Every Billboard #1 Mainstream Rock hit discussion thread (1981 - present)

I really like this song. I have the 45 with its picture sleeve - one of the last regular releases before Capitol records led the majors with severely limiting 45 production during the summer of 1989. The follow-up to this song (won't mention it here because I can't remember if it was a No. 1 rock hit or not) was only released as a promo 45, with the cassette single being the only commercial format. This was a sign of things to come. Capitol still released some 45s commercially after this but there weren't anywhere near as many. Other major labels started cutting back on 45s by that fall.

One interesting thing I've noticed in following this thread is the number of top 10 singles on the weekly Hot 100 that missed the year-end top 100. This song is one of them - peaking at No. 9 but missing the year-end chart. Earlier in the '80s this would rarely be the case, but now it's quite common. One of the reasons is that by the late '80s charts were moving very fast - songs were zipping up and down quite quickly. Many singles only had a week or two in the top 10 and weren't around long enough to be among the year's 100 most popular.

This would change drastically in the early '90s when the methods for compiling the charts changed.

 

You can mention it. The Doobie Brothers only had the one #1 rock hit.

Thank you for all the added insight.

 

Here's a neat bit of trivia:
According to Peter Wolf (the J. Geils Band one, not the Starship one), Tom Petty offered him Don't Do Me Like That for the J. Geils Band to record. The J. Geils Band and the Heartbreakers did some touring together, you see. In fact, Peter Wolf was the opening act on Tom Petty's last tour before he died. I could picture the J. Geils Band doing the song justice, but they didn't record it because not everyone in the band was on board and they had just finished recording an album anyway. When Peter explained that to Tom a short time before Tom died, he said somewhat in jest that he was glad the J. Geils Band didn't record it because it ended up being a big hit for him.
Petty always did have a knack for writing classics. Case in point...

#153 Tom Petty, Runnin' Down A Dream
Written and produced by Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Mike Campbell
Mastered by Steve Hall
Label: MCA
Debuted May 6, 1989 at #26
Issued June 24, 1989 - #3 previous week - 1 week at #1
^8 weeks

#23 on the Billboard Hot 100

Album: Full Moon Fever (1989)

Songfacts page? Yes

 

Good song. I wouldn't say I like it quite as much as "I Won't Back Down", the first hit single off the Full Moon Fever album, but I still really like it. Moves at a good pace and has a great extended guitar solo at the end - great for listening to on a hot summer day driving down a wide open highway with the windows down and the music cranked up!

 

Tom Petty, Runnin' Down A Dream
One of Petty's better (and catchier) rockers.
I think the Lynne production works well with Petty here. He really helps round out Petty's sound, but restrains himself from making it too thick or overproduced (a la ELO), which makes for a good blend.

 

Thanks for the tip. That was interesting listening.

 

I'm a Stevie Nicks fan, as I find her voice highly distinctive, and therefore interesting. YMMV. I frequently find her lyrics to be nonsense, but that doesn't bother me much. Stevie gets bashed a lot, including on this board, and I'm not really sure why. She may have a problematic personality, but so do many rock stars. So why is she singled out for that?

I'd largely forgotten about this track, but it's pretty solid. Fits in just fine on her hits compilation.

 

If we presume Wikipedia is accurate, here's the breakdown of lead vocals on the first two albums with Nicks (and Buckingham) on board:

Fleetwood Mac

• Nicks: 2 out of 11 songs
• McVie: 5 out of 11 songs

Rumours

• Nicks: 3 out of 11 songs
• McVie: 4 out of 11 songs

So this ruined FM for you?

I'll concede that it seems Nicks vocals are more ubiquitous on FM records. Maybe her share of lead vocals increased on later records. Maybe its how her backing vocals are very hard to miss. I'm a fan of her voice, so to me it's all good.

 

You took the words right out of my mouth. Jeff Lynne is some kind of genius as a writer of melodies, and he knows how to craft a hit pop record. (See ELO's albums, the Xanadu soundtrack, etc.) But his gloopy production style can be too heavy-handed when applied to the wrong artist and material. He nearly ruined various tracks on George Harrison's Cloud 9 (1987) and The Traveling Wilburys Vol 1 (1988). By Full Moon Fever, he'd either learned to use a lighter touch, or maybe Petty pushed back on the glossiness. At any rate, it's not obvious Lynne was the producer of this album, which is a good thing in his case.

 

#154 Don Henley, The End of the Innocence
Written and produced by Don Henley and Bruce Hornsby
Mastered by Stephen Marcussen
Label: Geffen
Debuted June 24, 1989 at #7
Issued July 1, 1989 - #7 previous week - 4 weeks at #1
^2 weeks

#8 on the Billboard Hot 100

#99 on the 1989 Year-End Hot 100

Album: The End of the Innocence (1989)

Songfacts page? Yes

I unfortunately couldn't find the original studio recording or a music video on YouTube or Vimeo, which I guess are the only video streaming platforms from which this website will let me embed. Since friend of the thread Bruce Hornsby co-wrote and co-produced the song, I will instead use a video of him playing it live. I hope that's okay.

 

Oh Yeah. Love this one.

Evidently. I distinctly remember hearing her voice the first time and reacting with extreme distaste. I guess I decided not to risk ever hearing it again. I have nothing against her personally, her voice just grates on me.

 

A nice track from easily Henley's best album. He get's away from all these hurky jerky songs and instead delves into some really nice melodic songs. Unfortunately, the best song on the album, (and one of my favorite songs of all time) only made it to number 2 on this chart, so I will post it now, just for the hell of it. Again, the original isn't on YT, so a live version will have to suffice.



These times are so uncertain
There's a yearning undefined
And people filled with rage
We all need a little tenderness
How can love survive in such a graceless age

 

#155 Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, Crossfire
Written by Bill Carter, Ruth Ellsworth, Chris Layton, Tommy Shannon, and Reese Wynans
Produced by Jim Gaines and Double Trouble (Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chris Layton, Tommy Shannon, and Reese Wynans)
Mastered by Bernie Grundman
Label: Epic
Debuted June 17, 1989 at #27
Issued July 29, 1989 - #2 previous week - 3 weeks at #1
^7 weeks

Album: In Step (1989)

Songfacts page? Yes



In Step was Stevie Ray Vaughan's first album after he stopped drinking and the last album of his to be released during his lifetime.
It's moments like these when the only appropriate response you can think to give is "yeesh."

 

#156 The Call, Let The Day Begin
Written by Michael Been
Produced by Michael Been and Jim Goodwin
Label: MCA
Debuted June 10, 1989 at #49
Issued August 19, 1989 - #2 previous week - 1 week at #1
^11 weeks

#51 on the Billboard Hot 100

Album: Let The Day Begin (1989)

Songfacts page? Yes



I had never heard of this song or this band prior to starting the thread. Apparently, this was a theme song for Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign. That's cool, I guess.
Wait, did I say "cool"? I meant "sad."
In all seriousness, it's a pretty decent song from a pretty decent album.

 

Don Henley, The End of the Innocence
Can't put my finger on exactly why, but Henley bothers me (musically and lyrically). And this song classic Henley, although I do hear the rather strong Hornsby influence. Interestingly, Hornsby is another artist who can pleas me and annoy me at the same time. Whatever bothers me about each of them is very similar, so the two of them together is just too much for me.

Don Henley, The End of the Innocence
This song was an awesome single proudly signaling Stevie's return. Both the quality and the fire were back. This is the SRV I saw in '83. Having liked his demons and bringing us fantastic material like this, I was thrilled looking forward to many more years of the great Stevie.

Damn.

This album totally punctuated what a loss we would suffer soon thereafter.

The Call, Let The Day Begin
Yeah, cool's a pretty good for this one. A cool mainstream Rocker. I had forgotten all about this one, which is a loss. Pretty cool song for sure.

 

#157 Tom Petty, Free Fallin'
Written by Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne
Produced by Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Mike Campbell
Mastered by Steve Hall
Label: MCA
Debuted May 6, 1989 at #36
Issued August 26, 1989 - #3 previous week - 1 week at #1
^17 weeks

#7 on the Billboard Hot 100
#64 on the 1990 Year-End Hot 100

Album: Full Moon Fever (1989)

Songfacts page? Yes



If I'm not mistaken, this is the first time an album spawned three #1 rock hits. Quite the achievement, I'd say.

 

#158 The Rolling Stones, Mixed Emotions
Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Produced by Chris Kimsey and The Glimmer Twins (Mick Jagger and Keith Richards)
Mastered by Ted Jensen
Label: Rolling Stones
Issued September 2, 1989; 5 weeks at #1

#5 on the Billboard Hot 100

Album: Steel Wheels (1989)

Songfacts page? Yes



If I'm not mistaken, this is the first time since the rock chart was introduced that a song debuted at #1. Quite the achievement, I'd say.

 

#159 Aerosmith, Love In An Elevator
Written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry
Produced by Bruce Fairbairn
Mastered by Greg Fulginiti
Label: Geffen
Debuted September 2, 1989 at #3
Issued October 7, 1989 - #2 previous week - 2 weeks at #1
^6 weeks

#5 on the Billboard Hot 100
#81 on the 1989 Year-End Hot 100

Album: Pump (1989)

Songfacts page? Yes



From what I can gather, Aerosmith's Pump is generally considered one of Aerosmith's better albums. It's especially important in the context of the rock chart, though. While 1987's Permanent Vacation kickstarted a winning streak on the rock chart that lasted through the 1990s into the 21st century, Pump gave the band their first three of nine #1 rock hits.
So if you can't stand them, I apologize in advance.

 

All hail "Love in an Elevator": epic rocker for the ages.

 

"Mixed Emotions": one of the highlights of Steel Wheels, which is a bit underwhelming in places.

 

#160 The Rolling Stones, Rock And A Hard Place
Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Produced by Chris Kimsey and The Glimmer Twins (Mick Jagger and Keith Richards)
Mastered by Ted Jensen
Label: Rolling Stones
Debuted September 9, 1989 at #21
Issued October 21, 1989 - #2 previous week - 5 weeks at #1
^7 weeks

#23 on the Billboard Hot 100

Album: Steel Wheels (1989)

Songfacts page? Yes

 

You do you. I’ll write my reviews in bunches if need be.

 

There’s a whole website dedicated to that topic. This one.

 

I think I said it earlier, but I was much more of a pop fan than a rock fan until my senior year of high school or so. I graduated in 1989 so these songs are really doing it for me for the most part. So many memories. I didn’t really find my group of friends from high school until around this time so this era has special meaning.



Little Feat
This one was still a little rootsy for me to really appreciate at the time. I still needed that ‘80’d pop sheen, which I still appreciate, but certainly do t require anymore. Now I think it’s one of their best tracks, Lowell George of otherwise.

Don’t You What The Night Can Do?
I said it before, but Steve Winwood was one of my rock gods at the time. Actually he still does. Mellow track + sellout beer commercial material? So what! I don’t care. Still like it, though I think the follow up single was even better. I doubt it hit number 1, but I won’t take any chances. It’s a long forgotten track that didn’t quite hit the billboard top 20 if I’m recalling correctly.

I’m Nog Your Man
Never heard of the song or artist before today. I would have HATED this back in the day but listening to it now, I kinda dig it. I mean, I’m not going to run out and track out the album or anything, but it’s pretty cool.

Desire
As stated previously, U2 was the band that really started my shift from pop to rock. Rattle & Hum was easily my most anticipated release of all time, and it did in fact disappoint. But not this track. Not at the time at least. This one worked for me, though not quite as much as the “Big 3” from The Joshua Tree. Today, it doesn’t do it for me like back then, but I still feel it’s vastly superior to the two singles that followed.

Randy Newman
This guy should do it for me I feel, but he really doesn’t for some reason. This particular song is fine. One of the better ones I’ve heard from him actually but it’s just kind of there. The more I type, the more I think maybe he shouldn’t work for me after all when I think of other artists that I’d put in the same category, high sarcasm, humor-based, lyric-focused tunesmiths who sometimes forget the tunes (I’m thinking guys like Warren Haynes and Elvis Costello here), I tend to like them much less than the folks at this forum generally speaking. The reaso I expect to like them is because I tend to be sarcastic and humor-based in real life. But for whatever reason, it doesn’t quite translate to music. Oh well.