Category Archives: throwback weekends

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Song of the Day #6,173: ‘Unchained Melody’ – Al Hibbler

Throwing back to the week of May 31, 1955, we find a quartet of repeats atop the Billboard chart: Perez Pablo’s ‘Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White,‘ Les Baxter’s ‘Unchained Melody,’ Georgia Gibbs’ ‘Dance With Me Henry (Wallflower),’ and Bill Hayes’ ‘The Ballad of Davy Crockett.’

I mentioned in the Les Baxter post that multiple versions of ‘Unchained Melody’ were kicking around the top ten that spring, and this week at #5 we find another of them. Al Hibbler’s take was the top-performing vocal version of the song until the Righteous Brothers came along a decade later.

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Song of the Day #6,167: ‘Axel F’ – Harold Faltermeyer

It has become commonplace for people of my generation to celebrate the 80s as the last great decade for music, and in conversation for the greatest musical decade, period. I tend to lean that way myself.

It makes sense that the music that scored your coming of age will hold a special place in your heart. I’m sure every generation feels that way about its formative decade.

But take a look at the Hot 100 top five the week of May 25, 1985, and tell me the 80s shouldn’t be in the conversation.

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Song of the Day #6,166: ‘Before the Next Teardrop Falls’ – Freddy Fender

Throwing back to the week of May 24, 1975, we find Earth, Wind & Fire atop the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Shining Star,’ the band’s only chart-topping hit. I posted that song during my Decades look at the albums of 1975.

At #2 that week was ‘Before the Next Teardrop Falls’ by Freddy Fender, an American Tejano singer. Fender started his career in 1960 but was sidelined when a marijuana possession charge landed him in jail for three years. My lord!

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Song of the Day #6,160: ‘Count Me In’ – Gary Lewis and the Playboys

The Beatles topped the Billboard Hot 100 the week of May 18, 1965, with ‘Ticket to Ride,’ their eighth #1 on the chart and second of 1965.

In second that week was Herman’s Hermits’ ‘Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter,’ featured a couple of weeks ago when it was at #1. How many acts saw themselves kicked out, or kept out, of the top spot by The Beatles?

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Song of the Day #6,159: ‘Unchained Melody’ – Les Baxter

Throwing back to the week of May 17, 1955, we find a couple of repeats atop the Billboard chart in Perez Pablo’s ‘Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White‘ and Georgia Gibbs’ ‘Dance With Me Henry (Wallflower).’

In the #3 spot that week was Les Baxter’s version of ‘Unchained Melody,’ a short instrumental take with choral accompaniment. This is one of three versions of the song that bounced around the top ten in 1955 — the other two were by Al Hibbler and Roy Hamilton.

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