Original vs Remake #22

Today December 7th 2011 would have been the 69th birthday of singer/songwriter Harry Chapin.  Tragically he died in a car accident in July of 1981, leaving behind a great legacy of music for future generations to appreciate.


Here from 1974 is his only Billboard #1 single "Cat's In the Cradle" which he wrote about his son.   The song spent one week at #1 in December of that year.

In 1993 the american hard rock group Ugly Kid Joe covered "Cat's in the Cradle" and managed to take it to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 in the UK.  Strangely enough they topped the Australian Top 40 for one week in March of 1993.

The Year in Billboard #1 Hits - 1974

October 5th 1974


I Honestly Love You - Olivia Newton-John
(2 consecutive weeks at #1)

The UK Chart for Singles and Albums 12/03/2011

The Official UK Singles and Album charts for the week ending December 3rd 2011


The Top 20 Singles

20 - What Makes You Beautiful - One Direction
19 - Wherever You Will Go - Charlene Soraia
18 - Marry the Night - Lady GaGa
17 - Sexy and I Know It - LMFAO
16 - Gotta Be You - One Direction
15 - It Will Rain - Bruno Mars
14 - Without You - David Guetta w/Usher
13 - Read All About It - Professor Green w/Emeili Sande
12 - Jar of Hearts - Christina Perri
11 - Paradise - Coldplay
10 - Nothing's Real But Love - Rebecca Ferguson
9  -  Take Care - Drake w/Rihanna
8  -  Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5 w/Christina Aguilera
7  -  Lego House - Ed Sheeran
6  -  Down for Whatever - Kelly Rowland w/The Wavs
5  -  Earthquake - Labrinth w/Tinie Tempah
4  -  Levels - AVICII
3  -  Good Feeling - Flo Rida
2  -  Dance With Me Tonight - Olly Murs
1  -  We Found Love - Rihanna w/Calvin Harris
(6th non consecutive week at #1)


The Top 10 Albums

10 - Here and Now - Nickleback
9  -  21 - Adele
8  -  + - Ed Sheeran
7  -  Mylo Xyloto - Coldplay
6  -  Jukebox - JLS
5  -  50 Words for Snow - Kate Bush
4  -  Greatest Hits - Westlife
3  -  Christmas - Michael Buble
2  -  Up All Night - One Direction
1  -  Talk That Talk - Rihanna
(Debut)

The Year in Billboard #1 Hits - 1974

September 28th 1974


Rock Me Gently - Andy Kim
(1 week at #1)

Casey Kasem's American Top 40 The 80s - December 3rd 2011

AT40 the 80s this week December 4th 1982


The Top 20 Singles

20 - Pressure - Billy Joel
19 - Down Under - Men At Work
18 - Southern Cross - Crosby, Stills and Nash
17 - Heartbreaker - Dionne Warwick
16 - Heart Attack - Olivia Newton-John
15 - Nobody - Sylvia
14 - Shadows of the Night - Pat Benatar
13 - It's Raining Again - Supertramp
12 - Sexual Healing - Marvin Gaye
11 - Rock This Town - Stray Cats
10 - Muscles - Diana Ross
9  -  Dirty Laundry - Don Henley
8  -  The Girl is Mine - Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney
7  -  Steppin' Out - Joe Jackson
6  -  Up Where We Belong - Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes
5  -  Heartlight - Neil Diamond
4  -  Maneater - Hall and Oates
3  -  Mickey - Toni Basil
2  -  Gloria - Laura Branigan
1  -  Truly - Lionel Richie
(2nd of 2 consecutive weeks at #1)


The Top Ten Albums

10 - Get Nervous - Pat Benatar
9  -  Heartlight - Neil Diamond
8  -  Midnight Love - Marvin Gaye
7  -  The Nylon Curtain - Billy Joel
6  -  H2O- Hall and Oates
5  -  Famous Last  Words - Supertramp
4  -  Night and Day - Joe Jackson
3  -  Lionel Richie - Lionel Richie
2  -  Built for Speed - The Stray Cats
1  -  Business As Usual - Men at Work
(4th of 15 consecutive weeks at #1)

Casey Kasem's American Top 40 The 70s - December 3rd 2011

AT40 the 70s this week from December 4th 1976


The Top 20 Singles

20 - After the Lovin' - Englebert Humperdinck
19 - Love Me -Yvonne Elliman
18 - Stand Tall - Burton Cummings
17 - The Best Disco in Town - Ritchie Family
16 - I Never Cry - Alice Cooper
15 - Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word - Elton John
14 - Just To Be Close To You - Commodores
13 - Disco Duck - Rick Dee and His Cast of Idiots
12 - You Make Me Feel Like Dancing - Leo Sayer
11 - Nights Are Forever Without You - England Dan and John Ford Coley
10 - You Are the Woman - Firefall
9  -  Nadia's Theme - Barry DeVorzon and Perry Botkin Jr
8  -  More Than a Feeling - Boston
7  -  Beth - Kiss
6  -  You Don't Have To Be A Star - Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr
5  -  The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - Gordon Lightfoot
4  -  Muskrat Love - The Captain and Tennille
3  -  Love So Right - The Bee Gees
2  -  The Rubberband Man - The Spinners
1  -  Tonight's The Night - Rod Stewart
(4th of 8 consecutive weeks at #1)




The Top Ten Albums

10 - A New World Record - Electric Light Orchestra
9  -  The Pretender - Jackson Browne
8  -  Fly Like an Eagle - Steve Miller Band
7  -  Frampton Comes Alive - Peter Frampton
6  -  Blue Moves - Elton John
5  -  The Song Remains The Same Soundtrack - Led Zeppelin
4  -  Spirit - Earth, Wind and Fire
3  -  Boston - Boston
2  -  A Night on the Town - Rod Stewart
1  -  Songs in the Key of Life - Stevie Wonder
(8th of 14 consecutive weeks at #1)

#1 Song of the Week

Today in 1972 The Temptations hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with their 4th and last #1 single,
"Papa Was a Rolling Stone".


This remake of a forgotten song Undisputed Truth single spent only one week at the top but this may be one of their most popular and enduring hits.   A winner of 3 Grammy awards, Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group, the B side instrumental won Best R&B Instrumental and the writers Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong won Best R&B Song.