10 HITS YOU PROBABLY DON’T REMEMBER

1. “Stitches” – Orgy.

The album “Candyass,” released in 1999, stood apart from other Nu-Metal albums. Their albums sound was very electronic, aggressive but soothing and approached able the same time. The first big single, “Blue Monday,” which was a remake of New Orders cash cow hit, was met with praise and hovered on the Top 40 charts for weeks. But it’s second single, Stitches, was a great song. Further more, it was a song that instantly proved they were capable of creating much more than just a great cover. It’s been over 20 years, but it’s still one of my favorites.

2.  “This Life” – Primer 55.

Formed in 1997 in Nashville, TN, this group seemed to have a lot of what it took to create a successful band during this time.  A band that can be compared to Hed(PE), Primer 55 enjoyed brief success in the Nu-Metal era and opened for bands like Slipknot, Machine Head and Soulfly. They even earned a spot on the ’99 Ozzfest lineup. Their second album, “The New Release”, actually claimed the #1 spot on the Billboard Heatseeker chart and #102 on the Billboard top 200. “This Life”, the only single off the record, would peak at #37 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.  Sadly, this would be their last full length album.  The band would go through numerous lineup changes but would continue touring all the way up until about 2015.  On August 10, 2018, original front man J-Sin died of complications due to Hepatitis C.

3.  ”Revolution Man” – The Union Underground.

The bands first huge hit, “Turn Me On ‘Mr. Deadman'” was catchy enough to grab a lot of attention and it received a ton of radio play very quickly. I didn’t hate it, but I wasn’t exactly running to Bestbuy (remember that place?) and buying the record. Fortunately, the bands second single, “Revolution Man”, totally grabbed and captivated me. What a song! I assume there’s going to be some, if not a lot, of backlash highlighting this much Nu-Metal in a list, but it was a changing time in music, it was a time that saw a ton of bands, many which wouldn’t make it very long in the mainstream, get the opportunity to shine and I think that’s a cool side of radio. This band rode this record out for a long time and this was their one and only full length album.  Despite this “flash in the pan,”  this is truly a terrific record and if I can still get excited about it almost 20 year later, I think that deserves some attention. This album, “An Education in Rebellion,” peaked at 130 on the Billboard 200, but #2 (respectively) on the Billboard affiliated Heatseekers chart, designated for up and coming artists. If there were ever one group from this era that I wished would have continued making music, it would have been The Union Underground.

4. “Giving In” – Adema.

This group came on the scene during an exploding time. Bands like Linkin Park, Nickelback, Staind, Train and Gorillaz were all making huge new imprints in the music scene. R&B was on fire and new forms of country music were reshaping the genre’s sound.  A lot was happening and much of the world was still very engaged in listening to radio of all genres across the board. Oh, XM radio also made their way onto the scene during this year. It was easy to find something you liked, but it was also easy to totally miss a great hit or group for that matter. Adema reached impressive heights with their three singles and their sell titled record received solid reviews overall and eventually became RIAA Certified Gold. I don’t always agree with a group’s first single off a record in being the best on the record, but I feel like this one actually was. They had something really special in this track, it stood out to me at the time, and still does today. Bravo.

5. “The Chemicals Between Us” – Bush.

I’m not a huge 90’s music cat but if I were to pick a favorite, Alice In Chains would be the winner and a clear and distant from the others one. But, that’s not to say that nothing else good came from the era. As 80’s sound fizzled, the sound the 90’s was coming at full steam ahead and would make sure nothing triumphed it. It worked, and you may disagree, but you’ll surely be out numbered. People wanted something else, something new and fresh and bands like Nirvana, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, STP, Pearl Jam and Bush came about and were welcomed and loved in monumental ways. These powerhouses took the world by storm and they made a lot of noise during their tenure. This band most definitely had their time in the sun, their hits are forever enshrined in the hearts of their listeners and this, in my opinion, was their last really great song. Lucky for them, it was a really good one.

6.  “Excess” – Tricky.

If you’ve seen Thirteen Ghosts, Queen of The Damned or Bully, you’ve heard and know this song. It’s catchy, easy to like and memorable and that’s coming from a guy who doesn’t care a whole lot for R&B. The song also features Alanis Morissette, who I feel was the key ingredient in this songs magic and made an already good track exceptional.  I can’t speak for the rest of the album cause I’ve never actually listened to it, but this jam hit the spot the first time I heard it and I continue including it on various mixes to this day.

7.  “I’m Afraid of Americans” – David Bowie.

You can’t really good wrong with anything Bowie. Bowie was rare, real and his work will inspire for generations. This is a neat song and had a lot of talent involved in making it. It’s been covered heavily over the years by various acts and Trent Reznor has over a half dozen remixes of the song. This would also be Bowie’s last single that charted on the Billboard 200 until ”Lazarus” and ”Blackstar”, which were released in 2015.  In case you haven’t seen the music video to this song, I strongly recommend you take the time to watch it.

8. “Epic” – Faith No More.

This is one of my favorite songs of theirs and honestly, I considered highlighting “Midlife Crisis” or “We care a lot” instead of this one, but this is the song that many who know of this group point to first. “Epic” was the group’s breakthrough hit and it peaked in the top 10 on various music charts across the world. In 2009, VH1 ranked “Epic” the 54th best rock song of all time. Whether you agree with this or not, I think the song has stood the test of time and it’s one I always enjoy, even if I only play it a couple times a year. If you haven’t listened to this jam in a long time, your experience may be even greater, more pleasing or even…..epic!

9. “Ugly” – The Exies.

Me returning to a the Nu-Metal genre is really only natural because it was during this time that I was listening to the radio more than I ever have ever in my whole life. Like it or hate it, it was a part of my life and practically a whole generations at that matter. So, lets continue. The Exies formed in 1997 in Los Angeles, CA. Nu-Metal was heating up and it wouldn’t be long before this band would reap the rewards. A couple years later, Grammy winning producer, Matt Serletic, was impressed by their sound and purchased the contract of their initial indie label. This would be a key event and ultimately lead to the push the band was looking for. The next two years would be spent writing and recording and then in January of 2003, “Inertia” entered the world. It featured the hit “My Goddess”, which nearly alone enabled them to their next chapters in the music world. In November 2004, the band released “Head for the door” and featured the hit “Ugly”. The song got plenty of radio play and WWE would use this song as their theme for that year’s Survivor Series. A couple other hits from this album were featured on video games designated for Playstation, XBOX 360 and other consoles.  If you ever listened to this genre at any point in your life, chances are you knew this song. Having said that, chances are you probably haven’t heard it a very long time. What better time than now?

10.  “6 Underground” – Sneaker Pimps.

Now, I want to point out that while lists like these are all over the web, I put mine together that reflect my age and the time I grew up in. We could all make lists like this and I think we should. It’s fun, you’ll probably learn something new while researching each track and it only enhances the appreciation for music. I don’t want to say this was a definite last pick for my very first list like this but I have no problem with it being here.  In fact, I’m glad it’s on here and I hope that some of you will give it another listen. This song was originally released way back in September of 1996 and made a big impact across the United Kingdom. A year later, the song was used in the movie “The Saint.”  It was then when it really began picking up steam and reaching many stations in the United States.  After being re-released in 1997, the hit saw another surge in popularity and would hit #9 on U.K. charts. While it only hit #45 on the Billboard’s 100, it managed to hang out on the charts for 18 weeks through out ’97.To put that in perspective, Third Eye Blind’s “Semi-Charmed Life” peaked at #4, but only remained on the chart for 9 weeks. Because its popularity, the song was also heavily remixed by the group and incorporated other U.K. artists, as well. This is a really cool song and I enjoyed it much more than a lot of what was popular at the time.