1995
No. 1 July 8 through Aug. 19
By the time summer rolled around in 1995, this soulful hip-pop trio had already released two smokin’ singles from the landmark album CrazySexyCool: “Creep,” a No. 1 pop hit, and the No. 2 hit “Red Light Special.” “Waterfalls” went far beyond TLC’s previous hits in terms of emotional impact and mass appeal. It ruled the summer of 1995, spending seven weeks at the top, and it remains an enduring pop classic.
1996
No. 1 Aug. 3 through Nov. 2
Pretending it didn’t happen isn’t gonna make it delete itself from our collective memory banks. Exploding late in the summer of 1996, Los Del Rio’s “Macarena” spent a mind-numbing 14 weeks at No. 1, a reign that ended mere days after Halloween, and in the process made Los Del Rio into instant one-hit-wonder royalty.
1997
No. 1 June 14 through Aug. 23
This tribute to the slain rapper Notorious B.I.G., featuring an interpolation of The Police’s 1983 hit “Every Breath You Take,” kept America in its somber spell for 11 weeks during the summer of 1997. In an irony to end all ironies, it was knocked out of the No. 1 slot by none other than Biggie himself, when “Mo Money Mo Problems” ascended to the top on Aug. 30.
1998
No. 1 June 6 through Aug. 29
This slick pop/R&B confection — which boasts seven writers and producers in total — charmed pop audiences enough to keep this wickedly funky catfight at No. 1 for 13 amazing weeks. It was the biggest-selling single of 1998 and earned the duo a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group.
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