ALL TIME ROCK & ROLL COUNTDOWN

(Top 40 hits from 1955 - 1972)

Broadcast Fourth Of July Weekend 1972 (1 July 1972)

(2nd Anniversary Show)

Title Artist Year
1

The Twist

Chubby Checker 1960/62
2 Hey Jude The Beatles 1968
3 Mack the Knife Bobby Darin 1959
4 I Want To Hold Your Hand The Beatles 1964
5 I'm a Beliver The Monkees 1966
6 All Shook Up Elvis Presley 1957
7 Don't Be Cruel/Hound Dog Elvis Presley 1956
8 Love Letters In the Sand Pat Boone 1957
9 Jailhouse Rock Elvis Prelsey 1957
10 Sixteen Tons "Tennessee" Ernie Ford 1955
11 (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear Elvis Presley  1957
12 Singing the Blues Guy Mitchell 1956
13 (We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock Bill Haley and His Comets 1955
14 Theme From "A Summer Place" Percy Faith and His Orchestra 1960
15 Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head B.J. Thomas 1970
16 Sugar Sugar The Archies 1969
17 I Heard It Through the Grapevine Marvin Gaye 1968
18 Joy To the World Three Dog Night 1971
19 Love Me Tender Elvis Presley 1956
20 I'll Be There Jackson 5 1970
21 Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures) (Medley) The 5th Dimension 1969
22 Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White Prez Prado and His Orchestra 1955
23 Autumn Leaves Roger Williams 1955
24 It's All In the Game Tommy Edwards 1958
25 American Pie (Parts 1 and 2) Don McLean 1972
26 I Think I Love You The Partridge Family 1970
27 It's Now Or Never Elvis Presley 1960
28 Are You Lonesome To-night? Elvis Presley 1960
29 Knock Three Times Dawn 1971
30 Maggie May/Reason To Believe Rod Stewart 1971
31 Love Is Blue Paul Mauriat 1968
32 Bridge Over Troubled Water Simon and Garfunkel 1970
33 It's Too Late/I Feel the Earth Move Carole King 1971
34 Memories Are Made Of This Dean Martin 1956
35 Tammy Debbie Reynolds 1957
36 At the Hop Danny and the Juniors 1958
37 The Battle Of New Orleans Johnny Horton 1959
38 To Sir With Love Lulu 1967
39 I Can't Stop Loving You Ray Charles 1962
40 Big Girls Don't Cry The Four Seasons 1962

Note: This was the first time AT40 ever did an "Anniversary Special" countdown, a tradition that would continue off and on until the shows end. As far as specials go, it was pretty straightforward - here are the Top 40 songs of the Rock Era. As one can imagine early rock hits dominated the chart simply because the way Billboard compiled the chart in the 50s was different than in the 60s and 70s. Songs in the 50s charted longer, with a chart run of 20+ weeks not suprising. In the mid to late 60s a #1 song could spend a scant 9 weeks in the Top 40. A good number of non "rock" hits made the chart which nicely illustrates that rock did not thoroughly take over the charts beginning in 1955, but was a slow process.

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