Post by Hervard on May 30, 2018 14:22:18 GMT -5
Over the past few months, I have been posting chart critiques for the Shadoe Stevens years, since we all know that we likely won't be hearing those on the radio. However, I feel that the Shadoe era contained many great hits that should not be ignored, so I decided to post a collective commentary of all of the songs that debuted, putting each year in a separate thread. Each song is listed in order of appearance on the chart. The number after each song represents its debut position on American Top 40. For songs that charted in 1994 but debuted in 1993, check out this topic. Even though I returned to using black ink for the charts, I've enjoyed making my commentaries colorful, so I'll use lime font this time around, as that was the color I used to make my Personal Top 30 charts in 1994 (and had used for the R&R charts in 1993). Definitely my favorite of the three new ink colors that Scripto added to their erasable pen product line two years before!
JANUARY
QUEEN OF THE NIGHT - WHITNEY HOUSTON (33) - As her hit with Bobby Brown had just about run its course, Whitney released the fifth and last hit from The Bodyguard. Appropriately enough, this is the song that is heard over the closing credits of the film. At first, I wasn't sure if the song would do very well, as Bodyguard fever seemed to have burned out earlier in the summer, with the under-performance of "Run To You", but the song did manage to climb as high as #17, significantly higher than that song. The song was OK, but my least favorite of the Bodyguard songs.
THE POWER OF LOVE - CELINE DION (35) - Air Supply first charted with this song in 1985, but they were passe at that point and the song only got as high as #68. Jennifer Rush, who originally wrote and recorded the song in 1984, had a mid-chart hit with it in 1986. Laura Branigan's version was the one that finally hit the Top 40 in late 1987, but it was Celine Dion's version that performed best by far on the charts, peaking at #2 in late winter. It was also my favorite version of the song, though it was quite overplayed.
WILL YOU BE THERE IN THE MORNING - HEART (37) - Their first Top 40 hit in a little over three years and, as was the case on that last hit, "Stranded", Nancy Wilson handles the lead vocals on this one. They didn't have the same momentum that they did previously and this song peaked at #25 and, unfortunately, was their final Top 40 hit.
LIFE (EVERYBODY NEEDS SOMEBODY) - HADDAWAY (40) - He was still up in the Top Ten with "What Is Love" as he released his second hit, which performed decently on the chart, getting as high as #14. Due to the overplay of his first hit, I slightly preferred this one.
THE SIGN - ACE OF BASE (32) - AT40 just missed a chance of having their third chart without any debuts or re-entries by using the January 1 chart, which was unpublished, for their first weekly show of 1994, as this song entered the unused January 8 chart as the only debut, and the January 15 chart contained no debuts. As huge as their first hit was, this song actually performed significantly better on the chart, spending an incredible FOURTEEN WEEKS on top, becoming the longest-running #1 hit in AT40 history! To my best of knowledge, that record still stands, but I don't know for sure, as I stopped listening to Ryan Seacrest's Entertainment Weekly-esque version of AT40 earlier this decade. Anyway, I preferred this song over "All That She Wants" by a sizable margin, as I got tired of that one after a few listens, while, as overplayed as this song was, I never did get tired of it. Unsurprisingly, this was the #1 song of 1994.
HAVING A PARTY - ROD STEWART w/RONNIE WOOD (35) - Originally a hit for Sam Cooke, Rod Stewart recorded a live version of the song for his Unplugged...And Seated album. The song was released as the third and final single from the album and was the only single that was not a cover of one of Stewart's old songs. The song peaked at #32 on the AT40 chart, but was much more successful on the AC chart, where it peaked at #6. A somewhat interesting story about its performance on the R&R chart, where it peaked at #19. That was enough for it to rank on the year-ender, at #100. That was IMO a perfect song to kick off the countdown.
NOW AND FOREVER - RICHARD MARX (39) - His first three albums were very successful in terms of singles, with at least four Top 40 singles from each one (counting "Chains Around My Heart" from Rush Street, which did hit the Mainstream Top 40 chart before AT40 started using it), but the fourth album, Paid Vacation, though it did reach platinum status, yielded only two Top 40 hits. This was the first of them, a song that Richard wrote for his wife, Cynthia Rhodes. The song peaked at #9 on the AT40 chart, which isn't bad at all, but small potatoes compared to its performance on the AC chart, where it spent eleven weeks on top. Not sure where it wound up on the year-end chart, but on R&R's year-end AC chart, the song came out on top, and deservedly so, as it was a great song - one of my favorite songs of the entire year!
BECAUSE OF LOVE - JANET JACKSON (25) - Her first three singles from janet had all hit the Top Five and this song did the same, spending the entire month of March at #4. It was a good song - sort of a mid-tempo dance song. This would be in the running for my favorite song from the album, though I do prefer a few others from her.
MARY JANE'S LAST DANCE - TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (34) - Tell you what, he/they were great back in the 1980s, but their material from the mid-90s was mediocre at best. I was just never a huge fan of this song for some reason.
WITHOUT YOU - MARIAH CAREY (35) - A cover of Harry Nilsson's #1 hit from 1972, this is the song that broke Mariah's #1 streak on the R&R chart. The streak had long since been broken on AT40, though she had another one going, as her last three songs had all hit #1. This song looked like it might continue it, with its initial chart action, but there was just no dislodging "The Sign" from #1 about it. The song did have a nice chart run of 22 weeks, though. The song wasn't bad, but it was just so depressing. Not sure which version I preferred.
ROCK AND ROLL DREAMS COME THROUGH - MEAT LOAF (36) - As stated in my comment of his comeback hit "I'd Do Anything For Love", all of his Top 40 hits (up to this point, anyway) were written and produced by Jim Steinman. This song was a Top 40 hit in 1981 for Steiman himself, featuring Rory Dodd on vocals. That song, Steinman's sole Top 40 hit of his own, peaked at #32, but this one performed significantly better, hitting #10 in March. I thought it was a great song - I preferred it over said comeback hit, which overplay sort of tarnished.
CANTALOOP (FLIP FANTASIA) - US3 (37) - This song was a little weird for my liking, but it apparently was a popular song, getting as high as #15 and lasting 21 weeks on the chart. Didn't quite make the year-end chart, which was only a Top 50 that year, for whatever reason (presumably because the show would be coming to an end a month later).
EVERYDAY - PHIL COLLINS (38) - He had been very successful on the charts back in the 80s and early 90s, but was losing his touch (although his last song had hit the Top Ten). This song peaked at #32 on the AT40 chart, but did quite well at AC, peaking at #2). I remember hearing this on a regular basis on the AC stations in 1994.
FEBRUARY
STAY - ETERNAL (34) - The only Top 40 hit for this British R&B female vocal quartet. They were much more successful in their native England, where they logged fifteen chart hits, twelve of which made the Top Ten. This song was pretty good, but nothing I'd go out and buy.
SO MUCH IN LOVE - ALL-4-ONE (38) - Another R&B vocal group, consisting of four members (hence, their name), though this one consisted solely of men. Their three Top 40 hits were cover versions of previous hits, in this case, a song by the Tymes from 1963. This song got as high as #6 on the chart and would probably be my favorite of their hits, though my favorite song from them was the AC hit "Someday", which just barely missed the Top 40 in the summer of 1996.
WHATTAMAN - SALT-N-PEPA f/EN VOGUE (40) - Their hit "Shoop" was still in the midst of its chart run when they released this collaboration with En Vogue, which may have helped contribute to its success. Though the song just missed the Top Ten, it was Salt-N-Pepa's biggest hit on the chart. The song, which was originally a mid-charter on the Hot 100 for a singer by the name of Linda Lindell (its title "What A Man"), was so-so, but I think we all know what I feel about this type of R&B/hip-hop music
No debuts to report the week of February 19 - only the third time in AT40 history that had ever happened.
I'M IN THE MOOD - CE CE PENNISTON (36) - As always, I'm misspelling her name in order to avoid the censor. This might be regarded as her comeback single, as she'd been absent from the chart for all of 1993. This song, however, didn't fare quite as well as her other songs, as it peaked at #24 and, unfortunately, was her last Top 40 hit.
MR. JONES - COUNTING CROWS (40) - One of several songs that "The Sign" prevented from hitting #1, though this song did make a valiant effort, spending six weeks in the runner-up position. This Berkely, California based band had a handful of chart singles here and there throughout the 1990s and 2000s, but never quite equalled the success of this song.
MARCH
STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (36) - From the 1993 drama film Philadelphia came what turned out to be Springsteen's last Top Ten hit. But he definitely had a great run, with an impressive eleven Top Ten hits, seven of which came from his behemoth album Born In The USA. This song was pretty good, but I preferred most of his earlier material.
BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY - BIG MOUNTAIN (37) - Originally recorded by Peter Frampton for his multi-million Frampton Comes Alive album, the song was made into a reggae cover version from this band from San Diego - one of two songs that put them on the charts. This was clearly the biggest, spending a week at #1 in May! I was never a big fan of the original, which Frampton took to #12 in 1976, but this remake was actually pretty good.
MMM MMM MMM MMM - CRASH TEST DUMMIES (37) - Can you imagine getting this puzzle on Wheel Of Fortune and spinning 5000 and guessing the M? You'd have a ton of money and a favorite song for life! Anyway, the song, the only Top 40 hit for this Canadian folk rock band, tells three stories about isolation and suffering of three adolescents - one of them, a guy whose hair turned bright white as a result of trauma from a car accident, another about a girl whose body was covered in birthmarks who was too embarrassed to change in front of other people, and a boy whose parents were very strict and didn't let him go out except for school and church, where they "shook and lurched all over the church floor" during services. This was definitely one of my favorite songs of 1994. I also liked "Weird Al's" parody of the song, "Headline News".
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE WORLD - PRINCE (38) - This was the song that managed to dislodge "The Sign" from atop the R&R chart after eight weeks. Here on the AT40 chart, this song didn't quite make it, peaking at #3, which is still great (and it spent a half a year on the chart). I didn't like this song at first, but it eventually grew on me. It's still not my favorite song by him, but it's a pretty good one nonetheless.
CANNONBALL - THE BREEDERS (39) - This was a one-week wonder on AT40, which was a shame, since it was a good song IMO. The song did, however, fare much better on the Mainstream Rock chart, peaking at #2 (which makes sense, as the Breeders were an alternative rock band).
COME TO MY WINDOW - MELISSA ETHERIDGE (37) - This song may not have made the Top Ten, but it spent quite a long time on the chart - 32 weeks, to be exact! It looked like this song had peaked at #20, but it actually made it to #13 in its 27th week on! This was not long after the song had mysteriously disappeared from the R&R chart, which was odd, since the two charts were very similar at this point. I think it's drop from the R&R chart was via their unwritten and likely arbitrary recurrent rule. Anyway, I liked this song, though it was quite overplayed.
LOSER - BECK (39) - The only Top 40 hit for this LA-born musician/singer. He considered this a mediocre hit and didn't think it was worthy of release, but after a college radio station in his hometown started playing it, it spread from there and became a decent-sized hit, peaking at #17. I thought it was a pretty good song, though nothing exceptional.
GROOVE THANG - ZHANE (35) - The second Top 40 hit for this Philly hip-hop act. Like their last hit, it pretty much blends in with the R&B dance music of the mid-90s. Nothing exceptional IMO.
RETURN TO INNOCENCE - ENIGMA (36) - They had an instrumental Top 40 hit, sprinkled with Gregorian chants, three years before called "Sadeness". This song, containing more vocals, was just as weird, but I did like it. The song was more successful than their first one. Though I realize that comparisons between the two is invalid due to the chart change, I am actually comparing this song to the run of "Sadeness" on the Top 40 Airplay chart, where the song peaked at #12, spending as many weeks in the Top 40, whereas this song got up to #6 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart (which did not exist back in 1991), and spent 26 weeks on. I liked both songs about the same.
LOVE SNEAKIN' UP ON YOU - BONNIE RAITT (37) - She had been absent from the charts for nearly two years, and she was back with a song that got as high as #15 on the chart. The first hit from her new album Longing In Their Hearts, it was the only song from the album to hit the Top 40. The next two, "You" and "Storm Warning" were both decent-sized AC hits.
AND OUR FEELINGS - BABYFACE (38) - This was actually his third single from his album For The Cool In You, released in August of the previous year. The lead-off single, which was the title track was mainly promoted to R&B stations and the second, "Never Keeping Secrets" just missed the AT40 chart. This song got as high as #29, which I thought was a shame, as it was one of my favorite songs from Babyface.
APRIL
I WANT YOU - JULIET ROBERTS (35) - Not to be confused with actress Julia Roberts, Juliet was a London-born singer of several different musical genres, including jazz, rock, and soul. This was a #1 dance hit and performed rather well on the AT40 chart, peaking at #19. I vaguely recall the song and it was pretty good, but nothing I'd go out and buy.
I'M READY - TEVIN CAMPBELL (37) - Mainly an R&B singer, he did have a handful of Top 40 singles. This song matched the #14 peak of his last hit "Can We Talk". Both songs were pretty good, but I preferred this one.
I'LL REMEMBER - MADONNA (39) - Based on its initial chart action, it looked like this song was going to go straight to #1, but it barely fell short, running out of gas at #2. It was a pretty good song, though rather depressing. Definitely not one of my favorite songs from her.
DREAM ON DREAMER - BRAND NEW HEAVIES (40) - The first and only Top 40 hit for this acid jazz and funk act from west London. The song, which reminded me a little of Robert Palmer's version of "Mercy Mercy Me", was a good song IMO.
I'LL TAKE YOU THERE - GENERAL PUBLIC (39) - This song, originally a #1 hit by the Staple Singers in 1972, relieved this British pop band of being "one-hit wonders", a status they held for nearly ten years. This song even outdid their first hit "Tenderness" to boot, climbing to #9 in May. It was a good song IMO - my favorite of their two hits by far (as I was never a huge fan of "Tenderness").
NEON MOONLIGHT - ROSCO MARTINEZ (40) - Now tell the truth - how many of you thought that this was Sammy Hagar when you first heard this song? I certainly did! This was the first and only hit for this Cuban born man who has pretty much faded into obscurity - even Wikipedia doesn't have anything about him. This song looked promising at first, but wore out rather fast, peaking at #23, which was too bad, since it was a great song IMO.
COMPLETELY - MICHAEL BOLTON (39) - His second single from The One Thing certainly did not match up to his first, as this one peaked at #36 two weeks later and was out of there the week after. Clearly, Bolton had already had his day in the sun, as he was done hitting the Top Ten at this point, though he continued to be successful on the AC chart. I thought this song was a good one, though it was my least favorite song from the album.
DREAMS - THE CRANBERRIES (40) - As Gabrielle was getting ready to wrap up her run on the chart with her song of the same title, this Irish band debuted on the chart with their second Top 40 hit. The song only got as high as #33, which was too bad, as I loved this song - one of my favorites from them!
NOTE: This was the first week that R&R's Top 40 chart was compiled by PPW. In addition, two subcharts debuted in the magazine - Mainstream and Rhythmic, just like Billboard did in late 1992. The former, of course, was much like the Mainstream AC chart, especially near the top of the chart. In the lower reaches, however, the charts tended to be quite different, due to the difference in the reporting panels.
YOU MEAN THE WORLD TO ME - TONI BRAXTON (30) - The third single from her self-titled album became a third Top Ten in a row, which I was glad, as this was by far my favorite song off the album, as well as one of my favorites from her of all time. Sort of an interesting situation on the R&R AC chart - this song was shut out of #1 by "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" by Elton John for six weeks. She got the last laugh when she ranked three spots higher on the year-ender, however!
BUMP 'N GRIND - R KELLY (36) - The first Top 40 hit for this R&B/hip-hop singer from the Chicago area. This would be his only hit during the first run of AT40, as his next hit came about a year and a half after the show ended. This song, a slow jam, was pretty good, though I preferred a few other hits, all of which came later when his Top 40 career really took off.
NO EXCUSES - ALICE IN CHAINS (39) - This rock band from Seattle had been hitting the Mainstream Rock chart, where they had the most success, for three years, but they only had one Top 40 crossover hit and even it failed to crack the Top 30. I thought it was pretty good, but nothing special.
STAY (I MISSED YOU) - LISA LOEB & NINE STORIES (38) - Persistence paid off for this song - it had a slow climb to the top, but made it after 17 weeks, and stayed at #1 for three weeks. This was the first of five Top 40 hits from her (and I find it interesting that they charted over five consecutive years). As for my opinion on this song - as overplayed as it was, it was still a good song.
I SWEAR - ALL-4-ONE (39) - Their first Top 40 hit ("So Much In Love") was a cover of an old song by the Tymes. Their second was also a cover, of a not-so-old song by country singer John Michael Montgomery that had topped the country chart back in February. This song spent six weeks atop the AT40 chart, spanning the month of June. It was pretty good, but I do remember getting tired of hearing this song every time I turned on the radio back in the day.
MAY
MISLED - CELINE DION (34) - She mainly did ballads and, apparently, that was how fans preferred her, as her two upbeat songs that made the Top 40 (up to thos point) missed the Top Ten. This song didn't miss by much, however, getting as high as #14. I myself liked her upbeat songs (well, except for "That's The Way It Is", her only uptempo song that made the Top Ten, because of the overplay), this one included.
DON'T TURN AROUND - ACE OF BASE (37) - They were still in the midst of a fourteen-week run at the top with "The Sign" when this song debuted. This would hit #1 as well, spending six weeks on top. The Albert Hammond/Diane Warren-penned song was originally the B-side of Tina Turner's "Typical Male" and cover versions of the songs charted at other formats, like R&B and AC, but Ace Of Base's version was by far the most successful. The song was OK, but I preferred other songs from them, including "The Sign" and "Beautiful Life".
IF YOU GO - JON SECADA (19) - His sophomore album Heart, Soul & A Voice would be released and ten more days, and the first single from it was off to a great start, with its high debut. It looked as though it could be his very first #1 hit, but the song's first few weeks on the chart were due to hype, as the song was added by many stations initially, but then its run was typical of a Top Ten hit (by 1994 standards). The song did, however, spend 26 weeks on the chart before being removed via the recurrent rule. I thought the song was pretty good, but nothing exceptional.
REGULAR THING - OVIS (37) - The only song from this singer/songwriter from New Orleans who also worked as a sound engineer for the B-52s and Green Jelly. I seem to remember that the song was pretty good.
OBJECTS IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR (MAY APPEAR CLOSER THAN THEY ARE) - MEAT LOAF (40) - Like most of Meat Loaf's hits, this song was a Jim Steinman production. This song, however, did not match up to the success of his first three hits, all of which peaked at #11 or higher. This, on the other hand, barely touched the Top 40. Apparently, people were already tired of Meat Loaf (either that or the title of this song was a little over the top). I thought it was a pretty good song.
MOVING ON UP - M PEOPLE (35) - The only Top 40 hit for this English dance/pop band. The song looked very promising at first, as it rocketed ahead to #22 the following week at #16 the week after. That, however, is where the brick wall materialized and the song did not get much higher. I rather liked the song, though it wasn't anything I'd go out of my way to listen to.
BEAUTIFUL IN MY EYES - JOSHUA KADISON (37) - His second and last song to hit the Top 40 (though he did continue to do well at AC radio over the next few years). I seem to recall that this song became somewhat popular in the Request & Dedication department on Casey's Top 40 and was a popular wedding song as well. At the end of the song, there is someone singing at the end that sounds a lot like Jennifer Holliday (sort of like she did at the end of Foreigner's "I Want To Know What Love Is"), but I can't seem to find anything telling who it is. Anyway, this is possibly my favorite song from Kadison from Painted Desert Serenade, but my absolute favorite song from him would be "Take It On Faith", from his sophomore album Delilah Blue.
LEAVING LAS VEGAS - SHERYL CROW (39) - Her first chart single wasn't very successful (didn't even hit the Top 30), but her next one would really put her on the map. This song, which sounds a little like "Come To My Window" by Melissa Etheridge, was a pretty good one, IMO, but I preferred a few of her more successful hits.
(MEET) THE FLINTSTONES - THE B.C.52'S (28) - The M People song above was not a cover of a TV show theme (more specifically, the Jeffersons), but this song was! Of course, this was the B-52's, but, as many things in the Flintstones had prehistoric references, they decided to do the same for their band name. This was a pretty good remake of the theme song, but, as it was more or less a novelty song (from the film The Flintstones), it didn't last very long on the charts (especially for a song that peaked in the Top 20).
ANYTIME YOU NEED A FRIEND - MARIAH CAREY (34) - The fourth and final single from Music Box. This was when I realized that the title track, my favorite song from the album, would not be put out as a single, as it was the flipside to this song, which is generally the deal breaker - not always, though). There are three versions of this song that I've heard - the original one, which is generally the one I heard on the radio, the Soul Convention Remix, which I only heard on Chicago's WTMX, and the upbeat version that came out around mid-summer, which pretty much took over, as that was the only one that I heard on Rick Dees, as well as U93 (WNDU, South Bend). I couldn't stand that version - the song was meant to be a ballad about unconditional friendship. However, this was a growing trend during the 1990s, as there were a handful of songs that started out as slow songs, but then they ended up being remixed into dance versions. I found this practice annoying (with the exception of Madonna's "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" - the Miami mix of that song was its saving grace. Back to "Anytime You Need A Friend" - as my words above imply, my favorite version was the original.
I WISH - GABRIELLE (35) - As her debut hit "Dreams" was removed from the chart via the recurrent rule, she replaced herself with her second hit, which didn't even come close to matching the success of the first, which I thought was too bad, because I preferred this one over "Dreams" by a fair margin.
THE MORE YOU IGNORE ME, THE CLOSER I GET - MORRISSEY (39) - While it's true that he put out many albums and has won various awards, this was his only Top 40 hit, and even it didn't perform very well. That was rather evident right away, as the song debuted at #39 without a bullet. I'm kind of surprised, as this song sounded like your typical Alternative Rock, a music format which had become quite popular at Top 40 radio. I thought this was a good song.
JUNE
ANY TIME, ANY PLACE - JANET JACKSON (27) - She was still cranking out single after single from her janet album, which had been out for a little over a year at this point. This fifth single definitely was an R&B slow jam. I thought it was a nice, mellow summertime romance type song.
CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT (32) - He had been absent from the chart for over a year now, but came back in a major way with the first of three songs he recorded for the Disney animated movie The Lion King, two of which were released as singles. This song, heard over the film's closing credits, was the most successful, peaking at #3 in August. It fared even better on the AC chart, hitting #1 for eight weeks. Due to the overplay, I'm still somewhat burned out on the song. I preferred his other chart hit, which we'll be getting to in early October.
SHINE - COLLECTIVE SOUL (33) - The first Top 40 hit for this Alternative Rock band from Georgia. The song peaked at #4 and is definitely one I associate with the summer of 1994, as well as the fall, which is when the song finally peaked at #4. It was OK, but it certainly was overplayed!
ALWAYS - ERASURE (39) - This synthpop duo from London had a pair of Top 20 hits in the late 1980s. This was the song that finally put them in the Top Ten. Of their Top 40 hits, this would possibly by my favorite.
WILD NIGHT - JOHN MELLENCAMP W/ME'SHELL NDEGEOCELLO (34) - This song was originally a mid-charter for Van Morrison. This song was significantly more successful, peaking at #2 in late September, shut out by "I'll Make Love To You" by Boyz II Men (Of course, as successful as that song was, it was tough to get past it). I do remember that this was #1 on the Rick Dees show, during a period of time where he tended to monkey around with the upper part of the chart. This song was not bad - sounded very much like the original, only a little "rockier".
CRAZY - AEROSMITH (36) - This was the fourth and final single from Get A Grip, and a rare case where the last release from an album was the most successful. The song peaked a spot higher than their other Top Ten hit from the album, "Amazing" and matched its tenure of 23 weeks in the Top 40. I was glad that it did so well, since it was by far my favorite song from the album, as well as one of my favorite Aerosmith's song of all time!
UNTIL I FALL AWAY - GIN BLOSSOMS (38) - As "Found Out About You" had just about run its course, their third Top 40 hit, which was a little more laid back than their first two hits, entered the chart, on its way to a peak of #13. Of their hits up to now, it was my favorite (though the somewhat similar-sounding "Found Out About You" would be a close second).
BACK AND FORTH - AALIYAH (37) - The first of a handful of hits for this Brooklyn native, before her life was cut short when she died in a plane crash in 2001. I thought this song was not bad, but typical mid-90s R&B music.
PRAYER FOR THE DYING - SEAL (27) - The first hit from the sophomore album by Mr. Henry Samuel just narrowly missed hitting the Top Ten (no matter - his next hit, from the following year would be one of the biggest hits of the entire year!) This song was a good one, IMO. However, the picture on the front cover of the album always gave me the creeps.
AIN'T GOT NOTHING IF YOU AIN'T GOT LOVE - MICHAEL BOLTON (39) - This song, the third and last from Bolton's The One Thing, looked promising at first, jumping to #27 the following week. However, its popularity seemed to wear out quickly, as the song only got as high as #22. I'm kind of surprised, as it seemed very radio-friendly and was a great, upbeat hit for the summer. Oh well...
FALL DOWN - TOAD THE WET SPROCKET (40) - The first of two singles from Dulcinea, the band's final album to generate any Top 40 hits. This song always reminded me of another song, but I can't think of it off the top of my head. This was probably my favorite of their hits up to this point.
JULY
SLEEPING IN MY CAR - ROXETTE (32) - This Swedish duo had a great run of hits during the 1989-91 period, but started to burn out soon after. This song, unfortunately, was their final Top 40 hit. The song sounded reminiscent of their previous hit "How Do You Do!"
BACKWATER - THE MEAT PUPPETS (34) - It took fourteen years and nine albums to finally bring this alternative rock trio from Phoenix into the Top 40. However, this was their only hit, since I have a feeling they were more of an album band (although this was their only really big album - not sure why they never really caught on). As for the song, it was a good one - pretty much your typical mid-90s Alternative Rock.
I NEED YOUR LOVE - BOSTON (36) - Since they had one of the more successful comebacks of the 1980s after being absent from the music scene for eight years, they decided to wait for eight more years and try to make another comeback. Well, to say that it wasn't quite as successful would be an understatement - this was their only hit from Walk On, and it only got as high as #35 and lasted but three weeks on the chart. They were indeed passe at this point. This song was reminiscent of their 1970s material - I actually thought it was a good song, but can see why it tanked so fast.
REGULATE - WARREN G & NATE DOGG (39) - This was one of the biggest Rhythmic Top 40 hits of 1994! From both Warren G's Regulate...G Funk Era album and the soundtrack to the film Over The Rim. The song heavily sampled Michael McDonald's 1982 hit "I Keep Forgettin'", as well as a few other songs. For a rap song, I thought this was really good - I actually went out and bought the cassette single that summer.
HARD LUCK WOMAN - GARTH BROOKS (32) - As big as he was on the country charts, it's hard to believe that he only had one crossover single. This song was from the Kiss tribute album Kiss My A$$: Classic Kiss Regrooved and the only one to make the Top 40. This song, which featured Kiss themselves on the instruments, sounded very much like the original, so it's hard to tell which version I prefer - both of them are great IMO.
ROUND HERE - COUNTING CROWS (37) - Following the immense success of their debut hit "Mr. Jones", which was still riding high in the Top Ten, this song had a respectable chart run, peaking at #10 in September. I preferred this song, since that first song was quite overplayed. My favorite song from the band, however, would have to be their other Top Ten hit, "A Long December", from early 1997.
I'LL BE LOVING YOU - COLLAGE (38) - The only Top 40 hit for this New England freestyle duo. The song had already had its run on the Hot 100 in the early half of the year, mainly fueled by sales and airplay on the Rhythmic Top 40 stations. The song apparently got sporadic airplay at Mainstream Top 40 radio, which hindered its climb on the chart, where it peaked at #28, but did well where played, as the song lasted 20 weeks on the chart. I thought the song was a good one, but might have done better had it been released about five years earlier, since freestyle music of this type was more popular during that time.
WHEN CAN I SEE YOU - BABYFACE (39) - This was a rare case of the last single from an album being the biggest. Babyface's 1993 album For The Cool In You spawned four singles, two of which made the Top 40 and this song was actually by far the biggest, peaking at #4 (as the other song to make the Top 40, "And Our Feelings" barely scraped into the Top 40). This song actually held up quite well despite overplay at several different formats that I listened to regularly back in the day.
THE WAY SHE LOVES ME - RICHARD MARX (40) - One of the most successful artists of the late-80s and early 1990s, but his chart career fizzled out almost as fast as it came. This song, which had a similar chart run as the Michael Bolton hit just above, starting out with a promising chart run, but then hitting a brick wall soon after. The only difference is that the song lasted a little longer on the chart. After the song fell out of the Top 40 in early October, Marx, sadly, was gone from the Top 40 forever.
NOTE: The above chart represents the last edition of American Top 40 heard here in its birthplace, the United States. It continued to air internationally for another six months, until late January, when, after a run of twenty-four and a half years, the show's final episode (or so we thought) was broadcast.
SELLING THE DRAMA - LIVE (40) - Wow, we almost had a zero-debut week. In fact, it would have been just that had "The Sign" by Ace Of Base been able to remain in the Top 20 for another week. Anyway, this was the first of three Top 40 hits from this alternative rock band from York, PA. Given all the airplay that this song received (on the stations I listened to, anyway), I'm surprised that this song was unable to break into the Top 30. Their next Top 40 hit, however ("Lightning Crashes", from the following year), would be much bigger, hitting the Top Ten and lasting many weeks on the chart.
YOU LET YOUR HEART GO TOO FAST - THE SPIN DOCTORS (29) - This band was definitely a flash in the pan - they had the biggest hit of the previous year, but after that, just two minor hits. This one came and went rather quickly and they were never heard from again.
YOU BETTER WAIT - STEVE PERRY (32) - Of course, he was the lead singer for the band Journey, who had disbanded in 1987, and he put out his second solo album, For The Love Of Strange Medicine, which had been released earlier in the week, which contained this song, which was the only Top 40 hit from it. The song was a success, hitting the Top Ten in September. The second release from the album, "Missing You", was a minor hit on the AC chart later that year.
BLACK HOLE SUN - SOUNDGARDEN (33) - One of several Top 40 one-hit wonders of the Alternative Rock/grunge field during 1994 (as they had several more hits on the Album and Modern Rock charts). The song was pretty good, though nothing exceptional.
IT'S OVER NOW - CAUSE AND EFFECT (40) - aka "The Car Alarm Song". This was their second of two Top 40 hits. I preferred their first one, "You Think You Know Her", which charted two years before.
AUGUST
FANTASTIC VOYAGE - COOLIO (38) - I never heard this song back in the day, because all nine weeks it was on the chart, Rick Dees, whose countdown was the only one I had access to back in the day, always skipped over it, presumably because it was a rap song (though that didn't stop him from switching to a new chart about a year later) that tended to favor rap and hip-hop songs. Anyway, I took a listen to this song on YouTube and found out that I wasn't missing much at all.
100% PURE LOVE - CRYSTAL WATERS (35) - Many people figured she'd be a one-hit wonder, after charting in 1991 with "Gypsy Woman", but she had by far her biggest hit ever with this song. This one was huge on Rhythmic Top 40 stations (in fact, I believe this was B96's #1 song of 1994). It did quite well on the Pop charts, peaking at #7 (one spot higher than her first hit) and spent many weeks on the chart (not sure how many, since my notes don't go past January, 1995, but it did log 31 weeks on the R&R chart). The song was OK, but quite overplayed - I preferred the underrated "Say...If You Feel Alright", which charted in the spring of 1997.
DECEMBER, 1963 (OH WHAT A NIGHT) - FOUR SEASONS (38) - As we all know, this song first charted in early 1976 and spent three weeks at #1. This version, which was a remix of the original, didn't do half bad either, peaking at #6. I preferred the original by a fair margin (since the new version didn't include the last verse, plus, with the drum beats mixed in, the song just wasn't the same).
I'LL MAKE LOVE TO YOU - BOYZ II MEN (40) - Written by Babyface, this was the lead single from their second album, appropriately titled II. Tell you what, I liked most of their slow songs, but this one just didn't cut it, for some reason. I never liked it in the first place, the ad nauseum overplay made me like it even less, and this erased any hope whatsoever of me ever liking it.
ALL I WANNA DO - SHERYL CROW (36) - Now THIS is one of the songs I most associate with the fall of 1994! After her minor hit "Leaving Las Vegas" earlier in the summer, she came back in a major way with this follow-up, which spent seven weeks at #1 and cut short would have been an otherwise lengthy stay for the above Boyz II Men song (thanks, Sheryl!
Needless to say, I really liked this song - I don't think I ever got tired of it.
LUCKY ONE - AMY GRANT (38) - She'd had a great 1991-92, with five big hits from her Heart In Motion album, but her follow-up album, House Of Love, was more of an AC album, as this was the only Top 40 hit from it. The song, which peaked at #16 in October, reminded me a lot of "Better Than You" by Lisa Keith (might not be purely coincidence, as she is one of the back-up vocalists). It was a pretty good song, but I preferred the title track, which she sings with the man she eventually married, Vince Gill, by a longshot, as that is one of my favorite songs of all time!
I'LL STAND BY YOU - THE PRETENDERS (34) - This English-American rock band had a handful of hits in the mid-80s, but they seemed to be done on the Pop charts by late 1986. That changed eight years later, with this ballad (a change of pace for them, as most of their songs were upbeat) about being faithfully assisting to someone in times of darkness. I thought the song was so/so back in the day, but it's one of those song that ages like fine wine, as I really like it now.
FAR BEHIND - CANDLEBOX (37) - Like Soundgarden, they were another alternative rock band that had their only Top 40 hit during the year (and, coincidentally, they were also from Seattle). I remember hearing this on the radio throughout the second half of 1994, mainly on Q101, the station of choice at the pizza joint I worked at back then. I thought it was a really good song.
ALL I WANT IS YOU - U2 (38) - Wow, they definitely had lost their touch by now! They hadn't had a single Top 20 hit since 1992 and their two 1993 singles didn't last long on the chart at all. Neither did this song, which peaked at its debut position and lasted only three weeks on the chart. It was a pretty good song, though not quite their best.
I'M THE ONLY ONE - MELISSA ETHERIDGE (40) - As "Come To My Window", a song that apparently got sporadic airplay, was still hovering around the mid-point of the chart, the follow-up debuted here and sailed into the Top Ten six weeks later, proving that it was a solid hit. The song peaked at number four on three different occasions and was still in the Top Five the week that AT40 ended. I thought it was a pretty good song - not sure if I preferred it or "Come To My Window".
SEPTEMBER
LETITGO - PRINCE (33) - The first and only Top 40 hit from his album Come, which consists solely of songs with one-word titles, which accounts for how the three words in this phrase are run together. Not sure if this is where Elton John got his idea for his album Made In England to have mainly one-word titled songs. As for this song, it was OK, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to.
GAMES PEOPLE PLAY - INNER CIRCLE (37) - Their third and final Top 40 hit was a reggae remake of the #12 hit by Joe South from 25 years before. This song, however, did not fare as well as their two 1993 hits - this was all the further it got and was off the charts two weeks later, never to return. That was too bad, because I really liked this song, which had a very catchy chorus.
COME OUT AND PLAY - THE OFFSPRING (38) - The first of several Top 40 hits for this band from Garden Grove, CA. This one used to annoy me, since the beginning guitar riff, which sounded like a distorted fifth (a popular piano warm-up), tended to stick in my mind all day when I heard it. Now it's not so bad, though I preferred their three other Top 40 hits.
GIRLS AND BOYS - BLUR (40) - This band was immensely popular in their native England, but such was not the case here in the States, as this was their only hit, as well as its only week on the chart. The song, which had a Alternative Rock feel to it, wasn't bad, but nothing exceptional either.
ANOTHER NIGHT - THE REAL McCOY (33) - Now this was a major hit here! The song, the first of three Top Ten hits from this German Eurodance/Pop music project, was in an armwrestling match for the #1 spot with Boyz II Men during the last few weeks of AT40 and, over on the R&R chart, spent a record 52 weeks on the chart (though the last eleven of those were outside the Top 40). The song was so/so, but quite overplayed. Of their five Top 40 hits, I preferred "One More Time" which hit the Top 20 in April, 1997.
RIGHT BESIDE YOU - SOPHIE B HAWKINS (38) - She cleaned up her language somewhat (and used better grammar, to boot) for her second Top 40 hit. This one did not fare quite as well, as it only got as high as #24. The best was yet to come for Sophie, however, as a year later, she would chart with her biggest hit ever, the Top Ten smash "As I Lay Me Down".
ENDLESS LOVE - LUTHER VANDROSS & MARIAH CAREY (20) - Of course, we all know that this song first charted in 1981 for Lionel Richie and Diana Ross and was one of the biggest hits of the 1980s, spending nine weeks on top. This remake looked like it could give the original a run for its money, but even though it wasted absolutely no time hitting the Top Ten, it began fading away soon after, peaking at #7. I'm fairly sure that hype played a big part in its promising start on the charts. Although this cover version was pretty good, the original was the best IMO.
BASKET CASE - GREEN DAY (36) - Their first single from their third album Dookie just missed the Top 40 earlier in the summer, but this second single made a respectable showing on the chart, peaking at #16. The song, whose chord progression is reminiscent of Pachelbel's Canon, was a good song, IMO. Possibly my second favorite song from them behind "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams".
YOU GOTTA BE - DES'REE (38) - This inspirational song, the first by this South London born singer, seemed to be getting sporadic airplay at first, as the song inched up the chart little by little during its first three months, finally picking up steam around the New Year and hitting the Top Ten as of the first of January. Not sure how long it spent on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart, as I stopped following that after AT40 ended, but on the R&R chart, it logged an incredible 42 weeks, all but the last four of those in the Top 40.
NEW AGE GIRL - DEADEYE DICK (37) - Ah, the story about Mary Moon, the wind car driving vegetarian who don't eat meat but she sure likes the bone! Rrrruff! But seriously, I thought this song was royally annoying at first (especially the "shout-y" choruses). But then I came to really like the song, which peaked at #15 on the chart. Might have hit the Top Ten if not for the lyrics at the end of the chorus (though some stations, like U93, played a slightly altered version that made the word "bone" sound like "brawn".)
WHIPPED - JON SECADA (38) - Single-wise, his sophomore album Heart, Soul And A Voice did not fare quite as well as his first album, as this second single only climbed a spot higher. The song was OK, but definitely not one of his best by any means.
OCTOBER
CIRCLE OF LIFE - ELTON JOHN (34) - This was Elton's second chart hit from The Lion King. Not quite as successful as "Can You Feel The Love Tonight", as it only got as high as #26, which was surprising, as it peaked ten spots higher on the R&R chart, which was very similar to the AT40 chart. Anyway, the song fared much better at AC, peaking at #2 behind "All I Wanna Do". Anyway, as stated before, this was my favorite of his two Lion King hits (presumably because it wasn't quite as overplayed as the first one).
FADE INTO YOU - MAZZY STAR (38) - Another Alternative Rock one-hit wonder here, by this band formed in Santa Monica. It was a pretty decent song IMO - another one that takes me back to the days of working at the pizza joint, as Q101 played this one from time to time.
INTERSTATE LOVE SONG - STONE TEMPLE PILOTS (40) - This song bears at least two similarities to Jim Croce's 1973 hit "I Got A Name". The most obvious is the riff, which is a dead ringer for the one in the Jim Croce song. Second, Croce is singing about the highway in the chorus, while the title of the STP song contains a type of highway. As for the song, I was never a huge Stone Temple Pilots fan, but I did like this song (the resemblance to the Jim Croce song, which I heard many times in my early childhood, might have something to do with it).
SECRET - MADONNA (26) - Wow! This song raced up the chart quickly, hitting the Top Five in only its third week on! Definitely looked like a surefire #1, but the top portion of the chart was extremely tight and the song couldn't manage to push past #3 (which was still very good). This song, the first of four Top 40 singles (on R&R, anyway) from her sixth studio album "Bedtime Stories" was pretty good, but I did prefer the follow-up, the #1 "Take A Bow".
ALWAYS - BON JOVI (30) - This was one of the songs instrumental in holding the above Madonna song at bay. The song did not quite make it to #1, though at one point, it did get sort of caught in between the back-and-forth battle for the #1 spot between Boyz II Men and Real McCoy. The song did make a valiant effort for the top spot, spending ten weeks bouncing between the #2 and #3 positions. Too bad it didn't quite make it, as it was one of their best power ballads ever!
TURN THE BEAT AROUND - GLORIA ESTEFAN (39) - This was a cover version of the Vicki Sue Robinson hit from 1976 and it sounded so much like the original that I like both of them almost exactly the same!
WHAT'S THE FREQUENCY KENNETH - R.E.M. (35) - The first of three Top 40 hits from their Monster album. I believe all three of those songs were played on Q101, but this one definitely got the most play - during the first month or so that is; you literally could not listen to that station for an hour without hearing that song. The song exploded at Pop at first as well, hitting the Top 20 in no time, but then climbing a little more slowly. The song did manage to hit the Top Ten. It was a pretty good song, but I preferred a few others from the band.
SOMETHING'S ALWAYS WRONG - TOAD THE WET SPROCKET (36) - The second of two Top 40 hits from Dulcinea and the more successful of the two, peaking at #14, ten spots higher than "Fall Down", though on several other charts, that first single was the more popular one. This song, however, was said to be the song that helped Dulcinea to achieve platinum status, as well as to become their first Top 40 album. I liked both songs about the same.
ALLISON ROAD - GIN BLOSSOMS (35) - Their fourth and final Top 40 hit from New Miserable Experience, an album that had been released over a year before. The song just barely missed becoming their second Top Ten hit, peaking at #11 around the new year. The song, which was inspired by an exit sign on I-10 in Roosevelt, Texas, was pretty good IMO, though I slightly preferred the preceding three singles from the album.
LIVING IN DANGER - ACE OF BASE (37) - Another fourth Top 40 hit, for one of the most successful Swedish bands ever. This song looked like it might become their fourth chart topper as well, but the song seemed to hit a brick wall at #7. Although the song doesn't hold a candle to "The Sign", it was still a pretty good song, though at the same time, I can kinda see why the song didn't hit #1.
GET OVER IT - THE EAGLES (33) - When they broke up in 1980, Don Henley said that they would play together again "when Hell freezes over". Well, shortly after appearing in the video for Travis Tritt's cover of "Take It Easy", at Tritt's request, the band decided to reunite. This was the fist single from their live album, named after Henley's prediction. This song kind of came and went, but the album was definitely a success, selling nine million copies in the United States alone.
YOU WANT THIS - JANET JACKSON (34) - People were wondering if Jackson was done releasing singles from her janet album, but not quite - she had one more. Like the preceding five hits, this one hit the Top Ten, although just barely, peaking at #10 in early January, matching its peak in R&R, which I'll be referring to more and more as we get close to the end of AT40's first run. As for the song, it's not bad, but I prefer many others from her.
HOLD MY HAND - HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH (39) - The first of four big hits from one of the best-selling albums of all time (sold 21 million copies in the U.S. alone). This song hit the Top Ten in December and remained there for nearly four months. It was pretty good, though quite overplayed. I personally preferred the next release from Cracked Rear View, "Let Her Cry", which would hit #1 the following summer.
ABOUT A GIRL - NIRVANA (40) - Surprisingly, this was their first Top 40 hit! Their first hit, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" just missed the AT40 chart, peaking at #41 on the Top 40 Radio Monitor chart. The next three hits didn't quite cut the mustard either, but this one did. I was never a big Nirvana fan at all, but there was something about this song that I did like.
NOVEMBER
LUCAS WITH THE LID OFF - LUCAS (34) - Never cared for this song. More of a gimmick than anything, like many songs that use the artist's name in the title.
DANCE NAKED - JOHN MELLENCAMP (32) - Sorry, but I prefer to dance with my clothes on, thank you very much. (The song wasn't bad melodically, though).
SUKIYAKI - 4PM (33) - This was the song's third appearance on the chart and the second in English. The first two hit the Top Ten and this version would eventually do the same. While the first two versions of the song had instrument accompaniment, this one was sung a capella. It was my favorite rendition of the song by a sizable margin.
ON BENDED KNEE - BOYZ II MEN (36) - I've made a few references to this song earlier in the commentary. It is the second release from II and, like the first one, it went to #1. Its three AT40 weeks at the top were non-consecutive and it tied the record first set by "Le Freak" by Chic for the song that re-entered the top spot the most times. On the R&R chart, the song remained at #1 into February. As for my opinion of the song, it is definitely a vast improvement over their preceding hit, and one of my favorite songs of all time from the Boyz.
HERE COMES THE HOTSTEPPER - INI KAMOZE (40) - Meh, another gimmick like the Lucas song. Never really cared for this one much, though it was tolerable.
BLIND MAN - AEROSMITH (34) - One of two new songs from their greatest hits album called "Big Ones", and the only one to hit the Top 40 (the other song, "Walk On Water", was a Top 20 hit on the Mainstream Rock chart). This song wasn't bad, but definitely not one of their best by any means.
EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK - JADE (36) - One of several songs that might be ideal to help kids learn their days, as it mentions, well, every day of the week, hence its title. The song, which turned out to be this Windy City hip-hop Trio's final Top 40 hit, was OK, but pretty much blended in with all the R&B dance music of the time.
SPIN THE BOTTLE - JULIANA HATFIELD THREE (39) - Here's a song I don't remember, as it never hit the R&R chart. Based on the title, I thought it was a hip-hop or rap song, but it was actually a pretty good pop/rock song. Short and sweet, too, as it clocks in at less than two and a half minutes long.
AT YOUR BEST (YOU ARE LOVE) - AALIYAH (40) - Another one-week wonder, like the song above. Only this song did make the R&R chart, and had actually fallen off the chart this week, but had just enough juice to barely make the AT40 chart. It's too bad it didn't do any better than it did, since it was a great song IMO.
THE RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT - CORONA (35) - The first of two Top 40 hits by this Italian Eurodance project. I was never a big fan of this song, because the voice was kind of annoying, plus I generally don't like this type of music. I preferred the 1985 DeBarge hit of the same title.
ZOMBIE - THE CRANBERRIES (36) - The first of two Top 40 hits from their sophomore album "No Need To Argue", as well as the most successful. On the final AT40 chart, the song was climbing to #18, two spots higher than it had peaked on the R&R chart. I thought the song was pretty good, though I generally preferred their songs from their third album To The Faithful Departed (as well as "Dreams", from their debut album).
NEVER LIE - IMMATURE (37) - The only Top 40 hit from this R&B boyband, whose members were a mere 13 years old at the time of this song. They actually did have a second top 40 hit, but it was under their new name IMx. It peaked at #40 in early 2000. As for this song, it was pretty good - a typical mid-90s R&B slow jam.
RAIN KING - COUNTING CROWS (38) - Third Single Syndrome was definitely rearing its ugly head here! While the first two hits from August And Everything After both hit the Top Ten. This song, on the other hand, didn't even hit the Top 30. IMO, the song was OK, but nothing special.
THE SWEETEST DAYS - VANESSA WILLIAMS (39) - She had been absent from the chart for well over a year, but she was back with the title track from her upcoming album - her first in over three years. This song, a beautiful ballad about the joys of raising children, hit the Top 20 on the pop chart, but its biggest success was on the AC chart, where it peaked at #3.
DECEMBER
MENTAL PICTURE - JON SECADA (40) - The third single from Heart, Soul And A Voice, and the final one to hit the Top 40 (the fourth release, "Where Do I Go From You", was a minor AC hit in 1995). This song inched up to #31 on the final AT40 chart, but fared much better on the R&R chart, where it peaked at #18. Of the songs from the album, this would be my second favorite, behind said AC hit).
YOU DON'T KNOW HOW IT FEELS - TOM PETTY (38) - His first Top 40 hit from Wildflowers, and a song whose chorus was slightly altered for radio airplay (I guess because he didn't want people to think he was a druggie, as the line "let's roll another joint" was changed to "...hit another joint"). As I said earlier, his 90s songs didn't quite cut it for me and this was possibly my least favorite from him - I never really liked this song in the first place and overplay didn't help matters any.
GET READY FOR THIS - 2 UNLIMITED (39) - The sole Top 40 hit for this techno-house duo from Amsterdam. This one seemed to be one of those songs that did well where played, but due to many radio stations not playing it, that affected its performance on the chart, where it only got as high as #29, but was on the chart for 17 weeks. Since it fell off right before the R&R chart was extended to 50 positions, that made me wonder if it would have still been in the 41-50 zone had the chart extension happened several weeks before. As for this song, it was ideal for dances, but not for casual radio listening.
MISHALE - ANDRU DONALDS (40) - At first glance, I thought this was a term for a faulty breath, but it was actually an alternative spelling of the name Michelle, the object of this Jamaican singer in his sole Top 40 hit. It was actually a pretty decent song IMO.
TAKE A BOW - MADONNA (33) - The second release from Bedtime Story and by far the most successful, spending five weeks at #1 in late winter. It was also one of my Personal Top 30 #1's in 1995 - a great song indeed!
CREEP - TLC (35) - The first of four Top 40 hits from their biggest selling album CrazySexyCool. The song just barely missed the Top Ten, peaking at #11 in March. I wasn't a big fan of the song myself; my favorite song from the album would be "Waterfalls", which was one of 1995's biggest hits (and even somehow made it onto the 1996 year-ender).
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU - MARIAH CAREY (36) - I used to think this was a pretty decent song, but its overplay every single Christmas has since made me change my mind about it - especially that one time back in 2009 when I was Christmas shopping and every single store I went to was playing that song - no exaggeration. I much prefer Michael Buble's slow version of the song, which was released around Christmas, 2011.
SHAME - ZHANE (40) - A hip-hop version of this song, originally done by Evelyn "Champagne" King back in 1978. I preferred the original, which was a disco song - this cover just didn't do much for me at all.
No debuts to report the final week of 1994, as AT40 was doing their year-end wrap-up that weekend, but there actually was a chart that week, and AT40 did use it - for their first countdown of 1995. As a result, the show was a week behind for the remainder of its (first) run.
JANUARY
QUEEN OF THE NIGHT - WHITNEY HOUSTON (33) - As her hit with Bobby Brown had just about run its course, Whitney released the fifth and last hit from The Bodyguard. Appropriately enough, this is the song that is heard over the closing credits of the film. At first, I wasn't sure if the song would do very well, as Bodyguard fever seemed to have burned out earlier in the summer, with the under-performance of "Run To You", but the song did manage to climb as high as #17, significantly higher than that song. The song was OK, but my least favorite of the Bodyguard songs.
THE POWER OF LOVE - CELINE DION (35) - Air Supply first charted with this song in 1985, but they were passe at that point and the song only got as high as #68. Jennifer Rush, who originally wrote and recorded the song in 1984, had a mid-chart hit with it in 1986. Laura Branigan's version was the one that finally hit the Top 40 in late 1987, but it was Celine Dion's version that performed best by far on the charts, peaking at #2 in late winter. It was also my favorite version of the song, though it was quite overplayed.
WILL YOU BE THERE IN THE MORNING - HEART (37) - Their first Top 40 hit in a little over three years and, as was the case on that last hit, "Stranded", Nancy Wilson handles the lead vocals on this one. They didn't have the same momentum that they did previously and this song peaked at #25 and, unfortunately, was their final Top 40 hit.
LIFE (EVERYBODY NEEDS SOMEBODY) - HADDAWAY (40) - He was still up in the Top Ten with "What Is Love" as he released his second hit, which performed decently on the chart, getting as high as #14. Due to the overplay of his first hit, I slightly preferred this one.
THE SIGN - ACE OF BASE (32) - AT40 just missed a chance of having their third chart without any debuts or re-entries by using the January 1 chart, which was unpublished, for their first weekly show of 1994, as this song entered the unused January 8 chart as the only debut, and the January 15 chart contained no debuts. As huge as their first hit was, this song actually performed significantly better on the chart, spending an incredible FOURTEEN WEEKS on top, becoming the longest-running #1 hit in AT40 history! To my best of knowledge, that record still stands, but I don't know for sure, as I stopped listening to Ryan Seacrest's Entertainment Weekly-esque version of AT40 earlier this decade. Anyway, I preferred this song over "All That She Wants" by a sizable margin, as I got tired of that one after a few listens, while, as overplayed as this song was, I never did get tired of it. Unsurprisingly, this was the #1 song of 1994.
HAVING A PARTY - ROD STEWART w/RONNIE WOOD (35) - Originally a hit for Sam Cooke, Rod Stewart recorded a live version of the song for his Unplugged...And Seated album. The song was released as the third and final single from the album and was the only single that was not a cover of one of Stewart's old songs. The song peaked at #32 on the AT40 chart, but was much more successful on the AC chart, where it peaked at #6. A somewhat interesting story about its performance on the R&R chart, where it peaked at #19. That was enough for it to rank on the year-ender, at #100. That was IMO a perfect song to kick off the countdown.
NOW AND FOREVER - RICHARD MARX (39) - His first three albums were very successful in terms of singles, with at least four Top 40 singles from each one (counting "Chains Around My Heart" from Rush Street, which did hit the Mainstream Top 40 chart before AT40 started using it), but the fourth album, Paid Vacation, though it did reach platinum status, yielded only two Top 40 hits. This was the first of them, a song that Richard wrote for his wife, Cynthia Rhodes. The song peaked at #9 on the AT40 chart, which isn't bad at all, but small potatoes compared to its performance on the AC chart, where it spent eleven weeks on top. Not sure where it wound up on the year-end chart, but on R&R's year-end AC chart, the song came out on top, and deservedly so, as it was a great song - one of my favorite songs of the entire year!
BECAUSE OF LOVE - JANET JACKSON (25) - Her first three singles from janet had all hit the Top Five and this song did the same, spending the entire month of March at #4. It was a good song - sort of a mid-tempo dance song. This would be in the running for my favorite song from the album, though I do prefer a few others from her.
MARY JANE'S LAST DANCE - TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (34) - Tell you what, he/they were great back in the 1980s, but their material from the mid-90s was mediocre at best. I was just never a huge fan of this song for some reason.
WITHOUT YOU - MARIAH CAREY (35) - A cover of Harry Nilsson's #1 hit from 1972, this is the song that broke Mariah's #1 streak on the R&R chart. The streak had long since been broken on AT40, though she had another one going, as her last three songs had all hit #1. This song looked like it might continue it, with its initial chart action, but there was just no dislodging "The Sign" from #1 about it. The song did have a nice chart run of 22 weeks, though. The song wasn't bad, but it was just so depressing. Not sure which version I preferred.
ROCK AND ROLL DREAMS COME THROUGH - MEAT LOAF (36) - As stated in my comment of his comeback hit "I'd Do Anything For Love", all of his Top 40 hits (up to this point, anyway) were written and produced by Jim Steinman. This song was a Top 40 hit in 1981 for Steiman himself, featuring Rory Dodd on vocals. That song, Steinman's sole Top 40 hit of his own, peaked at #32, but this one performed significantly better, hitting #10 in March. I thought it was a great song - I preferred it over said comeback hit, which overplay sort of tarnished.
CANTALOOP (FLIP FANTASIA) - US3 (37) - This song was a little weird for my liking, but it apparently was a popular song, getting as high as #15 and lasting 21 weeks on the chart. Didn't quite make the year-end chart, which was only a Top 50 that year, for whatever reason (presumably because the show would be coming to an end a month later).
EVERYDAY - PHIL COLLINS (38) - He had been very successful on the charts back in the 80s and early 90s, but was losing his touch (although his last song had hit the Top Ten). This song peaked at #32 on the AT40 chart, but did quite well at AC, peaking at #2). I remember hearing this on a regular basis on the AC stations in 1994.
FEBRUARY
STAY - ETERNAL (34) - The only Top 40 hit for this British R&B female vocal quartet. They were much more successful in their native England, where they logged fifteen chart hits, twelve of which made the Top Ten. This song was pretty good, but nothing I'd go out and buy.
SO MUCH IN LOVE - ALL-4-ONE (38) - Another R&B vocal group, consisting of four members (hence, their name), though this one consisted solely of men. Their three Top 40 hits were cover versions of previous hits, in this case, a song by the Tymes from 1963. This song got as high as #6 on the chart and would probably be my favorite of their hits, though my favorite song from them was the AC hit "Someday", which just barely missed the Top 40 in the summer of 1996.
WHATTAMAN - SALT-N-PEPA f/EN VOGUE (40) - Their hit "Shoop" was still in the midst of its chart run when they released this collaboration with En Vogue, which may have helped contribute to its success. Though the song just missed the Top Ten, it was Salt-N-Pepa's biggest hit on the chart. The song, which was originally a mid-charter on the Hot 100 for a singer by the name of Linda Lindell (its title "What A Man"), was so-so, but I think we all know what I feel about this type of R&B/hip-hop music
No debuts to report the week of February 19 - only the third time in AT40 history that had ever happened.
I'M IN THE MOOD - CE CE PENNISTON (36) - As always, I'm misspelling her name in order to avoid the censor. This might be regarded as her comeback single, as she'd been absent from the chart for all of 1993. This song, however, didn't fare quite as well as her other songs, as it peaked at #24 and, unfortunately, was her last Top 40 hit.
MR. JONES - COUNTING CROWS (40) - One of several songs that "The Sign" prevented from hitting #1, though this song did make a valiant effort, spending six weeks in the runner-up position. This Berkely, California based band had a handful of chart singles here and there throughout the 1990s and 2000s, but never quite equalled the success of this song.
MARCH
STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (36) - From the 1993 drama film Philadelphia came what turned out to be Springsteen's last Top Ten hit. But he definitely had a great run, with an impressive eleven Top Ten hits, seven of which came from his behemoth album Born In The USA. This song was pretty good, but I preferred most of his earlier material.
BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY - BIG MOUNTAIN (37) - Originally recorded by Peter Frampton for his multi-million Frampton Comes Alive album, the song was made into a reggae cover version from this band from San Diego - one of two songs that put them on the charts. This was clearly the biggest, spending a week at #1 in May! I was never a big fan of the original, which Frampton took to #12 in 1976, but this remake was actually pretty good.
MMM MMM MMM MMM - CRASH TEST DUMMIES (37) - Can you imagine getting this puzzle on Wheel Of Fortune and spinning 5000 and guessing the M? You'd have a ton of money and a favorite song for life! Anyway, the song, the only Top 40 hit for this Canadian folk rock band, tells three stories about isolation and suffering of three adolescents - one of them, a guy whose hair turned bright white as a result of trauma from a car accident, another about a girl whose body was covered in birthmarks who was too embarrassed to change in front of other people, and a boy whose parents were very strict and didn't let him go out except for school and church, where they "shook and lurched all over the church floor" during services. This was definitely one of my favorite songs of 1994. I also liked "Weird Al's" parody of the song, "Headline News".
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE WORLD - PRINCE (38) - This was the song that managed to dislodge "The Sign" from atop the R&R chart after eight weeks. Here on the AT40 chart, this song didn't quite make it, peaking at #3, which is still great (and it spent a half a year on the chart). I didn't like this song at first, but it eventually grew on me. It's still not my favorite song by him, but it's a pretty good one nonetheless.
CANNONBALL - THE BREEDERS (39) - This was a one-week wonder on AT40, which was a shame, since it was a good song IMO. The song did, however, fare much better on the Mainstream Rock chart, peaking at #2 (which makes sense, as the Breeders were an alternative rock band).
COME TO MY WINDOW - MELISSA ETHERIDGE (37) - This song may not have made the Top Ten, but it spent quite a long time on the chart - 32 weeks, to be exact! It looked like this song had peaked at #20, but it actually made it to #13 in its 27th week on! This was not long after the song had mysteriously disappeared from the R&R chart, which was odd, since the two charts were very similar at this point. I think it's drop from the R&R chart was via their unwritten and likely arbitrary recurrent rule. Anyway, I liked this song, though it was quite overplayed.
LOSER - BECK (39) - The only Top 40 hit for this LA-born musician/singer. He considered this a mediocre hit and didn't think it was worthy of release, but after a college radio station in his hometown started playing it, it spread from there and became a decent-sized hit, peaking at #17. I thought it was a pretty good song, though nothing exceptional.
GROOVE THANG - ZHANE (35) - The second Top 40 hit for this Philly hip-hop act. Like their last hit, it pretty much blends in with the R&B dance music of the mid-90s. Nothing exceptional IMO.
RETURN TO INNOCENCE - ENIGMA (36) - They had an instrumental Top 40 hit, sprinkled with Gregorian chants, three years before called "Sadeness". This song, containing more vocals, was just as weird, but I did like it. The song was more successful than their first one. Though I realize that comparisons between the two is invalid due to the chart change, I am actually comparing this song to the run of "Sadeness" on the Top 40 Airplay chart, where the song peaked at #12, spending as many weeks in the Top 40, whereas this song got up to #6 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart (which did not exist back in 1991), and spent 26 weeks on. I liked both songs about the same.
LOVE SNEAKIN' UP ON YOU - BONNIE RAITT (37) - She had been absent from the charts for nearly two years, and she was back with a song that got as high as #15 on the chart. The first hit from her new album Longing In Their Hearts, it was the only song from the album to hit the Top 40. The next two, "You" and "Storm Warning" were both decent-sized AC hits.
AND OUR FEELINGS - BABYFACE (38) - This was actually his third single from his album For The Cool In You, released in August of the previous year. The lead-off single, which was the title track was mainly promoted to R&B stations and the second, "Never Keeping Secrets" just missed the AT40 chart. This song got as high as #29, which I thought was a shame, as it was one of my favorite songs from Babyface.
APRIL
I WANT YOU - JULIET ROBERTS (35) - Not to be confused with actress Julia Roberts, Juliet was a London-born singer of several different musical genres, including jazz, rock, and soul. This was a #1 dance hit and performed rather well on the AT40 chart, peaking at #19. I vaguely recall the song and it was pretty good, but nothing I'd go out and buy.
I'M READY - TEVIN CAMPBELL (37) - Mainly an R&B singer, he did have a handful of Top 40 singles. This song matched the #14 peak of his last hit "Can We Talk". Both songs were pretty good, but I preferred this one.
I'LL REMEMBER - MADONNA (39) - Based on its initial chart action, it looked like this song was going to go straight to #1, but it barely fell short, running out of gas at #2. It was a pretty good song, though rather depressing. Definitely not one of my favorite songs from her.
DREAM ON DREAMER - BRAND NEW HEAVIES (40) - The first and only Top 40 hit for this acid jazz and funk act from west London. The song, which reminded me a little of Robert Palmer's version of "Mercy Mercy Me", was a good song IMO.
I'LL TAKE YOU THERE - GENERAL PUBLIC (39) - This song, originally a #1 hit by the Staple Singers in 1972, relieved this British pop band of being "one-hit wonders", a status they held for nearly ten years. This song even outdid their first hit "Tenderness" to boot, climbing to #9 in May. It was a good song IMO - my favorite of their two hits by far (as I was never a huge fan of "Tenderness").
NEON MOONLIGHT - ROSCO MARTINEZ (40) - Now tell the truth - how many of you thought that this was Sammy Hagar when you first heard this song? I certainly did! This was the first and only hit for this Cuban born man who has pretty much faded into obscurity - even Wikipedia doesn't have anything about him. This song looked promising at first, but wore out rather fast, peaking at #23, which was too bad, since it was a great song IMO.
COMPLETELY - MICHAEL BOLTON (39) - His second single from The One Thing certainly did not match up to his first, as this one peaked at #36 two weeks later and was out of there the week after. Clearly, Bolton had already had his day in the sun, as he was done hitting the Top Ten at this point, though he continued to be successful on the AC chart. I thought this song was a good one, though it was my least favorite song from the album.
DREAMS - THE CRANBERRIES (40) - As Gabrielle was getting ready to wrap up her run on the chart with her song of the same title, this Irish band debuted on the chart with their second Top 40 hit. The song only got as high as #33, which was too bad, as I loved this song - one of my favorites from them!
NOTE: This was the first week that R&R's Top 40 chart was compiled by PPW. In addition, two subcharts debuted in the magazine - Mainstream and Rhythmic, just like Billboard did in late 1992. The former, of course, was much like the Mainstream AC chart, especially near the top of the chart. In the lower reaches, however, the charts tended to be quite different, due to the difference in the reporting panels.
YOU MEAN THE WORLD TO ME - TONI BRAXTON (30) - The third single from her self-titled album became a third Top Ten in a row, which I was glad, as this was by far my favorite song off the album, as well as one of my favorites from her of all time. Sort of an interesting situation on the R&R AC chart - this song was shut out of #1 by "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" by Elton John for six weeks. She got the last laugh when she ranked three spots higher on the year-ender, however!
BUMP 'N GRIND - R KELLY (36) - The first Top 40 hit for this R&B/hip-hop singer from the Chicago area. This would be his only hit during the first run of AT40, as his next hit came about a year and a half after the show ended. This song, a slow jam, was pretty good, though I preferred a few other hits, all of which came later when his Top 40 career really took off.
NO EXCUSES - ALICE IN CHAINS (39) - This rock band from Seattle had been hitting the Mainstream Rock chart, where they had the most success, for three years, but they only had one Top 40 crossover hit and even it failed to crack the Top 30. I thought it was pretty good, but nothing special.
STAY (I MISSED YOU) - LISA LOEB & NINE STORIES (38) - Persistence paid off for this song - it had a slow climb to the top, but made it after 17 weeks, and stayed at #1 for three weeks. This was the first of five Top 40 hits from her (and I find it interesting that they charted over five consecutive years). As for my opinion on this song - as overplayed as it was, it was still a good song.
I SWEAR - ALL-4-ONE (39) - Their first Top 40 hit ("So Much In Love") was a cover of an old song by the Tymes. Their second was also a cover, of a not-so-old song by country singer John Michael Montgomery that had topped the country chart back in February. This song spent six weeks atop the AT40 chart, spanning the month of June. It was pretty good, but I do remember getting tired of hearing this song every time I turned on the radio back in the day.
MAY
MISLED - CELINE DION (34) - She mainly did ballads and, apparently, that was how fans preferred her, as her two upbeat songs that made the Top 40 (up to thos point) missed the Top Ten. This song didn't miss by much, however, getting as high as #14. I myself liked her upbeat songs (well, except for "That's The Way It Is", her only uptempo song that made the Top Ten, because of the overplay), this one included.
DON'T TURN AROUND - ACE OF BASE (37) - They were still in the midst of a fourteen-week run at the top with "The Sign" when this song debuted. This would hit #1 as well, spending six weeks on top. The Albert Hammond/Diane Warren-penned song was originally the B-side of Tina Turner's "Typical Male" and cover versions of the songs charted at other formats, like R&B and AC, but Ace Of Base's version was by far the most successful. The song was OK, but I preferred other songs from them, including "The Sign" and "Beautiful Life".
IF YOU GO - JON SECADA (19) - His sophomore album Heart, Soul & A Voice would be released and ten more days, and the first single from it was off to a great start, with its high debut. It looked as though it could be his very first #1 hit, but the song's first few weeks on the chart were due to hype, as the song was added by many stations initially, but then its run was typical of a Top Ten hit (by 1994 standards). The song did, however, spend 26 weeks on the chart before being removed via the recurrent rule. I thought the song was pretty good, but nothing exceptional.
REGULAR THING - OVIS (37) - The only song from this singer/songwriter from New Orleans who also worked as a sound engineer for the B-52s and Green Jelly. I seem to remember that the song was pretty good.
OBJECTS IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR (MAY APPEAR CLOSER THAN THEY ARE) - MEAT LOAF (40) - Like most of Meat Loaf's hits, this song was a Jim Steinman production. This song, however, did not match up to the success of his first three hits, all of which peaked at #11 or higher. This, on the other hand, barely touched the Top 40. Apparently, people were already tired of Meat Loaf (either that or the title of this song was a little over the top). I thought it was a pretty good song.
MOVING ON UP - M PEOPLE (35) - The only Top 40 hit for this English dance/pop band. The song looked very promising at first, as it rocketed ahead to #22 the following week at #16 the week after. That, however, is where the brick wall materialized and the song did not get much higher. I rather liked the song, though it wasn't anything I'd go out of my way to listen to.
BEAUTIFUL IN MY EYES - JOSHUA KADISON (37) - His second and last song to hit the Top 40 (though he did continue to do well at AC radio over the next few years). I seem to recall that this song became somewhat popular in the Request & Dedication department on Casey's Top 40 and was a popular wedding song as well. At the end of the song, there is someone singing at the end that sounds a lot like Jennifer Holliday (sort of like she did at the end of Foreigner's "I Want To Know What Love Is"), but I can't seem to find anything telling who it is. Anyway, this is possibly my favorite song from Kadison from Painted Desert Serenade, but my absolute favorite song from him would be "Take It On Faith", from his sophomore album Delilah Blue.
LEAVING LAS VEGAS - SHERYL CROW (39) - Her first chart single wasn't very successful (didn't even hit the Top 30), but her next one would really put her on the map. This song, which sounds a little like "Come To My Window" by Melissa Etheridge, was a pretty good one, IMO, but I preferred a few of her more successful hits.
(MEET) THE FLINTSTONES - THE B.C.52'S (28) - The M People song above was not a cover of a TV show theme (more specifically, the Jeffersons), but this song was! Of course, this was the B-52's, but, as many things in the Flintstones had prehistoric references, they decided to do the same for their band name. This was a pretty good remake of the theme song, but, as it was more or less a novelty song (from the film The Flintstones), it didn't last very long on the charts (especially for a song that peaked in the Top 20).
ANYTIME YOU NEED A FRIEND - MARIAH CAREY (34) - The fourth and final single from Music Box. This was when I realized that the title track, my favorite song from the album, would not be put out as a single, as it was the flipside to this song, which is generally the deal breaker - not always, though). There are three versions of this song that I've heard - the original one, which is generally the one I heard on the radio, the Soul Convention Remix, which I only heard on Chicago's WTMX, and the upbeat version that came out around mid-summer, which pretty much took over, as that was the only one that I heard on Rick Dees, as well as U93 (WNDU, South Bend). I couldn't stand that version - the song was meant to be a ballad about unconditional friendship. However, this was a growing trend during the 1990s, as there were a handful of songs that started out as slow songs, but then they ended up being remixed into dance versions. I found this practice annoying (with the exception of Madonna's "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" - the Miami mix of that song was its saving grace. Back to "Anytime You Need A Friend" - as my words above imply, my favorite version was the original.
I WISH - GABRIELLE (35) - As her debut hit "Dreams" was removed from the chart via the recurrent rule, she replaced herself with her second hit, which didn't even come close to matching the success of the first, which I thought was too bad, because I preferred this one over "Dreams" by a fair margin.
THE MORE YOU IGNORE ME, THE CLOSER I GET - MORRISSEY (39) - While it's true that he put out many albums and has won various awards, this was his only Top 40 hit, and even it didn't perform very well. That was rather evident right away, as the song debuted at #39 without a bullet. I'm kind of surprised, as this song sounded like your typical Alternative Rock, a music format which had become quite popular at Top 40 radio. I thought this was a good song.
JUNE
ANY TIME, ANY PLACE - JANET JACKSON (27) - She was still cranking out single after single from her janet album, which had been out for a little over a year at this point. This fifth single definitely was an R&B slow jam. I thought it was a nice, mellow summertime romance type song.
CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT (32) - He had been absent from the chart for over a year now, but came back in a major way with the first of three songs he recorded for the Disney animated movie The Lion King, two of which were released as singles. This song, heard over the film's closing credits, was the most successful, peaking at #3 in August. It fared even better on the AC chart, hitting #1 for eight weeks. Due to the overplay, I'm still somewhat burned out on the song. I preferred his other chart hit, which we'll be getting to in early October.
SHINE - COLLECTIVE SOUL (33) - The first Top 40 hit for this Alternative Rock band from Georgia. The song peaked at #4 and is definitely one I associate with the summer of 1994, as well as the fall, which is when the song finally peaked at #4. It was OK, but it certainly was overplayed!
ALWAYS - ERASURE (39) - This synthpop duo from London had a pair of Top 20 hits in the late 1980s. This was the song that finally put them in the Top Ten. Of their Top 40 hits, this would possibly by my favorite.
WILD NIGHT - JOHN MELLENCAMP W/ME'SHELL NDEGEOCELLO (34) - This song was originally a mid-charter for Van Morrison. This song was significantly more successful, peaking at #2 in late September, shut out by "I'll Make Love To You" by Boyz II Men (Of course, as successful as that song was, it was tough to get past it). I do remember that this was #1 on the Rick Dees show, during a period of time where he tended to monkey around with the upper part of the chart. This song was not bad - sounded very much like the original, only a little "rockier".
CRAZY - AEROSMITH (36) - This was the fourth and final single from Get A Grip, and a rare case where the last release from an album was the most successful. The song peaked a spot higher than their other Top Ten hit from the album, "Amazing" and matched its tenure of 23 weeks in the Top 40. I was glad that it did so well, since it was by far my favorite song from the album, as well as one of my favorite Aerosmith's song of all time!
UNTIL I FALL AWAY - GIN BLOSSOMS (38) - As "Found Out About You" had just about run its course, their third Top 40 hit, which was a little more laid back than their first two hits, entered the chart, on its way to a peak of #13. Of their hits up to now, it was my favorite (though the somewhat similar-sounding "Found Out About You" would be a close second).
BACK AND FORTH - AALIYAH (37) - The first of a handful of hits for this Brooklyn native, before her life was cut short when she died in a plane crash in 2001. I thought this song was not bad, but typical mid-90s R&B music.
PRAYER FOR THE DYING - SEAL (27) - The first hit from the sophomore album by Mr. Henry Samuel just narrowly missed hitting the Top Ten (no matter - his next hit, from the following year would be one of the biggest hits of the entire year!) This song was a good one, IMO. However, the picture on the front cover of the album always gave me the creeps.
AIN'T GOT NOTHING IF YOU AIN'T GOT LOVE - MICHAEL BOLTON (39) - This song, the third and last from Bolton's The One Thing, looked promising at first, jumping to #27 the following week. However, its popularity seemed to wear out quickly, as the song only got as high as #22. I'm kind of surprised, as it seemed very radio-friendly and was a great, upbeat hit for the summer. Oh well...
FALL DOWN - TOAD THE WET SPROCKET (40) - The first of two singles from Dulcinea, the band's final album to generate any Top 40 hits. This song always reminded me of another song, but I can't think of it off the top of my head. This was probably my favorite of their hits up to this point.
JULY
SLEEPING IN MY CAR - ROXETTE (32) - This Swedish duo had a great run of hits during the 1989-91 period, but started to burn out soon after. This song, unfortunately, was their final Top 40 hit. The song sounded reminiscent of their previous hit "How Do You Do!"
BACKWATER - THE MEAT PUPPETS (34) - It took fourteen years and nine albums to finally bring this alternative rock trio from Phoenix into the Top 40. However, this was their only hit, since I have a feeling they were more of an album band (although this was their only really big album - not sure why they never really caught on). As for the song, it was a good one - pretty much your typical mid-90s Alternative Rock.
I NEED YOUR LOVE - BOSTON (36) - Since they had one of the more successful comebacks of the 1980s after being absent from the music scene for eight years, they decided to wait for eight more years and try to make another comeback. Well, to say that it wasn't quite as successful would be an understatement - this was their only hit from Walk On, and it only got as high as #35 and lasted but three weeks on the chart. They were indeed passe at this point. This song was reminiscent of their 1970s material - I actually thought it was a good song, but can see why it tanked so fast.
REGULATE - WARREN G & NATE DOGG (39) - This was one of the biggest Rhythmic Top 40 hits of 1994! From both Warren G's Regulate...G Funk Era album and the soundtrack to the film Over The Rim. The song heavily sampled Michael McDonald's 1982 hit "I Keep Forgettin'", as well as a few other songs. For a rap song, I thought this was really good - I actually went out and bought the cassette single that summer.
HARD LUCK WOMAN - GARTH BROOKS (32) - As big as he was on the country charts, it's hard to believe that he only had one crossover single. This song was from the Kiss tribute album Kiss My A$$: Classic Kiss Regrooved and the only one to make the Top 40. This song, which featured Kiss themselves on the instruments, sounded very much like the original, so it's hard to tell which version I prefer - both of them are great IMO.
ROUND HERE - COUNTING CROWS (37) - Following the immense success of their debut hit "Mr. Jones", which was still riding high in the Top Ten, this song had a respectable chart run, peaking at #10 in September. I preferred this song, since that first song was quite overplayed. My favorite song from the band, however, would have to be their other Top Ten hit, "A Long December", from early 1997.
I'LL BE LOVING YOU - COLLAGE (38) - The only Top 40 hit for this New England freestyle duo. The song had already had its run on the Hot 100 in the early half of the year, mainly fueled by sales and airplay on the Rhythmic Top 40 stations. The song apparently got sporadic airplay at Mainstream Top 40 radio, which hindered its climb on the chart, where it peaked at #28, but did well where played, as the song lasted 20 weeks on the chart. I thought the song was a good one, but might have done better had it been released about five years earlier, since freestyle music of this type was more popular during that time.
WHEN CAN I SEE YOU - BABYFACE (39) - This was a rare case of the last single from an album being the biggest. Babyface's 1993 album For The Cool In You spawned four singles, two of which made the Top 40 and this song was actually by far the biggest, peaking at #4 (as the other song to make the Top 40, "And Our Feelings" barely scraped into the Top 40). This song actually held up quite well despite overplay at several different formats that I listened to regularly back in the day.
THE WAY SHE LOVES ME - RICHARD MARX (40) - One of the most successful artists of the late-80s and early 1990s, but his chart career fizzled out almost as fast as it came. This song, which had a similar chart run as the Michael Bolton hit just above, starting out with a promising chart run, but then hitting a brick wall soon after. The only difference is that the song lasted a little longer on the chart. After the song fell out of the Top 40 in early October, Marx, sadly, was gone from the Top 40 forever.
NOTE: The above chart represents the last edition of American Top 40 heard here in its birthplace, the United States. It continued to air internationally for another six months, until late January, when, after a run of twenty-four and a half years, the show's final episode (or so we thought) was broadcast.
SELLING THE DRAMA - LIVE (40) - Wow, we almost had a zero-debut week. In fact, it would have been just that had "The Sign" by Ace Of Base been able to remain in the Top 20 for another week. Anyway, this was the first of three Top 40 hits from this alternative rock band from York, PA. Given all the airplay that this song received (on the stations I listened to, anyway), I'm surprised that this song was unable to break into the Top 30. Their next Top 40 hit, however ("Lightning Crashes", from the following year), would be much bigger, hitting the Top Ten and lasting many weeks on the chart.
YOU LET YOUR HEART GO TOO FAST - THE SPIN DOCTORS (29) - This band was definitely a flash in the pan - they had the biggest hit of the previous year, but after that, just two minor hits. This one came and went rather quickly and they were never heard from again.
YOU BETTER WAIT - STEVE PERRY (32) - Of course, he was the lead singer for the band Journey, who had disbanded in 1987, and he put out his second solo album, For The Love Of Strange Medicine, which had been released earlier in the week, which contained this song, which was the only Top 40 hit from it. The song was a success, hitting the Top Ten in September. The second release from the album, "Missing You", was a minor hit on the AC chart later that year.
BLACK HOLE SUN - SOUNDGARDEN (33) - One of several Top 40 one-hit wonders of the Alternative Rock/grunge field during 1994 (as they had several more hits on the Album and Modern Rock charts). The song was pretty good, though nothing exceptional.
IT'S OVER NOW - CAUSE AND EFFECT (40) - aka "The Car Alarm Song". This was their second of two Top 40 hits. I preferred their first one, "You Think You Know Her", which charted two years before.
AUGUST
FANTASTIC VOYAGE - COOLIO (38) - I never heard this song back in the day, because all nine weeks it was on the chart, Rick Dees, whose countdown was the only one I had access to back in the day, always skipped over it, presumably because it was a rap song (though that didn't stop him from switching to a new chart about a year later) that tended to favor rap and hip-hop songs. Anyway, I took a listen to this song on YouTube and found out that I wasn't missing much at all.
100% PURE LOVE - CRYSTAL WATERS (35) - Many people figured she'd be a one-hit wonder, after charting in 1991 with "Gypsy Woman", but she had by far her biggest hit ever with this song. This one was huge on Rhythmic Top 40 stations (in fact, I believe this was B96's #1 song of 1994). It did quite well on the Pop charts, peaking at #7 (one spot higher than her first hit) and spent many weeks on the chart (not sure how many, since my notes don't go past January, 1995, but it did log 31 weeks on the R&R chart). The song was OK, but quite overplayed - I preferred the underrated "Say...If You Feel Alright", which charted in the spring of 1997.
DECEMBER, 1963 (OH WHAT A NIGHT) - FOUR SEASONS (38) - As we all know, this song first charted in early 1976 and spent three weeks at #1. This version, which was a remix of the original, didn't do half bad either, peaking at #6. I preferred the original by a fair margin (since the new version didn't include the last verse, plus, with the drum beats mixed in, the song just wasn't the same).
I'LL MAKE LOVE TO YOU - BOYZ II MEN (40) - Written by Babyface, this was the lead single from their second album, appropriately titled II. Tell you what, I liked most of their slow songs, but this one just didn't cut it, for some reason. I never liked it in the first place, the ad nauseum overplay made me like it even less, and this erased any hope whatsoever of me ever liking it.
ALL I WANNA DO - SHERYL CROW (36) - Now THIS is one of the songs I most associate with the fall of 1994! After her minor hit "Leaving Las Vegas" earlier in the summer, she came back in a major way with this follow-up, which spent seven weeks at #1 and cut short would have been an otherwise lengthy stay for the above Boyz II Men song (thanks, Sheryl!
Needless to say, I really liked this song - I don't think I ever got tired of it.LUCKY ONE - AMY GRANT (38) - She'd had a great 1991-92, with five big hits from her Heart In Motion album, but her follow-up album, House Of Love, was more of an AC album, as this was the only Top 40 hit from it. The song, which peaked at #16 in October, reminded me a lot of "Better Than You" by Lisa Keith (might not be purely coincidence, as she is one of the back-up vocalists). It was a pretty good song, but I preferred the title track, which she sings with the man she eventually married, Vince Gill, by a longshot, as that is one of my favorite songs of all time!
I'LL STAND BY YOU - THE PRETENDERS (34) - This English-American rock band had a handful of hits in the mid-80s, but they seemed to be done on the Pop charts by late 1986. That changed eight years later, with this ballad (a change of pace for them, as most of their songs were upbeat) about being faithfully assisting to someone in times of darkness. I thought the song was so/so back in the day, but it's one of those song that ages like fine wine, as I really like it now.
FAR BEHIND - CANDLEBOX (37) - Like Soundgarden, they were another alternative rock band that had their only Top 40 hit during the year (and, coincidentally, they were also from Seattle). I remember hearing this on the radio throughout the second half of 1994, mainly on Q101, the station of choice at the pizza joint I worked at back then. I thought it was a really good song.
ALL I WANT IS YOU - U2 (38) - Wow, they definitely had lost their touch by now! They hadn't had a single Top 20 hit since 1992 and their two 1993 singles didn't last long on the chart at all. Neither did this song, which peaked at its debut position and lasted only three weeks on the chart. It was a pretty good song, though not quite their best.
I'M THE ONLY ONE - MELISSA ETHERIDGE (40) - As "Come To My Window", a song that apparently got sporadic airplay, was still hovering around the mid-point of the chart, the follow-up debuted here and sailed into the Top Ten six weeks later, proving that it was a solid hit. The song peaked at number four on three different occasions and was still in the Top Five the week that AT40 ended. I thought it was a pretty good song - not sure if I preferred it or "Come To My Window".
SEPTEMBER
LETITGO - PRINCE (33) - The first and only Top 40 hit from his album Come, which consists solely of songs with one-word titles, which accounts for how the three words in this phrase are run together. Not sure if this is where Elton John got his idea for his album Made In England to have mainly one-word titled songs. As for this song, it was OK, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to.
GAMES PEOPLE PLAY - INNER CIRCLE (37) - Their third and final Top 40 hit was a reggae remake of the #12 hit by Joe South from 25 years before. This song, however, did not fare as well as their two 1993 hits - this was all the further it got and was off the charts two weeks later, never to return. That was too bad, because I really liked this song, which had a very catchy chorus.
COME OUT AND PLAY - THE OFFSPRING (38) - The first of several Top 40 hits for this band from Garden Grove, CA. This one used to annoy me, since the beginning guitar riff, which sounded like a distorted fifth (a popular piano warm-up), tended to stick in my mind all day when I heard it. Now it's not so bad, though I preferred their three other Top 40 hits.
GIRLS AND BOYS - BLUR (40) - This band was immensely popular in their native England, but such was not the case here in the States, as this was their only hit, as well as its only week on the chart. The song, which had a Alternative Rock feel to it, wasn't bad, but nothing exceptional either.
ANOTHER NIGHT - THE REAL McCOY (33) - Now this was a major hit here! The song, the first of three Top Ten hits from this German Eurodance/Pop music project, was in an armwrestling match for the #1 spot with Boyz II Men during the last few weeks of AT40 and, over on the R&R chart, spent a record 52 weeks on the chart (though the last eleven of those were outside the Top 40). The song was so/so, but quite overplayed. Of their five Top 40 hits, I preferred "One More Time" which hit the Top 20 in April, 1997.
RIGHT BESIDE YOU - SOPHIE B HAWKINS (38) - She cleaned up her language somewhat (and used better grammar, to boot) for her second Top 40 hit. This one did not fare quite as well, as it only got as high as #24. The best was yet to come for Sophie, however, as a year later, she would chart with her biggest hit ever, the Top Ten smash "As I Lay Me Down".
ENDLESS LOVE - LUTHER VANDROSS & MARIAH CAREY (20) - Of course, we all know that this song first charted in 1981 for Lionel Richie and Diana Ross and was one of the biggest hits of the 1980s, spending nine weeks on top. This remake looked like it could give the original a run for its money, but even though it wasted absolutely no time hitting the Top Ten, it began fading away soon after, peaking at #7. I'm fairly sure that hype played a big part in its promising start on the charts. Although this cover version was pretty good, the original was the best IMO.
BASKET CASE - GREEN DAY (36) - Their first single from their third album Dookie just missed the Top 40 earlier in the summer, but this second single made a respectable showing on the chart, peaking at #16. The song, whose chord progression is reminiscent of Pachelbel's Canon, was a good song, IMO. Possibly my second favorite song from them behind "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams".
YOU GOTTA BE - DES'REE (38) - This inspirational song, the first by this South London born singer, seemed to be getting sporadic airplay at first, as the song inched up the chart little by little during its first three months, finally picking up steam around the New Year and hitting the Top Ten as of the first of January. Not sure how long it spent on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart, as I stopped following that after AT40 ended, but on the R&R chart, it logged an incredible 42 weeks, all but the last four of those in the Top 40.
NEW AGE GIRL - DEADEYE DICK (37) - Ah, the story about Mary Moon, the wind car driving vegetarian who don't eat meat but she sure likes the bone! Rrrruff! But seriously, I thought this song was royally annoying at first (especially the "shout-y" choruses). But then I came to really like the song, which peaked at #15 on the chart. Might have hit the Top Ten if not for the lyrics at the end of the chorus (though some stations, like U93, played a slightly altered version that made the word "bone" sound like "brawn".)
WHIPPED - JON SECADA (38) - Single-wise, his sophomore album Heart, Soul And A Voice did not fare quite as well as his first album, as this second single only climbed a spot higher. The song was OK, but definitely not one of his best by any means.
OCTOBER
CIRCLE OF LIFE - ELTON JOHN (34) - This was Elton's second chart hit from The Lion King. Not quite as successful as "Can You Feel The Love Tonight", as it only got as high as #26, which was surprising, as it peaked ten spots higher on the R&R chart, which was very similar to the AT40 chart. Anyway, the song fared much better at AC, peaking at #2 behind "All I Wanna Do". Anyway, as stated before, this was my favorite of his two Lion King hits (presumably because it wasn't quite as overplayed as the first one).
FADE INTO YOU - MAZZY STAR (38) - Another Alternative Rock one-hit wonder here, by this band formed in Santa Monica. It was a pretty decent song IMO - another one that takes me back to the days of working at the pizza joint, as Q101 played this one from time to time.
INTERSTATE LOVE SONG - STONE TEMPLE PILOTS (40) - This song bears at least two similarities to Jim Croce's 1973 hit "I Got A Name". The most obvious is the riff, which is a dead ringer for the one in the Jim Croce song. Second, Croce is singing about the highway in the chorus, while the title of the STP song contains a type of highway. As for the song, I was never a huge Stone Temple Pilots fan, but I did like this song (the resemblance to the Jim Croce song, which I heard many times in my early childhood, might have something to do with it).
SECRET - MADONNA (26) - Wow! This song raced up the chart quickly, hitting the Top Five in only its third week on! Definitely looked like a surefire #1, but the top portion of the chart was extremely tight and the song couldn't manage to push past #3 (which was still very good). This song, the first of four Top 40 singles (on R&R, anyway) from her sixth studio album "Bedtime Stories" was pretty good, but I did prefer the follow-up, the #1 "Take A Bow".
ALWAYS - BON JOVI (30) - This was one of the songs instrumental in holding the above Madonna song at bay. The song did not quite make it to #1, though at one point, it did get sort of caught in between the back-and-forth battle for the #1 spot between Boyz II Men and Real McCoy. The song did make a valiant effort for the top spot, spending ten weeks bouncing between the #2 and #3 positions. Too bad it didn't quite make it, as it was one of their best power ballads ever!
TURN THE BEAT AROUND - GLORIA ESTEFAN (39) - This was a cover version of the Vicki Sue Robinson hit from 1976 and it sounded so much like the original that I like both of them almost exactly the same!
WHAT'S THE FREQUENCY KENNETH - R.E.M. (35) - The first of three Top 40 hits from their Monster album. I believe all three of those songs were played on Q101, but this one definitely got the most play - during the first month or so that is; you literally could not listen to that station for an hour without hearing that song. The song exploded at Pop at first as well, hitting the Top 20 in no time, but then climbing a little more slowly. The song did manage to hit the Top Ten. It was a pretty good song, but I preferred a few others from the band.
SOMETHING'S ALWAYS WRONG - TOAD THE WET SPROCKET (36) - The second of two Top 40 hits from Dulcinea and the more successful of the two, peaking at #14, ten spots higher than "Fall Down", though on several other charts, that first single was the more popular one. This song, however, was said to be the song that helped Dulcinea to achieve platinum status, as well as to become their first Top 40 album. I liked both songs about the same.
ALLISON ROAD - GIN BLOSSOMS (35) - Their fourth and final Top 40 hit from New Miserable Experience, an album that had been released over a year before. The song just barely missed becoming their second Top Ten hit, peaking at #11 around the new year. The song, which was inspired by an exit sign on I-10 in Roosevelt, Texas, was pretty good IMO, though I slightly preferred the preceding three singles from the album.
LIVING IN DANGER - ACE OF BASE (37) - Another fourth Top 40 hit, for one of the most successful Swedish bands ever. This song looked like it might become their fourth chart topper as well, but the song seemed to hit a brick wall at #7. Although the song doesn't hold a candle to "The Sign", it was still a pretty good song, though at the same time, I can kinda see why the song didn't hit #1.
GET OVER IT - THE EAGLES (33) - When they broke up in 1980, Don Henley said that they would play together again "when Hell freezes over". Well, shortly after appearing in the video for Travis Tritt's cover of "Take It Easy", at Tritt's request, the band decided to reunite. This was the fist single from their live album, named after Henley's prediction. This song kind of came and went, but the album was definitely a success, selling nine million copies in the United States alone.
YOU WANT THIS - JANET JACKSON (34) - People were wondering if Jackson was done releasing singles from her janet album, but not quite - she had one more. Like the preceding five hits, this one hit the Top Ten, although just barely, peaking at #10 in early January, matching its peak in R&R, which I'll be referring to more and more as we get close to the end of AT40's first run. As for the song, it's not bad, but I prefer many others from her.
HOLD MY HAND - HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH (39) - The first of four big hits from one of the best-selling albums of all time (sold 21 million copies in the U.S. alone). This song hit the Top Ten in December and remained there for nearly four months. It was pretty good, though quite overplayed. I personally preferred the next release from Cracked Rear View, "Let Her Cry", which would hit #1 the following summer.
ABOUT A GIRL - NIRVANA (40) - Surprisingly, this was their first Top 40 hit! Their first hit, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" just missed the AT40 chart, peaking at #41 on the Top 40 Radio Monitor chart. The next three hits didn't quite cut the mustard either, but this one did. I was never a big Nirvana fan at all, but there was something about this song that I did like.
NOVEMBER
LUCAS WITH THE LID OFF - LUCAS (34) - Never cared for this song. More of a gimmick than anything, like many songs that use the artist's name in the title.
DANCE NAKED - JOHN MELLENCAMP (32) - Sorry, but I prefer to dance with my clothes on, thank you very much. (The song wasn't bad melodically, though).
SUKIYAKI - 4PM (33) - This was the song's third appearance on the chart and the second in English. The first two hit the Top Ten and this version would eventually do the same. While the first two versions of the song had instrument accompaniment, this one was sung a capella. It was my favorite rendition of the song by a sizable margin.
ON BENDED KNEE - BOYZ II MEN (36) - I've made a few references to this song earlier in the commentary. It is the second release from II and, like the first one, it went to #1. Its three AT40 weeks at the top were non-consecutive and it tied the record first set by "Le Freak" by Chic for the song that re-entered the top spot the most times. On the R&R chart, the song remained at #1 into February. As for my opinion of the song, it is definitely a vast improvement over their preceding hit, and one of my favorite songs of all time from the Boyz.
HERE COMES THE HOTSTEPPER - INI KAMOZE (40) - Meh, another gimmick like the Lucas song. Never really cared for this one much, though it was tolerable.
BLIND MAN - AEROSMITH (34) - One of two new songs from their greatest hits album called "Big Ones", and the only one to hit the Top 40 (the other song, "Walk On Water", was a Top 20 hit on the Mainstream Rock chart). This song wasn't bad, but definitely not one of their best by any means.
EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK - JADE (36) - One of several songs that might be ideal to help kids learn their days, as it mentions, well, every day of the week, hence its title. The song, which turned out to be this Windy City hip-hop Trio's final Top 40 hit, was OK, but pretty much blended in with all the R&B dance music of the time.
SPIN THE BOTTLE - JULIANA HATFIELD THREE (39) - Here's a song I don't remember, as it never hit the R&R chart. Based on the title, I thought it was a hip-hop or rap song, but it was actually a pretty good pop/rock song. Short and sweet, too, as it clocks in at less than two and a half minutes long.
AT YOUR BEST (YOU ARE LOVE) - AALIYAH (40) - Another one-week wonder, like the song above. Only this song did make the R&R chart, and had actually fallen off the chart this week, but had just enough juice to barely make the AT40 chart. It's too bad it didn't do any better than it did, since it was a great song IMO.
THE RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT - CORONA (35) - The first of two Top 40 hits by this Italian Eurodance project. I was never a big fan of this song, because the voice was kind of annoying, plus I generally don't like this type of music. I preferred the 1985 DeBarge hit of the same title.
ZOMBIE - THE CRANBERRIES (36) - The first of two Top 40 hits from their sophomore album "No Need To Argue", as well as the most successful. On the final AT40 chart, the song was climbing to #18, two spots higher than it had peaked on the R&R chart. I thought the song was pretty good, though I generally preferred their songs from their third album To The Faithful Departed (as well as "Dreams", from their debut album).
NEVER LIE - IMMATURE (37) - The only Top 40 hit from this R&B boyband, whose members were a mere 13 years old at the time of this song. They actually did have a second top 40 hit, but it was under their new name IMx. It peaked at #40 in early 2000. As for this song, it was pretty good - a typical mid-90s R&B slow jam.
RAIN KING - COUNTING CROWS (38) - Third Single Syndrome was definitely rearing its ugly head here! While the first two hits from August And Everything After both hit the Top Ten. This song, on the other hand, didn't even hit the Top 30. IMO, the song was OK, but nothing special.
THE SWEETEST DAYS - VANESSA WILLIAMS (39) - She had been absent from the chart for well over a year, but she was back with the title track from her upcoming album - her first in over three years. This song, a beautiful ballad about the joys of raising children, hit the Top 20 on the pop chart, but its biggest success was on the AC chart, where it peaked at #3.
DECEMBER
MENTAL PICTURE - JON SECADA (40) - The third single from Heart, Soul And A Voice, and the final one to hit the Top 40 (the fourth release, "Where Do I Go From You", was a minor AC hit in 1995). This song inched up to #31 on the final AT40 chart, but fared much better on the R&R chart, where it peaked at #18. Of the songs from the album, this would be my second favorite, behind said AC hit).
YOU DON'T KNOW HOW IT FEELS - TOM PETTY (38) - His first Top 40 hit from Wildflowers, and a song whose chorus was slightly altered for radio airplay (I guess because he didn't want people to think he was a druggie, as the line "let's roll another joint" was changed to "...hit another joint"). As I said earlier, his 90s songs didn't quite cut it for me and this was possibly my least favorite from him - I never really liked this song in the first place and overplay didn't help matters any.
GET READY FOR THIS - 2 UNLIMITED (39) - The sole Top 40 hit for this techno-house duo from Amsterdam. This one seemed to be one of those songs that did well where played, but due to many radio stations not playing it, that affected its performance on the chart, where it only got as high as #29, but was on the chart for 17 weeks. Since it fell off right before the R&R chart was extended to 50 positions, that made me wonder if it would have still been in the 41-50 zone had the chart extension happened several weeks before. As for this song, it was ideal for dances, but not for casual radio listening.
MISHALE - ANDRU DONALDS (40) - At first glance, I thought this was a term for a faulty breath, but it was actually an alternative spelling of the name Michelle, the object of this Jamaican singer in his sole Top 40 hit. It was actually a pretty decent song IMO.
TAKE A BOW - MADONNA (33) - The second release from Bedtime Story and by far the most successful, spending five weeks at #1 in late winter. It was also one of my Personal Top 30 #1's in 1995 - a great song indeed!
CREEP - TLC (35) - The first of four Top 40 hits from their biggest selling album CrazySexyCool. The song just barely missed the Top Ten, peaking at #11 in March. I wasn't a big fan of the song myself; my favorite song from the album would be "Waterfalls", which was one of 1995's biggest hits (and even somehow made it onto the 1996 year-ender).
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU - MARIAH CAREY (36) - I used to think this was a pretty decent song, but its overplay every single Christmas has since made me change my mind about it - especially that one time back in 2009 when I was Christmas shopping and every single store I went to was playing that song - no exaggeration. I much prefer Michael Buble's slow version of the song, which was released around Christmas, 2011.
SHAME - ZHANE (40) - A hip-hop version of this song, originally done by Evelyn "Champagne" King back in 1978. I preferred the original, which was a disco song - this cover just didn't do much for me at all.
No debuts to report the final week of 1994, as AT40 was doing their year-end wrap-up that weekend, but there actually was a chart that week, and AT40 did use it - for their first countdown of 1995. As a result, the show was a week behind for the remainder of its (first) run.
