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JUMP TO:
• 1988 – MAN IN THE MIRROR / Michael Jackson
• 1978 – NIGHT FEVER / The Bee Gees
• 1968 – (Sittin’ On) THE DOCK OF THE BAY / Otis Redding
• 1958 – TEQUILA / The Champs
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, 138 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 8th, 1988
MAN IN THE MIRROR
Michael Jackson
[1988]
(Single Version)
Number One: 2 weeks
Replaced: NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP / Rick Astley
Succeeded by: GET OUTTA MY DREAMS, GET INTO MY CAR / Billy Ocean
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The incomparable “King of Pop” achieved yet another milestone in his storied pedigree on the Billboard charts.
One week prior to this date, when Man In The Mirror took over from Rick Astley‘s Never Gonna Give You Up, Jackson became the first artist to plant four singles from the same album firmly into the hallowed ground of Billboard magazine’s premier singles chart – the Hot 100.
His 1987 album Bad had already produced I Just Can’t Stop Loving You, Bad and The Way You Make Me Feel as chart-toppers. And this week’s #1 made it a four-spot.
But MJ wasn’t finished. A fifth single from ‘Bad’ – Dirty Diana – would also crack #1 a little over three months later.
[Trivia Bit] The only other album to yield four #1 original singles was the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack album, but not by just one artist as Michael had achieved with his first four from ‘Bad.’
Three new hits by the Bee Gees (How Deep Is Your Love, Stayin’ Alive, Night Fever), plus Yvonne Elliman‘s If I Can’t Have You all held the Billboard’s brass ring while also coming from the 19 million units-selling album.
[Note] Three other #1 singles – the Bee Gees‘ Jive Talkin’ (1975) and You Should Be Dancing (1976) along with A Fifth Of Beethoven from Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band (1976) – were also on the SNF soundtrack, but not as original songs.
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 / BILLIE JEAN
• 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 / DIRTY DIANA
• 1992 / BLACK OR WHITE
• 1995 / YOU ARE NOT ALONE
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#1 / April 8th, 1978
NIGHT FEVER
The Bee Gees
[1978]
Number One: 8 weeks
Replaced: (Love Is) THICKER THAN WATER / Andy Gibb
Succeeded by: IF I CAN’T HAVE YOU / Yvonne Elliman
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The Bee Gees had already enjoyed huge success with their first two singles from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack album hitting number one; How Deep Is Your Love and Stayin’ Alive. But the most impressive accomplishments were yet to come.
Single number three, Night Fever, soared up the Hot 100 after its debut on February 4th of 1978, with chart moves of #76, 32, 17, 8, 5, 2 and, on this its seventh week, to #1.
On this date, NF was halfway through its impressive eight-week sojourn at #1 – tops for 1978 and enough to propel the record to the ‘biggest single’ category on Billboard’s year-end listing.
And just for good measure, songs either directly recorded by the Brothers Gibb or written by them for others occupied exactly half of the Billboard Top 10 on this date: Night Fever (#1), Stayin’ Alive (#2), Yvonne Elliman‘s If I Can’t Have You (#5), Emotion by Samantha Sang (#6) and sibling Andy Gibb‘s (Love Is) Thicker Than Water (#8).
Other #1 Singles by THE BEE GEES (9)
• 1971 / HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART
• 1975 / JIVE TALKIN’
• 1976 / YOU SHOULD BE DANCING
• 1978 / HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE
• 1978 / STAYIN’ ALIVE
• 1979 / TOO MUCH HEAVEN
• 1979 / TRAGEDY
• 1979 / LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT
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#1 / April 8th, 1968
(Sittin’ On) THE DOCK OF THE BAY
Otis Redding
[1968]
Number One: 4 weeks
Replaced: LOVE IS BLUE (L’Amour Est Bleu) / Paul Mauriat and His Orchestra
Succeeded by: HONEY / Bobby Goldsboro
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Starting in 1963, Otis Redding, one of the greatest soul singer-songwriters of all time, had already placed numerous singles on both the Billboard Hot 100 and their Rhythm & Blues chart.
But just days before his sudden death (see below) he recorded the song for which he will always be remembered, (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay.
Recorded on November 22, 1967 (18 days before his death) the single posthumously entered the Hot 100 during the last week of January, 1968. It hit number one on March 16th, where it remained for 4 weeks and also became Redding’s only million-seller.
And given the nature of his death, the song gained added poignancy.
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‘Dock Of The Bay’ is ranked at #26 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the ‘Top 500 Greatest Songs of All-Time.’
The ‘seagulls’ sound effects were created by session guitarist Steve Cropper (of Booker T. & The MG’s) manually manipulating the strings on his instrument’s finger-board.
Cropper also co-wrote the song with Redding.
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Otis Redding died tragically on December 10th, 1966; killed while aboard a small, twin-engine aircraft which plunged into Lake Monona at Madision, Wisconsin. He was just 26.
The crash also took the lives of four of the six members of the Memphis, TN instrumental funk band the Bar-Kays, who were accompanying Redding on the ill-fated chartered flight.
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#1 / April 8th, 1958
TEQUILA
The Champs
[1958]
Number One: 5 weeks
Replaced: DON’T / Elvis Presley
Succeeded by: TWILIGHT TIME / The Platters
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[Trivia Bits] Tequila was the first single on the Challenge record label, established by the legendary “Singing Cowboy” Gene Autry.
It was actually the B-side of the song Train To Nowhere, but after a radio DJ flipped over the record, Tequila became the hit.
The Champs – founded by guitarist Dave Burgess and sax player Danny Flores – named themselves after Autry’s iconic horse, Champion.
Flores, who wrote Tequila under his pen name Chuck Rio, really blows off his lips on this one!
[More Trivia Bits] The single battled with another version of the song released at the same time by Eddie Platt (see below) – but it peaked at #20 on Billboard – with The Champs winning the fight.
After Tequila became a hit, several significant future artists joined the group, including Glen Campbell, Jim Seals and Dash Crofts (Seals & Crofts).
The record won for ‘Best Rhythm & Blues Performance’ at the first ever Grammy Awards in 1959.
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BONUS TRAK
TEQUILA
Eddie Platt and His Orchestra
[1958]
Here’s one you’ve never likely heard – the competing version of Tequila by Cleveland saxophonist Eddie Platt. It stalled at #20 on Billboard.
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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
