THE TOP 50 SONGS that were REVIVED, Today: #20-11. More > tomorrow.
Caffè Lattè looks back on:
R
E
V
I
V
E
THE TOP 50 SONGS THAT WERE D
20 THE FIRST TIME
EVER I SAW YOUR FACE
Roberta Flack
The
song had gone nowhere and Roberta Flack’s career was in a holding pattern. Until
the fateful day that Clint Eastwood heard it on the radio and was determined to
use it in his film project ‘Play Misty For Me’. The song was included in the
film, spawning Flack’s first of 3 US #1 singles and the best-selling song of 1972.
19 ARE YOU READY FOR
LOVE Elton John
When
first released in 1979, the song failed to crack the Top 40. In 2003, the track
re-surfaced and this time reached #1 in Britain.
18 SPACE ODDITY David Bowie
First
rush-released to coincide with the 1969 Moon Landing, the disc reached #5 in
the UK. Four years later, the song made the Top 20 in America, Canada and
Australia. Re-issued in 1975, “Space Oddity” finally reached #1 in Britain.
17 DREAMS Fleetwood Mac
Parent
album ‘Rumours’ remains a beloved classic still charting in some territories.
This Stevie Nicks—penned tune reached #1 in 1977. A TikTok viral video catapulted
the track back into the charts in 2020.
16 THE TEARS OF A
CLOWN
Smokey Robinson
& The Miracles
In
1967, this song was recorded for the ‘Make It Happen’ album but was not slated
for single release. Robinson was poised to depart the group but there was
momentum in Britain and Motown fed that appetite with The Miracles’ back
catalogue. This song was released and reached #1 there. A US remix was issued
and also made the top.
15 I’VE NEVER BEEN TO
ME Charlene
Not
all that Motown touched went gold. Well, not at first. Charlene’s 1977 ballad
was ignored and she gave up on a musical career. When radio built up a following
for it in 1982, Motown had to launch a search for its lost artist. Once
located, the singer watched her single finally reach #1 in Britain, Canada and
Australia. In the US, the disc peaked at #3. Sadly, her success was short-lived.
14 SHE’S ALWAYS A
WOMAN Billy Joel
Always
regarded as a standout on Joel’s 1977 ‘The Stranger’ album, the ballad was a US
Top 20 hit. In 2010, a cover by Fyfe Dangerfield was used in an English TV commercial.
This led to Joel’s original being re-issued and reaching the UK Top 30.
13 ONE DAY IN YOUR
LIFE Michael Jackson
‘Off
The Wall’ turned Michael Jackson into a global phenomenon. Even though he had
left the label years before, Motown’s desire to cash in led to this 1975
recording being rescued from the vault. In 1981, it reached #1 in Britain and
Top 10 in Australia.
12 REET PETITE Jackie Wilson
This
influential R&B singer was fading into obscurity when a clay animation
video was televised in 1986. “Reet Petite”, a UK Top 10 smash from 1957, was
re-issued. Wilson had died in 1984, but he scored a posthumous hit when the
single topped the UK Chart and peaked at #2 across Europe.
11 THE TWIST Chubby Checker
This song did what no other physical single ever managed to do. In 1960, the song reached
#1 in America. So popular was the dance craze, that the song returned to the
American chart in 1962 and reached #1 there again.
R
