WKDA in Nashville was the first station to go all rock & roll, where it competed with WMAK through most of the ’60’s. By the ’70’s it was competing with its sister station, WKDF, which was playing album-oriented rock. Eventually the station was sold to a company that made it an all-gospel station and changed its call letters to WNSG. When the call letters became available, they were taken by a company that now broadcasts a Spanish-language religious station at 900 AM. Here’s their Top Ten from 1959.
| # | Song/Artist | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Boo Boo Stick Beat Chet Atkins |
An album track from Chet’s twelfth album, Teensville. The song was written by Buddy Harman and John D. Loudermilk. |
| 9 | Lonely Street Andy Williams |
A song written by Carl Belew, Kenny Souder, and W. S. Stevenson and originally recorded by Belew. Andy’s cover was the most successful, peaking at #5 on the Hot 100 and #20 on the R&B chart. |
| 8 | So Many Ways Brook Benton |
Written by Bobby Stevenson, it was Brook’s third #1 single on the R&B chart in 1959, as well as peaking at #6 on the Hot 100. |
| 7 | Mack The Knife Bobby Darin |
A huge hit for Bobby, reaching #1 in the US and UK and #6 on the US R&B chart. Lotte Lenya, spouse of the composer Kurt Weill, earns a mention. |
| 6 | Battle Hymn of the Republic Mormon Tabernacle Choir |
Not sure if this was the recording that reached #13 on the Hot 100 and won the 1960 Grammy for Best Performance by a Vocal Group or Chorus, because there are a lot of them on YouTube, but this is the only Top 40 hit the Choir ever had. |
| 5 | Primrose Lane Jerry Wallace |
Reached #8 on the Hot 100 and #47 on the year-end Hot 100 nationally. Was the theme song for the 1971 TV series The Smith Family which starred Henry Fonda and Ron Howard. |
| 4 | Just Ask Your Heart Frankie Avalon |
Written by Diane DeNota, Joe Ricci, and Pete Damato, this song reached #7 on the Hot 100 and #59 on the year-end Hot 100. |
| 3 | Hey Little Girl Dee Clark |
I’m not sure that I even knew that Dee Clark made more records than “Raindrops.” This peaked at #20 on the Hot 100 and #2 on the R&B chart. |
| 2 | Mr. Blue The Fleetwoods |
A song written by DeWayne Blackwall, it became The Fleetwoods’ second #1 single in 1959. Si Zentner, whose orchestra covered “The Stripper,” played trombone on this track. |
| 1 | Put Your Head On My Shoulder Paul Anka |
A song written and performed by Anka, this reached #2 nationally, kept out of the #1 spot by Bobby Darin’s “Mack The Knife.” |
And that’s Top Ten Tuesday for October 27, 2020.
Great tunes. And who knew.. the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square had a top 40 hit.
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It was their only hit, but it was a big one. And it deserved to be.
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Now, when I see and hear Battle Hymn of the Republic, I always think of my mom. We had this at her funeral because she loved it so.
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It’s a great hymn for a funeral. For that matter, it’s a great hymn, period.
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I listen to both of them growing up. WKDF was huge in the 80s until they went country.
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Are we talking real country, or pop in cowboy hats?
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Modern country…not real
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“Mack the Knife” will always be a fave! What a great song 🎶🧡
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It’s a classic tune, no doubt about it.
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