1992 was a bleak time for theUK 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 fromChristmas 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 withStars 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 theABBA revival, though, withErasure grabbing the top spot for five weeks in June with theirAbba-esqueEP, which featured covers of ABBA songs. This was followed by ABBA tribute bandBjörn Again releasingErasure-ish in October, which featured covers of Erasure songs. This reached number 25. ABBA'sABBA Gold: Greatest Hits album reached No. 1 for a week in September.
September also sawthe Shamen attract controversy with therave song "Ebeneezer Goode", which, though apparently a song about a fictional character, contained many jokey allusions to the drugEcstasy, 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, wasWhitney Houston's cover of "I Will Always Love You", taken from the filmThe 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 ofElvis 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 composerJohn Palmer won the City of Lucerne Cultural Prize for Music. New classical works by British composers included theFlute Concerto byWilliam Mathias and theString Quartet No. 1 by Mathias's former pupilJohn Pickard.Classic FM, the first national classical music station to launch since the opening ofBBC Radio 3, 25 years earlier, began broadcasting in September.
12 February –The KLF perform a thrash metal version of "3am Eternal" withExtreme Noise Terror at theBrit Awards, the performance is rounded off withBill Drummond firing blanks into the audience beforeScott 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 nearStonehenge.
27 March – The first performance ofRobin Holloway's Concerto for violin and orchestra, op 70 takes place in Manchester.
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" byMarc 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 byWilliam Mathias has its premiere at theCriccieth Festival, with soloistWilliam Bennett (to whom the work is dedicated), and the Guildhall String Ensemble.
8 August –Morrissey is pelted with coins and missiles after performing at the Madstock Festival, whilst draped in aUnion Jack flag and singing "National Front Disco" in front ofMadness fans.
9 September –Primal Scream are the winners of the firstMercury 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.
