LOS ANGELES, CA. (Top40 Charts/ 19 Entertainment) - Hit songwriter Cathy
Dennis goes into the record books this week as one of the writers of the 1,000th No. 1 single of the rock era, thanks to Katy Perry's 'I Kissed a Girl' moving into pole position on The Billboard Hot 100.
'I Kissed a Girl' is the seventh top 10 song on the Hot 100 and the first to go to No. 1 for Dennis, who has also written hits for Britney Spears, Carrie Underwood, Janet Jackson, Spice Girls, Celine Dion, Kelly Clarkson, Kylie Minogue and Pink. Her international hits include 'About You Now' by Sugababes and 'Anything Is Possible' by Will Young.
'I am a massive fan of pop music, and have been for years,' says Dennis. 'I loved the songs from the '60s, and the work of writers like Gerry Goffin and Carole King, Burt Bacharach and Hal David David and Holland-Dozier-Holland. I also like most pop music since right through the '70s and '80s, with writers like Todd Rundgren and Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman and bands like XTC and Blondie, up to the present day with bands like the Shins. To think about all that great body of work, and then consider that I am part of the 1,000th record to be No. 1 in the American chart feels fantastic.'
Dennis offers her own thoughts on why 'I Kissed a Girl' became her first No. 1 hit in the United States: 'It feels to me like a real song of the moment, here and now in the summer of 2008. It's a bit controversial and makes people think, which is probably a good thing. Katy Perry is an original, the video is funny and engaging and though it's always a bit of a shock to hear that you have a No. 1 record in the States, and that you've sold a million downloads, I always felt that the blend of the song and the artist was so strong that we stood a good chance of having a hit. Katy is super-talented, and I couldn't be happier for her, as she also works her arse off. I can't wait to get in the studio with her again.'
The count of No. 1 hits began on July 9, 1955, when '(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock' by Bill Haley & His Comets took over the top spot on Billboard's pop singles chart. That pivotal moment has been cited by music historians as the beginning of the 'rock era.'
With Dennis' song climbing to No. 1 on the Hot 100 dated July 5, 2008, it has taken exactly 53 years for the count to advance to 1,000.
Dennis made her American chart debut as an artist in 1989 when she was featured on 'C'mon and Get My Love' by D Mob introducing Cathy Dennis. Her first solo single, 'Just Another Dream,' sailed to No. 9 in February 1991, giving the British-born singer her first top 10 hit as an artist and a songwriter. The follow-up, 'Touch Me (All Night Long),' peaked at No. 2, giving Dennis her biggest hit as an artist and her biggest hit as a songwriter until this week.
Before 1991 was over, Dennis collected her third top 10 hit, when 'Too Many Walls' worked its way to No. 8.
In May 2001, Dennis was back in the top 10 as co-writer of 'Never Had a Dream Come True' by S Club 7. The following year, Dennis wrote the international smash, 'Can't Get You Out of My Head,' for Kylie Minogue. A No. 1 hit in many countries around the world, Kylie's single peaked at No. 7 in the United States and is Dennis' best-selling single to date, with worldwide sales of over three million.
Dennis returned to the top 10 in March 2004 with 'Toxic,' a Britney Spears song that logged time at No. 1 in the United Kingdom.
In 2002, Dennis wrote 'Before Your Love,' half of the double-A sided debut single by Kelly Clarkson. It was the best-selling single of the year.
One of Dennis' most successful compositions has been heard by millions of people around the world, even though it has never been released as a record or digital download. She is the writer of the theme song for 'American Idol,' just as she wrote the theme for the series' British predecessor, 'Pop Idol.'
