4 Songs From the 1960s That Became Hits by Accident

Led Zeppelin‘s “Rock and Roll” was born out of a jam session that someone at the soundboard decided to record. Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ 1991 “Under the Bridge” was never meant to be a song. It was initially a poem Anthony Kiedis wrote about his addiction that producer Rick Rubin suggested he flesh out.

After a long night out, Kathleen Hanna was hanging out with Kurt Cobain and scrawled “Kurt Smells Like Teen Spirit” on the motel wall, a jab at the once-popular deodorant brands marketed to teens. At the time Cobain was dating Bikini Kill drummer Tobi Vail, who used Teen Spirit, and it inspired Nirvana‘s early opus.

Plenty of songs were made by accident, and during the 1960s there were a few that were never meant to be hits but ended up taking the No. 1, 2, and 3 spots on the Billboard Hot 100. Here’s a look behind four songs from the ’60s that were accidental hits.

1. “Wipe Out,” The Surfaris (1963)

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, wipe out.

That was the extent of the lyrics to the Surfari’s 1963 hit “Wipe Out,” which was written by a band of teens. Voiced by the band’s manager Dale Smallin, the song didn’t have many lyrics yet turned into a No. 2 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

At the time, the Surfaris were all around 15 years old and went to the studio to record a song called “Surfer Joe.” While in celebratory mode, their producer asked what they had planned as a B-side. They quickly scrambled and pieced together one of the most iconic surfer rock anthems, “Wipe Out,”  the term used to describe a hard fall from fall from a surfboard.

“Wipe Out” remained on the chart for four months during the summer of ’63.

2. “Kind of a Drag,” The Buckinghams (1966)

Written by Jim Holvay

The title track of the Buckingham’s 1996 debut album, “Kind of a Drag” went to No. 1 and remained there for two weeks. The song was just something a friend of the Buckinghams Jim Holvay of The Mobs wrote about a girl he was dating called Susie Creamcheese.

Holvay had written a bunch of songs about her each time they broke up, including “Susan” and “Don’t You Care,” “Hey Baby (They’re Playing Our Song)” and another “Kind of a Drag.”

Oh oh, listen to what I’ve gotta say
Girl, I still love you
I’ll always love you
Anyway, anyway, anyway

Kind of a drag
When your baby says goodbye
Kind of a drag
When you feel like you want to cry

Oh oh girl, even though you make me feel blue
I still love you
I’ll always love you
Anyway, anyway, anyway

3. “Mony Mony,” Tommy James & the Shondells (1966)

Written by Tommy James, Bo Gentry, Ritchie Cordell, Bobby Bloom

Tommy James & the Shondells’ 1966 hit “Mony Mony” was written but never had a title. Then, James was inspired by an insurance company sign.

“True story: I had the track done before I had a title,” said James. “I wanted something catchy like ‘Sloopy’ or ‘Bony Maroney,’ but everything sounded so stupid. So Ritchie Cordell and I were writing it in New York City, and we were about to throw in the towel when I went out onto the terrace, looked up, and saw the Mutual of New York building (which has its initials illuminated in red at its top). I said, ‘That’s gotta be it. Ritchie, come here, you’ve gotta see this.’”

James continued, “It’s almost as if God Himself had said, ‘Here’s the title.’ I’ve always thought that if I had looked the other way, it might have been called ‘Hotel Taft.’”

“Mony Mony” went to No. 3 on the chart, and remains a surfer rock classic. Billy Idol later covered “Mony Mony” on his 1981 EP Don’t Stop. Idol’s 1985 live recording of “Mony Mony,” released in 1987, went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Here she comes now, say “Mony, Mony”
Well, shoot ’em down, turn around, come on
Oh, yeah
Hey, she gives me love and I feel alright now
You got me tossin’, turnin’ in the middle of the night
And I feel alright

[RELATED: The Meaning Behind “Crimson and Clover” by Tommy James and The Shondells]

4. “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” Otis Redding (1968)

Written by Otis Redding and Steve Cropper

In 1967, Otis Redding recorded “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” The second time was just three days before his death in a plane crash on December 10, 1967. The song was released by Stax Records a year later and became the first posthumous No. 1 single.

“(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” was a slight departure from Redding’s more soulful moves, but ultimately became his most famous song. The song became a big hit with the help of Redding’s whistling at the end. It was accidentally added on by Redding when he forgot his ad-lib as the song fades out.

Sittin’ in the mornin’ sun
I’ll be sittin’ when the evenin’ come
Watching the ships roll in
And then I watch ’em roll away again, yeah

I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
I’m just sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Wastin’ time

I left my home in Georgia
Headed for the ‘Frisco bay
I’ve had nothing to live for
Look like nothin’s gonna come my way

Photo: The Surfaris by RB/Redferns