By Roger Nead
August 10, 2004
ADDING SLIM TO THE LIST:
The list of posthumous #1 hits that is. The current #1 song on Billboard’s Hot 100 “Slow Motion” by JUVENILE Featuring SOULJA SLIM, is the seventh #1 hit by a deceased artist. No, don’t worry about JUVENILE, he’s fine, it’s his featured artist that’s six feet under.
SOULJA SLIM was shot to death back in November of 2003, and he’s the sixth artist to reach the top after his death, (but the first to do so as a “featured” artist).
The first artist to accomplish this feat was OTIS REDDING, who topped the chart with “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” in March of 1968 (three months after Otis died in a plane crash), JANIS JOPLIN was next, her hit: “Me And Bobby McGee” reached the top in March of 1971, (five months after her death from a drug overdose), Like Redding, JIM CROCE was killed in a plane crash, three months before hitting #1 with: “Time In A Bottle,” back in December of 1973. Ex-Beatle JOHN LENNON had his second and final #1 hit with: “(Just Like) Starting Over,” on December 27th, 1980, (just two and a half weeks after being assassinated by Beatle fanatic Mark David Chapman), and in 1997 THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G. had two #1 hits following his murder in March of that year: “Hypnotize” in May, and “Mo Money, Mo Problems,” in August.
I BET HE REALLY IS “PARTYING ALL THE TIME” NOW:
Although I was tempted to go with the headline: HE’S DEAD BITCH! I figured that would be expected. And I sure don’t want to be predictable!
However, I must give my two cents about the death of RICK JAMES, because I am the whitest Funk fan in the world!
James is best known for his 1981 hit “Super Freak” but, did you know that it wasn’t his biggest hit, on the pop charts, or the R&B charts? On the pop charts, the disco-fied “You & I” from 1978 remains Rick’s biggest hit. It reached #13 during the summer of ’78.
On The R&B charts, he had four #1’s (none of which was “Super Freak”). “You & I” spent two weeks at the top in ’78, “Give It To Me Baby” spent five weeks at #1 in ’81, “Cold Blooded,” (which, believe it or not, was written about a friend of mine who dated James in the 80’s), was his biggest hit on the R&B charts, spending six weeks at #1 in 1983, and “Loosey’s Rap” which featured female rapper ROXANNE SHANTE logged a single week at the top in 1988.
Rick fared better as a producer for other acts including the #2 pop hit “Party All The Time” by EDDIE MURPHY, and “In My House” by THE MARY JANE GIRLS, which hit #7 pop, and #3 R&B in 1985.
And all this aside, Rick’s best hit is his funky ode to a little green leaf called: “Mary Jane.”
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK:
My new weekly feature! I’ll put up a link of a cool website everyone should be checking out.
If I was rich I’d do all my Christmas shopping here: www.usedrides.com Go ahead and pick out your gift!
U.S. Singles Chart:
Here are this week’s Top 10 singles:
1) Slow Motion by JUVENILE Featuring SOULJA SLIM
2) Lean Back by TERROR SQUAD
3) Confessions Part II by USHER
4) Turn Me On by KEVIN LYTTLE Featuring SPRAGGA BENZ
5) Sunshine by LIL’ FLIP Featuring LEA
6) Dip It Low by CHRISTINA MILIAN
7) Move Ya Body by NINA SKY Featuring JABBA
8) If I Ain’t Got You by ALICIA KEYS
9) The Reason by HOOBASTANK
10) Goodies by CIARA Featuring PETEY PABLO
U.S. Album Chart:
Here are this week’s Top 10 albums:
1) Now 16 by VARIOUS ARTISTS
2) Autobiography by ASHLEE SIMPSON
3) Where You Want To Be by TAKING BACK SUNDAY
4) License To Chill by JIMMY BUFFETT
5) Confessions by USHER
6) Here For The Party by GRETCHEN WILSON
7) True Story by TERROR SQUAD
8) Kevin Lyttle by KEVIN LYTTLE
9) The Hunger For More by LLOYD BANKS
10) Horse Of A Different Color by BIG & RICH
Top 10 Most Downloaded Tracks:
Here is this week’s Top 10 Hot Digital Tracks:
1) She Will Be Loved by MAROON5
2) Pieces Of Me by ASHLEE SIMPSON
3) Turn Me On by KEVIN LYTTLE
4) Let’s Get It Started by BLACK EYED PEAS
5) Yeah! by USHER Featuring LIL’ JON & LUDACRIS
6) The Reason by HOOBASTANK
7) My Happy Ending by AVRIL LAVIGNE
8) Heaven by LOS LONELY BOYS
9) Leave (Get Out) by JOJO
10) Accidentally In Love by COUNTING CROWS
Modern Rock Tracks:
Here are this week’s Top 10 Modern Rock tracks:
1) Just Like You by THREE DAYS GRACE
2) Breaking The Habit by LINKIN PARK
3) Take Me Out by FRANZ FERDINAND
4) Vindicated by DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL
5) Slither by VELVET REVOLVER
6) Talk Shows On Mute by INCUBUS
7) Float On by MODEST MOUSE
8) Somebody Told Me by THE KILLERS
9) Duality by SLIPKNOT
10) Broken by SEETHER Featuring AMY LEE
U.K. Singles Chart
Here are the Top Ten singles in the UK:
1) Thunderbirds/3 am by BUSTED
2) Dry Your Eyes by THE STREETS
3) Lola’s Theme by SHAPESHIFTERS
4) How Come by D12
5) Some Girls by RACHEL STEVENS
6) Tipsy by J-KWON
7) Burn by USHER
8) Dragostea Din Tel by O-ZONE
9) Everytime by BRITNEY SPEARS
10) See It In A Boy’s Eyes by JAMELIA
My Own Personal Top 30 Chart:
1) Gotta Go Through It by BLINKER THE STAR
2) P.J. Soles by LOCAL H
3) Uncorrected Proofs by THE WEAKERTHANS
4) She Can Play Me Like A Drum Machine by DEATH RAY DAVIES
5) One More Day by DYKEHOUSE
6) Latchkey Princess by THE VANISHED
7) Without You Here by EVE 6
8) Met A Girl Like You Once by ZACK HEXUM
9) Unbroken (Hotel Baby) by MONSTER MAGNET
10) Breathe by SECRET MACHINES
11) The Fold Out by THE JEALOUS SOUND
12) Say Something New by THE CONCRETES
13) Turn It Up by SHILOH
14) Golden Touch by RAZORLIGHT
15) I’m Not Okay (I Promise) by MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE
16) Experimental Film by THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS
17) I’ll Change For Now by NEVER HEARD OF IT
18) Fever by PINK GREASE
19) How We Know by THE THERMALS
20) Hold Me Up by YEAR OF THE RABBIT
21) Nowhere Again by SECRET MACHINES
22) You Were The One by KING RADIO
23) Wish I Never Met You by STATE OF SHOCK
24) Moonshine by LIT
25) Bewfre The Dog by THE HENTCHMEN
26) Tits On The Radio by SCISSOR SISTERS
27) Pressure Points by THE ZUTONS
28) Gray Ghost by THE FEVER
29) 15 Minutes by CHOMSKY
30) Cookin’ (Version) by THIEVERY CORPORATION
FUN & GAMES:
LISTEN TO THE MUSIC:
THE ‘70S
Hear the official weekly Billboard Top 50 chart from 32 years ago August 10th, 1972!
THE ‘80S
Hear the official weekly Billboard Top 50 chart from 22 years ago
August 10th, 1982!
TOP O’ THE CHARTS:
Let’s go through time and see what was at #1 this week on the various popular music charts!
#1 Song on Billboard’s Modern Rock Chart, August 10, 1998:
Inside Out by EVE 6
#1 Song on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Chart, August 10, 1993:
I Don’t Wanna Fight by TINA TURNER
#1 Song on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart, August 10, 1988:
Roll With It by STEVE WINWOOD
#1 Song on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart, August 10, 1983:
Other Arms by ROBERT PLANT
#1 Album on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart, August 10, 1978:
GREASE – ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK
#1 Song on Billboard’s R&B Chart, August 10, 1973:
Let’s Get It On by MARVIN GAYE
#1 Song on Billboard’s Country & Western Chart, August 10, 1968:
Folsom Prison Blues by JOHNNY CASH
#1 Song on the UK Chart, August 10, 1963:
Bad To Me by BILLY J. KRAMER & THE DAKOTAS
REMEMBER THESE?:
Here are the official Top Ten Charts, 14, 24, 34, and 44 years ago this week:
AUGUST 10, 1990:
1) Vision Of Love by MARIAH CAREY
2) The Power by SNAP!
3) Rub You The Right Way by JOHNNY GILL
4) Cradle Of Love by BILLY IDOL
5) If Wishes Came True by SWEET SENSATION
6) Come Back To Me by JANET JACKSON
7) Unskinny Bop by POISON
8) King Of Wishful Thinking by GO WEST
9) She Ain’t Worth It by GLENN MERDEIROS Featuring BOBBY BROWN
10) Do Me! by BELL BIV DEVOE
AUGUST 10, 1980:
1) Magic by OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
2) Sailing by CHRISTOPHER CROSS
3) Take Your Time (Do It Right) by THE S.O.S BAND
4) Emotional Rescue by THE ROLLING STONES
5) Upside Down by DIANA ROSS
6) It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me by BILLY JOEL
7) Shining Star by THE MANHATTANS
8) Little Jeannie by ELTON JOHN
9) Let My Love Open The Door by PETE TOWNSHEND
10) More Love by KIM CARNES
AUGUST 10, 1970:
1) (They Long To Be) Close To You by CARPENTERS
2) Make It With You by BREAD
3) Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) by STEVIE WONDER
4) Spill The Wine by ERIC BURDON & WAR
5) In The Summertime by MUNGO JERRY
6) War by EDWIN STARR
7) Band Of Gold by FREDA PAYNE
8) Mama Told Me (Not To Come) by THREE DOG NIGHT
9) Tighter, Tighter by ALIVE & KICKING
10) Ball Of Confusion by THE TEMPTATIONS
AUGUST 10, 1960:
1) It’s Now Or Never by ELVIS PRESLEY
2) Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini by BRIAN HYLAND
3) I’m Sorry by BRENDA LEE
4) Only The Lonely by ROY ORBISON
5) Walk-Don’t Run by THE VENTURES
6) Walking To New Orleans by FATS DOMINO
7) Finger Poppin’ Time by HANK BALLARD & THE MIDNIGHTERS
8) The Twist by CHUBBY CHECKER
9) Tell Laura I Love Her by RAY PETERSON
10) Image Of A Girl by SAFARIS
ROCK & ROLL TRIVIA QUESTION:
THIS WEEKS QUESTION:
Sorry, you’re gonna have to wait another week for the answer to this one!
Below is a list of well-known Cartoon/Comic Strip characters. All but one of them is named in the title of at least one Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Which one has never been the subject of a hit song?
1) SPEEDY GONZALEZ
2) ALLEY-OOP
3) SPIDER MAN
4) SNOOPY
5) BATMAN
6) THE FLINTSTONES
7) YOGI BEAR
8) SUPERMAN
Answer next week! (I mean it this time!)
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