As we continue to mourn the death of the superstar, join us as we make our way back to 1997 to celebrate ‘Spice World‘, the movie launched boy the Brit-Pop force The Spice Girls.

Shot to support their album of the same name, the movie sees them walk the line between fact and fiction via a story which seems them take on an evil media juggernaut determined to destroy their reputation.

What happens next?

Pop, action and adventure below…

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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.

This week we believe it’s time to replay R. Kelly‘s biggest hit, ‘I Believe I Can Fly.’  The inspirational tune, featured on the Michael Jordan-led semi-animated film ‘Space Jam,’ made its debut on the Hot 100 this week 20 years ago.  Going on to serious chart glory in the following year, ‘Fly’ – despite never soaring to the top of the Billboard singles’ chart (held at bay from #1 by the historic reign of Toni Braxton‘s signature tune ‘Unbreak My Heart’) – would go on to be Kelly’s most successful release to date.

Hovering right under the 2x platinum mark, ‘Fly’ went on to earn the singer 3 Grammys at the 1998 ceremony.  Relive the song and tuck in below to see who joined Kelly this week on the Hot 100:

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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.

This week we’re showing some love to Mary J. Blige‘s inaugural top 10 ‘Real Love,’ lifted from her debut album, ‘What’s the 411?’  Written by L.A. Reid, the tune – released in August 1992 – had a tough act to follow in the album’s first single, ‘You Remind Me.’  Peaking at #29, ‘Remind’ gave listeners their official introduction to the raspy voiced New Yorker.  But, as time would prove, it was only a foretaste of many great things to come.

This week its follow-up, ‘Real Love,’ was hoisted to the top 10 on the back of strong airplay and sales.  Finding its peak at #7 on the tally, the feat is all the more impressive given the unrelenting domination of Whitney Houston‘s ‘I Will Always Love You’ during the time.

Tuck in to see who joined Mary and Whitney in the top 25 this week 24 years ago:

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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.

For this one we’ll press replay on ‘No One’ – the 2007 #1 hit from Grammy-winning songbird Alicia Keys.  The first single from her third studio album, ‘As I Am,’ by late November that year the tune had already helped hoist its parent project to historic heights on the Billboard 200 (best first week sales for any female R&B singer).  However, this week 9 years ago it saw its own ascension to #1 after booting Chris Brown‘s ‘Kiss Kiss’ out of the top spot this week in 2007.  Going on to earn ‘Best R&B Song’ honors at the next year’s Grammys, “No One” entered history books as the most listened to song on U.S. radio in 2008 and, as of time reported, hovers just over the 4x platinum mark.

Tuck in below to find out who joined Keys in the top 25 this week in 2007:

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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 working on trying to keep still while listening to ‘Work It’ – the lead single from Missy Elliott‘s 2002 album, ‘Under Construction’ (read more about it here).  Crafted by Elliott and longtime collaborator Timbaland, the synth-heavy bop leapt onto the mid-September charts of that year.  Barely a month later it reached the #2 spot where it would stay for a record 10 weeks.

Held at bay by Grammy-winning rapper Eminem and his #1 hit ‘Lose Yourself,’ ‘Work’s inability to top the Hot 100 hardly made it a failure.  With its charismatic video showing off Elliott’s jaw-dropping weight loss, creativity, and festive dance moves to help it, the tune went on to gain platinum status.

Relive the magic and tuck in below to see who joined Em and M.E. on the singles chart this week 14 years ago:

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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 turn the dial back to 2005 and press play on Madonna‘s disco-flavored comeback hit ‘Hung Up.’  The lead single from her 10th studio album, ‘Confessions on a Dancefloor,’ the tune – which samples ABBA‘s 1979 ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!’ – was written and produced by the Queen of Pop herself (with a little help from Brit-born producer/songwriter Stuart Price).  Unveiled at a time where hip-hop and Urban-flavored offerings were dominating the charts like never before, ‘Hung Up’ – drenched in disco – was not only a risk due to its sonic distance from mainstream music, but also because Madge was having to prove herself a viable seller following the failure of 2003’s ‘American Life.’

The risk later proved a lucrative one.

Debuting at #20 this week in 2005, the song would eventually go on to peak at #7 (giving her Madgesty her 36th top 10 single), earn platinum status in the U.S., and lead its parent album to #1 on the Billboard 200!

As we get our life to ‘Hung Up,’ you should look under the jump to see who joined the ‘Jump’ singer in the top 25 this week that year:

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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 take it back to Destiny’s Child mega comeback hit ‘Lose My Breath,’ the inaugural release from their last studio album ‘Destiny Fulfilled’ (2004).  With thunderous drums, slick horns, and an overdose of sass – the song, penned by Destiny’s Child, Rodney Jerkins, Jay Z, Sean Garrett, and Lashawn Daniels –  came as a booming announcement that music’s top group had returned with a vengeance.  Its video, as noted by critics, was exact in its purpose of demonstrating that a new “Destiny’s Child” had arrived. Long gone were the days of tacky matching outfits with girlish design and in its place were three learned women whose destiny had led them full circle. Whatever the message, it worked.

Anticipation of ‘Breath’ saw it debut in the top 30 of the Hot 100 before its physical release.  Shortly thereafter, the song skyrocketed to the #3 spot where it peaked this week 12 years ago.  Check below to see who joined them in the top 25 that week:

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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 getting everything we need and more from ‘Everything’ – the third single from Mary J. Blige‘s 3x platinum third studio album ‘Share My World.’  The Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis produced cut, which famously samples ‘You Are Everything’ [The Stylistics], was accompanied by one of the Grammy winner’s most memorable visuals – a Hawaiian themed clip helmed by hit video director Hype Williams.  Helping it reach its Hot 100 peak of #24 this week 19 years ago, the song is an enduring fan favorite from Blige’s catalog and is undoubtedly a “must hear” on her ‘King & Queen’ tour with fellow R&B royal Maxwell [click here to read more] .

Check in below to see how joined the Queen of Hip Hop Soul in reigning over the Billboard Hot 100’s upper rankings this week in 1997:
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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.

This week we’ll invite you to come on over and relive the magic of Christina Aguilera‘s 2000 hit ‘Come On Over’ – the fourth and final single from her multi-platinum, self-titled debut album.  Ending the reign of Madonna‘s 12th and last #1 run on the Hot 100 (to date), ‘Come On Over’ shot to #1 this week 16 years ago on the strength of strong radio play and sales.  Reportedly one of few songs on the project where Xtina was given creative control over the song’s concept, and later, its accompanying music video, the tune’s colorful music video would also be the beginning of the singer’s departure from her “cookie cutter” image (a journey brought to completion by the time 2002’s ‘Stripped’ rolled around).

Giving Xtina the distinct honor of being the youngest artist to earn three #1 singles from one album (‘Genie In a Bottle’ & ‘What a Girl Wants’ being the first two), tuck in below to see what other songs joined ‘Come On Over’ in the top 25 this week in 2000:

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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.

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Welcome to Retro Rewind, the TGJ original feature carved out to celebrate TV and Film’s entertaining past. Today, we honour the groundbreaking dance force that is Wade Robson, the star of the hit TV series ‘The Wade Robson Project.’

Mentored by the late Michael Jackson as a child, Robson rose to become one of Pop’s most sought-after choreographers after building moves for ‘NSync (‘Pop’) and Britney Spears (‘Slave 4 U.‘)

How the Australian creative was thanked for his services to Pop? ‘The Wade Robson Project’, an MTV show in which up and coming dancers would compete for a $100,000 cash prize and the chance to follow in his acclaimed footsteps.

Ready to reunite with Robson and his eight-count hitting hopefuls?

Watch below…

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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.

This week we’ve got the August 1990 Hot 100 in our view.  There, we find pop icon Mariah Carey reigning with her introductory hit ‘Vision of Love.’  Located on her self-titled debut album, ‘Vision’ not only helped hoist its eponymous parent project to #1 on the Billboard 200 (where it enjoyed 11 weeks, the longest run of her career to date), but also helped itself to a four week reign on the singles chart.  Unknown to many at the time, the soaring ballad would be the first of a record-setting 18 tenancies she’d have atop the Hot 100.

Kicking off a now-legendary career, ‘Vision’ continues to influence an army of pop and R&B singers while simultaneously remaining one of the hardest songs to sing (effectively) in pop music history.  An enduring fan favorite nearly three decades after its release, let us tell it the tune remains our favorite MC cut here at TGJ HQ as well.

Tuck in below to see Madonna, Janet Jackson, and all the others who joined Mimi in the top 25 this week 26 years ago:

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