FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 29, 2018

DEAR JERRY: Do you have a list of "Caroline" songs? I have often gotten "Sweet Caroline" played for me, but are there many others?
—Caroline Nellis, Evansville, Ind.

DEAR CAROLINE: "Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good)," written and recorded by Neil Diamond, is by far the top-selling and best known of all "Caroline" songs, as you already know.

My research unearthed over 100 more, and that's limited to ones I verified as singles (there are dozens more on LPs).

Those on my list are no earlier than 1950, and about a person named Caroline, not a place ("My Cabin in Caroline" and "Woman Goin' Crazy on Caroline Street"), or a thing ("Radio Caroline").

Some have identical or similar titles — including 58 that are just "Caroline" — but they are different songs:

"Along Came Caroline" (Michael Cox) 1960
"(Can I Walk You Home) Caroline" (The Wimps!) 1979
"Can't You Hear Me Callin,' Caroline" (Mills Brothers) 1950
"Carolina Caroline" (Jonathan Edwards) 1977
"Caroline" (Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra) 1960
"Caroline" (Roosevelt Wilson) 1961
"Caroline" (Gus Backus) 1963
"Caroline" (Ken Morris) 1963
"Caroline" (Melody Enchanters) 1963
"Caroline" (Roy Hastings) 1963
"Caroline" (Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers) 1964
"Caroline" (The Fortunes) 1964
"Caroline" (Ellis de Waal) 1964
"Caroline" (Jim Parker) 1965
"Caroline" (Nicolino) 1965
"Caroline" (Henri Salvador) 1966
"Caroline" (Baskerville Hounds) 1967
"Caroline" (Fifth Generation) 1967
"Caroline" (The Shandells) 1967
"Caroline" (Charles Aznavour) 1968
"Caroline" (Tommy Brown) 1968
"Caroline" (Brooklyn Bridge) 1969
"Caroline" (The Casuals) 1969
"Caroline" (Mark Wirtz) 1969
"Caroline" (Peter Horton) 1970
"Caroline" (Ray Miller) 1970
"Caroline" (Barry Ryan & the Candy Choir) 1970
"Caroline" (Nilsson) 1970
"Caroline" (Arthur McAllen) 1971
"Caroline" (Mike & Michael) 1972
"Caroline" (Walter Mitty) 1972
"Caroline" (Status Quo) 1973
"Caroline" (Airborne) 1974
"Caroline" (Jefferson Starship) 1974
"Caroline" (John Laws) 1974
"Caroline" (Ross) 1974
"Caroline" (Twinkle Ripley) 1974
"Caroline" (Cash Backman) 1976
"Caroline" (Jungle) 1976
"Caroline" (Ben Cramer) 1977
"Caroline" (Denny Laine) 1977
"Caroline" (Dan Hill) 1978
"Caroline" (Eddie Rabbitt) 1978
"Caroline" (Danny Kirwin) 1979
"Caroline" (Mike Angelo) 1979
"Caroline" (Serge Blouin) 1979
"Caroline" (Santabarbara) (sic) 1980
"Caroline" (Flash) 1980
"Caroline" (The Bopcats) 1980
"Caroline" (Bernie Paul) 1982
"Caroline" (Empty Pockets) 1983
"Caroline" (Wendtsteinboys) (sic) 1983
"Caroline" (Frankie Jones) 1984
"Caroline" (Kim Mitchell) 1984
"Caroline" (Arne Jansen) 1985
"Caroline" (Concrete Blonde) 1990
"Caroline" (The Rainsaints) 1990
"Caroline" (Kirsty MacColl) 1995
"Caroline" (Snug) 1997
"Caroline" (Sheryl Crow) 1998
"Caroline" (Sparklehorse) 2006
"Caroline" (Pierced Arrows) 2007
"Caroline and Me" (Child) 1979
"Caroline (Are You Ready for the Outlaw World)" (Steppenwolf) 1975
"Caroline, Caroline" (Sea Train) 1969
"Caroline Breakdown" (Caroline Crawford) 1979
"Caroline Goodbye" (Colin Blunstone) 1972
"Caroline Isenberg" (Alarm) 1986
"Caroline, No" (Brian Wilson) 1966
"Caroline Says" (Lou Reed) 1974
"Caroline, the Wine Was Good" (Roberty [sic] Lee) 1972
"Caroline Theme" (Ronald Binge) 1968
"Caroline This Time" (Climax Featuring Sonny Geraci) 1972
"Caroline Was a Drop-Out" (Kid Creole and the Coconuts) 1985
"Caroline Wheeler's Birthday Present" (The Jazz Butcher) 1984
"Caroline's a Victim" (Kate Nash) 2007
"Caroline's Footsteps" (Bobby Wright) 1978
"Caroline's Still in Georgia" (The Coulters) 1983
"Coming Back Caroline" (Ronnie Rogers) 1971
"Cosmic Caroline" (Mike Fox) 1977
"Cryin' Caroline" (Larry Fotine and His Beale Street Buskers) 2012
"Does Caroline Know" (Talk Talk) 1984
"Don't You Cry, Caroline" (Goombay Dance Band) 1984
"Goodbye Caroline" (Monte Carlo) 1979
"Goodbye Caroline" (The One Shots) 1980
"Hello Caroline" (Horst & Heinz) 1964
"I Love You, Caroline" (The Pathfinders) 1964
"I'm Lonesome for You, Caroline" (Smoky Dawson) 1959
"Jacqueline & Caroline" (David Carroll and His Orchestra) 1962
"Listen to Your Heart (Caroline)" (The Ambers) 1975
"Miss Caroline" (Eddy Mitchell) 1969
"Miss Caroline Newley" (M Squad) 1979
"Mrs. Caroline Robinson" (Springtime) 1978
"My Caroline" (Dry Sack) 1974
"My Darling Caroline" (The Three Jacksons) 1958
"My Darling Caroline (My Little House of Love)" (Denny Cocher) 1975
"My Sweet Caroline" (Canadian Zephyr) 1973
"O Caroline" (Matching Mole) 1972
"Oh Caroline" (Boulevard) 1973
"Oh Caroline" (Cheap Trick) 1978
"Oh Caroline" (Crispian St. Peters) 1978
"Oh My Darling Caroline" (Ronny) 1963
"Queenie Queenie Caroline" (Kevin Coyne) 1974
"Sexy Caroline" (Colin Solman) 1978
"Sisi Caroline" (King Nightingale and His Band) 1968
"Song for Caroline" (John Martin Harvie) 1978
"Sweet Caroline" (Tommy Ambrose) 1960
"Sweet Caroline" (Blodwyn Pig) 1969
"Sweet Caroline" (Peter Beil) 1972
"Sweet Caroline" (Donovan) 1973
"Sweet Caroline" (Leonard Wilson) 1976
"Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good)" (Neil Diamond) 1969
"Sweet Sweet Caroline" (Teddy Herz) 1973
"Take Your Time Caroline" (Chicory Tip) 1974
"Ten Ton Caroline" (The Jeff Rowena Group) 1962
"That's Where Caroline Lives" (The Candy Darlings) 1989
"You Left One Rainy Evening, Caroline" (Michael Holm) 1972

IZ ZAT SO? Of the 117 "Caroline" records listed, only 12 showed up on someone's survey.

Following the peak position, the chart sourced is indicated thusly: (N) U.S. national; (R) U.S. regional; (UK) United Kingdom; and (C&W) U.S. Country & Western:

No. 3 (N): "Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good)" (Neil Diamond) 1969
No. 4 (R): "Carolina Caroline" (Jonathan Edwards) 1977
No. 5 (UK): "Caroline" (Status Quo) 1973
No. 9 (R): "Caroline Goodbye" (Colin Blunstone) 1972
No. 24 (R): "Caroline, Caroline" (Sea Train) 1969
No. 31 (N): "Caroline, No" (Brian Wilson) 1966
No. 41 (UK): "Along Came Caroline" (Michael Cox) 1960
No. 58 (UK): "Caroline" (Kirsty MacColl) 1995
No. 70 (C&W): "Caroline's Still in Georgia" (The Coulters) 1983
No. 94 (UK): "Caroline" (Snug) 1997
No. 101 (N): "Caroline" (Jefferson Starship) 1974
No. 123 (N): "Caroline This Time" (Climax Featuring Sonny Geraci) 1972