By 1996, you weren’t in Kansas anymore Toto. The Billboard Hot 100 Singles became a different landscape and musical genres were varied and all over the place. There was not a uniform sound for the Hot 100 and the typical top 40 mainstream music seemed like a thing of the past on this chart. The Billboard Hot 100 Singles measured musical genres coming from all angles. Hip-Hop contributed a big impact to this chart. Top 40 radio stations splintered into different formats such as Mainstream Top 40, Rhythmic Top 40 and Adult Top 40. Measuring popular tastes in the 90s spanned a more complex look across musical tastes that appealed to many audiences.
Achieving a # 1 single was not an easy task anymore. No, no, no you had to earn it! Getting to # 1 became fiercely competitive. Landing a top 10 hit got immensely tight and even the top 20 had little room. There were only 52 actual top 10 singles for the year. Sales played a big component even without much airplay. Airplay tracks began to really build up by the late 90s. Airplay only tracks could not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles by this point. So this blog post will only look at the actual singles which reached the top. There was a growing disconnect with what most top 40 radio stations played and what the singles buying public were purchasing. The musical tastes seemed like they were worlds apart if you were following the Billboard singles chart.
Pop, R&B, Hip-Hop inhabited the # 1 positions along with one big dance craze. There were only 8 songs that reached the top. This was the least amount of # 1 songs that Billboard experienced on this chart. The peculiar number of singles occurred mainly due to Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men logging a 16 week stay at Number One well into March of ‘96. Without going on any further, let’s look at the 8 big #1 hits for 1996.
I included the top 5 for every Number One song and RIAA certifications.
1. Celine Dion – Because You Loved Me
March 23, 1996 – 6 Weeks at # 1
A tender Celine Dion ballad became an absolute must for romantic movies in the 90s. Celine recorded “Because You Loved Me” for the blockbuster hit, Up Close and Personal, released in March 1996. Because You Loved Me spotlighted Michelle Pfeiffer’s character in the film. The song’s lyrics focused on thanking her loved one for guiding, inspiring and protecting her throughout her life. Because You Loved Me had a slow tempo with a gentle beat highlighting the romantic themes of the motion picture.
Celine Dion needed to roll her sleeves up to dethrone Mariah & Boyz II Men’s, One Sweet Day. She had big competition to push those sales upward to # 1. Because You Loved Me got released before Up Close and Personal hit the movie theaters. Both the film and the single received solid promotions. The single hit the Hot 100 chart at # 36. From # 36, Celine’s song jumped to # 5. A move that was similar to Michael Jackson’s, Black or White in ‘91. Did Celine pack the points to dethrone One Sweet Day? Absolutely, the single sold over 100,00 copies in its short time on the Billboard Hot 100. On March 23rd, Celine Dion’s, Because You Loved Me, became the 1st # 1 song of 1996. This was latest date for a first # 1 song to debut in a calendar year. Because You Loved Me won a Grammy award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture and it was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Her single was the first biggest song for the year, running at the # 1 spot for 6 weeks. Her song spanned 33 weeks on the chart.
As for the song, while Celine’s vocals shined throughout the song, although there was not much of a beat to it. The song felt very repetitive.
2. Always Be My Baby – Mariah Carey
May 4, 1996 – 2 Weeks at # 1
Here’s Mariah again! She’s back with a bonafide hit to dominate the # 1 spot. Columbia Records released “Always Be My Baby” as the third single from her multi-platinum album, Daydream. Mariah wrote this song along with Jermaine Dupri and Manuel Seal. The song describes the feelings toward her estranged lover. She is letting him know that you will be my baby in the main chorus. Even after they both move on. I guess Mariah can’t let go, pun intended of course.
Her song had an uptempo beat. In fact, there were many beats per minute in the song’s composition. Mariah improvised the “Doo-do-doo dow” throughout the song’s chorus and in the opening and closing parts.
To Say “Always Be My Baby” made an impression on the chart is an understatement. The song entered the chart at # 2! Carey already achieved two # 1 debuts but a # 2 is still quite an accomplishment. Mariah had competition right ahead of her with Celine Dion’s, Because You Loved Me running 6 weeks at the top spot. Celine held on strong to the top position. So it was a battle of the divas! Well, Mariah got her airplay and sales pushed up and Mariah Carey scored her 11th # 1 single in May of ‘96. Mariah hit a trifecta with “Always Be My Baby” which marked the third consecutive # 1 single from her album, Daydream. Always Be My Baby hit # 1 on the R & B chart on the same week. The song lasted on the Hot 100 for 8 months, proving the song’s immense popularity.
Always Be My Baby has the cutesy factor to it. The lyrics especially show this. I do like the piano accompaniment used throughout the song. However, Always Be My Baby tries its best to be endearing.
3. Tha Crossroads – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
May 18, 1996 – 8 Weeks at # 1
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony formed in 1991 in Cleveland, Ohio. The group consisted of 5 members, Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Flesh-n-Bone. Hip-Hop artist, Eazy-E, appeared in Cleveland for a show in 1993. It was here that the group was introduced to Eazy-E who owned a major Hip-Hop label, Ruthless Records. Eazy-E [a.k.a. Eric Wright] produced their first album which was an EP [Extended Play] album. This record created their first hit single, Ruggish Thuggish Bone, which hit # 23 on the singles chart. It was later certified Gold.
The group recorded their next album, E. 1999 Eternal, during late 1994 into mid 1995. Eazy-E proved to be instrumental in producing the group’s albums and was a mentor to the group. Sadly, Eazy-E passed away of the AIDS virus in 1995. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony dedicated this album and the single, “Tha Crossroads” to their mentor, Eazy-E.
Crossroads was the Hip-Hop group’s third single from the E. 1999 Eternal album, the song was originally titled Crossroads. The album version is more striped down and differs from the single release. When the single got released, the song was renamed to “Tha Crossroads.” The single version featured instrumental back beats with a slower flow. The video for Tha Crossroads featured a very powerful story which has an image of the late Eazy-E featured in the video. The single’s premiere on the Hot 100 Singles was an immediate success. The song debuted at # 2!
That’s two # 1 singles in a row which debuted at # 2, what a coincidence. On the very next week, May 11th, Tha Crossroads bumped Mariah out of the top spot. The strong sales lead kept the single at # 1 for 8 weeks. In just 7 weeks, the single was certified double Platinum selling over 2 million copies.
I like the message of Tha Crossroads and especially the video. However, the song itself seemed redundant and the lyrics hard to decipher. It is not a 90s song that I would go out of my way to listen to.
4. How Do You Want It / California Love – 2 Pac Featuring KC & Jo-Jo, Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman
July 6, 1996 – 2 Weeks at # 1
Tupac Shakur reached the peak of his Hip-Hop career in mid 1996. Tupac released four critically acclaimed albums. His appeal went beyond the Hip-Hop community and spoke to many audiences. Tupac’s career spanned over to feature films as well appearing in Juice, Poetic Justice, Bullet and Above The Rim. Shakur appeared as a guest star on the television sitcom A Different World and he also made a hilarious appearance on In Living Color in 1993.
Tupac teamed up with Death Row Records in 1995 and recorded his fourth album, All Eyez On Me. This proved to be his biggest album yet featuring guest appearances by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog, Tha Dog Pound, Nate Dogg, and many other well known artists.
How Do You Want It/California Love was released as Double A-side single in June, 1996. How Do You Want It features KC & JoJo, from the R&B group Jodeci, providing the chorus and backing vocals. There was also a hot and sexy video released for the song. The double sided single includes California Love, one of Tupac’s most popular songs. California Love featured Dr. Dre and funk/soul singer Roger Troutman. The music video for California Love was released earlier in 1996. The video was an immediate hit on MTV. The music video took place in a Mad Max, apocalyptic setting and featured appearances of Funk master, George Clinton and actor, Chris Tucker. The whole narrative of the video was filmed in a two part series and won many critical accolades. California Love received a majority of the airplay for the double sided single.
How Do You Want It/California Love entered the Hot 100 at # 64. One week later, the single skyrocketed into the top 10 to # 6.
Three weeks later, the single became the # 1 song in America. Tupac struck double Platinum with the single. His influence stretched internationally where it became a hit in Canada, Italy, the U.K., and New Zealand. Tragedy struck Tupac Shakur less than 2 months later. Tupac Shakur was shot four times in a drive-by shooting by unknown assailants in Las Vegas. He passed away six days later. His death still remains a mystery.
How Do You Want It/California Love was one of my favorite singles of 1996. I dug the soul of How Do You Want It and the fast paced energy of California Love. “How Do You Want It” was used in the Tupac movie “Gang Related” which also starred Jim Belushi, Dennis Quaid and James Earl Jones. Tupac’s music left quite a legacy that continues well into the 21st century.
5. You’re Making Me High / Let It Flow – Toni Braxton
July 27, 1996 – 1 Week at # 1
Top 10 single debuts became a very common occurrence in the late 90s. A few years back, this was unheard of. Toni Braxton released her second studio album Secrets in June of 96′. “You’re Makin’ Me High” was the first song released from the Secrets album. The single’s release imploded on the Hot 100 Singles chart entering in at # 7.
Toni Braxton updated her sound and she rocked a sexy new look. Her new album, Secrets, brought out Toni’s sultry side and mixed elements of Pop, a little Funk and R&B. Her album got produced some heavy hitters in the R&B biz, Babyface and L.A. Reid. So who or what made Toni Braxton so high? Well it turns out that Toni Braxton tried marijuana shortly before writing this song. That is one factor but there’s more. From a lyrical interpretation, the “high” were sexual fantasies about a man or men whom she is very aroused by. Braxton upped the ante with this song.
Braxton’s single debuted on the chart on June 8th and moved from 7 to 4 then 2. Toni had to wait in line behind “Tha Crossroads” and “How Do You Want It” at # 2 for 5 weeks. Toni Braxton prevailed and hit the # 1 position on the last week of July. You’re Making Me High was certified Platinum and lasted on the Hot 100 Singles for 41 weeks. The staying power of the # 1 songs this year was simply amazing. The single was a double “A” side which also included the song, Let It Flow. “Let It Flow” came off of the Waiting To Exhale soundtrack which spawned many hits during the year.
When I first heard this, I may have been oblivious to what the song was about. Aside from that, I loved the musical arrangement and Braxton’s sultry vocals.
6. Macarena [Bayside Boys Mix] – Los Del Rio
August 3, 1996 – 14 Weeks at # 1
Every decade has one of those songs which are all the rage and even becomes a fad. Each decade also has its share of dance crazes like “The Hustle” from the 70s. In the 90s, there was the Macarena. So what the heck is the Macarena? The Macarena is a Spanish dance song recorded by Los Del Rio. Los Del Rio [translated “Those From the River”] are a Spanish language dance and pop group who have been active since the early ‘60s. There has been various accounts of what The Macarena is based on. The Macarena was the name of a woman who is in love with her body and is bored with her boyfriend. Putting it mildly, she wants to go party and have fun. The other version is Macarena is mad at her boyfriend who is drafted into the military and then cheats on her boyfriend for leaving her behind. Wow! I never knew about this concerning the lyrical content of the Macarena. I doubt that anyone was paying attention to the lyrics anyway.
The song was originally released in Spain and made its way into countries such as Colombia, Mexico as well as Puerto Rico. In 1995, the Bayside Boys, composed of Mike Triay and Carlos de Yarza, remixed the song with techno beats and a dance vibe. This version was recorded in English and Spanish. The Macarena became a worldwide hit but the single got off to a rocky start over here. The single release began on September 2nd of 95′ and only got as far as # 45 after 5 weeks.
The single lasted on the Hot 100 Singles for 20 weeks but then disappeared. On May 11th of ‘96, The Macarena [Bayside Boys Mix] re-entered the Hot 100 at # 47, just two notches below where it peaked. The re-entry happened from recurrent airplay the song received from radio stations and the MTV video. The Macarena remix was already a hit in dance clubs. The renewed popularity of the song took off and found itself in the top 10 a few weeks later. By August, The Macarena bumped Toni Braxton’s, You’re Makin’ Me High, out of # 1 and it was already certified Platinum. The Bayside Boys Mix of the Macarena ran an exciting 14 weeks at # 1 becoming one of the biggest songs of the 90s. It was also the third song of the decade to spend 14 weeks at # 1. The single sold well over 4 million copies.
I can’t say that I was a fan of the song at the time. It got too big and overplayed but there were much worse songs from the 90s like Achy Breaky Heart and Aqua’s Barbie Girl [Yikes!]. Oh, if you’re interested in learning the Macarena in step by step instructions, here is a link to it. Enjoy!
When The Macarena made it to # 1 in August, there were only 6 songs to hit the top. Now, here is a noteworthy coincidence to happen on the first week of August of 96′. All six of the number one songs were in the top 20. Here is the rundown of where the hitherto # 1 singles placed within the top 20.
1. Macarena – Los Del Rio [Bayside Boys Mix]
2. You’re Makin’ Me High/Let It Flow – Toni Braxton
3. California Love/How Do You Want It – 2Pac
15. Because You Loved Me – Celine Dion
17. Always Be My Baby – Mariah Carey
18. Tha Crossroads – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
7. No Diggity – Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre, Teddy Riley & Queen Pen
November 9, 1996 – 4 Weeks at # 1
On November 9th, there were two contenders to knock off the Macarena from its # 1 dominance. At # 2, Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now” and at # 3, Blackstreet/Dr. Dre “No Diggity”, both songs had the points to dethrone the long running Macarena song. Although the following week Celine Dion lost out on her second # 1 in the same year to “No Diggity.” The single jumped up to # 1 by a big margin.
Blackstreet teamed up with Hip-Hop mogul, Dr. Dre and veteran R&B producer, Teddy Riley for one of the biggest songs of the 90s. The single features an intro rap by Dr. Dre and then flows into a verse sung by Teddy Riley with Blackstreet singing the main chorus and the rest of the song. Towards the end of the song, there is a rap by female Hip-Hop artist, Queen Pen. The music video gave the viewers an invite to a slammin’ party. The video’s narrative took place at a beach house with dancers and limousines and everybody was living it up! The thing that I remember distinctly are the various marionettes in the video especially the one who really got down on that piano riff.
The single debuted at a modest # 47. Then from 47 to # 4 to # 3 for two weeks. On the following week, No Diggity’s strong push propelled the single to # 1 on November 9th ending the Macarena’s long run at the top. The single gained in both airplay and a large part in sales. The radio version of “No Diggity” excludes the rap parts. This was edited for both Mainstream radio stations and Adult R&B radio stations.
As for No Diggity, it’s on my list of favorite 90s songs. It’s a great mix of R&B and Hip-Hop and with a collaboration of Dr. Dre, Teddy Riley and Queen Pen, you couldn’t go wrong!
8. Un-Break My Heart – Toni Braxton
December 7, 1996 – 11 Weeks at # 1
Toni Braxton came back for a visit and she stayed for a long time. This time around, Toni went with a more mainstream approach unlike the racy “You’re Making Me High.” This song was a heartfelt ballad which dealt with heartbreak after breakup. Thus, the title penned for the song, “Un-Break My Heart.”
Toni Braxton went the route of Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston for this song. Toni Braxton brought out her inner diva and recorded the single in a more pop style. A soft guitar accompaniment is heard throughout the song with a solo in the middle of the song.
“Un-Break My Heart” was already creating a buzz in October of 1996. Radio stations played the song just in time for the single release. The song entered the Hot 100 Singles at the end of October at # 22. Un-Break My Heart jumped into the top 10 to # 9. Un-Break My Heart slowly rose up the singles chart and hit # 1 in December, 1996. Toni Braxton stayed for extended period of time well into February of 97′ for 11 weeks. Un-Break My Heart spent over 5 months in the top 5. Coincidentally, it was 50 years ago that the first # 1 song stayed 11 weeks at the position which was Elvis Presley’s “Don’t Be Cruel/Hound Dog.” However, Toni Braxton scored an enormous hit for the decade and she won a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal.
There it is, the 8 songs that made it to the top. Gaining a # 1 was extremely competitive by this point. 5 years earlier, there were 3 times the amount of # 1 songs. The total amount of songs which made it on to the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart in 1996 were 333 songs. The # 1 songs certainly played a big part in the musical landscape of the 1990s. Times had changed and tastes had changed with it; no Diggity, no doubt!