50. "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" - Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott
Earlier on this list, I included Busta Rhymes's "Woo Hah! Got You All in Check" - an excellent piece of bizarre hip hop, employing unorthodox production and off-color flow to create one of the most memorable raps of the decade. Yet that track pales in comparison to Missy Elliott's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)," itself the premier example of "weird" hip hop. I'd be hesitant to call Missy Elliott the greatest female rapper of all time, as MC Lyte legitimately has more lyrical skill, but no other female rapper has as many great songs as Missy. I would have difficulty putting any less than three of her songs on a list of the best songs of the 2000s: no other female rapper has had better beats and more memorable lyrics. Yet "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" is Missy Elliott's standout single from the 90s: a debut that introduced the world to one of its most enjoyable artists.
"The Rain" introduces us to all of the best elements of Missy Elliott: her laid-back but melodic flow, her mastery of hemiola, her hyper sexual persona, and her straight-up absurdity. Missy Elliott is perhaps the only rapper I know who can use onomatopoeia and come out looking better than ever: when she asks, "Beep beep, who got the keys to the jeep? VROOM!," she just emerges with more personality. Why do silly lines like this work? Missy Elliott's spectacular cadence and timing: she knows that she's telling a bad joke and she's laughing with the audience. Plus, her easy-going attitude makes her seem like someone with whom it is a blast to hang out. None of her lyrics are spectacular, but the overall feeling is very welcoming. The rain outside may be a bummer, but Missy Elliott is perfectly content to hang out with her friends and enjoy life for what it is.
But Missy Elliott is only one half of what makes "The Rain" so great. The other half is Missy Elliott's producer, Timbaland, who is quite possibly my favorite hip hop producer. While the beat to "The Rain" isn't on the same scale as later masterpieces like "Get Ur Freak On" and "Work It," it's still a tremendous achievement. The main sample is lifted from the introduction to Ann Peebles's 1973 soul classic, "I Can't Stand the Rain"; Ann Peebles's chilling voice combined with the ominous timbales create a spectacular atmosphere. Each strike of the timbales mimics the sound of raindrops, with their staccato sounds evoking the pointillist gestures of Stephen Sondheim in Sunday in the Park with George. Below, the bass and drums add the bounce and fun factor: after all, "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" isn't meant to be a grim song. While "The Rain" wasn't Timbaland's first major single, it probably the one that established him as one of the best in the game.
Missy Elliott is one of those rappers who definitely got better as she aged. That said, "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" is already a considerable achievement for a debut single. In fact, it's quite possibly my favorite debut single in all of hip-hop, beating out such classics as Boogie Down Productions' "South Bronx," Run-DMC's "It's Like That," and even the Wu-Tang Clan's "Protect Ya Neck"; none of those singles has the same charm or enjoyability of "The Rain." It's a classic hip hop track that introduced the world to the most popular and arguably best female em cee ever to pic up the mic.
"The Rain" introduces us to all of the best elements of Missy Elliott: her laid-back but melodic flow, her mastery of hemiola, her hyper sexual persona, and her straight-up absurdity. Missy Elliott is perhaps the only rapper I know who can use onomatopoeia and come out looking better than ever: when she asks, "Beep beep, who got the keys to the jeep? VROOM!," she just emerges with more personality. Why do silly lines like this work? Missy Elliott's spectacular cadence and timing: she knows that she's telling a bad joke and she's laughing with the audience. Plus, her easy-going attitude makes her seem like someone with whom it is a blast to hang out. None of her lyrics are spectacular, but the overall feeling is very welcoming. The rain outside may be a bummer, but Missy Elliott is perfectly content to hang out with her friends and enjoy life for what it is.
But Missy Elliott is only one half of what makes "The Rain" so great. The other half is Missy Elliott's producer, Timbaland, who is quite possibly my favorite hip hop producer. While the beat to "The Rain" isn't on the same scale as later masterpieces like "Get Ur Freak On" and "Work It," it's still a tremendous achievement. The main sample is lifted from the introduction to Ann Peebles's 1973 soul classic, "I Can't Stand the Rain"; Ann Peebles's chilling voice combined with the ominous timbales create a spectacular atmosphere. Each strike of the timbales mimics the sound of raindrops, with their staccato sounds evoking the pointillist gestures of Stephen Sondheim in Sunday in the Park with George. Below, the bass and drums add the bounce and fun factor: after all, "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" isn't meant to be a grim song. While "The Rain" wasn't Timbaland's first major single, it probably the one that established him as one of the best in the game.
Missy Elliott is one of those rappers who definitely got better as she aged. That said, "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" is already a considerable achievement for a debut single. In fact, it's quite possibly my favorite debut single in all of hip-hop, beating out such classics as Boogie Down Productions' "South Bronx," Run-DMC's "It's Like That," and even the Wu-Tang Clan's "Protect Ya Neck"; none of those singles has the same charm or enjoyability of "The Rain." It's a classic hip hop track that introduced the world to the most popular and arguably best female em cee ever to pic up the mic.
49. "Block Rockin' Beats" - The Chemical Brothers
Placing dance tracks on this list was much more difficult than I thought it would be. I can groove out to tracks like Daft Punk's "Da Funk" all day, but ultimately I don't feel I'm that much of a better person for listening to it. After all, few dance tracks of any words to speak of whatsoever: what impact could they possibly leave? Indeed, this track, "Block Rockin' Beats," has only nine words total in the entire song. Granted, that's better than Silver Convention's six words in "Fly Robin Fly" or Daft Punk's three words in "Around the World," but that's still not saying much. What the Chemical Brothers have over most of the competition is atmosphere. Out of all the 90s dance superstars, only the Prodigy managed to rival the Chemical Brothers in creating dark, almost frightening beats. We'll see one of his tracks later in the list, but the Chemical Brothers themselves laid the smackdown on "Block Rockin' Beats," their most musical and fulfilling song.
"Block Rockin' Beats" is one of the great sample songs of the 90s dance scene. The bulk of the song comes from a sample of Bernard Purdie's "Them Changes." Purdie himself is a highly underrated jazz drummer who pioneered one of the most influential shuffles in all of jazz and funk - the Purdie shuffle. On "Them Changes," Purdie lays down one of his slickest grooves, with his snare strikes being almost melodic in their precision. The phrase "back with another one of those block rockin'' beats comes from old school rapper Scholly D's "Gucci Again"; the entire song takes the theme to heart with the power of its groove. While the dark bass line itself is not sampled, the tone is based upon that of the Crusaders on "The Well's Gone Dry." The aggressive pick-up provide a terrific momentum to the rest of the song.
That said, the Chemical Brothers never betray their electronica roots. Their blasts of synthesizer and other mechanical elements swarm the track, in a fashion not too dissimilar to the pioneering sound effects on Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." The Chemical Brothers manage to turn bits of sound, from sirens and random buzzing, into effective melodies. Best of all is the song's introduction, which serves to create a wide-opening space for the rest of the track. Seeing as "Block Rockin' Beats" opens the Chemical Brothers' most respected album, Dig Your Own Hole, the first few seconds of "Block Rockin' Beat" serve as an excellent introduction to the sounds of the Chemical Brothers as a whole.
"Block Rockin' Beats," in addition to being extremely good, is also extremely popular. Building on the momentum of their first number one UK release, "Setting Sun," the Chemical Brothers sent "Block Rockin' Beats" right to the top. But, unlike "Setting Sun," "Block Rockin' Beats" got the US's attention: the song won the 1998 Grammy award for Best Rock Instrumental, beating out Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, and Steve Vai. Looking at the offerings, I can see why "Block Rockin' Beats" won. It uses sampling to produce a viciously aggressive track that can still fire up the dance floor today. I might not like electronica, but "Block Rockin' Beats" gets my thumbs up.
"Block Rockin' Beats" is one of the great sample songs of the 90s dance scene. The bulk of the song comes from a sample of Bernard Purdie's "Them Changes." Purdie himself is a highly underrated jazz drummer who pioneered one of the most influential shuffles in all of jazz and funk - the Purdie shuffle. On "Them Changes," Purdie lays down one of his slickest grooves, with his snare strikes being almost melodic in their precision. The phrase "back with another one of those block rockin'' beats comes from old school rapper Scholly D's "Gucci Again"; the entire song takes the theme to heart with the power of its groove. While the dark bass line itself is not sampled, the tone is based upon that of the Crusaders on "The Well's Gone Dry." The aggressive pick-up provide a terrific momentum to the rest of the song.
That said, the Chemical Brothers never betray their electronica roots. Their blasts of synthesizer and other mechanical elements swarm the track, in a fashion not too dissimilar to the pioneering sound effects on Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." The Chemical Brothers manage to turn bits of sound, from sirens and random buzzing, into effective melodies. Best of all is the song's introduction, which serves to create a wide-opening space for the rest of the track. Seeing as "Block Rockin' Beats" opens the Chemical Brothers' most respected album, Dig Your Own Hole, the first few seconds of "Block Rockin' Beat" serve as an excellent introduction to the sounds of the Chemical Brothers as a whole.
"Block Rockin' Beats," in addition to being extremely good, is also extremely popular. Building on the momentum of their first number one UK release, "Setting Sun," the Chemical Brothers sent "Block Rockin' Beats" right to the top. But, unlike "Setting Sun," "Block Rockin' Beats" got the US's attention: the song won the 1998 Grammy award for Best Rock Instrumental, beating out Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, and Steve Vai. Looking at the offerings, I can see why "Block Rockin' Beats" won. It uses sampling to produce a viciously aggressive track that can still fire up the dance floor today. I might not like electronica, but "Block Rockin' Beats" gets my thumbs up.
48. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" - Lauryn Hill
Being born in 1995, I don't have as much nostalgia for 90s music as most of the Internet at large. However, a select few tracks on this list hit me with a wave of involuntary memory that is downright Proustian. While "Iris," featured previously on this list, was a considerable reminder of my early childhood, "Doo Wop (That Thing)" had an even bigger impact. I honestly find it difficult to believe that "Doo Wop (That Thing)" only ranked at 41 on Billboard's Year-End countdown for the most popular tracks of '99, for this song was everywhere when I was a little kid. I must have heard this song at least five times a day for two whole years, because I can remember every note. Best of all, the notes are worth remembering.
It's become commonplace to ignore and/or forget Lauryn Hill in the history of music. Nowadays, she's known mostly for evading taxes and not giving concerts. But, back in the late 90s, she was one of the biggest and most respected musicians on the market. A talented alto singer and one of the best female rappers ever, Lauryn Hill's brand of neo-soul epitomized on her classic The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill seemed poised to dominate the next five years of popular music. Though OutKast would come to usurp Lauryn Hill's role in the popular consciousness, "Doo Wop (That Thing)" managed to outdo any of their 90s efforts both critically and successfully. Listening to the track, it's not hard to see why. No other R&B song of the 90s looked both ahead and backward so well as "Doo Wop (That Thing)." Indeed, few songs since have managed to capture its timeless appeal.
Some of the classic feel of "Doo Wop (That Thing)" can be attributed to its masterful musicianship and instrumentation. Oddly enough, "Doo Wop" doesn't so much draw from doo wop as id draws upon early 60s soul: it's much more Aretha Franklin and Lorraine Ellison than the Shirelles or the Chiffons. The bopping piano chords and the punchy trumpets create a very slick tone. Lauryn Hill herself lets loose, using subtle harmonies and improvisations throughout verses to enhance the song's lyrics. And this is not to mention the chorus, quite possibly the most memorable of the entire decade. Seriously, hooks rarely come better. It may be repetitive, but it's melodically compelling and actually works to further the song's message.
"Doo Wop (That Thing)" is one of few conscious hip hop songs to attain mainstream success. Normally, it bubbles just under the radar in the hands of artists like the Roots and Lupe Fiasco, but Lauryn Hill brought it right to the front. Though most rap of the 90s praised sex and drugs with almost reckless abandon, Lauryn Hill provides a comforting warning about the consequences. While "Waterfalls" treats this theme in a manner that's slightly condescending, due to the narrators' assumed perfections, "Doo Wop (That Thing)" goes right down to the individual level: Lauryn has made the same mistake as many of the women and men of her era, and she just wants to avoid the same heartbreaks from happening. Even better, her message about avoiding cheap drugs and sex is gender-neutral, warning guys and girls equally about pursuing "that thing" above all else. My personal favorite line is a response to the hedonistic rapper, Puff Daddy: "remember when he told you he was all about the Benjamins?/you act like you ain't hear him, then give him a little trim." Few pop songs manage to be so scathing while sounding so relaxed.
Very few songs are able to match "Doo Wop (That Thing)"'s masterful blend of positivity, consciousness, and musical breadth. Unsurprisingly, being a popular neo soul song, "Doo Wop (That Thing)" won plenty of Grammies, but, unlike so many standard songs of its type, "Doo Wop (That Thing)" definitely deserved them. It's rare that a song this good gets this popular. Lauryn Hill may have dropped off the musical map, but "Doo Wop (That Thing)" remains a 90s classic that still holds up today. No other song better epitomizes 1999 than this one.
47. "Girlfriend" - Matthew Sweet
The 90s saw the demise of many popular music trends of the 80s, but it ended up reviving some of the best sounds of the 70s. One of these was power pop, the ever lovable blend of joyous 60s harmonies and 70s rock guitar that hit its commercial peak in 1979 with the Knack's "My Sharona." However, once people bought the Knack's Get the Knack album and realized that the band was perhaps the most misogynistic in rock's history, the backlash almost killed the genre completely. It took a full decade for power pop to recover, finally gaining mainstream popularity through groups like Fountains of Wayne and the Gin Blossoms. However, for my money, the best power pop musician of the 90s was Matthew Sweet, whose 1991 single, "Girlfriend," is the sharpest power pop song since Cheap Trick's "Surrender." After all, how can one deny a song with not one, not two, but THREE spectacular guitar solos.
"Girlfriend" is perhaps the quintessential guitar rock song of the 1990s. While there are some grunge and metal songs that have more impressive guitar parts than "Girlfriend," few manage to sound so dynamic and complete. "Girlfriend" begins with a wave of reverb, an indication of the guitar sound to come. Reverb is the defining guitar sound on "Girlfriend," and it works spectacularly. The tunneling effect of the rhythm guitar lets each solo stand out all the more. The reverb ends up enhancing each power chord, giving each guitar fill its own flavor. Indeed, the very fact that "Girlfriend" has guitar fills as opposed to drum fills is a distinctive feature. Most 90s rock songs use relatively straightforward guitar sludge or arpeggios on the verses, saving the dynamism for a single solo or a riff between the chorus and the verses.
The lyrics to "Girlfriend" are not particularly substantive... on face value. At first, Matthew Sweet starts out the song with several trite clichés about love: "I wanna love somebody; I hear you need somebody to love." However, it's pretty clear that the narrator of "Girlfriend" is taking the words of Solomon Burke a bit too seriously. When he calls to the "girlfriend" in question, he seems to assume that the girl will fall for him from the get-go. The song hides its sinister undertone under its joy, before finally revealing the trick in the outdo: "and I'm never gonna set you free." "Girlfriend" is as much a subversion of power pop song as it is a straightforward power pop song, hiding a threatening narrator under its joyous chorus.
From its blazing guitars to its secretly villainous narrator, "Girlfriend" is a power pop song right down the 70s line. Is it as good as a classic from Big Star, the best power pop group ever? No. But it's certainly as good as a song by Cheap Trick, power pop's most popular group. It's got the signature guitar punch, spectacular production, a strong vocal performance, and even some lyrical subtlety. It's a tight, enjoyable rock song that brightens the 90s rock aesthetic while clouding its morality.
"Girlfriend" is perhaps the quintessential guitar rock song of the 1990s. While there are some grunge and metal songs that have more impressive guitar parts than "Girlfriend," few manage to sound so dynamic and complete. "Girlfriend" begins with a wave of reverb, an indication of the guitar sound to come. Reverb is the defining guitar sound on "Girlfriend," and it works spectacularly. The tunneling effect of the rhythm guitar lets each solo stand out all the more. The reverb ends up enhancing each power chord, giving each guitar fill its own flavor. Indeed, the very fact that "Girlfriend" has guitar fills as opposed to drum fills is a distinctive feature. Most 90s rock songs use relatively straightforward guitar sludge or arpeggios on the verses, saving the dynamism for a single solo or a riff between the chorus and the verses.
The lyrics to "Girlfriend" are not particularly substantive... on face value. At first, Matthew Sweet starts out the song with several trite clichés about love: "I wanna love somebody; I hear you need somebody to love." However, it's pretty clear that the narrator of "Girlfriend" is taking the words of Solomon Burke a bit too seriously. When he calls to the "girlfriend" in question, he seems to assume that the girl will fall for him from the get-go. The song hides its sinister undertone under its joy, before finally revealing the trick in the outdo: "and I'm never gonna set you free." "Girlfriend" is as much a subversion of power pop song as it is a straightforward power pop song, hiding a threatening narrator under its joyous chorus.
From its blazing guitars to its secretly villainous narrator, "Girlfriend" is a power pop song right down the 70s line. Is it as good as a classic from Big Star, the best power pop group ever? No. But it's certainly as good as a song by Cheap Trick, power pop's most popular group. It's got the signature guitar punch, spectacular production, a strong vocal performance, and even some lyrical subtlety. It's a tight, enjoyable rock song that brightens the 90s rock aesthetic while clouding its morality.
46. "My Name Is" - Eminem
In 1996, rap faced its most traumatic year in its entire history. Dr. Dre, depressed by the death of his friend and former bandmate, Eazy-E, and frightened by the increasingly erratic and corrupt behavior of the co-founder of Death Row Records, Suge Knight, decided to depart from Death Row Records to form a new label: Aftermath Entertainment. Later that year, Tupac Shakur was shot and killed. Within the first few month of 1997, the Notorious B.I.G., the top East Coast rapper, was dead as well. Rap had lost its two standard bearers, and its greatest producer was struggling with a new record label with next to no talent behind it. Amidst the chaos, Dr. Dre made one of the most fateful business decisions in hip-hop history, signing Marshall Mathers, AKA Eminem, to his label. How was a white rapper, a concept long since de-legitimized by the banes to music that are Vanilla Ice and the Insane Clown Posse, going to change the rap world?
Simple. Be the nastiest, most insane, most villainous rapper ever... while also being the best on the scene.
While the ICP made insulting murder raps that are enough to make one vomit due to the sheer amount of gore in their lyrics, Eminem made insults, violence, misogyny, and homophobia funny due to the sheer skill through which he related them. In "My Name Is," Eminem introduces the persona of "Slim Shady," one of the nastiest characters in all of rock and roll. This is a man who "since age a twelve, has felt like he's someone else/'cause he's hung his original self from the top bunk with a belt." He's a demon whom "God has sent to piss the world off." Every word that comes out of Eminem's mouth in "My Name Is" is calculated to offend as many people as humanly possible. His own mother? Slim Shady accuses her of doing more drugs than he does. Poor people who would like to be his fans? Slim Shady calls them assholes for no reason in particular. Feminists? Good Lord, Slim Shady tears women's genitalia off their bodies, tries to impregnate the Spice Girls, and rapes lesbians out of spite. The lyrics are obscenely offensive, but they are also extremely well-timed and occasionally funny. Eminem seems to ask the listener, "what would happen if you had let an immature psychopath rap?" He answers the question all too well.
The music to "My Name Is" is equally twisted. The song hinges around a key sample of Labi Siffre's "I Got The," a long-forgotten jazz funk song. The guitar slinks up and down the scale, as if to create a demented atmosphere. I particularly like the subtle progression, using a standard I-ii-IV progression, until dipping back with a flat iii chord that provides an unsatisfying cadence back to the tonic. The music is off-putting, with complete gaps of silence in the production and whining synthesizer saws in the background. That being said, the music completely enhances Eminem's voice: one remembers every single line on this track.
Eminem would continue to release maddeningly evil tracks throughout the 90s, not least of which are songs like "Guilty Conscience," in which he plays the demon in one's head, and "'97 Bonnie and Clyde," in which he dumps his wife's body into a river while his child is in the back seat of the car. His twisted debut album, The Slim Shady LP, won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, not without controversy. Many were outraged that a rapper would go as far as Eminem did; they seem to miss the joke. Eminem is the single greatest troll in existence, and his harassment should never be taken seriously. "My Name Is" is a masterful work of lyricism, production, and rap humor, forcing as many uncomfortable laughs as is humanly possible. It's offensive in the best way possible.
Simple. Be the nastiest, most insane, most villainous rapper ever... while also being the best on the scene.
While the ICP made insulting murder raps that are enough to make one vomit due to the sheer amount of gore in their lyrics, Eminem made insults, violence, misogyny, and homophobia funny due to the sheer skill through which he related them. In "My Name Is," Eminem introduces the persona of "Slim Shady," one of the nastiest characters in all of rock and roll. This is a man who "since age a twelve, has felt like he's someone else/'cause he's hung his original self from the top bunk with a belt." He's a demon whom "God has sent to piss the world off." Every word that comes out of Eminem's mouth in "My Name Is" is calculated to offend as many people as humanly possible. His own mother? Slim Shady accuses her of doing more drugs than he does. Poor people who would like to be his fans? Slim Shady calls them assholes for no reason in particular. Feminists? Good Lord, Slim Shady tears women's genitalia off their bodies, tries to impregnate the Spice Girls, and rapes lesbians out of spite. The lyrics are obscenely offensive, but they are also extremely well-timed and occasionally funny. Eminem seems to ask the listener, "what would happen if you had let an immature psychopath rap?" He answers the question all too well.
The music to "My Name Is" is equally twisted. The song hinges around a key sample of Labi Siffre's "I Got The," a long-forgotten jazz funk song. The guitar slinks up and down the scale, as if to create a demented atmosphere. I particularly like the subtle progression, using a standard I-ii-IV progression, until dipping back with a flat iii chord that provides an unsatisfying cadence back to the tonic. The music is off-putting, with complete gaps of silence in the production and whining synthesizer saws in the background. That being said, the music completely enhances Eminem's voice: one remembers every single line on this track.
Eminem would continue to release maddeningly evil tracks throughout the 90s, not least of which are songs like "Guilty Conscience," in which he plays the demon in one's head, and "'97 Bonnie and Clyde," in which he dumps his wife's body into a river while his child is in the back seat of the car. His twisted debut album, The Slim Shady LP, won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, not without controversy. Many were outraged that a rapper would go as far as Eminem did; they seem to miss the joke. Eminem is the single greatest troll in existence, and his harassment should never be taken seriously. "My Name Is" is a masterful work of lyricism, production, and rap humor, forcing as many uncomfortable laughs as is humanly possible. It's offensive in the best way possible.
45. "Honey" - Moby
Moby is probably my favorite EDM artist, and my love completely hinges upon songs like "Honey." Unlike other EDM singles that plant themselves too solidly in the electronica camp, Moby is more than content to draw upon content from all across the musical map. His most acclaimed album, Play, is a compendium of dance tracks based on all different types of themes. Some, like "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?" draw upon classic 60s soul; some, like "Bodyrock," draw upon rap and rave music; some, like "Porcelain," are completely original compositions. In my opinion, though, the best songs in the Moby catalogue are his folk and blues remixes, of which "Honey" is the best. It's a soulful, powerful, and downright danceable track that sets both the dance floor and the music lover's mind ablaze.
In developing Play, Moby heavily drew upon the folk collections of Alan Lomax, perhaps the greatest collector of American folk music ever. Amidst the collections lay "Sometimes," a song by gospel teacher and folk singer, Bessie Jones. The original song is a primal chant, featuring a simple percussion of clapped hands and Bessie Jones's extremely soulful voice. The song is only one minute long; thus, every person has time in his or her life to enjoy its majesty. Moby loops a few phrases from the tracks to form the backbone of "Honey" - it's a sample that links his dance music to the foot-stomping church music of America's past.
But Moby does not content himself to merely loop the Bessie Jones sample: he enhances it with appropriate instrumentation. He keeps the percussive power of the clapping throughout the track, using them to anchor the track's beat. The first major addition is the piano, able to change the chords and mood of the melody, as the original sample is but one simple melodic line. Moby adds in steel guitars, drum machines, even wah-wah and pedal: all of the elements give "Honey" an unmatchable groove for 90s songs. Of all the songs on this list, "Honey" is the only one to which I am completely helpless to the groove. I even danced in place while typing up this list entry.
By the 90s end, hating Moby became quite easy. The tracks from Play became fodder for many a television commercial, as their catchy loops were ideal for selling products. However, nearly all of the hate was unjustified. All the hatred towards Moby came from overplay, rather than Play itself. "Honey," in particular, has aged spectacularly, combining a strong sense of musical history with the best dance music technology of the 90s. It's one of the best jams of the 90s, and it deserves a spot in any DJ's rotation.
In developing Play, Moby heavily drew upon the folk collections of Alan Lomax, perhaps the greatest collector of American folk music ever. Amidst the collections lay "Sometimes," a song by gospel teacher and folk singer, Bessie Jones. The original song is a primal chant, featuring a simple percussion of clapped hands and Bessie Jones's extremely soulful voice. The song is only one minute long; thus, every person has time in his or her life to enjoy its majesty. Moby loops a few phrases from the tracks to form the backbone of "Honey" - it's a sample that links his dance music to the foot-stomping church music of America's past.
But Moby does not content himself to merely loop the Bessie Jones sample: he enhances it with appropriate instrumentation. He keeps the percussive power of the clapping throughout the track, using them to anchor the track's beat. The first major addition is the piano, able to change the chords and mood of the melody, as the original sample is but one simple melodic line. Moby adds in steel guitars, drum machines, even wah-wah and pedal: all of the elements give "Honey" an unmatchable groove for 90s songs. Of all the songs on this list, "Honey" is the only one to which I am completely helpless to the groove. I even danced in place while typing up this list entry.
By the 90s end, hating Moby became quite easy. The tracks from Play became fodder for many a television commercial, as their catchy loops were ideal for selling products. However, nearly all of the hate was unjustified. All the hatred towards Moby came from overplay, rather than Play itself. "Honey," in particular, has aged spectacularly, combining a strong sense of musical history with the best dance music technology of the 90s. It's one of the best jams of the 90s, and it deserves a spot in any DJ's rotation.
44. "Gangsta's Paradise" - Coolio feat. LV
"Gangsta's Paradise" is a watershed moment in hip-hop that few people recognize. For the first time in Billboard history, a rap song was the top ranked song of the year, the single that sold the most. In fact, this accomplishment wouldn't be repeated until 50 Cent's "In Da Club" reached the top spot in 2003 and Flo Rida's "Low" in 2008. Of all these three songs, "Gangsta's Paradise" is far and away the best: it's got the best message, the best beat, the best cadence, the best atmosphere. It's a fantastic song that has since become the butt of jokes due to an excellent Weird Al Yankovic parody and Coolio's dated name.
I don't know many pop songs that begin with invocations of the 23rd Psalm, but such is the case with "Gangsta's Paradise": "As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death/I take a look at my life and realize there's none left."The lyrics find themselves at the very center of gangster rap music, at once describing all the brutalities and self-destructive attitudes of the genre while also addressing the reasons the brutalities exist in the first place. The first verse focuses on the evils gangster's regularly commit, but the second verse shifts to the upbringing that leads to gangsters' rise to power. Impoverished working conditions leave few options for African American urban youths to climb out of the slum. Indeed, in some instances, "thug life" is a necessity for survival. The final verse shifts the burden onto white politicians who decry gangsters: "they say I gotta learn, but nobody's here to teach me/If they can't understand it, how can they reach me?" If urban schools lack the funding and teacher quality to improve students' lives, they will never be able to help young African Americans to break the cycle.
Coolio might not be a master of flow, but his cadence is excellent. The verses have a melodic quality, almost sung in a way. As I see it, Coolio uses this melodic structure to substitute for screaming, as to gain more listeners. After all, rappers like Ol' Dirty Bastard and Nas don't have number one hits. Each phrase builds up tremendously, especially on the third verse. The final lines - "I guess they can't/I guess they won't/I guess they front" - sound at once defeated and frustrated. Even the vocal doubling helps Coolio, indicating that his plight is not his alone but is one of an entire community.
The beat is a re-imagining of Stevie Wonder's "Pastime Paradise" from his classic Songs in the Key of Life. The original track is an indictment of both those who are willing to rest on their laurels for financial success and those who expect future earnings for doing absolutely nothing. Yet "Gangsta's Paradise" flips this idea on its head. It doesn't matter whether or not one waits for future earnings or relies on those of one's past: urban youth don't have access to either due to government ignorance of their plight. LV might not be on Stevie Wonder's level as a singer, but he provides pathos to Coolio's song. Stevie Wonder approves of the sample; considering the quality of it, he certainly indicates his wisdom.
Unfortunately for "Gangsta's Paradise," it's been subject to too much mockery. Weird Al Yankovic's hilarious "Amish Paradise" completely remakes the song into a discussion of Amish lifestyle choices. The parody is still one of Weird Al's best and most famous tracks, and I wouldn't doubt that many people prefer it to the original. Plus, Coolio's dated name and hairstyles have led many to completely ignore his contributions to rap. This is a tremendous mistake: "Gangsta's Paradise" isn't just an excellent hip hop track; it's the hip hop track that put rap to the very top of the charts for the first time. It's a landmark hip hop track in both sales and social impact.
I don't know many pop songs that begin with invocations of the 23rd Psalm, but such is the case with "Gangsta's Paradise": "As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death/I take a look at my life and realize there's none left."The lyrics find themselves at the very center of gangster rap music, at once describing all the brutalities and self-destructive attitudes of the genre while also addressing the reasons the brutalities exist in the first place. The first verse focuses on the evils gangster's regularly commit, but the second verse shifts to the upbringing that leads to gangsters' rise to power. Impoverished working conditions leave few options for African American urban youths to climb out of the slum. Indeed, in some instances, "thug life" is a necessity for survival. The final verse shifts the burden onto white politicians who decry gangsters: "they say I gotta learn, but nobody's here to teach me/If they can't understand it, how can they reach me?" If urban schools lack the funding and teacher quality to improve students' lives, they will never be able to help young African Americans to break the cycle.
Coolio might not be a master of flow, but his cadence is excellent. The verses have a melodic quality, almost sung in a way. As I see it, Coolio uses this melodic structure to substitute for screaming, as to gain more listeners. After all, rappers like Ol' Dirty Bastard and Nas don't have number one hits. Each phrase builds up tremendously, especially on the third verse. The final lines - "I guess they can't/I guess they won't/I guess they front" - sound at once defeated and frustrated. Even the vocal doubling helps Coolio, indicating that his plight is not his alone but is one of an entire community.
The beat is a re-imagining of Stevie Wonder's "Pastime Paradise" from his classic Songs in the Key of Life. The original track is an indictment of both those who are willing to rest on their laurels for financial success and those who expect future earnings for doing absolutely nothing. Yet "Gangsta's Paradise" flips this idea on its head. It doesn't matter whether or not one waits for future earnings or relies on those of one's past: urban youth don't have access to either due to government ignorance of their plight. LV might not be on Stevie Wonder's level as a singer, but he provides pathos to Coolio's song. Stevie Wonder approves of the sample; considering the quality of it, he certainly indicates his wisdom.
Unfortunately for "Gangsta's Paradise," it's been subject to too much mockery. Weird Al Yankovic's hilarious "Amish Paradise" completely remakes the song into a discussion of Amish lifestyle choices. The parody is still one of Weird Al's best and most famous tracks, and I wouldn't doubt that many people prefer it to the original. Plus, Coolio's dated name and hairstyles have led many to completely ignore his contributions to rap. This is a tremendous mistake: "Gangsta's Paradise" isn't just an excellent hip hop track; it's the hip hop track that put rap to the very top of the charts for the first time. It's a landmark hip hop track in both sales and social impact.
43. "Enjoy the Silence" - Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode's Violator is probably one of my top ten favorite albums of the 90s. It's one of the finest collections of dark synth-pop music ever recorded. My choice for this list, "Enjoy the Silence," is undeniably the most popular and critically respected on the album. Even so, it's not even my favorite song on the album. That honor would probably go to either "Personal Jesus" - first released as a single during the 80s - or "Halo" - a song I like merely out of personal preference rather than musical or cultural significance. Ultimately, those other songs disqualify themselves for the ranking, and I am left with my third-favorite track on the album. That said, being my third-favorite track on one of my favorite albums is still pretty damn good.
The chorus of "Enjoy the Silence" sounds quite inviting, a declaration of pure love: "all I ever wanted/all I ever needed/is here in my arms." That said, the final phrase is somewhat unsettling: "words are very unnecessary/they can only do harm." Why can words only do harm? Would not declarations of love from the other person be a good thing? Taking a look at the lyrics, the message is clear: "Words like violence/break the silence/Come crashing in/into my little world." "Enjoy the Silence" is a dark love-lust song, much in the vein of The Police's "Every Breath You Take" or Nick Cave's "Watching Alice." The relationship is borderline abusive, in which silence is the only means of keeping the relationship alive. The girl must enjoy the silence for fear of being hurt should she speak out. It's practically a horror song.
With this dark theme in mind, lead singer, Dave Gahan, gives perhaps his all-time best vocal performance. Gahan's voice is exceedingly flat, as it always is. Yet that amusicality works in his favor here: the straight tone of his voice combined with the descending melodic lines makes him sound truly threatening. His articulation of phrases like "Can't you understand? Oh, my little girl..." is chilling. Additionally, unlike most of the other songs on Violator, "Enjoy the Silence" features very little harmonic singing. There's but one contrapuntal phrase on the second and fourth phrases of the chorus. The sparsity of the harmony makes the song that much more threatening.
The rest of the music is equally chilling. Nearly all of the sounds on "Enjoy the Silence" are produced synthesizers. The only exception is the bass, which provides a surprisingly lighthearted introduction to the song. As I see it, the bass line serves to represent the outside world's perception of Depeche Mode's relationship: a joyous facade. The dark synthesizers and droning drum machines tell the true story. The entire track builds an atmosphere out of nothing, creating a dark ambience that few other synth-pop groups can match. There are so many moving parts, but each melodic line fits into a tight score. The piece feels rich, with no synth line out of balance. Everything is tight and controlled.
"Enjoy the Silence" is often considered Depeche Mode's finest song. I disagree with that statement, as I feel their 80s single, "Never Let Me Down Again," is their masterpiece. That said, "Enjoy the Silence" does stake out its claim as one of Depeche Mode's finest songs. It's likely their best set of lyrics, having more lyrical subtlety than the traditional synth-pop song. Additionally, it's arguably the Depeche Mode song that best uses the dark atmosphere of Violator to its advantage. It might not be my personal favorite Depeche Mode song, but it's a song good enough to warrant its lofty reputation.
The chorus of "Enjoy the Silence" sounds quite inviting, a declaration of pure love: "all I ever wanted/all I ever needed/is here in my arms." That said, the final phrase is somewhat unsettling: "words are very unnecessary/they can only do harm." Why can words only do harm? Would not declarations of love from the other person be a good thing? Taking a look at the lyrics, the message is clear: "Words like violence/break the silence/Come crashing in/into my little world." "Enjoy the Silence" is a dark love-lust song, much in the vein of The Police's "Every Breath You Take" or Nick Cave's "Watching Alice." The relationship is borderline abusive, in which silence is the only means of keeping the relationship alive. The girl must enjoy the silence for fear of being hurt should she speak out. It's practically a horror song.
With this dark theme in mind, lead singer, Dave Gahan, gives perhaps his all-time best vocal performance. Gahan's voice is exceedingly flat, as it always is. Yet that amusicality works in his favor here: the straight tone of his voice combined with the descending melodic lines makes him sound truly threatening. His articulation of phrases like "Can't you understand? Oh, my little girl..." is chilling. Additionally, unlike most of the other songs on Violator, "Enjoy the Silence" features very little harmonic singing. There's but one contrapuntal phrase on the second and fourth phrases of the chorus. The sparsity of the harmony makes the song that much more threatening.
The rest of the music is equally chilling. Nearly all of the sounds on "Enjoy the Silence" are produced synthesizers. The only exception is the bass, which provides a surprisingly lighthearted introduction to the song. As I see it, the bass line serves to represent the outside world's perception of Depeche Mode's relationship: a joyous facade. The dark synthesizers and droning drum machines tell the true story. The entire track builds an atmosphere out of nothing, creating a dark ambience that few other synth-pop groups can match. There are so many moving parts, but each melodic line fits into a tight score. The piece feels rich, with no synth line out of balance. Everything is tight and controlled.
"Enjoy the Silence" is often considered Depeche Mode's finest song. I disagree with that statement, as I feel their 80s single, "Never Let Me Down Again," is their masterpiece. That said, "Enjoy the Silence" does stake out its claim as one of Depeche Mode's finest songs. It's likely their best set of lyrics, having more lyrical subtlety than the traditional synth-pop song. Additionally, it's arguably the Depeche Mode song that best uses the dark atmosphere of Violator to its advantage. It might not be my personal favorite Depeche Mode song, but it's a song good enough to warrant its lofty reputation.
42. "Black Steel" - Tricky
Tricky, AKA Adrian Nichols Matthews Thaws, was originally a member of Massive Attack. Indeed, he was one of the main rappers on their debut album, Blue Lines. His solo career, however, is stronger than Massive Attack's, favoring sparser textures and more instrumental variety. The Maxinquaye album on which "Black Steel" is featured is a masterpiece of trip hop, serving as a compendium of rock, funk, and hip-hop grooves. "Black Steel" is the album's third track, a placement that serves to illustrate the overall strength of the album. More often than not, 90s albums tended to be front loaded, with the first two songs being the best cuts and the rest of the tracks being subpar. Maxinquaye diverges from this path, with its best tracks - "Black Steel," "Hell Is Round the Corner," and "Aftermath" - all being smack dab in the middle. Of these tracks, "Black Steel" hits the hardest and is the most memorable. Thus, I've given it the nod.
"Black Steel" is a perfect example of a "re-imagining" of a song rather than a "cover" of a song. "Black Steel" takes but one verse from Public Enemy's epic story-telling rap, "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" and re-works it into a masterpiece of trip-hop hard rock crossover. The original is one of the best songs of the 80s, a terrifying story of a group of inmates breaking out of prison and killing all the guards while still pushing an Afrocentric message. As with most Public Enemy songs, it uses samples to provide its beat. "Black Steel," on the other hand, has completely original music. Also, instead of rapping, Tricky has his guest vocalist, Martina Topley-Bird, sing the lyrics. Thus, for those sticklers who dislike rap music because of sampling and lack of melody, "Black Steel" can serve as a satisfying substitute for "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos." (Nonetheless, I would still recommend listening to "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos," as it is one of Public Enemy's best songs.)
The instrumentation of "Black Steel" is fantastic. The song opens with distorted guitar and Indian percussion, offering an alien quality to the track. Such an atmosphere fits the message of "Black Steel...," about inmates who are isolated from the rest of society purely on the basis of their race. Due to this isolation, they retaliate with brutal force. The song bursts into life after the first verse, with roaring electric guitars and a vicious percussion roll. The Indian percussion persists as well, maintaining the same atmosphere in spite of the more violent tone. The song vacillates between its violent "chorus" and more subdued verses, as if to replicate the mental back-and-forth of an enraged and alienated prisoner.
It's hard to distill the excellence of Tricky's career into one track. The man has given us some truly excellent music in songs like "Aftermath," "Christiansands," and "Ponderosa." Yet it's "Black Steel" that emerges as his most memorable track. It's a re-imagining of a great song that almost measures up the the tremendous quality of the original. Most importantly, "Black Steel" brought a rock edge into trip-hop that few other songs could match. It's quite possibly the most action-packed trip-hop song ever.
"Black Steel" is a perfect example of a "re-imagining" of a song rather than a "cover" of a song. "Black Steel" takes but one verse from Public Enemy's epic story-telling rap, "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" and re-works it into a masterpiece of trip-hop hard rock crossover. The original is one of the best songs of the 80s, a terrifying story of a group of inmates breaking out of prison and killing all the guards while still pushing an Afrocentric message. As with most Public Enemy songs, it uses samples to provide its beat. "Black Steel," on the other hand, has completely original music. Also, instead of rapping, Tricky has his guest vocalist, Martina Topley-Bird, sing the lyrics. Thus, for those sticklers who dislike rap music because of sampling and lack of melody, "Black Steel" can serve as a satisfying substitute for "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos." (Nonetheless, I would still recommend listening to "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos," as it is one of Public Enemy's best songs.)
The instrumentation of "Black Steel" is fantastic. The song opens with distorted guitar and Indian percussion, offering an alien quality to the track. Such an atmosphere fits the message of "Black Steel...," about inmates who are isolated from the rest of society purely on the basis of their race. Due to this isolation, they retaliate with brutal force. The song bursts into life after the first verse, with roaring electric guitars and a vicious percussion roll. The Indian percussion persists as well, maintaining the same atmosphere in spite of the more violent tone. The song vacillates between its violent "chorus" and more subdued verses, as if to replicate the mental back-and-forth of an enraged and alienated prisoner.
It's hard to distill the excellence of Tricky's career into one track. The man has given us some truly excellent music in songs like "Aftermath," "Christiansands," and "Ponderosa." Yet it's "Black Steel" that emerges as his most memorable track. It's a re-imagining of a great song that almost measures up the the tremendous quality of the original. Most importantly, "Black Steel" brought a rock edge into trip-hop that few other songs could match. It's quite possibly the most action-packed trip-hop song ever.
41. "Tears in Heaven" - Eric Clapton
"Tears in Heaven" is not a sad song. "Tears in Heaven" is a tragic song. Nowadays, most music critics have turned against the song, calling it overly sentimental and sappy. That is an extremely unfair assessment of a song that manages to defy the clichés of "sad" radio hits like Bobby Goldsboro's "Honey," Terry Jacks' "Seasons in the Sun," and Sarah McLachlan's "I Will Remember You." Not to mention, while most of those songs come from places of false sincerity, "Tears in Heaven" stems from the all-too-real death of Clapton's four-year old son, who fell 49 stories to his death. Thus, criticizing Clapton for "weepiness" or "over sentimentality" is downright insensitive. Most other complaints about the song center on the most picayune details: the fact that Clapton pronounces "Heaven" like "Heav-ON" and the use of fretless bass. Are those really reasons to completely hate one of the most existentially fraught pop songs to ever hit the charts?
Yes, I did just call "Tears in Heaven" existentially fraught. It's an eerily profound song when one actually thinks about it. Most interpretations of the song center only on the opening lyrics: "would you know my name/f I saw you in heaven?" In short, Eric Clapton's son never really came to know his father, due to his only being four years old at the time of his death. Thus, Eric Clapton is lamenting his fate much like Jim Croce in "Time in a Bottle." But the implications of "Tears in Heaven" are far more frightening. As one learns from latter lyrics, such as "would you hold my hand/if I saw you in heaven?," Clapton very much fears that his son's failure to recognize and support him stems from his own failures as a father. After all, he was on tour throughout his young child's life. In fact, he was on tour when his child died. A sense of guilt persists throughout the song, as if Eric Clapton is responsible for his son's death. Eric Clapton's breathy performance indicates his fear and his pain all at once, and we feel the full implications of his lyrics.
Musically, too, "Tears in Heaven" is an exceptional pop song. Most "sad" songs content themselves by using minor keys to accent the sadness. "Tears in Heaven" manages to create its sadness within a major key: a rare feat for music even outside of the pop genre. Also of note is the unorthodox modulation in the bridge; the song shifts from the key of A major to the key of G major, the flat VII of the original key. Not only that, but also the bridge starts with a C chord, the IV of the new key. It's a jarring shift, but a highly effective one. Clapton carefully layers his harmony as to draw a mournful effect out of a major key song.
A great deal of the song's mournful quality comes from its instrumentation. The bulk of the song comes from Eric Clapton's mournful acoustic guitar, focusing on simple finger picks instead of the more complex riffs and runs we expect from Clapton. Clapton complements his acoustic work with some steel-string guitar in the last two verses and the bridge. His slide guitar solo is simple but effective, drawing out every nanosecond of pathos from the strings. Also, "Tears in Heaven" features harmonica - nearly always a plus in my book. Even the fretless bass comes into play, adding a raw vibrato to the root of the song that is absent in most pop songs. The instruments almost melt into each other, creating a warm texture that would be inviting if not for the tragic sentiment.
"Tears in Heaven" won the 1993 Grammy Award for Song of the Year. Though I do believe Alan Menken's "Beauty and the Beast," released the same year, is a superior song, the recording presented for the award was the inferior, schlocky version by Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson. With that in consideration, "Tears in Heaven" was far and away the best nominee. Though three songs from 1992 placed higher than it on this list, it was not far from being the actual best song of that year. "Tears in Heaven" comes from a place of real pain, unlike most other sad songs on this list. A few sad songs did place higher on this list than Clapton's magnum opus, but even they lack the sobriety and reality of Clapton's single. Most people call "Tears in Heaven" the saddest pop song ever; in my estimation, it's definitely the most tragic.
Yes, I did just call "Tears in Heaven" existentially fraught. It's an eerily profound song when one actually thinks about it. Most interpretations of the song center only on the opening lyrics: "would you know my name/f I saw you in heaven?" In short, Eric Clapton's son never really came to know his father, due to his only being four years old at the time of his death. Thus, Eric Clapton is lamenting his fate much like Jim Croce in "Time in a Bottle." But the implications of "Tears in Heaven" are far more frightening. As one learns from latter lyrics, such as "would you hold my hand/if I saw you in heaven?," Clapton very much fears that his son's failure to recognize and support him stems from his own failures as a father. After all, he was on tour throughout his young child's life. In fact, he was on tour when his child died. A sense of guilt persists throughout the song, as if Eric Clapton is responsible for his son's death. Eric Clapton's breathy performance indicates his fear and his pain all at once, and we feel the full implications of his lyrics.
Musically, too, "Tears in Heaven" is an exceptional pop song. Most "sad" songs content themselves by using minor keys to accent the sadness. "Tears in Heaven" manages to create its sadness within a major key: a rare feat for music even outside of the pop genre. Also of note is the unorthodox modulation in the bridge; the song shifts from the key of A major to the key of G major, the flat VII of the original key. Not only that, but also the bridge starts with a C chord, the IV of the new key. It's a jarring shift, but a highly effective one. Clapton carefully layers his harmony as to draw a mournful effect out of a major key song.
A great deal of the song's mournful quality comes from its instrumentation. The bulk of the song comes from Eric Clapton's mournful acoustic guitar, focusing on simple finger picks instead of the more complex riffs and runs we expect from Clapton. Clapton complements his acoustic work with some steel-string guitar in the last two verses and the bridge. His slide guitar solo is simple but effective, drawing out every nanosecond of pathos from the strings. Also, "Tears in Heaven" features harmonica - nearly always a plus in my book. Even the fretless bass comes into play, adding a raw vibrato to the root of the song that is absent in most pop songs. The instruments almost melt into each other, creating a warm texture that would be inviting if not for the tragic sentiment.
"Tears in Heaven" won the 1993 Grammy Award for Song of the Year. Though I do believe Alan Menken's "Beauty and the Beast," released the same year, is a superior song, the recording presented for the award was the inferior, schlocky version by Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson. With that in consideration, "Tears in Heaven" was far and away the best nominee. Though three songs from 1992 placed higher than it on this list, it was not far from being the actual best song of that year. "Tears in Heaven" comes from a place of real pain, unlike most other sad songs on this list. A few sad songs did place higher on this list than Clapton's magnum opus, but even they lack the sobriety and reality of Clapton's single. Most people call "Tears in Heaven" the saddest pop song ever; in my estimation, it's definitely the most tragic.
No comments:
Post a Comment
All comments posted on this blog should be framed in a civil manner. Constructive criticism is more than welcome (feel free to mock a typo here, a misreading there, a lack of understanding there). But, for sake of the written word, do try to use proper grammar.