On the Billboard Hot 100 dated Jan. 16, 1988, George Harrison notched his third solo No. 1, as “Got My Mind Set on You,” from his album Cloud Nine, rose from the runner-up spot.
Harrison had previously topped the Hot 100 outside The Beatles with “Give Me Love – (Give Me Peace on Earth),” for a week in June 1973, and the double-sided single “My Sweet Lord”/”Isn’t It a Pity,” for four frames starting in December 1970.
The Beatles, with Harrison as a member, ran up a record 20 Hot 100 No. 1s, in 1964-70 – while their members went on to notch a combined 16 as soloists. Harrison became the first to lead on his own and, thanks to “Got My Mind Set on You,” remains the most recent. Ringo Starr (who guests on drums on the song) reigned with two titles in 1973-74; John Lennon, with two in 1974-81; and Paul McCartney, including his work with Wings, with nine in 1971-84.
Harrison would go on to further chart success in 1988, as follow-up single “When We Was Fab” hit No. 23 on the Hot 100. Cloud Nine peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 albums chart the same week that “Got My Mind Set on You” crowned the Hot 100, and Harrison fared even better on the former ranking with an album released later that year: Traveling Wilburys’ first collection, which reached No. 3 in January 1989. The supergroup comprised Harrison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty, formed when the legends worked up “Handle With Care” as a potential Cloud Nine B-side; deemed too good to remain that obscure, it was released as the band’s introductory single and hit No. 2 on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.
How did the Hot 100’s top 10 stack up the week that Harrison hit No. 1 on the Jan. 16, 1988, chart? Count down the tally’s top tier that week below.
