By Roger Nead
March 18, 2003
WHY HASN’T THIS CAUGHT ON YET?: MADONNA is offering her new song, “American Life,” as a digital MP3 download on her site, for $1.49. This isn’t the first time Billboard has tracked sales of digital downloads, but this should be the first big test of the newest attempt at reviving the long forgotten single.
In two weeks the song will enter the sales chart based solely on download sales, and a week later, sales from the CD single will be added, possibly giving MADONNA her 13th #1 hit.
Many of the major labels have committed to renewing interest in CD, and DVD singles, and if the digital download attempt is successful, single sales may again become a major determinger in chart positions.
BACK WHEN I WAS A KID, WE PREFERRED THE ORIGINAL VERSIONS: By debuting at #17 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart, Razor & Tie Record’s KIDZ BOP 3, becomes the highest debuting, non-soundtrack, children’s album in the history of modern music. This is that cheesy thing where a group of child singers cover current pop hits, for the under 12 set. I don’t quite understand why songs by people like: JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, ALICIA KEYS, and BLINK 182 need to be covered by kids. Aren’t these people a bunch of kids?
Anyway, the previous record for “highest, non-soundtrack, children’s album” was BARNEY’S FAVORITES, VOL. 1. The first release from that big purple dinosaur thing started out at #31, a decade ago.
THIS WEEK’S CHARTS:
U.S. Singles Chart:
1) In Da Club by 50 CENT
2) All I Have by JENNIFER LOPEZ Featuring LL COOL J
3) Ignition by R. KELLY
4) Mesmerize by JA RULE Featuring ASHANTI
5) Miss You by AALIYAH
6) Picture by KID ROCK Featuring SHERYL CROW or ALLISON MOORER
7) Landslide by THE DIXIE CHICKS
8) I’m With You by AVRIL LAVIGNE
9) Gossip Folks by MISSY “MISDEMEANOR” ELLIOTT Featuring LUDACRIS
10) Cry Me A River by JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
11) How You Gonna Act Like That by TYRESE
12) Beautiful by CHRISTINA AGUILERA
13) Bump, Bump, Bump by B2K & P. DIDDY
14) When I’m Gone by 3 DOORS DOWN
15) Excuse Me Miss by JAY-Z
Album Chart:
1) Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ by 50 CENT
2) Come Away With Me by NORAH JONES
3) Street Dreams by FABOLOUS
4) Chocolate Factory by R. KELLY
5) La Bella Mafia by LIL’ KIM
6) Home by THE DIXIE CHICKS
7) Fallen by EVANESCENCE
8) Cocky by KID ROCK
9) CHICAGO – SOUNDTRACK
10) CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE – SOUNDTRACK
11) Let Go by AVRIL LAVIGNE
12) Philadelphia Freeway by FREEWAY
13) Dutty Rock by SEAN PAUL
14) Grammy Nominees 2003 by VARIOUS ARTISTS
15) Room For Squares by JOHN MAYER
Modern Rock Tracks:
1) Can’t Stop by RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
2) Somewhere I Belong by LINKIN PARK
3) Bring Me To Life by EVANESCENCE Featuring PAUL McCOY
4) Like A Stone by AUDIOSLAVE
5) No One Knows by QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
6) Times Like These by FOO FIGHTERS
7) When I’m Gone by 3 DOORS DOWN
8) Swing, Swing by THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS
9) Headstrong by TRAPT
10) Clocks by COLDPLAY
11) Always by SALIVA
12) The Red by CHEVELLE
13) The Anthem by GOOD CHARLOTTE
14) Fine Again by SEETHER
15) Straight Out Of Line by GODSMACK
Top Rap Tracks:
1) In Da Club by 50 CENT
2) Excuse Me Miss by JAY-Z
3) Gossip Folks by MISSY “MISDEMEANOR” ELLIOTT Featuring LUDACRIS
4) Wanksta by 50 CENT
5) Mesmerize by JA RULE Featuring ASHANTI
6) Beautiful by SNOOP DOGG Featuring PHARRELL & UNCLE CHARLIE WILSON
7) The Jump Off by LIL’ KIM Featuring MARY J. BLIGE
8) Sick Of Being Lonely by FIELD MOB
9) I Can by NAS
10) Get Busy by SEAN PAUL
The U.K. Top 10:
1) Beautiful by CHRISTINA AGUILERA
2) I Begin To Wonder by DANNII MINOGUE
3) Move Your Feet by JUNIOR SENIOR
4) Boys Of Summer by DJ SAMMY & YANOU
5) All The Things She Said by T.A.T.U.
6) Sing For The Moment by EMINEM
7) Work It by NELLY Featuring JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
8) Cry Me A River by JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
9) Incredible (What I Mean To Say) by DARIUS
10) Don’t Think You’re The First by THE CORAL
My Own Personal Top 20 Chart:
1) Nice Weather For Ducks by LEMON JELLY
2) In This Diary by THE ATARIS
3) Do You Believe In Me by JULIANA THEORY
4) Get Loose by THE SALADS
5) When You Heard You by FRENCH KICKS
6) Don’t Leave Me by THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS
7) In The Waiting Line by ZERO 7
8) Canada by LOW
9) Inside Of Love by NADA SURF
10) You’re Not Alone by HOMEGROWN
11) One Said To The Other by THE LIVING END
12) Three Simple Words by FINCH
13) Sideburn by GREEN RODE SHOTGUN
14) Get You Off by CARLY HENNESSY
15) Dreaming Of You by THE CORAL
16) Friendly Ghost by EELS
17) Don’t Ask Me by OK GO
18) Yesterday Was A Lie by TELEPOPMUSIK
19) Don’t Say Sarah by WAVE
20) Now That You Are Leaving by NOT BY CHOICE
HEAR THE HITS:
Check out my radio show here.
You’ll hear classic pop hits you haven’t heard in years, plus a few excellent new things you haven’t heard at all! It’s totally free to listen (but you’ll have to hear a few cheesy commercials), and it only takes a few seconds to sign up. I promise it’s worth it!
This week: I present a special section of classic pop hits, and TV themes from 1972, including some long-lost Saturday Morning TV classics!
Check back each week for a new and exciting show, and be sure to send me your request lists. No matter how obscure, odds are I have the songs you’re looking for, and I’ll include them on future broadcasts!
Here’s a few e-mails I’ve received:
From John:
“Why do I remember that “Popcorn” song from TV?”
“Popcorn,” by HOT BUTTER, was a Top 10 hit from 1972, and many local TV stations used it when they aired the state lotto drawing.
From EV:
“I loved your radio show, it reminded me of a bunch of stuff I haven’t heard in years. Like, “All I Need” by Jack Wagner. Play That!”
Okay, EV. It’s up there!
From Qbzt: “OK I listened to it. “Pac-Man Fever” and “Disco Duck” on the same show was just too much!
I hear you. What should I Play?
TOP O’ THE CHARTS: Let’s go through time and see what was at #1 this week on the various music charts!
#1 Song on Billboard’s Modern Rock Chart, March 18th, 1991: “Losing My Religion” by R.E.M.
#1 Album on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart, March 18th, 1987: “Licensed To Ill” by THE BEASTIE BOYS
#1 Song on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart, March 18th, 1983: “Photograph” by DEF LEPPARD
#1 Song on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart, March 18th, 1979: “Tragedy” by THE BEE GEES
#1 Song on Billboard’s R&B Chart, March 18th, 1975: “Shining Star” by EARTH, WIND & FIRE
#1 Song on the U.K. Chart, March 18th, 1971: “Hot Love” by T. REX
#1 Song on Billboard’s Country & Western Chart, March 18th, 1967: “Where Does The Good Times Go” by BUCK OWENS
#1 Song on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Chart, March 18th, 1963: “The End Of The World” by SKEETER DAVIS
ROCK & ROLL TRIVIA QUESTIONS: Test your rock IQ and answer my questions!
LAST WEEK’S QUESTION: What song has the had the most versions reach the Billboard Hot 100 chart? HINT: Three charting versions of the song were by the same group!
THE ANSWER: The song was “Unchained Melody,” and it hit the Hot 100 on ten separate occasions, three times by recent Rock & Roll Hall Of Famers – THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS. Here are all ten versions, the year they peaked, and their highest chart position:
#1, 1955 by LES BAXTER
#3, 1955 by AL HIBBLER
#4, 1965 by THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS
#6, 1955 by ROY HAMILTON
#13, 1990 by THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS
#19, 1990 by THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS (newly recorded version)
#29, 1955 by JUNE VALLI
#66, 1963 by VITO & THE SALUTATIONS
#73, 1968 by THE SWEET INSPIRATIONS
#83, 1981 by HEART
THIS WEEK’S QUESTION: Below is a list of classic pop songs that all reached #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart. Besides being chart toppers, each of these songs share another distinct similarity. What is it?
“My Ding-A-Ling” by CHUCK BERRY
“Rise” by HERB ALPERT
“Do That To Me One More Time” by THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE
“Come On Eileen” by DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS
“Let’s Dance” by DAVID BOWIE
“Owner Of A Lonely Heart” by YES
“Didn’t We Almost Have It All” by WHITNEY HOUSTON
“I Think We’re Alone Now” by TIFFANY
“Need You Tonight” by INXS
“Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car” by BILLY OCEAN
“The Flame” by CHEAP TRICK
“All 4 Love” by COLOR ME BADD
“Gangsta’s Paradise” by COOLIO Featuring L.V.
DON’T BE A BABY: The two artists tied together below charted with versions of the same song that started with the word “Baby.” Name the songs!
LITTLE RICHARD + BOBBY DARIN = “Baby Face”
THE BEATLES + THE SHIRELLES = “Baby, It’s You”
MARVIN GAYE + THE BAND = “Baby Don’t You Do It”
THE ORIGINALS + AFTER 7 = “Baby, I’m For Real”
BIG MOUNTAIN + WILL TO POWER = “Baby, I Love Your Way”
DEBBY BOONE + BARBARA LEWIS = “Baby, I’m Yours”
ERIC CARMEN + THE FOUR TOPS = “Baby I Need Your Loving”
THE RONETTES + ANDY KIM = “Baby, I Love You”
LITTLE MILTON + JIMMY HOLIDAY = “Baby I Love You”
MINIATURE MEN + LAWRENCE WELK = “Baby Elephant Walk”
WHEN THE HELL AM I?: Help! My time machine got stuck somewhere in the past. Figure out what songs I’m hearing, and tell me what year I’m stuck in!
“From where I stand, it looks mighty strange, how you let a woman like that treat you like small change.”
“Well, I really don't mind the rain, and a smile can hide all the pain. But you're down when you're ridin' the train that's takin' the long way.”
“I used to be a heart beating for someone, but the times have changed. The less I say the more my work gets done.”
"Nien! It's mine! is just his line, to bind your time, it drives you to crime.”
“Seeing her skin feeling silky smooth, colour of cafe au lait, made the savage beast inside roaring till it cried More, More, More!”
“I broke a heart that's gentle and true. Well I broke a heart over someone like you.”
“Baby, babe, I'll meet you, same place, same time. Where we can get together and ease up our mind.”
“So we're makin' love and you feel the power and I feel the power. Then there's really nothing that we can't do, if we wanted to, baby.”
“A woman that I know just came from Majorca Spain, she smiled because I did not understand. Then she held out a 10-pound bag of Cocaine, she said it was the best in all the land!”
“I took my bag into a grocer's store, the price is higher than the time before.
Old man asked me why is it more?”
“Daddy please don't, it wasn't his fault, he means so much to me. Daddy please don't, we're gonna get married. Just you wait and see!”
“Oh, I see a man at the back, as a matter of fact, his eyes are red as the sun, and a girl in the corner let no one ignore her, ‘cause she thinks she's the passionate one.”
“Midnight, on the water, I saw the ocean's daughter. Walking on a wave's chicane, staring as she called my name.”
“The rivers are full of crocodile nasties and he who made kittens put snakes in the grass.”
“To avoid complications, she never kept the same address. In conversation, she spoke just like a baroness.”
If you can’t get enough trivia, check out my Pop Trivia Fun & Games column at: longislandmusicscene.com. It’s updated once a month!
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