Read Me First! Introduction To The Blog

     Hello, and welcome to "Dr. Rock's Hit Or Miss". A critique of every song to hit #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 from 1958 till the present day. 

     For those who are new to the blog, here is some personal information about myself. I am a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, (Trumpet, Guitar, Bass, Piano, Drums), I write and record my own songs which you may check out at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rob-Weiss-Music/143095378046. 

     I got my pseudonym for two reasons. One being that I hosted a radio station that played all genres of Rock from the 1960's and 1970's as a cure for modern pop music. The other reason being I am an amateur music historian for music of the last 70 years. 

     As someone whose radio show featured rock and pop music from the 1960's and 1970's, I have always loved studying the history of the songs and artists I played. I always tried to feature artists that were not hit makers in addition to the classic songs everybody loves. My mantra has always been, "Just because it's a hit does not necessarily mean it's a great song, some of the best songs were not hits". 

     However, there are two sides to this argument. Some truly great songs have been #1 US Billboard hits. Of course, there have also been countless downright abysmal songs that charted on top that nowadays we scratch out heads and wonder, "People really liked that?" This blog is an effort to analyze, listen to, critique, and judge every song from August 1958 (When the hot 100 list debuted), till the present day, that has hit #1 on Billboard's hot 100. 

     I want to examine each year in three sections. First, my overall view of it: What pop culture was like during that year, what lasting music trends and albums have stood the test of time, what do I personally know about that year, and where rock music was at. Second, each song will be reviewed, and I will give my personal opinion on whether the song is a tried and true classic, a buried gem, a dated but still noteworthy piece of music, a guilty pleasure, or just plain awful! I will also note whether I'm familiar with the song, I heard it in passing before, or if it's new to me. Lastly, I'll write a reflection for each year, and pick the best and worst #1 song. Being a huge guitar/bass/and drums rock and roll fan, I'll admit I may be biased to certain music genres, but I will give everything a fair listen. 

     Remember, this blog is NOT about the best songs from each year, but rather, what was popular at the time, and what people were buying. There will certainly be times where I'm going to regret doing this, (especially once we get to more recent pop music,) but for now, I'm going to take you way back 55 years ago, to 1958...                   Until next time - Dr. Rock.