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JUMP TO:
• 1993 – INFORMER / Snow
• 1983 – BILLIE JEAN / Michael Jackson
• 1973 – KILLING ME SOFTLY WITH HIS SONG / Roberta Flack
• 1963 – HE’S SO FINE / The Chiffons
• EXTRA –The Chiffons vs. George Harrison
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 we began on January 6th, 133 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 / April 4th, 1993
INFORMER
Snow
[1993]
(Single Version)
Number One: 7 weeks
Replaced: A WHOLE NEW WORLD (Aladdin’s Theme) / Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle
Succeeded by: FREAK ME / Silk
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Canadian dance-pop-reggae singer Snow (real name Darrin Kenneth O’Brien) was raised in a Toronto government-subsidized housing project where he became heavily influenced by Jamaican reggae music and rap. At the age of 10 he was a big fan of the record Rapper’s Delight by the Sugarhill Gang.
Predictably, given his rough upbringing, trouble ensued for O’Brien in early adulthood. At one point he was charged with two counts of murder and sent to prison, but the charges were later reduced and he was ultimately acquitted.
It was during his incarceration that he wrote the song Informer and upon his release he recorded an entire album for the New York City-based EastWest label called 12 Inches Of Snow.
After Informer was issued as a single from the album, heavy airplay on a New York City radio station helped the record’s popularity to spread rapidly, and it ultimately enjoyed a seven-week run at the top and became Billboard’s fourth biggest hit of 1993.
[Trivia Bit] Audiences dubbed white rapper O’Brien as ‘Snow White’, from which his handle ‘Snow’ was derived.
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#1 / April 4th, 1983
BILLIE JEAN
Michael Jackson
[1983]
Number One: 7 weeks
Replaced: Replaced: BABY, COME TO ME / Patty Austin with James Ingram
Succeeded by: COME ON EILEEN / Dexys Midnight Runners
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The best-selling record album of all time – Thriller by Michael Jackson – amazingly produced 6 Top Ten singles in 12 months, beginning with the late-1982 duet with Paul McCartney, The Girl Is Mine (#2) and ending with P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing) in November of 1983 (#10).
In between were Beat It (#1), Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (#5), Human Nature (#7) and this date’s pole-sitter, Billie Jean.
Both the latter and Beat It were certified as platinum-selling singles.
[Trivia Bits] Billie Jean is based on a real-life situation where a woman once stalked Jackson and wrote letters to him about a son she claimed was his. It was Michael’s way of addressing the issue without direct confrontation.
In his autobiography titled Moonwalk, Jackson said that the song’s producer, Quincy Jones, wanted to change the song’s title to ‘Not My Lover’ to avoid confusion with tennis star Billie Jean King, but Jackson won the argument.
Other #1 Singles for MICHAEL JACKSON (17)
• 1970 / I WANT YOU BACK (The Jackson 5)
• 1970 / A B C (The Jackson 5)
• 1970 / THE LOVE YOU SAVE (The Jackson 5)
• 1970 / I’LL BE THERE (The Jackson 5)
• 1972 / BEN
• 1979 / DON’T STOP ’TIL YOU GET ENOUGH
• 1980 / ROCK WITH YOU
• 1983 / BEAT IT
• 1983 / SAY SAY SAY (Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson)
• 1987 / I JUST CAN’T STOP LOVING YOU
• 1987 / BAD
• 1988 / THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL
• 1988 / MAN IN THE MIRROR
• 1988 / DIRTY DIANA
• 1992 / BLACK OR WHITE
• 1995 / YOU ARE NOT ALONE
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#1 / April 4th, 1973
KILLING ME SOFTLY WITH HIS SONG
Roberta Flack
[1973]
Number One: 5 weeks
Replaced: CROCODILE ROCK / Elton John
Succeeded by: LOVE TRAIN / The O’Jays
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Killing Me Softly With His Song became the second #1 hit in a row and third consecutive million-selling single for vocalist/pianist Roberta Flack.
First up was The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, originally from her 1969 album First Take. But an film appearance in the 1971 Clint Eastwood psychological thriller ‘Play Misty For Me’ compelled her label, Atlantic Records, to release the track as a single. It not only sold a million copies, but won Grammys for both Record and Song Of The Year.
Next came a duet with a former high school classmate named Donny Hathaway. Where Is The Love, which peaked at #5, also copped a gold record and a Grammy for ‘Best Pop Vocal-Duo.’
The magic continued for Flack on this date in 1973. KMSWHS hit the top for the first of 6 weeks, and would soon exceed the accomplishments of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.
Once again it reached gold record status, ‘Record of The Year’ and ‘Song of The Year Grammy honors, but scored a third gold gramophone for ‘Best Pop Vocal-Female.’
As well, it was Billboard magazine’s top single for all of 1973.
Two more chart successes lay ahead for Roberta Flack. 1974’s gold #1 single Feel Like Makin’ Love and a second duet with Donny Hathaway – the #2 million-seller The Closer I Get To You in 1978.
[Trivia Bit] Feel Like Makin’ Love was written by early 60’s singer Gene McDaniels (A Hundred Pounds Of Clay, Tower Of Strength).
Other #1 Singles by ROBERTA FLACK (3)
• 1972 / THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE
• 1974 / FEEL LIKE MAKIN’ LOVE
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#1 / April 4th, 1963
HE’S SO FINE
The Chiffons
[1963]
(Extended Version)
Number One: 4 weeks
Replaced: OUR DAY WILL COME / Ruby And The Romantics
Succeeded by: I WILL FOLLOW HIM / Little Peggy March
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He’s So Fine is now best remembered for the lawsuit it produced, which saw music publishing company Bright-Tunes Music – on behalf of the song’s writer Ronnie Mack – sue ex-Beatle George Harrison for alleged copyright infringement with his 1971 number one solo hit My Sweet Lord (See The Chiffons vs. George Harrison below).
The record’s genesis saw members of the 1960’s Brooklyn vocal group The Tokens (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) signing Mack to a songwriting deal, after which a four-member black ‘girl group’ known as The Chiffons – who also recorded as The Four Pennies – being recruited to record his song He’s So Fine.
From Upper Manhattan and the Bronx, NY, the quartet, who began singing together as high school classmates, were enjoying a four-week stay atop Billboard with their only #1 hit.
This is an extremely rare stereo version of He’s So Fine – and with an extended ending.
[Trivia Bits] The single was shopped to 13 other record companies – all of which turned down the disc – before the smaller Laurie Records label signed the group.
The Tokens played all the instruments on the recording.
He’s So Fine was followed by the Carole King-Gerry Goffin written song One Fine Day. After listening to its demo recording, The Tokens erased the original vocals from it and had The Chiffons add their own. It climbed to #5 in the summer of 1963.
The girls returned to the Top 10 one more time in June, 1966 with Sweet Talkin’ Guy.
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In his autobiography I Me Mine, Harrison states, “I was inspired to write ‘My Sweet Lord’ by the Edwin Hawkins Singers’ (1969 hit) version of (a 1967 gospel song) ‘Oh Happy Day’.”
What do you think?
Ultimately, United States Federal Judge Richard Owen sided with the plaintiff on the plagiarism question, awarding almost $1.6 million; deciding that Harrison didn’t deliberately copy the song – i.e. did it subconsciously – but stated in his ruling, “My Sweet Lord is the very same song as He’s So Fine. Under the law, this is an infringement of copyright, and is no less so even if it may have been subconsciously accomplished.”
After one of the longest running legal battles ever to be litigated in the U.S., the eventual settlement saw Harrison pay roughly one-third of that ($580,000) to the estate of the young composer Mack, who died not long after He’s So Fine topped the charts.
Then latter-day Beatles’ manager Allen Klein purchased the rights to the tune from the plaintiff for the above amount, and sold back its ownership to Harrison.
[Notes] If you’re interested in knowing more, here’s an in-depth presentation concerning the case.
Hear Billy Preston‘s original recording of My Sweet Lord (with The Edwin Hawkins Singers) HERE.
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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
