EVERY Billboard #1 hit discussion thread 1958-Present

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by alphanguy, Jan 29, 2016.

  1. ChrisScooter1

    ChrisScooter1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Athens, GA
  2. Dougd

    Dougd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Fla.
    Good recounting of Rupert's great past work.
    I'm not really that familiar with his singles/LPs before Escape, except for this gem, which hit No. 72 on the Hot 100 a year before Escape.
    A local Top 40 FM played it a lot.



    It's a great song that really sounds like a Top 40 hit, and should've been.

    I became familiar with Timothy, by The Buoys, from the early 70s, only in the 80s when I began listening to oldies radio.

    Escape has the distinction of being the only No. 1 hit to rise to the top spot in 2 separate decades.
    I'll get to that after the next No. 1 is mentioned (don't want to reveal it yet).
     
    sunspot42 and SomeCallMeTim like this.
  3. Glenpwood

    Glenpwood Hyperactive!

    Don't forget that despite a lack of hits betweeen 71-79, Mr. Holmes got a second wind via Barbra Streisand. Babs was having a new stereo system installed and the technician used his "Widescreen" LP as a demo disc. She was so taken with the material that she covered the title cut on her Lazy Afternoon album in 75 as well as made him the main producer of the project. He also was going to be the main composer for the "A Star Is Born" soundtrack - "Queen Bee" and "Everything" were completed before he walked away from it - citing the craziness of Streisand & Jon Peters as the main culprit. Despite that, the soundtrack was a huge smash so his royalties carried him for years as he went from label to label before hitting it big with "Escape."
     
  4. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus

    Pina Colada Song is cute and tuneful but kind of just a background song to me. Likeable enough. Gets drunk people singing.
     
    Jo B likes this.
  5. Cheevyjames

    Cheevyjames Forum Resident

    Location:
    Graham, NC
    Ruper Holmes - Escape (The Pina Colada Song)

    I can see the attraction of the easy-going feel, hell, I'm a huge fan of relaxing, but there's something about the vibe that's just too...weak. I don't feel any passion in the music, which should always be there. The chorus is catchy, both in the lyrics and the melody. It's memorable, that's for sure. There are always songs where the entire thing is based around the chorus and the rest of it might as well not even exist. This isn't the first one we've seen and it won't be the last. A catchy chorus can take you a long way. Overall it's a boring song, though.
     
  6. bare trees

    bare trees Senior Member

    "Escape" is a guilty pleasure for me. I love the relaxed, reggae inflected groove. As much as I like this song, I actually prefer the followup, "Him".
     
    sunspot42 likes this.
  7. Dawg In Control

    Dawg In Control Forum Resident

    Location:
    Granite Falls, NC
    Songs ranked by Billboard in top 25 for the the year 1979 that didn't reach number one on Billboard:

    Y.M.C.A by Village Peolple - Peaked at #2 (#8 song of 1979)
    When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman by Dr. Hook - Peaked at #6 (#13 song of 1979)
    Makin It by David Naughton - Peaked at #5 (#14 song of 1979) (I do not remember this song at all)
    Fire by The Pointer Sisters - Peaked at #2 (#15 song of 1979)
    A Little More Love by Olivia Newton John - Peaked at #3 (#17 song of 1979)
    Stumblin' In by Suzi Quatro - Peaked at #4 (#23 song of 1979)
    Lead Me On by Maxine Nightingale - Peaked at #5 (#24 song of 1979)
    Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground) by The Jacksons - Peaked at #7 (#25 song of 1979)

    #1 songs not in Top 50 for year - Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough by Michael Jackson & Rise by Herb Alpert (due to time of year on chart).
    Sail On by The Commodores - Cash Box #1 was #98 song for year

    Songs ranked in Top 50 songs of year that peaked lowest:

    Don't Cry Out Loud by Melissa Manchester - Peaked at #10 (#26 song of 1979)
    I Was Made For Dancin' by Leif Garrett - Peaked at #10 (#37 song of 1979)
    The Gambler by Kenny Rogers - Peaked at #16, #1 Country (#40 song of 1979)
    Lady by Little River Band - Peaked at #10 (#42 song of 1979)
    Heaven Must Have Sent You by Bonnie Pointer - Peaked at #11 (#43 song of 1979)

    I was living in Alaska at the time and "The Gambler" was definitely big on the radio there; as were "Don't Cry Out Loud" & "Lady".

    Songs that peaked lower than I expected on review:

    I Need A Lover by John Cougar peaked at #28
    Dog & Butterfly by Heart peaked at #34
    You Know That I Love You by Santana peaked at #35
    Rapper's Delight by Sugarhill Gang peaked at #36
    Message In A Bottle by The Police peaked at #74
    Beautiful Girls by Van Halen peaked at #84
    Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd - Did Not Chart

    The Sad Cafe by Eagles, All My Love by Led Zeppelin, Who Do You Love by George Thorogood, and I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide by ZZ Top were not officially released though I heard them played on local radio stations.
     
  8. SITKOL'76

    SITKOL'76 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Colombia, SC
    The Pina Colada song is a classic in my book. One of the best of the year.
     
  9. SITKOL'76

    SITKOL'76 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Colombia, SC
    So I guess this is it for no only 1979, but the 1970's overall...

    Once again, here are all the #2 peaking songs of the year 1979

    1. The Village People - Y.M.C.A

    2. The Pointer Sisters - Fire

    3. Sister Sledge - We Are Family

    4. Earth Wind & Fire - After The Love Has Gone

    5. Donna Summer - Dim All The Lights

    Not a lot of #2 hits this year at all...
     
  10. Victor/Victrola

    Victor/Victrola Makng shure its write

    Speaking of Rupert Holmes, I have a single by him called "I Don't Wanna Hold Your Hand" which uses parts of the Beatles melody but slows it waaaaaaay down and has alternate lyrics (obviously).

     
    OptimisticGoat and HGN2001 like this.
  11. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    The "corporate rock" label was also used derisively by (usually) snooty punk fans.
     
    MikeInFla and Dawg In Control like this.
  12. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Something about his vocal, or mix rubs me the wrong way. It's quite aggressive.

    Whatever it is, I hate the song.
     
    OptimisticGoat and AppleBonker like this.
  13. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Have you checked in on the Billboard R&B thread lately?
     
  14. Dougd

    Dougd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Fla.
    Agree totally.
    One of the greatest songs of the era.
    Love the rich, lush vocals.
    I bought the LP.
     
    Hey Vinyl Man and Wild Horse like this.
  15. tmoore

    tmoore Forum Resident

    Location:
    Olney, MD
    The only chart history it made is due to the calendar. To me, that's not really history, it's just fortuitous timing.
    I won't spoil your thunder though.

    =====

    Last week, the episode of the Goldbergs that was on ABC on Wednesday night (which was a rerun from last January) --- prominently featured "Escape".
     
    Dawg In Control likes this.
  16. Dougd

    Dougd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Fla.
    Escape is a cultural thing. A well known song.
    While it's not my favorite, and I prefer other Rupert Holmes songs over this one (his, by far, biggest-seller), I don't detest it.
     
    OptimisticGoat likes this.
  17. sunspot42

    sunspot42 Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Francisco
    I think "Him" is definitely the better song. It should have been the #1. But like I said, we were coming to the end of the era where guys like Holmes could become big stars. He finally broke thru 2-3 years too late.

    Yeah, they re-released it on CD and it sounds like crap too, as do all of the online versions I've found. Flat as a pancake. Would be nice if somebody spent more than 30 seconds properly mastering it... It sounded better on the radio in 1979.

    :uhhuh:
     
    joemarine and Grant like this.
  18. SITKOL'76

    SITKOL'76 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Colombia, SC
    A run own of the Billboard 1979 Year End Charts...

    Top Male Singles Artists

    1. Rod Stewart
    2. Kenny Rogers
    3. Billy Joel
    4. Gerry Rarrerty
    5. Elton John

    Rod won in the singles race, but Billy Joel was the Top Male artist of the year overall with LP's combined.

    Top Female Singles Artists

    1. Donna Summer
    2. Anne Murray
    3. Olivia Newton John
    4. Gloria Gaynor
    5. Anita Ward

    Donna was not only the Top Female Singles act but she was the Top pop act of the year overall, no surprise there.

    Top Singles Groups

    1. Chic
    2. Bee Gees
    3. The Knack
    4. Earth Wind & Fire
    5. Dr. Hook

    Chic won the group race, Bee Gees finally lost their title.
     
    joemarine, Cheevyjames and sunspot42 like this.
  19. sunspot42

    sunspot42 Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Francisco
    Wow, what a solid year on the charts. Really just three songs I think are duds, and even then nothing of the "You Light Up My Life" variety of awfulness.

    The Worst
    24) Commodores - Still
    What a shapeless, amorphous turkey this one is. My allergy to Lionel Richie began with this dud. Fortunately, unlike a lot of other Richie / Commodores tracks, this one seems to have largely fallen down the memory hole.

    23) Styx - Babe
    Shrill, ball-less ballad from pretentious ex-prog schmaltzy hard rockers. Has nostalgia value, though... Also, a preview of the kind of crap that would clutter the charts post-disco.

    22) Robert John - Sad Eyes
    Speaking of the kind of crap that would clutter the charts post-disco, here's this dud with ball-less vocals.

    Highlights In Many Other Years
    21) Peaches & Herb - Reunited
    I was over this one for many years just due to overexposure, but it's a lovely recording and has huge nostalgia value.

    20) Bee Gees - Tragedy
    These guys came pretty close to predicting the techno-driven sound of 1983/84 almost half a decade earlier. I'd rank it higher if it weren't for the over-the-top screeching falsetto vocals, which are both impressive and ear-splitting. This one no doubt laid the tracks for the disco hate train.

    19) Eagles - Heartache Tonight
    Their run as monsters of the pop charts was rapidly coming to an end, and this stomper isn't one of their best hits, but it's still arresting.

    18) The Doobie Brothers - What a Fool Believes
    The reconstituted Doobie Brothers with Michael McDonald score a mellow, Yacht Rock classic #1, helping to announce the commercial ascendency of that genre. In the wake of disco's implosion it would be seeing a lot more chart dominance before MTV began to displace it circa '83. A great, Motown-tinged example of a genre dominated by this kind of precise studio perfection.

    17) Anita Ward - Ring My Bell
    A little of that synth tom hook goes a long, long way, but this thing is a monster earworm and the #2 R&B hit of the year. Dumb fun, and a powerful flashback to '79 trigger. Still gets play to this day.

    16) Amii Stewart - Knock on Wood
    Unlike "Ring My Bell", this cut sounds a lot like things to come on the pop charts - Stewart was well ahead of the curve. Oddly forgotten today in spite of that, and the fact that Stewart - unlike Ward - delivers a hell of a vocal performance, more than a little reminiscent of the kind of full throated delivery a young cousin of Dionne Warwick would begin charting with in just a few years. Stewart should have been a much bigger star, but got caught in the disco backlash undertow...

    15) Bee Gees - Too Much Heaven
    Another lovely ballad from the Brothers Gibb and a monster hit, it's also a little too heavy on the screechy falsettos, but not as toupee frazzling and polyester melting as "Tragedy".

    14) Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer - No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)
    Streisand already proved she could dominate the charts in a duet ("You Don't Bring Me Flowers"), and here she is back at it again with disco superstar Donna Summer. Surprisingly, Streisand more than holds her own here, perhaps in a preview of how well she'll acquit herself when she teams up with Barry Gibb in a little while.

    13) Michael Jackson - Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
    I was never an enormous MJ fan, but this cut certainly kicks off the Quincy era of his career in style. Jackson was one of the few big dance acts to escape the disco era unscathed, such was the degree of his stardom already. It wasn't apparent yet but would be by early 1980 that his partnership with Quincy had launched him into a new realm of popularity.

    12) Rupert Holmes - Escape (The Piña Colada Song)
    Another Yacht Rock monster, the last hit of the '70s and the only hit to chart at #1 in two separate decades. As a story song that deals with adultery derailed by monogamy, it perfectly reflects the changing cultural and political landscape of the times. Loved it as a kid, and it's still a powerful nostalgia trigger.

    The Best
    11) Herb Alpert - Rise
    Love this one. Who would have expected stellar material like this from Herb in 1979? Awesome funky beat, sensuous horns, fantastic loose jam atmospherics. A real winner.

    10) Donna Summer - Bad Girls
    Vaguely raunchy, definitely helped launch the blend of disco and rock. While disco would collapse within a year, this sound really didn't go away. In fact, it formed the basis of a lot of '80s pop rock.

    9) The Knack - My Sharona
    Hugely important single, and I still love it, but perhaps not quite as much as some of the other #1s from this year. The intro announces that rock is back. These guys were tipped for superstardom, but it wasn't to be.

    8) Bee Gees - Love You Inside Out
    The brothers were still innovating right up to the end of their reign as disco superstars. The funkiest of their disco #1s - and their last #1 - the skip-stomping beat of this one sounds like a preview of the hip-hop era to come late in the next decade.

    7) Rod Stewart - Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?
    Poor Rod catches a lot of grief from rock fans for going disco on this one, and the lyrics are a magnet for people who want to paint Rod as the ultimate sleazemaster, but as with "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)", there's actually a shoutout to traditional romance at the end of this record. Again, a reflection of the changing times.

    6) Chic - Good Times
    A monster groove we'd be hearing again, soon. Elegance and funk - a winning combo.

    5) Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive
    Iconic. Gaynor rang in the start of the disco era on the charts with her massive hit "Never Can Say Goodbye" and - unbeknownst to her - serenaded the beginning of the end of it as well.

    4) Donna Summer - Hot Stuff
    Moroder and Summer hit upon the same disco/rock hybridization that Chapman and Blondie were pursuing as well. Summer's hybridization is probably superior from a musical stylings standpoint, but Blondie had the better song. They also had the advantage of sounding more like rock/disco than disco/rock, something that would prove commercially critical in the coming two years.

    3) M - Pop Muzik
    Of all the #1 hits this year, "Pop Muzik" sounded the most like the future and ultimately best-reflected where the charts were going...but they'd take an awful long time getting there. I can't hear this one and not think about how utterly different it sounded, or how much I loved it.

    2) Chic - Le Freak
    The sad thing about disco is it peaked just as it started falling out of fashion, and here's another example. The song that (briefly) made Chic superstars.

    1) Blondie - Heart of Glass
    The other single that had me bouncing off the walls in '79 because it sounded so fresh, from the album of the era in my opinion. Blondie pointed the way to life beyond disco, and finally managed to propel New Wave to the top of the charts after years of resistance from American radio and consumers. While New Wave was able to penetrate the charts after Blondie and many established acts started coloring with New Wave crayons, it would be another couple of years before it began to truly redefine which acts we heard on the radio and bought in the record stores. Slowly but surely though - and with a lot of help from MTV - New Wave won the war to replace disco.
     
  20. tommy-thewho

    tommy-thewho Senior Member

    Location:
    detroit, mi
    Great write up there.
     
  21. sunspot42

    sunspot42 Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Francisco
    As for the #2 hits of the year...I'd say all of them best some of the weaker #1s:

    5) The Village People - Y.M.C.A
    Dumb fun, a la "Ring My Bell", and certainly well-remembered.

    4) Earth Wind & Fire - After The Love Has Gone
    I was never big on ballads, but this one is lovely. Better than "Reunited" certainly.

    3) Sister Sledge - We Are Family
    About as good as the Chic #1s, and in some ways even more iconic. This was the era of family-based women vocalists - see also my fave #2 hit of the year.

    2) Donna Summer - Dim All The Lights
    Summer wrote this one herself, and it's an incredible dance number. Iconic. Really should have been a #1. Casablanca effed things up by releasing "Enough Is Enough" a few weeks too early. It could have waited.

    1. The Pointer Sisters - Fire
    The ladies had been thru a lengthy lull on the charts, and regrouping as a trio with producer Richard Perry I'm not sure the label knew what exactly to expect. What they got is a smoldering hot single that takes Bruce Springsteen to places he could never go on his own. Fantastic work, easily better than all but maybe the Top 5 hits on my list up above. Another indication of just how strong a year 1979 was. Made the sisters true music stars, a status they'd retain thru the middle of the '80s.
     
  22. SITKOL'76

    SITKOL'76 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Colombia, SC
    Billboard Year-End Top 10 Albums

    1. 52nd Street - Billy Joel

    2. Spirits Having Fun - Bee Gees

    3. Minute by Minute - Doobie Brothers

    4. Cars - Cars

    5. Breakfast In America - Supertramp

    6. Live and More - Donna Summer

    7. Pieces of Eight - Styx

    8. Bad Girls - Donna Summer

    9. Parallel Lines - Blondie

    10. Blondes Have More Fun - Rod Stewart

    As big a year as Donna had, Billy Joel's was just as noteworthy. He also won Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year for 'Just The Way You Are' at the 1979 Grammy's. 1979 was just as much Billy's as it was Donna's. His biggest hit was 'My Life' which peaked at #3.
     
  23. Jrr

    Jrr Forum Resident

    I thought that was a number one coming up?
     
  24. Jrr

    Jrr Forum Resident

    Totally agree.
     
  25. Jrr

    Jrr Forum Resident

    Still love this song today and recently found an audiophile version of the album it’s from, The Original Soundtrack. Unfortunately, I prefer the single version. But easily one of the very best quality songs to come out of the 70’s, and how they recorded it is an interesting story as well.
     

Share This Page

molar-endocrine