<p id=”par-1_48″>A lot of <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/classic-rock/”>classic rock</a> has been forgotten for all the wrong reasons. <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/dont-let-chubby-checker-twist-way-rock-roll-hall-fame.html/”>For example, Chubby Checker</a> said that his songs aren’t played on radio stations anymore because of racism. The star contrasted his place in the music industry with that of one massively successful white rock star. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-the-twist-star-chubby-checker-had-too-many-hit-songs-to-be-considered-a-one-hit-wonder”>‘The Twist’ star Chubby Checker had too many hit songs to be considered a one-hit wonder</h2>
<p id=”par-2_51″>During a 2015 interview with <a href=”https://www.phillymag.com/things-to-do/2015/01/11/chubby-checker-blames-racism-famous-beyonce/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Philadelphia</a>, Checker discussed his upbringing. “Spring Gully, South Carolina,” he said. “Population 52. We couldn’t go to the same bathrooms as you, so I am very sensitive to anything that’s racist. I see it all the time. And I am not afraid to talk about it.”</p>
<p id=”par-3_74″>The “Pony Time” singer said that his catalog had been forgotten because of racism against him. “Black singers come and go, while white brothers get paid for 20 years,” he said. “Elton John is still making money. How long will John Legend and Pharrell last? I’m surprised Beyoncé has held on for so long. They’re not playing me because it has a powerful significance. Maybe it’s too much power for one man to have.”</p>
<p id=”par-4_77″>Checker also said that anyone who classifies him as a one-hit wonder known <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/chubby-checker-said-angel-predicted-success-the-twist.html/”>only for “The Twist”</a> is “sick.” “I’ve had 34 hits,” he said. “I had <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-beatles-didnt-biggest-hit-song-1960s-u-s.html/”>the biggest song of the 1960s</a>. I had the first rock ‘n’ roll song that received a Grammy, when everyone thought rock ‘n’ roll was trashy. The first platinum record given to any artist. I am the only artist with five albums on the top 12 at the same time.”</p>
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<iframe loading=”lazy” title=”Chubby Checker – The Twist (Official Music Video)” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/-CCgDvUM4TM?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-the-twist-was-more-popular-than-almost-all-other-songs”>‘The Twist’ was more popular than almost all other songs</h2>
<p id=”par-5_63″>When Checker said that he had the biggest song of the 1960s, he was correct. He was also underselling his accomplishments. “The Twist” was the biggest song of the 1960s — and that’s sincredibe considering Checker had to beat out all tracks by The Beatles, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, The Supremes, and all the other icons from that era. </p>
<p id=”par-6_89″>Beyond that, “The Twist” is still one of the biggest songs of all time. More than that, it’s very close to being the most successful song in the recent history of the United States. <a href=”https://www.billboard.com/charts/greatest-hot-100-singles/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Billboard</a> ranked it at No. 2 on their list of the most popular songs in the history of the chart, which started all the way back in 1958. The sole song that was more prominent than “The Twist” is <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/1-the-weeknds-songs-bigger-the-beatles-hey-jude.html/”>The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights.”</a> Unlike The Weeknd, Checker became huge without the aid of the internet. </p>
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<iframe loading=”lazy” title=”Pony Time” width=”925″ height=”694″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/BHBqzDV2GcM?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<div class=”related-article related-article–simple”>
<span class=”related-article-flag”>Related</span>
<p class=”related-article__title”>
<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/chubby-checker-said-angel-predicted-success-the-twist.html/”>
Chubby Checker Said an Angel Predicted the Success of ‘The Twist’ </a>
</p>
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<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-radio-stations-should-give-chubby-checker-another-chance”>Radio stations should give Chubby Checker another chance</h2>
<p id=”par-7_103″>Checker was categorically not a one-hit wonder. Aside from “The Twist,” he had 20 other top 40 hits on the <a href=”https://www.billboard.com/artist/chubby-checker/chart-history/hsi/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Billboard Hot 100</a>. That’s incredible, especially for a Black rock star. With that in mind, it’s sad that his music has been ignored by oldies stations, with the sole exception of “The Twist.” I’m not the biggest fan of Checker, but that doesn’t change the fact that he deserves a little more attention, at least for being a hit machine. Oldies stations should play his songs just so younger generations can get a taste of how huge he was during the early 1960s.</p>
<p id=”par-8_18″>Radio stations aren’t promoting Checker’s songs, but maybe the internet will lead to a renaissance of his music.</p>