On this day in 1978, the Linda Ronstadt single “Blue Bayou” debuted on the UK Singles Chart at #44 (January 28)
Linda Ronstadt’s version of Roy Orbison’s early 1960s hit was a worldwide success, going all the way to #1 in Mexico, #2 in Canada, #3 in the US, Australia and New Zealand, and #35 in the UK.
Producer Peter Asher didn't think this would be a hit for her, and tried to convince Ronstadt to reconsider, but as she told Sounds magazine in 1978:
“I feel really good about 'Blue Bayou' being the single.”
With regards to Asher’s feelings about the song, Ronstadt told Playboy in 1980:
“If we disagree on something, I really re-examine it and if I still think I'm right, I go ahead.”
She made the right call…
Fun fact: Eagles legend Don Henley sang backup vocals on the recording…
Click on the link below to watch:
On this day in 1979, the Amii Stewart single “Knock On Wood” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #85 (January 27)
The song was originally written by Steve Cropper and Eddie Floyd, and released in 1966 by Floyd.
His recording peaked at #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent one week at #1 on the Soul Singles chart.
Steve Cropper has said in interviews that there was a lightning storm the night that he and Eddie wrote the song, hence the famous lyrics 'It's like thunder, lightning, The way you love me is frightening'…
Amii Stewart’s uptempo dance cover went to #1 in the US and Canada, #2 in Australia, Italy, France, and Switzerland, #3 in New Zealand, #5 in Sweden, #6 in the UK, #7 in the Netherlands, #9 in South Africa, #13 in Germany, and #15 in Ireland.
Click on the link below to watch:
On this day in 1990, the Tom Petty single “Free Fallin’” peaked on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #7 (January 27)
The opening track from American musician Tom Petty's debut solo album “Full Moon Fever” was written by Petty and his writing partner for the album, (and fellow Traveling Wilbury), Jeff Lynne, and features Lynne on bass and backing vocals.
The duo wrote and recorded the single in two days…
On VH1 Storytellers, Tom Petty recalled:
“…I sat down one day with my friend Jeff Lynne and we were playing around on the keyboard.
I hit this lick and he said, 'That's a good lick you got there,' and I played it again.
So, just to make him laugh I started to make up words:
She's a good girl, loves her mama
Loves Jesus and America too
She's a good girl, crazy about Elvis...
And he goes, 'Good.'
I said, 'What? What was good?'
'It's all good, just sing that.'"
Lynne said:
“It was like 'Evil Woman' in that we got a repetitive chord sequence and then the melody turns into a chorus.
Everyone who heard it knew it was a hit, and the next song we did was 'I Won’t Back Down.'"
“Free Fallin’” went on to become Petty’s highest - and longest - charting solo song, peaking at #3 in Sweden, #4 in New Zealand, #5 in Canada, #7 in the US (becoming his third and final Top 10 hit there), #59 in the UK and Australia, #61 in the Netherlands, and #86 in Switzerland.
In a 2006 interview with Esquire magazine, Petty said: "'Free Fallin'' is a very good song.
Maybe it would be one of my favorites if it hadn't become this huge anthem. But I'm grateful that people like it."
The song is ranked #219 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and the great Lou Reed selected it as one of his "picks of 1989".
“Free Fallin’” reached #2 on the Spotify Global Viral 50 following Petty's death in 2017.
Click on the link below watch:
On this day in 1980, the Gary Numan single “Cars” peaked at #9 in Australia (January 28)
“Cars” was Numan’s debut solo single after dropping the Tubeway Army name, and also went to #1 in the UK and Canada, and was a Top 10 hit in the US.
Numan explained to Rolling Stone how he came up with this song's synthesizer hook:
“I have only written two songs on bass guitar and the first one was 'Cars.'
I had just been to London to buy a bass and when I got home the first thing I played was that intro riff.
I thought, 'Hey, that's not bad!' In 10 minutes, I had the whole song.
The quickest one I ever wrote. And the most famous one I'd ever written. More people should learn from that."
This live version with Nine Inch Nails is brilliant…..
On this day in 1980, the Sniff ‘n’ the Tears single “Driver’s Seat” peaked on the Australian charts at #13 (January 28)
The song from the “Fickle Heart” LP from the UK combo was a huge hit in the Netherlands, making it to the Top 10 in 1980, and then all the way to #1 in 1991 after appearing in a Dutch tv ad for Pioneer stereos.
The new wave rock track also made it to #13 in Australia, #15 in the US, #17 in Canada, and #20 in New Zealand.
"It was a pretty massive hit everywhere apart from Britain," reflected singer/guitarist Paul Roberts to Mojo in 2011.
“Britain is perverse in some respects, but it did get a lot of radio play.
We were accused of ripping off Dire Straits. I never understood that, but I think it was more that we were different to the post-punk scene."
Click below for a video step back in time:
On this day in 1984, the Nik Kershaw single “Wouldn’t It Be Good” debuted on the UK Singles Chart at #53 (January 28)
"Wouldn't It Be Good" was the second single from Kershaw's debut solo album “Human Racing” and turned out to be among his more popular single releases.
It spent three weeks at #4 on the UK charts and became a hit throughout Europe, as well as a top 10 hit in Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Switzerland, and Italy.
Kershaw is also most closely associated with this song in the US, where it narrowly missed going Top 40 on the Billboard charts.
Kershaw performed this song at Live Aid in London's Wembley Stadium in July 1985.
According to Kershaw, the song was about "always wanting it better than everyone else", a concept which the director of the video further developed and integrated into the video plot of Kershaw being the alien who steps into other people's shoes.
But in the end the alien realises that it wasn't such a good idea at all, and decides to return to his home planet.
Click on the link below to watch it:
On this day in 1978, Rich Kids self-titled single debuted on the UK Singles Chart at #29 (January 28)
After Glen Matlock left the Sex Pistols in early 1977, he formed Rich Kids with teenage guitarist Steve New, former Slik and future Visage, Thin Lizzy and Ultravox member Midge Ure, and Rusty Egan, who later founded Visage with Ure.
They weren’t around for long, only from March 1977 to December 1978, and in that time released one album and three singles, of which this was their first.
The B-side was "Empty Words", and the single was also released on red vinyl.
On the charts it peaked at #24 in the UK.
Fun fact: The Clash’s Mick Jones played with the band in 1977, although not as an official member, and in 1978, Bowie’s guitarist Mick Ronson and the Faces’ keyboard player Ian McLagan played with Rich Kids.
Click on the link below to watch:
On this day in 1980, the Michael Jackson single “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” went to #1 on the Australian charts (January 28)
The song was a worldwide success, reaching #1 in nine other countries, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, Denmark and Norway.
"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" was also Jackson's second single to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
It also remained at #1 for six weeks on Billboard Soul Singles chart.
The first track from his “Off the Wall” LP is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most iconic disco songs of all time.
The video clip for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" shows some classic Jackson dance moves, as well as being shown in an innovative (for the era) triplicate, in different color backgrounds.
The song also won Jackson his first Grammy Award and American Music Awards. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is considered to be the first song to showcase Jackson's talent as a solo artist, both as a singer and songwriter.
Click on the link below for the iconic video:
On this day in 1984, the Eurythmics LP “Touch” went to #1 on the UK Albums Chart (January 29)
Preceded by the single "Who's That Girl?", “Touch” was recorded and mixed in about three weeks at Eurythmics' own London studio facility, The Church.
The third studio LP from Annie Lennox & Dave Stewart was the duo's first #1 album in the UK, also peaking at #1 in New Zealand, #3 in Canada, #4 in Australia, #7 in the US, #8 in Norway, and #9 in the Netherlands, Germany and Sweden.
In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked “Touch” at #492 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".
Click on the link below to watch “Here Comes The Rain Again”:
Linda Ronstadt’s version of Roy Orbison’s early 1960s hit was a worldwide success, going all the way to #1 in Mexico, #2 in Canada, #3 in the US, Australia and New Zealand, and #35 in the UK.
Producer Peter Asher didn't think this would be a hit for her, and tried to convince Ronstadt to reconsider, but as she told Sounds magazine in 1978:
“I feel really good about 'Blue Bayou' being the single.”
With regards to Asher’s feelings about the song, Ronstadt told Playboy in 1980:
“If we disagree on something, I really re-examine it and if I still think I'm right, I go ahead.”
She made the right call…
Fun fact: Eagles legend Don Henley sang backup vocals on the recording…
Click on the link below to watch:
On this day in 1979, the Amii Stewart single “Knock On Wood” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #85 (January 27)
The song was originally written by Steve Cropper and Eddie Floyd, and released in 1966 by Floyd.
His recording peaked at #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent one week at #1 on the Soul Singles chart.
Steve Cropper has said in interviews that there was a lightning storm the night that he and Eddie wrote the song, hence the famous lyrics 'It's like thunder, lightning, The way you love me is frightening'…
Amii Stewart’s uptempo dance cover went to #1 in the US and Canada, #2 in Australia, Italy, France, and Switzerland, #3 in New Zealand, #5 in Sweden, #6 in the UK, #7 in the Netherlands, #9 in South Africa, #13 in Germany, and #15 in Ireland.
Click on the link below to watch:
On this day in 1990, the Tom Petty single “Free Fallin’” peaked on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #7 (January 27)
The opening track from American musician Tom Petty's debut solo album “Full Moon Fever” was written by Petty and his writing partner for the album, (and fellow Traveling Wilbury), Jeff Lynne, and features Lynne on bass and backing vocals.
The duo wrote and recorded the single in two days…
On VH1 Storytellers, Tom Petty recalled:
“…I sat down one day with my friend Jeff Lynne and we were playing around on the keyboard.
I hit this lick and he said, 'That's a good lick you got there,' and I played it again.
So, just to make him laugh I started to make up words:
She's a good girl, loves her mama
Loves Jesus and America too
She's a good girl, crazy about Elvis...
And he goes, 'Good.'
I said, 'What? What was good?'
'It's all good, just sing that.'"
Lynne said:
“It was like 'Evil Woman' in that we got a repetitive chord sequence and then the melody turns into a chorus.
Everyone who heard it knew it was a hit, and the next song we did was 'I Won’t Back Down.'"
“Free Fallin’” went on to become Petty’s highest - and longest - charting solo song, peaking at #3 in Sweden, #4 in New Zealand, #5 in Canada, #7 in the US (becoming his third and final Top 10 hit there), #59 in the UK and Australia, #61 in the Netherlands, and #86 in Switzerland.
In a 2006 interview with Esquire magazine, Petty said: "'Free Fallin'' is a very good song.
Maybe it would be one of my favorites if it hadn't become this huge anthem. But I'm grateful that people like it."
The song is ranked #219 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and the great Lou Reed selected it as one of his "picks of 1989".
“Free Fallin’” reached #2 on the Spotify Global Viral 50 following Petty's death in 2017.
Click on the link below watch:
On this day in 1980, the Gary Numan single “Cars” peaked at #9 in Australia (January 28)
“Cars” was Numan’s debut solo single after dropping the Tubeway Army name, and also went to #1 in the UK and Canada, and was a Top 10 hit in the US.
Numan explained to Rolling Stone how he came up with this song's synthesizer hook:
“I have only written two songs on bass guitar and the first one was 'Cars.'
I had just been to London to buy a bass and when I got home the first thing I played was that intro riff.
I thought, 'Hey, that's not bad!' In 10 minutes, I had the whole song.
The quickest one I ever wrote. And the most famous one I'd ever written. More people should learn from that."
This live version with Nine Inch Nails is brilliant…..
On this day in 1980, the Sniff ‘n’ the Tears single “Driver’s Seat” peaked on the Australian charts at #13 (January 28)
The song from the “Fickle Heart” LP from the UK combo was a huge hit in the Netherlands, making it to the Top 10 in 1980, and then all the way to #1 in 1991 after appearing in a Dutch tv ad for Pioneer stereos.
The new wave rock track also made it to #13 in Australia, #15 in the US, #17 in Canada, and #20 in New Zealand.
"It was a pretty massive hit everywhere apart from Britain," reflected singer/guitarist Paul Roberts to Mojo in 2011.
“Britain is perverse in some respects, but it did get a lot of radio play.
We were accused of ripping off Dire Straits. I never understood that, but I think it was more that we were different to the post-punk scene."
Click below for a video step back in time:
On this day in 1984, the Nik Kershaw single “Wouldn’t It Be Good” debuted on the UK Singles Chart at #53 (January 28)
"Wouldn't It Be Good" was the second single from Kershaw's debut solo album “Human Racing” and turned out to be among his more popular single releases.
It spent three weeks at #4 on the UK charts and became a hit throughout Europe, as well as a top 10 hit in Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Switzerland, and Italy.
Kershaw is also most closely associated with this song in the US, where it narrowly missed going Top 40 on the Billboard charts.
Kershaw performed this song at Live Aid in London's Wembley Stadium in July 1985.
According to Kershaw, the song was about "always wanting it better than everyone else", a concept which the director of the video further developed and integrated into the video plot of Kershaw being the alien who steps into other people's shoes.
But in the end the alien realises that it wasn't such a good idea at all, and decides to return to his home planet.
Click on the link below to watch it:
On this day in 1978, Rich Kids self-titled single debuted on the UK Singles Chart at #29 (January 28)
After Glen Matlock left the Sex Pistols in early 1977, he formed Rich Kids with teenage guitarist Steve New, former Slik and future Visage, Thin Lizzy and Ultravox member Midge Ure, and Rusty Egan, who later founded Visage with Ure.
They weren’t around for long, only from March 1977 to December 1978, and in that time released one album and three singles, of which this was their first.
The B-side was "Empty Words", and the single was also released on red vinyl.
On the charts it peaked at #24 in the UK.
Fun fact: The Clash’s Mick Jones played with the band in 1977, although not as an official member, and in 1978, Bowie’s guitarist Mick Ronson and the Faces’ keyboard player Ian McLagan played with Rich Kids.
Click on the link below to watch:
On this day in 1980, the Michael Jackson single “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” went to #1 on the Australian charts (January 28)
The song was a worldwide success, reaching #1 in nine other countries, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, Denmark and Norway.
"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" was also Jackson's second single to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
It also remained at #1 for six weeks on Billboard Soul Singles chart.
The first track from his “Off the Wall” LP is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most iconic disco songs of all time.
The video clip for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" shows some classic Jackson dance moves, as well as being shown in an innovative (for the era) triplicate, in different color backgrounds.
The song also won Jackson his first Grammy Award and American Music Awards. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is considered to be the first song to showcase Jackson's talent as a solo artist, both as a singer and songwriter.
Click on the link below for the iconic video:
On this day in 1984, the Eurythmics LP “Touch” went to #1 on the UK Albums Chart (January 29)
Preceded by the single "Who's That Girl?", “Touch” was recorded and mixed in about three weeks at Eurythmics' own London studio facility, The Church.
The third studio LP from Annie Lennox & Dave Stewart was the duo's first #1 album in the UK, also peaking at #1 in New Zealand, #3 in Canada, #4 in Australia, #7 in the US, #8 in Norway, and #9 in the Netherlands, Germany and Sweden.
In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked “Touch” at #492 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".
Click on the link below to watch “Here Comes The Rain Again”:
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