I had planned a different OCD Jukebox for this week, but the passing of QEII intervened. It just seemed right to pay tribute to her very long reign of 75 years; and Tiff suggested honoring all her visits with American Presidents through song. So here we are.
I’m using this site as a resource for determining the most popular song in the US during the visit.* It has an easily searchable database, and Tiff provided dates for all the visits. Thanks, Tiff!
*Except it doesn’t go all the way back to 1951, so I used this site for that.
She met President Harry S. Truman in November of 1951, though she was not yet Queen. We’re still going to count that… 😀
The Number 1 Song of 1951 was “Too Young,” by Nat King Cole. Which seems fortuitously appropriate, given she wasn’t the Queen yet. (And Cole’s “Unforgettable” was #3 that year, which is also quite fitting.)
The Queen met with President Eisenhower on August 29, 1959. The #1 song that week was “The Three Bells” by The Browns.
The Queen visited President John F. Kennedy on June 5th, 1961. The Number 1 hit that week was “Running Scared,” by Roy Orbison.
Richard Nixon (as POTUS, he’d met her previously) met Queen Elizabeth on October 3, 1970. The Number 1 song was “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” by Diana Ross. (From her first album after leaving The Supremes.)
We now go from the sublime to the ridiculous…
She met President Gerald Ford on July 17th, 1976. The #1 hit song that week was “Afternoon Delight,” by Starland Vocal Band.
The Queen met President Jimmy Carter on May 1st, 1977. The Number 1 song that week was “Hotel California,” by the Eagles.
President Ronald Reagan welcomed the Queen to the White House on March 2nd, 1983. The Number 1 song that week was “Billie Jean,” by Michael Jackson.
She met President George H.W. Bush on May 15th, 1991. The Number 1 song for the week was “I Don’t Wanna Cry,” by Mariah Carey.
She met President William Jefferson Clinton December 14th, 2000. The Number 1 hit that week was “Independent Women, Pt 1,” by Destiny’s Child.
She met President George W. Bush on Nov 19th, 2003. The Number 1 song that week was “Baby Boy,” by Beyoncé, featuring Sean Paul.
President Barack Obama visited the Queen on May 25th, 2011. The Number 1 song that week was “Rolling in the Deep,” by Adele.
Finally, the Queen met President Biden in June of 2021. And the Number 1 song all that month was “Butter,” by BTS.
Which was your favorite “Presidential Visit with the Queen” hit?
This Sunday’s noir picture is “Obsession.” It sounds… interesting.
As always, this is an open thread.