Here’s a sampling of charting singles (and B-Sides that charted) from rock and pop music from the 50s through the 80s – the BEST music ever made!
Entries are: Year • Artist • Track Title • Genre • Album • B-Side
(If a non-album single, then [Single]. If the charting track was the B-Side, then [B-Side]. Any “UK” entry designates a single different from its US counterpart).
May 12
1961 • Ricky Nelson • “Hello, Mary Lou” [UK] • Rockabilly • Rick Is 21 • “Travelin’ Man” [Double A-Side]
1961 • Ricky Nelson • “Travelin’ Man” [UK] • Pop-Rock • Rick Is 21 • “Hello Mary Lou” [Double A-Side]
1964 • The Dixie Cups • “Chapel Of Love” [UK] • Girl Group Pop • Chapel Of Love • “Ain’t That Nice”
1965 • Cher • “All I Really Want To Do” • Pop-Rock • All I Really Want To Do • “I’m Gonna Love You”
1967 • Procol Harum • “Whiter Shade Of Pale” [UK] • Prog Rock • Procol Harum • “Lime Street Blues”
1967 • The Byrds • “My Back Pages” [UK] • Folk-Rock • Younger Than Yesterday • “Renaissance Fair”
1967 • Jefferson Airplane • “Somebody To Love” [UK] • Psychedelic Rock • Surrealistic Pillow • “She Has Funny Cars”
1972 • The Staple Singers • “I’ll Take You There” [UK] • Soul-Funk • Be Altitude: Respect Yourself • “I’m Just Another Soldier”
1972 • Paul McCartney & Wings • “Mary Had A Little Lamb” [UK] • Pop/Children’s • [Single] • “Little Woman In Love”
1980 • Billy Joel • “It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me” • Pop-Rock • Glass Houses • “Through The Long Night”
1987 • Janet Jackson • “The Pleasure Principle” • Dance-Pop • Control • “Fast Girls”
1988 • George Harrison • “This Is Love” • Pop-Rock • Cloud Nine • “Breath Away From Heaven”
1994 • Elton John • “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” • Pop-Rock • Can You Feel The Love Tonight • “Can You Feel The Love Tonight?” [Instrumental]
2003 • George Harrison • “Any Road” [UK] • Country-Rock • Brainwashed • “Marwa Blues”
May 13
1965 • Jr. Walker & The All Stars • “Do The Boomerang” • Soul • Shotgun • “Tune Up”
1966 • The Supremes • “Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart” [UK] • Soul-Pop • The Supremes A Go-Go • “He’s All I Got”
1966 • The Rolling Stones • “Paint It, Black” [UK] • Raga Rock • Aftermath • “Long Long While”
1967 • The Grass Roots • “Let’s Live For Today” • Pop-Rock • Let’s Live For Today • “Depressed Feeling”
1968 • Smokey Robinson & The Miracles • “Yester Love” • Soul – Pop • Special Occasion • “Much Better Off”
1971 • The Undisputed Truth • “Smiling Faces Sometimes” • Psychedelic Soul • The Undisputed Truth • “You Got The Love That I Need”
1972 • Tanya Tucker • “Delta Dawn” • Country-Pop • Delta Dawn • “I Love the Way He Loves Me”
1977 • The Clash • “Remote Control” [UK] • Punk-Rock • The Clash • “London’s Burning”
1982 • The Alan Parsons Project • “Eye In The Sky” [UK] • Prog Rock • Eye In The Sky • “Gemini”
1991 • Jane’s Addiction • “Classic Girl” [UK] • Neo-Psychedelia • Ritual De Lo Habitual • “No One’s Leaving” / “Ain’t No Right”
May 14
1960 • Ray Peterson • “Tell Laura I Love Her” • Teen Idol • Tell Laura I Love Her • “Wedding Day”
1963 • Aretha Franklin • “Here’s Where I Came In (Here’s Where I Walk Out)” • Soul • [Single] • “Say It Ain’t So”
1971 • The Hollies • “Hey Willie” [UK] • Brit Beat • [Single] • “Row The Boat Together”
1973 • Seals & Crofts • “Diamond Girl” • Soft Rock • Diamond Girl • “Wisdom”
1977 • Jackson Browne • “The Pretender” • Folk-Rock • The Pretender • “Daddy’s Tune”
1978 • Blondie • “One Way or Another” • New Wave Pop-Rock • Parallel Lines • “Just Go Away”
1982 • Steve Miller Band • “Abracadabra” • Album Rock • Abracadabra • “Baby Wanna Dance”
1982 • John (Cougar) Mellencamp • “Hurts So Good” [UK] • Roots Rock • American Fool • “Close Enough”
1982 • Genesis • “Paperlate” [UK] • Prog Rock • 3 X 3 • “You Might Recall”
1982 • Men At Work • “Who Can It Be Now?” [UK] • New Wave Synth-Pop • Business As Usual • “Anyone For Tennis” [Instrumental]
1983 • Sheriff • “When I’m With You” • Soft Rock • [Single] • “Crazy Without You”
1984 • Wham! • “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” [UK] • Dance-Pop • Make It Big • “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” [Instrumental]
1984 • Elton John • “Sad Songs (Say So Much)” [UK] • Pop-Rock • Breaking Hearts • “A Simple Man”
1988 • John (Cougar) Mellencamp • “Rooty Toot Toot” • Roots Rock • The Lonesome Jubilee • “Check It Out” [Live]
1994 • The B-52’s • “(Meet) The Flintstones” [The B.C. 52s]• Alt. Pop-Rock • The Flintstones[Sndtrk] • “(Meet) The Flintstones” [Barney’s Edit]
May 15
1970 • The Carpenters • “(They Long To Be) Close To You” • Soft Pop • Close To You • “I Kept On Lovin’ You”
1970 • Free • “All Right Now” [UK] • Hard Rock • Fire And Water • “Mouthful Of Grass”
1973 • Blue Ash • “Abracadabra (Have You Seen Her?)” • Power Pop • No More, No Less • “Dusty Old Fairgrounds”
1982 • Genesis • “Paperlate” • Prog Rock • 3 X 3 • “You Might Recall”
1982 • Rush • “Subdivisions” [UK] • Prog/Art Rock • Signals • “Red Barchetta”
1984 • R.E.M. • “So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)” • Alt. Pop-Rock • Reckoning • “Walters Theme”
1984 • Michael Jackson • “Farewell My Summer Love” • Pop-Soul • Farewell My Summer Love • “Call On Me”
1985 • Prince & The Revolution • “Raspberry Beret” • Pop-Rock • Around The World In A Day • “She’s Always in My Hair”
1989 • Paula Abdul • “Forever Your Girl” [UK] • Dance-Pop • Forever Your Girl • “Next To You”
1990 • Mariah Carey • “Vision Of Love” • R&B-Dance • Mariah Carey • “Prisoner”
1992 • The Cure • “Friday I’m In Love” [UK] • Jangle Pop • Wish • “Halo”
May 16
1960 • Brenda Lee • “I’m Sorry” • Country-Pop • Brenda Lee • “That’s All You Got To Do”
1961 • Sam Cooke • “Cupid” • Soul • [Single] • “Farewell My Darling”
1969 • Elton John • “It’s Me That You Need” [UK] • Light Pop • [Single] • “Just Like Strange Rain”
1973 • The Carpenters • “Yesterday Once More” • Soft Pop • Now & Then • “Road Ode”
1975 • The Bee Gees • “Jive Talkin'” [UK] • Disco • Main Course • “Wind Of Change”
1980 • Ramones • “Do You Remember Rock ‘N’ Roll Radio?” • Punk-Rock • End Of The Century • “Let’s Go”
1980 • Sheena Easton • “9 To 5 (Morning Train)” [UK] • Pop-Rock • Sheena Easton • “Moody (My Love)”
1980 • Hall & Oates • “Running From Paradise” [UK] • Blue-Eyed Soul • X-Static • “Bebop” / “Drop”
1984 • Prince & The Revolution • “When Doves Cry” • Dance-Pop • Purple Rain • “17 Days”
1986 • The Rolling Stones • “One Hit (To The Body)” [UK] • Blues-Rock • Dirty Work • “Fight”
1994 • Pink Floyd • “Take It Back” [UK] • Prog Rock • The Division Bell • “Astronomy Domine” [Live]
1994 • Pearl Jam • “Dissident” • Grunge Rock • Vs. • “Rearview Mirror” [Live]
1994 • Pearl Jam • “Dissident” [UK] • Grunge Rock • Vs. • “Rearview Mirror” [Live]
May 17
1963 • Jan & Dean • “Surf City” • Surfer Rock • Surf City And Other Swingin’ Cities • “She’s My Summer Girl”
1963 • The Hollies • “(Ain’t That) Just Like Me” [UK] • Brit Beat • [Single] • “Hey What’s Wrong With Me”
1972 • The Hollies • “Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)” • Pop-Rock • Distant Light • “Look What We’ve Got”
1974 • Steely Dan • “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” [UK] • Pop-Rock • Pretzel Logic • “Any Major Dude Will Tell You”
1974 • Lynyrd Skynyrd • “Don’t Ask Me No Questions” [UK] • Southern Rock • Second Helping • “Take Your Time”
1993 • Tears For Fears • “Break It Down Again” • Synth-Pop • Elemental • “Bloodletting Go”
2004 • Jimmy Buffett • “Hey Good Lookin'” • Neo-Trad Country • License To Chill • [None]
May 18
1961 • Jan & Dean • “Heart And Soul” • Pop-Rock • [Single] • “Those Words”
1967 • Stevie Wonder • “I Was Made To Love Her” • Soul – Pop • I Was Made To Love Her • “Hold Me”
1968 • Gary Lewis & The Playboys • “Sealed With A Kiss” • Teen Pop • Gary Lewis Now! • “Sara Jane”
1972 • Looking Glass • “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl)” • Pop-Rock • Looking Glass • “One By One”
1976 • Queen • “You’re My Best Friend” [UK] • Glam Rock Ballad • A Night At The Opera • “’39”
1976 • Queen • “You’re My Best Friend” • Glam Rock Ballad • A Night At The Opera • “’39”
1979 • James Taylor • “Up On The Roof” [UK] • Folk-Rock • Flag • “Chanson Française”
1979 • Joe Jackson • “One More Time” [UK] • Post-Punk Hard Rock • Look Sharp! • “Don’t Ask Me”
1982 • Heart • “This Man Is Mine” [UK] • Adult Contemporary • Private Audition • “America”
1984 • The Style Council • “You’re The Best Thing” [UK] • Synth-Pop • Café Bleu • “The Big Boss Groove”
1987 • Thompson Twins • “Long Goodbye” [UK] • New Wave Synth-Pop • Close To The Bone • “Dancing In Your Shoes”
2014 • The Flaming Lips feat. Miley Cyrus • “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” • Pop-Rock • With A Little Help From My Friends • [None]
