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.
I was on vacation this past week, in the great white north, eh, so I can only give you a tiny half-post this week. It will be back to full size next week when I recover from all my Tim Horton’s Maple Dip donuts.
Section 1: The Ass End
Andrew Ridgeley
”Shake” 1990, #77 (6 weeks) (download)
I love starting the post out with Andrew Ridgeley. You really have to feel a bit sorry for the dude. Wham! splits after having some monster hits, George Michael becomes a superstar solo artist and Andrew Ridgeley becomes ”that other guy from Wham!” His only solo record — Son of Albert — is not quite unlistenable but it’s close.
Riff
”If You’re Serious” 1991, #88 (5 weeks) (download)
”White Men Can’t Jump” 1992, #90 (4 weeks) (download)
I wasn’t aware until now that Riff had anything except the theme song to ”White Men Can’t Jump” which I also didn’t realize charted. It’s a pretty cheesy song, ain’t it?
Right Said Fred
”Don’t Talk Just Kiss” 1992, #76 (7 weeks) (download)
I completely understand why Right Said Fred really never had another hit after ”I’m Too Sexy,” after all, nothing can really follow something like that. But Up is still one of my favorite albums of the decade. There is nothing on the record that sounds like the hit. It’s a melodic pop disc with killer hooks, but no one knows that because RSF is seen as a joke in the US. But Richard and Fred Fairbrass still put out albums that are pretty damn solid, that’s if you can get your hands on them as most have never been released in the US.
Juliet Roberts
”I Want You” 1994, #44 (14 weeks) (download)
Simply a generic 90s dance tune.
Robin S
”Love For Love” 1993, #53 (19 weeks) (download)
”It Must Be Love” 1997, #91 (5 weeks) (download)
I give Robin S some credit here. I can’t picture how hard it must have been to get a deal and songs on the radio when her first hit came at the age of 31 and she wasn’t peddling sex in her videos. Both of her records are still very listenable, even if they are dated.
Smokey Robinson
”Double Good Everything” 1991, #91 (3 weeks) (download)
Clearly Smokey had no one around with enough balls to tell him he was recording a song that completely sucks. Nor to tell him that he made one of the worst videos of the 90s.
http://youtu.be/4w-bbbT-MQY
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth
”They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)” 1992, #58 (15 weeks) (download)
”Take You There” 1995, #76 (5 weeks) (download)
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth might not have had many hits on the chart but they were more than minor players in the golden age of hip-hop. The New York duo made a name for themselves from ”T.R.O.Y.” but also with their smooth and intelligent rhymes.
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