The 2010 Top 77 Final Results and Analysis

Commentary and analysis by Mike Riccio

(as voted by site visitors 11/5/2010 through 12/8/2010)

For a "countdown" version of the results, click here

To hear an audio version of the show, click here and go to the 12/26/2010 link on the page

After weeks of voting and thousands of votes, it’s time to take a closer look at the
 Top 77 biggest hits of all time as voted by YOU in our 13th annual poll.

Wow, what great response I got for this thirteenth annual Top 77 All-Time Songs survey. Little did I ever think in 1998 when I started this project of mine that it would blossom into the incredibly popular feature and site staple it has become, but thanks to your response and feedback, the survey only seems to get bigger and better every year. 

This year, a big thank you goes out to webmaster Allan Sniffen for continuing to host the server that keeps my "OldiesBoard.com” community going. That's the board I moderate which is so closely connected to this survey. But more importantly, thanks to Allan for embracing this Top 77 this year, posting it on the “mother” board (“MusicRadio77.com”), and giving me a landing place for you to register your votes and to present the live audio version of the countdown via Bob Radil’s show on Rewound Radio. 

Thanks also to fellow "Survey Guy" Tom Natoli for his help in verifying and checking the final tabulation, for researching the tie-breakers and for his general consultation help. And I also want to give a thank you to Chad Olszyk for his technical help throughout. And a final thanks to Bob Radil for presenting the live audio version of the countdown on his Rewound internet show. Again, the prep work and technical details that Bob had to handle were no easy task. So for that I am very grateful.  

Now then, let's take a closer look at exactly what the heck went on this year as you guys voted for the THIRTEENTH time for your very favorite songs.

COUNT FIVE!

Yes I did count FIVE…your FIVE favorite songs, which DID give me a bit of a “Psychotic Reaction”! Altogether, close to 600 of you voted for just over 1,500 individual songs.  

This year, 42 states chimed in to vote along with Africa, Australia, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, England, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands,  the Philippines, Serbia and Thailand. So this year the Top 77 remained TRULY global. But I must say that we still miss participation from the states where music lovers did not vote… Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah and Wyoming! Hey you guys, WHAT’S WITCHA??? You don’t like MUSIC?  

ADD SOME MUSIC TO YOUR DAY 

So all that said (or written, in this case), let me say thanks to every one of you for voting. This truly is a labor of love, but I do it mostly because of the GREAT response from you, and the urging to keep up the tradition. So, here’s a big thanks to all of you. 

Here’s a reminder how this whole thing was calculated. Voters were asked to choose their five all-time favorite songs from any era, not just the years that WABC was a music station. A song received five points if it was voted as a number one favorite, four points as a number two favorite, etc. down to one point for a number five vote. Points were tallied and those songs with the most points were ranked highest. The number of people who voted for each song was also factored in with a variably weighted system for the final ranking. Ties were broken based on the number of voters for each song, then by the number of #1, #2 and #3 votes, etc. for the song, and finally, if still tied, by the higher ranking song on the WABC and national surveys.

SO let's reveal, from bottom to top, this year's all-time faves! The asterisks indicate former #1 songs on WABC Radio in New York.

So, let’s take a closer look at things here…first of all, BIG congrats have to go to The Four Seasons and “Rag Doll”, the group and song that FINALLY toppled “Hey Jude” from the #1 perch it has occupied since our very first list back in 1998. In a real cliff hanger, “Rag Doll” topped “Hey Jude” by ONE POINT! NOT one vote, one POINT, which was the difference between someone voting for a song at #2 instead of #3 or #4 instead of #5! So…TAKE THAT if you think YOUR vote really doesn’t count. Wow!

The biggest jump onto the Top 77 is “Let It Be” by The Beatles, which inexplicably dropped to #80 last year, the ONLY time the song has NOT been in the Top 77 in 13 years. The biggest jump WITHIN the Top 77 belongs to The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me”, which climbed from #74 to #24 as many Kinks fans checked in to register their favorite Kinks songs.

The Crystals get the prize for highest debut into the Top 77 for a song that’s NEVER been there before. And they did it with their 1963 gem “Then He Kissed Me” featuring lead singer La La Brooks. On the other hand, “Nights in White Satin” by The Moody Blues dropped off the Top 77 for the first time in 13 years, becoming the latest song to leave the rarified air of making the list every single year. Now, only 13 songs remain that have been in the Top 77 since the very beginning.

And Petula Clark’s “Downtown” drops from #22 to #90 this year, becoming the song that took the biggest drop OUT of the Top 77.

33 songs, or nearly 43% of the Top 77, were former #1 songs on WABC. But ten songs, “In the Still of the Nite”, “Stairway to Heaven”, “Waterloo Sunset”, “Born to Run”, “I Only Have Eyes for You”, “Beyond the Sea”, “God Only Knows”, “I Wonder Why”, “Earth Angel” and Robert Knight’s “Everlasting Love”, received little or no airplay on WABC when they were out either because they pre-dated WABC’s Top 40 days, were LP cuts, or were just not all that popular at the time.

Other than that, there were lots of interesting stats regarding this year’s results. Of the Top 77, 24 songs, just over 31%, were not on the list last year. And eight of these were NEVER on the Top 77 before.

Your favorite decade again proved to be the 60’s with 59 songs in the Top 77 (just under 77% - appropriately!) falling into that time frame. 12 songs in the Top 77 came from the 70's (15.6%), five from the 50's landed in the Top 77 (6.5%), one from the eighties made the Top 77. (“Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers technically also counts for the 90s since a re-release of the original made the national charts that year thanks to its popularity in the movie “Ghost”.) The percentage of songs from each decade based on ALL songs that got votes is in the summary review that follows this analysis.

The Beatles once again finished on top in just about every category in which they were eligible. Led by the incredible “Hey Jude”, the Fab Four had eleven songs in the Top 77, plus John Lennon’s solo hit “Imagine”. That means they accounted for one out of every seven or so songs, or just over 14%, of the Top 77.

By gender, more guys voted for “Hey Jude” than any other song. As for the ladies, more of them voted for “Rag Doll” than anything else. Overall, 83.7% of the voting points came from guys this year, so you ladies have to pick up the pace next time around!

Overall, The Beatles were again the survey's most voted-for act, with 48 of their songs getting votes, which represent about one of every 31 songs that got votes. “A Day in the Life” continues to be their most popular LP cut overall, but every year “In My Life” gets lots of votes and has made the Top 77 eleven times overall, as many times as “A Day in the Life.  Surprisingly, both of their debut American classics, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “She Loves You” finished at their lowest numbers (#20 and #21) in years. In fact, #20 is the lowest position “I Want to Hold Your Hand” has ever been on the Top 77.

What were some other surprises on the list? Well, once again, “A Horse with No Name” by America is back into the top ten. That makes SEVEN times this hit has been in the top ten. This song together with “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Diana Ross, have always finished strong on our Top 77 even though they are not often found in the top part of other “all-time” lists.

Both “My Girl” and “Be My Baby” came on strong this year to finish at some of their highest positions ever. The Temptations, at #11, are at the highest position with this song since the very first year, 1998, when it was #3. And The Ronettes have NEVER finished this high with their classic hit.

The oldest song on the Top 77 is once again "Earth Angel" by The Penguins, which first hit the chart on Christmas Day of 1954. And the oldest overall song that got votes was Gilmour’s Band’s version of “The Star Spangled Banner” from 1892.

 And finally, this year’s "Missed It by THAT Much" award goes to #78, “Red Rubber Ball” by The Cyrkle

Now here are some more specific breakdowns based on all the voting, not just the songs that made the Top 77.

Who Voted?

Here are the top states based on overall percentage.

  1. New York 25.88%
  2. New Jersey 23.59%
  3. Pennsylvania 5.28
  4. Connecticut 4.75%
  5. Florida 4.58%
  6. California 4.05%
  7. Massachusetts 3.35%
  8. Maine 2.29%
  9. Maryland 2.11%
 10. Illinois/Virginia (tied) 1.58%

TOP ARTISTS

(Number of songs with comparisons to last year’s stats in brackets) 

  1. Beatles (48 songs)
  2. Four Seasons (25 songs)
  3. Elvis Presley (20 songs)
  4. Beach Boys (18 songs,)
  5. Rolling Stones (17 songs)
  6. Kinks (16 songs)
  7. (Diana Ross and The) Supremes (14 songs)
  8. Elton John (11 songs)
      Carpenters (11 songs)
      Aretha Franklin (11 songs)
  9. Temptations (10 songs)
      Bee Gees (10 songs)
 10. Who (9 songs)
     Fleetwood Mac (9 songs)
     Diana Ross (9 songs) 

TOP SONGS BY DECADE

Here’s where you get a chance to see the top songs in each decade, and the interesting songs that got votes REGARDLESS of when they were released.

1930’s

 1 -Adagio For Strings - Samuel Barber

 2 -Home on the Range - Bing Crosby

 3 -In A Sentimental Mood - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra

 4 -Beer Barrel Polka (Roll Out the Barrel) - Andrews Sisters

 5 -In The Mood - Glenn Miller & His Orchestra

1940’s

 1 -Personality - Johnny Mercer

 2 -White Christmas - Bing Crosby

 3 -Chattanooga Choo Choo - Glenn Miller & His Orchestra

 4 -The Woodpecker Song - Glenn Miller

1950s

 1-In the Still of the Nite - Five Satins

 2-Mack the Knife - Bobby Darin

 3-I Only Have Eyes for You - Flamingos

 4-I Wonder Why - Dion & the Belmonts

 5-Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine) - Penguins

 6-Tonite Tonite - Mello-Kings

 7-Fascination - Jane Morgan

 8-At The Hop - Danny & The Juniors

 9-Venus - Frankie Avalon

10-All Shook Up - Elvis Presley

11-Hound Dog - Elvis Presley

12-To Know Him Is to Love Him - Teddy Bears

13-Love Me Tender - Elvis Presley

14-Whispering Bells - Dell-Vikings

15-Sixteen Candles - Crests

16-Rock Around The Clock - Bill Haley & His Comets

17-Little Star - Elegants

18-Since I Don't Have You - Skyliners

19-Sweet Little Sixteen - Chuck Berry

20-Lovers Never Say Goodbye - Flamingos

21-One Night - Elvis Presley

22-A Teenager in Love - Dion & the Belmonts

23-Don't Be Cruel - Elvis Presley

24-That'll Be the Day - Buddy Holly / Crickets

25-Picture in My Wallet - Darrell & the Oxfords

26-All I Have to Do Is Dream - Everly Brothers

27-One Summer Night - Danleers

28-Only You (And You Alone) - Platters

29-The Little Drummer Boy - Harry Simeone Chorale

30-Johnny B Goode - Chuck Berry

31-Maybe - Chantels

32-Come Go With Me - Dell-Vikings

33-An Affair to Remember (Our Love Affair) - Vic Damone

34-Brown Eyed Handsome Man - Chuck Berry

35-Chances Are - Johnny Mathis

36-Come Softly to Me - Fleetwoods

37-Delicado - Percy Faith & His Orchestra

38-I Believe - Frankie Laine

39-Just to Be With You - Passions

40-Life Is But a Dream - Harptones

41-Lipstick on Your Collar - Connie Francis

42-Mary Lee - Rainbows

43-My Special Angel - Bobby Helms

44-Pledging My Love - Johnny Ace

45-Tammy - Debbie Reynolds

46-Tears on My Pillow - Little Anthony and the Imperials

47-The Great Pretender - Platters

48-The Wind - Diablos

49-All the Way - Frank Sinatra

50-Believe Me - Royal Teens

51-Believe What You Say - Ricky Nelson

52-Great Balls of Fire - Jerry Lee Lewis

53-Here in My Heart - Al Martino

54-Hushabye - Mystics

55-I Want You I Need You I Love You - Elvis Presley

56-I'm A Man Of Constant Sorrow - Stanley Brothers

57-Island of Love - Sheppards

58-Lonesome Town - Ricky Nelson

59-One For My Baby (And One More For the Road) - Frank Sinatra

60-Playing On The See-Saw - Danny Kaye

61-Stardust - Billy Ward & His Dominoes

62-The Bells of Rosa Rita - Admirations

63-This I Swear - Skyliners

64-Without Love - Clyde McPhatter

65-Fever - Peggy Lee

66-I Just Want to Make Love to You - Muddy Waters

67-Quiet Village - Martin Denny

68-Round and Round - Perry Como

69-Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - Platters

70-The Closer You Are - Channels

71-The Poor People Of Paris - Les Baxter & His Orchestra

72-Up On the Mountain - Magnificents

73-When - Kalin Twins

74-Where Are You - Mello-Moods

75-Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On - Jerry Lee Lewis

76-A Worried Man - Kingston Trio

77-Bark Battle And Ball – Platters

1960s

 1-Rag Doll - Four Seasons

 2-Hey Jude - Beatles

 3-Satisfaction - Rolling Stones

 4-MacArthur Park - Richard Harris

 5-My Girl - Temptations

 6-Be My Baby - Ronettes

 7-Light My Fire - Doors

 8-Good Vibrations - Beach Boys

 9-Waterloo Sunset - Kinks

10-I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) - Four Tops

11-Dawn (Go Away) - Four Seasons

12-I Want to Hold Your Hand - Beatles

13-She Loves You - Beatles

14-Help - Beatles

15-You Really Got Me - Kinks

16-Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan

17-Will You Love Me Tomorrow - Shirelles

18-Unchained Melody - Righteous Brothers

19-Can't Help Falling in Love - Elvis Presley

20-A Day in the Life - Beatles

21-He's a Rebel - Crystals

22-Sherry - Four Seasons

23-Yesterday - Beatles

24-California Dreamin' - Mamas and the Papas

25-Lightnin' Strikes - Lou Christie

26-Can't Take My Eyes Off You - Frankie Valli

27-Then He Kissed Me - Crystals

28-Denise - Randy and the Rainbows

29-Beyond the Sea - Bobby Darin

30-Walk Away Renee - Left Banke

31-Turn Turn Turn (To Everything There Is a Season) - Byrds

32-To Sir With Love - Lulu

33-Runaway - Del Shannon

34-You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - Righteous Brothers

35-Please Please Me - Beatles

36-Let's Hang On - Four Seasons

37-Suspicious Minds - Elvis Presley

38-God Only Knows - Beach Boys

39-I Got You Babe - Sonny & Cher

40-The Sounds of Silence - Simon and Garfunkel

41-Time Won't Let Me - Outsiders

42-Incense and Peppermints - Strawberry Alarm Clock

43-Crystal Blue Persuasion - Tommy James and the Shondells

44-In My Life - Beatles

45-Wichita Lineman - Glen Campbell

46-Strawberry Fields Forever - Beatles

47-Young Girl - Union Gap ( Gary Puckett )

48-Because - Dave Clark Five

49-Son of a Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield

50-The Twist - Chubby Checker

51-Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good) - Neil Diamond

52-The Wanderer - Dion

53-Midnight Confessions - Grass Roots

54-Someday We'll Be Together - Diana Ross/ Supremes

55-Daydream Believer - Monkees

56-Everlasting Love - Robert Knight

57-Nowhere Man - Beatles

58-Paint It Black - Rolling Stones

59-The House Of The Rising Sun - Animals

61-Runaround Sue - Dion

62-Cherish - Association

63-Remember (Walkin' In The Sand) - Shangri-Las

64-Gloria - Shadows of Knight

65-I Saw Her Standing There - Beatles

66-Palisades Park - Freddie Cannon

67-Don't Worry Baby - Beach Boys

68-Downtown - Petula Clark

69-We Can Work It Out - Beatles

70-The Rain The Park & Other Things - Cowsills

71-This Guy's in Love With You - Herb Alpert

72-The Boxer - Simon and Garfunkel

73-Something - Beatles

74-Pretty Ballerina - Left Banke

75-Days - Kinks

76-Happy Together - Turtles

77-You Don't Own Me - Lesley Gore

1970s

 1-Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin

 2-A Horse with No Name - America

 3-Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Diana Ross

 4-American Pie - Don McLean

 5-Let It Be - Beatles

 6-Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen

 7-Imagine - John Lennon

 8-Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon and Garfunkel

 9-Taxi - Harry Chapin

10-Hotel California - Eagles

11-Philadelphia Freedom - Elton John

12-Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) - Looking Glass

13-Sweet Seasons - Carole King

14-Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) - Edison Lighthouse

15-My Little Town - Simon and Garfunkel

16-Lola - Kinks

17-Won't Get Fooled Again - Who

18Free Bird (original studio version) - Lynyrd Skynyrd

19-Tighter Tighter - Alive and Kicking

20-Alone Again (Naturally) - Gilbert O'Sullivan

21-Kentucky Rain - Elvis Presley

22-Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen

23-Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen

24-Your Song - Elton John

25-Cat's in the Cradle - Harry Chapin

26-Day After Day - Badfinger

27-Miracles - Jefferson Starship

28-Into the Mystic - Van Morrison

29-Nights in White Satin - Moody Blues

30-Dancing Queen - ABBA

31-Vehicle - Ides of March

32-Swearin' to God - Frankie Valli

33-Papa Was a Rollin' Stone - Temptations

34-Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) - Temptations

35-Layla - Derek & the Dominos

36-You're So Vain - Carly Simon

37-The Long and Winding Road - Beatles

38-My Sweet Lord - George Harrison

39-Close to You - Carpenters

40-25 or 6 to 4 - Chicago

41-Don't Say You Don't Remember - Beverly Bremers

42-Piano Man - Billy Joel

43-Gimme Shelter - Rolling Stones

44-Oh Babe What Would You Say - Hurricane Smith

45-Jazzman - Carole King

46-I Think I Love You - Partridge Family

47-Wildflower - Skylark

48-Sister Golden Hair - America

49-No Time - Guess Who

50-Kashmir - Led Zeppelin

51-Maggie May - Rod Stewart

52-I Honestly Love You - Olivia Newton-John

53-Top of the World - Carpenters

54-When Will I See You Again - Three Degrees

55-Come and Get Your Love - Redbone

56-Dream On - Aerosmith

57-You Light Up My Life - Debby Boone

58-Turn To Stone - Electric Light Orchestra

59-Life Is A Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me) - Reunion

60-In The Hall Of The Mountain King - Electric Light Orchestra

61-Night Fever - Bee Gees

62-Right Back Where We Started From - Maxine Nightingale

63-It's Too Late - Carole King

64-Too Late to Turn Back Now - Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose

65-I'm Not in Love - 10CC

66-Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do) - Aretha Franklin

67-Eres Tu (Touch the Wind) - Mocedades

68-Tupelo Honey - Van Morrison

69-Celluloid Heroes - Kinks

70-Joy to the World - Three Dog Night

71-Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John

72-I Go Crazy - Paul Davis

73-Superstar - Carpenters

74-Don't Stop - Fleetwood Mac

75-I'd Really Love to See You Tonight - England Dan & John Ford Coley

76-MacArthur Park - Donna Summer

77-Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty

 (Note that “Someday We’ll Be Together” by Diana Ross and the Supremes spent its chart time split evenly in 1969 and 1970. It spent 16 weeks on the survey, eight in each year, and it hit its chart peak of #1 nationally in a week that covered five days of 1969 and two days of 1970.)

1980s

Here, in alphabetical order, are the top vote-getters from the 80s.

A Fine Fine Day - Tony Carey

A Night Like This - Cure

A View to a Kill - Duran Duran

Abacab - Genesis

Addicted to Love - Robert Palmer

Against the Wind - Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band

All Fired Up - Pat Benatar

All Our Tomorrows - Eddie Schwartz

Always on My Mind - Willie Nelson

Always Something There to Remind Me - Naked Eyes

And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going - Jennifer Holliday

Another Brick In The Wall - Pink Floyd

Another Nail in My Heart - Squeeze

Atlantic City - Bruce Springsteen

Baby Love - Regina

Babylon Sisters - Steely Dan

Back in Black - AC/DC

Back on the Chain Gang - Pretenders

Bad - U2

Beat It - Michael Jackson

Better Things - Kinks

Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota - Weird Al Yankovic

Billie Jean - Michael Jackson

Black Cars - Gino Vannelli

Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen

Breakdown Dead Ahead - Boz Scaggs

Call Me - Blondie

Come Dancing - Kinks

Come On Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners

Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd

Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne

Dancing With Myself - Billy Idol

Dear God - XTC

Destroyer - Kinks

Dirty Laundry - Don Henley

Don't Stop Believin' - Journey

Don't You Want Me - Human League

Drive - Cars

Easy Lover - Philip Bailey with Phil Collins

Endless Love - Diana Ross & Lionel Richie

Every Breath You Take - Police

Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - Police

Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Tears for Fears

Fool In The Rain - Led Zeppelin

For Your Eyes Only - Sheena Easton

Forever Young - Rod Stewart

Free Fallin' - Tom Petty

Freeway of Love - Aretha Franklin

Friends in Love - Dionne Warwick

Generals and Majors - XTC

Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Jr.

Girl U Want - Devo

Glory Days - Bruce Springsteen

Graceland - Paul Simon

Greatest Love of All - Whitney Houston

Handle With Care - Traveling Wilburys

Have I Told You Lately (That I Love You) - Van Morrison

He Stopped Loving Her Today - George Jones

Head To Toe - Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam

Here I Go Again - Whitesnake

Hooked on Classics - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

I Love Rock 'N' Roll - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

I Want to Break Free - Queen

I Want to Know What Love Is - Foreigner

I'll Be There For You - Bon Jovi

I'm So Excited - Pointer Sisters

In the City - Jam

In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel

It's My Turn - Diana Ross

It's Raining Men - Weather Girls

I've Never Been to Me - Charlene

Jack And Diane - John (Cougar) Mellencamp

Jersey Girl - Bruce Springsteen

Jump - Van Halen

Karma Chameleon - Culture Club

Kiss Me In The Rain - Barbra Streisand

La Isla Bonita - Madonna

Lately - Stevie Wonder

Let's Groove - Earth, Wind & Fire

Levi Stubbs' Tears - Billy Bragg

Like a Virgin - Madonna

Living on a Thin Line - Kinks

Love Is All Around (theme from Mary Tyler Moore Show) - Sonny Curtis

Love Song - Cure

Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division

Making Love Out of Nothing At All - Air Supply

Money for Nothing - Dire Straits

Never Knew Love Like This Before - Stephanie Mills

Off the Wall - Michael Jackson

On My Own - Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald

One Hundred Ways - Quincy Jones ( James Ingram )

One in a Million You - Larry Graham

Panama - Van Halen

Physical - Olivia Newton-John

Pilot of the Airwaves - Charlie Dore

Pressure - Billy Joel

Pulling Mussels (From the Shell) - Squeeze

Refugee - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Rock the Casbah - Clash

Rock With You - Michael Jackson

Roll with It - Steve Winwood

Rosanna - Toto

Save It for Later - English Beat

Say You Say Me - Lionel Richie

Sexual Healing - Marvin Gaye

Sister Christian - Night Ranger

Somebody's Baby - Jackson Browne

Songbird - Kenny G

Start Me Up - Rolling Stones

Starting Over - John Lennon

Stone Cold - Rainbow

Summer of '69 - Bryan Adams

Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2

Super Freak - Rick James

Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns N' Roses

Tempted - Squeeze

That's What Friends Are For - Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Elton John, Stevie Wonder

The End of the Innocence - Don Henley

The Girl is Mine - Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson

The Longest Time - Billy Joel

The Look - Roxette

The Rose - Bette Midler

The Wanderer - Donna Summer

The Winner Takes It All - ABBA

Theme From New York New York - Frank Sinatra

Through the Years - Kenny Rogers

Time - Alan Parsons Project

Tom Sawyer - Rush

Total Eclipse of the Heart - Bonnie Tyler

Waiting for a Girl Like You - Foreigner

Walk This Way - Run DMC & Aerosmith

Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' - Michael Jackson

Watching the Wheels - John Lennon

We Built This City - Starship

What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

What Are We Doin' In Love - Dottie West

What's Love Got to Do With It - Tina Turner

When Doves Cry - Prince

Where the Streets Have No Name - U2

Who's That Girl - Madonna

Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Midler

With or Without You - U2

Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah - Pogues

You Better You Bet – Who

1990s

Here, in alphabetical order, are the top vote-getters from the 90s.

All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You - Heart

Ants Marching - Dave Matthews Band

Believe - Cher

Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden

Blow Up The Outside World - Soundgarden

Common People - Pulp

Dead Horse - Guns N' Roses

Don't Take the Girl - Tim McGraw

End of the Road - Boyz II Men

Enter Sandman - Metallica

Friends in Low Places - Garth Brooks

From A Distance - Bette Midler

Heartbreak Hotel - Whitney Houston

I Feel Home - O.A.R.

Jump Jive An' Wail - Brian Setzer Orchestra

King of Toys - Balistik Kick

Last Night - Az Yet

Leaches Of Karma - Codeseven

Looking for an Echo - Kenny Vance & the Planotones

Losing My Religion - R.E.M. ( REM )

Lovefool - Cardigans

MMMBop - Hanson

Move This - Technotronic

My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion

Release Me - Pearl Jam

Runaround - Blues Traveler

Searching For A Heart - Warren Zevon

Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana

Somewhere Over The Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole ( Bruddah Iz )

That Thing You Do - Wonders

Time of Your Life (Good Riddance) - Green Day

Unbelievable - EMF

Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Wind of Change - Scorpions

(Note that “Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers was re-released in 1990 in two separate versions, the original 1965 version and a re-recorded version. Therefore, technically, the song placed on the top 20 for the 90’s at #1; however, this song was substantially more popular in its original release date in 1965.)

(Note that “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen was re-released in 1992. Therefore, technically, the song placed on the top 20 for the 90’s at #2. In fact, this song was more successful in its re-release in 1992 than it was in its original release in late 1976.)

2000s

Here, in alphabetical order, are the top vote-getters from the 2000s.

All These Things That I've Done - Killers

As Good As I Once Was - Toby Keith

Ball And Biscuit - White Stripes

Bullet - Steel Train

By the Way - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Haven't Met You Yet - Michael Buble

Here Without You - Three Doors Down

Hollywood - Michael Buble

Home - Michael Buble

I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas

I Want A Little Girl - Eric Clapton

I'll Be There - Tiffany Evans

I'm Yours - Jason Mraz

Lay It Down - Lloyd

Let's Get It In - Lloyd featuring 50 Cent

Like A Songbird That Has Fallen - Reeltime Travelers

Lose Yourself - Eminem

Memphis Lives In Me - Bon Jovi

Medicine - Jackie Greene

One Way Out - Mother Hips

Need You Now - Lady Antebellum

Pack Up - Eliza Doolittle

Poker Face - Lady Gaga

Run - Snow Patrol

Shaky Ground - Jackie Greene

Southie - Codeseven

Speed Of Life - Grip Weeds

Spooky Tina - Jackie Greene

Stuck Like Glue – Sugarland

Taker Not A Giver - Northstar

Teenage Dream - Katy Perry

The Pact - Villagers

The Reason – Hoobastank

Till The Light Comes - Jackie Greene

Viva La Vida - Coldplay

When You Were Young - Killers

Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning) - Alan Jackson

Without You - Tinted Windows

You're Beautiful - James Blunt

TOP SONGS BY ARTIST

Beatles Top 20

 1-Hey Jude

 2-Let It Be

 3-I Want To Hold Your Hand

 4-She loves You

 5-Help!

 6-A Day In The Life

 7-Yesterday

 8-Please Please Me

 9-In My Life

10-Strawberry Fields Forever

11-Nowhere Man

12-I Saw Her Standing There

13-We Can Work It Out

14-Something

15-If I Fell

16-I Feel Fine

17-Penny Lane

18-The Long and Winding Road

19-A Hard Day's Night

20-Get Back

Elvis Presley Top 10

 1-Can't Help Falling In Love

 2-Suspicious Minds

 3-Kentucky Rain

 4-All Shook Up

 5-Hound Dog

 6-Love Me Tender

 7-Are You Lonesome To-night?

 8-One Night

 9-It's Now Or Never

10-Don't Be Cruel

Elton John Top 10

 1-Philadelphia Freedom

 2-Your Song

 3-Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

 4-Crocodile Rock

 5-Honky Cat

 6-Bennie And The Jets

 7-Friends

 8-Rocket Man

 9-Someone Saved My Life Tonight

10-Country Comfort

(not counting “That's What Friends Are For”)

Rolling Stones Top 10

 1-Satisfaction

 2-Paint It, Black

 3-You Can't Always Get What You Want

 4-Jumpin' Jack Flash

 5-Honly Tonk Women

 6-Gimme Shelter

 7-Brown Sugar

 8-Sympathy For The Devil

 9-Let It Bleed

10-Under My Thumb

Kinks Top 10

 1-Waterloo Sunset

 2-You Really Got Me

 3-Lola

 4-Days

 5-All Day & All Of The Night

 6-A Well Respected Man

 7-Come Dancing

 8-Celluloid Heroes

 9-20th Century Man

10-Better Things

Supremes Top 10

 1-Someday We'll Be Together

 2-Where Did Our Love Go

 3-Stop! In The Name Of Love

 4-You Can't Hurry Love

 5-Baby Love

 6-I Hear A Symphony

 7-Reflections

 8-Love Child

 9-You Keep Me Hangin' On

10-Love Is Here & Now You're Gone

Four Seasons Top 10

 1-Rag Doll

 2-Dawn (Go Away)

 3-Sherry

 4-Let's Hang On!

 5-Tell It To The Rain

 6-Bye Bye Baby (Baby Goodbye)

 7-Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'Bout Me)

 8-And That Reminds Me

 9-Candy Girl

10-I've Got You Under My Skin

Beach Boys Top 10

 1-Good Vibrations

 2-God Only Knows

 3-Don't Worry Baby

 4-Wouldn't It Be Nice

 5-California Girls

 6-I Can Hear Music

 7-I Get Around

 8-Add Some Music To Your Day

 9-In My Room

10-All Summer Long

Motown Top 20

 1-Ain't No Mountain High Enough

 2-My Girl

 3-I Can't Help Myself

 4-Someday We'll Be Together

 5-Dancing In The Street

 6-Papa Was A Rollin' Stone

 7-Just My Imagination

 8-Where Did Our Love Go

 9-Stop! In The Name Of Love

10-You Can't Hurry Love

11-Baby Love

12-Heat Wave

13-I Hear A Symphony

14-Reflections

15-Endless Love

16-Love Child

17-You Keep Me Hangin' On

18-I Heard It Through The Grapevine (MG)

19-My Cherie Amour

20-Don't Leave Me This Way

British Invasion Top 20

(1964-1965)

 1-Satisfaction

 2-I Want To Hold Your Hand

 3-She Loves You

 4-Help!

 5-You Really Got Me

 6-Yesterday

 7-Please Please Me

 8-Because

 9-The House Of The Rising Sun

10-I Saw Her Standing There

11-Downtown

12-We Can Work It Out

13-All Day And All Of The Night

14-If I Fell

15-I Feel Fine

16-A Hard Day's Night

17-A Well Respected Man

18-Glad All Over

19-Tell Her No

20-Ferry Cross The Mersey

AND IN THE END…

…the votes you gave are equal to the survey you made… Wasn’t that The Beatles’ song? No? Well, close enough, as another survey comes to a conclusion.

Lots of work? YES! But definitely worth it thanks to the tremendous response from you guys every year. 

Thanks once again for all who contributed to make this project successful this year…to Allan Sniffen for his website and technical support and for the use of Rewound Radio as a platform for the audio versions of the countdown and the bonus shows, to Bob Radil for featuring the Top 77 once again on his show, to Tom Natoli and Chad Olsyzk for their technical help throughout, to Craig Harris and Frank Thomas for past contributions, and to all those who allowed me to promote this survey on their radio shows and websites.

And of course, thanks to all of you who voted and sent comments, encouragement and good wishes during the voting period. I'll say it again, like I do every year. Your continued overwhelming response is really the main reason for the continuation of this massive project every year. In reality, YOUR participation has made this as much of a tradition as it was in the days of the WABC Top 100's of the year.

Please let me know what you think. Send your comments to me by clicking here or on the “email here” link at the bottom of the main page of the Oldies Board. Or, you can post your comments on the Oldies Message Board itself! 

Until the next time, I’ll leave you with these words, the REAL words from The Beatles, and something you can choose to live by the whole year through:

And in the end
The love you take
Is equal to the love you make.

Mike Riccio

OldiesBoard.com moderator

www.OldiesBoard.com

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