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Song of the Day #5,545: ‘Applause’ – Lady Gaga

Throwing back to the week of September 7, 2013, it’s still Robin Thicke and ‘Blurred Lines’ in the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100. That song was a juggernaut, spending a total of 12 weeks at #1. I hope I’ve cycled through those 12 weeks by the time Throwback Weekends make it back to the 2010s.

At #2 and #3 are two more songs I’ve already featured: Katy Perry’s ‘Roar’ and Miley Cyrus’ ‘We Can’t Stop,’ respectively. And it’s another female pop icon who lands at #4 and as today’s Song of the Day.

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Song of the Day #5,544: ‘Shake Ya Tailfeather’ – Nelly, P. Diddy & Murphy Lee

Throwing back to the week of September 6, 2003, we find Nelly, P. Diddy, and Murphy Lee at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Shake Ya Tailfeather,’ a song from the soundtrack of Bad Boys II.

This song spent four weeks at #1 and a total of 30 weeks on the chart. It includes a sample of the Florida State Seminoles’ stadium chant, a nice nod to the state where Bad Boys II is set, but about seven hours from the city (Miami).

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Song of the Day #5,543: ‘Margaritaville’ – Jimmy Buffett

Jimmy Buffett’s most enduring classic, and his only top ten hit, is more than just a song. ‘Margaritaville’ is a state of being, a way of life. It launched a chain of restaurants, resorts, and even retirement communities. It’s in the title of a satellite radio station and a Broadway show.

But before any of that, it was just a song. And it’s one of the greatest songs ever, if you ask me.

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Song of the Day #5,542: ‘He Went to Paris’ – Jimmy Buffett

Jimmy Buffett has written plenty of good time party songs, but my favorites are the sad ones. He has a way with a melancholy ballad, and often finds a way to give even upbeat material a strain of sorrow.

‘He Went to Paris’ is a highlight of Buffett’s 1973 album A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean, a record that leans more to the country side of his genre spectrum. It’s about the life of musician/artist Eddie Balchowsky, a war veteran who also shows up in songs by several other artists.

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Song of the Day #5,541: ‘Fins’ – Jimmy Buffett

‘Fins’ appears on Jimmy Buffett’s ninth studio album, 1979’s Volcano. This is one of his most popular songs, though it made it to only #35 on the Hot 100. Buffett has never been huge on the charts, despite having one of the most fervent fan bases in popular music.

This song is about a midwestern woman who heads to the islands for escape only to find herself preyed upon by lascivious men, characterized as “sharks that can swim on the land.” It is one of eight songs Buffett played at just about every one of his many concert performances.

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