Category: 1990s

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1996

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date January 8, 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 January 07TH 1996:

“Hand In My Pocket” – Alanis Morissette
“You Oughta Know” – Alanis Morissette
“I Wanna B With U” – Fun Factory
“This House Is Not A Home” – The Rembrandts
“Name” – Goo Goo Dolls

I recently saw Alanis Morissette perform the classic “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” on “LIVE With Kelly And Ryan”. I thought she did a great job with it. 25 years ago Alanis was at the peak of her career as her “Jagged Little Pill” album soared to the top of the charts around the world carrying 6 hit singles with it. “You Oughta Know” and “Hand In My Pocket” were the first 2 of 6.

Top 40 radio was a bit dormant here in South Florida during the early-1990s, as the lone CHR station here in the market at the time (Y-100) was more Hot A.C. than Top 40. But late in 1995 a new Program Director took over the station, and he flipped it back to full-blown Mainstream Top 40 (almost overnight). Both Alanis Morissette hits were part of that Top 40 revolution back then, and it was part of the rebirth of my own hit music chart at the time after a 3-year hiatus.

1996 was a great year in Top 40 music, and I’m looking forward to sharing some of the biggest hits of that year with you once a month here at #CountUp. It’s hard to believe that 1996 was a quarter of a century ago, and that I was 28 (going on 29) back then.

Next Friday on RETRO I’ll go back 30 years ago to January 1991. It’ll be a unique “look back”, as I didn’t produce my weekly hit music chart back then because I was serving in Operations Desert Shield / Storm in Saudi Arabia. I’ll share my thoughts on the music of the war from “Tent City”.

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 Driving Music Radio Travel

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1990

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date December 18, 2020

It’s the 3RD Friday of the month, so I go back 30 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday December 16TH 1990:

“You’re Amazing” – Robert Palmer
“Disappear” – INXS
“Love Will Never Do Without You” – Janet Jackson
“After The Rain” – Nelson
“Impulsive” – Wilson Phillips

What a solid Top 5 chart that was exactly 30 years ago this weekend !

Robert Palmer scored a # 1 smash with his very underrated single “You’re Amazing”. It’s my 2ND-favorite song from him – 2ND to “Simply Irresistible” – which this song sounds a lot like. I’d love to purchase it online, but it is a rarity apparently. It’s not even on iTunes.

INXS and Janet Jackson held down the # 2 and # 3 spots with my favorite songs from each artist. I still love to hear them today. Nelson’s “After The Rain” is currently in heavy rotation on my iPod Shuffles that I listen to at the workplace. I hear it almost every day.

30 years ago this past week I drove from Homestead AFB Florida (where I still work today) to McLean Virginia (my parents’ home at the time and my home as a teenager). I departed the airbase at 3:35 AM on Sunday December 16TH 1990, and I arrived at my pitstop for the night – South Of The Border (along the North / South Carolina border) – at 3:37 PM. I drove 724.7 miles that day – averaging 60.2 MPH. I departed South Of The Border the next morning at 4:58 AM on Monday December 17TH 1990. I arrived at my parents’ home at 11:17 AM. I drove 378.3 miles that day – averaging 59.9 MPH. My 1,103-mile trek up the U.S. East Coast was complete, and I spent 10 days at home with my Mom, Dad, Brother, and Cats.

Next Friday on RETRO I’ll go back 35 years ago to December 1985. It was my first Christmas away from home in a foreign land …

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 1990, Music, Radio

1990s Blogging Music Radio

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1995

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date December 11, 2020

It’s the 2ND Friday of the month, so I go back 25 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday December 10TH 1995:

“Forever Tonight” – Peter Cetera & Crystal Bernard
“Back For Good” – Take That
“Til I Hear It From You” – Gin Blossoms
“Too Much Love Can Kill You” – Queen
“Free As A Bird” – The Beatles

The Beatles were the hottest band in the U.S. and the world when I was born in 1967, and they stayed that way until they broke up 3 years later. This track started as a raw 1977 recording by John Lennon. Paul, George, and Ringo got together in early-1994 to resurrect the recording and enhance it. Jeff Lynne produced it (requested by George). The result was the first new Beatles song in 25 years – and a Top 10 smash on the U.S. pop chart exactly 15 years after John’s death. It was a smash all across North America, Europe, and Australia / New Zealand.

When I rediscovered ’60s and ’70s music on the radio starting in 2010 I started enjoying the music of The Beatles all over again. I’ve actually got 28 Beatles songs in my iTunes library. My most-played songs are “Hello Goodbye”, “Lady Madonna”, and “Penny Lane”.

Next Friday on RETRO I’ll go back 30 years ago to December 1990.

It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday with 3 more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going RETRO with me !

Tags 1995, Beatles, Music, Radio

1990s Blogging Career Military Music Radio Travel

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1990

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date November 20, 2020

It’s the 3RD Friday of the month, so I go back 30 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday November 18TH 1990:

“Praying For Time” – George Michael
“So Hard” – Pet Shop Boys
“Something Happened On The Way To Heaven” – Phil Collins
“Something To Believe In” – Poison
“Impulsive” – Wilson Phillips

It was a very British Top 3 on my chart 30 years ago this weekend. That Pet Shop Boys track was brilliant – and very underrated. I loved its breezy orchestral “underground” feel. It was a British and European pop smash, but here in the U.S. (and Canada) it was mostly a hit in the dance clubs. It was a bit too extreme for its time for Top 40 radio which was skewing more towards the safer Hot Adult Contemporary format at the time.

And speaking of Hot A.C. Phil Collins had the perfect track for the format. It’s one of my favorite songs from him. Deborah Cox scored with a HI-NRG dance cover of the track 13 years later in 2003 that peaked at # 4 and spent 32 weeks on my chart !

RAF Fairford

This past week marks 33 years since I’ve been back home stateside following a 2-year military stint working and living in the south of England (RAF Fairford). I vowed to return to the U.K. for a visit back then. It hasn’t happened yet, but it’s not over yet. Next Friday on RETRO I’ll go back to the very beginning of this weekly hit music chart hobby – 35 years ago to November 1985.

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 1990, Music, Radio