September 30, 1978 10. AN EVERLASTING LOVE, Andy Gibb 9. LOVE IS IN THE AIR, John Paul Young 8. REMINISCING, Little River Band 7. HOT CHILD IN THE CITY, Nick Gilder 6. DON'T LOOK BACK, Boston 5. SUMMER NIGHTS, John Travolta/Olivia Newton-John 4. THREE TIMES A LADY, Commodores 3. HOPELESSLY DEVOTED TO YOU, Olivia Newton-John 2. BOOGIE OOGIE OOGIE, A Taste of Honey 1. KISS YOU ALL OVER, Exile
Still hear all of these all the time.
Outside of novelty songs, do top 10-20 songs ever go away?
Dolly actually had FIVE Top 40 hits before "9 to 5." According to Joel Whitburn's The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (1983 edition), they were
Here You Come Again (1977, # 3) -- I have strong memories of this one. Two Doors Down (1978, # 19) -- ditto. Heartbreaker (1978, # 37) Baby I'm Burnin' (1979, # 25) -- remember this one, too. Starting Over Again (1980), # 36
Outside of novelty songs, do top 10-20 songs ever go away?
If I go through my lists, I'm sure I can find a number of songs I haven't heard in awhile. Of course, that may be because I prefer rock stations and, thus, am not exposed to pop, soul, disco, or other types of music on a regular basis.
Since I've been listening to KCMO (94.9)--which bills itself as "Seventies, Eighties, and Nineties"--I've started to hear a lot of songs I haven't heard in years. So I guess it does depend on which stations you listen to.
This one was a real treat. It's from the first year of American Top 40; in fact, the program was only three months old at this point.
In spite of the chart's age (45 years-ugh!), a surprising number of these songs have stood the test of time.
40. STAND BY YOUR MAN, Candi Staton 39. DEEPER AND DEEPER, Freda Payne 38. DO WHAT YOU WANNA DO, Five Flights Up 37. LUCRETIA MAC EVIL, Blood, Sweat & Tears 36. IT DON'T MATTER TO ME, Bread 35. OUR HOUSE, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young 34. NEANDERTHAL MAN, Hotlegs 33. I (WHO HAVE NOTHING), Tom Jones 32. RUBBER DUCKIE, Ernie 31. SOMEBODY'S BEEN SLEEPING, 100 Proof Aged in Soul
30. THAT'S WHERE I WENT WRONG, Poppy Family featuring Susan Jacks 29. EL CONDOR PASA, Simon & Garfunkel 28. DON'T PLAY THAT SONG, Aretha Franklin 27. CLOSER TO HOME, Grand Funk Railroad 26. 25 OR 6 TO 4, Chicago 25. LONG LONG TIME, Linda Ronstadt 24. IT'S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE, Glen Campbell 23. GROOVY SITUATION, Gene Chandler 22. INDIANA WANTS ME, R. Dean Taylor 21. JOANNE, Mike Nesmith & The First National Band
20. LOOK WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO MY SONG MA, New Seekers 19. STILL WATER (LOVE), Four Tops 18. OUT IN THE COUNTRY, Three Dog Night 17. FIRE AND RAIN, James Taylor 16. PATCHES, Clarence Carter 15. IT'S A SHAME, Spinners 14. EXPRESS YOURSELF, Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band 13. LOLA, Kinks 12. WAR, Edwin Starr 11. SNOWBIRD, Anne Murray
10. (I KNOW) I'M LOSING YOU, Rare Earth 9. WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN, Carpenters 8. GREEN-EYED LADY, Sugarloaf 7. LOOKIN' OUT MY BACK DOOR, Creedence Clearwater Revival 6. JULIE, DO YA LOVE ME, Bobby Sherman 5. ALL RIGHT NOW, Free 4. AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH, Diana Ross 3. CANDIDA, Dawn 2. I'LL BE THERE, Jackson 5 1. CRACKLIN' ROSIE, Neil Diamond
I had *no* idea SNOWBIRD was so old. I swear I remember it playing on AM Country stations regularly mid-70s. It was re-released, it had to be! (plants feet, crosses arms, shan't accept another answer)
This just goes to show how different people respond to different things. I'm familiar with some of Anne Murray's hits--"You Needed Me" was a hit when I first started listening to AT40, and I loved her version of "Daydream Believer." But "Snowbird" does not register with me. Even after having heard it this morning, it does not ring any bells.
I know all the Top 20, although I had to check that I was thinking of the right songs for
16. PATCHES, Clarence Carter 15. IT'S A SHAME, Spinners 14. EXPRESS YOURSELF, Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
Although I recognize the Anne Murray title
11. SNOWBIRD, Anne Murray
and I *know* I've heard it, I couldn't quite remember how it went. I also know that I've heard
6. JULIE, DO YA LOVE ME, Bobby Sherman
but couldn't remember how it went. This is the one (other than 19, of course) that I've heard the least in the past 25-30 years. I don't think it's aged very well. I'm thinking it's a 1970 idea of "Gay Nineties brass band in the town square bandshell" faux nostalgia. I'd rather go to Farrell's! (Maybe the "olde fashioned" I'm hearing is a nod to Here Comes the Brides, which was set in the 1860s.)
21-40 is pretty mysterious to me, except for
36. IT DON'T MATTER TO ME, Bread 35. OUR HOUSE, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young 26. 25 OR 6 TO 4, Chicago 25. LONG LONG TIME, Linda Ronstadt
AND OF COURSE
32. RUBBER DUCKIE, Ernie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had no idea it charted. Wikipedia says it got to #16!
A lot of intertwining. Many of these artists worked together in one band or another or as writers. And I spy the Duke of Earl, a Mott the Hoople, a LOT of Motown, white and black and the most gorgeous women, I was absolutely enamored with Telma Hopkins.
Voices: crap 30-22 is an all-star line-up on it's own. And I see David Gates, Sherman (guilty pleasure), Fogarty, Karen Carpenter, Tom Jones showing how it's done, and that Franklin chick was good on occasion.
It's going to be fun looking at the history of this group.
Not too many I knew of in this one. Grease still lurking at the top ten and the Commodores
Decent on You Tube 38. DOUBLE VISION & 15. HOT BLOODED, Foreigner 32. JOSIE, Steely Dan 24. YOU NEVER DONE IT LIKE THAT, Captain & Tennille - no, really I thought it wasn't bad.
A little better than decent... 6. DON'T LOOK BACK, Boston 14. HOLLYWOOD NIGHTS, Bob Seger & Silver Bullet Band
The Beatles did it better...much better... 34. GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE, Earth, Wind & Fire - much prefer the Beatles version as I did for 23. COME TOGETHER, Aerosmith
Just 'cause I know 'em don't mean ah listen to 'em 9. LOVE IS IN THE AIR, John Paul Young 4. THREE TIMES A LADY, Commodores 27. I LOVE THE NIGHT LIFE, Alicia Bridges
Surprised By 17. FOOL (IF YOU THINK IT'S OVER), Chris Rea - Cripes. Was this one that old. My dad likes Chris Rea, or did at one point.
Stand Outs 26. WHO ARE YOU, Who 22. SHE'S ALWAYS A WOMAN, Billy Joel
"...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."
Songs I had forgotten (for better or worse): 16. PATCHES, Clarence Carter -- either a bonafide tearjerker or a schmaltzy imitation of one 6. JULIE, DO YA LOVE ME, Bobby Sherman -- One of the few songs I'm sure I knew at the time (I was seven). My mother, brother, and I loved to make fun of it: "Droolie, Droolie, Droolie . . ."
Timeless classics: 35. OUR HOUSE, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young 27. CLOSER TO HOME, Grand Funk Railroad 26. 25 OR 6 TO 4, Chicago 22. INDIANA WANTS ME, R. Dean Taylor 13. LOLA, Kinks 12. WAR, Edwin Starr 9. WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN, Carpenters 8. GREEN-EYED LADY, Sugarloaf 7. LOOKIN' OUT MY BACK DOOR, Creedence Clearwater Revival 4. AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH, Diana Ross 1. CRACKLIN' ROSIE, Neil Diamond
Songs that are still good but haven't aged especially well: 3. CANDIDA, Dawn 2. I'LL BE THERE, Jackson 5
Songs I wish I liked better: 37. LUCRETIA MAC EVIL, Blood, Sweat & Tears -- BS&T made horn-inflected rock fun, and this song has all the right ingredients, but it just isn't very memorable. 10. (I KNOW) I'M LOSING YOU, Rare Earth -- nice version, but Rod Stewart made it more distinctive.
The "I didn't know they covered that" department: 33. I (WHO HAVE NOTHING), Tom Jones -- well, pretty much everybody else has. 24. IT'S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE, Glen Campbell -- Conway Twitty's original is better.
The "knew it existed but don't really know it" department: 34. NEANDERTHAL MAN--Hotlegs 21. JOANNE, Mike Nesmith & The First National Band
The "never heard before/don't remember" department: 39. DEEPER AND DEEPER, Freda Payne 38. DO WHAT YOU WANNA DO, Five Flights Up 30. THAT'S WHERE I WENT WRONG, Poppy Family featuring Susan Jacks 29. EL CONDOR PASA, Simon & Garfunkel 28. DON'T PLAY THAT SONG, Aretha Franklin 23. GROOVY SITUATION, Gene Chandler 20. LOOK WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO MY SONG MA, New Seekers 19. STILL WATER (LOVE), Four Tops 18. OUT IN THE COUNTRY, Three Dog Night 15. IT'S A SHAME, Spinners
And, of course, in a league by itself: 32. RUBBER DUCKIE, Ernie (which did indeed peak at No. 16)
The Beatles did it better...much better... 34. GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE, Earth, Wind & Fire - much prefer the Beatles version as I did for 23. COME TOGETHER, Aerosmith
The first version I ever heard of "Come Together" was Aerosmith's. I think I like it and original about equally and for different reasons. The Beatles' version sounds cruder (if that's the right word), almost primitive by comparison--but that's part of its charm. However, the song lends itself well to the hard rock treatment of Aerosmith and to Steven Tyler's blues-shout vocals.
I had a similar experience with "Pinball Wizard." I heard the Elton John remake long before I heard the Who's original. For many years I preferred the former--Elton's virtual scream on "sure plays a mean pinball" sounded much more dynamic than the Who's version (which sounded off key to me). Now I appreciate both versions--EJ's is more polished, but the Who's has a certain unrefined authenticity.
The broadcast today was actually from 10/22/77, but's that's only a few weeks after a previous chart discussed in this thread. Many of the same songs were represented. (If anybody cares, the No. 1 was Debby Boone's saccharine-fest, "You Light Up My Life."). So I decided to go back a few years to a chart that, to me, is much more interesting.
The Top 40 hits 42 years ago:
40. TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING, Diana Ross 39. YOU'VE NEVER BEEN THIS FAR BEFORE, Conway Twitty 38. BROTHER LOUIE, Stories 37. THE LOVE I LOST, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes 36. LET ME IN, Osmonds 35. SAY, HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY SWEET GYPSY ROSE, Tony Orlando & Dawn 34. GET IT TOGETHER, Jackson 5 33. JESSE, Roberta Flack 32. FUNKY STUFF, Kool & The Gang 31. TOP OF THE WORLD, Carpenters
30. WE MAY NEVER PASS THIS WAY AGAIN, Seals & Crofts 29. PHOTOGRAPH, Ringo Starr 28. JUST YOU 'N' ME, Chicago 27. SUMMER (THE FIRST TIME), Bobby Goldsboro 26. YOU'RE A SPECIAL PART OF ME, Marvin Gaye/Diana Ross 25. HURTS SO GOOD, Millie Jackson 24. DELTA DAWN, Helen Reddy 23. ROCKY MOUNTAIN WAY, Joe Walsh 22. I GOT A NAME, Jim Croce 21. WHY ME, Kris Kristofferson
20. SPACE RACE, Billy Preston 19. MY MARIA, B.W. Stevenson 18. CHINA GROVE, Doobie Brothers 17. FREE RIDE, Edgar Winter Group 16. KNOCKIN' ON HEAVEN'S DOOR, Bob Dylan 15. BASKETBALL JONES FEATURING TYRONE SHOELACES, Cheech & Chong 14. LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK, Paul Simon 13. ALL I KNOW, Art Garfunkel 12. WE'RE AN AMERICAN BAND, Grand Funk 11. YES WE CAN CAN, Pointer Sisters
10. PAPER ROSES, Marie Osmond 9. HEARTBEAT (IT'S A LOVEBEAT), DeFranco Family 8. HIGHER GROUND, Stevie Wonder 7. KEEP ON TRUCKIN', Eddie Kendricks 6. THAT LADY, Isley Brothers 5. MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA, Gladys Knight & The Pips 4. LET'S GET IT ON, Marvin Gaye 3. RAMBLIN' MAN, Allman Brothers Band 2. HALF-BREED, Cher 1. ANGIE, Rolling Stones
Ones I know more from others... not that they're favs or anything... 40. STAND BY YOUR MAN, Candi Staton 37. LUCRETIA MAC EVIL, Blood, Sweat & Tears... sure, I heard some of this sampled. 20. LOOK WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO MY SONG MA, New Seekers - Didn't we have Melanie's Brand New Key the other week. I heard her version of this then. 4. AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH, Diana Ross
I thought it was... 38. DO WHAT YOU WANNA DO, Five Flights Up...thought it was going to be the Islay Brothers "It's your thing" later covered by Salt n' Pepa's in Shake your Thing 34. NEANDERTHAL MAN, Hotlegs... hey, isn't that...yes it is. It was on a 10cc greatest hits album I think. Possibly my least favourite on it.
Heard over and over as an advertisement, till I can't listen to it... 35. OUR HOUSE, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Best fairy tale themed track... 31. SOMEBODY'S BEEN SLEEPING, 100 Proof Aged in Soul
Most likely to get me to watch a Spaghetti Western... 29. EL CONDOR PASA, Simon & Garfunkel
Best Monkees style studio false start intro... 27. CLOSER TO HOME, Grand Funk Railroad - I liked this one.
Bass player having fun... 23. GROOVY SITUATION, Gene Chandler 8. GREEN-EYED LADY, Sugarloaf
I've actually heard it before! 15. IT'S A SHAME, Spinners - Although Moni Love did a rap thing years later covering it. or rather 13. LOLA, Kinks & 12. WAR, Edwin Starr - Not favs. 2. I'LL BE THERE, Jackson 5 11. SNOWBIRD, Anne Murray - possibly from another HWW chart. 9. WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN, Carpenters
Standouts 14. EXPRESS YOURSELF, Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band 5. ALL RIGHT NOW, Free
Two new likes 10. (I KNOW) I'M LOSING YOU, Rare Earth - The Temptations version this is a cover of (he typed with authority having only just read it from You Tube) is also excellent. 8. GREEN-EYED LADY, Sugarloaf
Nearly all the ones I know from this chart never really made much of an impact. But there's good stuff in the others. Lots of strong vocals, cool bass. Easy listening with an echo of the late '60s.
"...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 don't think "Snowbird" was on any of my other charts; I haven't done 1970 before, and I don't think the song was covered. But the 1978 chart did feature Anne Murray's "You Needed Me," which might sound similar.
I'm familiar enough with most of the 1973 list to construct my very own personal Top 10 (with most favorite at top):
12. WE'RE AN AMERICAN BAND, Grand Funk - The song that made me want to learn the guitar; I never did find the sheet music or master the guitar, but I really wanted to play Mark Farner's guitar solo. 3. RAMBLIN' MAN, Allman Brothers Band - My most favorite song at the time. Dueling guitars, don'tcha know? 18. CHINA GROVE, Doobie Brothers - another cool guitar song. I learned to play the riff when I took guitar lessons. 29. PHOTOGRAPH, Ringo Starr - just a sweet, sad song from Ringo. 31. TOP OF THE WORLD, Carpenters - Richard and Karen were in a league of their own, and this is one of their best hits. 38. BROTHER LOUIE, Stories - This song seemed very racy (pun not intended) at the time, as it dealt with an interracial love affair. In its own way, it exposed the hypocrisy of middle class America in much the same way "All In the Family" did. 9. HEARTBEAT (IT'S A LOVEBEAT), DeFranco Family -- A family act that very briefly rivaled the Osmonds and Jackson 5; this song is as catchy as a song can get. 14. LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK, Paul Simon - "El Condor Pasa" led me to listen to a bunch of Paul Simon songs the other day -- "Kodachrome," "Mother and Child Reunion," "Me and Julio Down by the Shoolyeard" . . . brilliant stuff. Very catchy with good melodies and backing vocals (this one features the Dixie Hummingbirds) and a masterful sense of story telling. 2. HALF-BREED, Cher -- Another song that makes a social statement and does it quite well. 24. DELTA DAWN, Helen Reddy - A family favorite at the time, about a 41-year-old woman who doesn't realize her youth and love have passed her by. A very sad song, but unforgettable.
Other pleasant memories of '73 15. BASKETBALL JONES FEATURING TYRONE SHOELACES, Cheech & Chong - My sixth grade music teacher used to play this in class. She was a very progressive teacher, that Mrs. Curnutt. 6. THAT LADY, Isley Brothers 5. MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA, Gladys Knight & The Pips 1. ANGIE, Rolling Stones 35. SAY, HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY SWEET GYPSY ROSE, Tony Orlando & Dawn
Songs I didn't know at the time but which later became favorites 23. ROCKY MOUNTAIN WAY, Joe Walsh 17. FREE RIDE, Edgar Winter Group 19. MY MARIA, B.W. Stevenson - Wasn't aware of this song until Brooks & Dunn covered it in the early 2000s; gut-busting vocals: "My MarIIIIIIIIIIIIa!"
Songs I knew but didn't know that's what they were called 28. JUST YOU 'N' ME, Chicago 8. HIGHER GROUND, Stevie Wonder
Obligatory "losing your virginity" songs 39. YOU'VE NEVER BEEN THIS FAR BEFORE, Conway Twitty - Never heard this before; nice song, but the "bum bum bums" are kind of silly. 27. SUMMER (THE FIRST TIME), Bobby Goldsboro - Goldsboro had his own TV series at the time.
Reasons why '73 was a very funky year 34. GET IT TOGETHER, Jackson 5 32. FUNKY STUFF, Kool & The Gang 20. SPACE RACE, Billy Preston
Other songs I don't remember/never heard before 37. THE LOVE I LOST, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes 36. LET ME IN, Osmonds - Just about the only song on this list I don't like; so saccharine, it could put Debby Boone to shame. 26. YOU'RE A SPECIAL PART OF ME, Marvin Gaye/Diana Ross
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