PDA

View Full Version : A Capella Top 40 Hits

HeyHomie
09-03-2001, 05:19 PM
Is Because I Got High the only a capella song to make the Top 40? I'm thinking real hard right now, and I'm drawing a blank.....
Max Harvey
09-03-2001, 05:33 PM
"Don't Worry, Be Happy"
BigGiantHead
09-03-2001, 05:37 PM
According to a writeup at the Ultimate Band List, http://www.ubl.com, "the Nylons hit the Top 30 with a remake of Steam's 'Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye.'" 1984-ish, I believe. I wouldn't know where to actually verify this.

- Dave
Chez Guevara
09-03-2001, 06:05 PM
Prelude had a British Top 40 entry with an a capella version of Neil Young's After The Goldrush. I think this was in 1974.
Nocturne
09-03-2001, 06:08 PM
Was Billy Joel's "For the Longest Time" a top-40 hit?
BigGiantHead
09-03-2001, 08:28 PM
Yes, "Longest Time" was Top-40, but was not technically a cappella. It has a fairly pronounced bass accompaniment.

- Dave
BigGiantHead
09-03-2001, 08:37 PM
Oddly enought, it seems that Judy Collins also hit the AT40 in Jan. 1971 with an a cappella version of "Amazing Grace." Ouch.
DynoSaur
09-03-2001, 09:29 PM
I would think that Boyz II Men had one or two...

It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday comes to mind. I'd think they had more, too...they were really popular for quite a few years.
Geek Mecha
09-03-2001, 09:42 PM
Boyz II Men's remake of "In The Still Of The Night" was number one for a while, wasn't it? BTW, I recall there were two versions of "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday"-- one was a capella, one wasn't.

How about Huey Lewis And The News's "It's Alright"?
Geek Mecha
09-03-2001, 09:54 PM
I was gonna add 4PM's cover of "Sukiyaki", but IIRC that one wasn't entirely a capella either. The B-side song of the single was, though.

R. Kelly's "Gotham City" from one of the Batman movies had an a capella version, but 1) I can't remember if it was entirely a capella, and 2) I don't know how well the song did on the charts.

Then there are a capella versions of songs where the non-a capella version was the one that did well-- "Four Seasons of Loneliness" by Boyz II Men and "I Don't Ever Want To See You Again" by Uncle Sam pop into mind.
MrDibble
09-04-2001, 01:17 AM
The Housemartins' Caravan of Lovedid quite well a while back.
...which, I believe, was a cover, but I can't be arsed to look up the original.
Badtz Maru
09-04-2001, 03:12 AM
Originally posted by rastahomie
Is Because I Got High the only a capella song to make the Top 40? I'm thinking real hard right now, and I'm drawing a blank.....

The version I hear has accompaniment, I haven't heard a fully a capella version of this song yet.
Gyrate
09-04-2001, 08:17 AM
I'm guessing that if you go back to the 1950's, you'll find a number of them. But I'm assuming you mean something more recent.

Originally posted by BigGiantHead
According to a writeup at the Ultimate Band List, http://www.ubl.com, "the Nylons hit the Top 30 with a remake of Steam's 'Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye.'" 1984-ish, I believe. I wouldn't know where to actually verify this.
Dunno how it ranked, but I'm pretty sure the Nylons use some sort of electronic drum machine/rhythm track in a lot of their songs.

The Flying Pickets had a hit (at least in the UK) with an a cappella version of Yaz/Yazoo's Only You. But, again, I think they had some electronic "help".