The week of July 26, 1966, found English rock band The Troggs atop the Billboard Hot 100 with their classic hit ‘Wild Thing.’ This was one of two top ten hits for the band in the U.S., with the following year’s ‘Love is All Around’ reaching #7.
‘Wild Thing’ was written by Chip Taylor for the American band The Wild Ones. Their version, released six months earlier, failed to make a splash. It’s not dissimilar from The Troggs’ recording, but lacks its swagger and immediacy.
Throwing back to the week of July 25, 1956, we find those stalwarts Pat Boone and Gogi Grant holding on to the top spots with ‘I Almost Lost My Mind‘ and ‘The Wayward Wind,’ respectively.
Hot on their heels was that young whippersnapper Elvis Presley, whose second single, ‘I Want You, I Need You, I Love You,’ tried to replicate the success of smash hit ‘Heartbreak Hotel.’ It didn’t quite make it — peaking at #3 on this chart — but it did give Elvis his first #1 on the Country chart.
Phoebe Bridgers’ next release (and most recent, at least until next month’s album drop) was her first full-length album with Boygenius.
She, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker reunited in 2023 to release The Record, an album that built on the promise of their 2018 EP. It was a major critical success, landing seven Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year, and winning three.
After a couple of collaborative projects, Phoebe Bridgers recorded her second solo album for a June 2020 release. Maybe those side hustles gave her a creative boost, because that album — Punisher — is her finest work to date.
On Punisher, Bridgers expands her sonic palette without straying too far from the acoustic melancholy of her debut. These songs are a bit more muscular and experimental, and a bit more hooky, without losing any of the emotional resonance.
Phoebe Bridgers has a thing for supergroups. She followed up her Boygenius team-up by pairing with indie singer-songwriter Conor Oberst to form the band Better Oblivion Community Center.
Oberst, the one-man band behind Bright Eyes, also has a thing for supergroups. He released a great album in 2009 as Monsters of Folk, alongside Jim James of My Morning Jacket and singer-songwriter M. Ward.
Meet Me In Montauk 