Chart Rewind: Vanessa Williams’ ‘Colors of the Wind’ Soared To Its Hot 100 Peak This Week in 1995

Published: Friday 23rd Aug 2019 by Rashad

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.

Next up?  We’ll revisit Vanessa Williams’ last trip to the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100:  ‘The Colors of the Wind.’  Meet us inside:

For an entity that’s lifted some of movie history’s most memorable and beloved songs over the last century, Disney’s 1995 classic, ‘Pocahontas,’ easily stands among its greatest contributions thanks to ‘The Colors of the Wind.’ Written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, the ballad – lauded for its lyrics that encouraged appreciation of racial diversity and environmentalism – acted as the theme song for the Irene Bedard-led film.

Keeping in line with its tradition of recruiting popular singers to re-record its films’ signature tunes, Disney secured Grammy-nominated R&B/Pop singer Vanessa Williams to lend her voice to the project.  Reworking it from an anthemic power ballad to an Adult Contemporary cut, Williams’ version of the song was released as the soundtrack’s lead single in late May 1995.  Not even three months later it shot to its Hot 100 peak of #4.

The chart placement of the song not only came as the second highest of the singer’s career (to date), but also helped lead it to a sweep of awards at the next year’s season.  Nabbing honors for ‘Best Original Song’ at the 1996 Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards respectively, it also took home honors at the Grammy Awards for ‘Best Song Written for a Motion Picture.’

As we celebrate the achievement some 24 years later, look below to see who joined her in the top 25 this week in 1995:

Hot 100 This Week in 1995

Hot 100 This Week

Click here to read the current chart’s full rankings on this week’s ‘TGJ Chart Check: Hot 100’ edition.

Your thoughts?

Comments 17

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  1. B August 23, 2019

    I love these posts!

    • Fancy BISH August 23, 2019

      YES ?

    • olivian August 23, 2019

      You have to work and use the computer and internet, and if you can do that and dedicate some time each day then you can do this with no problem.
      I have been working with this for a month and have made over $2,000 already. let me know if you need more help.
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  2. Fancy BISH August 23, 2019

    Look at that Billboard Hot ? chart! ? Vanessa Williams, Soul For Real, Boyz II Men, Jodeci, Junior Mafia, TLC, Monica, Biggie, Seal, Faith Evans, Diana King…so much FLAVOR ? ???

    • Urg August 23, 2019

      That 1995 chart had so many gems compair it to today’s chart which is filled with all ??????

      • Fancy BISH August 23, 2019

        lol, YES! ✅ ✅ ✅ ?

      • Lmfao_Hoe August 23, 2019

        Omg yess it’s ridiculous and I always ask how did we go from quality substance from the past decades to today’s lowest standards of quantity???

      • SMH August 23, 2019

        @Lmfao_Hoe One word: Streaming.

  3. Clarkson August 23, 2019

    Calm down yall
    In the next 20 years u guys will call seniorita, bad guy, old town road germs also. That’s how it is.

    Whitney Houston I wanna dance with somebody was given negative reviews when she released it back then but today it is considered a germ, a timeless classic

    Same thing with queen bohemian rhapsody. Upon released back then, it received negative reviews from music critics, but today bohemian rhapsody is one of the most celebrated most beloved songs of all time.

    • King z August 23, 2019

      This is a sad but very true commentary

      Can u imagine that in 20 years there will be people doing tributes to Future, Young thug, Camila Cabello and Justin Bieber?

      • Your Mom August 23, 2019

        Uh. “Can u imagine that in 20 years there will be people doing tributes to Future, Young thug, Camila Cabello and Justin Bieber?” Ain’t NOBODY doing tributes to Future, Jeffrey, OR Camila. I think Justin will get tributes…but he’s a much bigger star. But the others you mentioned, LOL! They wont even be relevant in 4 years…especially Camilla. Epic Records is running out of money. Her entire career will be shelved soon, just like Megan Trainor’s (I can’t believe Epic just threw Megan away and shelved her project).

      • Clarkson August 23, 2019

        @your mom

        Honey Camila about to score another number 1 with seniorita.

        Havana is a pop salsa latino song that hit number 1, that is a huge deal for the latino community, trust me in the next 20 years Latino musicians will give Camila a tribute, honouring her using her culture and heritage to make successful music.

    • Paulo August 23, 2019

      I will def call 90% of those germs and pests indeed ?

      • Fancy BISH August 23, 2019

        ? ? ? ✅

      • Your Mom August 23, 2019

        HA! Germs indeed

  4. nate August 24, 2019

    YO, THE TOP 8 of the POP charts was BLACK! No wonder they brought in the white t*** explosion in the 2000s, while killing careers of black established acts..

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