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50 years of Rock n’ Roll
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Who's Sorry Now? - Connie Francis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9QEAtcz3o8
Releasing records since 1955 without success, Newark, New Jersey pop singer Connie Francis aims for the youth audience by covering a 35-year-old song "Who's Sorry Now?" The single goes to #4 US Pop and #1 UK launching Francis' long career. -
The Monotones "The Book Of Love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xDwq8NM9G4
Newark, NJ vocal group The Monotones hit it big with their own composition " The Book of Love" which reaches #3 US R&B, #5 US Pop. Although the group released several more singles, they never had another hit and are considered a "one hit wonder". -
Gene Chandler "Duke Of Earl"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQnfooEED8Y
Chicago, Illinois native Gene Chandler hits #1 Pop and R&B in the US with the single "Duke of Earl". The song sells a million copies in one month. Chandler would go on to have a long career charting singles on the Pop and R&B charts into the 1980's. -
Petula Clark "Downtown"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_m4Qb0iW-o
Veteran British vocalist Petula Clark breaks through in the US with her number one single "Downtown" (#2 UK). It was Clark's eighth UK Top Ten hit where she had been recording since the early 1950s. -
Desmond Dekker "Israelites
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxtfdH3-TQ4
Jamaican ska/reggae singer Desmond Dekker tops the UK charts with his song "Israelites". The song also reaches #9 US in June, becoming the first reggae song to ever chart in the US. Dekker would later move to the UK, recording through the '80s -
Carly Simon "You're So Vain"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQZmCJUSC6g
New York singer, songwriter Carly Simon has her first (and only) US #1 single, #3 UK with "You're So Vain". Taken from her third album No Secrets and recorded at London's Trident Studio, the album also reaches #1 in both the US and #3 UK. -
Leo Sayer "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhSjwU8gEsI
UK singer/songwriter Leo Sayer reaches #1 US, #2 UK with his single "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing". It was Sayer's fifth UK Top Ten single. He would repeat at #1 in both the US and UK in May with the ballad "When I Need You". -
Cyndi Lauper "Girls Just Want To Have Fun"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIb6AZdTr-A
New York vocalist Cyndi Lauper hits #2 in the US and UK with her debut single "Girls Just Want To Have Fun". Lauper's debut album She's So Unusual generates four US Top Ten singles including the #1 single "Time After Time" and goes 6X Platinum. -
Prince "Sign O' The Times"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=---ytDIIb1E
The title track from Prince's ninth album "Sign O' The Times" hits #3 US, #1 US R&B, #10 UK. The song is written and produced by Prince and features sparse electronic instrumentation with downbeat lyrics about political and social issues. The album goes Platinum and charts at #6 US, #4 UK. -
Madonna "Like A Prayer"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OECKknqIie0
Madonna has her seventh US #1 single with "Like A Prayer" #1 UK. The controversial video for the song uses religious iconography and is draws the ire of the Vatican, leading Pepsi to drop Madonna from their ads. The album of the same name tops the US and UK charts and sells over 15 million copies worldwide. -
Nirvana "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTWKbfoikeg
Aberdeen, Washington band Nirvana bring alternative and grunge rock into the Top Ten with the single "Smells Like Teen Spirit" hitting #6 US and #7 UK following heavy MTV rotation for the song's video. The video, featuring the band playing at a high school pep rally, is considered one of the best music videos ever. -
TLC "No Scrubs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4pjKc0ZRiE
After declaring bankruptcy at the height of their success in 1995, Atlanta R&B/hip hop group TLC are back with their third album Fanmail #1 US, #7 UK. The album produces two US #1 singles "No Scrubs" #3 UK and "Unpretty" #6 UK. The album goes 6X US Platinum and sells 14 million copies worldwide.
