Hit Parade: "The Bad Moon on the Rise Edition"
Host: Chris Molanphy
Date: February 28, 2019
Theme: Exploring Creedence Clearwater Revival’s unique chart legacy as the kings of the #2 hit—an American band whose classic songs repeatedly just missed the top of the Billboard Hot 100, delving into why talent, timing, competition, and luck all factor into a song’s chart-topping potential.
Episode Overview
Chris Molanphy dives into the whirlwind success and uncanny near-misses of Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) during their late-1960s/early-1970s heyday. With storytelling, song snippets, and music trivia, Molanphy examines not just CCR’s unparalleled streak of five #2 hits but also the broader forces that kept them from #1—highlighting how the pop charts blend artistry with timing and circumstance. The episode also reflects on CCR’s musical legacy, John Fogerty’s songwriting wizardry, and the lasting impact of their nearly-chart-topping classics.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Introduction to CCR’s Chart "Curse"
- In February 1969, CCR’s “Proud Mary” cracks the top 10, marking the band’s first major hit—a timeless swamp-rock anthem by a group of Californians with a faux-Louisiana sound.
- Despite a run of hits, CCR never scores a #1 on the Billboard Hot 100; instead, in just 20 months, five of their songs peak at #2, setting a unique chart record.
- Other artists (Madonna, Carpenters) have equaled or bettered the #2 count, but unlike CCR, also had #1s.
Quote:
“To this day, half a century later, CCR still holds this oddball Billboard chart feat: the most number-two hits—five—by an act never to reach number one.”
— Chris Molanphy [03:28]
2. CCR’s Early History and Musical Influences
- Roots in El Cerrito, California, with members meeting in junior high and morphing through names and styles—from the Blue Velvets to the Golliwogs to CCR.
- Influences included R&B, blues, country, rockabilly, and doo-wop—absorbing sounds from every corner of American pop.
- Notable Moment: Molanphy traces Fogerty’s lyric quirks to bluesman Howlin’ Wolf and details the band’s unwitting dabble in psychedelic rock during the late-1960s Bay Area explosion.
Timestamp References:
- [09:43] “The doo-wop track ‘Heavenly Angel’ was a minor regional hit, but it got Fogerty and his bandmates on a record for the first time.”
Quote:
“Fogarty calls himself ‘a square who only occasionally dabbled in inebriance, largely found the Grateful Dead overlong and boring, and still loved the two to three minute pop single.’”
— Chris Molanphy [13:26]
3. The Anatomy of a Hit Streak
a. “Proud Mary” and the #2 Curse Commences
- Released Jan 1969; quickly soars up the charts.
- Blocked from #1 by Sly & the Family Stone’s “Everyday People” and Tommy Roe’s “Dizzy.”
- “Proud Mary” spends three weeks at #2.
- Despite not reaching the top, becomes an instant classic and live staple for artists like Solomon Burke, then Ike & Tina Turner.
Quote:
“If Credence was going to lose out in a chart competition involving their first blockbuster hit, it would be fair to succumb to Sly Stone. But ‘Everyday People’ fell out of the number one spot the next week—and the song that took over was not ‘Proud Mary’...”
— Chris Molanphy [22:41]
Timestamps:
- [17:05] “This second single reached number 58 in the final weeks of the year...”
- [22:41] “On the charts, in March of '69, ‘Dizzy’ leapt over ‘Proud Mary’ into the number one spot...”
b. “Bad Moon Rising” (Summer 1969)
- Another #2 single, overtaken by Henry Mancini's unexpected instrumental “Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet.”
Quote:
"It was a stunning upset in a summer of peak rock by a song countless couples would dance to at their weddings in the next year. How do I know? ‘Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet’ was the 1970 wedding song of Frank and Francesca Molanphy."
— Chris Molanphy [27:14]
c. “Green River” (Fall 1969)
- Makes it to #2, kept from the top by the Archies' “Sugar, Sugar”—a manufactured bubblegum hit.
Quote:
“The Archies were a fictional garage rock combo...And like the Monkees before them, the Archies scored real hits on the actual Billboard charts.”
— Chris Molanphy [29:56]
4. Chart Technicalities and the Double-A-Side Era
- Billboard changes policy in late 1969: both sides of a single now share one chart spot, benefiting “double A-side” singles.
- CCR’s “Fortunate Son”/“Down on the Corner” leap to #3 after this change.
- Insight: Double A-sides boost chart positions, but for CCR, still not enough for a #1.
Quote:
“In essence, Credence were picking up a trick from the Beatles, who since 1965 had issued so-called double A-side singles...”
— Chris Molanphy [34:17]
5. 1970: Five #2s and the Biggest Blockers
a. “Travelin’ Band”/“Who’ll Stop the Rain”
- Rises to #2 but is kept at bay by Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” an unstoppable six-week #1.
Quote:
“Even the combined force of two massive John Fogarty songs couldn't top Paul Simon's all time standard.”
— Chris Molanphy [42:16]
b. “Lookin’ Out My Back Door”/“Long as I Can See the Light”
- Hits #2, unable to edge out Diana Ross’s imperial debut “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”
Timestamps:
- [46:11] "Still at number three where it was last week, Creedence Clearwater Revival, undoubtedly the most successful group In America today..."
Quote:
"Perhaps no debut song in rock or pop history has come freighted with more expectation than the first post Supremes solo single by Ms. Diana Ross."
— Chris Molanphy [46:53]
6. End of an Era and Lasting Legacy
- CCR never claims a U.S. #1 hit, despite unprecedented chart consistency and legendary status.
- Internal tensions, burnout, and John Fogerty’s control issue contribute to an early band breakup (1972).
- Their music becomes canon: covered by Elvis, Ike and Tina Turner (whose “Proud Mary” peaked at #4 in March 1971), and featured in soundtracks for decades.
Quote:
“In this furious two-year fusillade of hit-making, CCR had established themselves as the premier US Rock group of their moment and John Fogarty as the most versatile American rock songwriter of his generation.”
— Chris Molanphy [48:00]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
“In the back of my mind I knew the game is to try to be number one and to try to be as popular as you can be.”
— John Fogerty, quoted by Chris Molanphy [56:30] -
“Their classic 1970–1971 single, the number eight hit ‘Have You Ever Seen the Rain’ reads in hindsight as a requiem for the band itself.”
— Chris Molanphy [48:21] -
[53:53] John Fogerty at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction:
“We’ve disagreed a lot over the years, but there was a time when we made really great music together, and I think that's actually the whole reason, that’s the real deal, why we’re here at all. So thank you, guys.”
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 00:00–05:00: Introduction, chart record, and initial setup of CCR’s legacy
- 09:00–13:00: CCR’s formation, early names, musical influences
- 17:00–22:41: CCR’s breakthrough with "Suzy Q," transition to original hits
- 22:41–29:56: Proud Mary’s near-miss and covers; “Bad Moon Rising” & “Green River” blocked by unlikely chart-toppers
- 34:10–42:55: Billboard’s chart policy change, A/B sides, “Fortunate Son,” and more #2s
- 42:16–47:52: 1970 singles and the unbeatable competition: Simon & Garfunkel, Diana Ross
- 49:58–55:00: Proud Mary's continued legacy—Ike & Tina’s version, Hall of Fame speech, Fogerty’s legal battles
- 56:30–58:28: Chart trivia wrap-up, international chart facts, and closing reflections
The Episode’s Tone and Character
Chris Molanphy delivers a deeply-researched, witty, and reverential history, blending pop-culture context, personal anecdotes (his parents’ wedding song!) and illuminating chart trivia into a story of both triumph and near-miss—a celebration not of chart peaks, but of songs that last. CCR, for Molanphy, is the ultimate evidence that greatness isn’t always capped by a #1.
Quick Reference: CCR’s Famous #2 Hits and What Blocked Them
| CCR Song | Year | Blocked By | |------------------------------------|------|----------------------------------| | Proud Mary | 1969 | Sly & the Family Stone’s “Everyday People” / Tommy Roe’s “Dizzy” | | Bad Moon Rising | 1969 | Henry Mancini’s “Love Theme from Romeo & Juliet” | | Green River | 1969 | The Archies’ “Sugar, Sugar” | | Travelin’ Band / Who’ll Stop the Rain | 1970 | Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” | | Lookin’ Out My Back Door / Long As I Can See the Light | 1970 | Diana Ross’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” |
Final Takeaway
Creedence Clearwater Revival’s legacy isn’t measured just by chart peaks, but by cultural longevity and a trove of hits as beloved and widely covered as the songs that blocked them from #1. As Chris Molanphy puts it, it’s a strange, bittersweet Billboard record for a band whose music still “rolls on the river” of American pop consciousness.