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JUMP TO:
• 1989 – LOST IN YOUR EYES / Debbie Gibson
• 1979 – I WILL SURVIVE / Gloria Gaynor
• 1969 – DIZZY / Tommy Roe
• 1959 – VENUS / Frankie Avalon
Welcome to another installment of #1 Songs On This Date!
Since it began in early January, 125 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,
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#1 / March 19th, 1989
LOST IN YOUR EYES
Debbie Gibson
[1989]
(Album Version)
Number One: 3 weeks
Replaced: STRAIGHT UP / Paula Abdul
Succeeded by: THE LIVING YEARS / Mike + The Mechanics
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Long Island, NY singer-songwriter Debbie Gibson experienced Hot 100 chart success early and often, with four of her initial five singles all cracking the Top 5 of Billboard in less than 12 months.
Beginning with 1987’s million-selling Only In My Dreams (#4), the streak, which included Shake Your Love (#4), Out Of The Blue (#3) and Foolish Beat (#1) finally ceased when 1988’s Staying Together proved Gibson to be a mere mortal by topping out at #22.
Her sixth release, Lost In Your Eyes – both written and produced by Gibson – righted the ship for Debbie by returning her to the top rung for another 3 weeks.
And to make the feat of another #1 even sweeter, the album from which the single came, Electric Youth, became the biggest LP in the nation as well.
Other #1 Singles by DEBBIE GIBSON (2)
• 1988 / FOOLISH BEAT
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#1 / March 19th, 1979
I WILL SURVIVE
Gloria Gaynor
[1979]
(Single Version)
Number One: 3 weeks
Replaced: DA YA THINK I’M SEXY? / Rod Stewart
Succeeded by: TRAGEDY / The Bee Gees
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She once wore the monicker ‘Queen of the Discos.’ And on this date in ’79 singer Gloria Gaynor capped a long climb back with a song that clearly doubled as her mantra.
Her 1974 debut disco single for MGM called Honey Bee managed to find success on the dance charts, but failed to cross over to the pop side.
But Gaynor, from Newark, NJ, vaulted to #9 on the Hot 100 in 1975 with a cover version of the Jackson 5‘s 1971 smash hit Never Can Say Goodbye – launching Gloria to a potentially long run as one of pop’s great dance music divas.
A highly acclaimed lengthy, side-long album track containing a medley of Honey Bee, Never Can Say Goodbye and an extended cover version of the Four Tops‘ Reach Out I’ll Be There re-enforced that belief.
However, both physical and personal hardship forced her to indeed say adios, resulting in almost three years of inactivity with both performing and recording.
But in 1979 – although short lived – Gloria Gaynor regained her previously-held mantle with this tune of intransigence and liberation.
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#1 / March 19th, 1969
DIZZY
Tommy Roe
[1969]
(Single Version)
Number One: 4 weeks
Replaced: EVERYDAY PEOPLE / Sly & The Family Stone
Succeeded by: AQUARIUS/LET THE SUNSHINE IN / The 5th Dimension
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Tommy Roe was born is Atlanta, GA and like most music fans, grew up loving the records of late 1950’s rock ‘n roll pioneer Buddy Holly.
However, Holly’s influence on Roe was so deep that his (Roe’s) first hit single, Sheila (#1 in 1962), contained blatant Hollyesque overtones; a similar drum-laden backbeat along with the hiccup-mimicking vocals – both a la Peggy Sue.
Roe’s chart success continued with Everybody in 1963 (#3) and into the mid-1960’s with the ‘bugglegum’-drenched singles Sweet Pea (1966 • #8) and Hooray For Hazel (1966 • #6).
After two mid-charting followups, Roe’s last Top 10 hit – also of the glutinous nature – was 1969’s Jam Up And Jelly Tight. Its rise ended at #8, but it managed to reach gold record status.
[Trivia Bits] Dizzy was produced by another Buddy Holly fanatic, Steve Barri, who along with P.F. Sloan co-wrote Barry McGuire‘s 1965 apocalyptical hit Eve Of Destruction (September 26, 1965: Barry McGuire’s Warning).
Barri had wanted to take back Roe’s music to its original Holly-sounding formula. But following several failed releases in that vein in 1968, the producer acquiesced the singer’s preference to replicate his previous sugar-coated sound by releasing Dizzy as a single.
Dizzy was co-written by Tommy Roe and fellow Atlantan Freddy Weller. Weller was a former guitarist for the great pop band from Portland, OR Paul Revere and The Raiders (Kicks, Hungry, Indian Reservation and others)
Other #1 Singles by TOMMY ROE (2)
• 1962 / SHEILA
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#1 / March 19th, 1959
VENUS
Frankie Avalon
[1959]
(Count-off Version)
Number One: 5 weeks
Replaced: STAGGER LEE / Lloyd Price
Succeeded by: COME SOFTLY TO ME / The Fleetwoods
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Philadelphia-born vocalist Frankie Avalon (Francis Thomas Avallone) was already working in bands in Atlantic City, NJ at the age 14 and also appeared on local radio/TV programs in the mid-1950’s.
Despite having a preferred interest in boxing, he eventually became a singer and trumpeter for the band Rocco & His Saints – an outfit which included future fellow teen idol Bobby Rydell.
Bob Marucci, head of a Philadelphia record company called Chancellor – and who’s real interest was having Avalon on the roster – signed the entire group to his new label in late 1957.
Once there, Frankie, a prodigy on the trumpet who saw himself more as a horn player, reluctantly recorded the vocal song DeDe Dina for Chancellor, and the record reached #7 on Billboard in early 1958. Another Top 10 single, Ginger Bread, soon followed and peaked at #9 that year.
But Avalon’s career burst wide open in early 1959 on this date with Venus. The hit, co-produced by Marucci, maintained a five-week stay as America’s top-selling single.
1959 was a huge year for Frankie with more hits like Bobby Sox To Stockings (#8) b/w A Boy Without A Girl (#10), Just Ask Your Heart (#7) and his second #1 that year called Why.
This version includes a ‘count-off’ intro and is taken right off the first-generation master tape of the recording – and it sounds pristine!
[Trivia Bits] Radio/TV legend Dick Clark was instrumental in launching not only the career of Frankie Avalon, but those of Rydell, Fabian, Chubby Checker, James Darren and other Philly-based stars. They all received heavy airplay and performance appearances on Clark’s iconic local (later national) teen TV dance show American Bandstand.
Avalon’s recording success led to a career in the movies, many in which he co-starred with Disney’s The Mickey Mouse Club ex-‘Mouseketeer’ Annette Funicello. He also appeared in Jamboree!, Guns Of The Timberland and The Alamo.
Other #1 Singles by FRANKIE AVALON (2)
• 1959 / WHY
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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
