The Top 20 Of The Top 20! 1955: No. 5 Perry Como - Papa Loves Mambo

(Highest Chart Position:  No.3)

It’s another novelty song about mambo!  Of the type for which 1955 is justifiably famous, as the novelty song writers of the world (of which there were many in 1955) discovered that not only did the mambo have an addictive rhythm, but it was such a fun word to say!  And so the novelty song writers of the world racked their brains for the perfect lyric, the lyric that would most perfectly frame the word “mambo” and allow it reach its full potential as a fun word to say.

“Papa loves mambo/ mama loves mambo” was this lyric.

And Perry was the perfect man to sing such a ridiculous line, the only person in the world who could sing such a line total deadpan, with a sub-text of  “can you believe the shit that they’ve got me to sing, ah at least it’s a job.”   Nobody has ever said “wow!” and sounded as though they didn’t really mean it.  In fact I should probably erase the exclamation mark from that last sentence.  Although probably not the ironic quote marks.

As a celebration of the ridiculousness of the pop music industry, there are few more delightful moments.