English singer-songwriter Dido, whose debut album No Angel sold more than 15 million copies worldwide… now that’s a name I’ve not heard in a long time.
Dido had modest success in the UK following the release of No Angel, but it was the inclusion of the first verse of the song ‘Thank You’ on Eminem’s ‘Stan’ that brought her international fame. Her ethereal vocals served as a perfect backdrop for his take on a homicidally obsessed fan.
The Georgia-based 90s alternative hip-hop band Arrested Development… now that’s a name I’ve not heard in a long time.
This group was all the rage in the early 90s, with their debut album (1992’s 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of…) topping the Village Voice critics poll while selling more than 6 million copies. They were named Best New Artist by the Grammys, and dubbed ‘Band of the Year’ by Rolling Stone.
I recently had an idea for a theme week that was inspired by a quote from the 1977 film Star Wars.
In the movie, Luke Skywalker’s friend Ben Kenobi, a hermit living among the sand dunes on the desert planet of Tatooine, is told by Luke about a message he came across that mentions the name “Obi-Wan Kenobi.”
Upon hearing the reference, Ben says this:
The week of November 24, 1984, saw a number of repeats atop the Billboard Hot 100. In order, they were Wham!’s ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,’ Prince’s ‘Purple Rain,’ and Chaka Khan’s ‘I Feel For You.’
In the fourth spot, on its way to a two-week stint at #1 in December, was Daryl Hall & John Oates’ ‘Out of Touch.’ This was the duo’s sixth number one hit, and their last. ‘Method of Modern Love,’ from the same album, peaked at #5.
Throwing back to the week of November 23, 1974, we find country singer-songwriter Billy Swan atop the Billboard Hot 100 with his only hit single, ‘I Can Help.’
This was Swan’s first-ever single, which had me wondering how many artist’s had reached #1 with their debut. Turns out it’s quite a lot — more than 200. If you’re interested in learning the rest, somebody was diligent enough to create a Spotify playlist compiling them all.
Meet Me In Montauk 