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JUMP TO:
• 1990 – ESCAPADE / Janet Jackson
• 1980 – CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE / Queen
• 1970 – BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER / Simon & Garfunkel
• 1960 – THE THEME FROM “A SUMMER PLACE” / Percy Faith and His Orchestra
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 exactly two months ago on January 6th, over 100 (106 to be exact) 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 / March 6th, 1990
ESCAPADE
Janet Jackson
[1990]
Number One: 3 weeks
Replaced: OPPOSITES ATTRACT / Paula Abdul (with The Wild Pair)
Succeeded by: BLACK VELVET / Alannah Myles
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Janet Jackson was coming off her first of four platinum-selling singles, 1989’s Miss You Much, when she scored the first of three #1’s in 1990 with Escapade.
The million seller was co-composed by Jackson and her usual writing partners James Harris III (aka Jimmy Jam Harris) and Terry Lewis – a trio who impressively had hands in penning all twenty-seven of her Billboard Top 10 hits.
It also became Janet’s third of ten #1 singles and sixth of sixteen gold records, in addition to her four platinums.
https://youtu.be/ozr9BrmOGlg
[Trivia Bits] Escapade was intended to have a sound and feel similar to the 1965 Motown Records hit by Martha & The Vandellas called Nowhere To Run.
Jackson’s vocals essentially were done on the very first take.
Other #1 Singles by JANET JACKSON (10)
• 1986 / WHEN I THINK OF YOU
• 1989 / MISS YOU MUCH
• 1990 / BLACK CAT
• 1991 / LOVE WILL NEVER DO (Without You)
• 1993 / THAT’S THE WAY LOVE GOES
• 1993 / AGAIN
• 1998 / TOGETHER AGAIN
• 2000 / DOESN’T REALLY MATTER
• 2001 / ALL FOR YOU
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#1 / March 6th, 1980
CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE
Queen
[1979]
Number One: 4 weeks
Replaced: DO THAT TO ME ONE MORE TIME / The Captain and Tennille
Succeeded by: ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL Part II / Pink Floyd
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Vocalist Freddie Mercury and Queen were spending their second of four weeks at the top on this date with their rockabilly-flavored Crazy Little Thing Called Love.
Because of its disparate pop sound and simplistic song structure compared to some of the UK quartet’s earlier more complex operatic-like classics, there was an initial reluctance by their record company to release the song in America as a single.
But heavy U.S. radio airplay turned the label, Elektra, into believers and resulted in Queen’s first #1 hit.
For me, the best part of this great record is the brief but awesome rockabilly-based, ‘slap bass’-type guitar riff at 1:56 played by John Deacon.
https://youtu.be/Ycwi-LNxSAE
[Trivia Bits] Crazy Little Thing Called Love was written by Freddie while in the bathtub of his hotel room in Munich, Germany, with the band soon recording the song and trying to capture that same early rock ‘n roll feel with its stripped down arrangement.
It also marked Mercury’s first time as both a vocalist and a guitarist on any one song from a Queen album.
Other #1 Singles by QUEEN (2)
• 1980 / ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST
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#1 / March 6th, 1970
BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER
Simon & Garfunkel
[1970]
Number One: 6 weeks
Replaced: THANK YOU Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin b/w EVERYBODY IS A STAR / Sly & The Family Stone
Succeeded by: LET IT BE / The Beatles
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Despite the vast success of both the single Bridge Over Troubled Water and the classic album of the same name, its recording was filled with tension and contention between the iconic duo, who would split up after the record was completed.
And despite all the tracks being billed as by Simon & Garfunkel, the LP was in fact much more a Paul Simon-only release. Art Garfunkel, distracted by a newly-launched acting career with the filming of the Mike Nichol’s movie Catch-22, was totally absent for the recording of a number of the album’s tunes.
However, Garfunkel’s vocals are pristine on BOTW.
Starting on February 28th, 1970, Bridge Over Troubled Water remained in Billboard’s pole position for six weeks.
https://youtu.be/y5nGhNZMRJ0
[Trivia Bits] Paul Simon wrote “Bridge” in the same rented Hollywood Hills home (on Blue Jay Way) where George Harrison had written the Beatles song named after the street for the Magical Mystery Tour album and EP.
Much of the instrumental tracking for the single had been completed in Los Angeles by members of the famed Wrecking Crew, with Paul and Art later adding the vocals.
The song featured the outstanding piano-playing of keyboardist Larry Knechtel, and although drums were sparsely used in the song’s arrangement, Hal Blaine‘s big moments are heard beginning at 3 minutes and 43 seconds into the recording.
Other #1 Singles by SIMON & GARFUNKEL (3)
• 1966 / THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE
• 1968 / MRS. ROBINSON
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#1 / March 6th, 1960
THE THEME FROM “A SUMMER PLACE”
Percy Faith and His Orchestra
[1960]
Number One: 9 weeks
Replaced: TEEN ANGEL / Mark Dinning
Succeeded by: STUCK ON YOU / Elvis Presley
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Canadian-born violinist-pianist Percy Faith made a significant mark on rock ‘n roll history with his record-setting instrumental hit The Theme From “A Summer Place” (more below).
During a 5-year period of recovery from severe burns to his hands from a tragic fire in his late teens, Faith, from Toronto, shifted to song composing and working for the country’s national CBC radio network as a staff conductor and arranger.
He relocated to the U.S. at the age of 32 and ten years later was hired by Columbia Records Director of A&R (talent scouting) Mitch Miller (who discovered Aretha Franklin for the label) as ‘Director of Popular Music.’
Soon after, Faith recorded this monster hit for Columbia – his version of the theme song from a 1959 film titled A Summer Place.
https://youtu.be/mS_HZu-e–A
[Trivia Bits] With nine weeks at the top, The Theme From “A Summer Place” is the most successful #1 instrumental single on Billboard during the Top 40 Rock ‘n Roll era – besting 24 other non-vocal singles in that spot since 1956.
During the emerging era of rock ‘n roll which ultimately led to Columbia signing acts to it’s label in the mid-60’s like The Byrds, Bob Dylan and Paul Revere & The Raiders, Mitch Miller‘s disapproval of the new musical genre led to his departure from the label.
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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
