This week we're in 1998. France hosted and won the World Cup that year. Also, Casey was able to once again use the name American Top 40. Unfortunately, the show we're looking at this week was hosted by a substitute named Steve Streit. And these were the hits of the day.
40 - "Luv Me, Luv Me," Shaggy featuring Janet Jackson
39 - "The Boy is Mine," Brandy and Monica
38 - "I'm Your Angel," Celine Dion and R. Kelly
37 - "When the Lights Go Out," Five
36 - "Have You Ever," Brandy
35 - "Fire Escape," Fastball
34 - "I Will Wait," Hootie and the Blowfish
33 - "Back 2 Good," Matchbox 20
32 - "I Had No Right," PM Dawn
31- "Just the Two of Us," Will Smith
We begin with four duos. Jamaican-born dancehall rapper Shaggy teamed up with Janet Jackson on this on which "Mr. Lover," pledges to make a lady "moist and wet" during an evening in which both will be "sippin' Coke from the same ol' mug." Now I understand that the idea of shared germs from sharing the same beverage container does seem like a minor consideration when clearly the plan is for many different bodily fluids to be exchanged, but still, Shaggy, give the woman her own cup. It just seems like the classy thing to do. Teen singers Brandy and Monica collaborated on a track that turned out to be a bigger hit than either would ever have individually. Basically, it's the female version of that song Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney did, but these two are much more convincing as romantic rivals. And just a better song all around. Celine Dion and R. Kelly joined forces on a Kelly-penned ballad of support and devotion that is the last American #1 for both singers to date. It's both of them at the peak of their adult-contemporary powers, and while it doesn't do much for me, I appreciate the craft. And the Cordes brothers of PM Dawn had their last significant pop hit with this song about not being good enough for someone. It stands up among their best, and kind of reminds me of a great Prince B-side. Appropriate for a song sung by a man who calls himself Prince Be.
There are four groups here. British boy band Five had their biggest American hit with this dance track on which they tell a girl that "you will succumb to me." That doesn't sound very romantic. Still, okay for what it is. Austin, Texas band Fastball followed up their memorable debut hit "The Way" with this song about not being perfect but still wanting to be accepted. Solid, catchy jangle-rock. Hootie and the Blowfish had their last gasp of pop radio success with this harder-rocking-than-usual tale of a couple bonded by love in spite of a relationship that's grown complicated due to distance and deception. I know before I declared "Hold My Hand" my favorite of theirs, but being reminded of this one, I've changed my mind. This one is just so intense and compelling, and is the one moment that hints that they were capable of more than history gives them credit for. But of course, that's not how I feel about Matchbox 20, who show up here with more of their droney crap. "This ain't no good, in fact it's phony as hell," Rob Thomas sings. Couldn't agree more.
What's left are two solo singers. Brandy followed up her Monica duet with what would be her only solo #1, a Diane Warren ballad about loving someone a great deal, Brandy sings it well, but still, it's Diane Warren. And Will Smith is here with a song that reinterprets Grover Washington Jr.'s 1981 romantic ballad as a rap song about trying to be a good father to his five-year-old son Trey. I don't know if he has fulfilled that promise, but I do know that Trey hasn't broken into showbiz the way his half-siblings Jaden and Willow have. But maybe that's a good thing. Also, I just realized that Smith's full first name is "Willard." And speaking of guys whose real first name is "Willard, Mitt Romney lost the election. Can't say I'm disappointed by that turn of events.
30 - "Touch It," Monifah
29 - "Closing Time," Semisonic
28 - "From This Moment On," Shania Twain
27 - "Go Deep," Janet Jackson
26 - "Jump Jive an' Wail," The Brian Setzer Orchestra
25 - "Slide," Goo Goo Dolls
24 - "The First Night," Monica
23 - "Too Close," Next
22 - "The Power of Goodbye," Madonna
21 - "Inside Out," Eve 6
This section splits neatly in half between female singers and groups. First among the former is the lady born Monifa Carter, who had her biggest hit with this sultry sex strut, built on a sample of Laid Back's 1983 hit "White Horse," on which she pledges to "show your body what your lips are doing wrong." I'm certainly intrigued. Canadian country diva Shania Twain had one of the many hits from her huge album Come On Over with this tailor-made wedding ballad. It's not as Def Leppardized as many of her songs produced by then-husband "Mutt" Lange, and yes, that's a good thing. I like my country to be, well, country. Which isn't what this is either, but still, it's fine AC balladry. Janet Jackson had one of her last hits of the 90s with this number about a night of energetic dancing leading to a night of energetic...something else. Okay. Monica, like Brandy, also had a solo hit on this countdown, a midtempo declaration that she doesn't "get down" on first dates. Probably a wise policy. And I must say in the duel of the solo singles this week, Monica takes it over Brandy. And Madonna had a third hit from her Ray of Light CD with this atmospheric breakup tune. There was just something really cool about the way producer William Orbit brought out her voice on this record. I just can't put my finger on it.
We'll close the first half with five groups. Minnesota's Semisonic had their biggest hit with an alt-rock ode to last call at your local tavern. Another song that I got sick of when it was big, but have grown to appreciate with distance. Former Stray Cat Brian Setzer had formed a big-band swing orchestra in the early 90s, but it wasn't until the latter years of the decade that his new project scored a hit in the midst of a brief revival of swing music. This cover of a 1957 Louis Prima hit doesn't quite match the original, but Setzer's genuine affection for the style shines through. The Goo Goo Dolls kept up their late-decade hit run with this peppy-sounding rocker that's apparently about a young couple deciding whether or not the girl should get an abortion. It was probably wise not to publicize that, though. Just let the catchiness stand on its own. R&Bers Next had their biggest hit with this song about how dancing can lead to sex. That's two songs in this section about that subject. Maybe John Lithgow's character in Footloose was right. And rockers Eve 6 had their biggest hit with this grungy bit of business with painful lines like "I wanna put my tender heart in a blender" and perhaps worst of all, "Or am I origami?" One of the more embarrasing rock songs of that era.
In Part Two: The beginning of a major career, more Diane Warren, and hardcore nudity!
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