Billboard Lists
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“Carnival” by Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign featuring Rich the Kid and Playboi Carti, which moves up to No. 1 on this week’s Billboard Hot 100, has absolutely nothing in common with the Broadway cast album to Carnival, which topped the Billboard 200 in July 1961, except for having the same title and the fact that they both reached the top of Billboard’s flagship charts.
This is the 14th time that a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 and a No. 1 song on the Hot 100 have shared a title – and nothing else. So, we’re not counting, say, “You Light Up My Life,” because Debby Boone’s No. 1 single by that name and LeAnn Rimes’ No. 1 album You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs are related. The title song of Rimes’ album is a cover of Boone’s smash.
Many of you have probably never even heard of Carnival, which starred Anna Maria Alberghetti. The show ran on Broadway for nearly two years, from 1961-63 (aka, the Kennedy years). Its best-known song is the melodic “Love Makes the World Go Round.” Even if you drew a blank on Carnival, I guarantee you that you’ve heard of songwriter Bob Merrill’s follow-up Broadway show – Funny Girl, which turned Barbra Streisand into a superstar. Here’s an oddity: the Funny Girl cast album peaked at No. 2, not quite following Carnival to the top of the ferris wheel.
Here are all the cases where a song that topped the Hot 100 had the exact same title as an unrelated album that topped the Billboard 200. We show the album, when it reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and how long it stayed on top. We also show the single, when it reached No. 1 on the Hot 100, and how long it stayed on top.
I’ll start off with 14 exact matches and, just for fun, follow it with a batch of 10 near-misses. The exact matches have the header “Shared Title:” The near-misses have the header “Near Miss:” Both groupings are arranged in alphabetical order.
Note: The Billboard 200 began as a weekly chart in March 1956. The Hot 100 originated in August 1958. This list doesn’t include songs that pre-dated the Hot 100 that would otherwise have made the list when coupled with like-titled No. 1 albums. That would have brought in “Because of You” (the title of a 1951 song by Tony Bennett and a 2007 album by Ne-Yo), “Cry” (the title of a 1951 song by Johnnie Ray & the Four Lads and a 2002 album by Faith Hill) and “Don’t Be Cruel” (the title of a 1956 smash by Elvis Presley and a 1989 album by Bobby Brown).
Additional research by Andrew Unterberger.
Shared Title: “Believe”
Since the release of Drake’s debut studio album, Thank Me Later, fans have been clamoring for him to give 16s a rest and make an entire R&B album. It’s not hard to see why. Despite being at the top of the rap for the past decade or so, Drake has made several incredible R&B songs. […]
The contestants on Jeopardy! on Friday (Feb. 2) cleaned up on the category “Billboard’s 500 Best Pop Songs,” answering all five questions correctly in quick succession. The Jeopardy! producers chose five songs near the top of the list, which was a staff project that was posted on Billboard.com on Oct. 19, 2023 to mark the […]
Winning a Golden Globe for best original song is often a stepping-stone to winning an Oscar in that category. Seven of the last 10 Globe winners went on to win the Oscar. Whoever wins when this year’s Golden Globes are presented on Sunday (Jan. 7) no doubt hopes that pattern continues. But it doesn’t always work out […]
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Under the stellar leadership of John Sykes, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has broadened its definition of what constitutes rock and roll to include, well, pretty much anything that has a young, contemporary, rule-breaking attitude and spirit.
Which makes us wonder why Cher has never even nominated for the Rock Hall. She has always had a young attitude, even today, at age 77. Telling the Rock Hall to “you-know-what themselves” as she did last week on national TV, is a pretty rock and roll thing to do.
Appearing on The Kelly Clarkson Show on Friday Dec. 15, Cher said “And I’m not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!.” After the studio audience let out a collective groan, Cher told them it was okay with her. “You know what, I wouldn’t be in it now if they gave me a million dollars. I’m not kidding you. I’m never going to change my mind. They can just you-know-what themselves,” Cher said to applause.
Who can really blame her for feeling that way after so many years of being bypassed? Sonny and Cher, as a duo, and Cher solo, have been eligible for the Rock Hall since 1990 – which was 25 years after their breakthrough hits, “I Got You Babe” and “All I Really Want to Do,” respectively.
Some of the female artists who Cher paved the way for, with her irreverence and artistic boldness, are already in the Hall – most notably Madonna. When Madonna was still in grade school, Cher became adept at turning controversy to her advantage. As Sonny Bono once said “She liked to do things for the shock they created. She still does. She’ll create some controversy and then tell her critics to stick it.” Sound familiar?
It’s a safe bet that the Rock Hall will embrace Miley Cyrus soon after she becomes eligible in 2031. Like Cher, Cyrus has had an unorthodox career, with some missteps and head-scratching moves, but also flashes of brilliance.
Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour and accompanying film, with its focus on fashion and style, shows Cher’s influence. Lady Gaga’s entire career owes a debt to Cher.
The Rock Hall’s expansion of its definition of rock and roll was essential if the Hall was to avoid becoming a museum recognizing a niche genre; the sound of a previous generation. But it has made it far harder to get a sense of who qualifies as rock and roll and who doesn’t. If ABBA, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton are in, what’s the rationale for leaving Cher out?
Cher is still active. She released her first Christmas album on Oct. 20. It features duets with Cyndi Lauper, Michael Bublé, Tyga and Rock Hall members Stevie Wonder and Darlene Love. And as her blast at the Rock Hall shows, Cher still knows how to speak her mind and attract attention.
Here are 12 reasons Cher belongs in the Rock Hall.
Sonny & Cher were part of the mod pop/rock scene of the mid-1960s.
Image Credit: George Wilkes/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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