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JUMP TO:
• 1987 – WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN / Bangles
• 1977 – YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A STAR (To Be In My Show) / Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr.
• 1967 – I’M A BELIEVER / The Monkees
• 1957 – SINGING THE BLUES / Guy Mitchell
• VIDEO – WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN / Bangles
According to the eBook editions of the invaluable publications from Joel Whitburn’s Record Research of data from Billboard magazine’s music charts – widely used in both the radio and record industries because of their accuracy – there were 837 singles that topped the Hot 100 in the 40-year period between January, 1956 and December, 1995. And the deep music vault here at House of the Hits has every one of them!
So, rather than let them sit idle on the vault’s digital hard drives, I thought that I’d begin presenting them over them over the next 52 weeks (and into 2017) for your listening pleasure – and virtually all of them in crystal-clear HD audio!
Each of the blog posts (3-4 per week) will contain four #1 songs, in exact 10-year separations (e.g.1991-1981-1971-1961), so that the changing styles and genres of music from corresponding weeks/decades can be seen and compared.
By early ’17, all 837 chart-toppers from each of those years will comprise a permanent archive found HERE and you can bookmark this link for future instant access.
Clearly, 2016 at House of the Hits will embrace la crème de la crème!
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[Note] For fans of statistics, for the three complete decades in this time period (60’s-80’s) the Seventies decade had the most #1’s with 252 (ah, yes, the music decade where AOR meant ‘All-Over-the-Road’), the Eighties had 231 and the Sixties, with 202, had the least.
Furthermore, across the full 40-year span, 1974 and 1975 had the most chart-toppers (34 each) and 1994 the fewest with just 9.
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Due to copyright issues, some audio song files may not play on tablets,
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#1 / January 14th, 1987
WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN
Bangles
(1986)
Number One: 4 weeks
Replaced: THE WAY IT IS / Bruce Hornsby and The Range
Succeeded by: SHAKE YOU DOWN / Gregory Abbott
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L.A.’s pop-rock girl group Bangles scored their first #1 single – and the first of two million-sellers – with Walk Like An Egyptian.
The song was originally offered to Toni Basil (Mickey, #1 •1982) but she turned it down. Her loss became the Bangles’ gain; the record copped Billboard’s #2 song for all of 1986.
Three members of the quartet, Vicki Peterson, Micki Steele and Susanna Hoffs all shared in the lead vocals, singing the first through third verses respectively. Fourth member Debbi Peterson (Vicki’s sister) provided back-up vocals.
[Trivia Bits] Walk Like Egyptian joined Manic Monday (#2 • 1986), a cover version of Simon & Garfunkel‘s Hazy Shade Of Winter (#2 • 1987), In Your Room (#5 • 1988) and Eternal Flame (#1 • 1989) as the group’s five Top 5 hits.
Other #1 Singles by BANGLES (2)
• 1989 / ETERNAL FLAME
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VIDEO
WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN
Bangles
[1986]
(Official Video)
The official music video was shot in a concert setting, but interspersed with “Egyptian walking” scenes from the streets of New City City.
Also, technical trickery was used to produce images of Princess Diana and Prince Charles, former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi and the Statue of Liberty.
Walk Like An Egyptian was nominated for ‘Best Group Video’ in the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards.
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#1 / January 14th, 1977
YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A STAR (To Be In My Show)
Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr.
[1976]
(Single Version)
Number One: 1 week
Replaced: TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT (Gonna Be Alright) / Rod Stewart
Succeeded by: YOU MAKE ME FEEL LIKE DANCING / Leo Sayer
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After achieving two #1 hits and five platinum-selling singles as members of the L.A. pop-R&B-soul quintet the 5th Dimension, both lead vocalist Marilyn McCoo and her husband Billy Davis, Jr. left the group in 1976.
The plan by their new record label, ABC, was for the duo to pursue separate careers, with McCoo being offered a song to record solo that was written by former Motown Records and Stax Records producer Don Davis called You Don’t Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show).
Deciding to change direction, the tune was re-arranged to be sung by a duet and recorded to emulate the ‘Motown Sound’ – even recruiting the bassist of Hitsville U.S.A.‘s famed backing group The Funk Brothers, James Jamerson, to play on the session.
[Trivia Bits] The single achieved success both on the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts – also winning a Grammy in the category ‘Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group, Duo or Chorus.’
You Don’t Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show) was produced by a Detroit session player/record producer/guitarist named Don Davis (no relation).
Davis previously had co-written soul singer Johnnie Taylor‘s three big chart hits: Who’s Making Love (1968 • #5), I Believe In You (1973 • #11) and the platinum-selling #1 from 1976 Disco Lady.
Other #1 Singles by MARILYN McCOO and BILLY DAVIS, JR. (3)
• 1969 / AQUARIUS/LET THE SUNSHINE IN (The 5th Dimension)
• 1969 / WEDDING BELL BLUES (The 5th Dimension)
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#1 / January 14th, 1967
I’M A BELIEVER
The Monkees
[1966]
Number One: 7 weeks
Replaced: GOOD VIBRATIONS / The Beach Boys
Succeeded by: KIND OF A DRAG / The Buckinghams
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In the fall of 1966, NBC‘s new hit TV series The Monkees – loosely based on the Beatles‘ zany first movie A Hard Day’s Night – instantly launched the band of basically non-musicians into North American stardom with their debut single Last Train To CLarksville going straight to #1 and selling over one million copies.
Despite that, music publisher Don Kirschner sought out his friend and colleague, New York City’s Brill Building songwriting icon Jeff Barry, for help in finding even stronger material for the band to record.
Barry suggested a tune by a young songwriter from Brooklyn with whom he was impressed and was also penning songs in that same extraordinary “hit factory.” His name was Neil Diamond and the song was I’m A Believer.
Prior to its release, The Monkees’ new single had advance orders in excess of one million units – the highest amount for a 45 on RCA Records (who manufactured and distributed for the band’s Colgems label) since Elvis Presley‘s monumental singles releases in the mid-late 50’s.
[Trivia Bits] With its seven week stay at #1, I’m A Believer became the first record to match that longevity at the top since I Want To Hold You Hand by The Beatles enjoyed a similar dominance there in early 1964.
Since The Monkees TV series had not yet aired in the UK during its first season (causing Last Train To Clarksville to fail there) I’m A Believer became THE recording that catapulted the band to international superstardom.
Other #1 Singles by THE MONKEES (3)
• 1966 / LAST TRAIN TO CLARKSVILLE
• 1967 / DAYDREAM BELIEVER
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#1 / January 14th, 1957
SINGING THE BLUES
Guy Mitchell
[1956]
Number One: 9 weeks
Replaced: LOVE ME TENDER / Elvis Presley
Succeeded by: TOO MUCH / Elvis Presley
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The first recording of Singing The Blues, penned by a 20-year-old songwriter named Melvin Endsley, was by Columbia Records country crooner Marty Robbins.
Days later, a Detroit-born and Southern California-raised singer named Guy Mitchell (real name Al Cernick) was given the opportunity by Columbia to record a pop-oriented version of the song.
[Trivia Bits] Both singles debuted simultaneously on Billboard‘s ‘Best Sellers in Stores’ chart in late 1956. The latter’s pop hit remained at #1 for nine weeks (sandwiched between two big chart-toppers by Elvis) while the country version stalled at #17.
Mitchell’s nine week run at number one made Singing The Blues the first of six singles to enjoy such top-spot longevity. Mack The Knife by Bobby Darin (1959), Percy Faith‘s Theme From ‘A Summer Place’ (1960), Hey Jude by The Beatles (1968), Kim Carnes with Bette Davis Eyes (1981) and the duet Endless Love from Diana Ross and Lionel Richie (1981) followed.
Other #1 Singles by GUY MITCHELL (2)
• 1959 / HEARTACHES BY THE NUMBER
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Written By: Rick Murray Hunter
Songs Source: The Music Vault of HouseoftheHits Inc.
Billboard® Chart Data: Joel Whitburn’s Record Research (eBook Editions)
References: The Billboard Book Of Number One Hits (5th Edition) by Fred Bronson
The Archives of RollingStone.com
Record Sleeve & Label Graphics: Courtesy of 45cat
Other #1 Songs on This Date Posts are HERE
