Marc Myers Anatomy of a Song

Marc Myers: Anatomy of a Song: Top 100 Songs

In 2016, writer and music historian Marc Myers published Anatomy of a Song, a book analyzing 45 songs from the 1950s to the 1990s. Click here to see other lists from critics and individuals and here to see other lists from publications and/or organizations. In 2022, he published a second volume, Anatomy of 55 More Songs. Combined the two volumes covered 100 songs, which are listed here chronologically. Dates refer to the song’s earliest release, be it as a single or an album cut. Songs are noted with a 1 if featured in the first book and 2 if in the second book. Lloyd Price “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” (5/17/1952) 1 Little Willie Littlefield “K.C. Lovin’” (8/12/1952) / Wilbert Harrison “Kansas City” (4/3/1959) 1 The Isley Brothers “Shout (Parts 1 and 2)” (9/7/1959) 1 The Marvelettes “Please Mr. Postman” (8/21/1961) 1 Dion “Runaround Sue” (9/15/1961) 1 The Dixie Cups “Chapel of Love” (4/16/1964) 1 Dionne Warwick “Walk on By” (4/16/1964) 2 Martha Reeves & the Vandellas “Dancing in the Street” (7/31/1964) 2 The Kinks “You Really Got Me” (8/4/1964) 1 The Righteous Brothers “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (12/11/1964) 1 The Temptations “My Girl” (12/21/1964) 1 Donovan “Sunshine Superman” (7/29/1966) 2 Four Tops “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” (8/18/1966) 1 The Beach Boys “Good Vibrations” (10/10/1966) 2 The Doors “Light My Fire” (1/4/1967) 1 The Lovin’ Spoonful “Darling Be Home Soon” (2/11/1967) 1 Jefferson Airplane “White Rabbit” (2/28/1967) 1 The Youngbloods “Get Together” (3/25/1967) 2 The Young Rascals “Groovin’” (4/21/1967) 1 The 5th Dimension “Up, Up and Away” (6/3/1967) 2 Linda Ronstadt & the Stone Poneys “Different Drum” (6/30/1967) 1 Otis Redding “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” (1/8/1968) 1 Loretta Lynn “Fist City” (2/24/1968) 1 The Crazy World of Arthur Brown “Fire” (6/26/1968) 2 The Band “The Weight” (8/8/1968) 2 The Rolling Stones “Street Fighting Man” (8/31/1968) 1 Tammy Wynette “Stand by Your Man” (9/20/1968) 1 Steppenwolf “Magic Carpet Ride” (10/5/1968) 1 Creedence Clearwater Revival “Proud Mary” (1/18/1969) 1 Tommy James & the Shondells “Crystal Blue Persuasion” (2/1/1969) 2 The Edwin Hawkins Singers with Dorothy Combs Morrison “Oh Happy Day” (4/26/1969) 1 Creedence Clearwater Revival “Bad Moon Rising” (5/2/1969) 2 Elvis Presley “Suspicious Minds” (8/26/1969) 1 Led Zeppelin “Whole Lotta Love” (10/22/1969) 1 Diana Ross “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (6/19/1970) 2 Black Sabbath “Paranoid” (8/7/1970) 2 The Grateful Dead “Truckin’” (11/1/1970) 2 Janis Joplin “Mercedes Benz” (1/30/1971) 1 Alice Cooper “I’m Eighteen” (2/20/1971) 2 The Rolling Stones “Moonlight Mile” (4/23/1971) 1 Rod Stewart “Maggie May” (5/31/1971) 1 Joni Mitchell “Carey” (6/22/1971) 1 T-Rex “Get It On (Bang a Gong)” (7/2/1971) 2 The Staple Singers “Respect Yourself” (10/2/1971) 1 The Hollies “Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress” (10/8/1971) 2 Yes “Roundabout” (11/30/1971) 2 Jackson Browne “Doctor My Eyes” (1/31/1972) 2 Todd Rundgren “Hello It’s Me” (2/28/1972) 2 Deep Purple “Smoke on the Water” (March 1972) 2 Elton John “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Gonna Be a Long Time)” (4/14/1972) 2 The Temptations “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” (7/27/1972) 2 Jimmy Cliff “The Harder They Come” (July 1972) 1 The Spinners “I’ll Be Around” (8/19/1972) 2 Roberta Flack “Killing Me Softly with His Song” (1/19/1973) 2 The Allman Brothers Band “Ramblin’ Man” (8/17/1973) 1 Gladys Knight & the Pips “Midnight Train to Georgia” (8/25/1973) 1 Daryl Hall & John Oates “She’s Gone” (11/3/1973) 2 Redbone “Come and Get Your Love” (1/5/1974) 2 Gordon Lightfoot “Sundown” (2/2/1974) 2 The Hues Corporation “Rock the Boat” (5/4/1974) 1 10cc “I’m Not in Love” (4/19/1975) 2 Aerosmith “Walk This Way” (4/30/1975) 1 Roxy Music “Love Is the Drug” (9/30/1975) 2 Thin Lizzy “The Boys Are Back in Town” (4/17/1976) 2 Steve Miller Band “Fly Like an Eagle” (5/26/1976) 2 Stevie Wonder “Love’s in Need of Love Today” (9/28/1976) 1 Al Stewart “Year of the Cat” (10/9/1976) 2 Heart “Barracuda” (5/14/1977) 2 Carly Simon “Nobody Does It Better” (7/15/1977) 2 Elvis Costello “The Angels Want to Wear My Red Shoes” (7/22/1977) 1 Steely Dan “Deacon Blues” (10/15/1977) 1 Steely Dan “Peg” (10/15/1977) 2 The Cars “My Best Friend’s Girl” (6/6/1978) 2 Blondie “Heart of Glass” (9/16/1978) 1 Kenny Rogers “The Gambler” (10/28/1978) 2 Earth, Wind & Fire “September” (11/17/1978) 2 The Doobie Brothers “What a Fool Believes” (12/23/1978) 2 Elvis Costello “Accidents Will Happen” (1/5/1979) 2 Charlie Daniels Band “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” (4/1/1979) 2 Chic “Good Times” (6/4/1979) 2 AC/DC “Highway to Hell” (7/27/1979) 2 Gary Numan “Cars” (8/21/1979) 2 Pink Floyd “Another Brick in the Wall Part II” (11/23/1979) 1 The Clash “London Calling” (12/7/1979) 1 Donna Summer “On the Radio” (1/4/1980) 2 Joan Jett & the Blackhearts “Bad Reputation” (5/17/1980) 2 Blondie “Rapture” (11/30/1980) 2 The Neville Brothers “Brother John/Iko Iko” (April 1981) 1 Journey “Don’t Stop Believin’” (7/31/1981) 2 Merle Haggard “Big City” (10/31/1981) 1 Joe Jackson “Steppin’ Out” (7/17/1982) 2 Talking Heads “Burning Down the House” (6/1/1983) 2 Cyndi Lauper “Time After Time” (10/14/1983) 1 Huey Lewis & the News “The Power of Love” (6/28/1985) 2 John (Cougar) Mellencamp “Small Town” (8/5/1985) 2 Keith Richards “Take It So Hard’ (10/3/1988) 2 Bonnie Raitt “Nick of Time” (3/21/1989) 1 Pet Shop Boys “Being Boring” (10/22/1990) 2 R.E.M. “Losing My Religion” (2/19/1991) 1 Sheryl Crow “If It Makes You Happy” (8/31/1996) 2 Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: lists from critics and individuals Dave’s Music Database: lists from publications and/or organizations Marc Myers (November 2016). Anatomy of a Song. Grove Press: New York, NY. Marc Myers (12/6/2022). Anatomy of 55 More Songs. Grove Press: New York, NY. First posted 8/6/2023.

Sting The Bridge released

The Bridge Sting

Released: November 19, 2021 Peak: 101 US, 27 UK, 90 CN, 64 AU Sales (in millions): -- US, -- UK, -- world (includes US and UK) Genre: rock

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Rushing Water [3:17] (11/16/21, --) If It’s Love [3:12] (9/1/21, --) The Book of Numbers [3:18] Loving You [4:24] Harmony Road [3:18] For Her Love [3:45] The Hills on the Border [4:16] Captain Bateman [4:14] The Bells of St. Thomas [4:08] The Bridge [2:33] Total Running Time: 36:25

Rating: 3.402 out of 5.00 (average of 8 ratings)

About the Album: Sting recorded this album during the pandemic “with a coterie of trusted musicians beaming into his studio remotely.” AZ He explained, “I’ve been travelling the world for years…so the idea of being in one place for a few months, in the same bed, was strange to me. So, I had to get used to it.” He said, “I have a studio, so I would still go to work every day…My entire life was now in the studio.” AZ “He used musicians with whom he’d collaborated before – Dominic Miller, Branford Marsalis, Melissa Musique, Gene Noble, Josh Freese, Manu Katché, Jo Lawry, Fred Renaudin, Peter Tickell, Julian Sutton, Laila Biali, Gavin Brown, Shaggy, Donal Hodgson, Tony Lake and Martin Kierszenbaum with whom he co-produced the album.” AZ Regarding the album title, The Bridge, Sting noticed that the songs “were all about characters in transition, between one world and another, between relationships, life and death, and that was the connecting tissue.” BB He noted that “the meaning of ‘bridge’ contains multitudes. It links things, ideas, cultures, banks of a river. It’s a place you steer a ship from. It’s also a route into the past, and so it was that Sting found himself considering his own foundations – the music and the places that reside within his very DNA.” AZ This is “an album that intriguingly stretches backwards, showcasing the many different stages and genres through which Sting has journeyed in an unparalleled career.” AZ This is “a record that is at once modern and upbeat but rooted in Sting’s lifelong musical and lyrical passions.” AZ “Rushing Water starts things with funky, ’80s-flavored textures that lead into the buoyant, brassy…If It’s Love, BB “an unabashed pop song lent wings by a whistled refrain, joyful handclaps, and uplifting brass and strings.” AZ “Harmony Road, The Bells of St. Thomas, For Her Love and the title track, meanwhile, explore gentler and more elegiac moods, while “Captain Bateman” adapts a 12th century English folk song from a book Sting keeps on his piano at home.” BB “Further demonstrating his interest in, and mastery of, myriad genres is Loving You. What Sting describes as the song’s ‘stark musical setting’ of electronic beats and ambient synth washes comes courtesy of Maya Jane Coles, the Anglo-Japanese techno DJ, producer, remixer and engineer. ‘I added a little bass while Melissa Musique and Gene Noble lent their wonderful vocals, and the story of jealousy and hurt unfolded like a poisoned flower waiting for the sweet waters of reconciliation to rain down.’” AZ Notes: The deluxe edition included “Waters of Tyne,” “Captain Bateman’s Basement,” and a over of Otis Redding’s “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay.”

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Sting AZ Amazon BB Billboard (11/17/2021). “Sting Talks New Album ‘The Bridge’…” by Gary Graff WK Wikipedia Other Related DMDB Pages: First posted 11/19/2021; last updated 11/30/2021.

BMI: Top 100 Songs of the Century

BMI: Top 100 Songs of the Century

At the end of 1999, BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) announced the top 100 songs of the century, as determined by most plays on American radio and television. BMI was founded in 1939 to represent songwriters. They are the largest performing rights organization in the United States. Songs are identified by title, the songwriters, and the first year of release. While specific performers are generally associated with the songs on this list, BMI counts all performances of a song by any artist under one title. Click here to see other song lists based on charts, sales, and airplay. 1. “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964) by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Phil Spector 2. “Never My Love” (1967) by Donald and Richard Addrisi 3. “Yesterday” (1965) by John Lennon and Paul McCartney (1965) 4. “Stand by Me” (1961) by Ben E. King, Elmo Glick, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller 5. “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” (1967) by Bob Crewe & Bob Gaudio 6. “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay” (1968) by Steve Cropper & Otis Redding 7. “Mrs. Robinson” (1968) by Paul Simon 8. Four Tops “Baby I Need Your Loving” (1964) by Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland & Eddie Holland 9. “Rhythm of the Rain” (1963) by John Gummoe 10. “Georgia on My Mind” (1930) by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell 11. “Killing Me Softly with His Song” (1973) by Charles Fox & Norman Gimbel 12. “More” (1962) by Marcello Ciorciolini, Norman Newell, Nino Oliviero, Riz Ortolani 13. “I Will Always Love You” (1974) by Dolly Parton 14. “When a Man Loves a Woman” (1966) by Calvin Lewis & Andrew J. Wright 15. “Every Breath You Take” (1983) by Sting 16. “Gentle on My Mind” (1967) by John Hartford 17. “Something” (1969) by George Harrison 18. “The Sounds of Silence” (1965) by Paul Simon 19. “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (1970) by Paul Simon 20. “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” (1967) by Jimmy Webb 21. “Angel of the Morning” (1968) by Chip Taylor 22. “Cherish” (1966) by Terry Kirkman 23. “You Can’t Hurry Love” (1966) by Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland & Eddie Holland 24. “Proud Mary” (1969) by John Fogerty 25. “Sunny” (1966) by Bobby Hebb 26. “(Oh) Pretty Woman” (1964) by William Dees & Roy Orbison 27. “Everybody’s Talkin’” (1968) by Fred Neil 28. “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968) by Barrett Strong & Norman Whitfield 29. “Goin’ Out of My Head” (1964) by Teddy Randazzo & Bobby Weinstein 30. “Suspicious Minds” (1969) by Mark James 31. “Scarborough Fair” (1966) by Art Garfunkel & Paul Simon 32. “Traces” (1969) by Buddy Buie, J.R. Cobb, Emory Gordy 33. “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (1958) by Boudleaux Bryant 34. “Only You (And You Alone)” (1955) by Ande Rand & Buck Ram 35. “Canadian Sunset” (1956) by Norman Gimbel & Eddie Heywood 36. “Oh Girl” (1972) by Eugene Record 37. “Your Song” (1970) by Elton John & Bernie Taupin 38. “How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You” (1964) by Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland & Eddie Holland 39. “Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher and Higher” (1967) by Gary Jackson, Raynard Miner & Carl William Smith 40. “I Can’t Stop Loving You” (1958) by Don Gibson 41. “Wind Beneath My Wings” (1989) by Larry Henley & Jeff Silbar 42. “Michelle” (1965) by John Lennon & Paul McCartney 43. “Up, Up and Away” (1967) by Jimmy Webb 44. “Happy Together” (1967) by Garry Bonner & Alan Gordon 45. “On Broadway” (1963) by Jerry Leiber, Barry Mann, Mike Stoller & Cynthia Weil 46. “Twilight Time” (1945) by Al Nevins, Morty Nevins & Buck Ram 47. “Strangers in the Night” (1966) by Bert Kaempfert, Charles Singleton & Eddie Snyder 48. “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” (1962) by Howard Greenfield & Neil Sedaka 49. “Save the Last Dance for Me” (1960) by Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman 50. “For the Good Times” (1970) by Kris Kristofferson 51. “We’ve Only Just Begun” (1970) by Roger Nichols & Paul Williams 52. “What a Wonderful World” (1967) by Lou Adler, Herb Alpert & Sam Cooke 53. “Snowbird” (1970) by Gene MacLellan 54. “Everlasting Love” (1967) by Buzz Cason & Mac Gayden 55. “My Special Angel” (1957) by Jimmy Duncan 56. “The Most Beautiful Girl” (1973) by Rory Bourke, Billy Sherrill & Norro Wilson 57. “Brown-Eyed Girl” (1967) by Van Morrison 58. “The Girl from Ipanema” (1964) by Vinicius DeMoraes, Norman Gimbel & Antonio Carlos Jobim 59. “My Cherie Amour” (1969) by Sylvia Moy, Henry Cosby & Stevie Wonder 60. “Always on My Mind” (1972) by Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher & Mark James 61. “Windy” (1967) by Ruthann Friedman 62. “If You Don’t Know Me by Now” (1972) by Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff 63. “Margaritaville” (1977) by Jimmy Buffett 64. “Spanish Eyes” (1965) by Bert Kaempfert, Charles Singleton & Eddie Snyder 65. “Daydream Believer” (1967) by John Stewart 66. “Daniel” (1973) by Elton John and Bernie Taupin 67. “Take It Easy” (1972) by Glenn Frey & Jackson Browne 68. “Let Your Love Flow” (1976) by Larry Williams 69. “The Rose” (1979) by Amanda McBroom 70. “The Heart of the Matter” (1989) by Don Henley, J.D. Souther & Mike Campbell 71. “Don’t Be Cruel” (1956) by Otis Blackwell & Elvis Presley 72. “Listen to the Music” (1972) by Tom Johnston 73. “A Groovy Kind of Love” (1966) by Carole Bayer Sager & Toni Wine 74. “Crying” (1961) by Joe Melson & Roy Orbison 75. “Put a Little Love in Your Heart” (1969) by Jackie DeShannon, Jimmy Holiday & Randy Myers 76. “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” (1974) by Elton John & Bernie Taupin 77. “Help Me Make It Through the Night” (1971) by Kris Kristofferson 78. “Best of My Love” (1974) by Glenn Frey, Don Henley & J.D. Souther 79. “The Letter” (1967) by Wayne Carson 80. “Dreams” (1977) by Stevie Nicks 81. “Mr. Bojangles” (1968) by Jerry Jeff Walker 82. “Fire and Rain” (1970) by James Taylor 83. “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye” (1966) by John D. Loudermilk 84. “Hooked on a Feeling” (1974) by Mark James 85. “Blue Bayou” (1963) by Joe Melson & Roy Orbison 86. “Born Free” (1966) by John Barry & Don Black 87. “Release Me” (1967) by Eddie Miller, Dub Williams & Robert Yount 88. “It’s Just a Matter of Time” (1959) by Brook Benton, Belford Hendricks & Clyde Otis 89. “Let It Be” (1970) by John Lennon & Paul McCartney 90. “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight” (1976) by Parker McGee 91. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (1965) by Mick Jagger & Keith Richards 92. “Up on the Roof” (1962) by Gerry Goffin & Carole King 93. “Layla” (1970) by Eric Clapton & Jim Gordon 94. “I Honestly Love You” (1974) by Peter Allen & Jeff Barry 95. “California Girls” (1965) by Mike Love & Brian Wilson 96. “Imagine” (1971) by John Lennon 97. “You Send Me” (1957) by Sam Cooke 98. “How Deep Is Your Love” (1977) by Barry, Maurice & Robin Gibb 99. “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden” (1970) by Joe South 100. “Sometimes When We Touch” (1977) by Barry Mann & Dan Hill Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Lists from other publications and/or organizations” BMI.com (12/13/1999). “BMI Announces Top 100 Songs of the Century” First posted 12/18/2025.

 

Jukebox Hits: Top 40 All Time

Jukebox Hits: Top 40 Songs All Time

This list was released by Amusement & Music Operators Association in America (AMOA) in 1989 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the jukebox. It was compiled by polling over 1,600 AMOA-member jukebox owners and operators. Check other lists based on charts, sales, and airplay here. 1. Elvis Presley “Don’t Be Cruel” / “Hound Dog” (1956) 2. Patsy Cline “Crazy” (1961) 3. Bill Haley & His Comets “We’re Gonna Rock Around the Clock” (1954) 4. Otis Redding “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay” (1968) 5. Marvin Gaye “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968) 6. Bobby Darin “Mack the Knife” (1959) 7. The Doors “Light My Fire” (1967) 8. Fats Domino “Blueberry Hill” (1956) 9. Bob Seger & Silver Bullet Band “Old Time Rock and Roll” (1978): 10. The Temptations “My Girl” (1965) 11. Lou Reed “Walk on the Wild Side” (1972) 12. The Rolling Stones “Honky Tonk Women” (1969) 13. The Beatles “Can’t Buy Me Love” (1964) 14. Frank Sinatra “Theme from New York, New York” (1980) 15. Steppenwolf “Born to Be Wild” (1968) 16. The Kingsmen “Louie Louie” (1963) 17. Chuck Berry “Maybellene” (1955) 18. The Beatles “Hey Jude” (1968) 19. The Beach Boys “Good Vibrations” (1966) 20. Aretha Franklin “Respect” (1967) 21. Tammy Wynette “Stand by Your Man” (1968) 22. The Animals “The House of the Rising Sun” (1964) 23. Glenn Miller “In the Mood” (1939) 24. The Rolling Stones “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (1965) 25. Talking Heads “Take Me to the River” (1978) 26. Creedence Clearwater Revival “Proud Mary” (1969) 27. Creedence Clearwater Revival “Bad Moon Rising” (1969) 28. Elvis Presley “Jailhouse Rock” (1957) 29. Ray Price “For the Good Times” (1970) 30. Jerry Lee Lewis “Great Balls of Fire” (1957) 31. Patsy Cline “I Fall to Pieces” (1961) 32. Chuck Berry “Johnny B. Goode” (1958) 33. George Thorogood & the Destroyers “Bad to the Bone” (1982) 34. Buddy Holly & the Crickets “That’ll Be the Day” (1957) 35. Chubby Checker “The Twist” (1960) 36. Elvis Presley “All Shook Up (1957) 37. Buddy Holly “Peggy Sue” (1957) 38. Neil Young “Heart of Gold” (1972) 39. Percy Sledge “When a Man Loves a Woman” (1966) 40. Artie Shaw “Stardust” (1941) Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Lists Based on Charts, Sales, and Airplay” Dave’s Music Database: “Today in Music (Nov. 23, 1889): The Jukebox Debuted” Gert J. Almind (1989). “American Top 40 Jukebox Singles” First posted 9/15/2023.

Dave's Faves: Top 100 Songs, 1960-1969

Dave’s Faves: My Top 100 Songs 1960-1969

These are my personal favorite top 100 songs from 1960-1969. 1. Otis Redding “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay” (1968) 2. The Beatles “A Day in the Life” (1967) 3. The Rolling Stones “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” (1969) 4. Aretha Franklin “Respect” (1967) 5. The Rolling Stones “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (1965) 6. The Beatles “Eleanor Rigby” (1966) 7. The Beatles “With a Little Help from My Friends” (1967) 8. The Four Tops “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” (1966) 9. The Righteous Brothers “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (1964) 10. The Beatles “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963) 11. Sam Cooke “A Change Is Gonna Come” (1964) 12. David Bowie “Space Oddity” (1969) 13. The Beatles “Yesterday” (1965) 14. Bob Dylan “Like a Rolling Stone” (1965) 15. Marvin Gaye “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (1968) 16. The Temptations “My Girl” (1964) 17. The Kinks “You Really Got Me” (1964) 18. Buffalo Springfield “For What It’s Worth” (1967) 19. The Rolling Stones “Sympathy for the Devil” (1968) 20. The Who “Pinball Wizard” (1969) 21. Led Zeppelin “Whole Lotta Love” (1969) 22. The Beatles “Hey Jude” (1968) 23. The Who “My Generation” (1966) 24. Jimmy Durante “Frosty the Snowman” (1969) 25. Aretha Franklin “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman” (1967) 26. Chubby Checker “The Twist” (1960) 27. The Kingsmen “Louie Louie” (1963) 28. Percy Sledge “When a Man Loves a Woman” (1966) 29. Arlo Guthrie “Alice’s Restaurant” (1967) 30. The Byrds “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1968) 31. James Brown & the Furious Flames “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (1965) 32. Ben E. King “Stand by Me” (1961) 33. Creedence Clearwater Revival “Proud Mary” (1969) 34. The Animals “The House of the Rising Sun” (1964) 35. The Moody Blues “Nights in White Satin” (1967) 36. Martha & the Vandellas “Dancing in the Street” (1964) 37. Sly & The Family Stone “Everyday People” (1968) 38. Bob Dylan “The Times They Are A-Changin’” (1964) 39. The Jimi Hendrix Experience “Hey Joe” (1966) 40. The Righteous Brothers “Unchained Melody” (1965) 41. Jefferson Airplane “White Rabbit” (1967) 42. Bob Dylan “Blowin’ in the Wind” (1963) 43. The Beatles “Help!” (1965) 44. The Jimi Hendrix Experience “All Along the Watchtower” (1968) 45. Roy Orbison “(Oh) Pretty Woman” (1964) 46. The Beatles “Strawberry Fields Forever” (1967) 47. The Beach Boys “Good Vibrations” (1966) 48. The Beatles “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” (1967) 49. Sam Cooke “Wonderful World” (1960) 50. The Troggs “Wild Thing” (1966) 51. Ray Charles “Georgia on My Mind” (1960) 52. Louis Armstrong “What a Wonderful World” (1967) 53. Blind Faith “Can’t Find My Way Home” (1969) 54. The Tokens “The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh)” (1961) 55. The Supremes “Stop! In the Name of Love” (1965) 56. Them “Gloria” (1964) 57. Steppenwolf “Born to Be Wild” (1968) 58. The Rolling Stones “Gimme Shelter” (1969) 59. The Doors “Light My Fire” (1967) 60. The Beatles “Twist and Shout” (1963) 61. Procol Harum “A Whiter Shade of Pale” (1967) 62. The Ronettes “Be My Baby” (1963) 63. The Beatles “Penny Lane” (1967) 64. The Drifters “Under the Boardwalk” (1964) 65. The Beatles “Paperback Writer” (1966) 66. The Beach Boys “California Girls” (1965) 67. The Beatles “Can’t Buy Me Love” (1964) 68. The Beatles “All You Need Is Love” (1967) 69. Julie Andrews “The Sound of Music” (1965) 70. Etta James “At Last” (1961) 71. Frank Sinatra “My Way” (1969) 72. The Rolling Stones “Mother’s Little Helper” (1966) 73. Patsy Cline “Crazy” (1961) 74. The Surfaris “Wipe Out” (1963) 75. The Rolling Stones “Under My Thumb” (1966) 76. The Disneyland Boys Choir “It’s a Small World After All” (1964) 77. Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs “Stay” (1960) 78. Lesley Gore “It’s My Party” (1963) 79. Julie Andrews with Dick Van Dyke & the Pearlie Chorus “Supercalifragilisticexpalidocious” (1964) 80. Aretha Franklin “I Never Loved a Man the Way I Loved You” (1967) 81. The Byrds “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)” (1965) 82. The Beatles “Come Together” (1969) 83. The Dixie Cups “Chapel of Love” (1964) 84. The Supremes “You Can’t Hurry Love” (1966) 85. Van Morrison “Brown-Eyed Girl” (1967) 86. Steam “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” (1969) 87. Sonny & Cher “I Got You Babe” (1965) 88. The Beatles “Something” (1969) 89. Julie Andrews with Ensemble “Do Re Mi” (1965) 90. The Doors “People Are Strange” (1967) 91. Cream “Sunshine of Your Love’ (1967) 92. The Beatles “She Loves You” (1963) 93. The Beatles “I Am the Walrus” (1967) 94. Johnny Cash “Ring of Fire” (1963) 95. The Marcels “Blue Moon” (1961) 96. The Angels “My Boyfriend’s Back” (1963) 97. The Mamas & the Papas “California Dreamin’” (1966) 98. Spencer Davis Group “Gimme Some Lovin’” (1966) 99. Creedence Clearwater Revival “Fortunate Son” (1969) 100. B.B. King “The Thrill Is Gone” (1969) Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Faves: Songs Dave’s Faves: #1 Songs Dave’s Faves: All-Time Top 100 Songs First posted 7/1/2022.

 

Dave’s Faves: #1 Songs in the 1960s

First posted 5/1/2020.

Dave’s Faves: #1’s: 1960-1969

September 18, 1982. I can peg my fascination with music charts to that date. After listening to a local radio station’s countdown of the hits of the summer, I decided to make my own list of favorites (see original list here). I ended up revising it every few days, eventually developing my own charts which I maintained into the ‘90s. I’ve also projected before and after those lists to create speculative lists of #1 songs for eras not covered by those original charts. You can check out those links here, but this page is focused on the #1 songs that might have been for me in the 1970s. 1960: May 7: Sam Cooke “Wonderful World” (4 wks) June 4: Roy Orbison “Only the Lonely” (4 wks) July 2: The Everly Brothers “When Will I Be Loved’ (3 wks) July 23: Elvis Presley “It’s Now or Never” (2 wks) Aug. 6: Chubby Checker “The Twist” (8 wks) Oct. 1: Sam Cooke “Chain Gang” (2 wks) Oct. 15: Ray Charles “Georgia on My Mind” (4 wks) Nov. 12: Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs “Stay” (5 wks) Dec. 17: The Miracles “Shop Around” (3 wks) 1961: Jan. 7: Elvis Presley “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” (4 wks) Feb. 4: The Shirelles “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (2 wks) Feb. 18: Etta James “At Last” (3 wks) Mar. 11: The Marcels “Blue Moon” (5 wks) Apr. 15: Del Shannon “Runaway” (2 wks) Apr. 29: Bobby Lewis “Tossin’ and Turnin’” (5 wks) June 3: Ben E. King “Stand by Me” (5 wks) July 8: Sam Cooke “Cupid” (3 wks) July 29: Ray Charles “Hit the Road Jack” (4 wks) Aug. 26: Roy Orbison “Crying” (2 wks) Sept. 9: The Marvelettes “Please Mr. Postman” (2 wks) Sept. 23: Dion “Runaround Sue” (2 wks) Oct. 7: Elvis Presley “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (4 wks) Nov. 4: Jimmy Dean “Big Bad John” (3 wks) Nov. 25: Henry Mancini with Audrey Hepburn “Moon River” (2 wks) Dec. 9: Patsy Cline “Crazy” (3 wks) Dec. 30: The Tokens “The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh)” (4 wks) 1962: Jan. 27: Dion “The Wanderer” (2 wks) Feb. 10: Gene Chandler “Duke of Earl” (3 wks) Mar. 3: Sam Cooke “Twistin’ the Night Away” (4 wks) Mar. 31: Tony Bennett “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” (3 wks) Apr. 21: The Shirelles “Soldier Boy” (2 wks) May 5: Ray Charles and “I Can’t Stop Loving You” (3 wks) May 26: Sam Cooke “Having a Party” (2 wks) June 9: John Lee Hooker “Boom Boom” (2 wks) June 23: Sam Cooke “Bring It on Home to Me” (2 wks) July 7: Bobby Vinton “Roses Are Red My Love” (2 wks) July 21: The Isley Brothers “Twist and Shout” (2 wks) Aug. 4: The Beach Boys “Surfin’ Safari” (3 wks) Aug. 25: Little Eva “The Loco-Motion” (4 wks) Sept. 22: The Contours “Do You Love Me?” (4 wks) Oct. 20: The Four Seasons “Sherry” (3 wks) Nov. 10: Bobby “Boris” Pickett & the Crypt-Kickers “Monster Mash” (2 wks) Nov. 24: The Four Seasons “Big Girls Don’t Cry” (4 wks) Dec. 22: The Drifters “Up on the Roof” (3 wks) 1963: Jan. 12: The Exciters “Tell Him” (2 wks) Jan. 26: The Four Seasons “Walk Like a Man” (3 wks) Feb. 16: Peter, Paul & Mary “500 Miles” (3 wks) Mar. 9: The Chiffons “He’s So Fine” (3 wks) Mar. 30: The Drifters “On Broadway” (3 wks) Apr. 20: Little Peggy March “I Will Follow Him” (2 wks) May 4: The Beach Boys “Surfin’ U.S.A.” (3 wks) May 25: Lesley Gore “It’s My Party” (3 wks) June 15: Bob Dylan “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” (2 wks) June 29: Johnny Cash “Ring of Fire” (4 wks) July 27: The Surfaris “Wipe Out” (3 wks) Aug. 17: The Angels “My Boyfriend’s Back” (3 wks) Sept. 7: The Kingsmen “Louie Louie” (3 wks) Sept. 28: Bob Dylan “Blowin’ in the Wind” (2 wks) Oct. 12: The Beatles “She Loves You” (5 wks) Nov. 16: The Ronetttes “Be My Baby” (4 wks) Dec. 14: The Beatles “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (7 wks) 1964: Feb. 1: Louis Armstrong “Hello, Dolly!” (3 wks) Feb. 22: The Beatles “Twist and Shout” (4 wks) Mar. 21: The Beatles “Can’t Buy Me Love” (3 wks) Apr. 4: Mary Wells “My Guy” (1 wk) Apr. 18: The Beatles “All My Loving” (2 wks) May 2: Disneyland Chorus “It’s a Small World After All” (4 wks) May 30: The Dixie Cups “Chapel of Love” (3 wks) June 20: The Beach Boys “I Get Around” (2 wks) July 4: The Animals “The House of the Rising Sun” (4 wks) Aug. 1: The Drifters “Under the Boardwalk” (3 wks) Aug. 22: The Beatles “A Hard Day’s Night” (3 wks) Sept. 12: Martha & the Vandellas “Dancing in the Street” (4 wks) Oct. 10: The Kinks “You Really Got Me” (4 wks) Nov. 7: Roy Orbison “(Oh) Pretty Woman” (2 wks) Nov. 21: The Supremes “Baby Love” (2 wks) Dec. 5: The Shangri-La’s “Leader of the Pack” (1 wk) Dec. 12: Zero Mostel “Sunrise, Sunset” (1 wk) Dec. 19: Burl Ives “A Holly Jolly Christmas” (1 wk) Dec. 26: The Righteous Brothers “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (4 wks) 1965: Jan. 23: The Temptations “My Girl” (4 wks) Feb. 20: Sam Cooke “A Change Is Gonna Come” (1 wk) Feb. 27: The Supremes “Stop! In the Name of Love” (2 wks) Mar. 13: The Impressions “People Get Ready” (1 wk) Mar. 20: The Beatles “Eight Days a Week” (2 wks) Apr. 3: The Yardbirds “For Your Love” (1 wk) Apr. 10: Bob Dylan “The Times They Are A-Changin’” (2 wks) Apr. 24: The Dixie Cups “Iko Iko” (2 wks) May 8: The Byrds “Mr. Tambourine Man” (2 wks) May 29: Julie Andrews & Dick Van Dyke with the Pearlie Chorus “Supercalifragilisticexpalidocious” (2 wks) June 12: Them “Gloria” (1 wk) June 19: Four Tops “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” (2 wks) July 3: The Rolling Stones “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (4 wks) July 31: The Beach Boys “California Girls” (2 wks) Aug. 14: The Beatles “Help!” (3 wks) Sept. 4: Bob Dylan “Like a Rolling Stone” (3 wks) Sept. 25: The Beatles “Yesterday” (4 wks) Oct. 23: The Rolling Stones “Get Off of My Cloud” (1 wk) Oct. 30: The Byrds “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)” (3 wks) Nov. 20: The Who “My Generation” (3 wks) Dec. 11: James Brown “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (3 wks) 1966: Jan. 1: The Beatles “Michelle” (1 wk) Jan. 8: The Mamas & the Papas “California Dreamin’” (2 wks) Jan. 22: The Beach Boys “Barbara Ann” (3 wks) Feb. 12: Nancy Sinatra “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” (2 wks) Feb. 26: The Isley Brothers “This Old Heart of Mine” (2 wks) Mar. 12: The Young Rascals “Good Lovin’” (2 wks) Mar. 26: Percy Sledge When a Man Loves a Woman” (4 wks) Apr. 23: The Rolling Stones “Under My Thumb” (2 wks) May 7: The Troggs “Wild Thing” (3 wks) May 28: The Rolling Stones “Paint It, Black” (1 wk) June 4: The Beatles “Paperback Writer” (4 wks) July 2: The Rolling Stones “Mother’s Little Helper” (3 wks) July 23: The Supremes “You Can’t Hurry Love” (2 wks) Aug. 6: The Beatles “Eleanor Rigby” (5 wks) Sept. 10: The Four Tops “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” (5 wks) Oct. 15: The Beach Boys “Good Vibrations” (4 wks) Nov. 12: The Supremes “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” (2 wks) Nov. 26: Spencer Davis Group “Gimme Some Lovin’” (3 wks) Dec. 17: The Jimi Hendrix Experience “Hey Joe” (2 wks) Dec. 31: Buffalo Springfield “For What It’s Worth” (3 wks) 1967: Jan. 21: The Doors “Break on Through” (3 wks) Feb. 11: The Rolling Stones “Ruby Tuesday” (1 wk) Feb. 18: The Turtles “Happy Together” (3 wks) Mar. 11: The Beatles “Penny Lane” (4 wks) Apr. 8: Aretha Franklin “I Never Loved a Man the Way I Loved You” (2 wks) Apr. 22: Aretha Franklin “Respect” (5 wks) May 27: The Doors “Light My Fire” (2 wks) June 10: Procol Harum “A A Whiter Shade of Pale” (1 wk) June 17: The Beatles “A Day in the Life” (4 wks) July 15: The Beatles “With a Little Help from My Friends” (3 wks) Aug. 5: Jefferson Airplane “White Rabbit” Jefferson Airplane (2 wks) Aug. 19: Van Morrison “Brown-Eyed Girl” (1 wk) Aug. 26: The Beatles “All You Need Is Love” (3 wks) Sept. 23: The Doors “People Are Strange” (3 wks) Oct. 14: Aretha Franklin “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman” (2 wks) Oct. 28: Louis Armstrong “What a Wonderful World’ (3 wks) Nov. 18: The Moody Blues “Nights in White Satin” (4 wks) Dec. 16: The Monkees “Daydream Believer” (2 wks) Dec. 30: The Jimi Hendrix Experience “Little Wing” (3 wks) 1968: Jan. 20: Cream “Sunshine of Your Love’ (2 wks) Feb. 3: Otis Redding “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay” (9 wks) Apr. 6: Sam & Dave “I Thank You” (2 wks) Apr. 20: Simon & Garfunkel “Scarborough Fair” (2 wks) May 4: Simon & Garfunkel “Mrs. Robinson” (4 wks) June 1: Tommy James & the Shondells “Mony Mony” (2 wks) June 15: Deep Purple “Hush” (2 wks) June 29: The Rolling Stones “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” (2 wks) July 13: The Doors “Hello, I Love You” (3 wks) Aug. 3: Steppenwolf “Born to Be Wild” (4 wks) li>Aug. 31: The Beatles “Hey Jude” (4 wks) Sept. 28: Big Brother & The Holding Company “Piece of My Heart” (2 wks) Oct. 12: The Jimi Hendrix Experience All Along the Watchtower (3 wks) Nov. 2: Creedence Clearwater Revival “Suzie Q” (2 wks) Nov. 16: Cream “White Room” (1 wk) Nov. 23: Joe Cocker “With a Little Help from My Friends” (2 wks) Dec. 7: Marvin Gaye I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (4 wks) 1969: Jan. 4: Tammy Wynette “Stand by Your Man” (1 wk) Jan. 11: Sly & the Family Stone “Everyday People” (3 wks) Feb. 1: The Rolling Stones “Sympathy for the Devil” (3 wks) Feb. 22: Creedence Clearwater Revival “Proud Mary” (3 wks) Mar. 15: The Who “Pinball Wizard” (4 wks) Apr. 12: Frank Sinatra “My Way” (3 wks) May 3: Cream “Badge” (1 wk) May 10: The Beatles with Billy Preston “Get Back” (3 wks) May 31: Creedence Clearwater Revival “Bad Moon Rising” (3 wks) June 21: Elvis Presley “In the Ghetto” (3 wks) July 12: The Rolling Stones “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” (4 wks) Aug. 9: the Rolling Stones “Honky Tonk Women” (1 wk) Aug. 16: David Bowie “Space Oddity” (3 wks) Sept. 6: The Archies “Sugar Sugar” (2 wks) Sept. 20: Blind Faith “Can’t Find My Way Home” (2 wks) Oct. 4: Steam “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” (2 wks) Oct. 18: The Hollies “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” (1 wk) Oct. 25: The Beatles “Something” (1 wk) Nov. 1: The Beatles “Come Together” (1 wk) Nov. 8: Creedence Clearwater Revival “Fortunate Son” (3 wks) Dec. 6: B.J. Thomas “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” (1 wk) Dec. 13: Led Zeppelin “Whole Lotta Love” (3 wks)