Local radio station KCMO (94.9) has been airing "classic" versions of American Top 40 on Sunday mornings. I caught the broadcast this past Sunday and dutifully transcribed it to my Facebook feed. I thought it worth sharing here, too.
The most popular songs in the country 38 years ago . . .
40. I FEEL LOVE, Donna Summer 39. THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL, George Benson 38. JUNGLE LOVE, Steve Miller Band 37. YOU AND ME, Alice Cooper 36. DO YOU WANT TO MAKE LOVE, Peter McCann 35. WAY DOWN, Elvis Presley 34. HARD ROCK CAFE, Carole King 33. YOU MADE ME BELIEVE IN MAGIC, Bay City Rollers 32. SO YOU WIN AGAIN, Hot Chocolate 31. IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A SONG, Ronnie Milsap
30. BOOGIE NIGHTS, Heatwave 29. NOBODY DOES IT BETTER, Carly Simon 28. TELEPHONE MAN, Meri Wilson 27. STAR WARS THEME/CANTINA BAND, Meco 26. EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE, Bee Gees 25. CHRISTINE SIXTEEN, Kiss 24. DON'T WORRY BABY, B.J. Thomas 23. THAT'S ROCK 'N' ROLL, Shaun Cassidy 22. I'M IN YOU, Peter Frampton 21. KEEP IT COMIN' LOVE, KC & The Sunshine Band
20. (SLOW DANCIN') SWAYIN' TO THE MUSIC, Johnny Rivers 19. ON AND ON, Stephen Bishop 18. BLACK BETTY, Ram Jam 17. HOW MUCH LOVE, Leo Sayer 16. COLD AS ICE, Foreigner 15. GIVE A LITTLE BIT, Supertramp 14. WHATCHA GONNA DO?, Pablo Cruise 13. STAR WARS (MAIN TITLE), John Williams/London Symphony Orchestra 12. SMOKE FROM A DISTANT FIRE, Sanford/Townsend Band 11. BARRACUDA, Heart
10. TELEPHONE LINE, Electric Light Orchestra 9. STRAWBERRY LETTER 23, Brothers Johnson 8. DON'T STOP, Fleetwood Mac 7. JUST A SONG BEFORE I GO, Crosby Stills & Nash 6. FLOAT ON, The Floaters 5. HANDY MAN, James Taylor 4. EASY, The Commodores 3. (YOU'RE LOVE HAS LIFTED ME) HIGHER AND HIGHER, Rita Coolidge 2. I JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING, Andy Gibb 1. BEST OF MY LOVE, The Emotions
In the fall of '77, I started high school and my descent into hell began. In the eighth grade, some other kids discovered I was the kid to pick on, and this trend continued during my freshman year. It got so bad that I didn't finish the school year; I was tutored from home and switched schools the following year.
Music should have been one way to connect with my peers, but it wasn't. Some of the kids in music class carried around the first Foreigner album (including "Cold as Ice"), but these same kids picked on me mercilessly when they thought I was gay. Today we might call it verbal bullying; then, the teachers did absolutely nothing to help.
However, I have fond memories of most of the songs on this list. I wasn't yet at the age where I would discriminate between rock music and everything else, so I could groove out to "Best of My Love," appreciate the catchy refrain of "I Just Want to Be Your Everything," dig the bass line on "Higher and Higher," and get caught up in the oh-so-sincere lyrics of "Handy Man." I wasn't fully aware of who the artists were and didn't really care, though Shaun Cassidy was the teen idol of the day. (His older half-brother, David, had been Keith Partridge on "The Partridge Family," natch.)
Looking at the list now, it's interesting to watch some chart careers begin while others fade. Donna Summer and Heatwave have their first hits (Disco was on the rise), while B.J. Thomas and Johnny Rivers have their final Top 40 entries. ("Swayin' to the Music" was one of those irresistible, catchy tunes you couldn't ignore.) "Way Down" was the last single Elvis released before his death a mere three weeks earlier; it re-entered the chart after having had an earlier run.
Odd bits: I have no memory of "Give a Little Bit" from this timeframe; my first knowing exposure to Supertramp was "The Logical Song" a year and a half later.
I always thought "Brick House" came before "Easy" in the Commodores' hit discography, but the charts prove otherwise. Apparently, I was just not aware of "Easy" until later.
1977 was certainly the year of Star Wars. The discofied Cantina Band theme was the biggest mover in the countdown (up 11 notches) and would go on to top the chart. The Main Title theme would reach No. 10.
Loved the Steve Miller Band! "Jungle Love" is an infectious rocker, just like all of Miller's other '70s hits.
Alice Cooper, once known for "I'm Eighteen" and "School's Out" wimped out in the late '70s with pop ballads such as "You and Me" and "How You Gonna See Me Now?" (1979). Yes, it's true, kids: Your daring rock rebels will "grow up" to become sedate balladeers.
Songs I have no memory of from this era: "Hard Rock Cafe," "The Greatest Love of All" (later a huge hit for Whitney Houston), "So You Win Again," and "It Was Almost Like a Song."
Weird stuff: "Do You Want to Make Love" is a decent enough song, but if you've ever seen the video of Peter McCann singing it, you would wonder why anyone would want to even fool around with him! Think Elmer Fudd with a wife-beater mustache.
"Telephone Man," a novelty hit, got my vote for the most annoying song of the year. Hey-lolly-lolly indeed. Lolly-gag is more like it.
77, I would have been very deep into country music but there's a few I knew from the time and a few I knew from after.
40. I FEEL LOVE, Donna Summer --definitely discovered afterwards
35. WAY DOWN, Elvis Presley --Well-known, one of my favorite ELVIS songs! One of his last if tnot THE last, right?
31. IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A SONG, Ronnie Milsap --Totally gay for this one. Ronnie had a lot of hits but none quite like this one. He did mostly peppy stuff, this was pure man-diva.
30. BOOGIE NIGHTS, Heatwave --Knew later
29. NOBODY DOES IT BETTER, Carly Simon --Would guess I knew it later
21. KEEP IT COMIN' LOVE, KC & The Sunshine Band --KC hits were well-known even to little country kids
20. (SLOW DANCIN') SWAYIN' TO THE MUSIC, Johnny Rivers --Well-known and loved!
16. COLD AS ICE, Foreigner 15. GIVE A LITTLE BIT, Supertramp -Both seemed I knew a little later.
11. BARRACUDA, Heart --Much later discover
8. DON'T STOP, Fleetwood Mac --Later
4. EASY, The Commodores --Oh I knew it at the time!
3. (YOU'RE LOVE HAS LIFTED ME) HIGHER AND HIGHER, Rita Coolidge --I know the aong, but was it her version? I'll have to check, probably was.
2. I JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING, Andy Gibb --Super well know then! Just loved him until the Victoria Principal thing (glares) Then he croaked.
1. BEST OF MY LOVE, The Emotions --Seems like a later discovery
Heard a bit of the same broadcast last weekend (obviously syndicated). On my drive form the trailer I got:
26. EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE, Bee Gees 25. CHRISTINE SIXTEEN, Kiss 24. DON'T WORRY BABY, B.J. Thomas 23. THAT'S ROCK 'N' ROLL, Shaun Cassidy
Now I'm pissed that I could have heard the Star Wars song if I'd left a little earlier. It was funny hearing Casey introduce the Bee Gees to people who'd never heard of them, and talk about Kiss's rise to prominence for people who didn't know much about them either.
Casey always respected the fact that his audience may not know much about the performers, even if the performers were "legends." Still, it is fun to note the perspective of the time:
The Bee Gees had been having hits since the late '60s, but their truly big hits (such as "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart," 1971, and "Jive Talkin'," 1975) were few and far between until the breakthrough success of Saturday Night Fever in late '77. In fact "Edge of the Universe," which peaked this week at No. 26, was their last hit right before the smash success of the soundtrack. Their next six songs would go straight to Number One.
Kiss, in spite of their legendary status and attention-getting make-up and costumes, had comparatively few hits--and only one Top 10 ("Beth," at No. 7). "Christine Sixteen" would also max out this week, at No. 25.
So, from a Top 40 perspective, neither band was all that much in September of '77.
At first glance I didn't think I'd know too many. But actually...
Two big favs on the chart 8. DON'T STOP, Fleetwood Mac 4. EASY, The Commodores
10. TELEPHONE LINE, Electric Light Orchestra - My dad really likes ELO, so I've quite a bit of a soft spot for them. Both my folks really like Fleetwood Mac and so I do too.
29. NOBODY DOES IT BETTER, Carly Simon 15. GIVE A LITTLE BIT, Supertramp 40. I FEEL LOVE, Donna Summer 32. SO YOU WIN AGAIN, Hot Chocolate
16. COLD AS ICE, Foreigner - not really a fav. 18. BLACK BETTY, Ram Jam - not a fav either.
17. HOW MUCH LOVE, Leo Sayer - I've probably heard quite a bit of him down the years, without ever looking out for him. Some were sampled for dance tracks. When I think of him, I think of early video effects, and this one is no different.
30. BOOGIE NIGHTS, Heatwave- I only heard this one a couple of years back, and Heatwave had a couple of really good songs.
36. DO YOU WANT TO MAKE LOVE, Peter McCann REALLY MUSIC CENSORS? 22. I'M IN YOU, Peter Frampton REALLY?!
I had to skip off to youtube for the others. A quick sampling tells me that quality was actually a lot higher then than now.
7. JUST A SONG BEFORE I GO, Crosby Stills & Nash 12. SMOKE FROM A DISTANT FIRE, Sanford/Townsend Band 38. JUNGLE LOVE, Steve Miller Band 31. IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A SONG, Ronnie Milsap
All good, and even the no. 1 isn't terrible.
27. STAR WARS THEME/CANTINA BAND, Meco - I had no idea
28. TELEPHONE MAN, Meri Wilson - Fun for the first time (mainly due to the thinly disguised innuendo.) - WHERE WERE YOU MUSIC CENSORS?! but I can't imagine the pain of hearing it and the Star Wars one in the charts.
So, it looks to be a pretty good chart with a decent mix of genres. Stunningly, even a couple with love in the title turn out to be decent. Well Mr Sayer and Ms Summer anyway.
"...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."
But gosh Lash! the first vids I saw tell me that he already had loads of probs and that little Vicky left when there was nothing else to be done. Now I'm confussulated!
"...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."
Vicky: Oh Andy! Andy: Oh Vicky! Lash!: Oh Vicky, just turn the page of this comic, and just keep doing that Andy.
Andy & Vicky knew that something had come between them. But what?!
Originally Posted by He Who Wanders
I always hate it when people my age or older say music was much better back in the day, but maybe there's something to it.
I was actually thinking of the quality of the voices, but changed it just to avoid the "things were better in the old days," as that's a bit too broad a comment. So that went well.
"...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."
Well, they aren't my old days, so it's a slightly unbiased opinion.
I've listened to some recent charts and not much made an impression. So, it was a pleasant surprise to find so many decent ones on this chart, showing that it wasn't always that way.
The Fleetwoodian slip I recall was Mick Fleetwood talking about his fling with Stevie Nicks, only for it to be painfully clear it meant an awful lot more to him than it did for her.
"...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."
All a bit too early for me, but I've picked up on a lot of them in the (many) years since. What's notable to me is the bunch of songs from Big Name acts that either I've never heard (don't remember?) or rarely hear on the radio.
37. YOU AND ME, Alice Cooper 35. WAY DOWN, Elvis Presley 34. HARD ROCK CAFE, Carole King 26. EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE, Bee Gees 25. CHRISTINE SIXTEEN, Kiss
To keep from starting so many Top 40 threads and eating up bandwidth, I'll add further '70s charts to this thread and update the title accordingly. (By all means, though, keep talking about the earlier charts!)
These were the most popular songs in the US 39 years ago. How many do you recognize?
40. SUNRISE, Eric Carmen 39. IT'S O.K., Beach Boys 38. GET THE FUNK OUT MA FACE, Brothers Johnson 37. (THE SYSTEM OF) DR. TARR AND PROFESSOR FETHER, Alan Parsons Project 36. SUPERSTAR, Paul Davis 35. I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU, Bay City Rollers 34. KISS AND SAY GOODBYE, Manhattans 33. DON'T STOP BELIEVIN', Olivia Newton-John 32. I CAN'T HEAR YOU NO MORE, Helen Reddy 31. (DON'T FEAR) THE REAPER, Blue Oyster Cult
30. BABY, I LOVE YOUR WAY, Peter Frampton 29. THIS MASQUERADE, George Benson 28. ONE LOVE IN MY LIFETIME, Diana Ross 27. STREET SINGIN', Lady Flash 26. MAGIC MAN, Heart 25. HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL, Tavares 24. LET 'EM IN, Paul McCartney & Wings 23. ROCK'N ME, Steve Miller Band 22. SHOWER THE PEOPLE, James Taylor 21. THAT'LL BE THE DAY, Linda Ronstadt
20. SHE'S GONE, Daryl Hall & John Oates 19. WHAM BAM (SHANG-A-LANG), Silver 18. WHO'D SHE COO?, Ohio Players 17. GETAWAY, Earth, Wind & Fire 16. STILL THE ONE, Orleans 15. A LITTLE BIT MORE, Dr. Hook 14. DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART, Elton John/Kiki Dee 13. DISCO DUCK, Rick Dees 12. WITH YOUR LOVE, Jefferson Starship 11. SAY YOU LOVE ME, Fleetwood Mac
10. YOU SHOULD BE DANCING, Bee Gees 9. IF YOU LEAVE ME NOW, Chicago 8. SUMMER, War 7. DEVIL WOMAN, Cliff Richard 6. LOWDOWN, Boz Scaggs 5. YOU'LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER LOVE LIKE MINE, Lou Rawls 4. A FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN, Walter Murphy 3. I'D REALLY LOVE TO SEE YOU TONIGHT, England Dan & John Ford Coley 2. (SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE) SHAKE YOUR BOOTY, KC & the Sunshine Band 1. PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC, Wild Cherry
This chart aired a week before my 13th birthday. I had just entered the eighth grade, and wasn't really "into" music yet, but I certainly listened to the radio and knew most of the Top 10 (except "Summer"). My favorite song on the list--and one of the few I bought--was "Devil Woman" because of its catchy chorus and mysterious, Halloween-themed lyrics.
Other favorites at the time were "Still the One," "Say You Love Me" (though I did not know the artist then), "Let 'Em In" and "Rock'n Me." Of course, there was also the irresistible disco energy and outright fun of "Shake Your Booty" and "Disco Duck." Years later, the last song would become symbolic of the crassness of disco and/or the '70s, but, listening to it yesterday, I realized it was just a fun song. Nothing wrong with that.
So many songs on the list were not familiar to me. The only real surprise, though, was "Sunrise," a sublime and elegant number. Carmen is indeed a great vocalist.
I was not really in tune with hard rock yet (or perhaps my local radio station wasn't), so I don't think I had heard "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" or "Magic Man" until a year or two later.
There is indeed a lot of funk on the chart, and also a lot of blandness. Bands like the Beach Boys, Dr. Hook and Jefferson Starship, once noted for energetic and ground-breaking music, have some of their least interesting hits this week.
But the song at No. 1 was edgy and ground-breaking, at least so far as AM radio would allow. "Play that funky music, white boy" was racy (pun not intended) and controversial--at least in my middle class neck of the woods. Of course, it became an instant favorite.
Not much interest in '76, it seems, so I'm going back to '77. Though this is one of the Bee Gees' least known hits, I think it's sublime and fits in great with the sci fi themes of the LSH:
Not many artists or songs... However, it's another one of those "Oh that one" after some You Tubing.
38. GET THE FUNK OUT MA FACE, Brothers Johnson - from just last week. I still like Stomp best. 23. ROCK'N ME, Steve Miller Band - is another one I'd only heard recently leading from HWW lists.
37. (THE SYSTEM OF) DR. TARR AND PROFESSOR FETHER, Alan Parsons Project. Must have heard it once a long time ago. Had to check. Not bad.
Bay City Rollers & Linda Ronstadt - but not from them.
I'm always surprised to see Hall & Oates and Heart, as I only know them from much later on.
40. SUNRISE, Eric Carmen - Never heard this one, but I can imagine Jeff Lynne enviously covering it. Having finished, Lynne would then call his lawyer to have a chat about 4. A FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN, Walter Murphy. "There's only one Electric Orchestra around here, mate." Speaking of Lynne, I may be conditioned to not mind Olivia Newton-John's voice. I'm blaming Xanadu, 'cause this is pretty bland.
32. I CAN'T HEAR YOU NO MORE ('cause I stuck my fingers in my ears), Helen Reddy - well it's more upbeat than the Manhattens. Two lines of that and was lapsing into a coma.
As good as 31. (DON'T FEAR) THE REAPER, Blue Oyster Cult and 24. LET 'EM IN Paul McCartney & Wings, they're not exactly on my get up and go playlist.
When looking at any chart, I automatically take out anything with "love" in the title. It saves me having to listen to yet another formulaic attempt at heartstring pulling. However, this chart stands out for having BABY, I LOVE YOUR WAY, Peter Frampton, SAY YOU LOVE ME, Fleetwood Mac and IF YOU LEAVE ME NOW, Chicago on there. All are a bit better than that.
I got a laugh seeing squeaky clean (recent allegations aside) Cliff Richard even saying "Devil" let alone about a woman. Kiki Dee's dungarees should never have gone out of fashion and they seem to be enjoying themselves, which is nice to see in a video.
A lot of the chart is firmly in the world of easy listening. I started online shopping for armchairs three songs into it. I can see why Disco was popular, if only to push a bit of life back into things.
So, it's ...
10. YOU SHOULD BE DANCING, Bee Gees (saw the clip of them walking out of an interview following LASH'S baseless assertions about lovely Vicki Principal the other day)
2. (SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE) SHAKE YOUR BOOTY, KC & the Sunshine Band
1. PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC, Wild Cherry
...for me.
HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL, AND I'M HAPPY TO HAND YOU BACK FOR THE REWARD.
"...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."
Hall and Oates and Heart were having hits for longer than I realized at the time, too. My first knowing exposure to Heart was "Barracuda" in '77, but they had had a few hits before. The first H&O song I knew was "Rich Girl," also in '77, but they, too, had been around for awhile.
I agree that there is a lot of blandness and easy listening stuff on the chart. In fact, this chart reminds me more of the late '80s than most of other recent charts I've shared. There comes a point in every decade when corporate rock/pop takes over and things become samey and formulaic. Disco may indeed have been an attempt to shake things up (or at least some booty), but it, too, became corporatized and over-saturated the market. When Rod Stewart and the Rolling Stones do disco, something's gone wrong.
I don't have any real "go to" songs on the chart, either, but my nostalgic favorites include "Devil Woman," "Say You Love Me," "Play that Funky Music," "(Don't Fear) the Reaper" and "Still the One."
A short version of the Bee Gees walkout. There's a 10 minute version that shows it in full.
Clive Anderson looked perpetually terrified of conducting interviews, and it disarmed his guests enough that he would get in numerous cheeky/pointed questions in quick fire fashion.
"...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 happened to watch this last night. Anderson was a rather annoying interviewer. He kept shooting questions and would not give his guests a chance to answer. I'm not sure what ticked Barry off, but Anderson looked genuinely shocked when they walked out. Maurice, at least, took it in good humor: "Well, I guess I better join them."
What is self-deprecating from one person is attack from another. The interviewer's opening remark sure set a bad path. And then he basically wouldn't shut up. It wasn't so much an interview as it was, "here's all my knowledge about you" followed by snarky not creative attacks. Did he think he was their best friend jabbing at the pub?
There were a number of questions that, over the course of the interview, really wound them up. A lot of points has to be given to their researcher. Whether or not you'd use them as actual questions, is another matter.
So, you'd have them in trouble when they were kids, then trouble getting on as a group, then forgetting that one of them (whose ego had been bruised already) had a solo hit.
Having seen the Vicky Principal & Osmonds chat regarding Andy Gibb the other day, this is not in that plastic, vacuous, prearranged world of questions.
But that was what Anderson was like. I heard him the other week on (old persons) Radio 4 and he hasn't changed a bit. Little, nervous jabs that are there to entertain, but that over 10 minutes could make you want to thump him.
Guests who knew what to expect could have bags of fun with it. Folks who turned up expecting a few innocuous, flattering questions could be in for a shock.
"...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 hear the top 10 on a fairly regular basis, except A Fifth of Beethoven. That tends to be on "woo hoo disco party radio show!" type deals.
2. (SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE) SHAKE YOUR BOOTY, KC & the Sunshine Band 1. PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC, Wild Cherry
The top 2 get played all the time, and probably everybody knows them. I might not go looking for them, but heck if I don't enjoy them when they come on the radio.
In spite of the age of this chart, I'm sure a lot of these songs will be remembered.
The most popular songs in the US 44 (gasp!) years ago:
40. YO-YO, Osmonds 39. I'VE FOUND SOMEONE OF MY OWN, Free Movement 38. SURRENDER, Diana Ross 37. I AIN'T GOT TIME ANYMORE, Glass Bottle featuring Gary Criss 36. THE LOVE WE HAD (STAYS ON MY MIND), Dells 35. THIN LINE BETWEEN LOVE AND HATE, Persuaders 34. BREAKDOWN (PART 1), Rufus Thomas 33. WEDDING SONG (THERE IS LOVE), Paul Stookey 32. IF NOT FOR YOU, Olivia Newton-John 31. MERCY MERCY ME (THE ECOLOGY), Marvin Gaye
30. SATURDAY MORNING CONFUSION, Bobby Russell 29. RAIN DANCE, Guess Who 28. RIDERS ON THE STORM, Doors 27. MAKE IT FUNKY (PART 1), James Brown 26. BEGINNINGS, Chicago 25. SO FAR AWAY, Carole King 24. THE STORY IN YOUR EYES, Moody Blues 23. BANGLA-DESH, George Harrison 22. CHIRPY CHIRPY CHEEP CHEEP, Mac & Katie Kissoon 21. SWEET CITY WOMAN, Stampeders
20. IF YOU REALLY LOVE ME, Stevie Wonder 19. TIRED OF BEING ALONE, Al Green 18. SIGNS, Five Man Electrical Band 17. LIAR, Three Dog Night 16. DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, Lee Michaels 15. WON'T GET FOOLED AGAIN, Who 14. WOKE UP IN LOVE THIS MORNING, Partridge Family 13. TAKE ME HOME, COUNTRY ROADS, John Denver, featuring Fat City 12. SUPERSTAR, Carpenters 11. STICK UP, Honey Cone
10. WHATCHA SEE IS WHATCHA GET, Dramatics 9. HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART, Bee Gees 8. THE NIGHT THEY DROVE OLD DIXIE DOWN, Joan Baez 7. I JUST WANT TO CELEBRATE, Rare Earth 6. SMILING FACES SOMETIMES, Undisputed Truth 5. UNCLE ALBERT/ADMIRAL HALSEY, Paul & Linda McCartney 4. MAGGIE MAY, Rod Stewart 3. AIN'T NO SUNSHINE WHEN SHE'S GONE, Bill Withers 2. SPANISH HARLEM, Aretha Franklin 1. GO AWAY, LITTLE GIRL, Donny Osmond
It's fascinating to listen to this program in its historical context. Jim Morrison (No. 28) had died only two months earlier; "Riders On the Storm" would be The Doors' final hit. The Beatles had broken up only a year and a half before; Casey mentions this twice, as George (No. 23) and Paul (No. 5) became the first two ex-Beatles to have No. 1 hits. George's "My Sweet Lord" topped the chart the previous December, while "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" had been No. 1 a mere two weeks earlier, on Sept. 4.
Two rather interesting "signs of the times": Casey mentions that James Brown (No. 27) owns three radio stations and is looking to buy a couple more to create a "negro" radio network. Also, "My Sweet Lord" is referred to as "Jesus rock." Neither term would pass the political correctness test today.
As for me, I turned eight the week after this chart aired. The only song I'm absolutely sure I knew of at the time was the No. 1. Donny Osmond was, as Casey put it, the most popular 13-year-old in America, and he and his brothers were a white Jackson 5 (though, at the time, we would have considered the Osmonds the orginals and J5 the imitators--such were race relations in the country at the time).
So many songs on this list became favorites of mine in the decade which followed, particularly after I truly discovered music in the late '70s: "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey," "Maggie May," "Liar," "Signs," "Sweet City Woman," and especially "Won't Get Fooled Again" (one of the songs which defined hard rock for me).
Other irresistible radio hits: "I Just Want to Celebrate," "Take Me Home, Country Roads" (John Denver's first hit), "Do You Know What I Mean," "Beginnings," and "Mercy Mercy Me." This is my definition of classic rock/pop, and, for many years, songs such as these made me wish I had been born a few years earlier so I could have appreciated them in their contemporary glory.
I was wrong: There was one other song I knew at the time. Bobby Russell's novelty hit, "Saturday Morning Confusion" was one of my first favorite songs ever! It's still an amusing ditty.
Songs I have no memory of/never heard before: Those from No. 40-34 (in spite of the Osmonds' popularity), 27, 22, 19, 11, and 6. It's no surprise that most of these are Soul songs, as I was never much into Soul. Listening to these songs now, though, there are several I want to hear again.
Not Everone's a Winner Dept.: I'm a big Guess Who fan, but "Rain Dance" is just about their most annoying hit ever.
Come on, folks! There's some great stuff on this list.
Sure Birthday Boy, but some of us have to go through You Tube for them
A better mix than the last one, but still fairly low key. The Osmonds karate Kid outfits were the biggest eye opener. Not going to discuss the spiky collars (Osmonds: the first punk band? )
Thanks to You Tube, I liked these ones... 7. I JUST WANT TO CELEBRATE, Rare Earth 6. SMILING FACES SOMETIMES, Undisputed Truth 17. LIAR, Three Dog Night 27. MAKE IT FUNKY (PART 1), James Brown
Olivia Newton-John in '71. Didn't she age for 20 years?! I suspect Time Bubbles. The actual songs are just as pants though, so that's another thing that didn't change.
A couple I know of, but don't like enough to listen to any time soon... 13. TAKE ME HOME, COUNTRY ROADS, John Denver, featuring Fat City 4. MAGGIE MAY, Rod Stewart
Big Stand Outs are:- 28. RIDERS ON THE STORM, Doors 31. MERCY MERCY ME (THE ECOLOGY), Marvin Gaye
Big favourite is... 15. WON'T GET FOOLED AGAIN, Who
I wonder how many singles Guess Who sold to people thinking they had got the Who?
"...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."
Too young to remember hearing any of them on the radio, WITH the possible and probable exception of TAKE ME HOME COUNTRY ROADS. I'd have learned them all later.
Many I still do not know. Certain favorite on the list has got to be:
I have a fairly good memory of Carpenters' hits, but I don't remember this one. It's a very low key song, and the title does not jump out in the lyrics, as "Top of the World" or "Sing" did.
"If Not for You" was Livvy's first hit. Another fascinating aspect of these charts is getting to track people's careers. (The Bee Gees have been on all three charts, incidentally!)
The Osmonds as punk? Nah, their teeth were too good.
"Rain Dance: yeah an odd ditty. Guess Who (too many "who's" ) IMO a sum is lesser than the parts. After they broke, Cummings went more to his R%B roots and Bachman of course to BTO.
Casey really referred to The Osmonds as a "white J5?" lol. I don't recall any of that kind of thought. There was a "they got theirs and we got ours" sort of thing and then all the imitators including The Archies. Actors kids got in on it, first David Cassidy, the Shaun, Bobby Sherman (Seven Brides), Van Pattan (Apple's Way) and the Brady Bunch got in on the act. Menudo, Bee Gees played to it, Lief Garitson...Saturday morning was filled with HR Puffenstuff.
It was a reemergence of the Teen Idol era, "Bubblegum Pop." "Tiger Beat" magazine and imitators filled the magazine racks.
It came out later but I think Doug Adams penned the words that best describe the era, "mostly harmless."
Nah, the "white J5" was my description, not Casey's.
In hindsight, it might not have been a fair comparison on my part, though both groups consisted of five brothers with the youngest becoming the teen idol. The comparisons are hard to miss, though J5 came first--at least in the Top 40.
Ah, Saturday morning TV shows! I didn't care for H.R. Puffinstuff (too weird!), but I loved Lidsville and the Bugaloos. (Yes, I know: weird in their own way.) And, of course, there was the Krofft Supershow with its very own rock group, Kaptain Kool & the Kongs.
These would be my middle school years. Think I had a close and play for 45s. Didn't have many things to play on it, Melanie was making my wee-wee wake-up so I know I had "got a brand new key."
My guess, a lot of Canadian influence. Promises Vietnam would end, Presidential election in the works, people looking for a softer, less challenging tone with still a hint of social conscience. My Lai was in our school lessons (radical teachers lol), as kids we only wanted to be the heroes so there was confusion, this couldn't have happened. Watergate would soon happen. Good they got the "feel good" out of the way.
Songs on this list that registered or that I liked
Signs, probably number one. Ain't no sunshine Spanish Harlem Smiling Faces Saturday Morning Confusion
Songs I liked much more when I got older So far Away the harder rock stuff
------
"Stick-up" lol. "highway robbery, Its a fe lo nee. Heartbreak in the first de Greeee eee EEE eeeeeeeeeee" That's got made for Soooooooouullllllle Train written all over it.
--Fat City, the two backing vocalists on "Take Me Home, Country Roads" were Bill Danoff and his future wife, Taffy. A few years later, they would join with two others and become the Starland Vocal Band, famous (or infamous) for "Afternoon Delight."
--Paul Stookey was one third of Peter, Paul & Mary.
--Bobby Russell was, at the time, married to Vicki Lawrence of the Carol Burnett Show (and later of Mama's Family).
--The Glass Bottle was an unusual band because they were formed to promote the image of the glass bottling industry, which was losing clients because of the popularity of plastic bottles. I think this song is great and wish we could have heard more from them.
--The single version of "Won't Get Fooled Again" omits the lengthy and brilliant keyboard solo. The break is obvious. There's a moment when the song jumps from the refrain to Daltrey's "YEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
I appreciate your reflections, BB. "Brand New Key" came a bit later in '71, but it was definitely part of the musical landscape of the times. It would spend three weeks at No. 1, and, even a decade later, would be listed as one of the Top 50 songs of the '70s.
I hear the top 10 a lot. Almost all of the top 20. STICK UP is the one that I *thought* I knew (and did) but had to confirm.
I wish I heard less of #1. Donny Osmond sounds about 13 -- probably because he WAS -- so I don't even want to know about this "little girl".
33. WEDDING SONG (THERE IS LOVE), Paul Stookey UGH
16. DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, Lee Michaels I had no idea this was from 1971.
12. SUPERSTAR, Carpenters I had NO IDEA this was a "groupie song" until I saw something Lash wrote elsewhere (check out Lash's eyes darting about) -- so I looked it up on Wikipedia and in fact GROUPIE SONG was a working title. I thought it was more like ABBA's Super Trouper (or Ed Sheeran's Don't, kind of), where the narrator is a singer who can't be with someone because one or both was touring. And maybe the superstar in question was HER, even if he was too.
16. DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, Lee Michaels I had no idea this was from 1971.
I learned you something, too!
"Do You Know What I Mean" is one of those songs that sounds perennially fresh. It's timeless and transcends Michaels' near-one-hit wonder status. (His second and last Top 40 hit, "Can I Get a Witness," peaked at No. 39 on Christmas Day 1971.)
For years, I could never remember the name of the artist because "Lee Michaels" is just about the most generic name for a pop singer imaginable. (Apologies to the Michaels and Lees on the board.) "Michael Lee" also happens to be the given and middle names of my cousin, whose father is Lee, so there's a strong personal association that overrides the identity of the artist in my mind.
I graduated high school in '71, yet there are several songs on the list I don't recognize:
11. I remember Honey Cone, but the song title itself is unfamiliar. 14. I avoided Partridge Family like the plague. 22. Ch-wha??? A novelty record, perchance? 30. No idea who Bobby Russell is. 34-38. I've never heard any of these!
First comic books ever bought: A DC four-for-47-cents grab bag that included Adventure #331. The rest is history.
I graduated high school in '71, yet there are several songs on the list I don't recognize:
11. I remember Honey Cone, but the song title itself is unfamiliar. 14. I avoided Partridge Family like the plague. 22. Ch-wha??? A novelty record, perchance? 30. No idea who Bobby Russell is. 34-38. I've never heard any of these!
One of the things I enjoy most about these charts is hearing songs I've never heard before. Even when I was keeping weekly records of the Top 40 from 1979-90, there were always songs that charted so briefly or otherwise didn't register that the titles are unfamiliar to me. Most are forgettable--such is the nature of commercial music--but sometimes real gems are waiting to be found.
I was in grade school at this time, so the Partridge Family were king! Even so, I heard "I Think I Love You" on the radio two days ago. It's infectious, lively, and well-produced, and still sounds fresh after all these years. In other words, I'm not embarrassed to say I still enjoyed it.
Bobby Russell, by the way, was not only Vicki Lawrence's husband. He was also a very successful songwriter. He wrote her 1973 No. 1, "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia."
I was in grade school at this time, so the Partridge Family were king! Even so, I heard "I Think I Love You" on the radio two days ago. It's infectious, lively, and well-produced, ,,
As might be expected from a writer of commercial jingles.
Interesting the different view of the guy getting ready to graduate high school and us two younger middle and elementary schoolers. Partridge family was probably aimed at high school girls and younger boys and girls. Same the Monkeys, the Cowsills, and the general bubblegum crowd.
Actually I was 13 when the Monkees showed up. The Partridge Family came along as I was starting my senior year in high school. What a difference four years makes when you're that age!
First comic books ever bought: A DC four-for-47-cents grab bag that included Adventure #331. The rest is history.
Another Sunday, another Casey's Top 40 from the Seventies courtesy KCMO (94.9). I was hoping they'd do '73-75 or even '70, but they've chosen to go into the heart of the disco era for Casey's last three-hour show. (Subsequent shows would be four hours long.)
Anyway, the most popular songs in the US 37 years ago:
40. DANCE (DISCO HEAT), Sylvester 39. I WILL STILL LOVE YOU, Stonebolt 38. DOUBLE VISION, Foreigner 37. HEARTBREAKER, Dolly Parton 36. DEVOTED TO YOU, Carly Simon/James Taylor 35. ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE, Michael Johnson 34. GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE, Earth, Wind & Fire 33. IT'S A LAUGH, Daryl Hall & John Oates 32. JOSIE, Steely Dan 31. BEAST OF BURDEN, Rolling Stones
30. 5.7.0.5, City Boy 29. HOW MUCH I FEEL, Ambrosia 28. TALKING IN YOUR SLEEP, Crystal Gayle 27. I LOVE THE NIGHT LIFE, Alicia Bridges 26. WHO ARE YOU, Who 25. MAC ARTHUR PARK, Donna Summer 24. YOU NEVER DONE IT LIKE THAT, Captain & Tennille 23. COME TOGETHER, Aerosmith 22. SHE'S ALWAYS A WOMAN, Billy Joel 21. LOVE THEME FROM "EYES OF LAURA MARS" (PRISONER), Barbra Streisand
20. BACK IN THE USA, Linda Ronstadt 19. GET OFF, Foxy 18. RIGHT DOWN THE LINE, Gerry Rafferty 17. FOOL (IF YOU THINK IT'S OVER), Chris Rea 16. OH! DARLING, Robin Gibb 15. HOT BLOODED, Foreigner 14. HOLLYWOOD NIGHTS, Bob Seger & Silver Bullet Band 13. YOU AND I, Rick James 12. WHENEVER I CALL YOU FRIEND, Kenny Loggins featuring Stevie Nicks 11. YOU NEEDED ME, Anne Murray
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
By 1978 I was heavily into the college station I worked at, to the point of not even listening to commercial radio. Thus I must admit that I did not buy ANY of the records listed in the 9/30/78 chart above (not even the albums they came from). I did, however, snag a promo copy of Hot Blooded from the reject pile out of curiosity. Having heard many of these songs years later I really don't feel like I missed much.
Now if someone could put up a list from 1966...
First comic books ever bought: A DC four-for-47-cents grab bag that included Adventure #331. The rest is history.
Yeah I was beginning college. HUGE gap. "City Boy?" No idea. I was doing more Roxy and Iggy at this time. Devo would happen big soon or already did. I seem to recall dances involved laying on the ground and pretending to be bacon. About time for that one to come back around.
Boston, Kansas, Foreigner, all good and remembered fondly. Recognize most of the top ten, a bit of the next but a serious fall-off after that. No doubt when I hear them I'll recognize most but the titles are long forgotten.
I was just starting to really pay attention to music in '78, and I may even have heard portions of this broadcast when it originally aired. I remember Casey lamenting that Andy Gibb's fourth single didn't look like it was going to reach Number One, as his first three did. I also remember the story of Exile--how it took them 15 years to have a hit, but when they finally did, they topped the chart.
It was stories like this which gradually turned me into an AT40 junkie.
But in terms of the overall songs on the chart, this isn't one of my favorite periods, either. There are a lot of very pleasant songs on the chart, but few I would call favorites.
Records I own: 23. COME TOGETHER, Aerosmith 19. GET OFF, Foxy 13. YOU AND I, Rick James 1. KISS YOU ALL OVER, Exile
I also have the "Grease" soundtrack, which included No. 5 and No. 3. "Grease" was my mother's favorite movie; she saw it at least 16 times.
Other records I really liked: The two Foreigner songs, especially "Hot Blooded." 32. JOSIE, Steely Dan 31. BEAST OF BURDEN, Rolling Stones 26. WHO ARE YOU, Who 18. RIGHT DOWN THE LINE, Gerry Rafferty 17. FOOL (IF YOU THINK IT'S OVER), Chris Rea 12. WHENEVER I CALL YOU FRIEND, Kenny Loggins featuring Stevie Nicks 8. REMINISCING, Little River Band 7. HOT CHILD IN THE CITY, Nick Gilder 6. DON'T LOOK BACK, Boston
Records I liked with qualification: 33. IT'S A LAUGH, Daryl Hall & John Oates - I liked this at the time; now I wonder why. 30. 5.7.0.5, City Boy - Good song, but the record is overproduced and the delivery too histrionic for my tastes. 16. OH! DARLING, Robin Gibb - No disrespect to Robin, who wanted to compete with Barry as lead singer of the Bee Gees and was the first of the three brothers (outside of Andy) to manage a hit on his own, but I don't think he's the right vocalist for this song. His earthy baritone just doesn't sound '50s enough.
Irresistible radio fodder that I couldn't help but groove to: 40. DANCE (DISCO HEAT), Sylvester 29. HOW MUCH I FEEL, Ambrosia 27. I LOVE THE NIGHT LIFE, Alicia Bridges 2. BOOGIE OOGIE OOGIE, A Taste of Honey
Songs I have little/no memory of: 37. HEARTBREAKER, Dolly Parton [even though it was #1 Country this week] 21. LOVE THEME FROM "EYES OF LAURA MARS" (PRISONER), Barbra Streisand
Despite the occasional sexual innuendos (24, 15, 7, etc.), this is very "safe" Top 40, waiting for something like punk or heavy metal to come along and jolt things up.
16. OH! DARLING, Robin Gibb - No disrespect to Robin, who wanted to compete with Barry as lead singer of the Bee Gees and was the first of the three brothers (outside of Andy) to manage a hit on his own, but I don't think he's the right vocalist for this song. His earthy baritone just doesn't sound '50s enough.
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
I'm going to do something a little different this time: I'm adding the chart movements and trivia where noteworthy to give a more complete perspective on what was moving up and down the chart.
40. ROCKY, Austin Roberts [biggest drop within the countdown: 25 notches] 39. LETTING GO, Paul McCartney & Wings [debut] 38. THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY, Smokey Robinson 37. JUST TOO MANY PEOPLE, Melissa Manchester 36. EIGHTEEN WITH A BULLET, Pete Wingfield [debut] 35. MR. JAWS, Dickie Goodman 34. THERE GOES ANOTHER LOVE SONG, Outlaws 33. SWEET STICKY THING, Ohio Players 32. FLY, ROBIN, FLY, Silver Convention [highest debut] 31. BLUE EYES CRYIN' IN THE RAIN, Willie Nelson
30. NIGHTS ON BROADWAY, Bee Gees 29. FAME, David Bowie [[AT40 Oldie: SOMETHING STUPID, Frank & Nancy Sinatra (1967) -- only duo who had a No. 1 hit and who each had No. 1s on their own.]] 28. ROCKIN' ALL OVER THE WORLD, John Fogerty (his first post-Creedence hit) 27. I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU, Art Garfunkel 26. BORN TO RUN, Bruce Springsteen (historical perspective: 1975 was the year Bruce was proclaimed "the future of rock 'n' roll.") 25. SKY HIGH, Jigsaw 24. WHAT A DIFF'RENCE A DAY MAKES, Esther Phillips (has been hitting the soul chart since 1950, longer than any other female performer) 23. YOU, George Harrison 22. AIN'T NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY, Helen Reddy 21. CAROLINA IN THE PINES, Michael Murphey
20. SOS, Abba 19. LOW RIDER, War 18. THE WAY I WANT TO TOUCH YOU, Captain & Tennille 17. LADY BLUE, Leon Russell 16. THIS WILL BE, Natalie Cole 15. SOMETHING BETTER TO DO, Olivia Newton-John [debuted at No. 19 two weeks ago; oddly, for such a high debut, it would reach only No. 13] [[Trivia: Instrumentalists with the most Top 40 hits during the Rock Era: Herb Alpert and Duane Eddy (13 apiece), Roger Williams (7).]] 14. DO IT ANY WAY YOU WANNA, People's Choice 13. DANCE WITH ME, Orleans 12. LOVE IS A ROSE/HEATWAVE [double-sided hit], Linda Ronstadt 11. BRAZIL, Ritchie Family
10. IT ONLY TAKES A MINUTE, Tavares 9. BALLROOM BLITZ, Sweet 8. ISLAND GIRL, Elton John [biggest mover in the countdown: up a whopping 28 notches] 7. WHO LOVES YOU, Four Seasons 6. FEELINGS, Morris Albert 5. JUST CAN'T STOP IT (THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY), Spinners 4. LYIN' EYES, Eagles 3. MIRACLES, Jefferson Starship 2. CALYPSO/I'M SORRY [double-sided hit], John Denver [jhit No. 1 five weeks ago and has spent the last four weeks at No. 2] 1. BAD BLOOD, Neil Sedaka [in its third and final week at No. 1]
Nobody seems drawn to '75, so I'm going to post a few thoughts before moving on to whatever chart airs tomorrow:
At the time, my favorite records would have been
35. MR. JAWS, Dickie Goodman -- a wonderful novelty hit with snippets from many currently popular records serving as "dialogue" in the story. 1. BAD BLOOD, Neil Sedaka -- just an all around awesome song from the guy who wrote many popular hits of the '60s -- and it features Elton John on backing vocals. 2. CALYPSO, John Denver -- another all around awesome song that celebrates undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau; one of the catchiest songs Denver ever wrote. (I googled "I'm Sorry," but I don't remember it at all.) 9. BALLROOM BLITZ, Sweet -- my most enduring favorite on the list. What can I say? Guitar crunch, haunting fantasy lyrics, and the "Are you ready, Steve" intro (the aural equivalent of a selfie?) . . . a ball of energy that still sounds good today. 25. SKY HIGH, Jigsaw -- another irresistibly catchy tune that sounds a lot like the Beatles. 32. FLY, ROBIN, FLY, Silver Convention -- only six unique words in the entire song, but the vocals and sweeping instrumentation are hypnotic. 20. SOS, Abba 19. LOW RIDER, War -- both just standout pop songs 8. ISLAND GIRL, Elton John -- I had no idea what this song was about at the time (see below), but its upbeat tempo and hooks made it instantly recognizable. 4. LYIN' EYES, Eagles -- everything the Eagles touched sounded good on the radio.
Songs which later became favorites
3. MIRACLES, Jefferson Starship -- as big as JS later became to me, I don't think I was aware of this song for antoher 3-4 years. 29. FAME, David Bowie -- perhaps because of its somewhat graphic lyrics ("Is it any wonder I reject your breast?"), I don't think this got much airplay on my local AM station, but it's a classic. Co-written by John Lennon, who sings back-up. 30. NIGHTS ON BROADWAY, Bee Gees -- as with all of the Bee Gees' hits, it makes you want to groove and get up and dance.
The Can-you-be-more-obvious? Department
18. THE WAY I WANT TO TOUCH YOU, Captain & Tennille 33. SWEET STICKY THING, Ohio Players 8. ISLAND GIRL, Elton John -- perhaps not so obvious, but the song is about a dark-skinned prostitute (see also: "Lady Marmalade" by Labelle), sung by Elton in quasi-Jamaican accent. It borders on the offensive (see also: "Brown Sugar" by the Rolling Stones), but shows how far artists were willing to go to get one past the censors by '75.
The Annoying Songs Award
6. FEELINGS, Morris Albert -- much made fun of at the time. 23. YOU, George Harrison -- sounds like George was taking stuttering lessons.
Songs I have no memory of
40. ROCKY, Austin Roberts 39. LETTING GO, Paul McCartney & Wings -- one of Paul's least memorable hits. 38. THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY, Smokey Robinson 37. JUST TOO MANY PEOPLE, Melissa Manchester 36. EIGHTEEN WITH A BULLET, Pete Wingfield -- googled this a few years ago; a doo-wop throwback. The most interesting thing about it is that it actually hit No. 18 with a bullet a few weeks later. 24. WHAT A DIFF'RENCE A DAY MAKES, Esther Phillips 21. CAROLINA IN THE PINES, Michael Murphey 15. SOMETHING BETTER TO DO, Olivia Newton-John 14. DO IT ANY WAY YOU WANNA, People's Choice 10. IT ONLY TAKES A MINUTE, Tavares 5. JUST CAN'T STOP IT (THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY), Spinners
FLY ROBIN FLY... in elementary school we took lots of field trips and we were on one (to THE zOO? MOST LIKELY) and in the parents' car I rode in this day, this song was on the radio, the kids blasted it and were singing along but in 1975 I would have been solidly into A.M. COUNTrY radio aND DIDN'T KNOW the song, since it wasn't by Dave and Sugar or jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius, lol. But I liked it and never forgot it.
(Not a memory but a fact, SOS is beyond doubt my favorite ABBA song)
LYIN EYES... after my parents' divorced I'd go to dad's on weekends, room there had a lil a.m. radio, I got to go to sleep with it plying beside me. it seemed every weekend I went to sleep to the soothing strains of lYIN' EYES. it was lengthy for a radio tune and never failed to lulll me to sleep.
Lash, you reminded me that, at this point in the '70s, country music was just another part of what was on the radio--in northwestern Missouri, at least. Listening to these old broadcasts reminds me of how diverse music was back then.
I think the next chart I post will reflect this . . .
It's been awhile since I've done this--interest in the charts seemed to have died down. But 1973 is one of my favorite years in music. This chart shows why: Many of these songs formed the soundtrack of my formative years, and they reflect the great diversity in music back them: country music, soul, rock, novelty hits, instrumentals . . . a cornucopia of styles that seems lost (or at least greatly segregated) today.
I hope you find something (or a lot of things) you connect with.
40. DANNY'S SONG--Anne Murray 39. FUNNY FACE--Donna Fargo 38. BIG CITY MISS RUTH ANN--Gallery 37. I'M NEVER GONNA BE ALONE ANYMORE--Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose 36. I GOT ANTS IN MY PANTS (AND I WANT TO DANCE) (PT. 1)--James Brown 35. DON'T LET ME BE LONELY TONIGHT--James Taylor 34. LIVING TOGETHER, GROWING TOGETHER--Fifth Dimension 33. PEACEFUL EASY FEELING--Eagles 32. ROCKIN' PNEUMONIA - BOOGIE WOOGIE FLU--Johnny Rivers 31. HARRY HIPPIE--Bobby Womack
30. THE COVER OF THE ROLLING STONE--Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show 29. REELIN' & ROCKIN'--Chuck Berry 28. CLAIR--Gilbert O'Sullivan 27. DREIDEL--Don McLean 26. DO YOU WANT TO DANCE?--Bette Midler 25. YOU TURN ME ON, I'M A RADIO--Joni Mitchell 24. SEPARATE WAYS--Elvis Presley 23. SUPERFLY--Curtis Mayfield 22. LOVE TRAIN--O'Jays 21. JAMBALAYA (ON THE BAYOU)--Blue Ridge Rangers
20. ME AND MRS. JONES--Billy Paul 19. LAST SONG--Edward Bear 18. DADDY'S HOME--Jermaine Jackson 17. HI, HI, HI--Paul McCartney & Wings 16. LOVE JONES--Brighter Side of Darkness 15. KILLING ME SOFTLY WITH HIS SONG--Roberta Flack 14. DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT--King Harvest 13. YOUR MAMA DON'T DANCE--Loggins & Messina 12. ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH--John Denver 11. DUELING BANJOS--Eric Weissberg & Steve Mandell
10. COULD IT BE I'M FALLING IN LOVE--Spinners 9. DON'T EXPECT ME TO BE YOUR FRIEND--Lobo 8. TROUBLE MAN--Marvin Gaye 7. THE WORLD IS A GHETTO--War 6. DO IT AGAIN--Steely Dan 5. SUPERSTITION--Stevie Wonder 4. OH, BABE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?--Hurricane Smith 3. WHY CAN'T WE LIVE TOGETHER--Timmy Thomas 2. YOU'RE SO VAIN--Carly Simon 1. CROCODILE ROCK--Elton John
Lots in there that I was listening to for the first time. In fact, I really knew of Superstition from the The Thing movie and Duelling Banjos from Deliverance 3,14 & 15 I'd heard after listening to covers.
Quite a laid back lot, but not shoved in an "easy listening" category. Lots of big names in this top 40 too.
Only 1,2,4 and 21 were ones I'd not listen to anytime soon. 1 & 2 have never been favs.
I particularly liked Don McLean, Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show, Joni Mitchell and Curtis Mayfield.
"...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 like "Crocodile Rock." As a kid, though, I had no idea what he was singing!
Glad you liked this, thoth. As long as there is interest in the charts, I'll continue.
This list is full of favorites of mine at the time and even now, including 39, 32 (probably my absolute favorite then), 30, 22, 13, 12, 11, 10, 6, 5, and, yes, even 2 and 1.
I heard "You're So Vain" on the radio the other day, before this program aired, and found myself singing along with it. The lyrics are clever and pointed ("I bet you think this song is about you, don't you?"), and Carly's delivery is in your face. This song seems like a classy precursor to Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know."
My sixth grade music teacher had us singing "Killing Me Softly With His Song." That's my fondest memory of this tune.
Although I'm a big McCartney fan, I hadn't heard "Hi, Hi, Hi" until I bought Wings' Greatest Hits in 1978.
Other songs I have no memory of: 38 (really like it, though), 37, 36, 34, 31 (also like this one), 27 (ditto), 19 (Edward Bear had an interesting but brief history; I spent an hour researching them last night), 16 (well, we had "Basketball Jones," so why not "Love Jones"?), 9, 8, 4, and 3. The last two really surprise me since they were such huge hits. I agree with LYL: No. 3 is too distinctive to forget.
LOVE TRAIN would be a favorite of mine current day. I've made a few 70s collections in the past couple years, and it is always a go-to. It ha the perfect blend of message and groove.
Add me to the pro YOU'RE SO VAIN people. That's one great song and i'm convinced it was the cleverly written lyrics that resonated so well with the people of 1973 (and continue to resonate to this day).
KILLING ME SOFTLY, i bought the 45 after the fact. all remakes have always been about the diva wailing. the diva wailing can make or break the song, but the lyric are extremely clever.
I don't know that I've heard any covers of "Killing Me Softly," but Flack's understated, moving version is the only one I need to hear. And, yes, the lyrics are poignant and powerful.
I don't understand your parenthetical question, thoth.
I understand your point about "Your So Vain," though. A reputation which precedes a song or anything can easily color our perceptions of it. For years, I refused to watch the movie "E.T." because my family raved about how good it was and how I was the only person in America who hadn't seen it (a distinction I wore with bemused pride). When I finally did see it, within the last 20 years, I thought it was charming but did not live up to the hype. How could it?
"Love Train" is one of those timeless classics that makes me wish I were in a conga line every time I hear it.
I don't understand your parenthetical question, thoth.
Whoops. Mustn't type random thoughts when I'm in a hurry
Donald Fagen did a song called Tomorrow's Girls. As I was typing the above I thought of its Legion connotations and wondered whether it was something that could be added to Antennae Boy's radio on the homepage...or not.
We now return you to your scheduled thread
EDIT: I've still not seen E.T.
"...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 I knew the title of this song until this broadcast aired on Sunday, even though I'd heard it for years. The chorus in undeniably memorable ("Even though we ain't got money . . .")
34. LIVING TOGETHER, GROWING TOGETHER--Fifth Dimension
This was the highest of four debuts that week (the others being 40, 38, and 36). Ironically, it would only climb two notches higher during a four-week run.
21. JAMBALAYA (ON THE BAYOU)--Blue Ridge Rangers
This "group" is really John Fogerty in his first post-CCR project.
15. KILLING ME SOFTLY WITH HIS SONG--Roberta Flack
This song was the biggest mover in the countdown--up 19 notches. It had debuted the previous week at No. 34.
11. DUELING BANJOS--Eric Weissberg & Steve Mandell
Another big mover, this one debuted at No. 18 the previous week. (A movie tie-in always helps.)
5. SUPERSTITION--Stevie Wonder
Casey pointed out that Wonder hit No. 1 with his first single release, "Fingertips, Pt. 2" nine and a half years earlier, but did not top the chart again until "Superstition," his 28th single release. (Of course, he had many other big hits in between.)
2. YOU'RE SO VAIN--Carly Simon
According to Casey, this song has spent nine weeks in the Top 40, eight of those in the Top 10, three at No. 1 and the last three at No. 2. (So maybe it earned it's reputation!)
1. CROCODILE ROCK--Elton John
At this point, Casey and his staff were taking bets (no money, I'm sure) as to which song would be No. 1. The staff accurately predicted "Crocodile Rock" would be No. 1 for the second week in a row. They also predicted it would be No. 1 again next week, which it was.
Interesting tidbit about "Jambalaya": At that time, it had charted more than any other song in versions by different artists--six times. For comparison, here is Hank Williams' original from 1952:
I agree that Fogerty's version isn't particularly memorable.
Four years later, there was quite a change. There isn't as much diversity here--a lot of white guys and white groups dominate, and there's a "mainstream" feel to this list. But there is still some good solid rock to keep it interesting.
40. SAY YOU'LL STAY UNTIL TOMORROW, Tom Jones 39. CRACKERBOX PALACE, George Harrison 38. LIVIN' THING, Electric Light Orchestra 37. MOODY BLUE, Elvis Presley 36. STAND TALL, Burton Cummings 35. TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT, Rod Stewart 34. SATURDAY NITE, Earth, Wind & Fire 33. AFTER THE LOVIN', Engelbert Humperdinck 32. LONG TIME, Boston 31. SOMEBODY TO LOVE, Queen
30. CARRY ON WAYWARD SON, Kansas 29. LIVING NEXT DOOR TO ALICE, Smokie 28. RICH GIRL, Daryl Hall & John Oates 27. THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE, 10cc 26. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A STAR (TO BE IN MY SHOW), Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. 25. SAVE IT FOR A RAINY DAY, Stephen Bishop 24. DON'T LEAVE ME THIS WAY, Thelma Houston 23. JEANS ON, David Dundas 22. BOOGIE CHILD, Bee Gees 21. AIN'T NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING, Donny & Marie Osmond
20. GO YOUR OWN WAY, Fleetwood Mac 19. YOU MAKE ME FEEL LIKE DANCING, Leo Sayer 18. WALK THIS WAY, Aerosmith 17. HARD LUCK WOMAN, Kiss 16. DANCING QUEEN, ABBA 15. YEAR OF THE CAT, Al Stewart 14. NIGHT MOVES, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band 13. WEEKEND IN NEW ENGLAND, Barry Manilow 12. HOT LINE, Sylvers 11. FLY LIKE AN EAGLE, Steve Miller Band
10. LOST WITHOUT YOUR LOVE, Bread 9. I LIKE DREAMIN', Kenny Nolan 8. I WISH, Stevie Wonder 7. ENJOY YOURSELF, Jacksons 6. DAZZ, Brick 5. EVERGREEN (LOVE THEME FROM A STAR IS BORN), Barbra Streisand 4. CAR WASH, Rose Royce 3. BLINDED BY THE LIGHT, Manfred Mann's Earth Band 2. NEW KID IN TOWN, Eagles 1. TORN BETWEEN TWO LOVERS, Mary MacGregor
Set, I don't believe there was any relation between "Dazz," the song, and the Dazz Band. Both groups seemed to have invented the word "dazz" as a shortened form of "disco" and "jazz" or, in the Dazz Band's case, "danceable jazz," according to Wikipedia.
Just for kicks, let's go waaaaay back--51 years. This list is taken from the actual Billboard chart, available on Google Books.
For additional kicks, I'm also including the previous week's position in parenthesis.
How many do you recognize?
40 (30). FOR LOVIN' ME, Peter, Paul & Mary 39 (49). DON'T LET ME BE MISUNDERSTOOD, Animals 38 (21). BYE, BYE BABY, Four Seasons 37 (29). WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO THE RAIN, Searchers 36 (46). RED ROSES FOR A BLUE LADY, Vic Dana 35 (47). PEOPLE GET READY, Impressions 34 (20). LEMON TREE, Trini Lopez 33 (22). THE "IN" CROWD, Dobie Gray 32 (38). NEW YORK'S A LONELY TOWN, Trade Winds 31 (33). A CHANGE IS GONNA COME, Sam Cooke
30 (40). YEH, YEH, Georgie Fame 29 (45). SHOTGUN, Jr. Walker & the All Stars 28 (16). ALL DAY AND ALL OF THE NIGHT, Kinks 27 (32). ASK THE LONELY, Four Tops 26 (37). COME HOME, Dave Clark Five 25 (25). I'VE GOT A TIGER BY THE TAIL, Buck Owens 24 (39). MIDNIGHT SPECIAL, Johnny Rivers 23 (26). LITTLE THINGS, Bobby Goldsboro 22 (28). GOODNIGHT, Roy Orbison 21 (7). SHAKE, Sam Cooke
20 (14). TWINE TIME, Alvin Cash & the Crawlers 19 (27). CAN'T YOU HEAR MY HEARTBEAT, Herman's Hermits 18 (11). THE NAME GAME, Shirley Ellis 17 (15). LAUGH, LAUGH, Beau Brummels 16 (23). GOLDFINGER, Shirley Bassey 15 (18). RED ROSES FOR A BLUE LADY, Bert Kaempfert & His Orchestra 14 (9). I GO TO PIECES, Peter & Gordon 13 (41). STOP! IN THE NAME OF LOVE, Supremes 12 (17). HURT SO BAD, Little Anthony & the Imperials 11 (8). THE BOY FROM NEW YORK CITY, Ad Libs
10 (4). DOWNTOWN, Petula Clark 9 (12). FERRY ACROSS THE MERSEY, Gerry & the Pacemakers 8 (13). THE BIRDS AND THE BEES, Jewel Akens 7 (10). KING OF THE ROAD, Roger Miller 6 (6). TELL HER NO, Zombies 5 (19). EIGHT DAYS A WEEK, Beatles 4 (5). THE JOLLY GREEN GIANT, Kingsmen 3 (2). YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVIN' FEELIN', Righteous Brothers 2 (1). THIS DIAMOND RING, Gary Lewis & the Playboys 1 (3). MY GIRL, Temptations
The Top 20 has had big staying power. With the exception of
4 (5). THE JOLLY GREEN GIANT, Kingsmen 15 (18). RED ROSES FOR A BLUE LADY, Bert Kaempfert & His Orchestra 20 (14). TWINE TIME, Alvin Cash & the Crawlers
...I'd say these are all still going strong. One sort-of exception: I don't hear THE NAME GAME much on radio, but people KNOW it.
Two versions of the same song on the same chart?
One song that references another (or at least the non-generic song).
I've heard "Jolly Green Giant" on oldies stations for years. It was also played on Dr. Demento.
It was not uncommon for songs to be recorded by multiple artists in those days. There were at least two other versions of "Red Roses" in the Hot 100 that week.
"Shotgun" is indeed a classic.
I've been listening to the ones I don't know (thank you, YouTube) and have gotten as far down as No. 20. So far, the only one I'd listen to again is "Little Things." Goldsboro was a talented guitarist and songwriter. He had his own TV show in the early '70s. By the way, he had started out as Roy Orbison's guitarist, and look who's just one notch higher.
I really enjoyed Sam Cooke's vocal performance on both of his songs (a double-sided hit, actually). "A Change Is Gonna Come" classifies as an ironic last record: He was shot to death on Dec. 11, 1964, just three months earlier.
40. I'M COMIN' HOME, CINDY, Trini Lopez 39. I CAN'T GROW PEACHES ON A CHERRY TREE, Just Us 38. SOMEWHERE, Lee Barry 37. THE BALLAD OF IRVING, Frank Gallop 36. CAROLINE, NO, Brian Wilson 35. WHAT NOW MY LOVE, Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass 34. I HEAR TRUMPETS BLOW, The Tokens 33. I'LL TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOU, Garnet Mimms 32. THE PHOENIX LOVE THEME (SENZA FINE), Brass Ring featuring Phil Bodner 31. IT'S A MAN'S MAN'S MAN'S WORLD, James Brown & The Famous Flames
30. THIS OLD HEART OF MINE, Isley Brothers 29. LOVE'S MADE A FOOL OF YOU, Bobby Fuller Four 28. FRANKIE AND JOHNNY, Elvis Presley 27. LET'S START ALL OVER AGAIN, Ronnie Dove 26. LOVE IS LIKE AN ITCHING IN MY HEART, Supremes 25. NOTHING'S TOO GOOD FOR MY BABY, Stevie Wonder 24. THE SUN AIN'T GONNA SHINE (ANYMORE), Walker Brothers 23. A SIGN OF THE TIMES, Petula Clark 22. TOGETHER AGAIN, Ray Charles 21. RHAPSODY IN THE RAIN, Lou Christie
20. I'M SO LONESOME I COULD CRY, B.J. Thomas & The Triumphs 19. DAYDREAM, Lovin' Spoonful 18. A GROOVY KIND OF LOVE, Mindbenders 17. EIGHT MILES HIGH, Byrds 16. WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN, Percy Sledge 15. HOW DOES THAT GRAB YOU, DARLIN', Nancy Sinatra 14. SHAPES OF THINGS, Yardbirds 13. MESSAGE TO MICHAEL, Dionne Warwick 12. TRY TOO HARD, Dave Clark Five 11. TIME WON'T LET ME, Outsiders
10. GLORIA, Shadows of Knight 9. LEANING ON THE LAMP POST, Herman's Hermits 8. BANG BANG (MY BABY SHOT ME DOWN), Cher 7. RAINY DAY WOMEN # 12 & 35, Bob Dylan 6. SECRET AGENT MAN, Johnny Rivers 5. KICKS, Paul Revere & The Raiders featuring Mark Lindsay 4. (YOU'RE MY) SOUL AND INSPIRATION, Righteous Brothers 3. SLOOP JOHN B, Beach Boys 2. GOOD LOVIN', Young Rascals 1. MONDAY MONDAY, Mamas and the Papas
The Top 20 has had big staying power. With the exception of
4 (5). THE JOLLY GREEN GIANT, Kingsmen 15 (18). RED ROSES FOR A BLUE LADY, Bert Kaempfert & His Orchestra 20 (14). TWINE TIME, Alvin Cash & the Crawlers
...I'd say these are all still going strong. One sort-of exception: I don't hear THE NAME GAME much on radio, but people KNOW it.
Two versions of the same song on the same chart?
One song that references another (or at least the non-generic song).
My favorite is, of course, #29!
Hey! I know "Twine Time," because Marshall Crenshaw covered it back in the Nineties! And there's a lot of songs on these lists that I don't know at all.
Hey, Kids! My "Cranky and Kitschy" collage art is now viewable on DeviantArt! Drop by and tell me that I sent you. *updated often!*
30. THIS OLD HEART OF MINE, Isley Brothers has had some real staying power too. I swear they play that just about everyday on the oldies station. The others, get their share but "Heart" stands out.
For me, the most interesting surprise in '66 was "The Ballad of Irving." This novelty song about the 142nd fastest gun in the west was a regular feature on Dr. Demento in the late '80s. I hadn't realized it was this old or that it had reached the Top 40.
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And there's a lot of songs on these lists that I 
