For the last couple of months, as I've been devoting this thing to the 90s and beyond, I have been lax in covering songs from the weekly re-airs of 70s and 80s shows. I had always planned on coming back to them at some point, and now, that time has arrived. My friend and unofficial consultant Jimmy Delach has compiled a list of songs from those shows that I haven't covered in the past, and to my surprise, there's over 100 of them between the two decades. So let's start this game of catch-up by starting right at the beginning of the seventies.
9/19/1970
38 - "Everything's Tuesday," The Chairmen Of The Board
These Detroit soulsters, best known for "Give Me Just a Little More Time," managed three other Top 40 hits, including this sunny hit about a girl named after a day of the week. I know Tuesday Weld, but have there been any others?
10/16/1971
36 -"You've Got To Crawl (Before You Walk)," The 8th Day
Here's the story. In 1970, the group 100 Proof (Aged in Soul) had a hit with the song "Somebody's Been Sleeping." Around the same time, however, radio stations were playing another of the band's songs, "She's Not Just Another Woman." But their label didn't want to hurt the current single's sales by putting out another 100 Proof song, so they decided to release it and credit it to the nonexistent "8th Day." It was a hit, so the label decided to put out another 100 Proof song under the 8th Day name, this song about a woman wanting a man to supplicate himself before she takes him back. He does, of course. After this, the label formed an actual 8th Day band, but they didn't do as well as they did before they actually existed.
37 - "Women's Love Rights," Laura Lee
This Chicago singer had her only pop Top 40 with this R&B declaration of female sexual liberation. "Love who you wanna," she sings, "'cause a man is sure gonna." This is the soundtrack of the nightmares of Todd Akin and his ilk.
40 - "Long Ago And Far Away," James Taylor
Sweet Baby James picked up his fourth Top 40 hit with another slice of the melancholy folk that made him an unlikely superstar. Pleasant enough, but not anything I'd consider essential.
10/13/1973
38 - "Let Me In," The Osmonds
This just seems like a typical, Donny-sung pop ballad with slightly dated production. However, the object of the song's plea probably isn't a woman, but rather a higher power, as this single was taken from the group's Mormon-themed concept album The Plan. It didn't sell well, and won few converts. It might be on Mitt Romney's iPod, though.
39 - "Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne," The Looking Glass
The only other hit by the band who gave the world the terrible "Brandy, You're a Fine Girl," was this bit of lite funk-pop about a young couple trying to make it in the cold cruel world. A thousand times better than "Brandy," but only because that song sucks so badly. And I still can't stand the singer's voice.
10/30/1976
36 - "Nice 'n Naasty," Salsoul Orchestra
The second and final pop hit by the house band of the Salsoul label is fairly decent disco-funk over which female backup singers tell you how nasty you are. I don't know what the extra "a" was for, though.
38 - "Anything You Want," John Valenti
This Chicagoan sounds a bit like a white Stevie Wonder on this disco mediocrity. He deserved a better showcase. Decent guitar solo, though.
40 - "Give It Up (Turn It Loose)," Tyrone Davis
From Chicago via Mississippi and Michigan, Davis was a frequent presence on the R&B charts for a period of twenty years, and he scored two pop Top Fives with 1968's "Can I Change My Mind" and 1970's "Turn Back the Hands of Time," His last pop hit was this cool bit of funky soul that advises men to treat their women better or let them find someone else who can. Smooth stuff from a pro.
10/7/1978
18 - "Back In The U.S.A.," Linda Ronstadt
Lady Linda had another of her cover hits with this faithful version of Chuck Berry's 1959 celebration of what he misses about his homeland when he goes overseas (tall buildings, highways, hamburgers, jukeboxes). Pure exuberance.
19 - "She's Always A Woman," Billy Joel
The fourth hit from Billy's breakthrough LP The Stranger was this ode to an enigmatic, unattainable woman. Although if "she'll carelessly cut you and laugh while you're bleedin'," then perhaps she isn't worth attaining, Bill.
22 - "Who Are You," The Who
Thanks to CSI, this is probably the band's most famous song. It was inspired in part by an incident in which a policeman recognized an inebriated Townshend wandering around London and told him that he wouldn't be arrested for public drunkenness as long as he went straight home. No word on if the officer then made some kind of quip that was immediately followed by "wahwahwahwahDUM DUM, DUH-DUM!"
23 - "Come Together," Aerosmith
The Boston boys' last hit of the 70s was this Beatles cover they contributed to the disastrous Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band movie. Steven Tyler knows how to deliver nonsensical lyrics, so of course he was right at home on this one.
25 - "Talking In Your Sleep,"Crystal Gayle
The epic-haired country queen picked up her second pop hit with this song about how her lover has vocal sex dreams about someone while he sleeps beside her. He doesn't mention names, however, so theoretically he could be dreaming about her. But this is country music, so who am I kidding?
28 - "5-7-0-5," City Boy
The lone American hit by this Birmingham, England band was this rocker about being unable to reach a lover by telephone. Decent, in a Sweet kind of way. Also, it was one of the first hit singles produced by one Robert John "Mutt" Lange. I'm sure he didn't imagine then his future would involve AC/DC, Billy Ocean, Shania Twain, and Lady Gaga, to name just a few.
29 - "Josie," Steely Dan
The jazz-rockers accumulated another hit with this ode to the homecoming of a lady, the occasion of which will cause them to, among other things "rev up the motor scooters" and "shine up the battle apple." Maybe these are the things she needs when she "prays like a Roman with her eyes on fire," I don't know. Only the Dan know, and God bless 'em for that.
30 - "It's A Laugh," Daryl Hall & John Oates
One of the superduo's hits during that period between "Rich Girl" and "Kiss on My List" when just cracking the Top 20 was an accomplishment for them. Pleasant enough pop-rock about the breakup of a seemingly perfect couple. Decent, but hardly some lost classic.
33 - "Almost Like Being In Love," Michael Johnson
The Coloradan's follow up to his biggest hit "Bluer Than Blue" was this slick cover of a song from the 1947 Loerner and Loewe musical Brigadoon. This is not a tune that was written to be given the late-70s MOR treatment. Not just unnecessary, but aggressively unnecessary.
35 - "I Will Still Love You," Stonebolt
I'm sure most Canadians who listened to pop radio in the late 1970s would recognize this ballad about loving someone forever no matter what, but very few, myself included, would be able to say who did it without looking it up. Turns out it was the only hit by this Vancouver band whose singer sounds like a male Anne Murray. For the record, if I had been cornered by someone and made to guess, I would have probably said April Wine, or maybe Prism.
36 - "Devoted To You," Carly Simon & James Taylor
The second and last duet hit by this married couple was a cover of a 1958 Everly Brothers hit. Their love, however, did not grow through the years, and they got divorced in 1983. Meh, they had a good run.
37 - "Heartbreaker," Dolly Parton
Dolly's second pop hit was this piano-driven ballad about a lover's betrayal. She portrays the hurt brilliantly, to the point where you almost want to hung the guy down and beat the crap out of him until he agrees to be "just a little more kind" to her.
38 - "Took The Last Train," David Gates
The second of three solo hits by the former Bread man is a jazzy, uptempo pop song about a one-night stand in St. Tropez. Not the gig kind, the sexy kind. It's good hearing him happy instead of his usualy whiny sap.
In Part Two: girls, dreams and animals.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
December 25, 1971 Part Two
Ending our look at Casey's Christmas countdown.
20 A&B - "I'll be Home for Christmas," Bing Crosby/Floyd Cramer
At this point, Casey started playing multiple versions of some of the songs. For this one, originally written from the point of view of an American soldier fighting in World War II, he played both Bing Crosby's 1943 hit and an instrumental take by country pianist Floyd Cramer. Bing wins by a long shot.
19 - "You're All I Want for Christmas," Frankie Laine
This 1948 hit by crooner Laine was the last of the three songs Casey didn't play, but like the other two, Larry Morgan came to the rescue on the extras. On it, Laine declares his only wish is to wake up on Christmas morning "and find my stocking filled with you." You must have a big sock, Frankie.
18 - "Nuttin' for Christmas," Ricky Zahnd
There were multiple hit versions of this song about a kid who blames "snitches" for telling of the multiple foul deeds that resulted in Santa opting to pass him by, but the one Casey played was by Zahnd and his band The Blue Jeaners. I can't find any info about them at all.
17 - "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," Brenda Lee
Even though he was Jewish, songwriter Johnny Marks had most of his succcess writing Christmas songs, one of the biggest of which was this number about celebrating the holiday "in the new old-fashioned way" that would become the first Top 40 hit for a 13-year-old girl who would go on to be christened "Little Miss Dynamite." Yes, I do get a sentimental feeling when I hear it.
16 - "Please Come Home for Christmas," Charles Brown
Brown again, this time pleading for a lover's Yuletide return. The Eagles would have a hit with it later, but they can't top Mr. Brown.
15 - "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," Jimmy Boyd
At 13, Boyd became the youngest singer ever to have a #1 hit when he topped the charts in 1952 with this tale of a boy catching his mother making out under the mistletoe with Kris Kringle. The assumption we were supposed to make was that it was really the child's father in a Santa suit doing the kissing, but from what I understand, there are people who didn't immediately get that implication and wondered if Santa was some kind of Christmas Casanova who went around seducing housewives on his one night away from the North Pole. Myself, I always had faith that Mrs. Claus was all the woman the big man could ever need.
14 - "Here Comes Santa Claus," Gene Autry/Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans
Autry, who made his name as a "singing cowboy" in movies, co-wrote this 1947 hit that was one of the first songs to mix both the religious and secular aspects of the holiday ("Let's give thanks to the Lord above that Santa Claus comes tonight.") Later, one of the lesser groups on Phil Spector's Philles label contributed a version on the company's classic LP A Christmas Gift for You.
13 - "Sleigh Ride," Leroy Anderson/The Ronettes
Anderson, a specialist in "light orchestral music," had one of his enduring compositions with this breezy evocation of dashing through the snow in a horse-drawn vehicle. His version was a hit in 1950, and remains popular to this day. Lyrics were added later, and the Ronettes recorded it for that great Spector Christmas album in 1963.
12 - "Frosty the Snowman," Gene Autry
Autry had no hand in writnig this one, but he did make the first popular recording of the story of a snowman that comes alive in 1950. If someone had come up with that idea today, it might have taken a darker turn, like maybe living snowmen being some sort of harbinger of the Zombie Apocalypse.
11 - "Jingle Bells," Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters
The oldest song in the countdown thus far, this 1857 composition is known far and wide, both in its original form and the "Batman Smells" version. Thankfully, Casey played this smooth, pleasant rendition, instead of, say, Barbra Streisand's bizarre, manic take on it.
10 - "The Chipmunk Song," The Chipmunks
In 1958, under the name David Seville, Ross Bagdasarian recorded the smash hit "Witch Doctor," which used the technique of speeding up the playback on a tape to create the high-voiced "Ooh, ee, ooh ah-ah" chorus. Later that year, he employed the same method to create a recording of three rodents named Simon, Theodore, and "ALVIN!" singing a song about being anxious for Santa to bring them toys, notably a remote-controlled airplane and a hula hoop. It was another hit. More recordings, a cartoon show, and three live-action movies have followed since.
9 - "Blue Christmas," Elvis Presley
This song was first written in the late 40s, but didn't attain immortality until Elvis recorded it in 1957. It's a good song, but I'm sorry, but The Jordanaires come close to ruining it. I never like hearing them on Elvis records to begin with, because I feel like they've been added to make his songs sound tamer. But on this one, they spend most of the time baying like wounded animals, and it's annoying. If someone released a collection of Elvis songs with all the Jordainaires' backup vocals edited out, I swear I'd buy it.
8 - "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters/ The Four Seasons
This 1934-written classic that established Santa's list-making and constant surveillance as part of the Yuletide canon was played twice. While the older version wins on showbizzy professionalism, there is a certain charm in hearing Frankie Valli sing "You'd better not CRY-YIII-BAY-YAY-BEE!"
7 - "Winter Wonderland," Ray Conniff/Darlene Love
Another 1934 composition was this tale of romantic outings and snowmen who may be able to perform marriage ceremonies. Ray Conniff's band of boring singers are blown away by Darlene Love on yet another cut from that Spector album. Definitely a record worth having in the holiday section of your collection.
6 - "Silver Bells," Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely/Diana Ross and the Supremes
This 1950 ode to "Christmastime in the city" first appeared in the Bob Hope con-man comedy The Lemon Drop Kid. Country singers Whiting and Wakely do okay with it, but they didn't have a chance againts Miss Ross at her best.
5 - "Jingle Bell Rock," Bobby Helms
Rockabilly man Helms had two Top Ten hits in his career: the ballad "My Special Angel," and this ever-popular number that added a more modern (in 1957) twist to sleigh riding. Only quibble is that the version Casey played wasn't the original, but rather one of his later re-recordings.
4 - "The Christmas Song," Nat King Cole
This was co-written by Mel Torme, a singer of some note himself. But this evocation of all the classic Christmas accoutrements will always belong to the mighty Mr. Cole. Nothing less than steaming-hot cocoa for the soul
3 - "The Little Drummer Boy," The Harry Simeone Chorale
This 1941 composition, which owes more to a 12th century French legend about a juggler and the statue of the Virgin Mary than anything in the Bible, achieved worldwide fame in this 1958 version by conductor and arranger Simeone and his group of singers. This version remains the most widely played today, but I must say, it's not one of my favorites no matter who's singing it. Though I guess the Bing Crosby/David Bowie version's all right.
2 - "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," Gene Autry
The character of Rudolph, the young buck with the luminescent proboscis who is ostracized by his fellow reindeer until his unique feature saves the day for Santa "one foggy Christmas Eve," was created by Robert L. May for a children's book produced by the Montgomery Ward department store chain. Ten years later, May's brother-in-law Johnny Marks adapted the tale into a song, and Gene Autry's subsequent recording went on to become the first #1 hit of the 50s and sell 25 million copies, helping establish it as a Christmas classic. Of course, dozens of others have recorded it since. Personally, I'm partial to the one where Dean Martin calls him "Rudy the Red-Beaked Reindeer" at one point.
And at the top of Casey's Christmas list this year was...
1 - "White Christmas," Bing Crosby
This Irving Berlin composition about wanting snow to be on the ground on December 25 became a monster smash after being performed by Crosby in the 1942 film Holiday Inn. That recording has often been cited as the best selling single in the history of music. But according to Casey, both Crosby and his record label disputed this, saying that the honor truly belonged to...
BONUS: "Silent Night," Bing Crosby
This simple, beautifulsong about the transcendent serenity of the sleeping infant Jesus in his mother's arms originated in Austria in 1818. Crosby's '30s recording of it predates the time period covered by this chart, but it may very well have sold more copies than "White Christmas." Regardless, it, along with all his other entries here, provide ample evidence as to why everyone from Frank to Dean to Elvis considered him the gold standard of male pop singing.
I hope you enjoyed this little treat. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.
20 A&B - "I'll be Home for Christmas," Bing Crosby/Floyd Cramer
At this point, Casey started playing multiple versions of some of the songs. For this one, originally written from the point of view of an American soldier fighting in World War II, he played both Bing Crosby's 1943 hit and an instrumental take by country pianist Floyd Cramer. Bing wins by a long shot.
19 - "You're All I Want for Christmas," Frankie Laine
This 1948 hit by crooner Laine was the last of the three songs Casey didn't play, but like the other two, Larry Morgan came to the rescue on the extras. On it, Laine declares his only wish is to wake up on Christmas morning "and find my stocking filled with you." You must have a big sock, Frankie.
18 - "Nuttin' for Christmas," Ricky Zahnd
There were multiple hit versions of this song about a kid who blames "snitches" for telling of the multiple foul deeds that resulted in Santa opting to pass him by, but the one Casey played was by Zahnd and his band The Blue Jeaners. I can't find any info about them at all.
17 - "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," Brenda Lee
Even though he was Jewish, songwriter Johnny Marks had most of his succcess writing Christmas songs, one of the biggest of which was this number about celebrating the holiday "in the new old-fashioned way" that would become the first Top 40 hit for a 13-year-old girl who would go on to be christened "Little Miss Dynamite." Yes, I do get a sentimental feeling when I hear it.
16 - "Please Come Home for Christmas," Charles Brown
Brown again, this time pleading for a lover's Yuletide return. The Eagles would have a hit with it later, but they can't top Mr. Brown.
15 - "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," Jimmy Boyd
At 13, Boyd became the youngest singer ever to have a #1 hit when he topped the charts in 1952 with this tale of a boy catching his mother making out under the mistletoe with Kris Kringle. The assumption we were supposed to make was that it was really the child's father in a Santa suit doing the kissing, but from what I understand, there are people who didn't immediately get that implication and wondered if Santa was some kind of Christmas Casanova who went around seducing housewives on his one night away from the North Pole. Myself, I always had faith that Mrs. Claus was all the woman the big man could ever need.
14 - "Here Comes Santa Claus," Gene Autry/Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans
Autry, who made his name as a "singing cowboy" in movies, co-wrote this 1947 hit that was one of the first songs to mix both the religious and secular aspects of the holiday ("Let's give thanks to the Lord above that Santa Claus comes tonight.") Later, one of the lesser groups on Phil Spector's Philles label contributed a version on the company's classic LP A Christmas Gift for You.
13 - "Sleigh Ride," Leroy Anderson/The Ronettes
Anderson, a specialist in "light orchestral music," had one of his enduring compositions with this breezy evocation of dashing through the snow in a horse-drawn vehicle. His version was a hit in 1950, and remains popular to this day. Lyrics were added later, and the Ronettes recorded it for that great Spector Christmas album in 1963.
12 - "Frosty the Snowman," Gene Autry
Autry had no hand in writnig this one, but he did make the first popular recording of the story of a snowman that comes alive in 1950. If someone had come up with that idea today, it might have taken a darker turn, like maybe living snowmen being some sort of harbinger of the Zombie Apocalypse.
11 - "Jingle Bells," Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters
The oldest song in the countdown thus far, this 1857 composition is known far and wide, both in its original form and the "Batman Smells" version. Thankfully, Casey played this smooth, pleasant rendition, instead of, say, Barbra Streisand's bizarre, manic take on it.
10 - "The Chipmunk Song," The Chipmunks
In 1958, under the name David Seville, Ross Bagdasarian recorded the smash hit "Witch Doctor," which used the technique of speeding up the playback on a tape to create the high-voiced "Ooh, ee, ooh ah-ah" chorus. Later that year, he employed the same method to create a recording of three rodents named Simon, Theodore, and "ALVIN!" singing a song about being anxious for Santa to bring them toys, notably a remote-controlled airplane and a hula hoop. It was another hit. More recordings, a cartoon show, and three live-action movies have followed since.
9 - "Blue Christmas," Elvis Presley
This song was first written in the late 40s, but didn't attain immortality until Elvis recorded it in 1957. It's a good song, but I'm sorry, but The Jordanaires come close to ruining it. I never like hearing them on Elvis records to begin with, because I feel like they've been added to make his songs sound tamer. But on this one, they spend most of the time baying like wounded animals, and it's annoying. If someone released a collection of Elvis songs with all the Jordainaires' backup vocals edited out, I swear I'd buy it.
8 - "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters/ The Four Seasons
This 1934-written classic that established Santa's list-making and constant surveillance as part of the Yuletide canon was played twice. While the older version wins on showbizzy professionalism, there is a certain charm in hearing Frankie Valli sing "You'd better not CRY-YIII-BAY-YAY-BEE!"
7 - "Winter Wonderland," Ray Conniff/Darlene Love
Another 1934 composition was this tale of romantic outings and snowmen who may be able to perform marriage ceremonies. Ray Conniff's band of boring singers are blown away by Darlene Love on yet another cut from that Spector album. Definitely a record worth having in the holiday section of your collection.
6 - "Silver Bells," Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely/Diana Ross and the Supremes
This 1950 ode to "Christmastime in the city" first appeared in the Bob Hope con-man comedy The Lemon Drop Kid. Country singers Whiting and Wakely do okay with it, but they didn't have a chance againts Miss Ross at her best.
5 - "Jingle Bell Rock," Bobby Helms
Rockabilly man Helms had two Top Ten hits in his career: the ballad "My Special Angel," and this ever-popular number that added a more modern (in 1957) twist to sleigh riding. Only quibble is that the version Casey played wasn't the original, but rather one of his later re-recordings.
4 - "The Christmas Song," Nat King Cole
This was co-written by Mel Torme, a singer of some note himself. But this evocation of all the classic Christmas accoutrements will always belong to the mighty Mr. Cole. Nothing less than steaming-hot cocoa for the soul
3 - "The Little Drummer Boy," The Harry Simeone Chorale
This 1941 composition, which owes more to a 12th century French legend about a juggler and the statue of the Virgin Mary than anything in the Bible, achieved worldwide fame in this 1958 version by conductor and arranger Simeone and his group of singers. This version remains the most widely played today, but I must say, it's not one of my favorites no matter who's singing it. Though I guess the Bing Crosby/David Bowie version's all right.
2 - "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," Gene Autry
The character of Rudolph, the young buck with the luminescent proboscis who is ostracized by his fellow reindeer until his unique feature saves the day for Santa "one foggy Christmas Eve," was created by Robert L. May for a children's book produced by the Montgomery Ward department store chain. Ten years later, May's brother-in-law Johnny Marks adapted the tale into a song, and Gene Autry's subsequent recording went on to become the first #1 hit of the 50s and sell 25 million copies, helping establish it as a Christmas classic. Of course, dozens of others have recorded it since. Personally, I'm partial to the one where Dean Martin calls him "Rudy the Red-Beaked Reindeer" at one point.
And at the top of Casey's Christmas list this year was...
1 - "White Christmas," Bing Crosby
This Irving Berlin composition about wanting snow to be on the ground on December 25 became a monster smash after being performed by Crosby in the 1942 film Holiday Inn. That recording has often been cited as the best selling single in the history of music. But according to Casey, both Crosby and his record label disputed this, saying that the honor truly belonged to...
BONUS: "Silent Night," Bing Crosby
This simple, beautifulsong about the transcendent serenity of the sleeping infant Jesus in his mother's arms originated in Austria in 1818. Crosby's '30s recording of it predates the time period covered by this chart, but it may very well have sold more copies than "White Christmas." Regardless, it, along with all his other entries here, provide ample evidence as to why everyone from Frank to Dean to Elvis considered him the gold standard of male pop singing.
I hope you enjoyed this little treat. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
December 25, 1971 Part One
In 1971, Casey presented his listeners with a little gift. He had his staff compile a list of the 40 best-performing Christmas songs on the pop charts from the 1940s until that point, and he counted them down. And now, as my present to all of you, I'm going to take a look at that countdown, song by song.
40 - "If Every Day Was Like Christmas," Elvis Presley
This 1966 recording sees The King in sentimental crooner mode, reflecting on how much better the world would be if people were as kind and happy every day as they are during the holidays. Nice, but I prefer him doing peppier festive stuff.
39 - "Merry Christmas Polka," The Andrews Sisters
Minnesotans Patty, Maxene and LaVerne Andrews were by far the biggest girl group of the pre-rock era, and they made the list with this polka...ish tribute to all the standard holiday activities: drinking, kissing undet the mistletoe, waiting for Santa, etc. Canadian Guy Lombardo, who was better known for soundtracking New Year's Eve, backed them up. Casey couldn't find a suitable recording of this to play on the original broadcast, but Larry "I will no longer call him NotCasey" Morgan found one for one of the extras.
38 - "Santa Claus is Watching You," Ray Stevens
The novelty star made his contribution to seasonal music with this warning to children that also sees Santa piloting a sleigh powered not only by the traditional eight reindeer, but by two others named Bruce and Marvin. And because Rudolph "dislocated his hip in a twist contest," he has been replaced for 1962 with Clyde the Camel. Basically, an average example of Stevens' silliness.
37 - "Happy Reindeer," Dancer, Prancer and Nervous
A cute, Chipmunky novelty ostensibly by three of Santa's reindeer. The third got his name when, after being hesitant to introduce himself, one of the others asks "Say, are you nervous?" The reindeer said he wasn't, but apparently, that didn't matter to anyone.
36 - "Little Altar Boy," Andy Williams
This song doesn't actually mention anything Christmassy; rather, it's a plea from a lost soul to a child to ask God to help him redeem himself. Redemption is a common Christmas theme, however, so I suppose it fits. And it's a good song.
35 - "Santa and the Satellite," Dickie Goodman
Goodman, who we met in the 70s with "Mr. Jaws," had a minor hit in 1957 with this break-in record on which Santa Claus is kidnapped by "satellite men" who for some reason sound like the backup singers from Thurston Harris' "Little Bitty Pretty One." After various world leaders respond to the crisis in the voices of Little Richard and the Everly Brothers, a reporter on the scene helps Santa escape by suggesting he disguise himself as Elvis, and somehow at the end, Santa and his reindeer have commandeered the "flying saucer" to do their yearly rounds. Not exactly tightly plotted, but fun.
34 - "Santo Natale," David Whitfield
This British singer broke through on the American charts in 1954 with "Cara Mia," and followed it up with this song that uses an Italian phrase to wish the world Merry Christmas. Whitfield was what I call a "tenor crooner," in that he has this big operatic voice, but he uses it on songs that are more suited to a wider audience. Josh Groban would be a modern example.
33 - "Baby's First Christmas," Connie Francis
50s and 60s pop drama queen Francis sings about the joy of having an infant around to experience the wonder of Yuletide. She's a little more enthusiastic about Christmas shopping than most people are, and I'm not sure what she means when she describes the older brother "shinin' up the chimney for Santa Claus." But the good news is, given Francis' reputation, I was waiting for the song to have some sort of downer twist ending, but there was none.
32 - "Little Saint Nick," The Beach Boys
The surf troubadors re-imagine Santa's famous vehicle as a candy-apple red hot rod on runners. Always brings a smile, especially the "Don't miss no one!" part.
31 - "Snoopy's Christmas," The Royal Guardsmen
In 1966, this Florida band had a hit with "Snoopy vs. The Red Baron," a musical tale of a fictional airplane dogfight between Charles Schulz's beloved beagle (who frequently pretended he was a "World War I flying ace" in the Peanuts comic strip) and the legendary German fighter pilot Manfred von Richtofen. The song was a hit, but Schulz sued the group for the unauthorized use of the character and won the right to collect all the single's royalties. He did, however, give his permission for the band to write more Snoopy songs, the most famous of which being this perennial Christmas favorite. On this song, Snoopy takes to the air to battle the Baron on a frosty Christmas Eve. They fight, but ice accumulates on the wings of Snoop's trusty Sopwith Camel, which gives the Baron a golden opportunity to shoot down his enemy. But instead, he simply forces Snoopy to land behind German lines. Snoopy assumes he's about to be taken prisoner, or worse, but instead, the Baron wishes him a Merry Christmas, and the two share a drink and toast each other before getting back in their planes, "each knowing they'd meet on some other day." Inspired by the real "Christmas truce" between German and British soldiers in 1914, it's a poignant reminder that sometimes we can put our differences and grievances aside and just treat each other with kindness and respect because it's the right thing to do. I'm sure Sparky himself approved this message. And this was another one Casey didn't play, but Larry Morgan did.
30 - "Pretty Paper," Roy Orbison
Before becoming an "Outlaw County" star in the 70s, Willie Nelson had most of his success writing songs that other would record, including Patsy Cline's "Crazy," Faron Young's "Hello Walls," and this sad song about a man lamenting a lost love in the midst of the Yuletide revelry around him. And of course, no one was better to deliver this than Roy, who could do heartache better than almost anyone. A bit depressing, but still great.
29 - "Christmas Dragnet," Stan Freberg
Freberg, whose career has spanned eight decades and has encompassed voice acting, radio, advertising, and recording, made this parody of the popular Jack Webb police series in which officer "Wednesday" and his partner deal with their most despicable perp yet, a guy named Grudge who's been charged with "a 4096325- 096704: not believing in Santa Claus." (He also doesn't believe in the Easter Bunny. Or Columbus. Or Cleveland and Cincinnati, for that matter. But he hasn't made up his mind about Toledo.) Side One ends on a cliffhanger, but unfortunately, Casey didn't play the other side, on which the cops accompany Grudge to North Pole, where an elf with a Southern accent shows them a pile of undeliveredpresents waiting for their rightful owner to claim them by believing in jolly old Saint Nick. His name is...well I'm sure you can guess. Anyway, Grudge has an epiphany and declares his belief in Santa, the Easter Bunny, Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. But he still hasn't made up his mind about Toledo. Dated but fun, and great voice work by both Freberg and Daws Butler, who voiced Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, and others.
.
28 - "Mary's Boy Child," Harry Belafonte
Actor, singer and activist Belafonte made the first prominent recording of this recounting of the Nativity story. Simple and beautiful. It was written by Jester Hairston, who in addition to songwriting made many appearances on films and TV. If you remember Sherman Hemsley's late 80s sitcom Amen, you might remember him as the old man, Rolly.
27 - "Santa Baby," Eartha Kitt
Kitt, one of the three "true Catwomen" according to Adam West at that Springfield Car Show, applied her sultry growl to this seductive plea from a woman to have St. Nick bring her some rather expensive presents. What she might be willing to do for them is left up to your imagination. Others have tried this on for size since 1953, but no one's bested Eartha.
26 - "I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas," Yogi Yorgesson
Harry Stewart, a singer and comedian, had his greatest success playing a Swedish caricature on records like this holiday novelty on which Yogi recounts a crazy family celebration involving crazed children and feuding in-laws. Again, dated fun.
25 - "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas," The Chipmunks
This popular favorite was first recorded by Perry Como in 1951, and Ross Bagdasarian's rodent creations put out their own version a decade later. It was written by Meredith Wilson, best known for the hit stage production The Music Man.
24 - "Home for the Holidays," Perry Como
Como had a hit in '54 with this ode to going back to the bosom of family and friends for the festive season. Peppy but restrained; in other words, typical Como.
23 - "Christmas in Killarney," Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby recorded this ode to Christmas, Irish style, in 1950. Casey said he couldn't find a copy of the more popular version by Jack Benny sidekick Dennis Day, but der Bingle makes a suitable substitute.
22 - "Merry Christmas Baby," Charles Brown
Texas blues singer Brown brings some soul to the proceedings with this 1948 song on which he's in a very good mood. He's under the mistletoe with his lady love, who has just given him a diamond ring. There's "good music on my radio," and Santa's visited him with more gifts. In short, in spite of not having imbibed any alcohol, he's "all lit up like a Christmas tree. Just good stuff.
21 - "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth," Spike Jones and His City Slickers
The popular clowns of the big band era, best known for the anti-Nazi classic "Der Fuerher's Face," made themselves a holiday staple with this lament of a young boy who just wants to stop lisping and whistling when he talks. Always good for a smile
In Part II - More Bing, lots of Gene Autry, and the song that raises the question "Is Santa Claus a homewrecker?"
40 - "If Every Day Was Like Christmas," Elvis Presley
This 1966 recording sees The King in sentimental crooner mode, reflecting on how much better the world would be if people were as kind and happy every day as they are during the holidays. Nice, but I prefer him doing peppier festive stuff.
39 - "Merry Christmas Polka," The Andrews Sisters
Minnesotans Patty, Maxene and LaVerne Andrews were by far the biggest girl group of the pre-rock era, and they made the list with this polka...ish tribute to all the standard holiday activities: drinking, kissing undet the mistletoe, waiting for Santa, etc. Canadian Guy Lombardo, who was better known for soundtracking New Year's Eve, backed them up. Casey couldn't find a suitable recording of this to play on the original broadcast, but Larry "I will no longer call him NotCasey" Morgan found one for one of the extras.
38 - "Santa Claus is Watching You," Ray Stevens
The novelty star made his contribution to seasonal music with this warning to children that also sees Santa piloting a sleigh powered not only by the traditional eight reindeer, but by two others named Bruce and Marvin. And because Rudolph "dislocated his hip in a twist contest," he has been replaced for 1962 with Clyde the Camel. Basically, an average example of Stevens' silliness.
37 - "Happy Reindeer," Dancer, Prancer and Nervous
A cute, Chipmunky novelty ostensibly by three of Santa's reindeer. The third got his name when, after being hesitant to introduce himself, one of the others asks "Say, are you nervous?" The reindeer said he wasn't, but apparently, that didn't matter to anyone.
36 - "Little Altar Boy," Andy Williams
This song doesn't actually mention anything Christmassy; rather, it's a plea from a lost soul to a child to ask God to help him redeem himself. Redemption is a common Christmas theme, however, so I suppose it fits. And it's a good song.
35 - "Santa and the Satellite," Dickie Goodman
Goodman, who we met in the 70s with "Mr. Jaws," had a minor hit in 1957 with this break-in record on which Santa Claus is kidnapped by "satellite men" who for some reason sound like the backup singers from Thurston Harris' "Little Bitty Pretty One." After various world leaders respond to the crisis in the voices of Little Richard and the Everly Brothers, a reporter on the scene helps Santa escape by suggesting he disguise himself as Elvis, and somehow at the end, Santa and his reindeer have commandeered the "flying saucer" to do their yearly rounds. Not exactly tightly plotted, but fun.
34 - "Santo Natale," David Whitfield
This British singer broke through on the American charts in 1954 with "Cara Mia," and followed it up with this song that uses an Italian phrase to wish the world Merry Christmas. Whitfield was what I call a "tenor crooner," in that he has this big operatic voice, but he uses it on songs that are more suited to a wider audience. Josh Groban would be a modern example.
33 - "Baby's First Christmas," Connie Francis
50s and 60s pop drama queen Francis sings about the joy of having an infant around to experience the wonder of Yuletide. She's a little more enthusiastic about Christmas shopping than most people are, and I'm not sure what she means when she describes the older brother "shinin' up the chimney for Santa Claus." But the good news is, given Francis' reputation, I was waiting for the song to have some sort of downer twist ending, but there was none.
32 - "Little Saint Nick," The Beach Boys
The surf troubadors re-imagine Santa's famous vehicle as a candy-apple red hot rod on runners. Always brings a smile, especially the "Don't miss no one!" part.
31 - "Snoopy's Christmas," The Royal Guardsmen
In 1966, this Florida band had a hit with "Snoopy vs. The Red Baron," a musical tale of a fictional airplane dogfight between Charles Schulz's beloved beagle (who frequently pretended he was a "World War I flying ace" in the Peanuts comic strip) and the legendary German fighter pilot Manfred von Richtofen. The song was a hit, but Schulz sued the group for the unauthorized use of the character and won the right to collect all the single's royalties. He did, however, give his permission for the band to write more Snoopy songs, the most famous of which being this perennial Christmas favorite. On this song, Snoopy takes to the air to battle the Baron on a frosty Christmas Eve. They fight, but ice accumulates on the wings of Snoop's trusty Sopwith Camel, which gives the Baron a golden opportunity to shoot down his enemy. But instead, he simply forces Snoopy to land behind German lines. Snoopy assumes he's about to be taken prisoner, or worse, but instead, the Baron wishes him a Merry Christmas, and the two share a drink and toast each other before getting back in their planes, "each knowing they'd meet on some other day." Inspired by the real "Christmas truce" between German and British soldiers in 1914, it's a poignant reminder that sometimes we can put our differences and grievances aside and just treat each other with kindness and respect because it's the right thing to do. I'm sure Sparky himself approved this message. And this was another one Casey didn't play, but Larry Morgan did.
30 - "Pretty Paper," Roy Orbison
Before becoming an "Outlaw County" star in the 70s, Willie Nelson had most of his success writing songs that other would record, including Patsy Cline's "Crazy," Faron Young's "Hello Walls," and this sad song about a man lamenting a lost love in the midst of the Yuletide revelry around him. And of course, no one was better to deliver this than Roy, who could do heartache better than almost anyone. A bit depressing, but still great.
29 - "Christmas Dragnet," Stan Freberg
Freberg, whose career has spanned eight decades and has encompassed voice acting, radio, advertising, and recording, made this parody of the popular Jack Webb police series in which officer "Wednesday" and his partner deal with their most despicable perp yet, a guy named Grudge who's been charged with "a 4096325- 096704: not believing in Santa Claus." (He also doesn't believe in the Easter Bunny. Or Columbus. Or Cleveland and Cincinnati, for that matter. But he hasn't made up his mind about Toledo.) Side One ends on a cliffhanger, but unfortunately, Casey didn't play the other side, on which the cops accompany Grudge to North Pole, where an elf with a Southern accent shows them a pile of undeliveredpresents waiting for their rightful owner to claim them by believing in jolly old Saint Nick. His name is...well I'm sure you can guess. Anyway, Grudge has an epiphany and declares his belief in Santa, the Easter Bunny, Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. But he still hasn't made up his mind about Toledo. Dated but fun, and great voice work by both Freberg and Daws Butler, who voiced Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, and others.
.
28 - "Mary's Boy Child," Harry Belafonte
Actor, singer and activist Belafonte made the first prominent recording of this recounting of the Nativity story. Simple and beautiful. It was written by Jester Hairston, who in addition to songwriting made many appearances on films and TV. If you remember Sherman Hemsley's late 80s sitcom Amen, you might remember him as the old man, Rolly.
27 - "Santa Baby," Eartha Kitt
Kitt, one of the three "true Catwomen" according to Adam West at that Springfield Car Show, applied her sultry growl to this seductive plea from a woman to have St. Nick bring her some rather expensive presents. What she might be willing to do for them is left up to your imagination. Others have tried this on for size since 1953, but no one's bested Eartha.
26 - "I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas," Yogi Yorgesson
Harry Stewart, a singer and comedian, had his greatest success playing a Swedish caricature on records like this holiday novelty on which Yogi recounts a crazy family celebration involving crazed children and feuding in-laws. Again, dated fun.
25 - "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas," The Chipmunks
This popular favorite was first recorded by Perry Como in 1951, and Ross Bagdasarian's rodent creations put out their own version a decade later. It was written by Meredith Wilson, best known for the hit stage production The Music Man.
24 - "Home for the Holidays," Perry Como
Como had a hit in '54 with this ode to going back to the bosom of family and friends for the festive season. Peppy but restrained; in other words, typical Como.
23 - "Christmas in Killarney," Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby recorded this ode to Christmas, Irish style, in 1950. Casey said he couldn't find a copy of the more popular version by Jack Benny sidekick Dennis Day, but der Bingle makes a suitable substitute.
22 - "Merry Christmas Baby," Charles Brown
Texas blues singer Brown brings some soul to the proceedings with this 1948 song on which he's in a very good mood. He's under the mistletoe with his lady love, who has just given him a diamond ring. There's "good music on my radio," and Santa's visited him with more gifts. In short, in spite of not having imbibed any alcohol, he's "all lit up like a Christmas tree. Just good stuff.
21 - "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth," Spike Jones and His City Slickers
The popular clowns of the big band era, best known for the anti-Nazi classic "Der Fuerher's Face," made themselves a holiday staple with this lament of a young boy who just wants to stop lisping and whistling when he talks. Always good for a smile
In Part II - More Bing, lots of Gene Autry, and the song that raises the question "Is Santa Claus a homewrecker?"
Friday, December 21, 2012
December 13, 2003 Part Two
Wrapping up 2003.
20 - "Stand Up," Ludacris
19 - "Holidae In," Chingy
18 - "Invisible," Clay Aiken
17 - "Bright Lights," Matchbox Twenty
16 - "The Voice Within," Christina Aguilera
The second half opens with the first #1 pop hit by rapper Chris "Ludacris" Bridges. It's basically about a night of drinking, smoking weed, and admiring the charms of young ladies at a nightclub. Not revolutionary, but good beat, easy to dance to, and Luda has a nice flow. Like it.
Ludacris also contributes a guest verse to Chingy's entry here, and Snoop Dogg chips in on the choruses. It's a song about having a wild drink-drug-and-sex party at a reasonably-priced chain hotel. A lot of hip-hop in this era recycles the same things, so for me, it usually comes down to the music, the voices, or some unique turns of phrase to measure my enjoyment. This one was very much meh.
Next is North Carolinian Clay Aiken, who earlier in this year was the runner-up to Ruben Studdard on the second season of American Idol. But Aiken's first recordings clearly outsold Studdard's, and his rabid fanbase dubbed themselves the "Claymates." But this, the lead single from his first album, doesn't really hold up. Sure, he sings this pop-rock song about wanting to be noticed by the object of his affection well enough, but it's clear he's just not comfortable in the genre. He works best as a belter of ballads. And as much as his label tried to market him to the teen crowd, his natural audience skews older. I don't think he's ever going to be a big pop star again, but I think he'll maintain enough of an audience to keep him a decent live draw for years to come.
Then it's...them. They just won't leave me alone. Back they come with a bland and insipid take on the "when you inevitably fail in the big city, come back home to me" theme. Fortunately, with the charts coming up, I think I'll be safe from them for a while. But wait...Rob Thomas also put out solo albums! Shudder.
Rounding out this section is Christina Aguilera with a gentle ballad on which she advises a young girl to trust herself when dealing with the big bad world. Nice message, nice song, that's it.
15 - "Shake Ya Tailfeather," Nelly with P. Diddy and Murphy Lee
14 - "Why Can’t I," Liz Phair
13 - "Get Low," Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz featuring the Ying Yang Twinz
12 - "Harder to Breathe," Maroon 5
11 - "Someday," Nickelback
This group is led off by Nelly's collaboration with his homeboy Murphy Lee and some other guy who I think has done some rapping and stuff. On this track from the film Bad Boys II, they sing (though not literally) the praises of female posteriors. In an unlikely and bizarre connection to the holidays, Nelly at one point raps "Is that your ass or your mama have reindeer?" It gets an extra point for that, and another one for Murphy Lee's mention of Dean Martin. I like Dean.
In 1993, Chicago's Liz Phair released Exile in Guyville, an album of sexually frank rock songs that quickly became a critical favorite and is considered one of the best records of that decade. But ten years later, she hadn't risen above the underground, so on the advice of her label, she recorded four tracks from her fourth album with the production team called The Matrix, the trio who masterminded the breakthrough of Avril Lavigne. One of these was this bouncy pop track about the thrill and frustration of having an affair. It got a good deal of radio play, but no other hits followed, and the album sold roughly the same amount as Exile. And the critics were merciless, accusing her of being the dreaded "sellout." Me, I like the song, and I found it cool hearing her voice in dollar stores filling a playlist spot that might have been filled by...others. But I do admit, she has quite a few better songs than this.
Next are Atlanta's Lil Jon and his crew with their biggest hit, a sex rap that introduced the world not only to Jon's cartoonish rasp, but to the term "skeet." I won't describe it here, but suffice it to say, it's a verb. Overall, this is not one of the genre's most progressive moments.
Then it's the first hit for Maroon 5. It's a catchy little rock earworm that I instantly liked, and I still do. However, every other song I've heard of theirs I find annoying. Adam Levine in lothario mode just doesn't do it for me. But this, I will still listen to with pleasure and without apology.
Anchoring this quintet are Nickelback with a power ballad about trying to repair a broken relationship. It's okay by their standards. It was accompanied by a Sixth Sense-esque clip that introduced their penchant for gimmicky videos. My favorite is probably "Savin' Me."
Top Ten lords a' leaping.
10 - "Stacy’s Mom," Fountains of Wayne
These New Jersey power-poppers picked upt their lone pop hit with this fun tune about a teenage boy lusting after a female friend's attractive mother. There are other FoW songs I like better, but this was a worthy hit. It's like a great lost Cars single.
9 - "Perfect," Simple Plan
These Montrealers had their biggest American hit to date with a power ballad about trying and failing to live up to a father's high expectations. Not great, but it's not hard to see why there was an audience for it.
8 - "It’s My Life," No Doubt
Gwen and her men had their last hit before she launched her solo career with this slick cover of Talk Talk's 1984 statement of independence. Not better than the original, but they do it some degree of justice.
7 - "Why Don't You and I," Santana featuring Alex Band
This midtempo romance rocker was written by Nickelback's Chad Kroeger, who sang it on Santana's Shaman album. But Kroeger's record label refused to allow Santana's label to release it as a single, so Carlos re-recorded it with Band, a Kroeger soundalike who sang lead for the band The Calling. But even though Casey played that version, most stations went ahead and played the original. Can't blame them. The only thing worse than mediocrity is a pale imitation of it.
6 - "(There's Gotta Be) More to Life," Stacie Orrico
Orrico, a Christian-pop singer from Seattle, released her first album at the age of 14, then scored two mainstream hits three years later, the biggest of which was this bouncy tune about a quest for meaning beyond "chasing down every temporary high." The song is catchy, the message is subtle yet clear, and she sings it well. Can't say anything bad about it.
5 - "Headstrong," Trapt
This California band that shared Staind's allergy to the letter "e" had their one major pop hit with this noisy rock song about anger and stuff. Not much of anything in the long run.
4 - "Baby Boy," Beyoncé featuring Sean Paul
Ms. Knowles had her second solo hit with this dancehall song about being in love with a man. At one point, she sings to her lover "Let's conceive an angel." I don't know how angelic Blue Ivy will turn out to be, but I'm certainly happy for B and Hov. Oh, and Sean Paul does his thing. That's nice.
3 - "Suga Suga," Baby Bash
Mexican-American rapper Ronnie Ray Bryant had his biggest pop hit with this this laid back tribute to his "superfly chick." It was nice to hear an actual love song in this genre after all the other songs about more temporary relationships.
2 - "Here Without You," 3 Doors Down
The Mississippi band play a boring sappy ballad. It's not "Kryptonite," so I don't care. Millions did, however, which is why it's up here. Good for them.
And on top nine years ago was...
1 - "Hey Ya!" OutKast
This was the first single from The Love Below, Andre 3000's half of OutKast's double album. And it is, without doubt, one of the most brilliant things I've ever heard. It starts out as a catchy acoustic rock song about a complicated relationship, then adds some funk keyboards on the chorus, which consists of a two-word phrase that doesn't make sense yet is somehow perfect. Then there's the spoken-word bridge about ice and sugar that again works in spite of itself, which is followed by the immortal instruction to "shake it like a Polaroid picture," and at last a simple call to dance before the chorus repeats until the fade and you just feel like shaking your ass on into infiinity. The song is joyous, it's meaningful, it's musically complex yet accessible. And best of all, it became a hit pretty much proportional to its greatness. It was everywhere back then, and yet I never got sick of it. And I don't think I ever will.
In the first of the LDDs, a girl dedicated TLC's "Waterfalls" to her incarcerated older brother. Then a woman dedicated Jessica Simpson's "I Wanna Love You Forever" to her loyal boyfriend. Finally, a girl sent out Uncle Kracker's "Drift Away," to the best friend who moved to Florida.
So this was the final AT40 countdown Casey ever did. He began with Marvin Gaye and ended with OutKast. He saw disco, new wave, metal, rap, grunge,and boybands all emerge, but he stayed the same, just playing whatever the kids were into. Sometimes he embarrassed himself by trying to adopt the lingo of the day, but mostly, he just stayed timeless. For better or for worse, he's one of the voices of my life.
Next time: a little something special for the season.
20 - "Stand Up," Ludacris
19 - "Holidae In," Chingy
18 - "Invisible," Clay Aiken
17 - "Bright Lights," Matchbox Twenty
16 - "The Voice Within," Christina Aguilera
The second half opens with the first #1 pop hit by rapper Chris "Ludacris" Bridges. It's basically about a night of drinking, smoking weed, and admiring the charms of young ladies at a nightclub. Not revolutionary, but good beat, easy to dance to, and Luda has a nice flow. Like it.
Ludacris also contributes a guest verse to Chingy's entry here, and Snoop Dogg chips in on the choruses. It's a song about having a wild drink-drug-and-sex party at a reasonably-priced chain hotel. A lot of hip-hop in this era recycles the same things, so for me, it usually comes down to the music, the voices, or some unique turns of phrase to measure my enjoyment. This one was very much meh.
Next is North Carolinian Clay Aiken, who earlier in this year was the runner-up to Ruben Studdard on the second season of American Idol. But Aiken's first recordings clearly outsold Studdard's, and his rabid fanbase dubbed themselves the "Claymates." But this, the lead single from his first album, doesn't really hold up. Sure, he sings this pop-rock song about wanting to be noticed by the object of his affection well enough, but it's clear he's just not comfortable in the genre. He works best as a belter of ballads. And as much as his label tried to market him to the teen crowd, his natural audience skews older. I don't think he's ever going to be a big pop star again, but I think he'll maintain enough of an audience to keep him a decent live draw for years to come.
Then it's...them. They just won't leave me alone. Back they come with a bland and insipid take on the "when you inevitably fail in the big city, come back home to me" theme. Fortunately, with the charts coming up, I think I'll be safe from them for a while. But wait...Rob Thomas also put out solo albums! Shudder.
Rounding out this section is Christina Aguilera with a gentle ballad on which she advises a young girl to trust herself when dealing with the big bad world. Nice message, nice song, that's it.
15 - "Shake Ya Tailfeather," Nelly with P. Diddy and Murphy Lee
14 - "Why Can’t I," Liz Phair
13 - "Get Low," Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz featuring the Ying Yang Twinz
12 - "Harder to Breathe," Maroon 5
11 - "Someday," Nickelback
This group is led off by Nelly's collaboration with his homeboy Murphy Lee and some other guy who I think has done some rapping and stuff. On this track from the film Bad Boys II, they sing (though not literally) the praises of female posteriors. In an unlikely and bizarre connection to the holidays, Nelly at one point raps "Is that your ass or your mama have reindeer?" It gets an extra point for that, and another one for Murphy Lee's mention of Dean Martin. I like Dean.
In 1993, Chicago's Liz Phair released Exile in Guyville, an album of sexually frank rock songs that quickly became a critical favorite and is considered one of the best records of that decade. But ten years later, she hadn't risen above the underground, so on the advice of her label, she recorded four tracks from her fourth album with the production team called The Matrix, the trio who masterminded the breakthrough of Avril Lavigne. One of these was this bouncy pop track about the thrill and frustration of having an affair. It got a good deal of radio play, but no other hits followed, and the album sold roughly the same amount as Exile. And the critics were merciless, accusing her of being the dreaded "sellout." Me, I like the song, and I found it cool hearing her voice in dollar stores filling a playlist spot that might have been filled by...others. But I do admit, she has quite a few better songs than this.
Next are Atlanta's Lil Jon and his crew with their biggest hit, a sex rap that introduced the world not only to Jon's cartoonish rasp, but to the term "skeet." I won't describe it here, but suffice it to say, it's a verb. Overall, this is not one of the genre's most progressive moments.
Then it's the first hit for Maroon 5. It's a catchy little rock earworm that I instantly liked, and I still do. However, every other song I've heard of theirs I find annoying. Adam Levine in lothario mode just doesn't do it for me. But this, I will still listen to with pleasure and without apology.
Anchoring this quintet are Nickelback with a power ballad about trying to repair a broken relationship. It's okay by their standards. It was accompanied by a Sixth Sense-esque clip that introduced their penchant for gimmicky videos. My favorite is probably "Savin' Me."
Top Ten lords a' leaping.
10 - "Stacy’s Mom," Fountains of Wayne
These New Jersey power-poppers picked upt their lone pop hit with this fun tune about a teenage boy lusting after a female friend's attractive mother. There are other FoW songs I like better, but this was a worthy hit. It's like a great lost Cars single.
9 - "Perfect," Simple Plan
These Montrealers had their biggest American hit to date with a power ballad about trying and failing to live up to a father's high expectations. Not great, but it's not hard to see why there was an audience for it.
8 - "It’s My Life," No Doubt
Gwen and her men had their last hit before she launched her solo career with this slick cover of Talk Talk's 1984 statement of independence. Not better than the original, but they do it some degree of justice.
7 - "Why Don't You and I," Santana featuring Alex Band
This midtempo romance rocker was written by Nickelback's Chad Kroeger, who sang it on Santana's Shaman album. But Kroeger's record label refused to allow Santana's label to release it as a single, so Carlos re-recorded it with Band, a Kroeger soundalike who sang lead for the band The Calling. But even though Casey played that version, most stations went ahead and played the original. Can't blame them. The only thing worse than mediocrity is a pale imitation of it.
6 - "(There's Gotta Be) More to Life," Stacie Orrico
Orrico, a Christian-pop singer from Seattle, released her first album at the age of 14, then scored two mainstream hits three years later, the biggest of which was this bouncy tune about a quest for meaning beyond "chasing down every temporary high." The song is catchy, the message is subtle yet clear, and she sings it well. Can't say anything bad about it.
5 - "Headstrong," Trapt
This California band that shared Staind's allergy to the letter "e" had their one major pop hit with this noisy rock song about anger and stuff. Not much of anything in the long run.
4 - "Baby Boy," Beyoncé featuring Sean Paul
Ms. Knowles had her second solo hit with this dancehall song about being in love with a man. At one point, she sings to her lover "Let's conceive an angel." I don't know how angelic Blue Ivy will turn out to be, but I'm certainly happy for B and Hov. Oh, and Sean Paul does his thing. That's nice.
3 - "Suga Suga," Baby Bash
Mexican-American rapper Ronnie Ray Bryant had his biggest pop hit with this this laid back tribute to his "superfly chick." It was nice to hear an actual love song in this genre after all the other songs about more temporary relationships.
2 - "Here Without You," 3 Doors Down
The Mississippi band play a boring sappy ballad. It's not "Kryptonite," so I don't care. Millions did, however, which is why it's up here. Good for them.
And on top nine years ago was...
1 - "Hey Ya!" OutKast
This was the first single from The Love Below, Andre 3000's half of OutKast's double album. And it is, without doubt, one of the most brilliant things I've ever heard. It starts out as a catchy acoustic rock song about a complicated relationship, then adds some funk keyboards on the chorus, which consists of a two-word phrase that doesn't make sense yet is somehow perfect. Then there's the spoken-word bridge about ice and sugar that again works in spite of itself, which is followed by the immortal instruction to "shake it like a Polaroid picture," and at last a simple call to dance before the chorus repeats until the fade and you just feel like shaking your ass on into infiinity. The song is joyous, it's meaningful, it's musically complex yet accessible. And best of all, it became a hit pretty much proportional to its greatness. It was everywhere back then, and yet I never got sick of it. And I don't think I ever will.
In the first of the LDDs, a girl dedicated TLC's "Waterfalls" to her incarcerated older brother. Then a woman dedicated Jessica Simpson's "I Wanna Love You Forever" to her loyal boyfriend. Finally, a girl sent out Uncle Kracker's "Drift Away," to the best friend who moved to Florida.
So this was the final AT40 countdown Casey ever did. He began with Marvin Gaye and ended with OutKast. He saw disco, new wave, metal, rap, grunge,and boybands all emerge, but he stayed the same, just playing whatever the kids were into. Sometimes he embarrassed himself by trying to adopt the lingo of the day, but mostly, he just stayed timeless. For better or for worse, he's one of the voices of my life.
Next time: a little something special for the season.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
December 13, 2003 Part One
And this week we arrive at the end of 2003. On the day this chart originally aired, U.S. forces tracked Saddam Hussein to a "spider hole" near Tikrit and captured him. I'm sure some people thought that would mark the beginning of the end of the Iraq War. It didn't quite. Meanwhile, American pop radio was broadcasting the following musical selections:
40 - "Me, Myself and I," Beyonc
39 - "The First Cut is the Deepest," Sheryl Crow
38 - "My Love is Like…Wo," Mya
37 - "P.I.M.P.," 50 Cent
36 - "God is a DJ," Pink
35 - "So Yesterday," Hillary Duff
34 - "Numb," Linkin Park
33 - "F**k It (I Don’t Want You Back)," Eamon
32 - "Powerless (Say What You Want)," Nelly Furtado
31 - "Deliverance," Bubba Sparxxx
Ladies rule the first section, with a whopping 60% of the population. Beyoncé Knowles is here with her third solo Top Ten, a midtempo ballad about getting out of a bad relationship and resolving to be one's "own best friend." One of her less spectacular hits, but no less effective. The woman is a star. Sheryl Crow had her biggest solo pop hit of this century with this passionate cover of a song previously recorded by Cat Stevens and Rod Stewart, among others. She asked people to try and love it again, and they did. Mya had her last pop hit to date with this list of characteristics she posesses that can stop men in their tracks, including her kiss, her sex, and her ass. It's okay, but I think I'd like it better if co-writer and co-producer Missy Elliott had recorded it herself. Pink is here with the second single from her worst-selling album to date, Try This. It's a decent-enough dance-rock ode that encourages people to go out and embrace life. Or as she puts it, "If God is a DJ, then God wants you to shake your ass." Is that in Psalms? Creating a template that future Disney stars Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez would follow, Hillary Duff left behind her popular Lizzie McGuire character and hooked up with the production team that launched Avril Lavigne for her first major hit. It's a harmless little pop song about getting over a breakup. Duff tries to show attitude and defiance, but it just wasn't in her. She since made some movies and had a few more hits, but for the moment she seems to have put those careers on the back burner. She married a hockey player, had a baby, and now writes young adult novels. Good for her. And Nelly Furtado combined breakbeats and banjo on the first single from her second album, a cool little song about how popular culture takes authentic things and molds them into product that's more palatable to the masses. On a completely unrelated note, after this album didn't sell nearly as well as her debut, she hooked up with Timbaland and became a hip-hop/dance diva.
There are two rappers in this section. Curtis Jackson, a kid from Queens who borrowed his nickname from a Brooklyn bank robber, got his third Top Ten hit with a song about having a stable of prostitutes. I like the steel drum on it, and 50's lazy, slurry delivery has its charm, but otherwise, this is pretty forgettable. And Warren Mathis, a white guy from rural Georgia, made somewhat of a name for himself in hip-hop with songs like his entry here, a Timbaland production about seeking redemption for past mistakes. A very good lyric, well-delivered.
What's left of this batch are a band and a male singer. California rockers Linkin Park had one of the hits that made them ubiquitous in the first half of this decade with this mix of guitars, dissonant piano chords, and whiny angst. I was never into these guys, though I do admit this song sounds better when mashed up with Jay-Z's "Encore." And Staten Island's Eamon Doyle had his only hit of consequence with this bitter R&B ballad that possibly contains more censored expletives than any non-rap song in Top 40 history. It inspired an answer song, "F.U.R.B." by previously unknown female singer Frankee. Then the whole thing faded into obscurity. And justifiably so.
30 - "Falls on Me," Fuel
29 - "White Flag," Dido
28 - "Milkshake," Kelis
27 - "Addicted," Enrique Iglesias
26 - "With You," Jessica Simpson
25 - "Take Me Away," Fefe Dobson
24 - "The Way You Move," OutKast
23 - "So Far Away," Staind
22 - "Breathe," Michelle Branch
21 - "Me Against the Music," Britney Spears featuring Madonna
We've got four songs here by groups or duos. Mope rockers fuel had a typically mopey hit with this mopey ballad on which singer Brett Scallions mopes. I might be mopey too if my last name was a member of the onion family. OutKast are here, sort of, with this slinky ode to the joy of watching a woman dance. But the fact is that it comes from the former portion of the duo's double CD Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, which is for all intents and purposes is a Big Boi solo album. We'd hear from Andre 3000 later in the show. Staind had one of their last pop hits to date with this thudding ballad about missing someone. But I think Fuel would beat them in a mope-off. And in a summit of two generations of dance divas, Britney Spears and Madonna teamed up on this song about vigorous dancing. There was a lot of anticipation leading up to this song's release, especially following the pair's infamous kiss on the MTV awards, and while it's a decent enough club track, it didn't quite take the world by storm as some might have anticipated.
Just one lonely male singer in the whole bottom half of the chart. Enrique Iglesias is here with a ballad on which he tells his lover "You're the drug that keeps me from dying." Hey baby, you're, like, my heart medication. Sexy.
We finish with five more solo women. England's Dido Armstrong had her second-biggest American hit with this languid pop song about how she will not give up on her love for the man of her dreams. Pleasant background music. Harlem's Kelis Rogers had her biggest hit with this odd Neptunes creation that isn't about a cold dairy treat, but rather a special manoeuvre that she performs that "brings all the boys to the yard." You can specualte on the exact nature of this move for yourselves, but whatever it is, it helps Kelis earn this week's Uneasy Rider. Jessica Simpson, at the height of her Newlyweds popularity, has a hit here with this light pop tune about how good and comfortable her man (presumably Nick) makes her feel. Well-executed fluff. Canadian pop-rocker Fefe Dobson had her biggest hit to date about wanting to run away with a special someone. Any sonic similarities between this and an Avril Lavigne song are purely what the record label was going for. And Michelle Branch had her last major pop hit to this point with a song about needing some space of her own for a while. She always sounds good on the radio, and that's no mean feat.
In Part Two: an indie darling makes her big commercial move, the one song I like by a band I otherwise despise (no, not that band, though they're around too), and a genuine pop masterpiece.
40 - "Me, Myself and I," Beyonc
39 - "The First Cut is the Deepest," Sheryl Crow
38 - "My Love is Like…Wo," Mya
37 - "P.I.M.P.," 50 Cent
36 - "God is a DJ," Pink
35 - "So Yesterday," Hillary Duff
34 - "Numb," Linkin Park
33 - "F**k It (I Don’t Want You Back)," Eamon
32 - "Powerless (Say What You Want)," Nelly Furtado
31 - "Deliverance," Bubba Sparxxx
Ladies rule the first section, with a whopping 60% of the population. Beyoncé Knowles is here with her third solo Top Ten, a midtempo ballad about getting out of a bad relationship and resolving to be one's "own best friend." One of her less spectacular hits, but no less effective. The woman is a star. Sheryl Crow had her biggest solo pop hit of this century with this passionate cover of a song previously recorded by Cat Stevens and Rod Stewart, among others. She asked people to try and love it again, and they did. Mya had her last pop hit to date with this list of characteristics she posesses that can stop men in their tracks, including her kiss, her sex, and her ass. It's okay, but I think I'd like it better if co-writer and co-producer Missy Elliott had recorded it herself. Pink is here with the second single from her worst-selling album to date, Try This. It's a decent-enough dance-rock ode that encourages people to go out and embrace life. Or as she puts it, "If God is a DJ, then God wants you to shake your ass." Is that in Psalms? Creating a template that future Disney stars Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez would follow, Hillary Duff left behind her popular Lizzie McGuire character and hooked up with the production team that launched Avril Lavigne for her first major hit. It's a harmless little pop song about getting over a breakup. Duff tries to show attitude and defiance, but it just wasn't in her. She since made some movies and had a few more hits, but for the moment she seems to have put those careers on the back burner. She married a hockey player, had a baby, and now writes young adult novels. Good for her. And Nelly Furtado combined breakbeats and banjo on the first single from her second album, a cool little song about how popular culture takes authentic things and molds them into product that's more palatable to the masses. On a completely unrelated note, after this album didn't sell nearly as well as her debut, she hooked up with Timbaland and became a hip-hop/dance diva.
There are two rappers in this section. Curtis Jackson, a kid from Queens who borrowed his nickname from a Brooklyn bank robber, got his third Top Ten hit with a song about having a stable of prostitutes. I like the steel drum on it, and 50's lazy, slurry delivery has its charm, but otherwise, this is pretty forgettable. And Warren Mathis, a white guy from rural Georgia, made somewhat of a name for himself in hip-hop with songs like his entry here, a Timbaland production about seeking redemption for past mistakes. A very good lyric, well-delivered.
What's left of this batch are a band and a male singer. California rockers Linkin Park had one of the hits that made them ubiquitous in the first half of this decade with this mix of guitars, dissonant piano chords, and whiny angst. I was never into these guys, though I do admit this song sounds better when mashed up with Jay-Z's "Encore." And Staten Island's Eamon Doyle had his only hit of consequence with this bitter R&B ballad that possibly contains more censored expletives than any non-rap song in Top 40 history. It inspired an answer song, "F.U.R.B." by previously unknown female singer Frankee. Then the whole thing faded into obscurity. And justifiably so.
30 - "Falls on Me," Fuel
29 - "White Flag," Dido
28 - "Milkshake," Kelis
27 - "Addicted," Enrique Iglesias
26 - "With You," Jessica Simpson
25 - "Take Me Away," Fefe Dobson
24 - "The Way You Move," OutKast
23 - "So Far Away," Staind
22 - "Breathe," Michelle Branch
21 - "Me Against the Music," Britney Spears featuring Madonna
We've got four songs here by groups or duos. Mope rockers fuel had a typically mopey hit with this mopey ballad on which singer Brett Scallions mopes. I might be mopey too if my last name was a member of the onion family. OutKast are here, sort of, with this slinky ode to the joy of watching a woman dance. But the fact is that it comes from the former portion of the duo's double CD Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, which is for all intents and purposes is a Big Boi solo album. We'd hear from Andre 3000 later in the show. Staind had one of their last pop hits to date with this thudding ballad about missing someone. But I think Fuel would beat them in a mope-off. And in a summit of two generations of dance divas, Britney Spears and Madonna teamed up on this song about vigorous dancing. There was a lot of anticipation leading up to this song's release, especially following the pair's infamous kiss on the MTV awards, and while it's a decent enough club track, it didn't quite take the world by storm as some might have anticipated.
Just one lonely male singer in the whole bottom half of the chart. Enrique Iglesias is here with a ballad on which he tells his lover "You're the drug that keeps me from dying." Hey baby, you're, like, my heart medication. Sexy.
We finish with five more solo women. England's Dido Armstrong had her second-biggest American hit with this languid pop song about how she will not give up on her love for the man of her dreams. Pleasant background music. Harlem's Kelis Rogers had her biggest hit with this odd Neptunes creation that isn't about a cold dairy treat, but rather a special manoeuvre that she performs that "brings all the boys to the yard." You can specualte on the exact nature of this move for yourselves, but whatever it is, it helps Kelis earn this week's Uneasy Rider. Jessica Simpson, at the height of her Newlyweds popularity, has a hit here with this light pop tune about how good and comfortable her man (presumably Nick) makes her feel. Well-executed fluff. Canadian pop-rocker Fefe Dobson had her biggest hit to date about wanting to run away with a special someone. Any sonic similarities between this and an Avril Lavigne song are purely what the record label was going for. And Michelle Branch had her last major pop hit to this point with a song about needing some space of her own for a while. She always sounds good on the radio, and that's no mean feat.
In Part Two: an indie darling makes her big commercial move, the one song I like by a band I otherwise despise (no, not that band, though they're around too), and a genuine pop masterpiece.
Friday, December 14, 2012
December 14, 2002 Part Two
Finishing up 2002.
20 - "Your Body is a Wonderland," John Mayer
19 - "Gotta Get Thru This," Daniel Bedingfield
18 - "If I Could Go," Angie Martinez
17 - "Dilemma," Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland
16 - "These are the Days," O-Town
We start out with the second hit by pop-rocker John Mayer. It's a mushy, floaty song about sex. Doesn't do anything for me, but it's helped him amass a large fan base, so what do I know?
New Zealander Daniel Bedingfield had his first and biggest American hit with this high energy dance track that I love for some reason. It just hits the sweet spots somehow. Of course, he's since been overshadowed by his sister Natasha, but for my money, this is much better than anything she's ever done.
Next is Angie Martinez, a popular New York hip-hop radio DJ who was encouraged to try her hand at rapping herself. The most successful result of this foray into music was this number about wanting to escape to somewhere exotic with a lover. It's pretty good, but it's probably for the best that she decided to stick to spinning the tunes soon after this.
Then it's Nelly's second hit of this week, a duet with one of the non-Beyonce members of Destiny's Child on which he professes his love for an attached woman and she reciprocates. Rap ballads can be a tricky business, but Nelly strikes the proper balance here. Good song.
This section closes with the final hit by made-by-TV boy band O-Town. It finds them trying to stay releveant by going in a more rock direction. Unfortunately, the rock the same to be emulating is that of Matchbox Twenty. Meh.
15 - "One Last Breath," Creed
14 - "Don't Mess With My Man," Nivea
13 - "She Hates Me," Puddle of Mudd
12 - "Stole," Kelly Rowland
11 - "Like I Love You," Justin Timberlake
This bunch is led off by Creed's most recent Top Ten. Scott Stapp's bleating about being in trouble or something as the guitars drone behind him. Some people apparently enjoyed that. Good for them.
Savannah, Georgia singer Nivea Nash had her biggest pop hit with this warning to other women not to amorously approach her boyfriend. Also on the song, the Casey brothers from the group Jagged Edge, presumably sharing the role of her significant other, issue a similar caution to men. Yes, jealousy and possessiveness have always had a place on the pop charts, and they probably always will
Next is Kansas City band Puddle of Mudd. Discovered by Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst, they went triple-platinum with their major-label debut, the second-biggest hit from which was this rock song where singer Wes Scantlin basically just shouts about how much his ex despises him for three minutes. Not a great song, but I imagine it could be useful as post-breakup catharsis.
Then it's Kelly Rowland, appearing for the second time this week with her first solo single. It's a rock-edged song about a bullied teen who one day snaps and brings a gun to school to shoot and kill some of his classmates. The choruses tell the stories of an aspiring actress and a promising basketball player, both of whose lives were cut short by this senseless act of violence. And sadly, as we've just been reminded again, school shootings are still a terrible reality.
This quintet is anchored by Justin Timberlake's debut solo single. It's a snappy, propulsive track created by The Neptunes, featuring some cool Spanish-style guitar as well as their trademark beepy noises. Overtop of it, JT busts out his best Michael Jackson impression, down to employing a falsetton in the exact same spots Michael himself would have. But as imitations go, it's a damn good one, and it set the tone for him becoming the one boyband grad to become a genuine superstar on his own.
The Top Ten are gonna rock you.
10 - "Die Another Day," Madonna
Ms. Ciccone scaled the charts yet again with this jagged Eurodance theme to Pierce Brosnan's last Bond film. It doesn't really hold up, and it isn't very sexy, even when she's whispering to Sigmund Freud. One of her weakest big hits.
9 - "Family Portrait," Pink
Alecia Moore continued her hot streak with this bitter midtempo ballad about the unhappy childhood created by her parents' constant fighting and eventual divorce. Genuine pain comes out of every syllable. A powerful song by an artist coming into her own.
8 - "Sk8er Boi," Avril Lavigne
The Canadian sensation scored her second hit with this pop-punk story about a ballet-loving rich girl who turns down the advances of an unkempt skateboarder, only to have him become a rock star and co-write a song with his new girlfriend about how she missed her chance to be with him. Dumb fun, but the text-speak title is too cutesy and gimmicky.
7 - "Beautiful," Christina Aguilera
After causing all that commotion and controversy with "Dirrty," Aguilera followed up in a more conventional way with this pretty Linda Perry about being convinced of your own value and attractiveness regardless of what those on the outside may think or say. This quickly got her career back on track. Bottom line: it's a solid song, and Christina wisely restrains herself from showing off too much on it.
6 - "Hey Ma," Cam'ron
This Harlem rapper had his biggest hit with this song about picking up women. At one time in hip-hop, "Ma" was the equivalent of "baby" or "honey." Myself, I don't think I'd be comfortable using that word in that way. Too many Oedipal connotations.
5 - "The Game of Love," Santana featuring Michelle Branch
The first single from the second album of Carlos' comeback was this decent number about romance that for some reason mentions candy stores a lot. Whatever. Better this than "Smooth."
4 - "Work It," Missy Elliott
Missy oozes carnality on this sultry, spiderwebby showstopper. In my all-time rap Top Ten for sure. Just a stone classic, backwards and forwards.
3 - "Underneath it All," No Doubt featuring Lady Saw
Gwen Stefani and company were near the top again with this fine reggae ballad she wrote for future husband Gavin Rossdale. Awwwww.
2 - "Jenny from the Block," Jennifer Lopez
Oh yes, the song where J. Lo declares she's still just regular folk, which was accompanied by a video in which she is followed by paparazzi and gets her ass massaged by Ben Affleck on a yacht. No sir, I don't like her.
And the Number One song in the USA ten years ago was...
1 - "Lose Yourself," Eminem
Slim Shady himself picked up his first pop #1 with this song to the soundtrack of his semiautobiographical film 8 Mile. It starts by depicting a disastrous rap battle performance by his movie surrogate B-Rabbit, then turns into a statement of purpose from a young man who sees only one way out of his trailer-park existence and is willing to put everything on the line to make that escape. Urgent and powerful, and it would go on to be the first rap tune ever to win the Academy Award for Best Original song. It's not my favorite of his, but it's certainly his defining moment as an artist.
Three LDDs this week, as usual. First, a woman dedicated Starship's "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" to the author she fell in love with and married. Then, a girl dedicated Faith Hill's "There You'll Be" to the memory of the late grandfather she loved so much. And lastly, a woman carrying on a secret affair with a man behing the backs of both of their partners sent Macy Gray's "I Try" out to her lover.
Next time: It's 2003!
20 - "Your Body is a Wonderland," John Mayer
19 - "Gotta Get Thru This," Daniel Bedingfield
18 - "If I Could Go," Angie Martinez
17 - "Dilemma," Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland
16 - "These are the Days," O-Town
We start out with the second hit by pop-rocker John Mayer. It's a mushy, floaty song about sex. Doesn't do anything for me, but it's helped him amass a large fan base, so what do I know?
New Zealander Daniel Bedingfield had his first and biggest American hit with this high energy dance track that I love for some reason. It just hits the sweet spots somehow. Of course, he's since been overshadowed by his sister Natasha, but for my money, this is much better than anything she's ever done.
Next is Angie Martinez, a popular New York hip-hop radio DJ who was encouraged to try her hand at rapping herself. The most successful result of this foray into music was this number about wanting to escape to somewhere exotic with a lover. It's pretty good, but it's probably for the best that she decided to stick to spinning the tunes soon after this.
Then it's Nelly's second hit of this week, a duet with one of the non-Beyonce members of Destiny's Child on which he professes his love for an attached woman and she reciprocates. Rap ballads can be a tricky business, but Nelly strikes the proper balance here. Good song.
This section closes with the final hit by made-by-TV boy band O-Town. It finds them trying to stay releveant by going in a more rock direction. Unfortunately, the rock the same to be emulating is that of Matchbox Twenty. Meh.
15 - "One Last Breath," Creed
14 - "Don't Mess With My Man," Nivea
13 - "She Hates Me," Puddle of Mudd
12 - "Stole," Kelly Rowland
11 - "Like I Love You," Justin Timberlake
This bunch is led off by Creed's most recent Top Ten. Scott Stapp's bleating about being in trouble or something as the guitars drone behind him. Some people apparently enjoyed that. Good for them.
Savannah, Georgia singer Nivea Nash had her biggest pop hit with this warning to other women not to amorously approach her boyfriend. Also on the song, the Casey brothers from the group Jagged Edge, presumably sharing the role of her significant other, issue a similar caution to men. Yes, jealousy and possessiveness have always had a place on the pop charts, and they probably always will
Next is Kansas City band Puddle of Mudd. Discovered by Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst, they went triple-platinum with their major-label debut, the second-biggest hit from which was this rock song where singer Wes Scantlin basically just shouts about how much his ex despises him for three minutes. Not a great song, but I imagine it could be useful as post-breakup catharsis.
Then it's Kelly Rowland, appearing for the second time this week with her first solo single. It's a rock-edged song about a bullied teen who one day snaps and brings a gun to school to shoot and kill some of his classmates. The choruses tell the stories of an aspiring actress and a promising basketball player, both of whose lives were cut short by this senseless act of violence. And sadly, as we've just been reminded again, school shootings are still a terrible reality.
This quintet is anchored by Justin Timberlake's debut solo single. It's a snappy, propulsive track created by The Neptunes, featuring some cool Spanish-style guitar as well as their trademark beepy noises. Overtop of it, JT busts out his best Michael Jackson impression, down to employing a falsetton in the exact same spots Michael himself would have. But as imitations go, it's a damn good one, and it set the tone for him becoming the one boyband grad to become a genuine superstar on his own.
The Top Ten are gonna rock you.
10 - "Die Another Day," Madonna
Ms. Ciccone scaled the charts yet again with this jagged Eurodance theme to Pierce Brosnan's last Bond film. It doesn't really hold up, and it isn't very sexy, even when she's whispering to Sigmund Freud. One of her weakest big hits.
9 - "Family Portrait," Pink
Alecia Moore continued her hot streak with this bitter midtempo ballad about the unhappy childhood created by her parents' constant fighting and eventual divorce. Genuine pain comes out of every syllable. A powerful song by an artist coming into her own.
8 - "Sk8er Boi," Avril Lavigne
The Canadian sensation scored her second hit with this pop-punk story about a ballet-loving rich girl who turns down the advances of an unkempt skateboarder, only to have him become a rock star and co-write a song with his new girlfriend about how she missed her chance to be with him. Dumb fun, but the text-speak title is too cutesy and gimmicky.
7 - "Beautiful," Christina Aguilera
After causing all that commotion and controversy with "Dirrty," Aguilera followed up in a more conventional way with this pretty Linda Perry about being convinced of your own value and attractiveness regardless of what those on the outside may think or say. This quickly got her career back on track. Bottom line: it's a solid song, and Christina wisely restrains herself from showing off too much on it.
6 - "Hey Ma," Cam'ron
This Harlem rapper had his biggest hit with this song about picking up women. At one time in hip-hop, "Ma" was the equivalent of "baby" or "honey." Myself, I don't think I'd be comfortable using that word in that way. Too many Oedipal connotations.
5 - "The Game of Love," Santana featuring Michelle Branch
The first single from the second album of Carlos' comeback was this decent number about romance that for some reason mentions candy stores a lot. Whatever. Better this than "Smooth."
4 - "Work It," Missy Elliott
Missy oozes carnality on this sultry, spiderwebby showstopper. In my all-time rap Top Ten for sure. Just a stone classic, backwards and forwards.
3 - "Underneath it All," No Doubt featuring Lady Saw
Gwen Stefani and company were near the top again with this fine reggae ballad she wrote for future husband Gavin Rossdale. Awwwww.
2 - "Jenny from the Block," Jennifer Lopez
Oh yes, the song where J. Lo declares she's still just regular folk, which was accompanied by a video in which she is followed by paparazzi and gets her ass massaged by Ben Affleck on a yacht. No sir, I don't like her.
And the Number One song in the USA ten years ago was...
1 - "Lose Yourself," Eminem
Slim Shady himself picked up his first pop #1 with this song to the soundtrack of his semiautobiographical film 8 Mile. It starts by depicting a disastrous rap battle performance by his movie surrogate B-Rabbit, then turns into a statement of purpose from a young man who sees only one way out of his trailer-park existence and is willing to put everything on the line to make that escape. Urgent and powerful, and it would go on to be the first rap tune ever to win the Academy Award for Best Original song. It's not my favorite of his, but it's certainly his defining moment as an artist.
Three LDDs this week, as usual. First, a woman dedicated Starship's "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" to the author she fell in love with and married. Then, a girl dedicated Faith Hill's "There You'll Be" to the memory of the late grandfather she loved so much. And lastly, a woman carrying on a secret affair with a man behing the backs of both of their partners sent Macy Gray's "I Try" out to her lover.
Next time: It's 2003!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
December 14, 2002 Part One
This week we're in December of 2002. As the Bush Administration was ratcheting up the case for their eventual invasion of Iraq, American pop radio was playing the following:
40 - "Come Into My World," Kylie Minogue
39 - "Through the Rain," Mariah Carey
38 - "Strength of a Woman," Shaggy
37 - "Starry-Eyed Surprise," Paul Oakenfold featuring Shifty Shellshock
36 - "Don't Know Why," Norah Jones
35 - "Cry Me a River," Justin Timberlake
34 - "Heaven," DJ Sammy and Yanou featuring Do
33 - "Dirrty," Christina Aguilera
32 - "'03 Bonnie and Clyde," Jay-Z featuring Beyonce
31 - "What's Your Flava," Craig David
We begin with four solo women. Kylie Minogue's return to the American charts after fourteen years had begun at the start of the year with the fantastic dance track "Can't Get You Out of My Head," and was back on the charts with a third single from her Fever CD. It's okay, but it's so similar to that better, earlier hit as to be unnecessary. Mariah Carey is here, arguably at the low point of her career. The previous year, she had signed a $100 million record deal with Virgin, the first album of which was the soundtrack of her movie Glitter. But both the film and the album flopped spectacularly, to the point where Virgin paid her $50 million to get out of the contract. At this point, she was signed to Island, and her first single for them was this ballad about having the strength to make it through hard times. It's pretty much what you'd expect from her, and decent enough as that goes. But unfortunately, the hard times would continue, as neither this song nor its parent album performed up to her lofty standards. But things would turn around, eventually. Brooklyn-born, Texas-raised Norah Jones, the daughter of Indian sitar star Ravi Shankar and an American concert promoter, burst on the scene this year with her laid back jazz-pop stylings, a shining example of which is this stylish loneliness ballad. It's an okay song, but her rich, smoky voice makes it rise above. And Christina Aguilera is here with the first single from her second album. It's a somewhat cacophonous dance number about how Aguilera wants to "sweat until my clothes come off," but it's best remembered for its then-scandalous video that introduced the world to her more provocative "Xtina" image. And furries.
Three solo men are in this section. Shaggy unveils his softer side by actually trying to sing this ode to the power of the "fairer sex." Much of it comes off as reverent, and he even starts off by saying "I wonder if God is a woman." But then he talks about how despite their frequent nagging, he can't resist them because "those hips got me whipped." I'm not sure his bid for feminist cred worked as well as he might have hoped. Justin Timberlake's second hit from his first solo album was this massive-sounding breakup ballad supposedly inspired by the end of his relationship with Britney Spears. It's a big production, with lots of different elements (including Gregorian chants, of all things), but Timberlake's aching vocal doesn't get lost. Fine stuff. And Craig David had his final significant American hit with this soul-popper that compares women to ice cream flavours. It's pleasant enough, but it gets a little creepy when he sings "they got me dribbling hot fudge sauce on the soles of my Timberlands." Ew.
We close off this section with three collaborations. Veteran producer and DJ Paul Oakenfold had his only American hit with this swirly dance tune featurning a rap from Shifty Shellshock of briefly popular nu-metallers Crazy Town ("Butterfly") It's a cool little song that puts you in a nice headspace. Spain's DJ Sammy teamed up with German producer Yanou and a Dutch singer simply known as Do to produce a Eurodisco version of Bryan Adams' 1985 charttopper. They also put together the "Candlelight Mix" that Casey played, which was basically just piano and voice. I wasn't impressed by either version. And Jay-Z hooked up with future wife Beyonce on a track where he not only compares the couple to the legendary 1920s bank robbers, he also declares them to be "the new Bobby and Whitney." Fortunately, he was wrong about that, at least so far. And Beyonce breaking off a few lines from Prince's "If I Was Your Girlfriend" was a nice touch.
30 - "A Moment Like This," Kelly Clarkson
29 - "Picture," Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow
28 - "Po' Folks," Nappy Roots
27 - "Spin," Lifehouse
26 - "Gimme the Light," Sean Paul
25 - "Girl Talk," TLC
24 - "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," Good Charlotte
23 - "Air Force Ones," Nelly
22 - "I'm With You," Avril Lavigne
21 - "Disease," Matchbox Twenty
Just two solo ladies in this group. In the summer of 2002, America was gripped by a new singing competition called American Idol, and millions tuned in to see a big-voiced Texan named Kelly Clarkson crowned the winner and awarded a recording contract. The song she sang immediately after her victory, this ballad about finally arriving somewhere you've always wanted to be, became her first single. It's an okay song, but you can immediately tell she's way better than this material. And she's borne that out, for in spite of the odd stumble (From Justin to Kelly, a public battle with music industry legend Clive Davis), she's put together a pretty solid career, and was even able to put together a legitimate Greatest Hits collection. I'm not sure how many people would have predicted that. And Avril Lavigne, the pride of Napanee, Ontario, continued her big year with her third single, a ballad about loneliness and depending on the kindness of strangers. It might be her best song.
There's a duet and two solo men in this batch. Kid Rock picked up his biggest hit with this country ballad on which he and Shery Crow portray a separated couple who are trying to relieve their respective miseries with alcohol, drugs, and sex with various partners. But those things don't fill the emptiness, and they are forced to admit that by the end of the song. A solid C&W weepie, and while Kid Rock's singing can't hold a candle to Crow's, he at least acts his part well. Jamaican toaster Sean Paul made his U.S. breakthrough with this song about weed and women. People liked it. I wasn't one of them. And Nelly gets some assistance from his St. Lunatics crew on this ode to a certain model of Nike sneakers. All the colors and styles they come in, the number of pairs they own, etc. I'm not sure I'd ever find a link between Nelly and Imelda Marcos, but there it is.
We'll end the first half with groups. Kentucky rappers Nappy Roots had their biggest hit.with this bluesy number about struggling with poverty. Their voices are ragged in lived-in, which makes for a cool, authentic vibe. Good stuff. Alt-rockers Lifehouse are here with a peppy track about how they "wouldn't change a thing" about their lives, no matter what they bring. I probably like these guys more than I should. Their biggest hit, "Hanging by a Moment" is a really good song. It's like if Creed could write a half-decent melody. TLC had their last major hit, and their only one following the death of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, with a song that's basically a warning to men that if they have small penises, the women they sleep with won't be shy in sharing that information with others. Juvenile, but fun, and featuring the line "Some of y'all be killin' me/Thinkin' you got powers like Austin, but you're more like Mini-Me." Mayland pop-punks Good Charlotte had their breakthrough hit with this beat-heavy rocker decrying celebrities who complain about the demands of stardom and gives the following suggestion: "If money is such a problem, well, they've got mansions. Think we should rob them." Of course, this song made the band's frontmen and main songwriters, twins Benji and Joel Madden, celebrities themselves. I wonder if that made them change their stance on therapeutic burglary. And finally, there are my bestest buddies Matchbox Twenty. On this addition to the pile of crap that is their catalogue, Rob Thomas sings "Don't pay no attention to me." I try, Rob. I try.
In Part Two: Bond, boards, and an unlikely Oscar winner.
40 - "Come Into My World," Kylie Minogue
39 - "Through the Rain," Mariah Carey
38 - "Strength of a Woman," Shaggy
37 - "Starry-Eyed Surprise," Paul Oakenfold featuring Shifty Shellshock
36 - "Don't Know Why," Norah Jones
35 - "Cry Me a River," Justin Timberlake
34 - "Heaven," DJ Sammy and Yanou featuring Do
33 - "Dirrty," Christina Aguilera
32 - "'03 Bonnie and Clyde," Jay-Z featuring Beyonce
31 - "What's Your Flava," Craig David
We begin with four solo women. Kylie Minogue's return to the American charts after fourteen years had begun at the start of the year with the fantastic dance track "Can't Get You Out of My Head," and was back on the charts with a third single from her Fever CD. It's okay, but it's so similar to that better, earlier hit as to be unnecessary. Mariah Carey is here, arguably at the low point of her career. The previous year, she had signed a $100 million record deal with Virgin, the first album of which was the soundtrack of her movie Glitter. But both the film and the album flopped spectacularly, to the point where Virgin paid her $50 million to get out of the contract. At this point, she was signed to Island, and her first single for them was this ballad about having the strength to make it through hard times. It's pretty much what you'd expect from her, and decent enough as that goes. But unfortunately, the hard times would continue, as neither this song nor its parent album performed up to her lofty standards. But things would turn around, eventually. Brooklyn-born, Texas-raised Norah Jones, the daughter of Indian sitar star Ravi Shankar and an American concert promoter, burst on the scene this year with her laid back jazz-pop stylings, a shining example of which is this stylish loneliness ballad. It's an okay song, but her rich, smoky voice makes it rise above. And Christina Aguilera is here with the first single from her second album. It's a somewhat cacophonous dance number about how Aguilera wants to "sweat until my clothes come off," but it's best remembered for its then-scandalous video that introduced the world to her more provocative "Xtina" image. And furries.
Three solo men are in this section. Shaggy unveils his softer side by actually trying to sing this ode to the power of the "fairer sex." Much of it comes off as reverent, and he even starts off by saying "I wonder if God is a woman." But then he talks about how despite their frequent nagging, he can't resist them because "those hips got me whipped." I'm not sure his bid for feminist cred worked as well as he might have hoped. Justin Timberlake's second hit from his first solo album was this massive-sounding breakup ballad supposedly inspired by the end of his relationship with Britney Spears. It's a big production, with lots of different elements (including Gregorian chants, of all things), but Timberlake's aching vocal doesn't get lost. Fine stuff. And Craig David had his final significant American hit with this soul-popper that compares women to ice cream flavours. It's pleasant enough, but it gets a little creepy when he sings "they got me dribbling hot fudge sauce on the soles of my Timberlands." Ew.
We close off this section with three collaborations. Veteran producer and DJ Paul Oakenfold had his only American hit with this swirly dance tune featurning a rap from Shifty Shellshock of briefly popular nu-metallers Crazy Town ("Butterfly") It's a cool little song that puts you in a nice headspace. Spain's DJ Sammy teamed up with German producer Yanou and a Dutch singer simply known as Do to produce a Eurodisco version of Bryan Adams' 1985 charttopper. They also put together the "Candlelight Mix" that Casey played, which was basically just piano and voice. I wasn't impressed by either version. And Jay-Z hooked up with future wife Beyonce on a track where he not only compares the couple to the legendary 1920s bank robbers, he also declares them to be "the new Bobby and Whitney." Fortunately, he was wrong about that, at least so far. And Beyonce breaking off a few lines from Prince's "If I Was Your Girlfriend" was a nice touch.
30 - "A Moment Like This," Kelly Clarkson
29 - "Picture," Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow
28 - "Po' Folks," Nappy Roots
27 - "Spin," Lifehouse
26 - "Gimme the Light," Sean Paul
25 - "Girl Talk," TLC
24 - "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," Good Charlotte
23 - "Air Force Ones," Nelly
22 - "I'm With You," Avril Lavigne
21 - "Disease," Matchbox Twenty
Just two solo ladies in this group. In the summer of 2002, America was gripped by a new singing competition called American Idol, and millions tuned in to see a big-voiced Texan named Kelly Clarkson crowned the winner and awarded a recording contract. The song she sang immediately after her victory, this ballad about finally arriving somewhere you've always wanted to be, became her first single. It's an okay song, but you can immediately tell she's way better than this material. And she's borne that out, for in spite of the odd stumble (From Justin to Kelly, a public battle with music industry legend Clive Davis), she's put together a pretty solid career, and was even able to put together a legitimate Greatest Hits collection. I'm not sure how many people would have predicted that. And Avril Lavigne, the pride of Napanee, Ontario, continued her big year with her third single, a ballad about loneliness and depending on the kindness of strangers. It might be her best song.
There's a duet and two solo men in this batch. Kid Rock picked up his biggest hit with this country ballad on which he and Shery Crow portray a separated couple who are trying to relieve their respective miseries with alcohol, drugs, and sex with various partners. But those things don't fill the emptiness, and they are forced to admit that by the end of the song. A solid C&W weepie, and while Kid Rock's singing can't hold a candle to Crow's, he at least acts his part well. Jamaican toaster Sean Paul made his U.S. breakthrough with this song about weed and women. People liked it. I wasn't one of them. And Nelly gets some assistance from his St. Lunatics crew on this ode to a certain model of Nike sneakers. All the colors and styles they come in, the number of pairs they own, etc. I'm not sure I'd ever find a link between Nelly and Imelda Marcos, but there it is.
We'll end the first half with groups. Kentucky rappers Nappy Roots had their biggest hit.with this bluesy number about struggling with poverty. Their voices are ragged in lived-in, which makes for a cool, authentic vibe. Good stuff. Alt-rockers Lifehouse are here with a peppy track about how they "wouldn't change a thing" about their lives, no matter what they bring. I probably like these guys more than I should. Their biggest hit, "Hanging by a Moment" is a really good song. It's like if Creed could write a half-decent melody. TLC had their last major hit, and their only one following the death of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, with a song that's basically a warning to men that if they have small penises, the women they sleep with won't be shy in sharing that information with others. Juvenile, but fun, and featuring the line "Some of y'all be killin' me/Thinkin' you got powers like Austin, but you're more like Mini-Me." Mayland pop-punks Good Charlotte had their breakthrough hit with this beat-heavy rocker decrying celebrities who complain about the demands of stardom and gives the following suggestion: "If money is such a problem, well, they've got mansions. Think we should rob them." Of course, this song made the band's frontmen and main songwriters, twins Benji and Joel Madden, celebrities themselves. I wonder if that made them change their stance on therapeutic burglary. And finally, there are my bestest buddies Matchbox Twenty. On this addition to the pile of crap that is their catalogue, Rob Thomas sings "Don't pay no attention to me." I try, Rob. I try.
In Part Two: Bond, boards, and an unlikely Oscar winner.
Friday, December 7, 2012
December 1, 2001 Part Two
Concluding our 2001 odyssey.
20 - "Let Me Blow Ya Mind," Eve featuring Gwen Stefani
19 - "Superman (It's Not Easy)," Five for Fighting
18 - "I'm a Slave 4 U," Britney Spears
17 - "Fill Me In," Craig David
16 - "U Got it Bad," Usher
The second half opens with Philadelpha rapper Eve's first Top Ten pop hit. She brags about herself over a beat co-created by Dr. Dre, and Gwen Stefani sings the chorus. A simple but effective formula.
Singer John Ondrasik got his stage name from a hockey penalty, and got his first hit with this midtempo piano ballad that positions the titular comic-book hero as "only a man in a funny red sheet" who has doubts and fears and frustrations just like everyone else. It's a song I liked at first, then got sick of, but now I think I'm back to liking it again. Not a big fan of Mr. Ondrasik's falsetto, though.
Next is Britney Spears with the first single from her third album. It's a Neptunes-produced dance track about being subservient to music. At least that's what she claims. It's a little too bleepy-bloopy for my taste, but she does all right with it.
Then it's Craig David's second appearance on this week's chart. On this one, he learns that his girlfriend's parents have become suspicious that he's fooling around with their daughter, having deducted this from clues including a half-empty wine bottle, a Jacuzzi left turned on, and her coming home wearing a jacket that isn't hers. It's a snappy little tune, and I definitely prefer it to "7 Days."
This section closes with Usher Raymond with a ballad about being head over heels with someone after playing the field for a while. Not a great song, but it's delivered smoothly, and that's often enough.
15 - "Drowning," Backstreet Boys
14 - "It's Been Awhile," Staind
13 - "Hit 'em Up Style (Oops!)," Blu Cantrell
12 - "Only Time," Enya
11 - "Everywhere," Michelle Branch
This group is led off with the last hit The Backstreet Boys mustered before going on a four-year hiatus. Your usual boy band mush, nothing more. Their run as teenybopper gods was over.
Massachussets mope-rockers Staind are here with their first and biggest pop hit, a power ballad on which singer Aaron Lewis laments all the ways he's screwed up his life. Well, at least he got a song out of it that made him some money, unlike most people.
Next is the biggest hit for the colorfully-pseudonymmed Providence, Rhode Island native born Tiffany Cobb. On it, she gets revenge on her cheating partner by selling all of his possessions and maxing out his credit cards. Basically, it's a jauntier, gender-reversed version of Oran "Juice" Jones' "The Rain." A fun little one-hit wonder.
Then it's the second and biggest American pop hit by Irish New Age singer-keyboardist Enya Brennan. It's a dreamy, swirly tune about how only the passage of the days and years can reveal our fates, which was a message America really seemed to take to at a time when it seemed gripped by fear and uncertainty. Nice enough song, though I find it funny that some stations felt they could only play it in a remixed version with a hip-hop beat underneath it. Enya and hip-hop, not quite a natural pairing. Anyway, for being an island of semi-sophistication in an ocean of rap, rock, and teen pop, Enya takes this week's Uneasy Rider.
This quintet is anchored by Phoenix's Michelle Branch, who although she debuted at 18, stood out from the Britneys and Christinas of the day by having a rock edge to her music. Her first single was this sprightly number about seeing things that remind you of your lover all around all the time. Catchy, well-written, and memorable.
Mr. Top Ten, bring me a dream.
10 - "Gone," 'N Sync
Like their Backstreet contemporaries, the Syncsters' popularity was on the wane. However, they were at least showing some degree of musical maturity, and this slick R&B ballad was more substantial-sounding than their previous fare. Justin Timberlake co-wrote it and handled the lead vocals, and one could definitely argue that this offered a sneak peek of what his solo work would sound like.
9 - "Emotion," Destiny's Child
Beyonce and co. picked up another Top Ten with this cover of Samantha Sang's Barry and Robin Gibb-penned 1978 hit. It doesn't top the original, but these ladies sing it well enough.
8 - "I Do!!" Toya
Ms. Rodriguez. a St. Louis native, had her only major hit with this song about her attraction to a "6-foot stallion." Nelly doesn't contribute to this track, but something about the sound of this track made me certain that he and Toya shared a hometown even before I looked it up. And no, I don't know why there are not one but two exclamation points in the title.
7 - "Fallin'," Alicia Keys
Keys, a childhood piano prodigy, was already on her third record label by the time she released her first single, this fantastic ballad about the extremes of being in love. The song shot straight to the top and announced her as one of the new decade's major talents. Nothing more to say, really.
6 - "Get the Party Started," Pink
The first single from her sophomore CD Missundaztood was this funky ode to celebrating that was written and produced by ex-4 Non Blonde Linda Perry. A fun earworm, and a song that provided a nice bridge between her pseudo-R&B diva past and her pseudo-rocker chick future.
5 - "How You Remind Me," Nickelback
This Canadian rock band went all the way to #1 with their first U.S. pop hit, a power ballad about a dysfunctional relationship that would go on to be the most played song on American radio during the entire first decade of this century. Of course, now they're arguably the biggest rock band in the world today, and definitely one of the most polarizing entities in all of popular music. Myself, I find a lot of their material formulaic and calculated, but I just can't find it in my heart to hate them. And I do think this is their best song, by far.
4 - "Turn Off the Light," Nelly Furtado
More CanCon, this time in the form of the first U.S. Top Five by Victoria, B.C.'s Furtado. It's airy dance pop about although she seems to act tough and confident during the day, she feels lonely and vulnerable at night. I liked "I'm Like a Bird" much better, but this is okay too.
3 - "I'm Real," Jennifer Lopez
J. Lo scored her first #1 with this song that protests her authenticity. It worked so well she felt she needed to do it again a year later on "Jenny From the Block." I didn't believe her either time.
2 - "Hero," Enrique Iglesias
Julio's boy made 'em swoon on this ballad on which he offers to "kiss away the pain." Um, thanks anyway, Enrique, but I'll try an Advil first, if it's all the same to you.
And at Number 1 on 12/01/01, we find...
1 - "Family Affair," Mary J. Blige
Nearly a decade into her reign as "The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul," Mary J. finally topped the pop charts with this exuberant Dr. Dre production on which she comes out in favor of dancing, loving one another, and getting "crunk," while vehemently opposing "hateration" and "holleration." I don't know what half of that sentence means, nor do I know what a "dancery" is exactly. But the song is a genuine classic of the new millennium.
Three LDDs, as usual. First, a teenage girl dedicated Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance" to her loving, encouraging mother. Then, a man dedicated Marc Anthony's "You Sang to Me" to the online euchre partner he was falling in love with. Finally, a girl sent "Again" by Lenny Kravitz out to the boy she fell for while they were both in military school.
Next time: a trip to that palindrome called 2002.
20 - "Let Me Blow Ya Mind," Eve featuring Gwen Stefani
19 - "Superman (It's Not Easy)," Five for Fighting
18 - "I'm a Slave 4 U," Britney Spears
17 - "Fill Me In," Craig David
16 - "U Got it Bad," Usher
The second half opens with Philadelpha rapper Eve's first Top Ten pop hit. She brags about herself over a beat co-created by Dr. Dre, and Gwen Stefani sings the chorus. A simple but effective formula.
Singer John Ondrasik got his stage name from a hockey penalty, and got his first hit with this midtempo piano ballad that positions the titular comic-book hero as "only a man in a funny red sheet" who has doubts and fears and frustrations just like everyone else. It's a song I liked at first, then got sick of, but now I think I'm back to liking it again. Not a big fan of Mr. Ondrasik's falsetto, though.
Next is Britney Spears with the first single from her third album. It's a Neptunes-produced dance track about being subservient to music. At least that's what she claims. It's a little too bleepy-bloopy for my taste, but she does all right with it.
Then it's Craig David's second appearance on this week's chart. On this one, he learns that his girlfriend's parents have become suspicious that he's fooling around with their daughter, having deducted this from clues including a half-empty wine bottle, a Jacuzzi left turned on, and her coming home wearing a jacket that isn't hers. It's a snappy little tune, and I definitely prefer it to "7 Days."
This section closes with Usher Raymond with a ballad about being head over heels with someone after playing the field for a while. Not a great song, but it's delivered smoothly, and that's often enough.
15 - "Drowning," Backstreet Boys
14 - "It's Been Awhile," Staind
13 - "Hit 'em Up Style (Oops!)," Blu Cantrell
12 - "Only Time," Enya
11 - "Everywhere," Michelle Branch
This group is led off with the last hit The Backstreet Boys mustered before going on a four-year hiatus. Your usual boy band mush, nothing more. Their run as teenybopper gods was over.
Massachussets mope-rockers Staind are here with their first and biggest pop hit, a power ballad on which singer Aaron Lewis laments all the ways he's screwed up his life. Well, at least he got a song out of it that made him some money, unlike most people.
Next is the biggest hit for the colorfully-pseudonymmed Providence, Rhode Island native born Tiffany Cobb. On it, she gets revenge on her cheating partner by selling all of his possessions and maxing out his credit cards. Basically, it's a jauntier, gender-reversed version of Oran "Juice" Jones' "The Rain." A fun little one-hit wonder.
Then it's the second and biggest American pop hit by Irish New Age singer-keyboardist Enya Brennan. It's a dreamy, swirly tune about how only the passage of the days and years can reveal our fates, which was a message America really seemed to take to at a time when it seemed gripped by fear and uncertainty. Nice enough song, though I find it funny that some stations felt they could only play it in a remixed version with a hip-hop beat underneath it. Enya and hip-hop, not quite a natural pairing. Anyway, for being an island of semi-sophistication in an ocean of rap, rock, and teen pop, Enya takes this week's Uneasy Rider.
This quintet is anchored by Phoenix's Michelle Branch, who although she debuted at 18, stood out from the Britneys and Christinas of the day by having a rock edge to her music. Her first single was this sprightly number about seeing things that remind you of your lover all around all the time. Catchy, well-written, and memorable.
Mr. Top Ten, bring me a dream.
10 - "Gone," 'N Sync
Like their Backstreet contemporaries, the Syncsters' popularity was on the wane. However, they were at least showing some degree of musical maturity, and this slick R&B ballad was more substantial-sounding than their previous fare. Justin Timberlake co-wrote it and handled the lead vocals, and one could definitely argue that this offered a sneak peek of what his solo work would sound like.
9 - "Emotion," Destiny's Child
Beyonce and co. picked up another Top Ten with this cover of Samantha Sang's Barry and Robin Gibb-penned 1978 hit. It doesn't top the original, but these ladies sing it well enough.
8 - "I Do!!" Toya
Ms. Rodriguez. a St. Louis native, had her only major hit with this song about her attraction to a "6-foot stallion." Nelly doesn't contribute to this track, but something about the sound of this track made me certain that he and Toya shared a hometown even before I looked it up. And no, I don't know why there are not one but two exclamation points in the title.
7 - "Fallin'," Alicia Keys
Keys, a childhood piano prodigy, was already on her third record label by the time she released her first single, this fantastic ballad about the extremes of being in love. The song shot straight to the top and announced her as one of the new decade's major talents. Nothing more to say, really.
6 - "Get the Party Started," Pink
The first single from her sophomore CD Missundaztood was this funky ode to celebrating that was written and produced by ex-4 Non Blonde Linda Perry. A fun earworm, and a song that provided a nice bridge between her pseudo-R&B diva past and her pseudo-rocker chick future.
5 - "How You Remind Me," Nickelback
This Canadian rock band went all the way to #1 with their first U.S. pop hit, a power ballad about a dysfunctional relationship that would go on to be the most played song on American radio during the entire first decade of this century. Of course, now they're arguably the biggest rock band in the world today, and definitely one of the most polarizing entities in all of popular music. Myself, I find a lot of their material formulaic and calculated, but I just can't find it in my heart to hate them. And I do think this is their best song, by far.
4 - "Turn Off the Light," Nelly Furtado
More CanCon, this time in the form of the first U.S. Top Five by Victoria, B.C.'s Furtado. It's airy dance pop about although she seems to act tough and confident during the day, she feels lonely and vulnerable at night. I liked "I'm Like a Bird" much better, but this is okay too.
3 - "I'm Real," Jennifer Lopez
J. Lo scored her first #1 with this song that protests her authenticity. It worked so well she felt she needed to do it again a year later on "Jenny From the Block." I didn't believe her either time.
2 - "Hero," Enrique Iglesias
Julio's boy made 'em swoon on this ballad on which he offers to "kiss away the pain." Um, thanks anyway, Enrique, but I'll try an Advil first, if it's all the same to you.
And at Number 1 on 12/01/01, we find...
1 - "Family Affair," Mary J. Blige
Nearly a decade into her reign as "The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul," Mary J. finally topped the pop charts with this exuberant Dr. Dre production on which she comes out in favor of dancing, loving one another, and getting "crunk," while vehemently opposing "hateration" and "holleration." I don't know what half of that sentence means, nor do I know what a "dancery" is exactly. But the song is a genuine classic of the new millennium.
Three LDDs, as usual. First, a teenage girl dedicated Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance" to her loving, encouraging mother. Then, a man dedicated Marc Anthony's "You Sang to Me" to the online euchre partner he was falling in love with. Finally, a girl sent "Again" by Lenny Kravitz out to the boy she fell for while they were both in military school.
Next time: a trip to that palindrome called 2002.
December 1, 2001 Part 1
This week we're in December of 2001. This holiday season was tempered with a lot of anxiety around the world, as people still weren't sure what the full repercussions would be stemming from the infamous and tragic 9/11 attacks. Also, the business world was in shock over the spectacular and scandalous implosion of energy giant Enron. It wasn't a lot of fun watching the news back then, so many presumably looked to music for escapism. And here's what they heard, counted down this week by sub host Ed McMann.
40 - "AM to PM," Christina Milian
39 - "7 Days," Craig David
38 - "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song is About You)," Janet Jackson
37 - "Answer the Phone," Sugar Ray
36 - "Pacific Coast Party," Smash Mouth
35 - "#1," Nelly
34 - "Standing Still," Jewel
33 - "My Sacrifice," Creed
32 - "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of," U2
31 - "Hey Baby," No Doubt featuring Bounty Killer
We begin with female solo acts. New Jerseyite Christina Milian had her first hiy with this meh cut about wanting to dance around the clock. Not that exciting. Janet Jackson is credited on a song here, but she's practically a guest artist on a song dominated by the rapping of Missy Elliott and also featuring a verse by P. Diddy and Carly Simon singing part of the hook from "You're So Vain." Kind of crowded, but I enjoyed it. I like Janet, I like Missy, I like Carly, and Diddy...he didn't do enough to screw things up. And Jewel is here with a nice little folk-popper about hoping someone loves you as much as you do them. It's probably her second-best single.
Two solo men in this batch. British R&B singer Craig David had his biggest American hit with this tale of meeting a lady on a Monday, taking her for drinks on the next day, and then spending the four following days having sex with ther until "we chilled on Sunday." Well, his album title claimed he was Born to Do It, so I guess he has a natural stamina. Good for him. And Nelly is here with his contribution to the soundtrack of the Denzel Washington film Training Day, a song he presumably wrote in the hopes that its chart performance would live up to its title. It didn't, which must have been a blow to Mr. Haynes, for as he says, "two is not a winner, and three, nobody remembers."
The rest of this first section are songs by groups. Sugar Ray had their last pop hit with the hardest-rocking of their charting singles, on which Mark McGrath pleas with a woman to accept his booty call. We all feel your pain, Mark. Smash Mouth, who broke through around the same time as Sugar Ray, also had their last hit around this time. While their earlier hits were predominantly influenced by 60s pop-rock, this one saw them moving forward in time and embracing disco. They defiinitely went out with a whimper. Creed are here with the first single on what we were tricked into believing would be their last album. It's more grungy balladry about friendship and such. I will say that Scott Stapp actually does something approximating "singing" on this track. I'll give him that. U2 picked up another hit with a song that Bono apparently wrote while thinking about what he might have said if he'd been in a position to try and convince INXS' Michael Hutchence not to commit suicide. Definitely one of the highlights of post-Achtung Baby U2. And No Doubt made their return to the Top Ten with this bit of electro-dancehall that Gwen Stefani wrote while observing the behavior of groupies towards her male bandmates. Assisted by a cameo from Jamaican toaster Bounty Killer, it was a cool change of pace that helped the band rebound from the disappointing sales of their previous album and also set the stage for Stefani's solo career.
30 - "One Minute Man," Missy Elliott
29 - "Differences," Ginuwine
28 - "Where the Party At," Jagged Edge featuring Nelly
27 - "Izzo (H.O.V.A)," Jay-Z
26 - "Wherever You Will Go," The Calling
25 - "We Fit Together," O-Town
24 - "Dig In," Lenny Kravitz
23 - "Wherever, Whenever," Shakira
22 - "Smooth Criminal," Alien Ant Farm
21 - "Livin' it Up," Ja Rule
Once again we begin with the ladies. Missy Elliott is here with a song on which she sings, leaving the rapping to guests Ludacris and Trina. It's a rubbery little groove on which Missy expresses her disdain for men who can't last very long, if you know what I mean. Perhaps someone should have introduced her to Craig David. And Colombian Shakira Ripoll had her first English-language hit with this rollicking Latin jam in which she uses the non-existent words "hereover" and 'thereunder," and memorably proclaims that it's "lucky that my breasts are small and humble so you don't confuse them with mountains." Now that is poetry. Whether it's good or bad poetry, you can judge. Myself, I like it.
There are four solo men in this bunch. The soul man born Elgin Baylor Lumpkin had his biggest pop hit with this ballad about how the love of a good woman made him change his ways. Seviceable. Jay-Z is on the scene with one of his signature hits, a rhyme about how he escaped the drug-dealing life to become a player in the music industry delivered over a sample of The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back." This is also the song that introduced the word to the phrase "fo' shizzle my nizzle," for better or for worse. Still, it's a great track, and probably one of the highlights of his recent 8-night run in Brooklyn. Lenny Kravitz scored another hit with this decent rock call to participate in life. Nothing spectacular, but nice to hear on the radio. And Ja Rule raps about performing sex acts in cars over a sample of Stevie Wonder's "Do I Do." Really, there's not much more I can say about that.
We'll finish the first half with groups. R&Bers Jagged Edge had their biggest pop hit with this ode to picking up women and drinking Bacardi and Belvedere in nightclubs. Nelly's verse is nothing special, but I'll admit I like those opening guitar flourishes. L.A. rock band The Calling had there only real hit with this song about promising to be with a loved one even if they should pass on before them. Not a great song by any stretch, but it's easy to see why it resonated with people at this point in time. O-Town were a boy band founded on a reality show produced by impresario and fraudster Lou Pearlman, and their success was pretty much contained entirely within 2001. Their last hit is the usual cheese-pop found within the genre, except somewhat more sexually up front, with a title that's kinda creepy when you think that the majority of their fans were likely 13 and younger. Still, it doesn't quite match the ick factor of their biggest hit, the nocturnally emissionary "Liquid Dreams." And Alien Ant Farm had their only major hit with with this hard rock cover of Michael Jackson's 1989 single about an attack on a woman named Annie. It has charms distinct from those of the original, and was a favorite of my oldest neice when she was a year-and-a-half old. And strangely enough, it made more of an impact in the U.S. at the time than any of the songs on Jackson's then-current Invincible album.
In Part II: revenge by shopping, a nation's soul is soothed by Irish New Age, and the first salvo in Hanna, Alberta's bid for world domination.
40 - "AM to PM," Christina Milian
39 - "7 Days," Craig David
38 - "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song is About You)," Janet Jackson
37 - "Answer the Phone," Sugar Ray
36 - "Pacific Coast Party," Smash Mouth
35 - "#1," Nelly
34 - "Standing Still," Jewel
33 - "My Sacrifice," Creed
32 - "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of," U2
31 - "Hey Baby," No Doubt featuring Bounty Killer
We begin with female solo acts. New Jerseyite Christina Milian had her first hiy with this meh cut about wanting to dance around the clock. Not that exciting. Janet Jackson is credited on a song here, but she's practically a guest artist on a song dominated by the rapping of Missy Elliott and also featuring a verse by P. Diddy and Carly Simon singing part of the hook from "You're So Vain." Kind of crowded, but I enjoyed it. I like Janet, I like Missy, I like Carly, and Diddy...he didn't do enough to screw things up. And Jewel is here with a nice little folk-popper about hoping someone loves you as much as you do them. It's probably her second-best single.
Two solo men in this batch. British R&B singer Craig David had his biggest American hit with this tale of meeting a lady on a Monday, taking her for drinks on the next day, and then spending the four following days having sex with ther until "we chilled on Sunday." Well, his album title claimed he was Born to Do It, so I guess he has a natural stamina. Good for him. And Nelly is here with his contribution to the soundtrack of the Denzel Washington film Training Day, a song he presumably wrote in the hopes that its chart performance would live up to its title. It didn't, which must have been a blow to Mr. Haynes, for as he says, "two is not a winner, and three, nobody remembers."
The rest of this first section are songs by groups. Sugar Ray had their last pop hit with the hardest-rocking of their charting singles, on which Mark McGrath pleas with a woman to accept his booty call. We all feel your pain, Mark. Smash Mouth, who broke through around the same time as Sugar Ray, also had their last hit around this time. While their earlier hits were predominantly influenced by 60s pop-rock, this one saw them moving forward in time and embracing disco. They defiinitely went out with a whimper. Creed are here with the first single on what we were tricked into believing would be their last album. It's more grungy balladry about friendship and such. I will say that Scott Stapp actually does something approximating "singing" on this track. I'll give him that. U2 picked up another hit with a song that Bono apparently wrote while thinking about what he might have said if he'd been in a position to try and convince INXS' Michael Hutchence not to commit suicide. Definitely one of the highlights of post-Achtung Baby U2. And No Doubt made their return to the Top Ten with this bit of electro-dancehall that Gwen Stefani wrote while observing the behavior of groupies towards her male bandmates. Assisted by a cameo from Jamaican toaster Bounty Killer, it was a cool change of pace that helped the band rebound from the disappointing sales of their previous album and also set the stage for Stefani's solo career.
30 - "One Minute Man," Missy Elliott
29 - "Differences," Ginuwine
28 - "Where the Party At," Jagged Edge featuring Nelly
27 - "Izzo (H.O.V.A)," Jay-Z
26 - "Wherever You Will Go," The Calling
25 - "We Fit Together," O-Town
24 - "Dig In," Lenny Kravitz
23 - "Wherever, Whenever," Shakira
22 - "Smooth Criminal," Alien Ant Farm
21 - "Livin' it Up," Ja Rule
Once again we begin with the ladies. Missy Elliott is here with a song on which she sings, leaving the rapping to guests Ludacris and Trina. It's a rubbery little groove on which Missy expresses her disdain for men who can't last very long, if you know what I mean. Perhaps someone should have introduced her to Craig David. And Colombian Shakira Ripoll had her first English-language hit with this rollicking Latin jam in which she uses the non-existent words "hereover" and 'thereunder," and memorably proclaims that it's "lucky that my breasts are small and humble so you don't confuse them with mountains." Now that is poetry. Whether it's good or bad poetry, you can judge. Myself, I like it.
There are four solo men in this bunch. The soul man born Elgin Baylor Lumpkin had his biggest pop hit with this ballad about how the love of a good woman made him change his ways. Seviceable. Jay-Z is on the scene with one of his signature hits, a rhyme about how he escaped the drug-dealing life to become a player in the music industry delivered over a sample of The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back." This is also the song that introduced the word to the phrase "fo' shizzle my nizzle," for better or for worse. Still, it's a great track, and probably one of the highlights of his recent 8-night run in Brooklyn. Lenny Kravitz scored another hit with this decent rock call to participate in life. Nothing spectacular, but nice to hear on the radio. And Ja Rule raps about performing sex acts in cars over a sample of Stevie Wonder's "Do I Do." Really, there's not much more I can say about that.
We'll finish the first half with groups. R&Bers Jagged Edge had their biggest pop hit with this ode to picking up women and drinking Bacardi and Belvedere in nightclubs. Nelly's verse is nothing special, but I'll admit I like those opening guitar flourishes. L.A. rock band The Calling had there only real hit with this song about promising to be with a loved one even if they should pass on before them. Not a great song by any stretch, but it's easy to see why it resonated with people at this point in time. O-Town were a boy band founded on a reality show produced by impresario and fraudster Lou Pearlman, and their success was pretty much contained entirely within 2001. Their last hit is the usual cheese-pop found within the genre, except somewhat more sexually up front, with a title that's kinda creepy when you think that the majority of their fans were likely 13 and younger. Still, it doesn't quite match the ick factor of their biggest hit, the nocturnally emissionary "Liquid Dreams." And Alien Ant Farm had their only major hit with with this hard rock cover of Michael Jackson's 1989 single about an attack on a woman named Annie. It has charms distinct from those of the original, and was a favorite of my oldest neice when she was a year-and-a-half old. And strangely enough, it made more of an impact in the U.S. at the time than any of the songs on Jackson's then-current Invincible album.
In Part II: revenge by shopping, a nation's soul is soothed by Irish New Age, and the first salvo in Hanna, Alberta's bid for world domination.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
November 18, 2000 Part Two
Putting a bow on two-triple-oh.
20 - "It's My Life," Bon Jovi
19 - "No More," Ruff Endz
18 - "He Loves U Not," Dream
17 - "Pinch Me," Barenaked Ladies
16 - "If You're Gone," Matchbox Twenty
The second half begins with Bon Jovi, the one hair-metal act that had continued to have hits well into the 21st century. In fact, their first hit of the new millennium has become one of their signature songs. It's anthemic pop-rock about not giving up on your dreams, featuring shout outs to Frank Sinatra and even the band's "Livin' on a Prayer" creations Tommy and Gina. And now I learn that the song was co-written by...Max Martin. Man, that guy's been popping up everywhere for a long time.
R&B duo Ruff Endz continued a big week for Baltimore, joining homeboys SR-71 and Sisqo as representatives from "Charm City" on this chart. Their biggest hit was this song about telling an ex that you won't take her on any more shopping sprees or to nightclub VIP rooms, and also you won't have sex with her anymore. We've all been there, right?
Next is the biggest hit by Dream, a girl group brought to prominence after signing to Sean Combs' Bad Boy Records. It's state-of-the-art chart fodder about how their man isn't interested in you, no matter what you do. It came, it went, it's gone.
Then it's the last major American hit by Barenaked Ladies, a loping pop song about lazing away the days. It's probably more reflective of their overall output than "One Week." And although they're not burning up the charts anymore, they're still being heard by millions every Thursday night when the opening theme from The Big Bang Theory plays. So surely they have a million dollars by now. I wonder if they've found any "dijon ketchups."
This section closes with...well, you see it there. By this time, they'd changed the presentation of the second part of their name from the number to the word. Somehow, that made me hate them even more. This song is just dull and mushy and dumb. They're terrible.
15 - "Don't Think I'm Not," Kandi
14 - "You're a God," Vertical Horizon
13 - "Jumpin', Jumpin'," Destiny's Child
12 - "Dance with Me," Debelah Morgan
11 - "Independent Women," Destiny's Child
The quintet is led off by the biggest solo hit by Kandi Burruss, formerly of the Atlanta girl group Xscape. It's a sparse, freestylish dance tune about how her man shouldn't think he's the only one in their relationship running around. Will honesty keep these two together? I don't care.
Washington band Vertical Horizon had a surprise #1 earlier in the year with "Everything You Want," and this week they're here with the follow-up. Like their first hit, it's bland pop-rock with lyrics that are less meaningful than they think they are. Yawn.
Next is the first of two hits in this batch by Houston's Destiny's Child. The first is this slinky bumper that tells people to leave their significant others behind and go out to the club to dance with strangers. Interesting message. Still, it's got a great groove, and it's probably my favorite song of theirs.
Then it's the only major pop hit for R&B singer Debelah Morgan. It's nothing special, but the little infusion of tango spices things up a bit. Okay.
We finish this part with more of Beyonce and company. This one is a strident declaration of female empowerment that was written for the soundtrack of the movie version of the 70s TV series Charlie's Angels. Solid song. Ironically, in the year 2000, multiple women found themselve suddenly independent of Destiny's Child. There were quite a few lineup changes. Not that many people cared. It always was the Beyonce show.
They've been ordered to stop the recounts, so these are the Top Ten we're gonna have to live with.
10 - "She Bangs," Ricky Martin
This bit of Latin innuendo was Martin's last major Anglo solo hit. However, its place in the pop culture pantheon was truly secured when a university student named William Hung memorably massacred it during the auditions for the third season of American Idol. Apparently, Hung now works for the Los Angeles Sherriff's Department. He's probably better off than 99% of the people who actually make it to the voting stage of the show.
9 - "Shape of My Heart," Backstreet Boys
The Boys picked up their final Top Ten with this meh ballad. And why do that want to show us the shape of their hearts anyway? That sounds more grotesque than romantic.
8 - "Faded," SoulDecision
Yes, Canada had its very own boy-band scene, including such acts as b4-4, Wave, and The Moffatts. But the only one to have any sort of success in America were these Vancouverites, who managed one U.S. hit with this mildly funky sex plea. Not bad, as these things go, plus they had the good sense to leave the rapping to an actual rapper, fellow Canadian Thrust.
7 - "Gotta Tell You," Samantha Mumba
Born in Dublin to an Irish mother and a Zambian father, Mumba scored her only major American hit at 17 with this okay teen-pop love song. She was better than this material.
6 - "Case of the Ex," Mya
Washington native Mya Harrison had her biggest solo pop hit with this warning to a lover that his former flame is making a play to get him back. A decent song, but it tends to blend in with many others in the memory.
5 - "This I Promise You," 'N Sync
Typical boy band gooeyness. I bet Timberlake wouldn't even think of doing this one in concert. That is, if he ever decides to go back to music.
4 - "Music," Madonna
The Material Girl (yes, they'll probably still call her that when she's 80) picked up her last American #1 to date with this slinky electrodance ode to rhythm and melody and such. How it "mix(es) the bourgeoisie and the rebel," I'm still not sure, but it remains one of her last great singles.
3 - "Kryptonite," 3 Doors Down
These Mississippians had their biggest hit with their debut single, this rocker about being there for one's friends and hoping the reverse is true. I liked this one when it came out, and I still do. The beat is cool, making for a kind of "Skynyrd goes ska" effect. However, everything else I've heard from them is lunkheaded crap.
2 - "Most Girls," Pink
Pennsylvania-born Alecia Moore had her second Top Ten with this song about not caring about a man's wealth. Like most of her debut album, it's R&B/pop, with Pink unconvincingly referring to herself as "shorty." To her credit, she knew that this wasn't who she was, and for her next album, she defied her record label by making the kind of music she truly wanted to make. And for once, that actually worked, and has worked ever since. I'm hot and cold on her music, but I do admire her chutzpah.
And at number one on this date, we find...
1 - "With Arms Wide Open," Creed
Coming out of Tallahassee, Florida, these sorta-Christian rockers became huge stars at the turn of the century with their diluted version of grunge rock. Their sole pop #1 was this drone ballad that's basically a bad boy-band number with electric guitars instead of synths and Scott Stapp's belch-singing instead of a teenage falsetto. Crap crap crap. Many celebrated when these guys broke up in 2004, cringed when a sex tape co-starring Stapp and Kid Rock came out in 2006, and were devastated when the band reunited in 2009. But they're still not worse than Matchbox 20.
The usual three LDDs. In the first, a teenage girl dedicated Des'Ree's "You Gotta Be" to her former high school cross-country teammate. Then, a woman dedicated the Whitney Houston/Mariah Carey duet "When You Believe," to her brother who was still awaiting a suitable liver transplant. Finally, another teen girl dedicated Phil Collins' "You'll Be in My Heart" to her first boyfriend.
The one thing that stood out in the commercials was the barrage of ads for an MTV special counting down the Top 100 Pop Songs of All Time. I looked up that list. It looks all right at the very top, then you see "I Want it That Way," at number fucking 10. The breakdown continues when "...Baby One More Time" shows up at 25, and then..."Smooth" at number 31????!!!!!! Number 31 million is more like it, and that's probably still too high. Needless to say, at that point all credibility is forfeited.
Next time: we're in December 2001. Between the time we covered here and then, some major changes had taken place in the world. Did the popular music of the time reflect that? Come back and find out.
20 - "It's My Life," Bon Jovi
19 - "No More," Ruff Endz
18 - "He Loves U Not," Dream
17 - "Pinch Me," Barenaked Ladies
16 - "If You're Gone," Matchbox Twenty
The second half begins with Bon Jovi, the one hair-metal act that had continued to have hits well into the 21st century. In fact, their first hit of the new millennium has become one of their signature songs. It's anthemic pop-rock about not giving up on your dreams, featuring shout outs to Frank Sinatra and even the band's "Livin' on a Prayer" creations Tommy and Gina. And now I learn that the song was co-written by...Max Martin. Man, that guy's been popping up everywhere for a long time.
R&B duo Ruff Endz continued a big week for Baltimore, joining homeboys SR-71 and Sisqo as representatives from "Charm City" on this chart. Their biggest hit was this song about telling an ex that you won't take her on any more shopping sprees or to nightclub VIP rooms, and also you won't have sex with her anymore. We've all been there, right?
Next is the biggest hit by Dream, a girl group brought to prominence after signing to Sean Combs' Bad Boy Records. It's state-of-the-art chart fodder about how their man isn't interested in you, no matter what you do. It came, it went, it's gone.
Then it's the last major American hit by Barenaked Ladies, a loping pop song about lazing away the days. It's probably more reflective of their overall output than "One Week." And although they're not burning up the charts anymore, they're still being heard by millions every Thursday night when the opening theme from The Big Bang Theory plays. So surely they have a million dollars by now. I wonder if they've found any "dijon ketchups."
This section closes with...well, you see it there. By this time, they'd changed the presentation of the second part of their name from the number to the word. Somehow, that made me hate them even more. This song is just dull and mushy and dumb. They're terrible.
15 - "Don't Think I'm Not," Kandi
14 - "You're a God," Vertical Horizon
13 - "Jumpin', Jumpin'," Destiny's Child
12 - "Dance with Me," Debelah Morgan
11 - "Independent Women," Destiny's Child
The quintet is led off by the biggest solo hit by Kandi Burruss, formerly of the Atlanta girl group Xscape. It's a sparse, freestylish dance tune about how her man shouldn't think he's the only one in their relationship running around. Will honesty keep these two together? I don't care.
Washington band Vertical Horizon had a surprise #1 earlier in the year with "Everything You Want," and this week they're here with the follow-up. Like their first hit, it's bland pop-rock with lyrics that are less meaningful than they think they are. Yawn.
Next is the first of two hits in this batch by Houston's Destiny's Child. The first is this slinky bumper that tells people to leave their significant others behind and go out to the club to dance with strangers. Interesting message. Still, it's got a great groove, and it's probably my favorite song of theirs.
Then it's the only major pop hit for R&B singer Debelah Morgan. It's nothing special, but the little infusion of tango spices things up a bit. Okay.
We finish this part with more of Beyonce and company. This one is a strident declaration of female empowerment that was written for the soundtrack of the movie version of the 70s TV series Charlie's Angels. Solid song. Ironically, in the year 2000, multiple women found themselve suddenly independent of Destiny's Child. There were quite a few lineup changes. Not that many people cared. It always was the Beyonce show.
They've been ordered to stop the recounts, so these are the Top Ten we're gonna have to live with.
10 - "She Bangs," Ricky Martin
This bit of Latin innuendo was Martin's last major Anglo solo hit. However, its place in the pop culture pantheon was truly secured when a university student named William Hung memorably massacred it during the auditions for the third season of American Idol. Apparently, Hung now works for the Los Angeles Sherriff's Department. He's probably better off than 99% of the people who actually make it to the voting stage of the show.
9 - "Shape of My Heart," Backstreet Boys
The Boys picked up their final Top Ten with this meh ballad. And why do that want to show us the shape of their hearts anyway? That sounds more grotesque than romantic.
8 - "Faded," SoulDecision
Yes, Canada had its very own boy-band scene, including such acts as b4-4, Wave, and The Moffatts. But the only one to have any sort of success in America were these Vancouverites, who managed one U.S. hit with this mildly funky sex plea. Not bad, as these things go, plus they had the good sense to leave the rapping to an actual rapper, fellow Canadian Thrust.
7 - "Gotta Tell You," Samantha Mumba
Born in Dublin to an Irish mother and a Zambian father, Mumba scored her only major American hit at 17 with this okay teen-pop love song. She was better than this material.
6 - "Case of the Ex," Mya
Washington native Mya Harrison had her biggest solo pop hit with this warning to a lover that his former flame is making a play to get him back. A decent song, but it tends to blend in with many others in the memory.
5 - "This I Promise You," 'N Sync
Typical boy band gooeyness. I bet Timberlake wouldn't even think of doing this one in concert. That is, if he ever decides to go back to music.
4 - "Music," Madonna
The Material Girl (yes, they'll probably still call her that when she's 80) picked up her last American #1 to date with this slinky electrodance ode to rhythm and melody and such. How it "mix(es) the bourgeoisie and the rebel," I'm still not sure, but it remains one of her last great singles.
3 - "Kryptonite," 3 Doors Down
These Mississippians had their biggest hit with their debut single, this rocker about being there for one's friends and hoping the reverse is true. I liked this one when it came out, and I still do. The beat is cool, making for a kind of "Skynyrd goes ska" effect. However, everything else I've heard from them is lunkheaded crap.
2 - "Most Girls," Pink
Pennsylvania-born Alecia Moore had her second Top Ten with this song about not caring about a man's wealth. Like most of her debut album, it's R&B/pop, with Pink unconvincingly referring to herself as "shorty." To her credit, she knew that this wasn't who she was, and for her next album, she defied her record label by making the kind of music she truly wanted to make. And for once, that actually worked, and has worked ever since. I'm hot and cold on her music, but I do admire her chutzpah.
And at number one on this date, we find...
1 - "With Arms Wide Open," Creed
Coming out of Tallahassee, Florida, these sorta-Christian rockers became huge stars at the turn of the century with their diluted version of grunge rock. Their sole pop #1 was this drone ballad that's basically a bad boy-band number with electric guitars instead of synths and Scott Stapp's belch-singing instead of a teenage falsetto. Crap crap crap. Many celebrated when these guys broke up in 2004, cringed when a sex tape co-starring Stapp and Kid Rock came out in 2006, and were devastated when the band reunited in 2009. But they're still not worse than Matchbox 20.
The usual three LDDs. In the first, a teenage girl dedicated Des'Ree's "You Gotta Be" to her former high school cross-country teammate. Then, a woman dedicated the Whitney Houston/Mariah Carey duet "When You Believe," to her brother who was still awaiting a suitable liver transplant. Finally, another teen girl dedicated Phil Collins' "You'll Be in My Heart" to her first boyfriend.
The one thing that stood out in the commercials was the barrage of ads for an MTV special counting down the Top 100 Pop Songs of All Time. I looked up that list. It looks all right at the very top, then you see "I Want it That Way," at number fucking 10. The breakdown continues when "...Baby One More Time" shows up at 25, and then..."Smooth" at number 31????!!!!!! Number 31 million is more like it, and that's probably still too high. Needless to say, at that point all credibility is forfeited.
Next time: we're in December 2001. Between the time we covered here and then, some major changes had taken place in the world. Did the popular music of the time reflect that? Come back and find out.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
November 18, 2000 Part One
Apologies for the absence. But I'm back now, so you can all breathe again.
Welcome to the year 2000. A lot had been expected of this year, and some crazy things did happen, perhaps none crazier than what was happening when this countdown first aired. You see, the U.S. presidential election had taken place eleven days earlier, and yet the winner had yet to be accurately determined. And, some would argue, it never was. Anyway, when people weren't talking about butterfly ballots, hanging chads, and Katharine Harris' makeup, they were listening to these songs.
40 - "E.I.," Nelly
39 - "Stan," Eminem
38 - "Big Pimpin'," Jay-Z
37 - "Pop Ya Collar," Usher
36 - "Walk Me Home," Mandy Moore
35 - "Pass You By," Boyz II Men
34 - "Shake it Fast," Mystikal
33 - "Californication," Red Hot Chili Peppers
32 - "Sleepwalker," The Wallflowers
31 - "Again," Lenny Kravitz
Rappers are a strong presence in this first section. St. Louis' Cornell Haynes had his second hit with this track that modifies the hook from "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" to "E-I-E-I-Uh Oh!" Otherwise, it's just a typical rap about women, cars, drugs and bling, but enhanced by Nelly's trademark sing-song delivery. Then we get our first introduction to one Marshall Mathers, the man who came out of Detroit to become arguably the biggest music star of the 21st century to date. His enrty here is arguably his masterwork; a dark tale of a devoted fan who becomes increasingly obsessed to the point where he is personally offended by what he perceives to be Eminem's intentional snubbing of him. Ultimately, the fan decides to punish his former hero by sending him a tape of him drunkenly driving his car over a bridge with his pregnant girlfriend in the trunk. A harrowing exploration of how hero-worship can become something more sinister, helped greatly by a haunting sample from Dido's "Thank You." A clear classic. Jay-Z is here with a track on which his voice and flow rise above the standard lyric about money and sex. Texas duo UGK also contribute to the track. They're all right. And New Orleans' Mystikal had his biggest pop hit with this clean version of a song called "Shake Ya Ass." In spite of the title change, it's still about the wonders of the female posterior. Nothing that interesting, but it does mark one of the earliest pop appearances of the production duo known as The Neptunes. I'm sure we'll hear more from them in the future.
Three solo artists are here. R&B star Usher is here with his ode to showing swagger in the face of haters. He also tells you that "you can eat it or throw it away," although he doesn't specify what "it" is. I imagine I'd throw it away. Mandy Moore continued her brief run of hits with this sub-Britney teen ballad. Highly forgettable. And Lenny Kravitz had his second and last pop Top Five with this midtempo ballad about lost love. He has his moments, but sometimes he's just boring. This is one of those times.
We close this first section with groups. Boyz II Men had one of their last pop hits with this ballad that pleads with someone not to give up on true love for security that makes them unhappy. Above average material, and raised even higher by these fantastic voices. Good stuff. The Red Hot Chili Peppers had another hit with the title track to one of their biggest albums. It's a cool little riff on the dark side of the Hollywood dream. And The Wallflowers had their last major pop hit with this jangly tune about romantic doubt. Just okay, but I'll give a bonus point for namechecking Sam Cooke.
Five solo artists here. Oklahoman Mikaila Enriquez had her only hit with this dance track about being torn between two lovers. There are many much better dance songs, and if I want to hear a song about the same subject, I'll listen to...well, "Torn Between Two Lovers." Britney Spears is here with another big Max Martin creation, on which she refers back to her debut hit by singing "My loneliness ain't killin' me no more." Good for her. Sisqo (born Mark Andrews) originally found fame with the vocal quartet Dru Hill, then began a solo career that is now best remembered for the camp classic "Thong Song." But his biggest hit, and only pop #1, was this ballad about how although he has money and fame, his life isn't whole without that one special lady. Whether or not this woman has "dumps like a truck," he doesn't say. Colleen Fitzpatrick, who took her stage name from the most prominent nutrient in orange juice, had her last hit with this stuttery dance-popper about horniness. Her biggest hit was the song "Graduation (Friends Forever)," which I've somehow never heard. And I don't intend to change that. And Faith Hill shows up this week with more of her bouncy country-pop. It's fine, but I'd like it if NBC'd find someone else to sing their football song. And while they're at it, maybe they could get someone to write something original instead of bastardizing Joan Jett.
Then we have three rock bands. Baltimore's SR-71 had their only hit with this song about a woman who's a good sexual partner but not relationship material. And she apparently likes kicking the singer when he's high. That's nice. The only thing memorable about this song is how I used to always get it confused with Sum 41's "Makes No Difference." They're practically the same song. Long Island's Nine Days had two hits: "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" and this one. Both are whiny and terrible. I'm not even goine to bother saying any more. And Georgian twins Evan and Jaron Lowenstein had thei biggest hit with this sap-rocker about being in luuuuuurve. Disposable product for the boy-band audience.
The first half ends with a guy born in Jamaica and a group from the Bahamas. Shaggy got an assist from British singer Rikrok on his biggest hit on which he advises men who are caught in flagrante delicto cheating on their significant others to vehemently claim that it wasn't them on the bathroom floor with the neighbor lady. However, he does seem to acknowledge that this strategy is unlikely to work. But I guess it's worth a try. People have believed more implausible stories. And The Baha Men had their biggest international success with this silly canine-theme novelty that became a favorite of sports arena DJs, kids'-movie trailer editors, and Mitt Romney. Yeah, I mentioned him one last time. Couldn't help it. Now let us never speak of him again. Oh, and by a long shot, "Who Let the Dogs Out" is this week's Uneasy Rider.
In Part Two: the song that made a Hong Kong-born engineering student famous, boy bands galore, and the woman who was "waiting all day for Sunday night" before Faith Hill.
Welcome to the year 2000. A lot had been expected of this year, and some crazy things did happen, perhaps none crazier than what was happening when this countdown first aired. You see, the U.S. presidential election had taken place eleven days earlier, and yet the winner had yet to be accurately determined. And, some would argue, it never was. Anyway, when people weren't talking about butterfly ballots, hanging chads, and Katharine Harris' makeup, they were listening to these songs.
40 - "E.I.," Nelly
39 - "Stan," Eminem
38 - "Big Pimpin'," Jay-Z
37 - "Pop Ya Collar," Usher
36 - "Walk Me Home," Mandy Moore
35 - "Pass You By," Boyz II Men
34 - "Shake it Fast," Mystikal
33 - "Californication," Red Hot Chili Peppers
32 - "Sleepwalker," The Wallflowers
31 - "Again," Lenny Kravitz
Rappers are a strong presence in this first section. St. Louis' Cornell Haynes had his second hit with this track that modifies the hook from "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" to "E-I-E-I-Uh Oh!" Otherwise, it's just a typical rap about women, cars, drugs and bling, but enhanced by Nelly's trademark sing-song delivery. Then we get our first introduction to one Marshall Mathers, the man who came out of Detroit to become arguably the biggest music star of the 21st century to date. His enrty here is arguably his masterwork; a dark tale of a devoted fan who becomes increasingly obsessed to the point where he is personally offended by what he perceives to be Eminem's intentional snubbing of him. Ultimately, the fan decides to punish his former hero by sending him a tape of him drunkenly driving his car over a bridge with his pregnant girlfriend in the trunk. A harrowing exploration of how hero-worship can become something more sinister, helped greatly by a haunting sample from Dido's "Thank You." A clear classic. Jay-Z is here with a track on which his voice and flow rise above the standard lyric about money and sex. Texas duo UGK also contribute to the track. They're all right. And New Orleans' Mystikal had his biggest pop hit with this clean version of a song called "Shake Ya Ass." In spite of the title change, it's still about the wonders of the female posterior. Nothing that interesting, but it does mark one of the earliest pop appearances of the production duo known as The Neptunes. I'm sure we'll hear more from them in the future.
Three solo artists are here. R&B star Usher is here with his ode to showing swagger in the face of haters. He also tells you that "you can eat it or throw it away," although he doesn't specify what "it" is. I imagine I'd throw it away. Mandy Moore continued her brief run of hits with this sub-Britney teen ballad. Highly forgettable. And Lenny Kravitz had his second and last pop Top Five with this midtempo ballad about lost love. He has his moments, but sometimes he's just boring. This is one of those times.
We close this first section with groups. Boyz II Men had one of their last pop hits with this ballad that pleads with someone not to give up on true love for security that makes them unhappy. Above average material, and raised even higher by these fantastic voices. Good stuff. The Red Hot Chili Peppers had another hit with the title track to one of their biggest albums. It's a cool little riff on the dark side of the Hollywood dream. And The Wallflowers had their last major pop hit with this jangly tune about romantic doubt. Just okay, but I'll give a bonus point for namechecking Sam Cooke.
30 - "So in Love With Two," Mikaila
29 - "Stronger," Britney Spears
28 - "Incomplete," Sisqo
27 - "The Itch," Vitamin C
26 - "Right Now," SR-71
25 - "If I Am," Nine Days
24 - "It Wasn't Me," Shaggy featuring Rikrok
23 - "The Way You Love Me," Faith Hill
22 - "Crazy for This Girl," Evan and Jaron
21 - "Who Let the Dogs Out," The Baha Men
Five solo artists here. Oklahoman Mikaila Enriquez had her only hit with this dance track about being torn between two lovers. There are many much better dance songs, and if I want to hear a song about the same subject, I'll listen to...well, "Torn Between Two Lovers." Britney Spears is here with another big Max Martin creation, on which she refers back to her debut hit by singing "My loneliness ain't killin' me no more." Good for her. Sisqo (born Mark Andrews) originally found fame with the vocal quartet Dru Hill, then began a solo career that is now best remembered for the camp classic "Thong Song." But his biggest hit, and only pop #1, was this ballad about how although he has money and fame, his life isn't whole without that one special lady. Whether or not this woman has "dumps like a truck," he doesn't say. Colleen Fitzpatrick, who took her stage name from the most prominent nutrient in orange juice, had her last hit with this stuttery dance-popper about horniness. Her biggest hit was the song "Graduation (Friends Forever)," which I've somehow never heard. And I don't intend to change that. And Faith Hill shows up this week with more of her bouncy country-pop. It's fine, but I'd like it if NBC'd find someone else to sing their football song. And while they're at it, maybe they could get someone to write something original instead of bastardizing Joan Jett.
Then we have three rock bands. Baltimore's SR-71 had their only hit with this song about a woman who's a good sexual partner but not relationship material. And she apparently likes kicking the singer when he's high. That's nice. The only thing memorable about this song is how I used to always get it confused with Sum 41's "Makes No Difference." They're practically the same song. Long Island's Nine Days had two hits: "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" and this one. Both are whiny and terrible. I'm not even goine to bother saying any more. And Georgian twins Evan and Jaron Lowenstein had thei biggest hit with this sap-rocker about being in luuuuuurve. Disposable product for the boy-band audience.
The first half ends with a guy born in Jamaica and a group from the Bahamas. Shaggy got an assist from British singer Rikrok on his biggest hit on which he advises men who are caught in flagrante delicto cheating on their significant others to vehemently claim that it wasn't them on the bathroom floor with the neighbor lady. However, he does seem to acknowledge that this strategy is unlikely to work. But I guess it's worth a try. People have believed more implausible stories. And The Baha Men had their biggest international success with this silly canine-theme novelty that became a favorite of sports arena DJs, kids'-movie trailer editors, and Mitt Romney. Yeah, I mentioned him one last time. Couldn't help it. Now let us never speak of him again. Oh, and by a long shot, "Who Let the Dogs Out" is this week's Uneasy Rider.
In Part Two: the song that made a Hong Kong-born engineering student famous, boy bands galore, and the woman who was "waiting all day for Sunday night" before Faith Hill.
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