And now, at long, long, long last, here's more from '94.
20 - "Round Here," Counting Crows
19 - "Crazy," Aerosmith
18 - "Come to My Window," Melissa Etheridge
17 - "Letitgo," Prince
16 - "Lucky One," Amy Grant
The second half opens with San Francisco's Counting Crows and their second pop hit, a jangly semi-dirge about a sad girl named Maria. These guys had their moments, but as time has gone by, my tolerance for Adam Duritz had decreased.
Aerosmith show up again with another of their bluesy ballads. This one;s about a lady who drives Steven Tyler insane. Other than subject matter, it's a lot like "Cryin'," right down to having Alicia Silverstone in the video. Steven's daughter Liv was in it too. And that's about it.
Melissa Etheridge emerged from Leavenworth, Kansas in 1988, and her first three albums went platinum. Then in January of 1993, at an inaugural ball for Bill Clinton, she came out as a lesbian, and then titled her next album Yes I Am. But instead of damaging her career, she shot to superstardom on the strength of hits like this impassioned ballad about enduring struggle for love. Honestly, I liked some of her earlier stuff better, like "Like the Way I Do," but I cannot begrudge her her success at all. She's very good at what she does.
Then it's Prince with a song that's apparently about his issues with Warner Bros. Records, the company who had released all of his albums to that point. He wasn't happy, and he was showing it by doing things like performing on television with the word "Slave" written on his face and singing lyric like "Fourteen years and tears I've longed to sing my song." This song is okay, but it doesn't come close to his best. Within a few years, he would leave Warner Bros. and start his own label. His commercial fortunes haven't really been the same since.
This section finishes with Amy Grant and another of her pop hits, a glossy adult contemporay number about how fortunate she his to have her man. When I talk about liking her voice way more than her material, this is a great example of that.
15 - "Black Hole Sun," Soundgarden
14 - "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," Elton John
13 - "I'll Stand by You," The Pretenders
12 - "Don't Turn Around," Ace of Base
11 - "100% Pure Love," Crystal Waters
This section opens with Seattle grunge stars Soundgarden and their biggest pop hit. I can't say I understand the lyrics, but it sounds cool. One of that era's best anthems.
Elton John is here with another Lion King number, a romantic ballad. I didn't think mating lions needed mood music, but I guess in Disney movies they do. You can't just go "wham-bam-thank you Nala."
Next are Chrissie Hynde and company with their last pop hit, an uplifting ballad of devotion. One could easily dismiss this as a calculate commercial move, but the passion and soul of Chrissie's voice makes it hard not to like. She definitely seems like someone you'd want on your side.
Then it's Ace of Base with their take on a song that was originally a 1986 Tina Turner B-side, then became a U.K. #1 for the British reggae band Aswad. This version is their typical watered-down reggae, and it just isn't as interesting as "All That She Wants" or as earwormy as "The Sign."
This group is anchored by the second hit by dance diva Crystal Waters, a nice little floorfiller on which she promises to be "your favorite dish." Yummy. Still, she's probably best remembered for her first hit, 1991's strange "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)."
(The Top Ten enter)
10 - "I'm the Only One," Melissa Etheridge
Another hit from Ms. Etheridge's commercial peak. I definitely like this better than "Come to My Window." Gritty goodness.
9 - "Another Night," Real McCoy
The first American hit by this German dance outfit was this track that's typical of the stuff coming out of Europe for much of the 90s, with a singer sharing the spotlight with a growly male voice. It doesn't really stand out to me.
8 - "December 1963 (Oh What a Night)," The Four Seasons
Eighteen years after this song annoyed me the first time around, some Dutch guy decided to remix it, and it became inescapable on the radio all over again. And now it's eighteen years later. Please, God, don't let it happen again.
7 - "Endless Love," Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey
It was probably inevitable that these two would eventually do a duet together. I just think it would have been nice if they had found a new song to use as their showcase instead of this one which Diana Ross and Lionel Richie had already put their stamp on. They do okay, and it's not like I loved the original, but still, there was a missed opportunity here.
6 - "Stay (I Missed You)," Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories
The bespectacled Loeb got her big break when she gave a demo of her and her band to a guy who lived across the street from her, actor Ethan Hawke. At the time Hawke was making the movie Reality Bites, and he liked Loeb's demo so much he gave it to the film's director, Ben Stiller, who ended up using it in the movie. From there, it ended up on the soundtrack, and with the help of a Hawke-directed video, the song became a #1 smash. It's a gentle bit of pop-rock about a complicated relationship, uplifted by Loeb's sweet vocals. She does have a very warm voice. When I learned that she now makes her living singing children's songs, I wasn't at all surprised.
5 - "When Can I See You," Babyface
Kenneth Edmonds' biggest pop hit was this sweet acoustic ballad in which he wonders when his lover will come back. It's proof that even mega-producers realize that sometimes a guitar and a voice is enough.
4 - "Shine," Collective Soul
The breakthrough hit for this band from Stockbridge, Georgia was this riff-powered rocker about looking to the skies for meaning. They may not have been a game-changing group or anything, but they had their moments, and contributed some cool stuff to radio playlists. Just a good band that was nice to have around.
3 - "Wild Night," John Mellencamp with Me'Shell Ndegeocello
The former Mr. Cougar had his last Top Five pop hit with this spirited cover of a 1971 Van Morrison hit. He is a accompanied by Ndegeocello, a somewhat out of the mainstream R&B singer who was one of the first signings by Madonna's Maverick Records label. She never really got very big on her own, but I get the idea that she's not that bothered by that. Good for her.
2 - "I'll Make Love to You," Boyz II Men
These Philly boys had another huge charttopper with this straightforward loverman jam on which they promise to meet a lady's every need. I've got to hand it to them, whatever the secret is to making this kind of song, they knew it.
And topping the charts way back when was...
1 - "All I Wanna Do," Sheryl Crow
Missouri-born Crow's first major gig was singing backup on Michael Jackson's Bad tour. In August 1993, she released her debut, Tuesday Night Music Club, and a year after that, she was topping the charts with this catchy jaunt about wanting to have a good time. The sound of this song can best be described as "country-disco," which makes her opening statement that "This ain't no disco, and it ain't no country club either" somewhat ironic. Honestly, I think her first single, "Leaving Las Vegas," is the better song, but this is certainly a worthy smash.
Shadoe's "Sneak Peek" was "Something's Always Wrong" by Toad the Wet Sprocket. The LDD was "Wind Beneath My Wings," sent out from a South African woman to her German pen pal. But alas, the version I listened to contained no commercials. Oh well.
When next we meet, which will hopefully be soon, it'll be time for 1995.
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