(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please CLICK HERE)
B.J. Thomas - "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head"
Hit Number 1: January 3, 1970
Stay at Number 1: 4 Weeks
In the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, there is a really goofy scene where Katharine Ross rides on the front of Paul Newman's bicycle. At some point after Ross gets off, Newman starts doing ridiculous bicycle stunts to her amusement, and while all that is going on, "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" is playing. This happy scene alone can fool you, because the movie was based off of the real life outlaw duo. They're fleeing to Bolivia, partly because they want a more "successful" criminal career, but they're also on the run after a string of train robberies. It's not a cute movie, but the particular scene with "Raindrops" can make it seem that way.
"Raindrops" proved to be one of the first major hits of B.J. Thomas' career, and it was a composition by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. It was offered to the musical comedian Ray Stevens first, but he declined. Instead he recorded "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", a song written by Kris Kristofferson that only made it to #81 for Stevens. (It's a 5) Supposedly Bob Dylan was also offered the song, but declined as well, though that has never been confirmed. It somehow ended up in the lap of Thomas, who unlike Stevens and Dylan, only had one top ten hit to his name. He made it to #5 in 1969 with "Hooked On a Feeling", a song that will appear in this blog by another artist. (Thomas' version is a 7) Thomas admitted in a 2011 interview that "Raindrops" didn't do so well until it was featured in the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid movie, which is probably the main reason why it even hit #1. People not only like the song by itself, but it reminds them of a movie they really like too.
The best way to describe "Raindrops" is very happy-go-lucky. The song is about a guy who, despite all the problems he might have, knows that eventually he'll be greeted by happiness. He makes it clear that there is nothing worrying him because of that. It's the true definition of happy-go-lucky. Thomas moseys through the song, and never does anything crazy. He just sings the song. There are some neat horn blares in the song, but at the end of the day, there's nothing too exciting about "Raindrops", and it's a lot like the scene it's paired with in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It's an uplifting song about finding happiness in even the most ugly of situations, and it does it in the most light-hearted ways possible. Honestly, there are worse ways to get to #1, as we've seen before in the past. We'll hear from Thomas again later on in this blog.
Also on that note, it's time to dust off those old bell bottoms and feather your hair. The 70's has entered the chat.
GRADE: 6/10
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