The faithful song that spent 35 weeks in the top 10
When we talk about defining moments in music, we often refer to bands like The Beatles, but there were some musicians making good music long before them.
It’s hard for us to really appreciate some of the chart toppers that came in the 1950s because very few of them are reminiscent of the kind of music we listen to now – when you listen to bands who came about in the ‘60s and then other bands who are big these days, there’s a connect, but that’s harder to find the further back you go.
That’s not to say there aren’t some artists whose influence can be heard. There are plenty of jazz, blues and R&B musicians who continue to influence a lot of modern rock music, as the likes of Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy and Howlin’ Wolf really left their mark. Meanwhile, the impact of musicians like Elvis Presley speaks for itself. However, when you look at some of the songs that spent elongated periods at the top of the charts, they’re not hugely reminiscent of what we listen to today.
The charts have always been important, but that was especially the case in past decades, as artists didn’t release albums quite as much, and were instead a lot more reliant on singles. As such, those singles needed to be successful, otherwise some music would just be lost in time, which is the last thing that both artists and their labels wanted.
You’d be surprised by just how many songs that were dominant hits from this period haven’t stood the test of time despite their success. This is the result of tastes changing, and also the themes which people write about constantly changing – the best-selling songs in the 1960s and ‘70s, despite being released decades ago, tend to have been passed down, but the same can’t be said for the generations that came prior.
Take this semi-religious ballad, for instance – released in 1953, it became one of the best-selling singles of all time, and spent a massive 35 weeks in the top 10.
So, what song spent 35 weeks in the top 10?
‘I Believe’ by Frankie Laine was released in 1953, originally written by Erwin Drake before being recorded by Laine, and something in this track really resonated with the public, as soon as it was released, crowds of people were flocking to buy it – it was number one for 18 weeks, and then after getting knocked off the top spot, it still managed to stay in the top 10 for 35 weeks.
So, what was it that people liked so much about the song… Well, when Frankie Laine was talking about it, he said that it was because it hinted at themes of religion and faith, which appealed to a lot of people at the time, and while it was a faith song, no doubt about it, it was presented in a different way than a lot of other faith songs, and people were excited by the new approach.
“It accomplished an awful lot in its day,” said Laine, concluding, “Because it said all the things that need to be said in a prayer and yet it didn’t use any of the holy words – Lord, God, Him, His, Thine, Thou. It said it all, and it changed the whole spectrum of faith songs.”
