From American Songwriter · Clayton Edwards · · 1m 10s
Bobby Darin's 1959 Hit
Bobby Darin's 1959 song 'Mack the Knife' became his first No. 1 hit and won a Grammy.
In brief
Bobby Darin's 1959 song 'Mack the Knife' became his first No. 1 hit and won a Grammy. Bobby Darin's 1959 song 'Mack the Knife' reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 and won a Grammy, helping him gain an adult audience. Originally reported by American Songwriter.
Bobby Darin Tops Hot 100
On October 5, 1959, Bobby Darin hit No. 1 with 'Mack the Knife' on the Hot 100.
Song Spent Nine Weeks at No. 1
The song spent nine weeks at No. 1, becoming Darin's biggest hit and changing his career.
Darin's Teen Idol Past
Darin rose to fame with teen idol hits like 'Splish Splash' and 'Queen of the Hop' before 'Mack the Knife'.
Atlantic Records Decides
Atlantic Records label head Ahmet Ertegun released 'Mack the Knife' despite Darin's initial reluctance to taint his teen idol image.
Grammy Win and TV Appearances
The song won a Grammy for Record of the Year and landed Darin regular TV appearances, including The Ed Sullivan Show.
New Audience and Record Breakers
Darin gained an adult audience, headlined Las Vegas casinos, and broke attendance records at New York's Copacabana.
The main idea
Bobby Darin's 1959 song 'Mack the Knife' reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 and won a Grammy, helping him gain an adult audience.
