Ellie
Super talented triple threat
1993 was probably the peak of my Pop music obsession so I remember absolutely every one of these.
funky's journey through the 90s (again, again)
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VoR
Take it or leave it
I love Buddy X in both forms.
Sardonicus
HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE
I still enjoy the song to this day
Ellie
Super talented triple threat
In case there’s anyone left who hasn’t seen Jim Carrey’s take on Snow:
funky
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MAY 1993
#1s
Silk finally climbs to #1 and end's Snow's 7 week reign, although only lasts a fortnight to be replaced by the return of Janet Jackson, who will manage 8 weeks at the summit and land one of the biggest songs of the summer and the entire year. It was a definite shift for Janet after the dance/swing orientated sound of her last 2 albums, and despite being an understated (and quite possibly the ultimate) "sultry gem", it crossed over quite magnificently. It would open big at #14, jumping to #2 and going top in its third week. It would help continue the shift of R&B to a smoother sound that would help give rise to bedroom R&B and neo-soul.
This was one of those songs that I didn't take to overnight - it was big in the UK but not as big as the US (#2), but as R&B became my sound of choice by around 1995-1996, this was one of the songs that stood out and has since become not only my favourite Janet song but one of my favourite songs of all time, period. Silk ended up with a massive hit and stayed at #2 during most of Janet's run, the only song coming close to the domination of those two tracks was "Weak" by SWV, so R&B was definitely dominating now.
The UK remains more eclectic, with a Queen and George Michael Tribute EP becoming a big hit and gracefully giving my darling Lisa Stansfield a second number one - despite only being on one of the tracks I believe, but she's credited on the EP. Following that begins the relatively brief but huge takeover of Ace Of Base. I can recall this song being absolutely massive in the UK and particularly with my age group as it was everywhere that summer. I think with pop fans, Ace Of Base have endured way beyond just the massive 1993 run, and indeed their success in the US was impressive - more to come on that - but I never really cared for them... and I know "The Sign" has ended up being the bigger song over time, but despite all of that, I really do like this debut song a LOT. I loved it when it was out, so a lot of it is probably nostalgia, because white reggae has NEVER been my thing... they were eventually replaced by another reggae song in June, and it's easy now to see why 1993 and 1994 were so overrun with reggae-pop songs... it was clearly VERY on trend!
NOTABLE NEW ENTRIES (US):
May 1
14 — THAT’S THE WAY LOVE GOES –•– Janet Jackson
73 — BAD BOYS –•– Inner Circle
76 — MORE AND MORE –•– Captain Hollywood Project
81 — REGRET –•– New Order
93 — PASSIN’ ME BY –•– The Pharcyde
May 8
72 — IN THESE ARMS –•– Bon Jovi
79 — SIX FEET DEEP –•– Geto Boys
(this week was a veritable parade of white dad rock and I won't even bore you with the rest of the list)
May 15
49 — SOMEBODY TO LOVE –•– George Michael & Queen
82 — GIRL, I’VE BEEN HURT –•– Snow
83 — LOVE NO LIMIT –•– Mary J. Blige
85 — CRY NO MORE II D –•– Extreme
97 — DRE DAY –•– Dr. Dre
100 — CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE –•– UB40
May 22
82 — THE FLOOR –•– Johnny Gill
83 — LITTLE MIRACLES (HAPPEN EVERY DAY) –•– Luther Vandross
92 — BY THE TIME THIS NIGHT IS OVER –•– Kenny G & Peabo Bryson
May 29
65 — WHOOMP! (THERE IT IS) –•– Tag Team
83 — I DON’T WANNA FIGHT –•– Tina Turner
96 — WHO’S THE MAN? –•– House Of Pain
Despite America's preference towards rock, country and soul, European sounds have had their influence, and it does have a history of embracing electronic and synth music, from Depeche Mode and Eurythmics in the 80s through to the dance breakthrough of Technotronic, Black Box and Snap!. But it's the latter's hit "Rhythm Is A Dancer" which I think has the most impact on dance crossover hits in the 90s, with Captain Hollywood being exhibit A. It would peak at #17 in the US, even beating the UK peak of #23. It obviously went Top 10 in most European markets.
We didn't know it at the time but we were in the midst of Hip-Hop's golden era, with albums by A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, 2Pac, Wu-Tang Clan and many others becoming all-time critically acclaimed classics. The Pharcyde were much lesser known but they are very well known by their debut album Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde and their signature hit, "Passin My By", absolutely one of the greatest rap songs of all time. It featured the oft-sampled Quincy Jones classic "Summer In The City", and it's another take on jazz's influence on the 90s rap scene. 10/10.
Speaking of samples, Mary J Blige was in the 2.0 phase of her What's The 411 era, pushing out more singles in remix packages in an attempt to cross over. "Love No Limit" was remixed to include a sample of the post-disco classic "Risin' To The Top" by Keni Burke, and it's a total glow up on the nice but basic hip-hop soul original. Mary J has made a career out of celebrating 70s and 80s R&B with her remixes and covers and this has endured as one of her most signature tracks... even though at the time it stalled at #44 on the Hot 100, failing again to give her another big hit (it did go Top Ten on R&B). The songs were working though as this continued release of singles (7 in total) would eventually push the debut album to 4x platinum.
Technically, Snow wasn't a one hit wonder, as the follow up "Girl I've Been Hurt" would hit the Hot 100, but it stalled at #78 and was clearly a flop after all the buzz and momentum, so yes in that respect "Informer" would go down as a classic 90s one hit wonder. It also missed the Top 40 in the UK. It was also shit, and clearly exposed any lack of talent beyond the novelty appeal of the former smash.
UB40 have enjoyed considerable success in the US, but overall they are mostly know for their two #1s, "Red Red Wine" and this cover of the Elvis Presley classic in reggae form. This was just enormous - #1 in almost every major market and platinum in both UK and US. I really don't care for UB40 at all but in another one of those "songs you like by artists you hate" I do have a soft spot for "Kingston Town". But I digress.
Tina Turner had been quiet in the US since 1990 after having a couple of medium hits from her Foreign Affair album. She had enjoyed sustained success internationally, including a big Simply The Best compilation that gave her a bunch of decent hits in the UK. But "I Don't Wanna Fight" was something of another comeback for Tina, who might have looked like she had seen her last Top 10 hit in the US after her 80s renaissance. But this hit #9 in the US and #7 in the UK, her first Top 10 in 7 years and 4 years respectively. In the US it would be her last though. This came as the lead single for the What's Love Got To Do With It film and retrospective album, and can I just say I absolutely adore this song, one of my favourites of her entire career.
#1s
US | UK | |
| May-1 | Silk - Freak Me (1) | Five Live EP (Queen/George/Lisa) (1) |
| May-8 | Silk - Freak Me (2) | Five Live EP (Queen/George/Lisa) (2) |
| May-15 | Janet Jackson - That's The Way Love Goes (1) | Five Live EP (Queen/George/Lisa) (3) |
| May-22 | Janet Jackson - That's The Way Love Goes (2) | Ace Of Base - All That She Wants (1) |
| May-29 | Janet Jackson - That's The Way Love Goes (3) | Ace Of Base - All That She Wants (2) |
Silk finally climbs to #1 and end's Snow's 7 week reign, although only lasts a fortnight to be replaced by the return of Janet Jackson, who will manage 8 weeks at the summit and land one of the biggest songs of the summer and the entire year. It was a definite shift for Janet after the dance/swing orientated sound of her last 2 albums, and despite being an understated (and quite possibly the ultimate) "sultry gem", it crossed over quite magnificently. It would open big at #14, jumping to #2 and going top in its third week. It would help continue the shift of R&B to a smoother sound that would help give rise to bedroom R&B and neo-soul.
This was one of those songs that I didn't take to overnight - it was big in the UK but not as big as the US (#2), but as R&B became my sound of choice by around 1995-1996, this was one of the songs that stood out and has since become not only my favourite Janet song but one of my favourite songs of all time, period. Silk ended up with a massive hit and stayed at #2 during most of Janet's run, the only song coming close to the domination of those two tracks was "Weak" by SWV, so R&B was definitely dominating now.
The UK remains more eclectic, with a Queen and George Michael Tribute EP becoming a big hit and gracefully giving my darling Lisa Stansfield a second number one - despite only being on one of the tracks I believe, but she's credited on the EP. Following that begins the relatively brief but huge takeover of Ace Of Base. I can recall this song being absolutely massive in the UK and particularly with my age group as it was everywhere that summer. I think with pop fans, Ace Of Base have endured way beyond just the massive 1993 run, and indeed their success in the US was impressive - more to come on that - but I never really cared for them... and I know "The Sign" has ended up being the bigger song over time, but despite all of that, I really do like this debut song a LOT. I loved it when it was out, so a lot of it is probably nostalgia, because white reggae has NEVER been my thing... they were eventually replaced by another reggae song in June, and it's easy now to see why 1993 and 1994 were so overrun with reggae-pop songs... it was clearly VERY on trend!
NOTABLE NEW ENTRIES (US):
May 1
14 — THAT’S THE WAY LOVE GOES –•– Janet Jackson
73 — BAD BOYS –•– Inner Circle
76 — MORE AND MORE –•– Captain Hollywood Project
81 — REGRET –•– New Order
93 — PASSIN’ ME BY –•– The Pharcyde
May 8
72 — IN THESE ARMS –•– Bon Jovi
79 — SIX FEET DEEP –•– Geto Boys
(this week was a veritable parade of white dad rock and I won't even bore you with the rest of the list)
May 15
49 — SOMEBODY TO LOVE –•– George Michael & Queen
82 — GIRL, I’VE BEEN HURT –•– Snow
83 — LOVE NO LIMIT –•– Mary J. Blige
85 — CRY NO MORE II D –•– Extreme
97 — DRE DAY –•– Dr. Dre
100 — CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE –•– UB40
May 22
82 — THE FLOOR –•– Johnny Gill
83 — LITTLE MIRACLES (HAPPEN EVERY DAY) –•– Luther Vandross
92 — BY THE TIME THIS NIGHT IS OVER –•– Kenny G & Peabo Bryson
May 29
65 — WHOOMP! (THERE IT IS) –•– Tag Team
83 — I DON’T WANNA FIGHT –•– Tina Turner
96 — WHO’S THE MAN? –•– House Of Pain
Despite America's preference towards rock, country and soul, European sounds have had their influence, and it does have a history of embracing electronic and synth music, from Depeche Mode and Eurythmics in the 80s through to the dance breakthrough of Technotronic, Black Box and Snap!. But it's the latter's hit "Rhythm Is A Dancer" which I think has the most impact on dance crossover hits in the 90s, with Captain Hollywood being exhibit A. It would peak at #17 in the US, even beating the UK peak of #23. It obviously went Top 10 in most European markets.
We didn't know it at the time but we were in the midst of Hip-Hop's golden era, with albums by A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, 2Pac, Wu-Tang Clan and many others becoming all-time critically acclaimed classics. The Pharcyde were much lesser known but they are very well known by their debut album Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde and their signature hit, "Passin My By", absolutely one of the greatest rap songs of all time. It featured the oft-sampled Quincy Jones classic "Summer In The City", and it's another take on jazz's influence on the 90s rap scene. 10/10.
Speaking of samples, Mary J Blige was in the 2.0 phase of her What's The 411 era, pushing out more singles in remix packages in an attempt to cross over. "Love No Limit" was remixed to include a sample of the post-disco classic "Risin' To The Top" by Keni Burke, and it's a total glow up on the nice but basic hip-hop soul original. Mary J has made a career out of celebrating 70s and 80s R&B with her remixes and covers and this has endured as one of her most signature tracks... even though at the time it stalled at #44 on the Hot 100, failing again to give her another big hit (it did go Top Ten on R&B). The songs were working though as this continued release of singles (7 in total) would eventually push the debut album to 4x platinum.
Technically, Snow wasn't a one hit wonder, as the follow up "Girl I've Been Hurt" would hit the Hot 100, but it stalled at #78 and was clearly a flop after all the buzz and momentum, so yes in that respect "Informer" would go down as a classic 90s one hit wonder. It also missed the Top 40 in the UK. It was also shit, and clearly exposed any lack of talent beyond the novelty appeal of the former smash.
UB40 have enjoyed considerable success in the US, but overall they are mostly know for their two #1s, "Red Red Wine" and this cover of the Elvis Presley classic in reggae form. This was just enormous - #1 in almost every major market and platinum in both UK and US. I really don't care for UB40 at all but in another one of those "songs you like by artists you hate" I do have a soft spot for "Kingston Town". But I digress.
Tina Turner had been quiet in the US since 1990 after having a couple of medium hits from her Foreign Affair album. She had enjoyed sustained success internationally, including a big Simply The Best compilation that gave her a bunch of decent hits in the UK. But "I Don't Wanna Fight" was something of another comeback for Tina, who might have looked like she had seen her last Top 10 hit in the US after her 80s renaissance. But this hit #9 in the US and #7 in the UK, her first Top 10 in 7 years and 4 years respectively. In the US it would be her last though. This came as the lead single for the What's Love Got To Do With It film and retrospective album, and can I just say I absolutely adore this song, one of my favourites of her entire career.
funky
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MAY 1993 (continued)
CHART HIGHLIGHTS (UK):
Speaking of Snap!'s influence, the end of the month would see the release of this dance track -
An obvious big hit, going #2 UK, #11 American and Top Ten globally, time has proven to be even kinder to the track as it has endured as one of dance music's biggest ever songs. The official YouTube video is at 416m streams and on Spotify it's 1.1bn... not including countless remix and edits that total approx another 100m. It's basic europop, but even I like this one.
Lisa Stansfield quickly followed her Queen EP success with the start of her third album campaign. A favourite of mine, I'm not sure if it started out as the version we all know because the version on the original album is different (and WAY less interesting). I think it featured on a soundtrack if memory serves. Anyway this would go to #8 but the album So Natural was a relative flop - it sold well but she definitely lost her dominance and relevance with this album and maybe leading with two ballads (both GREAT ballads to be fair) was not the way to go. All three singles are fantastic, but the album as a whole is a big step down. She would fortunately bounce back in 1997 with more hits and a fantastic album... Here's a live orchestral version of the track with Lisa on typically top form.
Sounds Of Blackness had more hits than I realised... their 3rd album Africa to America: The Journey of the Drum was preceded by this glorious track that went #27 on release but hit #14 on a re-release in 1995.
Another month, another Dina Carroll release, and this time we go back to the bops, with "Express", which hit #12, her best solo hit to date and showing she was gaining some momentum now. Another GREAT track, with some nice Deee-Lite references in this one.
"Walking In My Shoes" was the second single from the Depeche Mode album Songs Of Faith And Devotion and this is a choice DM cut for me, I like it a lot. It was the only song from the 4 singles to not go Top 10, but it still reached #14.
"Break It Down Again" was the lead single from Tears For Fears for their 4th album Elemental, and while I don't think they would ever reclaim the glory years of the 80s, this is still a strong track. I have a big soft spot for TFF. They would continue to have success, going #20 UK and #25 US.
This is a gloriously underrated dance classic...
I'd forgotten all about this song... a great vocal that has been sampled many times by dance tracks since
CHART HIGHLIGHTS (UK):
Speaking of Snap!'s influence, the end of the month would see the release of this dance track -
An obvious big hit, going #2 UK, #11 American and Top Ten globally, time has proven to be even kinder to the track as it has endured as one of dance music's biggest ever songs. The official YouTube video is at 416m streams and on Spotify it's 1.1bn... not including countless remix and edits that total approx another 100m. It's basic europop, but even I like this one.
Lisa Stansfield quickly followed her Queen EP success with the start of her third album campaign. A favourite of mine, I'm not sure if it started out as the version we all know because the version on the original album is different (and WAY less interesting). I think it featured on a soundtrack if memory serves. Anyway this would go to #8 but the album So Natural was a relative flop - it sold well but she definitely lost her dominance and relevance with this album and maybe leading with two ballads (both GREAT ballads to be fair) was not the way to go. All three singles are fantastic, but the album as a whole is a big step down. She would fortunately bounce back in 1997 with more hits and a fantastic album... Here's a live orchestral version of the track with Lisa on typically top form.
Sounds Of Blackness had more hits than I realised... their 3rd album Africa to America: The Journey of the Drum was preceded by this glorious track that went #27 on release but hit #14 on a re-release in 1995.
Another month, another Dina Carroll release, and this time we go back to the bops, with "Express", which hit #12, her best solo hit to date and showing she was gaining some momentum now. Another GREAT track, with some nice Deee-Lite references in this one.
"Walking In My Shoes" was the second single from the Depeche Mode album Songs Of Faith And Devotion and this is a choice DM cut for me, I like it a lot. It was the only song from the 4 singles to not go Top 10, but it still reached #14.
"Break It Down Again" was the lead single from Tears For Fears for their 4th album Elemental, and while I don't think they would ever reclaim the glory years of the 80s, this is still a strong track. I have a big soft spot for TFF. They would continue to have success, going #20 UK and #25 US.
This is a gloriously underrated dance classic...
I'd forgotten all about this song... a great vocal that has been sampled many times by dance tracks since
funky
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MAY 1993 (continued):
DISCOVERIES:
I don't recall this Saint Etienne song at all, although to be honest I'm not overly familiar with their discography generally, but this is lovely! This was a AA single with "Hobart Paving" and went to #23 in the UK.
Not sure if I have any takers on this one - maybe my American friends - but I do have a soft spot for gospel-tinged rock, which is why I like acts like Black Crowes were southern rock meets blues. This feels like an outlier for classic rock band Poison (maybe not?) but it's great. It didn't chart in the US and their mainstream career was over at this point but it hit #32 in the UK - also their last.
This is a lovely cover, although this remix version (highly superior to the original mix) isn't on Spotify sadly. No idea who Sue Chaloner is...
My fave discovery this month is another gorgeous slice of pop-soul, that only reached #43 in the UK and #40 on US R&B. Missed this entirely on its release, it's a gorgeous discovery because that vocal! And I've only just discovered (or maybe remembered) that Penny Ford is the lead singer from Snap!'s first album... of course I can't unhear it now. She also was a guest vocal on some Soul II Soul tracks.
DISCOVERIES:
I don't recall this Saint Etienne song at all, although to be honest I'm not overly familiar with their discography generally, but this is lovely! This was a AA single with "Hobart Paving" and went to #23 in the UK.
Not sure if I have any takers on this one - maybe my American friends - but I do have a soft spot for gospel-tinged rock, which is why I like acts like Black Crowes were southern rock meets blues. This feels like an outlier for classic rock band Poison (maybe not?) but it's great. It didn't chart in the US and their mainstream career was over at this point but it hit #32 in the UK - also their last.
This is a lovely cover, although this remix version (highly superior to the original mix) isn't on Spotify sadly. No idea who Sue Chaloner is...
My fave discovery this month is another gorgeous slice of pop-soul, that only reached #43 in the UK and #40 on US R&B. Missed this entirely on its release, it's a gorgeous discovery because that vocal! And I've only just discovered (or maybe remembered) that Penny Ford is the lead singer from Snap!'s first album... of course I can't unhear it now. She also was a guest vocal on some Soul II Soul tracks.
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Agneeta
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Was it Prince?
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CALL IT HOUSE
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Who Do You Think You Are was going to be an ET produced (backing singer) Debsy solo SMASH at one point, but they decided to keep it for themselves, giving Debsy a prominent role in the pre-chorus.
Always wondered how much of that was OUR SARAH calling the shots.
Always wondered how much of that was OUR SARAH calling the shots.
funky
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But darling do you KNOW who WROTE 'I Don't Wanna Fight'?
Oh not LXLX! I did not know that. I didn't even know she wrote songs!
Wiki also says the song was written for SADE, who recommended it to Tina. Not sure how true that is, did Sade and Tina have COFFEE MORNINGS together to catch up on local gossip, and share tracks?? Still I can't see this ever being a Sade song, I'm glad she was so SHARING
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That's the one. The soundtrack version is more SULTRY and yet oddly, quite drab...
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JUNE 1993
#1s
I watched an interesting interview with Jimmy Jam recently where he talked about playing “That’s The Way Love Goes” demo to Janet for the first time and her not being interested in it, and wanting to work on other tracks, specifically “If”, which she was very excited about and Virgin had already pegged as the first single (and her first single under the new record-breaking contract). Nevertheless she took the tracks on holiday with her over Christmas 1992 and it was the former track that emerged, as she fed back to Jam & Lewis that everyone with her on holiday were playing TTWLG non stop. She made some tweaks and joined Jam & Lewis in pushing for it to be the first single, and thus one of the best R&B songs of all time was born. I know “If” is very popular among the fans, and I get it, but the right decision was made. Even though it was more of a risk. As Jam put it, it was “that Sade shit” - you may not get it straight away, but it’s a timeless groove that gets under your skin and doesn’t relent.
In the UK, the inexplicable love affair with UB40 returned with gusto as their Elvis cover became a huge summer hit (and later a huge in the US, too). But things recovered quickly as Gabrielle emerged with “Dreams”, beginning a decade of strong chart success. Certainly best known for her debut, Gabs would manage two big albums of hits throughout the 90s and reinvent herself for a 3rd and even bigger album in 2000, topped off by a stonking Greatest Hits album. Quite the crossover artist too - most of us have a couple of Gabrielle tracks or more that we enjoy. Dreams is definitely in my Top 5, but there’s other tracks coming up which are as good if not better.
NOTABLE NEW ENTRIES (US):
June 5
62 — CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF YOUR LOVE –•– Taylor Dayne – 1 (62)
84 — WALKING IN MY SHOES –•– Depeche Mode – 1 (84)
85 — FIELDS OF GOLD –•– Sting – 1 (85)
88 — ABC-123 –•– Levert – 1 (88)
89 — ONE WOMAN –•– Jade – 1 (89)
90 — VOICE OF FREEDOM –•– Freedom Williams – 1 (90)
96 — BABY I’M YOURS –•– Shai – 1 (96)
June 12
44 — LATELY –•– Jodeci – 1 (44)
77 — IF I HAD NO LOOT –•– Tony! Toni! Tone! – 1 (77)
87 — RUNAWAY TRAIN –•– Soul Asylum – 1 (87)
89 — ONE LAST CRY –•– Brian McKnight – 1 (89)
90 — I’M GONNA BE (500 MILES) –•– Proclaimers – 1 (90)
June 19
85 — GIRL U FOR ME –•– Silk – 1 (85)
94 — ALMOST UNREAL –•– Roxette – 1 (94)
96 — PINK COOKIES IN A PLASTIC BAG/BACK SEAT OF MY JEEP –•– LL Cool J – 1 (96)
98 — I SHOULD BE LAUGHING –•– Patty Smyth – 1 (98)
June 26
83 — RUN TO YOU –•– Whitney Houston – 1 (83)
90 — I’M FREE –•– Jon Secada – 1 (90)
92 — CREEP –•– Radiohead – 1 (92)
96 — IT’S ON –•– Naughty By Nature – 1 (96)
Taylor Dayne’s last single was the 1990 #12 hit ”Heart Of Stone”, which was amazingly her first single to not go Top 10 - she had a run of 7 straight Top 10 singles. But it was the 4th single from her second album Can’t Fight Fate. So it must have been disappointing for this lead single from 3rd album Soul Dancing to only reach #20. A clear indicator her glory days were over - the next single would manage #50 and it would be her last Billboard entry. After struggling somewhat in the UK to cross over, this track would actually do better here, reaching #14. A competent but lazy cover of the Barry White classic, it showed off her impressive vocals, but none of her creativity or artistic direction.
“Walking In My Shoes” would be Depeche Mode’s second single from Songs Of Faith And Devotion and would reach #69 (#14 UK). I'm quite a fan of this one.
While I'm not a fan of Sting, I do really like some of the tracks from Ten Summoner's Tales, including "Fields Of Gold", which would give him another US hit (#23) and another Top 20 in the UK (#16).
"One Woman" is not a bad track but it lacks the punch of the first two big singles, and it showed in the charts - still a hit, but nothing like its predecessors and certainly hasn't help up since either; I had no memory of it until I listened to it again for this.
I didn't know Brian McKnight was already a veteran by the time he had a few singles in the UK in the late 90s, but his early stuff saw some success in the US - "One Last Cry" reached #13 this month, and already his second album after his 1992 debut. I'm not feeling it at all; it'll be a few years yet but there's some great stuff coming from him later on.
No memory of that Roxette track but it was from the Super Mario Bros soundtrack apparently; that #94 entry was the highest it got, although apparently it reached #7 in the UK!
"Run To You" ended the phenomenal run of the first 3 singles of The Bodyguard campaign, but it had to end sometime, and it was still a significant hit - #31 US, #15 UK. The song probably could have been the best ballad on most other soul albums of the 90s, but it was definitely drowned out by what came before. A beautiful song that helped the album continue to sell well into the summer of 93.
It was pretty common in the 90s for European songs to either release or peak months or even years later in the US, such was the slow-burn nature of the industry, and Radiohead's "Creep" manages to peak at #34 more than a year after its original UK release. Originally labelled a "slacker anthem" in the US and included in a Beavis & Butthead episode, the whole success of the track, and its emergence as their signature song, bemused and bewildered Radiohead no end and they refused to play it live for many years. The enduring success of the song cannot be overstated - while Radiohead saw their biggest commercial and critical success around a decade later, "Creep" is one of the most influential rock songs of all time, and has since gone on to be a commercial juggernaut. It has been certified 4x platinum in the UK, and is currently on 2.6bn streams on Spotify, one of the biggest alternative songs of all time.
UK CHARTS:
When Karen Ramirez released her hit "Looking For Love" in 1997, I didn't even know it was a cover, such was my muddled and gap-filled knowledge of Everything But The Girl, now one of my favourite acts of all time. To be fair they did have a very up and down, in and out sort of career, and this was all pre-Missing... so this original version, which only reached #72 as part of another EP project, was never going to immediately catch my eye. It's a GREAT song, one of their best, and proof that, even when someone comes along with a lovely dance version with mass radio appeal, nobody can match Tracey Thorn's vocal.
After a slow-burn debut album of semi-hits and club anthems (yes, they were once highly regarded on the UK club scene), M People begin their imperial era with the lead single from their second album Elegant Slumming, and my FAVE track of theirs, "One Night In Heaven". They smartly re-released debut track "How Can I Love You More" prior to this after building some momentum, giving them their first Top 10 single, and they went higher here, peaking at #6. The album would produce four Top 10 tracks and go double platinum.
DISCOVERIES:
This is quite good. No idea who she is. It managed one week at #96 in May and I didn't even bother to include it then. But it's since grown on me after a few listens. Easy listening R&B-pop. Not on Spotify.
I didn't know this was a cover either... this reached #61 in the UK but he sounds American... of course Kenny Thomas covered it in 1995. I doubt we'll ever see this surface on Spotify either.
Not much of a memory of this gorgeous slice of deep house - part gospel, part diva, part handbag. Glad I found it all these years later. There's also some great remixes from CJ Mackintosh and Mood II Swing.
And of completely the same recipe, this is also stonking. My 90s dance playlists have become so much richer since doing this
#1s
US | UK | |
| June-5 | Janet Jackson - That's The Way Love Goes (4) | Ace Of Base - All That She Wants (3) |
| June-12 | Janet Jackson - That's The Way Love Goes (5) | UB40 - I Can’t Help Falling In Love (1) |
| June-19 | Janet Jackson - That's The Way Love Goes (6) | UB40 - I Can’t Help Falling In Love (2) |
| June-26 | Janet Jackson - That's The Way Love Goes (7) | Gabrielle - Dreams (1) |
I watched an interesting interview with Jimmy Jam recently where he talked about playing “That’s The Way Love Goes” demo to Janet for the first time and her not being interested in it, and wanting to work on other tracks, specifically “If”, which she was very excited about and Virgin had already pegged as the first single (and her first single under the new record-breaking contract). Nevertheless she took the tracks on holiday with her over Christmas 1992 and it was the former track that emerged, as she fed back to Jam & Lewis that everyone with her on holiday were playing TTWLG non stop. She made some tweaks and joined Jam & Lewis in pushing for it to be the first single, and thus one of the best R&B songs of all time was born. I know “If” is very popular among the fans, and I get it, but the right decision was made. Even though it was more of a risk. As Jam put it, it was “that Sade shit” - you may not get it straight away, but it’s a timeless groove that gets under your skin and doesn’t relent.
In the UK, the inexplicable love affair with UB40 returned with gusto as their Elvis cover became a huge summer hit (and later a huge in the US, too). But things recovered quickly as Gabrielle emerged with “Dreams”, beginning a decade of strong chart success. Certainly best known for her debut, Gabs would manage two big albums of hits throughout the 90s and reinvent herself for a 3rd and even bigger album in 2000, topped off by a stonking Greatest Hits album. Quite the crossover artist too - most of us have a couple of Gabrielle tracks or more that we enjoy. Dreams is definitely in my Top 5, but there’s other tracks coming up which are as good if not better.
NOTABLE NEW ENTRIES (US):
June 5
62 — CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF YOUR LOVE –•– Taylor Dayne – 1 (62)
84 — WALKING IN MY SHOES –•– Depeche Mode – 1 (84)
85 — FIELDS OF GOLD –•– Sting – 1 (85)
88 — ABC-123 –•– Levert – 1 (88)
89 — ONE WOMAN –•– Jade – 1 (89)
90 — VOICE OF FREEDOM –•– Freedom Williams – 1 (90)
96 — BABY I’M YOURS –•– Shai – 1 (96)
June 12
44 — LATELY –•– Jodeci – 1 (44)
77 — IF I HAD NO LOOT –•– Tony! Toni! Tone! – 1 (77)
87 — RUNAWAY TRAIN –•– Soul Asylum – 1 (87)
89 — ONE LAST CRY –•– Brian McKnight – 1 (89)
90 — I’M GONNA BE (500 MILES) –•– Proclaimers – 1 (90)
June 19
85 — GIRL U FOR ME –•– Silk – 1 (85)
94 — ALMOST UNREAL –•– Roxette – 1 (94)
96 — PINK COOKIES IN A PLASTIC BAG/BACK SEAT OF MY JEEP –•– LL Cool J – 1 (96)
98 — I SHOULD BE LAUGHING –•– Patty Smyth – 1 (98)
June 26
83 — RUN TO YOU –•– Whitney Houston – 1 (83)
90 — I’M FREE –•– Jon Secada – 1 (90)
92 — CREEP –•– Radiohead – 1 (92)
96 — IT’S ON –•– Naughty By Nature – 1 (96)
Taylor Dayne’s last single was the 1990 #12 hit ”Heart Of Stone”, which was amazingly her first single to not go Top 10 - she had a run of 7 straight Top 10 singles. But it was the 4th single from her second album Can’t Fight Fate. So it must have been disappointing for this lead single from 3rd album Soul Dancing to only reach #20. A clear indicator her glory days were over - the next single would manage #50 and it would be her last Billboard entry. After struggling somewhat in the UK to cross over, this track would actually do better here, reaching #14. A competent but lazy cover of the Barry White classic, it showed off her impressive vocals, but none of her creativity or artistic direction.
“Walking In My Shoes” would be Depeche Mode’s second single from Songs Of Faith And Devotion and would reach #69 (#14 UK). I'm quite a fan of this one.
While I'm not a fan of Sting, I do really like some of the tracks from Ten Summoner's Tales, including "Fields Of Gold", which would give him another US hit (#23) and another Top 20 in the UK (#16).
"One Woman" is not a bad track but it lacks the punch of the first two big singles, and it showed in the charts - still a hit, but nothing like its predecessors and certainly hasn't help up since either; I had no memory of it until I listened to it again for this.
I didn't know Brian McKnight was already a veteran by the time he had a few singles in the UK in the late 90s, but his early stuff saw some success in the US - "One Last Cry" reached #13 this month, and already his second album after his 1992 debut. I'm not feeling it at all; it'll be a few years yet but there's some great stuff coming from him later on.
No memory of that Roxette track but it was from the Super Mario Bros soundtrack apparently; that #94 entry was the highest it got, although apparently it reached #7 in the UK!
"Run To You" ended the phenomenal run of the first 3 singles of The Bodyguard campaign, but it had to end sometime, and it was still a significant hit - #31 US, #15 UK. The song probably could have been the best ballad on most other soul albums of the 90s, but it was definitely drowned out by what came before. A beautiful song that helped the album continue to sell well into the summer of 93.
It was pretty common in the 90s for European songs to either release or peak months or even years later in the US, such was the slow-burn nature of the industry, and Radiohead's "Creep" manages to peak at #34 more than a year after its original UK release. Originally labelled a "slacker anthem" in the US and included in a Beavis & Butthead episode, the whole success of the track, and its emergence as their signature song, bemused and bewildered Radiohead no end and they refused to play it live for many years. The enduring success of the song cannot be overstated - while Radiohead saw their biggest commercial and critical success around a decade later, "Creep" is one of the most influential rock songs of all time, and has since gone on to be a commercial juggernaut. It has been certified 4x platinum in the UK, and is currently on 2.6bn streams on Spotify, one of the biggest alternative songs of all time.
UK CHARTS:
When Karen Ramirez released her hit "Looking For Love" in 1997, I didn't even know it was a cover, such was my muddled and gap-filled knowledge of Everything But The Girl, now one of my favourite acts of all time. To be fair they did have a very up and down, in and out sort of career, and this was all pre-Missing... so this original version, which only reached #72 as part of another EP project, was never going to immediately catch my eye. It's a GREAT song, one of their best, and proof that, even when someone comes along with a lovely dance version with mass radio appeal, nobody can match Tracey Thorn's vocal.
After a slow-burn debut album of semi-hits and club anthems (yes, they were once highly regarded on the UK club scene), M People begin their imperial era with the lead single from their second album Elegant Slumming, and my FAVE track of theirs, "One Night In Heaven". They smartly re-released debut track "How Can I Love You More" prior to this after building some momentum, giving them their first Top 10 single, and they went higher here, peaking at #6. The album would produce four Top 10 tracks and go double platinum.
DISCOVERIES:
This is quite good. No idea who she is. It managed one week at #96 in May and I didn't even bother to include it then. But it's since grown on me after a few listens. Easy listening R&B-pop. Not on Spotify.
I didn't know this was a cover either... this reached #61 in the UK but he sounds American... of course Kenny Thomas covered it in 1995. I doubt we'll ever see this surface on Spotify either.
Not much of a memory of this gorgeous slice of deep house - part gospel, part diva, part handbag. Glad I found it all these years later. There's also some great remixes from CJ Mackintosh and Mood II Swing.
And of completely the same recipe, this is also stonking. My 90s dance playlists have become so much richer since doing this
Last edited:
Sardonicus
HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE
I was wondering when/if this thread was going to return! My listen to the top 40, write it all down, chart obsessive years in full swing by this point.
Even UB40 haters seem to really like that song but it's never clicked with me. It just sounds like all the others.
Jade had better songs off the album that could have been released than One Woman, which I do still really like, but were probably hampered by the record company mindset of the time that single 3 HAD to be a ballad. If they'd gone for the rousing gospel tinged album closer Blessed (still one of my favourite songs, I'll post below as I think you'll like it @funky) & then the late night slow jam of Looking For Mr Do Right, that'd have been a classic campaign.
Sting is an artist I go up & down with. Sometimes I like him & others I find him DEATHLY DULL. Fields Of Gold is genius though, there's real melancholy to it & it always makes me feel emotional.
Depeche Mode going all rock was fine with me when they kept releasing one brilliant single after another in 1993. What a run!
M People might be easy to parody now, but I loved them in 1993. I swear that they ripped off the intro of One Night In Heaven from the theme to old kids cartoon Stop It & Tidy Up:
Even UB40 haters seem to really like that song but it's never clicked with me. It just sounds like all the others.
Jade had better songs off the album that could have been released than One Woman, which I do still really like, but were probably hampered by the record company mindset of the time that single 3 HAD to be a ballad. If they'd gone for the rousing gospel tinged album closer Blessed (still one of my favourite songs, I'll post below as I think you'll like it @funky) & then the late night slow jam of Looking For Mr Do Right, that'd have been a classic campaign.
Sting is an artist I go up & down with. Sometimes I like him & others I find him DEATHLY DULL. Fields Of Gold is genius though, there's real melancholy to it & it always makes me feel emotional.
Depeche Mode going all rock was fine with me when they kept releasing one brilliant single after another in 1993. What a run!
M People might be easy to parody now, but I loved them in 1993. I swear that they ripped off the intro of One Night In Heaven from the theme to old kids cartoon Stop It & Tidy Up:
Sardonicus
HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE
Funks if you've never heard Jade's first album I think you'd really like it & this was the best track IMO.
funky
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I've never really checked out the Jade albums and I'm not sure why. They just never passed me by back then, and never had any reason to before now. I keep meaning to - the singles are good on both albums. One Woman did grow on me to be honest - one thing I've noticed is that these girls can really SING, but they were never really grouped with En Vogue/SWV/Brownstone as one of the VOCAL groups, they seemed to be closer to TLC brand wise, but based on these songs that's really not true is it? That "Blessed" song is great - it has real 70s throwback vibes, a bit psychadelic even. Lovely.
Sardonicus
HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE
It's a cover of a song by The Emotions from the 1970s written by Earth Wind & Fire so well spotted! And yes, Jade really could sing incredibly well. Di Reed has been the backing vocalist for Rod Stewart on live tours for years since Jade split. I'm still a superfan all these years later!
Sardonicus
HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE
Also that Roxette song is one of their worst, it sounds like an AI piss take of a Roxette song
Sheena
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Jade were marketed as a youth-oriented band for their first album and classed up to ape En Vogue for the second. The album covers tell the story:
Don't Walk Away and Every Day of the Week were the best known hits here, but 5432 (Yo Time Is Up!) got loads of videoplay on The Box but I don't think was ever released and never sure why. Maybe because it tanked in the US.
Don't Walk Away and Every Day of the Week were the best known hits here, but 5432 (Yo Time Is Up!) got loads of videoplay on The Box but I don't think was ever released and never sure why. Maybe because it tanked in the US.
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Also that Roxette song is one of their worst, it sounds like an AI piss take of a Roxette song
I was astonished it was in their recent Lena Philipsson- fronted gig. I presumed it would be cast aside, though I guess being a UK top ten meant it couldn't be in some ways. "I love when you do that hocus pocus to me" does not need to be heard in 2025...but yes, not their best for sure.
Sardonicus
HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE
5432 was on the B side of the Every Day Of The Week single here. Shame, it's a
song that would have made a good single, but maybe a bit too R&B for the UK charts at that time? The 2nd album is good, but yes, clearly trying to appeal to the En Vogue market. There were a few too many dull slow jams after a solid opening 5 or 6 tracks.
funky
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I think it's the first album Jade I'm more familiar with. They were well supported on the myriad of R&B complilations at the time so I was very familiar with the big singles... but I don't recall seeing much from them apart from that.
I'll say it again - "Don't Walk Away" is one of the greatest 90s songs ever, and one of the best R&B girl group songs ever. It's so different to everything else. And such a memorable hook.
I'll say it again - "Don't Walk Away" is one of the greatest 90s songs ever, and one of the best R&B girl group songs ever. It's so different to everything else. And such a memorable hook.
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5432 was on the B side of the Every Day Of The Week single here. Shame, it's a
I owned both, but they were both patchy really. The singles were the highs and, yes, the opening of "MBS" was much stronger than the rest- I took a look at the tracklisting and I don't remember anything past Every Day of the Week
Sheena
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I think I prefer Every Day Of The Week to be honest, but it's a CLOSE RUN THING.
Wasn't there a dance version of Don't Walk Away recently?
funky
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There's a SLEW of random R&B girl groups coming up soon that I had genuinely never heard of and I'm curious if anyone else has... the labels were really throwing out as many as they could following the success of En Vogue, SWV and TLC. Some of them make Jade look hugely successful by comparison.
funky
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PROBABLY. There's so many old R&B samples at the moment, and I wouldn't mind at all, but some of them are sampled terribly! Why bother if you're going to chop it up until it's no longer recognisable or saps out all of the soul?
funky
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JULY1993
#1s
SWV secure their first number one with one of their, um, weaker singles in my opinion, but America was really starting to embrace slushy bedroom R&B at this point. They couldn't replicate the level of Janet's takeover however, the R&B domination quickly permeated by UB40 of all acts after just 2 weeks. UB40 hitting the peak and getting their second US #1 just weeks after they did it in the UK.
In the UK, Take That land their first ever number one, the first of twelve, solidifying their ascent after a rocky start in 1991 and a string of hits in 1992. Their ubiquity would peak in '93 and would also give us far too much Lulu. I found them very annoying at this point, aside from a couple of blue-eyed soul ballads, although I did warm to them later (co-incidentally round about the time when Robbie Williams left, who grated on me the most).
NOTABLE NEW ENTRIES (US):
July 3
66 — GET IT UP –•– TLC
78 — I GET AROUND –•– 2 Pac
88 — ANOTHER SAD LOVE SONG –•– Toni Braxton
95 — KILLER/PAPA WAS A ROLLIN’ STONE –•– George Michael
98 — BELIEVE –•– Lenny Kravitz
July 10
47 — INSANE IN THE BRAIN –•– Cypress Hill
83 — I LIKE IT –•– Jomanda
92 — STEP IT UP –•– Stereo MC’s
95 — CHIEF ROCKA –•– Lords Of The Underground
July 17
55 — RIGHT HERE (HUMAN NATURE) –•– SWV
63 — WILL YOU BE THERE –•– Michael Jackson
78 — BREAK IT DOWN AGAIN –•– Tears For Fears
80 — WHEN I FALL IN LOVE –•– Celine Dion & Clive Griffin
89 — RUFFNECK –•– MC Lyte
92 — IT’S FOR YOU –•– Shanice
96 — UNCONDITIONAL LOVE –•– Hi-Five
July 24
52 — RAIN –•– Madonna
57 — IF –•– Janet Jackson
88 — THE WAYS OF THE WIND –•– P.M. Dawn
July 31
33 — ALRIGHT –•– Kris Kross
64 — THE RIVER OF DREAMS –•– Billy Joel
85 — CHECK YO SELF –•– Ice Cube Featuring Das EFX
88 — CRYIN’ –•– Aerosmith
90 — LICK U UP –•– H-Town
92 — IN THE HEART OF A WOMAN –•– Billy Ray Cyrus
Between albums we get a couple of soundtrack songs from TLC, and soundtracks have been a good way in to deep cuts by big artists that I've never heard of, because the US was chock full of soundtrack albums at this time, particularly R&B and Hip-Hop ones. "Get It Up" couldn't replicate the success of the debut album, and only peaked at #42, with no release in the UK.
Toni Braxton gets her second single release from her debut and things really started cooking at this point. Her debut "Love Shoulda Brought You Home" (a lovely song but, in hindsight, a strange choice for launching a career) peaked at #33 in both the US and the UK, but "Another Sad Love Song" went much better - #7 and #15 respectively. I discovered Toni properly via the Secrets album like a lot of people, but I'm so glad I went back and explored the first album, which borrows more from the adult R&B stars like Anita Baker and Natalie Cole than her Mary J Blige type contemporaries, but has held up better than Secrets in my opinion, which contains big highs but is dragged down by a lot of gloopy balladry. She would have more hits from this album, and an even bigger song would be coming later in 1993.
While George Michael's cover of the Seal song "Killer" was bundled on the Five Live EP in the UK which went to #1, in the US it was released as a separate single, but wouldn't do much for him, peaking at #69. This was the last time we'd see George in the charts until he graced us with Older three years later.
After "Are You Gonna Go My Way" put Lenny Kravitz into the mainstream, he followed up with "Believe". The former track might well have gone to #1 in the US had it been released commercially, but we'll never know, and the opportunity was missed because the follow up only managed #60. It managed #30 in the UK. Great track, although it was more of a recent discovery as I don't remember it coming out. The next single however I do remember and is one of his best.
After a debut album which did well on the Rap charts but didn't register any big hits, Cypress Hill return with their second album and land one of the biggest rap songs of the decade, if not ever. "Insane In The Brain" was an example of how hip-hop was becoming truly mainstream. It actually only managed #19 and #21 in the US and UK respectively, but it endured as a staple of 90s rap and has since been certified 3x platinum in the US and platinum in the UK. Not many 90s gangsta rap songs can claim platinum status in the UK.
While staking their claim as the biggest girl group in the US while TLC and En Vogue were between albums, SWV quickly follow up their #1 by re-releasing previous flop "Right Here" with a genius remix sampling the MJ classic "Human Nature" - the version we all know and love. It would peak at #2 in the US and #3 in the UK, and I remember this really crossing over in the UK at the time.
Michael Jackson is STILL releasing songs from Dangerous, and after a rocky middle period he was back on track now, following up his UK #2 "Give In To Me" with this gospel anthem which would go Top Ten in both markets. The US was done at this point, but the UK would attempt a NINTH single at the end of the year in "Gone Too Soon", which would hit #33. "Give In To Me" and "Will You Be There" are actually my two favourite tracks from the album, along with "Keep The Faith", which was never a single. Overall I thought Dangerous was a big step down from Bad and Thriller, but I really love HiStory (Part II), with some real gems still to come before the star began to fade in the late 90s.
After their greatest hits comp in 1992, Tears For Fears reset for the 90s and release "Break It Down Again", the first single from 4th album Elemental. The track is classic TFF, but they seemed to have lost their dominance at this point, reaching #25 (#20 UK). It would be their last Billboard hit.
MC Lyte never registered at the time until she went commercial in the late 90s and a couple of hits, but she's actually heralded as one of the pioneers of female hip-hop alongside Salt n Pepa and Queen Latifah. Some of her early tracks were filthy, not just the lyrical content (quite provocative for the time) but the production too, including this grimy track "Ruffneck" which would be her biggest hit to date (#35) and her first UK chart entry (#69). It's a solid track, but it was the follow up flop single which is one of my favourite rap songs of the 90s, sounding like a female response to Nas's landmark Illmatic sound.
Those new entries in the same week from Janet and Madonna seem quite subdued given their status, although Madonna was beginning to stall a bit. Janet would rise quickly however and would peak at #4, which would have to be considered a disappointment considering its widely acknowledged as one of her biggest songs among her fans, and was coming off a huge #1. Madonna meanwhile had a slow climb but managed to get "Rain" up to #14, not bad considering the negative press she was facing at the time. The Top 10s continued in the UK however and it would reach #7.
#1s
US | UK | |
| July-3 | Janet Jackson - That's The Way Love Goes (8) | Gabrielle - Dreams (2) |
| July-10 | SWV - Weak (1) | Gabrielle - Dreams (3) |
| July-17 | SWV - Weak (2) | Take That - Pray (1) |
| July-24 | UB40 - (I Can't Help) Falling In Love With You (1) | Take That - Pray (2) |
| July-31 | UB40 - (I Can't Help) Falling In Love With You (2) | Take That - Pray (3) |
SWV secure their first number one with one of their, um, weaker singles in my opinion, but America was really starting to embrace slushy bedroom R&B at this point. They couldn't replicate the level of Janet's takeover however, the R&B domination quickly permeated by UB40 of all acts after just 2 weeks. UB40 hitting the peak and getting their second US #1 just weeks after they did it in the UK.
In the UK, Take That land their first ever number one, the first of twelve, solidifying their ascent after a rocky start in 1991 and a string of hits in 1992. Their ubiquity would peak in '93 and would also give us far too much Lulu. I found them very annoying at this point, aside from a couple of blue-eyed soul ballads, although I did warm to them later (co-incidentally round about the time when Robbie Williams left, who grated on me the most).
NOTABLE NEW ENTRIES (US):
July 3
66 — GET IT UP –•– TLC
78 — I GET AROUND –•– 2 Pac
88 — ANOTHER SAD LOVE SONG –•– Toni Braxton
95 — KILLER/PAPA WAS A ROLLIN’ STONE –•– George Michael
98 — BELIEVE –•– Lenny Kravitz
July 10
47 — INSANE IN THE BRAIN –•– Cypress Hill
83 — I LIKE IT –•– Jomanda
92 — STEP IT UP –•– Stereo MC’s
95 — CHIEF ROCKA –•– Lords Of The Underground
July 17
55 — RIGHT HERE (HUMAN NATURE) –•– SWV
63 — WILL YOU BE THERE –•– Michael Jackson
78 — BREAK IT DOWN AGAIN –•– Tears For Fears
80 — WHEN I FALL IN LOVE –•– Celine Dion & Clive Griffin
89 — RUFFNECK –•– MC Lyte
92 — IT’S FOR YOU –•– Shanice
96 — UNCONDITIONAL LOVE –•– Hi-Five
July 24
52 — RAIN –•– Madonna
57 — IF –•– Janet Jackson
88 — THE WAYS OF THE WIND –•– P.M. Dawn
July 31
33 — ALRIGHT –•– Kris Kross
64 — THE RIVER OF DREAMS –•– Billy Joel
85 — CHECK YO SELF –•– Ice Cube Featuring Das EFX
88 — CRYIN’ –•– Aerosmith
90 — LICK U UP –•– H-Town
92 — IN THE HEART OF A WOMAN –•– Billy Ray Cyrus
Between albums we get a couple of soundtrack songs from TLC, and soundtracks have been a good way in to deep cuts by big artists that I've never heard of, because the US was chock full of soundtrack albums at this time, particularly R&B and Hip-Hop ones. "Get It Up" couldn't replicate the success of the debut album, and only peaked at #42, with no release in the UK.
Toni Braxton gets her second single release from her debut and things really started cooking at this point. Her debut "Love Shoulda Brought You Home" (a lovely song but, in hindsight, a strange choice for launching a career) peaked at #33 in both the US and the UK, but "Another Sad Love Song" went much better - #7 and #15 respectively. I discovered Toni properly via the Secrets album like a lot of people, but I'm so glad I went back and explored the first album, which borrows more from the adult R&B stars like Anita Baker and Natalie Cole than her Mary J Blige type contemporaries, but has held up better than Secrets in my opinion, which contains big highs but is dragged down by a lot of gloopy balladry. She would have more hits from this album, and an even bigger song would be coming later in 1993.
While George Michael's cover of the Seal song "Killer" was bundled on the Five Live EP in the UK which went to #1, in the US it was released as a separate single, but wouldn't do much for him, peaking at #69. This was the last time we'd see George in the charts until he graced us with Older three years later.
After "Are You Gonna Go My Way" put Lenny Kravitz into the mainstream, he followed up with "Believe". The former track might well have gone to #1 in the US had it been released commercially, but we'll never know, and the opportunity was missed because the follow up only managed #60. It managed #30 in the UK. Great track, although it was more of a recent discovery as I don't remember it coming out. The next single however I do remember and is one of his best.
After a debut album which did well on the Rap charts but didn't register any big hits, Cypress Hill return with their second album and land one of the biggest rap songs of the decade, if not ever. "Insane In The Brain" was an example of how hip-hop was becoming truly mainstream. It actually only managed #19 and #21 in the US and UK respectively, but it endured as a staple of 90s rap and has since been certified 3x platinum in the US and platinum in the UK. Not many 90s gangsta rap songs can claim platinum status in the UK.
While staking their claim as the biggest girl group in the US while TLC and En Vogue were between albums, SWV quickly follow up their #1 by re-releasing previous flop "Right Here" with a genius remix sampling the MJ classic "Human Nature" - the version we all know and love. It would peak at #2 in the US and #3 in the UK, and I remember this really crossing over in the UK at the time.
Michael Jackson is STILL releasing songs from Dangerous, and after a rocky middle period he was back on track now, following up his UK #2 "Give In To Me" with this gospel anthem which would go Top Ten in both markets. The US was done at this point, but the UK would attempt a NINTH single at the end of the year in "Gone Too Soon", which would hit #33. "Give In To Me" and "Will You Be There" are actually my two favourite tracks from the album, along with "Keep The Faith", which was never a single. Overall I thought Dangerous was a big step down from Bad and Thriller, but I really love HiStory (Part II), with some real gems still to come before the star began to fade in the late 90s.
After their greatest hits comp in 1992, Tears For Fears reset for the 90s and release "Break It Down Again", the first single from 4th album Elemental. The track is classic TFF, but they seemed to have lost their dominance at this point, reaching #25 (#20 UK). It would be their last Billboard hit.
MC Lyte never registered at the time until she went commercial in the late 90s and a couple of hits, but she's actually heralded as one of the pioneers of female hip-hop alongside Salt n Pepa and Queen Latifah. Some of her early tracks were filthy, not just the lyrical content (quite provocative for the time) but the production too, including this grimy track "Ruffneck" which would be her biggest hit to date (#35) and her first UK chart entry (#69). It's a solid track, but it was the follow up flop single which is one of my favourite rap songs of the 90s, sounding like a female response to Nas's landmark Illmatic sound.
Those new entries in the same week from Janet and Madonna seem quite subdued given their status, although Madonna was beginning to stall a bit. Janet would rise quickly however and would peak at #4, which would have to be considered a disappointment considering its widely acknowledged as one of her biggest songs among her fans, and was coming off a huge #1. Madonna meanwhile had a slow climb but managed to get "Rain" up to #14, not bad considering the negative press she was facing at the time. The Top 10s continued in the UK however and it would reach #7.
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JULY 1993 (continued):
UK CHARTS:
"Delicate" is probably my favourite non-debut-album track from Terence Trent D'Arby aka Sananda Maitreya, which is a duet with Des'ree. It was another Top 20 in the UK and even managed to scrape into the Hot 100 at #74, his first and only song to do so since the debut album in 1987.
@Agneeta beat me to it in his Top 500 thread, but the europop sound takes a wonderful turn this month as Urban Cookie Collective emerge with "The Key The Secret". This went Top 5 all over Europe, including #2 in the UK. They'd never replicate the success, but they had a couple of similar sounding follow ups. They're probably responsible for a slew of terrible offspring cash-in tracks, but this song is pure joy.
Shara Nelson begins her solo career after her successful collaboration with Massive Attack (her claim to fame being the vocalist on "Daydreaming", "Safe From Harm" and "Unfinished Sympathy", the latter being one of the greatest songs ever recorded) with "Down That Road", a wonderful pop-R&B track, joining the likes of Des'Ree, Mica Paris, Oleta Adams, Carleen Anderson et al in a very impactful if not altogether imperial period for UK female soul music. The first album would produce 5 singles but this was the biggest at #19.
And to the woman that did all that first - Sade gives us a 4th single from Love Deluxe in "Cherish The Day". It would only go to #53 and wouldn't release (or wouldn't chart) in the US, but this has emerged for me as one of her best ever songs. Haunting and provocative, I absolutely love this, and she looks incredible in the video.
DISCOVERIES:
The UK has a wonderful habit of supporting our divas long after the US has tired of them commercially, and Chaka Khan was a recipient of this in the 90s. The Woman I Am garnered two singles, and "Don't Look At Me That Way" is a gorgeous ballad, reaching #73. In fact, later Chaka has been quite the discovery generally - there's a song coming up later in the decade I discovered a few years ago which is even better than this.
Speaking of legendary divas getting later UK love, Stephanie Mills already featured once in 1993 with the delightful "Never Do You Wrong" and she followed up with another minor UK hit in "All Day All Night" which is just as good. She sounds really on form on this album but tragically and bewilderingly, it's not on Spotify. Both tracks are available however via her Greatest Hits set. This went to #68 in the UK this month. Both tracks were hits on the US R&B charts.
I think I mentioned it before but I didn't know Jomanda were an R&B girl group until I started doing this, I always thought it/they were a generic faceless dance act. But there was more to them than the big dance hit "Got A Love For You", as evidenced by this fun R&B bop. "I Like It" was their lead single from second album Nubia Soul, but either the public didn't care or the momentum was gone. This would reach #83 in the US and #67 in the UK, the last hit in both markets. I should probably give the album a go at some point...
UK CHARTS:
"Delicate" is probably my favourite non-debut-album track from Terence Trent D'Arby aka Sananda Maitreya, which is a duet with Des'ree. It was another Top 20 in the UK and even managed to scrape into the Hot 100 at #74, his first and only song to do so since the debut album in 1987.
@Agneeta beat me to it in his Top 500 thread, but the europop sound takes a wonderful turn this month as Urban Cookie Collective emerge with "The Key The Secret". This went Top 5 all over Europe, including #2 in the UK. They'd never replicate the success, but they had a couple of similar sounding follow ups. They're probably responsible for a slew of terrible offspring cash-in tracks, but this song is pure joy.
Shara Nelson begins her solo career after her successful collaboration with Massive Attack (her claim to fame being the vocalist on "Daydreaming", "Safe From Harm" and "Unfinished Sympathy", the latter being one of the greatest songs ever recorded) with "Down That Road", a wonderful pop-R&B track, joining the likes of Des'Ree, Mica Paris, Oleta Adams, Carleen Anderson et al in a very impactful if not altogether imperial period for UK female soul music. The first album would produce 5 singles but this was the biggest at #19.
And to the woman that did all that first - Sade gives us a 4th single from Love Deluxe in "Cherish The Day". It would only go to #53 and wouldn't release (or wouldn't chart) in the US, but this has emerged for me as one of her best ever songs. Haunting and provocative, I absolutely love this, and she looks incredible in the video.
DISCOVERIES:
The UK has a wonderful habit of supporting our divas long after the US has tired of them commercially, and Chaka Khan was a recipient of this in the 90s. The Woman I Am garnered two singles, and "Don't Look At Me That Way" is a gorgeous ballad, reaching #73. In fact, later Chaka has been quite the discovery generally - there's a song coming up later in the decade I discovered a few years ago which is even better than this.
Speaking of legendary divas getting later UK love, Stephanie Mills already featured once in 1993 with the delightful "Never Do You Wrong" and she followed up with another minor UK hit in "All Day All Night" which is just as good. She sounds really on form on this album but tragically and bewilderingly, it's not on Spotify. Both tracks are available however via her Greatest Hits set. This went to #68 in the UK this month. Both tracks were hits on the US R&B charts.
I think I mentioned it before but I didn't know Jomanda were an R&B girl group until I started doing this, I always thought it/they were a generic faceless dance act. But there was more to them than the big dance hit "Got A Love For You", as evidenced by this fun R&B bop. "I Like It" was their lead single from second album Nubia Soul, but either the public didn't care or the momentum was gone. This would reach #83 in the US and #67 in the UK, the last hit in both markets. I should probably give the album a go at some point...
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