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Post by woolebull on Oct 4, 2012 22:30:39 GMT -5
Timmy T getting more love in the last day than he has in the last 20 years. FACT. I'd say before we all go to bed tonight ... if he's not already in our music libraries ... we all download Timmy T's "One More Try" from the iTunes store. His song is there; just type Timmy T in the search window; it's from an album called Time After TIme. Brian A-Men. But make it the single version that has the really bad bass line. Not the total piano version. That version makes it almost listenable. I just went on Facebook and liked the "One More Try" page. I'm number 18 to like it.
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Post by woolebull on Oct 4, 2012 22:34:19 GMT -5
And now I'm number 8 to like the "Stars on 45 Medley". I think we have two winners for obscure in 2012!
UPDATE: I'm actually 135 (don't know where I saw the 8). Timmy T in the lead!
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Post by jmack19 on Oct 5, 2012 2:32:32 GMT -5
Here is a list of songs I find to be obscure by year:
1970 I Want You Back Jackson 5 1971 Brand New Key Melanie 1972 I Am Woman Helen Reddy 1973 My Love Paul McCartney & Wings 1974 Having My Baby Paul Anka 1975 Calypso John Denver 1976 Disco Lady Johnnie Taylor 1977 You Don't Have To Be A Star McCoo & Davis 1978 You Don't Bring Me Flowers Diamond & Streisand 1979 Tragedy Bee Gees 1980 Lady Kenny Rogers 1981 The One That You Love Air Supply 1982 Chariots of Fire Vangelis 1983 Africa Toto 1984 Like A Virgin Madonna 1985 We Are The World USA for Africa 1986 Next Time I Fall Cetera & Grant 1987 I Just Can't Stop Loving You Michael Jackson 1988 Seasons Change Expose
I find the most common issue that makes these songs obscure is that the artist has a hit that tends to take airplay away from their other songs. Toto's Rosanna & Cetera's Glory of Love are good examples.
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Post by briguy52748 on Oct 5, 2012 7:44:02 GMT -5
I'd say before we all go to bed tonight ... if he's not already in our music libraries ... we all download Timmy T's "One More Try" from the iTunes store. His song is there; just type Timmy T in the search window; it's from an album called Time After TIme. Brian A-Men. But make it the single version that has the really bad bass line. Not the total piano version. That version makes it almost listenable. I just went on Facebook and liked the "One More Try" page. I'm number 18 to like it. Oh, one other thought about playing "One More Try" by Timmy T – after that song gets done, be sure to play one of those "golden oldie" songs from the late 1960s/early 1970s that we always used to hear on the old-time oldies stations. Y'know, those other one- and two-hit wonders – some perhaps associated with Tony Burrows – that were on the "new" end of the oldies stations whose playlists ranged from 1955-circa 1972. Nothing like following up Timmy T – or some other 1991 hit, such as by Gloria Estefan's comeback hit "Coming Out of the Dark," Londonbeat's "I've Been Thinkin' About You," Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)" or even Karyn White's "Romantic" – with Burrows' fronted fare such as "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" (as by Edison Lighthouse) or "My Baby Loves Lovin'" (as by White Plains). Oldies and classic hits stations. Gotta love 'em! Brian
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Post by Deleted on Oct 5, 2012 11:09:48 GMT -5
A few more that I thought of: 1. When I'm With You, Sheriff... Good song but today sounds like it is from a prior generation. Never hear on oldies radio It kinda was from a prior generation. 82 sounds a whole lot different than 89.
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Post by mkarns on Oct 5, 2012 11:40:58 GMT -5
Here is a list of songs I find to be obscure by year: 1970 I Want You Back Jackson 5 1971 Brand New Key Melanie 1972 I Am Woman Helen Reddy 1973 My Love Paul McCartney & Wings 1974 Having My Baby Paul Anka 1975 Calypso John Denver 1976 Disco Lady Johnnie Taylor 1977 You Don't Have To Be A Star McCoo & Davis 1978 You Don't Bring Me Flowers Diamond & Streisand 1979 Tragedy Bee Gees 1980 Lady Kenny Rogers 1981 The One That You Love Air Supply 1982 Chariots of Fire Vangelis 1983 Africa Toto 1984 Like A Virgin Madonna 1985 We Are The World USA for Africa 1986 Next Time I Fall Cetera & Grant 1987 I Just Can't Stop Loving You Michael Jackson 1988 Seasons Change Expose I find the most common issue that makes these songs obscure is that the artist has a hit that tends to take airplay away from their other songs. Toto's Rosanna & Cetera's Glory of Love are good examples. Maybe we're talking about differing stations, but I don't see "I Want You Back" and "Tragedy" as being obscure; IWYB may be played less as part of a decline in stations playing late 60s/early 70s music (note Premiere's recent pattern of coupling early 70s AT40s with later ones), but those that still play that era's music still seem to play it quite a bit. "Tragedy" still gets played, especially during disco-oriented shows, though not nearly as much as the arguably overplayed "Stayin' Alive" and "Night Fever". ("Love You Inside Out" seems to be the big Bee Gees hit that's fallen through the cracks.) For the 80s, I'd disagree on "Africa". Even SXM 8, with a rather crimped 80s playlist, plays it to death. "Like a Virgin" gets played too, though Madonna has so many other hits to choose from that stations don't dwell on it. "We Are the World" is a special case, as it was a charity single that of course sold phenomenally and remains iconic, but once its chart run ended it's not the kind of song that most programmers would play as part of a casual, light entertainment playlist, except during selected flashback shows.
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Post by Caseyfan4everRyanfanNever on Oct 5, 2012 12:23:09 GMT -5
I remember hearing "You're Having My Baby" on radio some in the 1970s but lots of people who are pro-choice on the question of a women's right to an abortion find the song distasteful because it supports the idea of a woman carrying her baby to full term and praises the woman portrayed in that song for not having a abortion. Those who oppose abortion would probably like the song much better because it supports that position. I don't know what Paul Anka's political views are/were and whether the song is any indication of them--but I do like the beat of that song as well as the other songs he sings with Odia Coates.
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Post by doomsdaymachine on Oct 5, 2012 15:45:29 GMT -5
I remember hearing "You're Having My Baby" on radio some in the 1970s but lots of people who are pro-choice on the question of a women's right to an abortion find the song distasteful because it supports the idea of a woman carrying her baby to full term and praises the woman portrayed in that song for not having a abortion. Those who oppose abortion would probably like the song much better because it supports that position. I don't know what Paul Anka's political views are/were and whether the song is any indication of them--but I do like the beat of that song as well as the other songs he sings with Odia Coates. Actually, the pro-life movement also complained about the song for suggesting that the woman *could have* swept it from her life. Given that Paul Anka had something like three daughters of his own, you might think some of those political ideologues would have given him the benefit of the doubt. But I guess Not.
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Post by briguy52748 on Oct 5, 2012 16:17:20 GMT -5
Here is a list of songs I find to be obscure by year: 1970 I Want You Back Jackson 5 1971 Brand New Key Melanie 1972 I Am Woman Helen Reddy 1973 My Love Paul McCartney & Wings 1974 Having My Baby Paul Anka 1975 Calypso John Denver 1976 Disco Lady Johnnie Taylor 1977 You Don't Have To Be A Star McCoo & Davis 1978 You Don't Bring Me Flowers Diamond & Streisand 1979 Tragedy Bee Gees 1980 Lady Kenny Rogers 1981 The One That You Love Air Supply 1982 Chariots of Fire Vangelis 1983 Africa Toto 1984 Like A Virgin Madonna 1985 We Are The World USA for Africa 1986 Next Time I Fall Cetera & Grant 1987 I Just Can't Stop Loving You Michael Jackson 1988 Seasons Change Expose I find the most common issue that makes these songs obscure is that the artist has a hit that tends to take airplay away from their other songs. Toto's Rosanna & Cetera's Glory of Love are good examples. Maybe we're talking about differing stations, but I don't see "I Want You Back" and "Tragedy" as being obscure; IWYB may be played less as part of a decline in stations playing late 60s/early 70s music (note Premiere's recent pattern of coupling early 70s AT40s with later ones), but those that still play that era's music still seem to play it quite a bit. "Tragedy" still gets played, especially during disco-oriented shows, though not nearly as much as the arguably overplayed "Stayin' Alive" and "Night Fever". ("Love You Inside Out" seems to be the big Bee Gees hit that's fallen through the cracks.) I'd also disagree on the inclusion/obscurity of "Brand New Key." This seems to be a rather iconic hit of the early 1970s, and when KUUL-FM still had oldies, this was in the rotation. And certainly with "I Want You Back." The forgotten one of the Jackson 5's four No. 1 hits is "The Love You Save." The way I hear it, "I Want You Back" still gets lots of oldies/classic hits airplay.
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Post by chrisinmi on Oct 5, 2012 17:15:49 GMT -5
I'd disagree about "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" being the most obscure of the five #1 hits from "Bad." For my money, "Dirty Diana" is FAR more obscure. "I Just Can't Stop..." is still played on a small handful of softer ACs and urban ACs; Delilah has it on her playlist as well. "Dirty Diana," I've never heard anywhere on the radio except on syndicated shows (Back Trax USA before they cut the playlist down to the "safe 250" '80s songs, and of course AT40 '80s).
Whenever I hear "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," it's always the Beatles' original, and not Elton John's #1 single from early 1975. To look at radio playlists today, one would think "Someone Saved My Life Tonight," "Your Song," "I'm Still Standing" and "Candle in the Wind" were #1s.
"Sara" by Fleetwood Mac (not the Starship #1 from 1986) was a #1 on the Radio & Records chart in early 1980. One of my favorites from the Mac (and Stevie Nicks), but it's hardly played anywhere. Ditto for the Doobie Brothers' fall 1980 hit "Real Love" - also an R&R #1.
A couple other MOR/AC songs that were Hot 100 #1s in the '70s but haven't made it to classic hits stations' safe lists and are consigned to adult standards formats include "Don't Give Up On Us" by David Soul, "You Don't Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)" by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., "I'm Sorry" by John Denver, and the Carpenters' version of "Please Mr. Postman" (easily the most obscure of their three #1 Hot 100 hits). In fact, the Carpenters in general get very little classic hits/oldies airplay despite their massive popularity in the '70s, and how beloved Karen is as a vocalist to this day... they, like Streisand, Diamond, Manilow et al. are considered to be more "adult standards." I would have thought at least "We've Only Just Begun" might have made it onto "safe" lists, but no.
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Post by johnnywest on Oct 5, 2012 17:16:02 GMT -5
In more recent years, there's "Shake Ya Tailfeather" and "So Sick."
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Post by chrisinmi on Oct 5, 2012 17:25:47 GMT -5
With the more disposable nature of pop music in the last 20 or so years, there have been so many "obscure" #1s I can't begin to list them all. When was the last time you heard D4L's "Laffy Taffy," Puff Daddy's "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down," Mariah Carey's "Honey," "Thank God I Found You" or "Heartbreaker," or Janet Jackson's "Doesn't Really Matter"? "Macarena" was the biggest single of 1996; I can count on one hand the number of radio stations that play it today. If PSY's "Gangnam Style" makes it to #1 in the coming weeks (it's been sitting at #2 for two weeks behind Maroon 5), that will likely be yet another.
Speaking of Mariah, her collaboration with Boyz II Men, "One Sweet Day," had the longest stay at #1 of all time on the Hot 100 (16 weeks) in 1996, was #1 on R&R for quite a while as well (so it wasn't a sales-only event), and yet even that song hasn't made the cut as far as AC "safe" lists go.
I can't believe in my list of MOR obscurities, I forgot to mention Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life." The biggest hit of the entire decade of the '70s, and played nowhere except for adult standards. Similarly Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" isn't played as much as one would think, given that it was the biggest hit of the '80s.
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Post by wickster82 on Oct 5, 2012 22:21:47 GMT -5
Obscurity is just a matter of opinion, but I have considered myself an 80s fanatic since I was 13 in 1995. I used to watch VH1's The Big 80s and have been following all of the huge and not so huge hits of that decade. My memory only goes back to 1988 and until I started listening to reruns of AT40 two years ago I thought I knew EVERY number 1 hit of the 80s. I like watching infomercials for 80s compilations, so my knowledge is vast. And I still watch VH1 Classic in the mornings every day. I was surprised when I heard the following:
John Lennon - (Just Like) Starting Over. I hear Imagine, Happy Xmas, Instant Karma frequently on either "oldies" or classic rock radio. Never his second and last number one.
Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald - On My Own. The only song by LaBelle I ever hear is Lady Marmalade and for the Doobie all I knew was I Keep Forgettin' and Sweet Freedom.
Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin - Separate Lives. Not only have I never heard of this song, but never heard of Marilyn Martin. This song has no right to be in the record books at number 1. Ha ha!
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Post by canat40fan on Oct 5, 2012 23:59:20 GMT -5
Interesting that you mention that the song is so obscure. I did not like the song when it was popular..in fact I despised it due to it's overplay because of it's mass appeal. I think you and I have similar tastes...but you didn't have to live through it's life on hourly rotation on all stations across the continent...Consider yourself lucky!
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Post by chrislc on Oct 6, 2012 6:59:43 GMT -5
If obscurity is being defined as inconspicuous, which seems to be the only sensible definition to use for this subject, then this is not a matter of opinion of song quality - it is a question of "how many times have these songs been played and heard since they were hits?"
So this thread is really speculation about the answer to that question, rather than being about what #1 songs we do and don't like.
At least I believe that was the intent of the thread.
I think it's a really interesting subject. It's also interesting, I think, to speculate about which #1 songs have been played and heard the most. How many of us at the end of 1964, for example, would have predicted that Oh Pretty Woman would be the most-heard #1 song (possibly of the entire decade?) over the next 48 years?
(Of course maybe you think there are others that have been heard more than that one and again I think it is a fascinating topic - what about the #1 songs of the 70s and 80s in that respect as well?)
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