LOL. That comment is actually "new signature file worthy" for me, Sally. Would you mind?
I'll bet "One Night In Bangkok" is the last show tune to hit #1 on the Billboard pop chart, even if it was from the concept album.
I suspect you're right, best.
Since 1970--by any fair measure and counting new musicals only--we have the following:
Send in the Clowns
What I Did for Love
And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going
Memory
One Night in Bangkok
I'm sure I've missed something, but most other show tunes that hit the charts did so as novelty numbers.
Updated On: 4/21/13 at 08:14 PM
Worth pointing out, even if it's not a song per se, that the Book of Mormon cast album reached the top three on the album chart… I believe a feat not done since Hair.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
Did the Pet Shop Boys version of "Losing My Mind" ever chart?
Jackson 5 did "Corner of the Sky" I believe. Don't know how popular it was though.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
In the US it charted on the 12" singles and Dance singles charts. It was a much bigger hit in England.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
Oh and while he PSB sang backup and produced it, it was creditied to vocalist Liza Minnelli. The PSB version was a b-side to one of their singles and was actually the demo they had originally cut for her.
Chorus Member Joined: 9/29/12
I remember hearing "Electricity" from Billy Elliot on the radio-the Elton John version, not the cast version. Not sure if it was a hit but our adult contemporary station played it a lot. Also, an EP of "With You" from Ghost was released in the UK. Not sure how it did on the charts.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
"Oh and while he PSB sang backup and produced it, it was creditied to vocalist Liza Minnelli."
Yes, but I liked their cut better than hers. Theirs seemed natural, hers seemed too hyper.
"Tomorrow" from Annie was a huge radio hit
Written in the Stars from Aida performed by LeAnn Rhimes and Elton John peaked at #29 on the Hot 100 chart and #2 on the Adult Contemporary Charts
In Australia "I know him so well" was the bigger of the two hits from chess.
If we are talking about top 40 type hits, I think it is One Night In Bangkock. I think Total Eclipse of the Heart from a little earlier became more universally popular.
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/8/12
"Jackson 5 did "Corner of the Sky" I believe. Don't know how popular it was though."
It peaked at Number 13.
As far as I know, the last single from a Broadway original cast album to reach the Top 10 was Streisand's PEOPLE in 1964 (and even that is debatable, because I'm not sure if that single was cut from the OBC or from Streisand's PEOPLE album). She did win the Best Female Vocalist Grammy in 1965 for the song.
That same year, Louis Armstrong had a number 1 hit single for his cover of "Hello, Dolly" which also won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
In 1969, Dionne Warwick's cover of "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" from PROMISES, PROMISES peaked at number 6. She won the Grammy for Best Female Vocalist for that song in 1970.
Updated On: 4/22/13 at 02:14 AM
Swing Joined: 11/30/10
I just wanna dance (club mix) from Jerry Springer the opera got a lot of radio plays here in the uk & is still a staple of most clubs :)
How about Rise Above from Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark? Heard that a lot on the radio, and TV too.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/29/12
I'm surprised no has mentioned the Top Ten radio success of songs from Hair, including Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In by the 5th Dimension, and the title song, as sung by the Cowsills.
Hair by the Cowsills
I believe that Superstar from the original Jesus Christ Superstar concept album charted in 1969/1970
Stand-by Joined: 2/26/09
El Debarge had a #30 US hit with "Starlight Express"
I remember having to listen to "All I Ask of You" ad nauseum on the radio station at work at the time.
I don't know how to love him also made the charts.
Speaking of "I Just Wanna (F*CKin') Dance," I love this video someone made of it with video clips from musicals behind tAlison Jiears's vocal:
http://youtu.be/Q32_G215bb0
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/18/11
RainbowHigh, the thread asks about the *last* song. There have been several since "Hair."
Videos