New Internet meme says the #1 on your 14th birthday “defines your life.”
I once had an astrologer do a chart for me and although I don’t believe in this sort of thing (SCIENCE, people!) she was freakishly accurate in a couple of ways.
“You had a fall when you were about 18 months old,” she said, “and you broke an arm or wrist.” Nonsense, I thought.
I called my mom. There was silence on the other end of the phone and then she said “That’s exactly what happened. You fell off the coffee table when you were about a year-and-and-half and broke your left wrist. You were in a cast for a month!”
Urp.
So it’s with damaged scepticism that I introduce this new Internet meme involving not astrological charts but musical ones.
This new myth (blame Twitter) says that whatever song was #1 on your 14th birthday “defines your entire life.” Right. Fine. I’m not sure what that means, so I assume it means you can parse that song for anything that you find meaningful.
But what chart? Billboard’s Hot 100? The official British singles chart? Any of the charts that may have come and gone?
If you’re interested in following up, here are two places to find that #1 song for your birthday. Just enter a date and go.
Billboard Hot 100 (US)
Official Singles Chart Top 50 (UK)
UPDATE: Andy posits that this would be more “accurate” if we instead looked at the song that was #1 on the day we were conceived. He looked up what might have happened that night in 1972 for him and came up with this. Oh, dear.
The song that came up for me is “Grazing In The Grass” by Hugh Masekela.
I got either Ghost Town (The Specials) or Betty Davis Eyes (Kim Carnes)… not sure what to make of either. 🙂
I definitely prefer the UK Official Singles Chart. I cannot stand with Phil Collins I must admit…
Hmm…for when we turned 14 eh?
According to Billboard, it’s Tiffany – I Think We’re Alone Now.
The Official UK Charts says it’s T’pau – China In Your Hand.
I’m think going to disagree with both of those.
Hot 100: R. Kelly – Bump n’ Grind
UK: Take That – Everything Changes
I call bullshit.
You don’t want to know mind. Total crap. this is.
Yikes…Hot 100: Dreamlover (Mariah), UK: I’d do anything for love (Meatloaf)