Twostepcublog

" T.S.O.P. (The Sound Of Philadelphia) " was a club and radio hit for the studio act MFSB (Mothers Fathers Sisters Brothers). The in-house background players for the label Philadelphia International at Sigma Studios included this song featuring vocals by the Three Degrees on their album Love Is The Message , where it went to #1 on the pop, R&B, and easy listening charts in early 1974, but that was way to early for the disco chart in Billboard magazine, where the song only made an appearance as part of the compilation Philadelphia Classics which went to #34 in 1978. The song is much better known to us old folk as the theme song to Soul Train .

" Strong Enough " - Sheryl Crow from the album Tuesday Night Music Club (1993) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #5 (three weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 21 Today's song of the day comes from pop singer/songwriter Sheryl Crow , who after busking and background singing for acts like Michael Jackson, and false starts to her own career, finally broke through big with her international smash hit " All I Wanna Do ", which reached the runner-up spot on the American pop chart in the fall of 1994. Her follow-up to that bubbly hit was surprisingly a silent and somber tune that questions a lover's steadfastness in the face of romantic adversity. A "you must love me at my worst" if you will. Is there possibly a transgression of said lover that caused this? Perhaps. But the point of the lyrics is to make sure the man won't go. Written by the Tuesday Night Music Club crew of Crow, David + David members Baerwald and Ricketts, Kevin Gilbert and Brian Mcleod of T...

" Dr. Doo-Dah " was a club hit from the French disco studio group Kongas. Put together by club legend Cerrone, the band included the song on their album Africanism . The album charted on Billboard magazine's National Disco Action Top-40 as one entry, noting " Africanism ", a cover of Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'", and "Dr. Doo-Dah" as the standout tracks. The set climbed to #3 on that list, while the 7" single of "Africanism" and "Gimme Some Lovin" went to #84 on the pop Hot 100.

Friday's here, and it's time to run down my top 100 "hit" tunes from the previous week. Taylor Swift spends a second week in the pole position, while Lizzo (pictured above) leaps into my top ten for the first time. Former big hits from KLAAS/Londonbeat, Andy Grammer, and Ava Max drop off my list, while songs from Pink, Kygo/Whitney Houston, and Tony Moran/Jason Walker make the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red ). This Week          Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. You Need To Calm Down - Taylor Swift (1) 2. Hey Look Ma, I Made It - Panic! At The Disco (2) 3. Bad Guy - Billie Eilish (3) 4. Talk - Khalid (5) 5. Alligator - Of Monsters And Men (6) 6. Never Really Over - Katy Perry (4) 7. Someone You Loved - Lewis Capaldi (7) 8. Truth Hurts - Lizzo (13) 9. If I Can't Have You - Shawn Mendes (9) 10. S...

" Big Poppa "/" Warning " - The Notorious B.I.G. from the album Ready To Die (1994) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #6 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 20 Today's song of the day comes from iconic East Coast rapper Christopher Wallace, who recorded under the moniker the Notorious B.I.G. for his music career. His big break came in the fall of 1994, when his first single from his debut album Ready To Die , " Juicy ", became his first top-40 pop hit. Biggie's next release from the set would propel him to A-list status, however. "Big Poppa", written by Wallace over a Puff Daddy production that relied on a sample of the Isley Brothers' "Between The Sheets", used a nickname he had already given himself on a Supercat record from a year before, and a G-funk classic was made... "Big Poppa" became Biggie Smalls' first top ten pop hit in March of 1995. The song also rose to #4 on Billboard magazine's R&B ch...

" That Old Black Magic " was a disco cover song of the Johnny Mercer/Howard Arlen classic done by Chicago-based singer Jeanne Shy. It was the "B-Side" of her top ten club hit " Night Dancer ", which climbed to #9 in 1979 on Billboard magazine's Disco Top 100 chart.

" Candy Rain " - Soul For Real from the album Candy Rain (1995) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #2 (four weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 21 Today's song of the day comes from the R&B vocal group Soul For Real . Comprised of four brothers, Andre, Bryan, Christopher, and Jason Dalyrimple, the group was mentored by rapper Heavy D, who was on their record label Uptown Records, and produced their first album Candy Rain . The title track became their debut single and biggest success, marketing them in the vein of Boyz II Men's collegiate wear while emphasizing their sibling harmonies.... "Candy Rain" spent a month in the runner-up position on the American pop chart in March of 1995, only prevented from topping the Hot 100 by Madonna's unstoppable "Take A Bow". On Billboard magazine's R&B chart, the song spent three weeks at #1. Internationally, the single peaked at #23 in the UK and was a minor hit in New Zealand at #50. (Click below...

" Touch and Go " was a club hit for the disco band Ecstasy, Passion & Pain. Led by guitarist Barbara Roy, who was the sole fixture in the group for her career, the song never made it onto a proper album, though you can get it now attached to their self-titled debut set on CD. The single rose to #4 on Billboard 's Disco File Top-20 in 1976, while only skirting the pop Hot 100 at #98 and the R&B list at #71. The legend Tom Moulton did the extended mix on this.

"I Miss You" - N II U from the album N II U (1994) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #22 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 11 Today's song of the day comes from the R&B vocal group N II U, who came together in New Jersey in the early 1990s. The quartet of Chuckie Howard, Chris Herbert, Don Carlis, and Craig Hill released their self-titled debut and only album in 1994. The lead single from the record, the midtempo synth-soul jam " You Don't Have To Cry ", became their first minor R&B hit at #56. But it would be their second release that would give the act their biggest success. "I Miss You". Written by Chuckie with producer Vincent Herbert, the ballad to his mother was pleasant and earnest enough to get pop radio on board with the song around Valentine's Day. The harmonies on this record are breathtaking... "I Miss You" became N II U's first and only top-40 pop hit in February of 1995. The song also climbed to #14 on Bill...

" Got To Be Real " was a club classic from R&B singer Cheryl Lynn, who originally got her big break by actually losing an episode of The Gong Show in 1976. Appearing on her self-titled debut album , the song was written by Cheryl with Toto's David Paich and producer David Foster. The entire Cheryl Lynn album charted as one entry on Billboard magazine's National Disco Action Top 40 chart, with " Star Love " and " You Saved My Day " joining "Got To Be Real" as the tracks listed. The set peaked at #11 on that Disco chart in 1979, as well as spending a week at #1 on the R&B chart and #12 on the pop Hot 100. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

" Mental Picture " - Jon Secada from the album Heart, Soul & A Voice (1994) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #29 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 6 Today's song of the day comes from Latin-American pop singer/songwriter Jon Secada, who had last landed in the top ten in the U.S. with his song " If You Go " in the summer of 1994. The second release from his Heart, Soul & A Voice album, the seductive " Whipped ", got to #34 on Billboard magazine's Adult Contemporary (or "easy listening") chart, as well as #20 in Canada, but the track stalled down at #65 on the pop Hot 100. Perhaps it was too intense in sexuality for American audiences at the time (recalling the experimentation of "Justify My Love"). But Jon rebounded with the third single from the record, "Mental Picture". Written by Jon with longtime collaborator Miguel Morejon, "Mental Picture" was also boosted by an appearance in the Sly Stallone mov...

" Enigma " was a club hit for eccentric French singer and Salvador Dali muse Amanda Lear . Appearing on her album Sweet Revenge , the song was written by Lear with longtime collaborator Rainer Pietsch. Although the track never made the disco charts in America, it was a top ten success in Italy and Belgium, reaching the top ten on the singles charts in both countries in 1978.

" Bring The Pain " - Method Man from the album Tical (1994) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #45 This week's "robbed hit" comes from rapper Method Man, who originally as Clifford Smith Jr. came from the streets of Staten Island, New York, to join one of the most influential groups of the time, the Wu-Tang Clan. The group released their landmark debut album Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) , in 1993. Their first success was actually with the track " Method Man ", which went to #40 on the R&B chart and #69 on the pop Hot 100 in Billboard magazine. Pretty much a solo track featuring the rapper, "Method Man" also appeared on his own debut solo album Tical , which was released the following year. The first single released from that first album, though, was "Bring The Pain", which was produced by Wu-Tang bandmate RZA. The record took off and it almost made Casey Kasem's countdown... While "Bring The Pain" climbed to...

" Bang And Blame " - R.E.M. from the album Monster (1994) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #19 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 7 Today's song of the day comes from the alternative rock band from Athens Georgia, R.E.M. , who had already landed a top-40 pop hit in the fall of 1994 with " What's The Frequency, Kenneth? ", the lead single from their ninth studio album. The second single from the set was "Bang and Blame", a boisterous but admittedly forgetable rock jam. Written by the group who also produced it with Scott Litt, the song was light on lyrics... "Bang and Blame" became R.E.M.'s ninth and so far most recent top-40 pop hit on the Hot 100 in America in February of 1995. The song spent three weeks at #1 on Billboard magazine's Alternative/Modern Rock chart (also their latest), while also taking two weeks at #3 on their Mainstream Rock format list as well. Internationally, the single was the band's sole #1 single in C...

" Brick House " was a radio and club hit for the soul/funk band the Commodores. Appearing on their self-titled album in 1977 , the song was written by the band with lyrics added by Shirley Hanna-King, the wife of group member William King. On Billboard magazine's National Disco Action Top-40, the song only made it to #34, spending a couple weeks on the chart; but on their R&B chart it scaled to #4, while on the pop Hot 100, "Brick House" peaked at #5, probably their most famous record not to feature Richie on lead vocals. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

" I Alone " - Live from the album Throwing Copper (1994) Billboard Hot 100 peak: Ineligible to chart Billboard Hot 100 Airplay peak: #38 Weeks in the Hot 100 Airplay Top-40: 2 Today's song of the day comes from the Pennsylvania-based hard rock group Live , who had originally formed in the early 1980s with lead guitarist Chad Taylor, bass player Patrick Dahlheimer, and drummer Chad Gracey. Hiring lead singer Ed Kowalczyk in the mid-decade, the group changed their name from Public Affection to Live in time for their second EP and third release Four Songs in 1991. From that short set the single " Operation Spirit (The Tyranny Of Tradition) " broke the band on rock radio, where the song rose to #9 on Billboard magazine's Alternative/Modern Rock chart. It also appeared on Live's second full-length album (and first under the "Live" name), Mental Jewelry . With exposure from that song and the album, which sold over a million dollars, expe...

"Stay With Me" was a club hit for Spanish-American musician, singer, and general phenomenon Charo. Appearing on her album Ole' Ole' , the song was joined on the set with her rendition of the "Love Boat Theme" as well. On Billboard magazine's Disco Top 80 chart, "Stay With Me" peaked at #55, spending two months on the chart. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Brownstone - " If You Love Me " from the album From The Bottom Up (1995) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #8 (four weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 22 Today's song of the day comes from the female soul vocal trio Brownstone, who were put together in the early 1990s in Los Angeles for a project for Michael Jackson's "vanity" label MJJ Records. Comprised of Maxee (Charmayne Maxwell), Mimi (Monica Doby), and Nicci (Nichole Gilbert), the group released their debut single " Pass The Lovin' " in the summer of 1994. The track made it to #58 on Billboard magazine's R&B chart and #42 on the Dance Club Play list, but missed the pop Hot 100 altogether. But their second release did much, much better. "If You Love Me", written by Nicci along with Gordon Chambers and producer Dave Hall, was a midtempo lite-new-jack jam that had a chorus that just stuck in your head. It became their breakthrough and biggest pop hit...    "If You Love Me...

"Sevilla Nights" was a club hit for the Latin-disco act Santa Esmeralda. Appearing on the soundtrack to the movie Thank God It's Friday , the instrumental track was written by producers Jean-Manuel de Scarano, Nikolas Skorsky, and Jean-Claude Petit. The entire album charted as a single entry on Billboard magazine's National Disco Action Top-40, where it stayed at #1 for six weeks.

Friday's here, and it's time to roll out my top 100 "hit" tunes from the previous week. Taylor Swift emerges victorious with her first #1 hit in four years, while Shawn Mendes (pictured above) makes his move into the top ten. Songs from Sam Smith, Billy Porter, and Camelphat/Jake Bugg have some of the biggest jumps on the chart (climbs of 10+ places highlighted in red ), while former big hits from Halsey, Avicii/Aloe Blacc, AJR, and Shapeshifters drop off my list. One more time around the sun, I guess... This Week              Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. You Need To Calm Down - Taylor Swift (2) 2. Hey Look Ma, I Made It - Panic! At The Disco (1) 3. Bad Guy - Billie Eilish (3) 4. Never Really Over - Katy Perry (4) 5. Talk - Khalid (5) 6. Alligator - Of Monsters And Men (8) 7. Someone Y...

" I Never Seen A Man Cry (aka I Seen A Man Die) " - Scarface from the album The Diary (1994) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #37 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 3 Today's song of the day comes from rapper Scarface , who has been part of the hip-hop group the Geto Boys since their 1989 album Grip It! On That Other Level . With them he scored two top-40 pop hits in the early 1990s with " Mind Playing Tricks On Me " and " Six Feet Deep ". In the meantime, the man born Brad Jordan also was recording solo work for Rap-A-Lot, the label he shared with the group. His debut solo album, Mr. Scarface Is Back , was released in 1991, with the lead single " Mr. Scarface " making his first solo chart appearance on Billboard magazine's Rap Singles chart at #8. The follow-up, " A Minute To Pray and a Second To Die ", landed his first minor hit on their R&B singles chart, peaking at #69. In 1993, Scarface returned with his sophomore solo ...

"The Pelican Dance" was an early "disco" single created by French electronic music artist Bernard Estardy, who recorded under the moniker " The Baronet ". Released in 1973, the funky instrumental never reached the charts in America, but was a very popular cult classic in the clubs of the time. Estardy would go on to produce many acts such as Lara Fabian and Patricia Kaas.

"Allison Road" - Gin Blossoms from the album New Miserable Experience (1992) Billboard Hot 100 peak: ineligible to chart Billboard Hot 100 Airplay peak: #24 (one week) Weeks on the Hot 100 Airplay top-40: 12 Today's song of the day comes from the jangle-rock hipsters Gin Blossoms , whose breakthrough album New Miserable Experience had already spun on two top-40 hits on the American pop Hot 100 in " Hey Jealousy " and " Found Out About You ", along with another that reached the top-40 of the Hot 100 Airplay chart at #21 (" Until I Fall Away ") but was ineligible for the Hot 100 due to lack of a commercial single release. (Also, album track " Mrs Rita " hit #36 on the Mainstream Rock chart.) In the fall of 1994, the band released the fourth and final single from New Miserable Experience , "Allison Road". Another mid-tempo floating on ethereal harmonies and subtle guitar work, and you have another radio hit that w...

"All Day All Night" was a B-side of a single from singer Margaret Records. Appearing on her album Keep On Holding On , Reynolds also sang back-up for K.C. and the Sunshine Band. Although the song failed to reach any American singles chart in Billboard magazine, the track still was very popular among DJs and still remains an underground classic.

" Take A Bow " - Madonna from the album Bedtime Stories (1994) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 (seven weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 27 Today's song of the day is from Madonna , who had rebounded after the mixed reception to her Erotica album with " Secret ", the first single from her sixth studio album Bedtime Stories , which landed in the top ten in the fall of 1994. But what more proved that the star hadn't been mortally damaged by the overblown controversy of the past year or so would be the reception to her second single from the set, "Take A Bow". A gentle ballad co-written and co-produced by Babyface, who sings backup on the track, the song really is one of his best, with a softer and resigned grace that matches the emotion Madonna puts through on her vocals. Using the imagery of a bullfighter in the video with the sepia-tone camera work against the Asian-style production of the song really puts this break-up song in another plane. ...

"Delirium" was the instrumental "B-side" to disco singer/keyboardist Francine McGee's single " Feelin' Good ". Written by the singer, the record in my mind is so much more without any vocals.  Although it never reached any charts in America, it was a favorite among DJ in Francine's native Canada.

" Constantly " - Immature from the album Playtyme Is Over (1994) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #16 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 13 Today's song of the day comes from the R&B vocal group Immature , who had scored their first and biggest pop hit in the fall of 1994 with the lead single from their second album, " Never Lie ". The young trio's next single would be another ballad that was neither sultry nor cheesy wedding fodder. "Constantly", written by Delroy Pearson of the British pop-soul band Five Star, Jesse Powell (whose own "You" went pop top ten in 1999), Teron Beal, and Ian Prince, was surprisingly mature for the age of the groups members, who were in their pre-teens at the time... "Constantly" became Immature's second top-40 pop hit in February of 1995. The song also climbed to #12 on the R&B chart in Billboard magazine. Internationally, the single peaked at #40 in Australia. A third single from the...

"Answer Me My Love" was a single from the disco studio act MBT Soul. A remake of an old standard from the pre-rock era written by Fred Rauch and Gerhard Winkler, the single was put together by Al Curtis, but never reached any of the pop or dance charts. It appeared on the group's self-titled debut album .

" Dance Naked " - John Mellencamp from the album Dance Naked (1994) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #41 This week's "robbed hit" comes from heartland rocker John Mellencamp , who had returned to the pop top ten in the fall of 1994 with his cover of Van Morrison's " Wild Night " with Me'shell Ndegeocello. John's next single from his thirteenth studio album was the title track "Dance Naked". Written by the singer, who produced the track with Mike Wanchic, the song was a straightforward rock number that may have gotten a better reception on mainstream pop radio with a different title... While "Dance Naked" climbed to #21 on Billboard magazine's Mainstream Rock radio chart, and #37 on their Adult Contemporary (or "easy listening") chart, the single stopped one notch short of the pop top-40 on the Hot 100 chart in America in December of 1994. Internationally, the single did much better in Canada, peaking ...

" Zombie " - The Cranberries from the album No Need To Argue (1994) Billboard Hot 100 peak: ineligible to chart Billboard Hot 100 Airplay peak: #22 Weeks in the Hot 100 Airplay Top-40: 16 Today's song of the day comes from the Irish alternative rock band the Cranberries , who had scored a top ten pop hit in the U.S. with their single " Linger " in the beginning of 1994. In the fall of that year, the group re-emerged with their sophomore effort No Need To Argue . The lead single promoted to radio was "Zombie", a brooding, marching expression of emotion addressing the strife still going on in Ireland during that time. Written by lead singer Delores O'Riordan and produced by Stephen Street, the song brought them back to radio, although the record company were playing the game of withholding a single release to goose the sales of the album... Since "Zombie" didn't get a commercial release, it was unable to place on Billboa...