The countdown continues now as we make our way thru The Top 47 #2 Records, 1955 - 1989.
#35
Cher's got dibs on the #35 spot with her 1966 #2 Hit "Bang Bang."
This was Cher's second Top Ten Hit as a solo artist ... her greatest reign happened in the '70's when she hit #1 three times with "Gypsys, Tramps And Thieves" (1971), "Half Breed" (1973) and "Dark Lady" (1974).
She might have made it to #1 with this one, too, were it not for a little song by The Righteous Brothers that blocked her way. "Soul And Inspiration," a near perfect follow up to their previous chart-topper "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" was just too hot to stop. Still, Cher accumulated five weeks in the #2 spot and earned 54 points.
#34
We've got TWO songs on our #2 Countdown called "Fire" (and another one that mentions "Great Balls Of Fire" as well.) Earlier, we featured a couple of "Rain" songs ... so the whole idea of "Fire And Rain," James Taylor notwithstanding, seems to have taken on a life of its own here!
Our #34 Hit comes from 1968 and provided a One Hit Wonder for The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown. (This song actually DID hit #1 here in Chicago ... but nationally it was no match to take over The Beatles' biggest #1 Hit, "Hey Jude.")
Still, it's definitely worth a listen here today as we continue to countdown the Biggest #2 Hits of 1955 - 1989. (The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown's hit "Fire" earned 55 points ... and spent a collective five weeks in the #2 position.)
#33
As I look over the entire Top 47 list, this may be the most surprising pairing.
Not that they're not both great songs ... they are ... but when you think of the biggest hits of The Rock And Roll Era, circa 1955 - 1989, my guess is that the first two songs to pop into your mind will NOT be "Which Way You Goin' Billy?" and "Cecila!" (They may not even be your 100th guess!)
Simon and Garfunkel held down the top spot with "Cecila," the follow-up to their monster hit "Bridge Over Troubled Water" while The Poppy Family took the Runners-Up position, accumulating five weeks at #2 and earning 56 points.
The Susan Jacks-led Poppy Family would have one more Top 40 Hit with "That's Where I Went Wrong," #20, also from 1970, before Susan's husband Terry Jacks went all the way to #1 on his own with the Love It Or Hate It Hit "Seasons In The Sun" in 1974. Ironically, he was brought in to produce this track for The Beach Boys ... but when that session fell apart, he decided to cut it himself ... and the rest, as they say, is history.
#32
Here is Elton John's other #2 peak ... and it, too, is a bit of a surprise.
I would think that most people out there probably think that Elton's 1973 hit "Daniel" was a #1 Record ... but, in fact, it stalled at #2 in all three music publications. (Based on this scenario, one might then ALSO think that Elton would have had more than just TWO #2 Hits ... but, again, because of the way this list was compiled, one peak at #1 or #3 eliminated any of those potential #2 songs from contention.)
"Daniel" spent five accumulated weeks at #2, paused there by Paul McCartney and Wings' #1 Hit "My Love." It snuck ahead of the other 5-week charters with 58 points ... but it STILL wasn't the highest charting #2 Record to post a five week run.
#31
That distinction belongs to The Fifth Dimension and their Hal David - Burt Bacharach smash "One Less Bell To Answer." (This is my all-time favorite Fifth Dimension song.)
It peaked at #2 in late 1970, accumulating five weeks and 59 points in that position. This time is was former Beatle George Harrison who kept it from hitting the top with his first big solo smash, "My Sweet Lord."
#30
Closing out this hour's segment at #30 is Chicago's very own Survivor, who took their 1986 hit "Burning Heart" to #2 for an accumulated six weeks. (It earned 60 points in the process.)
When you think of Survivor's biggest hits, I'm not sure this one always pops up on the radar ... "Eye Of The Tiger" was a #1 smash, of course, but other tracks like "High On You," "The Search Is Over" and "Is It Love" seem to spring more readily to mind ... yet NONE of those records climbed as high on the charts. (Has to be the amount of airplay they received both at the time and since ... I don't know that I've heard "Burning Heart" on the radio once in the past twenty years!!!)
Still, were it not for the Dionne Warwick star-studded hit "That's What Friends Are For," it very well may have been a #1 record, too. (Warwick's record, released as "Dionne and Friends," included Gladys Knight, Elton and John and Stevie Wonder ... and was a very successful record.)
We'll be back at 10 am to count down #'s 29 - 24 ...
Be there or be square!!!
