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JUMP TO:
• 1989 – MY PREROGATIVE / Bobby Brown
• 1979 – LE FREAK / Chic
• 1969 – I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE / Marvin Gaye
• 1959 – SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES / The Platters
• BONUS – I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE / The Miracles
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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[NOTE]
Due to copyright issues, some audio song files may not play on tablets,
smartphones and connected devices. A PC, Mac or laptop may be required.
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#1 / January 20th, 1989
MY PREROGATIVE
Bobby Brown
[1988]
(Single Version)
Number One: 1 week
Replaced: EVERY ROSE HAS ITS THORN / Poison
Succeeded by: TWO HEARTS / Phil Collins
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Boston-born Bobby Brown first tasted chart success in 1984 as a 15-year-old member of the teen vocal group New Edition. Their hit Cool It Now climbed to #4 on Billboard and sold a million copies.
The following year, Brown pursued a solo career recording for MCA Records.
After a failed debut solo album, a track from his second release Don’t Be Cruel became his break-out million-selling solo hit; My Prerogative hit #1 on this date for a single week.
[Trivia Bits] In all, Brown had six singles which sold one million in addition to 1989’s platinum-selling single On My Own, which appeared in the blockbuster movie Ghostbusters II.
Bobby Brown married superstar vocalist Whitney Houston in 1992 and the pair recorded a duet the following year called Something In Common, which stalled at #32 on Billboard.
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#1 / January 20, 1979
LE FREAK
Chic
[1978]
(Single Version)
Number One: 5 weeks
Replaced: YOU DON’T BRING ME FLOWERS / Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond
Succeeded by: TOO MUCH HEAVEN / The Bee Gees
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Led by members Bernard Edwards and future mega songwriter-producer Nile Rodgers, the five-person American group Chic had an unprecedented ride at or near the top of the Billboard Hot 100 with their dance hit Le Freak.
For the week ending December 19th, 1978, the record reached the top spot, ousting the superstar duo Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond with You Don’t Bring Me Flowers.
The following week, the two records swapped places on the top shelf, but Chic regained #1 seven days later, with the Bees Gees record Too Much Heaven pulling into the runner-up position.
With vocals by Alfa Anderson and Luci Martin, Le Freak became the group’s first chart-topper and sold in excess of four million copies.
[Trivia Bit] The Brothers Gibb succeeded Chic for a couple of weeks at #1, but the latter climbed back into the top position on this date for a third stay of three additional weeks – and five in all.
Other #1 Singles by CHIC (2)
• 1979 / GOOD TIMES
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#1 / January 20th, 1969
I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE
Marvin Gaye
[1968]
Number One: 7 weeks
Replaced: LOVE CHILD / Diana Ross and The Supremes
Succeeded by: CRIMSON AND CLOVER / Tommy James and The Shondells
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The song I Heard It Through The Grapevine is one Motown Record‘s most prolific tunes of all time, having placed on the Billboard Hot 100 no less than six times, all by different artists – Gladys Knight & The Pips, Marvin Gaye, King Curtis, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Roger Troutman and the California Raisins.
Written by the Motown tandem of Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, IHITTG was recorded by at least 5 in-house artists alone at ‘Hitsville U.S.A.’ – Knight, Gaye, the Temptations, the Undisputed Truth, as well as the original version by the Miracles (see below).
A sixth version by the Isley Brothers, when they were still under contract with Motown, was possibly recorded, and regardless, remains unreleased.
Gaye’s hit version was clearly the most commercially successful, remaining at the top for seven weeks while becoming his first #1.
His hits Let’s Get It On (1973) and Got To Give It Up (Pt. I) also reached the peak.
[Trivia Bit] Marvin Gaye began at Motown Records at a session drummer and was later married to company founder Barry Gordy, Jr.‘s sister, Anna.
Other #1 Singles by MARVIN GAYE (3)
• 1973 / LET’S GET IT ON
• 1977 / GOT TO GIVE IT UP (Pt. I)
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BONUS TRAK
I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE
The Miracles
[1966]
The original version of ‘Grapevine’ was recorded in August, 1966 by the Miracles and was released two years later on their album Special Occasion.
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#1 / January 20th, 1959
SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES
The Platters
[1958]
Number One: 3 weeks
Replaced: THE CHIPMUNK SONG / The Chipmunks with David Seville
Succeeded by: STAGGER LEE / Lloyd Price
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Perhaps the greatest American R&B vocal group during the dawn of the Rock ‘n’ Roll era was the Platters.
Behind the incredible voice of Tony Williams, the quintet reached Billboard’s Top 5 on five previous occasions, with songs like Only You, The Great Pretender (#1), (You’ve Got) The Magic Touch, My Prayer (#1) and Twilight Time (#1)
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes repeated that feat for a sixth time on this date, spending three weeks at #1 as their final chart-topper.
[Trivia Bits] The Platters version of Smoke Gets In Your Eyes was a re-working of a song from the 1933 stage musical Roberta and written by Jerome Kern.
Other #1 Singles by THE PLATTERS (4)
• 1956 / THE GREAT PRETENDER
• 1956 / MY PRAYER
• 1958 / TWILIGHT TIME
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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
