It Takes Two: 10 Songwriting Duos That Rocked Music History
As always, submit your questions about Billboard charts, sales and airplay, as well as general music musings, to askbb@billboard.com. Please include your first and last name, as well as your city, state and country, if outside the U.S.
WHO'S THE HOT 100'S KING? ELVIS PRESLEY VS. LIL WAYNE
Dear Gary,
Artist Mentioned
I can usually count on you. But, comparing As always, submit your questions about Billboard charts, sales and airplay, as well as general music musings, to askbb@billboard.com. Please include your first and last name, as well as your city, state and country, if outside the U.S.
CHRISTINA AGUILERA'S CAREER SALES
Hi Gary,
I'm a big As always, submit your questions about Billboard charts, sales and airplay, as well as general music musings, to askbb@billboard.com. Please include your first and last name, as well as your city, state and country, if outside the U.S.
THE 'ONE'S THAT WE'VE LOVED
Dear Gary,
"One More Night" by As always, submit your questions about Billboard charts, sales and airplay, as well as general music musings, to askbb@billboard.com. Please include your first and last name, as well as your city, state and country, if outside the U.S.
BUILDING A CASE FOR THE CARPENTERS
Gary,
Your list of same titles/different songs that have topped the Hot 100 is missing one entry. The Carpenters' "(They Long to Be) Close to You" reached No. 1 in 1970, while "Close to You" by Maxi Priest reached the apex in 1990.
OK, the Carpenters added a subtitle, but I think it's still a legit entry. (Hey, you let "All 4/for You" pass!)
Also, "Venus," the Shocking Blue/Bananarama tune (but not the same as Frankie Avalon's 1959 leader) has been part of a third No. 1: it's the first song heard on Stars on 45's chart-topping 1981 "Medley" and is listed among the songs included in the single in its full title.
Thanks,
Pat Kelly Brampton, Canada
Thanks Pat.
And, nice to give a shout-out to Maxi Priest. (Timely, too, as "Night" sports a reggae touch.) Priest and UB40 were the only reggae acts welcomed into top 40 when I first started listening in the late '80s and I always liked his cover of Cat Stevens' "Wild World," which became his first Hot 100 hit, reaching No. 25 in 1988.
In addition to "Close to You," the British-born singer of Jamaican descent scaled the top 10 with Roberta Flack on "Set the Night to Music," which began its run to No. 6 this week in 1991 (three years after Starship had taken it to No. 9 on Adult Contemporary.)
Fans may be interested to know that Priest's latest album of new music, the holiday set "Time of the Year," is available As always, submit your questions about Billboard charts, sales and airplay, as well as general music musings, to askbb@billboard.com. Please include your first and last name, as well as your city, state and country, if outside the U.S.
THE ABCs OF THE BILLBOARD 200
Hi Gary,
With Maroon 5 on top of the Hot 100 with "One More Night," that makes consecutive No. 1s for writer Max Martin. He also co-wrote the previous ruler, Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together." Impressively, "Night" is Martin's 15th Hot 100 No. 1 as a writer.
Oh, and how curious that "Coexist" debuts at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and "La Futura" debuts at No. 6. The xx and ZZ Top, then, are back-to-back in the top 10.