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 (What's the Story) 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 ("Unchained Melody" / "White Cliffs of Dover", the biggest selling single of the year, and "I Believe" / "Up on the Roof") and Michael Jackson's "Earth Song". In addition, a second remix of New Order's "Blue Monday" (reaching number 17) 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, in February. A collection of his essays, Tippett on Music, was also published. In July Thomas Adès' 1995 chamber opera Powder Her Face with a libretto by Philip Hensher won good reviews, but also notoriety for its musical depiction of fellatio. And there was further controversy and much negative press when Harrison Birtwistle's uncompromising Panic was included in the typically populist Last Night of the Proms in September. The same month Karl Jenkins had a huge popular hit with his album Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary, thanks to the music's exposure in television advertisements.
Events 19 January – The Cry of Anubis for tuba and orchestra by Harrison Birtwistle is performed for the first time at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. January – In a shake up to BBC Radio 1's playlist, controller Matthew Bannister states that "old music" (anything recorded before 1990) will be dropped from their playlists. 1 February – Richey Edwards, guitarist with the Manic Street Preachers, disappears. He would soon be reported as a "missing person", until 2008, when he became legally "presumed dead". 19 February – The Rose Lake for orchestra, the last major work by the 90 year-old Michael Tippett; is performed for the first time in London by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Colin Davis 24 February – Bruno Brookes is sacked from BBC Radio 1, after 11 years, by head of production, Trevor Dann. Brookes' contract, due to end in April, was not renewed. He presents his final programme for the station on 21 April. March – Drummer Reni leaves the Stone Roses, just weeks before the band are due to start their Second Coming tour. He is replaced by Robbie Maddix who remains with the band until their split a year later. 3 April – The Beltane Fire, a choreographic poem for orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies, is performed for the first time at Symphony Hall in Boston, conducted by the composer. 24 April – Chris Evans becomes the new host of BBC Radio 1's breakfast show, replacing Steve Wright, who had ended his brief run as the programme's presenter on the 21st.BBC Genome project Radio 1 listings 21 April 1995 30 April – Drummer Tony McCarroll leaves Oasis, following a bust-up, and is later replaced by Alan White 17 May – The first British performance of John McCabe‘s Symphony No 4, Of Time and the River, takes place at the Royal Festival Hall, London, played by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conductor David Atherton. 24 June – The Stone Roses pull out of their headline performance at the Glastonbury Festival, after guitarist John Squire fractures his collarbone in a mountain biking accident. They are replaced by Pulp. 25 June – Cardiac Arrest for seven players by Thomas Adès is performed for the first time, in the Purcell Room, London. 1 July – Powder Her Face, a chamber opera by Thomas Adès, is performed for the first time in the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham. 17 July – Robbie Williams leaves Take That to pursue his solo career. Louise Nurding leaves Eternal on the same day and launches a solo career. 14 August – Blur's single "Country House" and Oasis' single "Roll with It" are released on the same day, leading to a media frenzy that would be tagged as "The Battle Of Britpop". 23 August – Sixty one years after his death, two works for orchestra by Frederick Delius are performed for the first time at Leeds University: La Quadroone (1889) and Scherzo (1890). 24 August – The Violin Concerto by Jonathan Lloyd is performed for the first time at the Aldeburgh Festival. 3 September – Overture on a Nursery Rhyme Op 75a by Robin Holloway is performed for the first time in Arundel Cathedral. 16 September – Panic, by Harrison Birtwistle, is featured in the last night of the Proms, a rare inclusion of contemporary music at that event, generating many complaints. “Unmitigated rubbish” says the Daily Express. 20 September – The Daily Mirror accuses Pulp of promoting drugs with their song "Sorted for E's & Wizz" and call for the single and its inside artwork to be banned. 2 October – Oasis release their second album (What's the Story) Morning Glory?. It sells a 345,000 copies in its first week, making it (at the time) the second-fastest selling album in British history 6 November – Queen release Made in Heaven, their final studio album, and their last album to include Freddie Mercury's final vocals. 8 November – First broadcast recording of Constant Lambert’s full length ballet score Tiresias on BBC Radio 3 by the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Barry Wordsworth, 44 years after its premiere at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in July 1951. 15 November – World premiere of Peter Maxwell Davies’s The Three Kings takes place at the Barbican, conducted by Richard Hickox (LSO) 4 December – The Beatles release "Free as a Bird", originally an unreleased demo by John Lennon from 1977 and completed by the surviving Beatles, who incorporated the demo into a studio version.
Charts
Number-one singles Chart date(week ending) Song Artist(s) Sales 7 January "Stay Another Day" East 17 98,000 14 January "Cotton Eye Joe" Rednex 76,000 21 January 100,000 28 January 81,000 4 February "Think Twice" Celine Dion 80,000 11 February 81,000 18 February 85,000 25 February 124,000 4 March 111,000 11 March 78,000 18 March 57,000 25 March "Love Can Build a Bridge" Cher, Chrissie Hynde & Neneh Cherry with Eric Clapton 125,000 1 April "Don't Stop (Wiggle Wiggle)" The Outhere Brothers 86,000 8 April "Back for Good" Take That 346,000 15 April 185,000 22 April 140,000 29 April 86,000 6 May "Some Might Say" Oasis 138,000 13 May "Dreamer" Livin' Joy 70,500 20 May "Unchained Melody" / "White Cliffs of Dover" Robson & Jerome 314,000 27 May 460,000 3 June 320,000 10 June 198,000 17 June 145,000 24 June 90,000 1 July 73,000 8 July "Boom Boom Boom" The Outhere Brothers 62,000 15 July 74,000 22 July 77,000 29 July 65,000 5 August "Never Forget" Take That 115,000 12 August 86,000 19 August 54,000 26 August "Country House" Blur 274,000 2 September 120,000 9 September "You Are Not Alone" Michael Jackson 83,000 16 September 100,000 23 September "Boombastic" Shaggy 92,000 30 September "Fairground" Simply Red 211,000 7 October 142,000 14 October 129,000 21 October 96,000 28 October "Gangsta's Paradise" Coolio featuring LV 107,000 4 November 166,000 11 November "I Believe" / "Up on the Roof" Robson & Jerome 258,000 18 November 224,000 25 November 118,000 2 December 98,000 9 December "Earth Song" Michael Jackson 116,467 16 December 149,549 23 December 150,739 30 December 261,851
Number-one albums Chart date(week ending) Album Artist 7 January Carry On Up the Charts The Beautiful South 14 January 21 January 28 January The Colour of My Love Celine Dion 4 February 11 February 18 February 25 February 4 March 11 March Greatest Hits Bruce Springsteen 18 March Medusa Annie Lennox 25 March Elastica Elastica 1 April The Colour of My Love Celine Dion 8 April Wake Up! The Boo Radleys 15 April Greatest Hits Bruce Springsteen 22 April Picture This Wet Wet Wet 29 April 6 May 13 May Nobody Else Take That 20 May 27 May Stanley Road Paul Weller 3 June Singles Alison Moyet 10 June Pulse Pink Floyd 17 June 24 June HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I Michael Jackson 1 July These Days Bon Jovi 8 July 15 July 22 July 29 July I Should Coco Supergrass 5 August 12 August 19 August It's Great When You're Straight...Yeah Black Grape 26 August 2 September Said and Done Boyzone 9 September The Charlatans The Charlatans 16 September Zeitgeist The Levellers 23 September The Great Escape Blur 30 September 7 October Daydream Mariah Carey 14 October (What's the Story) Morning Glory? Oasis 21 October LifeSimply Red 28 October 4 November 11 November Different Class Pulp 18 November Made in Heaven Queen 25 November Robson & Jerome Robson & Jerome 2 December 9 December 16 December 23 December 30 December
Number-one compilation albums {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%; text-align:center;" ! Chart date(week ending) !! Album |- | 7 January || rowspan="3"|Now 29 |- | 14 January |- | 21 January |- | 28 January || The Best of Heartbeat |- | 4 February || The Best Punk Album in the World...Ever!|- | 11 February || rowspan="2"|Dance Mania 95 Volume 1 |- | 18 February |- | 25 February || rowspan="3"|On a Dance Tip |- | 4 March |- | 11 March |- | 18 March || Smash Hits 95 Volume 1 |- | 25 March || rowspan="2"|Dance Zone Level 4 |- | 1 April |- | 8 April || rowspan="2"|Dance Mania 95 Volume 2 |- | 15 April |- | 22 April || rowspan="4"|Now 30 |- | 29 April |- | 6 May |- | 13 May |- | 20 May || rowspan="3"|On a Dance Tip 2 |- | 27 May |- | 3 June |- | 10 June || rowspan="2"|Top of the Pops 1 |- | 17 June |- | 24 June || rowspan="3"|Dance Zone Level 5 |- | 1 July |- | 8 July |- | 15 July || rowspan="3"|Dance Mania 95 – Volume 3 |- | 22 July |- | 29 July |- | 5 August || The Best Summer...Ever! |- | 12 August || rowspan="4"|Now 31 |- | 19 August |- | 26 August |- | 2 September |- | 9 September || Dance Zone Level 6 |- | 16 September || rowspan="2"|Help |- | 23 September |- | 30 September || rowspan="6"|Heartbeat – Forever Yours |- | 7 October |- | 14 October |- | 21 October |- | 28 October |- | 4 November |- | 11 November || The Greatest Party Album Under the Sun |- | 18 November || Pure Swing IV |- | 25 November || rowspan="6"|Now 32 |- | 2 December |- | 9 December |- | 16 December |- | 23 December |- | 30 December
Year-end charts
Best-selling singles