You Keep Me Hangin' On by The Supremes
Artist: The Supremes Weeks at #1: 2 weeks Chart dates: November 19, 1966 – November 26, 1966
About
On “You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” the Supremes try to end a doomed relationship once and for all. Released in 1966, the song became the Supremes’ eighth #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100. It was written by Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian and Eddie Holland—Motown’s premiere songwriting team. This song marked something of a new start for Holland-Dozier-Holland, as they wanted to try weightier subject matter. According to Dozier, the song’s one-note guitar part was inspired by Morse Code-style radio news flashes. Holland-Dozier-Holland got out of Motown’s life in 1967—this was the last of their Supremes hits before leaving the label. Generations of fans have hung on to this song—it’s returned to the charts on three different occasions. In 1967, psychedelic rockers Vanilla Fudge reached #6 on the Hot 100 with their version. In 1986, British singer Kim Wilde took the song to back to #1. Wilde’s success made “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” one of the only hits to top the charts by two different artists. In 1996, country singer Reba McEntire dropped a version that climbed to #2 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart.
