Louis Armstrong’s ‘Hello, Dolly!’: Chart Rewind, 1964

On the Billboard Scorching one hundred dated May well 9, 1964, Louis Armstrong ended the most dominant run at No. 1 in the chart’s background to that point.

The Beatles knowledgeable dominated the Incredibly hot one hundred for 14 consecutive weeks, by way of a handful of singles in a row, neither feat of which had earlier been achieved: Their landmark U.S. breakthrough strike “I Want To Hold Your Hand” began a 7-7 days reign on the Feb. 1, 1964-dated chart, followed by two months on prime for “She Loves You” and a five-7 days No. 1 keep for “Can’t Purchase Me Appreciate,” by the ranking dated that Might two.

The subsequent frame, amid The Beatles-led British Invasion, famed New Orleans-born trumpeter and vocalist Armstrong’s “Hello, Dolly!” rose to No. 1. The title tune from the strike musical was ready by Jerry Herman and created by Michael Kapp. It went on to obtain music of the 12 months and most helpful vocal overall performance, male at the Grammy Awards in 1965, even even though Armstrong’s recording was inducted into the Grammy Corridor of Fame in 2001.

Regardless of The Beatles’ onslaught of hits at the time, Armstrong’s Warm one hundred conquest with “Hello, Dolly!” knowledgeable momentum thanks in significant element to its mum or dad musical.

As researched in-depth by Grammy Award-profitable creator and Armstrong historian (and musician) Ricky Riccardi for a 2021 piece, “Howdy, Dolly! Opens Critics Toss Hats” a headline go via in the Jan. 25, 1964, Billboard difficulty. “The critics flipped,” the tale well-known. “‘Don’t difficulty maintaining onto your hats,’ talked about Walter Kerr in The Herald Tribune, ‘because you will not be needing them. You’d only be throwing them into the air. A musical comedy aspiration.’ ”

Per Riccardi, Arvell Shaw, who played bass with Armstrong, explained to documentarian Ken Burns, “Three or 4 months [after “Hello, Dolly!” was recorded], we had been out on the road [in early 1964] performing one particular specific-nighters in Nebraska and Iowa, way, way out. And just about each and every evening time we’d hear from the viewers, ‘Hello, Dolly!,’ ‘Hello, Dolly!’ The initial couple of nights Louis disregarded it, and it received louder … ‘Hello, Dolly!’ Louis looked at me and reported, ‘What the hell is ‘Hello, Dolly!’?’ We had to get the music and master it and location it in the reside overall performance. The very first time we place it in, pandemonium broke out. We had been so significantly out he didn’t even know he had a enormous hit.”

“Hello, Dolly!” entered the Extremely hot one hundred dated Feb. 15, 1964, when “I Want To Keep Your Hand” was No. 1 and the ordinarily copy-weighty entrance internet site of the challenge and confirmed The Beatles at the rear of Billboard’s logo, more than three tales devoted to the band. (“U.S. Rocks & Reels From Beatles’ Invasion,” browse the essential headline.)

Popular Riccardi, Armstrong drew entrance-internet site web page Billboard ink of his have a week afterwards in a story headlined “Broadway Lights Up Labels Diskers Purpose for Peak 12 months.” “The new music and drama of Broadway is making strong influence on the record firm scene this time,” Mike Gross wrote. “Not provided that the heyday of My Affordable Lady have the diskers seemed to Broadway item or service with these types of bullish attitudes.”

As “Hello, Dolly!” scaled the Scorching one hundred, Armstrong extra realized its influence. Riccardi sourced a tale by columnist Jimmy Breslin quoting Armstrong: “People keep coming up to me about ‘Dolly’ and sayin’, ‘You’re performing all best. You are promoting information right driving The Beatles.’ I’m with The Beatles. New music is audio. There’s all types. But it all seem from the similar position. It all come from aged, sanctified church buildings. I do not care how they adjust it … earlier, sanctified church buildings is the essence of it.”

By mid-April 1964, in accordance to Riccardi, Armstrong instructed Newsweek of his impending Extremely hot one hundred No. 1, “I like that tune. It is purchased a fantastic knowledge, it is a fantastic, content material a single.” Of its recording, he talked about, “We did not have no arrangement or nothin’. We just scat out our components. I played it the way I am, Satchmo’s way. The folks do not ignore that old conquer. They know the essence, and it is Satchmo.”

As for the acts then occupying the Incredibly hot 100’s upper reaches, extra Armstrong (whom Ed Sullivan praised in a Might 15, 1964, New York Everyday Data column for “that well-known gravel-velvet voice”), “It’s terrible good to be there amongst all them Beatles.”

The Beatles, in the meantime, reciprocated, Riccardi pointed out, by playing a bit of “Hello, Dolly!” – on kazoo – in a 1964 vacation message.

Beyond its notable journey to No. 1 on the Sizzling one hundred, “Hello, Dolly!” produced record for Armstrong, who at 62 became the most senior artist to lead the listing. The mark stood suitable till earlier December, when Brenda Lee, then 78, jingled to No. 1 with “Rockin’ All more than the Christmas Tree” (even though she was 13 when she recorded the carol, initially launched in 1958).

In addition, by dethroning The Beatles just immediately after 14 weeks atop the Extremely hot one hundred, Armstrong place a quit to the longest steady command for an act in the chart’s record to that position, 1 that stood exclusively till ultimately 1993, when Whitney Houston tied it, by way of “I Will Typically Appreciate You.” Boyz II Males surpassed the mark with a 16-7 days No. 1 operate in 1994, when The Black Eyed Peas at present keep the history: 26 consecutive months, thanks to “Boom Development Pow” (12 months) and “I Gotta Feeling” (12) in 2009.

Following the reign of “Hello, Dolly!,” Armstrong remained notable on Billboard’s charts. The song’s mother or father album of the precise similar title topped the Billboard 200 for six months beginning in June 1964, even even though he added two significantly a lot more Scorching one hundred entries that year.

“Hello, Dolly!” also turned Armstrong’s 1st of five Grownup Up to date top 10s, ruling for 9 weeks – with “What a Excellent World” attaining No. 7, as completely as No. 32 on the Scorching one hundred, in 1988, the 1967 recording revived thanks to its highlight in the box workplace hit Good Morning, Vietnam. In 1999, a remake of the latter music by Kenny G showcasing Armstrong strike No. 22 on Grownup Up to date.

Armstrong, who died in July 1971, has additionally logged 12 leading rated 10s on Billboard’s Jazz Albums chart. Most not also lengthy ago, his retrospective Gold strike No. 7 this March, with its 40-tune tracklist with each other with “Hello, Dolly!”