“Clumsy″ by Our Lady Peace – Song of the Week
After about a six month hiatus, Rizzo Music is back and better than ever. Armed with the new Wordpress platform, www.rizzomusic.com is here to bring you more of your favorite 90s music.
This week's song, "Clumsy" by Our Lady Peace, was chosen in honor of Our Lady Peace's fairly new album, Burn Burn, that I have seen advertised heavily throughout imeem.com. The album was released July 21, 2009, their first album in about four years. Needless to say, it was a welcome return to a band that has topped the Rock Charts for the last decade and a half.
By now, you probably have heard the single, "All You Did Was Save My Life" and I can't say that it blew me out of the water, but it takes a step back in the right direction from the singles released in their previous album, Healthy in Paranoid Times, a album in which I found to be fairly disappointing at times.
Unlike, most of the songs on Healthy in Paranoid Times, "Clumsy", off of their album of the same name, is a song that has an undeniable likeness. Released in 1998, "Clumsy" has been their biggest hit on the Modern Rock Charts, peaking at #5. While packed with rather dark lyrics, the song itself is formed with a change of pace rhythm that keeps you coming back for more. It starts out with a memorable repetition of four simple notes on the piano, before breaking into the first verse. The song really embodies the sound of Our Lady Peace and shows why they have been so popular for so long.
According to the Wikipedia page on "Clumsy" (no citation) guitarist Mike Turner and vocalist Raine Maida have said this about the song,
Clumsy is about making decisions. There is a connection between the song Clumsy and it being the title of the album. The lyric; 'I'll be waving my hand/watching you drown/ watching you scream' is about seeing something, but not seeing it for what it really is. You may decide to help... or to just wave back."
A little food for thought. Something the band hasn't shied away from in their lyrics.
"Clumsy" is just a taste of what the band has to offer and most of their stuff from the 90s is rock solid. Their album, Happiness is not a Fish That You Can Catch, still remains to be one of my favorite rock albums from the 90s.
The music video has that classic 90s rock vibe to it. Also a little dark, like the lyrics but if you like to see your favorite band play with a strobe light going and see a ordinary spilt glass of water fill up a room, then this is the video for you.
Check it out below and be sure to check in next week for another classic 90s song of the week.
Popular Rap Music Of The 90s - The Beats That Live On and On and On
Remember the days before T-Pain and Nelly? Back when Sean Combs was still Puff Daddy? Back when two kings of the game ruled supreme? When rap still sounded like rap? If you haven't figured it out yet, this article is dedicated to '90s rap music. Rap in the '90s brought widespread popularity to the genre. In the late 80s, Public Enemy, Run-D.M.C. and N.W.A. built a foundation for the gangster rap genre. They paved the way for what would be arguably the best decade the genre has ever seen.
With the exit of Ice Cube in 1989, N.W.A. continued to feud and eventually disbanded in 1991. The stage was set for an epic battle of rap supremacy in the early 90s. An East-West Coast divide had formed with Bad Boy Records on the East Coast, and Death Row Records on the West Coast. Tupac threw gasoline on the fire when he accused Biggie and Combs of being involved with the shooting he fell victim to in a NYC recording studio in 1994. With each record after that, the drama escalated and I think we all know how this story ends.
I think it was summed up best by The Notorious B.I.G. when he said:
I was in shock of everything. I wasn't shocked about him getting shot. 'Pac is a strong dude, yo. He's real strong, so when he got shot I was just like, 'Again?' You know, he's always getting shot or shot at, he gonna pull through, make a few records and it's going to be over. But when he died it took me by surprise. Even though we were going through our drama I would never wish death on nobody. 'Cause there ain't no coming back from that.
Unfortunately for everyone, the feud turned to violence and two of the greatest rappers ever were both assassinated, within six months of each other. The rivalry that sparked some of the best rap music ever was officially over and the game was forever changed.
That is your history lesson for today.
'90s rap is not something that I am a expert on but I know my fair share. That is why I have complied my top five songs from each year of the 90s. The rules are the same as the two previous lists and in case you forgot them, I have explained them below.
How it works:
For each genre of music I will rank the top 5 singles from each year in the 90s. I will provide a link for each song (either imeem or youtube, depending on availability) for your listening pleasure.
Disclaimer: These rankings are based on my personal preferences, not on actual popularity. I think of these lists as recommendations. Hopefully these songs will bring back some good memories, and if you have never heard them before, maybe create some new ones.
Interested in '90s Pop and Rock as well? Be sure to check out these lists as well.
90s Pop Music
90s Rock Music
Starting with 1999:
1. "Still D.R.E." by Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg
2. "What's My Name" by DMX
3. "You Can Do It" by Ice Cube feat. Mack 10 & Ms. Toi
4. "My Name Is" by Eminem
5. "Deception" by Blackilicious
1998:
1. "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" by Jay-Z
2. "Ruff Ryders' Anthem" by DMX
3. "Changes" by Tupac Shakur
4. "You Got Me" by The Roots
5. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" by Lauren Hill
1997:
1. "Hail Mary" by Tupac Shakur
2. "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" by Puff Daddy feat. Mase
3. "Hypnotize" by The Notorious B.I.G.
4. "Feels So Good" by Mase
5. "Burbons and Lacs" by Master P featuring Silkk The Shocker & Gotti from The Gambino Family
1996:
1. "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" by Tupac Shakur feat. Snoop Dogg
2. "Tha Crossroads" by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
3. "California Love" by Tupac Shakur feat. Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman
4. "Hit 'Em Up" by Tupac Shakur feat. Outlawz
5. "What They Do" by The Roots
1995:
1. "One More Chance" by The Notorious B.I.G. feat. Faith Evans and Mary J. Blige
2. "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" by Dr. Dre
3. "1st of tha Month" by Bone Thungs-n-Harmony
4. "I Got 5 On it" by Luniz
5. "Shook Ones Pt. II" by Mobb Deep
1994:
1. "Gin and Juice" Snoop Dogg feat. Daz Dillinger
2. "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik" by Outkast
3. "C.R.E.A.M." by Wu-Tang Clan
4. "Juicy" by The Notorious B.I.G.
5. "Thuggish Ruggish Bone" by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony feat. Shatasha Williams
1993:
1. "Nuthin' but a "G" Thang" by Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg
2. "It Was A Good Day" by Ice Cube
3. "Who Am I (What's My Name)?" by Snoop Dogg (with Dr. Dre & Jewell)
4. "Down With The King" by Run-D.M.C.
5. "Hip Hop Hooray" by Naughty by Nature
1992:
1. "So What'Cha Want" by Beastie Boys
2. "Deep Cover" by Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg
3. "The Phuncky Feel One" by Cypress Hill
4. "Uptown Anthem" by Naughty By Nature
5. "Take It Personal" by Gang Starr
1991:
1. "Mama Said Knock You Out" by LL Cool J
2. "O.P.P." by Naughty by Nature
3. "Shut 'Em Down" by Public Enemy
4. "O.G. Original Gangsta" by Ice-T
5. "Check The Rhime" by A Tribe Called Quest
1990:
1. "100 Miles and Runnin'" by N.W.A.
2. "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted" Ice Cube
3. "Around the Way Girl" by LL Cool J
4. "Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em" by Eric B. & Rakim
5. "Streets of New York" by Kool G Rap & DJ Polo
Similar to my 90s pop and 90s rock lists, this is only a small sampling of the genre. I just tried to represent all of the most influential acts of the decade and remind you of some the classic jams of the '90s. While this blog tends to focus on alternative rock, it is nice to take a step back and reflect on another great genre.
Hope you enjoyed this collection of music.
Agree or disagree with my selections? Feel free to share your opinion by making a comment below.
Popular Rock Music Of The 90s - The Songs That Defined A Decade
Rizzo Music is back with a new article from the "Popular Music of the 90s" series. Last week I made a list of some of the best pop music of the decade and today I am going to share with you my list for the most popular rock music of the 90s. Out of all the lists and playlists I have created in the past, this was by far the hardest to come up with. There are so many great artists and songs that originated in the 90s and deciding on just 5 songs for every year was tough. I tried to get representation out of all the key rock artists and hopefully I didn't forget anyone.
After much debate I was able to compile this list of 90s rock music. There are so many songs that I really enjoy that could not be included due restrictions on space but there are 50 great singles here for your enjoyment.
How it works:
For each genre of music I will rank the top 5 singles from each year in the 90s. I will provide a link for each song (either imeem or youtube, depending on availability) for your listening pleasure.
Disclaimer: These rankings are based on my personal preferences, not on actual popularity. I think of these lists as recommendations. Hopefully these songs will bring back some good memories, and if you have never heard them before, maybe create some new ones.
Interested in 90s Pop and Rap as well? Be sure to check out these lists as well.
90s Pop Music
90s Rock Music
Starting with the year 1999:
1. "My Own Worst Enemy" by Lit
2. "Jumper" by Third Eye Blind
3. "Scar Tissue" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
4. "The Chemicals Between Us" by Bush
5. "Heavy" by Collective Soul
1998:
1. "Inside Out" by Eve 6
2. "The Way" by Fastball
3. "Sex and Candy" by Marcy Playground
4. "Shimmer" by Fuel
5. "Closing Time" by Semisonic
1997:
1. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by The Verve
2. "Push" by Matchbox Twenty
3. "Everlong" by Foo Fighters
4. "The Freshman" by The Verve Pipe
5. "Everything to Everyone" by Everclear
1996:
1. "1979" by Smashing Pumpkins
2. "One Headlight" by The Wallflowers
3. "Counting Blue Cars" by Dishwalla
4. "What I Got" by Sublime
5. "In the Meantime" by Spacehog
1995:
1. "Lightning Crashes" by Live
2. "Wonderwall" by Oasis
3. "Glycerine" by Bush
4. "Name" by Goo Goo Dolls
5. "Good" by Better Than Ezra
1994:
1. "When I Come Around" by Green Day
2. "Shine" by Collective Soul
3. "I Alone" by Live
4. "Self Esteem" by The Offspring
5. "About a Girl" by Nirvana
1993:
1. "Rooster" by Alice in Chains
2. "Mr. Jones" by Counting Crows
3. "Hey Jealousy" by Gin Blossoms
4. "No Rain" by Blind Melon
5. "Killing in the Name" by Rage Against the Machine
1992:
1. "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam
2. "In Bloom" by Nirvana
3. "Drive" by R.E.M.
4. "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica
5. "Creep" by Radiohead
1991:
1. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana
2. "Man in the Box" by Alice in Chains
3. "Enter Sandman" by Metallica
4. "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M.
5. "Right Here, Right Now" by Jesus Jones
1990:
1. "Hunger Strike" by Temple of the Dog
2. "Kool Thing" by Sonic Youth
3. "Head Like A Hole" by Nine Inch Nails
4. "Stop!" by Jane's Addicton
5. "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC
Well there you have it. The top 5 songs from each year of the 90s. Thanks for listening and enjoy.
Agree? Disagree? Feel free to share your opinion by making a comment below.
Song #92: "Don't Go Away" by Oasis
After a fairly long hiatus, RizzoMusic is back with the countdown and one of my personal favorites, "Don't Go Away" by Oasis. "Don't Go Away" is just one song in a string of successful singles that Oasis released in the 1990s. It was the fourth single released off of one of the most highly anticipated albums in music history, Be Here Now. Although, Oasis' third studio album, sold over eight million copies worldwide, it is considered by many music enthusiasts as a disappointment and none of the tracks from the album are included on Oasis' best-of album, Stop the Clocks. "Don't Go Away" is just one of my favorites from an album full of some great songs: a song that features some of Liam's best vocals.
Oasis is really a band that needs no introduction: a band that has sold over 50 million albums worldwide. Releasing three albums that each sold over 7 million copies in one decade is truly remarkable and a testament to the great music that they produced. While their album sales of late have been no where near they were in their heyday, they are still very popular. They are doing a small tour in Canada this summer and also have a new album due out in September of this year. The new album is going to be a break away from their acoustic side and have more of a feel like Be Here Now. It will be exciting to see how Oasis will be received by fans this time around as they release their seventh studio album.
I really like the music video for "Don't Go Away". The tone of the video matches perfectly with the song: displaying the feelings of loneliness, helplessness, and frustration that are represented in the lyrics. The image that really stands out is the 2 large trees in the middle of a barren field. Add to that a little bit of rain and an orchestra dressed in black and you have a solid music video that will be remembered for years. Check it out!
Interested in other songs from the countdown? Check out the other Top Songs of the 1990s here
Song #98: "How Bizarre" by OMC
Today RizzoMusic continues with the countdown of the Top 100 Songs of the 90s with one of my personal favorites, "How Bizarre" by OMC. Back in 1997 it was impossible to turn on the radio and not hear this song. Led by the undeniable sound of a mariachi trumpet, "How Bizarre" had such a distinct sound in the US, that the song was hard to ignore. Spending 36 weeks on the Hot 100 Airplay chart and peaking at #4, "How Bizarre" put the New Zealand band on the map. The album of the same name went on to sell over a million copies and it reached platinum status not only in the US but in several other countries as well.
OMC, which stands for Otara Millionaires Club, refers to one of the poorest suburbs in Auckland, New Zealand, where the band was formed. OMC was originally a band of about 18 members due to the rich amount of instruments played on their first and only album but before the their single even charted in the US, they disbanded. Pauly Fuemana, the front man of OMC, continued to use the name in his solo career. Unfortunately, due to his lack of success after "How Bizarre", Pauly Fuemana filed for bankruptcy in 2006.
There is not much to this music video. It has the lead singer, Pauly Fuemana driving around in his Chevy '69 just like described in the song. It pictures him dancing, singing and throwing around money. It's a fairly simple music video. Check it out!
Interested in other songs from the countdown? Check out the other Top Songs of the 1990s here
Top 100 Songs of the 90s
After watching VH1's Greatest Songs of the 90s, I was inspired to start up a series of posts with my picks for the Top 100 Songs of the 1990s. I am going to skip out on the rap songs since I am not that big of an expert on that field of music. I am tempted to include some pop from the 90s but we will see if any of it actually makes the list. I am going to set out a few ground rules for the list and link back to this post for every entry.
Rules (subject to change):
1) An artist can only have up to a maximum of three songs on the list.
2) No rap, Hip-Hop, or R&B will be included on this list.
3) Only singles will be considered for this list.
4) I will accept suggestions but this list is in no way comprised of results from a poll or any form of voting process. It is strictly the opinion of Rizzo Music.
5) And obviously the song must have been released between Jan 1st 1990 and Dec 31st 1999.
Each song will get it's own post with a little history of the song (chart positions, band trivia, song trivia ect.) and the music video. I will constantly update this post with links to each post so that this article may be used to find any song on the list. With each article I will link back to this article so to provide easy access to each song. I hope to write about 1 article pertaining to this list a week so that should set a preliminary completion date for the list on August 20, 2009. It would be nice to finish the list before then but that seems like a realistic date for the amount of work required for this sort of project. Comments? Suggestions? I would love to hear them. Thanks!
Links (More Coming Soon)
Songs 100-91
Song #100: "Take A Picture" by Filter
Song #99: "Walking in Memphis" by Marc Cohn
Song #98: "How Bizarre" by OMC
Song #97: "Meet Virginia" by Train
Song #96: "Down" by 311
Song #95: "Found Out About You" by Gin Blossoms
Song #94: "Greedy Fly" by Bush
Song #93: "The Impression That I Get" by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Song #92: "Don't Go Away" by Oasis
Song #91: "Touch, Peel and Stand" by Days Of The New
Songs 90-81
Song #90: "Hanginaround" by Counting Crows
Song #89: "Man on the Moon" by R.E.M.
Songs 80-71
Songs 70-61
Songs 60-51
Songs 50-41
Songs 40-31
Songs 30-21
Songs 20-11
Songs 10-1
Be sure to sign up for email updates or subscribe with your favorite feed reader to stay up to date with all of the latest additions to the list. If you are having any trouble with this, feel free to email me at "web at rizzomusic dot com".
"Thief" by Our Lady Peace - Music Video Tribute
This is one of those songs that not many people know about but it is one of my all time favorites. The music video itself isn't anything tremendous but the song is something to be treasured. The video basically just shows the band members getting drenched by a downpour. They don't seem phased and they have some pretty cool slow motion shots of the water falling on their faces. The song itself is actually about a young girl they knew that had a brain tumor. The "Thief" inside her head refers to the tumor itself.
The video does a good job to portray the mood of the song and you can almost see the helplessness in the band member's eyes. The rain doesn't seem to bother them because they are too concerned for the young girl's life and feel that they can do nothing to help her. The song starts out with such powerful lyrics, that if you listen carefully to the words, it almost gives you the chills. "I don't want to understand this horror / There's a weight in your eyes that I can't admit...". It is such powerful song and the video does a good job of capturing the essence of the song. Without further explanation, here it is... Hope you find it as moving as I did.
SNL In The 90s: A Look At The Music
A great recap to a great decade. Saturday Night Live is a show that I really have enjoyed over the last decade or so. From Chris Farley to Chris Rock, this show was stacked with comedic geniuses. This television special had plenty of commentary from almost all the great cast members of the 1990s but it was lacking a little in the video clips. With such a long span to cover, it was hard to fit everything into a two hour special but I think that they did a good job. You really can't go wrong with Chris Farrley's Matt Foley skit or Will Farrell's Cowbell performance.
It was really fun to see all the old cast members come back to talk about the golden age of SNL that was the early 90s. The cool thing about it was that there were only a few missing from the commentary. The only one that I noticed that was missing was Adam Sandler. I, being such a avid 90s music fan, loved that fact that they included a bunch of past performances from so many good bands. The musical acts have always been an intricate part of Saturday Night Live, and it was nice to see them be included in the special.
I had to compile this list by memory because I didn't get a chance to tape it but I am pretty sure this is fairly accurate and almost complete. If you see any mistakes or additions that should be made, please feel free to leave a comment.
Musical Performances Featured on "SNL In The 90s":
Barenaked Ladies - "It's All Been Done"
Gin Blossoms - "Follow You Down"
Christina Aguliera - "What a Girl Wants"
Blues Traveler - "Hook"
Green Day - "When I Come Around"
R.E.M. - "Shiny Happy People"
Pearl Jam - "Not For You"
Dave Matthews Band - "So Much To Say"
Foo Fighters - "Learn to Fly"
Beck - "Sexx Laws"
Nirvana - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Sheryl Crow - "If It Makes You Happy"
Garbage - "When I Grow Up"
Oasis - "Don't Go Away"
I was really happy to see the lesser known bands like Blues Traveler get some air time as well as the more popular acts like DMB, Pearl Jam, R.E.M., and Nirvana. My favorite part of the whole show was the decision to have Oasis' "Don't Go Away" be the last act shown. This is one of my favorite songs from Oasis and from the 90s in general. A fitting end to a great decade of music and comedy. Thanks for listening and hope you check out some of these classic songs.
Summer Hits Playlists
The summer is just around the corner and I will be posting a lot more often, updating you with music news, reviews and more playlists. For this playlist I wanted to give you a little taste of summer as the school year is almost over and hopefully this cold April weather is going to heat up this week. These ten songs might seem very random but they are some of my favorite songs and either have something to do with summer or just remind me of the season. I would just like to point out one song in particular, "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)" by Jason Mraz. This song really has nothing to do with summer but I can remember listening to it constantly just a few summers ago and it seems that it is a song that might have been forgotten. I thought I would bring to light some classics like OMC and some songs you might not of heard of like "Just watch the Fireworks". Thanks for listening and I'm looking forward to a productive summer.
Top 10 Songs You Should Know
1. Steal my Sunshine - LEN
2. How Bizarre - OMC
3. Pinch Me - Barenaked Ladies
4. Run-Around - Blues Traveler
5. American Girls - Counting Crows
6. Summer Skin - Death Cab for Cutie
7. The Remedy (I Won't Worry) - Jason Mraz
8. Just Watch the Fireworks - Jimmy Eat World
9. Sunshine - Keane
10. Blinded (When I See You) - Third Eye Blind
Here's the link for the whole playlist: Summer Hits Playlist Part II
Looking for more playlists? We've got plenty.