Hits which have never been played anywhere since their original chart run

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While doing the research for my 1974 epic (currently closed for renovation/refurbishment ahem) I noticed a substantial amount of singles which were fairly major hits at the time but to my knowledge have never been revived or played as an oldie on any radio station and seem to have fallen into a weird kind of chart limbo.

Examples from '74 would include Farewell by Rod Stewart, Pepper Box by the Peppers, Doctor's Orders by Sunny and Reggae Tune by Andy Fairweather-Low - all perfectly good (if not earth-shattering) pop records, all top ten, never played since.

So can anyone think of any other examples from other years?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 07:05 (twenty years ago)

My hunch is that 1980 might be a happy hunting ground here.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 07:18 (twenty years ago)

search '50s charts too.

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 07:24 (twenty years ago)

i have the joel whitburn book of the american billboard charts from 1955 on -- i'll see what that turns up.

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 07:27 (twenty years ago)

Date: 9/12/81 Pos: 33 Wks: 5

Artist & Record Title: Afternoon Delights "General Hospi-Tale" (parody of TV's "General Hospital")

Label & No.: MCA 51148

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 07:35 (twenty years ago)

I was thinking more in terms of really big hits, i.e. top ten, top five, or even number ones, which have never been knowingly resuscitated. For instance, when was the last time you heard "In My Own Time" by Family (UK #4, 1971) on the radio?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 07:38 (twenty years ago)

quite a few of the high-charting '50s and early '60s singles listed in the book are lost to history. have you heard jimmy charles & the revelletts' 1960 single "a million to one" on the radio lately? it was on the charts for 11 weeks, peaking at number 5.

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 07:42 (twenty years ago)

I don't think we ever got that one in Britain.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 07:48 (twenty years ago)

Wasn't that song a double a-side for Donny Osmond?

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 07:49 (twenty years ago)

haha "general hospi-tale" added to wishlist

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 07:49 (twenty years ago)

Actually, I was here to say, 'funny' recs 'of their time' like:

If - Yin and Yan
King of the Cops - whoever.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 07:50 (twenty years ago)

how about the delegates' "convention '72" (peaked at #8 in 1972)?

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 07:51 (twenty years ago)

every mother's son's "come on down to my boat" (peaked at #6 in 1967)?

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 07:54 (twenty years ago)

what was the last stateside novelty hit (hit meaning 'top 20')? not counting stuff like 'macarena', 'candle in the wind '97', or 'who let the dogs out?' as novelty hits; ie TRUE novelty hits (REAL MUSIC MAAN) like spike jones or dickie goodman or weird al or rodney dangerfield or the afternoon delights i'm guessing.

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 07:57 (twenty years ago)

xpost: larry groce's "junk food junkie" (#9, 1976)?

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 07:57 (twenty years ago)

probably weird al.

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 07:58 (twenty years ago)

yeah i'm thinking "amish paradise" might be it

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 07:58 (twenty years ago)

"A Million To One" was a Donny Osmond single in the US only.

Although there are two US top three hits from '74 which also spring to mind - "Americans" by Byron McGregor and "Rock 'N' Roll Heaven" by the Righteous Brothers. Do either of these ever get spun over there?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:01 (twenty years ago)

i often think about this (the original thread topic, not the novelty hits thing). when you're going through thousands of 50s/60s/70s 45s as i do on a fairly regular basis you get a more accurate view of what actually sold at the time than radio/tv shows/compilations would have you believe. it never ceases to amaze me how artists could sell so many records and be unheard of today.

partly due of course to the simplification of pop music history in the media and critics' minds, where they only think in terms on the musically important sounds or biggest bands of the time, maybe with a few counter examples for an attempt at balance.

trying to visualise labels now to give examples, but UK 45 labels don't really aid the memory being so bloody dull.

novelty records are a bit different. still very important, but more obvious to see why they wouldn't get airplay/complilation appearance years afterwards...

― michael2 (michael2), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:03 (twenty years ago)

not to my knowledge.

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:04 (twenty years ago)

here's a good one: maureen mcgovern's "the morning after" (#1 in 1973, was in the poseidon adventure). i'm sure a lot of people know it, but it never ever ever gets any radio airplay or shows up on "best of the '70s" comps.

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:06 (twenty years ago)

from '74: australian nun sister janet mead's "the lord's prayer" (#4).

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:08 (twenty years ago)

I'm sure that Don sang it on TOTP as the 'alternate' side, one time.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:09 (twenty years ago)

Extraordinary US/UK double, again from '74:

"My Melody Of Love" by Bobby Vinton (US #1)

Same tune, different lyrics:
"Don't Stay Away Too Long" by Peters and Lee (UK #3)

..and neither of these ever get revived.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:11 (twenty years ago)

haha i STILL very very occasionally hear byron mcgregor's "americans" on the radio

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:12 (twenty years ago)

LOTS of great 70s am pop never gets heard on the radio anymore, very very very few disco hits (i'm guessing at most thirty songs) get played with any regularity at all on commercial radio over here

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:15 (twenty years ago)

Yellow River - Christie
Medicine Head - One and One Is One
Anything By Peters and Lee
Paper Lace - The Night Chicago Died
Fox - S-S-S Single Bed, Only You Can
Sailor - Glass of Champagne etc
Pluto - Dat
Sutherland Brothers and Quiver - Arms of Mary
Dead End Kids - Have I The Right
Johnny Logan - What's Another Year?
Narada Michael Walden - I Shoulda Loved You
Rodney Franklin - The Groove
Blue Mink - Melting Pot
Nazareth - This Flight Tonight, My White Bicycle
New Seekers - You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me
Danny Mirror - I Remember Elvis Presley
Harpo - Movie Star
Mac and Katy Kissoon - Sugar Candy Kisses
Kenny - Heart of Stone (not 'The Bump' Kenny)
Jim Gilstrap - Swing Your Daddy
Guys and Dolls - There's A Whole Lot Of Loving
Mike Batt - Summertime City
Justin Hayward and John Lodge - Blue Guitar
Billy Howard - King Of The Cops
Jimmy James and The Vagabonds - Now Is The Time
Sherbet - Howzat
Paul Nicholas - Dancing With The Captain
Randy Edelman - Uptown Uptempo Woman
Chris Hill - Bionic Santa
Paul Evans - Hello This is Joanie
Status Quo - Wild Side Of Life
Barry Biggs - Sideshow

These were mostly top 10, certainly all top 20.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:18 (twenty years ago)

The other thing about Byron McGregor was that, because there was obviously no point in putting out "Americans" in Britain, he did record a soundalike single with a different narrative and released it as "The British." It wasn't a hit.

What was the deal with that "Shaving Cream" record that spent about 900 weeks on the US chart in 1975?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:18 (twenty years ago)

A 'hilarious' record that on the end of each verse you think it's going to say shit, as the previous rhyming word suggests, but instead sings 'shaving cream'.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:20 (twenty years ago)

Some of the records on Dr C's list do get recycled on Radio 2 every now and then.

My forthcoming 1981 blog epic manages to mention "There's A Whole Lot Of Loving" twice, for fairly obvious reasons.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:21 (twenty years ago)

Who was the guy who did "Open Letter To My Teenage Son" in the sixties? "If you burn your draft card, I have no son" etc. Victor something or other?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:25 (twenty years ago)

victor lundberg.

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:26 (twenty years ago)

i actually did hear that song on the radio recently!

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:26 (twenty years ago)

First three months of 1980 reveal - all top 10s -

Dr Hook - Better Love Next Time
Jon & Vangelis - I Hear You Now
Keith Mitchell - Captain Beaky (maybe excluded on 'novelty hit' grounds)
Tourists - So Good To Be Back Home Again
Captain & Tennille - Do That To Me One More Time
Brothers Johnson - Stomp
Lambrettas - Poison Ivy
Bobby Thurston - Check Out The Groove

also I have no idea of the public profile of "Together We Are Beautiful", though of course it gets played at Poptimism.

I do not think any of these get radio play.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:28 (twenty years ago)

haha i LOVE that record! i think i've only heard it played 'ironically' on the local college radio. was 'dawn of correction' a big hit? i didn't know about it at all until i read the hoberman sixties book. i think it and 'open letter' are a bit too ott (or at least remind the listener of vietnam, decidedly not the goal of someone sympathising with those records nowadays) to get played sincerely on radio now.

xpost

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:29 (twenty years ago)

if this thread doesn't yield some YSIs i'll be deeply disappointed.

Captain & Tennille - Do That To Me One More Time

tom, this was a HUGE hit and still gets played everywhere!

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:29 (twenty years ago)

yeah i was thinking that too but i can recall the last time i heard it or a station that might play it on the radio. little steven was right!

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:31 (twenty years ago)

Ah well either it doesn't in the UK, or I know it but don't know it, if you see what I mean.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:33 (twenty years ago)

Again, most of these 1980 examples are Radio 2 staples - so perhaps you need to persuade the Office Radio Controller to switch the dial from Magic every now and then! ;-)

Mind you, three top tens for the Specials in 1980 and you never hear any of them these days - Rat Race, Stereotypes and Do Nothing (the last two in particular are brilliant!).

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:35 (twenty years ago)

i'm sure you'd remember it if you heard a few bars. it was one of the biggest hits of the '70s, at least over here anyway. (xp)

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:36 (twenty years ago)

I think a similar thing has happened with 90's Europop than with disco: the so-called classics ("It's My Life", "Mr. Vain", "The Power", "What Is Love", "No Limits"...) still get occasionally played, whereas many other similarly big hits ("Got to Get It", "Another Night", "Trust Me", "Somebody Dance With Me", "Life"...) you never hear anymore.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:37 (twenty years ago)

"another night" still gets played a lot over here.

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:38 (twenty years ago)

A lot of Stock Aitken Waterman's stuff has vanished from the airwaves, apart from the really obvious Kylie ones and the occasional Bananarama.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:39 (twenty years ago)

and "never gonna give you up"

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:40 (twenty years ago)

I've been spending time in February 1976 this week.

Manuel & The Music Of The Mountains - "Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto De Aranjuez"
R & J Stone - "We Do It"

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:40 (twenty years ago)

Ah yes - Manuel & his Music of the Mountains, the shortest lifespan of a number one single ever, from about lunchtime on Tuesday until teatime, when they realised they'd missed out a day's sales figures and Tina Charles went top instead.

About Never Gonna Give You Up: well I thought that, but then I thought: when did I actually last hear that on the radio?

I demonstrated the Rick Astley feet-nailed-to-the-floor style of dancing at Poptimism last month, to universal blank looks.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:42 (twenty years ago)

A lot of stuff that would qualify would be the 'minor' hits of a hit act.

e.g. "The way you are" Tears for Fears, I'm sure has never been played since.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:42 (twenty years ago)

I have heard Astley on the radio recently, I'm sure of it.

I have heard Alan do it too. Not on the radio.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:43 (twenty years ago)

Also, where a single gets issued in isolation and never gets added to an album. e.g.

"This used to be my playground" Madonna

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:44 (twenty years ago)

Sometimes it seems to be just a matter or chance or some individual DJ's taste which songs keep on getting played. For example, out of Haddaway's two hit songs, at least in Finland "Life" was the bigger one (and judging from it's MTV airplay, probably in the rest of Europe too), yet that song is now forgotten and it's "What Is Love" that still gets spun.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:44 (twenty years ago)

i still hear 'never gonna give you up' and 'together forever' surprisingly quite a bit on ac radio, but the later one, with the long hair, the 'soul' one? not at all.

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:44 (twenty years ago)

The aptly-named "Cry For Help."

Indeed, Tears For Fears hold "The Way You Are" in such high regard that they didn't even include it on their greatest hits album!

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:46 (twenty years ago)

i hear 'this used to be my playground' occasionally on ac, not as much as 'rain' though, but ALOT more than say 'erotica' or 'bad girl' or 'fever' (i can't judge how often i hear 'deeper and deeper' cuz i play the fuck out of that song anyway)

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:46 (twenty years ago)

Baltimora - Tarzan Boy
Any of Amazulu's hits.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:46 (twenty years ago)

(self xpost)

see also the original 45 version of "My Own Way" by Duran Duran, conspicuously absent from compilations.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:47 (twenty years ago)

australian nun sister janet mead's "the lord's prayer" (#4).

i love this one. sounds like ike hayes produced it.

― mullygrubbr (bulbs), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:47 (twenty years ago)

Baltimora - Tarzan Boy

i haven't heard it on the radio in a while, but there was a time when it was used in EVERY commercial. and i think it was mentioned in "i love the '80s."

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:49 (twenty years ago)

i hear 'tarzan boy' on ac all the time still.

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:50 (twenty years ago)

I MUST HEAR THAT SISTER JANET MEAD RECORD NOW

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:51 (twenty years ago)

someone here has to have it.

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:52 (twenty years ago)

GIMME FIVE MINUTES

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:52 (twenty years ago)

ah, "Five Minutes" the Stranglers

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:55 (twenty years ago)

someone here has to have it.

I'VE GOT IT QUEUED

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:55 (twenty years ago)

I can't even remember how TFF's 'The Way Your Are' goes, although I'm aware of its existence. Indeed, when the music quizmaster announced that TFF were the next round, I panicked..

Blue Mink's 'Melting Pot' is a regular favourite on my personal corner-of-the-living-room radio station.

No one's heard Jimmy the Hoover's 'Tantalise' in 20-odd years.

― Buffalo Stan (Buffalo Stan), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:56 (twenty years ago)

Fast Food Rockers

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:58 (twenty years ago)

NEED MEAD? - http://s45.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1LELOTDQ8BZKW0Y0XCYMWQPD8P

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:59 (twenty years ago)

Ah, thank you James.

Daphne and Celeste :-(

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 08:59 (twenty years ago)

Judge Dread, in general.

Basically, banned at the time for rude lyrics, and not played since as they were rubbish basically.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:00 (twenty years ago)

i think i HAVE heard this!

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:00 (twenty years ago)

Yes, it's sort of coming back to me now, sounds familiar...

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:01 (twenty years ago)

I think I might play a Judge Dread side at Poptimism just to give people a chance to hear what he actually sounded like.

I expect that its turntable reign will be even briefer than that of "Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter" last time.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:02 (twenty years ago)

jody i feel stupid for asking this, but you have seen the old wabc site right?

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:02 (twenty years ago)

yes i have.

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:04 (twenty years ago)

Baltimora - Tarzan Boy

You'll be hearing this a lot more if the Sexy rapper has his way.

Two singles which I can't ever remember hearing since they were hits;

Drowning in Berlin - Mobiles
Danger games - The Pinkees.

Also a lot of mid-80's soul has been airbrushed out of history, stuff like BVSMP - I need you, Force MD's - Tender love etc

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:05 (twenty years ago)

haha for example, number one thirty years ago this week on wabc - 'mr jaws' by dickie goodman, number two - 'fame' by david bowie, number three - 'rhinestone cowboy' by glen campbell

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:06 (twenty years ago)

I find that hard to believe, force MDs etc, seems the stuff of 'staple of Radio 210', or are they given over to JLo, JTimber etc thesedays?

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:07 (twenty years ago)

http://www.musicradio77.com/survey.jpg

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:07 (twenty years ago)

(Billy D xpost)

"Roses Are Red" by the Mac Band featuring the MacCampbell Brothers!

Also, from '82: "Cry Boy Cry" by Blue Zoo - fantastic record (Morley's Single Of The Week in NME IIRC!).

On the "banned and never un-banned" basis: "Wet Dream" by Max Romeo.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:08 (twenty years ago)

I was planning to play Jimmy The Hoover at the next Poptimism.

xpost YES "Cry Boy Cry", brilliant tune!

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:09 (twenty years ago)

i haven't heard 'tender love' in years but i still hear 'let me love you down' on the quiet storm, credit due to inoj probably.

xpost - oooh 'baker stret'

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:10 (twenty years ago)

Have I spoiled the Jimmy the Hoover surprise?

I can lend you the 7".

― Buffalo Stan (Buffalo Stan), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:10 (twenty years ago)

"tender love" was on vh1 classic a few months ago.

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:11 (twenty years ago)

as was "don't disturb this groove"!

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:12 (twenty years ago)

It's OK, I have it burned on a CD somewhere. Wo wo yeh yeh yeh.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:12 (twenty years ago)

IIRC Peter Powell was very keen on the 12" of "Tantalise (Wo Wo Ee Yeh Yeh)."

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:13 (twenty years ago)

Couple of mid 90s tracks:

Sybil- When I'm Good And Ready (#5, March 1993)
Suede- Stay Together (#3, February 1994)
Maxx- Get-A-Way (#4, May 1994)
Let Loose- Crazy For You (#2, June 1994)
Terrorvision- Perseverance (#5, March 1996)
3T- Why (#2, August 1996)

I'm pretty sure I've heard none of those songs anywhere since their chart reign.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:13 (twenty years ago)

But Peter Powell was also very keen on Roman Holliday, and you really don't want to go down that seldom-visited road...

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:13 (twenty years ago)

oh oh oh you know what i haven't heard since it was a hit? calloway's "i wanna be rich"!

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:13 (twenty years ago)

Time to say, once again,

Bunsen Burner - John Otway

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:16 (twenty years ago)

Terrorvision- Perseverance (#5, March 1996)

played at Club FT some time ago (rofl)

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:16 (twenty years ago)

i still hear some of those 88-90 ac friendly pretty woman soundtrack type hits occasionally on ac, big ups to girl meets boy. haven't heard tara kemp in far too long.

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:17 (twenty years ago)

girl meets boy

"waiting for a star to fall," right? great song!

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:18 (twenty years ago)

Whaidaminit, and you've not heared it 100 times today even?

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:20 (twenty years ago)

On the New Faces/Opportunity Knocks front:

Michael Ward - Let There Be Peace On Earth (Let It Begin With Me) (UK #14, 1973)
Our Kid - You Just Might See Me Cry (UK #2, 1976)
Sheer Elegance - Life Is Too Short, Girl (UK #9, 1976)
Berni Flint - I Don't Want To Put A Hold On You (UK #3, 1977)

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:20 (twenty years ago)

"Get-A-Way" is brilliant, I YSI'ed it a while ago.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:21 (twenty years ago)

On the Telstar Greatest Hits of 1989 2CD set front:

Reynolds Girls - I'd Rather Jack
Kon Kan - I Beg Your Pardon
Edelweiss - Bring Me Edelweiss
London Boys - Requiem

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:22 (twenty years ago)

ok is this phenomenon more likely in the uk where songs can be like top five hits on the backs of large cults with little actual airplay/penetration into the larger culture (top five over here basically = this song is fucking everywhere like crazy) OR in the states where even oldies stations, which should be foolproof since they already have the data on hand to know if a song's a 'hit' or not, have supersupertight testmarketed playlists where if there's even the chance a chunk of the listenerbase won't be very familiar with the song it's off the playlist? is it more likely in the uk where interest in the charts seems to be more common/widespread?

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:22 (twenty years ago)

"I'd Rather Jack" still gets spins every now and then, didn't TOTP2 go for it a lot?

"Bring Me Edelweiss" seems strangely popular on internet music stations, but I've never even heard of it in a UK setting.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:23 (twenty years ago)

All of these songs will now feature on the next Mylo album in some form.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:23 (twenty years ago)

All Kenny Thomas and Phil Fearon/Galaxy. All Paul Hardcastle except 19 (though I may have seem Don't Waste My Time on TOTP2 once). "Complex" (and many others...I Die You Die, We Are Glass, We Take Mystery To Bed....) by Gary Numan. Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin's version of "It's My Party" (though you hear Stewart & Colin Blunstone's version of "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?" on Ken Bruce's show on a reassuringly regular basis). "You Are Everything" by Lee Garrett. In fact a lot of that 70s-radio-pop-soul (Moments & Whatnauts!!! Raydio!!) seems to have been forgotten, at least in the UK. Anything by Manhattan Transfer excepr Chanson D'amour (they had quite a few hits, didn't they? I really need to hear "Walk In Love" right now...)
We don't hear Pilot often enough on the radio either, though "Magic" has just been used for some tv ad or other.

― harvey.w (harvey.w), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:23 (twenty years ago)

haha

'bring me edelweiss' ruled too, if i heard it on the radio now i'd freak right the fuck out

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:25 (twenty years ago)

Certainly I would say that UK oldies stations now have the same kind of ultra-testmarketed playlists where the history of music has been boiled down to about 200 (or maybe even 100?) core tracks guaranteed not to alienate any of the listenership, but also guaranteed not to excite any of the listenership particularly; hence the '70s now seem to consist of a cycle of Young Hearts Run Free, I Will Survive, Dancing Queen etc.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:26 (twenty years ago)

top five over here basically = this song is fucking everywhere like crazy

since the advent of soundscan, yeah. chartmaking was a dodgier business before that, which is probably one reason why some of those songs are unfamiliar to us.

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:27 (twenty years ago)

i'd LOVE it if "young hearts run free" were played more in the US.

― faith popcorn (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:28 (twenty years ago)

Harvey- the missus had Magic FM or Heart FM or something on the other day, and they played Galaxy's 'Dancing Tight'. I commented at the time that it must've been 22 years since I last heard it.

― Buffalo Stan (Buffalo Stan), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:30 (twenty years ago)

Culture Beat 'Got To Get It'
Ace Of Base 'Life Is A Flower'
Michael Jackson 'Give In To Me'
Yazz 'Stand Up For Your Love Rights'

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:31 (twenty years ago)

gloria estefan has a version on the desperate housewives soundtrack so you might get your wish in a monkey's paw sorta way.

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:31 (twenty years ago)

London Boys - "Requiem", god what a record, Kon Kan another Poptimism favourite, in fact this thread is k-Poptimist.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:32 (twenty years ago)

I'm just getting over a cold, which means my mind is totally in random access mode. Which means I can say ...

Stuart Gillies - "Amanda"

Which was the winner of the one and only Opportunity knocks Song competition.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:32 (twenty years ago)

Just taken a look at last week's Radio 2 pick of the pops playlist here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/pickofthepops/musicplayedthis.shtml
Sept 26th 1970.

Add to the list:

TITLE: Which Way You Goin' Billy?
ARTIST: The Poppy Family
Chart Position 7 Previous Week10 (pretty much defines the genre. I *adore* this song, but have never heard it on the radio)

TITLE: Love Is Life
ARTIST: Hot Chocolate
Chart Position 11 Previous Week 6

TITLE: Me And My Life
ARTIST: The Tremeloes
Chart Position 18 Previous Week 30

TITLE: One Part - Two Parts
ARTIST: David Porter
Chart Position NEW RELEASE (I have never knowingly heard this song...)

― harvey.w (harvey.w), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:33 (twenty years ago)

Also, I've only ever heard Floyd Robinson- Makin' Love once in my entire life (#9, October 1959). Considering my parents used to cane the oldies radio when I was a kid, can I assume this is because it was hardly ever played?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 09:34 (twenty years ago)

Here's why..

What would people say?
What would people do?
What would people think
If people knew I was with you?