“A Music Tragedy & The New Arrival”
January 1959
Songs that would debut on the KOBY Top 40 this month were “Stagger Lee” by Lloyd Price, “All American Boy” by Bill Parsons (Bobby Bare), “Let’s Love” by Johnny Mathis, “Lucky Lady Bug” by Billie & Lillie, “I’m A Man” by Fabian, “It’s Only The Beginning” by The Kalin Twins, “Petite Fleur” by Chris Barber, “The Tipsy Piano” by Helmut Zacharias, “The Shag” by Billy Graves, “The Wedding” by June Valli, “The Children’s Marching Song” by Cyril Stapleton, “My Heart Sings” by Paul Anka, “With The Wind And Rain In Your Hair” by Pat Boone, “The Diary” by Neil Sedaka, “Blue Hawaii” by Billy Vaughn, “Nobody But You” by Dee Clark, “Peter Gunn” by Ray Anthony (this was the theme song from the TV show of the same name), “I’ve Had It” by The Bell Notes, “Oh Why” by The Teddy Bears and “Sea Cruise” by Frankie Ford.
February 1959
This was the month when tragedy rocked the music world.
In 1971 Don MacLean would have a big hit with “American Pie”. In this song there was reference to “the day the music died”, referring to the tragic event of February 3, 1959. However, the music never really dies-it lives on with all of us. Songs that would debut on the KOBY Top 40 this month were “Midnight Oil” by Charlie Blackwell, “Manhattan Spiritual” by Reg Owens, “Evening Rain” by Earl Grant, “Charlie Brown” by The Coasters, “Ambrose, Part 5” by Linda Laurie, “Blah, Blah, Blah” by Nicola Paone, “I Got A Wife” by The Mark IV, “Girl On Page 44” by The Four Lads, “I Cried A Tear” by LaVern Baker, “Tragedy” by Thomas Wayne, “Don’t Take Your Guns To Town” by Johnny Cash, “Alvin’s Harmonica” by The Chipmunks,”She Say” by The Diamonds, “Rawhide” by Link Wray, “Venus” by Frankie Avalon, “Apple Blossom Time” by Tab Hunter, “Bells Are Ringing” by The Van Dykes, “May You Always” by The McGuire Sisters, “The Morning Side Of The Mountain” by Tommy Edwards, “It’s Just A Matter Of Time” by Brook Benton, “Telling Lies” by Fats Domino, “Never Be Anyone Else But You” and “It’s Late” by Ricky Nelson, “So Young So Wise” by Ronnie Height, “The Lonely One” by Duane Eddy, “There Must Be A Way” by Joni James and “Come Softly To Me” by The Fleetwoods.
March 1959
Songs that would debut on the KOBY Top 40 this month were “My Man” by Peggy Lee, “Madrid” by Nat ‘King’ Cole, “Trade Winds” and “Hawaiian War Chant” by Billy Vaughn, “Tan Shoes And Pink Shoelaces” by Dodie Stevens, “Heavenly Lover” by Teresa Brewer, “Tomboy” by Perry Como, “Where Were You On Our Wedding Day” by Lloyd Price, “Tijuana Jail” by The Kingston Trio, “Snake Eyes” by Alvin “Red” Taylor, “Everybody Likes To Cha Cha Cha” by Sam Cooke, “If I Didn’t Care” by Connie Francis, “I Need Your Love Tonight” and “A Fool Such As I” by Elvis Presley, “Since I Don’t Have You” by The Skyliners, “Yep” by Duane Eddy, “Turn Me Loose” by Fabian, “For A Penny” by Pat Boone, “You Can’t Be True Dear” by The Mary Kaye Trio, “Tell Him No” by Dean & Marc, “Guitar Boogie Shuffle” by The Virtues, “I Miss You So” by Paul Anka, “Quiet Village” by Martin Denny, “Take A Message To Mary” by The Everly Brothers and “Guess Who” by Jessie Belvin.
April 1959
Songs that would debut on the KOBY Top 40 this month were “As Time Goes By” by Johnny Nash, “Sorry (I Ran All The Way Home)” by The Impalas, “This Should Go On Forever” by Rod Bernard, “Enchanted” by The Platters, “Memories Are Made Of This” by Roger Williams, “Come To Me” by Marv Johnson, “That’s Why” by Jackie Wilson, “Six Nights A Week” by The Crests, “Bonaparte’s Retreat” by Billy Grammar, “A Teenager In Love” by Dion & The Belmonts, “Gidget” by James Darren, “Kookie Kookie Lend Me Your Comb” by Edd Byrnes & Connie Stevens, “So Fine” by The Fiestas, “Little Queenie” and “Almost Grown” by Chuck Berry, “Kansas City” by Rocky Olson and by Hank Ballard and also by Wilbert Harrison, “Crossfire” by Johnny & The Hurricanes, “Dream Lover” by Bobby Darin, “Endlessly” by Brook Benton and “77 Sunset Strip” by Don Ralke (this was the theme song for the TV show of the same name).
May 1959
Songs that would debut on the KOBY Top 40 this month were “Goodbye Jimmy, Goodbye” by Kathy Linden, “The Battle Of New Orleans” by Johnny Horton, “Someone” by Johnny Mathis, “Only You” by Frank Pourcell, “Tall Cool One” by The Wailers (this song would be back on the charts again in April of 1964), “Personality” by Lloyd Price, “Frankie’s Man Johnny” by Johnny Cash, “Bongo Rock” by Preston Epps, “Blue Guitar” by Larry Lawrence, “Toni” by The Tradewinds, “Week Of Loneliness” by Mike Smith, “Three Stars” by Tommy Dee (this song was a tribute to the three rock stars that died in a plane crash in Iowa in February of this year), “Tallahassee Lassie” by Freddie Cannon, “I’m Ready” and “Margie” by Fats Domino, “I Only Have Eyes For You” by The Flamingos, “Frankie” by Connie Francis, “You Made Me Love You” by Nat ‘King’ Cole, “Lonely Boy” by Paul Anka, “Hushabye” by The Mystics and “The Wonder Of You” by Ray Peterson.
June 1959
This month would feature the arrival of a new Top 40 radio station in the Bay Area -KEWB. Their first Top 40 survey would be on the week of June 13-20.
Gary Owens would be he morning personality on KEWB (in the latter part of the 1960’s he would find fame as the announcer for the popular TV show “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh In”). Since the KEWB surveys start in the middle of the month, I will use the surveys from KOBY this month and starting in July of 1959 I will use KEWB. The competition will be too much for KOBY, in about 5 months they will no longer be a TOP 40 station. KEWB will become the new Top 40 leader in the Bay Area. Soon, they will have a powerful Top 40 competitor in the Bay Area
Songs that would debut on the KOBY Top 40 this month were “Zooba” by Don Ralke, “Thunder Wagon” by The Noblemen, “Along Came Jones” by The Coasters, “My Melancholy Baby” by Tommy Edwards, “La Plume De Tante” by Hugo &m Luigi, “Boy Without A Girl” and Bobby Sox To Stockings” by Frankie Avalon, “Taboo” by Arthur Lyman, “M.T.A.” by The Kingston Trio, “Waterloo” by Stonewall Jackson, “Just Keep It Up” by Dee Clark, “Tiger” by Fabian, “Like Young” by Andre Previn, “Twixt Twelve And Twenty” by Pat Boone, “Angel Face” by James Darren, “You’re So Fine” by The Falcons, “This I Swear” by The Skyliners, “My Heart Is An Open Book” by Carl Dobkins Jr., “Mona Lisa” by Conway Twitty, “40 Miles Of Bad Road” and “The Quiet Three” by Duane Eddy, “Cap And Gown” by Marty Robbins, “Remember When” by The Platters, “Back In The U.S.A” by Chuck Berry, “There Goes My Baby” by The Drifters and “Cherrystone” by The Addrisi Brothers. Songs that would debut on KEWB this month, but not on KOBY were “High Hopes” by Frank Sinatra, “The Way I Walk” by Jack Scott, “Gotta New Girl” by Bobby Day, “Oh What A Fool” by The Impalas and “Little Girl” by Ritchie Valens. 🙂 🙂 🙂
References: “The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Hits, 9th Edition” by Joel Whitburn and the music surveys of KOBY and KEWB in the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area in California, U.S.A.
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