Louie Louie was number 99 from the Billboard Top 100 from 1964. The market was flooded with new music. I have zero information about the 2024 top 100.
There was controversy about possible “dirty lyrics” of this tune. The FCC found the lyrics unintelligible. The FBI had the record in their lab for 31 months trying to get the goods on the Kingsmen.
Jack Ely (1943-2015) was the original singer and left the band before the record came out. His incoherent vocals are attributed to braces and the unusual recording process. It was recorded in one take. Ely received zero performance royalties from airplay of Louie Louie.
I saw The Kingsmen in Jacksonville, some large auditorium. It was maybe ? 1965 or 1966. I still didn’t own a drumset.
So much music was happening by then, mainly the British Invasion, that The Kingsmen became a one hit wonder has been. They had a saxophone player, and seemed old, very “square” and out of touch.
When Louie Louie hit the airwaves, it was big. It held the number 2 spot for 6 weeks.
I love the drum part on this record. The ‘over the bar’ fills are fantastic, due to their not knowing the songs form, verse, bridge etc. But it was 1964.
That's got to be the technically worst fill for hit record that I can think of but I guess technique really doesn't matter when it comes to rock and roll does it
https://youtu.be/z-2CKsaq5r8?si=caVTGGqdBn81fNRo
Possibly making the lyrics vague to avoid copyright claims.....