Billboard Hot 100 | Top 5 – Week of January 11, 1964
The Billboard Hot 100 for January 11, 1964 still carried the sound of late 1963, but the chart was starting to feel more restless. Bobby Vinton remained at #1 with “There! I’ve Said It Again,” holding the top spot for a second week and keeping polished romantic pop in control.
The Kingsmen stayed at #2 with “Louie Louie,” giving the chart a very different kind of energy just below the top. Its raw garage-rock sound stood in sharp contrast to Vinton’s smooth ballad style, showing how wide the pop audience had become as 1964 began.
The biggest Top 5 mover was The Murmaids, who jumped from #6 to #3 with “Popsicles And Icicles.” Their soft girl-group sound brought a dreamy West Coast feel to the upper chart. Meanwhile, “Dominique” slipped to #4 after its earlier #1 run, and Bobby Rydell held at #5 with “Forget Him.”
Outside the Top 5, the chart was getting louder and stranger. The Trashmen soared into the Top 10 with “Surfin’ Bird,” while Shirley Ellis continued climbing with “The Nitty Gritty.” The week mixed ballads, novelty sounds, girl-group harmonies, garage rock, and dance records — all just before Beatlemania changed the direction of American pop.
Top 5 Songs
1. There! I’ve Said It Again – Bobby Vinton
Bobby Vinton held at #1 with “There! I’ve Said It Again,” giving the record its second week on top. Vinton’s smooth delivery and romantic style made him one of the defining pop balladeers of the early 1960s, and this song fit perfectly with the audience that had already embraced hits like “Blue Velvet.”
The record’s strength came from its polished arrangement and emotional directness. At a time when the chart was filled with louder, younger, and more unusual records, Vinton offered something familiar and elegant.
Its continued stay at #1 is historically important because it came right before the British Invasion reshaped American radio. In many ways, “There! I’ve Said It Again” represents one of the last major moments for the pre-Beatles pop-ballad era.
2. Louie Louie – The Kingsmen
The Kingsmen remained at #2 with “Louie Louie,” continuing its powerful run near the top of the Hot 100. Even without reaching #1, the song had already become one of the most talked-about and influential records of the period.
Its rough vocal, pounding beat, and garage-band feel gave it a sound that seemed almost unfinished compared with the polished pop around it. That was part of its appeal. Young listeners heard something wild, direct, and exciting.
On this week’s chart, “Louie Louie” served as a preview of the rawer rock energy that would become more important as the decade moved forward. It was not smooth, but it was unforgettable.
3. Popsicles And Icicles – The Murmaids
The Murmaids made a major move this week as “Popsicles And Icicles” climbed from #6 to #3. The song brought a gentle, dreamy girl-group sound to the Top 5, with soft harmonies and a sweet romantic mood.
Its rise showed that girl-group records were still an important part of the early-1960s pop landscape. The song did not have the force of Motown or the drama of some East Coast productions, but its lighter West Coast feel gave it a distinct personality.
For The Murmaids, this was the defining moment of their chart career. “Popsicles And Icicles” captured a brief but memorable place in pop history, standing alongside the more polished and playful sounds that filled radio before the British Invasion.
4. Dominique – The Singing Nun (Soeur Sourire)
“Dominique” slipped from #3 to #4 this week, but it remained one of the most unusual hits in the Top 5. The Singing Nun’s French-language folk song had already completed its #1 run, and its continued presence showed how broad the Hot 100 could be in this period.
The record’s gentle acoustic style and religious theme made it stand apart from almost everything else on the chart. It was neither teen idol pop nor rock and roll, yet it connected with a wide American audience.
By January 1964, “Dominique” was beginning to fade from its peak, but it still added an international and spiritual flavor to the chart. Its success remains one of the more surprising stories of the early 1960s.
5. Forget Him – Bobby Rydell
Bobby Rydell held at #5 with “Forget Him,” keeping teen-idol pop firmly inside the Top 5. Rydell had been a major presence on the charts since the late 1950s, and this record showed that he still had an audience as 1964 began.
The song’s message, arrangement, and vocal style all fit the polished teen-pop world that had been so successful before the British Invasion. It was emotional without being raw, and romantic without losing its clean pop appeal.
“Forget Him” would continue to matter on the chart, but its timing is important. It arrived just as the kind of pop Rydell represented was about to face a new wave of British rock groups and a rapidly changing youth culture.
More Weeks at #1 for “There! I’ve Said It Again”
This song spent multiple weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Explore each chart week below:
🎂 What Was the #1 Song on Your Birthday?
If you were born during the week ending January 11, 1964, this was your birthday song:
🎵 There! I’ve Said It Again by Bobby Vinton
▶ Watch and experience this song →
🎂 Try your own birthday:
- There! I’ve Said It Again – Bobby Vinton
- Louie Louie – The Kingsmen
- Popsicles And Icicles – The Murmaids
- Dominique – The Singing Nun (Soeur Sourire)
- Forget Him – Bobby Rydell
- Since I Fell For You – Lenny Welch
- Surfin’ Bird – The Trashmen
- The Nitty Gritty – Shirley Ellis
- Talk Back Trembling Lips – Johnny Tillotson
- Midnight Mary – Joey Powers
Chart Movers This Week
A Chart Still Waiting for the Big Change
The January 11, 1964 Hot 100 captured a fascinating pause before one of the biggest shifts in pop history. Bobby Vinton, The Singing Nun, Bobby Rydell, and The Murmaids all reflected the sounds that had shaped the early 1960s.
At the same time, “Louie Louie,” “Surfin’ Bird,” and Motown’s growing presence showed that the chart was becoming more energetic and unpredictable. The old order was still holding, but it no longer had the field to itself.
Within a short time, The Beatles would arrive on the American chart in a major way. This week, though, the Hot 100 still belonged to the final wave of pre-Invasion pop, with “There! I’ve Said It Again” holding steady at #1.