Musical Dice -- Top Songs Of 1994
Welcome to the music section of my Musical Dice website! For you music trivia enthusiasts, and those who love to learn about the stories behind the music, you've come to the right place! I love sharing my knowledge of music trivia, so that's why I created this section.
One of the main things that got me interested in music trivia was when I listened to American Top 40 with Casey Kasem (rest in peace, my good man), where he'd often tell interesting stories and facts about the songs and the artists behind the songs.
My favorite feature of American Top 40 was when it was a special countdown of the top (usually 100) songs of the year. This article is about the top 100 songs of 1994.
On a personal note, 1994 was a very turbulent year for me. I was on a job that I hated, plus I was in a very bad relationship. The top song of 1994 fit me perfectly, regarding my relationship. I got out of the relationship toward the end of 1994, and I left the job about five months later. Enough talk--enjoy the article!
Top Songs Of 1994 | ||||
POS | TITLE | ARTIST | PEAK | COMMENTS |
100 | I Wanna Be Down | Brandy | 6 | First hit for Brandy Norwood. |
99 | Bop Gun (One Nation) | Ice Cube | 23 | Indirectly samples "One Nation Under A Groove" by Funkadelic, and "Psychedelic Shack" by the Temptations. |
98 | And Our Feelings | Babyface | 21 | |
97 | What Is Love | Haddaway | 11 | Also was #82 for 1993. |
96 | Always In My Heart | Tevin Campbell | 20 | |
95 | I'll Take You There | General Public | 22 | |
94 | Love Sneakin' Up On You | Bonnie Raitt | 19 | |
93 | Back In The Day | Ahmad | 26 | |
92 | I'm The Only One | Melissa Etheridge | 8* | *The song didn't reach its #8 peak until January, 1995. It was at #10 the last week of 1994. |
91 | Always | Bon Jovi | 4 | Bon Jovi's last top 10 hit. |
90 | Indian Outlaw | Tim McGraw | 15 | Tim McGraw's first top 40 pop hit. Indirectly samples "Indian Reservation" by Paul Revere & the Raiders. |
89 | December 1963 (Oh What A Night) | The 4 Seasons | 14 | 90's remix of the 1976 classic. |
88 | Got Me Waiting | Heavy D. & the Boyz | 20 | |
87 | Don't Take The Girl | Tim McGraw | 17 | |
86 | Everyday | Phil Collins | 24 | Top Adult Contemporary (AC) song of 1994. |
85 | Here Comes The Hotstepper | Ini Kamoze | 1(2) | From the movie "Pret A Porter (Ready To Wear)." Indirectly samples "Land Of 1000 Dances" by Wilson Pickett. |
84 | Secret | Madonna | 3 | |
83 | A Prayer For The Dying | Seal | 21 | |
82 | U.N.I.T.Y. | Queen Latifah | 23 | |
81 | Flava In Ya Ear | Craig Mack | 9 | |
80 | Stay | Eternal | 19 | |
79 | Beautiful In My Eyes | Joshua Kadison | 19 | |
78 | Anything | SWV | 18 | From the movie "Above The Rim." |
77 | Mary Jane's Last Dance | Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers | 14 | |
76 | Mr. Vain | Culture Beat | 17 | |
75 | Dreams | Gabrielle | 26 | |
74 | Groove Thang | Zhane | 17 | |
73 | Always | Erasure | 20 | |
72 | Amazing | Aerosmith | 24 | |
71 | Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through | Meat Loaf | 13 | First a hit for Jim Steinman (featuring unknown singers) in 1981 (#32). |
70 | At Your Best (You Are Love) | Aaliyah | 6 | First recorded by the Isley Brothers. |
69 | Just Kickin' It | XScape | 2(1) | Also at #55 for 1993. |
68 | Crazy | Aerosmith | 17 | |
67 | Never Keeping Secrets | Babyface | 15 | |
66 | I Can See Clearly Now | Jimmy Cliff | 18 | From the movie "Cool Runnings." First a hit for Johnny Nash (#1 for 4 weeks in 1972). |
65 | Tootsee Roll | The 69 Boyz | 8 | The 69 Boyz were named because they were all born in 1969. |
64 | Your Body's Callin' | R. Kelly | 13 | |
63 | Another Night | The Real McCoy | 3 | |
62 | What's My Name? | Snoop Doggy Dogg | 8 | |
61 | Keep Ya Head Up | 2Pac | 13 | |
60 | Cry For You | Jodeci | 15 | |
59 | This D.J. | Warren G. | 8 | |
58 | Understanding | XScape | 8 | |
57 | I Miss You | Aaron Hall | 14 | |
56 | Endless Love | Luther Vandross/Mariah Carey | 2(1) | Original version by Diana Ross/Lionel Richie spent 9 weeks at #1 in 1981. |
55 | Getto Jam | Domino | 7 | |
54 | Streets Of Philadelphia | Bruce Springsteen | 9 | From the movie of the same title. This was Bruce Springsteen's last top 10 hit. |
53 | Never Lie | Immature | 5 | |
52 | Gin And Juice | Snoop Doggy Dogg | 8 | |
51 | Found Out About You | The Gin Blossoms | 25 | |
50 | Loser | Beck | 10 | On a personal note: The first time I heard this song, the dee-jay said that this was Tonya Harding's theme song! (the whole Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan figure skating incident happened a few months earlier) |
49 | Linger | The Cranberries | 8 | The Cranberries' first top 40 hit in the U.S. |
48 | Because Of Love | Janet Jackson | 10 | |
47 | Anytime You Need A Friend | Mariah Carey | 12 | Mariah Carey's first single that failed to hit the top ten (her 12th top 40 hit stalled at #12). In my opinion, this is one of her best songs, however. |
46 | 100% Pure Love | Crystal Waters | 11 | |
45 | I'm Ready | Tevin Campbell | 9 | |
44 | Stroke You Up | Changing Faces | 3 | Written and produced by R. Kelly. |
43 | Come To My Window | Melissa Etheridge | 25 | Melissa's first top 40 hit. |
42 | Whoomp! (There It Is) | Tag Team | 2(7) | Samples "I'm Ready" by Kano. Also was the #2 song of 1993. Broke many longevity records, and stayed on the chart well into 1994 (which is why it made this list). |
41 | Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia) | US3 | 9 | Samples "Cantaloupe" by Herbie Hancock. |
40 | Because The Night | The 10,000 Maniacs | 11 | Recorded live and unplugged. Written by Bruce Springsteen. Originally a #13 hit for the Patti Smith Group in 1978. This was the 10,000 Maniacs' first and only top 40 hit. By the time this became a hit, Natalie Merchant, the lead singer, had already left the group to pursue a solo career. |
39 | Gangsta Lean | DRS | 4 | |
38 | I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) | Meat Loaf | 1(5) | Also was at #36 for 1993. |
37 | Funkdafied | Da Brat | 6 | Top dance song of 1994. |
36 | Can We Talk | Tevin Campbell | 9 | |
35 | Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm | The Crash Test Dummies | 4 | |
34 | All I Wanna Do | Sheryl Crow | 2(6) | Sheryl Crow won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist of 1994. |
33 | Return To Innocence | Enigma | 4 | |
32 | Said I Loved You...But I Lied | Michael Bolton | 6 | Michael Bolton's last top 10 hit. It spent 12 weeks at the top of the AC (Adult Contemporary) chart, tying the record at the time, set several months earlier by "River Of Dreams" by Billy Joel. |
31 | Shine | Collective Soul | 11 | Top Rock Album Track of 1994. |
30 | Any Time, Any Place | Janet Jackson | 2(1) | Spent 10 weeks at #1 on the R & B chart. |
29 | Shoop | Salt 'N' Pepa | 4 | Salt 'N' Pepa's first top 10 pop hit. |
28 | So Much In Love | All-4-One | 5 | Originally a #1 hit for the Tymes in 1963. |
27 | Please Forgive Me | Bryan Adams | 7 | |
26 | When Can I See You | Babyface | 4 | |
25 | Now And Forever | Richard Marx | 7 | Second biggest AC hit of 1994. Richard Marx's last top 10 hit. On a personal note, this was the theme song of me and the woman I was with at the time, I hate to admit. |
24 | Back And Forth | Aaliyah | 5 | Produced by R. Kelly (whom Aaliyah was briefly married to, at age 15). Second biggest R & B hit of 1994. |
23 | If You Go | Jon Secada | 10 | |
22 | Regulate | Warren G. & Nate Dogg | 2(3) | From the movie "Above The Rim" starring Tupac Shakur (2Pac). Samples "I Keep Forgettin'" by Michael McDonald. |
21 | Baby I Love Your Way | Big Mountain | 6 | From the movie "Reality Bites." Originally a #12 hit for Peter Frampton 1976. |
20 | Fantastic Voyage | Coolio | 3 | Originally a #1 R & B (#51 pop) hit for Lakeside in 1981. |
19 | The Most Beautiful Girl In The World | Prince | 3 | Prince was listed as a special symbol, the same one that was the title of his 1992 album. This was Prince's last top 10 pop hit. |
18 | Can You Feel The Love Tonight | Elton John | 4 | From the movie "The Lion King." |
17 | You Mean The World To Me | Toni Braxton | 7 | On a personal note, the woman I was with at the time, when we lived together, used to sing this song AD NAUSEUM!! I didn't like the song initially, and by the time I left her, I HATED this song!! |
16 | Without You | Mariah Carey | 3 | Originally recorded by Badfinger, and written by two of its members. It was Harry Nilsson who first made this a hit (spending 4 weeks at #1 in 1972). Two sad pieces of irony: (1) Both songwriters committed suicide--one in 1975, and the other one in 1981. (2) The very week that this version came out was when Harry Nilsson died (aged 52). |
15 | Wild Night | John Mellencamp/Me'Shell Ndegeocello | 3 | Originally a #28 hit for Van Morrison in 1971. John Mellencamp's last top 10 hit. |
14 | Whatta Man | Salt 'N' Pepa feat. En Vogue | 3 | |
13 | I'll Remember | Madonna | 2(4) | From the movie "With Honors." |
12 | Again | Janet Jackson | 1(2) | Also was at #74 for 1993. From the movie "Poetic Justice" starring Janet Jackson and Tupak Shakur. |
11 | Bump 'N' Grind | R. Kelly | 1(4) | Top R & B song of 1994. This spent a record-tying 11 weeks at the top of the R & B chart (original record set by "Maybelling" by Chuck Berry in 1955). R. Kelly produced the TWO biggest R & B hits of 1994. |
10 | Don't Turn Around | Ace Of Base | 4 | Co-written by Diane Warren. Originally recorded by Tina Turner in 1986, as the B-side of her hit "Typical Male." |
9 | All That She Wants | Ace Of Base | 2(3) | Also placed at #51 for 1993. |
8 | All For Love | Bryan Adams/Rod Stewart/Sting | 1(3) | From the movie "Three Musketeers." |
7 | Breathe Again | Toni Braxton | 3 | Toni won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist of 1993 while this was in the top 10. |
6 | Stay (I Missed You) | Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories | 1(3) | From the movie "Reality Bites." |
5 | Hero | Mariah Carey | 1(4) | |
4 | The Power Of Love | Celine Dion | 1(4) | Written and originally recorded by Jennifer Rush in 1985. |
3 | I'll Make Love To You | Boyz II Men | 1(14) | At the time, this song tied the Rock Era record for spending the most weeks at #1 (the record was previously set by "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston, racking its 14th week at #1 in early 1993). On a personal note: Just like with "You Mean The World To Me," the woman I was with at the time, sang this song ad nauseum! In fact, the week I left her was the week that this song was finally knocked out of #1. On an additional note: Boyz II Men knocked themselves out of #1, something that at the time, hadn't happened in over 30 years. What song was it by Boyz II Men that knocked this one out of the top? And who was the last recording act who had last accomplished this feat prior to Boyz II Men? If you're interested in finsing out, email me at musicaldice323@gmail.com, and I will gladly tell you! ☺ |
2 | I Swear | All-4-One | 1(11) | Originally recorded by John Michael Montgomery. His version was a #1 Country hit in 1994, becoming the top country song of 1994. It barely missed the top 40 on the pop chart by just 2 spots. |
1 | The Sign | Ace Of Base | 1(6) | From the top album of 1994, of the same title. This spent more time in the top 10 than any other song on this list. On a personal note, Billboard Magazine couldn't have picked a more fitting song for me as the #1 song of the year! This song really fit me, as I left that woman, and got out of that horrible relationship. |