Fifty years ago, I made my first appeared on the Earth. In celebration, we are going to take a look at the year-end Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for each year of my life and see what songs resonated with me at the time and if they continue to do so to this day.
We continue our look back at the music of my lifetime with 1996, the year I should have graduated from college had I settled on a major earlier, went back to the bank for a second summer, returned to Purdue for my fifth and final year of college (at least for now), and turned 22. Only 33 songs on the Hot 100 are familiar to me today, with 24 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.
#99: Hootie & The Blowfish – Only Wanna Be with You
iTunes stats: 16 plays
Returning for its second straight year-end chart, the track peaked at #2 on the Album Rock Tracks chart and #6 on the Hot 100.
#98: Los del Rio – Macarena
iTunes stats: N/A
The original Spanish language version of the tune, it reached #23.
#94: Ace of Base – Beautiful Life
iTunes stats: 28 plays
Topping out at #15, it was the lead single from the group’s second album in Europe and the second single in the US.
#92: Metallica – Until It Sleeps
iTunes stats: 15 plays
The band’s lone top ten hit, it went to #10.
#81: Toni Braxton – Un-Break My Heart
iTunes stats: N/A
Spending eleven total weeks atop the Hot 100, it ruled the charts from December of 1996 through mid-February of 1997.
#76: Sophie B. Hawkins – As I Lay Me Down
iTunes stats: 16 plays
Hitting the year-end chart for the second time, it peaked at #6.
#75: Sheryl Crow – If It Makes You Happy
iTunes stats: 14 plays
The lead single from Crow’s sophomore album, it reached #10 and remains her most recent top ten solo release.
#68: No Doubt – Just a Girl
iTunes stats: 38 plays
The band’s first charting single in the US, it spent 29 weeks on the Hot 100, topping out at #23.
#67: BoDeans – Closer to Free
iTunes stats: 23 plays
Hitting #16 and becoming the band’s biggest hit, it was used as the theme song for Party of Five.
#66: Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen – Theme from Mission: Impossible
iTunes stats: N/A
Recorded for the first Tom Cruise Mission: Impossible film, it peaked at #7.
#56: Oasis – Wonderwall
iTunes stats: 25 plays
The fourth single from the group’s second studio album, it spent a then-unprecedented ten weeks atop the Modern Rock Tracks chart and reached #8 on the Hot 100 in March, becoming their lone top-ten hit.
#50: Hootie & The Blowfish – Time
iTunes stats: 14 plays
The fourth single from the group’s breakout debut, it topped out at #14.