Number one singles that have been (almost) completely forgotten

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by AFOS, Oct 15, 2013.

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  1. AFOS

    AFOS Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Brisbane,Australia
    I've been compiling songs for cd comps (by decade) & many of the songs (big hits at the time) it seems are almost totally forgotten and as far as I know they are rarely played on the oldies stations. For eg Double Barrel was a #1 in the UK around 1972? But does it get played at all these days? Any other examples?
     
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  2. Bruriah

    Bruriah Forum Resident

    Location:
    EU
    How about these:
    Paper Lace - Billy, Don't Be a Hero
    Chicory Tip - Son of My Father
    Mungo Jerry - Baby Jump
    or
    Alvin Stardust - Jealous Mind

    Big hits back then but does anyone remember them today? I mean, Alvin WHO? :D
     
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  3. Voynich

    Voynich Forum Resident

    Location:
    Alboran Sea
    "Love Is Blue" by Paul Muriat (1968)
     
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  4. Leepal

    Leepal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Swindon, UK
    Goombay Dance Band - Seven Tears

    Yes, I'm glad it's been forgotten too.
     
  5. AFOS

    AFOS Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Brisbane,Australia
    I was thinking of Baby Jump when I made the thread - their other big number one (In The Summertime)is still well known. And Alvins lesser hit (still number 2) My CooCaChoo is also (I think).
     
  6. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    I think the Paper Lace song still is remembered. I either never heard of the other ones - or I totally forgot them! :)

    And Alvin is Ziggy's uncle, right?
     
  7. Paul H

    Paul H The fool on the hill

    Location:
    Nottingham, UK
    Don't know. I've forgotten... :)
     
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  8. Andersoncouncil

    Andersoncouncil Forum Resident

    Location:
    upstate NY
    I think some novelty songs would fall into this category.

    Joe Dolce - Shaddup a you face was a huge #1 hit in the early 80's. kind of forgotten now.
     
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  9. Leepal

    Leepal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Swindon, UK

    It's kind of remembered for keeping Ultravox's "Vienna" off the top spot, but yeah, not a record you'd hear played much.
     
  10. Bruriah

    Bruriah Forum Resident

    Location:
    EU
    I think The Night Chicago Died was thir biggest hit and it's still being played here and there.
     
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  11. Leepal

    Leepal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Swindon, UK
    Jim Diamond - I Should Have Known Better
    Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers - Let's Party
     
  12. peteneatneat

    peteneatneat Forum Resident

    Location:
    Liverpool UK
    There's a very good reason a lot of these have been forgotten. Being No.1 has never been an indication of greatness.
    (Double Barrel is a great track, however.)
     
  13. jimod99

    jimod99 Daddy or chips?

    Location:
    Ottawa, ON
    Considering at the time of peak single sales there were around 30 No 1's in the UK each year (now the charts are completely irrelevant and the No1 changes every week) its obvious that some will fall by the wayside.

    Mr Blobby anyone??
     
  14. Mylene

    Mylene Senior Member

    The Blackeyed Boys was a really big hit too.
     
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  15. Mylene

    Mylene Senior Member

    There were #1 hits from actors in Dad's Army, It Ain't Half Hot Mum and winners from Opportunity Knocks as well. (That guy Gerry Monroe had more hits in England than REM but he's forgotten now)
     
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  16. Glenpwood

    Glenpwood Hyperactive!

    Hot 100 Number Ones I Never Hear Played On The Radio...

    Sweet Sensation - If Wishes Came True
    Connie Francis - Don't Break the Heart That Loves You
    Fantasia - I Believe
    Clay Aiken - This Is The Night
    Divine - Lately
    All the Milli Vanilli ones except Blame It On The Rain
    Whitney Houston - I'm Your Baby Tonight
    Richard Marx - Satisfied
    Karyn White - Romantic
    Madonna - Justify My Love ( remembered more for the video than the song)
     
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  17. Mylene

    Mylene Senior Member

    Anyone from Opportunity Knocks, The X Factor, Idol or 's Got Talent has a good chance of releasing a #1 record that won't get airplay in 2 years time.
     
  18. ponkine

    ponkine Senior Member

    Location:
    Villarrica, Chile
    Not here at all, fortunately :wave:
     
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  19. AFOS

    AFOS Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Brisbane,Australia
    Mel B was on NBC Today & they were talking about the worst songs of all time - Mr Blobby was her nomination. And from what I saw of the clip it's certainly a contender.
     
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  20. ginchopolis

    ginchopolis Forum Resident

    Location:
    ginchopolis, usa
    I think the UK has far more of these than the US. Just running through the US 70s/80s #1's, most if not all are still played here. The only exception I could really find was "Stars On 45."
     
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  21. MikeM

    MikeM Senior Member

    Location:
    Youngstown, Ohio
    Most responses thus far have been UK- or Aussie-centric.

    Here in the US what you have to realize is that most radio stations with a standard Oldies format — most certainly those owned by one of the two big conglomerates (meaning 75% of them) — are:

    – concentrating much more on 70s and even 80s chart records

    – playing only the biggest hitmakers of the 60s (e.g., Beatles, Beach Boys, Stones, Motown), and only a smattering of them

    – playing virtually ZERO Top 40 hits from 1955-1963 (i.e., pre-Beatles)


    You may hear the softer variety of songs that don't make the cut above on so-called "Music of Your Life" stations, which can go back all the way to Big Band sounds of the 40s and really corny pre-rock Pop of the 50s. In other words, stuff by say Dionne Warwick or Petula Clark. But stations with this format are normally found only in larger markets, or possibly on the AM dial if they're very small and independent ones.

    But outside of specialty shows, there's a huge black hole that great 50s and 60s rock songs that used to be played on Oldies stations 15 or 20 years ago have disappeared into.

    Looking at a list of Billboard #1 records up through 1963, I can see almost none that you would hear on an Oldies station today. Possibly Roy Orbison or early Four Seasons, but even that is rare.

    Looking at 1964 or beyond, you're unlikely to hear anything from a one- or two-hit wonder; I'm thinking of things like "I'm Telling You Now" or something non-mainstream like "Ringo" or "Harper Valley P.T.A."
     
  22. vinylman

    vinylman Senior Member

    Location:
    Leeds, U.K.

    Believe me, A, we in the UK will never forget it..............Incredible that it kept Ultravox's 'Vienna' at no. 2 here. Even stranger that it happened in the run of Lennon's posthumous no.1 singles. Midge Ure has said (not unreasonably, I think) that they could have understood being kept at no. 2 by Lennon, but Joe Dolce?......................
     
  23. PopularChuck

    PopularChuck Senior Member

    Location:
    Bay Area
    How about..... Wait.... No. Dammit, it's right on the tip of my tongue, but I've completely forgotten it.
     
  24. vinylman

    vinylman Senior Member

    Location:
    Leeds, U.K.

    Glad you mentioned Mungo Jerry's 'Baby Jump'; I can honestly say that I've NEVER heard it on UK radio since it was in the charts. Everyone plays 'In The Summertime' (naturally) but none of their other hits get any play which is a shame as Ray Dorset is a great songwriter. I don't think there's a compilation that has all their hits on it (original recordings, that is)
     
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  25. Glenpwood

    Glenpwood Hyperactive!

    I forgot to mention these number ones from...

    Mariah Carey - My All (snuck in thanks to the lack of commercial singles at the time and Sony's usual boxes of free goods to sell for under 99 cents)
    Elton John - Candle In The Wind 1997 (never hear the Diana tribute played anywhere)
    Tony Orlando & Dawn - He Don't Love You (Like I Love You) (but most of their catalog has been exiled as being too unhip to play)
    Chuck Berry - My Ding A Ling (novelty throw away)
    Sammy Davis Jr. - The Candy Man (same reason as My Ding A Ling)
    Helen Reddy - I Am Woman (people remember it but radio won't play it as its seen as a song men hate during testing. Also the image issues )
    Ringo Starr - Photograph & You're Sixteen (his sole chart toppers have disappeared off radio. The only record that seems to have stay in regular oldies rotation is It Don't Come Easy)
    Paul Anka - You're Having My Baby (seen as sexist now. Also the image issue)
    Neil Sedaka - Bad Blood (seen as sexist/degradaing to women)
    John Lennon - Whatever Gets You Thru The Night (radio acts as if John put out nothing between Imagine and Starting Over so songs like this have slipped thru the cracks with the general public unless you live with a Lennon fan)
    Rhythm Heritage - Theme From S.W.A.T (probably stopped existing once the show was cancelled.)
    Paula Abdul - Promise Of A New Day (probably only topped the chart since Rush Rush before it had been one of 1991's biggest hits. I remember Billboard pointing out the week that it topped the chart that if the upcoming Hot 100 revision were in place the song would only be #5 since it wasn't near the top of either the monitored BDS airplay chart or Soundscan single sales)
     
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