2001: Year in review
It was a record-breaking year once again on Craig's Top 50. In all, 277 songs charted on my weekly Top 50 survey. Ten new records were set (you can read about those below and see them in a chart form on the Artists Page). The chart saw everything from country music to dance music to pop music to rock music to R&B music. Again, as in the past two years, female artists dominated the charts. You have to go all the way to #30 on the year-end chart to even hear a male voice (Steps' "Chain Reaction") and to #38 to hear a song performed only by males (BSB's "Drowning"). So here is a quick review of the artists who made the biggest impact on my weekly charts. At the bottom of the page, you will find a link to the actual year-end chart and the 2001 Artists Page. Enjoy!
At the beginning of 2001, word had it that the teen pop craze was a dying breed
once again. However, 
artists like 'N Sync, Britney Spears, and Backstreet
Boys proved to be big sellers once again. Backstreet Boys takes the cake
this year ('N Sync was victorious last year) as they charted two top 5 hits with
the #2 "The Call" 
and the two-week #4 "Drowning." BSB
also scored a top 15 with the ballad "More Than That." Spears
had a pretty decent year as well. She started the year with the final
chart week of her 2000 #6 smash "Stronger" and then charted a two-week
#4 hit with the remix of "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know," the final
single from her OOPS...I DID IT AGAIN album. "Don't..." was the
first song to ever take the COMBO HIT award on the weekly Top 50 three times (Rockell's
"What U Did 2 Me" did it too later in 2001). In the Autumn of
2001, she debuted a racy and different "I'm A Slave 4 U," demanding
that she's now grown up and 
deserves a little womanly respect. The song is
still on the chart and logged two weeks at #9. Her second single from her
latest album, "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet A Woman" should take Spears
well into 2002. Last year's teens-on-top group, 'N Sync didn't fare quite
as well in 2001. They scored a big top 10 with the #9 hit "Pop"
and followed that with a modest #25 hit "Gone" (which by the way I
love more and more each time I hear it and am thinking it deserves another shot
at the chart!!). The boys--umm, er--men of 'N Sync are premiering their
next video, "Girlfriend," on MTV on New Years Eve.
So that's how the big guns in teen pop did on the charts--but how about the
little guys (and girls!)? Mandy 
Moore stands out as one of the more
successful princesses of pop as she scored two top 10 smashes this year.
The fun "In My Pocket" scored her highest charting hit at #2 while its
follow-up, the ballad "Crush" peaked at #7. Moore's next single
"Cry" is already being serviced to radio. Jessica Simpson scored
a second top 10 hit (she hit the top 10 in 2000 with "I Think I'm in Love
with You") with "Irresistible," the title track to her second or
third album (who knows? who cares?). The song spent a single week at #9 on
the weekly chart. Probably the youngest of the teen princesses really
didn't get much of a chance in the US. Mikaila scored a top 10 hit in 2000
with "So in Love with Two" but only made it to #12 with her follow-up
"It's All Up to You." Now, people are asking--"Wasn't
Mikaila the evil guy in 'Children of the Corn?'
From across the seas came several young pop artists who had a strong presence on
Craig's Top 50. Irish pop 
princess Samantha Mumba had her highest charter
with "Baby Come on Over (This is Our Night)," which spent two weeks at
#7. As the year closed, she was charting with a remixed version of her
cover of Divine's "Lately." Australia's answer to teen pop,
Vanessa Amorosi, followed her top 20 success in 2000 (with "Absolutely
Everybody") with two Top 50
charters. "Have a Look" hit #16
and "Shine" spent a week at #26. Vanessa has or is about to
release a second album so we'll see if she can return to the charts in
2002. While making a dent in the UK charts, S Club 7 had its first US top
10 hit with "Never Had a Dream Come True," a 
song that hit #10 on the
Top 50. The group scored big, however, at the open of the year with the #1
hit "You're My Number One." "Don't Stop Movin'" spent
a week at #18 and the group is currently charting well with their latest single
from the album SUNSHINE called "Have You Ever?"
Steps, of course, is probably the most widely known of the bunch. They
continued
to make the chart with hit after hit, mostly charting with more than
one Top 50 
hit at a time. This probably hurt them a bit as such tunes as
"Heartbeat," "Here and Now," "Wouldn't Hurt So
Bad," and "Careless Whisper (Live)" missed the top 10 as they
were competing for airplay with one another during most of their chart
runs. That's not to say Steps didn't have a successful year. They
hit #2 with a wonderful cover of Diana Ross' "Chain Reaction."
"You'll Be Sorry" (one of my fave Steps tunes) spent a week at #4 and
"It's the Way That You Make Me Feel" logged a week at #6. Steps
ended the year on a sadder note, charting two ballads--"Words Are Not
Enough" and "I Know Him So Well"--and announcing their split on
December 26. The silver lining here is that I can't wait for the reunion!!
(Oh, and I suppose the mostly nude photos of Lee (on the right) and H (on the
left) could be considered a silver lining as well!!)
So good ole pop music was all over the charts thanks to Steps and a handful of others. Most notably is probably Da Buzz. The group brought us six Top 50 hits from its debut album DA SOUND. Starting the year off with a #1 hit "Let Me Love You," the group racked up top 20 after top 20 including a second #1 "Believe in Love," a #3 smash "Do You Want Me," a #5 hit "Out of Words," and the #10 "Paradise." "Tell Me Once Again" missed the top 10 but landed a peak for two weeks at #18.
Girls! Girls! Girls! The Sugababes had a banner year after a bad start in
2000. Their first single "Overload" managed to hit #28 in 2000
and until 2001, things weren't looking so good for the girls. They,
however, pulled the rug right out from underneath the chart and stormed in with
four top 10 hits, including the two number one smashes "Just Let it
Go" and "Soul Sound." They had a two-week #4 hit with
"Run for Cover" and ended the year with a #6 hit in "New
Year." With lots more music on ONE TOUCH, the group's debut album, I
expect we'll be hearing more from them in 2002. Atomic Kitten also made a
dent in the
chart with their first Top 50 "Whole Again," which peaked
at #9. They missed the Top 50 with a cover of the Bangles' "Eternal
Flame" but chart success seems unavoidable with their latest single
"You Are."
Come Back Come Back Wherever You Are!! We asked and we received--in
abundance. 2001 was the year of the return as the Top 50 saw the likes of
New Order, Depeche Mode, Kim Wilde, Christopher Cross, Michael Jackson, Crystal
Waters, CeCe Penniston, Gloria Estefan, Dolly Parton, Human League, Gina G,
Natalie Imbruglia, Natalie 
Merchant, Reba, Sade, Sheena Easton, The GoGo's, Tori
Amos, and U2. Parton was probably the most successful of the bunch with
her cover of Collective Soul's "Shine" logging a week at #1 The
biggest miss of the year was most definitely Michael Jackson's putrid excuse for
an album called INVINCIBLE. "You Rock My World" hit a weak #44
and the follow-up US single "Butterflies" and the follow-up UK single
"Cry" will likely miss the chart altogether. Let's put MJ in the
Mariah Carey Hall of Shame for believing that just because it's them, people
will buy shit! I say we lock them both up on the carousel at the
Netherland Ranch until they're so completely dizzy that whatever has possessed
them to sacrifice their talents for pure trash music is whirled out of their
bodies through centrifugal force.
As I noted above, female artists ruled the charts again in 2001. After
taking the #1 song of 2000 with "Rise," Gabrielle continued a hit
streak in 2001 by spending a record-breaking 40 weeks on the Top 50 (and it's
still top 20) with "Out of Reach" from the soundtrack for BRIDGET
JONES DIARY. The song
logged four weeks atop the chart and teeter-tottered
up and down the chart for most of the year (falling to #45 before rebounding to
#4). Gabrielle saw a second #1 hit with "Over You" while she
ended the year hitting #2 with "Don't Need the Sun to Shine (To Make Me
Smile)," a new song from her greatest hits package DREAMS CAN COME
TRUE. She also hit #6 with "Sunshine," #16 with "Should I
Stay," and #18 with "Give Me A Little More Time."
Madonna bested last year's performance by scoring eight top 10 hits in
2001. "Don't Tell Me," which ended 2000 at #1 completed its
chart run in 2001 
while MUSIC produced hit after hit, including the three-week
#1 "What it Feels Like for a Girl." Of course, it wouldn't be
Madonna without some controversy and "...Girl" produced it. The
video was aired one time during a news special on MTV and VH1 because of its
violent nature. Now, you ask yourself why MTV will play a song by Eminem
with violent lyrics, but not a song that makes a social statement of the
oppression of women (maybe oppression is strong word, but oh well!). HBO,
which aired the DROWNED
WORLD TOUR in August, showed the video fairly frequently
in between its programming. If you haven't seen it, definitely get to a
video bar and check it out--probably my favorite Madonna video! Madonna
mirrored the end of 2000 in 2001 by sending "Impressive Instant" to
the top of the chart on the week ending December 29. It marked Madge's
fourth #1 hit from MUSIC. She also charted "Gone" (#4), "I
Deserve It" (#5), "Runaway Lover" (#6), "Amazing" (#6),
and "Time Stood Still (Remix)" (from the movie THE NEXT BEST THING)
(#8). With eight chart hits in the calendar year, Madonna showed no signs
of forfeiting her reign of the charts. She rounded the year off with GHV2
(unfortunately with no new music included) and is currently in the studio
working on her ninth album of new material.
Dance diva Amber has been burning up the charts since 1997 and over the course
of four years has scored five #1 hits, including "This is Your Night,"
"The Colour of Love," "One More Night," 
"Sexual (Li Da
Di)" (which was 1999's #1 song of the year), and "Above the
Clouds." While she didn't have a #1 hit in 2001, she certainly had a
presence on the chart. Her dance floor hit "Yes" scored two
weeks at #2 while she also charted with "Do That To Me One More Time,"
"Taste the Tears," and from 2000, the #4 smash "Love One
Another."
Cher, after a run of top 5 hits including three #1's in 1999 and 2000, returned
to the chart in late 2001 with the European single "The Music's No
Good
Without You," which scored a week at #1 and is currently bulleted at
#2. 2002 is looking to be another great year for Cher as her LIVING PROOF
album is set for release in the US in early Spring--preceded by the single
release in January of "(This is) A Song for the Lonely." I have
my copy of the import album and it's chock full of potential hits. Look
for Cher to perform on the American Music Awards in January.
NYC dance sensation Aubrey stormed the Top 50 this year with the longest-running
#1 hit of my chart's history. "Stand Still" logged its eighth
week atop the chart in December and should easily 
stick around in 2002. I
charted a song called "Still Waiting" that hit #37 and it was credited
on the file I downloaded as Aubrey. On the year-end chart, the song is
still credited to Aubrey, although reading the Aubrey artist website at www.strictlyrhythm.com
"Stand Still" is her only single. "Stand Still" broke
some other chart records too. As well as logging eight weeks at #1, the
song took the records for the biggest chart move (27 positions from #34 to #7),
biggest mover into the top 10, and the biggest single point gain for a non-debut
(+55 points). I'm impatiently awaiting new music from Aubrey as I believe she
has the potential to hit the clubs in a huge way.
Also at Strictly
Rhythm's website, you can read up on the successful Abigail. Having
conquered the gay clubs in the mid-90's with infectious covers of "Losing
My Religion" and "Constant Cravin'," Abigail conquered the club
world with "Smells Like Teen Spirit." With dance hits under 
her
belt, like "Twist in My Sobriety," "Feel So Good," and
"Could it Be Magic," Abigail returned to the dance scene in 1999 with
the her chart-topping "Let the Joy Rise" on Groovilicious Records (the
song hit #6 on the 1999's Craig's Top 30). Yet another club anthem
followed in 2000 with "If It Don't Fit," which spent three weeks at #2
and finished at #11 for the year. In 2001, Abigail cruised to the top of
the dance charts once again with a song that critics call her best--"You
Set Me Free." The song logged a single week at #1, Abigail's third
chart-topping hit (following "Losing My Religion" and "Constant
Cravin'"). As she continuously tours and performs at gay clubs across
the US, Abigail has proven herself to be one of the strongest forces in the club
world today.
2000's #1 artist Kristine W continued her chart hit streak with two #1 smashes
and a handful of 
other hits. "Let Love Reign," from STRONGER,
spent three weeks at #1 and an incredible 35 weeks on the weekly chart.
The song was the fourth #1 hit from the album. On the Japanese import of
STRONGER, two additional songs were included. "River Divides"
scored five weeks at #1 (the third longest #1 run of the year) and broke two
records. The song debuted on the chart at an amazing #6 and moved into the
#1 position in only its second chart week. W also scored three top 10 hits
with "Someone (Watching Over Me)" from STRONGER, the UK single
"Feel What You Want 2001" (the original version hit #1 in 1994 and a
1997 remix hit #1 as well), and the Bruce Roberts tune from the movie FLAWLESS
called "When the Money's Gone." The latter featured Elton John
and Kristine W on vocals with Roberts as the major billed artist. While
she started the year with some 2000 holdovers--"Stronger" and "Lovin'
You" (which held the record at 39 weeks on the chart until the final week
of the year when Gabrielle's "Out of Reach" marked 40 weeks)--she
ended the year with her lowest charting Top 50 to date. A remix of her
cover of James Taylor's "Shower the People" wasn't readily available
and stalled at a disappointing #22 in December. Kristine is currently
working on new material and even offered a dance mix of "O Holy Night"
for the holidays on Tommy Boy Records. Again in 2001, lack of record
company marketing put W at a loss for mainstream success. I'm certain one
day she will crossover from the dance floor with a vengeance.
Melissa Etheridge released SKIN, an autobiography, and continued to host BEYOND
CHANCE on
Lifetime (Television for Women and Gay Men). The first single
from SKIN "I Want to Be in Love" rocketed up the charts to a #3
peak--and spent three weeks there. The video for the song featured a
lesbian Jennifer Anniston and was the talk of the summer. Etheridge also
charted the #21 "Please Forgive Me" from the album.
Melanie C put a little 'spice' in her chart success as she recharted last year's #4 hit "I Turn to You" (it hit #7 again this year) and scored her first #1 hit early in 2001 with "If That Were Me" from NORTHERN STAR. I expect to see more tracks from the album make the Top 50 in 2002 as I finally own a copy of it (until Xmas, I had only downloaded a handful of the songs). Speaking of 'spice,' Geri Halliwell faired quite well in 2001 with a #9 remake of the Weathergirls' "It's Raining Men." She ended the year moving up to #6 with her second-highest charting song "Calling" ("Mi Chico Latino" hit #3 in 2000 and finished at #12 for the year). Halliwell also hit the top 25 with the title track to her second solo album SCREAM IF YOU WANNA GO FASTER. Other former Spice Girls didn't fair quite as well. Emma Bunton (Baby Spice) had two Top 50 hits, "What Took You So Long" (#29) and "Take My Breath Away" (#46), while Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice) logged a week at #24 with "Not Such an Innocent Girl." Mel B (Scary Spice) put out some scary music and didn't even crack the Top 50 with any of her singles.
2002 will belong to Kylie Minogue. In 2000, she returned to the top 10
with "In Denial" (a PSB's song in which she dueted with Neil Tennant),
a Paula Abdul-scribed #6 hit "Spinning
Around," a #12 duet with Robbie
"hottie pants" Williams called "Kids," and a December #1 hit
with "On a Night Like This." The latter three songs were
featured on her LIGHT YEARS album--an album that was called the best of Kylie's
decade-long-plus career. While 2000 was a success for Kylie, 2001 was her
year. She not only continued pulling hits from LIGHT YEARS, but she also
released the follow-up FEVER which produced her biggest career hit
internationally. "Can't Get You Out of My Head" was a #1 song
all over the world--for something like 14 weeks on the Euro chart--and in
December 2001, marked Kylie's return to US radio for the first time since 1989's
"It's No Secret"--the third single from her debut album. How did
Kylie do on the Top 50? Well, she owned it. She stared off the year
with the third single fourth single from LIGHT YEARS called "Please
Stay," which topped out for two weeks at #5. A German release of
"Your Disco Needs You" saw Kylie at the pinnacle of the chart for
seven consecutive weeks (at the time, tying the record held by Madonna's
"Justify My Love" and Kristine W's "Lovin' You"). The
song took the record as the biggest mover within the top 10 (#10-#1) and the
biggest point gain within the top 10 (+18 points). While
"...Disco..." was controlling the charts, Kylie's song "Light
Years" raced to #2 and held the position for two weeks. Her next hit
from LIGHT YEARS called "Butterfly" peaked at #19 on the Top 50, but a
release to US dance clubs propelled the song back onto the chart and sent it
flying to #8. While "Butterfly" was rebirthing, Kylie FEVER was
an epidemic. The aforementioned "Can't Get You Out of My Head"
was released in September (everywhere but the US) and shot up the chart to spend
three weeks in the pole position--Kylie's fourth career #1 on my Top 50
(among
the #1 hits mentioned above, 1988's "I Should Be So Lucky"--Kylie's
debut single--spent a week at #1). As the year closed and the US was
finally getting a clue about Kylie, "Can't Get You Out of My Head"
rebounded on the Top 50 and blasted back to #12. I suspect as popularity
grows in the US (which it will do and is doing), look for Minogue's recent #1 to
threaten the top again. In Australia, FEVER's second single "In Your
Eyes" is being released and should surface on the Top 50 fairly early in
2002. The album is full of hits and I expect Kylie to be a gigantic force
on the charts in 2002. For those of you who don't own the latest two Kylie
albums, February 26, 2002 marks the release of the US combo album of LIGHT YEARS
and FEVER. Definitely something not to miss!!!
Now onto the chart...click the Top 50 logo for the chart or browse using the links below...