The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States' standard for the sales performance, either physical or digital, of every noteworthy single released in the country. Topping the charts is no easy feat since it covers all genres and is monitored every week.
However, some songs, perhaps due to memorable lyrics or catchy tunes, manage to reach the top spot not just once, but twice - and under different artists. Here are the nine songs to ever achieve this noteworthy milestone.
1. Please Mr. Postman - The Marvelettes (1961) and The Carpenters (1975)
"Please Mr. Postman" served as the breakthrough single of the girl group The Marvelettes, going down in history as among Motown Records' most successful acts. It would stay at the top for a staggering 23-week period.
The Beatles also performed the song in 1963 but did the song as a part of their live acts since 1962. "Please Mr. Postman" again found itself at the top with The Carpenters' version reminiscent of the 50's rock & roll tunes.
2. The Loco-Motion - Little Eva (1962) and Grand Funk (1974)
With a little more bump, this dance tune would've been the only song in history to land the top of the Hot 100 three times. Pop songstress Little Eva first performed it after Dee Dee Sharp rejected this Carole King and Gerry Goffin composition.
In 1974, the Grand Funk Railroad would be a testament to the endurance of this dance anthem as it reached the top spot again, staying for two weeks. Pop icon Kylie Minogue would also perform the song as her debut single in 1987, releasing it first in her native Australia before releasing it in the US in the following year. It debuted at No. 80 before shooting to the third spot for two weeks.
3. Go Away Little Girl - Steve Lawrence (1963) and Donny Osmond (1971)
This early pop song was also written by the pair behind Loco-Motion, first recorded by Bobby Vee in March 1962. However, it was Steve Lawrence's recording the following year that clinched the top spot of the Hot 100 in January 1963 for two weeks.
The Happenings would also cover the song in 1966 and peaked at number 12 before the teen idol, and pop star Donny Osmond brought "Go Away Little Girl" back to the number 1 spot in 1971, and stayed for three weeks this time.
4. You Keep Me Hangin' On - The Supremes (1966) and Kim Wilde (1987)
Late in 1966, The Supremes released "You Keep Me Hangin' On" to reach the top of the Hot 100 for two weeks. Composed by the legendary Holland-Dozier-Holland trio, several other artists would cover it with varying successes - Vanilla Fudge covered it in 1967 and broke through the top ten, and Reba McEntire's 1996 version landed second on the Hot Dance Club chart.
In 1986, British pop artist Kim Wilde made her version of the song and landed in the same top spot as The Supremes did some two decades ago. She reworked the Motown style of the original into an electronic, upbeat incarnation.
5. When a Man Loves a Woman - Percy Sledge (1966) and Michael Bolton (1991)
Most people today probably know the song "When A Man Loves A Woman" as a Michael Bolton hit, and yes, he did in 1991, topping both the Hot 100 as well as Billboard's Adult Contemporary Singles chart. It was also the last chart-topper of the Hot 100 before the chart shifted to Soundscan, a broader method of tracking music sales instead of physical sales and airplay reports.
The first chart-topping version, however, was recorded by R&B and soul/ gospel icon Percy Sledge, released in 1966. Unlike most entries on this list, where the song was reinterpreted or rearranged, Bolton's version is a faithful rendition similar to the 1966 original. When the Jackson 5 released it in 1970, "I'll Be There" was their fourth hit in a string of number 1 songs following "I Want You Back," "ABC," and "The Love You Save earlier in the year. Jackson 5's success as the first black male group also made "I'll Be There" as one of Motown's most successful hits. In 1992, Mariah Carey would record "I'll Be There" with Trey Lorenz during her "MTV Unplugged" performance. Carey would subsequently release the song as a part of her EP named after the MTV show, becoming her 6th chart-topper. The original version of the song, referencing the timeless Venus de Milo statue, was a country-rock hit released before the turn of the decade in 1969. Shocking Blue, the Dutch rock band, performed "Venus," which would top charts in nine countries, including the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1970. Like the statue, "Venus" would return to mainstream music hit as another hit, but this time reimagined as a dance hi-NRG anthem with the same lyrics. Bananarama had been performing the song on their live performances before releasing it as their 1986 hit. "Lean on Me" is the only chart-topper of soul legend, the late Bill Withers, as he left the industry after only a decade of hits after hits. It would stay on the charts for twelve weeks and be covered and performed by countless other artists. Among the revivals of "Lean on Me," it was Club Nouveau's version that peaked at number 1 again in 1987. Instead of the soulful, country-ish sound of Withers' original, it incorporated R&B, funk, and faux-reggae elements. Labelle, the group, co-founded by Patti LaBelle herself, first recorded Lady Marmalade in 1974. It became a hit soul-disco anthem popular with its French chorus "voulez-vous coucher avec moi (ce soir)," which translates to "do you want to sleep with me (tonight)." It would sit at the top of the Hot 100 for one week and be covered multiple times in the following years. "Lady Marmalade" would be a perfect fit for the musical film "Moulin Rouge" as the quartet of Christina Aguilera, Mya, Lil Kim, and Pink would record an equally sexy rendition for the story of an English poet and the cabaret star.
Percy Sledge's 1966 hit "When A Man Loves A Woman" would be a no 1 hit again in 1991, with Michael Bolton, and even inspire a 1994 film of the same name6. I'll Be There - The Jackson 5 (1970) and Mariah Carey (1992)
7. Venus - Shocking Blue (1970) and Bananarama (1986)
8. Lean on Me - Bill Withers (1972) and Club Nouveau (1987)
9. Lady Marmalade - Labelle (1975) and Christina Aguilera/ Mya/ Lil' Kim/ Pink (2001)
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