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You probably don’t remember the number one song from the year you were born, occupied as you were with seeing daylight and learning to roll over. Each year, Billboard names the most successful song on its pop charts that year, and for every lucky kid born in 1956 and able to claim “Heartbreak Hotel,” there’s a 53-year-old wondering why he was stuck with “Sugar, Sugar.” Here’s a look at five decades of chart-toppers, and the stories behind the music.
“Goodnight, Irene” by Gordon Jenkins and the Weavers
The Weavers were a folk group who covered "Goodnight Irene" a year after the death of Lead Belly, who popularized it when he recorded singing it while in prison. The record’s B-side, “Tzena, Tzena, Tzena,” was also a cover, this one of a modern Israeli folk song. “Goodnight, Irene” has been covered many times since, including by the children’s musician Raffi as well as Eric Clapton.
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“Too Young” by Nat King Cole
Cole listed "Too Young" as one of his three favorites. Although several versions came out that same year, his was the hit. Later covers were made by Sam Cooke, Bobby Vinton, and a 14-year-old Donny Osmond. In 1978, a disco version was released by the Swedish band Vikingarna, one of the best-selling bands in Scandinavian history.
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“Blue Tango” by Leroy Anderson
Not too many orchestral pieces make it to number one, but 1952 was a time of easier listening (perhaps not coincidentally, it was also the time of the Korean War, and playful entertainment was the style). Anderson was a leading American composer of light orchestral music, with many of his compositions first played by the Boston Pops under Arthur Fiedler.
“Song from Moulin Rouge” by Percy Faith
The original version of this song from the 1952 film “Moulin Rouge” featured frilly vocals by Muriel Smith, dubbing for Zsa Zsa Gabor. The song didn’t hit number one, though, until Percy Faith released his orchestra’s performance, with mellower singing by Felicia Sanders.
“Little Things Mean a Lot” by Kitty Kallen
Edith Lindeman, the leisure editor of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia, co-wrote this song with disc jockey Carl Stutz, and Kitty Kallen hit big with her dulcet recording. She performed it on “The Perry Como Show.” A few years later, Como used the songwriting duo for his own lesser hit, “I Know.”
“Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White” by Perez Prado
Originally a French song with lyrics, Cuban bandleader Pérez Prado, known for popularizing the mambo in the United States, had the best-selling version with his band’s instrumental version. It was featured in the film “Underwater!” with Jane Russell dancing during the performance. The song has been covered dozens of times, with performers ranging from Pat Boone to Devo.
“Heartbreak Hotel” by Elvis Presley
The Billboard charts busted out of their early ‘50s, easy listening doldrums with Elvis’s guitar and his hips. The woman who got him there was Mae Boren Axton, the prolific songwriter who introduced a 19-year-old Presley to Colonel Tom Parker. She based “Heartbreak Hotel” on a newspaper article about a man who killed himself, leaving the note, “I walk a lonely street.”
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“All Shook Up” by Elvis Presley
Elvis did not go quietly, hitting the top of the charts in consecutive years, this time for “All Shook Up.” In a rare feat, the song hit number one on the pop, R&B, and country charts that year. That same year, the song became one of the first performed by the future Beatles, then known as the Quarrymen.
“Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu (Volare)” by Domenico Modugno
Americans are known for taking the foreign songs that they like and issuing their own translations. So it’s surprising that it was this all-Italian recording, by the song’s co-writer (with Franco Migliacci) that topped Billboard’s charts this year. Dean Martin released his half-English version the same year, and although that one has endured, it never hit number one. Martin’s performance is still regularly featured in films and on TV, including Woody Allen’s “To Rome with Love,” “Dancing with the Stars,” and “Mad Men.”
“The Battle of New Orleans” by Johnny Horton
Horton’s playful recording of Jimmy Driftwood’s song begins with 12 notes of the song “Dixie,” then moves into the familiar lines, “In 1814 we took a little trip/Along with Colonel Jackson/Down the Mighty Mississip’.” Driftwood, an Arkansas principal, wrote it to interest his students in history, but Horton’s rendition eliminates many of the original facts. It’s since been covered by Pete Seeger, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and in 2021, Deep Purple.
Theme from “A Summer Place” by Percy Faith
Percy Faith and his orchestra hit it big again with the theme from the 1959 romance “A Summer Place,” starring Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue as the children of former lovers who begin their own affair on the Maine coast.
“Tossin’ and Turnin’” by Bobby Lewis
“I couldn’t sleep at all last night,” begins one of the great earworms of the era. Bobby Lewis, who learned from the early blues musicians, hit number one on both the pop and R&B charts with this song. In 2008, Billboard named it the 27th biggest song in the history of the Hot 100.
“Stranger on the Shore” by Acker Bilk
British clarinetist Bilk wrote "Stranger on the Shore" for his daughter, Jenny, and gave it to Leon Young to create the string arrangements. Seven years later, the crew of Apollo 10 took the song on a tape to play during their mission to the moon.
“Surfin’ U.S.A.” by The Beach Boys
Credited to Chuck Berry and Brian Wilson, the California classic was based on Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen,” with new lyrics by Wilson and Mike Love. Berry, whose music formed the basis for many white artists’ hits (including the Beatles and the Yardbirds), wasn’t credited with “Surfin’ U.S.A.” until 1966. Billboard originally named this the top song of 1963, but later revised its list and placed “Sugar Shack” by Jimmy Gilmore and the Fireballs at number one.
“I Want to Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles
“I Want to Hold Your Hand” was the opening salvo of the British Invasion and the first Beatles song to hit number one in the United States (in the U.K., it pushed “She Loves Me” out of the top position). It was the band’s biggest single ever, selling 12 million copies (its B-side, “I Saw Her Standing There,” has also remained part of multiple generations’ soundtrack). It gave its title to a 1978 Robert Zemeckis film about four teenagers trying to see the band’s 1964 appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”
“Wooly Bully” by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs
This rollicking Tex-Mex concoction is one of only two songs on our list never to hit number one on the charts. So why was it the top song of 1965, beating out the Beach Boys’ “Help Me, Rhonda” and the Supremes’ “Back in My Arms Again?” It stayed in the Hot 100 for 18 weeks, the longest time for any song that year, and was the first American song to sell a million copies during the British Invasion.
“The Ballad of the Green Berets” by Sgt. Barry Sadler
Perhaps because it was early in the war, this patriotic ballad is one of the few pro-military songs of the Vietnam era. The song has been covered multiple times by artists including Kate Smith and a twist by the art band the Residents; it was featured in “The Green Berets,” “More American Graffiti,” and “The Many Saints of Newark.” Sadler’s life took a dark turn after the song’s success; he was charged with murder in the 1970s and died at the age of 49 after being shot in the head while stiting in a Guatemala City taxi.
“To Sir with Love” by Lulu
It’s almost impossible to hear "To Sir With Love" without conjuring the face of Sidney Poitier, star of the movie that shared its title. Lulu, who also starred in the film as one of his adoring students, is still the first of only two Scottish women to top the Billboard charts (the other was Sheena Easton). The song has been covered by the Jackson 5, Al Green, Natalie Merchant, and the cast of “Glee.”
“Hey Jude” by The Beatles
The beginning of the end, “Hey Jude” was the first release on the band’s Apple Records. Paul McCartney wrote it as a comfort to Julian Lennon after his father, John, left his mother, Cynthia, for Yoko Ono. “I started with the idea ‘Hey Jules,’ which was Julian, don’t make it bad, take a sad song and make it better,’” McCartney told his biographer, Barry Miles. “Hey, try and deal with this terrible thing.”
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“Sugar, Sugar” by The Archies
The Vietnam War was raging, Woodstock was the event of the summer, Charles Manson led his followers on a killing spree, and the number one song of the year was the only song on this list to be recorded by a cartoon band. One of the biggest hits of bubblegum pop, it was recorded by studio musicians managed by legendary producer Don Kirshner. Lead singer Ron Dante went on to co-produce Barry Manilow’s first nine albums.
“Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon & Garfunkel
This harmonic duo’s biggest hit is one of the most performed songs on this list, covered by artists including Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Fiona Apple. It was heavily influenced by gospel singer Claude Jeter’s “Mary Don’t You Weep,” as well as Johann Sebastian Bach’s “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded,” which can also be heard in Simon’s “American Tune,” released five years later.
“Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night
“Joy to the World” makes our list a family affair; it was written by Hoyt Axton, whose mother, Mae Boren Axton, wrote 1956’s “Heartbreak Hotel.” Mariah Carey borrowed the chorus for her 1994 version of the Christmas hymn by the same title. The Denver Broncos play the song at the end of every winning home game. Most memorably, the song is sung by a child in the bathtub at the opening of the 1983 movie, “The Big Chill.”
“The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack
Written as a folk song in 1957, it was Roberta Flack’s recording that made the song an indelible American hit. Irish singer-songwriter Ewan MacColl wrote it for American folk singer Peggy Seeger (Pete’s sister), with whom he was having an affair and who he eventually married. MacColl hated the cover, which was used during a love scene in Clint Eastwood’s “Play Misty for Me.”
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“Tie a Yellow Ribbon ‘Round the Ole Oak Tree” by Tony Orlando and Dawn
An international hit about a man coming home from prison, this song made the top 10 in 10 different countries. It went on to be used in protest movements around the world. Notably, it was an anthem for the Filipino People Power Revolution, which supported ousted leader Benigno Aquino Jr. and contributed to the overthrow of dictator Ferdinand Marcos. The song was revived in 2014 by pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong.
“The Way We Were” by Barbra Streisand
Streisand moved into the pop culture stratosphere with her performance of the theme from the movie, in which she and Robert Redford played decades-spanning, mismatched lovers. It became one of her signature songs, performed regularly in her concert performances. Legendary songwriters Marilyn and Alan Bergman teamed up with Marvin Hamlisch to create the enduring love song.
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“Love Will Keep Us Together” by Captain & Tennille
Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield intended the up-tempo love song for Diana Ross, but it ended up in the hands of married duo “Captain” Daryl Dragon and Toni Tennille. They rode the success of this and other hits such as “Muskrat Love” to their own short-lived variety show on ABC the next year.
“Silly Love Songs” by Wings
Co-written with Linda McCartney for their band Wings, “Silly Love Songs” gave Paul McCartney the world record for most number one songs by a songwriter. It was his 27th number one song. He has not performed it since Wings broke up. The song has been covered by Shirley Bassey, the Replicants, and Darren Criss on “Glee.”
“Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)” by Rod Stewart
Stewart’s song of seduction was impressively lewd for its time, featuring sexy whispers and a French coda by his then-girlfriend, Britt Ekland. The song was inspired by the more innocent song, “Today’s the Day,” by America. It went on to be covered in an even lustier version by Janet Jackson.
“Shadow Dancing” by Andy Gibb
Teen heartthrob Andy Gibb brought disco to the top spot with this single off his second album. His brothers, the Bee Gees, co-wrote the song with him while working on the film “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins covered the song with the Foo Fighters for their parody, the Dee Gees, on the album “Hail Satin.”
“My Sharona” by The Knack
This hit has its own sketchy beginnings, with lead singer Doug Fieger’s crush on a teenager named Sharon Alperin, who was nine years younger than him. She described to NPR her discomfort with hearing her name everywhere for years. Today, though, she has embraced the song, so much that the website for her L.A. real estate firm is www.mysharona.com.
“Call Me” by Blondie
Core New Wave musicians Blondie formed in 1974. It wasn’t until they were given the theme song for the film “American Gigolo” by Italian musician Giorgio Moroder that they hit number one on the annual Billboard list. It was only when Stevie Nicks turned Moroder down that they won the gig. The song resurfaced when Nikka Costa recorded it for the soundtrack of “Zoolander.” Blondie themselves invited Franz Ferdinand to cover the tune for the War Child charity album.
“Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes
Kim Carnes began as a background singer, given her big boost by Kenny Rogers, who dueted with her on “Don’t Fall in Love with a Dreamer.” “Bette Davis Eyes” had been written seven years earlier by Donna Weiss and Jackie Shannon. Bette Davis herself thanked the trio for making her “a part of modern times.”
“Physical” by Olivia Newton-John
Aerobics gear notwithstanding, “Physical” was the sexy song that broke Newton-John out of the squeaky-clean, country-pop image. It was first offered to Rod Stewart and Tina Turner, both of whom turned it down. In the past two years, both Dua Lipa and Doja Cat have brought the song into contemporary recordings.
“Every Breath You Take” by The Police
This stalker ballad is often mistaken as more romantic than intended. Sting told BBC Radio the song’s story is “sinister” and “ugly.” Regardless, it became a defining record for the Police, estimated by Sting’s music publisher to bring in up to a third of his royalties.
“When Doves Cry” by Prince
Released on both the album and used in the movie “Purple Rain,” in the film, this cri de coeur backed intercutting scenes of parental struggle and romance. Child actor Quindon Tarver covered the song for the 1996 film “Romeo + Juliet,” as did Ginuwine in 1997. In a rare move, Prince gave MC Hammer permission to sample the song in his 1999 hit, “Pray.”
“Careless Whisper” by Wham!
This guilty confession of a soul song came out as part of Wham!’s well-titled smash album, “Make It Big,” which also featured the singles “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” “Freedom,” and “Everything She Wants.” Co-written by the duo’s George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, the song was notable for its prominent sax solo.
“That’s What Friends Are For” by Dionne & Friends
Hitmakers Burt Bachrach and Carole Bayer Sager originally wrote the song for Rod Stewart, who sang it for the film “Night Shift.” Four years later, Dionne Warwick brought together Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder as a single to benefit AIDS research and prevention. Wonder’s participation made it the last number one single by anyone who had hit that mark before the British Invasion of the early 1960s. In 1990, an AIDS benefit featuring even more superstars came together on the occasion of Arista Records’ 15th anniversary for a televised concert.
“Walk Like an Egyptian” by The Bangles
Songwriter Liam Sternberg was inspired by the depictions of walking Egyptians on ancient reliefs that he said had been imitated on a rough ocean crossing. Toni Basil turned it down, and the Bangles took the song, creating one of the most distinctive music videos of the ‘80s as well as their biggest hit. The video intersperses concert footage with ordinary people — and Libyan dictator Muammar Gadaffi — doing the signature move.
“Faith” by George Michael
“Faith” came after the breakup of Wham! on Michael’s solo debut. The song is a mix of rock-and-roll instrumental tropes, including the Bo Diddley beat. It has since been featured in prominent films such as “Bitter Moon,” “Ready Player One,” and last year’s “House of Gucci.”
“Look Away” by Chicago
Queen of the power ballads Diane Warren wrote this song for Chicago, which made its only number one hit after the departure of Peter Cetera. It changed the band’s sound with less reliance on a horn section and Bill Champlin coming in on lead vocals.
“Hold On” by Wilson Phillips
Pop progeny group Wilson Phillips brought a generational pedigree to pop with Carnie and Wendy Wilson (Beach Boy Brian Wilson’s daughters) and Chynna Phillips, daughter of John and Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas. “Hold On” came from their 1990 debut album, which featured five hit singles. That album became the best-selling debut album of all time by a female group, replacing the Supremes.
“(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” by Bryan Adams
The Canadian singer-songwriter’s power ballad, written with Michael Kamen and “Mutt Lange,” was the lead single from the movie “Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves” and Adams album, “Waking Up the Neighbours,” of the same year. It sold more than 15 million copies worldwide, putting it in the top-selling singles of all time.
“End of the Road” by Boyz II Men
You may have noticed a pattern here, as many of the annual number ones came from movie soundtracks, as with Boyz II Men’s harmonic ballad on the “Boomerang” soundtrack. It was written by R&B powerhouses Baby Face, L.A. Reid, and Daryl Simmons. The song also won two Grammy awards, for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
“I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston booted Boyz II Men from their number one slot with her cover of Dolly Parton’s two-time hit (first in 1973 and then with the release of “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” in 1982). Houston’s gospel-inflected arrangement, recorded for the 1992 film “The Bodyguard,” became the best-selling single of all time by a woman and the fifth-best-selling single in general. In 2014, Billboard named it the sixth-best love song of all time.
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“The Sign” by Ace of Base
Like many artists who hit big in pop, the Swedish group Ace of Base wasn’t treated kindly by critics, who carped about the song’s techno beat and reggae-lite sound. Europop wasn’t destined for a fair shake historically, but U.S. audiences turned out for the uber-catchy chorus. In later years, the band has gotten a bit more respect, with Katy Perry citing the song as one of her influences.
“Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio featuring L.V.
This is one of the few songs by Coolio without profanity, done so in order to get Stevie Wonder’s permission to sample “Pastime Paradise.” The song is an operatic fever dream and a distant descendant of another Wonder song, “Livin’ for the City.” The video was created by future “Training Day” director Antoine Fuqua, and featured Michelle Pfeiffer, recreating her teacher role from “Dangerous Minds.” It was later parodied by Weird Al Yankovic as “Amish Paradise.”
“Macarena” by Los del Rio
What does it take to have VH1 name you the greatest one-hit wonder of all time? Being the go-to for forced festivity by wedding and bar mitzvah DJs doesn’t hurt. The song was already a Spanish hit when the Bayside Boys remixed it with English lyrics, and soon the line dance seen round the world had taken hold, with moves so simple your grandmother could join the fun.
“Candle in the Wind 1997” by Elton John
Just two weeks after the death of Princess Diana, Elton John and Bernie Taupin released their rewritten version of their 1973 song as a tribute to her. John had performed it the week before at Diana’s funeral. Proceeds from the song, an enormous hit, went to Diana’s charities. It brought Elton John the Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and, according to the Guiness Book of World Records, became the second best-selling single of all time (behind “White Christmas”). The song was originally written about Marilyn Monroe, but new phrases like “Goodbye England’s Rose” made it clear that this version was for the lost princess.
“Too Close” by Next
Was “Too Close” your jam? Its R&B harmonies and step-dance music video sent the song up the charts. “Too Close” sampled Kurtis Blow’s “Christmas Rappin’,” and was parodied heavily on Vine and YouTube. In 2021, British-Zimbabwean comedian Munya Chawawa used his parody of the song to take on fuel shortages in the UK.
“Believe” by Cher
At 52, Cher became the oldest woman to top the charts with her anthem of resilience. She was an early adopter of Auto-Tune to distort her voice here, and became a club hit for its dance-pop rhythms. It placed on a number of best-of lists, including Rolling Stone’s “20 Most Annoying Songs.” Web publication The Pudding found it to be the sixth-most recognized song by millennials and Gen Z listeners.
“Breathe” by Faith Hill
With this power ballad, country star Faith Hill crossed over into the pop charts. Although “Breathe” never hit number one, its longevity on the charts for 53 weeks made it the year’s number one single. It also brought her a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. Cledus T. Judd recorded a parody of the song, “Breath,” about halitosis.
