On this day (October 5) in 1959, Bobby Darin topped the Hot 100 with “Mack the Knife.” The song spent nine weeks at No. 1, giving Darin his biggest hit. It also changed his career forever. It broke him out of the teen idol box and introduced him to a more mature audience. It also helped him land multiple TV appearances and draw bigger crowds.
Darin rose to fame as a teen idol with songs like “Splish Splash,” “Queen of the Hop,” and “Dream Lover.” The latter became his biggest hit when it reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 in May 1959. By then, his album That’s All, which included “Mack the Knife,” was already selling well. Additionally, he was performing it during his regular nightclub appearances. However, he didn’t want to release it as a single.
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According to Songfacts, Darin didn’t want to taint his teen idol image with the song about a German murderer. However, Atlantic Records knew there was demand for the song. As a result, label head Ahmet Ertegun decided to ship the song. It was finally released in late August and almost immediately became a huge hit. It reached No. 1 in early October and held the top spot for six straight weeks. After being bumped out of the top by The Fleetwoods’ “Mr. Blue” for a week, it returned for another three-week run.
Bobby Darin Finds a New Audience
“Mack the Knife” was much more mature than anything he’d released before. It was also his first No. 1 single and brought him a Grammy Award for Record of the Year. However, that was only the tip of the iceberg.
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The song helped him get regular appearances on multiple TV shows. Moreover, it landed him his second trip to The Ed Sullivan Show. The single’s success also helped Darin play to larger crowds. For instance, he began performing at the biggest casinos in Las Vegas. Darin became the youngest artist to headline the Sands Hotel and Casino. He also broke attendance records at the Copacabana in New York.
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