The Number Ones: Twenty Chart-Topping Hits That Reveal the History of Pop Music

I Picked Up This Book Because: Interest in music.

Media Type: Audiobook
Source: LV-CC Public Library
Dates Read: 3/23/23 - 3/26/23
Stars: 4
Narrator(s): Ray Stoney

The Story:

Books like this always remind me of my music appreciation classes in college. Music is an enjoyable subject that has endless perspectives and I always learn something new.

The Random Thoughts:

This book should come with a Spotify playlist. ( )

The Billboard Hot 100 is a strange beast and the history of the Number One songs is a weird and fascinating story. Artists like Bob Dylan, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Bruce Springsteen never had a Number One song and some of the most beloved songs of all time have been held out of the top spot by songs that have aged poorly. Also, some very strange songs by the likes of The Chipmunks, The Singing Nun, Rick Dees, and Los Del Rio hit Number One. You could say that these are bad songs, but at one point in history the music buying public of the United States found these songs to be their favorite in a particular moment of time.

Two of my favorite podcasts focus on pop music history - Chris Molanphy's Hit Parade which focuses on the charts and Andrew Hickey's A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs which goes deeper into the weeds of rock music history. In the past few years I've also become a fan of Tom Breihan's The Number Ones column on Stereogum. Breihan is reviewing every single Number One song on the Billboard Hot 100 starting from 1958 and as of this writing has made it as far as 2005. Breihan does an excellent job of researching the histories of the artists, songwriters, producers, et al behind a song and the circumstances that lead it be the most popular song in the USA in a particular moment of time. Some of my least favorite songs have the most interesting stories. Be warned though, Breihan can be pretty abrasive about trashing the songs that he doesn't like (the column on Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy" was particularly cruel).

This book is a spinoff of the Stereogum column focusing on "twenty chart-topping hits that reveal the history of pop music." The book is more professional than the column (no f-bombs castigating songs that Breihan hates). The songs chosen are ones that changed the face of pop music in the U.S. "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "Dynamite" introduced the pop music of another country into the American mainstream. New musical technologies powered "Mr. Tambourine Man," "Good Vibrations," and "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')" to the top. While "Rock Your Baby," "Don't You Want Me," and "Black Beatles" introduced new genres to chart success.

The Number Ones probably doesn't offer anything new to anyone knowledgeable of pop music history. But it does frame it in interesting ways and shows how many different ways there are to make a number one hit. I also like Breihans historical approach to the background of a song. This is a good book that fans of music will love. ( )

The Number Ones: Twenty Chart-Topping Hits That Reveal the History of Pop Music, by Tom Breihan, is a fun read that for many readers will bring back memories, perhaps fond ones, perhaps not.

In point of fact what is revealed is A history of pop, not THE history of pop. But hyperbole is the name of the game for writers like this, so whatever. A different group of songs could have been chosen, with maybe one or two exceptions, but the ones here do tell a very interesting thread of the overall history.

While there might not be much in the way of new information here, that isn't the point. These songs represent (mostly) significant moments where the direction of pop music changed or at least shifted a bit. While his authorial voice is just about as annoying as imaginable, the stories of the songs are interesting enough to overcome his inflated sense of his own opinion. I guess you may have noticed I find his style something less than good. But many others seem to really like it, so it is probably just what I like rather than something objectively good or bad. The style, that is, the ego is evident to all.

Don't let my negativity about the author dissuade you. The songs and the stories are well-chosen and quite interesting. In the hands of an actual writer this would have been a phenomenal book. As it is it is still a very good book. If you either like pop music or just appreciate pop music as the background to whatever genre you prefer, this book is well worth your time. The bulk, though not all, of my complaints are a matter of personal taste and the dynamic between a writer and a reader.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )