CauliWobbles

On October 27th, 1998 – a group of brave individuals decided to do the unthinkable. To look at music that encapsulated the American Human. A set of music so diverse and entertaing that it embodies the very “Melting Pot” that is the United states. over the next 9 years, there would be 24 installments of the music that defined the NOW of our lives. Through Terrorist attacks, presidential blowjobs and the creation of the iphone, this was the America of our time. This WAS NOW[That’s what I call music]

Album: Now! That’s what I call music Vol 6 (US)

Release Date: 04/03/2001

Color: Orange/Red with Gold Letters

Theme: Georgia Strip Club – “Peaches Day” theme

ARTIST:Britney Spears

SONG: Stronger

PEAK BILLBOARD POSITION:  #11

THEN! SCORE:   5

NOW! SCORE :  2

COMMENTS: Good News: 5 of the last 5 NOW!s for Britney!

Bad News: Poor Effort from Britney-  Mid song at best that has not gotten better with time or proven to be true based on Britney’s behavior

ARTIST: Samantha Mumba

SONG: Gotta Tell You

PEAK BILLBOARD POSITION:  #4

THEN! SCORE:   3

NOW! SCORE :  0

COMMENTS: This song stinks- I remember Samantha Mumba coming over to TRL as an attempted British invasion and it didn’t get beyond this song.  Chorus is OK and the verses are terrible

ARTIST: *NSYNC

SONG: Bye Bye Bye

PEAK BILLBOARD POSITION:  #4

THEN! SCORE:   6

NOW! SCORE :  10

COMMENTS: Certified Banger and Probably N’ Syncs #1 contribution to Music.  I was too cool to appreciate boy bands at the time and this was everywhere but upon reflection there is no question this song still makes people whip out the “Bye Bye Bye” Dance.  Almost impossible to believe this wasn’t a #1 song

ARTIST: ATC

SONG: Around The World (La La La)

PEAK BILLBOARD POSITION:  #28

THEN! SCORE:   3

NOW! SCORE :  2

COMMENTS: More from the Attempted Euro Takeover of the Early 2000’s this is an earworm in an annoying way that it will get stuck in your head but you will NOT enjoy it

ARTIST: Jennifer Lopez

SONG: Love Don’t Cost a Thing

PEAK BILLBOARD POSITION:  #3

THEN! SCORE:   6

NOW! SCORE :  6

COMMENTS: a Solid Effort from J.Lo talkin about how she don’t even need a man conveniently leaving out that she was dating a zillionaire and certified bad guy.  And it’s hard to push a femenist athem when…..

ARTIST: Destiny’s Child

SONG: Independent Women Part I

PEAK BILLBOARD POSITION:  #1

THEN! SCORE:   8

NOW! SCORE :  8

COMMENTS: Shout out Lucy Lu! A Real Independent woman anthem-  this one bangs and has me and the girls slugging chards while screaming out “All the Hunnies getting money” until the bar tab comes and we need to ask “Who ordered the 2nd bottle service?”

ARTIST: Shaggy

SONG: It Wasn’t Me

PEAK BILLBOARD POSITION:  #1

THEN! SCORE:   5

NOW! SCORE :  8.5

COMMENTS: A Truly hilarious premise of Mr Luva Luva getting caught cheating and going with the “Deny, Deny, Deny!” strategy.  Let’s see if it pays off!  (It does!)

ARTIST: 3LW

SONG: No More (Baby I’ma Do Right)

PEAK BILLBOARD POSITION:  #23

THEN! SCORE:   0

NOW! SCORE :  0

COMMENTS: 3LW is a group that should be relegated to one line in a Kanye West feature-  nothing more (IYKYK)

ARTIST: K-Ci & Jojo

SONG: Crazy

PEAK BILLBOARD POSITION:  #11

THEN! SCORE:   0

NOW! SCORE :  1

COMMENTS: I was truly unaware of any other KC& JoJo Song- I did recognize the chorus, which is just the word “Crazy” repeated and autotuned.  Likely will not relisten

SIDEBAR: If you had given me 10 tries to spell this variation of KC and JOJO with the correct punctuations I would not have gotten it

ARTIST: R. Kelly

SONG: I Wish

PEAK BILLBOARD POSITION:  #14

THEN! SCORE:   5

NOW! SCORE :  YIKES!

COMMENTS: Man, the People at NOW Really liked putting Mr. Kelly on these songs.  The CHILDREN singing “I Wish” in the chorus is a dark wrinkle these days

ARTIST: Backstreet Boys

SONG: Shape of My Heart

PEAK BILLBOARD POSITION:  #9

THEN! SCORE:   4

NOW! SCORE :  2

COMMENTS: Poor showing from BSB-  Chorus is solid but song is pretty weak overall

ARTIST: Evan and Jaron

SONG: Crazy For this Girl

PEAK BILLBOARD POSITION:  #15

THEN! SCORE:   5

NOW! SCORE :  4

COMMENTS: A Relatively harmless and mostly forgettable Radio play-  it’s certainly listenable but I wouldn’t seek it out.  Makes you wonder if Evan or Jaron called it off before they really blew up?

ARTIST: Coldplay

SONG: Yellow

PEAK BILLBOARD POSITION:  #48

THEN! SCORE:   7

NOW! SCORE :  8

COMMENTS: A Memeroable Music video and a geniuinely good song.  Early Coldplay was very good, which many gay men will tell you, and this launched their career with an earnest song that still plays as one of their best

ARTIST: Lenny Kravitz

SONG: Again

PEAK BILLBOARD POSITION:  #4

THEN! SCORE:   5

NOW! SCORE :  5.8

COMMENTS: 4 out of the first 6 NOW Albums for playoff LENNY, he’s a dynasty!   I don’t remember Lenny being such a cultural phenom but here we are.  All of his songs feel like somehwere between a 3.7 and 6.4 and I guess the chorus makes this on the higher end.

ARTIST: Fuel

SONG: Hemorrhage (In My Hands)

PEAK BILLBOARD POSITION:  #30

THEN! SCORE:   6

NOW! SCORE :  4

COMMENTS: ANGST Baby!  We were in the midst of the “Angry White Male Period”  (0AD-2025AD) and these guys were mad AND sad. This song is fine, I think I probably liked it more when my hormones couldn’t tell the difference between mad and sad

ARTIST: Creed

SONG: With Arms Wide Open

PEAK BILLBOARD POSITION:  #1

THEN! SCORE:   5

NOW! SCORE :  5

COMMENTS: Hard to knock too many points off for someone being a parent.  It’s a song with a nice sentiment and is definitely a Creed Song.  This is when Creed started to feel more “Goddy”  to me but the song is fine

ARTIST: Incubus

SONG: Drive

PEAK BILLBOARD POSITION:  #9

THEN! SCORE:   8

NOW! SCORE :  8.5

COMMENTS: A Tier 1 Driving song.  Good, easy listening chorus.  Incubus seemed like they should’ve put out like 4 more albums than they actually did.  Also, all-time MTV Cribs with their bong room

ARTIST: U2

SONG: Beautiful Day

PEAK BILLBOARD POSITION:  #21

THEN! SCORE:   6

NOW! SCORE :  8

COMMENTS: ‘This song is made cooler by the Post-911 Superbowl performance but it bangs regardless as U2 returned to form on this Album which features a number of other great songs.  This also got me out of U2 ‘Dad Band’ mode

ARTIST: Everclear

SONG: AM Radio

PEAK BILLBOARD POSITION:  #101

THEN! SCORE:   4

NOW! SCORE :  2

COMMENTS: OK but maybe FOUR out of SIX NOW Albums containing everclear is TOO MUCH everclear?  They are good but not THAT Good and this song isn’t even good