Category Archives: throwback weekends

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Song of the Day #6,587: ‘Danger Zone’ – Kenny Loggins

The week of July 19, 1986, found a trio of songs atop the Billboard Hot 100 that I’ve already covered: Genesis’ ‘Invisible Touch,’ Peter Gabriel’s ‘Sledgehammer,’ and Janet Jackson’s ‘Nasty.’

At #4 that week was Kenny Loggins’ ‘Danger Zone,’ the first of eight singles from the blockbuster soundtrack to the blockbuster movie Top Gun. Second single ‘Take My Breath Away,’ by Berlin, ended up making the bigger splash, reaching #1 and winning the Academy Award for Best Song. But this one was no slouch, peaking at #2 later that July.

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Song of the Day #6,586: ‘Kiss and Say Goodbye’ – The Manhattans

Throwing back to the week of July 18, 1976, we find R&B group The Manhattans atop the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Kiss and Say Goodbye,’ by far their biggest hit.

Written by the deep-voiced Winfred Lovett, who also provides the spoken word intro, the song spent two weeks atop the Hot 100 and was a worldwide hit, topping the charts in a handful of other countries. The song also topped the R&B chart and ended the year as one of 1976’s most popular singles.

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Song of the Day #6,580: ‘Hanky Panky’ – Tommy James and the Shondells

The week of July 12, 1966, found Tommy James and the Shondells atop the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Hanky Panky,’ one of two #1 hits for the band (‘Crimson and Clover’ would top the chart two years later).

This song started as a B-side for a duo called The Raindrops, written by its members Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. A year later, 17-year-old Tommy James and his backing band The Shondells recorded a version of the song from memory, accurately recreating the chorus and melody but rewriting all of the verses.

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Song of the Day #6,579: ‘I Almost Lost My Mind (Live)’ – Pat Boone

Throwing back to the week of July 11, 1956, we find Gogi Grant’s ‘The Wayward Wind’ clinging to the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 for the sixth straight week.

At #2 was Pat Boone’s ‘I Almost Lost My Mind,’ which spent a month as the runner-up before its own two-week stint at #1. This was one of five #1’s and fifteen top ten hits for Boone in the five-year period from 1955-1959. He was the Drake of the Golden Age.

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Song of the Day #6,573: ‘Holding Back the Years’ – Simply Red

The week of July 5, 1986, found Billy Ocean holding on to the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘There’ll Be Sad Songs.’ At #2, a week before its own one-week stint at #1, was Simply Red’s ‘Holding Back the Years.’

This was the first of two #1 hits for the English pop/soul band. Their second, a cover of ‘If You Don’t Know Me By Now,’ topped the chart in 1989.

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