In 1965, Billboard magazine published a chart ranking the top-performing songs in the United States which were considered to be "easy listening" or "middle of the road"; the chart underwent a significant change during the year. Since its first publication in 1961, the listing had been compiled by simply extracting from the magazine's pop music chart, the Hot 100, those songs which the magazine's staff deemed to be of an appropriate style and ranking them according to their placings on the Hot 100. At the start of 1965, the chart used this methodology and was published under the title Middle-Road Singles. [1] The title changed to Pop-Standard Singles in the issue of Billboard dated May 1. [1] With effect from the issue dated June 5, 1965, however, the magazine dropped the Pop-Standard listing and began compiling an Easy Listening top 40 wholly independent of the Hot 100, based on playlists submitted by easy listening radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores. [1] At the time, Billboard promoted the revamped listing as a brand new chart, with each song in the June 5 issue shown as being in its first week on the chart, [2] but the magazine now regards the charts before and after the methodology change as one unbroken lineage. [3] The chart has undergone various name changes and since 1996 has been published under the title Adult Contemporary. [1]
On the first chart of 1965, the number one song was "The Wedding" by the British singer Julie Rogers, [4] which held the top spot for three weeks before being replaced by another British act, Chad & Jeremy, [5] with their single "Willow Weep for Me". The longest unbroken run at number one during 1965 was ten weeks, achieved by Roger Miller with "King of the Road" between February and April. The highest total number of weeks achieved by an artist was the 12 weeks which Elvis Presley spent in the top spot between May and October with "Crying in the Chapel", "(Such an) Easy Question" and "I'm Yours". Presley was the only artist with more than one Easy Listening number one during the year, although all three of his chart-toppers were older songs which were not released as singles until 1965. [6] "Crying in the Chapel", which had been recorded in 1960 but never previously released, [7] held the number one position on the first chart compiled under the new methodology in June.
The final number one of the year was "Make the World Go Away" by Eddy Arnold. Like "King of the Road" earlier in the year, Arnold's song also reached the top position on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart. [8] None of 1965's Easy Listening number ones topped the Hot 100, [9] which at the time was largely dominated by the rock and roll-influenced style of acts from the United Kingdom associated with the so-called British Invasion, such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. [10] [11] "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You" by Dean Martin and "Have You Looked into Your Heart" by Jerry Vale, consecutive number ones on the Middle-Road Singles chart in January and February, both peaked outside the top 20 of the Hot 100. [12]
† | Indicates number one on Billboard's year-end easy listening chart for 1965 [13] |
The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by Billboard magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to Billboard by stations that are members of the Adult Contemporary radio panel. The chart debuted in Billboard magazine on July 17, 1961. Over the years, the chart has gone under a series of name changes, being called Easy Listening(1961–1962; 1965–1979), Middle-Road Singles(1962–1964), Pop-Standard Singles(1964–1965), Hot Adult Contemporary(1984–1996) and Adult Contemporary(1979–1984, 1996–present) The current number-one song on the chart is "Flowers" by Miley Cyrus.
"You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" is a song written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and performed by R&B singer Lou Rawls on his 1976 album All Things in Time. The song proved to be Rawls' breakthrough hit, reaching number 1 on both the R&B and Easy Listening charts as well as number 4 on the dance chart and number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100. This was the first and only time that one of Rawls' records reached Billboard's pop Top Ten.
"I'll Never Fall in Love Again" is a popular song by composer Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David that was written for the 1968 musical Promises, Promises. Several recordings of the song were released in 1969; the most popular versions were by Dionne Warwick, who took it to number 6 on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 and spent three weeks topping the magazine's list of the most popular Easy Listening songs, and Bobbie Gentry, who topped the UK chart with her recording and also peaked at number 1 in Australia and Ireland, number 3 in South Africa and number 5 in Norway.
"Longfellow Serenade" is the title of a 1974 song by the American singer-songwriter Neil Diamond. It was written by Diamond, produced by Tom Catalano, and included on Diamond's album Serenade.
"I'm Sorry" is a song written and recorded by American country-folk singer-songwriter John Denver and released in 1975. It was the final number-one pop hit released during his career.
"If You Love Me (Let Me Know)" is a song written by John Rostill that was a 1974 hit single for Olivia Newton-John. It was her second release to hit the top 10 in the United States, reaching number 5 on the pop chart and number 2 on the Easy Listening chart. It also reached number 2 on the Billboard country chart. As with her single "Let Me Be There", Mike Sammes sings a bass harmony. It was nominated for the 1974 Country Music Association Award for Single of the Year.
"My Boy" is a popular song from the early 1970s. The music was composed by Jean-Pierre Bourtayre and Claude François, and the lyrics were translated from the original version "Parce que je t'aime, mon enfant" into English by Phil Coulter and Bill Martin.
"Until It's Time for You to Go" is a song from the 1965 album Many a Mile by American singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie. Sainte-Marie included a French-language reworking of the song, "T'es pas un autre", on her 1967 album Fire & Fleet & Candlelight. French translation was made by Quebecer songwriter Claude Gauthier.
"Hurt" is a 1954 song by Jimmie Crane and Al Jacobs. "Hurt" was originally performed by Roy Hamilton, whose version peaked at number eight on the R&B Best Seller chart and spent a total of seven weeks on the chart. A version by Ricky Denell also received considerable radio airplay in 1954 on pop radio stations. The song is considered to be the signature hit of Timi Yuro, whose version went to number four on the Billboard pop chart in 1961. Elvis Presley’s 1976 version reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart. Juice Newton's 1985 version scored number one on Billboard's Country chart.
"I Love You Because" is a song written and recorded by country music singer-songwriter Leon Payne in 1949. The song has been covered by several artists throughout the years, including hit cover versions by Al Martino in 1963 and Jim Reeves in 1964.
"I'm Yours" is 1961 song recorded by Elvis Presley which appeared on the Pot Luck with Elvis album. The recording was released as a single in 1965. It was written by Don Robertson and Hal Blair.
"I Just Can't Help Believing" is a song written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.
"Stormy" is a hit song by the Classics IV released on their LP Mamas and Papas/Soul Train in 1968. It entered Billboard Magazine October 26, 1968, peaking at #5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and #26 Easy Listening. The final line of the chorus has the singer pleading to the girl: "Bring back that sunny day". The single, along with the prior release of "Spooky" and, soon after, the release of "Traces", formed a trio of solid hits for the band.