Favorite #1 Singles By Year

As a companion to my previous post on #1 singles, and because this book of #1 singles I have is just too damn cool, here is a quickie post w/ my favorite #1 singles by year 1956-2005, including ratings. This is obviously based on incomplete information because despite my pop music love and knowledge there are still a lot of number one hits I don't know at all, especially the older ones.

1956: Gogi Grant - "The Wayward Wind" (7/10)
1957: Sam Cooke - "You Send Me" (8/10)
1958: Domenico Modugno - "Volare (Nel Blu Di Pinto Di Blu)" (8/10)
1959: Guy Mitchell - "Heartaches by the Number" (9/10)
1960: Connie Francis - "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" (9/10) [gets the nod over "Georgia On My Mind" due to ridiculous overplaying of that song in the state of Georgia]
1961: The Shirelles - "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (10/10)
1962: The Tornadoes - "Telstar" (10/10)
1963: The Essex - "Easier Said Than Done" (8/10) [also receiving strong consideration is "Sukiyaki" and "Fingertips (Pt. 2)"]
1964: The Animals - "House of the Rising Sun" (8/10) [over the 6 Beatles songs to hit #1 that year]
1965: The Supremes - "I Hear a Symphony" (9/10) [also receiving consideration are "Yesterday" and "Eve of Destruction"]
1966: Beach Boys - "Good Vibrations" (10/10) [also receiving a 10/10 this year are "Paint it Black" and "These Boots Were Made For Walking" in one of my favorite years ever for #1's]
1967: The Beatles - "Hello Goodbye" (10/10)
1968: Marvin Gaye - "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (9/10) [lots of number ones this year like "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" and "Hey Jude" that I respect the musicality of but never really feel like playing/listening to]
1969: Sly and the Family Stone - "Everyday People" (8/10)
1970: The Beatles - "The Long and Winding Road" (10/10) [also receiving 10/10 this year is "The Love You Save" by the Jackson 5]
1971: Rod Stewart - "Maggie May" (9/10) [also "Family Affair" and "Brand New Key"]
1972: Neil Young - "Heart of Gold" (9/10)
1973: Stevie Wonder - "Superstitious" (10/10) [also "Touch Me in the Morning", which probably gets a 9/10, not the straight 10]
1974: Terry Jacks - "Seasons in the Sun" (7/10) [awful year for #1's]
1975: Olivia Newton-John - "Have You Never Been Mellow" (9/10) [so cheesy but I have a soft spot for it. Also considered was "Philadelphia Freedom"]
1976: Rhythm Heritage - "Theme From S.W.A.T." (9/10)
1977: ABBA - "Dancing Queen" (10/10)
1978: Nick Glider - "Hot Child in the City" (7/10) [even worse than '74]
1979: Michael Jackson - "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" (9/10) [also "Heart of Glass" and "Good Times"]
1980: Diana Ross - "Upside Down" (10/10) ["Call Me" gets a 10/10 as well, but nothing can beat the "Upside Down" beat. This fact is proven by the recent song "This Is the World We Live In" by Alcazar (rating 10/10) which fuses the beat of this song with the chorus of Genesis' "Land of Confusion" to genius pop effect.]
1981: Blondie - "Rapture" (8/10) [my least favorite of Blondie's 4 number ones, but sneaks to the top in a weak year]
1982: Human League - "Don't You Want Me" (9/10) [also "Jack and Diane" and "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)"]
1983: Michael Jackson - "Billie Jean" (10/10) [I think nearly every man, woman, and child in America would give this a 10/10; "All Night Long (All Night)" gets a 2 point boost to 4/10 due to the fact that the picture accompanying the song in my book is hilarious]
1984: Prince - "When Doves Cry" (10/10) ["Let's Go Crazy" is 10/10 as well, and in addition "Against All Odds" and "The Reflex" are 9/10]
1985: Duran Duran - "A View to a Kill" (9/10) [also "Shout"]
1986: Madonna - "Live to Tell" (10/10) [an exceptionally strong year; also with 10/10 are "Kiss" and "Human", receiving 9/10 are "West End Girls" and "Sledghammer"]
1987: U2 - "With or Without You" (9/10) [I don't like U2 at all but even I have to admit this is an amazing rock ballad]
1988: Guns n' Roses - "Sweet Child o' Mine" (9/10) [opening riff is unstoppable, also "Foolish Beat" and "Need You Tonight"]
1989: The Bangles - "Eternal Flame" (8/10) [also "Listen to Your Heart"]
1990: Sinead O'Connor - "Nothing Compares 2U" - (9/10) [also "Vogue"...that's 5 ballads in a row for those keeping track at home]
1991: Mariah Carey - "Emotions" (10/10)
1992: Boyz II Men - "End of the Road" (5/10) [Not a single number one hit this year that I like, but I guess mediocre is better than actively bad]
1993: Mariah Carey - "Dreamlover" (7/10) [another extremely weak year]
1994: Ini Kamoze - "Here Comes the Hotstepper" (9/10) [also "Bump N' Grind" and "The Sign"]
1995: TLC - "Creep" (7/10) [also "Fantasy"]
1996: Blackstreet - "No Diggity" (9/10) [also "Always Be My Baby", tho this Mariah Carey love-in is getting vaguely embarrassing]
1997: Spice Girls - "Wannabe" (7/10) [the only good Spice Girls song, also "Honey"]
1998: Monica - "The First Night" (10/10) [as referenced in the review of "Angel of Mine" in the 1999 singles reviews post]
1999: Christina Aguilera - "Genie in a Bottle" (10/10)
2000: Destiny's Child - "Say My Name" (9/10)
2001: Usher - "U Remind Me" (9/10) [but also "I'm Real" and "Bootylicious"]
2002: Eminem - "Lose Yourself" (9/10) [but also "A Moment Like This"...just kidding]
2003: Outkast - "Hey Ya!" (10/10) ["Crazy In Love" gets 9/10]
2004: Snoop Dogg Ft. Pharrell - "Drop It Like It's Hot" (9/10) [Usher had 4 number ones]
2005: Mariah Carey - "We Belong Together" (8/10) [still disappointed that "Since U Been Gone" never went number one]
2006 (so far): Beyonce Knowles - "Check On It" (8/10) [obv. could change]

The weird thing is, despite all the times Mariah appears on this list as a topper and an honorable mention, I'm really not too big a Mariah fan...the only Mariah songs I really love are "Emotions", "Always Be My Baby", and "All I Want for Christmas Is You"