Audio Samples of "Billboard's" #1 Pop Singles

[Im-n-a-whirl]

I'm actually a she.

The next segment (God help us, LOL) should begin with I Think I Love You by the Partridge Family.

Simon and Garfunkel had a "drama queen" way of singing that kind of drives me nuts but there's no denying that Bridge is a pretty song. The album is spectacular.

Mama Told Me Not to Come was named by the British magazine Smash Hits as one of the "five singles for tanning." In other words, it was HOT. That is such a great song, you can't help but especially love the line, "That ain't no way to have fun, son."

I will comment more when we get to the good stuff, LOL! This is all Jackson 5 and a few other songs that I'm not crazy about.

[Max]

Im-n-a-whirl, I am so terribly sorry for my error. I sincerely apologize for offending you.

I have to agree with you about this era being a bad one. In fact, I believe that the first half of the 1970's were the worst time musically out of any period in rock's history prior to the mid-90's.

1970 (Part 3 of 3):

284. I Think I Love You--The Partridge Family (3 weeks, November 21)

285. The Tears of a Clown--Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (2 weeks, December 12)

286. My Sweet Lord--George Harrison (4 weeks, December 26)

1971 (Part 1 of 2):

287. Knock Three Times--Dawn (3 weeks, January 23)

288. One Bad Apple--The Osmonds (5 weeks, February 13)

289. Me and Bobby McGee--Janis Joplin (2 weeks, March 20)

290. Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)--The Temptations (2 weeks, April 3)

291. Joy to the World--Three Dog Night (6 weeks, April 17)

292. Brown Sugar--The Rolling Stones (2 weeks, May 29)

293. Want Ads--The Honey Cone (1 week, June 12)

294. It's Too Late--Carole King (5 weeks, June 19)

295. Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian)--The Raiders (1 week, July 24)

296. You've Got a Friend--James Taylor (1 week, July 31)

Comments:

*"The Tears of a Clown" was actually recorded way back in 1967. The song is one of my favorite Miracles records along with 1963's "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" and 1976's "Love Machine (Part 1)" (the last song of which was recorded after Smokey Robinson left the group). Interestingly enough, the Miracle's first hit--"Shop Around"--peaked at #2 in February 1961, which meant that the group almost had to wait exactly one more decade before they finally reached #1.

*George Harrison was successfully sued for plagiarism because a court believed that "My Sweet Lord" was essentially the same song as "He's So Fine" by the Chiffons (which went to #1 in 1963). Personally, I am very shocked over this verdict, since I think that the two songs sound nothing alike.

*The Jackson Five's recording of "Mama's Pearl" was blocked from reaching #1 by "One Bad Apple," which was ironic because many considered the Osmonds to have been the white version of the Jackson Five.

*"Me and Bobby McGee" is the second posthumous #1 hit of the rock era, as Janis Joplin died of a drug overdose on October 4, 1970. One thing that surprises most everyone was that Joplin (as a solo artist) was a one-hit wonder (although she did have a Top 20 hit with "Piece of My Heart" as lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company).

*After the songwriting team of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland left Motown, they formed two record labels of their own: Hot Wax and Invictus. "Want Ads" by the Honey Cone (released on Hot Wax records) was the only #1 hit on either label.

*The legendary Carole King had already co-written four number one hits for other artists before she finally had a chart-topper of her own with "It's Too Late." The record's B-side, "I Feel the Earth Move," was also a big hit.

*Although the Raiders had their only #1 hit in 1971 with "Indian Reservation," all of their other big hits came in the 60's (when the group was known as "Paul Revere and the Raiders"). My favorite song of theirs was "Kicks" from 1966, which was an anti-drug recording.

[Im-n-a-whirl]

It's okay Max, I was not offended in the least.

My Sweet Lord does have a similar arrangement to He's So Fine, but not enough to warrant charging Harrison with ripping off the song. Reminds me of when John Fogerty was sued by Fantasy Records (who own CCR's catalogue) because his Old Man Down the Road sounded too much like Green River. The judge threw the case out when he said that it was silly to sue Fogerty for sounding like HIMSELF.

Most of this part of the list is dreck! Except for the Temps, the Harrison track and Want Ads, this is all essentially garbage. I guess I could be a little kinder to James Taylor, his song was not that bad and come to think of it, neither was the Carole King song.

Leading off the next installement: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart by the Bee Gees.

[Max]

Regarding the John Fogerty story, it is just crazy to think that he was sued for sounding like himself.

1971 (Part 2 of 2):

297. How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?--The Bee Gees (4 weeks, August 7)

298. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey--Paul & Linda McCartney (1 week, September 4)

299. Go Away Little Girl--Donny Osmond (3 weeks, September 11)

300. Maggie May--Rod Stewart (5 weeks, October 2)

301. Gypsys, Tramps, and Thieves--Cher (2 weeks, November 6)

302. Theme from "Shaft"--Isaac Hayes (2 weeks, November 20)

303. Family Affair--Sly & the Family Stone (3 weeks, December 4)

304. Brand New Key--Melanie (3 weeks, December 25)

1972 (Part 1 of 2):

305. American Pie--Don McLean (4 weeks, January 15)

306. Let's Stay Together--Al Green (1 week, February 12)

307. Without You--Nilsson (4 weeks, February 19)

308. Heart of Gold--Neil Young (1 week, March 18)

309. A Horse with No Name--America (3 weeks, March 25)

310. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face--Roberta Flack (6 weeks, April 15)

311. Oh Girl--The Chi-Lites (1 week, May 27)

Comments:

*Even though the Bee Gees are thought of as a disco group, the first half of their career had nothing to do with disco. Brothers Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb scored their first Top 20 hit in 1967 and reached #1 for the first time in 1971. Although the group would become ice cold about a year after "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?" fell from the top spot, the second half of the Bee Gees' career would commence when they released the first of their countless disco classics in 1975.

*"Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" has to be one of the stupidest songs I have ever heard. The same goes for "Brand New Key."

*When Donny Osmond took "Go Away Little Girl" to the top of the chart, it became the first song of the rock era to go to #1 by two different artists.

*Rod Stewart's first hit record, "Maggie May," remains one of my favorite songs of his (along with "Young Turks" and "Some Guys Have All the Luck"). Believe it or not, one of Stewart's biggest musical influences happened to be Sam Cooke.

*Isaac Hayes was the premier star on Stax Records, which was perhaps Motown's biggest competitor in the late-60's and early-70's. Stax differed from Motown in three different ways: First, Stax was based in Memphis while Motown was based in Detroit. Second, Stax had a gritty sound while Motown was much smoother. Finally, Stax marketed its products almost exclusively to blacks while Motown targeted both races.

*Don McLean's "American Pie" runs for about 8.5 minutes, making it one of the longest songs ever to reach #1. ("Hey Jude" by the Beatles was another very lenghty number one hit.) The song's famous line, "the day the music died," refers to the date of February 3, 1959, when Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson ("The Big Bopper") were all killed in a private plane crash.

*Harry Nilsson's magnificent "Without You" was my favorite #1 hit of 1972. As a huge compliment, both John Lennon and Paul McCartney stated that Nilsson was their favorite American recording artist.

*The Chi-Lites (pronounced "Shy-Lites") scored their only #1 hit with the lovely "Oh Girl." FYI, the group was named after their home town of Chicago.

[Im-n-a-whirl]

The Bee Gees had some great material prior to the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, most notably Nights On Broadway. After Broken Heart reached number one, the group hit a drought and were actually dropped by their label. Eric Clapton advised Barry Gibb to move to the US to get a fresh perspective on music and songwriting. Gibb later agreed to write some songs for a little film about a guy who works during the day and dances in a famous nightclub at night and the rest, as they say, is history.

Go Away Little Girl was one of the few songs to hit number one by two different artists but it was technically not the first. Young Love also went to number one twice by two different artists and so did Butterfly and both in the same year. Of course back then, the songwriters tended to sell their songs to everyone and his brother and no one ever stopped themselves from recording a certain song simply because someone else already had. A hit was a hit.

Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey was yet another example of the record-buying public being two quick to snatch up anything related to the Beatles. The song is really dumb but I love the chorus: "Hands across the water, water. Heads across the sky." I love that part and because I love that part, I admit to still listening to the song!

Melanie wanted to be know as a hippy, angry rebel and instead was given schlock like Brand New Key to record. The song later turned up in the film Boogie Nights.

I can't listen to American Pie anymore without wanting to scream. I'm literally sick of hearing it. There are people out there that are bound and determined to decipher the lyrics and even Don McLean admits he doesn't know what the hell he was talking about for half the song.

Cher is a recording artist I could've done without.

I may not be remembering it right but I believe Stax Records collapsed after it was sold to CBS Records. Clive Davis was strongly advised against this aquisition but being Clive Davis, he did it anyway.

Oh Girl is one of the most beautiful songs ever recorded.

When people heard A Horse With No Name, they thought it was Neil Young on lead vocals and it does sound like him. Young battled it out with his record lable (I believe it was Geffen Records) for the longest time because Neil is Neil and he writes and records what he wants instead of what may actually sell.

The next segment will start with The Staple Singers' I'll Take You There.

[Max]

Thanks for reminding me that both "Young Love" and "Butterfly" went to number one by two different artists before "Go Away Little Girl" did. (I had forgotten about those songs because, aside from Tab Hunter's version of "Young Love," they were not mentioned in Fred Bronson's book.)

Also, I can't blame you for getting sick of "American Pie," given that it has been played so many times on the radio.

1972 (Part 2 of 2):

312. I'll Take You There--The Staple Singers (1 week, June 3)

313. Candy Man--Sammy Davis, Jr. (3 weeks, June 10)

314. Song Sung Blue--Neil Diamond (1 week, July 1)

315. Lean on Me--Bill Withers (3 weeks, July 8)

316. Alone Again (Naturally)--Gilbert O'Sullivan (6 weeks, July 29)

317. Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)--Looking Glass (1 week, August 26)

318. Black and White--Three Dog Night (1 week, September 16)

319. Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me--Mac Davis (3 weeks, September 23)

320. Ben--Michael Jackson (1 week, October 14)

321. My Ding-a-Ling--Chuck Berry (2 weeks, October 21)

322. I Can See Clearly Now--Johnny Nash (4 weeks, November 4)

323. Papa Was a Rollin' Stone--The Temptations (1 week, December 2)

324. I Am Woman--Helen Reddy (1 week, December 9)

325. Me and Mrs. Jones--Billy Paul (3 weeks, December 16)

1973 (Part 1 of 3):

326. You're So Vain--Carly Simon (3 weeks, January 6)

Comments:

*Mavis Staples has one of the most powerful voices in all of R&B. Regarding "I'll Take You There," I read that the line in the song that goes "ain't no smiling faces" refers to the fact (that in this "place" where she is taking you) that there will be nobody who will stab you in the back while also superficially giving you a smile.

*Sammy Davis, Jr. scored his only #1 hit with "Candy Man," which reached the top of the chart just a few months after his famous appearance on "All in the Family."

*"Lean on Me" would reach #1 a second time in 1987 when Club Nouveau released its cover version of the song.

*Gilbert O'Sullivan is one of the few artists from Ireland to ever have a #1 hit in America. While "Alone Again (Naturally)" is a very good song, it is also a very sad song.

*Looking Glass was a group formed at Rutgers University. One of the reasons why the group scored only one additional minor Top 40 hit after "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" was because that song ("Brandy") differed so much from the rest of the hard-rock songs that they normally played.

*Although "Ben" was the first of thirteen number one hits during Michael Jackson's solo career, he would not reach #1 again until 1979.

*A lot of Chuck Berry's 1950's hits deserved to go to #1. In stark constrast, "My Ding-a-Ling" was complete garbage that didn't even deserve to chart. Just as upsetting was the fact that this song blocked one of Elvis Presley's best records ever--"Burning Love"--from reaching the top spot.

*Surprisingly, after the Temptations had their fourth #1 hit with "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone," the group was able to produce only two more Top 10 hits.

*Nobody has ever figured out the person whom Carly Simon is singing about in "You're So Vain." Among the possiblities inculde James Taylor, Mick Jagger, Kris Kristofferson, and Warren Beatty.

[Im-n-a-whirl]

The only really interesting thing about the Chuck Berry track is that the Average White Band (coming up soon with their number one, Pick Up the Pieces) appears on the record as the back-up musicians.

The Fred Bronson book is not entirely accurate. He skips a lot of songs at the beginning.

I love the Staple Singers because they have a soul gospel sound to them that makes you want to shout with joy, LOL.

Alone Again (Naturally) is equal parts depressing and baffling. He has all these bad things happen to him and after a while he's like "Oh well, it's par for the course," which is where the line "alone again, naturally" comes in. But he also sings this song like he hardly means it, which makes it a little baffling.

The next segment should begin with Superstition by Stevie Wonder, a song that he originally wrote for Jeff Beck but then took it back for himself. Beck answered with his own song, I Ain't Superstitious. And I swear I am not cheating by looking ahead. I'm testing my memory, LOL.

[Max]

Im-n-a-whirl, you have an amazing memory! This is the eighth time that you have attempted to predict which song would come next in this time sweep of #1 hits, and the eighth time that you have been proven correct!

1973 (Part 2 of 3):

327. Superstition--Stevie Wonder (1 week, January 27)

328. Crocodile Rock--Elton John (3 weeks, February 3)

329. Killing Me Softly with His Song--Roberta Flack (5 weeks, February 24)

330. Love Train--The O'Jays (1 week, March 24)

331. The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia--Vicki Lawrence (2 weeks, April 7)

332. Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree--Dawn (4 weeks, April 21)

333. You Are the Sunshine of My Life--Stevie Wonder (1 week, May 19)

334. Frankenstein--The Edgar Winter Group (1 week, May 26)

335. My Love--Paul McCartney & Wings (4 weeks, June 2)

336. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)--George Harrison (1 week, June 30)

337. Will It Go Round in Circles--Billy Preston (2 weeks, July 7)

338. Bad, Bad Leroy Brown--Jim Croce (2 weeks, July 21)

339. The Morning After--Maureen McGovern (2 weeks, August 4)

Comments:

*The critically acclaimed "Superstition" was Stevie Wonder's first #1 hit in nearly a decade. However, Wonder had still been a huge presence on the charts during the interim, scoring eleven top 10 hits in between (and not including) "Fintertips (Part 2)" and "Superstition." In fact, the only time (during this period) when Wonder struggled as an artist was during the two-plus year period that followed "Fingertips (Part 2)," as his next four singles failed to crack the top 20. (Stevie's drought ended when "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" peaked at #3 in early 1966.)

*Elton John had been having hit singles in the U.S. ever since "Your Song" peaked at #8 in 1971. John's first #1 hit, "Crocodile Rock," is my favorite song of his because I love its "retro" late-50's/early-60's sound. Other great "retro" songs include "This Little Girl" by Gary U.S. Bonds, "Happy Days" (which was the theme song from the TV show) by Pratt & McClain, "Tired of Toein' the Line" by Rocky Burnette, and "Uptown Girl" and "The Longest Time," both of which were sung by Billy Joel.

*"The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" was Vicki Lawrence's only top 40 hit, thus making her a one-hit wonder (in terms of her musical career).

*"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" has been sung by more than 1,000 different artists, making it the second most covered rock and roll recording. Only "Yesterday" by the Beatles has been covered more.

*In stark contrast to the long period of time that elapsed in between "Fingertips (Part 2)" and "Superstition," it took less than four months for Stevie Wonder to score his next #1 hit, "You Are the Sunshine of My Life."

*Paul McCartney wrote "My Love" for his long-time wife, Linda.

*"Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" by Jim Croce was a great old-fashioned rock and roll song during a year in which such songs were sorely lacking. The actual Leroy Brown (who obviously inspired this song) was a fellow soldier of Croce's who fled the Army and only came back to collect his paycheck (though he was arrested upon arrival instead).

[Im-n-a-whirl]

Well, when you've literally heard the audio version of the time sweep (which I managed to snag and burn before the Rock n Roll Repository became a pay site) a million and one times, it starts sticking, LOL.

I adore and worship the O'Jays. I loved every record they ever put out. Love Train is a great "feel good" song but their musicality was far better featured on other songs, like For the Love of Money, which is fabulous.

A lot of Stevie Wonder's stuff was awesome. You Are the Sunshine of My Life is not one of my favorites and neither is Superstition. The better stuff, in my opinion, is coming up.

My Love was proof that McCartney could still write great love songs and it's pretty good but the George Harrison track is absolutely gorgeous.

The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia was written by Lawrence's husband at the time and it's kind of a dark, backwoods soap opera. At the time the record came out, the ending to the story sort of escaped some people (the sister killed her brother's cheating wife and her lover) and only after Reba McIntyre recorded the song that the story was made clearer. This was another record that had a TV movie based on it.

The next segment will begin with Touch Me in the Morning by Diana Ross - actually, I'll give you the first couple of songs, just to test my memory:

Touch Me in the Morning - Diana Ross

Brother Louie - Stories

Let's Get it On - Marvin Gaye

Delta Dawn - Helen Reddy

We're An American Band - Grand Funk Railroad

[Max]

Way to go, Im-n-a-whirl! You correctly predicted the first five songs (in the proper order) of this next installment of number one hits.

1973 (Part 3 of 3):

340. Touch Me in the Morning--Diana Ross (1 week, August 18)

341. Brother Louie--Stories (2 weeks, August 25)

342. Let's Get It On--Marvin Gaye (2 weeks, September 8)

343. Delta Dawn--Helen Reddy (1 week, September 15)

344. We're an American Band--Grand Funk (1 week, September 29)

345. Half-Breed--Cher (2 weeks, October 6)

346. Angie--The Rolling Stones (1 week, October 20)

347. Midnight Train to Georgia--Gladys Knight & the Pips (2 weeks, October 27)

348. Keep on Truckin'--Eddie Kendricks (2 weeks, November 10)

349. Photograph--Ringo Starr (1 week, November 24)

350. Top of the World--The Carpenters (2 weeks, December 1)

351. The Most Beautiful Girl--Charlie Rich (2 weeks, December 15)

352. Time in a Bottle--Jim Croce (2 weeks, December 29)

1974 (Part 1 of 4):

353. The Joker--The Steve Miller Band (1 week, January 12)

354. Show and Tell--Al Wilson (1 week, January 19)

Comments:

*I happen to find the songs in this installment to be especially uninspired. In my opinion, the only great songs in this batch of number one hits are "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye and "Midnight Train to Georgia" by Gladys Knight & the Pips. (However, there are a couple more songs here that are OK.)

*Diana Ross had an extremely difficult time recording "Touch Me in the Morning." Being the perfectionist that she is, Ross wanted to keep re-recording the song (many different times) until she got a version that satisfied her. During this lenghty process, Ross became very depressed because she felt that all of her recordings of the song (other than the recording that was finally released) were poorly done.

*"Brother Louie" was actually a song about the difficulties an interracial married couple had throughout their relationship (due to racism).

*"Let's Get It On" was not Marvin Gaye's only famous song about sex: a decade later, Gaye would have a #3 hit with "Sexual Healing."

*Gladys Knight & the Pips are one of the most durable groups in history. Although "Midnight Train to Georgia" was their only #1 hit, the group's first and last major hits were "Every Beat of My Heart" (which reached #6 in 1961) and "Love Overboard" (#13 in 1988), respectively.

*While Eddie Kendricks had some solo hits, people are most familiar with his voice due to the fact that he was lead singer of the Temptations. (However, Kendricks was not the only lead singer of the Temptations, as David Ruffin instead sang lead on many of the group's songs.)

*"Photograph" was co-written by George Harrison and Ringo Starr, who happened to be the best of friends.

*Charlie Rich was primarily a country singer who happened to have a huge crossover hit with "The Most Beautiful Girl." Rich's first pop hit came way back in 1960, when he went to #22 with "Lonely Weekends."

*"Time in a Bottle" was the third posthumous #1 hit of the rock era, as Jim Croce was killed in a private plane crash in September 1973. Actually, it seems that a large number of musical stars perished when their small jets crashed. Aside from Croce, I know that such crashes caused of the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson), Patsy Cline, Otis Redding, John Denver, and Aaliyah.

*Given the long-term popularity and recognition of "The Joker" by Steve Miller, I am surprised that it spent only one week at number one.

[Im-n-a-whirl]

The next segment starts off with another Ringo Starr song, You're Sixteen, which is really kicky and fun to listen to.

Love the Marvin Gaye track. I'm such an old school R&B fanatic. That song just oozes sexy.

Keep On Truckin' is one of my all time favorites. It absolutely smokes. That is such a wonderful song.

I have always hated Delta Dawn with a passion because my first name is Dawn.

Show and Tell is another fabulous track. Sigh. Sing to me, Mr. Wilson. "Here is the soul of which you've taken control. Can't you see I'm trying to show love is right..." So awesome.

VH1 inaccurately cited the Steve Miller Band as only having one number one, the carnage known as Abracadabra. Actually that is their third appearance at the top of the charts, along with The Joker and the upcoming Rock'n Me.

[Max]

Im-n-a-whirl, I almost always agree with the things that you say. However, I disagree about your assessment of "Abracadabra," which I think is a good song (although it is hardly a favorite of mine).

1974 (Part 2 of 4):

355. You're Sixteen--Ringo Starr (1 week, January 26)

356. The Way We Were--Barbra Streisand (3 weeks, February 2)

357. Love's Theme--The Love Unlimited Orchestra (1 week, February 9)

358. Seasons in the Sun--Terry Jacks (3 weeks, March 2)

359. Dark Lady--Cher (1 week, March 23)

360. Sunshine on My Shoulders--John Denver (1 week, March 30)

361. Hooked on a Feeling--Blue Swede (1 week, April 6)

362. Bennie and the Jets--Elton John (1 week, April 13)

363. TSOP--MFSB & the Three Degrees (2 weeks, April 20)

364. The Loco-Motion--Grand Funk (2 weeks, May 4)

365. The Streak--Ray Stevens (3 weeks, May 18)

366. Band on the Run--Paul McCartney & Wings (1 week, June 8)

367. Billy, Don't Be a Hero--Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods (2 weeks, June 15)

368. Sundown--Gordon Lightfoot (1 week, June 29)

369. Rock the Boat--The Hues Corporation (1 week, July 6)

Comments:

*There are very few enjoyable songs in this latest batch of number one hits. To be truthful, 1974 was probably the worst year in rock history prior to the mid-90's.

*Speaking about 1974, another unusual thing about that year was the complete lack at longevity for the year's crop of #1 hits: a record 35 different songs peaked at #1 throughout the twelve month period. (It should be noted, however, that this record was tied in 1975.) And, during 1974, no single song would spend more than three weeks at number one. By sharp contrast, only seven different songs went to #1 in 2002, if one excludes two additional songs that held the top spot in the early part of that year but which actually first reached number one in 2001.

*Although Ringo Starr did a very good job with "You're Sixteen," I actually prefer the original version by Johnny Burnette (which peaked at #8 in 1960).

*"The Way We Were" was the first of five number one hits for Barbra Streisand. (By the way, her first name is actually spelled "Barbra" instead of the usual spelling of "Barbara.") However, her first top 5 hit came a decade earlier with "People."

*The conductor of the Love Unlimited Orchestra was none other than legendary R&B vocalist Barry White.

*After "Dark Lady," Cher would not have her next number one hit until 1999.

*I prefer B.J. Thomas' original version of "Hooked on a Feeling" (#5 in 1969) over Blue Swede's cover.

*"The Loco-Motion" was taken to #1 for a second time via an unlikely cover version by Grand Funk Railroad. (The original version of the song, performed by Little Eva, was a chart topper back in 1962.) While no song has ever been taken to #1 by three different artists, "The Loco-Motion" has come closest: Kylie Minogue took the song to #3 in 1988.

*The fad of streaking reached the peak of its popularity right after the 1974 Academy Awards, during which a naked individual ran across the stage. "The Streak" (which was a really stupid song) was Ray Stevens' tribute to this fad.

*I consider "Rock the Boat" to be the first disco song to peak at #1, while others believe that distinction should go to "Love's Theme." Regardless, 1974 was the first year that disco was present in pop music. The genre would explode in popularity in 1975, and then go on to dominate the charts in 1976.

[Im-n-a-whirl]

I was anticipating this segment because I knew what was coming!

TSOP (Which stands for The Sound of Philadelphia) was fabulous. I still love it to this day. I think it has a great melody which is very catchy - I never tire of hearing it. This was one of the first big hits for Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff's newly formed label, Philly International.

Band on the Run is another great song but my favorite part is the middle "If I ever get out of here" section.

Barry White told VH1 that Love's Theme came about because he wanted to make music that had strings as lead instruments. And since pretty much everything he touched turned to incredible gold, who are we to argue?

I love the harmonies and the bounciness of Rock the Boat. There is no way you can hear that song and possibly sit still.

Sundown has a sexiness to it that a lot of people took for granted when it first came out. Lightfoot was a hell of a songwriter.

Grand Funk's version of Loco Motion is a favorite.

The worst year for music by far was 1979. I'm talking completely horrendous! This stuff is a stack of Eleanor Rigby's in comparison, LOL. I remember People magazine even doing a cover story on the sorry state of music from that year.

Kicking off the next segment is Rock Your Baby by George McCrae, which I thought was absolutely wonderful!!!

[Max]

Actually, I thought that 1979 was a decent year for music; well, at least the first half of the year was good. However, when disco collapsed in popularity during the second half of 1979, pop music had trouble finding an identity for itself and--as a result--several bad songs became hits.

1974 (Part 3 of 4):

370. Rock Your Baby--George McCrae (2 weeks, July 13)

371. Annie's Song--John Denver (2 weeks, July 27)

372. Feel Like Makin' Love--Roberta Flack (1 week, August 10)

373. The Night Chicago Died--Paper Lace (1 week, August 17)

374. (You're) Having My Baby--Paul Anka with Odia Coates (3 weeks, August 24)

375. I Shot the Sheriff--Eric Clapton (1 week, September 14)

376. Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe--Barry White (1 week, September 21)

377. Rock Me Gently--Andy Kim (1 week, September 28)

378. I Honestly Love You--Olivia Newton-John (2 weeks, October 5)

379. Nothing from Nothing--Billy Preston (1 week, October 19)

380. Then Came You--Dionne Warwick & the Spinners (1 week, October 26)

381. You Haven't Done Nothin'--Stevie Wonder (1 week, November 2)

382. You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet--Bachman-Turner Overdrive (1 week, November 9)

383. Whatever Gets You Thru the Night--John Lennon (1 week, November 16)

Comments:

*I wholeheartedly agree with Im-n-a-whirl that both "Rock the Boat" (featured in the previous installment) and "Rock Your Baby" are among the two best early disco recordings.

*Paul Anka made a very unexpected comeback in 1974 due to the popularity of "(You're) Having My Baby." This song was his first number one hit since 1959.

*"I Shot the Sheriff" was Eric Clapton's only #1 hit. His second most popular recording, "Tears in Heaven" (#2 in 1992) was written in tribute to his young son Conor, who died after he fell from the 53rd floor of a high-rise apartment building.

*Barry White had one of the very smoothest voices of any singer I have ever heard. Aside from "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe," I also really like his performances of "You're the First, the Last, My Everything" and "Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up." Additionally, "Love's Theme" (which was an instrumental) was a great song.

*Andy Kim co-wrote "Sugar, Sugar," which was a #1 hit for the Archies back in 1969. Kim was also a member of that group, although he did not sing on the recording of "Sugar, Sugar."

*The gorgeous Olivia Newton-John initially became famous as a country artist. This country influence can be heard on her first pop #1 single, "I Honestly Love You."

*Dionne Warwick's first successful record was 1963's "Don't Make Me Over" (which happens to be my favorite song of hers). Although she enjoyed a very long career, both of her #1 hits--"Then Came You" and "That's What Friends Are For"--were performed in conjunction with other artists.

*The Spinners were one of the few R&B vocal groups that managed to be successful in the 1970's. While "Then Came You" was their only #1 hit, they scored six more top five hits. (Two of these top five records--"The Rubberband Man" and "Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me, Girl"--peaked at #2.)

*Although "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" was the Bachman-Turner Overdrive's most successful chart single, it definately is not their most recognizable song. That distinction would have to go to "Takin' Care of Business," which became famous after being featured in so many Office Depot commercials. (Surprisingly, "Takin' Care of Business" only peaked at #12.)

*Despite the immense fame and success he achieved with the Beatles, John Lennon did not have all that many smash hits as a solo artist. (Perhaps this was due to the fact that--more so than any other Beatle--he tended to produce music which was far away from the commercial mainstream.) "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night" was actually his only solo #1 hit when he was alive, given that his other #1--"(Just Like) Starting Over"--didn't reach the top of the chart until after he was assassinated.

[Im-n-a-whirl]

Rock Your Baby was just silky smooth and almost like it was written just for McCrae's voice. Actually, it was penned by Harry Casey of KC and the Sunshine Band, and he gave it to McCrae (after offering it to McCrae's wife Gwen first) to record when he realized he had written it out of his vocal range. Definitely a case of the musical gods knowing what's best. The song sold in the vicinity of 11 million copies. McCrae has re-recorded this song and trying to locate the original charted version is a lot more difficult. The original version is used on this segment - once again, my ears can not be fooled. Gwen McCrae could sing her ass off too - she had a hit called Rocking Chair, a wonderful song that will literally knock you out.

Barry White could turn anything into pure gold, like I've said before. Coincidently, Bad Company had their Can't Get Enough of Your Love out at the same time but there was certainly no confusion between the two.

Rock Me Gently is enjoying new life at the moment. It's currently being featured in a national ad (for Jeep, I believe) that has been airing on CBS. It aired repeatedly during the Army/Navy game and again today during the Dallas/Detroit game.

My favorite Bachman Turner Overdrive song is the one no one ever plays: Hey You.

Out of all four Beatles, the one whose solo work I enjoyed the least was Lennon's. On the other hand, I loved everything that "honorary Beatle" Billy Preston ever recorded.

The Spinners were awesome, especially Rubberband Man and I'll Be Around.

The next segment will begin with Billy Swan's I Can Help.