Golden Anniversary Record of the Week: "Wild One" by Bobby Rydell

The Teen Idol Holy Trinity, circa 1960.

Bobby Rydell. Born Robert Ridarelli on April 26, 1942, in Philadelphia.

Frankie Avalon. Born Francis Avallone on September 18, 1939, in Philadelphia.

Fabian. Born Fabiano Forte on February 2, 1943, in Philadelphia.

Top 10 records.

Rydell. 6. (None reached #1.)

Avalon. 7. (2 reached #1.)

Fabian. 3. (None reached #1.)

Rank among Top Artists. (As determined in Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 1955-1990.

Rydell. #90

Avalon. #108

Fabian. #418

Number of appearances on American Bandstand. (According to imdb. These numbers should be double-checked.)

Rydell. 6.

Avalon. 3.

Fabian. 7.

Notable Hollywood movies.

Rydell (Bye Bye Birdie)

Frankie Avalon (The Alamo, Beach Party, I'll Take Sweden)

Fabian (North to Alaska, The Longest Day, Ride the Wild Surf)

"Wild One", Bobby Rydell's highest-charting single, entered the Hot 100 at #72 for the week ending February 7, 1960. It reached #2 and spent 16 weeks on the chart.

Other songs that debuted the same week.
(Entry position, peak position, weeks on chart)

"Country Boy" by Fats Domino. (61, 25, 10)
Eleven of the Fat Man's 66 singles reach the top 10 -- all but one of them from 1955 to 1959. "Blueberry Hill" is his best chart performer. In 1956, it spent 27 weeks on the Hot 100, peaking at #2.

"China Doll" by the Ames Brothers. (70, 38, 13.)
Their last song to reach the Hot 100.

"Lady Luck" by Lloyd Price. (71, 14, 13)
Best known for "Stagger Lee" and "Personality", two of the most popular songs of 1959.

"Let It Rock" by Chuck Berry. (81, 60, 4)

"Time and the River" by Nat King Cole. (83, 30, 8)

"That Old Feeling" by Kitty Kallen. (85, 55, 5)
Kitty started singing with big bands in 1936.

"Little Bitty Girl" by Bobby Rydell. (86, 19, 15)
The "B" side of "Wild One".

"Sixteen Reasons" by Connie Stevens. (89, 3, 24)
Her follow-up to "Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb". Those were the days.

"Tall Oak Tree" by Dorsey Burnette. (92, 23, 15)

"Money" by Barrett Strong. (95, 23, 17)
Strong is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

"Peace of Mind" by Teresa Brewer. (96, 66, 4)
Teresa had 4 top 10 hits in the mid-1950s: "Let Me Go, Lover!", "A Tear Fell", "A Sweet Old Fashioned Girl", and "You Send Me".

"Fanny Mae" by Buster Brown. (97, 38, 17)

"Hully Gully" by the Olympics. (98, 72, 7)
Learn to do the dance.

"Whiffenpoof Song" by Bob Crewe. (100, 96, 2)