Top 100 Lists


TOP 100 TEEN IDOL HITS
OF THE '50S AND '60S

  1. Venus - Frankie Avalon - 1959
  2. I'm Sorry - Brenda Lee - 1960
  3. To Sir With Love - Lulu - 1967
  4. Lonely Boy - Paul Anka - 1959
  5. Diana - Paul Anka - 1957
  6. Take Good Care of My Baby - Bobby Vee - 1961
  7. Fingertips - Part 2 - Little Stevie Wonder - 1963
  8. I Will Follow Him - Little Peggy March - 1963
  9. Poor Little Fool - Ricky Nelson - 1958
  10. Johnny Angel - Shelley Fabares - 1962
  11. It's My Party - Lesley Gore - 1963
  12. Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini -
    Brian Hyland
    - 1960
  13. The Loco-Motion - Little Eva - 1962
  14. Donna - Ritchie Valens - 1959
  15. I Want to Be Wanted - Brenda Lee - 1960
  16. Put Your Head on My Shoulder - Paul Anka - 1959
  17. Mashed Potato Time - Dee Dee Sharp - 1962
  18. Stood Up - Ricky Nelson - 1958
  19. Teen-Age Crush - Tommy Sands - 1957
  20. My Heart is an Open Book - Carl Dobkins, Jr. - 1959
  21. Sweet Nothin's - Brenda Lee - 1960
  22. Who's Sorry Now - Connie Francis - 1958
  23. Those Were the Days - Mary Hopkin - 1968
  24. You Don't Own Me - Lesley Gore - 1964
  25. Wild One - Bobby Rydell - 1960
  26. A Teenager's Romance - Ricky Nelson - 1957
  27. Puppy Love - Paul Anka - 1960
  28. For Once in My Life - Stevie Wonder - 1968
  29. Pink Shoe Laces - Dodie Stevens - 1959
  30. Be-Bop Baby - Ricky Nelson - 1957
  31. I Was Made to Love Her - Stevie Wonder - 1967
  32. I Know (You Don't Love Me No More) - Barbara George - 1962
  33. Run to Him - Bobby Vee - 1961
  34. Bobby's Girl - Marcie Blane - 1962
  35. Ivory Tower - Cathy Carr - 1956
  36. My Boy Lollipop - Millie Small - 1964
  37. All Alone Am I - Brenda Lee - 1962
  38. Just a Dream - Jimmy Clanton - 1958
  39. Sealed With a Kiss - Brian Hyland - 1962
  40. The Night Has a Thousand Eyes - Bobby Vee - 1963
  41. I've Told Every Little Star - Linda Scott - 1961
  42. Fool #1 - Brenda Lee - 1961
  43. Uptight (Everything's Alright) - Stevie Wonder - 1966
  44. A Rose and a Baby Ruth - George Hamilton IV - 1956
  45. Tiger - Fabian - 1959
  46. Volare - Bobby Rydell - 1960
  47. I'm Walking - Ricky Nelson - 1957
  48. Tragedy - Thomas Wayne - 1959
  49. Devil or Angel - Bobby Vee - 1960
  50. Let's Dance - Chris Montez - 1962
  51. My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder - 1969
  52. Susie Darlin' - Robin Luke - 1958
  53. Break it to Me Gently - Brenda Lee - 1962
  54. A Million to One - Jimmy Charles - 1960
  55. She's a Fool - Lesley Gore - 1963
  56. We Got Love - Bobby Rydell - 1959
  57. It's Time to Cry - Paul Anka - 1959
  58. Yes, I'm Ready - Barbara Mason - 1965
  59. Dum Dum - Brenda Lee - 1961
  60. You Don't Know What You've Got Until You Lose It -
    Ral Donner
    - 1961
  61. Believe What You Say - Ricky Nelson - 1958
  62. My Dad - Paul Petersen - 1963
  63. Never Be Anyone Else But You - Ricky Nelson - 1959
  64. Ride! - Dee Dee Sharp - 1962
  65. Lonesome Town - Ricky Nelson - 1958
  66. You Are My Destiny - Paul Anka - 1958
  67. Swingin' School - Bobby Rydell - 1960
  68. Judy's Turn to Cry - Lesley Gore - 1963
  69. The One Who Really Loves You - Mary Wells - 1962
  70. That's All You Gotta Do - Brenda Lee - 1960
  71. Rubber Ball - Bobby Vee - 1961
  72. Baby Sittin' Boogie - Buzz Clifford - 1961
  73. Dede Dinah - Frankie Avalon - 1958
  74. Tall Paul - Annette - 1959
  75. Summertime Blues - Eddie Cochran - 1958
  76. Losing You - Brenda Lee - 1963
  77. Navy Blue - Diane Renay - 1964
  78. You Can Depend on Me - Brenda Lee - 1961
  79. Start Movin' (In My Direction) - Sal Mineo - 1959
  80. Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday - Stevie Wonder - 1958
  81. 98.6 - Keith - 1967
  82. Two Lovers - Mary Wells - 1963
  83. Let's Get Together - Hayley Mills - 1961
  84. Everybody Loves Me But You - Brenda Lee - 1962
  85. Cindy's Birthday - Johnny Crawford - 1962
  86. My Home Town - Paul Anka - 1960
  87. Hound Dog Man - Fabian - 1959
  88. Don't Bet Money Honey - Linda Scott - 1961
  89. Bobby Sox to Stockings - Frankie Avalon - 1959
  90. I Got a Feeling - Ricky Nelson - 1958
  91. Emotions - Brenda Lee - 1961
  92. Don't Just Stand There - Patty Duke - 1965
  93. It's Late - Ricky Nelson - 1959
  94. Turn Me Loose - Fabian - 1959
  95. Ginger Bread - Frankie Avalon - 1958
  96. Just a Little Too Much - Ricky Nelson - 1959
  97. Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes) - Carla Thomas - 1961
  98. Kissin' Time - Bobby Rydell - 1959
  99. You Beat Me to the Punch - Mary Wells - 1962
  100. Pineapple Princess - Annette - 1960

This is a teenage-only list, comprising songs by solo vocalists no younger than age 13; any hit song an artist had after his or her 20th birthday is not included. Songs by artists who are primarily solo but sometimes have a backing group listed on record labels (example: Annette's group The Afterbeats) are included. Rankings are based on the popularity of each song during the period of 1950 through 1969. Cathy Carr is the earliest representative of the teen idol craze, while a few who preceded her (example: Elvis Presley) were at least 20 at the time of their first hit and thus have no titles listed.

Brenda Lee tops all artists with 12 songs on the list, followed by Ricky Nelson with eleven. Paul Anka (the only artist to have two songs in the top ten) is next with seven, while Stevie Wonder has six (including one as Little Stevie Wonder). Bobby Vee and Bobby Rydell have five apiece, Frankie Avalon and Lesley Gore each have four and Fabian and Mary Wells each have three. Teen idols peaked between 1958 and 1962; 72 hits from that period are on the list. 1959 was the hottest year for teens with 19 songs. There are 14 from 1962 and 13 from each of three years (1958, 1960 and 1961). Male singers (59 songs by 24 different artists) outnumber female singers (41 songs by 22 different artists).




MORE TOP 100 LISTS!

Venus I'm Sorry Fingertips - Part 2 It's My Party Put Your Head on My Shoulder Stood Up Wild One