Memorial Day 2015 bears a special significance for two reasons: More importantly, it's the first time in 14 years that the holiday has been celebrated with no American troops involved in a "major ground war," and it's also the 25th anniversary of the first invasion of Iraq during the Gulf War. We at Music Times can do little but throw out our thanks to those who have served and those who currently serve in the United States military, but we wanted to check out what the Billboard charts looked like on both dates, August 2, 1991 and October 7, 2001, the dates when Americans last became embroiled in foreign combat. The opening of the Gulf War came at the rise of Mariah Carey, the peak of MC Hammer and the reemergence of Aerosmith.
You can check out the charts from that period during 2001 here.
The Hot 100: "Vision of Love" by Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is noted now for being the no. 2 all time performer in terms of no. 1 singles on the Hot 100, with 18 to her name (trailing only The Beatles). At this point 25 years ago, however, she was just an up-and-comer looking to grab a hold in the music industry. She did that with "Vision of Love," her first ever single and her first track to top the Hot 100. The song would stay at no. 1 for four weeks, and end up being what Billboard called the no. 91 song of the '90s decade, and VH1 would later name it the 14th-best song of the decade. Carey, as a vocalist, is noted for her remarkable range of octaves, and few songs summarize her talent as well as "Vision of Love."
Billboard 200: Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em by MC Hammer
You can argue about what was the more landmark release: "Visions of Love" by Carey or Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em by MC Hammer. On one hand, Carey has gone on to even greater things and has maintained her relevance...while Hammer hasn't following his breakout album. Oh, but what a breakout album it was. Please Hammer spent 21 weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 (the album sales charts of the time), interrupted for just one week during a 22-week stretch in that run. Compare that with Taylor Swift now, who has impressed use just by 29 weeks in the Top 10. Hammer's sales accomplishments also earned him a spot within hip-hop history, as its 10 million in album sales places it fifth all-time within the genre.
Hot Rap Songs: "We're All In The Same Gang" by The West Coast Rap All-Stars
MC Hammer might have had an easy grip on the Billboard 200 with his Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em, but he had to share the glory on the Hot Rap Songs chart. The West Coast was dominating hip-hop at the moment and the biggest players in the field at that time came together to use their influence toward a good cause, with a message of non-violence. "We're All in The Same Gang" made community unity cool, using gang imagery to promote peace, not to mention using some of the scene's hardest hitters to promote the cause. Hammer, Dr. Dre and Eazy-E of N.W.A., Digital Underground, Ice-T and Tone Loc all showed up.
Mainstream Rock Songs: "The Other Side" by Aerosmith
Aerosmith seems to have undergone more rediscoveries than any other band over the last 40 years. The blues rockers were in the middle of during 1990, following the success of its album Pump. "Love In An Elevator" put the band on top of the U.S. Rock charts for the first time ever, and it capitalized, later topping the chart for a second and third time with "What It Takes" and "The Other Side," respectively. You may not remember those track as well as its hits off of Toys In The Attic circa 1975, but Aerosmith was killing it with new music during 1990.
Alternative Rock Songs: "Joey" by Concrete Blonde
This is perhaps the first act on this list that isn't as well known 25 years later as they were at the time. Concrete Blonde, a Los Angeles-based rock group, topped the Modern Rock Tracks (essentially what the alternative songs chart is now) with "Joey," a dark (somewhat gothic) love song that would end up being the band's only song to top that charts. Bloodletting, the album that featured the single, was also the group's most successful album.
US Country Songs: "Good Times" by Dan Seals
Dan Seals might have even less renown among younger generations than Concrete Blonde does, although it certainly isn't because of obscurity during his time. The former member of pop group England Dan & John Ford Coley, Seals found success in the country music field toward the end of the '80s, when he had a streak of nine singles go to no. 1 on the US Country charts. That streak would eventually be broken with his last single of the decade ("They Rage On") but he picked up where he left off during 1990, releasing two more no. 1s. "Good Times" was a cover of Sam Cooke's classic track, and would be Seals' last no. 1 before his death in 2009.
Hot Dance Songs: "Everybody Everybody" by Black Box
Black Box was on the "Everybody Everybody" train well before Homestar Runner. This was one of three singles from the Italian electronic group that got to no. 1 on the Hot Dance songs, using the vocals of R&B performer Martha Wash. This song might resonate with modern listeners most because of its reference on Family Guy, where Cleveland Brown is shown touring with Black Box during Season 6.
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