IF YOU WERE born in and around 1996, there’s a good chance you’ll have heard the main hits of that decade just because they’ve hung around the national consciousness until this very day.

These include:

• B*Witched, C’est La Vie
• Samantha Mumba, Gotta Tell You
• All the big Boyzone songs

But the ’90s and early-’00s Irish charts had so much more excellent and questionable pop hidden in its locker:

1. D-Side – Speechless

They burned bright in the early ’00s, and you’d never be able to get away with a name like “D-Side” now.

2. Bellefire’s version of All I Want is You

3. B*Witched – I Shall Be There

It’s no C’est La Vie.

4. OTT – Let Me In

Let me innnnn.

They’re probably best remembered for their single The Story of Love, but they had plenty others from 1995-1998. They were also fans of the Boyzone/Westlife all-white look in videos.

5. Omero Mumba – Lil’ Big Man

Spotify Spotify

Samantha’s little brother had a brief shot at the charts with 2002′s Lil’ Big Man. Scant evidence of the song exists online – it is listed on Spotify but comes up as “unavailable” – but there is a snippet in this Now 52 roundup to give you an idea of what we’re dealing with here.

6. The earlier, more obscure Boyzone doesn’t really get a run out in 2017

It still smashed the charts, but never reached the status of a Love Me for a Reason, say.

A Different Beat has an… interesting video featuring loads of kids from an indistinguishable African country along with the lads walking in front of a green screen throughout.

7. Picturehouse – Everybody Loves My Girl

Better known for their 1998 hit Sunburst, Dublin band Picturehouse straddled the ’90s and ’00s charts and recently reformed for a 21st anniversary gig.

8. Paddy Casey – Sweet Suburban Sky

He reached national, everlasting fame for Saints and Sinners – but it was this 1999 track that started it all off.

9. The Revs - Death of a DJ

The Donegal band got to number 26 in the Irish charts with this 2003 guitar-pop single.

10. D:Ream – Shoot Me With Your Love

The Northern Irish band went stratospheric with Things Can Only Get Better, but this 1995 hit did well for them as well.

11. Samantha Mumba – Body II Body

12. Anything by Tabby from season one of The X Factor in 2004

13. 21 Demands – Give Me A Minute

Kodaline, before they were Kodaline. They came second in You’re A Star in 2005 and their debut single Give Me A Minute topped the Irish charts.

14. And finally… Mytown – Party All Night

You might recognise the lads from The Script back in their ’90s boyband days. The whole video is worth watching all the way through.

All essential listening for a thorough, at times difficult, Irish pop education.

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