Billboard Top 20, October 5, 1959
Rank..Previous .. # Weeks .. Title .. Artist
#1 .. 2 / 7 Mack The Knife--------------------------Bobby Darin
#2 .. 7 / 6 Put Your Head On My Shoulder------------Paul Anka
#3 .. 1 / 11 Sleep Walk------------------------------Santo & Johnny
#4 .. 4 / 8 Til I Kissed You------------------------The Everly Brothers
#5 .. 3 / 11 The Three Bells-------------------------The Browns
#6 .. 9 / 5 Teen Beat-------------------------------Sandy Nelson
#7 .. 5 / 9 I'm Gonna Get Married-------------------Lloyd Price
#8 .. 12 / 5 Mr. Blue--------------------------------The Fleetwoods
#9 .. 8 / 10 Red River Rock--------------------Johnny & the Hurricanes
#10 .. 11 / 7 Poison Ivy------------------------------The Coasters
#11 .. 6 / 14 Sea Of Love-------------------Phil Phillips & The Twilights
#12 .. 13 / 6 Just Ask Your Heart---------------------Frankie Avalon
#13 .. 10 / 12 Broken Hearted Melody-------------------Sarah Vaughan
#14 .. 19 / 5 Lonely Street---------------------------Andy Williams
#15 .. 15 / 8 Primrose Lane---------------------------Jerry Wallace
#16 .. 16 / 8 Morgen----------------------------------Ivo Robic
#17 .. 17 / 5 The Battle Of Kookamonga----------------Homer & Jethro
#18 .. 21 / 10 I Love You, Porgy-----------------------Nina Simone
#19 .. 23 / 5 Battle Hymn Of The Republic--Mormon Tabernacle Choir
#20 .. 14 / 9 I Want To Walk You Home-----------------Fats Domino
#21 .. 24 / 7 Hey Little Girl-------------------------Dee Clark
#22 .. 40 / 4 Deck Of Cards---------------------------Wink Martindale
#23 .. 50 / 3 Don't You Know--------------------------Della Reese
#24 .. 31 / 4 A Worried Man---------------------------The Kingston Trio
#25 .. 20 / 12 Makin' Love-----------------------------Floyd Robinson
#26 .. 18 / 10 Baby Talk-------------------------------Jan & Dean
#27 .. 26 / 8 Mary Lou-------------------Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks
#28 .. 42 / 3 Say Man---------------------------------Bo Diddley
#29 .. 30 / 4 Fools Hall Of Fame----------------------Pat Boone
#30 .. 29 / 9 I Ain't Never---------------------------Webb Pierce
#31 .. 35 / 8 The Angels Listened In------------------The Crests
#32 .. 37 / 5 Come On And Get Me----------------------Fabian
#33 .. 33 / 5 You Were Mine---------------------------The Fireflies
#34 .. 46 / 4 Seven Little Girls----------------------Paul Evans
#35 .. 34 / 6 You're Gonna Miss Me--------------------Connie Francis
#36 .. 27 / 10 Caribbean-------------------------------Mitchell Torok
#37 .. 32 / 11 I'm Gonna Be A Wheel Some Day--------Fats Domino
#38 .. 28 / 6 The Three Bells (The Jimmy Brown Story)-Dick Flood
#39 .. 22 / 15 Kissin' Time----------------------------Bobby Rydell
#40 .. 25 / 16 Lavender Blue---------------------------Sammy Turner |
Bobby Darin had his first hit record in 1958 with "Splish Splash" which he co-wrote with disk jockey Murray the K. It made it to #3. In the spring of 1959 Darin had a #2 hit with "Dream Lover" which he wrote. On October 5th, 1959, he completed the progression when "Mack the Knife" made it to number one. But he didn't write "Mack the Knife" -- it was adapted from the German musical "The Threepenny Opera." It was a 'moritat" -- a murder ballad. It was used in the play to introduce the villain of the show, Macheath. Under the title, "Moritat" it had been a top ten single as an instrumental in 1956. But Darin gave the most popular rendition -- it was in the top forty for 22 weeks, spending 9 weeks at #1.
Two other songs on the October 5th chart were past number ones. "Sleep Walk" had toped the chart in September and "The Three Bells" in August. The Fleetwoods would knock "Mack the Knife" out of the top spot on November 16th with "Mr. Blue" (but Darin's song would regain the position the next week).
The October 5th chart was quite eclectic as the country "The Battle of Kookamonga," the show tune, "I Love You, Porgy,"the foreign language "Morgen," and the patriotic chorale, "Battle Hymn of the Republic" all co-existed. The chart was also notable for the successful instrumentals: "Sleep Walk," "Teen Beat,"and "Red River Rock."
But of course rock and roll was still well represented with The Everly Brothers' seventh top ten hit, "Til I Kissed You", and Phil Phillips' one hit wonder, "Sea of Love." |
