Pop Shots – A Look At The Charts … From 26 Years Ago
Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week I’m hopping into my time machine again, this time setting the coordinates for 26 years ago this week.
Stepping out of my time machine I hear a plethora of hip-hop classics, including Dr. Dre’s “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang,” Naughty By Nature’s “Hip-Hop Hooray,” and Digable Planets’ “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat),” which were all on the Billboard Hot 100 this week back in 1993. I also hear a handful of acts that crossed generations, and … a song by a TV star? Yup, that happens sometimes.
So let’s get into this exploration of chart history! Of course, since this is Pop Shots, you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
This song was such a phenomenon when it came out, but honestly, how could it not have been? A white Canadian reggae artist doesn’t exactly come along everyday.
I remember people were so unable to understand the lyrics to “Informer” that a version of the video was made that ran the words along the bottom. Now we all know “A licky boom boom down,” aaaand that’s about it. But hey, we tried our best!
For a short time, Spin Doctors were the ultimate purveyors of feel-good pop-rock jams, and “Two Princes” is one of their hits that has truly stood the test of time. You probably don’t even need to click play to have the lyric “just go ahead now” running through your head.
Fun Fact – If you follow Spin Doctors frontman Chris Barron on Twitter you will find he is a huge fan of cats, which makes him pretty awesome in my book.
While the internet had a field day attempting to figure out the actual date of Ice Cube’s “Good Day,” back when this song was released it was an incredible crossover hit for the former N.W.A. member. It didn’t matter who you were, or where you lived, you knew this one by heart, and can probably still rap at least a few bars, starting with “Just waking up in the morning, gotta thank God.”
The early ‘90s were a really interesting time in music. Case in point – when else could you imagine a song about treating the homeless well, and even learning from the homeless, becoming a major hit? Of course, it takes a phenomenally talented group to pull off such a feat, and Arrested Development were that group, which is why we became so well acquainted with “Mr. Wendal.”
What do you do when you’re a teen heartthrob who’s on a hit sitcom, and graces the pages of every teen magazine on the planet? If you’re Joey Lawrence, you cut an album.
All things considered, this isn’t nearly as bad as it could have been.
Joey Lawrence isn’t the first actor to try his hand at music, and he certainly won’t be the last.
The older I get the more I appreciate the music of R.E.M. Sure, I liked their music back in the day, but they make the kind of songs that get better with time, and experience.
“Man on the Moon” was the band’s tribute to Andy Kaufman, and it’s yet another classic from a band that has a bevy of them.
“The Morning Papers” is the second of two Prince songs on this chart (“7” was at #39). Both are from his symbol album. That album happens to be my favorite Prince album – an unconventional choice, I know – and “The Morning Papers” happens to be one of my favorite Prince songs. Again, an unconventional choice, I know, but the lyrics are fantastic, his vocals are ridiculously on point, and I’ve always felt he was at his best when teamed with The New Power Generation.
“Come Undone” is the second of two Duran Duran songs on this chart (“Ordinary World” was at #17), and it’s one of my favorites from the band’s vast catalogue of hits (“Come Undone” was their 24th single).
When I saw this song on the chart I started doing some investigating regarding the female vocalist. It turns out her name is Tessa Niles (no, she’s not the woman pulling the Houdini act in the video), and a handful of years ago she wrote a book about her many years backing up some of the all-time greats, including David Bowie, and Eric Clapton (if you’re wondering, yes, I added that book to my Amazon Wish List).
Speaking of voices, how great does Simon Le Bon sound on this song? From his vocals, and the overall vibe, you might mistake this for a George Michael song!
If you are of a certain age – and I am of that certain age – you probably have a soft spot for Exposé. The Latin freestyle group had some major hits, and “I’ll Never Get Over You (Getting Over Me)” was their final single to reach the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.
A gorgeous ballad, the song features saxophonist Euge Groove (then known as Steven Grove), who also provided the sax solo for the group’s mega-hit “Seasons Change.”
So if you’re taking notes – seasons change, and sax players’ names do, as well.
And with that, my time is up for the week, but I'll be back next week with more shots on all things pop.
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