Rant #896: The Charts

I was just looking at the Billboard Hot 100 music chart from this week 46 years ago, and I was amazed at the quality of recordings that made up the most popular songs of the week all those years ago.

Topping the chart for the week of January 28, 1967 was the Monkees' "I'm a Believer," followed by Aaron Neville's "Tell It Like It Is."

The rest of the top 10 went like this:

3) Royal Guardsmen - "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron"
4) Seekers - "Georgy Girl"
5) Mamas and the Papas - "Words of Love"
6) Four Tops - "Standing in the Shadows of Love"
7) Paul Revere and the Raiders - "Good Thing"
8) Lovin' Spoonful - "Nashville Cats"
9) Buckinghams - "Kind of a Drag"
10) Blues Magoos - "(We Ain't Got) Nothin' Yet"

The highest debut single for the week was the Supremes' "Love is Here and Now You're Gone," which came in at No. 47 en route to an eventual No. 1 placement, and the biggest mover--the song that moved up the chart the greatest number of placements--was the Rolling Stones' "Ruby Tuesday," which jumped from No. 78 to No. 43 in one week, and eventually it, too, would hit No. 1.

A very interesting chart, woudn't you agree?

I am not going to knock current music here, although I can't see anything today even comparing with what was hot 46 years ago.

But 46 years ago, I was 10 years old, and this was MY music.

There wasn't a song on here that I didn't like way back when, and all these years later, I still love 'em all.

Each one has become a staple of the oldies circuit on the radio, and many of the performers have had long-lasting careers, at least on the concert stage.

Some even continue releasing records today.

The Monkees' Micky Dolenz, fresh off a tour with the surviving Monkees, has a new album out, and the others often record, although not with the same lineups as they had way back when.

It's amazing how this music still pulsates all these years later, and even our kids know many of these songs through their use in commercials, and on TV shows and films.

No, I am not going to say anything bad here about current music. We won't know its real impact, and whether it will still resonate 46 years from today.

Will people know the songs? Will the music be looked at as oldies, and be heard on what will go for oldies stations in the year 2059?

Who knows.

All I know is that the music of my youth still packs a punch, and that makes me very, very happy.