Top 40 Artists named in Top 40 song before hitting the 40

[woolebull]

We've gone at this question a few ways, but I don't think we've done it this way. How many artists were named in a top 40 hit BEFORE they hit the Top 40? You wouldn't think it would be many, because "name dropping" artists in a song before they were big (or "pop" big) wouldn't seem to help a single out. But more artists were named in songs, particularly in the late 80's and 90's

I can only think of one true song, and then one instance where solo artists were named that had hit the Top 40 numerous times. The true instance would be in the top ten song, "Playground" by Another Bad Creation. In the song they talk about the "East Coast Family" being themselves, Boyz II Men, and BellBivDevoe. At the time the song debuted on the Top 40, Boyz II Men had not even hit the Hot 100 with their first song. By the time "Playground" was going down the Top 40, B II M were going up the Top 40 with "Motownphilly". Still, Boyz II Men were named in a Top 40 song before they had even hit the Hot 100.

The other instance involves the aforementioned BellBivDevoe in 1990 on their first hit, "Poison". At the end of the song they named, "Ralph T" and "Johnny G". A few months later, "Johnny G" (Gill) would hit the Top 40 for the first time with his Top 3 hit, "Rub You The Right Way". "Ralph T" (Tresvant) would hit the Top 5 with "Sensitivity" in early 1991. Ralph and Johnny had hit the Top 40 with New Edition, but had not hit as solo artists.

That's all I got on this. Anybody else fit the bill?

[michaelcasselman]

Weren't individual names of New Edition members mentioned in one of NEs mid-80s hits? Would that count?

[jlthorpe]

What about in "The Boys of Summer", when Don Henley mentioned the "Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac", referring to the Grateful Dead? That song hit the Top 40 in 1984, and the Dead didn't hit the Top 40 until 1987.

If we count the post-Soundscan Hot 100, Notorious B.I.G. mentioned Junior M.A.F.I.A. in "Juicy". The song hit the Top 40 in 1994, and the group hit the Top 40 in 1995.

And Digital Underground mentioned MC Hammer in "The Humpty Dance", which hit the Top 40 two weeks before Hammer did.

[woolebull]

Jun 11, 2014 19:13:21 GMT -5 jlthorpe said:

What about in "The Boys of Summer", when Don Henley mentioned the "Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac", referring to the Grateful Dead? That song hit the Top 40 in 1984, and the Dead didn't hit the Top 40 until 1987.

If we count the post-Soundscan Hot 100, Notorious B.I.G. mentions Junior M.A.F.I.A. in "Juicy". The song hit the Top 40 in 1994, and the group hit the Top 40 in 1995.

I'll definitely give you the Deadhead sticker on that Cadillac! That's a good one! And I'm sure there are many post-Soundscan that fit the bill, I usually go with R and R after 1991, but I'll take that one as well.

[woolebull]

Jun 11, 2014 18:24:23 GMT -5 michaelcasselman said:

Weren't individual names of New Edition members mentioned in one of NEs mid-80s hits? Would that count?

If I'm counting "Poison" half naming artists that had already hit as a group, then absolutely "Cool It Now" counts! What's even funnier: Bell Biv Devoe gets Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant in this exclusive club, and "Cool It Now" gets the rest of the group. Not one name overlaps! Bobby Brown is mentioned in both songs, but he had already hit big by the time "Poison" hit the Top 40. Tresvant doesn't name himself in "Cool It Now" but names Bell, Biv, Devoe, and Brown. The last member, who came after "Cool It Now", Johnny Gill gets named along with Tresvant in "Poison".

That's pretty cool!

[woolebull]

Good catch, jlthorpe, on "The Humpty Dance" preceding Hammer. It's amazing the run "Humpty" had on the Hot 100. It was (seemingly) out forever before it began its impressive run up to position 11.

[jlthorpe]

If we're counting solo artists who already hit the Top 40 in a group, then The Carefrees mentioned John, Paul, George, and Ringo by name in "We Love You Beatles".

[tarobe]

The Grateful Dead were mentioned by name in the Cowsills' 1969 hit "Hair," a full 18 years before they hit the Top 40.

[tarobe]

Elvin Bishop, ZZ Top and the Marshall Tucker Band were mentioned in the early 1975 hit "The South's Gonna Do It" by the Charlie Daniels Band. All of them would hit the Top 40 within the next year or so.

[slf]

Don't forget Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water" mentions "Frank Zappa and the Mothers" (and their disastrous concert at Montreux Casino  in Switzerland) nine years before "Valley Girl", his only top 40 hit (with daughter Moon Unit).

[1finemrg]

Neil Sedaka's "Oh! Carol" hit the top ten in 1958, four years before Carol Klein (aka Carole King) charted in the top 40 with "It Might As Well Rain Until September".

[at40petebattistini]

Jun 11, 2014 21:47:18 GMT -5 tarobe said:

Elvin Bishop, ZZ Top and the Marshall Tucker Band were mentioned in the early 1975 hit "The South's Gonna Do It" by the Charlie Daniels Band. All of them would hit the Top 40 within the next year or so.

I believe ZZ Top was also mentioned in "Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)" in 1974.

[pgfromwp]

Jun 12, 2014 4:28:38 GMT -5 at40petebattistini said:

Jun 11, 2014 21:47:18 GMT -5 tarobe said:

Elvin Bishop, ZZ Top and the Marshall Tucker Band were mentioned in the early 1975 hit "The South's Gonna Do It" by the Charlie Daniels Band. All of them would hit the Top 40 within the next year or so.

I believe ZZ Top was also mentioned in "Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)" in 1974.

Poco was also mentioned in that song. They didn't crack the top 40 until 1979 with "Crazy Love".

[slf]

A little after I submitted the first post I thought of another great example, albeit from the pre-AT40 era.  Do you remember "Monterey" by Eric Burdon & the Animals from early 1968?  Among the many acts mentioned in the song are THREE that hadn't yet had a Top 40 hit.  One was the Grateful Dead, who, of course, would have to wait many years for a Top 40 appearance.  The other two were Hugh Masekela and Jimi Hendrix, who would each have their only Top 40 hits later that year ("Grazing In The Grass" and "All Along The Watchtower", respectively).

[mstgator]

Heard another one today... Elton John and George Michael name check a bunch of beautiful celebrities at the end of 1985's "Wrap Her Up", including Samantha Fox, whose first hit was more than a year in the future.