Robson & Jerome
One of the stranger British pop phenomenons of the '90s, the duo of Robson Green and Jerome Flynn catapulted from television actors to music stars in 1995 with their slick covers of "Unchained Melody"/"White Cliffs of Dover," a double A-sided single that became the biggest-selling British single of the '90s. Of course, Robson & Jerome were essentially one-hit wonders, but they were of an enormous magnitude, out-selling artists like Pulp, Oasis, and Blur during the height of Brit-pop. Such grand success made them the target of derision for much of the music press, who criticized the duo's manufactured, polished covers of pop and rock classics as nostalgia mongering. And, to a certain extent, they were right, since Robson & Jerome not only offered nothing new musically, the two actors, who portrayed soldiers on the drama Soldier, Soldier, were designed to appeal to a nation that was enveloped by a swell of nostalgia surrounding the 50th anniversary of VE Day. Robson & Jerome offered just enough flair and charisma to make their pleasant, undistinguished records palatable and, for many, charming. Like most one-hit wonders, the duo's second album was a sales disappointment, although it sold respectably and spent a number of weeks in the British Top Ten. Nevertheless, they will always be remembered for the months that they ruled the charts in 1995 with their smooth crooning and unrepentant nostalgia.Robson & Jerome would never have made the transition from television to music if it wasn't for Simon Cowell, an A&R; executive for RCA Records.