Surprising Number One Hits From the 60s

The 60s was a decade of peace, love, Motown and psychedelic tones all slamming into each other on the radio and in the streets. What was the number one song at the end of 1965? Would you believe in the midst of the Supremes, Beach Boys, and Beatles that “Wolly Bully: by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs stood alone as the #1 song of 1965. Here are a few more surprises..

#2 – “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” was a number one hit by The Four Tops. The backstory of this mega-hit is that it was originally the ‘B’ side of a single, but radio programmers liked it better than the ‘A’ side, so they played this song instead.

#3 – “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” from The Rolling Stones has its one interesting story. The three-note guitar open was intended to be replaced with horns, but the studio engineers forget to finish the job, so the song was released the way we hear it today.

#4. “You Were On My Mind” was done by the relatively unknown group called the ‘We Five’ from San Francisco. Lead singer, Michael Stewart, had a brother in the Kingston Trio, so he emulated his older brother and stated the We Five. Sadly the song was the only real hit for the band, and Michael committed suicide in 2002.

#5. “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin” by the Righteous Brothers is a song that has stood the test of time, appearing in the popular ‘Top Gun’ and ‘Ghost’ movies decades after its release.

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