Introduction to “The Toppermost of the Poppermost”
All about all of the articles about all of the #1 records of the ‘60s
BACK IN THE 1960s, the dissemination of popular culture through the radio waves of the country was far more important than it has been for decades — at least since the world wide web has become, well, worldwide! With the Top 40 format of many AM radio stations, anyone could share in that popular culture, regardless of our personal backgrounds. And back then, almost everyone knew what the #1 record was at any given time, even if they didn’t pay close attention to the Top 40.
Not necessarily the #1 record in the country, but the record that was at the top of the chart on the Top 40 radio station in their neck of the woods. What determined the hits of the week on a national basis were several music industry publications: Billboard and Cash Box were the most prominent.
Each #1 record spoke to the most listeners — and usually the most record buyers — in a way that they wanted to be spoken to at the time it was released.
Diehard fans who lived in a town with a well-stocked newsstand might see four different charts a week. Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was blessed with Leo…
