Billboard Top 100 Songs of All Time Continued…
10. “Hey Jude” – The Beatles
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for nine weeks (1968): You would think the Beatles would have had more top 100 songs in this list. However, that wasn’t really their strong point as most of their number 1 songs only stayed on top for a couple of weeks. However, “Hey Jude” was the exception as it is one of the top 10 biggest songs of all time with a run at number 1 of 9 weeks. It is also the longest No. 1 in terms of running time, at seven minutes and 11 seconds.
9. “You Light Up My Life” – Debby Boone
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 10 weeks (1977): Years after it was a hit, Boone told Billboard: “Because the lyrics really lent themselves to how I felt about my relationship with the Lord, that’s the way I chose to sing it. I never thought anyone would know.” (From Billboard)
8. “Physical” – Olivia Newton-John
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 10 weeks (1981): The song would be considered tame by today’s standards. However, back in 1981 “Physical” had sex written all over it. The song came with a lot of trouble but seemed to come out on top.
7. “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)” – Los Del Rio
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 14 weeks (1996): The original version of this song was recorded in 1993 in Spanish only. Miami’s Power 96 only played songs in English and asked Carlos De Yarza and Mike Triay, the Bayside Boys, to do a remix. Singer Patricia Alfaro recorded their new English lyrics and the song became a national phenomenon. You will still here it in stadiums, parties and other events.
6. “I Gotta Feeling” – The Black Eyed Peas
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 14 weeks (2009): The Black Eyed Peas have been on this countdown a couple of times. However, this is far and away the biggest hit they have ever had. So much so that it just missed being a top 5 song of all time. The group’s “Boom Boom Pow” was No. 1 for 12 weeks and was immediately succeeded by “I Gotta Feeling,” which ruled for 14 weeks. The combined 26-week reign is the longest for any artist in Hot 100 history
5. “Party Rock Anthem” – LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for six weeks (2011): Yes, you are reading this right, LMFAO is responsible for the 5th biggest song in history. The song recorded by Motown founder Berry Gordy’s son (Redfoo, a.k.a. Stefan Kendal Gordy) and grandson (SkyBlu, a.k.a. Skyler Husten Gordy) became a bigger hit than any single released by Motown. The group has since split siting “creative differences.”
4. “How Do I Live” – LeAnn Rimes
Hot 100 Peak: No. 2 (1997): Yet another example of a song that never made it to number 1 still having a lasting effect. Trisha Yearwood also released a version of this song and that version also charted. However, Rimes version of the song made it to number 2 and stayed on the charts for 69 weeks, which was a record then.
3. “Mack the Knife” – Bobby Darin
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for nine weeks (1959): Lets step back in time for a bit to recognize the 3rd biggest song ever recorded. Originally Darin didn’t even want this song released. However, the studio released it anyway and it not only became the biggest hit of his career but also the third biggest recording in history.
2. “Smooth” – Santana feat. Rob Thomas
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 12 weeks (1999): Originally Rob Thomas (of Matchbox 20) was only suppose to write this song for Santana and another singer was going to sing the track. However, when Santana heard Rob Thomas sing an example of how the song should sound he immediately asked Thomas to sing the song for the album. The rest is history, as “Smooth” became the biggest hit of both their careeers and ended up being the second biggest recording of all time.
1. “The Twist” – Chubby Checker
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for three weeks (1960, 1962):The only single to be No. 1 twice on the Hot 100, in two different chart runs. After topping the chart in 1960, the dance caught on with the older generation. Checker was invited to perform “The Twist” on “The Ed Sullivan Show” on Oct. 22, 1961, prompting a re-release of the single and a full-page ad in Billboard that proclaimed, “‘The Twist’ dance rage explodes into the adult world!” The grown-ups bought enough copies to send the song back to No. 1 in early 1962. (From Billboard)
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