In December 1969, an unavoidable earworm knocked The Beatles’ dual-sided powerhouse “Come Together/Something” out of the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song was “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” by Steam. But the radio stations playing the track had no idea that the hitmaking group didn’t actually exist.
Years before it became the ultimate crowd chant, “Kiss Him Goodbye” was an abandoned 1961 demo by a Glenwood, Connecticut band called the Chateaus. Written by bandmates Paul Leka, Gary DeCarlo, and Dale Frashuer, the track sat completely neglected on a shelf until the three songwriters unexpectedly reunited in a New York recording studio according to Stereogum.
DeCarlo, working under the pseudonym of Garrett Scott, needed a B-side for his single “Sweet Laura Lee.” The musicians resurrected “Kiss Him Goodbye,” improvising extra chorus lines to stretch the track to full length.
Parade Daily🎬 SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬
Stereogum reported that “the guys on the cover of the single had nothing to do with the song. They did, however, become a touring act. Those cover-art models just lip-synced DeCarlo’s lead vocal.”
After reaching No. 1, the song became largely a staple of retro radio, until 1977 when the song was resurrected by White Sox organist, Nancy Faust who began playing during games. Baseball fans loved it, began singing along, and it remains an unforgettable sports anthem.
“Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” kicked The Beatles out of the top spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 on December 6, 1969. The tune lingered at the top for two weeks until “Leaving on a Jet Plane” by Peter, Paul and Mary took over the #1 spot on December 20, 1969.
The Beatles only held the top spot with “Come Together/Something” for one week. The song debuted in October 1969 and lasted 7 weeks on the charts. It was John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr’s last United States chart topper as a band and was their 18th No. 1 single.
The Beatles officially disbanded in 1970, but their brief drop from No. 1 in late 1969 is a great story in its own right. A ghost band that nobody had ever heard of stepped up and pulled off the impossible against the biggest group in the world. All these years later, “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” keeps playing, proving that sometimes the songs made on a whim are the ones that never go away.
Related: The Secret Beatles Connection to This 1969 Simon & Garfunkel Classic