News 9 July 2019

This Week In... 1996

Check out who topped the ARIA Charts 23 years ago!

This Week In... 1996

Check out who topped the ARIA Charts 23 years ago!

ALBUM

You Am I - Hourly, Daily

You Am I’s third studio album, Hourly, Daily, gave the Sydney band their second successive #1 on the ARIA Albums Chart when it debuted in the top spot in July 1996. The follow-up to Hi Fi Way (#1 Feb. ’95) spent one week at #1, two weeks in the Top Ten and 33 weeks in the Top 50.
Four of Hourly, Daily’s singles charted in the Top 50: ‘Mr. Milk’ (#50 Dec. ’95), ‘Soldiers’ (#33 Jul. ’96), ‘Good Morning’ (#44 Sept. ’96) and ‘Tuesday’ (#29 Jan. ’97).

Hourly, Daily was certified Platinum. You Am I received nine nominations at the 1996 ARIA Awards on the back of the album, going home with six gongs: Album Of The Year, Best Group, Best Independent Release, Producer Of The Year, Best Video (‘Soldiers’, directed by Andrew Lancaster) and Engineer Of The Year (Paul McKercher and Wayne Connolly).

You Am I debuted at the top of the ARIA Albums Chart again in 1998 with #4 Record (#1 Jul. ’98). It made them the first Australian band to debut at #1 on the ARIA Charts with three successive albums.

The band last appeared on the chart with their tenth studio album Porridge & Hotsauce (#20 Nov. ’15).

Single

Fugees - Killing Me Softly

The only #1 for the Fugees came when the American trio’s cover of ‘Killing Me Softly’ spent seven straight weeks at the top of the ARIA Singles Chart in mid-1996. Taken from the second and final (to date) Fugees album, The Score (#5 Jul. ’96), ‘Killing Me Softly’ debuted at #1 in mid-June and didn’t leave the top spot until the end of July. The single spent a total of 13 weeks in the Top ten and 18 weeks in the Top 50.

‘Killing Me Softly’ was first recorded by Lori Lieberman in 1971. In 1973 it became a number-one hit in US and Canada for Roberta Flack. The Fugees’ version was #2 on the 1996 ARIA End Of Year Singles Chart and was accredited 3x Platinum.

The Fugees later charted with the singles ‘Ready Or Not’ (#24 Sept. ’96) and a cover of Bob Marley’s ‘No Woman, No Cry’ (#20 Dec. ’96). They spit in 1997 before briefly reforming between 2004 and 2006.