Alternate List of Billboard #1 Hits: Katarn Edition

[Katarn]

This thread is a kind of sort of unofficial sequel thread to these threads:

• Billboard #1s 1.0
• Billboard #1s 2.0

Unlike the previous threads this one will start out at the very beginning of the Hot 100 on August 4th, 1958 giving us nearly sixty years to work with. The only rules are that you have to wait at least two turns* before posting again, you can only post two weeks at once, and you can't post entries out of order. I'll start with the first two OTL weeks, from there it's up to you guys.

August 4th, 1958: "Poor Little Fool" - Ricky Nelson
August 11th, 1958: "Poor Little Fool" - Ricky Nelson

* Currently changed to three turns after massive amounts of traffic around 1972.

 

[Katarn]

I cast my vote for no plane crash as well. Here's 1958 with the new dates. I had to remove a week at the end, apologies to @TRH. I chose yours since that song already had a week.

August 9th, 1958: "Poor Little Fool" - Ricky Nelson (OTL)
August 16th, 1958: "Poor Little Fool" - Ricky Nelson (OTL)
August 23rd, 1958: "Think It Over" - Buddy Holly (Jovian)
August 30th, 1958: "Think It Over" - Buddy Holly (Jovian)
September 6th, 1958: "Rockin' Robin" - Bobby Day (Unknown)
September 13th, 1958: "Rockin' Robin" - Bobby Day (Unknown)
September 20th, 1958: "Rockin' Robin" - Bobby Day (Mad Bad Rabbit)
September 27th, 1958: "Tutti Frutti" - Roy and the Royals (Mad Bad Rabbit)
October 4th, 1958: "Just a Dream" - Jimmy Clanton (TRH)
October 11th, 1958: "Just a Dream" - Jimmy Clanton (TRH)
October 18th, 1958: "Summertime Blues" - Eddie Cochran (ElloMrTrump)
October 25th, 1958: "Summertime Blues" - Eddie Cochran (ElloMrTrump)
November 1st, 1958: "Summertime Blues" - Eddie Cochran (Katarn)
November 8th, 1958: "Summertime Blues" - Eddie Cochran (Katarn)
November 15th, 1958: "Summertime Blues" - Eddie Cochran (markedward)
November 22nd, 1958: "Summertime Blues" - Eddie Cochran (markedward)
November 29th, 1958: "Tom Dooley" - The Kingston Trio (ElloMrTrump)
December 6th, 1958: "Tom Dooley" - The Kingston Trio (ElloMrTrump)
December 13th, 1958: "It's Only Make Believe" - Conway Twitty (Katarn)
December 20th, 1958: "Big Bopper's Wedding" - The Big Bopper (Katarn)
December 27th, 1958: "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" - The Platters (Charles RB)

 

[Katarn]

Wait, do I need to change my dates?

No.

No, events and entries don't need to coincide. @Katarn can post whenever.

Okay then.

Event: On February 3rd, 1959 Buddy Holly's Winter Dance Party Tour which was already dubbed by its participants as the "tour from hell" was abruptly cancelled after the pilot of a plane Holly had chartered reluctantly refused to fly the plane, revealing that he didn't know how to use many of the plane's instruments. Faced with the prospect of riding yet another of the tours abysmal buses Holly promptly cancelled the rest of the tour.

 

[markedward]

July 25th, 1959: "What'd I Say"- Ray Charles

CBS Nightly News Update, Monday July 20th, 1959:

Walter Cronkite: "This just in. Popular entertainer Pat Boone was killed on impact when the vehicle he was riding in collided into a semi truck earlier this evening. More details on this tragedy as the story unfolds..."

 

[Katarn]

December 5th, 1959: "Stormy Weather" - Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis and Eddie Cochran
December 12th, 1959: "Dance With Me" - The Drifters

Event: Buddy Holly who has largely refrained from touring since his disastrous Winter Dance Party tour announces a new international tour for 1960, including dates in the UK. The supporting acts have yet to be announced. He has also yet to announce the members of his new backing band.

 

[ElloMrTrump]

December 19th, 1959: "Summertime", by Miles Davis
December 26th, 1959: "Summertime", by Miles Davis

Event: Miles Davis announces a 1960 UK tour with Charles Mingus and Ornette Coleman.

 

[Katarn]

1959

January 3rd, 1959: "One Night" - Elvis Presley (Charles RB)
January 10th, 1959: "My Happiness" - Connie Francis (ElloMrTrump)
January 17th, 1959: "Stagger Lee" - Lloyd Price (ElloMrTrump)
January 24th, 1959: "You Don't Want To Let Go" - Roy and the Royals (Mad Bad Rabbit)
January 31st, 1959: "You Don't Want To Let Go" - Roy and the Royals (Mad Bad Rabbit)
February 7th, 1959: "Donna" - Ritchie Valens (Katarn)
February 14th, 1959: "Donna" - Ritchie Valens (Katarn)
February 21st, 1959: "Donna" - Ritchie Valens (TRH)
February 28th, 1959: "16 Candles" - The Crest (TRH)
March 7th, 1959: "Stagger Lee" - Lloyd Price (ElloMrTrump)
March 14th, 1959: "Venus" - Frankie Avalon (ElloMrTrump)
March 21st, 1959: "Venus" - Frankie Avalon (Katarn)
March 28th, 1959: "Alvin's Harmonica" - David Seville and the Chipmunks (Katarn)
April 4th, 1959: "The Battle of New Orleans" - Johnny Horton (TRH)
April 11th, 1959: "The Battle of New Orleans" - Johnny Horton (TRH)
April 18th, 1959: "It Feels Like Forever" - Johnny Mathis (Mad Bad Rabbit)
April 25th, 1959: "Better Not Make Her Mad" - Buddy Holly (Mad Bad Rabbit)
May 2nd, 1959: "(Now and Then There's) A Fool Such As I" - Elvis Presley (Katarn)
May 9th, 1959: "Guitar Boogie Shuffle" - The Virtues (Katarn)
May 16th, 1959: "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" - Charles Mingus (ElloMrTrump)
May 23rd, 1959: "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" - Charles Mingus (ElloMrTrump)
May 30th, 1959: "Little Ole You" - Billy 'Crash' Craddock (Mad Bad Rabbit)
June 6th, 1959: "Little Ole You" - Billy 'Crash' Craddock (Mad Bad Rabbit)
June 13th, 1959: "Little Ole You" - Billy 'Crash' Craddock (markedward)
June 20th, 1959: "It's Late" - Ricky Nelson (markedward)
June 27th, 1959: "Blues at Midnight" - Sun Ra and his Arkestra (ElloMrTrump)
July 4th, 1959: "Blue in Green" - Miles Davis (ElloMrTrump)
July 11th, 1959: "Blue in Green" - Miles Davis (TRH)
July 18th, 1959: "What'd I Say" - Ray Charles (TRH)
July 25th, 1959: "What'd I Say" - Ray Charles (markedward)
August 1st, 1959: "Smokestack Lightnin'" - Howlin' Wolf (Katarn)
August 8th, 1959: "Smokestack Lightnin'" - Howlin' Wolf (Katarn)
August 15th, 1959: "Turnaround" - Ornette Coleman (ElloMrTrump)
August 22nd, 1959: "Turnaround" - Ornette Coleman (ElloMrTrump)
August 29th, 1959: "The Three Bells" - The Browns (TRH)
September 5th, 1959: "The Three Bells" - The Browns (TRH)
September 12th, 1959: "I'm Gonna Get Married" - Lloyd Price (Katarn)
September 19th, 1959: "Red River Rock" - Johnny and the Hurricanes (Katarn)
September 26th, 1959: "Sleepwalk" - Santo and Johnny (ElloMrTrump)
October 3rd, 1959: "Sleepwalk" - Santo and Johnny (ElloMrTrump)
October 10th, 1959: "Sleepwalk" - Santo and Johnny (Brundlefly)
October 17th, 1959: "Here I Am" - The Sawyer Sisters (Brundlefly)
October 24th, 1959: "Drac the Knife" - Alvin and the Chipmunks (Charles RB)
October 31st, 1959: "Drac the Knife" - Alvin and the Chipmunks (Charles RB)
November 7th, 1959: "Stormy Weather" - Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis & Eddie Cochran (ElloMrTrump)
November 14th, 1959: "Stormy Weather" - Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis & Eddie Cochran (ElloMrTrump)
November 21st, 1959: "Theme from A Summer Place" - Percy Faith and his Orchestra (TRH)
November 28th, 1959: "Theme from A Summer Place" - Percy Faith and his Orchestra (TRH)
December 5th, 1959: "Stormy Weather" - Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis & Eddie Cochran (Katarn)
December 12th, 1959: "Dance With Me" - The Drifters (Katarn)
December 19th, 1959: "Summertime" - Miles Davis (ElloMrTrump)
December 26th, 1959: "Summertime" - Miles Davis (ElloMrTrump)

Just to let you guys know I'm threadmarking all events now, so it would be good if you could mention me when you post one.

 

[ElloMrTrump]

January 30th, 1960: "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues", by Sammy Davis, Jr.
February 6th, 1960: "Summertime", by Miles Davis and Al Martino

Event: While on Miles Davis's flight to the UK, the engines fail, leading to the crash and deaths of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, and others. This tragic event was quickly dubbed "The Day Jazz Died". A string of posthumous singles would be released, to honor the dead, most notably a rerecording of "Summertime" Miles Davis had done before his death(his last recording, in fact), with Al Martino contributing vocals.

 

[markedward]

Its sad, but I felt someone had to die

Meh. I can just throw her into my own timeline eventually.

Edit so I'm not double posting:

February 13th, 1960: "Summertime" by Miles Davis and Al Martino

Jumping back a few months. New York Times, September 22, 1959:

"Buddy Holly's wife Maria Elena has given birth to a healthy baby boy, Charles Mario Holly. The couple has named Ritchie Valens as the Godfather...."

 

[Katarn]

Edit so I'm not double posting

You can actually double post all you like.

February 27th, 1960: "Summertime" - Miles Davis and Al Martino
March 5th, 1960: "Summertime" - Miles Davis and Al Martino

Event: Buddy Holly's UK tour begins with Ritchie Valens, Gene Vincent and many other smaller acts as support (including some local British bands). The tour is instantly marred by "The Day the Jazz Died", with Holly feeling somewhat responsible for the tragedy, as the musicians who died were about to embark on a tour that was seemingly meant to compete with Holly's tour.

 

[Katarn]

April 2nd, 1960: "Wild One" - Bobby Rydell
April 9th, 1960: "Harbor Lights" - The Platters

Event: Near the end of Buddy Holly's UK tour Ritchie Valens came down sick before a show, and had to be replaced at the last minute as the opening act with a young unsigned local band. Holly was so impressed by their performance that he invited them backstage after the show, where one of the band members presented him with a song he wrote. Again impressed, and having been faced with a constantly fluctuating backing band earlier in the tour Holly offered to make them his backing band on the spot. His one gripe was with their name which he felt was too similar to his old band The Crickets, so they changed it to an older name they used to use 'The Moondogs'. They would soon record the song presented to Holly and it would soon be released as a single.

(OOC: For those of you who do understand what I just posted I realize this might be a bit too early, but I've got to go and the thread was really picking up speed. I didn't want to lose my chance.)

 

[Mad Bad Rabbit]

Event: November 8th, 1960. Richard Nixon very narrowly defeats John Kennedy in the 1960 Presidential election.

(Pundits argue Kennedy could have carried Texas and the election, had he been able to convince Senator Lyndon Johnson to be his VP candidate; but bad blood between Johnson and his Robert Kennedy forced him to go with Stuart Symington instead).

 

[Charles RB]

December 31, 1960: "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" - Elvis Presley and the Munich Boys - the third of the jazz-influenced records he recorded while on duty in Munich, but first to reach Number One; in a maudlin mood when he made it, likely inspired by recording jazz after the Day, leads to a song about lonely, distantly-stationed men wondering if girls back home are as lonely.

January 7, 1961: "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" - Elvis Presley and the Munich Boys

EVENT: The success of the Moondogs with Buddy Holly, on both sides of the Atlantic, causes EMI to look for other Liverpudlians bands. They sign up the top act they find: Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. Band drummer Ringo is dead chuffed.

 

[ElloMrTrump]

Event: Meanwhile, Frank Sinatra announces that he has began a "partnership"(avoiding the word band) with Chet Baker and Eddie Cochran, releasing a promo single of minimal trumpet-guitar jazz-pop, in advance of their album titled "Sinatra, Baker, and Cochran".

January 14th, 1961: "It's Only a Paper Moon", by Sinatra, Baker, and Cochran
January 21th, 1961: "It's Only a Paper Moon", by Sinatra, Baker, and Cochran

 

[Mad Bad Rabbit]

Event: January 23rd, 1961 -- "Santa Maria Incident"

Rebels hijack the Santa Maria, a Portuguese cruise liner carrying 600 passengers from Lisbon to Port Everglades, Florida. After being pursued for two weeks by American, Portuguese and Spanish warships, the rebels seek asylum in Cienfuegos, Cuba. Spanish and Brazilian passengers are allowed to leave but American and Portuguese passengers are detained.

The Nixon Administration isn't having this shit. They declare that if the ship with passengers and crew is not freed within 48 hours and the hijackers are not extradited, the U.S. will "respond as necessary".

 

[Katarn]

1960

January 2nd, 1960: "The Big Hurt" - Miss Toni Fisher (markedward)
January 9th, 1960: "The Big Hurt" - Miss Toni Fisher (markedward)
January 16th, 1960: "The Big Hurt" - Miss Toni Fisher (Katarn)
January 23rd, 1960: "The Big Hurt" - Miss Toni Fisher (Katarn)
January 30th, 1960: "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues" - Sammy Davis, Jr. (ElloMrTrump)
February 6th, 1960: "Summertime" - Miles Davis and Al Martino (ElloMrTrump)
February 13th, 1960: "Summertime" - Miles Davis and Al Martino (markedward)
February 20th, 1960: "He'll Have to Stay" - Jeanne Black (TRH)
February 27th, 1960: "Summertime" - Miles Davis and Al Martino (Katarn)
March 5th, 1960: "Summertime" - Miles Davis and Al Martino (Katarn)
March 12th, 1960: "Money (That's What I Want)" - Barrett Strong (markedward)
March 19th, 1960: "Wild One" - Bobby Rydell (ElloMrTrump)
March 26th, 1960: "Wild One" - Bobby Rydell (ElloMrTrump)
April 2nd, 1960: "Wild One" - Bobby Rydell (Katarn)
April 9th, 1960: "Harbor Lights" - The Platters (Katarn)
April 16th, 1960: "Harbor Lights" - The Platters (TRH)
April 23rd, 1960: "Hully Gully" - The Olympics (TRH)
April 30th, 1960: "Stuck On You" - Elvis Presley and the Jordanaires (ElloMrTrump)
May 7th, 1960: "Fate in a Pleasant Mood" - Sun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra (ElloMrTrump)
May 14th, 1960: "O Dio Mio" - Annette (markedward)
May 21st, 1960: "O Dio Mio" - Annette (markedward)
May 28th, 1960: "Windmills of Our Hearts (Theme from Don Quixote)" - Ferrante & Teicher (Mad Bad Rabbit)
June 4th, 1960: "Stairway to Heaven" - Neil Sedaka (ElloMrTrump)
June 11th, 1960: "Stairway to Heaven" - Neil Sedaka (ElloMrTrump)
June 18th, 1960: "Hello Little Girl" - Buddy Holly and the Moondogs (Katarn)
June 25th, 1960: "Hello Little Girl" - Buddy Holly and the Moondogs (Katarn)
July 2nd, 1960: "Ramble On" - Johnny Horton (Mad Bad Rabbit)
July 9th, 1960: "Paper Roses" - Anita Bryant (TRH)
July 16th, 1960: "Only the Lonely (Know How I Feel)" - Roy and the Royals (Katarn)
July 23rd, 1960: "Only the Lonely (Know How I Feel)" - Roy and the Royals (Katarn)
July 30th, 1960: "Because They're Young" - Duane Eddy (ElloMrTrump)
August 6th, 1960: "Because They're Young" - Duane Eddy (ElloMrTrump)
August 13th, 1960: "Because They're Young" - Duane Eddy (markedward)
August 20th, 1960: "Because They're Young" - Duane Eddy (Katarn)
August 27th, 1960: "Because They're Young" - Duane Eddy (Katarn)
September 3rd, 1960: "Because They're Young" - Duane Eddy (ElloMrTrump)
September 10th, 1960: "Because They're Young" - Duane Eddy (ElloMrTrump)
September 17th, 1960: "Because They're Young" - Duane Eddy (Brundlefly)
September 24th, 1960: "I Wanna Go Home" - Jackie DeShannon (Brundlefly)
October 1st, 1960: "Goodbye" - Buddy Holly, Chet Baker and Coleman Hawkins (Katarn)
October 8th, 1960: "Goodbye" - Buddy Holly, Chet Baker and Coleman Hawkins (Katarn)
October 15th, 1960: "Goodbye" - Buddy Holly, Chet Baker and Coleman Hawkins (ElloMrTrump)
October 22nd, 1960: "On the Street Where You Live" - Dean Martin (ElloMrTrump)
October 29th, 1960: "That's All You Gotta Do" - Brenda Lee (TRH)
November 5th, 1960: "That's All You Gotta Do" - Brenda Lee (TRH)
November 12th, 1960: "I Fought the Law" - The Crickets (Katarn)
November 19th, 1960: "I Fought the Law" - The Crickets (Katarn)
November 26th, 1960: "Stay" - Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs (ElloMrTrump)
December 3rd, 1960: "Velvet" - Sun Ra and his Arkestra (ElloMrTrump)
December 10th, 1960: "(I'm Gettin') Nuttin' for Christmas" - Alvin and the Chipmunks (Mad Bad Rabbit)
December 17th, 1960: "(I'm Gettin') Nuttin' for Christmas" - Alvin and the Chipmunks (TRH)
December 24th, 1960: "Georgia On My Mind" - Ray Charles (TRH)
December 31st, 1960: "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" - Elvis Presley and the Munich Boys (Charles RB)

 

[ElloMrTrump]

March 4th, 1961: "Vesuvius", by The Revels
March 11th, 1961: "Bye Bye Blackbird", by Sammy Davis, Jr.

EDIT: Event: Sun Ra, tired of his difficulties with his record label, terminates his contract with them, forming his own label, Saturn Records.

 

[Brundlefly]

April 22nd, 1961: "Let's Fall in Love", by Sinatra, Baker, and Cochran
April 29th, 1961: "Let's Fall in Love", by Sinatra, Baker, and Cochran

EVENT: Meanwhile in Britain, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes have their first Top 10 spot in the charts with their single "Something' Else". Slightly harder and raunchier than the current jazz craze in the charts, but also more experimental and danceable than the local skiffle groups, they instantly struck a chord with younger crowds.

 

[Brundlefly]

October 7th, 1961: "New Day" - Sun Ra and his Arkestra
October 14th, 1961: "Jungle Fever" - Dick Dale and the Del-Tones [1]


[1] Following the Revels' Number one single earlier that year, their style of music - and with them, new up-coming acts like the Del-Tones - became the soundtrack of the summer not only for the surfers' scene in California, but for American kids in all states. The music press couldn't quite get their heads around it. Largely being used to writing about jazz in the years before, critics came up with some confusing labels for the 'cooking' sound of "Jungle Fever": some called it 'surf'n'roll', others 'surf jazz', but due to the early scene being California-based, the label 'Cali jazz' would be the one that stuck.

 

[Charles RB]

Event: Feb 14th, 1961: The Santa Maria Incident ends with the release of all American and Portugeuse passengers, and the extradition of the hijackers - Castro doesn't want to have a fight over it. This was a big poll boost for Nixon! Hijacking leader Henrique Galvão, however, escapes the Cuban round-up. It's suspected, and correctly, he's been allowed to "escape" but Nixon will let Castro have that, it can always be used against them later. (Unknown to the US, Galvão hoped to start a rebel goverment in Angola and Castro's debating whether to help with that)

November 18th, 1961: "Aloha 'Oe" - Elvis Presley - promotional release for his film Blue Hawaii, a somber jazz piece adapting the traditional Hawaiin song. (The rock cover of "Blue Hawaii" had stayed Number 2 for eleven consecutive weeks.)

November 25th, 1961: "Aloha 'Oe" - Elvis Presley