The Number One Song 50 Years Ago Was?

Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero, better known by her professional name Connie Francis, was one of the most successful female singers of the fifties and sixties placing 59 songs on the American singles chart between 1957 and 1969. Fifty years ago this week her second of three number one hits, “My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own,” was the number one song in The United States.

Oddly, it is some of her non number one releases that remain her signature songs. “Who’s Sorry Now,” “Lipstick On Your Collar,” “Where The Boys Are,” and “Stupid Cupid” are all nice slices of a pop world long gone.

Connie Francis’ formula was to switch back and forth between emotional and agonizing songs of love’s yearnings and catchy tunes with somewhat inane but ultimately mesmerizing lyrics that would stay in your mind for days, which was an important component for success in the days of early sixties AM singles radio.

“My Heart has A Mind Of Its Own” certainly falls into the sappy emotional category but it does stay with you. While her career faded with the advent of the seventies, her catalogue had withstood the test of time better than many of her contemporaries.

Despite personal problems and four short marriages she has continued to perform and record down to the present day. She has also become a fixture in Vegas.

Very few performers have had the commercial success of Connie Francis and a half century ago this week she ruled the American singles charts.