Flashback Friday: October 8, 1993

 Hello again everyone. It's been a hot minute since I did a flashback Friday post (three weeks to be exact). Mental/emotional health issues helped play a role in that. But since I already posted my football picks for this weekend, I thought I could get this in. Today, we're going back to the 1993, the time I moved duty stations from Orlando to Goose Creek, SC and felt as if I was on an island. Seriously, I hated being by myself in an apartment and hated the fact that I had to live off base. Here though, were the Top 40 songs according to Radio & Records Magazine for the week of October 8, 1993:

40. Downtown by SWV. SWV was a one album wonder. Their star rose during this year but faded into Bolivia (as Mike Tyson would say) thereafter. I don't really remember this song because the pop station wasn't really a pop station, and everything else in town was either urban or country.

39. I Get Around by Tupac. Another song I probably would have remembered had Charleston had a proper pop station. Geez living in the South sure sucked at times.

38. Let Me Ride by Dr. Dre. Did you know that y sister has a birthday tomorrow? Unfortunately, it's THAT sister, and I really don't feel like celebrating, but we have family over from NC so I have to pretend to put on a happy face...

37. Rain by Madonna. Finally, we get to a song that was played on that station Charleston, 95 SX, which I called 95Sux.

36. Just Kickin' It by Xcape. This one I do remember and was strangely enough played by that station. Curious...

35. Will You Be There by Michael Jackson. Speaking of the radio stations at the time in Charleston, there were THREE country stations in Charleston. Talk about overkill.

34. Jimmy Olsen's Blues by The Spin Doctors. Better known as "Pocket Full of Kryptonite"

33. Send Me A Lover by Taylor Dayne. If memory serves me correct, this was her last Top 40 hit. Interestingly enough, Shadoe Stevens, who always seemed to have a weird fixation on her, would be out as AT 40 host just over a year later.

32. Nothing 'Bout Me by Sting

31. Baby, I'm Yours by Shai. XL 106.7 played the shit out of it when I was still in Orlando, when I moved to Charleston it disappeared suddenly. Gee, I wonder why?

30. Boom! Shake The Room by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. Before he slapped the shit out of Chris Rock, Will Smith had this last top 40 effort as the Fresh Prince.

29. Hey Mr. DJ by Zhane. My love interest is now seeing a DJ, so I should boycott this song. On a related note, his Phillies are losing to St. Louis as I type this. Suck it, Mike!

28. Sunday Morning by Earth, Wind, and Fire. Their comeback effort after a twelve-year hiatus. No, it didn't include Charles Kuralt or any CBS newspeople.

27. Wild World by Mr. Big. This was the second remake of the 1971 Cat Stevens tune in five years, the first being done by Maxi Priest in 1988. This remake charted higher than Priests, winding up at #13 (Priest's peaked at #22).

26. Break It Down Again by Tears for Fears. Really, Tears for Fears? I can't believe you would be waiting for my next emotional breakdown like this. You disappoint me...

25. Human Wheels by John Mellencamp. I loved this song. Got plenty of airplay in Charleston.

24. Lately by Jodeci. Sorry, but everybody seems to like the "MTV Unplugged" version of this song. I don't. In fact, I think music was better off WITHOUT that program. Hang on, St. Louis is about to blow it? Son of a...😡

23. Anniversary by Tony! Toni! Tone! Your boy has never celebrated an anniversary. Ever. Goddammit, the Phillies take the lead

22. Everybody Hurts by REM. It's only fitting that this song would crop up after St. Louis blows the lead. It's like I said this week, the Universe has it out for me...

21. Pink Cashmere by Prince

20. Soul To Squeeze by Red Hot Chili Peppers. From the movie "Coneheads," which I did not see. Every movie I saw in 1993 was before I moved to Charleston.

19. Again by Janet Jackson. Speaking of movies I didn't get to see, "Poetic Justice" falls into that category.

18. Too Much Information by Duran Duran. I think the band was ahead of their time with this one, because there's so many information shows (not all real, btw) that it's like society has fallen victim to paralysis by analysis.

17. Hopelessly by Rick Astley. His last American chart hit, but he's never gonna give us up.

16. Sweat (A La La La La Song) by Inner Circle. Did you know, there were two different versions of this song? One version replaced the last line in the chorus (Push it, push it some more) to "make you dance some more" assumably because some Southern Baptist evangelical type got triggered because the original chorus sounded as if the singer was saying "shit."

15. I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) by Meat Loaf. Poor Marvin. Sounds about as desperate as I've become (not really). He would have done everything to stay healthy, but wear a mask, now he's dead. RIP Mr. Aday.

14. Better Than You by Lisa Keith. One hit wonder, although I'm more of a fan of the ring intro for Maxwell Jacob Friedman myself.

13. Hey Jealousy by Gin Blossoms. 

12. Runaway Love by En Vogue f/FMOB. Another song I absolutely have zero recollection of.

11. All That She Wants by Ace of Base. This started a two year stretch of chart domination by this Swedish outfit.

10. Reason To Believe by Rod Stewart. Another song from "Unplugged." Go back and read what I said after #24 on this list for my opinion...

  9. What Is Love? by Haddaway. Thank you SNL, for giving this song an extended life. Also, what exactly IS love?

  8. No Rain by Blind Melon. No, I never got to see the video for this song featuring the girl in the bumblebee outfit.

  7. Cryin' by Aerosmith. Alicia Silverstone <3 

  6. Two Steps Behind by Def Leppard. This wasn't featured on "Unplugged," but unfortunately, a stripped-down version of this song allowed it to reach top ten status.

  5. If by Janet Jackson. Yes, I'll be a good boy and put your record on Miss Jackson.

  4. Right Here/Human Nature by SWV. This was their recycled version of the classic from Michael Jackson ten years prior. Chris Brown would re-recycle this song in 2011 with "She Ain't You."

  3. The River Of Dreams by Billy Joel. Thanks to Golden Corral featuring their version on a commercial soon after its release for ruining this song for me.

  2. Another Sad Love Song by Toni Braxton

and the number one song twenty-nine years ago this week was:

  1. Dreamlover by Mariah Carey. There was an officer on my ship that I would later be stationed on who had a tendancy to fly off the handle sometimes by the name of Glover, and Under my breath, while he was away) I would sing a song very similar to "Dreamlover" that went "G-Lover oh spin him up, blow his top, watch him pop..." 

Man, I was a stinker back then. In a way I still am.

Well, that's this week's travel back in time. I hope to write some more content this weekend (even if it means not going on TikTok because of family visiting). I'll explain why later on. Until then, take care.

CT