By Roger Nead
June 15, 2004
EVERYBODY LOVES DEAN MARTIN, SOMETIMES:
He hasn’t had a solo album on the chart since February of 1972, but this week Dino Crocetti a.k.a. DEAN MARTIN has the highest debuting album on the chart.
Martin’s last charting LP “Dino” peaked at #117 some 32 and ˝ years ago. In fact by debuting at #28 this week, “Dino: The Essential Dean Martin” becomes the crooners highest charting album since “Gentle On My Mind” peaked at #14, in the spring of 1969.
“The Essential Dean Martin,” on Capitol Records, now ranks as the 10th highest charting LP of his album chart career, which spans a little over 42 years.
I GUESS WE WILL PASS THIS WAY AGAIN, AFTER ALL:
You can’t keep a good decade down, as the 1970s have proved again and again. The latest ‘70s classic to find itself on the airwaves again is SEALS & CROFTS “Summer Breeze.”
“Summer Breeze” was the first release for the popular “middle-of-the-road” duo, and originally peaked at #6 in the fall of 1972. On the Adult Contemporary chart, “Breeze” went all the way to #4, and it’s that chart where the new “re-mix” version makes it debut at #24, this week.
The songs newfound popularity is brought on by a commercial for The Gap, and it’s SEALS & CROFTS first entry on the A.C. chart since “First Love” peaked at #37 in October of 1980. Their last Hot 100 chart entry was “Takin’ It Easy,” which bottomed out at #79, in 1978.
HE HIT THE ROAD...JACK!:
Much has been written about the death of R&B legend RAY CHARLES last week, although his passing was overshadowed by the death of a certain, much less important “celebrity” who shall remain nameless here.
Ray is one of a few artists “singled-out” as breaking down barriers for black artists in pop music, but we mustn’t forget his contribution to the success of visually impaired musicians!
Charles was the first blind person to top the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, (which he did three times, “Georgia On My Mind” in 1960, “Hit The Road, Jack” in 1961, and “I Can’t Stop Loving You” in 1962), as well as the first blind artist to top the Billboard Album Chart, (1962’s “Modern Sounds In Country & Western Music” which spent 14 weeks at #1.)
On Billboard’s R&B chart, Ray had 11 #1 hits:
“I’ve Got A Woman” (1955)
“A Fool For You” (1955)
“Drown In My Own Tears” (1956)
“What’d I Say (Part 1)” (1959)
“One Mint Julep” (1961)
“Hit The Road, Jack” (1961)
“Unchain My Heart” (1962)
“I Can’t Stop Loving You” (1962)
“You Are My Sunshine” (1962)
“Let’s Go Get Stoned” (1966)
“I’ll Be Good To You” (by QUINCY JONES Featuring RAY CHARLES & CHAKA KHAN) (1990)
U.S. Singles Chart:
Here are this week’s Top 10 singles:
1) Burn by USHER
2) The Reason by HOOBASTANK
3) I Don’t Wanna Know by MARIO WINANS Featuring ENYA & P. DIDDY
4) Naughty Girl by BEYONCE
5) Confessions Part II by USHER
6) Yeah! by USHER Featuring LIL JON & LUDACRIS
7) Overnight Celebrity by TWISTA
8) If I Ain’t Got You by ALICIA KEYS
9) Roses by OUTKAST
10) This Love by MAROON5
U.S. Album Chart:
Here are this week’s Top 10 albums:
1) Confessions by USHER
2) Under My Skin by AVRIL LAVIGNE
3) Here For The Party by GRETCHEN WILSON
4) Musicology by PRINCE
5) Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) by SLIPKNOT
6) The Reason by HOOBASTANK
7) D12 World by D12
8) Shrek 2 – ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK
9) Now 15 by VARIOUS ARTISTS
10) Tical 0: The Prequel by METHOD MAN
Top 10 Most Downloaded Tracks:
Here is this week’s Top 10 Hot Digital Tracks:
1) The Reason by HOOBASTANK
2) Roses by OUTKAST
3) Accidentally In Love by COUNTING CROWS
4) Burn by USHER
5) Don’t Tell Me by AVRIL LAVIGNE
6) This Love by MAROON5
7) Hey Mama by BLACK EYED PEAS
8) Pieces Of Me by ASHLEE SIMPSON
9) Ocean Avenue by YELLOWCARD
10) Everytime by BRITNEY SPEARS
Modern Rock Tracks:
Here are this week’s Top 10 Modern Rock tracks:
1) Ch-Check It Out by BEASTIE BOYS
2) Lying From You by LINKIN PARK
3) Slither by VELVET REVOLVER
4) Cold Hard Bitch by JET
5) The Reason by HOOBASTANK
6) Float On by MODEST MOUSE
7) Talk Shows On Mute by INCUBUS
8) Broken by SEETHER Featuring AMY LEE
9) Time Is Running Out by MUSE
10) Just Like You by THREE DAYS GRACE
U.K. Singles Chart
Here are the Top Ten singles in the UK:
1) I Don’t Wanna Know by MARIO WINANS Featuring ENYA & P. DIDDY
2) F.U.R.B. (F U Right Back) by FRANKEE
3) Insania by PETER ANDRE
4) Trick Me by KELIS
5) F**K It (I Don’t Want You Back) by EAMON
6) Hotel by CASSIDY Featuring R. KELLY
7) Mass Destruction by FAITHLESS
8) Ch-Check It Out by THE BEASTIE BOYS
9) Left Outside Alone by ANASTACIA
10) All Together Now 2004 by THE FARM Featuring S.F.X. BOYS CHOIR
My Own Personal Top 30 Chart:
1) Am I The Same Girl by KING RADIO
2) Passing By by ZERO 7
3) The Road Leads Where It’s Led by SECRET MACHINES
4) California Songs by LOCAL H
5) Trouble by DJ ME DJ YOU
6) The Reasons by THE WEAKERTHANS
7) The One You Want by THE GET UP KIDS
8) Better by COWBOY MOUTH
9) Madness by DELTRON 3030
10) Looks Like They Were Right by LIT
11) Hold Me Up by YEAR OF THE RABBIT
12) Walking Around Waiting Downtown by REVERIE SOUND MACHINE
13) Wake Up by THE VANISHED
14) Don’t Forget To Breathe by BEULAH
15) Hello Tomorrow by ZEBRAHEAD
16) Assessment by THE BETA BAND
17) Check Your Messages by THE MELIGROVE BAND
18) Primitive (The Way I Treat You) by AMBULANCE LTD
19) It’s All The Same by REVERIE SOUND REVUE
20) Breathe by SECRET MACHINES
21) Homewrecker by HELLOGOODBYE
22) The Saddest Story Ever Told by MAGNETIC FIELDS
23) Spitting Games by SNOW PATROL
24) Mr. Brightside by THE KILLERS
25) Errant Geese by THE BON MOTS
26) Take Your Mama Out by SCISSOR SISTERS
27) For Members Only by NORTHSTAR
28) Unbroken (Hotel Baby) by MONSTER MAGNET
29) Solitary Man by HIM
30) You’re Gone by MARILLION
FUN & GAMES:
LISTEN TO THE MUSIC:
Check out my radio show
This week: Hear the official weekly Billboard Top 50 chart from 28 years ago, June 15TH, 1976! Then scroll down the page to my weekly trivia quiz. This week all the questions relate to this specific Top 50 chart.
THE LOST ‘90S
I know it wasn’t that long ago, but many excellent songs from the last decade have become M.I.A.
Click here and catch up on some long lost classics by artists such as: THE MURMURS, BOOM CRASH OPERA, THAT PETROL EMOTION, FUN LOVIN’ CRIMINALS, INSPIRAL CARPETS, STAKKA BO, THE WONDERSTUFF, DREAD ZEPPELIN, and many, many more!
I’ll up date this one every couple of weeks.
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 Mainstream Rock Chart, June 15, 1999:
Lit Up by BUCKCHERRY
#1 Song on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Chart, June 15, 1994:
I’ll Remember by MADONNA
#1 Song on Billboard’s Modern Rock Chart, June 16, 1989:
Fascination Street by THE CURE
#1 Album on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart, June 15, 1984:
FOOTLOOSE – Original Soundtrack
#1 Song on Billboard’s Country & Western Chart, June 15, 1979:
She Believes In Me by KENNY ROGERS
#1 Song on Billboard’s R&B Chart, June 15, 1974:
Sideshow by BLUE MAGIC
#1 Song on the UK Chart, June 15, 1969:
The Ballad Of John And Yoko by THE BEATLES
#1 Song on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart, June 15, 1964:
Chapel Of Love by THE DIXIE CUPS
REMEMBER THESE?:
Here are the official Top Ten Charts, 7, 17, 27, and 37 years ago this week:
JUNE 15, 1997:
1) I’ll Be Missing You by PUFF DADDY & FAITH EVANS (Featuring 112)
2) MMMBop by HANSON
3) Return Of The Mack by MARK MORRISON
4) Look Into My Eyes by BONE THUGS-N-HARMONY
5) Say You’ll Be There by SPICE GIRLS
6) Bitch by MEREDITH BROOKS
7) I Belong To You (Every Time I See Your Face) by ROME
8) It’s Your Love by TIM McGRAW & FAITH HILL
9) The Freshmen by THE VERVE PIPE
10) G.H.E.T.T.O.U.T. by CHANGING FACES
JUNE 15, 1987:
1) Head To Toe by LISA LISA & CULT JAM
2) Always by ATLANTIC STARR
3) I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) by WHITNEY HOUSTON
4) In Too Deep by GENESIS
5) Diamonds by HERB ALPERT
6) Alone by HEART
7) Wanted Dead Or Alive by BON JOVI
8) You Keep Me Hangin’ On by KIM WILDE
9) Songbird by KENNY G
10) Just To See Her by SMOKEY ROBINSON
JUNE 15, 1977:
1) Dreams by FLEETWOOD MAC
2) Got To Give It Up by MARVIN GAYE
3) Gonna Fly Now (Theme From “Rocky”) by BILL CONTI
4) Feels Like The First Time by FOREIGNER
5) Lucille by KENNY ROGERS
6) Undercover Angel by ALAN O’DAY
7) Lonely Boy by ANDREW GOLD
8) I’m Your Boogie Man by KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND
9) Sir Duke by STEVIE WONDER
10) Angel In Your Arms by HOT
JUNE 15, 1967:
1) Groovin’ by THE YOUNG RASCALS
2) Respect by ARETHA FRANKLIN
3) She’d Rather Be With Me by THE TURTLES
4) Release Me (And Let Me Love Again) by ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK
5) Somebody To Love by JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
6) Little Bit O’ Soul by THE MUSIC EXPLOSION
7) Windy by THE ASSOCIATION
8) All I Need by THE TEMPTATIONS
9) I Got Rhythm by THE HAPPENINGS
10) Mirage by TOMMY JAMES & THE SHONDELLS
ROCK & ROLL TRIVIA QUESTION:
LAST WEEK’S QUESTION:
Below I’ve listed 6 songs that reached #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. Five of these songs share another distinction. Which one doesn’t belong on the list!
1) Miami Vice Theme by JAN HAMMER
2) Dominique by THE SINGING NUN
3) How Do You Talk To An Angel by THE HEIGHTS
4) Disco Duck by RICK DEES & HIS CAST OF IDIOTS
5) In The Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus) by ZAGER & EVANS
6) Pop Muzik by M
THE ANSWER:
The artist who doesn’t belong on this list is: RICK DEES! And, not just because “Disco Duck” sucked!
The reason Dees doesn’t belong on this list is because he’s the only one of these six artists to have another song make the chart. All five of the others only made the Billboard singles chart with their sole #1 hits.
Dees, who recently made the news after being canned from his long time gig as the morning DJ on Los Angeles radio station KIIS FM, reached #56 in 1977 with “Duck’s” follow-up “Dis-Gorilla” and again making #75 with “Eat My Shorts,” in 1984.
THIS WEEKS QUIZ:
All these questions relate to songs on Billboard’s Top 50 chart, 28 years ago, June 15TH 1976. Go to the link above for my weekly radio show to listen to this entire chart. You might be able to answer these questions without listening, but it will be much harder!
1) Name the four TV theme songs that were on the Top 50 chart on June 15th, 1976.
2) Which Top Ten hit from this chart was performed by a porn star? (This song remains the only Top Ten hit every by a porno actress!)
3) Which Top Ten hit from this chart is about a dead dog? (It’s the highest charting pop hit about a deceased pooch, ever!)
4) The song at #50 on June 15th 1976 was a remake of a #1 hit by the band that has the song at #40. Who are they?
5) Which TV star/heartthrob was at #31 on this chart? It was his first chart hit!
6) Which hit on this chart was sung by an un-credited Mickey Thomas (who would later lead STARSHIP to two consecutive #1 hits!)
7) Which hit on the June 15th, 1976 chart was a nine year old album track by the most popular rock band of all time?
Answer next week!
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