US Rhythmic Top 40 Part One (circa 1986 to 1994)
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disman00911updated 3 months ago
disman00911updated 3 months agoThis list was originally titled "Hot 97 NY & Power 106 LA (1986-1993)" as this list primarily focused on the dance-leaning years of prominent rhythmic Top 40 radio the US during the late 1980s and early 1990s, such as WQHT Hot 97 in New York, and KPWR Power 106 in Los Angeles, Other successful rhythmic/crossover/CHRUrban stations during this period included KMEL Jams & KSOL (now KYLD) in San Francisco, long-defunct Hot 97.7 in San Jose, WPOW Power 96 & WHQT 102 in Miami, WIOQ "Q102" Philadelphia, WPGC in Washington DC, defunct WHYT 96.3 in Detroit, XHITZ "Z90" in San Diego, KTFM-FM in San Antonio and WBBM-FM (B96) in Chicago (I made a separate list for that station).
When stations like Power 106, Hot 97, and Power 96 launched in 1986, the music/trade magazines like Billboard and Radio & Records saw them as urban contemporary rather than Top 40 (ironic as many of those stations would evolve or change into urban/hip hop stations during the mid-1990s onward). However, they soon learned that these stations were too pop for the urban stations and too urban for the pop stations and a new form of top 40 radio was created. By the end of 1993, many rhythmic stations like Hot 97, Power 106, and KMEL Jams focused more on hip hop-based hits rather than dance-based hits although there were some rhythmic stations like Power 96 Miami and B96 in Chicago continued to be dance-friendly throughout the mid-to-late 1990s. Nonetheless, many of those stations continued to report as Top 40/Rhythmic rather than urban contemporary or in some cases reported as both.
Top 40 radio in the USA was heavily fragmented during much the 90s. Rhythmic top 40 was no exception as the gerne had been split between urban/hip hop leaning (i.e Hot 97, Power 106, KMEL, WPGC, etc), and dance-pop leaning (B96, Power 96, KTFM, etc), although there were few stations like KYLD San Francisco and Z90 San Diego that fell in-between. The urban-leaning stations played very few house/dance crossovers and virtually avoided the euro-dance/pop tracks (i.e. Real McCoy, Ace of Base, the Macracena, etc) and mainstream pop (i.e. Celine Dion and the like) that the dance-leaning stations would play. Furthermore, the hip hop-rhythmic stations on the west coast (like Power 106 and KMEL) often played the west coast rappers (i.e. Dre, Snoop, Ice Cube, etc) while the east coast stations (like Hot 97) heavily played the east coast rappers (i.e. Wu-Tang, Nas, Biggie, etc). Many Rhythmic Top 40 stations during the early-to-mid 90s defined their own hits and no two stations sounded the same.
When this list started, I only put dance/rhythmic titles that were featured on various rhythmic top 40 stations between 1986 and 1993, from popular tracks most people know to very obscure tracks that time has since forgot. However, I put some pre-86 and post-93 tracks in the list, primary based on two, now-defunct online-only radio stations that were based on the dance period of NY's Hot 97 (mid 86-early 93) prior to its shift towards hip hop between 1993 and 1994.
Overtime, I began to lose focus on the original intent of this list added some tracks that were featured in the syndicated Hot Mix Radio Network throughout the 90s (which also contained dance tracks that came out well after 1993) instead of doing another list which contain most of the same songs featured on this list. In addition, I was adding tracks were featured in the mixes of KMEL's Paul Cameron (also of remix service Mixx-It) during the late 1980s. Also, I began adding tracks featured on the 1987-1993 syndicated countdown show "American Dance Traxx".
The tracks cover from the following genres: Synthpop, Dance-Pop, R&B, Hip Hop, Pop Rap, Booty Bass, House, Techno, Latin Freestyle, New Jack Swing, Garage, Electro-Funk, Euro-dance, Hi-NRG, Dancehall/Reggae, etc. Songs are listed in random order.
UPDATE: I made a new list covering rhythmic pop music from 1995 to the the mid 2000s as this list stops at 1994.
https://www.discogs.com/lists/1990s-2000s-Rhythmic-Top-40/602033
When stations like Power 106, Hot 97, and Power 96 launched in 1986, the music/trade magazines like Billboard and Radio & Records saw them as urban contemporary rather than Top 40 (ironic as many of those stations would evolve or change into urban/hip hop stations during the mid-1990s onward). However, they soon learned that these stations were too pop for the urban stations and too urban for the pop stations and a new form of top 40 radio was created. By the end of 1993, many rhythmic stations like Hot 97, Power 106, and KMEL Jams focused more on hip hop-based hits rather than dance-based hits although there were some rhythmic stations like Power 96 Miami and B96 in Chicago continued to be dance-friendly throughout the mid-to-late 1990s. Nonetheless, many of those stations continued to report as Top 40/Rhythmic rather than urban contemporary or in some cases reported as both.
Top 40 radio in the USA was heavily fragmented during much the 90s. Rhythmic top 40 was no exception as the gerne had been split between urban/hip hop leaning (i.e Hot 97, Power 106, KMEL, WPGC, etc), and dance-pop leaning (B96, Power 96, KTFM, etc), although there were few stations like KYLD San Francisco and Z90 San Diego that fell in-between. The urban-leaning stations played very few house/dance crossovers and virtually avoided the euro-dance/pop tracks (i.e. Real McCoy, Ace of Base, the Macracena, etc) and mainstream pop (i.e. Celine Dion and the like) that the dance-leaning stations would play. Furthermore, the hip hop-rhythmic stations on the west coast (like Power 106 and KMEL) often played the west coast rappers (i.e. Dre, Snoop, Ice Cube, etc) while the east coast stations (like Hot 97) heavily played the east coast rappers (i.e. Wu-Tang, Nas, Biggie, etc). Many Rhythmic Top 40 stations during the early-to-mid 90s defined their own hits and no two stations sounded the same.
When this list started, I only put dance/rhythmic titles that were featured on various rhythmic top 40 stations between 1986 and 1993, from popular tracks most people know to very obscure tracks that time has since forgot. However, I put some pre-86 and post-93 tracks in the list, primary based on two, now-defunct online-only radio stations that were based on the dance period of NY's Hot 97 (mid 86-early 93) prior to its shift towards hip hop between 1993 and 1994.
Overtime, I began to lose focus on the original intent of this list added some tracks that were featured in the syndicated Hot Mix Radio Network throughout the 90s (which also contained dance tracks that came out well after 1993) instead of doing another list which contain most of the same songs featured on this list. In addition, I was adding tracks were featured in the mixes of KMEL's Paul Cameron (also of remix service Mixx-It) during the late 1980s. Also, I began adding tracks featured on the 1987-1993 syndicated countdown show "American Dance Traxx".
The tracks cover from the following genres: Synthpop, Dance-Pop, R&B, Hip Hop, Pop Rap, Booty Bass, House, Techno, Latin Freestyle, New Jack Swing, Garage, Electro-Funk, Euro-dance, Hi-NRG, Dancehall/Reggae, etc. Songs are listed in random order.
UPDATE: I made a new list covering rhythmic pop music from 1995 to the the mid 2000s as this list stops at 1994.
https://www.discogs.com/lists/1990s-2000s-Rhythmic-Top-40/602033
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