On this day in 1980: Billy Joel started a six-week run at #1 on the US album chart with ‘Glass Houses’, his second U.S. #1 album. The album features four Top 40 hits including Joel’s first song to peak at #1 on Billboard’s Pop Singles chart, ‘It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me.’
On this day in 1986: Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald started a three week run at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with “On My Own.”
‘On My Own’ was written and produced by Burt Bacharach and his former wife Carole Bayer Sager and originally recorded by singer Dionne Warwick for inclusion on her album ‘Friends’. Eventually recorded by LaBelle and McDonald for her eighth studio album ‘Winner In You’. It was released as the album’s lead single on March 22, 1986 by MCA Records. Lyrically, “On My Own” was based on a relationship that had reached its end with both parties going their separate ways in a melancholy state with the occasional option of coming back together again one day.
The two performers were in separate cities when they recorded their individual parts which were then “married” during mixing. This was reflected in the music video produced to promote the song, which depicted LaBelle and McDonald performing the song simultaneously on different coasts.[1] The singers were shown on separate sides of a split screen, each singing the song while walking through apartments which had identical layouts but different decor and furniture. The views from their respective porches, where they finished the song, made clear their separation by the continent.
It would be ranked the #4 song for the entire year of 1986 on Billboard Magazine’s year end chart.
Here’s a look at the complete Top 20 on the U.S. singles chart from this day back in 1986:
1 2 ON MY OWN –•– Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald (MCA)-13 (1 Week at #1) (1)
2 1 LIVE TO TELL –•– Madonna (Sire)-10 (1)
3 4 I CAN’T WAIT –•– Nu Shooz (Atlantic)-15 (3)
4 9 THERE’LL BE SAD SONGS –•– Billy Ocean (Jive)-9 (4)
5 8 CRUSH ON YOU –•– The Jets (MCA)-10 (5)
6 3 GREATEST LOVE OF ALL –•– Whitney Houston (Arista)-12 (1)
7 10 A DIFFERENT CORNER –•– George Michael (Columbia)-8 (7)
8 14 NO ONE IS TO BLAME –•– Howard Jones (Elektra)-10 (8)
9 5 ALL I NEED IS A MIRACLE –•– Mike + The Mechanics (Atlantic)-13 (5)
10 7 SOMETHING ABOUT YOU –•– Level 42 (Polydor)-18 (7)
11 16 HOLDING BACK THE YEARS –•– Simply Red (Elektra)-11 (11)
12 15 NOTHIN’ AT ALL –•– Heart (Capitol)-9 (12)
13 6 IF YOU LEAVE –•– Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (A&M)-15 (4)
14 18 WHO’S JOHNNY –•– El DeBarge (Gordy)-8 (14)
15 17 I WANNA BE A COWBOY –•– Boys Don’t Cry (Profile)-11 (15)
16 13 IS IT LOVE –•– Mr. Mister (RCA)-12 (8)
17 11 BE GOOD TO YOURSELF –•– Journey (Columbia)-10 (9)
18 12 MOVE AWAY –•– Culture Club (Virgin)-11 (12)
19 23 VIENNA CALLING –•– Falco (A&M)-8 (19)
20 24 TUFF ENUFF –•– Fabulous Thunderbirds (CBS Associated)-9 (20)
