Sugar Sugar by the Archies Was the #1 Song of 1969 | BMU Dancers

"Sugar, Sugar" beat out hits by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, and Stevie Wonder to become Billboard's official #1 Single of the Year in 1969. Credited to the animated band The Archies from Filmation's Saturday morning cartoon show, the song was recorded entirely by elite studio session pros. Lead vocals were sung by Ron Dante, with backing harmonies by Toni Wine and co-writer Andy Kim. Music mogul Don Kirshner (who previously assembled The Monkees) created The Archies specifically because animated characters "don't argue, don't get stage fright, and can't quit." Nervous that radio stations would refuse to play a track by a Saturday morning cartoon band, the production team scratched off the label on test vinyl pressings and sent them to top stations as an "unnamed mystery group"—the phones instantly lit up. Millions of kids got their first copy of "Sugar, Sugar" cut directly into cardboard records printed on the back of Post Super Sugar Crisp and Alpha-Bits cereal boxes, which could actually be played on real turntables. Legendary singer-songwriter Ray Stevens ("The Streak", "Everything Is Beautiful") happened to drop by the recording studio just to grab lunch with Toni Wine—and was recruited on the spot to perform handclaps on the master take. #SugarSugar #TheArchies #60sMusic #NumberOne #BubblegumPop #ClassicRock #Oldies #RetroVibes #1969Hits #PopClassics #VinylCommunity #MusicTrivia #VintagePop #Shorts #Remaster #PopHistory