‘Barbra Streisand’: What’s In A Name?
Legendary diva Barbra Streisand has reached Dance/Club Play Songs in 1979 and again in 2005. And, this week, as well. Sort of.
Iconic entertainer Barbra Streisand has charted three times on Dance/Club Play Songs. In 1979, she reached No. 13 with “The Main Event/Fight” and No. 1 for four weeks with the Donna Summer duet “No More Tears (Enough Is Enough).”
The legendary diva notched her third and most recent appearance on the chart with “Night of My Life,” which rose to No. 2 in 2005.
This week, the name Barbra Streisand again graces the list.
Just not in the artist column.
“Barbra Streisand” by Duck Sauce enters Dance/Club Play Songs as the Hot Shot Debut at No. 40. The act combines the talents of DJs Armand Van Helden and A-Trak. The video for the song, already a European chart hit, features appearances by Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and Santigold.
While several star artists have been named in hit songs – parodist Mojo Nixon’s Alternative Songs chart history consists solely of “Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant With My Two-Headed Love Child” (No. 16, 1989) and “Don Henley Must Die” (No. 20, 1990) – rarer are songs utilizing only fellow artists’ names as their titles.
Trending on Billboard
(“Barbra Streisand” is actually one of two songs currently charting that employs the name of a Billboard chart-topping singer as its title. Last week, Rick Ross‘ “MC Hammer,” featuring Gucci Mane, re-entered R&B/Hip-Hop Songs at No. 96 after peaking at No. 78 in July. “I got … Diamond awards, Grammys, American Music Awards, People’s Choice Awards, you name it,” said MC Hammer, the artist, upon the song’s chart debut. “But that record that Ross did is on the level of all that. That’s how it feels to me”).
With “Barbra Streisand” strutting its (her?) stuff on Dance/Club Play Songs, Chart Beat looks at five other artists’ names that have done double duty as attention-getting song titles.
“Buddy Holly,” Weezer
Song’s chart success: The track, fueled by its “Happy Days”-infused video, became the second of Weezer’s 11 Alternative Songs top 10s, reaching No. 2 in 1994.
Namesake’s chart success: The lives of Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson were claimed the day the music died, but Holly remains a revered founder of rock and was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
“Brian Wilson,” Barenaked Ladies
Song’s chart success: The quirky Canadian band made its U.S. chart debut with this No. 15 Triple A and No. 23 Alternative Songs hit in 1998.
Namesake’s chart success: The Beach Boys‘ guiding creative force helped grant the group 35 Hot 100 hits during the ’60s, three of which reached No. 1, including 1966’s innovatively-produced “Good Vibrations.” With the lyrics “Lying in bed, just like Brian Wilson did,” BNL’s song explores the artist’s well-publicized battles with mental illness.
“Clint Eastwood,” Gorillaz
Song’s chart success: the Gorillaz’ maiden single reached No. 3 on Alternative Songs in 2001.
Namesake’s chart success: The five-time Academy Award winner additionally boasts a No. 1 among his two visits to Country Songs: “Bar Room Buddies,” with Merle Haggard, reigned in 1980. The Gorillaz’ hit borrows the melody of the theme to Eastwood’s 1966 classic western, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.”
“Tim McGraw,” Taylor Swift
Song’s chart success: Swift’s debut single rose to No. 6 on Country Songs in 2007.
Namesake’s chart success: McGraw has tallied 61 Country Songs entries – and 23 No. 1s – dating to 1992 (when Swift had yet to turn three years old). Since “Tim McGraw,” Swift’s career path has since led her to an endearing performance of the song in front of the singer (and his wife, Faith Hill) to the current coveted cover of Billboard.
“Johnny Cash,” Jason Aldean
Song’s chart success: Like “Tim McGraw,” Aldean’s anthem climbed to No. 6 on Country Songs in 2007.
Namesake’s chart success: All 11 of Aldean’s Country Songs hits have reached the top 15, including “My Kinda Party,” which pushes 16-15 this week. With 124 more chart visits, the singer will tie Cash’s sum, totaled between 1955 and 2003.
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