Readers of That Grape Juice know what avid music lovers we are – especially of hits past.
So, just as our retrospective features ‘From the Vault’ and ‘TGJ Replay’ allow us the chance to re-spin the gems and jams of yesterday of one artist, our newest feature Chart Rewind – a variation of our current Retro Rewind assay – accedes salutes to an entire era of music history.
This week we’ll flashback to ‘Ray of Light,’ the title track from Madonna‘s 7th studio LP. The pop diva, who’d already built a legendary career on dance hits and up-tempo numbers at that point, still showcased ‘Light’ as a musical departure of sorts. Using the William Orbit-produced tune to show off her love for techno/electronica-based sounds, the tune – the album’s second single – quickly proved itself quite the lucrative move.
Boasting an impressive #5 debut on the Hot 100 this week in 1998 (where it also peaked), the feat was all the more noteworthy considering she was nearly 20 years into her career at the time. Going on to earn a Gold certification in the U.S., the single and its parent album were praised by fans, critics, and the industry at large (earning Grammys and a host of other awards over 1998 and the year that followed).
Tuck in below to see who joined Madge in the top 25 this week 19 years ago:
Billboard Hot 100 This Week in 1998
Hot 100 This Week
Click here to read this week’s refreshed Hot 100 “Chart Check” in full.