Harry Belafonte 1956. (Photo by Archive Photos/Getty Images)
Photo: Getty Images, Archive Photos. All rights reserved.
Harry Belafonte passed away on Tuesday (April 25) at the age of 96. Up until his death, the singer, entertainer, and actor was just one of five surviving musicians to top the US Billboard 200 chart before the Beatles onslaught in 1964.
“billboard“ brought together the four performers:
Johnny Mathis: His 1958 compilation Johnny’s Greatest Hits was the first of its kind to reach the top spot. The record was in the ranking for a total of 490 weeks, for which it was certified triple platinum. Only the Christmas album “Merry Christmas” by the 87-year-old was even more successful (five times platinum).
Bob Newhart: The TV star topped the charts with his comedy albums in 1960 and 1961. The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart and The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back were the first two comedy albums to do so. Most recently, the 93-year-old was seen in “The Big Bang Theory” and “Young Sheldon”.
Peter, Paul and Mary: Peter Yarrow (84) and Noel Paul Stookey (85) are still alive from the folk trio. Mary Travers passed away in 2009 at the age of 72. With their self-titled debut album, they made it to the top as one of the few folk bands in 1962, the album was certified double platinum. There are many cover versions of famous folk songs on it.
Stevie Wonder: Wonder had his first chart-topping success when he was just 13 years old. Little Stevie Wonder’s The 12-Year Old Genius hit number one in 1963. The now 72-year-old’s first live album was also the first number-one release for Motown Records, through which he still releases his music to this day.
Belafonte spent a total of 31 weeks at the top of the US album charts with his 1956 release “Calypso”. It was the first record by a solo artist to do so and the first to sell over a million copies. That same year, his self-titled album stayed at number one for six weeks before being succeeded by Elvis Presley’s legendary debut. The “King of Rock’n’Roll” also achieved over a million sales. “Meet the Beatles!” hit the charts in February 1964.