20 - "Then the Morning Comes," Smash Mouth
19 - "All Star," Smash Mouth
18 - "Meet Virginia," Train
17 - "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" Shania Twain
16 -"I Knew I Loved You," Savage Garden
The second half opens with a double shot of Smash Mouth. First, it's another cool little retro-pop number with some hints of a spy-movie sound to it. Nothing wrong with it at all. But then, there's "All Star." It's a cloying bit of cheese with a chorus that singer Steve Harwell once said was specifically written to get it played during sporting events. And not only did it work for that purpose, it also became their biggest radio hit. It was catchy at first, but it got old fast. The lyrics, the arrangement, the hip-hop scratch effects, they were all just so painfully contrived.
Next are San Francisco band Train with their first hit, an ode to singer Pat Monahan's non-existent dream girl, a lady who doesn't wear dresses yet "wears high heels when she exercises. Kinda cutesy and gimmicky, but tolerable on its own. Unfortunately, the cutesiness and gimmickry would get worse with every subsequent hit, peaking with the godawful "Hey, Soul Sister." And they're still having hits to this day. I never would have predicted that.
Then it's Shania Twain at her most poppy on this synth heavy paean to "Girls' Nights Out." It's fine for what it is. And I must admit that once in a while I will utter the title phrase, but almost certainly in a different context from Ms. Twain.
Rounding out this section is the second and last U.S. #1 by Aussie pop duo Savage Garden. Just a bland AC ballad. I'd think much more of this band if they'd disappeared after their debut single "I Want You." Chicka-cherry cola!
15 - "Where My Girls At," 702
14 - "I Do (Cherish You)," 98 Degrees
13 - "Back at One," Brian McKnight
12 - "There She Goes," Sixpence None the Richer
11 - "Scar Tissue," The Red Hot Chili Peppers
Leading off this quintet are female R&B trio 702, who took their name from the area code of their native Las Vegas. Their biggest hit was this number in which they essentially threaten to beat up any woman who tries to steal their men. Nothing special. Destiny's Child did this sort of thing better.
98 Degrees are here again with more boy band balladry. Nothing worth discussing any further. There's a reason these guys were just the clipboard-holders while BSB and 'N Sync battled for the starting job as quarterback of the boy bands.
Next is soul man Brian McKnight's biggest hit, a ballad on which he lays out the steps of his seduction technique. It straddles the line between sweet and cheesy, but all in all, decent little song.
Then it's Texas Christian-pop band Sixpence None the Richer, who had broken into the secular mainstream after the jangly "Kiss Me" was used in the movie She's All That and became a Top Five smash., Their last major pop hit was this faithful cover of a 1991 song by the Liverpool band The La's. Leigh Nash has a nice voice, but I get the feeling that she doesn't realize the song was originally about heroin as she sings lines like "racing through my brain" and "pulsing through my veins." Oh well, songs are what you make of them.
Last in this section is one of The Red Hot Chili Peppers' biggest hits. It's a midtempo ballad that's also apparently about heroin addiction, although in this case the singer is fully aware of that, because Anthony Kiedis himself wrote the lyrics. Dreamy and melodic, and certainly among their best.
Get your Top ten on.
10 - "I Need to Know," Marc Anthony
Marco Antonio Muniz was yet another Spanish-language singer who crossed over into the Anglo mainstream in 1999, but what set him apart was the fact that his breakhrough hit had a higher degreee of Latin authenticity. This was a pure salsa/cha-cha number, with no obvious electronic enhancement or sops to modern dance-pop. That, combined with Anthony's terrific vocal, makes it clearly the best song to come out of the "Latin explosion."
9 - "Someday," Sugar Ray
The ex-punk brats continued their pop turn with this combination of hip hop beats, acoustic strumming, and lyrics about lost love. Musical wallpaper.
8 - "Genie in a Bottle," Christina Aguilera
At 19 years old, and of Ecuadoran extraction on her father's side, Aguilera was seen by some as a product of both of 1999's emerging musical trends. But there wasn't all that much Latin flavor to her first hit, a glossy teen pop trifle about her need to be "rub(bed) the right way." But still, you could tell that her singing voice was clearly the strongest among her peers, and she promised to be a talent to watch. But I don't. At least not on The Voice.
7 - "Waiting for Tonight," Jennifer Lopez
Actress-turned singer Lopez was also lumped into the whole "Latin" category due to ethnicity, but her songs were just generic pop. And I hate pretty much all of them, including this piece of dance monotony. I don't like her voice, I don't like the songs she does, I just think she's one of the most overrated things in music in the last decade-plus. And I'm not sure why.
6 - "Larger Than Life," Backstreet Boys
The Boys are back again, this time with a Max Martin-masterminded tribute to their fans. "All of your time spent keeps us alive," they sing. So theoretically, shouldn't they be close to death by now? Seriously, though, this was one of their better songs.
5 - "Unpretty," TLC
The Atlanta trio's last charttopper was this ballad about a woman's struggles with her self-image. The serious tone manages to not become overly preachy or cheesy. I'll say it again: best girl-group of the 90s, by far.
4 - "(You Drive Me) Crazy," Britney Spears
Brit's third hit was more Max Martin bubblegum, this time about being insanely infatuated. For some reason, though, this stands out to me as possibly my favorite song of hers. I have no idea why.
3 - "Steal My Sunshine," Len
This Toronto group fronted by siblings Marc and Sharon Costanzo had their only major international hit with this song that's supposedly tells two sides of a teenage romance in a way that was inspired by The Human League's "Don't You Want Me." You can't really make that out from the lyrics though, with mentions of "tribal lunar-speak" and lines like "My sticky paws were into making straws." It hardly matters. The beat, looped from Andrea True Connection's "More More More" is infectious, the chorus is a monster, and the vibe is just sunny, smiley goodness. If you're going to be a one-hit wonder, you might as well make that one hit a classic, and this is.
2 - "Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of...)," Lou Bega
Born to an Italian mother and a Ugandan father, and raised in Germany, Bega had his biggest international success by taking a 1949 song by Cuban mambo star Perez Prado and singing over it his need for "a little bit" of various women. Even amidst all the Spanish-accented flavor on the radio back then, this stood out like a sore thumb. Which of course means that it's this week's Uneasy Rider.
And on top that week in '99 was...
1 - "Smooth," Santana featuring Rob Thomas
Carlos Santana was unquestionably a legend by this time. However, record labels had lost interest in him, thinking he was no longer capable of hits, and thus he hadn't released an album in seven years. Enter record executive Clive Davis, who had worked with him in the past and now ran Arista Records. Davis came up the idea of Santana recording an album featuring several collaborations with younger, more contemporary artists. One of the products of this was the first single, a Latin-flavored rock track co-written and sung by my buddy Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20. The result was a humongous hit that helped the album, Supernatural, sell over 30 million copies worlwide. As for the song, well...I like Carlos' guitar playing. I'll leave it at that.
As an extra following the "AT 40 Concert Calendar," Casey played "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls. First among the LDDs was a girl who sent out Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven" to her late grandmother. Then, a woman dedicated Peter Cetera's "The Glory of Love" to her new husband. And finally, a teenager dedicated "Because You Loved Me" by Celine Dion to her mother, whom she had recently reconciled with after a period of tumult.
Next up: Two-triple-oh.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Sunday, November 11, 2012
November 13, 1999 Part One
This week, we arrive just weeks before the turn of the Millennium. The world is anticipating a party, yet still wondering about that whole Y2K bug thing that could have potentially thrown the enitre world into chaos and disaster. Spoiler alert: it didn't. Meanwhile, as the countdown clocks ticked down, these songs were popular.
33 - "That's the Way it Is," Celine Dion
32 - "My Love is Your Love," Whitney Houston
31 - "What's My Age Again," Blink-182
We'll begin with two songs fearuting contributions from N' Sync. First, they teamed up with Gloria Estefan for a treacly ballad from the soundtrack of Music of the Heart, a film in which Meryl Streep teaches violin in Harlem. It was directed by none other than horrormeister Wes Craven. That fact is way more interesting than this song. And the Syncsters' JC Chasez guests on the biggest hit by Atlanta R&B trio Blaque, a song in which the women don't care about JC's "thug appeal." I had no idea he had such a thing.
Three male solo acts are here. Robert James Ritchie came from suburban Detroit, became a rapper, and released his major-label debut in 1990, when he was only 19. It bombed, he was dropped, and it took him most of the rest of the decade to get another shot at the big time. But when he did, it was with a mix of rap and Southern rock that propelled his Devil Without a Cause CD to multiplatinum sales. His hit here epitomizes that sound, with pimp-and-ho imagery combined with a swampy rock track. I just have two questions for Mr. Rock regarding the lyrics to this song. One, what are "all the right reasons" to start an escort service? And two, what kind of words of wisdom are "Radio edit?" Anyway, too bad about Romney losing, Kid. Puerto Rican Ricky Martin had been a successful Spanish-language artist before and after leaving Menudo, but it wasn't 1999 until he broke through to the Anglo market. His entry here was the third single from his eponymous album, and it's the one that time has been least kind to. First of all, out of all the silly euphemisms for the female rump that humanity has come up with over the years, "bon-bon" has to be one of the most laughable. And lyrics like "Up in the Himilayas/Come on I wanna lay ya," don't help matters. I must admit, however, that I do kind of like his 1998 World Cup anthem "The Cup of Life." And British DJ Norman Cook had his second major American hit with this dance track built on a surf guitar line and a snatch of rap from a self-proclaimed "funk soul brother." The song had already been used frequently in films and commercials before becomins a radio hit, so people did get a little burned out on it. But now that it's time of ubiquity has long passed, it stands up as a fun little floor-filler.
Three groups also call this section home. Counting Crows picked up another hit with this fun little rock groove about laziness. It's probably my favorite song of theirs, because it's so loose and casual, and they seem to be actually enjoying themselves for once. The Massachussets trio whose initials stood for Lyte Funky Ones had their second and last Top Ten with what I would say is probably the worst popular song of this particular era of boy bands. Terrible lyrics, an awful lead vocal, pathetic rapping. Plus it's apparently about Jennifer Love Hewitt, who I've never liked. At least "Summer Girls" is almost charming in its spectacular stupidity. This is just bad. And California punk-poppers Blink-182 had their first major pop hit with this ode to prolonged adolescence and how girls don't like it when you prank-call their mothers claiming you're a cop who's arrested their husbands. Silly, but crazily catchy, and probably still the best thing they've ever put out.
We finish this first quarter with two female superstars. Celine Dion had her last U.S. Top Ten pop hit with this fizzy little lite-pop tune about believing in yourself and having faith and stuff. And our good Swedish friend Max Martin co-wrote and co-produced it. The guy has the touch. And Whitney Houston had her last pop Top Five with this midtempo ballad, co-written and co-produced by Wyclef Jean of the Fugees, about how she can get through anything as long as she is with the one she loves, the one with whom she has a bond so strong that "the chains of Amistad couldn't hold us." If you don't know what Amistad is, Google it. Or go find the Spielberg movie. Anyway, this was probably her last really good song.
30 - "Last Kiss," Pearl Jam
29 - "Angels Would Fall," Melissa Etheridge
28 - "Angels," Robbie Williams
27 - "Bailamos," Enrique Iglesias
26 - "Candy," Mandy Moore
25 - "She's All I Ever Had," Ricky Martin
24 - "I Wanna Love You Forever," Jessica Simpson
23 - "Heartbreaker," Mariah Carey featuring Jay-Z
22 - "American Woman," Lenny Kravitz
21 - "Will 2K," Will Smith featuring K-Ci
This section includes just one band, and two "Solo acts featuring X," so I'm lumping them together. Seattle grunge stars Pearl Jam had their biggest pop hit with this cover of J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers 1964 hit about teenage traffic tragedy. Certainly not representative of the band's overall sound, but Eddie Vedder treats it seriously instead of with winking irony, and it works. Mariah Carey had her whopping 14th Number One hit with this slinky "Can't live with you, can't live without you" jam that features a guest rhyme from one Shawn Carter, who was then just a mere rapper. Now he's an entertainment mogul, a clothing-line owner, and the part-owner of the Brooklyn Nets. Oh, and he's also married to Beyonce. I suppose he's doing all right for himself. And Will Smith is here, with vocal assistance from K-Ci of Jodeci, celebrating the coming New Year's Eve and the start of what he calles the "Willennium." Unlike some people, he wasn't letting millennial anxiety dampen his enthusiasm for the massive celebration to come. "Chaos, the cops gonna block the street? Man, who the hell cares? Just don't stop the beat." he declares. That attitude makes the song's extensive use of The Clash's "Rock the Casbah" almost appropriate.
Three solo women are in this group. Melissa Etheridge had one of her last pop hits with this song that was apparently inspired by feelings she had toward another woman while she was in the process of splitting up with longtime partner Julie Cypher. That kind of raw emotion usually works in her favor, and it does again in this case. One of her best. Nashua, New Hamspshire's Mandy Moore was part of a wave of teenage female pop singers that sprang up in the wake of Britney Spears, and she was only 15 when she scored her first hit with this dance pop confection (pun intended). Not much here, and she didn't have all that much musical success afterward. But she has had a decent acting career, so I guess she came out ahead. And Dallas' Jessica Simpson rode that same wave, despite being a relatively ancient 19 when she debuted with this sexy ballad. I wasn't that familiar with it, and frankly, I was surprised at how well she sings on it. I'd never thought she was that good on her other stuff, but this actually shows some skills. She'd have more overall musical success than Mandy Moore, but that's kind of gotten lost over the years amid weight battles, Tony Romo, and "Is this chicken or fish?"
We finish the first half with four guys. Robbie Williams never broke through in America to the extent he did in the rest of the world, but he did pick up a couple of midsize radio hits there in 1999, one of which was this anthemic ballad about hoping for otherworldly protection and love. It fell short of hitting #1 in Britain, but it has grown in stature to the point where it is considered one of the greatest pop songs that country has produced in recent years. I'm not sure I'd go that far, but it's a fine song, sung well. Another of 1999's major pop trends was the "Latin Explosion," and one of those poised to capitalize on that was the son of Spanish superstar Julio Iglesias. Enrique's first English hit ironically had a Spanish title (translation: "We Dance"), but was otherwise typical, accented loverman crooning over flamencoey guitars. Not my thing, but better than that Jersey Shore song, for sure. Ricky Martin was arguably the leader of the whole Latin-pop wave, and he makes his second appearance this week with a ballad about a woman who's really, really important to him. Possibly the one song of his that still kind of holds up, even though we know now that the gender of the person he was singing about isn't the same one he's attracted to. And Lenny Kravitz is here with a choppy cover of the Guess Who's 1970 #1 that wasn't about a female at all but rather the United States itself ("I don't need your war machines, I don't need your ghetto scenes"). Like I've said before, I like it when a cover version tries to differ from the original, and I'll give Lenny credit for trying, but I'm not a fan of this at all. The rage of the original is blunted into bland lite-funk artificiality. But at least Burton and Randy must have made some good coin from the royalties.
In Part Two: a cynical commericial ploy works spectacularly well, more examples of those trends we discussed today, and what I consider to be one of the great one-hit wonders of all time.
40 - "Music of My Heart," Gloria Estefan featuring 'N Sync
39 - "Bring it All to Me," Blaque
38 - "Cowboy," Kid Rock
37 - "Shake Your Bon-Bon," Ricky Martin
36 - "The Rockafeller Skank," Fatboy Slim
35 - "Hanginaround," Counting Crows
34 - "Girl on TV," LFO33 - "That's the Way it Is," Celine Dion
32 - "My Love is Your Love," Whitney Houston
31 - "What's My Age Again," Blink-182
We'll begin with two songs fearuting contributions from N' Sync. First, they teamed up with Gloria Estefan for a treacly ballad from the soundtrack of Music of the Heart, a film in which Meryl Streep teaches violin in Harlem. It was directed by none other than horrormeister Wes Craven. That fact is way more interesting than this song. And the Syncsters' JC Chasez guests on the biggest hit by Atlanta R&B trio Blaque, a song in which the women don't care about JC's "thug appeal." I had no idea he had such a thing.
Three male solo acts are here. Robert James Ritchie came from suburban Detroit, became a rapper, and released his major-label debut in 1990, when he was only 19. It bombed, he was dropped, and it took him most of the rest of the decade to get another shot at the big time. But when he did, it was with a mix of rap and Southern rock that propelled his Devil Without a Cause CD to multiplatinum sales. His hit here epitomizes that sound, with pimp-and-ho imagery combined with a swampy rock track. I just have two questions for Mr. Rock regarding the lyrics to this song. One, what are "all the right reasons" to start an escort service? And two, what kind of words of wisdom are "Radio edit?" Anyway, too bad about Romney losing, Kid. Puerto Rican Ricky Martin had been a successful Spanish-language artist before and after leaving Menudo, but it wasn't 1999 until he broke through to the Anglo market. His entry here was the third single from his eponymous album, and it's the one that time has been least kind to. First of all, out of all the silly euphemisms for the female rump that humanity has come up with over the years, "bon-bon" has to be one of the most laughable. And lyrics like "Up in the Himilayas/Come on I wanna lay ya," don't help matters. I must admit, however, that I do kind of like his 1998 World Cup anthem "The Cup of Life." And British DJ Norman Cook had his second major American hit with this dance track built on a surf guitar line and a snatch of rap from a self-proclaimed "funk soul brother." The song had already been used frequently in films and commercials before becomins a radio hit, so people did get a little burned out on it. But now that it's time of ubiquity has long passed, it stands up as a fun little floor-filler.
Three groups also call this section home. Counting Crows picked up another hit with this fun little rock groove about laziness. It's probably my favorite song of theirs, because it's so loose and casual, and they seem to be actually enjoying themselves for once. The Massachussets trio whose initials stood for Lyte Funky Ones had their second and last Top Ten with what I would say is probably the worst popular song of this particular era of boy bands. Terrible lyrics, an awful lead vocal, pathetic rapping. Plus it's apparently about Jennifer Love Hewitt, who I've never liked. At least "Summer Girls" is almost charming in its spectacular stupidity. This is just bad. And California punk-poppers Blink-182 had their first major pop hit with this ode to prolonged adolescence and how girls don't like it when you prank-call their mothers claiming you're a cop who's arrested their husbands. Silly, but crazily catchy, and probably still the best thing they've ever put out.
We finish this first quarter with two female superstars. Celine Dion had her last U.S. Top Ten pop hit with this fizzy little lite-pop tune about believing in yourself and having faith and stuff. And our good Swedish friend Max Martin co-wrote and co-produced it. The guy has the touch. And Whitney Houston had her last pop Top Five with this midtempo ballad, co-written and co-produced by Wyclef Jean of the Fugees, about how she can get through anything as long as she is with the one she loves, the one with whom she has a bond so strong that "the chains of Amistad couldn't hold us." If you don't know what Amistad is, Google it. Or go find the Spielberg movie. Anyway, this was probably her last really good song.
29 - "Angels Would Fall," Melissa Etheridge
28 - "Angels," Robbie Williams
27 - "Bailamos," Enrique Iglesias
26 - "Candy," Mandy Moore
25 - "She's All I Ever Had," Ricky Martin
24 - "I Wanna Love You Forever," Jessica Simpson
23 - "Heartbreaker," Mariah Carey featuring Jay-Z
22 - "American Woman," Lenny Kravitz
21 - "Will 2K," Will Smith featuring K-Ci
This section includes just one band, and two "Solo acts featuring X," so I'm lumping them together. Seattle grunge stars Pearl Jam had their biggest pop hit with this cover of J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers 1964 hit about teenage traffic tragedy. Certainly not representative of the band's overall sound, but Eddie Vedder treats it seriously instead of with winking irony, and it works. Mariah Carey had her whopping 14th Number One hit with this slinky "Can't live with you, can't live without you" jam that features a guest rhyme from one Shawn Carter, who was then just a mere rapper. Now he's an entertainment mogul, a clothing-line owner, and the part-owner of the Brooklyn Nets. Oh, and he's also married to Beyonce. I suppose he's doing all right for himself. And Will Smith is here, with vocal assistance from K-Ci of Jodeci, celebrating the coming New Year's Eve and the start of what he calles the "Willennium." Unlike some people, he wasn't letting millennial anxiety dampen his enthusiasm for the massive celebration to come. "Chaos, the cops gonna block the street? Man, who the hell cares? Just don't stop the beat." he declares. That attitude makes the song's extensive use of The Clash's "Rock the Casbah" almost appropriate.
Three solo women are in this group. Melissa Etheridge had one of her last pop hits with this song that was apparently inspired by feelings she had toward another woman while she was in the process of splitting up with longtime partner Julie Cypher. That kind of raw emotion usually works in her favor, and it does again in this case. One of her best. Nashua, New Hamspshire's Mandy Moore was part of a wave of teenage female pop singers that sprang up in the wake of Britney Spears, and she was only 15 when she scored her first hit with this dance pop confection (pun intended). Not much here, and she didn't have all that much musical success afterward. But she has had a decent acting career, so I guess she came out ahead. And Dallas' Jessica Simpson rode that same wave, despite being a relatively ancient 19 when she debuted with this sexy ballad. I wasn't that familiar with it, and frankly, I was surprised at how well she sings on it. I'd never thought she was that good on her other stuff, but this actually shows some skills. She'd have more overall musical success than Mandy Moore, but that's kind of gotten lost over the years amid weight battles, Tony Romo, and "Is this chicken or fish?"
We finish the first half with four guys. Robbie Williams never broke through in America to the extent he did in the rest of the world, but he did pick up a couple of midsize radio hits there in 1999, one of which was this anthemic ballad about hoping for otherworldly protection and love. It fell short of hitting #1 in Britain, but it has grown in stature to the point where it is considered one of the greatest pop songs that country has produced in recent years. I'm not sure I'd go that far, but it's a fine song, sung well. Another of 1999's major pop trends was the "Latin Explosion," and one of those poised to capitalize on that was the son of Spanish superstar Julio Iglesias. Enrique's first English hit ironically had a Spanish title (translation: "We Dance"), but was otherwise typical, accented loverman crooning over flamencoey guitars. Not my thing, but better than that Jersey Shore song, for sure. Ricky Martin was arguably the leader of the whole Latin-pop wave, and he makes his second appearance this week with a ballad about a woman who's really, really important to him. Possibly the one song of his that still kind of holds up, even though we know now that the gender of the person he was singing about isn't the same one he's attracted to. And Lenny Kravitz is here with a choppy cover of the Guess Who's 1970 #1 that wasn't about a female at all but rather the United States itself ("I don't need your war machines, I don't need your ghetto scenes"). Like I've said before, I like it when a cover version tries to differ from the original, and I'll give Lenny credit for trying, but I'm not a fan of this at all. The rage of the original is blunted into bland lite-funk artificiality. But at least Burton and Randy must have made some good coin from the royalties.
In Part Two: a cynical commericial ploy works spectacularly well, more examples of those trends we discussed today, and what I consider to be one of the great one-hit wonders of all time.
Friday, November 9, 2012
November 7, 1998 Part Two
Putting a bow on 1998.
20 - "...Baby One More Time," Britney Spears
19 - "Because of You," 98 Degrees
18 - "I'll Be," Edwin McCain
17 - "Real World," Matchbox 20
16 - "Lullaby," Shawn Mullins
The second half begins with the song that truly introduced the world to a young Louisianan named Britney Jean Spears. We've all had this Max Martin dance-pop confection burned into our brains by now, haven't we? And surely we've all seen the video with the schoolgirl outfit that probably helped sell this song even more. All I can say about this song now is, it's the very definition of an earworm. The snakes, the head-shaving, the Federline, all of that we'll probably get to talk about later.
98 Degrees are here with one of their biggest hits. It's about being in love and stuff, and it's lightweight dance-pop produced by non-Max Martin Swedes. A typical example of disposable boy-band product.
Next is Edwin McCain, who just as his buddies in Hootie and the Blowfish were waning in popularity was having his greatest success with this overwrought ballad on which he declares that he will be both "love's suicide" and "the greatest fan of your life." Somehow those two concepts don't seem compatible. Anyway, this would go on to be a go-to song for American Idol contestants, and for all I know, it still is. I don't watch it anymore. It's run its course, and no amount of Nicky Minaj/Mariah Carey catfights will bring me back
Then it's my very good friends Matchbox 20 with more of their terrible soft-rockin' nonsense. Rob Thomas wonders what it's like to be a superhero. To me, however, he's an archvillain, the Lex Luthor of music. The man can do no right.
This section closes with the only major hit by Atlanta singer/songwriter Shawn Mullins. It's an acoustic pop song with spoken-word verses about a girl whose unsatisfied with her seemingly charmed Hollywood-kid life, and choruses on which Mullins assures her that "Everything's gonna be alright." It's a song that for me started out in the "I kinda like it, but..." column, and has remained there ever since.
15 - "Hands," Jewel
14 - "Hooch," Everything
13 - "Save Tonight," Eagle-Eye Cherry
12 - "This Kiss," Faith Hill
11 - "Tearin' Up My Heart," 'N Sync
This quintet is led off by the first single from Jewel's sophophomore album, Spirit. It's gentle folk-pop about staying strong and human even in the face of overwhelming adversity. Way better than all the non-"Who Will Save Your Soul" stuff on Pieces of You, and likely her second-best song overall.
Virginia band Everything follow with their only hit, a jammy acoustic-rocker set to a hip-hop beat that doesn't seem to be about moonshine. But I'm not sure what it is about. "Who got the freshy freshy?" Don't ask me. But it was interesting to hear a hit with a sax solo in 1998. Saxophone was all over the radio in the 80s, but in this decade it was quite rare.
Next is Swedish-born Eagle-Eye Cherry, who's half-sister Neneh is best remembered for her 1989 hit "Buffalo Stance." Eagle-Eye (his real given name)'s only American hit is this okay rocker in the "I'm leaving tomorrow, so let's do it tonight" vein. Later, because of its title, it became a frequently used walking-out-to-the-mound song for baseball relief pitchers. I'm sure that's exactly what he intended.
Then it's Mississippi's Faith Hill, who had already scored three #1 country hits when she finally made her crossover breakthrough with this jaunty tune about the giddiness caused by loving lip locks. No, it isn't country at all, but it's just so poppily joyous that I can't help but enjoy it.
Anchoring this set are 'N Sync, who despite forming later than the Backstreet Boys battled their Orlando rivals for the top of the boy-band mountain during this period. This Max Martin co-write is okay fluff-pop, but nothing special. And who knew that out of all of the guys in both groups, the last man standing in terms of relevance would be Timberlake?
They say the Top Ten is a bad mutha...shut your mouth!
10 - "My Favorite Mistake," Sheryl Crow
Crow kept her run of hits going with this bluesy burner about a cheating ex. Speculation is that the song's subject could be either Eric Clapton or Jakob Dylan. Not that it matters. Another solid hit in her catalogue.
9 - "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," Aerosmith
The raunch-rockers had their only #1 with this drippy Diane Warren ballad from the soundtrack of the killer-asteroid movie Armageddon, which included Steven Tyler's daughter Liv in its cast. Maudlin, bombastic, and oversung, but still incredibly popular. That's the way it goes sometimes.
8 - "Jumper," Third Eye Blind
The San Fransicans' third Top Ten was this song that Stephan Jenkins wrote about a high school friend of the band's manager who committed suicide because he was gay. Unfortunately, this sort of thing still happens. A serious song, but not one that comes off as preachy or put on.
7 - "Are You That Somebody," Aaliyah
This Brooklyn R&B star, who would be tragically killed in a plane crash in 2001, had one of her best remembered hits with this fantastic groover. Her voice, the beats, the rap contributions from Mad Skillz, those baby noises, somehow combine into something special. Certainly the best thing associated with that Eddie Murphy version of Dr. Dolittle.
6 - "Never Ever," All Saints
In the wake of the Spice Girls came this British girl-group, who had their biggest American hit with this midtempo ballad about love gone wrong. This is better than anything their more famous counterparts ever put out, and they're better singers, too.
5 - "Iris," Goo Goo Dolls
The Goos had their biggest hit with this ballad that kind of fits in with the movie it first appeared in, City of Angels, in which angel Nicolas Cage falls for mortal Meg Ryan. The song is better than the movie, and the song isn't that great.
4 - "I'll Never Break Your Heart," Backstreet Boys
Backstreet's back (alright!) with this cheeseball ballad. This is the sound of everything that's wrong with boy-bands: mediocre harmonies, sappy lyrics, and all-around artifice.
3 - "Crush," Jennifer Paige
Georgian Paige had her only real hit with this sultry dance pop denial of being in love. I like it better now than I did then. The sensuality of her voice comes through more now.
2 - "Thank U," Alanis Morissette
The first single from Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, Morissette's follow-up to the massive Jagged Little Pill CD, opens with a somewhat jarring piano line, and then the lyric "How 'bout getting off of these antibiotics." Then she thanks India and disillusionment in the chorus. Yes, the songs that made her famous also had enigmatic lyrics, but they were all accessible. This song almost tries not to be, but it still has it's charms. Still, it was a sign that the direction she was moving in was certainly less commercial than before, and the sales figures bore that out. But she made the music she wanted to make, and I can't fault her for that.
And at #1 this week, we find...
1 - "One Week," Barenaked Ladies
Formed in Scarborough, Ontario, these five fully-clothed men first broke through in their native Canada when their self-released five-song cassette sold over 100,000 copies. But they didn't break through in the United States until this bit of schizophrenic pop-rock made it all the way to the top of the charts. The choruses feature Steven Page singing about an argument with his girlfriend, while on the verses, Ed Robertson raps about sushi, LeAnn Rimes, The X-Files, golf clubs, and several other subject. I don't think it's my favorite song of theirs, but it's arguably the most representative of what they are. And it's the winner of this week's Uneasy Rider.
There were three Long Distance Dedications (they could be called that again). In the first, a woman dedicated Elton John's "Blessed" to her husband to help him get over her miscarriage. Then, a man dedicated Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On," to the girl he loved but drove away. Finally, a teenage girl dedicated Mariah Carey's "Forever" to the dock boy she fell in love with while on summer vacation.
The highlight of the commercials was hearing the ads for a new company called "eBay" ("Yes, it's on the Internet!")
Join me next time, when we're gonna party like it's...a party or something.
20 - "...Baby One More Time," Britney Spears
19 - "Because of You," 98 Degrees
18 - "I'll Be," Edwin McCain
17 - "Real World," Matchbox 20
16 - "Lullaby," Shawn Mullins
The second half begins with the song that truly introduced the world to a young Louisianan named Britney Jean Spears. We've all had this Max Martin dance-pop confection burned into our brains by now, haven't we? And surely we've all seen the video with the schoolgirl outfit that probably helped sell this song even more. All I can say about this song now is, it's the very definition of an earworm. The snakes, the head-shaving, the Federline, all of that we'll probably get to talk about later.
98 Degrees are here with one of their biggest hits. It's about being in love and stuff, and it's lightweight dance-pop produced by non-Max Martin Swedes. A typical example of disposable boy-band product.
Next is Edwin McCain, who just as his buddies in Hootie and the Blowfish were waning in popularity was having his greatest success with this overwrought ballad on which he declares that he will be both "love's suicide" and "the greatest fan of your life." Somehow those two concepts don't seem compatible. Anyway, this would go on to be a go-to song for American Idol contestants, and for all I know, it still is. I don't watch it anymore. It's run its course, and no amount of Nicky Minaj/Mariah Carey catfights will bring me back
Then it's my very good friends Matchbox 20 with more of their terrible soft-rockin' nonsense. Rob Thomas wonders what it's like to be a superhero. To me, however, he's an archvillain, the Lex Luthor of music. The man can do no right.
This section closes with the only major hit by Atlanta singer/songwriter Shawn Mullins. It's an acoustic pop song with spoken-word verses about a girl whose unsatisfied with her seemingly charmed Hollywood-kid life, and choruses on which Mullins assures her that "Everything's gonna be alright." It's a song that for me started out in the "I kinda like it, but..." column, and has remained there ever since.
15 - "Hands," Jewel
14 - "Hooch," Everything
13 - "Save Tonight," Eagle-Eye Cherry
12 - "This Kiss," Faith Hill
11 - "Tearin' Up My Heart," 'N Sync
This quintet is led off by the first single from Jewel's sophophomore album, Spirit. It's gentle folk-pop about staying strong and human even in the face of overwhelming adversity. Way better than all the non-"Who Will Save Your Soul" stuff on Pieces of You, and likely her second-best song overall.
Virginia band Everything follow with their only hit, a jammy acoustic-rocker set to a hip-hop beat that doesn't seem to be about moonshine. But I'm not sure what it is about. "Who got the freshy freshy?" Don't ask me. But it was interesting to hear a hit with a sax solo in 1998. Saxophone was all over the radio in the 80s, but in this decade it was quite rare.
Next is Swedish-born Eagle-Eye Cherry, who's half-sister Neneh is best remembered for her 1989 hit "Buffalo Stance." Eagle-Eye (his real given name)'s only American hit is this okay rocker in the "I'm leaving tomorrow, so let's do it tonight" vein. Later, because of its title, it became a frequently used walking-out-to-the-mound song for baseball relief pitchers. I'm sure that's exactly what he intended.
Then it's Mississippi's Faith Hill, who had already scored three #1 country hits when she finally made her crossover breakthrough with this jaunty tune about the giddiness caused by loving lip locks. No, it isn't country at all, but it's just so poppily joyous that I can't help but enjoy it.
Anchoring this set are 'N Sync, who despite forming later than the Backstreet Boys battled their Orlando rivals for the top of the boy-band mountain during this period. This Max Martin co-write is okay fluff-pop, but nothing special. And who knew that out of all of the guys in both groups, the last man standing in terms of relevance would be Timberlake?
They say the Top Ten is a bad mutha...shut your mouth!
10 - "My Favorite Mistake," Sheryl Crow
Crow kept her run of hits going with this bluesy burner about a cheating ex. Speculation is that the song's subject could be either Eric Clapton or Jakob Dylan. Not that it matters. Another solid hit in her catalogue.
9 - "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," Aerosmith
The raunch-rockers had their only #1 with this drippy Diane Warren ballad from the soundtrack of the killer-asteroid movie Armageddon, which included Steven Tyler's daughter Liv in its cast. Maudlin, bombastic, and oversung, but still incredibly popular. That's the way it goes sometimes.
8 - "Jumper," Third Eye Blind
The San Fransicans' third Top Ten was this song that Stephan Jenkins wrote about a high school friend of the band's manager who committed suicide because he was gay. Unfortunately, this sort of thing still happens. A serious song, but not one that comes off as preachy or put on.
7 - "Are You That Somebody," Aaliyah
This Brooklyn R&B star, who would be tragically killed in a plane crash in 2001, had one of her best remembered hits with this fantastic groover. Her voice, the beats, the rap contributions from Mad Skillz, those baby noises, somehow combine into something special. Certainly the best thing associated with that Eddie Murphy version of Dr. Dolittle.
6 - "Never Ever," All Saints
In the wake of the Spice Girls came this British girl-group, who had their biggest American hit with this midtempo ballad about love gone wrong. This is better than anything their more famous counterparts ever put out, and they're better singers, too.
5 - "Iris," Goo Goo Dolls
The Goos had their biggest hit with this ballad that kind of fits in with the movie it first appeared in, City of Angels, in which angel Nicolas Cage falls for mortal Meg Ryan. The song is better than the movie, and the song isn't that great.
4 - "I'll Never Break Your Heart," Backstreet Boys
Backstreet's back (alright!) with this cheeseball ballad. This is the sound of everything that's wrong with boy-bands: mediocre harmonies, sappy lyrics, and all-around artifice.
3 - "Crush," Jennifer Paige
Georgian Paige had her only real hit with this sultry dance pop denial of being in love. I like it better now than I did then. The sensuality of her voice comes through more now.
2 - "Thank U," Alanis Morissette
The first single from Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, Morissette's follow-up to the massive Jagged Little Pill CD, opens with a somewhat jarring piano line, and then the lyric "How 'bout getting off of these antibiotics." Then she thanks India and disillusionment in the chorus. Yes, the songs that made her famous also had enigmatic lyrics, but they were all accessible. This song almost tries not to be, but it still has it's charms. Still, it was a sign that the direction she was moving in was certainly less commercial than before, and the sales figures bore that out. But she made the music she wanted to make, and I can't fault her for that.
And at #1 this week, we find...
1 - "One Week," Barenaked Ladies
Formed in Scarborough, Ontario, these five fully-clothed men first broke through in their native Canada when their self-released five-song cassette sold over 100,000 copies. But they didn't break through in the United States until this bit of schizophrenic pop-rock made it all the way to the top of the charts. The choruses feature Steven Page singing about an argument with his girlfriend, while on the verses, Ed Robertson raps about sushi, LeAnn Rimes, The X-Files, golf clubs, and several other subject. I don't think it's my favorite song of theirs, but it's arguably the most representative of what they are. And it's the winner of this week's Uneasy Rider.
There were three Long Distance Dedications (they could be called that again). In the first, a woman dedicated Elton John's "Blessed" to her husband to help him get over her miscarriage. Then, a man dedicated Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On," to the girl he loved but drove away. Finally, a teenage girl dedicated Mariah Carey's "Forever" to the dock boy she fell in love with while on summer vacation.
The highlight of the commercials was hearing the ads for a new company called "eBay" ("Yes, it's on the Internet!")
Join me next time, when we're gonna party like it's...a party or something.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
November 7, 1998 Part One
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!
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!
Thursday, November 1, 2012
October 18, 1997 Part Two
I apologize for not giving an introduction to yesterday's post. I felt rushed, and I forgot.
So today, we wrap up our look at October of 1997. The week this countdown aired, the New York Times put a color photograph in their paper for the first time. Meanwhile, American lives were being colored by songs such as these:
20 - "Do You Know (What it Takes)," Robyn
19 - "The Impression That I Get," The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
18 - "Honey," Mariah Carey
17 - "On My Own," Peach Union
16 - "How Bizarre," OMC
The second half begins with Swede Robyn Carlsson and one of her two U.S. Top Tens, a bit of catchy dance pop that was one of the first international hits to be co-written and -produced by her countryman Max Martin, who has since become one of the hottest producers in the world. He's been pretty much a radio constant for over a decade. Whatever he does, people like it. I can't say I always do, but this is good.
Boston ska-punks The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are here with their only pop hit, a deceptively sprightly song about being afraid that one will not deal well with tragedy or other major life challenges. A catchy, accessible introduction to their sound.
Next is Mariah Carey with a song about being addicted to love which saw her move in a more hip-hop direction. Say what you will about Puffy, but this production does pretty well to accentuate her voice and give her attitude. One of her better hits.
Then it's British duo Peach Union with their only hit, a slick, cool little breakup dance-popper. Good use of piano on this one, and singer Lisa Lamb reminds me of Belinda Carlisle in spots.
This section closes with the biggest hit for a New Zealand group whose initials stand for "Otara Millionaires Club"; Otara being the Auckland suburb they hailed from. On the song, rapper Pauly Fuemana spins a tale about a round trip that he and his friends Pele and Zina took in a 1969 Chevrolet during which they encountered a circus, get surrounded by the media and the military, and well, as Fuemana says, "Wanna know the rest? Hey, buy the rights!" No thanks, I'm good. A fun, weird little artifact that was just edged out for this week's Uneasy Rider.
15 - "Building a Mystery," Sarah McLachlan
14 - "Men in Black," Will Smith
13 - "If You Could Only See," Tonic
12 - "Invisible Man," 98 Degrees
11 - "I Don't Want to Wait," Paula Cole
This quintet is led off by Canadian Sarah McLachlan with the hit that launched her into pop superstardom, a dark folk-pop number that seems to be about the dark side of religion. This was also the year she launched the successful all-female Lilith Fair tour. Myself, I prefer her earlier stuff, but I was very happy to see her succeed to such a great degree. Definitely a deserving success story.
Will Smith had been one of the more prominent players in the smash 1996 movie Independence Day, but it was his role as alien-hunting Agent J in the following summer's Men in Black that truly cemented him as an A-list movie star. And on top of that, Smith had his first post-Fresh Prince hit with the film's title song, a rap about what his character does over a track built on a sample from Patrice Rushen's 1982 hit "Forget Me Nots." Not high art by any means, but an enjoyable occasional listen.
Next is the biggest hit for Los Angeles rockers Tonic, a song that I think is about resisting the temptation of a would-be lover in favor of a devoted girlfriend. It hit the spot at the time, but has faded into obscurity just like the rest of the band. And I can't say that's any kind of injustice.
.
Then it's the first hit for boy band 98 Degrees, a ballad about being in love with someone who doesn't know you exist. Not much. This group is probably best remembered for introducing the world to the Lachey brothers: Jessica Simpson's ex Nick, and Dancing with the Stars champ Drew. Quite a legacy.
This bunch is rounded out by the second-biggest hit by Paula Cole. It's a song about a man who comes home from World War II and grows distant from his wife and family. Somehow, it also became the theme for the teen drama Dawson's Creek. I like it better as a whole song.
You wouldn't like the Top Ten when they're angry.
10 - "4 Seasons of Loneliness," Boyz II Men
The Philly superstars last #1 was this ballad about missing an old lover in different ways throughout the year. Not one of their best, but still, these guys can sing.
9 - "Show Me Love," Robyn
Her other big hit. More Swedish catchiness. And not to be confused with the identically-titled hit by Robin S. from a few years earlier.
8 - "All for You," Sister Hazel
The biggest hit for these twangy rockers from Gainesville, Florida was this tune about sorting out your feelings for a lover that was all over radio and used in multiple movie trailers for a time there. Catchily annoying, or annoyingly catchy, depending on your point of view.
7 - "2 Become 1," The Spice Girls
Ah yes, the Spice Girls, the five ladies from England with prefab personalities (Sporty, Scary, Posh, etc.) who briefly ruled the world with their dubious version of "Girl Power." But they did have some good songs. "Wannabe" is good silly fun, and this ode to the first time a couple decides to "get it on" is an effective sex ballad. Still, they weren't ever meant to be long for this world.
6 - "How Do I Live," LeAnn Rimes
Rimes broke through on the country charts at the age of 14, and a year later she made her pop breakthrough with this big Dianne Warren ballad. A version by Trisha Yearwood was the one used in the film Con Air, but Rimes had the bigger hit. I like Yearwood's better.
5 - "Semi-Charmed Life," Third Eye Blind
The first and biggest hit by these San Francisco band was this peppy rocker who's "doo-doo-doo" hook belied lyrics about dysfunctional sex and "doing crystal meth." This song got annoying due to overplay, and to me, it's never quite recovered.
4 - "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)," Backstreet Boys
This Orlando boy band were already huge stars in Europe and Canada when they finally broke through in their homeland with this midtempo ballad that is yet another Max Martin co-creation. It's actually not a bad little song. On a song-by-song basis, I think I'd say these guys were better than N*SYNC.
3 - "Push," Matchbox 20
These guys are also from Orlando. And I despise them. They're just everything that's wrong with music. Cynically commercial, lacking in soul, and Rob Thomas is a mediocre singer and a terrible songwriter. All of that is just my opinion, but that's what you get here. Anyway, this was their first hit, it sucks, and I wish the world wanted to take them for granted.
2 - "Fly," Sugar Ray featuring Super Cat
These Californians were kind of a bratty, juvenile rock band until they broke through with this sunny bit of reggae-pop positivity featuring contributions from Jamaican toaster Super Cat. It holds up as a nice little pop song. After this, the band changed direction, becoming much more of a slick pop act. And eventually, singer Mark McGrath became a TV host. They came quite a way from the days when their debut album was called Lemonade and Brownies and featured a nude Nicole Eggert on the cover.
And at the top this particular week, we find...
1 - "Foolish Games," Jewel
In spite of my opinion that every song on Pieces of You sucked except "Who Will Save Your Soul," she kept putting out singles, and they kept being hits. This one is less terrible than "You Were Meant for Me," but I still feel it's overwrought and tries too hard to be deep by namedropping Mozart. I like this song best in the form of the one-second burst of hit heard at the beginning of Fastball's 1998 hit "The Way."
There were three Request and Dedications. In the first, Casey himself decided to dedicate R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly" to an 11-year-old blind fan and his mother. Then, a woman dedicated The Pretenders' "I'll Stand by You," to the friend who helped her through a depression she went through after a divorce. And finally, a girl dedicated Mariah Carey's "Anytime You Need a Friend," to the accident victim she befriended while she worked as a candy-striper in a hospital.
Yes, there were commercials, but none of them really stood out. A lot of ads for the VHS release of The Jungle Book, though.
Next time: you guessed it, 1962. Nah, it'll be 1998.
So today, we wrap up our look at October of 1997. The week this countdown aired, the New York Times put a color photograph in their paper for the first time. Meanwhile, American lives were being colored by songs such as these:
20 - "Do You Know (What it Takes)," Robyn
19 - "The Impression That I Get," The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
18 - "Honey," Mariah Carey
17 - "On My Own," Peach Union
16 - "How Bizarre," OMC
The second half begins with Swede Robyn Carlsson and one of her two U.S. Top Tens, a bit of catchy dance pop that was one of the first international hits to be co-written and -produced by her countryman Max Martin, who has since become one of the hottest producers in the world. He's been pretty much a radio constant for over a decade. Whatever he does, people like it. I can't say I always do, but this is good.
Boston ska-punks The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are here with their only pop hit, a deceptively sprightly song about being afraid that one will not deal well with tragedy or other major life challenges. A catchy, accessible introduction to their sound.
Next is Mariah Carey with a song about being addicted to love which saw her move in a more hip-hop direction. Say what you will about Puffy, but this production does pretty well to accentuate her voice and give her attitude. One of her better hits.
Then it's British duo Peach Union with their only hit, a slick, cool little breakup dance-popper. Good use of piano on this one, and singer Lisa Lamb reminds me of Belinda Carlisle in spots.
This section closes with the biggest hit for a New Zealand group whose initials stand for "Otara Millionaires Club"; Otara being the Auckland suburb they hailed from. On the song, rapper Pauly Fuemana spins a tale about a round trip that he and his friends Pele and Zina took in a 1969 Chevrolet during which they encountered a circus, get surrounded by the media and the military, and well, as Fuemana says, "Wanna know the rest? Hey, buy the rights!" No thanks, I'm good. A fun, weird little artifact that was just edged out for this week's Uneasy Rider.
15 - "Building a Mystery," Sarah McLachlan
14 - "Men in Black," Will Smith
13 - "If You Could Only See," Tonic
12 - "Invisible Man," 98 Degrees
11 - "I Don't Want to Wait," Paula Cole
This quintet is led off by Canadian Sarah McLachlan with the hit that launched her into pop superstardom, a dark folk-pop number that seems to be about the dark side of religion. This was also the year she launched the successful all-female Lilith Fair tour. Myself, I prefer her earlier stuff, but I was very happy to see her succeed to such a great degree. Definitely a deserving success story.
Will Smith had been one of the more prominent players in the smash 1996 movie Independence Day, but it was his role as alien-hunting Agent J in the following summer's Men in Black that truly cemented him as an A-list movie star. And on top of that, Smith had his first post-Fresh Prince hit with the film's title song, a rap about what his character does over a track built on a sample from Patrice Rushen's 1982 hit "Forget Me Nots." Not high art by any means, but an enjoyable occasional listen.
Next is the biggest hit for Los Angeles rockers Tonic, a song that I think is about resisting the temptation of a would-be lover in favor of a devoted girlfriend. It hit the spot at the time, but has faded into obscurity just like the rest of the band. And I can't say that's any kind of injustice.
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Then it's the first hit for boy band 98 Degrees, a ballad about being in love with someone who doesn't know you exist. Not much. This group is probably best remembered for introducing the world to the Lachey brothers: Jessica Simpson's ex Nick, and Dancing with the Stars champ Drew. Quite a legacy.
This bunch is rounded out by the second-biggest hit by Paula Cole. It's a song about a man who comes home from World War II and grows distant from his wife and family. Somehow, it also became the theme for the teen drama Dawson's Creek. I like it better as a whole song.
You wouldn't like the Top Ten when they're angry.
10 - "4 Seasons of Loneliness," Boyz II Men
The Philly superstars last #1 was this ballad about missing an old lover in different ways throughout the year. Not one of their best, but still, these guys can sing.
9 - "Show Me Love," Robyn
Her other big hit. More Swedish catchiness. And not to be confused with the identically-titled hit by Robin S. from a few years earlier.
8 - "All for You," Sister Hazel
The biggest hit for these twangy rockers from Gainesville, Florida was this tune about sorting out your feelings for a lover that was all over radio and used in multiple movie trailers for a time there. Catchily annoying, or annoyingly catchy, depending on your point of view.
7 - "2 Become 1," The Spice Girls
Ah yes, the Spice Girls, the five ladies from England with prefab personalities (Sporty, Scary, Posh, etc.) who briefly ruled the world with their dubious version of "Girl Power." But they did have some good songs. "Wannabe" is good silly fun, and this ode to the first time a couple decides to "get it on" is an effective sex ballad. Still, they weren't ever meant to be long for this world.
6 - "How Do I Live," LeAnn Rimes
Rimes broke through on the country charts at the age of 14, and a year later she made her pop breakthrough with this big Dianne Warren ballad. A version by Trisha Yearwood was the one used in the film Con Air, but Rimes had the bigger hit. I like Yearwood's better.
5 - "Semi-Charmed Life," Third Eye Blind
The first and biggest hit by these San Francisco band was this peppy rocker who's "doo-doo-doo" hook belied lyrics about dysfunctional sex and "doing crystal meth." This song got annoying due to overplay, and to me, it's never quite recovered.
4 - "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)," Backstreet Boys
This Orlando boy band were already huge stars in Europe and Canada when they finally broke through in their homeland with this midtempo ballad that is yet another Max Martin co-creation. It's actually not a bad little song. On a song-by-song basis, I think I'd say these guys were better than N*SYNC.
3 - "Push," Matchbox 20
These guys are also from Orlando. And I despise them. They're just everything that's wrong with music. Cynically commercial, lacking in soul, and Rob Thomas is a mediocre singer and a terrible songwriter. All of that is just my opinion, but that's what you get here. Anyway, this was their first hit, it sucks, and I wish the world wanted to take them for granted.
2 - "Fly," Sugar Ray featuring Super Cat
These Californians were kind of a bratty, juvenile rock band until they broke through with this sunny bit of reggae-pop positivity featuring contributions from Jamaican toaster Super Cat. It holds up as a nice little pop song. After this, the band changed direction, becoming much more of a slick pop act. And eventually, singer Mark McGrath became a TV host. They came quite a way from the days when their debut album was called Lemonade and Brownies and featured a nude Nicole Eggert on the cover.
And at the top this particular week, we find...
1 - "Foolish Games," Jewel
In spite of my opinion that every song on Pieces of You sucked except "Who Will Save Your Soul," she kept putting out singles, and they kept being hits. This one is less terrible than "You Were Meant for Me," but I still feel it's overwrought and tries too hard to be deep by namedropping Mozart. I like this song best in the form of the one-second burst of hit heard at the beginning of Fastball's 1998 hit "The Way."
There were three Request and Dedications. In the first, Casey himself decided to dedicate R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly" to an 11-year-old blind fan and his mother. Then, a woman dedicated The Pretenders' "I'll Stand by You," to the friend who helped her through a depression she went through after a divorce. And finally, a girl dedicated Mariah Carey's "Anytime You Need a Friend," to the accident victim she befriended while she worked as a candy-striper in a hospital.
Yes, there were commercials, but none of them really stood out. A lot of ads for the VHS release of The Jungle Book, though.
Next time: you guessed it, 1962. Nah, it'll be 1998.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
October 18, 1997 Part One
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.
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.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
October 19, 1996 Part Two
Finishing up '96.
20 - "Free to Decide," The Cranberries
19 - "I Can't Sleep Baby (If I)," R. Kelly
18 - "Birmingham," Amanda Marshall
17 - "When You Love a Woman," Journey
16 - "If It Makes You Happy," Sheryl Crow
The second half opens with Ireland's Cranberries with an alt-rock ballad celebrating the right to make choices. On the chorus, singer Dolores O'Riordan declares "I'm not so suicidal after all." I don't know why, but that seems like a very odd sentence to me. I never liked this band much, with the possible exception of "Dreams." O'Riordan's voice grated on me, and their songs were usually too droney for my taste.
And here we make our first acquanintance with one Robert Sylvester Kelly, a singer known musically for songs about sex, and known outside of his music for...well, you probably know, and if you don't, you probably don't want to. This is one of his tamer numbers, about how he can't get adequate rest without his lover beside him. It's all right, I guess. In related news, he's apparently getting ready to put out more chapters of "Trapped in the Closet." That'll be...interesting.
Next is Toronto singer Amanda Marshall with her only American hit, a Sheryl Crowish tune about an Alabama woman who decides to leave her drunken, abusive, TV-shooting husband. A decent enough song, but I like a few of her Canada-only hits better, especially "Let it Rain."
Then it's the arena rock machine Journey with their last major pop hit, which came from an album they made after a ten-year hiatus that saw their Greatest Hits album become one of the best-selling compilations of its kind ever. This last gasp of the original lineup was a limp power ballad similar in title and lyric to a Bryan Adams hit from the previous year. But the band is still chugging along, and actually selling records, although now their singer is a guy they plucked from a Filipino Journey cover band. You can't keep a good corporation down, as long as they don't stop believin'.
This section closes with the first single from Sheryl Crow's second album, a chugging rocker on which the title phrase is followed by the question "then why the hell are you so sad?" To me, it's her best song. A good pop hook laid on a gritty foundation.
15 - "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand," Primitive Radio Gods
14 - "Who Will Save Your Soul," Jewel
13 - "Spiderwebs," No Doubt
12 - "You're Making Me High," Toni Braxton
11 - "Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)," John Mellencamp
First among this bunch are Southern California's Primitive Radio Gods and their biggest hit, a hip-hop flavored slice of alt-rock with lyrics about Mother Teresa joining the Mafia and "bath(ing) yourself in zebra flesh." And nothing about phone booths. Weird, but infectious, partly due to its B.B. King-samplying chorus. This week's Uneasy Rider, for sure. Oh, and if you're wondering why they didn't have any more hits, the fact that their next single was entitled "Motherfucker" might give you a clue.
Alaskan Jewel Kilcher spent a few years playing bars across the U.S. while living out of her van before getting signed to a label, and then had to wait a year and a half after the release of her debut album before finally scoring a hit with this cool little folk song about the struggles of life. I loved this song when it came out, so I bought the album. I was extremely disappointed. She was like a real-life version of Phoebe from Friends, only her songs weren't supposed to be funny. Since then, she's put out more albums, tried to be a dance diva and a country songbird, and married a rodeo cowboy. But to me, the only thing she's ever done that matters is this song.
Next are Anaheim, California ska-rockers No Doubt with a song about an ex whose constant attempts to reach Gwen Stefani force her to screen her phone calls. Yes, "Don't Speak" and the hits from Rock Steady were bigger, but this is my favorite of theirs.
Then it's Toni Braxton with her first #1, a strutter about how she gets intoxicated when she thinks about her lover "touching my private parts." Yes, she actually says that. Still, it's probably her best song.
This group is anchored by John Mellencamp's last major pop hit, a jangly number about hanging out with a guy named "Gypsy Scotty" and lusting after Scotty's woman. It's pleasant enough, but it doesn't rank among his best work. He went out with a whimper.
With all precincts now reporting, Bobby Gloves Casey can now declare that these are your Top Ten:
10 - "You Learn," Alanis Morissette
A year after her reinvention, Morissette was now a dominant force on the charts, as evidenced by her having two songs in this week's Top Ten. The first is this midtempo pop-rocker about how one profits from experiencing the ups and downs of life. And she also recommends walking around naked in one's living room. You can do with that suggestion whatever you wish.
9 - "C'mon and Ride It (The Train)," Quad City DJs
When people on 1996 dance floors weren't trying to do the Macarena, they were getting into conga lines to the sound of this dumb-fun Miami bass track. Well, it holds up better than, say, "Da Dip," or "Tootsee Roll."
8 - "Twisted," Keith Sweat
That was still his real name, and he was still having hits, this one being a slinky midtempo track about not being able to get over someone. One of his stronger hits.
7 - "Change the World," Eric Clapton
Slowhand himself teamed up with R&B producer Babyface for this sappy tune from the soundtack of the John Travolta-becomes-a genius movie Phenomenon. Just an inoffensive song meant for shopping malls and dentist's offices. I guess the world needs those. I don't.
6 - "Mouth," Merril Bainbridge
This Aussie's lone American hit was this jaunty pop song about kissing and people jumping on each other. It has a very playful sort of 80's vibe, and the piano on it seems almost like something from an 1880s saloon. A fun song to be reminded of.
5 - "Counting Blue Cars," Dishwalla
The biggest hit for these Santa Barbara alt-rockers was this song about children asking questions about God, who is referred to as "Her." I didn't mind it at the time, but now, it's just one of those songs that belong to its time and its time only.
4 - "Head Over Feet," Alanis Morissette
Alanis again, this time with a ballad about falling in love that was about as lyrically straightforward as she got on Jagged Little Pill. But it still worked. And the harmonica was a nice touch
3 - "Where Do You Go," No Mercy
This Miami trio, brought together by Boney M./Milli Vanilli mastermind Frank Farian, had their first and biggest hit with this Eurodance tune spiced up with Latin guitar and castanet sounds. In terms of look, they were early harbingers of the late 90s boyband era. And yes, as far as I know, these guys actually did sing on their records.
2 - "It's All Coming Back to Me Now," Celine Dion
This Jim Steinman composition was originally recorded in 1989 by a female vocal group he was producing called Pandora's Box. Seven years later, he produced a version for Dion, which became not only a huge hit, but easily my favorite song of hers. Her big voice and dramatic flourishes finally had a suitable showcase in this operatic epic that Steinman apparently based on the novel Wuthering Heights. A decade later, Meat Loaf took a turn at it for the third installment of Bat out of Hell, but for me, Celine's remains the definitive version.
And at the top of the '96 heap, we find...
1 - "I Love You Always Forever," Donna Lewis
This Welshwoman burst on to the scene with her first hit, this discoey number that musically reminds me of Exile's "Kiss You All Over." But for me, the chorus is too sing-songy, and I don't like Lewis' little-girl voice. I wouldn't say I hate this song, but it's one that would definitely make me go out of the way to turn the radio dial.
There were three Request and Dedications. First, a woman who married a much younger man dedicated Celine Dion's "The Power of Love" to him. Then, Mariah Carey's "Hero" was played at the request of another woman, who dedicated it to her sister, who died of cerebral palsy. Finally, a teenage girl asked Casey to play Mike + The Mechanics "The Living Years" to her dad, who lost his own father when he was just six months old.
The highlights of this week's commercials included Wayne Gretzky in a Chunky Soup ad, Jay Leno plugging his book Leading with My Chin, and a spot for Pip Printing that featured the marketing director of a kazoo company, voiced by a then-unknown Jane Lynch. She put on a bit of a Midwestern accent, but you can tell it's her.
There. Now you've actually got a few days to take this in before we head into 1997.
20 - "Free to Decide," The Cranberries
19 - "I Can't Sleep Baby (If I)," R. Kelly
18 - "Birmingham," Amanda Marshall
17 - "When You Love a Woman," Journey
16 - "If It Makes You Happy," Sheryl Crow
The second half opens with Ireland's Cranberries with an alt-rock ballad celebrating the right to make choices. On the chorus, singer Dolores O'Riordan declares "I'm not so suicidal after all." I don't know why, but that seems like a very odd sentence to me. I never liked this band much, with the possible exception of "Dreams." O'Riordan's voice grated on me, and their songs were usually too droney for my taste.
And here we make our first acquanintance with one Robert Sylvester Kelly, a singer known musically for songs about sex, and known outside of his music for...well, you probably know, and if you don't, you probably don't want to. This is one of his tamer numbers, about how he can't get adequate rest without his lover beside him. It's all right, I guess. In related news, he's apparently getting ready to put out more chapters of "Trapped in the Closet." That'll be...interesting.
Next is Toronto singer Amanda Marshall with her only American hit, a Sheryl Crowish tune about an Alabama woman who decides to leave her drunken, abusive, TV-shooting husband. A decent enough song, but I like a few of her Canada-only hits better, especially "Let it Rain."
Then it's the arena rock machine Journey with their last major pop hit, which came from an album they made after a ten-year hiatus that saw their Greatest Hits album become one of the best-selling compilations of its kind ever. This last gasp of the original lineup was a limp power ballad similar in title and lyric to a Bryan Adams hit from the previous year. But the band is still chugging along, and actually selling records, although now their singer is a guy they plucked from a Filipino Journey cover band. You can't keep a good corporation down, as long as they don't stop believin'.
This section closes with the first single from Sheryl Crow's second album, a chugging rocker on which the title phrase is followed by the question "then why the hell are you so sad?" To me, it's her best song. A good pop hook laid on a gritty foundation.
15 - "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand," Primitive Radio Gods
14 - "Who Will Save Your Soul," Jewel
13 - "Spiderwebs," No Doubt
12 - "You're Making Me High," Toni Braxton
11 - "Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)," John Mellencamp
First among this bunch are Southern California's Primitive Radio Gods and their biggest hit, a hip-hop flavored slice of alt-rock with lyrics about Mother Teresa joining the Mafia and "bath(ing) yourself in zebra flesh." And nothing about phone booths. Weird, but infectious, partly due to its B.B. King-samplying chorus. This week's Uneasy Rider, for sure. Oh, and if you're wondering why they didn't have any more hits, the fact that their next single was entitled "Motherfucker" might give you a clue.
Alaskan Jewel Kilcher spent a few years playing bars across the U.S. while living out of her van before getting signed to a label, and then had to wait a year and a half after the release of her debut album before finally scoring a hit with this cool little folk song about the struggles of life. I loved this song when it came out, so I bought the album. I was extremely disappointed. She was like a real-life version of Phoebe from Friends, only her songs weren't supposed to be funny. Since then, she's put out more albums, tried to be a dance diva and a country songbird, and married a rodeo cowboy. But to me, the only thing she's ever done that matters is this song.
Next are Anaheim, California ska-rockers No Doubt with a song about an ex whose constant attempts to reach Gwen Stefani force her to screen her phone calls. Yes, "Don't Speak" and the hits from Rock Steady were bigger, but this is my favorite of theirs.
Then it's Toni Braxton with her first #1, a strutter about how she gets intoxicated when she thinks about her lover "touching my private parts." Yes, she actually says that. Still, it's probably her best song.
This group is anchored by John Mellencamp's last major pop hit, a jangly number about hanging out with a guy named "Gypsy Scotty" and lusting after Scotty's woman. It's pleasant enough, but it doesn't rank among his best work. He went out with a whimper.
With all precincts now reporting, Bobby Gloves Casey can now declare that these are your Top Ten:
10 - "You Learn," Alanis Morissette
A year after her reinvention, Morissette was now a dominant force on the charts, as evidenced by her having two songs in this week's Top Ten. The first is this midtempo pop-rocker about how one profits from experiencing the ups and downs of life. And she also recommends walking around naked in one's living room. You can do with that suggestion whatever you wish.
9 - "C'mon and Ride It (The Train)," Quad City DJs
When people on 1996 dance floors weren't trying to do the Macarena, they were getting into conga lines to the sound of this dumb-fun Miami bass track. Well, it holds up better than, say, "Da Dip," or "Tootsee Roll."
8 - "Twisted," Keith Sweat
That was still his real name, and he was still having hits, this one being a slinky midtempo track about not being able to get over someone. One of his stronger hits.
7 - "Change the World," Eric Clapton
Slowhand himself teamed up with R&B producer Babyface for this sappy tune from the soundtack of the John Travolta-becomes-a genius movie Phenomenon. Just an inoffensive song meant for shopping malls and dentist's offices. I guess the world needs those. I don't.
6 - "Mouth," Merril Bainbridge
This Aussie's lone American hit was this jaunty pop song about kissing and people jumping on each other. It has a very playful sort of 80's vibe, and the piano on it seems almost like something from an 1880s saloon. A fun song to be reminded of.
5 - "Counting Blue Cars," Dishwalla
The biggest hit for these Santa Barbara alt-rockers was this song about children asking questions about God, who is referred to as "Her." I didn't mind it at the time, but now, it's just one of those songs that belong to its time and its time only.
4 - "Head Over Feet," Alanis Morissette
Alanis again, this time with a ballad about falling in love that was about as lyrically straightforward as she got on Jagged Little Pill. But it still worked. And the harmonica was a nice touch
3 - "Where Do You Go," No Mercy
This Miami trio, brought together by Boney M./Milli Vanilli mastermind Frank Farian, had their first and biggest hit with this Eurodance tune spiced up with Latin guitar and castanet sounds. In terms of look, they were early harbingers of the late 90s boyband era. And yes, as far as I know, these guys actually did sing on their records.
2 - "It's All Coming Back to Me Now," Celine Dion
This Jim Steinman composition was originally recorded in 1989 by a female vocal group he was producing called Pandora's Box. Seven years later, he produced a version for Dion, which became not only a huge hit, but easily my favorite song of hers. Her big voice and dramatic flourishes finally had a suitable showcase in this operatic epic that Steinman apparently based on the novel Wuthering Heights. A decade later, Meat Loaf took a turn at it for the third installment of Bat out of Hell, but for me, Celine's remains the definitive version.
And at the top of the '96 heap, we find...
1 - "I Love You Always Forever," Donna Lewis
This Welshwoman burst on to the scene with her first hit, this discoey number that musically reminds me of Exile's "Kiss You All Over." But for me, the chorus is too sing-songy, and I don't like Lewis' little-girl voice. I wouldn't say I hate this song, but it's one that would definitely make me go out of the way to turn the radio dial.
There were three Request and Dedications. First, a woman who married a much younger man dedicated Celine Dion's "The Power of Love" to him. Then, Mariah Carey's "Hero" was played at the request of another woman, who dedicated it to her sister, who died of cerebral palsy. Finally, a teenage girl asked Casey to play Mike + The Mechanics "The Living Years" to her dad, who lost his own father when he was just six months old.
The highlights of this week's commercials included Wayne Gretzky in a Chunky Soup ad, Jay Leno plugging his book Leading with My Chin, and a spot for Pip Printing that featured the marketing director of a kazoo company, voiced by a then-unknown Jane Lynch. She put on a bit of a Midwestern accent, but you can tell it's her.
There. Now you've actually got a few days to take this in before we head into 1997.
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