By Emily Fox · Editor-in-Chief
Welcome back, Wolverines! The Collegian staff has been carefully curating content to share with our alumni returning for Homecoming. In honor of the reunions gathering on campus this weekend, we’ve put together a list of the year-end Billboard chart toppers for each class celebrating a reunion this year.
1965 – “Wooly Bully” by Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs
“Wooly Bully” beat the Brits as Billboard’s year-end chart topper in 1965, surpassing The Beatles to take the No. 1 spot. The rock ‘n’ roll beat proved popular among listeners, remaining on the top 40 charts for 18 weeks and selling more than three million copies. Despite peaking at No. 2 on the American Hot 100 charts, Billboard gave “Wooly Bully” the coveted No. 1 year-end ranking.
1970 – “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon & Garfunkel
This melody, still widely recognized and listened to today, held the No. 1 spot on the Hot 100 list for six weeks. The folk-rock duo captured the hearts of audiences with soft piano and lyrics expressing the peace that can come from having a true friend to lean on during difficult times. Lines such as “If you need a friend, I’m sailing right behind. Like a bridge over troubled water, I will ease your mind” still resonate with listeners of all ages and remind us of the value that friends who stick with us through all seasons add to our lives.
1975 – “Love will Keep Us Together” by Captain & Tennille
The bouncy beat performed by husband-and-wife duo Daryl Dragon and Toni Tennille was a cover of the song originally written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield. Though they were not the first to cover the song, their version held the No. 1 spot on the Hot 100 chart for four weeks in 1975. It is one of two songs put out by the duo that hit No. 1 on the charts, the other being “Do That To Me One More Time,” though this song only topped the chart for one week.
1980 – “Call Me” by Blondie
“Call Me” was written by Giorgio Moroder for the film “American Gigolo.” Moroder initially intended for popular artist Stevie Nicks to perform the song. Instead, after Nicks turned down his offer, Debbie Harry, the lead singer of Blondie, was chosen to lead the song. “Call Me” topped the Hot 100 chart for six of the 25 weeks it remained on the Billboard list.
1985 – “Careless Whisper” by George Michael (released on Wham! album “Make it Big”)
The saxophone solo has withstood the test of time, frequently heard floating throughout campus by current Grovers. George Michael mourns a lost love in his first solo hit that topped the Hot 100 chart for three weeks. Of the eight No. 1 hits Michael performed, “Careless Whisper” remained on the list the longest at 22 weeks. Michael wrote the song on a bus, thinking about the time he cheated on his lover at a school disco. He performed the song for the first time the night he was fired from his job as a DJ in the Bel Air restaurant. The restaurant owner might not have enjoyed his music, but the populace certainly did.
1990 – “Hold on” by Wilson Phillips
This multiple-time Grammy-nominated hit is more than just an upbeat tune. The lyrics were co-written by band members Carnie Wilson and Chynna Phillips during a time when Phillips was struggling with addiction. Phillips was quoted by the American Songwriter in an interview on the Kelly Clarkson Show saying, “I knew that I was at a crossroads that I either had to hold on for one more day or just die.” Phillips held on and got clean.
1995 – “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio feat. L.V.
“Gangsta’s Paradise” was born out of a Stevie Wonder song. Producer Doug Rasheed cut part of “Pastime Paradise” and ran with it. He created a beat, pulled in synth instruments and approached LV Sanders to write the chorus. The entire choir is actually LV’s own voice. Coolio wrote the verses, and, despite the title of the song, they actually reflect a member struggling with the confines of the gang. “Gangsta’s Paradise” ran No. 1 for three of the 38 weeks it was on the Hot 100 list.
2000 – “Breathe” by Faith Hill
The title track of the Grammy award-winning album by Faith Hill actually never hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 list. The song reached No. 2 and remained on the list for 53 weeks. However, Hill’s album won her three Grammys, the first being Best Country Album, the second being Best Female Country Vocal Performance and the third being Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for the song “Let’s Make Love” sung with her husband Tim McGraw.
2005 – “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey’s hit single topped the Hot 100 list for an astounding 14 weeks. The song remained on the list for just over two months short of an entire year, totaling 43 weeks. Carey filmed an iconic music video for the hit, in which she bolts from her own wedding with her ex. The song won the artist two Grammys, one for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and one for Best R&B song.
2010 – “TiK ToK” by Kesha
Kesha’s first Billboard top-per is still a staple in high school cafeterias across the country as teenagers sing and jump along to the electropop hit at school dances. Though the song continues to be popular with audiences, Billboard quotes Kesha stating that as she was writing the song, she believed it was “too dumb.” Dumb or not, “TiK ToK” hasn’t lost its momentum. Kesha performed the song on New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, and on the first day of 2025, the song broke its record for streams on Spotify 15 years after its initial release. “TiK ToK” topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for nine weeks and was certified diamond and 12 times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2024.
2015 – “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars
Every college student remembers hearing “Uptown Funk” in elementary school. Over and over again. The song was inescapable, and it ran on the Hot 100 list for over a year at 56 weeks. The feel-good song features the smooth vocals of pop legend Bruno Mars, brass instruments and a base guitar part written by Ronson.
2020 – “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd
“Blinding Lights” ran No. 1 on the Hot 100 list for four of the 90 weeks it remained. The synth-pop artist’s song was the first to ever reach five billion streams on Spotify. The song topped Billboard’s Greatest of All Time Hot 100 chart in 2021 and joined Spotify’s Billions Club. More recent hits in the club include “Die with a Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars and “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish. ard Greenfield. Though they were not the first to cover the song, their version held the no. 1 spot on the Hot 100 chart for four weeks in 1975. It is one of two songs put out by the duo that hit no. 1 on the charts, the other being “Do That To Me One More Time,” though this song only topped the chart for one week.
