The Wrecking Crew was a group of Los Angeles-based session musicians who played on hundreds of top 40 hits in the 1960s and ‘70s. Drummer Hal Blaine used the term for his 1990 memoir, claiming that the group was called that disparagingly by the industry’s old guard who thought these players would “wreck” the music industry with their casual T-shirts and jeans wear. Fellow member Carol Kaye, however, has disputed this, saying Blaine just invented the term for his own self promotion. Some of their most prominent work included the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds album and many of producer Phil Spector’s classic works.
Members included Allan Beautler (sax), Vinnie Bell (g), Max Bennett (b), Chuck Berghofter (double b), Lou Blackburn (trombone), Hal Blaine (d), Jimmy Bond (double b), Bud Brisbois (trumpet), Dennis Budimir (g), Larry Bunker (d), James Burton (g), Red Callender (double b), Glen Campbell (g), Frank Capp (d), Al Casey (g), Roy Caton (trumpet), Gene Cipriano (sax), John Clauder (d), Jerry Cole (g), Gary Coleman (d), Mike Deasy (g), Al De Lory (k), Steve Douglas (sax), Forrest Draper (d), Dr. John (k), Victor Feldman (d), Chuck Findley (trumpet), Clare Fischer (k), Jim Gordon (d), Bill Green (sax), Glen D. Hardin (k), Ron Hicklin Singers (backing v), Milt Holland (d), Jim Horn (sax/flute), Richard “Slyde” Hyde (trombone), Plas Johnson (sax), Carol Kaye (b/g), Jackie Kelso (sax), Jim Keltner (d), Barney Kessel (g), Lary Knechtel (b/k), Jackie Kelso (sax), Lew McCreary (trombone), Mike Melvoin (k), Jay Migliori (sax), Ollie Mitchell (trumpet), Tommy Morgan (harmonica), Dick Nash (trombone), Joe Osborn (b), Earl Palmer (d), Ray Pholman (g/b), Bill Pitman (g/b), Joe Porcaro (d), Chuck Rainey (b), Don Randi (g/k), Howard Roberts (g), Mike Rubini (k), Leon Russell (k), Louie Shelton (g), P.F. Sloan (g), Billy Strange (g), Tommy Tedesco (g), Nino Tempo (sax), Tony Terran (trumpet).
The sources at the bottom of the page were used to compile the list of songs eligible for this list. To my knowledge, there is no definitive list of all the songs on which members of the Wrecking Crew played. It is estimated that Hal Blaine alone played on 35,000 songs.
Click here to see other genre-specific song lists.
DMDB Top 1%:
1. Simon & Garfunkel “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (1970)
2. The Beach Boys “Good Vibrations” (1966)
3. The Righteous Brothers “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964)
4. The Ronettes “Be My Baby” (1963)
5. The Byrds “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1965)
6. The Beach Boys “God Only Knows” (1966)
7. Elvis Presley “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (1961)
8. The Mamas & Papas “California Dreamin’” (1965)
9. Marvin Gaye “Let’s Get It On” (1973)
10. Tennessee Ernie Ford “Sixteen Tons” (1955)
11. Nat “King” Cole “Mona Lisa” (1950)
12. Simon & Garfunkel “Mrs. Robinson” (1968)
13. Ritchie Valens “La Bamba” (1958)
14. Sam Cooke “You Send Me” (1957)
15. Barbra Streisand “The Way We Were” (1973)
16. The Platters “Only You (And You Alone)” (1955)
17. The Turtles “Happy Together” (1967)
18. The Fifth Dimension “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” (1969)
19. Glen Campbell “Rhinestone Cowboy” (1975)
20. Captain & Tennille “Love Will Keep Us Together” (1975)
21. Sonny & Cher “I Got You Babe” (1965)
22. Ike & Tina Turner “River Deep, Mountain High” (1966)
23. Glen Campbell “Wichita Lineman” (1968)
24. Frank Sinatra “Strangers in the Night” (1966)
25. Carpenters “They Long to Be Close to You” (1970)
DMDB Top 2%:
26. The Beach Boys “California Girls” (1965)
27. The Beach Boys “I Get Around” (1964)
28. The Mamas & the Papas “Monday Monday” (1966)
29. The Chipmunks “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” (1958)
30. Simon & Garfunkel “The Boxer” (1969)
31. Scott McKenzie “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)” (1967)
32. Nancy Sinatra “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” (1966)
33. The Crystals “Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Kissed Me)” (1963)
34. The Crystals “He’s a Rebel” (1962)
35. Herb Alpert “This Guy’s in Love with You” (1968)
36. The Beach Boys “Surfin’ U.S.A.” (1963)
37. America “Ventura Highway” (1972)
38. The Teddy Bears “To Know Him Is to Love Him” (1958)
39. Ritchie Valens “Donna” (1958)
40. The Beach Boys “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” (1966)
41. Glen Campbell “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” (1967)
42. The Association “Never My Love” (1967)
43. Frank & Nancy Sinatra “Somethin’ Stupid” (1967)
44. Barry McGuire “Eve of Destruction” (1965)
45. Seals & Croft “Summer Breeze” (1972)
46. The Association “Windy” (1967)
DMDB Top 5%:
47. Harry Nilsson “Everybody’s Talkin’” (1968)
48. The Beach Boys “Don’t Worry Baby” (1964)
49. Glen Campbell “Gentle on My Mind” (1967)
50. Elvis Presley “Return to Sender” (1962)
51. The Monkees “Last Train to Clarksville” (1966)
52. The Fifth Dimension “Up, Up and Away” (1967)
53. Richard Harris “MacArthur Park” (1968)
54. Darlene Love “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” (1963)
55. The Partridge Family “I Think I Love You” (1970)
56. The Righteous Brothers “You’re My Soul and Inspiration” (1966)
57. Roger Williams “Born Free” (1966)
58. The Crystals “Then He Kissed Me” (1963)
59. John Denver “Annie’s Song” (1974)
60. Glen Campbell “Galveston” (1969)
61. Tommy Roe “Dizzy” (1969)
62. Diana Ross “Do You Know Where You’re Going To? (Theme from Mahogany)” (1975)
63. The Beach Boys “Help Me Rhonda” (1965)
64. The Fifth Dimension “The Wedding Bell Blues” (1969)
65. The Beach Boys “Sloop John B” (1966)
66. John Denver “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” (1974)
67. Simon & Garfunkel “Cecilia” (1970)
68. Dean Martin “Everybody Loves Somebody” (1964)
69. Jan & Dean “Surf City” (1963)
70. Neil Diamond “Cracklin’ Rosie” (1970)
71. Shelley Fabares “Johnny Angel” (1962)
72. Cher “Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves” (1971)
73. Gary Puckett & the Union Gap “Young Girl” (1968)
74. The Beach Boys “Fun, Fun, Fun” (1964)
75. Carpenters “Top of the World” (1973)
76. The Mamas & the Papas “Creeque Alley” (1967)
77. Gary Lewis & the Playboys “This Diamond Ring” (1964)
78. Neil Diamond “Song Sung Blue” (1972)
DMDB Top 5%:
79. Nino Tempo & April Stevens “Deep Purple” (1963)
80. Paul Revere & the Raiders “Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian)” (1971)
81. Elvis Presley “You’re the Devil in Disguise” (1963)
82. The Grass Roots “Let’s Live for Today” (1967)
83. Vicki Lawrence “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” (1973)
84. Frank Sinatra “That’s Life” (1966)
85. Bobby Vee “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes’ (1962)
86. Bobby Day “Rockin’ Robin” (1958)
87. The Beach Boys “Little Deuce Coupe” (1963)
88. Paul Revere & the Raiders “Kicks” (1966)
89. The Beach Boys “Surfer Girl” (1963)
90. Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass “A Taste of Honey” (1965)
91. Sam Cooke “Twistin’ the Night Away” (1962)
92. Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds “Don’t Pull Your Love” (1971)
93. Petula Clark “My Love” (1965)
94. Lalo Schifrin “Mission: Impossible Theme” (1968)
95. Sam Cooke “Another Saturday Night” (1963)
96. The Supremes “The Happening” (1967)
97. John Denver “I’m Sorry” (1975)
98. Johnny Mandel “Suicide Is Painess (Theme from M*A*S*H)” (1970)
99. Elvis Presley “Viva Las Vegas” (1964)
100. Lorne Greene “Ringo” (1964)
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First posted 4/29/2025.
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