Jumping in the wayback machine for a look at the Billboard Hot 100 chart from 30 years ago this week:
74. MC Breed, "Ain't No Future in Yo' Frontin'": The late Flint MC (he died in 2008) gave Michigan rap one of its earliest, most notable hits. It didn't perform all that well on the charts — it peaked at No. 66 on the Hot 100 — but with its G-funk groove (built around a sample of the Ohio Players' "Funky Worm"), bottomed-out bass and five full verses (!), it was and always will be a Michigan classic. He never got to paint the White House black, but I wonder if he ever got his Jeep with 'Breed' on the chrome?
54. Eddie Money, "I'll Get By": Not the Money Man's most notable hit, but this ballad was his last single to chart in the Top 40, ending a streak that began with "Baby Hold On" in 1978. Money died in 2019 but he was back in the news this week with the passing of Ronnie Spector, whom he featured on his smash hit "Take Me Home Tonight," which peaked at No. 4 — his highest charting single — in 1986. And no one would have been more excited about Pine Knob's name change than Eddie, who played there 38 times and was the venue's unofficial mascot.
45. Geto Boys, "Mind Playing Tricks On Me": It's one of the most vivid and frightening pieces of storytelling in rap music history, and a cry for mental help way before it became a movement.
37. Motley Crue, "Home Sweet Home": The Crüe's 1985 Tom Werman-produced power ballad got another run on the charts thanks to its 1991 remix, which was included on "Decade of Decadence," its first of at least four greatest hits compilations. It's not the band's finest moment, that would probably be "Kickstart My Heart" or any of the other singles from 1989's "Dr. Feelgood," but it's the band's most tender offering, and its original video is a band-on-the-road high water mark. How's this for irony: Carrie Underwood's 2009 cover version charted higher than either Crüe version, peaking at No. 21.
31. Right Said Fred, "I'm Too Sexy": Still better than Drake's version.
24. Guns N' Roses, "Don't Cry": For Christmas in 1991 I received "Use Your Illusion I," which was my first CD. Back then it was a choice: Go with "Use Your Illusion I" or "II," and I chose "I," largely because of this midtempo rocker, which was an MTV staple at the time. ("Use Your Illusion II" also had a version of "Don't Cry" on it, with alternate lyrics. The version on "I" is canon.) Plus "I" had "November Rain," although that wasn't released as a single until Feb. 1992. "Use Your Illusion I" wins.
13. P.M. Dawn, "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss": A lovely phrase, but what does it mean? I'm still not quite sure, but it struck enough of a whimsical tone to be chosen as the cover title for our yearbooks my freshman year of high school. (I guess it connotes nostalgia, which is enough.) Respect forever to Prince Be for shooting his shot with Christina Applegate in the song's second verse, as the verses float over that timeless Spandau Ballet sample. We're still waiting for a proper version of the song to be uploaded to streaming services.
11. M.C. Hammer, "2 Legit 2 Quit": Do you still remember the the hand signals? (I do.) Hammer actually had the No. 10 position on this chart as well, with "Addams Groove," from the "Addams Family" movie. The beginning of that music video features Wednesday Addams (Christina Ricci) chopping off Hammer's head in a guillotine, and 30 years later Ricci is still creeping us out, this time in "Yellowjackets." Turns out she's the one who's 2 Legit 2 Quit.
9. Nirvana, "Smells Like Teen Spirit": The Song That Changed Everything peaked on the chart the week earlier, hitting No. 6, which means that Hammer's "2 Legit 2 Quit," the previous week's No. 5, charted higher than "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Let that sink in.
6. Prince and the N.P.G., "Diamonds and Pearls": 1991's "Diamonds and Pearls" album gave Prince a nice chart run of radio hits, including the horny "Cream," the even hornier "Gett Off" and this sparkling title track, which is coated in elegance from top to bottom.
4. George Michael and Elton John, "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me": You're already seeing George Michael in concert, that's more than enough, and then he says mid-song, "ladies and gentleman, Mr. Elton John!" What a moment.
3. Mariah Carey, "Can't Let Go": The first of the New York singer's singles to not reach No. 1, this artist would soon fall into obscurity, never to be heard from again.
2. Color Me Badd, "All 4 Love": This colorful dance-pop/ doo-wop effort from the Peach Pit's favorite male singing quartet would eventually reach No. 1, it's second (after "I Adore Mi Amor") and final single to reach the chart peak.
1. Michael Jackson, "Black or White": The debut of the lead single from Jackson's "Dangerous" album was a global event, perhaps the last time the superstar was truly on top of the world. The video, released two months prior, caused all sorts of controversy when it was released, not because of the cutting edge face-morphing technology (Tyra Banks what up!), but because of its extended ending, which featured all sorts of unnecessary vandalism and crotch-grabbing. Here's a fun fact about the song: the mid-song rap is performed by the track's producer, Bill Bottrell, who is credited as L.T.B. (when he is credited for his contribution, which is rare.) Jackson would reach No. 1 once more, with 1995's "You Are Not Alone," but his star would never be the same, or as big, again.
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