Artist	Song
Hazy Osterwald-Sextett	Kriminal Tango, 1959
Peter Alexander	Ich zShle tSglich meine Sorgen (Heartaches by the Number)
Bob Azzam	Mustafa, 1960
Jan & Kjeld	Banjo Boy, 1960
Lale Andersen	Ein Schiff wird kommen (Never On a Sunday), 1960
Caterina Valente & Silvio	Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Honolulu Strandbikini, (Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini), 1961
Billy Vaughn	Wheels, 1961
Connie Francis	Die Liebe ist ein seltsames Spiel, 1961
Gus Backus	Brauner BSr, Weisse Taube (Running Bear)
Ralf Bendix	Babysitter Boogie (Baby Sittin' Boogie), 1961
Jan & Kjeld	Hello, Mary Lou (Hello, Mary Lou), 1961
Duanne Eddy	Pepe, 1961
Bill Ramsey	Zuckerpuppe, 1961
Gerhard Wendland	Tanze mit mir in den Morgen, 1962
Floyd Cramer	San Antonio Rose, 1962
Gus Backus	Sauerkraut Polka, 1962
Ted Herold	Sei doch mein Talismann (Good Luck Charm), 1962
Gilbert BTcaud	Et maintenant, 1962
The Waikikis	Hawaii Tatoo, 1962
Connie Francis	Paradiso, 1962
Freddy Quinn	Junge, komm bald wieder, 1962
Edith Piaf	Non, je ne regrette rien, 1960
Bob Moore	Mexico, 1962
Rex Gildo	Speedy Gonzales (Speedy Gonzales), 1962
Peter Hinnen	Siebentausend Rinder, 1963
Gitte	Ich will 'nen Cowboy als Mann, 1963
Cliff Richard	Rote Lippen Soll Man Knssen, 1964
Trini Lopez	If I Had a Hammer, 1963
Paul Kuhn	Es gibt kein Bier auf Hawaii, 1963
Al Hirt	Java, 1964

Comment:

When one compares today's pop charts of Switzerland (the German-speaking part) with those of the US one will find that many US hits enter the charts in Switzerland (and other European countries), too. Superstars in America usually also are superstars on the other side of the Atlantic. The majority of the songs in the Swiss charts are in English-which is not one of Switzerland's 4 official languages.

But this wasn't always so. In the early '60s the Swiss charts consisted mostly of "Schlager" (simple, sentimental or humoristic songs in German) and big band recordings. (This is also true for the two other German speaking countries in Europe, Germany and Austria.) American and British hits often were translated into German and recorded by a local artist, or, at times, by the original artist (Cliff Richard recorded many of his hits in German.)

In 1962 the Swiss charts listed roughly ten times as many songs in German than in English. (Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers, Ricky Nelson and Pat Boone were some of the few artists that made the charts with songs in English.) But this was about to change drastically. The Beatles had their first hit in Switzerland in 1964. The Rolling Stones followed soon after, as did the Beach Boys, Mamas & the Papas, etc. In 1965 the ratio of German-language hits and English-language hits was still 2:1, but in 1966 in changed to 1:3. In 1968 there were ten times more hits in English in the Swiss Charts than in German. English-language songs have dominated the Swiss Charts ever since.

But back to this mix, which stops in 1963. Not surprisingly, a lot of the songs of that time were about love and relationships, just as they are today, but there were two other themes that were very popular: The American West (cowboys, American Indians etc, as exemplified in track 9, 25 and 26), and faraway, exotic, sunny locations (tracks 19, 20, 23). Track 29 turns the theme on its head by stating that "there is no beer on Hawaii, that's why I never want to go to Haiwaii." (This song became a classic beer-drinking song.)


1: This song about a mysterious murder in a nightclub became a Swiss classic. It is this still well-known and loved today.

3: Together with tracks 1 and 25 the only Swiss productions on this mix. Band leader and singer Bob Azzam was Egyptian, but I believe he recorded this song in Switzerland.

8: Connie Francis started her successful career in 1958 in America, but she also recorded in six different languages and was popular in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and Japan.

9: Gus Backus, on the other hand, made his first recordings also in America, but found success in Germany where he settled and married after being stationed there during his military service. He recorded several successful German-language versions of American hits.

10: The German-language version of an American hit seldom sounds better (to my ears) than the American or English original, but here it does. Bendix's version of Buzz Clifford's "Baby Sittin' Boogie" seems much fresher than the original. No wonder this song became a classic in Germany and Switzerland.

18, 22: Due to the cultural influence of Switzerland's neighbors, the Swiss charts quite often feature songs in French and Italian, too.

23: Instrumental music was big in the early '60s, too. Bob Moore, a standup bass player in high demand in the '50s in America, picked up his trumpet in the '60s and recorded this tune that became the most-sold record in Germany in 1962 (and possibly in Switzerland, too.)

"Auf dem Plattenteller" translates into "on the turntable."

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