Category Archives: throwback weekends

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Song of the Day #5,573: ‘Half-Breed’ – Cher

In the #1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 the week of October 6, 1973, is a throwback weekend selection that has not aged well. The song is ‘Half-Breed,’ Cher’s second of four career #1 hits, and it’s about as cringeworthy as its title suggests.

To be fair, the lyrics paint a sympathetic portrait of a woman with a white father and Cherokee mother, decrying the racism that mixed-race children face from both sides. But should a pop song about this topic have been written and performed by people without a drop of Native American blood?

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Song of the Day #5,572: ‘Blue Velvet’ – Bobby Vinton

Throwing back to the week of October 7, 1963, we find Bobby Vinton in the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 with his recording of ‘Blue Velvet.’

This classic song was written in 1950 by Bernie Wayne and was first recorded by Tony Bennett a year later. Bennett’s version reached #16 on the chart that pre-dated the Hot 100 (charmingly named “Records Most Played by Disc Jockeys”). The song was covered by The Clovers and The Statues, among others, in subsequent years.

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Song of the Day #5,566: ‘Summertime Sadness (Remix)’ – Lana Del Rey vs. Cedric Gervais

We have a first for Throwback Weekends — a week where almost the entire Hot 100 Top Ten has already been featured on the blog.

Here were the songs at #1 through #9 the week of September 28, 2013: Miley Cyrus’ ‘Wrecking Ball,’ Katy Perry’s ‘Roar,’ Lorde’s ‘Royals,’ Robin Thicke’s ‘Blurred Lines,’ Avicii’s ‘Wake Me Up!,’ Jay Z’s ‘Holy Grail,’ Lady Gaga’s ‘Applause,’ Eminem’s ‘Berzerk,’ and Drake’s ‘Hold On, We’re Going Home.’ Whew!

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Song of the Day #5,565: ‘Baby Boy’ – Beyoncé feat. Sean Paul

Throwing back to the week of September 27, 2003, we find Nelly, P. Diddy and Murphy Lee hanging on to the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Shake Ya Tailfeather,’ covered on the blog three weeks ago.

In second place is a song that was on its way to a nine-week run at #1 — Beyoncé’s ‘Baby Boy.’ This collaboration with Jamaican rapper Sean Paul was the second single from Bey’s debut solo album, Dangerously in Love. Her first solo single, ‘Crazy in Love,’ also made it to the top spot.

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Song of the Day #5,559: ‘If’ – Janet Jackson

The week of September 18, 1993, saw a few repeats at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, as it has on almost every Throwback Weekend from the decade. Mariah Carey held on to the top spot with ‘Dreamlover,’ Tag Team claimed #2 with ‘Whoomp! (There It Is),’ and UB40 sat at #3 with ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love.’ Oh my god, the 90s sucked!

In the #4 spot we have Janet Jackson with ‘If,’ the second single from her album Janet. You might recall that first single ‘That’s the Way Love Goes‘ spent two full months at #1, longer than any song by her brother Michael.

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