Song #270: "Hooked On Classics"--Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (1981)

Yes, during my ninth grade year, popular music would actually allow a mash-up of Tchaikovsky, Gershwin, Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Handel and others to crack the Top 40.

I know WRVA played the living daylights out of this song; I can't honestly remember whether Q94 touched it with a ten-foot pole.

You can blame the success of "Stars On 45" from earlier in the year with their Beatles medley which opened the door for this and other songs of their ilk, back when music was still in transition from disco dominance to the true sounds of the Eighties.

You can also blame, who else, K-Tel, for coming up with this one, with an assist to RCA Records.

Later on, a song that nearly grabbed a spot in our countdown featured the greats of the Big Band era, which you know I'm all about. But we instead chose the original "Hooked On" song.

Thankfully, we didn't choose another "Hooked On" product.  :)

For a great comedy parody of that product, click here!