Taking the World by Storm

Today in Music History: November 17, 1958

With six notes rolling melodically off a banjo and the spoken words of "Throughout history, there have been many songs written about the eternal triangle. This next one tells the story of a Mr. Grayson, a beautiful woman, and a condemned man named Tom Dooley," a trio of musicians began to take the world by storm.

The Kingston Trio: smooth three part harmonies, collegiate appeal, trademark candy-striped shirts single-handedly revolutionize folk music

Emerging from San Francisco's North Beach club was a trio of musicians who took the music world, the entire country in fact, by storm in 1957. With their eloquent three part harmonies, they brought the rich tradition of American folk music into the mainstream for the first time. The Trio influenced music genres of a generation enjoying unprecedented record sales and ultimately worldwide fame. 

The songs of the Kingston Trio play on and on now well into the 21st century. Great songs sound as good today as the first time played, recorded, and distributed. It has been over fifty years since Tom Dooley hit the top of the charts. It can still be heard over the airways, in homes and on stage. What is the Trio doing today? Still on the road bringing back all those wonderful memories while continuing to make new ones.

1958 The Kingston Trio's 'Tom Dooley' hit #1 on the Billboard pop chart. The trio introduced the astonishingly fresh sound of a 100-year-old folk song into the American pop mainstream of '58. 'Tom Dooley' became the mammoth hit that launched the Kingston Trio's massively successful career.

Also on this day...

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   1962 The Four Seasons started a five week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Big Girls Don't Cry', the group's second No.1 of the year. It made No.13 in the UK.

•  1966 The Beach Boys were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Good Vibrations.' As a child, his mother told him that dogs could pick up "vibrations" from people, so that the dog would bark at "bad vibrations" Wilson turned this into the general idea for the song.

• 1979 The Commodores went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Still', the group's second US No.1 single, it made No.4 in the UK.

And a Double Whammy...

1985 Wham! were at No.1 on the UK album chart with Make It Big and No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Wake Me Up Before You Go Go'. Michael's inspiration for the song was a scribbled note left by his Wham! partner Andrew Ridgeley for Andrew's parents, originally intended to read "wake me up before you go" but with "up" accidentally written twice, so Ridgeley wrote "go" twice on purpose.

And the music goes on beating to the rhythm of the changing times...