SAT., OCTOBER 10, 1981
THE CAROLINA TIMES -3
"Endless Love" Sets Record On Billboard Chart For Motown
By Elson Armstrong, Jr.
When the monster hit
"Endless Love" by Diana
Ross and Lionel Richie , re
mained at the top of the
Billboard record charts for
the eighth straight week, it
made history for Motown
records. The song from the
movie of the same name
became Motown's all-time
No. 1 hit during the week en
ding October 3, 1981.
This is quite an impressive
feat when one considers that
Motown, during it's twenty
year history, has charted 47
No. J records by a virtual
who's who of American pop,
soul, and rock artists.
"Endless Love" replaced
Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It
Through The Grapevine"
which was No. I far seven
straight weeks in late 1968
and early 1969.
For Diana Ross, the song
makes her -eighteenth turn at
No, 1 which makes her the
all-time female singer. Only
male artists Elvis Pressley
and Paul McCartney (of the
Beatles and Wings) have
more hits than the beautiful
r - '
Sunday
October 11 ,1981
Detroit native.
For - Lionel Richie, the
monster hit is the topping of
an incredible year both as a
sing.. ,Md songwriter. This
past winter, Richie wrote the
hit "Lady" for Kenny
Rogers and it was No. I for
six consecutive weeks. A
follow-up hit, also written
and produced for Rogers, "I
Don't Need You" peaked at
No. 3.
Richie is a member of the
popular Commodores who
have racked up impressive
hits since they formed in
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1974. Their biggest to date
has been "Three Times A
Lady" which was No. 1 dur
ing the summer of 1978 and
was nominated for song of
the year.
While "Endless Love" has
been at the top", Richie and
the Commodores scored a
top ten smash, "Lady, You
Bring Me Up" which reached
No. 8.
Motown Records, which
was formed by Barry Gordy,
Jr., in Detroit in 1959, has
been an American music
tradition. Such groups as the
Supremes, Temptations,
Four Tops, The Isley
Brothers, Gladys Knight and
the Pips, and Martha and the
Vandelles, aTl got their first
million selling hits oi the
label.
The Motown beat which
pulsated from Detroit in the
1960's was about the only
American sound that suc
cessfully competed against
the so-called "British Inva
sion" when groups like the
Beatles took over the
American pop xharts. In
fact, the Supremes with
Diana Ross and Paul Mc
Cartney of the Beatles have
had a run and hit battle on
" the charts for years.
Both the Supremes and
Beatles had their first No. I
American its in 1964. While
the Beatles' "I Want To
Hold Your Hand" was
pl64's biggest hit, "Back In,
"My Arms Again" by the
Supremes was No. 1 for
1965.
Several times between 1964
and 1969, when the Beatles
had a No. ' 1 hit, the
Supremes would knock them
off their lofty perch. In 1968,
the Beatles scored their big
gest hit, "Hey Jude". The
Supremes knocked it ut of
the No. 1 position with their ;
all-time hit, "Love Child".
Both Miss Ross and
MCartney left their respect
tive singing groups by 1970,
but the rivalry continued. In'
1976, McCartney had "Silly
Love Songs" at the top
which was replaced by
Diana's "Love Hang Over",
which was incredibly replac
ed by "Silly Love Songs".
It is rare for a year to have
just one song to remain at' ,
No. 1 for eight weeks, but
1981 has had two. "Bette
Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes
this past spring was No. 1 for:
nine weeks. If that's not !
enough, Smokey Robinson, !
a founding father of!
Motown, also had a mega hit'
in "Bein$ With You". While
Smokey's song never hit No.
1, it way in the top three for
at least nine weeks.
The following is a listing
of some of the major hits (at
least five weeks at No. 1)
over the past thirteen years:
You Light Up My Life,
Debbie Boone, 1977 (10
weeks at No. 1)
Hey Jude, The, Beatles
196$ (9 weeks)
Bette Davis Eyes, Kinv
Carnes, 1981 (9 weeks)
Night Fever, The Bee
Gees, 1978 (7 weeks) v
. I Heard It Through The
Grapevine, Marvin Qaye,
1968-69 (7 weeks)
Tonight's The Night, Rod
Stewart, 1976 (7 weeks) 1
Sugar, Sugar, The Ar
chies, 1969 (6 weeks) .
AquariusLet The Sun
shine In, Fifth Dimension,
1969 (6 weeks)
Bridge Over Troubled
Waters, Simon & Garfunkel,
1970 (6 weeks)
I'll Be There, Jackson
Five, 1970 (5 weeks)
One Bad Apple, The
Osmonds, 1971 (5 weeks)
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