Billboard's #1 Pop Singles

[Max]

I am surprised that "Iko Iko" didn't chart higher than #20.

Thank you so much for clearing this up.

I appreciate you mentioning this, because I never before realized that (despite the huge popularity of "A Lover's Concerto").

"Chapel of Love" is one of the very best girl group songs ever made. Also, there are more people who prefer records with scratches and pops than many realize.

[Max]

If you exclude the Beatles, the first artist as part of the "British Invasion" to have a number one hit was Peter & Gordon. This duo--often described as the U.K.'s version of the Everly Brothers--went to the top with "A World Without Love," which held the peak position for one week: the week ended 6/27/64. (Carl actually posted this song a short while ago. As Mary Wells would say, he beat me to the punch.)

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Though Peter Asher (born on 6/22/44 in London) and Gordon Waller (born on 6/4/45 in Braemar, Scotland) had different tastes in many ways--with the former liking folk music and jazz while the latter preferred Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley--both gentlemen were united in their admiration for the Everlys. Peter's sister, Jane, was dating Paul McCartney, so the duo turned to him for a song, and he responded in kind by giving them the romantic "A World Without Love." (It should be noted that while "A World Without Love" was officially billed as being written by Lennon & McCartney, only the latter actually penned the song. In fact, prior to becoming famous, John & Paul agreed that they both would receive songwriting credit for any record either of them would write. And, while Lennon & McCartney originally composed songs together, most songs credited to the Lennon-McCartney team would be written by just one of those two men.)

"A World Without Love"--a tune Sir Paul felt was beneath the Beatles to record--was the first of ten top 40 hits for Peter & Gordon. The others are listed below:

"Nobody I Know" (#12, 1964)

"I Don't Want to See You Again" (#16, 1964)

"I Go to Pieces" (#9, 1965) [Written and later recorded by Del Shannon]

"True Love Ways" (#14, 1965) [A cover of a Buddy Holly song]

"To Know You Is to Love You" (#24, 1965) [A cover of the Teddy Bears' "To Know Him Is to Love Him"]

"Woman" (#14, 1966)

"Lady Godiva" (#6, 1966)

"Knight in Rusty Armour" (#15, 1967)

"Sunday for Tea" (#31, 1967)

After the duo split up in 1967, Peter produced records for James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt (among others). He also became the head of A&R for the Beatles' own record label, Apple. Gordon attempted an unsuccessful solo career, and found more luck as a cast member of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." He died on July 17, 2009.

[alphanguy74]

Pretty much all of Peter and Gordon's hits were much better than any of the Beatles' early records. And that's because they had far superior production and vocal arrangements. "World Without Love" sound melodic, lush, and catchy. They were also better singers than Lennon and McCartney. My favorite of theirs is this one... and how good a performance of this sung live:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcC46lhMFf8

Peter Asher has always bugged me appearance-wise, because he always looked so unnattractive, when he had great features, if he were to have just toned down that bright ORANGE hair, took off the glasses, and fixed his teeth, he would have been really cute. It's like an "Ugly Betty" situation.

[Max]

Honestly, I have never thought that any of the Beatles were great singers, either.

The first of four chart-toppers for the Beach Boys was "I Get Around," which spent two weeks at number one: the weeks ended 7/4/64 & 7/11/64.

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The Beach Boys were a group of mostly non-surfers from Hawthorne, CA. This quintet originally consisted of three Wilson brothers--Brian (born on 6/20/42), Dennis (the only surfer in the group), and Carl--together with their cousin, Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Heavily influenced by Chuck Berry, Jan & Dean, and doo-wop groups, the guys first called themselves Carl & the Passions before changing their name to the Pendletones; apparently, record promoter Russ Regan came up with the Beach Boys moniker.

In late 1961, the Beach Boys issued their first single--"Surfin'"--which peaked at #75. A much bigger hit came the following fall when "Surfin' Safari" reached #14. Prior to reaching the chart apex, the group accumulated the following top ten hits:

"Surfin' U.S.A." (#3, 1963) [A re-write of Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen"]

"Surfer Girl" (#7, 1963)

"Be True to Your School" (#6, 1963)

"Fun, Fun, Fun" (#5, 1964)

(In addition to the records listed above, Brian Wilson provided uncredited vocal backup on Jan & Dean's #1 hit, "Surf City.")

Right around the time "Fun, Fun, Fun" was released, songs about surfing were being replaced with those about cars. In that vein, the boys from California cut another single about this topic: "I Get Around." The song's recording session was turbulent to say the least, given that Brian Wilson pushed his father--Murry--following an argument about its production values. (Not surprisingly, Murry then stormed out of the studio.)

The B-side to "I Get Around" was another gem, "Don't Worry Baby." Though it peaked at #24 on its own, one wonders why it wasn't released as the A-side of a separate single.

[DRW50]

I didn't realize Don't Worry baby came out that early. I love that song. I Get Around is one of those Beach Boys songs which is catchy but also sounds mindless.

I love love love A World Without Love. Woman is one of my favorite songs of all times. Those songs are just so pure, and don't have the annoying vocal twisting that they did on Lady Godiva, or Knight in Rusty Armour.

Apparently John Lennon cracked up whenever he heard A World Without Love, because he hated the lyrics for the intro ("Please, lock me away...")

[Max]

The Four Seasons scored their fourth #1 single with "Rag Doll," which held the peak position for two weeks: the weeks ended 7/18/64 & 7/25/64.

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"Rag Doll" was written by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe. Gaudio got the inspiration for the ballad while driving to work: a young, tattered-looking girl came to clean his car's windows. Bob felt compelled to give her a tip, but didn't have anything smaller than a $5 bill. So, he gave her the money, and she was completely shocked.

After "Rag Doll," the boys from Jersey made many more top 20 appearances over the next three years:

"Save It for Me" (#10, 1964)

"Big Man in Town" (#20, 1964)

"Bye, Bye, Baby (Baby, Goodbye)" (#12, 1965)

"Let's Hang On!" (#3, 1965)

"Don't Think Twice" (#12, 1965) [billed as "The Wonder Who?"]

"Working My Way Back to You" (#9, 1966)

"Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'Bout Me)" (#13, 1966)

"I've Got You Under My Skin" (#9, 1966)

"Tell It to the Rain" (#10, 1967)

"Beggin'" (#16, 1967)

"C'mon Marianne" (#9, 1967)

While the quartet was one of the few American acts that withstood Beatlemania, the innocent sounds of the Seasons seemed to have no place on the radio once psychedelic music became the norm. However, the group scored an unexpected comeback when "Who Loves You" soared to #3 in 1975. A year later, they would have their fifth and final chart-topping tune with "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)."

It should be noted that by the time of the Four Seasons' mid-70s revival, Frankie Valli was the only original member that remained in the group. Nick Massi, Tommy DeVito, and Bob Gaudio departed in 1965, 1971, and 1972, respectively. Massi (who provided the memorable bass voice heard on "Big Girl's Don't Cry" and "Walk Like a Man") died of cancer on December 24, 2000.

[DRW50]

I'm not a big fan of this song. I think it's treacly and a little patronizing. Now that I know the story behind it I find it even more patronizing, to refer to this hard-working woman as a "rag doll" a "pretty face, should be dressed in lace."

I think the Four Seasons had a good, long run, when you think about how much music changed in their years of success.

I love Let's Hang On and I've Got You Under My Skin and C'mon Marianne.

Is "Don't Think Twice" the same as the Dylan song?

I didn't know all the original Four Seasons members were gone by the time of the revival of the mid-70's. Sad.

[Max]

It really is a (pleasant) shock that the Four Seasons remained so popular until 1967, given that their own sound didn't change very much since 1962.

Yes it is, Carl.

The fifth chart-topper for the Beatles was "A Hard Day's Night," which spent two weeks at number one: the weeks ended 8/1/64 & 8/8/64.

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Besides being such an iconic tune, "A Hard Day's Night" was also the title of the first Beatles movie. According to "The 'Billboard' Book of Number One Hits," this lighthearted film, "written by Liverpudlian Alun Owen, was meant to be a fictional account of two days in the Beatles' lives, beginning with a train departure from Liverpool and ending with a concert the following night. [American] Director Richard Lester commented in Ray Coleman's 'Lennon' biography, 'The film was based on their lives living in small boxes, as prisoners of their own success.'" Interestingly, the movie was originally going to be called "Beatlemania" (a title that each of the Fab Four disliked immensely). The new name came about from a Ringo Starr quote: "It's been a hard day's night, that was!"

"A Hard Day's Night" was a commercial and critical success upon its release on 7/6/64 and 8/11/64 in the U.K. and U.S., respectively. Not surprisingly, the Beatles would be brought back into the studio to make more films.

[DRW50]

I think a hard day's night was also an old saying from around that area.

This is one of those songs I have never loved that much, mostly because it's just so fast.

[alphanguy74]

I never did, either, Carl... but as usual... Beatles songs sung by others than the Beatles I tend to really love. This version by Katja Ebstein is really slow and seductive, totally different feel. She's only known to those who dig German pop music.. but she's quite a big star over there, anyway.

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[quartermainefan]

I don't care for when artists take Beatles tunes and turn them into adult contemporary ballady mush. Part of what makes some of their songs memorable is the hyper pace and I could see why they stood out from the pack.

[Max]

Me neither. By the same token, however, I always thought that the Beatles covers of American R&B tunes were so pathetic.

"A Hard Day's Night" was succeeded at #1 by "Everybody Loves Somebody" by Dean Martin, which held the peak position for one week: the week ended 8/15/64.

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After Dean Martin scored his first chart-topper with "Memories Are Made of This" (1956), he had two more top twenty hits as well: "Return to Me" (#4) and a cover of Domenico Modugno's "Volare" (#15). However, as 1958 came to a close, Martin began a nearly six-year absence from the top forty. Of course, Dean still stayed relevant during the late-50s and early-60s as a result of his association with the Rat Pack, a group of entertainers that also included Frank Sinatra, Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, and Sammy Davis, Jr.

Martin was especially good friends with Sinatra, and signed with Frank's own record label--Reprise--in 1962. Dean's comeback hit (as well as his finest recording, IMO) was "Everybody Loves Somebody," a tune first recorded by Ol' Blue Eyes in 1948. Several others--including Peggy Lee and Dinah Washington--also recorded it, but nobody was successful with the song until Dean. While it was absolutely amazing that such an old fashioned tune could reach #1 in 1964, it paved the way for two additional top ten hits as well: "The Door Is Still Open to My Heart" (#6, 1964) and "I Will" (#10, 1965). Martin's last top forty appearance occurred when "Little Ole Wine Drinker, Me" peaked at #38 in 1967.

Aside from his comedic partnership with Jerry Lewis and recoring career, Dean was best known for "The Dean Martin Show," a variety program that ran on NBC from 1965-74. On December 25, 1995, Martin (who had lung cancer at the time) died of "acute respiratory failure" at the age of 78.

[DRW50]

I always find it kind of sad how much of a self-parody Martin let himself become as the years passed.

Everybody Loves Somebody is a fun song, probably best known for its use in commercials (I think it was in a major national commercial for a long time, even just a few years ago).

Martin also had a long screen career, with movies that weren't exactly favorites, but had a solid following, like the Matt Helm series, and one of Carol Burnett's first screen roles, Who's Been Sleeping In My Bed? Pauline Kael, one of the foremost critics of the day, felt he was an underrated screen presence.

Martin's private life constantly papered the TV and movie gossip magazines of the 60's and early 70's, as he was perpetually divorcing his second wife, Jeanne, for his third wife, Cathy. Once this finally happened (the marriage was much shorter-lived than the rest), he began fading out of the papers, along with many other stalwarts of that era (like the Lennon Sisters). His son Dino also got quite a bit of press at this time, especially during his marriage to Olivia Hussey.

[alphanguy74]

Considering where music was going, it's surprising that a song so old fashioned would be such a big hit. But every once in a while, that surprie hit comes along. Here he is doing some stage patter and singing it live:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz2cZx118P0

[quartermainefan]

Here is an obscure duet with Dean and a previous entry Ricky Nelson

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