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 2-4.
Section 1: The Ass End
McAuley Schenker Group
”Anytime” 1990, #69 (10 weeks) (download)
Although it led to this pretty memorable tune which was a least two years past its prime when it was released, this is probably Michael Schenker’s worst project. It let to three super cheesy glam / hair metal records before he moved on to other work. I can’t blame him for trying to stay with the times but the project was a dismal failure.
Martina McBride
”Valentine” 1997, #50 (16 weeks) (download)
”A Broken Wing” 1997, #61 (4 weeks) (download)
The first a duet with Jim Brickman, the second the flip side to that single, both of these are completely harmless tunes. Martina has always had a great voice which carries both of these songs but I still think they are just a little bland.
Edwin McCain
”Solitude” 1995, #72 (20 weeks) (download)
Before he hit it big with ”I’ll Be,” McCain has this one hit off his major label debut, Honor Among Thieves. The song features Darius Rucker on it, as at the time McCain and his band were opening up for Hootie and the Blowfish and were good friends with the group.
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Lila McCann
”With You” 1999, #41 (19 weeks) (download)
A cute little 18 year old at the time of this release, the album cover made her look like she was ready for a mall tour but instead presented country pop devoid of any real emotion.
Paul McCartney
”Figure of Eight” 1990, #92 (5 weeks) (download)
”Hope of Deliverance” 1993, #83 (6 weeks) (download)
”The World Tonight” 1997, #64 (10 weeks) (download)
If you’ve been following my posts of the years, you’d know I was never a huge Beatles fan but do like some of Macca’s 80s records quite a bit. I didn’t follow him into the 90s so at least the second two, I haven’t heard in ages. Since pretty much everyone can school me on him, I won’t get into details that I don’t know about these but I will say that although I liked Flowers in the Dirt as an album overall, ”Figure of Eight” has to be one of his worst songs.
Neal McCoy
”No Doubt About It” 1994, #75 (5 weeks) (download)
”Wink” 1994, #91 (4 weeks) (download)
1994 is really earlier than I would have expected either of these songs to be able to crack the Hot 100. They sound pretty much the same as every generic country song that charted in the decade. If you look at the male country artists in this series, I’d bet you find very little variation from song to song.
Mindy McCready
”Guys Do It All the Time” 1996, #72 (9 weeks) (download)
Well, a month ago, this would have just been a normal old song by a lady that clearly had some issues. Now that her fourth (or maybe fifth) suicide attempt ended her life it really is a sad footnote in the life of a woman who really needed some major help.
Michael McDonald
”Take It To Heart” 1990, #98 (2 weeks) (download)
All hail the McD.
Reba McEntire
”Till You Love Me” 1994, #78 (10 weeks) (download)
”What If” 1997, #50 (15 weeks) (download)
”Wrong Night” 1998, #52 (13 weeks) (download)
”One Honest Heart” 1999, #54 (10 weeks) (download)
There’s a ton of faceless country artists in this series but Reba certainly isn’t one of them. Now, I’m not saying I ever listened to her as I don’t like any of these tunes but she was certainly more on the radar than most country stars in the mid-to-late 90s. But the first time I really paid any real ttention to her was with her first sitcom. Yeah, I’m one of the six people not living in Nashville that liked it.
Tim McGraw
”Can’t Be Really Gone” 1996, #87 (5 weeks) (download)
”One of these Days” 1998, #74 (10 weeks) (download)
”Where the Green Grass Grows” 1998, #79 (4 weeks) (download)
These three songs here at the best to represent McGraw as he’s had more than 40 tunes on the Hot 100 and most were better than these. But of the three ”Where the Green Grass Grows” is more of the type of song I think he excels at. And McGraw is a country artist that for some reason I’ve listened to over the years. I’ve always been partial to 2004’s Live Like You Were Dying over any of his other records.
Joey McIntyre
”I Love You Came Too Late” 1999, #54 (6 weeks) (download)
Just like a screaming girl, I bought Joey McIntyre’s self-titled debut the day it came out and at the time I probably enjoyed it as it fit right in with all the boy bands of the time. Listening to this today, I’m reminded how damn cheesy it really is and how Jordan Knight did a much better job of reinventing himself into an R&B artist with his debut, released in ’99 as well.
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