Gary
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Post by Gary on Jan 14, 2019 9:32:08 GMT -5
This Week in Billboard Chart History: In 2015, Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars Moved 'Uptown' to No. 1 on the Hot 100
1/14/2019 by Gary Trust
Plus, remembering feats by Gin Blossoms, The Beatles & Michael Jackson.
Your weekly recap celebrating significant milestones from more than seven decades of Billboard chart history.
Jan. 14, 1989 Bobby Brown hit heights that he didn't as part of New Edition, as his solo smash "My Prerogative" topped the Billboard Hot 100. In 1990, he added a second No. 1 apart from the group, as featured on Glenn Medeiros' "She Ain't Worth It." Meanwhile, Britney Spears took her cover of "My Prerogative" to No. 22 on the Pop Songs chart in 2004.
Jan. 15, 1994 25 years ago: Gin Blossoms jangled to No. 1 on the Alternative Songs chart with "Found Out About You."
Jan. 16, 1988 The last No. 1 to date by a member of The Beatles topped the Billboard Hot 100, as George Harrison's "Got My Mind Set on You" (featuring Ringo Starr on drums) reached No. 1. Co-produced by ELO's Jeff Lynne, the song sparked the supergroup Traveling Wilburys – Harrison, Lynne, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty – which released two hit albums, in 1988 and 1990.
Jan. 17, 2015 Mark Ronson and featured vocalist Bruno Mars soared to their first of 14 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with their smash "Uptown Funk!" The song would go on to earn top honors as the No. 1 title on the year-end 2015 Hot 100.
(Six years earlier … on Jan. 17, 2009, Lady Gaga crowned the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time, as her debut entry, "Just Dance," featuring Colby O'Donis, spent its first of three weeks at No. 1. Stay tuned for more in-depth coverage this week on Billboard.com …)
Jan. 18, 1964 55 years ago, when Beatlemania began: The Beatles made their first appearance on a Billboard chart, as "I Want to Hold Your Hand" entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 45. The iconic song would go on to become the first of the Fab Four's record 20 Hot 100 No. 1s.
Jan. 19, 1980 Michael Jackson ruled the Billboard Hot 100 with "Rock With You." The song marked his first of nine No. 1s in the '80s, the most of any artist in the decade. (He totaled 13 career No. 1s as a soloist.)
Jan. 20, 1990 Michael Bolton banked the first new Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 of the '90s, as "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" jumped 4-1. Laura Branigan had first taken the ballad to No. 12 in 1983.
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Jan 17, 2019 9:28:35 GMT -5
Rewinding the Charts: In 2009, Lady Gaga 'Just Dance'-d Her Way to No. 1 on the Hot 100
1/17/2019 by Kevin Rutherford
After writing her breakthrough hit with Akon & RedOne, she almost lost it to The Pussycat Dolls.
Fame did not come easy for Lady Gaga.
By the time she began working on what would become her breakout single, "Just Dance," the singer-songwriter born Stefani Germanotta had already been dropped by Def Jam Recordings in 2006 after just three months on the label.
Interscope took a chance on her next, and in 2007, Gaga wrote "Just Dance," a shimmering synth-pop track about a woozy night in the club, with chart-topping singer Akon and the song's producer RedOne, then known stateside for his work on Kat DeLuna's "Whine Up."
RedOne told Entertainment Weekly in 2018 that when he played "Just Dance" for Interscope's Jimmy Iovine, the label boss asked if he could give the song to another act on his imprint, The Pussycat Dolls. "And Akon was like, 'No! It's Gaga! She can be the next big thing!' "
Gaga was 22 when "Just Dance" debuted on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart in May 2008 and crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100 that August. Five months later, it began a three-week stay at No. 1 on the Hot 100 dated Jan. 17, 2009.
The album on which the single appears, The Fame, reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and is Gaga's top seller in the United States with 5.1 million copies, according to Nielsen Music.
Gaga has since added two more Hot 100 No. 1s among 14 top 10 hits, which include "Shallow," her duet with Bradley Cooper from A Star Is Born. The ballad reached No. 5 on the Hot 100 last October and is up for record and song of the year at the Grammy Awards in February.
On Dec. 28, Gaga, who has grossed $494 million touring the globe, according to Billboard Boxscore, began her Enigma residency at the Park MGM in Las Vegas, where "Just Dance" is the set opener on alternating nights.
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Jan 21, 2019 15:41:50 GMT -5
This Week in Billboard Chart History: In 2018, Camila Cabello's 'Havana' Hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 1/21/2019 by Gary Trust Plus, remembering coronations for "All for Love" & "All 4 Love."
Your weekly recap celebrating significant milestones from more than seven decades of Billboard chart history.
Jan. 21, 2012 Days-old Blue Ivy Carter made Billboard chart history, receiving featured credit on dad Jay-Z's "Glory." As the track, enhanced by her cooing, debuted on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs at No. 74, she became the youngest person ever credited on a Billboard chart.
Jan. 22, 1994 25 years ago: Playing off the movie The Three Musketeers, the trio of Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting tripled up atop the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of, fittingly, three weeks, with the film's hit single "All for Love."
Jan. 23, 1988 Michael Jackson scored his third Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 from Bad, as "The Way You Make Me Feel" reached the summit. The song became one of a historic five No. 1s from the album, the only set by a male to produce a quintet of Hot 100 leaders. Katy Perry tied the record with five toppers from Teenage Dream in 2010-11.
Jan. 24, 1998 As the movie reigned at the box office, the Titanic soundtrack began its 16-week Billboard 200 rule. The set and the title it replaced at No. 1, Celine Dion's Let's Talk About Love, both include the film's signature ballad, "My Heart Will Go On."
Jan. 25, 1992 Color Me Badd collected its second Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, as "All 4 Love" followed prior single "I Adore Mi Amor" to the top.
Jan. 26, 1991 Sting crowned Alternative Songs with the first single from his album The Soul Cages, as "All This Time" hit No. 1.
Jan. 27, 2018 One year ago: Camila Cabello hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Havana," featuring Young Thug. "It's been such a journey with 'Havana,' because, I mean, I released the song last summer," Cabello marveled to Billboard upon receiving the news of the coronation. "It's just amazing to see that people have connected to it so much. When we were making the song, even though it was really special to me, I don't think anyone expected for this to happen. It's an incredible surprise."
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Jan 21, 2019 15:42:17 GMT -5
The first 2018 entry - in this series
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Jan 28, 2019 10:06:08 GMT -5
This Week in Billboard Chart History: In 1999, Britney Spears' Debut Smash Doubled Up at Number 'One'
1/28/2019 by Gary Trust
Plus, remembering feats by Blondie & The Beatles.
Your weekly recap celebrating significant milestones from more than seven decades of Billboard chart history.
Jan. 28, 1995 Alan Jackson took a country-lifestyle anthem to No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, as "Gone Country" climbed 4-1. It's one of his 26 career toppers on the ranking.
Jan. 29, 2000 Australian pop duo Savage Garden began a four-week command of the Billboard Hot 100 with "I Knew I Loved You." The ballad also topped Adult Contemporary for a whopping 17 weeks.
Jan. 30, 1999 Almost two months after her 17th birthday, Britney Spears notched her first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, as her introductory smash, "...Baby One More Time," reached the pinnacle. On the same date, her album of the same name soared in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for its first of six weeks on top. Meanwhile, the single (which led for two weeks) marked the first of Max Martin's 22 Hot 100 No. 1s as a writer.
Britney Spears photographed in 1998 in New York City. Read More Ask Billboard: Britney Spears' Career Album & Song Sales, on the 20th Anniversary of '...Baby One More Time'
Jan. 31, 1981 Blondie's "The Tide Is High" was as high as possible on the Billboard Hot 100, rising to No. 1.
Feb. 1, 1964 One of the most historic dates in Billboard Hot 100 history: The Beatles scored their first No. 1, as "I Want to Hold Your Hand" jumped 3-1 in just its third chart week, as Beatlemania swept the U.S. It became the first of the Fab Four's record 20 Hot 100 toppers.
Feb. 2, 2008 The combination of an R&B/hip-hop studio wizard and a pop/rock group resulted in a No. 1 hit, as Timbaland's "Apologize," featuring OneRepublic, began a six-week rule on Adult Pop Songs.
Feb. 3, 1973 Elton John scored his first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, as "Crocodile Rock," his ode to classic pop and early rock & roll, spent its first of three weeks in charge. He's added eight more leaders since.
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Jan 28, 2019 10:07:10 GMT -5
Rewinding the Country Charts: In 1978, Loretta Lynn Was 'Back' at No. 1 on Hot Country Songs
1/28/2019 by Jim Asker
The legend scored her last Hot Country Songs leader to date.
On Jan. 28, 1978, Loretta Lynn's "Out of My Head and Back in My Bed" hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. Written by Peggy Forman and produced by Owen Bradley, the song became Lynn's 16th and most recent leader on the list.
Lynn was born in Butcher Hollow, Ky., on April 14, 1932 as the second of eight children; the youngest, Crystal Gayle, was born in 1951. Their father, Ted, was a coal miner who died in 1959, a year before Lynn made her Hot Country Songs debut, with the No. 14-peaking "I'm a Honky Tonk Girl." Her iconic "Coal Miner's Daughter" became her fourth No. 1 in 1970.
Lynn was just 15 when she married Oliver "Doolittle" Lynn and the much-chronicled drama in their marriage helped fuel her craft as a songwriter.
Lynn scored her first Hot Country Songs No. 1 in 1967 with her 13th entry, "Don't Come Home A'Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)," which she co-penned with another of her younger sisters, Peggy Sue. Lynn's 16 No. 1s on the survey rank her fifth all-time among women, after Dolly Parton (25), Reba McEntire (24), Tammy Wynette (20) and Gayle (18).
Lynn joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1962, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1988 and won the Legend Award at Billboard's 2015 Women in Music celebration.
On April 1 at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena, an all-star cast will join Lynn for a concert in honor of her upcoming 87th birthday. "My birthday wish has come true," Lynn said. "The only other wish I have is that Keith Urban jumps out of my birthday cake!" Replied Urban, one of the night's many scheduled performers, "Your wish is always my command, Miss Loretta!"
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Feb 4, 2019 14:35:07 GMT -5
This Week in Billboard Chart History: In 2009, Kelly Clarkson Made a Record Rise to No. 1 With 'My Life Would Suck Without You'
2/4/2019 by Gary Trust
Plus, remembering feats by Toto, Tiffany & Katy Perry.
Your weekly recap celebrating significant milestones from more than seven decades of Billboard chart history.
Feb. 4, 1978 Cue John Travolta's dance moves: the Bee Gees took over atop the Billboard Hot 100 with "Stayin' Alive."
Feb. 5, 1983 An '80s classic topped the Billboard Hot 100, as Toto's "Africa" ascended 2-1. Read Billboard's oral history of the song's lasting legacy, extended further thanks to Weezer's 2018 hit cover.
Feb. 6, 1988 Tiffany began a two-week stay atop the Billboard Hot 100 with her ballad "Could've Been," the follow-up to her career-opening No. 1, "I Think We're Alone Now."
Feb. 7, 2009 10 years ago: Kelly Clarkson scored her second of three Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s to date, as "My Life Would Suck Without You" rocketed 97-1. The vault remains the biggest to the top (or any position) in the chart's history. Three months earlier, Britney Spears had soared 96-1 with "Womanizer."
Feb. 8, 2014 Five years ago: Katy Perry collected her ninth and most recent Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, as "Dark Horse," featuring Juicy J, galloped 4-1 for its first of four weeks on top.
Feb. 9, 1991 Everybody danced then: C+C Music Factory took over atop the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of two weeks with "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)."
Feb. 10, 1990 Paula Abdul and her cartoon pals the Wild Pair began a two-week reign atop the Billboard Hot 100 with "Opposites Attract," the fourth No. 1 from her debut album Forever Your Girl. Almost exactly a year earlier (Feb. 11, 1989), "Straight Up" had become the set's first leader.
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Feb 11, 2019 10:13:49 GMT -5
This Week in Billboard Chart History: In 1987, Bon Jovi Celebrated Valentine's Day at No. 1 on the Hot 100
2/11/2019 by Gary Trust
Plus, remembering feats by Katy Perry, Whitney Houston & Wham!
Your weekly recap celebrating significant milestones from more than seven decades of Billboard chart history.
Feb. 11, 2012 Katy Perry made history, as "The One That Got Away" became the record-extending sixth No. 1 on the Pop Songs airplay chart from her album Teenage Dream. The set had previously made its mark by tying Michael Jackson's Bad (in 1987-88) as the only albums to generate five No. 1s apiece on the Billboard Hot 100.
Feb. 12, 1972 One of the all-time slow jams, Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" grooved to the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
Feb. 13, 1999 20 years ago: Whitney Houston notched her eighth and final No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, as "Heartbreak Hotel," featuring Faith Evans and Kelly Price, began a seven-week domination.
Feb. 14, 1987 Bon Jovi enjoyed a rockin' Valentine's Day, as "Livin' on a Prayer" … rose … to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Feb. 15, 1986 More Whitney Houston: she scored the second of her 11 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s with "How Will I Know."
Feb. 16, 1985 After arriving with the uptempo Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go," Wham! ruled again with ballad "Careless Whisper."
Feb. 17, 1996 The Beatles topped Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart ... as part of a title, anyway: "Bigger Than the Beatles," by Joe Diffie, became the chart's fab new No. 1.
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Feb 12, 2019 13:52:31 GMT -5
Rewinding the Charts: In 1977, 'A Star Is Born' – With Barbra Streisand & Kris Kristofferson – Topped the Billboard 200
2/12/2019 by Kevin Rutherford
The movie sparked a chart-topping album and song, plus and an Academy Award win.
Long before Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga brought their remake of A Star Is Born to the silver screen — and the Billboard charts — Kris Kristofferson and Barbra Streisand did the same, telling the story of a burgeoning singer who falls in love with a seasoned rock star.
The soundtrack to Streisand and Kristofferson's reworking of the original 1937 movie and its 1954 remake, starring Judy Garland and James Mason, was released in November 1976. The set reached No. 1 on the Feb. 12, 1977-dated Billboard 200, where it ruled for six weeks.
But it was standout single "Evergreen," which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, that marked a turning point in Streisand's career. Co-written with Paul Williams, it was only her second composing credit. "I was very impressed [at the time] with people like Joni Mitchell, who could write and sing their own songs, so I started to take guitar lessons," Streisand told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018. "I played ["Evergreen"] over and over, driving my family crazy."
The tune went on to win best original song at the Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards, while she and Kristofferson won Golden Globes for best actor and actress in a motion picture musical or comedy, respectively.
They're both going strong; Kristofferson released The Cedar Creek Sessions in 2016, and Streisand's Walls hit No. 12 on the Billboard 200 last November. Cooper and Gaga's Star, meanwhile, is up for multiple accolades at the 91st annual Oscars on Feb. 24, including best picture and original song, for their top five Hot 100 hit, "Shallow."
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Feb 14, 2019 15:12:25 GMT -5
Rewinding the Charts: On Valentine's Day 1987, Bon Jovi's 'Livin' On a Prayer' Winged to No. 1
2/14/2019 by Gary Trust
On Valentine's Day, the band solidified its standing among the titans of hair bands with its second Hot 100 leader.
"HARD-WORKING, HARD-TOURING pop/metal outfit has built a strong core audience and now has a breakthrough album...an exceptionally strong album that should take the band all the way."
That's how Billboard praised Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet in the Sept. 6, 1986, issue, ahead of the set's debut on the Billboard 200 the following week. The critique would soon prove accurate: the album became the New Jersey band's first of six Billboard 200 No. 1s, as well as its longest-leading (eight weeks) and top-seller (12 million copies in the United States, according to the Recording Industry Assn. of America). Previously, the group had reached No. 43 with its eponymous 1984 debut LP and No. 37 with 1985's 7800 Degrees Farenheit.
Slippery When Wet likewise established Bon Jovi as force on the Billboard Hot 100, as lead single "You Give Love a Bad Name" topped the Nov. 29, 1986 tally (besting the band's prior high of No. 39, set by its debut 1984 hit "Runaway"). Follow-up "Livin' on a Prayer" took the band to further heights, reigning for four frames beginning Feb. 14, 1987, marking the act's longest-ruling of four No. 1s to date. The smash's legacy remains strong nearly three decades later (symbolically realizing the aspirations of its lyrical principals, Tommy and Gina), having become Bon Jovi's signature song. It even re-entered the Hot 100 (at No. 25) for a week in 2013 thanks to its synch in a user-generated viral video.
Meanwhile, "Name" and "Prayer" co-writer Desmond Child, who penned both songs with the band's Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora (who departed in 2013), has likewise enjoyed subsequent success, co-authoring, along with other Bon Jovi hits, Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca" and Katy Perry's "Waking Up in Vegas."
In 2016, Bon Jovi added its most recent Billboard 200 No. 1, This House Is Not for Sale, and in 2018, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, performing with Sambora. Looking at the group as it received its honor, Jon Bon Jovi said, "Tonight, the band that agreed to do me a favor stands before you so I can make this reality a dream."
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Feb 18, 2019 10:11:15 GMT -5
This Week in Billboard Chart History: In 1997, Spice Girls' Wannabe' Hit No. 1 on the Hot 100
2/18/2019 by Gary Trust
Plus, remembering feats by Kelly Clarkson, Mariah Carey & Ja Rule.
Your weekly recap celebrating significant milestones from more than seven decades of Billboard chart history.
Feb. 18, 2012 Kelly Clarkson collected her third Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, as "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" began a three-week reign (her longest).
Feb. 19, 2000 Mariah Carey scored her 15th Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 (of 18 to date) with the gospel-tinged "Thank God I Found You," featuring Joe and 98 Degrees.
Feb. 20, 1988 After charting three uptempo freestyle top 10s, Expose celebrated its sole Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 with ballad "Seasons Change." The girl group would impressively send its first seven singles to the chart's top 10.
Feb. 21, 2015 Sam Hunt began clocking an 11-week run at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart with "Take Your Time."
Feb. 22, 1997 Spice Girls dashed to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 with their debut pop culture smash "Wannabe." While they're likely best known for the bubbly track, they followed with six more consecutive top 20 hits over the next two years.
Feb. 23, 2002 Ja Rule notched his second Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 – and featured artist Ashanti earned her first, in her first visit to the chart – as "Always on Time" clocked its first of two weeks on top.
Feb. 24, 1973 Roberta Flack crowned the Billboard Hot 100 with "Killing Me Softly With His Song." The Fugees' cover ruled R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay for five weeks in 1996.
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Feb 21, 2019 9:44:16 GMT -5
Rewinding the Latin Charts: In 2004, Paulina Rubio Stormed to the Top
2/21/2019 by Pamela Bustios
“Te Quise Tanto” gave La Chica Dorada her first U.S. No. 1 single.
Mexican singer Paulina Rubio, who earned the moniker La Chica Dorada (The Golden Girl), became a recognizable face of the Latin pop scene of the ‘90s as she claimed the solo spotlight with her debut single “Mio” in 1993, two years after she had left her childhood pop group Timbiriche.
It was years later, though, when she broke into Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart penthouse with one of her strongest commercial hits, “Te Quise Tanto” notching her first No. 1 on the Feb. 21, 2004-dated Hot Latin Songs chart after scoring seven top 10s on the list.
“The idea was conceived through a mutual friend of us,” Argentinian singer-songwriter Coti Soronkin tells Billboard. “Pelo Aprile, a great producer and A&R who was working at Universal at the time, called me and proposed I write a song for Paulina. Back then I was in Spain recording my second album.”
Soronkin, known for his stage name Coti, didn’t know Rubio back then, there was no musical intimacy, so he wrote the song -with the help of Andahí (wife Valeria Larrarte) and Adrain Schinoff, the song’s demo arranger- based on a universal language and emotional spectrum, abounding of collective experiences and perceptions. “I was in transit to Malaga when the lyrics of the song came to be almost in its entirety,” he adds about a song that solidified his standing among the most coveted songwriters of the moment.
As Rubio made it hers with her inquisitive sense of self and gleaming persona, “Te Quise Tanto” became an entrancing song, a pop-rock tinged tune about a lost, hopeless love with a welter of sounds, opening with a delineated rock instrumentation layered with a solid percussion, nylon guitars with flamenco air which opened space for Rubio’s trademark hoarse and cheery vocals.
“Te Quise Tanto” became Rubio’s longest-ruling No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart as it crowned the tally for six weeks. Likewise, she earned her longest reign on the Latin Pop Songs airplay chart as it went to reign for 13 weeks. That’s the second-most weeks at No. 1 on the list for a song by a woman, trailing only Shakira’s “Suerte” which ruled the list for 14 weeks (Sept. 29-Dec. 1, 2001, Dec. 15, 2001-Jan. 5, 2002).
“Te Quise Tanto” was produced by Emilio Estefan and became the lead single of Rubio’s seventh studio album, Pau-Latina, which was nominated for a 2004 Latin GRAMMY Award (best pop female vocal album) and a 2005 GRAMMY Award (best Latin pop album). Rubio, concurrently, garnered her second No. 1 on the Latin Pop Albums chart, leading for six weeks, and debuted and peaked at No. 105 on the Billboard 200 chart. The set was the follow up to her second studio album Paulina which became the top selling Latin album of 2001 in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music, (it sold 255,000 copies that year and debuted at No. 1 on the Top Latin Albums chart.)
Rubio performed “Te Quise” at the 2004 Billboard Latin Music Awards. As the song turned into a hit, her relationship with Coti became a friendship, opening the doors for collaborations as he later invited her to Madrid to sing “Nada Fue Un Error” alongside Julieta Venegas.
Coti later covered the song in 2012. “Te Quise Tanto” returned to its essence: a tango-infused tune, flanked by the violin, bandoneon, violoncello, with striking background vocals, closing with the symbolic Argentinian strident guitar riffs. The song now lives as the No. 10 track of his 23-song album Coti Sorokin Y Los Brillantes En El Teatro Colón which was recorded live at the legendary opera house, Teatro Colón, in Buenos Aires.
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Post by Gary on Feb 21, 2019 9:47:31 GMT -5
Rewinding the Charts: In 1981, Dolly Parton Worked '9 to 5' to No. 1 on the Hot 100
2/21/2019 by Gary Trust
The smash hit and film helped transform Parton into a pop-culture star.
After a chance encounter with Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda on a flight to New York helped Dolly Parton land a starring role in the 1980 female-empowerment comedy 9 to 5, the country music star found herself at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time with the film's theme song of the same name.
Parton wrote the tune to help pass time on set (as she found the pace of filming slower and less stimulating than that of a musical performer), and it topped the Hot Country Songs chart on Jan. 24, 1981, and the Hot 100 on Feb. 21. It became only the second song by a female artist to lead both lists, after Jeannie C. Riley's "Harper Valley P.T.A." in 1968. At the 24th annual Grammy Awards, "9 to 5" won for best country song and best country vocal performance, female.
Meanwhile, the success of the film, which grossed over $100 million, helped spark Parton’s ascent to multimedia ubiquity, as she went on to star in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Steel Magnolias, among other movies. She returned to No. 1 on both Hot Country Songs and the Hot 100 in 1983 with "Islands in the Stream," her Bee Gees-written Kenny Rogers duet. "I've been trying all these years to win my musical freedom so I could introduce myself to a more universal audience," Parton told Billboard in 1982. "Now, with the movies I'm doing, I have the security and money to do the kind of records I've always wanted to do."
The 73-year-old Parton boasts the most No. 1s on Hot Country Songs among women in the chart's history, with 25. MusiCares' 2019 Person of the Year, who performed "9 to 5" as part of a star-studded tribute to her music at the 61st Grammy Awards (Feb. 10), Parton wrote six tracks for the Netflix movie Dumplin', which premiered in December, while the platform's Heartstrings series, due this year, is based on her music catalog.
An update of the original 9 to 5 film is in the works, too. "All these years, we've talked about doing a sequel," Parton told ABC's Nightline in 2018. Given the current cultural climate, "it never made any real sense until just recently."
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Post by Gary on Feb 25, 2019 9:51:12 GMT -5
This Week in Billboard Chart History: In 2011, Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way' Blasted in at No. 1 on the Hot 100
2/25/2019 by Gary Trust
Plus, remembering feats by Madonna, George Michael & Celine Dion.
Your weekly recap celebrating significant milestones from more than seven decades of Billboard chart history.
Feb. 25, 1995 What's Madonna's longest-leading Billboard Hot 100 No. 1? It's not any of her signature '80s songs like "Like a Virgin" or "Material Girl" (the latter of which peaked at No. 2). Nope, it's ballad "Take a Bow," which, on this date, began its seven-week command.
Feb. 26, 2011 Making a fitting grand entrance at No. 1, Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" became the Billboard Hot 100's landmark 1,000th No. 1. The song arrived as the title cut to her second full-length studio album, which she had touted ahead of its release as "greatest album of this decade." The set yielded four total top 10s.
The same historic week, the Glee Cast passed Elvis Presley for the most Hot 100 chart hits. To date, the Fox TV troupe (which has four episodes left in the series' run) has charted a record 207 entries, while Drake now ranks second with 192 charted titles.
Feb. 27, 1988 George Michael began presiding over the Billboard Hot 100 with his gospel-tinged "Father Figure," the second of four No. 1s that he tallied from his debut solo album Faith.
Feb. 28, 1998 Amid buzz for the blockbuster Titanic, Celine Dion's love ballad from the movie "My Heart Will Go On" roared onto the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 1 for the first of its two weeks on top.
March 1, 1997 LeAnn Rimes notched her first of two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, as Unchained Melody/The Early Years debuted on top. You Light Up My Life – Inspirational Songs then led in September 1997.
March 2, 2013 Baauer blasted in at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with EDM/trap track "Harlem Shake." He had produced the song in his bedroom studio on Feb. 5, 2013, not expecting the onslaught of user-generated viral videos that would follow. "It's literally unbelievable," Baauer said upon the song's coronation. "It's amazing to have this track recognized by the world."
Adele, winner of six GRAMMYs, poses in the press room at the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on Feb. 12, 2012 in Los Angeles. Read More Adele, Beyonce, Kacey Musgraves, Michael Jackson & More Artists Who Juggled an Armload of Grammys
March 3, 2012 Adele's aptly-titled 21 collected a 21st week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, passing Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard to become the longest-leading album by a female artist. 21 went on to total 24 weeks on top. In 2015, the set was revealed as the all-time No. 1 in the Billboard 200's history.
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Post by Gary on Mar 4, 2019 9:50:16 GMT -5
CHART BEAT This Week in Billboard Chart History: In 1989, Debbie Gibson's 'Lost in Your Eyes' Was Found at No. 1 on the Hot 100
3/4/2019 by Gary Trust
Plus, remembering feats by Rihanna, Britney Spears & REO Speedwagon.
Your weekly recap celebrating significant milestones from more than seven decades of Billboard chart history.
March 4, 1989 30 years ago: Debbie Gibson soared to her second Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, as ballad "Lost in Your Eyes" lifted 2-1. "Obviously, dance songs can stand the test of time, but nothing penetrates and spans all age groups, all ethnicities or all genders like a ballad," Gibson told Billboard in 2014 upon the 25th anniversary of the release of parent album Electric Youth.
"One of my favorite things, to this day, is that many people come up to me and tell me that they learned how to play the piano from that song and from that sheet music, which is such an honor to me."
March 5, 2016 Rihanna scored her 14th and most recent Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 with "Work," featuring Drake. The pair had previously topped the Hot 100 in 2010 with "What's My Name?"
March 6, 1965 An all-time pop/R&B classic reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100: the Temptations' "My Girl." The legendary act earned the honor of the No. 1 artist in Billboard's recap of the top all-time R&B/hip-hop acts. Check out the all-time top artist, album and song rankings.
March 7, 2009 10 years ago: Britney Spears scored her fifth Pop Songs No. 1, as "Circus" jumped 3-1. She's since added her sixth, and most recent leader, "I Wanna Go," in 2011.
March 8, 2003 50 Cent began a nine-week reign on the Billboard Hot 100 with "In Da Club," the rapper's first of four No. 1s.
March 9, 1985 REO Speedwagon began a three-week command of the Billboard Hot 100 with love song "Can't Fight This Feeling."
March 10, 1979 40 years ago: Gloria Gaynor strutted to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with her iconic disco anthem "I Will Survive."
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Mar 6, 2019 9:15:35 GMT -5
CHART BEAT Rewinding the Charts: In 1982, The Go-Go's Got the 'Beat' to a Historic No. 1
3/6/2019 by Keith Caulfield
From left: Belinda Carlisle, Wiedlin, Gina Schock, Kathy Valentine and Caffey (in front) of The Go-Go's in 1982. The pioneering group scored Billboard 200 honors yet to be matched.
On March 6, 1982, the Go-Go's topped the Billboard 200 with their new wave debut, Beauty and the Beat, making the act the first all-female rock band to notch a No. 1 album. Today, it's an achievement that has yet to be matched.
"Our manager, Ginger [Canzoneri], would tell us our number on the charts, and it was unbelievably exciting to listen to the number get higher and higher every week," guitarist/backing vocalist Jane Wiedlin told Billboard in 2011. "The week we went to No. 1, we were on tour opening for The Police, and they gave us champagne and congratulated us."
The album, released in July 1981, debuted at No. 186 a month later on the Billboard 200 dated Aug. 1, then took a leisurely seven-month climb to No. 1. While the album's first single, "Our Lips Are Sealed," reached No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, it was the group's second hit, "We Got the Beat," written by guitarist Charlotte Caffey, that blew the pop doors open for the quintet. (All 11 tracks on the album were written or co-written by the band's members.)
The act would release two more studio albums in the early '80s before going on hiatus in 1990. Since then, the band has issued one additional studio LP, 2001's God Bless the Go-Go's. In 2018 the stage musical Head Over Heels, set to the group's song catalog, debuted on Broadway, and a documentary simply titled The Go-Go's was acquired by Showtime in February and will premiere later this year.
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Mar 11, 2019 8:24:56 GMT -5
CHART BEAT This Week in Billboard Chart History: In 1994, Ace of Base Saw 'The Sign' at No. 1 on the Hot 100
3/11/2019 by Gary Trust
Plus, remembering feats by Rick Astley, Carrie Underwood & Usher.
Your weekly recap celebrating significant milestones from more than seven decades of Billboard chart history.
March 11, 2000 Lonestar became the first act to lead the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs charts simultaneously with different songs: "Amazed" crowned the Hot 100 for a second week and "Smile" rose to No. 1 on Hot Country Songs.
Plus, 30 years ago, on March 11, 1989: Debbie Gibson crowned the Billboard 200 as Electric Youth charged 3-1 for its first of five weeks on top. At the same time, lead single "Lost in Your Eyes" ruled the Billboard Hot 100 for its second of three weeks at No. 1, making Gibson the first teen female artist to top both tallies simultaneously.
March 12, 1988 We're rick-rolling you … but we're also giving you advance notice! Rick Astley topped the Billboard Hot 100 with his debut U.S. single, "Never Gonna Give You Up."
And, 25 years ago, on March 12, 1994: After peaking at No. 2 with its debut hit "All That She Wants," Sweden's Ace of Base spent its first of six weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with its '90s pop classic, "The Sign."
March 13, 1976 The 4 Seasons topped the Billboard Hot 100 with "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)." In 1994, a remixed version of the song rose to No. 14.
March 14, 1987 Huey Lewis & The News logged their third No. 1 (of three) on the Billboard Hot 100, "Jacob's Ladder." The song was written by Lewis' good friend Bruce Hornsby and Bruce's brother John (with Bruce Hornsby and the Range releasing their own version in 1988). Lewis & The News had previously led with "The Power of Love" in 1985 and "Stuck With You" in 1986.
March 15, 2008 Carrie Underwood topped Hot Country Songs with "All-American Girl," her fifth of 14 career No. 1s to date.
The same week, Usher earned his eighth of nine Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s to date with "Love in This Club," featuring Young Jeezy.
March 16, 1996 A record week for Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men: Their "One Sweet Day" spent its 16th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, wrapping the longest reign by any song in the chart's history. The mark would remain unmatched until Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's "Despacito," featuring Justin Bieber, also logged a 16-week reign in 2017.
March 17, 1990 Randy Travis picked up in the '90s right where he left off in the '80s: at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, as the pop-flavored "Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart" hit the top, becoming his 11th of 16 career No. 1s.
Plus, a year ago, on March 17, 2018: G-Eazy and Halsey, the him and her in the song, topped the Pop Songs airplay chart with "Him & I."
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Mar 18, 2019 7:58:57 GMT -5
CHART BEAT This Week in Billboard Chart History: In 1997, 'Nobody' Held Diddy Down From No. 1 on the Hot 100
3/18/2019 by Gary Trust
Plus, remembering feats by The Beatles, Joan Jett & Celine Dion.
Your weekly recap celebrating significant milestones from more than seven decades of Billboard chart history.
March 18, 1967 The Beatles scored their first of three Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s in 1967, as "Penny Lane" strolled to the top. "All You Need Is Love" and "Hello Goodbye" also reigned before the end of the year, with all songs contributing to the Fab Four's record 20 career Hot 100 toppers.
March 19, 2016 Twenty one pilots ascended to No. 1 on the Pop Songs airplay chart with "Stressed Out." The alt duo reigned again in September 2016 with "Ride."
March 20, 1982 We loved it, too! Joan Jett & the Blackhearts' "I Love Rock 'N Roll" began a seven-week command of the Billboard Hot 100.
March 21, 1987 Thanks to Club Nouveau, "Lean on Me" joined an exclusive club: the song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a second time, after first leading for three weeks in 1972 as recorded by Bill Withers. It's one of nine compositions to top the Hot 100 by two different artists.
March 22, 1997 Diddy, then billed as Puff Daddy, tallied his first of five Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s to date, as "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down," featuring Mase, began a six-week rule. The song incorporates Matthew Wilder's 1984 top five hit "Break My Stride."
March 23, 1996 Celine Dion's ballad "Because You Loved Me" settled in for a six-week stay atop the Billboard Hot 100. It became one of nine No. 1s for writer extraordinaire Diane Warren, who's also penned leaders for Chicago, Toni Braxton and Aerosmith, among others.
March 24, 1990 "Black Velvet," Alannah Myles' tribute the King, Elvis Presley, who spurred a "new religion that'll bring you to your knees," began a two-week reign on the Billboard Hot 100. Christopher Ward was reportedly inspired to write the song (with David Tyson) after riding on a bus full of Presley fans on their way to Memphis for the icon's 10th-anniversary vigil at Graceland.
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Mar 25, 2019 8:08:44 GMT -5
This Week in Billboard Chart History: In 1991, Gloria Estefan's 'Coming Out of the Dark' Hit No. 1 on the Hot 100
3/25/2019 by Gary Trust
Plus, remembering feats by The Supremes, Blondie & Evanescence.
Your weekly recap celebrating significant milestones from more than seven decades of Billboard chart history.
March 25, 1989 30 years ago: Mike + the Mechanics' plaintive ode to the passage of time, "The Living Years," lifted to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
March 26, 1994 25 years ago: Richard Marx hit No. 1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart with "Now and Forever." The ballad ruled for 11 weeks, the longest reign among his four leaders on the list.
March 27, 1965 The Supremes rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with the Motown classic "Stop! In the Name of Love."
March 28, 1981 Blondie's "Rapture" reached the Billboard Hot 100's summit. The song is widely considered the first No. 1 to feature rap, courtesy of frontwoman Debbie Harry.
March 29, 2003 Evanescence's debut hit "Bring Me to Life," featuring Paul McCoy, reached No. 1 on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart. Parent breakthrough album Fallen reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200, while the band has since scored two No. 1s: 2006's The Open Door and 2011's self-titled set.
March 30, 1991 Gloria Estefan's inspirational "Coming Out of the Dark" became her third and most recent Billboard Hot 100 No. 1. The ballad followed Estefan suffering broken vertebrae after her tour bus crashed in 1990. As she was being transported for surgery, she later told Billboard, "My husband [Emilio] had been in one of the helicopters traveling from one hospital to the other. It was really dark and gray. He got this ray of light that hit him in the face, and he got the idea for 'Coming Out of the Dark.' "
March 31, 1984 35 years ago: Kenny Loggins began a three-week reign atop the Billboard Hot 100 with "Footloose," the title track from the classic Kevin Bacon blockbuster.
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Mar 25, 2019 8:09:23 GMT -5
This Week in Billboard Chart History: In 1991, Gloria Estefan's 'Coming Out of the Dark' Topped the Hot 100
Plus, remembering feats by Blondie, Evanescence & the Bangles. Your weekly recap celebrating significant milestones from more than seven decades of Billboard chart history. March 26, 1977 Darryl Hall and John Oates notched their first of six Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s – the most all-time among duos – as "Rich Girl" banked its first of two weeks on top. March 27, 1965 The Supremes rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with the Motown classic "Stop! In the Name of Love." March 28, 1981 Blondie's "Rapture" reached the Billboard Hot 100's summit. The song is widely considered the first No. 1 to feature rap, courtesy of frontwoman Debbie Harry. March 29, 2003 Evanescence's debut hit "Bring Me to Life," featuring Paul McCoy, reached No. 1 on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart. Parent breakthrough album Fallen reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200, while the band has since scored two No. 1s: 2006's The Open Door and 2011's self-titled set. March 30, 1991 Gloria Estefan's inspirational "Coming Out of the Dark" became her third and most recent Billboard Hot 100 No. 1. The ballad followed Estefan suffering a broken veterbra after her tour bus crashed in 1990. As she was being transported for surgery, she later told Billboard, "My husband [Emilio] had been in one of the helicopters traveling from one hospital to the other. It was really dark and gray. He got this ray of light that hit him in the face, and he got the idea for 'Coming out of the Dark.' " March 31, 1984 Kenny Loggins began a three-week reign atop the Billboard Hot 100 with "Footloose," the title track from the classic Kevin Bacon blockbuster. April 1, 1989 After scoring a string of uptempo hits like "Manic Monday," "Walk Like an Egyptian" and "Hazy Shade of Winter," The Bangles proved their way around a ballad, too, as "Eternal Flame" hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100. This week in Billboard History one year agao
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Mar 26, 2019 15:44:43 GMT -5
CHART BEAT Rewinding the Latin Charts: In 1994, Selena & Barrio Boyzz United at the Top With 'Donde Quiera Que Estés'
3/26/2019 by Pamela Bustios
Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images Selena in the press room at the 1994 Grammy Awards in New York City. Their first & only collaboration earned both acts their second Hot Latin Songs No. 1.
Twenty-five years ago, American Tejano singer Selena and New York Latin pop quintet the Barrio Boyzz shared a common space in a generation that essentially was pioneering the acceptance of Latino music into popular culture.
“These were exciting times,” Fredy Correa of Barrio Boyzz told Billboard over the phone. “We were privileged to be a part of this era. Selena was doing her Tejano-cumbia fusion and the Barrio Boyzz, we were doing our own fusion as well.”
Their first and only crossover collaborative effort, “Donde Quiera Que Estés,” a song that reflected the cohesion of their Latino American fusion, was a marketing strategy by Jose Behar, the then-president of Capitol EMI Latin.
Barrio Boyzz and Selena were both recording artists in the Latin division of Capitol Records, so Behar contacted Abraham Quintanilla, Selena’s father, to propose the duet. “I want to do a duet, introduce the Barrio Boyzz into Selena’s Southern U.S. market and introduce Selena into the Barrio Boyzz’s Northeastern market,” Quintanilla tells Billboard about Behar’s initial idea.
“Jose always had progressive viewpoints to get things moving for his artists,” Quintanilla adds. “It was basically something he thought would be a good marketing tool, and it worked. It was a hit.”
“Donde Quiera Que Estés,” a song influenced by the American culture of both acts in conjunction with their rich Latino musical DNA, debuted at No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart dated March 26, 1994, dethroning Gloria Estefan’s “Mi Buen Amor” from its two-week reign.
“The song took everybody by surprise,” Correa adds. “Really nobody expected the success that the song had, but it reached an audience that very quickly identified with our voice and sound.”
Although Selena and the Barrio Boyzz belonged to different genres of music, Behar’s point of unification made sense as both acts met at K. C. Porter’s studios in Los Angeles. “It really wasn’t as foreign as most would expect due to the fact that we were from different genres,” Correa shares. “Once we got into the studio, everything came together very organically because of our commonalities. The chemistry between us was just so natural.”
“Donde Quiera Que Estés” was written by K. C. Porter, Marco A. Flores and Desmond Child.
A combination of R&B, salsa, Tejano, soul, rap and cumbia, the song was an amalgam of the cultural richness of their roots.
Produced by K. C. Porter, A.B. Quintanilla, Domingo Padilla and Bebu Silvetti, it became both the Barrio Boyzz and Selena’s second Hot Latin Songs chart leader and led the tally for six consecutive weeks.
“Donde Quiera” was later revitalized by many cover bands as well as by pop Mexican acts Alek Syntek and Fey, and salsa singers Isidro Infante and La Elite, who explored that Latino American fusion and gave it their own spin.
As the song earned Selena and the Barrio Boyzz a vocal duo of the year nomination at the Tejano Music Awards in 1994, it unified both their audiences. Correa later left the Barrio Boyzz to tour with Selena as a solo artist in development with Q Productions. He toured with her until her death on March 1995.
“Selena was very much an individual expressing about her life through her songs, which made her a successful singer-songwriter,” says Correa. “A wonderful encourager who enjoyed watching others excel. It was contagious. It gave me an opportunity to grow as an artist and individual.”
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Apr 2, 2019 8:11:06 GMT -5
This Week in Billboard Chart History: In 1964, The Beatles Held the Entire Top Five on the Hot 100
4/1/2019 by Gary Trust
The Beatles Plus, remembering feats by Kelly Clarkson, Leona Lewis & Crazy Town.
Your weekly recap celebrating significant milestones from more than seven decades of Billboard chart history.
April 1, 1989 30 years ago: After scoring a string of uptempo hits including "Manic Monday," "Walk Like an Egyptian" and "Hazy Shade of Winter," The Bangles proved their way around a ballad, too, as "Eternal Flame" hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
April 2, 2005 Original American Idol queen Kelly Clarkson began her longest reign at No. 1 on Billboard's Pop Songs chart, as "Since U Been Gone" spent its first of seven weeks at No. 1.
April 3, 2004 15 years ago: Kenny Chesney and Uncle Kracker's party anthem "When the Sun Goes Down" logged its first of five weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart.
April 4, 1964 55 years ago: The Fab Four's fab five: Songs by The Beatles infused the Billboard Hot 100's entire top five, the only week that an act has monopolized the chart's top five positions. "Can't Buy Me Love" zoomed 27-1, followed by "Twist and Shout" (3-2), "She Loves You" (1-3), "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (2-4) and "Please Please Me" (4-5). The headline on page 1 of Billboard that week: "Chart Crawls With Beatles."
The closest anyone has come to the matching the feat? Ariana Grande became the only act other than The Beatles to claim the top three in a week, when "7 Rings," "Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" and "Thank U, Next" ranked at Nos. 1, 2 and 3, respectively, on the Hot 100 dated Feb. 23.
April 5, 2008 Leona Lewis' debut smash "Bleeding Love" spent its first of four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
April 6, 1991 Garth Brooks dealt the third Hot Country Songs No. 1 from his sophomore album No Fences, as "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House" rose 2-1.
April 7, 2001 Rap-rockers Crazy Town soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Butterfly." The song had previously topped Alternative Songs for two weeks.
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Apr 2, 2019 8:11:44 GMT -5
This Week in Billboard Chart History: In 2005, Kelly Clarkson's 'Since U Been Gone' Topped Pop Songsplus, remembering feats by The Beatles, Leona Lewis & Garth Brooks. Your weekly recap celebrating significant milestones from more than seven decades of Billboard chart history. April 2, 2005
Original American Idol queen Kelly Clarkson began her longest reign at No. 1 on Billboard's Pop Songs chart, as "Since U Been Gone" spent its first of seven weeks at No. 1. April 3, 2004
Kenny Chesney and Uncle Kracker's party anthem "When the Sun Goes Down" logged its first of five weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. April 4, 1964
The Fab Four's fab five: The Beatles songs infused the Billboard Hot 100's entire top five, the only week that an act has monopolized the chart's top five positions. "Can't Buy Me Love" zoomed 27-1, followed by "Twist and Shout" (3-2), "She Loves You" (1-3), "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (2-4) and "Please Please Me" (4-5). The headline on page 1 of Billboard that week? "Chart Crawls With Beatles." April 5, 2008
10 years ago: Leona Lewis' debut smash "Bleeding Love" spent its first of four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. April 6, 1991
Garth Brooks dealt the third Hot Country Songs No. 1 from his sophomore album No Fences, as "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House" rose 2-1. April 7, 2001
Rap-rockers Crazy Town soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Butterfly." The song had previously topped Alternative Songs for two weeks. April 8, 2006
A lot of good came out of Daniel Powter having a "Bad Day": his song, as featured on American Idol in 2006 as contestants' departure theme, rose to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. One year ago
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Apr 6, 2019 15:29:57 GMT -5
Hooked on the Ooga Chagga: Sweden's First Hot 100 No. 1 Was Unleashed 45 Years Ago Today
4/6/2019 by Fred Bronson
Producer Bengt Palmers (left) and Blue Swede lead singer Björn Skifs receive platinum awards at Disney's Stockholm headquarters in 2016 for one million copies sold of the Guardians of the Galaxy Awesome Mix Vol. 1 soundtrack.
April 6, 1974 was a very good day for Swedish music. In Brighton, England, the Eurovision Song Contest was won by a new quartet named ABBA. "Waterloo" was the first song from Sweden to win the Pan-European competition. And in the U.S., Blue Swede became the first Swedish act to top the Billboard Hot 100, as it moved into pole position with a remake of "Hooked on a Feeling," a song that was a No. 5 hit for B.J. Thomas in 1969. The Blue Swede version had something the Thomas recording did not – an irresistible hook that caught listeners' attention right from the opening salvo. But who put the "ooga-chagga" in "Hooked on a Feeling"? Not Mark James, who wrote the song. Not any member of Blue Swede. And not Bengt Palmers, the EMI head of A&R in Sweden who produced the No. 1 single.
No, the man who came up with "ooga-chagga" -- and who insists it's "chagga," not "chaka" -- was British recording artist/label owner/producer/politician/TV presenter Jonathan King.
King (who years later served half of a seven-year prison sentence beginning in 2001 for sexual abuse and has continued to claim his innocence) recorded his own cover version of "Hooked on a Feeling" in 1971. His single peaked at No. 23 in the U.K. and though it was released in America, it failed to crack the Hot 100.
King tells Billboard he loved Thomas' version when it was on the charts. "But I thought the song deserved a pop treatment. I wasn't keen on the country-style guitar riff that was the backbone. The moment I heard it, I thought, 'I'm covering that.' I don't do straight covers – I haven't got the voice – but I have the imagination to render them differently. I'm essentially a singing producer – except for 'Everyone's Gone to the Moon' when I was a teenager [King's 1965 single peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 4 in his native U.K. when he was 20]. My heroes were always producers – Phil Spector, Joe Meek, Bob Crewe and Steve Barri."
Elaborating on where the "ooga-chagga" came from, King explains: "I was doing it vocally on my demo for the arranger, Johnny Arthey. I can't really play any instruments so I'd sing all the parts for each instrument in the string section and brass so he could take them and transpose. I wanted a reggae rhythm, so I did that with my voice. When I played it for Johnny, I said, 'This was going to be on guitars but it sounds rather fun done by male voices so let's keep it as it is.'"
King admits he was disappointed that his version of "Hooked on a Feeling" wasn't a bigger success. "But my 'Hooked' was a hit all over the world and sold around 400,000 copies. In those days you could sell huge quantities of vinyl and that single had a B-side that I wrote and published, so I made around a million dollars. It may not be Ed Sheeran or One Direction but it put petrol in my Rolls. Plus it was featured on every compilation in the tiniest countries."
In the fall of 1971, Palmers was visiting London. "In those days, you rarely saw a pop program on Swedish TV, and so I definitely wanted to watch the BBC's legendary and weekly Top of the Pops in my hotel room. On the show, Jonathan King performed his version of 'Hooked on a Feeling' and I was so intrigued by it that the following morning I went to the HMV record store on Oxford Street and bought a copy," Palmers recalls for Billboard.
Back home in Sweden, Palmers was working with local artist Björn Skifs and his band, Blåblus, which translates as Blue Denim (later changed to Blue Swede for American consumption). When they were looking for songs to cover in their live shows, Palmers handed Skifs a stack of singles to consider. "Included in the bundle I gave Björn were 'Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)' by Edison Lighthouse and 'Baby, Now That I've Found You' by the Foundations." Also in the pile: "Hooked on a Feeling" by Jonathan King.
Sticking with King's arrangement of "Hooked on a Feeling," Skifs and his band added the song to their live set list, and audience reaction was so great, EMI released a studio recording as a single in Sweden. King found out about the remake when Skifs gave him a call. "He asked for permission to cover my version, which was very sweet and kind and good manners. I said 'fine,' knowing a Swedish hit only sold around 20,000 copies. Good luck to him!" King says he still feels the same way today, even though inclusion of the Blue Swede recording on the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack hasn't earned him a penny. "By luck, I earn a hefty royalty on 10cc's 'I'm Not in Love,' also on the soundtrack [King signed the then-unknown band to his label, U.K. records, in July 1972 and named them 10cc]. My version still sells thousands on iTunes every time the film – which I loved – is shown and Spotify clocks up loads of listens."
In May 1973, "Hooked on a Feeling" hit No. 1 on the Swedish singles chart. Convinced that the recording could become a hit in other countries, Palmers wrote letters to EMI affiliates all over the world, stating, "Dear Sirs, enclosed please find the single 'Hooked on a Feeling' by Swedish group Björn Skifs and Blåblus. It is currently No 1 on the Swedish singles chart and I strongly believe it could also become a hit in your territory."
Typical of the very few replies Palmers received was a missive from Capitol Records in Hollywood: "Sorry, but we don't think the recording is suitable for the U.S. market." Frustrated but determined, Palmers sent letters and singles to many other American record companies, including majors CBS, RCA and Warner Brothers and leading independent companies, such as A&M, Bell, Capricorn and Casablanca. He received only one reply, from Sol Rabinowitz, the head of A&R at CBS Records International, who wrote that CBS wanted to release "Hooked" in the U.S. Per a legal clause, Palmers had to notify Capitol about CBS' interest and make a request for CBS to release all recordings released by Björn Skifs and Blåblus over the next three years. Surprisingly, Capitol execs responded that they wanted to release "Hooked" in America after all.
Anders Berglund joined Skiffs' band as keyboardist after "Hooked on a Feeling" was recorded but before it was released in the U.S. "There are many stories about how the song ended up as a hit in America," he tells Billboard. "One unconfirmed story is that a radio station in Hartford, Conn. had a fire and there were very few records left that were undamaged. One of them was 'Hooked on a Feeling,' which led to a massive airplay, which spread to other stations." Berglund recalls, "EMI informed us that the song was climbing on the charts but I can't recall exactly when we got the message about being No. 1. In those days, with no internet, the news didn't reach Europe as fast as today."
Palmers has produced and arranged more than 60 singles that have reached the top 10 on the Swedish charts. "I have written music and lyrics to some 400 songs, quite a few of them hits," he says. "I have written the music scores to 11 successful Swedish feature films; I have co-written two extremely successful Swedish stage musicals and I have written three published books – for which I am deeply thankful, but none of these achievements compare to the gratification of having produced the first Swedish recording ever to hit No 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 -- especially since in '74, it was Mission: Impossible to have a Swedish recording released in the U.S."
Success in America meant traveling to the U.S. to do promotion and live gigs. In September 1974, the band -- along with wives or girlfriends and managers -- flew to Los Angeles. "We rehearsed at Capitol Studios in Hollywood," says Berglund, "where Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys and Dean Martin recorded their immortal albums." They played the famed Starwood club on Santa Monica Blvd. in L.A. County, where Cher walked in with the Allman Brothers in tow. She wanted to jam with Blue Swede and they determined the one song they knew in common was the Doobie Brothers' "Long Train Runnin'."
Palmers acknowledges that no one associated with Blue Swede thought that people would still be talking about their No. 1 hit four decades later. "In the mid-'70s – and I am pretty sure I speak for all songwriters, producers and artists of that era – it was assumed that if a recording became a hit, it would have a life span of approximately a year. And look how wrong we were! Blue Swede's 'Hooked on a Feeling' was released 45 years ago and has recently been streamed on Spotify more than 200 million times."
As for the coinciding events of April 6, 1974, Berglund says the band was well aware of ABBA winning Eurovision the same day that "Hooked on a Feeling" captured the top spot in America. "This was a big moment in Swedish pop history and might have been the start of the Swedish music success with [bands like] Europe and Ace of Base."
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Apr 8, 2019 9:46:24 GMT -5
CHART BEAT This Week in Billboard Chart History: In 2009, Lady Gaga Shuffled to No. 1 on the Hot 100 With 'Poker Face'
4/8/2019 by Gary Trust
Plus, remembering feats by ABBA, TLC & USA for Africa.
Your weekly recap celebrating significant milestones from more than seven decades of Billboard chart history.
April 8, 2006 A lot of good came out of Daniel Powter having a "Bad Day": his song, as featured on American Idol in 2006 as contestants' departure theme, rose to the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
April 9, 1977 After scoring six career-opening top 40 Billboard Hot 100 hits, ABBA led the list at last with "Dancing Queen."
April 10, 1999 20 years ago: TLC scored its third of four Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s, as "No Scrubs" reached No. 1.
April 11, 2009 10 years ago: "Poker Face" dealt Lady Gaga her second Billboard Hot 100 No. 1. Debut smash "Just Dance," featuring Colby O'Donis, had led for three weeks that January. She's since ruled again with "Born This Way" in 2011 and "Shallow," with Bradley Cooper, this March.
April 12, 1997 As the Lilith Fair era reigned, Jewel topped Billboard's Pop Songs radio airplay chart with "You Were Meant for Me." Follow-up "Foolish Games" would likewise lead the list in October 1997.
April 13, 1985 The landmark teaming of 43 artists, billed as USA for Africa, helped "We Are the World" reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for its first of four weeks at No. 1. More importantly, the song has reportedly helped raised more than $100 million for humanitarian aid in Africa and the U.S.
April 14, 2001 Janet Jackson jumped to her 10th and most recent Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 with "All for You."
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Apr 8, 2019 9:48:11 GMT -5
From one year ago:
April 8, 2006
A lot of good came out of Daniel Powter having a "Bad Day": his song, as featured on American Idol in 2006 as contestants' departure theme, rose to the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
April 9, 1988
30 years ago: Billy Ocean motored to his third and last Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 with "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car."
April 10, 1999
TLC scored its third of four Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s, as its classic "No Scrubs" reached No. 1.
April 11, 2009
"Poker Face" dealt Lady Gaga her second Billboard Hot 100 No. 1. Debut smash "Just Dance," featuring Colby O'Donis, had led for three weeks that January.
April 12, 1997
As the strumming folk sounds of the Lilith Fair era reigned, Jewel topped Billboard's Pop Songs radio airplay chart with "You Were Meant for Me." Follow-up "Foolish Games" would likewise lead the list that October.
April 13, 1985
The landmark teaming of 43 artists, billed as USA for Africa, helped "We Are the World" reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for its first of four weeks at No. 1. More importantly, the song has reportedly helped raised more than $100 million for humanitarian aid in Africa and the U.S.
April 14, 2001
Janet Jackson jumped to her 10th and most recent Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 with "All for You."
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Gary
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Posts: 45,662
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Post by Gary on Apr 14, 2019 13:09:21 GMT -5
The Fleetwoods' Gretchen Christopher Reflects on Topping the Hot 100 60 Years Ago Today
4/13/2019 by Fred Bronson
One day they were three students singing at their high school football game. Then, seemingly overnight, they had the No. 1 song in the country and were being introduced on primetime television by Dick Clark. It was an amazing ride for the vocal group known as the Fleetwoods, who first claimed the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 exactly 60 years ago (April 13, 1959) with "Come Softly to Me." Seven months later, the trio was back in pole position with "Mr. Blue," making chart history as the first group to have two No. 1 hits in the same calendar year.
The Fleetwoods went on to have 11 entries on the Hot 100 before calling it a day, though reunions happened from time to time. Billboard caught up with founding member Gretchen Christopher to talk about 60 years of Fleetwoods history.
The Fleetwoods were you, Barbara Ellis and Gary Troxel. You and Barbara were born nine days apart in the same hospital in Olympia, Wash., and were in the maternity ward at the same time. When did you actually meet?
When we were five years old, we lived about five blocks apart. Barbara and I were preschool playmates and we both went to Lincoln Elementary School. I remember visiting her family's home. I tried on her pink satin toe shoes and afterward I begged my mother to allow me to have dance lessons.
Your family moved away and so you and Barbara no longer went to the same school. Did you stay in touch?
Barbara and I reunited as freshmen. We were both chosen as cheerleaders at Washington Junior High School. We sang together as pep staff and song leaders and in glee club. I also composed little jingles and sang solo, over the P.A. from the principal's office, some special announcements of such things as the noon sock hops, cleverly rewording popular songs of the day.
Through 1954, there had been only one high school, serving the greater Olympia area: William Winlock Miller, known as "Olympia High School" or "OHS." That changed when the rural North Thurston High School was built, and our class was the first to have a choice of which high school to attend. I chose OHS, and Barbara chose NTHS. But in her senior year, she transferred to my school, contacted me, and said, "I want to sing with you again. Let's form a group." We invited several other girls to audition. At the piano, I played those wonderful R&B chords on which so many 1950s songs were based, and we sang the hit, "In the Still of the Nite." Problem was, the other girls kept singing louder and louder, so I had to admonish them, in hushed tones, "It's in the still of the night." The audition ended fruitlessly. One girl was too busy with cheerleading and another admitted she "couldn't carry a tune in a basket." I was alone, sitting at the upright piano. I began playing the chords again, but elongating the pattern to accommodate my softly melodic pleading, "Come softly, darling, come to me, stay, you're my obsession, forever and a day." When I saw Barbara on Tuesday in the chorus room, her contribution was a lovely high harmony, following whatever I sang. She instinctively knew to blend softly and follow my dynamics.
Instead of adding a third female, you found a male singer, Gary Troxel. How did that happen?
Later that week, Barbara and I had a rehearsal in the auditorium. I was singing lead and suggested that she follow me in harmony as I performed a glissando or slide on the last word of the phrase "Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky, stormy weather." Barb suggested, "Wouldn't it be neat if we had a blues trumpet on this?" Later I dropped in on the rehearsal of the Blue Comets, a high school quartet that included drummer Greg Hawkins and guitarist/fiddler Donny Ulrich (who would later become the indispensable right-hand man of Buck Owens on TV's Hee Haw). Greg sent us Gary Troxel, but Gary couldn't play in our key, and we couldn't sing in his, so we dropped the idea of "Stormy Weather." Gary walked me downtown for my dance class after school. He was humming something. I asked what it was. "Oh, just some jazz trumpet riff I have in my head," he replied. "Well, keep it up, but slow it down," I said, recognizing that it was based on the same chord progression as the song I was writing. Arranging it mentally, on the spot, I sang my "Come Softly" in counterpoint against the nonsense syllable Gary was humming, and it worked. I said, "Let's sing it for Barbara, too, and if she likes it as much as I do, we'll incorporate that into the song and you into the group." He did; she did; and we did.
George Yantis, who recorded school concerts, offered to record the three of us singing "Come Softly" in his home, and he wrote it out so we could register the copyrights.
How did you meet Bob Reisdorff, the man who created a record label just so he could sign you?
After making my professional debut, dancing and singing solo on KING-TV in Seattle, I was dancing solo at Norm Bobrow's the Colony, a supper club that was getting national attention because of the songstress in residence, Pat Suzuki. When she was too ill to perform her first show one night, I was asked to replace her with my solo dancing. The audience response and review by columnist Emmet Watson were so great that I was held over to split shows with Pat Suzuki. I told Norm that I'd written and performed an original song with a couple of fellow students at Olympia High School – and then at a teen dance at the Community Center, the kids in the audience were so enthusiastic about it, they said, "Gretchen, why don't you record it, so we can buy it?"
I asked Norm what I should do, and he introduced me to Bob Reisdorff, who promoted national records (including Pat Suzuki's debut LP) for the largest music distributor in the Northwest. Bob suggested I make a recording of my song, bring it to him and, if he thought it had hit potential, he'd mail it to different labels and see if anyone wanted to sign us. If he wasn't that impressed, we could send it out ourselves, without a note of recommendation, and pay our own postage. I invited Barbara and Gary to my family's home on the bay, to record us singing "Come Softly" a cappella, on my dad's tape recorder. I had no idea I was recording a future No. 1 hit. I did my homework in advance so I could take a day off school and travel 120 miles round trip to Seattle to deliver the tape. In his office, Bob and a top Seattle DJ listened to the tape, looked at each other, and Bob said, "It'll sell a million!"
Bob started his own company, Dolphin Records, for he'd finally found the potential hit maker of which he had dreamed. Reisdorff played the tape for Bonnie Guitar to see if she, too, thought it would be a hit. Bonnie Guitar was brought into the company as a vice president and co-producer. As an artist, she had achieved a hit with "Dark Moon." She knew the ropes and some fine studio musicians in L.A.
When did you record the version of "Come Softly to Me" that was released on the Dolphin label?
The three of us were still seniors at Olympia High School. Bob wanted us to come to Seattle the day after our graduation and prepare for recording. We rehearsed in a rented houseboat on Lake Union. The actual recording took place in Joe Boles' home studio over a period of five months, as Reisdorff learned his craft as a record producer, with the help of Bonnie Guitar. Our last recording session was when I came home from Whitman College for Thanksgiving vacation. Originally, I was the lead singer, Barbara sang harmony and Gary the background. At some point, Reisdorff said to Gary, "That's such a catchy background, why don't you add some lyrics to it." Gary did, and then it became a shared male/female lead, our alternating verses.
How did you get the name the Fleetwoods?
For the senior class talent assembly at OHS, I had performed a dance solo, and then Barbara, Gary and I were up as a trio, to sing "Come Softly." Just before the curtain opened, the announcer suddenly asked me, "How shall I introduce you?" I quickly responded, "Two Girls 'n' a Guy," which was simply what we were. Later, when Reisdorff phoned me to say we needed a name for the group, I said "What's wrong with Two Girls 'n' a Guy?" He said, "We need something more distinctive, like Fleetwood," the name of Olympia's only telephone exchange, which he'd just given the operator to place the long distance call from Seattle to Olympia. It was the prefix to each of our telephone numbers, so I said, "How about the Fleetwoods?" We agreed and ran it by Barbara and Gary, who had no objection.
Why did Bob change the title to "Come Softly to Me" and what did you think of the change?
When the record was about to be released, Reisdorff informed us he'd changed the title to "Come Softly to Me," thinking "Come Softly" was too suggestive. It was an unfortunate choice, in that the lyrics never say "Come Softly to Me," so when that title is mentioned, most people think they don't know the song. But sing a bit of "Come softly, darling" or, better yet, Gary's "Dom-dom," and they immediately know the song.
After high school, you enrolled in college. And then your first single is released. How did that affect your education?
Barbara phoned me to say that "Come Softly to Me" was released in the Northwest and was becoming a hit, and I would have to leave college to tour. I was only beginning to sink my teeth into academics, and I wanted to persevere in my commitment to education. I begged Reisdorff not to pull me out of college after I had made such a sacrifice to remain there. He said, "On one condition: if 'Come Softly to Me' hits nationally, you'll leave college immediately, without any argument, and go on tour to promote it." I agreed.
Fellow students told me they heard our record and that it was climbing the charts. The higher it rose, the lower my heart fell, for fear of having to leave college. Four days into my second semester, it happened, Reisdorff called and said our single was hitting nationally, and I left to go on tour without an argument. We went to Hollywood, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Boston, Chicago and Washington, D.C. The highlight was when we hit New York. We were to do Dick Clark's Saturday night prime time show, sponsored by Beech-Nut gum. As we arrived for rehearsal at the Little Theater on 44th Street, Frankie Avalon stepped out of the shadows, extended his hand and said, "Congratulations, 'Come Softly to Me' just knocked 'Venus' out of the No. 1 spot." That's how we learned that the first song we'd written and recorded was the No. 1 song in the nation. And so it remained, for an astonishing four weeks in April and May, 1959.
Gary was in the Naval Reserves. How did that affect the group?
Gary told me he saw stacks of telegrams on Reisdorff's desk, telegrams asking to book the Fleetwoods in Europe, but Bob didn't bother telling us, because these concerts were booked five months in advance, and Gary was always due to go into active duty before that. Bob finally decided to quit begging for deferments and let Gary get his service over with. Barbara and I took an apartment to stay in Hollywood long enough to audition possible replacements for Gary. We chose Vic Dana, who would be awarded his own solo contract with Dolton [the new name for the Dolphin label].
You wrote some of your own singles but most were written by others. How did you feel about that?
We were rather naive about the benefit of writing our own material; however, to Reisdorff's credit, he did try to encourage us to write our own songs, saying that even if they were just on the albums, we'd get great royalties as writers. Money was not a motivator for me, though I did write most of "My Sister's Love" for an album. I think Gary started the scat part and I wrote the lyrics (portraying an actual situation in my life). Barbara harmonized and we shared writing credits equally, as Bob had suggested, early on, when Barbara and I had written a couple of things (just the two of us) and Reisdorff suggested we include Gary as a writer, equally. We did that, until I wrote "Blues Go Away" completely alone, and said to myself, "I've written a standard." I simply could not see giving writer's credit to people who had nothing to do with the writing, had not invested their blood, sweat and tears into the experience, as I had.
How did you find the song "Mr. Blue"?
We were touring in San Francisco, and someone named DeWayne Blackwell phoned and asked to meet with us (including Bob Reisdorff) at our hotel room, to play a song for us. I said, "I think it's a fine song, but why don't you and your group record it yourselves?" DeWayne said, "Because if we (the Blackwells) record it, no one will ever hear it. But if the Fleetwoods record it, every disc jockey in the country will play it." He was right, and it sold a million records.
How did it feel to be No. 1 again with "Mr. Blue"?
Great, of course. Reisdorff told us, "It's hard to have a No. 1 record, but even harder to have two No. 1 records." Gary didn't like the song "Mr. Blue" but Reisdorff said if it went to No. 1, Gary could have the use of Bob's Corvette for six weeks. Sort of betting against each other. We all won.
What did it mean to you to be so successful?
I don't think we really understood how successful we were. We were kids. I turned 19 in Cleveland, just four days out on our first tour. I truly understand in retrospect how extraordinary our success was as the first group in the world to have two No. 1 singles top the Billboard Hot 100 in a single year.
How did the Fleetwoods eventually come to an end and what turns has your own musical career taken since then?
All of our 11 hits on the Hot 100 (plus several "Bubbling Under") were produced by Bob Reisdorff, who'd created Dolphin Records to record us on "Come Softly." With our phenomenal success, other labels tried to buy the Fleetwoods' recording contract, but Dolton would not sell it, for then they'd be an empty shell. However, Liberty Records (who distributed our records nationally) offered to buy the whole label, so Reisdorff (and partners Lou Lavinthal and Bonnie Guitar) agreed, presumably making themselves very rich, indeed, but not extending that benefit to the Fleetwoods. As part of the sale, Reisdorff was contracted to run Dolton for five more years, in Hollywood, and then he went to New York to handle other business for Liberty. When new producers worked with the Fleetwoods, they did not necessarily understand how to treat our sound, which had originally been equal balance between the male and female voices, with the lead and the answer lyrics alternately coming to the fore, by our own dynamics, the three of us telling a story, most effectively, in song. New producers did not understand this and began treating us not as a trio but as a lead singer with two back-ups. The hits ended. It was no longer fun. We even had some foul-mouthed producer take us into the studio, creating an environment we didn't want to be a part of.
When our second contract was up and Liberty had the option of signing us again, they wanted to, but without continuing the monthly payments we'd been guaranteed when we signed last time. I suggested we turn down the next recording contract, for it was no longer bringing us happiness, and each of us was married, some with children to raise. Happily, that last contract expired in February of 1966, and, in February of 1967, my husband Rich and I gave birth to our first child: our son Christopher Gray Matzen; and in November 1978, our daughter Kimari Anne Matzen. Having found that external success of No. 1 hits, gold records and Ed Sullivan and Dick Clark shows did not bring me internal happiness, I set my sights on living my vision of the perfect wife and mother, eventually augmented by decades of teaching dance, writing and selling stories for publication and doing occasional performances, both as the Fleetwoods trio and as Gretchen Christopher, solo. Eventually, with the encouragement of my children as adults, I embarked on a project I'd put off since the age of 25: an album of songs I'd written and would record solo: Gretchen's Sweet Sixteen (Suite 16) is a story-telling suite of 16 autobiographical songs, including "Come Softly" (a cappella) and "Come Softly To Me" (the hit arrangement with me singing all three parts). What I thought I could complete in a month took three and a half years. That included writing and arranging the songs, hiring the musicians to accompany me, performing them in studios, designing the album cover and layout of the accompanying booklet, writing 16-pages of liner notes, selecting photos and founding a brand new label (GoldCupMusic.com) on which to release the CD.
When you first heard about Fleetwood Mac, what were your thoughts about their name being so close to yours?
There was much confusion. I'm sure that, initially, when people said, "Fleetwood Mac," others would say, "You mean the Fleetwoods." But eventually their success prevailed, and when someone said, "the Fleetwoods," folks might say, "You mean Fleetwood Mac?"
In 2011 I went to a screening of the Green Lantern movie and was surprised that "Come Softly to Me" was included in the soundtrack. What was your reaction?
It's great to be in something current and have a whole new generation of movie fans exposed to our song. Years later, I happened onto a website that asked for feedback about the film. Many people commented that the best thing about the movie was the Fleetwoods' "Come Softly To Me." It is not a movie I'd have chosen to see, if not for "Come Softly to Me," but I enjoyed the scene where Ryan Reynolds, who starred as Green Lantern, tried to win his girl back by singing along with us on a jukebox.
Finally, on a completely different note, your older sister Sonja made her own mark on pop culture. What did you think of her competing on season one of Survivor and being the first person voted off the island?
Survivor was all very secretive, but once Sonja told me it would be airing, I gathered the family and said we should have a viewing party to support her. When she was voted off the island, I reassured her that "being first" (as I had been, a number of times with the Fleetwoods) is not a bad thing. No one can take that distinction away from you. The show had a psychiatrist there to help the non-survivors survive the rejection of being voted off, but I hoped a little personal insight and sisterly love would be supportive. Sonja is a very talented actress and sing-along life of the party, and I'm glad that she has this Survivor fame to balance the success I've had, for there is some natural sibling rivalry. She sings old standards at retirement homes and for Alzheimer's patients, and it is very rewarding and appreciated. I have joined her twice, adding the song "Sisters" to the act, and it's been such a loving high and great memory. And both "Sonja Christopher" and "the Fleetwoods" have been answers in The New York Times' crossword puzzle. It's been great fun.
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Apr 14, 2019 13:12:15 GMT -5
The Fleetwoods v Fleetwood Mac comment is interesting. Today that would have been a lawsuit
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Apr 15, 2019 10:44:54 GMT -5
CHART BEAT This Week in Billboard Chart History: In 2009, The Black Eyed Peas Began a Record Six-Month Stay Atop the Hot 100
4/15/2019 by Gary Trust
Plus, remembering feats by Selena Gomez, Usher & Blondie.
Your weekly recap celebrating significant milestones from more than seven decades of Billboard chart history.
April 15, 1995 Montell Jordan's explanatory jam "This Is How We Do It" began its seven-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
April 16, 2016 Selena Gomez earned her third No. 1 on the Pop Songs chart, all consecutively from her album Revival, with "Hands to Myself." The song followed "Good for You," featuring A$AP Rocky, and "Same Old Love" to the top.
April 17, 2010 Usher earned his third No. 1, of four so far, on the Billboard 200, as Raymond V Raymond opened at the summit. It generated his ninth, and most recent, No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, "OMG," featuring will.i.am. Speaking of will.i.am …
April 18, 2009 10 years ago: The Black Eyed Peas began their unprecedented six-month stranglehold atop the Billboard Hot 100, as "Boom Boom Pow" reached No. 1. The song would lead for 12 weeks and be dethroned by the group's follow-up, "I Gotta Feeling," which led for 14 frames, giving the Peas a record 26 consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100.
On the same date: George Strait scored his record-extending 44th No. 1 on Hot Country Songs, as "River of Love" rose 3-1. Conway Twitty ranks second with 40 leaders, followed by Merle Haggard (38), Ronnie Milsap (35) and Alabama (33).
April 19, 1980 Pioneering alt act Blondie, fronted by Deborah Harry, began its longest Billboard Hot 100 rule, as "Call Me" spent its first of six weeks at No. 1. The group's "Heart of Glass" had led for a week in 1979. It would top the chart twice more in 1981, with "The Tide Is High" (for one week) and "Rapture" (two).
April 20, 1991 Wilson Phillips landed its milestone third No. 1 from its self-titled album with "You're in Love." "Hold On" and "Release Me" had reigned in 1990. The act remains the only group (of at least three members) to notch three No. 1 hits from a debut album in the Hot 100's history.
April 21, 2007 Timbaland scored his first and only (so far) Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 as a lead artist, as "Give It to Me," featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake, hit the top spot. Timbaland had guested on Furtado's leader "Promiscuous" the year before.
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Gary
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Post by Gary on Apr 15, 2019 10:46:40 GMT -5
From last year
April 15, 1995
Montell Jordan's explanatory jam "This Is How We Do It" began its seven-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
April 16, 2016 Selena Gomez earned her third No. 1 on the Pop Songs chart, all consecutively from her album Revival, with "Hands to Myself." The song followed "Good for You" (featuring A$AP Rocky) and "Same Old Love" to the top.
April 17, 2010 Usher earned his third No. 1 (of four so far) on the Billboard 200, as Raymond V Raymond opened at the summit. The album generated his ninth (and most recent) No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, "OMG," featuring will.i.am. Speaking of will.i.am …
April 18, 2009 The Black Eyed Peas began their unprecedented six-month stranglehold atop the Billboard Hot 100, as "Boom Boom Pow" reached No. 1. The song would lead for 12 weeks and be dethroned by the group's follow-up, "I Gotta Feeling," which led for 14 frames, giving the Peas a record 26 consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100.
On the same date: George Strait scored his record-extending 44th No. 1 on Hot Country Songs, as "River of Love" rose 3-1. Conway Twitty ranks second with 40 leaders, followed by Merle Haggard (38), Ronnie Milsap (35) and Alabama (33).
April 19, 1980 Pioneering alt act Blondie, fronted by Deborah Harry, began its longest Billboard Hot 100 rule, as "Call Me" spent its first of six weeks at No. 1. The group's "Heart of Glass" had led for a week in 1979. Blondie would top the chart twice more in 1981, with "The Tide Is High" (for one week) and "Rapture" (two).
April 20, 1991 Wilson Phillips landed its milestone third No. 1 from its self-titled album with "You're in Love." "Hold On" and "Release Me" had reigned in 1990. The act remains the only group (of at least three members) to notch three No. 1 hits from a debut album in the Hot 100's history.
April 21, 2007 Timbaland scored his first and only (so far) Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 as a lead artist, as "Give It to Me," featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake, hit the top spot. Timbaland had guested on Furtado's leader "Promiscuous" the year before.
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