‘Let It Go’ Helps Idina Menzel Make Hot 100 History (original) (raw)
Idina Menzel has made history on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The singer's rise into the top 10 with "Let It Go" makes her the first person with both a top 10 hit and a Tony Award for acting.
Idina Menzel performs during the Oscars on March 2, 2014 in Hollywood, CA Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Idina Menzel has made history on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The singer’s rise into the top 10 with “Let It Go” makes her the first person with both a top 10 hit and a Tony Award for acting.
Menzel’s Oscar-winning “Let It Go” (from the film “Frozen”) jumps 17-9 on the Hot 100 dated March 22. Its ascension comes in the wake of the tune’s performance by Menzel on the Academy Awards (March 2).
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Menzel is a Tony Award winner — the highest accolade for theater on Broadway — for her performance in “Wicked.” She won the 2004 Tony Award for best actress in a musical. She was previously nominated for featured actress in a musical in 1996, for “Rent.”
The Tony Awards have eight acting categories, four each for musicals and plays, respectively. The acting categories are: best actor, best actress, best featured actor, and best featured actress.
The Billboard Hot 100 chart, which ranks the week’s 100 most popular songs in the United States, began in August of 1958. The first Tony Awards were held in 1947.
Here are some notable Tony Award winners (among its eight acting categories) that have also charted on the Billboard Hot 100:
Ruth Brown – 1989 best actress in a musical (“Black and Blue”) – Brown has visited the Hot 100 six times, with such songs as “The Little Girl’s Gone Rockin'” (No. 24).
Kristin Chenoweth – 1999 best featured actress in a musical (“You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”) – Thanks to her occasional appearances on the Fox TV series “Glee,” Chenoweth has charted six hits (all with the “Glee” Cast). Her highest-ranking entry is her cover of “Alone,” which hit No. 51 in 2009.
Robert Goulet – 1968 best actor in a musical (“The Happy Time”) – Goulet has charted on the Hot 100 three times, going as high as No. 16 with “My Love, Forgive Me (Amore, Scusami).”
Heather Headley – 2000 best actress in a musical (“Aida”) – Headley has charted three times on the Hot 100. Her biggest hit is “I Wish I Wasn’t,” which hit No. 55 in 2003.
Jennifer Holliday – 1982 best actress in a musical (“Dreamgirls”) – Holliday has claimed four Hot 100 hits, including her signature hit “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” (from “Dreamgirls”) which climbed to No. 22 in 1982.
Linda Hopkins – 1972 best featured actress in a musical (“Inner City”) – Hopkins garnered two hit singles with Jackie Wilson: “I Found Love” (No. 93) and “Shake a Hand” (No. 42).
Melba Moore – 1970 best featured actress in a musical (“Purlie”) – Moore notched two Hot 100 entries in the 1970s: “This Is It” (No. 91) and “You Stepped Into My Life” (No. 47).
Bernadette Peters – 1986 best actress in a musical (“Song and Dance), 1999 best actress in a musical (“Annie Get Your Gun”) – Peter has claimed two hit singles, including “Gee Whiz” (No. 31 in 1980).
Leslie Uggams – 1968 best actress in a musical (“Hallelujah, Baby”) – Uggams has greeted the Hot 100 once, with “One More Sunrise (Morgen),” a No. 98 hit in 1959.
Dick Van Dyke – 1961 best featured actor in a musical (“Bye Bye Birdie”) – The legendary actor memorably performed (with Julie Andrews) “Super-Cali-Fragil-Istic-Expi-Ali-Docious” in the film “Mary Poppins,” and it hit No. 66 in 1965.
There have been a number of Tony Award winners in other categories that have also notched top 10 Hot 100 hits.
For example, Barbra Streisand was given a special non-competitive Tony Award in 1970 as “star of the decade.” Streisand has notched 12 top 10 singles, including five No. 1s.
Like Streisand, both Barry Manilow and Diana Ross won special special Tony Awards. The pair were given their trophies in 1977. Manilow has tallied 11 top 10 singles, while Ross has earned 12 top 10s as a solo artist. (In addition, while Ross was with the Supremes, the group collected 18 top 10 singles.)
Cyndi Lauper won the 2013 Tony Award for score (music and/or lyrics) for “Kinky Boots.” Lauper has collected eight top 10 singles on the Hot 100, including two No. 1s: “Time After Time” and “True Colors.”
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Elton John, who has earned 27 top 10 singles, won a Tony Award for best original musical score for “Aida.”
Rocker Pete Townshend collected the 1993 Tony Award for best score for “The Who’s Tommy” 13 years after he earned his only solo top 10 single: “Let Me Love Open the Door” (No. 9 in 1980).
Roger Miller achieved five top 10 singles (including his iconic “King of the Road”) before he received the 1985 Tony Award for best score (for “Big River”).
Marvin Hamlisch took home the 1976 Tony Award for best score (musical) for “A Chorus Line,” shortly after netting a top 10 single with “The Entertainer” (No. 3 in 1974).
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