Billboard's #1 Pop Singles

Max · March 5, 2012

Alphanguy, that was an extraordinary write-up about Skeeter Davis. Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to write it.

I love "The End of the World." While it reached #2 on the pop chart (as you mentioned), it only spent one week there (the week ended 3/23/63). (FYI, the tune spent a total of 13 weeks on the top 40.) Skeeter's only other top 25 hit (at least during the rock era) was "I Can't Stay Mad at You," which peaked at #7 in the fall of 1963 (and was shared by Carl). It is interesting how different these two songs were, given that the latter hit was an uptempo rocker that had little to do with country.

This is definately the opinion that the vast majority of people hold, Carl. While I recognize that I am outnumbered, I prefer 1963 over 1964.

I couldn't have said this better myself, Qfan.

"Hey Paula" was succeeded at #1 by "Walk Like a Man" by The Four Seasons, which spent three weeks at the top spot: the weeks ended 3/2/63, 3/9/63, & 3/16/63.

Chart historians consider "Walk Like a Man" to be the third consecutive chart-topper for the Four Seasons, marking the first time in Hot 100 history an artist accomplished such a feat. (Technically, the Four Seasons had a #23 hit with "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" right after "Big Girls Don't Cry;" however, "Santa Claus" doesn't "count" because it was intended to be a holiday record.) The period of late-62 & early-63 was not only when the Four Seasons were at the peak of their popularity, but also when the Beatles were starting to dominate in the U.K. According to "The 'Billboard' Book of Number One Hits," an American DJ stated (in the summer of 1963) that "the British phenomenon of the Beatles...[was their] answer to the Four Seasons."

Legend has it that a fire started in another part of the recording studio while the group was performing "Walk Like a Man;" apparently, producer Bob Crewe blocked the door and insisted that the group continue to record the song until it was performed to perfection. (Eventually, some firefighters forced Crewe and the group to leave.) It should be immediately stated that the accuracy of this story is highly questionable. Regardless, I do consider "Walk Like a Man" to be the Four Seasons' all-time masterpiece. It has been pointed out before that it is highly ironic that the song's macho message is delivered by Frankie Valli's high pitched wail (although Nick Massi's deep bass voice provides a nice contrast and arrives at just the right moments in the record).

The string of three #1 hits in a row would not extend to four. The quartet's next single, a cover of Fats Domino's "Ain't That a Shame," stalled at #22. However, this proved to be a temporary setback, as "Candy Girl" peaked at #3 in the summer of 1963. Rather than major chart difficulties, the Four Seasons were plagued by poor relations with their record label, Vee-Jay (a black-owned label based in Chicago). Most of the group's complaints centered around royalty payments, and numerous suits and countersuits were filed. Eventually, the boys left Vee-Jay (which proved to be the death blow for that label) and moved to Philips (a subsidiary of Mercury).

The Four Seasons were one of the few American artists to survive the onslaught of the Beatles. Two early Philips releases--"Dawn (Go Away)" and "Ronnie"--reached #3 and #6, respectively, in 1964. Then, in July of that year, the Jersey Boys would be back atop the Hot 100.

alphanguy74 · March 5, 2012

I can tolerate "Walk Like A Man", but once again, that falsetto bothers me, as usual... the Four Seasons' hit that I like best... I believe was number one as well, but won't come along until 1976. What strikes me about the Four Seasons' chart success is the rapid fire succession of the release of their singles, it seems as if the next single was released while the previous one was dropping off. The music business in general released FAR more volume of material than they do today, and that's one thing that I feel contributes to the nose dive of the music industry. One song that I do like from this era by the Four seasons is 1965's "Let's Hang On" which stalled at number 3. Of course, it's because he sings the verses in his regular voice, and the fuzz guitar in the intro is ICONIC. This is an awesome live performance on it from Top Of the Pops in 1971 with the BBC orchestra, a rare clip, because a great majority of the color footage from 1971 top Of The Pops is lost:

One thing that l like about TV clips from the classic era in the UK is that it wasn't "all lip synch all the time" like so many shows were in the United states, most notably American Bandstand. At that time in the UK, lip synching was prohibited due to musician's union rules, and at least 2 songs on every show were required to use the BBC orchestra, conducted by Johnny Pearson.

Max · March 7, 2012

It's interesting how Valli used his falsetto less and less as the years went by. While "Let's Hang On" is not a song I love to the extent of "Sherry" or "Walk Like a Man," it still spent 12 weeks on the top forty (a run that equaled what each of those two chart-toppers achieved).

The record that blocked "The End of the World" from reaching #1 was "Our Day Will Come" by Ruby & the Romantics. This tune held the peak position for one week: the week ended 3/23/63.

Ruby Nash (born 11/12/39) was/is from Akron, OH. After unsuccessfully singing as part of a girl-group, she met a male R&B quartet called the Supremes. The guys agreed to have Ruby join the group because they thought her addition would increase the likelihood of garnering a hit single. Kapp Records' A&R man, Allen Stanton, changed the group name to the Romantics even though the guys felt such a moniker was too "feminine" for them. (Ironically, there would be an 80s male band that would also call themselves the Romantics.)

"Our Day Will Come" was never intended for an "unknown" group like Ruby & the Romantics; Ruby's persistence to record the song (as she was convinced it would be a smash) was a major factor in convincing executives to give the quintet a chance. (In the event that Ruby & the Romantics' version fizzled, Stanton guaranteed the song's writers that soloist Jack Jones would churn out a version of the tune.) Of course, "Our Day Will Come" became a major hit, but--unfortunately--the group did not benefit much from the success, scoring just two more top forty entries (both in the summer of 1963): "My Summer Love" (#16) and "Hey There Lonely Boy" (#27).

Despite the group's short time in the spotlight, other artists had hits with covers of the quintet's songs. "When You're Young and in Love," another tune originally performed by Ruby & the Romantics, became a #23 hit for the Marvelettes in 1967. After undergoing a sex change, Eddie Holman's "Hey There Lonely Girl" soared to number two in early 1970. And "Our Day Will Come" got its second wind when a 1975 cover by Frankie Valli peaked at #11.

DRW50 · March 7, 2012

I didn't know this had been updated.

Our Day Will Come is a beautiful song. It's such a sweet song, so rich - her voice is incredible. She has total command of every emotion and inflection. You'd never think this was a small time group.

It looks like I prefer the Four Seasons songs that weren't #1, like "Marianne" or "I've Got You Under My Skin."

Walk Like a Man is a little shrill for me.

It was put to good use in a heartwarming movie from about twenty years ago, called Heart and Souls.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvvL3-36kxI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKTN7cVWL1E

alphanguy74 · March 7, 2012

Oh Carl, I will NOT watch that clip. I saw this movie in the theater, heartwarming my ASS. It is a tear jerker! LOL I sobbed through the whole first half of it.

DRW50 · March 7, 2012

It's sad too but I just like the friendly vibe of the cast and the heart (no pun intended) they bring to the roles. I've never liked the actors more in anything I've seen since, especially since RDJ mostly does smartass type roles now.

alphanguy74 · March 7, 2012

I think "Our Day Will Come" is a lovely song, and very romantic in nature... but not one I feel is deserving of number one status. Of course, you KNOW which song I felt should have been number one, and that was the one parked behind it at number 2. Another song a male/female soul group that came a couple months before this... was a song I really felt deserved number one status. I feel it's one of the best songs of that era, so urgent, so infectious:

DRW50 · March 7, 2012

Is that another of those Eurpoe jukebox things?

Definitely a great song, full of pep and spirit. The chorus is a thing of beauty. I prefer ODWC but this is the one people remember more.

alphanguy74 · March 7, 2012

Yes, Carl... it's another one of those Scopitone jukebox videos. Our Day will come has been covered several times, even rather recently:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MABe1aX8wig

I however, like this one:

DRW50 · March 7, 2012

This is the cover version I most remember (and apparently a weird twist of fate, since they hit #1 next to each other).

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

alphanguy74 · March 7, 2012

Max mentioned that "When Your'e Young And In Love" is another of Ruby and the Romantics' songs that was a top 40 hit for the Marvelettes... but there is also ANOTHER version of that I just ADORE... and that is the disco version by Ralph Carter, one of the best songs of the disco era, with an infectious production by Tom Moulton:

Max · March 8, 2012

Ralph Carter's version of "When You're Young and in Love" is excellent. I forgot to say this originally, but prior to the Carpenters having a #2 hit with "Hurting Each Other," Ruby & the Romantics recorded a version of the song.

I consider "Our Day Will Come" to be a good, though not great, record. I believe that the organ solo--which gave the song a near exotic quality--played a major role in its popularity.

The most popular song in the country when GH and The Doctors debuted was "He's So Fine" by The Chiffons, which spent four weeks at number one: the weeks ended 3/30/63, 4/6/63, 4/13/63, & 4/20/63.

Heavily influenced by the Shirelles, the Chiffons were a girl group from NYC led by Judy Craig. The quartet recorded a tune written by Ronnie Mack--and produced by the members of the Tokens--called "He's So Fine." With its infectious "doo-lang, doo-lang, doo-lang" chant, "He's So Fine" was a perfect pop tune for 1963 (a year in which the girl group sound reach the peak of its popularity). Sadly, Mack died shortly after his song reached #1, having lost his battle with Hodgkins' Disease.

Though "He's So Fine" is wonderful, I think that a far superior Chiffons recording was the Goffin/King penned "One Fine Day," which reached #5 in July 1963. (Along with "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and "He's a Rebel," I consider "One Fine Day" to be one of the very best girl group songs ever made.) After their two "Fine" songs, the group disappeared from the top thirty until they scored a very unexpected comeback with 1966's "Sweet Talkin' Guy," which peaked at #10. (Despite being from 1966, the record sounds very much like an early-60s song.)

"He's So Fine" may be best remembered for being involved in a lawsuit with another #1 hit, George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" (1970). Ronnie Mack's estate sued Harrison for plagiarism, and (in 1976) a judge ruled that "He's So Fine" and "My Sweet Lord" were essentially the same song. (This is something I can never understand, as I think both tunes are quite different.) Once the trial was over, the Chiffons amazingly recorded their own version of "My Sweet Lord," though it did not achieve any success.

Before I conclude, I wanted to share come wonderful 80s Hi-C commercials with you. Each of these had a retro feel, and this one was a take on "He's So Fine":

Here's one for "Who But the Bomp," a #7 hit for Barry Mann in 1961:

And another one for "I Wonder Why" by Dion & the Belomonts (#24, 1958):

And finally one for "Little Darlin'" by the Diamonds, which spent eight weeks at #2 in 1957:

You'll notice that Alyssa Milano appears in this last ad.

DRW50 · March 8, 2012

I'd never seen those commercials. Great. Always love the nostalgia.

He's So Fine is a terrific song, a killer intro, a good beat, and some genuine pathos (the "If I were a queen, and he asked me to leave my throne..." part). It so sums up that era of innocence, real or imagined.

I can see why this and My Sweet Lord are seen as similar - it's mostly the melody. And the chorus - "Hallelujah" in place of "He's so fine").

quartermainefan · March 8, 2012

My Sweet Lord is a clear rip off. It just is a stretch to believe two songs could be so similar.

You can hear how both songs can be superimposed over each other and the singers seamlessly match up for the key changes and music cues and whatnot

alphanguy74 · March 8, 2012

Thanks!!! Qfan... that is a great youtube video, that clearly spells it out. Yes indeed, the two are similar enough to be considered plagarism. Having said that, I COMPLETELY believe it was accidental. George Harrison said that "Oh Happy Day" by the Edwin Hawkins Singers was his inspiration for the song, and one can certainly see that.

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

The issue with those two songs is that the time signatures and production are different, which causes people to not think of them as being as similar as they really are. Like you, Max, I never thought of it being plagarism, until I read about the suit, and I really sat down and analyzed it, then it became clear to me. It was matter of the production and different time signature "masking" the plagarism. Considering how many songs are written each year, I'm surprised that more of it doesn't happen, on an accidental basis, that is. I like the Chiffons version, but there is one thing about the song that bothers me. I feel the lyrics are too voluminous, it seems like she has to "hurry" at certain points to cram all the words in before the music moves on.

Billboard's #1 Pop Singles

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