Rock Radio Scrapbook

AIRCHECK OF THE WEEK
For week of April 6, 2014
Edition #778

Subject: BEATLES #1 SONGS MONTAGE
Station: N/A
Date: 2014
Time: 0:54

If you didn't hear The Beatles on Top 40 radio in early 1964, you weren't listening.

The Beatles absolutely owned the Billboard charts in the winter and spring of 1964, culminating in a dominance never seen before or since with the Hot 100 of April 4. On that date, Can't Buy Me Love leaped to the number-one spot from #27, a 26-position jump that stood as a record for 38 years. Twist and Shout was #2, followed by She Loves You, I Want To Hold Your Hand and Please, Please Me as The Beatles became the only act in history to own all Top Five songs in the Billboard Hot 100.

Not only did the Beatles have the top five songs on the Hot 100, they also were one-two on the album chart with Meet The Beatles and Introducing The Beatles. They also had seven other songs on the Hot 100: I Saw Her Standing There (#31), From Me To You (#41), Do You Want to Know a Secret (#46), All My Loving (#58), You Can't Do That (#65), Roll Over Beethoven (#68) and Thank You Girl (#79). In addition, there were two Beatle tribute songs on the chart: We Love You Beatles by the Carefrees (#42) and A Letter To The Beatles by the Four Preps (#85).

Can't By Me Love was a record third consecutive number-one song for the Beatles, following She Loves You and I Want To Hold Your Hand. The Beatles would go on to post a record 20 #1 songs from 1964 to 1970, and Doug Thompson has gathered them all in this fascinating montage (view the list of songs in order).

Enjoy Doug Thompson's Beatles #1 Montage here.

(The Doug Thompson Collection)

More from Doug Thompson's Production Corner here!