Best of the Rest of the Top 40: 1959

Our musical journey through history brings us once again to 1959, the year the music died. We’re entering the period where in our #1 series everyone’s question was “Is it 1964 yet?”, but I think in looking at these polls we’ll see that there was still a little more variation in the popular music of the time than what made it to #1.

Excluding the number-ones from the Top 40 gives us 27 songs for this year. What’s your favorite?

Previous polls: 1956 1957 1958

Best #1 single polls: 1955-56 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s All-time

Once again, too many good ones to only pick one. I chose “16 candles” because my15 year-old self danced a few slow ones with girls to that song. Young love is hard to beat.

Wow, the memories. I’m going with “Personality”, by Lloyd Price. I fondly remember Sandy Nelson’s drumming records, as I was a budding rhythmist (is that a word?). I had Martin Denny’s album “Quiet Village”; in fact, it’s still sitting in a box in my basement along with The Ventures “Walk, Don’t Run” album.

I went with “There Goes My Baby,” but unlike for samclem, it’s more a case of picking the least annoying one than of picking from dozens of great ones. “Charlie Brown” finishes dead-ass last, behind “Kookie Kookie.” I haven’t heard of several songs.

I didn’t have to ask the stars up above which song I should vote for. Dion and the Belmonts FTW.

Leiber and Stoller all the way.

Who walks in the classroom cool and slow
who calls the English teacher Daddy-O?