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Paul presents tracks from this week's US charts, embracing singles, albums, R&B, country and rock hits, as well as those from the last six decades.

Paul Gambaccini presents tracks from this week's US charts and hits from the last six decades.

In the feature Headline News [Number One Albums On Noteworthy Days] we hear Fakin' It by Simon & Garfunkel from their Bookends LP which was number one on 6 June 1968, the day Senator Robert Kennedy died after being shot the previous day. We also hear Baby It's Cold Outside from Rod Stewart's The Great American Songbook Volume III. It was number one on 2 November 2004 , the day on which Barack Obama was elected Senator for Illinois.

In the regular feature The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, tracks are played from albums by The Guess Who and Sting. It's Not The Same Old Song, meanwhile, highlights It's Too Late by Chuck Willis and a different song with the same title by Carole King.

In A Matter Of Life And Death, Paul celebrates the birth on this date in 1939 of Frankie Ford with his hit Sea Cruise. We also hear Inner City Blues by Marvin Gaye. It is played as a tribute to Bob Babbitt, the bass player on that track and many other Motown classics, who recently died.

Paul continues his countdown of the Top 100 list of songwriters based on success in the American chart from 1955 - 2005. We hear songs written by Missy Elliott (Number 80) and George Brown of Kool & The Gang (Number 79).

Our R&B number ones are from 1981 - Double Dutch Bus by Frankie Smith - and this week - Tonight (Best You Ever Had) by John Legend. We hear country number ones from 1957 and now by The Everly Brothers and Little Big Town.

This week's featured past and present rock number ones are by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and Linkin Park. The new album by Nas, Life Is Good, enters the chart at number one. And on the singles side, Whistle by Flo Rida is the best-selling song of the week.

1 hour, 57 minutes

Last on

Sat 4 Aug 2012 20:00

Music Played

  • Ricky Nelson

    Poor Little Fool

    On this day in 1958: the first number one on the first published Billboard Hot 100 chart was ‘Poor Little Fool’.

  • Matisyahu

    Live Like A Warrior

    New Entry in the Top Twenty of the Album Chart & the Number One Reggae album: Spark Seeker

  • Phil Collins

    Against All Odds

    Top Ten album: ...Hits. A 1998 release with 3,429,000 sales spends its first week in the Top Ten after selling for 99 cents for a day at a US download store

  • Simon & Garfunkel

    Fakin' It

    Headline News [Number one albums on noteworthy days] Bookends - Simon & Garfunkel (6th June 1968) On this day: Robert Kennedy died, the day after he was shot in the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.

  • Kidz Bop

    Call Me Maybe

    New Entry in the Top Three of the Album Chart: Kidz Bop 22

  • Frankie Ford

    Sea Cruise

    Born 1939: Frankie Ford

  • Marvin Gaye

    Inner City Blues

    Bob Babbitt (Robert Kreinar) - born 26th November 1937; died 16th July 2012. Bass player with the Funk Brothers on many Motown hits and member of MFSB at Philadelphia International.

  • Dierks Bentley

    5 1 5 0

    Number One in the Country Airplay Chart

  • Frankie Smith

    Double Dutch Bus

    R&B Number One this date in 1981

  • John Legend

    TONIGHT (BEST YOU EVER HAD) (featuring Ludacris)

    Adult R&B Number One: fourth week

  • Chuck Willis

    It's Too Late

    It’s Not The Same Old Song: R&B Number Three in 1956

  • Carole King

    It's Too Late

    It’s Not The Same Old Song: Number One in 1971

  • Green Day

    Oh Love

    New Entry in the Rock Top Ten

  • The Guess Who

    These Eyes

    The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (debut hit albums) Wheatfield Soul - The Guess Who (26th April 1969)

  • Ellie Goulding

    Lights

    Top Five

  • Missy Elliott

    Work It

    I Write The Songs - 80: Missy Elliott

  • Kool & the Gang

    Too Hot

    I Write The Songs - 79: George Brown

  • Fun.

    Some Nights

    Top Ten

  • Rod Stewart & Dolly Parton

    Baby It's Cold Outside

    Headline News [Number one albums on noteworthy days] The Great American Songbook Volume III - Rod Stewart (2nd November 2004) On this day: Barack Obama was elected Senator for Illinois.

  • The Everly Brothers

    Bye Bye Love

    Country Number One this date in 1957

  • Jason Aldean

    Take A Little Ride

    Current Country Sales Number One - NEW

  • Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

    Learning To Fly

    Rock Number One this date in 1991

  • Linkin Park

    Burn It Down

    Current Rock Number One - NEW

  • Sting

    If You Love Somebody Set Them Free

    The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (debut hit albums) The Dream Of The Blue Turtles - Sting (13th July 1985)

  • Nas

    CHERRY WINE (featuring Amy Winehouse)

    Current Number One in the Album Chart: Life Is Good - NEW

  • The Beatles

    A Hard Day's Night

    Number One this date in 1964

  • Gilbert O’Sullivan

    Alone Again (Naturally)

    Number One this date in 1972

  • Flo Rida

    Whistle

    Current Number One: NEW

Broadcast

  • Sat 4 Aug 2012 20:00