Harvey Kubernik Profiles BARBARA ACKLIN

Celebrating Black History Month, February & Women’s History Month,

BRUNSWICK RECORDS HONORS SINGER-SONGWRITER BARBARA ACKLIN

By Harvey Kubernik 

Singer and songwriter Barbara Acklin became one of the most prolific singer / songwriters of the 20th Century.  The “First Lady of Brunswick” sold millions of records, and is responsible for chart-topping hits such as “Have You Seen Her,” and “Stoned Out of My Mind,” by The Chi-Lites. 

In recognition of Black History Month, in March Brunswick Records will honor Acklin for her lifelong contributions to American music by issuing her estate a set of commemorative plaques highlighting her contributions.

"Am I The Same Girl" is currently Acklin’s top-ranking recording on Spotify with nearly 4.5 million streams, even more than Swing Out Sisters' 1992 hit version of the song, streamed more than 3 million times.

“Barbara Acklin is a history maker,” said Paul Tarnopol, president and co-owner of Brunswick Record Corporation, and son of the late Nat Tarnopol, the label’s chief architect. 

“This industry honor is long overdue.  With this recognition, Barbara’s contributions will be forever cemented in music history. She was one of the most prolific singer-songwriters of our time, and we are pleased that Brunswick was instrumental in her success.”

Born in 1943 Oakland, California, Acklin moved with her working-class parents to Chicago when she was about four or five years old.  After the family settled in Bronzeville on the South Side, the budding soprano honed her voice in the choir at Big Zion Baptist Church before graduating from Dunbar High School in 1961. Soon thereafter, she earned money as a waitress at the Club DeLisa,  5521 S. State Street, and also as a member of the Bill Cody Dancers, where she became a standout talent.

In 1966 she began a receptionist job at Brunswick’s office in a two-flat located at 1449 S. Michigan Ave. on Record Row. There, she would go on to help craft the label’s signature sound, making it a music powerhouse for a decade. Though originally established in 1916,  by the mid-1960s Brunswick was exclusively home to African American recording artists such as Jackie Wilson, (“Lonely Teardrops”), Little Richard (“Try Some of Mine”), Gene Chandler (“The Girl Don’t Care”), Tyrone Davis (“Turn Back the Hands of Time”), The Chi-Lites (“Oh Girl”) and the Artistics (“I’m Gonna Miss You”), among others. 

The label was instrumental in developing what became known as “Chicago Soul,” a musical genre with full-bodied roots in gospel and blues, accentuated with melodic touches and harmonies. Along with Chess Records in Chicago, Detroit’s Motown Records and Stax Records out of Memphis, Brunswick’s classic soul catalog ranges from 1957 to 1982 (having transformed from the Decca Records imprint to its own R&B label in 1960.)

It was while sitting behind Brunswick’s reception desk that Acklin met national heartthrob and crooner Jackie Wilson and quickly pitched a song she had written. “Whispers Getting Louder,” became a hit for Wilson and the song propelled his career back to the top of the charts. The song advanced to Number 5 on the Billboard R&B chart.

In an interview with Stephanie Gadlin, Marshall Thompson, the last surviving original member of The Chi-Lites, discussed Acklin:

“Here was this big star coming through and Barbara wanted him to hear a song she’d just written. (He) asked her to sing the song for him and it instantly blew him away. That’s when Jackie told (producer and A&R director) Carl Davis that she could not only write songs but she could sing them, too. Barbara became a triple-threat -- writer, arranger and, singer---and she could really belt it out.”

Acklin’s songwriting career grew and took to new heights when she partnered with Eugene Record, lead singer of The Chi-Lites.  Together, the duo penned “Have You Seen Her” and many of the quartet’s chart-topping hits over the years, as well as “Two Little Kids” by Peaches & Herb, which became a Top 20 hit in 1968.  She also authored and co-wrote a number of hit songs for other Brunswick artists, often teaming up with producers Carl Davis, Otis Leavill, Richard Parker, Willie Henderson, and Leo Graham.  The songstress worked with then up-and-coming engineering legend Bruce Swedien, who later was credited with developing Michael Jackson’s signature chart-busting sound.

“Barbara was a beautiful woman in a room full of guys -- but she was tough, didn’t take no stuff, and could hold her own with any of us,” Thompson said to Gadlin. “When we were on the road, she kept us together. She watched our back and we watched hers; we were like a family. It was bad enough that we all had to deal with a lot of racial hostility, especially touring the South -- but (Barbara) also had to deal with folks who didn’t always treat women with the respect they deserved.”

Early in her career, Acklin modeled her singing style after her icon Dionne Warwick, but later developed her own unique phrasing and raw,  sultry sound.   Her deeply personal lyrics often told the story of unrequited love, enduring hope, passion and pain, and the fear of loss. As Acklin’s career as a singer-songwriter flourished, Brunswick helped her shatter glass ceilings by providing her with the opportunity to work as a recording engineer, arranger and, backup singer for several of the label’s artists. 

In 1968 she recorded a duet, “From the Teacher to the Preacher” with Gene Chandler. While touring the South with Brunswick artists, her album “Love Makes A Woman” catapulted Acklin into the stratosphere with the release of its title track reaching number three on the R&B chart and number 15 on the U.S.  pop chart, earning her a gold record.  She subsequently recorded four more Brunswick albums, Seven Days of Night (1969), Someone Else's Arms (1970), I Did It (1971), and I Call It Trouble (1973).

During 2018, I interviewed Marshall Thompson about the Brunswick Records label, Jackie Wilson and Barbara Acklin.

“Jackie Wilson was my close friend. We ended up singing on ‘Higher and Higher.’ We sang on some things. I played drums on ‘Don’t Burn No Bridges,’ billed as Jackie Wilson & The Chi-Lites. Eugene Record wrote that. Jackie was one of the greatest entertainers ever. Hands down. He had the looks for the people and the girls screaming to their heads fell off. Greatest dancers to ever hit a stage.”  

In late 1968, producer Carl Davis inked the Chi-Lites to his Dakar label, releasing their first national chart hit "Give It Away," which became their U.S. initial number ten R&B hit in early 1969. A double-sided 45 RPM, "Let Me Be the Man My Daddy Was" backed with "The Twelfth of Never," followed. Davis expressed delight by the songs of Eugene Record.

Davis then hired Record to collaborate with Brunswick label mate Barbara Acklin, who herself  scored a 1968 Top Ten landmark R&B / pop hit with "Love Makes a Woman.”

“Don Cornelious was a very good friend of mine in Chicago,” Thompson told me in our 2018 interview. “He and I used to talk about how he was gonna start Soul Train on 69^th Street ... just sitting with me and him in a bar. Later, every time he needed a group to come on his show, it was always The Chi-Lites. I would book acts to him for a local show. He’d have me come down to Channel 26 every day.

“I went down to see him one day and he called me in the room.  ‘I’m thinking I’m gonna move to California.  But we need some people to make a tape for us so I can present it out there for people I can get a deal with.’ I went and got the Dells, Tyrone Davis, Barbara Acklin, the Staple Singers ... and we all got together to make a tape. A pilot tape. He took it to California and then called me and said ‘Marshall. I got the deal! Soul Train is going to California.’ Once we got to California, it took off. Don Cornelious never went Hollywood on me. He always called me. I don’t care how big he got since we helped him do that pilot that got him his deal. The Chi-Lites, Jerry Butler and the Emotions performed on the very first episode of Soul Train.”    

“Barbara was a beautiful, soulful lady,” offered legendary arranger Willie Henderson in a rare interview. He worked with Acklin for the better part of three decades. “She was a tremendous talent, a hard worker, and an all-around nice person. Barbara used to walk around the office, throwing out a few lyrics and we’d all go back and forth until we developed it into something. She was always writing, always creating.”

Henderson also noted, “The times were changing, we were young and doing our best to contribute in some kind of way” he said. “Martin Luther King, Jr. had moved to Chicago at one point; and his murder had a profound impact on how we all thought about the transformative power of music. Barbara played a big part in shaping the Chicago sound; and, Brunswick gave us the space to be creative and contribute in a meaningful way.”

After leaving the label, Acklin signed with Capitol Records in 1974, continued to perform and nurture younger artists entering the business.  Married three times, the songstress raised two children, a godson, and two stepdaughters in the city’s Pill Hill neighborhood, home to a multitude of African American professionals. Her home on South Ridgeland Avenue was a revolving door of musicians, celebrities, political figures, and other notables, many of whom attended late-night jam sessions there. 

“I’m very happy that Barbara Acklin is being recognized not only for her own accomplishments as a truly singular vocalist but also for her songwriting efforts,”  stressed Bob Merlis, music industry veteran and co-author of Heart & Soul: A Celebration of Black Music Style in America 1930-1975. “Songs she had a hand in writing gave new life to the careers of other artists and those selfless efforts are, at last, being recognized and celebrated.”

“My mother blazed trails for Black people and especially women in the recording industry,” said Samotta Acklin, herself a singer and producer who travels the world performing covers of her mother’s songs.  “She broke these barriers while juggling a marriage, raising two children, and being a godmother to neighborhood kids.

“The Acklin family is honored to accept this recognition from Brunswick,” she continued.  “My mother’s story is long overdue and is finally being told.  I’m also grateful to the global DJ community that continues to stream my mother’s music and introduce her to a new generation of music lovers.”

Acklin was on the verge of reviving her career and unveiling new music when she became ill in Nebraska and died unexpectedly on November 27, 1998.  Her legacy and impact on music live on.  

-- Harvey Kubernik 

 

Ironically, despite being a noted songwriter, Barbara Acklin didn't write the two songs she is most associated with!  "Love Makes A Woman" hit #9 in 1968 (#15 in Billboard) ... and her original version of "Am I The Same Girl" peaked at #52 (vs. #79 in Billboard) the following year.  (For that one, she simply sang her vocal over the instrumental version of "Soulful Strut," recorded by Brunswick's Young-Holt Unlimited.  THEIR version became a #3 smash in early 1969.)  When Swing Out Sister revived the vocal version of the tune in 1992, it went to #21 on the Radio and Records Chart. (It only peaked at #45 in Billboard ... and really should have been a much bigger hit.)  kk

#1

We have made it to the top of our very special Biggest #2 Hits of The Forgotten Hits Era, 1955 - 1989 ... and boy, what a big hit it was!

Foreigner accumulated an unprecedented 23 weeks in the #2 position between the three major music trade publications with their mega-smash hit record, "Waiting For A Girl Like You" in 1981.  TEN of those weeks were in Billboard Magazine alone.  (The other thirteen were split between seven in Record World and six in Cash Box.)  In all, it earned an incredible 240 points!  (We told you last hour how Jim Lowe's "The Green Door" earned 50% more points than the #3 hit, "Personality" by Lloyd Price.  Well, THIS record earned SIXTY more points than Lowe's #2 hit ... or another 33%!  The difference between Foreigner's #1 #2 Hit and Lloyd Price's #3 #2 Hit is DOUBLE!!!  And please keep in mind that when this survey first started a 7:00 this morning, the #47 record had earned just 30 points ... "Waiting For A Girl Like You" scored EIGHT TIMES that amount.  How's THAT for some perspective!!!

Foreigner was yet another band that built its career around hard rock (now Classic Rock) music ... but this Power Ballad was a game changer for the band.  After "Waiting For A Girl Like You" occupied the #2 spot on the charts for an INCREDIBLE 23 cumulative weeks, the band tried the formula again  in 1985 ... and this time, took their hit "I Want To Know What Love Is" all the way to #1.  These two songs became the biggest hits in Foreigner's career ... and this is a band that scored thirteen Top 20 Hits in Billboard Magazine alone!

How does a record spend ten weeks at #2 in Billboard and NOT hit #1?

Well, for starters, it went up against Olivia Newton-John's ten week chart-topper, "Physical," which kept Foreigner's at bay for the first nine weeks of its #2 run.  By then, the record had run out of steam, so Daryl Hall and John Oates were able to overtake it with their latest hit, "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)," although Foreigner DID manage to hang on for one more week in the Runner Up spot.

Still, "Waiting For A Girl Like You"'s ten week run at #2 (without ever hitting #1) remained a Billboard chart record for a little over twenty years.  (Missy Elliott TIED that record in 2002 with her hit, "Work It.")  She was rock-blocked by Eminem, one of this year's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nominees, and his big #1 Hit "Lose Yourself," a song that spent TWELVE weeks in the #1 position beginning in late 2002 and spilling over into early 2003.

 

And there you have it ...

The 47 biggest #2 Hits of The Forgotten Hits Era, 1955 - 1989 ...

And what a POWERFUL way to end the countdown. 

Here's one last look at the complete list of #2 Hits ...

#2

The second biggest #2 Record of The Forgotten Hits Era  (1955 - 1989) ...

The #2 #2, if you will ...

Belongs to Jim Lowe and his 1956 novelty hit, "The Green Door."

This record spent an incredible EIGHTEEN accumulated weeks in the #2 position, rock-blocked by The King himself, Elvis Presley, and his #1 Record, "Love Me Tender."

Lowe was a disc jockey at WNBC in New York City when his record about the hot piano playing behind "The Green Door" hit the charts.  He quickly went from playing the latest rock and roll records to HAVING one of the hottest rock and roll records in the country.  (Ironically, the record probably received its least amount of airplay in NYC where his fellow deejays weren't too keen on playing a record by their local competition on the air!)

Still, the record was popular enough everywhere ELSE in the country to rise all the way to #2 on all three national charts, staying there for eight weeks on the Music Vendor chart, six weeks on the Billboard chart and four weeks on the Cash Box chart, thus accumulating its 18 total weeks at #2 ... and 180 points in this special #2's Countdown.  (That's 60 points more than the #3 record we featured last hour ... or 50% more than Lloyd Price's "Personality" earned in its twelve weeks in the #2 position!)

And it could have been more ...

On the Billboard chart alone, Lowe first hit #2 on November 10th, 1956, where it stayed for the next three weeks.

It then fell to #3, where it spent the next five weeks (!!!) ... before rebounding back up to the #2 spot for another three weeks!  At one point during this run, the top three records in the nation (according to Billboard Magazine) were the colorful trio of Fats Domino's hit "Blueberry Hill" at #3, Jim Lowe's "The Green Door" at #2 and Guy Mitchell's "Singing The Blues" at #1.  According to Christopher G. Feldman's book "The Billboard Book of No. 2 Singles, "The Green Door" is the second biggest song of the rock era to feature a color in its title ... second only to Mitch Miller's "The Yellow Rose Of Texas" in total chart points earned.

Oh wait ... sorry ... I was thinking about something else ...

#3

The Top 5 biggest #2 Records released between 1955 and 1989 is heavy with late '50's tunes.

We just heard The Coasters doing "Charlie Brown" last hour ... and now comes ANOTHER #2 Hit from 1959 ...

"Personality" by Lloyd Price.

Lloyd's career dates back to the pre-rock era ... he had already been scoring hits on the R&B Charts for several years before Rock And Roll Music broke the scene wide open in 1955 and 1956.  (In fact, he even rereleased a couple of those tunes to cash in on the new craze ... and watched his records go right up the pop charts, too!)

Price hit #1 earlier in 1959 with his classic reading of a tune that dates back to the 1920's ... Lloyd's version of "Stagger Lee" is considered by most to be definitive version.

Less than six months later, he'd be holding down the #2 spot with this hour's featured hit, "Personality" ...

And before the year was over, he earned aother #2 hit with "I'm Gonna Get Married."  (This record didn't qualify for our special countdown because it peaked at #3 in both Billboard and Music Vendor.)  In between all of this, Price scored three more Top 20 with "Where Were You On Our Wedding Day," #15, "Come Into My Heart," #16 and "Wont'cha Come Home," #15, all released in 1959! (If you're keeping score, that's SIX Top 20 Hits in the same year!) Not a bad year for Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer Lloyd Price!)

"Personality" spent a total of TWELVE collective weeks at #2, earning 120 points in the process ... and was held out of the #1 spot by Johnny Horton's monster hit, "The Battle Of New Orleans," one of the biggest records of the year.

  

Stop back at 5:00 to hear the #2 / #2 Song ...

And then swing by again at 6 pm to hear the King Of The Heap!

#4

 Much like Carole King, who we talked about earlier in the countdown, the number of hit songs written by the songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller is nothing short of staggering.

They brought a sense of humor to the artform of churning out hit Rhythm and Blues Records that regularly crossed over to great success on the Pop Charts as well.

One of their greatest vehicles for accomplishing this feat was a group called The Coasters.

In fact, between 1956 and 1971, The Coasters placed FIFTEEN songs on The Billboard Hot 100 Pop Charts penned by Leiber and Stoller.

One of those, "Yakety Yak," went all the way to #1 in 1958 ... and today's #2 Hit stayed there for an accumulated ten weeks the following year, racking up 112 points in the process.

It was kept out of the #1 spot by "Venus" by Frankie Avalon ... but works as the perfect example of what Leiber and Stoller brought to the rock and roll table.

#5

 The 5th Biggest #2 Hit from 1955 - 1989 comes from 1981 and belongs to Pop and Country Singer Juice Newton.

Juice's hit "Queen Of Hearts" collected a total of ten weeks in the #2 spot between the three major trade publications, earning 100 points in the process.

She was another artist in this special countdown to be blocked from the top spot by what would turn out to be the biggest hit record of the year ... in this case, "Endless Love" by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie.  (The Motown Duo topped the chart for nine straight weeks on all three charts.)

As big a hit as this song was, it's a bit surprising that we don't hear it more often these days.  In fact, this is probably true of about 20-25% of our Top 47 #2 Hits ... they just seem to have fallen out of favor with radio programmers ... yet were ENORMOUSLY successful at the time.

But quite honestly, there really aren't ANY songs in this special countdown that would qualify for "overplayed" status.  Still, it would be nice to see (and hear) a little more appreciation for some of the tunes that captured our hearts at the time.

The Biggest #2 Hits of The Forgotten Hits Era, 1955 - 1989: #11 - #6

#11

Here's another one I wasn't really familiar with ... but coming from 1989, that's really not all that surprising to me. 

Way before he was Mr. Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown was Bobby Brown ... a VERY successful R&B recording star, first with The New Edition, who had eight Top 40 Hits on Billboard's Pop Chart ... and then as a solo act, who made The Top Five another eight times all on his own.

"My Prerogative" went all the way to #1 ... while today's #11 Hit peaked at #2 on all three national charts, for an accumulated total of eight weeks (and 81 points.)

"On Our Own" was used in the film "Ghostbusters II," in which he also appeared.

 

Here Come The Top Ten Biggest #2 Hits of The Forgotten Hits Era, 1955 - 1989

#10

"Boogie Nights" by Heatwave take us into The Top Ten.  (This one kind of surprised me as I didn't remember it being quite as big a hit as it was.)

It earned 82 points and spent EIGHT weeks in the Runners Up position, blocked by the ten week run at the top of Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life" in 1977.  (That fact alone is enough to make you cringe!)

Actually, Boone spent THIRTEEN weeks in the #1 position in Record World, enough time to stave off "How Deep Is Your Love" by The Bee Gees," a #1 Hit in both Cash Box and Billboard.

#9

The record to occupy the #1 spot before Debby Boone took things over and moved in for a few months was the "Star Wars Theme" by Meco.  (It closed out September of '77 at the top of the charts.)

In the process, it kept KC and the Sunshine Band's latest, "Keep It Comin' Love," in the #2 position for a total of eight accumulated weeks.  (It earned 83 points)

KC and the Sunshine Band had hit the #1 spot four times previously:  "Get Down Tonight" (1975), "That's The Way I Like It" (1975), "Shake Your Booty" (1976) and "I'm Your Boogie Man" (1977 ... and odds are "Keep It Comin' Love" would have reached the top, too, were it not for the popularity of the first "Star Wars" movie.

#8

Speaking of movie themes, it was Carly Simon that was kept out of the #1 spot with her reading of "Nobody Does It Better" from the James Bond movie "The Spy Who Loved Me" in 1977.  (Wow ... three records in a row from '77 to make the Top Ten Biggest #2 Hits list, 1955 - 1989!)

"Nobody Does It Better" spent an accumulated eight weeks in the #2 spot.  She also fell victim to Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life."  (Which song would YOU rather hear today???)

#7

Now we flip back to 1959 for this early Paul Anka classic, "Put Your Head On My Shoulder."

Paul occupied the #2 spot for a total of nine weeks that year, coming up second to Bobby Darin's smash "Mack The Knife."  (That was the song to beat that year!)  While Anka's nine weeks at #2 was a collection of ALL of the weeks spent at #2 between the three trades ... three weeks in each ... Darin held down the #1 spot for nine consecutive weeks all on his own!  "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" earned 94 points in our Biggest #2 Hits Countdown.

#6

Here's a song that we've seen at the top of MANY Top 40 Charts over the years ...

But officially it peaked at #2 in Billboard, Cash Box and Record World, coming in second place to The Rascals' #1 Hit "People Got To Be Free" in 1968.

"Born To Be Wild" by Steppenwolf is a Rock And Roll Anthem.  (A SUMMER anthem, too, as it has regularly place high on our list of All-Time Favorite Summer Songs.)

From the film "Easy Rider," these guys rode their hit to #2 and parked it there for nine collective weeks, earning 98 points in the process.  The fact that it never "officially" hit #1 ranks high on my list of pop chart injustices ... what a great track!!!

The Top Five Come Alive beginning next hour!

Beginning at 2:00 ... and wrapping up at 6:00 ... we will reveal The Five Biggest #2 Hits, 1955 - 1989.  Don't miss a note!

We're Counting Down The Biggest #2 Records of The Forgotten Hits Era, 1955 - 1989 ... And We're Now Up to #17 - #12!

#17

Drifting back to 1959, here's one of those early rock tunes that I call a "mood" record.

There's just something about the dark and sinister groove of Phil Phillips' "Sea Of Love" that sucks you in.  Many years later, it became the perfect song to serve as the title track for the Al Pacino flick of the same name.  (You know, it's movies like this that keep me going to the grocery store in hopes of finding the ultimate shopping experience!)

"Sea Of Love" spent a collective seven weeks at #2, earning 74 points ... and here is an instance where I truly believe the better song lost out to the #1 spot.  It stalled at #2 because The Browns' song "The Three Bells," was #1 at the time.  (I never quite understood how that song occupied the #1 spot for four weeks ... and FIVE weeks in Music Vendor ... but I wasn't buying records in '59, so I wash my hands of this one!)  Still, it seems like "Sea Of Love" should have snuck in there for at least a week or two!

 

#16

Next up is another #2 Hit from the '80's.  This one belongs to The Go-Go's, recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees, and the recent topic of a successful documentary.  

The all girl group managed to collect seven weeks at #2 and 75 points, but were aced out of the #1 spot by ANOTHER all girl group, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.  There weren't many songs bigger than "I Love Rock And Roll" that year ... and it became the hotter of the two tracks.

 

#15

This record made it to #1 here in Chicago, as I'm sure it did in many cities around the country ... and I still think it's one of the prettiest songs released in 1969.

"Love Can Make You Happy" by the One Hit Wonder group Mercy was another seven-week #2 hit, earning 76 points.  It was held at bay by The Beatles' big smash "Get Back" at the time.

Coming up next are two of my all-time favorite recordings.

People will often ask me "Hey, You're a Music Guy ... What's your favorite song?" and I've never been able to break it down by those terms ... 

For me, it has always been the complete package ...

The overall sound of the record ... 

The perfect mix of song, artist producer, instrumentation, etc., that all find themselves in perfect sync with one another to create a piece of magic that lives on for all eternity.

And our #14 and #13 songs in our Biggest #2 Hits Countdown rank right up there near the top of my list.

#14

You rarely heard Michelle Phillips sing a solo lead on a Mamas and Papas record.  Let's face it, she didn't have the strongest voice, especially when compared to her bandmates Denny Doherty and Cass Elliott.  (Michelle's assets were, shall we say, in OTHER areas!)

But her softly sung intro to The Mamas and The Papas' remake of "Dedicated To The One I Love" made this a stand-out track for me.  (The song had already been a hit twice before ... which is why I say it isn't the SONG necessarily that won me over ... it was this particular performance of the song that did it for me.)

It spent an accumulated seven weeks in the #2 spot in 1967, earning 78 points in the process, kept at bay by The Turtles' monster hit "Happy Together."

While I've since OD'd on "Happy Together" after so much repetitive airplay over the past 55 years (and am just as likely to turn it off as let it play these days), I will listen to The Mamas and Papas' hit, "Dedicated To The One I Love" EVERY single time it comes on.

 

 

#13

Coming up right behind it at #13 on the list is Lesley Gore's 1964 hit "You Don't Own Me" ... perhaps the very first Women's Rights Anthem ever (some seven years before there even was a Women' Rights Movement!)

Cowritten by our FH Buddy John Madara, this song gets me every time ... and it actually DID get to #1 in MANY cities across the country.

But this was truly a case of "timing is everything."

1963 ended with a battle for the top spot between a Singing Nun ("Dominique"), a MOR crooner named Bobby Vinton ("There, I've Said It Again") and perhaps the Greatest Garage Band Classic of All-Time, "Louie Louie" by The Kingsmen.

Also intermixed in this shuffle were "Popsicles, Icicles" by The Murmaids and Lesley Gore's "You Don't Own Me."  Depending on where you lived at the time, any one (or two) of these could have been the #1 Record in your area.

But then along came this group out of Liverpool called The Beatles and all of a sudden NOBODY else could get a #1 Record!!!

Think I'm kidding???

The Beatles knocked THEMSELVES out of the #1 spot four songs (and 16 weeks!) in a row!

One by one, "I Want To Hold Your Hand," "She Loves You," "Twist And Shout" and "Can't Buy Me Love" all climbed into the #1 spot.  (They would hit the top of the pop singles chart three more times before the year was over with "Love Me Do," "A Hard Day's Night" and "I Feel Fine.")

Somewhat lost in the shuffle was nothing short of a masterpiece.  

 

"You Don't Own Me" managed to spend seven combined week in the #2 position, earning 79 points in the process.  It was "I Want To Hold Your Hand" that kept it out of the #1 position.

 

#12

Now I will admit that, as big as this song was (eight accumulated weeks at #2 and 80 points earned), it was COMPLETELY off my radar at the time ... and until I started putting together this countdown of The Biggest #2 Hits of The Forgotten Hits Era, 1955 - 1989, I had never even heard it before!  (This is actually true of a few songs that hit #2 after 1985 ... by then I was completely immersed in FM radio, listening to rock and roll.)

But Jody Watley, who was born right here in Chicago and had previously sung with the R&B band Shalamar, was a former dancer on television's "Soul Train" and was even Jackie Wilson's Goddaughter (!) put together a string of SIX Top Ten Pop Hits between 1987 and 1990.

"Looking For A New Love" was the first ... and the biggest ... and it just might be a new discovery for some of you folks out there, too!

  

We're inching closer and closer to the Biggest #2 Hit of The Forgotten Hits Era.

Join us next hour when we break into The Top Ten.

We're Counting Down The Biggest #2 Hits, 1955 - 1989 (This Hour: #23 - #18)

Every hour we're getting closer and closer to the Biggest #2 Record as we celebrate 2-22-22 ... which, as you can see is a WHOLE lotta 2's ...

And we're counting down a whole lotta 2's as well ...

47 records peaked at #2 in all three major trade publications between 1955 and 1989 ... the Forgotten Hits Era ... and we're taking a look at every single one of them.

#23

The Box Tops' kick off this hour with their 1968 hit, "Cry Like A Baby."

It placed second for six total weeks to Bobby Goldsboro's monster hit record "Honey."

The Box Top went straight to the top with their very first record ("The Letter," 1967) ... but "Cry Like A Baby" is a great rock and soul single as well.  It earned 68 points in this special #2's countdown.

 

#22

Blood, Sweat and Tears peaked at #2 with their first three hit records in Billboard ... but because "And When I Die" reached #1 in Cash Box (and "Spinning Wheel" peaked at #3 in Cash Box), the only Blood, Sweat and Tears record represented on this special countdown is "You've Made Me So Very Happy," a remake of a minor Motown hit first recorded by Brenda Holloway.

(It earned six weeks at #2 along with 69 points.)  The #1 Record at the time was "Aquarius / Let The Sunshine In" by The Fifth Dimension, a medley derived from the smash hit Broadway Musical "Hair."

#21

Connie Francis had 18 Top Ten hits between 1958 and 1962.  These include TWO #1 Records.  ("Everybody's Somebody's Fool" and "My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own," both in 1960.)

But only ONE of her many hits peaked at #2 in all three of the major trades (Billboard, Cash Box and Music Vendor) and THAT hit was big enough to become the 21st biggest #2 Hit of The Forgotten Hits Era.

"My Happiness" spent a total of SEVEN collective weeks in the #2 position ... and it very well may have gone all the way to #1 were it not for The Platters' huge hit, "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes."  It earned 70 points in the process.

 

We're Entering The Top 20

#20

Brook Benton had one of the smoothest voices in popular music ... and  as such, he was a regular fixture on the pop charts throughout the late '50's and early '60's.  (A couple of those were EXCELLENT duets with his labelmate, Dinah Washington.)

So when he recorded what many would consider to be a novelty song in 1961, it came as a bit of a surprise.  It ALSO turned out to be the biggest hit of his career.

Now some would argue that his big comeback record, "Rainy Night In Georgia," 1970 should earn that honor ... and I would probably agree with that analysis, based strictly on the timeless airplay it has received ever since ...

But the truth is, Brook hit the #2 spot not only with that record but also with his first big hit, "It's Just A Matter Of Time" (1959) and then again with "Baby, You've Got What It Takes" (1960), one of his duets with the aforementioned Ms. Washington.

However, that record only hit #2 in Cash Box Magazine ... it stopped at #5 in both Billboard and Music Vendor.  "It's Just A Matter Of Time" also peaked at #2 in Cash Box ... but stalled at #3 in the other two publications.  And while "Rainy Night In Georgia" made it to #2 in both Cash Box and Record World, it peaked at #4 in Billboard, thus disqualifying it from this special competition.  (A record had to be #2 in all three major trade publications to make our list ... the very best of the BEST #2 Hits.)

And that's why only his 1961 hit "The Boll Weevil Song" made our Top #2 Hits, 1955 - 1989 countdown.  It went to #2 in all three publications, spending an accumulated seven weeks there between the three ... so technically, THIS is his all-time biggest hit.  And, with 71 points, it's also the #20 song in today's #2's Countdown.

And it probably would have gone all the way to #1 were it not for The Record Of The Year that year, Bobby Lewis' "Tossin' And Turnin'" standing in its way!

 

#19

The #19 song on the countdown belongs to Rockwell, who just happened to be Berry Gordy, Jr.'s son.  (Rockwell's real name is Kennedy Gordy.)  It's no [stevie] wonder that his #2 hit came out on Motown Records!

It was also that relationship that prompted Michael Jackson, the hottest artist on the planet at the time, thanks to his "Thriller" album, to sing the choruses on this tune!

In 1984, "Somebody's Watching Me" spent a total of seven weeks at #2 and earned 72 points in this very special countdown of the biggest #2 hits.  It never made it to #1 due to Kenny Loggins' big hit, "Footloose."  After a minor follow-up hit later that year, Rockwell disappeared from the pop charts forever.

 

#18

Heavy Metal Band Whitesnake scored the two biggest hits of their career with back-to-back power ballads in 1987. 

The first of these unlikely hits, "Here I Go Again," went all the way to #1 ... while the second, "Is This Love," peaked at #2 and became the 18th Biggest #2 Hit of The Forgotten Hits Era, 1955 - 1989, spending a total of seven collective weeks there, earning 73 points in the process.

The band was formed by former Deep Purple lead vocalist David Coverale, who also cowrote their two biggest hits.

  

See you back here at noon when we count down #17 - #12 of The Biggest #2 Hits, 1955 - 1989.

We're Counting Down The Biggest #2 Hit Records from 1955 - 1989! (This hour: #29 - #24)

The countdown continues ...

#29

The #29 #2 Song on our countdown belongs to Warrant, who took the soft rock / power ballad route with this one, kicking their hard rock, headbanger rock aside to score the biggest hit of their career.

"Heaven" went to #2 in 1989, making it the "newest" song on the countdown.  It stayed there for an accumulated six weeks, earning 61 points and held out of the #1 spot by Milli Vanilli's "Girl, I'm Gonna Miss You."  (Say wha'?!?!?  That's not even a real group!!!) 

 

#28

OK, I've spent a fair amount of times talking about some of my favorites on this countdown ... so it seems only fair to also mention that this is probably my LEAST favorite title on the list.  (How this record got all the way to #2 in beyond me!)  And as ear-worm catchy as the chorus may be, I just can't believe people out there wanted to hear it again and again and again!

Still, Clint Holmes was able to notch SIX weeks in the #2 position.  (He also earned 62 points in the process.)  He was kept out of the #1 position thanks to Paul McCartney and Wings' big hit "My Love."  (Yes, "My Love" was big enough to rock-block both "Daniel" AND "The Playground In My Mind!")

#27

We told you earlier that TWO songs made it to #2 with the title "Fire."  Last hour, we heard "Fire" by The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown."  This hour, we're treating you to "Fire" by The Pointer Sisters, who took a Bruce Springsteen tune and gave it a soulful spin in 1978.  It, too, accumulated six total weeks at #2 ... and earned 63 points. (This version of "Fire" was rock-blocked by "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy," the Rod Stewart smash.)

 

#26

Keeping the fires burning just a little bit longer, we now go all the way back to 1958 when The Killer, Jerry Lee Lewis, tore up the rock and roll charts with his classic, "Great Balls Of Fire."

It spent six total weeks at #2 and earned 64 points.  It never officially hit the top spot because of the Danny and the Juniors hit "At The Hop."

#25

Eddie Holman scored both a soul and a pop hit with his reading of "Hey There Lonely Girl," a #2 Record for six accumulated weeks in 1970.

The song was a remake (with a gender change) of a minor hit record for Ruby and the Romantics (of "Our Day Will Come" fame) in 1963 that went all the way to #27 on The Billboard Hot 100 Pop Chart.

Eddie brought in a whole new level of emotion with his reading ... enough to propel it all the way to #2, kept out of the #1 position by Sly and the Family Stone's funk classic "Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin."  (And yes, it really IS spelled that way on the record label!)

Holman never came close to having another Top Ten Hit ... but he scored 65 #2 points with this one.

 

#24

When you talk about epic songs of the '60's, you simply can't ignore the Jimmy Webb tune recorded by actor Richard Harris, "MacArthur Park."  (And yes, sometimes "epic songs" means COMPLETELY over the top performances.)

Harris, not a singer by trade, gave this one his theatrical best ... and it clocked in a just over seven minutes a few months before The Beatles did the same with the long fade-out to "Hey Jude."  (Of course, no cakes were left out in the rain in The Beatles' record!)

Earning 67 points and accumulating six total weeks at #2, "MacArthur Park" becomes the 24th biggest #2 record to hit the charts between 1955 and 1989.  (It was Herb Alpert's vocal take on "This Guy's In Love With You" that kept Harris from hitting the top spot ... which "MacArthur Park" did on MANY regional charts.)

 

We're halfway home ... and there's lots more to come ...

So please join us again at 11 am as we reveal #'s 23 - 18!

We're Counting Down The Biggest #2 Records Of All-Time (1955 - 1989) #'s 35 - #30

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!!!

We're Counting Down The Biggest #2 Records Of All - Time, 1955 - 1989 (#41 - #36)

#41

The Isley Brothers reached #1 in various parts of the country with their big 1969 hit "It's Your Thing" ... but OFFICIALLY it only peaked at #2 ... and it did so in all three major trade publication (for a total of FOUR accumulated weeks)

It was held out of the top spot by "Hair" by The Cowsills ... but it still managed to earn 43 #2 points on its own.

 

#40

We seem to be having LOTS of "rainy days" here this morning ... especially on the lower region of the chart.  (You may recall that Bob Dylan's "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" came in at #46.)

"Rainy Days And Mondays" just missed hitting the top spot (and following in the footsteps their two back-to-back #1 singles in 1970, "Close To You" and "We've Only Just Begun.")

They just couldn't get past Carole King's MONSTER hit "It's Too Late" this time around ... so "Rainy Days And Mondays" had to settle for the Runners Up position.  It spent a total of FOUR weeks at #2 ... and earned 45 points in the process.

 

#39

Stevie Wonder officially peaked at #2 with his 1967 classic "I Was Made To Love Her."  (It's also one of MY personal favorites ... as are nearly ALL things '67!!!)

It, too, accumulate four weeks at #2 (along with 47 points) - and was kept from the top spot by "Light My Fire" by The Doors.  (If you're going to come in second to somebody in '67, The Doors are a pretty good candidate with whom to do so!)

#38

Coming in at #38 with 50 points (and five combined weeks at #2) are The Orlons and their Cameo-Parkway Hit "The Wah-Watusi.

(This dance was all the rage at the time ... so The Orlons cashed in big time with this one!)

Bobby Vinton kept them out of the #1 spot, however, thanks to his big hit "Roses Are Red," written by our FH Buddy, Paul Evans.

#37

The newly christened Diana Ross and the Supremes snagged five weeks at #2 with their 1967 hit "Reflections."  (This was their first release under their new moniker ... everything up till now had simply credited "The Supremes" as the artist ... but Berry Gordy was looking for ways to enable Diana Ross to step out and pursue other opportunities ... like movies, for example.)

As the music trends were changing during The Summer Of Love, Motown strayed from their successful formula a little bit on this one, even adding some psychedelic overtones here and there throughout the record.

Obviously, it worked ... The Supremes ... I'm sorry, Diana Ross and the Supremes ... found themselves right back at the top of the charts.  (It was Bobbie Gentry's "Ode To Billie Joe" that kept them out of the top spot.)

#36

Here's a perfect example of the '50's Groove ...

Our #36 #2 Record is by Bill Doggett, who utilized a funky, screaming saxophone in order to capture the proper "Honky Tonk" feel, making this record "sing" all the way up to the top of the charts.  (Not bad for an instrumental hit, eh???)

Well ... ALMOST the top.  "Honky Tonk" accumulated FIVE weeks in the #2 position, rock-blocked by Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel."  (Hey, if you're going to just miss out on having a #1 Record, there's nobody out there more respectable than Elvis Presley to lose to!!!) 

 

#35 - #30 will post at 9 am ...

Hope to see you then!

The Top 47 #2 Hits, 1955 - 1989

#47

The countdown kicks off with this classic from 1963 by Peter, Paul and Mary.

"Puff The Magic Dragon" spent a collective three weeks at #2 (that means one week each in Billboard, Cash Box and Record World) and earned 30 points in the process ...

And Peter, Paul and Mary are one of only TWO artists to place TWO titles in our Top #2's Countdown.  This one was blocked from the #1 spot by "I Will Follow Him" by Little Peggy March.

 

#46

Sitting at #46 is Bob Dylan with his #2 Hit from 1966, "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35."  (Three total weeks at #2; 35 points)

Peter, Paul and Mary made quite a career covering songs written by Bob Dylan ...  (you'll hear one of them before you leave this page!) ... while Dylan himself didn't have a lot of chart hits of his own, especially this early on in his career.  (He was always perceived as more of an albums artist.)  But after reaching #1 the previous year with his "plugged in" classic "Like A Rolling Stone" (#1 in Cash Box only, thus eliminating from today's #2's competition), he proved that he could churn out hit singles with the best of them.  "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" (one of MY personal Dylan favorites) proved the point again in '66 when it rose to #2 in all three major trade publications.  (This one was blocked from hitting #1 by "Monday Monday" by The Mamas and The Papas.)

 

#45

Coming in in the #45 spot is the Motown Classic "Shop Around" by The Miracles.  (Three total weeks at #1; 38 points)

Smokey Robison was a vital part of Motown's success, not only writing #1 Hits for other artists on the label but also scoring massive hits of his own with his group, The Miracles ...

Like this one, a song that peaked at #2 in 1961, kept out of the #1 spot by "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" by The Shirelles.

 

#44

The only other artist to place TWO songs on this list of Biggest #2 Hits from 1955 - 1989 is Elton John.

 

In 1988, Elton hit the #2 spot on all three charts (now Billboard, Cash Box and Radio and Records) with his hit "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That."

 

It spent a total of four accumulated weeks at the #2 position, kept out of the #1 spot by George Michael's hit "Monkey."  (Ironically, Elton and George would hit #1 TOGETHER when they recorded a live remake of Elton's hit "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" in 1992.)  "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That" earned 40 points in our Best #2's competition. 

 

 

 

#43

Our #43 #2 Hit is by Johnny Tillotson, who took "Poetry In Motion" to the also ran position in 1960 for an accumulated total of four weeks, kept out of the #1 spot by "Save The Last Dance For Me" by The Drifters.

"Poetry In Motion" earned a total of 41 points in this very special #2's Countdown.

 

 

#42

As promised, here are Peter, Paul and Mary, back again at #42 with "Blowin' In The Wind," a Dylan tune that hit #2 for an accumulated total of four weeks.  (Again, the TOTAL number of weeks spent at #2 are shared between the three major music trade publications at the time ... so in this instance, "Blowin' In The Wind" spent one week each at #2 in two of these (Billboard and Music Vendor) and two weeks at #2 in Cash Box.)  It earned 42 points ... and was kept out of the #1 spot by "Fingertips (Part 2)" by Little Stevie Wonder.  (Hmm ... that means that both Little Peggy March and Little Stevie Wonder rock-blocked them in 1963 ... it all sounds just a LITTLE bit shady to me!)

 

Be sure to stop back at 8 am to catch the next batch of #2 Hits!

2-22-22 - It's A Countdown That's Second To None!

Well, actually, it's a countdown that's second to ALL ...

Because today we're counting down The Top #2 Records of The Forgotten Hits Era, 1955 - 1989.

I kicked around several different ideas when trying to decide how to celebrate the two special, one-of-a-kind dates that this month offered us.

On 2-2-22, I decided to run The Top Ten Pop Charts for similar dates in history covered in The Forgotten Hits Rock Era, such as 5-5-55, 6-6-66, 7-7-77 and 8-8-88.  (Scroll back to 2/2 if you missed it)

This time around, I knew that I wanted to do something tying into the songs that peaked at #2 ... but I wanted to do it in a more unique way than simply rehashing the Billboard stats.

Because, as we have seen time and time again, despite the long-standing motto that "It Ain't #1 Until It's #1 in Billboard," 20/20 hindsight (or, I guess today, 22/22 hindsight) tells us that Billboard flat out dropped the ball on a few of these ... especially when so many titles peaked at #1 in both of the other national music trades at the same time ... but still came up short in Billboard.

I'm talking about long-standing, proven top-of-the-chart hits like ...

"Bye Bye Love" by The Everly Brothers, "Exodus" by Ferrante and Teicher, "Crying" by Roy Orbison, "Return To Sender" by Elvis Presley, "Louie Louie" by The Kingsmen, "Twist And Shout" by The Beatles, "Last Kiss" by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers, "Let's Hang On" by The Four Seasons, "Barbara Ann" by The Beach Boys, "A Groovy Kind Of Love" by The Mindbenders, "Sunny" by Bobby Hebb, "Georgy Girl" by The Seekers, "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" by The Monkees, "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" by Frankie Valli, "Valleri" by The Monkees, "Lady Willpower" by Gary Puckett and The Union Gap, "Those Were The Days" by Mary Hopkin, "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" by Diana Ross and the Supremes and The Temptations, "Spirit In The Sky" by Norman Greenbaum, "Cecilia" by Simon and Garfunkel, "Spill The Wine" by Eric Burdon and War, "Lonely Days" by The Bee Gees, "She's A Lady" by Tom Jones, "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver, "Long Cool Woman" by The Hollies, "Nights In White Satin" by The Moody Blues, "Dueling Banjos" by Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell (from "Deliverance"), "Shambala" by Three Dog Night, "Live And Let Die" by Paul McCartney and Wings, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" by Elton John, "The Rose" by Bette Midler and "Open Arms" by Journey ... 

ALL of which reached #1 all over the country, yet still failed to reach the summit in Billboard Magazine.  (Perhaps the best example that I always cite of the OPPOSITE effect is Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay" spending FOUR WEEKS at #1 in Billboard, yet NEVER reaching #1 at all in either Cash Box or Record World.)

[It also means that Billboard's "Kings of #2," Creedence Clearwater Revival, are nowhere to be found on our special salute, as their hits "Proud Mary," "Bad Moon Rising" and "Lookin' Out My Back Door" DID make it to #1 in at least one of the other music trades, just like they did from coast to coast everywhere except Billboard.]

So the criteria for THIS special countdown is that in order to qualify, the record had to peak at #2 in ALL THREE PUBLICATIONS!!!  (Sadly, this eliminated some great candidates along the way that may have made it to #1 in one publication ... or stalled at #3 in another ... but we had to draw the line somewhere!!!)

Then we took the total number of ACCUMULATED weeks spent at #2 (in all three pubs) and were able to determine The Top 47 #2 Hits of The Forgotten Hits Rock Era, 1955 - 1989.  (Ties were broken by chart points earned along the way.)  Once all the research was done, the grand total of "common" #2 hits was 47 during that timeframe ... so that's what we're going with.  (NOTE:  Record World was known as Music Vendor prior to 1964 and then ceased publication in early 1982.  To fill out the rest of the national charts thru 1989, we used the Radio and Records charts from 1982 - 1989.  Joel Whitburn's series of Record Research chart books provide an invaluable service when it comes to a project like this one ... and his latest book ... the 17th Edition of Billboard's Top Pop Singles ... ALSO encompasses what we are now referring to as "The Forgotten Hits Era."  You can order YOUR copy of this book ... a must for any serious music library ... here:

https://www.recordresearch.com/books/top-pop-singles-1955-1989/

(And ... for the first time ever, it's available IN LIVING COLOR!!!)

Despite some very important omissions, you're going to find some incredible titles on this list, all of which came up just a LITTLE bit short of hitting the top.  (Elvis' 1962 hit "Can't Help Falling In Love" immediately comes to mind ... it has ALWAYS been a #2 Record in my mind ... but in actuality, only peaked at #2 in Billboard Magazine, topping out at #3 In Music Vendor and #4 in Cash Box, thus making it ineligible for this list of Biggest #2 hits ... and a source of my frustration in putting this whole thing together!!!)

[You can also order Joel Whitburn's COMPARISON CHART Book here, which shows the peak position EVERY charted record hit in all three major trade publications (1954 - 1982):  https://www.recordresearch.com/books/the-comparison-book-1954-1982/]

And, to keep things even more interesting, fun and exciting, we'll even show you WHY these records never reached the #1 position ... many of these songs were up against some of the biggest #1 Hits of All-Time ... and never had a chance of overtaking them ... while at any other time, most, if not all, would have been sure-fire #1 Hits.  Again, these "rock blockers" reflect a consensus of all three charts, showing no favoritism toward Billboard, but rather the most likely reason these 47 #2 smashes didn't make it to the top ... and review only the song that got in the way during our list's initial assent up the chart to the #2 position ... and not any other titles that may have leap-frogged their way into the #1 position over these #2 Hits.

We'll be revealing these #2 Hits throughout the day today ... with a new list of titles going up every hour.  (Sometime after 6 pm this evening we'll recap the entire list.)

So spread the word ...

Tell a friend and watch the whole thing unfold ...

As we reveal

THE TOP 47 #2 SONGS, 1955 - 1989

The fun begins at 7 am.  (kk)

1972 Survey - February 21st - NEW JERSEY

 

And here on WWDJ in Hackensack, New Jersey, it's the Climax hit "Precious And Few" that sits at #1 on our February 21st, 1972 chart.

(Doing a little bit of research, WWDJ only lasted about three years as a Top 40 station ... but you will find a very extensive tribute site to the station online, including this link which'll show you ALL of the surveys the published during that brief time.)

WWDJ Surveys (97wwdj.com)

"Don't Say You Don't Remember" by Beverly Bremers is a welcome addition to this week's chart ... it sits at #8 this week.  (Beverly was one of the very first Forgotten Hits interviews I ever did.)  And "Floy Joy" by The Supremes is just starting to make its move this week, premiering at #18. (I can only assume that the previous week's FH ranking means something more along the lines of "Future Hit" than Forgotten Hit ... although a couple of these would surely qualify!  lol)  Nice to see The Raiders on a couple of charts now with their latest, "Country Wine."