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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2015 13:22:05 GMT 1
88. Usher featuring Ludacris and Lil Jon - Yeah! (2004)
Sometimes it's fun to check out the real names of those who adopt an obvious alias. And the two guest singers here sound like lawyers - Ludacris is Christopher Brian Bridges and Lil Jon is Jonathan Mortimer Smith. Usher's real name is actually Usher Terry Raymond IV, and this is by some distance his best song, with its mix of R&B and Crunk (generic Southern hip-hop).
Usher had music in his veins from a young age, he was in a choir at 9, performed in R&B groups by 11, then at 13 he appeared on "Star Search", an American talent show, where I am unsure of the quality of the performers, but one previous winner was the singer Tiffany, so I'd best not comment.
Usher was spotted by an A&R representative who signed him up, and Usher found himself immediately mixing with some big stars including P.Diddy, and Mr Diddy/Daddy/Diddly/Puff helped to produce his 1994 eponymously named debut album.
Usher was in demand, also appearing in high-profile movies such as The Faculty and She's All That. Then in 1997 he achieved his first UK chart-topper, followed by several more top-tenners, but it was "Yeah!" and the follow up "Burn" which really launched him into the stratosphere of R&B.
"Yeah!" is a very catchy number; it was co-written by at least six people, including Usher, but it has it's origins in a song named "Freak-A-Leek" by hip-hop star Petey Pablo, who himself was the featured artist on another 2004 chart-topper "Goodies", which is quite terrible.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2015 22:15:49 GMT 1
87. Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) (1970)
OK let's see if we can work this one out. The actual studio recording of the single in 1969 was performed by session singer Tony Burrows and a bunch of session musicians, assembled only to provide the backing instruments. The song was cut, everyone was happy, everyone said their goodbyes and went their separate ways, and that was that.
But then came a problem. And a nice problem at that. The song absolutely rocketed to number one, climbing 12-1 at the end of January, and thus came the obligatory request to appear on Top Of The Pops.
But which musicians would actually appear on The Pops? Well Tony Burrows was a shoe-in as vocalist, but the session musicians had scarpered, so, a group named "Greenfields" were hired to appear on the show, after hastily learning the chords and rehearsing with Burrows. But they didn't appear as Greenfields. They appeared under the name Edison Lighthouse.
This was all the idea of the song's co-writer Sylvan Whittingham. And in all honesty it didn't really matter who did actually appear in front of the TV cameras, because "Love Grows" is a terrific little song, a very happy song to which Tony Burrows really does do justice.
But then there was another problem. And another nice problem to boot. Tony Burrows was in demand as a gun-for-hire session singer, and actually found himself recording several other songs which were all hits at around the same time, and the result was that Top Of The Pops in the early months of 1970 almost became "An Evening With Tony Burrows", and saw him appearing as lead singer with Pipkins on "Gimme Dat Ding", Brotherhood Of Man on "United We Stand" and White Plains on "My Baby Loves Loving". But topping all of these was another session group with Burrows as vocalist; in 1974 First Class recorded "Beach Baby", and the result was a fabulous effort, which The Beach Boys themselves couldn't have bettered.
Burrows hadn't exactly appeared out of nowhere; he had been a member of The Ivy League in the 1960's, and also the resulting session group The Flowerpot Men which recorded "Let's Go To San Francisco". This must have been some session group actually, including as it did two future members of Deep Purple, amongst others.
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Post by suedehead on Nov 6, 2015 23:26:24 GMT 1
So, I've had to wait 'til number 88 for the first song I really dislike.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2015 8:02:49 GMT 1
So, I've had to wait 'til number 88 for the first song I really dislike. Yes my taste in music is nothing if not varied; you may enjoy the next one.....
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2015 8:08:40 GMT 1
Not bad list. I dislike only 2 mentioned songs.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2015 8:50:39 GMT 1
86. Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor (2005)
I'm a sucker for guitar-based rock, and anyone who knows one end of a bass or rhythm guitar from another usually gets my attention. And therefore it was a pleasant surprise when, in 2005, in the middle of a number-one sequence which included Westlife (dear god) and The Sugababes (dear god), we had this motley crew reach the top, achieving attention through a mixture of word-of-mouth, internet exposure and the giving away of free CD's.
In some ways, the groups roots hearkened back to the good old days of a bunch of lads all brought up in the same area. Most of the members were born and raised in Sheffield, and their early performances were based primarily at recording studios or gigs in that area. The group would also release limited-edition versions of early demo's, and found much to their delight that not only were various songs starting to appear on I-Tunes, but fans were also creating their own websites based around the band.
It could be argued therefore that they were being hyped all the way to the number-one slot; although this wasn't the same type of hyping that we'd had earlier in the charts where people were fiddling sales figures in return for a few quid, this was more hyping based upon advertising, and trying to convince the public to buy their material. Alex Turner (who also wrote the song) says it quite well in the opening moments of the video where he says "don't believe the hype".
Yes they were overrated, but this list of the 100 greatest chart-toppers is based purely on whether I liked the song or whether it has special memories for me, and I really liked IBYLGOTD, and the song was good enough to be covered by the likes of Aerosmith and The Sugababes (dear god). The Arctics also performed it for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
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Post by suedehead on Nov 7, 2015 10:14:36 GMT 1
So, I've had to wait 'til number 88 for the first song I really dislike. Yes my taste in music is nothing if not varied; you may enjoy the next one..... I assume you're referring to Arctic Monkeys, in which case you are absolutely right!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2015 15:54:34 GMT 1
85. The Firm - Star Trekkin' (1987)
Sometimes there comes along a song which just makes you smile, and I mean in a good way, rather than a condescending one. The type of song that serves no real purpose, and its lyrics won't be winning any awards anytime soon. But the song just works; it's novelty value is there for all to see and enjoy. And "Star Trekkin'" fits the bill nicely.
John O'Connor and Grahame Lister had written and recorded "Arthur Daley E's Alright" under the group name "The Firm" in 1982, actually providing the vocals themselves as they couldn't find any willing session singers to help them out, but when the call came to appear on Top Of The Pops, it fell to former Rubettes musician Tony Thorpe to become lead singer.
The same trio provided the male voices on Star Trekkin', with Jean Williams taking the role of Uhura. Jean, along with her husband Glenn actually have a long history in the music business - they often appear together under the cabaret group name "Protocol", and in fact it is Glenn who has the most interesting musical background, he replaced Brian Connolly as lead singer with The Sweet, and has also sung with 70's group Kenny.
O'Connor, Lister and Rory Kehoe wrote Star Trekkin', and thanks in part to Simon Bates heavily promoting the song, it went into warp drive up the charts, moving 13-1 in June 1987, with The Music Garage's cheap and cheerful video being shown for the two weeks that it spent at the summit. The "food" theme of the video was the idea of the videos co-director Pete Bishop; Captain Kirk has been in space for way too long and is starting to hallucinate. About food. Daft and fun at the same time.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2015 23:38:57 GMT 1
84. The Move - Blackberry Way (1969)
So, everyone knows that "Flowers In The Rain" by The Move was the first record played on Radio One in 1967. Well actually no it wasn't. The first record played was "Theme One" by George Martin, followed by Tony Blackburn's theme tune "Beefeaters" by Johnny Dankworth. But it was The Move who really got the ball rolling.
The group name was actually quite a lame and contrived one; the original members of the band all had to move from other lesser groups in order to form The Move, the idea being that a kind of supergroup could be formed by cherry-picking the best members of several Birmingham-based groups, and the individuals therefore would need to up sticks and move to form a new group. I think you can see where the group name came from now.
The main driving force was Roy Wood, who wrote this song and indeed all of their other UK hits, whilst also sharing lead vocals on many of the hits with the likes of Carl Wayne and Trevor Burton. But the early incarnation of the group didn't really prosper until The Moody Blues Manager Tony Secunda took over administrative duties and relocated the group from Birmingham to London.
By the time of Blackberry Way, The Move were well-established as a major force in the UK charts, having already reached the top five with four different songs, although nothing really topped their very first hit "Night Of Fear" In 1966.
What is of course well-known is that The Move more or less evolved into ELO, with Roy Wood, Bev Bevan and Jeff Lynne at the forefront of this venture. Carl Wayne continued in the music business and actually recorded the theme for 70's talent show "New Faces". He was also first in the queue to record "Sugar Baby Love" in 1974 but declined, thus handing over to The Rubettes who of course topped the charts with their version. He was also lead singer for a while with The Hollies.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2015 9:04:15 GMT 1
83. Oasis - All Around The World (1998)
Oasis' album "Be Here Now" has taken a fearful pounding over the years by music critics, Oasis fans, Blur fans, and just about anybody who wants to jump on board and join in. But I am in the camp which is prepared to defend it for its variety and production values, and the fact that there are some damn fine songs within.
All Around The World is actually one of Noel Gallagher's older efforts; he wrote it when the group was assembling material for their first album "Definitely Maybe", but realised that neither they nor the record company would have enough money for what he had in mind - a huge orchestra (or two) providing the backing music - so the lyrics were left on the shelf for several years.
Fast-forward to 1997 and Oasis have become one of the UK's biggest acts and the new best friend of Tony Blair. Everything in Britain is now cool man and the Gallagher's can do pretty much anything they want to. And what they wanted to do was release a new album in August, so to help promote it they chose three songs and premiered them on Radio 1 just before the albums release. All Around The World was one of the singles chosen for airplay, although it was "D'You Know What I Mean" which was actually the first hit single from the album.
The recording of the single was, expectedly, a lavish affair. The two wives - Meg Mathews and Patsy Kensit, provided backing vocals along with a multi-instrumental orchestra, and, depending upon which account you believe, Richard Ashcroft of The Verve also popped into the studio to help out.
Oasis, by their own admission, have tried to mimic The Beatles at any opportunity, and the video for this song featured the group travelling in a yellow spacecraft (not unlike a submarine) through a strange animated world. Go figure.
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Post by Earl Purple on Nov 8, 2015 13:13:50 GMT 1
I remember All Around The World on the album and thinking how it sounded very anthemic but was a bit too long to be a single.
For me the definite stand-out track on Be Here Now is "Stand By Me". If it hadn't been for a certain incident in a French tunnel, that song might also have been a #1.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2015 13:53:51 GMT 1
I remember All Around The World on the album and thinking how it sounded very anthemic but was a bit too long to be a single. For me the definite stand-out track on Be Here Now is "Stand By Me". If it hadn't been for a certain incident in a French tunnel, that song might also have been a #1. The little gem on the album is "I hope I think I know", fast and furious.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2015 15:01:33 GMT 1
82. Rod Stewart - You Wear It Well (1972)
The route to the top was a long and varied one for London-born Roderick Stewart. Rejected by Brentford FC as a teenager, Stewart tried his hand at numerous jobs including a labourer, newspaper-delivery boy and fence erector. He also fell in with the CND crowd, joining them on their anti-war marches near the atomic weapons research site in Aldermaston.
His love of music really took hold in his late-teens, where he started busking around the streets of London, armed primarily with an harmonica, and adopting a mod persona including tailor-made suits and a striking (for its time) hairstyle. His looks and personality got him involved with several groups in the mid 1960's, including a pre-fame Long John Baldry, and a supergroup of sorts in the shape of Steampacket, from which Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger were to emerge a few years later with the sensational "This Wheel's On Fire".
His big break though came in 1967 when he became the singer and occasional writer for The Jeff Beck Group, but while the music was great, the in-fighting led to Stewart going it alone, and, after recording "In A Broken Dream" with Python Lee Jackson (not released until 1972), his first solo album came in 1969, containing a mixture of covers and original material, and with several established or soon-to-be famous musicians providing a helping hand.
Among the musicians in question were members of 60's group The Small Faces, and the chemistry was so strong that Stewart was soon announced as the lead singer of the new-look Faces. On paper this looked like a marriage made in heaven, and during this early-70's period Stewart sang lead vocals on some memorable tracks including the magnificent "Cindy Incidentally", and of course You Wear It Well, which Stewart himself helped to write.
Most of Rod Stewart's hits in this era were backed by The Faces although they didn't receive a credit on all of them, for example "Maggie May". My own view is that once Stewart left the Faces around the 1974 mark due to increasing tensions (caused by his solo career) that many of his subsequent hits just weren't up to this standard. "Sailing" for example is probably his most famous song but it doesn't really float my boat......
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Post by suedehead on Nov 8, 2015 15:42:15 GMT 1
I've never been much of a Rod Stewart fan, but YWIW is definitely one of his best songs. The Killing Of Georgie is probably my favourite of his, but that doesn't qualify.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2015 13:42:29 GMT 1
81. Pink - So What (2008)
Alecia Beth Moore has taken a similar route to stardom as many other female vocalists in either adopting a four-letter nickname or picking one of their real four-letter Christian names; in either category we have for example Cher, Dido, Lulu, Dana, Nena and quite literally some others.
The "Pink" nickname was one she adopted around the age of 14, borrowing it from Steve Buscemi's character in Reservoir Dogs, and the singer has freely admitted to having a hectic and turbulent childhood, suffering from asthma and seeing her parents divorce while she was just 10. She also performed in several clubs and all-girl groups around her home state of Pennsylvania, but even a move to Atlanta didn't make a difference, success seemed to be eluding her.
Her luck changed when, at the age of 20, Pink signed a recording contract and released her first hit single "There You Go". It reached the top 10 in both the UK and US charts, but it really took "Get The Party Started" to kick-start her career, reaching number 2 in the UK.
"So What" was co-written by Pink about her separation from moto-cross racer Corey Hart, although they did subsequently get back together around six months after the song charted, and it is a no-nonsense excellent song, well-suited to her angry sarcastic tone.
There are not many of Pink's songs that I can honestly say that I really like; this one obviously, perhaps one or two others which may or then again may not appear later in the countdown, however I do like that spunky attitude (Pink herself cites Janis Joplin as an influence); it makes a nice change from the blandness of Adele or Katy Perry.
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Post by Shireblogger on Nov 9, 2015 15:17:32 GMT 1
I admire your eclecticism @phil20, nicely illustrated by the tracks in the 80s. I'm sure my Top 100 #1s would be similarly varied, even if it didn't overlap enormously with your list. Rod Stewart and Edison Lighthouse would probably make the cut, and I'd like to think I'd have the courage to include Star Trekkin'.
My favourite novelty chart-toppers:- Mambo No.5 (Lou Bega), Living Doll (Cliff & Young Ones), Doctorin' The Tardis (Timelords) and Mouldy Old Dough (Lt Pigeon).
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Post by Earl Purple on Nov 9, 2015 18:01:01 GMT 1
I like a few Pink songs. That one and Blow Me One Last Kiss were her biggest hits in my chart, both peaking at #3. The latter was slightly closer to getting to #1 than "So What".
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Post by rubcale on Nov 9, 2015 18:59:57 GMT 1
Just before my era but Move and Rod Stewart two classic tracks.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2015 20:08:33 GMT 1
80. Gerry & The Pacemakers - You'll Never Walk Alone (1963)
Jurgen Klopp faces such a difficult job at Liverpool FC. He has taken over a mid-table club with a mid-table squad, and the fans demand success. I should know, I'm one of them. And this is partly why I've been a bit self-indulgent with the inclusion of this song; remember my top 100 number ones also include some which hold a special meaning for me (although to be honest there is nothing really wrong with the song itself)
Gerry Marsden was the driving force responsible for the groups formation in 1959, with "Gerry and the Mars Bars" being an early name considered, although the Mars Corporation put a block on this, and they seemed to shadow The Beatles at every step, with performances in Hamburg and Liverpool, signing with Brian Epstein, recording at Abbey Road, and having three official chart-toppers in 1963, where the chord structure and various key changes made up somewhat for some fairly banal lyrics (both groups were guilty of this in 1963). Both groups even performed on stage together in 1961 under the name "The Beatmakers"; this was pre-Ringo, so Pete Best was on drums.
Gerry & The Pacemakers' first release maintained The Beatles connection because "How Do You Do It?" had earlier been recorded by The Fab Four, although their version didn't really see the light of day until released on one of those Anthology things in the 1990's. It was written by Mitch Murray, who also wrote "I Like It", and of course YNWA is originally from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "Carousel", which means that Marsden didn't actually write any of the groups three chart-toppers, which is therefore where The Beatles link probably ends. Gerry Marsden did however write their most famous other hit "Ferry Cross The Mersey", which has suffered from some atrocious cover versions.
Gerry & The Pacemakers didn't survive for very long once the hits dried up; they disbanded in 1966, although Marsden of course keeps popping up on the Hillsborough anniversary, and two of the group members Les Chadwick and Les Maguire did apparently buy a garage together.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 10, 2015 7:32:24 GMT 1
79. Eminem - The Real Slim Shady (2000)
Contrary to popular belief, the stage name "Eminem" did not evolve directly from "Marshall Mathers"; it actually evolved from one of the singers early pseudonyms "M&M", a name he adopted as a teenager whilst experimenting with rapping and R&B. He immersed himself in this music culture partly to escape his traumatic and often hectic childhood - shunned by his Father, bullied at school, affected by the suicide of a family member, problems with drug abuse and the victim of robbery.
His involvement with the rap group D12 dates back to the mid-90's, before he himself even managed a charting song. One of the reasons for a group ensemble was a "strength in numbers" attitude - Eminem was often given short shrift by black DJ's and producers when trying to promote himself - and it wasn't until his late-20's before he achieved a noteworthy hit in the shape of "My Name Is".
A bit of a spoiler alert - Eminem will crop up later in this thread (in fact there are a few artistes who appear more than once) so I will not describe his entire life and biography in this one post.
I am a fan of his often controversial songs, it seems at times that he is attempting to mock the rap culture, but also some of his songs show contempt for manufactured groups, and "The Real Slim Shady" does that excellently. It was released in an era of some dreadful UK chart-toppers.
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