Dave’s Faves:My Album Collection in 1986 |
By year’s end, this was what my collection looked like. Albums acquired in 1986 are marked with an asterisk.
Resources and Related Links:
First posted 8/31/2021. |
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Dave’s Faves:My Album Collection in 1986 |
By year’s end, this was what my collection looked like. Albums acquired in 1986 are marked with an asterisk.
Resources and Related Links:
First posted 8/31/2021. |
Bob Shannon & John Javna:Behind the Hits |
From the back book jacket: “Here they are…the most amazing stories of rock and roll’s first thirty years, the stories behind the classic songs and the aritsts who made them famous.” The book doesn’t present songs in a ranked, chronological, or alphabetized order. Instead, songs are grouped by categories such as “Accidental Hits,” “False Impressions,” “Mistaken Identity,” and “Spontaneous Combustion.” The songs (just shy of 350 titles) are presented here in alphabetical order by artist. Click here to see other lists from critics and individuals and here to see other lists from publications and/or organizations.
Resources/Related Links:
First posted 4/1/2023. |
Pop Memories:Top 100 Songs, 1890-1954 |
Billboard magazine has long been the music chart industry leader with its flagship Hot 100 chart, which launched in 1958. Prior to that, Billboard did other charts, but the farther back one dips into recorded history, the more difficult it is to find music charts from Billboard or any other source. Pop Memories 1890-1954 taps multiple sources from the pre-rock era to create music charts. This particular webpage takes the list from that book of the top 100 songs from 1890 to 1954, as determined first by the most weeks spent at #1, tne by total weeks on the chart. Check other lists based on charts, sales, and airplay here.
17 weeks:
1. Francis Craig with Bob Lamm “Near You” (1947) 14 weeks:
2. Bing Crosby with the Ken Darby Singers “White Christmas” (1942) 13 weeks:
3. Artie Shaw “Frenesi” (1940) 12 weeks:
11. The Mills Brothers “Paper Doll” (1942) 11 weeks:
18. Les Paul with Mary Ford “Vaya Con Dios (May God Be with You)” (1953)
21. Johnnie Ray & the Four Lads “Cry” (1951)
31. Arthur Collins “The Preacher and the Bear” (1905) 10 weeks:
33. Tony Bennett “Because of You” (1951)
41. Rudy Vallee & His Connecticut Yankees “Stein Song (University of Maine)” (1930)
51. Eileen Barton “If I Knew You Were Comin’ I’d’ve Baked a Cake” (1950) 9 weeks:
60. Les Brown with Doris Day “Sentimental Journey” (1945)
71. Glenn Miller “Tuxedo Junction” (1940)
81. Billy Murray “Harrigan” (1907) 8 weeks:
86. Al Dexter & His Troopers “Pistol Packin’ Mama” (1943)
91. Tony Bennett “Rags to Riches” (1953) Resources/Related Links:
First posted 12/21/2022. |
Pop Memories:1890-1954 |
My personal book shelves are loaded with more than a hundred books devoted to music. This one, however, is the most important of them all. The book was published by Record Research, a company started by Joel Whitburn which became the go-to resource for books on the Billboard charts. The book also features invaluable research from Steve Sullivan, who has become the individual most responsible for sparking my interest in music of the pre-rock era.
I became a chart fanatic in the 1980s because of American Top 40, a weekly radio countdown show based on Billboard’s pop charts. The magazine was founded in 1894 as a trade publication for, well, billboards. However, it expanded in the early years of the 20th century to cover the entertainment industry in general and then later keying in on the music industry. Their first music charts in 1913 focused on sheet music. Over the years, they’ve developed multiple charts focused on music, but the Billboard Hot 100, which tracks the most popular songs in the United States on a weekly basis, has become the industry standard.
However, other charts have existed over the years and Pop Memories serves as an invaluable resource to early Billboard charts as well as other chart sources. Here are some of the sources cited on page 7 of the 1986 edition:
Dave’s Music Database lists based on Pop Memories:Resources/Related Links:
First posted 12/21/2022. |
image from recordresearch.com
This list is taken from page 623 of Joel Whitburn’s Pop Memories 1890-1954. That book was designed as a companion to the Billboard books which tracked the songs which charted on the Hot 100 from 1955 to the present. The book lists acts alphabetically and all their hits, including peak position and date first charted. This list was created by totaling each act’s chart points.
1. Bing Crosby
2. Paul Whiteman
3. Guy Lombardo
4. Tommy Dorsey
5. Billy Murray
6. Benny Goodman
7. Glenn Miller
8. Henry Burr
9. Peerless Quartet
10. Harry MacDonough
11. Ben Selvin
12. Ted Lewis
13. Al Jolson
14. Sammy Kaye
15. Arthur Collins and Byron Harlan
16. Perry Como
17. Jimmy Dorsey
18. Frank Sinatra
19. Charles Adams Prince
20. The Andrews Sisters
21. Freddy Martin
22. Kay Kyser
23. John McCormack
24. Leo Reisman
25. Isham Jones
26. Rudy Vallee
27. Eddy Duchin
28. American Quartet
29. Dinah Shore
30. Harry James
31. Jo Stafford
32. Haydn Quartet
33. Ada Jones
34. Duke Ellington
35. Louis Armstrong
36. Vaughn Monroe
37. Fats Waller
38. Glen Gray
39. Jan Garber
40. Hal Kemp
41. The Mills Brothers
42. Ruth Etting
43. Byron Harlan
44. Gene Austin
45. Ray Noble
46. Russ Morgan
47. Nat Shilkret
48. Fred Waring
49. Arthur Collins
50. Nat “King” Cole
51. Albert Campbell
52. Artie Shaw
53. George Olsen
54. Horace Heidt
55. Len Spencer
56. Frankie Laine
57. Ada Jones and Billy Murray
58. Enrico Caruso
59. Woody Herman
60. Frank Stanley
61. Marion Harris
62. Cal Stewart
63. The Ink Spots
64. Eddy Howard
65. Ella Fitzgerald
66. Ben Bernie
67. Dick Haymes
68. Walter Van Brunt
69. Patti Page
70. Nora Bayes
71. Dan Quinn
72. Eddie Fisher
73. Bob Crosby
74. Fred Astaire
75. Larry Clinton
76. Cab Calloway
77. Shep Fields
78. Margaret Whiting
79. George J. Gaskin
80. Charles Harrison
81. Doris Day
82. Bert Williams
83. Billie Holiday
84. Teddy Wilson
85. Ozzie Nelson
86. J.W. Myers
87. Ted Weems
88. Wayne King
89. Tony Martin
90. Vic Damone
91. Lewis James
92. Frank Crumit
93. Peggy Lee
94. Vincent Lopez
95. Cliff Edwrads
96. John Phillip Sousa
97. Vess Ossman
98. Connee Boswell
99. Kay Starr
100. Johnny Mercer
Walk Like an EgyptianThe Bangles |
Writer(s): Liam Sternberg (see lyrics here) Released: September 1, 1986 First Charted: September 13, 1986 Peak: 14 US, 11 CB, 12 RR, 1 CO, 3 UK, 11 CN, 12 AU, 5 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 0.25 UK, 1.3 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 132.6 video, 187.45 streaming |
Awards:Click on award for more details. |
About the Song:Liam Sternberg was part of the Akron, Ohio, music scene in the ‘70s. He worked with Jane Aire & the Belvederes and wrote songs for Rachel Sweet, but didn’t find any real success. He did, however, find one-hit wonder status as a songwriter with “Walk Like an Egytian.” While riding a ferry boat across the English Channel, he noticed that as people struggled to maintain their balance, they held up their arms like they were doing Egyptian movements. SF He recorded a demo of the song with singer Marti Jones in 1984. He offered it to Toni Basil, who had a #1 hit in 1982 with “Mickey,” but she turned it down. Lene Lovich recorded the song, but she decided to take a break from music to raise a family and the song went unreleased. Dave Kahne, who produced the Bangles’ Different Light album, got a copy of the demo and presented it to the Bangles. He had each of the four members sing the song, eventually opting to have Vicki Peterson, Michael Steele, and Susanna Hoffs each sing a verse. WK Kahne didn’t like Debbie Peterson’s vocal, so he relegated her to backing vocals. She was even more angry when a drum machine was also used instead of her drumming. WK As for the whistling in the song – none of them do it. It was done by machine. WK The band didn’t think the song would be released because it was “a goofy romp” and “too weird.” SF However, it was the third single from the Different Light album, following the success of the #2 hit “Manic Monday” and “If She Knew What She Wants” (#29). It became their best-selling album with 3 million copies and highest charting, reaching #2. Not only did “Walk Like an Egyptian” go to #1 in the U.S., but became Billboard magazine’s top song of the year. Resources:
Related Links:First posted 12/8/2020; last updated 3/11/2023. |
You Gotta Fight for Your Right to PartyBeastie Boys |
Writer(s): Adam Yauch, Rick Rubin, Adam Horovitz (see lyrics here) First Charted: December 20, 1986 Peak: 7 US, 3 CB, 12 RR, 1 CO, 11 UK, 7 CN, 37 AU, 7 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.2 UK Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 81.7 video, 192.70 streaming |
Awards:Click on award for more details. |
About the Song:The fourth single from the Beastie Boys’ debut album made them a household name. Their goofy wit and party atmosphere endured them to millions – millions who flocked to buy the parent album, Licensed to Ill and give the Beasties the distinction of being the first rap group in U.S. history to hit #1 on the Billboard album chart. The song – and the success of the album – owed much to the Beasties’ combination of metal and rap. The Beastie Boys were “just three kids from rich New York families who liked black culture.” TC With the help of producer Rick Rubin, they merged the sounds of Led Zeppelin with the style of old school rap. It wasn’t the first time rock and rap had found chart success – just months earlier, Rubin helped Run-D.M.C. get a top 5 U.S. pop hit with their remake of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” – aided by Aerosmith’s own Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. “Fight for Your Right” was intended as a parody of the kind of “beer-soaked, panty-raiding rock jam that ruled fraternity houses and dingy bars alike.” TB The video, which depicted “the party that is every suburban parent’s worst nightmare” TB played up the parody and garnered it plenty of spins on MTV. Unfortunately, as member Mike D said, “There were tons of guys singing along to ‘Fight for Your Right’ who were oblivious to the fact it was a total goof on them.” WK In fact, the song was reportedly cut just as a joke. Once the group became superstars thanks to their new frat-boy fanbase, they played up the roles until, according to Beastie Boy Adam “MCA” Yauch, they had become their own joke. SF In time, the group would come to be very respected for their experimental music and ability to merge different genres. Rap group Public Enemy was on board early, even sampling the song for their own 1988 “Party for Your Right to Fight.” Resources:
Related Links:First posted 12/20/2011; last updated 6/18/2023. |