By Roger Nead
September 21, 2004
AND THEN THERE WAS ONE!:
I don’t believe we’ve lost so many member of any one rock band so quickly since LYNRYD SKYNYRD! With the death last week of JOHNNY RAMONE (John Cummings) of prostate cancer, there has now been three deaths of RAMONES members in nearly as many years.
Lead singer JOEY RAMONE (Jeffrey Hyman) died in 2001 from lymphatic cancer, and bassist DEE DEE RAMONE (Douglas Colvin) died of a drug overdose in 2002. That leaves drummer TOMMY RAMONE (Tom Erdelyi) as the only living original RAMONE left, although, Tommy quit the band as drummer in 1978, and remained as a producer.
Johnny joined the punk originators as lead guitarist after only playing the instrument for less than a year. In case you don’t know who THE RAMONES are, which is ridiculous, since even my mother knows “Sheena Is A Punk Rocker,” they were quite possibly the most influential AMERICAN rock band of all-time. Their impact on current pop music ranks up there with ELVIS, THE BEATLES, SMOKEY ROBINSON and GRANDMASTER FLASH & THE FURIOUS FIVE.
However, since US radio stations were never brave enough to embrace punk rock, THE RAMONES had only a few chart hits: “Sheena” reached #81 in 1977, “Rockaway Beach” peaked at #66 in 1978, and a cover of “Do You Wanna Dance” hit #86 the same year.
The bands list of classics include: “I Wanna Be Sedated,” “Beat On The Brat,” “Bonzo Goes To Bitburg,” “Blitzkrieg Bop,” “Do You Remember Rock ‘N’ Roll Radio,” “Psycho Therapy,” “Pet Semetary,” and “Poison Heart,” among many others!
TRULY THE “END OF THE WORLD” FOR SKEETER:
Hopefully next week, I’ll have something else to talk about other than DEATH! But, while we’re on the subject, also dead this week:
1960’s Country/Pop star SKEETER DAVIS of breast cancer. Skeeter (born Mary Frances Penick) may not have been a big influence on pop music like THE RAMONES, but she did record the biggest “crossover” pop hit of all time.
Her biggest hit “The End Of The World” is the only song to hit the Top 4 on all four of the major pop music charts. “World” peaked at #2 on the Hot 100, as well as #2 on the Country & Western chart, it hit #4 on the R&B chart, and went all the way to #1 on the Adult Contemporary Chart, all in 1963.
Skeeter had some other hits too: “I Can’t Stay Mad At You” went to #7 on the Hot 100, in the fall of 1963, and “(I Can’t Help You) I’m Falling Too” went to #2 on the C&W chart in 1960.
WILL “BREATH’S” DESTINY BE THE TOP OF THE CHART?:
The new single by DESTINY’S CHILD, “Lose My Breath,” debuts on the Hot 100 this week at #30, and that’s higher than any DC hit has started off before. In fact, it’s an even higher debut than any solo hit by DC member BEYONCE.
The highest debut for a DESTINY’S CHILD single up till now was “Survivor” in 2001, which started off at #43. “Lose My Breath” is the 11th Hot 100 hit for DESTINY’S CHILD, and of that 11, 4 have been #1 hits: “Bills, Bills, Bills” (July ‘99), “Say My Name” (March ‘00), “Independent Women (Part 1)” (November ’00), and “Bootylicious” (August ’01). Add to that the fact that DC member KELLY ROWLAND joined NELLY for the #1 hit “Dilemma,” in the summer of ’02, and BEYONCE has been to #1 twice as a solo act, “Crazy In Love” featuring JAY-Z in July of ’03, and “Baby Boy,” featuring SEAN PAUL, in October of ’03, and “Lose My Breath’s” chances at the top are looking pretty good.
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) She Will Be Loved by MAROON5
6) Pieces Of Me by ASHLEE SIMPSON
7) My Boo by USHER & ALICIA KEYS
8) Dip It Low by CHRISTINA MILIAN
9) Diary by ALICIA KEYS Featuring TONY! TONI! TONE!
10) Locked Up by AKON Featuring STYLES P.
U.S. Album Chart:
Here are this week’s Top 10 albums:
1) What I Do by ALAN JACKSON
2) Live Like You Were Dying by TIM MCGRAW
3) Genius Loves Company by RAY CHARLES
4) My Everything by ANITA BAKER
5) Now 16 by VARIOUS ARTISTS
6) Autobiography by ASHLEE SIMPSON
7) Beautifully Human: Words And Sounds Vol. 2 by JILL SCOTT
8) The DEFinition by LL COOL J
9) Happy People/U Saved Me by R. KELLY
10) Straight Outta Ca$hville by YOUNG BUCK
Top 10 Most Downloaded Tracks:
Here is this week’s Top 10 Hot Digital Tracks:
1) 1985 by BOWLING FOR SOUP
2) Let’s Get It Started by BLACK EYED PEAS
3) She Will Be Loved by MAROON5
4) Goodies by CIARA Featuring PETEY PABLO
5) Yeah! by USHER Featuring LIL’ JON & LUDACRIS
6) My Happy Ending by AVRIL LAVIGNE
7) Breakaway by KELLY CLARKSON
8) Lean Back by TERROR SQUAD
9) My Place by NELLY Featuring JAHEIM
10) Pieces Of Me by ASHLEE SIMPSON
Modern Rock Tracks:
Here are this week’s Top 10 Modern Rock tracks:
1) American Idiot by GREEN DAY
2) Breaking The Habit by LINKIN PARK
3) Somebody Told Me by THE KILLERS
4) So Cold by BREAKING BENJAMIN
5) Just Like You by THREE DAYS GRACE
6) Take Me Out by FRANZ FERDINAND
7) Vitamin R (Leading Us Along) by CHEVELLE
8) Fall To Pieces by VELVET REVOLVER
9) Wake Up (Make A Move) by LOSTPROPHETS
10) Duality by SLIPKNOT
U.K. Singles Chart
Here are the Top Ten singles in the UK:
1) Real To Me by BRIAN MCFADDEN
2) My Place/Flap Your Wings by NELLY
3) That Girl by MCFLY
4) Leave (Get Out) by JOJO
5) Baby Cakes by 3 OF A KIND
6) Sunshine by TWISTA
7) These Words by NATASHA BEDINGFIELD
8) She Will Be Loved by MAROON5
9) You Should Really Know by PIRATES
10) Dumb by THE 411
My Own Personal Top 15 Chart:
1) Tits On The Radio by SCISSOR SISTERS
2) Let It Go by YEAR OF THE RABBIT
3) Maggie Doesn’t Blink by DEATH RAY DAVIES
4) Soap (Waste Another Day) by THE VANISHED
5) Be With You by OWSLEY
6) Not For All The Love In The World by THE THRILLS
7) The Getaway by HIGH HOLY DAYS
8) Experimental Film by THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS
9) Break by GOB
10) Unresponsive by ONE TRICK PONY
11) You’re Not You by THE GOOD LIFE
12) Hyperballad by TWILIGHT SINGERS
13) Sympathy by GET UP KIDS
14) Against All Odds by THE POSTAL SERVICE
15) You’re The Only One by MARIA MENA
FUN & GAMES:
LISTEN TO THE MUSIC:
THE ‘70S
Hear the official weekly Billboard Top 50 chart from 32 years ago September 21ST, 1972!
THE ‘80S
Hear the official weekly Billboard Top 50 chart from 22 years ago
September 21ST, 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 Hot 100 Chart, September 21, 1998:
I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing by AEROSMITH
#1 Song on Billboard’s Modern Rock Chart, September 21, 1993:
No Rain by BLIND MELON
#1 Song on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Chart, September 21, 1988:
One Good Woman by PETER CETERA
#1 Song on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart, September 21, 1983:
How Can I Refuse by HEART
#1 Song on Billboard’s Country & Western Chart, September 21, 1978:
I’ve Always Been Crazy by WAYLON JENNINGS
#1 Song on Billboard’s R&B Chart, September 21, 1973:
Higher Ground by STEVIE WONDER
#1 Album on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart, September 21, 1968:
Waiting For The Sun by THE DOORS
#1 Song on the UK Chart, September 21, 1963:
She Loves You by THE BEATLES
REMEMBER THESE?:
Here are the official Top Ten Charts, 9, 19, 29, and 39 years ago this week:
SEPTEMBER 21, 1995:
1) Gangsta’s Paradise by COOLIO Featuring L.V.
2) You Are Not Alone by MICHAEL JACKSON
3) Kiss From a Rose by SEAL
4) Waterfalls by TLC
5) Runaway by JANET JACKSON
6) I Can Love You Like That by ALL-4-ONE
7) Boombastic by SHAGGY
8) I Got 5 On It by LUNIZ
9) Only Wanna Be With You by HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH
10) As I Lay Me Down by SOPHIE B. HAWKINS
SEPTEMBER 21, 1985:
1) Money For Nothing by DIRE STRAITS
2) Cherish by KOOL & THE GANG
3) St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion) by JOHN PARR
4) We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) by TINA TURNER
5) Don’t Lose My Number by PHIL COLLINS
6) Freedom by WHAM!
7) Pop Life by PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION
8) The Power Of Love by HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS
9) Oh Sheila by READY FOR THE WORLD
10) Dress You Up by MADONNA
SEPTEMBER 21, 1975:
1) I’m Sorry by JOHN DENVER
2) Fame by DAVID BOWIE
3) Rhinestone Cowboy by GLEN CAMPBELL
4) Fight The Power by THE ISLEY BROTHERS
5) Run Joey Run by DAVID GEDDES
6) Could It Be Magic by BARRY MANILOW
7) At Seventeen by JANIS IAN
8) Wasted Days And Wasted Nights by FREDDY FENDER
9) Ballroom Blitz by SWEET
10) Feel Like Makin’ Love by BAD COMPANY
SEPTEMBER 21, 1965:
1) Eve Of Destruction by BARRY MCGUIRE
2) Hang On Sloopy by THE MCCOYS
3) You Were On My Mind by WE FIVE
4) Catch Us If You Can by THE DAVE CLARK FIVE
5) Help! by THE BEATLES
6) The “In” Crowd by RAMSEY LEWIS TRIO
7) Like A Rolling Stone by BOB DYLAN
8) It Ain’t Me Babe by THE TURTLES
9) Heart Full Of Soul by THE YARDBIRDS
10) Laugh At Me by SONNY
ROCK & ROLL TRIVIA QUESTION:
LAST 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?
THE ANSWER:
That one letter was “M,” of course, it was repeated 11 times!
“Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” was the biggest hit for the Canadian alternative rock band CRASH TEST DUMMIES, reaching #4 in the spring of 1994.
THIS WEEKS QUESTION:
Below, I’ve listed some well-known pop hits. At first glance, they don’t seem to share anything in common other than then they all went to #1 on the Hot 100. But, think hard and figure out what other distinct fact all these songs share!
“I Honestly Love You” by OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
“At This Moment” by BILLY VERA & THE BEATERS
“Red Red Wine” by UB40
“December, 1963 (Oh What A Night)” by THE FOUR SEASONS
“Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)” by LOS DEL RIO
“Light My Fire” by THE DOORS
“Baby, Come To Me” by PATTI AUSTIN & JAMES INGRAM
“When I’m With You” by SHERIFF
Answer next week!
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