Last updated 5/4/2020
Songs 1-20 are located here.
Songs 21-40 are located here.
The Extra Songs are located here.
Week 14
The thirty-third Top 10 hit for Elvis Presley peaked at #3 on 6/12/65.
Elvis had recorded the song in 1960. There were five Top 20 versions of the song in 1953.
He would not have another Top 10 record until 1969.
This is the stereo mix.
#41 – “Crying In The Chapel” by Elvis Presley
Week 13
The only Top 30 hit by We Five peaked at #3 on 9/25/65.
On 12/25/65, the group reached #31 with “Let’s Get Together,” which later became a hit for The Youngbloods as “Get Together.”
This is the stereo mix.
#42 – “You Were On My Mind” by We Five
The first of two records by Petula Clark peaked at #3 on 5/1/65.
Pet Clark had been a child star in England, and she had been releasing records in the U.S. since 1953.
This is the stereo mix.
#43 – “I Know A Place” by Petula Clark
Week 12
The first and biggest hit by singer/saxophonist Jr. Walker peaked at #4 on 4/3/65 and 4/10/65.
The group made the Top 20 five times, but only had one other Top 10 record.
This is the stereo mix.
#44 – “Shotgun” by Jr. Walker and the All Stars
The third Top 10 hit of the year for The Righteous Brothers peaked at #4 on 8/28/65 and 9/4/65.
Thanks to its use in the movie “Ghost,” this record charted again and reached #13 in 1990.
This is the stereo mix.
#45 – “Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers
Week 11
Here are two Christmas records that were released in 1965.
The first is Burl Ives’ new 1965 recording of a song that he had performed a year earlier in the cartoon special “Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer.”
This song had originally been recorded by a group named The Quinto Sisters months before the “Rudolph” cartoon was first broadcast.
“A Holly Jolly Christmas” by Burl Ives
Speaking of Christmas cartoon specials, 1965 was the first year for “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” The most familiar tune from that show isn’t a Christmas song, but it still ends up on Christmas compilation CDs.
“Linus And Lucy” by Vince Guaraldi Trio
Week 10
The first of two records by the DC5 peaked at #4 on 9/25/65 and 10/2/65.
It was the group’s sixth Top 10 hit.
This is another true stereo mix from the 1970 British “Best Of” vinyl LP.
#46 – “Catch Us If You Can” by The Dave Clark Five
Roger Miller’s biggest hit peaked at #4 on 3/20/65.
Roger had five Top 10 hits in 1964-65.
This is the stereo mix.
#47 – “King Of The Road” by Roger Miller
Week 9
The first hit for Australian folk group The Seekers peaked at #4 on 5/15/65.
The song was written and produced by Dusty Springfield’s brother Tom.
This was a mono recording. This is a DES (Digitally Extracted Stereo) mix.
#48 – “I’ll Never Find Another You” by The Seekers
The only Top 20 hit by Fontella Bass peaked at #4 on 11/20/65.
Backing musicians on the record included drummer Maurice White (later the leader of Earth, Wind, & Fire) and the young Minnie Riperton among the background singers.
This is the stereo mix.
#49 – “Rescue Me” by Fontella Bass
Week 8
The third Top 10 hit for Jay and the Americans peaked at #4 on 7/31/65.
The song was originally recorded by British singer David Whitfield, and it was #1 in England for ten weeks in 1954.
This is the stereo mix.
#50 – “Cara, Mia” by Jay and the Americans
The second and last Top 10 record by The Kingsmen peaked at #4 on 3/6/65.
The song is an adaptation of a minor 1960 record by The Olympics called “Big Boy Pete.” The group’s drummer/singer, Lynn Easton, wrote the new lyrics in about 20 minutes.
This has to be the worst record on the list. It’s the only one that I didn’t already have in my collection.
This is the stereo mix, downloaded from Amazon Music.
#51 – “The Jolly Green Giant” by The Kingsmen
Week 7
The first record by The Vogues peaked at #4 on 11/13/65.
The song was written by Petula Clark and her writer/producer Tony Hatch, and was originally recorded by Clark, though it was not released as a U.S. single.
The Vogues had four Top 10 hits from 1965 to 1968.
This was a mono recording. This is a DES (Digitally Extracted Stereo) mix.
#52 – “You’re The One” by The Vogues
The second of five records by the Hermits peaked at #4 on 7/10/65.
Sam Cooke had the original hit in 1960, but didn’t make the Top 10 (peaked at #12).
The song’s writers included Herb Alpert and long-time record producer Lou Adler.
This is the recent stereo mix.
#53 – “Wonderful World” by Herman’s Hermits
Week 6
The only Top 40 record by The Gentrys peaked at #4 on 10/30/65.
Though the record runs around 2:05, the recording is only 1:30. That was too short for a single release, so the first 35 seconds of the recording were copied and spliced onto the end, after the false fade.
This is a mono recording.
#54 – “Keep On Dancing” by The Gentrys
The first of four Gary Lewis records on the list peaked at #4 on 11/6/65.
The song was co-written by Leon Russell, who passed away a couple of days ago. He was a studio musician, arranger, and songwriter at that time.
This is the stereo mix.
#55 – “Everybody Loves A Clown” by Gary Lewis and the Playboys
Week 5
The first of two records by Four Tops peaked at #5 on 8/28/65 and 9/4/65.
The Tops had five Top 10 hits in a two-year period, then none for five years until they moved to ABC/Dunhill in 1972.
This is the stereo mix, transferred from a high-resolution digital download.
#56 – “It’s The Same Old Song” by Four Tops
Joe Tex’s first chart hit peaked at #5 on 1/30/65 and 2/6/65.
Joe only made the Top 10 twice more. He had 28 Top 100 records over twelve years.
This is a mono recording.
#57 – “Hold What You’ve Got” by Joe Tex
Week 4
The only instrumental on the list peaked at #5 on 10/9/65.
Grammy winner for Best Instrumental Jazz Performance – Small Group or Soloist With Small Group.
Strangely, another instrumental won four Grammys in 1965, including Record of the Year, but didn’t make the top 65. It’s coming later.
In February 1965, Dobie Gray’s vocal version of this song peaked at #13 (#138 for the year).
This is the stereo mix.
#58 – “The “In” Crowd” by Ramsey Lewis Trio
Barbara Mason’s only Top 20 record peaked at #5 on 7/31/65.
Mason was just 17 at the time. She also wrote the song.
Over the next ten years, she had ten more records in the Hot 100, but only three of them got as far as the Top 50.
This is the stereo mix.
#59 – “Yes, I’m Ready” by Barbara Mason
Week 3
The second Top 10 record for Peter Noone and company peaked at #5 on 5/15/65.
This song had made the Top 10 twice before – #3 for The Rays and #10 for The Diamonds, both in 1957.
Co-written by 4 Seasons producer/songwriter Bob Crewe.
There are five Hermits records in the year’s Top 60.
This is the recent stereo mix, complete with studio countdown.
#60 – “Silhouettes” by Herman’s Hermits
The last of five Top 20 hits for Gerry Marsden’s group peaked at #6 on 3/20/65 and 3/27/65.
Some pressings of the record incorrectly showed the title as “Ferry Across The Mersey.”
This is the stereo mix.
#61 – “Ferry Cross The Mersey” by Gerry and the Pacemakers
Week 2
The fourth and last Top 20 hit for The Shangri-Las peaked at #6 on 12/11/65 and 12/18/65.
This is a stereo mix.
#62 – “I Can Never Go Home Anymore” by The Shangri-Las
The Kinks’ second-biggest hit peaked at #6 on 4/24/65 and 5/1/65.
Their biggest hit (by a very small margin) came 18 years later. “Come Dancing” also reached #6 for two weeks in 1983, but spent more total weeks in the Top 40.
This was a mono recording. This is a DES (Digitally Extracted Stereo) mix.
#63 – “Tired Of Waiting For You” by The Kinks
Week 1
The Zombies’ second Top 10 record peaked at #6 on 2/27/65 and 3/6/65.
This is the stereo mix.
#64 – “Tell Her No” by The Zombies
Marvin Gaye’s second Top 10 record peaked at #6 on 1/30/65.
The 1975 cover version by James Taylor did even better, reaching #5.
This is the first of seven songs on the list that were written by the Holland-Dozier-Holland team.
This is the stereo mix.
#65 – “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” by Marvin Gaye