Compilation: Smash Hits '96
Released: 1996 – Columbia / Sony Music Australia
Number of tracks: 20
Number one singles: 1 – "Wonderwall" by Oasis
Other top ten singles: 7
Best track: "Apple Eyes" by Swoop
Hidden gem: "B.G. Tips – You Should Be Dancing" by E-Sensual
This is the fifth compilation I've found that was put together by dearly departed pop music magazine Smash Hits (Australian edition, 1984–2007), which I was a reader of from 1990 to 1996. I was only going to go as far as 1995 for my retro compilation collecting, but several of the tracks on here I associate with 1995 and probably charted into 1996, so it's a borderline case. And it only cost $1.45, so it's all systems go! As they say.
It opens unconventionally with "Peaches" by The Presidents Of The United States Of America, a song which has a great video, and a band I like, but it's not my favourite song by them; it seems a bit too long and meandering, and it lacks the punch and lyrical oddballness of their previous single "Lump" (which had charted at number 11, two places higher than "Peaches").
There's one-third Australian content with tracks by CDB, Human Nature (I can never distinguish those two, backing music-wise), Deni Hines, Peter Andre, Tina Arena, Hoodoo Gurus and A.K. Soul. The Hoodoos are the best of this bunch and the rest don't really stand out to me for whatever reason.
"Wonderwall" by Oasis is the sole number 1 single on here, and it's not a song I was all that fond of. People have raved about it, and it topped the Australian charts (for just one week – funny, I thought it was there for much longer) but I just wasn't into it. They followed it up with "Don't Look Back In Anger" which in my opinion is a far superior song.
The Coolio track "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)" has words like "ass" censored out of it – no idea why as Smash Hits never did so in the magazine itself – and it's a bit too atonal for my liking. I can't believe he followed up one of the biggest singles of the '90s with this rubbish.
A few of the well-known dance tracks of the day are here, including two instrumental hits, "Children" by Robert Miles (number 5) and "X-Files Theme" by Triple X (number 2). I never really was a fan of "Children" but it is a somewhat haunting and well-composed piece, and while the Triple X track is certainly atmospheric, it's basically just the X-Files theme sped up with a techno beat and a voice that sounds suspiciously like Dr. Robotnik from the Sonic The Hedgehog cartoons saying the show's name a few times.
Lastly I've got to mention "Macarena", and thankfully it's the Los Del Mar cover version that appears here, which is sung entirely in Spanish. It peaked at number 2 for three weeks in September 1996, stuck behind the irritating-as-buggery Los Del Rio version with those inane English lyrics. I hate that song. The Los Del Mar one is a bit easier on the ears, and so I give an extra 0.437 of a point to whoever the compiler was who chose that instead. ¡Gracias!
Rating: 5.437/10
