Category: 1990s

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1996

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date July 9, 2021

Every Friday I post the Top 5 of one of my classic hit music charts based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from either 15, 25, 30, or 35 years ago this weekend (rotating each week).

It’s the 2ND Friday of the month, so I go back 25 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday July 14TH 1996:

“Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand” – Primitive Radio Gods
“Ooh Aah … Just A Little Bit” – Gina G
“C’Mon N’ Ride It (The Train) – Quad City DJs
“The Crossroads” – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
“Follow You Down” – Gin Blossoms

I never saw “The Cable Guy” in the movie theatres in June and July 1996. It made over $60 million at the box office here in North America, but it was considered a box office disappointment because it didn’t make as much money as Jim Carrey’s previous movies. It just didn’t seem appealing to me to go to the movie theatre to see it. I saw the movie after-the-fact on either VHS or DVD. Fun Fact: From 2005 to 2010 I was a member of the original Netflix subscription service – receiving, watching, and returning DVDs via the mail and their red envelopes.

I mention “The Cable Guy” because my # 1 smash 25 years ago (and a surprise North American rock and pop smash) broke-out from that movie. It’s got a quirky title that has nothing to do with the quirky song that heavily samples a B.B. King track from 32 years earlier (in 1964) – “How Blue Can You Get (Downhearted)”.

“Standing Outside …” actually went straight-in at # 1 on my chart – a rare feat. Back in 1996 I was compiling and publishing online a Top 30 hit music chart each week. “Standing Outside …” has stood the test of time. I still enjoying hearing it today. It’s in medium rotation on my iPod Shuffles that play at my desk at my workplace with 417 plays over the past 13 years.

Incidentally – at the movie theatre I saw Eddie Murphy’s “The Nutty Professor” on July 20TH 1996.

Next Friday on RETRO I’ll go back 30 years ago to July 1991.

It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday and Monday with 2 more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going RETRO with me !

Tags 1996, Movies, Music, Radio

1990s Blogging Home Music Radio Travel

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1991

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date June 18, 2021

It’s the 3RD Friday of the month, so I go back 30 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday June 16TH 1991:

“Unbelievable” – EMF
“I Touch Myself” – The Divinyls
“Here We Go (Let’s Rock & Roll)” – C + C Music Factory Presents Freedom Williams & Zelma Davis
“Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” – C + C Music Factory Ft. Freedom Williams
“Joyride” – Roxette

EMF topped my chart 30 years ago this weekend with their unique HI-NRG pop-dance track “Unbelievable”. It was a worldwide smash, and a # 1 smash here in the U.S. It was near the start of a long 10-week summertime run at # 1 on my chart.

EMF were formed in 1989 in Cinderford – about 40 miles west of where I lived for 2 years (1985-1987) near Fairford. Both towns are in Gloucestershire in the South West of England. I haven’t been back to England since I left 33½ years ago. I hope to make it back sometime in the future.

Next Friday on RETRO I’ll go back 35 years ago to June 1986 – when I lived in Gloucestershire. I attended my very first concert ever back then in London England. I’ll share that experience with you next week.

It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday and Monday with 2 more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going RETRO with me !

Tags 1991, EMF, Music, Radio

1990s Blogging Music Radio

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1996

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date June 11, 2021

It’s the 2ND Friday of the month, so I go back 25 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday June 09TH 1996:

“Everything Falls Apart” – Dog Eye’s View
“Follow You Down” – Gin Blossoms
“Old Man & Me (When I Get To Heaven)” – Hootie & The Blowfish
“Theme From ‘Mission: Impossible'” – Adam Clayton & Larry Mullen
“Plush” – Stone Temple Pilots

Good music there from a quarter of a century ago when I turned 29 years old.

Recorded in 1995 when they were in heavy rotation on Rock, Top 40, and Hot A.C. radio with a string of hits in a row here in the U.S.A. – that’s from Hootie’s 2ND album – “Fairweather Johnson” – which was not nearly as HUGE as their debut album – “Cracked Rear View”. That music video was filmed in their hometown of Columbia South Carolina.

I credit Hootie with ending the grunge era in 1994 and rescuing Top 40 music. As grunge was dying Hootie came on the scene with “happy rock” that made you feel good. It was the dawn of a new era on the radio.

Speaking of grunge – let me explain “Plush” from Stone Temple Pilots. What was that song doing at # 5 on my chart in 1996 when it was 3 years old by that time ? Believe it or not it was my # 1 smash the week before – for the week ending Sunday June 02ND 1996. I was visiting my family in my original hometown area of Washington D.C. during the Memorial Day holiday week leading up to that, and my brother (age 21 at the time) played that song a lot in his car. It grew on me. I brought it back home to South Florida with me.

Next Friday on RETRO I’ll go back 30 years ago to June 1991.

It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday and Monday with 2 more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going RETRO with me !

Tags 1996, Music, Radio

1990s Blogging Career Home Military Music Radio Travel

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1991

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date May 21, 2021

It’s the 3RD Friday of the month, so I go back 30 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday May 19TH 1991:

“Joyride” – Roxette
“Here We Go (Let’s Rock & Roll)” – C + C Music Factory Presents Freedom Williams & Zelma Davis
“Disappear” – INXS
“I Touch Myself” – The Divinyls
“Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” – C + C Music Factory Ft. Freedom Williams

30 years ago this weekend I compiled and published my 302ND hit music chart. That was during the original mainstream Top 40 era of my chart that ran from November 1985 to November 1992.

At # 11 on my chart that week was the debut smash from Michael W. Smith. His “Place In This World” was steadily climbing and getting ready to enter my Top 10. Amy Grant cowrote it with Michael W. Smith and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Michael W. Smith holds the distinction of having the longest span of any artist on my chart from first hit to last hit – 29 years. His “Waymaker” last year was a Top 3 hit.

Here’s the official music video of his first hit – “Place In This World”:

Next Friday on RETRO I’ll go back 35 years ago to May 1986.

It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday and Monday with 2 more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going RETRO with me !

Tags 1991, Music, Radio