List of Billboard Easy Listening number ones of 1969

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The 5th Dimension had two chart-toppers in 1969. 5th Dimension 1970.jpg
The 5th Dimension had two chart-toppers in 1969.

In 1969, Billboard magazine published a chart ranking the top-performing songs in the United States in the easy listening market. The chart, which in 1969 was entitled Easy Listening, has undergone various name changes and has been published since 1996 under the title Adult Contemporary. [1] In 1969, 17 songs topped the chart based on playlists submitted by easy listening radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores. [1]

Contents

On the first chart of 1969, Glen Campbell held the top spot with "Wichita Lineman", which was in its fourth week at number one, [2] and remained atop the chart for a further two weeks. Campbell would go on to top the chart with "Galveston" and "Try a Little Kindness", making him the only act to achieve three Easy Listening number ones in 1969. His total of ten weeks in the top spot was also the highest achieved by any act during the year. The only other act with multiple chart-toppers during the year was the 5th Dimension, who reached the top spot with "Medley: Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)" and "Wedding Bell Blues". The longest unbroken run at number one by a song was eight weeks, achieved by the conductor [3] Henry Mancini's "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet". Unusually, the number-one song on Billboard's year-end easy listening chart for the year was a track which did not reach number one in the weekly charts: "Hurt So Bad" by the Lettermen. [4] [5]

Several of 1969's chart-toppers came from films and stage musicals. These included Mancini's theme from the film Romeo and Juliet , [6] Oliver's song "Jean" from the film The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie , [7] "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" by B. J. Thomas from the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid , [8] the 5th Dimension's medley of two songs from the musical Hair , [9] and Sammy Davis Jr.'s version of "I've Gotta Be Me", which placed highly on both the easy listening and pop charts even though the musical in which it originated, Golden Rainbow , was unsuccessful. [10] There was considerable crossover in 1969 between the Easy Listening chart and Billboard's pop chart, the Hot 100. Five songs topped both listings during the year: Mancini's "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet", [11] both of the 5th Dimension's chart-toppers, [12] "In the Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)" by Zager and Evans, [13] and "Leaving on a Jet Plane" by Peter, Paul and Mary. [14] Additionally, the final Easy Listening number one of the year, "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head", went on to top the Hot 100 early in 1970. [14] Although Zager and Evans achieved the feat of topping both listings, the duo proved to be a one-hit wonder and never placed another song on either the pop or easy listening chart. [13] [15] [16]

Chart history

Glen Campbell had three number ones in 1969. Glen Campbell 1967.JPG
Glen Campbell had three number ones in 1969.
Sammy Davis Jr. spent seven weeks at number one with "I've Gotta Be Me", a song from the short-lived stage musical Golden Rainbow. Sammy Davis Jr. performing 1966.JPG
Sammy Davis Jr. spent seven weeks at number one with "I've Gotta Be Me", a song from the short-lived stage musical Golden Rainbow .
Henry Mancini's "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet" was the year's longest-running number one. Henry Mancini.jpg
Henry Mancini's "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet" was the year's longest-running number one.
Chart history
Issue dateTitleArtist(s)Ref.
January 4"Wichita Lineman" Glen Campbell [2]
January 11 [17]
January 18 [18]
January 25"I've Gotta Be Me" Sammy Davis Jr. [19]
February 1 [20]
February 8 [21]
February 15 [22]
February 22 [23]
March 1 [24]
March 8 [25]
March 15"You Gave Me a Mountain" Frankie Laine [26]
March 22 [27]
March 29"Galveston" Glen Campbell [28]
April 5 [29]
April 12 [30]
April 19 [31]
April 26 [32]
May 3 [33]
May 10"Medley: Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)" The 5th Dimension [34]
May 17 [35]
May 24"Happy Heart" Andy Williams [36]
May 31 [37]
June 7"Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet" Henry Mancini [38]
June 14 [39]
June 21 [40]
June 28 [41]
July 5 [42]
July 12 [43]
July 19 [44]
July 26 [45]
August 2"Spinning Wheel" Blood, Sweat & Tears [46]
August 9 [47]
August 16"In the Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)" Zager and Evans [48]
August 23 [49]
August 30" A Boy Named Sue " Johnny Cash [50]
September 6 [51]
September 13"I'll Never Fall in Love Again" Tom Jones [52]
September 20"Jean" Oliver [53]
September 27 [54]
October 4 [55]
October 11 [56]
October 18"Is That All There Is?" Peggy Lee [57]
October 25 [58]
November 1"Wedding Bell Blues" The 5th Dimension [59]
November 8 [60]
November 15"Try a Little Kindness" Glen Campbell [61]
November 22"Leaving on a Jet Plane" Peter, Paul and Mary [62]
November 29 [63]
December 6 [64]
December 13"Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" B. J. Thomas [65]
December 20 [66]
December 27 [67]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">In the Year 2525</span> 1969 single by Zager and Evans

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Love Theme from <i>Romeo and Juliet</i> Single by Henry Mancini

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spinning Wheel (song)</span> Single by Blood, Sweat & Tears

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<i>Get Together with Andy Williams</i> 1969 studio album by Andy Williams

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Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head is the twenty-fifth studio album by American pop singer Andy Williams and was released in the spring of 1970 by Columbia Records. Williams was less focused on covering recent hits on this project and instead selected several songs from the singer-songwriter genre. The concept for the album came from Mason Williams, who contacted producer Dick Glasser about co-producing an album that would give Williams's fans a medley of songs that did more than just highlight the most familiar parts of popular songs but rather focus on a unifying theme or storyline of songs that were not necessarily hit records. Billboard magazine opined that the album "may well be titled 'A Journey Through Life.' Through carefully selected songs it conveys a message of dreams, hopes, reality, frustrations and ultimate truth."

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Odds and Ends (song)</span> 1969 single by Dionne Warwick

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References

  1. 1 2 Whitburn 2007, p. vi.
  2. 1 2 "Adult Contemporary chart for January 4, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 16, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  3. ↑ Cassidy, Kenneth M. "Henry Mancini Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  4. ↑ Whitburn 2002, p. 144.
  5. ↑ "Top Records of 1969", Billboard , p. 17, December 27, 1969
  6. ↑ Breihan, Tom (November 27, 2018). "The Number Ones: Henry Mancini's "Love Theme From Romeo And Juliet"". Stereogum . Archived from the original on January 19, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  7. ↑ Hogan, Ed. "Oliver Biography & History". AllMusic . Archived from the original on January 20, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  8. ↑ Hayward, Anthony (June 10, 2021). "BJ Thomas: Grammy-winning musician who sang Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head". The Independent . Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  9. ↑ Huey, Steve. "The 5th Dimension Biography & History". AllMusic . Archived from the original on January 19, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  10. ↑ Fishgall 2010, p. 390.
  11. ↑ Whitburn 2005, p. 437, 990.
  12. ↑ Whitburn 2005, p. 242, 990.
  13. 1 2 Whitburn 2005, p. 785, 990.
  14. 1 2 Whitburn 2005, p. 544, 990.
  15. ↑ Whitburn 2002, p. 265.
  16. ↑ Breihan, Tom (November 28, 2018). "The Number Ones: Zager & Evans' "In The Year 2525″". Stereogum . Archived from the original on January 19, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for January 11, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 20, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  18. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for January 18, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 20, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  19. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for January 25, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 20, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  20. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for February 1, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 20, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  21. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for February 8, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  22. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for February 15, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  23. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for February 22, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  24. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for March 1, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  25. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for March 8, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  26. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for March 15, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  27. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for March 22, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  28. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for March 29, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  29. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for April 5, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  30. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for April 12, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  31. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for April 19, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  32. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for April 26, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  33. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for May 3, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  34. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for May 10, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  35. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for May 17, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  36. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for May 24, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  37. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for May 31, 1969". Billboard . Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  38. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for June 7, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  39. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for June 14, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  40. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for June 21, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  41. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for June 28, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  42. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for July 5, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  43. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for July 12, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  44. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for July 19, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  45. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for July 26, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  46. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for August 2, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  47. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for August 9, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  48. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for August 16, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  49. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for August 23, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  50. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for August 30, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  51. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for September 6, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  52. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for September 13, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  53. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for September 20, 1969". Billboard . Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  54. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for September 27, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  55. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for October 4, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
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  58. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for October 25, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  59. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for November 1, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  60. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for November 8, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
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  62. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for November 22, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  63. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for November 29, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  64. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for December 6, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  65. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for December 13, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  66. ↑ "Adult Contemporary chart for December 20, 1969". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
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