#1 Songs on Hot 100 that should not be number one.

[Talk_Dude]

Actually, the original "You Light Up My Life" by Kasey Cisyk was (I thought) much better than the cover by Pat Boone's daughter.
As for Debbie Boone's version of "You Light up My Life", you are correct that it is a masterpiece. It's masterpiece example of the art of corporate music marketing. It was sold like a box of soap and the public bought it. It wasn't as good as the original, but Debbie Boone looked cuter on the cover than Kasey Cisyk would have, and she was Pat's daughter.

Maybe I'm missing something here. Did Pat Boone really have that much influence on the music business in 1977? I could see it if it was 1957, but by '77, Boone was 15 years removed from his own last top 40 appearance. If he were so influential, it seems that he should have been able to keep his daughter returning to the charts for years to follow. And we know that that didn't happen.

How much influence does it take to convince a music label suit that in picking between Kasey Cisyk and Debbie Boone, he should pick Debbie? Please note what I said, "It wasn't as good as the original, but Debbie Boone looked cuter on the cover than Kasey Cisyk would have, and she was Pat's daughter." The main reason, the one I mentioned first, was that Debbie Boone looked cuter than Kasey Cisyk. The fact that she was Pat's daughter was a little bit of icing on the cake. It doesn't take all that much extra influence to break a close tie, does it?

 

[hornet61]

Still, you're totally, completely, and utterly wrong. The song "Dominque" should be played on a "Music of Your Life" station, and the song "Satisfaction" should be played on a rock oldies station. It's not about playing them back-to-back, it's about playing them on the same station. More specifically, it's about splitting the old ranking lists from the 1960's into separate charts, so that Music of Your Life songs don't compete on the same list with rock songs.

The song "Dominque" should be played on a "Music of Your Life" station, and the song "Satisfaction" should be played on a rock oldies station. It's not about playing them back-to-back, it's about playing them on the same station.

"Dominique" is an oldie just like "Satisfaction". So an oldie should air on an "oldies" station. Now the question is, do I rotate "Dominique" regularly, as I would "Satisfaction"...of course not. Would I play "Dominique" during a specialty show featuring the early 60's or the best of 1963?? Yes I would. So the answer to your statement is both songs qualify as oldies and BOTH should be played on oldies stations, AS NEEDED.
"Music of your Life" relates to easy-listening standards that were mainly produced prior to 1955.

I wasn't sure who to reply to here, so I multi-quoted. I'm going to go ahead and say it: "Dominique" was an anomaly (sp). It was a hit during that two-month time frame between the Kennedy assassination, and the landing of the Beatles on our shores. We may never see a situation like that again. I seriously doubt that very many people were paying attention to the charts (except maybe radio and music industry types) in December of 1963. (Kinda makes one wonder why the Four Seasons celebrated that month in song!) I'm thinking that "Dominique" simply filled a void during that time. Sure, "Louie Louie" was #2, but 1963 wasn't really a "rock" year. That all changed when the Beatles invaded, but that wasn't until '64.

Having said that, I believe that "Dominique" should NOT be played on any oldies stations NOW. A few years ago, I might have said differently, but not anymore. An MOYL station would be the perfect place for it, if anyone is still airing it. We have an MOYL station here in Nashville, and they play stuff from the '60s, '70s, '80s, right up until now. Even Norah Jones is on their playlist, and of course, lots of Barry Manilow. MOYL certainly existed after 1955.

The world didn't end with the Kennedy Assination...there was no black hole .......the Beatles didn't change the course of history...by mid 64 when the BI groups were dominating the charts..... also on the charts in mid-64 were...Louis Armstrong, Dean Martin, Wayne Newton, Barbara Streisand , Lorne Greene and god help us the detergents, sure the BI had some Impact, .... I have seen some pretty far out statements on this site ....this takes the cake...to say that Dominique is a fluke, you are just talking for the sake off talking ....

 

[firepoint525]

How much influence does it take to convince a music label suit that in picking between Kasey Cisyk and Debbie Boone, he should pick Debbie? Please note what I said, "It wasn't as good as the original, but Debbie Boone looked cuter on the cover than Kasey Cisyk would have, and she was Pat's daughter." The main reason, the one I mentioned first, was that Debbie Boone looked cuter than Kasey Cisyk. The fact that she was Pat's daughter was a little bit of icing on the cake. It doesn't take all that much extra influence to break a close tie, does it?

Was the Cisyk version ever released as a single? Not much competition if it wasn't ever a single. Had to be a single to be a hit back in those days. Radio isn't afraid of competing versions of the same song by different artists, as was proven back in the '50s, and again with the dueling versions of "How Do I Live" in 1997, but in those days, it had to be a single to really be competitive.

 

[firepoint525]

The world didn't end with the Kennedy Assination...there was no black hole .......the Beatles didn't change the course of history...by mid 64 when the BI groups were dominating the charts..... also on the charts in mid-64 were...Louis Armstrong, Dean Martin, Wayne Newton, Barbara Streisand , Lorne Greene and god help us the detergents, sure the BI had some Impact, .... I have seen some pretty far out statements on this site ....this takes the cake...to say that Dominique is a fluke, you are just talking for the sake off talking ....

Well, how many more hits did the Singing Nun have? Those other MOR artists that you mentioned were established stars, so they already had successful careers. Not to mention that some who had their careers "interrupted" by the British invasion (Neil Sedaka, Paul Anka, Rick Nelson) would make successful comebacks in the '70s. Good thing I didn't hold my breath waiting for that Singing Nun comeback! :-X

 

[Talk_Dude]

How much influence does it take to convince a music label suit that in picking between Kasey Cisyk and Debbie Boone, he should pick Debbie? Please note what I said, "It wasn't as good as the original, but Debbie Boone looked cuter on the cover than Kasey Cisyk would have, and she was Pat's daughter." The main reason, the one I mentioned first, was that Debbie Boone looked cuter than Kasey Cisyk. The fact that she was Pat's daughter was a little bit of icing on the cake. It doesn't take all that much extra influence to break a close tie, does it?

Was the Cisyk version ever released as a single? Not much competition if it wasn't ever a single. Had to be a single to be a hit back in those days. Radio isn't afraid of competing versions of the same song by different artists, as was proven back in the '50s, and again with the dueling versions of "How Do I Live" in 1997, but in those days, it had to be a single to really be competitive.

Of course it wasn't released as a single. The suits made the decision to have the cuter looking Debbie Boone do a cover version for the single release. That's the whole point!

 

[Talk_Dude]

I have learned that the original version of "You Light Up My Life" with Kasey Cisyk singing but without any mention of her name was released and made it to #80. Joseph Brooks was the screenwriter, director, and producer of the movie and the one who replaced Cisyk's vocals with Boone's for the second single.

To all of you treat the record charts as some sort of honest competition in which the higher a song rises on the charts is proof of musical excellence, I urge you to read Hit Men: Power Brokers and Fast Money Inside the Music Business and Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards.

The closest equivalent to the way singles move up the charts that I can think of is either pro boxing or pro wrestling. Perhaps that explains why some of the DJ's I know follow the WWE. A pop song hitting #1 or a WWE wrestler winning a title belt are very similar in terms of the legitimacy of those accomplishments.

 

[hornet61]

The world didn't end with the Kennedy Assination...there was no black hole .......the Beatles didn't change the course of history...by mid 64 when the BI groups were dominating the charts..... also on the charts in mid-64 were...Louis Armstrong, Dean Martin, Wayne Newton, Barbara Streisand , Lorne Greene and god help us the detergents, sure the BI had some Impact, .... I have seen some pretty far out statements on this site ....this takes the cake...to say that Dominique is a fluke, you are just talking for the sake off talking ....

Well, how many more hits did the Singing Nun have? Those other MOR artists that you mentioned were established stars, so they already had successful careers. Not to mention that some who had their careers "interrupted" by the British invasion (Neil Sedaka, Paul Anka, Rick Nelson) would make successful comebacks in the '70s. Good thing I didn't hold my breath waiting for that Singing Nun comeback! :-X

all I am saying for a song to get to #1 is the ultimate achievment, ones opinon of the song doesn't diminish it's legacy...to say it didn't fit, when that was the norm in those days is does not make it a fluke, that was the nature of radio and the charts then, until the time when the charts went from about 6 charts then, to the 600 today, it most definitely belongs on Oldies Radio, why, because it's an OLDIE.... follow-up hits, she was a nun, not Cher. Comeback ? she was a troubled soul who committed suicide and hopefully because of her deep faith her comeback was with her maker.

 

[johnbasalla]

MORE ABOUT "DOMINIQUE". It's also interesting to note that the hit version by The Singing Nun was noat t sung in English. I would also point out that she was quite the composer. There were two Singing Nun albums put out back-to-back. Both have very nice songs with memorable refrains on them. Given that the first one was originally recorded just for her and her convent, it's amazing that it became such a big international hit. The two albums put out in 1963 and 1964 by Phillips Records have ornate thick jackets with large pages of easy to read lyric sheets in both the original language (French, I think) and English.

 

[oldies76]

A pop song hitting #1 or a WWE wrestler winning a title belt are very similar in terms of the legitimacy of those accomplishments.

Huh?? and all the number one singles since 1955 are non-legit? I'm sure all the artists since then would agree with you too........

 

[Talk_Dude]

A pop song hitting #1 or a WWE wrestler winning a title belt are very similar in terms of the legitimacy of those accomplishments.

Huh?? and all the number one singles since 1955 are non-legit? I'm sure all the artists since then would agree with you too........

If that were the case I'd have said "identical", not "similar".

 

[joshzz]

The truth is, #1 is matter of payola. Payola was and is always the deciding factor which songs climb to the very top.

Alan Freed's story is the one we all hear about --- and for some reason people believe that it ended with that.

Truth is, payola is alive and doing very well. Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus, He exists as certainly as love for money exists in the music industry.

 

[johnbasalla]

If a song is #1 for more then 2 weeks, I think that's a good indication that the song is truly a #1, chart-topping hit, and the certified favorite. If a song is #1 for just one or two weeks, then the song may not be any bigger, better or more special then #2 through 5 or so. I'm not convinced that it's all about payola. Getting a song to listeners ears, and hit status has been affected by payola, but not necessarily all the way to the top.
One thing is for sure, no matter how much payola is involved in promotion of a song, if listeners and record buyers don't like it, they won't support it.

 

[firepoint525]

Of course it wasn't released as a single. The suits made the decision to have the cuter looking Debbie Boone do a cover version for the single release. That's the whole point!

I have learned that the original version of "You Light Up My Life" with Kasey Cisyk singing but without any mention of her name was released and made it to #80. Joseph Brooks was the screenwriter, director, and producer of the movie and the one who replaced Cisyk's vocals with Boone's for the second single.

Right, I found out over the weekend that Arista released their version of "You Light Up My Life" as a single, but credited it only to "original cast" or something like that. Cisyk remained an anonymous singer of commercials and jingles, etc. I had no idea of the peak position, but I knew it didn't do well.

Mike Curb was the one who recorded Debby Boone for the Warner Bros. single, using the same backing track that was used for the Cisyk version. No wonder they sounded so similar!

You might be right about being Pat Boone's daughter, it opened doors for her, but Kasey Cisyk was no match for a "name" like Boone. It was a good move on their part, anglicizing her name, but I still don't think she would have ever been a match for Debby Boone.

 

[Talk_Dude]

You might be right about being Pat Boone's daughter, it opened doors for her, but Kasey Cisyk was no match for a "name" like Boone. It was a good move on their part, anglicizing her name, but I still don't think she would have ever been a match for Debby Boone.

As a vocalist, Boone couldn't make a patch on Kasey Cisyk's opera-trained larynx. But as a cute looking sweetiepie to put on a record sleeve, or to lip sync on American Bandstand, you're right. Kasey Cisyk was no match for Debbie Boone.

 

[firepoint525]

all I am saying for a song to get to #1 is the ultimate achievment, ones opinon of the song doesn't diminish it's legacy...to say it didn't fit, when that was the norm in those days is does not make it a fluke, that was the nature of radio and the charts then, until the time when the charts went from about 6 charts then, to the 600 today, it most definitely belongs on Oldies Radio, why, because it's an OLDIE.... follow-up hits, she was a nun, not Cher. Comeback ? she was a troubled soul who committed suicide and hopefully because of her deep faith her comeback was with her maker.

Not long ago on Facebook, I did one of those "what was #1 when you were born" quizzes, and I posted the British #1, "She Loves You" by the Beatles, on my Facebook page, because the American #1 at the time was "I'm Leaving It Up to You" by Dale and Grace. Nothing against Dale and Grace, but the Beatles fit me better.

There were only two #1s between the JFK assassination and the Beatles landing, and those were "Dominique," followed by "There I've Said It Again" by Bobby Vinton. "Dominique" definitely makes my case for me about being an anomaly, because it was sung by a nun, and hit #1 right after the assassination of our only Catholic president. (Of course, it was already on the charts by then, but that is another matter.)

I made the case on another thread that whatever happens to be #1 in December usually stays there for a while. Definitely the case with the Singing Nun, but it became more common in the '70s and '80s. I remember several years in the '80s when the biggest hit of the year on Casey Kasem's year-end countdown was something that had been #1 in December of the previous year! This always annoyed me, because I knew that Billboard "froze" the charts for the last week in December, and that what was #1 at the time usually got less airplay because of Christmas music on the air, and that sales of singles might have even slowed down due to winter weather in some parts of the country.

 

[hornet61]

I give up

 

[firepoint525]

You might be right about being Pat Boone's daughter, it opened doors for her, but Kasey Cisyk was no match for a "name" like Boone. It was a good move on their part, anglicizing her name, but I still don't think she would have ever been a match for Debby Boone.

As a vocalist, Boone couldn't make a patch on Kasey Cisyk's opera-trained larynx. But as a cute looking sweetiepie to put on a record sleeve, or to lip sync on American Bandstand, you're right. Kasey Cisyk was no match for Debbie Boone.

I would say that Didi Conn had Debby Boone beat in the looks department, but of course, she didn't actually sing the song! ;D

And the only "look" that she attained as Frenchie in Grease (with that pink hair!) was a goofy look!

 

[Talk_Dude]

You might be right about being Pat Boone's daughter, it opened doors for her, but Kasey Cisyk was no match for a "name" like Boone. It was a good move on their part, anglicizing her name, but I still don't think she would have ever been a match for Debby Boone.

As a vocalist, Boone couldn't make a patch on Kasey Cisyk's opera-trained larynx. But as a cute looking sweetiepie to put on a record sleeve, or to lip sync on American Bandstand, you're right. Kasey Cisyk was no match for Debbie Boone.

I would say that Didi Conn had Debby Boone beat in the looks department, but of course, she didn't actually sing the song! ;D

And the only "look" that she attained as Frenchie in Grease (with that pink hair!) was a goofy look!

I could have used you as a wingman when I was single. It would be great to have a wingman who actually preferred the uglier looking girls. :

 

[firepoint525]

I would say that Didi Conn had Debby Boone beat in the looks department, but of course, she didn't actually sing the song! ;D

And the only "look" that she attained as Frenchie in Grease (with that pink hair!) was a goofy look!

I could have used you as a wingman when I was single. It would be great to have a wingman who actually preferred the uglier looking girls. :

My attempt at humor!

At any rate, Debby Boone apparently holds the distinction of having the biggest hit ever by a one-hit wonder. All that marketing and they still couldn't get her a second hit.

 

[kruxman]

Three number ones I can't stand:

You Light Up My Life-Debbie Boone
Ring My Bell-Anita Ward
Feelings-Morris Albert