Friday, March 04, 2011

(Almost) Every #1 pop single

If you want to listen to an evolution in music, this would be the way to do it. 5 seconds of every #1 pop single in chronological order, from the late 1950s to 1993. It's like listening to a never-ending Time/Life ad, but it sure does tell a story.

Part one is here.

Part one: 8:00 is 1961, the year I was born; 12:32 has the first Beatles hits; by 15:27 (1965) rock and roll songs are definitely making a big impact on the charts; at the 20:00 mark is the first song I can honestly recollect hearing on the radio (my dad only listened to the easy listening station in Montreal [CJAD]) - This Guy's in Love with You by Herb Alpert. I was just turning 7; at 31:19 is the official start of disco; by 33:37 disco has taken over pop; at 40:00 is the precise moment I left home to join the military; 43:18 is when MTV launched; it ends at October 1981.

Part two is here.

At 8:51 is when I met Darlene - the song that charted #1 that week was At This Moment by Billy Vera and the Beaters; 13:16 is the original Rick-roll; 18:02 is when Darlene and I got married.

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