Top 10 Ohio Express Songs

Feature Photo: [[File:Ohio Express (cropped).jpg|thumb|Ohio Express (cropped) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ohio_Express_(cropped).jpg

The Ohio Express was one of the biggest names in the late-1960s bubblegum pop explosion, turning simple melodies, playful lyrics, and irresistible choruses into hits heard on radio stations across the country. I don’t know about you, but I have always loved bubblegum music. I have said it before: there is an art to writing great bubblegum songs. It’s almost unfair to call it bubblegum, but that’s history; we need to address what people actually called it. The group’s story is a little unusual. The musicians who toured as the Ohio Express came from Mansfield, Ohio, where they had previously performed as Sir Timothy and the Royals. Meanwhile, producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz used the Ohio Express name for recordings made by different studio musicians, a practice that became common during the bubblegum era.

The group’s first major success came in 1967 with “Beg, Borrow and Steal,” but everything changed the following year when “Yummy Yummy Yummy” became an international smash. Sung by Joey Levine, the single reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped make bubblegum pop a major commercial force. The Ohio Express followed it with “Down at Lulu’s” and “Chewy Chewy,” while records such as “Mercy” kept their name on the charts into 1969. Alongside the 1910 Fruitgum Company and the Archies, the Ohio Express became one of the acts most closely identified with that unforgettable late-1960s sound.

One of the most interesting things about the Ohio Express is how many different musicians contributed to their records. Joey Levine was the voice behind several of the group’s best-known songs, while Graham Gouldman, who later became a member of 10cc, sang on “Sausalito (Is the Place to Go).” The group’s biggest hits were concentrated within just a few years, but their recordings have remained favorites with listeners who grew up with AM radio and the lighter side of 1960s pop. Our Top 10 Ohio Express Songs list looks back at their nine Billboard Hot 100 hits and one additional single that narrowly missed that chart.

# 10 – Cowboy Convention

“Cowboy Convention” was released by the Ohio Express on Buddah Records in November 1969. Written by John Carter and Peter John Barnfather, the song took a playful novelty approach that fit the group’s reputation for lighthearted pop records. It reached number 101 on Billboard’s Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart, just missing the main singles chart, but performed better in Australia, where it reached number 38. Although it never approached the popularity of “Yummy Yummy Yummy,” the recording remains an interesting late-period Ohio Express single and earns a place here because it found an audience beyond the United States.

# 9 – Pinch Me (Baby, Convince Me)

“Pinch Me (Baby, Convince Me)” was released as an Ohio Express single in June 1969 on Buddah Records. Written by Jerry Kasenetz, Jeff Katz, and James J. Woods, the song reached number 99 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 61 in Canada. Its cheerful melody and catchy vocal refrain kept the familiar bubblegum sound alive even as musical tastes were beginning to change. The record did not become a major hit, but it was another nationally charting single for a group that had been a regular presence on pop radio since 1967.

# 8 – Sweeter Than Sugar

The Ohio Express released “Sweeter Than Sugar” in early 1969, and the song appeared on the album Mercy. Credited to Joey Levine and Steve Feldman, the recording reached number 96 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 64 in Canada. With its sugary title, bouncy rhythm, and instantly accessible chorus, it followed the formula that had made the band’s earlier singles successful. Although its chart run was much smaller than that of “Chewy Chewy,” the song helped extend the group’s presence on American radio into another year.

# 7 – Sausalito (Is the Place to Go)

“Sausalito (Is the Place to Go)” was released as an Ohio Express single in 1969 and reached number 86 on the Billboard Hot 100. Graham Gouldman wrote and sang the song. That makes the record one of the more interesting releases in the Ohio Express catalog, especially considering how different its laid-back, California-inspired sound was from their biggest bubblegum hits. It was not a major American success, but it demonstrated how widely the Ohio Express name was used for recordings by different musicians.

# 6 – Try It

The Ohio Express released “Try It” on Cameo Records in early 1968, before their enormous breakthrough with “Yummy Yummy Yummy.” Joey Levine and Marc Bellack wrote the song, which the garage rock band the Standells had previously recorded. The Ohio Express version peaked at number 83 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving the group another nationally charting single early in its career. The recording had more of a garage-rock edge than the candy-coated pop that soon made the Ohio Express famous, reminding listeners of the group’s musical beginnings.

# 5 – Down at Lulu’s

Released in August 1968, “Down at Lulu’s” was another successful Ohio Express single during the height of the bubblegum pop craze. Written by Joey Levine and Arthur Resnick, the song reached number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 25 in Canada. Its lively rhythm, playful lyrics, and immediately memorable chorus made it a natural follow-up to the enormous success of “Yummy Yummy Yummy.” Although it didn’t reach the American Top 10, the recording gave the group another Top 40 hit and kept their name on the radio throughout 1968.

# 4 – Mercy

When you watch the video below, it’s fun to see how the band looked just a few years later. From the somewhat clean-cut suits to late 1960s hippies. We have seen that many times with 1960s bands, The Beatles, of course, being the greatest example. Just take a look at the Red and Blue album covers.

“Mercy” was released in March 1969 and became one of the Ohio Express’s final major American hits, reaching number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100. Written by Joey Levine and Steve Feldman, the song also served as the title track of the group’s 1969 album Mercy. Its energetic beat and catchy refrain continued the group’s successful bubblegum formula, even as the sound was beginning to lose some of its dominance on the pop charts. The single also reached number 24 in Canada, proving that the Ohio Express could still attract listeners after their remarkable run of hits in 1968.

# 3 – Beg, Borrow and Steal

“Beg, Borrow and Steal” became the Ohio Express’s first significant chart hit when they released it under their name in 1967. Credited to songwriters Joey Day and Louis Zerato, the recording was originally released by Rare Breed before being reissued as an Ohio Express single. It reached number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 17 in Canada, establishing the group on national radio before the bubblegum hits that followed. With its raw garage rock energy and driving beat, it sounded quite different from “Yummy Yummy Yummy,” making it one of the most distinctive recordings in the Ohio Express catalog.

# 2 – Chewy Chewy

Released in October 1968, “Chewy Chewy” became one of the Ohio Express’s biggest hits and helped cement their place among the decade’s leading bubblegum pop acts. Written by Joey Levine and Kris Resnick, the single peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and climbed to number two in Canada. Its playful lyrics, strong rhythm, and catchy chorus followed the same formula that had made “Yummy Yummy Yummy” such an enormous success earlier that year. The recording became another million-selling single for the group and remains one of the most recognizable songs associated with the bubblegum pop movement.

# 1 – Yummy Yummy Yummy

“Yummy Yummy Yummy” was released in 1968 and became the Ohio Express’s signature song and one of the defining recordings of the bubblegum pop era. Written by Joey Levine and Arthur Resnick, the single featured Levine on lead vocals and reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100, number five on the United Kingdom Singles Chart, and number one in Canada.

The song sold more than one million copies, with its simple lyrics, infectious rhythm, and unforgettable chorus making it a favorite among younger listeners. More than half a century later, “Yummy Yummy Yummy” remains the song most closely associated with the Ohio Express and one of the recordings that immediately brings back the sound of late-1960s AM radio.

Don’t miss our fun, in-depth article on the Top 500 Classic Rock Songs Of All Time

If you’re a fan of 1970s rock, check out our 100 Essential Albums From The 1970s article. You will love that one.

Or try our 100 Greatest Rock Songs Of The 1970s article.

If you want to discover some bands you may have never heard of or simply forgotten about, try our 100 Greatest Rock Bands Of All Time article. That is one of our best.