Category Archives: throwback weekends

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Song of the Day #6,412: ‘Barbara Ann’ – The Beach Boys

Throwing back to the week of January 25, 1966, we find The Beatles hanging on to the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘We Can Work It Out,’ in its third week at #1. Nipping at their heels were The Beach Boys, whose ‘Barbara Ann’ jumped from #15 to #2 that week.

The Beatles fell from #1 the following week, but The Beach Boys weren’t able to capitalize and score their third #1 hit (that would happen later in the year). Instead, Petula Clark leapfrogged them with a song that will likely show up on a future Throwback Weekend.

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Song of the Day #6,411: ‘(The) Rock and Roll Waltz’ – Kay Starr

Some familiar names topped the Billboard Hot 100 on the weekend of January 24, 1955: Dean Martin with ‘Memories Are Made of This,‘ The Platters with ‘The Great Pretender,’ and Tennessee Ernie Ford with ‘Sixteen Tons.’

At #4 that week, on its way to a 4-week stint at #1, was the novelty track ‘Rock and Roll Waltz’ by vocalist Kay Starr. The track, written by Shorty Allen and Roy Alfred, depicts the singer coming home to find her parents dancing (a waltz, naturally) to her rock and roll records.

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Song of the Day #6,405: ‘That’s What Friends Are For’ – Dionne Warwick & Friends

It’s a real cheesefest this weekend. Just when you thought it was safe to come back to the blog after yesterday’s Barry Manilow offering, I’m serving up a little ‘That’s What Friends Are For.’

The week of January 18, 1986, was the first of a four-week stint at #1 for this collaboration between Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder. Written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager, the song was originally recorded by Rod Stewart for the soundtrack of the 1982 film Night Shift.

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Song of the Day #6,404: ‘I Write the Songs’ – Barry Manilow

Throwing back to the week of January 17, 1976, we find Barry Manilow atop the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘I Write the Songs,’ which spent a single week at #1 after debuting on the chart a month and a half earlier.

Two other versions of this song were released in 1975 — one by Captain & Tennille on their album Love Will Keep Us Together, and another by David Cassidy for his album The Higher They Climb. Neither was released as a single.

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Song of the Day #6,398: ‘She’s Just My Style’ – Gary Lewis and the Playboys

The week of January 11, 1966, found two stone-cold classics remaining atop the Billboard Hot 100 in The Beatles’ ‘We Can Work It Out‘ and Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘The Sound of Silence.‘

In third place that week was a song that hasn’t stood the test of time, at least not enough to be on my radar. ‘She’s Just My Style’ was Gary Lewis and the Playboys’ fifth single, and their fifth to make it to at least the top four. This was part of a record streak of seven straight top ten hits (tying them with The Lovin’ Spoonful as the only acts to achieve that feat with their first seven singles).

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