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JUMP TO:
• 1986 – THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR / Dionne and Friends
• 1976 – I WRITE THE SONGS / Barry Manilow
• 1966 – THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE / Simon & Garfunkel
• 1956 – MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS / Dean Martin
• VIDEO – THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR / Dionne and Friends
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,
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#1 / January 22nd, 1986
THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR
Dionne and Friends Featuring Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder
[1985]
Number One: 4 weeks
Replaced: SAY YOU, SAY ME / Lionel Richie
Succeeded by: HOW WILL I KNOW / Whitney Houston
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The title of the number one record on this date in 1986 turned out to be prophetic for the song’s writers, Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager and for singer Dionne Warwick.
Two dozen years earlier, the legendary Songwriters Hall of Fame team of Bacharach and Hal David wrote Ms. Warwick’s first hit, 1962’s Don’t Make Me Over, and in all, penned 33 charted songs by her between ’62 and 1971.
But the vocalist ended up suing the pair for not fulfilling their contract commitment.
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A decade of estrangement had passed when Bacharach called Dionne to attempt a reconciliation, leading to the pair reuniting to record a song he’d written called Finder Of Lost Loves.
Burt then recalled a song he and Ms. Bayer Sager had written for the 1982 movie Night Shift and he offered the tune to Dionne.
That song, of which Rod Stewart recorded an forgettable original version for the film, was titled That’s What Friends Are For.
https://youtu.be/LCajcx0vBfo
[Trivia Bit] The initial plan called for ‘Friends’ to be a duet between Warwick and Stevie Wonder, but it was later decided to record TWFAF using a superstar quartet, bringing on board the great Gladys Knight and Elton John.
Other #1 Singles by DIONNE WARWICK (2)
• 1974 / THEN CAME YOU (Dionne Warwicke and Spinners)
Other #1 Singles by ELTON JOHN (9)
• 1973 / CROCODILE ROCK
• 1974 / BENNIE AND THE JETS
• 1975 / LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS (Elton John with John Lennon)
• 1975 / PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM
• 1975 / ISLAND GIRL
• 1976 / DON’T GO BREAKING MY HEART (Elton John and Kiki Dee)
• 1992 / DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME (George Michael with Elton John)
• 1997 / CANDLE IN THE WIND 1997
Other #1 Singles by GLADYS KNIGHT (2)
• 1973 / MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA (Gladys Knight & The Pips)
Other #1 Singles for STEVIE WONDER (10)
• 1963 / FINGERTIPS – Part 2 (Little Stevie Wonder)
• 1973 / SUPERSTITION
• 1973 / YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE
• 1974 / YOU HAVEN’T DONE NOTHIN
• 1977 / I WISH
• 1977 / SIR DUKE
• 1982 / EBONY AND IVORY (Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder)
• 1984 / I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU
• 1985 / PART-TIME LOVER
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VIDEO
THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR
Dionne and Friends Featuring Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder
[1985]
(Official Video)
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#1 / January 22nd, 1976
I WRITE THE SONGS
Barry Manilow
[1975]
(Album Version)
Number One: 1 week
Replaced: CONVOY / C.W. McCall
Succeeded by: THEME FROM “MAHOGANY” (Do You Know Where You’re Going To / Diana Ross
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One year – minus a day – after hitting the premier perch atop Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1975 with his version of Mandy (first charted by Scott English as Brandy), Barry Manilow climbed to #1 for a second time with his million-sellerI Write The Songs.
A common misconception is that Manilow, being both a singer and tunesmith, penned the song. But he didn’t write any of his three chart-toppers – including the aforementioned Mandy and 1977’s Looks Like We Made It.
Musician Bruce Johnston wrote the tune while driving though Southern California’s Hollywood Hills.
Previously, Johnston had played piano for drummer Sandy Nelson, produced the 1963 song Hey Little Cobra by the Rip Chords, was a part of the vocal duo Bruce And Terry (1964’s Summer Means Fun) before permanently joining the Beach Boys in 1965.
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In 1974, at a commercial jingle recording studio in New York City, Manilow, a writer of ad music at that time, struck up a friendship with the session’s vocalist, Ron Dante.
Dante became Manilow’s co-producer, working on all three of Barry’s number one singles and several of his albums.
https://youtu.be/bywkznejXdI
[Trivia Bit] Previously, Ron Dante had been the vocalist for the ‘studio groups’ the Archies and the Cuff Links on their hits Sugar, Sugar (1969 • #1) and Tracy (1969 • #9), respectively.
Other #1 Singles by BARRY MANILOW (3)
• 1975 / MANDY
• 1977 / LOOKS LIKE WE MADE IT
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#1 / January 22nd, 1966
THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE
Simon & Garfunkel
[1965]
(Hit Version)
Number One: 2 weeks
Replaced: OVER AND OVER / The Dave Clark Five
Succeeded by: WE CAN WORK IT OUT / The Beatles
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The Sounds Of Silence is a song with an interesting pedigree.
Written by Paul Simon in 1963, it first appeared on Simon & Garfunkel‘s debut album Wednesday Morning, 3 a.m.
The track was released as an acoustic guitar-tinged folk single in 1964 but failed to crack the Hot 100, leading to the breakup of the duo.
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In 1965, based on the success of the newly-emerging trend of music known as electric folk-rock, S&G’s record label, Columbia, took a shot at revamping The Sounds Of Silence. They removed the acoustic portion of the song and replaced it with an overdubbed 12-string electric Rickenbacker to emulate the popularity of folk-rock.
Being more appealing to radio stations who sought records with this new sound, the re-released electrified single took off and bolted to the top of Billboard on New Year’s Day, 1966.
The Sounds Of Silence spent one week at #1 before giving way to The Beatles with We Can Work It Out for two weeks, then regained the top spot for a second week on this date – again to be replaced by WCWIO.
https://youtu.be/4n9XJkWP2BI
[Trivia Bit] Based on the single’s success the second time around, Simon & Garfunkel quickly reunited.
Other #1 Singles by SIMON & GARFUNKEL (3)
• 1968 / MRS. ROBINSON
• 1970 / BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER
FURTHER READING:
• BOB DYLAN & THE BYRDS: The Birth of Mid-60’s Folk Rock.
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#1 / January 22nd, 1956
MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS
Dean Martin
[1955]
Number One: 5 weeks
Replaced: SIXTEEN TONS / Tennessee Ernie Ford
Succeeded by: ROCK AND ROLL WALTZ / Kay Starr
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[Note] This is the rotation during which a song from 1956 – a full 60 years ago, at the dawn of the rock ‘n’ roll era – is being featured. So, this being January, we’re going WAY back.
Back in the day, Dean Martin, from Steubenville, OH, played straight man for Jerry Lewis in the standup comedy duo Martin & Lewis.
But Martin also sang, signing a contract with Capitol Records in 1948 and placing several pre-rock ‘n’ roll-era singles on various Billboard charts.
Then in late 1955, he recorded a pop version of song that was rooted in folk music – being written by Terry Gilkyson of the Weavers fame – called Memories Are Made Of This.
Martin’s version not only had what it took to compete with records from the new era of pop music, but it enjoyed a five-week stay on top while becoming the biggest single of Dino’s singing career.
https://youtu.be/ldiLF50duek
Other #1 Singles by DEAN MARTIN (2)
• 1964 / EVERYBODY LOVES SOMEBODY
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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
