R&R/Billboard Big Song Peak Differences (Pre-1991)

[John77]

Been thinking about starting this thread for a while and after just accidently stumbling upon a big one, I figured it was the perfect time to start this thread... I only am looking for songs prior to 1991 as that's about the time the record companies started actively phasing out the single...

So, the one I found, it's a GOOD one...

Toto's "99"...

Peaked at #5 on R&R's CHR chart... 
Peaked at #26 on Billboard's Hot 100

Yes, folks that's a 21 spot discrepancy!!!  It was a big hit according to R&R, but in Billboard it was just a moderate one...

Can anyone top that, or find others that are like double digits apart???

[Libra]

Can't top that, but can give a couple other examples:

Fleetwood Mac's "Gypsy":

#1 R&R
#12 Billboard

Glenn Frey "The One You Love":

#2 R&R (which, oddly enough, was the very same week that "Gypsy" was #1!)
#15 Billboard

Usually, such differences are from singles that just didn't sell well.

[mst3k]

Going in the other direction, there's a handful of songs that went Top Ten on the Hot 100, but for whatever reason completely missed the R&R CHR chart.

Eddie Rabbitt with Crystal Gayle: "You And I"

#7 Billboard (and 21 weeks in the Top 40!)


Golden Earring: "Twilight Zone"

#10 Billboard

[John77]

These are exactly what I'm looking for... keep it up!!

[John77]

Supertramp had 2 good ones...


"It's Raining Again"

R&R: 2
BB: 11


"My Kind Of Lady"

R&R: 15
Billboard: 31

[Cerebro]

I think 1991 should be counted in this thread, since Billboard's Hot 100 and R&R's Pop chart were pretty similar up until Billboard's big methodology change in November of that year. If that's the case, then here's an impressive 20 spot discrepancy that just missed the cut-off:

Metallica - Enter Sandman
#16 Billboard
#36 R&R

[Michael1973]

Who could forget those "classic" early '90s rap songs that had much higher peaks on Billboard?

Knockin' Boots (9, 29)
The Humpty Dance (11, 26)
Tic-Tac-Toe (14, 32)
Mentirosa (14, 34)

[mst3k]

Two more big selling rap singles that missed R&R's chart because of low airplay, both by 2 Live Crew:

Me So Horny (#26)
Banned In The U.S.A. (#20)

And LL Cool J had his share as well, right up to the last year of the old-school Hot 100:

Around The Way Girl (#9 Billboard, #24 R&R)
Mama Said Knock You Out (#17 Billboard, nc R&R)

Interestingly, his first big hit ("I Need Love") didn't suffer the sales/airplay difference, peaking at #14 in both Billboard and R&R.

[mst3k]

1982-83 was a time frame for a lot of big differences between the two trades:

Billy Joel, "Allentown" (#3 R&R, #17 BB)
Fleetwood Mac, "Love In Store" (#9 R&R, #22 BB)
Journey, "Send Her My Love" (#12 R&R, #23 BB)
Kenny Loggins w/ Steve Perry, "Don't Fight It" (#4 R&R, #17 BB)
Kenny Loggins, "Heart To Heart" (#3 R&R, #15 BB)
Kenny Loggins, "Welcome To Heartlight" (#13 R&R, #24 BB)
Elton John, "Kiss The Bride" (#13 R&R, #25 BB)
Asia, "Only Time Will Tell" (#5 R&R, #17 BB)
Crosby, Stills & Nash, "Southern Cross" (#7 R&R, #18 BB)
Chicago, "Love Me Tomorrow" (#4 R&R, #22 BB)

[BillboardBoy]

There's that one by Marvin Gaye. I forget what it's called though, but it hit #1 in Billboard and something like #11 in R&R.

[mst3k]

^ "Got To Give It Up"

[Pet Shop Boy]

Didn't a lot of Cathy Dennis' singles peak a lot higher on airplay than sales?

[dawhite76]

How about "Physical"? Olivia reigned 10 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and wound up with the longest running #1 of the 1980's. Yet, "Physical" only reached #2 at R&R. Considering how long Olivia ruled the Billboard chart, I find it amusing that she was unable to muster at least one week at #1 on the R&R chart.

Ironically, her follow-up, "Make A Move On Me," would reach #1 at R&R, but only #5 on Billboard. I always wondered whether "Make A Move On Me" topped the R&R chart to compensate for "Physical" not doing so.

[Hervard]

"Physical" didn't get quite as high on the R&R chart because of its lyrical content. Some stations banned the song because of lines like "There's nothing left to talk about unless it's horizontally" and such.
I guess "Make A Move On Me" wasn't quite as risque and hence was allowed more airplay.

[Hervard]

mst3k1 said:

Going in the other direction, there's a handful of songs that went Top Ten on the Hot 100, but for whatever reason completely missed the R&R CHR chart.

Eddie Rabbitt with Crystal Gayle: "You And I"

#7 Billboard (and 21 weeks in the Top 40!)

I'm wondering if that would have made the R&R chart had it gone down to 40 back then. During most of the first half of 1983, the chart only had 30 songs, which had been the case since October, 1976. I'm thinking that it would have made the 31-40 zone for a few weeks.

[mst3k]

ulij20 said:

mst3k1 said:

Going in the other direction, there's a handful of songs that went Top Ten on the Hot 100, but for whatever reason completely missed the R&R CHR chart.

Eddie Rabbitt with Crystal Gayle: "You And I"

#7 Billboard (and 21 weeks in the Top 40!)

I'm wondering if that would have made the R&R chart had it gone down to 40 back then.  During most of the first half of 1983, the chart only had 30 songs, which had been the case since October, 1976.  I'm thinking that it would have made the 31-40 zone for a few weeks.

Possibly... did it appear in "New & Active" during that time?

[John77]

mst3k1 said:

1982-83 was a time frame for a lot of big differences between the two trades:

Billy Joel, "Allentown" (#3 R&R, #17 BB)
Fleetwood Mac, "Love In Store" (#9 R&R, #22 BB)
Journey, "Send Her My Love" (#12 R&R, #23 BB)
Kenny Loggins w/ Steve Perry, "Don't Fight It" (#4 R&R, #17 BB)
Kenny Loggins, "Heart To Heart" (#3 R&R, #15 BB)
Kenny Loggins, "Welcome To Heartlight" (#13 R&R, #24 BB)
Elton John, "Kiss The Bride" (#13 R&R, #25 BB)
Asia, "Only Time Will Tell" (#5 R&R, #17 BB)
Crosby, Stills & Nash, "Southern Cross" (#7 R&R, #18 BB)
Chicago, "Love Me Tomorrow" (#4 R&R, #22 BB)

And 1982 was that year with the infamous drops on the Billboard charts too... this whole period's pretty fun to study!

[John77]

billboardboy said:

There's that one by Marvin Gaye. I forget what it's called though, but it hit #1 in Billboard and something like #11 in R&R.

Nice catch!! That song is

"Got To Give It Up"...

[dawhite76]

ulij20 said:

"Physical" didn't get quite as high on the R&R chart because of its lyrical content.  Some stations banned the song because of lines like "There's nothing left to talk about unless it's horizontally" and such. 
I guess "Make A Move On Me" wasn't quite as risque and hence was allowed more airplay.

Well, as Newton-John has often stated in interviews, that only happened in Utah. It does not explain the other 49 states! I can't believe Newton-John's single sold that well for so long that it compensated for a shortfall in airplay to keep it #1 on Billboard for 10 weeks - a rare accomplishment back then. That's why I am stumped why R&R did not have "Physical" reach #1 for at least one week.

[Hervard]

Probably because Foreigner was too strong for it. Remember, this was during the winter of 1981-82, which was exceptionally cold over much of the country. People wanted to snuggle up by the fireplace and listen to a nice, slow ballad. (Of course, working out to an upbeat song would be a good way to keep warm, too!)

[dawhite76]

ulij20 said:

(Of course, working out to an upbeat song would be a good way to keep warm, too!)

So would getting physical ... "you know what I mean?" ;)

[Hervard]

That, too, and a slow song like "Waiting For A Girl Like You" would be more conducive to "getting physical", which might be why it went to #1 instead of "Physical". That and "I Can't Go For That" by Hall & Oates, which isn't exactly a ballad, but it isn't as upbeat as "Physical".

[John77]

ulij20 said:

That, too, and a slow song like "Waiting For A Girl Like You" would be more conducive to "getting physical", which might be why it went to #1 instead of "Physical".  That and "I Can't Go For That" by Hall & Oates, which isn't exactly a ballad, but it isn't as upbeat as "Physical".

Well, I know today, WFAGLY and ICGFT are a lot more timeless than "Physical"... still hear the former two all the time... Physical's a rare event on the radio these days...

[Hervard]

And that IMO is a good thing, because I still rather like those two songs, while I never really liked "Physical".

[jebsib]

Does Chartboy's database site still exist?

[Hervard]

force said:

Does Chartboy's database site still exist?

Yes it does.

[jebsib]

ulij20 said:

force said:

Does Chartboy's database site still exist?

Yes it does.

Thank you so much!!!!

[johnnywest]

"I Don't Know Know Anybody Else" - Black Box (#23 BB, N/A R&R)
"The Star Spangled Banner" - Whitney Houston (#20 BB, N/A R&R)
"Into The Groove" - Madonna (N/A BB, #15 R&R)

[Libra]

johnnywest said:

"Into The Groove" - Madonna (N/A BB, #15 R&R)

That actually hit #6, and the reason it didn't make the Billboard chart was because it was the B-side to "Angel" (I think, I'm pretty sure that wasn't a double A-side) and thus ineligible to chart separately.

[jaxxalude]

SYDNEY YOUNGBLOOD "I'd Rather Go Blind"

#33 R&R
#46 Hot 100