Céline Dion leads the list for a sixth week; Spice Girls make a Top 5-debut

Céline Dion earns a sixth consecutive week at Number 1 with My Heart Will Go On. The song is on its way to become the best-scoring single of 1998, already surpassing strong competition from Janet Jackson and the Spice Girls. This week, Céline Dion remains to be challenged by the Backstreet Boys’ All I Have to Give. The songs remain in locked position, although the boys are gaining in on Céline Dion’s lead.

BLØF enters the Top 10 with Liefs Uit Londen. BLØF is a true standout amongst most Dutch entries on this list, as most Dutch songs are loud Eurodance-themes or happy sing-alongs. The band BLØF is an exception to that rule. BLØF focuses on heartfelt lyrics and soft-rock songs. Their debut single Liefs Uit Londen is doing extremely well in the Dutch charts, whilst their album “Helder” is a success too. BLØF promises to be a big success this year, climbing towards its first Top 10-entry this week. Liefs Uit Londen peaks at Number 9.

The Spice Girls have had a rocky start this year, as the girls went independent and fired their manager Simon Fuller. This lead to a debate whether the Spice Girls would remain successful with Simon Fuller’s guidance, as he was seen as the true mastermind behind the group. Nonetheless, the Spice Girls had a hugely successful evening at the 1998 Brit Awards, where they took home the award for Most Selling Album Act. The girls also performed their newest single Stop, which is the highest debut of this week.

The girls’ Stop debuts at Number 5 this week. This is the girls’ first single since Say You’ll Be There to not debut above the list, as all their previous singles entered at Number 1. The single also did not reach Number 1 in its first week in the United Kingdom, where it shot to Number 2 behind It's Like That by Run-DMC and Jason Nevins. The girls’ all-conquering reign appears to be unstable, as stated by the media, but the Spice Girls promise to remain successful. So far, the Spice Girls score a nice Top 5-debut.

Steps receive a Gold Certification for the insanely catchy 5,6,7,8. The country-infused dance hit peaked at Number 3 for two consecutive weeks, surpassing competition from Robbie Williams and Allure. Steps recently revealed more singles would be coming soon, maybe they will be as successful as 5,6,7,8. As of this week, Steps has earned over 40,000 points.

Janet Jackson receives a Platinum Certification for her Number 1-hit Together Again. The single spent two consecutive weeks above the list, fighting off competition from Robbie Williams and the Spice Girls. Together Again became Janet Jackson her breakthrough on this list and made her additional album “The Red Rope” a big success as well. As of this week, the single has amassed over 65,000 points.