Mack the Knife

Bobby Darin’s 1959 recording of “Mack the Knife” from The Threepenny Opera (Lyrics: Bertolt Brecht; Music: Kurt Weill) not only hit number one on the charts, but was also the first non-R&B pop hit for Atlantic Records and helped establish the label’s future.

Source: Creswell, Toby (2005) 1001 Songs: The Great Songs Of All Times. Prahan, Victoria: Hardie Grant Books, p.62


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