jaxxalude

A bit like Shanice's "I Love Your Smile", this was new jack swing's having its final moment in the limelight to give way to an edgier hip-hop-inflected brand of R&B. As such, this song is very emblematic of its (waning) days, but it's a nice enough tune nevertheless. In the slew of dance covers clogging up the charts back then, I'm in agreement that this was one of the most deserving. Of course it helped that the original song was such a strong beast, but it could have all gone tits up anyway. Not here though, as Undercover manage to retain the longing spirit of the original while making us dance to it. Unlike the majority, I don't think it's so much the female chorus that makes this work. Rather it's the production; in particular the "oomph, oomph" siren which opens the track and pops up occasionally during it the one true killer moment in it. Of course Dr. Alban's rapping isn't much cop, but that's expected of Eurodance. But as I was saying, it's the production that really makes it work, as it didn't really sound like your average Eurodance production at all. It was starker, heavier and certainly gloomier all around. And maybe that's why it holds up better than most of the big Eurodance hits of the era. Arrested Development seemed like a big future prospect for a moment, didn't they? And sure enough, I still hold 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of... as a great album. Sure, it wasn't to become the future of rap music by any stretch, as AD preached an altogether far peaceful point of view on society's ills. That doesn't mean it didn't reach occasional brilliance, such as this take on the Sly & The Family Stone's classic "Everyday People". Curiously, the way rap music has been heading lately, it probably would have a good chance of being a hit again these days. I'm with everyone here, this was Michael Jackson at his worst: preachy and altogether mushy, even if his heart was in the right place - or was it? Anyway, not really worth giving it much thought beyond this.

Unlike many here, I absolutely love this track! Why? Because of the way it turns such a drippy MOR tune and twists its meaning in a clever way. Let me explain it. While it's easy to take this as a celebration of raving, in fact there's a certain eerie warning about its perils there. The track starts with the signature piano riff straight out of Marc Cohn's tune, while MC Pete Bouncer apparently croons happily about putting on his raving shoes. But the key is in the part where he says "raving, I'm raving/but do I really feel the way I feel", which then segues into a darker-tinged breakbeat confection. The climax of this darkside occurs when rave synth stabs appear to adorn a female voice bellowing "for me, for me" as if losing herself out of any consciousness, only for us to return to the very cheery beginning. When looked at like this, it becomes obvious that "Raving, I'm Raving" was a clever denunciation of the dangers of getting yourself too much into everything that comes with the act - re: the drugs. Oh, it's easy to dismiss this as just another piece of kiddie-rap these days. What this does not take into account though is how the production of the track manages to make such a too-used Jackson 5 track sound so fresh and thoroughly modern. And even if the kids weren't the most skilled of MC's, you couldn't deny the joy that brims out of them. All in all, a nice track. Dear Lord, I'm not even going to further comment on such rubbish! Frankly, I can't get behind this. And unlike some here, I actually think this is an example of everything that made Mariah such an easy target over the years. Everything is there: the melisma, the over-emoting, the showy vocal technique. And when it all comes in the guise of a cover of a song that exemplified emotion such as "I'll Be There", it's only adding insult to injury. All in all, it's no wonder Mariah was so successful during the 90's, as she provided the necessary MOR lots of older people always need. Of course it's a novelty record, but that's beside the point. What I enjoy about this record is the same thing that makes others irksome: the way it twists babyish innocence and manages to introduce a not-that-subtle drugs reference in the context of a children's programme. Yes, Freddie was dead (apropos: "Freddie's Dead" is the name of a great Curtis Mayfield tune); therefore, a lot of goodwill towards everything related to him was to be expected. Still, it doesn't excuse the fact that this was a four-year old tune re-released to capitalise on someone's death - and the Barcelona Olympics of 1992, since we were at it.

This really wasn't their last hurrah - "1992: America, What Time is Love" would follow it to the Top 5 in a few. But I wouldn't blame anyone for thinking this was their real last impression on a grand scale. And as far as those goes, they went out with a bang! There had been some unusual pairings before (Elvis Costello and Hall & Oates, anyone?; Happy Mondays and Karl Denver, people?), but none such as this! And all the better for it, as Tammy acquits herself really well when holding it down with the Kings of Pop Sarcasm. And even if this duet started a whole monster of its own (namely, the horrendous "guilty pleasures" phenomenon), THIS is still pretty much a cheat-sheet of how to do this sort of thing. Unlike Gezza, rave and I have always been friends, even though I wasn't exactly of raving age at the time. In so many ways, "Everybody In The Place" (especially in its most popular "Fairground Remix" form) still sounds like a future-possibility which never really took off. The disjointed beat was, it's no secret, jungle/drum-n-bass before the term was even coined - they called it hardcore or breakbeat at the time. The synth stabs sounded brutalist and dangerous in a way only hardcore hip-hop was then, even at a time when grunge supposedly made rock music cool again. But what's more, "Everybody In The Place" did work as a pop record, so chock-full of hooks it was. From the "everybody in the place/let's go!" vocal loop to the already referred synth-stabs, this is the kind of record which screams anthem from all sides. And what's more, it still sounds positively and relatively alien these days. An unheralded pop classic, it's what it is! Again, take this for the instrumental version. And if you do, it's another rushing stab of brutalist Belgian techno brimming with undeniable energy. It was the real punk rock for the ages and I still stand by that today. Don't get me wrong, this song is almost Heaven on Earth. But in a 1992 brimming with futurism and modernity through all the dance music clocking up the charts, things like these were utterly unnecessary, even if you took into account the fact that this kind of soul music constituted modern dance music's roots. A piece of sugar-coated poppy R&B this might have been. But unlike The Temptations, it was a piece of sugar-coated poppy R&B that at least had some approximation to the Sound of Now. In many ways though, "I Love Your Smile" was one of new jack swing's last chances at the limelight, as an edgier sort of hip-hop inflected R&B was looming on the horizon, rendering things like this song inoffensive fluff. Believe it or not, drop this on a dancefloor at the right time and it still works wonders! No, er, wonder, as it's as timeless as house music can get. The production is classicist to a tee, Ce Ce's delivery denounces her classic soul influences to a tee and the song's melody is the kind to make you hum along without you even noticing. All in all, a timeless dance-pop ditty. This is why looking at the History of Pop Music through the lens of charts makes it sometimes more fascinating than through the filters of Best Album of All Time lists or retrospective press articles. If you believe the official recounts of the era, you'll think it was nothing but "faceless" dance music and the rise of grunge. In truth, things are never as black and white as such. And so it was that such an 80's relic like Def Leppard managed a #2 placing (and a #1 album) bang in the middle of a musical revolution. As for the song itself, it was alright, even if it was paint-by-numbers Leppard, something which ended up hurting them in the mid-to-long run, unlike Bon Jovi - who knew when and how to change their sound at the right time. I'll wager that I might be in the minority here when it comes to appreciating heavy metal. And it is through that prism that I declare "Be Quick or Be Dead" to be just like "Let's Get Rocked": alright, but paint-by-numbers Maiden. In fact, Bruce Dickinson even left the band one year later, leaving the band (and Dickinson himself) to face a very uncertain decade. As we now know, Dickinson rejoined the band at the start of the new century, one which saw Maiden gain a new lease of life and cement their status as deserved heavy metal heroes. Even moreso than "Everybody In The Place", the basis for what became jungle/drum-n-bass were here: the disjointed rhythm, the reggae sample pushing the dub influences of the genre to the fore. But unlike hardcore jungle's prevalence of pre-millennium doom, this was the rave party still at its honeymoon phase. And all the better for it, as (again) like The Prodigy, it also functioned brilliantly as a pop record. Another unheralded pop classic. Remember what I said about Def Leppard and their success bang in the middle of grunge? Well, as Gezza already pointed out, GN'R were the biggest rock band in the world at the time, an act as emblematic of the previous decade's glam metal genre as it could be, even if they were a little heavier and filthier than LA's usual pretty boys. But the fact that their biggest British chart hit came with this - a cover version - should have immediately spelt doom ahead for the band, as it now meant that the Most Dangerous Band in the World tag was, quite frankly, inappropriate. I mean, what could signify your entry to the System more than covering a song by an iconic singer who had marked the generation which was then holding down the Power?

This certainly gains a new meaning since Heavy D's untimely passing almost a month ago. Yes, its hip-house production might scream 1991 all over. But like I said, the recent onslaught of rappers doing their thing over a 4/4 dance beat ultimately gave records like this a new light. And for the time, "Now That We Found Love" was definitely one of the best examples of the subgenre. What to say about an Everly Brothers-style acoustic tune from a funk-inflected hard rock band hitting such dizzy heights at the, er, height of dance music mania? That it stuck out like a sore thumb? Probably. What I do know is that Extreme had much better material than this in their oeuvre. There's something to be said about quirkiness. But I'll be darned if this isn't a brilliant pop song dressed as ironic commentary on the fashion world! It's typical, but rather fun, 1991-style pop-rap with a social conscience. It's become a wedding disco classic, you know. Its heart was in the right place, even if the years proved that the fall of Communism wasn't the Bright New Dawn it was hoped to be. But more importantly so, if you took away the whole political tone out of the song, what you'd be left with was another run-of-the-mill power ballad. No more, no less. If you take into account the instrumental version, you'll see how this wasn't so much Eurodance but rather a piece of brutalist Belgian techno in tandem with similar singles of the time like T-99's "Anasthasia", Human Resource's "Dominator" or Quadrophonia's self-titled track. And just like these, "Get Ready For This" is an exciting stab of pure energy that gave reason to those who compared this type of rave-inflected techno to punk rock. Yes, you read it well: punk rock! If you take away the guitars and put in the synths and computers, you'll agree that the same primal energy is there. And just why did we have to end the year with such a piss-poor proto-Disney soundtrack theme unworthy of Ms. Ross's stature?...

Ah, the days when Sealhenry Samuel could be counted upon as a deliverer of the finest dance-inflected pop tunes and when Trevor Horn was still in the peak of his powers. Of course it's a classic pop song, dummy! Unlike Gezza, I've always enjoyed dance music, even when I still wasn't of clubbing age. Sure, it's pretty much of its time, but something about this just makes it still sound like a fun record after all these years. Of course the rap part isn't top banana if you're looking for Rakim-like mic brilliance, but it does its part well. And the point of releasing this was?... It might have had the shuffle beat, but this was only Madchester insomuch as James were, well, a Manchester band. Other than that, this was as anthemic as an indie band ever had gotten by that point and all the better for that. It's a timeless pop classic, simple as that. The best-selling singles act in the world in 1991 delivers us one of the reasons for thus. Even today this would go down a treat, I reckon, such is its anthemic drive! Stadium House it was indeed. And when delivered with this cheekiness, it only adds to its charm. A dance classic, through and through. Another undeniable dance classic! Where Gezza might think of this as novelty, I actually think of it as quirky. Crystal's vocals were certainly not your average dance diva business back then, and they still aren't these days, adding a bit of leftfield risk to what might have otherwise been a rock-solid but ultimately business-as-usual club groove. Of course the lyrics also helped it rise above the average dance single of the day; but the vocals alone elevated it to another level, helping to cement its iconic status in the dance music pantheon. I get the feeling that, were it not for the fact that Amy Grant's Christian leanings being so emphasized at the time, this song would not have been that big, as it was just a run-of-the-mill MOR pop song so typical of the time. And true to form, she never had another big hit in Britain after this.

Well, it was Madonna (still) at the height of her Pop Icon era, so I guess anything she released then was "condemned" to be a hit, whether this was associated with a blockbuster film or not. Anyway, there's a good reason this isn't really part of her canon: it's unmemorable to the tilt. I talked about the early 90's fad for megamixes as a sort of proto-mashups. Well, this one certainly fits even better. No need to recap the story behind it. What needs to be told is how pertinent this still sounds after all these years. It almost hasn't aged at all, really! I'd be lying if I said I remembered this EP's (ah, the days when EP's charted as singles!) whole contents. I do remember very well how their take on "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" sounded so wistful and ethereal though. That take alone was worth the price of the EP, I'd wager. Feckin' Steve Miller had to deny this of its much-deserved time at the top! But I guess Deee-Lite had the last laugh though, as both these songs are still rightfully considered dance classics. "What Is Love" in particular still retains an out-there quality to it. But of course "Groove is in the Heart" is the pop gem here. It might sound like a late-80's dance song released in late 1990, but it's still a quite good dance-pop tune at it. And while the production might sound dated, it has a strong enough melody to still sound good these days. Deserved classic slice of traditional pop this might be. But in context of 1990, this just sound hopelessly dull. Pass! The less said about this, the better! Ditto! In many ways this still bears hallmarks of the S/A/W machine, just not quite as catchy (or annoying, depending on the perspective). Like some said, I guess goodwill from her sister's death carried into this single. Too bad it didn't carry on until the real gem that was "G.L.A.D.", but such is life! Now THIS is more like it! First of all, I dare anyone name anything better than this that Lenny Kravitz had a hand on! Wait, you at the back, what did you say? Nothing? Thought so. Because that is the right answer: this is surely, positively the best thing dear old Leonard has ever been involved in. And in many ways, "Justify My Love" seemed to anticipate trip-hop in some ways. The hip-hop-based beat is there, as also is the doped vibe and the general sense of paranoia. Furthermore, Madonna doesn't so much sing as recites the lyrics, which just helps make this even eerier than it already is. Even without the video, this would always be part of Madonna's canon one way or the other. It's also the sound of a star so big she could have the luxury of releasing such leftfield material as this and still score a bonafide hit.

This one is very much of its time, yet at the same time hasn't aged that much. This recent onslaught of rappers doing their thing over a 4/4 dance beat certainly gave things like Technotronic a new cool cache. And as I already know, that combination will be something to find quite a lot of times down the road. Ah, the megamix trend of the early 90's! I guess the closest thing we have these days are DJ Earworm's annual United States of Pop mixdowns. Which brings us to what these megamixes are in many ways: proto-mashups. In this particular case though, it can't be seen as anything other than an era-stamping novelty, however brilliant some of those records were, are and probably always will be. In no way can I agree with Gezza here. There's a reason why The B-52's are still so well-regarded these days: they make this kind of quirky pop better than most. And while "Love Shack" might be a streamlined version of The B-52's, it's one that actually fits them good. Certainly having Nile Rodgers producing them had something to do with it. Like some said, it's surprising how this song seems to be forgotten these days. And while it certainly bears the hallmarks of the commercial rock that (still) dominated US airwaves (and some European too) back in the day, the undeniable fact is how utterly classicist in construction this song sounds. One-hit wonder status she might have. But it's certainly one-decent-song status better than many acts will probably have in their whole career! It's true: while released as a single in 1990, this sounds for the whole world as the 1988 of which the album where this was taken from was released. Halfway between new jack swing and freestyle with a mainstream pop bent in its shiny surfaces, this certainly did it's job in appealing to the widest cross-section of audiences possible while prolonging Forever Your Girl's shelf-life. It's no work of art, but it's still quite a nice, inoffensive song. The production is quite of its time but the apparent go-get-that-money sentiment of the lyrics certainly isn't dated. Yes, I wrote "apparent". That's because I always felt like, far from advocating a straight-up greedy attitude, there's something about the lyrics of this song and the way they're delivered that actually sound to me like a first-person narrative of someone who knows what she does is morally wrong but is just now too entrenched in it to go back. So unlike some, I don't really think Dizzee Rascal's take on it in "Dirtee Cash" sounds that far-off. Like some said, this marks Kylie's transition from Girl Next Door to Emancipated Nymphet. The title alone gives it away: we're in a territory where sex actually exists and all the better for it. I also agree with the gay subtexts, as Kylie is certainly winking to har by then already established gay audience. All in all, a great New Beginning. Although we all know now how the NKOTB train was fast-approaching derailment, at the time it seemed like they could do no wrong. And such was the feeling that they hit #2 with a song that screamed half-baked at every turn. Like some said, it already sounds dated by the time it's finished, so I guess it's no wonder things started falling apart mere months after this. Like pretty much everyone here, I'd assume, I'm no expert in opera. So this one will be left at this. The best thing to be said about this song is that Bo Diddley had a chance at making some money. Apart from that, it's MOR pop/rock with absolutely no distinguishing marks, apart from the fact that this was Henry Ramsay of Neigbours singing. And even then that trick was starting to sound tired, so it's no wonder Craig only had this as a "real" hit.

To say I'm massively late for this thread would be an understatement! Well, here's the rundown: I'm three years younger than Gezza. And the 90's are certainly the decade in which my "pop conscience" took hold. So just like Hitstatic is doing, I'll try and add my personal view of each and every one of these songs! See why I said I'm massively late for this thread? :lol:

Are they still hoping any 15-year old girls will swoon over them? :P

Berlusconi can have all the media he wants in his own country. Next to these technocrats, he's an angel. By the way, has anyone here read this recent New Scientist article? http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg2122...-the-world.html

Well, aren't you a troll. :rolleyes:

I mean, I get him - he compares the slaughtering of people to that of animals. But you know what, Steven? As much as fast food companies disgust me for their "promotion" of cancer and other diseases, what they're doing is still KILLING FOR FOOD. Much different than killing for hatred, Steven!

Oh dear, I've just remembered now! :puke2: FCj_C-Yb3xI

http://thequietus.com/articles/06669-silly...sses-self-again :D My suggestion? Just let him talk to himself. He's beyond repair.

Oh Mandy Well you came and you gave without taking but I sent you away :D

My earlier post in this page does mention The Strokes. The Libs? I think they're more a product of The Strokes's influence than genuine influencers themselves, quite honestly. If anything, the Arctic Monkeys might have been a bigger influence in the longer run, although I still feel it's too close to call on that one yet.

Some more. Weezer Red Hot Chili Peppers (good call there, Wizard!) Jane's Addiction Alice in Chains Linkin Park blink-182

Since kathyp felt my list was on the short side, I'd say it's only fair that I treat the lady right and suggest some more names, then. :P Massive Attack Portishead Radiohead Eminem (already mentioned, but essential nonetheless) Björk My Bloody Valentine Oasis (already mentioned too, but still undeniable) Coldplay (ditto) LCD Soundsystem Korn Rage Against The Machine Green Day The Strokes Jay-Z OutKast Dizzee Rascal Kanye West Is it enough? :lol:

Gee, on top of my head, I can think of: Janis Joplin Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane) Ann & Nancy Wilson (Heart) Patti Smith The Runaways (and Joan Jett and Lita Ford afterwards) Hole Babes In Toyland L7 Bikini Kill

It might not be directed at me. But in my case, I assure you I'm not. Because Daft Punk truly is that influential. The sonic trappings of most of the current electro/dance-pop landscape bear more than a passing influence from what Messrs. Bangalter and Homem-Christo developed in both Homework and especially Discovery. Anyone who doesn't hear it seriously needs to acquire some musical culture that goes a bit beyond what's on top of the charts. And Beck too, yes. The way he brought together disparate styles and meld them so seamlessly into a solid sonic pout-pourri has been omnipresent in pop music since the late 90's. Gorillaz, Gnarls Barkley (and Cee-Lo, of course) and OutKast are some of the people who wouldn't be where they were/are today without Beck's contributions. And seeing that some of the latter artists mentioned also brought an influence to some of the current music in the charts (OutKast/B.o.B, anyone?), it's fair to say that I'm not clutching at straws here.

Why should we? It's a good track. Well, maybe not the re-recorded version that made it to #1; but the original one (i.e., with the original Jane Fonda samples) is really funny, though.

2Pac The Notorious B.I.G. Beck When you actually think about, there really aren't that many British artists with a really wide influence over popular music in the last 20 years.

Oh, so that explains why Bob Marley's Legend or ABBA's Gold aren't on the Catalogue Albums chart I saw through the OCC's official site - it was the Studio chart, then. Well, if you go to the OCC site then, you'll see how Kings of Leon's Only By the Night is higher on the main chart than Beyonce's Dangerously in Love; but it's actually the other way around on the Catalogue Studio Album chart. I'm dead serious! Check it out.

Nirvana Daft Punk

Anyone?...