I struggled to find a way to narrow the list of songs from my preteen years. Would it be Elvis before his ’68 comeback? The Everly Brothers? The entire American Graffiti soundtrack? The entire West Side Story soundtrack? Take Five by Dave Brubeck?
With some help, I think from Jaquandor, I picked the songs that I remember from when I was 10 to 12, meaning 1963-1965. Or in this case, from my 10th birthday until I was 11 1/2, because the list was still too long.
I avoided artists for which I had LOTS of their music in this blog, such as The Big Three of my growing up: Beatles, Supremes, Tempts, who dominated 1964 in any case. Or the Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, et al.
And I’ve avoided what I foolishly thought was “old people music” at the time. So no Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, or Louis Armstrong, all of whom had hits in that period. I appreciate them NOW, but I didn’t then.
1963
Walk Right In – Rooftop Singers, #1 for two weeks pop, #1 for five weeks AC, #4 RB, #23 CW
On Broadway – the Drifters, #9 pop, #7 RB
Easier Said Than Done – The Essex, #1 for two weeks both pop and RB
Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport – Rolf Harris, #3 pop, #1 for three weeks AC, #19 RB
Just One Look -Doris Troy, #10 pop, #3 RB
So Much in Love – the Tymes, #1 pop, #4 RB
If I Had A Hammer – Trini Lopez, #3 pop, #12 RB
I’m Leaving It Up To You – Dale & Grace, #1 for two weeks both pop and AC, #6 RB
Dominique – The Singing Nun, #1 for four weeks pop and AC
Louie Louie – the Kingsmen, #2 for six weeks pop, #1 for six weeks RB
1964
The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss)– Betty Everett, #6 pop, #1 for three weeks RB
Don’t Let the Rain Come Down – Serendipity Singers, #6 pop, #2 for six weeks AC
(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet – The Reflections, #6 pop, #3 for two weeks RB
Chart action per US Billboard charts. CW- country; RB – soul; AC – adult contemporary
“I appreciate them NOW, but I didn’t then.
Ain’t THAT the truth! So many of that “old people’s music” I not only now like, but I’ve actually bought. On the other hand, the stuff I liked as a kid, or even as a young adult, is not “old people’s music”, or close to it, for today’s young people. Swings and roundabouts.
About your Rolf Harris song, it raises a question: Are we under any obligation to erase performers or songs we once liked because it later turns out that they were either allegedly or actually terrible humans or allegedly or actually did terrible things, like Rolf? After Leaving Neverland aired on TV here, radio stations announced they were banning Michael Jackson’s music (despite the fact that many of them never played it, anyway, because the music they played was completely different genres or eras). It seems to me that the three reactions are to join the mob, defy the mob and continue to like whoever it is, or to just keep quiet about liking whatever it is or whoever the person is—cowed into silence by the mob. What do you think?