The Top 50 Songs of 1996*: #30-21

It's interesting how some news events from years past have relevance today.  In 1996, after a 3-year-old boy fell into a 20-foot deep gorilla enclosure at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, Illinois, Binti Jua, a female lowland gorilla, sat with the injured boy until he was rescued.  Braveheart won Best Picture at the Academy Awards while the New York Yankees turned back the Atlanta Braves 4 games to 2 to win the World Series.

#30:

Breakfast At Tiffany's

Deep Blue Something

According to Todd Pipes of Deep Blue Something, the lyrics for this song were inspired by Audrey Hepburn's performance in the movie Roman Holiday, but he felt that the Hepburn film Breakfast at Tiffany's would make for a better song title.

#29:

Wonderwall

Oasis

At #29, we have the group that was always bickering and in trouble with the law, but they somehow managed to record some good music.  This song was nominated for Best Rock song and Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group at the Grammy Awards, although it did not win.

#28:

1979

Smashing Pumpkins

This group was named Favorite Alternative Artist at the American Music Awards.  They were nominated seven times at the Grammy Awards, including for Album of the Year, but they were able to only come home with one trophy, for Hard Rock Performance on this song.

#27:

Killing Me Softly 

Fugees

In 1973, Roberta Flack recorded one of The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era* in "Killing Me Softly With His Song".  In 1996, the remake by the Fugees checks in at #27 for the year.

#26:

Not Gon' Cry

Mary J. Blige

This #1 R&B hit and #2 overall earned Mary J. Blige a Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.  The single has now gained Platinum status.

#25:

Champagne Supernova

Oasis

Here is the 22nd-most played song from 1996 on YouTube, a factor that significantly helps this song.  Although it did reach the Top 100 in the U.S., it did peak at #11 in Canada.

#24:

You Learn

Alanis Morrisette

At #24, another hit from the phenomenal album Jagged Little Pill that helped Alanis Morrisette win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

#23:

The World I Know

Collective Soul

Here's a song that peaked at #19 in the U.S. and #1 in Canada.  Great album sales and YouTube numbers has helped this song become much stronger in 2016 than it was originally.

#22:

Free As A Bird

Beatles

This song was originally written by John Lennon in 1977 as a home demo.  In 1995, the three surviving members of the Beatles--Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr--got together and recorded the song.  It was released 25 years after the Beatles broke up in 1970 and the song became a big hit in 1996.

#21:

Sittin' Up In My Room

Brandy

This #2 song on both the R&B and Popular charts helped make the "Waiting To Exhale" Soundtrack one of the most popular soundtracks of the year.