# Best #1 single of the year retrospective: 1993 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 3, 2014, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1993/703433 "2014-11-03T09:19:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1993/703433/1 "2014-11-03T09:19:11Z")
Our survey (which is going up a little early this morning because I’m off work) now takes us to 1993. With Whitney carrying over, we have 11 songs at the top of the chart this year, including the longest song to ever reach #1 (and that in its _short_ version), the only song from a Disney animated movie to reach #1 (though note that the version that charted is not the one sung by the actors in the movie, but the R&B version that played over the end credits), and what I believe is the last time a song originally recorded by Elvis made it to #1. An interesting year, for sure. You know the drill. What’s your favorite? Previous polls: [1955-56](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=731649) [1957](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=731871) [1958](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732021) [1959](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732199)[1960](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732526) [1961](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732691) [1962](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732872) [1963](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733112) [1964](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733297) [1965](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733526) [1966](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733750) [1967](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733958) [1968](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734168) [1969](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734331) [1970](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734535) [1971](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734741) [1972](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735107) [1973](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735304) [1974](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735502) [1975](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735659) [1976](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735871) [1977](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736076) [1978](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736316) [1979](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736501) [1980](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736705) [1981](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736957) [1982](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737099) [1983](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737315) [1984](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737488) [1985](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737732) [1986](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737957) [1987](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738178) [1988](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738403) [1989](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738639) [1990](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738829) [1991](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739067) [1992](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739360) [2012](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=675664) [2013](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=710843) ---
**Author:** ![Art\_Rock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/art_rock/32/525_2.png) [@Art\_Rock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Art_Rock)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1993/703433/2 "2014-11-03T09:35:32Z")
Nope. Nope. Nope. I like early UB40 and Meat Loaf, but by this time they lost it. The rest is not for me either. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1993/703433/3 "2014-11-03T11:36:01Z")
> [@Art\_Rock](#): > > Nope. Nope. Nope. I like early UB40 and Meat Loaf, but by this time they lost it. The rest is not for me either. After reviewing the nominees, I’ll take a raincheck. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1993/703433/4 "2014-11-03T11:44:28Z")
Absolutely the first year since this poll started – 1955! – when I can’t vote, because I’ve never heard of 90% of the songs (and 50% of the artists), and the other 10% I despise. I find this pretty amazing! I was living in urban California that year (not some jungle in Mexico – that would be 1998), and I was in my early twenties, so you’d think I’d have been congnizant of some of this stuff. Nope. Nada. Where _were_ all these people that liked these songs? The list is as foreign to me as, say, the top ten cricket players of Sri Lanka. I can name and hum the biggest hits of 1720 Germany more readily than pick almost any of these songs out of a lineup. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1993/703433/5 "2014-11-03T11:44:31Z")
Mr. Loaf. Comfort tune. mmm ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1993/703433/6 "2014-11-03T11:47:29Z")
I got nuthin’ What an awful year. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1993/703433/7 "2014-11-03T12:07:10Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Absolutely the first year since this poll started – 1955! – when I can’t vote, because I’ve never heard of 90% of the songs (and 50% of the artists), and the other 10% I despise. I think this will be my last year voting. I only know 3 of these songs and would only be willing to hear 2 of them again. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1993/703433/8 "2014-11-03T12:28:09Z")
I’m going to vote for “Hero” because… 1. It’s a pretty song 2. Mariah is hot 3. Meat Loaf is going to win this thing in a walk The years where there were a lot of #1’s are far more interesting in their options. This year’s songs were a ten on the “meh” rankings. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1993/703433/9 "2014-11-03T13:04:47Z")
I abstain this year. The only one I feel even halfway moved to vote for is the song from _ **Aladdin** _, and I just won’t do it. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1993/703433/10 "2014-11-03T14:02:01Z")
I voted for “Weak,” not because it’s that good, but at least it’s tolerable. “Freak Me” is dead-ass last. I don’t think these lists will improve much until Eminem starts appearing on them. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1993/703433/11 "2014-11-03T14:09:05Z")
This is really showing the divide between pop and alternative/college rock – 1993 was an absolutely amazing year for the latter category. For one thing, it will always immediately ping for me as the year that the Afghan Whigs’ _Gentlemen_ came out, which is the album I’ve listened to the most in my lifetime and the only cassette I’ve ever worn out. Check out the list of all albums from 1993 – [1993 in music - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_in_music#Albums_released) . PJ Harvey’s _Rid of Me_ came out that year, Depeche Mode’s _Songs of Faith and Devotion_, Tool’s _Undertow_, Liz Phair’s _Exile in Guyville_, Fugazi’s _In On the Kill Taker_, Bjork’s _Debut_, etc. etc. – it’s one classic alternative album after another. That world was on fire in 1993! Then you look at the options on this poll and deflate. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1993/703433/12 "2014-11-03T14:12:29Z")
Well, I see my sentiment has already been posted. This is the first year I can’t find a song I like (or know enough to like–who were SWV?), so I abstain, ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1993/703433/13 "2014-11-03T14:13:38Z")
I was tempted to vote for _I Will Always Love You_ because Whitney is that good. But in the end I went with _A Whole New World_, because it was a good song in a sea of meh. Rule of thumb: If I had to search YouTube to see if I remember it, I can’t vote for it. I remember the Meat Loaf song, but not particularly fondly. And I cannot take an artist seriously if the New York Times feels obligated to refer to him as “Mr. Loaf”. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1993/703433/14 "2014-11-03T14:22:06Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Well, I see my sentiment has already been posted. This is the first year I can’t find a song I like (or know enough to like–who were SWV?), so I abstain, SWV = Sisters With Voices. 3rd tier R&B girl group, piggybacking their name off of N.W.A. I seem to recall they had a reality show a few years ago following their attempts at a comeback or just surviving as a 3rd-tier group - the show didn’t do well, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1993/703433/15 "2014-11-03T14:25:38Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > I was living in urban California that year (not some jungle in Mexico – that would be 1998), and I was in my early twenties, so you’d think I’d have been congnizant of some of this stuff. Nope. Nada. Wow. I was 39, and my year was split between Florence and Columbia, SC, and Bristol, VA/TN. And I recognize three of the songs (the Meat Loaf, UB40, and Whitney numbers). As I said in the 1992 thread, Whitney’s “I Will Always Love You” AFAIAC finally displaced “MacArthur Park” as the worst popular song ever, though it would soon be dethroned in turn by “My Heart Will Go On.” So I got to choose between Meat Loaf and UB40, and I went with UB40, even though in my case, they were off by a year. 😉 I’m surprised that none of the Counting Crows songs got to #1, because 1993 was their big year, and I would have voted for them in a heartbeat. Ah well, I’ve been here before and I deserve a little more, but as usual, I’m not gonna get it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1993/703433/16 "2014-11-03T14:26:06Z")
I don’t really want to spend 15 minutes listening to a song, so can someone spoil what it is he won’t do for love? ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1993/703433/17 "2014-11-03T14:29:27Z")
Yeeeesh! I came back to the radio in 1991, but could find nothing to vote for in any of the last three polls. Clearly whatever station I was listening to wasn’t this one. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1993/703433/18 "2014-11-03T14:34:34Z")
I was in love with a girl in high school and then I found out that her favorite song was the (then currently #1) smash hit “Informer.” It was the first sign that something was deeply, disturbingly wrong with her. I’ll hold my nose and vote for the Meat Loaf, as at least the song is kind of funny. The UB40 song was from the soundtrack for “Sliver,” a whole movie built around the promise of seeing Sharon Stone naked for a few seconds. Also it starred Billy Baldwin. Every time I think of that song I see the music video in my mind. Fuck UB40. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1993/703433/19 "2014-11-03T14:35:27Z")
People who hate posting, but love voting in polls, love Mr. Loaf. I also quite like Mr. Loaf; while the song was definitely overplayed at the time, I still like it. UB40 would be the runner up. I’m pleased to see not a single vote for Whitney Houston; when she busts into that “IIIIIIIIIIIeeIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIeeIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIeeIIIIIIII willalwayslove YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUooUUUUUUUooUUUUUUUU”, I go hunting for my icepick so I can self-administer the Trotsky Maneuver. Yech. _shudder_ ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1993/703433/20 "2014-11-03T14:43:29Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Wow. I was 39, and my year was split between Florence and Columbia, SC, and Bristol, VA/TN. And I recognize three of the songs (the Meat Loaf, UB40, and Whitney numbers). True, I remember exactly those same ones (well, of the two Whitney songs, just the “…Always…” one), and no others. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1993/703433.md?page=2)