Best Weekly Singles Chart of All-Time: April 1969 Edition
by Best Classic Bands Staff
No matter what your age, when you hear a certain song, it transports you back to when you first heard it. Such is the case when we research the chart stories that appear on Best Classic Bands. When we got to this survey from April 1969 on New York City powerhouse 77WABC, we were suddenly back in sixth grade.
Bubbling under and jumping from #27 to #20 was Tommy James and the Shondells with one of the seven Top 10 singles they earned from 1966- 1969, “Sweet Cherry Wine.”
Related: Our interview with Tommy James on all those hits
The Cowsills took an even bigger jump with “Hair” (one of two songs this week from the hit Broadway show of the same name). The song went from #43 to #17.
Often overlooked by Steppenwolf‘s even bigger hits was “Rock Me,” at #12, the band’s third (and final) Top 10 single.
Soul singer Edwin Starr would have a signature hit one year later with “War,” a #1 smash. But this week he had success with another great song, “25 Miles,” at #10 this week. I, I, I, I’m so tired… But I just can’t lose my stride.
Related: Our feature on Edwin Starr
The funky “It’s Your Thing” gave the Isley Brothers their biggest pop single of their career. At #9 this week, it ultimately reached #2, and became their first of many #1s on the R&B chart.
Between his successful TV variety series and his pop and country chart hits, Glen Campbell‘s impact was large. This week, he enjoyed his third hit with a Jimmy Webb-penned song in as many years with “Galveston” at #7.
If you don’t remember the Beatles-esque run that Creedence Clearwater Revival had on the pop charts from 1969-1971, we’re happy to remind you. In that span, the group had nine Top 10 singles including “Proud Mary” this week at #6 on WABC. (It would reach #2 nationally.)
Soft rockers the Classics IV had three Top 5 singles in the late ’60s including “Spooky” and “Stormy.” The final one was “Traces,” at #5 this week.
Related: Our feature on the Classics IV and their three big hits
If you’re not aware, here’s the unlikely tale of the Zombies success with “Time of the Season,” well over a year after they had broken up. The song, at #4 this week, became the British Invasion group’s third Top 10 single.
Blood, Sweat & Tears‘ self-titled second album won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, in large part due to its three huge singles, each of which peaked at #2 on Billboard. “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” was at #3 on WABC this week. (It would be followed by “Spinning Wheel” and “And When I Die.”
At #1? The medley of “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In,” in what would be the year’s fourth smash single from Hair. Sung by The 5th Dimension, with instrumentation by the Los Angeles session musicians The Wrecking Crew, the song would stay at #1 for seven weeks on WABC and ultimately win the Grammy for Record of the Year.
Related: The best weekly singles chart of 1970
20. “Sweet Cherry Wine” – Tommy James & the Shondells (Roulette)
17. “Hair” – The Cowsills (MGM)
12. “Rock Me” – Steppenwolf” (ABC)
10. “25 Miles” – Edwin Starr (Gordy)
9. “Things I’d Like to Say” – The New Colony Six (Mercury)
8. “It’s Your Thing” – The Isley Brothers (T-Neck)
7. “Galveston” – Glen Campbell (Capitol)
6. “Proud Mary” – Creedence Clearwater Revival (Fantasy)
5. “Traces” – Classics IV featuring Dennis Yost (Imperial)
4. “Time of the Season” – The Zombies (Date)
3. “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” – Blood, Sweat & Tears (Columbia)
2. “Dizzy” – Tommy Roe (ABC)
1. “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” – The 5th Dimension (Soul CIty)
Chart courtesy of Musicradio77.com
8 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationRight on!!!
I’m so glad u shared the top 20 0f 1969.
Unbelievable time to grow up and have so much talent to listen to.
Tommy james is still around doing local tours. John Fogerty also touring in LA more recently.
You can’t go back but u can still listen to it.
Thank you!
April 1969 was when I first started buying 45rpm singles, some of which are on this list:
“Aquarius”,
“You’ve Made Me So Very Happy”, and
“Sweet Cherry Wine”,
in addition to some surprisingly not listed, like
“Hawaii Five-O” by the Ventures, and “Time Is Tight” by Booker T & the M.G.’s.
A great time it was to start a music listening hobby.
So much amazing and magical music!!! Just not the same today. so proud to have been there when it was all happening!!!
REMEMBERING MY MOM AND AUNT DANCING TO ALL THESE SONGS YEARS AFTER THEY CAME OUT…AND STOOD THE TEST OF TIME!
Here is my top 5 songs of April 1969 that I loved to listen on my record player:
5. Pinball Wizard by The Who
4. Wishful Sinful by The Doors (with a great exclusive B side, Who Scared You)
3. The Boxer by Simon and Garfunkel
2. Hot Smoke & Sasafrass by The Bubble Puppy
1. Badge by Cream
It took a push from Al Kooper, new A&R guy at Columbia Records several months after getting he got pushed out of out of Blood Sweat & Tears, to get “Time of the Season” released on one of their subsidiaries. He insisted, THIS is a hit. And it was. And they tried to get The Zombies back together, but most of the guys were well on to the next chapter of their lives.
Another cool thing about this chart. The song that would replace “Aquarius” at number 1 wouldn’t hit the Hot 100 for another month. That was “Get Back”, which first showed up on May 10. At #10.
Several months later, “Wedding Bell Blues” would be knocked off the top by “Come Together/Something”. History echoing.