30-Day Song Challenge, Day 2: A Song You Like with a Number in the Title

I grew up listening to my mom’s old 45s, and then in my later teens, I constructed much of my identity around driving a classic car that had only an AM radio, which meant all oldies, all the time, when I was bombing around town in my Galaxie. The result was that I developed a lot of appreciation and affection for music from the 1960s and ’70s during a time when my peers were focused on then-current artists of the ’80s. I guess we’re all looking for some way to express our individuality at that age; mine was listening to throwback Baby Boomer music and fancying myself some kind of spiritual descendant of James Dean.

Three Dog Night was one of the biggest bands of that era, and one of my favorites during my throwback period; they landed 21 top-40 hits in the six years between 1969 and 1975, including three number-ones. “One,” which most people probably think is called “One Is the Loneliest Number” — actually the first line of the song, not its title — topped out at number five in the spring of 1969, which would’ve been a few months before I was born. Still a great song, though, and my pick for a tune with a number in the title.

Incidentally, a form of Three Dog Night is still touring, featuring two of the original ’60s/’70s era members. I haven’t see them, but I understand they put on a good show.