Tag: pop

#1 pop hits of 1986

All three of his #1 hits had exactly eight words (including in the parentheses)

I think I know many of the #1 pop hits of 1986 because I watched MTV regularly at home at the time. I certainly don’t own most of these, but I heard them enough to identify the vast majority of the tracks. And I eventually did buy some greatest hits albums for this new technology called the compact disc: Heart, Whitney Houston, Madonna, Prince, Steve Winwood.

That’s What Friends Are For – Dionne & Friends (Arista), four weeks at #1, gold record. And such friends Ms. Warwick had: Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, and Elton John. Written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager. Originally recorded by Rod Stewart in 1982.

Walk Like An Egyptian – The Bangles (Columbia), four weeks at #1, gold record

On My Own -Patti LaBelle/Michael McDonald (MCA), three weeks at #1, gold record

Greatest Love Of All – Whitney Houston (Arista), three weeks at #1, gold record

Stuck With You – Huey Lewis & the News (Chrysalis), three weeks at #1

Rock Me Amadeus – Falco (A&M), three weeks at #1

Kyrie – Mr. Mister  (RCA), two weeks at #1

Kiss – Prince and the Revolution (Paisley Park), two weeks at #1, gold record

Papa Don’t Preach – Madonna (Sire), two weeks at #1, gold record

How Will I Know – Whitney Houston (Arista), two weeks at #1, gold record

Glory Of Love – Peter Cetera (Full Moon), two weeks at #1

When I Think Of You – Janet Jackson (A&M), two weeks at #1, gold record

True Colors – Cyndi Lauper (Portrait), two weeks at #1

Amanda – Boston (MCA), two weeks at #1

One week at #1

The Way It Is – Bruce Hornsby & The Range (RCA)

Human – Human League (A&M/Virgin)

Addicted To Love – Robert Palmer (Island), gold record

They’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry) – Billy Ocean (Jive). All three of his #1 hits had exactly eight words (including in the parentheses)

Sledgehammer – Peter Gabriel (Geffen), from an album I did/do own. I have a LOT of Gabriel.

West End Girls – Pet Shop Boys (EMI America)

Take My Breath Away – Berlin (Columbia), gold record. I was flipping through the channels a few months ago and came across Top Gun, a movie that I had never seen before. I watched about a half hour of it, which seemed sufficient.

Sara – Starship (Grunt)

Venus – Bananarama (London); a cover of the Shocking Blue song that hit #1 in 1970

The Next Time I Fall In Love– Peter Cetera with Amy Grant (Full Moon)

You Give Love A Bad Name – Bon Jovi (Mercury)

Holding Back The Years – Simply Red (Elektra). I do have two Simply Red albums.

Higher Love – Steve Winwood (Island)

These Dreams – Heart (Capitol)

Live To Tell – Madonna (Sire)

Invisible Touch – Genesis (Atlantic). I have a couple of Genesis albums, including the one for which this song is the title track.

More 1976 pop #1s

TV and movie themes, dance, and a rue story

Here are more 1976 pop #1s. The first group includes songs that reached #1 on the Billboard charts but spent 7 weeks or fewer in the top 10.

Boogie Fever – Sylvers (Capitol), gold record

Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To – Diana Ross (Motown)

You Should Be Dancing  – Bee Gees (RSO), gold record

Let Your Love Flow – Bellamy Brothers (Warner Curb)

Convoy – C.W. McCall (MGM), gold record, novelty; also #1 CB and RW for three weeks each

Welcome Back – John Sebastian (Reprise), gold record. Theme from Welcome Back, Kotter TV show

Love Machine (Part 1) – The Miracles (Tamla). Post Smokey

Theme from S.W.A.T.  – Rhythm Heritage (ABC),  gold record, instrumental;

Saturday Night  – Bay City Rollers (Arista), gold record

Rock’n Me – Steve Miller (Capitol)

#1, non-BB

The next grouping contains the songs that reached #1 on the pop charts in Record World (RW) and/or Cash Box (CB) but NOT on Billboard.

All By Myself  – Eric Carmen (Arista), #1 on CB and RW, #2 for three weeks on BB, gold record

Dream Weaver  – Gary Wright (Warner), #1 on CB and RW, #2 for three weeks on BB, gold record

Right Back Where We Started From  – Maxine Nightingale (United Artists),  #1 on CB and RW,  #2 for two weeks on BB, gold record

The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald – Gordon Lightfoot (Reprise), #1 on CB, #2 for two weeks on BB. “The true story of an ore vessel, named after a Milwaukee civic leader, that sank in Lake Superior on 11/10/1975.”

Get Up and Boogie (That’s Right) – Silver Convention, #1  on CB and RW, #2 on BB, gold record

Lonely Night (Angel Face) – Captain and Tennille (A&M), #1 on CB and RW, #3 for three weeks on BB, gold record

Love To Love You Baby  – Donna Summer (Oasis), #1 on RW; #2 for two weeks on BB, gold record

Lowdown – Boz Scaggs (Columbia), #1 on CB, #3 for two weeks on BB, gold record

Let ‘Em In – Wings (Capitol), #1 on CB, #3 on BB, gold record. “Phil and Don.”

More, More, More – Andrea True Connection (Buddah) – #1 on RW, #4 on BB, gold record

#1 pop but not on Billboard in 1975

“I learned the truth…”

Here are the songs that were #1 pop but not on Billboard in 1975. This means they were #1 on Record World, Cash Box, or both. Some of the songs are great, and at least one is awful.

The number after the RW and CB designation is the number of weeks at #1. The * indicates the songs I positively own in some physical form, though I likely also possess the Barry White and Janis Ian tracks.

You’re The First, The Last, My Everything – Barry White (20th Century Records), CB 1, co-written and produced by White

*Boogie On Reggae Woman – Stevie Wonder (Tamla), CB 1, RW 1, produced, arranged, and written by Wonder 

*No No Song – Ringo Starr (Apple), CB 1, the last Starr single release to top any U.S. pop charts. Written by Hoyt Axton and David Jackson, produced by Richard Perry

*Jackie Blue – Ozark Mountain Daredevils (A&M), CB 2, RW 1

*How Long – Ace (Anchor), CB 1. Written by lead singer Paul Carrack.

*When Will I Be Loved – Linda Ronstadt (Capitol), CB #1. Written by Phil Everly; produced by Peter Asher. 

If at first…

*Please Mr. Please – Olivia Newton-John (MCA), CB #1. Co-written and previously sung by Bruce Welch, a long-time member of The Shadows, who “also wrote several hit singles for the group and Cliff Richard.” He was  once engaged to ON-J

*Someone Saved My Life Tonight – Elton John (MCA), CB 1, RW 1 from the Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy album that went to #1 in its first week of release

At Seventeen – Janis Ian (Columbia), CB 1. Written by Ian when she was 23.

Run Joey Run – David Geddes (Big Tree Records), CB 1. How did I miss this throwback from the 1950s?

Mr. Jaws – Dickie Goodman (Cash), CB 1, RW 1. One of those break-in novelties like his “The Flying Saucer” (1956) 

*They Just Can’t Stop It, The (Games People Play) – The Spinners (Atlantic), RW1. Produced, arranged, and conducted by Thom Bell. I never understood why Games People Play was the info in the parentheses.  

#1 Pop Hits of 1965

Beatles 4; Supremes 3; Stones, Byrds, Hermits 2 each

The #1 Pop Hits of 1965, formally the #1 hits on the Top 100, were right up my sonic alley. In the present tense, I own at least 19 of these 25 songs.

(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction—The Rolling Stones (London), four weeks at #1, gold record. It may be the first time I heard the word “hook” in relation to music.

Yesterday – The Beatles (Capitol), four weeks at #1, gold record. I have a few dozen covers of this song.

Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season) -The Byrds (Columbia),  three weeks at #1

Mrs. Brown You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter – Herman’s Hermits (MGM),  three weeks at #1, gold record

I Got You Babe – Sonny and Cher (Atco), three weeks at #1, gold record

Help! – The Beatles (Capitol), three weeks at #1, gold record

I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pe, Honey Bunch) – The Four Tops (Motown), two weeks at #1

You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ – The Righteous Brothers (Philles), two weeks at #1

Downtown – Petula Clark (Warner), two weeks at #1, gold record

This Diamond Ring – Gary Lewis and the Playboys (Liberty), two weeks at #1,  gold record. Jerry Lewis’ kid. 

Stop! In The Name Of Love – The Supremes (Motown), two weeks at #1

Help Me, Rhonda – The Beach Boys (Capitol), two weeks at #1

Get Off My Cloud – The Rolling Stones (London), two weeks at #1

I Hear A Symphony – The Supremes (Motown), two weeks at #1

I’m Telling You Now – Freddie and The Dreamers (Tower), two weeks at #1

Eight Days A Week – The Beatles (Capitol),  two weeks at #1, gold record

A single week at #1

My Girl – The Temptations (Gordy), platinum record. I still love the fact that Smokey wrote both My Guy (Mary Wells) and My Girl

Hang On Sloopy – The McCoys (Bang). Looking for a video, I came across this version; an album cut? It has an extra verse. 

Mr. Tambourine Man – The Byrds (Columbia)

Eve Of Destruction  – Barry McGuire (Dunhill)

Over And Over – The Dave Clark Five (Epic)

Ticket To Ride – The Beatles (Capitol)

I’m Henry VIII, I Am – Herman’s Hermits (MGM), gold record

Game Of Love – Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders (Fontana). The lead vocal Fontana’s real name was Glyn Ellis

Back In My Arms – The Supremes (Motown)

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