Chart-Topping Tracks Of 1964 That Are Still Beloved Today
When people look back at the biggest hits of a long bygone year, they tend to find more songs they don’t remember than they might expect. Just because everyone was talking about a song at the time, that doesn’t always mean it made a lasting impact.
However, some years are blessed with so much timeless music that it doesn’t matter how far in the past they are. With the rise of the British Invasion and the ferocity of Americans trying to compete with these hot new acts on their turf, 1964 was destined to become one of those classic years.
The Beatles – “I Want To Hold Your Hand”
Considering how hotly anticipated the arrival of The Beatles to American soil was by the time they touched down on February 7, 1964, it stood to reason that many of the biggest hits of the year would be theirs.
Another reason for this concerned the fact that all the music they had made up to that point was getting released in America practically at once. So fans had every opportunity in the world to indulge in their Beatlemania. And it seems that the idea of holding hands with a Beatle was so irresistible to their screaming, adolescent fanbase that “I Want To Hold your Hand” went to number one for seven weeks, thus making it the biggest hit of 1964.
The Beatles – “She Loves You”
A little faster and louder than “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “She Loves You” presented the second wing of a clever two-pronged campaign for the hearts of American youth. While one could argue that the screaming girls were the band’s bread and butter in their early years, The Beatles clearly wanted as many male fans as female ones.
Thus, while “I Want To Hold Your Hand” was written with girls in mind, “She Loves You” is directly addressing their boyfriends instead. Indeed, it seemed this strategy and the raucous atmosphere surrounding it paid off, as “She Loves You” was right there to fill the number one spot after people started to get sick of “I Want To Hold Your Hand.” It would stay there for two weeks, marking one of the only times an artist’s first charting singles secured consecutive number-one position.
Louis Armstrong – “Hello, Dolly!”
While 1964 was practically defined by the British Invasion, it was also a big time for jazz and the biggest year for one of its most venerated masters, Louis Armstrong. That’s because it was the year in which he achieved his only number-one hit.
Although “Hello, Dolly” only spent a week at number one, the fact that Armstrong was able to get there at all and notch one of the biggest hits of 1964 in a year all but ruled by The Beatles speaks to how much this song wowed the record-buying public.
Roy Orbison – “Oh, Pretty Woman”
Whether they were British or American, 1964 was a staggeringly special year for how many legendary artists caught lightning in a bottle. Although Orbison’s powerful voice and adventurously grim songwriting had already made him deeply and widely respected by 1964, “Oh, Pretty Woman” was nonetheless the biggest hit of his career.
Orbison had a previous number-one hit in “Running Scared,” but only “Oh, Pretty Woman” stayed in that spot for three weeks. It stands to reason that this remains his most recognizable song over 60 years later, especially with the novel way its final stanzas progress.
The Beach Boys – “I Get Around”
Although The Beach Boys would cement their status as “America’s band” over the course of decades, the fact that they were one of The Beatles’ most serious competitors surely helped that reputation flourish. If anything could go toe-to-toe with the songwriting prowess of Lennon and McCartney, it was the pop genius of Brian Wilson.
By 1964, that genius was already making itself apparent in the lush, dense sound, pitch-perfect harmonies, and immaculate production techniques behind classics like “All Summer Long” and the band’s biggest hit of the year, “I Get Around.” It was their first number-one single — topping the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks — and the first American song to hit that pinnacle after the Beatles took over.
Dean Martin – “Everybody Loves Somebody”
Although beloved Rat Pack member and “King of Cool” Dean Martin was enjoying an enviable career as a major recording artist and movie star by 1964, it’s nonetheless true that his second, number-one hit, “Everybody Loves Somebody,” was an improbable one.
By that point, he hadn’t had a song crack the Top 40 since 1958, and nobody expected the year The Beatles took over to be when it happened again. But there was something magic in the air that year, and Martin seemed to know it because when his son expressed his Beatles fandom, Martin’s response was, “I’m gonna knock your pallies off the charts.” Sure enough, “Everybody Loves Somebody” did exactly that when it hit number one on August 15, 1964.
Mary Wells – “My Guy”
As if there wasn’t enough excitement happening in the music industry in 1964, the momentum of Motown’s rise was in full swing by that point. After The Marvelettes and “Little” Stevie Wonder had secured number-one hits for the fledgling record label in previous years, Mary Wells continued the streak on May 16, when her song “My Guy” hit number one.
Although she intended the sultry Mae West voice she recorded the song in as a joke, Smokey Robinson and the song’s other producers encouraged her to keep going. Although “My Guy” was her shining moment that Wells thought would lead to bigger opportunities after she signed with 20th Century Fox, she would never have another hit.
Gale Garnett – “We’ll Sing In The Sunshine”
Born in New Zealand and raised in Canada, Gale Garnett crafted a staple of easy-listening radio for decades to come with her bittersweet folk song, “We’ll Sing In The Sunshine.” It’s about a girl who limits her relationship with her lover to a year due to an aversion to long-term relationships, but who will always remember that year fondly.
Although the song hit number one in Garnett’s native New Zealand, number two in Canada, and topped Billboard’s former Cash Box chart, it seemed “We’ll Sing In The Sunshine” attracted more record sales than airplay because it reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Garnett would not have another single make the Top 40 in the United States.
J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers – “Last Kiss”
Although the tragic love song “Last Kiss” was written in 1961 by Wayne Cochrane (pictured), it wasn’t until September 5, 1964, that a cover version by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers actually made it onto the Billboard Hot 100. Moreover, the song did well enough to make it to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 while topping the Cash Box chart.
Clearly, the band had cottoned on to the fact that a reliable way to get a hit between the mid-60s and 1974 was to record a song that told a story, particularly one about teenagers who experience devastating tragedies. However, it seems they weren’t aware of a more universal truism: Bands who score their first hit with a cover often don’t get another one.
The Supremes – “Where Did Our Love Go?”
Throughout their legendary run, The Supremes would become one of the most reliable hitmakers for Motown, notching a staggering 12 number-one hits throughout the 1960s. Moreover, the group achieved three number-one hits in 1964 alone.
Yet, while “Baby Love” would stay at that spot the longest for the longest, “Where Did Our Love Go?” was still considered the bigger hit by the time Billboard tabulated their year-end list for 1964. Whether that was due to record sales that outperformed the song’s respective levels of airplay or just because it was their first number-one hit, “Where Did Our Love Go?” was nonetheless the start of a golden age for The Supremes.
Barbra Streisand – “People”
By the time the ’60s were over, Barbra Streisand would be well on her way to becoming a major movie star and would only be a few years away from the first of her five number-one hits. However, it’s unlikely she would have been in that position at all had it not been for one hit that would become one of her signature songs.
This was “People,” a tender ballad that began life as part of the soundtrack of the Broadway musical that first elevated Streisand to fame, Funny Girl. Indeed, her successful film career started with the film adaptation of this show. “People” would eventually peak at number five on the Billboard Hot 100.
Al Hirt – “Java”
Although it certainly happens from time to time, an instrumental track nonetheless has to be something special to perform well on the Billboard Hot 100. And in the case of Al Hirt’s version of “Java,” the appeal was clearly the opportunity to get a taste of the cool jazz scene down in New Orleans.
“Java” is less than two minutes long, but that was clearly long enough for Hirt’s trumpet skills to dazzle the public, as the Big Easy jazz man would see this single make it to number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and top the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart for four weeks. It also won Hirt a Grammy.
The Beatles – “A Hard Day’s Night”
Although practically every Beatles single could be considered the hot new song when their releases started hitting American soil in 1964, “A Hard Day’s Night” was better recognized in the U.K. as their most recent cause for excitement.
That said, the song stood out in the United States not just for its catchy tune and clever title, but also for the fact that it was the title track of their first major film project. The film A Hard Day’s Night would be nominated for two Oscars, and the single and album of the same name would set a record for simultaneously topping the Billboard Hot 100 and the organization’s album chart.
The Beatles – “Love Me Do”
Although “Love Me Do” performed impressively in the U.K. when it was released as their first single in 1962, there was obviously far more momentum behind the harmonica-based love song by the time it saw its American release on April 27, 1964.
While “Love Me Do” would top the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box charts, it’s also a staggering part of music history in that it was part of an all-time record on the American charts. That’s because it was one of seven Beatles songs to hit number one in 1964 alone.
Manfred Mann – “Do Wah Diddy Diddy”
Confusingly named after their keyboardist, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band is best known in modern times for their cover of the Bruce Springsteen song “Blinded By The Light.” However, not only was that not their first number-one hit, but they had achieved that accolade over a decade earlier.
Once again, that was for a cover, this time of the classic ’60s pop tune “Do Wah Diddy Diddy.” Yet, while the song was recorded by The Exciters a year prior, it was Manfred Mann’s version that would end up blowing all the way past the other band’s performance to number one. The song would hold that position for two weeks.
