The Keener Top 113 All Time Leading Hits 1956-1968

 May 29, 2016

WKNR Music GuideRemember how Keener used to play special programming on holiday weekends? Rock-u-mentaries were common on Top 40 stations back in the day. The History of Rock and Roll, Aural histories of the Beatles, the Stones, Elvis, and Motown, each of these topics were fodder for extended attention, especially over those long weekends when the DJs took time off to be with their families.

There were also periodic surveys of “The Greatest Hits of All Time”. On January 1st 1969, WKNR released their list of the “Leading 113 All Time Hits – 1956-1968″. Time and the fading of memory has dimmed the process by which the station came up with the list, but it includes some of the most memorable music of the rock era up to that time. A special, elongated WKNR Music Guide was created to mark the event. It’s become a collector’s item among avid Keenerfans. Here’s the list as it was first heard on New Year’s Day, 1969.

# Tune Length Year
113 The Casinos – Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye 03:01.4 67
112 Otis Redding – (Sittin On) The Dock of the Bay 02:26.7 68
111 The Seekers – Georgy Girl 02:13.9 67
110 Terry Stafford – Suspicion 02:25.9 64
109 The Lovin’ Spoonful – Summer in the City 02:38.1 66
108 Small Faces – Itchycoo Park 02:45.7 68
107 The Platters – My Prayer 02:43.9 56
106 Robert Knight – Everlasting Love 02:53.3 67
105 Richard Harris – MacArthur Park 07:25.5 68
104 The Mamas & the Papas – Monday Monday 03:22.6 66
103 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Shop Around 02:47.3 61
102 1910 Fruitgum Company – Simon Says 02:14.6 68
101 The Four Tops – Reach Out I’ll Be There 02:58.6 66
100 Strawberry Alarm Clock – Incense & Peppermints 02:45.1 67
99 Barbara Lewis – Hello Stranger 02:39.1 67
98 Stevie Wonder – Uptight (Keener Version) 02:48.0 66
97 The Troggs – Love Is All Around 02:56.5 68
96 The Grass Roots – Midnight Confessions 02:44.7 68
95 The Shirelles – Will You Love Me Tomorrow 02:46.5 61
94 Barry McGuire – Eve of Destruction 03:24.7 65
93 Johnny Nash – Hold Me Tight 02:42.6 68
92 Crispian St. Peters – The Pied Piper 02:31.0 66
91 Bobby Vee – Take Good Care of My Baby 02:35.8 61
90 Shades of Blue – Oh How Happy 02:09.3 66
89 The Royal Guardsmen – Snoopy vs. The Red Baron 02:44.1 67
88 Chubby Checker – The Twist 02:33.9 62
87 Mary Hopkin – Those Were the Days 04:55.3 68
86 Wanted – In the Midnight Hour 01:55.1 67
85 Bobby Fuller Four – I Fought the Law 02:16.1 66
84 The Doors – Hello, I Love You 02:05.4 68
83 Shirelles – Soldier Boy 02:39.7 62
82 The Capitols – Cool Jerk 02:31.9 66
81 Neil Diamond – Cherry Cherry 02:38.6 66
80 Lloyd Price – Personality 02:35.8 59
79 Van Morrison – Gloria 02:36.3 66
78 Percy Sledge – When a Man Loves a Woman 02:51.5 67
77 The Arrows – Blues Theme 01:55.4 67
76 Sam Cooke – Chain Gang 02:34.0 60
75 Lulu – To Sir With Love 02:43.5 67
74 The Parliaments – (I Wanna) Testify 03:06.7 67
73 The McCoys – Hang on Sloopy 03:02.1 65
72 Van Morrison – Brown Eyed Girl 02:55.8 67
71 Beatles – P.S. I Love You 02:01.4 64
70 Bob Lind – Elusive Butterfly 02:47.7 66
69 John Fred & His Playboy Band – Judy in Disguise 02:53.9 68
68 Bobby Darin – Mack the Knife 03:05.4 59
67 The Four Seasons – Can’t Take My Eyes Off You 03:20.3 67
66 Jackie DeShannon – What the World Needs Now Is Love 03:01.0 65
65 Gary Lewis & The Playboys – This Diamond Ring 02:10.0 65
64 Dion – Abraham, Martin And John 03:10.3 68
63 Everly Brothers – Cathy’s Clown 02:22.6 60
62 The Beach Boys – Good Vibrations 03:33.9 66
61 Herman’s Hermits – Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter 02:45.6 65
60 The Young Rascals – Groovin’ 02:26.1 67
59 Ray Charles – I Can’t Stop Loving You 02:34.7 62
58 Elvis Presley – Are You Lonesome Tonight 02:23.6 60
57 Nancy Sinatra – These Boots Are Made for Walkin 02:39.2 66
56 The Monkees – I’m a Believer 02:43.1 67
55 Del Shannon – Runaway 02:15.5 61
54 Dion – Runaround Sue 02:38.8 61
53 The Lemon Pipers – Green Tambourine 02:25.5 68
52 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Mickey’s Monkey 02:40.7 63
51 Bobby Vinton – Blue Velvet 02:46.0 63
50 Stevie Wonder – Fingertips (Scott’s Mix) 03:37.0 63
49 Procol Harum – A Whiter Shade of Pale 03:59.3 67
48 Dynamics – Misery 02:22.0 63
47 The Righteous Brothers – You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ 03:37.9 65
46 The Buckinghams – Kind of a Drag 02:02.1 67
45 Roy Orbison – Only The Lonely (Know How I Feel) 02:23.8 60
44 Simon & Garfunkel – Mrs. Robinson 03:36.9 68
43 Little Anthony & The Imperials – Goin’ Out of My Head 02:26.0 65
42 The Box Tops – The Letter 01:55.0 67
41 Jeannie C. Riley – Harper Valley P.T.A. 03:15.4 68
40 Troggs – Wild Thing 02:35.7 66
39 The Association – Never My Love 03:06.1 67
38 The Supremes – You Can’t Hurry Love 02:45.8 66
37 The Mamas & the Papas – California Dreamin’ 02:37.2 55
36 Elvis Presley – Don’t Be Cruel 02:00.5 56
35 The Tokens – The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) 02:37.6 61
34 Petula Clark – Downtown 03:06.3 65
33 Paul Revere and The Raiders – Kicks 02:24.4 66
32 The Four Seasons – Sherry 02:33.3 62
31 Amboy Dukes – Journey to the Center of the Mind 03:26.6 68
30 The Happenings – See You in September 02:25.0 66
29 The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Purple Haze 02:51.9 67
28 The Beatles – I Want To Hold Your Hand 02:23.3 64
27 Shelley Fabares – Johnny Angel 02:14.3 62
26 The Four Tops – I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) 02:45.4 65
25 Percy Faith – Theme from “A Summer Place” 02:19.7 60
24 Lou Christie – Lightnin’ Strikes 02:57.8 66
23 Gary Puckett & The Union Gap – Woman, Woman 03:31.8 68
22 Sonny & Cher – I Got You Babe 03:10.0 65
21 Question Mark & The Mysterians – 96 Tears 02:38.7 66
20 Tommy James – Mony, Mony 02:48.0 68
19 Bobby Goldsboro – Honey 03:54.6 68
18 J. Frank Wilson & The Cavaliers – Last Kiss 02:25.8 64
17 Bobby Hebb – Sunny 02:44.4 66
16 Buddy Holly – Peggy Sue 02:28.8 58
15 Unrelated Segments – Story of My Life 02:40.7 67
14 Paul Mauriat – Love Is Blue 02:31.6 68
13 The Surfaris – Wipe Out 02:39.4 63
12 The Temptations – My Girl 02:54.6 65
11 The Beatles – Hey Jude 05:41.9 68
10 The Turtles – Happy Together 02:52.6 67
9 Simon & Garfunkel – Sounds of Silence 03:02.6 66
8 Animals – Animals – House of the Rising Sun 03:23.8 64
7 The Beatles – Yesterday 02:02.6 65
6 The Kingsmen – Louie Louie 02:45.3 65
5 Rationals – Respect 02:40.5 66
4 The Doors – Light My Fire 02:59.6 67
3 The Rolling Stones – (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction 03:43.8 65
2 Bob Seger – Heavy Music 02:34.6 67
1 The Association – Cherish 03:24.4 66