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Best Female Pop Single (1991)

Here are some of the 10 biggest pop songs sung by female solo artists in 1991.

This was the peak for Janet and Madonna, and the R&B dance/pop from Paula Abdul/Tara Kemp/Karyn White/Cathy Dennis proved to be just a fad.

Which is your personal favorite?

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by Anonymousreply 113June 9, 2020 6:10 PM

Janet:

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by Anonymousreply 1May 12, 2020 10:51 PM

Madonna:

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by Anonymousreply 2May 12, 2020 10:52 PM

Paula Abdul:

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by Anonymousreply 3May 12, 2020 10:53 PM

Karyn White:

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by Anonymousreply 4May 12, 2020 10:54 PM

Tara Kemp:

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by Anonymousreply 5May 12, 2020 10:55 PM

Cathy Dennis:

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by Anonymousreply 6May 12, 2020 10:55 PM

I had that Cathy Dennis single, back in the day

by Anonymousreply 7May 12, 2020 10:56 PM

Technically, wasn't Justify My Love 1990? I thought Rescue Me, which followed up Justify My Love, came out in January, 1991.

by Anonymousreply 8May 12, 2020 11:00 PM

R8 it went to #1 in 1991 for two weeks though

I remember Madonna being inescapable from 1989-1992, Like a Prayer era through Sex book/Erotica era

On every magazine cover, talked about everywhere, nonstop Madonna weekends on MTV etc

by Anonymousreply 9May 12, 2020 11:05 PM

I'll one up you R7 I had the Tara Kemp cassette and I thought I was the shit in my neighborhood

by Anonymousreply 10May 12, 2020 11:07 PM

Yes R8, it was released in 1990.

I used the Billboard year end chart for 1991, so it must have been a hit in winter 1991.

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by Anonymousreply 11May 12, 2020 11:08 PM

There was a whole episode of Nightline devoted to the controversy around "Justify My Love," MTV wouldn't play the video before a certain hour. I half expected it to feature uncensored fisting rather than mild s&m and a few flashes of tit.

by Anonymousreply 12May 12, 2020 11:10 PM

Tara Kemp is an American singer/songwriter best known for her Gold Record HOLD YOU TIGHT. Releasing new music! Stay tuned!

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by Anonymousreply 13May 12, 2020 11:10 PM

R12 yes and the video controversy made the cover of Entertainment Weekly and Time (!) magazine, during the Gulf War no less

People tend to forget or weren't around to witness Madonna's astonishing peak, everything in pop culture was Madonna, Madonna, Madonna

by Anonymousreply 14May 12, 2020 11:12 PM

Whitney:

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by Anonymousreply 15May 12, 2020 11:16 PM

Justify My Love has my vote. But if this had been on the list--this was never released in America--it would have been my choice. (Released January, 1991)

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by Anonymousreply 16May 12, 2020 11:16 PM

It's funny to think that there was a time when Amy Grant had music videos regularly played on MTV. And she was even nominated for an MTV video music award. This would never happen today:

Best Female music video:

Janet Jackson – "Love Will Never Do (Without You)"

Paula Abdul – "Rush Rush"

Neneh Cherry – "I've Got You Under My Skin"

Amy Grant – "Baby Baby"

Madonna – "Like a Virgin (Truth or Dare version)"

But Heart in Motion is a great album, I don't care what people say.

by Anonymousreply 17May 12, 2020 11:18 PM

Tara Kemp owes Jazzie B some royalties.

And no love for Whitney? I think this is one of her best.

by Anonymousreply 18May 12, 2020 11:20 PM

R18 I prefer Miracle by Whitney

by Anonymousreply 19May 12, 2020 11:21 PM

True R14, she got rich off that banned video. The SNL parody:

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by Anonymousreply 20May 12, 2020 11:22 PM

Amy Grant:

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by Anonymousreply 21May 12, 2020 11:24 PM

I always hated “Baby Baby” by Amy Grant. “Good For Me” was much better.

by Anonymousreply 22May 12, 2020 11:25 PM

Whitney's National Anthem performance completely overshadowed IYBT. It was one of those moments that everyone was talking about the next day. Then radio started playing it as a single and she did that concert for HBO for the Gulf War Troops.

Bette Midler's From a Distance and Whitney's National Anthem were Gulf War anthems.

by Anonymousreply 23May 12, 2020 11:28 PM

[quote] It's funny to think that there was a time when Amy Grant had music videos regularly played on MTV.

This was the #28 song of 1991.

Nirvana, Dr. Dre and the Clintons spelled the end for this style of pop.

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by Anonymousreply 24May 12, 2020 11:28 PM

R24 how do you explain Celine Dion exploding in late 1993 then?

by Anonymousreply 25May 12, 2020 11:32 PM

R20 is pure nostalgia that will never come back: funny, likable Madonna and non-irritating, non-asshole Mike Myers.

by Anonymousreply 26May 12, 2020 11:32 PM

This was also the year of Truth or Dare. Back when Madonna was still fun and entertaining and somewhat self-aware.

by Anonymousreply 27May 12, 2020 11:42 PM

R27 the highest grossing music documentary of all time in 1991

by Anonymousreply 28May 12, 2020 11:44 PM

Why does every music thread have to turn into a Madonna thread?

Sheesh.

by Anonymousreply 29May 12, 2020 11:48 PM

[quote] There was a whole episode of Nightline devoted to the controversy around "Justify My Love," MTV wouldn't play the video before a certain hour. I half expected it to feature uncensored fisting rather than mild s&m and a few flashes of tit.

Madonna was certainly hotter in early 1991, but that vanished once Janet's video took over MTV.

It was the first time she expressed her sexuality in a video. Janet's video exposed Madonna's tit flash as a pathetic last grab for attention.

by Anonymousreply 30May 12, 2020 11:52 PM

It’s not like we’re lauding “Die Another Day”, R29. It’s arguably the most interesting song on the list.

by Anonymousreply 31May 12, 2020 11:53 PM

R30 hi Janbot, you would know about "pathetic tit grabs for attention" being a Janet fan and all

Madonna STILL hadn't released the Sex book and Erotica video yet

by Anonymousreply 32May 12, 2020 11:56 PM

Tara's 2nd big 1991 hit:

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by Anonymousreply 33May 13, 2020 12:21 AM

[quote] Why does every music thread have to turn into a Madonna thread?

Any "female pop music" thread from 1983 - 2000 has to mention Madonna.

I'm not her biggest fan but her influence can't be erased.

by Anonymousreply 34May 13, 2020 12:27 AM

Madge and Janet getting the most votes. Of course.

by Anonymousreply 35May 13, 2020 12:31 AM

Janet just won an online poll!

Janbot is busy updating her Wikipedia page with her newest award:

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by Anonymousreply 36May 13, 2020 12:39 AM

Thank you, R33. Piece of My Heart was so much better than Hold You Tight.

by Anonymousreply 37May 13, 2020 12:54 AM

It seems ridiculous now, but Paula's song destroyed Whitney, Madonna, and Janet on the charts.

It was the #4 hit of 1991.

Her second release (below) was the #41 song of the year. It was not without its own controversy, as its video tricks may have foreshadowed the MTV "Vibeology" fiasco in September 1991.

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by Anonymousreply 38May 13, 2020 12:55 AM

Karyn hit #12 with her next single.

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by Anonymousreply 39May 13, 2020 1:06 AM

Mariah silences her critics with this performance:

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by Anonymousreply 40May 13, 2020 1:24 AM

Tracie Spencer's biggest hit was the #45 song of 1991.

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by Anonymousreply 41May 13, 2020 1:33 AM

"Just Another Dream" is a song by Cathy Dennis, released as her debut solo single in 1989. It initially failed to enter the UK charts, and was later re-issued in 1990, and then again in 1991. It was released in the United States with a different version (a shorter edit of the album version).

"Just Another Dream" reached the Billboard top 10 in January 1991, peaking at No. 9 on February 2, 1991. It also peaked at number two for three weeks on the dance charts.

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by Anonymousreply 42May 13, 2020 1:36 AM

Janbot, don't forget that Enya, Shania and Beyoncé have all outsold your alleged global "icon".

by Anonymousreply 43May 13, 2020 1:38 AM

Did Justify My Love go to number one based on sales alone? Because I never once heard that song played on the radio stations where I lived (maybe because I was in the Midwest?).

by Anonymousreply 44May 13, 2020 1:58 AM

I was listening to tons of pop music in 1991 but I don't remember "This House" at all

by Anonymousreply 45May 13, 2020 2:19 AM

Fair point R25. Celine was #37 of 1991 with this hit.

Janet/Mariah/Whitney ruled the charts in 1992/1993/1994. The disposable dance/pop was no longer fashionable.

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by Anonymousreply 46May 13, 2020 3:16 AM

R44, Justify My Love was #1 for 5 weeks on the Sales chart and #2 on the Airplay chart but I don't ever remember hearing it on the radio either and I lived in Brooklyn.

by Anonymousreply 47May 13, 2020 3:42 AM

I loved me some Tara Kemp and Cathy Dennis in 7th grade! Not surprisingly, I turned out to be gay.

by Anonymousreply 48May 13, 2020 3:46 AM

[quote]People tend to forget or weren't around to witness Madonna's astonishing peak, everything in pop culture was Madonna, Madonna, Madonna

We will never see anything like that again. Nobody is that famous anymore, or has that kind of cultural impact.

by Anonymousreply 49May 13, 2020 3:48 AM

Another example of Madonna being untouchable at this point: Madonna also released a video single for “Justify My Love” which sold over a million copies despite costing about $10.

by Anonymousreply 50May 13, 2020 3:51 AM

Someday, Mariah Carey, big time. I loved that video.

by Anonymousreply 51May 13, 2020 3:52 AM

I was SHOCKED my mother actually gave me the Justify My Love video as a stocking stuffer that Christmas.

by Anonymousreply 52May 13, 2020 3:53 AM

Either she was a cool mom, or a clueless mom.

by Anonymousreply 53May 13, 2020 3:55 AM

I'm not a huge Mariah fan, but Someday is a fun song

by Anonymousreply 54May 13, 2020 4:11 AM

Mariah's peak was from 1990 through 1997 and she released like 6 albums during that time (including the Unplugged album) but it's interesting that her fans seem most interested in the songs from Music Box, Merry Christmas, Daydream and The Emancipation of Mimi. Her first two albums and Unplugged are ignored on youtube and spotify by comparison.

by Anonymousreply 55May 13, 2020 6:31 AM

I lived in Orlando and they played Justify My Love constantly. I even remember hearing it for the first time on Y106. It was, in terms of airplay on the station I listened to, like Vogue: it seemed they played it every half hour or so. There was definitely airplay behind it but I can see where some stations might have been hesitant to play it. Remember that there was the whole obscenity in music movement at that time and you had performers being arrested and venues being threatened (2Live Crew, for one, in Florida and Madonna threatened with arrest a few months before in Canada. )

by Anonymousreply 56May 13, 2020 7:39 AM

Definitely Miss Cathy Denis because she made a cover of the song that played during the gayest scene in horror movie history!

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by Anonymousreply 57May 13, 2020 7:56 AM

R52 She knew her son was a fag.

by Anonymousreply 58May 13, 2020 8:05 AM

Who the fuck are Karyn White and Tara Kemp?

by Anonymousreply 59May 13, 2020 8:05 AM

The poor woman's Jody Watley and Paula Abdul.

by Anonymousreply 60May 13, 2020 11:24 AM

1991 belonged to Corina and her purple crushed velvet catsuit!

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by Anonymousreply 61May 13, 2020 12:19 PM

The Hold You Tight video is soooo early 90s

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by Anonymousreply 62May 13, 2020 3:28 PM

This should have made the poll. It continues to be the best song and video from a female pop act for the year 1991, it has aged so much better than the other shit listed here also.

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by Anonymousreply 63May 13, 2020 7:58 PM

Rescue Me (Club MTV):

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by Anonymousreply 64May 20, 2020 3:22 AM

I thought Rescue Me was just okay

by Anonymousreply 65May 20, 2020 3:23 AM

You have horrid taste OP

by Anonymousreply 66May 20, 2020 3:23 AM

LOL, it's not me, these were the biggest female hits on the 1991 Billboard chart.

by Anonymousreply 67May 20, 2020 3:28 AM

Mariah:

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by Anonymousreply 68May 20, 2020 3:35 AM

Emotions is the only one that held up and is still played.

by Anonymousreply 69May 20, 2020 3:38 AM

1990-91 was a weird transitional couple of years in pop music. Lots of awful songs.

by Anonymousreply 70May 20, 2020 3:38 AM

That was my era and there are some songs here that I don't even remember. I also looked over the charts and Bette Midler had it for "From a Distance", Oleta Adams made it for the equally treacly "Get Here". Bonnie Raitt's "Something to Talk About" is better known than many of them but wasn't a huge single because everyone had the album. Martha Wash deserves a mention because C&C is #3 and #51 and wouldn't have achieved the success without her vocals. In true Dreamgirls fashion, she was replaced in the videos by a prettier, slimmer girl.

by Anonymousreply 71May 20, 2020 3:40 AM

"Gonna Make You Sweat" by C+C Music Factory is one of my secret guilty pleasures. I play it on my earbuds when I work out at the gym. I would only admit to this anonymously.

by Anonymousreply 72May 20, 2020 3:43 AM

Something to Talk About was huge!

by Anonymousreply 73May 20, 2020 3:47 AM

[quote] Who the fuck are Karyn White and Tara Kemp?

Tara Kemp hit #3 with Hold You Tight. Her Instagram is at R13.

Karyn White was #1 with Romantic. She married Janet's producer Terry Lewis in 1992.

by Anonymousreply 74May 20, 2020 3:56 AM

Tara Kemp's "Piece Of My Heart" and "Hold You Tight" still sound good today, unlike a lot of other songs on that chart.

by Anonymousreply 75May 20, 2020 4:01 AM

Debbie Gibson had the worst stylist and Art Director. All her album cover are horrendous.

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by Anonymousreply 76May 20, 2020 4:03 AM

Totally disagree R70. There were so many good songs from 90-91

by Anonymousreply 77May 20, 2020 4:07 AM

My favorite female songs from that year were a trio of Kylie hits. Better the Devil You Know Step Back in Time What Do I have to Do.

I was a young gay on overseas study in Europe and loved Kylie from that moment.

Dumbass David Geffen didn’t release this album though after one flop record in the USA

by Anonymousreply 78May 20, 2020 4:11 AM

r77 look at the chart of the top 100 songs of 1991 above. Most of it is just garbage.

by Anonymousreply 79May 20, 2020 4:11 AM

Miracle was my fave Whitney song in 1991. Such a beautiful voice.

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by Anonymousreply 80May 20, 2020 4:11 AM

Vanessa Williams:

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by Anonymousreply 81May 20, 2020 4:13 AM

Lisa Lisa:

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by Anonymousreply 82May 20, 2020 4:14 AM

[quote] look at the chart of the top 100 songs of 1991 above. Most of it is just garbage.

THis was the last year before Soundscan changed the Billboard 100. Most of these hits were payola.

[quote] Previously, Billboard tracked sales by calling stores across the U.S. and asking about sales—a method that was inherently error-prone and open to outright fraud. Indeed, while transitioning from the calling to tracking methods, the airplay and sales charts (already monitored by Nielsen) and the Hot 100 (then still using the calling system) often did not match (for instance Paula Abdul's "Promise of a New Day" and Roxette's "Fading Like a Flower" reached much higher Hot 100 peaks than their actual sales and airplay would have allowed them to.

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by Anonymousreply 83May 20, 2020 4:27 AM

Debbie's last hit:

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by Anonymousreply 84May 20, 2020 4:36 AM

Oleta Adams beautiful version of "Get Here". Brings me to tears. Done with grace and simplicity.

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by Anonymousreply 85May 20, 2020 4:40 AM

Wendy Ho's parody of "Get Here," called "Fuck Me."

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by Anonymousreply 86May 20, 2020 4:46 AM

DL always brings da class.

by Anonymousreply 87May 20, 2020 4:51 AM

That's not even her raunchiest, r87.

by Anonymousreply 88May 20, 2020 5:02 AM

Holy shit, I think that's Camille Grammer dancing in R64's video. She was dancing like a hoe even then!

by Anonymousreply 89May 20, 2020 8:45 AM

Where R84? In Germany? Certainly not in the US.

by Anonymousreply 90May 20, 2020 2:08 PM

Debbie Gibson was the last female teen pop star who looked like a normal teenager and not like an underaged prostitute.

by Anonymousreply 91May 20, 2020 2:27 PM

R91 you are correct. Teen pop would die down around 1991. Debbie Gibson and Tiffany were done by then. Pop music turned to grunge rock and hip hop, two relative extremes. I was very tuned into pop music and dance music as a kid, and around 1992-93, it was like a switch flipped. Top 40 stations started playing artists like Nirvana and Snoop Dogg. Suddenly I couldn't stand anything on the radio anymore. Teen pop wouldn't come back until the Britney/Christina/Spice Girls wave starting around 1996-97. That's when music got lighter and fun again. But yes, the teen pop stars of the late 90's would be the first set to be aggressively marketed with sex.

by Anonymousreply 92May 21, 2020 4:51 AM

Debbie Gibson and Tiffany were done by 1989.

by Anonymousreply 93May 21, 2020 12:41 PM

R93 correct. The 80's teen pop stars had a much shorter shelf life. I grew up around NYC, and dance music was HUGE on the radio then. Hot 97, now known for 20+ years as a flagship station for hip hop music, was a full dance pop station from 1986-92. Even our Top 40 stations began to play freestyle and house music records. 1991 was a huge year for those sort of records. Then in '92 things got weird. It's like everyone suddenly wanted to listen to grunge or rap, and anything happy sounding was suddenly a four letter word. It was like that for a good 4 years or so until dance music really re-emerged in pop form with acts like La Bouche, Real McCoy etc. The early 90's was a very strange time for pop music.

by Anonymousreply 94May 21, 2020 1:01 PM

R94 AIDS crisis, Greed and Leave It To Beaver facade of the Reagan years led to mass depression.

by Anonymousreply 95May 21, 2020 2:28 PM

I remember a critic from Slant Magazine writing that The Cranberries debut was probably the happiest thing on the radio in 1993. But let's not forget the biggest song of the 90s is I Will Always Love You from 1992. So it wasn't like pop really was dead. As a whole, it just took a back seat to those other genres for a bit.

by Anonymousreply 96May 21, 2020 6:34 PM

[quote] Hot 97, now known for 20+ years as a flagship station for hip hop music, was a full dance pop station from 1986-92. Even our Top 40 stations began to play freestyle and house music records. 1991 was a huge year for those sort of records

Madonna's Vogue surprised a lot of people when it was such a big pop hit (Spring 1990).

After that there was a rush of house-influenced pop for the next year or two.

by Anonymousreply 97May 23, 2020 1:37 AM

Ce Ce Peniston.

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by Anonymousreply 98May 23, 2020 1:41 AM

"...let's not forget the biggest song of the 90s is I Will Always Love You from 1992."

Biggest song of the 90s?

Excuse me...???

by Anonymousreply 99May 23, 2020 3:55 PM

Candle in the Wind does not count, it was a charity single.

by Anonymousreply 100May 23, 2020 8:19 PM

The candle burned out long before the royalties ever did.

by Anonymousreply 101May 23, 2020 8:23 PM

"...let's not forget the biggest song of the 90s is I Will Always Love You from 1992."

Biggest song of the 90s...???

Excuse me...???

Nippy was #1 for 14 weeks.

by Anonymousreply 102May 24, 2020 3:12 PM

I will Always Love You sold much more than One Sweet Day did. 4 million in the US and like another 10 million globally.

by Anonymousreply 103May 24, 2020 4:05 PM

I Will Always Love You is more highly regarded than that schmaltzy It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday Part 2.

by Anonymousreply 104May 25, 2020 12:30 AM

Right, One Sweet Day is one of those songs like My Heart Will Go On that I think is looked back on with more embarrassment than nostalgia. At least by Americans.

by Anonymousreply 105May 25, 2020 4:26 PM

Does anyone remember this one?

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by Anonymousreply 106June 9, 2020 3:31 AM

I couldn't listen to most of this stuff back then, let alone now. Siouxsie for me that year...

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by Anonymousreply 107June 9, 2020 4:47 AM

Mariah was so pretty when she was young and skinny.

by Anonymousreply 108June 9, 2020 4:49 AM

No contest: Whitney.

by Anonymousreply 109June 9, 2020 4:57 AM

Tara Kemp is a great example of the music industry's one time ability to take a charisma-free individual with a decent voice and make a star out of that person.

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by Anonymousreply 110June 9, 2020 6:40 AM

R106, a “hipster” bar I frequent regularly (or used to pre-COVID) has that song in its regular rotation.

It’s weird as shit but so fun. Was it an actual hit?

by Anonymousreply 111June 9, 2020 6:45 AM

I think using the word star when describing Tara Kemp is a bit much. She had 2 top 10 hits, even though the album from which they were released only reached 109 on the Billboard 200. Most people don't remember her songs or her name.

by Anonymousreply 112June 9, 2020 5:58 PM

r111, this says it peaked at #98 (in the US)

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by Anonymousreply 113June 9, 2020 6:10 PM
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