Of that list, I have to go with Ray Charles, and Percy Faith comes in a close second. Apache should have made the list too.
On first glance it seems to be a poor list, but there are a number of songs familiar even today… something the 1958 crop lacked. I went with “Georgia” because I used to live there, but I could have just as easily gone with “El Paso”, “Summer Place”, or “Save the Last Dance.”
I went Georgia, but I somehow missed “Save the Last Dance” on the list. I probably would have gone with that if I hadn’t skimmed.
Georgia On My Mind stands out head and shoulders, but I like Stuck On You by Elvis, followed by Theme From Summer Place. (an “A” and two “B’s”).
To me it was between Ray Charles and The Drifters, so I went with the great Drifters tune.
Interesting, thanks. I know little about Elvis. Perhaps I should have said “this seems to be a period during which Elvis was cranking out big hits, but not timeless, game-changing songs which even 21st-century non-fans would recognize.”
I picked the Drifters, just ahead of “Cathy’s Clown.”
I love “El Paso”. Listened to it in the car with Dad on long trips as a kid and it resonates with me still.
The others are entertaining but Georgia is just about as close to perfection as a pop song can get.
I “Georgia On My Mind”, with Brian Hyland’s “Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” a close second.