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 2-3.
Section 1: The Ass End
Lidell Townsell & M.T.F.
”Get with U” 1992, #78 (8 weeks) (download)
I’m a little surprised that Lidell Townsell had two charting songs — sure, maybe I get ”Nu Nu” which was oddly catchy for being so basic but that was his problem in the end I think. He created dance songs with very little creativity. The beats, like the one in ”Get with U” are simply boring.
T.P.E.
”Then Came You” 1991, #91 (2 weeks) (download)
The Philadelphia Experiment is the 10 billionth project of Adam Marano’s to show up in this series. At least T.P.E. was an original band rather than a studio cover project.
”Then Came You” is one of the better freestyle songs of the era but my real issue with Marano is simply the fact that he had his hands in so many things and yet 90% of them sounded exactly the same.
The Tractors
”The Santa Claus Boogie” 1995, #91 (1 weeks) (download)
The video will tell the whole story of this one from the dancing to one of the worst looking frontmen of the decade. Gotta love this.
Tragedy * Capone * Infinite
”’98 Thug Paradise” 1998, #86 (5 weeks) (download)
How can you not smile when you see the note in the Billboard bible that ”’98 Thug Paradise” was ”from the movie One Tough Cop starring Stephen Baldwin.” It might be even more exciting for Stephen Baldwin at this point to see that someone remembers that movie for any reason.
Trapp
”Stop the Gunfight” 1997, #77 (7 weeks) (download)
Released after 2Pac and the Notorious B.I.G. were shot to death, featuring clips from each of them, it was a good idea that simply didn’t generate a good song.
Randy Travis
”Out Of My Bones” 1998, #64 (10 weeks) (download)
”Spirit of a Boy — Wisdom of a Man” 1998, #42 (14 weeks) (download)
”Stranger In My Mirror” 1999, #81 (4 weeks) (download)
”A Man Ain’t Made of Stone” 1999, #82 (4 weeks) (download)
It’s kind of hard to go wrong with the voice of Randy Travis if you want some modern day country that isn’t completely slicked up for pop radio. In fact, I wonder if Randy Travis is more popular now than he ever was thanks to the country artists of the last few years treating him like a God.
The only song that’s a curious one to cross over here is ”Stranger In My Mirror” which even in 1999 where a lot of country hit the pop chart, this had enough twang in it that it feels like there’s almost no pop in it at all.
Tre
”Take Your Time” 1997, #77 (10 weeks) (download)
This one just seems wrong on a few levels. Tre is simply a poor name for a group of female R&B artists and they were on Mo Thugs records, run by members of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, which doesn’t seem to be the right fit at all. That’s not even considering that this is a totally generic song.
Ralph Tresvant
”Money Can’t Buy You Love” 1992, #54 (12 weeks) (download)
I kind of feel bad sometimes for Ralph Tresvant. He had just as much talent as any of the other members of New Edition and yet for some reason he feels like he was clearly the 5th member of the group. But one listen to any of his solo tracks and you’ll hear that New Edition sound that you loved in the 80s.
A Tribe Called Quest
”Scenario” 1992, #57 (15 weeks) (download)
”Award Tour” 1993, #47 (18 weeks) (download)
”Electric Relaxation (Relax Yourself Girl)” 1994, #65 (9 weeks) (download)
”Find a Way” 1998, #71 (7 weeks) (download)
Are A Tribe Called Quest the best rap group of all time? That’s a possibility and if nothing else, they should be in the conversation. And how about ”Scenario” being the best rap song of all time? That I truly believe is 100% fact. That we are talking about them here is a real travesty but in 1992 I’m sure no one quite understood how to fit such ferocious, intelligent rhymes into their playlist.
A few years ago a buddy of mine got married and he requested that the DJ play ”I Left My Wallet In El Segundo” during the reception. Not that I could ever forget such a great group but that will make them stick in my mind forever.
Trick Daddy featuring Trina
”Nann” 1999, #62 (20 weeks) (download)
I’ve been waiting since week one for this shit to show up. Based on the demographic that reads this series some of you may have never heard this song. Those that have may have only heard the radio version which is like a whole different song. I’ve embedded the video of the clean version below. I would recommend taking a listen to the album version which I’ve made available. This is likely the dirtiest original song to ever get released as a single. Before ”Nann”, the winner likely would have been 2 Live Crew’s ”Me So Horny” and after this, more people have heard Khia’s original dirty version of ”My Neck, My Back” but this is beyond both of them by a long shot.
Just in case you are reading this at work, I’m going to link to the entire lyrical content here and when you are in a place by yourself, check out Trina’s verse in particular.
But then I’m also going to talk dirty anyway — as this is really the only song I’ve ever heard anyone claim that they are the best to ”lick a n*gga nut sack like me.” I give it up to Trina for creating something so filthy that no female rapper is ever going to be able to top it.
http://youtu.be/Es0P1Xpb6Gc
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