Pick Your Top 10 of 1962

[Dawn]

For this week's "Pick Your Top 10," we're going to go quite a few years back, to the pre-Beatles era, 1962. Here are the top 100 songs from the year.

01. Stranger On The Shore » Mr. Acker Bilk
02. I Can't Stop Loving You » Ray Charles
03. Mashed Potato Time » Dee Dee Sharp
04. Roses Are Red » Bobby Vinton
05. The Stripper » David Rose
06. Johnny Angel » Shelley Fabares
07. The Loco-Motion » Little Eva
08. Let Me In » Sensations
09. The Twist » Chubby Checker
10. Soldier Boy » Shirelles
11. Hey! Baby » Bruce Channel
12. The Wanderer » Dion
13. Duke Of Earl » Gene Chandler
14. Palisades Park » Freddy Cannon
15. Breaking Up Is Hard To Do » Neil Sedaka
16. Wolverton Mountain » Claude King
17. Slow Twistin' » Chubby Checker
18. It Keeps Right On A-hurtin' » Johnny Tillotson
19. The One Who Really Loves You » Mary Wells
20. Good Luck Charm » Elvis Presley
21. Midnight In Moscow » Kenny Ball
22. Sheila » Tommy Roe
23. Twistin' The Night Away » Sam Cooke
24. Wah-Watusi » Orlons
25. Peppermint Twist » Joey Dee & The Starlighters
26. Break It To Me Gently » Brenda Lee
27. Playboy » Marvelettes
28. Ramblin' Rose » Nat King Cole
29. Sealed With A Kiss » Brian Hyland
30. She Cried » Jay & The Americans
31. Don't Break The Heart That Loves You » Connie Francis
32. Dear Lady Twist » Gary
33. Norman » Sue Thompson
34. Love Letters » Ketty Lester
35. Party Lights » Claudine Clark
36. Cotton Fields » Highwaymen
37. Alley Cat » Bent Fabric
38. Twist And Shout » The Isley Brothers
39. Theme From Dr. Kildare » Richard Chamberlain
40. Tuff » Ace Cannon
41. Lover, Please » Clyde Mcphatter
42. I Know » Barbara George
43. Young World » Rick Nelson
44. Baby It's You » Shirelles
45. Speedy Gonzales » Pat Boone
46. A Little Bitty Tear » Burl Ives
47. Crying In The Rain » Everly Brothers
48. Al Di La' » Emillo Pericoli
49. Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out) » Ernie Maresca
50. What's Your Name » Don & Juan
51. Smoky Places » Corsairs
52. Having A Party » Sam Cooke
53. Green Onions » Booker T & The MG's
54. You Don't Know Me » Ray Charles
55. Sherry » Four Seasons
56. Johnny Get Angry » Joanie Sommers
57. Can't Help Falling In Love » Elvis Presley
58. Shout » Joey Dee
59. Rinky Dink » Dave "Baby" Cortez
60. Moon River » Henry Mancini
61. Ahab The Arab » Ray Stevens
62. Things » Bobby Darin
63. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance » Gene Pitney
64. You Belong To Me » Duprees
65. Dream Baby » Roy Orbison
66. Snap Your Fingers » Joe Henderson
67. Lovers Who Wander » Dion
68. Let's Dance » Chris Montez
69. Cindy's Birthday » Johnny Crawford
70. You Beat Me To The Punch » Mary Wells
71. You'll Lose A Good Thing » Barbara Lynn
72. Uptown » Crystals
73. Everybody Loves Me But You » Brenda Lee
74. Patches » Dickie Lee
75. Venus In Blue Jeans » Jimmy Clanton
76. Love Me Warm And Tender » Paul Anka
77. Teen Age Idol » Rick Nelson
78. She's Got You » Patsy Cline
79. Dear One » Larry Finnegan
80. Her Royal Majesty » James Darren
81. Old Rivers » Walter Brennan
82. Funny Way Of Laughin' » Burl Ives
83. A Swingin' Safari » Billy Vaughn
84. Tell Me » Dick & Deedee
85. P.T. 109 » Jimmy Dean
86. Little Diane » Dion
87. Percolator (Twist) » Billy Joe & The Checkmates
88. Twist, Twist Senora » Gary
89. Twistin' Matilda » Jimmy Soul
90. Gravy » Dee Dee Sharp
91. Walk On The Wild Side » Jimmy Smith
92. Soul Twist » King Curtis
93. I'll Never Dance Again » Bobby Rydell
94. I'm Blue » Ikettes
95. Where Have All The Flowers Gone » Kingston Trio
96. (Girls, Girls, Girls) Were Made To Love » Eddie Hodges
97. Town Without Pity » Gene Pitney
98. If I Had A Hammer » Peter, Paul & Mary
99. I Wish That We Were Married » Ronnie & The Hi-lites
100. Surfin' Safari » Beach Boys

And the 10 I selected:
12. The Wanderer » Dion
20. Good Luck Charm » Elvis Presley
47. Crying In The Rain » Everly Brothers
53. Green Onions » Booker T & The MG's
57. Can't Help Falling In Love » Elvis Presley
65. Dream Baby » Roy Orbison
70. You Beat Me To The Punch » Mary Wells
78. She's Got You » Patsy Cline
97. Town Without Pity » Gene Pitney
100. Surfin' Safari » Beach Boys

Very interesting and varied list of songs. I must admit that there are about 20 songs that I'm not familiar with, mostly from the lower half of the chart.

Which 10 songs are your picks?

[H2IZCOOL]

Wow! Dawn, you're going back to when I was a teenager. - pre-Industrial Age.

It was not really a super year for music, IMO. I know that a lot of people like to lump the pre-BI '60s as being very weak musically, and this is true, compared to what happened in '64. - But 1961 for instance I always considered to be a very good year (Del Shannon, Roy Orbison, The Marcels, etc.). And 1963 gave us a little taste of what was to come with songs by Gerry and the Pacemakers and Billy J Kramer hitting the airwaves - not to mention the rumors about this super group called The Beatles. But 1962? Nah!

Anyway, from my Top 250:

Roses Are Red » Bobby Vinton (not a great song, but I already told you how my father loved it, and sang it all the time)
Wolverton Mountain » Claude King
Smoky Places » Corsairs
Sherry » Four Seasons

and I need 6 more:

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do » Neil Sedaka
Sheila » Tommy Roe
Twist And Shout » The Isley Brothers
Crying In The Rain » Everly Brothers
Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out) » Ernie Maresca
Uptown » Crystals

BTW, why are the two Gary "US" Bonds songs shown jist as being by "Gary"?

[55dodger]

1. I Can't Stop Lovin' You - Ray Charles
2. Twist & Shout - Isley Brothers
3. Green Onions - Booker T. & the MGs
4. The Wanderer - Dion
5. Surfin' Safari - Beach Boys
6. Sheila - Tommy Roe
7. Palisades Park - Freddy Cannon
8. The Loco-Motion - Little Eva
9. Sherry - Four Seasons
10. Dream Baby - Roy Orbison

[m c dornan]

Well rock had died here in the US and might've died for good if it wasn't for the British Invasion. But there's lots more than 20 pop songs here that I really like.

Here's it narrowed to 10:

1) Stranger on the Shore
18) It Keeps Right On a-Hurting
51) Smoky Places
53) Green Onions
63) Man who Shot Liberty Valance
69) Cindy's Birthday
71) You'll Lose a Good Thing
72) Uptown
95) Where Have All the Flowers Gone?
97) Town without Pity

Good year for instrumentals.

"Town without Pity" was written for, but not used in, the movie.

Used to know, long ago, a girl named Maresca. Always wondered if she was related to Ernie. (#49)

#2: I have that Ray Charles Country/Western crossover LP.

[H2IZCOOL]

mcdornan1 said:

"Town without Pity" was written for, but not used in, the movie.

That's interesting, MC. I guess Gene didn't "get no respect." The same thing happened to him with "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance."

[Ken]

I remember my Dad had the 45 of Stranger on The Shore by Acker Bilk.

My top 10 of 1962:

1.Green Onions - Booker T. & the MGs
2.Twistin' The Night Away » Sam Cooke
3.Let's Dance » Chris Montez
4.Johnny Angel » Shelley Fabares
5.Sheila » Tommy Roe
6.Crying In The Rain » Everly Brothers
7.The Twist » Chubby Checker (KISS' Gene Simmons was a big fan of Chubby Checker when he was growing up).
8.Surfin' Safari » Beach Boys
9.Twist And Shout » The Isley Brothers
10.Good Luck Charm » Elvis Presley

[Laura--I wuv u all :)]

Ah, yes, 1962. I spent the last part of that year in utero. Or so I've been told.

-06. Johnny Angel » Shelley Fabares
-08. Let Me In » Sensations
-10. Soldier Boy » Shirelles
-11. Hey! Baby » Bruce Channel
-20. Good Luck Charm » Elvis Presley
-24. Wah-Watusi » Orlons
-49. Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out) » Ernie Maresca
-64. You Belong To Me » Duprees
-68. Let's Dance » Chris Montez
-97. Town Without Pity » Gene Pitney

[Laura--I wuv u all :)]

mcdornan1 said:

"Town without Pity" was written for, but not used in, the movie.

Are you sure? The first time I ever heard that song--or even heard OF the movie--was on an American Top 40 special countdown of movie themes. I think it was about #39 or #40. I haven't seen the movie, but I was under the impression the song was in it. (It was used in the first "Look Who's Talking" movie, btw!)

In the '80s, Eddy Grant's "Romancing the Stone" was written for the movie by that name, but wasn't used in it except for a little tiny instrumental bit of the intro. I knew that before I saw the movie. So when I saw the movie, I listened for it, and sure enough, I heard it. It's only for a few seconds, tho'.

[m c dornan]

Howdy Laura!

Well I'm not sure now- when I saw the comment about "Liberty Valance" it made me wonder if I was getting the two movies (and Pitney songs) mixed up.

I'll have to see if I can find anything on this...

[gremashlo]

This was probably the easiest so far...for me, anyway--


07. The Loco-Motion » Little Eva
12. The Wanderer » Dion
13. Duke Of Earl » Gene Chandler
22. Sheila » Tommy Roe
35. Party Lights » Claudine Clark
53. Green Onions » Booker T & The MG's
55. Sherry » Four Seasons
57. Can't Help Falling In Love » Elvis Presley
61. Ahab The Arab » Ray Stevens
70. You Beat Me To The Punch » Mary Wells

[jbd]

GREEN ONIONS
LOCOMOTION
WANDERER
UPTOWN
HAVIN' A PARTY
THE TWIST
BABY IT'S YOU
PALISADES PARK
LIBERTY VALANCE
ALLEY CAT

[Laura--I wuv u all :)]

OK, I just checked the imdb.com listing for "Town Without Pity" and the reviews say the song WAS used in the movie. In fact, some of the reviewers say the song was used TOO OFTEN in the movie.

I haven't seen that one, but I once saw a movie ("New York Stories") in which "Whiter Shade of Pale" was played over and over ad nauseum. I like the song, but that just drove me batty! So I can relate to how "soundtrack overkill" can ruin the impact of a good song.

(Need to clarify something: "New York Stories" is a trilogy; it was only the first part of the movie--the Martin Scorcese-directed segment--that used "Whiter Shade of Pale" on the soundtrack, not the whole movie. Woody Allen's segment of the movie is by far the best, btw.)