Would "Mo Money Mo Problems" be a Pop Smash Today?

[iceman]

Being one of my favorite songs I was thinking if this was released now or in the last couple of years would it be a bigger hit today than it was back in '97? The song lasted over 20 weeks yet only peaked at #29 which obviously meant there were a select number of stations who had it in high rotation for quite some time.

Looking at the pop charts over the past couple of years (when rap/rhythmic songs started performing better) there weren't really many great rap songs (or my taste has started to change).

Your opinion please?

[kellydicted]

If it was remixed somehow and didn't have that distinct 90's sound than yes. I'm sure it would be bigger even.

[Deleted]

No. I can't even see a major rap artist recording a song with a disco Diana Ross sample in 2005, let alone having a big hit with it.

[oscillations.]

Today's Urban scene almost makes me miss the scene of 1997

Back when P. Diddy was Puff Daddy
and shiny sweatsuits were all the rage

[allow that]

I think "Mo Money Mo Porblems" would have gone straight to #1 today.

[oscillations.]

how come pop stations don't have 90's flashback weekends?

[kellydicted]

CherryCrush said:

how come pop stations don't have 90's flashback weekends? 

My station has a 90's lunch hour and it's pretty sweet.

[Nicholas2.0]

Hector said:

If it was remixed somehow and didn't have that distinct 90's sound than yes. I'm sure it would be bigger even.

That Diana Ross sample all over it makes it very hard for me to notice the otherwise '90's hip hop production running under it.

[irice22]

Mr. said:

I think "Mo Money Mo Porblems" would have gone straight to #1 today.

[Keith3000]

"Mo, Money, Mo' Problems" was huge in '97...it just wasn't a hit on pop radio because that format for the most part ignored R&B and rap at the time. In fact, the song did pretty well when compared to most rhythmic tracks that did well on Billboard but failed on pop.

Now pop radio is the other extreme...in '97, had radio been like it is now, all of Puff Daddy's songs would have been huge. Same with "Hypnotize".

When urban music kicked ass, pop radio basically gave it a cold shoulder...now that it sucks for the most part, it's all we're hearing.

[No Brake$]

Top 5 for sure

[Adonis the DemiGod!]

Mr. said:

I think "Mo Money Mo Porblems" would have gone straight to #1 today.

[Walking Contradiction]

Hmmm....see I guess I always thought of "Mo Money Mo Problems" as a hit because it was huge on Z100. I wasn't really following the Pop chart that much at the time.

But yes, it would definately work in today's climate.

[allow that]

Keith3000 said:

When urban music kicked ass, pop radio basically gave it a cold shoulder...now that it sucks for the most part, it's all we're hearing.

Yes. If Urban music was the quality today that it was in the late 90's, you'd never be hearing me complain about its Pop infiltration.

[Devil Marlena Nylund]

mikibacsi1124 said:

Hmmm....see I guess I always thought of "Mo Money Mo Problems" as a hit because it was huge on Z100. I wasn't really following the Pop chart that much at the time.

I don't see why you wouldn't see it as a hit now even though it only peaked at #29. I think this is one of the few instances in which a song's popularity clearly isn't indicated why its charting on the pop chart. I'm not sure how it did on the Hot 100 but I think it hit #1 so I'd say for this song, the Hot 100 was more accurate than R&R Pop.

[allow that]

A #29 Rap song in 1997 was almost unfathomable. By that time's standards, this was a HUGE hit at Pop for a rap song.

And yes, this song topped the Hot 100.

[Bob]

extremely popular video, too--- it'd be #1 today if they had Faith sing the hook ;p

[crash46]

The twenty most played songs from the 90's on pop stations at the moment are:

Artist - Title (actual CHR peak)[/color]
1. Puff Daddy - I'll Be Missing You (13)
2. Next - Too Close (6)
3. Ice Cube - You Can Do It (DNC)
4. Usher - You Make Me Wanna... (7)
5. The Fugees - Killing Me Softly (1)
6. Sir Mix-A-Lot - Baby Got Back (13)
7. The Notorious B.I.G. - Mo' Money, Mo' Problems (29)
8. K-ci & Jo-Jo - All My Life (2)
9. Blink-182 - All The Small Things (9)
10. Aaliyah - Are You That Somebody (4)
11. Green Day - Time Of Your Life (12) [oh, look who's back.]
12. 2pac/Dr. Dre - California Love (35)
13. Pras/ODB - Ghetto Supastar (24)
14. The Notorious B.I.G. - Hypnotize (DNC)
15. Shaggy - Luv Me Luv Me (28)
16. Lit - My Own Worst Enemy (29)
17. No Doubt - Don't Speak (1)
18. Destiny's Child - Jumpin', Jumpin' (1)
19. Jay Z - Can I Get A... (30)
20. Dmx - Party Up (Up In Here) (33)[/size]

I think if you look at all these songs and where they peaked back when they were current, and consider how often they're still being played right now, it's fairly obvious that "Mo' Money..." would have been a smash it. Most of these 20 songs weren't even top ten hits, but that doesn't even matter now because they seem to mesh well with the rest of the currents.

This isn't an iron-clad argument, because the #1 only has 293 total plays over the last 7 days, and #20 with 133. Pop seems to care more about beating the latest hot tracks to death rather than going anywhere near the older music. But when they do tap into 90's music, these are the first ones off the shelf.

[mst3k]

CherryCrush said:

how come pop stations don't have 90's flashback weekends? 

'Cause they think their listeners would rather listen to nonstop 50 Cent. :(

[Keith3000]

crash46 said:

The twenty most played songs from the 90's on pop stations at the moment are:

Artist - Title (actual CHR peak)

[/color]
1. Puff Daddy - I'll Be Missing You (13)
2. Next - Too Close (6)
3. Ice Cube - You Can Do It (DNC)
4. Usher - You Make Me Wanna... (7)
5. The Fugees - Killing Me Softly (1)
6. Sir Mix-A-Lot - Baby Got Back (13)
7. The Notorious B.I.G. - Mo' Money, Mo' Problems (29)
8. K-ci & Jo-Jo - All My Life (2)
9. Blink-182 - All The Small Things (9)
10. Aaliyah - Are You That Somebody (4)
11. Green Day - Time Of Your Life (12) [oh, look who's back.]
12. 2pac/Dr. Dre - California Love (35)
13. Pras/ODB - Ghetto Supastar (24)
14. The Notorious B.I.G. - Hypnotize (DNC)
15. Shaggy - Luv Me Luv Me (28)
16. Lit - My Own Worst Enemy (29)
17. No Doubt - Don't Speak (1)
18. Destiny's Child - Jumpin', Jumpin' (1)
19. Jay Z - Can I Get A... (30)
20. Dmx - Party Up (Up In Here) (33)[/size]

I think if you look at all these songs and where they peaked back when they were current, and consider how often they're still being played right now, it's fairly obvious that "Mo' Money..." would have been a smash it. Most of these 20 songs weren't even top ten hits, but that doesn't even matter now because they seem to mesh well with the rest of the currents..[/quote]

Yeah that's an excellent point...a big majority of the golds being played on pop are songs which weren't even big hits at the time. And they're practically all rhythmic, which is why they weren't hits. Man it's amazing how pop ignored so many great rap and R&B songs in the '90s.

[Matt4319]

I don't even think I've heard "You Can Do It". :o I never heard my pop station play it, anyway.

[Bob]

Matt4319 said:

I don't even think I've heard "You Can Do It". :o  I never heard my pop station play it, anyway.

isn't it the "you can do it, put your back into it"?

[kellydicted]

Bob said:

isn't it the "you can do it, put your back into it"?

Ohhh..I didn't know either

[Keith3000]

Bob said:

isn't it the "you can do it, put your back into it"?

Yes. Another one of those tracks that still gets played in clubs every now and then. Good song.

[Moonshadow]

mikibacsi1124 said:

Hmmm....see I guess I always thought of "Mo Money Mo Problems" as a hit because it was huge on Z100.  I wasn't really following the Pop chart that much at the time.

But yes, it would definately work in today's climate.

WHTZ-Z100 Top 100 of 1997

15 Mo Money Mo Problems - Notorious BIG

(and it still gets played to death today...released now, it'd still go to the top.)