List: songs that were hits by multiple artists

[R H Draney]

(If Allan Kirshner is here, he ought to love this idea)....

I'm listening to the "chart sweep" someone posted a link to on another group a
while back, a medley of every number one single from 1955 to 1992...one thing
that keeps popping out at me is that some songs show up more than once: "Venus"
by Shocking Blue and Bananarama, "Go Away Little Girl" by Steve Lawrence and
Donny Osmond, "You Keep Me Hangin' On" by the Supremes and Kim Wilde...and I
know there was also a hit version of that last one by Vanilla Fudge that's
completely unlike those two, but it didn't get to number one....

So what songs have been in the top ten, or top forty, or some other convenient
cutoff, in the greatest number of different versions?...r

[Harold Groot]

Post by R H Draney
(If Allan Kirshner is here, he ought to love this idea)....
I'm listening to the "chart sweep" someone posted a link to on another group a
while back, a medley of every number one single from 1955 to 1992...one thing
that keeps popping out at me is that some songs show up more than once: "Venus"
by Shocking Blue and Bananarama, "Go Away Little Girl" by Steve Lawrence and
Donny Osmond, "You Keep Me Hangin' On" by the Supremes and Kim Wilde...and I
know there was also a hit version of that last one by Vanilla Fudge that's
completely unlike those two, but it didn't get to number one....
So what songs have been in the top ten, or top forty, or some other convenient
cutoff, in the greatest number of different versions?...r

Well, in top-40 lists there are a whole bunch that have made it in 3
different versions, maybe 15 or 20 that have made it in 4 versions -
but as best I can recall, the winner would probably be "Banana Boat
Song (Day-O)", which was in the top 40 in 1957 by 6 different artists.

Today, everyone remembers the Harry Belefonte version. It was on a
tremendously successful album. But surprisingly it didn't climb the
highest on the top-40 charts. It peaked at #5. The Terriers edged it
out, taking it to #4. Less successful were the Fontane Sisters (#13),
Steve Lawrence (#18), Sarah Vaughan (#19) and Stan Freberg (#25).

"Melody of Love" had 5 different top-40 versions in 1955.

"Stand By Me" lists 5 appearances in the top-40 but only by 4 artists
(both the 1961 and the 1986 appearances are by Ben E. King).

"Unchained Melody" has 7 appearances - but by only 5 artists. The
Righteous Brothers hit it 3 times, in 1965 and again twice in 1990.
The Sept. 1990 entry was a re-release of the '65 version made newly
popular by the movie "Ghost". Following it onto the top-40 charts in
Oct. was a newly recorded version. So - 7 appearances, 6 versions, 5
artists.

[a***@hotmail.com]

Post by R H Draney
(If Allan Kirshner is here, he ought to love this idea)....
I'm listening to the "chart sweep" someone posted a link to on another group a
while back, a medley of every number one single from 1955 to 1992...one thing
that keeps popping out at me is that some songs show up more than once: "Venus"
by Shocking Blue and Bananarama, "Go Away Little Girl" by Steve Lawrence and
Donny Osmond, "You Keep Me Hangin' On" by the Supremes and Kim Wilde...and I
know there was also a hit version of that last one by Vanilla Fudge that's
completely unlike those two, but it didn't get to number one....
So what songs have been in the top ten, or top forty, or some other convenient
cutoff, in the greatest number of different versions?...r
--
"You got Schadenfreude on my Weltanschauung!"
"You got Weltanschauung in my Schadenfreude!"

Wow, I think I heard somebody call my name! Hmm. Well, there are
probably tens of thousands of songs that have been recorded by more
than one artist. But, if we're speaking strictly about charted
singles (Billboard Hot 100), and we set aside Christmas tunes, here
are a handful of songs that qualify:

AUTUMN LEAVES (charted seven times by six different artists)

STAND BY ME (charted nine times and twice a top 10 hit for Ben E.
King)

UNCHAINED MELODY (charted ten times including three separate entries
by the Righteous Brothers, two of which climbed the charts at the same
time due to its inclusion in the movie 'Ghost')

(SITTIN' ON) THE DOCK OF THE BAY (charted seven times by seven
different artists)


There are a number of others that charted five times. Many owe the
multiple appearances to a common practice in the early days of rock
and roll, particularly in its first year, 1955. Often, a song that
became a hit for one artist was immediately recorded and released by
several others looking to put their version out ASAP to capitalize on
the tune's success. For example, all but one of the charted versions
of 'Autumn Leaves' hit in 1955. While it's still common practice for
artists to record cover tunes, they will more often remain as album
tracks and won't be released as singles.

As rock and roll tunes go, I believe the song that's had the most
versions recorded (though not necessarily charted and, again,
excluding Christmas tunes) is 'Yesterday', originally done by the
Beatles.

Well, that's my two cents.


--
Allen Kirshner
(the alt.music.lyrics TV theme guy)

[Andreas Eibach]

Post by R H Draney
(If Allan Kirshner is here, he ought to love this idea)....
I'm listening to the "chart sweep" someone posted a link to on another group a
while back, a medley of every number one single from 1955 to
1992...one thing
that keeps popping out at me is that some songs show up more than once: "Venus"
by Shocking Blue and Bananarama, "Go Away Little Girl" by Steve Lawrence and
Donny Osmond, "You Keep Me Hangin' On" by the Supremes and Kim
Wilde...and I
know there was also a hit version of that last one by Vanilla Fudge that's
completely unlike those two, but it didn't get to number one....

"Angel of the Morning".
Evie Sands started it all, and it got covered many times, already in the
1960s even.

-Andreas

[Ronald 'More-More' Moshki]

Post by Andreas Eibach

Post by R H Draney
(If Allan Kirshner is here, he ought to love this idea)....
I'm listening to the "chart sweep" someone posted a link to on another
group a
while back, a medley of every number one single from 1955 to
1992...one thing
that keeps popping out at me is that some songs show up more than
once: "Venus"
by Shocking Blue and Bananarama, "Go Away Little Girl" by Steve
Lawrence and
Donny Osmond, "You Keep Me Hangin' On" by the Supremes and Kim
Wilde...and I
know there was also a hit version of that last one by Vanilla Fudge
that's
completely unlike those two, but it didn't get to number one....

"Angel of the Morning".
Evie Sands started it all, and it got covered many times, already in the
1960s even.
-Andreas

Things we can HOPE for:

"Dancing in The Moonlight" K/H and the great
recent version by TOPLOADER.

What should have been:
"Paint It Black" THE AVENGERS
and
"Like A Rolling Stone"--THE ROLLING STONES