Throwing back to the week of August 8, 1956, we find the doo-wop group The Platters atop the Billboard singles chart with ‘My Prayer.’
The song was written in 1939 by Romanian violinist Georges Boulanger as an instrumental titled Avant de Mourir, with lyrics later added by Carlos Gomez Barrera and Jimmy Kennedy. It found some success in the U.S. that year as ‘My Prayer,’ including in a recording by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra.
The week of August 2, 1986, was a battle of the Peters, with Peter Cetera’s ‘Glory of Love’ overtaking Peter Gabriel’s ‘Sledgehammer‘ to claim the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
‘Glory of Love’ would spend another week atop the chart before ceding #1 to the world’s hottest star at the time, Madonna. More on that in a couple of weeks.
Throwing back to the week of August 1, 1976, we find Elton John and Kiki Dee atop the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,’ the official Song of the Summer for 1976.
At #2 that week, and for the second straight week, was Gary Wright’s ‘Love is Alive.’ The song peaked in this position during its 27-week run on the chart. That’s nearly two months longer than Wright’s other #2 hit, ‘Dream Weaver.’
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.
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