Adult Contemporary is a chart published by Billboard ranking the top-performing songs in the United States in the adult contemporary music (AC) market. In 1969, 17 songs topped the chart, then published under the title Easy Listening, based on playlists submitted by easy listening radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores. [1]
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 orchestra leader Henry Mancini's "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet".
Several of 1969's chart-toppers came from films and stage musicals. These included Mancini's theme from the film Romeo and Juliet , [3] Oliver's song "Jean" from the film The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie , [4] The 5th Dimension's medley of two songs from the musical Hair , [5] and Sammy Davis Jr.'s version of "I've Gotta Be Me", which was a major hit despite the musical in which it originated, Golden Rainbow , being unsuccessful. [6] [7] There was considerable crossover in 1969 between the Easy Listening chart and Billboard's all-genres chart, the Hot 100. Five songs topped both charts during the year: Mancini's "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet" [3] and both of The 5th Dimension's chart-toppers, [5] as well as "In the Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)" by Zager and Evans [8] and "Leaving on a Jet Plane" by Peter, Paul and Mary. [9] Additionally, the final Easy Listening number one of the year, "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" by B. J. Thomas, went on to top the Hot 100 early in 1970. [10] 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 any of Billboard's charts. [8] [11]
Billboard ranked "Hurt So Bad" by the Lettermen as the best-performing easy listening single of 1969, though it never reached the top position. [12] |
Zager and Evans were an American rock-pop duo active during the late 1960s and early 1970s, comprising Denny Zager and Rick Evans. They are best known for their 1969 No. 1 hit single "In the Year 2525", which earned them one-hit wonder status.
"In the Year 2525 " is a 1969 hit song by the American pop-rock duo of Zager and Evans. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks commencing July 12, 1969. It peaked at number one in the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in August and September that year. The song was written and composed by Rick Evans in 1964 and originally released on a small regional record label in 1968. It was later picked up by RCA Records. Zager and Evans disbanded in 1971.
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 Tracks(1979–1982) and Adult Contemporary(1983–present).
"Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet", also known as "A Time for Us", is an instrumental arranged by Henry Mancini. It was a number-one pop hit in the United States during the year 1969. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on June 28, 1969, and remained there for two weeks; it was also his only Top Ten single on that chart.
"Spinning Wheel" is a song from 1968 by the band Blood, Sweat & Tears, written by Canadian lead vocalist David Clayton-Thomas and appearing on their eponymous album.
Billboard Top Pop Hits is a series of compilation albums released by Rhino Records in 1994 and 1995, each featuring ten recordings from the easy listening charts from a specific year in the 1960s. Ten albums in the series were released, one each for the years from 1960 to 1969.
Love Theme from "Romeo and Juliet" is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on July 30, 1969, by Columbia Records. Of its 11 tracks, eight had been hits for other performers earlier that year, and one of the remaining three, "I'll Never Fall in Love Again", would become a huge success for Dionne Warwick several months later.
"Here to Forever" is a song by American rock band Death Cab for Cutie, the fifth track on their tenth studio album, Asphalt Meadows (2022). It was released as the second single from Asphalt Meadows on July 13, 2022, through Atlantic Records.
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