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…
“Don’t Worry, Be Happy”
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
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.
Was Billy Joel’s “For the Longest Time” a top-40 hit?
Yes, “Longest Time” was Top-40, but was not technically a cappella. It has a fairly pronounced bass accompaniment.
- Dave
Oddly enought, it seems that Judy Collins also hit the AT40 in Jan. 1971 with an a cappella version of “Amazing Grace.” Ouch.
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.
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”?
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.
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.
The version I hear has accompaniment, I haven’t heard a fully a capella version of this song yet.
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.
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”.
Longest time by Billie Joel in the 80’s - Awesome song
There were some doo-wop songs of that decade that were performed a cappella, but none to my knowledge that made the Top 40.
Fact is, a number of songs that we consider today to be the finest exemplars of that genre didn’t do all that well on the Billboard Hot 100.
Perhaps the most iconic doo-wop song of all, The Five Satins’ “In the Still of the Nite,” only made it to #24.
You beat me to this. This song also charted in the US, #22 on the Hot 100, and yes, in 1974.
“If I Ever Fall In Love” by Shai hit #2 in 1992 according to Wikipedia
Does it count as a capella if it’s just the one guy, though? Joel mixed together 14 different tracks of his voice backing up his lead vocal recording.
Steelyeye Span’s version of “Gaudete” reached no 14 in the British charts in 1973. Not only was it sung a cappella, it was in Latin!
“It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye” by Boyz II Men went to #2.