Album: Lonely Grill
Genre: Country
Released: 1999
Several versions of this song were released, and all of them had relative success in 1999 and 2000. The main version is a country ballad that spent eight consecutive weeks on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, but even it was popular at the pop radio stations reaching #24 on the Billboard Hot 100. Afterward, a new remixed version was released and the song re-entered in the Hot 100. This time, the song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 during two weeks. Actually, “Amazed” was the first country song to hit #1 on the Hot 100 since 1983 when Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton achieved it with “Islands In The Stream”.
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Album: Karyn White
Genre: Rhythm and blues
Released: 1989
This song reached the #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks in 1989. Also it reached #8 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #12 on the U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary. The song has been remade by several artists including Gladys Knight (help from Patti LaBelle and Dionne Warwick) and the Chinese singer Faye Wong, although this singer made a new version entitled “Because of Him”. “Superwoman” is part of the debut album of Karyn White. More recently, in 2006, the song was covered in a TV contest (Malaysian Idol season 1) by the winner of the contest: Jaclyn Victor.
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Album: The Way We Were
Genre: Pop
Released: 1973
This song was the main song for a movie called (also) “The Way We Were” starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford in 1973. It won the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Song. It has been performed by multiple artists: Donna Summer, Gilda Radner, Paris Bennett, Barry Manilow and Girlicious, among others. The song spent three weeks at the #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973. Also, it was listed at #90 on “Billboard’s Greatest Songs of all time”. The related movie was a hit in theaters and became the fifth-highest grossing film of 1973. The movie is about a Jewish woman, who marries a white anglo-saxon protestant after the second World War.
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Album: It was a single.
Genre: Jazz
Released: 1961
Acker Bilk is a clarinetist who is known for his trademark goatee, bowler hat, striped waistcoat and his breathy, vibrato-rich, lower-register clarinet style. This song was originally a piece for clarinet. But the vocal version by Andy Williams is an important version that was also very popular in the 1960s. The song was the Billboard’s #1 single of 1962. In 1969, a tape cassette, that included “Stranger on the Shore”, was part of the mission “Apollo 10″ to the moon. Also, the song was used as the theme tune for a BBC TV show for young people. It was the first British recording to reach number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
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Album: -
Genre: Ballad
Released:1958
So far, this song is the only record from an Italian artist that peaked #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was presented at the 1958 Sanremo Music Festival and won the contest. From this moment on, the song achieved a lot of popularity. It is best known as Volare (”To fly”) and talks about the feeling a man has when he is with his lover. An English version of the lyrics was written by Mitchell Parish. “Volare” peaked the top of the charts around the world and was translated into various languages: Russian, French, Spanish, Belgian, Finnish. In USA, the song spent five weeks in the #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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Album: Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
Genre: Pop, dance, hip pop
Released: 2005
This song was thought as a response to a Courtney Love’s commentary about Gwen Stefani saying that she was a “cheerleader”: “I’m not interested in being Gwen Stefani. She’s the cheerleader, and I’m out in the smoker shed”. Apparently, Stefani wanted to do a silly song influenced by 1980s dance and pop music. “Hollaback Girl” had bad and good reviews from a lot of music critics. For example, Rolling Stone gave the song a positive review but Eric Greenwood of Drawer B Media said “I’d quote the lyrics, but they’re so bad, I almost feel sorry for her”. Anyway, the song reached the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 during four weeks
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Album: Never Say Never and The Boy Is Mine
Genre: Rhythm and Blues
Released: 1998
“The Boy is Mine” was inspired by the song of Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson: “The Girl Is Mine”. It talks about two women disputing the love of a man. It is one of the most successful R&B songs of all time. Curiously, the vocals of the song by Brandy and Monica were recorded separately and had some rumors of mutual dislike between the singers. The song peaked the U.S. Hot 100 for thirteen weeks and actually it was ranked #2 on Top Hot 100 Hits of 1998, only surpassed by Too Close (Next). In UK, the song reached the #2 on the UK Singles Chart. Also, “The Boy is Mine” is known to be the R&B breakthrough song in Asia.
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Album: Synchronicity
Genre: Pop, Rock, New Wave
Released: 1983
This song was originally thought to be about angels, government, parents, or people that want the best for us. But actually, the lyrics seems the words from a sinister, controlling character, who is watching every move we make. Sting, the singer, said about this song: “…I think I was thinking of Big Brother, surveillance and control…”. The song reached #1 on the UK charts for four weeks and also it was #1 on the US Billboard Music Charts for eight weeks. “Every Breath You Take” ranks #84 on the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (by Rolling Stones magazine) and #25 on Billboard’s All Time Top 100.
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Album: Love Will Keep Us Together
Genre: Pop
Released: 1975
This song was recorded initially by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield in 1973. However, its most popular version was recorded by Captain & Tennille in 1975. Captain & Tennille is a duo consisting of “Captain” Daryl Dragon and Toni Tennille. The duo achieved recording chart success from 1975-80 with romantic songs. “Love Will Keep Us Together” by Captain & Tennille reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, spending four weeks there and also it was the top US single for 1975. A Spanish version of the song was also released, reaching #49 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
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Album: It was a single
Genre: Rock and Roll
Released: 1963
The Fireballs (or Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs), is an American rock and roll group, which were really popular at the end of the 1950s and in the early 1960s. They recorded this song in 1963 at Norman Petty Studios in Clovis, New Mexico. The song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, spending five weeks there. It also reached #1 on the Cashbox magazine charts during three weeks. The song sold over a million copies, earning gold record status and becoming #1 single of 1963 (Top Song Of 1963). It also was a moderated success in UK. “Sugar Shack” was written by Keith McCormack: an American singer, guitarist and songwriter.
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