My last post was for 1999 and that seemed to be a good place to stop as August draws to a close and my readers can take a ‘chart’ break. To be honest, next summer I won’t likely pursue working from 2000 on as I am personally getting less interested in the chart and I get the impression most of my readers feel the same. Having said that a focus on past Billboard Songs of Summer Charts has made for an interesting series of posts and seemed to conjure up lot’s of memories and some good discussion. It seems most peoples favorite songs for any given year, especially in the 90’s was not on the Summer Chart. Thank you to those who participated and if you read some of the posts hopefully there were some old favorites.

My next series is called Between a Rock and a Country Place.

Most frequent Summer Artists

Making this chart with your song is a matter of timing to a certain extent, if it comes out in January, it may not be a big hit by the time summer rolls around. I am sure you noticed that there were several names that popped up on more than one chart, sometimes twice in the same year. This got me thinking, who has appeared the most? So here is the list with the most appearances from it’s inception in 1958 and even though I stopped at 1999 I decided to run the totals up to 2022.

Rihanna with 10 appearances, her first song was in 2005 as in the video above.

Drake – 8 appearances with the first in 2009

Katy Perry – 6, ties with Elton John

Usher – 5, ties with Mariah Carey and Wings (one listed as Paul McCartney & Wings)

Donna Summer – 4, ties with The Beatles

If you add the two, The Beatles and Wings, Paul McCartney has 9 appearances. Coincidentally, the #1 Rihanna and #2 Paul, would team up to record the song “FourFiveSeconds” with Kayne West in 2015. As you can see four plus five equals nine, if that’s not a conspiracy then why does ice cream in the freezer stay softer than it did when I was a kid?

The Songs of the Summer from Billboard is now a 20-position chart that “tracks the most popular titles based on cumulative performance on the weekly streaming, airplay and sales-based the Hot 100 chart from Memorial Day through Labor Day”.

Here is the link for the complete listing of 1958 to 2022..

Sources: Billboard Explains

This was the year to party à la Prince “like it’s 1999”, which conveniently came out in 1983. While Y2K fears were having computer techs try and save the binary world, Christina Aguilera debuted with “Genie In A Bottle”. It was #1 on the Song of the Summer Chart, The Billboard Hot 100 (also Rhythmic and Mainstream), also in the UK, Spain, Norway, the all Europe chart, Canada and more. Sales in excess of four million.

There are 47versions of this song including seven instrumentals. Ryan Lerman and Jack Conte are known as Scary Pockets and they do a lot of great covers. This time with vocals by India Carney in an acoustic version from 2020.

At #2

“If You Had My Love” by Jennifer Lopez was also a debut song. After several years as a dancer, Lopez had developed a successful acting career before revealing herself as a Pop R&B singer. This song reached #1 the week ending June 12 and stayed for five weeks.

“If You Had My Love” has been referenced as part of the beginning of the Latin Music Explosion. Lopez whose parents, David López and Guadalupe Rodríguez, were born in Puerto Rico had moved to New York, where Jennifer was born and raised, on “the block” apparently.

“Livin’ la Vida Loca” by Puerto Rican Ricky Martin was the number one song (also for five weeks) that preceded Lopez on the Hot 100 and was the leading edge of the Latin Music Explosion. His song was a worldwide smash hit with 25 #1 chart placements. At 8 million copies sold it sits at #43 on the all time singles sales list according to Rateyourmusic.com

There are only 10 covers of “If You Had My Love” and once again I turn to Scary Pockets featuring vocals by AJ Rafael.

From Billboard.com the list for 1999

1, GENIE IN A BOTTLE, Christina Aguilera
2, IF YOU HAD MY LOVE, Jennifer Lopez
3, BILLS, BILLS, BILLS, Destiny’s Child
4, LAST KISS, Pearl Jam
5, I WANT IT THAT WAY, Backstreet Boys
6, WHERE MY GIRLS AT?, 702
7, ALL STAR, Smash Mouth
8, WILD WILD WEST, Will Smith feat. Dru Hill & Kool Mo Dee
9, IT’S NOT RIGHT BUT IT’S OKAY, Whitney Houston
10, TELL ME IT’S REAL, K-Ci & JoJo

Brandy & Monica had a #1 hit with “The Boy Is Mine” the week ending June 6 and there it stayed all Summer, for 13 straight weeks. It held over a dozen #1 chart spots and many top five and tens on charts around the world. I couldn’t find a worldwide total sales number but it appears it sold over well over 4 million copies. Billboard ranks it as the #3 duet of all time behind “Say, Say Say” and “Endless Love”. Coincidentally, the song “The Girl Is Mine” is #32 on that same list of the top 40 duets. The only other female duet on the list is Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer at #32 with “No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)” from 1979.

“The Boy Is Mine” jumped to #1 from #23 in it’s first week and became the only song to do that on the Hot 100 since The Beatles went from #27 to #1 with “Can’t Buy Me Love” in April of 1964. It was eventually replaced by Aerosmith with “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” on September 5. The only other #1 all summer was “Too Close” by Next for one week (ending May 30), with Memorial Day May 25, this was the first week of the Summer chart and it sits at #3 on the Summer Chart.

There, are just 10 versions of the “The Boy Is Mine”, here once again I find a great cover from Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox featuring vocalists (and sisters) Emily & Juliette Goglia with a very different take on the song.

With no other #1 songs that summer the winner for #2 spot was Shania Twain with “You’re Still the One”. It entered the top 20 in March and got stalled behind “Too Close” for one week in May, then passed that same song to get to #2 again behind “The Boy is Mine” on June 20 for a total of eight weeks. That’s not quite the record for reaching #2 and never making it to #1, that belongs to the 10 week stay of Foreigner’s “Waiting for a Girl Like You” in 1981 that I mention in my last post.

With 74 versions it has the most covers of 45 Shania Twain songs. Well, I had to kiss or rather listen to a lot of frogs before I found this version by Sarah Darling from 2020. After struggling for eight years and charting just one song at #34 on the US Country chart she found success in the UK and her 2019 album Wonderland reached #1 on the UK Country Album Charts and #19 on the Indie chart but still failed to chart in North America. Personally I think she has a fantastic voice.

From Billboard.com the list for 1998

1, THE BOY IS MINE, Brandy & Monica
2, YOU’RE STILL THE ONE, Shania Twain
3, TOO CLOSE, Next
4, MY WAY, Usher
5, ADIA, Sarah McLachlan
6, MY ALL, Mariah Carey
7, COME WITH ME, Puff Daddy feat. Jimmy Page
8, MAKE IT HOT, Nicole feat. Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott & Mocha
9, CRUSH, Jennifer Paige
10, ALL MY LIFE, K-Ci & JoJo

“I’ll Be Missing You” – Puff Daddy (feat. Faith Evans & 112)

Puff Daddy appears twice on this years list. This #1 song uses the Police’s “Every Breath You Take”(also a #1 from 1983) as the overwhelming theme, and for some reason he forgot to get permission. Sting sued and was awarded 100% of the royalties and of course holds a song writing credit with Faith Evans and Todd Gaither. It also samples “Adagio for Strings” written by American Composer Samuel Barber and “I’ll Fly Away”, a famous Gospel song written by Albert E. Brumley. It was a tribute to slain Rapper The Notorious B.I.G.. This was a worldwide smash mega hit selling close to 10 million copies with over 25 #1 chart positions, and was the #10 song of the decade for Billboard. There are only 5 documented cover versions. This one below is from the Dancehall Duo of Chaka Demus & Pliers from 2005.

The #6 song is the debut single from the Rock band Third Eye Blind. Stephan Jenkins is the lead singer and was the songwriter of “Semi-Charmed Life” but credits include bandmates Kevin Cadogan and Arion Salazar. One of many hit songs that appears on several US charts which may say more about Billboard than it does about “Semi-Charmed Life”. I don’t mean to take anything away from this great song but what does it mean when it charts on six Billboard charts? The Hot 100 #4, US Adult Alternative Songs #6, US Adult Top 40 #3, US Alternative Airplay #1, US Mainstream Rock #26 and US Mainstream Top 40 at #1. I mean I get it, great song! Unfortunately for the Rock fans, the genre will rarely find a spot on this list going forward.

There are 19 versions of the song and four are instrumentals and five are a cappella and an appearance in “Power Polka”, a medley by “Weird Al” Yankovic. This one by Jake Coco, Landon Austin & Corey Gray from 2015 is pretty good.

From Billboard.com the list from 1997.

1, I’LL BE MISSING YOU, Puff Daddy & Faith Evans feat. 112
2, BITCH, Meredith Brooks
3, MMMBOP, Hanson
4, QUIT PLAYING GAMES (WITH MY HEART), Backstreet Boys
5, RETURN OF THE MACK, Mark Morrison
6, SEMI-CHARMED LIFE, Third Eye Blind
7, SAY YOU’LL BE THERE, Spice Girls
8, MO MONEY MO PROBLEMS, The Notorious B.I.G. feat. Puff Daddy & Mase
9, DO YOU KNOW (WHAT IT TAKES), Robyn
10, LOOK INTO MY EYES, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

This #1 Song of the Summer was first released by Los del Río in 1993. You can listen to the original next and you can hear the difference.

The song was written by the duo, Rafael Ruiz Perdigones with Antonio Romero Monge who have been around as Los del Río since 1962. Their first of some 30 albums was released in 1967. They titled this Flamenco- pop creation in honour of Monge’s daughter’s second name, Macarena. The song was first remixed in their native Spain just after it’s release, and became very popular in Dance Clubs and it soon spread to clubs everywhere. A Miami production team known as The Bayside Boys got the same idea from a local Club DJ named Jammin Johnny Caride, and they released their own version. It would become a worldwide smash hit song and set off an epic dance craze-without the benefit of the internet, YouTube or smart phones-take that Tik Tok! It was the biggest thing in dances since “Achy Breaky Heart” (which was a cover song by the way) and a big hit for Billy Ray Cyrus in 1992 (also on the Songs of Summer chart).

It hit #1 on the week ending August 3, after climbing the charts for 33 weeks. That puts the song at #3 for the Longest Climb to #1 on Billboard. It was at number one for 11 straight weeks, 14 in total and that is impressive but the song was competing with Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men (referenced below). “Macarena” was ranked as the #3 song of the 90’s by Billboard Magazine. It is also the #9 song on Billboards Top 10 Singles of All Time list from 1958 to 2021.

So, is the remix a cover version? Some say no but I say it fits the definition, a new artist (The Bayside Boys) took an original song and though altered, it’s not a new song, its not the same song, its a cover. The song credits and royalties go to the original writers and Bayside Boy Carlos Alberto de Yarza was added, and no doubt pocketed a few bucks with over 11 million copies sold.

As I look at the Songs of Summer list for this year I see a trend that has been building for a few years, the rise in not only R&B songs but more specifically it’s sub genre’s of Hip Hop and Rap. Just an observation and perhaps a topic for a future post.

The Year began with ‘One Sweet Day” by Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men taking up the first 11 weeks at #1 on its record breaking 16 weeks in total. Mariah also charted four more top 10 singles and “Always Be My Baby” is #9 on this Summer Chart despite hitting #1 back in May. Mind you Bone Thugs-n-Harmony took the #1 chart spot away from her (and a few other artists) with their song “Tha Crossroads” hitting #1 and staying for eight weeks from May 8 to July 6. That earned the #4 position for the summer.

The song I want to feature next is at #8 on the list. “I Love You Always Forever” that was written and performed by Donna Lewis. It peaked at #2 in August after just 10 weeks on the Hot 100. Surely destined to be #1 if not for the above song “Macarena”. The song actually stayed at #2 for nine straight weeks, taking it into October. I though that would be a record but no, Foreigners “Waiting for a Girl Like You” was #2 for 10 weeks back in 1981/2. Despite her talents this would be Lewis’s only moment in the sun.

There are 21 versions of this song but looking at the covers I have to admit I have never heard of the artist known as Betty Who. Before I go all Abbot and Costello here, that is her actual stage name, Betty Who. Her version hit #1 on the Billboard Dance Chart in 2016.

Both artists, Donna Lewis and Betty Who never charted a top 40 single again after releasing this song. So much for “loving you always forever”.

From Billboard.com the list from 1996

1, MACARENA (BAYSIDE BOYS MIX), Los Del Rio
2, YOU’RE MAKIN’ ME HIGH/LET IT FLOW, Toni Braxton
3, GIVE ME ONE REASON, Tracy Chapman
4, THA CROSSROADS, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
5, HOW DO U WANT IT/CALIFORNIA LOVE, 2Pac feat. K-Ci And JoJo
6, TWISTED, Keith Sweat
7, C’MON N’ RIDE IT (THE TRAIN), Quad City DJ’s
8, I LOVE YOU ALWAYS FOREVER, Donna Lewis
9, ALWAYS BE MY BABY, Mariah Carey
10, BECAUSE YOU LOVED ME, Celine Dion