Discussion: The ULTIMATE OG Rate: The 90s! (Torn Takes It!)

Ace Reject

AKA the one that will keep you on your toes.

Eighteen women will appear before we take a break from the 90s and head to the Aughts. (Or I salute the finest thing Houston, Texas has produced - still haven't decided!)

So who will show up? Talk about it!

Ain't Nobody (Faith Evans)
All Night Long (Faith Evans/Puff Daddy)
Ask Me (Amy Grant)
Baby, Baby (Amy Grant)
Big Mistake (Natalie Imbruglia)
Can't Take My Eyes Off of You (Lauryn Hill)
Can't We Try (Rockell/Collage)
Carnival (Natalie Merchant)
Come to My Window (Melissa Etheridge)
Constant Craving (k.d. lang)
Do You Know (What It Takes) [Robyn]
Do You Sleep (Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories)
Electric [Robyn]
Every Heartbeat (Amy Grant)
Everything is Everything (Lauryn Hill)
Ex-Factor (Lauryn Hill)
Get Out of This House (Shawn Colvin)
Give Me One Reason (Tracy Chapman)
Good for Me (Amy Grant)
Grown Up Christmas List (Amy Grant)
Hopeless (Dionne Farris)
I Believe in Love (Paula Cole)
I Do (Lisa Loeb)
I Don't Know Why (Shawn Colvin)
I Don't Want to Wait (Paula Cole)
I Fell in Love (Rockell)
I Miss You (Come Back Home) [Monifah/Heavy D]
I Know (Dionne Farris)
I Want to Come Over (Melissa Etheridge)
If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night) [Me'Shell N'degeocello]
I'm The Only One (Melissa Etheridge)
In a Dream (Rockell)
It's All About Me (Mya/Dru Hill)
Jealousy (Natalie Merchant)
Kind and Generous (Natalie Merchant)
Love Like This (Faith Evans)
Luck in My Eyes (k.d. lang)
Lucky Ones (Amy Grant)
Luv 4 Luv (Robin S.)
Miss Chatelaine (k.d. lang)
Movin' On (Mya/Silkk The Shocker)
My First Night With You (Mya)
Nobody's Supposed to Be Here (Deborah Cox)
Sentimental (Deborah Cox)
Show Me Love (Robyn)
Show Me Love (Robin S,)
Smoke (Natalie Imbruglia)
Soon as I Get Home (Faith Evans)
Stay (I Missed You) [Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories]
Sunny Came Home (Shawn Colvin)
Take Me There (Mya/Blackstreet/Ma$e/Blinky Blink)
The Sweetest Thing (Lauryn Hill)
Things Just Ain't The Same [Hex Hector Remix] (Deborah Cox)
Torn (Natalie Imbruglia)
Touch It (Monifah)
Turn Your Lights Down Low (Bob Marley/Lauryn Hill)
Where Have All The Cowboys Gone? (Paula Cole)
When I'm Gone (Rockell)
Who Do You Love? (Deborah Cox)
Who is He (And What is He to You?) [Me'Shell N'degeocello]
Wild Night (John Mellencamp/Me'Shell N'degeocello)
Wishing I Was There (Natalie Imbruglia)
Wonder (Natalie Merchant)
You (Monifah)
You Used to Love Me (Faith Evans)

Spotify Playlist Alternate Link

Listen to all songs and send me a PM with your rankings, from 0-10. You will get one 11 and one 10.5 score, so choose wisely! #babybaby #sunnycamehome

Votes due AUGUST 24th. Have fun, and get to listening!

Stevie

I'm ready!

Don't forget about BotB, though.

Ace Reject

I will not!

The first "girl" up was probably the biggest female pop star of 1991-1992. By surprise!

KLatz

Torn finally coming to snatch. Natalie's one iconic smash better not be done wrong!

Also, how about a lil' love for Bonnie Raitt, Mya, Nicole Wray, Paula Cole, Faith Evans, and Crystal Waters?

You can save Mandy Moore, Jessica Simpson, and Vitamin C for the 00s

Canonical Ensemble

I can't sleep

-------

I'm guessing Gloria Estefan, Lisa Loeb and Des'ree!!!

supaspaz

Are we finally getting Shawn Colvin in this one? I'm ready for "Sunny Came Home" to snatch.

Canonical Ensemble

Enya please

Superiore

Yes, ready to give my 11 to the flawless winner yet again!

Ace Reject

Quote:

Originally posted by supaspaz

Are we finally getting Shawn Colvin in this one? I'm ready for "Sunny Came Home" to snatch.

All in due time, my sweet. But first, show a little love for ...

Amy Grant. Born in Georgia, raised in Nashville - great-granddaughter of a very prominent Tennessean philanthropist! Wrote her first song at the age of sixteen; a public performance led to a demo with her choir direction, which led to her signing with Word Records. She had released two albums by the age of nineteen, all while attending Vanderbilt University! She dropped out to focus on her music career, and soon was dubbed the "Queen of Christian Music."

But Amy wanted more. She didn't want to sacrifice her values, but wanted a larger audience - and started sweeting her albums a bit. A duet with Peter Cetera led to a NUMBER ONE on the HOT 100- unheard of for anyone who mainly performed spiritual music. A few more albums to appease her core base followed, but as the nineties began, Amy decided to make the big move - to double down in pop production. Her 1989, if you will.

Her first "pop" album, Heart in Motion, was led by the single Baby, Baby.

It was an instant smash, going straight to the top of the Pop and Adult Contemporary charts - and peaking in the British top ten. She was nominated for Female Video that following summer, losing to Annie Lennox. A few months later, Baby Baby was nominated for Song and Record of the Year, as well as Pop Female Vocal Performance.

Funny story: When Amy heard the music, she had to write the lyrics. She had no idea what would accompany such a light tune, though, until she saw her daughter's sonogram. "Oh, baby, baby."

Funnier story: THIS WILL BE MY NUMBER ELEVEN. It should be all of yours too.

Stevie

I honestly have no clue who most of these F-listers are.

At least I kind of knew the girls from the first two editions.

Ace Reject

Quote:

Originally posted by Stevie

I honestly have no clue who most of these F-listers are.

At least I kind of knew the girls from the first two editions.

We've only just started, and if you've not been touched by Baby Baby ...

Heart in Motion really was the 1989 of its time, selling five million copies and getting an Album of The Year nomination. (she lost all three General Field awards to Natalie Cole, but later snatched Natty's cat back!) Singles like Good For Me and Every Heartbeat helped things along, both going top ten:

Not to abandon her base, Amy released a few singles to CCR - like Ask Me, a song about a young woman turning to the Lord to heal the pains of her childhood sexual abuse.

supaspaz

Probably will drag it. I don't really use Amy Grant.

Marq

Not expecting to be too familiar with most of the girls in this edition, but I will keep an open mind when I listen.

Perched.

supaspaz

"Baby-Baby-Baby" > "Baby, Baby" > "Baby"

Ace Reject

I submit that it's impossible to 'drag' Baby, Baby - especially if you love pop at its purest! That's like dragging Touch Me (All Night Long).

After the smash success, what did Amy do next? Release a Christmas album, of course.

A single off of it, Grown Up Christmas List, had oriiginally been sung by Natalie Cole. Amy added a new verse and turned it into an AC hit! So, Natalie got what was coming to her in the end.

Her next release came with 1994's Lucky One.

It was her last single to go top twenty on the Pop charts.

Baby, Baby
Every Heartbeat
Good For Me
Ask Me
Grown Up Christmas List
Lucky One

THESE are the Amy singles you'll be rating.

Stevie

I was talking about the majority of the ladies everybody else was mentioning, not Amy Grant.

Ace Reject

Quote:

Originally posted by Marq

Not expecting to be too familiar with most of the girls in this edition, but I will keep an open mind when I listen.

Perched.

Here's a hint for the next lady: Album of The Year.

Superiore

I have no idea about this Amy Grant girl but maybe it will be positive for her scores.

Ace Reject

Since y'all didn't get the hint, let me hip you to the tea: Lauryn Hill.

Born in a Jersey suburb, the only daughter of Haitian-Americans. Studios from a young age, and talented as well, she went to the prestigious Columbia High School. Shortly before her attendance, she got booed off the stage at The Apollo - but courageously persevered. She got a gig on As The World Turns, which led to a cameo in a Steven Soderbergh film, and a starring role the Sister Act sequel. She always sung, but learned to rap by emulating male rappers - creating an unique flow.

While a freshman, she befriend Pras Michel, and they started a rap group. A third girl was a part of it, but she dropped out. She was replaced by Pras's cousin, Wyclef Jean, and they called themslves "The Refugees" - a reclamation of the slurs that are bandied about towards immigrants/children of immigrants. It was shortened to "The Fugees," and while Lauryn was still in high school, they were signed by Columbia Records.

You should know the rest. The Score became the biggest album by a rap group of all time, supported by hip hop classics like "Ready or Not" and Fu-Gee-La." It was their take on a 70s classic, though, that became their biggest hit - "Killing Me Softly." This time, however, it was only Lauryn's voice that guided it to the top of the charts.

Now famous, Lauryn still lived at home - and attended Columbia University. She was going to major in history, but decided to go solo instead. (Her decision was no doubt spurred on by her erratic and tumultuous romantic relationship with Wyclef.) Her first release was on the love.jones soundtrack - The Sweetest Thing.

Marq

Oop, I was literally about to say Lauryn. #tooslow

Queen.