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" Tell Me " - Dru Hill from the albums Eddie (Original Soundtrack) and Dru Hill (1996) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #18 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 15 Today's song of the day comes from the R&B vocal group Dru Hill , who came together in Baltimore in the early 1990s. With lead singer Sisqo, along with Woody Rock, Nokio, and Jazz, their first single was a contribution to the Whoopi Goldberg high school basketball movie Eddie . Produced by Stanley Brown, who wrote the track with Myron Cantrall, it was released as the second single from the soundtrack after Coolio's " It's All The Way Live (Now) ", but soon way surpassed its success... "Tell Me" became Dru Hill's first top-40 pop hit in November of 1996. The song also climbed to #5 on Billboard magazine's R&B chart. Internationally, the single peaked at #30 in the UK. The Dru Hill debut album was released that November, getting to #23 on the Billboard 200 sales ch...

" Sittin' On Top Of The World " - Da Brat from the album Anuthatantrum (1996) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #30 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 8 Today's song of the day comes from rapper Da Brat , whose debut album Funkdafied sold over a million copies, and spun off three top-40 pop hits with " Fa All Y'All ", " Give It 2 You ", and the top ten " Funkdafied ". In the fall of 1996, she returned with her sophomore effort Anuthatantrum , preceded by the lead single "Sittin' On Top Of The World". Produced by Jermaine Dupri, who co-wrote the track with Da Brat and laid upon of sample foundation of Rick James' "Mary Jane", the song brought her back to pop and urban radio... "Sittin' On Top Of The World" became Da Brat's fourth top-40 pop hit in November of 1996. The song peaked at #18 on Billboard 's R&B chart, and got to #2 on their Rap Singles list. Internationally, the sing...

" Pony " - Ginuwine from the album Ginuwine...The Bachelor (1996) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #6 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 21 Today's song of the day comes from R&B Elgin Lumpkin, who records under the moniker Ginuwine . Hailing from the Washington, DC area, Ginuwine first came under the wing of Devante Swing of Jodeci, and with the help of producer Timbaland, rapper Missy Elliott, and songwriter Stephen Garrett, he released his debut album Ginuwine...The Bachelor in the fall of 1996. The first single from the record was "Pony", written by Ginuwine with Timbaland and Garrett. With a midtempo beat that is still recognizable today, the future male stripper anthem became an instant success, and one of Timbaland's first big songs.... "Pony" became Ginuwine's first hit single, reaching the pop top ten in November of 1996. The song topped Billboard magazine's R&B chart for two weeks. Internationally, the single reached...

" Nobody " - Keith Sweat featuring Athena Cage from the album Keith Sweat (1996) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #3 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 31 Today's song of the day comes from New Jack Swing master Keith Sweat , whose self-titled fifth album had spun off the biggest hit of his career with " Twisted ", which topped the R&B chart and spent a week at #2 on the pop chart in America in the summer of 1996. For his follow-up release, he also used his female vocal group Kut Klose as backup, but on "Nobody" has only lead singer Athena Cage billed on the single. A slow jam that followed his template, radio and fans ate it up just as much... "Nobody" became Keith's fourth (and so far most recent) top ten pop hit in December of 1996. Just like "Twisted", the song spent three weeks at #1 on Billboard 's R&B chart. Internationally, the single made the top ten in New Zealand (#9) and the Netherlands (#10). It also ...

Friday's here, and it's time again to run down my top 100 "hit" tunes from the previous week. twenty-one pilots spend a second week concerned at #1, while Dua Lipa (pictured above) leaps four places within the top ten, passing her previous #1 hit. Songs from Lady Gaga, Five Finger Death Punch, and Lennon Stella/Charlie Puth make the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red ), while a former big hit from EOB bows out. Computer gods, be nice to me! This Week         Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Level Of Concern - twenty-one pilots (1) 2. Say So - Doja Cat f/Nicki Minaj (2) 3. Caution - The Killers (3) 4. Break My Heart - Dua Lipa (8) 5. Roses (Imanbek Remix) - SAINT JHN (6) 6. Blinding Lights - The Weeknd (4) 7. My Oh My - Camila Cabello f/DaBaby (7) 8. Don't Start Now - Dua Lipa (5) 9. Does To Me - Luke Combs f/Eric Church (...

" Bow Down " - Westside Connection from the album Bow Down (1996) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #21 (four weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 11 Today's song of the day comes from the Californian hip-hop supergroup Westside Connection. Rappers Mack 10 and WC were joined by former N.W.A. member Ice Cube , obviously the most successful of the trio at that time, having already scored four top-40 pop hits including two from his album Lethal Injection , " You Know How We Do It " and " Bop Gun ", in 1994. The threesome had appears on each others' solo albums in the mid-1990s, and in 1996 they released their first collaborative album Bow Down . Lead single and title track "Bow Down" was a brag track that proclaimed them kings of the west, and the single rocketed into the pop top-40... "Bow Down" entered the pop top 40 all the way at the halfway mark at #21, then proceeded to stay there for four weeks going no higher in October of 1996...

" Burden In My Hand " - Soundgarden from the album Down On The Upside (1996) Billboard Hot 100 peak: ineligible to chart Billboard Hot 100 Airplay peak: #40 (one week) Weeks in the Airplay Top-40: 1 Today's song of the day comes from the grunge rock band from Seattle, Soundgarden , whose fifth album Down On The Upside had already landed a top-40 radio hit in the summer of 1996 with " Pretty Noose ". The second song promoted to radio from the disc was "Burden In My Hand". Written by lead singer/guitarist Chris Cornell and produced by the band with Adam Kasper, the song is pretty dark, with a murderous narrative going on... Since "Burden In My Hand", like "Pretty Noose", wasn't released as a commercial single, it was unable to place on Billboard magazine's official pop Hot 100 chart. However, the song garnered enough mainstream radio love to make it to the top-40 portion of the airplay component of the li...

" Days Of Our Livez " - Bone Thugs-N-Harmony from the album Set It Off (Original Soundtrack) (1996) Billboard Hot 100 peak: ineligible to chart Billboard Hot 100 Airplay peak: #39 (two weeks) Weeks in the Airplay Top-40: 4 Today's song of the day comes from the rap group from Cleveland, Ohio, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony , whose first full-length studio album had scored them two pop hits with " 1st Of Tha Month " and " Tha Crossroads ", the latter which topped Billboard magazine's Hot 100 pop chart for two months in the late spring of 1996 and earned them a Grammy Award for Best Rap Duo/Group Performance. Later that year, the group contributed a song to the soundtrack of the movie Set It Off starring Jada Pinkett and Queen Latifah. It became the second song from the set radio picked up on after the soul supergroup of Brandy, Tamia, Chaka Khan, and Gladys Knight on their top-40 hit " Missing You ". With prominent samples of Force MD...

" When The Fuel Runs Out " was an early disco radio hit for the vocal group Executive Suite from Camden, New Jersey. Appearing on their only studio album Executive Suite 1 , the song was co-written by Philly music legend Bunny Sigler. Released in the beginning of 1974, it came too early for Billboard 's Disco chart, but the single climbed to #48 on their R&B genre list.

" Down " - 311 from the album 311 (1995) Billboard Hot 100 peak: ineligible to chart Billboard Hot 100 Airplay peak: #37 (two weeks) Weeks in the Airplay Top-40: 6 Today's song of the day comes from the alternative rock band 311 , who came together in the late 1980s in Omaha, Nebraska led by singer/guitarist Eric Hexum. Named for the police code for indecent exposure, the band released a few indie records before getting signed to Capricorn Records imprint on Warner Brothers. Their debut album Music was released in 1993, spinning off their first radio hit with " Do You Right ", which went to #27 on Billboard magazine's Alternative Rock radio chart. The following year, the band put out their sophomore effort, Grassroots , and true to its name, even though the disc didn't get any singles on the radio, because of their extensive touring and buzz was their first to make the Billboard 200 sales chart at #193. In 1995, Hexum, along with drummer...

" Take Off Your Makeup " was a pre-disco nugget from singer and legendary Motown songwriter Lamont Dozier. Appearing on his debut solo album Out Here On My Own in 1973, the song surprisingly wasn't written by Dozier, who is responsible for countless hits from many labels including ten #1 singles by the Diana Ross and the Supremes, but by his producer McKinley Jackson along with James Reddick. The album track never made any of the Billboard pop, soul, or dance charts (it was way too early for the latter), but it's a favorite of DJs as one of the song that paved the way for disco to evolve.

" The Things That You Do " - Gina Thompson from the album Nobody Does It Better (1996) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #41 This week's "robbed hit" comes from R&B singer Gina Thompson, who grew up in southern New Jersey before starting her music career with producer Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, who connected her with rapper/songwriter Missy Elliott. Elliott has a big featured role in Gina's debut single, "The Things That You Do", but wasn't given label credit for the song she co-wrote with Rodney Jerkins and Daron Jones. However, Missy does come through strong on the music video, helping to pave the way for her own breakthrough later on... Although "The Things That You Do" climbed to #12 on Billboard magazine's R&B chart, spending 29 weeks on the list, the single stalled at the dreaded #41 position on their pop Hot 100 chart for three weeks in September of 1996. Gina's debut Nobody Does It Better album miss...

"What's Love Got To Do With It" - Warren G featuring Adina Howard from the album Supercop (Original Soundtrack) (1996) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #32 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 4 Today's song of the day comes from G-funk singer/rapper Warren G , whose debut album Regulate...G Funk Era had spun off two top ten pop hits in 1994 with " This DJ " and the Above The Rim soundtrack cut " Regulate ". Two years later, Warren returned with a contribution to the Jackie Chan movie Supercop . An interpolation of the #1 hit from Tina Turner, "What's Love Got To Do With It", the record offered new verses rap-sung by Warren while keeping the chorus, provided by Adina Howard, who went all the way to #2 in 1995 on the pop and R&B chart with " Freak Like Me ". With a high-budget video that included clips from the movie, the single got MTV and BET's attention... Warren's "What's Love Got To Do With It...

" I've Got The Next Dance " was a big club hit for soul/disco/gospel singer Deniece Williams . Appearing on her album When Love Comes Calling , the song was written by Williams with Keg Johnson and Cheyenne Fowler, and produced by soft-rock master David Foster. On Billboard magazine's Disco Top-80 chart, the single spent a week at #1 in 1979, while peaking at #26 on the R&B chart. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

" Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder) " - Maxwell from the album Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (1996) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #36 (four weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 5 Today's song of the day comes from neo-soul artist Maxwell , who grew up as Gerald Maxwell Rivera in New York City in the 1970s. Writing music since he was a teenager, Maxwell was a staple in the New York club scene before being signed to Columbia Records. In the spring of 1996, his debut album Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite was released, with the lead single " Til The Cops Come Knockin' ", which was a minor hit at #79 at R&B in Billboard magazine, but the subject matter scared off lily-white "pop" radio programmers from this stellar slow jam. (It didn't bother British ears, as it was his first hit there at #63. The second release, though, was more serene and aspirational, and "Don't Ever Wonder" found a home on mainstream stations after urban radio made...

" Love Sensation " was a club hit for the late soul singer Loleatta Holloway. Appearing on her album Love Sensation , the song was written and produced by disco legend Dan Hartman. On Billboard 's Disco Top-100, the single spent a week at #1. Since then, even though the song never made either the pop or R&B charts, it's known to millions because of the songs that sample the classic, like Marky Mark's #1 "Good Vibrations" and Black Box's "Ride On Time". (Click below to see the rest of the post)

" If It Makes You Happy " - Sheryl Crow from the album Sheryl Crow (1996) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #10 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 25 Today's song of the day comes from pop singer/songwriter Sheryl Crow , whose debut album Tuesday Night Music Club was a critical and popular favorite, nabbing her three Grammy awards out of five nominations in 1995 including Best New Artist and Record of the Year, as well as scoring three top-40 pop hits with " Can't Cry Anymore " and top tenners " Strong Enough " and " All I Wanna Do ". Later that year Sheryl covered the Led Zeppelin song " D'yer Maker " for a tribute album, and hit #35 on Billboard magazine's Mainstream Rock radio chart. Crow returned in 1996 with her self-titled sophomore effort, producing the set herself while playing a good amount of the music as well. The lead single from the set was the mid-tempo semi-aggro rock of "If It Makes You Happy". ...

" Walk Away " was a disco radio hit for the queen of the genre, Donna Summer . Appearing on her album Bad Girls , the song was produced by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, with the latter co-writing it with Harold Faltermayer (of "Axel F" fame in the 1980s). The song never made Billboard 's Disco Top-100 chart when it was released in the summer of 1980, most like not for lack of DJ play but the glut of Summer singles already making the charts (at the time her Geffen debut "The Wanderer" was climbing the list). But the single did make the top-40 on both the American pop (#36) and R&B (#35) charts, and was definitely a highlight of the album.

Another Friday's here, and it's time again to run down my top 100 "hit" singles from the previous week. twenty-one pilots take their COVID-19-era anthem to #1, while rapper SAINT JHN (pictured above) sees his song "Roses", remixed by Kazakh DJ Imanbek, climb two notches in the top ten. Former big hits from Luke Combs and Charlie Wilson drop off my list, while songs from Major Lazer, Powfu, and Godsmack make some of the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red ). And as usual, I playlisted it all on Spotify so you can check them all out. It's summer? How'd it get to be summer? This Week        Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Level Of Concern - twenty-one pilots (2) 2. Say So - Doja Cat f/Nicki Minaj (1) 3. Caution - The Killers (3) 4. Blinding Lights - The Weeknd (4) 5. Don't Start Now - Dua Lipa (5) 6. Rose...

" Mouth " - Merril Bainbridge from the album The Garden (1995) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #4 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 25 Today's song of the day comes from Australian pop singer/songwriter Merril Bainbridge , who hails from the city of Melbourne there. Singing since she was a child, Merril released her debut album The Garden in Australia in the summer of 1995. The lead single from the record, "Mouth", was a quirky and percussive midtempo number that became massive in her home country, spending six weeks at #1 there. A year later, the single finally made its way to America, where it found a home on mainstream pop radio, and Merril found herself with her first and biggest hit... "Mouth" climbed all the way to the top five on the American pop chart in November of 1996. The song also rose to #8 on Billboard magazine's Adult Top-40 radio format tally. Internationally, besides its homegrown success, the single topped the Canadian sin...

"Take Me Down" was a single from R&B singer Johnny Bristol. Appearing on his album Free To Be Me , the song was a cover of a track from country crossover band Exile, written by that group's J.P. Pennington and Mark Gray. Bristol's version never reached any charts in Billboard magazine, but it was a post-disco favorite of DJs and clubgoers. A year later, the country band Alabama would also remake the song , and reach #1 on the country chart and #18 on the pop Hot 100 in 1982.

" My Boo " - Ghost Town DJ's from the album So So Def Bass All-Stars (1996) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #31 (in 1996), #27 (in 2016) Weeks in the Top-40: 16 (in 1996), 4 (in 2016) Today's song of the day comes from the "Miami Bass" hip-hop act Ghost Town DJ's, who came from Atlanta, Georgia, actually, and put together by soon rap star Lil' Jon for producer Jermaine Dupri's So So Def label. Member Rodney Terry co-wrote their sole hit single "My Boo", with singer Virgo Williams. The pair along with DJ Demp and Greg Street were commissioned for a single track on a bass music compilation on the label called So So Def Bass All-Stars. Surprisingly, the underground-style song way past the best by date of the genre caught on with dance radio especially in the southeast, and the track found itself a top-40 pop hit... "My Boo" became the act's sole pop hit reaching the top-40 in October of 1996, and staying in that regio...

" Who Is He And What Is He To You " was a pre-disco soul radio hit for the Los Angeles band Creative Source. It's a remake of the classic single from Bill Withers from 1972. Appearing on their debut album Creative Source in 1973, the song was released way before there was the inkling of a "disco" chart, but the track definitely pointed the way for how that sound would evolve. The single peaked at #21 on Billboard magazine's R&B chart, and was a minor pop hit at #69. In 1996, indie-soul artist Me'Shell Ndegeocello covered the song, and the remixes of her version went to #1 on the Dance Club Play chart. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

" This Is Your Night " - Amber from the album This Is Your Night (1996) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #24 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 25 Today's song of the day comes from Marie-Claire Cremers, who records under the moniker Amber . Born in the Netherlands before moving to Germany, the singer released her debut single "This Is Your Night" in the spring of 1996. Written and producer by brothers Christian and Frank Berman, the song took the frantic pace of Eurodance, the thumpy bass of lite-house acts like Snap!, and Amber's chipper and uninflected vocals added up to a club hit that got picked up as the dance radio hit of the second half of the year... "This Is Your Night" became Amber's first and only top-40 pop hit, spending a lengthy 25 weeks in the top-40 and 40 frames on Billboard 's Hot 100, peaking just below the halfway mark on the list in January of 1997. The song also popped on to their Adult Top-40 radio format chart fo...

" I Am Somebody " was a club hit for R&B singer Glenn Jones. Appearing on his debut EP Everybody Loves A Winner , the song was written by Kossi Gardner and produced and remixed by Robert Wright. On Billboard magazine's Dance/Disco Top-80 chart, the single peaked at #43 in 1983, while climbing to #30 on their R&B chart as his first hit. Glenn would eventually move from dance music to more adult soul and have much bigger success in the late 1980s/early 1990s.

" Let's Make A Night To Remember " - Bryan Adams from the album 18 Til I Die (1996) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #24 (three weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 14 Today's song of the day comes from Canadian rock singer/songwriter Bryan Adams , who had followed up his massive album Waking Up The Neighbours , which spun off five top-40 pop hits in American in the early 1990s, with two back to back movie songs that both went to #1, " All For Love " (with Sting and Rod Stewart), and " Have You Ever Loved A Woman? ".  He also was a guest on Bonnie Raitt's live album Road Tested , and their version of "Rock Steady" was a top-20 hit in Canada at #17, and a minor success in the States at #73 (for a live track, not that bad). But when it came to the release of Bryan's seventh studio album, 18 Til I Die , something happened. Lead single " The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You " had all the boxes checked from his previous hit sin...