I know I know that it is hard to believe that it been ten years since 1996, but also in my opinion 1996 has been a memorable year in R&B and hip-hop. At the time I was in high school. The music from 1995-98 happened to be one of my favorite years in music.
Here are my favorite songs for that year.

Bone Thugs N Harmony-Crossroads
Keith Sweat-Twisted
Tupac-How do u want it
112-Only You remix
Monica-Like this and like that
Case-Touch me, tease me
Prince-Betcha Golly Now
Monica-Ain't nobody
Total-Kissing You
Mc Lyte-Keep on keepin' on
Blackstreet-No diggity
Ginuwine-Pony
Aaliyah-If Your girl only knew
Monifah-You
Outkast-Me and You
Quad City DJ's-C'mon 'n ride it
SWV-Use your heart
Gina Thompson-The things that you do
LL Cool J-I shot ya
Keith Sweat-Nobody
New Edition-Hit me off
Do or Die-Po Pimp
Men of Vizion-House keeper
Immature-We got it
702-Steelo
Montel Jordan-Falling
Mona Lisa-Can't be wasting my time
Donnell Jones-In the hood
New Edition-Shop Around
Toni Tone Tone-Let's Get Down
Horace Brown-One for the money
Aayliah-One in a million
Tupac-Almost everything on All Eyez on Me
Set It Off soundtrack-Almost everything
Mariah Carey-Always be my baby
Mista-Blackberry Molasses
Montel Jordan-I Like
Horace Brown-Things we do for love
Az Yet-Last Night
New Edition-Hit me off
Donnell Jones-You should know
Alfonzo Hunter-Just the way
Meshell Ndegeocello-Who is he and what is he to you
Total-Do you think about us
Dru Hill-Tell Me
Aayliah-Are you ready
A Tribe called quest-Stressed out and 1nce Again
Los Del Rio-Macarena (I remembered when we used to dance this song in pep rallies.)


So what's yours?
[Edited 2/14/06 19:36pm]

Where Were You in 1996?

Quite honestly, your Honor, I DON'T REMEMBER

1996 ::: I remember I was a high school freshman, still trying to "find myself." Janet's The Velvet Rope was still a year away (which was the album that "changed my life"). I wasn't a Janet fan at this point (still pretty much casual), so I remember listening to the radio all the time. I guess, this is when I first started realizing I really loved music because I would listen to Power 106, 92.3 The Beat and Groove Radio 103.1 a lot. MP3s didn't exist for me for another 3 years -- no downloading whatsoever -- so I was still dubbing music off of the radio onto Maxell cassettes. I do remember being a huge Spice Girls fan when I was 15! (Hey, it was adolescence, so all you uptight orgers, gimme a break!) I grew up in Los Angeles, and west coast rap was HUGE at the time, so a lot of hood jams are in my list!

This list is 1996 AUTHENTIC, it doesn't include stuff I discovered years later from that year, but what I was actually INTO at that time as a high schooler...

Aaliyah :: One In A Million
Skee-Lo :: I Wish
Skee-Lo :: Top of The Stairs
Coolio :: I Remember
Crucial Conflict :: Hay
Groove Theory :: Tell Me
Sneaker Pimps :: Six Underground
Notorious BIG & Da Brat :: Listen To The B-Side
Mariah Carey :: Fantasy (Bad Boy Remix feat. ODB)
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony :: Foe Da Love of $ (feat. Eazy E)
69 Boyz :: Tootsie Roll (Remix)
Nate Dogg & Snoop Dogg :: Never Leave Me Alone
Funkmaster Flex / Sadat X & Akinyele :: Loud Hangover
Westside Connection :: Bow Down
Westside Connection :: Gangstas Make The World Go 'Round
WC & The Maad Circle :: West Up!
Green Day :: When I Come Around
Grand Puba :: I Like It
Rappin' 4-Tay :: I'll Be Around
Subway feat. 702 :: This Li'l Game We Play
Coolio :: Mama, I'm In Love Wit A Gangsta
Coolio :: County Line
Something For The People :: My Love Is The Shh!
MC Lyte & Xscape :: Keep On, Keepin' On (from the Sunset Park SDTK)
LL Cool J :: Loungin' (Who Do Ya Luv?) (Remix feat. Total)
Lost Boyz :: Music Makes Me High
Corona :: Baby Baby
Sean Levert :: Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
Domino :: Tales From The Hood
Dr. Dre :: Keep They Heads Ringin'
Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson :: Scream
Dove Shack :: Summertime In The LBC
Toni Braxton :: Let It Flow
Quo :: Quo Funk
Lucas :: Lucas With The Lid Off
Scatman :: I'm The Scatman
La Bouche :: Sweet Dreams
M People :: Open Up Your Heart
Lost Boyz :: Lex Coups, Bimaz & Benz
Lost Boyz :: Get Up
Camp Lo :: Luchini (This Is It)
Charm Farm :: Superstar (Vission & Lorimer Utopia Radio Edit)
Xscape :: Do You Want To
Whoridas :: Shot Callin' & Big Ballin'
Tre Black :: Put Ya Back Into It
Spice Girls :: Wannabe
Spice Girls :: Say You'll Be There
Spice Girls :: 2 Become 1
Ginuwine :: Pony
Eightball & MJG :: Space Age Pimpin'
E-40 :: Sprinkle Me
E-40 :: Slurricane
The Click :: Scandalous
Celly Cell :: It's Goin' Down
Brandy :: Sittin' Up In My Room
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony :: 1st of Tha Month
2Pac :: All About U
TLC :: Creep
Foxy Brown :: I'll Be (feat. Jay-Z)
Madonna :: I'll Remember
Madonna :: Take A Bow
Luniz :: I Got 5 On It (Remix feat. Dru Down, Shock G, Richie Rich, E-40, Spice 1)
Janet Jackson :: Runaway
Group Home :: Livin' Proof

::: CASSINGLES I bought in 1996

The Brand New Heavies :: Sometimes
Whodini :: Keep Running Back (WTH was I thinking when I purchased this?)
Da Brat :: Sittin' On Top of The World
Celine Dion :: My Heart Will Go On (Love Theme From 'Titanic')

I still have all these cassingles and mixtapes in a rubbermaid container.

:::



Now I just want to shine a spotlight this album for a minute. When Aaliyah's "One In A Million" came out -- that whole album was bumpin'. I still remember the first time I heard the title track from this CD on the radio -- I was shocked. This album signalled a turning point in R&B as far as "sound" was concern. I never heard beats like that. Timbaland was still new, so when the single "One In A Million" hit it, his productions sounded like nothing that was out at the time. I tripped out when I heard those heavy, start-stop machine drum beats on this track. Everybody was bumpin' this song in Los Angeles back then.

JANFAN4L said:

I was a freshman in high school too. Well in 1995-96 school year. I was too trying to find myself yet had trouble fitting in too. Nope there wasn't downloads back then, I have to do the old fashioned way of going to a record store to get the cassettes since CDs were fucking expensive back then anywhere from $14 to $20. But most times I recorded the songs on cassette.
Anyway I had to admit that back then I was more casual listener to the joints that I listed above since I preferred listen to some 80s funk and disco. But over the years I became appreciated to the music that was made in those years and I even discovered some more music that was made that year.

As far as the West Coast rap, people in high school (Im from Midwest) lost interest in West Coast rap after Tupac was killed and people were digging more for the East Coast/Bad Boy like Puff Daddy, Jay-Z., Biggie, Mase (when he used to guest on people's albums before came out with Harlem World in '97, Total, SWV, and 112.)
[Edited 2/15/06 3:39am]

JANFAN4L said:

I know. Timberland had innovated beats. He and Missy Elliot (she will be part of my jams 1997 thread next year lol) had a powerful force and produced some great beats for their own albums and for others especially Aayliah. Actually Missy Elliot start to receive props when she rap on Gina Thompson's remix song The things that you do. She was like "You ain't ready, for Puff Daddy Beware, how dare he make the remix so deadly (that's right) Pizzzow, Gomer be my Pyle like Sha-hee hee how." That girl always said some hee hee on someone's song.

Also in 1996 remembered how many of those artists came out with those Bad Boy mixes or mixes of their own? Like Total's No one else remix with Da Brat? Or how about those Bad Boy artists one hit wonders like Tasha Holiday who sing Just the way you like it, Gina Thompson, and more.
[Edited 2/15/06 3:32am]

Bahamadia -- "UKNOWHOWWEDU"

Prince -- "She Spoke 2 Me," "Chaos and Disorder," "Emancipation," "White Mansion," "Damned If Do"

The Fugees -- "Killin' Me Softly," "Fu-Gee-La" (all 3 versions)

The Smashing Pumpkins -- "1979"

Sting -- Mercury Falling

De La Soul -- Stakes Is High

Nas -- "I Gave You Power," "Take It In Blood"

Ghostown DJs -- "My Boo" (yeah, I said it)

Sadat X -- "Lump Lump"

Jeru The Damaja -- "You Played Yaself," "Whatever," "Black Cowboys"

dewalliz said:

I was just ONE grade behind ya, 8th grade in '95-'96. So many memories with
that time frame. I remember when "One in a Million" came out,I wa in my freshman year ('96-'97), all the boys in the lunchroom use to drum the beat to the song on the lunch table ALL THE TIME. Miss Aaliyah dearly and 10 years of fun-ass jams.

Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite cd...

ABeautifulOne said:

I thought it was released in 1995.

Speaking of 1995, I was rocking these jams from 1995 right through 1996.

-- The Gold Experience

Mobb Deep -- The Infamous

Raekwon -- Only Built 4 Cuban Linx

D'Angelo -- Brown Sugar
[Edited 2/15/06 14:52pm]

namepeace said:

I got it in 96 so I thought it came in 96

well since all my favorites have been mentioned..... But good post!!! This brings back alot of memories.

I was a h.s freshman in '95-'96 as well. I was into east coast hip hop (Wu-Tang, Nas, Biggie) real hard. It wasnt until the summer of '96 with the release of the So-So Def Bass Allstars ("My Boo") that I my music taste changed. I dunno if was that we played the MESS out of that CD during summer marching band camp, or it was played constantly on the radio. Atlanta got a new hip hop station the previous year, and they used to play music from all areas. I was getting into college radio, b/c they used to play all the underground hip hop. I used to spend my allowance on blank tapes to record from the radio.

I also remember that EVERY song had some kind of remix....be it "Bad Boy" or with Missy Elliott saying "hit 'em with the hee" or "hee hee hee haw" or something like that. She blew up after that.

some cds that I remember....
Outkast- Atliens
Nas-It was Written
Kirk Franklin - What Cha Lookin' 4
2pac - All Eyes on Me & Makaveli (people actually thought that 2pac was alive )
Lil Kim - Hard Core
[Edited 2/15/06 15:08pm]
[Edited 2/15/06 15:09pm]

This was my list of top 10 singles back in 1996:

1. Björk - Hyper-Ballad
2. Garbage - Stupid Girl
3. 311 - Down
4. Luscious Jackson - Naked Eye
5. Mors Syphilitica - Whispers In The House Of Truth/Damned Don't Cry
6. Lush - 500
7. - Dinner With Delores
8. Tori Amos - Professional Widow
9. Fiona Apple - Shadowboxer
10. Smashing Pumpkins - 1979

I can't believe I ranked 311 so high back then. That song is alright, but now I can't stand them.

ABeautifulOne said:

I did too, but people kept telling me it dropped in 1995. Silly me.

this is really the only album i remember. though, i do remember playing T.A.P.O.A.F.O.M a lot.

wow what memories...let's see here, in 96 i was leaving middle school and beginning high school...lots and lots of memories....

didn't that Wu Tang reunion album come out this year, or was it '97
[Edited 2/15/06 15:51pm]

missfee said:

The album Wu-Tang Forever came out in 1997 and I remembered that they played the song Triumph to death on radio during '97 summer.

JazzyJ said:

I remember too that during class boys used to be knocking on desks making beats and got on the teachers nerves. The teachers were afraid of them since I went to a school where the kids are tough but it was also more of a fashion show.
I know that right there are so many memories with 95-96 year.
I remembered when Aayliah came out with One in a Million too and people thought the song was so different but tight.

sextonseven said:

How can I forget Dinner with delores? I like that song and that is the only song worth listening to on Chaos and Disorder. When I think of Prince in 1996 its Emanciapation album.

November said:

I know that is right. Almost everyone during that era came out with some remix with the rapper or R&B guest on it. Tell you the truth some of the remixes did sound better than the original ones. Like 702 Steelo remix with Missy Elliott rapped on their and Lil Kim's Ladies Night remix with Missy, Da Brat, and Angie Martinez, and R.Kelly's Gothem City (okay the remix came out around 97 but the original came out in 1996).

dewalliz said:

yes god!!!!

sinisterpentatonic said:

Probably Redman's most slept-on album.

November said:

OH MY G*D, I played the h*ll out of Ghost Town DJs' "My Boo." That was probably my favorite song that year. I remember calling the various R&B/Hip Hop stations late at night requesting this song and waiting for it to be played. I first dubbed it on cassette and later I bought the "So So Def Bass All-Stars" album. That whole record was bumpin', too. Another jam on that compilation was "Oh My Goodness" and "Body Hop." Plus, I 'd that Playa Poncho song that closed the album called "Let It Burn" I played the h*ll out of that cassette.

I loved bass and quad music back then.

dewalliz said:

I was a freshman in the '96-'97 school year. Now, with my list, keep in mind a bulk of those songs came from the year prior. In 1996, there were only a few albums I was actually into that were current. I was listening to mainstream radio a lot -- true -- but, around that time, I was also beginning to get obsessed with the music, fashion and culture of the 1980s.

1996 signalled a shift for me because it also was the time when I started to dislike popular music for a few years. I hated Puff Daddy & The Family, Ma$e, Bad Boy and all that flashy/materialistic bulls**t that was all over MTV and radio back then. You're right, people were tuning out of West Coast/gangsta rap in '96. 1996-97 was when all the bulls**t materialistic Versace rap from the East Coast became vogue -- cats talking about "poppin' Cristal," wearing "Gucci links" and whatever. I didn't like it at all... that's when I really fell in love with the 1980's (around this time).

The second semester of my freshman year, I remember being fully engrossed in everything '80s. I was going to local video stores basically renting every MUSIC MOVIE from that decade on VHS when I was 14 & 15: Breakin' 1 & 2, Krush Groove, Wild Style, Rappin', How to Breakdance feat. the New York City Breakers, etc. I was literally LOST IN THE '80s in 1996-97. I was practicing breakdance moves on cardboard in the family living room. I was wearing track suits, sweat pants, hi-top Converse all-stars, retro shelltoe Adidas with two-toned fat laces and colorful wristbands at my high school when '80s/retro fashion wasn't even considered cool like it is nowadays! I was a certified misfit. I remember I got picked on when I was 15 by a classmate because I had Kurtis Blow's & Chaka Khan's greatest hits CDs in my backpack.

Around this time, if a radio station had an "old school lunch hour" or "Totally '80s" night, I'd tune in faithfully. If MTV, BET or VH1 was showing old music videos or movies, I'd sit down and record them. I remember scouring shopping malls like a fiend trying to find multicolored fat laces for my tennis shoes (trust me, it was hard!)

I was the baby of my family, so most of my siblings were already GROWN and were into eclectic music. My sister grew up in the '80s, so I was exposed to a lot of the music she was into like The Smiths, B-52's, new wave, R.E.M., Scritti Politti, etc. My older brother was a hip hop head, so he turned me on to Boogie Down Productions, Eric B & Rakim, and a lot of classic old school hip hop. Plus, I was curious on my own, so actually discovered a lot of old school music for myself like Whodini, UTFO, Level 42, Joan Armatrading, Bill Summers & Summers Heat, Tears For Fears, Altered Images, Midnight Star, Tigger & Bunny (ha!)... So from my sister and brother and my own obsession I got hip to a lot of classic music at that time.

.
[Edited 2/15/06 19:10pm]

ABeautifulOne said:

Maxwell's debut CD was released in April of 1996.

This feels way too soon for me to be reminscing on, but I can co-sign basically all of JANFAN's posts. I turned into an 80s head around the same time and everything. Certainly remember Timbaland changing the sound of R&B with "One In A Million" and "Pony".

CinisterCee said:

H*ll, I remember making a thread reminiscing about "Los Angeles 1993-1996" about two years ago.

I'm starting to notice more and more people our age are slowly starting to grow more and more nostaglic for the '90s -- by that, I mean, appreciating the music that was released at that time -- and are actually starting to size up the decade properly.

I'll still give it another 5 years, though...
.
[Edited 2/15/06 19:33pm]

JANFAN4L said:

I used to like those songs.


I used to love Sometimes. Good track. The Celine tune wasn't released until until February 1998. I only remember that because the film came out in December 1997 and given how well the song was doing on radio at the time, it took them forever to release it as a single. I gotta admit though - I enjoyed that song at one point in time. Don't tell anybody (else).

JANFAN4L said:

I cannot believe that you and I are having so much in common. You are saying the things that happened to me too! Also keep in mind too that I was more of a casual listener of the songs around that period as I was more into the late 70s and early 80s music particually disco and funk music. Over the last few years (after 2000) that is where I had more appreciation of the music of the 90s. I had like songs from the late 70s to early 80s been so since around 1992. Anyway, people in my family, who most were adults around the 80s, were amazed and thought it was odd of me preferred listening to some songs that was before my time or I was too young to remember when they came out. Oh well.

I also love breakdance movies especially Beat Street and Wild Style and I wanted to breakdance so bad but I never did because I afraid that I was going to get injured. I even collected a list of electrofunk songs like Afrika Bambatta (sp?), Cybertron, Davy D, Egyptian Lover, Pretty Tony, and more . Now some of these hip-hop artists today are miserably rehashing them. It so fucking sad that many kids today think that shit is so original My oldest brother thought that Missy was the one who created the beats with the song that her and Ciara did and I forgot the name of it. But nope, Cybertron did it first with that song Clear.

JANFAN4L said:

So freaking true! Like I said after 2000 that is when I started to appreciate the 90s music more lol and that why I started this topic because it is hard to believe those songs from 1996 are ten years old. It tells you right there that hip-hop and R&B (or other type of music) hasn't change so much over the last ten years compared from 1986 to 1996.

Also I have yet to appreciate any songs made in 2000 and that been what six years ago.... I can able to count on my hands of the songs that I liked from 2000 until now and thats so sad. Even when I was growing up in the 90s I liked more songs.


[Edited 2/15/06 21:20pm]