Tag: Adult contemporary

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.

Middle-Road Singles of 1964

different Ray Charles

Billboard began compiling an adult contemporary chart in July 1961. I’m calling this Middle-Road Singles of 1964. What they specifically called the category kept changing.

It went from Easy Listening to Middle-Road Singles in November 1962 to Pop-Standard Singles in May 1964, and back to Middle-Road Singles in November 1964.

Four of the five biggest AC hits were also #1 on the pop charts.

Hello, Dolly – Louis Armstrong, #1 AC for nine weeks AC, #1 for one week pop

Everybody Loves Somebody – Dean Martin, #1 AC for eight weeks, #1 pop for one week. Dean’s NBC variety show began in September 1965 through May 1964, and this was the theme song for the program.

Ringo – Lorne Greene, #1 AC for six weeks, #1 pop for one week.  Greene, a Canadian, played patriarch Ben Cartright on the TV western Bonanza starting in the autumn of 1959. After Bonanza moved from Saturday night to the sweet Sunday night slot, the ratings went from #17 (autumn 1960) to #2, #4, #2 (’63-’64), to #1 for three years running.

We’ll Sing In The Sunshine – Gale Garnett, #1 AC for 6 weeks, #4 pop

There! I Said It Again – Bobby Vinton, #1 AC for five weeks, #1 for four weeks pop

Fava – Al Hirt, #1 AC for 4 weeks, #4 pop. Instrumental. The theme of the 1966 ABC show The Green Hornet with Van Williams and Brice Lee was an arrangement of Flight Of The Bumble Bee played by Hirt

Love Me With All Your Heart (Cuando Caliente El Sol) – The Ray Charles Singers, #1 AC for four weeks AC, #3 pop. This Ray Charles was born Charles Raymond Offenberg in Chicago. 

People – Barbra Streisand, #1 AC for three weeks, #5 pop

Teen idol

For You – Rick Nelson, #1 AC for two weeks, #6 pop. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet aired on ABC from 1952 to 1966, with the family, including Rick’s brother David playing themselves.

The Girl From Ipanema – Stan Getz/Astrud Gilberto, #1 AC for two weeks, #5 pop 

The Door Is Still Open To My Heart – Dean Martin,  #1 AC for two weeks, #6 pop

Navy Blue – Diane Renay, #1 AC for one week, #6 pop 

Interestingly, though they dominated the pop charts in 1964, The Beatles were not represented on the AC roster. They didn’t appear on the AC charts until Something, #17 in 1969. Their only AC #1 was Let It Be in 1970.

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