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
Sudden Change
”Comin’ On Strong” 1994, #56 (17 weeks) (download)
Throughout this version of the series, I’ve continued to be amazed at how many R&B and Hip-hop clones were signed by a major label and had exactly one hit before being dropped like a ton of bricks.
Sudden Change is another one of those groups that really had no business being on a major label especially since that label (eastwest) did virtually nothing to promote them. Toss one song at radio with no promotion and if it does well, get behind it, otherwise move on. I actually am starting to feel bad for some of these artists who never really got a fair shake.
Suga Free
”If U Stay Ready” 1997, #79 (13 weeks) (download)
Although I never liked his style, Suga Free had a flow unlike any other at the time and it worked over smooth DJ Quik beats like this one.
Donna Summer
”When Love Cries” 1991, #77 (5 weeks) (download)
”I Will Go with You (Con Te Partiro)” 1999, #70 (9 weeks) (download)
Donna has a bit of a comeback in ’89 with ”This Time I Know It’s For Real” hitting #7. So crossing over into the 90s was expected but I don’t think I was even aware of a tune in ’99 hitting the charts.
She released an album called Live & More Encore which featured a concert for VH-1. She then added two new studio recordings, one being ”I Will Go with You,” to the tail end of the disc. This is actually a remake of a song called ”Time To Say Goodbye” by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman.
Henry Lee Summer
”Till Somebody Loves You” 1991, #51 (10 weeks) (download)
This was the final Hot 100 hit for Indiana’s Henry Lee Summer, which was a little too light for me, thanks to being written by Diane Warren and featuring Michael Bolton on background vocals.
Super Cat
”GirlsTown” 1995, #99 (1 weeks) (download)
Super Cat is best known for…for…okay, he’s not really known by anyone but he actually was the reggae artist on Sugar Ray’s ”Fly” which means he probably still gets bigger checks for that than he ever got for his own music.
Keith Sweat
”Your Love — Part 2″ 1991, #71 (9 weeks) (download)
”Why Me Baby?” 1992, #44 (17 weeks) (download)
”How Do You Like It?” 1994, #48 (20 weeks) (download)
”When I Give My Love” 1994, #85 (4 weeks) (download)
”Get Up On It” 1994, #62 (16 weeks) (download)
”Come with Me” 1997, #68 (11 weeks) (download)
Keith Sweat was definitely part of my R&B phase in the early 90s and had some great tunes but going back to listen to his catalog now, I’m realizing that he had a ton of filler in his songs. Whether it be the minute and a half intros on most of his songs, the extraneous ”ooohs” and ”aaahhs” throughout or even tunes like ”Your Love — Part 2″ or ”Why Me Baby?” which sound like interludes more than actual songs, I wonder what percentage of his tunes are simply BS. But for two minutes of each one, Keith Sweat was the man.
Matthew Sweet
”Sick of Myself” 1995, #58 (20 weeks) (download)
If you’d ask me to name the most underrated artists of the decade, Matthew Sweet would be somewhere near the top of that list. He released five albums in the decade starting with the classic 1991 album Girlfriend and became a college radio hit with critical success and had a slight taste of the Hot 100. Now he’s releasing solo records but also the Popdose beloved Under the Covers series of discs with Susanna Hoffs. Read the latest Sweet & Hoffs interview here.
Sweetbox
”Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” 1998, #46 (8 weeks) (download)
Sweetbox sounds like the name of a lesbian porn, doesn’t it? Anyway, this dude was a German producer named Geo and US rapper Tina Harris. The German Symphony Orchestra was featured on this tune.
Sweet Sable
”Old Times’ Sake” 1994, #93 (3 weeks) (download)
Ceybill Jeffries was an R&B artist who had virtually no success in music other than this tune from the Above the Rim soundtrack.
Sweet Sensation
”Each and Every Time” 1990, #59 (7 weeks) (download)
Sweet Sensation was short lived with only two studio records and a remix album but those two records gave them nine charting songs. And pretty much every one of them sounded the same.
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