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JUMP TO:
• 1991 – COMING OUT OF THE DARK / Gloria Estefan
• 1981 – KISS ON MY LIST / Daryl Hall and John Oates
• 1971 – JUST MY IMAGINATION (Running Away With Me) / The Temptations
• 1961 – BLUE MOON / The Marcels
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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, 146 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! 😎
[NOTE]
Due to copyright issues, some audio song files may not play on smartphones, tablets and connected devices. A PC, Mac or laptop may be required.
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#1 / April 12th, 1991
COMING OUT OF THE DARK
Gloria Estefan
[1991]
Number One: 2 weeks
Replaced: ONE MORE TRY / Timmy -T-
Succeeded by: I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT YOU / Londonbeat
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One year prior to the release of her number one song from this date in 1991, Miamian Gloria Estefan was involved in a horrific winter-time traffic accident. After being struck by a semi-truck, her tour bus then crashed into a tractor trailer rig in Pennsylvania, breaking several vertebrae in her back. It took many months of excruciating pain until she finally recovered.
In late 1990, Gloria recorded a new album dedicated to her comeback from the incident, titled Into The Light.
A single from the album, Coming Out Of The Dark, was composed based on a phrase that her husband, Emilio, had written on a piece of paper as a helicopter transported Gloria for delicate surgery to repair her broken back.
From an interview with Billboard magazine, Gloria explained: “My husband had been in one of the helicopters traveling from one hospital to the other. It was really dark and gray, and he was traumatized. He got this ray of light that hit him in the face, and he got the idea for ‘Coming Out Of The Dark.’”
https://youtu.be/SqYyKBIvJG4
[Trivia Bits] Gloria Estefan debuted Coming Out Of The Dark during the American Music Awards in Los Angeles on January 29, 1991.
Included in the record’s backing choir are singer-songwriter Jon Secada (Just Another Day, 1992 • #5) and R&B singer Betty Wright (Clean Up Woman, 1971 • #6). Secada also co-wrote the song with Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Jr.
Other #1 Singles for GLORIA ESTEFAN (3)
• 1988 / ANYTHING FOR YOU (Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine)
• 1989 / DON’T WANNA LOSE YOU
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#1 / April 12th, 1981
KISS ON MY LIST
Daryl Hall and John Oates
[1981]
(Single Version)
Number One: 3 weeks
Replaced: RAPTURE / Blondie
Succeeded by: MORNING TRAIN (9 To 5) / Sheena Easton
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The greatest ‘blue-eyed soul’ duo of the 1980’s was Daryl Hall and John Oates, who met while both were attending Temple University in Philadelphia and eventually formed their first band.
Ultimately they evolved into a duo, basing their music on a mutual love of Philly soul, R&B and Motown.
Kiss On My List – their second biggest single – was a track from the 1980 album Voices, which itself spent 100 weeks on the Billboard Hot 200 Pop Albums Chart..
Penned by Hall and Janna Allen, this was her first songwriting effort, with the number actually being written by her and Daryl as a possible recording by her. But KOML became too strong a tune for Daryl and John to pass up, so it became their record.
https://youtu.be/R_DPHhp0OQs
[Trivia Bits] Songwriter Janna Allen’s sister was Daryl Hall’s long-time girlfriend Sara Allen, who was the subject of the first million-selling hit by Hall and Oates, 1976’s Sara Smile.
Janna Allen also co-wrote H&O‘s 1981 chart-topper Private Eyes.
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Other #1 Singles by DARYL HALL and JOHN OATES (6)
• 1977 / RICH GIRL
• 1981 / PRIVATE EYES
• 1982 / I CAN’T GO FOR THAT (No Can Do)
• 1982 / MANEATER
• 1984 / OUT OF TOUCH
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#1 / April 12th, 1971
JUST MY IMAGINATION (Running Away With Me)
The Temptations
[1971]
Number One: 2 weeks
Replaced: ME AND BOBBY McGEE / Janis Joplin
Succeeded by: JOY TO THE WORLD / Three Dog Night
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With their impressive string of hits during the 1960’s, Detroit’s The Temptations rightfully earned their moniker “The Emperors of Soul.” But they also experienced an oft-changing succession of potentates.
Prior to the formation of the actual quintet known as the Temptations in 1961 – and a recording contract with Motown Records – various original members had performed in groups that included the Cavaliers, the Primes, Otis Williams & The Siberians, the El Domingoes and the Elgins.
In ’61, the five original members were Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams, Melvin Franklin, Otis Williams and Elbridge “Al” Bryant.
The more prominent replacements included David Ruffin, Dennis Edwards, Ricky Owens and Richard Street.
During their remarkable 55-year span that began in 1961, no less than 24 different individuals have become a ‘Temptation.’ And, as of this writing, the run of ‘rulers’ continues with a five-man outfit that includes the last surviving original group member Otis Williams.
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Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me), composed by the long-time Temptations songwriting duo of Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, was the last single on which original tenor vocalist Eddie Kendricks sang lead.
His first performance was on the group’s biggest hit – 1965’s My Girl – penned by the great William “Smokey” Robinson.
Later in ’71, Kendricks left for a solo career which saw him cop two Top 5 singles: Keep On Truckin’ (Part 1) (1973 • #1) and Boogie Down (1974 • #2).
https://youtu.be/iOxoLAvTDao
[Trivia Bits] The Temptations were inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.
They released singles on Motown Records owner Berry Gordy‘s subsidiary label, Gordy, for 25 consecutive years (1961-1986) before recording a song with Rod Stewart that was issued on Rod’s Warner Brothers label in 1991 and his salute to his recording partners’ label, The Motown Song.
In addition to the group’s four #1 discs over their 36 years of recorded output, the Temptations achieved an impressive 11 million-sellers, plus 6 more that exceeded that total and achieved platinum status.
Other #1 Singles by THE TEMPTATIONS (4)
• 1965 / MY GIRL
• 1969 / I CAN’T GET NEXT TO YOU
• 1972 / PAPA WAS A ROLLING STONE
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#1 / April 12th, 1961
BLUE MOON
The Marcels
[1961]
Number One: 3 weeks
Replaced: SURRENDER / Elvis Presley
Succeeded by: RUNAWAY / Del Shannon
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Over the years, rock ‘n roll era stars such as Elvis Presley and Rod Stewart have recorded covers of this American standard, but no version of Blue Moon is more familiar to audiences of that musical genre than the one by a black doo-wop group from Pittsburgh, PA known as the Marcels.
Complete with its “Bomp-da-de-bomp”, “Dang-a-dang-ding”, “Ding-a-dong-ding” and “Dip-da-dip-da-dip” throughout, the revamped vocals by lead singer Cornelius “Nini” Harp gave Blue Moon a new flavor that the song’s writers – the legendary Richard Rodgers and Lorenzo Hart – could never have envisioned when they penned the tune in 1934.
The result was a single that reached #1 in both the U.S. and the UK in early 1961 and became Billboard’s seventh biggest chart hit of that year.
https://youtu.be/61zSW_VEcwY
[Trivia Bits] Numerous versions of Blue Moon were heard throughout the 1981 horror-comedy film from producer-director Jon Landis called ‘American Werewolf In London.’ Included was a take over the opening credits by Bobby Vinton, with the Marcels’ hit version playing during the closing credits.
The quintet – named after a popular hairstyle back in the day – released a follow-up single called Heartaches, which climbed to #7 on the Hot 100 in the fall of 1961.
The term ‘blue moon’ refers to the idiomatic expression “once in a blue moon” meaning very rarely. It’s in reference to a second full moon within the same calendar month – an event that occurs once every two or three years.
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Produced & Written By: Rick Murray Hunter / HouseoftheHits.com
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
