Personal top ten - April 1964 to January 1965

This is the penultimate set of my personal top tens covering a period when great records continued to be released on an almost daily basis. I was coming up for my A levels ahead of leaving school and the frequency of my lists slowed down, often resulting in 11 or 12 records occupying the top ten, with several tied at the number 10 position. The year saw the rapid growth of Motown, the continuation of the R and B boom and the rise of surf and drag records. A great time for music in fact.
In list 329 Betty Everett was at number one and there was a new entry by Roy Orbison, which only made it to number nine, and the latest from Chuck Berry. List 330 saw the entry of Mary Wells' 'My Guy' on its way to number one, and new ones by Marvin Gaye and Inez Foxx (on Sue). List 331 had great new entries by the Impressions and the Temptations, and in 332 there were new entries by Bo Diddley and Irma Thomas ('Wish Someone Would Care').

List 333 had a new entry by Tommy Tucker and 334 had new ones by John Lee Hooker and the Reflections. There was a future number one by Little Richard, his last big hit on Specialty, in 335, and list 336 had new entries by Jackie De Shannon, on her way to number one, and the Contours.

Jimmy Witherspoon had a new entry in list 337 as did Tony Orlando (I'd forgotten that one), while Arthur Alexander entered in 338 with 'Black Night' (not as spelt in my list) as well as Carl Perkins. There was a smash hit entry in 339 by the Beach Boys and another by Brenda Holloway., and there were new ones in list 340 by Mary Wells and Marvin Gaye and Elvis.

List 341 had both sides of the latest Sam Cooke record, with 'Good Times' becoming yet another number one for him. List 342 saw a sudden burst of new entries by Inez (and Charlie) Foxx -three in all - plus one by the Everly Brothers. List 343 had new ones by the Jelly Beans and the Impressions, and the Crystals, Dionne Warwick and Tony Clarke had new entries in 344.

In list 345 there were new entries by the Ronettes, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee and Roger Miller, and there were new ones in 346 by John Lee Hooker, Bobby Freeman, Sugar Pie DeSanto, the Drifters and Bo Diddley. Earl Jean came straight in at number one in list 347, a new one by Chuck Berry came in at number two and there was a first new entry for Bobby Bland, plus others by Jan and Dean and the Four Seasons.After a two week break the charts continued to be fast moving - and over full - in list 348 with a number one entry by the Supremes ('Where Did Our Love Go') and new ones by the Newbeats and the Miracles.

On to list 349 and there were new entries by Roy Orbison ('Pretty Woman') and Jackie Ross. The Four Tops entered in list 350 with a future number one and Gene Chandler also had a new entry. List 351 saw loads of new entries: by Major Lance, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Little Walter and Betty Everett and Jerry Butler, and there was a new one by Ronnie and the Daytonas in list 352.

Things quietened down slightly as we moved into October with just one new entry in 353, by the Shangri-Las, but there were plenty of great new entries in list 354, by the Impressions, the Supremes, Sam Cooke, Lou Johnson and Don Covay The Sam Cooke B side entered in list 355, as did the Beach Boys' 'When I Grow Up' which went on to number one. Another huge record entered in list 356 - 'Dancing In the Street' by Martha and the Vandellas and one by the Ronettes.

List 357 had a new entry by the Tokens and there was a re-entry by James Brown in 358. List 359 had new ones by the Hondells and Jan and Dean and, with Martha and the Vandellas now at number one, new entries by the Ronettes, Chuck Jackson and Jackie De Shannon in list 360.

Another Motown number one entered in list 361 in the form of the Velvelettes' 'Needle In A Haystack' plus new entries by Marvin Gaye and the Everly Brothers. List 362 had new ones by the Beach Boys, the Four Seasons and a future number one by Maxine Brown. List 363 had a new entry by Bobby Parker, a Christmas oldie by Elvis, and the Larks. List 364 had new entries by the Miracles and Little Anthony and the Imperials. Sam Cooke had been shot dead a few days before.

The last batch of lists  in this set saw new entries by Betty Everett, James Brown and Jan and Dean in list 363, and a new one by Bobby Bland in 366 as we moved into 1965. A future number one by the Righteous Brothers entered in 367 and the Shangri-Las also had a new entry. Finally, in list 368, there were new ones by Mary Wells, the Supremes and the Marvelettes.