(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)
John Lennon - "Whatever Gets You thru the Night"
Hit Number 1: November 16, 1974
Stay at Number 1: 1 Week
Elton John had a surprise for all of his fans during a Thanksgiving concert in 1974. He concluded his last song and told everyone in the audience that he was going to have someone come up on stage with him, and the two would perform a song together. He knew it would be someone everyone would be familiar with, and he welcomed on stage none other than John Lennon, who was then greeted by countless screaming fans of course. The two were prominent English musicians, and the two performing together was something of a magical moment in music's history. They played "Whatever Gets You thru the Night", and while the two put on a great show for the fans in the audience, this was something that only happened because of a bet that Lennon lost.
Lennon wrote "Thru the Night" for his album Walls and Bridges and the plan all along was to have Elton John play the keyboards and sing backing vocals on the track. But Lennon wasn't so sure that the song was hit material, and the vice-president of Capitol Records, Al Coury, decided that it should be released as a single. Lennon not being so sure about the song isn't too hard to figure out. After all, the inspiration for the song came about only because Lennon liked to watch late night television, and would often channel surf, occasionally finding little one-liners that he would write into potential songs. Lennon's former love interest, May Pang, said in a 2005 interview that there was a line in an episode of Reverand Ike where Ike said "Let me tell you guys, it doesn't matter, it's whatever gets you through the night." Lennon immediately wanted to write it down in a notebook he kept by his bed for things like this. Pang said that this was the beginning of "Thru the Night."
"Thru the Night" was obviously supposed to be a little spoof, and I guess Lennon didn't take the song seriously. (Ironically, this story is similar to the song that came before "Thru the Night" in the #1 spot, "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet") But "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" was an obvious banger that the public should get to hear, where as "Thru the Night" is a goofy little record that sounds like the Saturday Night Live theme. When Coury decided it would be released as a single, Lennon got to talking about it with Elton John, who had collaborated with Lennon on the song. This is when the two made their bet. John actually liked the record, and he thought that it had great potential to be a chart-topper. Lennon didn't think it would even chart, so John told Lennon that if the song made its way to #1, Lennon would have to perform with John at his next concert. I'm sure Lennon didn't mind doing that, but he probably thought the idea of a bet with the song would be fun. He didn't think he'd lose anyway, but as we all know now, he did. "Thru the Night" topped the charts in November 1974, and Lennon would perform with John at his Thanksgiving concert later that month.
When "Thru the Night" hit #1, Lennon finally became the final Beatle to hit #1 in a solo career. It's very surprising that it took this long to do it, especially for Lennon. It's not like he wasn't making records, some of his most well-known solo records were released before "Thru the Night", such as "Imagine" and "Instant Karma!" ("Imagine" made it to #3 in 1971. It's a 10. "Instant Karma!" made it to #3 as well in 1970. It's an 8) And "Thru the Night" isn't even the best song on the Walls and Bridges album. I'd have to give that honor to "#9 Dream", a mystic, obvious dream-like song that doesn't even sound like it came from this planet. ("#9 Dream" made it to #9 in 1974. It's a 9. I swear all those 9s are just coincidences) But "Thru the Night" was the only #1 hit for Lennon in the '70s. It just goes to show you, yet again, that the charts are weird. You can't figure them out, and just because one song is #1, doesn't mean it's better than anything that didn't make it there. "Thru the Night" just isn't as good a song as "Imagine", "Instant Karma!" or "#9 Dream".
This does not mean it's a bad song, though. "Thru the Night" is still an upbeat, fun song, and the fact that it sounds just like the Saturday Night Live theme makes it even more comical. The message is also an uplifting one. It's literally about just doing what makes you happy, or whatever gets you through the night is alright. Lennon and Elton John sing together the whole time, and John brings some fun piano playing to the song along with the saxophone that's blaring from the start. There's no real verses, and the song is only made up of choruses. It's a weird anomaly in the tremendous career that John Lennon had, as there's really nothing that tremendous about "Thru the Night". But if you're going to have your first #1 hit, it can be worse. "Thru the Night" can get me through the night. It's alright. It's alright.
However, it was not Lennon's only #1 hit on the Hot 100. He'll appear in this blog again with another chart-topper, but he unfortunately wasn't alive to see it happen.
GRADE: 6/10
JUST MISSED:
B.T. Express' funkadelic, but unfortunately bland stomper "Do It ('Til Your Satisfied)" peaked at #2 behind "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night". It's a 5.
IN POP CULTURE:
Here's Bobby Keys and his band performing a cover of "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night" during a live show in 2013. It's really the only thing I could find that I could put here, but it's an impressive cover, I have to say.
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