(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)
Sly & the Family Stone - "Everyday People"
Hit Number 1: February 15, 1969
Stay at Number 1: 4 Weeks
The idea of equality for all is nothing unfamiliar to anyone. In the 1960's, it was something that was brought up a lot, even in this series of discussing music, and many major historical events happened at this time. Such as the civil rights movement, Martin Luther King Jr.'s accomplishments as well as his untimely death, the flower power movement, and much more. Many bands tried to convey these powerful messages into their songs, and recently we saw one in the Rascals' "People Got to Be Free". However, that song didn't resonate much with me. I admired the message they tried to send, but the song wasn't something that stuck with me after I listened to it. There needed to be something more powerful, and something that would really get a listener's attention. Not too long after "People Got to Be Free", that might have been supplied.
Formed in 1966 in San Francisco, Sly & the Family Stone, fronted by Sly Stone, were all for equality. The group was one of the first real integrated bands, with black members, white members, and female members making up the group. They started out making psychedelic music, but when the psychedelic movement started to die down, they turned to more of a "soul" sound. (Some call it "psychedelic soul", but I just think of it as pure soul) Their first big hit came in 1968, when their electric soul-stomper "Dance to the Music" made it to #8. (It's an 8) That was what the group needed to get on the map, and it was also then that they found their "sound". By late-1968, a lot of crap happened just in the last couple years alone. Sly Stone came up with the idea to try to capitalize on everything going on, and figured it would also be great publicity for the band, since equality was something they all strongly agreed with. That's when he wrote the song that would become his band's first #1 hit.
The message in his song, "Everyday People", is very clear. We are very different in our own special ways, but at the end of the day we're all still human. We have different appearances, different beliefs, different religions, hell today we all eat different things. Sly & the Family Stone's message is that that's okay. You shouldn't question what other people do, as they should not question you in return. Yes, this particular message is almost identical to "People Got to Be Free" but I have a reason why I think "Everyday People" resonates with me more. Stone puts himself down, and says that while you're not better than anyone else, neither is he. "People Got to Be Free", quite frankly, was a lousy song that sailed right over my head. "Everyday People" gets my attention. "Everyday People" makes me feel united with the rest of the human race. That's something we as humans should really do a better job of these days.
Stepping aside from real-world issues, "Everyday People" is also an awesome soul banger. Stone, along with other members of the group, exclaim "I AM EVERYDAY PEOPLE!" That's the only identity tag the song needs. Stone's younger sister, Rose, also has a prominent part of the song. In a childish sing-song mocking tone (the nah nah nah nah boo boo) she makes fun of others who hate each other for having different appearances and having different beliefs. Aside from the song's lyrics, it also sends positive vibes through its musical tone. The song demands your attention, and it's pretty hard to not give it some. We live in times today where this stuff has come up again, and while this is not the place for me to get into that, it makes the message of "Everyday People" that much more powerful. "Everyday People", at the end of the day, is another electric-soul stomper by the band, and conveys a message that's hard to disagree with. What's not to like about that?
GRADE: 9/10
JUST MISSED:
So begins one of the unluckiest chart runs ever. Creedence Clearwater Revival (better known as CCR to some) had five songs make it to #2. They never made it to #1. Their first #2 hit was a true classic, and a root-rock staple called "Proud Mary" (The rollin' on a river song) which was unable to dethrone "Everyday People", or the next #1 song for that matter. It's an 8.
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