Johnny Mathis was singing at a club in San Francisco when he was discovered by a Columbia record executive who sent a cable to the home office, “Have found phenomenal 19 year old boy who could go all the way. Send blank contracts.” In 1957 Johnny had his first number one record, "Chances Are." He would have six top ten records and another #1 twenty years later with "Too Much, Too Little Too Late" in 1978. Mathis was one of the first to market a "Greatest Hits" album -- something that is now common place. And while he had moderate success with singles, he was phenomenal at selling albums -- over fifty gold or platinum albums.
title
week debuted
highest ranking
weeks on chart
Wonderful, Wonderful
5/6/1957
14
20
It's Not For Me To Say
5/20/1957
5
23
Chances Are
9/16/1957
1
22
The Twelfth of Never
10/14/1957
9
14
A Certain Smile
7/14/1958
14
11
Misty
10/15/1959
12
12
What Will Mary Say
2/9/1963
9
10
JOHNNY MATHIS
The Twelfth of Never:
This was the #2 selling LP of 1958. And it was on the Billboard album chart for nearly ten years. I probably purchased it through my record club (Columbia) in 1959 or 1960. Unfortunately, the album was released too early for one of the best Johnny Mathis songs, "Misty." Of the songs on the album, probably my favorite is "Wonderful, Wonderful."
