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Billboarding

During late-high school and through most of college, I was an avid listener of the Billboard Charts, paying closer-than-close attention to the rising and falling of American pop songs. I’d even have a notebook where I’d plot out everything on a table, trying to predict what next week’s charts were going to be like. My best friend and I would customarily burn the phone lines after the chart show, blasting those songs that didn’t deserve the number one spot, and lamenting how others couldn’t even make the top five. Our favorite victims were the divas of the time – Whitney Houston, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Paula Abdul and Janet Jackson.

It was during those years when we witnessed the collapse of some acts. The Jets topped the charts with Make It Real and Rocket 2 U, then slowly faded away. Tracie Spencer had a good start when her debut This House hit the top ten, but her presence was long gone after that, even when she recently released a new album. Mr. Big made a splash with their first single To Be With You, and most everyone thought Maxie Priest had a chance after Close To You, but their US careers didn’t really go very far. Then there’s Naughty By Nature, Tone Loc, Karyn White, Taylor Dane, St. Paul, SWV, Shai, Vanilla Ice and a host of other chart casualties.

Just for the sake of comparison, here’s the Billboard Top Ten chart, this week and that of a ten full years ago.

As of August 9, 2003

1) Crazy In Love (YAY!!)
Beyonce Featuring Jay-Z

2) Right Thurr
Chingy

3) Rock Wit U (Awww Baby)
Ashanti

4) Magic Stick
Lil' Kim Featuring 50 Cent

5) Unwell (YAY!!)
matchbox twenty

6) Never Leave You - Uh Ooh, Uh Oooh!
Lumidee

7) P.I.M.P.
50 Cent

8) Where Is The Love? (YAY!!)
Black Eyed Peas

9) In Those Jeans
Ginuwine

10) Get Low
Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz Featuring Ying Yang Twins

(FYI: Thalia is at No. 26 with I Want You)

As of August 7, 1993

1) Can t Help Falling In Love (From "Sliver"
UB40

2) Whoomp! (There It Is)
Tag Team

3) Weak
SWV

4) I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)
The Proclaimers

5) Slam
Onyx

6) Lately
Jodeci

7) If I Had No Loot
Tony Toni Tone

8) That s The Way Love Goes
Janet Jackson

9) Show Me Love
Robin S.

10) I Don t Wanna Fight (From "What s Love Got To Do With It")
Tina Turner

How time does fly.

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