Paul Anka had sixteen top twenty records during the Elvis Era (1956-1963). His first, "Diana," was a #1. "Lonely Boy" reached the top spot on July 13th, 1959 and would be his only other number one. Anka was one of the first singer / songwriters and he would go on to write major hits for other artists, most notably, "My Way" by Frank Sinatra. There was only one other chart topper in the top twenty on July 13th, "The Battle of New Orleans" which "Lonely Boy" replaced. However, there were two former #2's from June: "Personality" and "Dream Lover." "There Goes My Baby" was barely in the top twenty in July, but would climb to number two on August 17th.
This was the beginning of the teen idol stage of rock and roll. Along with Paul Anka, Fabian, Bobby Darin, Frankie Avalon, and Freddy Cannon all had top ten entries. Avalon had two songs in the top twenty with the double-sided hit, "A Boy Without a Girl" and "Bobby Sox to Stockings." Connie Francis also two sided top twenty with "Lipstick on Your Collar" and "Frankie" (her ode to Frankie Avalon.)
The July 13th chart showcased four records that would make Billboard's 1959 end of the year top ten: "The Battle of New Orleans" (#1), "Personality" (#3), "Lonely Boy" (#5), and "Dream Lover" (#6). |
