Sunday, March 22, 2009
The Outfield
The Outfield is one of those mainstream rock bands that critics ignore (or crucify), but fans love. Among the others: Journey, Survivor, Styx, Rush, Kansas--wait a minute, why do these guys always have one-word names?
Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks' "I Can't Wait" was the 13th Top-40 solo hit by a member of Fleetwood Mac. That was a milestone, because Fleetwood Mac has had 13 Top-40 hits as a group.
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" and Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life" both ahd 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100, putting them in a tie for the longest run at No. 1 by a female artist in the rock era. The frisky "Physical" and the chaste Boone hit make strange bedfellows, but that's rock 'n' roll.
New Edition
New Edition's "Earth Angel" was a bit hit in 1986, even though the members of the group weren't even born when it was first a hit in 1954. But maybe that's not such a big deal--it happens with classical performers all the time.
Ricky Nelson
Rick Nelson's "Garden Party" was a hit amid a mini-50s revival in the fall of 1972. During the first week of November, four of the top-six pop hits were by acts who got their start in the 50s: Jonny Nash, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, and Nelson.
Naked Eyes
Naked Eyes' techno-pop treatment of Burt Bacharach & Hal David's "Always Something There To Remind Me" was perhaps the most unlikely treatment of a Bacharach song since Smith's bluesy rock cover of "Baby It's You." But both were outdone by Ted Nugent's screaming remake of "My Little Red Book."
Saturday, March 21, 2009
The Motels
The Motels were one of the many acts to emerge from the L.A. club scene of the late 70s. Among the others: the Go-Go's, and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues are the only act to land their first three top-10 hits in three successive decades. They earned their first top-10 hit, "Go Now," in 1965; their second, "Nights In White Satin," in 1972; and their third, "Your Wildest Dreams," in 1986.
The Monkees
The Monkees held down the No. 1 album spot for a total of 37 weeks in 1966-67. That's longer than any other act, including the Beatles, who topped the chart for 32 weeks in that two-year period. and the Monkees made a remarkable comeback in 1986, when seven of their albums were on the chart simultaneously.
Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney's No. 1 hits span almost exactly 20 years. The Beatles' "I Want To Hold Your Hand" hit No. 1 on February 1, 1964; McCartney's duet with Michael Jackson, "Say Say Say," relinguished the top spot on January 14, 1984.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Johnny Mathis
Johnny Mathis' Johnny's Greatest Hits almbum rode the Top Pop albums chart for 490 weeks, from April, 1958, to July, 1968. That was the longevity record until 1983, when Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon surpassed it.
Mary Jane Girls
Mary Jane Girls' "In My House" was one of two songs written and produced by Rick James to crack the top 10 in 1985. The other was Eddie Murphy's "Party All The Time."
Teena Marie
Teena Marie's "Lovergirl" was the No. 29th hit of 1985, finishing one notch below Billy Ocean's "Loverboy." Both hits had cracked the top five in March of that year.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Madonna
Madonna'a "Angel" was the highest debuting single on the Hot 100 the week of April 27, 1985. But that was to be expected. Each of Madonna's 10 singles, from "Lucky Star" to "Open Your Heart," was the week's top debut.
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