2000 Great Songs #1231: Sugar, Sugar

Let's be honest with ourselves: But for the decades of pop culture saturation, and it being the work of a cartoon band, The Archies' 1969 hit single "Sugar, Sugar" would probably be somewhere in the Top 20 songs of this list rather than hangin' out at #1231. But let's just look at the pedigree here:

• Co-written by Jeff Barry [originally Joel Adelberg], who, with songwriting partner (and briefly wife) Ellie Greenwich, had composed about a billion other songs you know and love; and Andy Kim, no slouch himself (even aside from his own hit single "Rock Me Gently")
• Sung by awesome studio singer Ron Dante, like most Archies songs
• Backing vocals here by Toni Wine, and we can all agree that the little "I'm gonna make your love so sweet" line she sings is like the best three seconds of music ever
• Kinda the definitive bubblegum song? Or at least among the 2-3 definitive bubblegum songs?
• Top-selling song of 1969 (shoved "Honky Tonk Women" out of the #1 spot when it was released)
• Plus so many covers!

Anyway, the Archies kick ass well beyond this song, but here it is.

From the TV series:

Ron Dante, live 2023:

Mary Lou Lord with Semisonic:

Bob Marley:

Cornershop:

Micky Dolenz:

The Germs:

Good chance to re-share my playlist of music by fake bands: