By Roger Nead
August 17, 2004
MY NAME IS PRINCE & I AM FUNKY, & I AM ON THE HOT 100 AGAIN!:
Continuing along the purple-paved come-back trail, PRINCE, that sexy m.f., is back on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for the first time in half a decade.
Debuting at #75 this week,“Call My Name,” which would’ve been real confusing had it been released about ten years ago, when he didn’t have a name, is PRINCE’S first chart single since “The Greatest Romance Ever Sold” peaked at #63 in November of 1999.
If “Name” is a hit and makes it all the way to the Top 40, it will be his first Top 40 hit since the re-released “**1999**” peaked at #40 in January of ’99, if it goes Top 20, it will be the first PRINCE hit to make it there since “I Hate You” reached #12 in October of 1995. If “Call My Name” reaches the Top 10, it will be his Highnesses first Top 10 since “The Most Beautiful Girl In The World” stopped at #3 in April of 1994, and if the new hit can climb all the way to the top (which I sure wouldn’t bet on, but stranger things have happened) it would be Mr. Nelson’s first chart topper since “Cream” spent two weeks at #1 in November of 1991.
At any rate the airplay push of the new song, which is not available as a single, helps his platinum selling “Musicology” CD climb back into the Top 10 of Billboard’s Top 200 albums chart. Since it’s debut at #3 on May 8th, “Musicology” has spent 12 weeks in the Top Ten.
NO LONGER AMONG THE “MINORITY”:
Despite being one of the top selling alternative bands of the last decade, GREEN DAY claim’s their first Hot 100 chart single ever, this week.
“American Idiot” checks in at #77, and it’s a first for the Berkley trio. Prior to December 1998, a song had to available as a commercial single to make the Hot 100, and none of GREEN DAY’S hits were ever released as singles (including the new hit). But now, a policy change on the Billboard charts allows for “airplay-only” songs to chart.
Most of GREEN DAY’S previous hits did make the Billboard Airplay chart, including: “When I Come Around,” which peaked at #6 on the airplay chart in 1995, and “Basket Case” which reached #26 airplay in the summer of ’94.
On the Modern Rock charts, “American Idiot” is the group’s 17th charting song, and their highest debut of all-time. Starting off at #10, it’s the 12th Top 10 Modern Rock hit of GREEN DAY’S career, and if “American Idiot” reaches #1, it will follow: “Long View,” “Basket Case,” “When I Come Around,” “J.A.R. (Jason Andrew Relva),” and “Minority” to the top. Although it didn’t reach #1, “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)” is arguably GREEN DAY’S biggest hit on the Modern Rock chart, spending 13 weeks in the runner-up spot (stuck behind MARCY PLAYGROUND’S mega-hit “Sex & Candy”).
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK:
My new weekly feature! I’ll put up a link of a cool website everyone should be checking out.
If this isn’t the most useful website ever created, I don’t know what is. Imagine, knowing exactly when you’re going to die: www.deathclock.com The best part is...if it’s accurate, you’ll never know!
U.S. Singles Chart:
Here are this week’s Top 10 singles:
1) Lean Back by TERROR SQUAD
2) Slow Motion by JUVENILE Featuring SOULJA SLIM
3) Sunshine by LIL’ FLIP Featuring LEA
4) Turn Me On by KEVIN LYTTLE Featuring SPRAGGA BENZ
5) Dip It Low by CHRISTINA MILIAN
6) Goodies by CIARA Featuring PETEY PABLO
7) Confessions Part II by USHER
8) Move Ya Body by NINA SKY Featuring JABBA
9) My Place by NELLY Featuring JAHEIM
10) If I Ain’t Got You by ALICIA KEYS
U.S. Album Chart:
Here are this week’s Top 10 albums:
1) Autobiography by ASHLEE SIMPSON
2) Now 16 by VARIOUS ARTISTS
3) License To Chill by JIMMY BUFFETT
4) Confessions by USHER
5) Here For The Party by GRETCHEN WILSON
6) Under My Skin by AVRIL LAVIGNE
7) Musicology by PRINCE
8) Horse Of A Different Color by BIG & RICH
9) Los Lonely Boys by LOS LONELY BOYS
10) Songs About Jane by MAROON5
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) My Happy Ending by AVRIL LAVIGNE
6) Yeah! by USHER Featuring LIL’ JON & LUDACRIS
7) The Reason by HOOBASTANK
8) Heaven by LOS LONELY BOYS
9) Accidentally In Love by COUNTING CROWS
10) Leave (Get Out) by JOJO
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) Somebody Told Me by THE KILLERS
6) Slither by VELVET REVOLVER
7) Duality by SLIPKNOT
8) Talk Shows On Mute by INCUBUS
9) Float On by MODEST MOUSE
10) American Idiot by GREEN DAY
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) Sick & Tired by ANASTACIA
5) My Happy Ending by AVRIL LAVIGNE
6) How Come by D12
7) Some Girls by RACHEL STEVENS
8) We Are by ANA JOHNSSON
9) Tipsy by J-KWON
10) Dragostea Din Tel by O-ZONE
My Own Personal Top 30 Chart:
1) Gotta Go Through It by BLINKER THE STAR
2) P.J. Soles by LOCAL H
3) Experimental Film by THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS
4) The Fold Out by THE JEALOUS SOUND
5) Uncorrected Proofs by THE WEAKERTHANS
6) Latchkey Princess by THE VANISHED
7) One More Day by DYKEHOUSE
8) Tits On The Radio by SCISSOR SISTERS
9) How We Know by THE THERMALS
10) She Can Play Me Like A Drum Machine by DEATH RAY DAVIES
11) You Were The One by KING RADIO
12) Nowhere Again by SECRET MACHINES
13) Fever by PINK GREASE
14) Bewfre The Dog by THE HENTCHMEN
15) Gray Ghost by THE FEVER
16) Can’t Get Your Face Out Of My Head by GOLDEN DOGS
17) Maggie Doesn’t Blink by DEATH RAY DAVIES
18) Without You Here by EVE 6
19) Met A Girl Like You Once by ZACK HEXUM
20) Breathe by SECRET MACHINES
21) Moonshine by LIT
22) Unbroken (Hotel Baby) by MONSTER MAGNET
23) Turn It Up by SHILOH
24) Golden Touch by RAZORLIGHT
25) I’m Not Okay (I Promise) by MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE
26) Pressure Points by THE ZUTONS
27) Say Something New by THE CONCRETES
28) Wish I Never Met You by STATE OF SHOCK
29) Hold Me Up by YEAR OF THE RABBIT
30) I’ll Change For Now by NEVER HEARD OF IT
FUN & GAMES:
LISTEN TO THE MUSIC:
THE ‘70S
Hear the official weekly Billboard Top 50 chart from 29 years ago August 17th, 1975!
THE ‘80S
Hear the official weekly Billboard Top 50 chart from 19 years ago
August 17th, 1985!
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 17, 1997:
Fly by SUGAR RAY Featuring SUPER CAT
#1 Song on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart, August 17, 1992:
End Of The Road by BOYZ II MEN
#1 Song on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Chart, August 17, 1987:
Back In The High Life Again by STEVE WINWOOD
#1 Song on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart, August 17, 1982:
Think I’m In Love by EDDIE MONEY
#1 Album on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart, August 17, 1977:
Rumours by FLEETWOOD MAC
#1 Song on Billboard’s R&B Chart, August 17, 1972:
I’m Still In Love With You by AL GREEN
#1 Song on Billboard’s Country & Western Chart, August 17, 1967:
I’ll Never Find Another You by SONNY JAMES
#1 Song on the UK Chart, August 17, 1962:
I Remember You by FRANK IFIELD
REMEMBER THESE?:
Here are the official Top Ten Charts, 5, 15, 25, and 35 years ago this week:
AUGUST 17, 1999:
1) Genie In A Bottle by CHRISTINA AGUILERA
2) Bills, Bills, Bills by DESTINY’S CHILD
3) Tell Me It’s Real by K-CI & JOJO
4) Summer Girls by LFO
5) All Star by SMASH MOUTH
6) I Want It That Way by BACKSTREET BOYS
7) Where My Girls At? by 702
8) If You Had My Love by JENNIFER LOPEZ
9) Last Kiss by PEARL JAM
10) Jamboree by NAUGHTY BY NATURE
AUGUST 17, 1989:
1) Right Here Waiting by RICHARD MARX
2) On Our Own by BOBBY BROWN
3) Cold Hearted by PAULA ABDUL
4) Don’t Wanna Lose You by GLORIA ESTEFAN
5) Once Bitten Twice Shy by GREAT WHITE
6) Hangin’ Tough by NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
7) I Like It by DINO
8) Batdance by PRINCE
9) Secret Rendezvous by KARYN WHITE
10) So Alive by LOVE & ROCKETS
AUGUST 17, 1979:
1) Good Times by CHIC
2) My Sharona by THE KNACK
3) The Main Event/Fight by BARBRA STREISAND
4) Bad Girls by DONNA SUMMER
5) After The Love Has Gone by EARTH, WIND & FIRE
6) When You’re In Love With A Beautiful Woman by DR. HOOK
7) Ring My Bell by ANITA WARD
8) The Devil Went Down To Georgia by THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND
9) You Can’t Change That by RAYDIO
10) Mama Can’t Buy You Love by ELTON JOHN
AUGUST 17, 1969:
1) Honky Tonk Women by THE ROLLING STONES
2) A Boy Named Sue by JOHNNY CASH
3) Crystal Blue Persuasion by TOMMY JAMES & THE SHONDELLS
4) Sweet Caroline by NEIL DIAMOND
5) In The Year 2525 by ZAGER & EVANS
6) Put A Little Love In Your Heart by JACKIE DeSHANNON
7) Green River by CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL
8) Polk Salad Annie by TONY JOE WHITE
9) Get Together by THE YOUNGBLOODS
10) Laughing by THE GUESS WHO
ROCK & ROLL TRIVIA QUESTION:
LAST WEEKS QUESTION:
Below is a list of well-known Cartoon/Comic 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
THE ANSWER:
Despite the fact that two of the all-time biggest box office hits are about him, Spider Man is the Cartoon/Comic character listed above, that has never been the subject of a Top 40 hit!
Speedy Gonzalez was the subject of PAT BOONE’S final Top 10 hit (#6 in 1962) and even featured the late MEL BLANC as the voice of “Speedy”
Although he’s since become forgotten, the classic caveman Alley-Oop was a #1 hit in 1960 for the HOLLYWOOD ARGYLES, and a #15 hit the same year for DANTE & THE EVERGREENS.
Charles Shultz’s loveable beagle Snoopy was the subject of THE ROYAL GUARDSMEN’S #2 hit from December ’66: “Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron.”
The “Batman Theme” from the popular 1960’s TV series was a #17 hit for surf instrumentalists THE MARKETTS and also a #35 hit for NEAL HEFTI, both in 1966. Then of course, there was PRINCE’S #1 hit “Batdance” from the 1989 Warner Brothers feature. But, does that really count?
The B-52’S reached #33 in the summer of ’94 (as The B.C.-52’s) with their take on “(Meet) The Flintstones” from the blockbuster live-action film version of “The Flintstones.”
“Yogi” was a one-hit wonder for THE IVY THREE, in 1960. The novelty hit about the pic-a-nic basket stealing cartoon bear climbed all the way to #6.
Krypton’s favorite son, Superman, has been mentioned in far more pop hits then I could ever count, but specifically titled in the #26 hit “Superman” by HERBIE MANN, in 1979, and the #14 hit from 2001: “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” by FIVE FOR FIGHTING.
THIS WEEKS QUESTION:
Here we go with another damn Beatle question! What is the only single released from the classic 1967 LP: SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND? The answer might not be as easy as you think!
Answer next week!
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