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Post by Earl Purple on Oct 20, 2020 21:26:20 GMT 1
love Will Tear Us Apart: as a 15-year old I didn't know who Joy Division were until this hit, and by that point Ian Curtis was dead, but the song was fascinating in being different to everything else whilst at the same time feeling accessible - something I could sing along to. This was a hit during the summer of 1980 when there was no Top of the Pops, and in 2015 (when the BBC would have been showing that period) I made 4 special "Top of the Pops" episodes, one every 2nd week, and I remember this being the opening track (after the countdown track) on one of the weeks. 1980 really was a fascinating year for music.
Like A Prayer: this was brilliant, it became Madonna's 2nd number one in my chart with Live To Tell being her first.
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Good Old Days
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Post by Good Old Days on Oct 21, 2020 10:04:31 GMT 1
Like A Prayer: this was brilliant, it became Madonna's 2nd number one in my chart with Live To Tell being her first. You didn't have any Madonna # 1 s from 1984-1985, when she was on a peak and had 8 number ones in my chart. 1984 : 4 number ones (Holiday, Lucky Star, Borderline, Like A Virgin) 1985 : 4 number ones (Material Girl, Crazy For You, Angel, Dress You Up) "Like A Virgin" and "Material Girl" (+ "Dear Jessie" later) were my favourite singles from mentioned years.
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Post by Earl Purple on Oct 21, 2020 10:22:55 GMT 1
Like A Prayer: this was brilliant, it became Madonna's 2nd number one in my chart with Live To Tell being her first. You didn't have any Madonna # 1 s from 1984-1985, when she was on a peak and had 8 number ones in my chart. 1984 : 4 number ones (Holiday, Lucky Star, Borderline, Like A Virgin) 1985 : 4 number ones (Material Girl, Crazy For You, Angel, Dress You Up) "Like A Virgin" and "Material Girl" (+ "Dear Jessie" later) were my favourite singles from mentioned years. No, "Material Girl" reached #2 in my chart in 1985 behind the Smiths "How Soon Is Now". Holiday only reached #24 in my chart, and I didn't chart Lucky Star at all... Then "Like A Virgin" reached #6 and she started having reasonably big hits, although "Into The Groove" also peaked at #6 and the others lower until she got to the top with "Live To Tell". She did reach my chart with a lot of songs in 1985. (Crazy For You #9, Angel #20, Dress You Up #18 and Gambler actually bigger than those #13). Borderline reissued got to #8 in my chart in 1986.
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SheriffFatman
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Post by SheriffFatman on Oct 21, 2020 12:04:20 GMT 1
Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers No. 16 in 2000
Now to the gloriously laid back west coast sound of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. They're a funny bunch really. They formed in Los Angeles in 1983, but first came to mine and most UK music fans' attention when a re-issue of the brilliant Under The Bridge made the top 20 in 1992. Over the following 10 years or so they never changed their sound drastically, but somehow continued tweaking it just enough to remain consistently appealing and relevant.
Californication is absolutely amongst their best tracks. It was the fourth single from the album of the same name, strange choice of release order in a way because although the whole album is great this is surely the standout track. It meanders through all sorts of pop culture references and is very much a homage to the state which gives it its name. That part of the United States has had a massive impact on music over the years, this song seems to be a nod towards that influence, and at the same time has helped the band become a significant part of it.
It's interesting to note that the Chili Peppers' music does well in the digital era, their last top 40 hit was in 2007 but they seem to continue to rack up a lot of sales. Oddly, although they have 3 songs on the millionaires list, none of them are amongst their 4 singles which actually reached the top 10. I guess they must have lacked the immediate appeal that would make them big hits but make up for it in long lasting impact. I wonder if they have a few others bubbling under this list which will make it on here in years to come too.
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SheriffFatman
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Post by SheriffFatman on Oct 22, 2020 10:36:20 GMT 1
653 - Valerie by Mark Ronson featuring Amy Winehouse No. 2 in 2007
An unusual hit now, a very successful cover of a song which had only been a hit in its original version the previous year.
The Zutons were an indie band from Liverpool. Their debut album, Who Killed The Zutons, was all kinds of wonderful. It was a level of brilliance that was never going to be possible to sustain, and their second album, Tired Of Hanging around, was nowhere near as good, with the one glaring exception of the brilliant single and probably their career highlight, Valerie. It did well for an indie record in 2006, reaching number 9 in the charts.
Mark Ronson, I guess, simply recognised that this was an excellent song which had not reached its full potential audience. He'd worked lots as a producer with Amy Winehouse, and so he asked her to sing it on a track that would be credited to him on his album Version. It was a huge success, with a phenomenal 14 weeks in the top 10, maybe not an unsual chart run these days but at the time it seemed like it would never go away. Bizarely, in a sign of the quirks that the new download era would bring, an acoustic version credited to Winehouse which appeared on the deluxe version of her album Back To Black, charted seperately at the same time, so for a few weeks she was in two different positions in the top 40 singing the same song.
I'm not sure what I think about this single really. Instinctively, I feel slightly indignant that it takes a pop version to make a song this massive, the Zutons version was already wonderful and deserved million selling status in its own right. That said I am a huge fan of Amy's, and frankly hearing her sing anything is always fantastic, so there's not much here to complain about.
From a singles chart perspective, this is her biggest ever hit, only kept off the number one spot by The Sugababes with arguably their own career highlight About You Now. It is perhaps surprisingly her only appearance on the Millionaires list. Mark Ronson will appear one more time, very near the top.
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Post by onehitwonder on Oct 23, 2020 7:10:09 GMT 1
Like a prayer - slightly overrated and it feels like they never play anything else by her released in the 80's except this one. But a good song, with a video with good message.
Californication - I honestly didn't care about RHCP until this album (except a few classics), Otherside was the best single from this album though.
Valerie is a fantastic song, my friend always sings it in karaoke and nails it. I am a bit biased, I know.
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SheriffFatman
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Post by SheriffFatman on Oct 23, 2020 11:17:31 GMT 1
652 - Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus No. 1 in 2007
After several days of absolutely excellent songs, along comes a Miley Cyrus track intent on destroying the fun, like some big heavy object swinging around and destroying everything in its wake. If only I could think of an appropriate metaphor.
This one starts off quite pleasantly, there’s something appealing about the melody in the verse, but then it quickly all goes both loud and wrong. Thing is, I do get the not very subtle point that being hit by a wrecking ball would be a sudden and abrupt assault on your senses, which is why the chorus to this song is too. The problem there is that being hit by a wrecking ball would also be incredibly unpleasant, and so is having Miley Cyrus bellow at you. This is a pop song with a massive flaw.
Wrecking Ball certainly has a novelty value, and it’s unquestionably a memorable release, helped somewhat by Miley straddling a wrecking ball in her pants in the video. Musically though, is it actually any good? Er, no.
This track entered the charts at number 1 exactly 7 years ago, keeping Bezerk by Eminem off the top spot. It only managed one week at the top before giving way to the song it knocked off, a resurgent Counting Stars by One Republic. Truly, these were not vintage times for the charts.
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Post by Whitneyfan on Oct 23, 2020 14:52:14 GMT 1
Valerie is an absolute masterstroke. I think it's definitely an improvement on the original, which was also very good.
Wrecking Ball is easily my least favourite Miley Cyrus song. Her voice has really matured over the years and I'm loving her current song... I agree about the verses being much better than the chorus. It's like somebody just copied and pasted the 2 together, and very badly.
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Post by onehitwonder on Oct 23, 2020 21:26:03 GMT 1
I have always had a problem with Miley's vocals. Party in the USA is one of the most annoying songs I have ever heard, but mostly because of her vocals. I agree with Whitneyfan about her voice!
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Roo.
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Post by Roo. on Oct 25, 2020 0:05:09 GMT 1
I must be in a minority because I love Wrecking Ball, and I love her vocals too!
I don't like the video though, I understand the intention behind it but I think it overshadows the song itself.
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SheriffFatman
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Post by SheriffFatman on Oct 26, 2020 17:15:43 GMT 1
651 -Sultans Of Swing by Dire Straits No. 8 in 1979
Next up the debut single for a band who went on to become one of the biggest album sellers in history. When first released in 1978 this failed to chart, but the following year it hit the top 10 in both the UK and the US, paving the way for stadium filling, globe conquering domination throughout the 1980s.
It's an intriguing track, a song about a band by a band. It would kind of make sense if Dire Straits were introducing themselves to the world as the Sultans Of Swing, a la Eminem on My Name Is, that seems like a logical way to start a successful musical career. This isn't them at all though, The Sultans' trumpet playing and jazz stylings bear little resemblance to Dire Straits' subtle guitar shuffle. Mark Knoffler wrote the song and at first he was concerned it was too dull, and you can sort of see why he thought that. It's a very flat song, especially vocally, his mumble is almost Dylan-like, but somehow the twangy guitar raises it way above what it nearly is into something far far better.
Interesting that this is Dire Straits' biggest single these days though. It's their only one on the million sellers list, and yet I would have guessed Money For Nothing and Walk Of Life, both from their globally successful phase, were just as iconic. Folks still seem to go for the debut though, and fair enough, it's a great track.
Sultans Of Swing spent 2 weeks at number 8 in April 1979. For reasons unknown to me it was reissued in late 1988 and spent six more weeks near the bottom of the charts in three seperate chart runs. None of that is likely to have generated massive sales, so it must be very popular in the digital era.
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SheriffFatman
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Post by SheriffFatman on Oct 27, 2020 10:40:39 GMT 1
650 - My Girl by The Temptations No. 2 in 1992 (first charted in 1965)
Now a song with a complicated chart history - in 1965 it became Motown's first ever US number one, in the UK it was the 22nd best selling single of 1992.
Confusingly, but somewhat typical of the complex Motown story, the song, which went on to become the Temptations signature tune, was written by Claudette Rogers, a member of The Miracles. It's lyrics tell of pure unadulterated joy, the uncomplicated, absorbing feeling of being in love with your girlfriend. With its simple bassline, brilliantly catchy guitar and uplifting strings, it stays just the right side of corny and has become an absolute pop standard. The only reason you could possibly not like My Girl is if you considered it irritatingly cheerful, but really, if that's your stance, maybe pop music in general is not for you.
A huge US hit in the mid 60s, in the UK it was the Temptations' first chart single but it peaked at number 42. They went on to become chart regulars over the following 20 years, but it wasn't until 1992 that this gave them their biggest hit of all, re-issued after it appeared in the Macauley Culkin film of the same name. It managed two weeks at number 2, behind Shakespeare's Sister's Stay, which I have just realised is not on this list. It really feels like it should be.
1992's reissue appears not to have been the first, as for some reason My Girl had also climbed to the dizzy heights of number 92 in 1986. Based on its chart performance, it must be another one that is doing very well under the radar in the digital era.
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Post by Whitneyfan on Oct 27, 2020 11:32:38 GMT 1
'My Girl' is undoubtedly a classic. I was actually familiar with Otis Redding's version first, but I love them both.
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Oct 27, 2020 12:20:18 GMT 1
650 - My Girl by The Temptations No. 2 in 1992 (first charted in 1965)
Confusingly, but somewhat typical of the complex Motown story, the song, which went on to become the Temptations signature tune, was written by Claudette Rogers, a member of The Miracles. It was (co-)written by Smokey Robinson about Claudette, his wife. Co-writer Ronald White was also a Miracle.
It also wasn't the first no. 1 single for the Tamla group (it was released on Gordy Records rather than Tamla or Motown). That was "Shop Around" by The Miracles, which topped Cashbox in 1960. The first Billboard topper was "Please Mr Postman" by The Marvelettes. It was however the Temps' first no. 1.
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Post by Earl Purple on Oct 27, 2020 13:00:30 GMT 1
There were different charts, but Shop Around by The Miracles only reached #2 in the Hot 100 in 1961 (Calcutta by Lawrence Welk kept it off #1. Now was that a UK chart single or not? Not in the RR top 50 but somehow #19 in Record Mirror's chart)
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SheriffFatman
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Post by SheriffFatman on Oct 27, 2020 13:20:33 GMT 1
650 - My Girl by The Temptations No. 2 in 1992 (first charted in 1965)
Confusingly, but somewhat typical of the complex Motown story, the song, which went on to become the Temptations signature tune, was written by Claudette Rogers, a member of The Miracles. It was (co-)written by Smokey Robinson about Claudette, his wife. Co-writer Ronald White was also a Miracle.
It also wasn't the first no. 1 single for the Tamla group (it was released on Gordy Records rather than Tamla or Motown). That was "Shop Around" by The Miracles, which topped Cashbox in 1960. The first Billboard topper was "Please Mr Postman" by The Marvelettes. It was however the Temps' first no. 1.
The haphazard way I throw these posts together is something I've always been happy to admit, but confusing the guy from The Miracles who wrote the song with the girlfirend he wrote it about is a new low
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SheriffFatman
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Post by SheriffFatman on Oct 28, 2020 12:27:15 GMT 1
649 - A Little Less Conversation by Elvis vs JXL No. 1 in 2002
At some point around the age of 11 I became obsessed with The Guiness Book Of British Hit Singles. These books were released every other year, and were primarily a printed database with details of every chart hit of all time. In the front they also had a section of chart feats, and I used to read and reread until I remembered everything, and for the most part, over 30 years later, I still do.
One of the key facts that anyone who was even remotely interested in chart history had to know was that The Beatles and Elvis Presley were tied for the most number one hits, they had 17 each. It seemed entirely appropriate that the two biggest acts in pop history should be equal in this way, but this track is the one that ended it all. Elvis' 18th number one, 25 years after his 17th.
A Little Less Conversation was recorded in 1968 for the now long forgotten film Live A Little, Love A Little. It was a minor hit in the States, I'm not sure if it was even released in the UK. In 2002 Dutch DJ Tom Holkenburg, aka Junkie XL, became the first person the Presley estate had ever granted permission to remix an Elvis original, although they insisted he remove the 'Junkie' from his name for it to be released. The track is a plain and simple dance banger, the extreme opposite of subtle, whatever that is. It veers close to being as irritating as another massive Dutch hit from a decade earlier, Doop by Doop, but the presence of Elvis just about steers it away from novelty record status. I will begrudgingly admit, under pressure, this is a good record.
A Little Less Conversation entered the charts right at the top and stayed there for a month, denying number one status to, amongst others, Stop Crying Your Heart Out by Oasis and By The Way by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. In 2005 RCA embarked on a frankly bizarre reissue campaign of all of Elvis' number ones, which put The King back in the top ten with a different track every week for over 4 months. Inevitably the campaign concluded with this one which, even though it was only 3 years old at the time, went back to number 3 and got another 6 weeks on the charts.
Thanks to that reissue campaign it is now a little confusing as to how many number ones you can say Elvis has had in total, but The Beatles have never gone further than their original 17 so he's still in front. That said, someone like Drake could have over taken him by now, I wouldn't know because they've long since stopped publishing the Guinness books. Despite a few minor hits, this remains JXL's only top 40 single.
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Post by Whitneyfan on Oct 28, 2020 15:35:26 GMT 1
I think it's still Elvis, then the Beatles, with most #1 singles. Sadly Westlife are in joint third place with Cliff, with 14 each.
I don't really think you can make an Elvis record sound bad, and the remix gave this one that little bit extra something. I think it's brilliant.
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SheriffFatman
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Post by SheriffFatman on Oct 29, 2020 17:22:43 GMT 1
648 - Slow Hands by Niall Horan No. 7 in 2017
Well I certainly had to start my research for this one at the basics - Niall who? Turns out that's actually a level of pop knowledge I should be ashamed of, because he used to be in One Direction. I kind of excused myself when I looked up his chart history though, because away from the band he's only ever had 2 top 20 hits, of which this was the biggest. Seems odd though that a three year old track that only reched number 7 should be in the million sellers list, very much a product of the streaming era.
That said, there are many worse songs on the list. I've listened to it about 10 times since panicking yesterday at the realisation that I had to write something about it and wasn't sure I'd ever heard it. If I didn't like it I'd only have bothered twice at most. I think considering it one of the 749 best singles ever is quite a stretch, but it's not bad at all. The guitar is cool, not mmediately catchy but it grows on you. The song itself is subtle and but quite a foot tapper, hell, I might even get up and have a little dance. Only a little one, but a dance nonetheless.
Niall Horan was born in Mullinger, County Westmeath in the Republic of Ireland - another revalation, as I had assumed for no good reason at all that One Direction were all English. Maybe post-Westlife it's obligatory that all boybands have an Irish member. I had already leannt from Sign Of The Times by Harry Styles that it was wrong to assume any former member of One Direction's music would be rubbish, it's good to have that reinforced.
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Roo.
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Post by Roo. on Oct 29, 2020 18:57:17 GMT 1
I had already learnt from Sign Of The Times by Harry Styles that it was wrong to assume any former member of One Direction's music would be rubbish, it's good to have that reinforced. I think the worst of the four (Louis doesn't have a million seller I think) is still to come. Niall's always been my favourite 1D member, so no surprise I like his music the most. He isn't trying to do anything groundbreaking, he isn't angling for critical acclaim, he's just making music he likes and I think it shows. I didn't think he'd sold all that much, so it's a nice surprise to see Slow Hands here, I love it.
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