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Longest Charting WLS 890 Records

S

Schroedingers Cat

What were the longest charting records ever on the WLS (once the Silver Dollar) Survey? I was just looking at ARSA, and I found that "You Light Up My Life" by Debby Boone was on their chart for 35 weeks! I don't know if those were all on the published parts of the charts, as the lower entries may have been on in house charts that were added to ARSA's data. Many stations would have lumped it together with other recent recurrents after a certain number of weeks to avoid burnout. But that has to be some kind of record for them.
 
Based on a quick browse, "You Light Up My Life" was on the WLS survey for 35 weeks, however, "Macho Man" by The Village People had the longest run at 38 weeks, debuting 9/2/78!

Other long runners include:

Last Dance - Donna Summer (33 weeks)

Hot Blooded - Foreigner (30 weeks)

You're The One That I Want - Travolta/Newton-John (30 weeks)

I have not checked the 60's or 80's yet.
 
Thanks, Scott. Do you have the Price/Whitburn type WLS and WCFL books? I think you'll find the 60s chart runs much shorter, as they were on the Hot 100. I seem to remember that the CKLW and WKNR charts from the 1960s topped out at about 13 week chart runs. The difference may be that they just dropped them from the ranked chart, and put them in a recurrent chart with much less airplay. It looks like WLS's charts were thoroughly researched, as evidenced by YLUML bouncing around in the 30s at the end of its chart run, before falling off. Mike Curb's Warner/Curb subsidiary had two other respectively lengthy runs, 24 weeks each for "December, 1963", and "Kiss You All Over". WLS and WCFL were extremely slow at adding Warner/Curb's "Who Loves You" and WLS was slow on the draw to add "December, 1963", and I think John Landecker made a crack about a sixties groups making the WLS survey, something like, "What is this, 1966?". And of course JRL played YLUML one night in 30 second intervals because he disliked it. Harder rockers seemed to begin take over the music selection on the WLS charts when they no longer had WCFL to kick around anymore.

In case you didn't hear the recent JRL interview on WWTN Nashville, this repeats the link from another thread.

http://wwtn.streamon.fm/listen-pl-41?smc=16&fbclid=IwAR0D1KYvUHFQt2ur__K-MTpHpX2PyIl_OkcGU2h5y1wmZqQToA02CZ_QrVw
 
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1960s WLS Biggest Hits Sample Chart Longevity

1962-Sherry-8
1962-Big Girls Don't Cry-9
1964-I Want To Hold Your Hand-12
1965-Satisfaction-10
1966-I'm A Believer-12
1967-It Could Be We're In Love-12
1968-I Heard It Through The Grapevine-13
1969-Aquarius-13
 
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The general trend is for there to be increases in chart longevity over the decade, for some of the biggest hits on the WLS charts from 1962-1969.

A couple from 1970.

1970-The Love You Save-13
1970-I'll Be There-13
 
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Just came across this. Good stuff....and a little surprising. I'd have guessed longer chart runs in the earlier part of the decade.

It seemed to me that the song "No Milk Today" by Herman's Hermits was on the charts forever. Not that it became that big of a hit, but my memory was that it made the rounds from city to city. I remember it mostly being on KIOA (Des Moines) when I was in college in Iowa. I was thinking 1968. But a quick look at Wikipedia suggests otherwise. The song was recorded in 1966 and released as a B side in the U.S. in early 1967.

I'm not sure if "Milk" was brought back in '68 or where I'm getting that from. Serves me right for trying to line up old songs with old girlfriends (and vice versa)...LOL!
 
The NC6 and the Cryan’ Shames also had long chart runs on both WLS and WCFL for their local and regional hits. Less Local “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man”, “Pushing Too Hard” and “Ariel” stand out in my mind as locally way outperforming many others on WLS (and WCFL except “Ariel”).
 
cyberdad said:
Just came across this. Good stuff....and a little surprising. I'd have guessed longer chart runs in the earlier part of the decade.

It seemed to me that the song "No Milk Today" by Herman's Hermits was on the charts forever. Not that it became that big of a hit, but my memory was that it made the rounds from city to city. I remember it mostly being on KIOA (Des Moines) when I was in college in Iowa. I was thinking 1968. But a quick look at Wikipedia suggests otherwise. The song was recorded in 1966 and released as a B side in the U.S. in early 1967.
Click to expand...

Yes, "No Milk Today" was the B side of "Kind of A Hush". Although "Hush" was a much bigger hit in the US, "No Milk Today" got plenty of airplay.
 
radioman148 said:
Yes, "No Milk Today" was the B side of "Kind of A Hush". Although "Hush" was a much bigger hit in the US, "No Milk Today" got plenty of airplay.
Click to expand...

I have the 45 somewhere. It seems to me that my copy has "My Reservation's Been Confirmed" on the B side. Maybe it got re-issued. Although I'm really unsure about that. I'll see if I can dig it up and take a look. Of course, I don't have anything to play it on....but I do have a pristine MP3 copy on my computer and iPhone. :)

I do remember getting a lot of requests for it on our college station. Maybe because it was doing well on KIOA.
 
TheBigA said:
Probably a mistake. However, Milk was also the B side for Hush in the US. So that may be why they have the same issue number.
Click to expand...

I have this record sitting right in front of me, and it's issue no. K 13681, which is printed on both the A-side ("Hush") and B-side ("Milk") labels.
 
scanman1 said:
I have this record sitting right in front of me, and it's issue no. K 13681, which is printed on both the A-side ("Hush") and B-side ("Milk") labels.
Click to expand...

I think that settles it. Thanks! Again....serves me right for attempting to line up old songs with old girlfriends....LOL.
 
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