American jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong unexpectedly scored one of the biggest hits of his career when his recording of Hello, Dolly! reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1964.
Parade magazine reported that the track climbed to the top spot on May 9, 1964, ending a 14-week streak at number one by the British rock group The Beatles. At 62 years old, Armstrong became the oldest artist ever to top the Hot 100, marking his first career number one on the singles chart.
Armstrong was already a world-renowned jazz legend known for his gravelly vocals and pioneering trumpet style. The Billboard Hot 100, established as the standard music industry sales and airplay chart in the United States, had been dominated for months by The Beatles, who had held the top spot sequentially with three different songs.
Despite its eventual success, Armstrong initially showed little enthusiasm for Hello, Dolly!. The musician had been asked to record the title track for an upcoming Broadway musical of the same name, a show he had not even seen at the time of recording.
Songwriter Jerry Herman, who composed the music and lyrics for the Broadway production, also considered the pairing unusual and did not expect Armstrong's rendition to achieve commercial success. Armstrong recorded the track in late 1963 and promptly forgot about the session.
Concert Sensation and Chart Triumph
The momentum shifted after audiences at Armstrong's live shows began requesting Hello, Dolly! in large numbers. According to his longtime bassist Arvell Shaw, the band members were forced to relearn the composition so they could include it in their concert setlist, where it immediately generated a massive reaction from crowds.
When the single reached number one in May 1964, it transformed the veteran performer into a pop star for a new generation. The success extended beyond a single release, as the accompanying album Hello, Dolly! spent six weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 chart.
The album also featured another of Armstrong's iconic recordings, What a Wonderful World. In 1965, Hello, Dolly! earned Armstrong two Grammy Awards from the Recording Academy, winning for Song of the Year and Best Male Vocal Performance.
Later Collaborations and Lasting Legacy
Armstrong returned to the song in 1969 when he recorded a new version of Hello, Dolly! alongside singer and actress Barbra Streisand. He also made a featured appearance in the Hollywood film adaptation of the Broadway musical.
Three decades after its initial release, the track gained renewed popularity following its inclusion in the soundtrack for the film Good Morning, Vietnam. A version of the song performed by saxophonist Kenny G featuring Armstrong's original vocals subsequently re-entered the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 32.
Armstrong did not live to witness the song's late-1980s chart return. The jazz icon died of a heart attack at his home in New York in July 1971 at the age of 69.
Hello, Dolly! has continued to endure long after the performer's passing. The recording remains a staple of film and television soundtracks and stands as one of the most recognizable masterworks in Armstrong's musical catalogue.
