1963 No. 1, Later Turned Into A Muppets Song About A Chicken, Reached The Top 63 Years Ago Today

As had been the case for a couple of weeks already, the No. 1 song in the United States on October 25, 1963, was "Sugar Shack" by Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs. A buzzing, saxophone-laden tune, it may have been left behind and forgotten about in the early 1960s if not for a revival 30 years later by the Muppets. Appearing on the 1993 album "Muppet Beach Party," self-proclaimed weirdo Gonzo takes the lead and changes the subject of the song from an attractive young woman to a chicken he fancies — there's even prominent clucking on the track.

"Sugar Shack" was arguably already geared toward children, what with its playful and meandering tone, whistle-like melody, and frequent mentions of sugar, yet it's also one of the few songs of the era to acknowledge, at least subtly, edgy coffeehouse and beatnik culture. "Sugar Shack" concerns a guy who has a crush on the barista at a shabby espresso bar in the bad part of town, and after she catches his eye with her bare feet and a leotard, he marries her. The 1963 rock song sounds even cooler today, and "Sugar Shack" was the longest-running No. 1 hit of the year, spending five weeks atop the Hot 100 in the fall.

The Fireballs were primarily an instrumental act, but then their singer exited just before a tour. Their manager, Norman Petty, who also handled Buddy Holly before his tragic death, connected them with another client, singer Jimmy Gilmer. In the early '60s, Gilmer and the Fireballs made music both together and separately, but eager to reconnect with the band after a 1962 solo jaunt, Gilmer arranged a pitch session with another Petty act, Keith McCormack of the String-A-Longs. Gilmer took three songs back to the Fireballs, but only one consistently got a positive reaction: "Sugar Shack." Crowds liked it so much that the musicians played it twice each night.

Convinced it would be a massive hit, Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs recorded "Sugar Shack," and the 45 hit stores in May 1963. Indeed, it was a smash right away, but only in the American Southwest. Label Dot Records was about to give up and have the band release a new single, until a Detroit station added "Sugar Shack" to their playlist in September. Soon enough, "Sugar Shack" stormed the Hot 100 and was No. 1 by mid-October. 

Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs made it onto the Top 40 one more time, with "Daisy Petal Pickin'" reaching No. 15. Later in the decade, when American bands started chasing the British Invasion, the act rebranded as the Fireballs and reached the Top 10 once more with "Bottle of Wine," before Gilmer left and became a record label executive.