- 17 hours ago
Some artists burn bright, but only for a moment. Join us as we explore the careers of musical acts who made a splash in the 1990s with not one, but two unforgettable chart-toppers, only to fade from the mainstream spotlight shortly after. These iconic acts left their indelible mark on the decade, leaving us humming their catchy tunes and wondering what could have been. Get ready for a nostalgic trip back to the era of grunge, Eurodance, and alternative rock, celebrating those who struck gold twice.
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00:00Sweet dreams are taking over Sweet dreams are dancing through the night
00:10Welcome to Miss Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most notable artist
00:13who managed to score two big hits in the 90s before pretty much falling off the radar.
00:17It's such a good vibration It's such a sweet decision
00:2710. Ugly Kid Joe Everything About You and Cats in the Cradle
00:31There perhaps isn't any other band named quite quintessentially 90s than Ugly Kid Joe.
00:42Formed as a parody of Pretty Boy Floyd, this hard rock group burst onto the scene with a mix of grunge, metal and a sarcastic humour that instantly pulled listeners in.
00:50Their debut single Everything About You was a cynical anthem of disdain, whose catchy riff and appearance in the 1992 film Wayne's World helped propel it onto the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.
01:08Their next hit was a surprising departure in style. The band took Harry Chapin's folk rock song Cats in the Cradle and turned it into a power ballad.
01:15The gamble paid off as the track outperformed their debut, peaking at number 6 on the charts.
01:28Number 9. The Verve Pipe
01:29Photograph and The Freshman
01:31This band emerged from the Michigan alternative rock scene in the early 90s, but would take a few years before hitting their stride.
01:43Their breakthrough came in 1996 with the release of their sophomore album, Villains, which produced the two hits that they're best known for.
01:49The driving guitar heavy lead single, Photograph, captured the angst of 90s post grunge rock and helped them break out of the underground into a much wider audience.
01:58It's modest number 53 peak was far surpassed by the top 10 single, The Freshman.
02:05Soft and more emotional, this track was inspired by an experienced frontman Brian van der Ark and his girlfriend had.
02:11While the band still caters to its most dedicated fans, mainstream radio pretty much moved on afterwards.
02:28Number 8. The Rembrandts
02:37Just the way it is baby, and I'll be there for you
02:40Most people today remember the Rembrandts for one track only, 1995's I'll Be There For You, the iconic theme song to hit sitcom Friends.
02:47As a result, the band is considered by many as a one hit wonder, but that label had already been attached to them years earlier.
02:57The Los Angeles alternative rock duo first broke through in the 1990s with their debut single, Just The Way It Is Baby.
03:03Listening to both tracks, you'd think two completely different artists recorded them, as the earlier hit is a lot more breezy and laid back than the upbeat, hand-clapped filled I'll Be There For You.
03:19Although the Friends theme overshadows their career today, their debut single actually peaked at a higher position.
03:32Number 7. Jesus Jones
03:33Real Real Real and Right Here Right Now
03:36After forming in late 1988, British rock band Jesus Jones put out their debut album, but it failed to make an impact on the charts.
03:42Their sophomore effort, Doubt, would change everything.
03:45Jesus Jones opened the 90s with its lead single, Real Real Real, fusing thumping electro beats with guitar-heavy samples.
04:00It ultimately climbed into the top five of the Hot 100.
04:03Just a few months later, they bested that achievement with the second single, Right Here Right Now.
04:15A more reflective anthem, this song was influenced by global political change, including the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War.
04:22It became their biggest hit, peaking at number two in the US and charting in several other countries.
04:35Number 6. Spin Doctors
04:36Little Miss Can't Be Wrong and Two Princes
04:38Two things can be true. Spin Doctors' lyrics were pretty corny, and their sound was still bloody irresistible.
04:44That playful mix of rock, funk and jam band energy helped Spin Doctors stand out in the grunge-heavy landscape of the early 90s.
04:58Thanks in part to Relentless Touring and Word of Mouth buzz, their 1991 debut album, Pocket Full of Kryptonite, slowly gained traction.
05:05By 1992, its lead single, Little Miss Can't Be Wrong, caught fire on radio and MTV, propelling it into the top 20.
05:19The same winning formula of jangling guitars and a catchy hook was applied to their follow-up, Two Princes, and it struck gold again.
05:25The track pushed them even further into the spotlight, peaking within the top 10 and becoming their signature hit.
05:30Number 5. La Bouche
05:41Sweet Dreams and Be My Lover
05:43The Eurodance genre saw its biggest boost in the early to mid-90s, and it was this surge that paved the way for the success of German-American duo La Bouche.
05:57Fronted by singer Melanie Thornton alongside rapper Layne McRae, the group first gained traction in Europe with their debut single, Sweet Dreams, before crossing over into the US.
06:06When your body is moving, the music is moving, I wanna take you home tonight
06:13The Relentless High Energy track became a club favourite and climbed up to the top 20 on the charts.
06:18The following year they soared to greater heights with Be My Lover, which became even more ubiquitous on dance floors around the world.
06:24Before I make you mine, baby, you have to be sure you wanna be my lover, wanna be my lover, wanna be my lover, wanna be my lover
06:33Although they never matched that same level of success again, La Bouche continued releasing dance anthems throughout the decade, until Thornton left the group in 2000.
06:40I, I, I wanna be my lover, I, I wanna be my lover, I, I wanna be my lover,
06:47Number 4. Paula Cole
06:49Where have all of the cowboys gone, and I don't want to wait?
06:52I will do the laundry, if you pay all the bills.
06:59In the late 90s, Paula Cole seemed to be the most promising new female artist.
07:03She gained attention through the Lilith Fair Music Festival, before releasing her self-written and self-produced sophomore album, This Fire.
07:10Its lead single, Where have all the cowboys gone, became an instant radio smash, peaking within the top 10 of the Hot 100.
07:16Where is my happy ending? Where have all the cowboys gone?
07:26It also earned three Grammy nominations, including for Song and Record of the Year.
07:30The second single, I Don't Want to Wait, was also a hit in its own right, but it was further boosted by being featured as the theme song on Dawson's Creek.
07:37The momentum from these hits helped Cole with the Grammy for Best New Artist.
07:50However, her subsequent music failed to replicate that mainstream impact.
07:59Number 3. Extreme, More Than Words and Wholehearted
08:02More Than Words is all you have to do
08:09Boston, Massachusetts rock band Xtreme built their early sound around funk and glam metal.
08:14But the public wasn't particularly receptive.
08:16Ironically, their biggest hits came when they strayed from that signature sound.
08:19While the first two singles from their sophomore album, Porno Graffiti, fared poorly,
08:23the third, More Than Words, a stripped-down acoustic ballad, became their breakthrough.
08:27The song shot all the way up to number one on the Hot 100 and turned the band into video stars.
08:40Choosing to ride this momentum, Xtreme released another acoustic-driven track titled Wholehearted, and it worked.
08:46That single reached the top five.
08:48There's a hole in my heart back and only different by you.
08:55However, this marked the end of Xtreme's commercial success, as their later albums failed to produce any major hits.
09:01Number 2. Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch
09:03Good Vibrations and Wild Side
09:05Today, Mark Wahlberg is best known for his Hollywood acting career.
09:08But back in the early 90s, he gained fame as the frontman of the hip-hop group Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch.
09:13The group found success right from the start.
09:24Their debut single, Good Vibrations, featuring Lolietta Holloway, singing a sample of her song, Love Sensation,
09:30became a chart-topping hit, backed by an upbeat house production and a catchy hook.
09:34They followed with Wild Side, a socially conscious track built around Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side.
09:47While less explosive than its predecessor, it still cracked the top 100, becoming the group's second and final hit.
09:53Ron became another victim of homicide, because he chose to walk on the wild side.
09:59Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch released a second album, which fared poorly, before disbanding in 1993.
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10:191. Vanilla Ice
10:22Ice Ice Baby and Play That Funky Music
10:26White hip-hop artists like Marky Mark and Eminem owe part of their success to Vanilla Ice.
10:35The Miami rapper rose to fame with his debut single, Ice Ice Baby, which became the first hip-hop track to top the Hot 100.
10:41Featuring an instantly recognizable sample of Queen and David Bowie's Under Pressure, the song turned Vanilla Ice into an overnight sensation.
10:48Due to its success, the rapper's label reissued Play That Funky Music, a cover of the Wild Cherry song he had earlier recorded, with updated lyrics and revamped drums.
11:03Though not groundbreaking, the track still climbed to number 4 on the charts.
11:14But just as rapidly as Vanilla Ice rose, he faded back into obscurity, seemingly proving that he was merely a novelty act.
11:21Which of these two hit wonders would you like to see score a third hit? Let us know in the comments below.
11:34Chwiąz�!
11:35Ch crushing!
11:37Chrics and Chris
11:38ChLo
11:40Ch simplement
11:42Ch antibiot
11:43Ch Smithson
11:46Chpelled
11:47Chreshold
11:48Chujah
11:50Ch�
11:50Ch viewed
11:52Chשוב
11:54Chariest
11:55Chивет
11:58Chantal
12:00Chожалуйста
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