Some songs are born to be hits, and some just have great timing.
To find the classic rock anthem for every month, we looked at singles from the 1960s through the 1980s and picked the one released in each month that spent the most weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Find your birth month below and see which rock classic is yours.
January: “I Love Rock ‘n Roll,” Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
January babies get one of the most defiant anthems in rock history. Jett first discovered the song when she saw the British band the Arrows perform it on UK television while touring England with the Runaways in 1976. Her version was released as a single on January 20, 1982, and spent seven weeks at No. 1.
February: A Tie! “Call Me,” Blondie, and “Joy to the World,” Three Dog Night
February is the only month with two winners. Blondie’s “Call Me,” written with disco producer Giorgio Moroder as the theme for the 1980 film “American Gigolo,” was released on February 1, 1980. It held No. 1 for six straight weeks and finished as Billboard’s top single of the year.
Three Dog Night matched it almost a decade earlier. “Joy to the World” came out as a single in February 1971, spent six weeks at No. 1 and was ranked Billboard’s No. 1 pop single of 1971. Not bad for a song some band members considered a silly kids’ tune.
March: “With or Without You,” U2
March belongs to U2’s brooding love song, released as the lead single from “The Joshua Tree” on March 16, 1987. It topped the Hot 100 for three weeks, becoming the band’s first No. 1 in the US.
April: “Light My Fire,” The Doors
April babies get the song that launched The Doors. The single, an edit of the much longer album version, was issued on April 24, 1967, and spent three weeks at No. 1. Guitarist Robby Krieger wrote most of it, though the song was credited to the whole band.
May: “Every Breath You Take,” The Police
May’s pick is one of the biggest hits of the 1980s. Released May 20, 1983, “Every Breath You Take” spent eight weeks at No. 1, longer than any other song that year. Sting wrote it while staying at Goldeneye, the Jamaican home of James Bond creator Ian Fleming.
June: “My Sharona,” The Knack
June’s anthem was written in about 15 minutes, according to singer Doug Fieger. Released June 18, 1979, “My Sharona” held No. 1 for six weeks and was Billboard’s No. 1 song of 1979. The real Sharona, Sharona Alperin, even posed for the single’s sleeve.
July: “Maggie May,” Rod Stewart
July’s pick almost never had a chance. “Maggie May” was released in July 1971 as the B-side of Stewart’s single “Reason to Believe,” but radio stations began playing it instead, and it climbed to No. 1 for five weeks.
August: “Hey Jude,” The Beatles
August babies win the biggest prize of all. Released August 26, 1968, “Hey Jude” spent nine weeks at No. 1, tying the all-time record at the time, a record it held for nine years. Paul McCartney wrote it to comfort John Lennon’s young son, Julian, during his parents’ divorce.
September: “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright),” Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart claims a second month with this romantic ballad, released in September 1976. It stayed at No. 1 for eight consecutive weeks, the longest run at the top since “Hey Jude” and the longest of Stewart’s career.
October: “Livin’ on a Prayer,” Bon Jovi
October gets the ultimate singalong. Released in October 1986, it spent four weeks at No. 1. Jon Bon Jovi only agreed to release it as a single after a group of teenagers told him it was their favorite track on the album.
November: “My Sweet Lord,” George Harrison
November’s pick made history. Released in the US on November 23, 1970, “My Sweet Lord” spent four weeks at No. 1 and became the first chart-topper by a former Beatle. It later became the subject of a landmark copyright lawsuit, after a court found Harrison had “subconsciously” borrowed from the Chiffons’ “He’s So Fine.”
December: “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” The Beatles
December babies get the song that started Beatlemania in America. After a Washington, DC radio DJ began playing an imported copy, Capitol Records rushed out the single on December 26, 1963. It stayed at No. 1 for seven weeks.
Hence then, the article about the biggest classic rock hits of the 60s 70s and 80s ranked by month of release was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( The Biggest Classic Rock Hits of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, Ranked by Month of Release )
Also on site :
- Elvis Presley Estate Sues AI Company for Training Use of 274 ‘Iconic’ Songs Without Permission
- 1989 Classic Cover, Hailed as One of Dolly Parton’s ‘Best Songs of All Time,’ Gets New Life by Reba McEntire
- Christopher Abbott Gushes Over Welcoming First Child with Partner Aubrey Plaza: ‘It’s Like the Best Movie Ever’