We're doing something just a little bit different today for MLK Day ... and with Black History Month only two weeks away.
We took a look at every #1 Hit from 1960 - 1980 that topped Billboard's R&B Chart and also crossed over to hit #1 on their Pop Chart and compiled a list of The Top Ten Black Cross-Over Hits based on the TOTAL weeks spent at #1 between the two charts.
We then wanted to salute some of the tunes that dominated the R&B Chart but (despite, in many cases, enormous popularity) just never quite reached that achievement on the Pop side.
Below you'll find a list of 60 Soulful Favorites ... including a few that you may not have heard in awhile. (It is, after all, Forgotten Hits!!!)
Up first ... The Top Ten Cross-Over #1 Hits:
#10 - ROCK WITH YOU - Michael Jackson
# 9 - FINGERTIPS, PART 2 - Little Stevie Wonder
# 8 - I'LL BE THERE - The Jackson Five
# 7 - DUKE OF EARL - Gene Chandler
# 6 - I CAN'T HELP MYSELF - The Four Tops
# 5 - RESPECT - Aretha Franklin
# 4 - I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE - Marvin Gaye
# 3 - LE FREAK - Chic
# 2 - TOSSIN' AND TURNIN' - Bobby Lewis
# 1 - I CAN'T STOP LOVING YOU - Ray Charles
And next, a random assortment of R&B #1's that somehow never made it that far on The Pop Charts ...
PAPA'S GOT A BRAND NEW BAG - James Brown
AIN'T TOO PROUD TO BEG - The Temptations
TOO BUSY THINKING ABOUT MY BABY - Marvin Gaye
UPTIGHT - Stevie Wonder
USE TO BE MY GIRL - The O'Jays
I'VE GOT LOVE ON MY MIND - Natalie Cole
TELL IT LIKE IT IS - Aaron Neville
STAND BY ME - Ben E. King
HEAT WAVE - Martha and the Vandellas
GREEN ONIONS - Booker T. and the MG's
I WAS MADE TO LOVE HER - Stevie Wonder
RESCUE ME - Fontella Bass
TWISTIN' THE NIGHT AWAY - Sam Cooke
DO YOU LOVE ME - The Contours
THE SHOOP SHOOP SONG - Betty Everett
WALK ON BY - Dionne Warwick
UNDER THE BOARDWALK - The Drifters
UNCHAIN MY HEART - Ray Charles
HELLO STRANGER - Barbara Lewis
UM UM UM UM UM UM - Major Lance
IT'S A MAN'S MAN'S MAN'S WORLD - James Brown
BABY, I LOVE YOU - Aretha Franklin
WHAT DOES IT TAKE - Jr. Walker and the All-Stars
THE LOVE I LOST - Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes
HOW LONG (Betcha Got A Chick On The Side) - The Pointer Sisters
THIS WILL BE - Natalie Cole
SING A SONG - Earth, Wind and Fire
THE CLOSER I GET TO YOU - Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway
ANOTHER SATURDAY NIGHT - Sam Cooke
THE WAY YOU DO THE THINGS YOU DO - The Temptatins
JIMMY MACK - Martha and the Vandellas
HIGHER AND HIGHER - Jackie Wilson
I SECOND THAT EMOTION - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
RAINY NIGHT IN GEORGIA - Brook Benton
IF I WERE YOUR WOMAN - Gladys Knight and the Pips
UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO ME - Aretha Franklin
I LOVE MUSIC - The O'Jays
LOVE WON'T LET ME WAIT - Major Harris
ROCKIN' CHAIR - Gwen McCrae
WALK AWAY FROM LOVE - David Ruffin
I'LL BE GOOD TO YOU - Brothers Johnson
THE RUBBERBAND MAN - The Spinners
WHODUNIT - Tavares
EASY - The Commodores
STUFF LIKE THAT - Quincy Jones
STRAWBERRY LETTER 23 - Brothers Johnson
SEPTEMBER - Earth, Wind and Fire
GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE - Earth, Wind and Fire
GOT TO BE REAL - Cheryl Lynn
And, believe it or not, the highest ranking R&B #1 (ten weeks on top) was BABY, YOU'VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES by Dinah Washington and Brook Benton!
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Legendary Record Producer Phil Spector died of natural causes over the weekend. (Some reports state his death was Covid-related.)
Obviously, this is VERY big news in our world ... Spector created a whole new sound that changed the way records were made, influencing some of the biggest names in music along the way. (He was also notorious OUTSIDE the recording studio for his erratic, irrational and angry behavior, ultimately serving time for the murder of a former girlfriend.)
Because we already had pre-posts planned for Monday and Tuesday of this week, we will take a look back at Phil's illustrious career (both inside and outside the recording studio) later this week.
Forgotten Hits ran a month-long tribute to Phil Spector, assembled by FH Reader Steve Knuettel, in 2008 ... sadly Steve has also since passed on.
We have long been considering permanently re-posting that complete series on the Forgotten Hits Archive Website ... and now may finally be the proper time to do so.
That being said, I couldn't possibly get this ready by the end of the week ... a complete capture of the series works out to be just over 140 printed 8.5 x 11 pages! ... (it's a frickin' BOOK!!!) ... which renders it MUCH too large to even sort thru right now, let alone edit for publication.
In addition, the original series featured literally dozens and dozens and dozens of extremely rare recordings produced by Spector over the years. Add to this, the fact that we are unable to post any music to the archive website ... and it's the very inclusion of this music that makes this series such a one-of-a-kind collection ... tells me that we will definitely have to keep you posted regarding any development on this front down the line.
Still, SOMETHING needs to be compiled to honor this creative genius (albeit crazy man!!! )
So stay tuned to see what we come up with.
('Cause I'm kinda anxious to figure that out, too!!!) kk
