Ask Billboard: Taylor Swift's Career Sales
As always, submit your questions about Billboard charts, sales and airplay, as well as general music musings, to askbb@billboard.com. Please include your first and last name, as well as your city, state and country, if outside the U.S.
TAYLOR FITTINGS
Gary,
Like many people, I was pleased to see Taylor Swift finally reach the Billboard Hot 100's highest plateau this week with "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together." The first time I saw the title, I knew it would be a hit. The first time I actually heard it, I was sure it was going to No. 1.
When, in your newest "Weekly Chart Notes" column, you mentioned artists with the name Taylor (first or last) that have gone to No. 1 I instantly thought of a few more.
Duran Duran had two Hot 100 No. 1s: 1984's "The Reflex" and 1985's "A View to a Kill." At the time, they had three unrelated band members with the last name Taylor: John, Andy and Roger.
Speaking of another Roger Taylor, we can't forget Queen's No. 1 songs in 1980: "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and "Another One Bites the Dust."
You also noted long-titled No. 1s. As far as leaders with the most words, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr.'s "You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)" is correct when it comes to single recordings (12 words). But, if you include medleys, Holland's Stars on 45 still hold the record with 41 words for "Medley: Intro Venus / Sugar, Sugar / No Reply / I'll Be Back / Drive My Car / Do You Want to Know a Secret / We Can Work It Out / I Should Have Known Better / Nowhere Man / You're Going to Lose That Girl / Stars on 45."
Thanks for bringing us an all-Taylor Swift edition of the column. With 13 being her ! lucky number, let's hope she sticks around at No. 1 for (at least) 13 weeks.
Ron Raymond, Jr.Host/Producer, "stuck in the 80s"WMPG-FM and WMPG.org, Portland, Maine
Hi Ron,
We'll turn "Ask Billboard" into an (almost) all-Taylor Swift edition, too. Read on for more about her landmark week. "#1 on Billboard's Hot 100!!?! This has been the most amazing week. I can't believe how incredible you guys are. (Jumping up and down)," she Tweeted on Thursday.
I'll add that one more Taylor bows on two Billboard charts this week. Ben Taylor - James Taylor and Carly Simon's son - enters Heatseekers Albums at No. 23 and Folk Albums at No. 24 with "Listening," his first album in four years.
How about more Taylor tales?
Going back, James' sister Kate and his brother Livingston have charted on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. The Taylor brothers even joined for "City Lights," a No. 23 AC hit in 1989. Livingston returned to the chart in 2006 with "Best of Friends" - a duet with Simon.
Personal brush with Taylor-related fame: Livingston Taylor just happened to be sitting next to me in the lobby at WMVY Martha's Vineyard, Mass., when I (somehow successfully) interviewed for the morning show job at the station in 2005, which I held before joining Billboard.
He was visiting to play his then-new album, "There You Are Again," for 'MVY director of programming Barbara Dacey, who immediately loved it. By the time of my first shift, the set's bouncy song "Yes" was in rotation.
A local artist playing new music for a local programmer, who then put the song right on the air.
Radio at its best.