Audio Samples of "Billboard's" #1 Pop Singles

[Im-n-a-whirl]

Going back to the beginning clips for just a second...

Young Love hit number one twice, both by different artists and they were back to back. Another song from that same year (that is not in this time sweep) also had two versions of it hit number one: Butterfly.

Paul Anka later bought a French piece of music, wrote English lyrics for it and gave it to Frank Sinatra to record as My Way. He also wrote She's a Lady for Tom Jones.

Danny and the Juniors changed At the Hop from it's original title (which was Do the Bop, if I recall correctly) at the suggestion of Dick Clark.

The Fleetwoods originally sang Come Softly to Me at a high school talent show and everyone kept coming up to them asking them to sing it again.

Connie Francis' father picked out her first song, Who's Sorry Now, saying quote, "Here's your hit, dummy!"

Guy Mitchell got his name from Mitch Miller. His real name was Al Cernik.

[Max]

You're absolutely right about the fact that some #1 songs are omitted from this time sweep. The reason for this is as follows: Keonepax used (as his source for the songs that reached #1) "The 'Billboard' Book of #1 Hits" by Fred Bronson, and that particular book does not include certain #1 songs that reached the top spot prior to the debut of the "Hot 100" in August 1958; the book only included those #1 hits on "Billboard's Best Sellers in Stores" chart (despite the fact that "Billboard" had a couple of other pop charts prior to the advent of the "Hot 100").

Also, I had no idea about ZZ Top being together for so long.

1965 (Part 3 of 3):

186. Get Off My Cloud--The Rolling Stones (2 weeks, November 6)

187. I Hear a Symphony--The Supremes (2 weeks, November 20)

188. Turn! Turn! Turn!--The Byrds (3 weeks, December 4)

189. Over and Over--The Dave Clark Five (1 week, December 25)

1966 (Part 1 of 2):

190. The Sounds of Silence--Simon & Garfunkel (2 weeks, January 1)

191. We Can Work It Out--The Beatles (3 weeks, January 8)

192. My Love--Petula Clark (2 weeks, February 5)

193. Lightnin' Strikes--Lou Christie (1 week, February 19)

194. These Boots Are Made for Walkin'--Nancy Sinatra (1 week, February 26)

195. The Ballad of the Green Berets--S/Sgt. Barry Sadler (5 weeks, March 5)

196. (You're My) Soul and Inspiration--The Righteous Brothers (3 weeks, April 9)

197. Good Lovin'--The Young Rascals (1 week, April 30)

198. Monday, Monday--The Mamas & the Papas (3 weeks, May 7)

199. When a Man Loves a Woman--Percy Sledge (2 weeks, May 28)

200. Paint It Black--The Rolling Stones (2 weeks, June 11)

201. Paperback Writer--The Beatles (2 weeks, June 25)

202. Strangers in the Night--Frank Sinatra (1 week, July 2)

203. Hanky Panky--Tommy James & the Shondells (2 weeks, July 16)

Comments:

*"Get Off My Cloud" was the #1 song the week that DOOL debuted. I mention this because I thought that it was such a funny coincidence that DOOL promoted the Rolling Stones so heavily as the soap was celebrating its 40th Anniversary.

*"Turn! Turn! Turn!" by the Byrds was the first psychedelic song to reach #1.

*"Over and Over" was originally recorded by Bobby Day, who is best known for his #2 hit, 1958's "Rockin' Robin."

*British native Petula Clark was one of the top female solo vocalists of the mid-60's. I consider both of her #1 hits--"Downtown" and "My Love"--to be her best recordings.

*Lou Christie came closer than anyone else when it came to the task of duplicating Frankie Valli's falsetto. His biggest hit--"Lightnin' Strikes"--sounds a lot more like a song from the early-60's than a song from the mid-60's. Actually, Christie first had big hits back in 1963 when he released two great songs: "The Gypsy Cried" and "Two Faces Have I."

*Nancy Sinatra is Frank Sinatra's daughter. And, while she is talented, she is obviously nowhere near her father's league.

*"The Ballad of the Green Berets" by Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler was a refreshing change from the protest songs of the era.

*While many coed music groups have existed over the years, the Mamas & the Papas were unique in the fact that half of the group's members were male, while the other half were female. (One of the group's members, Michelle Phillips, would later join the cast of Knots Landing.) While "Monday, Monday" was their biggest hit, their most well known song definately would have to be the #4 "California Dreamin.'" IMO, the Mamas & the Papas perhaps epitomized the "hippie sound" better than any other group.

*In 1991, Michael Bolton would take "When a Man Loves a Woman" to the top of the charts for a second time. However, the original version by Percy Sledge is definately the superior recording.

*Some of the Beatles' songs had some really stupid lyrics, and one such example of this was "Paperback Writer."

*I consider "Strangers in the Night" to be the best Frank Sinatra song ever. Despite its greatness, I must say that I am shocked that it reached #1 in 1966, given the fact that it sounds like it was recorded prior to the advent of rock and roll.

*"Hanky Panky" was the first of two #1 hits recorded by Tommy James & the Shondells. (1969's "Crimson and Clover" was the other one.) However, in 1987, two more of their songs would reach #1 when covered by other artists: "I Think We're Alone Now" (which originally hit #4 in 1967) was a chart topper for Tiffany, while "Mony Mony" (originally #3 in 1968) became Billy Idol's only #1 hit.

[Im-n-a-whirl]

The Ballad of the Green Berets actually hit number one on the day and year I was born.

The Mamas & the Papas almost gave away Monday Monday to Barry McGuire (Eve of Destruction), who was a friend of theirs.

I have that Fred Bronson book and yes, he skips quite a few songs in the 50's, most notably Get a Job by the Silhouettes, Yakkity Yak by the Coasters, plus several of Elvis' songs and Moonglow (Theme from Picnic) to name a few.

I loved Paperback Writer but yes, some of the Beatles songs were pure dreck. But for every Eleanor Rigby, you're going to get a clunker or two.

ZZ Top formed in 1969 and released their first album in 1971. There have been no changes to their line-up since their inception.

[Max]

The number one song on the week I was born was "Funkytown" by Lipps, Inc. (which is a song that I don't particularly care for).

Im-n-a-whirl, I'd like to ask you if you had any problems when watching the video for this latest installment of number one hits. I ask this question because when I tried to watch this video, the picture was very small and appeared in only a tiny part of the "TV" screen. In order to get the picture to its full size, I needed to press a button on the screen.

Hopefully, you did not experience this problem. If you did, I sincerely apologize.

[Im-n-a-whirl]

It played just fine for me.

On the subject of Turn! Turn! Turn!, it is also the song that contains the oldest known lyrics. They are from the Bible, of course, and I believe the song has this particular entry in the Guiness Book of World Records.

It's a great "psychedelic" song and two others come to mind: Incense and Peppermints, which is coming up in 1967, and San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair), both of which I think really define that era.

[Max]

1966 (Part 2 of 2):

204. Wild Thing--The Troggs (2 weeks, July 30)

205. Summer in the City--The Lovin' Spoonful (3 weeks, August 13)

206. Sunshine Superman--Donovan (1 week, September 3)

207. You Can't Hurry Love--The Supremes (2 weeks, September 10)

208. Cherish--The Association (3 weeks, September 24)

209. Reach Out, I'll Be There--The Four Tops (2 weeks, October 15)

210. 96 Tears--? (Question Mark) & the Mysterians (1 week, October 29)

211. Last Train to Clarksville--The Monkees (1 week, November 5)

212. Poor Side of Town--Johnny Rivers (1 week, November 12)

213. You Keep Me Hangin' On--The Supremes (2 weeks, November 19)

214. Winchester Cathedral--The New Vaudeville Band (3 weeks, December 3)

215. Good Vibrations--The Beach Boys (1 week, December 10)

216. I'm a Believer--The Monkees (7 weeks, December 31)

1967 (Part 1 of 2):

217. Kind of a Drag--The Buckinghams (2 weeks, February 18)

218. Ruby Tuesday--The Rolling Stones (1 week, March 4)

219. Love Is Here and Now You're Gone--The Supremes (1 week, March 11)

220. Penny Lane--The Beatles (1 week, March 18)

Comments:

*The Troggs' second biggest hit, "Love Is All Around," was a ballad that was completely different from "Wild Thing."

*While "Summer in the City" was a good song, I actually like three other Lovin' Spoonful recordings better: "Do You Believe in Magic," "Daydream," and "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind." John Sebastian, the lead singer of the group, would score another #1 hit as a solo artist with 1976's "Welcome Back" (the theme song from "Welcome Back, Kotter").

*The Four Tops followed up "I Can't Help Myself" with the very similar sounding "It's the Same Old Song." Shortly afterwards, the group would score its second #1 hit with "Reach Out, I'll Be There." As was the case with the group's first #1 hit, "Reach Out, I'll Be There" was followed up with the similar sounding recordings (in this case, two of them) "Standing in the Shadows of Love" and "Bernadette."

*Speaking about the Four Tops, the group would leave Motown in the early-70's, and score three more major hits: "Keeper of the Castle," "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)," (both from 1973) and "When She Was My Girl" (from 1981).

*The Supreme's "You Keep Me Hangin' On" went to #1 again in 1987 when British singer Kim Wilde covered it. Although the Supreme's did a great job on this recording, I like Wilde's version even better.

*"Winchester Cathedral" was an absolutely stupid song. It is a complete mystery as to how it reached #1.

*Back when "Good Vibrations" was released, it was the most expensive song ever recorded (costing about $16,000 to produce). The song was obviously a major artistic achievement for the Beach Boys, who (likely due to pressure from the Beatles) had decided to take their music in a much more serious direction. Despite the song's critical and commercial success, subsequent "serious" recordings by the Beach Boys flopped, as audiences seemed to have a far greater preference for their fun-in-the-sun image of yesteryear. Thus, the late-60's proved to be a time when the Beach Boy's long string of hits finally dried up.

*Neil Diamond wrote The Monkees' "I'm a Believer," which spent seven weeks at number one. I must say, however, that I thought that amount of time spent at the top was way too excessive. IMO, the Monkees' finest song was "Daydream Believer," which spent four weeks at #1 in late 1967.

*The Buckinghams were actually not from England, but rather from Chicago. I must say that I think "Kind of a Drag" is a really good song.

*Part of the appeal of "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" was how Diana Ross talked during the middle of the recording. Elvis Presley did the exact same thing on "Are You Lonesome Tonight."

[Im-n-a-whirl]

The bigger mystery about Winchester Cathedral is how it actually beat out the Beatles for a Grammy.

H-D-H following the successful formula of Reach Out I'll Be There was a good idea because Bernadette is a great song too.

The next video should begin with Happy Together by the Turtles. I have the audio version of this time sweep memorized, LOL.

Loved Sunshine Superman but one of my favorite Donovan songs is Season of the Witch - a song that no one ever talks about and not many have really heard.

Good Vibrations is probably one of the most beautiful songs ever recorded. That was money well spent, believe me. It's lush and gorgeous.

Penny Lane is a good example of the public quickly snapping up any recording with the Beatles names on it. It's not one of their best.

I love 96 Tears, it's one of those great "organ" songs. Unfortunately it's harder to find the original version of it since the band has since taken it upon themselves to re-record it - something that I took umbrage to. It sounds like crap now and doesn't have that bad quality quirkiness that made the charted version so awesome and thank the maker, he uses the original version here. My well-trained ears simply can NOT be fooled, LOL.

Everyone liked to get their digs in about the Monkees back then but the bottom line is that yes, they recorded schlock. They also recorded one or two real gems, most notably (in my opinion anyway) Pleasant Valley Sunday and Words, a song you probably haven't heard unless you watched the show.

[Max]

Im-n-a-whirl, I must confess that I have never heard of "Season of the Witch" by Donovan nor "Words" by the Monkees. Also, I must say that you have done a great job memorizing the list of #1 songs, given that "Happy Together" indeed begins this next installment.

1967 (Part 2 of 2):

221. Happy Together--The Turtles (3 weeks, March 25)

222. Somethin' Stupid--Nancy & Frank Sinatra (4 weeks, April 15)

223. The Happening--The Supremes (1 week, May 13)

224. Groovin'--The Young Rascals (4 weeks, May 20)

225. Respect--Aretha Franklin (2 weeks, June 3)

226. Windy--The Association (4 weeks, July 1)

227. Light My Fire--The Doors (3 weeks, July 29)

228. All You Need Is Love--The Beatles (1 week, August 19)

229. Ode to Billie Joe--Bobbie Gentry (4 weeks, August 26)

230. The Letter--The Box Tops (4 weeks, September 23)

231. To Sir With Love--Lulu (5 weeks, October 21)

232. Incense and Peppermints--Strawberry Alarm Clock (1 week, November 25)

233. Daydream Believer--The Monkees (4 weeks, December 2)

234. Hello Goodbye--The Beatles (3 weeks, December 30)

1968 (Part 1 of 2):

235. Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)--John Fred & His Playboy Band (2 weeks, January 20)

236. Green Tambourine--The Lemon Pipers (1 week, February 3)

237. Love Is Blue--Paul Mauriat (5 weeks, February 10)

Comments:

*In my opinion, "Happy Together" is one of the most iconic songs of the late-60's "hippie sound." Aside from this chart topper, the Turtles also had big hits with "It Ain't Me Babe," "She'd Rather Be With Me," "Elenore," and "You Showed Me." Interestingly, the group initially decided to spell its name as the "Tyrtles" (the way another famous group called themselves the "Byrds"), but instead chose the normal spelling of the word.

*"Somethin' Stupid" is the only parent-child duet to reach #1. However, it was completely undeserving of this accomplishment, given that the song was indeed something stupid.

*Shortly after "The Happening" reached #1, two things occurred: First, the Supremes officially changed their name to "Diana Ross & the Supremes" (which really alienated the other members of the group from Diana Ross). And second, the songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland left Motown over monetary disputes.

*Although (as I mentioned before) I really dislike psychedelic music, I must admit that "Light My Fire" was a good song with a good melody. About a year after the Doors' version hit #1, Jose Feliciano had a big hit with a non-psychedelic version of the song.

*Right around the time "All You Need Is Love" was released as a single, the Beatles also released "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," which is considered by many to be the greatest album ever recorded. (Note that "All You Need Is Love" is not from the album.) As far as I know, none of the singles from "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" made it to #1.

*"To Sir With Love" was the title track from the movie of the same name. Given that it did not sound like a typical late-60's record, it was surprising that "To Sir With Love" was the most popular song of 1967.

*Although "Incense and Peppermints" remains one of the most recognizable songs of the era, Strawberry Alarm Clock scored only one other Top 40 hit during the group's career.

*While the two songs sound nothing alike, the title for "Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)" was inspired by the Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds."

*"Love Is Blue" was the first instrumental to reach #1 since "Telstar" back in 1962.

[Im-n-a-whirl]

There's another instrumental coming, it's the Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet.

The next segment should begin with Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding! I have a great little touching story about that one that I read in Rolling Stone.

Season of the Witch is a very odd song but it's very hypnotic sounding. Check it out if you can find it. Donovan's voice is definitely an acquired taste. I first heard this song in the VH1 film "The 60's."

Didn't like Windy as much as Cherish. The Association was a great vocal group.

Alex Chilton was 16 years old when he recorded The Letter. The producers basically told him to put his ass into the vocal and that's why he sounds so much older than he actually was. It's also one of the shortest songs to hit # 1.

A movie was made based on Ode to Billy Joe and we still don't know what the hell the song was about exactly, LOL.

Some of the musical bridgework for Respect was borrowed from the song When Something is Wrong With My Baby. The songwriter (Steve Cropper, I think) told Rolling Stone magazine that he did not write songs for Aretha - he submitted them.

Something Stupid is indeed something stupid.

I loved Incense and Peppermints!

Judy in Disguise was kind of mish-mashy but fun. Not fabulous however.

Light My Fire was written after Jim Morrison encouraged the other band members to try their hand at songwriting. The idea for the song came from the Rolling Stones' Play With Fire.

Love is Blue has a beautiful melody to it.

I could be mistaken but I think Get Back is on the Sgt. Pepper album.

[Max]

Im-n-a-whirl, keep those insightful comments coming! I'm really looking forward to reading your anecdote about "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay."

1968 (Part 2 of 2):

238. (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay--Otis Redding (4 weeks, March 16)

239. Honey--Bobby Goldsboro (5 weeks, April 13)

240. Tighten Up--Archie Bell & the Drells (2 weeks, May 18)

241. Mrs. Robinson--Simon & Garfunkel (3 weeks, June 1)

242. This Guy's in Love with You--Herb Alpert (4 weeks, June 22)

243. Grazing in the Grass--Hugh Masekela (2 weeks, July 20)

244. Hello, I Love You--The Doors (2 weeks, August 3)

245. People Got to Be Free--The Rascals (5 weeks, August 17)

246. Harper Valley P.T.A.--Jeannie C. Riley (1 week, September 21)

247. Hey Jude--The Beatles (9 weeks, September 28)

248. Love Child--Diana Ross & the Supremes (2 weeks, November 30)

249. I Heard It Through the Grapevine--Marvin Gaye (7 weeks, December 14)

1969 (Part 1 of 2):

250. Crimson and Clover--Tommy James & the Shondells (2 weeks, February 1)

251. Everyday People--Sly & the Family Stone (4 weeks, February 15)

252. Dizzy--Tommy Roe (4 weeks, March 15)

253. Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In--The Fifth Dimension (6 weeks, April 12)

254. Get Back--The Beatles with Billy Preston (5 weeks, May 24)

Comments:

*"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" was the first song to go to #1 posthumously, as Otis Redding died in a private plane crash just three days after he recorded that tune.

*Herb Alpert is the only artist to reach #1 with both an instrumental and a non-instrumental: Eleven years after the non-instrumental "This Guy's in Love with You" reached the top spot, Alpert again went to number one with an instrumental titled "Rise."

*One year after Hugh Masekela's "Grazing in the Grass" peaked at #1, a vocal version of the song--performed by the Friends of Distinction--reached #3 on the chart.

*Shortly before "People Got to Be Free" was released, the Young Rascals renamed themselves (simply) the Rascals.

*"Hey Jude" was the most popular song of the Beatles' career. It was also the first recording since Percy Faith's "Theme from 'A Summer Place'" to spend nine weeks at #1.

*"Love Child" by Diana Ross & the Supremes is one of a small handful of protest songs recorded on Motown. Other such songs include "Ball of Confusion" by the Temptations, "War" by Edwin Starr, and "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye.

*While Marvin Gaye's version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is the definitive version of the song, Gladys Knight & the Pips reached #2 in 1967 with a very different version of "Grapevine." However, the first artist to record the song was actually Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (although they were not successful with it).

*"Crimson and Clover" is about as psychedelic as it gets.

*In the Spring of 1969, Creedence Clearwater Revival had their first smash hit with "Proud Mary," which peaked at #2. What is noteworthy about Creedence Clearwater Revival is that they would eventually score a total of five number two hits, while failing to have a single number one hit.

*"Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" has such an enchanting and captivating quality about it.

*Billy Preston was one of only two artists who received official billing for performing alongside the Beatles; the other artist was British singer Tony Sheridan. However, in Sheridan's case, it was he who received top billing, given that the Beatles performed with him before they (that is, the Beatles) were popular.

[Im-n-a-whirl]

It's not really a story, more like a little anecdote. When Otis Redding was killed, it fell to Steve Cropper to finish Dock of the Bay, which was painful for him. Redding came by the studio to see how the song was going, said he'd see them all when he got back and as Cropper later noted sadly, "We never saw him again." He said of Redding, "Elvis was the king of rock and Otis was the king of soul. Had he lived, I think he would've been king of them all."

All but two members of the Bar Kays were also killed in the plane crash that claimed Otis Redding.

Honey has got to be one of the sappiest pieces of crap ever put on vinyl. "And a cloud passes overhead and cries down on the flowerbed that Honey loved..." I'm getting headachy just typing that saccharin garbage!

The effects on Crimson and Clover came about when Tommy James came back to the studio and discovered that the little four-track mixer had been replaced by a sixteen track mixer. It's basically him experimenting.

The audio version of the time sweep had to be pulled and slightly redone when they realized that they had accidently skipped People Got to Be Free!

Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In is one of my all time favorites. I love the 5th Dimension! I love their harmonies and their very unique sound. Up, Up and Away is another favorite that makes me want to go skipping through the rain, LOL.

The next segment will begin with the Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet.

[Max]

1969 (Part 2 of 2):

255. Love Theme from "Romeo and Juliet"--Henry Mancini (2 weeks, June 28)

256. In the Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus)--Zager & Evans (6 weeks, July 12)

257. Honky Tonk Women--The Rolling Stones (4 weeks, August 23)

258. Sugar, Sugar--The Archies (4 weeks, September 20)

259. I Can't Get Next to You--The Temptations (2 weeks, October 18)

260. Suspicious Minds--Elvis Presley (1 week, November 1)

261. Wedding Bell Blues--The Fifth Dimension (3 weeks, November 8)

262. Come Together/Something--The Beatles (1 week, November 29)

263. Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye--Steam (2 weeks, December 6)

264. Leaving on a Jet Plane--Peter, Paul, & Mary (1 week, December 20)

265. Someday We'll Be Together--Diana Ross & the Supremes (1 week, December 27)

1970 (Part 1 of 3):

266. Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head--B.J. Thomas (4 weeks, January 3)

267. I Want You Back--The Jackson Five (1 week, January 31)

268. Venus--Shocking Blue (1 week, February 7)

269. Thank You (Falettin Me Be Mice Elf Agin)--Sly & the Family Stone (2 weeks, February 14)

Comments:

*Despite the fact that "In the Year 2525" was extremely popular, Zager & Evans actually turned out to be a one-hit wonder.

*"Sugar, Sugar" is perhaps the most recognizable song in the "bubblegum pop" genre. While "The Archies" were actually a group of comic book characters, the musical group of the same name really did not even exist: it was just a couple of anonymous studio musicians assembled by producer Don Kirshner.

*A unique feature of "I Can't Get Next to You" is that each of the Temptations gets a turn at singing lead.

*In between the advent of Beatles and a television special in December 1968, Elvis Presley was only able to score one Top 10 hit. However, the aforementioned television special completely revived his career. "Suspicious Minds" was the biggest hit Elvis enjoyed during this part of his career, although he had other hits as well including "In the Ghetto," "The Wonder of You," and "Burning Love." Elvis also became extremely popular on the Las Vegas entertainment circuit, and remainded so until he died in 1977.

*"Something" was the most prominent B-side of any record since Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog" back in 1956. Written and sung by George Harrison, the critically accliamed "Something" became Frank Sinatra's favorite Beatles song.

*Although Peter, Paul, & Mary went to #1 in 1969 with "Leaving on a Jet Plane," they almost went to #1 way back in 1963 with "Puff the Magic Dragon" and "Blowin' in the Wind" (both of which peaked at #2). I must say that I am extremely surprised that both of their 1963 songs were so popular, given the fact that both songs were completely different from the mainstream sounds of that year.

*"Someday We'll Be Together" was the final song released by the Supremes while Diana Ross was still part of the group. Given Ross' departure from the Supremes and the imminent break-up of the Beatles, the end of the 60's also marked the end of an era.

*The Jackson Five helped to fill the void in Motown following Diana Ross' departure from the Supremes. "I Want You Back"--their first hit--also remains my favorite recording of theirs.

*The group known as Shocking Blue scored its one and only hit with "Venus," a song that would again be taken to #1 in 1986 by Bananarama. And, while I prefer Bananarama's version, Shocking Blue also did a good job with the record.

[Im-n-a-whirl]

Isn't it kinda ironic that In the Year 2525 mentions things that have since happened like picking your son and your daughter. I don't think they intended the song to seriously contemplate what lies ahead in the distant future, but you find yourself doing it anyway when you hear the song.

Honky Tonk Women is one of my favorite Stones songs, along with Gimme Shelter and Paint It Black.

Suspicious Minds is one of Elvis' finest moments. If you listen to the ending, you can hear it fade and then come back. It was accidental but left in anyway.

Sly and the Family Stone was another unique sounding group and all their singles had a vastly different feel to them. They were very talented.

I still remember all the words to Come Together even though it makes no sense. The line "one and one and one is three" was one of many citations used to support the rumor that Paul McCartney was dead.

My favorite Jackson 5 song is Dancing Machine.

My memory is starting to get foggy but I think the next segment will begin with Bridge Over Troubled Water.

[DevotedToAMC]

THanks for the lists! I really like these singers...my favorite would have to be The Supremes. Anything with Diana Ross is a hit for me

[Max]

DevotedToAMC, thank you so much for the feedback. I'm really glad that you're enjoying this thread.

I have to agree with Im-n-a-whirl that each of Sly & the Family Stone's songs sound very different from each other. (My favorite recording of theirs is "Hot Fun in the Summertime.") Also, as he had previously predicted, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is indeed the first song in this next batch of #1 hits.

1970 (Part 2 of 3):

270. Bridge Over Troubled Water--Simon & Garfunkel (6 weeks, February 28)

271. Let It Be--The Beatles (2 weeks, April 11)

272. ABC--The Jackson Five (2 weeks, April 25)

273. American Woman--The Guess Who (3 weeks, May 9)

274. Everything Is Beautiful--Ray Stevens (2 weeks, May 30)

275. The Long and Winding Road--The Beatles (2 weeks, June 13)

276. The Love You Save--The Jackson Five (2 weeks, June 27)

277. Mama Told Me (Not to Come)--Three Dog Night (2 weeks, July 11)

278. (They Long to Be) Close to You--The Carpenters (4 weeks, July 25)

279. Make It with You--Bread (1 week, August 22)

280. War--Edwin Starr (3 weeks, August 29)

281. Ain't No Mountain High Enough--Diana Ross (3 weeks, September 19)

282. Cracklin' Rosie--Neil Diamond (1 week, October 10)

283. I'll Be There--The Jackson Five (5 weeks, October 17)

Comments:

*Simon & Garfunkel broke up shortly after the Grammy-Award winning "Bridge Over Troubled Water" reached #1.

*Speaking of break-ups, the Beatles officially announced that they would go their separate ways on April 10, 1970, which was exactly one day before "Let It Be" first reached the top of the chart.

*The final two Beatles songs to peak at #1--"Let It Be" and "The Long and Winding Road"--were both very appropriately titled. The total of twenty number one hits scored by the Beatles still stands as the record for the most chart-toppers attained by one artist.

*"Everything Is Beautiful" was one of the few hits by Ray Stevens that was not a novelty song.

*The term "Three Dog Night" refers to how denizens of the North and South Poles sometimes sleep with dogs on top of them in order to keep warm; on extremely cold nights, these people need three dogs to sleep on top of them.

*Even though Bread recorded many hard-rock songs, all of their hits were of the soft-rock variety.

*I do not like most protest songs, in part because they are not very danceable. However, "War" by Edwin Starr is an exception, given its great beat.

*After Diana Ross left the Supremes, something surprising happened: "Up the Ladder to the Roof"--the first Supremes song of the post-Ross era--peaked at #10, while Diana's first solo recording, "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)," stalled at #20. However, Ross would soon establish her supremacy over her former group when "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (a song that was a Top 20 hit for Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell back in 1967) climbed to #1.

*Mariah Carey took "I'll Be There" to number one a second time in 1992.