Pugacheva, Agutin, Shufutinsky and Beastie Boys: what hits did Russia listen to in 1994?

Bon Jovi – Forever

The love song “Always” was intended to be the soundtrack to the neo-noir thriller Romeo Bleeds, but lead singer Jon Bon Jovi disliked the footage and banned its use. Producer John Kalodner convinced the rocker to release the single. In the dramatic video directed by Marty Kalner, actors Jack Noseworthy and Carla Gugino play a love couple whose relationship is doomed to fall apart. Noseworthy cheats on his fiancee, and Gugino does the same in return. In the man’s heart, the workshop of his lover’s lover burns.

Beastie Boys – “Sabotage”

The composition “Sabotage” from the Beastie Boys’ fourth studio album “Ill Communication” was included in their “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list and even nominated for a Grammy Award, according to Rolling Stone. Tired of working on the LP, the trio decided to write a song about a fictional overbearing producer trying to ruin their genius. The world-famous “Sabotage” provided a clip parodying ’70s police shows – with cheap wigs and chase scenes.

Coolio – “The Fabulous Journey”

A year before breaking into the charts with Gangsta’s Paradise, rapper Coolio released his successful debut album, It Takes a Thief, which became a musician’s autobiography. In the track “Fantastic Voyage” the musician complains about life in the “black” poor areas of Los Angeles. “I want to find a place where my kids can play in the garden without being afraid of passing cars,” Coolio says.

Mariah Carey – “Without You”

Pop singer Mariah Carey created one of Badfinger’s best covers of “Without You” – “the deadliest song of all time” (according to Paul McCartney). The song was included in the singer’s album “Music Box” in 1994. By tragic coincidence, the sad ballad was released a week after the death of legendary composer Harry Neilson. The cover peaked at number two on Carey’s best-selling singles chart.

Zombie – “Cranberry”

Irish’s The Cranberries dedicate their protest kicks to the 1993 Warrington attacks, which occurred during the long conflict between Britain and Ireland. Two children died as a result of explosions organized by Irish Republican Army militants. The vocalist of the group, Dolores O’Riordan, witnessed these events and wrote an essay protesting violence and persecution, as well as a memory of the children who died. The heartbreaking music video for the song was directed by Samuel Beyer, who has worked with Nirvana, Hole and Green Day.

Scatman John – “Scatman (ski-ba-bop-ba-dop-bop)”

Jazz pianist Scatman John (John Paul Larkin) blew up the world dance floor with a ridiculous but provocative composition that later became a popular Internet meme. The song impresses with its creation history more than its reputation. The truth is, Larkin had suffered from severe stuttering since childhood and was very shy about it. Thanks to the support of his wife, he recorded his first hit, “Scatman (ski-ba-bop-ba-dop-bop)”. As a result, the musician topped the charts in nine countries.

Alla Pugacheva – “Love is like a dream”

Prima donna won the 94th Song of the Year music festival with her song Love Like a Dream. By the way, the co-author of the song and one of the producers of the part-time show was Igor Krutoy. “The first person I showed this song to was Philip Kirkorov. Fili’s already huge eyes got bigger and it started to show how massively her feathers were running through her body, so I realized that the song was a success, ”Shared Krutoy. 1994 in the biography of Pugacheva was also remembered by the fact that she married Kirkorov.

Leonid Agutin – “Hope hey lala lei”

In 1994, Leonid Agutin released his first album “Barefoot Boy” and immediately became known to listeners and Russian pop stars. The composition “Hope hey lala ley” in the Latin style, which has long been the hallmark of the artist, made a special impression.

Alena Sviridova – “Pink Flamingo”

“Pink Flamingo” became one of the most successful in the career of Alena Sviridova. The singer admitted that she quickly wrote the song and dreamed of a different reality. “Our life wasn’t very good back then, I wanted to escape in my thoughts,” she said. An unusual clip of shooting underwater at that time was shot by Mikhail Khleborodov.

Mikhail Shufutinsky – “September 3”

The composition, which has traditionally become an annual seasonal September meme, was included in Mikhail Shufutinsky’s album Walk, Soul. The lyrics of the song were not tied to a major event initially. “This line fits perfectly with my friend Igor Krutoy’s melody, and then it becomes a plot, a drama. The author of the text, Igor Nikolaev, turned out to be even on the second day of September, “everything is serious with us.” However, Shufutinsky himself, by lucky luck, a year later – on September 3, 1995 – his eldest grandson was born.

Masha Katz – “The Eternal Wanderer”

The pioneer among Eurovision participants from Russia was the backing vocalist of the League of Blues group Masha Katz with the song “Eternal Wanderer” in 1994. Taking the pseudonym of the biblical hero Judith for the competition, Katz, together with the directors, put an emphasis on vocals, putting a fairly simple number, and in the end she took 9th place.