Looking back at the biggest hit singles of every year, dating to the Hot 100's 1958 launch. By Xander Zellner Billboard has been publishing weekly rankings in one form or another for over a century.

Lovin’ Spoonful frontman John Sebastian wrote and recorded the Welcome Back, Kotter theme, hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 1976. Inexplicably, it also reached No. 93 on the ...