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90s Hits
The 90s saw quite the change in music but not so much of an upheaval as let's say of previous decades. The 90s basically were a the result of a tidal wave of musical genres from the previous decades with the exception of the hip hop culture that introduced an unexpected continuation of the gangsta rap genre that emerged in the late 80s.
Other genres continued on with variations in pop and rock, gospel and R&B. New groups emerged and established groups continued, all taking advantage of the early rise of computers and the internet. The internet wasn't in full bloom as of the early to mid 90s but the momentum had gained with more fans being able to communicate with one another, share information and start fan clubs online. This revolution took most of the music industry unawares and conflict arose regarding the growing ability of files to be shared and gossip spreading about. However, the talent and power of the groups and musicians did not wane and a less competitive atmosphere was observed although there were certain rivalries here and there especially in the intense and growing field of the gangsta rappers whom everyone else tried to avoid but whose record sales continued to dominate and challenge.
The lighter side of music saw the expansion of classical music. New fans were found as the aversion to the lyrics of the violent and sexually oriented urban tunes found people flocking to traditional music with far less vulgarity. The violence was still there as one could argue a good opera has to have sex and violence in it to be opera. However, good taste did find solid ground and powerhouse legends such as Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Garth Brooks, met the rise of such groups as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, Pearl Jam and more.
The Grunge movement gained ground as alternative bands began to make a new stand as well as those alternative bands of the 80s who had gone overlooked by the mainstream media such as The Smiths and the rise of new female performers like Canada's Alanis Morissette and the exceptional brilliance of Sarah McLachlan. Canada struck several times and Celine Dion rose to levels not seen in decades for a popular female singer.
Actually it was the women who kept music's home fires burning as they had to compete with the pugnacious and confrontational music of the guys but also maintain their own originality much like the great blues singers and gospel singers of yesteryear. McLachlan and others reached deep into their cultural roots pulling out melodic Celtic folklore and folk music that by far moved a new foundation of challenge to sing naturally and without the special effects.
The rise of the “Boy Bands” hit with such groups as the Backstreet Boys, Boyz II Men, Bell Biv Devoe, and more.
Major stars such as Johnny Gill and the ever popular Usher, Paula Abdul continued from her momentum from the very late 80s into her association with then talk show host Arsenio Hall who appeared in one of her music videos. Madonna continued to dominate the pack of pop female musicians continuing her controversial songs, costumes, and dance routines.
Mariah Carey took off as one of the most powerful singers in history. She was compared much to Whitney Houston whom many say even Celine Dion couldn't touch as both have topped the soundtrack charts. The R&B scene got to the point that it gave the rap industry a run for its money. Janet Jackson showed up with a series of videos and songs that threw the public for a loop. She stood on her own even with her older brother Michael still considered a boss of all bosses in the industry. Speaking of hip hop, it was Lauryn Hill who knocked down the barriers of that genre inspiring untold numbers of other women and musicians who saw that hip hop needn't follow the violence and vulgarity it had turned into. She helped to bring it back to what hip hop had originally been, fun dance music, often ballads of social and cultural emphasis.
Country music on the other hand found fertile ground in the 90s as with the advance of technologies for recording and broadcasting as well as the rise of the world wide web. Garth Brooks dominated the scene and gave quite a beating to the competition from other music genres. With the addition of other breakthrough artists like Trisha Yearwood and familiar performers like Clint Black, Country music held its own, broke new ground and established a new platform for future country artists to stand on. The rise of Shania Twain, LeAnn Rimes, and the notorious Dixie Chicks took the decade by storm and made Country and Country Western more powerful than ever.
The year 1990 was significant in many ways as it was the dawn of the new decade and transitions in celebrity status, music taste, management, and public interest took place that shook the industry.
It was a year that saw many legends in the music industry in one mess after another as though the new decade starting was too much for them to bear. Car accidents, arrests, it had fans around the world fearing that they wouldn't see their favorite stars anymore. Latin music star Gloria Estefan who exited the 80s at the top of the charts was involved in an accident when her tour bus crashed. Billy Idol who was still strong from his popular performances of the 80s had a devastating motorcycle accident that kept him out of tours, movies, videos and just about any public venue. The man considered one of the fathers of Rock and Roll along with Little Richard, Ike Turner was tossed into prison on drug charges. Add to the jailhouse blues was Tommy Lee of Motley Crue who got busted for wild public behavior.
All was not so dismal during 1990 as major breakthroughs occurred that set the tone for the coming decade and also opened new doors to the innovations that would follow in technology and celebrity. Every genre seemed to have a burst of attention and profit as more television venues on cable allowed for more concerts and interviews. From hip hop to classical music, the great and small made headlines.
Some rose and some fell. Most notably Celine Dion making her English singing debut. Her powerful voice and range would catch the attention of people around the world and she would exit the decade itself as one of the biggest stars ever. The most fallen was the group Milli Vanilli that caused a firestorm when they admitted to lip-synching which led to their Grammy Awards being revoked.
Pearl Jam debuted in 1990, MTV premiered its Unplugged show which brought musicians to the real deal of performing without major electronics nor special effects. Many artists were taken to task as it was a proving ground. Farm Aid IV saw the likes of Elton John, Neil Young, Willie Nelson, John Cougar Mellencamp and more donate their talents to help the agriculturalists. One of the biggest music events in history, a tribute to South African anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela was held an was seen in 61 countries. The enormous tribute held at Wembley Stadium features such luminaries as Tracy Chapman, Neil Young, Anita Baker, Peter Gabriel and more.
The hit songs for the year 1990 include some that totally revolutionized the way that music was performed on stage and television. The #1 hit of the year 1990 was Sinead O'Connor's “Nothing Compares 2 U”. Hot on her tail was Madonna's “Vogue” followed by Vanilla Ice's “Ice Ice Baby”. #4 pick, MC Hammer's “You Can't Touch This” dominated MTV and music videos everywhere. People around the world danced to this song and it seemed as though the video played around the clock.
About one hundred bands premiered professionally during 1990 including the Brian Setzer Orchestra, The Irish Descendants, Cinco Siglos, Pinhead Gunpowder, The Hang Ups, and even bands called Deee-Lite that had a hit single, The Kramdens and more. Most disappeared but a few gems were found in the rough and went on to greater stardom.
In 1991 the music industry saw more new ground broken as the wave of Grunge music took over the early part of the 90s and carried on through to 1992, however in 1991 Grunge got the boost it was looking for and groups like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and the rest got their piece of the music pie in a big way.
The Grunge music as well as the increasing hip hop genre's Gangsta Rap, the decade was off to a hot start. There were losses along the way as the industry lost legend Freddie Mercury who led the band Queen. The loss of Mercury spurred his colleagues to form a tribute to him in the form of a concert that featured the remaining band members and the teaming up of many of the music industry's legends and new breed. It sent the Queen single “Bohemian Rhapsody” to the #1 single spot again, the second time in history such an landmark was achieved.
The range of genres reaching peak power went from Grunge and Rap to a new resurgence of Christian music and Gospel. The breakout star was Amy Grant hitting her first #1 hit “Baby Baby”. That breakthrough opened doors for the Contemporary Christian Music genre big time. Grant exploded in popularity and profits inspiring numerous others to join in the CCM field like Michael W. Smith who hit the top ten with his song “Place In This World”. Hot on the trail was Jon Gibson with his record breaking hit, “Jesus Loves Ya” which still holds several record breaking kudos to this day.
The movies led the top five singles of the year again thanks to Bryan Adams' love song and ballad to the Kevin Costner take on the Robin Hood called “Everything I Do”. People heard that song played on radio and on television it seemed endlessly, however it was one of those songs that bounced listeners to the movie theaters and from the theaters to the record stores. Following Adams' hit was another major achievement for the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Jackson cleverly incorporated the latest computer special effects with a song about race relations. His hit “Black Or White” was an instant hit that sent Jackson to another lead-in for the pop music industry, carrying over from his monumental status from the 1980's. It set Jackson for four decades of chart topping fame. The #3 hit came from Roxette whose song “Joyride” caused a sensation and astounding impact internationally. The forth and fifth hits came from the Scorpions and R.E.M.
Other top songs from around the world for 1991 included Whitney Houston's “All The Man That I Need”, “Alive” by Pearl Jam, “Coming Out Of The Dark” by Gloria Estefan, “Emotions” by Mariah Carey, “Every Heartbeat” by Amy Grant, “Motownphily” by Boyz II Men, “Poundcake” by Van Halen, “Rescue Me” by Madonna, “Shameless” from Garth Brooks”, “Someday” by Mariah Carey, “That's What Love Is For” by Amy Grant, and more.
Classical and Opera saw milestones as well with such works as John Corigliano's “Symphony No. 1” , Joel-Francois Durand's “Un Feu Distinct” for flute, piano, clarinet, violin, and cello, Ulrich Leyendecker's “Symphony No. 3”, John Adams' “The Death of Klinghoffer, Daniel Catan's “Rappaccini's Daughter”, and Daron Hagen's “Shining Brow” and many more.
When 1992 rolled in the music industry was awash in the new wave Grunge music scene led by Nirvana and Kurt Cobain. Along with the other Grunge bands, the press was rapidly trying to catch up on the new sounds and lyrics as well as keep tabs on established groups and the changing lives of the industry's legends.
In 1992, as a tribute to Elvis Presley, the U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp in his honor. The stamp and related items became instant collector's items. The move made other musicians sit back in awe as they too contemplated whether or not they would one day achieve such celebrity from the U.S..
It was the year of Farm Aid V with favorites Neil Young, John Cougar Mellencamp, and Paul Simon.
The year's top five hits include another motion picture soundtrack single that followed in the footsteps of the previous year. In 1990 the hit song to the movie “Robin Hood” was the #1 hit and in 1991, Whitney Houston's “I Will Always Love You” turned out to be one of the biggest hits of all time. It played constantly on radio, television and throughout neighborhoods. The #2 hit was Nirvana with “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. The song tore through traditional music and the video had fans glued to their television sets. R&B's Boyz II Men broke out with their #3 hit, “End Of The Road”, its melodies and subject matter performed brilliantly by the three lead singers became an instant hit and a long lasting one often played at ceremonies like proms and graduation ceremonies. From the still kicking Disco music era comes the band Snaps!'s hit “Rhythm Is A Dancer” which sort of brought back that bawdy Disco sound that had become obsolete in the U.S.. The tune was very popular in overseas markets as the Disco era hadn't quite gone away and was moving into more into the techno-pop era that would follow shortly. Rounding out the top five songs of 1992 is Mr. Big's “To Be With You” another hit in the European market that set the tone for following hits.
Other hits of 1992 include a wide mix of all genres. This boost in such popular works sent the decade into strong starts. Songs like “Human Touch” from legend Bruce Springsteen, “Diamonds and Pearls” from Prince, “Invisible Touch” by Genesis and their other hit “Jesus He Knows Me”, “Jimmy Olsen's Blues” by the Spin Doctors really opened up a new genre of superhero related tunes that would find resurrection later in the 2000s as superhero movies dominated the box office, Eric Clapton's “Layla” re-emerged but as an acoustic masterpiece, R.E.M.'s “Man On The Moon”, Sade soulful singer of that melancholy music burst onto the scene and her hit “No Ordinary Love” topped charts and captivated audiences, “Save The Best For Last” by Vanessa L. Williams, U2's “Who's gonna Ride Your Wild Horses”, and Annie Lennox's “Walking On Broken Glass” were all hot tunes that jammed the dance clubs and covered the airwaves. The videos to the songs, most of them, are favorites to this day.
In 1993, the top hit songs were quite a shock to the mainstream music industry but the songs' popularity reflected the public's own interests and sent many songwriters and composers back to the drawing board.
Veteran acts such as Meat Loaf regained the top spot letting his fans know that he was still on top of his game after three decades. His hit “I'd Do Anything For Love” was the number one hit of the year 1992 and was followed by UB40's “I Can't Help Falling In Love With You”. It was obvious from these top two hits that the public was very interested in love songs at the time. The group Four Non Blondes showed what they were made of with their song “What's Up?” that caught the public's ear and expanded into more inquisitive songs and lyrics. Following came the group Snow and their song “Informer” and Haddaway's “What is Love”.
The awards given for the year were monumental. For the Grammy Awards Eric Clapton won best record of the year with his ballad to his son who had fallen from a window. Clapton's “Tears In Heaven” brought many a tear to audiences around the world and rightly so won the top honors. He doubled that success with Album of the Year, and Song of the Year.
The top ten albums of the year was led by Whitney Houston from “The Bodyguard” soundtrack. The action/romance movie and soundtrack topped the year's albums followed by Kenny G's “Breathless”, Eric Clapton's “Unplugged”, Janet Jackson's “Janet”, Billy Ray Cyrus' “Some Gave All”, Dr. Dre's “The Chronic”, Spin Doctor's “Pocket Full Of Kryptonite”, Pearl Jam's “Ten”, Garth Brooks' “The Chase”, and “Core” from the Stone Temple Pilots.
In classical music the genre saw such works as Krzysztof Penderecki's “Polish Requiem” revised version, John Adams' “Violin Concerto”, Michael Daugherty's “Bizarro”, Luciano Berio's “Rage and Outrage” and more.
Within the other genres had hits such as “Tell Me Why” by Genesis, “The River Of Dreams” by Billy Joel, “The Red Strokes” by Garth Brooks, “Simple Life” by Elton John, “Bad Girl” by Madonna, “Break It Down Again” by Tears for Fears, “Anya” by Deep Purple, “Come Undone” from Duran Duran, “Everybody Hurts” by R.E.M, “Disarm” by Smashing Pumpkins, “Give In To Me” from Michael Jackson, “Creep” from Radiohead and many more.
1993 in the music industry showed that emotion, especially mourning and love drove the industry's top chart hitters.
“Old Blue Eyes” aka Frank Sinatra made music headlines again, this time in 1994 for receiving a Grammy Award for “Lifetime Achievement Award”. There was some controversy and drama because his speech was cut short but it still showed that the Grammys recognized the singers who set the groundwork of what performances and the industry became.
That being said, the top five songs of 1994 showed a pattern of success by having the #1 hit being a song from the soundtrack of a movie. Bruce Springsteen's “Streets of Philadelphia” not only was the top song of the year but also garnered the legendary New Jersey rocker an Academy Award. A monumental win for Springsteen who never waned in all his years of performing. The #2 spot went to a trio of legends, Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, and Sting for their “All for Love”. Third spot went to Rednex for the song “Cotton Eye Joe”. The #4 spot went to All-4-One and their hit “I Swear” followed by still newcomer at that time Mariah Carey with her chart topper “Without You”.
The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inducted a number of artists such as The Doors, Sly and the Family Stone, Etta James, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, Cream, Ruth Brown, Creedance Clearwater Revival.
Other awards for music in 1994 were of course the Grammy Awards that saw another soundtrack album hit the high marks. Whitney Houston and David Foster won for Record of the Year and Whitney Houston and her crew of superstars won Album of the Year for “The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album”. Following in a movie soundtrack sort of way we have Song of the Year going to Alan Menken and Tim Rice for “A Whole New World” from Disney's “Aladdin” animated feature. Rounding things out comes Toni Braxton as Best New Artist of the year.
Other hit songs in 1994 covered a wide range of genres. Many opened new doors to new genres and saw older genres, even some a few years old start to wane. Songs that came out that year like “Amazing” by Aerosmith, Bon Jovi's “Always”, “Basket Case” by Green Day, “Big Poppa” by Notorious B.I.G., “100% Pure Love” by Crystal Waters, “Big Yellow Taxi” from Amy Grant, “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” by Elton John, “Circle of Life” by Elton John again coming from “The Lion King” soundtrack. “Creep” by TLC, and “What Would You Say” by the Dave Matthews Band.
Needless to say, the 1994 turn in music wasn't a battlefield but more of a proving ground. It was the year more people got online and more cable channels emerged. Artists who might not have been in the public eye. This caused quite a stir as the internet was stretching its muscles. Files for music were then considered huge and in .wav form. The downloading of music wasn't a major threat at the time and many didn't realize the implications of the web yet. Internet radio broadcasting, most notably presented by REAL networks via their radio broadcasting software was still on slow modems but enough for that time for radio to get a major foothold on the web.
It was just about mid decade and those musicians who were going to cut the mustard knew then and there their place in history. If they didn't have a big hit by the end of the decade they would either miss their mark or would have to start over again. Little did they know that on the horizon one of the biggest changes in music history was about to occur.
1995 was the midway of the decade and the proving ground of who would dominate the 90s was about to game change. However, certain trends continued regarding the top ten hits and just like the previous five years in a row, a movie soundtrack took home top place.
Hip Hop artist Coolio's “Gangsta's Paradise” ruled the top ten and is credited with sending far more people to the box office to see the critically acclaimed movie “Dangerous Minds” starring Michelle Pfeifer. Coolio cemented himself as a game changer and proved that Hip Hop and Gangsta Rap could be not only crossover but artistically recognized and commercially successful. With one song, Coolio proved the naysayers wrong, opened doors to new avenues of Hip Hop and legitimized two genres in one. The song was more ballad than rap and was accompanied by orchestration and outstanding vocals that grabbed more attention than most people had expected. The #2 song was Shaggy with “Bombastic”, then #3 had Take That debuting their chart topper, “Back For Good” followed by the King of Pop who came in at #4 with “You Are Not Alone”. Finally global sensation U2 copped the fifth spot with “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me”.
The new groups caused an upheaval against the established giants and Coolio surprised them all. As a matter of fact Hip Hop and Rap was able to incorporate more traditional music and themes and after some successful crossovers with Rock back in the 80s, Hip Hop and Rap reached into every pocket of culture available with higher production values yet keeping with the legitimacy of the dangerous world of urban life.
However, not everything was street life drama in music during 1995, other songs that became hits were “Ants Marching” by the Dave Matthews Band that continued to grow and become quite a popular group with very loyal fans. Shania Twain's “Any Man of Mine” garnered her more recognition, “Believe” by Elton John, “Big Poppa” from Notorious B.I.G., Weezer brought a very popular tune called “Buddy Holly” that introduced a more up tone song reminiscent of the 1950's and pop songs of the early '70s. Van Halen was in there with their song “Can't Stop Lovin' You”, Pearl Jam continued their success with “Better Man”, Garth Brooks came out with “It's Midnight Cinderella”, Seal broke out with a melodic song “Kiss From A Rose” that accompanied Tim Burton's movie “Batman Returns”. Montell Jordan's “This Is How We Do It” was heard from one dance hall to another. Bon Jovi, Madonna, Annie Lennox were all in there competing with the new musicians but when Hootie & The Blowfish appeared with their song “Only Wanna Be With You” it turned the tables bringing another big spotlight to folk based music, real lyrics and a real down to Earth band.
Also kicking their way to to the song charts were favorites Michael Jackson with “You Are Not Alone” and Alanis Morissette with her “You Oughta Know”.
The big awards were the 37th Grammy Awards for 1995 saw none other than Sheryl Crow winning Record of the Year for “All I Wanna Do”. Album of the Year went to legendary singer Tony Bennett for MTV: Unplugged. A real milestone for Bennett and MTV. It proved that master craftsmanship, which Bennett is a living example of could dominate the high tech age by doing what comes naturally to him, performing. No special effects, just the real deal Tony Bennett who stood on his own and beat everyone else hands down. The Song of the Year went to Bruce Springsteen for “Streets of Philadelphia” which had won a previous Grammy as well as an Academy Award. Of course Best New Artist went to Sheryl Crow who had won Record of the Year. This was the first year into the 90s that a major movie soundtrack didn't dominate the awards save for Springsteen's song.
The year 1996 was one of the most tumultuous in decades. There were political upheavals, and criminal activities that sent reverberations around the world.
Most notably the assassination of Tupac Shakur. Shakur was an outspoken Hip Hop/Rap artist whose songs ranged from simple playful banter to outright political hostility and personal attacks. He could carry a range from traditional hip hop to meaningful ballads and had already been shot and survived but this time his luck ran out. His death set a precedent within the community that absurdly believed that being shot was credibility. His murder would be investigated for years to come and it set a pall over the music industry as a whole. He then grew to mythological status which only time can tell if it's a benefit to mankind or not.
The rock group The Eagles also got in trouble as they dedicated a song “Peaceful Easy Feeling” to then Iraq's President Saddam Hussein. Needless to say that put the legendary band on the radar of the federal government. The Ramones played their last gig together in 1996. Madonna was under the sights of the Argentinian Government for her portrayal of Eva Peron.
The bright points was the release of The Beatles' second reunion song. Madonna has her first baby. The first free song download came from innovator and rock legend David Bowie.
The top songs of the year were explosive. Instead of the traditional songs from movie soundtracks, the biggest song of the year came from a group of snappy and poppy girls from the UK called the Spice Girls. Their song “Wannabe” topped the charts and the girls were on a ride to international stardom. Sort of a “Charlies Angels” of the music crowd. Number 2 in the spotlight was the Haitian R&B group the Fugees who revived the classic Roberta Flack song “Killing Me Softly” and added a Hip Hop flair to it. The Fugees caused a sensation as they exemplified the dream of immigrants coming to America and making it big. Next came a song so lighthearted that people around the world embraced it and the dance routine associated. Los Del Rio introduced their #3 hit, “Macarena”. It was performed by massive crowds attending outdoor events and even sports teams and their ground crews. The number 4 spot went to Oasis and their song “Wonderall”. Next came the #5 song, “Children” from Robert Miles.
Other popular songs of the year were “Big Me” from the Foo Fighters, “Change the World” by Eric Clapton, “E-Bow the Letter” by R.E.M., that features rock legend Patti Smith, “Hand In My Pocket” by Alanis Morissette, “It's Oh So Quiet” by Bjork, “Is It A Crime” by Sade, “You Must Love Me” by Madonna and more.
The big awards of the year, namely the Grammys which did follow the trend of motion picture soundtrack inspired hits. Most notably was a breakthrough in composition and the first song from a superhero or comic book based movie to win for both Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year from UK singer and producer Seal from his song “Kiss From A Rose” from the movie “Batman Forever”. Seal's melodies combined elements from other music genres which caught the music world unawares vaulting Seal into international superstar status. Add to that it was from a movie based on a comic book was a precursor to the power of the superhero genre that had gone on to dominate the 21st century.
Album of he year went to Glen Ballard and Alanis Morissette for “Jagged Little Pill” which sent Morissette also into international stardom. Then as to top the prize came Hootie & The Blowfish rounding out the newcomers with new sounds that shook up the music world of 1996.
1997 was a very important year in music as the proving ground of the decade was coming to an end. Who would come out on top as the legend, the ground-breaker of the industry.
Old school rocker David Bowie turned 50 that year. James Brown, the Godfather of Soul finally got his star on Hollywood's Walk Of Fame. In what some say was retaliation for the drive-by shooting murder of Tupac Shakur, Notorious B.I.G. Was likewise assassinated in a car while attending an awards show. Paul McCartney becomes a real knight of the realm. 1960s-70s group The Monkees reunite and sell out concerts. The Spice Girls rise to outrageous fame and fortune. Again Notorious B.I.G., hits the headlines as the first musician ever to get two #1 singles posthumously. Elton John attends Princess Diana's funeral where he sings her favorite song “Candle In The Wind”. Michael Jackson breaks more records when he ended his History World Tour with over 4,500,000 fans in attendance.
The top five songs of the year were a twist in trends seeing the #1 spot going to Puff Daddy aka P Diddy aka Sean Coombs and Faith Evans with their hit “I'll Be Missing You”. Second was Elton John's tribute to Princess Diana “Candle In The Wind”. The third spot went to Aqua with their song “Barbie Girl”, following at #4 was then newcomers No Doubt with their hit “Don't Speak” which vaunted the band and its lead singer Gwen Stefani into one of the most unusual celebrity heights ever. Finally the #5 spot went to a group of blonde haired boys named Hanson with their song “Mmmbop”. It was quite the cross section of genres and artists for the top five spots and showed that nothing is predictable regarding the public's taste.
Other notable songs of the year 1997 include, “All By Myself” Celine Dion, “All Is Full Of Love” from Bjork, “Eye” by the Smashing Pumpkins, “Firestarter” from The Prodigy, “Pink” by Aerosmith, “Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind, “Hypnotize” by The Notorious B.I.G., “Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?” by Paula Cole, “Step By Step” by Whitney Houston, “Walkin' On The Sun” by Smash Mouth, “It's No Good” by Depeche Mode, and more.
The Grammy Awards showcased the switch away from movie soundtracks and showed that Country music was still a strong genre. The Record of the Year and Song of the Year went to Eric Clapton and Babyface his producer for “Change The World” and colleagues Wayne Kirkpatric, Tommy Sims, Wynonna and Gordon Kennedy shared the honors. Album of the year went to “Falling Into You” by Celine Dion with her producers Jeff Boba, Roy Bittan, Aldo Nova, Dan Hill, Steven Rinkoff, Jim Steinman, Bill Steinberg, Rick Nowels, Rick Wake, John Jones, and Dan Hill. The Best New Artist went to LeAnn Rimes who really surprised the music industry and started an inspiring career for other Country music. She also won for the Best Female Country vocal Performance for the song “Blue”.
A real wild year for music to say the least!
With one more year to go 1998 was the indicator of who would walk away as the power of the industry and as usual it was from a motion picture that led the pack.
Celine Dion's “My Heart Will Go On” just stormed the airwaves as the love song to the second biggest grossing movie of all time “Titanic” dominated the box office. The song overwhelmed everything else and one couldn't go anywhere without hearing the song played endlessly. Dion's song in accordance with the romance of the movie, heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio, and a huge budget James Cameron movie, the song broke records all over the place. As popular as the album was it still didn't eclipse “The Bodyguard” with Whitney Houston's rendition of “I Will Always Love You”.
Hitting #1 at the charts, Dion's “My Heart Will Go On” was followed by Cher with “Believe” showing the singer still had that star power. Next in line were rockers Aerosmith with “I Don't Want To Miss A Thing” followed by now classic Rap stars Run DMS and Jason Nevins with “It's Like That” and closing the pack was Country singer Shania Twain with her “You're Still The One” showing that Country still had that kick to it.
Other music news for 1998 included, The Bee Gees who opened their One Night Only tour on the Emerald Isle in Dublin, Ireland. Britney Spears who would go on to dominate the early 21st century's pop charts debuted her first single with “Baby One More Time”. In legal matters the U.S. Congress finally passed the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act. The Stray Cats got back together in a benefit performance for the Carl Perkins Foundation. Elton John became “Sir” Elton John when he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. An assassination attempt on the band RAM was thwarted while the group appeared in Haiti however several other people were killed during the assault. The record for being at number one went to the Goo Goo Dolls for their record “Iris” that stayed at 18 weeks at the number one spot.
The historic 40th Grammy Awards took place in 1998 and the competition was fierce to bring in top honors. The winners for the top awards were John Leventhal and Shawn Colvin who won Record of the Year for “Sunny Came Home”. Bob Dylan and Daniel Lanois won the Album of the Year, John Leventhal and Shawn Colvin brought home the Song of the Year honors for “Sunny Came Home” and Best New Artist went to Paula Cole. The Grammy Legend Award went to Luciano Pavarotti.
Other top hits of 1998 were, “Apparitions” Matthew Good Band, “My Hero” by the Foo Fighters, “ My All” from Mariah Carey, “Kind And Generous” from Natalie Merchant, “Ruff Ryders' Anthem” from DMX, “Together Again” from Janet Jackson, “Uninvited” from Alanis Morissette, “Doo Wop” by Lauryn Hill, “Cloud Number Nine” by Bryan Adams, “Gettin' Jiggy Wit It” by Will Smith, “I Want You Back” by NSYNC, and more.
With the decade of the 90s coming to an end, 1999 became the year that put the rubber to the road as to who dominated the decade.
There was lots of news as the new millennium started and 1999 was tense, heroic, scary, and amazing.
News of the year saw such events as Elton John showing up in an episode of The Simpsons. Jesse Ventura then the Governor of Minnesota declared February 15, “Rolling Stones Day”. Eminem hit the scene with his album “The Slim Shady”. Woodstock 99 takes place. Carlos Santana, the master musician has his song “Smooth” become the first #1 single of the year 2000.
When the dust cleared it was apparent what the next decade was going to see. The #1 hit of the year was from former Mousketeer Britney Spears with the tune “Baby One More Time”. Spears would then dominate the rest of the decade in more than just music. The 1999 release however cemented her popularity which would be a wild ride to say the least. Coming in at #2 is Lou Bega with his “Mambo No. 4. The #3 spot went to Eiffel 65 with “Blue”. Then came R&B girls group TLC with “No Scrubs”. Finishing out the round was the Backstreet Boys with their hit single “I Want It That Way”.
Other top songs of the year were, “Almost Doesn't Count” by Brandy, “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan, “Back At One” from Brian McKnight, “Desert Rose” from Sting, “Down So Long” by M2M, “Larger Than Life” from the Backstreet Boys, “ “I Need To Know” by Marc Anthony, “Kiss of Life” by Sade, Christina Aguilera's debut song “Genie In A Bottle”, “My Name Is” by Eminem, “Nothing Really Matters” by Madonna, “Strong Enough” from Cher, “Then The Morning Comes” by Smash Mouth, “You're Still The One” from Shania Twain and more.
The big winners at the Grammys that year were James Horner and Walter Afanasieff and Simon Franglen, David Gleeson, Humberto Gatica and of course Celine Dion for her song, “My Heart Will Go On” from the “Titanic” soundtrack. Song of the Year went to James Horner, Celine Dion, and Will Jennings for “My Heart Will Go On”. Album of the year surprisingly went to Lauryn Hill, Warren Riker, and Tony Prendatt for “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” and the fact they beat out Dion's “Titanic” momentum. Hill then went on to win Best New Artist as well.
All in all, the year saw new ground broken and tributes to classic stars. There were some upheavals here and there and the onslaught of song downloads and the expansion of the internet was both a boon and and curse. Technologies were changing rapidly. Digital was consuming the bulk of the recording market and experts rebelled. Complaints about resonance in the recordings versus vinyl and tape occurred which continue to this day. The rise of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera was like a new pop sensation wave that cascaded into the next millennium.