Any #1 song ever start its run at #100?

[spt72]

I was wondering if any song ever went completely from bottom (#100) to the top (#1)?

Anyone know?

[bandit73]

In the '80s, there were hardly any songs of any peak position that entered the Hot 100 at #100. I remember reading in Billboard around 1990 that a song debuted at #100, and that this was the first time in many, many years that a song debuted at #100. (I used to see Billboard a lot at the bookstore or library.)

I think Billboard must have had a rule at the time that shoved songs that were on their way down to the bottom of the Hot 100, allowing new songs to debut at least in the top 95.

[Shadoe Fan]

From January 1980 to November 23, 1991, no song that debuted at #100 ever reached #1.

Only two songs that debuted at #100 charted in the top 40, and those both came in the the 1990s:

"The Way You Do The Things You Do" - UB40, peaked at #6
"The Sound of Your Voice" - .38 Special, peaked at #33.

Interesting note: "Tainted Love" fell to #100 before it finally climbed back up to make the top 40.

[coldcardinal]

bandit73 said:

I think Billboard must have had a rule at the time that shoved songs that were on their way down to the bottom of the Hot 100, allowing new songs to debut at least in the top 95.

Since random chance would suggest that approximately 50% of #100s would be debuting, it must have been a conscious manipulation. My question is, why? And in what other ways did they deviate from a strict formula?

[bandit73]

coldcardinal said:

Since random chance would suggest that approximately 50% of #100s would be debuting, it must have been a conscious manipulation. My question is, why?

Probably to keep the chart fresher.

I don't know offhand of any other rules like this until after they changed the chart methodology in 1991. After this change, they implemented a rule that automatically kicks songs off of the Hot 100 if they're below a certain position and have more than a certain number of weeks on the chart.

[spt72]

So, to a greater degree than we thought listening as we grew up, the charts realy are/were/have been/are still being manipulated just as much by guys in an office as they are any concrete numbers (whether it be airplay, sales, etc). Sure, maybe its not the Top 5 that are being changed around so "Boss X" can have his daughters fave group at #1, but if Billboard staff members are "making rules" for #100 or #95 or #85 or saying if youve been on 50 weeks and drop below 65 then youre off..... then it realy isnt even close to being a science is it? Thats disappointing.

[mstgator]

Back during the '80s I recall reading that a song had to have a minimum number of stations playing it (10% of the reporting panel, or something like that) in order to debut. That in itself may have been enough to keep the majority of songs during that period from debuting below a certain chart threshold (with some exceptions).

Back to the original question, these songs debuted at #100 and ultimately hit #1:

Wilbert Harrison - Kansas City
Mark Dinning - Teen Angel
The Highwaymen - Michael
Steve Lawrence - Go Away Little Girl
Percy Sledge - When A Man Loves A Woman
Vicki Lawrence - The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia

[at40petebattistini]

Indeed, it was a rare chart feat for a song to debut at #100 and climb to the top. During the 70s, there were quite a few songs to debut at #100 and reach the Top 40. But to go to #1? Vicki Lawrence may be the only one.

Equally unique, how many songs reached #1 and stopped at #100 on their way off the chart? I was really surprised to see that it happened more times than you'd think. Bo Donaldson's Billy Don't Be A Hero did it on 8-24-74, Barry White's Can't Get Enough did it on 10-19-74, Olivia Newton-John's I Honestly Love You did it on 11-16-74, Dionne Warwick's Then Came You on 11-30-74, Diana Ross' Love Hangover on 7-31-76 and the Bee Gees' Tragedy on 5-26-79.

And then there's one more really odd one -- after hitting the top, Shaun Cassidy's Da Do Ron Ron eventually hit #100 on 9-17-77 and stayed there for four weeks.

[saintfan]

Here's one that did even better than debuting at #100 and go to #1. On January 17, 1976 "Let Your Love Flow" by the Bellamy Brothers debuted in the bubbling under at #110 (101-110 was the size of the chart at the time), moved to #106 on 1/24/76, and then at #88 on the HOT 100 on 1/31/76 and eventually hit #1 in MAY.

So that was truly a long climb. Car Wash and Footloose also were #1's that started in the bubbling under in the 70s and 80s. Not too many #1's in that era started in the BU

[saintfan]

One song in the 70's that debuted in the HOT 100 at #100 and at least hit the top 10 was "Rocky" by Austin Roberts (#9, 1975) this I think was the last one until UB40 "The Way You Do The Things You Do".

[at40petebattistini]

Saintfan,
Check out the Bubbling Under for June 9, 1973. At #120 that week was Maureen McGovern's The Morning After. Of course, it eventually rose to the top of the chart. By the way, its first week on the Hot 100 was at the #99 position. So is there a song that had a longer climb than from #120 to #1?

[saintfan]

That's an interesting fact, Thanks. Probably in the sixties there might be, those bubbling under charts would fluxuate from 101 to 130 plus positions, so there might have been, it would take some digging. Those Joel Whitburn HOT 100 chart books from the sixties had the bubbling under listed on the same page, so maybe Percy Sledge for example started lower.

I believe the Summer of 1974 was when the bubbling under chart became a fixed 101-110 chart until it's demise in August 1985. (the original BU, not counting the 25 position one that started in Dec 1992)

[kmitb]

Kind of on topic...looking through the Top Pop Hits book, The Group 1927 had a song called "That's When I Think Of You" and it entered at #100 on 8/26/89 and lasted all of 1 week. I'm sure there may be others, but that was an eye-opener!!!

Later,
Kenny

[saintfan]

The previous one before that to hit #100 for just ONE week was in 1975, "Remember The Rain" by 21st Century.

There were a couple to be at #100 for two weeks in between that "Dance Little Lady Dance" by Danny White (I think anyway) and "Discomania" by The Lovers both in 1977.

Jody Watley and Seal had a couple of #100 peakers in the '90s

[donwa001]

Here is the updated list (as of 3/22/08) with the calendar dates these 8 songs reached #1.

"Kansas City," Wilbert Harrison (May 18, 1959)

"Teen Angel," Mark Dinning (Feb. 8, 1960)

"Michael," The Highwaymen (Sept. 4, 1961)

"Go Away Little Girl," Steve Lawrence (Jan. 12, 1963)

"When a Man Loves a Woman," Percy Sledge (May 28, 1966)

"The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia," Vicki Lawrence (April 7, 1973)

"Can't Help Falling in Love," UB40 (July 24, 1993)

"Kiss Kiss," Chris Brown featuring T-Pain (Nov. 10, 2007)