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
One Heart At A Time
”One Heart At A Time” 1998, #56 (20 weeks) (download)
I’m posting this one again this week but this time with the track thanks to Dave and the King of Grief sending it along.
Martin Page
”Keeper of the Flame” 1995, #83 (7 weeks) (download)
In the House of Stone and Light was one of my favorite albums of 1994. That was the point where I was really still into Bruce Hornsby and Sting and constantly listening to Counting Crows, August and Everything After and this fit right in with that. I don’t think at the time I even knew he was the mind behind Q-Feel which produced ”Dancing in Heaven (Orbital Be-Bop)” in the 80s, which is still one of my favorite tracks of all time.
Tommy Page
”When I Dream Of You” 1990, #42 (10 weeks) (download)
Although I was never a big fan of the song he’s really known for, ”I’ll Be Your Everything,” it was 10x better than ”When I Dream Of You.” I think the difference is quite obvious…Page wrote this tune by himself. ”I’ll Be Your Everything” was co-written by Jordan Knight and Danny Wood.
Brad Paisley
”Who Needs Pictures” 1999, #65 (13 weeks) (download)
I’m always fascinated to see the 90s beginnings of the popular country stars of today. Brad Paisley was just 26 at the time and looks mighty different than he does now. I’m not sure that I’ve ever heard this tune before but I’m actually enjoying it quite a bit.
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Pajama Party
”Hide and Seek” 1990, #73 (10 weeks) (download)
Pajama Party was a stupid name for a group in the 80s and it continued to be a stupid name in the 90s as well. However, I can’t deny that I like the track. The video on the other hand, you just have to see to understand how cheesy it is.
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Panther Soundtrack
”Freedom (Theme From Panther)” 1995, #45 (13 weeks) (download)
I’m throwing this in here because that’s how it’s credited in the Billboard bible. This was the theme song from the black empowerment movie, Panther. It featured more than 60 of the best black female singers of the 90s. Frankly it probably should have been a #1 song.
Dolly Parton and Friends
”Romeo” 1993, #50 (14 weeks) (download)
How bad is a song when the best part of it is when Billy Ray Cyrus sings? The ”friends” in this case are Tanya Tucker, Kathy Mattea, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Pam Tillis.
The Party
”Summer Vacation” 1990, #72 (9 weeks) and 1991, #86 (5 weeks) (download)
”I Found Love” 1990, #79 (11 weeks) (download)
”That’s Why” 1991, #55 (12 weeks) (download)
Not quite as successful at Britney or Justin, The Party was made up of five members of the Mickey Mouse Club. The songs they put out really weren’t terrible for the time period, in fact I had no desire to turn them off upon listening to them again. If it wasn’t for the two totally dorky white boys in the group, I might have said they were actually decent. The oddest part though is the top 40 hit, ”In My Dreams” which was a Dokken cover. Dokken!
Pat & Mick
”Use It Up and Wear It Out” 1990, #81 (7 weeks) (download)
Songs like this are making this shape up to be my favorite week yet. Actually, videos like the one for this song are what’s doing it. It’s a week of total cheesiness! Again, do yourself a favor and watch the video for this one. Of note is one of the background vocalists — none other than Mike Stock. Yeah, that Mike Stock of the Stock, Aitken, Waterman team!
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Patra
”Worker Man” 1994, #53 (16 weeks) (download)
”Romantic Call” 1994, #55 (16 weeks) (download)
”Pull Up To the Bumper” 1995, #60 (10 weeks) (download)
”Scent of Attraction” 1996, #82 (7 weeks) (download)
While I was never into Patra, I’m a little shocked she didn’t have any bigger hits than these, especially ”Romantic Call” with Yo-Yo. She was a good singer and these tunes all were released at the right time, so this one is a bit of mystery to me.
PC Quest
”Can I Call You My Girl?” 1991, #58 (15 weeks) (download)
”After the Summer’s Gone” 1991, #41 (11 weeks) (download)
It’s official, PC Quest’s two songs put this week over the top as my favorite week of the series. You gotta love how bad these two songs are. And in what has to be a proud career moment, one of the boys in the group is Chad Patree who is now the guitarist and vocalist in indie rock group, Shiny Toy Guns.
Peace Choir
”Give Peace A Chance” 1991, #54 (4 weeks) (download)
Put together by Yoko Ono, Sean Ono-Lennon and Lenny Kravitz, this has to be one of the worst fucking all-star songs in the history of music.
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