Procul Harum s 1967 classic A Whiter Shade of Pale is the most-played song in public places in Britain over the last 75 years, the music licensing body said last week.
Queen s Bohemian Rhapsody was second, while The Everly Brothers All I Have to Do Is Dream came third in a chart released by Phonographic Performance Limited, which licenses recorded music for broadcast or public performance, to mark its 75th anniversary.
Wet Wet Wet s version of Love Is All Around was at number four and Bryan Adams (Everything I Do) I Do It For You – which topped the British charts for a record 16 weeks – was at number five.
Procol Harum frontman Gary Brooker said topping the chart was a great and unsought honor.
The singer, who wrote the song s music, won a Court of Appeal battle last year over the royalty rights to their best-known hit.
It isn t something I could have remotely imagined when I wrote the song and then made that legendary recording with Procol Harum all those years ago, he said.
Every musician and singer hopes to reach out and communicate to the audience, so it means a great deal that the record has such an indefinable popularity and lasting appeal.
The oldest song in the top 75 was Glenn Miller s In the Mood from 1939, while the most recent was OutKast s Hey Ya! from 2003.
The Beatles had three entries – Hello Goodbye at number 11, Get Back (13) and From Me To You (51) – as did Robbie Williams – Angels (6) Rock DJ (16) and Strong (56) – the joint-highest number of entries on the chart.
Bing Crosby, the Everly Brothers, Elton John, Elvis Presley and John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John all had two entries each.
Crosby s pair – White Christmas (10) and Santa Claus Is Comin To Town (30) – were the highest of the four Christmas songs to feature. -AFP
Top 10 (artist, song, year released):
1. Procol Harum A Whiter Shade Of Pale 19672. Queen Bohemian Rhapsody 19753. Everly Brothers All I Have To Do Is Dream 19584. Wet Wet Wet Love Is All Around 19945. Bryan Adams (Everything I Do) I Do It For You 19916. Robbie Williams Angels 19977. Elvis Presley All Shook Up 19578. ABBA Dancing Queen 19769. Perry Como Magic Moments 195810. Bing Crosby White Christmas 1942
