Album · The Charlatans
Some Friendly by The Charlatans
Some Friendly is an album by The Charlatans, released in 1990. 6 songs from it have charted on rock radio countdowns, with 46 countdown appearances in total. The biggest is “The Only One I Know”, on 37 lists with a best position of #6.
Some Friendly, the Charlatans' debut album, came out on 8 October 1990 on Situation Two, the Beggars Banquet imprint, and it's baggy in bloom: loose, loping dance-pop grooves with a big dose of the Beatles' psychedelic period. By then the lineup had settled on Tim Burgess singing, John Baker on guitar, Martin Blunt on bass, Rob Collins on keyboards and Jon Brookes on drums, and they recorded with producer Chris Nagle between March and August 1990, splitting the sessions between Strawberry Studios in Stockport and The Windings in Wrexham.
Collins' swirling keyboards are the star, and "The Only One I Know", the lead single, rides it to glory; it put them on Top of the Pops for the first time and has come to be seen as a signature song of the whole Madchester and baggy movement. The reviews were mixed, with critics hearing the influences more than the band, but the album went to number one in the UK and went gold three days after release.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs from Some Friendly on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Only One I Know | 37 | #6 | – | 1990–2026 | |
| 2 | Opportunity | 2 | #684 | – | 2002–2003 | |
| 3 | Then | 4 | #81 | – | 1990–2003 | |
| 4 | Polar Bear | 1 | #28 | – | 1990 | |
| 5 | White Shirt | 1 | #593 | – | 1991 | |
| 6 | Sproston Green | 1 | #796 | – | 1991 |
Only songs that appear on at least one countdown are listed. Release data from MusicBrainz.