Music History Today: December 11, 2021

December 11, 1982: Adam Ant enters the American Top with "Goody Two Shoes."

Adam wrote "Goody Two Shoes" when dealing with an everlasting intrusion by the press. They were always asking about his personal life, which was great fodder for the tabloids. 

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Adam Ant was a very intriguing character with a colorful past but he preferred to keep his personal life private. By the '80s, his only vice was sex - no drugs, alcohol or even cigarettes for Adam Ant. This led to predictable questions from the press wondering if he didn't drink or smoke, then what exactly did he do? 

Read more: Songfacts

December 11, 1958: The Coasters record "Charlie Brown."

The song “Charlie Brown” by the R&B, doo-wop group The Coasters does not have anything to do with comic strip character Charlie Brown. This novelty song about a class clown who always causes trouble is known for the line: “Why’s everybody always pickin’ on me?” The famous team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller wrote and produced the song.   

Read more: Daily Doo Wop

December 11, 1965: "Let's Hang On!" by The Four Seasons peaked at number 3 on the charts.

"Let's Hang On!," composed by Bob Crewe, Sandy Linzer, and Denny Randell, reached the No. 3 position in the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, the group's highest placement since "Rag Doll" hit the top spot in July 1964.

The Four Seasons

The popularity of "Let's Hang On!" re-established the Four Seasons' presence in the Top Ten. They were in a flurry of activity, recording albums both as The Four Seasons and as supporting musicians for Valli's rekindled "solo" career. In the UK, the song was a No. 4 hit for the group.

Read more: Wikipedia

December 11, 1971 "Those Were the Days"by Carroll O’Connor and Jean Stapleton, as the Bunkers, entered the Billboard Hot 100 single's chart at number 73.

"Those Were the Days" is an expression of the Archie Bunker character on All In The Family.

All In The Family cast

Set in his ways and bigoted, he reminisces on the "good old days" when there was good music (Glenn Miller), reliable cars, and no gay people ("girls were girls and men were men"). A longer set of lyrics was written for this, with lines like, "Hair was short and skirts were long."  

Read more: Songfacts

December 11, 1976: Firefall broke into the US Top 10, peaking at number nine, with "You Are The Woman."

Jock Bartley of Firefall would account for the popularity of "You Are the Woman" thus: "Every female between the ages of 18 and 24 wanted to be the woman portrayed in the song, and that caused their boyfriends and spouses to call radio stations and subsequently flood the airwaves with dedications of the song and the sentiment." 

Read more: Wikipedia

Goody Two Shoes
Adam Ant