This is a series that will attempt to Sport(ify) music by creating a 5 member All-Pro/All League/All Star team (Sort of like the NBA first team all-stars) for each year in Music starting with 1964. It will rely heavily on Top 40 Hits from the year but also take into account Concert Tours, Music awards, Music Videos (MTV Crowd-You Tube), TV, Films, Pop Culture etc…..
We start in 1964 (because of and) with THE BEATLES. There was music before the Beatles as there was Baseball before Babe Ruth and Baseball cards before 1952 Topps. However, 1964 and the Beatles seems like the place to start. Prior to 1964 (and sometime after) you had Elvis Presley who dominated the America music scene but "you ain't nothing, but a hound dog" feels more like a parody than modern music. Not that there is anything wrong with that song.
The Beatles hit Number 1 in February of 1964 with ”I want to hold your hand" and they would have 15 top 20 hits in 1964. Which I believe is a record (ha ha) that will never be broken.
December 1963 must have been a good time because in 1964 The 4 Seasons had 6 top 20 hits including number one "Rag doll"
The Supremes had 3 top 20 hits that all went to number one including "Baby love"
Bobby Vinton clocked in with 4 top 20 hits.
Picking number 5 was difficult. The under rated Johnny Rivers had 3 top 12 hits.
In December of 1964, the Zombies, the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys were moving up the charts as music over the radio was going through a revolution (I kind of equate this to the beginning of the NFL starting to become America's number on sport)
The Chart(s)
1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
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4 Seasons |
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Supremes |
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Bobby Vinton |
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Johnny Rivers |
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1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 |
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Interesting stuff! Most retro looks at the era focus more on acclaim and influence than chart success, so they overlook someone like Bobby Vinton, who was absolutely huge at the time. Good call there. I might have put the Beach Boys (5 top ten hits including a number 1) over Rivers though, although I agree that Rivers in underrated. Looking forward to more of this series.
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