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
Joshua Kadison
”Picture Postcards From L.A.” 1994, #84 (9 weeks) (download)
I’m not saying that Joshua Kadison isn’t any good (as I’ve never heard anything from him other than his debut, Painted Desert Serenade) but I have to think he just got a little lucky here. The choice of the first single in ”Jessie” was a great one as it was something in between Bruce Hornsby and Elton John. He moved to a jazzier sound on the next record and his pop career stalled there. He did date Sarah Jessica Parker, so there’s that.
Kai
”Say You’ll Stay” 1997, #59 (19 weeks) (download)
Kai was a short lived Filipino-American group from San Francisco that had just this one taste of success on the charts. ”Say You’ll Stay” is painfully dull.
Ini Kamoze
”Listen Me Tic (Woyoi)” 1995, #88 (5 weeks) (download)
Sometimes it only takes one good song to get you remembered forever. Kamoze released his first single back in 1981(!) and by 1992 had released five albums which went nowhere. Then he made a couple tracks prime for radio play and the rest is history. ”Listen Me Tic (Woyoi)” is a cool tune but ”Here Comes the Hotstepper” is obviously the only thing he’ll ever be known for.
Kaoma
”Lambada” 1990, #46 (12 weeks) (download)
I wasn’t really sure what this was until a few seconds in I heard the familiar sounds of Jennifer Lopez’s ”On the Floor.” That was likely sampled from this tune, though these French artists stole the rhythm from a group called Los Kjarkas.
Katalina
”DJ Girl” 1996, #86 (11 weeks) (download)
The 90s version of Frank Zappa’s ”Valley Girl?”
K-Ci and JOJO
”How Could You” 1996, #53 (15 weeks) (download)
”Last Night’s Letter” 1997, #46 (20 weeks) (download)
”Life” 1999, #60 (17 weeks) (download)
When we talked about Jodeci a few weeks ago, I mentioned that I liked K-Ci and Jojo much more than the group but after listening to their hits again, that must have been an illusion. I’m figuring that’s because ”All My Life” is one of my favorite R&B songs of the decade so automatically that makes these guys better on their own but there wasn’t much else from them worth a second listen.
Keedy
”Wishing on the Same Star” 1991, #86 (4 weeks) (download)
Kelly Keedy was a pretty bland artist. She could pull off a dance tune adequately but for me at least, her vocals on ballads was pretty horrible.
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Lisa Keith
”I’m In Love” 1994, #84 (3 weeks) (download)
Lisa Keith is considered a Christian adult contemporary artist but is mostly known for her background vocals with Herb Alpert, Janet Jackson, Alexander O’Neal and others. Her album – Walkin’ in the Sun – got some production from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis which is probably why ”I’m In Love” sounds a lot like Ms. Jackson in the mid-90s.
Toby Keith
”Should’ve Been A Cowboy” 1993, #93 (2 weeks) (download)
”I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying” 1997, #84 (5 weeks) (download)
Toby Keith and Sting? How did I never know about ”I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying” before? Sting wrote the song the year before and it appeared on Mercury Falling but then Toby Keith decided to remake it as a country duet with him. But the think that I love the most about these is not the music itself but rather Toby Keith’s look from his first album. That Toby Keith looks like he belongs on some community watch list.
Kelis
”Caught Out There” 1999, #54 (12 weeks) (download)
”Caught Out There” was released right after the world was introduced to her via ODB’s ”Got Your Money.” Her debut was produced by the Neptunes and was a solid eclectic R&B/Alternative album that wasn’t perfect but showcased her talent nicely. But it wasn’t until 2003 when she really hit it with ”Milkshake” which still brings boys to the yard a decade later.
R. Kelly
”She’s Got That Vibe” 1992, #59 (12 weeks) (download)
”Slow Dance” 1992, #43 (19 weeks) (download)
”Summer Bunnies” 1994, #55 (7 weeks) (download)
”Home Alone” 1998, #65 (16 weeks) (download)
My God, I remember back in the 90s just thinking that sexuality oozed out of this guy’s pores. And then he married the underage Aaliyah, filmed his sexual exploits and liked peeing on women. And now, something like ”Down Low” sounds even more perverted than before.
On the Billboard charts he was the #1 R&B artist of the decade but I will forever remember him for three things and three things only: The remix to ”Ignition” which was hot and fresh out the kitchen, being a perv and the totally ludicrous ”Trapped in the Closet.”
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