Another of AT40’s special charts, this one aired on January 6, 1980, and represents the 50 biggest hits of the previous decade. (It’s not the Top 100 of the ‘70s because, during the previous week, the Top 50 Songs of 1979 aired, dividing the eight-hour airtime between these two lists.)
How many do you remember?
50. FAMILY AFFAIR, Sly & The Family Stone (1971) 49. KISS YOU ALL OVER, Exile (1978) 48. 50 WAYS TO LEAVE YOUR LOVER, Paul Simon (1976) 47. THE WAY WE WERE, Barbara Streisand (1974) 46. I THINK I LOVE YOU, The Partridge Family (1970) 45. ME AND MRS. JONES, Billy Paul (1972) 44. DON’T GO BREAKING MY HEART, Elton John/Kiki Dee (1976) 43. THREE TIMES A LADY, The Commodores (1978) 42. DECEMBER, 1963 (OH, WHAT A NIGHT), The Four Seasons (1975) 41. I HONESTLY LOVE YOU, Olivia Newton-John (1974)
40. I JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING, Andy Gibb (1977) 39. LET IT BE, The Beatles (1970) 38. AMERICAN WOMAN, The Guess Who (1970) 37. I WILL SURVIVE, Gloria Gaynor (1979) 36. CROCODILE ROCK, Elton John (1974) 35. DA YA THINK I’M SEXY? Rod Stewart (1979) 34. WITHOUT YOU, Nilsson (1972) 33. HOT STUFF, Donna Summer (1979) 32. LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER, The Captain & Tennille (1975) 31. RAINDROPS KEEP FALLIN’ ON MY HEAD, B.J. Thomas (1970)
30. AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH, Diana Ross (1970) 29. YOU’RE SO VAIN, Carly Simon (1973) 28. MY LOVE, Paul McCartney & Wings (1973) 27. TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLE OAK TREE, Dawn featuring Tony Orlando (1973) 26. I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW, Johnny Nash (1972) 25. REUNITED, Peaches & Herb (1979) 24. BAD GIRLS, Donna Summer (1979) 23. (THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU, The Carpenters (1970) 22. A HORSE WITH NO NAME, America (1972) 21. HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART, The Bee Gees (1971)
20. BEST OF MY LOVE, The Emotions (1977) 19. I’LL BE THERE, The Jackson 5 (1970) 18. LE FREAK, Chic (1979) 17. SILLY LOVE SONGS, Paul McCartney & Wings (1976) 16. NIGHT FEVER, The Bee Gees (1978) 15. MY SWEET LORD, George Harrison (1970) 14. IT’S TOO LATE, Carole King (1971) 13. MAGGIE MAY, Rod Stewart (1972) 12. SHADOW DANCING, Andy Gibb (1978) 11. ONE BAD APPLE, The Osmonds (1970)
10. MY SHARONA, The Knack (1979) 9. STAYIN’ ALIVE, The Bee Gees (1978) 8. HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE, The Bee Gees (1977) 7. AMERICAN PIE, Don McLean (1972) 6. TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT (GONNA BE ALRIGHT), Rod Stewart (1976) 5. ALONE AGAIN (NATURALLY), Gilbert O’Sullivan (1972) 4. THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE, Roberta Flack (1971) 3. JOY TO THE WORLD, Three Dog Night (1971) 2. BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER, Simon & Garfunkel (1970) 1. YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE, Debby Boone (1977)
50. FAMILY AFFAIR, Sly & The Family Stone (1971) 48. 50 WAYS TO LEAVE YOUR LOVER, Paul Simon (1976) 47. THE WAY WE WERE, Barbara Streisand (1974) 44. DON’T GO BREAKING MY HEART, Elton John/Kiki Dee (1976) 43. THREE TIMES A LADY, The Commodores (1978) 42. DECEMBER, 1963 (OH, WHAT A NIGHT), The Four Seasons (1975) 39. LET IT BE, The Beatles (1970) 37. I WILL SURVIVE, Gloria Gaynor (1979) 36. CROCODILE ROCK, Elton John (1974) 35. DA YA THINK I’M SEXY? Rod Stewart (1979) 31. RAINDROPS KEEP FALLIN’ ON MY HEAD, B.J. Thomas (1970) 30. AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH, Diana Ross (1970) 29. YOU’RE SO VAIN, Carly Simon (1973) 28. MY LOVE, Paul McCartney & Wings (1973) 27. TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLE OAK TREE, Dawn featuring Tony Orlando (1973) 26. I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW, Johnny Nash (1972) 24. BAD GIRLS, Donna Summer (1979) 23. (THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU, The Carpenters (1970) 22. A HORSE WITH NO NAME, America (1972) 21. HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART, The Bee Gees (1971) 19. I’LL BE THERE, The Jackson 5 (1970) 18. LE FREAK, Chic (1979) 17. SILLY LOVE SONGS, Paul McCartney & Wings (1976) 16. NIGHT FEVER, The Bee Gees (1978) 15. MY SWEET LORD, George Harrison (1970) 13. MAGGIE MAY, Rod Stewart (1972) 10. MY SHARONA, The Knack (1979) 9. STAYIN’ ALIVE, The Bee Gees (1978) 8. HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE, The Bee Gees (1977) 7. AMERICAN PIE, Don McLean (1972) 6. TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT (GONNA BE ALRIGHT), Rod Stewart (1976) 3. JOY TO THE WORLD, Three Dog Night (1971) 2. BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER, Simon & Garfunkel (1970) 1. YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE, Debby Boone (1977)
Ones I like most in no particular order:-
26. I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW, Johnny Nash (1972) 22. A HORSE WITH NO NAME, America (1972) 18. LE FREAK, Chic (1979) 10. MY SHARONA, The Knack (1979) 9. STAYIN’ ALIVE, The Bee Gees (1978) 42. DECEMBER, 1963 (OH, WHAT A NIGHT), The Four Seasons (1975) 23. (THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU, The Carpenters (1970)
"...not having to believe in a thing to be interested in it and not having to explain a thing to appreciate the wonder of it."
I found it interesting to go through your list, thothy, and see which songs you didn't know of. I don't know if that's indicative of which songs have lost their staying power over the decades, but I thought the omissions were interesting.
Poor Andy Gibb. He was the Bee Gees' youngest brother and the first to die (at age 30). In 1977-78, he was the hottest thing on the planet. His first three singles (including the two listed here) all went to Number One, a feat few artists have achieved. But then drugs and Victoria Principal happened, and he was never the same.
The Partridge Family featured another teen idol of a few years earlier: David Cassidy. David and his real life stepmom, Shirley Jones (who also sings on the record), starred in the TV series of the same name, which was a huge hit during my formative years of 1969-74.
"Kiss You All Over" remains one of my favorite songs from 1978. Even though the lyrics are typical rock pop-rock doggerel ("Oh, babe, when I get home, gonna light your fire"), it's a moody, evocative number with hard rock guitar and effective interplay between two lead singers. It was the only major pop hit Exile had. In the 1980s, they had considerably more success on the country chart.
Carole King was half of the famous Goffin/King songwriting partnership that wrote many of the '60s most memorable hits ("The Loco-Motion" and others). Her 1971 solo album "Tapestry" was a huge success. She can still be seen touring with James Taylor.
Peaches & Herb were a dance duo who experienced a brief run of hits in 1979, beginning with "Shake Your Groove Thing." "Reunited," for all its slow-dancing seriousness, became an irresistible radio favorite--one of those songs I didn't mind clogging up the airwaves while I was waiting for next hard rock hit. This was the third Peaches, by the way; the one and only Herb had kept the act going since the '60s.
"Without You" was sung by Harry Nilsson but written by two members of the British group Badfinger, Pete Ham and Tom Evans. Sadly, both Ham and Evans committed suicide eight years apart. Nilsson died young, too, making the lyrics ("I can't live if living is without you") hauntingly prophetic.
"American Woman" proved that a song with a killer guitar riff could become a hit, even if the lyrics were overtly insulting to the US and/or to American women. I don't think the Guess Who intended the song to be misogynistic; they were fiercely proud of being Canadian and resisted the idea that Canadians had to move to America and dress and talk like Americans to succeed in rock 'n' roll. Their stubbornness paid off: they racked up 14 Top 40 hits between 1965-74 and became the first internationally successful rock band from Canada.
The 1970s were my decade in music, so I remember every song on the list, too. Here's my personal Top 21 (can't do just 10):
39. LET IT BE, The Beatles (1970) 38. AMERICAN WOMAN, The Guess Who (1970) 49. KISS YOU ALL OVER, Exile (1978) 17. SILLY LOVE SONGS, Paul McCartney & Wings (1976) 10. MY SHARONA, The Knack (1979) 7. AMERICAN PIE, Don McLean (1972) 42. DECEMBER, 1963 (OH, WHAT A NIGHT), The Four Seasons (1975) 15. MY SWEET LORD, George Harrison (1970) 36. CROCODILE ROCK, Elton John (1974) 35. DA YA THINK I’M SEXY? Rod Stewart (1979)
32. LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER, The Captain & Tennille (1975) 48. 50 WAYS TO LEAVE YOUR LOVER, Paul Simon (1976) 12. SHADOW DANCING, Andy Gibb (1978) 22. A HORSE WITH NO NAME, America (1972) 18. LE FREAK, Chic (1979) 3. JOY TO THE WORLD, Three Dog Night (1971) 29. YOU’RE SO VAIN, Carly Simon (1973) 13. MAGGIE MAY, Rod Stewart (1972) 44. DON’T GO BREAKING MY HEART, Elton John/Kiki Dee (1976) 33. HOT STUFF, Donna Summer (1979)
I remembered them all except "without you" by Nillson. I looked it up and remembered WHY i didn't remember it. Selective memory. Those might have been the most popular of the seventies, but very few of them ranked as the best by me, personally.
Damn you, you kids! Get off my lawn or I'm callin' tha cops!
Those might have been the most popular of the seventies, but very few of them ranked as the best by me, personally.
I think this is true for me, as well, at least far as pop music in general goes. I watched Billboard Magazine's compilation of current Top 50 hits on YouTube the other night. There were very few songs I found appealing, even among the those I recognized. On the other hand, I listen to an alt station that plays more interesting current and recent hits.
Among the current Top 50 hits, the only three I like are "Pompeii" by Bastille and "Royals" and "Team," both by Lorde.
And I have no idea who they are. I'm not a snob or someone that doesn't like any music, it's just that I'm getting older and teen angst, 20ish self hyperbole... it just doesn't work for me anymore.
And truth be told, I listen to a lot of country music now because the voices are mature and don't grate as much. It's true, they are starting to hollywood tart it up some with some acts that are miley cyrus lite, but I can still listen to someone like Brooks and Dunn (yes, I know, broken up) and get an adult vibe.
Sex drugs and rock an roll work for the young, dumb and fullah'...well, you know, more than it does for me now. not to say that I don't listen to some hard stuff anymore. I do. I just go more for music than the show.
Damn you, you kids! Get off my lawn or I'm callin' tha cops!
And I have no idea who they are. I'm not a snob or someone that doesn't like any music, it's just that I'm getting older and teen angst, 20ish self hyperbole... it just doesn't work for me anymore.
I hear ya, and that's why I like the three songs I mentioned. They transcend the 20's angst and sex/drugs/rock 'n' roll ethos that one might expect of pop music.
"Pompeii" is very interesting because it's almost a literal interpretation of the real event of the ancient city destroyed by a volcano. I see it as a reflection of how our lives can come crumbling down around us while we are too busy being engaged in selfish pursuits to notice. One telling line: "Where do we begin/the rubble or our sins?"
"Royals" is an enigmatic song with lyrics that seem to poke jabs at the Royal family ("We'll never be royals/It don't run in our blood/that kind of lux just ain't for us") or perhaps at the superficiality of pop music and movies ("We don't care/we're not caught up in your love affair").
I'm not quite sure what to make of "Team." In some ways, it also seems to assert that there is life beyond the superficiality of pop culture ("We live in cities/you'll never see on screen") and in a certain sympathy or communality with those on the outer fringes ("And you know/we're on each other's team").
All three songs contain unique vocal arrangements that make them stand out, as well.
So, while the music of 20-somethings doesn't usually appeal to me, either, it's nice to find the occasional exception.
I knew Billboard skewed away from rock, especially then, but man that's a pretty tame list. Also, "Let it Be" only at 39 and "Imagine" not there at all? Wowsers.
Dave, all of the songs on the list reached No. 1, and most had spent multiple weeks at the top. "Imagine" reached only No. 3.
This goes to show, of course, that chart positions are not the best determiner of a song's popularity or longevity. "Stairway to Heaven," arguably one of the most definitive songs of the '70s, wasn't even released as a single, so it didn't chart.
And I have no idea who they are. I'm not a snob or someone that doesn't like any music, it's just that I'm getting older and teen angst, 20ish self hyperbole... it just doesn't work for me anymore.
I hear ya, and that's why I like the three songs I mentioned. They transcend the 20's angst and sex/drugs/rock 'n' roll ethos that one might expect of pop music.
"Pompeii" is very interesting because it's almost a literal interpretation of the real event of the ancient city destroyed by a volcano. I see it as a reflection of how our lives can come crumbling down around us while we are too busy being engaged in selfish pursuits to notice. One telling line: "Where do we begin/the rubble or our sins?"
"Royals" is an enigmatic song with lyrics that seem to poke jabs at the Royal family ("We'll never be royals/It don't run in our blood/that kind of lux just ain't for us") or perhaps at the superficiality of pop music and movies ("We don't care/we're not caught up in your love affair").
I'm not quite sure what to make of "Team." In some ways, it also seems to assert that there is life beyond the superficiality of pop culture ("We live in cities/you'll never see on screen") and in a certain sympathy or communality with those on the outer fringes ("And you know/we're on each other's team").
All three songs contain unique vocal arrangements that make them stand out, as well.
So, while the music of 20-somethings doesn't usually appeal to me, either, it's nice to find the occasional exception.
I think "Team" is a much better song than "Royals", which I thought was gimmicky and lyrically vague and very affected in the vocal stylings. "Team" is an improvement in every sense. I may even check out her album now.
I'd say I like both "Royals" and "Team" equally. They are both very distinctive songs with lush vocal arrangements and cryptic lyrics. I don't think of "Royals" as "gimmicky," though it is the more accessible of the two songs.
I love the odd lyrical turns, such as "I cut my teeth on wedding rings/in the movies." (Incidentally, the idea of jewelry as something to be chewed on also surfaces in "Team": "A hundred pearls between teeth"). Other lyrics convey frustration with the the idea of being rich and surrounded by opulence:
But everybody's like: Crystal Maybach Diamonds on your timepiece Jet planes Islands Tigers on a gold leash
(Read more: Lorde - Royals Lyrics | MetroLyrics)
These lyrics and the next ("We don't care/We're not caught up in your love affair") reject such media-perpetuated fantasies. Lorde prefers her own simple pleasures: "You can call me queen bee . . . let me live that fantasy."
(Of course, now that she likely is a wealthy star, it's ironic that she's made her fame and fortune out of decrying the excesses of fame and fortune.)
There is so much in that song that lends itself to interpretation. As a listener, I like that. I feel more engaged in the song.
I can't really see Lorde's singing keeping me interested past a song or two but I like the writing. Though I have to acknowledge she's very young and singing style will change.
I didn't see Royals as taking jabs so much as stating a reality. I like the message. Few are born into it. Life is no less for having it or not having it. And I also don't see it as a statement that they would never get rich but how they would live their lives. They knew (or felt they knew) who they were, what they valued, and what life attainment is. We all take our own things from the song but that's so nice that there is a message to take.
I really do like the trends in music, which seems to be coming from all angles. It's very inclusive. It's positive. It's hopeful. It encourages.
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