This is a summary of 1993 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
Summary 15 songs reached the number 1 spot this year. Compared to 1992, there was an improvement to singles sales, with sales rising year on year for the first time since 1989. However, none of the singles released this year were million sellers, the first instance of this happening since 1990. The only song to sell over a million in 1993 was one from the previous year, Whitney Houston's cover of "I Will Always Love You". It managed to sell sufficiently well enough to make its way onto the top 10 of both 1992 and 1993.
March saw The Bluebells reach number 1 with "Young at Heart", a song that had previously made number 8 in 1984. It was reissued after appearing in an advert for Volkswagen, and the band reformed to promote the song.
Take That got their first #1 in July, with "Pray". Debuting in 1991 with the #38 hit "Promises", they would go on to score another seven number 1s before splitting in 1996. "Pray" was followed by Freddie Mercury scoring a posthumous number 1 with a remixed version of "Living on My Own", the original version of which made number 50 in 1985, making it the first remix of a previously charted single to reach number 1.
The biggest selling single of the year came from Meat Loaf, who hit #1 for seven weeks from October with "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)". It came from the album Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell, also the biggest selling of the year.
Finally, as usual, December saw the Christmas number one single. Meat Loaf's successor at number 1 was Mr. Blobby, a popular character on the BBC One show Noel's House Party, with "Mr. Blobby" (the first ever eponymously titled number 1 single). In the final week before Christmas, he was knocked off by Take That's "Babe", making Mr. Blobby the first one-week #1 since U2's "The Fly" in November 1991, and making Take That the first act to have three singles in a row all enter at #1. However, the following week (Christmas week) saw Mr. Blobby climb back up to the top, the first time this had happened since January 1969, and officially become this year's Christmas number 1. Take That's "Babe" became the only chart topper of the year to spend only a week at the summit.
In the classical world, the British composer Michael Nyman enjoyed great success with his soundtrack for the film The Piano, which brought him an Ivor Novello Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and American Film Institute award; the album sold over three million copies. Veteran Welsh composer Daniel Jones died. A less well-known composer, Peter Reynolds, won notoriety when his three-minute work Sands of Time was performed in Cardiff city centre; it is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the world's shortest opera.
Events 11 February – Still Sorrowing for piano by Thomas Adès is performed for the first time, in the Purcell Room by the composer. 19 February – Elton John is forced to end a concert in Melbourne, Australia a half hour early when a swarm of grasshoppers invades the stage. 27 March – Sands of Time, a short (four minutes long) opera by Welsh composer Peter Reynolds, libretto by Simon Rees, has its world premiere at an outdoor shopping centre in Cardiff, sung by soprano Rhian Owen and baritone Dominic Burns. 16 April – Paul McCartney headlines a concert at the Hollywood Bowl, USA to celebrate "Earth Day". Other performers included Ringo Starr, Steve Miller and Don Henley. 21 April – Former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman marries designer Suzanne Accosta in France. 22 April – The Who's Tommy opens on Broadway. 7 May – The premiere of Harrison Birtwistle's Five Distances for Five Instruments, takes place in London at the Purcell Room, performed by the Ensemble intercontemporain. 31 May – Oasis force their way on to the bill at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow. Alan McGee is in attendance, and then offers the band a recording contract on the spot. 5 June – premiere of Jonathan Harvey's Inquest of Love at the London Coliseum. 28 August – Bruce Dickinson plays his final show with Iron Maiden after announcing his departure from the band earlier in the year. He would rejoin the band in 1999. 7 September – Berthold Goldschmidt‘s 12 minute orchestral work Ciaconna Sinfonica is performed for the first time in the UK by Simon Rattle at the Proms. The 90 year-old composer, resident in London since 1935, takes a bow at the end. 22 October – Oasis sign a recording contract with Creation Records Rick Astley retires from the music industry at age 27 after selling 40 million records in a five-year period.
Charts
Number-one singles Chart date(week ending) Song Artist(s)Sales 2 January"I Will Always Love You" Whitney Houston 180,795 9 January 82,620 16 January 61,000 23 January 52,000 30 January 50,000 6 February 44,000 13 February"No Limit"2 Unlimited 51,000 20 February 65,000 27 February 68,000 6 March 53,000 13 March 57,000 20 March"Oh Carolina"Shaggy 64,000 27 March 67,000 3 April "Young at Heart" The Bluebells 67,000 10 April 74,000 17 April 64,000 24 April 48,000 1 MayFive LiveGeorge Michael & Queen with Lisa Stansfield 73,000 8 May 93,000 15 May 64,000 22 May"All That She Wants" Ace of Base 92,000 29 May 104,000 5 June 84,000 12 June"(I Can't Help) Falling In Love With You"UB40 77,000 19 June 84,000 26 June"Dreams"Gabrielle 75,000 3 July 71,000 10 July 67,000 17 July"Pray"Take That 82,000 24 July 60,000 31 July 54,000 7 August 49,000 14 August"Living on My Own" Freddie Mercury 48,000 21 August 57,000 28 August"Mr. Vain" Culture Beat 50,000 4 September 77,000 11 September 64,000 18 September 54,000 25 September"Boom! Shake the Room"DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince 52,000 2 October 56,000 9 October"Relight My Fire"Take That featuring Lulu 90,000 16 October 58,000 23 October "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" Meat Loaf55,000 30 October 83,000 6 November 88,000 13 November 80,000 20 November 72,000 27 November 63,000 4 December 53,000 11 December"Mr. Blobby" Mr. Blobby 69,000 18 December"Babe" Take That 133,000 25 December"Mr. Blobby" Mr. Blobby 99,000
Number-one albums Chart date(week ending) Album Artist(s) 2 JanuaryGreatest Hits: 1965–1992 Cher 9 January 16 January 23 JanuaryLive/The Way We Walk, Volume Two: The Longs Genesis 30 January 6 February Jam Little Angels 13 February Pure Cult The Cult 20 February Words of Love Buddy Holly & The Crickets 27 February WalthamstowEast 17 6 MarchDivaAnnie Lennox 13 MarchAre You Gonna Go My WayLenny Kravitz 20 March 27 MarchTheir Greatest HitsHot Chocolate 3 April Songs of Faith and Devotion Depeche Mode 10 April Suede Suede 17 AprilBlack Tie White NoiseDavid Bowie 24 AprilAutomatic for the PeopleR.E.M. 1 May Cliff Richard – The AlbumCliff Richard 8 May Automatic for the PeopleR.E.M. 15 May RepublicNew Order 22 May Automatic for the PeopleR.E.M. 29 May JanetJanet Jackson 5 June 12 JuneNo Limits 2 Unlimited 19 JuneWhat's Love Got to Do with It Tina Turner 26 JuneEmergency on Planet EarthJamiroquai 3 July 10 July 17 JulyZooropaU2 24 JulyPromises and LiesUB40 31 July 7 August 14 August 21 August 28 August 4 September 11 SeptemberMusic BoxMariah Carey 18 SeptemberBat Out of Hell II: Back into HellMeat Loaf 25 SeptemberIn UteroNirvana 2 October Bat out of Hell II: Back Into HellMeat Loaf 9 OctoberVeryPet Shop Boys 16 October Bat Out of Hell II: Back into HellMeat Loaf 23 October Everything Changes Take That 30 October Bat Out of Hell II: Back into HellMeat Loaf 6 November 13 November 20 November Both Sides Phil Collins 27 November Bat Out of Hell II: Back into HellMeat Loaf 4 December 11 December 18 December 25 December
Year-end charts
Best-selling singles
Title Artist Peakposition 1 "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" Meat Loaf 1 2 "(I Can't Help) Falling in Love with You" UB40 1 3 "All That She Wants" Ace of Base 1 4 "No Limit" 2 Unlimited 1 5 "Dreams" Gabrielle 1 6 "Mr Blobby" Mr Blobby 1 7 "Oh Carolina" Shaggy 1 8 "What Is Love" Haddaway 2 9 "Mr. Vain" Culture Beat 1 10 "I Will Always Love You" 1 11 Five Live (EP) and Queen with Lisa Stansfield 1 12 "Young at Heart" 1 13 "Tease Me" 3 14 "Babe" Take That 1 15 "Please Forgive Me" 2 16 "Boom! Shake the Room" Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince 1 17 "Informer" Snow 2 18 "Pray" Take That 1 19 "Sweat (A La La La La Long)" Inner Circle 3 20 "Living on My Own" 1 21 "What's Up?" 4 Non Blondes 2 22 "The Key The Secret" Urban Cookie Collective 2 23 "Don't Be a Stranger" 3 24 "It Keeps Rainin' (Tears from My Eyes)" 2 25 "Two Princes" Spin Doctors 3 26 "Little Bird"/"Love Song for a Vampire" 3 27 "The River of Dreams" 3 28 "Relight My Fire" Take That featuring Lulu 1 29 "True Love" and Kiki Dee 2 30 "The Love I Lost" West End featuring Sybil 3 31 "Twist and Shout" featuring Jack Radics and Taxi Gang 3 32 "Give It Up" 5 33 "For Whom the Bell Tolls" Bee Gees 4 34 "Right Here" SWV 3 35 "Mr. Loverman" 3 36 "Moving On Up" M People 2 37 "U Got 2 Let the Music" Cappella 2 38 "Exterminate!" Snap! featuring Niki Haris 2 39 "Deep" East 17 5 40 "When I'm Good and Ready" Sybil 5 41 "Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use)" Sub Sub featuring Melanie Williams 3 42 "One Night in Heaven" M People 6 43 "That's the Way Love Goes" 2 44 "It's Alright" East 17 5 45 "Tribal Dance" 2 Unlimited 4 46 "Go West" Pet Shop Boys 2 47 "Are You Gonna Go My Way" 4 48 "She Don't Let Nobody" 4 49 "Why Can't I Wake Up with You" Take That 2 50 "Give In to Me" 2
Best-selling albums
Title Artist Peakposition 1 Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell Meat Loaf 1 2 Automatic for the People R.E.M. 1 3 So Close 2 4 Everything Changes Take That 1 5 One Woman: The Ultimate Collection 1 6 So Far So Good 1 7 Promises and Lies UB40 1 8 Both Sides 1 9 Zooropa U2 1 10 Music Box 1 11 Pocket Full of Kryptonite Spin Doctors 2 12 Ten Summoner's Tales Sting 2 13 End of Part One: Their Greatest Hits Wet Wet Wet 4 14 Elegant Slumming M People 2 15 Duets 5 16 Unplugged 2 17 Are You Gonna Go My Way 1 18 The One Thing 4 19 Take That & Party Take That 2 20 Experience the Divine: Greatest Hits 3 21 Debut Björk 3 22 Connected Stereo MCs 2 23 Janet 1 24 Keep the Faith Bon Jovi 5 25 Emergency on Planet Earth Jamiroquai 1 26 Diva 1 27 Unplugged...and Seated 2 28 What's Love Got to Do with It 1 29 Very Pet Shop Boys 1 30 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of... Arrested Development 3 31 River of Dreams 3 32 The Red Shoes 2 33 No Limits 2 Unlimited 1 34 Dangerous 6 35 Duets 5 36 Gold: Greatest Hits ABBA 9 37 Walthamstow East 17 1 38 Stars Simply Red 11 39 The Hits 2 Prince 5 40 "The Spaghetti Incident?" Guns N' Roses 2 41 So Natural 6 42 Ingénue 3 43 Bat Out of Hell Meat Loaf 15 44 A Touch of Music in the Night 12 45 Suede Suede 1 46 In Utero Nirvana 1 47 Republic New Order 1 48 Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine 17 49 The Album 1 50 Duran Duran Duran Duran 4
Best-selling compilation albums
Title Peakposition 1 The Bodyguard Original Soundtrack 1 2 Now 26 1 3 The Best Dance Album in the World... Ever! 1 4 Blues Brother Soul Sister Vol. 2 1 5 Now 24 1 6 100% Dance 1 7 Now 25 1 8 Originals 1 9 Best of Dance '93 1 10 100% Dance Vol. 2 1
Notes:
Music awards
BRIT Awards The 1993 BRIT Awards winners were:
Best British producer: Peter Gabriel Best soundtrack: Wayne's World British album: Annie Lennox – Diva British breakthrough act: Tasmin Archer British female solo artist: Annie Lennox British group: Simply Red British male solo artist: Mick Hucknall British single: Take That – "Could It Be Magic" British video: Shakespear's Sister – "Stay" International breakthrough act: Nirvana International solo artist: Prince International group: R.E.M. Outstanding contribution: Rod Stewart
Mercury Music Prize The 1993 Mercury Music Prize was awarded to Suede – Suede.
Classical music Stephen Caudel – Edel Rhapsody Nicholas Maw – Violin Concerto
Opera Michael Nyman – Noises, Sounds & Sweet Airs
Births 12 January – Zayn Malik (One Direction) 17 January – Frankie Cocozza, singer