“Top 40 Radio Is Here”
October 1956
Beginning in 1950, I started listening to pop music on the radio. This music would include artists such as Patti Page, Perry Como, Eddie Fisher, Teresa Brewer, Guy Mitchell and others. But now in October of 1956, things would change. The music was changing and new artists were coming on the musical scene. It no longer was our parent’s music, it was our music. Some of the old artists were still on the charts but now we would see the emergence of many of the early legends of rock ‘n roll. KOBY, 1550 on your radio dial, would play the new music in the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area and now on October 7, 1956 Top 40 radio would make it’s debut. Some of the songs on the first KOBY survey had been popular for a while and now their popularity would be fading. A good example of this is “The Wayward Wind” by Gogi Grant. This was a monster hit in the summer of 1956 but now in October it would be on the lower portion of the Top 40. Other songs on this first Bay Area Top 40 were brand new. These were the songs that would be on the first KOBY charts in October of 1956
Elvis Presley
Some of the songs on the first KOBY Top 40 would include “Earthbound” by Sammy Davis Jr,, “I Only Know I Love You” by The Four Aces, “Night Lights” and “That’s All There Is To That” by Nat ‘King’ Cole, “Happiness Street” by Tony Bennett, “I Almost Lost My Mind” by Pat Boone, “The Wayward Wind” by Gogi Grant, “Let The Good Times Roll” by Shirley & Lee, “You’ll Never Know” and “It Isn’t Right” by The Platters, “Cindy Oh Cindy” by Eddie Fisher and also by Vince Martin & The Tarriers, “The Miracle Of Love” by Eileen Rodgers, “Ka-Ding-Dong” by The G-Clefs, “The Italian Theme” by Cyril Stapleton and “In The Still Of The Night” by The Five Satins.
Other songs on the first KOBY Top 40 would include “Chains Of Love” by Pat Boone, “Sadie’s Shawl” by Bob Sharples, “The Middle Of The House” by Rusty Draper and also Vaughn Monroe, “The Bus Stop Song” by The Four Lads, “The Green Door” by Jim Lowe
“Be Bop A Lula” by Gene Vincent & The Blue Caps, “Jealous Lover” by Frank Sinatra, “The Fool” by Sanford Clark, “Blueberry Hill” by Fats Domino, “You Don’t Know Me” by Jerry Vale, “When The White Lilacs Bloom” by Lawrence Welk and also by Billy Vaughn, “Song For A Summer Night” by Mitch Miller, “Friendly Persuasion” by Pat Boone, “True Love” by Bing Crosby & Grace Kelly, “Hound Dog” by Elvis Presley, “Honky Tonk” by Bill Doggett, “Allegheny Moon” by Patti Page, “My Prayer” by The Platters, “Soft Summer Breeze” by Eddie Heywood, “Love Me Tender” by Elvis Presley, “Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera Sera)” by Doris Day, “Just Walking In The Rain” by Johnnie Ray, “Tonight You Belong To Me” by Patience & Prudence, “Canadian Sunset” by Hugo Winterhalter and also Andy Williams and “Don’t Be Cruel” by Elvis Presley.
Songs that would debut on the KOBY Top during the remainder of October 1956 were “Anyway You Want Me” and “I Want You, I Need You, I love You” by Elvis Presley, “After The Lights Go Down low” by al Hibbler, “Giant” by Les Baxter, “Money Honey” by Elvis Presley, “The Petticoats Of Portugal” by Dick Jacobs and also Billy Vaughn, “Mama From The Train” by Patti Page and “Lay Down Your Arms” by The Chordettes.
November 1956
Songs that would debut on the KOBY Top 40 in November 1956 would include “Singing The Blues” by Guy Mitchell, “Chains Of Love” by Pat Boone, “I Walk The Line” by Johnny Cash, “Mutual Admiration Society” by Teresa Brewer, “A House With Love In It” by The Four Lads, “High Upon A Mountain” by Andy Williams, “Too Much Monkey Business” by Chuck Berry, “Rip It Up” by Little Richard, “Two Different Worlds” by Jane Morgan *& Roger Williams and “To The Ends Of The Earth” by Nat ‘King’ Cole. Other KOBY newcomers in November would include “Just In Time” by Tony Bennett, “Since I Met You Baby” by Ivory Joe Hunter and also Mindy Carson, “Garden Of Eden” by Joe Valino, “A Rose And A Baby Ruth” by George Hamilton IV, “Nickelodeon Tango” by Johnny Maddox, “Priscilla” by Eddie Cooley & The Dimples, “Theme From War & Peace” by Richard Maltby, “Slow Walk” by Bill Doggett, “Gonna Get Along Without Ya Now” and “Money Tree” by Patience & Prudence, “Goodnight My Love” by Jesse Belvin and also by The McGuire Sisters and “City Of Angels” by The Highlights.
December 1956
Songs that would debut on KOBY in December 1956 would include “Confidential” by Sonny Knight, “Moonlight Gambler” by Frankie Laine, “Jamaica Farewell” by Harry Belafonte, “Crazy With Love” by Guy Mitchell, “Rock A Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody” by Jerry Lewis, “What’s The Reason” by Fats Domino, “Wonderful, Wonderful” by Johnny Mathis, “On London Bridge” by Jo Stafford, “A Thousand Miles Away” by The Heartbeats, “Chincherinchee” by Perry Como, “Love Me” by Elvis Presley, “Blue Monday” by Fats Domino,
“The Banana Boat Song” by Harry Belafonte and also by Vince Martin & The Tarriers, “The Star You Wished Upon” by Gisele Mackenzie, “One In A Million” by The Platters, “Tra La La” by LaVerne Baker, “Don’t Forbid Me” by Pat Boone, “Love Is Strange” by Mickey & Sylvia, “Look Homeward Angel” by Johnnie Ray, “Armen’s Theme” by David Seville and “The Auctioneer” by Leroy Van Dyke. 🙂 🙂 🙂
References: The music surveys of KOBY in the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area in California, U.S.A.
