The Bachelors, “Diane”
Hot 100 peak: No. 10
Notes: This was the first Hot 100 hit for the Irish vocal trio. The song was a No. 1 hit on the Official U.K. Singles Chart.
These Were the Top 10 Songs on the Hot 100 the Week Dionne Warwick’s ‘Walk on By’ Peaked at No. 6
Written by djfrosty on October 9, 2023
As Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red,” with its prominent sample of Dionne Warwick’s “Walk on By,” tops the Billboard Hot 100 for the third nonconsecutive week (on the chart dated Oct. 14), you may be wondering how many weeks “Walk on By” spent at No. 1. Would you believe none? The Burt Bacharach/Hal David song, which features one of Bacharach’s most instantly identifiable arrangements, peaked at No. 6 for two weeks in June 1964.
Of course, a No. 6 hit on the Hot 100 is nothing to sneeze at, then or now. It’s just surprising that such a famous song wasn’t a No. 1.
The British Invasion was in full swing by June 20, 1964, when “Walk on By” logged its second and week at No. 6. The top 10 included three British groups or duos (The Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers and Peter & Gordon) and one Irish group (The Bachelors).
“Walk on By” was Warwick’s second top 10 hit in a row, following the No. 8-peaking “Anyone Who Had a Heart.” It was her highest-charting hit to that point, a title it would hold until the fall of 1967, when the sprightly “I Say a Little Prayer” reached No. 4. (Warwick has landed two No. 1 hits, “Then Came You,” a 1974 collab with The Spinners, and “That’s What Friends Are For,” her Grammy-winning team-up with Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Gladys Knight that led for four weeks in 1986.)
“Walk on By” brought Warwick her first Grammy nomination, for best rhythm & blues recording. Bacharach and David weren’t nominated for writing the song, nor was Bacharach nominated for his arrangement, which, as we’ve seen on Doja’s smash, is still a letter-perfect pop hook nearly 60 years later.
Here’s the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending June 20, 1964.
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Gerry & the Pacemakers, “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying“
Hot 100 peak: No. 4
Notes: This was the first Hot 100 hit for the Merseybeat band from Liverpool, England — which was, of course, The Beatles’ hometown. The group had two more top 10 hits in 1964-65, “How Do You Do It?” (No. 9) and the gorgeous “Ferry Cross the Mersey” (No. 6).
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Barbra Streisand, “People”
Hot 100 peak: No. 5
Notes: This was the first Hot 100 hit for Streisand. This is one of the most grown-up sounding singles ever to become a pop smash, though Streisand was not yet 22 when she recorded the song. She sang the song in Funny Girl, for which she received a Tony nomination for best actress in a musical. Streisand won a Grammy for best vocal performance, female for this track, which was also nominated for record of the year. She would go on to have even bigger hits, but this may very well be her best.
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The Beatles, “Love Me Do”
Hot 100 peak: No. 1
Notes: In October 1962, this became the Fab Four’s first hit on the Official U.K. Singles Chart. (It peaked at No. 17, though it reached No. 4 when it was re-issued 20 years.) This was The Beatles’ fourth No. 1 hit on the Hot 100 in the space of four months, following “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “She Loves You” and “Can’t Buy Me Love.”
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Dionne Warwick, “Walk on By“
Hot 100 peak: No. 6
Notes: This smash also became Warwick’s first top 10 hit on the Official U.K. Singles Chart. Isaac Hayes took this song back to the top 30 on the Hot 100 in 1969.
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Millie Small, “My Boy Lollipop”
Hot 100 peak: No. 2
Notes: This was the first Hot 100 hit for the Jamaican singer, then just 17. This was one of the first reggae-ska hits to gain traction in the U.S. pop world. Small’s recording also reached No. 2 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, where she was billed simply as “Millie.”
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Ray Charles Singers, “Love Me With All Your Heart”
Hot 100 peak: No. 3
Notes: The first thing you need to know is that this hit had nothing to do with legendary singer Ray Charles. This was a choral group led by an arranger/composer of the same name, who good-naturedly took to referring to himself as The Other Ray Charles to avoid confusion. This blandly pretty track, which is based on the Mexican song “Cuando Calienta El Sol,” received a Grammy nomination for best performance by a chorus. Charles went on to win a pair of Primetime Emmys in 1971-72 for outstanding achievement in music, lyrics and special material.
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The Beach Boys, “I Get Around”
Hot 100 peak: No. 1
Notes: This exhilarating smash became the California-based group’s first No. 1 hit. They returned to the top spot with “Help Me, Rhonda” in 1965, “Good Vibrations” in 1966 and “Kokomo” in 1988. “I Get Around” was also The Beach Boys’ first top 10 hit on the Official U.K. Singles Chart.
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Peter & Gordon, “A World Without Love“
Hot 100 peak: No. 1
Notes: This was the first Hot 100 hit for the London-based duo, which consisted of Peter Asher and Gordon Waller (who was born in Scotland). The song, which was written by John Lennon & Paul McCartney, also topped the Official U.K. Singles Chart. Asher returned to No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1971 – as the producer of James Taylor’s version of Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend.”
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The Dixie Cups, “Chapel of Love“
Hot 100 peak: No. 1
Notes: This was the first Hot 100 hit for the girl group from New Orleans. In 1972, Bette Midler covered the endearing song on her Grammy-nominated debut album, The Divine Miss M. In 1985, it was a highlight of the Tony-nominated jukebox musical Leader of the Pack, which was based on the life and music of singer/songwriter Ellie Greenwich.