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JUMP TO:
🎵 1992 – JUMP / Kris Kross
🎵 1982 – CHARIOTS OF FIRE – TITLES / Vangelis
🎵 1972 – THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE / Roberta Flack
🎵 1962 – SOLDIER BOY / The Shirelles
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To quote a well-known phrase from 1960’s and 1970’s radio – “And the Hits, Just Keep on Comin!'” – and welcome to another installment of #1 Songs On This Date.
Since it began in early January – and including today’s songs – 193 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 smartphones, tablets and connected devices. Whenever possible, an alternate working audio source will be provided, but a PC, Mac or laptop may ultimately be required in some cases.
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#1 / May 8th, 1992
JUMP
Kris Kross
[1992]
(Radio Edit Version)
Number One: 8 weeks
Replaced: SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST / Vanessa Williams
Succeeded by: I’LL BE THERE / Mariah Carey
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This young male rap duo named Kris Kross hailed from the suburbs of Atlanta, GA and both members were barely in their teens when they held an 8-week stranglehold on Billboard’s top slot.
Chris “Mack Daddy” Kelly and Chris “Daddy Mack” Smith were just 13 years old when they sold four million copies of their monster hit. In fact, the latter was still 12 when the recording took place.
And the song’s writer and record’s producer, Jermaine Dupri, certainly understood being in the industry at a very young age, being only 14 when he first conducted professional recording sessions.
https://youtu.be/7lg6xNgZivo
[Trivia Bits] Kris Kross never duplicated their initial success with Jump but managed three additional Top 20 singles that each moved a million units across record store counters: Warm It Up (1992 • #13), Alright (1993 • #19) and Tonite’s Tha Night (1995 • #12).
Chris Kelly died from a drug overdose in 2013.
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#1 / May 8th, 1982
CHARIOTS OF FIRE – TITLES
Vangelis
[1982]
(Single Version)
Number One: 1 week
Replaced: I LOVE ROCK ‘N ROLL / Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
Succeeded by: EBONY AND IVORY / Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder
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Prodigious Greek musician Vangelis (real name: Evangelos Papathanassiou) grabbed the gold on the Hot 100 with the title track from the Academy Award-winning 1981 motion picture Chariots Of Fire.
The fact-based British film tells the tale of two athletes in the 1924 Summer Olympics: Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome prejudice.
Vangelis composed the movie’s entire soundtrack, another Oscar-winning effort for ‘Best Original Score’ on which he played all the instruments. And this, while being unable to formally read or write music at all.
Since it was played during the picture’s opening credits, the single was initially named Titles to reflect that. But it’s slow start after being released on December 12, 1981 prompted Polydor Records to amend the song’s name to be more closely connected to the movie.
The brilliant combination of pianos and synthesizer was expertly blended to make Chariots Of Fire – Titles one of the most beautifully arranged instrumentals you’ll ever hear.
https://youtu.be/nvuunzNR3gQ
[Trivia Bit] The record Chariots Of Fire had a very slow, protracted 21-weeks race up the Hot 100 to briefly enjoy a 7-day stay atop the summit of Billboard, which began on this date.
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#1 / May 8th, 1972
THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE
Roberta Flack
[1972]
(Single Version)
Number One: 6 weeks
Replaced: A HORSE WITH NO NAME / America
Succeeded by: OH GIRL / Chi-Lites
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Although undoubtedly unplanned, many ‘firsts’ were involved with the #1 Song On This Date in 1972 by Black Mountain, NC’s Roberta Flack.
First of all, (Pun? Yes.) first is part of the song’s title.
Secondly (intended) it was the first single to be released from her first album, titled First Take (first released in 1969).
And lastly, it was Flack’s first of a trio of chart-toppers on America’s premier (ha!) weekly music chart.
In addition, it won Grammys for ‘Song of the Year’ – a songwriters category – and ‘Record of the Year’ – achievement of the recording and its producer (I suppose these also count, also being ‘firsts’ for Flack).
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The exposure of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face in the soundtrack of 1971’s movie thriller ‘Play Misty For Me,’ starring Clint Eastwood as a late-night radio DJ, helped sustain the single’s six-week stay in Billboard’s penthouse position.
[Note] A link to the Johnny Mathis song Misty, heard throughout the movie, is found below.
https://youtu.be/J7GjouKhrD0
Other #1 Singles by ROBERTA FLACK (3)
• 1973 / KILLING ME SOFTLY WITH HIS SONG
• 1974 / FEEL LIKE MAKIN’ LOVE
• Listen to the 1959 Johnny Mathis hit Misty that’s featured in the movie.
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#1 / May 8th, 1962
SOLDIER BOY
The Shirelles
[1962]
Number One: 3 weeks
Replaced: GOOD LUCK CHARM / Elvis Presley
Succeeded by: STRANGER ON THE SHORE / Mr. Acker Bilk
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A song that was composed in literally five minutes topped the Hot 100 ‘OTD’ in 1962.
With the clock ticking toward the expiration of a late-1961 recording session – which had just produced the future hit Baby It’s You – and to maximize the studio time paid for by Scepter Records, Soldier Boy was quickly whipped together by songwriters Luther Dixon (who also produced the session) and the label’s founder Florence Greenberg.
Plus, the recording was nailed by The Shirelles on the very first take.
Soldier Boy would become the second number one by the girl group from Passaic, NJ, following up the Gerry Goffin/Carole King-penned classic Will You Love Me Tomorrow 16 months earlier in ’61.
https://youtu.be/ovd0yczpV-g
[Trivia Bits] Although vocalist Shirley (Owens) Alston and the ladies managed just two chart-toppers, the quartet remained prolific with four other Top 10 hits: Mama Said (1961 • #4), Baby It’s You (1961 • #8), Foolish Little Girl (1963 • #4) and Dedicated To The One I Love.
The latter had failed after its initial release in 1959 (#83) but hit #3 after being re-issued in 1961 as the follow-up to ‘Tomorrow.’
Other #1 Singles by THE SHIRELLES (2)
• 1961 / WILL YOU LOVE ME TOMORROW
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CREDITS
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 Billboard Book Of Number One Rhythm & Blues Hits by Adam White and Fred Bronson
• The Billboard Book Of Number One Adult Contemporary Hits by Wesley Hyatt
• The Billboard Book Of Number One Albums by Craig Rosen
• The Billboard’s Hottest Hot 100 Hits (4th Edition) by Fred Bronson
• 1000 UK Chart Hits (Kindle Edition) by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh
• The Archives of RollingStone.com
Record Sleeve & Label Graphics: Courtesy of 45cat.com
Special thanks to the patio of Starbucks, Little Road in New Port Richey, FL 😎
Other #1 Songs on This Date Posts are HERE
