MOTOWNPHILLYFORGOTTEN: The fine folks at the
Village Voice surveyed
15 prominent music critics, asking them to name the 5 Boyz II Men songs to hit #1 on the Hot 100. None of the 15 got all 5, and most stalled out at 3 or fewer. Can you do better (without peeking)?
Crap, I can only think of 3. Motownphilly, End of the Road, and It's so Hard to say Goodbye?
ReplyDeleteI only got 3. I got tripped up by the one every critic missed, and one I should have known. I also included the one that most thought was a #1, but topped out at #3.
ReplyDeleteWow, thought my knowledge of Boyz II Men was better than it actually is. Could only think of two and one of them wasn't even right. I feel so worthless.
ReplyDeleteI got three. I missed the one everyone else did, wrongly listed the one that Scott did, and unconscionably left out the flexible song.
ReplyDeleteI would say "On Bended Knee," "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye (To Yesterday,)" "Water Runs Dry," "I'll Make Love To You," and "Motownphilly?" But I'm probably wrong about Motownphilly.
ReplyDeleteOnly got three. I vividly remember receiving their first CD in the mail from BMG Music Club when I was little, so I figured I had it on lock. I'm ashamed.
ReplyDeleteTwo. But hey, at least I can name five Boyz II Men songs.
ReplyDeleteSo Hard to Say Goodbye, I'll Make Love to You, Mama (Not sure what the full name is - "Mama, you know I love you..." that one), One Sweet Day, and End of the Road would be my guess.
ReplyDeleteI'll admit I only added End of the Road after I saw it here in the comments - totally forgot about that one but the other four were ones I had on my own. Not sure what that says about me. Nor do I have any idea if this is even close to correct.
Now having looked (and listened), the two I missed I have never, ever, ever heard before. How is that possible?
ReplyDeleteI got the first three, didn't think of "One Sweet Day" because I remember it as a Mariah Carey song, and don't remember "Four Seasons of Love" existing, much less hitting #1.
ReplyDeleteThe only song I could have named ("It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday") wasn't one of them. How did that not hit #1? I'm pretty sure it was their only song. And then they practically invented the low-angle slo-mo camera shot of somebody dumping a 40 on the street.
ReplyDeleteUpon reflection, I accept that they also sang "End of the Road," but that's it. I am positive that those were their only II songz.
A pathetic/triumphant 0.
ReplyDeleteThree (End of the Road, I'll Make Love to You, One Sweet Day), and I've never even heard of "Four Seasons of Loneliness" either.
ReplyDeleteI went with Water Runs Dry instead of 4 Seasons of Loneliness, though I got the rest. While I adore 4 Seasons of Loneliness, I don't remember it being that big of a hit. Could it have been one of those instances when a record company for a high-profile artist sold the cassette singles for that song at an extraordinarily low price to assure it would get to No. 1 no matter how much airplay it got? I remember when Mariah Carey was aiming for the record total of No. 1 songs in a career, there was some criticism that she was able to get a few No. 1's that way. I wonder if that's what happened here.
ReplyDeleteAt no point in the article are the writers identified as "prominent". Remember, they are probably associated with the current, crappy version of the Voice.
ReplyDeleteWord. What the hell was Four Seasons of Love? This must be like how that Rod Stewart American Songbook thing is so popular, and yet, but still.
ReplyDeleteAh, but were they bold enough to make that image their hook?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/v/YdmlG6HGpXo" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="170" height="140
Happy to say I can't name one Boyz II Men song.
ReplyDeleteEnd of the Rooad, I'll Make love to you, One Sweet day, On Bended Knee, Its so Hard To Say Goodbye
ReplyDelete