In the year of such 50th anniversaries as Woodstock, Abbey Road and "Honky Tonk Women," a pop single from an animated TV series might not seem part of the same conversation.
Yet The Archies' "Sugar Sugar" was number one this week in 1969 -- and for the three weeks that followed -- and has proved to be one of that year's most enduring songs. It also was Billboard's number-one song of that entire year.
Ron Dante was a popular New York session vocalist who recorded many of the songs for the Saturday morning Archies cartoons. But he knew this song was special.
Ron Dante talked about the enduring popularity of "Sugar Sugar."
Who would have thought 50 years later, people would still be singing my wonderful song. It's just so cool. We've had great covers: Tina Turner did a great version of 'Sugar Sugar.' It's unbelievable. Wilson Pickett also did a great version. It's funny how it's lasted, it gets licensed, and people just like to hear it live when I do my live shows."
Among Ron's favorite big screen uses of "Sugar Sugar" was when it was in a pivotal scene in Jerry Seinfeld's animated hit Bee Movie.
Ron Dante says he had a hunch "Sugar Sugar" was going to be huge.
"I remembering singing it and remember thinking, 'This is a really cool little song, and the track really is danceable.' I knew I was in the studio with a home run hitter: Jeff Barry was the producer, the executive producer was Don Kirshner, the man behind The Monkees."
With summer over, Ron is back to headlining his own shows. But come 2020, he'll again join Mark Volman as The Turtles on the Happy Together tour, with "Sugar Sugar" in the middle of their show-closing set.