1994: The Year In Music

1994 – Nelson Mandela is sworn in as South Africa’s first black president. Amazon.com is founded by Jeff Bezos in Bellevue, Washington. “Pulp Fiction” premiers at the Cannes Film Festival. “Friends” debuts on NBC. More positive news than usual … so let’s hope the music can keep spirits high!

I’ll be looking at the popular and highest-rated songs / albums of the year, giving my opinions on their musicality and longevity as well as an overall verdict for the year as a whole.

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

Billboard Top 10 (Popular) Singles

Source: Wikipedia

10 – Don’t Turn Around (Ace of Base)

Ace of Base were the breakthrough act of 1994, and two of their songs have gone down as classics.

Others, like “Don’t Turn Around”, aren’t remembered as fondly.

9 – All That She Wants (Ace of Base)

Speaking of Ace of Base classics, “All That She Wants” is a banger.

It’s groovy, slick, and the lyrics tell a compelling story.

8 – All for Love (Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting)

Fun fact – “All for Love” was made for the Three Muskateers soundtrack. That’s the only notable thing about it.

It’s uber cheesy, so at least the vocals are powerful.

7 – Breathe Again (Toni Braxton)

I thought we were past this cheesy RnB.

“Breathe Again” isn’t bad at all, and Toni Braxton’s vocals are great, but it’s not memorable.

6 – Stay (I Missed You) (Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories)

When I think of mid-90’s singer-songwriting, I think of tracks like “Stay (I Missed You)”.

It’s bouncy and buoyant, and Lisa Loeb brings her lovely country-tinged vocal style.

5 – Hero (Mariah Carey)

I’ve made my distain of Mariah Carey clear over the past few years of this retrospective, but in fairness “Hero” is a powerful ballad.

4 – The Power of Love (Celine Dion)

Celine Dion is such an amazing vocalist, and “The Power of Love” is one of her stand-out tracks. That chorus hits hard.

3 – I’ll Make Love to You (Boyz II Men)

Like with Toni Braxton, I can’t help but feel that Boyz II Men are a little behind times with this one.

“I’ll Make Love to You” is heartwarming enough, but it’s not my favourite of theirs.

2 – I Swear (All-4-One)

Oh look, it’s another Boyz II Men variant. Except “I Swear” is much catchier.

1 – The Sign (Ace of Base)

The catchiest song of the year.

Those synths pop off, and the vocals stick in your brain like an earworm.

FAVOURITE – “The Sign” (Ace of Base)

LEAST FAVOURITE – “All For One” (Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting)

Top-Rated Songs

Source: http://www.besteveralbums.com

10 – Juicy (The Notorious B.I.G.)

Rap artists were starting to break into the mainstream by 1994, but Notorious B.I.G. was one of the first artists to be genuinely cool.

People still love “Juicy” to this day for its bassline and rap performance.

9 – Live Forever (Oasis)

An early Oasis classic.

We’re not quite in the golden age yet, but “Live Forever” boasts that catchy Britpop style that would come to define late-90’s Rock.

8 – Sabotage (Beastie Boys)

Is it weird that “Sabotage” is my favourite Beastie Boys song?

It’s a chaotic mess from start to finish, but the yelling and the one-note bass always get a rise out of me.

7 – It Ain’t Hard To Tell (Nas)

Fun fact – “It Ain’t Hard To Tell” was the first song I ever bought on iTunes. Random, I know.

It’s always stuck with me, and Nas gives a great central performance.

6 – Glory Box (Portishead)

The rest of Portishead’s “Dummy” is pretty trippy, but its closer “Glory Box” is super slick and refined.

It’s groovy and seductive, and the chorus sticks in your brain.

5 – N.Y. State Of Mind (Nas)

“N.Y. State Of Mind” has a great groove and some lyrics with fantastic flow.

I don’t think it’s better than “It Ain’t Hard To Tell” or even “The World Is Yours”, but it’s a comfortable third place on “Illmatic”.

4 – Hallelujah (Jeff Buckley)

Many by now know “Hallelujah” as being a cover of a Leonard Cohen song, but dare I say Jeff Buckley’s version will forever be remembered as the definitive one.

The vocals are sublime, and the lyrics paired with the songwriting are a match made in heaven.

3 – Closer (Nine Inch Nails)

Trent Reznor claims he wasn’t trying to make a “fuck-beat”, so I guess that was a case of “task failed successfully”.

“Closer” has some of the best production of the year, and those choruses and instrumental breakdowns are perverse in the best ways.

2 – Say It Ain’t So (Weezer)

“Say It Ain’t So” is fun, but it doesn’t hold a candle to these other high-rated songs.

The guitars are notable but the nasally vocals get on my nerve.

1 – Hurt (Nine Inch Nails)

“The Downward Spiral” is a bombardment of heavy Industrial tracks for the most part, which makes the slower, more introspective closer “Hurt” stand out even more.

The Johnny Cash version may be more famous, but I’ll forever associate this song with Nine Inch Nail’s soul-crushing original.

BEST SONG OF 1994 – “Closer” (Nine Inch Nails)

Top-Rated Albums

Source: http://www.besteveralbums.com

5 – Definitely Maybe (Oasis)

Oasis made a statement with their debut album.

It’s a seminal Britpop record – highlights include “Live Forever”, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” and “Supersonic”.

4 – Weezer (Blue Album) (Weezer)

I guess I’m not a Weezer fan.

Some songs stand out, like “Buddy Holly” and “Say It Ain’t So”, but for the most part it sounds like a product of its time.

3 – Dummy (Portishead)

A landmark Trip Hop album, “Dummy” by Portishead is unlike anything else in 1994.

It gets off to a flying start with “Mysterons” and “Sour Times”, and the closing track “Glory Box” is a fantastic end to a solid album.

2 – Illmatic (Nas)

One of the best debut rap records in history.

The production is fantastic throughout, and tracks like “It Ain’t Hard To Tell”, “N.Y. State of Mind” and “The World Is Yours” have joined the pantheon of great rap songs.

1 – Grace (Jeff Buckley)

It’s such a shame Jeff Buckley died so young – his songwriting was incredible even in the early stages of life, and his tender vocals are some of the best you’ll ever hear.

Songs like “Grace”, “Lilac Wine”, “Hallelujah” and “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” always tug at my heartstrings and punch me in the gut.

BEST ALBUM OF 1994 – “Grace” (Jeff Buckley)

“Downward Spiral” by Nine Inch Nails – the real best album of 1994 – only came 6th somehow. Nirvana’s “MTV Unplugged” came 7th, “Superunknown” by Soundgarden 9th, and “Parklife” by Blur came 10th … what a great year!

Final Thoughts

Ace of Base had to carry the hits, but the high-rated songs and albums of 1994 were exceptional.

Overall Grade: A-

Aaaaand that’s my list! You can check out some of my latest blog posts below: