Readers of That Grape Juice know what avid music lovers we are – especially of hits past.
So, 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.
It’s high time we get to ‘Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It’ – the inaugural chart-topping single from actor/rapper Will Smith.
Featuring a prominent sample of the 70’s Sister Sledge song, ‘He’s the Greatest Dancer,’ ‘Jiggy’ came as the third single from Smith’s first solo album, 1997’s ‘Big Willie Style’ (his debut effort without longtime partner DJ Jazzy Jeff).
Produced by The Trackmasters, the cut – which followed other album hits ‘Men in Black’ and ‘Just Cruisin’ – was barely on the charts a month before it zoomed to the top spot where it was found this week in 1998. Ousting Celine Dion‘s megahit, ‘My Heart Will Go On,’ from the top spot, ‘Jiggy’ boasted a three week reign atop the charts and would later go on to be one of the year’s most celebrated hits. Despite being a critical polarizer and suffering backlash for the alleged derivation of the term “jiggy” (which was reported as a derogatory term toward African Americans), that didn’t stop the Academy from awarding the cut ‘Best Rap Solo Performance’ at the 1999 Grammys.
Care to walk with us down memory lane? Look below to see who joined Big Willie in the top 25 this week back in 1998:
Hot 100 This Week in 1998
Hot 100 This Week
Click here to see this week’s Hot 100 via TGJ’s weekly ‘Chart Check.’