Hit #140 Since 1964 - Call Me - Blondie

"Call Me" is a song by the American new wave band Blondie and the theme to the 1980 film American Gigolo. Released in the US in early 1980 as a single, "Call Me" was number one for six consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it became the band's biggest single and second #1. It also hit #1 in the UK and Canada, where it became their fourth and second chart-topper respectively. In the year-end charts of 1980 it was Billboard's #1 hit, and according to Billboard magazine, was the top-selling single of the year in the United States in 1980 and RPM's #3.

Song and single information

"Call Me" was the main theme song of the 1980 film American Gigolo. The song is about a prostitute. Italian disco producer Giorgio Moroder originally asked Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac to help compose and perform a song for the soundtrack, but she declined as a recently signed contract with Modern Records prevented her from working with Moroder. It was at this time that Moroder turned to Debbie Harry and Blondie. Moroder presented Harry with a rough instrumental track called "Man Machine". Harry was asked to write the lyrics and melody, a process that Harry states took only a few hours. Harry stated that the song is about driving, and that "When I was writing it, I pictured the opening scene, driving on the coast of California." The completed song was then recorded by the band, with Moroder producing. The bridge of the original English-language version also includes Harry singing "Call me, my darling" in Italian ("Amore, chiamami") (Love, call me) and in French ("Appelle-moi, mon chéri") (Call me, darling).

In the US, the song was released by three different record companies: the longest version (at 8:06) on the soundtrack album by Polydor, the 7" and 12" on Blondie's label Chrysalis, and a Spanish language 12" version, with lyrics by Buddy and Mary McCluskey, on the disco label Salsoul Records. The Spanish version, titled "Llámame", was meant for release in Mexico and some South American countries. This version was also released in the US and the UK and had its CD debut on Chrysalis/EMI's rarities compilation Blonde and Beyond (1993). In 1988, a remixed version by Ben Liebrand taken from the Blondie remix album Once More into the Bleach was issued as a single in the UK. In 2001 the "original long version" appeared as a bonus track on the Autoamerican album re-issue.

Harry recorded an abbreviated version of the song, backed by the Muppet Band, for her guest appearance on The Muppet Show in August 1980. It was first broadcast in January 1981.

Popularity and acclaim

The single was released in the United States in February 1980. It peaked at No. 1 for six consecutive weeks, (until it was replaced by Lipps, Inc.'s worldwide smash hit "Funkytown") and was certified Gold (for one million copies sold) by the RIAA. It also spent four weeks at No. 2 on the US dance chart. The single was also No. 1 on Billboard magazine's 1980 year-end chart. The song lists at No. 44 on Billboard's All Time Top 100. It was released in the UK two months later, where it became Blondie's fourth UK No. 1 single in little over a year. The song was also played on a British Telecom advert in the 1980s. 25 years after its original release, "Call Me" was ranked at No. 283 on the list of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 1981, The Village Voice ranked "Call Me" as the third-best song of the year 1980 on their annual year-end critics' poll, Pazz & Jop.

In 1981, the song was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Artist #140 Of The Rock Era - Dean Martin

Enjoying great success in music, film, television, and the stage, Dean Martin was less an entertainer than an icon, the eternal essence of cool. A member of the legendary Rat Pack, he lived and died the high life of booze, broads and bright lights, always projecting a sense of utter detachment and serenity; along with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr. and the other chosen few who breathed the same rarefied air, Martin -- highball and cigarette always firmly in hand -- embodied the glorious excess of a world long gone, a world without rules or consequences. Throughout it all, he remained just outside the radar of understanding, the most distant star in the firmament; as his biographer Nick Tosches once noted, Martin was what the Italians called a menefreghista -- "one who simply does not give a f***." 

Dino Paul Crocetti was born on June 7, 1917 in Steubenville, Ohio; the son of an immigrant barber, he spoke only Italian until the age of five, and at school was the target of much ridicule for his broken English. He ultimately quit school at the age of 16, going to work in the steel mills; as a boxer named Kid Crochet, he also fought a handful of amateur bouts, and later delivered bootleg liquor. After landing a job as a croupier in a local speakeasy, he made his first connections with the underworld, bringing him into contact with club owners all over the Midwest; initially rechristening himself Dean Martini, he had a nose job and set out to become a crooner, modeling himself after his acknowledged idol, Bing Crosby. Hired by bandleader Sammy Watkins, he dropped the second "i" from his stage name and eventually enjoyed minor success on the New York club circuit, winning over audiences with his loose, mellow vocal style. 

Despite his good looks and easygoing charm, Martin's early years as an entertainer were largely unsuccessful. In 1946 -- the year he issued his first single, "Which Way Did My Heart Go?" -- he first met another struggling performer, a comic named Jerry Lewis; later that year, while Lewis was playing Atlantic City's 500 Club, another act abruptly quit the show, and the comedian suggested Martin to fill the void. Initially, the two performed separately, but one night they threw out their routines and teamed on-stage, a Mutt-and-Jeff combo whose wildly improvisational comedy quickly made them a star attraction along the Boardwalk. Within months, Martin and Lewis' salaries rocketed from $350 to $5000 a week, and by the end of the 1940s they were the most popular comedy duo in the nation. In 1949, they made their film debut in My Friend Irma, and their supporting work proved so popular with audiences that their roles were significantly expanded for the sequel, the following year's My Friend Irma Goes West. 

With 1951's At War with the Army, Martin and Lewis earned their first star billing. The picture established the basic formula of all of their subsequent movie work, with Martin the suave straight man forced to suffer the bizarre antics of the manic fool Lewis. Critics often loathed the duo, but audiences couldn't get enough -- in all, they headlined 13 comedies for Paramount, among them 1952's Jumping Jacks, 1953's Scared Stiff and 1955's Artists and Models, a superior effort directed by Frank Tashlin. For 1956's Hollywood or Bust, Tashlin was again in the director's seat, but the movie was the team's last; after Martin and Lewis' relationship soured to the point where they were no longer even speaking to one another, they announced their breakup following the conclusion of their July 25, 1956 performance at the Copacabana, which celebrated to the day the tenth anniversary of their first show. 

While most onlookers predicted continued superstardom for Lewis, the general consensus was that Martin would falter as a solo act; after all, outside of the 1953 smash "That's Amore," his solo singing career had never quite hit its stride, and in light of the continued ascendancy of rock & roll, his future looked dim. After suffering a failure with Ten Thousand Bedrooms, Martin's next move was to appear in the 1958 drama The Young Lions, starring alongside Montgomery Clift and Marlon Brando; that same year he also hosted The Dean Martin Show, the first of his color specials for NBC television. Both projects were successful, as were his live appearances at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas; in particular, The Young Lions proved him a highly capable dramatic actor. Combined with another hit single, "Volare," Martin was everywhere that year, and with the continued success of his many TV specials, he effectively conquered movies, music, television and the stage all at the same time -- a claim no other entertainer, not even Sinatra, could make. 

Even at the peak of his fame, however, Martin remained strangely contemptuous of stardom; for a man whose presence in the public eye was almost constant, he was utterly elusive, beyond the realm of mortal understanding. As his celebrity and power grew, he slipped even further away: in early 1959, his movie with Sinatra, Some Came Running, hit theaters, and with it came the dawning of the Rat Pack. Together, Sinatra and Martin -- in tandem with their acolytes Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford, Joey Bishop and Shirley MacLaine -- set new standards of celebrity hipsterdom, becoming avatars of the good life; flexing their muscle not only in show business but also in politics -- their ties to John F. Kennedy, Lawford's brother-in-law and an honorary Rat Packer code-named "Chicky Baby," are now legend -- they were the new American gods, and Las Vegas was their Mount Olympus. 

Martin -- who continued to impress critics in films like the 1959 Howard Hawks classic Rio Bravo -- was Sinatra's right-hand man, the drunkest and most enigmatic member of the Rat Pack (so named in homage to the Holmby Hills Rat Pack, a bygone drinking circle that had once gathered around Humphrey Bogart); his allegiance to Sinatra was total, and Martin even left his longtime label Capitol to record for and financially back Sinatra's own Reprise imprint. In 1960, the Rat Pack starred in Ocean's Eleven, filming in Las Vegas during the day and then taking over the Sands each night; two years later, they reconvened for Sergeants 3. However, in late 1963 -- while filming the third Rat Packopus, Robin and the Seven Hoods -- the news came that Kennedy had been assassinated; in effect, as America struggled to pick up the pieces, the Rat Pack's reign was over. With Vietnam and the civil rights movement looming on the horizon, there was no longer room for the boozy, happy-go-lucky lifestyle of before -- the fun was truly over. 

Yet somehow Martin forged on; in 1964, at the peak of Beatlemania, he knocked the Fab Four out of the top spot on the charts with his single "Everybody Loves Somebody," and that same year starred in Billy Wilder's acrid Kiss Me, Stupid, a film which crystallized his persona as the lecherous but lovable lush. In 1965, after years of overtures from NBC, Martin finally agreed to host his own weekly variety series; The Dean Martin Show was an enormous hit, running for nine seasons before later spawning a number of hit Celebrity Roast specials during the 1970s. In films, he also remained successful, starring in a series of spy spoofs as secret agent Matt Helm. However, by the late '70s, Martin's health began to fail, and his career was primarily confined to casino club stages; in 1987, his son Dean Paul died in an airplane crash, a blow from which he never recovered. After bailing out of a 1988 reunion tour with Sinatra and Davis, Martin spent his final years in solitude; he died on Christmas Day, 1995.

The Top 100 Hits Of 1969

1. Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In - The 5th Dimension
2. I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye
3. Sugar, Sugar - The Archies
4. In The Year 2525 - Zager & Evans
5. Honky Tonk Women - The Rolling Stones
6. Get Back - The Beatles
7. Everyday People - Sly & The Family Stone
8. Dizzy - Tommy Roe
9. Crimson & Clover - Tommy James & The Shondells
10. Wedding Bell Blues - The 5th Dimension
11. Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet - Henry Mancini
12. I Can't Get Next To You - The Temptations
13. Come Together - The Beatles
14. Something - The Beatles
15. Hot Fun In The Summertime - Sly & The Family Stone
16. I'll Never Fall In Love Again - Tom Jones
17. Build Me Up Buttercup - The Foundations
18. One - Three Dog Night
19. Crystal Blue Persuasion - Tommy James & The Shondells
20. Hair - The Cowsills
21. Too Busy Thinking About My Baby - Marvin Gaye
22. Get Together - The Youngbloods
23. Grazing In The Grass - The Friends Of Distinction
24. Suspicious Minds - Elvis Presley
25. Proud Mary - Creedence Clearwater Revival
26. What Does It Take(To Win Your Love) - Jr. Walker & The All Stars
27. It's Your Thing - The Isley Brothers
28. Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
29. Jean - Oliver
30. Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival
31. Spinning Wheel - Blood, Sweat & Tears
32. Baby, I Love You - Andy Kim
33. Going In Circles - The Friends Of Distinction
34. Hurt So Bad - The Lettermen
35. Green River - Creedence Clearwater Revival
36. My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder
37. Easy To Be Hard - Three Dog Night
38. Baby It's You - Smith
39. In The Ghetto - Elvis Presley
40. A Boy Named Sue - Johnny Cash
41. Baby, Baby Don't Cry - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
42. Only The Strong Survive - Jerry Butler
43. Time Of The Season - The Zombies
44. Little Woman - Bobby Sherman
45. Love(Can Make You Happy) - Mercy
46. Good Morning Starshine - Oliver
47. These Eyes - The Guess Who
48. You've Made Me So Very Happy - Blood, Sweat & Tears
49. Take A Letter Maria - R.B. Greaves
50. Put A Little Love In Your Heart - Jackie DeShannon
51. And When I Die - Blood, Sweat & Tears
52. Do Your Thing - The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
53. I'd Wait A Million Years - The Grass Roots
54. Touch Me - The Doors
55. More Today Than Yesterday - Spiral Starecase
56. I've Gotta Be Me - Sammy Davis Jr.
57. Lay Lady Lay - Bob Dylan
58. Atlantis - Donovan
59. Traces - Classics IV
60. My Way - Frank Sinatra
61. This Magic Moment - Jay & The Americans
62. Runaway Child, Running Wild - The Temptations
63. Hawaii Five-O - The Ventures
64. Galveston - Glen Campbell
65. I'm Gonna Make You Mine - Lou Christie
66. Gitarzan - Ray Stevens
67. Can I Change My Mind - Tyrone Davis
68. Time Is Tight - Booker T. & The MG's
69. This Girl's In Love With You - Dionne Warwick
70. Color Him Father - The Winstons
71. Black Pearl - Checkmates Ltd.
72. Indian Giver - 1910 Fruitgum Co.
73. Mother Popcorn - James Brown
74. Twenty-Five Miles - Edwin Starr
75. Things I'd Like To Say - New Colony Six
76. The Ballad Of John & Yoko - The Beatles
77. That's The Way Love Is - Marvin Gaye
78. Everybody's Talking' - Harry Nilsson
79. The Worst That Could Happen - The Brooklyn Bridge
80. The Chokin' Kind - Joe Simon
81. Smile A Little Smile For Me - The Flying Machine
82. Polk Salad Annie - Tony Joe White
83. Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town - Kenny Rogers & The First Edition
84. Games People Play - Joe South
85. You Showed Me - The Turtles
86. Tracy - The Cuff Links
87. Oh, What A Night - The Dells
88. This Girl Is A Woman Now - Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
89. I'm Gonna Make You Love Me - Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations
90. Soulful Strut - Young-Holt Unlimited
91. Ramblin' Gamblin' Man - Bob Seger System
92. Gimme Gimme Good Lovin' - Crazy Elephant
93. Hang 'Em High - Booker T. & The MG's
94. If I Can Dream - Elvis Presley
95. Baby, I'm For Real - The Originals
96. Oh Happy Day - Edwin Hawkins Singers
97. Love Me Tonight - Tom Jones
98. Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon - Paul Revere & The Raiders
99. Laughing - The Guess Who
100. My Whole World Ended(The Moment You Left Me) - David Ruffin

The Top 100 Hits Of The 90s

1. Smooth - Santana With Rob Thomas
2. One Sweet Day - Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men
3. Macarena - Del Los Rios
4. I'll Make Love To You - Boyz II Men
5. I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston
6. Unbreak My Heart - Toni Braxton
7. Candle In The Wind 1997 - Elton John
8. End Of The Road - Boyz II Men
9. The Boy Is Mine - Brandy & Monica
10. I Swear - All-4-One
11. I'll Be Missing You - Puff Daddy & Faith Evans
12. The Sign - Ace Of Base
13. Too Close - Next
14. On Bended Knee - Boyz II Men
15. Fantasy - Mariah Carey
16. Gangsta's Paradise - Coolio With L.V.
17. That's The Way Love Goes - Janet Jackson
18. Dreamlover - Mariah Carey
19. How Do I Live - Leann Rimes
20. Because You Loved Me - Celine Dion
21. Waterfalls - TLC
22. Can't Nobody Hold Me Down - Puff Daddy
23. Can't Help Falling In Love - UB40
24. Creep - TLC
25. Take A Bow - Madonna
26. Jump - Kriss Kross
27. The First Night - Monica
28. Tha Crossroads - Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
29. This Is How We Do It - Montell Jordan
30. Informer - Snow
31. You're Still The One - Shania Twain
32. Believe - Cher
33. Whoomp! There It Is - Tag Team
34. No Scrubs - TLC
35. Baby Got Back - Sir Mix-A-Lot
36. Freak Me - Silk
37. (Everything I Do)I Do It For You - Bryan Adams
38. Wannabe - Spice Girls
39. Stay(I Missed You) - Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories
40. No Diggity - Blackstreet
41. You Were Meant For Me/Foolish Games - Jewel
42. Black Or White - Michael Jackson
43. Genie In A Bottle - Christina Aguilera
44. Livin' La Vida Loca - Ricky Martin
45. Always Be My Baby - Mariah Carey
46. Save The Best For Last - Vanessa Williams
47. The Power Of Love - Celine Dion
48. Hero - Mariah Carey
49. You Make Me Wanna... - Usher
50. Truly Madly Deeply - Savage Garden
51. I'd Do Anything For Love(But I Won't Do That) - Meatloaf
52. If You Had My Love - Jennifer Lopez
53. Exhale(Shoop Shoop) - Whitney Houston
54. I'm Your Angel - R. Kelly With Celine Dion
55. Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman - Bryan Adams
56. Bump 'N Grind - R. Kelly
57. Another Night - Real McCoy
58. I Love You Always Forever - Donna Lewis
59. Angel Of Mine - Monica
60. You're Making' Me High - Toni Braxton
61. MMMBop - Hanson
62. Nobody's Supposed To Be Here - Deborah Cox
63. Weak - SWV
64. If I Ever Fall In Love - Shai
65. All For Love - Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart & Sting
66. Rush Rush - Paula Abdul
67. Back At One - Brian McKnight
68. Again - Janet Jackson
69. Here Comes The Hotstepper - Ini Kamoze
70. Kiss From A Rose - Seal
71. Nobody Knows - Tony Rich Project
72. It's All Coming Back To Me Now - Celine Dion
73. Together Again - Janet Jackson
74. Nice & Slow - Usher
75. I Don't Want To Miss A Thing - Aerosmith
76. All That She Wants - Ace Of Base
77. Because I Love You(The Postman Song) - Stevie B.
78. ...Baby One More Time - Britney Spears
79. Unpretty - TLC
80. Another Day In Paradise - Phil Collins
81. Don't Let Go(Love) - En Vouge
82. Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O'Connor
83. I'm Too Sexy - Right Said Fred
84. Mo Money Mo Problems - Notorious B.I.G.
85. Quit Playing Games(With My Heart) - Backstreet Boys
86. Baby-Baby-Baby - TLC
87. I Believe I Can Fly - R. Kelly
88. Lately - Divine
89. Vision Of Love - Mariah Carey
90. Hypnotize - Notorious B.I.G.
91. To Be With You - Mr. Big
92. Twisted - Keith Sweat
93. My Way - Usher
94. All I Wanna Do - Sheryl Crow
95. Return Of The Mack - Mark Morrison
96. California Love - 2Pac
97. Vogue - Madonna
98. Love Takes Time - Mariah Carey
99. All 4 Love - Color Me Badd
100. Getting' Jiggy Wit It - Will Smith

Hit #141 Since 1964 - OMG - Usher

"OMG" is a song by American recording artist Usher and American rapper will.i.am and B.E. wrote and produced the song. It uses the auto-tune effect in several lines, as well as Jock Jams-esque sports arena chanting. It was released on March 22, 2010 as the first worldwide single off his sixth studio album, Raymond v. Raymond, and the fourth single overall, following the three US singles "Papers", "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)", and "Lil Freak". The song was met with a mixed reception from critics, who criticized the use of auto-tune, but commended the song's dance and club vibe. The song marks the second time that Usher has collaborated with will.i.am, following the single "What's Your Name", from his previous album Here I Stand (2008).

"OMG" topped the charts in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. The song became his ninth number-one hit in the United States, making him the first 2010s artist to collect number-one singles in three consecutive decades. He became only the fourth artist of all-time to achieve that feat. Usher also became the third artist to have at least one number-one song from five consecutive studio albums. The song's choreography and dance-heavy accompanying music video has been compared by critics to that of "Yeah!". Usher performed the song live several times including on the ninth season of American Idol with will.i.am. He also performed the song as a part of a medley during his critically acclaimed performance at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. "OMG", was named the fifth best selling song of 2010 in the US, selling 3.8 million units. The song sold 6.9 million copies worldwide during that year.

Artist #141 Of The Rock Era - The Impressions

The quintessential Chicago soul group, the Impressions' place in R&B history would be secure if they'd done nothing but launch the careers of soul legends Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield. But far more than that, the Impressions recorded some of the most distinctive vocal-group R&B of the '60s under Mayfield's guidance. Their style was marked by airy, feather-light harmonies and Mayfield's influentially sparse guitar work, plus, at times, understated Latin rhythms. If their sound was sweet and lilting, it remained richly soulful thanks to the group's firm grounding in gospel tradition; they popularized the three-part vocal trade-offs common in gospel but rare in R&B at the time, and recorded their fair share of songs with spiritual themes, both subtle and overt. Furthermore, Mayfield's interest in the civil rights movement led to some of the first socially conscious R&B songs ever recorded, and his messages grew more explicit as the '60s wore on, culminating in the streak of brilliance that was his early-'70s solo work. The Impressions carried on without Mayfield, but only matched their earlier achievements in isolated instances, and finally disbanded in the early '80s. 

The Impressions were formed in Chicago in 1957 as a doo wop group called the Roosters, a group of Chattanooga, TN, transplants that included vocalists Sam Gooden and brothers Richard and Arthur Brooks. Lead singer Jerry Butler joined up and soon brought in his friend Curtis Mayfield as guitarist; the two had previously sung together in a church choir and a couple of local gospel groups as youths. Renamed the Impressions by their manager, the group scored a major hit in 1958 with the classic ballad "For Your Precious Love," which hit the pop Top 20 and the R&B Top Five. Butler's gospel-inflected lead vocal was a departure from the norm, and the fact that the single billed him in front of the rest of the group foreshadowed his quick exit for a solo career, after just one more single ("Come Back My Love"). With new vocalist Fred Cash in tow, Mayfield took over the lead tenor role, eventually becoming the group's chief composer as well. First, though, he hit the road as guitarist and musical director for Butler's backing band, and also co-wrote some of Butler's earliest singles, including the R&B number one "He Will Break Your Heart" in late 1960. 

Mayfield's success as a songwriter encouraged him to form his own publishing company. With the money he earned by working with Butler, he reconvened the Impressions and brought them to New York to record for ABC-Paramount in 1961. Their first single, the Latin-inflected "Gypsy Woman," was a number two R&B smash, also reaching the pop Top 20. Several follow-ups failed to duplicate its chart success, and the Brooks brothers left the group in 1962; now down to a trio, the Impressions returned to Chicago and began recording with arranger Johnny Pate, whose horn and string embellishments added a bit more heft to their sound. They struck gold in 1963 with "It's All Right," whose gospel-style lead-swapping helped make it not only their first R&B number one, but their biggest pop hit as well, with a peak of number four. The same year, they issued their eponymous first LP, which many critics still consider one of their finest. 1964 brought the hit single "Keep on Pushing," the first of Mayfield's numerous black pride anthems (though at this stage, his sentiments were much less explicit than they would later become). The album of the same name also featured a marching-beat cover of the gospel standard "Amen," inspired by the song's inclusion in the Sidney Poitier film Lilies of the Field. Gospel also informed what became perhaps the best-known Impressions hit, 1965's "People Get Ready"; if its lyrics weren't overtly political, Mayfield's intent was clear, as the song became an anthem of transcendence for the civil rights movement and an oft-covered soul standard. 

The mid-'60s saw Mayfield trying to keep pace with the Motown hit factory by incorporating elements of its style into his own writing. The group recorded prolifically in 1965, but their commercial fortunes dropped off over the next couple of years. When the Impressions returned to the upper reaches of the R&B charts, it was with 1968's "We're a Winner," the most straightforward celebration of black pride Mayfield had yet composed. That summer, the group left ABC to record for Mayfield's newly formed Curtom imprint, which allowed them greater freedom in terms of the lyrical content Mayfieldwanted to pursue. More aggressive message tracks like "This Is My Country," "Choice of Colors," and "Check Out Your Mind" followed over the next couple of years, as did some of the group's most consistent albums, particularly The Young Mods' Forgotten Story(1969). 1970's Check Out Your Mind was Mayfield's final album with the Impressions, but the group remained on Curtom after his departure, and he continued to write and produce some of their material. 

Mayfield was replaced on lead vocals by Leroy Hutson, who debuted on LP with 1972's Times Have Changed. At this point, the Impressions were still overshadowed by their ex-leader, who was riding high with brilliant works like Superfly. But Mayfield's solo momentum cooled down a bit, and after Hutson departed in 1973, new singers Ralph Johnson and Reggie Torian joined Cash and Gooden for the R&B chart-topper "Finally Got Myself Together (I'm a Changed Man)," cut with ex-Motown producer Ed Townsend in 1974. Townsend continued to work with the group for the next couple of years with some success, but in 1976 Johnson left to join the unsuccessful Mystique. Around that point, the Impressions parted ways with Curtom; Nate Evans replaced Johnson, and the group recorded for Cotillion and 20th Century/Chi-Sound with little chart success. Evans eventually departed, leaving the group a trio again. They recorded their final album, Fan the Fire, in 1981; Gooden and Cash occasionally reunited with Mayfield and sometimes Butler for touring commitments. Mayfield was paralyzed in a heartbreaking stage accident in 1990, when a lighting scaffold toppled over on him; he passed away in 1999.

Hit #142 Since 1964 - Can't Feel My Face - The Weekend

"Can't Feel My Face" is a song performed by Canadian singer The Weeknd from his second studio album Beauty Behind the Madness (2015). The song was released on June 8, 2015 as the third single from the album. It was written by Max Martin, Peter Svensson, Ali Payami, Savan Kotecha and The Weeknd, and produced by Max Martin and Payami.

Critics lauded "Can't Feel My Face", comparing the sound of the song to the works of Michael Jackson; Rolling Stoneranked it as the best song of 2015. It was also nominated for two Grammy Awards: Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance. The song experienced commercial success, peaking at number one on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the Canadian Hot 100. The single has also peaked at number one in New Zealand, Denmark, Ireland and South Africa, and was a top 10 single in other territories, such as Australia, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom.

Artist #142 Of The Rock Era - Jerry Butler

Jerry Butler's career spans four decades; he recorded more than 50 albums and his voice is one of the most distinguished voices in all of music. As soulful as ever, yet smooth as ice, his nickname "the Ice Man" epitomizes his demeanor -- and sound. In spite of his status as a true music icon, he remains humble. Butler moved from Sunflower, MS, to Chicago, IL, at the age of three during the mass migration of blacks from the South to the North. (He grew up in an area which is now known as the Cabrini-Green Housing Projects.) 

Butler acquired his initial music lessons as a young boy while a member of the church choir in Chicago. Curtis Mayfield, who was three years younger, was also a member of the same choir. The two befriended each other and began a collaboration that would have an everlasting impact on music. The twosome joined up with brothers Arthur and Richard Brooks and Sam Gooden to form the R&B group the Roosters. In fact, the Brooks brothers, Gooden, and a female had migrated to Chicago from Tennessee, and were called the Roosters & a Chick. But when Butler and Mayfield joined them, the group became simply the Roosters. In 1957, the quintet's name was changed to Jerry Butler & the Impressions. Butler scored his first hit with the Impressions in 1958 with the timeless ballad "For Your Precious Love." (He'd written the lyrics to the song when he was just 16.) 

That same year Butler and the Impressions cordially split, and Butler began his solo career. He released his first single, "Lost," on the Abner label. It peaked at number 17 on the Billboard R&B charts. Jumping over to Vee-Jay in late 1960 where his career blossomed, Butler had his first hit as a solo artist with "He Will Break Your Heart." The single popped to the top of the charts at number one and stayed there for seven consecutive weeks. In 1961, Butler bounced back with two Top Ten singles: "Find Another Girl" and "I'm a Telling You." In 1967, he signed with Mercury and teamed up with the production duo of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. His work with these two master producers and songwriters resulted in some classic recordings, including the outstanding album The Ice Man Cometh. The album featured one superb track after another, including two number-one singles ("Hey, Western Union Man," "Only the Strong Survive") and two Top Ten singles ("Never Give You Up," "Are You Happy"). Always known for being a crooner, "Hey, Western Union Man" revealed to many that Butler was more than capable of singing up-tempo songs. 

In 1971, Gamble and Huff formed their own label and subsequently Butler formed a creative workshop to help provide material for his forthcoming albums. Material that did not make his albums, he marketed to other artists. In the spring of 1971, Butler hit the Top Ten with the number-eight single "If It's Real What I Feel," which was written by Chuck Jackson (the younger brother of Rev. Jesse Jackson). Butler continued his hit-making tradition with "Ain't Understanding Mellow," a classic soul-ballad duet with Brenda Lee Eager that peaked at number three on the Billboard R&B charts. Butler scored a number-six single with Eager with a remake of the Carpenters' "(They Long to Be) Close to You" and a solo hit with a remake of the O'Jays' "One Night Affair," which was also his last song to crack the Top Ten. 

Never one to categorize singers because he believes that a singer is a singer -- not based on genre, but on a person's mere ability to sing -- Butler himself covered several styles of music during his lengthy music career. He had many highs in his career; ranging from sharing the spotlight with such greats as Aretha Franklin to being the chairman of the board for the Rhythm and Blues Foundation (a non-profit organization). Butler also became a force in another field: politics. In the mid-'80s, he was a significant campaign supporter of Chicago's first black mayor Harold Washington. A short time later, Butler himself became the Cook County (IL) Commissioner and by the late '90s he was a Chicago City Alderman. When the great Jerry Butler is not lobbying for his constituents, he can be found on-stage giving one of his spine-chilling performances with Ice Man-cool delivery.

Hit #143 Since 1964 - Freak Me - Silk

"Freak Me" is a song by American R&B group Silk. It was released in February 1993 as the second single from their debut album, Lose Control. It was co-written and co-produced by Keith Sweat, for whom Silk was a touring opening act. The song was the group's highest charting hit, reaching number-one on both the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks, and the U.S. Hot R&B Singles chart for eight weeks. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and sold over 1.3 million copies domestically.

The Top 100 Hits Of 1968

№	Title	Artist(s)
1	"Hey Jude"	The Beatles
2	"Love is Blue"	Paul Mauriat
3	"Honey"	Bobby Goldsboro
4	"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay"	Otis Redding
5	"People Got to Be Free"	The Rascals
6	"Sunshine of Your Love"	Cream
7	"This Guy's in Love With You"	Herb Alpert
8	"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"	Hugo Montenegro
9	"Mrs. Robinson"	Simon & Garfunkel
10	"Tighten Up"	Archie Bell & the Drells
11	"Harper Valley PTA"	Jeannie C. Riley
12	"Little Green Apples"	O. C. Smith
13	"Mony Mony"	Tommy James and the Shondells
14	"Hello, I Love You"	The Doors
15	"Young Girl"	Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
16	"Cry Like a Baby"	The Box Tops
17	"Stoned Soul Picnic"	The 5th Dimension
18	"Grazing in the Grass"	Hugh Masekela
19	"Midnight Confessions"	The Grass Roots
20	"Dance to the Music"	Sly & the Family Stone
21	"The Horse"	Cliff Nobles
22	"I Wish It Would Rain"	The Temptations
23	"La-La (Means I Love You)"	The Delfonics
24	"Turn Around, Look at Me"	The Vogues
25	"Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)"	John Fred & His Playboy Band
26	"Spooky"	Classics IV
27	"Love Child"	The Supremes
28	"Angel of the Morning"	Merrilee Rush
29	"The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde"	Georgie Fame
30	"Those Were the Days"	Mary Hopkin
31	"Born to Be Wild"	Steppenwolf
32	"Cowboys to Girls"	The Intruders
33	"Simon Says"	1910 Fruitgum Company
34	"Lady Willpower"	Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
35	"A Beautiful Morning"	The Rascals
36	"The Look of Love"	Sérgio Mendes
37	"Hold Me Tight"	Johnny Nash
38	"Yummy Yummy Yummy"	Ohio Express
39	"Fire"	The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
40	"Love Is All Around"	The Troggs
41	"Playboy"	Gene & Debbe
42	"(Theme from) Valley of the Dolls"	Dionne Warwick
43	"Classical Gas"	Mason Williams
44	"Slip Away"	Clarence Carter
45	"Girl Watcher"	The O'Kaysions
46	"(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone"	Aretha Franklin
47	"Green Tambourine"	The Lemon Pipers
48	"1, 2, 3, Red Light"	1910 Fruitgum Company
49	"Reach out of the Darkness"	Friend & Lover
50	"Jumpin' Jack Flash"	The Rolling Stones
51	"MacArthur Park"	Richard Harris
52	"Light My Fire"	José Feliciano
53	"I Love You"	People!
54	"Take Time to Know Her"	Percy Sledge
55	"Pictures of Matchstick Men"	Status Quo
56	"Summertime Blues"	Blue Cheer
57	"Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing"	Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
58	"I Got the Feelin'"	James Brown
59	"I've Gotta Get a Message to You"	The Bee Gees
60	"Lady Madonna"	The Beatles
61	"Hurdy Gurdy Man"	Donovan
62	"Magic Carpet Ride"	Steppenwolf
63	"Bottle of Wine"	The Fireballs
64	"Stay in My Corner"	The Dells
65	"Soul Serenade"	Willie Mitchell
66	"Delilah"	Tom Jones
67	"Nobody but Me"	The Human Beinz
68	"I Thank You"	Sam and Dave
69	"The Fool on the Hill"	Sérgio Mendes
70	"Sky Pilot"	The Animals
71	"Indian Lake"	The Cowsills
72	"I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight"	Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart
73	"Over You"	Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
74	"Goin' Out of My Head/Can't Take My Eyes Off You"	The Lettermen
75	"Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day"	Stevie Wonder
76	"The Unicorn"	The Irish Rovers
77	"You Keep Me Hangin' On"	Vanilla Fudge
78	"Revolution"	The Beatles
79	"Woman, Woman"	Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
80	"Elenore"	The Turtles
81	"White Room"	Cream
82	"You're All I Need to Get By"	Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
83	"Baby, Now That I've Found You"	The Foundations
84	"Sweet Inspiration"	Sweet Inspirations
85	"If You Can Want"	The Miracles
86	"Cab Driver"	The Mills Brothers
87	"Time Has Come Today"	The Chambers Brothers
88	"Do You Know the Way to San Jose"	Dionne Warwick
89	"Scarborough Fair/Canticle"	Simon & Garfunkel
90	"Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud"	James Brown
91	"The Mighty Quinn"	Manfred Mann
92	"Here Comes the Judge"	Shorty Long
93	"I Say a Little Prayer"	Aretha Franklin
94	"Think"	Aretha Franklin
95	"Sealed with a Kiss"	Gary Lewis and the Playboys
96	"Piece of My Heart"	Big Brother and the Holding Company
97	"Suzie Q."	Creedence Clearwater Revival
98	"Bend Me, Shape Me"	The American Breed
99	"Hey, Western Union Man"	Jerry Butler
100	"Never Give You Up"	Jerry Butler