Billboard's #1 Pop Singles

[alphanguy74]

Before we roll into 1963... here's another review of hits from 1962. For me, in 1962, many of the #1's were quite lackluster compared to other top 10 hits that I felt deserved the top spot, such as Claudine Clark's "Party Lights", Ketty Lester's "Love Letters", and Jimmy Clanton's "Venus In Blue Jeans".

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My favorite song of 1962, once again, was not a number one... and that was Brian Hyland's "Sealed With A Kiss",

[quartermainefan]

I love "Alley Cat", there is just something so old school about it. I am shocked "A Town Without Pity" never reached #1. For me it is one of the greatest songs of the era. I guess I sort of assumed Moon River went to #1, but it seems it didn't. And Soldier Boy never went to #1?

This thread could use a partner thread for spots 2-10.

[alphanguy74]

One reason you probably assumed that about Moon River is because the song won the Oscar for best song that year... AND it won the Grammy for song of the year 1962, although it fell short of the number one spot. Sometimes not being number one doesn't mean anything... and one of the biggest examples in music history is coming up around the end of next week, a song that never hit number one, but sales wise, buried almost every other song from 1963 in it's wake, and holds 2 major chart records to this day. (and it just happens to be one of my top 5 favorite songs of all time)

[Max]

Alphanguy, thank you again for posting that video. IMO, the #3 "Palisades Park" by Freddy Cannon was most deserving of #1 status (out of all the songs that failed to get there). I actually thought that 1962, like 1961, had a very strong crop of chart-toppers. However, I did feel that the crops of #1 hits from 1955-60 were not the best representations of those years musically (even though many good or great songs still made it to the peak position).

Qfan, I apologize for my rudeness, but "Soldier Boy" did go to #1 (and can be found on page 19 of this thread). "Alley Cat" peaked at #7, while "Town Without Pity" shockingly stalled at #13. "Moon River" actually reached its peak position in 1961, with two different versions that only reached #11. (Jerry Butler was the othter artist who had the hit with it.)

There were three instrumentals that hit #1 in 1962 (the most for any year in the rock era). Among them was the year's final #1 single-- "Telstar" by The Tornadoes--which held the top spot for three weeks: the weeks ended 12/22/62, 12/29/62, & 1/5/63.

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"Telstar" was the name given to two AT&T communications satellites (that are still in orbit); Telstar 1 was launched into space on 7/10/62, and Telstar 2 was launched on 5/7/63. Given how big of an issue the space race was at the time, writer and producer Joe Meek felt that a record that incorporated "otherworldly" sounds could be a smash hit. (The unique sounding instrument most prominently featured on "Telstar" was called the clavioline. While I normally dislike "bizarre" songs, I must confess that "Telstar" is quite enjoyable.)

Meek was a big name in British music at the time. One of the artists he worked with was singer Billy Fury, whose backup band was the Tornadoes, a quintet that consisted of George Bellamy, Heinz Burt, Alan Caddy, Clem Cattini, and Roger Jackson. After "Telstar" went to number one in the U.S., the Tornadoes became the second artist of the rock era from England to have a chart-topping single. Though the Tornadoes enjoyed some more success in their home country (where "Telstar" also hit #1), they were one-hit wonders in America. Such a fate would not befall the next British artist to top the Hot 100: the Beatles.

As I mentioned in my intro, 1962 was a great year for instrumentals. However, the next instrumental to reach #1 did not come until early 1968 when "Love Is Blue" by Paul Mauriat & His Orchestra hit the chart apex. (It should be stated that instrumentals were still fairly commonplace in popular music during the interim.)

[DRW50]

I can't remember - was Stranger on the Shore a #1? That song is so soothing and always makes me smile.

[Max]

Carl, "Stranger on the Shore" indeed hit #1. You can find it on page 20 of this thread.

[DRW50]

Telstar is one of those songs everyone will remember, but I never knew the name or the origin of the song.

The instrumentals of the 50's and 60's seemed to manage to have a certain common hook that drew you in. I think the "concept album" era took away a lot of what made them special.

With that said, this is one of my favorite instrumentals, from the heyday of the concept album era.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh0Rp92f1uA

[alphanguy74]

I tend to like most instrumentals from the 60's... and Telstar is no exception. I can't even describe what it is I like so much, it's haunting in a way. The way it builds with background vocals being added on the final verse is really exceptional.

[I Am A Swede]

Although Ketty's version of this wonderful song is perfectly fine, I absolutely love the cover that Alison Moyet did...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70zTY5eFiIQ

[alphanguy74]

That is an excelllent cover! the piano riff is the most important part, to me... it really is the signature of the song.

[Max]

It's sad that after "Love Letters" peaked at #5, Ketty Lester never had another hit.

I never really understood why instrumentals lost so much popularity. This explanation may well be the reason why.

The first of twenty "new" #1 hits of 1963 was "Go Away Little Girl" by Steve Lawrence, which held the peak position for two weeks: the weeks ended 1/12/63 & 1/19/63.

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Sidney Leibowitz was born in Brooklyn on July 8, 1935. He got the idea for his stage name because two of his nephews were named Steve and Lawrence. In the early-50s, Steve came in first place in an "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" competition. Soon afterwards, Lawerence began a five year stint as a regular on "The Tonight Show."

Lawrence's first hit of the rock era was a cover of Buddy Knox's "Party Doll," which peaked at #12 in 1957. He then fell off the top 40 for three years, only to return with three top ten hits: "Pretty Blue Eyes" (#9, 1960), "Footsteps" (#7, 1960), and "Portrait of My Love" (#9, 1961). Steve's signature song--the adult contemporary classic "Go Away Little Girl"--was the fourth chart-topper penned by the Gerry Goffin/Carole King songwriting team. It was just one of several top ten hits in 1963 that this team wrote: others included "One Fine Day" by the Chiffons (#5), "Up on the Roof" by the Drifters (#5), "Don't Say Nothin' Bad (About My Baby)" by the Cookies (#7), and "Hey Girl" by Freddie Scott (#10).

Steve Lawrence was/is well known for his long marriage to singer Eydie Gorme. This duo had two minor top 40 hits with "I Want to Say Here" (#28, 1963) and "I Can't Stop Talking About You" (#35, 1964). Though the latter song marked Steve's final top 40 appearance, "Go Away Little Girl" would have a bright future ahead of it: a 1966 version by the Happenings peaked at #12, and Donny Osmond returned the song to #1 in 1971.

[DRW50]

This song is too treacly for me, and the vocals are too mechanical, although it's better than the hideous Donny Osmond version.

I mostly remember Steve for his appearances on The Nanny. They had cameos as themselves and then he played her father in the last episode. It was a lot of fun.

And of course:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM_igxqu3n4

[alphanguy74]

It think this song was ok.... but it was a little too Pat Boone-like for my taste. I think his wife's voice had more character, and her biggest hit is just as well remembered as his... although it didn't hit number one, but went to #7 two months after this:

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[quartermainefan]

Edye Gorme had the superior voice. Their signature song is sort of dated but has a really catchy tune. I love the lyrics.

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Anything that mentions a charlotte russe is cool by me. I haven't seen one in over 30 years. I think it is an extinct dessert but as a kid I loved them.

[Max]

While I am not a fan of Steve and Eydie, I do enjoy some of the former's tunes from the early-60s. "Pretty Blue Eyes" is my favorite record of his.

Though many great songs topped the Hot 100 in 1963, there was also a small handful of "oddball" chart-toppers that year. One such tune was "Walk Right In" by The Rooftop Singers, which was number one for two weeks: the weeks ended 1/26/63 & 2/2/63.

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The Rooftop Singers were a folk trio from New York City. One of the members--Erik Darling--gained experience playing the banjo in Manhattan's Washington Square; prior to joining the Rooftop Singers, he was a member of Tarriers and later served as Pete Seeger's replacement in the Weavers. Darling was joined by guitarist Bill Svanoe and jazz (!) singer Lynne Taylor.

Erik was very excited about recording a 1929 tune called "Walk Right In," which was originally performed by Gus Cannon & the Jugstompers. After some minor lyrical changes (for instance, "everybody's talking about a two way woman" was replaced with "everybody's talking about a new way of walking"), the Rooftop Singers recorded and released their smash version of the song. Unfortunately, success proved to be fleeting for the group, as their only other top 40 appearance came when "Tom Cat" peaked at #20 several months after "Walk Right In" fell from the chart zenith. According to Darling, the trio's lack of staying power was due to the fact that they "had a certain problem in that the group was put together strictly for 'Walk Right In'...There wasn't anything else that really fit...[they] never did come up with anything that was remotely as good."