'Lady Marmalade' - Chart History 2

June 29, 2001

More history (continued)

Christina Fred Bronson of Billboard reports that this is actually the third time that 'Lady Marmalade' has journeyed up the charts. The first time was when the song's co-author Kenny Nolan recorded the song with his group The Eleventh Hour.

'Lady Marmalade' was co-written with Nolan by Bob Crewe, best-known for his work with The Four Seasons. But Crewe was a songwriter long before he penned his hits like 'Walk Like A Man,' and 'Rag Doll.' His first Top 10 hit was 'Silhouettes' by The Rays on Cameo. That single soared from No. 15 to 6 in its second chart week on October 28, 1957. That gives Crewe an amazing career of Top 10 hits spanning 43 years, six months, and five weeks.

Now that the 21st-century version of 'Lady Marmalade' has reached the top of the chart, Crewe has achieved the longest span of No. 1 songs in the rock era. The record was last set just a few weeks ago by Chip Taylor, the composer of 'Wild Thing' (The Troggs, 1966), and 'Angel' by Shaggy featuring Rayvon in 2001.

Crewe's chart span of No. 1 hits covers 38 1/2 years, dating back to The Four Seasons' 'Big Girls Don't Cry,' which reached No. 1 the week of November 17, 1962.

'Lady Marmalade' becomes the biggest hit for songwriters Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan. It's Nolan's longest-running #1, and it ties Crewe's composition 'Big Girls Don't Cry,' which was a five-week chart-topper for the Four Seasons in 1962.

All over the World:

'Lady Marmalade' attained huge international success and zoomed up the Worldpop Global Chart to #1.

United Kingdom
Aguilera-Led Quartet Tops UK Charts
'Lady Marmalade' took over the #1 spot from reigning chart king, Shaggy. After a week of Christina and company leading runner-up Shaggy in sales by a margin of 2:1, Christina got her second UK #1 single (it's the first time for the other girls). This marks Christina's third cumulative week atop the UK singles charts, with 'Genie' staying on top for 2 weeks.

It's the second time 'Lady Marmalade' has reached the top of the U.K. chart in just over three years. UK female pop act All Saints also reached the peak with the song in May 1998.

The Big Nine-Oh-Oh: In the US, 'Lady Marmalade' is the 913th song to top the Billboard pop singles chart in the rock era, counting Bill Haley & His Comets' '(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock' as the first #1. In the UK, 'Lady Marmalade' became the 900th #1 in the history of the British pop singles chart, which made its debut the week of Nov. 14, 1952.

More chart history