Monday, June 11, 2007

Was This Really Fifteen Years Ago!

From many places (Tom most recently) I see this meme being done, and, being quite the lemming, I had to jump in. The (purportedly) 25 top-charting songs from the year I turned 18 are listed below, along with pity commentary on the same. A "?" means I have never heard of this song.

1. "Baby Got Back" - Sir Mixx-A-Lott
Hard not to admire the wordplay, if not much else. Did yield two pretty comedic bits for me - the Friends episode where Ross and Rachel's baby will only be soothed by the singing of this song and a cover done in Gilbert & Sullivan style found on-line.

2. "I'm Too Sexy" - Right Said Fred
I may not "like" this song, but I can't deny the sheer genius of its construction and catchiness.

3. "End Of The Road" - Boys II Men
Can't place it, although I understand it broke records for a length of time at #1.

4. "Move This" - Technotronic
?

5. "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen (bigger hit as a reissue)
Mike Myers' deserves kudos for re-establishing this masterpiece of pop excess to the pop culture consciousness.

6. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana
I never got into Nirvana, but can appreciate what was done here. It is a killer riff.

7. "Save The Best For Last" - Vanessa Williams
If this is what I'm remembering, it's pretty much treacle.

8. "Come As You Are" - Nirvana
Another song I respect but don't adore.

9. "Jump Around" - House Of Pain
I do remember the ubiquity of this song my freshman year in college. And I didn't even go to many (one) frat parties.

10. "I Will Always Love You" - Whitney Houston
I know I'm supposed to hate this and love Dolly Parton's original as part of the hip contract, but try and tell me that Houston can't sing. Overplayed to death several times over, but still a nice piece of production and singing.

11. "Twilight Zone" - 2 Unlimited
?

12. Mysterious Ways - U2
I never quite understood why this was the biggest of the Achtung Baby singles. I love the song, of course, and frequently quote that high b-flat at the end ("she moves with IT") as proof of Bono's under-appreciated vocal abilities, but it doesn't come near "One" for greatness, as time has pretty much confirmed.

13. "Boot Scootin' Boogie" - Brooks & Dunn
?

14. "November Rain" - Guns N Roses
In retrospect, overproduction was really the death of Guns 'N Roses. There's a fine piece of Queen-esque songwriting in there somewhere.

15. "I'll Be There" - Mariah Carey
?

16. "Lithium" - Nirvana
I really do respect Nirvana more than like them.

17. "Rump Shaker" - Wreckx-N-Effect
I guess '92 was the year of ass worship?

18. "Masterpiece" - Atlantic Starr
?

19. "Caribbean Blue" - Enya
?

20. "Baby Baby Baby" - TLC
?

21. "Finally" - CeCe Peniston
Was she the KD Tunstall of the day? I keep hearing that "Suddenly I See" song when I think of this.

22. "To Be With You" - Mr. Big
?

23. "One" - U2
This song just ages better and better. May well be the song U2 is most remembered or 50 years hence. And I'm completely OK with that.

24. "If I Ever Fall in Love" - Shai
?

25. "To Be With You" - Mr. big
?

Until Whenever

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