What A Wonderful Song

Louis Armstrong’s 1967 recording of ‘What A Wonderful World’ is a staple of American music, but it almost wasn’t.

Then ABC Records head Larry Newton reportedly hated the song and refused to promote it, and the record initially sold less than 1,000 copies here in the States.

Unbelievable, right?!

But the song proved to be a monster hit in the United Kingdom, where it soared to number one on the UK Singles Chart and was the biggest-selling single of 1968.

Despite ABC’s neglect, ‘What A Wonderful World’ did gradually become an American standard and scored a #32 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in February of 1988 after it was featured in the film Good Morning, Vietnam.

At the time of the record’s original release, Louis Armstrong was the oldest man to have a chart-topping record at age 66. Ol’ Satchmo passed away in 1971 at age 69. He left behind a legendary musical legacy and this beloved hit that's sure to stand the test of time...