Feature Response: Popular

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http://www.freakytrigger.co.uk/popular/

For people to comment on this as it unfolds.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 16:10 (twenty-one years ago)

i posted this on the nylpm thread, but:

do you think it'd be possible to date the entries. (date the songs, i mean, not by the day you do them.) or would that defeat the point or something?

― gabbo giftington (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 16:56 (twenty-one years ago)

oh hooray, you did already!

― gabbo giftington (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 16:58 (twenty-one years ago)

the internet in action.

― gabbo giftington (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 16:59 (twenty-one years ago)

wish I'd thought of it first, as usual. can't WAIT to see this unfold.

― M Matos (M Matos), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 17:25 (twenty-one years ago)

It's going to take forever to get to the good bits (i.e. the 80s). So if you make it that far, you'll doubtless have a lot of people hooked.

― edward o (edwardo), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 17:49 (twenty-one years ago)

awesome awesome idea. It will take about a decade to get to the stuff I remember growing up to though...

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 18:12 (twenty-one years ago)

tom were you able to find most (any) of this info online or did you have to go combing thru microfiches, dusty old music journals, etc.?

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 18:21 (twenty-one years ago)

and was this inspired by that guy's now... writeups?

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 18:22 (twenty-one years ago)

hmmm, why get so fixated on the number 1s? they had more power once but not really anymore. why not review all those songs that made no. 2 but couldn't quite go one better for whatever reason - some potential there.

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 18:22 (twenty-one years ago)

there's already a book on those

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 18:27 (twenty-one years ago)

in the U.S. that is. anyway, Tom's not doing an "official" type of thing a la the Fred Bronson no. 1s book--which is why I'm eager to read the blog as it progresses.

― M Matos (M Matos), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 18:38 (twenty-one years ago)

someone else should write about the number 2s, somewhere else. www.everyhit.com is good for this sort of thing.
Actually, a lot of fantastic songs over the years seem to have gone number 5, not that I can cite any examples.

― edward o (edwardo), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 18:42 (twenty-one years ago)

i like every song that made #12, ever

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 18:50 (twenty-one years ago)

The No.1s are easier to find out about (several websites just list the whole lot) and I like the idea of them being in some ways an arbitrary cross-section of pop as well as in another way the centre of it. The basic question being asked of them is "Are they any good?" - any wider issues will get addressed purely by accident I'd guess!

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 18:51 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, those books tend to have an almost purely historical perspective with any critical features being limited to the generic insight - 'kung fu fighting's a novelty tune', 'candle in the wind 97 is a moving song', etc - plus they tend to focus soley on the rock era, tom's going back, way back, back in time. plus british singles charts (to my admittedly nonexpert eye) tend to be much more fluid and a bit more likely to have fluke charttoppers (cuz: uk's a much smaller country, ergo smaller sample size, ergo more chance for chance and also cuz the single is still something people buy in the uk, whereas it hasn't been that in the us for over ten years now (single charts almost entirely determined by airplay, with many (most?) top ten singles not even actually released as "singles" anymore)("u can't touch this" leading to the death of the single in the us)). bravo tom, and good luck (good luck in your new bed).

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 18:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Why did U Can't Touch This lead to the death of the single?

There will be very little historical perspective on Popular. There might be some diaristic stuff when I get to the point of me actually being around to listen to the songs. Doing the 50s stuff is interesting because it's something I am almost totally ignorant of (so apologies in advance for any howlers I may committ). Also I will probably avoid Carmody-style relations of chart-toppers to UK history not because that approach is invalid but because I'm too lazy to think that sort of thing through properly when there's 950 of these things still to go. (I hope Robin enjoys the project though, if he reads it.)

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 18:58 (twenty-one years ago)

it's the first pop instance I can think of (which admittedly doesn't mean it was the first, but I remember a billboard article at the time describing this as a 'new approach') where the big hit single wasn't actually available as a single - you had to buy the album. I remember the billboard thing being how they basically sacrificed having a number one ("u can't touch this" topped out at number two I think cuz singles chart determined by 'sales + airplay', even though there was no doubt it was the biggest hit in the country at the time)(weirdly it was a hip-hop single denied number one cuz of sales instead of airplay, cuz I can remember tone loc's "wild thing" and salt n pepa's "push it" being denied number one despite easily being the top selling singles cuz there were still pop and r&b stations that refused to play hip-hop (noone ever mentions the r&b stations that wouldn't play rap)) to increase album sales. not the first instance of single being more promotional tool instead of product but definitely very influential in making the single solely a promotional tool instead of product. the death of vinyl and the failure of the cassingle probably played a much larger role (in 88 singles are an entire aisle at the mall record store, by 92 it's just a nook the size of their reggae section)(note american mall record stores do not typically have extensive reggae sections).

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 19:15 (twenty-one years ago)

that guy mitchell song sounds incredible - tom are you on slsk?

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 19:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Not now cos I'm on a slow connection and I'm feeling rotten so I'm going to take tomorrow off, however I will try and find some way of making Guy Mitchell available as a cure for any misplaced Anglophilia that may still be lurking on ILM. There is plenty more to come from him too, I assume rock n roll did for him eventually but I don't have the necessary reference books to hand.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 19:42 (twenty-one years ago)

As much as I'm loathe to praise any concept with such flagrating Perry Como hating, this probably will be a bookmark for 99.99% of the board here, and deservedly so.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 20:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Somebody with an insane workrate could do this faster and really annoy Tom. Don't do it. Though, maybe.

― David. (Cozen), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 20:15 (twenty-one years ago)

i must admit i would love to listen to all the UK number one singles in order right now (esp. 52 to 82) - thanks for giving me something to ~~distract myself with~~do tomorrow!

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 20:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Good luck with finding Winifred bloody Atwell stevem!

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 20:49 (twenty-one years ago)

I've started a brother blog called Substance & Style Abuse which is about all those lost number 2s, which will be in-part response to Tom's 'Popular' (possibly sometimes but not always asking 'why did this song fall short?' - there will be no easy answers to a question like that, in fact I may never ask it, it may even be ubiquitous implicit, this will work best I think if I put the time in listening to the number 1s too but I wont'.) This will also be diaristic too and give me a steady source of writing (my blog isn't a blog anymore really, it's where thoughts I have thunk go i.e. ex-Neumu, Stylus & FT articles out to pasture in better clothes or nicer edits). Let's see how long this lasts.

― David. (Cozen), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 20:57 (twenty-one years ago)

(haha is there anywhere I can find a list of all these number 2s? I'm going to have to do this on the soulseek-able PC, aren't I?)

― David. (Cozen), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 20:57 (twenty-one years ago)

(I changed the name [already] to 'Tugging on Superman's Cape'.)

― David. (Cozen), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 21:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Best resource is a copy of the Guiness Book of Top 40 Charts David! An invaluable book in general, it only starts giving the full top 40 from 1960 onwards though. The first number 2 it lists that didn't get to No.1 is "Theme From 'A Summer Place'" by Percy Faith.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 21:31 (twenty-one years ago)

I think we may actually have that lying around in the flat somewhere. I'll have to look it out. (Does it have a green and black cover?)

― David. (Cozen), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 21:54 (twenty-one years ago)

The edition I have is red and black - it's out of date though, I picked it up second hand years ago and it only goes up to '95.

I have 5 more entries written now but I will save them/spare you.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 21:59 (twenty-one years ago)

no, post them!

― gabbo giftington (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 22:04 (twenty-one years ago)

i love it when you can use the excuse of someone having died as a reason for a song not being number one e.g. Prodigy being denied early on and it's all Freddie Mercury's doing

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 22:04 (twenty-one years ago)

(haha I have changed my mind already [!!!], I was moaning to RJG that I can't 'talk' films the other night so I will make it a diary of film, sorry to ~~get yr hopes up~~ ~~mess you about~~ speak to soon. This is probably speaking too soon as well; I can't set my mind to anything recently. I might [might] eventually get round to doing this; I think my laziness is more powerful than this kind of formalism's strictures allow though.)

― David. (Cozen), Wednesday, 17 September 2003 22:09 (twenty-one years ago)

You're crazy Tom but so far so good.

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 18 September 2003 02:13 (twenty-one years ago)

noone ever mentions the r&b stations that wouldn't play rap

Ice-T.

― Al Andalous, Thursday, 18 September 2003 02:47 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, at the time PLENTY of rappers mentioned the r&b stations that wouldn't play rap, but when people look back at radio resistance to hip-hop now it tends to get painted as just 'whites resisting black culture', which is the majority of the truth admittedly, but doesn't explain the r&b stations that were often just as proudly rap free as rock radio, or if they did play it relegated it to a certain slot (nighttime when the majority of their core audience isn't listening).

― cinniblount (James Blount), Thursday, 18 September 2003 02:53 (twenty-one years ago)

David the more film blogs the better. I hope the nabobs of Do You See? will link to you (and to Swygart and Passantino's TV blog if it's still going).

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 18 September 2003 08:05 (twenty-one years ago)

pre-"Wild Thing" most of the rap being played on radio was on college stations, cinniblount is totally right

― M Matos (M Matos), Thursday, 18 September 2003 08:09 (twenty-one years ago)

this is grebt, grebt, grebt!!!

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Thursday, 18 September 2003 08:17 (twenty-one years ago)

noone ever mentions the r&b stations that wouldn't play rap
Ice-T.

-- Al Andalous (xxxx@go.com), September 18th, 2003.

And Chuck D, that was his favorite subject.

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 18 September 2003 12:14 (twenty-one years ago)

'radio stations i question their blackness
they call themselves black but we'll see if they play this'

public enemy - bring the noise

― joni, Thursday, 18 September 2003 12:26 (twenty-one years ago)

But rap was pretty different from R&B. Why should they have played rap just because it was black? (Sorry, maybe someone should start a thread about this, since this is a real sidetrack to the current thread.)

― Al Andalous, Thursday, 18 September 2003 13:08 (twenty-one years ago)

No no keep going, it keeps the link riding high.

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 18 September 2003 13:22 (twenty-one years ago)

I disagree about Jo Stafford's voice being a "bit too forceful and plummy". As for the claim that she can do "sensible but not seductive" - well, I agree that her voice isn't "seductive" as such but that's one of the most interesting things about her as a singer - especially as a female singer.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 September 2003 13:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Is there a permanent link to this anywhere on NYLPM Tom? I'm too lazy to look. And if there isn't, wahey!

― David. (Cozen), Thursday, 18 September 2003 13:30 (twenty-one years ago)

...and also Perry Como is a helluva underrated singer

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 September 2003 13:31 (twenty-one years ago)

since posting those pe lines above i've had 'total confusion'
by 'a homeboy, a hippie and a funky dread' going round and
round in my head. help!

(oh good idea tom, btw)

― joni, Thursday, 18 September 2003 13:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Dadaismus I like the other Perry Como records I know a lot more ("Magic Moments" is coming up in a week or so on this, for instance) - I'm trying to write about how I hear these records rather than the singer's style or career as a whole, so some people are going to be quite badly served. (tho I don't know anything else about Jo Stafford - what are her better tunes?)

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 18 September 2003 13:52 (twenty-one years ago)

David it's linked from the front of FT. There will be a link on NYLPM too, and one to I Hate Music as well.

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 18 September 2003 13:53 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm tellin' you, I'm seriously thinking of doing the American version of this. It could really jumpstart my blogging again.

Two small problems. I need a blog title. Maybe "Hit Record (Overnight Sensation)" but that's too power pop.

I also need to think about where to begin. I could start at 1940, which is when Billboard first published best-seller charts, though this may present problems in terms of flagging interest (mine) and song availability. Or I could pretend everything prior to "Rock Around the Clock" does not exist, which is what The Billboard Book of Number One Hits does. (Other Billboard chart books similarly treat 1955 as Year Zero, a very rock-chauvinist conceit.)

(Joel Whitburn, Billboard's primary chart historian, has EVERY charting album and single EVER, kept in some kind of climate-controlled storage facility!!!)

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Thursday, 18 September 2003 17:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 160 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Finally got to the 60s, apologies for the snail's pace lately, no chance of my giving up though!

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Monday, 19 April 2004 18:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Snail's pace? Dude, I've been doing them one-a-month lately!

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 19 April 2004 18:54 (twenty-one years ago)

yer both slowpokes! time to lean, time to clean!

― cinniblount (James Blount), Monday, 19 April 2004 18:55 (twenty-one years ago)

i dont understand what all this is about theres just so much crap

― jonnnni, Thursday, 22 April 2004 07:44 (twenty-one years ago)

hey jonnnni put it all behind you

― cinniblount (James Blount), Thursday, 22 April 2004 07:48 (twenty-one years ago)

posting under my own name, yes a rarity these days indeed ... but this is just to say that i've started writing about number ones in other charts than used by Guinness over the last forty-nine years, and i've just listened to and written about seven songs in one sitting (always a pleasure, never a chore, hmmm). my style is obviously different to Tom's and i'm already regretting certain things - i didn't think "Cool Water" deserved as many as 4 before listening to it on repeat, and i don't think it does after listening to it on repeat, but somehow it seemed different at the time and i have a general policy of not revising this sort of thing - but hopefully some of you here will appreciate it ...

it can be read at http://the-other-ones.blogspot.com

― robin carmody (robin carmody), Thursday, 29 April 2004 01:19 (twenty-one years ago)

two weeks pass...

'Running Bear' is one of about three pop 7"s my parents bought for themselves (and easeily the best one). I didn't realise the Big Bopper was involved.

― Jeff W (zebedee), Friday, 14 May 2004 14:48 (twenty-one years ago)

two years pass...

Finally finished the 1960s.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 15:26 (eighteen years ago)

Well done Tom, but were you really hating on Livin' Joy here?!

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 15:38 (eighteen years ago)

Also blimey Tom you've been doing this for THREE YEARS now.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 15:50 (eighteen years ago)

catch up to present within 7 years??

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 16:06 (eighteen years ago)

Remember that was three years ago, and marking always depends on the way Tom feels about the record at the time he's writing it up.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 07:26 (eighteen years ago)

You're reading it wrong I think Steve - I don't remember writing that but I think the context is me worrying about getting bored when I hit stuff I've already written about, and then saying "anyway there's a Goombay or Livin Joy [things I've not written about yet which I would enjoy writing about] for every Wannabe or C.O.E. [things I've written about a lot]"

Yes, 3 yrs, blimey.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 07:36 (eighteen years ago)

Man!

I keep up with that, usually.

But how many went on without me looking? Twenty, probably.

Roll on the seventies!

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 08:32 (eighteen years ago)

I read it wrong yes.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 09:33 (eighteen years ago)

Totally my favorite blog right now (if my rambling comments at the site don't make that apparent). Recommended highly. I'd buy a book of it when it's done.

― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 14:11 (eighteen years ago)

two years pass...

up to 1980 now and going strong. i love the list of songs that have been rated 10 so far:

* NANCY SINATRA - “These Boots Were Made For Walking” 19th February 1966
* THE BEATLES - “Eleanor Rigby”/”Yellow Submarine” 20th August 1966
* DESMOND DEKKER AND THE ACES - “Israelites” 19th April 1969
* T REX - “Hot Love” 20th March 1971
* ABBA - “Dancing Queen” 4th September 1976
* KATE BUSH - “Wuthering Heights” 11th March 1978
* BLONDIE - “Atomic” 1st March 1980
* ABBA - “The Winner Takes It All” 9th August 1980

― WHALE WARS (jabba hands), Monday, 24 November 2008 09:07 (sixteen years ago)

three weeks pass...

Popular has been voted 19th best website ever by FHM.

http://www.fhm.com/reviews/every-number-1-reviewed-20081209

― Matt DC, Thursday, 18 December 2008 12:52 (sixteen years ago)

to be fair, ich luge bullets has only been going a few months.

― special guest stars mark bronson, Thursday, 18 December 2008 12:53 (sixteen years ago)

You need to be an FHM member to leave your comment. Sign In or Sign Up here
kamfarooq Comment posted 3 hours ago
xhamster

nicnic9 Comment posted 15 hours ago
ebay

Denny123 Comment posted 15 hours ago
Cool 95 rocks!

Denny123 Comment posted 15 hours ago
I do this every tuesday!!

-RoB- Comment posted 16 hours ago
May 12th 2084...freakin ages, unless the mayan's are right

― Seannadams Molloy (The stickman from the hilarious 'xkcd' comics), Thursday, 18 December 2008 12:54 (sixteen years ago)

In the interests of research I have just checked Popular's counterpart in the FHM 100 Sexiest Ladies poll. Tom's blog is the Jennifer Love Hewitt of websites apparently.

― Matt DC, Thursday, 18 December 2008 13:00 (sixteen years ago)

the 'Cash In My Pocket' of websites

― Timezilla vs Mechadistance (blueski), Thursday, 18 December 2008 13:01 (sixteen years ago)

one month passes...

I hear on the grapevine that Famous Internet Journalist Tom Ewing is going to be talking about Popular on Chris Evans's Radio Two show this afternoon.

― Maximo Park Ji-Sung (Matt DC), Monday, 9 February 2009 16:22 (sixteen years ago)

So, check him in his pants and ting.

― Mark G, Monday, 9 February 2009 16:29 (sixteen years ago)

Ah thanks, I was looking for this thread to revive!

"I will be on Radio 2 this afternoon (at 5.35 or 6.10 - dunno yet) talking to Chris Evans about Popular."

aka, unless I'm very wrong, 9:35 am or 10:10 am Pacific Time, 12:35 pm or 1:10 pm Eastern Time, etc.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 9 February 2009 16:31 (sixteen years ago)

is this worth tuning in to Chris Evans show for?

imo yes

― O Supermanchiros (blueski), Monday, 9 February 2009 16:37 (sixteen years ago)

Confirmed as 18:10.

― mike t-diva, Monday, 9 February 2009 16:45 (sixteen years ago)

I hadn't quite realized how much further of a prick Evans had become.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 9 February 2009 18:05 (sixteen years ago)

(Tom's not on yet, but dealing with listening to this clown, lord.)

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 9 February 2009 18:05 (sixteen years ago)

"A guy who's decided to review EVERY SINGLE NUMBER ONE!"

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 9 February 2009 18:05 (sixteen years ago)

Evans talks so fast it's kinda scary

― O Supermanchiros (blueski), Monday, 9 February 2009 18:05 (sixteen years ago)

But hey, "Atomic."

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 9 February 2009 18:06 (sixteen years ago)

Gah, 15 minutes from now.

"The team! The team fixed that up!"

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 9 February 2009 18:09 (sixteen years ago)

Okay here we go. I hope.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 9 February 2009 18:17 (sixteen years ago)

"Grotty and damp and a bit seedy!"

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 9 February 2009 18:20 (sixteen years ago)

ha ha bring on the ming mongs

― O Supermanchiros (blueski), Monday, 9 February 2009 18:21 (sixteen years ago)

Hahah, well that was great!

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 9 February 2009 18:21 (sixteen years ago)

and now, 'Mouldy Old Dough' at drive time

― O Supermanchiros (blueski), Monday, 9 February 2009 18:21 (sixteen years ago)

And this is the first time I've actually heard "Mouldy Old Dough" so that's worth it. This is insane.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 9 February 2009 18:22 (sixteen years ago)

i only caught the second half of this b/c i couldn't work out how to stream it bah

i don't like this 'mouldy dough' thing though :/

― lex pretend, Monday, 9 February 2009 18:23 (sixteen years ago)

I MISSED IT, DR4T WORK

WHA HAPPEN

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 9 February 2009 18:24 (sixteen years ago)

YOU GOING TO GET LOTS OF TRAFFIC

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 9 February 2009 18:24 (sixteen years ago)

am sad that Tom didn't call him "ginger bollocks"

― O Supermanchiros (blueski), Monday, 9 February 2009 18:26 (sixteen years ago)

Sorry! That's got to be the first royalties Lieutenant Pigeon have got off the BBC for a while though!

They actually don't make it clear when you're off air, presumably to avoid ginger bollocks incidents. They don't warn you beforehand not to swear though either.

― Groke, Monday, 9 February 2009 18:33 (sixteen years ago)

Ewing did a good job!

― the pinefox, Monday, 9 February 2009 18:43 (sixteen years ago)

That he did!

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 9 February 2009 18:44 (sixteen years ago)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00hc1j2/Chris_Evans_09_02_2009/

About 1hr10mins in.

― Maximo Park Ji-Sung (Matt DC), Monday, 9 February 2009 19:42 (sixteen years ago)

NUMBER ONE NUTTAH

― Richard C, Monday, 9 February 2009 20:02 (sixteen years ago)

eight years pass...

freakytrigger.co.uk/popular/2017/07/sugababes-freak-like-me/

― etc, Monday, 10 July 2017 20:37 (seven years ago)

That's fucking brilliant!

― Mr. Snrub, Monday, 10 July 2017 21:22 (seven years ago)

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