Prince & The Revolution "Take Me With U"

Credit the Purple Rain Soundtrack for "Take Me With U". Originally intended for Prince's Apollonia 6 album, the song was pulled for inclusion on the soundtrack. A different song intended for Apollonia 6 album already had some drama attached to it. "Take Me With U" was the final single released from the wildly successful Purple Rain Soundtrack.

Stacy Lattisaw "I Found Love on a Two-Way Street"

While just 15 years young, Staci Lattisaw found her music all over the radio. Her remake of "I Found Love on a Two-Way Street" made its way onto Adult Contemporary radio in 1981. That song followed a handful of other songs that made their way onto the music charts. The same year James Ingram released "I Don't Have the Heart", Lattisaw also released her take on the song. Unlike Ingram's #1 chart topper, Lattisaw's did not chart.

James Ingram "I Don't Have the Heart"

James Ingram passed away last week, but leaves my generation with some of the smoothest R&B ballads from the '80s and '90s. In particular, I'll always remember Ken Cocker on Chicago's 100.3 WPNT-FM on the air one afternoon sharing the meaning behind Ingram's signature tune, "I Don't Have the Heart". The song encapsulates what some of us may have struggled with at one point.

What set Ingram apart among most of his contemporaries is he sang about love as it really is -- not how it's imagined to be in all those Hallmark Channel movies. Love is as dangerous as it is wonderful. As warm as it could be cold. For love to be complete, it must be reciprocated. The love you give has to be received back. Ingram knows he's not in love with a woman who loves him in "I Don't Have the Heart". He painfully recognizes he cannot return this love. With both a heart that can't love her and a heart that doesn't want to hurt her, Ingram sings of his struggle as gently as he can. The song clearly struck a chord as it went to #1 in 1990 (#2 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Chart).

New Edition "Cool It Now"

The five-man hit machine New Edition became a four-man operation after Bobby Brown exited the R&B group in 1985. Some stories claim Brown wanted out while others say his poor dance moves fueled his ouster. More commonly, claims of Brown's behavioral problems is what forced him out.

Vanessa Williams "Darlin' I"

The ballad "Darlin' I" from Vanessa Williams symbolizes what Adult Contemporary radio sounded like in 1988. The Top 10 hit on the AC Chart also placed on the Hot R&B Chart (#10) and Hot 100 (#88). 

Shanice "I Love Your Smile"

"Don't look at me when you smile. Those crooked teeth make me sick." Who do you think uttered those caustic words to me? No, it wasn't the neighborhood bully or even my brother. It also wasn't some kid at school. Nope, those words stuck me in the face during dinner one night from my grandfather. My grandpa was a man who didn't mince words. He spoke his mind and occasionally stepped on toes. At the time, Grandpa was adamant I get braces and uttered the phrase: "Get that kid braces!" nearly every time my parents and I were within earshot of him. My parents eventually agreed and not because my grandpa offered to pay for them.

Whereas most 7th graders were getting their braces off, but I was just getting them put on and wasn't happy about it. I didn't have terrible teeth, but they did need alignment. My biggest fear was getting head gear -- proudly worn by nerdy characters in many 1980s sitcoms. This fear led me to call the Orthodontist's office where I pretended to be a curious parent. I eventually hung up when the receptionist peppered me with questions about my identity. Despite my objections, I wore braces all the way until my sophomore year of high school (September 21, 1992 to be exact). As fate would have it, nearly the day after I had my braces removed (and confidence restored), my hormones decided to flare up and enlisted numerous pimples and white heads to participate in driving my confidence way back down.

While I never fully forgave my grandfather for making me feel so ugly during a time when we all felt our ugliest, I did later thank my grandparents for reminding my parents to get my teeth fixed.

Today, whenever I watch TV, I feel like I'm bombarded with TV commercials for people with "missing or failing teeth" and I'm thrilled to have those days in my past. Grandpa could've change the way he delivered his message, but whatever...

George Michael "Fastlove"

Two years before his infamous arrest for engaging in a lewd act, George Michael's career was sizzling. Radio stations all across the globe spun his slinky tune "Fastlove". The song would be his final Top 10 hit. Adele later performed the song during a tribute at the 2017 Grammy Awards.

Earth, Wind & Fire "That's the Way of the World"

What does actor John Ritter and the band Earth, Wind & Fire have in common? Ritter starred in the sitcom Hearts Afire from 1992 until 1995 that used Earth, Wind & Fire's "That's the Way of the World" in the show's closing credits. Night Court alum Markie Post co-starred with Ritter in the CBS show which also featured a cameo from Night Court's Harry Anderson in a 1994 episode.

Surface "Shower Me With Your Love"

Only recently did I learn of "shower beer" (when you drink a beer in the shower), but now there's an invention making the rounds on the internet: the Sipski. The Sipski is a wine glass holder for your shower. You know, for when you can't manage an entire shower without a glass of pinot. And in the shower, you don't have to worrying about spilling wine on your new blouse. To quote my mother: "if you have to drink wine in the shower, you have bigger issues"....

Michael Jackson "Billie Jean"

Michael Jackson would've turned 60 this summer. How do you celebrate someone's 60th when they died a decade earlier? Well, if you're USA Today, you start by ranking that person's music. In their case, they decided to rank all 14 songs of his #1 hits. After reviewing their list, I couldn't figure out why "Thriller" didn't make the list. The iconic song never reached #1 (it peaked at #4 in 1984), so it's not included in their survey. For brevity's sake, here is their Top 3:

3. "Beat It"
2. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"
1. "Billie Jean"

According to the article, "From its iconic opening drumbeats, the song marches in lockstep deeper into the paranoia-seized psyche of its young star. Not a single one of Quincy Jones' production flourishes is out of place, spanning rock and funk and disco and all anchored by a tortured performance by a 24-year-old Jackson that would remain his all-time career best."

Buckshot LeFonque "Some Cow Fonque"

Morning radio shows all use music beds to brand themselves. A music bed ultimately is vocal-less background music to talk over. I would bet that most mid-1990s morning producers spun the song "Some Cow Fonque" while the wacky morning host riffed on the day's topics. The funky hip-hop jazz tune comes from Buckshot LeFonque (pronounced "luh funk") which is the brainchild of Branson Marsalis. His 1994 song made it on the R&B charts and also became commonplace as a music bed on morning radio shows.

Whitney Houston "Didn't We Almost Have It All?"

It wasn't uncommon to hear soft rock songs from Whitney Houston, Phil Collins or Michael McDonald on Smooth Jazz radio stations. Chicago's former WNUA-FM prominently featured ballads that had fallen off the playlists of Adult Contemporary stations--especially in the station's twilight years before flipping to Spanish (and later Country).

Peabo Bryson "Can You Stop the Rain?"

Robert Peapo Bryson changed his name to Peabo when he was 14 years old after starting his career singing backup with Al Freeman and the Upsetters. Freeman couldn't pronounce the West-Indian name "Peapo", so alas Peabo Bryson was born. A mainstay in '80s and '90s R&B music, Bryson also crossed over onto the Adult Contemporary Chart with songs such as "Can You Stop the Rain?".

Luther Vandross & Mariah Carey "Endless Love"

Thirteen years after Lionel Richie and Diana Ross teamed up for the wildly popular ballad "Endless Love", Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey did the same. The love song came from Vandross' Songs album which contained covers of vintage R&B tunes.

Tina Turner "Open Arms"

No, Tina Turner didn't remake Bryan Adams' signature ballad "Open Arms". However, she did release an original song in 2004 with the same title that charted throughout the world including at home in the States on the Adult Contemporary Chart.

Lisa Stansfield "Change"

Please don't call British pop singer Lisa Stansfield a one-hit-wonder. Yes, most of us remember "All Around the World", but she also turned in a multi-format hit in 1991 with the upbeat song "Change". This dance club favorite was a hit across the globe and even was remixed again in 2006.

Natalie Cole "Starting Over Again"

Natalie Cole released the radio-friendly ballad "Starting Over Again" on New Year's Day 1990.

Boyz II Men "Four Seasons of Loneliness"

"Four Seasons of Loneliness" entered the Hot 100 at #2 during the autumn of 1997. A week later, the ballad climbed to the top of the charts, but immediately got bumped back down by Elton John's tribute to Princess Diana, "Candle in the Wind 1997". Ultimately, this song was the R&B group's final #1 song.

Milli Vanilli "Girl, I'm Gonna Miss You"

Before there was #FakeNews, there was #FakeMusic and no musical act defined #FakeMusic like the notorious group Milli Vanilli. The duo managed to lip-sync their way through hit songs, Grammy Awards and scandal. The group's 1989 ballad "Girl, I'm Gonna Miss You" went to #1 on the Hot 100 (#21 on the Adult Contemporary Chart) just before their empire came crumbling down. 

Hootie & The Blowfish "Hold My Hand"

Let's take a look at the top songs of 1994 on Top 40 radio:

• Ace of Base "The Sign"
• All-4-One "I Swear"
• Boyz II Men "I'll Make Love to You"
• Celine Dion "The Power of Love"
• Mariah Carey "Hero"

By 1994 standards, Top 40 radio heavily leaned on R&B and Hip-Hop artists and music. A peak further down the Top 100 of 1994 turned up music from artists such as Salt-n-Peppa, R. Kelly, Coolio, and Warren G. This gave the pop-rock group Hootie & The Blowfish some struggles to find a mainstream radio format to embrace the band. Somehow, the Adult Contemporary format answered the call and immediately helped launch Hootie's career. Within 12 months, AC radio stations playlists featured four songs from Cracked Rear View (Hootie's debut album) as well as "I Go Blind" (prominently featured on the TV show Friends). Soon, Top 40 added Hootie's music--though most song charted higher on the Adult Contemporary Chart than the Hot 100--and the band's over-saturation likely attributed to its demise.