When the Lion Slept at the Top of the Chart

Though they had a few top 40 hits in the 1960s, Brooklyn-based vocal group the Tokens only hit the top 10 once in their career.  That one top 10 hit went all the way to the top, though.  Exactly 50 years ago today, the Tokens’ version of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” ascended to the pinnacle of Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart for the first week of a three-week run.

Of the many artists around the world who had recorded “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” before them and have recorded it since them, the Tokens are the only ones to hit number one with the tune.

For more on the Tokens, who are still touring, check out their website.