Post by Hervard on Jul 1, 2022 13:00:15 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 90s - July 4, 2022
This week's presentation - July 4, 1998
Droppers:
STOP - THE SPICE GIRLS (40) - This was the second Top 40 hit from Spice World. I really liked this song – it was very catchy. In fact, the melody of the song sounded a little like a classic Sesame Street song, also called “Stop”. Too bad this song didn't get any higher than #38 – it was very underrated, but “Spice Mania” had all but burned out at this point. They would only have one more minor Top 40 hit at the end of 2000 and were never heard from again.
NICE AND SLOW - USHER (38) - Mr. Raymond's second Top 40 hit peaked significantly lower than his debut single, but it definitely showed tenacity, as it spent 20 weeks on the (Top 50) chart and even made an encore appearance in the Top 40 after dropping out for a week near the end of its run. It was a number one single on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Urban chart. I liked the song – especially on the Rick Dees show, when one of the staff members (Teniqua, I believe) pretended to be the girl that Usher was talking to in that one-sided phone conversation at the beginning.
STOP - MEREDITH BROOKS - Wow, two songs from 1997 return to the chart this week as two songs with identical titles drop off - how about that? Like the Spice Girls song, it was a low charter, so they were always in close proximity to one another (one week, they were back-to-back). It's a good song, but I preferred the Spice Girls song.
TIME AGO - BLACK LAB (35) - One of many Alternative one-hit wonders that charted in the late 1990s. This Berkeley, California band peaked at #33 on the Top 40 chart with this song, which didn't even do very well on the rock charts, peaking in the 20's on both of them, which is kind of surprising, as it's pretty much typical late-90s alternative rock music.
40: TIME OF YOUR LIFE (GOOD RIDDANCE) - GREEN DAY (re-entry) - The first of two songs originally from 1997 to return to the chart this week. This song had only fallen off the charts a few months prior and came back for a nine-week encore after being featured in the TV show ER. I'm not sure why, but this song never really did anything for me. One of my least favorite songs from them, though I wonder if I still would have liked it if I watched the show ER (which I did watch regularly for awhile before deciding it just wasn't my thing).
39: CRAZY - ALANA DAVIS (39) - The second of two Top 40 hits for Ms. Davis. This song, which shares its title with many other Top 40 hits, by artists like Aerosmith, The Boys, Icehouse, and Seal, was actually a slightly better song than “32 Flavors” IMO. Too bad it only got as high as #33.
38: HEROES - THE WALLFLOWERS (27) - Originally recorded by David Bowie in 1977, this song was covered by the Wallflowers for the soundtrack to the movie Godzilla, which had been release six weeks before. The song was pretty much the only song on the soundtrack that did anything on the Top 40 charts, peaking at #21. Not sure if I prefer this or the original.
37: CRUEL SUMMER - ACE OF BASE (debut) - This Swedish band returned to the chart after an absence of a little over two years, with a cover of Bananarama's debut hit from 1984 as their final Top 40 hit. This song didn't do quite as well on the charts, but did manage to climb to #19. This version didn't sound all that different from the original, so I'm not sure which of them I prefer.
36: I GET LONELY - JANET f/BLACKSTREET(32) - As big an album as the Velvet Rope was, it's a surprise that it only yielded a single Top Ten hit. Sure, there were other songs released from it – five here in the States, but none of them made the Top Ten on the Top 40 chart. This song came nowhere near, peaking at #32. No matter; it was a Top Ten hit at many other formats, including the R&B chart, where it hit #1.
35: CRUSH - JENNIFER PAIGE (debut) - This artist from Marietta, Georgia released her debut album, which was self-titled, a month after this song hit the charts. However, this was the only single that made the Top 40 (as the other two petered out in the 40s). This song did manage to climb all the way to number two. I liked this song when it first came out, but got tired of it due to overplay, plus it was played over a few scenes in an episode of Sabrina The Teenage Witch that I found rather disturbing, so that made it worse. Fortunately, I never hear it on the radio anymore.
34: NO, NO, NO - DESTINY'S CHILD f/WYCLEF JEAN (33) - Ah, the breakthrough hit for one of the most successful R&B girl groups of all time. Their first hit peaked at #28, but stayed on the chart for quite awhile – looks like one of those sporadic songs that did well where played. The song was not bad, but I generally preferred their material from the 2000s, which was when they really hit the big time.
33: I WILL BUY YOU A NEW LIFE - EVERCLEAR (34) - Their biggest success was clearly on the Alternative rock charts, since none of their five songs that made the Top 40 chart hit the Top Ten (although this song, like their first hit “Santa Monica”, was on the R&R chart (Top 50) for an unusually long time (17 weeks) for how low it peaked (#28), so it might have been another one of those sporadic deals. The song was pretty good, like most of their hits.
32: ZOOT SUIT RIOT - CHERRY POPPIN' DADDIES (30) - They were one of several bands to resurrect the popularity of ska-swing music in the late-1990s, even though this was their only Top 40 hit, peaking at #28. It did slightly better at Hot AC and Mainstream Rock, hitting the Top 20 on both charts. “Weird Al” Yankovic did a pretty funny parody of this song, called “Grapefruit Diet”.
31: TO THE MOON AND BACK - SAVAGE GARDEN (re-entry) - Here is the other song that re-enters the chart this week. This was actually the second and fourth hit single from this Aussie band (since they re-released it the following summer and it re-charted then). I was actually glad that they decided to give this one another chance, since it was a great one – definitely my favorite song from them by a longshot – in fact, one of my top hits of the entire decade!
OPTIONAL EXTRA: STAY (I MISSED YOU) - LISA LOEB & NINE STORIES - 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.
30: CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF YOU - SMASH MOUTH (37) - With this song, it looked like Smash Mouth might be another one of those bands that had one big hit and another not so big hit, but the best was actually yet to come for this rock band from San Jose. This song, which reminded me a little of “I'm A Believer”, was not bad, but I preferred “Walking On The Sun”.
LDD: ORDINARY WORLD - DURAN DURAN - This was the comeback hit for this 80s band, whom had been absent from the charts for four years when this song was released in late 1992. It was worth the wait, however, as this became one of their biggest hits. I wonder if Tammy, the author of the LDD, ever got in touch with her best friend Jennifer, who was a Duran Duran fan like her? As for the song, it was one of my favorite songs by the band. I preferred the original version of the song, though (as AT40 played what sounded like an unplugged version of it).
29: TELL ME - BILLIE MYERS (31) - This song was obviously riding the coattails of her first hit “Kiss The Rain”, as it only got as high as #28. I thought the song was a good one – I especially liked the instrumental part at the beginning – reminds me a little of the Nintendo GameCube Zelda game “The Wind Waker” - more specifically, this music (those of you familiar with the game might recognize that from the Chu Jelly Juice Shop). But the song itself was good as well.
28: I'LL BE - EDWIN McCAIN (28) - Now THIS was a song that took quite awhile to catch on. The song debuted the last week of February and did not hit the Top Ten until October! The song appeared to have peaked at #24 about a month back, and just might have been temporarily moved to recurrent had the rule been anything other than 25/26 (as by its 26th week (in the Top 50), the song was indeed at #25). The song peaked at #9 and, due to its long chart tenure (42 weeks in all), the song wound up at #18 on the year-ender. I thought this was a great song - possibly my favorite song from him.
27: SEARCHIN' MY SOUL - VONDA SHEPARD (21) - Born in the Big Apple, this singer and actress hit the Top 40 in the summer of 1987 with her duet with Dan Hill “Can't We Try”. That song, of course, relieved Hill of his long-term one-hit wonder status and this song did the same for Shepard. Of course, this was the theme song for the TV series Ally McBeal, in which Shepard herself starred. The song peaked at #12 and was her last Top 40 hit, but she continued to be a regular in the show until its cancellation in the spring of 2002. As for the song, I wasn't a big fan of it. I preferred said Dan Hill duet by a fair margin.
26: WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT - FIVE (29) - A British boy band who had many Top Ten hits in their home country, as well as many countries worldwide, but never really caught on here in the states, as this was their only big hit here. It was OK, but I was never really crazy about it.
25: MY ALL - MARIAH CAREY (20) - Due to a conflict that Mariah had with Sony Music Entertainment, her record label at the time, the third and fourth singles from Butterfly (“The Roof” and “Breakdown”) were given limited worldwide release that did not include the U.S. As a result, this was only the third single from the album to hit the American charts. The song was a good one, but one of several ballads from her that were later remixed into dance versions that seemed to overtake the original, which I did not like (the only exception being "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" by Madonna).
24: TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY - SAVAGE GARDEN (18) - As "To The Moon And Back" was setting out on its second trip up the chart, this song was spending a 36th and final week on, although for awhile there, it was looking like it would never leave the surveey! I did not like this song when it first came out and overplay made things worse. Celine Dion's hit from Titanic was indeed a godsend, as it prevented this song from having a lengthy stay at the top and possibly becoming the top song of the decade (not that the song that really ended up on top was any better), since this song initially hit #1 for two weeks, then waited in the runner-up position for nine weeks before making an encore appearance at #1. I liked many of Savage Garden's songs, but this one was definitely not one of them, by any means!
23: NEVER EVER - ALL SAINTS (25) - This was the second of their two Top 40 hits and the most successful, hitting the Top Five and spending an impressive 31 weeks on the chart. The funny thing is, it did not reach its peak of #5 until six months after it entered the chart. After that, people seemed to get tired of it fast, and it slid down the chart rather quickly. I slightly preferred this song over their first hit, "I Know Where It's At", which had peaked at #17 earlier in the year.
22: TO LOVE YOU MORE - CELINE DION (24) - This song had been around for several years, first appearing as a bonus track on the Japanese 1995 re-release of Celine's 1993 album The Color Of My Love. The song had gotten sporadic airplay on AC stations in 1996 right before “Because You Loved Me” came along. I also remember this being played as an extra on the Rick Dees show at least once in early 1997, though it was not yet included on any albums released here in the States. Later that year, Celine released her fifth album, Let's Talk About Love, which contained her monster hit from Titanic. As soon as that song was done, she finally officially released this song. Though the song only got as high as #21 on the Top 40 chart, it made a big splash on the AC chart, hitting #1 for eleven weeks! I guess they didn't promote the song very well at Top 40 radio. Too bad, as I thought this was a great song!
21: 3AM - MATCHBOX 20 (19) - This song might have broken the record for weeks at #3, since it held there for nine weeks, making a valiant effort to hit the Top spot, but the battle between Celine Dion and Savage Garden in the top two was just too tough for it. But its tenacity helped to place it at #4 for the year – ten spots above Celine Dion, who usually won said top two battle!
OPTIONAL EXTRA: JUST ANOTHER DAY - JON SECADA - Originally a back-up singer for Gloria Estefan, this Cuban singer/songwriter tried it on his own, which proved to be worthwhile, as he had many chart hits over the next few years. This was the first and one of his biggest - peaked at #3 and spent an incredible 29 weeks on the chart. I wasn't a big fan of it and was hoping it didn't last too long, but of course, that obviously was not the case. I preferred several others from him, including his next two hits.
20: JUST THE TWO OF US - WILL SMITH (26) - This was actually a rap remake of the old Grover Washington, Jr/Bill Withers song from 1981. The lyrics in the verses are different, giving the song a totally different meaning – instead of being about love between a couple, it is about love between a father and his newborn son. Smith's real-life son, Trey, also appears in the song – once at the very beginning, telling his dad about this being a sensitive subject, and at the end, asking how much he's going to get paid. Although this version of the song wasn't bad, considering how I feel about rap, I preferred the original.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL - JOE C0CKER - Meh, you are so boring is more like it! (Although it was indeed fitting for the dedication).
19: CLOSING TIME - SEMISONIC (23) - An alternative band that was a one-hit wonder at Top 40 radio, but with a really big hit, peaking at #6. It also did well at Hot AC, where it was a Top Five hit and especially Alternative – went all the way to the top there! It was a great song, IMO!
18: GETTIN' JIGGY WIT IT - WILL SMITH (16) - Ah, a song from the greatest dancer! Well, maybe not; that was more or less a play on words about the Sister Sledge song that this samples. I was not a big Will Smith fan at all, but there was something about this song that I really liked, though I did get tired of it after awhile.
17: ADIA - SARAH McLACHLAN (22) - The third release from Surfacing, this beautiful ballad was easily my favorite of the four singles from the album. Sarah describes the song about “(her) problems in dealing with feeling responsible for everyone else”. I'm kind of surprised that this song only got as high as #16, with all the airplay it got. Of course, I also listened to AC and Hot AC, where she hit the Top Ten at both formats, during that summer. Definitely a great song!
16: I WANT YOU BACK - 'N SYNC (14) - The debut hit by another boyband came in to compete with the Backstreet Boys and Hanson, although the latter were pretty much out of the running at this point. I was never a huge 'N Sync fan, though I did rather like this song.
15: EVERYBODY (BACKSTREET'S BACK) - BACKSTREET BOYS (15) - Well, speak of the devil! Here is the boyband that was most in competition with 'N Sync over the next few years, along with 98 Degrees (whom would debut the following week with their collaboration with Stevie Wonder, "True To Your Heart"). The second single and more or less the title track from their second album Backstreet's Back, this was one of their gimmick songs that I tended not to like as much as their other hits.
14: KIND AND GENEROUS - NATALIE MERCHANT (18) - The first and only Top 40 hit from Merchant's sophomore album Ophelia. The song was OK, but very repetitive. This song turned out to be Merchant's final Top 40 entry.
13: I DON'T WANT TO MISS A THING - AEROSMITH (12) - I was a little surprised that this song slipped a notch, seeing that it had previously been making healthy progress up the chart and was only in its fifth week on. The top 12 must have been tight. The song recovered nicely and, after over 20 years of hitting the charts (and nearly 30 years together as a band), Aerosmith finally netted their very first number one hit. I felt that they definitely earned it! I preferred several other songs from them, but this was still a great power ballad.
12: RAY OF LIGHT - MADONNA (11) - This was the second single to be released from her album of the same title. It seemed to have that perfect summer sound to it, though it peaked somewhat quickly, reaching #10 two weeks prior and then moved down the chart at a rather fast pace as well. I liked this song at first, but got tired of it before long.
11: THE BOY IS MINE - BRANDY & MONICA (13) - These two girls having a catfight over a yet-unidentified boy were just toddlers when the similarly titled song "The Girl Is Mine" by Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson, was on the charts. I was thinking that this song might prevent Aerosmith's "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" from hitting #1, but, in fact, the song peaked at #3 (since “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls was still hanging in there in the runner-up spot). That was good, because I did not like this song at all.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: KISS FROM A ROSE - SEAL - From the Batman Forever soundtrack, this song wasted virtually no time hitting #1, where it remained for eight weeks, matching the run of the song that it succeeded at the top (which, of course, was “I'll Be There For You” by the Rembrandts, meaning that, for sixteen consecutive weeks, there were only two different songs at #1. Pretty impressive. As for the song, I liked it at first, then got a little tired of it after hearing it no less than ten times a day (or so it seemed). Now, it's almost as fresh as before, since you don't really here it on the radio very much anymore.
10: TOO CLOSE - NEXT (9) - This R&B band from Minneapolis had only one really big hit (along with two minor ones) on the Top 40 chart, but were most successful on the R&B charts, where this was a number one hit. This didn't do too shabby on the Top 40 chart either, peaking at #6 and it stuck around for quite awhile – well into November. The song was not bad, but quite overplayed.
9: REAL WORLD - MATCHBOX TWENTY (10) - Richard Marx is living in it, John Mayer insists there's no such thing, and Rob Thomas wishes it would stop hassling him! This song certainly got a lot of mileage on the chart, like many of their big hits. This song peaked at #3 (though for only one week instead of multiple weeks like “3 am”). Both of those songs, by the way, are in a horse race for my favorite song from Yourself Or Someone Like You – great songs!
8: ANYTIME - BRIAN McKNIGHT (8) - This Buffalo, NY native had a pair of hits back in 1993 and, a few years later, made a pretty decent comeback, with two more Top Ten hits. This was the first one, the title track and only hit from his third studio album. It was a pretty decent song – nice and mellow.
7: SEX AND CANDY - MARCY PLAYGROUND (7) - This alternative rock band from San Diego had several hits on the rock charts, but only managed to have one pop hit. However, they definitely made it count, as the song got as high as #3, where it held for four weeks in May and June. I rather liked the song – takes me back to my days at the good ol' pizza joint!
6: ALL MY LIFE - K-CI & JOJO (4) - These two members of the band Jodeci, whom were on hiatus at the time, decided to record as a duet and did quite well, scoring two more Top 10 songs to add to the two they had with Jodeci, as well as a #21 hit. This was by far their biggest hit, spending seven weeks at #2, unable to loosen the hammerlock of the artist at #1.
LDD: ALWAYS - BON JOVI - One of their best power ballads of all time, IMO. The song did not quite make it to #1, though it did make a valiant effort for the top spot, spending ten weeks bouncing between the #2 and #3 positions. It definitely was appropriate for the LDD.
5: IRIS - THE GOO GOO DOLLS (6) - As this song continued to move up the survey, in its fifth week in the Top Ten, little did anyone know just how big this song would be. It would go on to log four weeks on top, but its Top Ten run was very impressive - 28 weeks! And, with 35 weeks in the Top 40, the song unsurprisingly became the top song of 1998, and many people also consider it the biggest hit of the entire decade, because of its tenacity on the charts. As for the song, it was a great one – possibly my favorite from them!
4: THE WAY - FASTBALL (5) - The first of four Top 40 hits from this Alternative rock band from Austin. The song was about an elderly couple who decide to leave their life behind by packing their stuff together and, without telling their kids, start driving aimlessly. The car eventually breaks down, so they abandon it and continue on foot. It never is known what happens to them by the end of the song, however. I thought it was a pretty good song – not sure if I prefer this or their other Top Ten, “Out Of My Head”.
3: YOU'RE STILL THE ONE - SHANIA TWAIN (3) - She had been charting at country for five years before crossing over to Pop. This was her first Top 40 hit and the most successful country crossover in recent memory, peaking at #3 and logging over a half a year on the chart. Back in the day, I had a crush on Shania Twain, so I liked pretty much everything by her as a result (I even had a poster of her on the bulletin board I had hanging up in my room). The crush, of course, has long since faded, as has my fascination for this song, which was quite overplayed.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: HERE I AM (COME AND TAKE ME) - UB40 - This song, a cover of this Al Green classic from 1973, took awhile to get off the ground, as I recall this being Dave Sholin's “Personal Pick” of the week (similar to Dees' Sure Shot) on his “Insider” show back in January. The song finally made the Top 40 this week and, despite its initial slow action, it became one of their four Top Ten hits. I thought it was a good song.
2: UNINVITED - ALANIS MORISSETTE (2) - This was her first Top 40 hit since late 1996, when “Head Over Feet” hit #1. She picked right up where she left off, taking this song all the way to the top. This was one of three singles released from the City Of Angels soundtrack (as was “Iris”, back at #5). I really liked the eerie melody of this song – would be perfect for a haunted house!
1: TORN - NATALIE IMBRUGLIA (1) - This was said artist with the hammerlock at the top spot. It was in it eleventh and final week on top, becoming the second-longest running song on the R&R chart, behind “I Love You Always Forever” by Donna Lewis. Based on its long run at #1 and its 32 week tenure on the chart, one would guess that this came out on top for the year, but it was actually in the runner-up spot. The Goo Goo Dolls simply had more chart momentum, although I imagine that the margin between the two songs was rather slim. Though I preferred that song, this was a good one as well.
This week's presentation - July 4, 1998
Droppers:
STOP - THE SPICE GIRLS (40) - This was the second Top 40 hit from Spice World. I really liked this song – it was very catchy. In fact, the melody of the song sounded a little like a classic Sesame Street song, also called “Stop”. Too bad this song didn't get any higher than #38 – it was very underrated, but “Spice Mania” had all but burned out at this point. They would only have one more minor Top 40 hit at the end of 2000 and were never heard from again.
NICE AND SLOW - USHER (38) - Mr. Raymond's second Top 40 hit peaked significantly lower than his debut single, but it definitely showed tenacity, as it spent 20 weeks on the (Top 50) chart and even made an encore appearance in the Top 40 after dropping out for a week near the end of its run. It was a number one single on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Urban chart. I liked the song – especially on the Rick Dees show, when one of the staff members (Teniqua, I believe) pretended to be the girl that Usher was talking to in that one-sided phone conversation at the beginning.
STOP - MEREDITH BROOKS - Wow, two songs from 1997 return to the chart this week as two songs with identical titles drop off - how about that? Like the Spice Girls song, it was a low charter, so they were always in close proximity to one another (one week, they were back-to-back). It's a good song, but I preferred the Spice Girls song.
TIME AGO - BLACK LAB (35) - One of many Alternative one-hit wonders that charted in the late 1990s. This Berkeley, California band peaked at #33 on the Top 40 chart with this song, which didn't even do very well on the rock charts, peaking in the 20's on both of them, which is kind of surprising, as it's pretty much typical late-90s alternative rock music.
40: TIME OF YOUR LIFE (GOOD RIDDANCE) - GREEN DAY (re-entry) - The first of two songs originally from 1997 to return to the chart this week. This song had only fallen off the charts a few months prior and came back for a nine-week encore after being featured in the TV show ER. I'm not sure why, but this song never really did anything for me. One of my least favorite songs from them, though I wonder if I still would have liked it if I watched the show ER (which I did watch regularly for awhile before deciding it just wasn't my thing).
39: CRAZY - ALANA DAVIS (39) - The second of two Top 40 hits for Ms. Davis. This song, which shares its title with many other Top 40 hits, by artists like Aerosmith, The Boys, Icehouse, and Seal, was actually a slightly better song than “32 Flavors” IMO. Too bad it only got as high as #33.
38: HEROES - THE WALLFLOWERS (27) - Originally recorded by David Bowie in 1977, this song was covered by the Wallflowers for the soundtrack to the movie Godzilla, which had been release six weeks before. The song was pretty much the only song on the soundtrack that did anything on the Top 40 charts, peaking at #21. Not sure if I prefer this or the original.
37: CRUEL SUMMER - ACE OF BASE (debut) - This Swedish band returned to the chart after an absence of a little over two years, with a cover of Bananarama's debut hit from 1984 as their final Top 40 hit. This song didn't do quite as well on the charts, but did manage to climb to #19. This version didn't sound all that different from the original, so I'm not sure which of them I prefer.
36: I GET LONELY - JANET f/BLACKSTREET(32) - As big an album as the Velvet Rope was, it's a surprise that it only yielded a single Top Ten hit. Sure, there were other songs released from it – five here in the States, but none of them made the Top Ten on the Top 40 chart. This song came nowhere near, peaking at #32. No matter; it was a Top Ten hit at many other formats, including the R&B chart, where it hit #1.
35: CRUSH - JENNIFER PAIGE (debut) - This artist from Marietta, Georgia released her debut album, which was self-titled, a month after this song hit the charts. However, this was the only single that made the Top 40 (as the other two petered out in the 40s). This song did manage to climb all the way to number two. I liked this song when it first came out, but got tired of it due to overplay, plus it was played over a few scenes in an episode of Sabrina The Teenage Witch that I found rather disturbing, so that made it worse. Fortunately, I never hear it on the radio anymore.
34: NO, NO, NO - DESTINY'S CHILD f/WYCLEF JEAN (33) - Ah, the breakthrough hit for one of the most successful R&B girl groups of all time. Their first hit peaked at #28, but stayed on the chart for quite awhile – looks like one of those sporadic songs that did well where played. The song was not bad, but I generally preferred their material from the 2000s, which was when they really hit the big time.
33: I WILL BUY YOU A NEW LIFE - EVERCLEAR (34) - Their biggest success was clearly on the Alternative rock charts, since none of their five songs that made the Top 40 chart hit the Top Ten (although this song, like their first hit “Santa Monica”, was on the R&R chart (Top 50) for an unusually long time (17 weeks) for how low it peaked (#28), so it might have been another one of those sporadic deals. The song was pretty good, like most of their hits.
32: ZOOT SUIT RIOT - CHERRY POPPIN' DADDIES (30) - They were one of several bands to resurrect the popularity of ska-swing music in the late-1990s, even though this was their only Top 40 hit, peaking at #28. It did slightly better at Hot AC and Mainstream Rock, hitting the Top 20 on both charts. “Weird Al” Yankovic did a pretty funny parody of this song, called “Grapefruit Diet”.
31: TO THE MOON AND BACK - SAVAGE GARDEN (re-entry) - Here is the other song that re-enters the chart this week. This was actually the second and fourth hit single from this Aussie band (since they re-released it the following summer and it re-charted then). I was actually glad that they decided to give this one another chance, since it was a great one – definitely my favorite song from them by a longshot – in fact, one of my top hits of the entire decade!
OPTIONAL EXTRA: STAY (I MISSED YOU) - LISA LOEB & NINE STORIES - 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.
30: CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF YOU - SMASH MOUTH (37) - With this song, it looked like Smash Mouth might be another one of those bands that had one big hit and another not so big hit, but the best was actually yet to come for this rock band from San Jose. This song, which reminded me a little of “I'm A Believer”, was not bad, but I preferred “Walking On The Sun”.
LDD: ORDINARY WORLD - DURAN DURAN - This was the comeback hit for this 80s band, whom had been absent from the charts for four years when this song was released in late 1992. It was worth the wait, however, as this became one of their biggest hits. I wonder if Tammy, the author of the LDD, ever got in touch with her best friend Jennifer, who was a Duran Duran fan like her? As for the song, it was one of my favorite songs by the band. I preferred the original version of the song, though (as AT40 played what sounded like an unplugged version of it).
29: TELL ME - BILLIE MYERS (31) - This song was obviously riding the coattails of her first hit “Kiss The Rain”, as it only got as high as #28. I thought the song was a good one – I especially liked the instrumental part at the beginning – reminds me a little of the Nintendo GameCube Zelda game “The Wind Waker” - more specifically, this music (those of you familiar with the game might recognize that from the Chu Jelly Juice Shop). But the song itself was good as well.
28: I'LL BE - EDWIN McCAIN (28) - Now THIS was a song that took quite awhile to catch on. The song debuted the last week of February and did not hit the Top Ten until October! The song appeared to have peaked at #24 about a month back, and just might have been temporarily moved to recurrent had the rule been anything other than 25/26 (as by its 26th week (in the Top 50), the song was indeed at #25). The song peaked at #9 and, due to its long chart tenure (42 weeks in all), the song wound up at #18 on the year-ender. I thought this was a great song - possibly my favorite song from him.
27: SEARCHIN' MY SOUL - VONDA SHEPARD (21) - Born in the Big Apple, this singer and actress hit the Top 40 in the summer of 1987 with her duet with Dan Hill “Can't We Try”. That song, of course, relieved Hill of his long-term one-hit wonder status and this song did the same for Shepard. Of course, this was the theme song for the TV series Ally McBeal, in which Shepard herself starred. The song peaked at #12 and was her last Top 40 hit, but she continued to be a regular in the show until its cancellation in the spring of 2002. As for the song, I wasn't a big fan of it. I preferred said Dan Hill duet by a fair margin.
26: WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT - FIVE (29) - A British boy band who had many Top Ten hits in their home country, as well as many countries worldwide, but never really caught on here in the states, as this was their only big hit here. It was OK, but I was never really crazy about it.
25: MY ALL - MARIAH CAREY (20) - Due to a conflict that Mariah had with Sony Music Entertainment, her record label at the time, the third and fourth singles from Butterfly (“The Roof” and “Breakdown”) were given limited worldwide release that did not include the U.S. As a result, this was only the third single from the album to hit the American charts. The song was a good one, but one of several ballads from her that were later remixed into dance versions that seemed to overtake the original, which I did not like (the only exception being "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" by Madonna).
24: TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY - SAVAGE GARDEN (18) - As "To The Moon And Back" was setting out on its second trip up the chart, this song was spending a 36th and final week on, although for awhile there, it was looking like it would never leave the surveey! I did not like this song when it first came out and overplay made things worse. Celine Dion's hit from Titanic was indeed a godsend, as it prevented this song from having a lengthy stay at the top and possibly becoming the top song of the decade (not that the song that really ended up on top was any better), since this song initially hit #1 for two weeks, then waited in the runner-up position for nine weeks before making an encore appearance at #1. I liked many of Savage Garden's songs, but this one was definitely not one of them, by any means!
23: NEVER EVER - ALL SAINTS (25) - This was the second of their two Top 40 hits and the most successful, hitting the Top Five and spending an impressive 31 weeks on the chart. The funny thing is, it did not reach its peak of #5 until six months after it entered the chart. After that, people seemed to get tired of it fast, and it slid down the chart rather quickly. I slightly preferred this song over their first hit, "I Know Where It's At", which had peaked at #17 earlier in the year.
22: TO LOVE YOU MORE - CELINE DION (24) - This song had been around for several years, first appearing as a bonus track on the Japanese 1995 re-release of Celine's 1993 album The Color Of My Love. The song had gotten sporadic airplay on AC stations in 1996 right before “Because You Loved Me” came along. I also remember this being played as an extra on the Rick Dees show at least once in early 1997, though it was not yet included on any albums released here in the States. Later that year, Celine released her fifth album, Let's Talk About Love, which contained her monster hit from Titanic. As soon as that song was done, she finally officially released this song. Though the song only got as high as #21 on the Top 40 chart, it made a big splash on the AC chart, hitting #1 for eleven weeks! I guess they didn't promote the song very well at Top 40 radio. Too bad, as I thought this was a great song!
21: 3AM - MATCHBOX 20 (19) - This song might have broken the record for weeks at #3, since it held there for nine weeks, making a valiant effort to hit the Top spot, but the battle between Celine Dion and Savage Garden in the top two was just too tough for it. But its tenacity helped to place it at #4 for the year – ten spots above Celine Dion, who usually won said top two battle!
OPTIONAL EXTRA: JUST ANOTHER DAY - JON SECADA - Originally a back-up singer for Gloria Estefan, this Cuban singer/songwriter tried it on his own, which proved to be worthwhile, as he had many chart hits over the next few years. This was the first and one of his biggest - peaked at #3 and spent an incredible 29 weeks on the chart. I wasn't a big fan of it and was hoping it didn't last too long, but of course, that obviously was not the case. I preferred several others from him, including his next two hits.
20: JUST THE TWO OF US - WILL SMITH (26) - This was actually a rap remake of the old Grover Washington, Jr/Bill Withers song from 1981. The lyrics in the verses are different, giving the song a totally different meaning – instead of being about love between a couple, it is about love between a father and his newborn son. Smith's real-life son, Trey, also appears in the song – once at the very beginning, telling his dad about this being a sensitive subject, and at the end, asking how much he's going to get paid. Although this version of the song wasn't bad, considering how I feel about rap, I preferred the original.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL - JOE C0CKER - Meh, you are so boring is more like it! (Although it was indeed fitting for the dedication).
19: CLOSING TIME - SEMISONIC (23) - An alternative band that was a one-hit wonder at Top 40 radio, but with a really big hit, peaking at #6. It also did well at Hot AC, where it was a Top Five hit and especially Alternative – went all the way to the top there! It was a great song, IMO!
18: GETTIN' JIGGY WIT IT - WILL SMITH (16) - Ah, a song from the greatest dancer! Well, maybe not; that was more or less a play on words about the Sister Sledge song that this samples. I was not a big Will Smith fan at all, but there was something about this song that I really liked, though I did get tired of it after awhile.
17: ADIA - SARAH McLACHLAN (22) - The third release from Surfacing, this beautiful ballad was easily my favorite of the four singles from the album. Sarah describes the song about “(her) problems in dealing with feeling responsible for everyone else”. I'm kind of surprised that this song only got as high as #16, with all the airplay it got. Of course, I also listened to AC and Hot AC, where she hit the Top Ten at both formats, during that summer. Definitely a great song!
16: I WANT YOU BACK - 'N SYNC (14) - The debut hit by another boyband came in to compete with the Backstreet Boys and Hanson, although the latter were pretty much out of the running at this point. I was never a huge 'N Sync fan, though I did rather like this song.
15: EVERYBODY (BACKSTREET'S BACK) - BACKSTREET BOYS (15) - Well, speak of the devil! Here is the boyband that was most in competition with 'N Sync over the next few years, along with 98 Degrees (whom would debut the following week with their collaboration with Stevie Wonder, "True To Your Heart"). The second single and more or less the title track from their second album Backstreet's Back, this was one of their gimmick songs that I tended not to like as much as their other hits.
14: KIND AND GENEROUS - NATALIE MERCHANT (18) - The first and only Top 40 hit from Merchant's sophomore album Ophelia. The song was OK, but very repetitive. This song turned out to be Merchant's final Top 40 entry.
13: I DON'T WANT TO MISS A THING - AEROSMITH (12) - I was a little surprised that this song slipped a notch, seeing that it had previously been making healthy progress up the chart and was only in its fifth week on. The top 12 must have been tight. The song recovered nicely and, after over 20 years of hitting the charts (and nearly 30 years together as a band), Aerosmith finally netted their very first number one hit. I felt that they definitely earned it! I preferred several other songs from them, but this was still a great power ballad.
12: RAY OF LIGHT - MADONNA (11) - This was the second single to be released from her album of the same title. It seemed to have that perfect summer sound to it, though it peaked somewhat quickly, reaching #10 two weeks prior and then moved down the chart at a rather fast pace as well. I liked this song at first, but got tired of it before long.
11: THE BOY IS MINE - BRANDY & MONICA (13) - These two girls having a catfight over a yet-unidentified boy were just toddlers when the similarly titled song "The Girl Is Mine" by Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson, was on the charts. I was thinking that this song might prevent Aerosmith's "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" from hitting #1, but, in fact, the song peaked at #3 (since “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls was still hanging in there in the runner-up spot). That was good, because I did not like this song at all.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: KISS FROM A ROSE - SEAL - From the Batman Forever soundtrack, this song wasted virtually no time hitting #1, where it remained for eight weeks, matching the run of the song that it succeeded at the top (which, of course, was “I'll Be There For You” by the Rembrandts, meaning that, for sixteen consecutive weeks, there were only two different songs at #1. Pretty impressive. As for the song, I liked it at first, then got a little tired of it after hearing it no less than ten times a day (or so it seemed). Now, it's almost as fresh as before, since you don't really here it on the radio very much anymore.
10: TOO CLOSE - NEXT (9) - This R&B band from Minneapolis had only one really big hit (along with two minor ones) on the Top 40 chart, but were most successful on the R&B charts, where this was a number one hit. This didn't do too shabby on the Top 40 chart either, peaking at #6 and it stuck around for quite awhile – well into November. The song was not bad, but quite overplayed.
9: REAL WORLD - MATCHBOX TWENTY (10) - Richard Marx is living in it, John Mayer insists there's no such thing, and Rob Thomas wishes it would stop hassling him! This song certainly got a lot of mileage on the chart, like many of their big hits. This song peaked at #3 (though for only one week instead of multiple weeks like “3 am”). Both of those songs, by the way, are in a horse race for my favorite song from Yourself Or Someone Like You – great songs!
8: ANYTIME - BRIAN McKNIGHT (8) - This Buffalo, NY native had a pair of hits back in 1993 and, a few years later, made a pretty decent comeback, with two more Top Ten hits. This was the first one, the title track and only hit from his third studio album. It was a pretty decent song – nice and mellow.
7: SEX AND CANDY - MARCY PLAYGROUND (7) - This alternative rock band from San Diego had several hits on the rock charts, but only managed to have one pop hit. However, they definitely made it count, as the song got as high as #3, where it held for four weeks in May and June. I rather liked the song – takes me back to my days at the good ol' pizza joint!
6: ALL MY LIFE - K-CI & JOJO (4) - These two members of the band Jodeci, whom were on hiatus at the time, decided to record as a duet and did quite well, scoring two more Top 10 songs to add to the two they had with Jodeci, as well as a #21 hit. This was by far their biggest hit, spending seven weeks at #2, unable to loosen the hammerlock of the artist at #1.
LDD: ALWAYS - BON JOVI - One of their best power ballads of all time, IMO. The song did not quite make it to #1, though it did make a valiant effort for the top spot, spending ten weeks bouncing between the #2 and #3 positions. It definitely was appropriate for the LDD.
5: IRIS - THE GOO GOO DOLLS (6) - As this song continued to move up the survey, in its fifth week in the Top Ten, little did anyone know just how big this song would be. It would go on to log four weeks on top, but its Top Ten run was very impressive - 28 weeks! And, with 35 weeks in the Top 40, the song unsurprisingly became the top song of 1998, and many people also consider it the biggest hit of the entire decade, because of its tenacity on the charts. As for the song, it was a great one – possibly my favorite from them!
4: THE WAY - FASTBALL (5) - The first of four Top 40 hits from this Alternative rock band from Austin. The song was about an elderly couple who decide to leave their life behind by packing their stuff together and, without telling their kids, start driving aimlessly. The car eventually breaks down, so they abandon it and continue on foot. It never is known what happens to them by the end of the song, however. I thought it was a pretty good song – not sure if I prefer this or their other Top Ten, “Out Of My Head”.
3: YOU'RE STILL THE ONE - SHANIA TWAIN (3) - She had been charting at country for five years before crossing over to Pop. This was her first Top 40 hit and the most successful country crossover in recent memory, peaking at #3 and logging over a half a year on the chart. Back in the day, I had a crush on Shania Twain, so I liked pretty much everything by her as a result (I even had a poster of her on the bulletin board I had hanging up in my room). The crush, of course, has long since faded, as has my fascination for this song, which was quite overplayed.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: HERE I AM (COME AND TAKE ME) - UB40 - This song, a cover of this Al Green classic from 1973, took awhile to get off the ground, as I recall this being Dave Sholin's “Personal Pick” of the week (similar to Dees' Sure Shot) on his “Insider” show back in January. The song finally made the Top 40 this week and, despite its initial slow action, it became one of their four Top Ten hits. I thought it was a good song.
2: UNINVITED - ALANIS MORISSETTE (2) - This was her first Top 40 hit since late 1996, when “Head Over Feet” hit #1. She picked right up where she left off, taking this song all the way to the top. This was one of three singles released from the City Of Angels soundtrack (as was “Iris”, back at #5). I really liked the eerie melody of this song – would be perfect for a haunted house!
1: TORN - NATALIE IMBRUGLIA (1) - This was said artist with the hammerlock at the top spot. It was in it eleventh and final week on top, becoming the second-longest running song on the R&R chart, behind “I Love You Always Forever” by Donna Lewis. Based on its long run at #1 and its 32 week tenure on the chart, one would guess that this came out on top for the year, but it was actually in the runner-up spot. The Goo Goo Dolls simply had more chart momentum, although I imagine that the margin between the two songs was rather slim. Though I preferred that song, this was a good one as well.