The week of November 24, 1984, saw a number of repeats atop the Billboard Hot 100. In order, they were Wham!’s ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,’ Prince’s ‘Purple Rain,’ and Chaka Khan’s ‘I Feel For You.’
In the fourth spot, on its way to a two-week stint at #1 in December, was Daryl Hall & John Oates’ ‘Out of Touch.’ This was the duo’s sixth number one hit, and their last. ‘Method of Modern Love,’ from the same album, peaked at #5.
Throwing back to the week of November 23, 1974, we find country singer-songwriter Billy Swan atop the Billboard Hot 100 with his only hit single, ‘I Can Help.’
This was Swan’s first-ever single, which had me wondering how many artist’s had reached #1 with their debut. Turns out it’s quite a lot — more than 200. If you’re interested in learning the rest, somebody was diligent enough to create a Spotify playlist compiling them all.
The last artist I’ll pitch for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inclusion is the Britpop duo Oasis, eligible since 2020 and nominated for the first time this year.
Given the news that famously quarreling brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher have put their differences aside to plan a reunion tour next year, it seems like a perfect time to induct them into the Hall. Maybe they’ll still be on speaking terms in time to show up at the ceremony.
Another artist I’d love to see inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is Fiona Apple. The singer-songwriter has been eligible since 2022 but has not yet received a nomination.
Apple has earned the honor on a few levels. First and foremost is the sheer quality of her music. Each of her universally acclaimed albums has stretched her songwriting into new territory, experimenting with tempo shifts, discordant chords, and creative instrumentation. She has also been a strong influence on a generation of women mining similar emotionally raw territory outside of the mainstream.
To close out this third week of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame posts, I’ll feature three artists who have failed to make the cut so far despite being fully worthy. For daily commenter Dana’s sake, I will not include The Smiths, who absolutely should be in the Hall by now.
Nick Drake isn’t a slam dunk Hall of Fame pick. He died at age 26 with only three albums to his name and didn’t find a wide audience during his lifetime or for many years after. But if the Hall rewards influence as much as success, I think he deserves a nod.
Meet Me In Montauk 