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JUMP TO:
• 1991 – SOMEDAY / Mariah Carey
• 1981 – I LOVE A RAINY NIGHT / Eddie Rabbitt
• 1971 – ONE BAD APPLE / The Osmonds
• 1961 – PONY TIME / Chubby Checker
Welcome to another #1 Songs On This Date! – another four-pack of the best of the best from the Top 40 Rock ‘n’ Roll music era.
Since it began in early January, 114 distinct number one singles from the years 1956 through 1995 have been featured – with hundreds more to follow.
They’re all part of a permanent archive that’s being built at HouseoftheHits.com which will ultimately feature ALL 837 different number one singles as listed in 2,080 weekly national music charts published by Billboard® within that 40-year timeframe.
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Fortunately, HouseoftheHits has every one of those charts – plus secondary data – as published in the essential Joel Whitburn’s Record Research series (CD-ROM and eBook edition formats).
Everything is stored digitally on a HouseoftheHits computer – as are all 837 number one singles (in high-quality audio) from the music vault.
With the availability of precise data and the HOTH song files – together with some amazing technology – approximately 600 – 700 of those Billboard® chart-toppers will be presented this year – with the remainder to follow in early 2017.
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As the archive grows you will have continual free access to the accumulating repository, indexed by Decade, Month and Year. Plus, EVERY Title and Artist will be (blue) hyper-linked for smooth, easy navigation from song to song – with more great features to be added along the way.
Again, it will contain every #1 single in America, plus interesting commentary about each song (written by yours truly) and presented with a crystal clear High-Definition audio version of the complete original hit to instantly play as often as you wish.
The ever-expanding library is found HERE and you can bookmark this link for future instant access.
Enjoy!
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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 / March 11th, 1991
SOMEDAY
Mariah Carey
[1991]
(Album Version)
Number One: 2 weeks
Replaced: ALL THE MAN THAT I NEED / Whitney Houston
Succeeded by: ONE MORE TRY / Timmy -T-
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Mariah Carey‘s recording accomplishments between 1990 and 2008 were truly remarkable as she broke or tied a number of Billboard chart records during that time.
She became the first artist in history to have her first five singles all go to number one: 1990’s Vision Of Love and Love Takes Time along with 1991’s Someday, I Don’t Want To Cry and Emotions (she almost made it six, but late ’91’s Can’t Let Go stalled at #2).
Only three others have had more – Whitney Houston (7), The Beatles and The Bee Gees (tied with 6 each).
Her current 18 career chart-toppers trails only the Fab Four’s total of 20. Elvis Presley also had 18, and if Diana Ross‘s solo gold records were added to her 12 number one’s with The Supremes, she also has had 18.
Carey’s 2005 solo hit We Belong Together tied several others for 14 consecutive weeks at #1 and her 1995 collaboration with Boyz II Men called One Sweet Day holds the all-time record of 16 straight weeks at the top.
Other #1 Singles by MARIAH CAREY (18)
• 1990 / VISION OF LOVE
• 1990 / LOVE TAKES TIME
• 1991 / I DON’T WANNA CRY
• 1991 / EMOTIONS
• 1992 / I’LL BE THERE
• 1993 / DREAMLOVER
• 1993 / HERO
• 1995 / FANTASY
• 1995 / ONE SWEET DAY (Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men)
• 1996 / ALWAYS BE MY BABY
• 1997 / HONEY
• 1998 / MY ALL
• 1999 / HEARTBREAKER (Mariah Carey Featuring Jay-Z)
• 2000 / THANK GOD I FOUND YOU (Mariah with Joe & 98°)
• 2005 / WE BELONG TOGETHER
• 2005 / DON’T FORGET ABOUT US
• 2008 / TOUCH MY BODY
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#1 / March 11th, 1981
I LOVE A RAINY NIGHT
Eddie Rabbitt
[1980]
Number One: 2 weeks
Replaced: 9 TO 5 / Dolly Parton
Succeeded by: 9 TO 5 / Dolly Parton
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Singer Eddie Rabbitt replaced another vocalist at #1 who’d also just succeeded with a county-pop music crossover hit, Dolly Parton and 9 To 5.
Rabbitt, from East Orange, NJ spent several years as an unsuccessful guitar-playing country performer before relocating to the music genre’s mecca, Nashville. There he tried his hand at composing the odd song while also working at a music publishing company.
An enormous break occurred for Rabbitt in 1970, when the “King of Rock ‘n Roll” recorded a number he’d written. As part of Elvis’ string of “comeback” hits from 1969-1972, Kentucky Rain topped out at #11 on Billboard en route to becoming a million seller.
With Eddie’s credibility high, other artists like Ronnie Milsap, Tom Jones and Dr. Hook took notice and recorded his songs.
But Rabbitt wanted to return to his first love of singing and playing the guitar. He signed with Electra Records, a deal which produced the increasingly successful hits Every Which Way But Loose (1979 • #30) (from the Clint Eastwood movie), Suspicions (1979 • #13) and the gold record single Drivin’ My Life Away (1980 • #5).
‘Drivin’s’ immediate followup, I Love A Rainy Night, was in its second and final week on top.
I Love A Rainy Night held the pole position for 2 weeks before yielding to Dolly Parton‘s 9 To 5 for her second time at #1 for one more week.
Two more big hits awaited for him – Step By Step (1981 • #5) and You And I (1982 • #7), a duet with Crystal Gayle.
[Note] When I was working at legendary country music station KLAC/Los Angeles in the early 90’s, I fortunately emceed a concert which included Eddie Rabbitt on the bill. Like the majority of other artists I’ve met along the way, he was a very easy-going and unpretentious person whom I really enjoyed meeting.
Very sadly, Rabbitt died from cancer in 1998 at the young age of 57.
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#1 / March 11th, 1971
ONE BAD APPLE
The Osmonds
[1971]
Number One: 5 weeks
Replaced: KNOCK THREE TIMES / Dawn
Succeeded by: ME AND BOBBY McGEE / Janis Joplin
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The singing Osmonds quintet of brothers, from Ogden Utah, was discovered in 1962 by the father of crooner Andy Williams while performing at the Disneyland After Dark show at Orange County, California’s famous theme park.
And despite becoming regulars on NBC-TV’s weekly The Andy Williams Show for eight years, it would take until late 1970 for The Osmonds to finally achieve recording success.
During that drought, Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay and Donny Osmond had failed while recording for both Williams’ Barnaby Records label and MCA’s Uni Records.
Finally, a deal with Mike Curb‘s MGM label in 1970 hooked them up with highly respected record producer Rick Hall and after this week’s first chart-topper for the boys, the hits “just kept on comin'” for over 3 and 1/2 years.
[Trivia Bits] In its fourth of 5 weeks at number one on this date, One Bad Apple would sell over one million singles and was later joined by Yo-Yo (1971 • #3) and Down By The Lazy River (1971 • #4) in achieving gold status.
Other big Osmonds hits included Double Lovin’ (1971 • #14) Hold Her Tight (1972 • #14), Crazy Horses (1972 • #14) and Love Me For A Reason (1974 • #10).
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#1 / March 11th, 1961
PONY TIME
Chubby Checker
[1961]
Number One: 3 weeks
Replaced: CALCUTTA / Lawrence Welk
Succeeded by: SURRENDER / Elvis Presley
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The unofficial ‘King of Dance Craze’ hits Chubby Checker scored his second Billboard #1 based on another early 60’s body-mover called the “pony.”
And like The Twist, his previous hip-gyrating chart-topper from five months earlier, Pony Time was a cover version of an original recording. In the case of the former it was by Hank Ballard and The Midnighters and by The Goodtimers (featuring the song’s co-writer Don Covay) with the latter.
Checker, born Ernest Evans in South Carolina, was riding his second of three weeks in the Hot 100’s uppermost saddle on this date.
[Trivia Bits] Chubby Checker charted no less than 16 singles on Billboard which were all based on various popular dances – including eight around the twist alone. They included the fly, Freddie, hucklebuck, limbo, popeye, pony, swim and twist.
Checker’s third gold strike occurred with, um, a “twist” to it – literally. In January of 1962 his very same recording of The Twist had been re-released and topped Billboard for a second one-week stay. That’s a feat which to this day has never been seen again in pop music chart history.
Other #1 Singles by CHUBBY CHECKER (2)
• 1960 / THE TWIST
• 1962 / THE TWIST
Further Reading:
• CHUBBY CHECKER: The Father of ‘The Twist’ Sounds Off!
Source: HouseoftheHits.com
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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
