Back In The Beat: Lauryn Hill – ‘That Thing’

Do you know which song spent the most weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100? Do you know which song was the first to debut at the top spot? That Grape Juice has you covered! ‘Back In The Beat’ is our brand new feature, which each Friday takes a look back at the songs that topped the Billboard Hot 100 at this exact point in time in years of past.

Covered by me, Trent, it provides the opportunity to not only take a ‘trip down memory lane’, but remember some of the monumental songs that molded the present day sound of the music industry. So get out your pen and paper because class is officially in session!

In the year 1998, Hip-Hop legend Lauryn Hill stormed the charts with her now classic song ‘Doo Whop (That Thing)’, which was written and produced by Hill herself. The second single from her monster album ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’, the track hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 14th where it remained for at the top 2 weeks.  Additionally, the song peaked at #3 on the UK Singles Chart; a rare feat for a Hip-Hop/R&B act. Furthermore, not only was the single a major commercial success, but the record also earned Hill 2 Grammy Awards, included in the 5 that she won at 1999 ceremony, where she became the first woman to win that many trophies at one event. The video for the song was also a big winner at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards where it received top honors in 4 categories including ‘Video of the Year’.

This song is brilliant in every sense of the word. It shows why Hill is still considered to this day to be one of the most talented artists of our time. How many acts can you think of that can deliver such an intricate vocal performance as well as spit rhymes with such conviction? Chameleons like her emerge so rarely that we sometimes forget that such talent exists. If some of the artists in today’s generation had a 1000th of her ability then maybe the music industry wouldn’t be in such a horrible position. Yes I said it!