MUSICAL MUSINGS
by Josh Hosler
February 1, 2005

YOU KNOW YOU'RE GETTING OLD WHEN ...

... the hits from ten years ago don't make you all that nostalgic. Ah, but time does march on, doesn't it? My wife and I met ten years ago, so it's not like I'm not nostalgic. It's just that, ten years ago, I wasn't a kid anymore.

I now work as a church youth group leader. Tonight I was helping the kids sell concessions at a premier showing of a new movie called Indigo. One of the kids, Andrew, asked to borrow my phone. Kate asked, "Who you gonna call?" I interjected (of course), "Ghostbusters!" She didn't get it. Now, I really shouldn't be surprised, because that is a twenty-year-old reference. And yes, some of the other kids did get it. But even the music from ten years ago seems to have fallen into a vacuum.

Ten years ago, TLC's new album, CrazySexyCool, was taking the group to a new level. So was Boyz II Men's second album, II. Dance music was still popular, thanks to Crystal Waters and Real McCoy. The teeny-bop realm was dominated by young black kids like Immature and Soul for Real. The grunge thing was still going strong, thanks to Pearl Jam, but many of the newer bands, like Candlebox, were wannabes. Hootie & the Blowfish were swimming into the national consciousness. The British gave us both Portishead and Radiohead. The Notorious B.I.G. was Ready to Die, but thankfully, he would live for another two years. Melissa Etheridge was at her peak. Weezer was up and coming. Bon Jovi was finally, finally about to fade!

This was a confusing era chart-wise, an area that has nothing to do with the actual music, but which says a lot about the industry. Radio people were finally realizing they could pull any cut off an album and turn it into a hit, regardless of the labels' agendas. But also, the labels were starting to see that singles weren't really necessary. Nine songs on the top 40 portion of Billboard's Airplay chart were not available in stores, so they were not eligible for the Hot 100 (some became eligible later):

#9 "When I Come Around" Green Day
#13 "Better Man" Pearl Jam
#18 "Buddy Holly" Weezer
#29 "Allison Road" Gin Blossoms
#31 "Red Light Special" TLC
#32 "Love Will Keep Us Alive" The Eagles
#35 "Interstate Love Song" Stone Temple Pilots
#36 "Zombie" The Cranberries
#37 "If You Think You're Lonely Now" K-Ci Hailey

And this was Billboard's official list of the top 40 songs for February 4, 1995:

Last
Week		 This
Week		 Title Artist
1 1 Creep TLC
2 2 On Bended Knee Boyz II Men
3 3 Another Night Real McCoy
5 4 Take a Bow Madonna
4 5 Always Bon Jovi
7 6 You Gotta Be Des'ree
8 7 Before I Let You Go BLACKstreet
9 8 Sukiyaki 4 P.M.
6 9 Here Comes the Hotstepper Ini Kamoze
10 10 I'm the Only One Melissa Etheridge
11 11 The Rhythm of the Night Corona
14 12 Hold My Hand Hootie & the Blowfish
16 13 You Don't Know How It Feels Tom Petty
12 14 I Wanna Be Down Brandy
27 15 Candy Rain Soul for Real
22 16 Constantly Immature
19 17 If You Love Me Brownstone
18 18 The Sweetest Days Vanessa Williams
21 19 Bang and Blame R.E.M.
20 20 Every Day of the Week Jade
13 21 You Want This/ 70's Love Groove Janet Jackson
15 22 I'll Make Love to You Boyz II Men
17 23 Tootsee Roll 69 Boyz
32 24 Strong Enough Sheryl Crow
23 25 Short Dick Man 20 Fingers featuring Gillette
31 26 Big Poppa/ Warning The Notorious B.I.G.
25 27 All I Wanna Do Sheryl Crow
24 28 I'll Stand by You The Pretenders
29 29 100% Pure Love Crystal Waters
28 30 Turn the Beat Around Gloria Estefan
26 31 Secret Madonna
33 32 Mental Picture Jon Secada
34 33 I Miss You N II U
30 34 I Belong to You/ How Many Ways Toni Braxton
35 35 Practice What You Preach Barry White
NEW 36 In the House of Stone and Light Martin Page
37 37 New Age Girl Deadeye Dick
NEW 38 Foolin' Around Changing Faces
NEW 39 Mishale Andru Donalds
36 40 Wild Night John Mellencamp/ Me'shell MdegeOcello

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