US #1s of 1963

Two foreign-language #1s! Goin' with "Fingertips", but "He's So Fine" and "My Boyfriend's Back" and "It's My Party" and "Sukiyaki" are all dope too.

Bobby Vinton, "Blue Velvet"

lolvote for jimmy soul, sorry

Gore vs Stevie vs Frankie V vs Vinton

Went with Gore.

nice list!

Surely Singing Nun is the lolvote.

GOD FUCKING DAMN WHAT A YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!

Despite vv hard choice, going with a theme song of mine:

Ruby & the Romantics, "Our Day Will Come"

In 1963, the British record label Pye Records released a cover version of the song by Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen. They were concerned that English-speaking audiences might find the original title too difficult to remember/pronounce, so they gave it the new title of "Sukiyaki'". This title was retained when Capitol Records in the United States, and His Master's Voice in the UK, released Kyu Sakamoto's original version a few months later.

The title, sukiyaki (which is a Japanese steamboat dish), has nothing to do with the lyrics or the meaning of the song; the word served the purpose only because it was short, catchy, recognizably Japanese, and more familiar to most English speakers (very few of whom could understand the Japanese lyrics anyway). A Newsweek columnist noted that the re-titling was like issuing "Moon River" in Japan under the title "Beef Stew."[3]

The v.v. pretty melody needs no translation tho.

The Essex - apparently an all Marine band!
Wiki: the beat was inspired by the sound of multiple teletype machines, noisy mechanical beasts pounding out copy in the base's communications room.

TWO GIRLS FOR EV'RY BOY!!!!!

The Four Seasons, "Walk Like a Man": pure joy, like many of the other fine songs on this list.

Doo lang, doo lang, doo lang. Doo lang, doo lang!

Unbeatable.

Easiest Stevie victory ever.

"Hey Paula", because I'm a sentimental sap who's totally disarmed by it's innocent charm.

Chiffons, totally.

Aye

tempo-stevens vs sukiyaki vs chiffons...goin for sakamoto!

bringin the lulz on steve allen:

really pretty lyric too.

TWO GIRLS FOR EVERY BOY!!!!!

best refrain in any pop song

Chiffons

Edifying notes on an old story: Bright Tunes Music v. Harrisongs Music

He's So Fine.

Cannot stand Four Seasons, sorry.

What's weird about this year (and I never realized this til now -- wonder if it happened in other early '60s years now too) is how the #1s seem to mush out into MOR so much in the winter months, both at the year's beginning and at the end. But almost everything from the Four Seasons (maybe even Paul & Paula) to the Angels is pretty great -- weird. I sort of wanted to go with Tymes, but I'm going to stick with my first instinct and vote for the Essex song (which I actually first found out about via its '70s Sha Na Na version.) I always assumed they were just awesome unknown Belmonts-wannabe Italian greasers (like, you know, Vito and the Salutations or whoever), but yeah, Whitburn says they were a Marine r&b band, like the Higgs says above. (Doubly cool because I've been watching Generation Kill via Netflix all this week, and the Marines in that frequently sing songs in their vehicles.)

"walk like a man"

Sakamoto followed by li'l Stevie followed by Nino & April.

Wow, just a coupla weeks ago I made my mom an all-1963 CDR, and 2/3 of those #1s made the cut. Dunno if I've ever heard the Steve Lawrence track, but nearly everything else is just fine with me (and not even in a lolgreat sense, either.) Whatta year for "world music!"

I vote for Ruby & the Romantics (blame it on the bossa nova.)

Hey, anybody think "The Essex" might have been the first-ever band name that wasn't plural or a collective?

The Essecks

I went with "My Boyfriend's Back" (was it a sexy back?), for the tough girl attitude and general exploitation feel with tunefulness.

Dale and Grace is a great country tune I had forgotten completely. These were the years that standard mythology had rock and roll dead. That was debunked as soon as it was presented, but what a good selection of number ones.

Voted "Walk Like a Man". Yet, in 1963, the Americans lived in completely ignorance towards the best music in the world. Which would be rectified in 1964.

Oh yeah, that's right, we had ska at the World's Fair!

What were the Norwegian charts like in 1963?

ooo BURN

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

I just can't get over how great this list is

It's so great that we're arguing about great songs while ignoring great songs, ie, Jimmy Soul, "If You Wanna Be Happy"

What were the Norwegian charts like in 1963?

Not too impressive, but The Beatles and Gerry & The Pacemakers were definitely represented throughout the year. Although beat music wasn't on top until 1964.

"Our Day Will Come," but wow: no fewer than 4 songs I absolutely, absolutely despise. Including the Essex, which to my ears sounds not merely mechanical but flat. The sound of ugly office desks being moved across linoleum floors.

girl group heaven! Chiffons for me.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Utterly respectable results.

Ewww, who voted for "Sugar Shack"?

I love Sugar Shack enough to rank it in the center.

Who voted for The Rooftop Singers, "Walk Right In" ???

Heh heh, "beat music." See the irony, Geir?

Jimmy Soul was from my hometown, or anyway, at least on one of Frank Guida's labels: "The Norfolk Sound," dig it.