FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 4, 2016

DEAR JERRY: In reading your recent column on product names in music, I was reminded that the 1960s was definitely the decade of car songs.

Approximately how many different 1960s recordings are there with either an auto make, model, or otherwise obvious reference in the title?
—Butch Patterson, Greenville, S.C.

DEAR BUTCH: I must say, we are definitely crusin' into the new year in style.

The total number could be close to 200, and that's based on my exhumation of 176 qualifying tracks in just a few hours of research. Some others are no doubt buried on obscure compilation albums.

(How often do you find "buried" and "exhumation" in the same paragraph, when the topic has nothing to do with a body?)

As with most of our other lists, we will add to this one as more are found.

Alphabetically by artists, here are the 176 recordings we have confirmed:

Alexander and the Greats (1964): "Do the Mustang"
Alexander and the Greats (1964): "Hot Dang Mustang"
Richie Allen and the Pacific Surfers (1963): "Ridin' the Woodie"
Angels (1964): "(You Can't Take) My Boyfriend's Woody" (Woodie Wagon)
Astronauts (1964): "4.56 Stingray"
Astronauts (1964): "'55 Bird"
Astronauts (1964): "Chevy Scarfer"
Astronauts (1964): "Little Ford Ragtop"
Barracudas (1964): "Boss Barracuda"
Beach Boys (1962): "409" (Chevy)
Beach Boys (1962): "Little Deuce Coupe" (Ford)
Chuck Berry (1960): "Jaguar and Thunderbird"
Chuck Berry (1966): "My Mustang Ford"
Beverly Hills Painters (1964): "Model A Heap"
Johnny Bond (1960): "Hot Rod Lincoln"
Bruce & Terry (1965): "I Love You Model T"
Buddies (1965): "G.T.O."
Buddies (1965): "Mean Little Monza"
Freddie Cannon (1964): "Hey Little Cobra"
Carol & Cheryl (1965): "Go Go GTO"
Casuals (1964): "Mustang 2+2"
Catalinas (1964): "Boss Barracuda"
Chains (1966): "Carol's Got a Cobra"
Chris Clay (1960): "Shot Rod Lincoln"
Competitors (1963): "409"
Competitors (1963): "Little Deuce Coupe"
Competitors (1963): "Little Stick Nomad"
Competitors (1963): "426 Super Stock" (Dodge)
Customs (1963): "'54 Corvette"
Johnny Cymbal (1964): "Go VW Go"
Cyrkle (1966): "Camaro"
D.Y. and the Motivators (1964): "Hot Rod Ford"
Dick Dale and His Del-Tones (1963): "426 Super Stock"
Dick Dale and His Del-Tones (1964): "My X-KE"
Dick Dale and His Del-Tones (1964): "Wild, Wild Mustang"
Jim Dale and the Comancheroes (1964): "VW"
Del Satins (1965): "My Candy Apple Vette"
Steve "Shutdown" Douglas (1963): "Woody Walk"
Jim Doval and the Gauchos (1963): "Barracuda"
Gene Dozier and the Brotherhood (1967): "Mustang Sally"
Dragsters (1964): "Crazy Cobra"
Dragsters (1964): "Ferrari II"
Dragsters (1964): "Hey Little Cobra"
Dragsters (1964): "Jag XKE"
Dragsters (1964): "Sting Ray"
Bob Dylan (1965): "From a Buick 6"
Eliminators (1964): "Classy Lotus Chassis"
Eliminators (1964): "Three Window Coupe"
Emerald City Bandits (1964): "Full Blown Caddy" (Cadillac)
Exports (1965): "Mustang '65"
Fantastic Baggys (1964): "This Little Woody"
Four Speeds (1963): "My Sting Ray" (Corvette)
Joe Frank & the Knights (1962): "50 Elephants in a Volkswagen"
Johnny Galahad (1963): "'29 Model-A"
Johnny Ray Gomez (1965): "Go Go Barracuda"
Grand Prix (1963): "'41 Ford"
Hollywood Persuaders (Frank Zappa) (1964): "Thunderbird"
Jackie & the Giants (1965): "Ford G.T."
Jalopy Five (1965): "Ford G.T."
Jalopy Five (1965): "G.T.O."
Jalopy Five (1965): "Hey Little Cobra"
Jalopy Five (1965): "2+2"
Jan & Dean (1964): "Little Deuce Coupe"
Jan & Dean (1964): "Move Out Little Mustang"
Jan & Dean (1964): "My Mighty G.T.O."
Jan & Dean (1964): "Sting Ray"
Jan & Dean (1964): "Three Window Coupe"
Hal Jones & the Wheelers (1963): "Hot Vette"
Jerry Kole & the Strokers (1964): "409 Woodie"
Jerry Kole & the Strokers (1964): "My Model A"
Kustom Kings (1964): "Hey Little Cobra"
Kustom Kings (1964): "In My 40 Ford"
Marketts (1963) "Cobra"
Marketts (1963) "Woody Wagon"
Mr. Gasser & the Weirdos (1963) "Chopped Nash"
Mr. Gasser & the Weirdos (1963) "409"
Mr. Gasser & the Weirdos (1963) "Mad Vette"
Mr. Gasser & the Weirdos (1963) "Termites in My Woody"
Monagrams (1965): "Go-Go Marlin"
Monarchs (1966): "Mustang Sally"
Bill Parsons (1960): "Hot Rod Volkswagen"
Wilson Pickett (1966): "Mustang Sally"
Pilt Down Five (1964): "'32 Ford"
Powder Puffs (1964): "(You Can't Take) My Boyfriend's Woody"
Powder Puffs (1964): "Woody Wagon"
Hayden Proffitt (1964): "Comet Cyclone"
Quads (1963): "409"
Quads (1963): "Little Deuce Coupe"
Rally Packs (1964): "Move Out Little Mustang"
Renegades (1965): "Cadillac"
Revells (1965): "Cobra"
Revells (1965): "Lotus 23"
Revells (1965): "My Ferrari G.T.O."
Paul Revere & the Raiders (1967): "SS 396"
Paul Revere & the Raiders (1967): "Corvair Baby"
Sir Mack Rice (1965): "Mustang Sally"
Rincon Surfside Band (1965): "Little Deuce Coupe"
Rip Chords (1963): "Hey Little Cobra"
Rip Chords (1964): "Bonneville Bonnie"
Rip Chords (1964): "'40 Ford Time"
Rip Chords (1964): "409"
Rip Chords (1964): "Little Deuce Coupe"
Rip Chords (1964): "This Little Woodie"
Rip Chords (1964): "Three Window Coupe"
Road Runners (Gary Paxton) (1964): "Cute Little Colt"
Road Runners (Gary Paxton) (1964): "409"
Road Runners (Gary Paxton) (1964): "Hey Little Cobra"
Road Runners (Gary Paxton) (1964): "Little Deuce Coupe"
Road Runners (Gary Paxton) (1964): "Mighty Mustang"
Road Runners (Gary Paxton) (1964): "The New Mustang"
Road Runners (Gary Paxton) (1964): "Super Torque 427" (Ford)
Rockin' Continentals (1963): "Cobra 289"
Rod & the Cobras (1964): "Hey Little Cobra"
Romancers (1966): "She Took My Oldsmobile"
Ronny and the Daytonas (1964): "Antique '32 Studebaker Dictator Coupe"
Ronny and the Daytonas (1964): "G.T.O."
Routers (1963): "Sting Ray"
Charlie Ryan (1960): "Hot Rod Lincoln"
Charlie Ryan (1964): "Cadillac Bounce"
Charlie Ryan (1964): "The Dart and the Lincoln"
Sandy and the Beachcombers (1965): "2+2"
Sandals (1969): "Porsche"
Sandals (1969): "TR-6" (Triumph)
Arlen Sanders (Music By the Pacifics) (1964): "Hopped-Up-Mustang"
Scramblers (1964): "GTO"
Ruby Short & His Dragsters (1964) "Crazy Jag"
Ruby Short & His Dragsters (1964) "Wrecked T-Bird"
Sir Frog and the Toads (1965): "Mustang"
Soul Surfers (1963): "Red Woodie in the Valley"
Spinners (1963): "Barracuda"
Sunset Dragsters (1964): "Boss T-Bird"
Sunset Dragsters (1964): "Flashy Jag"
Sunset Dragsters (1964): "Model T Drag"
Sunset Dragsters (1964): "Slick '54 Corvette"
Super Stocks (1963): "Little Stick Nomad"
Super Stocks (1963): "'54 Corvette"
Super Stocks (1963): "426 Super Stock"
Super Stocks (1964): "D/Gas Chevy"
Super Stocks (1964): "427 Super Stock"
Surfaris (1964): "Boss Barracuda"
Surfaris (1964): "Little Deuce Coupe"
Surfaris (1964): "Wax, Board and Woodie"
Surfsiders (1965): "409"
Surfsiders (1965): "Little Deuce Coupe"
T-Bones (1964): "Boss Woody"
T-Bones (1964): "Hey Little Cobra"
T-Bones (1964): "Little Deuce Coupe"
T-Bones (1964): "Rail Vette"
Tigers (1965): "GeeTO [GTO] Tiger"
Tigers (1965): "The GeeTO [GTO] Prowl"
Tokens (1964): "409"
Tokens (1964): "Little Deuce Coupe"
Tokens (1964): "My Candy Apple Vette"
Tomorrow's Peoples (1966): "Sting Ray's Back in Town"
Trashmen (1964): "My Woodie"
Triptides (1964): "Go Mustang"
Vandals (1965): "I Saw Her in a Mustang"
Vaqueros (1966): "Mustang Sally"
Vettes (1963): "Chevey Scarfer"
Vettes (1963): "'55 Bird"
Vettes (1963): "4.56 Stingray"
Vettes (1963): "Happy Hodaddy (With Ragtop Caddy)"
Vettes (1963): "Little Ford Ragtop"
Vettes (1963): "Superstock Vette"
Viscount V (1965): "Cherry Red Vette"
Visions (1967): "Bulldog Cadillac"
Bill Warren with Jump Jackson Band (1965): "Riding in My Jaguar"
Weird-ohs (1964) "Sling Rave Corvette"
Ron Winters (1964): "Red MG"
Woofers (1964): "Little Deuce Coupe"
Young Rascals (1966): "Mustang Sally"
Zip Codes (1964): "Mustang Rumble"
Zip Codes (1964): "Run Little Mustang"
Zip Codes (1964): "Three Window Coupe"
Zip Codes (1964): "Wild, Wild Mustang"
Zip Codes (1964): "Wild, Wild Woodie"

IZ ZAT SO? The most frequently referenced models among our titles are the Ford Mustang (26) and the Chevy Corvette (25).

The peak year of the car song craze is 1964, when more than half (88) of the above recordings were issued.

On both sides of that crest, the numbers are nearly equal:

1960-1962 (8) - 1963-1965 (158) - 1966-1969 (10)

Only seven of our 176 entries made the Top 100 on either Billboard, Cash Box, or Record World.

With its peak chart position, they are:

2. "Hey Little Cobra" (Rip Chords)
4. "G.T.O." (Ronny & the Daytonas)
15. "Little Deuce Coupe" (Beach Boys)
16. "Mustang Sally" (Wilson Pickett)
29. "Three Window Coupe" (Rip Chords)
45. "Sting Ray" (Routers)
76. "409" (Beach Boys)