Music

ALWAYS ON MY MIND by Willie Nelson.

by generationxrewind

The #1 Country song this week back in 1982 was Willie Nelson’s classic version of Always on My Mind. The single also hit #5 on the Pop chart and #2 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Willie’s other big Pop hit of the eighties was a duet with Julio Iglesias, To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before, which also hit #5 on the top 40 charts.

Always on My Mind was the biggest Country single in 1982. It was the Country Music Association’s Song of the Year for 82 and 83. Nelson won a Best Male Country Performance Grammy Award and the single won Song of the Year and Best Country Song

Nelson’s version in 82 wasn’t the only time the song was a hit. Elvis Presley had a top 20 Country and Pop hit with Always on My Mind in 1972. John Wesley Ryles also had a top 20 Country hit with the song in 1979. The Pet Shop Boys had a #4 Pop hit with their version in 1987. Their version also hit #1 in the UK.

Always on My Mind was originally recorded back in 1970 by B.J. Thomas, but was not released as a single. There are over 300 versions recorded according to AllMusic.

Music

WE ARE THE WORLD: #1 song this week in 1985.

by generationxrewind

We are the Word, the Charity single from USA for Africa was the number one song in America this week in 1985. The song was released on March 8, 1985, and spent four weeks on top of the Billboard singles chart.

The song also hit the top of the R&B and Adult Contemporary charts. We Are the World was the first single to ever be certified multi-platinum. It was the biggest selling single of 1985 as well as the entire decade.

We are the World was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian. The blockbuster hit received three Grammys, one American Music Award and one People’s choice award.

Jackson, Richie and nineteen of the biggest artist of the day contributed vocals to the song. Some of the stars include Stevie Wonder, Kenny Rogers, Tina Turner, Willie Nelson, Cyndi Lauper, Bob Dylan, and Ray Charles. Another twenty stars contributed to the chorus of the song.

After the song was released, 63 million dollars was raised for Humanitarian causes. That equals out to about 144 million dollars today.

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