On this day March 21 1987 Lean on Me by Club Nouveau reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 where it stayed for two weeks until April 3. The song also hit number one in Canada and New Zealand making it a worldwide success.
A modern take on Bill Withers’ 1972 classic Lean on Me Club Nouveau’s version added an upbeat R&B and new jack swing influence giving it a fresh 80s sound. The song became the group’s biggest hit and earned them a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song.
80s insight: Club Nouveau’s Lean on Me was the first cover of a song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 before the original version had done so. Bill Withers’ 1972 original only peaked at number seven.
A modern take on Bill Withers’ 1972 classic Lean on Me Club Nouveau’s version added an upbeat R&B and new jack swing influence giving it a fresh 80s sound. The song became the group’s biggest hit and earned them a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song.
80s insight: Club Nouveau’s Lean on Me was the first cover of a song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 before the original version had done so. Bill Withers’ 1972 original only peaked at number seven.
