Tag Archives: #1 This Week

The biggest hit of the made-for-TV Monkees’ career, their cover of Neil Diamond’s I’m A Believer spent seven week at #1, making it the #1 song of 1967. Produced here by Don Kirshner, the Monkees were actor/musicians assembled by TV producers who were inspired by the Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night, earning them the scornful nickname “The Pre-Fab Four.” Initially …

Working a bassline ripped from Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean, 1984’s Like A Virgin became the first of Madonna’s twelve #1 singles. Her performance of the song on that year’s MTV Awards, during which she dry-humped the stage to hestitant applause from a stunned audience, is considered by some to be one of the most memorable moments in pop music history. …

Melanie’s 1972 novelty smash Brand New Key was banned by some radio stations for its sexual innuendo and coded reference to masturbation: I do OK alone, but you got something I need. I know most of you are too young to know was a skate key was, but you can still grok the whole key-into-lock Freudian shebang, not to mention …

Scottish boy band Bay City Rollers got their name by throwing a dart at a map of the United States. The first shot landed on Arkansas, but they didn’t care for “Arkansas Rollers”. Their second shot landed on Bay City, Michigan. During the height of “Rollermania”, the band played arenas worldwide which were filled with screaming teenage girls waving the …

The video for Olivia Newton-John’s career-defining 1981/1982 smash, Physical, often had its ending cut by MTV and other video channels because its buff men were revealed to be gay as they exited the gym hand-in-hand. Nonetheless, the clip won one of only two Grammys ever given for Video Of The Year, until the category was discontinued after the advent of …

Arguably Madonna’s most controversial single, 1991’s Justify My Love was banned by MTV and many other video channels, prompting Warner Bros. to issue it as what would become the greatest selling video single in history. The clip was directed by French fashion photographer Jean-Baptiste Mondino who also directed Madonna’s videos for Human Nature and Hollywood. Mondino first made a name …

Contrary to popular opinion at the time, Chic’s 1978 smash Le Freak was not written to capitalize on the freak dance craze then sweeping the world. The song actually came about when the band was turned away at Studio 54 because Grace Jones forgot to leave their name at the door. Walking home that night, bandmates Nile Rodgers and Bernard …

Someday We’ll Be Together was the last #1 single for Diana Ross & The Supremes. TRIVIA: This song was co-written by Harvey Fuqua, who went on to discover Sylvester and to produce/co-produce Sylvester’s first hit albums. Someday We’ll Be Together was originally a minor hit for Bristol and The Beavers. Lead singer Johnny Bristol went on to record 1974’s proto-disco …