Matthew Duffy - "Until The End" (2005)

"Until the End" Music and Lyrics: Matthew Duffy & Neil Krin Performed: Matthew Duffy & Neil Krin for SEASON ONE of the TV Series "DANTE'S COVE". Dante's Cove is an American LGBT-oriented supernatural soap opera. The series airs on here!, an American gay-oriented network, and on Gay.com. Created by Michael Costanza and directed by Sam Irvin, Dante's Cove combines elements of the horror and soap opera genres in telling the story of Kevin (Gregory Michael) and Toby (Charlie David), a young couple seeking to be together and overcome the dark mystical forces that conspire to separate them. The show debuted in 2005 to a mixed critical reception. The third season ended on December 21, 2007. here! announced that a fourth season would be in production in the fall of 2009; however, production has not commenced. On June 6, 2011, here! announced an eight episode season of 30 minute episodes to begin airing in Fall 2011 under the title Dante's Cove: Book of Tresum.

Special AKA - "Free Nelson Mandela" (1984)

In the mid-1980's I was an avid bicyclist and in the San Francisco Bay Area region I would hear this song play via my SONY headphones and start pedaling 'like there was no tomorrow'. A classic favorite for me.

"Nelson Mandela" (known in some versions as "Free Nelson Mandela") is a song written by Jerry Dammers and performed by his Coventry-based band The Special A.K.A. - with lead vocal by Stan Campbell - released on the single Nelson Mandela / Break Down The Door in 1984 as a protest against the imprisonment of Nelson Mandela. Unlike most protest songs, the track is upbeat and celebratory, drawing on musical influences from South Africa.

The song reached No.9 in the UK charts and was immensely popular in Africa. Dammers told the Radio Times about the song: "I knew very little about Mandela until I went to an anti-apartheid concert in London in 1983, which gave me the idea for "Nelson Mandela", I never knew how much impact the song would have; it was a hit around the world, and it got back into South Africa and was played at sporting events and ANC rallies-it became an anthem." Stan Campbell left the band right after the recording of the song and the release of the video for the song, and had to be co-erced into rejoining briefly for a live appearance on the BBC TV show Top of the Pops in 1984.

Following that one TV appearance, Campbell left for good. In 1984 the students' union at Wadham College, Oxford passed a motion to end every college "bop" (dance) with the song. The tradition continues despite his release.

A Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute remake released in 1988 featured Elvis Costello, Dave Wakeling, Ranking Roger and Lynval Golding on backing vocals. At the Nelson Mandela 90th Birthday Tribute in London's Hyde Park in June 2008, the song was performed as the show's finale, with Amy Winehouse on lead vocals. However, careful listening to the soundtrack revealed that, instead of "Free Nelson Mandela", she at times sang "Free Blakey, My Fella" (a reference to her husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, a former drug dealer imprisoned for assault).

The song was featured on Peter Kay's spoof television programme Britain's Got the Pop Factor. In 2010, the New Statesman listed it as one of the “Top 20 Political Songs”.

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (born 18 July 1918) served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC).

In 1962 he was arrested and convicted of sabotage and other charges, and sentenced to life in prison. Mandela served 27 years in prison, spending many of these years on Robben Island. Following his release from prison on 11 February 1990, Mandela led his party in the negotiations that led to multi-racial democracy in 1994. As president from 1994 to 1999, he frequently gave priority to reconciliation, while introducing policies aimed at combating poverty and inequality in South Africa.

In South Africa, Mandela is often known as Madiba, his Xhosa clan name; or as tata (Xhosa: father). Mandela has received more than 250 awards over four decades, including the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize. In July 2001 Mandela was diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer. He was treated with a seven-week course of radiation.

In 2003 Mandela's death was incorrectly announced by CNN when his pre-written obituary (along with those of several other famous figures) was inadvertently published on CNN's web site due to a fault in password protection. In 2007 a fringe right-wing group distributed hoax email and SMS messages claiming that the authorities had covered up Mandela's death and that white South Africans would be massacred after his funeral. Mandela was on holiday in Mozambique at the time.

In June 2004, at age 85, Mandela announced that he would be retiring from public life. His health had been declining, and he wanted to enjoy more time with his family. Mandela said that he did not intend to hide away totally from the public, but wanted to be in a position "of calling you to ask whether I would be welcome, rather than being called upon to do things and participate in events. My appeal therefore is: Don't call me, I will call you." Since 2003, he has appeared in public less often and has been less vocal on topical issues. He is white-haired and walks slowly with the support of a stick.

There are reports that he may be suffering from age-related dementia. Mandela's 90th birthday was marked across the country on 18 July 2008, with the main celebrations held at his home town of Qunu. A concert in his honour was also held in Hyde Park, London. In a speech to mark his birthday, Mandela called for the rich people to help poor people across the world. Despite maintaining a low-profile during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Mandela made a rare public appearance during the closing ceremony, where he received a "rapturous reception."

In January 2011, he was admitted to the private Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg, for what were at the time described as "routine tests" by his foundation, leading to intense media speculation about the health condition of the increasingly frail Mandela. It later emerged that he had been suffering from a respiratory infection, which had responded well to treatment. He was discharged after two and a half days in hospital in a stable condition, and returned to his Houghton, Johannesburg home in an ambulance.

General Public - "Tenderness" (1984)

"Tenderness" is a song by General Public from their 1984 album All the Rage, produced by I.R.S. Records. The song's lyrics tell about a man who really needs tenderness to feel like a man. It was one of the band's first singles. The single cover of the extended versions has a sentence reading "words like conviction can turn into a sentence".

It was used towards the end of the films Weird Science and Clueless, and featured on both soundtracks.

American mixed martial artist and former UFC fighter Dave Kaplan used the song as his entrance theme at TUF 8 Finale in 2008. It was also used in the 2011 film Just Go with It, in the movie and in the trailer as a mash-up along with Umbrella by Rihanna (which was also heard in the movie).

Part of the instrumental was used in Target commercials in 2010-2011

Morris Albert - "Feelings" (1974)

"Feelings" is a song based on a melody composed by Loulou Gasté and made famous by Morris Albert, who recorded it as a single released in 1974 that later appeared as the title track of his 1975 debut album. The song's lyrics, recognizable by their "whoa whoa whoa" chorus, concern the singer's inability to "forget my feelings of love". Albert's original recording of the song was very successful, performing well internationally.

"Feelings" peaked at #6 on the pop and #2 on the Adult Contemporary charts in America. Over the next few years "Feelings" was performed by many other vocalists including Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, José José, Caetano Veloso, Frank Sinatra, Engelbert Humperdinck, Shirley Bassey, Glen Campbell, The O'Jays, Sarah Vaughan, Walter Jackson, Sergey Penkin, Dobie Gray and Johnny Mathis. It was also recorded by numerous easy listening bandleaders and ensembles such as Percy Faith, Ferrante & Teicher, 101 Strings and Herb Ohta whose ukelele rendition was recorded with Andre Popp's orchestra for A&M Records.

In more recent years "Feelings" has been best known as a target of parody and ridicule for embodying what are perceived by many as the most insipid lyrical and musical qualities of 1970s "soft rock" music. It appears frequently on lists of "the worst songs ever" and was included on the 1998 Rhino Records compilation album '70s Party Killers.

Because of stylistic similarities "Feelings" is sometimes mistakenly associated with Barry Manilow, though Manilow has never recorded the song.

Lucille Ball - "Hey! Look Me Over" (1960)

"Hey, Look Me Over", a song from the musical Wildcat, whose tune was adapted into one of Louisiana State University's school songs, "Hey, Fightin’ Tigers". Wildcat is a musical with a book by N. Richard Nash, lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, and music by Cy Coleman. The original production opened on Broadway in 1960, starring a 48-year-old Lucille Ball in her only Broadway show.

Daft Punk - Derezzed [Avicii Vocal Remix] (2011)

Daft Punk did the song Derezzed for the movie TRON. Can't say that I'm a fan, and I didn't much care for the original version of the song. It simply lacked vocals to back up a pretty hot track, but Avicii to the rescue. If you're into House, you know Avicii has been simply tearing up the scene this year. The song Levels has been this years mega-hit, and I can't stop listening. This remix of Derezzed is no exception, and the bar has been set once again!

Carl Douglas - "Kung Fu Fighting" (1974)

"Kung Fu Fighting" is a disco song written by Carl Douglas, published by Edition Carren / SMV Schacht Musikverlage GmbH & Co. KG and produced by Biddu. It was released as a single in 1974, at the cusp of a chopsocky film craze, and eventually rose to the top of the British and American charts, in addition to reaching number one on the Soul Singles chart. It received a Gold certification from the RIAA in 1974, won the 1974 Grammy Award for Best Selling Single, and popularized disco music. It eventually went on to sell eleven million records worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time. The song uses the quintessential Oriental riff, a short musical phrase that is used to signify Chinese culture. Kung Fu Fighting was rated number 100 in VH1's 100 Greatest one-hit wonders, and number 1 in the UK Channel 4's Top 10 One Hit Wonders list in 2000, the same channel's 50 Greatest One Hit Wonders poll in 2006 and Bring Back ... the one-hit Wonders, for which Carl Douglas performed the song in a live concert.

Nolan Strong & The Diablos - "The Wind" (1954)

Nolan Strong & The Diablos were a Detroit-based R&B and doo-wop vocal group best known for its hit songs "The Wind" and "Mind Over Matter." The group was one of the most popular, pre-Motown, R&B acts in Detroit during the mid 1950s, through the early 1960s. Nolan Strong (1934–1977), the lead vocalist, had an ethereally high tenor. Strong's smooth voice, influenced mainly by Clyde McPhatter was, in turn, a primary influence on a young Smokey Robinson. The group, along with label-mates Andre Williams and Nathaniel Mayer, recorded for Fortune Records, a small label in Detroit starting in 1954, and ending somewhere around 1973. Strong has also been an influence on rock and roll bands. In December 2009 Lou Reed, of the influential '60s band The Velvet Underground, told Rolling Stone Magazine editor David Fricke, "If I could really sing, I’d be Nolan Strong" - during an interview at the New York Public Library. The Diablos were inducted into the United In Group Harmony Hall of Fame in 2003. In March 2008 the group was inducted into the Doo-Wop Hall of Fame of America. In 2007, The Metro Times listed "The Wind" at #11 in The 100 Greatest Detroit Songs list - which was the November 11th cover story. In September 2010 Daddy Rockin Strong: A Tribute to Nolan Strong & The Diablos LP was released by The Wind Records, with distribution by Norton Records. The album features 13 new Diablos covers by a cast of rock and roll, punk and garage rock bands. It features The Dirtbombs, Reigning Sound, Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby and Mark Sultan, among others. "The Wind" is a 1954 doo-wop classic by the pre-Motown Detroit R&B group Nolan Strong & The Diablos. The song appears originally on the group's second 45rpm single, "The Wind / Baby Be Mine," (Fortune Records #511) The song has a unique, reverb-heavy sound and is centered around the high ethereal lead tenor voice of the band's leader, Nolan Strong. In 2007, The Metro Times listed "The Wind" at #11 in The 100 Greatest Detroit Songs list - which was the November 11th cover story. "The Wind" was the group's only national hit, though most of the group's other hits were huge local successes in Detroit, including "Mind Over Matter" (Fortune #546, 1962), which went to #1 on local radio station play lists in 1962.

David Archuleta - "To Be With You" (2008)

David James Archuleta (born December 28, 1990) is an American pop singer-songwriter. At ten years old he won the children's division of the Utah Talent Competition leading to other television singing appearances. When he was twelve years old, Archuleta became the Junior Vocal Champion on Star Search 2. In 2007, at sixteen years old, he became one of the youngest contestants on the seventh season of American Idol. In May 2008 he finished as the runner-up, receiving 44 percent of over 97 million votes. In August 2008 Archuleta released "Crush," the first single from his self-titled debut album. The album, released two months later, debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart; it has sold over 750,000 copies in the U.S. and over 900,000 Worldwide. In October 2010 he released a third album, The Other Side of Down featuring lead single "Something 'Bout Love".

The Beatles - "Love Me Do" (1962)

I find it so wonderful how these 'three' words (LOVE ME DO) can make such a magical hit song. "Love Me Do" is an early Lennon/McCartney song, principally written by Paul McCartney in 1958–1959 while playing truant from school at age 16. John Lennon wrote the middle eight.

The song was The Beatles' first single, backed by "P.S. I Love You" and released on 5 October 1962. When the single was originally released in the United Kingdom, it peaked at number seventeen; in 1982 it was re-issued and reached number four. In the United States the single was a number one hit in 1964.

"Love Me Do" is intrinsically a song based around two simple chords: G7 and C, before moving to D for its middle eight. It first profiles Lennon playing a bluesy dry "dockside harmonica" riff , then features Lennon and McCartney on joint lead vocals, including Everly Brothers style harmonising during the beseeching "please" before McCartney sings the unaccompanied vocal line on the song's title phrase. Lennon had previously sung the title sections, but this change in arrangement was made in the studio under the direction of producer George Martin when he realised that the harmonica part encroached on the vocal (Lennon needed to begin playing the harmonica again on the same beat as the "do" of "love me do" although, according to Ian MacDonald, for the earlier 6 June audition the harmonica was overdubbed, allowing Lennon to sing the title phrase unhindered).

This is illustrative of the time constraints on this particular session - their first recording session proper; as for instance, when a similar situation later occurred on the "Please Please Me" single session, the harmonica was superimposed afterwards using tape-to-tape overdubbing. Described by MacDonald as "standing out like a bare brick wall in a suburban sitting-room", "Love Me Do" with its stark "blunt working class northerness" rang "the first faint chime of a revolutionary bell" compared to the standard tin pan alley productions occupying the charts at the time.

"Love Me Do" was recorded by the Beatles on three different occasions with three different drummers:

The Uptones - Out To Sea (1984)

The Uptones formed in Berkeley, California while band members Eric Dinwiddie (aka, "Din"), Paul Jackson, Ben Eastwood and Charles Stella were attending Berkeley High School and Cazadero Performing Arts Camp. They were originally inspired to start a ska band in 1981 after attending an English Beat show in San Francisco. The Uptones were heavily influenced by the English 2 Tone sound, as well as the British mod scene, punk rock, and the original Jamaican ska sound from the late 1950s. "OUT TO SEA" by The Uptones is part of the long-out-of-print LP from "The Quake FM99 presents: Rock of '84" which featured 10 tracks by some of the best San Francisco Bay Area bands.

The Human League - "Human" (1986)

"Human" is a song recorded by British synthpop band The Human League. It was released as the first single from their 1986 album Crash. The track was written and produced by US producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. In 1985 the recording sessions for the Human League's fifth album were not going well; and the band did not like the results which was causing internal conflict. Virgin Records executives, worried by the lack of progress from their at-the-time most-profitable signing, suggested the band accept an offer to work with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis who already had material to work with; and had expressed an interest in the band from their U.S. releases. Jam and Lewis had recently emerged as in-demand talent due to their success with Janet Jackson and her Control album. Of the ten songs on Crash, Jam and Lewis wrote three, "Human" being one of them. It is a mid-tempo ballad which lyrically is an exchange between a man and a woman in a relationship who have reunited after a separation. In the first two verses Philip Oakey is apologizing to his partner for being unfaithful during her absence, and in the song's breakdown Joanne Catherall's spoken-word confession reveals that she too was unfaithful. The song's title is derived from the chorus, in which both parties in the relationship explain that they are "only human" and "born to make mistakes". "Human" became the second million-selling number-one single for The Human League on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (after "Don't You Want Me") and their second chart-topper on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart (after "(Keep Feeling) Fascination"). Jam and Lewis' R&B-based production was also popular on American urban radio, bringing the Human League into the top ten of the U.S. R&B chart for the first time. In the UK, where R&B was less popular "Human" peaked at number eight in the UK singles chart. However, it did hit #1 in 76 other countries making the single one of the biggest worldwide hits of the 1980s. It was a welcome success for the Human League, who were starting to suffer from creative stagnation and a slight decline in fortunes after a hugely successful start to the 1980s. The song was revived and remixed by U.S. producers Joel Dickinson & John Michael in 2010. This new club remix incorporated elements from Coldplay's hit, Viva La Vida. It was a favorite among NYC dj's including Junior Vasquez.

Ray Charles - "Hit The Road Jack" (1961)

"Hit the Road Jack" is a song written by rhythm and bluesman Percy Mayfield and first recorded in 1960 as an a capella demo sent to Art Rupe, available on the Memory Pain CD vol. 2, Specialty Records SPCD-7027-2.

It became famous after it was recorded by singer-pianist Ray Charles. It hit number one for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, beginning on Monday, October 9, 1961.

The song was also number one on the R&B Sides chart for five weeks, becoming Ray Charles' sixth number one on that chart. The song is ranked #377 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Elton John - "Crocodile Rock" (1972)

"Crocodile Rock" is a song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, and recorded in June 1972 at the Strawberry Studios, Château d'Hérouville in France. It was released on 27 October 1972 in the UK and 20 November 1972 in the US, as a pre-release single from his forthcoming 1973 album Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player, and became his first U.S. number-one single, reaching the top spot on 3 February 1973, and stayed there for three weeks.

In the U.S. it was certified Gold on 2/5/1973 and Platinum on 9/13/1995 by the R.I.A.A.   In Canada, it topped the chart as well, remaining at No.1 on the RPM 100 national singles chart for four weeks from 17 February – 10 March.  It was the first song released as a single on the MCA label (catalogue #40000) after MCA dissolved its Uni, Decca, Kapp and Coral labels. (John had previously been with the Uni label.)

"Crocodile Rock" is dominated by a Farfisa organ, played by John with a carnival-like sound and honky-tonk rhythm, while the lyrics take a nostalgic look at early rock 'n' roll, and a relationship with a woman named Suzy, which the writer instantly associates with the music of the era.  Regular Elton John band members, such as Davey Johnstone and Nigel Olsson, are among the song's performers. Like "Tennessee Waltz", "Crocodile Rock" is a self-referential song, i.e. a song about the song itself, although Ken Mackintosh had a popular song in 1955 called the "Crocodile Crawl", following up his successful song "The Creep" from 1954, so it may also be paying homage to Britain's skiffle and postwar jazz era of music.

The song was inspired by John's discovery of leading Australian band Daddy Cool and their hit single "Eagle Rock", which was the most successful Australian single of the early 1970s remaining at No.1 for a record of 10 weeks.  John heard the song and the group on his 1972 Australian tour and was greatly impressed by it.  The cover of John's 1973 album Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player (the album on which "Crocodile Rock" is included) features a photo of John's lyricist Bernie Taupin wearing a "Daddy Who?" promotional badge. The song also appears to have been strongly influenced by songs from the late 50s-early 60s ("when Rock was young"), including Del Shannon's 1962 "Cry Myself to Sleep" and "Little Darlin'", most famously recorded in 1957 by The Diamonds (originally recorded by The Gladiolas.) The chorus resembles "Speedy Gonzales" by Pat Boone. While there was no actual "Crocodile Rock", there was a dance called The Alligator.

Aqua - "Barbie Girl" (1997)

"Barbie Girl" is a song by the Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group Aqua, who released the song in 1997 as their third single overall, and the first United Kingdom release. The song is included on the album Aquarium and was written by Claus Norreen and Søren Nystrøm Rasted after the group saw an exhibit on kitsch culture. The song topped the charts worldwide, particularly in European countries such as the UK, where it was a number-one hit for three weeks. It was also on top of the charts in Australia for the same length of time, and debuted and peaked at No. 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on 6 September 1997 and It remains Aqua's biggest hit single in the US to date, and their only one to reach the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100.

Billy Idol - "Dancing With Myself" (1981)

"Dancing with Myself" is a song by the band Generation X. The song was first released as a single and a 12" in 1980 and, a few weeks after the single release, was included on the band's last album - 1981's Kiss Me Deadly. It would become the group's most well-known song, but did not enjoy much success upon its initial release.

In 1981, Billy Idol remixed and re-released "Dancing with Myself" as a solo single, toning down its crunchy guitar sound and giving the song an overall brighter, poppier finish. Two versions were issued - the 3:20 single version (which was later included on Idol's 11 of the Best compilation), and the 4:50 extended version that appeared on Idol's Don't Stop EP. Idol plays "Dancing with Myself" at most of his concerts, always introducing the song as having been originally written and recorded by Generation X. Since its release, the song has become something of a sports anthem.

William Michael Albert Broad (born 30 November 1955), better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. He first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X.  He then embarked on a successful solo career, aided by a series of stylish music videos, making him one of the first MTV stars.  Idol continues to tour with guitarist Steve Stevens and has a worldwide fan base.

"DANCING WITH MYSELF" is featured in 1987 film Can't Buy Me Love. It is featured in 2006 film Flushed Away. It is featured in 2008 advertisement for the French health insurance company La Mutuelle Générale. Cover version by The Donnas is featured in 2004 film Mean Girls. It is featured in 1998 film Gia,starring Angelina Jolie. It is sung by Gonzo in an episode of Muppets Tonight. It is featured in TV show Gossip Girl. It is featured in 2009 music video game Guitar Hero 5. It is featured in TV show "Castle",in episode "Famous Last Words". Artie from TV show Glee sings the Nouvelle Vague version of the song in the ninth episode,"Wheels". It is featured in 69th episode of Season 3 of Everybody Hates Chris. It is closing song of an Ugly Betty episode ("Plus None", Episode 5 of Season 4). It is featured in 2009 movie,The Men Who Stare at Goats. Nouvelle Vague version was used as the theme song for the first season of LA Ink. It is heard in the background of the King of the Hill episode "Just Another Manic Kahn-Day" (aired 5/6/10). It is featured in TV show "Chuck",in episode "Chuck versus the Beard." Episode of Beavis & Butt-Head shows the duo critiquing the music video for Dancing with Myself,comparing it to masturbation ("Playing with myself"). Punk Rock band Green Day covered Dancing With Myself on their 2009 - 2010 world tour, usually followed after the song Scattered.

Elvis Presley - "Love Me Tender" (1956)

"Love Me Tender" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music, adapted from the tune of "Aura Lee" (or "Aura Lea"), a sentimental Civil War ballad. "Aura Lee" was published in 1861 with music by George R. Poulton and words by W.W. Fosdick, and this Civil War song later became popular with college glee clubs and barbershop quartets. It was also sung at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. Elvis Presley performed "Love Me Tender" on The Ed Sullivan Show on September 9, 1956, shortly before the single's release and about a month before the movie, Love Me Tender, was released, for which the song was originally recorded. On the following day, RCA received 1 million advance orders, making it a gold record before it was even released. The studio, 20th Century Fox, originally wanted to call the movie The Reno Brothers but instead re-titled it Love Me Tender to capitalize on the song's popularity. Movie producer Hal Wallis would not allow Presley's regular band (Scotty Moore, Bill Black, and D.J. Fontana) to play on the soundtrack. Instead, The Ken Darby Trio provided the musical backing with Red Robinson on drums, Charles Prescott on bass, Vita Mumolo on guitar, and Jon Dodson on background vocals, with Presley providing only lead vocals. The song is credited to Presley and Vera Matson because of the publishing agreement reached for the assignment of royalties, but the principal writer of the lyrics was Ken Darby (Matson's husband). The song was published by Elvis Presley Music. Darby also adapted the Civil War tune, which was in the public domain. When asked why he credited his wife as co-songwriter along with Presley, Darby responded, "Because she didn't write it either." The song hit #1 on the Billboard charts the week ending November 3, 1956, remaining in the position for 5 weeks and reached no. 11 on the charts in the UK. "Love Me Tender" also reached number three for three weeks on the R&B chart. It was also an achievement as "Love Me Tender" succeeded another Presley single, "Hound Dog/Don't Be Cruel" at #1. This occurrence marked two important events in Billboard history. During this time, Elvis accomplished another record at the time; the longest consecutive stay at number one by a single artist, sixteen weeks, though this was tied by Boyz II Men in 1994 and stood for eight years until being surpassed by R&B singer Usher in 2004 who spent 19 weeks at the top of the charts.

Nat King Cole - "Smile" (1954)

Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres. He was one of the first black Americans to host a television variety show, and has maintained worldwide popularity since his death. Nathaniel Adams Coles was born in Montgomery, Alabama, on Saint Patrick's Day in 1919[1] (some sources erroneously list his birth year as 1916 or 1917). At the age of 4,[2] his family moved to Chicago, Illinois. There his father, Edward Coles, became a Baptist minister. Cole learned to play the organ from his mother, Perlina Coles, the church organist. His first performance, at age four, was of "Yes! We Have No Bananas". He began formal lessons at the age of 12, eventually learning not only jazz and gospel music but also European classical music, performing, as he said, "from Johann Sebastian Bach to Sergei Rachmaninoff". Throughout the 1950s, Cole continued to rack up hit after hit, including "Smile", "Pretend", "A Blossom Fell", and "If I May". His pop hits were collaborations with well-known arrangers and conductors of the day, including Nelson Riddle, Gordon Jenkins, and Ralph Carmichael. Riddle arranged several of Cole's 1950s albums, including his first 10-inch long-play album, his 1953 Nat King Cole Sings For Two In Love. In 1955, his single "Darling Je Vous Aime Beaucoup" reached #7 on the Billboard chart. Jenkins arranged Love Is the Thing, which hit #1 on the album charts in April 1957. "Smile" is a song based on an instrumental theme used in the soundtrack for the 1936 Charlie Chaplin movie Modern Times. Chaplin composed the music, while John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons added the lyrics and title in 1954. In the lyrics, the singer is telling the listener to cheer up and that there is always a bright tomorrow, just as long as they smile. "Smile" has become a popular standard since its original use in Chaplin's film.

Norah Jones - "Don't Know Why" (2002)

Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar on March 30, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actress. In 2002, she launched her solo music career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album Come Away With Me, which was certified a diamond album in 2002, selling over 20 million copies. The record earned Jones five Grammy Awards, including the Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best New Artist. Her subsequent studio albums, Feels Like Home, released in 2004, Not Too Late, released in 2007, the same year she made her film debut in My Blueberry Nights, and her 2009 release The Fall, all gained Platinum status after selling over a million copies and were generally well received by critics. Jones has won nine Grammy Awards and was Billboard magazine's 60th-best-selling music artist of the 2000–2009 decade. Throughout her career, Jones has won numerous awards and has sold over 37 million albums worldwide. Billboard magazine named her the top Jazz artist of the 2000–2009 decade, establishing herself as one of the best-selling artists of her time. "Don't Know Why" is a jazz song written by Jesse Harris and originally appears on his 1999 album, Jesse Harris & the Ferdinandos. It was the second single by Norah Jones from her breakthrough 2002 album Come Away with Me. Although Jones's version only peaked at number thirty on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, it was a critical success for her that helped established her as a respected new artist, and subsequently her album sold extremely well. The single went on to win three Grammy Awards in 2003 for "Record of the Year", "Song of the Year", and "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance". It remains Jones's biggest hit single in the USA to date, and her only one to reach the Top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100 and the single was a hit internationally where Top 10 in several countries. The song charted at 459 in Blender magazine's 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born.

UB40 - "Red Red Wine" (1983)

"Red Red Wine" is a song written and originally recorded by Neil Diamond. It has been covered by Tony Tribe, Jimmy James & the Vagabonds, and more famously by British reggae group UB40, whose version topped the U.S. and UK singles charts. Contrary to popular belief, Bob Marley did not record this song, ever. In the song, the singer finds drinking red wine is the only way to forget a lost love. Labour of Love is the reggae album by UB40, the band's fourth studio album. It was originally released on 1 September 1983 and included the hits, "Red, Red Wine" (UK #1, US #1), "Cherry Oh Baby" (UK #12), "Many Rivers to Cross" (UK #16), and "Please Don't Make Me Cry" (UK #10). The entire album consists of cover versions of songs originally released by the group's musical idols. The most notable track is the cover of Neil Diamond's "Red, Red Wine," which reached #1 in the United Kingdom upon its release. The song was re-released in the United States in 1988, where it also topped the chart. The album and 12" version included a toasted verse by Astro, later copied by Neil Diamond in his live performances. The album reached #1 in the UK and #8 in the United States. With the inclusion of the new version of "Red, Red Wine," the album regained popularity in 1988 and climbed to #15 in the U.S.

Thompson Twins - "Lies" (1983)

The Thompson Twins were a British pop group that were formed in April 1977 and disbanded in May 1993. They achieved considerable popularity in the mid 1980s, scoring a string of hits in the United Kingdom, the United States and around the globe. The band was named after the two bumbling detectives Thomson and Thompson in Hergé's comic strip, The Adventures of Tintin. A predominantly synthpop trio, they were joined on stage at Live Aid by Madonna and were at the forefront of the so-called Second British Invasion. In 1977, the original Thompson Twins line-up consisted of Tom Bailey (born 18 January 1954, Halifax, Yorkshire on bass and vocals, Pete Dodd on guitar and vocals, John Roog on guitar, and Jon Podgorski (known as "Pod") on drums. Dodd and Roog first met when they were both 13 years old. Arriving in London with very little money, they lived as squatters in Lillieshall Road, London. Future Thompson Twins member Alannah Currie lived in another squat in the same street — which is how she met Bailey. It was in this ramshackle and run-down house that they found an illegal way of "borrowing" electricity from the house next door. Bailey described themselves (laughingly) as spongers (meaning that they were on the dole—unemployed) back then, as they were living on very little and scavenging everything they could lay their hands on. He even said that the only instruments they had were bought, or had been stolen or borrowed. Dodd managed to get a council flat not far away. Their roadie at that time was John Hade, who lived in the same house, and who later became their manager. As Podgorski had decided to stay in the north, the group auditioned for drummers at the Point Studio in Victoria, London. Andrew Edge joined them on drums for less than one year, and went on to join Savage Progress, who later toured with the Thompson Twins as their support act on the 1984 UK tour. The band broke into the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100 chart at the beginning of 1983 with "Lies" and "Love On Your Side", which became the band's first UK Top 10 single.

Rod Stewart - "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" (1978)

"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" is a 1978 hit song for Rod Stewart. It was written by Stewart and Carmine Appice, and produced by Tom Dowd. "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" spent one week at the top of the British charts in December 1978 and four weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, starting 10 February 1979. It also topped the charts in Australia for two weeks. Royalties from the song were donated to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Stewart performed the song at the Music for UNICEF Concert at the United Nations General Assembly in January 1979. The song was criticized by many in the rock press as a betrayal of Stewart's blues-oriented rock roots due to its disco-like arrangement, but Stewart and others were quick to point out that other widely respected artists, such as Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones, had also released disco-flavoured songs. It was also alleged that Stewart created the song through partial musical plagiarism. Carmine Appice, who played drums on this song told Songfacts: "This was a story of a guy meeting a chick in a club. At that time, that was a cool saying. If you listen to the lyrics, 'She sits alone, waiting for suggestions, he's so nervous...' it's the feelings of what was going on in a dance club. The guy sees a chick he digs, she's nervous and he's nervous and she's alone and doesn't know what's going on, then they end up at his place having sex, and then she's gone." In 2004 Rolling Stone ranked the song #301 on their list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Chubby Checker - "The Twist" (1960)

The Twist's original inspiration came from the African American plantation dance called "wringin' and twistin," which has been traced back to the 1890s. However, its original aesthetic origins, such as the use of pelvic movement and the shuffling foot movement, can be traced all the way back to West Africa. Throughout the 20th Century, the dance evolved until emerging to a mass audience in the 1960s. The use of the name "twist" for dancing goes back to the nineteenth century. According to Marshall and Jean Stearns in Jazz Dance, a pelvic dance motion called the twist came to America from the Congo during slavery. One of the hit songs of early blackface minstrelsy was banjo player Joel Walker Sweeney's "Grape Vine Twist". Sweeney had learned his banjo playing and repertoire from enslaved African Americans around his native Appomattox, Virginia. One of the early black dance crazes of the early twentieth century was the Mess Around, described by songwriter Perry Bradford in his 1912 hit "Messin' Around" as: "Now anybody can learn the knack, put your hands on your hips and bend your back; stand in one spot nice and tight, and twist around, twist around with all of your might." But the twist at this point was basically grinding the hips. In his "Winin' Boy Blues" in the late 1930s, Jelly Roll Morton sang, "Mama, mama, look at sis, she's out on the levee doing the double twist." In the 1953 song "Let the Boogie Wooie Roll," Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters sang, "When she looked at me her eyes just shined like gold, and when she did the twist she bopped me to my soul." But the simple dance that we now know as the Twist seems to have come from Chubby Checker in his preparation to debut the song to a national audience on August 6, 1960, on The Dick Clark Show, a Saturday night program that, unlike disc jockey Clark's daytime American Bandstand, was a stage show with a sitting audience. Dick Clark was a powerhouse in music at the time, thanks to American Bandstand, which ran five times a week in the afternoons, showcasing local dancers and visiting performers who lip-synched along with their recordings. Clark saw the song's potential when he heard Hank Ballard's original version, but Ballard and his group, whose greatest hit had been "Work With Me Annie" in 1954, was considered too raunchy to appeal to Clark's teenage audience. He urged Philadelphia record label Cameo/Parkway to record a new version of “The Twist” with young, wholesome Chubby Checker, who had displayed his talent for copying other artists on an earlier novelty hit “The Class.” Released in summer 1960, Checker’s rendition of “The Twist” became number one on the singles chart in the USA in 1960 and then again in 1962.

John Denver - "Rocky Mountain High" (1972)

"Rocky Mountain High" is a folk-rock song written by John Denver and Mike Taylor about Colorado, and is one of the two official state songs of Colorado. Recorded by Denver, it went to number nine on the US Hot 100 in 1973. The song also made #3 on the Easy Listening chart, and was played by some country music stations. Denver told concert audiences in the mid-1970s that the song took him an unusually long nine months to write. "Rocky Mountain High" is primarily inspired by John Denver's move to Aspen, Colorado, United States three years earlier and his love for the state. The seventh stanza makes a reference to destruction of the mountains' beauty by commercial tourism. The song was considered a major piece of 1970s pop culture, and became a well-associated piece of Colorado history. The song briefly became controversial that year when the U.S. Federal Communications Commission was permitted by a legal ruling to censor music deemed to promote drug abuse. Numerous radio stations cautiously banned the song until Denver publicly explained that the "high" was his innocent description of the sense of peace he found in the Rockies. In 1985, Denver testified before Congress in the Parents Music Resource Center hearings about his experience: This was obviously done by people who had never seen or been to the Rocky Mountains, and also had never experienced the elation, celebration of life, or the joy in living that one feels when he observes something as wondrous as the Perseid meteor shower on a moonless, cloudless night, when there are so many stars that you have a shadow from the starlight, and you are out camping with your friends, your best friends, and introducing them to one of nature's most spectacular light shows for the first time.