Pop Shots – A Look At The Charts … From 35 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 35 years ago this week.

Touching down in 1991, love was in the air, or at least it was on the radio, in a plethora of different forms. From R&B, to pop, to adult contemporary, and from desirous love, to young love, to appreciative love – we really had it all!

There was also a band that inadvertently provided the soundtrack to a revolution in Serbia.

Hey, I told you we had it all!

Kicking things off, however, was a dance hit that resulted in a memorable fraud case.

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.

1. C+C Music Factory – Gonna Make You Sweat

Thanks to a musical melange of hip-hop, R&B, and dance, in 1991 everybody was sweatin’ to “Gonna Make You Sweat.”

When it was discovered that the slender Zelma Davis, who was on the album packaging, and in the music video, wasn’t actually the woman singing, C+C Music Factory, and Sony Music would be the ones sweating, in court.

Actual singer Martha Walsh was rightfully upset at being uncredited, and it was the second time in two years it had happened to her, as in 1990 Black Box did the same thing to her with “Everybody Everybody.”

Walsh has now been paid, and credited appropriately, and back in 2017 I spoke with C+C Music Factory’s Freedom Williams about the entire thing during an extended interview.

5. Mariah Carey – Someday

Mariah’s third single, and, arguably, the one that turned her into a pop star, “Someday” still sounds like a heaping dose of joy, and confidence, and you can’t help but turn it up, and belt it out whenever it comes on the radio.

I’d say I wish we still had songs like this coming out today, but there’s really only one Mariah, and that pop-meets-New Jack Swing vibe of “Someday” lets you know it had to be from this era.

9. Vanilla Ice – Play That Funky Music

Yes, this happened, and you have to give Vanilla Ice credit for knowing exactly how he was going to be viewed by the public, and leaning all the way into it by using the chorus from the classic Wild Cherry song “Play That Funky Music.”

That said, while we all know the lyrics to “Ice Ice Baby,” if you know the lyrics to this one you’re probably a Vanilla Ice historian.

10. Janet Jackson – Love Will Never Do (Without You)

My favorite musical Jackson – yeah, I said it – Janet’s catalog can compete with just about anyone’s. Case in point, “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” was the seventh single off of Rhythm Nation 1814. SEVENTH!

The video for the song also had some really effective use of black and white.

11. Chris Isaak – Wicked Game

Speaking of music videos that had some really effective use of black and white, coming in at #11 this week back in 1991 was “Wicked Game,” which ranks as one of the sexiest songs, and videos, of all-time (thank you Helena Christensen!).

Chris Isaak is actually one of my favorite voices in all of music, and I think he’s incapable of making a bad album. Seriously, if you’re ever going through bins of used CDs, and find one of his, pick it up, you won’t be disappointed.

My only disappointment is that I still haven’t been able to catch up with him for an interview. Give me a shout, Chris!

14. Ralph Tresvant – Sensitivity

While this may seem like a wild concept to younger audiences, back in the day we had R&B songs that were about love. Ralph Tresvant even expressed “Sensitivity,” and thousands of dudes used this song to woo a lady in their life. Take notes, kids, this is how it’s done!

15. LL Cool J – Around The Way Girl

If you are of a certain age – as I am – you know exactly what type of girl LL Cool J was looking for in 1991. He wanted a girl with extensions in her hair, bamboo earrings at least two pair. It’s one of the most memorable opening lines in hip-hop history, and it had a lot of us wanting an “Around The Way Girl,” even if we didn’t necessarily live around the way.

16. Nelson – After The Rain

With a music video that let us know if Nelson invites you into their poster, you should definitely accept that invite, “After The Rain” was pop-rock goodness that may not have been considered cool to like, but had a gigantic audience, so plenty of us were listening.

I think enough time has passed that we can admit it – we all sing along to the chorus every time.

I caught up with Gunnar Nelson back in 2017, and he spoke about the not-so-unplanned end of their genre, and rise of grunge.  

27. Another Bad Creation – Iesha

The youngest members of The East Coast Family, alongside Bell Biv DeVoe, and Boyz II Men, Another Bad Creation were a group of kids singing / rapping about kid things … and doing it over funky New Jack Swing beats. It was a recipe for success, albeit short term success, and their hits are still memorable.

When it comes to “Iesha,” “We played Nintendo” is a lyric that, for some reason, always makes me smile, and the seriousness with which they sing “on the money bars” is amazing. How can you not love this song?

28. Urban Dance Squad – Deeper Shade of Soul

“Deeper Shade of Soul” is such a dope song, and it not only put Urban Dance Squad on the map, it helped usher in a new era of genre blending. Unfortunately for the band, it was a total outlier when it came to their style, as most of the time their genre blending was much more a precursor to Rage Against the Machine.

While American audiences weren’t ready for what the Dutch band had in their musical arsenal, international audiences were, and in 1996 Urban Dance Squad’s two concerts in Belgrade, Serbia, ended up providing the perfect soundtrack to a revolution that was going on in the country, with protests coincidentally coinciding with the shows!

I wrote an extensive One Hit Wondering column on Urban Dance Squad, and it’s one of my favorites.

38. Londonbeat – I’ve Been Thinking About You

Who among us doesn’t enjoy classic British dance pop?

Londonbeat gave us an absolute gem with “I’ve Been Thinking About You,” and the song’s earworm qualities are such that if you play it just once you’ll be thinking about it for the rest of the day.

Also, the randomness of the mini guitar solo, which makes you wonder if the guitar player knew what song he was recording his part for, is some bonus fun.

This is just such a great tune. You have to love it.

40. Madonna – Justify My Love

There once was a time when Madonna was a queen of controversy, and the video for this song was banned from MTV.

It almost seems quaint compared to what MTV would air in the years following this, but the ban moved a heck of a lot of VHS tapes. Yes, I said VHS tapes, because the music video was released on VHS, and went multiplatinum on the format!

If you’re into music trivia, “Justify My Love” has three writers listed, one of whom is Lenny Kravitz. Bet you didn’t see that one coming!

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