Fireball's Fantastic 500 -- Late 1990s, Part III

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Pastor Fireball
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Fireball's Fantastic 500 -- Late 1990s, Part III

#1 Post by Pastor Fireball » Fri Nov 16, 2018 7:37 pm

Here we go... the last ten songs of the previous millennium!

#10. Wonder, Natalie Merchant (1996)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zpYFAzhAZY

#9. Black Balloon, Goo Goo Dolls (1999)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emguA0RIH4k

#8. Recover Your Soul, Elton John (1998)

This is the tenth appearance of the Rocket man in my countdown. With so few songs left in this series, I think it's fair to say that he will hold on to the top spot for most songs. By the way, this won't be Sir Elton's last appearance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Du-5wY4Mdg

#7. Nobody Knows, Tony Rich Project (1995)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7EyUY3-Wrg

#6. Always Be My Baby, Mariah Carey (1996)

I'm still amazed at the fact that Nick Cannon was a 15-year-old kid in San Diego when his future ex-wife released this iconic #1 hit. I'm the same age as Nick, so I could have had a chance at hooking up with her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfRNRymrv9k

#5. Tell Me It's Real, K-Ci & JoJo (1999)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41GHAV-HG4U

#4. I Love You Always Forever, Donna Lewis (1996)

This dance hit inspired by the 1950s H.E. Bates novel Love for Lydia has the dubious distinction of spending nine weeks at #2 on the Hot 100 and never making it to the top because of that insufferable Macarena.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqdWTeXWvOg

#3. I'll Stand by You, the Pretenders (1995)

It had been nearly nine years since the Pretenders last hit the Top 40 in America, but they surprised everybody when they released this inspirational anthem of companionship.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5pECaW-VMI

#2. Tha Crossroads, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (1995)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMYAEHE2GrM

*drumroll*

And right on cue, it's the drumroll to preface the reveal of my all-time favorite song of the late 1990s...






























#1. No Diggity, Blackstreet f/ Dr. Dre & Queen Pen (1996)

Yet another song whose appearance in my countdown has been directly influenced by a personal connection. I can take you back twenty years to the night before my high school graduation. We all had a pre-graduation party... you know, because we decided that the class of 1998 needed to leave Western Hills with a bang. During the planning phases, one of my classmates had the bright idea to liven up our end-of-school party with this new thing called a karaoke machine. Going through the lengthy song list, this song was there. Kevin Bush pulled me aside--along with Gilbert Amanor and Andrew Smith--and suggested that the four of us do this song at the party. It wasn't enough for us to sing the song, so we all dressed up as Blackstreet--white T-shirts, baggy overalls, and Timberlands. Gil did the Dre rap, I did the first Blackstreet verse, and Kevin did the second Blackstreet verse. Andrew wasn't much of a singer, so he was just there to provide dance moves and backup vocals. The performance was the highlight of that party.

As all of you will remember, Javon's high school graduation was earlier this year. Guess what happened? That's right... a karaoke party to celebrate the end of school! This time, I was on the other side of the party. I was the one responsible for renting out the event hall, calling the caterers, and hiring the karaoke crew for Javon and his classmates. Oh, and I made sure that "No Diggity" would be on the set list because I was prepared to recreate that performance from 1998... because somebody needed to teach these damn kids about real music. I bough two fresh pairs of baggy overalls for Javon and me, and we rehearsed the number for several days. April served as my dance partner during the performance at the party. Even though I'm 38 years old, I still have the voice and the moves. And the overalls.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KL9mRus19o

Get you fill of Thanksgiving food next Thursday, then come back here on Black Friday as we finally delve into the 2000s.
"[Drumpf's] name alone creates division and anger, whose words inspire dissension and hatred, and can't possibly 'Make America Great Again.'" --Kobe Bryant (1978-2020)

"In times of crisis, the wise build bridges. The foolish build barriers." --Chadwick Boseman (1976-2020)

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