MIKEB
The King Of Rationality
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Post by MIKEB on Jan 17, 2015 0:33:26 GMT -5
I'd been posting this list on Pulse but I should have been posting it here too since you guys actually like personal charts! So here goes, I'll post what I have so far: 100 Savage Garden — I Want You (1997) Savage Garden became a bit of a successful radio duo for a few years, releasing songs that would either be huge hits or surprising misses. It started with this one which peaked at #4 on the Hot 100 but was a #1 Pop radio hit. As far as their massive hits go (Truly, Madly, Deeply, I Knew I Loved You), this one is the most memorable, although probably also the most dated-sounding as it reeks of that mid-to-late 90s clean futuristic-pop sound, but it's that datedness that gives this one such a strong impression on music from the 90s. I also did this one at karaoke when I was in NYC earlier this year, as @ehl can attest. I don't know how well I did because the verses are quite fast and while I have been able to do them, I still could have used a refresher. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Want_You_(Savage_Garden_song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv2dOWfO3fwChartsCanada: #1 United States: #4 United Kingdom: #11 Australia: #4 99 Backstreet Boys — I Want It That Way (1999) Even though I was perfectly within the target age range for the teen pop/boy band domination of the late 90s, I actively tried to steer clear from its gripping claws despite hits by all the boybands being all over the Top 40 countdowns that I listened to every week. So I knew all of the hits from all the teen pop stars, and I heard them often, but that didn’t mean I had to admit to liking them. When I Want It That Way was released, I really couldn’t ignore the Backstreet Boys anymore. Not that I started stanning for them but I grew to appreciate this song. It sounded fresh. It was tender. And it was huge. And nowadays, it fits perfectly in the pop nostalgia of the 90s. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Want_It_That_WayVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fndeDfaWCgChartsCanada: #1 United States: #6 United Kingdom: #1 Australia: #1 98 Bush — Machinehead (1996) I don’t think I ever really appreciated just how huge Bush were in the grand scheme of things because, as I’ve mentioned before, my listening of music in the 90s was primarily based around the Top 40 countdowns. But up until around 1996 or so, I did have MuchMusic (it was cut out of our cable for some reason at this point. I will mention this several more times in this thread…!!) and MuchMusic loved Bush. So while they only scored one hit on Casey’s Top 40 with Glycerine, the song by them I really loved was actually this one. Grunge rock was on the way down by the time this song was a hit and Bush would go on to have another pretty successful album later in 1996 but for me, they were at their peak with this song and video. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machinehead_(song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er1bwzZCik0ChartsCanada: #40 United States: #43 United Kingdom: #48 97 Divinyls — I Touch Myself (1990) Early 1990s music is so strange when looking back on it with inexperienced eyes. I technically lived through it but because I didn’t actively start listening to it until 1994, everything I know about music from before that isn’t really first-hand and is in retrospect. I was listening to this song a few months back and it sounds so much like that period of time in pop/rock music like Roxette, 90s era Heart, and Wilson Phillips, but why did the Divinyls only have one hit? What was it about this song that made it a hit but they didn’t get any others? I’ll say this a lot in this list because that’s what it’s about but this song is pure 90s nostalgia. It’s always a pleasure to hear it on the radio occasionally, and rest in peace Chrissy Amphlett, the lead singer, who passed away last year. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Touch_MyselfVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv-34w8kGPMChartsCanada: #13 United States: #4 United Kingdom: #10 Australia: #1 96 Jesus Jones — Right Here, Right Now (1991) My earliest memory of this song is that it was used in an ad for cable television in the early 90s in Canada. What makes it so significant for me was that around that time, my cable that used to only go up to channel 13 had recently expanded to go to channel 21. For those of us who remember television before digital cable and everything else out now, this was a huge deal. Despite being well over 20 years old, this song to me is like innovative technology put to music. It sounds so futuristic but not in the cheap way that the Jetsons saw the future. Futuristic like being on the verge of computer technology and the internet. Being on the edge of knowing something great and huge is just about to happen that will change everything forever and hopefully for the better. It’s interesting because the song itself is more political and inspired by the events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. I don’t think I could ever think of it being political because it is branded so hard in my brain as being about technological advancement and honestly, I like that imagery being tied to this song. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_Here,_Right_Now_(Jesus_Jones_song) Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z6dxQVhE8oChartsCanada: #18 United States: #2 United Kingdom: #31 Australia: #35
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MIKEB
The King Of Rationality
Posts: 4,536
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Post by MIKEB on Jan 17, 2015 0:33:41 GMT -5
95 Ginuwine — Pony (1996) My virgin ears didn’t really understand what this song was about when it was a minor pop hit in 1996 (disclaimer: if pop radio were as receptive to R&B and Hip-Hop as it was in the 2000s, this would have been a Top 5 smash. lbr). All I knew was just how great the beat was and how distinctive and memorable the chorus and production was - and still is. Even today, with many artists trying to play the line of subtle sexuality and sensuality in music, very few have been able to do it as well as Ginuwine did with this song, which isn’t subtle at all but it’s still so smooth and classy. Robin Thicke said “you know you want it” and got in tons of shit. Ginuwine was more explicit with “if you’re horny, let’s do it. Ride it: my pony.” The key difference: Ginuwine let the girl choose. Show respect, guys. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pony_(Ginuwine_song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7P6ut6HPR8ChartsCanada Dance: #6 United States: #6 United Kingdom: #16 Australia: #3 94 Texas — Say What You Want (1997) This is one of the more obscure songs on this list and I did think twice about including it but it was one of my favourite songs for the year it was a single. I was first introduced to it on the World Chart Show and I think it got minimal airplay on my local radio station as well. It was a single in North America from the movie Picture Perfect in 1997 and I think it peaked just below the Top 40 on pop radio, but on my personal chart, it was one of the longest running songs to chart that year and got plenty of airtime for me personally. It’s simply a nice pop song. I think what makes this song significant for me was that it was one of the earliest international singles and artists that I really grew fond of that weren’t already big in North America. Keeping in mind this was before the internet so such a thing was pretty unlikely. I finally got Texas’s Greatest Hits CD a few years back in a used CD shop and it’s a great listen. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Say_What_You_WantVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n1mfhFBYdgChartsUnited Kingdom: #3 93 Dixie Chicks — There’s Your Trouble (1998) By the time this song came out in early 1998, I had been engaged with some country music for a year or two. Faith Hill, Shania Twain, Deana Carter were all in regular rotation for me along with whatever CMT Canada played on a regular basis, as my only music video station until MuchMoreMusic debuted later in 1998. I don’t know what it was about the Dixie Chicks that made them stand out to me more than any other country act from around this time. I Could Love You Better was on my radar slightly but this song really grabbed me. The video had attitude and confidence but it wasn’t over the top. Maybe it was my young closeted self responding to the strong women in here the way us gays are apt to do. By the time the third single from the album came out, I was hooked on them and this song was the foundation to that. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There%27s_Your_TroubleVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=05d2VwryTAAChartsCanada Country: #3 United States: #36 United Kingdom: #26 92 Santana featuring Rob Thomas — Smooth (1999) I wouldn’t just sit down and call a song pure perfection and it’s a description I don’t take lightly but it is one I’d attribute to this song. The overplay definitely killed it for a lot of people, myself included. I can’t really enjoy the song now the way I did when it was new but I do remember how much I enjoyed it then. I remember taking pride in the fact that I was the first person to have it at #1 on a personal chart out of everyone I knew at that time. This song is sizzling. The first line “man it’s a hot one” is what describes the song for me, along with the title. Accompanied with the music video and Santana’s guitar licks throughout, this song is summer. It’s chart life extended well into 2000 so in some way, it might even be too modern for this list but it was released at the end of summer 1999 and really capped off the season, the year, and the decade. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smooth_(song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Whgn_iE5ucChartsCanada: #1 United States: #1 United Kingdom: #3 Australia: #4 91 Brandy & Monica — The Boy Is Mine (1998) This song’s impact was so big, it’s still referred to as the prime example of two successful women that had the ability to get a hit song. I don’t know what it is about two female artists that collaborate on a song that they can’t make it a hit the way Brandy & Monica were back in 1998. My guess is that neither Brandy or Monica were HUGE at this time. They were known and had plenty of hits each prior to this song but neither were huge. They were also both on relatively equal ground as far as success went so the song wasn’t a favour from one to the other. Both also had equal contribution to the song. Neither overpowered the other. And I think both were often pitted against each other because of that, as mainstream culture tends to do with female artists for some reason. So getting them to do a song together was a way to shut the rumours up. It was a perfectly executed campaign with the single acting as the lead single from both of their albums at the same time, and both albums were quite successful. It also helped that the song itself was just so fun. It was a back-and-forth between the two fighting over a boy. It was a duet but not in the traditional sense. It’s unfortunate because if such a situation were to happen again, it’s unlikely it would go over as well because of 2014 stan culture. It would be all about who was better than who in the song. Who was more deserving of the success. Who contributed more to making the song a success. Who brought more to the song. It’s just nice to know that there was a period in modern times when two elegant ladies were able to collaborate on something that became a smash without letting egos get in the way. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boy_Is_Mine_(song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yh2EJWDDf0ChartsCanada: #1 United States: #1 United Kingdom: #2 Australia: #3
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MIKEB
The King Of Rationality
Posts: 4,536
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Post by MIKEB on Jan 17, 2015 0:33:53 GMT -5
90 Whigfield — Think Of You (1995) This song wasn’t a radio hit at all. I don’t think it really charted anywhere in North America other than on Dance charts. Someone with access to in depth Billboard charts can probably seek out more on Whigfield, yet despite that, nearly everyone my age knew who Whigfield was and a lot of them even had her CD. It was one of my first CDs I bought when I was like 11. (I think it was like 7th, actually) and when I think about it now, it’s uncanny that Whigfield had that much familiarization without radio support in a time before the internet. Her most popular song was Saturday Night, which was prominently featured on MuchMusic’s annual Dance Mix compilation album Dance Mix 95 - in itself, that was a hugely popular album that most people I know owned as well. It was actually her other single Another Day that initially got me into Whigfield but it was Think Of You that I consider to be her best bubblegum dance/pop hit and the one that makes this chart. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Think_of_You_(Whigfield_song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtwSxi9BGIUChartsCanada Dance: #2 United Kingdom: #7 89 Destiny’s Child — Bills Bills Bills (1999) Classic late-90s R&B, this song was the first of a string of singles, each bigger than the last (skipping Bug-A-Boo, obviously) that eventually lead to Destiny’s Child owning pop radio and then Bey’s subsequent media control. (No, I didn’t forget about No, No, No. That came from the last album and there was enough of a gap between that one and this one.) Back when I was a bigger fan of mainstream R&B, this song was up there with the fresh and clean hits of 1999 and honestly, it marked the beginning of Urban music’s dominance of Pop radio that really took off when Jumpin’ Jumpin’ hit #1 on pop radio in 2000. Prior to that, R&B and hip-hop rarely got super high on the pop charts but after then, there was a clear difference and it was wonderful. I remember thinking about all of the urban songs pre-2000 that got the shaft on pop radio that deserved better than they got. At least this one hit #1 on the Hot 100. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bills,_Bills,_Bills Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiF6-0UTqtcChartsCanada: #7 United States: #1 United Kingdom: #6 Australia: #26 88 Smashing Pumpkins — 1979 (1996) I’ll be honest, I literally only know three songs by the Smashing Pumpkins and they are the three primary singles from Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Bullet With Butterfly Wings was too hard for me when I was younger (I’ve grown to quite like it since then) while Tonight Tonight was awesome for the video and strings. 1979 was the in-between and mainstream hit that was just right. Like many songs from around that time, the video to this is distinctively classic and kind of serves as an imaginary extention of my own youth that I never experienced first-hand but can somewhat live through the actions of the teens in the video. This is simply one of those songs that will forever remind me of the days when I was just about to become a teenager. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1979_(song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aeETEoNfOgChartsCanada: #2 United States: #12 United Kingdom: #16 Australia: #16 87 Eminem — My Name Is (1999) It’s kind of hard to imagine an Eminem song as a 90s song considering his popularity and superstar is so closely linked to the 2000s but this song, that I initially pegged as a novelty song by a likely one-hit-wonder was hit first hit in 1999. What was once a strange song only served as an introduction to one of the biggest rappers of our time and the song now fits perfectly within the Eminem cannon. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1979_(song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aeETEoNfOgChartsCanada: #38 United States: #36 United Kingdom: #2 Australia: #13 86 Whitney Houston — It’s Not Right, But It’s Ok (Thunderpuss Remix) (1999) I once called this The Ultimate Finger-Waving Song on a roadtrip that I think made it into a Vine… I don’t know because I don’t know how to use Vine. The point is, this song is all sass and class and Whitney brought it without lowering herself to the level of the guy she dragged for filth. The music video is so simple and so representative of the late 1990s with its modern and sleek design, and it’s one of the few examples where the dance remix absolutely trumps the original version. Whitney and Thunderpuss made a classic! Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_Not_Right_But_It%27s_OkayVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV3P_dTA8J8ChartsCanada: #3 United States: #4 United Kingdom: #3
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MIKEB
The King Of Rationality
Posts: 4,536
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Post by MIKEB on Jan 17, 2015 0:34:11 GMT -5
85 Tori Amos — Silent All These Years (1992) My familiarization with Tori Amos is almost exclusively her post-90s music. Everything from Scarlet’s Walk onward. However there are a select few songs from her 90s eras that I did get to know slightly in the 90s. Songs like Crucify, Talulah and this song, which I recorded onto a mixed-tape from a friend’s CD around 1997 or so. I didn’t listen to it a whole lot at that time but over the years it grew into one an essential song that I always keep around nowadays. So while I do associate it with the 90s, and did initially hear it in the 90s, it wasn’t until the mid-2000s that I really begun to appreciate just how great this song is. And like most Tori songs, I associate it almost exclusively with Autumn, so it’s almost Tori-season again and this track will be at the front of it. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_All_These_YearsVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSYr0etDzRMChartsUnited States: #65 (1997) United Kingdom: #21 84 Shawn Colvin — Sunny Came Home (1997) Sunny Came Home was a hit around the peak of one of my favourite periods in modern pop music: the singer/songwriter era headed up by “Lilith” artists. When Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow and other female singer/songwriters were getting hits, Shawn Colvin had one of the biggest with her folky Song & Record of the Year hit Sunny Came Home. The song performed quite well on the radio charts where it hung around forever. This song screams 90s singer/songwriter but still sounds kind of modern, despite being such a classic. It’s such a calming song due to its nostaglic value. Shawn may be dubbed a one-hit-wonder but she’s still recording music and the album this song came from wasn’t her first so despite her label, her hit was more or less a fluck and she’s doing what she’s doing because. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunny_came_homeVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfKKBDFCiIAChartsCanada: #3 United States: #7 United Kingdom: #29 Australia: #44 83 Britney Spears — …Baby, One More Time (1998) The 90s, like any decade, had its fair share of songs that had a massive impact on music and pop culture. But for some reason, the impact of Britney Spears’ first single is different from most of the other ones and is one that still resonates today. This song is one of the final songs from the 1990s to have an impact but its effect surpassed the changing of the calendar and is referenced still quite often. Perhaps its due to Britney’s continued presence in pop music and entertainment. Even if her last album flopped, she’s still one of the biggest names in pop culture and is someone whose every move is watched. It all started with this song that not only kickstarted her career but also gave that final nudge to teen-pop for solo women to hop on board and essentially take over the genre. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...Baby_One_More_TimeVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-u5WLJ9Yk4ChartsCanada: #1 United States: #1 United Kingdom: #1 Australia: #1 82 Fugees — Killing Me Softly (1996) I liked this song well enough when it was out, yet with so much radio play over such a long period of time (it was a huge pop hit), I got pretty burnt out on it. But its success, along with the other hits from The Score, helped push all three members of the Fugees into pretty prominant spots in hip-hop music and beyond. This is a song, and video, I associate so heavily with 1996, which to me was an extremely strong year in music for the 90s. In the time since, I’ve regained my appreciation for it. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_Me_Softly_with_His_Song#The_Fugees_versionVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKOtzIo-uYwChartsCanada: #6 United States: #2 United Kingdom: #1 Australia: #1 81 Natalie Merchant — Carnival (1995) Like many of the songs in this list that were huge Top 40 hits, I got pretty burnt out on Natalie Merchant’s debut single. It’s interesting that sometimes the songs I got most burnt out on when they were currents and recurrents are the ones I love the most now. Of course that might have to do with having heard them so much in a particular period of time that nostalgia plays a role in how I think of them now. Plus, hearing them today with the perspective I have now compared to how I heard them as a pre-teen has changed so I can appreciate the songs for different reasons. Back then, Wonder was my Natalie Merchant hit of choice because it was more upbeat and I think was a hit in the summer of 1996 so I associate that song more with the physically brighter periods whereas Carnival was a winter hit and just kind of hung there. Today I listen to Carnival 20x more than Wonder. I like the vague moodiness of it, the lighter alternative sound of the recording, Natalie’s vocals, and mostly, the nostaglia I associate with it. It brings me back to Saturday mornings when I’d wake up to listen to Casey Kasem count down the Top 40. This song spent like 35 weeks on that chart. It’s practically a permanent fixture on my Saturday mornings. Wikipedia: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ_Wqtnlv4UVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ_Wqtnlv4UChartsCanada: N/A United States: #10 Australia: #15
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MIKEB
The King Of Rationality
Posts: 4,536
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Post by MIKEB on Jan 17, 2015 0:34:22 GMT -5
80 Duncan Sheik — Barely Breathing (1997) Looking back on it, it’s strange that Duncan Sheik never had any more success after Barely Breathing, even a la Chris Issak. He had a few minor hits afterward, and wrote the music for the musical Spring Awakening but Barely Breathing was his only hit. This song takes me back to spring 1997 and always sat well with me because it had such a breezy, no-nonsense, get’it’done delivery. I mean that in the sense that the song didn’t have any down-points from beginning to end. I always noticed that. There were no quiet instrumental breaks or excessive solos until the brief stop before the final chorus. Otherwise, it was to-the-point. My favourite part of this song is the “I’m thinking it over anyway.” Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barely_BreathingVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-oh-tP6RvAChartsCanada: #12 United States: #16 79 Barenaked Ladies — The Old Apartment (1996) This song makes me feel particularly nostalgic because the lyrics reminds me of memories I don’t actually have. Some have said the song is about stalking an ex but Steven Page claims it’s about reminiscing about an old apartment, which is how I’ve always associated the song to be about. When I hear this I think about all the apartments I’ve lived in myself and while my memories don’t match up to the specific ones in the song, the sentiment does. There’s a certain attachment to places I’ve lived in and have fond memories of, and this song takes those memories and applies it to the apartment. Barenaked Ladies have had much bigger hits in the 90s, If I Had $1,000,000 Dollars, Enid, plus their U.S. crossovers like One Week, but I’ve always been particularly fond of this one and Jane. I went with this one because I get feelings listening to it. As an aside, another memory I have of this song was when BNL performed it at a New Years Eve concert that I watched on TV. Before they got on stage, the outdoor venue played a recording of when Casey Kasem announced the song’s debut on Casey’s Top 40 which I thought was so cool. The song spent just a few weeks on but back then, it was a big deal when a Canadian band charted on the U.S. charts for the first time. PS: Sarah Harmer’s 2000 song Basement Apartment brings similar feels for me as well, though not as strong a longing. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Old_ApartmentVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ggJS0p-QQcChartsCanada: #14 United States: #88 78 Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy and Ma$e — Mo Money Mo Problems (1997) Earlier on, I alluded to the fact that Urban songs didn’t perform as well in the 90s on pop radio as they would have in the 2000s. This song is the biggest example of that. It peaked at #29 on the CHR/Pop chart yet spent 6 months on, bouncing back and forth (see chart run here: wweb.uta.edu/faculty/gghunt/charts/Songruns/M/masemo_money_mo_problems.htm). Yet the song still stands as one of the most memorable and biggest hits of that year, and has definitely outlasted most of the other hits from that year. This song takes me back to grade 8, which was when myself and my 8 classmates from grade 7 (seriously. My grade 7 class had 9 students in it. That’s why that school was shut down) had to bus 40 minutes to a different school with more students. To my surprise, many of my new classmates listened to rap music, something none of my old friends did. So teen dances changed for me that year and this song sometimes reminds me of that too. Lame, huh. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mo_Money_Mo_ProblemsVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUhRKVIjJtwChartsCanada: #2 United States: #1 United Kingdom: #6 Australia: #10 77 Blondie — Maria (1999) You know what I love most about this song? How fiercly sexy Debbie Harry looks in the video. She was 53 when the song came out and she obviously chose to own her age rather than try to hide it. She oozes sex like few can. If I were a woman, I’d aim to be Debbie when I hit 50. Hell, I’m a man and I still want to be Debbie in this video. This was the band’s comeback since released 17 years after their last one and it did quite well for them, topping the UK charts, though it didn’t do as well in America. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_(Blondie_song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt_FthFbSwUChartsCanada: N/A United States: #82 United Kingdom: #1 Australia: N/A 76 Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson — Scream (1995) This song was a big deal when it was first released. It was the first duet for superstar siblings Michael and Janet, and when you consider how long both of them had been around at that point, and how incredibly popular, the fact they FINALLY collaborated on a song together was like…. I can’t even imagine how it would compare by today’s standards. Yet, like so many massive collabs by two superstars, it underperformed. Listening to the song, it wasn’t exactly pop radio friendly at the time. It was a piss-off to the media for the constant negative coverage and was so aggressive. The video was also the most expensive one ever made at the time, and the promo surrounding Michael’s HIStory album was, if I remember well enough, massive and probably the biggest until Lady Gaga’s Born This Way era started. The song is also pretty f*cking awesome too. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scream_(Michael_Jackson_and_Janet_Jackson_song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P4A1K4lXDoChartsCanada: N/A United States: #5 United Kingdom: #3 Australia: #2
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MIKEB
The King Of Rationality
Posts: 4,536
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Post by MIKEB on Jan 17, 2015 0:34:42 GMT -5
75 Des’ree — You Gotta Be (1994) Des’ree’s first major hit was one of the many songs from the mid-90s to spend almost forever on the chart. It wasn’t a #1 hit but spent months in the Top 10 and something like 36 weeks in the Top 40 from late 94 until mid 95. It’s an inspirational, feel-good, self-impowering light pop song that would be her only big hit, though she did come back a few years later with a Babyface duet Fire and her own international smash Life. I still hear this one relatively often on the radio, which pretty much means it’s a 90s classic! Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Gotta_BeVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO40TcKa_5UChartsCanada: N/A United States: #5 United Kingdom: #20 (#10 in a 1999 remix) Australia: #9 74 Crash Test Dummies — The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead (1995) Besides Roxette in the early 90s, the Cranberries and Celine Dion in 1994, the Crash Test Dummies were one of the first bands I stanned over. Their album God Shuffled His Feet was the first CD I bought with my own money and my getting the movie soundtrack to Dumb & Dumber was a direct result of my CTD stannage. The primary single from it was their cover of XTC’s The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead and for me, it was HUGE! I remember sticking the CD in my CD player, pressing play and being full of glee when track 1 started with those quirky guitars and Brad Roberts’ deep voice saying “let’s begin”. I think part of why I loved this song SO much was that the vocals were sung by Ellen Reid, the group’s sole female member. As I’ll mention in the men vs. women thread over in Your Opinion Please, I’ve always preferred female singers. Anyway, this wasn’t really a big hit and I think even in Canada it wasn’t as big as their previous ones but for me, it’s one of the biggest songs of the 90s. (The XTC version was a #1 hit on US Modern Rock in 1992 though). Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ballad_of_Peter_PumpkinheadVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdHrHaO-na0ChartsCanada: #4 United Kingdom: #30 73 Weezer — Buddy Holly (1994) There are few songs that were made and executed as well as this one was. The song itself is pretty memorable as a poppy alternative hit with the singable “ooh wee ooh I look just like Buddy Holly” chorus and “I don’t care about that!” A song like this is catchy enough but then there’s the video. Combining clips of the band performing with ones from the old Happy Days show to make them look like they were on set had such an amazing result. I remember my dad, who watched Happy Days when he was younger, liking the video and as such, liking the song a bit. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Holly_(song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kemivUKb4f4ChartsCanada: #6 United States: #18 (Hot 100 Airplay chart) United Kingdom: #12 72 Sheryl Crow — My Favorite Mistake (1998) When most people think of Sheryl Crow songs from the 90s, they go to If It Makes You Happy, All I Wanna Do, maybe Strong Enough or Everyday Is A Winding Road. One of my all-time favourite Sheryl songs is this one, the first single from her third album. Even though it was a Top 10 pop radio hit, it seems to have been pushed to the back in favour of her more immediate songs. Even for me, it was just okay when it was a current but over the years, it moved to the front. Both the song and the video are a product of that era in music. Kind of bluesy, southern rock sound that I always associate with the Wallflowers, who were just finishing up their debut era at this time. Mostly it’s probably because of the hammond B3 organ, which is a sound I miss heading in music now. Meanwhile, the video is pretty simple, visually dark but has some instances of contrasting bright lights - or something. Anyway, another 90s classic. My favourite part is everything after the second chorus onward. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Favorite_MistakeVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmIlUKo4dQcChartsCanada: #6 United States: #20 United Kingdom: #9 Australia: #87 71 Letters To Cleo — Here And Now (1995) This is kind of an obscure alternative song from the mid-90s that probably isn’t as obscure as some would like it to be. I remember when I was in grade 7, one of my class-mates and I were talking about music we liked or something. In addition to Tori Amos, Nirvana and others like that, she also mentioned Letters To Cleo, to which I responded: Oh! I know them. They had a song on the Top 40 a few years ago. She told me I was wrong and insisted they didn’t have a song on the radio ever, but I told her they did. A friend of mine backed me up and said I knew I was talking about. lmao! So either way, I probably ruined them for her. It was a very minor hit on the pop charts where it made it to #33 or something like that but its few weeks on left enough of an impact on me to place it in this list. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_Gory_AliceVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w2YLdjxS_MChartsUnited States: #56 (Hot 100), #10 (Modern Rock)
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MIKEB
The King Of Rationality
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Post by MIKEB on Jan 17, 2015 0:34:54 GMT -5
70 Meredith Brooks — Bitch (1997) This song was the cause for probably the biggest shock I’d ever had listening to Casey’s Top 40. When it debuted on the chart, Casey did say the song title and I was like “WTF?” Even when writing down the chart every Saturday morning like I did, I didn’t write the title of this one down. I feel like the song might have more of an impact today than it did back then. It came out around the beginning of the Lilith Fair period so the whole feminist thing in music was in full force but it was more-or-less a peace hippy dippy feminism and not so much like the feminism-discussions of today that have more of a call to action. I’d say this song was ahead of its time and despite its title and aggression, it didn’t really have as big an impact as it probably could have. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitch_(Meredith_Brooks_song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhfiiGGy7LsChartsCanada: #2 United States: #2 United Kingdom: #6 Australia: #2 69 Bonnie Raitt — Something To Talk About (1991) Bonnie Raitt is one of those artists I feel is highly underrated and underappreciated. This song came from her 11th album and has such a feel-good, breezy sound to it. The music just floats. It’s strange to think about how a song like this by a woman making music for as long as she was at the time was such a big crossover hit. I can’t imagine someone like Lucinda Williams or Patty Griffin having a sudden crossover pop hit today but the landscape was so different back then. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Something_to_Talk_About_(Bonnie_Raitt_song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ58TVYNFro68 Tracy Chapman — Give Me One Reason (1996) I remember when this song was rising the pop chart and I really didn’t like it at the time. My 12 year old self wasn’t fond of the style of music and I thought it was much too slow and mellow to be a pop hit. I think my older sister felt similarly and she told me it wasn’t going to go to #1 so I was relieved. Well, it went to #1 on Casey’s Top 40 and I was kind of upset. It was probably the first time I was upset at a song going to #1. It only spent 2 weeks there (which was really short at the time where most songs spent 4-8 weeks on top) but it did end up being one of the biggest hits of 1996. I think maybe #5 or so. In the years since, I’ve warmed up to it more and more, as well as some of Tracy’s other songs. I’m not sure at what point this song won me over but I listen to it pretty regularly now. Tracy is another too-underrated musician. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Give_Me_One_ReasonVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPcjjOrKmJwChartsCanada: #1 United States: #3 Australia: #3 67 Mariah Carey — Dreamlover (1993) My time with Mariah Carey unofficially starts with this song. While I obviously heard it through casual listening, the Music Box era was in full force when I jumped on the music train so Dreamlover, Hero, Anytime You Need A Friend and Without You are my introduction to Mariah. She has so many songs to choose from for a 90s list but having to pick ones that I felt represented her on such a grand scale was more of a challenge. Obviously Vision Of Love is a huge moment, and Emotions is a classic but I wanted to pick something that had more of a personal connection. Anytime You Need A Friend is probably my favourite single from this album but Dreamlover is the bigger hit and also one of my favourite Mariah songs so here it is! Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreamlover_(song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqBtS6BIP1EChartsCanada: #1 United States: #1 United Kingdom: #9 Australia: #7 66 Sarah McLachlan — Building A Mystery (1993) This song was a pretty big hit in 1997 but from my perspective, it was HUGE! My sister had been a pretty big Sarah McLachlan fan for a few years. She played a lot of Fumbling Toward Ecstacy and the Freedom Sessions in the two or three years leading up to the release of Surfacing, so of course when Building A Mystery came out, followed by the video and then the CD, it was a pretty big deal for her and through her, for me. The entire roll-out and new image and everything was so big. The CD was also one of the first enhanced CDs to come out and it was pretty neat too. I loved how it had information on all of Sarah’s past albums with videos and audio clips and stuff. It was really well done. But on top of that, Sarah was responsible for Lilith Fair, which had just started up that year, and basically started one of the biggest eras in music in the 90s. Even today, “Lilith Fair” means something. You can listen to a song by a female artist from the late 90s and instantly know if she was a Lilith-artist or not, mostly because most female acts at the time did participate. Whenever the question comes up of what music from the 90s will be considered classics in decades to come, this song will absolutely be included in that list. PS: I don’t know why the first chorus of the album version is different from the radio version. That always bothered me. PPS: David Usher is in the music video. I always thought that was neat once I knew who David Usher was. PPPS: Sarah has such a Nova Scotian face. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_a_MysteryVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWxzM9_gEo0ChartsCanada: #1 United States: #13 Australia: #97
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MIKEB
The King Of Rationality
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Post by MIKEB on Jan 17, 2015 0:35:11 GMT -5
65 Shania Twain — No One Needs To Know (1996) This song is unofficially the first country song I ever liked. I say unofficially because I’m not 100% sure but it was around this time that, as a result of MuchMusic no longer being in our cable package (as I mentioned a few times already) and MuchMoreMusic was a few years away, CMT was the only music video station we had. My sister was also a fan of country music at the time so through casual background listening, I started to become familiar with some of the hits of the period and Shania’s always stood out. No One Needs To Know was the first one to actually make my personal charts and part of the reason why I got both the Twister soundtrack and her own The Woman In Me CD from Columbia House. While I was pretty much over Shania by the Up! era, it was fascinating to watch her success over Come On Over and even the tail end of The Woman In Me, which had 8 singles, I think. No One Needs To Know and I’m Outta Here were the two I loved most at the time but really, they were all good then. From this song came a more general interest in country music, some of which appear later on this list. PS: The bearded guy in the video reminded me of the other Bo Brady from Days of our Lives in 1996. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_One_Needs_to_KnowVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=681Y-UQ0LWIChartsCanada Country: #1 United States Country: #1 64 Foo Fighters — Big Me (1996) Like Buddy Holly by Weezer, Big Me is another song perhaps more known by its music video than the song itself. It was also an early example (I don’t know if it’s the earliest) of obvious product placement, as the video itself was just an extended commercial for Mentos - the fresh maker. It won MTV Video Music Awards I think but it was just an all-around fun song. It was also their first song I got to know because it was a Top 10 hit on Casey’s Top 40 but from there I gradually got to know some of their other stuff, for example, This Is A Call got minor airplay on my local station afterward and Learn To Fly was a hit a few years later. But Big Me is the one that really takes me back. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_MeVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLdJQFTnZfAChartsCanada: #15 United States: #13 United Kingdom: #19 Australia: #65 63 Deana Carter — We Danced Anyway (1996) Deana’s big hit was Strawberry Wine. This was the second single from her album Did I Shave My Legs For This? My sister got this CD the same time I got my life-altering Under These Rocks And Stones CD by Chantal Kreviazuk so even though I obviously didn’t listen to Deana’s as much, that’s a factoid I always remember. Deana had 5 or 6 hits from this album on country radio and I enjoyed them all. She had some pretty catchy tunes but the one I still listen to somewhat regularly is this one. It’s such a breezy summer sunny sunday afternoon song and it’s great to sing-along to. I don’t know what Deana’s doing nowadays. I actually don’t remember hearing anything else from her after this album. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Danced_AnywayVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE66MPAO3EsChartsCanada: #1 United States Country: #1 US Hot 100: #72 62 Amanda Marshall — Birmingham (1996) Amanda’s self-titled debut album is one of those Canadian classics from the 90s if only because of the number of singles it produced. Of the ten tracks on it, seven were radio hits, and two became country music covers. Dark Horse for Mila Mason and Leann Rimes covered Sitting On Top Of The World for her album of the same name. Amanda’s only major U.S. hit was also her biggest in Canada and a definite classic. It’s a song that tells a story of a woman trying to get out of a relationship and while it doesn’t paint a pleasant picture, the story of escape it depicts is hopeful enough and it ends on Amanda repeating “someday soon”. Amanda isn’t particularly known as a deep or reputable artist and the radio airplay of this song over the years might have worked against it but I definitely think this is one of the best CanCon songs of the 90s. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_(Amanda_Marshall_song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIzMcCNAmp4ChartsCanada: #3 United States: #43 61 Coolio featuring L.V. — Gangsta’s Paradise (1995) This song wasn’t my first exposure to Coolio - as it came a year after Fantastic Voyage - and it wasn’t my last - as Too Hot and 1,2,3,4 came out afterward - but it’s the one that most associate with him because it was such a huge hit, especially in a time when rap music wasn’t as prominant on the pop radio chart. One of my most memorable times with this song was hearing it on Casey’s Top 40 during car rides with my family and my dad changing it as soon as he heard the opening violins because he HATED it. Hilariously, it came on the other station about ten minutes later beause they aired Rick Dees Top 40 at the same time so he changed it again and everyone laughed. I stopped laughing because then the next station by default was the country station and I didn’t want to miss Casey’s Top 40… Anyway, I burnt out on this song when it was a current but over the years, I appreciate it again. It might be the ultimate white person’s rap song of the 90s but it’s still a damn good one. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangsta%27s_ParadiseVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpGbzYlnz7cChartsCanada: #29 United States: #1 United Kingdom: #1 Australia: #1
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MIKEB
The King Of Rationality
Posts: 4,536
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Post by MIKEB on Jan 17, 2015 0:35:24 GMT -5
60 Enigma — Return To Innocence (1994) The fact this song was a single released to pop radio was strange enough but there have been a handful of strange pop hits in the last 20 or so years. What’s really strange is that this actually became one of the biggest hits of 1994. This song really brings me back to the summer of 94 when it was a hit. It was so ambient and distinctive with its chant and lightly sung verses but it’s that distinctiveness that probably helped it become a hit - only it became more than just a novelty smash. Oddly enough, it was also track 1 on the very first CD I ever got, Dance Mix 94 from MuchMusic. I always thought it was strange that it was included on a dance mix CD but I suppose it’s a good song to get started with all the same. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Return_to_InnocenceVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk_sAHh9s08ChartsCanada: #4 United States: #4 United Kingdom: #3 Australia: #16 59 Pretenders — I’ll Stand By You (1994) This probably isn’t the first song one might think of when they think of the Pretenders, as it doesn’t really qualify as a rock song, but it is for me and that’s probably because timing is everything. Like most songs from 1994, this one is all about the nostalgia. This one bring me back to the lead-up to the holidays of 1994 so I have memories of sitting on the floor by the stereo as Casey introduces it on Casey’s Top 40. Nowadays, I hear it occasionally on the radio or Sirius, or on my own iTunes playlists. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27ll_Stand_by_YouVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLpmj059JFAChartsUnited States: #16 United Kingdom: #10 Australia: #8 58 Joan Osborne — One Of Us (1996) This hit is every definition of a classic for me. I watched the music video SO many times, it had a lengthy run on Casey’s Top 40, it was even one of the songs we sang at the back of the school bus on the way to school lmao! Because I was a weiner going to school with a bunch of weiners. And through it all, I still love it. Joan is one of the biggest one-hit-wonders of the 90s but she’s one of the few who continues releasing albums despite that fact. Relish had a few other singles, St. Teresa and Right Hand Man, both of which I also and still love. I don’t even care if the song is a question of faith or not, it’s still good! Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_of_Us_(Joan_Osborne_song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=USR3bX_PtU4ChartsCanada: #1 United States: #6 United Kingdom: #4 Australia: #1 57 Madonna — Ray Of Light (1998) Trying to pick Madonna songs to represent her on a 90s list can be pretty challenging. On one hand, I could probably put 10 of them on here but that would be ignoring too many other great songs not by Madonna. In the end, it depends on my mood. One song by her to make this list is Ray Of Light. It’s not her biggest hit, nor is it even her most memorable, but it has all the qualities a Madonna song has to make it a classic. The song is an instant-grab! Back when my personal chart was still brand new, Ray Of Light was among the first #1s. It also spent 7 weeks at #1, which was a then-record. The music video is fantastic! At the time, it was so innovative and Madonna looked so great! It was the followup to Frozen, which in itself was a great song, but together, they were an incredible 1-2 punch leading off an epic album era for Madonna and probably her peak in the 90s after a few low-key eras and underperforming periods. The thing that confused me though was that Ray Of Light wasn’t as big a hit at the time as it might seem now. It barely scraped the top 10 on pop radio and was pretty much in and out in three months, which was a short chart run for a top 10 hit. Either way, the song remains as one of Madonna’s biggest hits for me and recently ranked at #7 on my Top Madonna Songs list. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_of_Light_(song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZJAjKu4zU8 (the actual music video isn’t on youtube for some reason…) ChartsCanada: #3 United States: #5 United Kingdom: #2 Australia: #6 56 Jewel — Who Will Save Your Soul (1996) I can’t say for certain because it was almost 20 years ago but I feel like I had Jewel pegged as a one-hit-wonder during this song’s run. Jewel was known at the time for having lived in her van while she struggled to make it as a musician and this song became a hit nearly two years after its original release. Even You Were Meant For Me took a while to catch on when it was finally released about six months after. I got her Pieces of You album about a year later, before Foolish Games was released, and I put it on the back burner in favour of Donna Lewis’ Now In A Minute CD. I liked Donna more. Jewel just took longer to grow on me. Looking at Jewel now, she seems like such a safe, limited, mom-friendly singer/songwriter but at the time, she was new, edgy, had a dangerous side to her, which seems strange to say now looking back. Maybe that was just my 12-year-old-self’s perception of her because she reminded me a bit of a friend of mine also. And if my friend was like the way Jewel was, she would have been edgy and kind of dangerous. lol Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Will_Save_Your_SoulVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wBDDAZkNtkChartsCanada: N/A United States: #3 United Kingdom: #52 Australia: #27
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MIKEB
The King Of Rationality
Posts: 4,536
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Post by MIKEB on Jan 17, 2015 0:35:54 GMT -5
55 Sarah McLachlan — Possession (1993) Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Possession_(Sarah_McLachlan_song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucdnm8iU-5c (Canadian version) www.youtube.com/watch?v=itydwcyywBc (US version) I got to know Sarah McLachlan because my sister became a fan of her. Like Celine Dion and Jann Arden before her, I was a third party to Sarah’s music, specifically the Fumbling Towards Ecstacy album, so before I knew much about Sarah, I had my favourites picked out. Possession was one of them. I didn’t know it was a single because it didn’t get played on the radio, though MuchMusic played the video occasionally. Either way, this song to me didn’t feel like a single the way most of the others on this list did and back in the 90s, I was all about the singles and the hits. The story to this song is pretty well known for those who like it and it’s pretty interesting too. The type of story that would go in a myth or truth book for pop culture, except this one is supposedly true. Written about a man who stalked Sarah a few years prior and sent her threatening letters, one of which was used for lyrics of this song. After the song was released, he killed himself. I don’t listen to Sarah overly often anymore but when I do, Possession is one of my go-to songs by her. ChartsCanada: #27 United States: #73 54 TLC — Creep (1994) Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creep_(TLC_song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlZydtG3xqII didn’t know TLC when this song first made Casey’s Top 40 so Creep was my first exposure to them. I was surprised to learn they had had a pretty huge first album too but coming from where I did, R&B music didn’t really get played much on the radio. I don’t remember being particularly in love with the song at the time but over time came to enjoy TLC because they were reliable hitmakers. I never did get CrazySexyCool on cassette or CD but when FanMail came out, I was all about it. It’s a hot album! Now I have Creep on my essentials playlist on my iPod so it comes on pretty regularly for me. Like many songs on this list, I don’t directly associate it with the specific time it was a hit. It’s aged so well, I’d say it’s pretty timeless. ChartsCanada: N/A United States: #1 United Kingdom: #6 Australia: #9 53 Ace of Base — Beautiful Life (1995) Like most 10 year olds, Ace of Base were one of my favourite pop groups in 1994. So when they were about to release their second album in 1995, I was all about it. Beautiful Life debuted at #22 or something on Casey’s Top 40 in October and I was so excited about it. I would say I was mildly (or heavily) obsessed with the song when it was out. Then I got the album, along with Daydream, for Christmas that year. The single wasn’t as big as the ones from The Sign but I remember it being everywhere for a few months, and every time it came on the radio, or the video came on TV, I was excited. I might even say Beautiful Life is an example of a perfect pop song. It has a pretty calm beginning, with the euro-pop piano intro, then there’s the buildup to the 4/4 beat, a short and sweet verse and a bunch of hooks. PS: I always preferred the brunette over the blonde between the girls. It annoyed me that she seemed to move further toward the back with each album they released. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beautiful_Life_(Ace_of_Base_song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9hdMSr6DucChartsCanada: #3 United States: #15 United Kingdom: #15 Australia: #11 52 Goo Goo Dolls — Name (1995) This was such a mellow song to complement the more pop-oriented music I was into at the time. Where I was obsessed with songs like Beautiful Life and Fantasy, Name was right there to provide the softer side of things with a gritty rock edge (as opposed to soft pop, or AC hits, which were also huge then). I think what I like most about this song is the imagery it creates. It has such a lonely sound that seemed to seep into a lot of the hits in 1996 and 97. It’s kind of similar to Birmingham from a few positions below in this countdown but then I think I get the same sense from songs like 3AM, A Long December, Everyday Is A Winding Road. Where songs like Iris and Names went on to be massive late-90s hits, Name is the only song by the Goo Goo Dolls that I still listen to and a lot. This is the type of song to make me just sit down and take it all in. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Name_(song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQOBUrRaPU0ChartsCanada: #2 United States: #5 51 Celine Dion — It’s All Coming Back To Me Now (1996) This song had a high finish on my Top 30 Celine Dion Songs chart from a few years back. It’s one of the most-cited songs when people talk about their favourites by Celine and with good reason. It’s epic. It isn’t generic and it has a kick-ass music video. I remember not thinking it odd that was chosen as the second single even though the album version is 7:33 long. At the time, Celine was pretty much queen of music in Canada so why question anything? I’d think it strange now because there aren’t many risks taken in pop music for technical things like that but then, it’s weird that I just associated Celine Dion with risk but there you go. I loved the radio edit of the song though. I loved the original too but the cut into the second verse I always thought was so abruptly wonderful. *swoosh* “but you were history with the slamming of the door!” ugh! Gets me everytime! This should have been a #1 song across the board. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_All_Coming_Back_to_Me_NowVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8fHNdrZTSIChartsCanada: #1 United States: #2 United Kingdom: #3 Australia: #8
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MIKEB
The King Of Rationality
Posts: 4,536
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Post by MIKEB on Jan 17, 2015 0:36:08 GMT -5
50 Better Than Ezra — Good (1995) Just now as I was about to do the write-up for this I thought: how is this song so high?! But then I put on the video and hearing the intro made me remember why. On paper, it doesn’t seem like a big deal but hearing the song in all its greatness reminds me why it’s a 90s alternative classic! Better Than Ezra never went on to be as big a band as many of their peers from that year but they’re still around, making made-for-AC-radio songs that are nothing like this one. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_(song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhs0JD6XJyQChartsCanada: #26 United States: #30 United Kingdom: #108 49 John Mellencamp and Meshell Ndegeocello — Wild Night (1994) I was so in the dark about this song when it was out as a 10-year-old. I didn’t know it was a cover and I didn’t know who Meshell Ndegeocello was. I also couldn’t distinguish between their voices at the time and figured she was a background singer. This was a big hit back in 1994 and while it pretty much faded into the background for me, I hear it now and it’s like wow! What a song! It’s one of the ones to float back up to the surface of the greatest of 94 - and subsequently greatest of the 90s since it made this list. My favourite part now coincidently is Meshell’s portion of the second verse. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_NightVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aoywIHLqbsChartsUnited States: #3 United Kingdom: #34 48 Mazzy Star — Fade Into You (1994) I’m not the only one who thought Mazzy Star was a solo singer/songwriter, am I? This was the only song by them I really knew (other than that one they had on the Batman Forever soundtrack). This one brings me back, like so many others on this list, to the end of 1994 when it was a crossover pop hit. Weekend mornings in the basement living room sitting on the floor next to the stereo with Casey counting down the hits. Since then, it’s become a staple on my iTunes playlists. I always liked the breeziness to this one. So relaxing but not too much so. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fade_into_YouVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uJ61jgFCMMChartsCanada: #83 United States: #44 United Kingdom: #48 Australia: #72 47 2Pac and Dr. Dre — California Love (1996) Back when this song was a ‘minor’ hit on the pop chart, I didn’t know or realize how important 2pac was to the music scene, nor did I understand the whole east coast/west coast rivalry in the rap world. And I especially didn’t realize just how important the song would end up becoming afterward. But even as an innocent dumb 12 year old, I knew it was a damn good song! Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_LoveVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wBTdfAkqGUChartsCanada: #51 United States: #1 United Kingdom: #6 Australia: #4 46 Michael Jackson — Black Or White (1991) Before I became a music fan, back when I was still into Mario and the Ninja Turtles, I remember going through my sisters cassette tapes. She had tapes by Celine Dion, Alannah Myles, Mariah Carey, Janet’s janet, and Dangerous by Michael Jackson. The last one intrigued me because I was so confused. Was he a boy or a girl? On one hand, he had the same first name as me. But on the other hand, he kind of sounded like a girl and looked like a girl in my class (and her sisters). Same cheek bones. Same eyes. Same curly black hair. It was also uncool to like Michael Jackson so I didn’t really give it much further thought and eventually found out anyway. lol. Despite it all, Black or White became one of those songs that kept creeping back. I occasionally heard it on the radio and passed it off as a classic 90s tune but then one day I decided, you know what? This song is awesome! The video is great too. The intro with Macaulay Culkin is so campy! It screams early 90s MTV cheese! But the rest of it was advanced for its time, as Michael’s videos usually were. I don’t know what it is about the song but I find it so incredibly comforting. Maybe it’s because it reminds me of being a kid when I didn’t have anything to worry about any everything for me was comfortable and safe. But even today, listening to this song calms me. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_or_WhiteVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2AitTPI5U0ChartsCanada: #51 United States: #1 United Kingdom: #6 Australia: #4
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Post by Matt on Jan 17, 2015 2:42:06 GMT -5
REALLY enjoying following this. The 90's was also my musical-birth era, where I began listening toward the end of 1996. Savage Garden's "I Want You" and Celine Dion's "It's All Coming Back To Me Now" were a few of the music music videos I ever saw, and I fell in love with both.
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MIKEB
The King Of Rationality
Posts: 4,536
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Post by MIKEB on Jan 30, 2015 0:33:46 GMT -5
45 Cher — Believe (1998) Why did it take me and everyone else so long to realize I was gay? lmao! I must have played and sung along to this song a lot when it was out. Even now when it comes on I always announce “this is the song of my people.” Cher’s comeback was huge. Like, probably the most impressive comeback I’d ever seen (though it was surpassed by Mariah’s comeback for me in 2005). I remember thinking it strange that it was such a big deal since she had had several minor hits in the years leading up to Believe. But then again, back then, a comeback still meant more than it does now where Rihanna’s new single is being called her comeback… Anyway, this song was, is and will always be a classic and the benchmark for what a good comeback story is and what a good dance smash is. I love how it’s got a sad undertone but still sounds so hopeful and uplifting. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Believe_(Cher_song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p0chD8U8fAChartsCanada: #1 United States: #1 United Kingdom: #1 Australia: #1 44 Matchbox 20 — 3am (1997) I won’t lie, there are matchbox twenty songs from this album I like more than 3am. Back 2 Good was always my favourite single from the album and Real World is a jam but 3am is the one that best stands the test of time and has more of a timeless feel than those other two. Plus, it has had a bigger impact overall. Like I said back about Name by the Goo Goo Dolls, this song fits into the whole imagery of the depression light rock songs of the time. That and it kind of reminds me of going to the local corner store to rent a movie. lmao. Not sure why, probably more to do with my idea of the 90s more than anything else… Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3AM_(Matchbox_Twenty_song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-Naa1HXeDQChartsCanada: #1 United States: #3 United Kingdom: #64 Australia: #31 43 Pearl Jam — Better Man (1994) I’m surprised to learn this song wasn’t actually a single, though it did become a Top 40 hit for them and they included it on their Best Of compilation. I don’t know many songs from Pearl Jam to be honest but I absolutely love this song. It has an awesome buildup from its mellow calm beginning before the roaring final chorus that gives me chills every time Eddie sings “she loved him!” Overall though, the song is depressing because it’s a girl who believes she can’t find anyone better even though she’s not happy in her relationship and the song doesn’t resolve it either so nothing really changes from when it starts to when it finishes. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Better_Man_(Pearl_Jam_song)Audio: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWzLgWWu5wUChartsCanada: #9 United States: #13 (Hot 100 Airplay/#1 Mainstream Rock) 42 Candlebox — Far Behind (1994) Sometimes, I really miss hearing good solid rock tunes and it feels like it’s been ages since there has been any as good as the ones from the 90s. What I like most about this song is the solid post-grunge production. The effects on the guitar and vocals are so of that time and they’re so awesome. This is one of those songs I put on and actually blast it. I fully understand why fans of rock music lose their hearing with songs like this. If rock was as awesome as this, I’d probably actually be deaf. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Far_BehindVideo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-LW6m0zX5AChartsUnited States: #18 41 Our Lady Peace — Naveed (1995) This is another song I blast when it comes on. I get so into it. While I like most OLP stuff, this one is almost definitely their best song. I love the mellow bridge that just builds itself right back up again for the explosive final chorus. Like a lot of people I’m sure, my first memory of this song is the video with that damn doll. So creepy. For a while, they were synonymous with that doll for me. I didn’t really get into OLP until a lot later, probably by the early 2000s so while I saw their videos a lot on MuchMusic, to me they were just another Cancon rock band like I Mother Earth or 54-40. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naveed_(song)Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG4KnYSaLZwChartsCanada: #63
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Post by billcs on Jan 31, 2015 10:05:21 GMT -5
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MIKEB
The King Of Rationality
Posts: 4,536
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Post by MIKEB on Jan 31, 2015 13:14:21 GMT -5
I'm sure my list would be much different had I made it at the end of 1999. I made my best of the 2000s at the end of 2009 though. It's interesting how my 90s chart is so hits-focused while my 2000s chart really isn't at all. I'm sure there are more album tracks I could have put in my 90s chart but I feel like it wouldn't be as enjoyable for me because when I think of 90s music, I think of the hits. Album tracks and non-hits from then I don't directly associate with the 90s so that's why I chose not to include them.
But yeah, it's interesting to see how things change over time.
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