Last updated 5/4/2020
Songs 21-40 are located here.
Songs 41-65 are located here.
The Extra Songs are located here.
The Top 65 Songs of 1965, as charted by Billboard Magazine, will be presented each week during the season, two per week.
The source reference for this list is “Joel Whitburn’s Pop Annual 1955-1999.” Joel originated the tracking of Billboard chart data in 1970, so he’s known as the expert in the field.
The structure of the annual charts is simple: records are rated on the highest position reached on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the number of weeks spent at that position. Ties are broken by the number of weeks spent in the Top 10, Top 40, and Top 100.
If a record charted in more than one year, all of its chart history is treated as if it occurred in the year that the record first hit its peak position, so it will not appear at all in the other year’s listing.
719 records appeared on the Hot 100 chart in 1965
Week 34
The Grammy winner for Record of the Year only peaked at #7 on 11/27/65 and 12/4/65.
On the Easy Listening chart, however, it was #1 for five weeks. Grammy voters still liked Easy Listening back then.
Other Grammy awards won:
Best Instrumental Performance, Best Instrumental Arrangement, Best Engineered Recording – Non-Classical
This was the second of only two Top 10 hits for the group. Their primary success came from album sales. In this case, the album cover helped a lot.
Stupid trivia #4: The first vocal version of this song was recorded by actor Billy Dee Williams in 1961. He had appeared in the original Broadway cast of the play of the same name a year earlier.
This is the stereo mix, from a high-resolution digital download.
#70 – “A Taste Of Honey” by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
The first #1 record for the Stones peaked at #1 on 7/10/65, 7/17/65, 7/24/65, and 7/31/65.
By coincidence, it was released in the U.S. 52 years ago today.
Like many of the Stones’ records, it was recorded not in England, but in the U.S., at RCA Studios in Hollywood.
“I’d rather be dead than sing Satisfaction when I’m 45.”
– Mick Jagger, age 31, quoted in People magazine, 6/9/1975.
“Taylor Swift and Mick Jagger Perform Rolling Stones’ ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction'”
– Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee, 9/26/2015. Jagger was 72 at the time.
#1 – “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones
This is the rare original wide true stereo mix, first released in 1985 and no longer available. Prior to that, only the mono mix existed.
This is the 2002 stereo remix, which is mostly mono, with only the rhythm guitar track mixed to the right and left sides on a slight delay. This sounds a lot more like the original single.
Week 33
The last of The Beatles’ four #1 records of the year peaked at #1 on 10/9/65, 10/16/65, 10/23/65, and 10/30/65.
Paul McCartney is the only member of the group to perform on this record, marking the first time that one of them had appeared alone.
Over 3,000 versions of this song have been recorded.
This is the 2015 stereo remix.
#2 – “Yesterday” by The Beatles
The Byrds’ second #1 record peaked at #1 on 12/4/65, 12/11/65, and 12/18/65.
Besides the two #1 hits, the group only had one other Top 25 record.
Stupid trivia #3: this is the only #1 record in the rock and roll era to have three exclamation points in the title.
This is the stereo mix.
#3 – “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season)” by The Byrds
Week 32
The last of the five Hermits records on the list peaked at #1 on 5/1/65, 5/8/65, and 5/15/65.
This was the group’s biggest hit. Neither of their U.S. #1 records was released as a single in England.
This is the recent stereo mix.
#4 – “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter” by Herman’s Hermits
Sonny and Cher’s theme song peaked at #1 on 8/14/65, 8/21/65, and 8/28/65.
The duo only had five Top 10 hits together.
Stupid trivia #2: Sonny Bono is the only person to perform on a #1 hit and also serve in Congress.
This is the less common stereo mix.
#5 – “I Got You Babe” by Sonny and Cher
Week 31
The third of the four Beatles #1 hits on the list peaked at #1 on 9/4/65, 9/11/65, and 9/18/65.
This is another case where the vocals are different on the mono and stereo original mixes. The stereo version also has a tambourine during the chorus, which the mono vocal take, done for the movie, doesn’t have. The original mono is rarely heard any more.
Both are posted below – first the 2009 remaster of the mono single/album mix, then the 2015 version of the stereo album mix.
#6 – “Help!” by The Beatles
“Help!” by The Beatles (2015 stereo remix)
The first #1 record by Four Tops peaked at #1 on 6/19/65 and 7/3/65. (It was #2 on 6/26/65.)
This was one of four #1 songs written by the Holland-Dozier-Holland team in 1965. The others were by The Supremes.
This is the stereo mix, from a high-resolution digital download.
#7 – “I Can’t Help Myself” by Four Tops
Week 30
The first Top 40 hit for Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield peaked at #1 on 2/6/65 and 2/13/65.
Widely recognized as one of the great pop records of all time.
In order to cover up the long 3:45 running time for the record (which would decrease radio play), producer Phil Spector had a time of 3:05 printed on the record label.
Stupid trivia: this is the only #1 record in the rock and roll era to have three apostrophes in the title.
Hatfield passed away in 2003, but Medley started touring again with a new partner in 2016.
This is the stereo mix. Unlike most other Spector records, the stereo mix is commonly available.
#8 – “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” by The Righteous Brothers
The first U.S. Top 40 hit for Pet Clark peaked at #1 on 1/23/65 and 1/30/65.
1964 Grammy Award winner for Best Rock & Roll Recording (it was released in the U.S. in November 1964).
Petula had six Top 10 hits in the next three years.
This is the stereo mix.
#9 – “Downtown” by Petula Clark
Week 29
The first Top 40 hit by Gary Lewis peaked at #1 on 2/20/65 and 2/27/65.
It began a series of seven straight Top 10 records for the group.
This is the stereo mix.
#10 – “This Diamond Ring” by Gary Lewis and the Playboys
The last Supremes record on the list peaked at #1 on 3/27/65 and 4/3/65.
The legendary choreography for this song was taught to the group by two of The Temptations for a Motown special episode of the British pop show “Ready Steady Go!” That performance, hosted by Dusty Springfield, can be found on YouTube.
This is the stereo mix, from a high-resolution digital download.
#11 – “Stop! In The Name Of Love” by The Supremes
Week 28
The second of two records by The Beach Boys peaked at #1 on 5/29/65 and 6/5/65.
It was the first Beach Boys record on which Al Jardine sung the lead.
This is the 2012 stereo mix. It did not exist in stereo prior to that.
#12 – “Help Me, Rhonda” by The Beach Boys
The first of two Stones records on the list peaked at #1 on 11/6/65 and 11/13/65.
It was the second of eight #1 hits for the group.
This is the stereo mix.
#13 – “Get Off Of My Cloud” by The Rolling Stones
Week 27
The second of three Supremes records on the list peaked at #1 on 11/20/65 and 11/27/65.
After “Nothing But Heartaches” failed to make the Top 10 (#11), this record started a new streak of nine straight Top 10 records.
This is the stereo mix.
#14 – “I Hear A Symphony” by The Supremes
The only Top 10 hit for Freddie Garrity’s group peaked at #1 on 4/10/65 and 4/17/65.
Two months later, they had their only other Top 20 hit, the dumb dance song “Do The Freddie” (peaked at #18).
All five of their Hot 100 records happened in six months, then they were gone.
This is the stereo mix.
#15 – “I’m Telling You Now” by Freddie and the Dreamers
Week 26
The second Beatles hit on the list peaked at #1 on 3/13/65 and 3/20/65.
This is said to be the first pop studio recording that begins with a fade-in.
This is the 2015 stereo remix.
#16 – “Eight Days A Week” by The Beatles
The first Top 10 hit for The Temptations peaked at #1 on 3/6/65.
They had four #1 hits over the next seven years.
Smokey Robinson had written “My Guy” for Mary Wells the year before. He wrote this one with Ronnie White, one of The Miracles.
This is the 2015 stereo remix.
#17 – “My Girl” by The Temptations
Week 25
The first record by The McCoys peaked at #1 on 10/2/65.
The song first charted as “My Girl Sloopy” by The Vibrations in 1964 (peaked at #26).
The McCoys’ singer/guitarist, 16-year-old Rick Zehringer, changed his name to Rick Derringer and had a successful career as a solo artist and producer.
This is the stereo single version. Most stereo releases have been the unedited longer version.
#18 – “Hang On Sloopy” by The McCoys
The first hit for The Byrds peaked at #1 on 6/26/65.
The group had three Top 40 hits with songs written by Bob Dylan.
This is a later stereo mix. The original stereo mix was narrow and somewhat muffled.
#19 – “Mr. Tambourine Man” by The Byrds
Week 24
Barry McGuire’s only Top 40 record peaked at #1 on 9/25/65.
McGuire had previously been a member of The New Christy Minstrels.
The Turtles were the first to record the song, but they didn’t release it as a single until 1970.
This is the stereo mix.
#20 – “Eve Of Destruction” by Barry McGuire