Music History Today: November 17, 2021

November 17, 1989: Disney released The Little Mermaid movie to theaters.

Walt Disney's "The Little Mermaid" is a jolly and inventive animated fantasy - a movie that's so creative and so much fun it deserves comparison with the best Disney work of the past.

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"The Little Mermaid" contains some of the best Disney music since the glory days. My favorite song is a laid-back reggae number named "Under the Sea," sung by Samuel E. Wright in such a splendid blend of animation and music that I recommend it to the cable music channels. 

Read more: Roger Ebert

November 17, 1971: Songwriter and pianist Laura Nyro released her album Gonna Take a Miracle.

As much as Gonna Take a Miracle is indeed a Laura Nyro album, it could likewise, and perhaps more accurately, be described as a collaborative effort between Nyro and the female soul trio LaBelle as well as producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. 

Nyro has never sounded so comfortable, easy, or "in her element" than she does backed by an all-star Philly soul ensemble that Gamble and Huff assembled for these sessions. The material reaches beyond just the sounds of Philadelphia, with Motown ("You've Really Got a Hold on Me" and "Nowhere to Run") and Brill Building ("Spanish Harlem"). 

Read more: Allmusic

November 17, 1984: Wham!'s "Wake Me Up Before You Go, Go" takes over at Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 single's chart.

“Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” Wham!’s American breakthrough, is one of those ’80s nuggets that refuses to go away. 

Wham!

It’s zippy and memorable and unashamedly silly, and it pops up all the time in comedies and animated movies. Everything about the song, right down to the exclamation point in the group’s name, demands to be taken with a complete lack of seriousness. But that intense silliness did its job, topping charts around the globe and turning Wham! into a commercial force. 

Read more: Stereogum

November 17, 1990: At Number 46, Madonna's "Justify My Love" entered the US music single's chart.

How much controversy can you cram into five minutes? If you’re Madonna, enough to make your new single a hit.

Madonna

On Nov. 6, 1990 – 25 years ago – Madonna released the first single from The Immaculate Collection, “Justify My Love.” In the month that followed, Madonna filmed a video for the song, submitted it to MTV (which promptly rejected it), and then rode the resulting controversy all the way to the bank. 

Read more: People

 

November 17, 2001: Enrique Iglesias peaked at Number 3 in the US with "Hero."

Enrique Iglesias wrote "Hero" with the British songwriters Paul Barry and Mark Taylor, who also collaborated on his hits "Be With You" and "Bailamos."

Enrique Iglesias

Iglesias attributes the success of this song to a combination of good lyrics, melody, and excellent production. He feels those three qualities need to work together to make a timeless hit. 

Read more: Songfacts

Under the Sea
The Little Mermaid