Set Adrift on Memory Bliss by P.M. Dawn

About

“Set Adrift On Memory Bliss”, the second single from the band’s debut album, was the first chart-topper on the Hot 100 under its then-brand new methodology of ranking songs. Prior to November 30, 1991, single sales were taken over the phone from music stores and radio play was based on verbal reports given by radio stations. The new way, a much more accurate and less-biased method, combined actual barcode scans at cash registers with encoded audio fingerprints of songs being broadcasted on radio stations as monitored by the publisher of Billboard Magazine. It was the third rap song to ever reach #1 on the Hot 100, preceded by “Ice Ice Baby” and “Good Vibrations” (…unless you count Blondie’s “Rapture”) The genesis of “Set Adrift On Memory Bliss” was the recording of their track “Comatose”. While in the studio, both members listened to Spandau Ballet’s 1983 hit “True” and Prince Be became inspired to ‘reshape’ the song as his own. The track became a combination of a sample of “True” with one of hip-hop’s most sampled beats (the break of “Ashley’s Roachclip”) and Prince Be’s lyrics of ‘regret, remorse, heartache and profound loss’. “Set Adrift On Memory Bliss” was an international smash, reaching the top 10 in seven countries. Billboard ranked it the #44 song of 1992. In 1997, the Backstreet Boys recorded their own version of the song with different lyrics for their sophomore album.