The Rules: Go to the the following site: http://www.popculturemadness.com/Music/Pop-Modern/2006.html and check out the songs from the year in which you turned 18. Bold the songs you like. Strike the songs you don’t. Leave the ones you’re indifferent to alone.
1. Unforgettable – Nat and Natalie Cole
Yeah, I get it and all, but I just wasn’t a fan. Through the magic of computars a girl can now sing (and later appear in the video) with her dead father. Total buzzkill.
2. Summertime – DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince
The Fresh Prince, all growed up. This song captures that out of school summertime feeling.
3. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You – Bryan Adams
I’m a “Cuts Like a Knife”/”Summer of 69” kind of guy. I didn’t like this song the first time I heard it, and beating it into my skull 10 times a day for two years didn’t help. Those were the worst days of my life.
4. Gonna Make You Sweat – C + C Music Factory
The 70’s had disco, the 80’s had nu-wave/dance, and the 90’s had this — drum machines layered in fake horns and dancing dudes with big muscles.
5. More Than Words – Extreme
Was this before or after “Hole in my Heart?” Typical example of a formerly-hard rockin’ band whose power ballad charted higher than their normal style of music did. Curse Nuno for popularizing the black fingernail thing.
6. God Bless The USA – Lee Greenwood
The redneck patriotic anthem. Am I even allowed to diss this? Of course I am; it’s America.
7. Strike It Up – Black Box (No Idea)
8. Power of Love/Love Power – Luthor Vandross (No Idea)
9. O.P.P. – Naughty By Nature
I dug this song back in the day; nice Jackson sample, and a tee-hee topic. I was down with OPP, and still never got any.
10. True Companion – Marc Cohn (No Idea)
11. When A Man Loves A Woman – Michael Bolton
If he really loved her, he would get her earplugs.
12. Its So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday – Boys II Men
Never a fan; Motownphilly was better (Boys II Men — ABC — BBD!)
13. Enter Sandman – Metallica
You know, mixed bag here, but before I heard it a million times I really liked this song. It took the metal I loved and put it on top 40 so my mom had to listen to it. The Black album had better and worse songs, but have you seen what 1991 looked like? This was a highlight.
14. Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless) – Crystal Waters
15. Lets Talk About Sex – Salt N Pepa
I loved S&P’s album Hot, Cool and Vicious, but this era was just kind of dopey. Not “Waterfalls” dopey, but pretty bad.
16. Crazy – Seal
Not a fan, although he’s now married to Heidi Klum so I’m sure he could care less what I think about his little song.
17. Unbelievable – EMF
As we entered the 90’s, a few bands figured out how to combine synthesizers from the 80’s with rockin’ guitars to make electronic songs that rocked (before Reznor came along and re-wrote the book). Only those who owned the album really knew what EMF stood for. I just heard this song the other day on a Kraft commercial. Wow.
18. Black Or White – Michael Jackson
You know I’m old school; I was raised on the cool “Thriller” Michael Jackson, not the chimp owning, child molesting, plastic surgery modified Jacko you kids know today. While the song is so/so, the video was an amazing work of computer editing. I could watch it a hundred times a day, which is coincidently how many times a day MTV used to show it. That end morphing sequence was phenominal back then.
19. Rico Suave – Gerardo
Once you got over the fact that “oh wow it’s the guy from Colors who got shot”, there wasn’t much here, was there? Between flea market shirts and Taco Bell commercials, this was a bad song made worse by over exposure.
20. It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over – Lenny Kravitz
I wouldn’t change the station if this came on, but I’d take Mama Said or Are You Gonna Go My Way a thousand times before picking this track.
21. Good Vibrations – Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch
It’s hard to sell a convincing “tough guy” image when you’re the younger brother of one of the New Kids on the Block. And for some reason I still bought this CD. I think it was the pecks.
22. Here We Go – C+C Music Factory
Oddly enough, just like the other C+C song on the list, with a different chorus.
23. P.A.S.S.I.O.N. – Rythm Syndicate (No Idea)
24. Coming Out Of The Dark – Gloria Estefan (No Idea)
25. Wind Of Change – Scorpions
It was okay, like, maybe twice.
26. Things That Make You Go Hmmmm… – C+C Music Factory
Did these dumb asses actually have three of the top 75 hits of 1991? This song had more lyrics than the other two combined, which made me like it even less. It’s like when Jessica Simpson opens her yap. Less is more.
27. Coming Out Of The Dark – Gloria Estefan (Did this chart twice?)
28. Emotions – Mariah Carey
I only leave this one alone because early Mariah was hot and I can’t remember if this one one I liked or not. My favorite early Mariah song was “Someday”.
29. I’ve Been Thinking About You – Londonbeat
No.
30. She Talks To Angels – Black Crowes
I have always liked the guitar sound on this song, and I think we all know a chick or two like this.
31. Baby Baby – Amy Grant
There is nothing about this track or artist that I should enjoy — in fact I feel the need to throw out a couple of Hail Satans just so I don’t feel so icky — but I always liked this song. Hail Satan! There, I feel better.
32. Can’t Stop This Thing We Started – Bryan Adams
Again, enough of the new Bryan Adams.
33. Someday – Mariah Carey
This is the best Mariah Carey song! If I remember correctly the video has her wearing blue jeans, so you can tell where she was in her career. It also has a guy playing the drums on a plastic bucket which was a fad for a couple of minutes I think.
34. I’ll Be There – Escape Club
Um, no. Wild Wild West was a one hit wonder, now exit stage left.
35. Joyride – Roxette
Much bigger fan of “She’s Got the Look”. Joyride had way too much whistling, for one thing.
36. Deeper Shade of Soul – Urban Dance Squad
YESYESYES!!! “Mellow … that’s my style.” Pool Skating, a DJ, and a dude in a Charlie Brown shirt. I own their first two (only?) albums, good stuff. Definitely people doing their own thing at the time.
37. Silent Lucidity – Queensryche
I’m not a huge ‘ryche fan but this song was okay before over exposure took over.
38. Something To Talk About – Bonnie Raitt
For a vehemous anti-country music person, this song was tolerable.
39. Set The Night To Music – Roberta Flack and Maxi Preist (No Idea)
40. Gett Off – Prince & The New Power Generation
Apparently 1991 was the year of image changes; Prince started singing into a golden gun and everything went to hell.
41. Motownphilly – Boys II Men
Decent.
42. Star Spangles Banner – Whitney Houston
I have to strike this one out of principle.
43. Right Here, Right Now – Jesus Jones
I’ve always hated this song. It’s amazing how many people will compare Jesus Jones to EMF, when I liked one and didn’t care for the other. Jesus Jones was one of the leaders of the “alternative” movement before people began referring to it as “puss rock.”
44. Around The Way Girl – LL Cool J
LL Cool J magically tranformed himself from a tough guy rapper into a lady’s man, much to my disappointment. Mama says knock him out.
45. Love Will Never Do (Without You) – Janet Jackson
I’m not striking this one out of spite; I actually dug “Black Cat” and a few of her other tunes, but not this one.
46. Walking In Memphis – Marc Cohn
I couldn’t tell you what this song is about (other than the obvious), but I remember enjoying it.
47. Love Is A Wonderful Thing – Michael Bolton
Not by him, it isn’t.
48. High Enough – Damn Yankees
I’m a fan of supergroups, but this song was a bit stinky even for me.
49. I Don’t Wanna Cry – Mariah Carey
Mariah graduates from performer to octave-showoff.
50. Blowing Kisses In The Wind – Paula Abdul
Bring back the dancing cat, lady.
51. Justify My Love – Madonna
I used to work at a pizza joint, and every night after close we would just play this song a hundred times in a row on the jukebox and dance while scrubbing pizza pans and wiping tables.
52. Every Heartbeat – Amy Grant
A little bubbly, even for me.
53. Sadeness, Part 1 – Enigma
I dug this song as a single, but didn’t remain on the Enigma bandwagon. I never understood the long term fascination of this band, it’s like an … what’s the word I’m looking for …
54. Everybody Plays The Fool – Aaron Neville
Dumb falsetto crapola.
55. I Wanna Sex You Up – Color Me Badd
This was one of the first songs I remember dropping sexual innuendo and just coming out and saying it. Despite the fact that these guys were from Oklahoma City (and that I actually owned a t-shirt with the song’s name on it that I won at the fair), I gotta give the thumbs down here. Tick tock, they finally stopped.
56. Miracle – Whitney Houston
57. Losing My Religion – R.E.M.
Isn’t it amazing how I can just go through and strike through some of the greatest songs of our time? Way too serious REM for me. “Orange Crush”, “Stand”, and “It’s the End of the World as We Know It” — that’s my REM.
58. I Touch Myself – Divinyls
You know what’s funny? I had never even heard of this song until Weird Al threw it into one of his polka medleys … I thought it was something goofy he just made up until years later when I heard the original.
59. Now That We Found Love – Heavy D and The Boys
Another song I more than dislike; I really hate this song. Something about the stupid samples, and the obvious attempt to take rap to the radio. Ugh. Fashion tip: if you’re overweight, don’t wear a yellow trash bag as an outfit.
60. Round and Round – Tevin Campbell (No Idea)
61. Where Does My Heart Beat Now – Celine Dion
Wow, she’s been around that long? I thought I’d only been hating her for a decade or so.
62. How To Dance – Bingoboys with Princessa (No Idea)
63. Kiss Them For Me – Siouxsie & The Banshees
How is it possible that this made the list and “Peek-A-Boo” didn’t, which is the only song I remember from that era.
64. Learning To Fly – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tolerable, although not in my top 50 Tom Petty songs.
65. Touch Me (All Night Long) – Cathy Dennis
All I can think of is the Samantha Fox song by the same name.
66. You Could Be Mine – Guns N’ Roses
Why Use Your Illusion 2 was better than number 1.
67. Don’t Treat Me So Bad – Firehouse
The tail end of hair metal, (barely) sneaking on to the countdown; they brought up the rear along with Trixter and Slaughter.
68. (If There Was) Any Other Way – Celine Dion
Noooooooooo.
69. Love… Thy Will Be Done – Martika (No Idea)
…but let me just say, Toy Soldiers is one great tune.
70. Let The Beat Hit ‘Em – Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam (No Idea)
71. Wicked Game – Chris Isaak
While I’ll agree the chick in the video was hot, that can’t save the wailing chorus.
72. Into The Great Wide Open – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Again, not a great Petty tune, but I’ll let it slide.
73. The Motown Song – Rod Stewart (No Idea)
74. Do The Bartman – The Simpsons
I could name 100 better songs from 1991 than this. It’s amazing that “Bart Simpson” edged out things like Nirvana’s Nevermind. Amazing.
75. Shiny Happy People – R.E.M.
A little too shiny and happy for me, although I did enjoy the version they performed with the Muppets.
So there’s my take on the top 75 of 1991. It’s amazing to me what all DIDN’T make the list. Highlights of 1991 included Nirvana’s Nevermind, Pearl Jam’s Ten, Red Hot Chilli Pepper’s Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Soundgarden’s Badmotofinger, Smashing Pumpkin’s Gish, Ozzy’s No More Tears, Primus’ Sailing the Seas of Cheese, U2’s Achtung Baby, Ice-T’s Original Gangster, Van Halen’s For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, and tons more.
Thanks to Gloomchen for the meme.