Have you noticed how common it was in the '80s for songs from prior decades to chart again? This was usually because they were featured in movies. For example, alot of the '50s/early '60s songs from Dirty Dancing, and Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" both made comebacks in the late '80s. The biggest one is probably Ben E. King's "Stand By Me". In fact, I think that's probably one of the few pre-British Invasion songs still getting airplay.

Sometimes I have to remind myself how old they really are. They're in the spotlight so much and mixed in with more recent songs on the radio, so they don't really seem like true "oldies". It's amazing how easy songs that, before that point were probably viewed as old and forgotten, were able to come back into the charts. You almost never see that now in the '00s.

"Do You Love Me" by The Contours re-charted due to it's use in "Dirty Dancing"

Also, "Twist and Shout" by The Beatles re-charted from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"

In the UK, Sam Cooke's "What A Wonderful World" was revived due to useage in a TV commercial

In the UK, Sam Cooke's "What A Wonderful World" was revived due to useage in a TV commercial


Several oldies songs charted after being used in commercials.  Heard It Through The Grapevine springs to mind, also When A Man Loves a Woman.  I think Reet Petite was used in an advert as well.

I think Reet Petite was used in an advert as well.


I think this just charted in its own right (no advert muscle behind it)...

As did Nina Simone's 'My Baby Just Cares For Me' the following year (although that did eventually get featured in an ad...)

Nat 'King' Cole's 'When I Fall In Love' re-appeared at Christmas '87...once again, no advert...just there to cream sales off Rick Astley's cover...

And in the late 60s in Britain, Tamla Motown (as we called it) discovered how to re-issue stuff that 'bombed' the first time round...including 'Tracks Of My Tears', 'Get Ready', 'Dancing In The Street', etc., without an advert in sight!

It's amazing how easy these songs that were before that point, probably viewed as old and forgotten, were able to come back into the charts. You almost never see that now in the '00s.


While we're (sort-of) on this subject...

There's been a recent change in the way the British singles chart is now compiled, insofar as 'all songs legally downloaded over the internet can count towards chart positions, whether or not a 'physical' version of a song is available to purchase'...

A DJ (Chris Moyles) has tested this theory already, by getting his radio audience to legally download an old Billie Piper song...which promptly re-charted!

And now that the Beatles' feud with Apple computers has finally ended, who's to say that the chart could be filled up with old Fabs output in the near-future?

I think this just charted in its own right (no advert muscle behind it)...




I have an image in my head of some dancing raisins?

I have an image in my head of some dancing raisins?


I think that may have been Marvin Gaye's 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' (Grapevine...raisins, geddit? ;))

But I think both 'videos' were made the same way with plasticine animation...

I think that may have been Marvin Gaye's 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' (Grapevine...raisins, geddit? ;))




Not sure.  I remember that being used by Levi's though


But I think both 'videos' were made the same way with plasticine animation...


Maybe that's where the confusion is in my mind

I think that may have been Marvin Gaye's 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' (Grapevine...raisins, geddit? ;))


novelty group The California Raisins (which were actual animated raisins that sang) scored a minor US hit with that in 1988 :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quhF878jcKs

There was also a bunch of oldies medleys such as Stars on 45

"Do You Love Me" by The Contours re-charted due to it's use in "Dirty Dancing"

Also, "Twist and Shout" by The Beatles re-charted from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"

In the UK, Sam Cooke's "What A Wonderful World" was revived due to useage in a TV commercial


Oh yeah, forgot about "Twist and Shout" - I loved that scene from Ferris Bueller too, lol.

I was just also thinking about how alot of these songs seemed to come back out of nowhere. Although sometimes the reason for their sudden repopularization was because the filmmakers were fans (i.e. John Hughes is heavily into The Beatles, and usually snuck something of theirs into every film he did).

Like, as I mentioned, "Stand By Me" recharted in 1986, I bet from just a year earlier, it was some old and forgotten song. Hell, it probably gets more airplay nowadays in 2007 than it did in 1985. ;D

Have you noticed how common it was in the '80s for songs from prior decades to chart again? This was usually because they were featured in movies. For example, alot of the '50s/early '60s songs from Dirty Dancing, and Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" both made comebacks in the late '80s. The biggest one is probably Ben E. King's "Stand By Me". In fact, I think that's probably one of the few pre-British Invasion songs still getting airplay.

Sometimes I have to remind myself how old they really are. They're in the spotlight so much and mixed in with more recent songs on the radio, so they don't really seem like true "oldies". It's amazing how easy songs that, before that point were probably viewed as old and forgotten, were able to come back into the charts. You almost never see that now in the '00s.



Yeah, I was thinking about that too. You really don't see older songs re-charting today, at least not like in the '80s when it was actually somewhat common. Does anyone remember that movie about Jerry Lee Lewis that came out sometimes in the late '80s?(Great Balls of Fire I believe the name was). I can't remember if that put any of Lewis' older '50s songs back on the charts or not, but I think it may have.

It is much easier for an older song to rechart on something like the UK Singles Chart, where it just has to garner sufficient popularity, than it is on, say, the Hot 100. There are certain older songs which would have recharted recently, but they simply weren't eligible because current chart rules require some form of active promotion from the record label as a current hit for an old song to rechart.

So, as an example, when Joan Jett's version of "I Love Rock and Roll" was released to U.S. iTunes a few weeks ago (I can't remember exactly when), it sold very well and, based on digital sales alone, probably could have re-entered the lower reaches of the Hot 100; however, because there was no active promotion of it, it wasn't allowed to do so.

Not exactly all that old at this point, but, right now, Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know" is selling a lot of copies on iTunes thanks to a performance of it on American Idol on Tuesday. It also will be prevented from re-entering for the same reason.

I think this became the way things were done in 1998 with the incorporation of SoundScan, so that's why you really don't see it happening anymore.