JFK, The Billboard Hot 100, & The British Invasion

November 22, 2013 is the fiftieth anniversary of the assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy in Dallas. Those of us who are old enough to remember that long, dark weekend can still vividly recollect where we were when the world first learned the Commander-in-Chief lost his life that sad Friday afternoon before Thanksgiving.

As the anniversary of the tragedy approaches Bloggerhythms will leave the politics, single bullet theories, and conspiracy talk to others and instead we'll take a look at the top ten singles of that awful week according to the Billboard Hot 100.

THE BILLBOARD HOT 100: NOVEMBER 16, 1963
1. Deep Purple - Nino Tempo & April Stevens (up from #2 the week before)
2. Sugar Shack - Jimmie Gilmer & The Fireballs (down from #1 the week before)
3. Washington Square - The Village Stompers
4. I'm Leaving It Up To You - Dale & Grace
5. It's All Right - The Impressions
6. Maria Elena - Los Tabajaras
7. She's A Fool - Leslie Gore
8. Bossa Nova Baby - Elvis Presley and The Jordanaires
9. Everybody - Tommy Roe
10. 500 Miles From Home - Bobby Bare

The United States became a very different country after JFK's passing and, very soon, before the year would end (December 26th to be exact) a game-changing musical event also occurred: The Beatles released "I Want To Hold Your Hand" in America. It would give birth to The British Invasion and allowed rock 'n to roll take over radio and the record charts for most of the rest of the Twentieth Century.

By January 25, 1964 the Liverpool guys rode their first US hit to #3 on the Hot 100, up from #45 the week before. The song they knocked out of the #1 spot on February 1st, was Bobby Vinton's "There! I Said It Again." The following week they performed live on The Ed Sullivan Show and history was made.

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