I don’t know why a desire to know the shortest song to make it to the top of the Billboards chart popped into my mind, but it’s nice to know that Google makes it easy to satisfy such desires.
Here’s a couple of hints: the song appeared in Dirty Dancing, and Jackson Browne did his own unique take on the song.
Any guesses?
The song is Stay, a doo-wop song written by Maurice Williams and first recorded in 1960 by Williams with his group the Zodiacs. The song was written by Williams in 1953 when he was 15 years old. He had been trying to convince his date not to go home at 10 o’clock as she was supposed to. He lost the argument, but as he was to relate years later, “Like a flood, the words just came to me.”
The original recording of “Stay” remains the shortest single ever to reach the top of the American record charts, at 1 minute 36 seconds in length. (Wikipedia)
Here’s the Jackson Browne version:
And speaking of short songs, here is the shortest commercial song ever released. It is You Suffer by Napalm Death, and is all of a whopping 1.3 seconds. Somehow the video has more than eight million views.
I wonder if my blog posts will get more views if I can keep them under three words…
I remember this song very well. The falsetto in the Maurice Williams version is unmatched. In the early 60s, I needed no falsetto to sing along to that part.
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the advantage of pre-adolesence…
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Poor Maurice Williams. It reminds me of my own pleadings with my dates. But unlike Williams, I usually won the argument. Except when I was short of cash.
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I still have that problem with cash…
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When I lived in the dorms during college that Napalm Death song was one of the more frequently played tunes. A real classic.
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8 million people must agree with you…
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Oh yes! Good song and great movie!
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I think I’d reverse it; great song, good movie… 🙂
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Haha! I am guessing that I have seen the movie many more times than you! See, thats what you need to do to really appreciate it. 😄
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I’m sure you have, just like I’ve seen Napoleon many more times than you and as a result I really appreciate it… 🙂
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Ummm… yeah…that kind of backfired! LOL!
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🙂
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I like both versions. More often than not, I like the original best, but this time I have to say I like the Jackson Browne version. I’ll never get back those 1.3 seconds. Bizarre doesn’t begin to describe that “song.”
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and the song that leads into that Jackson BRowne song is great as well – The Load Out.
and I agree, it is just bizarre that such a song was released. I guess it just proves once again that there is a sucker born every minute (or perhaps every 1.3 seconds)…
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Your first three words are always worth reading.
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I’ll start working on that fourth word; give me a few months…
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When someone says “doo wop” this is the song that immediately pops into my head. But I am with Pete in that I think I like the Jackson Browne version better. With some great instrumental fills he stretches the length to the common radio length of three and one half minutes. And, no Jim, you cannot get away with three word posts!
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that is one of my favorite Jackson Browne songs.
dang, I thought I had discovered the secret to blogging… 🙂
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You have, it is just not that….😁
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so the secret is blathering? 🙂
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You had it figured out the whole time….
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blathering it is, then! 🙂
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Also, how about some research as to why there is a giant sign for “Asbestos” behind them in the original.
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I was wondering about that asbestos sign as well!
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8,000,001 now. After listening to the Napalm Death song and chuckling, I tried to listen again. This time YouTube played one of their ‘real’ songs. Guess what? I loved the music. The singing I could do without, but the guitars were great. As a point of reference, I looked up the Beatles’ Her Majesty and found that it’s a whopping 23 seconds. I was going to guess that was the shortest commercial song. I wonder if the Apple Store charges 99 cents to download You Suffer. That would not only make it the shortest song, but the worst value.
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I had never heard of Napalm Death before either, but apparently one of my sons is a fan, and I listened to one of their songs as well, and it wasn’t bad.
I was not familiar with that Beatles song – and that was pretty good! Amazing what you can do in 23 seconds.
And yes, in terms of cost per second, You Suffer is the most expensive song on Apple Music…
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I love the song. I don’t understand the commercial. And I like your blog posts just the way they are.
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Stay is great; and that 1.3 second song is the shortest song ever released commercially.
and thank you for your kind words!
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I like that you always turn stats into something so interesting. that is a gift.
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so the days of my childhood spent in my bedroom doing math problems has finally paid off 🙂
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Only a matter of time
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50 plus years… 🙂
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A great piece of nostalgia, though I much prefer Jackson Browne’s version. For me, Rosemary Butler’s co-lead vocal makes it a bit special. Out of curiosity I just checked our shortest chart topper: it was ‘What Do You Want’ by Adam Faith, from 1959, which beat yours by a second, coming in at 1 min 35 sec. They didn’t bother with value for money in those days, did they!
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both versions are great, I would have trouble picking a favorite…
I just watched a video of Adam Faith singing that song – he seemed pretty full of himself. And I have trouble picturing that as a number one song…
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It was easy for me, as I’m a long time Jackson Browne fan. You’ve prompted me to watch Adam Faith – I see what you mean, but that’s what comes from being a teenage heartthrob, I guess. I think they were typical examples of music for that time, as I can’t see how either got to #1!
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I guess never underestimate the power of teenage girls…
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They should be banned from record shops!
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but they do spend a lot of money on music!
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That depends on your definition of ‘music,’ I think…
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well they did like the Beatles 🙂
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Quite possibly the only time they got it right. I often wondered if they bought the records and then, when they played them at home, they screamed their heads off to recreate the full experience…
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I’m sure that would have driven their parents crazy, and they’d be happy for them to do that screaming elsewhere…
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I remember the song, but neither of those versions. I wonder who else did it.
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it was also performed by the Hollies and the Four Seasons…
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I probably remember a version by one or both of them.
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it’s an easy song to remember with the high-pitched parts…
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It is. 🙂
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Napalm Death. Classic. Favourite song title? 668, the neighbour of the beast. Not sure if thats napalm death, but another classic. Cheers!
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that is a great song title, looks like there is also 667, and it looks like a few bands have had such a song…
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Ah okay, didn’t know that. Extreme Noise Terror another napalm death-type band. Just thought i’d share that name with you ..
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I’m sure that’s half the fun of starting a band – coming up with the name. 😀
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