Showing posts with label George Michael. Show all posts
Showing posts with label George Michael. Show all posts

Sunday, September 1, 2024

Pop: Top 100 Albums

Pop:

The Top 100 Albums

There are no inarguable terms to define rock music – or R&B, or country, or dance, or any other genre. Perhaps the most baffling, though, is pop music. Why? Because it’s an amalgam of all other genres. Just take a glance at the top ten on this list. Michael Jackson shows up with a couple of R&B/dance-oriented albums. Fleetwood Mac makes an appearance with classic rock. The Bee Gees and others give us their spin on disco. Carole King shows why she reigned supreme at the forefront of the singer/songwriter movement of the ‘70s. Alanis Morissette serves up a slice the kind of alternative rock which became mainstream in the ‘90s while Adele gives us a dose of blue-eyed British soul.

A strong effort was made to focus on albums that generated multiple pop hits, did well on the album chart, and were big sellers. While albums like the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, and Led Zeppelin’s Led Zeppelin IV are monster sellers, they only generated a mere three top-40 hits between them.

Welcome to the world of pop music. All the different ingredients described above have been factored in – as well as an aggregate of a handful of lists focused on the best pop albums of all time (see sources at bottom of page) – to create the list you have before you. Hopefully there’s something here to fit your tastes. After all, pop is the great equalizer. It can bring disparate groups together because of a shared love of a particular album. Without further ado, here’s the top 100 pop albums of all time, as determined by Dave’s Music Database.

Check out other best-of-genre/category lists here.

1. Michael Jackson Thriller (1982)
2. Various artists (Bee Gees et al) Saturday Night Fever (soundtrack, 1977)
3. George Michael Faith (1987)
4. Fleetwood Mac Rumours (1977)
5. Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)
6. Michael Jackson Bad (1987)
7. Whitney Houston Whitney Houston (1985)
8. Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989)
9. Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
10. Prince & the Revolution Purple Rain (1984)

11. Adele 21 (2011)
12. Justin Timberlake FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006)
13. Shania Twain Come on Over (1997)
14. Taylor Swift 1989 (2014)
15. Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill (1995)
16. Various artists (Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta et al) Grease (1978)
17. Michael Jackson Dangerous (1991)
18. Madonna Like a Virgin (1984)
19. Michael Jackson Off the Wall (1979)
20. Def Leppard Hysteria (1987)

21. Phil Collins No Jacket Required (1985)
22. Janet Jackson Control (1986)
23. Taylor Swift Fearless (2008)
24. Lady Gaga The Fame (2008)
25. Various artists (Whitney Houston et al) The Bodyguard (soundtrack, 1992)
26. Madonna Like a Prayer (1989)
27. Usher Confessions (2004)
28. Janet Jackson janet. (1993)
29. Mariah Carey Daydream (1995)
30. Katy Perry Teenage Dream (2010)

31. Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (1990)
32. Boyz II Men II (1994)
33. Whitney Houston Whitney (1987)
34. Wham! Make It Big (1984)
35. Various artists Dirty Dancing (soundtrack, 1987)
36. Madonna True Blue (1986)
37. Black Eyed Peas The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies) (2009)
38. Carole King Tapestry (1971)
39. Lionel Richie Can’t Slow Down (1983)
40. The Police Synchronicity (1983)

41. Paula Abdul Forever Your Girl (1988)
42. Bruno Mars Unorthodox Jukebox (2012)
43. TLC Crazy Sexy Cool (1994)
44. The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
45. Beyoncé Dangerously in Love (2003)
46. New Kids on the Block Hangin’ Tough (1988)
47. Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)
48. Taylor Swift Red (2012)
49. Destiny’s Child Survivor (2001)
50. Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet (1986)

51. Ace of Base Happy Nation/The Sign (1993)
52. Bon Jovi New Jersey (1988)
53. Mariah Carey Music Box (1993)
54. Tina Turner Private Dancer (1984)
55. INXS Kick (1987)
56. Christina Aguilera Christina Aguilera (1999)
57. Phil Collins …But Seriously (1989)
58. Journey Escape (1981)
59. Kelly Clarkson Breakaway (2004)
60. Lady Gaga Born This Way (2011)
61. Spice Girls Spice (1996)
62. Bobby Brown Don’t Be Cruel (1988)
63. Celine Dion Falling into You (1996)
64. Rihanna Loud (2010)
65. Milli Vanilli Girl You Know It’s True (aka All or Nothing) (1989)
66. Billy Joel The Stranger (1977)
67. Tears for Fears Songs from the Big Chair (1985)
68. Huey Lewis & the News Sports (1983)
69. U2 The Joshua Tree (1987)
70. Fergie The Dutchess (2006)

71. Post Malone Hollywood’s Bleeding (2019)
72. Britney Spears …Baby One More Time (1999)
73. Cyndi Lauper She’s So Unusual (1983)
74. Backstreet Boys Millennium (1999)
75. Lionel Richie Dancing on the Ceiling (1986)
76. Lady Gaga The Fame Monster (2009)
77. Drake Scorpion (2018)
78. Ed Sheeran ÷ (Divide) (2017)
79. Genesis Invisible Touch (1986)
80. Hootie & the Blowfish Cracked Rear View (1994)

81. Wilson Phillips Wilson Phillips (1990)
82. Guns N’ Roses Appetite for Destruction (1987)
83. The Beatles Please Please Me (1963)
84. Huey Lewis & the News Fore! (1986)
85. Nickelback All the Right Reasons (2005)
86. T.I. Paper Trail (2008)
87. Bee Gees Spirits Having Flown (1979)
88. Rihanna Good Girl Gone Bad (2007)
89. The Beatles A Hard Day’s Night (1964) 90. Taylor Swift Midnights (2022)

91. Bruno Mars Doo Wops & Hooligans (2010)
92. Justin Bieber Purpose (2015)
93. Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life (1976)
94. The Weeknd Starboy (2016)
95. The Weeknd After Hours (2020)
96. Various Artists (Whitney Houston et al) Waiting to Exhale (soundtrack, 1995)
97. Billy Joel An Innocent Man (1983)
98. Foreigner 4 (1981)
99. The Beatles Help! (1965)
100. Ariana Grande Thank U, Next (2019)

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First posted 11/22/2020; last updated 9/1/2024.

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Sunday, May 5, 2024

U.S.A.’s Albums with Most Top Ten Hits

U.S.A. Albums:

Most Top Ten Hits

These are the albums with the most top-ten hits (five or more) on the Billboard Hot 100. They are ranked based on most top-ten hits with ties broken by the albums’ overall status in Dave’s Music Database.

Check out other album lists based on charts and sales.

10 Top Ten Hits

1) Taylor Swift Midnights (2022)
2) Taylor Swift The Tortured Poets Department (2024)

9 Top Ten Hits

3) Drake Certified Lover Boy (2021)

8 Top Ten Hits

4) Drake & 21 Savage Her Loss (2022)

7 Top Ten Hits

5) Michael Jackson Thriller (1982)
6) Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
7) Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989)
8) Drake For All the Dogs (2023)

6 Top Ten Hits

9) Michael Jackson Bad (1987)
10) George Michael Faith (1987)
11) Katy Perry Teenage Dream (2010)
12) Janet Jackson janet. (1993)
13) Morgan Wallen One Thing at a Time (2023)
14) Drake Scorpion (2018)
15) Juice Wrld Legends Never Die (2020)

5 Top Ten Hits

16) Taylor Swift 1989 (2014)
17) Lionel Richie Can’t Slow Down (1983)
18) Madonna True Blue (1986)
19) Whitney Houston Whitney (1987)
20) Post Malone Hollywood’s Bleeding (2019)

21) Janet Jackson Control (1986)
22) Various Artists Waiting to Exhale soundtrack (1995)
23) Bobby Brown Don’t Be Cruel (1988)
24) SZA SOS (2022)
25) Paula Abdul Forever Your Girl (1988)
26) Black Eyed Peas The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies) (2009)
27) Bon Jovi New Jersey (1988)
28) Genesis Invisible Touch (1986)
29) New Kids on the Block Hangin’ Tough (1988)
30) Milli Vanilli Girl You Know It’s True (aka All or Nothing) (1989)

31) Huey Lewis & the News Fore! (1986)
32) Fergie The Dutchess (2006)
33) J. Cole The Off Season (2021)

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First posted 5/5/2024.

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Friday, February 3, 2023

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2023 nominees

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:

2023 Nominees

On February 1, 2023, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced 14 nominees for the class of 2023. The Hall of Fame was established in 1983 and inducted its first class in 1986. The site says, “to be eligible for induction as an artist (as a performer, composer, or musician)…the artist must have released a record, in the generally accepted sense of that phrase, at least 25 years prior to the year of induction and have demonstrated unquestionable musical excellence.” Among considerations are the artist’s influence on other artists, length and depth of career, body of work, and innovation and superiority in style and technique.

The nominees are sent to more than 1000 music experts who then vote on who should be inducted. Reports differ on whether only those nominees on more than 50% of the ballots are inducted or if just the top vote getters (no set number) are inducted. Inductees will be decided in May and inducted in the fall.

Check out the Dave’s Music Database podcast Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2023 Nominees. Premiere: February 3, 2023. Check out new episodes every Tuesday at 7pm CST.

Fans can vote for their top 5 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The nominees are listed below based on how they ranked in fan voting as of the morning of February 2. Click on the act’s name to see its entry in the Dave’s Music Database encyclopedia. The numbers beside the act are the odds, according to Billboard magazine, of the act being inducted.

  1. Cyndi Lauper, 8:1 odds
  2. George Michael, 2:1 odds
  3. Willie Nelson, 3:2 odds
  4. Soundgarden, 3:1 odds
  5. Iron Maiden, 10:1 odds

  6. Rage Against the Machine, 4:1 odds
  7. Warren Zevon, 5:1 odds
  8. Sheryl Crow, 1:1 odds
  9. Joy Division/New Order, 10:1 odds

  10. The Spinners, 12:1 odds
  11. Kate Bush, 3:2 odds
  12. The White Stripes, 1:1 odds
  13. Missy Elliott, 3:1 odds
  14. A Tribe Called Quest, 5:1 odds

See current results of fan voting here.

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First posted 2/3/2023.
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Tuesday, December 31, 1996

Cashbox – Songs of the Year, 1950-1996

This list was created by taking Cash Box magazine’s top 100 song list (see here) and putting the songs in order by year and then by putting songs which hit #1 on Cash Box in order by number of weeks. In the event of ties, the song with more points in Dave’s Music Database was ranked higher.

  • 1950: The Third Man Theme…Anton Karas
  • 1951: It’s All in the Game…Tommy Edwards
  • 1952: Auf Wiederseh’n Sweetheart…Vera Lynn with the Ronald Shaw Orchestra
  • 1953: Where Is Your Heart (Song from “Moulin Rouge”)…Percy Faith with Felicia Sanders
  • 1954: Wanted…Perry Como with Hugo Winterhalter’s Orchestra
  • 1955: The Ballad of Davy Crockett…Bill Hayes
  • 1956: Singing the Blues…Guy Mitchell
  • 1957: All Shook Up…Elvis Presley
  • 1958: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes…The Platters
  • 1959: Mack the Knife…Bobby Darin

  • 1960: The Twist…Chubby Checker
  • 1961: Stand by Me…Ben E. King
  • 1962: Monster Mash…Bobby “Boris” Pickett & the Crypt-Kickers
  • 1963: I Want to Hold Your Hand…The Beatles
  • 1964: Hello, Dolly!...Louis Armstrong & the All-Stars
  • 1965: (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction…The Rolling Stones
  • 1966: I’m a Believer…The Monkees
  • 1967: Love Is Blue…Paul Mauriat
  • 1968: Hey Jude…The Beatles
  • 1969: Sugar, Sugar…The Archies

  • 1970: I’ll Be There…The Jackson 5
  • 1971: Joy to the World…Three Dog Night
  • 1972: Alone Again (Naturally)…Gilbert O’Sullivan
  • 1973: Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree…Tony Orlando & Dawn
  • 1974: I Honestly Love You…Olivia Newton-John
  • 1975: Bohemian Rhapsody…Queen
  • 1976: Mary MacGregor…Torn Between Two Lovers
  • 1977: You Light Up My Life…Debby Boone
  • 1978: Le Freak…Chic
  • 1979: My Sharona…The Knack

  • 1980: Another One Bites the Dust…Queen
  • 1981: Endless Love…Lionel Richie & Diana Ross
  • 1982: Abracadabra…Steve Miller Band
  • 1983: Flashdance…What a Feeling…Irene Cara
  • 1984: Like a Virgin…Madonna
  • 1985: Say You, Say Me…Lionel Richie
  • 1986: Livin’ on a Prayer…Bon Jovi
  • 1987: Faith…George Michael
  • 1988: Sweet Child O’ Mine…Guns N’ Roses
  • 1989: Another Day in Paradise…Phil Collins

  • 1990: Because I Love You (The Postman Song)…Stevie B
  • 1991: Everything I Do (I Do It for You)…Bryan Adams
  • 1992: End of the Road…Boyz II Men
  • 1993: Whoomp! There It Is…Tag Team
  • 1994: I’ll Make Love to You…Boyz II Men
  • 1995: Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)…Los Del Rio
  • 1996: I Love You Always Forever…Donna Lewis
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Saturday, January 16, 1988

George Michael spent 1st of 12 weeks at #1 with Faith

Faith

George Michael

Released: November 3, 1987

Peak: 112 US, 16 RB, 11 UK, 15 CN, 3 AU

Sales (in millions): 10.0 US, 1.2 UK, 25.0 world (includes US and UK)

Genre: pop

Tracks:

Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to charts.

  1. Faith (10/24/87) #1 US, #2 UK, #5 AC, sales: 0.5 m
  2. Father Figure (1/9/88) #1 US, #11 UK, #3 AC, #6 RB
  3. I Want Your Sex (6/6/87) #2 US, #3 UK, #43 RB, sales: 1.0 m
  4. One More Try (4/16/88) #1 US, #8 UK, #1 AC, #1 RB, sales: 0.5 m
  5. Hard Day (10/17/87) #21 RB
  6. Hand to Mouth
  7. Look at Your Hands
  8. Monkey (7/9/88) #1 US, #13 UK, #8 RB
  9. Kissing a Fool (10/8/88) #5 US, #18 UK, #1 AC, #33 RB

Total Running Time: 49:37

Rating:

4.219 out of 5.00 (average of 22 ratings)

Quotable:

“One of the finest pop albums of the ‘80s” – Steve Huey, All Music Guide

Awards:

(Click on award to learn more).

About the Album:

“A superbly crafted mainstream pop/rock masterpiece,” SH Faith was George “Michael’s stunning solo debut after four years in the lightweight British duo Wham!” MR and it made him “an international solo star.” SH He scored four consecutive #1 hits in the U.S. with singles from the album (“Faith”, “Father Figure”, “One More Try”, and “Monkey”). That made him the only British male solo artist to land that many chart-toppers from one album. WK He book-ended his four #1’s with two more top 10 hits (“I Want Your Sex” and “Kissing a Fool”). Some of those songs “were among the decade’s best pop.” MR

“Faith’s ingenuity lies in the way it straddles pop, adult contemporary, R&B, and dance music as though there were no distinctions between them.” SH The album made Michael “the first white solo artist to hit number one on the R&B album charts. Michael had already proven the soulful power of his pipes by singing a duet with Aretha Franklin on the 1987 smash ‘I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),’ but he went even farther when it came to crafting his own material, using sophisticated ‘70s soul as an indispensable part of his foundation.” SH

However, he didn’t just cross genres. He was equally successful at “funky dance-pop and airy, shimmering ballads.” SH As for the former, “Michael appropriates the Bo Diddley beat for the rockabilly-tinged title track” SH In regards to the latter, there was “the heartfelt ballad Father Figure.” MR However, he also proved “himself a better-than-decent torch singer on the cocktail jazz of Kissing a Fool.” SH

“Michael arranged and produced the album himself, and the familiarity of many of these songs can obscure his skills in those departments – close listening reveals his knack for shifting elements in and out of the mix and adding subtle embellishments when a little emphasis or variety is needed.” SH

“Though Faith couldn’t completely shake Michael’s bubblegum image in some quarters, the album’s themes were decidedly adult.” SH With its “wicked R&B groove” MR I Want Your Sex was the most notorious example, of course, but even the love songs were strikingly personal and mature, grappling with complex adult desires and scarred by past heartbreak.” SH

“All of it adds up to one of the finest pop albums of the ‘80s, setting a high-water mark that Michael was only able to reach in isolated moments afterward.” SH “Unlike so much 1980s treacle, this disc hold ups surprisingly well.” MR

Notes:

A 2011 remaster added “A Last Request (I Want Your Sex Part 3)” to the original album and added a second disc of remixes (three of “Monkey” and one of “Hard Day”), instrumental versions of “Faith” and “Kissing a Fool,” covers of two Stevie Wonder songs (“I Believe When I Fall in Love” and “Love’s in Need of Love Today”), and the song “Fantasy.”

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First posted 3/25/2008; last updated 2/28/2024.

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Saturday, December 12, 1987

George Michael hit #1 with “Faith”

Faith

George Michael

Writer(s): George Michael (see lyrics here)

Released: October 12, 1987

First Charted: October 23, 1987

Peak: 14 US, 15 CB, 15 GR, 13 RR, 5 AC, 2 UK, 14 CN, 11 AU, 8 DF (Click for codes to charts.)

Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 0.6 UK, 1.79 world (includes US + UK)

Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 28.17 video, 396.95 streaming

Awards:

Click on award for more details.

About the Song:

George Michael started his transition from half of the bubblegum-pop duo Wham! to a more serious artist in 1987. First, he dueted with Aretha Franklin on the #1 song “I Knew You Were Waiting for Me.” He followed that with the controversial “I Want Your Sex,” a #2 solo hit with a decidedly more adult message. The title cut from his first solo album, Faith, could arguably be viewed as Michael finally planting his flag in the “now I’m a serious artist” land for good.

“Faith” topped the charts at the end of 1987 and was followed to the #1 spot by “Father Figure,” “One More Try,” and “Monkey,” giving the album four chart-topping hits. This one, however, spent the longest time on top and was named the song of the year by Billboard magazine. The album went on to win the Grammy for Album of the Year.

The “rockabilly-tinged title track” AMG was supposedly written as a rock and roll pastiche, which is demonstrated by the incorporation of Bo Diddley’s classic rock and roll beat WK which is also present on Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away” and U2’s “Desire.” SF While the video depicted Michael playing guitar, he didn’t know how to play. SF Thank Scottish session player Hugh Burns for the guitar lick which harkened back to the ‘50s Sun Records-era and Bo Diddley. SF Michael worked with Burns for hours to synch the guitar sound to his vocals. SF

However, the song definitely had a modern touch as well. It was one of the first digital recordings, meaning he could write and record lyrics line-by-line and even word-by-word. Whie the process was tedious, it let Michael scrutinize every syllable to create the polished track he wanted. SF

Resources:

  • AMG All Music Guide
  • FB Fred Bronson (2007). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (4th edition). Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 685.
  • SF Songfacts
  • WK Wikipedia

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First posted 11/26/2020; last updated 2/3/2023.

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