What Happened Today In Music

October 29th

29 Oct 1966
? & the Mysterians went to No.1 on the US singles chart with '96 Tears'. Although he closely guarded his true identity at the time, the man known as Question Mark turned out to be Rudy Martinez, from Saginaw Valley, Michigan. The song was later a UK hit in the UK for The Stranglers in 1990.

? and the Mysterians

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History

Formation and "96 Tears"

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When released in April 1966, "Midnight Hour" was originally the A-side for the band's debut single; however, "?" promoted the record across Michigan, encouraging radio stations to play "96 Tears" instead. CKLW, a major station in Windsor, Ontario, extensively played the song, thus generating a number one regional hit. The song drew the attention of Neil Bogart, president of Cameo-Parkway Records. The success of the song was attributed to the Vox Continental riff, and, as critic Greg Shaw explained, the simplicity and precise execution. Bogart purchased the rights to "96 Tears", distributed it on a national scale, and promoted the band by booking television appearances on American Bandstand and Where the Action Is. On October 29, 1966, after a steady climb up the charts, the single peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for a week before being overtaken by the Monkees' "Last Train to Clarksville". It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA.

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