Pop Shots – A Look At The Charts … From 23 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 23 years ago this week.

Touching down in September of 2001, I was still in my first full year as a music journalist, and really doing everything I could to make a name for myself. Quite a few artists on the Billboard Hot 100 were also in the process of making a name for themselves.

The names at the very top of the chart, however, were well established, with Jennifer Lopez and Ja Rule at #1 with “I’m Real.” Hey, J.Lo is back on the market again, maybe it’s time for Ja Rule to make his move! On the chart, he was also “Livin’ It Up” with Case at #31.

Radio programming-wise the ‘90s ideology that pretty much everything could get played was still in effect, and this led to a chart filled with a mix of rock, pop, hip-hop, R&B, pop punk, and EDM.

So let’s get into this exploration in chart history! Of course, since this is Pop Shots, you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.

3. Alicia Keys – Fallin’

 

“Fallin” was Alicia Keys’ opening salvo in the music world. Anyone know if she did anything after this?

6. Usher – U Remind Me

 

This was not the fall of the house of Usher, this was the rise of the house of Usher! With “U Remind Me” at #6, and “U Got It Bad” debuting at #93, September of 2001 was right around the time when Usher was about to become one of the biggest names in all of music. In fact, based on these songs, he was already in such high demand that he didn’t even have the time to spell out the word “You”!

8. Eve feat. Gwen Stefani – Let Me Blow Ya Mind

 

Eve and Gwen Stefani were a killer combo, but honestly, I chose this song for one main reason – my homegirl, and fellow scribe, Kathy Iandoli just co-authored Eve’s memoir, Who’s That Girl?, which comes out tomorrow, and I wanted to give her a shout out for it. Way to go, Kathy!!!

9. Mary J. Blige – Family Affair

 

Many of us are still unsure of exactly what a “dancery” is, but thanks to Mary J. Blige we know there is no need for any hateration, or holleration in one.

18. Sugar Ray – When It’s Over

 

When former metal band Sugar Ray made a sunny pop-rock song, and it became a hit, they decided to run with it, keeping the sound, and giving us a bevy of great songs, including “When It’s Over.”

33. Uncle Kracker – Follow Me

 

Ah yes, who doesn’t love a good tune about … romancing a married woman.

“Follow Me” is basically an easy listening “O.P.P.” for the suburbs.

As an aside, Mark McGrath makes a cameo in the video, so that’s back to back McGrath in this column!

37. Michelle Branch – Everywhere

 

Once TRL expanded to allow non-blondes to be played, Avril Lavigne, Vanessa Carlton, and Michelle Branch took over, with the latter being “Everywhere” with her debut single.

38. Nelly Furtado – Turn Off The Light

 

Nelly Furtado is about to make her triumphant return with 7, her first new album in seven years. Way back in 2001 she was just breaking into the scene, and gave us a pop classic with “Turn Off The Light.”

40. Bubba Sparxxx – Ugly

 

After Eminem hit it big the race was on for labels to find the next great white rapper. In 2001 a southern hip-hop artist by the name of Bubba Sparxxx emerged, and with a style completely his own, complimented by production from Timbaland, a now 20+ year career began with “Ugly.”

51. Willa Ford feat. Royce da 5’9’’ – I Wanna Be Bad

 

An earworm from the TRL era, “I Wanna Be Bad” was Willa Ford’s lone hit … which is why I wrote a ridiculously in-depth One Hit Wondering column on her!

57. Gorillaz – Clint Eastwood

 

A cartoon band created by Damon Albarn of Blur, and illustrator Jamie Hewlett, Gorillaz sounded like nothing we’ve heard before, or that we’ve heard since. They burst onto the scene with “Clint Eastwood,” which featured hip-hop legend Del the Funky Homosapien, and the song has stayed in rotation on radio stations ever since.

84. Linkin Park – Crawling

 

Linkin Park really stepped in it when they hired a new lead singer the other week, and it turned out to be a scientologist who stood by Danny Masterson at his rape trial, and she only apologized for the latter after it blew up all over social media, and she realized her career was at stake. So let’s go back to the good ol’ days of Chester Bennington, one of the greatest frontmen of all-time. May he rest in peace.

94. Darude – Sandstorm

 

If you click play on this you know what’s going to happen, you’re going to want to run through a wall. That’s just how this works. “Sandstorm” is one part nightclub song, one part Jock Jam, and it’s 100% pure energy.

100. blink-182 – The Rock Show

 

Who among us hasn’t fallen in love with the girl at the rock show? Some of us still do it on a weekly basis, making this song an anthem.

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