Chart Trivia Help

[Ponderous Man]

In the history of the Hot 100, what songs spent only 2 weeks in the Top 40 & were in the same position for both of those weeks (like 2 weeks at #40, 2 weeks at #39, etc.)? I know there are some songs that have done this.

[pizzzzza]

I'm sure Pete can help you out with this one!

[atruefan]

I'm not claiming this is 100% accurate, but I managed to pull this info together for the 1970s:

Let A Man Come In And Do The Popcorn (Part II) – James Brown – 40
Who’s Your Baby – Archies – 40
Temma Harbour – Mary Hopkin – 39
Come Running – Van Morrison – 39
Oh Happy Day – Glen Campbell – 40
End Of Our Road – Marvin Gaye – 40
Everything’s Tuesday – Chairmen Of The Board – 38
I Am Somebody, Part II – Johnnie Taylor – 39
Border Song – Aretha Franklin – 37
Your Time To Cry – Joe Simon – 40
Just Seven Numbers (Can Straighten Out My Life) – Four Tops – 40
Reach Out I’ll Be There – Diana Ross – 39
I’d Love To Change The World – Ten Years After – 40
Your Move – Yes – 40
Lookin’ For A Love – J. Geils Band – 39
King Heroin – James Brown – 40
The Runway – Grass Roots – 39
We’re Free – Beverly Bremers – 40
If You Leave Me Tonight I’ll Cry – Jerry Wallace – 38
Geronimo’s Cadillace – Michael Murphey – 37
Rock Me Baby – David Cassidy – 38
The Relay – The Who – 39
I’ll Be Your Shelter (In Time Of Storm) – Luther Ingram – 40
Plastic Man – Temptations – 40
Ecstasy – Ohio Players – 34
To Know You Is To Love You – B.B. King – 38
I’ve Got A Thing About You Baby/Take Good Care Of Her – Elvis Presley – 39
River’s Risin’ – Edgar Winter – 33
Sugar Baby Love – The Rubettes – 37
One Day At A Time – Marilyn Sellars – 37
Higher Plane – Kool & The Gang – 37
Doraville – Atlanta Rhythm Section – 35
Three Ring Circus – Blue Magic – 36
Don’t Take Your Love From Me – Manhattans – 37
I’ve Been This Way Before – Neil Diamond – 34
I Get Lifted – George McCrae – 37
Living A Little, Laughing A Little – Spinners – 37
Who’s Sorry Now – Marie Osmond – 40
Beer Barrel Polka/Dick And Jane – Bobby Vinton – 33
Trampled Underfoot – Led Zeppelin – 38
Good Lovin’ Gone Bad – Bad Company - 36
Black Friday – Steely Dan – 37
I’ll Do For You Anything You Want Me To – Barry White – 40
Give It What You Got – B.T. Express – 40
I Got Stoned And I Missed It – Jim Stafford – 37
If I Ever Lose This Heaven – Average White Band – 39
Hit The Road Jack – Stampeders – 40
Fallen Angel – Frankie Valli – 36
I.O.U. – Jimmy Dean – 35
Still Crazy After All These Years – Paul Simon – 40
Springtime Mama – Henry Gross – 37
Like A Sad Song – John Denver – 36
Free Bird (Live) – Lynyrd Skynyrd – 38
Back In The Saddle – Aerosmith – 38
Peace Of Mind – Boston – 38
It’s A Crazy World – Mac McAnally – 37
Thunder In My Heart – Leo Sayer – 38
Easy To Love – Leo Sayer – 36
Boogie Shoes – KC & The Sunshine Band – 35
Chattanooga Choo Choo – Tuxedo Junction – 32
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow – Dave Mason – 39
Steppin’ In A Slide Zone – Moody Blues – 39
London Town – Wings – 39
Flying High – Commodores – 38
Like A Sunday In Salem – Gene Cotton – 40
Can You Fool – Glen Campbell – 38
Watch Out For Lucy – Eric Clapton – 40
I Who Have Nothing – Sylvester – 40
Married Men – Bette Midler – 40
If I Said You Had A Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me – Bellamy Brothers – 39
Found A Cure – Ashford & Simpson – 36
Confusion – Electric Light Orchestra – 37

[dukelightning]

There is a question in the 2/26/72 show that is related to this data. The highest debut with no chart rise. Does anyone know what the answer is? This show was not played by anyone the last 2 years. In the 70s, the answer would be #32 based on the above list if it is about debuting in the top 40.

[atruefan]

Mar 24, 2011 20:01:49 GMT -5 dukelightning said:

There is a question in the 2/26/72 show that is related to this data. The highest debut with no chart rise. Does anyone know what the answer is? This show was not played by anyone the last 2 years. In the 70s, the answer would be #32 based on the above list if it is about debuting in the top 40.

There may have been songs in the 70s that debuted higher than 32 and peaked at that position - but they may have spent additional weeks in the top 40. I only extracted songs that spent exactly 2 weeks in the 40 at their peak position.

[mstgator]

Mar 24, 2011 20:01:49 GMT -5 dukelightning said:

There is a question in the 2/26/72 show that is related to this data. The highest debut with no chart rise. Does anyone know what the answer is?

The answer to that one was "Young Abe Lincoln" by Don Cornell, from 1955. Debuted in the Top 100 at #25, then fell off the entire chart for two weeks before returning at #94 for one more week. (Needless to say the chart was volatile in those early days, but that one is so bizarre that it may have been some sort of statistical error in the original charts.)

[dukelightning]

Thanks mstgator for the answer. But I am disppointed in AT40 on this one. That song debuted on the first TOP 100 chart published which did have last week's positions listed. I think they should have done as they do on several questions and say what was in second place. I will look through Pete Battistini's book and see if this question was answered on another show in hopes that they gave a different answer. By the 80s they could have done it just for songs debuting on AT40.

[matt]

A few to add to the list - we had a discussion in which these songs were mentioned a couple months ago under another thread. I think it was in regard to the "which songs peaked at #40" question maybe? All of these peaked at #40 for 2 weeks before dropping out, and all happened within a 7-week span from Nov 5 - Dec 17, 1983:

"Spice of Life" - Manhattan Transfer (11/5, 11/12)
"Invisible Hands" - Kim Carnes (11/26, 12/3)
"The Way He Makes Me Feel" - Barbara Streisand (12/10, 12/17)

The one differing week out of the seven was Nov. 19, in which the Police's "King of Pain" spent its final week on the 40 at #40.

[caseyfan100]

Did the song "Burnin' For You" by the Blue Oyster Cult spend three weeks at #40 and peak at that position? I seem to recall that one.

[dukelightning]

You are correct. It did just that.

[mstgator]

Mar 25, 2011 7:58:54 GMT -5 dukelightning said:

Thanks mstgator for the answer. But I am disppointed in AT40 on this one. That song debuted on the first TOP 100 chart published which did have last week's positions listed. I think they should have done as they do on several questions and say what was in second place. I will look through Pete Battistini's book and see if this question was answered on another show in hopes that they gave a different answer. By the 80s they could have done it just for songs debuting on AT40.

I do recall a show (in the early '80s?) where Casey mentioned the bizarre chart run of Chuck Berry's 1956 classic "Roll Over Beethoven". That one debuted on the Top 100 at #29, plunged to #87, and then spent a few more weeks near the bottom of the chart. But again, I suspect a possible tabulation error in the original charts, since the week it dropped to #87 it was shown as a new entry (i.e., a dash in the "last week" column).

[atruefan]

I'm even less confident of this data than my 70's data, but here's a stab at the 80s two weeks at peak and off songs. Interestingly, there don't appear to be any songs from 88 or 89 that fit the bill.

Savannah Nights – Tom Johnston – 34
I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) – Bonnie Pointer – 40
Don’t Say Goodnight – The Isley Brothers – 39
New Romance – Spider – 39
Angel Say No – Tommy Tutone – 38
One Trick Pony – Paul Simon – 40
My Mother’s Eyes – Bette Midler – 39
Who’s Making Love – Blues Brothers – 39
Who Do You Think You’re Foolin’ – Donna Summer – 40
I Loved ‘Em Every One – T.G. Sheppard – 37
I Can Take Care Of Myself – Billy & The Beaters – 39
Jones Vs. Jones – Kool & The Gang – 39
Two Hearts – Stephanie Mills Featuring Teddy Pendergrass – 40
Give It To Me Baby – Rick James – 40
I’m In Love – Evelyn King – 40
Straight From The Heart – The Allman Brothers Band – 39
You Saved My Soul – Burton Cummings – 37
Promises In The Dark – Pat Benatar – 38
Twilight – E.L.O. – 38
Don’t Let Him Know – Prism – 39
Man On The Corner – Genesis – 40
Murphy’s Law – Cheri – 39
Angel In Blue – The J. Geils Band – 40
I Really Don’t Need No Light – Jeffrey Osborne – 39
Oh Julie – Barry Manilow – 38
You Keep Runnin’ Away – .38 Special – 38
Young Love – Air Supply – 38
I Need You – Paul Carrack – 37
Memory – Barry Manilow – 39
Put It In A Magazine – Sonny Charles – 40
Burning Heart – Vandenberg – 39
Winds Of Change – Jefferson Starship – 38
So Close – Diana Ross – 40
Hold Me ‘Til The Mornin’ Comes – Paul Anka – 40
Spice Of Life – Manhattan Transfer – 40
Invisible Hands – Kim Carnes – 40
The Way He Makes Me Feel – Barbra Streisand – 40
Music Time – Styx – 40
(What) In The Name Of Love – Naked Eyes – 39
Tragedy – John Hunter – 39
The Bird – The Time – 36
Do You Want Crying – Katrina And The Waves – 37
Spanish Eddie – Laura Branigan – 40
Needles And Pins – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers With Stevie Nicks – 37
A Little Bit Of Love (Is All It Takes) – New Edition – 38
Betcha Say That – Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine – 36

[dukelightning]

Neat .38 Special peaked at 38. But what I note about the 80s as compared to the 70s is there were several songs which made it to 35,34,33 or 32 in the 70s while none made it past 36 in the 80s. So far then, the highest top 40 debut that did not climb any further is a #32 debut.

[atruefan]

Not only were the double week peaks lower, they decreased significantly as the decade wore on. Of the 46 songs I found, 39 of them were from 80 to 84. There were 4 in 85, 2 in 86, 1 in 87, and as I mentioned previously none in 88 and 89. It would be interesting to see what the 90s looked like.

[dukelightning]

I think that can be explained. And hopefully the person/people who have commented on the following subject will read this post. But Billboard changed their chart policy in 1983. From 1973 to 83 I think it was, they had a system whereby a bulleted song would hold at that position the next week if it lost its momentum. From 1983 on, that policy was dropped meaning a song could be at #38 with a bullet for example, and then the next week, it could actually drop instead of holding at the position. That would explain why in the mid to late 80s less songs held at not only those positions but any positions. As an example in this week's show, Casey mentioned that Give it Up peaked at #18 last week. So just one week at its peak because the aforementioned policy change had been made.