Remember When? Hits of 1966 & 1979

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Top 100 1966

1 THE BALLAD OF THE GREEN BERETS SSgt. Barry Sadler

2 CHERISH The Association
3 (You’re My) SOUL AND INSPIRATION The Righteous Brothers
4 REACH OUT I’LL BE THERE The Four Tops
5 96 TEARS ? (Question Mark) and the Mysterians
6 LAST TRAIN TO CLARKSVILLE The Monkees
7 MONDAY MONDAY The Mamas and the Papas
8 YOU CAN’T HURRY LOVE The Supremes
9 POOR SIDE OF TOWN Johnny Rivers
10 CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ The Mamas and the Papas
11 SUMMER IN THE CITY The Lovin’ Spoonful
12 BORN FREE Roger Williams
13 THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKIN’ Nancy Sinatra
14 WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN HEARTED David Ruffin
15 STANGERS IN THE NIGHT Frank Sinatra
16 WE CAN WORK IT OUT The Beatles
17 GOOD LOVIN’ The Young Rascals
18 WINCHESTER CATHERDRAL The New Vaudeville Band
19 HANKY PANKY Tommy James and the Shondells
20 WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN Percy Sledge
21 PAINT IT, BLACK The Rolling Stones
22 MY LOVE Petula Clark
23 LIGHNIN’ STRIKES Lou Christie
24 WILD THING The Troggs
25 KICKS Paul Revere and the Raiders
26 SUNSHINE SUPERMAN Donovan
27 SUNNY Bobby Hebb
28 PAPERBACK WRITER The Beatles
29 SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER The Happenings
30 YOU KEEP ME HANGIN’ ON The Supremes
31 LIL’ RED RIDING HOOD Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs
32 DEVIL WITH A BLUE DRESS ON/GOOD GOLLY, MISS MOLLY Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels
33 GOOD VIBRATIONS The Beach Boys
34 A GROOVY KIND OF LOVE The Mindbenders
35 YOU DON’T HAVE TO SAY YOU LOVE ME Dusty Springfield
36 COOL JERK The Capitols
37 BORN A WOMAN Sandy Posey
38 RED RUBBER BALL The Cyrkle
39 B-A-B-Y Carla Thomas
40 WALK AWAY RENEE The Left Banke
41 DAYDREAM The Lovin’ Spoonful
42 TIME WON’T LET ME The Outsiders
43 HOORAY FOR HAZEL Tommy Roe
44 SWEET PEA Tommy Roe
45 BUS STOP The Hollies
46 I’M YOUR PUPPET Bobby and James Purify
47 I’M SO LONESOME I COULD CRY B. J. Thomas and the Triumphs
48 AIN’T TOO PROUD TO BEG The Temptations
49 DIRTY WATER The Standells
50 ELUSIVE BUTTERFLY Bob Lind
51 I AM A ROCK Simon and Garfunkel
52 CRYING TIME Ray Charles
53 SECRET AGENT MAN Johnny Rivers
54 SOUNDS OF SILENCE Simon and Garfunkel
55 LADY GODIVA Peter and Gordon
56 HOMEWARD BOUND Simon and Garfunkel
57 DID YOU EVER HAVE TO MAKE UP YOUR MIND The Lovin’ Spoonful
58 BAREFOOTIN’ Robert Parker
59 UPTIGHT (Everything’s Alright) Stevie Wonder
60 BANG BANG (My Baby Shot Me Down) Cher
61 SLOOP JOHN B The Beach Boys
62 19TH NERVOUS BREAKDOWN The Rolling Stones
63 WIPE OUT The Surfaris
64 PSYCHOTIC REACTION The Count Five
65 BEAUTY IS ONLY SKIN DEEP The Temptations
66 NO MATTER WHAT SHAPE (Your Stomach’s In) The T-Bones
67 JUST LIKE ME Paul Revere and the Raiders
68 LOVE MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND Deon Jackson
69 THE PIED PIPER Crispian St. Peters
70 COMING ON STRONG Brenda Lee
71 SOMEWHERE, MY LOVE The Ray Conniff Singers
72 ALMOST PERSUADED David Houston
73 IF I WERE A CARPENTER Bobby Darin
74 DON’T MESS WITH BILL The Marvelettes
75 CHERRY CHERRY Neil Diamond
76 WORKING IN THE COAL MINE Lee Dorsey
77 MESSAGE TO MICHAEL Dionne Warwick
78 LOVE IS A HURTIN’ THING Lou Rawls
79 BARBARA ANN The Beach Boys
80 GLORIA The Shadows Of Knight
81 MY WORLD IS EMPTY WITHOUT YOU The Supremes
82 RAINY DAY WOMEN #12 AND 35 Bob Dylan
83 GUANTANAMERO The Sandpipers
84 LAND OF 1000 DANCES Wilson Pickett
85 OH HOW HAPPY Shades Of Blue
86 WOMAN Peter and Gordon
87 YOU BABY The Turtles
88 FIVE O’CLOCK WORLD The Vogues
89 BLACK IS BLACK Los Bravos
90 NOWHERE MAN The Beatles
91 DANDY Herman’s Hermits
92 BABY SCRATCH MY BACK Slim Harpo
93 SHE’S JUST MY STYLE Gary Lewis and the Playboys
94 THE MORE I SEE YOU Chris Montez
95 I FOUGHT THE LAW The Bobby Fuller Four
96 YELLOW SUBMARINE The Beatles
97 HUNGRY Paul Revere and the Raiders
98 ZORBA THE GREEK Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
99 SHAPES OF THINGS The Yardbirds
100 634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.) Wilson Pickett

Now, as my college professors would say (way back when): compare and contrast:

Top 100 1979

1 MY SHARONA The Knack

2 BAD GIRLS Donna Summer
3 LE FREAK Chic
4 DO YA THINK I’M SEXY Rod Stewart
5 REUNITED Peaches and Herb
6 I WILL SURVIVE/ Gloria Gaynor
7 HOT STUFF Donna Summer
8 Y.M.C.A. The Village People
9 RING MY BELL Anita Ward
10 SAD EYES Robert John
11 TOO MUCH HEAVEN The Bee Gees
12 MAC ARTHUR PARK Donna Summer
13 WHEN YOU’RE IN LOVE WITH A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN Dr. Hook
14 MAKIN’ IT David Naughton
15 FIRE The Pointer Sisters
16 TRAGEDY The Bee Gees
17 A LITTLE MORE LOVE Olivia Newton-John
18 HEART OF GLASS Blondie
19 WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES The Doobie Brothers
20 GOOD TIMES Chic
21 YOU DON’T BRING ME FLOWERS Barbra and Neil
22 KNOCK ON WOOD Amii Wood
23 STUMBLIN’ IN Suzi Quatro and Chris Norman
24 LEAD ME ON Maxine Nightingale
25 SHAKE YOUR BODY (Down To the Ground) The Jacksons
26 DON’T CRY OUT LOUD Melissa Manchester
27 THE LOGICAL SONG Supertramp
28 MY LIFE Billy Joel
29 JUST WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST Randy Vanwarmer
30 YOU CAN’T CHANGE THAT Raydio
31 SHAKE YOUR GROOVE THING Peaches and Herb
32 I’LL NEVER LOVE THIS WAY AGAIN Dionne Warwick
33 LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT The Bee Gees
34 I WANT YOU TO WANT ME Cheap Trick
35 THE MAIN EVENT/FIGHT Barbra Streisand
36 MAMA CAN’T BUY YOU LOVE Elton John
37 I WAS MADE FOR DANCIN’ Leif Garrett
38 AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE Earth, Wind, and Fire
39 HEAVEN KNOWS Donna Summer with Brooklyn Dreams
40 THE GAMBLER Kenny Rogers
41 LOTTA LOVE Nicolette Larson
42 LADY The Little River Band
43 HEAVEN MUST HAVE SENT YOU Bonnie Pointer
44 HOLD THE LINE Toto
45 HE’S THE GREATEST DANCER Sister Sledge
46 SHARING THE NIGHT TOGETHER Dr. Hook
47 SHE BELIEVES IN ME Kenny Rogers
48 IN THE NAVY The Village People
49 MUSIC BOX DANCER Frank Mills
50 THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA The Charlie Daniels Band
51 GOLD (RSO)
52 GOODNIGHT TONIGHT Wings
53 WE ARE FAMILY Sister Sledge
54 ROCK ‘N’ ROLL FANTASY Bad Company
55 EVERY 1′S A WINNER Hot Chocolate
56 TAKE ME HOME Cher
57 BOOGIE WONDERLAND Earth, Wind, and Fire with the Emotions
58 (Our Love) DON’T THROW IT ALL AWAY Andy Gibb
59 WHAT YOU WON’T DO FOR LOVE Bobby Caldwell
60 NEW YORK GROOVE Ace Frehley
61 SULTANS OF SWING Dire Straits
62 I WANT YOUR LOVE Chic
63 CHUCK E’S IN LOVE Rickie Lee Jones
64 I LOVE THE NIGHT LIFE (Disco ‘Round) Alicia Bridges
65 AIN’T NO STOPPIN’ US NOW McFadden and Whitehead
66 LONESOME LOSER The Little River Band
67 RENEGADE/ Styx
68 LOVE IS THE ANSWER England Dan and John Ford Coley
69 GOT TO BE REAL Cheryl Lynn
70 BORN TO BE ALIVE Patrick Hernandez
71 SHINE A LITTLE LOVE The Electric Light Orchestra
72 I JUST FALL IN LOVE AGAIN Anne Murray
73 SHAKE IT Ian Matthews
74 I WAS MADE FOR LOVIN’ YOU Kiss
75 I JUST WANNA STOP Gino Vanelli
76 DISCO NIGHTS (Rock-Freak) G.Q.
77 OOH BABY BABY Linda Rinstadt
78 SEPTEMBER Earth, Wind, and Fire
79 TIME PASSAGES Al Stewart
80 RISE Herb Alpert
81 DON’T BRING ME DOWN The Electric Light Orchestra
82 PROMISES/ Eric Clapton and His Band
83 GET USED TO IT Roger Voudoris
84 HOW MUCH I FEEL Ambrosia
85 SUSPICIONS Eddie Rabbitt
86 YOU TAKE MY BREATH AWAY Rex Smith
87 HOW YOU GONNA SEE ME NOW Alice Cooper
88 DOUBLE VISION Foreigner
89 EVERY TIME I THINK OF YOU The Babys
90 I GOT MY MIND MADE UP (You Can Get It Girl) Instant Funk
91 DON’T STOP ‘TILL YOU GET ENOUGH Michael Jackson
92 BAD CASE OF LOVING YOU (Doctor, Doctor) Robert Palmer
93 SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT Barry Manilow
94 WE’VE GOT TONITE Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
95 DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY Van Halen
96 DANCING SHOES Nigel Olsson
97 THE BOSS Diana Ross
98 SAIL ON The Commodores
99 I DO LOVE YOU G.Q.
100 STRANGE WAY Firefall

Ladies and gentlemen, that was back when music was truly musical, and actual talent was required to sing and play instruments.

BZ

P.S.
My Sharona, the top hit of 1979, was from a band called The Knack. Lead singer and songwriter for The Knack was Doug Fieger. He wrote My Sharona for his girlfriend at the time, whose name really was Sharona. Mr Fieger passed away on Valentine’s Day this year, at the age of 57, of complications from a brain tumor and lung cancer. Sharona Alperin (photo below) is now a married mother of two who sells luxury real estate in Los Angeles. She visited him frequently in his final months, as well as did Fieger’s ex-wife Mia.

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13 thoughts on “Remember When? Hits of 1966 & 1979”

  1. And a happy fourth Sunday of Lent to you too, sir. Sundays in Lent are different that the other forty days and are just the thing for posts of this sort. I commend you!

    Is Sharona the model holding the record? Also, good on her for the post for which you linked.

    Keep up the good work!

  3. I’ve heard and remember more of the ’66 list than of the ’79 one… mind you I wasn’t listening to music all that much in ’66…

    Too many stars by ’79, not enough musicians, at least by my tastes.

  5. DM: thanks and, yes, she’s the same person as on the record cover above at the age of 17, I think. She toured all over with The Knack, whilst she was still his girlfriend.

    Man, have I got an itch to hear Der Kommissar!

    TF: that was back when people would actually sing and play instruments instead of speak and let rhythm machines take over. Back when there were actual singers and songWRITERS.

    Want to hear something strange, Fred? I think the best music available today are film soundtracks by composers such as Bernard Herrmann, John Barry, James Horner, Carl Stalling (Warner Bros cartoons!), John Williams, Elmer Bernstein, Miklos Rosza, Henry Mancini, Basil Poledouris, Jerry Goldsmith, Lalo Schifrin and many, many more.

    AJ: I can remember listening to even older songs on AM radio. That’s when I got into music; listening to AM radio and also listening to Wolfman Jack broadcast on XERB for a short time. I grew up on Dr Donald D Rose on KFRC in San Francisco.

    You know, sounds like it’s time for a post about my — ahem — radio “career” and about radio in general from times past.

    BZ

  8. I’m definitely a ’79 guy, but I have to say (with the appropriate degree of shock value): Sharona definitely had WAY better boobs than Sadler!

  10. Oh good! Another self impressed conservative screaming into the echo chamber that is the internet. All of us liberals are always happy to see a conservative show his true colors by slamming the intellect of people he doesn’t know. So you changed to being conservative. Let me guess. You really like the Churchill quote about liberal youth to conservative adult. Good. Base your philosophy on the ramblings of an alcoholic. Always seems to work for pious rednecks.

  11. There remains a plethera of good music. You just need to get up and look for it.Is there less good music than ealier times? Oh yeah! I guess if you don’t have email notifications of new posts you’ll never see this response. Oh well.

  12. Holy crap, BongoFury, you certainly possess a major amount of vitriol for a post about music. Get out much?

    Your pajamas need washing.

    And your mother’s calling. I can hear her now: she’s saying your work, McDonald’s, is on the phone. They want to know if you can work another four hours tomorrow.

    BZ

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