Every British invasion song that rose to number one in 1965
In the context of today’s politics, transatlantic affairs seem like they’re on the rocks. Believe it or not, as aggressive as it sounds, the height of the British invasion was actually a much simpler time.
Despite the term evoking images of gruelling wars and harrowing bloodshed, to all intents and purposes, the reality of the British invasion was the peak of the sunshine musical era that the 1960s became known for in every corner of the world. Right in the crux of that time period was the year of 1965: 12 months where things truly changed, and would never remain the same again.
There was no denying that this was the time in which the takeover from UK shores was at its ultimate peak, with no less than nine British invasion tunes rising to the number one spot over the course of the year, with a number of those being double-sided to add to the haul. That sense of unwavering dominance was plain for all to see, with bands like The Beatles most obviously leading the charge.
For the part of the Fabs, they enjoyed three separate stints at the top with ‘Help!’/’Ticket to Ride’, ‘I Feel Fine’/’Yesterday’, and ‘Eight Days A Week’, all helping to push them over the line. But despite them undeniably bulldozing the scene with the might of their Liverpudlian wrath, they were far from the only British exports to get a shot at the action.
Alongside them were fellow Merseybeat wonders The Searchers, who topped the charts with their version of ‘Love Potion No 9’, ironically originally sung by the American rhythm and blues band The Clovers in 1959. The bands were also in familiar company with The Dave Clark Five, whose song ‘Over and Over’ not only scored a chart-topper but also became a solidified classic.
What other British invasion songs topped the charts in 1965?
It wasn’t all the work of the men, however, even though the scene was largely dominated by it. Petula Clark also got in there as a rare example of the British invasion, including female artists in its fold. Her iconic track ‘Downtown’ was the mark of a revolution in the ‘60s, and became so integral to its sound that it was subsequently covered by everyone from Dolly Parton to Frank Sinatra.
Then you get to the ones who perhaps haven’t stood the test of time so well, but still remained as integral to the British invasion in 1965 to keep it on its winning streak. Manchester band Fredie and the Dreamers hit the top spot with ‘I’m Telling You Now’, while Herman’s Hermits with ‘I’m Henry VIII, I Am’ / ’Mrs Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter’, which became the second best-selling single of the year overall.
But there’s nothing to beat the true kings of the scene, who blazed in and tore the whole star-spangled status quo to shreds. In many ways, that’s the mantra which The Rolling Stones have embodied ever since, but it was ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ that really lit the spark of the inferno once and for all.
In short, 1965 was a very good year for the British invasion, mainly because it could never be avoided, no matter where in the world you were. The Beatles, The Stones, The Dave Clark Five, Petula Clark and all the rest earned their place in history, rubber-stamped as the greatest UK exports to ever head Stateside.
