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Paul Gambaccini introduces past and present US chart hits. Featured hitmakers include The Fugees, Sly & The Family Stone, Scotty McCreery and Motown's Marv Tarplin.

Paul Gambaccini presents tracks from this week's US charts and hits from the last six decades.

In the feature Baby What A Big Surprise [they really were Number One albums] we hear A Fifth Of Beethoven by Walter Murphy from Saturday Night Fever, the first disco album to top the chart. We also hear Killing Me Softly from The Score by the Fugees - an act who had not charted before this success in 1996.

In the regular feature The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, songs are featured from LPs by Sly & The Family Stone and Madonna. It's Not The Same Old Song highlights Gloria by the Cadillacs and a different song with the same title by the Shadows Of Knight.

In A Matter Of Life And Death, Paul celebrates the birth on this date in 1942 of Annette Funicello and pays tribute to the recently deceased Motown guitarist and song writer Marv Tarplin. War by Edwin Starr and Watermelon Man by Mongo Santamaria are this week's featured songs from the Grammy Hall Of Fame Singles list.

Our R&B Number Ones are from 1981 - Never Too Much by Luther Vandross - and this week - So In Love by Jill Scott & Anthony Hamilton. We hear Country Number Ones from 1998 and now by Tim McGraw and Rodney Atkins. This week's past and present Rock Number Ones are by Pat Benatar and Foo Fighters. Scotty McCreery's Clear As Day enters at Number One in the US album chart. On the singles side, Someone Like You by Adele is still Number One.

2 hours

Last on

Sat 22 Oct 2011 20:00

Music Played

  • R.E.M.

    It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

    This date in 1844: The Great Disappointment: Christ did not appear and the world did not end

  • Hot Chelle Rae

    I LIKE IT LIKE THAT (featuring New Boyz)

    New Entry in the Top Thirty

  • Feist

    How Come You Never Go There

    New Entry in the Top Ten of the Album Chart: Metals

  • Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band

    A Fifth Of Beethoven

    Baby What A Big Surprise [they really were Number One albums] Saturday Night Fever - soundtrack album (1978) [First number one disco album]

  • Mayer Hawthorne

    A Long Time

    New Entry in the Album Chart: How Do You Do

  • Annette

    Tall Paul

    Born 1942: Annette Funicello

  • Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

    The Tracks Of My Tears

    Marv Tarplin (guitarist and writer) born 13th June 1941; died 30th September 2011

  • Indigo Girls

    Share The Moon

    New Entry in the Top Forty of the Album Chart: Beauty Queen Sister

  • Luther Vandross

    Never Too Much

    R&B Number One this date in 1981

  • Jill Scott

    SO IN LOVE (featuring Anthony Hamilton)

    Adult R&B Number One: seventeenth week

  • The Cadillacs

    Gloria

    It’s Not The Same Old Song: released in 1954

  • The Shadows of Knight

    Gloria

    It’s Not The Same Old Song: Number Ten in 1966

  • Alan Jackson

    You've Been Lonesome, Too

    Top Ten in the Internet Album Chart: The Lost Notebooks Of Hank Williams

  • Sly & the Family Stone

    Dance To The Music

    The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (debut hit albums) Dance To The Music - Sly & The Family Stone (4 May 1968)

  • Gym Class Heroes

    STEREO HEARTS (featuring Adam Levine)

    Top Ten

  • Edwin Starr

    War

    Grammy Hall Of Fame Single: Number One in 1970

  • Mongo SantamarΓ­a

    Watermelon Man

    Grammy Hall Of Fame Single: Number Ten in 1963

  • Mayday Parade

    Stay

    New Entry in the Top Twenty of the Album Chart: Mayday Parade

  • Fugees

    Killing Me Softly

    Baby What A Big Surprise [they really were Number One albums] The Score - The Fugees (1996) [previously uncharted act]

  • Tim McGraw

    Where The Green Grass Grows

    Country Number One this date in 1998

  • Rodney Atkins

    Take A Back Road

    Current Country Number One - NEW and New Entry in the Top Ten of the Album Chart:Take A Back Road

  • Pat Benatar

    Love Is A Battlefield

    Rock Number One this date in 1983

  • Foo Fighters

    Walk

    Current Rock Number One - eighth week

  • Madonna

    Borderline

    The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (debut hit albums) Madonna - Madonna (3 September 1983)

  • Scotty McCreery

    The Trouble With Girls

    Current Number One in the Album Chart: NEW: Clear As Day

  • Tommy Edwards

    It's All In The Game

    Number One this date in 1958

  • Four Tops

    Reach Out I'll Be There

    Number One this date in 1966

  • Adele

    Someone Like You

    Current Number One: third week (certified two million sales)

Broadcast

  • Sat 22 Oct 2011 20:00