Some earworms for your Saturday morning (SLNYT)

January 27, 2024 7:35 AM

From 1960 to 2019, with a nod to Melanie's 'Brand New Key"
posted by bluesky43 (9 comments total)

Fun, but way too short. Not only did they leave out a lot of songs, but the write-ups are way too short and leave out a lot of interesting trivia (such as the link between Convoy and Mannheim Steamroller). A song they should have included was Dominique; not only number one the week I was born, but familiar to almost anyone who took French in school (at least in the 1970s). If you like this article, check out Stereogum's The Number Ones (as seen on Metafilter) for an in-depth look at every song to hit number one from 1958 through (so far) 2012.
posted by TedW at 8:55 AM on January 27 [1 favorite]

Brand New Key is a brilliant song. Deceptively so, I'd say. Made to sound child-like, and somewhat old timey, in a way that was not entirely out of left field at the time, it's aged well, and sounds more and more timeless as the years pass.

About half of the other songs on that list are probably best left forgotten, tho, regardless how well they charted.
posted by 2N2222 at 8:55 AM on January 27 [3 favorites]

Roller skate keys adjusted the bracing of the steel skate to fit anyone.
posted by Brian B. at 8:56 AM on January 27 [2 favorites]

Hearing Brand New Key feels like those times when you watch a classic movie like Citizen Kane for the first time and you suddenly realize this is what the Simpsons was referencing dozens of times. I know the song, but I’ve always known it as “I’ve got a brand new Combine Harvester, and I’ll give you the key!” - just an odd rhyme I grew up with and now I learn it was a real song that went to number 1 no less!
posted by TwoWordReview at 9:48 AM on January 27 [1 favorite]

TwoWordReview, you do know that the Combine Harvester novelty cover version got to No. 1 in the UK and Ireland too, right?
posted by amcewen at 10:03 AM on January 27

Ha! I did not!! And it explains even more!
posted by TwoWordReview at 10:33 AM on January 27

Thank you Brian B. - I'm an old enough genX'er to know about rollerskate keys and I was surprised to see the article ask what she meant.
posted by BlueBlueElectricBlue at 11:18 AM on January 27 [1 favorite]

I always thought it was about puberty, but then it did come out when I was in middle school
posted by morspin at 4:26 PM on January 27 [1 favorite]

The URL says Melania. Kids today!

Where is Ray Stevens' The Streak which was Number 1 for 3 weeks in 1974? The UK charts were full of novelty singles in the 70s. Not many Number 1s but there could be a list of dozens.

And I never realised that Combine Harvester was a Melanie cover, of course it is.
posted by epo at 5:21 AM on January 28