The 🇺🇸Fourths Number Ones

America’s Birthday Songs🎸Let Freedom Rock

Jul 02, 2022

When it comes to music for a holiday, Christmas wins hands down, stockings up. Easter has a basket full of tunes about bunnies and hats. But as we get to July 4th, America’s birthday, there is plenty of patriotic music, but not many tunes that mention the holiday itself. Singers don’t show up at your door singing Van Morrison’s “Almost Independence Day” or Bruce Springsteen’s “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)”.

Professor Mikey here, Happy Fourth! In addition to seeking cherry bombs and M-80s, I have been digging for songs that topped the charts on the 4th of July. Presenting a Top 40 that took 40 years to generate, the songs that went all the way to the top during the Golden Age of Retro, 1955-1994.

OK it is showtime! Salute the number one hits that rocked the 4th of July, provided soundtracks for the weenie roasts and the fireworks, and solidified a lot of fabulous summers! America celebrates birthdays 179 thru 217 from these Number One hits from the Fifties into the Nineties!

Points of interest:

1955: “Cherry Pink (And Apple Blossom White)” is the last chart topper of the pre-rock era. The week after the 4th, it will be replaced by Bill Haley and the Comets and “Rock Around the Clock“.

1959: The only 4th of July #1 that has anything to do with American history, the 1814 “Battle of New Orleans.”

1960s: No psychedelic #1s. For the most part, most of these best sellers would charm Boomer and Karen’s parents. No brown acid warnings needed here!

1973, ‘76, ‘80: No Beatle Number Ones, but George and Paul account for three solo Beatles numero unos.

1980s: Much more representative than the 60s. The decade begins wanting its MTV and ends with Milli Vanilli.