40 - "Crash Into Me," Dave Matthews Band
39 - "Dream," Forest for the Trees
38 - "Silver Springs," Fleetwood Mac
37 - "Candle in the Wind 1997," Elton John
36 - "Electric Barbarella," Duran Duran
35 - "I Will Come to You," Hanson
34 - "Something About the Way You Look Tonight," Elton John
33 - "The Difference," The Wallflowers
32 - "Love You Down," INOJ
31 - "Criminal," Fiona Apple
A whopping six groups are in this first section. Dave Matthews and company had one of their biggest hits with this swirly tune that seems to have a lustful vibe, as epitomized by the line "Hike up your skirt a little more and show the world to me." But then near the end, he goes into the childhood rhyme "I'm the king of the castle, and you're the dirty rascal." Kind of an odd juxtaposition, but still, a decent song. Forest for the Trees was a project put together by Beck collaborator Karl Stephenson, and their only real hit was this psychedelic dance track that features the sounds of bagpipes and a didgeridoo. A trip, in multiple senses of the word. Fleetwood Mac's original lineup reunited after nearly a decade for an MTV special called The Dance, and they got themselves back on the radio with this live performance of a song that was originally released as the B-side to "Go Your Own Way." It's Stevie Nicks singing cryptically about lust and jealousy. So basically, everything you want in Stevie-sung Mac. Duran Duran managed to slip onto American radio one more time with this song that gets half of its title from the 1968 science-fiction film that contained a character that inspired the band's name. The song itself seems to be about some sort of sex robot. But somehow, it's still not very interesting. Hanson, the three Tulsa brothers who were arguably the most authentic of the late-90s boy bands in that a) they were all actually boys during the height of their popularity, and b) they played their own instruments, are here with their third hit, a ballad that promises support when life gets rough. It's not bad as these things go. But here I will admit that I loved "MMMBop" back then, and I still think it holds up as a great single. It has a fun, Jackson 5 vibe to me. Maybe you consider that blasphemy, but that's my opinion. And Jakob Dylan's Wallflowers are back again with their third hit, a rocker about boys kissing girls and things not changing. Don't really understand it, but it sounds nice.
Elton John appears twice in this section. First, a version of his 1973 Marilyn Monroe tribute with the special lyrics he wrote for his performance at Princess Diana's funeral that September. With the world mourning "England's Rose," the single became the all-time best-seller. The b-side of that single is also here, a bland AC ballad that, in all honesty, probably wouldn't have gotten much attention at all if not for its placement on that single. It's just Sir Elton on autopilot.
The other two songe here are by female solo singers. Wisconsin-born singer Ayanna Porter (whose stage name is pronounced "I know Jay") is here with a meh cover of an 80s hit by my guys Ready for the World. I'm not impressed, and I doubt I'd be impressed with her other hit, a cover of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" if I remembered it. And New Yorker Fiona Apple had her biggest hit with this piano-driven dance-rocker about how she regrets "being careless with a delicate man." I think it's a good song, but I much prefer her earlier single "Shadowboxer." But that didn't have a video where Apple spent most of it in her underwear. Wonder if that made any difference?
30 - "Mo' Money Mo' Problems," The Notorious B.I.G.
29 - "Butterfly," Mariah Carey
28 - "Bitch," Meredith Brooks
27 - "Takes a Little Time," Amy Grant
26 - "Walkin' on the Sun," Smash Mouth
25 - "Too Gone Too Long," En Vogue
24 - "Tubthumping," Chumbawamba
23 - "I'll Be Missing You," Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112
22 - "All Cried Out," Allure featuring 112
21 - "Legend of a Cowgirl," Imani Coppola
We'll begin with three songs that form a chain of sorts. Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs raps on what would be the last big hit by the late, legendary Notorious B.I.G. Biggie, of course, is clearly better on his verse than Puffy or other contributor Mase, but arguably, the show is stolen by the vocal hooks provided by Kelly Price and Diana Ross (the latter in the form of samples from her 1980 hit "I'm Coming Out"). Puffy himself has a hit of his own here with his tribute to his late friend, assisted by both Biggie's widow and the vocal quartet who pronounced their name "One-Twelve." Of course, this song is also powered by heavy borrowing from the Police classic "Every Breath You Take." Not a great song, but certainly heartfelt. And 112 teamed up with female quartet Allure on this cover of a 1986 Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam hit. Didn't like the original, and this one didn't change my opinion at all.
Four female soloists in this batch. Mariah Carey continued her 90s run of superstardom with this ballad of the "if you love somebody, set them free" variety. It's what she did, and she did it well, but I didn't get much out of it. Oregon singer Meredith Brooks had her only major hit with this rocker about the many sides of herself as a woman. How much of the song's success can be attributed to the fact that this sounded like it could have been an Alanis Morissette track, I can't say. But I'm guessing at least a bit. Amy Grant had her last pop hit with this pleasant AC tune that compares getting ones life back together to "turn(ing) the Titanic around." In other words, it's a slow but rewarding process, as long as you don't run into icebergs. One of her better songs, and you know how I feel about the voice. And New York singer and violinist Imani Coppola had her only solo hit with a fun little rap tune about breaking hearts and riding horses that relies on a sample from Donovan's 60s hit "Sunshine Superman." Definitely one of the decade's better one-hit wonders.
We close with three groups. San Jose's Smash Mouth had their first hit with this catchy, organ-driven tune that seems to be about how the ideals of the 60s had been reduced to just empty fashion statements. Whatever, it was fun to listen to. But then they'd get all cheesy and corporate and record "All Star." So much for ideals. En Vogue had one of their last pop hits with this ballad about a lover who finds his efforts to get his woman back are too little, too late. Professional soul, as you would expect from these ladies. And Burnley, England's Chumbawamba had been recording punk and pop music for over fifteen years that extolled their far left political views for fifteen years when they found themselves with a worldwide hit in the form of this dance-rocker about drinking, urinating, singing old songs, and getting back up when you're knocked down. Not surprisingly, the band's sudden fame gave them a platform from which they created controversy, and they soon returned to their previous status in the music world. But they did have this one hit, and that hit has now earned them an Uneasy Rider. So don't cry for them, next door neighbor.
Tomorrow: alien hunters, boy bands, and the group I have grown to hate more than any other.
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