"MMMBop" is a song written and performed by American pop rock band Hanson. It was released on April 15, 1997, as the lead single from their first full-length studio album, Middle of Nowhere (1997). The song was nominated for two Grammys at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards and is the band's most successful single to date. "MMMBop" was a major success worldwide, reaching number one in at least 12 countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Emancipation is the nineteenth studio album by American recording artist Prince. It was released on November 19, 1996, by NPG Records and EMI Records as a triple album. The title refers to Prince's freedom from his contract with Warner Bros. Records after 18 years, with which he had a contentious relationship. The album was Prince's third to be released that year, which made 1996 one of the most prolific years for material released by Prince.
"It's Like That" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey from her 10th studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi (2005). Written by Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Manuel Seal, and Johntá Austin, and produced by Carey, Dupri, and Seal, the song borrows the hook "It's Like That Y'all" from the Run–D.M.C. tracks "Hollis Crew" and "Here We Go (Live)". Several other tracks were contenders for the album's lead single. However, plans were changed when Island Def Jam Music head L.A. Reid suggested to Carey she record a few more strong songs to ensure the album's success, thus "It's Like That" was written and chosen as the album's lead single, being released on January 25, 2005.
"Strange Currencies" is a song by American rock band R.E.M. It was included on their ninth studio album, Monster (1994), and was released as the album's third single on April 18, 1995. The single reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart and peaked at number 47 in the United States. Like "Everybody Hurts" on R.E.M.'s previous album, it has a time signature of 6
8.
"U Got the Look" is a song by American musician Prince. It opens the second disc of Prince's double album Sign o' the Times (1987), and became the album's runner-up chart single. Musically, the song is a standard 12-bar rock song with emphasis on the contrast between heavy drum beats by a Linn LM-1 drum machine and Sheila E.'s live percussion, and a vastly distorted almost completely saturated guitar sound. Although not credited on the single release, the song also features Scottish recording artist Sheena Easton. Prince sings in his sped-up "Camille" voice, although the song was not intended for the Camille album. The lyrics recite the familiar "boy versus girl in the World Series of love" line.
"Back for Good" is a song by British band Take That from their third studio album, Nobody Else (1995). It was written by lead singer Gary Barlow, who also co-produced it with Chris Porter. The song topped the UK Singles Chart whilst also charting at number one in 31 countries, as well as reaching the top 10 in many others. Vaughan Arnell and Anthea Benton directed the song's music video. At the 1996 Brit Awards, "Back for Good" won the Brit Award for British Single of the Year. In 2003, Q Magazine ranked the song at number 910 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever" and in a UK poll in 2012, it was voted number 11 on the ITV special The Nation's Favourite Number One Single.
"Peach" is a song by American musician Prince from his 1993 compilations, The Hits 2 and The Hits/The B-Sides.
"Letitgo" is a song by American musician Prince from his fifteenth studio album, Come (1994). Despite statements that the album consisted entirely of "old" material, "Letitgo" was actually newly composed for the album. The mid-tempo song relies heavily on a drum machine pattern and bass guitar with synthesizers in the refrain. A keyboard and percussion solo appear toward the end. The song is sung in falsetto in unison with another track layered in his regular, lower register. Kathleen Bradford provides backing vocals, while Eric Leeds provides flute accompaniment.
"I Hate U" is a song by American musician Prince, released on September 12, 1995, as the lead single from his seventeenth studio album, The Gold Experience (1995).
"Dinner with Delores" is a song by American musician Prince, released as the only single from his 19th studio album, Chaos and Disorder (1996). Although the single was not released in the United States, the promotional video was shown on music video channels there.
"Betcha by Golly, Wow" is a song written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed, originally titled "Keep Growing Strong" and recorded by Connie Stevens under the Bell label in 1970. Stevens' recording runs two minutes and thirty seconds. The composition later became a hit when it was released by the Philadelphia soul group the Stylistics in 1972 under its better known title, "Betcha by Golly, Wow".
"The Greatest Romance Ever Sold" is a song recorded by American musician Prince, under his unpronounceable stage name called the "Love Symbol". It was released as the only single from his twenty-third studio album Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic (1999). It was issued on October 5, 1999, in several different formats, including a 12-inch single, CD single, and a maxi single. Prince solely wrote and produced it, while Mike Scott provided guitar strings for the track. Several music critics found the single reminiscent to the works on his previous studio album, Diamonds and Pearls (1991).
"Don't Marry Her" is a song by English pop rock group the Beautiful South and the opening track on their fifth studio album, Blue Is the Colour (1996). Vocalist Jacqui Abbott begs a man to run away with her from the woman he is going to marry and attempts to sway him by describing what she thinks married life with the other woman will be like, painting an uninviting picture. Released on 2 December 1996, the single peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry.
"Somebody's Somebody" is a song from Prince's 1996 album Emancipation.
"Gotta Be Somebody" is the first official single released from Canadian rock band Nickelback's sixth studio album, Dark Horse. It reached number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming their sixth and final top-10 hit.
"Prayer for the Dying" is a song by British musician Seal and Augustus Lundell "Gus" Isidore. It was released on 9 May 1994 by ZTT and Sire as the lead single from the singer's second studio album, Seal (1994), reaching number 14 on the UK Singles Chart and number 21 on the US Billboard Hot 100. In Canada, it became Seal's first of three songs to peak at number two on the RPM Top Singles chart, becoming his joint highest-charting single in Canada. In November 1995, "Prayer for the Dying" was reissued as a double A-side with "Don't Cry" in the UK; this release reached number 51 on the UK chart. Its music video was directed by Paul Boyd.
"Flava" is a song by English-Australian singer Peter Andre, released as the fifth single from his second studio album, Natural (1996). It includes a rap by American rapper Cee. The song spent one week at number one on the UK Singles Chart in September 1996, becoming Andre's first number-one single in the UK. "Flava" also reached top 10 in Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, and the Wallonia region of Belgium.
"Somebody That I Used to Know" is a song written, produced and performed by Australian musician and singer Gotye, featuring vocals from New Zealand singer Kimbra. The song was released in Australia and New Zealand through Eleven Music on 5 July 2011 as the second single from Gotye's third studio album, Making Mirrors (2011). It was later released by Universal Music in December 2011 in the United Kingdom, and 20 January 2012 in Ireland and the United States. "Somebody That I Used to Know" was written and recorded by Gotye at his parents' house on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia, and is lyrically related to the experiences he has had with romantic relationships.
Prince released several hundred songs both under his own name and under pseudonyms and/or pen names, as well as writing songs which have been recorded by other artists. Estimates of the actual number of songs written by Prince range anywhere from 500 to well over 1,000. He has released 97 singles, 34 promotional singles, 21 internet singles, and eight internet downloads.
"Moonshine" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars from his second studio album Unorthodox Jukebox (2012). It was released as the second promotional single on November 19, 2012, by Atlantic Records. "Moonshine" is a pop, power pop and R&B record, with a "retro" vibe. It was written by Mars, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Andrew Wyatt, Jeff Bhasker and Mark Ronson. It was produced by the former three, under their alias, the Smeezingtons, Bhasker and Ronson. Its lyrics establish a metaphor between "bootleg liquor" and the "longing for the high water mark of a relationship", which becomes "impossible to reach".
