All posts by Joe Knapp

The Biggest 50’s and 60’s Hits on Planet Earth!

Finally finished entering all the 50’s and 60’s chart information for Australia into my oldies database. Here’s a complete list of every song from that period that reached #1 on the charts in the USA (Billboard), England, Canada, Germany, and Australia.

Beatles – Hey Jude (1968)
Beatles – I Want To Hold Your Hand (1964)
Monkees – I’m A Believer (1966)
George Harrison – My Sweet Lord (1970)
Nancy Sinatra – These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ (1966)
Zager And Evans – In The Year 2525 (1969)
Beatles (With Billy Preston) – Get Back (1969)
Beatles – All You Need Is Love (1967)

How many oldies stations in the USA still play Zager And Evans? For that matter, what about Nancy Sinatra?

If I add songs that hit #1 OR #2 in all of these places, these songs go into the list:

Paul Anka – Diana (1957 – #2 in Germany)
Elvis Presley – It’s Now Or Never (1960 – #2 in Germany)
Frank Sinatra – Strangers In The Night (1966 – #2 in Canada)
Mary Hopkin – Those Were The Days (1968 #2 in US and Australia)
Beatles – Let It Be (1970 – #2 in the UK!)
Beatles – Help! (1965 – #2 in Germany)
Beatles – A Hard Day’s Night (1964 – #2 in Germany)
Beatles – We Can Work It Out (1965 – #2 in Germany)
Beatles – Hello Goodbye (1967 – #2 in Australia)
Rolling Stones – Paint It Black (1966 – #2 in Australia)
Beatles – Ticket To Ride (1965 – #2 in Germany)
Rolling Stones – 19th Nervous Breakdown (1966 – #1 only in Germany!)
Beatles – Penny Lane (1967 – #2 in the UK!)
Beatles – Yellow Submarine (1966 – #2 in the USA)

The Germans were a little tough on the British Invasion acts!