--- In audities@yahoogroups.com, moteeko@t... wrote:
> Quoting Not Lame <popmusic@n...>:

>
> > Statistics will tell you "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)" made it to
number  18 on the Top Forty chart in November of '74.
> >
> > I don't believe that.  I NEVER heard it on the radio.  NEVER EVER!
Neither AM OR FM.
> >
>
> Neither did I. Ever. I first heard it when I got the
> Rasperries best-of on vinyl back in the day. That
> track came on, and my goosebumps got
> goosebumps. Eargasm indeed!
>
> Greg

I used to know a guy who worked for Billboard in the early '70s, where his
job was to call various record stores to ask them how certain records were
doing, sales wise.  He was a huge fan of The Kinks' "Lola", and admitted to
fudging the data that he would report to the higher-ups at Billboard (e.g.
he would check the "excellent" box next to the name of a store who reported
"good" sales, and the "good" box next to the name of a store who would
report "fair" sales, etc...).  He claims that his "efforts" were what got
"Lola" to a Billboard peak of #9 when, according to him, it should have only
reached maybe #20.

Who knows if what he says is true (I haven't seen or heard from him in more
than 20 years), but it wouldn't surprise me if this stuff was going on all
the time back in the day.  Maybe such antics were what got "Overnight
Sensation" to #18.
--
Pop Rules!!!!!
Take Care,
David