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1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964
1965 1966
1967 1968
1969 1970
1971 1972
1973 1974
1975 1976
1977
MIKE SMITH’S HOT HUNDRED UK HITS 1967 1967 was the year of Flower Power, the peak of the Hippy movement, the year that brought Psychedelia to the music scene, and the hot season was named the Summer of Love. Flower Power started in San Francisco, USA amongst the Hippies there, who preached "make love, not war", wore flowers in their hair and not necessarily much else. Flower Power gave us hits from the Beatles ("All You Need Is Love"), and the Rolling Stones ("We Love You"), as well as hits that name-checked San Francisco from Scott McKenzie and the Flowerpot Men. Psychedelia resulted in a number of hits with strange titles and indecipherable lyrics. These included "A Whiter Shade Of Pale", "Paper Sun", "Itchycoo Park", "Hole In My Shoe", "I Can Hear The Grass Grow", Kites, and several others. The off-shore "pirate" radio stations were killed off by the government of the UK in August. They made it illegal to advertise or work on the stations, which effectively closed them down. Radio Caroline defiantly continued for a few months, but eventually gave up too. To compensate the young fans of pop radio, the BBC were forced to start the new Radio 1 in late September. Many of the pirate DJs joined the station, and continued playing records. Famously, Tony Blackburn was the first voice on Radio 1, and he is still broadcasting some 50 plus years later. Several new acts made their debuts in 1967. One of he biggest was the American band the Monkees, who not only had a string of hit records, but their own TV show as well. Most of the new major acts in this year were British. Bands the Move, the Tremeloes (formerly Brian Poole's backing group), Traffic, and the long-lasting Bee Gees all had their first hits in 1967. Solo performer Cat Stevens started his chart run, but it was the unexpected easy-listening crooner Engelbert Humperdinck who enjoyed the greatest success, even keeping the Beatles off the top spot in March, and ending up with the top three best-selling singles of 1967. The year also saw the return to the charts of Lulu, after her total absence in 1966, and Tom Jones finally started a consistent run of Top 10 hits through to the end of the 1960s, and into the early 1970s. The existing big hitters, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Hollies, and the Kinks all produced several hits in the year, although Manfred Mann and Herman's Hermits were a bit thinner than previously chart-wise. Ever-present Cliff Richard had three Top 10 hits in 1967, but Elvis Presley was still in the doldrums, with his biggest hit peaking at number 21. These are my personal favourite recordings from this particular year, listed in the order in which they entered the UK hit singles chart. You may not agree with my choices, but these were UK chart hits* that had plenty of air play on the music radio stations of the day, such as Radio Luxembourg (throughout the year), Radio Caroline, Radio London ("Big L"), and many other off-shore radio stations (until August), and BBC Radio 1 from October 1967. * Some recordings in this list were hits in the USA only, and one was not a hit at all. Details with applicable songs. |
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1 Title: I'm A Believer The Monkees was a band put together by American TV executives for a series featuring a group of young men who were trying to become a successful rock 'n' roll band. The personnel comprised Americans Micky Dolenz (born 8 Mar 1945), Michael Nesmith (30 Dec 1942 - 10 Dec 2021), and Peter Tork (13 Feb 1942 - 21 Feb 2019); plus British actor and singer Davy Jones (30 Dec 1945 - 29 Feb 2012). Although they were not primarily musicians, they made several major hit records, as well as filming the TV series, which ran from September 1966 to March 1968 in the USA. It was shown on British TV and in many countries around the world. 1967 was their main year of success in the UK, with six hit singles, four of which made the Top 10, including their debut hit which reached Number One, and they enjoyed two chart-topping albums in that year. Chart success was comparatively short-lived, however. 1968 saw them with four hits, two of which only reached the Top 20, and two others that just entered the Top 50. There were no more after that. They did not play any instruments on the first hits, but gradually they were able to insist on playing and having a greater say in the recorded output. Despite the cancellation of the TV show, they continued with concert appearances until 1971. There have been some reunion concerts in the decades since. Despite the death of Jones in 2012, a tour took place later that year, and again in 2016, but as of December 2021, only Micky Dolenz survives. |
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2 Title: A
Place In The Sun Stevie Wonder
was born on 13 May 1950 in Saginaw, Michigan, USA, but he grew up in
Detroit, Michigan, USA. He was blind almost from birth, but
began singing in a church choir as a child. He was signed to
Tamla Motown records at the age of eleven, and made several
records. In 1963, when he was 12, he had his first hit,
"Fingertips", which went to Number One on the USA
charts. His next few releases, however, did not reach the
charts, and there was a danger that Motown might drop him.
However, he was given one last chance to produce a hit, and with his
musical mentors,
Sylvia Moy and Henry Cosby, he
wrote "Uptight
(Everything's Alright)". The single reached number 3 in
the USA, peaking at number 14 in the UK - his debut hit there.
His career grew from there with a series of hit singles and albums
over the following years. By the end of the 20th century, he
had scored 54 hit singles and a dozen hit albums in the UK. He
has continued to record and perform until the present time, although
at greater intervals than in the earlier decades. His most
recent original album release was in 2005. |
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3 Title: Night
Of Fear The Move was a
five-piece band formed in Birmingham, England in 1965, comprising
the former members of other Midlands bands. The main members
were Roy Wood (born 8 Nov 1947) and Carl Wayne (18 Aug 1943 - 31 Aug
2004). Wood wrote most of their hits and Wayne was the lead
vocalist, although from 1968 Wood often performed the lead vocals
instead. In 1966 they signed a contract with Decca's Deram
label, and their first release, "Night Of Fear" climbed to
number two in the UK charts early in 1967. Two further Top 10
hits graced the UK charts during 1967, and they eventually scored
ten hits by 1972. In 1968 their original bassist departed, and
the band continued as a quartet, and some other personnel changes
took place. Wayne left in 1970, and Jeff Lynne joined the
group that year. After their final hit in 1972, Wood and Lynne
evolved the band into the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO).
However, Wood left after the release of ELO's first album, and he
went on to form the band Wizzard, which is most famous for the 1973
Christmas hit "I Wish It Could Be Christmas
Everyday". That recording reappears every December on
radio and in shopping centres. Jeff Lynne went on the have
enormous success with ELO through the 1970s and 1980s. |
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4 Title: Matthew
And Son Cat Stevens was born on 21 Jul 1948 in central London, England. His father was Greek-Cypriot and his mother Swedish. They ran a restaurant in the West End of London, and the family lived above it. Cat developed an interest in music at a young age and at 15 had his first guitar. Once he had left school he began performing in local pubs and coffee houses. When only 18 he was spotted by a record producer who arranged a recording contract. His first hit came in the autumn of 1966, "I Love My Dog", which he had written himself, and which reached number 28 in the UK charts. His next release, "Matthew And Son", taken from his debut album of the same title, climbed to number two in the charts. He enjoyed considerable success though to the late 1970s, but in 1979 converted to the Muslim faith and went into musical retirement. At that time he changed his name to Yusuf Islam. He returned to some recording again in the 2000s under his new name. |
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5 Title: Standing
In The Shadows Of Love The Four Tops
are a vocal quartet from Detriot, USA. The original members were Levi
Stubbs (1936-2008), Abdul "Duke" Fakir (born 1935), Renaldo "Obie" Benson
(1936-2005) and Lawrence Payton (1938-1997). They remained together
for over four decades, performing from 1953 until 1997 without a change in
personnel, until the death of Lawrence Payton. They began as
the Four Aims, but changed the name to the Four Tops in 1956 when
they signed with Chess records. No hits were forthcoming until
they joined Tamla Motown in 1963, following which they enjoyed a
string of hits through the 1960s. They left Motown in 1972,
but the success continued into the 1980s and beyond. Their
first Number One in the USA came in 1965 when "I Can't Help
Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" topped the charts there.
Motown, as a music genre was not established in the UK at that time,
and the recording stalled at number 23 in the UK. Their first
major hit in Britain, and Number One, arrived in 1966 with
"Reach Out I'll Be There", followed by more Top 10 entries
in 1967 and 1968. In the end they had more Top 10 hits in the
UK than in the USA - eleven to seven - the last British entry coming
in 1989. The members who have passed away have been replaced,
and the group continues to perform, with Abdul "Duke" Fakir the only
original member. |
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6 Title: Sugar
Town Nancy Sinatra
is the daughter of singing legend Frank Sinatra. Nancy was
born on 8 Jun 1940 in New Jersey, USA, but grew up in Los
Angeles. She began music and singing lessons at a young age in
Hollywood. She started appearing on TV in her early twenties,
mostly on her father's shows. She signed with Sinatra's
Reprise records in 1961, but early releases did not fare very
well. However, in 1965 she began a collaboration with
songwriter and producer Lee Hazlewood, who had crafted most of Duane
Eddy's hit records in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He wrote
"These Boots Are Made For Walkin'", and produced Nancy's
recording of the song. It was an immediate hit, climbing to
Number One on both sides of the Atlantic. A year later she
reached number two in the UK with "Sugar Town", and
in the same year recorded the James Bond film theme "You Only
Live Twice". She also recorded several duets with
Hazlewood, which were hits in both countries, including the 1971
release "Did You Ever" which reached number two in the UK.
She has continued recording and performing on and off up to the
present time. |
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7 Title: Let's
Spend The Night Together The Rolling Stones debuted on the British charts in 1963, and started a
career which challenged the Beatles for the "top band" accolade during the 1960s. The band comprised lead
singer Mick Jagger (born 26 Jul 1943), guitarists Keith Richards (born 18 Dec 1943) and Brian Jones (28 Feb 1942 - 3 Jul 1969),
bassist Bill Wyman (born 24 Oct 1936) and drummer Charlie Watts (2
Jun 1941 - 24 Aug 2021).
Brian Jones drowned in a swimming pool during 1969, and was replaced by Mick Taylor,
formerly of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. Taylor left in 1974 and was replaced by Ronnie Wood
(formerly of the Faces) who remains in the band at the present time.
Bill Wyman left in 1997 and has since toured and recorded with his own band. The Stones clocked up 15 hits during
the 1960s, including eight number ones. Hits continued in the singles and album charts through the following
decades up to the present time. They still embark on world tours in the 21st century,
and toured the UK in 2018. |
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8 Title: Ruby
Tuesday This was part of
the Double A-side hit with song 7 above. The two tracks were
listed together in the UK charts but separately in several overseas
countries, including the USA. |
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9 Title: I'm
A Man The Spencer
Davis Group was formed in Birmingham, England in 1963 by Spencer
Davis (17 Jul 1939 - 19 Oct 2020) with lead vocalist Steve Winwood
(born 12 May 1948). They signed a recording contract in 1964,
and their first (minor) hit came in November that year. More
recordings were issued, but they all peaked at low positions on the
charts until December 1965 when the single "Keep On
Running" reached Number One in the UK charts. This was
quickly followed by another chart-topper, "Somebody Help
Me", in spring 1966. They had two more Top 10 hits, the
first in November 1966 and the second in early 1967. Steve
Winwood left the group in April 1967 to form the band Traffic.
Winwood's brother, Muff, bass player in the group, also left to
become a producer and A&R man at their record company.
Replacements were recruited and two more singles reached the Top 40.
They split in 1969. However, there were subsequent reunion
concert tours into the 2000s, with only Davis from the original
lineup. Davis died in October 2020, aged 81. |
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10 Title: Release
Me Engelbert
Humperdinck was born on 2 May 1936 in Madras, India to British
parents while his father was serving in the British army in that
country. They all returned to England in 1946 where he
completed his schooling. He began singing in his late teens
using the stage name Gerry Dorsey, and had the opportunity to start
recording in 1958, but none of his output reached the charts.
In 1965 he changed management to Gordon Mills who was Tom Jones'
manager. Mills suggested changing his name to that of a 19th
century German composer. So as
Engelbert Humperdinck, he started a
new career. His breakthrough came in 1967, when having
recorded "Release Me", he was able to perform the song on
the popular TV show "Sunday Night At The London
Palladium", standing in for the unwell Dickie Valentine.
This instantly changed his life. The record climbed to Number
One in the UK charts, remaining on the charts for an amazing 56
weeks, and keeping the Beatles off the top spot in March 1967.
Two more major hits followed in the same year, and by the end he had
the top three best-selling singles of 1967. Success continued
through the following decades, and from the mid-1970s onwards he
spent a great deal of time performing in the USA, much of it in Las
Vegas. He has continued to perform and record into the 21st
century, giving concerts in most parts of the world. An album
celebrating his 50 years in the charts was released in 2017, which
reached number five in the UK album chart. He splits his time
between homes in Leicestershire, England and Los Angeles,
California. |
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11 Title: It
Takes Two Marvin Gaye (2
Apr 1939 - 1 Apr 1984) was born in Washington DC, USA. He
joined a Doo-Wop group whilst still at high school, but in 1960 he
moved to Detroit, and having been seen singing by Barry Gordy Jr, he
was signed to Gordy's record label Tamla Motown. He had a few
smallish hits in the USA from 1962, and his first British hit came
in 1964, although it only just entered the Top 50. His early
successes were duets with female performers - first with Mary Wells,
then with Kim Weston, and later with Tammi Terrell. He is
probably best remembered for his 1970s and 1980s hits which often
contained social commentary and civil rights messages. Gaye
was shot dead by his own father, when Gaye was just 44 and arguably
at the peak of his career. |
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12 Title: Last
Train To Clarksville This was actually the group's debut single in the USA which was released there in August 1966, reaching Number One on the American charts in November that year. The band's TV show was not shown in the UK until later in 1966, and their second recording, "I'm A Believer", became their first hit in the UK in January 1967 (song 1). As a result, interest in the earlier release caused a lift in sales, and it entered the Top 30 whilst "I'm A Believer" was at Number One. The Monkees were in the Top 10 again in April 1967 (song 30). |
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13 Title: This
Is My Song Petula Clark was born on 15 Nov 1932 in Surrey, England.
She became a child star at the age of nine when she broadcast on
radio for the first time. This led to numerous singing
opportunities on wartime radio. In 1944 she was given her
first film role, and she had appeared in 14 films by 1950.
In the early 1950s she began making records, and her first hit
came in the summer of 1954 when she was 21 years old. Clark went on to become a major international star with
numerous world-wide hits,
particularly in the 1960s with songs written and produced by Tony
Hatch. In the 1990s and 2000s she went into stage musicals,
both in the UK and America. She was still recording and
performing in the 2010s, and issued a new album in 2016. |
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14 Title: Here
Comes My Baby The Tremeloes is
a beat music group formed in Dagenham, Essex, England in 1958.
Originally the group included vocalist Brian Poole, and they had
several hits from 1963 to 1965 as Brian Poole and The Tremeloes.
Poole decided to leave for a (unsuccessful) solo career in
1966. Although there were personnel changes both before and
after, at the time of this hit the members were Len "Chip" Hawkes
and Dave Munden, who shared the lead vocals, Rick Westwood and Alan
Blakley. Their first couple of singles failed to chart, but
"Here Comes My Baby", written by Cat Stevens set them off
on a successful chart career up to 1970. They continued
to perform on 1960s revival tours with other bands of the era, with Dave Munden
as the only original member. Munden died in October 2020. |
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15 Title: Mellow
Yellow Donovan was born
on 10 May 1946 in Glasgow, Scotland. His simple Folk music
style became popular in the mid-1960s, and some commentators dubbed
him as Britain's Bob Dylan. He and his family moved to
southern England when he was 10, and he developed an interest in
music, particularly Folk music. He learned to play guitar and
spent some time busking during 1964, as well as writing songs.
He was offered a recording deal by Pye records late in 1964 and his
first single, "Catch The Wind" was a Top 10 hit. As
time went on his songs turned more to "flower power" and
Psychedelia, which were popular movements of their time. From
1965 to 1968 he enjoyed nine hits, seven of which reached the Top
10, and he had much success in the USA as well. Hit albums
reached the chart until 1973. He continued performing and
occasionally recording through the following decades, and still
makes some appearances in the 21st century. |
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16 Title: There's
A Kind Of Hush Herman's Hermits
were formed in Manchester, England in early 1964, with lead singer
Peter Noone (born 5 Nov 1947). They quickly acquired a
manager who arranged a contract with EMI records and producer Mickie
Most. Their debut single, "I'm
Into Something Good", a cover of an American song, rose up
the charts and was at Number One by the end of September 1964. It
was released in the USA and reached number 13. They soon
became a major band on both sides of the Atlantic. In the UK
they amassed ten Top 10 hits by 1970, and eleven in America by
1967. In the USA they issued several old music hall style
songs, such as "I'm Henry The Eighth I Am", which were very
successful there. Such recordings were not issued in the
UK. Noone left the band in 1971 for a solo career. The
remainder recruited a new lead singer and they have toured for many
years. Peter Noone only had one hit as a soloist, that was in
1971. Noone now tours as Herman's Hermits starring Peter
Noone. The rival group, with only one original member, tours
as Herman's Hermits. Peter Noone is now a naturalised US citizen, currently living in Santa Barbara, California. |
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17 Title: On
A Carousel The Hollies was
a beat group from Manchester, England.
It was formed by Allan Clarke and Graham Nash in 1962, and by early summer 1963 they had their first hit.
In the autumn of that year they made their debut in the Top 10 with a recording of a former American chart topper,
"Stay". This started a run of fifteen Top 10 hits by the end of the 1960s, and they continued successfully
into the 1970s as well. They became one of the most successful bands of the 1960s, although
they only reached the top of the UK charts once in that decade. They finally broke into the USA charts in 1966,
and enjoyed six Top 10 hits there. In 1968, founding member Graham Nash left the group,
moving to California where he teamed up with guitarist Stephen Stills (formerly with
Buffalo Springfield), and David Crosby (formerly with the Byrds) to form one of the first
super groups, Crosby, Stills & Nash.
In 1971, Alan Clarke also left to pursue a solo career, but he returned in 1973 when the band was enjoying success
in the USA. With some changes of personnel, the group continued to perform through to the 1990s, mostly in the
guise of a sixties revival group. Clarke finally retired in 2000, but the Hollies still perform on the
nostalgia circuit. |
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18 Title: Detroit
City Tom Jones was
born on 7 Jun 1940 in Pontypridd, Glamorgan, Wales. For over
six decades he has been an international star with TV series in the
UK and USA, and seasons in Las Vegas. In his seventies he
continues to perform and act as a judge on a TV talent contest.
He began singing with a group called Tommy Scott & the Senators
in the early 1960s. They performed in local venues and even
made a couple of records. Then in 1964 Jones was spotted by
artist manager Gordon Mills. He took Jones to London and
arranged a contract with Decca Records. Jones' first hit,
"It's Not Unusual", started a life-long career in showbiz.
In 1966 he recorded the theme to the James Bond film "Thunderball",
and had his second Number One "Green Green Grass Of Home".
1967 saw him jet off for his first of many seasons in Las Vegas.
The big hits continued through the 1960s, but chart entries were
thinner after that. Nevertheless he remained immensely popular
on both sides of the Atlantic, and in 1999 he released an album of
duets, "Reload", which went to Number One in the UK album
chart. Several singles were released from the album, including
"Sex Bomb" which peaked at number three on the singles
chart in May 2000 when he was almost 60 years old. He
continues to perform on TV, issue albums, and since 2012 has been a
judge/coach on the UK version of the talent show "The
Voice". |
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19 Title: Georgy
Girl The Seekers was
an Australian Folk-influenced group, formed in Melbourne, Australia
in 1962. The four-piece band comprised female lead singer
Judith Durham (3 Jul 1943 - 5 Aug 2022), Athol Guy, Keith Potger and
Bruce Woodley. They performed and recorded in Australia before
going to the UK in 1964. There they were given the chance to
perform on a few TV variety shows where they met Tom Springfield.
He offered them the song "I'll Never Find Another You",
which they recorded in late 1964 and saw it rise to Number One in
the UK and Australia, and number four in the USA. This was
followed by seven Top 20 hits, including the UK Number One "The
Carnival Is Over" (in October 1965), through to 1967.
They also toured in the UK and Australia. In the summer of
1968, Judith Durham announced that she was leaving for a solo
career, and the group disbanded. In 1992 the members of the
group met up for the first time in 20 years and decided to perform a
reunion concert tour during 1993. They also performed a
fiftieth anniversary tour of Australia and the UK in 2013/14. |
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20 Title: Penny
Lane The Beatles were a pop group from Liverpool, England who became the most
popular and well-known music group in the world during the 1960s. They also conquered America, becoming the biggest
band there. The members were John
Lennon (9 Oct 1940 - 8 Dec 1980), Paul McCartney (born 18 Jun 1942), George Harrison (25 Feb 1943 - 29 Nov 2001), and
Ringo Starr (born 7 Jul 1940). All four were born and raised in Liverpool, England. They began with live
performances in Liverpool, then Hamburg in Germany. Brian Epstein saw them, and offered to be their manager.
He arranged a record deal with EMI's Parlophone label, which had producer and arranger George Martin in charge.
During the following seven years, The Beatles and Martin crafted a string of new and innovative singles and albums
that kept them at the top of the charts worldwide, and inspired countless other musicians.
They went on to have 21 consecutive Top 4 singles from 1963 to 1970, with 17 reaching
Number One - eleven of
those consecutive. On the album front, they had eleven
Number One original studio albums, the biggest being
the 1967 concept album "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" which remained in the UK album chart for
a year initially, but has clocked up 149 weeks (nearly three years!)
subsequently. However, internal differences between band members
led to the band's breakup in April 1970. All four members went on to have successful solo careers. |
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21 Title: Strawberry
Fields Forever
# This recording was part of a double A-side with song 20
above. The song was primarily written by John Lennon, and he
drew inspiration from his childhood memories of playing in the garden of Strawberry Field, a Salvation Army children's home near to where he grew up in
Liverpool. |
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22 Title: Simon
Smith & His Amazing Dancing Bear This band was
formed by keyboardist Alan Price (born 19 Apr 1942 in County Durham,
England). He had been one of the founders of the group the
Animals which had enjoyed a series of hit recordings from 1964
onwards. Price left the Animals in 1965 for a variety of
reasons, but soon formed his own band, called the Alan Price Set,
which featured a small brass section - unusual for a British pop
group of the time. Although his main musical interest was the
Blues, after his first hit he turned more to lighter pop, with songs
written by himself as well as American composer Randy Newman.
In the early 1970s he teamed up with Georgie Fame, and they made an
album together, and had one hit single. He had eleven hits in
the UK, four of which reached the Top 10. In the 1980s he
joined other members of the Animals for reunion concerts. He
was still recording into the early 2000s. |
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23 Title: Puppet
On A String Sandie Shaw was
born on 26 Feb 1947 in Dagenham, Essex, England. She became
one of the top British female stars of the decade, and was famous
for appearing on stage and TV in bare feet, as well as being something
of a 1960s fashion icon. She won a talent contest in 1963, and
was spotted by Adam Faith who recommended her to his agent, who took
her on and arranged a contract with Pye Records. Although her
first record failed to enter the charts, her second release, the Bacharach & David song
"(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me" (year
1964, song 81), quickly climbed all the way to Number One. She went on to have 17 hits by
the end of the 1960s - many of them written by Chris Andrews.
In 1967 she represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest, and
became the first British winner of the annual event with
"Puppet On A String". The recording was a chart
topper in the UK and seven other countries. She took a back
seat in the music business during the 1970s but returned to the
charts in the 1980s with some smallish hits. Since then she
has been involved in various projects and has appeared on TV chat
and discussion shows. |
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24 Title: Hi-Ho
Silver Lining Jeff Beck (24
Jun 1944 - 10 Jan 2023) was
born in south London, England. He taught
himself to play guitar, and by his teens he was playing with various
local groups. In 1963 he formed his own group, but after a
year he left to join a succession of other bands, and cut a few
records, although none reached the charts. During 1964 he was
working as a session guitarist, and in 1965 he was recruited by the
Yardbirds to replace the departing Eric Clapton. However he
was fired in 1966 for his unpredictable behavior. He recorded
a couple of solo singles in 1967, including the Top 20 hit
"Hi-Ho Silver Lining". In 1968 he formed the Jeff
Beck Group, which included Rod Stewart on vocals and guitarist
Ronnie Wood. They recorded a couple of albums, but split in
1969. Stewart and Wood joined the Faces, and Beck
went to the USA where he recorded some albums in collaboration with
various American performers. He continued recording and taking
part in various concert performances well into the 21st century. He
had a world tour in 2014 and issued a new album in 2016. He
died from meningitis in early 2023 at the age of 78. |
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25 Title: Happy
Together The Turtles was an American six-piece band, formed in Los Angeles in 1965. Their first USA hit came in late 1965, but following singles fared badly until they recorded "Happy Together" in early 1967, which became a Number One on the American charts. The follow up "She'd Rather Be With Me" (song 47) was a Top 10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic. It was late 1968, however, before they reached the Top 10 again. No more hits came for them in the UK after 1968, but they were in the American Top 10 in 1969 for a final fling. They disbanded in 1970. Two of the members (Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman) continued recording, under the name of Flo & Eddie, and they have put together Turtles reunion tours into the 2010s, most recently in 2015. |
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26 Title: Somethin'
Stupid Frank and Nancy Sinatra
were father and daughter, and this is the only time that a father
and daughter duo have reached Number One in the USA and UK.
Frank's career had begun in the 1930s as a dance band vocalist, and
he reached a peak in the 1950s with a series of top-selling albums
and singles. The sixties were quieter on the singles chart,
but he had numerous hit albums during that time. For more info
see year 1966, song 44 in these lists. |
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27 Title: Bernadette This was the
Motown group's follow up to their Top 10 hit of January (song
5). It reached number four in the USA charts, but strangely
was their last American Top 10 of the 1960s, although they did score
two more in the 1970s. In the UK they went on to have five
further Top
20 hits by 1969, with more following in the next two decades. |
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28 Title: 59th
Street Bridge Song (Feeling Groovy) Harpers Bizarre
was a five-piece harmony group that also went by the name the Tikis.
As the Tikis they had some local success in California. Their
producer wanted them to record this Paul Simon song, which they did,
but under a different band name to avoid any displeasure by Tikis
fans. So, as Harpers
Bizarre
they recorded "59th Street Bridge Song" which reached
number 13 on the USA charts, and which was far more successful than
anything they had achieved as the Tikis. Their following
releases did not do as well, however, and the band broke up in 1969. |
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29 Title: Ha
Ha Said The Clown This group had the same name as the founder and leader of the
band. Manfred Mann was born on 21 October 1940 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He studied music at University
in South Africa, and worked as a jazz pianist at a number of clubs in Johannesburg from 1959 to 1960. In 1961 he moved
to the UK and began work as a music journalist, as well as helping form a jazz band, in which he played keyboards.
This evolved into the pop music five-piece which was named after Mann. In 1964 the group was asked to provide
a new theme tune for the TV pop music programme "Ready Steady Go". This resulted in the
song "5-4-3-2-1" which, with the help of the weekly television exposure, rose to number five in the UK
charts. From 1964 to 1969 they enjoyed 17 hits, 13 of which were Top 10 entries, which included three number
ones. The lead singer from 1964 to mid-1966 was Paul Jones, and from mid-1966 to 1969, the lead vocals were
taken over by Mike d'Abo. Mann decided to disband the group in 1969, so that he could move on to
other projects. He had hits in the 1970s with a group named Manfred Mann's Earth Band. |
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30 Title: A
Little Bit Me A Little Bit You The Monkees were
back with another Neil Diamond song (see song 1). Their TV
show was showing in the USA and the UK, and the band were reaching
their peak of popularity. Another three major hits followed in
1967. |
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31 Title: I
Can Hear The Grass Grow This was the group's second release and their second Top 10 hit single. It fitted in with the psychedelic music that was becoming popular during 1967. Composer and group leader, Roy Wood, denied that it was drug-related, and said the song used lyrics and sound images based on his book of adult fairy tales. Either way it was very popular, and it continued their success towards the next hit in September 1967 (song 74). |
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32 Title: Dedicated
To The One I Love The Mamas &
Papas were a four-piece Folk music-based group originally formed in
New York, but they relocated to Los Angeles before the hits
began. The lineup was John Phillips (30 Aug 1935 - 19 Mar 2001)
and his wife Michelle Phillips (born 4 Jun 1944), Canadian, Denny
Doherty (29 Nov 1940 - 19 Jan 2007) and Cass Elliot (19 Sep 1941 - 29 Jul 1974),
who became known as Mama Cass. Although all members had been
in other bands, they spent some three months of 1965 in the Virgin
Islands rehearsing and perfecting the act. They signed a deal
with Dunhill records in Los Angeles, and began making an
album. The single "California Dreamin'" was issued
in the USA, late 1965 and reached number four there early in the
following year. This began a run of six Top 10 hits in
America, all of which charted in the UK, although only three reached
the British Top 10. They performed a number of concerts in the
USA and Europe, but they were dogged by drug abuse and an extra-marital
affair, the latter resulting in Michelle Phillips' suspension from
the group for two months in mid-1966. They recorded a new
album in 1967, but it was a drawn-out affair due to drink and drug
excesses. They began to fall out of favour with the public,
and both singles and albums sold badly during 1968. They
officially split in 1969. Cass Eliot went on to have a solo
career, but she died from a heart attack in London during the summer
of 1974, at the age of 32. |
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33 Title: The
Boat That I Row Lulu was born on
3 Nov 1948 near Glasgow, Scotland. She started singing at a
young age and by the time she was 13 she had a manager and was
singing with a band around Glasgow. Her manager took her to
London in early 1964 and arranged a recording deal with Decca
Records. Her debut single, "Shout", was an American
R&B song written by the Isley Brothers. It was an instant
hit, and Lulu's career took off from there. However, some of
her recordings with Decca did not sell as well as was hoped and she
missed the charts completely in 1966. So, in 1967 she moved to
EMI's Columbia label, and producer Mickie Most. This gave her
a new start, with hits for the rest of the 1960s. Lulu was
given her own BBC TV series in 1968, which ran annually until 1975.
In 1969 she represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest where
she came joint first with three other countries. She continued
to record and tour in the following decades, and in 1993 achieved
her first chart-topper when she duetted with boy band Take That on
"Relight My Fire". She was in the Top 10 again in
2002 when she duetted with Ronan Keating with the song "We've
Got Tonight". Recording and touring continued, and she
embarked on another concert tour of the UK during the autumn of
2017. |
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34 Title: Sweet
Soul Music Arthur Conley (4
Jan 1946 - 17 Nov 2003) was born in Georgia, USA, and grew up in
Atlanta, Georgia. He made his first recordings in 1959 as the lead singer of Arthur & the Corvets,
and a number of singles were issued by a local record company in
Atlanta. In 1964, he moved to a new label, and released a
couple of records under the name of Arthur Conley. He met Otis
Redding in early 1967, and together they wrote "Sweet Soul
Music" which was based on the melody of "Yeah Man",
written by Sam Cooke. It proved to be a huge hit, reaching
number two in the USA, and the Top 10 of many European countries,
where Soul music was becoming very popular. He enjoyed six
more hits in America, but only one further minor hit in the
UK. He relocated to England in 1975, and settled in the
Netherlands in spring 1977. He continued performing under
different pseudonyms in Holland, and in 1980 he legally changed his name to Lee
Roberts - his middle name and his mother's maiden name. He
went into the promotion and production of new bands in the
Netherlands, and died there from intestinal cancer at the age of 57 |
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35 Title: Pictures
Of Lily The Who are a
four-piece Rock band originally comprising lead singer Roger Daltrey (born 1
Mar 1944), guitarist and singer Pete Townshend (born 19 May 1945), bass guitarist John
Entwistle (9 Oct 1944 - 27 Jun 2002), and drummer Keith Moon (23 Aug
1946 - 7 Sep 1978). The band was formed in the early 1960s in
west London, England under a different group name, but settled on
the name The Who in 1964. They began performing in local pubs
and other venues in west London They gained a recording
contract in late 1964, and their first hit came in early 1965,
"I Can't Explain", which reached the UK Top 10, followed
by another Top 10 hit in spring 1965. "My
Generation" reached number two and became their joint
highest-placed hit with "I'm A Boy" in 1966. They
never managed to reach Number One. During the 1960s they
achieved nine Top 10 hits out of 14. The hits continued into
the 1980s with another four original Top 10 hits. Although
personnel deaths have forced changes to the line up, the band have
continued to perform up to and including a tour in 2017.
Daltry and Townshend remain, and in recent years drums have been
played by Zak Starkey, Ringo Starr's son. |
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36 Title: Silence
Is Golden This was the
Tremeloes follow-up to their debut hit in February (song 14).
This was their only chart-topper, but was one of seven Top 10 hits
they enjoyed until 1970. Their next came along in August 1967
(song 64). |
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37 Title: Then
I Kissed Her The Beach Boys are an American band formed in California,
USA, in 1961. The group's original lineup comprised brothers
Brian (born 20 June 1942), Dennis (4 Dec 1944 - 28 Dec 1983), and Carl
Wilson (21 Dec 1946 - 6 Feb 1998); their cousin Mike Love (born 15 March 1941); and their friend Al
Jardine (born 3 Sep 1942). They began as a Surfing Rock group
on the west coast of America, with vocal harmonies that promoted the
Californian lifestyle of surf, cars and romance in the
sunshine. But with the increasingly complex writing and
production of Brian Wilson in the mid-1960s, they became one of the
the leading innovators of popular music. Their first
recordings from 1961 did not score in the UK, and many were not even
released in Britain. But in 1963, they had their first hit
("Surfin' USA"), although it peaked at a lowly number
34. Even their now-regarded classic hits of late 1964 to the
end of 1965 only achieved Top 30 status. They were in the Top
10 from 1966, and regular hits continued until 1970, with sporadic
entries in the following decades. |
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38 Title: Waterloo
Sunset The Kinks were a
four-piece band formed in north London, England by the brothers Ray and Dave
Davies. Ray Davies, born 21 June 1944, and Dave Davies, born 3
Feb 1947 were joined by Mick Avory on drums and Pete Quaife on bass
to complete the original lineup. Ray had been at art school in
the early sixties and had played guitar with different R&B bands
in London. He joined the Ravens in 1962 which included his
brother Dave on lead guitar and drummer Avory. They signed a
contract with Pye Records, but changed their name to the Kinks with
encouragement from their management. Their first two releases
failed to chart, but their third single, "You Really Got
Me" (1964, song 67), zoomed all the way to Number One in the UK and was a Top 10 hit in the USA. They went on to
enjoy twelve further Top 10 hits in the UK by 1970, including
another Number One in 1965 - all written by Ray Davies. The
band continued recording and performing on and off over the
following years, albeit with some personnel changes, but finally
broke up in 1996. The Davies brothers have recorded solo
albums, and some past members have regrouped for live performances
as the Kast Off Kinks, until the present time. |
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39 Title: The
Happening The Supremes was
a vocal
trio comprising Diana Ross (lead singer, born 26 Mar 1944), Florence Ballard
(replaced by Cindy Birdsong from mid-1967) and Mary Wilson (6 Mar
1944 - 8 Feb 2021). They all came from the Detroit, USA area, where Motown
records was based. In 1964 they recorded "Where Did Our Love
Go" (year 1964, song 75). The recording went to Number
One in the USA and
number three in Britain. They became so successful that their
first six releases in the USA went to Number One, and they ended up
with eleven chart-toppers there by 1969. In the UK they only
had one Number One, "Baby Love" (1964, song 89), but amassed 18
hits by the end of the 1960s, seven of which reached the Top
10. In 1970 Diana Ross
left to pursue a solo career. She was replaced by Jean Terrell.
This version of the trio did enjoy success, with five of their
recordings hitting the UK Top 10 from 1970 to 1972. With some
more personnel changes, the trio continued recording, after 1972,
but with little chart success. They remained a popular live act,
however, continuing to 1977, when they performed their farewell
concert (in London), and then disbanded. |
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40 Title: Groovin' The Young
Rascals was a four-piece band from New Jersey, USA. They were
formed in 1965 and their first American hit came in 1966. They
were very successful in the USA, where they enjoyed six Top 10 (13
Top 40) hits in the singles charts and six albums in the Top 20 of
the American album chart. They did not have that level of
success in the UK, where they had just this hit plus one follow-up
that peaked at number 37. They disbanded in 1972. |
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41 Title: Don't
Sleep In The Subway This was Clark's follow-up to her Number One hit of February, "This Is My Song" (song 13). This one disappointed in failing to make the Top 10 in the UK, but it was more successful elsewhere. The recording reached number five in the USA and Number One in Australia. She returned with another Hatch/Trent song late in 1967 (song 100). |
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42 Title: A
Whiter Shade Of Pale Procol Harum is
a British band formed in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England by Gary Brooker
(29 May 1945 - 19 Feb 2022), and four other musicians. Their debut
release, "A Whiter Shade Of Pale", written by Brooker and
two other members of the group was a world-wide success, and has
sold over ten million copies. It was part of the Flower Power/Psychedelic
music trend of mid 1967, and became an integral part of the
so-called Summer of Love. They quickly began touring, and
putting together songs for an album, although their first two albums
failed to chart in the UK. Their follow-up single,
"Homburg", reached number six in the UK, but the next two
releases only just breached the Top 50. Further singles and
albums were issued with mixed results, and the band broke up in
1977. However, it was reformed in 1991, and several tours in
various parts of the world took place afterwards, most recently in
2017 when a new album was released as well. |
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43 Title: Paper
Sun Traffic was
formed in April 1967 by Steve Winwood (born 12 May 1948, Birmingham,
England), who had been lead singer with the Spencer Davis Group.
Winwood was joined by Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason.
Traffic was a Psychedelic Rock group that joined other bands that
were exploiting the popularity of that form of music in 1967.
They had three Top 10 hits during 1967, plus one smaller hit in
1968. They also enjoyed two Top 10 albums in 1967-68.
The band broke up in 1969 when Winwood left to join the short-lived
band Blind Faith, but reunited in 1970 to record a new album.
They broke up again in 1974. Subsequently Winwood has mostly
performed and recorded as a solo artist, but has collaborated with
other musicians from time to time. He is still performing in
the 2010s. |
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44 Title: Carrie-Anne This was their follow-up to "On A Carousel" (song 17) in February this year. Carrie-Anne was the last in a run of five Top 5 hits that began in February 1966. Unfortunately their next release stalled at number 18, but they were in the Top 10 again in March 1968. |
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45 Title: Take
Me In Your Arms And Love Me Gladys Knight
& The Pips was a Tamla Motown group initially, but their
greatest success came with a move to Buddah records in 1973.
The group started as family group, the Pips, in 1952, when Gladys
was just seven! They changed the group name in 1961 to
showcase their lead singer, Gladys Knight (born 28 May 1944 in
Atlanta, Georgia, USA). They had a few local hits in Georgia,
but it was in 1966 when they signed with Motown that they began
USA-wide and international success. They did not reach the
level of popularity as other Motown acts such as the Supremes and
Four Tops, however. Following contractual disagreements, the
group left Motown for Buddah in 1973, and they enjoyed several hits
including "Midnight Train To Georgia" which was an
American Number One (number 10 in the UK). The group disbanded
in 1989 when Gladys went solo. In 1989 she recorded "License to Kill" for the James Bond movie
of the same title, which was a Top 10 hit in the UK and Germany.
In the 2010s she is still making occasional concert appearances, and
she performed at an outdoor festival in London during 2018. |
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46 Title: Respect Aretha Franklin (25 Mar 1942 - 16 Aug 2018) was born in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. She relocated north with her family when she was two, finally settling in Detroit. She began singing at a local Baptist church as a child, and by the age of twelve she was recording Gospel songs. In 1960 she signed with Columbia records to record a wide range of music including standards and ballads, as well as some R&B and Pop. She had a few hit records with Columbia, but with such a mixed output it was difficult for her to establish herself on the music scene. In 1966 she left Columbia for Atlantic records and a Soul/R&B career. Her first recordings for Atlantic took place at the FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Her output was soon producing hits, and she was dubbed The Queen of Soul. In April 1967 she issued "Respect" which became a Number One hit in the USA. She remained with Atlantic until 1980 when she signed with Arista records. More hits followed as well as concert appearances, and she became a Soul superstar throughout the world. In 1987 she reached Number One in the UK in a duet with George Michael titled "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)". She continued recording and performing into the 21st century, and famously sang at the inauguration of American President Barack Obama in January 2009. She died at her home in Detroit on 16th August 2018 at the age of 76. |
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47 Title: She'd
Rather Be With Me This was the group's follow-up to their hit of March, "Happy Together" (song 25). This release did better in the charts, becoming their first Top 10 entry. Their next UK hit did not come until October 1968, although they had four American hits during that period. |
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48 Title: Alternate
Title The Monkees now
had their fourth hit in the UK, with two more to come before 1967
was out. The strange title was due to the British record
company not liking the original. In the USA it was titled
"Randy Scouse Git", a phrase that songwriter Dolenz said he
had heard on the British TV sitcom "Till Death Us Do
Part". It was argued that the phrase would be offensive
to some UK record buyers, so Dolenz was asked to provide an
alternative title. He did just that. As it happens the
offending phrase was never in the lyrics of the song. The song
was not released as a single in the USA although it was a track on
their album "Headquarters" which reached Number One on the
American album chart (number two in the UK). |
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49 Title: See
Emily Play Pink Floyd were an English rock band formed in London in 1965. They became one of the most commercially successful and influential groups in popular music from 1967, for several decades. The band was founded by students Syd Barrett (6 Jan 1946 - 7 Jul 2006) on guitar and lead vocals, Nick Mason (born 27 Jan 1944) on drums, Roger Waters (born 6 Sep 1943) on bass and vocals, and Richard Wright (28 Jul 1943 - 15 Sep 2008) on keyboards and vocals. They began performing in London's underground music scene during the late 1960s, and, having secured a recording contract, they had two charting singles and a successful debut album, "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn", all in 1967. However, they decided to be an album-only band, and no singles were released between 1967 and 1979. Guitarist and vocalist David Gilmour (born 6 Mar 1946) joined in December 1967. Barrett left in April 1968 due to health issues. Waters became the band's primary lyricist and conceptual leader, devising the classic albums "The Dark Side of the Moon" (1973), "Wish You Were Here" (1975), "Animals" (1977), "The Wall" (1979) and "The Final Cut" (1983). Following creative disagreements, Wright left in 1979; Waters left in 1985. Gilmour and Mason continued as Pink Floyd. Wright rejoined them later, and the three produced two more albums in 1987 and 1994 respectively. After nearly two decades Gilmour, Wright, and Mason reunited with Waters in 2005 to perform as Pink Floyd in London as part of the global awareness event Live 8, although they stated they had no further plans to reunite the band. Barrett died in 2006, and Wright in 2008. The final Pink Floyd studio album, "The Endless River" (2014), was recorded without Waters and based almost entirely on previously-recorded but unreleased material. |
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50 Title: Sunday
Will Never Be The Same Spanky & Our Gang was one of several American pop groups of the late 1960s, such as the Young Rascals, the Turtles, and the Association, who were very popular in the USA, but had limited appeal in Britain. This group was headed by lead singer Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane plus four male musicians and vocalists. This recording was their biggest hit in America, but they had several other entries in the USA charts. The band broke up in 1969 following the death of the band's guitarist and musical arranger, Malcolm Hale. McFarlane had some success as a solo artist during the 1970s, but in the 1980s she joined the revived New Mamas & Papas, taking the part of the then deceased Cass Elliot. |
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51 Title: Let's
Pretend Lulu had her
second hit of the year with this recording which only just missed a
Top 10 placing. The song had been recorded a little earlier in
the year by
American vocalist and actress Donna Loren. Lulu's next release in
November, the complicated-sounding song "Love Loves To Love Love",
stalled at number 32 but she was back in the Top 10 in February
1968. |
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52 Title: Windy The Association
was a six-piece harmony group from California, USA. They were
enormously successful in America, enjoying five Top 10 hits, two of
which went to Number One, in that country. Despite heavy
airplay on the pirate radio stations (until summer 1967), none of
their hits entered the UK charts until 1968, when one recording briefly
entered the British Top 30. Their first USA hit was
"Along Comes Mary", which attracted some controversy as it
was thought by some to refer to marijuana. No such problem
attached to "Cherish" in 1966 (year 1966, song 80), which was a chart-topper,
nor to "Windy" which reached Number One in America during
1967. Also in 1967 they scored with "Never My Love",
which peaked at number two. They continued performing, with
numerous personnel changes, during the following decades. In
the 2000s they were touring on the sixties nostalgia circuits. |
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53 Title: You
Only Live Twice This was Nancy's
follow-up to her hit of January, "Sugar Town" (song
6). It was the theme song for the James Bond film of the same
title, starring Sean Connery. Much of the film takes place in
Japan, and the arrangement of the recording includes some subtle
oriental notes. |
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54 Title: Jackson This was a
double A-side with song 53, above. Nancy Sinatra recorded
several duets with Lee Hazlewood who produced most of her
hits. She was next in the British Top 30 in November
1969. Her final UK hit, which reached number two, came in
summer 1971; again another duet with Hazlewood. |
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55 Title: Up,
Up And Away The Johnny Mann
Singers was an American mixed male/female ensemble which recorded
numerous easy-listening albums in the 1960s and 1970s. They
also acted as backing singers for various vocal artists. They
were founded by band leader, composer and arranger Johnny Mann (30
Aug 1928 - 18 Jun 2014). The original version of this song was
by the group Fifth Dimension who reached number seven with it in the
USA charts. The Mann version was a cover, and despite both
acts being American, it was the Johnny Mann Singers that picked up
the sales in the UK. This was the only entry in the UK singles
or album chart that the ensemble had. |
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56 Title: All
You Need Is Love After the
disappointment of their previous release stalling at number two
(songs 20 and 21), the Beatles were back at the top for a run of six
further Number Ones (they had 17 chart toppers in total). This
fitted in with the then current Summer of Love trend for songs about
love and peace. The Beatles performed the song, over a pre-recorded backing track, as Britain's contribution to
"Our World", the first live global television link via
satellite. The broadcast was seen by over 400 million people in 25
countries on 25 June 1967. Their next hit single came in late
November (song 98). |
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57 Title: San
Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair) Scott McKenzie
(10 Jan 1939 - 18 Aug 2012) was born in Jacksonville, Florida, USA,
although he grew up in North Carolina. In his teens he became
friends with John Phillips (later of Mamas & Papas fame).
With others, the two formed a group called the Smoothies, and they
made a couple of records in New York. In 1961 they formed a
Folk trio called the Journeymen and recorded three albums for
Capitol Records. They broke up in 1964. Phillips went to
California and formed the Mamas & Papas, and invited McKenzie to
join, but he declined. They remained friends, and Phillips
wrote this song especially for McKenzie. It was a world-wide
hit, reaching Number One in seven countries, but strangely peaking
only at number four in the USA. Unfortunately follow-up
singles and albums did not sell well, and he gave up recording in
the early 1970s. He then spent his time living in California
and Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA. In 1986 he joined the
revived New Mamas & Papas, along with Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane
(see song 50 above) and remained with them until the late
1990s. He retired to Los Angeles in 1998 and died there aged
73 in 2012. |
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58 Title: To
Love Somebody The Bee Gees
were brothers Barry Gibb (born 1 Sep 1946, Isle of Man), and twins
Robin Gibb (22 Dec 1949 - 20 May 2012) and Maurice Gibb (22 Dec 1949
- 12 Jan 2003), also born on the Isle of Man. The three
brothers grew up in Manchester, UK, but in the mid-1950s the family moved to
Australia. They began performing at a young age, and by 1960
they were appearing on TV. After achieving their first chart success in
Australia as the Bee Gees with "Spicks and Specks", they returned to the UK in January 1967,
when producer Robert Stigwood began promoting them to a worldwide audience.
In 1967 they had their first UK hit, the somewhat morbid song
"New York Mining Disaster 1941", which reached number
twelve. Hits continued through the remainder of the 1960s,
when they enjoyed success in the USA as well. Things went
quiet in the early 1970s, but in the mid-1970s they jumped on the
Disco bandwagon and became superstars. They wrote several
songs for the 1977 film "Saturday Night Fever" which starred
John Travolta, and singles as well as the soundtrack album were
worldwide hits. Their success continued through the following
decades, and they also wrote and produced many hits for other
artists. Their final new album came in 2001, but with the
death of Maurice two years later, the other two embarked on solo
projects apart from a couple of charity events where they performed
together. Robin died in 2012, and Barry has since performed
and recorded solo. |
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59 Title: Death
Of A Clown Dave Davies was a member of the group the Kinks (see song 38 above). This solo release was with the blessing of the rest of the band, and indeed Dave's brother Ray helped with the lyrics of the song, and the backing on the recording was by the Kinks! Although the success of the single started Dave thinking about a solo career, following singles did not do as well, and the idea was shelved. Dave continued with his 'day job' in the Kinks, and their next hit came in October (song 84). |
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60 Title: I
Was Made To Love Her This was Wonder's follow-up to his first hit of 1967 in January (song 2). It was another release from the Tamla Motown label, which was gaining ground in this year, as more Motown artists were enjoying hits in the UK. The track was taken from Wonder's album also titled "I Was Made To Love Her", but that album did not chart in the UK. Unfortunately, his following releases only reached minor positions in the UK singles charts, until December 1968 when "For Once In My Life" peaked at number three. |
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61 Title: Creeque
Alley This release
turned out to be the last hit for the group in the UK charts, and it
was the last Top 10 hit they had in the USA. In spring 1968
the band recorded a new album which included the song "Dream A
Little Dream Of Me", performed as a solo by Cass Elliot.
It was issued in the USA credited to Mama Cass with the Mamas & the Papas.
The recording reached number 12 in the USA, whilst in the UK the
single was credited to just Mama Cass, and peaked at number
eleven. The band broke up later in 1968. See song 32 for
more info. |
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62 Title: I'll
Never Fall In Love Again This was his
third of four Top 10 hits that he had in 1967. It followed his
recording of "Funny Familiar Forgotten Feelings" in April
which had reached number seven. This one, unexpectedly, was
co-written by Lonnie Donegan who had enjoyed numerous hits in the
1950s and early 1960s. Tom was back at number two again in
November this year with "I'm Coming Home" (song 97). |
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63 Title: Even
The Bad Times Are Good This was the group's follow-up to their Number One hit "Silence Is Golden" (song 36). It was their third Top 10 hit of the year, but unfortunately, their autumn release stalled at a lowly number 39. Nevertheless, they were back with two Top 10s in 1968. Late October and November 1967 saw the group on a UK concert tour with The Who and three other bands. |
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64 Title: The
House That Jack Built Alan Price followed up his Top 10 hit of March this year (song 22) with another hit that also peaked at number four. This one he wrote himself, which was his first self-penned hit single. His next release of 1967 stalled at number 45, but he was in the Top 20 in 1968. His next Top 10 hit came in 1974. See song 22 for more info. |
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65 Title: Excerpt
From A Teenage Opera Keith West was
born on 6 Dec 1943 in Dagenham, Essex, England. West was a
member of a Psychedelic Rock band called Tomorrow in 1966, but it
was not a commercial success. He met producer and songwriter
Mark Wirtz in 1967, who introduced West to the Teenage Opera
project. Together they created the song about Grocer Jack,
which was released under the title "Excerpt From A Teenage
Opera". A follow-up single, "Sam" reached the
lower portion of the Top 40. West released a solo album in
1971, but it did not chart in the UK. He was in a group called
Moonrider in the mid-1970s. He is still in the music industry
but is mostly writing and producing music for advertising campaigns. |
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66 Title: Itchycoo
Park The Small Faces
was a group formed in east London, England in 1965, by Steve
Marriott and Ronnie Lane, along with two others. They signed a
recording contract with Decca and released a couple of singles with
moderate success. Their third single was "Sha La La La
Lee" (year 1966, song 13) which became a Top 10 hit and started a successful career
for a couple of years. They went on to have seven Top 10 hits,
including the chart-topper "All Or Nothing" in late summer
1966. Marriott left the group in late 1968 to join
the band Humble Pie. The other three joined with Ronnie Wood
and Rod Stewart (both formerly with the Jeff Beck Group), and formed the
Faces. They enjoyed their first hit in 1971. Ronnie Lane
eventually went to live in the USA, and died there in 1997 aged 51
from the effects of multiple sclerosis. Steve Marriott died in
1991 in a house fire, at age 44. |
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67 Title: Pleasant
Valley Sunday This was the fifth of six hits that the group had in 1967. It had been written by the husband and wife team who penned numerous hits in the early 1960s. The song is a satire on life in suburbia and the need for status symbols. The recording, with lead vocal by Micky Dolenz, reached number three in the USA, but it just missed the Top 10 in the UK. Their final hit of the year came in November (song 93), titled "Daydream Believer", it was their last Top 10 hit in the UK. |
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68 Title: The
Day I Met Marie Cliff Richard was born on 14 Oct 1940 in
Lucknow, India, whilst his parents were working in that country. He returned to England with his family in
1948. He formed a band in 1957 and a year later he was chosen as a singer for the TV Rock 'n' Roll
show "Oh Boy!". His first hit came in 1958, which started a career that continued into the 21st
century, with more than 130 hit singles and over 50 original albums, spanning 50 years plus. In the early
1960s he also starred in several musical films, notably "The Young Ones" and "Summer Holiday".
He also achieved a number one single in five different decades, and is the most successful British recording artist of
all time. He continues in the 21st century and issued a new
album in 2018 ("Rise Up"). |
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69 Title: Heroes
And Villains The Beach Boys finally had their new single ready for release, after the 'stop-gap' hit of May "Then I Kissed Her" (song 37). Like "Good Vibrations" (see year 1966, song 92), "Heroes and Villains" was produced using the same unorthodox method of recording multiple interchangeable musical sections at several Hollywood recording studios. Brian Wilson spent months trying to produce another musical masterpiece, but it is said he gave up in the end, as he was unable to achieve the result he had envisaged. It did not sell as well in the USA as Brian Wilson had hoped (peaked at number 12). This depressed Wilson and he took a back seat on the production of their next single release "Wild Honey" in November. Their next substantial hit came in January 1968. |
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70 Title: The
Last Waltz This was the singer's second Number One and third major hit of the year. Following his debut chart-topper, "Release Me" (song 10), he enjoyed a number three hit with "There Goes My Everything" in May. "The Last Waltz" from the British songwriters gave Humperdinck a five-week residency at Number One on the UK charts, and nine weeks at the top of the Australian charts. The Americans were less impressed. It peaked at number 25 in that country. 1968 saw him continue this success with three Top 5 hits. |
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71 Title: Let's
Go To San Francisco This song was
written by Carter and Lewis who were originally part of the group
the Ivy League (see year 1965, song 13). Having fashioned the
song they needed a group to record it. They recorded some of the
harmonies themselves, but recruited Tony Burrows, who was also
latterly part of the Ivy League, and several session musicians who
could promote the recording on TV, which Carter and Lewis
were not interested in doing. The resultant recording was released
with the group name the Flowerpot Men. This was partly based
on the name of the children's TV puppet characters of the 1950s and
1960s, but also harking to the Flower Power trend of the time.
Tony Burrows and others duly appeared on TV to perform the
song. It was a hit in the UK and many parts of Europe.
Follow-up singles failed to make any impact in the UK. Burrows
with some of the other musicians subsequently renamed the group
White Plains, and under that name they had two Top 10 hits in 1970. |
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72 Title: Reflections This was the follow-up recording to "The Happening" (song 39) which was a Top 10 hit in May. From this release the group was named Diana Ross & The Supremes to demonstrate the leading role that Ross had. This was also the last recording to feature Florence Ballard who was replaced by Cindy Birdsong during the summer. Mary Wilson remained and the two provided back-up harmonies for Diana Ross, on live performances of this song. The recording also followed the trend for Psychedelia, with weird, whooshing sounds added using a signal generator. |
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73 Title: Hole
In My Shoe This Psychedelic
recording was the follow-up to the group's debut hit "Paper
Sun" in June 1967 (song 43). It was the second of three
Top 10 hits that they had, all coming in 1967. The song was
written by the group's guitarist Dave Mason, who sang lead vocals on
the recording. In the middle of the song there is a brief
monologue read by six-year-old Francine Heimann, who was the
stepdaughter of Island Records owner, Chris Blackwell.
Traffic's records were issued by Island Records. The group's
next release, "Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush",
reached number eight in November. |
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74 Title: Flowers
In The Rain The Move
followed up their hit of April, "I Can Hear The Grass
Grow" (song 31), with another hit from the pen of band member
Roy Wood. As with the previous hits, it was Carl Wayne who was
the lead vocalist. Their next hit came in February 1968 -
"Fire Brigade", with the lead voice of Roy Wood. |
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75 Title: From
The Underworld The Herd was founded in 1965. They had three releases with Parlophone, but they were all unsuccessful. With that disappointment, three of the members left, and were replaced by others, including the then sixteen-year-old Peter Frampton. Parlophone did not wish to continue with them, so they signed with Fontana. They also enlisted the help of songwriters Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley, who had written the recent hits for Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich. The recording "From The Underworld" became a Top 10 hit, and although the follow-up, "Paradise Lost" peaked at number 15, they were back in the Top 10 for a second time in April 1968 with "I Don't Want Our Loving To Die". However, further hits eluded them, and Frampton left the group late in 1968 to join Steve Marriott (from the group the Small Faces) to form the band Humble Pie. Another single failed to garner any interest, and the various members all drifted away to join other bands. Peter Frampton went on to have a successful solo career in the 1970s. |
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76 Title: The
Letter The Box Tops was
a Rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, USA in 1967. It was
a five-piece band with lead vocalist Alex Chilton (28 Dec 1950 - 17
Mar 2010). They had started under a different group name, but
as the Box Tops they recorded this song which went to Number One in
the USA. The follow-up, "Neon Rainbow" was not as
successful (failed to chart in the UK), but in spring 1968 they were
in the American Top 10 and UK Top 20 with "Cry Like A
Baby". Subsequent releases were only moderately
successful, and the band was dissolved in 1970. |
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77 Title: Massachusetts The Bee Gees
followed up their previous release, "To Love Somebody"
(song 58), which peaked at a disappointing number 41, with a Number
One. This was followed by another Number One and four
additional Top 10 hits by the end of the 1960s. |
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78 Title: When
Will The Good Apples Fall This was the
last significant hit in the UK from the Seekers. It followed
"Georgy Girl" (song 19) of February 1967. Only one
more minor hit came for them, in December, which peaked at number 50
for one week. Singles were issued in 1968 but none reached the
UK charts. The group broke up in 1968 when lead singer Judith
Durham left for a solo career. Judith had just one solo hit in
the UK which peaked at number 33, in 1967, prior to her departure
from the group. For more info about the Seekers see song 19. |
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79 Title: Baby
Now That I've Found You The Foundations was a mixed race British group which had members from the West Indies, the UK and Sri Lanka. All the members were experienced musicians, having been in other groups and Jazz bands. They began gigging around west London in early 1967, with two lead singers, Clem Curtis and Raymond Morrison. They signed a contract with Pye Records during the year. Their debut release, "Baby Now That I've Found You" was picked up by the new BBC Radio 1, and the resultant airplay took it up to Number One in the UK charts. It reached number eleven in the USA. Clem Curtis left in 1968 and was replaced by Colin Young. With Young they went on to have more hits during 1968 and 1969. In the mid-1970s Clem Curtis reformed a new group called the Foundations, despite Colin Young still touring with the original Foundations. Young was allowed to continue, using the name New Foundations. Clem Curtis died on 27 March 2017 at age 76. |
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80 Title: Days
Of Pearly Spencer David McWilliams
(4 Jul 1945 - 8 Jan 2002) was born in Belfast, Northern
Ireland. In his teens he formed a band in Belfast. He
recorded demos of his own songs which were heard by music entrepreneur Phil Solomon, who had previously managed The Bachelors and
the band Them. Solomon also had close business ties with Ronan
O'Rahilly who was co-owner of the North Sea pirate radio station Radio Caroline.
McWilliams was taken to London and given a recording contract with
Phil Solomon's label Major Minor. An album was recorded which
reached number 38 on the UK album chart. One of McWilliams
songs, "Days Of Pearly Spencer" was issued as a single,
and it received much airplay on the pirate station Radio
Caroline. There were even full-page adverts for it in the
music press and on London buses. However, the BBC refused to
play it on the new Radio 1 because of label-owner Solomon's
association with pirate radio (Radio Caroline was still broadcasting
then although the others had closed following the Marine Offenses
Act of August 1967). As a result, it failed to enter the UK
singles charts, although McWilliams' second and third albums both
entered the album chart, albeit peaking at fairly low
positions. McWilliams toured the UK and Europe for several
years, but moved back to Northern Ireland in 1978. He only
performed infrequently after that, and in 2002 he died from a heart
attack. |
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81 Title: Zabadak! This five-piece
group came from Wiltshire, England. They formed in 1961, and
played the same Hamburg club that the Beatles appeared in. In
1965 they were seen by songwriters Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley, who
decided they would like to write for the group. A recording
contract with Fontana records was signed, and during the next three
years, a series of Top 10 hits were produced, including the
chart-topper "Legend Of Xanadu" in 1968. Their last
(minor) hits came in 1969. Dave Dee decided to leave in 1969
for a solo career but it was not particularly successful. He
became a record producer, but reunited with the others a few times
for concerts. A later new career mostly took him away from
music, and he died from cancer in 2009 at age 67. The other
four members continued after Dee's departure, calling themselves D,
B, M & T, and they had a small hit in 1970. With and
without Dee, they continued performing for many years. |
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82 Title: Never
My Love The Association
continued their American success with this follow-up to
"Windy" (song 52), which was a Number One in the USA
during the summer. They were back for a final American Top 10
hit in 1968. |
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83 Title: Love
Is All Around The Troggs were
a pop quartet formed in Andover, Hampshire, England in 1964.
They were led by Reg Presley (12 Jun 1941 - 4 Feb 2013), who was
also the lead vocalist. The first hit was "Wild
Thing" which reached number two in the UK but went all the way
to Number One in America. They had a total of nine hits, five
of which reached the Top 10 of the UK charts from 1966 to early
1968. They continued performing with some recording for several
years, but with diminishing success. Reg Presley came to
prominence again in 1994 when the Troggs' 1967 hit "Love Is All
Around" (which Presley wrote) was recorded by the band Wet Wet
Wet, and used in the film "Four Weddings And A
Funeral". That version reached the top of the UK charts,
where it stayed for fifteen weeks. The new songwriter
royalties set up Presley for the rest of his life. He died
from lung cancer in 2013 at the age of 71. |
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84 Title: Autumn
Almanac This was the group's follow-up to their hit in May, "Waterloo Sunset (song 38). This was their last Top 10 hit of the 1960s, although they had two more in 1970. Their next Top 20 hit, "Days", came in the summer of 1968, and it peaked at number 12. |
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85 Title: San
Franciscan Nights Eric Burdon
(born 11 May 1941 in Newcastle upon Tyne) had been a founder member
of the Animals in 1964, which had enjoyed nine UK hits, including
seven Top 10 entries, from 1964 to 1966. Despite this success,
the group broke up in late 1966, and Eric Burdon immediately formed
another band named Eric Burden & The Animals. They
relocated to California and began recording, but with emphasis on Psychedelia
and Rock, rather than the Blues which the original Animals had
performed. This is the only notable hit that this version of
the band had in the UK. They toured for many years, and the
original members have reunited a few times over the decades. |
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86 Title: I
Can See For Miles The Who had been
in the UK Top 10 in April 1967 with "Pictures Of Lily"
(song 35). This release only just made it to the Top 10, and
they did not have another substantial hit until March 1969.
Despite that, they continued to be a successful live act, and
enjoyed hits in the
1970s and 1980s. See song 35 for more info. |
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87 Title: I
Feel Love Comin' On Felice Taylor (29 Jan 1944 - 12 Jun 2017) was born in California, USA. She was a Soul/Pop singer who began performing in 1965 with her two sisters in a trio called the Sweets. She gained a solo contract with Bronco Records and recorded three singles, two of which had modest success in the USA. The third single, "I Feel Love Comin' On", was not released in America, but after being issued in the UK, it reached number eleven in the British charts. It seems she did not record after the early 1970s. |
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88 Title: There
Is A Mountain This was his follow-up to "Mellow Yellow" (song 15) which had been in the Top 10 in February. This was another production by Mickie Most who guided Donovan to a consistent run of hits through to the end of the 1960s. Donovan was back in the Top 10 again in February 1968. |
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89 Title: Soul
Man Sam & Dave were Sam Moore, born 12 Oct 1935 in Florida, USA, and Dave Prater, 9 May 1937 - 9 Apr 1988, born in Georgia, USA. They became the most successful Soul music duo, performing together from 1961 to 1981. They were both originally Gospel singers, but met when they were performing R&B/Soul songs in the same club at Miami, Florida. They made some records early on, but it was in 1964 when they recorded for the famous Stax record company in Memphis, Tennessee that their act took off. They had numerous hits on the American R&B charts, but their biggest hit was "Soul Man" which reached number two on the American Pop charts. They toured the USA and Europe during the late 1960s, and continued recording until 1981, when artistic differences resulted in them going their separate ways. Prater died in 1988, but Moore has continued solo, and performed in London during 2017. |
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90 Title: Everybody
Knows The Dave Clark Five was a beat group from
Tottenham, north London, England. The band's origins go back to 1957, and several personnel changes were made
before their hits began. By the time of this recording, the group had stabilised to have leader Dave Clark
on drums, and Mike Smith on keyboards and lead vocals, plus three others on guitars and saxophone. Smith was also
responsible for writing many of their hits, although Clark was always given joint composing credits. They became
known for their "thump-thump" drumming style, and remained popular throughout the 1960s, with seven Top 10
hits to the end of 1969. The band also enjoyed success in the USA during the "British Invasion"
years, where they had eight Top 10 hits. Dave Clark was a shrewd businessman, keeping the copyright on his
recordings, which he re-released sparingly during the following decades. |
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91 Title: Let
The Heartaches Begin Long John Baldry (12 January 1941 - 21 July 2005) was born in Northamptonshire, England. He had the nickname Long John, as at 6ft 7in he was one of the tallest performers of the time. He got into Blues music as a teenager, and in the early 1960s he sang with Alex Korner's band Blues Incorporated, and recorded with them also. In 1963, Baldry joined the Cyril Davies' R&B All Stars. He took over in 1964 after the death of Cyril Davies, and the group became Long John Baldry and his Hoochie Coochie Men featuring Rod Stewart on vocals. In 1965 the band was renamed Steampacket, but it broke up in 1966. Baldry then formed Bluesology, which featured an unknown Elton John on piano, but that broke up in early 1967. Baldrey then recorded as a solo artist, and this recording shot him to fame. A minor hit followed, but in autumn 1968 he had a number 15 hit in the UK with "Mexico", which was used as the theme song for the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. The hits dried up, however, and in 1978 he emigrated to Canada, and became a Canadian citizen. He continued performing and recording in Canada, where he also did voiceover work for animated feature films. He died from a severe chest infection in Vancouver at age 64. |
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92 Title: Something's
Gotten Hold Of My Heart Gene Pitney (17 Feb 1940 - 5 Apr 2006) was born in Hartford,
Connecticut, USA. He formed a band whilst at high school and learned to play several instruments. He had
a couple of small hits in 1961 and 1962, and had written hits for other performers, such as Bobby
Vee, but it was in 1963 that his career took off in the UK. Pitney went on to considerable success,
especially in the UK where he achieved ten Top 10 hits by the end of the 1960s. By contrast, he only had four
Top 10 hits in his American homeland. His popularity continued through the following decades and he toured
extensively. He never reached Number One until his recording of "Something's Gotten Hold Of My
Heart" was re-recorded as a duet with British singer Marc
Almond (see below).
He was on a tour of the UK in 2006, when he was found dead in his hotel room in Cardiff, Wales. His death was deemed
to be due to a heart attack. |
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93 Title: Daydream
Believer With this, the Monkees had their sixth hit of the year, and their fourth and final Top 10 hit. They had been a phenomenon during 1967, but 1968 was difficult. Their TV show, on which much of their popularity rested, was cancelled in spring 1968. They only had two UK hits in 1968, the higher reaching number 12, although that release reached number three in the USA, but was their last Top 10 hit in that country. See song 1 for more info. |
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94 Title: All
My Love Cliff Richard
had his fourth hit (third Top 10 hit) of the year with this Italian
song. Despite all the new acts and new trends in music, he was
still able to command a place on the UK singles charts. 1968
saw him at Number One with his ninth chart-topper, and 1969
witnessed him having two Top 10 hits. |
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95 Title: Can't
Take My Eyes Off You Frankie Valli
(born 3 May 1934) is best known as the lead singer of the group the
Four Seasons. With that group he enjoyed numerous hits in the
USA, and many in the UK as well. Their last (minor) UK hit of
the 1960s had been in early 1967, although they returned strongly in
the mid-1970s. Meanwhile, Valli recorded solo tracks, although
most of his solo success also came in the mid-1970s. This
recording was a major hit in the USA but it failed to reach the
charts in the UK. |
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96 Title: Kites Simon Dupree
& The Big Sound were a Scottish Psychedelic band formed in 1966 by brothers, Derek Shulman (vocals), Phil Shulman (vocals, saxophone, trumpet), and Ray Shulman (guitar, violin, trumpet,
vocals). They had worked under different group names, but took
this one in 1966. Earlier recordings did not chart, but when
they recorded "Kites" things briefly took off for
them. Unfortunately they were unable to release any further substantial
hits (they had one additional hit that peaked at number 43), and
they broke up in 1969. The Shulman brothers then formed the
Rock band Gentle Giant, and as such they had some success in the
USA. |
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97 Title: I'm
Coming Home This was Jones' fourth Top 10 hit of 1967, and it only just missed giving him his third chart-topper. For the whole of November this year Tom Jones was on a concert tour of the UK along with Kathy Kirby and the Ted Heath Orchestra. 1968 brought him two more Top 10 hits, including his iconic "Delilah". For more info see song 18, above. |
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98 Title: Hello,
Goodbye The Beatles
had their third hit and second Number One of the year with this
recording. It was not critically as well received as their
previous hits of 1967. Their songs "Penny Lane",
"Strawberry Fields Forever" and "All You Need Is
Love", together with the album "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts
Club Band" were all regarded as exciting and innovative.
This recording, by contrast, was seen as a routine Pop song with no
particular points of merit. Nevertheless, it remained at the
top of the UK charts for seven weeks, and at the top of the American
charts for three. |
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99 Title: In
And Out Of Love This was the group's fourth Top 20 hit of the year, and followed "Reflections" which had been up to number five in September. No more Top 10 hits came their way in Britain whilst Diana Ross was lead singer. However, they had five Top 10 hits from 1970 to 1972 after Jean Terrell took over lead duties. See song 39 for more info. |
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100 Title: The
Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener Petula Clark had been enjoying enormous success in the UK and USA with a string of hits written and produced by Tony Hatch since "Downtown" in 1964. However, this collaboration was coming to an end. Her previous hit, the ballad "This Is My Song" did not involve Hatch, and her final hit of the 1960s "Kiss Me Goodbye" (1968) was written by the Reed and Mason team, although it was produced by Tony Hatch. This recording reached number 15 in the USA. She remained a popular live performer, however, and she had a couple of small hits in the early 1970s. See song 13 for more info. |
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Acts with most appearances in this list: Monkees:
6 Composers with most appearances in this list:
Holland-Dozier-Holland: 5 New Names in
1967 The Monkees * previously
enjoyed hits with Brian Poole
1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963
1964 1965
1966 1967
1968 1969
1970 1971
1972 1973
1974 1975
1976 1977
Comments and corrections to: mjs@onlineweb.com Compiled
September 2018
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