Top 100 Songs of the Beatles (100-91) Day 1

Starting today, I'm going to reveal the top 100 songs of the Beatles. Check back tomorrow for the next ten! This ranking is done purely by chart success and not personal or critical taste. It also includes all associated acts and solo projects by members of the Beatles. ;)



100. "Bangla-desh" by George Harrison, 1971

99. "Real Love" by the Beatles, 1996

 

98. "Back Off Boogaloo" by Ringo Starr, 1972

97. "Free As A Bird" by the Beatles, 1996

96. "I've Had Enough" by Wings, 1978

95. "This Song" by George Harrison, 1977

94. "Rain" by the Beatles, 1966

93. "Press" by Paul McCartney, 1986

92. "Give Ireland Back to the Irish" by Wings, 1972

91. "Stand By Me" by John Lennon, 1975

Check back tomorrow for numbers 90-81!

Artist Profile - SSgt Barry Sadler

SSgt Barry Sadler

SSgt Barry Sadler was born on January 11, 1940 in Carlsbad New Mexico. His parents, John and Bebe were professional gamblers and they divorced shortly after his birth. Tragically, his father died of a rare type of cancer at the age of 36. Barry dropped out of high school in Colorado in the 10th grade. He hitchhiked across the country and eventually enlisted in the air force. At the age of only 17, he was stationed in Japan. Sadler soon grew bored, however and decided to try the army for more excitement. Sadler became a Staff Sergeant of the U.S. Army Special Forces (aka the Green Berets). He served in Vietnam until injuring his leg in a booby trap.

His most noteworthy single was "The Ballad of the Green Berets" which was released on May 2nd, 1966 and eventually reached the #1 spot on the U.S. singles chart. It held the #1 spot for 5 weeks, which is no small feat. This song is no exception to Sadler's usual patriotic, military-themed songs, and it struck a chord with Americans desperate for something to identify with during the U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

Book written by Barry Sadler

Sadler also began a series of novels about soldiers fighting their way through the centuries called "The Casca Novel Series".

Barry got into quite a bit of trouble in 1978 when he was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the death of country song-writer Lee Emerson Bellamy. The two men had been fighting over a woman named Darlene Sharp, who was Bellamy's former girlfriend and Sadler's current at the time. He was sentenced to 4-5 years in prison, but that time was eventually reduced to 21 days due to the circumstances of the case. 

 A year before he died, he was shot in the head during a robbery attempt at his Guatemala home and suffered brain damage as a result. Many rumors still abound about why and how he was shot. Some say he was funding the Contras, or was showing off for a girlfriend with a gun. The official story is that it was a robbery. Sadler remained in a coma for several months after he was shot and did not regain his health. He died at age 49 in the hospital of heart failure on May 11, 1989.

Studying abroad

best. book. ever.

My biggest trepidation in terms of studying abroad in London this semester will be having to limit myself luggage-wise. Of course, limiting my clothes and accessories is taxing enough being that I'm without a doubt, a HUGE clotheshorse. What saddens me the most? The possibility of leaving my precious chart books (each of which must weight approximately 50 pounds, slightly exaggerating) in the states fills my heart with a sinking feeling. Questions float through my mind like..."but what if I need to find out exactly how many number ones the Beatles had?" or "what will I read for entertainment?" and "what if I need to look up a particular song and see how many times it was covered and the peak position it got in the 1960's." These questions of course, are the usual ones that any normal 21 year old college student thinks through on a daily basis. Should I drag my two most important books (Hot 100 listings from 1955-2003, both U.S. & U.K.) in my carry-on? Should I just see how I do for three+ months without the beautiful chart-filled tomes? Hmmm...check out the best web site in the world.

Welcome to the fabulous world of...my brain on charts.

This blog will start out with a very well-named chart music pop magazine from the early 80's featuring a very young Nick Heyward, fresh from success with Haircut 100 and embarking on a solo career. Such moments in pop music history are what I enjoy talking about and if you fancy a bit of random trivia or song information then you've come to the right place. I will post some of this, that and everything in between about pop charts, music history and pop culture. I am the girl who reads pop music hot 100 chart books (US & UK) for fun and I host my own radio show when possible. There's nothing I like better than spreading the word about a fantastic track previously lost in the pages of a long lost Billboard back issue from years past. Make sure to follow me for your pop music history fix and for a little randomness in your day.