|
Billboard Year-End Hot 100 Singles Of 1961
This is a list of ''Billboard'' magazine's top Hot 100 songs of 1961. , '''', January 6, 1962. p. 33. Retrieved January 13, 2022. The Top 100, as revealed in the edition of Billboard dated January 6, 1962, is based on Hot 100 charts from the issue dates of January through November 1961. See also * * |
Billboard (magazine)
''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music industry. Its music charts include the Hot 100, the 200, and the Global 200, tracking the most popular albums and songs in different genres of music. It also hosts events, owns a publishing firm, and operates several TV shows. ''Billboard'' was founded in 1894 by William Donaldson and James Hennegan as a trade publication for bill posters. Donaldson later acquired Hennegan's interest in 1900 for $500. In the early years of the 20th century, it covered the entertainment industry, such as circuses, fairs, and burlesque shows, and also created a mail service for travelling entertainers. ''Billboard'' began focusing more on the music industry as the jukebox, phonograph, and radio became commonplace. Many topics it covered were spun-off ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wheels (The String-A-Longs Song)
"Wheels" is the debut single by the String-A-Longs, issued in 1960. Their biggest hit single, it peaked at No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 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. The song has been covered by many artists, including charting versions by the Joe Loss Orchestra and Billy Vaughn Orchestra. Various other versions topped the charts in France ( Marcel Amont), Belgium, the Netherlands (The Jumping Jewels) and West Germany (Billy Vaughn). Background The tune is believed to have been originally composed as "Tell the World," although who wrote the song is disputed. One story suggests that it was written by Stephens and Torres of the String-A-Longs, who were called the Leen Teens in their early days. The song was recorded at Norman Petty's studio in Clovis, New Mexico. Keith McCormack, who was the singer for the band, caught a cold and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Last Night (Mar-Keys Composition)
"Last Night" is an instrumental recorded by The Mar-Keys. Released in 1961, the track appeared on ''Last Night!'', the first LP released by the Stax label. Background The label of the single gives writing credit simply to "Mar-Keys"; it was registered with BMI as having been written by Charles Axton, Floyd Newman, Gilbert C. Caple, Jerry Lee Smith and Chips Moman. The song is in a twelve-bar blues form, with brief stops, where Floyd Newman intones "Last Night" before his saxophone solo, which is followed by him excaliming "Oh, yeah!" before the last three choruses, including the pauses, before the song's fade. According to Steve Cropper, in an interview with Paul Nassari of the '' Sunday Mail'' newspaper, in Adelaide, Australia, "Jerry Lee ‘Smoochy’ Smith came up with the piano riff that was played on organ. Since roducer ChipsMoman didn't want a guitar on it for whatever reason, I wound up playing the hold-down on the organ on the root note. It hurts me in the Mar-Keys hi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Shirelles
The Shirelles were an American girl group formed in Passaic, New Jersey in 1957. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens (later Shirley Alston Reeves), Doris Coley (later Doris Kenner-Jackson), Addie "Micki" Harris (later Addie Harris McFadden), and Beverly Lee. Founded in 1957 for a talent show at their high school, they were signed by Florence Greenberg of Tiara Records. Their first single, "I Met Him on a Sunday", was released by Tiara and licensed by Decca Records in 1958. After a brief and unsuccessful period with Decca, they went with Greenberg to her newly formed company, Scepter Records. Working with Luther Dixon, the group rose to fame with "Tonight's the Night (The Shirelles song), Tonight's the Night". After a successful period of collaboration with Dixon and promotion by Scepter, with seven top 20 hits, the Shirelles left Scepter in 1966. Afterwards, they were unable to maintain their previous popularity. The Shirelles have been described as having a "naive sch ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dedicated To The One I Love
"Dedicated To The One I Love" is a song written by Lowman Pauling and Ralph Bass that was a hit for the "5" Royales, the Shirelles, the Mamas & the Papas and Bitty McLean. Pauling was the guitarist of the "5" Royales, the group that recorded the original version of the song, produced by Bass, in 1957. Their version was re-released in 1961 and charted at number 81 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The Shirelles version A cover version recorded by American girl group the Shirelles reached number 83 in 1959. This version was re-released in 1961 and reached number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and number two on ''Billboard''s Hot R&B Sides. The song was subsequently included on their 1961 album '' Tonight's the Night''. The Mamas & The Papas version In 1967, a subsequent and slightly more popular cover version by the Mamas & the Papas released on the Dunhill label went to number 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, kept from number 1 by " Happy Together" by The Turtles. Thi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Running Scared (Roy Orbison Song)
"Running Scared" is a song written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson and sung by Orbison. An operatic rock ballad, the recording of the song was overseen by audio engineer Bill Porter and released as a 45 rpm single by Monument Records in March 1961 and went to number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. "Running Scared" also reached No.9 in the UK Singles Chart. It sold over one million copies in the US alone. The song was included on Orbison's 1962 album ''Crying'' as the final track on the album. Background Noted for being a song written without a chorus, the song builds in the lyrics, arrangement, and vocals to a climax that, without vibrato, demonstrates the power of Orbison's clear, full voice. It is written in the bolero style; Orbison is credited with bringing this to the rock genre. Fred Foster, producer of the session and of Monument Records, did not want the powerful high note that ends the song to end in falsetto but in full or natural voice. According to Foster, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bobby Vee
Robert Thomas Velline (April 30, 1943 – October 24, 2016), known professionally as Bobby Vee, was an American singer who was a teen idol in the early 1960s and also appeared in films. According to '' Billboard'' magazine, he had thirty-eight Hot 100 chart hits, ten of which reached the Top 20. He had six gold singles in his career. Life Vee was born in Fargo, North Dakota, to Sydney Ronald Velline (a chef, pianist and fiddle player) and Saima Cecelia Tapanila, in a family of Norwegian and Finnish heritage. Personal life Vee and Karen Bergen married December 28, 1963. In the early 1980s, Vee moved his family from Los Angeles to near St. Cloud, Minnesota, where he and Karen organized annual fundraising concerts to provide music and arts facilities for local children. They had four children, including sons Jeffrey, Thomas, and Robert, who performed with Vee in his later career, and daughter Jennifer. Karen died of kidney failure on August 3, 2015. Bobby and his sons ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Take Good Care Of My Baby
"Take Good Care of My Baby" is a song written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. The song was made famous by Bobby Vee, when it was released in 1961. Bobby Vee versions While searching for material for Bobby Vee to record, Vee's producer Snuff Garrett heard a demo of Carole King singing "Take Good Care of My Baby". Garrett told publisher Don Kirshner that he wanted the song for Vee, but he believed the song needed an introductory verse. Garrett met with Carole King, and the introductory verse of Vee's version was written. Among the musicians on the record were Barney Kessel, Tommy Allsup, and Howard Roberts on guitar, Clifford Hills on bass, Robert Florence on piano, and Earl Palmer on drums, while Sid Sharp did the string arrangements. The Johnny Mann Singers sang backup. Bobby Vee released "Take Good Care of My Baby" as a single on July 20, 1961, and it was reviewed by '' Billboard'' in its issue dated July 31, 1961. Vee's recording quickly became popular, spending 15 weeks ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk (March 11, 1903 – May 17, 1992) was an American accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted the ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' from 1951 to 1982. His style came to be known as "champagne music" to his radio, television, and live-performance audiences. Early life Welk was born in the German-speaking community of Strasburg, North Dakota. He was sixth of the eight children of Ludwig and Christiana (née Schwahn) Welk, Roman Catholic ethnic Germans who emigrated in 1892 from Odessa, Russian Empire (now Ukraine). Welk was a first cousin, once removed, of former Montana governor Brian Schweitzer (Welk's mother and Schweitzer's paternal grandmother were siblings). Welk's paternal great-great-grandparents, Moritz and Magdalena Welk, emigrated in 1808 from Germanophone Alsace-Lorraine to the Ukraine. The family lived on a homestead that is now a tourist attraction. They spent the cold North Dakota winter of their first year inside an upturned wagon cov ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Calcutta (song)
"Calcutta" is a German pop song. An instrumental version by American bandleader and TV host Lawrence Welk on the 1961 Dot Records album ''Calcutta!'' was a chart hit, the most successful of Welk's career. History The tune was written in 1958 by the composer Heino Gaze. The original title was "Tivoli Melody", but it was re-titled several times, until it finally was named for the Indian city of Kolkata, known in German as Kalkutta and in English as Calcutta. The German version has lyrics by Hans Bradtke, and is titled "Kalkutta liegt am Ganges" (Calcutta lies on the Ganges). In the English-speaking world, the song was released under the title "Calcutta", and the American songwriting team of Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss wrote English lyrics, celebrating the charms of the "ladies of Calcutta." Welk's recording of the tune was something of a departure for him. It incorporated his recognizable "trademarks," i.e., the harpsichord lead and an accordion but combined them with handclaps a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joe Dowell
Joe Dowell (January 23, 1940 – February 4, 2016) was an American pop singer. Career He was born in Bloomington, Indiana, United States, and moved to Bloomington, Illinois as a child. He first performed at a ninth-grade talent show and later attended the University of Illinois. At his first recording session (backed by organist Ray Stevens), he sang the tune "Wooden Heart", which had been a hit for Elvis Presley in Europe but which was never released as a single stateside. In 1961, "Wooden Heart" became the first single released on Smash Records to shoot to No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc. In the wake of his success, Dowell wanted to become a songwriter in his own right, but, due to contractual obligations, he was required to sing music owned by Smash's parent company, Mercury Records. He had two further hits, "The Bridge of Love" (US No. 50) and "Little Red Rented Rowboat" (US No. 23) but, after struggles with h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wooden Heart
"Wooden Heart" is a pop song recorded by Elvis Presley. The composition is based on a German folk song "Muss i denn" (''lit.'' Must I then) and it was featured in the 1960 Elvis Presley film ''G.I. Blues''. The song was a hit single for Presley in the UK Singles Chart, reaching No. 1 for six weeks in March and April 1961. Background The song was published by Elvis Presley's company Gladys Music, Inc. In the United States, it was released in November 1964 as the B-side to "Blue Christmas (song), Blue Christmas". Presley performed the song live during his Dinner Show concert at the Las Vegas Hilton, Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas in 1975, a recording available on the Elvis Presley live album ''Dinner At Eight''. A cover version by Joe Dowell on the Smash Records label made it to number one in the US at the end of August 1961, knocking Bobby Lewis' "Tossin' and Turnin'" off the number-one spot on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 after seven weeks. Dowell's version also spe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
