Tom Jones. The name alone carries the weight of a thousand brass sections and enough charisma to power a small city. We’ve all heard the stories: the knickers thrown on stage, the tan that never fades, and that voice—a baritone so thick you could practically lean against it. But when you actually dig into the sheer volume of hits by Tom Jones, you realize that the "Sex Bomb" caricature barely scratches the surface of what the man actually accomplished on the charts.
Honestly, it's kinda wild. Most artists get one "era" if they’re lucky. Tom had about five. From the British Invasion to Vegas crooning, and then a bizarrely successful late-90s rebirth that shouldn't have worked but absolutely did.
The Accidental Breakthrough of "It's Not Unusual"
Let’s get one thing straight: Tom Jones wasn’t even supposed to sing his biggest early hit. Back in 1964, a songwriter named Gordon Mills (who also managed Tom) wrote "It's Not Unusual" for Sandie Shaw. Tom recorded the demo just so she could hear how it should go.
Shaw heard it and basically told him, "This is your song, not mine."
She was right. But even then, the BBC wouldn't touch it. They thought his image was too suggestive. It took the pirate radio stations, specifically Radio Caroline, to start hammering the track before the mainstream caught on. By March 1965, the guy from South Wales was sitting at Number 1.
People think he was an overnight success, but he’d been grinding in pubs for years as Tommy Scott and the Senators. When the press first covered him, they marketed him as a 22-year-old single miner. In reality, he was 24, married to his childhood sweetheart Linda, and already had a son. The industry has always been a bit of a lie, hasn't it?
Why "Delilah" and "Green, Green Grass" Defined an Era
If "It’s Not Unusual" was the spark, the late 60s were the forest fire. This is where hits by Tom Jones became something more than just pop songs; they became cultural artifacts.
Take "Green, Green Grass of Home" (1966). It’s a country song. A Welshman singing about the American South sounds like a disaster on paper, but it became his biggest-selling single. It stayed at Number 1 for seven weeks in the UK. Why? Because underneath the lush arrangement, it’s a devastating story about a man on death row dreaming of home. It tapped into a universal nostalgia that hit people right in the gut.
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Then you’ve got "Delilah" in 1968. If you’ve ever been to a rugby match or a karaoke bar, you know this one. It’s operatic, dark, and weirdly violent if you actually listen to the lyrics. It reached Number 2, only held off the top spot by The Beatles' "Lady Madonna."
The Bond Connection and Bacharach
Around this same time, he did "Thunderball" for the James Bond film. Legend has it he actually fainted in the booth after hitting that final high note. Then Burt Bacharach came calling with "What’s New Pussycat?". Tom actually hated the song at first. He thought it was a joke. Bacharach had to convince him that the absurdity was the point. It peaked at Number 3 in the US, proving that Tom’s appeal wasn’t just a British phenomenon—he was a genuine transatlantic force.
The Forgotten 70s and the Country Pivot
By the mid-70s, the "cool" factor was wearing thin. The music world was moving toward disco and punk, and Tom was increasingly seen as a Vegas relic. But this is the part most people forget: he never stopped having hits.
In 1977, he released "Say You'll Stay Until Tomorrow." It wasn't a massive pop hit in the UK, but it went to Number 1 on the US Country chart. He was basically the original crossover artist before that was even a marketing term. He spent years in the wilderness of the 80s, mostly known for his variety show and residency at Caesar’s Palace, until something weird happened in 1988.
The Art of Noise and the "Kiss" Comeback
The 80s were largely quiet for Tom until he teamed up with the Art of Noise to cover Prince's "Kiss."
It was a total reinvention. No more tuxedos. He was wearing leather and embrace-the-kitsch energy. The song hit Number 5 in the UK and won an MTV Video Music Award. It reminded a younger generation that the "Old Man" could still out-sing anyone on the radio.
This set the stage for the Reload album in 1999. This thing was a juggernaut. It sold over 4 million copies and featured:
- "Burning Down the House" with The Cardigans
- "Mama Told Me Not to Come" with Stereophonics
- "Sex Bomb" with Mousse T.
"Sex Bomb" specifically became a massive European hit. It was 2000, and a 60-year-old man was dominating the dance charts. That just doesn't happen.
The Later Years: From "Sex Bomb" to "Tower of Song"
In the last decade, the hits by Tom Jones have changed flavor. He’s moved away from the bombast and toward a stripped-back, bluesy sound.
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His 2021 album Surrounded by Time made him the oldest male artist to have a Number 1 album in the UK. He was 80. The lead single, "Talking Reality Television Blues," sounds more like Radiohead than "Delilah." It’s spoken word, gritty, and incredibly modern.
It’s a testament to the fact that he’s always been a student of the voice. He knows his instrument has changed from a brassy tenor to a gravelly, soulful baritone, and he’s adjusted the material to fit the man.
Making the Most of the Catalog
If you're looking to dive into his discography, don't just stick to the "Greatest Hits" compilations. Those are fine for parties, but the real meat is in his live recordings and his recent collaborations.
What to do next:
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- Listen to "I (Who Have Nothing)" from the 1970 Live in Las Vegas album. It is a masterclass in vocal control and sheer power.
- Check out his 2010 album Praise & Blame. It’s a gospel and blues record that shows a completely different side of his talent.
- Watch the video for "If I Only Knew." It’s peak 90s Tom and shows exactly how he managed to stay relevant when his peers were retiring.
The legacy of these hits isn't just about record sales. It's about a guy who refused to be put in a box. Whether he was singing country, Bond themes, or Prince covers, he stayed Tom Jones. And honestly? That's the hardest hit of all to pull off.