Adult contemporary Archives - Ramblin' with Roger

Top Adult Contemporary Christmas Hits

Bing and Mariah

From Joel Whitburn’s Christmas in the Charts, 1920 to 2004, Top Adult Contemporary Christmas Hits lists the peak positions these seasonal songs reached on the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts.

O Holy Night – Josh Groban from 2002, #1 for two weeks AC, #109 pop in 2003

Sending You A Little Christmas – Jim Brickman featuring Christy Sterling from 2003, #1 for a week AC

The Christmas Shoes – Newsong from 2000, #1 for a week AC, #42 pop. I hadn’t heard of this song until I had heard a vicious parody by Patton Oswald of it a few years ago. The original, IMO, is cloyingly awful.

The Gift – Jim Brickman, featuring Colin Ray and Susan Ashton from 1997, #3 for four weeks AC, #65 pop

White Christmas – Bing Crosby from 1961, #3 for a week AC. This is the 1947 remake as opposed to the 1942 original. On the pop chart, this version went #3 in early 1948, , #6 in early 1949, #5 in early 1950, #13 in late 1950 and early 1952. The rest are late in the year: #21 in 1953 and 1954, #7 in 1955, #65 in 1956, #34 in 1957, #66 in 1958, #59 in 1959, #26 in 1960, #12 in 1961, and #38 in 1962. I own the collection pictured on the video on CD.

JT

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – James Taylor from 2001, #4 for a week AC. I have the October Road CD that ends with this song.

The Little Drummer Boy – Harry Simone Choral from 1961, #6 for two weeks AC. This is the version my family owned a 45. The 1965 version slows down tremendously – and unnecessarily to my ear – at the end.

All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey from 1994, #6 for a week AC. On the pop charts, #12 in 1994, #35 in 1995and 1997, #83 in 2000. But then – well, look at the Wikipedia page. If I could hear this song exactly once during Advent, I’d be thrilled. Alas, no! There is a Reddit chain “Why do people hate Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ ? One comment: “Christmas songs suck after the first 10,000 times you’ve heard them.”

The Christmas Song – Michael Bublé from 2003, #6 for a week AC

My Favorite Things – Herb Alpert from 1968, #7 for two weeks AC, #45 pop. Is this tune from Mary Poppins a Christmas tune? I…guess so.

Hot 100 #1s for 1995

TLC

Here are the Billboard pop Hot 100 #1s for 1995, A nice short list. And the Hot Adult Contemporary is both so short and has so much in common that I will note them here.

One Sweet Day – Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men (Columbia), 16 weeks at #1 pop, 13 weeks at #1 AC, double platinum record. This song was a response on the first episode of JEOPARDY I was on in 1998. SONGS BY THE NUMBERS: This 1995-96 hit by Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men holds the record for the most weeks at No. 1 with 16. (A record that has since been superseded.) I couldn’t think of the song’s name, though I knew it was One [something] Day.

In the next year or two, a very similar question showed up on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire at a very high level, I think $250,000. By that point, of course, I knew!

Fantasy – Mariah Carey (Columbia), eight weeks at #1 pop, double platinum record. I recognize the swipe more than the song.

Waterfalls – TLC (LaFace), seven weeks at #1 pop, platinum record. I also know this from the parody Weird Al Yankovic did, Phony Calls, featuring Bart Simpson.

Take A Bow – Madonna (Maverick /Sire), seven weeks at #1 pop, nine weeks at #1 AC, gold record

This Is How We Do It – Montell Jordan (PMP /RAL), seven weeks at #1 pop, platinum record

Some songs in movies

Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman – Bryan Adams (A&M) five weeks at #1 pop and AC. It was used for the film Don Juan DeMarco, starring Marlon Brando, Johnny Depp, and Faye Dunaway, which I never saw.

Creep – TLC (LaFace), four weeks at #1 pop, platinum record

Gangsta’s Paradise – Coolio featuring LV (MCA Sound), three weeks at #1 pop, triple platinum record. This song was initially rooted in Pastime Paradise by Stevie Wonder from his legendary album, Songs In The Key of Life. Coolio and Weird Al had a bit of a row about Weird Al’s use on Amish Paradise, though it was settled by 2011. The song is taken from Michele Pfeiffer’s movie Dangerous Minds.

One week at #1 pop

Kiss From A Rose – Seal (ZTT/Sire), 12 weeks at #1 AC, gold record, . It was from his second eponymous album (1994), released as a single in July 1994 and included in the film The NeverEnding Story III that year. “The song was re-released a year later as part of the Batman Forever film soundtrack, helping it top the charts in the United States.” I own the latter album, as well as his second album.

Exhale (Shoop Shoop) – Whitney Houston (Arista), platinum record. It was released as the lead single from the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack. The film starred Houston and Angela Bassett.

You Are Not Alone – Michael Jackson (Epic), platinum record

Hot Adult Contemporary #1 for 1995

These are the songs that were NOT #1 pop.

I’ll Be There For You (Theme from Friends) -the Rembrandts, seven weeks at #1 AC, #17 pop. I remember going on a picnic with my future wife. This song played on the radio when we got to the location, and again when we left about four hours later.

As I Lay Me Down – Sophie B. Hawkins, six weeks at #1 AC, #6 pop

In The House Of Stone and Light – Martin Page, four weeks at #1 AC, #14 pop

Love Will Keep Us Alive – Eagles, three weeks at #1 AC, #22 pop

Believe – Elton John, two weeks at #1 AC, #13 pop

1965 Middle-Road Singles

three Elvis songs

The category that eventually became adult contemporary started on July 17th, 1961, as easy listening. On November 3, 1962, it became Middle-Road singles. Then on May 2nd, 1964, pop standard singles. On October 24, 1964, Middle-Road singles again. Then, back to Pop-Standard Singles on May 1, 1965. Finally, it reverted to easy listening on June 5, 1965, a format it maintained until 1979, when it transitioned to adult contemporary.

1965 Middle-Road Singles, or whatever:

King Of The Road – Roger Miller. 10 weeks at #1; #1 for five weeks CW, #4 pop. A real crossover. I own the greatest hits LP.

Crying In The Chapel – Elvis Presley, seven weeks at #1; #3 pop

You Were On My Mind – We Five, five weeks at #1; #3 pop. I love the folkie harmonies on this song.

Taste Of Honey – Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, five weeks at #1; #7 pop. I own several TJB albums from this era, including, OF COURSE, Whipped Cream and Other Delights. Herb, by the way, turned 90 on March 31.

Make The World Go Away -Eddy Arnold, four weeks at #1; #1 CW for three weeks, #6 pop

Matrimony

The Wedding – Julie Rogers, three weeks at #1; #10 pop. I don’t remember this song.

Cast Your Fate To The Wind – Sounds Orchestral, three weeks at #1; #10 pop. Oh, THAT instrumental. I didn’t know it by the title, but…

Save Your Heart For Me – Gary Lewis and the Playboys, three weeks at #1; #2 pop; Jerry’s kid

I’m Yours – Elvis Presley, three weeks at #1; #11 pop. I didn’t remember this.

A Walk In The Black Forest – Horst Jankowski, two weeks at #1; #12 pop. Oh, that song. On AM radio in the 1960s, instrumentals were often played as the news was being introduced.

(Such An) Easy Question – Elvis Presley, two weeks at #1; #11 pop. Another unfamiliar Elvis track.

A single week at #1

Willow Weep For Me – Chad and Jeremy; #15 pop

You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You – Dean Martin; #1 pop. I don’t specifically remember the recording, but I recall hearing him sing a snippet of it on his NBC variety show (1965-1974) each week.

Have You Looked Into Your Heart – Jerry Vale; #24 pop

The Race Is On – Jack Jones; #15 pop. I remember Vale and Jones from variety shows such as Ed Sullivan’s, but neither of these songs

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me – Mel Carter; #8 pop. I don’t remember it, yet I own a Gloria Estefan CD of cover songs with this song in the first position.

1994: the non-crossover #1s, AC and RB

Here are the non-crossover #1s, the hits for 1994 in adult contemporary and rhythm and blues.

Adult contemporary, besides the Celine Dion and Boyz II Men crossovers:

Now and Forever – Richard Marx, 11 weeks at #1. I have but a vague recollection of this song.

Can You Feel The Love Tonight – Elton John, eight weeks at #1. I’ve seen at least five productions of The Lion King, including one in which my daughter appeared. I saw Elton perform in Albany in 1998.

Wild Night – John Mellencamp/ Me’shell Ndegeocello, eight weeks at #1. I remember this mostly because it reminded me of the Van Morrison original.

All I Wanna Do – Sheryl Crow, eight weeks at #1, from an album I actually own.

I’ll Remember – Madonna, four weeks at #1. It is from the soundtrack to the motion picture With Honors, a film I do not recall. While I’ve owned earlier Madonna music, I wasn’t familiar with this song.

There are only seven AC #1 songs in total for 1994.

Another tidy list

Hot R&B singles, besides R. Kelly and Boyz II Men crossovers:

Any Time, Any Place – Janet Jackson, ten weeks at #1. When I saw her at SPAC in 2018, this song was on the setlist, but I wasn’t familiar with it.

Creep – TLC, nine weeks at #1, gold record. The post title is a bit of a misnomer for this song. Creep did go to #1 pop for four weeks, but not until January 1995.

Seven Whole Days – Toni Braxton, five weeks at #1. I own this album as well.

Cry For You – Jodeci, four weeks at #1

I Wanna Be Down – Brandy, four weeks at #1

Back & Forth – Aaliyah, three weeks at #1. She’s likely my daughter’s favorite 1990s artist.

Practice What You Preach – Barry White, three weeks at #1

Understanding – Xscape, two weeks at #1

There are only ten R&B songs in total for 1994.

Adult Contemporary #1 hits for 1984

The Honeydrippers

About half of the Adult Contemporary #1 hits for 1984 were very familiar to me. Incidentally, starting with the October 20 charts, Billboard changed the name to Hot Adult Contemporary.

Two songs appeared on the pop, AC, and Black Singles that year. Hello by Lionel Richie (2 weeks pop, 6 weeks AC, 3 weeks RB) did not connect with Arthur.

I Just Called To Say I Love You by Stevie Wonder (3 weeks each on all three charts) wasn’t my favorite Stevie song.

Additionally, Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper was #1 for 2 weeks pop and 3 weeks AC.

Stuck On You – Lionel Richie, 5 weeks at #1

Think Of Laura – Christopher Cross, 4 weeks at #1

Got A Hold On Me – Christine McVie, 4 weeks at #1

If Ever You’re In My Arms Again – Peabo Bryson, 4 weeks at #1

Penny Lover – Lionel Richie, 4 weeks at #1. Four of the last five songs, all except the McVie track, I’m not recalling. It’s not that I never heard them, but rather that they just didn’t stick to the brain.

Drive – The Cars, 3 weeks at #1. This track, conversely, I recall and have heard in the past few weeks.

Do What You Do – Jermaine Jackson, 3 weeks at #1. I remember this. What a strange video.

The Longest Time – Billy Joel, 2 weeks at #1. All three of the Joel songs are from the Innocent Man album, which I own. It was the follow-up to the more ambitious The Nylon Curtain album, so he went retro.

Leave A Tender Moment Alone – Billy Joel, 2 weeks at #1

What About Me – Kenny Rogers with Kim Carnes & James Ingram. I barely remember this.

Single week at #1 AC

An Innocent Man – Billy Joel

Believe In Me – Dan Fogelberg

Almost Paradise… Love Theme from Footloose – Mike Reno & Ann Wilson. This song is so generic that I barely remember it, even though I listened to the Footloose soundtrack earlier this year.

Sea Of Love – The Honeydrippers. I love this song and have The Honeydrippers’ EP on cassette, for some reason. The group consisted of Robert Plant and Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin, Nile Rodgers from Chic, and Jeff Beck, like Page, a former Yardbirds guitarist.