Downtown was the first hit radio song I ever knew 1965 I was 7.
Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones and Let’s Hang On by the 4 Seasons were YYUGE hits at the time, but it seemed like Downtown got even more airplay. What a classy lady she is!
In early 1965, I was a regular listener to KRLA, the 50,000-watt rock blaster in Pasadena, Calif. "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" by the Righteous Brothers, which had reached the top of KRLA's Top 40 chart in the last days of December, 1964, remained parked there. But Petula Clark's "Downtown" was charging up the chart and quickly reached #2, For about three weeks, the two acts battled to be #1--and I was rooting for the Righteous Brothers.
Around mid-February, "Downtown" began to head downward while the Righteous Brothers' opus remained on top. Finally, in the first week of March, "My Girl" by the Temptations knocked the Brothers off their perch.
Incidentally, on the national charts, "Downtown" did succeed in knocking the Brothers out of the top spot.