The Top Ten Most Successful “Missing” Number Ones Artists: Number 6: Johnny Tillotson

(Note: Criteria, Scoring and Rationale for this series may be found here.)

Neil Sedaka was a pop star in the late 50s and early 60s who was left behind when musical tastes changed.

In the mid-70s, Elton John and a few friends in the industry brought him back to relevance, earning him two more #1s in 1974 and 75:

(Stereogum reviewer Tom Breihan gave “Laughter in the Rain” a 2.)

But what happens when an artist grows up outside the New York City musical world, and doesn’t have connections to resurrect their career? 

You wind up with Johnny Tillotson.

Tillotson and Sedaka were born 11 months and 900 miles apart: Johnny in Jacksonville and Neil in Brooklyn. Both showed musical talents at an early age.

A recording of him singing was sent to a talent competition, and as a national finalist, he was invited to perform in Nashville. Success came quickly, and after a few songs in the Billboard Top 40 and a college degree, Tillotson moved to New York City to pursue his dream as a singer.

Tillotson took The Penguin’s “Earth Angel” and Johnny Ace’s “Pledge My Love” onto the charts. He followed those with a song written by Paul Kaufman and Mike Anthony, inspired by young women walking by at a nearby school.

Both men were around 30; I sincerely hope it was a college and not a high school.

“Poetry in Motion” is typical for the time period:

A youthful Tillotson wistfully thinking about seeing his girl, supported by a soulful saxophone. After twenty seconds, the melody changes to a danceable song.

This was Kaufman and Anthony’s biggest success. Kaufman only has five songwriting credits to his name – no others charted.

Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts was one of the first television shows ever.

In the 1950s Cadence had a number of success stories, such as Tillotson, Andy Williams, The Chordettes and The Everly Brothers. But the label acted more as a minor league farm system team to the bigger labels. 

Larosa left for RCA in 1955, and The Everly Brothers jumped to Warner Brothers in 1960. They hit #1 with “Cathy’s Clown” in 1960. (Tom gave it a 7.)

Andy Williams jumped to Columbia in 1961 as well, and Cadence started releasing previously recorded songs to diminishing returns… and focusing on the stars who stayed, like Tillotson. (Andy Williams’ highest-charting single is the the 1962 single “Can’t Get Used to Losing You,” which peaked at #2. Tom didn’t rate it or any of his other four Top 10 hits, but did mention him six times in his column. It’s a 3.)

The Chordettes stopped making hits in mid-1961, and the label was now entirely reliant on Tillotson, who penned the #7 “Without You” (it’s a 4), and 1962’s #3 “It Keeps Right a’ Hurtin’”, which also hit #6 on the R&B charts and #4 on the C&W. It’s a 3.

There were three more singles from Tillotson on the Cadence label. Then he too jumped to a major label, and much like the other artists, found success.

Cadence continued to release old Tillotson singles, and while his MGM singles first reached the lower rungs of the Top 40, American tastes changed – but not before he made one final pop Americana contribution:

Not going to lie – if there were one actress in the 1960s I could see associated with Johnny Tillotson, it’s Sally Field.

While Sedaka was going through a renaissance of sorts, Tillotson bounced around a number of record labels. He played smaller and smaller venues until the 1980s when he had a semi-revival in Southeast Asia.  As recently as 2010, he recorded “Not Enough”, a Rebecca Black-esque tribute to those who serve in a uniform. 

Neil Sedaka and Johnny Tillotson are still living today, but Sedaka continues to perform to sold-out shows while Tillotson is mostly retired.

Sometimes it just pays to be connected.

GRADE: 4/10 

TRIVIA: I dare anyone to say The Dream Academy is a one-hit wonder – after all, their follow up song “The Love Parade” made #36 (and clocked in at #16 on my Irrational Love chart). Tom mentioned them once under which 80s one-hit wonder?  

“Life in a Northern Town” peaked at #7.  Tom didn’t rate it, but it’s an 8:

The All-American Rejects had a decent run about fifteen years ago with 3 Top 10 hits, including 2004’s “Gives You Hell”, but Tom never rated any of their songs, and only mentioned them once…while discussing a comeback story for whom? Well, I guess this brings it full circle since they appeared on Tom’s column for Neil Sedaka’s “Bad Blood.” (“Gives You Hell” is a 5, “Bad Blood” is a 6)

BONUS BEATS:  Following in the footsteps of Stars on 45 and other medley acts, Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers achieved a bit of success in the late 80s and early 90s mining the late 50s/early 60s sounds, and they sampled “Poetry in Motion” in “Hopping Mad”.  Here it is:

(Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers’ highest-charting single is 1989’s “Swing the Mood,” which peaked at #11.)

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