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Sunday, January 26, 2014

Let's Do the Twist!

Today in Music History: January 26, 1962

Hulton Archive/Getty Images
"The Twist" turned Chubby Checker into an overnight success when it shot to the top of the Billboard pop chart in September 1960. It had been a non-hit by its writer Hank Ballard in 1959. Dick Clark picked Chubby Checker to record a cover of the song. It is because of Clark's tireless on-air promotion that the song became a hit eventually making Chubby Checker rich and famous. 

The significance of this day, January 26, 1962, is that "The Twist" by Chubby Checker finally ends its record-setting run at #1. What is so unique about this story is like most top songs, the hit faded from the charts only to reclaim its spot at #1 a full year later. It was the first and only time a pop single has fallen completely out of Billboard's "Hot 100" only to re-attain the #1 spot in a completely separate release.
Come on, baby, let's do the twist
Come on, baby, let's do the twist
Take me by my little hand and go like this...
E-E-E-OH! Twist, Baby, Baby Twist
O-O-O-OH - YEAAAHH! ...




And the music goes on beating to the rhythm of the changing times... 

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