Pop Shots – A Look At The Top 10 … From 33 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, and this time I’m setting the coordinates to 33 years ago, to take a look at the Billboard Top 10 from this week back in 1993.

This Top 10 was dominated by a singular emotion – love. Whether it was new love, old love, lustful love, or lost love, it had it all.

It seems like love has become borderline nonexistent in music today, and that’s a shame, because when you listen to these songs from 1993, they’re a reminder that appreciating someone sounds way better than the emotions that permeate present day playlists.

Alongside all the love back in ’93 was something to inspire us to party, and just a smidgen of hip-hop beef, because even in ’93 we weren’t all about the love all the time.

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.

1. Janet Jackson – That’s The Way Love Goes

The janet. album was one of the sexiest albums of the ‘90s, and kicking off this sultry era for Miss Jackson was “That’s The Way Love Goes.”

With a groove that was undeniable, and a vibe that set the tone for the eight, yes eight, follow up singles from the album, “That’s The Way Love Goes” was more than just a great song, it was a building block for what was coming next, as in 1997 Janet would dive headfirst into neo soul with The Velvet Rope.

2. SWV – Weak

Remember R&B groups? You know, back when it was cool to have anywhere from three to five singers all being equal parts in something great, and not just everyone desperately hoping to break out as a solo act.

SWV were an authentic R&B group, and they were awesome. Case in point – whenever “Weak” comes on every single one of us still gets weak in the knees.

3. H-Town – Knockin’ Da Boots

Speaking of R&B groups, H-Town gave us a bedroom classic with “Knockin’ Da Boots.”

While the intro claims they’re doing this one for all the ladies, it certainly helped plenty of fellas in the love department, as well. This song graced countless mixtapes made for girls, and there are probably quite a few people in their early 30s who owe their conception to it.

4. Tag Team – Whoomp! (There It Is)

Taking a brief break from all the love, Tag Team came in at #4 with a song that immediately took over every party, and if a DJ were to put it on today, there’s a certain age group that would still go nuts for it (and I am in that age group).

If you weren’t around when this song came out you can’t fully appreciate how big it became. It was literally everywhere, and we were all better for it.

5. Rod Stewart – Have I Told You Lately

Returning to the love vibe, in a sea of young artists, Rod Stewart was still able to bring his own brand of love to the charts with his cover of Van Morrison’s “Have I Told You Lately.”

Does anyone even remember it was originally a Van Morrison song? Rod definitely owned it with his version, although when he originally released it, it didn’t make much of an impact, peaking at #33 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It wasn’t until his live album, Unplugged … and Seated, released in 1993, that it became a massive success, spending five weeks at #1 on the Hot 100, selling over 700k copies as a single, and officially becoming his song.

6. Robin S. – Show Me Love

Looking for a danceable type of love? Robin S. gave us that with “Show Me Love.”

I told you this Top 10 had every kind of love!

The early to mid ‘90s featured a bevy of dance classics with love being an overarching theme, and “Show Me Love” was one of the best.

Does anyone else suddenly want to have a ‘90s dance party … or are you already having one wherever you’re listening to this?

7. UB40 – Can’t Help Falling In Love

Slowing things down, but keeping with the love theme, we have UB40 with their phenomenal reggae cover of the Elvis classic “Can’t Help Falling In Love.”

This song was huge. Not only did the it make it all the way to #1, it stayed there for seven weeks, with the single reaching platinum status (one million sold).

UB40 brought a vibe with this that doesn’t exist in the present, and I think we need to bring it back immediately!

8. Dr. Dre w/ Snoop Doggy Dogg – Dre Day

Mixed in with all the love in this Top 10 was one heck of a diss track.

Former N.W.A. compatriots Dr. Dre and Eazy-E wound up just plain old not liking each other, and when that happens in hip-hop, it finds its way into the music.

As Dr. Dre’s The Chronic was building its legacy as one of the most important hip-hop albums of all-time, “Dre Day,” the epic diss of Eazy-E, climbed the charts. The song takes aim at a number of artists, but Eazy was the main target, and he responded almost immediately with “Real Muthaphuckkin G’s.”

While “Dre Day” won the chart war, climbing all the way to #8 on the Hot 100, while Eazy’s reply only made it to #42, it could be argued that the far more personal nature of “Real Muthaphuckkin G’s” set the standard for what diss tracks would become.

9. Duran Duran – Come Undone

Duran Duran has an incredible catalog, and while songs like “Rio,” and “Hungry Like The Wolf” are on every ‘80s playlist, I think “Come Undone” might be their very best.

Stunningly gorgeous, the band’s dive into downtempo was absolutely perfect (and yes, I used the word “dive” because of the video).

I know I’ve said this about other songs in this Top 10, but can we please bring this sound back to the mainstream? We all love it, right? Who says no?

10. Exposé – I'll Never Get Over You (Getting Over Me)

Closing out this Top 10 is the saddest type of love – love that’s been lost.

Freestyle trio Exposé gave us a number of high energy classics, but for as great as those songs were, their ballads really stood out as truly beautiful songs that you can tell came directly from the heart.

“I’ll Never Get Over You (Getting Over Me)” was one of those songs. An incredible post-breakup tune, I honestly believe if it were to be released today it would be just as popular now as it was in 1993. It’s that timeless.

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