Billboard Top 100 Songs of All Time Continued…
40.”Say, Say, Say” – Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for six weeks (1983): Paul McCartney didn’t think that Jackson was really on the phone when he called to see if they wanted to collaborate. The first song together was “The Girl is Mine” and then came this huge hit “Say, Say, Say.” Too bad the two partied would get into a bitter fight when jackson purchased the Beatles library later in life.
39. “Another One Bites the Dust” – Queen
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for three weeks (1980): Freddie Mercury and Brian May wrote most of Queen’s hits, but not this one. Sole writing credit goes to bass guitarist John Deacon, who had composed the group’s 1976 hit, “You’re My Best Friend.” This, along with many other Queen songs, are huge stadium hits and you continue to hear them at just about every sporting event in the world.
38. “Night Fever” – The Bee Gees
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for eight weeks (1978): The song was actually written before the movie “Saturday Night Fever” was made.
37. “Let’s Get It On” – Marvin Gaye
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for two weeks (1973): The song was seriously chided for its sexual message. However, Gaye’s co-writer, Ed Townsend, says it began as an ode about overcoming addiction, based on his personal experience in an alcohol rehab center.
36. “Silly Love Songs” – Wings
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for five weeks (1976): Paul McCartney was the writer behind this huge hit for Wings. He wrote the song because critics called music of his music lightweight.
35. “Truly, Madly, Deeply” – Savage Garden
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for two weeks (1998): Darren Hayes wrote a very personal song and named it after a 1990 British film he thought no one had seen, “Truly Madly Deeply.” “It was our first No. 1 and it opened the whole world to Savage Garden,” says Hayes. “Thank God for that song.” (From Billboard)
34. “One Sweet Day” – Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 16 weeks (1995): This song combined two of the most popular R&B acts of all time together at their peaks. The result, the longest running number 1 hit of all time. The song spent 16 straight weeks at the number 1 position on the chart.
33. “The Battle of New Orleans” – Johnny Horton
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for six weeks (1959): After the final battle of the War of 1812, a folk tune played by fiddlers called “The Eighth of January” became popular across the United States. Lyrics weren’t written until 1955, by an Arkansas teacher named Jimmy Driftwood. He retitled it “The Battle of New Orleans,” and four years later it was recorded by Johnny Horton. (From Billboard)
32. “Tossin’ and Turnin'” – Bobby Lewis
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for seven weeks (1961): During a gig at the Apollo, Lewis gave some encouragement to a nervous group of singers, the Fireflies. A few weeks later, Lewis signed to the Beltone label and discovered his labelmates were the Fireflies, who offered him a song they had written, “Tossin’ and Turnin’.” (From Billboard)
31. “Rolling in the Deep” – Adele
Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for seven weeks (2011): The most successful single by a U.K. solo female since “Physical” by Olivia Newton-John 30 years earlier. The first of three No. 1s from the second best-selling album released in the 21st century, “21,” it led the Hot 100 for seven weeks. “Someone Like You” was on top for five weeks and “Set Fire to the Rain” triumphed for two weeks. (From Billboard)
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