Who knew in a summer where rap music, R&B, and rock ruled, that a heartfelt pop-rock song would capture our hearts? That’s exactly what happened on the week of August 6th, 1994, when then Lisa Loeb’s first single “Stay (I Missed You)” became the number one hit song on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.
What’s even more impressive than the success of “Stay” is the story behind it. The song was the first in Billboard’s history to not have come from a music label. Not from a major. Not from an independent. Lisa Loeb was not signed to any label when her song became a hit. She basically gave the song to her across the street neighbor, actor Ethan Hawke. He in turn, gave the tape to Ben Stiller, who was directing a little film starring him and Hawke called Reality Bites. Stiller put Loeb’s song on the film’s soundtrack, and from there it took off.
“Stay” kicked you in the feels when it dropped. It was one of those songs that everybody loved. For the rest of 1994, the lyrics “You saaaayy…'' could start a sing-a-long in any room.
I give “Stay (I Missed You)” an A 30 years later. This song still floors me. That will never change.
