12. Mama Told Me Not To Come (Three Dog Night)

This was written by Randy Newman, the son of Academy Award-winning composer Lionel Newman. It is about a party that left a "bad taste" in the writer's mouth. The drug scene was fairly new to American middle-class youth at that time. 

This song has the distinction of being the very first #1 hit on the American Top 40 syndicated radio program. The show, hosted by Casey Kasem, became popular on AM radio throughout the world until its decline in the mid-1990s. This beat out The Beatles' "The Long and Winding Road" (their last hit record before the final breakup) and Elvis Presley's "The Wonder of You" for top chart honors in early August, 1970. (Newman's original version was included on his 1970 album 12 Songs. His version was only 2 minutes 12 seconds, over a minute shorter than Three Dog Night's version. 

Cory Wells was the Three Dog Night band member who pushed to record this. He was a big fan of the song and played it with his previous band.