# 1992 in British music

This is a summary of 1992 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.

## Summary

1992 was a bleak time for the UK Singles Chart, with sales at a very low level. Due to several long chart runs, only 12 singles topped the chart this year (not counting the Queen single, which was a holdover from Christmas 1991), the lowest number since 1962, which also saw 12. In addition, none of them only lasted a week – all lasted at least two, the first time this had happened since 1971.
In the album charts Simply Red had continued success with Stars which would prove to be the second best selling album of the 90's and the best of 91 and 92. Although none of its singles reached no.1, title track Stars peaked at no.8 with all others making the top 40.
Shakespears Sister's hit "Stay" was the longest chart topper of 1992, holding onto the No 1 slot for 8 weeks.
The year saw the start of the ABBA revival, though, with Erasure grabbing the top spot for five weeks in June with their Abba-esque EP, which featured covers of ABBA songs. This was followed by ABBA tribute band Björn Again releasing Erasure-ish in October, which featured covers of Erasure songs. This reached number 25. ABBA's ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits album reached No. 1 for a week in September.
September also saw the Shamen attract controversy with the rave song "Ebeneezer Goode", which, though apparently a song about a fictional character, contained many jokey allusions to the drug Ecstasy, including the chorus "Eezer Goode, Eezer Goode, he's Ebeneezer Goode" (which sounded like "E's are good, E's are good", 'E' being a slang term for Ecstasy). The controversy ensured the song reached number 1 and stayed there for four weeks.
The biggest selling single of the year, and also the only one to sell over a million, was Whitney Houston's cover of "I Will Always Love You", taken from the film The Bodyguard. Originally charting in November, the song hit number 1 later that month, and stayed there until February next year.
The Wedding Present equalled the all-time record of Elvis Presley for most UK Top 30 hits in a year (12), by releasing limited edition, 10,000-copies-only 7" singles every month from January to December. Out of this they achieved their first (and only) ever top ten single, "Come Play With Me" in May of that year.
In the field of classical music, British composer John Palmer won the City of Lucerne Cultural Prize for Music. New classical works by British composers included the Flute Concerto by William Mathias and the String Quartet No. 1 by Mathias's former pupil John Pickard. Classic FM, the first national classical music station to launch since the opening of BBC Radio 3, 25 years earlier, began broadcasting in September.

## Events

* 12 February – The KLF perform a thrash metal version of "3am Eternal" with Extreme Noise Terror at the Brit Awards, the performance is rounded off with Bill Drummond firing blanks into the audience before Scott Piering announcing that "The KLF have now left the music business". And at the aftershow party, the band dump a dead sheep outside. The band then announce their retirement, deleting their back catalogue, and their Brit award statue was later found buried in a field near Stonehenge.
* 27 March – The first performance of Robin Holloway‘s Concerto for violin and orchestra, op 70 takes place in Manchester.
* 20 April – The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert takes place at Wembley Stadium in London, England. All proceeds go to AIDS research.
* 24 April – David Bowie marries fashion model Iman.
* 9 May – In the opening concert of the Sheffield Chamber Music Festival at the Crucible Theatre, the premiere of Michael Tippett‘s String Quartet No 5 is given by the Lindsay String Quartet.
* 18 May – Shut Up and Dance release their single "Raving I'm Raving" but only as a limited edition single, as the single samples "Walking In Memphis" by Marc Cohn – who threatened a lawsuit after the duo had not sought permission to use the sample. A compromise is reached, with the duo agreeing to only release it as a limited single, donate all the royalties to charity and to have the single deleted after one week. The controversy saw the single chart at #2, before falling to No.15 the following week before leaving the chart completely.
* 18 June – The Flute Concerto by William Mathias has its premiere at the Criccieth Festival, with soloist William Bennett (to whom the work is dedicated), and the Guildhall String Ensemble.
* 24 June – Andrzej Panufnik's last completed composition, the Cello Concerto receives its world premiere at the Barbican, with soloist Mstislav Rostropovich and the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Hugh Wolff.
* 8 August – Morrissey is pelted with coins and missiles after performing at the Madstock Festival, whilst draped in a Union Jack flag and singing "National Front Disco" in front of Madness fans.
* 10 August – The world premiere of Veni, Veni, Emmanuel, a percussion concerto by James MacMillan, takes place at the Proms in the Royal Albert Hall, with soloist Evelyn Glennie.
* 7 September – Classic FM begins broadcasting.
* 9 September – Primal Scream are the winners of the first Mercury Prize award, for their album "Screamadelica". When celebrating, they famously lose their cheque for £20,000 that they were given with the award.
* 30 October – George Michael files a lawsuit against his label Sony, declaring that they had failed to promote his "Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1" album, and for what he perceived as "professional slavery" – stating that his label left him with "no artistic control". He would lose his case in June 1994. George would later state that he regretted suing his label.
* 22 November – Factory Records is declared bankrupt, and their catalogue is sold to London Records
* 3 December – Bill Wyman announces he is quitting The Rolling Stones.
* 9 December – John Pickard's String Qaurtet No 1 (1991) is performed for the first time in Colchester by the Britten Quartet.

## Charts
### Number-one singles

| Chart date (week ending) | Song | Artist(s) |
| 4 January | "Bohemian Rhapsody/These Are the Days of Our Lives" | Queen |
| 11 January | "Bohemian Rhapsody/These Are the Days of Our Lives" | Queen |
| 18 January | "Bohemian Rhapsody/These Are the Days of Our Lives" | Queen |
| 25 January | "Goodnight Girl" | Wet Wet Wet |
| 1 February | "Goodnight Girl" | Wet Wet Wet |
| 8 February | "Goodnight Girl" | Wet Wet Wet |
| 15 February | "Goodnight Girl" | Wet Wet Wet |
| 22 February | "Stay" | Shakespear's Sister |
| 29 February | "Stay" | Shakespear's Sister |
| 7 March | "Stay" | Shakespear's Sister |
| 14 March | "Stay" | Shakespear's Sister |
| 21 March | "Stay" | Shakespear's Sister |
| 28 March | "Stay" | Shakespear's Sister |
| 4 April | "Stay" | Shakespear's Sister |
| 11 April | "Stay" | Shakespear's Sister |
| 18 April | "Deeply Dippy" | Right Said Fred |
| 25 April | "Deeply Dippy" | Right Said Fred |
| 2 May | "Deeply Dippy" | Right Said Fred |
| 9 May | "Please Don't Go" | K.W.S. |
| 16 May | "Please Don't Go" | K.W.S. |
| 23 May | "Please Don't Go" | K.W.S. |
| 30 May | "Please Don't Go" | K.W.S. |
| 6 June | "Please Don't Go" | K.W.S. |
| 13 June | Abba-esque | Erasure |
| 20 June | Abba-esque | Erasure |
| 27 June | Abba-esque | Erasure |
| 4 July | Abba-esque | Erasure |
| 11 July | Abba-esque | Erasure |
| 18 July | "Ain't No Doubt" | Jimmy Nail |
| 25 July | "Ain't No Doubt" | Jimmy Nail |
| 1 August | "Ain't No Doubt" | Jimmy Nail |
| 8 August | "Rhythm Is a Dancer" | Snap! |
| 15 August | "Rhythm Is a Dancer" | Snap! |
| 22 August | "Rhythm Is a Dancer" | Snap! |
| 29 August | "Rhythm Is a Dancer" | Snap! |
| 5 September | "Rhythm Is a Dancer" | Snap! |
| 12 September | "Rhythm Is a Dancer" | Snap! |
| 19 September | "Ebeneezer Goode" | The Shamen |
| 26 September | "Ebeneezer Goode" | The Shamen |
| 3 October | "Ebeneezer Goode" | The Shamen |
| 10 October | "Ebeneezer Goode" | The Shamen |
| 17 October | "Sleeping Satellite" | Tasmin Archer |
| 24 October | "Sleeping Satellite" | Tasmin Archer |
| 31 October | "End of the Road" | Boyz II Men |
| 7 November | "End of the Road" | Boyz II Men |
| 14 November | "End of the Road" | Boyz II Men |
| 21 November | "Would I Lie to You?" | Charles & Eddie |
| 28 November | "Would I Lie to You?" | Charles & Eddie |
| 5 December | "I Will Always Love You" | Whitney Houston |
| 12 December | "I Will Always Love You" | Whitney Houston |
| 19 December | "I Will Always Love You" | Whitney Houston |
| 26 December | "I Will Always Love You" | Whitney Houston |

### Number-one albums

| Chart date (week ending) | Album | Artist(s) |
| 4 January | Stars | Simply Red |
| 11 January | Stars | Simply Red |
| 18 January | Stars | Simply Red |
| 25 January | Stars | Simply Red |
| 1 February | Stars | Simply Red |
| 8 February | High on the Happy Side | Wet Wet Wet |
| 15 February | High on the Happy Side | Wet Wet Wet |
| 22 February | Stars | Simply Red |
| 29 February | Stars | Simply Red |
| 7 March | Stars | Simply Red |
| 14 March | Divine Madness | Madness |
| 21 March | Divine Madness | Madness |
| 28 March | Divine Madness | Madness |
| 4 April | Human Touch | Bruce Springsteen |
| 11 April | Adrenalize | Def Leppard |
| 18 April | Diva | Annie Lennox |
| 25 April | Up | Right Said Fred |
| 2 May | Wish | The Cure |
| 9 May | Stars | Simply Red |
| 16 May | 1992 – The Love Album | Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine |
| 23 May | Fear of the Dark | Iron Maiden |
| 30 May | Michael Ball | Michael Ball |
| 6 June | Back to Front | Lionel Richie |
| 13 June | Back to Front | Lionel Richie |
| 20 June | Back to Front | Lionel Richie |
| 27 June | Back to Front | Lionel Richie |
| 4 July | Back to Front | Lionel Richie |
| 11 July | Back to Front | Lionel Richie |
| 18 July | U.F.Orb | The Orb |
| 25 July | The Greatest Hits: 1966–1992 | Neil Diamond |
| 1 August | The Greatest Hits: 1966–1992 | Neil Diamond |
| 8 August | The Greatest Hits: 1966–1992 | Neil Diamond |
| 15 August | Welcome to Wherever You Are | INXS |
| 22 August | We Can't Dance | Genesis |
| 29 August | Best... I | The Smiths |
| 5 September | Greatest Hits | Kylie Minogue |
| 12 September | Tubular Bells II | Mike Oldfield |
| 19 September | Tubular Bells II | Mike Oldfield |
| 26 September | The Best of Belinda, Volume 1 | Belinda Carlisle |
| 3 October | ABBA Gold | ABBA |
| 10 October | Automatic for the People | R.E.M. |
| 17 October | Love Symbol | Prince |
| 24 October | Glittering Prize 81/92 | Simple Minds |
| 31 October | Glittering Prize 81/92 | Simple Minds |
| 7 November | Glittering Prize 81/92 | Simple Minds |
| 14 November | Keep the Faith | Bon Jovi |
| 21 November | Greatest Hits: 1965–1992 | Cher |
| 28 November | Pop! The First 20 Hits | Erasure |
| 5 December | Pop! The First 20 Hits | Erasure |
| 12 December | Greatest Hits: 1965–1992 | Cher |
| 19 December | Greatest Hits: 1965–1992 | Cher |
| 26 December | Greatest Hits: 1965–1992 | Cher |

## Year-end charts
### Best-selling singles

| No. | Title | Artist | Peak position | Estimated sales |
| 1 | "I Will Always Love You" | Whitney Houston | 1 | 1,000,000+ |
| 2 | "Rhythm Is a Dancer" | Snap! | 1 | 675,000 |
| 3 | "Would I Lie to You?" | Charles & Eddie | 1 | 600,000 |
| 4 | "Stay" | Shakespears Sister | 1 | |
| 5 | "Please Don't Go"/"Game Boy" | KWS | 1 | |
| 6 | "End of the Road" | Boyz II Men | 1 | |
| 7 | Abba-esque (EP) | Erasure | 1 | |
| 8 | "Ain't No Doubt" | Jimmy Nail | 1 | |
| 9 | "Heal the World" | Michael Jackson | 2 | |
| 10 | "Goodnight Girl" | Wet Wet Wet | 1 | |
| 11 | "Baker Street" | Undercover | 2 | |
| 12 | "Deeply Dippy" | Right Said Fred | 1 | |
| 13 | "Ebeneezer Goode" | The Shamen | 1 | |
| 14 | "Hazard" | Richard Marx | 3 | |
| 15 | "Bohemian Rhapsody"/"These Are the Days of Our Lives" | Queen | 1 | |
| 16 | "Sleeping Satellite" | Tasmin Archer | 1 | |
| 17 | "The Best Things in Life Are Free" | Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson with special guests BBD and Ralph Tresvant | 2 | |
| 18 | "It's My Life" | Dr. Alban | 2 | |
| 19 | "Just Another Day" | Jon Secada | 5 | |
| 20 | "On a Ragga Tip" | SL2 | 2 | |
| 21 | "Achy Breaky Heart" | Billy Ray Cyrus | 3 | |
| 22 | "My Girl" | The Temptations | 2 | |
| 23 | "People Everyday" | Arrested Development | 2 | |
| 24 | "I Love Your Smile" (remix) | Shanice | 2 | |
| 25 | "Jump" | Kris Kross | 2 | |
| 26 | "Twilight Zone" | 2 Unlimited | 2 | |
| 27 | "Sesame's Treet" | Smart E's | 2 | |
| 28 | "I'm Doing Fine Now" | The Pasadenas | 4 | |
| 29 | "I'm Gonna Get You" | Bizarre Inc featuring Angie Brown | 3 | |
| 30 | "Barcelona" | Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé | 2 | |
| 31 | "To Be with You" | Mr. Big | 3 | |
| 32 | "My Destiny" | Lionel Richie | 7 | |
| 33 | "Don't You Want Me" | Felix | 6 | |
| 34 | "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" | Guns N' Roses | 2 | |
| 35 | "Heartbeat" | Nick Berry | 2 | |
| 36 | "Something Good" | Utah Saints | 4 | |
| 37 | "Could It Be Magic" | Take That | 4 | |
| 38 | "I Wonder Why" | Curtis Stigers | 5 | |
| 39 | "Everything About You" | Ugly Kid Joe | 3 | |
| 40 | "I'll Be There" | Mariah Carey featuring Trey Lorenz | 2 | |
| 41 | "Temptation" (Brothers in Rhythm Remix) | Heaven 17 | 4 | |
| 42 | "This Used to Be My Playground" | Madonna | 3 | |
| 43 | "Out of Space" | The Prodigy | 5 | |
| 44 | "Shake Your Head" | Was (Not Was) | 4 | |
| 45 | "Too Much Love Will Kill You" | Brian May | 5 | |
| 46 | "Everybody in the Place" | The Prodigy | 2 | |
| 47 | "Slam Jam" | The WWF Superstars | 4 | |
| 48 | "Finally" | CeCe Peniston | 2 | |
| 49 | "Never Let Her Slip Away" | Undercover | 5 | |
| 50 | "Give Me Just a Little More Time" | Kylie Minogue | 2 | |

### Best-selling albums

| No. | Title | Artist | Peak position |
| 1 | Stars | Simply Red | 1 |
| 2 | Back to Front | Lionel Richie | 1 |
| 3 | Greatest Hits: 1965–1992 | Cher | 1 |
| 4 | Glittering Prize 81/92 | Simple Minds | 1 |
| 5 | Dangerous | Michael Jackson | 4 |
| 6 | Diva | Annie Lennox | 1 |
| 7 | Timeless: The Classics | Michael Bolton | 3 |
| 8 | Divine Madness | Madness | 1 |
| 9 | We Can't Dance | Genesis | 2 |
| 10 | Up | Right Said Fred | 1 |
| 11 | Pop!: The First 20 Hits | Erasure | 1 |
| 12 | ABBA Gold | ABBA | 1 |
| 13 | Greatest Hits | Gloria Estefan | 2 |
| 14 | Hormonally Yours | Shakespears Sister | 3 |
| 15 | High on the Happy Side | Wet Wet Wet | 1 |
| 16 | Real Love | Lisa Stansfield | 3 |
| 17 | Automatic for the People | R.E.M. | 1 |
| 18 | The Way We Walk, Volume One: The Shorts | Genesis | 3 |
| 19 | Greatest Hits II | Queen | 2 |
| 20 | Nevermind | Nirvana | 7 |
| 21 | Simply the Best | Tina Turner | 2 |
| 22 | Tubular Bells II | Mike Oldfield | 1 |
| 23 | Curtis Stigers | Curtis Stigers | 7 |
| 24 | The Commitments Original Soundtrack | Various Artists | 8 |
| 25 | Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82–92) | Tears for Fears | 2 |
| 26 | Boss Drum | The Shamen | 3 |
| 27 | Erotica | Madonna | 2 |
| 28 | The Best of Belinda, Volume 1 | Belinda Carlisle | 1 |
| 29 | The Freddie Mercury Album | Freddie Mercury | 4 |
| 30 | The Greatest Hits: 1966–1992 | Neil Diamond | 1 |
| 31 | Achtung Baby | U2 | 8 |
| 32 | Take That and Party | Take That | 3 |
| 33 | Diamonds and Pearls | Prince and the New Power Generation | 8 |
| 34 | Greatest Hits | Queen | 6 |
| 35 | Adrenalize | Def Leppard | 1 |
| 36 | Shepherd Moons | Enya | 12 |
| 37 | Woodface | Crowded House | 6 |
| 38 | Use Your Illusion II | Guns N' Roses | 10 |
| 39 | Waking Up the Neighbours | Bryan Adams | 11 |
| 40 | Out of Time | R.E.M. | 13 |
| 41 | Michael Crawford Performs Andrew Lloyd Webber | Michael Crawford | 7 |
| 42 | Use Your Illusion I | Guns N' Roses | 18 |
| 43 | The Force Behind the Power | Diana Ross | 15 |
| 44 | The One | Elton John | 2 |
| 45 | This Thing Called Love: The Greatest Hits of Alexander O'Neal | Alexander O'Neal | 4 |
| 46 | Legend | Bob Marley and the Wailers | 18 |
| 47 | Keep the Faith | Bon Jovi | 1 |
| 48 | Symbol | Prince and the New Power Generation | 1 |
| 49 | Seal | Seal | 5 |
| 50 | Time, Love & Tenderness | Michael Bolton | 6 |
Notes:
* ↑ Reached number 3 in 1993
* ↑ Reached number 1 in 1991
* ↑ Reached number 1 in 1991
* ↑ Reached number 1 in 1991
* ↑ Reached number 4 in 1991
* ↑ Reached number 2 in 1991
* ↑ Reached number 2 in 1991
* ↑ Reached number 1 in 1981
* ↑ Reached number 1 in 1991
* ↑ Reached number 1 in 1991
* ↑ Reached number 1 in 1991
* ↑ Reached number 1 in 1991
* ↑ Reached number 2 in 1991
* ↑ Reached number 11 in 1991
* ↑ Reached number 1 in 1984
* ↑ Reached number 1 in 1991
* ↑ Reached number 3 in 1991

## Music awards
### Brit Awards

The 1992 Brit Awards winners were:
* Best British producer: Trevor Horn
* Best international solo artist: Prince
* Best soundtrack: The Commitments
* British album: Seal: Seal
* British newcomer: Beverley Craven
* British female solo artist – Lisa Stansfield
* British group: Simply Red
* British male solo artist: Seal
* British single: Queen – "These Are the Days of Our Lives"
* British video: Seal – "Killer"
* International newcomer: P.M. Dawn
* International group: R.E.M.
* Outstanding contribution: Freddie Mercury

### Mercury Music Prize

The 1992 Mercury Music Prize was awarded to Primal Scream – Screamadelica.

## Classical music

* Alun Hoddinott – Symphony No.9 "Vision of Eternity"
* James MacMillan – Veni, Veni, Emmanuel (concerto for percussion and orchestra)
* William Mathias – Flute Concerto
* David Sawer – Byrnan Wood

## Opera

* Jonathan Harvey – Inquest of Love.

## Film and incidental music

* Michael Nyman – The Piano directed by Jane Campion.

## Births

* 10 February – Misha B, singer-songwriter
* 9 April – LD, drill rapper
* 26 April – Danielle Hope, singer and actress
* 19 May – Sam Smith, singer-songwriter
* 4 July – Nick Hissom, singer
* 8 July – Benjamin Grosvenor, pianist
* 2 August – Charli XCX, singer-songwriter
* 4 August – S-X, producer and singer-songwriter
* 16 September – Jessica Plummer, actress and singer
* 5 October – Alex Prior, conductor and composer
* 22 October
** 21 Savage, London-born American hip-hop artist
** Carrie Hope Fletcher, singer
* 21 November – Conor Maynard, singer
* date unknown – Christopher Bond, brass band composer

## Deaths

* 8 February – Denny Wright, guitarist and songwriter, 67 (bladder cancer)
* 29 April – Stephen Oliver, opera composer, 42 (AIDS-related)
* 9 May – Robert Docker, composer, 73
* 20 June – Sir Charles Groves, conductor, 77
* 5 July – Georgia Brown, singer and actress, the original Nancy in Oliver!, 58 (surgical complications)
* 29 July – William Mathias, composer, 57
* 3 August – Don Lang, trombonist and singer, 67 (cancer)
* 19 September – Sir Geraint Evans, operatic baritone, 70
* 7 October – Harold Truscott, pianist, composer, broadcaster and music writer, 78
* 7 November – Henri Temianka, virtuoso violinist, conductor, author and music educator, 85
* 29 November – Paul Ryan, singer, songwriter and record producer, 44 (cancer)
* 22 December – Harry Bluestone, violinist, 85
* date unknown
** Paul Hammond, drummer of Atomic Rooster (accidental drug overdose)
** Malcolm MacDonald, composer