Is this the most obscure #1 Billboard hit song?

[kaylasdad99]

Personally, I think the most obscure Billboard #1 hit has to be Stranger on the Shore, by Mr. Acker Bilk, which in May of 1962 knocked Soldier Boy by the Shirelles out of the top spot.

[SlackerInc]

A worthy nominee!

[Melbourne]

@kunilou

Is this the most obscure #1 Billboard hit song?

The Streak, which was about, well, someone running around naked.

Hey, that got a reference on The Simpsons! (Homer: “My copy of The Streak! The dog must have buried it! Marg: Yes, the dog buried it, (nervous laugh)”
“Billy don’t be a hero” was on high rotation when I was in high school. It’s got a strong simple melody. That video doesn’t do it any favours.

[nachtmusick]

@drad_dog

Oh please, HH

Your’e analogizing between MASH and Billy? MASH was a work of art as a movie, and great craft as TV. It was meant to be a stand in for the recent conflict. Has nada to do with this pop song.

I don’t recall that the war had a special place for songwriters then. They only wrote about it as often as most other things, or less. Not much of a genre, but I don’t really care too much. Please feel free to name the hit songs about Vietnam from 67-72.

This was an English song and hit by paper lace, written by the same guy that wrote “I’m telling you now” and “I Like It”. Do you mean there was a mood of anomie about war in the air and a hack songwriter was influenced by that to write a bubblegum song about the American Civil War? OK you got me, ouch?

Theme to the 1971 movie Billy Jack, which was about a Vietnam veteran:

Recorded by Jinx Dawson of Coven. Not a hippie-folk band; they were actually a goth-metal precursor to Black Sabbath, who came out with War Pigs in 1970:

John Lennon released "Imagine" in 1971.

[drad_dog]

@nachtmusick

Theme to the 1971 movie Billy Jack, which was about a Vietnam veteran:

Recorded by Jinx Dawson of Coven. Not a hippie-folk band; they were actually a goth-metal precursor to Black Sabbath, who came out with War Pigs in 1970:

John Lennon released "Imagine" in 1971.

Are you trying to make my point for me?

The Billy Jack song was not about the real world, even, certainly not about Billy Jack.

John Lennon as a Beatle was forbidden to talk about the war, (the premier songwriter of the age) and Imagine is not about war particularly. He mentioned it in passing a couple of times vaguely as a concept in a couple of songs.

If that is all you got why bother?