Pop Shots – A Look At The Charts … From 25 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 25 years ago this week.

Touching down in January of 1998, a heck of a lot is going on in the world of music. Basically every genre you can think of is receiving airplay. If you weren’t alive at this time you might be wondering how this could be. Well, radio stations were more diverse back in ’98, and we had MTV, BET, and a Canadian cable network named MuchMusic playing music videos, including genre specific shows, for a large percentage of the day.

On the Billboard Hot 100, Janet Jackson was at #1 with “Together Again,” with ‘90s one hit wonder Chumbawamba hot on her tail at #6 with “Tubthumping.” The boy band era was also on its way, with Backstreet Boys at #26 with “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart).” That era would truly be in full swing later that year with the debut of a little show called TRL.

Even with every genre finding its audience, hip-hop, and R&B were at the top of the mountain, and some might consider this the last (or at least the most recent) great era of R&B music.

With that in mind, as I take a look at the chart from this week back in 1998, I’m going to focus on some of the excellent R&B songs that were huge, along with a few hip-hop hits, and one song outside of those genres that would be “Criminal” to omit.

Of course, since this is Pop Shots, you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.

11. LSG – My Body

LSG was a supergroup consisting of a holy trinity of R&B artists – Gerald Levert, Keith Sweat, and Johnny Gill. You couldn’t go wrong with any of them, so having them team up was the equivalent of an R&B Voltron.

The trio only released two albums together, but their 1997 self-titled debut went double platinum, and included the baby makin’ classic “My Body.”

13. Busta Rhymes – Dangerous

 

In 1998 Busta Rhymes was one of the hottest rappers on the planet, and his sophomore album, When Disaster Strikes… (released in the fall of ’97), cemented his place among hip-hop’s elite (there’s no word on if the ellipses at the end of When Disaster Strikes… leads directly into Britney Spears’ 1999 debut album …Baby One More Time, but let’s pretend it does!).

For the album’s second single, “Dangerous,” Busta broke out his best Sho'nuff impression in a tribute to the classic martial arts movie The Last Dragon.

16. Ma$e – Feels So Good

 

By the time 1998 rolled around the infamous shiny suit era was in full swing for a certain segment of hip-hop (Bad Boy. I’m talking about Bad Boy). Yes, it was all Puffy’s fault, but looking back on it … how could you not love how happy Ma$e was on “Feels So Good”????

17. Destiny’s Child w/ Wyclef – No, No, No

 

The Billboard Hot 100 doesn’t indicate which version of Destiny’s Child’s debut single, “No, No, No,” was at #17 this week, so I’m going with Part 2, which features Wyclef. I still have the cassingle in my collection (this comes as a surprise to no one), and I believe a few of the members of this group went on to have some solo success.

19. Dru Hill – We’re Not Making Love No More

 

Dru Hill are one of the most underrated R&B groups of the ‘90s/early ‘00s. Yes, I know they had hits, and platinum albums, but their name doesn’t come up nearly enough when we’re talking about R&B legends.

Sisqo was (and still is) an incredible frontman, and the foursome’s harmonies were simply incredible. “We’re Not Making Love No More” is a prime example of what made them so special.

22. Somethin’ For The People w/ Trina & Tamara – My Love is the Shhh!

 

I won’t blame you if the name Somethin’ For The People doesn’t immediately ring a bell, but as soon as you hear the beat for “My Love is the Shhh!” you’re going to remember one of the great R&B one hit wonders of the ‘90s.

“My Love is the Shhh!” is still the jam, and if came on the radio today I’d crank it up. Actually, I should probably pick up their sophomore album, This Time It’s Personal, and hear what else that had to offer!

29. Jon B. – They Don’t Know

 

We had a lot of smooth dudes in the ‘90s, and Jon B. was one of the smoothest.

With songs like “They Don’t Know” his music was the soundtrack to dates, mixtapes, romances, and … let’s just say bedroom behavior. In fact, Jon B. might be responsible for hundreds, if not thousands of babies that were born in the late ‘90s!

30. Allure w/ 112 – All Cried Out

 

When Allure teamed up with 112 for a cover of the Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam classic “All Cried Out” the result was nothing short of fantastic (and it’s another song from this chart that I own as a cassingle! Long live the cassingle!).

Covering such a well-loved song can be a dicey proposition, but they pulled it off with aplomb. You can really hear the emotion, and that’s what makes it work so well.

Side Note – who do I have to talk to make an Allure comeback happen?

45. Fiona Apple – Criminal

 

The song … the voice …the video … if you weren’t all in on Fiona Apple after “Criminal,” you should’ve been locked up!

As an aside, the ascendance of Fiona Apple in the ‘90s is proof that if you give people great music, they will gravitate towards it. The mainstream doesn’t have to be dumbed down, or made in a paint-by-numbers way, it can have depth, and it can be challenging, and it will still be loved.

76. Gang Starr – You Know My Steez

 

It’s hard to believe Guru has been gone for nearly 13 years, but his legacy in hip-hop is indisputable. One of the smoothest flows we’ve ever heard, he was equal parts lyrical, and musical. When combined with DJ Premier, the result was pure magic.

79. LL Cool J w/ Method Man, Redman, Canibus, DMX, & Master P – 4,3,2,1

 

Could LL Cool J possibly follow the insane posse cut “I Shot Ya” from his Mr. Smith album? With “4,3,2,1,” off Phenomenon, the answer was HELL YEAH!

Of course, this song would become far more well known for being the genesis of the legendary beef between Canibus and LL, which gave us some crazy diss tracks.

Also, did anyone else totally forget Master P had a verse on this?

That’s all for this edition of Pop Shots, but come back next Monday for more shots on all things pop.