(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 refer to the "Poor Little Fool" post.)
Connie Francis - "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You"
Hit Number 1: March 31, 1962
Stay at Number 1: 1 Week
It was very common for songs in the era of the early 60s to have spoken dialogue in the middle of songs. Mostly, it was heard in doo-wop songs, with the bridge being the part that was being spoken instead of being sung. I can't say for sure why that was a thing, maybe for dramatic effect or something. Anyway, the first #1 song to have this spoken dialogue in it was a song by someone who's already appeared in this blog a couple times. Connie Francis' "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You" is a song about a helpless girl who is pleading to this guy that she still loves him, and thinks that he's going out of his way to make her sad, and is trying to understand why. If dramatic effect is where they were going with the spoken words on this song, then I guess it works here. It is a pretty good quality that the song has. Unfortunately, it's about the only good thing about it though. "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You" is a pretty boring song.
Just like other songs of hers' from the past, she also recorded different versions of the song in different languages, since she was fluent in many different languages. But no matter what language it's in, I just can't get too excited about this song. Each song has it's own current and way it moves. Well I'd say "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You" crawls along, never in too big a hurry to get anywhere. Which is sorta nice, but doesn't help it too much. All it is, is a sleepy ballad about heartbreak and sadness, which has been done a million times already. Francis does hit a pretty impressive note at the end, so that's kind of cool I guess. But there isn't much on the song that I can take away from, and feel great about. It isn't unique, and there's a lot of other songs just like it. It's a drag.
GRADE: 4/10
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