With Bottom Feeders we take a look at the songs on the Billboard Hot 100 that only got a little love. It’s an A-Z look at songs that charted no higher than #41 in the decade. Take a listen, enjoy and comment. And don’t forget, information on the top 40, airplay and bubbling under charts are on pages 2 and 3.
Section 1: The Ass End
Sting
”Nothing Bout Me” 1993, #57 (11 weeks) (download)
”Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot” 1996, #86 (5 weeks) (download)
”You Still Touch Me” 1996, #60 (13 weeks) (download)
”I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying” 1996, #94 (3 weeks) (download)
A decade ago, I likely would have had a very different opinion on Sting and these songs. I liked Ten Summoner’s Tales a lot and listened to Mercury Falling quite a bit even if was the album that completely erased Sting’s 80s sounds from his music. Although the former was a bit more adult pop than his previous solo works, I still consider it a bridge between his reggae music and his adult contemporary styles.
Today though, I don’t have the same opinion on Sting. I definitely lost interest after Mercury Falling and since the lute album, I roll my eyes every time I hear Sting is releasing something new, wondering what crazy shit he’s come up with this time. He’s earned the right to do whatever the hell he pleases with his music but it’s soured me completely. I’ll stick with the Soul Cages on back now.
(Maybe I should have known what was coming after the really odd video for ”I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying”)
Shawn Stockman
”Visions of a Sunset” 1996, #45 (15 weeks) (download)
As you likely know by now, I was a huge Boyz II Men fan back in the day and while Shawn Stockman had a great voice, I still think the group worked better as a whole, rather than as individuals. I find this track from Mr. Holland’s Opus a little sappy but to each his own.
Angie Stone
”No More Rain (In This Cloud)” 1999, #56 (17 weeks) (download)
Angie Stone was the next big thing for a matter of seconds in the early 00s. She has always been critically acclaimed but never had any chart success on the Hot 100 from it.
”No More Rain” barely hit this series as it entered the chart in the final week of December in ’99 but it was her first single and still probably one of her best.
Doug Stone
”I Never Knew Love” 1994, #81 (9 weeks) (download)
I know Angie Stone well but I’ve never heard of Doug Stone before right now. This is nothing more than the typical country ballad to hit in the decade. Someone is going to download ”I Never Knew Love” and start crying though.
George Strait
”Easy Come, Easy Go” 1993, #71 (10 weeks) (download)
”One Night At A Time” 1997, #59 (12 weeks) (download)
”I Just Want To Dance with You” 1998, #61 (19 weeks) (download)
”We Really Shouldn’t Be Doing This” 1998, #44 (5 weeks) (download)
”What Do You Say To That” 1999, #45 (16 weeks) (download)
While it’s completely true that I had no interest in country music until a few years ago, it was hard to avoid the legendary George Strait.
To put it in perspective, since hit first crossover chart hit, ”Easy Come, Easy Go,” he’s had 40 songs on the pop charts. For a guy that isn’t the flashy rockstar cowboy of today, that’s simply a ton of hits. Billboard considers him the 36th biggest artist of the decade from just the pop charts and yet he’s never had a song peak higher than #23. Of course, this Hall of Fame artist has more than 40 tunes that have hit #1 on the country chart too. Normally I’d brush songs like the five above off as simply harmless country but from George Strait there’s just something different and classic about them.
Styx
”Love is the Ritual” 1990, #80 (6 weeks) (download)
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. If you didn’t know this was from Styx is there any way in hell you could tell from listening to this song?
”Love is the Ritual” was the first single from the newly reunited Styx and their miserable 1990 album Edge of the Century. It also marked the first song with Glen Burtnik on vocals. He wrote the song for himself but then joined Styx and brought it with him. For Burtnik, it would have been bad, for Styx it’s horrendous.
Sublime
”Doin’ Time” 1997, #87 (7 weeks) (download)
It’s a real shame that Bradley Nowell overdosed as I would have loved to see where Sublime took their success after hitting it so huge with their self-titled record. All four of their hits from the record are now pretty much classics of the decade.
Subway
”Fire” 1995, #91 (4 weeks) (download)
Teenagers from Chicago, these dudes and 702 were the first bands signed to Biv 10 records, which was Michael Bivins label under Motown after he proved he could develop talent. Unfortunately for him, nothing on that label was really a hit, including Subway.
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