1993 A to Z: W is for…
Don’t wig out, m’kay?? We are approaching the end of the series . . .
1993 A to Z!
And today we’re talking “W.” There are a lot of good ones, too. Let me break it down!
W is for . . .
[Image courtesy of pennycandy.com]
Warheads candyWarheads Extreme Sour candies were first introduced to the U.S. in 1993, and they’ve been a huge hit ever since. Part of their popularity spawned from schoolchildren challenging each other to see who could eat the most at once. This, as with most challenges among schoolchildren, is a terrible idea—one four-year-old girl in Australia burned a hole in her tounge eating too many! Still, they’ve remained popular for decades. Now we even have Warheads Super Sour Spray, Warheads soda, an inedible Warheads-scented slime, and for reasons I do not understand, Warheads pickles. The world is a weird place.
Special props to . . .
[All images courtesy of Wikipedia unless otherwise noted]
Whitney Houston“I wanna run to you (oooh)
I wanna run to you (oooh)”
There’s a reason Whitney Houston earned the nickname “the Voice.” The lady won about a billion Grammy awards and basically blew up the Billboard Hot 100. And the early 90s was an especially good time for her, with the release of her debut film The Bodyguard and its soundtrack, which included her unforgettable rendition of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” (For a heaping helping of 90s nostalgia, go ahead and watch the music video. You know you want to.) I used her less well known song from the same album, “Run to You,” as the title of Chapter 30 of Rewind. (That music video has slightly less Kevin Costner than the other one, if that’s a factor for you.) You can find the full playlist of 1993 songs I used for Rewind chapter titles here!
With additional props to . . .
"What's Up?"“And so I cry sometimes when I’m lying in bed
Just to get it all out, what’s in my head
And I, I am feeling a little peculiar”
To me, “What’s Up?” is perhaps the defining song of 1993. That year the hit by alt-rock band 4 Non-Blondes was seemingly everywhere—and it’s a real weird song, too, with curious vocals that bounce from high to low in a second, and a refrain that never quite worms its way out of your head. Honestly, I’ve never really decided if I hate it or love it. (The music video didn’t make the choice any easier.) But maybe that’s the charm. And the song has sure stuck around over the decades, appearing in everything from a bizarre He-Man mash-up to the brand new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. (No joke—I went to see this movie yesterday and when the song came on I was like, “Ack, it’s following me!”) (The movie is very good, by the way!) I knew from minute one that I was going to have to use the song as one of the chapter titles in Rewind. It ended up as Chapter 15. (For the full playlist of Rewind chapter title songs, go here. It’s a great group!)
With even more props to . . .
"Whoomp! (There It Is!)"“Let me tell you, it’s the A-D-D-A-M-S
The Addams Family, y’all, yes, yes
They’re creepy, kooky, mysterious, spooky
As loony as can be when you see the movie”
Though “What’s Up?” may be my vote for Most 1993 song of 1993, “Whoomp! (There It Is!)” by the rap duo Tag Team is not too far behind. The song is still ubiquitous at basketball and baseball games. (Apparently the Cubs play the song whenever they hit a home run.) It’s also appeared in several movies, including the street hockey scene from D2: The Mighty Ducks and the mailroom scene in Elf. In one of the more curious choices of 1993, Tag Team rewrote the lyrics to “Whoomp!” to help promote the second “Addams Family” movie, Addams Family Values. The music video* features a rap breakdown of the movie’s plot, and a pretty snazzy dance featuring Tag Team and Christina Ricci, among other members of the movie’s cast. It is weird.
*While there appears to be no official music video of the original song, you can listen to it in its entirety here.
In summary, I think we’ve learned that 1993 was a good time for songs and musicians starting with the letter “W.” And also for sour candy. What other great 90s “W”s were there? Tell me what I missed in the comments!
Next we’re moving on to “X”—and if you were at all conscious in 1993, you probably know what that means. But until we get to it, maybe you want to pick up a good book?? :)
Happy reading!
♥ Lisa
P.S. To read all the posts in the “1993 A to Z” series, click here!
