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This Was The First #1 On Radio's American Top 40
It was July 4, 1970 and the now legendary radio show "American Top 40" debuted - but only on seven stations. What was #1 on that auspicious week? Maybe the most unlikely top song you can think of -"Mama Told Me Not To Come" by Three Dog Night.
According to songwriter Randy Newman, it was originally intended for Eric Burdon and the Animals, who released their version three years earlier. But it wasn't until the Dogs got their paws on it that it went to the top of the charts.
There have been hundreds of top singles since that first show, but Mama Told Me Not To Come will always be AT40's number one #1.
1970 Hit, the First No. 1 on the ‘American Top 40,’ Became a Classic Rock Anthem
- Dale Patterson
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Re: This Was The First #1 On Radio's American Top 40
Here's the version by Eric Burdon and the Animals from 1966...
1st RECORDING OF: Mama Told Me Not To Come - Eric Burdon & the Animals (1966)
"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
- mace
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Re: This Was The First #1 On Radio's American Top 40
As of July 18, 2026, 1194 songs have reached #1 on the Hot 100. While Billboard's first official music survey began July 20,1940 with the full page "Music Popularity Chart" the magazine began keeping track of popular music as early as 1913 when they introduced "Last Week's Ten Best Sellers Among Popular Songs" which kept track of sheet music sales.
- Fitz
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Re: This Was The First #1 On Radio's American Top 40
I was trying to think of any hit songs that Randy Newman had before "Mama" and I could not think of any but I googled and found out that he wrote two top 5 hits in the UK. Gene Pitney Nobody Needs Your Love ( 1966) and The Alan Price Set, Simon Smith and His Amazing Dancing Bear ( 1967).
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