Last week we ran a WLS Super Summer Survey Chart from July 14, 1967, tying into a piece that Best Classic Bands had done about the biggest hits in Chicago on this date 54 years ago.
I was quick to point out the presence of EIGHT of our Local Hero artists who made the chart that week ... a full 20% of The Top 40! (Incredibly, Best Classic Bands' piece made absolutely no mention of this rather astounding fact in their article!)
This was back in the day when local radio could salute some of their own ... and artists like The Buckinghams, The Cryan' Shames, The New Colony Six, The American Breed, Spanky and Our Gang, The Mauds, The Flock and Milwaukee's Michael and the Messegers were charting right alongside the biggest hits of the day by artists like Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, The Monkees, Tommy James and the Shondells, Herman's Hermits, Herb Alpert, The Association, The Grass Roots, Jefferson Airplane, Johnny Rivers, The Doors, The Hollies, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles and more ... and nobody growing up and living here even gave it so much as a second thought!
Missing in action on this chart are two other local acts that had HUGE hits the year before, The Shadows Of Knight (with their #1 Smash "Gloria") and The Ides Of March, who made The Top Ten four years prior to "Vehicle" with "You Wouldn't Listen."
Today, we remember ALL of these great songs by all of these great artists, local or otherwise, who made listening to WLS Radio such a great joy and pleasure back in 1967.
I've said this MANY times over the years ...
We didn't like this music because it was made by Chicago artists ...
We liked this music because it was GREAT music ...
And absolutely held its own against all of the other hits of the day.
(The fact that it was all created right here in Chicago was just the cherry on top!) kk
MORE WAYS TO ENJOY THIS MUSIC:
Listen to Jeff James feature the local hits from this week's WLS Survey on his WINDY CITY WEDNESDAY Program - 4 pm - 7 pm TODAY:
https://huntleyradio.com/hcr/windy-city-wednesday/
And be sure to be listening Saturday Night when Phil Nee plays selections from the whole list on his THOSE WERE THE DAYS Program (6 pm - Midnight): https://www.wrco.com/ (just click on the 100.9 headphones link)
[all times Chicago / Central]
Then, when you have a half hour to spare, check out Bob Sirott's special HOW CHICAGO ROCKED THE '60's ...
