Category: 1990s

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1996

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date February 12, 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 February 11TH 1996:

“When I Come Around” – Green Day
“You Oughta Know” – Alanis Morissette
“Hand In My Pocket” – Alanis Morissette
“Close To You” – Fun Factory
“Be My Lover” – La Bouche

Punk Pop and Eurodance topped my hit music chart exactly 25 years ago. After struggling a bit during the Grunge era of the early-1990s Top 40 Radio was on fire during the mid-1990s here in the U.S., and I was part of that fun scene. I loved the Eurodance feel, and I could listen to it all day. That Fun Factory song – “Close To You” – was one of the best of them all – and also one of the fastest as far as BPM (beats-per-minute) was concerned. It clocked-in at over 120 BPM – perhaps even closer to 130 BPM. I danced to it a few times in the clubs. I got quite the workout !

Next Friday on RETRO I’ll go back 30 years ago to February 1991. I was serving in Operation Desert Storm at the time in Saudi Arabia, but I managed to produce a hit music chart over there on the pink desert sands.

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 Military Music Radio Travel

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1991

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date January 15, 2021

It’s the 3RD Friday of the month, so I go back 30 years ago. That would be for the week ending Sunday January 13TH 1991, but on that week I was serving my country in Saudi Arabia in support of Operations Desert Shield & Storm. It was the start of my 2ND week in the desert.

Life was very different in “Tent City” in the middle of the desert. We had limited access to hit music on the radio. We only had a few stations to listen to via AFRTS (American Forces Radio & Television Service). “Eagle Radio 103 / 105 / 107” was picked-up out of Riyadh – about 65 miles away.

At our BX (Base Exchange) – think small military department store – they sold cassettes. Most of them could be considered as “bootleg” off the local economy, but I bought a bunch of them for a couple of dollars each despite diminished quality. I also bought myself a Walkman (or equivalent) so that I could listen to them in my tent and not disturb anyone.

Don Henley’s “The End Of The Innocence” was one of those cassettes – the album not the title-track alone. Songs like the title-track, “The Heart Of The Matter”, “How Bad Do You Want It ?”, “The Last Worthless Evening”, and “New York Minute” represent the soundtrack of my war experience. I wore-out that cassette over there.

One of my tentmates loved “Hard To Handle” from The Black Crowes. I mean he really loved it, and he loved to play it often – many times per day – loud and proud. I ended-up liking the song as well (since I heard it so many times).

Next Friday on RETRO I’ll go back 35 years ago to January 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

1990s Blogging Music Radio

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1996

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date January 8, 2021

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