The 90's Billboard #1s Rate: 1990-1994 - AND WE ARE DONE
- Thread starter Ironheade
- Start date
Now down to 8.99 on amazon; this is getting rather silly!
I know, Amazon should pay us!
You know what, I was going to leave this until tomorrow morning... but the relatives have left and I'm bored, so why not.
The wannabes are starting to vacate, so this is about the time when we start to dump some of the Big Pop Boys. Or, uh, would that be boyz?
75. On Bended Knee - Boyz II Men
Average: 5.352
Highest score: 1 x 10 (@iheartpoptarts )
Lowest score: 1 x 0 (@Spiral )
Weeks at #1: 6 non-consecutive Hot 100, 11 consecutive airplay
Year-End Hot 100: #5 (1995)
Here's a little factoid for you. Boyz II Men's second album II is the most successful album by an R&B group of all time. It went twelve times platinum, and was the third-highest selling album of 1995. Yeah, Boyz II Men didn't just go huge in the 90's, they launched into a different universe altogether. But as of now, it doesn't appear that that's a universe PopJustice much wanted to venture into, least of all with “On Bended Knee”, the one I predicted would go first. Though perhaps not quite at this point, when we've still got Bryan Adams hanging around...
Out of Boyz II Men's three '94/'95 mega-ballads, “On Bended Knee” is the one that could be hit with the strongest charges of descending into outright melodrama that would make a lot of 50's pop ballads blush. Yeah, the level of breast-beating angst here is... quite amazingly high. But somehow, it works anyway. It's easier to forgive, for one thing, when it's delivered by such a good group of singers. Boyz II Men probably had the best harmonies of any group in this rate, blending perfectly together on the chorus and in the background during the bridge, and all managing to distinguish themselves solo – drama queens they may be, but they put enough heart into it that it doesn't matter, particularly Wanya Morris' rich vibrato-heavy mid-tenor, one of the most distinctive voices from any boy band. And behind the boards, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis come correct as well. Sure, it's not as good a production as they gave to Janet Jackson's ballads around this period, but it works decently enough with its piano-and-light-strings combo, obviously intended to hang back a bit and serve as a canvas for the vocals, and while the verse melody meanders a bit, it all comes together on the big sweeping chorus. Now, there's still one pretty big problem that can't be overcome. More so than on “End of the Road” or “Water Runs Dry”, “On Bended Knee” all too often lapses into outright hysterics in the vocals, in particular the parts where they all overindulge a bit on the falsetto, the two key changes (because one just couldn't contain all the wailing!), and when Wanya starts in with his usual ad-lib spam over the end... and, of course, Michael McCary's spoken word section, which is as goofy as they always are, but I like 'em anyway. It's all just a bit too much sometimes. But you know me, I never could resist a bit of OTT, and Boyz II Men manage to keep it charming rather than hideous (Michael Bolton, take note). What that amounts to, then, is the weakest of the three big ballad singles from II – but it's still pretty good, and didn't deserve to go this early.
iheartpoptarts (10) - I’m giving them a perfect 10 average because they deserve it. (Too bad PopJustice did not agree with your judgement!)
ohnoitsnathan (2) - See my commentary for 'I'll Make Love To You'. (...That would have worked better if "I'll Make Love to You had gone first, eh.)
Filippa (2) - Kind of boring. (That was about the thrust of it, though.)
Empty Shoebox (1) - The key change in this is particularly agonising. (Ah, but what about the SECOND key change?)
WowWowWowWow (6) - God help me. ("Your prayer is being held in a queue. Please hold.")
Rooneyboy (1) - How did they have so many big hits???
londonrain (5) - This is the weakest of the singles from II, so I’m a bit surprised it actually made it to #1. It’s fine, and their vocal blend is unmatched among male R&B groups, but they’ve done better. (I think Boyz II Men may have signed a contract with Billboard after "End of the Road" that songs would go straight to #1, no questions asked. Yep, it's one of THOSE imperial phases.)
berserkboi (6.75) - More whininess on a less strong tune. Sorry, Boyz II Men fans – they are not for me…
Hudweiser (5) - Their last song segued into this one and I didn’t even realise. (Good point. Considering the divergence in subject matter... shouldn't they have made it sound at least a little stylistically different to “I'll Make Love to You”? Ah well.)
Sprockrooster (4) - I have heard worse songs from them, so let me be generous with this one. (Well, at least someone likes it.)
mung_bean (6) - This just feels like a weaker retread of what I’ve already heard from them. (Now if you want a real weak retread of THIS, wait until the second round!)
Aww, poor pouty Wanya... *snrk*
The wannabes are starting to vacate, so this is about the time when we start to dump some of the Big Pop Boys. Or, uh, would that be boyz?
75. On Bended Knee - Boyz II Men
Average: 5.352
Highest score: 1 x 10 (@iheartpoptarts )
Lowest score: 1 x 0 (@Spiral )
Weeks at #1: 6 non-consecutive Hot 100, 11 consecutive airplay
Year-End Hot 100: #5 (1995)
Here's a little factoid for you. Boyz II Men's second album II is the most successful album by an R&B group of all time. It went twelve times platinum, and was the third-highest selling album of 1995. Yeah, Boyz II Men didn't just go huge in the 90's, they launched into a different universe altogether. But as of now, it doesn't appear that that's a universe PopJustice much wanted to venture into, least of all with “On Bended Knee”, the one I predicted would go first. Though perhaps not quite at this point, when we've still got Bryan Adams hanging around...
Out of Boyz II Men's three '94/'95 mega-ballads, “On Bended Knee” is the one that could be hit with the strongest charges of descending into outright melodrama that would make a lot of 50's pop ballads blush. Yeah, the level of breast-beating angst here is... quite amazingly high. But somehow, it works anyway. It's easier to forgive, for one thing, when it's delivered by such a good group of singers. Boyz II Men probably had the best harmonies of any group in this rate, blending perfectly together on the chorus and in the background during the bridge, and all managing to distinguish themselves solo – drama queens they may be, but they put enough heart into it that it doesn't matter, particularly Wanya Morris' rich vibrato-heavy mid-tenor, one of the most distinctive voices from any boy band. And behind the boards, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis come correct as well. Sure, it's not as good a production as they gave to Janet Jackson's ballads around this period, but it works decently enough with its piano-and-light-strings combo, obviously intended to hang back a bit and serve as a canvas for the vocals, and while the verse melody meanders a bit, it all comes together on the big sweeping chorus. Now, there's still one pretty big problem that can't be overcome. More so than on “End of the Road” or “Water Runs Dry”, “On Bended Knee” all too often lapses into outright hysterics in the vocals, in particular the parts where they all overindulge a bit on the falsetto, the two key changes (because one just couldn't contain all the wailing!), and when Wanya starts in with his usual ad-lib spam over the end... and, of course, Michael McCary's spoken word section, which is as goofy as they always are, but I like 'em anyway. It's all just a bit too much sometimes. But you know me, I never could resist a bit of OTT, and Boyz II Men manage to keep it charming rather than hideous (Michael Bolton, take note). What that amounts to, then, is the weakest of the three big ballad singles from II – but it's still pretty good, and didn't deserve to go this early.
iheartpoptarts (10) - I’m giving them a perfect 10 average because they deserve it. (Too bad PopJustice did not agree with your judgement!)
ohnoitsnathan (2) - See my commentary for 'I'll Make Love To You'. (...That would have worked better if "I'll Make Love to You had gone first, eh.)
Filippa (2) - Kind of boring. (That was about the thrust of it, though.)
Empty Shoebox (1) - The key change in this is particularly agonising. (Ah, but what about the SECOND key change?)
WowWowWowWow (6) - God help me. ("Your prayer is being held in a queue. Please hold.")
Rooneyboy (1) - How did they have so many big hits???
londonrain (5) - This is the weakest of the singles from II, so I’m a bit surprised it actually made it to #1. It’s fine, and their vocal blend is unmatched among male R&B groups, but they’ve done better. (I think Boyz II Men may have signed a contract with Billboard after "End of the Road" that songs would go straight to #1, no questions asked. Yep, it's one of THOSE imperial phases.)
berserkboi (6.75) - More whininess on a less strong tune. Sorry, Boyz II Men fans – they are not for me…
Hudweiser (5) - Their last song segued into this one and I didn’t even realise. (Good point. Considering the divergence in subject matter... shouldn't they have made it sound at least a little stylistically different to “I'll Make Love to You”? Ah well.)
Sprockrooster (4) - I have heard worse songs from them, so let me be generous with this one. (Well, at least someone likes it.)
mung_bean (6) - This just feels like a weaker retread of what I’ve already heard from them. (Now if you want a real weak retread of THIS, wait until the second round!)
Aww, poor pouty Wanya... *snrk*
Last edited:
she/her
If it's a ballad and even I'm stanning, you'd think the rest of you guys could manage to do a bit better. Sadface.
she/her
So...like an American Westlife, but a few years before?
DON'T YOU DARE.
He/Him
Well, I did ask for Boyz II Men to vacate and take Step By Step with them so, is that the next to go, @Ironheade?
he/him
I guess you only stan ballads if they are from boy bands, hmmm?
she/her
he/him
Okay okay, but it seems like boy band ballads have a say...85% chance you stanning for it and everything else has maybe 20%...
she/her
Okay, okay, you know me.
londonrain
Staff member
This has definitely been eliminated too early, but if one of them has to go, I’m okay with this being the one.
How about we get back to eliminating your 10s, Mr. Michael Bolton Fan?
How about we get back to eliminating your 10s, Mr. Michael Bolton Fan?
D
Deleted member 26234
Do you realise that @berserkboi gave this song more points than you did? It's not his fault this song is out already ...
Just a funny little observation ...
londonrain
Staff member
Yeah, I’m not losing sleep over this one, to be honest. It was a victim of me having to recalibrate my scores to use the full 0-10 range, and so it lost out on the 7 it would probably have got otherwise.
I have a lot of lower scores still left, though!
she/her
Believe me, it's a compliment when I say it!
D
Deleted member 26234
Yes to that I still have zeroes!
He/Him
Do you really fancy losing Toni Braxton, Vanessa Williams and Whitney Houston this early?