All-Time Greatest Music

Amazingly, some really great singing groups and artists produced only one hit. In this “One Hit Wonder” post, we have initially identified 44 groups or artists (just added 741 more):

32 song playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqptie5CKN1hFWvj5DOqhE8BP0Qsfey27

Bruce Channel, Buffalo Springfield, Caroline Crawford, Debbie Dean, Mark Dinning, Gale Garnett, Astrude Gilberto, Rosie Hamlin (& The Originals), Eddie Holman, Iron Butterfly, Mercy, Curtis Lee, Julie London, Laurie London, Motherload, The Brooklyn Bridge (& Johnny Maestro), The Cascades, The Champs, The Contours, The Crystals, The Exciters, The Gentrys, The Hollywood Argyles, The Human Beinz, The Impalas, The Jamies, The Monotones, The Penguins, The Poni-Tails, The Reflections, The Rip Chords, Ronald & Ruby, Joanie Sommers, The Silhouettes, The String-A-Longs, The Teddy Bears, Doris Troy, Robin Ward, Singing Sammy Ward, Maurice Williams, Kathy Young, Zager and Evans and ? & The Mysterians.

Our recent research has uncovered 336 One Hit Wonders from the 1950s as well as 405 from the 1960s. Our source is: playback.fm (the only free radio web app to listen to recordings dating back to 1900).

Here are the 336 One Hit Wonders from the 1950s:

Adams, Marie I’m Gonna Play the Honky Tonks1952 https://youtu.be/Gc2HoZcFutI

Afterworld A Prison Without Walls1950

Allen, Annisteen Baby I’m Doing It1953

Allison, Gene You Can Make It if You Try1957 https://youtu.be/tP5CggGf2G8

Anderson, Leroy Blue Tango1952

Andrews, Lee & The Hearts Teardrops1957

Anthony, Ray & His Orchestra Peter Gunn1959 https://youtu.be/mLXN_7P95Uo

Archibald Stak-A ‘Lee1950 https://youtu.be/CiWQmKmMzb0

Arden, Toni Too Young 1951

Austin, Sil Slow Walk1956

Barber, Chris (Jazz Band) Petite Fleur1959

Baretto, Marino Jr Arrivederci1959

Barnes, Benny Poor Man’s Riches1956

Barton, Eileen If I Knew You Were Comin’ I’d Have Baked You a Cake1950 https://youtu.be/GLLiBdSnHLw

Baxter, Les & His Orchestra Poor People of Paris1956

Bertelmann, Fred Der lachende Vagabund1957

Bieyer, Archie Hernando’s Hideaway1954

Bittencourt, Lana Little Darling1958 https://youtu.be/qRfnFixqcPQ

Blyth, Ann The Loveliest Night of the Year1951

Bowen, Jimmy I’m Sticking with You1957

Boze, Calvin & His All Stars Safronia B1950

Bradshaw, Carolyn Marriage of Mexican Joe1953

Brenston, Jackie Rocket 88 1951

Brokken, Corry Net als toen1957

Brown, Wini Be Anything – Be Mine1952

Bruni, Sergio Surriento d’ ‘e ‘nnammurate1950

Buchanan & Goodman The Flying Saucer1956

Busch, Lou Sambezi1956

Butler, Champ Down Yonder1951

Byrd, Roy & His Blues Jumpers Bald Head1950

Carol, Reno Rote Rosen, rote Lippen, roter Wein1952

Caron, Leslie & Mel Ferrer Hi Lili, Hi Lo1954 https://youtu.be/2NiMl4DOews

Carosone, Renato Maruzzella1956

Carson, Mindy My Foolish Heart1950

Cash, June Carter Juke Box Blues1956 https://youtu.be/SicY3i-djfw

Ceasar, Little Goodbye Baby1952

Charms Heart of Stone1954 https://youtu.be/dlmqDv6p2dM

Church, Eugene Pretty Girls Everywhere1959

Clark, Sanford The Fool1956

Claveau, Andre Cerisier Rose & Pommier Blanc1950

Club Argentina Oh Billy Boy1957

Cody, Betty I Found Out More than You Ever Knew1953

Constantine, Eddie The Little Boy and the Old Man1955

Cooper, Wilma Lee There’s a Big Wheel1959

Cordy, Annie Ballad of Davy Crockett1956 https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_l-vGL-Mn8tZSsNGcVMAdBkWwlJvZ2PgKo

Cotton, Billy The Petite Waltz1951

Cotton, Billy & His Band In a Golden Coach1953

Culley, Frank After Hours Session1950

Daminio, Joe Forever1959

Das Lukas TrioSei Zufrieden mit dem Heute1957

Day, Bobby Rockin’ Robin1958 https://youtu.be/uLF3YZIjucs

Day, Dennis Mona Lisa1950 https://youtu.be/kNpbIPwRKSM

de Knegt, Joop Ik sta op wacht1957

de Oliveira, Dalva Olhos Verdes1950

De Voght, Jaak Kaspische Zee1956

Dean, Eddie I Dreamed of a Hill-Billy Heaven1955

Decker, Diana Poppa Piccolino1953

Denny, Martin Quiet Village1959

Desmond, Johnny Yellow Rose of Texas1955 https://youtu.be/vZjNrb95YRs

Die Sieben Raben Smokie1956

Dies, Werner Schuster Bleib Bei Deinen Leisten1954

Dixon, Willie Walking the Blues1955 https://youtu.be/E6RavtCBdDk

Dobkins, Carl Jr My Heart is a Open Book1959

Dorelli, Johnny Julia1959

Douglass, Craig Only Sixteen1959

Dreamweavers It’s Almost Tomorrow1956

Driftwood, Jimmy The Battle of New Orleans1959

Duff, Arlie You All Come1954

Edwards, Jimmy Love Bug Crawl1958

Evans, Paul Seven Little Girls Sitting in the Backseat1959 https://youtu.be/jWgP0MOUQH4

Fabian Tiger1959 https://youtu.be/yeKZ3Yu0Zkw

Faith, Percy Orchestra The Song from Moulin Rouge1953 https://youtu.be/qXf26Ru2r0o

Fell, Terry Don’t Drop It1954

Ferrer, Jose Woman (Uh-Huh)1954

Fields, Ernie In the Mood1959

Fierro, Aurelio Scapricciatiello1955

Fisher, Herb I’m Yours to Keep1950

Flanagan, Ralph Rag Mop1950

Foley, Betty Old Moon1959

Ford, Emily & The Checkmates What Do You Want to Make Eyes at Me For1959

Ford, Frankie Sea Cruise1959https://youtu.be/0N0UekNR-FY

Forest, Earl Whoopin’ and Hollerin’1953

Francesdo, Silvio Hey, Mr. Banjo1955

Francois, Jacqueline Les Lavandieres du Portugal1955

Freborg, Stan St. George & the Dragonette1953

Freeman, Bobby Do You Want to Dance1958 https://youtu.be/DoPrdafheG4

Freeman, Ernie Raunchy1958

Fritz, JoeI Love You My Darlin’1950

Garlow, Clarence Bon Ton Routa1950

Genter, Shirley Oop Shoop1954 https://youtu.be/lC-FkM89vms

Gerardi, Alcides Antonico1950

Gilkyson, Terry & the Easy Riders Marianne1957

Giraud, Yvette April in Portugal1950

Glenn, Darrell Crying in the Chapel1953

Glenn, Lloyd Chica Boo1951

Godfrey, John Trio Hey Little Girl1951

Golgowsky Quartett Am 30, Mai ist der Weltuntergang1954

Goodwin, Ron Terry’s Theme from Limelight1953

Gordon, Roscoe & His Orchestra Saddle the Cow1952

Gracie, Charlie Butterfly1957

Grammer, Billy Gotta Travel On1959

Grant, Earl The End1958

Grant, Gogi Wayward Wind1956 https://youtu.be/2Ga7OkZRJY4

Green, Larry & His Orchestra Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered1950

Greer, Big John Got You on My Mind1952

Griffith, Andy What It Was, Was Football1954

Grissom, Jimmy Once There Lived a Fool1951

Gross, Felix Love for Christmas1950

Guitar Slim The Things That I Used to Do1954

Hamilton, Russ Rainbow1957

Harris, Thurston Little Bitty Pretty One1957 https://youtu.be/Uekt_tsHjcw

Hawkins, Dale Susie Q1957 https://youtu.be/1TWrFuPtZ18

Hawkins, Ronnie Mary Lou1959

Hawkins, Screamin’ Jay I Put a Spell On You1956

Hayes, Bill Ballad of Davy Crockett1955

Heap, Jimmy Release Me1954

Heimatsanger, Die Kohlerliesel1957

Hendricks, Bobby Itchy Twitchy Feeling1958

Hensch, Friedel Heideroslein1954

Holliday, Michael The Story of My Life1958

Holmes, Leroy The High & The Mighty1954

Hope, Lynn Tenderly1950

Houston, Joe Worry, Worry, Worry1952

Howard, Don Oh Happy Day1952 https://youtu.be/rFE6f10E_2E

Howard, Eddy & His Orchestra Auf Wiedershe’n Sweetheart1952

Hula Hawaiian Orchestra Jim. Johnny & Jonas1955

Hunter, Tab Young Love1957 https://youtu.be/maEdj2qeEnY

Hyman, Dick Mack the Knife1956 https://youtu.be/LNjb2iYLr08

Jacquet, Illinois & His Orchestra Port of Rico1952

Jary, Michael Keine Angst vor grossen Tieren1953

Jenkins, Gus Tricky1956

Jimmy & Johnny If You Don’t Somebody Else Will1954

Johnnie & Joe Over the Mountain, Across the Sea1957

Johns, Bibi Die Gipsy-Band1955

Johnson, Bubber Come Home1955

Johnson, Teddy Beloved, Be Faithful1951

Jones, Grant I’d Rather Drink Muddy Water1951

Justis, Bill Raunchy1957

Justis, Bill & His Orchestra Raunchy1958

Kalin Twins When1958

Karas, Anton Third Man Theme1950

Kari, Sax Orchestra Daughter (That’s Your Red Wagon)1953

Keller, Jerry Here Comes the Summer1959

Kelly, Gene Singin’ in the Rain1952 https://youtu.be/StB2WR4Hwdo

Kid King’s Combo Banana Split1953

Kilima Hawaiians Es hangt ein Pferdehalfter an der Wand1953

King, Earl Those Lonely, Lonely Nights1955

King, Earl “Conelly”Don’t Take It So Hard1955

King, Jewel 3 x 7 = 21 1950

King, Pee Wee & His Golden West Cowboys Backward1954

Kirk, Red Lose Your Blues1950

Knox, Buddy Party Doll1957 https://youtu.be/subQklC5U_g

Lasso, Gloria Etranger Au Paradis1954

Lee, Albert Mama, Come Get Your Baby Boy1953

Lee, Jimmy My Heart’s Desire1952

Leen, Tante Oh Johnny1956

Lemarque, Francis Le Petit Cordonnier1954

Lenoir, J. B. Mama Talk to Your Daughter1955

London, Julie Cry Me a River1955 https://youtu.be/gCGNYJOrebA

London, Laurie He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands1958

Lucas, Buddy & His Band of Tomorrow Diane1952

Luke, Robin Susie Darlin’1958

MacKenzie, Gisele Hard to Get1955

Mangano, Silvana Anna (The Baion)1953

Mann, Gloria Teen Age Prayer1955

Marini, Marino More Than Ever1958

Marlene Lata D’agua1952

Mars, Mitzi I’m Glad1953

Marterie, Ralph Skokiaan1954

Martindale, Wink Deck of Cards1959

McGill, Rollee There Goes That Train1955

McGriff, Edna Heavenly Father1952

McNelley, Big Jay & Band There is Something on My Mind1959

Messner, Bud Slippin’ Around with Jole Blon1950

Micheyl, Mick Un Gamin De Paris1951

Mickey & Sylvia Love is Strange1957 https://youtu.be/iWlZd_Hrg2E

Mitchell, Freddie & His Orchestra Easter Boogie1950

Monroe, Marilyn River of No Return1954 https://youtu.be/MILQU_xcUvk

Montand, Yves Autumn Leaves1950

Monteiro, Doris Mocinho Bonito1957

Moreno, Dario Je Vais Revoir ma Blonde1956

Morgan, Jaye P. That’s All I Want From You1954

Morrow, Buddy Night Train1952 https://youtu.be/l9JMRPPCzBE

Murolo, Roberto Anema E Core1952

Murray, Ruby Softly Softly1955

Nelson, Jimmy “T99″T99 Blues1951

Nervous Norvus Transfusion1956

Ney, Nora Ninguem Me Ama1952

O’Connell, Helen Slow Poke1952

O’Day, Anita Tennessee Waltz1951

Original Casuals So Tough1958

Otis, Johnny & His Orchestra Rockin’ Blues1950

Overbea, Danny Train, Train, Train1953

Owen, Reg Orchestra Manhattan Spiritual1959

Parker, Fess Ballad of Davy Crockett1955

Patience & Prudence Tonight You Belong to Me1956

Peixoto, Cauby Conceicao1956

Phillips, Phil & The Twilights Sea of Love1959

Powell, Bud Un Poco Loco1951

Professor Longhair Tipitina1953

Pryor, Cactus Cry of the Dying Duck in Thunderstorm1950

Rascel, Renato Te voglio bene1954

Red Red Meat Steal Away1950

Reese, Della Don’t You Know1959

Reynolds, Jody Endless Sleep1958

Robert & Johnny We Belong Together1958

Robin, Claude Ave Maria No Morro1955

Robinson, Floyd Makin’ Love1959

Rockingham’s, Lord XI Hoots Mon1958

Ros, Edmundo Melodie D’amour1958

Royal Teens Short Shorts1958

Roza, Lita How Much is that Doggy in the Window1953

Ruby, Sunshine Too Young to Tango1953

Rush, Otis I Can’t Quit You Baby1956

Russell, Ellie Manbo Italiano1954

Sands, Jodie With All My Heart1957

Sands, Tommy Teenage Crush1957

Santos and Johnny Sleep Walk1959 https://youtu.be/co0qrS8wUaQ

Sauer, Wolfgang Cindy, Oh Cindy1957

Sauvage, Catherine Paris Canaille1952

Schoepen, Bobbejean Ik sta op wacht1957

Scholten, Teddy Fen Beetje Meer1959

Sharpe, Ray Linda Lu1959

Shibley, Arkie Hot Rod Race1951

Slay, Emitt Trio My Kind of Woman1953

Smith, Carl Your Name is Beautiful1958

Smith, Huey “Paino” Rocking Pneumonia & The Boggie Woggie1958 https://youtu.be/-WWlwgoAxPE

Smith, Huey “Paino” & The Clowns Don’t You Just Know It1958

Snyder, Bill Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered1950

Sosebee, Tommy Till I Waltz Again with You1953

Standley, Johnny It’s in the Book1952

Stapleton, Cyril Orchestra Blue Star1955

Steele, Tommy Singing the Blues1957

Stevens, Dodie Pink Shoe Laces1959 https://youtu.be/6Oc2hZpJuXI

Stoloff, Morris Moonglow & Theme from Picnic1956

Storm, Gale I Hear You Knockin’1955 https://youtu.be/rQXx1jsj3rE

Sullivan, Gene Please Pass the Biscuits1958

Terry, Al Good Deal, Lucille1954

The Beverly Sisters I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus1953 https://youtu.be/PumBRJFnpCE

The Big Bopper Chantilly Lace1958 https://youtu.be/ERy2KJ61_Xg

The Bobbettes Mr. Lee1957

The Cadets Stranded in the Jungle1956

The Cadillacs Speedo1955

The Champs Tequila1958 https://youtu.be/U_JFLb1IItM

The Cheers Black Demim Trousers1955

The Chipmunks Christmas Don’t Be Late1958

The Chords Sh-Boom (Life Could Be a Dream)1954 https://youtu.be/lXh19yDFO84

The Cleftones Little Girls of Mine1956

The Colts Adorable1955

The Coronets Nadine1953

The Counts Darling Dear1954

The Crescendos Oh Julie1958

The Crests 16 Candles1959 https://youtu.be/qeEeyCON2cU

The Crickets You’re Mine1953

The Crows Gee1953

The Danderliers Chop Chop Boom1955

The Danleers One Summer Night1958 https://youtu.be/O5m4mMBIPKE

The Davis Sisters I Forgot More than You’ll Ever Know1953

The De Castro Sisters Teach Me Tonight1954

The El Dorados At My Front Door1955

The Fiestas So Fine1959

The Five Blind Boys of Mississippi Our Father (Which Art in Heaven)1950

The Four Buddies I Will Wait1951

The Four Fellows Soldier Boy1955 https://youtu.be/cfdS13OUJug

The Four Knights I Get So Lonely1954

The G-Clefs Ka-Ding Dong1956

The Gladiolas Little Darlin’1957 https://youtu.be/9IeR_Agn3w0

The Griffin Brothers Hoppin’1951

The Heartbeats A Thousand Miles Away1956

The Hearts Lonely Nights1955

The Hollywood Flames Buzz, Buzz, Buzz1957

The Impalas Sorry, I Ran All the Way Home1959

The Imperials Tears on My Pillow1958 https://youtu.be/x33hBl5HIi0

The Jacks Why Don’t You Write Me1955

The Jive Bombers Bad Boy1957

The Kingston Trio Tom Dooley1958 https://youtu.be/I8grIno58BM

The Marigolds Rollin’ Stone1955

The Mello-Kings Tonite, Tonite1957

The Mello-Moods Where Are You 1952

The Monotones Book of Love1958 https://youtu.be/9Z_rzScV3TM

The Mystics Hushabye1959

The Nutmegs Story Untold1955

The Nutty Squirrels Uh! Oh! Part 2 1959

The Obernkirchen Childrens Choir Happy Wanderer1954

The Pastels Been So Long1958

The Quin-Tones Down the Aisle of Love1958

The Rays Silhouettes1957

The Royals Get It1953

The Sauter-Finegan Orchestra The Children’s Marching Song1952

The Silhouettes Get a Job1958 https://youtu.be/mHizexVWcVc

The Six Teens A Casual Look1956

The Skyliners Since I Don’t Have You1959

The Spacemen The Clouds1959

The Tarriers The Banana Boat Song1956

The Teddy Bears To Know Him is to Love Him1958 https://youtu.be/DVieaWu0sLg

The Teen Queens Eddie My Love1956

The Treniers Go! Go! Go!1951

The Tune Weavers Happy, Happy Birthday Baby1957

The Turbans When You Dance You Can Really Love1955

The Vibrations Stranded in the Jungle1956

The Vocaleers Is It a Dream1953

The Wailers Tall Cool One1959 https://youtu.be/5AH7cS2KZS8

Thorton, Big Momma Hound Dog1953 https://youtu.be/pam1eUkWfFM

Todd, Art & Dotty Broken Wings1953

Travis & Bob Tell Him No1959 https://youtu.be/fjeBKlSLgt0

Trio de Ouro Ave Maria 1950 https://youtu.be/mLzNMUXp_5Y

Turzy, Jane Sweet Violets1951

Tuttle, Marilyn Never1954

Valli, June Crying in the Chapel1953 https://youtu.be/h8xxo_i4Y9M

Veiga, Jorge Café Socaite1955

Walter, Little & His Night Cats Sad Hours1953

Ward, Joe Nuttin for Christmas1955

Wayne, Bobby Wheel of Fortune1952

Waynes, James Tend to Your Business1951

Weber, Joan Let Me Go Lover1955 https://youtu.be/3sPFGpCfe54

Weir, Frank Happy Wanderer1954

Wetzel, Jean Le Grisbi1954

Whitlock, Billy Hop Scotch Polka1950

Wilcox, David Everywhere1955

Wilcox, Eddie Wheel of Fortune1952

Wiley, Ed Jr. Cry, Cry Baby1950 https://youtu.be/ez6e4mpQnwg

Williams, Billy I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter1957 https://youtu.be/uPE3uaPMkUE

Williams, Joe Every Day I Have the Blues1952

Williamson, Sonny Boy Don’t Start Me Talkin’1955

Wills, Johnie Lee Rag Mop1950

Wilson, Jim Daddy, You Know What1955

Wilson, Jimmy Tin Pan Alley1953 https://youtu.be/9YMGOo4z34Q

Wood, Del Down Yonder1951

Wray, Link Rumble1958

Wright, Johnny Stop the World1958

Young, Victor & His Orchestra The High & The Mighty1954

Zen Whiskys Und Ein Soda Wir Wir Wir Haben Ein Klavier1954

Zilda, Ze da Saca-Rolha1954

Listing of 407 One Hit Wonders from the 1960s:

Acklin, Barbara Love Makes a Woman1968

Adams, Johnny Reconsider Me1969

Akens, Jewel The Birds & The Bees1965

Anderson, Liz Mama Spank1967

Andrews, Ruby Cassanova1967

Ashley, Leon Flower of Love1968

Azzam, Bob Mustapha1960

Backus, Gus Der Mann im Mond1961

Ball, Kenny & His Jazzmen Midnight in Moscow1962

Banks, Darrell Open the Door to Your Heart1966

Barnes, J. J. Baby Please Come Back Home1967

Bartley, Chris The Sweetest Thing This Sound of Heaven1967

Baugh, Phil Country Guitar1965

Beavers, Clyde Here I Am Drunk Again1960

Bendix, Ralf Baby Sittin’ Boogie1961

Berry, Dave This Strange Effect1965

Bilk, Acker Stranger on the Shore1962

Bindi, Umberto II Nostro concerto1960

Birkin, Jane Je T’Aime1969

Black, Cilla You’re My World1964 https://youtu.be/MvEDNqM5STI

Black, Jeanne He’ll Have to Stay1960

Black, Roy Ganz in weiss1966

Bland, Billy Let the Little Girl Dance1960

Blue Cheer Summertime Blues1968 https://youtu.be/o4vIlg4alz8

Bob & Earl Harlem Shuffle1964

Booker, James Gonzo1961

Bowman, Don Chit Akins, Make Me a Star1964

Boyer, Jacqueline Tom Pillibi1960

Bradley, Jan Mama Didn’t Lie1963

Brasseur, Andre Early Bird1965

Brennan, Walter Old Rivers1962

Brown, Buster Fannie Mae1960

Brubeck, Dave Take Five1961 https://youtu.be/ryA6eHZNnXY

Bruhl, Heidi Wir wollen niemals auseinandergehn1960

Bryant, Anita Paper Roses1960 https://youtu.be/BMeSF6Tpt5g

Buck, Gary Happy to Be Unhappy1963

Bull and the Matadors The Funky Judge1968

Burnette, Johnny You’re Sixteen, You’re Beautiful (and You’re Mine)1960 https://youtu.be/sYT6eRx84GQ

Butler, Billy & The Chanters I Can’t Work No Longer1965

C.O.D.’s Michael1965

Campbell, Jo Ann (I’m the Girl from) Wolverton Mountain1962

Cannibal & The Headhunters Land of 1000 Dances1965

Cannon, Ace Tuff1961

Carr, Vikki It Must Be Him1967 https://youtu.be/C-E8IX61iSs

Cash, Alvin Twine Time1964

Cash, Alvin & The CrawlersTwine Time1965

Castor, Jimmy Hey, Leroy, Your Mama’s Callin’ You1966

Casuals Jesamine1968

Channel, Bruce Hey Baby1962 https://youtu.be/zNiALFHyLH0

Charles, Jimmy A Million to One1960

Christie, Lou Lightnin’ Strikes1966 https://youtu.be/UMskYRWVu9A

Christophe Aline1965

Cinquetti, Gigliola Non Ho L’Eta Per Amarti1964

Clark, Claudine Party Lights1962

Clarke, Tony The Entertainer1965

Classics IV Spooky1968 https://youtu.be/lKBynY99350

Clifford, Buzz Baby Sittin’ Boogie1961

Club Honolulu Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Honolulu Strand bikini1960 https://youtu.be/3l-Bcgv0YXo

Conniff, Ray Somewhere My Love1966 https://youtu.be/1thos17eJ0c

Costa, Don Never on Sunday1960

Couch, Orville Hello Trouble1963

Count Five Psychotic Reaction1966 https://youtu.be/lrsGz6mQuN4

Criss, Sonny And the Beat Goes On1967

Crockett, G. L. It’s a Man Down There1965

Dale & Grace I’m Leaving it All Up to You1963 https://youtu.be/RBhGIH9c4TI

Darren, James Goodbye Cruel World1961

Davies, Dave Death of a Clown1967

Dekker, Desmond & the Aces Israelites1969

DeShannon, Jackie Put a Little Love in Your Heart1969 https://youtu.be/CZ8K1sRibCY

Dick & Dee Dee The Mountain’s High1961

Die Tahiti-Tamoures Wini-Wini1963

Dinning, Mark Teen Angel1960 https://youtu.be/rBmApe-frZY

Dirksen, Senator Everett McKinley Gallant Men1966

Don & Juan What’s Your Name1962

Donaggio, Pinolo che non vivo (senza te)1965

Dorman, Harold Mountain of Love1960

Dove, Ronnie Right or Wrong1964

Dutronc, Jacques Les Playoys1966

Edwards, Bobby You’re the Reason1961

Elliot, Cass Dream a Little Dream of Me1968 https://youtu.be/v8I5vDewcZo

Elliot, Shawn Shame & Scandel in the Family1965

Emery, Ralph Hello Fool1961

Fabares, Shelley Johnny Angel1962 https://youtu.be/lyn7sBLamI4

Fabric, Bent Alley Cat Song1962

Fairport Convention Si tu dois partir1969

Farlowe, Chris Out of Time1966

Feliciano, Jose Light My Fire1968 https://youtu.be/VKt59tQo2SE

Fontana, Jimmy II Mondo1965

Fontana, Wayne & The Mindbenders The Game of Love1965 https://youtu.be/rzh0TAon7Bc

Foxx, Inez & Charlie Mockingbird1963

Francois, Claude J’y Pense et Puis J’oublie1964

Fred, John & His Playboy Band Judy in Disguise1968 https://youtu.be/I0bLoaVFpTQ

Freddie & The Dreamers I’m Telling You Now1965 https://youtu.be/CNguW_pY0NE

Froboess, Conny Zwei kleine Italiener1962

Gall, France Poupee De Cire, Poupee De Son1965

Garrick, David Dear Mrs. Applebee1966

George, Barbara I Know (You Don’t Love Me No More)1962

Godfrey, Ray The Picture1960

Goodwin, Bill Shoes of a Fool1963

Gorme, Eydie Blame It On the Bossa Nova1963 https://youtu.be/sn4Fly9cOn0

Granata, Rocco Marina1960

Grandpa Jones T For Texas1963

Greaves, R.B. Take a Letter Maria1969 https://youtu.be/DSbXNjsLdRM

Green, Garland Jealous Kind of Fella1969

Greene, Lorne Ringo1964

Hall, Connie Fool Me Once1963

Harris, Richard MacArthur Park1968 https://youtu.be/sD-zTwi3_GU

Harris, Rolf Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport1963

Hawkins, Edwin Singers Oh Happy Day1969 https://youtu.be/KJohGa66FJM

Hawkins, Sam Hold on Baby1965

Head, Roy Treat Her Right1965

Hebb, Bobby Sunny1966

Herold, Ted Moonlight1960

Hill, Jesse Ooh Poo Pah Do1960

Hinton, Joe Funny (How Time Slips Away)1964

Hirt, Al Java1964 https://youtu.be/e1APLQb7L5w

Hodges, Eddie I’m Gonna Knock on Your Door1961

Holiday, Jimmy How Can I Forget1963

Holland, Eddie Jamie1962

Holloway, Brenda Every Little Bit Hurts1964 https://youtu.be/lfBXQhJ8yeM

Hughes, Fred Oo Wee Baby, I Love You1965

Humble Pie Natural Born Bugie1969

Ingmann, Grethe Dansevise1963

Ingmann, Jergen Apache1961

Iron Butterfly In-A-Godda-Da-Vida1968 https://youtu.be/XugIsZbTFy0

Irving, Lonnie Pinball Machine1960

Jackson, Deon Love Makes the World Go Around1966

Jackson, J.J. But It’s Alright1966

Jan & Kjeld Banjo Boy1960

Jay and the Techniques Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie1967 https://youtu.be/jEPSrdA8kbY

John, Mable Your Good Thing (Its About to End)1966

Johnny A. Memphis, Tennessee1964

Jones, Etta Don’t Go to Strangers1960 https://youtu.be/SgNXTPEsbac

Jones, Joe You Talk Too Much1960

Jones, Robert T. Green Onions1962

Kaempfert, Bert Wonderland by Night1960 https://youtu.be/6R5wpe33SmQ

Kaempfert, Bert & His Orchestra Wonderland by Night1961

K-Doe, Ernie Mother-In-Law1961 https://youtu.be/G-_yzi3yhvQ

Kendrick, Nat & The Swans (Do the) Mashed Potatoes1960. https://youtu.be/–1fKgkuNbk

Kenner, Chris I Like It Like That1961

Kilgore, Theola The Love of My Man1963

Knight, Robert Everlasting Love1967 https://youtu.be/kM0aHO-KKl4

Kramer, Billy J., & The Dakotas Little Children1964

Kraus, Peter Sweety1962

Launch, Peter & die Regenpfeifer Das Kommit vom Redern, das dommt vom SegeIn1964

Lavett, Betty My Man – He’s a Lovin Man1963

Lawrence, Steve Go Away Little Girl1963 https://youtu.be/gQvdmIWT0Mg

Leatherwood, Bill The Long Walk1960

Lee, Curtis Pretty Little Angel Eyes1961 https://youtu.be/TK-XP4cCKPk

Lee, Jackie The Duck1965

Lester, Ketty Love Letters1962 https://youtu.be/XJ25rZMUNFQ

Lewis, Gary & The Playboys This Diamond Ring1965 https://youtu.be/xfEdQUxEh9g

Lewis, Ramsey Wade in the Water1966

Leyton, John Johnny Remember Me1961

Lolita Seemann, deine Heimat ist das Meer1960

Long, Frederic Earl “Shorty”Here Comes the Judge1968

Los Bravos Black is Black1966 https://youtu.be/LkgyV_tTQfQ

Los Indios Tabajaras Maria Elena1963 https://youtu.be/y4dljMqW31g

Los Machucambos Pepito1961

Love, Darlene Today I Met The Boy I’m Going to Marry1963 https://youtu.be/vyiMMbUtavs

Lynn, Barbara You’ll Lose a Good Thing1962

Mack, Lonnie Memphis 1963

Makeba, Miriam Pata Pata1967

Malmkvist, Siw Liefeskummer Iohnt sich nicht1964

Mann, Barry Who Put the Bomp1961 https://youtu.be/aumW5e28xic

Mann, Carl Deep Water1967

Manuella Schuld war ner der Bossa Nova1963

March, Peggy I Will Follow Him1963 https://youtu.be/a9PkxeJ4SMM

Marchan, Bobby There’s Something on Your Mind1960

Mardel, Guy N’avoue Jamais1965

Maresca, Ernie Shout Sout (Knock Yourself Out)1962

Masekela, Hugh Grazing in the Grass1968

Mathis, Johnny “Country” Please Talk to My Heart1963 https://youtu.be/dEUNSj7Qbrs

Mayer, Nathaniel Village of Love1962

McCall, Darrell A Stranger Was Here1963

McCall, Tousaint Nothing Takes the Place of You1967

McGriff, Jimmy I’ve Got a Woman1962

McGuire, Barry Eve of Destruction1965 https://youtu.be/_38SWIIKITE

McKenzie, Scott San Francisco1967 https://youtu.be/wuEqAVa3n9k

Mercouri, Maria Amalia “Melina”Never on Sunday, Les enfants du piree 1960

Michelle Se mi vuoi lasciare1963

Mills, Gary Look for a Star1960

Mimms, Garnet Cry Baby1963 https://youtu.be/dCXtKgG1rzA

Mitchell, Willie Soul Serenade1968

Mitchum, Robert Little Old Wine Drinker Me1967

Mo, Billy Ich kauf’ mir lieber einen Tirolerhut1963

Montenegro, Hugo The Good the Bad & the Ugly1968 https://youtu.be/kHfbzoq-grE

Montez, Chris Let’s Dance1962

Moore, Bob Mexico1961

Moore, Bobby & The Rhythm Aces Searching for My Love1966

Morandi, Gianni In ginocchio da te1964

Napoleon XIV They’re Coming to Take Me Away Ha-Haaa!1966

Nelson, Bill Certain1965

New Vaudeville Band Winchester Cathedral1966 https://youtu.be/2pdRKBqrH3M

Newman, Thunderclap Something in the Air1969

Nobles, Cliff & Co The Horse1968

Ofarim, Esther & Abi Cinderella Rockefella1968 https://youtu.be/Cvid4plNuok

O’Neal, Coleman Mr. Heartache, Move On1963

Parker, Robert Barefootin’1966 https://youtu.be/2VZakvxRD44

Pascal, Jean-Claude Nous Les Amoureux1961

Pearl, Minnie Giddyup Go – Answer1966 https://youtu.be/ryOKZd365_s

Pericoli, Emilio Al Di La1962

Perrin, Pierre Un Clair de Lune a Maubeuge1962

Petersen, Paul My Dad1962

Phillips, Charlie I Guess I’ll Never Learn1962

Pickett, Bobby “Boris” & The Crypt Kickers The Monster Mash1962 https://youtu.be/bRLML36HnzU

Polnareff, Michel Love Me, Please Love Me1966

Pullins, Leroy I’m a Nut1966

Purify, James & Bobby I’m Your Puppet1966 https://youtu.be/rYyCdHUJfb4

Ray, James If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody1961

Reid, Clarence Nobody But You Babe1969

Renis, Tony Quando, Quando, Quando1962

Reno and Smiley Don’t Let Your Sweet Love Die1961

Reno, Jack Repeat After Me1967

Riddle, Allan The Moon is Crying1960

Robinson, Roscoe That’s Enough1966

Rogers, Julie The Wedding1964

Roland W. Monja1968

Ronny Oh My Darling Caroline1964

Ross, Jackie Selfish One1964

Rosso, Nini II Silenzio1965

Roy C Shotgun Wedding1966

Ruby and the Romantics Our Day Will Come1963 https://youtu.be/i6FpsXojEoQ

Rush, Merrilee Angel of the Morning1968 https://youtu.be/stngGiMrn5U

Ryan, Charlie Hot Rod Lincoln1960

Sadler, Barry Ballad of the Green Berets1966 https://youtu.be/BugBwt2ESpo

Santamaria, Mongo Watermelon Man1963 https://youtu.be/s7PNQ_oIYyM

Sarstedt, Peter. Where Do You Go to My Lovely1969

Sceur Sourire Dominique1963 https://youtu.be/wtDR5MwGpXs

Scott, Earl Then a Tear Fell1962

Scott, Freddie Are You Lonely for Me1966

Scott, Linda I’ve Told Every Little Star1961 https://youtu.be/wZYWjYTVPog

Sherman, Allan Hello Muddah Hello Faddah1963

Shondell, Troy This Time1961

Smith, Jack Whistling I Was Kaiser Bill’s Batman1967

Smith, Jimmy Walk on the Wild Side1962

Smith, Lou Cruel Love1960

Smith, Ocie Little Green Apples1968

Soul Survivors Expressway to Your Heart1967

Soul, Jimmy If You Wanna Be Happy1963 https://youtu.be/fxUY-99TPRY

Sounds Orchestral Cast Your Fate to the Wind1965 https://youtu.be/IvSosUvU__8

St. Peters, Crispian Pied Piper1966

Staffford, Terry Suspicion1964 https://youtu.be/_DrDq_2ZKQI

Starr, Lucille The French Song1964

Stephens, Ott Robert E. Lee1963

Stevens, Connie Sixteen Reasons1960 https://youtu.be/gATwzVx1lCs

Stewart, Andy A Scottish Soldier (Green Hills of Tyrol)196

Stewart, Vernon. The Way It Feels to Die1963

Strawberry Alarm Clock Incense & Peppermints1967 https://youtu.be/idJzMSKaHaw

Strong, Barrett Money (That’s What I Want)1960 https://youtu.be/bNND0AvhnyQ

Sugar Pie DeSanto I Want to Know1960

Sunny & The Sunliners Talk to Me1963

Swann, Bettye Make Me Yours1967

Taylor, Bobby Does Your Mama Know About Me1968

Taylor, Gloria Ann You Got to Pay the Price1969

Taylor, Koko Wang Dang Doodle1966

Temple, Nino & April Stevens Deep Purple1963 https://youtu.be/KkO7_lIt9r0

Tha Valentinos Lookin’ for A Love1962

The Ad Libs The Boy from New York City1965

The Allisons Are You Sure?1961

The Amboy Dukes Journey to the Center of the Mind1968

The Angels My Boyfriend’s Back1963 https://youtu.be/fEfLMod-Wqk

The Ballads God Bless Our Love1968

The Blue Diamonds Ramona1960

The Bobby Fuller Four I Fought the Law1966 https://youtu.be/rZ5v8L08Flg

The Brookln Bridge Worst that Could Happen1969 https://youtu.be/tbNC7a_mdgY

The Brothers Four Greenfields1960 https://youtu.be/OcjuOJooQzo

The Buckinghams Kind of a Drag1967 https://youtu.be/QSqg1NqBKGE

The Capitols Cool Jerk1966https://youtu.be/R73iEOvkr10

The Capris There’s a Moon Out Tonight1961

The Caravelles You Don’t Have to Be a Baby to Cry1963

The Cascades Rhythm of the Rain1963 https://youtu.be/AtEKXIQCwYw

The Chantays Pipeline1963 https://youtu.be/4fc57tYou4U

The Checkmates, Ltd Black Pearl1969

The Contours Do You Love Me?1962 https://youtu.be/uRsoWlYMO-4

The Corsairs Smoky Places1961

The Cyrkle Red Rubber Ball1966 https://youtu.be/rxRfbJvjsN8

The Dixie Drifter Soul Heaven1965

The Duprees You Belong to Me1962 https://youtu.be/fp7dLyRfvGw

The Easybeats Friday on My Mind1967

The Equals Baby Come Back1968 https://youtu.be/NNjbdL70dMMb

The Essex Easier Said Than Done1963 https://youtu.be/TT3ivugR2eY

The Exciters Tell Him1963 https://youtu.be/6ajcWXyDv6A

The Fantastic Four The Whole World is a Stage1967

The Fantastic Johnny C Boogaloo Down Broadway1967

The Fendermen Mule Skinner Blues1960

The Fireballs (Jimmy Gilmer) Sugar Shack1963 https://youtu.be/aJwXbZAoI_A

The Five Americans Western Union1967 https://youtu.be/UJexPMk7pxo

The Flirtations Nothing but a Heartache1969 https://youtu.be/PBrNklk1aUI

The Flying Machine Smile a Little Smile for Me1969 https://youtu.be/QSQEiQaABRM

The Glass House Crumbs off the Table1969

The Happenings See You in September1966 https://youtu.be/LhEg3cds2ck

The Harden Trio Tippy Toeing1966

The Hesitations Born Free1968

The Highwaymen Michael Row the Boat1961 https://youtu.be/Gb_rdc0gR5M

The Holidays I’ll Love You Forever1966

The Hollywood Argyles Alley-opp1960 https://youtu.be/SeU5CjSoRZ8

The Honeycombs Have I the Right1964 https://youtu.be/LAvF6tfMCq8

The Ikettes I’m Blue (The Gong-Gong Song)1962

The Intrigues In a Moment1969

The Irish Rovers The Unicorn1968

The Jarmels A Little Bit of Soap1961

The Jaynetts Sally, Go ‘Round the Roses1963

The Jelly Beans I Wanna Love Him So Bad1964

The Jive Five My True Story1961

The Kingpins Ode to Billy Joe1967 https://youtu.be/JLqN7c06lNQ

The Knickerbockers Lies1965 https://youtu.be/_4FsMlzPwT8

The Leaves Hey Joe1966

The Lemon Pipers Green Tambourine 1968 https://youtu.be/o6IEgrQ4lrk

The Marbles Only One Woman1969

The Marcels Blue Moon1961 https://youtu.be/6PZPF1NXnTU

The Mar-Keys Last Night1961

The Marvelows I Do1965

The Masqueaders I Ain’t Got to Love Nobody Else1968

The McCoys Hang on Sloopy1965 https://youtu.be/x8TBs-UZhEI

The Mindbenders A Groovy Kind of Love1966 https://youtu.be/jinZMqbS29M

The Move Flowers in the Rain1967

The Music Explosion Little Bit O’ Soul1967 https://youtu.be/L9D6CWttXSs

The Music Machine Talk Talk1966

The Nashville Teens Tobacco Road1964 https://youtu.be/vKvynim8JHo

The Newbeats Bread & Butter1964

The O’Kaysions Girl Watcher1968 https://youtu.be/Hge_m3vUDB8

The Otis and Carla Band Tramp1967

The Overlanders Michelle1966 https://youtu.be/2egZseGXfTM

The Packers Hole in the Wall1965

The Parliaments I Wanna Testify1967

The Peels Juanita Banana1966

The Poets She Blew a Good Thing1966

The Premiers Farmer John1964

The Radiants Voice Your Choice1965

The Ray Bryant Combo The Madison Time1960

The Reflections Just Like Romeo & Juliet1964 https://youtu.be/vne1U03hqG4

The Regents Barbara Ann1961 https://youtu.be/ZGM6X3SIaiQ

The Rivieras California Sun1964 https://youtu.be/HF1tyjvH9is

The Rockin’ Rebels Wild Weekend1962

The Rocky Fellers Killer Joe1963

The Rooftop Singers Walk Right In1963 https://youtu.be/yDUMImLjYss

The Rose Garden Next Plane to London1967

The Saints One Grain of Sand1961

The Sandpipers Guantanamera1966 https://youtu.be/w_apu3ZZtMA

The Scaffold. Lily the Pink1969

The Sensations Let Me In1962

The Shadows of Knight Gloria1966 https://youtu.be/7xR2dEHNHvg

The Simms Twins Soothe Me1961

The Soul Survivors Expressway1967

The Springfields Silver Threads and Golden Needles1962

The Standells Dirty Water1966

The Surfaris Wipe Out1963 https://youtu.be/0hLeQCnTGq8

The Sweet Inspirations Sweet Inspiration1968

The Swingin’ Medallions Double Shot (of My Baby’s Love)1966

The Swinging Blue Jeans Hippy Hippy Shake1964 https://youtu.be/w-DMuIvyJss

The Tams What Kind of Fool (Do You Think I Am)1963 https://youtu.be/dhwkdVYQ0gQ

The Tokens The Lion Sleeps Tonight1961 https://youtu.be/OQlByoPdG6c

The Tornados Telstar1962 https://youtu.be/T1HAeNHxUis

The Toys A Lover’s Concerto1965 https://youtu.be/BCZdMU53Ugo

The Trade Winds New York’s a Lonely Town1965

The Trashmen Surfin’ Bird1963

The Vontastics Day Tripper1966

The Waikikis Hawaiian Tattoo1964

The Walker Brothers The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine (anymore)1966 https://youtu.be/ASzhmXCzoWg

The Willis Brothers Give Me 40 Acres1964

The Winstons Color Him Father1969

The Youngbloods Get Together1969 https://youtu.be/NbLt4wnAgho

Theodarakis, Mikis & His Orchestra La Danse De Zorba1965

Thomas, Irma Wish Someone Would Care1964

Thompson, Sue Norman1962

Thunder, Johnny Loop De Loop1962 https://youtu.be/bHCM-CJh_Bs

Tiny Tim Tip-Toe Thru the Tulips with Me1968 https://youtu.be/mpq-pGDgKXw

Toney, Oscar Jr For Your Precious Love1967 https://youtu.be/rF_CMbYU6c0

Troy, Doris Just One Look1963 https://youtu.be/GI3OYR_XM0w

Tucker, Tommy Hi-Heel Sneakers1964

Turner, Spyder Stand by Me1966

Unit 4+2 Concrete & Clay1965

Valance, Ricky Tell Laura I Love Her1960 https://youtu.be/TL4dICC1T10

Vaughn, Frankie Tower of Strength1961

Verne, Larry Mr. Custer1960

Vianello, Edoardo O mio Signore1963

Vilard, Herve Capri C’est Fini1965

Walker, Gloria Talking About My Baby1968

Washington, Baby Only Those in Love1965 https://youtu.be/CftsrjSa3d0

Welch, Lenny Ebb Tide1964 https://youtu.be/2c0TBlaVThs

Wells, Ruby Wright Dern Ya1964

Wendland, Gerhard Tanze mi mir in den Morgen1962

West, Keith Excerpt from a Teenage Opera1967

Weston, Kim Take Me in Your Arms1965

Wheeler, Billy Edd Ode to the Little Brown Shack Out Back1965

White, Tony Joe Polk Salad Annie1969

Williams, Lawton Anywhere There’s People1961

Williams, Mason Classical Gas1968 https://youtu.be/blco_Km9BGA

Williams, Maurice & The Zodiacs Stay1960 https://youtu.be/YbCV_fTyedk

Willis, Hal The Lumberjack1964

Wilson, J. Frank & the Cavaliers The Last Kiss1964

Winter, David Alexandre Oh Lady Mary1969

Winters, Don Too Many Times1961

Wood, Brenton Gimme Little Sign1967

Woods Who Do I Think I Am1965

Woods, Gene The Ballad of Wild River1960

Wright, Johnny Hello Vietnam1965

Young, Kathy A Thousand Stars1960

Young-Holt Unlimited Soulful Strut1968

Yuro, Timi Hurt1961 https://youtu.be/TC5NsmI1sdQ

Zager & Evans In the Year 2525 1969 https://youtu.be/l3yDLvp9le0

Original Artists and Groups:

The Human Beinz is an American rock band from Youngstown, Ohio. Originally known as The Human Beingz, the band initially featured John “Dick” Belley (vocals, guitar), Joe “Ting” Markulin (vocals, guitar), Mel Pachuta (vocals, bass), and Gary Coates (drums), later replaced by Mike Tatman. The Beinz started in 1964 as The Premiers, launching their professional career to build a local fan base. In 1966, they changed their name to The Human Beingz because they felt their old name did not fit with the feel of the late 1960s. They recorded covers of songs by Them, The Yardbirds, The Who and Bob Dylan. The group was also the first to record a cover of “Gloria” by Them, which became a hit for The Shadows of Knight, and covered “The Pied Piper”, which later became a hit for Crispian St. Peters. The group signed to Capitol Records in 1967 and at that time Capitol misspelled their name, leaving out the “g”. Capitol’s purported idea was to affiliate the band’s name with the Human Be-In movement of 1967. The Beingz were told it would be changed on the next release if the debut single did not have any success. On 24 August 1967 “Nobody But Me” (https://youtu.be/f3HpZNE1Z9k) (RQ 9) was released and became their only Billboard Top 40 hit, which meant that Capitol would not correct the spelling. “Nobody But Me” (written and first recorded by The Isley Brothers in 1962) peaked at No. 8 in February 1968. The recording’s two 31-fold repetitions of the word “no” fulfill Casey Kasem’s “Book of Records” category of most repetitive word or phrase in a Hot 100 top 10 hit, besting the 26-fold repetition of “I know” in Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine”. An album, Nobody But Me, followed.

The Elegants was an American doo-wop vocal group, that started in 1958 by Vito Picone, Arthur Venosa, Frank Tardogno, Carman Romano and James Moschello in South Beach, Staten Island, New York. Before their nursery rhyme inspired song, “Little Star” (https://youtu.be/HCPqcJmK8y8) (RQ 10), became a number one hit, the band usually performed informally under the boardwalk by their homes. “Little Star” was the only million seller for the group, and was written by Venosa and Picone. It spent 19 weeks in the Billboard Hot 100, earning gold disc status.

The Reflections was the name of a number of musical groups. Perhaps the best known were a blue-eyed soul/doo-wop group from Detroit, Michigan. They had one hit single in 1964 called “(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet” (https://youtu.be/sfWwUWkyUAw) (RQ 10) written by Bob Hamilton and Freddie Gorman. The song was produced by Rob Reeco on Golden World Records. The disc reached #6 on the BillboardHot 100 chart and #9 on the Cash Box magazine chart. The record was even more popular in rhythm and blues locations, reaching #3 on that Cashbox chart, and was featured on “American Bandstand” as a “spotlight dance”. A cover version by new wave band Mental As Anything hit #27 on the Australian charts in 1980.

The Penguins were an American doo-wop group of the 1950s and early 1960s, best remembered for their only Top 40 hit, “Earth Angel” (https://youtu.be/-j6OAEOcNCE) (RQ 10), which was one of the first rhythm and blues hits to cross over to the pop charts. The song peaked at #8 on the BillboardHot 100 chart, but had a three-week run at #1 on the R&B chart, later used in the Back to the Future movies. The group’s lead singer (a tenor) was Cleveland Duncan.

The Poni-Tails were formed in a suburb of Cleveland (Lyndhurst), Ohio, United States, the Poni-Tails – Toni Cistone, Karen Topinka and Patti McCabe (Patricia Ann McCabe, July 6, 1939 – January 17, 1989) – started singing at Brush High School, which they all attended. Tom Ilius, a music publisher, had them signed to a local record label, Point Records, which released their first single, “Your Wild Heart” b/w “Que la Bozena” (the latter of which was written by the group). “Your Wild Heart” (https://youtu.be/DO_rTDx7eao) (RQ 9) was covered by the then-15-year-old Joy Layne and became a nationwide hit. The next release was “Can I Be Sure” on Marc Records, which was not a success; following this release Topinka left the group and was replaced by LaVerne Novak. Soon after this, the group signed to ABC-Paramountand released “Just My Luck to Be Fifteen”, a flop. Following this was “Come on Joey, Dance With Me” b/w “Born Too Late” (https://youtu.be/p64nDdoniIA) (RQ 10). The B-side was the one that caught the attention of radio DJs and became the group’s biggest hit, reaching #11 on the U.S. R&B singles chart and #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1958. Follow-ups “Seven Minutes In Heaven” (#85 Pop) and “I’ll Be Seeing You” (#87 Pop) fared less well, and the group’s last single, 1960’s “Who, When And Why”, did not chart. ABC-Paramount attempted to sign the group to a further five-year contract, but they turned it down. The members left the music industry and pursued careers in other fields in Ohio. They reunited to play a Cleveland festival, Moon Dog Coronation ball, in 1997. A CD released by Poni Records with 12 tracks credited to the Poni-Tails contains only one Poni-Tails song (“Born Too Late”) and 11 tracks recorded by other groups.

The Rip Chords were an early-1960s American vocal group, originally known as the Opposites, composed of Phil Stewart and Ernie Bringas. The group eventually expanded into four primary voices, adding Columbia producer Terry Melcher and co-producer Bruce Johnston (best known as a member of the Beach Boys). This group came to be associated with the hot-rod and surf genres of that day, although their first single (“Here I Stand”) did not reflect those styles. They recorded for Columbia Records in Hollywood from 1962 to 1965. The group placed five singles on the Billboard Hot 100 , although they only charted: 28, 51, 88 and 96. So, really they fall into the one-hit wonder category for their number-four single: “Hey Little Cobra” (https://youtu.be/oc6FmZCT0Zc).

Kathy Young, a native of Southern California, was born on October 31, 1945 in the Orange County seat, Santa Ana. She rose to stardom in 1960, when producer Jim Lee of Indigo Records chose a Sun Valley-based band, The Innocents, to sing back-up vocals for her on a cover version of The Rivileers’ 1954 recording of “A Thousand Stars” (https://youtu.be/2yesRVy3s98) (RQ 9). Two years earlier Lee had organized The Innocents for an appearance on Wink Martindale’s pop music TV show. In December 1960, two months after her 15th birthday, Kathy Young and The Innocents peaked at No. 6 on the R&B Singles chart, and at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Young’s follow-up, “Happy Birthday Blues”, peaked at No. 30 on the Hot 100 in 1961. Subsequent singles, such as “Magic Is the Night” and “The Great Pretender”, failed to chart in the Top 40. In July 1961 she appeared on DJ Alan Freed’s highly publicized American road show. In 1962 she followed Jim Lee to Monogram Records, recording solo and with Chicano rock singer Chris Montez. Still a teenager, she saw her promising career slowing to a standstill and, in 1964, traveled to London. There she married American singer-songwriter John Maus, aka John Walker, founder of The Walker Brothers. Her marriage to Maus lasted from 1965 to 1968. Kathy returned to the US in 1969, remarrying two years later. Over the next 20 years she raised children and helped manage the family citrus ranch in Central California. Following a move back to Los Angeles in 1994, she began working for a major international company, while also returning to her original passion, music. In the 2000s she performed at numerous rock shows at venues such as the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles and New Jersey’s Izod Center at the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Kathy Young was inducted into the Doo-Wop Hall of Fame, presided over by Harvey Robbins. on October 12, 2014. at the North Shore Music Theater, in Beverly, Massachusetts.

The String-A-Longs were an American instrumental group from Plainview, Texas, United States, known for their hit single, “Wheels” (https://youtu.be/G_IPPpVvhx8) (Which Which RQ 10+) produced by Norman Petty on Warwick Records. The band consisted of Richard Stephens and Jimmy Torres alternating lead guitars, Keith McCormack on rhythm guitar, Aubrey de Cordova, bass guitar and Don Allen, drums. They began recording in Amarillo, Texas, as the Rock’n Rollers, under their first manager Johnny Voss, Keith McCormack’s Uncle. Their first single was on the Ven label. In the later fifties they began recording in Clovis, New Mexico, under Norman Petty as “The Leen Teens” but Petty suggested the name “String-A-Longs”. They had several releases before recording their big hit “Wheels”. “Wheels” was released in December 1960 and hit in 1961. The tune peaked at number 3 on the BillboardHot 100 and was the number 8 single of 1961 according to Billboard. The track reached number 8 in the UK Singles Chart. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. Warwick Records paid few royalties to the band and they declared bankruptcy as they were being sued to avoid paying more. The writers of the song did receive their royalties, including Norman Petty.

Motherlode was a Canadian pop rock groupformed in 1969 in London, Ontario. The group scored some success in the US with their single, “When I Die”, which hit #1 in Canada and #18 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1969. “When I Die” (https://youtu.be/8MyPSFnyaTQ) (RQ 10+, one of the best technical recordings within my blog!) was produced by Doug Riley and Terry Brown did not make any headway on the radio. A reciprocal deal in the US with Buddah Records made the song a hit reaching Number 18 on the charts. The song sold more than 500,000 copies and it eventually climbed to Number 1 in the Canadian charts.

Mercy is an American pop group from Florida. The group’s 1969 single “Love (Can Make You Happy)”, written by Jack Sigler, Jr., soared to No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singleschart, and also peaked at No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary chart. “Love (Can Make You Happy)” (https://youtu.be/0XBqYvzkPzU) (RQ 8) was released in April and had sold over one million copies by July 15, earning a gold record from the R.I.A.A., although the group did not receive the award until October 2009.

Jackie Ward (born Jacqueline McDonnell, 1941), better known as Robin Ward, is an American singer, regarded as a “one-hit wonder” of 1963 million-selling song “Wonderful Summer” (https://youtu.be/KCRdUB_ASTc) (RQ 8). However, using her real name she was highly accomplished and successful singing in groups. Ward’s voice is heard in U.S. television series, motion pictures, advertisements, and pop records. She is one of the real singers of the hits attributed to The Partridge Family.

Playlist:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqptie5CKN1hFWvj5DOqhE8BP0Qsfey27

Bruce Channel performed originally for the radio program Louisiana Hayride and then joined with the harmonica player Delbert McClinton, singing country music. Channel wrote “Hey! Baby” (https://youtu.be/ik9dxkKriV0) (RQ 10) with Margaret Cobb in 1959 and performed the song for two years before recording it for Fort Worth record producer Bill Smith. It was issued originally on Smith’s LeCam label, but as it started to sell well, it was acquired for distribution by Smash Records, a subsidiary of Mercury. The song went to number one in the US in March 1962 and held that position for three weeks. Besides topping the U. S. popular music charts, it also became number two in the United Kingdom. It sold more than one million copies and was awarded a gold disc. Channel had four more singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Number One Man” (which peaked at number 52), “Come On Baby” (number 98), “Going Back to Louisiana” (number 89), and “Mr. Bus Driver” (number 90), but none of them was as successful as “Hey! Baby”, and he is considered a one-hit wonder.

Caroline Crawford (born: 1949) is an American rhythm and blues and disco singer and actress, who recorded as Carolyn Crawford for Motown Records in the early 1960s, and for other labels later in her career.

In 1963, at the age of about 13, she won a talent contest held by Detroit radio station WCHB, the prize for which was a contract with Motown Records. She recorded three singles for the label, an unsuccessful first release of “Forget About Me” (Motown 1050) being followed by “My Smile Is Just a Frown” (https://youtu.be/vGOkUkBU7e4()) (RQ 8) (Motown 1064), written by Smokey Robinson. The record reached # 39 on the Billboard rhythm and blues chart. She also sang backup vocals for some of the Motown artists. Her final record for Motown, “When Someone’s Good To You” (Motown 1070), released in December 1964, failed to chart and her contract was not renewed, although the record later became a favorite among British soul fans.

A few years later, she joined a girl group, Hodges, James, Smith and Crawford, put together in 1972 by William “Mickey” Stevenson. She released two singles with them, “Nobody” and “Let’s Pick Up The Pieces”, before leaving the group (which went on to achieve some success as Hodges, James and Smith. She then joined the group Chapter 8, but left them in 1976 to start a solo career; she was replaced in the group by Anita Baker.

In the late 1970s, and through the early 1980s, she was featured vocalist on several of Hamilton Bohannon’s singles and six of his albums, including his biggest US single hit “Let’s Start the Dance”. She also signed a solo contract with Mercury Records (using the spelling Caroline), and released a single “Coming On Strong” which reached # 66 on the R&B chart at the start of 1979. In addition she released two albums, My Name Is Caroline (1978) and Nice And Soulful (1979), both produced by Bohannon.

In 1989 (using the spelling Carolyn) she joined Ian Levine’s Motorcity project and recorded the album Heartaches, including the single “Timeless” which later became a favourite on the UK Northern soul circuit. She was reported to be still performing (as Caroline Crawford) in Detroit clubs in 2007.

Crawford has also worked as an actress in recent years. She voiced the character of Mrs. Lovat in the 2009 stop-motion film Caraline and appeared in the TV series Leverage.

Several of her earlier recordings, including recordings for Motown which went unreleased at the time, have been included on later compilation albums.

Her best known recording,”My Smile Is Just a Frown” (https://youtu.be/vGOkUkBU7e4) is featured in the UK-Irish drama-documentary Dreams of a Life, released in December 2011.

Reba Jeanette Smith (February 1, 1928 – February 17, 2001), known professionally as Debbie Dean, was an American singer who was the first white solo artist to record for Motown. Debbie was from Corbin, Kentucky. She was the fourth child of Walter B. Smith, a railroad engineer by his wife, Alma, a housewife. Dean recorded as Penny Smith and Debbie Stevens at various labels before arriving at Motown in the early 1960s, and was Motown’s first white female solo recording artist, signed by Berry Gordy.

Unlike most of the early Motown recording artists, she was neither an R&B or blues singer. Her first single at Motown was “Don’t Let Him Shop Around” (https://youtu.be/D-tqAiyE0N8) (1961) (RQ 8) an answer record to the Miracles #1 R&B and #2 pop hit, “Shop Around.” Dean’s perky vocals with a noticeable southern twang barely reached Billboard’s Hot 100 charts with the song.

Subsequent singles were even less successful and at the age of 34 (significantly older than most Motown acts at the time), she was dropped from the label. Several years later, after a meeting with Motown producer/writer Deke Records, Dean rejoined the Motown roster as a writer/singer, and collaborated with Richards (born Dennis Lussier) on songs for the Supremes, Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Martha and the Vandellas, Edwin Starr, and other Motown artists. She later co-wrote and recorded “Why Am I Lovin’ You” (https://youtu.be/SVkqw30ukFM) (RQ 7) on Motown’s V.I.P. label. The song has since become a Northern soul favourite.

“Teen Angel” (https://youtu.be/IE-AcC53OYY) (RQ 8) is a teenage tragedy song that was written by Jean Dinning and performed by Jean’s brother, Mark Dinning. It went on to become a #1 hit on February 8, 1960. Mark Dinning never recorded another hit song and died of a heart attack in 1986 at the age of 52, in Jefferson City, Missouri. Strangely enough, the song was included in the soundtrack to the movie American Graffiti, begging the question, “Why didn’t this artist go any further?”

American pop singer Mark Dinning was named Max Edward Dinning at birth and was born on August 17, 1933 in Manchester, Oklahoma. He and his family moved to Kansas and then to a farm near Nashville, Tennessee. Mark was the youngest of nine children and came from a musically-inclined family. His own sisters Ella Lucille (“Lou”), Jean and Virginia (“Ginger”) eventually achieved recognition in their own right as the traditional pop trio The Dinning Sisters. In 1957, he pursued his own music career, signing a record contract from MGM Records which was to him offered by record producer Wesley Rose.

Gale Zoë Garnett (born 17 July 1942) is a New Zealand–born Canadian singer best known in the United States in 1964 for her self-penned, Grammy-winning folk hit: “We’ll Sing in the Sunshine” (https://youtu.be/4ZeRVUUxV_k) (RQ10+) hit. She would qualify for my “One Hit Wonder”singer category. Garnett has since carved out a career as an author and actress.

Astrud Gilberto born Astrud Evangelina Weinert, March 29, 1940) is a Brazilian Samba and Bossa Nova singer. She became popular in the 1960s after her performance of the song “The Girl from Ipamema” (https://youtu.be/c5QfXjsoNe4) (RQ 7). Astrud is the daughter of a Brazilian mother and a German father, in the state of Bahia, Brazil. She was raised in Rio de Janeiro. Her father was a language professor and she became fluent in several languages. She married Joao Gilberto in 1959 and had a son, Marcelo Gilberto. She has another son from a second marriage, Gregory Lasorsa. Later she began a relationship with her husband’s musical collaborator, American jazz saxophone player Stan Getz. She emigrated to the United States in 1963, residing in the U.S. from that time. Astrud and João divorced in the mid-1960s. She sang on two tracks on the influential 1963 album Getz/Gilberto featuring João Gilberto, Stan Getz, and Antonio Carlos Jobim, despite having never sung professionally before this recording. The 1964 single version of ”The Girl from Ipanema” taken from the 1963 album, omitted the Portuguese lyrics sung by João Gilberto, and established Astrud Gilberto as a Bossa Nova singer. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc.

In 1962, Eddie Holman made his first record, “What You Don’t Know Won’t Hurt You” on Leopard Records. It was in the Philadelphia soul scene that he began to develop his trademark style. While still in college, he recorded his first minor hit, “This Can’t Be True” (1966-Jan 15), which reached #17 on the Billboard chart. Other songs began to follow: “Am I A Loser From The Start” (1966), “I Love You” (1969), “Don’t Stop Now” (1970), and “Cathy Called” (1970). Holman finally struck personal gold in 1970 with his ballad, “Hey There Lonely Girl” (https://youtu.be/0tSpZnVnSLQ) (RQ 10+) peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track peaked at number 4 in the UK singles chart in November 1974. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc from R.I.A.A. in March 1970. Originally, “Hey There Lonely Boy” a Top 30 hit, was recorded in 1963 by Ruby and the Romantics. // British journalist Tony Cummings once wrote, “Eddie Holman’s voice, an astonishing precision instrument which can leap octaves with the speed of mercury and bend notes into shapes unimagined by lesser singers, has assured its possessor a place in soul history.

Curtis Lee (October 28, 1939 – January 8, 2015) was an American singer of the early 1960s, who twice was one of the beneficiaries of 1961 productions by Phil Spector. His best known hit was: “Pretty Little Angel Eyes” (RQ 9) (US#7) (https://youtu.be/fG_AWUkj8ks). Without Spector’s influence, Lee’s hits dried up. He went into the construction industry with his father in 1969. He died from cancer on January 8, 2015 in Yuma, Arizona, aged 75.

Julie London (at birth: Peck; September 26, 1926 – October 18, 2000) was an American singer and actress whose career spanned more than 40 years. A “torch” singer noted for her sultry, languid contralto vocals, London recorded over thirty albums of pop and jazz standards between 1955 and 1969. Her recording of “Cry Me a River“, a track she introduced on her debut album, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001. She sang this song in the movie “The Girl Can’t Help It” in 1956. She was an actress in 24 films. In addition to her musical notice, London was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1974 for her portrayal of nurse Dixie McCall in the television series Emergency!. Her debut single “Cry Me a River” reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1955. In June 1957, it would also peak at number twenty-two on the UK Singles Chart. “Cry Me a River” (https://youtu.be/gCGNYJOrebA) (RQ 10) became London’s most successful and highest-selling single of her musical career. The single would sell three million copies in total. She did record another 28 songs which only a couple others charted (the highest of which was 110).

Laurie London was born in Bethnal Green, East London. At the age of thirteen, whilst a pupil at The Davenant Foundation Grammar School in Whitechapel Road, he made an up-tempo version of “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” (https://youtu.be/cqb3NSiSwoc) (RQ 9) with the Geoff Love Orchestra for Parlophone Records (45-R4359) which was picked up by its co-owned American sister label Capital Records (F3891). In April 1958, it reached number 1 on Billboard’s “Most Played by Jockeys” chart and remained there for four weeks, but it was to be his only hit record. It was the most successful record by a British male in the 1950s in the United States, topping the chart. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA in 1958.

Joanie Sommers (born Joan Drost, Buffalo, N.Y. February 24, 1941) is an American singer and actress with a career concentrating on jazz, standards and popular material and show-business credits. Once billed as “The Voice of the Sixties”, and associated with top-notch arrangers, songwriters and producers, Sommers’ popular reputation became closely tied to her biggest, yet most uncharacteristic, hit song, “Johnny Get Angry” (https://youtu.be/wcLXs3Np93s) (RQ 10).

Doris Troy (born Doris Elaine Higginsen; January 6, 1937 – February 16, 2004) was an American R&B singer and songwriter, known to her many fans as “Mama Soul”. Her biggest hit was “Just One Look” (https://youtu.be/GI3OYR_XM0w) (RQ 9) a top 10 hit in 1963. She was also one of the four female back up singers on The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd.

James T. Woodley (December 21, 1929 – November 20, 1996), who performed as Singin’ Sammy Ward, was an American rhythm and blues singer who recorded for Motown Records and had a R&B hit with “Who’s The Fool” (https://youtu.be/Lf3kZjc4RpQ) (RQ 9) written by Smokey Robinson in 1961. He grew up in the Ensley area of Birmingham, Alabama, before moving to Detroit Michigan, where he was established as a club singer by the late 1950s. He was named “Singin’ Sammy Ward” by Berry Gordy’s wife Raynoma, “Miss Ray”, and first recorded for Motown in 1960, on a duet with Sherri Taylor, “Lover” / “That’s Why I Love You So Much”. He then moved to the Tamla label as a solo singer, and recorded “That Child Is Really Wild”, co-written by Gordy and Robinson. The original B-side, “What Makes You Love Him”, was changed to another song, Robinson’s “Who’s The Fool” (https://youtu.be/Lf3kZjc4RpQ), which became Ward’s only chart success, reaching no. 23 on the Billboard R&B chart in August 1961. The record was only the fourth successful chart hit for Motown. According to record producer Ian Levine, Robinson also wrote “You Really Got a Hold On Me” for Ward, but Gordy insisted that Robinson recorded it himself, with The Miracles.

A bluesy singer who drew comparisons with Bobby Bland, Ward released several more singles on Tamla, including “Big Joe Moe” written by William “ Mickey Stevenson and Brian Holland, and “Someday Pretty Baby” (https://youtu.be/IXJhR_umHGU) featuring Stevie Wonder on harmonics, both in 1962, and then one on the subsidiary Soul label. However, the records were commercial failures, and Ward left Motown, disillusioned by his lack of success compared with others on the label, by the mid-1960s.

Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs were an American doo wop vocal group in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Originally the Royal Charms, the band changed its name to the Gladiolas in 1957 and the Excellos in 1958, before finally settling on the Zodiacs in 1959.

18 Groups or Bands:

? and the Mysterians (also rendered Question Mark and the Mysterians) are an American garage rock band from Bay City and Saginaw in Michigan who were initially active between 1962 and 1969. Much of the band’s music consisted of electric-driven garage rock and an enigmatic image inspired by the 1957 Japanese science fiction film The Mysterians. In addition, the band’s sound was also marked by raw-resonating lead vocals of “?” (Question Mark, the stage name of Rudy Martín), making Question Mark and the Mysterians one of the earliest groups whose musical style is described as punk rock. Through their music, the group was recognized as a template for similar musical acts to follow.

The band was signed to Pa-Go-Go Records (based in San Antonio, Texas and run by Rudy “Tee” Gonzales) in 1966 and released its first and most acclaimed single, “96 Tears” (https://youtu.be/R7uC5m-IRns) (RQ 9) in the early part of the year. “96 Tears” became a number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and propelled the group to a 15-month period of national prominence. Their debut album, 96 Tears, followed. Though Question Mark and the Mysterians were unable to replicate their success with their later recordings, and are thus deemed a “one hit wonder”, they did manage to reach the singles charts on five occasions. In 1968, their label, Cameo-Parkway, was shut down for stock manipulation by the Securities and Exchange Commission, taking the band’s money and contract with them. Though they disbanded in 1969, the band has regrouped and released additional material over the years. “96 Tears” was listed at number 210 on the 2004 Rolling Stone list the greatest 500 songs of all time.

Iron Butterfly is an American rock band best known for the 1968 hit “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida“, (https://youtu.be/UIVe-rZBcm4) (RQ 10+) providing a dramatic sound that led the way towards the development of hard rock and heavy metal music. Formed in San Diego, California, among band members who used to be “arch enemies”, their heyday was the late 1960s, but the band has been reincarnated with various members with varying levels of success, with no new recordings since 1975. The band’s seminal 1968 album “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” was a best-seller. Iron Butterfly was the first group to receive an In-House platinum album award from Atlantic Records.

Ronald & Ruby were an American interracial pop vocal duo, best known for their 1958 hit single, “Lollipop” (https://youtu.be/VtzWruzNWnU) (RQ 9).

The duo’s members were the black Ronald Gum and the white Beverly “Ruby” Ross; interracial pop groups were unusual at the time, and the group did not appear in public or in major press and television outlets. They had previously worked together as songwriters; among their credits are “Young and Hungry for Love”, “Frankenstein Rock”, “Fat Pat”, “Soul Mates”, “Don’t Come to My Party”, and “The Ghost of Love.” In 1958, they released a single together entitled “Lollipop”. It became a hit in the U.S., reaching No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was covered to greater chart success by both The Chordettes and the Mudlarks. // They released several further singles, including “Love Birds”, none of them hits. Ross continued as a songwriter, recording nearly 200 songs with BMI, including “Candy Man” (for Roy Orbison) and “Judy’s Turn to Cry” (for Lesley Gore).

The Brooklyn Bridge (& Johnny Maestro) is an American musical group, best known for their 1968 million-selling rendition of Jimmy Webb’s “Worst That Could Happen” (https://youtu.be/kRDRX4Gyq6I) (RQ 10+). The song reached No. 3 on the Billboard pop chart. It sold over one and a quarter million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A.

The Cascades got their start in the San Diego, CA area as the band members served in the nearby Navy on the ship USS Jason. Their first band name was called The Silver Strands. Their first and only recording was an instrumental called “Thunder Rhythm.” The group was influenced by the Beach Boys and their use of vocal harmony. After getting out of the Navy, they signed with Valiant Records and soon afterward changed their name to The Cascades (the origin of the name came from using a like-named dishwashing detergent). After another failed attempt on recording a second song “There’s A Reason,” they began thinking about a song they (John Gommoe) wrote while listening to a thunderstorm while aboard their ship. This is the origin of the their one and only million selling record called: “Rhythm of the Rain.” (https://youtu.be/bQstQST1GiM) (RQ 10+). The hit was released in November of 1962. While this song was extremely successful world-wide (reaching a Billboard rating in the U.S. of No3), the group was limited in the future by only singing in local clubs no longer writing new music.

The Champs were an American rock and roll band, most famous for their Latin-tinged instrumental “Tequila” (https://youtu.be/Uyl7GP_VMJY) (RQ 6). The group took their name from the name of Gene Autry’s horse, Champion, and was formed by studio executives at Autry’s Challenge Records to record a B-side for the Dave Burgess single, “Train to Nowhere”. The intended throwaway track became more famous than its A-side, as “Tequila” went to No. 1 in just three weeks, and the band became the first group to go to the top spot with an instrumental that was their first release. The song was recorded at Gikd Star Studios in fall 1957, and in 1959 won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by RIAA.

Joe Billingsley (born November 14, 1937) and Billy Gordon founded a singing group called the Blenders in their native Detroit, Michigan in 1959. They completed the group with Billy Hoggs and Billy Rollins, who had responded to an ad placed in the local newspaper by Billingslea. The group soon added Leroy Fair (in place of Billy Rollins), and bass singer Hubert Johnson and changed the name to “The Contours“. In the fall of 1960, the group auditioned for Berry Gordon’s Motown Records. Gordy turned the act down, prompting the group to pay a visit to the home of Johnson’s cousin, R&B star and Gordy associate Jackie Wilson. Wilson in turn got the Contours a second audition with Gordy, at which they sang the same songs they had at the first audition, the same way, and were signed to a seven-year contract.

Each artist at Motown Records received its own guitarist. Huey Davis was the guitarist assigned to the Contours. The group’s first single, “Whole Lotta Woman,” was released in January 1961 and failed to chart. Within months of its release, Leroy Fair was replaced by Benny Reeves, brother of Martha Reeves. Shortly thereafter, Benny Reeves left to serve in the United States Navy and he was replaced by Sylvester Potts. In 1961 the group’s second single, “The Stretch”, was released and it also failed to chart. In early 1962, Gordy had the Contours record “Do You Love Me,” (https://youtu.be/LlKRp2KrJuQ) (RQ 9) a composition allegedly originally meant for The Temptations. But, in a 2008 interview for MOJO Magazine, original Contour Joe Billingslea stated that this was not the case. In the article, Billingslea stated to author Phil Alexander that the song’s author, Motown founder Berry Gordy, offered the song to the Contours first, only intending to give The Temptations the song after he saw that the Contours were having trouble with it. However, after practicing the tune again, Gordy gave the nod—and the song—to the Contours.

The resulting record, with its shouted lead vocals from Billy Gordon, hit No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B chart and crossed over to No. 3 on the Hot 100 in 1962. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.

The Crystals were based out of New York City. The original group members were: Barbara Alston, Mary Thomas, Delores Kenniebrew, Myma Giraud and Patricia Wright. The were active between 1960-1967. While they recorded at least 14 singles, they really had one great recording “Then He Kissed Me” in 1963 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG88R5SwQRw) (RQ 9). This hit reached a chart rating of 6 in the U.S. and 2 in the UK. While they produced two other hits (“He’s a Rebel” in 1962 and “Da Doo Ron Ron” in 1963), when “Then He Kissed Me” plays on the radio today it simply stands out.

Brenda Reid, Carolyn Johnson, Lillian Walker, and Sylvia Wilbur formed The Exciters while at high school together in Queens, New York City in 1961. They were originally called the Masterettes, as a sister group to another group called the Masters, and released their first recording, “Follow the Leader”, in early 1962. Wilbur then left the group to be replaced by Penny Carter, and they auditioned for Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Penny Carter left, and was replaced by Herb Rooney, a member of the Masters; Reid and Rooney later married.

The group’s name was changed to the Exciters, and their first hit record, arranged by George “Teacho” Wiltshire and produced by Leiber and Stoller for United Artists Records was “Tell Him” (https://youtu.be/G2sH6h0ViDg) (RQ 10+) which reached no. 4 on the U.S. pop chart in early 1963. The song had previously been released unsuccessfully, as “Tell Her”, by Gil Hamilton later known as Johnny Thunder. According to Jason Ankeny at AllMusic, the Exciters’ version of “Tell Him” “…boasted an intensity that signified a sea change in the presentation and perception of femininity in popular music.

The seven-member group of Treadwell High School (Memphis, TN) alumni included Bruce Bowles, Bobby Fisher, Jimmy Hart, Jimmy Johnson, Pat Neal, Larry Raspberry, and Larry Wall and also with another member, Karry Butler. The youths formed The Gentrys in May 1963 as a rock ‘n’ roll group for local dances, and were very successful playing for high school dates. In September 1964 they won third place in the Mid-South Fair Talent Competition and auditioned for the Ted Mack Amateur Hour. They soon became the most popular teenage band in the mid-South and in 1964 won the Memphis Battle of the Bands. In December 1964 the group was given a contract by local record label Youngstown Records, and made their first record of “Sometimes”, which was very popular locally in early 1965. After bubbling under the Billboard chart for a week, the Gentrys scored with the million-selling “Keep on Dancing” (https://youtu.be/VeEs6e0FdwU) (RQ 10+) which reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965.

The Hollywood Argyles song “Alley Opp” (https://youtu.be/mjvOGqIY0jc) (RQ 8) was first played on WLS radio in Chicago on May 2, 1960 (when they changed their focus from farm programming to rock and roll). It was a true example of a one hit wonder. The Argyles producer for the song was Kim Fowley. The lead singer was Norm Davis. The song sold over a million copies and was awarded a gold disc by RIAA.

The Impalas were an American doo-wop group in the late 1950s, best known for their hit, “Sorry” (https://youtu.be/ufz4-fRCwwo) (RQ 8) The group formed in 1958 in Brooklyn, New York, and was composed of lead singer Joe “Speedo” Frazier, Richard Wagner, Lenny Renda and Tony Carlucci. They were a racially integrated group—Frazier was the only black member.

The Jamies were an American singing group, led by siblings Tom and Serena Jameson (lead vocals), based in Boston. Other members were: Jeanie Roy, Arthur Blair and Sherman Fuller. Tom Jameson died from cancer on July 19, 2009, at the age of 72.

The group’s 1958 single for Epic Records, “Summertime, Summertime,” reached #26 on the U. S, Billboard charts. Both “Summertime” (https://youtu.be/fJ7re_PkPss) (RQ 9) and its b-side, “Searching for You,” are often described as doo-wop, because of their time period and their a capella harmonies. However, both songs may also be described as pop versions of Sacred Harp styles. The group started as church singers or possibly an early example of baroque pop singers.

The Monotones were a six-member American doo-wop vocal group in the 1950s. They are considered a one-hit wonder, as their only hit single was “The Book of Love” (https://youtu.be/qIfuNPbBaaA) (RQ 9) which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Top100 in 1958. // The Monotones formed in 1955 when the seven originalo singers, all residents of the Baxter Terrace housing project in Newark, New Jersey began performing covers of popular songs. They were:

• Lead singer Charles Howard Patrick (born September 11, 1938 – September 11, 2020)
• First tenor Warren Davis (born March 1, 1939)
• Second tenor George Malone (January 5, 1940 – October 5, 2007)
• Bass singer Frankie Smith (May 13, 1938 – November 26, 2000)
• Second bass singer John Ryanes (November 16, 1940 – May 30, 1972)
• Batrtone Warren Ryanes (December 14, 1937 – June 16, 1982)

Charles Patrick’s brother James was originally a member, but he left soon after the group’s formation. John Ryanes and Warren Ryanes were also brothers.

They all began singing with the New Hope Baptist Choir, directed by Cissy Houston, who was related to the Patrick brothers. The group launched their career with a 1956 appearance on Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour television program, winning first prize for their rendition of The Cadillacs’ “Zoom”. Soon afterwards, Charles Patrick was listening to the radio and heard a Pepsident toothpaste commercial with the line “wonder where the yellow went.” From there he got the idea for the line, “I wonder, wonder, wonder who!, who wrote the book of love”, later working it up into a song with Davis and Malone. In September 1957, they recorded “The Book of Love”, which was released on the Mascot label in December that year. The small record company could not cope with its popularity, and it was reissued on Chess Records’ subsidiary Argo label in February 1958. It became a hit, eventually reaching No. 3 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 5 on the pop chart. The record sold over one million copies. It also reached No. 5 in Australia; in the UK, the hit version was a cover version by The Mudlarks.

Buffalo Springfield was a North American (Los Angeles) rock band active from 1966 to 1968 whose most prominent members were Stephen Stills (recorded over 35 million records after Buffalo Springfield broke up), Neil Young (recorded over 75 million records including 22 of which were certified gold or platinum by RIAA), and Richie Furay (he continued to perform with another band called Poco). The other original members were Bruce Palmer and Dewey Martin). Distrust in their management was at the heart of why the group was short lived. The group released three albums and several singles during its brief existence, including “For What It’s Worth” (https://youtu.be/gp5JCrSXkJY) (RQ 10+). My personal opinion is that this record is one of the best recordings of all time. They were elected into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fane in 1997 by Tom Petty.

The Silhouettes were an American doo wop/R&B group, whose single “Get a Job” (https://youtu.be/SzWkqfQ17Eo) (RQ 4) was a number 1 hit on the Billboard R&B singled chart and pop singles chart in 1958. The doo-wop revival group Sha Na Na derived their name from the song’s lyrics. “Get A Job”‘ is included in the soundtracks of the film American Graffiti, Trading Places and Stand By Me. The Silhouettes performed in the 1986 movie Joey.

Following graduation from Fairfax high school in Los Angles, CA, Phil Spector became obsessed with “To Know Him Is To Love Him“, (https://youtu.be/vrwf-sIcr0M) (RQ 9) a song he had written for his group, the The Teddy Bears. After a hasty audition at ERA Records, which offered to finance a studio session, the Teddy Bears – Phil Spector, Marshall Leib, Harvey Goldstein (who left the group early on), lead singer Annette Kleinbard, and last minute recruit, drummer Sandy Nelson – recorded the song at Gold Star Studios at a cost of $75. Released on ERA’s Dore label in August 1958, it took two months before “To Know Him Is to Love Him” began to get airplay.

It went on to become a global hit. The record stayed in the Billboard Hot 100 for 23 weeks, in the Top Ten for 11 of those weeks, and commanded the number 1 chart position for three weeks. It also reached number 2 in the UK Singles chart. It sold over two and a half million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA. At 19 years old, Spector had written, arranged, played, sung, and produced the best-selling record in the country. Although subsequent releases by the Teddy Bears on the Imperial label were well-recorded soft pop, they did not sell, and within a year of the debut, Spector disbanded the group. Their demise was hastened by Kleinbard being seriously injured in 1960 in a car accident. //Following graduation from Fairfax high school in Los Angles, CA, Phil Spector became obsessed with “To Know Him Is To Love Him“, (https://youtu.be/vrwf-sIcr0M) (RQ 9) a song he had written for his group, the The Teddy Bears. After a hasty audition at ERA Records, which offered to finance a studio session, the Teddy Bears – Phil Spector, Marshall Leib, Harvey Goldstein (who left the group early on), lead singer Annette Kleinbard, and last minute recruit, drummer Sandy Nelson – recorded the song at Gold Star Studios at a cost of $75. Released on ERA’s Dore label in August 1958, it took two months before “To Know Him Is to Love Him” began to get airplay.

It went on to become a global hit. The record stayed in the Billboard Hot 100 for 23 weeks, in the Top Ten for 11 of those weeks, and commanded the number 1 chart position for three weeks. It also reached number 2 in the UK Singles chart. It sold over two and a half million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA. At 19 years old, Spector had written, arranged, played, sung, and produced the best-selling record in the country. Although subsequent releases by the Teddy Bears on the Imperial label were well-recorded soft pop, they did not sell, and within a year of the debut, Spector disbanded the group. Their demise was hastened by Kleinbard being seriously injured in 1960 in a car accident.

Spector was not the only Teddy Bear who went on to a career after the group broke up. Harvey Goldstein became a certified public accountant. Annette Kleinbard continued to write and record songs, and changed her name to Carol Conners. Among her credits are the Rip Chords hit “Hey Little Cobra”, (https://youtu.be/-rXldHa212I) (RQ 10) and the Academy Awards nominated Rocky theme song, “Gonna Fly Now,” (https://youtu.be/MR6FXpaECY8) (RQ 10+) co-written with Ayn Ribbins. Leib joined the Hollywood Argyles, played guitar on some of Duane Eddy’s records and produced material recorded by the Everly Brothers amongst others.Spector was not the only Teddy Bear who went on to a career after the group broke up. Harvey Goldstein became a certified public accountant. Annette Kleinbard continued to write and record songs, and changed her name to Carol Conners. Among her credits are the Rip Chords hit “Hey Little Cobra”, (https://youtu.be/-rXldHa212I) (RQ 10) and the Academy Awards nominated Rocky theme song, “Gonna Fly Now,” (https://youtu.be/MR6FXpaECY8) (RQ 10+) co-written with Ayn Ribbins. Leib joined the Hollywood Argyles, played guitar on some of Duane Eddy’s records and produced material recorded by the Everly Brothers amongst others.

Zager and Evans was an American rock-pop duo active during the late 1960s and early 1970s, named after its two members, Denny Zager (born 1944, Wymore, Nebraska) and Rick Evans (born 1943, Lincoln, Nebraska, died 2018, Santa Fe, New Mexico). They are best known for their 1969 No. 1 hit single “In the Year 2525” (https://youtu.be/zKQfxi8V5FA) (RQ 10) which earned them one-hit wonder status.

ARTIST LOCATOR CHARTS (222)

There are 222 artists and bands listed within My Best Music Blog. They are alphabetized by last name. To find specific information about any one of the artists, find them on one of the chart lists below and then focus upon the third column from the left hand side of each table. This will give you the post number in order to find the information you need. The whole idea behind this will be to support my contention that the music from the 1950s and 1960s is the best in history to date.

The Animals – Mariah Carey

Johnny Cash – Eminem

E-Street Band – Jefferson Airplane

Billy Joel – Bill Monroe

Moody Blues – Rihanna

Bruce Springsteen – Bob Wills & His Texas Cowboys

Jackie Wilson – The Zombies

1. 1960s Artists & Bands (A-G) (12 songs)

2. 1960s Artists & Bands (M-R) (15 songs)

3, 1960s Artists & Bands (S-Z) (23 songs)

4. 1950s Million Dollar songs (18)

5. 1950 & 1960s Under-rated songs (9)

6. Early 2000s Leading Seller songs (16)

1960s Artists and Bands A-G (12):

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqptie5CKN1i9mAYk-nmK8rhCgp9bHOrs

Louis Armstrong “Hello Dolly,” Tony Bennett “I Left My Heart in SanFrancisco,” Pat Boone“Moon River,” Johnny Cash “Ring of Fire,” Chubby Checker “The Twist,” Petula Clark “Downtown,” Bobby Darin “Beyond the Sea,” Bob Dylan “Like a Rolling Stone,” Sammy Davis Jr. “What Kind of Fool Am I?,” Jan and Dean “Surf City,” Judy Garland “Over the Rainbow,” and Bobbie Gentry “Ode to Billie Joe.”

1960s Artists and Bands H-L (22)

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqptie5CKN1gWcBk3deg4STJ1XR9lizZX&feature=shared

Bill Haley and His Comets “Rock Around the Clock,” Herbie Hancock “Just Around the Corner,” Herman’s Hermits “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter,” The Hollies “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother,” The Impressions (and Jerry Butler) “For Your Precious Love,” Iron Butterfly “In-A-Gotta-Da-Vida,” The Isley Brothers “Twist and Shout,” Chuck Jackson “Any Day Now,” Michael Jackson “Thriller,” Tom Jones “It’s Not Unusual,” Angelina Jordan “Bohemian Rhapsody,” B.B. King “The Trill is Gone,” Ben E. King “Save the Last Dance for Me,” Gladys Knight and the Pips “Midnight Train to Georgia,” Laine, Frankie “I Believe,” Led Zeppelin “Stairway to Heaven,” Brenda Lee “I’m Sorry,” The Lettermen “When I Fall in Love,” Gary Lewis and the Playboys “She’s Just My Style,” Jerry Lee Lewis “Whole Lotta Shakin Going On,” and The Lovin Spoonful “Daydream.”

1960s Artists and Bands M-R (15):

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqptie5CKN1iAyjUJ2TeO15ecfSF-Wqpc

Manfred Mann “Doo Wah Diddy Ditty,” The Marvelettes “Mr. Postman,” The Mamas and the Papas “Monday Monday,” The Monkeys “Daydream Believer,” The Moody Blues “Nights in White Satin,” Van Morrison (Them) “Gloria,” Pink Floyd “See Emily Play,” Elvis Presley “Heartbreak Hotel,” Paul Revere and the Raiders “Good Thing,” Righteous Brothers “Unchained Melody,” Johnny Rivers “Mountain of Love,” Tommy Roe “Sheila,” The Miracles “Shop Around,” The Rolling Stones “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction,” and The Ronettes “Walking in the Rain.”

1960s Artists and Bands S-Z (23):

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqptie5CKN1h8FekWmY2-Do6pEaYSjghn

Sam and Dave “Soul Man,” Sam the Sham and the Pharos “Wolly Bully,” The Sangri-las “Leader of the Pack,” The Shirelles “Foolish Little Girl,” Percy Sledge “When a Man Loves a Woman,” Sly and the Family Stone “Dance to the Music,” Simon and Garfunkel “The Sounds of Silence,” Sonny and Cher “I Got You Babe,” The Spencer Davis Group “Gimmie Some Lovin,” Staple Singers “I’ll Take You There,” Steppenwolf “Born to Be Wild,” The Temptations “My Girl,” Tina Turner “Proud Mary,” The Turtles “Happy Together,” Martha and the Vandellas “Dancing in the Streets,” The Ventures “Walk Don’t Run,” The Who “Pinball Wizard,” Jackie Wilson “Lonely Teardrops,” Stevie Wonder “Superstition,” The Yardbirds “For Your Love,” The Rascals “Good Lovin,” and The Zombies “She’s Not There.”

1950s Million Dollar Songs (18):

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqptie5CKN1hrcSu0v3tumMqe3_J9dbyr

The Four Aces “Love is a Many Splendored Thing,” Frankie Avalon “Venus,” Bill Haley and his Comets “Shake, Rattle & Roll,” Nat King Cole “Mona Lisa,” Perry Como “Round and Round,” Connie Francis “Who’s Sorry Now?,” The Kingston Trio “Tom Dooley,” Frankie Laine “I Believe,” Jerry Lee Lewis “Whole Lotta Shakin Going On,” Frankie Lyman (and The Teenagers) “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?,” Dean Martin “That’s Amore.” Johnny Mathis “ Chances Are,” Roy Orbison “ Oh Pretty Woman,” Patti Page “Tennessee Waltz,” Gene Petney “Only Love Can Break a Heart,” Little Richard “Tutti Frutti,” Frank Sinatra “ Young at Heart,” and Dotie Stevens “Pink Shoelaces.”

1950s and 1960s Under-Rated Songs (9):

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqptie5CKN1iE1lAGqWDbtOrLSpqo6DUc

Wilson Pickett “In the Midnight Hour”No19. Tammy Wynette “Stand By Your Man” No17 The Miracles. “The Tracks of My Tears” #16. Moody Blues. “Go Now” No10. Spanky & Our Gang “Sunday Will Never Be The Same” No9. Tom Jones “Its Not Unusual” No8. Englebert Humperdinck “Release Me” No7. Van Morrison “Brown-Eyed Girl” No7 Aretha Franklin “I Say a Little Prayer” No7

Leading selling artists (16) of the early 2000s:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqptie5CKN1g3H1-qHzFliTncyuj-ByZZ

Drake “I’m Goin In,” Rihanna “Umbrella,” Taylor Swift “Speak Now,” Eminum “Lose Yourself,” Katy Perry “Roar,” Justin Bieber “What Do You Mean?,” Bruno Mars “Just The Way You Are,” Kanye West “Gold Digger,” Maroon 5 “Moves Like Jagger,” Ed Sheeran “Sing,” Lady Gaga “Poker Face,” The Weeknd “The Hills,” Post Malone “White Iverson,” Chris Brown “Kiss Kiss,” Flo Rida “Low” and Luke Bryan “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye.”

RECORDING INDUSTRY ASSN. of AMERICA

(10) Top Selling Digital Singles Artists

Beyond the top five previously included artists (Drake, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Eminem and Katy Perry), there are another 10 artists that have generated between 49-69.5M digital single sales. Any one of these young artists might also out sell the best of the 1950-60s. Here is a snapshot and a link to one of their most popular recordings:

SONG CHART RATINGS

Data for Billboard‘s sales charts, which include all album charts are compiled by Nielsen Music/MRC Data from a universe of retailers that represents more than 90% of the U.S. music retail market.

The sample includes not only music stores and the music departments at electronics and department stores, but also direct-to-consumer transactions and Internet sales (both physical albums via Internet, and ones bought via digital downloads). A limited array of verifiable sales from concert venues is also tabulated. All sales charts use the entire Nielsen Music/MRC Data panel.

The Nielsen Music/MRC Data system utilizes that same point-of-sale that music merchants use to track their inventory, so an itemized receipt from one’s last visit to a music retailer essentially doubles as a ballot cast for our charts.

AIRPLAY

Billboard‘s radio charts are compiled using information tracked by Nielsen Music/MRC Data, which electronically monitors radio stations in more than 140 markets across the U.S. The Nielsen Music/MRC Data system looks for an audio fingerprint, i.e. a characteristic that differentiates a song from all of the other ones that it tracks.

Certain airplay charts are based on the number of plays that each song received in a given format that week, including Mainstream Top 40/Pop Songs, Adult Contemporary, Adult Top 40/Adult Pop Songs, Alternative Songs, Triple A/Adult Alternative Songs, Mainstream Rock Songs, Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop, Rhythmic Songs, Adult R&B Songs, Christian Airplay, Christian AC Songs, Gospel Songs, Dance/Mix Show Airplay and Smooth Jazz Songs. Others are based on audience impressions, including Radio Songs, Rock Airplay, Country Airplay, R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Rap Airplay and Latin Airplay.

The audience charts cross-reference Nielsen Music/MRC Data information with listener information compiled by the Nielsen Audio ratings system to determine the approximate number of audience impressions made for each play. Thus, a song that plays at 4 a.m. does not count as much as one played at 4 p.m., and a station with a large audience will influence the chart more than either a station in a smaller market or one with a specialized format that attracts less audience.

With few exceptions, stations tracked for Billboard by Nielsen Music/MRC Data are commercial stations.

STREAMING DATA

Billboard‘s Streaming Songs chart ranks the week’s top streamed radio songs and on-demand songs and videos on leading online music services. On-Demand Songs ranks the top on-demand play requests and plays from listener-controlled radio channels on leading music subscription services.

MIXING DATA

While many Billboard charts are either purely streaming-, radio- or sales-based, we mingle that data on a selection of charts: The Billboard Hot 100, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Hot R&B Songs, Hot Rap Songs, Hot Country Songs, Hot Rock Songs, Hot Latin Songs, Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, Hot Christian Songs and Hot Gospel Songs (as well as the Hot 100’s Bubbling Under chart, which ranks the top 25 titles that have not yet reached the Hot 100).

We use these three pools of data because while the consumer’s decision to purchase or stream is a significant vote of popularity, singles have a job that extends beyond being a sales vehicle: to capture radio play and, hopefully, stimulate album sales.

ADDITIONAL CHARTS

Other Billboard charts are base on data from different sources.

The Social 50 is powered by data tracked by music analytics company Next Big Sound and ranks the most popular artists on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Wikipedia. The chart’s methodology blends weekly additions of friends/fans/followers with artist page views and engagement.

Dance Club Songs is compiled from reports from a nationwide panel of club DJs, detailing the tracks that elicit the most audience response.

Smooth Jazz Songs combines airplay data from stations monitored by Nielsen Music/MRC Data with those that submit playlist reports online.

THE CHART WEEK

Generally, charts reflect sales and airplay between Friday and Thursday of any given week. Mixed-data charts, such as the Billboard Hot 100, also use an airplay cycle of Monday through Saturday.

Charts are refreshed every Tuesday on Billboard.com and reflect the date of the Billboard issue in which they appear; online-only charts display the same corresponding date.

The printed magazine first reaches newsstands on Saturday. Each issue is dated based on the end of its publication week. Thus, the Billboard that reaches newsstands on Saturday, March 19, for example, is dated that day.

Maybe, back in the 50s and 60s, these types of sources of data were not as accurate as they are today? It is for this reason that one might question the ratings given to a specific song. While re-listening to hundreds of songs while working on this project, I will offer up eleven examples that you might have thought the songs deserved a higher rating:

RESEARCH OF MUSIC FROM 1950-1969

Four playlists below for your listening enjoyment:

1950s Million Dollar records (17 videos): https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqptie5CKN1hrcSu0v3tumMqe3_J9dbyr

1960 A-G Top Selling Records (12 videos): https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqptie5CKN1hrcSu0v3tumMqe3_J9dby

1960 G-L Top Selling Records (18 videos): https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqptie5CKN1gCVsH3AC0evVe6ZfsqZSBR

1960 J-V Top Selling Records (9 videos): https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqptie5CKN1jHxFv4zk6cjcOKzvEyaGjV

Research from 1950-1969 supporting my claim that its the greatest era for music!

Once again, after looking over the Million Dollar Records book, I found another 25 artists (plus a “one hit wonder” The Crystals) to add to the years 1960-1969 (see their photos and song links below):

Louis Armstrong, Tony Bennett, Pat Boone, James Brown, The Bryds, Johnny Cash, Chubby Checker, Petula Clark, Bobby Darin, Bob Dylan, Sammy Davis Jr., Jan and Dean, Judy Garland, Bobby Gentry, Jefferson Airplane, B. B. King, Gary Lewis & The Playboys, Lulu, Peter, Paul & Mary, Gary Pucket & The Union Gap, Spencer Davis Group, The Lovin Spoonful, The Marvelettes, The Seekers, and Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. Their bios follow below…

Within the book there are 158 pages dedicated to the decade’s artists and music groups from this decade. The numbers of artists continue to trend upward since the 1950s. The total artists per year were at a low of 64 (in 1960) and a high of 103 (in 1969). The number of million dollar songs also continue to trend upward. Between 1950-1955, there were 86-99 million dollar songs per year. Then from 1956-1960, they increased to 95-133 songs per year. The last thing I have tracked is the No1 songs recorded per year. This number ranged from a low of 11 in 1960 to a high of 37 in 1966. The average No1s per year was 23 for a grand total for the decade of 231.

Here are the added artists from the 1960s which I had not included in my original posts:

Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed “Satachmo.” He was an American trumpeter, composer, vocalist, and actor who was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades, from the 1920s to the 1960s, and different eras in the history of jazz. One of his most famous recordings in 1965 was “Hello Dolly” (https://youtu.be/1saGiuCZAno) (RQ 9). In 2017, he was inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.

Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes and jazz. He is also a painter, having created works under his birth name that are on permanent public display in several institutions. He is the founder of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens, NY. Born and raised in Astoria (NYC) to an Italian-American family, Bennett began singing at an early age. He fought in the final stages of World War II as a U. S. Army infantry in the European Theater. Afterward, he developed his singing technique, signed with Columbia Records and had his first number-one popular song with “Because of You” (https://youtu.be/i-4zvArJDGg) (RQ 7) in 1951. Several top hits such as “Rags to Riches” (https://youtu.be/VBuPGwYvuzY) (RQ 9) followed in early 1953. He then refined his approach to encompass jazz singing. He reached an artistic peak in the late 1950s with albums such as The Beat of My Heart and Basie Swings and Bennett Sings. In 1962, Bennett recorded his signature song “I Left My Heart in SanFrancisco” (https://youtu.be/I6d03gbmAzc) (RQ 8). His career and personal life experienced an extended downturn during the height of the rock music era.

James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. A progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century and dance, he is often referred to by the nicknames: “Godfather of Soul”, “Mr. Dynamite”, and “Soul Brother No. 1”. He produced 57 studio albums which included many charted songs including one of his most famous (and his first Grammy Award): “Papa’s Got a New Bag” in 1965 (https://youtu.be/QE5D2hJhacU) (RQ 10). In a career that lasted over 50 years, he influenced the development of several music genres. Brown was one of the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at its inaugural induction dinner in New York on January 23, 1986.

Patrick Charles Eugene Boon (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer, composer, actor, writer, television personality, motivational speaker, and spokesman. He was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. In addition to one of his charted great recordings “Moon River” (https://youtu.be/bLz-_X2SLzQ) (RQ 10) he sold more than 45 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and appeared in more than 12 Hollywood films.

The Byrds were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole consistent member. Although their time as one of the most popular groups in the world only lasted for a short period in the mid-1960s, the Byrds are today considered by critics to be among the most influential rock acts of their era, alongside their contemporaries the Beatles, the Beach Boys and the Rolling Stones. Including their famous recording “ Mr. Tambourine Man” recording in 1965 (https://youtu.be/uPqAvgN6Tyw) (RQ 7) they had recorded another eleven albums. Their signature blend of clear harmony singing and McGuinn’s jangly twelve–string Rickenbacker guitar was “absorbed into the vocabulary of rock” and has continued to be influential. In 1967, their (11) Greatest Hits album included charted songs “Turn, Turn, Turn,” (https://youtu.be/W4ga_M5Zdn4) (RQ 10) and “Eight Miles High” (https://youtu.be/V_51PAR23sY) (RQ 6).

John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Much of Cash’s music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his career. Including such massive No1 hits as “Ring of Fire” (https://youtu.be/GCMz70Fm5pA) (RQ 10+) in 1963, he recorded sixty-seven albums. He also recorded five more No1 hits:

“Understand Your Man” (https://youtu.be/ipjaLMd8TqM) (RQ 10+).

“Don’t Take Your Guns to Town” (https://youtu.be/F-HIa3dq-0o) (RQ 9).

“Daddy Sang Bass” (https://youtu.be/x_geYBnMNG0) (RQ 10+).

“Folsom Prison Blues” (https://youtu.be/bDktBZzQIiU) (RQ 10).

“Ballad of a Teenage Queen” on his 1958 album: Songs that Made Him Famous. (https://youtu.be/V-DjCdKcg_s) (RQ 9).

He was known for his deep, calm bass-baratone voice, the distinctive sound of his Tennessee Three backing band characterized by train-like chugging guitar rhythms, a rebelliousness coupled with an increasingly somber and humble demeanor, free prison concerts, and a trademark all-black stage wardrobe which earned him the nickname “The Man in Black”.

Chubby Checker (born Ernest Evans; October 3, 1941) was an American rock and roll singer and dancer. He is widely known for popularizing many dance styles including the twist dance style with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard & The Midnighter’s hit “The Twist” (https://youtu.be/im9XuJJXylw) (RQ 10+) and the Pony with hit “Pony Time” (https://youtu.be/JyaxcvHSyZYIn) (RQ 6). September 2008, “The Twist” topped Billboard’s list of the most popular singles to have appeared in the Hit 100 since its debut in 1958, an honor it maintained for an August 2013 update of the list. He also popularized the “Limbo Rock” (https://youtu.be/zSGB09ktsy0) (RQ 10) and its trademark limbo dance, as well as various dance styles such as The Fly (https://youtu.be/6y33iQhPWi8) (RQ 7).

Petula Clark, (born Sally Olwen Clark; 15 November 1932) is a British singer, actress and composer whose career spans eight decades. Clark’s professional career began during World War II, as an entertainer on BBC Radio. In 1954 she charted with “The Little Shoemaker,” (https://youtu.be/O50ZHG9LWFw) (RQ 9) the first of her big UK hits—and within two years began recording in French. International successes included “Prends mon coeur,” (https://youtu.be/b061ks8VLrs) (RQ 8), “Sailor,” a UK number one (https://youtu.be/ERy5sp3-jf0) (RQ 6), “Romeo” (https://youtu.be/SX6LWek–6Q) RQ 5) and “Chariot or I Will Follow Him” (https://youtu.be/v_Y4NXAMDhM) (RQ 10+). Hits in German, Italian and Spanish followed. In late 1964 Clark’s global success extended to America with a four-year run of career-defining, often upbeat singles, many written or co-written by Tony Hatch and Jack Trent. These include her signature song “Downtown” (https://youtu.be/Zx06XNfDvk0). (RQ 9).

Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, impressionist, and actor in film and television. He performed jazz, pop, rock and roll, folk, swing, and country music. He started his career as a songwriter for Connie Francis. He recorded his first million-selling single, “Splish Splash” in 1958 (https://youtu.be/XKCDc8Eg_-U) (RQ 7). That was followed by “Dream Lover” (https://youtu.be/QzkECdHu1dQ) (RQ 8), “Mack the Knife,” (https://youtu.be/ygVgxGSQIsw) (RQ 10+) and “Beyond the Sea”, (https://youtu.be/5bRAtV-jgoQ) (RQ 10+) which brought him worldwide fame. In 1962 he won a Golden Globe Award for his first film, Come September, co-starring his first wife, actress Sandra Dee.

Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman; May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, author, and visual artist. Widely regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture for more than 50 years. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s, when songs such as “Blowin in the Wind” in 1963 (https://youtu.be/vWwgrjjIMXA) (RQ 6), “The Times They Are A Changin” in 1964 (https://youtu.be/90WD_ats6eE) (RQ 8) and “Like a Rolling Stone” (1965) (https://youtu.be/IwOfCgkyEj0) (RQ 9) became anthems for the civil rights and anti-war movements. His lyrics during this period incorporated a range of political, social, philosophical, and literary influences, defied pop music conventions and appealed to the burgeoning counterculture.

Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, dancer, actor, vaudevillian and comedian who has been called “the greatest entertainer ever to grace a stage in these United States.” At age three, Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr.. and the Will Mason Trio, which toured nationally. After military service, he returned to the trio and became an overnight sensation following a nightclub performance at Ciro’s (in West Hollywood) after the 1951 Academy Awards. With the trio, he became a recording artist. In 1954, at the age of 29, he lost his left eye in a car accident. After a starring role on Broadway in Mr. Wonderful (1956), he returned to the stage in 1964’s Golden Boy. Davis’s film career began as a child in 1933. In 1960, he appeared in the Rat Pack film Ocean’s Eleven. In 1966, he had his own TV variety show, titled The Sammy Davis Jr. Show. While Davis’s career slowed in the late 1960s, his biggest hit, “The Candy Man,” (https://youtu.be/o5vFvt3fJpw) (RQ 9) reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1972. His recording “What Kind of Fool Am I?” was popular as well (https://youtu.be/yUILRZGAfsA) (RQ 9). He then became a star in Las Vegas, earning him the nickname “Mister Show Business”.

Jan and Dean were an American rock duo consisting of William Jan Berry (April 3, 1941 – March 26, 2004) and Dean Ormsby Torrence (born March 10, 1940). In the early 1960s, they were pioneers of the California sound and vocal surf music styles popularized by the Beach Boys. Among their most successful songs was 1963’s “Surf City” (https://youtu.be/ERrwjR4ZlfI) (RQ 10+), the first surf song to top the Hot 100. Their other charting top 10 singles were “Drag City” in 1963 (https://youtu.be/c2GwDGjiV4k) (RQ 9), “Dead Man’s Curve” in 1964,(https://youtu.be/yrCuMPeSu9s) (RQ 8) and “Little Old Lady from Pasadena in 1964 (https://youtu.be/D7f9hsFrKUY) (RQ 10+). They were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.

Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969) was an American actress, singer, vaudevillian and dancer. With a career spanning 45 years, she attained international stardom as an actress in both musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist, and on the concert stage. Renowned for her versatility, she received an Academy Juvenile Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Special Tony Award, and was the first woman to win the Grammy Award for the Album of the Year for her 1961 live recording Judy at Carnegie Hall. Garland began performing in vaudeville as a child with her two older sisters and was later signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as a teenager. She appeared in more than two dozen films for MGM and is remembered for portraying Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz (1939). She sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” (https://youtu.be/iDXL_5JsiC0) (RQ 6) in this film. As a side note, my personal favorite recording of this song was re-done in 2012 by Katherine McPhee (https://youtu.be/vtOI8q-PpLw) (RQ 10+). Of course, Katherine married David Foster in 2019. What an amazing musical couple! David owns 16 Grammy Awards for producing records for the likes of Christina Aguilera, Michael Buble, Natalie Cole, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Rod Stewart, Barbara Streisand and many others…

Bobbie Lee Gentry (born Roberta Lee Streeter; July 27, 1942) is a retired American singer-songwriter who was one of the first female artists to compose and produce her own material.

Gentry rose to international fame in 1967 with her Southern Gothic narrative “Ode to Billie Joe” (https://youtu.be/rNB8AKMdqiQ) (RQ 10). The track spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was third in the Billboard year-end chart of 1967, earning Gentry Grammy awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1968.

Gentry charted 11 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and four singles on the United Kingdom Top 40. Her album “Fancy” (https://youtu.be/ORfoK5Ap0FA) (RQ 10) brought her a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. After her first albums, she had a successful run of variety shows on the Las Vegas strip.

Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band based in San Francisco, CA that became one of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock. Formed in 1965, the group defined the San Francisco Sound and was the first from the Bay Area to achieve international commercial success. The members were: Grace Slick – vocals, keyboards. Marty Balin – vocals, rhythm guitar. Jorma Kaukonen – lead guitar, vocals. Paul Kantner – rhythm guitar, vocals. Jack Casady – bass. Spencer Dryden – drums. They were headliners at the Monterey Pop Festival (1967), Woodstock (1969), Altamont Free Concert (1969), and the first Isle of Wright (1968) in England. Their 1967 break-out album Surrealistic Pillow ranks on the short list of the most significant recordings of the Summer of Love. Two songs from that album, “Somebody to Love” (https://youtu.be/JUbMWtUyIIE) (RQ 10) and “White Rabbit” (https://youtu.be/WANNqr-vcx0) (RQ 10+)are among Rolling Stone‘s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”.

Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. King introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending and shimmering vibrato that influenced many later blues electric guitar players. King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, and is one of the most influential blues musicians of all time, earning the nickname “The King of the Blues”, and is considered one of the “Three Kings of the Blues Guitar” (along with Albert King and freddie King, neither of whom are blood related). One of his greatest recordings was “The Thrill Is Gone” (https://youtu.be/BPlsqo2bk2M) (RQ 10). He recorded 43 studio albums. King performed tirelessly throughout his musical career, appearing on average at more than 200 concerts per year into his 70s. In 1956 alone, he appeared at 342 shows.

Gary Lewis & the Playboys were an American 1960s era pop and rock group, fronted by musician Gary Lewis, the son of comedian Jerry Lewis. The other group members were:

Nick Rather (bass/guitar)
Bobby Bond (drums)
Dominic Trincini (bass)
Mike Gladstone (guitar)
Willy O’Riley (keys)

They are best known for their 1965 Billboard Hot 100 number-one single “This Diamond Ring” (https://youtu.be/L5V9KUcYneg) (RQ 8), which was the first of a string of hit singles they had in 1965 and 1966. They produced five more Top10 songs:

“She’s Just My Style” (https://youtu.be/JPEpabBbRGw) (RQ 10).

“Everybody Loves a Clown” (https://youtu.be/rowkJcfv5ks) (RQ 10+).

“Count Me In” (https://youtu.be/NuVLAzALp6Y) (RQ 8).

“Save Your Heart for Me” (https://youtu.be/aqHy8LpKqYk) (RQ 10+).

“Green Grass” (https://youtu.be/6ZYE1TIxGMA) (RQ 10+).

The band had an earnest, boy-next-door image similar to British invasion contemporaries such as Herman’s Hermits and Gerry and the Pacemakers. The group folded in 1970, but a version of the band later resumed touring and continues to tour, often playing for veterans’ benefits.

The Lovin’ Spoonful had its roots in the folk music scene based in the Greenwich Village section of lower Manhattan during the early 1960s. John B. Sebastian, the son of classical harmonicist John Sebastian, grew up in the Village in contact with music and musicians, including some of those involved with the American folk music revival of the 1950s through the early 1960s. Sebastian formed the Spoonful with guitarist Zal Yanovsky from a bohemian folk group playing local coffee houses and small clubs called The Mugwamps, two other members of which, Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty later formed half of The Mamas and Papas. The formation of the Lovin’ Spoonful during this period was later described in the lyrics of the Mamas & the Papas’ name dropping 1967 top ten hit, “Creeque Alley”. Drummer Jan Carl and bassist Steve Boone rounded out the group, but Carl was replaced by drummer-vocalist Joe Butler after the group’s first gig at The Night Owl in Greenwich Village.

The band worked with producer Erik Jacobsen to release their first single on July 20, 1965, “Do You Believe in Magic”, written by Sebastian. Additionally, they wrote their own material (aside from a few covers, mostly on their first album), including “Younger Girl” (https://youtu.be/b53EbA1NBRk) (RQ 10), which was a hit for The Critters in mid-1966.

“Do You Believe in Magic” (https://youtu.be/JnbfuAcCqpY) (RQ 7) reached #9 on the Hit 100, and the band followed it up with a series of hit singles and albums throughout 1965 and 1966, all produced by Jacobsen. The Lovin’ Spoonful became known for such folk-flavored pop hits as “You Didn’t Have To Be So Nice” (https://youtu.be/YpZI8biFsn8) (RQ 8) which reached #10, and “Daydream” (https://youtu.be/M7u5SdjDSQQ) (RQ 10+) which went to #2. Other hits included “Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind?” (https://youtu.be/7sqXBB1ETU0) (RQ 7) which was another #2 hit and “Summer in the City,” (https://youtu.be/U7ofnHmxE-I) (RQ 10+) their only song to reach #1 on the Hot 100 (August 13–27, 1966). Later that year, the #10 hit “Rain on the Roof” (https://youtu.be/Ev5E-UC2DXg) (RQ 8) and the #8 hit “Nashville Cats” (https://youtu.be/P4p7prURvIk) (RQ 10+) completed the group’s first seven consecutive Hot 100 hits to reach that chart’s top 10. Nashville Cats also went on to become a staple in the concerts of bluegrass legend Del McCoury. The only other 1960s act to achieve that feat is Gary Lewis & The Playboys.

Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie was born in Lennoxtown, Stirlingshire and grew up in Dennistoun, Glasgow, where she attended Thomson Street Primary School and Onslow Drive School. She lived in Gallowgate for a while before moving to Garfield Street, Dennistoun. At the age of 13, she and her manager approached a band called the Bellrocks seeking stage experience as a singer. She appeared with them every Saturday night: Alex Thomson, the group’s bass player, has reported that even then her voice was remarkable. She has two brothers and a sister, and her father was a heavy drinker. Aged 14, she received the stage name “Lulu” from her future manager Marion Massey, who commented: “Well, all I know is that she’s a real lulu of a kid.”

In August 2017, Lulu’s family history was the subject of an episode in the UK series Who Do You Think You Are? The research showed that her mother had been brought up by another family. The investigation into her genealogy showed that Lulu’s maternal grandparents had come from across the religious divide in Glasgow. Her grandfather Hugh Cairns was a Catholic and her grandmother, Helen Kennedy, was a Protestant. Cairns had been a member of a Catholic gang and was found in the research to have been in and out of prison at the time of the birth of Lulu’s mother. Kennedy was found to be the daughter of a Worthy Mistress of the Ladies’ Orange Lodge 52; the discovery explained why the two families had opposed the union between Kennedy and Cairns.

In 1964, under the wing of Marion Massey, she was signed to Decca Records. When she was only fifteen, her version of the Isley Brothers’ “Shout” (https://youtu.be/NUP7YCuls78) (RQ 8) credited to ‘Lulu & the Luvvers and delivered in a raucous but mature voice, peaked at no. 7 on the UK charts. Massey guided her career for more than 25 years, for most of which time they were partners in business, and Massey’s husband Mark produced some of Lulu’s recordings.

After the success of “Shout,” Lulu’s next charting single was “Leave a Little Love” (https://youtu.be/XN_kFGvNUJ4) (RQ 7) in 1965, which returned her to the UK Top Ten. Her next record, “Try to Understand,” (https://youtu.be/O_U7p_KarYA) (RQ 8) made the Top 40.

In 1966, Lulu toured Poland with the Hollies as the first British female singer to appear live behind the Iron Curtain. In the same year, she recorded two German-language tracks; “Wenn du da bist” and “So fing es an” for the Decca Germany label. All her Decca recordings were made available in 2009 on a 2-CD set entitled Shout!, issued on TOM Records. After two hit singles with the Luvvers, Lulu embarked on a solo career.

After failing to reach the charts in 1966, Lulu left Decca and signed with Columbia, to be produced by Mickie Most. She returned to the UK singles chart in April 1967, reaching no. 6 with “The Boat That I Row,” (https://youtu.be/ahEMnbnAXuQ) (RQ 8) written by Neil Diamond. All seven singles she cut with Mickie Most made the UK Singles Chart, ending with “Boom Bang-A-Bang” (https://youtu.be/BTq9T3SbS4M) (RQ 9) reaching number 2 in 1969. When Most died in 2003, Lulu was full of praise for him and told the BBC that they had been very close. She made her acting debut in 1967 To Sir With Love, a British vehicle for Sidney Poitier. Lulu both acted in the film and sang the title song, with which she had a major hit in the United States, reaching no. 1. “To Sir With Love” (https://youtu.be/JOVQ4vAmM7Y) (RQ 10+) became the best-selling single of 1967 in the United States, selling well in excess of 1,000,000 copies; it was awarded a gold disc, and was ranked by Billboard magazine as the no. 1 song of the year. In the UK, “To Sir With Love” was released on the B-side of “Let’s Pretend”, a number 11 hit.

The Marvelettes was an American girl group that achieved popularity in the early- to mid-1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Gladys Horton, Katherine Anderson, Georgeanna Tillman, Juanita Cowart (now Cowart Motley), and Georgia Dobbins, who was replaced by Wanda Young prior to the group signing their first deal. They were the first major successful act of Motown Records after the Miracles and its first significantly successful girl group after the release of the 1961 number-one single, “Please Mr. Postman” (https://youtu.be/425GpjTSlS4) (RQ 10+). This was one of the first number-one singles recorded by an all-female vocal group and the first by a Motown recording act. “Don’t Mess with Bill” (https://youtu.be/OVsW_6AomOQ) (RQ 7) in 1965, also received another gold award from RIAA.

The group’s full names are: Peter Yarrow, Noel Paul Stookey and Mary Travers. Manager Albert Grossman created Peter, Paul and Mary in 1961, after auditioning several singers in the New York folk scene, including Dave Van Ronk, who was rejected as too idiosyncratic and uncommercial, and Carolyn Hester. After rehearsing Yarrow, Stookey and Travers out of town in Boston and Miami, Grossman booked them into The Bitter End, a coffee house, nightclub and popular folk music venue in New York City’s Greenwich Village..

The group recorded their debut album, Peter, Paul & Mary and it was released by Warner Bros. the following year. It included “Lemon Tree” (https://youtu.be/MLhYghzNfII) (RQ 10+), 500 Miles” (https://youtu.be/ADN1lLEp3H0) (RQ 10) and the Pete Seeger hit tunes “If I Had a Hammer” (https://youtu.be/XxWTDcP9Y5E) (RQ 8) and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” (https://youtu.be/aOD2G7fLCRc) (RQ 10+). The album was listed in the Billboard Magazine Top Ten for 10 months, including seven weeks in the No. 1 position. It remained a main catalog-seller for decades to come, eventually selling over two million copies, earning double platinum certification from the RIAA in the United States alone.

In 1963 the group released “Puff the Magic Dragon,” (https://youtu.be/z15pxWUXvLY) (RQ 9) with music by Yarrow and words based on a poem that had been written by a fellow student at Cornell, Leonard Lipton. Despite rumors that the song refers to drugs, it is actually about the lost innocence of childhood.

That year the group performed “If I Had a Hammer” and “Blowin in the Wind” (https://youtu.be/Ld6fAO4idaI) (RQ 8) at the 1963 March on Washington, best remembered for the Reverend Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The Bob Dylan song “Blowin’ in the Wind” (https://youtu.be/vWwgrjjIMXA) (RQ 8) was one of their biggest hit singles.

The Seekers are an Australian folk-influenced pop-quartet, originally formed in Melbourne in 1962. They were the first Australian pop music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the United States. They were popular during the 1960s with their best-known configuration as: Judith Durham on vocals, piano, and tambourine; Athol Guy on double bass and vocals; Keith Potger on twelve-string guitar, banjo and vocals; and Bruce Woodley on guitar, mandolin, banjo, and vocals. The group had Top 10 hits in the 1960s with “I’ll Never Find Another You (https://youtu.be/4Ga9Bs4fzSY) (RQ 9), “A World of Our Own” (https://youtu.be/PSxwqBJLU8A) (RQ 10+), “Morningtown Ride”, “Someday, One Day” (written by Paul Simon), “Georgy Girl” (https://youtu.be/wsIbfYEizLk) (RQ 10) and “The Carnival Is Over” by Tom Springfield, the last being an adaptation of the Russian folk song “Stenka Razin”. It is still one of the top 50 best-selling singles in the UK. Australian music historian Ian McFarland described their style as “concentrated on a bright, uptempo sound, although they were too pop to be considered strictly folk and too folk to be rock.”

The Spencer Davis Group are a British band formed in Birmingham in 1963, by Spencer Davis (guitar) with Steve Winwood (keyboards, guitar) and his brother, Muff Winwood (bass guitar) and Pete York (drums). Steve Winwood also played a future key role for the bands Traffic, Blind Faith and Go. Plus, he excelled as a solo artist recording such hits as “ Higher Love” (https://youtu.be/k9olaIio3l8) (RQ 10). The Spencer Davis Group’s best known songs include the UK number ones: “Somebody Help Me” (https://youtu.be/bWeE3lyAA_8) (RQ 5) and “Keep on Runnin” (https://youtu.be/pH53DfX50-8) (RQ 9). Both written by reggae musician Jackie Edwards, “I’m a Man” and “Gimme Some Lovin” (https://youtu.be/ko3m0NBbq1o) (RQ 10+) which reached #2 in the UK and #7 in the US.

Gary Puckett & The Union Gap was an American pop rock group active in the late 1960s. The group, formed by Gary Puckett, Gary ‘Mutha’ Withem, Dwight Bement, Kerry Chater and Paul Wheatbread, who eventually named it The Union Gap, had its biggest hits with “Woman, Woman” (https://youtu.be/0Mqsnx2E3ys) (RQ 10+), Young Girl” (https://youtu.be/qJFVPxBpezk) (RQ 10+), “Lady Willpower” (https://youtu.be/e1CLjF8Q8xo) (RQ 10+), “Over You” (https://youtu.be/Z34xaDQ3ra4) (RQ 10), “Don’t Give In To Him” (https://youtu.be/GXqJhEA8E8Y) (RQ 5) and “This Girl is a Woman Now” (https://youtu.be/ICn3nTa90N8) (RQ 9). The members featured costumes that were based on the Union Army uniforms worn during the American Civil War. Jerry Fuller gave the act a recording contract with Columbia Records. The group eventually grew unhappy with doing material written and produced by others, leading them to stop working with Fuller. The band eventually disbanded, and Puckett went on to do both solo work and collaborations.

In 1960, despite the changes of personnel, the fortunes of the Four Lovers had not changed—they failed an audition for a lounge at a Union Township, Union County, New Jersey, bowling establishment. According to Gaudio, “We figured we’ll come out of this with something. So we took the name of the bowling alley. It was called the Four Seasons.” Despite the last few years of frustration of the Four Lovers, this proved to be the turning point for the band. Later, on a handshake agreement between tenor vocals/keyboardist/composer Bob Gaudio and lead singer Frankie Valli, the Four Seasons Partnership was formed. The other two original group members were: Tommy DeVito (lead guitar and baritone vocals) and Nick Massi (electric base and base vocals).

The Four Seasons signed as artists to Crewe’s production company, and they released their first Crewe-produced single under their new name in 1961: “Bermuda”/”Spanish Lace” (https://youtu.be/Lt_F_o3_Jm4) (RQ 7) on Gone Records. The single did not chart. The band continued working with producer Bob Crewe as background vocalists and sometimes leads under different names, for productions on Crewe’s own Topix label. As a follow-up, Bob Gaudio wrote a song that, after some discussion between Crewe and Gaudio, was titled “Sherry”. After the song was recorded, Crewe and the members of the band solicited record labels to release it. It was Frankie Valli who spoke with Randy Wood. West Coast sales manager for Vee-Jay Records (not the founder of Dot Records) who, in turn, suggested the release of “Sherry” to the decision-makers at Vee-Jay. “Sherry” made enough of an impression that Crewe was able to sign a deal between his production company and Vee-Jay for its release. They were the first white artists to sign with Vee-Jay.

In 1962, the band released their first album, featuring the single “Sherry” (https://youtu.be/jMcWldfg28s) (RQ 10+), which was not only their first charted hit but also their first number-one song. Under the guidance of Bob Crewe, the Four Seasons followed up “Sherry” with several million selling singles, generally composed by Crewe and Gaudio, including their second #1 hit: “Big Girls Don’t Cry” (https://youtu.be/DAgQIb77UhU) (RQ 6), their third #1 song: “Walk Like a Man” (https://youtu.be/aaKpo2lFzH8) (RQ 7), “Candy Girl” (https://youtu.be/R-efs62E0SE) (RQ 10), “Ain’t That a Shame” (https://youtu.be/_hqVoQRqd9o) (RQ 8) and several others. Also, they released a Christmas album in December 1962 and charted with a unique rendition of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” (https://youtu.be/6I1WujBgK64) (RQ 8).

In 1962, they were invited to perform their hit “Big Girls Don ‘t Cry” on the show American Bandstand. In 1964, they recorded their fourth #1 hit: “Rag Doll” (https://youtu.be/X2zPhOirjhI) (RQ 10+).

RESEARCH FROM THE MUSIC FROM THE 1950s and 1960s

As I have been saying all along, the 50’s and 60’s were simply loaded with musical talent. While I have already posted detailed bios of 85 groups or artists, after studying the Million Selling Records book, I want to add another 16 from the 1950s:

Frankie Avalon, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Connie Francis, Bill Haley & His Comets, Kingston Trio, Frankie Laine, Jerry Lee Lewis, Frankie Lyman, Dean Martin, Johnny Mathis, Patti Page, Little Richard, Frank Sinatra, Dodie Stevens, and The Four Aces (the respective biographies follow below).

Acknowledging this, I began a deep-dive into the million dollar sellers of the 1950s. There are 74 pages dedicated to this decade. From these pages, I took 42 pages of notes. I learned that between 1950-55 there were between 30-40 million dollar artists per year. Then, starting in 1956, this number goes up to 56-59 per year through 1959. These artists generated between 40-48 songs per year between 1950-55. Then, up to 78-105/year during the years 1956-59. The last trend I looked at was the number of No1 hits pet year. The highest year for No1 hits was 1958 with 22. The lowest was 1953 with only 5.

I plan do the same research for the 1960s in my next post. These artists may have not generated the same high volume of sales (with one exception: Bill Hayley and His Comets) but, due to their high quality of work, they also need to be recognized. I will include a photo and a link to one of their best songs. Here they are:

The Four Aces are an American male traditional pop music quartet, popular since the 1950s. Over the last half-century, the group amassed many gold records. Its million-selling signature tunes include “Love is a Many-Splendored Thing” (https://youtu.be/GnDtxiNwDS8) (RQ 8), “Three Coins in a Fountain”, “Stranger in Paradise”, “Tell Me Why”, and “Its No Sin”. Other big sellers included “Shangri-La”, “Perfidia”, and “Sincerely”. The original members, responsible for every song made popular by the group, included Al Roberts, Dave Mahoney, Lou Silvestri, and Rosario “Sod” Vaccaro.

Frankie Avalon (born Francis Thomas Avallone; September 18, 1940) is an American actor, singer, and former teen idol. Avalon had 31 charting U.S. Billboard singles from 1958 to late 1962, including the Number One hits “Venus” (https://youtu.be/fakpqLDEQAo) (RQ 8) and “Why” in 1959.

Bill Haley & His Comets were an American tock and roll band, founded in 1952 and continued until Haley’s death in 1981. The band was also known as Bill Haley and the Comets. The original members of this group were Haley, pianist and accordion player Johnny Grande and steel guitarist Billy Williamson. Al Thompson was the group’s first bass player, followed by Al Rex and Marshall Lytle. From late 1954 to late 1956, the group placed nine singles in the Top 20, one of those a number one and three more in the Top Ten. The single “Rock Around the Clock” (https://youtu.be/ZgdufzXvjqw) (RQ 10) became the biggest selling rock and roll single in the history of the genre and retained that position for some years.

Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer and jazz pianist. He recorded 41 albums and over 100 songs that became hits on the pop charts. His hit singles include “Straighten Up and Fly Right” 1944 #8, “The Christmas Song” 1946, “Nature Boy” 1948 #1, “Mona Lisa 1950 #1 (https://youtu.be/NIDX18Xl16s) (RQ 8), “Frosty, The Snowman” 1950 #9, “Too Young” 1951 #1, “Unforgettable” 1951 #12, “Somewhere Along the Way” 1952 #8, “Answer Me, My Love” 1954 #6, “A Blossom Fell” 1955 #2, “If I May” 1955 #8, “Send for Me” 1957 #6, “Looking Back” 1958 #5, “Ramblin’ Rose” 1962 #2, “Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer” 1963 #6, “Unforgettable” 1991 (with daughter Natalie).

His trio was the model for small jazz ensembles that followed. Cole also acted in films and on television and performed on Broadway. He was the first African-American man to host an American television series. He was the father of singer-songwriter Natalie Cole (1950–2015).

Pierino Ronald “Perry” Como (May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signing with the label in 1943. “Mr. C.”, as he was nicknamed, sold millions of records (recorded 100’s) and pioneered a weekly musical variety television show. His song “Round and Round” (https://youtu.be/lz_B8JP2pA8) (RQ 10) is good example of the popularity for his singing voice. His weekly television shows and seasonal specials were broadcast throughout the world. In the official RCA Records Billboard magazine memorial, his life was summed up in these few words: “50 years of music and a life well lived. An example to all.”

Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero (December 12, 1937), better known as Connie Francis, is an American pop singer, former actress, and top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Although her chart success waned in the second half of the 1960s, Francis remained a top concert draw.

Francis considered a career in medicine and was about to accept a four-year scholarship offered at New York University. At what was to have been her final recording session for MGM on October 2, 1957 with Joe Lipman and his orchestra, she recorded a cover version of the 1923 song “Who’s Sorry Now?” (https://youtu.be/EIRuqRNKvoQ) (RQ 10), written by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, Francis has said that she recorded it at the insistence of her father, who was convinced it stood a chance of becoming a hit because it was a song adults already knew and that teenagers would dance to if it had a contemporary arrangement.

Francis, who did not like the song and had been arguing about it with her father heatedly, delayed the recording of the two other songs during the session so much, that in her opinion, no time was left on the continuously running recording tape. Her father insisted, though, and when the recording “Who’s Sorry Now?” was finished, only a few seconds were left on the tape.

The single seemed to go unnoticed like all previous releases, just as Francis had predicted, but on January 1, 1958, it debuted on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand, and on February 15 of that same year, Francis performed it on the first episode of The Saturday night Beechnut Show, also hosted by Clark. By mid-year, over a million copies had been sold, and Francis was suddenly launched into worldwide stardom. In April 1958, “Who’s Sorry Now?” reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart and number 4 in the US. For the next four years, Francis was voted the “Best Female Vocalist” by American Bandstand viewers.

The Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, and Nick Reynolds. It rose to international popularity fueled by unprecedented sales of LP records and helped alter the direction of popular music in the U.S. The Kingston Trio was one of the most prominent groups of the era’s pop-folk boom that started in 1958 with the release of their first album and its hit recording of “Tom Dooley” ( https://youtu.be/VhXuO4Gz3Wo) (RQ 9), which sold over three million copies as a single. The Trio released nineteen albums that made Billboard’s Top 100, fourteen of which ranked in the top 10, and five of which hit the number 1 spot. Four of the group’s LPs charted among the 10 top-selling albums for five weeks in November and December 1959,a record unmatched for more than 50 years, and the group still ranks in the all-time lists of many of Billboards cumulative charts, including those for most weeks with a number 1 album, most total weeks charting an album, most number 1 albums, most consecutive number 1 albums, and most top ten albums. In 1961, the Trio was described as “the most envied, the most imitated, and the most successful singing group, folk or otherwise, in all show business” and “the undisputed kings of the folksinging rage by every yardstick”. The Trio’s massive record sales in its early days made acoustic folk music commercially viable, paving the way for singer-songwriter, folk rock, and Americana artists who followed in their wake.

Frankie Laine (born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio; March 30, 1913 – February 6, 2007) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned nearly 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of “That’s My Desire” in 2005. Often billed as “America’s Number One Song Stylist”, his other nicknames include “Mr. Rhythm”, “Old Leather Lungs”, and “Mr. Steel Tonsils”. His additional hits from the 1950’s included: “That Luck Old Sun”, “Mule Train”, “Jezebel”, “High Noon”, “Save Your Sorrow”, “I Believe”(https://youtu.be/–j7wvtOi1s) (RQ 10), Hey Joe!“, “The Kid’s Last Fight”, “Cool Water”, “Rawhide”, and “Lord, You Gave Me a Mountain”

Jerry Lee Lewis (born September 29, 1935) is an American singer, musician, and pianist, often known by his nickname, The Killer. He has been described as “rock & roll’s first great wild man and one of the most influential pianists of the twentieth century.” A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis made his first recordings in 1956 at Sun Records in Memphis. “Crazy Arms” sold 300,000 copies in the South, but it was his 1957 hit “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On” (https://youtu.be/1dC0DseCyYE) (RQ 7) that shot Lewis to fame worldwide. He followed this with “Great Balls of Fire” (https://youtu.be/0VJ1NuAbEBI) (RQ 10+), “Breathless” and “High School Confidential”. However, Lewis’s rock and roll career faltered in the wake of his marriage to Mrya Gale Brown, his 13-year-old cousin.

Franklin Joseph Lymon (September 30, 1942– February 27, 1968) was an American rock and roll rhythm and blues singer and songwriter, best known as the boy soprano lead singer of the New York City-based early rock and roll group The Teenagers. The group was composed of five boys, all in their early to mid-teens. The original lineup of the Teenagers, an integrated group, included three African-American members, Frankie Lymon, Jimmy Merchant and Sherman Garnes; and two Puerto Rican members, Joe Negroni and Herman Santiago. The Teenagers’ first single, 1956’s “Why Do Fools Fall in Love” (https://youtu.be/q96ylFiQK_I) (RQ 6) was also their biggest hit. After Lymon went solo in mid-1957, both his career and that of the Teenagers fell into decline. He was found dead at the age of 25 on the floor of his grandmother’s bathroom from a heroin overdose. His life was dramatized in the 1998 film Why Do Fools Fall in Love.

Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American actor, singer and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed “The King of Cool” for his seemingly effortless charisma and self-assurance.

Martin established himself as a notable singer, recording numerous contemporary songs as well as standards from the Great American Songbook. He became one of the most popular acts in Las Vegas and was known for his friendship with fellow artists Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr., who together formed the Rat Pack.

Starting in 1965, Martin was the host of the television variety program The Dean Martin Show which centered on Martin’s singing talents and was characterized by his relaxed, easy-going demeanor. From 1974 to 1984, he was roastmaster on the popular Dean Martin Celebrity Roast, which drew notable celebrities, comedians and politicians. Throughout his career, Martin performed in concert stages, nightclubs, audio recordings and appeared in 85 film and television productions. His relaxed, warbling, crooning voice earned him dozens of hit singles, including his signature songs “Memories Are Made of This”, “That’s Amore” (https://youtu.be/OnFlx2Lnr9Q) (RQ 10), “Everybody Loves Somebody”, “You’re Nobody Until Somebody Loves You”, “Seay”, “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head?” and “Volare”.

John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer-songwriter of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status and 73 making the Billboard Charts to date. Mathis has received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for three separate recordings.

Mathis has recorded 73 studio albums, 18 of which achieved sales of 500,000 units and were awarded Gold certification by RIAA. Five of his greatest hits albums also accomplished this, and of these 18 Gold albums, six eventually went Platinum by reaching sales of one million copies. In 1999, sales figures totaled five million for his first holiday LP, Merry Christmas, and three million for Johnny’s Greatest Hits, a 1958 collection that has been described as the “original greatest-hits package” and once held the record for most weeks on Billboard magazine’s album chart with a total of 490 (three of which were spent at number one). His second longest album chart run was the 295 weeks belonging to his Platinum 1959 album Heavenly, which gave him five weeks in the top spot. In a ranking of the top album artists of the last half of the 1950s in terms of Billboard chart performance, he comes in at number two, for the 1960s, number 10, and for the period from 1955 to 2009 he is at number six.

Mathis also recorded 43 songs that reached Billboard magazine’s Hit 100 chart in the United States and another nine that “bubbled under” the Hot 100. Six of these 52 recordings made the top 10, including 1957’s “Chances Are” (https://youtu.be/NEH3uqbpsm8) (RQ 10) and the 1978 Denise Williams duet, “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late”, which each spent a week at number one, and 32 of them are also on the list of 50 entries that Mathis had on the magazine’s Easy Listening chart, which was started in 1961. 19 of those 50 songs made the top 10 on that list. Two of them: “I’m Coming Home” and “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late” (https://youtu.be/bPkK1CNPtjk) (RQ9) went on to number one. The Williams duet also spent four weeks at number one on the magazine’s R&B chart and was certified Gold after selling one million copies.

Clara Ann Fowler (November 8, 1927 – January 1, 2013), known by her stage name Patti Page, was an American singer of pop and country music and occasional actress. She was the top-charting female vocalist and best-selling female artist of the 1950s, selling over 100 million records during a six-decade long career. She was often introduced as “the Singin’ Rage, Miss Patti Page”. New York WNEW disc-jockey WillIam B. Williams introduced her as “A Page in my life called Patti”.

Page signed with Mercury Records in 1947, and became their first successful female artist, starting with 1948’s “Confess”. In 1950, she had her first million-selling single “With My Ryes Wide Open I’m Dreaming”, and would eventually have 14 additional million-selling singles between 1950 and 1965. Page’s signature song, “Tennessee Waltz” (https://youtu.be/-XCvfy6Huyc) (RQ 8), was one of the biggest-selling singles of the 20th century, and is recognized today as one of the official songs of the state of Tennessee. It spent 13 weeks atop the Billboard’s Magazine Best-Sellers List in 1950/51. Page had three additional No. 1 hit singles between 1950 and 1953, “All My Love”, “I Went To Your Wedding”, and “How much Is That Doggie in the Window”.

Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Nicknamed “The Innovator, The Originator, and the Architect of Rock and Roll”, Richard’s most celebrated work dates from the mid-1950s, when his charismatic showmanship and dynamic music, characterized by frenetic piano playing, pounding back beat and raspy shouted vocals, laid the foundation for rock and roll. Richard’s innovative emotive vocalizations and uptempo rhythmic music also played a key role in the formation of other popular music genres, including soul and funk. He influenced numerous singers and musicians across musical genre from rock to hip hop; his music helped shape rhythm and blues for generations. “Tutti Frutti” (https://youtu.be/F13JNjpNW6c) (RQ 10), one of Richard’s signature songs and became an instant hit, crossing over to the pop charts in both the United States and overseas in the United Kingdom. His next hit single in 1956, “Long Tall Sally” (https://youtu.be/eFFgbc5Vcbw) (RQ 10) hit No. 1 on the Billboard Rhythm and Blues Best-Sellers chart, followed by a rapid succession of fifteen more in less than three years.

Francis Albert Sinatra (December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer, actor and producer who was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time having sold more than 150 million records worldwide. He recorded 57 studio albums.

One of his best songs that featured his famous crooning voice was “Young at Heart” (https://youtu.be/BG7suS4YJWk) (RQ 10+) is a pop standard, a ballad with music by Johnny Richards and lyrics by Carolyn Leigh. The song was written and published in 1953, with Leigh contributing the lyrics to what was originally a Richards instrumental called “Moonbeam”. Sinatra was the first performer to record the song, which became a million-selling hit in 1953 (and spilling over with popularity into 1954) where it reached the No. 2 spot in the Billboard charts. The song was such a hit that a movie that Sinatra was filming at the same time with Doris Day was renamed to match the song title, and the song was included in the opening and closing credits of the movie (one of 45 movies he acted in).

Dodie Stevens (born Geraldine Ann Pasquale, February 17, 1946) is an American and popsinger. She is best known for her 1959 song “Pink Shoe Laces” (https://youtu.be/WGgaZZl_GVg) (RQ 8). It debuted at #96 on the Billboard Hot 100 when Stevens was one day short of 13 years old, and eventually peaked at #3.

Stevens married at the age of sixteen and moved to Missouri to live on a farm. A few years later, she had a daughter, Stephanie. Soon thereafter, in 1966, she ended her marriage and resumed her singing career. In 1969, she once again appeared in the Billboard charts, peaking at #117 pop, #57 country, with “Billy, I’ve Got to Go to Town” (https://youtu.be/Ys-enA8Jsrw) (RQ 6) recorded under the name Geraldine Stevens. She took additional vocal lessons and in 1972 began appearing and recording with Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’77. In the ensuing years she toured as a backup singer with such recording artists as Loretta Lynn, Frankie Avalon, and Boz Scaggs, and for twelve years with Mac Davis. In the 1990s, as Geri Stevens, she toured with Fabian and her own company “Dodie Stevens and The Pink Shoe Laces Review.” Recently, she has performed with her daughter Stephanie and appeared at oldies concerts across the country. She also teaches singing and stage performance out of her studio in San Diego County.

Eminem is the fourth largest single record producer at 107.5M in this current decade. With the overall impact of digital downloading, his total sales will possibly overtake the likes of The Beatles and Elvis. His albums were certified 12 Gold, 9 Platinum, 8 Multi-Platinum and 2 Diamond. His name at birth was Marshall Bruce Mathers III. Like a couple of the other top producing artists, he also had a tough time growing up. For example he repeated ninth grade three times and was arrested for shooting someone with a paintball gun. He is the oldest of the top five producing artists at 47. He was born in St. Joseph, Missouri but now lives in Detroit. He is considered to be a rapper, song writer, record producer, record executive and actor. In addition to his solo career he was a member of the hip hop group D12. His successes include: “Relapse” (https://youtu.be/2-Bv1-LDUUI) (RQ 6- skit) and “Talking 2 Myself” (https://youtu.be/LG369AbsWfI) (RQ 7) which both won Grammy awards. Also, within the movie 8 Mile, his song “Lose Yourself” (https://youtu.be/_Yhyp-_hX2s) (RQ 9) won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Overall he has won 15 Grammys, 8 American Music Awards and 17 Billboard Music awards.

THIRD HIGHEST PRODUCER

Following Drake and Rihanna, Taylor stands in third place overall in singles sold at 121M in this current decade. With the overall impact of digital downloading, her total sales will possibly overtake the likes of The Beatles and Elvis. She also achieved album certificates of 8 Gold, 8 Platinum, 7 Multi-Platinum and 1 Diamond. She is the youngest of the top five artists at 30 being born in Reading, PA in 1989. She received advanced training at an early age. While In gradeschool, she regularly traveled to New York City for acting and vocal lessons. By the age of 11, she went to Nashville and presented her first demo tape to recording label companies. In hopes of supporting her, her family relocated to Nashville when she was 14. Then, she began working with songwriter Liz Rose. Soon afterward she signed her first contract with Sony/ATV. In 2004 she moved over to Big Machine Records (her father became a minority owner). In 2006, she produced her first debut album: “Taylor Swift.” By 2016 it had sold 7.75M copies. Between 2007-08 she recorded four new singles. Both “Our Song” (https://youtu.be/Jb2stN7kH28) (RQ 10) and “Should’ve Said No” (https://youtu.be/f85AAi3VOLo) (RQ 10+) reached a chart rating of No1. Then between 2008-09 she produced five more hit singles. “You Belong To Me” (https://youtu.be/VuNIsY6JdUw) (RQ 10+) charted the highest of the five at No2. “Speak Now” (https://youtu.be/zlWMJbbLyA0) (RQ 9) earned a No1 rating. In 2010, Billboard rated Taylor as the “Artist of the Year.” Overall, her 278,000 downloads in one week set an all time record for a female singer.