The deep dives I’ve done so far have covered artists with long careers and extensive catalogs. This one is different.
Earlier this year, a Throwback Weekend post about Jim Croce’s ‘Time in a Bottle’ got me thinking that I’m not very familiar with the singer-songwriter’s footprint outside of a handful of hits. And given that his whole recording career spans just five albums, that’s easily remedied. So this week I’ll feature a song from each of those releases.
The week of March 21, 1964, saw The Beatles dominating the top of the Billboard Hot 100. ‘She Loves You‘ and ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand‘ occupied the #1 and #2 spots, respectively, and a re-release of ‘Please Please Me‘ — which had bombed in the U.S. a year earlier — made it to #3.
In the #4 slot that week was ‘Dawn (Go Away)’ by The Four Seasons, a song that peaked at #3 during a six-week stint in the top ten. During that span, it was never topped by anything but a Beatles song.
Throwing back to the week of March 20, 1954, we find Jo Stafford and Doris Day hanging on the the #1 and #2 spots with ‘Make Love to Me‘ and ‘Secret Love,’ respectively.
At #3 that week, and kicking around the top ten for awhile, was a song I’ve seen listed in a number of different ways: ‘I Get So Lonely (Oh Baby Mine),’ ‘Oh Baby Mine (I Get So Lonely),’ ‘I Get So Lonely When I Dream About You (Oh Baby Mine).’ Whatever the name, it’s a catchy doo wop song by vocal group The Four Knights.
I’m a big fan of Jack Antonoff as a producer, particularly his work with Lorde, Taylor Swift, and Lana Del Rey. He has a knack for playing to the strengths and wishes of each artist he works with — he doesn’t bring a “Jack Antonoff” sound to every album, but helps unearth something unexpected and great in each of those performers that doesn’t sound like anyone else.
I also liked his short-lived work with fun., the indie pop band that put him on the map in the early 2010s.
Selena Gomez is a modern renaissance woman. At just 31, she has found enormous success as a TV and movie actress, singer, philanthropist, and business leader. She is the most followed non-soccer player on Instagram (and third overall) and in the top ten on Facebook and Twitter. She’s also best friends with Taylor Swift.
Gomez has released three albums with her band The Scene, and three more as a solo artist. All three solo albums topped the Billboard 200, and the last one (2020’s Rare) produced her first #1 single in ‘Lose You to Love Me.’
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