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’re ready to ode ‘I’m Ready’ – the second single from unsung R&B maestro Tevin Campbell‘s sophomore album, ‘I’m Ready.’ Released in winter 1994, ‘Ready’ (the song) – penned and produced by Darryl Simmons and Babyface (who also performed background vocals) – had big shoes to fill as the follow-up to the Hot 100 top 10 success of ‘Can We Talk?’ It did not disappoint.
Eventually peaking at #9 on the Hot 100 (the same as its predecessor), ‘Ready’ went on to be his last appearance in the chart’s topmost dectet of positions. Going on to nab a nomination for “Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance – Male” at the next year’s ceremony, ‘Ready’ the song (and its parent album) would go down as his last two nods at the awards show.
The industry may have not been as kind to the singer over the years that followed, but we at TGJ keep Mr. Campbell on repeat. Look inside to help us remember ‘I’m Ready’ and see who joined him in the top 25 this week 24 years ago on this week’s ‘Chart Rewind’:
Hot 100 This Week in 1994
Hot 100 This Week
Click here to see the full list of this week’s ‘TGJ Chart Check.’
![Chart Rewind [Hot 100]: 'Friend of Mine' Became Kelly Price's First Top 20 Hit This Week in 1998](https://thatgrapejuice.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/kelly-price-2023-hot-100-friend-of-mine-thatgrapejuice-ron-isley-464x260.jpg "Chart Rewind [Hot 100]: 'Friend of Mine' Became Kelly Price's First Top 20 Hit This Week in 1998.")
Love “I’m Ready”! Along with “Can We Talk” and “Always In My Heart”. No one makes good slow jams anymore.
Prince and Madonna in the top five…those were the days!
I’ve always said Tevin was like a lovechild of Stevie Wonder and Whitney, and God how I wish him and Mariah had made a beautiful 90s ballad
Babyface penmanship was huge part of 90s being a golden era. And that song was yet another gem. Tevin did wonders with that song and that album is solid as a rock.
Tevin had a voice that really just blows you away! I really think he was the male artist with the most “talent” following behind leading men of generations before him (like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Luther Vandross, of course)!
Babyface knew how to setup them slow grooves that made you feel it, this is one of my favorite songs he wrote. We need smooth one two kick type of beats back, in r&b atleast, maybe that would change it’s popularity and give it a distinct sound again.
Now THAT was a year! Phenomenal songs everywhere and ready for mainstream at the same time. “Streets of Philadelphia”… damn it that song is one of the most hair-raising ones I´ve ever heard and it is SO “simple” if u know what I mean. Mariah´s epic “Without You”, all the great pop songs…
In the list from 2018 the current #1 is literally the only song taht feels like something at all.