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JUMP TO:
🎵 1992 – BABY GOT BACK / Sir Mix-A-Lot
🎵 1982 – DON’T YOU WANT ME / The Human League
🎵 1972 – SONG SUNG BLUE / Neil Diamond
🎵 1962 – THE STRIPPER / David Rose and His Orchestra
EXTRA:
🎬 1992 – BABY GOT BACK / Sir Mix-A-Lot (Official Video)
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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 significant #1 Songs On This Date posting.
With this installment, the total chart-toppers presented so far passes the one-third mark of the ever-expanding archive – now at 282 distinct number one singles from the years 1956 through 1995 – with still hundreds more to follow.
They’re all part of a permanent repository 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 / July 7th, 1992
BABY GOT BACK
Sir Mix-A-Lot
[1992]
Number One: 5 weeks
Replaced: I’LL BE THERE / Mariah Carey
Succeeded by: THIS USED TO BE MY PLAYGROUND / Madonna
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Seattle, Washington-born rapper Anthony Ray began his entertainment career as a club DJ in that city, where soon after he acquired the moniker Sir Mix-A-Lot.
Based on his gig performances, he was signed to a deal by a small Seattle record company that released three Sir Mix-A-Lot singles – Square Dance Rap, Iron Man and Posse On Broadway, with the latter reaching #70 on the Hot 100 in 1988.
An album titled Swass soon followed and sold a half-million copies – platinum status for LPs – and spent a full year on Billboard’s ‘Black Music’ and ‘Top Pop Albums charts.’
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In 1992, Anthony signed on with Def American Records which yielded the double-platinum album Mack Daddy and the single Baby Got Back – a song which celebrated the larger butts often attributed to African-American females.
The one-hit wonder’s success and longevity at the top for five weeks was no doubt aided by the record’s accompanying video (included below as an ‘Extra’) which was ultimately banned by MTV.
[Trivia Bits] Baby Got Back sold two million copies (double platinum) and won a Grammy for ‘Best Rap Solo Performance.’
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EXTRA
BABY GOT BACK
Sir Mix-A-Lot
[1992]
(Official Video)
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Here’s the video that was banned by MTV.
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#1 / July 7th, 1982
DON’T YOU WANT ME
The Human League
[1982]
Number One: 3 weeks
Replaced: EBONY AND IVORY / Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder
Succeeded by: EYE OF THE TIGER / Survivor
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On this date in 1982, UK electro-pop trio The Human League sat at the pinnacle of the premier American national chart for the first time with Don’t You Want Me.
The song is structured around “call and answer” style vocals by synthesist Phil Oakley and Susanne Smiley, with each explaining the respective points of view concerning a failed relationship between a guy and a cocktail waitress he’d helped to become a star.
The group’s sound was built around a heavy emphasis on synthesizer-derived electronic effects that replaced conventional guitars.
In fact, Oakley, Smiley and third member Joanne Catherall viewed their music as “cutting edge” and were initially reluctant to release DYWM as a single, thinking it leaned too much toward mainstream pop.
Regardless of it’s placement along the musical spectrum, the record proved to be a winner on both sides of the Atlantic, hitting #1 in the UK for 5 weeks in addition to its 21-day ride at the top of the Hot 100.
[Trivia Bits] Don’t You Want Me was the first UK synthesizer-dominated single to reach #1 on the Billboard Singles chart.
It also was the premier chart-topper for British entrepreneur Richard Branson on his new UK-based Virgin Records label.
The name Human League was taken from a science-fiction game called “Starforce.”
Other #1 Singles by THE HUMAN LEAGUE (2)
• 1986 / HUMAN
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#1 / July 7th, 1972
SONG SUNG BLUE
Neil Diamond
[1972]
Number One: 1 week
Replaced: THE CANDY MAN / Sammy Davis, Jr.
Succeeded by: LEAN ON ME / Bill Withers
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Among Neil Diamond’s thirteen Top 10 hits from Billboard’s Hot 100, it seems the most prominent were of the “sing-a-long” variety, such as Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good), Cracklin’ Rosie and the top tune this week in 1972, Song Sung Blue.
And as is often the case with unexpectedly successful releases from other artists, the latter was considered by Diamond to be a throwaway track.
In the accompanying booklet to his 1996 CD box set anthology In My Lifetime, the singer-songwriter clearly explained: “This is one to which I never paid much attention. A very basic message, unadorned. I didn’t even write a bridge to it. I never expected anyone to respond to ‘Song Sung Blue’ the way they did.”
He goes on to add “I just like it. The message and the way a few words said so many things. I recorded the song strictly for that reason. I had no idea it would be a huge hit or that people would want to sing along with it.”
[Trivia Bits] Song Sung Blue enjoyed a 7-week long run on top of Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart as well.
Written by Diamond and record’s producer Tom Catalano, SSB received double Grammy Award nominations for ‘Record of the Year’ and ‘Song of the Year.’
But it fell in both categories to the 1972 mega hit The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face – specifically to vocalist Robert Flack and the song’s writer Ewan MacColl, respectively.
Cover versions by Andy Williams, Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Wayne Newton, and the Scottish Punk band Altered Images have also been recorded.
Other #1 Singles for NEIL DIAMOND (3)
• 1970 / CRACKLIN’ ROSIE
• 1978 / YOU DON’T BRING ME FLOWERS (Barbra Streisand & Neil Diamond)
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#1 / July 7th, 1962
THE STRIPPER
David Rose and His Orchestra
[1962]
Number One: 1 week
Replaced: I CAN’T STOP LOVING YOU / Ray Charles
Succeeded by: ROSES ARE RED (My Love) / Bobby Vinton
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On this very date in 1962, American songwriter-composer-bandleader David Rose and His Orchestra grabbed the pole position of the Hot 100 with a rousing instrumental titled The Stripper.
Over the years, the one-hit wonder number became inextricably associated with the age-old art of exotic dancing – almost entirely attributable to its debut appearance during a scene from an obscure 1958 TV program called ‘Burlesque.’
Rose, who was scoring the show, suggested a particular segment involving an argument between co-stars Dan Dailey and Joan Blondell should contain a background element of a stripper doing her thing.
He then composed a short, as yet unnamed instrumental piece to accompany the scene, after which the song remained “in the can” for four years.
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Fast forward to 1962: Rose had just recorded a cover version of the 1954 Frank Chacksfield classic song Ebb Tide for which a B-side was needed on the MGM single’s release.
With no time left in the recording session to turn out another track, the composer’s 1958 TV show recording was resurrected and sensibly given the title The Stripper.
Credit an L.A. disc jockey named Robert Q. Lewis with flipping over the Ebb Tide single to hilariously play the bawdy-sounding instrumental in lieu of actual listener song requests – which resulted in frequent ‘exposure’ of the song.
The Stripper subsequently ‘took off’ and sat on Billboard’s top spot for a single week.
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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 Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders (Revised and Expanded) by Wayne Jancik
• 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
