also marked the arrival of Irish boyband Boyzone, who made a significant splash with their debut single “Love Me For A Reason.” This track peaked at Number 2 and ranked as the 15th best-selling song of the year, introducing Boyzone as a major force in the boyband scene. Fellow boyband giants Take That also had a strong presence in the 1994 songs chart, with two Number 1 hits: “Everything Changes” at number 19 and “Sure” at number 37, further cementing their status in the pop music world.

Official Top 40 best-selling songs of 1994

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