In the last few weeks (this week in 1975), and Casey twice answered an interesting chart question that has changed answers over the years....who has had the longest span of top 40 hits? His answer both times was Frank Sinatra, who first hit the charts in 1940 (on the very first Billboard chart) as a supporting artist and then in 1943 as a soloist, with his last hit (by then) in 1969 with "My Way."
Since American Top 40 debuted in 1970, Casey Kasem had yet to play any Sinatra records. That changed a few years later as the theme from "New York, New York," made an unlikely run up the charts into the top 40, extending Sinatra's record to 40 years (or 37 as a solo artist.)
The next to enter that range was Michael Jackson, whose first solo hit "Got to Be There" was in 1972 and his first song with the Jackson 5 debuted in late 1969. His last (to date) posthumous hit "Hold My Hand" charted in 2011, giving him the record of 42 years overall and 40 as a soloist.
The next artist to break that with a newly record song was Sir Elton John whose 2022 hit "Hold Me Closer" (w/ Britney Spears) bookending his first hit "Your Song" in 1970...52 years with top 40's... in this case top 10's!
If you include re-released songs, Burl Ives topped Elton's longevity in the top 10 later in 2022 with "Holly Jolly Christmas" reaching #5 into early 2023, extending his span from early 1962's "A Little Bitty Tear"...61 years! (which will likely extend year over year for the foreseeable future).
As for top 40 longevity including re-releases...Chuck Berry's even one step longer from 1955 "Maybellene" until recent re-chartings of 1958's "Run, Rudolph, Run" (#32 this January) -- 64 years...and counting!
No comments:
Post a Comment