‘American Bandstand’ ran on ABC for over thirty years. Its host, Dick Clark, played the best top 40 radio songs and invited teenagers to dance to the pop songs.
One of the top ten groups would come on to lip-sync their hit songs. ‘American Bandstand’ was such a popular show. It cemented Dick Clark as an American icon of the music scene.
In this clip from 1967, Clark surveys the teenage girls on their opinions on skirts. These girls are wearing skirts that hit just above the knees. He tells them that the women are wearing mini skirts in England now.
He also said that the British fashion experts told him that the ladies would wear skirts that fall to their mid-calf in six months. Clark asks the teens if they would wear skirts that long. All of the girls emphatically respond no.
Dick Clark then introduces the number one hit of the day after listing the other top nine. On May 27, 1967, the number three song was “Creeque Alley” by The Mamas and the Papas. The number two song was “Respect” by Aretha Franklin.
The coveted top song spot was filled by “Groovin’” by The Young Rascals. The Young Rascals eventually became known as The Rascals, and “Groovin’” was one of their signature hits throughout their career.
The rest of the video features teens dancing to the slow, Afro-Cuban-influenced hit. The camera pans through the crowd and shows the slow dancing moves of the day. “Groovin’” is now regarded as one of the songs that shaped American Rock ‘n’ Roll.
