Seventies Number Ones
On this day in ’79, this was the UK’s Number One single: Blondie, ‘Sunday Girl’ (the dancing from certain members of the audience is fantastic, you have to see it).
Here are some of my favourite chart-toppers from the Seventies.
Again, I’ve restricted myself to ten (which was easier to do than for the Sixties list, by the way), so let’s see what you’ve got. Any country, any chart – and don’t be embarrassed, they don’t have to be ‘the best’ songs, just your favourites.
Pink Floyd’s ‘Another Brick in the Wall’ is a given, so there’s no need to include it.
If you also want to compile a list for the worst songs from the Seventies, go ahead, but please mention Abba and Dr Hook; it would be a dull list without them.
- America, ‘Horse with No Name’
- Kate Bush, ‘Wuthering Heights’
- Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, ‘Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)’
- George Harrison, ‘My Sweet Lord’
- Don McLean, ‘American Pie’
- Matthews Southern Comfort, ‘Woodstock’
- Rolling Stones, ‘Angie’
- Slade, ‘Coz I Luv You’
- Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, ‘The Tears of a Clown’
- Wild Cherry, ‘Play That Funky Music’
Here is the list.
This time I’ve also found something interesting in the Italian charts, even if not on the top.
- Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon and Garfunkel
- Me and Bobby McGee – Janis Joplin
- Let it Be – The Beatles
- Crocodile Rock – Elton John
- The Ballad of Sacco and Vanzetti – Joan Baez
- Imagine – John Lennon
- Angie – Rolling Stones
- Io Vagabondo – I Nomadi
- Gioco di Bimba – Le Orme
- Impressioni di Settembre – PFM
I have no idea whether any of these went to #1, but they are all popular songs of the 70s:
The Better Songs of the 70s:
Stevie Wonder – “Another Star”
Carole King – “So Far Away”
Marvin Gaye – “What’s Going On”
Yes – “Roundabout”
Lionel Richie – “Hello”
Chicago – “25 or 6 to 4″
Rolling Stones – “Brown Sugar”
Rod Stewart – “Maggie May”
The Who – “Baba O’Riley”
Led Zeppelin – “Rock and Roll”
Lou Reed – “Walk on the Wild Side”
Neil Young – “Like a Hurricaine”
The worst of the 70s (you’ll notice a definite theme here):
Bee Gees – “Staying Alive”
Abba – “Dancing Queen”
Olivia Newton John – “Hopelessly Devoted”
Frankie Vallie – “Grease”
Village People – “In The Navy”
Donna Summer – “MacArthur Park”
Village People – “Y.M.C.A.”
Chic – “Celebrate Good Times”
Lipps Inc. – “Funky Town”
I’m glad you mentioned ‘Maggie May’, because that was one of the songs I had to sacrifice to make my list of 18 an example-setting list of ten.
Thank you, too, for mentioning Abba and the Bee Gees. (How did I forget about them?) Er, I have to confess to quite liking ‘Funky Town’, though.
I’ll get me coat.
“Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)” by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel is one of my all-time favourites! I’m glad you mentioned it FEd!
The only trouble is, I also like Abba.
Someone has to, Cath.
Cath, that is my fave of the 70s too!
Then there is Leader of the Gang from Gary Glitter, and Fox on the Run from the Sweet!
Oh dear, I’ve just gone all tartan waistband and platform heels.
You can’t get past the Seventies without a mention for Sweet (Blockbuster), Mud (Tiger Feet), Alvin Stardust, Wizzard, Slade and many, many more home-grown UK talents.
Correct me if I am wrong but was the Mullet a product of the 70s? It must have been a good cut, that, because it often appears on the Jerry Springer show even now.
I could go on about this magnificent era but I am going to the pub and I must pump up my Space Hopper first, or it will take ages to get there.
Have fun all.
“Dancing Queen” is one if the best songs ever written and performed and I say that in the most ‘hetero’ way possible. Moving on…
To choose only ten from this phenomenal decade is literally impossible. There were so many wonderful groups from this decade that you could pick ten songs just from their legendary catalogs…
I will limit my list to one from each of my favs.
Renaissance ~ Ashes Are Burning
Moody Blues ~ Story In Your Eyes
Alice Cooper ~ Billion Dollar Babies
David Bowie ~ Lady Stardust
Joni Mitchell ~ Court and Spark
Yes ~ Close To The Edge
Queen ~ Doing Alright
Mott The Hoople ~ Hymn For The Dudes
The Who ~ The Real Me
Pink Floyd ~ Us and Them
Sorry Matt but that’s just gay…
I’m going to do this a bit differently. I’ll pick one from each year in the seventies. Couldn’t possibly pick 10 favorites from the seventies, but these would be in a very large group of faves. Taken from Billboard # 1′s, so not exclusively from the UK.
70 – My Sweet Lord – George Harrison
71 – Brown Sugar – The Rolling Stones
72 – Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone – The Temptations
73 – Superstition – Stevie Wonder
74 – Bennie And The Jets – Elton John
75 – Fame – David Bowie & Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen (want desperately to add Space Oddity, I’m Sailing and I’m not in Love as well, but I won’t – ’75 was a very good year)
76 – 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover – Paul Simon
77 – Hotel California – The Eagles
Abandoning Billboard at this point because the disco cancer has taken over. Will use the UK charts instead.
78 – Boomtown Rats – Rat Trap
79 – Another Brick in the Wall – Pink Floyd (and a new die hard fan was converted)
Excellent list, Peter. ‘Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone’ and ‘Superstition’ were on my original list, as was another Boomtown Rats number (‘I Don’t Like Mondays’).
Didn’t catch the ‘ABIW’ as given on first reading, so I’m going to switch my 1979 choice.
Taken from US Billboard’s # 1s, I give you:
1979 – My Sharona – The Knack
Billy Connolly – D.I.V.O.R.C.E… classy track
Suzi Quatro – Can The Can… I think I loved her!
Ian Dury and The Blockheads – Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick (with the 2nd best Bass Player, Norman Watt Roy, smokin’ player!)
This wasn’t easy FEd. I could probably have come up with 10 singles for each year of the ’70s. But I’ll make do with these, for now…
Best of the 70s:
1970 : In The Summertime – Mungo Jerry
1971 : You’ve Got A Friend – James Taylor
1972 : Virginia Plain – Roxy Music
1973 : Hocus Pocus – Focus
1974 : This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us – Sparks
1975 : Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
1976 : Blinded By The Light – Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
1977 : Solsbury Hill – Peter Gabriel
1978 : Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton
1979 : Sultans Of Swing – Dire Straits
Worst of the 70s:
1970 : My Baby Loves Lovin’ – White Plains
1971 : Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep – Middle Of The Road
1972 : Puppy Love – Donny Osmond
1973 : My Coo-Ca-Choo – Alvin Stardust
1974 : Sugar Baby Love – The Rubettes
1975 : I Write The Songs – Barry Manilow
1976 : Howzat – Sherbet
1977 : Lovely Day – Bill Withers
1978 : Floral Dance – Terry Wogan
1979 : Who Were You With In The Moonlight – Dollar
Ah, Mungo Jerry. Glad to see them included.
I wasn’t sure about ‘Virginia Plain’. Love the song, but I think it just missed out on the top spot (in the UK, anyway). Must check that.
Pete Townshend related; I remeber an NME or Sounds interview with Kenny Jones when he was in the Who. He was asked what he hoped to receive for Christmas. Great answer; “Debbie Harry”.
Bowie, Drive-In Saturday
Slade, Take Me Bak Ome
Wizzard, See My Baby Jive
Suzi Quatro, Can The Can
Who, 5.15
Queen, Seven Seas Of Rhye
Sniff ‘N Tears, Driver’s Seat
Alice Cooper, Elected
Sweet, BlockBuster
T. Rex, Metal Guru
Mostly Glam era, a couple of cheesy ones, but apart from Driver’s Seat I bought of them within a couple of years and they sound nearly as exciting to me now as when I first heard them.
“Jeremy spoke in class today…”
Excellent selection with Bowie’s “Drive In Saturday”!
Aladdin Sane could just be Bowie’s best record…
Suzi Quatro opened up for Alice Cooper in 1975, for the “Welcome to my Nightmare” tour… at least she did in Phoenix Arizona. Not a household name, surprised to see it again.
I remember seeing her play a roll on Happy Days, as Fonzie’s girlfriend… that’s the way I remember it anyway.
Hi FEd and everybody.
Have not had a chance to blog for a while as I have been very busy with work (which here in Michigan is a good thing, I guess) and other things.
Do not know if all of these were #1 hits, but here is my top 10 of the 70s:
Let It Be – The Beatles
Turn The Page – Bob Seger
Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone – The Temptations
One Of These Nights – The Eagles
Don’t Fear The Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult
Band On The Run – Paul McCartney & Wings
Heart Of Glass – Blondie
We’re An American Band – Grand Funk Railroad
You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet – Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Hotel California – The Eagles
And don’t get me started on a worst of the 70s list as it would take days to compile.
Hope everyone has a great weekend and Memorial Day,
Hoss
‘You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet’ certainly topped the charts – that was on my first-draft list.
‘Band on the Run’ is a good call. I also liked ‘Silly Love Songs’, which I believe went to Number One, as well.
That song from BTO really is a great song, loved it in 1975 and still now!
My list:
- ‘The Guests’ – Leonard Cohen
- ‘Oh, Sister’ – Bob Dylan
- ‘Child In Time’ – Deep Purple
- ‘Wild Horses’ – Rolling Stones
- ‘Sultans Of Swing’ – Dire Straits
- ‘Riders On The Storm’ – The Doors
- ‘Baker Street’ – Jerry Rafferty
- ‘Dreams’ – Fleetwood Mac
- ‘Les Marquises’ – Jacques Brel
- ‘Ballade De Melody Nelson’ – Serge Gainsbourg et Jane Birkin
And a special mention for ‘Psycho Chicken’ by The Fools (parody of ‘Psycho Killer’ by Talking Heads).
Here it is.
Michèle
‘Baker Street’… how could I forget the classic saxophone-playing of Raphael Ravenscroft?
Gerry Rafferty was a member of Stealers Wheel, of course. ‘Stuck in the Middle With You’ – hear it here – should get a mention, even though I don’t think it fared quite as well in the charts as ‘Baker Street’.
Raphael Ravenscroft… didn’t he play with David on his ‘About Face’ tour? At least I’m quite sure he played saxophone with David at ‘Le Zénith’, Paris in 1984.
He sure did.
Gerry Rafferty started his career in a band called “The Humblebums” with Billy Connolly…
There were so many songs from the 70s that I loved, I simply can’t choose ten. (Unless I can count the entire Dark Side of the Moon album…?)
But one song that I loved dearly, even though I was not a big fan of Thin Lizzy, is Whiskey in the Jar.
P. S. The Worst List would have to include Brownsville Station, wouldn’t it? And AC/DC.
Another Brick in the 70s? Jumping the gun a bit early Fed? Or did I miss something?
The Wall was released in 1979…
It just about made it, Frank; it was the UK’s Christmas Number One of 1979.
The dancing from certain members of the audience equals me trying hard to stifle my laughter so I don’t wake my husband up. I shouldn’t laugh though. I’m not exactly a vision on the dance floor.
I will try my hand at this list keeping the obvious favorites out.
Elton John – ‘Madman Across the Water’
The Rolling Stones – ‘Can’t You Hear Me Knocking’ and ‘Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)’
David Bowie – ‘Fame’
Supertramp – ‘Child of Vision’
Traffic – ‘The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys’
Derek and the Dominos – between ‘Bell Bottom Blues’ and ‘Layla’
Bill Withers – ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’
Neil Young – ‘Cortez the Killer’
The Who – ‘Baba O’Riley’
Love ‘Woodstock’ FEd, all around, but my favorite is from Joni herself from ‘Ladies of the Canyon’. That song can bring on some chills no matter how many times I’ve listened to it.
Hi Sarah.
Funnily enough, I was thinking about ‘Woodstock’ and Joni last night. I actually think this is one rare occasion where I prefer the cover version to the original.
‘Bell Bottom Blues’ is wonderful, isn’t it? A definite favourite of mine. ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ is another.
Sarah, LOTC is terrific but “Court and Spark” is my all time fav from Joni.
The Seventies was the time my “conscious” life started. I listened to Smokie, Slade, The Sweet, Suzi Quatro and of course Abba. Yes FEd – my first concert visit was a Abba concert in 1979 and it was marvellous.
Definitely many of them aren’t the music I prefer today from that time but all are connected with many good memories.
And here some of my all-time chart-toppers:
Led Zeppelin, Stairway to Heaven
George Harrison, My Sweet Lord
Black Sabbath, Paranoid
Simon & Garfunkel, Bridge over Troubled Water
Nazareth, This Flight Tonight
Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody
Alice Cooper, School´s Out
Wings, Mull of Kintyre
Frijid Pink, House of the Rising Sun
Marius Müller-Westernhagen, Wir waren noch Kinder
Even though Pink Floyd turns out hits every decade, it would seem sacrilegious not to include my favorite PF song of the decade. So already I am not following the rules. I missed the 60s list and that wouldn’t be hard for me because that is when all the good music started, ie The Doors and many others.
1. Pink Floyd, “Dark Side of the Moon’
2. Yes, ‘Roundabout’
3. Led Zeppelin, ‘Dazed and Confused’
4. Eric Clapton, ‘Cocaine’
5. Fleetwood Mac, ‘Rhiannon’
6. The Police, ‘Roxanne’
7. Elton John, ‘Philadelphia Freedom’
8. Chicago, ’25 or 6 to 4′
9. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, ‘Southern Cross’
10. Joni Mitchell, ‘Hejira’
I was raised with my brother, a professional drummer then and now. So I really enjoy jazz as much as Pink Floyd. I know Richard found inspiration from jazz also. So I wish you had included a jazz list. I love Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Billy Preston and Charlie Haden and my favorite which is not from the 70s is Pat Matheny’s ‘Beyond the Missouri Sky’ (album).
So the first 3 on my list are my heavy rock but there is not a band that compares to Pink Floyd for 4 decades of new music.
Thanks for giving me an opinion.
We’ll have a day to talk about jazz soon, I think – thanks, Patricia.
Love ‘Rhiannon’, by the way.
I consider a lot of Rick’s “Wet Dream” jazz.
Just another example of the seventies domination!
Hi Fed,
Girl with boots, making very pre-studied steps..
Top 10 – 70s is not that easy. But here are a few, that I liked:
Don McLean – Vincent
Ian Dury & Blockheads – Hit Me With your Rhythmstick (isn’t the bassline legendary?)
Blondie – Heart Of Glass
The Boomtown Rats – I Don’t Like Mondays
Police – Message In A Bottle
Phil Lynnott – King’s Call
Ike/Tine Turner – Nutbush City Limits
I can’t think of more, at least that hasn’t already been mentioned.
On the worst-list, will be… Osmond, Baccara, Rubettes, and… remember?
Les Humphries Singers! (I just checked them out on YouTube – damn, totally “kitsch”.)
Speaking of legendary riffs, how about ‘My Sharona’ by The Knack?
Jimi Hendrix – Voodoo Chile
Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
Sorry such a short list, my mind is pulling a blank. Doh!
And as I now live in the West Country I better give The Wurzels – Combine Harvester a shout! Ooo Ahh oo ahh.
Off to work now. Laters!!
A few more that remind me of this glorious decade…
The Wizard ~ Uriah Heep
Autumn ~ Strawbs
A Day ~ Styx
Nether Lands ~ Dan Fogelberg
Crazy On You ~ Heart
Dreams ~ Allman Brothers Band
Darkness On The Edge of Town ~ Bruce Springsteen
Captain Jack ~ Billy Joel
Ticking ~ Elton John
Guitar Man ~ Bread
Personally I agree about ABBA but it is amazing how sickly popular the revival of their music is with the Mamma Mia production.
As for Dr. Hook, Cover of the Rolling Stone is not that terrible. It is an OK song. Plus their release Sloppy Seconds has some very humorous songs on it albeit crude. Or are you just picking on them cause they are from NJ? But the only #1 single by them I see is “When You’re In Love With A Beautiful Woman” and that was a UK #1 single.
There was much worse from the 1970s – like Barry Manilow.
As for the best, I’ll have to think about it but wonder if anyone will mention some of the wildly popular, often played artists from the era like Leo Sayer, Gerry Rafferty, Peter Frampton, Gary Wright, Elvin Bishop, Steve Miller Band, Boz Scaggs, Randy Newman, David Essex and so many more. Although not all of them reached number 1 on Billboard in the 70s, they did have songs that hit number 1 on other charts such as Cash Box. Also, some of the songs that did hit number 1 are not necessarily the ones you expect.
FEd, I’m also surprised you didn’t list anything by the Eagles. Hotel California, New Kid in Town, Best of My Love, One of These Nights, Heartache Tonight are their five #1 Billboard singles. Pick one or wait, let me guess. Hotel California.
Thanks.
Andrew
In my best Dan Akroyd, “Andrew, you ignorant slut”.
“Weekend In New England” and “Looks Like We Made It” are near perfect songs that to this day, still make me well up (in my best Mike Myers) “like a little girl”…
‘When You’re in Love With a Beautiful Woman’ has to be one of the most repulsive, vacuous, irritating songs ever written and recorded, but I concur with your comment about Barry Manilow.
How about the following for some similarly sickening (and, worse still, chart-topping) Seventies shockers?
- Paul Anka, ‘(You’re) Having My Baby’
- Glen Campbell, ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’
- The Carpenters, ‘(They Long to Be) Close to You’
- Terry Jacks, ‘Seasons in the Sun’
- Tony Orlando, ‘Tie a Yellow Ribbon ‘Round the Old Oak Tree’
- Leo Sayer, ‘You Make Me Feel Like Dancing’ (puking, more like)
- Styx, ‘Babe’
- John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John, ‘You’re the One That I Want’
Here are two more, just to make it a list of ten (I couldn’t bring myself to type either “Abba” or “Bee Gees” because they had several Number Ones and to choose just one from each would have meant having to remember many songs which I have long tried to forget, which would only make me nauseous and potentially capable of committing murder):
- Carl Douglas, ‘Kung Fu Fighting’
- Anita Ward, ‘Ring My Bell’ (which takes all of three seconds to give you a headache)
‘Hotel California’ will do just fine, thanks.
You know I’d have listed them all, but I thought I’d try to pick out something less obvious for a change.
I’m going to see the Eagles in July. Can’t wait.
FEd,
Your comment on Kung Fu Fighting reminded me of a few other 1970s #1 songs that I know make some people sick:
Disco Duck – Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots
Convoy – C.W. McCall
And some more that just make me gag are:
You Needed Me – Anne Murray
Anything by Helen Reddy but particularly I Am Woman and Delta Dawn.
Matt,
I have no issue with your adoration of Barry Manilow. I hope you get great seats next time he comes to town. Remember he also composed many jingles including the hit for Band-Aid Bandages: “I’m stuck on Band-Aids, cause Band Aid’s stuck on me.”
Thanks.
Andrew
I am generating my list mentally at the moment but I just wanted to share this with the Blogmeister…
I received an email from the Genesis fan club several weeks ago asking for fan photographs of concerts back in the 80s and 90s… I sent off a whole bunch of pictures and now they have asked me to sign a release form so they can use them.
For all of this I will get a mention on the album cover or artwork somewhere! Woohoo.
Back to the mental list now…
P.S. Anyone seen Howard Bayliss? Come in Howard, your time is up…
That’s nice of them.
Worst…
1. Lee Marvin “singing” Wandrin’ Star
2. Dana – All Kinds of Everything… pass me a bucket!
3. England World Cup Squad shouting Back Home
4. Clive Dunn – Grandad… FFS!
5. Dawn – Knock Three Times… Bletch!
6. Chicory Tip – Son of My Father… who thought that name was good!
7. Peters & Lee – Welcome Home
8. Telly Savalas – If… ZZzzzzz!
9. Typically Tropical – Barbados… OMFG!
10. JJ Barrie – No Charge
Honorable mention to Althia & Donna for Up Town Top Ranking and Brian & Michael for Matchstalk Men And Matchstalk Cats And Dogs.
Nah, the Scotland World Cup song Ally’s Tartan Army beats that hands down.
Fed~
Is this your first time seeing the Eagles?
My brother and I caught them a few years back for the “Hell Freezes Over” tour. They were simply sublime.
Joe Walsh is a wonder to watch and speaking of Joe his “So What” album from the 70s was in constant rotation at our “Crew” parties…
Second. I saw them a few years ago and they were flawless.
Joe had a camera strapped to his head, filming the crowd. He really is a character.
We had our disco-crap here too in the 70s, such as Patrick Juvet and his ‘Où sont les femmes?’, for example. Crap music and also crap lyrics, of course:
“Elles portent un blouson noir
Elles fument le cigare
Font parfois un enfant
Par hasard !
Et dès que vient le soir
Elles courent dans le néant
Vers des plaisirs provisoires”
Good dance music, though…
I don’t know where to begin, I give it up!
To those lucky to attend Monday’s gig: enjoy it! I wish I could be there! I’m sure it’s going to be mesmerising… nobody in the audience will be disappointed.
Ciao David, this time I was broke but next time I’ll surely be attending!
Have a nice weekend everybody. Have some relaxation FEd!
Love
Piero
I don’t know where to begin, I give it up!
Thought exactly the same Piero…
Taki
Going to see The Eagles end of June in Belfast… can’t wait.
Went to see Eric Clapton in Dublin last week who I thought was very good although some of his reviews for the Royal Albert Hall have be less favourable.
Have a nice weekend everybody!
Paul
Best…
1.Simon & Garfunkel – Trouble Over Bridgewater…
2. George Harrison – My Sweet Lord
3. Rod The Prod – Maggie May
4. Don Maclean – Vincent
5. Sweet – Blockbuster (hated it at the time but it got better over time)
6. Wizzard – See My Baby Jive
7. Status Quo – Down, Down
8. Cockney Rebel – Make Me Smile
9. Rod Stewart – Sailing (anyone remember the B side – The Killing of Georgie? Classic and even better than Sailing)
10. Ian Dury and Block Heads – Hit Me with your Rhythm Stick
Listing these tracks has reminded me of the Radio One Breakfast show hosted by Noel Edmonds… what was the name of the Milkman character he invented? Used to come on and say “Morning Geisha”, or something similar.
Radio One used to be so good in those days… Edmonds, Peel, Vance, Travis and of course Blackburn, but we don’t talk about him.
I loved Jethro Tull. Nothing is better than Thick as a Brick. The musicianship of the band is great.
- Yes, Close to the Edge
- ELP, Knife Edge
Baker Street is great.
“When the levee breaks you’ll have no place to go…”
The Seventies. It’s infectious and dynamic, this, Fed.
Rudders is right: Lee Marvin, Wandrin’ Star – what a song. And what a reputation as a hard man Lee Marvin had. In the 70s it was how many buttons you had on your baggies that showed how hard you were, LOL. Hey, keep clear of him, he’s got 21 buttons.
I remember my Grandad cursing once whilst my aunts and uncles were discussing Chuck Berry’s My Ding a Ling. It was banned by the BBC. How times have changed eh?
Jonathan,
I agree with you about Jethro Tull as well as Yes. I was also a big fan of Electric Light Orchestra, so it is hard to list only 10.
Jimi Hendrix’s Red House was first heard at Woodstock in 1969 but certainly was on the top of the charts for most of the 70s.
What I liked about the Yes concerts were the “theater in the round” so all could see well (this was before big screens, of course).
Hola!! I’m from Argentina, I like Gilmour and Pink Floyd.
Please come to Argentina… I wish you were here.
Saludos
Sebastian!!!
OK, here is my best of list of top ten 70s #1 songs based on the Billboard Hot 100 in no particular order:
Me and Bobby McGee – Janis Joplin
Brown Sugar – The Rolling Stones
Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone – The Temptations
Will It Go Round in Circles – Billy Preston
Tonight’s the Night – Rod Stewart
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) – Sly & the Family Stone
Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl) – The Looking Glass
The Joker – Steve Miller Band
Miss You – The Rolling Stones
Fame – David Bowie
I have to say that it is too bad that Warren Zevon’s Lawyers, Guns and Money never hit #1, otherwise that would definitely be on my list of faves.
Top Worst:
Da Doo Ron Ron – Shaun Cassidy
Ring My Bell – Anita Ward
Alone Again (Naturally) – Gilbert O’Sullivan
Song Sung Blue – Neil Diamond
Killing Me Softly with His Song – Roberta Flack
(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song – B.J. Thomas
Thank God I’m A Country Boy – John Denver
Saturday Night – Bay City Rollers
When I Need You – Leo Sayer
Reunited – Peaches and Herb
Wonder how folks feel about Rod Stewart’s Do Ya Think I’m Sexy? which was all over the radio in the late 1970s.
O, and don’t forget about the Ray Stevens song, The Streak.
Thanks.
Andrew
I don’t think I’d ever heard ‘The Streak’ before you mentioned it, but as for Rod, I feel that’s song’s been flogged to death and don’t care if I never hear it again.
We’ll have to have a post one of these days about songs we were made to loathe because they were played too much at every half-opportunity.
I never cared much for it, to be honest.
Reading all these comments, I realise the list I wrote is very different from the others.
That’s what happens looking to the Italian charts.
Apart from The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, nothing of what I read reached the highest positions here. Italian music was always on top and I don’t know why, because lots of people I know liked foreign music in the Seventies and used to go to the concerts, too.
My mother says many people she knew listened to the radio, because the price of the records was high enough if you were still a student and you were not working. Adult and old people, who could bought the records, listened mostly to classical music or Italian songs, because they were still close minded to everything singed in a different language.
That’s why Italian commercial music sold so much, even if lots of young people liked rock music.
If rock music was Evil in the UK and US, can you imagine what the old Italian generation, who also didn’t understand the words, could think about it?
Sorry for the off topic reflection.
It’s funny, I was just thinking the other day about my dismay at the way 70s chart music really began morphing into itself (if that makes sense) from about 1971 onwards, as the winds of change began blowing in and making it all feel very different quality-wise from the 60s (in my opinion anyway).
There had been some fantastic hits in 1970/71, including -
Free – All Right Now
The Beach Boys – Cottonfields
Fleetwood Mac – The Green Manalishi
The Ides Of March – Vehicle
Chicago – 25 Or 6 To 4
Deep Purple – Black Night
Black Sabbath – Paranoid
Jimi Hendrix Experience – Voodoo Chile
Not sure without going to check whether these actually reached no. 1, but I’m fairly sure they at least got close… along with these classic gems:
England World Cup Squad – Back Home
Mungo Jerry – In The Summertime
Hotlegs – Neanderthal Man
Ray Stevens – Bridget The Midget
Grandad – Clive Dunn
The Osmonds – Crazy Horses
Lynn Anderson – Rose Garden
Dawn – Knock Three Times
I think Abba are a kind of law unto themselves… and yes, I do remember “Sylvia’s Mother”.
Re: “Another Brick in the Wall”, not long after its release I spent several months in a certain region of southern Africa where it was banned. I enjoyed myself playing the album quite loud on various occasions (along with other banned records such as “Biko” by Peter Gabriel), and even when a strange man came knocking at my door around midnight with a lame excuse, it didn’t put me off.
1. Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb
2. Pink Floyd – Shine On You Crazy Diamond
3. Pink Floyd – Atom Heart Mother
4. Pink Floyd – Fat Old Sun
5. Pink Floyd – Echoes
6. Pink Floyd – Time
7. Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
8. Pink Floyd – Pigs on the Wing
9. Pink Floyd – Hey You
10. Pink Floyd – Money
Kind of cheated by reading everyone else’s choices before submitting mine, but only to avoid duplication and remind everyone of more great songs, (according to my taste), such as:
Friends – Elton John (such a flippin’ gorgeous song)
Black Water – The Doobie Brothers
Fantasy – Earth Wind & Fire
More Than A Feeling – Boston
Strawberry Letter – Brothers Johnson
Black And White – Three Dog Night
Bruce Springsteen – Jungleland
Surrender – Cheap Trick
Dust In The Wind – Kansas
Give A Little Bit – Supertramp
Bonus:
Time In A Bottle – Jim Croce
I just would like to say good luck to David for this evening’s gig and enjoy yourself to everyone here who will go to the show.
Is this something you would like to see and hear?
Collaborations like this don’t always work out. I wonder how they would get on.
Thanks.
Andrew
Ahhh, some random nonsense for me to tap in to.
American Woman ~ Guess Who
Let It Be ~ The Beatles
Maggie May ~ Rod Stewart
American Pie ~ Don McLean
Let’s Stay Together ~ Al Green (smooooth)
Heart of Gold ~ Neil Young
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face ~ Roberta Flack
Superstition ~ Stevie Wonder
Rock ‘N Me Baby ~ Steve Miller
Time In A Bottle ~ Jim Croce
Hotel California ~ The Eagles
It dawned on me that Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody wasn’t on the list I was referencing for this, but it certainly should have been. What a masterpiece!
How have you been, FEd? It’s been a long while since I’ve found my way to the Barn for a nice chat session, dammit! One of these days I’m going to…
Peace