#61
This song is some sort of cross between a story and a novelty song. Jimmy isn't even really singing on the song, he is really just telling the story on top of the instrumental. The instrumental itself is very simple, though I like the "klinging" noise that can be heard throughout the song, since it feels appropriate considering the song is about a mining disaster.

So, with the closer to talking than singing vocals and the very simple instrumental it's clear that the ... read more

#60
Another very catchy song. The singing from Dion is very good, as is the instrumental. The problem for me with this song is the background vocals. It almost feels like they get in the way of the song, and I feel like the song would be better if they we're a bit quieter. The song also has a saxophone that comes in at the end which just sounds a bit off in my opinion.
60/100

#59
Another classic from Ray. The song has a really "mean" vibe overall, but still manages to be catchy. I really like the singing, both from Ray and whoever the woman is who's singing, and the instrumental is perfect for that "mean" vibe. I do however think the "hit the road jack, and don't you come back no more..." bit is repeated perhaps a bit too much throughout the song though.
85/100

#58
Very catchy song. I'm probably giving it too high of a score, but ever since I listened through all the hot 100 number ones the first time I've really liked this song. Honestly though I can't really explain why I like it so much. The singing from Bobby isn't actually that impressive. I guess the song's strength lies in the very catchy instrumental, which has a vaguely tropical feel in my eyes.
80/100

#57
Really boring. There's nothing inherently wrong with this song, the singing is pleasant and the instrumental is fine but it's just so boring. The lyrics essentially being the same thing repeated for the entire song doesn't help either.
40/100

#56
Really bad song. The singing from Joe is thoroughly unimpressive, the instrumental is both boring and annoying with those blips, and the song on the whole is just boring.
25/100

#55
Very catchy song. The singing from Bobby is completely fine, but the instrumental is definitely the strongest part of this song, it's just really catchy. There is however a solo in the middle of the song from what might be a kazoo (?), which is more annoying than catchy.
70/100

#54
perhaps the most interesting thing about this song is the recording quality, which is noticeably worse than other songs from this time. But regarding the song itself, it's quite catchy, I like the singing from Gary, and the instrumental is also pretty good. I especially like the prominent saxophone. Still, I feel like I need to take a couple of points off the score just for the issues in the recording quality.
60/100

#53
Yeah it's bad. The instrumental is quite boring and feels run of the mill for the era, and the singing is unimpressive, although it's probably unfair to call it bad. On top of that I think the songs lyrics are about how Pat's girlfriend has killed herself because she cheated on him, but that does not line up with the vibe of the song whatsoever. I'm usually not one to care much about lyrics but it just feels wrong to be listening to a seemingly happy song that turns out ... read more

#52
I am a bit conflicted on how to feel about this one. Obviously the singing from Roy is superb, and the instrumental is really good, but the song kind of feels like it lacks a proper ending. The song builds and builds, and then... just ends abruptly? It's still a good song, but I'd probably like it more if the ending wasn't so abrupt.
70/100

#51
Ricky Nelson, who if you remember had the first ever number one song on the hot 100, returns with a much better song. I like the instrumental, and the singing from Ricky is pretty good throughout. The lyrics are pretty dumb, they're essentially about how anywhere Ricky goes he get's women. Dumb lyrics don't bother me though, and the rest of the song is pretty catchy, so I give it a 70/100

#50
A pretty unremarkable song. The singing from Ernie is fine, and the instrumental is pleasant but nothing special. The lyrics are all about how Ernie hates his mother in law, which is kind of funny I guess.
60/100

#49
Another pretty catchy song. I really like the instrumental, and the singing is really good right up until the chorus, with the "Wah-wah-wah-wah-wonder" bit, which sounds really dumb in my opinion. That part really hurts the song in my eyes, I would've probably given the song a higher score if it had been sung differently. On another note, there's an interesting solo at roughly 1 minute into the song, where I can't really tell what type of instrument is being ... read more

#48
This song is really stupid, but I kind of love it for that. It feels like the Marcels were competing too see who could come up with the dumbest ad-libs possible, but the result is a really fun and catchy song, so evidently that wasn't such a bad idea. The instrumental isn't very noteworthy but fits well with the song.
80/100

#47
And now were back to good Elvis again. The quality of Elvis' singles in this era seemingly varied wildly. I'm not really a fan of the singing in this song either, but it's saved by the instrumental, which is really good. I also really like the background vocals.
65/100

#46
Feels like an attempt to basically do the exact same thing again after the success of Checker's previous number one song "The twist". It even comes bundled with a new dance craze of it's own! Unfortunately "Pony time" just isn't as good as " The twist", mainly because it's not as catchy as "the twist", so while "Pony time" isn't a bad song, I just don't see why you would listen to it instead of listening to ... read more

#45
Another pleasant instrumental where there's not that much to say about it. The "La la la la..." background vocals on some parts of the song are kind of annoying I guess. I guess I could also mention that I like the clapping that comes in at roughly 1:35.
60/100

#44
The first number one by a girl group, and it's pretty good! The instrumental is really catchy, and the singing is pretty good too. The lyrics are the regular sad love song stuff of the era, so they're not worth looking into any deeper.
75/100

#43
A pleasant instrumental song. I can't really think of anything more to say about it than that.
65/100

#42
Another miss from Elvis. This song is just really boring. The singing is what you would expect on a slow song from Elvis, but I've come to realise when writing these reviews that I don't really like when Elvis sings like this. The instrumental is simple and sparse, probably to not take too much attention away from the singing. There's also a spoken word bit which goes on for a good third of the song which doesn't work at all, it just sounds really stupid.
35/100