The Top 40 has been the leading hit list in the Netherlands since 1965. In the Today section we look back at events in pop music that took place exactly X years ago. In this episode of Today: Schlager singer Nicole wins the first Eurovision Song Contest victory for Germany.
Nicole wins up April 24, 1982 won the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Ein bißchen Frieden by a large margin. While most of the evening’s performances screamed for attention through their choreography and clothing, it was the blonde girl with the white guitar who stood out the most. When Nicole is allowed to sing the winning song again at the end of the evening, it turns out that she has taken a victory into account. She sings her song in German, English, French and Dutch.
In the Netherlands, both the German and Dutch versions are released as a single. The sales of those singles are added together and provide the last number 1 hit for a Eurovision entry for the time being. After 1982, the success of Eurovision songs in the Top 40 slowly declined. In 2012, the Swedish singer Loreen came close, but her Euphoria remained stuck at number 2. It was not until 2019, 37 years after Nicole’s victory, that the Eurovision Song Contest produced another number 1 hit in the Top 40. In that year, Duncan Laurence’s Arcade reached first place in the Top 40 and on the Eurovision stage in Tel Aviv. After that, the Eurovision Song Contest regularly produces number 1 hits again.
The Dutch song, Jij En Ik by Bill van Dijk, is not performing well this year and ends up in second-to-last place with 8 points. The single does not go beyond the Tipparade, making it the first Dutch Eurovision entry since Tijd van Saskia & Serge from 1971 that does not enter the Top 40.
Here’s what else happened on April 24:
Pete Ham of the group Badfinger commits April 24, 1975 suicide at the age of 27.
In his farewell note he says goodbye to his girlfriend Anne and her son Blair, after which he concludes: “PS Stan Polley is a bastard without a soul. I’ll take him with me.” Stan Polley is Badfinger’s manager and had kept a lot of money from the group. As a result, the group got into financial problems and was thrown out by the record company Warner. Problems with the band and a relationship crisis led to Pete Hem falling into depression.
The British group Badfinger was once covered by The Beatles. They signed a contract with Apple and had their first hit in 1970 with Come And Get It, written by Paul McCartney. This song reached 21st place in the Top 40. Despite this flying start, Badfinger’s history is marked by setbacks. The band missed out on a big hit in 1970 because the song Without You, written by Pete and bandmate Tom Evans, was not released as a single. The American artists Nilsson and Mariah Carey did this in 1972 and 1994 respectively and they both scored a big hit with it.
Badfinger never received royalties after the success of Nilsson’s cover. The money disappeared into Stan Polley’s pockets. Neither author subsequently experiences the success of Mariah Carey, because in 1983 Tom Evans also commits suicide out of despair.
You can talk about suicidal thoughts anonymously: chat via www.113.nl, call 113 or call 0800-0113 for free.
Also on this day:
1976: Brotherhood Of Man scores a number 1 hit with Save Your Kisses For Me. The British group won the Eurovision Song Contest with this song. Save Your Kisses For Me remains at the top for two weeks. It is the only number 1 hit for Brotherhood Of Man.
1982: Tight Fit rises to first place with The Lion Sleeps Tonight. This classic topped the Top 40 for two weeks. Tight Fit scores no more hits after this and therefore has the status of ‘one-hit wonder’.
2004: After a monster jump from number 39 to 4, American R&B singer Eamon reaches first place with F**k It (I Don’t Want You Back). Simon’s parody V*kkenvuller also reached the top 10, while Eamon’s alleged ex Frankee scored a hit as ‘answer’ with FU Right Back.
2010: BoB and Bruno Mars score a number 1 hit with their debut single Nothin’ On You. It is the start of a successful career for BoB, who scored top 10 hits later in 2010 with Airplanes and Magic. Bruno Mars performs even better; he scored three number 1 hits in 2010.
2010: Simon & Garfunkel perform during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in New Orleans. It later turns out to have been the last concert of the legendary duo.
2016: Billy Paul dies at the age of 81. He became known worldwide for the hit Me And Mrs. Jones.
2023: Lilian Day Jackson dies at the age of 63 from cancer. In the first half of the 1980s she scored 10 Top 40 hits as the singer of the group Spargo.
Born today:
1941 – John WilliamsSky
1942 – Barbra Streisand,
1943 – Glen Dale75 years old at death, The Fortunes
1943 – Richard SterbanThe Oak Ridge Boys
[1945 – Doug Clifford, Creedence Clearwater Revival | The Don Harrison Band
1951 – Nigel HarrisonBlondie
1954 – Captain Sensible,
1957 – Theo De JongKayak
1958 – Boris WilliamsTheCure
1960 – Friðrik KarlssonMezzoforte
1962 – Jack HaegensRowwen Heze
1964 – Paul Ryder58 years old at death, Happy Mondays
1968 – Aaron ComessSpin Doctors
1971 – Jas MannBabylon Zoo
1982 – Kelly Clarkson,
1987 – Sharon DoorsonRaffish
1987 – Ben Howard
1992 – Djo,
1993 – Ashe,
1995 – Kehlani,
Today at number 1:
1965 – 1 (1) No Reply / Rock And Roll Music– The Beatles (Parlophone), 2 weeks at number 1
1971 – 1 (1) Mozart – First Movement Symphony No. 40– Waldo de los Rios (Hispavox), 3 weeks at number 1
1976 – 1 (2) Save Your Kisses For Me– Brotherhood Of Man (Pye), 1 week at number 1
1982 – 1 (2) The Lion Sleeps Tonight– Tight Fit (Jive), 1 week at number 1
1993 – 1 (1) Mr. Blue– René Klijn (Polydor), 3 weeks at number 1
1999 – 1 (1) We’re Going To Ibiza!– Vengaboys (Breakin’), 2 weeks at number 1
2004 – 1 (4) F**k It (I Don’t Want You Back)– Eamon (Jive), 1 week at number 1
2010 – 1 (3) Nothin’ On You– BoB feat. Bruno Mars (Grand Hustle), 1 week at number 1
2021 – 1 (1) Stay sleeping– Snelle x Maan (Roq ‘N Rolla / 8Ball), 5 weeks at number 1
(24/04/2024)
