Herb Alpert's Whipped Cream album hit #1 50 years ago today

First posted 3/25/2008; updated 9/6/2020.

Whipped Cream & Other Delights Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass

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Charted: May 15, 1965 Peak: 18 US, 2 UK, -- CN, -- AU Sales (in millions): 5.0 US, -- UK, 5.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: traditional pop

Tracks: (Click for codes to singles charts.) Song Title (Writers) [Time] (chart date, peaks on charts) A Taste of Honey (Bobby Scott, Rick Marlow) [2:43] (9/4/65, #7 US, #1 AC) Green Peppers (Sol Lake) [1:31] Tangerine (Johnny Mercer, Victor Schertzinger) [2:46] Bittersweet Samba (Sol Lake) [1:46] Lemon Tree (Will Holt) [2:23] Whipped Cream (Naomi Neville) [2:33] (2/20/65, #68 US, #13 AC) Love Potion No. 9 (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) [3:02] El Garbanzo (Sol Lake) [2:13] Ladyfingers (Toots Thielemans) [2:43] Butterball (Mike Henderson) [2:12] Peanuts (Luis Guerrero) [2:09] Lollipops and Roses (Tony Velona) [2:27] Total Running Time: 28:22

Rating: 4.275 out of 5.00 (average of 11 ratings) Awards:

About the Album: “It’ll never be known exactly what made Whipped Cream & Other Delights Herb Alpert’s big commercial breakthrough – the music or the LP jacket’s luscious nude model covered almost entirely with simulated whipped cream. Probably both.” AMG “In any case, Alpert’s most famous album is built around a coherent concept; every song has a title with food in it. Within this concept, Alpert’s musical tastes are still refreshingly eclectic; he uses Brazilian rhythms on Green Peppers and Bittersweet Samba, reaches back to the big-band era for the haunting Tangerine, uses Dixieland jazz on Butterball, and goes to New Orleans for the Allen Toussaint-penned title track (familiar to viewers of TV’s The Dating Game).” AMG “He also has developed a unique sense of timing as a producer, using pauses for humorous effect, managing to score his second Top Ten hit with a complex, tempo-shifting version of A Taste of Honey.” AMG “No wonder Alpert drew such a large, diverse audience at his peak; his choices of tunes spanned eras and generations, while his arrangements were energetic enough for the young and melodic enough for older listeners.” AMG Notes: A 2005 reissue added bonus tracks “Rosemary” and “Blueberry Park.”

Resources and Related Links: Herb Alpert’s DMDB Encyclopedia entry AMG Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide

Twenty One Pilots “Stressed Out” hit #1 on alternative rock chart

Stressed Out Twenty One Pilots

Writer(s): Tyler Joseph (see lyrics here) Released: April 28, 2015 First Charted: May 16, 2015 Peak: 2 US, 11 RR, 17 AC, 12 A40, 36 AR, 112 MR, 12 UK, 3 CN, 2 AU, 12 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 10.0 US, 1.8 UK, 15.57 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 2730.28 video, 1977.82 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Singer Tyler Joseph formed the alternative-rock band Twenty One Pilots in 2009 in Columbus, Ohio. Original members Nick Thomas and Chris Salih left in 2011, at which time the group became a duo comprised of Joseph and drummer Josh Dun. That’s when things took a positive turn for the band. Their third album, 2013’s Vessel, was their first major-label studio album and went double platinum thanks to top-ten alternative rock hits “Holding on to You” and “House of Gold.” Even bigger things were to come with fourth album, 2015’s Blurryface. “Tear in My Heart” went all the way to #2 on the alternative rock chart, but even better things were to come. The album’s fourth single, “Stressed Out,” sent Twenty One Pilots into the mainstream. It reached #1 on the alternative rock chart, and got all the way to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It reached the top five in seventeen countries and was the first rock song to reach one billion streams on Spotify. WK It was also nominated fyr a Grammy for Record of the Year and won for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Blurryface topped the album chart and went five-times platinum. The song is described on Wikipedia as “a midtempo alternative hip hop, alternative rock and rap rock song with elements of psychedelic music.” WK Lyrically, the song is written from the perspective of Blurryface, the album’s titular character. Joseph said the character is “a guy that kind of represents all the things that I as an individual – but also everyone around me – am insecure about.” SF “Stressed Out” specifically deasl with, as the staff at Consequence said, “the good ol’ days before the stress of reality set in.” WK The video portrayed the duo trying to relive their childhood by riding tricycles. It was mostly shot at Dun’s childhood home. It mixed “existential sequences and draws visual cues from fairy tales such as Alice in Wonderland.” WK Radio.com’s Courtney E. Smith compared the visuals to J.M. Barrie’s 1904 play Peter Pan. WK Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Twenty One Pilots SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia First posted 7/28/2023.

Chris Stapleton’s Traveller hit #1 on country album chart for 1st of 29 weeks

Traveller Chris Stapleton

Released: May 5, 2015 Peak: 12 US, 129 CW, 67 UK, 4 CN, 47 AU, 11 DF Sales (in millions): 7.0 US, 0.1 UK, 7.50 world (includes US + UK) Genre: country

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to charts. Traveller (4/27/15, 87 BB, 17 CW, 7x platinum) Fire Away (25 CW) Tennessee Whiskey (11/21/15, 20 BB, 12 CW, 39 CN, sales: 14 million) Parachute (12/10/16, 78 BB, 31 CW, platinum single) Whiskey and You (35 CW) Nobody to Blame (11/9/15, 68 BB, 10a CW, 83 CN, platinum single) More of You When the Stars Come Out Daddy Doesn’t Pray Anymore Might As Well Get Stoned (44 CW) Was It 26 The Devil Named Music Outlaw State of Mind (45 CW) Sometimes I Cry Total Running Time: 63:04

Rating: 4.261 out of 5.00 (average of 24 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

First a Songwriter Chris Stapleton was born in Kentucky in 1978. He moved to Nashville in 1996 to study engineering at Vanderbilt University, but dropped out to pursue a music career. He signed a writing and publishing contract with Sea Gayle Music and found success as a songwriter writing #1 country hits for Luke Bryan (“Drin a Beer”), Kenny Chesney (“Never Wanted Nothing More”), George Strait (“Love’s Gonna Make It Alright”), and Josh Turner (“Your Man”). He also written for or with Adele, Dierks Bentley, Kelly Clarkson, Sheryl Crow, Peter Frampton, Vince Gill, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Ed Sheeran, and Taylor Swift. Then a Performer Even as he wrote for others, however, he fronted a bluegrass band, the Steeldrivers, and a rock band, the Jompson Brothers. PM’19 It meant that his eventual debut solo album, Traveller, “felt like a long time coming for most Nashville industry insiders, who had known Stapleton for years as the unsung hero behind many of radio’s biggest hits.” PM’19 Still, no one was prepared for how successful he would be. The “big-bearded singer-songwriter” PM’19 helped “critical acclaim meet mainstream notoriety in a way that can’t help but raise the bar for years to come.” PM’19 AmericanaHighways.org’s Andrew Gulden called Stapleton “a once-in-a-generation voice.” AH “Traveller is about as far out of the Music Row machine as mainstream artists get: no beer/pickup/roadhouse machismo, because Stapleton’s focus is closer to the bone.” TZ He was celebrated as a return to old-school country, with a sound that was “something rougher and rowdier” AM than the more mainstream country hits he’d written – “an Eric Church without a metallic fixation or a Sturgill Simpson stripped of arty psychedelic affectations. Something closer to a Jamey Johnston, in other words, but where Johnston often seems weighed down by the mantle of a latter-day outlaw, Stapleton is rather lithe as he slides between all manners of southern styles.” AM Cross-Genre Artist Traveller finds Stapleton “casually switching gears between bluegrass waltz, Southern rockers, crunching blues, soulful slow-burners, and swaggering outlaw anthems – every one of them belonging to a tradition, but none sounding musty due to Stapleton’s casualness. Never once does he belabor his range, nor does he emphasize the sharply sculpted songs. Everything flows naturally, and that ease is so alluring upon the first spin of Traveller that it’s not until repeated visits that the depth of the album becomes apparent.” AM His embracement of old country was celebrated come awards season. He won the Grammy for Country Album and took home Album of the Year prizes from the Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association. It makes Traveller “a shoo-in recommendation for the newcomer to country” PM’19 but he’s also an excellent beginning point for those interested in Americana because of his ability to blend genres. Traveller spent 130 weeks atop the Billboard Americana chart, more than twice as long as the next biggest album, Mumford & Sons’ Sigh No More (61 weeks). The Songs “As the rare songwriter-for-hire who also has considerable performance chops, Stapleton is sensitive to the needs of an individual song.” AM This “is evident when he’s covering Tennessee Whiskey – a Dean Dillon & Linda Hargrove tune popularized by George Jones and David Allan Coe in the early ‘80s – lending the composition a welcome smolder.” AM The song proved a monstrous success, topping the country chart and amassing 14 million in sales. That song and Sometimes I Cry also “take advantage of his startling R&B chops.” TZ That ability to seamlessly blend genres earned him a reputation as “one of the best pure singers to emerge from country in many a moon.” TZ Stapleton also “brings the chapped vulnerability of Willie Nelson’s and Merle Haggard’s halcyon work to the stripped-down present in songs like Whiskey and You and Daddy Doesn’t Pray Anymore.” TZ Even when he’s partying on Might As Well Get Stoned, he can’t get his mind off who’s not with him – and it’s not who you’d expect.” TZ

Reviews: AM AllMusic.com review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine AH AmericanaHighways.org (9/13/2024). “Top 25 Albums for AMA’s 25th Anniversary Year” by Andrew Gulden PM’19 Paste (10/19/2019). “The 30 Best Country Albums of the 2010s” TZ Treblezine.com (3/10/2016). “10 Essential 21st Century Country Albums” WK Wikipedia Related DMDB Links: First posted 8/1/2021; last updated 11/5/2025.

100 years ago: “They Didn’t Believe Me” hit #1

They Didn’t Believe Me Harry MacDonough with Olive Kline (as Alice Green)

Writer(s): Herbert Reynolds, Jerome Kern (see lyrics here) First Charted: November 13, 1915 Peak: 17 US (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): 2.0 (sheet music) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, -- streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Jerome Kern, best known for the landmark musical Show Boat, was “one of the most important pioneering composers of American Popular Song.” PS Born in New York City in 1885, Kern was the son of an upper-middle class family. He got a Master of Music degree at Germany’s Heidleberg University and started writing for Broadway shows by the time he was 19. PS Over the next eight years, he wrote about 100 songs for roughly thirty Broadway musicals and wrote three full, unsuccessful musical scores. SS His style integrated “vaudeville, minstrel songs, ragtime and ‘coon’ songs” LW “into Broadway theatre songs, something new and intrinsicially American.” LW He hit paydirt in 1914 with The Girl from Utah after several failed stage productions. He wrote eight songs for the adaptation of an English opera, one of which was “They Didn’t Believe Me.” It was Kern’s first hit song and “may well be his best,” PS marking his “graduation to the status of major composer from that of a ‘mere’ pop tunesmith.” SS “The song is held to be the earliest on the cannon of showtunes, or standards, which have become to be known as ‘American Popular Song.’” LW David Ewen said this song “stands out with beacon-like brilliance. Kern no longer submitted meekly to the song conventions of the day, but bent them to his own creative needs.” SS The song is “a model for the “thirty-two bar Tin Pan Alley ballad that became standard for the time. While not exactly slangy it is written in a conversational tone, [such as] ‘And I’m cert’nly goin’ to tell them;’ it is almost spoken yet remains sung.” RCG Michael Rourke wrote the lyrics for “They Didn’t Believe Me.” He was born in England and moved to the United States to become a press agaent. Around the start of World War I, he changed his name to Herbert Reynolds for unknown reasons. He had provided lyrics to a dozen or so of Kern’s earlier songs under his original name. This was written under his new name and “the words work perfectly with Kern’s melody, which feels tender, and natural, and still sounds fresh today.” LW The song became a #1 song in 1915 in the hands of Harry MacDonough and Olive Kline. In 1916, Grace Kerns & Reed Miller took it to #8 and Walter Van Brunt & Gladys Rice reached #9. Morton Downey had a #15 hit with it in 1934. PM Dinah Shore sang it in the 1946 Kern biopic Till the Clouds Roll By and Mario Lanza and Kathryn Grayson tackled it in the 1949 movie, That Midnight Kiss. PS Bing Crosby, Tommy Dorsey, Johnny Mercer, and Barbra Streisand were among the others who recorded the song. RCG Resources: LW Alan Lewens (2001). Popular Song – Soundtrack of the Century. Billboard Books: New York, NY. Pages 36-7. PS ParlorSongs.com Lessons in America’s Popular Music History RCG RimChiGuy.com The Old Songs (1900-1929) SS Steve Sullivan (2013). Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings (Volumes I & II). Scarecrow Press: Lanham, Maryland. Page 353. PM Joel Whitburn (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Menomonee Falls, WI; Record Research, Inc. Page 594. Related Links: First posted 11/20/2014; last updated 11/23/2022.

Rod Couch: The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era, 1955-2015

Rod Couch: Top 500 Songs

These are the top 500 songs of the rock era as determined by Rod Couch. He worked at top 40 radio station KFXD from 1976 to 1986. While there, he debuted his first version of “The Top 500 Songs” over Memorial Day in 1979. He developed a mathematical formula to rank songs from different genres and time periods in 1999 and updated it over the years, eventually publishing the list in 2015 as the book The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era: 1955-2015. Check out the Spotify playlist of these songs here.. Click here to see other lists from critics and individuals and here to see other lists from publications and/or organizations. Whitney Houston “I Will Always Love You” (1992) Elvis Presley “Heartbreak Hotel” (1956) The Beatles “Hey Jude” (1968) Simon & Garfunkel “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (1970) The Rolling Stones “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (1965) The Beatles “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963) Elvis Presley “Don’t Be Cruel” (1956) The Beatles “Yesterday” (1965) The Fifth Dimension “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” (1969) Simon & Garfunkel “The Sound of Silence” (aka “The Sounds of Silence”) (1965) Don McLean “American Pie” (1971) Elvis Presley “Hound Dog” (1956) Elvis Presley “Jailhouse Rock” (1957) Simon & Garfunkel “Mrs. Robinson” (1968) Eagles “Hotel California” (1976) The Police “Every Breath You Take” (1983) The Doors “Light My Fire” (1967) The Beatles “Let It Be” (1970) Led Zeppelin “Stairway to Heaven” (1971) Carpenters “They Long to Be Close to You” (1970) Elvis Presley “It’s Now or Never” (1960) The Beatles “Can’t Buy Me Love” (1964) Santana with Rob Thomas “Smooth” (1999) Mariah Carey “Hero” (1993) John Lennon “Imagine” (1971) Harry Nilsson “Without You” (1971) The Association “Cherish” (1966) Bobby Darin “Mack the Knife” (1959) The Beatles “Something” (1969) The Animals “The House of the Rising Sun” (1964) Bee Gees “How Deep Is Your Love” (1977) Elvis Presley “All Shook Up” (1957) Michael Jackson “Billie Jean” (1982) Kenny Rogers “Lady” (1980) The Beatles with Billy Preston “Get Back” (1969) Elvis Presley “Love Me Tender” (1956) Queen “Another One Bites the Dust” (1980) Bill Haley & His Comets “We’re Gonna Rock Around the Clock” (1954) The Moody Blues “Nights in White Satin” (1967) Elvis Presley “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” (1960) The Beatles “She Loves You” (1963) Mariah Carey with Boyz II Men “One Sweet Day” (1995) Three Dog Night “Joy to the World” (1970) Roberta Flack “Killing Me Softly with His Song” (1973) Harry Chapin “Cat’s in the Cradle” (1974) Shania Twain “You’re Still the One” (1997) Boyz II Men “I’ll Make Love to You” (1994) Elton John “Crocodile Rock” (1972) Mariah Carey “Dreamlover” (1993) Lionel Richie & Diana Ross “Endless Love” (1981) The Righteous Brothers “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964) The Rolling Stones “Honky Tonk Women” (1969) Elton John “Daniel” (1973) Bee Gees “Stayin’ Alive” (1977) Elvis Presley “Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear” (1957) Queen “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” (1979) All-4-One “I Swear” (1994) Barbra Streisand “Evergreen (Love Theme from ‘A Star Is Born’)” (1976) The Beatles “The Long and Winding Road” (1970) The Beatles “Penny Lane” (1967) Boyz II Men “End of the Road” (1992) The Young Rascals “Groovin’” (1967) Bobbie Gentry “Ode to Billie Joe” (1967) Elton John “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” (1973) The Beatles “I Feel Fine” (1964) Elton John “Your Song” (1970) Carole King “It’s Too Late” (1971) The Turtles “Happy Together” (1967) Survivor “Eye of the Tiger” (1982) Otis Redding “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay” (1968) The Monkees “I’m a Believer” (1966) Elton John & Kiki Dee “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” (1976) George Harrison “My Sweet Lord” (1970) The Beatles “Come Together” (1969) Lulu “To Sir with Love” (1967) The Beatles “Hello Goodbye” (1967) The Everly Brothers “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (1958) Tina Turner “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” (1984) Bee Gees “Night Fever” (1977) Ace of Base “The Sign” (1993) Fleetwood Mac “Dreams” (1977) Chubby Checker “The Twist” (1960) Michael Jackson “Beat It” (1982) Elton John “Bennie and the Jets” (1973) Gilbert O’Sullivan “Alone Again (Naturally)” (1972) B.J. Thomas “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” (1969) The Beatles “We Can Work It Out ” (1965) Eagles “One of These Nights” (1975) Roberta Flack “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” (1969) Celine Dion “The Power of Love” (1993) Paul Mauriat “Love Is Blue (L’Amour Est Bleu)” (1967) The Beach Boys “Good Vibrations” (1966) Rod Stewart “Maggie May” (1971) The Box Tops “The Letter” (1967) Ray Charles “I Can’t Stop Loving You” (1962) Bryan Adams “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” (1991) Roy Orbison “(Oh) Pretty Woman” (1964) Eagles “Lyin’ Eyes” (1975) The Beatles “Help!” (1965) Billy Joel “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” (1980) Lionel Richie “Hello” (1983) Eagles “New Kid in Town” (1976) The Beatles “A Hard Day’s Night” (1964) Debby Boone “You Light Up My Life” (1977) Eagles “Best of My Love” (1974) The Beatles “Ticket to Ride” (1965) The Shocking Blue “Venus” (1969) Nickelback “How You Remind Me” (2001) America “A Horse with No Name” (1971) TLC “Waterfalls” (1994) Santana “Black Magic Woman” (1970) Joan Jett & the Blackhearts “I Love Rock and Roll” (1981) Elton John “Philadelphia Freedom” (1975) Journey “Open Arms” (1981) Michael Jackson “Rock with You” (1979) Madonna “Like a Virgin” (1984) Seal “Kiss from a Rose” (1994) Commodores “Three Times a Lady” (1978) Four Tops “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” (1965) Pink Floyd “Another Brick in the Wall Part II” (1979) The Knack “My Sharona” (1979) The Beatles “All You Need Is Love” (1967) Michael Jackson “Black or White” (1991) Mariah Carey “We Belong Together” (2005) Kim Carnes “Bette Davis Eyes” (1981) The Byrds “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)” (1965) The Rascals “People Got to Be Free” (1968) The Rolling Stones “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” (1968) The Beatles “Eight Days a Week” (1964) Marvin Gaye “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968) Billy Joel “Just the Way You Are” (1977) Elton John “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” (1974) The Association “Never My Love” (1967) Zager & Evans “In the Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus)” (1969) Marvin Gaye “What’s Going On” (1971) Gerry Rafferty “Baker Street” (1978) Simon & Garfunkel “The Boxer” (1969) Elvis Presley “Suspicious Minds” (1969) Fleetwood Mac “Don’t Stop” (1977) The Supremes “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” (1966) Foreigner “Waiting for a Girl Like You” (1981) Mariah Carey “Fantasy” (1995) Bee Gees “Too Much Heaven” (1978) Whitney Houston “Greatest Love of All” (1985) Sly & the Family Stone “Everyday People” (1968) Buffalo Springfield “For What It’s Worth” (1967) Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder “Ebony and Ivory” (1982) The Monkees “Daydream Believer” (1967) Michael Jackson “Thriller” (1982) Natalie Imbruglia “Torn” (1997) Neil Young “Heart of Gold” (1972) Bee Gees “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” (1971) Celine Dion “Because You Loved Me” (1996) Percy Sledge “When a Man Loves a Woman” (1966) Blondie “Call Me” (1980) Barbra Streisand “The Way We Were” (1973) Dire Straits “Money for Nothing” (1985) Irene Cara “Flashdance...What a Feelin’” (1983) The Beatles “Paperback Writer” (1966) No Doubt “Don’t Speak” (1995) Ace of Base “All That She Wants” (1993) Stevie Wonder “Sir Duke” (1976) Billy Joel “My Life” (1978) Creedence Clearwater Revival “Proud Mary” (1969) Queen “We Will Rock You” / “We Are the Champions” (1977) James Taylor “Fire and Rain” (1970) Carpenters “We’ve Only Just Begun” (1970) Andy Gibb “I Just Want to Be Your Everything” (1977) Tommy James & the Shondells “Crystal Blue Persuasion” (1969) Paul & Linda McCartney “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” (1971) Toni Braxton “Un-Break My Heart” (1996) The Jackson 5 “I’ll Be There” (1970) Boyz II Men “On Bended Knee” (1994) The Association “Windy” (1967) Eric Clapton “Tears in Heaven” (1992) Bette Midler “Wind Beneath My Wings (aka ‘Hero’)” (1989) Olivia Newton-John “I Honestly Love You” (1974) Alannah Myles “Black Velvet” (1989) Whitney Houston “I Wanna Dance with Somebody Who Loves Me” (1987) The Everly Brothers “Cathy’s Clown” (1960) Eagles “Heartache Tonight” (1979) Billy Joel “Tell Her about It” (1983) Fleetwood Mac “You Make Loving Fun” (1977) The Beatles “And I Love Her” (1964) The Rolling Stones “Get Off of My Cloud” (1965) Toni Braxton “Breathe Again” (1993) Janet Jackson “That’s the Way Love Goes” (1993) Whitney Houston “How Will I Know” (1985) Bette Midler “The Rose” (1979) Elton John “Candle in the Wind 1997 (Goodbye England’s Rose)” (1997) Mariah Carey “Vision of Love” (1990) Celine Dion “My Heart Will Go On” (1997) Lionel Richie “All Night Long (All Night)” (1983) Brandy & Monica “The Boy Is Mine” (1998) Vicki Lawrence “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” (1973) Tony Orlando & Dawn “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” (1973) Neil Diamond & Barbra Streisand “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” (1978) Bobby Goldsboro “Honey” (1968) The Mamas & the Papas “Monday Monday” (1966) Billy Joel “Uptown Girl” (1983) Prince “When Doves Cry” (1984) The Righteous Brothers “Unchained Melody” (1965) Percy Faith “Theme from A Summer Place” (1960) Del Shannon “Runaway” (1961) Eagles “Take It Easy” (1972) The Beach Boys “California Girls” (1965) Bill Withers “Lean on Me” (1972) Foreigner “I Want to Know What Love Is” (1984) Petula Clark “Downtown” (1964) Elvis Presley “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (1961) Barbra Streisand “Woman in Love” (1980) The Supremes “You Can’t Hurry Love” (1966) Van Morrison “Brown-Eyed Girl” (1967) Abba “Dancing Queen” (1976) Aretha Franklin “Respect” (1967) Gloria Gaynor “I Will Survive” (1978) Van Halen “Jump” (1983) Kenny Rogers “Coward of the County” (1979) Shania Twain & Bryan White “From This Moment On” (1997) Linda Ronstadt “Blue Bayou” (1977) The Supremes “Where Did Our Love Go” (1964) Alicia Keys “Fallin’” (2001) The Drifters “Save the Last Dance for Me” (1960) Charlie Rich “The Most Beautiful Girl” (1973) Frank Sinatra “Strangers in the Night” (1966) Willie Nelson “Always on My Mind” (1982) Tears for Fears “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” (1985) Elvis Presley “Return to Sender” (1962) The Archies “Sugar, Sugar” (1969) The Beatles “Lady Madonna” (1968) Queen “Bohemian Rhapsody” (1975) Janet Jackson “Again” (1993) Simon & Garfunkel “Scarborough Fair/Canticle” (1966) Whitney Houston “I Have Nothing” (1992) Rod Stewart “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)” (1976) Jim Croce “Bad Bad Leroy Brown” (1973) Faith Hill “Breathe” (1999) Steve Winwood “Higher Love” (1986) England Dan & John Ford Coley “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight” (1976) Jimmy Dean “Big Bad John” (1961) Michael Jackson “Man in the Mirror” (1987) Exile “Kiss You All Over” (1978) Men at Work “Down Under” (1981) Sam Cooke “You Send Me” (1957) Phil Collins “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” (1984) Bonnie Tyler “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (1983) Andy Gibb “Shadow Dancing” (1978) Boston “More Than a Feeling” (1976) Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton “Islands in the Stream” (1983) Santana with the Product G&B “Maria Maria” (1999) Savage Garden “Truly Madly Deeply” (1997) Mariah Carey “Love Takes Time” (1990) Chic “Le Freak” (1978) Ray Charles “Georgia on My Mind” (1960) Bon Jovi “Livin’ on a Prayer” (1986) The Supremes “Someday We’ll Be Together” (1969) Olivia Newton-John “Have You Never Been Mellow” (1975) The Beach Boys “I Get Around” (1964) USA for Africa “We Are the World” (1985) John Lennon “Woman” (1981) Stevie Wonder “I Just Called to Say I Love You” (1984) The Police “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” (1981) John Denver “Sunshine on My Shoulders” (1971) The Beatles “Eleanor Rigby” (1966) Vanessa Williams “Save the Best for Last” (1992) Elvis Presley “Stuck on You” (1960) John Denver “Annie’s Song” (1974) Meat Loaf “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” (1993) Los Del Rio “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)” (1995) The Beatles “Twist and Shout” (1963) The Righteous Brothers “You’re My Soul and Inspiration” (1966) Peaches & Herb “Reunited” (1979) Chicago “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” (1982) Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta “You’re the One That I Want” (1978) Eagles “Take It to the Limit” (1975) Janis Joplin “Me and Bobby McGee” (1971) Elton John “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” (1994) Elvis Presley “In the Ghetto” (1969) George Michael “Father Figure” (1987) The Fifth Dimension “The Wedding Bell Blues” (1969) Barry Manilow “Mandy” (1974) Simon & Garfunkel “Homeward Bound” (1966) Marty Robbins “El Paso” (1959) Love Unlimited Orchestra “Love’s Theme” (1973) Journey “Don’t Stop Believin’” 1981) Olivia Newton-John “Physical” (1981) Blood, Sweat & Tears “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” (1969) The Supremes “Stop! In the Name of Love” (1965) Fleetwood Mac “Go Your Own Way” (1976) Michael Jackson & Siedah Garrett “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” (1987) Captain & Tennille “Love Will Keep Us Together” (1975) The Rolling Stones “Ruby Tuesday” (1967) Air Supply “All Out of Love” (1980) Paul McCartney & Wings “Live and Let Die” (1973) Coolio with L.V. “Gangsta’s Paradise” (1995) George Michael “Careless Whisper” (1984) Rod Stewart “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” (1978) Paula Abdul “Rush Rush” (1991) The Jackson 5 “ABC” (1970) Leo Sayer “When I Need You” (1977) Daryl Hall & John Oates “Maneater” (1982) Madonna “Papa Don’t Preach” (1986) Daryl Hall & John Oates “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” (1981) Harry Nilsson “Everybody’s Talkin’” (1968) The Supremes “Baby Love” (1964) The Beatles “Love Me Do” (1962) Ben E. King “Stand by Me” (1961) Dionne & Friends “That's What Friends Are For” (1985) The Tokens “The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh)” (1961) Bellamy Brothers “Let Your Love Flow” (1976) Sheryl Crow “All I Wanna Do” (1993) Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass “This Guy’s in Love with You” (1968) James Taylor “You’ve Got a Friend” (1971) Adele “Rolling in the Deep” (2010) Shai “If I Ever Fall in Love” (1992) The Rolling Stones “Brown Sugar” (1971) Marvin Gaye “Let’s Get It On” (1973) Frankie Valli “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” (1967) The Supremes “Love Child” (1968) Simon & Garfunkel “Cecilia” (1970) Tony Orlando & Dawn “Knock Three Times” (1970) Madonna “Crazy for You” (1985) The Zombies “Time of the Season” (1968) Player “Baby Come Back” (1977) Hugo Winterhalter with Eddie Heywood “Canadian Sunset” (1956) The Young Rascals “Good Lovin’” (1966) The Youngbloods “Get Together” (1967) Savage Garden “I Knew I Loved You” (1999) Jewel “You Were Meant for Me” (1995) Diana Ross “Upside Down” (1980) The Temptations “Just My Imagination Running Away with Me” (1971) Diana Ross “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (1970) Barry Manilow “Can’t Smile without You” (1978) Mac Davis “Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me” (1972) Olivia Newton-John “Magic” (1980) Creedence Clearwater Revival “Bad Moon Rising” (1969) Kansas “Dust in the Wind” (1978) Guns N’ Roses “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (1987) Phil Collins “Another Day in Paradise” (1989) Juice Newton “Angel of the Morning” (1981) The Rolling Stones “Paint It Black” (1966) Tommy James & the Shondells “Crimson and Clover” (1968) Stevie Wonder “Superstition” (1972) Danny & The Juniors “At the Hop” (1957) Cher “Believe” (1998) Barry Manilow “Looks Like We Made It” (1976) Guy Mitchell “Singing the Blues” (1956) The Cascades “Rhythm of the Rain” (1963) Chicago “You’re the Inspiration” (1984) Madonna “Take a Bow” (1994) Lynn Anderson “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden” (1970) The Emotions “Best of My Love” (1977) Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle “A Whole New World” (1992) Donna Summer “Hot Stuff” (1979) REO Speedwagon “Can’t Fight This Feeling” (1984) Sonny & Cher “I Got You Babe” (1965) John Cougar Mellencamp “Jack and Diane” (1982) Al Green “Let’s Stay Together” (1971) Glen Campbell “Southern Nights” (1977) Barry Manilow “I Write the Songs” (1975) Olivia Newton-John “Hopelessly Devoted to You” (1978) Stevie Wonder “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” (1972) Michael Jackson “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” (1979) The Temptations “My Girl” (1964) Paul McCartney & Wings “Band on the Run” (1974) George McCrae “Rock Your Baby” (1974) Yvonne Elliman “If I Can’t Have You” (1977) The Beach Boys “Help Me Rhonda” (1965) Gladys Knight & the Pips “Midnight Train to Georgia” (1973) Charlie Daniels Band “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” (1979) Elvis Presley “Surrender” (1961) Kenny Rogers “Lucille” (1977) Eagles “I Can’t Tell You Why” (1980) Carly Simon “Nobody Does It Better” (1977) Elton John “Island Girl” (1975) Creedence Clearwater Revival “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” (1970) Brenda Lee “I’m Sorry” (1960) Elton John “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues” (1983) Samantha Sang “Emotion” (1977) Usher with Lil’ Jon & Ludacris “Yeah!” (2004) Carpenters “Superstar” (1971) Jim Croce “Time in a Bottle” (1972) Carpenters “For All We Know” (1971) Whitney Houston “I’m Every Woman” (1992) Cyndi Lauper “Time After Time” (1983) The Rooftop Singes “Walk Right In” (1962) Deniece Williams “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” (1984) The Beatles “Nowhere Man” (1966) Bryan Adams with Rod Stewart & Sting “All for Love” (1993) Bobby Hebb “Sunny” (1966) The Fifth Dimension “Up, Up and Away” (1967) Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway “The Closer I Get to You” (1978) Usher “Burn” (2004) REO Speedwagon “Keep on Loving You” (1980) Red Hot Chili Peppers “Under the Bridge” (1992) Alicia Keys “No One” (2007) Kenny Roges & Kim Carnes “Don’t Fall in Love with a Dreamer” (1980) Cher “Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves” (1971) Phil Collins “One More Night” (1985) John Waite “Missing You” (1984) James Taylor “Handy Man” (1977) Adele “Someone Like You” (2011) Usher with Alicia Keys “My Boo” (2004) Air Supply “Lost in Love” (1980) Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes “Up Where We Belong” (1982) The Kinks “You Really Got Me” (1964) Eagles “Witchy Woman” (1972) Lynyrd Skynyrd “Free Bird” (1973) Four Tops “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” (1966) Paul McCartney & Wings “Silly Love Songs” (1976) Aha “Take on Me” (1984) Elton John “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” (1974) Madonna “Material Girl” (1984) Christopher Cross “Sailing” (1979) TLC “Creep” (1994) Johnny Nash “I Can See Clearly Now” (1972) The Everly Brothers “Wake Up Little Susie” (1957) Kenny Rogers “You Decorated My Life” (1979) Carly Simon “You’re So Vain” (1972) Stevie Wonder “My Cherie Amour” (1969) Tab Hunter “Young Love” (1956) Paul McCartney & Wings “My Love” (1973) Commodores “Still” (1979) Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band “Night Moves” (1976) The Beatles “A Day in the Life” (1967) Tommy Roe “Dizzy” (1969) Bruce Springsteen “Dancing in the Dark” (1984) Mike + the Mechanics “The Living Years” (1988) Journey “Who’s Crying Now” (1981) Styx “Babe” (1979) Kenny Rogers “She Believes in Me” (1979) Free “All Right Now” (1970) The Beatles “Please Please Me” (1963) Billy Joel “Piano Man” (1973) Kenny Loggins “Footloose” (1984) Neil Diamond “Song Sung Blue” (1972) The Lovin’ Spoonful “Summer in the City” (1966) The Doors “Hello I Love You” (1968) The Everly Brothers “Bye Bye Love” (1957) Dan Fogelberg “Longer” (1980) The Doobie Brothers “What a Fool Believes” (1978) The Temptations “I Can’t Get Next to You” (1969) The Four Seasons “Big Girls Don’t Cry” (1962) George Michael “One More Try” (1987) Paul Revere & the Raiders “Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian)” (1971) The Diamonds “Little Darlin’” (1957) Grand Funk Railroad “The Loco-Motion” (1974) Dan Hill “Sometimes When We Touch” (1977) Steve Miller Band “The Joker” (1973) Steam “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” (1969) Roxette “It Must Have Been Love” (1990) The Beach Boys “Kokomo” (1988) Terry Jacks “Seasons in the Sun” (1974) Roxette “Listen to Your Heart” (1988) Creedence Clearwater Revival “Down on the Corner” (1969) Elvis Presley “Crying in the Chapel” (1960) Sly & the Family Stone “Family Affair” (1971) Aretha Franklin “Spanish Harlem” (1971) Mariah Carey “Can’t Let Go” (1991) Christopher Cross “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” (1981) Linda Ronstadt “You’re No Good” (1974) John Cougar Mellencamp “Hurts So Good” (1982) Classics IV “Traces” (1969) The Supremes “Back in My Arms Again” (1965) Lionel Richie “Truly” (1982) Chicago “Saturday in the Park” (1972) Madonna “Like a Prayer” (1989) U2 “With Or Without You” (1987) Kool & The Gang “Celebration” (1980) Tears for Fears “Shout” (1984) Bruce Channel “Hey! Baby” (1962) Paul Simon “Kodachrome” (1973) Mariah Carey “Someday” (1990) The Platters “My Prayer (Avant de Mourir)” (1956) Backstreet Boys “Quit Playing Games with My Heart” (1997) Dolly Parton “9 to 5” (1980) Diana Ross “Do You Know Where You’re Going To (Theme from Mahogany)” (1975) Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories “Stay (I Missed You)” (1994) Steve Miller Band “Rock N’ Me” (1976) Eddie Rabbitt “I Love a Rainy Night” (1980) Billy Ocean “Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)” (1984) Donovan “Sunshine Superman” (1966) George Michael “Faith” (1987) Phil Collins “A Groovy Kind of Love” (1988) Little River Band “Reminiscing” (1978) Mary Wells “My Guy” (1964) Chicago “Just You ‘N Me” () Frankie Valli “My Eyes Adored You” (1974) Glen Campbell “Rhinestone Cowboy” (1975) Bobby Vinton “Blue Velvet” (1963) Three Dog Night “Shambala” (1973) The Platters “Twilight Time” (1958) Lionel Richie “Stuck on You” (1983) Prince & the Revolution “Let’s Go Crazy” (1984) The Platters “Only You (And You Alone)” (1955) Chicago “If You Leave Me Now” (1976) The Doobie Brothers “Black Water” (1974) Eric Clapton “Lay Down Sally” (1977) The Beatles “Revolution” (1968) Bobby Lewis “Tossin’ and Turnin’” (1961) Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: lists from critics and individuals Dave’s Music Database: lists from publications and/or organizations Rod Couch (11/18/2015). The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era: 1955-2015 First posted 1/8/2024; last updated 1/17/2024.

Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” debuts at #2

Sorry Justin Bieber

Writer(s): Justin Bieber, Julia Michaels, Justin Tranter, Sonny Moore, Michael Tucker (see lyrics here) Released: October 23, 2015 First Charted: October 25, 2015 Peak: 13 US, 13 RR, 12 BA, 11 DG, 18 ST, 11 AC, 3 A40, 34a RB, 11 UK, 17 CN, 2 AU (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 11.0 US, 2.4 UK, 14.45 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 3614.1 video, 1834.5 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: “Sorry” was the second single from Justin Bieber’s album Purpose. Like its predecessor, “What Do You Mean?,” it topped the Billboard Hot 100, but it had to wait awhile. It debuted at #2 on the 11/14/2015 chart – behind Adele’s “Hello.” It spent eight non-consecutive weeks at #2 before finally dethroning Adele. WK The song would ultimately top the chart in thirteen countries. WK The dance-pop song featured a “smooth but electrifying EDM beat incorporating brassy horn bleats, a reggaeton rhythm, [and] warm island rhythms.” WK Bieber enlisted Skrillex to produce songs for his album after working with him on top-ten hit “Where Are Ü Now.” Bieber said, “Skrillex is a genius. He’s super futuristic and I just love his sounds. I think being able to incorporate that sound with what I’m doing has been super cool because …I feel like no one’s done it before.” WK Michael Tucker, aka BloodPop, crafted the melody with Bieber in Mind and songwriters Justin Traner and Julia Michaels helped on the lyrics. WK The idea grew out of a personal event Michaels had. WK She said the idea was to “capture that moment in a relationship…where you realize you made a mistake and you’re finally read to admit and apologize.” WK In Bieber’s hands, he wasn’t just asking a lover for a second chance, but the public as well. He called the song “the end-all of apologies that I’m giving to people, to the media” SF for “a run of boorish behavior that included reckless driving, public urination, and even an incident involving a black market monkey.” SF He later recanted that comment, saying, “It really had nothing to do with that…It was about a girl.” SF At first, Bieber considered the song “too safe and simple,” but came to love the song and “changed a couple things to make it feel like him” WKWK Of the final results, BloodPop said “Justin’s vocal delivery and the triumphant key of the song gave the narrative a warm color…The beat is…exciting and fun.” WK Time’s Nolan Feeney said, “with a beat this breezy…that’s nothing to be sorry about.” WK Spin’s Brennan Carley called “Sorry” “a subdued step forward for the Biebs” WK and USA Today’s Maeve McDermott said it was “just as much of an earworm as his previous single ‘What Do You Mean?’” WK AllMusic’s Andy Kellman praised both songs as showing Bieber “makinga deeper connection with his material and that…he was progressing from performer to artist.” WK Pitchfork’s Brad Nelson called them “his best performances to date.” WK Resources: SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: Last updated 7/21/2023.