Music nerds and magazines everywhere are celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the release of Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band this month, so I thought it’d be cool to see what was going on in the singles charts forty years ago. 1967 was a big year in music, not only did The Beatles’ most critically acclaimed album come out that year in June, but The Velvet Underground’s debut album was released in March, Jimi Hendrix lit his first guitar on fire (and burned his hands, he perfected this stunt in later shows), The Stooges formed and played their first ever concert, The Beach Boys’ record company pulled the plug on SMiLE after Brian Wilson couldn’t bring himself to finish the project, Elvis married his Priscilla, Brian Epstein and Otis Redding died - Redding had just recorded “Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay” two days earlier and Jeff Tweedy, Billy Corgan, Noel Gallagher and Kurt Cobain were born that year.

Here are the top 20 most popular singles of 1967:

20. Topol - If I Were A Rich Man
19. Petula Clark - This Is My Song

This list is filled with songs that make you go ‘Oooh yeeeah’, you kinda know these songs but who and when and what is not really clear. These two songs belong in that category, I sort of remember the melodies and even a lalala after the ‘if I were a rich man’ line, but I have no idea why.

18. The Beatles - All You Need Is Love

The happy closing song of the Magical Mystery Tour album and The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Marianne Faithfull, Keith Moon and Graham Nash sang along on this historical first-ever live, international, satellite television broadcasting. A complex song with a simple message. It made such an impact and was number one for 27 weeks, so I expected it much higher up in the chart. Every single person and their mother has shared their opinion about the massive impact The Beatles have made, so I won’t bore you with my unhealthy love for the band.

17. Vince Hill - Edelweiss
16. The Tremeloes - Silence Is Golden
15. The Bee Gees - Massachusetts

Decca chose The Tremeloes over The Beatles when they auditioned them on the same day. It may seem like a blunder now … because it is. BUT this song is really great.
Brian Epstein, the original fifth Beatle passed away a few days after he told the Bee Gees that this song was beautiful and it would be a big summer hit. It became number one in the UK and it launched the brothers Gibb’s career.

14. Keith West - Excerpt from A Teenage Opera
13. Vicki Carr - It Must Be Him
12. The Mamas & The Papas - Dedicated To The One I Love

Oo I’ve posted about The Shirelles version of this song, because it’s one of my favorite poptastic tunes! The Mamas & The Papas version is sweeter and more polished and suits their voices beautifully, but I still prefer The Shirelles.

11. Frank & Nancy Sinatra - Somethin’ Stupid
10. The Monkees - I’m A Believer
09. Procol Harum - Whiter Shade Of Pale

Ah, three wonderful songs in a row. The recent popularty of the cover of “Somethin’ Stupid” by Nicole Kidman and Robbie Williams, the frequent use of the Monkees’ songs in movies and the prominent place “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” gets in every single Greatest Classic Hits chart is proof that you can’t beat a good, solid pop hit.

08. Frankie Vaughan - There Must Be A Way

Hey, Frankie Vaughan wasn’t just a singer, he also negotiated a truce between teenage gangs in Glasgow. Check out this excellent news segment from the 1960’s about the Glasgow Gangs Peace Talk. Apparently Frankie Vaughan - ‘himself a product of streetgangs’ - got through to the kids by ‘talking sense’. It ends saying ‘If a singer can achieve so much, surely world leaders with all their experience can do more.’ One would think so …

07. Tom Jones - I’ll Never Fall In Love Again

The man is unstoppable, at the age of 67 he is still touring and recording! This song is a karaoke classis and it probably still is the cause of many-a airborn panty at his concerts.

06. Sandie Shaw - Puppet On A String

The 1967 winner of the Eurovision Song Contest. I usually can appreciate campy, cheesy, bad pop but I really can’t stand this song, though neither could Sandie Shaw herself.

05. Scott McKenzie - San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hear)
04. Anita Harris - Just Loving You

Aw, I just love the part in “San Francisco” where everything but the bass and Scott’s voice goes quiet. The hippie anthem of the famous 1967 Summer Of Love and still one of my favorites on any ‘Remember The Sixties’ CD. I never heard of the number four single, but I only know Anita Harris’ lovely “Clapping Song”.

03. Engelbert Humperdink - The Last Waltz
02. Engelbert Humperdink - There Goes My Everything
01. Engelbert Humperdink - Release Me

Holy Humperdink, he sure was popular in 1967. I don’t really get the appeal, but in keeping with the Beatles anniversary that started this all, “Release Me” kept “Strawberry Fields Forever” off the number one spot, so who am I to criticize such a tour de force.

Thanks for traveling 40 years back in time with us and as a reward here is an incredible version of the number 18 song of 1967, the additional track from MOJO’s tribute Sgt. Pepper … With A Little Help From My Friends:

Echo & The Bunnymen - All You Need Is Love

You can catch the second half of the BBC radio sessions featuring contemporary artists like Oasis, Kaiser Chiefs The Magic Numbers and many more, and their take on the Sgt. Pepper songs of their choosing 16 June.