The 2011 Top 77 Final Results!
Commentary and analysis by Mike Riccio.
The results are in from
hundreds of music lovers around the world! After weeks of voting and thousands
of songs receiving votes, here are the biggest hits as decided by YOU in our
14th annual poll of the "Top 77 Songs All Time."
With this "countdown"
version of the results, you "count down the hits" from #77 to #1, with some
interesting trivia and details along the way.
Asterisks (*) indicate a former #1
song on WABC.
So let's get to the
results. As a bonus, we're starting off with the "extras"...the songs that just
missed the top 77.
And then we'll go right to the heart of the list...YOUR
14th annual All-Time Top 77 Songs!
====================
100 *You Can’t Hurry Love - Supremes - 1966 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
99 *Oh, Pretty Woman – Roy Orbison – 1964 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
98 *Hello Goodbye – Beatles – 1967 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
97 Elusive Butterfly – Bob Lind – 1966 (Peaks: WABC #6, Nat’l #5)
96 *I Hear a Symphony - Supremes - 1966 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
95 Someday We’ll Be Together – Diana Ross and the Supremes – 1969 (Peaks: WABC #4, Nat’l #1)
94 Things I’d Like To Say – New Colony Six – 1969 (Peaks: WABC #5, Nat’l #16)
93 Back in My Arms Again – Supremes – 1965 (Peaks: WABC #3, Nat’l #1)
92 *We Can Work It Out – Beatles - 1966 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
91 *Sherry – Four Seasons – 1962 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
90 Rocket Man – Elton John - 1972 (Peaks: WABC #7, Nat’l #6)
89 Up on the Roof – Drifters – 1962 (Peaks: WABC #4, Nat’l #5)
88 The Wonder of You – Elvis Presley - (Peaks: WABC #8, Nat’l #9)
87 You Don’t Own Me – Lesley Gore – 1964 (Peaks: WABC #3, Nat’l #2)
86 Earth Angel – Penguins – 1955 (Peaks: WABC – Pre-Dates Chart, Nat’l #8)
85 Revolution – Beatles – 1968 (Peaks: WABC #19, Nat’l #12)
84 Tears of a Clown – Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - 1970 (Peaks: WABC #2, Nat’l #1)
83 Mr. Dieingly Sad – Critters – 1966 (Peaks: WABC #6, Nat’l #17)
82 Since I Don’t Have You – Skyliners – 1959 (Peaks: WABC – Pre-Dates Chart, Nat’l #12)
81 Dream On – Aerosmith – 1973/1976 (Peaks: WABC #9 - 1976, Nat’l #59 - 1973, #6 - 1976)
80 Rolling in the Deep – Adele – 2011 (Peaks: WABC – Post-Dates Chart, Nat’l #1)
79 *The Way We Were – Barbara Streisand - 1974 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
78 I Wonder Why – Dion and the Belmonts – 1958 (Peaks: WABC – Pre-Dates Chart, Nat’l #22)
Now let’s move to the
songs you voted into the Top 77!...
Along with some interesting “Chart Chat” about each
song!...
====================
#77 – *Band of Gold – Freda Payne - 1970 (Peaks: WABC #1, Natl #3)
CHART CHAT – This was Freda’s ONLY top ten hit, but her sister Scherrie got to sing MANY MORE top ten hits than Freda when Mary Wilson recruited her into the post-Diana Ross Supremes, and then Ms. Ross herself asked Scherrie to join her as part of Ross’ touring “Supremes” in 2003.
#76 – Da Doo Ron Ron
(When He Walked Me Home) –
CHART CHAT – The first SIX
#75 – Strawberry Fields Forever – Beatles – 1967 (Peaks: WABC #34, Nat’l #8)
CHART CHAT – This song was one of an amazing 26 releases by the Fab Four that was a double-sided hit.
#74 – *I’m a Believer – Monkees – 1967 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART CHAT: When this song spent 7 weeks on top nationally in 1967, it marked the longest reigning #1 song since the beginning of 1964, when the group these guys were patterned after, The Beatles, topped the chart for 7 weeks with “I Want to Hold Your Hand”.
#73 - *Reach Out I’ll Be There – Four Tops – 1966 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART CHAT: This superhit stayed on the top 100 for 15 weeks and at the time was the group’s sixth top 20 song in two years. Once this fell off the chart, this group would not have a song that lasted 15 weeks until “Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I’ve Got)” climbed to #4 in 15 weeks seven years later.
#72 - The Long and
CHART CHAT: This was the only Beatles song to share the #1 slot and its entire chart run…and they did it with THEMSELVES, when the flip side, “For You Blue” was listed along with this side as #1.
#71 - *People Got to Be Free – Rascals – 1968 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART CHAT: Although this song stayed on top for 5 weeks nationally and 6 weeks on WABC, the group never made the top 20 again nationally once this song dropped out of sight.
#70 – *Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season) – Byrds –1965 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART CHAT: The Byrds had only two top ten hits. And BOTH of them were #1.
#69 – *Help! – Beatles – 1965 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART CHAT – The Beatles had five single releases in 1965. Every one of them got to #1.
#68 - *Love Child – Diana Ross and the Supremes – 1968 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART CHAT: This song tied with “Someday We’ll Be Together” as The Supremes song that stayed on the top 100 the longest…16 weeks.)
#67– I Only Have Eyes for You – Flamingos – 1959 (Peaks: WABC – Pre-Dates Chart, Nat’l #11)
CHART CHAT: This song was originally a #2 hit in 1934 for Ben Selvin.
#66 - *I Can’t Help Myself – Four Tops – 1965 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART CHAT: When this song made it to #1 overtaking The Supremes “Back in My Arms Again”, it was one of the few times one Motown song replaced another at the top of the chart.
#65 – *Nights in White Satin – Moody Blues – 1972 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #2)
CHART CHAT: This song first charted in 1968, when it peaked at #103 on the national chart.
#64 – Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl) – Looking Glass -1972 (Peaks: WABC #2, Nat’l #1)
CHART CHAT: When this song got to #1 on August 26, 1972, it began a string of four straight #1 songs that began with the letter “B”; this song, “Black and White”, “Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me”, and “Ben”.
#63 - Mack the Knife – Bobby Darin – 1959 (Peaks: WABC – Pre-Dates Chart, Nat’l #1)
CHART CHAT: When this song spent 9 weeks on top in 1959, it was the longest run at the top since Elvis did it with “Don’t Be Cruel” nearly 2 1/2 years earlier. But only 4 months later, Percy Faith would eclipse Bobby’s 9 weeks as champ when “Theme from a Summer Place” stayed at #1 for the same number of weeks.
#62 – *
CHART CHAT: The Mamas and the Papas had 7 top 20 hits in approximately a year and 8 months…and then never made the top 20 again.
#61 - *Will You Love Me Tomorrow – Shirelles – 1961 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART CHAT: When this song got to #1 at the end of January, 1961, it was the first time a female group made it to the top since the McGuire Sisters did it with “Sugartime” in February of 1958.
#60 - *Yesterday – Beatles – 1965 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART CHAT: When “Get Off of My Cloud” knocked this out of the top slot, it marked the only time that the Rolling Stones replaced the Beatles at #1.
#59 – Let’s Hang On – Four Seasons – 1965 (Peaks: WABC #4, Nat’l #3)
CHART CHAT: This song spent 9 of its 14 weeks in the top 20 on WABC either at #5, #6 or #7.
#58 - *Groovin’ – Young Rascals – 1967 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART CHAT: After spending 7 weeks at #1 on WABC, this song dropped out of sight in just 2 weeks…going from #3 to off the top 14.
#57 - *
CHART CHAT: This was the fourth time that The Beatles knocked a Motown song out of the top slot. But justice was served in 1968 when “Love Child” was the song that stopped The Beatles’ nine week run at #1 with “Hey Jude”.
#56 – *Sugar Sugar – Archies – 1969 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART CHAT: While this song was on the chart, lead singer Ron
Dante was competing with himself for chart position as he also doubled as lead
singer of The Cuff Links on the song “
#55 - God Only Knows – Beach Boys – 1966 (Peaks: WABC – Did Not Chart, Nat’l #39)
CHART CHAT: Of the four tracks released from “Pet Sounds”, this was the LEAST successful, chart-wise. The most successful was “Sloop John B”, which peaked at #3.
#54 – *Happy Together – Turtles – 1967 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART CHAT: The Turtles charted with four songs in 1967 and each one made the top 20. They never charted with more than one top 20 song in any other year.
#53 – Ticket to Ride – Beatles – 1965 (Peaks: WABC #2, Nat’l #1)
CHART CHAT: This was one of five Beatles #1 songs that only spent one week in the top slot.
#52 - *Maggie May – Rod Stewart – 1971 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART CHAT: The flip side of this song, “Reason to Believe” was intended to be the “A Side”. It entered the top 100 one month before “Maggie May”, and it peaked at #62 staying on the top 100 for 21 weeks, four weeks longer than “Maggie May”.
#51 – Layla – Derek and the Dominos – 1971/1972 (Peaks: WABC #7, Nat’l #10)
CHART CHAT: This song first charted in a 2:43 version in 1971 and peaked at #51. The seven minute-plus version charted in 1972 and was a bigger hit that year both locally and nationally.
#50 – Unchained Melody – Righteous Brothers – 1965/1990 (Peaks: WABC #4, Nat’l #4)
CHART CHAT: This song charted nationally ten times, three times by this group alone (the original version in 1965 and the original and a remake in 1990). Two additional versions that never charted nationally charted on WABC. One was a version by The Blackwells (#56 in 1960) and another was by Gerry Granahan (#75 in 1961).
#49 – Here Comes the Sun – Beatles – 1969 (Peaks: WABC – LP Cut, Nat’l – Did Not Chart)
CHART CHAT: While this song was never released as a single for The Beatles, it was the ONLY single to chart for Richie Havens, who took it to #16 in 1971.
#48 – Love Grows (Where
My Rosemary Goes) –
CHART CHAT: Lead singer Tony Burrows charted not only with
this studio group but also with The Brotherhood of Man (“United We Stand”),
First Class (“Beach Baby”), The Pipkins (“Gimme Dat Ding”), and
#47 – Dawn (Go Away) – Four Seasons – 1964 (Peaks: WABC #2, Nat’l #3)
CHART CHAT: For the week of March 10, 1964, this song tied for #2 with “I Want to Hold Your Hand” on WABC. It was one of only a very few number of times that WABC ranked songs as ties.
#46 - *To Sir With Love – Lulu – 1967 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART CHAT: Although this song reached #1 on the weekly charts and was #1 for the entire year on both WABC and the national charts, it was the ONLY big hit for Lulu. After this song fell off Lulu would never chart higher than #18.
#45 –
CHART CHAT – Glen released five songs as duos, three with Bobbie Gentry, one with Anne Murray and one with Rita Coolidge. NONE of them made the top 20.
#44 – Up – Up and Away - 5th Dimension – 1967 (Peaks: WABC #12, Nat’l #7)
CHART CHAT: This song was the third and final record produced for the Fifth Dimension by Johnny Rivers. While these three songs were on the chart, Johnny had three of his own songs on the top 100, each a top ten hit.
#43 – *Runaround Sue – Dion – 1961 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART CHAT: This was Dion’s only song to make it to #1 either on WABC or nationally.
#42 - *The Sound of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel – 1965 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART CHAT: This was the first of three songs to peak in the top five for these guys in 1966. They would never have more than two top five hits in a single year again.
#41 – In My Life – Beatles - 1966 (Peaks: WABC – LP Cut, Nat’l – Did Not Chart)
CHART
CHAT:
Released only as an album cut (from “Rubber Soul”), this never charted on its
own, but did come in at #23 on the Rolling Stone “500 Greatest Songs of All
Time” list. It also ranked fifth on their list of “The Beatles’ 100 Greatest
Songs”.
#40 – *Stoned
Soul Picnic – 5th Dimension – 1967 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #3)
CHART CHAT: This was The 5th
Dimension’s first song to make the top 3.
#39 – Hotel
California – Eagles
– 1977 (Peaks: WABC #2, Nat’l #1)
CHART CHAT: The Eagles had five #1 national hits. And each one stayed at #1
for only one week.
#38 – Walk Away
Renee – Left Banke
– 1966 (Peaks: WABC #2, Nat’l #5)
CHART CHAT: The founding member of this group, Michael Brown, later played
keyboards for Stories on their hit “Brother Louie”. Each group he was in had
only ONE top ten song.
#37 - *Downtown –
Petula Clark
– 1965 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART CHAT: Every one of Pet’s first 15 charted songs made the top 40. Every
one of her last seven chart hits MISSED the top 40.
#36 - *Incense
and Peppermints – Strawberry Alarm Clock – 1967 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART CHAT: This group’s last chart song, “Good Morning Starshine”, was
Oliver’s first chart song. Oliver peaked at #3, these guys only got to #87,
#35 – Something –
Beatles
– 1969 (Peaks: WABC #7, Nat’ #3)
CHART CHAT: Despite spending a collective 13 weeks in the top ten on WABC,
the two-sided hit “Something”/”Come Together” were only in the top ten TOGETHER
for two of those weeks.
#34 – *One Less
CHART
CHAT: After "Wedding Bell Blues" got to #1 in late 1969, "One Less Bell to
Answer" broke a string of seven NON top-twenty songs for the 5th Dimension when
the song peaked at #2 after its release in October, 1970.
#33 -
Midnight Confessions – Grass Roots
– 1968 (Peaks: WABC #3, Nat’l #5)
CHART
CHAT: Once this song got to #5 in the fall of 1968, The Grass Roots would not
have another top ten hit until summer of 1971, when "Sooner or Later" peaked at
#9 and became their last top ten song.
#32 - Cara
Mia – Jay and the Americans
– 1965 (Peaks: WABC #3, Nat’l #4)
CHART
CHAT: Although Jay and the Americans would go on to have five more top 20 hits
after this song, they would never again make it into the top five after "Cara,
Mia" peaked at #4.
#31 - Born to
Run – Bruce Springsteen
– 1975 (Peaks: WABC #36, Nat’l #23)
CHART
CHAT: Bruce had 16 top 20 hits, 12 of which made it to the top ten.
SurprIsingly, three of his most well-known songs, "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out",
“Prove It All Night" and this song were NOT one of them.
#30 - Don't
Worry Baby – Beach Boys
– 1964 (Peaks: WABC – Did Not Chart, Nat’l #24)
CHART
CHAT: The Beach Boys’ original version of this song was never even played on
WABC, although B.J. Thomas’ 1977 version got to #16 on MusicRadio. Nationally, a
version by The Beach Boys featuring Lorrie Morgan made the country charts in
1996.
#29 -
*Lightnin' Strikes – Lou Christie
– 1966 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART
CHAT: Lou made the top ten three times, and each time it was on a different
record label.
#28 - A Day
in the Life - Beatles
– 1967 (Peaks: WABC – LP Cut, Nat’ – Did Not Chart)
CHART
CHAT: Contrary to popular belief, this song WAS released as a single in the
#27 -
*Runaway –
CHART
CHAT: Despite legendary status,
#26 -
*Cherish – Association
– 1966 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART
CHAT: After making the top 100 eleven times and the top 20 seven times between
1966 and 1969, The Association had only one song chart in the 70s and one song
chart in the 80s, neither of which got higher than #66.
#25 -
CHART
CHAT: Despite 12 top 40 hits and seven top 20 songs mostly in the 60s and early
70s, this group's biggest chart hit did not come until 1983 when "Come Dancing"
peaked at #6 in 17 weeks. And after that hit, they never had another top 20
song.
#24 - Because
– Dave Clark Five
– 1964 (Peaks: WABC #4, Nat’l #3)
CHART
CHAT: These guys made the top 30 with every one of their first 15 Epic Records
chart songs. After that, only one of their releases made it into the top 30.
#23 - *You've
Lost That Lovin' Feelin' – The Righteous Brothers
– 1965 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
The
Righteous Brothers had four releases on Phil Spector's Philles Records between
December '64 and December '65. All four made the top ten. They made the chart 17
other times on other labels over 27 years. But only twice did any of
those songs make the top ten.
#22 - Can't
Help Falling in Love – Elvis Presley – 1962 (Peaks: WABC #8, Nat’l #2)
CHART
CHAT: Excluding extended play 45s, Elvis made the top 40 with every one of his
"A" side chart entries between March of 1956 and May of 1967.
#21 - Imagine
– John Lennon Plastic Ono Band – 1971 (Peaks: WABC #4, Nat’l #3)
CHART
CHAT: Seven of John's 18 chart songs were attributed in some form to the
"Plastic Ono Band" and five of those made the top ten.
#20 - Taxi –
Harry Chapin
– 1972 (Peaks: WABC #9, Nat’l #24)
CHART
CHAT: This was Harry's first chart hit. The sequel to it, which was titled
"Sequel" , came eight years later and was Harry's last chart hit. And at #23, it
peaked higher than the original.
#19 - Good
Vibrations – Beach Boys
– 1966 (Peaks: WABC #4, Nat’l #1)
CHART
CHAT: After this song made it to the top, The Beach Boys did not have another #1
hit until 22 years later with "
#18 - He's a
Rebel – Crystals
– 1962 (Peaks: WABC #2, Nat’l #1)The writer of this song, Gene Pitney, kept
HIMSELF from having his only #1 song when this hit rose to the top to become the
only #1 song for The Crystals, keeping Gene's "It Hurts to Be in Love" at #2.
#17 - My Girl
– Temptations
– 1965
(Peaks: WABC #4, Nat’l #1)
CHART
CHAT: When this song got to #1 in the spring of 1965, it completed the unusual
achievement of an "answer song" (this one) AND the song it answered ("My Guy" by
Mary Wells) both reaching the top position on the chart.
#16 – Medley:
Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures) – 5th Dimension
– 1969 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART
CHAT: For the weeks of May 10 and May 17, 1969, it was "Hair" vs. "Hair" as two
songs from the Broadway musical battled for the top spot on the chart. Both
weeks, this song beat out "Hair" by The Cowsills.
#15 - *Be My
Baby – Ronettes
– 1963 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #2)
CHART
CHAT: It’s hard to believe but true: The Ronettes never had a top 20 song after
this hit.
#14 - *Let It
Be – Beatles
– 1970
(Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART
CHAT: The Beatles had 11 #1 songs
that entered the chart in 1964 and 1965. Those two years outpaced their total
over the next five years, when they had nine #1 hits.
#13 -
Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
– 1971 (Peaks: WABC – Did Not Chart, Nat’l – Did Not Chart)
CHART
CHAT: This iconic rock group was NOT a success on the top 40 charts. They had
only four top 20 songs and ONE top ten hit, “Whole Lotta Love”.
#12- Like a
Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan
- 1965 (Peaks: WABC #3, Nat’l #2)
CHART
CHAT: When “Positively 4th Street” made it to #7, it marked the only
time Bob Dylan had back-to-back top ten songs.
#11 - *She
Loves You – Beatles
- 1964 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART
CHAT: The Beatles singles charted on eight different labels, seven in 1964
alone.
#10 - *I Want
to Hold Your Hand – Beatles
– 1964 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART
CHAT: 1964 was The Beatles’ most successful year for flip sides, when three of
their “B” sides made the top 20.
#9 –
CHART
CHAT: Despite the “classic” status of this version of the song, Donna Summer did
better with it chart-wise when she went to #1 in 1978 both on WABC and
nationally.
#8 - *A Horse
with No Name –
CHART
CHAT:
#7 – In the
Still of the Nite – Five Satins – 1956 (Peaks: WABC – Pre-Dates
Chart, Nat’l #24)
CHART
CHAT: This song charted three times nationally, getting to #81 in 1960 and #99
in 1961. It has charted under the titles of “In the Still of the Nite”, “In the
Still of the Night” and “In the Still of the Nite (I’ll Remember)”..
#6 - *Light
My Fire – Doors
– 1967 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART
CHAT: This song re-entered the top
100 just a little over a year after its original chart entry in 1967 and got to
#87.
#5 - *Bridge
Over Troubled Water – Simon and Garfunkel
– 1970 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART
CHAT: Four of Simon and Garfunkel’s 12 top 20 hits came from the “Bridge Over
Troubled Water” LP.
#4 -
*American Pie – Don McLean
– 1972 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART
CHAT: After this song dropped off the chart, it would be ten years before this
singer returned to the top ten for the final time with “Crying”.
#3 - *(I
Can’t Get No) Satisfaction – Rolling Stones
– 1965 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART
CHAT: After their initial chart entry “Not Fade Away” peaked at #48 and faded
off the top 100, 25 of the next 26 Rolling Stones songs made the top 30. The
only song to snap the streak was “Street Fighting Man”, which was banned on many
#2 - *Rag
Doll – Four Seasons
– 1964 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART
CHAT: This was the only song to go directly from “Pick Hit of the Week” to #1 on
WABC. And despite their massive chart success, it would be 12 years before this
group returned to the #1 slot with their final chart-topper, December, 1963 (Oh,
What a Night”. Ironically, from August 1962 until August of 1965, the only month
that The Four Seasons were NOT on the top 100 was…you guessed it…December, 1963.
#1 - *Hey
Jude - Beatles
– 1968 (Peaks: WABC #1, Nat’l #1)
CHART
CHAT: It’s back at #1 on our survey for the 13th time out of 14 years
(after being dethroned by “Rag Doll” last year). And in 1968, the year this song
was out, despite six top 100 hits, two number ones and 12 weeks at the top
position for the Fab Four, the top artist of the year was actually Aretha
Franklin, who ended up with nine top 100 songs that charted or were released in
1968, with seven of those making the top 20 and five getting into the top ten.
There you
have it! The “Countdown” version of the 14th Annual Top 77 of
All-Time as YOU voted it.