How about a gorilla?
Posted on 04/11/2026 6:09:27 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A 1950s novelty hit that’s endured, this fun, yet heartfelt ode to man’s best friend is still much-loved today.
Critics argue that so-called “novelty” hits are soon forgotten by serious music fans, but a select few are very fondly remembered. Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett’s “Monster Mash,” for example, is now a Halloween perennial, while David Seville & The Chipmunks’ “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” went on to win three Grammy Awards. And who can forget Patti Page’s “(How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window”? The inimitable U.S. chart-topper that has seduced generations of canine lovers.
Indeed, it’s fair to say that Page’s evergreen 1953 hit remains one of the most cherished of all novelty hits. Written by the versatile U.S. composer Bob Merrill, the jaunty “(How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window” was recorded by Page in December 1952 and a month later it topped both the Billboard and Cash Box charts in the U.S., going on to sell over two million copies. Incredibly, it even became so popular with dog lovers that the American Kennel Club’s annual registrations jumped by an enormous 8% following the song’s release.
So how did “(How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window” achieve success on such a stellar scale in the first place? Hindsight suggests that several factors aligned to ensure the song connected with an adoring mainstream audience. Firstly, its writer Bob Merrill had already penned a multi-million-selling novelty hit courtesy of Eileen Barton’s “If I’d Known You Were Coming I’d’ve Baked A Cake” in 1950 and understood what writing such a song entailed. Additionally, vocalist Patti Page was already a star with huge, chart-topping hits such as “With My Eyes Wide Open, I’m Dreaming” and “Tennessee Waltz” to her name and finally…well, a heartstring-tugging ode about a girl wanting to buy her sweetheart a puppy before he left for California was always likely to appeal to a nation of devoted dog lovers, wasn’t it?
Yet the sentiments expressed in “(How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window” also found favor on the other side of the Atlantic. The success of Page’s original led to Liverpool-born singer Lita Roza recording a cover of the song and taking it to the top of the British charts in April 1953: another significant milestone as it marked the first time a British female singer achieved a No. 1 hit on the U.K. Singles chart.
In fact, it now seems impossible to imagine the world without “(How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window.” It may be a novelty song but it still makes its presence felt in the 21st Century, having gone on to attract several (mostly) affectionate parodies and established itself as a popular children’s song. It would be wrong to suggest it defined Patti Page, for she enjoyed numerous No.1 hits and eventually sold over 100 million records, yet the versatile Oklahoman singer (who died in January 2013) was always happy to acknowledge the important role “(How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window” played in her career.
“It was a charming little song,” Page told Entertainment Weekly in 1991. “Up to that time, it was mostly teens buying records, but this one spanned all age groups. It’s still the song I’m most known for.”
NCIS - Doggy in the Window - Patti Page
https://youtu.be/q99zn2jQ_co
Guardian - Lollipop - The Chordettes
https://youtu.be/Siu7-cFCn_M
Guardian - What’s New Pussycat - Tom Jones
https://youtu.be/cZNDa3vJp3U
I was actually just backstage when
Patti Page performed this song
over 40 years ago
As she came off stage I asked her for
her autograph. I still had it lying
around here somewhere but haven’t looked
for it for some time now
Yeah she still did a great job on
the song
Miami Vice - Battle of New Orleans- Johnny Horton
https://youtu.be/impaURplyAc
Bark, Battle & Ball--the Platters (1955)
Amazing memory to have!!
House Cat--The Romancers (1955)
LOL!! Thanks!! I did not see that one coming.
How about a gorilla?
Yes! 👍👍
I always thought it was Doris Day who sang that song.
Last Friday (April 10) was National Hug Your Dog Day. https://nationaltoday.com/national-hug-your-dog-day/
“Ah, the good old days, when a silly ditty about a puppy can captivate the masses.”
I was 6 months old when it was recorded . Growing up in the 50’s / early 60’s in eastern CT was heaven compared to today , especially in my hometown . Remember that scene in Back To The Future when Marty first arrives in his hometown . The adult theater in future is showing a wholesome family movie , now homeless on the park benches , etc...?
Arf Arf
Pet shops often had doggies on display.
Magilla!
I remember a particular commercial on TV.
To the music of The Beautiful Blue Danube it went:
Rival Dog Food
Arf Arf, Arf Arf
I remember that Rival ad - LOL!
Remember this one on Sky King? (Fill in the blank.)
“Reach for _______.
Reach for __________.
The bright red seal on the package end
Means there’s mighty good cookies inside, my friend.”
Yesterday was send my dog into eternity day. Crushing pain.
I love you Hannah
“Yesterday was send my dog into eternity day. Crushing pain.”
Oh, no. I’m SO sorry! The next few months will be awful for you.
We’ve done that too many times with our cats over the last 30 years. I still cry for all of them. I loved them, and miss them, so much. It’s still hard to look at their pictures.
Hernandos Hideaway was from the musical No No Nannette.
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