Post by Hervard on Mar 15, 2019 13:24:53 GMT -5
Last year, I posted critiques for the Shadoe Stevens years of American Top 40, up to its cancellation in early 1995, and as I was nearing the end, I got to thinking, why not go a little further and post critiques for the remainder of the 1990s? During that time, one show of choice was Casey's Top 40, which used as a basis the Radio & Records charts, which were very close to the Mainstream Top 40 charts that Shadoe used during the last two years of the show. It was pretty much in the same format as the old American Top 40, so that's why I decided to continue with that show, which itself was eventually replaced by the new American Top 40, in early 1998, although they continued to use the Radio & Records chart. Anyway, I put each years' worth of songs in separate threads. As always, each song is listed in order of appearance on the chart. The number after each song represents the debut position on Casey's Top 40. For songs that charted in 1997 but debuted in 1996, check out this topic. Also, since I used pink ink for writing down the chart during 1997, I've decided to post this commentary in pink font.
JANUARY
No debuts to report the first week of January, as CT40 was doing part 2 of the Top 100 songs of 1996.
NOBODY – KEITH SWEAT f/ATHENA CAGE (30) – For the second single from Sweat's self-titled album, he recruited the help of Athena Cage, of the R&B trio Kut Klose, who never had any Mainstream Top 40 singles of their own, but they did collaborate on Sweat's previous hit “Twisted”. This song was a good one, though he had several others that I preferred.
BARELY BREATHING – DUNCAN SHEIK (33) – This song was his only one to make the Top 40, but it certainly got a lot of mileage, spending an even 30 weeks on the Top 40 chart. It did even better at Hot AC, where it spent thirteen weeks at #3 and enough time in the Top Ten and Top 40 to become the biggest hit of the year. The song's pretty good, but I'm still a tad burned out on it due to its extreme overplay.
DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA – MADONNA (32) – As I mentioned in my 1994 critique, there was a growing trend of remixing slow songs into dance versions and I did not like this at all. However, there were a few exceptions and this is a great example. In fact, the Miami Mix of the song was the song's saving grace, as the slow version of the song would likely not have been anywhere near as successful on the chart as it was. Even the AC stations eventually abandoned the slow version of the song for the Miami Mix, which was the version that most radio stations as well as countdown shows played. Don't get me wrong; the slow version was good, but I preferred the remix.
EVERYTIME I CLOSE MY EYES – BABYFACE (36) – This was his first appearance on the Pop chart in nearly two years, since his collaboration with Jon B in the summer of 1995. This song, which features Mariah Carey singing back-up, had at least two different versions – the original version and the one featuring Kenny G on sax. Since I'm a big fan of Kenny G, I preferred the latter, but the original version was great as well.
WANNABE – THE SPICE GIRLS (37) – The first of a handful of songs from this girl band who became style icons as well. This song was somewhat of a gimmick and I didn't really like it at first, but then it eventually caught on. This song sounded more like a summer song, and I can't help but wonder how this song would have done if released about four months later. It probably would have gone to number one, but the song did peak at number four, which is still very good.
DESPERATELY WANTING – BETTER THAN EZRA (38) – This song's biggest success was on the Mainstream Rock Tracks, where it hit the Top Ten and came very close on the Alternative charts. At Pop, the song, which is pretty much a retrospect on the singer's life, peaked at #27. The song was so/so, but nothing exceptional.
EVERYDAY IS A WINDING ROAD – SHERYL CROW (39) – The second single from Sheryl's eponymously-titled album, was not quite as good as the first one, IMO, but it was not bad. Neil Finn, of Crowded House, who hadn't had a chart hit for nearly a decade, provided back-up vocals on this song.
#1 CRUSH – GARBAGE (40) – This song made it to #1 on the Alternative Rock chart, but only got as high as #34 at Pop. The song was actually released as the first single from the Romeo & Juliet soundtrack, although the second one, “Lovefool” by the Cardigans, hit the Top 40 chart first. I rather liked this song – had a slightly haunting sound to it.
FEBRUARY
THE HOLY RIVER - “THE ARTIST FORMERLY KNOWN AS PRINCE” (31) – This song did slightly better than his Stylistics cover from a few months earlier, peaking a spot higher and lasting a few weeks longer on the charts. The bad news is that it was Prince's last Top 40 hit.
ALL MIXED UP – 311 (40) – Here's a song that I heard for the very first time when I checked it on YouTube, since it only got as high as #32 and was never played on the Rick Dees show. It was a rock song with a small hint of Latino music in the choruses. Not a bad song.
PLEASE DON'T GO – NO MERCY (35) – The second Top 40 hit for this Germany-based band. The song was not quite as successful as “Where Do You Go”, but since it wasn't as overplayed, I preferred this song, which has fallen into obscurity somewhat, although a few years back, a station in Michigan known as 98.3 The Coast played this one every now and again. Not sure if they still do, as I don't listen to that station very much anymore.
DISCOTHEQUE – U2 (37) – Wow, their first hit in nearly two years certainly didn't do as well as one might expect. However, I'm not sure if their singles were being promoted as well as their albums, since they hadn't had a Top Ten hit in almost five years (nor would they ever hit the Top Ten again). This song, which peaked at 32, wasn't bad, but certainly not one of their best hits IMO.
SAY...IF YOU FEEL ALRIGHT – CRYSTAL WATERS (38) – Her third and last Top 40 hit was definitely my favorite of the three, since it wasn't as overplayed as “100% Pure Love”. This song, which sampled “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire, was a great, feel-good type of hit ideal for spring (although that season here in 1997 was unusually chilly).
ONE HEADLIGHT – THE WALLFLOWERS (39) – Their debut hit, “Sixth Avenue Heartache” only made it to mid-chart in late 1996, but such was not the case with this song, which peaked at #2 in May (and spent eight non-consecutive weeks at #3 on both sides of its peak). Its chart momentum placed the song at #4 for the year – the highest-ranked non-#1 song of 1997. It was a great song indeed – very likely my favorite of their six Top 40 hits.
ALL BY MYSELF – CELINE DION (28) – A cover of a song originally recorded by Eric Carmen, who took it to #2 in the spring of 1976. This version did not do too bad either, climbing to #7, and topping the AC chart for three weeks. Of course, I preferred the original, but this version was great as well.
I LIKE IT LIKE THAT – BLACKOUT ALL-STARS (36) – This song, by a one-off Latin supergroup, was originally released in 1994, as the title song for the movie I Like It Like That. The song went nowhere the first time around, but when Burger King used it in one of their commercials in 1996, it gained renwed popularity and finally hit the charts, peaking at #24. The song was pretty good – reminds me a little of said commercial.
iT'S ALRIGHT, IT'S OK – LEAH ANDREONE (39) – The only Top 40 hit for this California-born singer. From what I hear, it's about a disturbed child who was the product of a broken home. Melodically, though, it was a really good song.
I WANT YOU – SAVAGE GARDEN (26) – This was the debut hit for this Australian band who had a handful of hits, several of them huge ones. This was one of those songs, hitting #1 for a single week in May. This song has been compared to Reunion's 1974 hit “Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)”, in that the verses are sung in a monotone, fast patter manner (though this song isn't sung quite as fast and there's no name-dropping of random music icons). It was a good song, though I preferred a few others from them.
NAKED EYE – LUSCIOUS JACKSON (39) – LOL – until I heard this song announced on the radio, I misread the second name as another similar common last name, and was wondering how in the world they got away with such a name. I'll let you figure that out from here. As for the song, it is a pretty good song – the sole Top 40 hit for this Manhattan rock/rap group.
FALL FROM GRACE – AMANDA MARSHALL (40) – This song saved this artist from one-hit wonder status, albeit just barely, as this was all the further it got (and its only week in the Top 40), although I don't know why, as it was representative of the music of the time (in fact, I see a slight resemblance between this and “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia, which, of course, became one of the biggest hits of the decade). It was a good one, but I preferred “Birmingham”.
MARCH
WHERE HAVE ALL THE COWBOYS GONE – PAULA COLE (33) – The first of three Top 40 hits from this woman from Massachusetts (four, if you count the 1999 hit with her “band”). This was one of her biggest hits, as well as my favorite from her – one of the songs that I most associate with the spring of 1997.
STEP BY STEP – WHITNEY HOUSTON (39) – This was the second and final hit from The Preacher's Wife. It looked like a promising hit at first, but tanked rather quickly, although it did outpeak the first release from the movie soundtrack. Indeed, Whitney did not have the same momentum that she did earlier in her career – in fact, at the time, she was in the midst of a three-year stretch in which she did not have a single Top Ten hit. Fortunately, for her fans, she was not done hitting the Top Ten, as many had thought.
TOO LATE, TOO SOON – JON SECADA (40) – This song was written by Secada when he came home earlier than scheduled from touring to find his loved one in the arms of another man. Had he not taken that early flight, this very well might have developed into a Jerry Springer type situation. As for the song, I did not like it at first, but a few more listens made me change my mind about it. The song got as high as #23 on the Pop chart, but peaked at #4 on the AC chart, so I associate this song more with Casey's Countdown, which had since replaced “Countdown America with Dick Clark” on WHFB on Sunday mornings.
FOR YOU I WILL – MONICA (38) – Her third Top 40 hit was a ballad, like her second. This song, however, fared much better, peaking at #5 for as many weeks. I liked the song back when it was popular, but now, it's a little cheesy for my liking, though still not bad.
FALLING IN LOVE (IS HARD ON THE KNEES) – AEROSMITH (40) – The first release from their album Nine Lives, the title track, was a minor hit at Mainstream Rock and didn't go anywhere at Top 40, but the second single made it, though I think even it was mainly promoted at Rock radio, where it hit #1. Here on the Top 40 chart, the song peaked at #28. The song was pretty good, but definitely not one of their best.
ONE MORE TIME – THE REAL McCOY (38) – This was the final Top 40 hit for this Eurodance/Pop project from Germany, of whom I was not generally a big fan. However, there was something about this song that I really liked! As you might guess, this was my favorite song from them by far. Too bad it came and went pretty quickly, but they were definitely yesterday's news at this point.
SECRET GARDEN – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (31) – This song originally charted in 1995, peaking at #40. However, the song got a second chance, owing to its inclusion in the hit movie Jerry McGuire and did significantly better, peaking at #14. The version that I generally heard, both on countdown shows and regular programming on radio, included dialogue from the Jerry McGuire movie during the instrumental breaks, which I found kind of annoying.
TALK TO ME – WILD ORCHID (37) – They picked up the tempo and went with a disco beat for their second Top 40 hit. I did not like it as well as their first hit “At Night I Pray”, but I sort of liked its throwback feel.
STARING AT THE SUN – U2 (39) – The second hit from their album Pop did respectably better than the first, as this song got as high as #16, their highest-ranked Pop hit in nearly five years. I liked the song better than the said first release from Pop, but I still preferred many of their other hits.
IF TOMORROW NEVER COMES – JOOSE (40) – No wheezing the Joose! But seriously, this was the sole Top 40 hit for this R&B act from Oklahoma City – a cover of one of Garth Brooks' earlier hits; in fact, it was his first #1 country hit, back in 1989. I personally preferred the original, but this one was pretty good as well.
ELEGANTLY WASTED – INXS (35) – This was a somewhat bittersweet song from this Australian band, as it was their last single release before lead singer Michael Hutchence's death in November of that year. Though the band continued on, with several different lead singers over the years, they did not have another Top 40 hit. I wasn't generally a huge fan of them, but this song was pretty decent.
YOUR WOMAN – WHITE TOWN (37) – The debut hit of this solo project of Jyoti Prakash Mishra, a man born in India and raised in the United Kingdom, and pretty much the only son of his that charted anywhere. Here in the States, it peaked at #5. The song was pretty good – its riff reminded me a little of the Empire Strikes Back theme.
IF HE SHOULD BREAK YOUR HEART – JOURNEY (38) – After being noticeably absent from the charts for nearly a decade, this band, one of the most successful of the 1980s, made a great comeback, with a Top Ten hit. However, the follow-up ran out of gas quite fast, only climbing a spot higher, which was too bad, as I really liked the song a lot. However, it sounded representative of their early to mid-80s hits, so the song might have done better if released then. Instead, it became their final Top 40 hit.
SUNNY CAME HOME – SHAWN COLVIN (40) – This song took a little long to catch on, debuting on the R&R Top 40 chart in February, but hitting the Top 40 a month later, and did not hit the Top Ten until late May. But the song still had a good, long run in the Top Ten and was one of the ten biggest hits of 1997. The song was also #1 on both of the AC charts.
APRIL
HOW BIZARRE – OMC (37) – This song also was a slow climber, but it eventually hit the Top Ten and even looked like it might hit #1, but did not quite make it, peaking at #2. During its chart run, I wasn't a big fan of it, but now I like it, more or less due to nostalgia.
GIVE – DISHWALLA (40) – Now THIS was one underrated song! I first heard it in late January, one one of those “make it or break it” features that radio stations used to have before playing new music became taboo. I figured that, since “Counting Blue Cars” was a big hit that this might follow suit, but it did not, as it only got as high as #37. The song's performance on my Personal Top 30 was significantly better, as the song spent seven weeks at number one and was on the chart until around Thanksgiving. Indeed, one of my favorite songs of 1997!
MMMBOP – HANSON (28) – Here was a song that was virtually impossible not to hear on any Top 40 station within an hour of tuning in. The song was one of the big hits of the summer of 1997, and was the longest-running number one song of the year, with nine weeks on top. Oddly enough, the song only ranked #14 for the year, due to its fast-rise, fast-fall chart run. The song was a chart first, in that all three Hanson brothers were the first artists born in the 1980s to have a number one hit. I liked the song, but became a little sick of it when it was played ad nauseum on the radio. It's good to hear every now and again, though I don't believe it gets much recurrent airplay, especially as part of regular programming.
RETURN OF THE MACK – MARK MORRISON (34) – This British R&B singer was most successful in his native country, where he had nine chart hits, but he did manage to have one Top 40 hit here in the state with this song, the title cut from his debut album. The song did quite well, too, peaking at #4. For some reason, I never really got into this song.
HARD TO SAY I'M SORRY – AZ YET f/PETER CETERA (36) – Of course, the original version of this song, by Chicago, was a number one hit back in the summer of 1982 and it was my favorite song in the world around that time. However, its excessive recurrent airplay was somewhat instrumental in my not liking the song as much, but this is the song that really dimmed my fascination for the song, as it sounds quite a lot like the original and was played out during the spring and summer of 1997 (on both Pop and AC). At this point, I generally switch the station when either version of the song comes on (though the one I usually hear is the original).
DON'T LEAVE ME – BLACKSTREET (40) – This was the second Top 40 hit for this R&B group from the Big Apple, both of which came from their album Another Lover. I preferred this one over “No Diggity” by a sizeable margin.
SAY YOU'LL BE THERE – THE SPICE GIRLS (29) – Although best known for their debut hit “Wannabe”, this was their biggest hit chartwise, as it peaked two spots higher, and ranked a spot higher on the year-end Top 100. Which is good, because this was by far my favorite of their three Top Ten hits – spent seven weeks atop my Personal Top 30 chart!
I DON'T WANT TO – TONI BRAXTON (38) – I liked most of her R&B ballads that charted at Top 40, but this was one of them that I never really liked. First of all, it has that dark, rainy-day sound to it and the title sounds more like something a defiant child would say when asked to do something. I was not at all disappointed that this song was not one of her bigger hits.
IN MY ARMS – ERASURE (35) – Their first three hits made the Top Ten (or at least came close, in the case of the #11 “A Little Respect”), but this song ran out of steam at #28. It was a pretty good song, but I can see why it wasn't as big as their previous hits.
THE OLD APARTMENT – BARENAKED LADIES (40) – This Canadian band had been charting in their home country for several years before finally making it in the U.S. From their fourth studio album Born On A Pirate Ship (try saying that while holding your tongue) came this song that only made it as high as #39, but I remember U93 giving this one a decent amount of airplay. Their next Top 40 hit made it to #1, to my chagrin, but let's not get ahead of ourselves...
MAY
ALL FOR YOU – SISTER HAZEL (36) – The first and by far the most successful hit by this alternative rock band from Gainesville, Florida. The song bounced around in the lower half of the Top Ten for three months, peaking at #7 for four non-consecutive weeks. The song is not bad, but I'm still burned out on it from overplay (not that it was one of my personal faves in the first place).
THE FRESHMAN – THE VERVE PIPE (38) – This band from Michigan was a one-hit wonder on the Pop charts (they had a few other Alternative Rock hits). This song peaked at #5 and was written by lead singer Brian Van Ark after his girlfriend had an abortion (the suicide in the second verse was said to be poetic license). I thought the song was pretty good.
I WANNA BE THERE – BLESSID UNION OF SOULS (40) – This song reminded me a lot of their second Top 40 hit “Let Me Be The One” (both melodically and the similar subject matter between the two). The song peaked at #19, but due to a brief resurgence in popularity about three months after its chart debut, the song spent 23 weeks on the chart. It was OK, but it certainly did not hold a candle to other songs from them like “I Believe” and “All Along”.
DO YOU KNOW (WHAT IT TAKES) – ROBYN (39) – This Stockholm, Sweden native had three Top 40 hits, all of them Top Ten and charting during her late teen years. This one was my favorite from her for quite awhile, and I still really like it, though not quite as much as when the song was charting.
ALONE – THE BEE GEES (40) – Their first hit in nearly eight years turned out to be their last, and its performance on the Top 40 chart was less than stellar, though it did very well at AC, hitting the Top Five. The song, which I remember first hearing on the World Chart Show, was a good one, but they'd seen better days.
B!TCH – MEREDITH BROOKS (38) – This song was OK, at first – I was glad that it beat OMC's “How Bizarre” to the top, but, in retrospect, I wish that song had made it, because I soon got sick of this song and I still do not like it – and not because of its vulgar title. I preferred her two follow-ups by quite a longshot.
BUTTERFLY KISSES – BOB CARLISLE (31) – Now this song was just about everywhere in the early summer of 1997! It pretty much came from out of left field, especially on the AC chart, where it was arriving at #1 after just three weeks on the chart (setting the PPW record for the fastest climb to the top, which, to my best of knowledge, just might still stand). Bob was a contemporary Christian singer who'd had several albums before the one to which this was the title track. The song has been known to bring even the burliest men to tears, and after watching Bob perform this on Oprah around the time this was #1, I cry everytime I hear it, which is not that often, since it came and went pretty quickly. It didn't last too long at Pop either, peaking at #15 just two weeks later. The song was his only Pop hit, but he continued to be successful at Christian radio, with at least one other song from this album, called “Mighty Love”. My favorite song from the album was “You Must Have Been An Angel”, which IMO definitely had at least mainstream AC potential. That song went to #1 on my Personal Top 30 chart and stayed there for seven weeks.
SEMI-CHARMED LIFE – THIRD EYE BLIND (32) – This is another tired, overplayed Alternative rock song, like the Sister Hazel song. Pretty much the same story, only this song went all the way to the top for six weeks, so it was even more played out. I much preferred their follow-ups.
SUNDAY MORNING – NO DOUBT (40) – What a difference between the chart runs of “Don't Speak” and this one! After the former spent nine weeks at #1 and over 30 weeks on the chart, this song fell clean off the chart the week after peaking at #37. Had it not been for the recurrent rule, “Don't Speak” would certainly have outlasted this one, which was good, but definitely not their best.
A CHANGE WOULD DO YOU GOOD – SHERYL CROW (31) – This song had sort of an early 80s throwback sound to it. Not sure whether or not that had anything to do with it falling just barely short of the Top Ten, but it might have; it was a little early for that type of 80s nostalgia (after all, it had been merely fifteen or so years). Nevertheless, this song wound up at #46 on the year-ender, which was quite well for a song that peaked at #12. I thought the song was a really good one.
CAN U FEEL IT – 3RD PARTY (34) – The first of two Top 40 hits for this short-lived dance/pop trio (they disbanded after one album). This was the bigger of their hits, peaking at #28. It was a good song, but it might have done better had it been released in the early 1990s, when freestyle dance was more popular.
DAYLIGHT FADING – COUNTING CROWS (35) – This was the second Top 40 hit from the Crows' sophomore album Recovering The Satellites. The song was definitely not as popular as the first one “A Long December”, as it did not hit the Top Ten on either the rock or pop charts. I liked the song, but preferred said first hit.
GIMME SOME LOVE – GINA G (39) – This song obviously rode the coattails of “Ooh Aah...Just A Little Bit”, which had just about run its course on the charts as this one, which peaked at #21, was coming out. The song, which reminded me a little of “Another Night” by Real McCoy, was a pretty good song, though I preferred her other hit.
QUIT PLAYING GAMES WITH MY HEART – BACKSTREET BOYS (40) – As Hanson's “MMMBop” remained atop the chart, this band, who had a minor hit in 1995 called “We've Got It Goin' On”, decided to get in on the growing boyband craze, and it obviously proved to be worthwhile, as they had a ton of big hits, including this first one, which peaked at #2 but couldn't seem to push past Third Eye Blind. I liked this song, though they had many other hits that I preferred.
JUNE
WHATEVER – EN VOGUE (30) – Another single from EV3, the divas' third studio album which, appropriately, spawned three Top 40 hits. This was the second of those and it kept their Top 20 streak alive (on the R&R chart, anyway). I wasn't a huge fan of this one at all, and I can see why it didn't become one of their bigger hits.
MIDNIGHT IN CHELSEA – JON BON JOVI (37) – He had just released his second solo album, Destination Anywhere and this was the first and only Top 40 hit from it. I liked it, but preferred most of his hits with his band.
HOW COME HOW LONG – BABYFACE f/STEVIE WONDER (39) – The third single from Babyface's This Day album (and the second of those to make the Top 40) marked the return of Stevie Wonder to the charts after nearly a decade, as he is the featured artist on this very deep song, about a woman who was killed at the hands of her abusive husband. Despite the subject matter, I think it's a great song.
HOLE IN MY SOUL – AEROSMITH (40) – Another third release from an album, but the second to make the Top 40 – in this case, from the Nine Lives album. This song was in the Top 40 for two weeks, peaking at #39 the following week, but bounced around between #42 and #46 for quite awhile afterward. Since this was one of their power ballads, I thought it was a great song – my favorite from the album
TO THE MOON AND BACK – SAVAGE GARDEN (35) – 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!
CRASH INTO ME – DAVE MATTHEWS BAND (36) – Here's another song that got two chart runs, although it only made the Top 40 once. In late 1996, it peaked at #43. Not sure what caused its renewed interest, but it did manage to chart a second time, and did quite a lot better, peaking at #16. I myself wasn't a huge fan of the song, but it was tolerable.
DA DIP – FREAK NASTY (38) – This song was more of a Rhythmic Top 40 hit with sporadic airplay at Mainstream, as this song only got as high as #38, but was on the Top 50 chart for several months. The song was OK, but not something I'd want to hear every day.
GOTHAM CITY – R. KELLY (31) – The Batman & Robin movie had just come out the previous weekend and this was the first of two songs from the soundtrack that hit the charts. This one seemed to tank pretty quickly, though, which is too bad, since I thought it was a great song – one of Kelly's best songs ever!
VIRTUAL INSANITY – JAMIROQUAI (36) – Here's another song that I heard on the World Chart show. That was about it, since I don't remember Rick Dees ever playing this one (my station still played his Hot AC version). The song was the only Top 40 hit for this English funk band. It was pretty good.
MEN IN BLACK – WILL SMITH (37) – The theme from the summer blockbuster film of the same title, in which Will Smith himself starred, this was the second Top 40 hit in as many years to sample Patrice Rushen's “Forget Me Nots” (following George Michael's “Fastlove” from the previous year). This is another song that Rick Dees never played on his show, which was fine with me, as I never liked this song at all. I preferred his other Men In Black Top 40 hit “Black Suits Comin'”, from the second MIB movie, which came out in 2002.
MORE THAN THIS – 10,000 MANIACS (40) – This was their very first hit with new lead singer Mary Ramsey on lead vocals. She did not sound much different than Natalie Merchant, IMO. This song was a cover version of a song originally done by Roxy Music in 1982. Although I preferred the original, this was a decent version of the song as well. Sadly, it was the Maniacs' final Top 40 entry.
JULY
I'LL BE MISSING YOU – PUFF DADDY & FAITH EVANS f/112 (35) – This song sampled several songs, the most obvious being “Every Breath You Take” by the Police, which the song is built around. The song was recorded in memory of rapper Notorious B.I.G., who was shot and killed back in March, with Faith Evans singing the chorus, using lyrics that were different from the Police song. As tired as I am of the “original”, I actually prefer it over this one, if ever so slightly. This guy, however, would beg to differ.
RHYTHM OF LOVE – DJ COMPANY (38) – Eurodance definitely had a wave of popularity in the mid and late 1990s. This song was originally released in 1994 and was a huge hit in Canada, hitting #1 on their dance chart. Three years later, a new version was recorded, taking out the rap and replacing it with more vocals. I have heard both versions and I think you can guess which one I preferred.
IF YOU COULD ONLY SEE – TONIC (40) – This song may have spent but one week in the Top Ten (at #10), but it took its sweet time getting there and did not seem to be in any hurry to leave the chart after peaking. The song spent 29 weeks on the chart. It was a pretty good song, but I preferred their second Top 40 hit, the more obscure “Open Up Your Eyes”, which charted in the spring of 1998.
WHEN I DIE – NO MERCY (39) – For their final Top 40 hit, they went with a ballad. However, I have a feeling that most of their fans preferred their upbeat material, as this one barely hit touched the Top 40.
PUSH – MATCHBOX 20 (40) – This rock band from Orlando had a decent chart career, with many Top Ten hits, this one included. Their four Top Ten hits before 2000 definitely had staying power on the charts, as they all lasted for more than six months (and would have been around longer had it not been for the recurrent rule). This song was pretty good, but I preferred their next two hits.
2 BECOME 1 – THE SPICE GIRLS (23) – Like No Mercy, they had two upbeat hits, and released a ballad as their third hit. But, since they were a very hot act, their fans liked pretty much anything that they put out. This song peaked at #3, but didn't stick around quite as long a their first two hits, falling out of the chart naturally before reaching the 26-week limit. I thought the song was good, but I preferred others from them. Oddly enough, all three of their Top Ten hits ranked in the 20s on the year-end chart.
THE DIFFERENCE – THE WALLFLOWERS (39) – They never returned to the Top Ten after their massive hit “One Headlight”, but this one came close, peaking at #14. That's too bad, as I really liked this song – in fact, it could give their biggest hit a run for its money as my favorite song from them.
WHERE'S THE LOVE – HANSON (27) – I had a feeling that this song would ride the coattails of their first hit and only make it to mid-chart, but this one actually made it well into the Top Ten, so it charted at least partially on its own merits – probably because they didn't try to rehash “MMMBop”. Partially because of that, I thought this was a good song.
COCO JAMBOO – MR. PRESIDENT (36) – Yet another German Eurodance project to hit the chart. Like several of those, they only had one Top 40 hit. This song, however, was different from most of their hits, with a reggae-fusion sound. I thought it was a neat song.
INVISIBLE MAN – 98 DEGREES (40) – Like Hanson and the Backstreet Boys, they were definitely trying to get in on the boyband craze. They did quite well, scoring several Top Ten hits, including this one, which I liked a lot.
AUGUST
FOOLISH GAMES – JEWEL (30) – This was the other Top 40 hit from the Batman and Robin soundtrack, though it originated on her Pieces Of You album. The song was on the flipside of “You Were Meant For Me”, which caused the record to resurge on the Hot 100 and re-enter the Top Ten. Its chart run totalled 65 weeks, which at the time was a record (since beaten by a handful of other songs). I thought this song was pretty good, but it was not quite her best.
I DON'T WANT TO WAIT – PAULA COLE (32) – This song also had a rather lengthy chart run on the Hot 100 – 56 weeks, to be exact. I liked this song at the very beginning, but quickly grew tired of it – partially since it was the theme to that overrated teen drama show
“Dawson the Freak”
HOW DO I LIVE – LEANN RIMES (38) – Wow – here's yet another song with a long Hot 100 chart run. This was the first one to beat the 65-week record of the two-side hit by Jewel, which it did by four weeks. Rimes, who was a mere fourteen years of age when this song was released, had been hitting the country charts for about a year before crossing over to Pop with this song (which, ironically, didn't get any higher than #43 on the Country charts). The song peaked at #4 on the Pop chart; to date, it is her most successful hit at that format, and it fared best at AC radio, where it spent five weeks at #1. I loved this song when it came out, and I still think it's a great song, though I have since heard a few others that I prefer, including several AC-only hits.
THE IMPRESSION THAT I GET – THE MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES (40) – Like Eurodance, ska music enjoyed a wave of popularity in the 1990s - it was also popular with the newer crowd at that pizza joint at which I was still working (I have this chronic procrastination problem, which was instrumental in keeping me from quitting the pizza business and taking a job at the library, which finally happened in September, 1999). Anyway, this was the Bosstones' only Top 40 hit, but a great song it was!
BUILDING A MYSTERY – SARAH McLACHLAN (31) – Most noted by many people for founding the Lilith Fair, this Canadian singer had recorded several albums, but didn't get her start on the Pop charts until her fourth album, Surfacing, which spawned four Top 40 singles. This first one peaked at #12 and it took awhile, but I finally warmed up to this song and added it to my Personal Top 30 in late November, around the time her next hit “Sweet Surrender” was beginning its chart run nationally.
HONEY – MARIAH CAREY (34) – This was her first hit in about a year and was the lead single from her sixth studio album Butterfly. At first, it looked like this song was going to sail straight to number one, but it quickly ran out of steam, but not before it hit the Top Ten, thus keeping her streak alive albeit just barely; the song spent three weeks at #10, becoming her lowest-peaking hit to date. I thought it was OK, but she definitely did not seem to still have it as she did earlier in the decade.
STOMP – GOD'S PROPERTY (40) – There are not that many gospel choirs that manage to have a Top 40 hit, certainly not in the late 1990s, but this one did chart with a single hit. Featuring Salt-N-Pepa's Cheryl James and led by Christian urban singer Kirk Franklin, this song got as high as #24. I wasn't a big fan of the song, however.
BARBIE GIRL – AQUA (36) – This band had somewhat of a bubblegum pop sound, a genre of music that was popular back in the late-1960s and 1970s until disco took over. This song caused controversy with its double-entendres – so much that Mattel, the manufacturers of the Barbie Doll, filed a lawsuit against Aqua, which was finally dismissed about five years later. Even though the song is a little silly, there was something about it that I liked.
TAKES A LITTLE TIME – AMY GRANT (37) – This was her first Top 40 hit since 1994, when “The Lucky One” peaked at #12. This song peaked ten spots lower, but spent a good, long time on the charts (19 weeks). The song performed best at AC, where it got as high as #3. This was a really cool song – I always turned up the radio when it came on.
SUPERNATURAL – WILD ORCHID (39) – The first thing I noticed about this song was its sample of the glockenspiel notes of “Love Child” by the Supremes. The tempo of this one was sort of in between their previous two hits, the ballad “At Night I Pray” and the disco “Talk To Me”. This was a good song and I felt it was underrated, as #39 was all the higher it got.
HAPPY WITH YOU – SAMANTHA COLE (40) – Wow, was this ever an obscure hit – so much that I had trouble finding a version of it on YouTube that was not live or remixed. I did, however, eventually find the regular version, which peaked at #35 on the Top 40 chart. There is a song that this reminds me of, but I can't quite put my finger on what song that would be. It's a good song.
FLY – SUGAR RAY (32) – This Newport Beach band had been together since 1986, playing mainly heavy metal music but didn't achieve mainstream popularity until 1997, when they released their second album, Floored, which featured this song, which was a number one hit on the Top 40 and Alternative charts. The song was OK, but definitely way overplayed. I generally preferred their later hits.
SEPTEMBER
ON MY OWN – PEACH UNION (33) – Known as simply “Peach” outside the States, this British electronic pop band had one Top 40 hit, which was a mid-tempo song that I don't think was representative of most of their material. The lead singer's voice reminded me a little of Gwen Stefani (in fact, if I had heard this song during its chart run, I might have thought it was the new song by No Doubt, who, in fact, would not have another Top 40 hit for three more years. As for this song, it was a good one.
TOO GONE TOO LONG – EN VOGUE (40) – They returned to their slow jam mode with this song, which didn't sound much different than their last ballad, “Don't Let Go (Love)”. Even though this was never played on any of my stations (that I know of) or on the HAC version of Dees, I have heard this song at least once – on the Top 100 of 1997 countdown, which I was lucky to find on a station near Morrison, IL, where I was visiting my aunt back around the holiday period that year. It was a nice song.
FOUR SEASONS OF LONELINESS – BOYZ II MEN (33) – Another R&B slow jam that I was “deprived” of hearing back in the day (although I guess I could have tuned into B96 to hear some of the non-HAC hits, but I wasn't all that concerned about that). This one sounded pretty much like a typical Boyz II Men ballad.
ALL CRIED OUT – ALLURE f/112 (37) – Wow – a remake of what was the biggest hit of the 1980s, according to my Personal Top 30. Oddly enough, this song entered the Top 40 on the exact same date as the original by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam and company (as 1997 had the exact same calendar configuration as 1986). This song did quite a lot better on the chart than the original (although, since the charts were figured differently, that's sort of an apples-to-oranges comparison), peaking at #7 and on the charts for half a year. Even though this song was not as good as the original, it was still a great song (and I actually remember that this was the last song played before the aforementioned broadcast of the Top 100 of 1997, since it would come up in the countdown significantly later).
MO MONEY MO PROBLEMS – THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G. (40) – Based on the way this song bounced up and down in the countdown between #29 and #40 for nearly half a year, it must have been one of those songs with sporadic airplay. The song, which was the late rapper's only Top 40 hit – well, as you may have guessed, I did not like it at all, since it was rap, for one, and I never liked the song that it sampled, “I'm Coming Out”. Ironically, when this song topped the Hot 100, it replaced the tribute to Biggie by Puff Daddy, who sang back-up on this song, along with Mase, although neither artist received official label credit.
LEGEND OF A COWGIRL – IMANI COPPOLA (36) – Another one-hit wonder, in this case, a woman from Long Island who also raps, as well as singing. This song heavily sampled Donovan's 1966 number one hit “Sunshine Superman”, whose melody is heard throughout the song, serving as the bass. I rather liked this song, which I heard plenty of times during its chart run.
SHOW ME LOVE – ROBYN (33) – Not to be confused with Robin S' 1993 hit of the same title – especially because, IMO, it's worlds better. I will admit that I got tired of this one pretty quickly (since I had actually been hearing it for a few months before it made the Top 40 – not sure what station, though), but somehow, I started really liking it again not long after it dropped from the chart. Now, it is by far my favorite of her hits – I even have it on a mix tape that I compiled during late 1997.
GOT 'TIL IT'S GONE – JANET f/Q-TIP & JONI MITCHELL (36) – Ms. Jackson was back after a chart absence of a year and a half and she now went only by her first name. Based on the title of this song and Joni Mitchell being a featured artist, I knew that this song contained a sample of Mitchell's “Big Yellow Taxi”. Well, not only that, but this song also sounded very similar to Des'ree's more obscure song, “Feel So High” - so much that she sued Jackson and the song's producers, and was awarded an out-of-court settlement for a quarter of the song's royalties. Hmm, I wonder what would have happened if Janet had given her label credit as she had to Mitchell?
WALKIN' ON THE SUN – SMASH MOUTH (37) – Here's yet another song that has a melody similar to another song – in this case, “Swan's Splashdown”, by a duo known as Perrey & Kingsley. I noticed the similarity right off, because I remember that song being used in a few counting sequences on Sesame Street many years before. This was the first of a handful of singles – eight over a period of about six years – from this San Jose rock band.
SILVER SPRINGS – FLEETWOOD MAC (38) – Of course, it's pretty common knowledge, especially to fans of this band, that the studio version of this song was originally intended for their Rumours, but Mick Fleetwood decided to go with another Stevie Nicks track “I Don't Want To Know” - a choice that “marked a growing tension between the band”, according to Nicks. In fact, I heard somewhere that for awhile, during their concerts, everytime they sang “Gold Dust Woman”, another track featuring Nicks on lead vocal, while glaring across the stage at Mick Fleetwood, she would sing “take your silver springs and dig your grave”. Now whether this was true or not, I don't know, but all controversy aside, I liked this song a lot and also think that this would have sounded good on the Rumors album. I preferred it over the track that ultimately ended up on the album.
OCTOBER
SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT – ELTON JOHN (37) – This song was originally the “B” side of...
CANDLE IN THE WIND '97 – ELTON JOHN (38) – Wow! It had been quite awhile since two songs by the same artist debuted in the countdown the same week. In fact, I don't know if two songs that were on the same single did this – on an airplay chart, that is. Of course, this song was recorded at Princess Diana's funeral back in September and, since Elton managed to keep his emotions in check through the whole song, it was released. The song debuted at #1 on the Hot 100, however, it was the “A” side for only the first three weeks before being on side “B” in further pressings. Not sure if this was because “Something” was receiving more airplay at that point (because certainly “Candle” was the song causing the sales). Well, whatever the case, this was my second favorite version of the song, behind the original one from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. The song on the flipside was a good song as well.
DREAM – FOREST FOR THE TREES (40) – They were a project started by Carl Stephenson in 1993, but delayed by a nervous breakdown. The song sounded a little multi-cultural, with the intermittent use of bagpipes and a sitar. It was OK, but I can see why it only got as high as #39.
TUBTHUMPING – CHUMBAWAMBA (34) – This British band was one of those acts who started out with one big hit and wore out quickly soon after. This song, slang for drinking heavily, was a huge number one hit (was up there for six weeks, not counting the holiday period), but they didn't have any really big hits after that (the follow-up kind of came and went and they were done). This song was OK, but a little gimmicky.
LOVE YOU DOWN – INOJ (36) – This was a cover of a song by the R&B band Ready For The World, which hit the Top Ten in early 1987. This version didn't climb as high, but it did reach #19 and spent 26 weeks on the chart before being moved to recurrent. I preferred the original, but this remake was a good one as well.
CRIMINAL – FIONA APPLE (37) – This young lady from west Manhattan (she was only 20 at the time when her two singles charted) put out several albums, but her first one, Tidal, was the only one that produced any hits. The first was this very dark song, which was her biggest hit and the only one to make it to the Top 40 (the follow-up, “Shadowboxer”, peaked at #45 in the spring of 1998). I preferred that one, but this one was good as well.
BUTTERFLY – MARIAH CAREY (29) – This song marked the end of Mariah's Top Ten streak as this song, despite its strong start, quickly lost momentum and peaked at #12. Based on the chart performance of “Honey”, the debut single from the album to which this song was the title cut, I sort of figured this one wouldn't make it – in fact, I'm sort of surprised that this song got as high as it did. At this point, Mariah seemed to be a has-been and that was re-inforced by the fact that her next ten singles (including this one) all failed to make the Top Ten. She would, however, return to that zone in the summer of 2005 with two more number one songs, both spending multiple weeks up there.
I WILL COME TO YOU – HANSON (35) – They were still somewhat popular with the young teens and pre-teens, though their chart success was clearly waning. This song would peak at #17, but none of their follow-ups came anywhere near the Top 20. This song wasn't bad, but quite cheesy. I preferred their two Top Tens.
ELECTRIC BARBARELLA – DURAN DURAN (36) – Definitely one of the most popular bands of the 1980s, they had a decent comeback four years before, and tried to make a third one earlier in the year, with their song “Out Of My Mind”, from the movie The Saint. The song was included on their album Medazzaland, which was released in mid-October and spawned this song, which, unfortunately, did not get past #29 on the chart and was their final chart hit. I though the song was pretty good, but they just did not sound as fresh as they did back in the 1980s.
BREAKING ALL THE RULES – SHE MOVES (36) – This was the first of two Top 40 hits for this female pop trio from New York City. This song reminded me a lot of “That's What Love Can Do”, a Top Ten hit for another girl group Boy Krazy back in 1993. They were also from the Big Apple – not sure if that is merely coincidence or not, but whatever the case, this song was a good one.
YOU MAKE ME WANNA... – USHER (38) – This was the first of many Top 40 hits for this singer from Dallas. He was definitely one of the most successful R&B acts of the 2000s, but he did have a trio of hits in the 1990s, and this was the first and clearly the biggest of the three, as it peaked at #7, while the other two stalled out before hitting the Top 20. This song was OK, but definitely not one of his best. Not sure why this song is so-titled instead of including “...Leave The One I'm With”. Perhaps he felt it was too wordy?
YOU AND THE MONA LISA – SHAWN COLVIN (39) – She was more of a contemporary folk singer, so it's not really much of a surprise that she had a pair of Top 40 hits, with only one of those being really big, the more pop-sounding “Sunny Came Home”. This follow-up was nowhere near as big, peaking at #38 the following week. It was pretty good – not sure if I prefer this or her other Top 40 hit, but my favorite song from her would probably be her AC hit from 2001, “Whole New You”.
NOVEMBER
DON'T GO AWAY – OASIS (39) – This band was back with their third album, which spawned this song that reminded me of “Don't Look Back In Anger”, only it was not quite as good. The song, which peaked at #36, marked the end of their Top 40 chart career, but they continued to do well at Alternative Rock, where this song peaked at #5, as well as many different countries around the world, including their native England.
AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME – THE BACKSTREET BOYS (40) – I actually remember the first time I heard this song – the week before in Sacramento, where Jesse Jackson was holding the Save The Dream march Monday. As people were waiting, they were playing music outside the hotel I was staying at (as was Jackson) and this was one of the songs playing. I even caught a glimpse of him being interviewed in the lobby. I didn't think to take a picture of him, though. But I digress – this was the second Top 40 hit for what was likely the most successful of the late-1990s boybands. I really liked this song – one of my favorite hits by them.
I DO – LISA LOEB (34) – Her first hit without Nine Stories returned her to the Top Ten, where she spent five non-consecutive weeks in the anchor position. Though I preferred her Nine Stories hits, this was a good one as well.
TRULY MADLY DEEPLY – SAVAGE GARDEN (38) – The song that just wouldn't die! I did not like this song when it first came out and overplay made things worse. Celine Dion's hit from Titanic, which we'll be getting to in early 1998, 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!
THREE MARLENAS – THE WALLFLOWERS (40) – This song was the fourth and final single from their second album Bringing Down The House. It was their lowest-peaking hit, peaking at #30. I thought it was good, but definitely not their best.
TOGETHER AGAIN – JANET (35) – Her first hit from The Velvet Rope did not perform well, but the second one sure did – propelled her back into the Top Five for the first time since “Runaway” two years before. It spent quite awhile on the chart, as well, sticking around for an even 30 weeks. The song was a good one – possibly my favorite from the Velvet Rope, although I did rather like “Got 'Til It's Gone” as well.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN – MEREDITH BROOKS (38) – Her first hit, the one with the vulgar title, hit #1, and this one didn't do half bad either, peaking at #12. I sort of wish it would be the other way around for her first two hits, since I preferred this one by a fairly wide margin – it was a great one!
LOVE IS ALIVE – 3RD PARTY (40) – Their second and final Top 40 hit was a cover of Gary Wright's Top Five hit from the summer of 1976. This song's dance/techno beat also had a summer-like sound to it even though it was practically winter when it hit the chart. This was all the further the song got on the chart – after one more week at #40, it dropped out and 3rd Party would never be heard from again. As for the song, it was actually a good remake, but it doesn't compare to the original.
HOW'S IT GOING TO BE – THIRD-EYE BLIND (38) – And here is the second hit from the band that is alphabetically right above 3rd Party. This song came ever so close to being the band's second Top Ten hit, peaking at #11, and spending twenty weeks in the Top 20, so it definitely showed tenacity. The song wound up at #26 on the 1998 year-ender, so even though it wasn't a Top Ten hit, it might just as well have been. It was a really good song, IMO – much better than the overplayed “Semi-Charmed Life”.
SO HELP ME GIRL – GARY BARLOW (39) – Originally a country hit for Joe Diffie in 1995, the lead singer of the disbanded Take That did a really good pop remake. The song was a one-week wonder on the Top 40 chart, but it was a different story on the AC chart, where this song spent three weeks on top. I definitely associate this with Casey's Countdown most of all.
LIGHT IN YOUR EYES – BLESSID UNION OF SOULS (34) – The second of two hits from their second album, which was eponymously titled. This was actually my favorite of the two. The song peaked at #23, but it fared better at AC, where it took awhile to catch on. The song ended up peaking at #13 on that chart. Definitely one of my favorite songs from them.
HEAVEN – NU FLAVOR (36) – Though this R&B quartet from Long Beach released several singles, this was the only one that made the Top 40. It was a good song – had sort of a hypnotic sound to it.
3AM – MATCHBOX TWENTY (39) – 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!
DECEMBER
MY LOVE IS THE SHHH! - SOMETHIN' FOR THE PEOPLE (35) – Of course, the last word in the title replaces an expletive, but we know what they're talking about! Anyway, this was the lone Top 40 hit for this R&B band from Oakland. I wasn't too much for this song, so I didn't mind not hearing it on the countdowns (Yes, U93 was still playing the Hot AC version of Dees, which would continue until April.
32 FLAVORS – ALANA DAVIS (40) – Originally done by a singer known as Ani DiFranco, this cover became the first Top 40 hit for this woman born in the Big Apple. The song was a pun on the Baskin Robbins ice cream chain and their “31 flavors” slogan. The song was pretty good – makes me hungry for a milkshake!
BACK TO YOU – BRYAN ADAMS (34) – One of three new tracks on Adams' Unplugged album, which had been released the previous Tuesday. The song sounded very good for an “unplugged” song and was one of my favorite songs from Adams. Unfortunately, this was his final Top 40 hit.
PINK – AEROSMITH (36) – No, this song was not about the singer who would take the charts by storm shortly after the 21st Century began. The song, however, was highly suggestive, as some of the lines made a few sexual references. Nevertheless, the song peaked at #20 on the charts. Frankly, I never really made the sexual connections – it was just a good song to me.
SWEET SURRENDER – SARAH McLACHLAN (39) – As stated earlier, I charted her first single from Surfacing on my Personal Top 30 as this one was coming out. I actually charted that one in place of this one, since I didn't really like this at the time. Now, I think it's a good song, though still not my favorite from her.
TIME OF YOUR LIFE (GOOD RIDDANCE) – GREEN DAY (38) – This was the second of two songs that re-charted in the summer of 1998. The only difference is that this song had actually only fallen off the charts a few months prior and came back for a nine-week encore after being featured in a TV show. I'm not sure, 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).
SUGAR CANE – SPACE MONKEYS (39) – The only Top 40 hit for this Alternative rock band from England. It wasn't bad – sounds like a song I might enjoy hearing at a party (since it has that kind of feel to it), but not for casual radio listening.
HAPPY – SISTER HAZEL (40) – Capping off 1997 is the second hit from this Gainesville alternative rock band. I had forgotten how this one goes, but it all came back to me when I took a listen to it on YouTube. It's actually a pretty good song, though it may have suffered a little recurrent-itis from “All For You”, since it only got as high as #33.
As always, no debuts to report the final week of December, as CT40 started their two-part Top 100 countdown of 1997's biggest hits.
JANUARY
No debuts to report the first week of January, as CT40 was doing part 2 of the Top 100 songs of 1996.
NOBODY – KEITH SWEAT f/ATHENA CAGE (30) – For the second single from Sweat's self-titled album, he recruited the help of Athena Cage, of the R&B trio Kut Klose, who never had any Mainstream Top 40 singles of their own, but they did collaborate on Sweat's previous hit “Twisted”. This song was a good one, though he had several others that I preferred.
BARELY BREATHING – DUNCAN SHEIK (33) – This song was his only one to make the Top 40, but it certainly got a lot of mileage, spending an even 30 weeks on the Top 40 chart. It did even better at Hot AC, where it spent thirteen weeks at #3 and enough time in the Top Ten and Top 40 to become the biggest hit of the year. The song's pretty good, but I'm still a tad burned out on it due to its extreme overplay.
DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA – MADONNA (32) – As I mentioned in my 1994 critique, there was a growing trend of remixing slow songs into dance versions and I did not like this at all. However, there were a few exceptions and this is a great example. In fact, the Miami Mix of the song was the song's saving grace, as the slow version of the song would likely not have been anywhere near as successful on the chart as it was. Even the AC stations eventually abandoned the slow version of the song for the Miami Mix, which was the version that most radio stations as well as countdown shows played. Don't get me wrong; the slow version was good, but I preferred the remix.
EVERYTIME I CLOSE MY EYES – BABYFACE (36) – This was his first appearance on the Pop chart in nearly two years, since his collaboration with Jon B in the summer of 1995. This song, which features Mariah Carey singing back-up, had at least two different versions – the original version and the one featuring Kenny G on sax. Since I'm a big fan of Kenny G, I preferred the latter, but the original version was great as well.
WANNABE – THE SPICE GIRLS (37) – The first of a handful of songs from this girl band who became style icons as well. This song was somewhat of a gimmick and I didn't really like it at first, but then it eventually caught on. This song sounded more like a summer song, and I can't help but wonder how this song would have done if released about four months later. It probably would have gone to number one, but the song did peak at number four, which is still very good.
DESPERATELY WANTING – BETTER THAN EZRA (38) – This song's biggest success was on the Mainstream Rock Tracks, where it hit the Top Ten and came very close on the Alternative charts. At Pop, the song, which is pretty much a retrospect on the singer's life, peaked at #27. The song was so/so, but nothing exceptional.
EVERYDAY IS A WINDING ROAD – SHERYL CROW (39) – The second single from Sheryl's eponymously-titled album, was not quite as good as the first one, IMO, but it was not bad. Neil Finn, of Crowded House, who hadn't had a chart hit for nearly a decade, provided back-up vocals on this song.
#1 CRUSH – GARBAGE (40) – This song made it to #1 on the Alternative Rock chart, but only got as high as #34 at Pop. The song was actually released as the first single from the Romeo & Juliet soundtrack, although the second one, “Lovefool” by the Cardigans, hit the Top 40 chart first. I rather liked this song – had a slightly haunting sound to it.
FEBRUARY
THE HOLY RIVER - “THE ARTIST FORMERLY KNOWN AS PRINCE” (31) – This song did slightly better than his Stylistics cover from a few months earlier, peaking a spot higher and lasting a few weeks longer on the charts. The bad news is that it was Prince's last Top 40 hit.
ALL MIXED UP – 311 (40) – Here's a song that I heard for the very first time when I checked it on YouTube, since it only got as high as #32 and was never played on the Rick Dees show. It was a rock song with a small hint of Latino music in the choruses. Not a bad song.
PLEASE DON'T GO – NO MERCY (35) – The second Top 40 hit for this Germany-based band. The song was not quite as successful as “Where Do You Go”, but since it wasn't as overplayed, I preferred this song, which has fallen into obscurity somewhat, although a few years back, a station in Michigan known as 98.3 The Coast played this one every now and again. Not sure if they still do, as I don't listen to that station very much anymore.
DISCOTHEQUE – U2 (37) – Wow, their first hit in nearly two years certainly didn't do as well as one might expect. However, I'm not sure if their singles were being promoted as well as their albums, since they hadn't had a Top Ten hit in almost five years (nor would they ever hit the Top Ten again). This song, which peaked at 32, wasn't bad, but certainly not one of their best hits IMO.
SAY...IF YOU FEEL ALRIGHT – CRYSTAL WATERS (38) – Her third and last Top 40 hit was definitely my favorite of the three, since it wasn't as overplayed as “100% Pure Love”. This song, which sampled “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire, was a great, feel-good type of hit ideal for spring (although that season here in 1997 was unusually chilly).
ONE HEADLIGHT – THE WALLFLOWERS (39) – Their debut hit, “Sixth Avenue Heartache” only made it to mid-chart in late 1996, but such was not the case with this song, which peaked at #2 in May (and spent eight non-consecutive weeks at #3 on both sides of its peak). Its chart momentum placed the song at #4 for the year – the highest-ranked non-#1 song of 1997. It was a great song indeed – very likely my favorite of their six Top 40 hits.
ALL BY MYSELF – CELINE DION (28) – A cover of a song originally recorded by Eric Carmen, who took it to #2 in the spring of 1976. This version did not do too bad either, climbing to #7, and topping the AC chart for three weeks. Of course, I preferred the original, but this version was great as well.
I LIKE IT LIKE THAT – BLACKOUT ALL-STARS (36) – This song, by a one-off Latin supergroup, was originally released in 1994, as the title song for the movie I Like It Like That. The song went nowhere the first time around, but when Burger King used it in one of their commercials in 1996, it gained renwed popularity and finally hit the charts, peaking at #24. The song was pretty good – reminds me a little of said commercial.
iT'S ALRIGHT, IT'S OK – LEAH ANDREONE (39) – The only Top 40 hit for this California-born singer. From what I hear, it's about a disturbed child who was the product of a broken home. Melodically, though, it was a really good song.
I WANT YOU – SAVAGE GARDEN (26) – This was the debut hit for this Australian band who had a handful of hits, several of them huge ones. This was one of those songs, hitting #1 for a single week in May. This song has been compared to Reunion's 1974 hit “Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)”, in that the verses are sung in a monotone, fast patter manner (though this song isn't sung quite as fast and there's no name-dropping of random music icons). It was a good song, though I preferred a few others from them.
NAKED EYE – LUSCIOUS JACKSON (39) – LOL – until I heard this song announced on the radio, I misread the second name as another similar common last name, and was wondering how in the world they got away with such a name. I'll let you figure that out from here. As for the song, it is a pretty good song – the sole Top 40 hit for this Manhattan rock/rap group.
FALL FROM GRACE – AMANDA MARSHALL (40) – This song saved this artist from one-hit wonder status, albeit just barely, as this was all the further it got (and its only week in the Top 40), although I don't know why, as it was representative of the music of the time (in fact, I see a slight resemblance between this and “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia, which, of course, became one of the biggest hits of the decade). It was a good one, but I preferred “Birmingham”.
MARCH
WHERE HAVE ALL THE COWBOYS GONE – PAULA COLE (33) – The first of three Top 40 hits from this woman from Massachusetts (four, if you count the 1999 hit with her “band”). This was one of her biggest hits, as well as my favorite from her – one of the songs that I most associate with the spring of 1997.
STEP BY STEP – WHITNEY HOUSTON (39) – This was the second and final hit from The Preacher's Wife. It looked like a promising hit at first, but tanked rather quickly, although it did outpeak the first release from the movie soundtrack. Indeed, Whitney did not have the same momentum that she did earlier in her career – in fact, at the time, she was in the midst of a three-year stretch in which she did not have a single Top Ten hit. Fortunately, for her fans, she was not done hitting the Top Ten, as many had thought.
TOO LATE, TOO SOON – JON SECADA (40) – This song was written by Secada when he came home earlier than scheduled from touring to find his loved one in the arms of another man. Had he not taken that early flight, this very well might have developed into a Jerry Springer type situation. As for the song, I did not like it at first, but a few more listens made me change my mind about it. The song got as high as #23 on the Pop chart, but peaked at #4 on the AC chart, so I associate this song more with Casey's Countdown, which had since replaced “Countdown America with Dick Clark” on WHFB on Sunday mornings.
FOR YOU I WILL – MONICA (38) – Her third Top 40 hit was a ballad, like her second. This song, however, fared much better, peaking at #5 for as many weeks. I liked the song back when it was popular, but now, it's a little cheesy for my liking, though still not bad.
FALLING IN LOVE (IS HARD ON THE KNEES) – AEROSMITH (40) – The first release from their album Nine Lives, the title track, was a minor hit at Mainstream Rock and didn't go anywhere at Top 40, but the second single made it, though I think even it was mainly promoted at Rock radio, where it hit #1. Here on the Top 40 chart, the song peaked at #28. The song was pretty good, but definitely not one of their best.
ONE MORE TIME – THE REAL McCOY (38) – This was the final Top 40 hit for this Eurodance/Pop project from Germany, of whom I was not generally a big fan. However, there was something about this song that I really liked! As you might guess, this was my favorite song from them by far. Too bad it came and went pretty quickly, but they were definitely yesterday's news at this point.
SECRET GARDEN – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (31) – This song originally charted in 1995, peaking at #40. However, the song got a second chance, owing to its inclusion in the hit movie Jerry McGuire and did significantly better, peaking at #14. The version that I generally heard, both on countdown shows and regular programming on radio, included dialogue from the Jerry McGuire movie during the instrumental breaks, which I found kind of annoying.
TALK TO ME – WILD ORCHID (37) – They picked up the tempo and went with a disco beat for their second Top 40 hit. I did not like it as well as their first hit “At Night I Pray”, but I sort of liked its throwback feel.
STARING AT THE SUN – U2 (39) – The second hit from their album Pop did respectably better than the first, as this song got as high as #16, their highest-ranked Pop hit in nearly five years. I liked the song better than the said first release from Pop, but I still preferred many of their other hits.
IF TOMORROW NEVER COMES – JOOSE (40) – No wheezing the Joose! But seriously, this was the sole Top 40 hit for this R&B act from Oklahoma City – a cover of one of Garth Brooks' earlier hits; in fact, it was his first #1 country hit, back in 1989. I personally preferred the original, but this one was pretty good as well.
ELEGANTLY WASTED – INXS (35) – This was a somewhat bittersweet song from this Australian band, as it was their last single release before lead singer Michael Hutchence's death in November of that year. Though the band continued on, with several different lead singers over the years, they did not have another Top 40 hit. I wasn't generally a huge fan of them, but this song was pretty decent.
YOUR WOMAN – WHITE TOWN (37) – The debut hit of this solo project of Jyoti Prakash Mishra, a man born in India and raised in the United Kingdom, and pretty much the only son of his that charted anywhere. Here in the States, it peaked at #5. The song was pretty good – its riff reminded me a little of the Empire Strikes Back theme.
IF HE SHOULD BREAK YOUR HEART – JOURNEY (38) – After being noticeably absent from the charts for nearly a decade, this band, one of the most successful of the 1980s, made a great comeback, with a Top Ten hit. However, the follow-up ran out of gas quite fast, only climbing a spot higher, which was too bad, as I really liked the song a lot. However, it sounded representative of their early to mid-80s hits, so the song might have done better if released then. Instead, it became their final Top 40 hit.
SUNNY CAME HOME – SHAWN COLVIN (40) – This song took a little long to catch on, debuting on the R&R Top 40 chart in February, but hitting the Top 40 a month later, and did not hit the Top Ten until late May. But the song still had a good, long run in the Top Ten and was one of the ten biggest hits of 1997. The song was also #1 on both of the AC charts.
APRIL
HOW BIZARRE – OMC (37) – This song also was a slow climber, but it eventually hit the Top Ten and even looked like it might hit #1, but did not quite make it, peaking at #2. During its chart run, I wasn't a big fan of it, but now I like it, more or less due to nostalgia.
GIVE – DISHWALLA (40) – Now THIS was one underrated song! I first heard it in late January, one one of those “make it or break it” features that radio stations used to have before playing new music became taboo. I figured that, since “Counting Blue Cars” was a big hit that this might follow suit, but it did not, as it only got as high as #37. The song's performance on my Personal Top 30 was significantly better, as the song spent seven weeks at number one and was on the chart until around Thanksgiving. Indeed, one of my favorite songs of 1997!
MMMBOP – HANSON (28) – Here was a song that was virtually impossible not to hear on any Top 40 station within an hour of tuning in. The song was one of the big hits of the summer of 1997, and was the longest-running number one song of the year, with nine weeks on top. Oddly enough, the song only ranked #14 for the year, due to its fast-rise, fast-fall chart run. The song was a chart first, in that all three Hanson brothers were the first artists born in the 1980s to have a number one hit. I liked the song, but became a little sick of it when it was played ad nauseum on the radio. It's good to hear every now and again, though I don't believe it gets much recurrent airplay, especially as part of regular programming.
RETURN OF THE MACK – MARK MORRISON (34) – This British R&B singer was most successful in his native country, where he had nine chart hits, but he did manage to have one Top 40 hit here in the state with this song, the title cut from his debut album. The song did quite well, too, peaking at #4. For some reason, I never really got into this song.
HARD TO SAY I'M SORRY – AZ YET f/PETER CETERA (36) – Of course, the original version of this song, by Chicago, was a number one hit back in the summer of 1982 and it was my favorite song in the world around that time. However, its excessive recurrent airplay was somewhat instrumental in my not liking the song as much, but this is the song that really dimmed my fascination for the song, as it sounds quite a lot like the original and was played out during the spring and summer of 1997 (on both Pop and AC). At this point, I generally switch the station when either version of the song comes on (though the one I usually hear is the original).
DON'T LEAVE ME – BLACKSTREET (40) – This was the second Top 40 hit for this R&B group from the Big Apple, both of which came from their album Another Lover. I preferred this one over “No Diggity” by a sizeable margin.
SAY YOU'LL BE THERE – THE SPICE GIRLS (29) – Although best known for their debut hit “Wannabe”, this was their biggest hit chartwise, as it peaked two spots higher, and ranked a spot higher on the year-end Top 100. Which is good, because this was by far my favorite of their three Top Ten hits – spent seven weeks atop my Personal Top 30 chart!
I DON'T WANT TO – TONI BRAXTON (38) – I liked most of her R&B ballads that charted at Top 40, but this was one of them that I never really liked. First of all, it has that dark, rainy-day sound to it and the title sounds more like something a defiant child would say when asked to do something. I was not at all disappointed that this song was not one of her bigger hits.
IN MY ARMS – ERASURE (35) – Their first three hits made the Top Ten (or at least came close, in the case of the #11 “A Little Respect”), but this song ran out of steam at #28. It was a pretty good song, but I can see why it wasn't as big as their previous hits.
THE OLD APARTMENT – BARENAKED LADIES (40) – This Canadian band had been charting in their home country for several years before finally making it in the U.S. From their fourth studio album Born On A Pirate Ship (try saying that while holding your tongue) came this song that only made it as high as #39, but I remember U93 giving this one a decent amount of airplay. Their next Top 40 hit made it to #1, to my chagrin, but let's not get ahead of ourselves...
MAY
ALL FOR YOU – SISTER HAZEL (36) – The first and by far the most successful hit by this alternative rock band from Gainesville, Florida. The song bounced around in the lower half of the Top Ten for three months, peaking at #7 for four non-consecutive weeks. The song is not bad, but I'm still burned out on it from overplay (not that it was one of my personal faves in the first place).
THE FRESHMAN – THE VERVE PIPE (38) – This band from Michigan was a one-hit wonder on the Pop charts (they had a few other Alternative Rock hits). This song peaked at #5 and was written by lead singer Brian Van Ark after his girlfriend had an abortion (the suicide in the second verse was said to be poetic license). I thought the song was pretty good.
I WANNA BE THERE – BLESSID UNION OF SOULS (40) – This song reminded me a lot of their second Top 40 hit “Let Me Be The One” (both melodically and the similar subject matter between the two). The song peaked at #19, but due to a brief resurgence in popularity about three months after its chart debut, the song spent 23 weeks on the chart. It was OK, but it certainly did not hold a candle to other songs from them like “I Believe” and “All Along”.
DO YOU KNOW (WHAT IT TAKES) – ROBYN (39) – This Stockholm, Sweden native had three Top 40 hits, all of them Top Ten and charting during her late teen years. This one was my favorite from her for quite awhile, and I still really like it, though not quite as much as when the song was charting.
ALONE – THE BEE GEES (40) – Their first hit in nearly eight years turned out to be their last, and its performance on the Top 40 chart was less than stellar, though it did very well at AC, hitting the Top Five. The song, which I remember first hearing on the World Chart Show, was a good one, but they'd seen better days.
B!TCH – MEREDITH BROOKS (38) – This song was OK, at first – I was glad that it beat OMC's “How Bizarre” to the top, but, in retrospect, I wish that song had made it, because I soon got sick of this song and I still do not like it – and not because of its vulgar title. I preferred her two follow-ups by quite a longshot.
BUTTERFLY KISSES – BOB CARLISLE (31) – Now this song was just about everywhere in the early summer of 1997! It pretty much came from out of left field, especially on the AC chart, where it was arriving at #1 after just three weeks on the chart (setting the PPW record for the fastest climb to the top, which, to my best of knowledge, just might still stand). Bob was a contemporary Christian singer who'd had several albums before the one to which this was the title track. The song has been known to bring even the burliest men to tears, and after watching Bob perform this on Oprah around the time this was #1, I cry everytime I hear it, which is not that often, since it came and went pretty quickly. It didn't last too long at Pop either, peaking at #15 just two weeks later. The song was his only Pop hit, but he continued to be successful at Christian radio, with at least one other song from this album, called “Mighty Love”. My favorite song from the album was “You Must Have Been An Angel”, which IMO definitely had at least mainstream AC potential. That song went to #1 on my Personal Top 30 chart and stayed there for seven weeks.
SEMI-CHARMED LIFE – THIRD EYE BLIND (32) – This is another tired, overplayed Alternative rock song, like the Sister Hazel song. Pretty much the same story, only this song went all the way to the top for six weeks, so it was even more played out. I much preferred their follow-ups.
SUNDAY MORNING – NO DOUBT (40) – What a difference between the chart runs of “Don't Speak” and this one! After the former spent nine weeks at #1 and over 30 weeks on the chart, this song fell clean off the chart the week after peaking at #37. Had it not been for the recurrent rule, “Don't Speak” would certainly have outlasted this one, which was good, but definitely not their best.
A CHANGE WOULD DO YOU GOOD – SHERYL CROW (31) – This song had sort of an early 80s throwback sound to it. Not sure whether or not that had anything to do with it falling just barely short of the Top Ten, but it might have; it was a little early for that type of 80s nostalgia (after all, it had been merely fifteen or so years). Nevertheless, this song wound up at #46 on the year-ender, which was quite well for a song that peaked at #12. I thought the song was a really good one.
CAN U FEEL IT – 3RD PARTY (34) – The first of two Top 40 hits for this short-lived dance/pop trio (they disbanded after one album). This was the bigger of their hits, peaking at #28. It was a good song, but it might have done better had it been released in the early 1990s, when freestyle dance was more popular.
DAYLIGHT FADING – COUNTING CROWS (35) – This was the second Top 40 hit from the Crows' sophomore album Recovering The Satellites. The song was definitely not as popular as the first one “A Long December”, as it did not hit the Top Ten on either the rock or pop charts. I liked the song, but preferred said first hit.
GIMME SOME LOVE – GINA G (39) – This song obviously rode the coattails of “Ooh Aah...Just A Little Bit”, which had just about run its course on the charts as this one, which peaked at #21, was coming out. The song, which reminded me a little of “Another Night” by Real McCoy, was a pretty good song, though I preferred her other hit.
QUIT PLAYING GAMES WITH MY HEART – BACKSTREET BOYS (40) – As Hanson's “MMMBop” remained atop the chart, this band, who had a minor hit in 1995 called “We've Got It Goin' On”, decided to get in on the growing boyband craze, and it obviously proved to be worthwhile, as they had a ton of big hits, including this first one, which peaked at #2 but couldn't seem to push past Third Eye Blind. I liked this song, though they had many other hits that I preferred.
JUNE
WHATEVER – EN VOGUE (30) – Another single from EV3, the divas' third studio album which, appropriately, spawned three Top 40 hits. This was the second of those and it kept their Top 20 streak alive (on the R&R chart, anyway). I wasn't a huge fan of this one at all, and I can see why it didn't become one of their bigger hits.
MIDNIGHT IN CHELSEA – JON BON JOVI (37) – He had just released his second solo album, Destination Anywhere and this was the first and only Top 40 hit from it. I liked it, but preferred most of his hits with his band.
HOW COME HOW LONG – BABYFACE f/STEVIE WONDER (39) – The third single from Babyface's This Day album (and the second of those to make the Top 40) marked the return of Stevie Wonder to the charts after nearly a decade, as he is the featured artist on this very deep song, about a woman who was killed at the hands of her abusive husband. Despite the subject matter, I think it's a great song.
HOLE IN MY SOUL – AEROSMITH (40) – Another third release from an album, but the second to make the Top 40 – in this case, from the Nine Lives album. This song was in the Top 40 for two weeks, peaking at #39 the following week, but bounced around between #42 and #46 for quite awhile afterward. Since this was one of their power ballads, I thought it was a great song – my favorite from the album
TO THE MOON AND BACK – SAVAGE GARDEN (35) – 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!
CRASH INTO ME – DAVE MATTHEWS BAND (36) – Here's another song that got two chart runs, although it only made the Top 40 once. In late 1996, it peaked at #43. Not sure what caused its renewed interest, but it did manage to chart a second time, and did quite a lot better, peaking at #16. I myself wasn't a huge fan of the song, but it was tolerable.
DA DIP – FREAK NASTY (38) – This song was more of a Rhythmic Top 40 hit with sporadic airplay at Mainstream, as this song only got as high as #38, but was on the Top 50 chart for several months. The song was OK, but not something I'd want to hear every day.
GOTHAM CITY – R. KELLY (31) – The Batman & Robin movie had just come out the previous weekend and this was the first of two songs from the soundtrack that hit the charts. This one seemed to tank pretty quickly, though, which is too bad, since I thought it was a great song – one of Kelly's best songs ever!
VIRTUAL INSANITY – JAMIROQUAI (36) – Here's another song that I heard on the World Chart show. That was about it, since I don't remember Rick Dees ever playing this one (my station still played his Hot AC version). The song was the only Top 40 hit for this English funk band. It was pretty good.
MEN IN BLACK – WILL SMITH (37) – The theme from the summer blockbuster film of the same title, in which Will Smith himself starred, this was the second Top 40 hit in as many years to sample Patrice Rushen's “Forget Me Nots” (following George Michael's “Fastlove” from the previous year). This is another song that Rick Dees never played on his show, which was fine with me, as I never liked this song at all. I preferred his other Men In Black Top 40 hit “Black Suits Comin'”, from the second MIB movie, which came out in 2002.
MORE THAN THIS – 10,000 MANIACS (40) – This was their very first hit with new lead singer Mary Ramsey on lead vocals. She did not sound much different than Natalie Merchant, IMO. This song was a cover version of a song originally done by Roxy Music in 1982. Although I preferred the original, this was a decent version of the song as well. Sadly, it was the Maniacs' final Top 40 entry.
JULY
I'LL BE MISSING YOU – PUFF DADDY & FAITH EVANS f/112 (35) – This song sampled several songs, the most obvious being “Every Breath You Take” by the Police, which the song is built around. The song was recorded in memory of rapper Notorious B.I.G., who was shot and killed back in March, with Faith Evans singing the chorus, using lyrics that were different from the Police song. As tired as I am of the “original”, I actually prefer it over this one, if ever so slightly. This guy, however, would beg to differ.
RHYTHM OF LOVE – DJ COMPANY (38) – Eurodance definitely had a wave of popularity in the mid and late 1990s. This song was originally released in 1994 and was a huge hit in Canada, hitting #1 on their dance chart. Three years later, a new version was recorded, taking out the rap and replacing it with more vocals. I have heard both versions and I think you can guess which one I preferred.
IF YOU COULD ONLY SEE – TONIC (40) – This song may have spent but one week in the Top Ten (at #10), but it took its sweet time getting there and did not seem to be in any hurry to leave the chart after peaking. The song spent 29 weeks on the chart. It was a pretty good song, but I preferred their second Top 40 hit, the more obscure “Open Up Your Eyes”, which charted in the spring of 1998.
WHEN I DIE – NO MERCY (39) – For their final Top 40 hit, they went with a ballad. However, I have a feeling that most of their fans preferred their upbeat material, as this one barely hit touched the Top 40.
PUSH – MATCHBOX 20 (40) – This rock band from Orlando had a decent chart career, with many Top Ten hits, this one included. Their four Top Ten hits before 2000 definitely had staying power on the charts, as they all lasted for more than six months (and would have been around longer had it not been for the recurrent rule). This song was pretty good, but I preferred their next two hits.
2 BECOME 1 – THE SPICE GIRLS (23) – Like No Mercy, they had two upbeat hits, and released a ballad as their third hit. But, since they were a very hot act, their fans liked pretty much anything that they put out. This song peaked at #3, but didn't stick around quite as long a their first two hits, falling out of the chart naturally before reaching the 26-week limit. I thought the song was good, but I preferred others from them. Oddly enough, all three of their Top Ten hits ranked in the 20s on the year-end chart.
THE DIFFERENCE – THE WALLFLOWERS (39) – They never returned to the Top Ten after their massive hit “One Headlight”, but this one came close, peaking at #14. That's too bad, as I really liked this song – in fact, it could give their biggest hit a run for its money as my favorite song from them.
WHERE'S THE LOVE – HANSON (27) – I had a feeling that this song would ride the coattails of their first hit and only make it to mid-chart, but this one actually made it well into the Top Ten, so it charted at least partially on its own merits – probably because they didn't try to rehash “MMMBop”. Partially because of that, I thought this was a good song.
COCO JAMBOO – MR. PRESIDENT (36) – Yet another German Eurodance project to hit the chart. Like several of those, they only had one Top 40 hit. This song, however, was different from most of their hits, with a reggae-fusion sound. I thought it was a neat song.
INVISIBLE MAN – 98 DEGREES (40) – Like Hanson and the Backstreet Boys, they were definitely trying to get in on the boyband craze. They did quite well, scoring several Top Ten hits, including this one, which I liked a lot.
AUGUST
FOOLISH GAMES – JEWEL (30) – This was the other Top 40 hit from the Batman and Robin soundtrack, though it originated on her Pieces Of You album. The song was on the flipside of “You Were Meant For Me”, which caused the record to resurge on the Hot 100 and re-enter the Top Ten. Its chart run totalled 65 weeks, which at the time was a record (since beaten by a handful of other songs). I thought this song was pretty good, but it was not quite her best.
I DON'T WANT TO WAIT – PAULA COLE (32) – This song also had a rather lengthy chart run on the Hot 100 – 56 weeks, to be exact. I liked this song at the very beginning, but quickly grew tired of it – partially since it was the theme to that overrated teen drama show
“Dawson the Freak”
HOW DO I LIVE – LEANN RIMES (38) – Wow – here's yet another song with a long Hot 100 chart run. This was the first one to beat the 65-week record of the two-side hit by Jewel, which it did by four weeks. Rimes, who was a mere fourteen years of age when this song was released, had been hitting the country charts for about a year before crossing over to Pop with this song (which, ironically, didn't get any higher than #43 on the Country charts). The song peaked at #4 on the Pop chart; to date, it is her most successful hit at that format, and it fared best at AC radio, where it spent five weeks at #1. I loved this song when it came out, and I still think it's a great song, though I have since heard a few others that I prefer, including several AC-only hits.
THE IMPRESSION THAT I GET – THE MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES (40) – Like Eurodance, ska music enjoyed a wave of popularity in the 1990s - it was also popular with the newer crowd at that pizza joint at which I was still working (I have this chronic procrastination problem, which was instrumental in keeping me from quitting the pizza business and taking a job at the library, which finally happened in September, 1999). Anyway, this was the Bosstones' only Top 40 hit, but a great song it was!
BUILDING A MYSTERY – SARAH McLACHLAN (31) – Most noted by many people for founding the Lilith Fair, this Canadian singer had recorded several albums, but didn't get her start on the Pop charts until her fourth album, Surfacing, which spawned four Top 40 singles. This first one peaked at #12 and it took awhile, but I finally warmed up to this song and added it to my Personal Top 30 in late November, around the time her next hit “Sweet Surrender” was beginning its chart run nationally.
HONEY – MARIAH CAREY (34) – This was her first hit in about a year and was the lead single from her sixth studio album Butterfly. At first, it looked like this song was going to sail straight to number one, but it quickly ran out of steam, but not before it hit the Top Ten, thus keeping her streak alive albeit just barely; the song spent three weeks at #10, becoming her lowest-peaking hit to date. I thought it was OK, but she definitely did not seem to still have it as she did earlier in the decade.
STOMP – GOD'S PROPERTY (40) – There are not that many gospel choirs that manage to have a Top 40 hit, certainly not in the late 1990s, but this one did chart with a single hit. Featuring Salt-N-Pepa's Cheryl James and led by Christian urban singer Kirk Franklin, this song got as high as #24. I wasn't a big fan of the song, however.
BARBIE GIRL – AQUA (36) – This band had somewhat of a bubblegum pop sound, a genre of music that was popular back in the late-1960s and 1970s until disco took over. This song caused controversy with its double-entendres – so much that Mattel, the manufacturers of the Barbie Doll, filed a lawsuit against Aqua, which was finally dismissed about five years later. Even though the song is a little silly, there was something about it that I liked.
TAKES A LITTLE TIME – AMY GRANT (37) – This was her first Top 40 hit since 1994, when “The Lucky One” peaked at #12. This song peaked ten spots lower, but spent a good, long time on the charts (19 weeks). The song performed best at AC, where it got as high as #3. This was a really cool song – I always turned up the radio when it came on.
SUPERNATURAL – WILD ORCHID (39) – The first thing I noticed about this song was its sample of the glockenspiel notes of “Love Child” by the Supremes. The tempo of this one was sort of in between their previous two hits, the ballad “At Night I Pray” and the disco “Talk To Me”. This was a good song and I felt it was underrated, as #39 was all the higher it got.
HAPPY WITH YOU – SAMANTHA COLE (40) – Wow, was this ever an obscure hit – so much that I had trouble finding a version of it on YouTube that was not live or remixed. I did, however, eventually find the regular version, which peaked at #35 on the Top 40 chart. There is a song that this reminds me of, but I can't quite put my finger on what song that would be. It's a good song.
FLY – SUGAR RAY (32) – This Newport Beach band had been together since 1986, playing mainly heavy metal music but didn't achieve mainstream popularity until 1997, when they released their second album, Floored, which featured this song, which was a number one hit on the Top 40 and Alternative charts. The song was OK, but definitely way overplayed. I generally preferred their later hits.
SEPTEMBER
ON MY OWN – PEACH UNION (33) – Known as simply “Peach” outside the States, this British electronic pop band had one Top 40 hit, which was a mid-tempo song that I don't think was representative of most of their material. The lead singer's voice reminded me a little of Gwen Stefani (in fact, if I had heard this song during its chart run, I might have thought it was the new song by No Doubt, who, in fact, would not have another Top 40 hit for three more years. As for this song, it was a good one.
TOO GONE TOO LONG – EN VOGUE (40) – They returned to their slow jam mode with this song, which didn't sound much different than their last ballad, “Don't Let Go (Love)”. Even though this was never played on any of my stations (that I know of) or on the HAC version of Dees, I have heard this song at least once – on the Top 100 of 1997 countdown, which I was lucky to find on a station near Morrison, IL, where I was visiting my aunt back around the holiday period that year. It was a nice song.
FOUR SEASONS OF LONELINESS – BOYZ II MEN (33) – Another R&B slow jam that I was “deprived” of hearing back in the day (although I guess I could have tuned into B96 to hear some of the non-HAC hits, but I wasn't all that concerned about that). This one sounded pretty much like a typical Boyz II Men ballad.
ALL CRIED OUT – ALLURE f/112 (37) – Wow – a remake of what was the biggest hit of the 1980s, according to my Personal Top 30. Oddly enough, this song entered the Top 40 on the exact same date as the original by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam and company (as 1997 had the exact same calendar configuration as 1986). This song did quite a lot better on the chart than the original (although, since the charts were figured differently, that's sort of an apples-to-oranges comparison), peaking at #7 and on the charts for half a year. Even though this song was not as good as the original, it was still a great song (and I actually remember that this was the last song played before the aforementioned broadcast of the Top 100 of 1997, since it would come up in the countdown significantly later).
MO MONEY MO PROBLEMS – THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G. (40) – Based on the way this song bounced up and down in the countdown between #29 and #40 for nearly half a year, it must have been one of those songs with sporadic airplay. The song, which was the late rapper's only Top 40 hit – well, as you may have guessed, I did not like it at all, since it was rap, for one, and I never liked the song that it sampled, “I'm Coming Out”. Ironically, when this song topped the Hot 100, it replaced the tribute to Biggie by Puff Daddy, who sang back-up on this song, along with Mase, although neither artist received official label credit.
LEGEND OF A COWGIRL – IMANI COPPOLA (36) – Another one-hit wonder, in this case, a woman from Long Island who also raps, as well as singing. This song heavily sampled Donovan's 1966 number one hit “Sunshine Superman”, whose melody is heard throughout the song, serving as the bass. I rather liked this song, which I heard plenty of times during its chart run.
SHOW ME LOVE – ROBYN (33) – Not to be confused with Robin S' 1993 hit of the same title – especially because, IMO, it's worlds better. I will admit that I got tired of this one pretty quickly (since I had actually been hearing it for a few months before it made the Top 40 – not sure what station, though), but somehow, I started really liking it again not long after it dropped from the chart. Now, it is by far my favorite of her hits – I even have it on a mix tape that I compiled during late 1997.
GOT 'TIL IT'S GONE – JANET f/Q-TIP & JONI MITCHELL (36) – Ms. Jackson was back after a chart absence of a year and a half and she now went only by her first name. Based on the title of this song and Joni Mitchell being a featured artist, I knew that this song contained a sample of Mitchell's “Big Yellow Taxi”. Well, not only that, but this song also sounded very similar to Des'ree's more obscure song, “Feel So High” - so much that she sued Jackson and the song's producers, and was awarded an out-of-court settlement for a quarter of the song's royalties. Hmm, I wonder what would have happened if Janet had given her label credit as she had to Mitchell?
WALKIN' ON THE SUN – SMASH MOUTH (37) – Here's yet another song that has a melody similar to another song – in this case, “Swan's Splashdown”, by a duo known as Perrey & Kingsley. I noticed the similarity right off, because I remember that song being used in a few counting sequences on Sesame Street many years before. This was the first of a handful of singles – eight over a period of about six years – from this San Jose rock band.
SILVER SPRINGS – FLEETWOOD MAC (38) – Of course, it's pretty common knowledge, especially to fans of this band, that the studio version of this song was originally intended for their Rumours, but Mick Fleetwood decided to go with another Stevie Nicks track “I Don't Want To Know” - a choice that “marked a growing tension between the band”, according to Nicks. In fact, I heard somewhere that for awhile, during their concerts, everytime they sang “Gold Dust Woman”, another track featuring Nicks on lead vocal, while glaring across the stage at Mick Fleetwood, she would sing “take your silver springs and dig your grave”. Now whether this was true or not, I don't know, but all controversy aside, I liked this song a lot and also think that this would have sounded good on the Rumors album. I preferred it over the track that ultimately ended up on the album.
OCTOBER
SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT – ELTON JOHN (37) – This song was originally the “B” side of...
CANDLE IN THE WIND '97 – ELTON JOHN (38) – Wow! It had been quite awhile since two songs by the same artist debuted in the countdown the same week. In fact, I don't know if two songs that were on the same single did this – on an airplay chart, that is. Of course, this song was recorded at Princess Diana's funeral back in September and, since Elton managed to keep his emotions in check through the whole song, it was released. The song debuted at #1 on the Hot 100, however, it was the “A” side for only the first three weeks before being on side “B” in further pressings. Not sure if this was because “Something” was receiving more airplay at that point (because certainly “Candle” was the song causing the sales). Well, whatever the case, this was my second favorite version of the song, behind the original one from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. The song on the flipside was a good song as well.
DREAM – FOREST FOR THE TREES (40) – They were a project started by Carl Stephenson in 1993, but delayed by a nervous breakdown. The song sounded a little multi-cultural, with the intermittent use of bagpipes and a sitar. It was OK, but I can see why it only got as high as #39.
TUBTHUMPING – CHUMBAWAMBA (34) – This British band was one of those acts who started out with one big hit and wore out quickly soon after. This song, slang for drinking heavily, was a huge number one hit (was up there for six weeks, not counting the holiday period), but they didn't have any really big hits after that (the follow-up kind of came and went and they were done). This song was OK, but a little gimmicky.
LOVE YOU DOWN – INOJ (36) – This was a cover of a song by the R&B band Ready For The World, which hit the Top Ten in early 1987. This version didn't climb as high, but it did reach #19 and spent 26 weeks on the chart before being moved to recurrent. I preferred the original, but this remake was a good one as well.
CRIMINAL – FIONA APPLE (37) – This young lady from west Manhattan (she was only 20 at the time when her two singles charted) put out several albums, but her first one, Tidal, was the only one that produced any hits. The first was this very dark song, which was her biggest hit and the only one to make it to the Top 40 (the follow-up, “Shadowboxer”, peaked at #45 in the spring of 1998). I preferred that one, but this one was good as well.
BUTTERFLY – MARIAH CAREY (29) – This song marked the end of Mariah's Top Ten streak as this song, despite its strong start, quickly lost momentum and peaked at #12. Based on the chart performance of “Honey”, the debut single from the album to which this song was the title cut, I sort of figured this one wouldn't make it – in fact, I'm sort of surprised that this song got as high as it did. At this point, Mariah seemed to be a has-been and that was re-inforced by the fact that her next ten singles (including this one) all failed to make the Top Ten. She would, however, return to that zone in the summer of 2005 with two more number one songs, both spending multiple weeks up there.
I WILL COME TO YOU – HANSON (35) – They were still somewhat popular with the young teens and pre-teens, though their chart success was clearly waning. This song would peak at #17, but none of their follow-ups came anywhere near the Top 20. This song wasn't bad, but quite cheesy. I preferred their two Top Tens.
ELECTRIC BARBARELLA – DURAN DURAN (36) – Definitely one of the most popular bands of the 1980s, they had a decent comeback four years before, and tried to make a third one earlier in the year, with their song “Out Of My Mind”, from the movie The Saint. The song was included on their album Medazzaland, which was released in mid-October and spawned this song, which, unfortunately, did not get past #29 on the chart and was their final chart hit. I though the song was pretty good, but they just did not sound as fresh as they did back in the 1980s.
BREAKING ALL THE RULES – SHE MOVES (36) – This was the first of two Top 40 hits for this female pop trio from New York City. This song reminded me a lot of “That's What Love Can Do”, a Top Ten hit for another girl group Boy Krazy back in 1993. They were also from the Big Apple – not sure if that is merely coincidence or not, but whatever the case, this song was a good one.
YOU MAKE ME WANNA... – USHER (38) – This was the first of many Top 40 hits for this singer from Dallas. He was definitely one of the most successful R&B acts of the 2000s, but he did have a trio of hits in the 1990s, and this was the first and clearly the biggest of the three, as it peaked at #7, while the other two stalled out before hitting the Top 20. This song was OK, but definitely not one of his best. Not sure why this song is so-titled instead of including “...Leave The One I'm With”. Perhaps he felt it was too wordy?
YOU AND THE MONA LISA – SHAWN COLVIN (39) – She was more of a contemporary folk singer, so it's not really much of a surprise that she had a pair of Top 40 hits, with only one of those being really big, the more pop-sounding “Sunny Came Home”. This follow-up was nowhere near as big, peaking at #38 the following week. It was pretty good – not sure if I prefer this or her other Top 40 hit, but my favorite song from her would probably be her AC hit from 2001, “Whole New You”.
NOVEMBER
DON'T GO AWAY – OASIS (39) – This band was back with their third album, which spawned this song that reminded me of “Don't Look Back In Anger”, only it was not quite as good. The song, which peaked at #36, marked the end of their Top 40 chart career, but they continued to do well at Alternative Rock, where this song peaked at #5, as well as many different countries around the world, including their native England.
AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME – THE BACKSTREET BOYS (40) – I actually remember the first time I heard this song – the week before in Sacramento, where Jesse Jackson was holding the Save The Dream march Monday. As people were waiting, they were playing music outside the hotel I was staying at (as was Jackson) and this was one of the songs playing. I even caught a glimpse of him being interviewed in the lobby. I didn't think to take a picture of him, though. But I digress – this was the second Top 40 hit for what was likely the most successful of the late-1990s boybands. I really liked this song – one of my favorite hits by them.
I DO – LISA LOEB (34) – Her first hit without Nine Stories returned her to the Top Ten, where she spent five non-consecutive weeks in the anchor position. Though I preferred her Nine Stories hits, this was a good one as well.
TRULY MADLY DEEPLY – SAVAGE GARDEN (38) – The song that just wouldn't die! I did not like this song when it first came out and overplay made things worse. Celine Dion's hit from Titanic, which we'll be getting to in early 1998, 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!
THREE MARLENAS – THE WALLFLOWERS (40) – This song was the fourth and final single from their second album Bringing Down The House. It was their lowest-peaking hit, peaking at #30. I thought it was good, but definitely not their best.
TOGETHER AGAIN – JANET (35) – Her first hit from The Velvet Rope did not perform well, but the second one sure did – propelled her back into the Top Five for the first time since “Runaway” two years before. It spent quite awhile on the chart, as well, sticking around for an even 30 weeks. The song was a good one – possibly my favorite from the Velvet Rope, although I did rather like “Got 'Til It's Gone” as well.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN – MEREDITH BROOKS (38) – Her first hit, the one with the vulgar title, hit #1, and this one didn't do half bad either, peaking at #12. I sort of wish it would be the other way around for her first two hits, since I preferred this one by a fairly wide margin – it was a great one!
LOVE IS ALIVE – 3RD PARTY (40) – Their second and final Top 40 hit was a cover of Gary Wright's Top Five hit from the summer of 1976. This song's dance/techno beat also had a summer-like sound to it even though it was practically winter when it hit the chart. This was all the further the song got on the chart – after one more week at #40, it dropped out and 3rd Party would never be heard from again. As for the song, it was actually a good remake, but it doesn't compare to the original.
HOW'S IT GOING TO BE – THIRD-EYE BLIND (38) – And here is the second hit from the band that is alphabetically right above 3rd Party. This song came ever so close to being the band's second Top Ten hit, peaking at #11, and spending twenty weeks in the Top 20, so it definitely showed tenacity. The song wound up at #26 on the 1998 year-ender, so even though it wasn't a Top Ten hit, it might just as well have been. It was a really good song, IMO – much better than the overplayed “Semi-Charmed Life”.
SO HELP ME GIRL – GARY BARLOW (39) – Originally a country hit for Joe Diffie in 1995, the lead singer of the disbanded Take That did a really good pop remake. The song was a one-week wonder on the Top 40 chart, but it was a different story on the AC chart, where this song spent three weeks on top. I definitely associate this with Casey's Countdown most of all.
LIGHT IN YOUR EYES – BLESSID UNION OF SOULS (34) – The second of two hits from their second album, which was eponymously titled. This was actually my favorite of the two. The song peaked at #23, but it fared better at AC, where it took awhile to catch on. The song ended up peaking at #13 on that chart. Definitely one of my favorite songs from them.
HEAVEN – NU FLAVOR (36) – Though this R&B quartet from Long Beach released several singles, this was the only one that made the Top 40. It was a good song – had sort of a hypnotic sound to it.
3AM – MATCHBOX TWENTY (39) – 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!
DECEMBER
MY LOVE IS THE SHHH! - SOMETHIN' FOR THE PEOPLE (35) – Of course, the last word in the title replaces an expletive, but we know what they're talking about! Anyway, this was the lone Top 40 hit for this R&B band from Oakland. I wasn't too much for this song, so I didn't mind not hearing it on the countdowns (Yes, U93 was still playing the Hot AC version of Dees, which would continue until April.
32 FLAVORS – ALANA DAVIS (40) – Originally done by a singer known as Ani DiFranco, this cover became the first Top 40 hit for this woman born in the Big Apple. The song was a pun on the Baskin Robbins ice cream chain and their “31 flavors” slogan. The song was pretty good – makes me hungry for a milkshake!
BACK TO YOU – BRYAN ADAMS (34) – One of three new tracks on Adams' Unplugged album, which had been released the previous Tuesday. The song sounded very good for an “unplugged” song and was one of my favorite songs from Adams. Unfortunately, this was his final Top 40 hit.
PINK – AEROSMITH (36) – No, this song was not about the singer who would take the charts by storm shortly after the 21st Century began. The song, however, was highly suggestive, as some of the lines made a few sexual references. Nevertheless, the song peaked at #20 on the charts. Frankly, I never really made the sexual connections – it was just a good song to me.
SWEET SURRENDER – SARAH McLACHLAN (39) – As stated earlier, I charted her first single from Surfacing on my Personal Top 30 as this one was coming out. I actually charted that one in place of this one, since I didn't really like this at the time. Now, I think it's a good song, though still not my favorite from her.
TIME OF YOUR LIFE (GOOD RIDDANCE) – GREEN DAY (38) – This was the second of two songs that re-charted in the summer of 1998. The only difference is that this song had actually only fallen off the charts a few months prior and came back for a nine-week encore after being featured in a TV show. I'm not sure, 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).
SUGAR CANE – SPACE MONKEYS (39) – The only Top 40 hit for this Alternative rock band from England. It wasn't bad – sounds like a song I might enjoy hearing at a party (since it has that kind of feel to it), but not for casual radio listening.
HAPPY – SISTER HAZEL (40) – Capping off 1997 is the second hit from this Gainesville alternative rock band. I had forgotten how this one goes, but it all came back to me when I took a listen to it on YouTube. It's actually a pretty good song, though it may have suffered a little recurrent-itis from “All For You”, since it only got as high as #33.
As always, no debuts to report the final week of December, as CT40 started their two-part Top 100 countdown of 1997's biggest hits.
