10) Elvis Presley: 'Can't Help Falling in Love With You'
The song was rewritten from a french version called 'Plaisir d'amour' by Jean Paul Egide Maritini. Elvis premiered his version of this oldies song his 1961 film ''Blue Hawaii.' Over 25 years later, R&B group UB40 brought it back to number one and since then it's been covered by everyone from U2 to Taiwanese boyband, F-4.
9) Frankie Valli: 'Sherry'
The "Sherry" in this Frankie Valli song was actually originally supposed to be "Jackie" -- in honor of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Instead of "Jackie Baby," the writers went with "Terri Baby" which was eventually changed to "Sherry Baby," after of writer Bob Gaudio's best friend DJ Jack Spector's daughter.
8) The Tokens: 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight'
The original version of this oldies hit dates all the way back to 1939, when it was recorded by its writer Solomon Linda and his group, The Evening Birds -- who originally called it "Mbube" or Zulu for "lion".
7) Dion and the Belmonts: 'Runaround Sue'
Written about a man whose ex-girlfriend had commitment issues, causing her to "run around" with others, this 1961 oldies hit made it all the way to #1. It also ranks at #342 on the Rolling Stone magazine list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
6) Percy Sledge: 'When a Man Loves a Woman'
Percy Sledge's oldies song mega-hit took over the top of the charts when it was released in 1966. 25 years later, Michael Bolton covered the song which also reached number one on the charts and won him a Grammy Award.
5) Roy Orbison: 'Oh, Pretty Woman'
Supposedly inspired by Orbison's wife, Claudette, the song caused controversy in 1989 when rap group 2 Live Crew recorded a parody of the song. They sampled the bassline from the iconic track, but the lyrics were replaced with a bit cruder language. This prompted Orbison to sue. The case went all the way to the US Supreme Court, although it ruled in 2 Live Crew's favor and greatly expanding the doctrine of fair use in music.
4) The Temptations: 'My Girl'
Written by The Miracles' Smokey Robinson and Ronald White, 'My Girl' became The Temptations' first #1 hit. Rolling Stone ranked the oldies classic as the #88 greatest song of all time. Aside from the popular 1991 film of the same name, the song has been featured in a plethora of sitcoms including, 'Full House', 'Fresh Prince of Bel Air', 'Family Matters', and 'Boy Meets World.'
3) Patsy Cline: 'Crazy'
Willie Nelson originally wrote this song for Billy Walker, but Walker turned it down. The oldies hit then went to country superstar Patsy Cline and immediately became a hit. As a result, the song's success helped start Nelson's career as a performer and songwriter.
2) Ben E. King: 'Stand By Me'
Ben E. King originally wrote 'Stand By Me' for The Drifters -- who actually decided not to record the song. King might not have recorded the song himself, if he didn't happen to have extra studio time to fill. Fortunately he did record the song, and this oldies classic went on to become the fourth-most performed song of the 20th century.
1) The Righteous Brothers: 'Unchained Melody'
Our No. 1 oldies song is one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century -- inspiring over 500 versions in hundreds of different languages. Aside from The Righteous Brothers, artists who have covered the much-loved tune include Elvis, Cyndi Lauper, Barry Manilow, and Roy Orbison. 'Unchained Melody' still remains in the pop culture conscious, becoming a popular song to perform for reality TV singing contests such as American Idol.
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1. Can you play some Johnny Tillotson, Dick & Deede, Skeeter Davis and my favorite year of music, 1961.
Thanks
Posted at 2:44PM on Aug 28th 2009 by Glenn