Wednesday, December 31, 1986

Bob Shannon & John Javna Behind the Hits

Bob Shannon & John Javna:

Behind the Hits

From the back book jacket: “Here they are…the most amazing stories of rock and roll’s first thirty years, the stories behind the classic songs and the aritsts who made them famous.” The book doesn’t present songs in a ranked, chronological, or alphabetized order. Instead, songs are grouped by categories such as “Accidental Hits,” “False Impressions,” “Mistaken Identity,” and “Spontaneous Combustion.” The songs (just shy of 350 titles) are presented here in alphabetical order by artist.

Click here to see other lists from critics and individuals and here to see other lists from publications and/or organizations.

Ace “How Long” (1974)
The Angels “My Boyfriend’s Back” (1963)
Paul Anka “Diana” (1957)
Paul Anka “Puppy Love” (1960)
The Archies “Sugar, Sugar” (1969)
The Association “Windy” (1967)
Frankie Avalon “Dede Dinah” (1958)
Frankie Avalon “Venus” (1959)
Bachman-Turner Overdrive “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” (1974)
Badfinger “Come and Get It” (1970)
Philip Bailey & Phil Collins “Easy Lover” (1985)
Hank Ballard & the Midnighters “The Twist” (1960)
Bessie Banks “Go Now” (1964)
Dave Bartholomew “My Ding-a-Ling” (1952)
Toni Basi “Mickey” (1981)
The Beach Boys “Little Deuce Coupe” (1963)
The Beach Boys “Good Vibrations” (1966)
The Beatles “Love Me Do” (1962)
The Beatles “Please Please Me” (1963)
The Beatles “Do You Want to Know a Secret?” (1964)
The Beatles “Michelle” (1965)
The Beatles “Eleanor Rigby” (1966)
The Beatles “Yellow Submarine” (1966)
The Beatles “Baby You’re a Rich Man” (1967)
The Beatles “Hey Jude” (1968)
The Beatles “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” (1968)
The Beatles “Sexy Sadie” (1968)
The Beatles “Let It Be” (1970)
Bee Gees “Jive Talkin’” (1975)
Chuck Berry “Maybellene” (1955)
Chuck Berry “Johnny B. Goode” (1958)
Chuck Berry “Sweet Little Sixteen” (1958)
Chuck Berry “My Ding-a-Ling (live)” (1972)
Richard Berry “Louie Louie” (1957)
The Bobbettes “Mr. Lee” (1957)
Gary "U.S." Bonds “Quarter to Three” (1961)
Gary "U.S." Bonds “This Little Girl” (1981)
Booker T. & the MG’s “Green Onions” (1962)
Debby Boone “You Light Up My Life” (1977)
David Bowie “Space Oddity” (1969)
David Bowie “Fame” (1975)
Walter Brennan “Old Rivers” (1962)
Brooklyn Bridge with Johnny Maestro “The Worst That Can Happen” (1969)
Jackson Browne “Running on Empty” (1978)
Brownsville Station “Smokin’ in the Boys’ Room” (1973)
Buffalo Springfield “For What It’s Worth” (1967)
Johnny Burnette & the Rock ‘N’ Roll Trio “Train Kept-a-Rollin’” (1956)
The Byrds “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965)
The Byrds “Eight Miles High” (1966)
The Byrds “Mr. Spaceman” (1966)
The Byrds “So You Want to Be a Rock and Roll Star” (1967)
Glen Campbell “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” (1967)
Cannibal & the Headhunters “Land of 1,000 Dances” (1965)
Freddy Cannon “Tallahassee Lassie” (1959)
The Capris “There’s a Moon Out Tonight” (1960)
Captain & Tennille “Love Will Keep Us Together” (1975)
Carpenters “We’ve Only Just Begun” (1970)
Carpenters “Goodbye to Love” (1972)
The Champs “Tequila” (1958)
Gene Chandler “Duke of Earl” (1962)
Bruce Channel “Hey Baby” (1962)
Ray Charles “What’d I Say” (1959)
Cheap Trick “I Want You to Want Me (live)” (1979)
Chubby Checker “The Twist” (1960)
The Chiffons “He’s So Fine” (1963)
The Chiffons “One Fine Day” (1963)
The Chipmunks “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” (1958)
The Chords “Sh-Boom” (1954)
Eric Clapton “I Shot the Sheriff” (1974)
Dave Clark Five “Bits and Pieces” (1964)
The Coasters “Along Came Jones” (1959)
Phil Collins “You Can’t Hurry Love” (1982)
Commodores “Easy” (1977)
Commodores “Three Times a Lady” (1978)
Alice Cooper “School’s Out” (1972)
Cream “Badge” (1969)
Creedence Clearwater Revival “Proud Mary” (1969)
The Crests “16 Candles” (1958)
Jim Croce “Time in a Bottle” (1972)
Jim Croce “Bad Bad Leroy Brown” (1973)
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young “Woodstock” (1970)
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young “Our House” (1970)
The Crystals “He’s a Rebel” (1962)
The Crystals “Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)” (1963)
The Cuff Links “Tracy” (1969)
Charlie Daniels Band “Uneasy Rider” (1973)
Danny & The Juniors “At the Hop” (1957)
Bobby Darin “Splish Splash” (1958)
Bobby Darin “Mack the Knife” (1959)
Bobby Darin “If I Were a Carpenter” (1966)
Skeeter Davis “The End of the World” (1963)
Bobby Day “Rockin’ Robin” (1958)
Jimmy Dean “Big Bad John” (1961)
Rick Dees & His Cast of Idiots “Disco Duck” (1976)
The Del-Vikings “Come Go with Me” (1957)
John Denver “Take Me Home, Country Roads” (1971)
Derek & the Dominos “Layla” (1970)
Jackie DeShannon “Needles and Pins” (1963)
Jackie DeShannon “What the World Needs Now Is Love” (1965)
Devo “Whip It” (1980)
Neil Diamond “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” (1978)
The Diamonds “Little Darlin’” (1957)
Bo Diddley “Bo Diddley” (1955)
Mark Dinning “Teen Angel” (1959)
Dion & the Belmonts “A Teenager in Love” (1959)
Dion “The Wanderer” (1961)
Dire Straits “Sultans of Swing” (1978)
Dire Straits “Money for Nothing” (1985)
The Dixie Cups “Chapel of Love” (1964)
Fats Domino “Be My Guest” (1959)
Ral Donner “Girl of My Best Friend” (1961)
The Doobie Brothers “What a Fool Believes” (1978)
The Doors “The End” (1967)
Lee Dorsey “Ya Ya” (1961)
Joe Dowell “Wooden Heart (Muss I Denn)” (1961)
Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show “The Cover of ‘Rolling Stone’” (1972)
The Drifters “Save the Last Dance for Me” (1960)
Earl-Jean “I’m into Something Good” (1964)
Duane Eddy “Rebel Rouser” (1958)
Scott English “Brandy” (1972)
Eurythmics “Sweet Dreams Are Made of This” (1983)
The Everly Brothers “Wake Up Little Susie” (1957)
The Everly Brothers “Bye Bye Love” (1957)
The Everly Brothers “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (1958)
The Everly Brothers “Bird Dog” (1958)
The Everly Brothers “Cathy’s Clown” (1960)
The Exciters “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” (1963)
Shelley Fabares “Johnny Angel” (1962)
Marianne Faithfull “As Tears Go By” (1965)
The Fifth Dimension “Up, Up and Away” (1967)
The Fifth Dimension “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” (1969)
The Five Satins “In the Still of the Nite (I’ll Remember)” (1956)
Roberta Flack “Killing Me Softly with His Song” (1973)
Fleetwood Mac “Go Your Own Way” (1976)
Frankie Ford “Sea Cruise” (1959)
Foreigner “Urgent” (1981)
The Four Seasons “Big Girls Don’t Cry” (1962)
The Four Seasons “Sherry” (1962)
The Four Seasons “Walk Like a Man” (1963)
The Four Seasons “Rag Doll” (1964)
Four Tops “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” (1966)
Connie Francis “Who’s Sorry Now” (1958)
Aretha Franklin “Respect” (1967)
Glenn Frey “Smuggler’s Blues” (1984)
Marvin Gaye “Sexual Healing” (1982)
Crystal Gayle “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” (1977)
Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs “Sugar Shack” (1963)
The Gladiolas “Little Darlin’” (1957)
Lesley Gore “It’s My Party” (1963)
Grand Funk Railroad “We’re an American Band” (1973)
The Grateful Dead “Truckin’” (1970)
The Grateful Dead “Friend of the Devil” (1970)
The Grateful Dead “Casey Jones” (1970)
Henry Gross “Shannon” (1979)
Arlo Guthrie “The City of New Orleans” (1972)
Bill Haley & His Comets “We’re Gonna Rock Around the Clock” (1954)
Daryl Hall & John Oates “She’s Gone” (1973)
Daryl Hall & John Oates “Sara Smile” (1976)
Daryl Hall & John Oates “Kiss on My List” (1980)
Richard Harris “MacArthur Park” (1968)
Edwin Hawkins Singers “Oh Happy Day” (1969)
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins “I Put a Spell on You” (1956)
Herman’s Hermits “I’m into Something Good” (1964)
Herman’s Hermits “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter” (1965)
Herman’s Hermits “I’m Henry VIII, I Am” (1965)
Bertie Higgins “Key Largo” (1982)
Al Hirt “Java” (1964)
The Hollies “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” (1969)
The Hollies “The Air That I Breathe” (1974)
Buddy Holly & the Crickets “That’ll Be the Day” (1957)
Buddy Holly & the Crickets “Peggy Sue” (1957)
Buddy Holly & the Crickets “I’m Gonna Love You Too” (1958)
Rupert Holmes “Him” (1980)
Mary Hopkin “Those Were the Days” (1968)
Terry Jacks “Seasons in the Sun” (1974)
Michael Jackson “Beat It” (1982)
Michael Jackson “Human Nature” (1982)
Tommy James & the Shondells “Hanky Panky” (1966)
Tommy James & the Shondells “Mony Mony” (1968)
Jan & Dean “Surf City” (1963)
Jan & Dean “Honolulu Lulu” (1963)
Jan & Dean “Linda” (1963)
Jan & Dean “Dead Man’s Curve” (1964)
Jan & Dean “The Little Old Lady from Pasadena” (1964)
Jay & the Americans “Only in America” (1963)
Jefferson Airplane “White Rabbit” (1967)
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts “Crimson and Clover” (1982)
Billy Joel “Piano Man” (1973)
Billy Joel “Uptown Girl” (1983)
Elton John “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” (1975)
Rickie Lee Jones “Chuck E.’s in Love” (1979)
Tom Jones “The Green Green Grass of Home” (1966)
Katrina & the Waves “Walking on Sunshine” (1983)
Ernie K-Doe “Mother-in-Law” (1961)
Chris Kenner “Land of 1,000 Dances” (1963)
The Kingsmen “Louie Louie” (1963)
The Kingsmen “The Jolly Green Giant” (1965)
The Kinks “You Really Got Me” (1964)
The Kinks “Lola” (1970)
Cyndi Lauper “Time After Time” (1983)
Led Zeppelin “Stairway to Heaven” (1971)
Brenda Lee “Fool #1” (1961)
The Left Banke “Walk Away Renee” (1966)
Bobby Lewis “Tossin’ and Turnin’” (1961)
Gary Lewis & the Playboys “This Diamond Ring” (1965)
Huey Lewis & the News “Do You Believe in Love?” (1982)
Jerry Lee Lewis “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (1957)
Jerry Lee Lewis “Breathless” (1958)
Little Richard “Tutti Frutti” (1955)
Little Richard “Rip It Up” (1956)
The Lovin’ Spoonful “Summer in the City” (1966)
The Lovin’ Spoonful “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?” (1966)
Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” (1956)
Barbara Lynn “You’ll Lose a Good Thing” (1962)
Madonna “Like a Virgin” (1984)
Barry Manilow “Mandy” (1974)
Barry Manilow “I Write the Songs” (1975)
Manfred Mann “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” (1964)
Manfred Mann “The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo)” (1968)
Little Peggy March “I Will Follow Him” (1963)
Bob Marley & the Wailers “I Shot the Sheriff” (1974)
Paul McCartney & Wings “My Love” (1973)
The McCoys “Hang on Sloopy” (1965)
Gene McDaniels “Chip Chip” (1969)
Barry McGuire “Eve of Destruction” (1965)
Don McLean “American Pie” (1971)
Melanie “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)” (1970)
Melanie “Brand New Key” (1971)
The Miracles “Shop Around” (1960)
The Miracles “The Tracks of My Tears” (1965)
The Miracles “The Tears of a Clown” (1967)
The Monkees “A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You” (1967)
The Monkees “Valleri” (1967)
The Monotones “Book of Love” (1958)
The Moody Blues “Go Now” (1964)
Mott the Hoople “All the Young Dudes” (1972)
Napoleon XIV “They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-haaa!” (1966)
Rick Nelson “Garden Party” (1972)
Ricky Nelson “I’m Walking” (1957)
Ricky Nelson “Travelin’ Man” (1961)
Juice Newton “Angel of the Morning” (1981)
Stevie Nicks with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” (1981)
The Olympics “Good Lovin’” (1965)
Roy Orbison “Crying” (1961)
Roy Orbison “(Oh) Pretty Woman” (1964)
Tony Orlando & Dawn “Knock Three Times” (1970)
Tony Orlando & Dawn “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” (1973)
Tony Orlando & Dawn “Candida” (1970)
Bill Parsons “All-American Boy” (1958)
Paul & Paula “Hey Paula” (1962)
Carl Perkins “Blue Suede Shoes” (1956)
Peter & Gordon “Woman” (1966)
Peter, Paul & Mary “Puff the Magic Dragon” (1963)
Peter, Paul & Mary “Blowin’ in the Wind” (1963)
Bobby "Boris" Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers “Monster Mash” (1962)
Wilson Pickett “In the Midnight Hour” (1965)
Wilson Pickett “Land of 1,000 Dances” (1966)
The Pointer Sisters “Slow Hand” (1981)
The Police “Roxanne” (1978)
The Police “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” (1980)
The Police “Every Breath You Take” (1983)
Elvis Presley “Heartbreak Hotel” (1956)
Elvis Presley “Hound Dog” (1956)
Elvis Presley “Don’t Be Cruel” (1956)
Elvis Presley “All Shook Up” (1957)
Elvis Presley “It’s Now or Never” (1960)
Pretenders “Stop Your Sobbing” (1980)
? & the Mysterians “96 Tears” (1966)
Racey “Kitty (covered later as ‘Mickey’)” (1979)
The Rays “Silhouettes” (1957)
Otis Redding “Respect” (1965)
Otis Redding “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” (1968)
The Righteous Brothers “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964)
Rockwell with Michael Jackson “Somebody’s Watching Me” (1984)
The Rolling Stones “Time Is on My Side” (1964)
The Rolling Stones “It’s All Over Now” (1964)
The Rolling Stones “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (1965)
The Rolling Stones “Play with Fire” (1965)
The Rolling Stones “Brown Sugar” (1971)
Linda Ronstadt “Heat Wave” (1975)
The Royal Teens “Short Shorts” (1958)
Rufus & Chaka Khan “Tell Me Something Good” (1974)
Todd Rundgren “I Saw the Light” (1972)
Merrilee Rush & the Turnabouts “Angel of the Morning” (1968)
Bobby Rydell “Volare” (1960)
Sam & Dave “Hold on I’m Comin’” (1966)
Sam & Dave “Soul Man” (1967)
Leo Sayer “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” (1976)
The Searchers “Needles and Pins” (1964)
Neil Sedaka “Oh Carol” (1959)
Neil Sedaka “Laughter in the Rain” (1974)
Neil Sedaka “Bad Blood” (1975)
Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band “Night Moves” (1976)
Michael Sembello “Maniac” (1983)
David Seville “Witch Doctor” (1958)
Del Shannon “Runaway” (1961)
Shirley & Lee “Let the Good Times Roll” (1956)
Carly Simon “You’re So Vain” (1972)
Simon & Garfunkel “The Sound of Silence” (aka “The Sounds of Silence”) (1965)
Paul Simon “Mother and Child Reunion” (1972)
Frank Sinatra “My Way” (1969)
Percy Sledge “When a Man Loves a Woman” (1966)
Spanky & Our Gang “Sunday Will Never Be the Same” (1967)
Dusty Springfield “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me” (1966)
Rick Springfield “Jessie’s Girl” (1981)
Terry Stafford “Suspicion” (1964)
Al Stewart “Year of the Cat” (1976)
Al Stewart “Time Passages” (1978)
Rod Stewart “You’re in My Heart (The Final Acclaim)” (1977)
The Strangeloves “I Want Candy” (1965)
Strawberry Alarm Clock “Incense and Peppermints” (1967)
Donna Summer “MacArthur Park” (1978)
The Supremes “Stop! In the Name of Love” (1965)
The Surfaris “Wipe Out” (1963)
Talking Heads “Psycho Killer” (1977)
James Taylor “Handy Man” (1977)
The Teddy Bears “To Know Him Is to Love Him” (1958)
Joe Tex “Skinny Legs and All” (1967)
Irma Thomas “Time Is on My Side” (1964)
Big Mama Thornton “Hound Dog” (1953)
Three Dog Night “Black and White” (1972)
Johnny Tillotson “Poetry in Motion” (1961)
The Tokens “The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh)” (1961)
Tom & Jerry “Hey Schoolgirl” (1957)
Toto “Rosanna” (1982)
The Troggs “Wild Thing” (1966)
The Turtles “Happy Together” (1967)
Ritchie Valens “Donna” (1958)
Van Halen “Jump” (1983)
Bobby Vee “Rubber Ball” (1960)
The Ventures “Walk Don’t Run” (1960)
Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps “Be-Bop-A-Lula” (1956)
Loudon Wainwright III “Dead Skunk” (1973)
John Waite “Missing You” (1984)
Junior Walker & the All Stars “Shotgun” (1965)
Wang Chung “Dance Hall Days” (1984)
Dionne Warwick “Don’t Make Me Over” (1962)
Wham! “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” (1984)
The Who “My Generation” (1965)
Wilson Place Street Band “Disco Lucy” (1977)
Frank J. Wilson & the Cavaliers “Last Kiss” (1964)
Steve Winwood “While You See a Chance” (1981)
Little Stevie Wonder Fingertips (Part 2) (1963)
Weird Al Yankovic “My Bologna” (parody of The Knack’s “My Sharona”) (1983)
Weird Al Yankovic “Eat It” (parody of Michael Jackson's “Beat It”) (1984)
The Young Rascals “Good Lovin’” (1966)
The Youngbloods “Get Together” (1967)

Resources/Related Links:

Dave’s Music Database: lists from critics and individuals
Dave’s Music Database: lists from publications and/or organizations
Bob Shannon & John Javna (1986). Behind the Hits. Warner Books, Inc.: New York, NY.

First posted 4/1/2023.

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Wednesday, December 31, 1986