Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine Top 40 Hits [Currently discussing 5/14/66]

Would never have guessed "Rich Girl" was as early as '77. Hall & Oates are just so firmly associated with the 80's.

The same could be said for "Night Moves", which I would also have pegged much later.

Ooh, ELO and Kansas and Manfred Mann's Earth Band and Steve Miller Band! Not necessarily my favorite songs by these groups, but still, great bands!

Is Dazz any relation to the Dazz Band? Let it Whip, 1982 is funkadelic.

Set,
I don't believe there was any relation between "Dazz," the song, and the Dazz Band. Both groups seemed to have invented the word "dazz" as a shortened form of "disco" and "jazz" or, in the Dazz Band's case, "danceable jazz," according to Wikipedia.

By the way, this chart appeared only two and a half months before this one.

Six of the same songs were still on the chart 11 weeks later, and several other artists had returned to the Top 40 with follow-up hits.

Our memories play strange tricks on us. I'm surprised that "Crackerbox Palace" and "Stand Tall" were part of '77, as they seem older to me.

March 6, 1965

Just for kicks, let's go waaaaay back--51 years. This list is taken from the actual Billboard chart, available on Google Books.

For additional kicks, I'm also including the previous week's position in parenthesis.

How many do you recognize?

40 (30). FOR LOVIN' ME, Peter, Paul & Mary
39 (49). DON'T LET ME BE MISUNDERSTOOD, Animals
38 (21). BYE, BYE BABY, Four Seasons
37 (29). WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO THE RAIN, Searchers
36 (46). RED ROSES FOR A BLUE LADY, Vic Dana
35 (47). PEOPLE GET READY, Impressions
34 (20). LEMON TREE, Trini Lopez
33 (22). THE "IN" CROWD, Dobie Gray
32 (38). NEW YORK'S A LONELY TOWN, Trade Winds
31 (33). A CHANGE IS GONNA COME, Sam Cooke

30 (40). YEH, YEH, Georgie Fame
29 (45). SHOTGUN, Jr. Walker & the All Stars
28 (16). ALL DAY AND ALL OF THE NIGHT, Kinks
27 (32). ASK THE LONELY, Four Tops
26 (37). COME HOME, Dave Clark Five
25 (25). I'VE GOT A TIGER BY THE TAIL, Buck Owens
24 (39). MIDNIGHT SPECIAL, Johnny Rivers
23 (26). LITTLE THINGS, Bobby Goldsboro
22 (28). GOODNIGHT, Roy Orbison
21 (7). SHAKE, Sam Cooke

20 (14). TWINE TIME, Alvin Cash & the Crawlers
19 (27). CAN'T YOU HEAR MY HEARTBEAT, Herman's Hermits
18 (11). THE NAME GAME, Shirley Ellis
17 (15). LAUGH, LAUGH, Beau Brummels
16 (23). GOLDFINGER, Shirley Bassey
15 (18). RED ROSES FOR A BLUE LADY, Bert Kaempfert & His Orchestra
14 (9). I GO TO PIECES, Peter & Gordon
13 (41). STOP! IN THE NAME OF LOVE, Supremes
12 (17). HURT SO BAD, Little Anthony & the Imperials
11 (8). THE BOY FROM NEW YORK CITY, Ad Libs

10 (4). DOWNTOWN, Petula Clark
9 (12). FERRY ACROSS THE MERSEY, Gerry & the Pacemakers
8 (13). THE BIRDS AND THE BEES, Jewel Akens
7 (10). KING OF THE ROAD, Roger Miller
6 (6). TELL HER NO, Zombies
5 (19). EIGHT DAYS A WEEK, Beatles
4 (5). THE JOLLY GREEN GIANT, Kingsmen
3 (2). YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVIN' FEELIN', Righteous Brothers
2 (1). THIS DIAMOND RING, Gary Lewis & the Playboys
1 (3). MY GIRL, Temptations

The Top 20 has had big staying power. With the exception of

4 (5). THE JOLLY GREEN GIANT, Kingsmen
15 (18). RED ROSES FOR A BLUE LADY, Bert Kaempfert & His Orchestra
20 (14). TWINE TIME, Alvin Cash & the Crawlers

...I'd say these are all still going strong. One sort-of exception: I don't hear THE NAME GAME much on radio, but people KNOW it.



Two versions of the same song on the same chart?

One song that references another (or at least the non-generic song).

My favorite is, of course, #29!

Forgot to add:

If you had asked me the release year of
7 (10). KING OF THE ROAD, Roger Miller

...I would have guessed 1955!

I've heard "Jolly Green Giant" on oldies stations for years. It was also played on Dr. Demento.

It was not uncommon for songs to be recorded by multiple artists in those days. There were at least two other versions of "Red Roses" in the Hot 100 that week.

"Shotgun" is indeed a classic.

I've been listening to the ones I don't know (thank you, YouTube) and have gotten as far down as No. 20. So far, the only one I'd listen to again is "Little Things." Goldsboro was a talented guitarist and songwriter. He had his own TV show in the early '70s. By the way, he had started out as Roy Orbison's guitarist, and look who's just one notch higher.

I really enjoyed Sam Cooke's vocal performance on both of his songs (a double-sided hit, actually). "A Change Is Gonna Come" classifies as an ironic last record: He was shot to death on Dec. 11, 1964, just three months earlier.

May 14, 1966

In honor of Scooter (Lightning Lad)

40. I'M COMIN' HOME, CINDY, Trini Lopez
39. I CAN'T GROW PEACHES ON A CHERRY TREE, Just Us
38. SOMEWHERE, Lee Barry
37. THE BALLAD OF IRVING, Frank Gallop
36. CAROLINE, NO, Brian Wilson
35. WHAT NOW MY LOVE, Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
34. I HEAR TRUMPETS BLOW, The Tokens
33. I'LL TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOU, Garnet Mimms
32. THE PHOENIX LOVE THEME (SENZA FINE), Brass Ring featuring Phil Bodner
31. IT'S A MAN'S MAN'S MAN'S WORLD, James Brown & The Famous Flames

30. THIS OLD HEART OF MINE, Isley Brothers
29. LOVE'S MADE A FOOL OF YOU, Bobby Fuller Four
28. FRANKIE AND JOHNNY, Elvis Presley
27. LET'S START ALL OVER AGAIN, Ronnie Dove
26. LOVE IS LIKE AN ITCHING IN MY HEART, Supremes
25. NOTHING'S TOO GOOD FOR MY BABY, Stevie Wonder
24. THE SUN AIN'T GONNA SHINE (ANYMORE), Walker Brothers
23. A SIGN OF THE TIMES, Petula Clark
22. TOGETHER AGAIN, Ray Charles
21. RHAPSODY IN THE RAIN, Lou Christie

20. I'M SO LONESOME I COULD CRY, B.J. Thomas & The Triumphs
19. DAYDREAM, Lovin' Spoonful
18. A GROOVY KIND OF LOVE, Mindbenders
17. EIGHT MILES HIGH, Byrds
16. WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN, Percy Sledge
15. HOW DOES THAT GRAB YOU, DARLIN', Nancy Sinatra
14. SHAPES OF THINGS, Yardbirds
13. MESSAGE TO MICHAEL, Dionne Warwick
12. TRY TOO HARD, Dave Clark Five
11. TIME WON'T LET ME, Outsiders

10. GLORIA, Shadows of Knight
9. LEANING ON THE LAMP POST, Herman's Hermits
8. BANG BANG (MY BABY SHOT ME DOWN), Cher
7. RAINY DAY WOMEN # 12 & 35, Bob Dylan
6. SECRET AGENT MAN, Johnny Rivers
5. KICKS, Paul Revere & The Raiders featuring Mark Lindsay
4. (YOU'RE MY) SOUL AND INSPIRATION, Righteous Brothers
3. SLOOP JOHN B, Beach Boys
2. GOOD LOVIN', Young Rascals
1. MONDAY MONDAY, Mamas and the Papas

Hey! I know "Twine Time," because Marshall Crenshaw covered it back in the Nineties! And there's a lot of songs on these lists that I don't know at all.

30. THIS OLD HEART OF MINE, Isley Brothers has had some real staying power too. I swear they play that just about everyday on the oldies station. The others, get their share but "Heart" stands out.

For me, the most interesting surprise in '66 was "The Ballad of Irving." This novelty song about the 142nd fastest gun in the west was a regular feature on Dr. Demento in the late '80s. I hadn't realized it was this old or that it had reached the Top 40.