Middle Of The Road - Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep (1971)

"Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" is a song recorded in early 1971 by its composer Lally Stott, and made popular later that year by Scottish band Middle of the Road for whom it was a UK number one chart hit. That version is one of the fewer than forty all-time singles to have sold in excess of 10 million physical copies worldwide. Despite its popularity when originally released, the song is rarely played on oldies radio stations today.

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The original recording by its composer Lally Stott, was a hit in France (Top 15), a minor hit in Italy, Australia and in the United States. Stott's record company, Philips, was reluctant to release the song overseas, and apparently offered it to two other groups: Scottish folk-pop group Middle of the Road, who were working in Italy at the time, and Mac and Katie Kissoon. While it is unclear which group Stott offered his song to first, Mac and Katie Kissoon produced their cover version first. Middle of the Road's version then initially became a hit on the Continent only, but later grew in popularity in the United Kingdom, reportedly via DJ Tony Blackburn favoring this version over the previously-produced version by Mac and Katie Kissoon. However, Middle of the Road's version didn't even chart on the United States Billboard Hot 100, and nearly flopped in the UK also, because it followed the Kissoon's previously-produced version. Middle of the Road's version eventually reached #1 in the UK and stayed there for five weeks in June 1971, while the Kissoons' version only reached #41. In the USA the Kissoon's version was a greater success, reaching #20 on the Billboard Hot 100, while Lally Stott's original version reached #92.

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Little River Band - Reminiscing (1978)

"Reminiscing" is a 1978 song written by Graeham Goble, and performed by Australian rock music group Little River Band. It remains their greatest success in the United States, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #10 on the Easy Listening chart. The song is about a couple reminiscing about the past, with certain music (such as Glenn Miller or Cole Porter tunes) reminding them of certain memories.

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"Reminiscing" was given a BMI Five Million-Air award for five million plays on US radio – the highest achievement ever for any Australian popular song.

According to Albert Goldman's biography, John Lennon named "Reminiscing" as one of his favourite songs. May Pang, erstwhile girlfriend of Lennon, said "Oddly, with all the fantastic music he wrote, "our song" was Reminiscing by the Little River Band."

The original Little River Band song was used for the 2010 film The Other Guys starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg.

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Styx - Come Sail Away - from the album The Grand Illusion (1977)

"Come Sail Away" is a song by American progressive rock group Styx, featured on the band's seventh album The Grand Illusion (1977). Upon its release as the lead single from the album, "Come Sail Away" charted at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and helped The Grand Illusion achieve multi-platinum sales in 1978. It is one of the biggest hits of Styx's career.

Guitarist/vocalist Tommy Shaw from Styx performs at the Auditorium on December 30, 1977. This was the final show of the band's Grand Illusion Tour. Released six months earlier, the album generated two hit singles, "Come Sail Away" and "Fooling Yourself," while going on to sell three million copies. (Photograph by Dennis Felber.)

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Sweet - Love Is Like Oxygen - From the album Best Of Sweet (1978)

"Love Is Like Oxygen" is a song by the British band Sweet, co-written by the group's guitarist Andy Scott and Trevor Griffin, a musician who had played with various unsuccessful bands before becoming a roadie and sound engineer, and released in January 1978. The song was a departure from earlier recordings by the Sweet, which were more guitar-driven and featured high vocal harmonies. The extended album version of the song (6 minutes 19 seconds), which appeared on their album Level Headed, incorporates strings and has some disco elements.

Their first release on the Polydor label after their departure from RCA, it was also their last Top 10 hit, reaching #4 in New Zealand, #6 in Switzerland, #8 in Belgium, Canada and the United States, #9 in United Kingdom and #10 in West Germany.

Later that year it was honoured with a Song of the Year nomination at the Ivor Novello awards, although beaten by "Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty. The song is frequently included on greatest hits compilations, usually in its edited single version.

February 18, 1978, Billboard Review

SWEET—Love Is Like Oxygen (3:20); producer: Sweet; writers: Scott, Griffin; publishers: Sweet/WB, ASCAP. Capitol P4549. First single from Sweet's new "Level Headed" LP opens with powerful guitar chorus before shifting gears into various instrumental changes. Tight, multi-layered harmonies accents the tune with an underlying tenderness while retaining a degree of biting toughness.

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Danny & The Juniors - At The Hop - from the album The Wonderful World Of The 50's - 100 Hit Songs (1958)

"At the Hop" is a rock and roll/doo-wop song written by Artie Singer, John Medora, and David White and originally released by Danny & the Juniors. The song was released in the fall of 1957, and reached number one on the US charts on January 6, 1958, thus becoming one of the top-selling singles of 1958. "At the Hop" also hit number one on the R&B Best Sellers list. Somewhat more surprisingly, the record reached #3 on the Music Vendor country charts.

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The song became more prominent after it was performed by rock and roll revival act Sha Na Na at the 1969 Woodstock Festival and featured in the 1973 coming-of-age teen drama American Graffiti. Musically, it's notable for combining several of the most popular formulas in 1950s rock'n'roll, the twelve-bar blues, boogie-woogie piano and the 50s progression.

From The 100 Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Songs Ever by Avram Mednick:

Another big favorite of the guys in my building in the Bronx was "At The Hop", by Danny & the Juniors. Lee would sing lead, which meant he grabbed a bat or a broom or a stick or something to use as a microphone and he took the verses while the others sang back-up and chimed in with the chorus. It had all the doo-wop elements, four-part harmonies, ahs and oohs, oh babies, adolescent sensibilities, and inane lyrics. Nonetheless, a classic which defined the era as much as any '50's hit:

Well, you can rock it you can roll it Do the stamp and really stroll it At the hop. When the record starts spinning Wet your lips, wind your chicken At the hop. Do the dance sensation That is sweeping the nation At the hop.

Mythology has it that Dick Clark advised the manager of Danny & the Juniors, a local Philadelphia doo-wop group, to change the lyric of a new song from "Do The Bop" to "At The Hop". True or not, the result was fabulous: number one on the charts for six weeks in the winter of 1958 and over a million copies sold. They followed quickly with "Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay", another huge hit, and then "Dottie", a lesser success. Other than records to capitalize on the twist and then the limbo, that was about it.

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Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - Working My Way Back To You - from the album Anthology (1966)

"Working My Way Back to You" is a song made popular by The Four Seasons in 1966 and The Spinners in 1979.

Written by Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell, the song was originally recorded by The Four Seasons in 1966, reaching number nine on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. In the UK Top 50 chart it spent three weeks - all at No. 50. It is the only hit to feature the group's arranger Charles Calello in the temporary role of bassist/bass vocalist, having replaced original member Nick Massi.

The song is about a man who cheated on his girlfriend and also emotionally abused her. When she leaves, he realizes that he did love her and is very remorseful about his past actions. He vows to win her love back. It is in some ways a re-casting of the melody from their previous hit, "Let's Hang On!".

Not to suggest that the Four Seasons' bountiful success was entirely due to graft. Some of their performances in the mid-'60s were like the last word on the whole Doo Wop/street-corner style, like "Working My Way Back to You," a production so soulful that it was later covered note-for-note by a Black group, the Spinners. And, once again, it was macho: "I used to love to make you cry/it made me feel like a man inside," Frankie sang. Their songs spoke to all the struggling working class Joes coming home with lipstick on their collar to the young wife holding the screaming baby: "Joey, you promised!" You know, sometimes he might just have to take a swing. Rocky-type stuff, but at that time it worked. So much so that the Four Seasons enjoyed hit after hit, not officially disbanding until 1970. By then even they wore hippie clothes.

Joe S. Harrington. Sonic Cool: The Life & Death of Rock 'n' Roll p. 88

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The Beatles - Please Please Me on Please Please Me Album (1963)

"Please Please Me" is a song and the second single released by English rock group the Beatles in the United Kingdom, and the first to be issued in the United States. It was also the title track of their first LP, which was recorded to capitalise on the success of the single. It was originally a John Lennon composition, although its ultimate form was significantly influenced by George Martin. John Lennon: "Please Please Me is my song completely. It was my attempt at writing a Roy Orbison song, would you believe it? I wrote it in the bedroom in my house at Menlove Avenue, which was my auntie's place". (David Sheff. John Lennon: All We Are Saying).

The single was released in the UK on 11 January 1963 and reached No. 1 on the New Musical Express and Melody Maker charts. However, it only reached No. 2 on the Record Retailer chart, which subsequently evolved into the UK Singles Chart. Because of this it was not included on the multi-million selling Beatles compilation, 1.

The single, as initially released with "Ask Me Why" on the B-side, failed to make much impact in the US in February 1963, but when re-released there on 3 January 1964 (this time with "From Me to You" on the B-side), it reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100.

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Gary Lewis & The Playboys - Green Grass on The Best Of Album (1966)

"Green Grass" is a song written by Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway and was recorded by Gary Lewis & the Playboys. The song reached #8 on The Billboard Hot 100 in 1966.

May 14, 1966, Billboard

POP SPOTLIGHT

HITS AGAIN
Gary Lewis & the Playboys
Liberty LRP 3452 (M); LST 7452 (S)

Basing the package on their latest singles chart climber, "Green Grass,"the hot group has more hit sounds to appeal to the teenagers. Dealers will report rapid sales action on this LP chart winner.

May 7, 1966 Billboard

SPOTLIGHT SINGLES

GARY LEWIS AND THE PLAYBOYS - GREEN GRASS (Prod. by Dave Pell) (Mills, ASCAP) - Upbeat lyric romancer with top instrumental backing will prove another hit single for the group. Excellent electric piano in background.

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