8 “Hey Jude” – The Beatles (9 weeks)
This song reached the top spot on September 28, 1968. Paul McCartney wrote the original version of this song as “Hey Jules,” which was written to comfort John Lennon’s 5-year-old son Julian when his parents were divorcing. Later, he changed it to “Jude,” inspired by the character “Jud!” in the musical Oklahoma!
Another fact: It was The Beatles’ longest single at 7:11 minutes. It was at that time the longest single ever released. It was the first song with a long title to receive a lot of airplay. Short songs were preferred by radio stations so that they could play more.
7 “Physical” – Olivia Newton-John (10 weeks)
November 21, 1981, was the date that “Physical” hit number 1. Olivia’s actual self-image was less modest than the one in the song. She was concerned about how her image would be perceived. The song was recorded by Olivia’s managers, who knew that it would be a huge hit.
Radio stations in conservative communities were reluctant to play the song due to its explicit sexual content. However, it only made the song more popular.