English rock band Manfred Mann held the #1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 the week of October 20, 1964, with ‘Do Wah Diddy Diddy,’ a song I think I first heard when Bill Murray marches to it in Stripes.
‘Do Wah Diddy Diddy’ started its life as ‘Do-Wah-Diddy,’ a 1963 release by the vocal group The Exciters. That version peaked at #78 before the white boys claimed it and took it to the top of the charts.
This was Manfred Mann’s only #1 hit in the U.S., though keyboardist Mann later formed another group, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, which reached #1 with a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Blinded by the Light.’
There she was just walkin’ down the street
Singin’, “Do wah diddy, diddy, dum diddy do”
Snappin’ her fingers and shufflin’ her feet
Singin’, “Do wah diddy diddy, dum diddy do”
[Hook 1]
She looked good (Looked good)
She looked fine (Looked fine)
She looked good, she looked fine
And I nearly lost my mind
[Verse 2]
Before I knew it she was walkin’ next to me
Singin’, “Do wah diddy diddy, dum diddy do”
Holdin’ my hand just as natural as can be
Singin’, “Do wah diddy diddy, dum diddy do”
[Hook 2]
We walked on (Walked on)
To my door (My door)
We walked on to my door
Then we kissed a little more
[Bridge]
Whoa, oh
I knew we was falling in love
Yes, I did and so I told her
All the things, I’d been dreamin’ of
[Verse 3]
Now we’re together nearly every single day
Singin’, “Do wah diddy diddy, dum diddy do”
We’re so happy and that’s how we’re gonna stay
Singin’, “Do wah diddy diddy, dum diddy do”
[Hook 3]
Well, I’m hers (I’m hers)
She’s mine (She’s mine)
I’m hers, she’s mine
Wedding bells are gonna chime
[Bridge]
Whoa, oh
I knew we was falling in love
Yes, I did and so I told her
All the things, I’d been dreamin’ of
[Verse 3]
Now we’re together nearly every single day
Singin’, “Do wah diddy diddy, dum diddy do”
We’re so happy and that’s how we’re gonna stay
Singin’, “Do wah diddy diddy, dum diddy do”
[Hook 3]
Well, I’m hers (I’m hers)
She’s mine (She’s mine)
I’m hers, she’s mine
Wedding bells are gonna chime
[Outro]
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh yeah
Do wah diddy diddy, dum diddy do, we’ll sing it
Do wah diddy diddy, dum diddy do
Do wah diddy diddy, dum diddy do
Meet Me In Montauk 
Know the song well, probably also initially from Stripes, but had no idea it was Manfred Mann.
Well…this took me down the rabbit hole a bit, as I immediately confused it (before listening) with The Boy From New York City, which opens with “ooh wah ooh wah cool cool kitty” – easy mistake, right? That song will probably never be featured here, as the original recorded by the Ad Libs peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965, but really deserves a listen. It did inspire a response song, The Girl From New York City, by the Beach Boys, and eventually reappeared on the charts in 1981 courtesy of The Manhattan Transfer. Thanks for re-sparking some neurons this morning!