Interesting look back at local Top 40 opinions in 1969

[CoolBreeze]

This is the year I started in radio. Top 40 was king:

http://www.mywvhome.com/web/radio69.gif

[Scott Reppert]

Great article!

Musicologist that I am, I had to actually go look up and sample Peggy Lee's "Is That All There Is?". I can flat out say that there is no need for songs like that to be recorded in the first place, let alone get to number 11. Imagine that backed up with "Shorty Blackwell"...

[CoolBreeze]

I agree! However, not because the song is basically about suicide, but because it had no business on the Rock charts. Personally I liked the song

Over the period from the mid 60s to the mid 70s, there were all sorts of "Lounge Lizard" songs that had no business on the charts. "Mack The Knife" was at the top of my list for WHO IN THE HELL IS BUYING THIS CRAP and how did it get on the Rock charts?

Sammy Davis Jr and "The Candy Man" was another. Hell.. even Frank Sinatra made the Rock charts! What? Who let him in there? Who payed off who to pull this off? The geezers who liked these songs certainly didn't listen to Rock stations.

[Crottinger]

That was a really interesting article. Although I don't recall Buck Owens ever being classified as pop.

[CoolBreeze]

He definitely crossed over to the Pop charts a few times in his early days.

[640radio]

Those were interesting times. Here are some of the guests on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1969: Sam & Dave, Sandler & Young, Anna Moffo, Steppenwolf, Sergio Franchi, Bobby Vinton, Shirley Bassey, Sonny James, Everly Brothers, Joe Cocker, The cast of Hair, Sly & The Family Stone, Janis Joplin, Ed Ames, Chet Atkins/Floyd Cramer & Boots Randolph together. That's quite a range of interests. And those are just some of the musical guests.

You can find a listing of all guests on the Ed Sullivan Show on http://www.tv.com/the-ed-sullivan-show/ ... ginator;22. It makes for interesting reading.

Ross Hunter

[lastone]

Those were interesting times. Here are some of the guests on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1969: Sam & Dave, Sandler & Young, Anna Moffo, Steppenwolf, Sergio Franchi, Bobby Vinton, Shirley Bassey, Sonny James, Everly Brothers, Joe Cocker, The cast of Hair, Sly & The Family Stone, Janis Joplin, Ed Ames, Chet Atkins/Floyd Cramer & Boots Randolph together. That's quite a range of interests. And those are just some of the musical guests.

You can find a listing of all guests on the Ed Sullivan Show on http://www.tv.com/the-ed-sullivan-show/ ... ginator;22. It makes for interesting reading.

Ross Hunter

It was before the industry went "nitch" programing. It was called Middle Of the Road. Listeners tunned in longer and very LOYAL listeners at that.

[David Paleg]

I hope Ed Ames didn't practice his tomahawk throwing like he did with Carson.

[jag]

Those were interesting times. Here are some of the guests on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1969: Sam & Dave, Sandler & Young, Anna Moffo, Steppenwolf, Sergio Franchi, Bobby Vinton, Shirley Bassey, Sonny James, Everly Brothers, Joe Cocker, The cast of Hair, Sly & The Family Stone, Janis Joplin, Ed Ames, Chet Atkins/Floyd Cramer & Boots Randolph together. That's quite a range of interests. And those are just some of the musical guests.

You can find a listing of all guests on the Ed Sullivan Show on http://www.tv.com/the-ed-sullivan-show/ ... ginator;22. It makes for interesting reading.

Ross Hunter

It was before the industry went "nitch" programing. It was called Middle Of the Road. Listeners tunned in longer and very LOYAL listeners at that.

Just maybe it's time to return to some of that.