By Roger Nead
September 14, 2004
CAN’T STOP LOVING RAY:
Believe it or not, the last time RAY CHARLES had an album in the Top 2 of Billboard’s Top 200 album chart John F. Kennedy was the president, and almost no one in the US had ever heard of THE BEATLES.
Ray’s “Ingredients In A Recipe For Soul” peaked in the album chart’s runner-up spot in October of 1963, and shared chart space with artists such as: PERRY COMO, ELVIS PRESLEY, PETER, PAUL & MARY, ROY ORBISON, BOBBY VINTON, LESLEY GORE, CHUBBY CHECKER, THE BEACH BOYS and STEVIE WONDER.
His posthumous release “Genius Loves Company” features duets with such artists as: JAMES TAYLOR, ELTON JOHN, VAN MORRISON, GLADYS KNIGHT, and NORAH JONES, and is Charles’ first Top 10 album since 1964.
Oddly, “Genius” shares chart space with artists like: LL COOL J, INSANE CLOWN POSSE, BJORK, KANYE WEST, PAPA ROACH, THE BEACH BOYS and STEVIE WONDER...gee, I guess the more music changes, the more it stays the same.
LL SAID KNOCK YOU OUT:
Ok, this is kinda silly, but with LL COOL J’S new release “The DEFinition” debuting at #4 this week, Mr. Smith has now had albums peak at every position of the Billboard Top 200 album chart from #1-#7.
Here are his Top 7 album peaker’s in descending order:
Phenomenon, #7, 1997
Walking With A Panther, #6, 1989
14 Shots To The Dome, #5, 1993
The DEFinition, #4, 2004
Bigger & Deffer, #3, 1987
10, #2, 2002
G.O.A.T. The Greatest Of All Time, #1, 2000
ONE OF THE ORIGINAL SOUL LEGENDS:
The name Roquel “Billy” Davis probably doesn’t mean too much to the average person, but odds are most every pop music fan has been affected by his contributions in some way.
In the late 50’s, Davis, who died last week at the age of 72, began his career as a songwriter/producer with soul legend JACKIE WILSON. He then guided the early career of Motown greats THE FOUR TOPS. Billy spent many years working with the artists of Motown in the early 60’s, before switching over to Soul/Blues label Chess Records.
Some of his hits during these years include “Lonely Teardrops” for Wilson, “Summertime” by BILLY STEWART, “All I Could Was Cry” by ETTA JAMES, and “Rescue Me” by FONTELLA BASS.
Perhaps his best-known composition was a commercial jingle for Coke-a-Cola in the early 1970’s. “I’d Like To Buy The World A Coke” was adapted for a pop single as: “I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing,” and became a Top 15 hit for both THE NEW SEEKERS (#7), and THE HILLTOP SINGERS (#13) in 1972.
U.S. Singles Chart:
Here are this week’s Top 10 singles:
1) Goodies by CIARA Featuring PETEY PABLO
2) Lean Back by TERROR SQUAD
3) Sunshine by LIL’ FLIP Featuring LEA
4) My Place by NELLY Featuring JAHEIM
5) Pieces Of Me by ASHLEE SIMPSON
6) Turn Me On by KEVIN LYTTLE Featuring SPRAGGA BENZ
7) Slow Motion by JUVENILE Featuring SOULJA SLIM
8) She Will Be Loved by MAROON5
9) Dip It Low by CHRISTINA MILIAN
10) Locked Up by AKON Featuring STYLES P.
U.S. Album Chart:
Here are this week’s Top 10 albums:
1) Live Like You Were Dying by TIM MCGRAW
2) Genius Loves Company by RAY CHARLES
3) Beautifully Human: Words And Sounds Vol. 2 by JILL SCOTT
4) The DEFinition by LL COOL J
5) Now 16 by VARIOUS ARTISTS
6) Happy People/U Saved Me by R. KELLY
7) Straight Outta Ca$hville by YOUNG BUCK
8) Autobiography by ASHLEE SIMPSON
9) Musicology by PRINCE
10) Welcome Back by MASE
Top 10 Most Downloaded Tracks:
Here is this week’s Top 10 Hot Digital Tracks:
1) 1985 by BOWLING FOR SOUP
2) She Will Be Loved by MAROON5
3) Let’s Get It Started by BLACK EYED PEAS
4) Yeah! by USHER Featuring LIL’ JON & LUDACRIS
5) Goodies by CIARA Featuring PETEY PABLO
6) My Happy Ending by AVRIL LAVIGNE
7) Breakaway by KELLY CLARKSON
8) Lean Back by TERROR SQUAD
9) Pieces Of Me by ASHLEE SIMPSON
10) My Place by NELLY Featuring JAHEIM
Modern Rock Tracks:
Here are this week’s Top 10 Modern Rock tracks:
1) Breaking The Habit by LINKIN PARK
2) American Idiot by GREEN DAY
3) Somebody Told Me by THE KILLERS
4) Just Like You by THREE DAYS GRACE
5) So Cold by BREAKING BENJAMIN
6) Take Me Out by FRANZ FERDINAND
7) Vitamin R (Leading Us Along) by CHEVELLE
8) Duality by SLIPKNOT
9) Wake Up (Make A Move) by LOSTPROPHETS
10) Getting Away With Murder by PAPA ROACH
U.K. Singles Chart
Here are the Top Ten singles in the UK:
1) My Place/Flap Your Wings by NELLY
2) Leave (Get Out) by JOJO
3) Sunshine by TWISTA
4) These Words by NATASHA BEDINGFIELD
5) Baby Cakes by 3 OF A KIND
6) Dumb by THE 411
7) Gravity by EMBRACE
8) You Should Really Know by PIRATES
9) She Will Be Loved by MAROON5
10) Guns Don’t Kill People, Rappers Do by GOLDIE LOOKIN CHAIN
My Own Personal Top 15 Chart:
1) Tits On The Radio by SCISSOR SISTERS
2) Experimental Film by THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS
3) Maggie Doesn’t Blink by DEATH RAY DAVIES
4) Let It Go by YEAR OF THE RABBIT
5) Be With You by OWSLEY
6) Soap (Waste Another Day) by THE VANISHED
7) Not For All The Love In The World by THE THRILLS
8) The Getaway by HIGH HOLY DAYS
9) Break by GOB
10) P.J. Soles by LOCAL H
11) Unresponsive by ONE TRICK PONY
12) The Fold Out by THE JEALOUS SOUND
13) How We Know by THE THERMALS
14) Nowhere Again by SECRET MACHINES
15) You’re Not You by THE GOOD LIFE
FUN & GAMES:
LISTEN TO THE MUSIC:
THE ‘70S
Hear the official weekly Billboard Top 50 chart from 33 years ago September 14th, 1971!
THE ‘80S
Hear the official weekly Billboard Top 50 chart from 23 years ago
September 14th, 1981!
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 Hot 100 Chart, September 14, 1999:
Unpretty by TLC
#1 Song on Billboard’s Modern Rock Chart, September 14, 1994:
Basket Case by GREEN DAY
#1 Song on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Chart, September 14, 1989:
One by THE BEE GEES
#1 Song on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart, September 14, 1984:
Are We Ourselves? by THE FIXX
#1 Album on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart, September 14, 1979:
In Through The Out Door by LED ZEPPELIN
#1 Song on Billboard’s R&B Chart, September 14, 1974:
Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe by BARRY WHITE
#1 Song on Billboard’s Country & Western Chart, September 14, 1969:
A Boy Named Sue by JOHNNY CASH
#1 Song on the UK Chart, September 14, 1964:
You Really Got Me by THE KINKS
REMEMBER THESE?:
Here are the official Top Ten Charts, 8, 18, 28, and 38 years ago this week:
SEPTEMBER 14, 1996:
1) Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix) by LOS DEL RIO
2) I Love You Always Forever by DONNA LEWIS
3) Twisted by KEITH SWEAT
4) Loungin by LL COOL J
5) Change The World by ERIC CLAPTON
6) C’mon N’ Ride It (The Train) by QUAD CITY DJ’S
7) It’s All Coming Back To Me Now by CELINE DION
8) You’re Makin’ Me High by TONI BRAXTON
9) I Can’t Sleep Baby (If I) by R. KELLY
10) You Learn by ALANIS MORISSETTE
SEPTEMBER 14, 1986:
1) Stuck With You by HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS
2) Dancing On The Ceiling by LIONEL RICHIE
3) Friends And Lovers by GLORIA LORING & CARL ANDERSON
4) Take My Breath Away by BERLIN
5) Words Get In The Way by MIAMI SOUND MACHINE
6) Walk This Way by RUN-D.M.C.
7) Venus by BANANARAMA
8) Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone) by GLASS TIGER
9) Dreamtime by DARYL HALL
10) Baby Love by REGINA
SEPTEMBER 14, 1976:
1) Play That Funky Music by WILD CHERRY
2) (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty by KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND
3) I’d Really Love To See You Tonight by ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY
4) A Fifth Of Beethoven by WALTER MURPHY & THE BIG APPLE BAND
5) You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine by LOU RAWLS
6) Lowdown by BOZ SCAGGS
7) Devil Woman by CLIFF RICHARD
8) Summer by WAR
9) If You Leave Me Now by CHICAGO
10) You Should Be Dancing by BEE GEES
SEPTEMBER 14, 1966:
1) You Can’t Hurry Love by THE SUPREMES
2) Yellow Submarine by THE BEATLES
3) Sunshine Superman by DONOVAN
4) Cherish by THE ASSOCIATION
5) Bus Stop by THE HOLLIES
6) See You In September by THE HAPPENINGS
7) Land Of 1,000 Dances by WILSON PICKETT
8) Wouldn’t It Be Nice by THE BEACH BOYS
9) Guantanamera by THE SANDPIPERS
10) Sunny by BOBBY HEBB
ROCK & ROLL TRIVIA QUESTION:
LAST WEEKS QUESTION:
Way back in 1978, the four original members of world famous rock band KISS (PAUL STANLEY, GENE SIMMONS, ACE FREHLEY, and PETER CRISS) released four individual solo albums. Which was the only one not to produce a charting single? (HINT: The only KISS member not to make the Billboard singles chart with a solo hit was the member who wrote and sang the lead vocal on the band’s biggest hit!)
THE ANSWER:
As Peter Griffin said to his wife Lois: “Nobody wants to be PETER CRISS! Not even PETER CRISS!
But, in this case PETER CRISS is exactly who you should be!
ACE FREHLEY had the biggest solo hit with: “New York Groove.” “Groove” made it all the way to #13 in February of 1979. PAUL STANLEY’S “Hold Me, Touch Me” stopped at #46 in December of ’78, and GENE SIMMONS licked his way to #47 in January of 1979, with: “Radioactive.”
Criss, who co-wrote and sang the groups #7 hit “Beth,” from December of 1976, didn’t produce any charting single from his solo LP, and in fact, his record was the only one of the four not to make the Top 40 of the album chart.
GENE SIMMONS’ solo record reached #22, ACE FREHLEY’S went to #26, PAUL STANLEY’S stopped off at #40, and Criss’s only made it to #43.
THIS WEEKS QUESTION:
This Top 5 hit on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart has four words in its title, but only one letter! What is it?
Answer next week!
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