The week of October 30, 1993, saw Mariah Carey hanging on to the top spot of Billboard’s Hot 100 with ‘Dreamlover.’ It was the last of eight weeks that song would spend atop the chart.
Right behind it was a song that would ascend to #1 the following week and spend five weeks there: Meat Loaf’s ‘I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That).’ This was Meat Loaf’s first-ever #1 hit, and his last. He died last year at age 74.
Throwing back to the week of October 29, 1983, we find Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton topping the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Islands in the Stream.’ The duet spent two weeks at #1, and gave each of the country legends their second chart-topper on the Hot 100. (Bonus points to any commenter who can name the previous #1 for one or both artists).
‘Islands in the Stream’ was written by the Bee Gees as an R&B song but it got a pop country makeover when it landed with Rogers and Parton. The song was released on Rogers’ album Eyes That See in the Dark, on which every track was written by Barry Gibb (most with brother Maurice).
The week of October 27, 1973, found Gladys Knight & The Pips at #1 with the classic ‘Midnight Train to Georgia.’ This song, the band’s first #1, spent two weeks at the top spot. It became Knight’s signature song.
‘Midnight Train to Georgia’ was written by country singer-songwriter Jim Weatherly as ‘Midnight Plane to Houston.’ His plaintive version is worth a listen, though the track definitely reached a higher level in the hands of Gladys Knight & The Pips.
Throwing back to the week of October 26, 1963, we find Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs in the #1 spot of the Billboard Hot 100 with their song ‘Sugar Shack.’
‘Sugar Shack’ spent five weeks at #1 that fall, and ended up as Billboard’s Song of the Year for 1963. It dominated the charts while The Beatles’ ‘She Loves You’ was struggling to get played on American radio.
The last time I threw back to 2013, I had to go all the way down to #10 before hitting a song I hadn’t featured on the blog.
Well, the Billboard Hot 100 in the fall of 2013 was awfully static, because today I’m forced — in true Spinal Tap fashion — to go to 11.
The songs making up the top ten are the same batch as last time, in slightly different order: Lorde’s ‘Royals, ‘Katy Perry’s ‘Roar,’ Miley Cyrus’ ‘Wrecking Ball,’ Avicii’s ‘Wake Me Up!,’ Drake’s ‘Hold On, We’re Going Home,’ Jay Z’s ‘Holy Grail,’ Robin Thicke’s ‘Blurred Lines,’ Lady Gaga’s ‘Applause,’ and Lana Del Rey’s ‘Summertime Sadness.’
There is one newcomer, slotted right between Drake and Jay-Z. That is Ylvis, with their viral parody song ‘The Fox.’ But alas, I featured that hilarious track on the blog ten years ago.
Meet Me In Montauk 