Eve 6 "Here's to the Night"

This Christmas Eve we take a listen to the alternative rock band Eve 6. Their unforgettable song "Here's to the Night" gained airplay on many Hot Adult Contemporary radio stations in 2001.

Train "When I Look to the Sky"

Hot Adult Contemporary radio stations made Train a core artist during the 2000s thanks to a long list of hits including "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)", "Calling All Angels" and "When I Look to the Sky". Like most hits from Train, "When I Look to the Sky" featured the soaring vocals of lead singer Pat Monahan.

Sheryl Crow "Soak Up the Sun"

Sheryl Crow slathered on the SPF-30 during the Spring of 2002 and released "Soak Up the Sun".  The catchy song featured Chicagoan Liz Phair on backup vocals.  

Marié Digby - "Umbrella"

Marie Digby, pronounced "Mahr-E-ay", gained fame for her cover of Rihanna's "Umbrella" in 2007.  "Umbrella" was one of many covers Digby posted to her YouTube channel and is her most successful with more than 20,000,000 views.  The song found airplay on Hot Adult Contemporary radio stations that weren't quite comfortable spinning Rihanna during that time.  

Sister Hazel - "Change Your Mind"

Street festival season is upon us which means that forgotten 1990s bands such as Gin Blossoms, Smash Mouth, and Sister Hazel will soon be headlining neighborhood fests.  I know that all three of the above groups have played at least one Chicago street fest since 2012 because I've seen them there. #notashamed

Madonna - "Jump"

Arguably Madonna's best dance song since 1990's "Vogue" was "Jump" from her Confessions on a Dancefloor album in 2006.  The song didn't get played by many CHR/Top-40 radio stations, but did climb to #21 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Chart.  Had Madonna waited a couple years for the Timbaland/David Guetta/Calvin Harris era to begin, the song would have been her defining song of the 2000s.