Best Song: Gene Pitney - Looking Through The Eyes Of Love
I started listening to Gene Pitney in the late 90s after opening myself up to music that wasn't rave. A mate of mine who was mainly into rave but liked other things introduced me to Gene Pitney songs that weren't "Somethings Gotten Hold Of My Heart" and I liked it and bought a CD. This was amongst the better tracks in my opinion.
Worst Song: Joan Baez - We Shall Overcome
I simply don't like it. Joan Baez has always been one of those artists that annoy me and I just find this particular record boring.
Top 40 Review
After anticipating a flood of Motown records to appear, there are precisely zero in this particular Top 40.
What we do have is folk music having a notable presence on the Top 40 with the likes of Bob Dylan, Donovan and The Byrds. The latter do a cover of the Bob Dylan song "Mr Tambourine Man" which was the first actual song I learned on the guitar. Only good enough to warrant half marks though.
No Beatles in this chart but still plenty of bands they opened the doors to. This includes Billy J Kramer & the Dakotas with "Trains And Boats And Planes". The songs composer Burt Bacharach is also in the Top 40 with his version. Again, both records only good enough to warrant half marks.
In fact there are a lot of records that get half marks, 14 in total. The best of the rest would be "Heart Full Of Soul" by Yardbirds. A sign of the music getting harder. Another somewhat surprising song I've given a 1 to is "Leave A Little Love" by Lulu, proof you shouldn't judge an artist by their big hits.
Elvis Presley is at number one, given the number he's had this shouldn't be a surprise. However it does feel out of place in this particular chart and we are in a period where Elvis single didn't chart particularly high.
I think the best way to describe this Top 40 is progress. Despite the lack of Motown it does very much seem like a 60s chart and it gets a very respectable score.
Score: 16
Table
1965 now tops the table. It could stay there a while given the score, but knowing what else the 60s has to offer I can't help but think it will get knocked off the top once the decades out:
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