Many of us who frequent this fine website came together as commenters on Stereogum’s The Number Ones Column.
That feature chronologically profiles every song that hit the top of Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart.
But did you know there’s another source for number one pop hits to consider?!
It had its own weekly best-selling singles list.
Naturally, some discrepancies occurred between the chart toppers on each. With that in mind, I’m revealing the Cash Box number ones that didn’t top the Hot 100 by year.
This leads to our game of Fantasy Number Ones. Pick up to three of the Cash Box Number Ones each year that you’d like to switch out over a similar amount on the Hot 100 the same year.
It’s tough – but fun!
Let’s start this episode with the 1960s:
Our first year is 1961, since there were no differences at the top of both publications in 1960. All of these peaked at number 2 on the Hot 100 unless otherwise noted.
- Ferrante & Teicher
Exodus - Roy Orbison
Crying
Exodus is stunningly performed by Ferrante & Teicher. Still, to me, Exodus pales next to its fellow Oscar nominee, the dynamic Theme from the Magnificent Seven.
I have no such qualms about the unforgettable Crying though. I’ll take it over Calcutta by Lawrence Welk any day of the week.
1962
- Chubby Checker & Dee Dee Sharp – Slow Twistin’ (peaked at 3)
- Dee Dee Sharp
Mashed Potato Time - Elvis Presley
Return To Sender - Chubby Checker
Limbo Rock
Giving the limited singer Chubby Checker more than the two number ones he had on the Hot 100 (The Twist and Pony Time) holds no appeal to me. However, his duet partner Dee Dee Sharp’s solo number is a fun dance single that obviously influenced The Loco-Motion later that year. And Elvis still sounds like a solid rocker with his number here.
I’ll gladly switch both out with Stranger on the Shore by Mr. Acker Bilk and Roses Are Red (My Love) by Bobby Vinton.
1963
- Andy Williams
Can’t Get Used To Losing You - Allan Sherman
Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh - The Ronettes
Be My Baby
I’d love to give Andy Williams a number one, but for Moon River. Or one of his Christmas hits – but not for Can’t Get Used To Losing You. Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh is clever for a comedy record, but not enough to become number one.
That leaves the classic Be My Baby, which deservedly makes Go Away Little Girl by Steve Lawrence… go away.
1964
- The Kingsmen
Louie Louie - The Beatles
Twist And Shout - Gale Garnett
We’ll Sing In The Sunshine (peaked at 4) - Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers
Last Kiss - The Zombies
She’s Not There
My first trio of fantasy number ones comes here: With Louie Louie, Twist and Shout and She’s Not There all strong choices to me. I get rid of two Bobby Vinton numbers, There! I Said It Again and Mr. Lonely.
And—this is the toughest to remove so far, but something’s gotta give – Hello Dolly by Louie Armstrong.
1965
- Herman’s Hermits
Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat - Bob Dylan
Like A Rolling Stone - The Toys
A Lover’s Concerto - Len Barry
1-2-3 - The Four Seasons
Let’s Hang On (peaked at 3) - Herb Alpert
A Taste Of Honey (peaked at 7)
Slim pickings. Most are OK but don’t scream “chart topper” to me except the enduring Like a Rolling Stone.
Goodbye, I’m Telling You Now by Freddie and the Dreamers. Hello, Bob Dylan.
1966
- The Beach Boys
Barbara Ann - The Rolling Stones
19th Nervous Breakdown - The Lovin’ Spoonful
Daydream - The Mindbenders
A Groovy Kind Of Love - Napoleon XIV
They’re Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa! (peaked at 3) - Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs
Lil’ Red Riding Hood - Bobby Hebb
Sunny - The Beatles
Yellow Submarine
A novelty-heavy year at the top for Cash Box, even somewhat with the Beach Boys and Beatles. To elevate Barbara Ann to the same status as Good Vibrations or Yellow Submarine to We Can Work It Out is ridiculous.
1966 does have two number ones I loathe— Ballad of the Green Berets by Sgt. Barry Sadler and Winchester Cathedral by the New Vaudeville Band. I’ll replace both with Daydream by the Lovin’ Spoonful and Sunny by Bobby Hebb, although in a stronger year they may not make the cut.
1967
- The Seekers
Georgy Girl - The Monkees
A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You - The Happenings
I Got Rhythm - Frankie Valli
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You - The Association
Never My Love - Sam & Dave
Soul Man - The Cowsills
The Rain, The Park And Other Things
The Seekers, the Monkees, the Happenings and the Cowsills offer varying degrees of cuteness. All fall short of Can’t Take My Eyes Off You and Never My Love, two ballads that are now standards, and the classic Soul Man.
But the only Billboard number ones I’m fine with removing in 1967 are Somethin’ Stupid by Frank and Nancy Sinatra and The Happening by the Supremes, so it’ll just have to be Can’t Take My Eyes Off You and Soul Man.
1968
- Gladys Knight and the Pips
I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Aretha Franklin
Chain Of Fools - The Monkees
Valleri (peaked at 3) - Gary Puckett and The Union Gap
Young Girl - The Rolling Stones
Jumpin’ Jack Flash (peaked at 3) - Gary Puckett and The Union Gap
Lady Willpower - Mason Williams
Classical Gas - Mary Hopkin
Those Were The Days - Stevie Wonder
For Once In My Life
After eliminating Gary Puckett, narrowing the top three here gets hard. All are worthy contenders. I’ll just go with the ones I like best and demonstrate a good variety: Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Those Were the Days and For Once in My Life.
What to remove to allow this trio at the top? Honey by Bobby Goldsboro is top of the list. I’ll add This Guy’s in Love With You by Herb Alpert and Grazing in the Grass by Hugh Masekela, too.
1969
- Diana Ross and the Supremes and the Temptations
I’m Gonna Make You Love Me - The Doors
Touch Me (peaked at 3) - The Foundations
Build Me Up Buttercup (peaked at 3) - The Zombies
Time Of The Season (peaked at 3) - The Cowsills
Hair - Elvis Presley
In The Ghetto (peaked at 3) - Bobby Sherman
Little Woman (peaked at 3) - Blood, Sweat & Tears
And When I Die
I’d love to give them a Number 1. But And When I Die is to me a weaker effort than the other Billboard number twos that Blood, Sweat and Tears had in 1969 (You’ve Made Me So Very Happy and Spinning Wheel). Omitting the Cowsills and Bobby Sherman leaves five top contenders.
The songs by Elvis and the Supremes and Temptations are both very good. But all had even better hits and don’t need another Number 1. So, I’m going with Touch Me, Build Me Up Buttercup and Time Of The Season, all distinctive and enjoyable to me.
To make room at the top, I’ll say goodbye to Dizzy by Tommy Roe, In the Year 2525 by Zager and Evans and Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet by Henry Mancini.
That does it for this decade.
Feel to share your choices below. I’ll be back with similar lists for the 1970s and 1980s soon.
And remember, this game is just a fantasy!
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It is my understanding that American Top 40 and Casey Kasem made Billboard what it is today. Billboard wasn’t the obvious standard for charting records before 1970. AT40 just as easily could have gone with Cashbox, but it’s my understanding that Billboard was more convenient geographically to where AT40 was recorded? (I think I’ve read that somewhere.) Today Billboard’s brand remains a powerhouse, and Cashbox just…went away.
When I have more time, I look forward to doing this!
I’ll have what you’re having. What a tantalizing fantasy. Sad that it’s not reality. (Billboard? More like Still Bored, amirite?)
I understand why the Hot 100 came to be distorted in the 90s, but why would the results be so different between the two charts in the 60s? What was Cashbox doing that Billboard wasn’t?
Anyway, a greatly improved pantheon. Looking forward to the next installments.
I just think that the methods for tracking sales/airplay were just very incomplete and imperfect back then. Sometimes I’m amazed that they were as similar as they were.
Cashbox was a trade publication for the coin machine industry, for jukebox operators in restaurants and diners and the like. As such their charts were predominantly based on coin play and sales. They didn’t consider radio airplay until the late 70’s.
Cashbox blew whatever credibility they had in pushing Wayne Newton’s “The Letter” to #1 in 1992. It didn’t chart on the Hot 100.
Billboard had some issues too, especially when Bill Wardlow was the chart guru, but nothing on that level.
WARDLOW!!!
Sneak peek: He’s going to make an appearance in the next installment by name. No cigars for guessing what song it involves.
1961 – “Crying” over “Mother-In-Law” by Ernie K-Doe
1962 – “Return to Sender” over “The Stripper” by David Rose & Orchestra
1963 – “Be My Baby” over “Dominique” by The Singing Nun
1964 – “She’s Not There” over “Ringo” by Lorne Greene
1965 – “Like a Rolling Stone” over “I’m Henry VIII, I Am” by Herman’s Hermits
1966 – “19th Nervous Breakdown” over “Ballad of the Green Berets” by SSgt. Barry Sadler
1967 – “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” over “Something Stupid” by Nancy & Frank Sinatra
1968 – “Chain of Fools” over “Honey” by Bobby Goldsboro
1969 – “Time of the Season” over “In The Year 2525” by Zager & Evans
There’s something about the Singing Nun, I just couldn’t replace her. Maybe it was that season of American Horror Story it kept cropping up in has left it burrowed deep into my conciousness.
I’m with you on most of these but Grazing In The Grass is just too perfect to eliminate. Plus, the lovely Ms. Virgindog loves it. At the risk of upsetting my inner Beatles fan, I’d lose Hello Goodbye instead.
Ooh … what a great idea for a series! Nice job, Ozmoe.
So, let’s see — what to sub out? (I’m assuming you can pick a Cashbox No. 1 to replace a Billboard No. 1 from a different week, right? It’s much more difficult if it has to be a switch-out for that same week.)
1961: “Crying” over “Mother-in-Law”
1962: “Return to Sender” over “Roses Are Red (My Love)”
1963: “Can’t Get Used to Losing You” over “Go Away, Little Girl,” “Be My Baby” over “If You Wanna Be Happy”
1964: “Louie, Louie” over “There! I’ve Said It Again,” “She’s Not There” over “Ringo”
1965: “Like a Rolling Stone” over “I’m Telling You Now,” “1-2-3” over “Game of Love,” “A Lover’s Concerto” over “I’m Henry the VIII, I Am”
1966: “19th Nervous Breakdown” over “Ballad of the Green Berets,” “A Groovy Kind of Love” over “Winchester Cathedral,” “Yellow Submarine” over “Lightning Strikes”
1967: “Never My Love” over “Something Stupid,” “The Rain, the Park and Other Things” over “The Happening”
1968: “Chain of Fools” over “Honey”
1969: “Time of the Season” over “Love Theme from ‘Romeo and Juliet'”
Thanks! This was fun!
Yes, I should’ve clarified you can take out any Number 1 on Billboard any time that year. I want this game to be fun, not neurotic!
This was fun but some tough decisions to make.
1961
Exodus & Crying to replace Calcutta & Wooden Heart
Thought Pat Boone was gonna get it but that Joe Dowell version of Wooden Heart is just horrendous
1962
Slow Twist & Mashed Potato Time to replace The Stripper & Roses Are Red
The Stripper was #1?!?!?!
1963
Can’t Get Used To Losing You &
Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh & Be My Baby to replace Go Away Little Girl & Sukiyaki & Deep Purple
That’s right, I’d rather listen to Hello Muddah than Sukiyaki. Takes all sorts.
1964
Louie Louie & Twist and Shout & She’s Not There to replace There I’ve Said It Again & Mr Lonely & Rag Doll
Can you tell I really don’t like Bobby Vinton?
1965
Like A Rolling Stone & A Lovers Concerto & 1-2-3 to replace I’m Telling You Now & Mrs Brown You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter & This Diamond Ring
I’m Henry VIII, I Am survives only on the basis of ‘second verse same as the first’
1966
Yellow Submarine & 19th Nervous Breakdown & Daydream replace Ballad Of The Green Berets & Winchester Cathedral & Strangers In The Night
1967
A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You & Soul Man & The Rain, The Park and Other Things replaces Kind Of A Drag & Windy & Something Stupid
Appears I have it in for Frank as well.
1968
I Heard It Thru the Grapevine & Chain Of Fools & For Once In My Life replace Honey & Love Is Blue & Grazing In The Grass
1969
I’m Gonna Make You Love Me & Time Of The Season replace Love Theme From Romeo and Juliet and Leaving On A Jet Plane.
That’s funny: Your rationale for keeping Henry VIII was the same as my rationale for dumping it!
Ha! Different strokes for different folks. A bit of variety keeps things interesting.
I share your Bobby Vinton aversion as shown in my trade outs as well, jj. Always great to hear from you.
Blue Velvet is nice enough, and I tend to be a Lonely defender in both its iterations, but Bobby Vinton was the weak link in 1964 by a mile.
Going off actual peak weeks, or something close to them because I don’t have a spreadsheet of the Cashbox data the way I do for Billboard…
Well, “Be My Baby” is booting Sugar Shack. That much is obvious.
“Help!” got 3 weeks at #1 so let’s give one of those to “Like a Rolling Stone”.
“Build Me Up Buttercup” peaked behind the 4-weeker “Everyday People”, so let’s do the same deal there.
I would’ve liked to see “Limbo Rock” reach #1 as it’s easily Chubby Checker’s best hit — and probably the most enduring in the 21st century.
The ’90s installment of this series should be fun (though Cashbox fans may beg to differ).
“Since U Been Gone” is not a ’60s song but Cashbox didn’t exist in the 2000s so I have to mention it now.
According to alternative history Wikipedia:
“…Dylan became disillusioned with the entire idea of releasing singles after ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ hit no. 1. ‘I didn’t get into this racket to get to the ‘Top of the Pops’ like Presley and Percy Faith,’ he remarked during an interview with newly minted music magazine Crawdaddy! He then proclaimed that any future albums he recorded would be structured in a way that discouraged the release of any 45s.
True to his word, Dylan’s next LP, 1967’s Tow Heads and Tricksters, contained nothing but atonal jazz, random blasts of musique concréte, spoken word pieces, and found audio. The album’s remarkably poor sales sabotaged Dylan’s recording career for decades, leaving him to anonymously compose advertise jingles and low-budget movie soundtracks to make ends meet.
In 1993, he accepted an invitation to join the ‘supergroup’ ‘Nick and the Night Hawks,’ whose members included Tammy Wynette, former Beatle drummer Pete Best, Dobie Gray, and Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn. Ironically, the band hit no. 1 with their first single, ‘What’s Bothering Me About You,’ later that year…”
Great to see you back in top form, Stobgopper! I’ve missed your takes on the
top forty. It’s too bad “Nick and the Nighthawks” second single, “You Don’t Bother Me at All” didn’t break the top ten.
Thanks, Dance! I confess that the mid-90s onward were tough to comment on back at the mothership. I knew then I needed to stay in my own lane.
I let my subscription to Crawdaddy! lapse after they dissed Engelbert Humperdinck’s classic new jack swing comeback in ’89.
The pretend things you missed out on, Link.
1961: “Crying” over “Wonderland by Night”.
1962: “Return to Sender” over “Telstar”.
1963: “Be My Baby” over “Telstar”.
1964: “Twist and Shout” over “Ringo”.
1965: “Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat” over “I’m Telling You Now”*
1966: “Daydream” over “Winchester Cathedral”.
1967: “Never My Love” over “Light My Fire”.
1968 “Those Were the Days” over “Green Tambourine”
1969: “Build Me Up Buttercup” over “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye”.
“Theme from Flash” is a formative song, in conjunction with film.
Cashbox: #39
Billboard: #42
“Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet” is not an exciting chart-topper, but it works in the film. I’m going with “Na Na Hey Hey…” because I believe in sportsmanship after a sporting event.
My picks are pretty close to yours, Ozmoe, so to keep it short here’s where we differ:
“Limbo Rock” makes it in (sorry “Slow Twistin'”)
“A Lover’s Concerto” instead of “Like A Rolling Stone” (Bobby remains a bridesmaid)
“Classical Gas” instead of “Those Were The Days”
And…
“Dizzy” keeps its #1 trophy (not afraid to give it a 10), no room for “Touch Me”
Hi folks! I made the jump today, because I can’t say no to a good alternate-history timeline. If you’re down with N.o.B., then I will make my picks, with an extra feature at the bottom.
1961:
Crying over Moody River
Exodus over Calcutta
1962:
Mashed Potato Time over Big Girls Don’t Cry
Return To Sender over The Stripper
Slow Twistin’ over Roses Are Red (My Love)
1963:
Be My Baby over Go Away Little Girl
Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh over Hey Paula
1964:
Louie Louie over There I’ve Said It Again
Twist & Shout over Mr. Lonely
We’ll Sing In The Sunshine over Everybody Loves Somebody
1965:
Like A Rolling Stone over I’m Telling You Now
1-2-3 over This Diamond Ring
Herman’s Hermits replace themselves with Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat over Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter
1966:
Barbara Ann over Ballad of the Green Berets
Sunny over Winchester Cathedral
19th Nervous Breakdown over Cherish
They’re Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa! and Lil’ Red Riding Hood could be incinerated and wiped from the collective memory. That would be nice.
1967:
Soul Man over Somethin’ Stupid
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You over All You Need Is Love
A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You over The Happening
(Never My Love is fourth, mostly because it sounds like the ’60s version of Father Figure.)
1968: Only three? I’d much rather add more of these and take away more #1s from previous years.
Jumpin’ Jack Flash over Honey
Chain of Fools over This Guy’s In Love With You
For Once In My Life over Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)
(I’m so sorry, Gladys Knight and the Pips. It would be fun to have two bangin’ versions of the same song in the same year, and I really do love your cover.)
1969:
Build Me Up Buttercup over Wedding Bell Blues
In The Ghetto over Love Theme From Romeo and Juliet*
Time of the Season over In The Year 2525
*If the song were What Is A Youth, the vastly-tighter version of the song with lyrics that actually appears in the movie, I would have given it a 10 and its removal would not have been considered.
We are most certainly down with NoB!
Good welcome to you, and thank you for joining in the fun!
Yeah, you know me.
Glad that you joined us as well! If I knew this is what it took to get you to participate, I would’ve posted it earlier!
I should have done it far sooner, but this was the final impetus. Great project, Ozmoe!
Additional idea:
Swap Around
To specifically attack poor-quality #1s, you can add to your three Cashbox #1s with a Billboard #2 behind that song that didn’t top Cashbox.
Calcutta –> Shop Around (yes, pun intended)
Peppermint Twist (Part I) –> Can’t Help Falling In Love
Our Day Will Come –> The End Of The World
People Got To Be Free –> Born To Be Wild
Love Theme From R+J –> Bad Moon Rising
Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In –> It’s Your Thing
Wedding Bell Blues –> Take A Letter Maria
I took a sneak peek at the next couple of years and OH MY GOODNESS 1970 and 1971 are hard. Peek if you must, but choosing just three will not be easy.
Yep, I know what you mean!
Hey! I’m finally joinning in Ozmoe’s fun game:
BUT! This is VERY difficult. I’m sort of attached to all of these #1 songs, since I’ve known about them for 40 years. It’s difficult to kick any out, especially in the first half of the 60s, which I love.
1961 – Roy Orbison’s “Crying” over Chubby Checker’s “Pony Time”
1962 – Elvis Presley’s “Return to Sender” over Elvis Presley’s “Good Luck Charm”
-Chubby Checker’s “Limbo Rock” over Connie Francis’ “Don’t Break the Heart that Loves You”
1963 – This is VERY difficult.
-Andy Williams’ “Can’t Get Used To Losing You” over Jimmy Soul’s “If You Wanna Be Happy”.
(Strangely, I am slightly immune to “Be My Baby”‘s charms.)
1964 – Gayle Garnet’s “We’ll Sing in the Sunshine” over Bobby Vinton’s “Mr. Lonely”. I love Bobby, but this is the least of his 4 #1 songs.
-AND Imma cheat a bit. I will add “She’s Not There”, but will only take a couple weeks away from The Beatles “She Loves You”.
1965 – Len Barry’s “1-2-3” over The Byrds’ “Mr. Tambourine Man”
-Herb Alpert’s “A Taste of Honey” over The Rolling Stones’ “Get Off My Cloud”
1966 – Napoleon XIV (RIP) “They’re Coming To Take Me Away – Ha Haaa” over Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence”
-Bobby Hebb’s “Sunny” over Petula Clark’s “My Love”
-The Beatles “Yellow Submarine” over The Righteous Brothers’ “(You’re My) Soul and Inspiration”
1967 – The Seekers’ “Georgy Girl over The Box Tops’ “The Letter”
-The Monkees’ “A Little Bit Me A Little Bit You” over Strawberry Alarm Clock’s “Incense and Peppermints
-The Association’s “Never My Love” over The Beatles’ “Hello Goodbye”
1968 – Gladys Knight and the Pipps “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” over John Fred’s “Judy in Disguise (with Glasses)”
-Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools” over Archie Bell’s “Tighten Up”
-Mason Williams’ “Classical Gas” over The Rascals “People Got To Be Free” (this is a no-brainer!)
1969 – The Zombies’ “Time of the Season” over The 5th Dimension’s “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In”
-Blood Sweat & Tears’ “And When I Die” over every song, but I’ll choose to knock out Zaeger and Evans’ “In the Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)”
That was harder than I thought it would be!
I know, it’s way harder than you expect! More power to you for sticking it out, and I agree with a lot of your choices for which songs deserve to be #1s.
I am, however, fascinated by your choice to replace “The Sound Of Silence” with “They’re Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!”, which I may have been a bit uncharitable towards in my comment but which I truly cannot stand. Every piece of music deserves a valiant defender, I suppose.
Don’t take it personally. 🙂 I’m a novelty fan, and Napoleon XIV’s song is a family favorite. Plus, I really think “The Sound of Silence” is too much of a downer for its own good.
I understand both arguments — and hope you don’t take my disagreement personally. I love a lot of novelty songs, too (I voted Camp Granada in and I’d do it again)!
I’ve heard “Be My Baby” too many time to count. I was tempted to highlight “Can’t Get Used to Losing You” instead. The English Beat really made it their own. I couldn’t tell it was an anti-rock song from 1963. As a result, the Andy Williams version has been on my regular outlier rotation going on for years now.
“Istanbul(Not Constantinople)” falls in the same category.
The Four Lads. What??? No way. A cover. No. That can’t be. Show me the writing credits. This is how I remember my side of the conversation over lunch at a KFC.
It helps explain how They Might Be Giants landed on The Tonight Show w/Johnny Carson.