Do You Remember Them?
Remember that song you used to listen to on repeat as a kid but literally haven't heard, or thought of, in years? What about that song that dominated the culture a few years ago that barely sees any Spotify love today? While many songs stay a part of our lives forever, there are plenty that come and go. Songs that, at one time, were very popular—but today, are remembered by few.
How many of these once popular tunes do you still think about, listen to, remember at all?
"Let Her In" (John Travolta)
How many of you remember that John Travolta put out an album that didn't have anything to do with Grease? Okay, well then you will probably remember "Let Her In". As for the rest of us—Travolta's only top 10 hit as a solo artist has been lost to time.
#John #Travolta # #Let Her In by DJ Funk Groove 70s 80s
"Ben" (Michael Jackson)
If we gave you 100 guesses as to what was Michael Jackson's first number one single in the US as a solo artist—would you have made "Ben" one of those guesses?
Michael Jackson - Ben (1972) | Music Video 720p by Reelblack One
"My Ding-a-Ling" (Chuck Berry)
Originally recorded by Dave Bartholomew in 1952, Chuck Berry turned this novelty song into a number one hit 20 years later. In fact it was his only number one Billboard Hot 100 single in the United States. Would you have guessed that?
'My Ding A Ling' Sing Along (with intro) - Chuck Berry, with Rocking Horse, London 1972 by db1958
"I Just Called To Say I Love You" (Stevie Wonder)
Ask people to list off Stevie Wonder songs and most will probably name a good 10+ tracks before "I Just Called to Say I Love" You even crossed their minds. And yet, back in the 80s, the song was a number one chart topper and earned Wonder three Grammy nominations.
"Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" (Crash Test Dummies)
The 90s saw two hit "mmmm" songs, the first one being this top 10 hit from the Canadian band Crash Test Dummies that spoke of childhood isolation and suffering. If you're familiar with the Weird Al Yankovic song "Headline News"—it is a parody of said Crash Test Dummies hit.
What was the other "mmmm" song?
Crash Test Dummies - Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm (Official Video) by Crash Test Dummies
"MMMBop" (Hanson)
You couldn't escape this song from the pop rock brothers back in 1997. It even placed 57th on the US Billboard Hot 100 decade chart (1990-99). Admit it...you're totally going to go listen to this ridiculously catchy track now aren't you?
Hanson - MMMBop (Official Music Video) by HANSON
"Sweet And Innocent" (Donny Osmond)
The Osmands reworked this 1958 Roy Orbison song and turned it into a top 10 hit with a 13-year-old Donny on lead vocals. The track was even certified gold. These days, you're probably more likely to find gold than find anyone who's listened to this song recently.
Donny Osmond - Sweet And Innocent (1972) by Beat-Club
"Way Down" (Elvis Presley)
For big-time Elvis Presley fans, we have no doubt this one is definitely not forgotten—as it was the last single released before The King's passing on August 16, 1977. The news of his death pushed the song up the charts to 18 on the Hot 100 and number one on the American Country chart.
Elvis Presley - Way Down 1977 by GracelandNet
"I Swear" (All-4-One)
Originally a country tune, R&B group All-4-One made this song a number one hit back in the 90s. If you were in high school at the time, then you probably remember the song—as it was a standard last-song-of-the-night at many a high school dance back in the day. However, for the rest of us, we swear "I Swear" hasn't crossed our minds in decades.
All-4-One - I Swear (Official Music Video) by RHINO
"Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)" (Melanie)
If you were at Woodstock, you might remember seeing Melanie Safka (AKA Melanie) perform. But do you remember the song she wrote about that experience that became her first big breakout hit, "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)"?
"This Is The Night" (Clay Aiken)
Forget the song...How many people still remember Clay Aiken? The second-place finisher of American Idol season 2 was so popular on the show that his debut album went multi-platinum and he, overall, is the fourth highest-selling American Idol alumnus of all time. "This Is the Night" was his debut single and it hit number one on the Hot 100.
Clay Aiken - This Is The Night 4K 60fps AI Upscale by Brian's VCR Tape Recordings
"A Little Bit More" (Dr Hook)
Maybe some of you remember the version from English boy band 911? But more likely, their version—as well as Dr Hook's 1976 take on the song (which did rise up as high as 11 on the Billboard Hot 100—is nowhere in your musical memory.
Dr. Hook ~ A Little Bit More by Ronja2H2
"I Really Like You" (Carly Rae Jepsen)
We all still remember "Call Me Maybe", but that wasn't Carly Rae Jepsen's only hit. "I Really Like You", off of Jepsen's third studio album, is a fun, catchy tune and made its way into the top 40 on the Billboard charts. Maybe if we tell you it was the one with Tom Hanks in the music video that will jog your memory?
Carly Rae Jepsen - I Really Like You (Behind The Scenes) by Carly Rae Jepsen
"Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast" (Wayne Newton)
"Mr Entertainment" Wayne Newton has been a Las Vegas staple for decades—and you'll say "thank you very much" for reminding you about this hit song of his from 1972. Actually, you'll probably say "Danke Schoen".
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
"Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted" (The Partridge Family)
The Partridge Family's first single, "I Think I Love You" (released a month before the show premiered), was their first and only number one song. But their next two songs were top 10 hits—Including "Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted", which rose up to number six on the Hot 100 in 1071.
And...
The Partridge Family - Doesn't Somebody want to be wanted by PoisonKis2U
"I'll Meet You Halfway" (The Partridge Family)
Also released in 1971 (off the same album as "Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted"), "I'll Meet You Halfway" landed in the top 10 at number nine on the charts. Are either of those songs ringing any bells?
The Partridge Family - I'll Meet You Halfway by John1948NineE
"You Made Me Believe In Magic" (Bay City Rollers)
The Bay City Rollers only had one number one hit in the United States—"Saturday Night". But, they did have two other songs enter the top 10—one of which was 1977s "You Made Me Believe in Magic". If most of you remember that one then, well, you will make us believe in magic.
Bay City Rollers - You Made Me Believe in Magic by jannylovesbcr
"Wishing Well" (Terence Trent D'Arby)
Raise your hand if you remember Terence Trent D'Arby. With the massive success of his debut album in 1987, Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby, he looked like he was going to be the next big thing. Well, he wasn't. But that album and a number of the singles were a big thing at the time—including the number one hit "Wishing Well".
Fotopersbureau De Boer, Wikimedia Commons
"Free Your Mind" (En Vogue)
There was a time in the early 90s when you couldn't get away from En Vogue (not that you would've wanted to). Their second album, Funky Divas, went three-times Platinum, and each of its first three singles became top 10 hits—including "Free Your Mind", which Billboard named the 41st greatest girl group song of all time.
En Vogue - Free Your Mind (Official Music Video) [HD] by En Vogue
"I Want To Take You Higher" (Ike & Tina Turner)
Originally a top 40 hit for Sly and the Family Stone in 1970, Ike & Tina Turner covered the song a few months later— and their version also landed in the top 40. "I Want to Take You Higher" was a top 40 hit twice in 1970 by two different artists. Do you remember this one?
Rob Mieremet / Adam Cuerden, Wikimedia Commons
"Masterpiece" (The Temptations)
From "My Girl to Ain't Too Proud to Beg", The Temptations were one of the most successful and recognizable groups of the Motown era. But that doesn't mean that some of their hits from back in the day haven't been forgotten by modern listeners. Like "Masterpiece", which was a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and sat at number one for two weeks on the Hot Soul Singles chart.
Motown Records, Wikimedia Commons
"(You're) Having My Baby" (Paul Anka)
Paul Anka hadn't had a number one hit since 1959 when he released "(You're) Having My Baby" in 1974. But with that track, he found himself on top once again. Younger audiences might be familiar with the song from The Big Bang Theory episode in which Howard sings it to his pregnant wife Bernadette at karaoke night. Although, we assume most didn't recognize it as a Paul Anka song when they heard it on the show.
(You're) Having My Baby - Paul Anka and Odia Coates by numberonesongs111
"You And Me" (Alice Cooper)
How many of you remember this Alice Cooper top 10 hit? And how many of you remember him performing this song on a 1978 episode of The Muppet Show? Remember, he did it as a duet with a female monster (who turned out to be Miss Piggy).
𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫 - 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐞 - 𝟒𝐊 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 - 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨 𝟏𝟗𝟕𝟕 by Austech
"Butterfly" (Crazy Town)
We are going to assume that if you were around in 2002 and listening to popular music at the time, you heard Crazy Town's Butterfly a lot (like, really a lot). But has this one-hit wonder stuck with you? Could you hum the tune today?
Crazy Town - Butterfly [4K Remastered] by elcoronelGOD
"Go Deep" (Janet Jackson)
1997s The Velvet Rope is arguably Janet Jackson's greatest album and it (like most of her records) produced multiple chart-topping hits. While "Go Deep" didn't reach the top of the Hot 100, it did receive plenty of radio airplay and reached number one on the Billboard US Dance Club Chart. Who remembers the cool music video for this one also?
Janet Jackson - Go Deep by Janet Jackson
"Be My Lover" (La Bouche)
"Be My Lover" was a worldwide dance hit and the biggest thing La Bouche ever put out. If you don't remember it (or have never heard it), then good for you. Because for all of us who know the song—now that we've been reminded of it, it's gonna be stuck in our head for the rest of the day.
La Bouche - Be My Lover (Official Video) by Gabriel Ezequiel
"The Ketchup Song" (Las Ketchup)
Spanish girl group Las Ketchup had an international hit back in 2002 with "The Ketchup Song". The song hit number one in over 20 countries and just as quickly as it entered our lives, it was gone from our public consciousness (some would say, thankfully).
Las Ketchup - Asereje (The Ketchup Song) (Official Video) by Altra Moda Music
"A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done" (Sonny & Cher)
In 1972, "A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done" became the last top 10 hit Sonny & Cher ever had together—reaching number seven on the Hot 100. It was a hot song back then, but besides "I Got You Babe", how many other Sonny & Cher songs can most folks name today?
CBS Television, Wikimedia Commons
"Island Girl" (Elton John)
The first single off of John's 1975 Rock of the Westies album, "Island Girl" took over the top of the Hot 100 for three straight weeks that year. And yet, not only do most fans forget this one, but it seems as though Elton John does as well. John hasn't performed the song since 1990 (some think it has to do with the song's somewhat controversial lyrics).
Ernst Vikne, Wikimedia Commons
"The River Of Dreams" (Billy Joel)
As all Billy Joel fans know—the River of Dreams album was Joel's last rock ever (and he has said he has no plans to record another one). The title track rose up to number three on the Hot 100 charts and was a radio staple for much of 1993.
Billy Joel - The River of Dreams (Official HD Video) by Billy Joel
"Popcorn" (Hot Butter)
Originally recorded in 1969, this instrumental track took over the world in 1972 when it was covered by the band Hot Butter. While no one really thinks about this one anymore, it's one of those tunes that you'd know it if you heard it.
"No Rain" (Blind Melon)
This one will no doubt anger some. Hey, it angers us that this great song isn't as well-known these days as it was back in the day. What makes us even angrier is when we dress up in our bee costume for Halloween and no one gets the reference.
Blind Melon - No Rain by Blind Melon
"Lazy Sunday" (The Lonely Island And Chris Parnell)
This SNL digital short wasn't just popular on YouTube—it is at least partially responsible for the growth of the video sharing service back in the early days of 2005. Again, there is a generation who will never forget this one—and who cracked up when Michael and Dwight did their version of the song on The Office. But for many others...nothing.
Lazy Sunday - SNL Digital Short by Saturday Night Live
"West End Girls" (Pet Shop Boys)
The song from the early 80s won Best Single at the Brit Awards, was called the song of the decade (1985-94) by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters, and was named the greatest UK number-one single of all time by a critic's poll in The Guardian. The duo even performed the song during the closing ceremonies at the 2012 London games.
Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls (Official Video) [HD REMASTERED] by Pet Shop Boys
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