Beech Tree News Network

www.hooksandharmony.com is where the list of Billboard #’s can be found.  This week we reach the home stretch, beginning with Journey’s classic “Open Arms”.  One of the most popular power ballads ever, 1982’s “Open Arms” was Journey’s highest-ranking single.  VH1 named it the greatest power ballad of all time and the song was certified Gold by the recording industry.  Unfortunately for Journey, it got caught behind the #3 and #5 songs of 1982: J Geils Band’s “Centerfold” denied it for 3 weeks and Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock ‘n Roll” also held the top spot for 3 weeks.

Next up is Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing In The Dark”.  This 1984 smash spent 4 weeks at #2.  It was kept out of the top spot by Duran Duran’s “The Reflex(1 week) and “When Doves Cry by Prince and the Revolution(3 weeks).Like Journey, that was as close as Bruce has ever gotten to having a number one hit. Speaking of Prince, “Purple Rain” is next on the list.  He couldn’t manage 3 #’s in a row.  After “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy topped the charts, what may be his best-known song could make it.  Still, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it #18 on its 100 Greatest Songs of All Time.  By the way, the song that denied “Purple Rain” was Wham’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”.

Now we get to my youth.  You couldn’t turn on the radio in 1991 without hearing “Right Here, Right Now” by the band Jesus Jones.  You may ask yourself: “who”? They’re what you call a one-hit wonder. Why didn’t one of the most popular songs of 1991 ever hit #1.  Bryan Adams’ “(Everything I do) I Do It For You” is why.  Jesus should’ve had a #1 song. Bet you never thought you’d read that sentence!

Next up is probably the least-known song on the list: Donna Lewis’ 1996 #2 hit “I Love You Always Forever”.  It spent an astounding 9 weeks at #2 and was denied by “Macarena(Bayside Boys Mix)” by Los Del Rio.  This is the rare case a couple of one-hit wonders battling it out.  It was Lewis’ only top 20 hit.  I believe it was Los Del Rio’s only hit as well.

As massive of a success as Shania Twain is, it’s hard to believe “You’re Still The One” only hit #2(for 9 weeks).  It took 12 weeks for the song to climb to runner-up, where it stayed for one week before dropping to #4.  It steadied itself and crawled back to #2.  It stayed on the Hot 100 for 42 weeks and was denied the top spot by “Too Close” by Next (1 week) and “The Boy Is Mine” by Brandy and Monica (8 weeks).

We end with “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley.  This one spent 7 weeks at #2 and was kept out by “Promiscuous”-Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland(4 weeks) and Fergie’s “London Bridge”(3 weeks). ½ of Gnarls Barkley, Cee-Lo Green, arguably had two of the greatest hits of the 2000’s with “Crazy” and his solo effort “Forget You”.  His collaboration with Danger Mouse, “Crazy” was stopped at #2 by the above-mentioned songs.  His solo effort was stalled at #2 for four weeks behind Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way”.  Talk about bad luck!  I hope you’ve enjoyed this journey into #2 hits these past few weeks.  Below are the links to my podcast Blendertainment

https://open.spotify.com/show/61yTPt9wXdz37DZTbPUs16?si=w5jHghPVRmaTaP5Z...

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blendertainment/id1541097172