1970
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Venus - Shocking Blue
8 weeks No.1
between
week
3, 1970 and
week
10, 1970 Labels: Penny Farthing / Colossus / Metronome - Writer: Robbie Van Leeuwen - Producers: Robbie Van Leeuwen, Jerry Ross "Venus" is the signature song by Dutch rock band Shocking Blue. The song was inspired by "The Banjo Song", a composition by Tim Rose with new lyrics by Robbie Van Leeuwen, the band's guitarist, sitarist and background vocalist. Issued in the Netherlands in July 1969, it went to no.3 there. A short time later it became a global success with no.1 positions in the United States, Canada, France, Australia, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, and New Zealand, furthermore no.2 in Germany, Norway, and Austria. On the Countdown Chart 1970 "Venus" reached the runner-up slot, right behind Mungo Jerry's "In The Summertime". |
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Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel
3 weeks No.1
between
week
11, 1970 and
week
13, 1970 Labels: CBS / Columbia - Writer: Paul Simon - Producers: Roy Halee, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel The gorgeous power ballad "Bridge Over Troubled Water" was released on January 20, 1970. Paul Simon composed it very quickly, so much so that he asked himself, 'Where did that come from? It doesn't seem like me". The song performed on piano and carries the influence of gospel music. The original studio recording employs elements of Phil Spector's 'Wall of Sound' technique using L.A. session musicians from the Wrecking Crew. "Bridge Over The Troubled Water" topped the hitlists in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Canada, and New Zealand. It won five awards at the 13th Annual Grammy Awards in 1971, including for Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year. |
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Let It Be - Beatles
10 weeks No.1
between
week
14, 1970 and
week
23, 1970 Label: Apple - Writers: John Lennon, Paul McCartney - Producers: George Martin, Phil Spector "Let It Be", released on March 6, 1970, was the Beatles' final single before Paul McCartney announced his dispature from the band. And Paul McCartney had also the idea of "Let It Be" after he had a dream about his mother during the tense period surrounding the sessions for the The White Album in 1968. According to McCartney, the song's reference to 'Mother Mary' was not biblical. Nevertheless, he explained that his mother, who died of cancer when he was fourteen, was the inspiration of the lyric. The single version of the song, produced by George Martin, features a softer guitar solo and the orchestral section mixed low, while the album version, produced by Phil Spector, features a more aggresive guitar solo and the orchestral sections mixed up. "Let It Be" reached no.1 in the United States, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, and New Zealand. In United Kingdom and in Germany it went to no.2. On the Year-End Chart 1970 the ballad placed at no.3 with a total of 9,248,000 points. |
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Cecilia - Simon & Garfunkel
3 weeks No.1
between
week
24, 1970 and
week
26, 1970 Labels: CBS / Columbia - Writer: Paul Simon - Producers: Roy Halee, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel "Cecilia" was released on April 20, 1970 as the third single from the duo's fifth album Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970). The song's origins lie in a late-night party, in which the duo and friends began banging on a piano bench. They recorded the sound with a tape recorder, employing reverb and matching the rhythm created by the machine. Paul Simon later wrote the song's guitar line and lyrics on the subject of an untrustworthy lover. The song's title refers to St.Cecilia, patron saint of music in the Catholic tradition. "Cecilia" went to no.4 in the United States, no.1 in the Netherlands, and no.2 in Germany and Canada. Curiously the song did not chart in United Kingdom, despite being released as the follow-up to Simon & Garfunkel's no.1 hit "Bridge Over Troubled Water", and most copies of the UK single misspelled the title as "Cecelia" on the label. |
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Run Through The Jungle - Creedence Clearwater Revival
2 weeks No.1
between
week
27, 1970 and
week
28, 1970 Labels: Liberty / Fantasy - Writer: John Fogerty - Producer: John Fogerty "Run Through The Jungle", released in April 1970, was included on the group's fifth album Cosmo's Factory. The son's title and lyrics, as well as the year it was released, have led many to assume that the song is about the Vietnam War. The fact that previous Creedence Clearwater Revival songs such as "Fortunate Son" were protests of the Vietnam War added to this belief. The tune's opening and closing both featured jungle effects created by, according to the band's bassist Stu Cook, lots of backwards recorded guitar and piano. "Run Through The Jungle" peaked at no.4 in the United States and at no.3 in United Kingdom and Germany. |
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In The Summertime - Mungo Jerry
13 weeks No.1
between
week
29, 1970 and
week
41, 1970 Labels: Janus / Dawn / Pye - Writer: Ray Dorset - Producer: Barry Murray "In The Summertime" was the debut single of the British rock outfit Mungo Jerry and celebrates the carefree days of summer. Songwriter and band frontman Ray Dorset has said that the song only took ten minutes to write, which he did using a second-hand Fender Stratocaster guitar while he was taking time off from his regular job, working in a lab for Timex. "In The Summertime" was a huge success worldwide and reached the no.1 position in almost all countries, among others in United Kingdom, Germany, France, Canada, Australia, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland, and New Zealand. Only in the United States it peaked at no.3. The eternal summer smash was the most successful tune in 1970 globally and led the Year-End Chart with a total of 10.963.000 points. |
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Lookin' Out My Back Door - Creedence Clearwater Revival
2 weeks No.1
between
week
42, 1970 and
week
43, 1970 Labels: Liberty / Fantasy - Writer: John Fogerty - Producer: John Fogerty "Lookin' Out My Back Door" was released on July 25, 1970 and is included on the band's album Cosmo's Factory. The song's lyrics, filled with colorful, dream-like imagery, lead some to believe that is about drugs. According to the drug theory, the 'flying spoon' was a reference to a cocaine or heroine spoon, and crazy animal images were an acid trip. Fogerty, however, has stated in interviews that the song was actually written for his then three-year-old son, Josh. Fogerty has also said that he reference to a parade passing by was inspired by the Dr.Seuss book "And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street". "Lookin' Out My Back Door" climbed at no.1 in the Canada, Australia, Austria, and Norway, furthermore at no.2 in the United States and Germany. |
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Lola - Kinks
1 week No.1
week 44, 1970 Labels: Pye / Reprise - Writer: Ray Davies - Producer: Ray Davies "Lola", released on June 12, 1970, was lift off from the album Lola Versus Powerman And The Moneyground, Part One. The song details a romantic encounter between a young man and a possible transvestite, whom he meets in a club in Soho, London. In the song, the narrator describes his confusion towards Lola, who 'walked like a woman but talked like a man'. Although Ray Davies claims that the incident was inspired by a true encounter experienced by the band's manager, alternative explanations for the song have been given by drummer Mick Avory. "Lola" went to no.1 in the Netherlands, New Zealand, Ireland, and at no.2 in United Kingdom, Canada, and Austria. |
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El Condor Pasa - Simon & Garfunkel
2 weeks No.1
between
week
45, 1970 and
week
46, 1970 Labels: CBS / Columbia - Writers: Daniel Alomía Robles, Paul Simon, Jorge Milchberg - Producers: Roy Halee, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel "El Condor Pasa" is an orchestral musical piece from the zarzuela El Condor Pasa by the Peruvian composer Daniel Alomía Robles, written in 1913 and based on traditional Andean music, specifically folk music from Peru. In 1965 Paul Simon heard for the first time a version of the melody by the band Los Incas in a performance at the Theatre de L'est Parisien in Paris in which both were participating. In 1970, the Simon & Garfunkel duo covered the Los Incas version, adding some English lyrics. Released in September of that year as a single, the song became the third global no.1 success from the legendary album "Bridge Over Trouble Water". "El Condor Pasa" went to the top position in Germany, Australia, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, and Austria. |
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Cracklin' Rosie - Neil Diamond
5 weeks No.1
between
week
47, 1970 and
week
51, 1970 Label: Uni - Writer: Neil Diamond - Producer: Tom Catalano "Cracklin' Rosie", released in August 1970, was written and recorded for Diamond's album Tap Root Manuscript (1970). Married to a catchy and dynamic melody and arrangement, the lyrics suggested to some a devotion to a woman of the night. The stories about how Diamond was inspired to write the song are apocryphal. "Cracklin' Rose" is the name of an inexpensive sparkling wine once produced by Andres Wines of British Columbia, Canada, which was popular among the indigent population. The song was a no.1 smash in the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. |
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My Sweet Lord - George Harrison
16 weeks No.1
between
week
52, 1970 and
week
15, 1971 Label: Apple - Writer: George Harrison - Producers: George Harrison, Phil Spector "My Sweet Lord" was released on November 23, 1970 for the triple album All Things Must Pass (1970). It was the first Harrison single as a solo artist. Originally he gave the song to his fellow Apple Records artist Billy Preston to record. This version, which Harrison co-produced, appeared on Preston's Encouraging Words album in September 1970. Harrison wrote "My Sweet Lord" in praise of the Hindu god Krishna, while intending the lyrics as a call to abandon religious sectarianism through his blending of the Hebrew word hallelujah with chants of Hare Krishna and Vedic prayer. Later in the 1970s, "My Sweet Lord" was at the centre of a heavily publicised copyright infringement suit due to its similarity to the Ronnie Mack song "He's So Fine", also a global no.1 smash in April 1963 for the Chiffons. "My Sweet Lord" was one of the biggest hits in the 1970s, reached the top positions in almost all countries around the world and topped also easily the Year-End Chart 1971. |
1971
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Rose Garden - Lynn Anderson
3 weeks No.1
between
week
16, 1971 and
week
18, 1971 Labels: CBS / Columbia - Writer: Joe South - Producer: Glenn Sutton "Rose Garden" was written in 1967 by American singer / songwriter Joe South. It was first recorded by Billy Joe Royal. Versions by South himself and Dobie Gray appeared shortly after the original. Gray's version became a minor hit in North America in 1969. In 1970, Lynn Anderson recorded "Rose Garden" after hearing South's original version. However, Anderson's producer rejected the song's recording because he did not consider it to be a female tune. After much convincing, the song was eventually recorded and released as a single in October 1970 ... and becoming one of the biggest country smash hits ever. "Rose Garden" topped the charts in Germany, Australia, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, New Zealand, Norway, Finland, and Ireland, furthermore it went to no.3 in the United States and United Kingdom. On the Year-End Chart 1971 "Rose Garden" placed at no.2 behind George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" with 7,760,000 points. |
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Another Day - Paul McCartney
1 week No.1
week 19, 1971 Label: Apple - Writers: Paul & Linda McCartney - Producer: Paul McCartney "Another Day" was released on February 19, 1971 as a non-album single. It was Paul McCartney's debut single as a solo artist following the Beatles break-up in 1970. Paul credited his wife Linda as a co-writer on the song, triggering legal action from ATV on behalf of the publishing companies Northern Songs and Maclen Music. The lyrics describe the daily routine of a lonely woman, using an observational style similar to McCartney's narrative in the 1966 ballad "Eleanor Rigby". "Another Day" reached the top position in Australia, Spain and Ireland. In the United States it peaked at no.5 and in United Kingdom at no.2. |
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Brown Sugar - Rolling Stones
8 weeks No.1
between
week 20, 1971 and
week
27, 1971 Label: Rolling Stones - Writers: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards - Producer: Jimmy Miller "Brown Sugar" is the opening track and the lead single from the band's album Sticky Fingers (1971). The song was primarily the work of Mick Jagger, who wrote it sometime during the filming of Ned Kelly in 1969. According to Marsha Hunt, Jagger's then-girlfriend and the mother of his first child Karis, he wrote the song with her in mind. Former Ikette Claudia Lennear disputes this claim, saying that it was written about her. In the linear notes to the compilation album Jump Back (1993), Jagger says, "The lyric was all to do with the dual combination of drugs and girls. This song was a very instant thing, a definite high point. "Brown Sugar" went atop the hitlists in the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. |
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Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep - Middle Of The Road
4 weeks No.1
between
week 28, 1971 and
week
31, 1971 Label: RCA - Writer: Lally Stott The original recording of "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" by its composer, Lally Stott, was a Top 15 hit in France and a minor hit in Italy, Australia and in the United States. The later version of the Scottish folk-pop group Middle Of The Road was a much bigger hit, went to no.1 in United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Switzerland. Furthermore it went to the runner-up slot in Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, Spain, and Austria. |
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How Can You Mend A Broken Heart - Bee Gees
4 weeks No.1
between
week 32, 1971 and
week
35, 1971 Labels: Atco / Polydor - Writers: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb - Producers: Robert Stigwood, Bee Gees "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" was released on May 28, 1971 as the lead single of the Bee Gees album Trafalgar (1971). Barry and Robin wrote the song in August 1970 with "Lonely Days" when the Gibb brothers had reconvened following a period of break-up and alienation. It was the group's first no.1 success in the United States and Canada. |
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Sweet Hitch-Hiker - Creedence Clearwater Revival
3 weeks No.1
between
week 36, 1971 and
week
38, 1971 Labels: Liberty / Fantasy - Writer: John Fogerty - Producers: Stu Cook, Doug Clifford, John Fogerty "Sweet Hitch-Hiker" was released in July 1971 as the lead single from the band's seventh and final studio album Mardi Gras (1972). It's a typical CCR roots/swamp rock stomper. The song mentions the Greasy King, a restaurant in El Cerrito, the Californian city where the band members were raised. In Canada and Switzerland "Sweet Hitch-Hiker" went to the top position, in the United States and Germany it reached no.6. |
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Maggie Mae - Rod Stewart
9 weeks No.1
between
week 39, 1971 and
week
47, 1971 Label: Mercury - Writers: Rod Stewart, Martin Quittenton - Producer: Rod Stewart "Maggie Mae", released in July 1971, was the lead single from Rod's third studio album Every Picture Tells A Story (1971) and his first big success. The folk-rock tune with the gorgeous mandolin expresses the ambivalence and contradictory emotions of a boy involved in a relationship with an older woman and written from Stewart's own experience. "Maggie Mae" topped the charts in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. |
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Mamy Blue - Pop Tops
7 weeks No.1
between
week 48, 1971 and
week 2, 1972 Labels: Carriere / Finger / A&M / ABC - Writers: Hubert Giraud, Phil Trim - Producer: Alain Milhaud "Mamy Blue" was originally written with French lyrics in 1970 by veteran songwriter Hubert Giraud. He conceived the song in his car waiting out a Parisian traffic jam and had completed its demo within a few days. After four months the first recorded version of "Mamy Blue" was made - with Italian lyrics by Ivana Spagna. In May 1971, Alain Milhaud, a Swiss record producer based in Spain, acquired the song for the Pop Tops, a Spanish group he managed. Milhaud recorded the song in a session in London after the group's frontman Phil Trim wrote English lyrics. This version became a huge international success with no.1 positions in Germany, France, Australia, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Austria and Switzerland. |
1972
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I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing - New Seekers
2 weeks No.1
between
week 3, 1972 and
week 4, 1972 Labels: Elektra / Polydor - Writers: Bill Backer, Billy Davis, Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway - Producer: Al Ham "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" was originated as the jingle "True Love And Apple Pie", by British songwriters Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, and sung by Susan Shirley. The lyrics were rewritten by the songwriters, together with US advertising executive Bill Backer and songwriter Billy Davis, for the Coca Cola Company's then-advertising agency, McCann Erickson, to become "Buy The World A Coke" in the 1971 television commercial for Coca Cola. The popularity of the jingle led to it being re-recorded by the New Seekers and became a big smash with number one positions in United Kingdom, Japan, Ireland, and New Zealand. |
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Brand New Key - Melanie
2 weeks No.1
between
week 5, 1972 and
week 6, 1972 Labels: Buddah / Neighborhood - Writer: Melanie Safka - Producer: Peter Schekeryk The folk / pop song "Brand New Key" was initially a track of Melanie's album Gather Me and was released in October 1971. Produced by Melanie's husband Peter Schekeryk, it was known also as "The Rollerskate Song" due to its chorus. It's sung from the viewpoint of a girl with roller skates trying to attract the attention of a boy. "Brand New Key" peaked at the summit of the charts in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. |
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American Pie (Parts 1 & 2) - Don McLean
2 weeks No.1
between
week 7, 1972 and
week 8, 1972 Labels: Liberty / United Artists - Writer: Don McLean - Producer: Ed Freeman The legendary "American Pie" was released in October 1971. The repeatedly mentioned phrase "the day the music died" refers to the plane crash in 1959 that killed early rock and roll stars Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens, and ended the era of early rock and roll. However the overall theme of the song goes beyond mourning McLean's childhood music hereos, and reflects the deep cultural changes and profound disillusionment and loss of innocence of his entire generation. The meaning of the other lyrics, which cryptically allude to many of the jarring events and social changes experienced during that period, have been debated for decades. McLean repeatedly declined to explain the symbolism behind the many characters and events mentioned; he eventually released his songwriting notes to accompany the original manuscript when it was sold in 2015, explaining many of these. "American Pie" topped the hitlists in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and went to the runner-up slot in United Kingdom. |
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Without You - Nilsson
9 weeks No.1
between
week 9, 1972 and
week 17, 1972 Label: RCA - Writers: Pete Ham, Tom Evans - Producer: Richard Perry Paul McCartney once described the power ballad as "the killer song of all time". Originally "Without You" was written for the British rock group Badfinger, and first released on their 1970 album No Dice. The American singer / songwriter Harry Nilsson heard Badfinger's recording at a party, and mistook it for a Beatles song. After realising it was not, he decided to cover the song for his 1971 album Nilsson Schmilsson. The single was released on October 11, 1971, and later it went to the top positions in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland. |
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Aprés Toi - Vicky Leandros
4 weeks No.1
between
week 18, 1972 and
week 21, 1972 Label: Philips - Writers: Mario Panas, Klaus Munro, Yves Dessca - Producer: Klaus Munro "Aprés Toi", released in March 1972, was the winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest 1972 performed in French by Greek singer Vicky Leandros, representing Luxembourg. The song was co-written by Vicky' father Leo Leandros, under his pseudonym Mario Panas. 'Aprés Toí' is a dramatic ballad, with the singer telling her lover what will happen to her once he has finally left her for someone else. Originally, the song was written with German lyrics ("Dann Kamst Du") and was submitted to the German Eurovision national selection process. When the song did not qualify for that competition, Yves Dessca, who had co-written the lyrics of the 1971 ESC winning song "Un Banc, Un Arbre, Une Rue" by Severine, penned French lyrics and the song was chosen internally to represent Luxembourg. "Aprés Toi" reached no.1 in France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Belgium, furthermore no.2 in United Kingdom, Ireland, and Norway. |
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Tumbling Dice - Rolling Stones
2 weeks No.1
between
week 22, 1972 and
week 23, 1972 Label: Rolling Stones - Writers: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards - Producer: Jimmy Miller "Tumbling Dice" was released on April 14, 1972 as the lead single from the band's 1972 double album Exile On Main St. The song has a blues, boogie-woogie rhythm that scholars and musicians have noted for its unusual tempo and groove. The lyrics are about a gambler who cannot remain faithful to any woman. "Tumbling Dice" reached the Top Ten in several countries, inter alia no.5 in United Kingdom and the Netherlands, no.7 in the United States and Canada. |
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Amazing Grace - Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
1 week No.1
week 24, 1972 Label: RCA - Writer: John Newton - Producer: Pete Kerr "Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn published in 1779, with words written in 1772 by the English poet and Anglican clergyman John Newton. It has had particular influence in folk music, and has become an emblematic black spiritual. In 1972, the Royal Scots Dragoons Guards, the senior Scottish regiment of the British Army, recorded an instrumental version featuring a bagpipe soloist accompanied by a pipe band. This version was a big international success, reached no.1 in United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, no.3 in Switzerland, no.5 in Norway, and no.11 in the United States and Germany. |
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Song Sung Blue - Neil Diamond
7 weeks No.1
between
week 25, 1972 and
week 31, 1972 Label: Uni - Writer: Neil Diamond - Producer: Tom Catalano "Song Sung Blue", released in May 1972, is inspired by the second movement of Mozart's "Piano Concerto #21". Diamond described the song in the liner notes to his 1996 compilation album, In My Lifetime, as a "very basic message, unadorned. I didn't even write a bridge to it. I never expected anyone to reach to "Song Sung Blue" the way they did. I just like it, the message and the way a few words said so many things." The song went to no.1 in the United States and New Zealand, furthermore it reached no.2 in Canada, no.3 in the Netherlands, no.5 in Australia and Belgium, and no.6 in Germany. |
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Alone Again (Naturally) - Gilbert O'Sullivan
3 weeks No.1
between
week 32, 1972 and
week 34, 1972 Label: MAM - Writer: Gilbert O'Sullivan - Producer: Gordon Mills "Alone Again (Naturally)", released on Febraury 18, 1972, is a melancholy, introspective ballad. In the first verse, the singer contemplates suicide after having been left 'in the lurch at the church', in the second, he wonders if there's a God; finally, he laments the death of his parents. O'Sullivan has said the song isn't autobiographical: for example, his mother was alive during its composition, and he wasn't close to his father, who was cruel to his mother and died when the singer was 11 years old. The song reached the top position in the United States, France, Canada, no.2 in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and no.3 in United Kingdom. |
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Popcorn - Hot Butter
12 weeks No.1
between
week 35, 1972 and
week 46, 1972 Label: Musicor - Writer: Gershon Kingsley - Producers: Bill Jerome, Steve Jerome "Popcorn" is an instrumental composed by Gershon Kingsley in 1969 for the album Music To Moog By. In 1972, a rearranged version of the instrumental was recorded by Stan Free, a fellow member of the First Moog Quartet, with his own band Hot Butter... and suddenly the corn exploded: "Popcorn" turned out to be one of the most successful instrumentals in history and was the biggest hit of the year 1972 globally with a total of 7,856,000 points. It went to no.1 in Germany, France, Australia, the Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, and Switzerland. In United Kingdom it reached no.5, in the United States no.9. |
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I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash
2 weeks No.1
between
week 47, 1972 and
week 48, 1972 Label: Epic - Writer: Johnny Nash - Producer: Johnny Nash "I Can See Clearly Now" was released on June 23, 1972 as the lead single from Johnny Nash's album with the same title. After Nash wrote and composed the original version, he recorded it in London with members of the Fabulous Five Inc. and produced it himself. The song's arrangements and style are both heavily laced with reggae influences, as Nash had earlier collaborated with Bob Marley and his approach drew strongly from Marley's reggae style. "I Can See Clearly Now" topped the charts in the United States and Canada, furthermore it reached to no.3 in Australia and no.5 in United Kingdom. |
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Clair - Gilbert O'Sullivan
7 weeks No.1
between
week 49, 1972 and
week 2, 1973 Label: MAM - Writer: Raymond O'Sullivan - Producer: Gordon Mills "Clair", released in October 1972, was the first single from O'Sullivan's second album Back To Front. It's a love song from the point of view of a close family friend who babysits a young girl (actually the artist's manager's daughter), though for the first part of the song, the ambiguous words lead one to think that it's a romantic song from one adult to another. The brief instrumental introduction is the sound of O'Sullivan whistling before he begins his vocal. The real Clair was the three-year-old daughter of O'Sullivan's producer and manager, Gordon Mills, and his wife, the model Jo Waring. The little girl's giggling is heard at the end of this song. "Clair" went to no.1 in United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, and Ireland, in the United States it peaked at no.2. |
1973
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You're So Vain - Carly Simon
2 weeks No.1
between
week 3, 1973 and
week 4, 1973 Label: Elektra - Writer: Carly Simon - Producer: Richard Perry Carly Simon's signature song "You're So Vain" was written in 1971 and released on November 8, 1972. The song is a critical profile of a self-absorbed lover about whom Simon asserts, "You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you." The title subject's identity has long been a matter of speculation, with Simon pstating that the song refers to three men, only one of whom she has named publicly: Warren Beatty. The distinctive bass guitar intro is played by Klaus Voormann. The strings were arranged by Simon and orchestrated by Paul Buckmaster, and Simon plays piano on the track. "You're So Vain" topped the hitlists in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. |
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Crocodile Rock - Elton John
6 weeks No.1
between
week 5, 1973 and
week 10, 1973 Labels: DJM / MCA - Writers: Elton John, Bernie Taupin - Producer: Gus Dudgeon "Crocodile Rock" was released on October 27, 1972 as the lead single of Elton's sixth studio album Don't Shoot Me I'm Only The Piano Player (1973). The song is dominated by a Farfisa organ, played by John. The lyrics take a nostalgic look at early rock'n'roll, pop culture, dating and youthful independence of that era. "Crocodile Rock" was inspired by John's discovery of leading Australian band Daddy Cool and their hit single "Eagle Rock", which was the most successful Australian single of the early 1970s. John heard the song and the group on his 1972 Australian tour and was greatly impressed by it. In a 1974 lawsuit filed in the US District of Los Angeles by attorney Donald Barnett on behalf of "Speedy Gonzales" composer Buddy Kaye, it was allleged that defendants John and Taupin illegally oncrporated chords from "Speedy Gonzales" which produced a felsatto tone into the "Crcodile" song co-written by defendants. The parties reached a settlement between them and the case was then dismissed. "Crocodile Rock" topped the hitlists in the United States, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, and New Zealand. |
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Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack
4 weeks No.1
between
week 11, 1973 and
week 14, 1973 Label: Atlantic - Writers: Charles Fox, Norman Gimbel, Lori Lieberman - Producers: Joel Dorn "Killing Me Softly With His Song" was originally released in 1972 by American singer / songwriter Lori Lieberman, but it did not chart. The lyrics were written after she was inspired by a Don McLean performance at the Troubadour night club in Los Angeles in November 1971. Roberta Flack first heard the song on an airplane, when the Lieberman original was featured on the in-flight audio program. Short time later she recorded her own version of that song. Released on January 22, 1973, this version became a huge hit and a classic with no.1 positions in the United States, Canada, and Australia. |
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Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree - Dawn
9 weeks No.1
between
week 15, 1973 and
week 23, 1973 Label: Bell - Writers: Irwin Levine, L.Russell Brown - Producers: Hank Medress, Dave Appell "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree" was released on February 19, 1973. The song is told from the point of view of someone who has 'done his time' in the military or a prisoner-of-war camp. 'I'm really still in prison and my love, she holds the key' ... but is uncertain if he will be welcomed home. He writes his love, asking her to tie a yellow ribbon around the 'ole oak tree' in front of the house (which the bus will pass by) if she wants him to return to her life; if he does not see such a ribbon, he will remain on the bus, taking that to mean he is unwelcome. He asks the bus driver to check, fearful of not seeing anything. To his amazement, the entire bus cheers the response, there are 100 yellow ribbons around the tree, a sign he's very much welcome. The origin of the idea of a yellow ribbon as remembrance may have been the 19th-century practice that some women allegedly had of wearing a yellow ribbon in their hair to signify their devotion to a husband of sweetheart serving in the U.S.Cavalry. "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree" topped the charts in many countries and was the biggest hit of the year 1973 globally with a total of 8,122,000 points. |
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My Love - Paul McCartney & Wings
3 weeks No.1
between
week 24, 1973 and
week 27, 1973 Label: Apple - Songwriters: Paul & Linda McCartney - Producer: Paul McCartney Paul McCartney began writing "My Love" on piano as a love song to his wife Linda. He said he wrote it early on in their relationship; McCartney biographer Luca Perasi dates the composition to 1969 or 1970. After forming the band Wings with Linda in the summer of 1971, McCartney included "My Love" in the set list for the group's two concert tours in 1972. Released on March 23, 1973 as the lead single from their album Red Rose Speedway (1973), the song topped the hitlist in the United States and entered the Top 10 in United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Norway, and New Zealand. |
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Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) - George
Harrison
1 week No.1
week 26, 1973 Label: Apple - Songwriter: George Harrison - Producer: George Harrison "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)" was released on May 7, 1973 as the lead single to his album Living In The Material World (1973). As with most of the songs on this album, George Harrison wrote "Give Me Love" over 1971-72 and dedicated all to assisting refugees of the Bangladesh Liberation War. The song continues the precedent that Harrison set on "My Sweet Lord", through its fusion of the Hindu bhajan with Western gospel tradition. "Give Me Love" reached the top position in the United States, and furthermore the Top 10 in United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, and Ireland. |
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Get Down - Gilbert O'Sullivan
4 weeks No.1
between
week 28, 1973 and
week 31, 1973 Label: MAM - Songwriter: Gilbert O'Sullivan - Producer: Gordon Mills "Get Down" was released on March 9, 1973 as a single from Gilbert's album I'm A Writer, Not A Fighter. The song was originally used by O'Sullivan as a piano warm-up tune, but was eventually extended into a full song and released as a single. He recorded and released the song as a change from his more melancholy pieces. Believed to be an order from O'Sullivan to his dog ("Get Down!"), the singer is actually referring to a girl in the song behaving as a dog jumping on him, hence the request to get down. The tune topped the hitlists in United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, and placed in the Top 10 in the United States, Canada, France, Australia, Italy, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, and New Zealand. |
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Yesterday Once More - Carpenters
3 weeks No.1
between
week 32, 1973 and
week 34, 1973 Label: A&M - Songwriters: Richard Carpenter, John Bettis - Producers: Richard & Karen Carpenter "Yesterday Once More", released on May 16, 1973, is a smash from the duo's 1973 album Now & Then. Thematically the song concerns reminiscing about songs of a generation gone by. It segues into a long medley, consisting of eight covers of 1960s tunes incorporated into a faux oldies radio program. The song went to the top position in the United States and in the neighboring country Canada, furthermore it reached the runner-up slot in United Kingdom and additional Top 10 positions in Japan, Australia, Norway, the Netherlands, Ireland, and New Zealand. |
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Young Love - Donny Osmond
2 weeks No.1
between
week 35, 1973 and
week 36, 1973 Labels: MGM / Kolob - Songwriters: Ric Carter, Carole Joyner - Producers: Alan Osmond, Michael Lloyd Originally "Young Love" was written and recorded for the first time by Ric Carter. Some time later a new version by Tab Hunter kept the summit of the Global Chart for nine weeks, from February to April 1957. Simultaneously another recording by Sonny James peaked at no.4 globally. In 1973 the song was revived by American teen idol Donny Osmond. His version featured Donny's spoken recitation on the first half of the second verse. Released on July 7, the song reached number one in United Kingdom and Ireland, moreover the Top 10 in Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands. |
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Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose - Dawn
1 week No.1
week 37, 1973 Label: Bell - Songwriters: Irwin Levine, L.Russell Brown - Producers: Hank Medress, Dave Appell "Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose", released in July 1973, was included on the group's 1973 album, Dawn's New Ragtime Follies. Lyrically it's narrated by a husband seeking his wife in New Orleans, Louisiana. Shocked and in disbelief that his wife, name Mary Jo, would abandon him and their children to join a burlesque show at "The Land Of Dreams", a New Orleans strip joint, where she calls herself "Sweet Gypsy Rose", he devotes himself to searching for her. He hopes to convince her to give up her activities as a stripper and return to their home and family. The song reached no.3 in the United States, no.2 in Australia, and no.4 in Canada. |
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Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye
1 week No.1
week 38, 1973 Label: Tamla - Songwriters: Marvin Gaye, Ed Townsend - Producers: Marvin Gaye, Ed Townsend "Let's Get It On" was released on June 15, 1973. The song features romantic and sexual lyricism and funk instrumentation by the Funk Brothers. The title track of Gaye's album of the same name, became one of his most well-known songs. With the help of the song's sexually explicit content, "Let's Get It On" helped give Gaye a reputation as a sex symbol during its initial popularity and topped the hitlist in the United States. |
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Angie - Rolling Stones
14 weeks No.1
between
week 39, 1973 and
week 52, 1973 Label: Rolling Stones - Songwriters: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards - Producer: Jimmy Miller "Angie" featured on the band's 1973 album Goats Head Soup, served as the lead single on the album and was released on August 20, 1973. The song credited, as most Rolling Stones songs are, to both Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. "Angie" was recorded in November and December 1972 and is an acoustic guitar-driven ballad characterizing the end of a romance. The song distinctive piano accompaniment, written by Richardsm was played on the album by Nicky Hopkins, a Rolling Stones recording-session regular. The strings on the piece were arranged by Nicky Harrison. An unusual feature of the original recording is that singer Mick Jagger's vocal guide track is faintly audible throughout the song, an effect sometimes called a ghost vocal. "Angie" went to the top position in the United States, France, Canada, Italy, Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and reached the runner-up slot of the Global Year-End Chart 1973. |
1974
 |
Merry Xmas Everybody - Slade
2 weeks No.1
between
week 1, 1974 and
week 2, 1974 |
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Photograph - Ringo Starr
2 weeks No.1
between
week 3, 1974 and
week 4, 1974 Label: Apple - Songwriters: Richard Starkey, George Harrison - Producer: Richard Perry "Photograph" was released on September 24, 1973, as the lead single from his album Ringo (1973) and it's the signature tune for Starr as a solo artist. The lyrics are a reflection on lost love, whereby a photograph is the only reminder of the protagonists' shared post. Ringo Starr and George Harrison began writing the song in South of France in 1971, during a period when Starr focused on developing his acting career. The officially released version was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Richard Perry and it incorporates aspects of Phil Spector's Wall of Sound through the presence of multiple drums and acoustic guitars, as well an orchestra and a choir. "Photograph" topped the hitlists in the United States, Canada, and Australia. |
 |
The Way We Were - Barbra Streisand
1 week No.1
week 5, 1974 Label: Columbia - Songwriters: Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Marvin Hamlisch - Producer: Marty Paich Taken from her fifteenth studio album of the same name, "The Way We Were" was released on September 27, 1973. Its lyrics detail the melancholic relationship between the two main characters in the 1973 film of the same name, starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford. Its appeal was noted by several music critics, who felt its impact helped revive Streisand's career. The song also won two Academy Awars, which were credited to the songwriters of the track. "The Way We Were" went atop the hitlists in the United States and Canada. |
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Love's Theme - Love Unlimited Orchestra
3 weeks No.1
between
week 6, 1974 and
week 8, 1974 Label: Philips / 20th Century - Songwriter: Barry White - Producer: Barry White "Love's Theme" is an instrumental piece written by Barry White around 1965. Released as a single by White's Love Unlimited Orchestra in November 1973, the recording with its large string orchestra, modified guitar and big rhythm was considered to be an influence on the disco sound, which would increase popularity the following year. "Love's Theme" reached the Top 10 in several countries and topped the charts in the United States and Canada. |
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Seasons In The Sun - Terry Jacks
14 weeks No.1
between
week 9, 1974 and
week 23, 1974 Label: Bell - Songwriters: Jacques Brel, Rod McKuen - Producer: Terry Jacks "Seasons In The Sun" is an adaption of the 1961 Belgian song "Le Moribond" by singer / songwriter Jacques Brel with lyrics rewritten in 1963 by singer / poet Rod McKuen, portraying a dying man's farewell to his loved ones. In 1964, the Kingston Trio first recorded an English version of "Seasons In The Sun", which was later heard by Terry Jacks and became the basis for his rendition. Jack's version became a huge success, reached the top position in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand and it was the biggest hit of the year 1974 globally. It lands at the pole position of the Countdown Chart in that year with a total of 10,678,000 points. |
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Waterloo - Abba
5 weeks No.1
between
week 19, 1974 and
week 28, 1974 Labels: Atlantic / Epic / Polydor - Songwriters: Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Stikkan Anderson - Producer: Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus "Waterloo" was released on March 4, 1974, as the first single of the group's second album of the same name. After winning the 14th edition of the Melodifestivalen, the song represented Sweden in the 19th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest held in Brighton, winning the contest and beginning Abba's path to worldwide fame. The title and lyrics reference the 1815 battle of Waterloo, and use it as a metapher for a romantic relationship. The song's production style was influenced by Phil Spector's 'Wall Of Sound". Engineer Michael B.Tretow had read Richard Williams' book Out Of His Head: The Sound Of Phil Spector, which inspired him to layer multiple instrumental overdubs on the band's recordings, becoming an integral part of Abba's sound. "Waterloo" topped the hitlists in United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, Ireland and it reached even no.6 in the United States, very unusual for an Eurovision winner. On the Year-End Chart 1974 it landed at no.3 with 8,541,000 points. |
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The Streak - Ray Stevens
1 week No.1
week 24, 1974 Labels: Barnaby / Westbound - Songwriter: Ray Stevens - Producer: Ray Stevens "The Streak" is a country / novelty song written, produced and sung by Ray Stevens. It was released in February 1974 as the lead single to his album Boogity Boogity. The tune capitalized on the then-popular craze of streaking (it's the act of running naked through a public area). Stevens has stated that he first got the idea for the song while reading a news magazine on an airplane, which included a brief item about streaking. "The Streak" was released less than a week before the televised 46th Academy Awards, during which Robert Opel created an uproar after he streaked across the stage behind host David Niven. Finally the funny song reached the top position in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand, furthermore no.2 in Australia and Ireland. |
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Rock Your Baby - George McCrae
16 weeks No.1
between
week 29, 1974 and
week 45, 1974 Labels: T.K. / RCA - Songwriters: Harry Wayne Casey, Richard Finch - Producers: Harry Wayne Casey, Richard Finch "Rock Your Baby" was one of the landmark recordings of early disco music. It was also one of the first records to use a drum machine, an Roland rhythm machine. The track was not originally intended for George McCrae but he happened to be in the studio and added a vocal; the resulting combination of infectious rhythm and falsetto vocals made it a massive global hit. Abba's Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus have cited the song as an inspiration for the backing track of their 1976 smash hit "Dancing Queen". In a 1975 interview, John Lennon said of "Rock Your Baby" that "I'd give my eyetooth to have written that". Released in May 1974, the song topped the hitlists in almost all countries around the world and with a total of 10,287,000 points it landed finally at the runner-up spot on the Year-End Chart 1974. |
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Sugar Baby Love - Rubettes
1 week No.1
week 35, 1974 Label: Polydor - Songwriters: Wayne Bickerton, Tony Waddington - Producer: Wayne Bickerton "Sugar Baby Love" was written by Wayne Bickerton and Tony Waddington in October 1973. They originally intended to submit it for the Eurovision Song Contest but instead offered it to Showaddywaddy and Carl Wayne, who both turned it down. Then they offered it to the musicians of the demo-recording, provided that they would become an actual group with the exception of the recording's lead singer, Paul Da Vinci, who had signed a solo recording contract with Penny Farthing Records. Surprisingly, only John Richardson, who played drums, Pete Arnesen who played piano and Alan Williams, who sang in the chorus backing vocal group, woold sign up and later become a member of the Rubettes. For public appearances, Williams, who claimed to be the only member of the group able to duplicate Da Vinci's falsetto, performed the lead vocals. "Sugar Baby Love" went to number one in United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, and Austria. |
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Kung Fu Fighting - Carl Douglas
11 weeks No.1
between
week 46, 1974 and
week 4, 1975 Labels: 20th Century / Pye - Songwriter: Carl Douglas - Producer: Biddu Appaiah The legendary disco hymn was released in July 1974 as the Jamaican musician's debut single. It uses the Oriental riff, a short musical phrase that is used to signify Chinese culture. "Kung Fu Fighting" was originally meant to be a B-side to "I Want To Give You My Everything". After more than two hours recording the A-side and then time for a break, there were only ten minutes of studio time remaining due to a three-hour time constraint for the entire session, so only two takes of "Kung Fu Fighting" were recorded. According to producer Biddu, "the song was the B-side so i went over the top on the 'huhs' and the 'hahs' and the chopping sounds. It was a B-side: who was going to listen?" After hearing both songs, Robin Blanchflower of Pye Records insisted that "Kung Fu Fighting" be the A-side instead. Following its release, the song did not receive any radio airplay for the first five weeks and sold poorly, but the song began gaining popularity in dance clubs, eventually entering the UK Chart and reaching the top in September 1974. Later it topped also the hitlists in many other countries, like in the United States, Germany, France, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Ireland, and New Zealand. |
1975
 |
Please Mr.Postman - Carpenters
5 weeks No.1
between
week 5, 1975 and
week 9, 1975 Label: A&M - Songwriters: Georgia Dobbins, William Garrett, Freddie Gorman, Brian Holland, Robert Bateman - Producers: Richard & Karen Carpenter "Please Mr.Postman" was originally released as the debut single by the American girl group Marvelettes for the Tamla (Motown) label, notable as the first Motown song to reach the number one position in the United States. Globally it peaked at no.2 in December 1961. The Carpenter's version resembles an old 1950s rock & roll song. It finally reached the top position in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Furthermore it climbed into the Top 10 in United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, New Zealand, and Ireland. |
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I Can Help - Billy Swan
2 weeks No.1
between
week 10, 1975 and
week 11, 1975 Label: Monument - Songwriter: Billy Swan - Producers: Chip Young, Billy Swan Billy Swan began the composition of this rockybilly classic in March 1974. He used a rock-preset, from his rhythm master drum machine, when writing the song; "It played 16ths and aounded like a sock cymbal, so I just started playing these chords along with it, and the song came in about 20 minutes. I didn't always write that quickly, but from my experience the ones that come quickly are the good ones." The distinctive keyboars were played by Swan on a portable Farfisa organ. The unusual outro of the song contains a reasonably extended cadenza on the organ, which then is followed by an instrumental repeat of the ending, followed by another brief organ cadenza, which afterwards is then followed by another instrumental repeat of the ending before the song's fade. Released in July 1974, "I Can Help" went to No.1 in the United States, Germany, France, Australia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, New Zealand, and it was the biggest success of the year 1975 globally with a total of 7,342,000 points. |
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Lady Marmelade (Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi Ce
Soir?) - LaBelle
3 weeks No.1
between
week 12, 1975 and
week 14, 1975 Label: Epic - Songwriters: Bob Crewe, Kenny Nolan - Producers: Allen Toussaint, Vicki Wickham "Lady Marmelade" was written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan and is famous for the French refrain of "Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi Se Coir?", which is a sexual proposition that translates into English as: "Do you wanna sleep with me tonight?" A demo of the song was first recorded by The Eleventh Hour, a disco group made up of studio musicians fronted by Nolan on vocals, which did not chart. But the furious version by the funk rock group LaBelle became a massive success. Patti LaBelle sang the lead vocals with backing vocals being contributed by bandmates Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash. Released on November 5, 1974, as a single from the album Nightbirds, "Lady Marmelade" reached the top position in the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands. |
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Philadelphia Freedom - Elton John
3 weeks No.1
between
week 15, 1975 and
week 17, 1975 Labels: DJM / MCA - Songwriters: Elton John, Bernie Taupin - Producer: Gus Dudgeon The song was written by John and Taupin as a favour to John's friend, tennis star Billie Jean King, who was part of the Philadelphia Freedoms professional tennis team. The song features an orchestral arrangement by Gene Page that includes flutes, horns and strings. Recorded in the summer of 1974, during breaks between sessions for Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy, the song was at the time the only song Elton John and Bernie Taupin had ever consciously written as a single. Released on February 28, 1975, "Philadelphia Freedom" jumped to the summit of the hitlists in the United States and Canada. |
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Lovin' You - Minnie Riperton
1 week No.1
week 18, 1975 Label: Epic - Songwriters: Minnie Riperton, Richard Rudolph - Producers: Stevie Wonder, Scorbu Productions "Lovin' You" was released on November 29, 1974, as the third single from Minnie Riperton's second studio album, Perfect Angel (1974). The soul / pop ballad was written by her and husband, Richard Rudolph. When Epic asked Riperton whom she wanted to produce the album, she named Stevie Wonder. He was a fan of Riperton's work, and agreed to the collaboration. "Lovin' You" topped the hitlist in the United States and peaked in the top 10 in United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, and Belgium. |
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Shame, Shame, Shame - Shirley & Company
1 week No.1
week 19, 1975 Labels: Vibration / All Platinum / Philips - Songwriter: Sylvia Robinson - Producer: Sylvia Robinson The disco / soul smash "Shame, Shame, Shame" was released in December 1974 and written by Sylvia Robinson, later became known as 'Mother of hip-hop', because she is credited as the driving force behind two landmark singles in this genre: "Rappers Delight" (1979) by the Sugarhill Gang, and "The Message" (1982) by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five. Shirley & Company consisting of R&B singer Shirley Goodman and Christian musician and pastor Jason Alvarez. "Shame, Shame, Shame" is prominent for it use of the Bo Diddley beat, a syncopated musical rhythm that is widely used in popular music. "Shame, Shame, Shame" reached the number one position in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Austria. |
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Only Yesterday - Carpenters
5 weeks No.1
between
week 20, 1975 and
week 24, 1975 Label: A&M - Songwriters: Richard Carpenter, John Bettis - Producer: Richard Carpenter "Only Yesterday" was released on March 14, 1975. The Cashbox magazine called it a "ballad with its infectious beat" and that "Karen's dulcet, multi-tracked vocals soar over a dynamic arrangement which should be buzzing over the airwaves for a long time." The tune was the Carpenter's twelfth and last Top 10 single, reached no.4 there. In Canada it went at no.2, in United Kingdom at no.7, in Ireland no.5, in New Zealand no.10, and even no.12 in Japan. |
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The Hustle - Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony
4 weeks No.1
between
week 25, 1975 and
week 30, 1975 Label: Avco - Songwriter: Van McCoy - Producers: Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore While in New York City to make an album, Van McCoy composed the song after his music partner, Charles Kipps, watched patrons do a dance known as the "Hustle" in the nightclub Adam's Apple. Producer Hugo Peretti contracted multi-woodwind player Phil Bodner to play the distinctive piccolo lead melody. Released on April 18, 1975, the disco anthem jumped atop the hitlist in the United States, Canada, and Spain. Furthermore it peaked in the top three in United Kingdom, Germany, and Belgium. "The Hustle" won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance early in 1976 and reached no.3 on the Countdown Chart 1975. |
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I'm Not In Love - 10CC
4 weeks No.1
between
week 26, 1975 and
week 32, 1975 Label: Mercury - Songwriters: Eric Stewart, Graham Gouldman - Producer: 10CC "I'm Not In Love" was released in May 1975 as the second single from the band's third album, The Original Soundtrack (1975). The song is known for its innovative and distinctive backing track, composed mostly of the band's multitracked vocals. Eric Stewart came up with the idea for the song after his wife, to whom he had been married for eight years at that point, asked him why he did not say "I love you" more often to her. Stewart said, "I chose to say 'I'm not in love with you', while subtly giving all the reasons throughout the song why I could never let go of this relationship." "I'm Not In Love" topped the charts in United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, and reached the Top 10 in the United States, Germany, France, Australia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Switzerland, and New Zealand. Furthermore it landed at no.2 on the Year-End Chart 1975. |
1978
 |
You're The One That I Want - John Travolta & Olivia
Newton-John
13 weeks No.1
between
week
28, 1978 and
week
40, 1978 Label: RSO - Writer: John Farrar - Producer: John Farrar "You're The On That I Want", released on May 17, 1978, was one of the biggest film songs in the music history. The lead single from the 'Grease' soundtrack topped the Global Chart for 13 weeks, led the year-end chart 1978 and reached no.15 on the All Time Chart with massive 12,139.000 points. In the United States and also United Kingdom the sales of the single reached more than two million. The American romantic comedy film and worldwide blockbuster 'Grease', starring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta, based on the 1971 musical of the same name by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. |
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Summer Nights - John Travolta & Olivia
Newton-John
5 weeks No.1
between
week
41, 1978 and
week
45, 1978 Label: RSO - Writers: Jim Jacobs, Warren Casey - Producers: Jim Jacobs, Warren Casey "Summer Nights", released on August 25, 1978, replaced the duo's former legendary no.1 smash atop the Global Chart. It held the top position for five weeks. The song's genesis stems from a summertime love affair between Danny and Sandy in the movie 'Grease', which had ended upon Sandy's revelation that she was moving back to Australia with her family. However, Sndy soon learns that her family is staying in the United States and subsequently enrolls at Rydell High School, where Danny is also a student. "Summer Nights" reached no.5 in the United States and spent seven weeks at no.1 in United Kingdom. |
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MacArthur Park - Donna Summer
4 weeks No.1
between
week 46, 1978 and
week 49, 1978 Label: Casablanca - Writer: Jimmy Webb - Producers: Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte "MacArthur Park" was written and composed by Jimmy Webb in the summer and fall of 1967 as part of an intended cantata. Webb initially brought the entire cantata to the Association, but the group rejected it. The inspiration for the song was his relationship and breakup with Susie Horton. MacArthur Park, in Los Angeles, was where the two occasionally met for lunch and spent their most enjoyable times together. The song was firstly recorded by Richard Harris and went to no.9 globally in June 1968. Donna Summer's disco arrangement was the most successful version of that composition. |
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Le Freak - Chic
1 week No.1
week 50, 1978 Label: Atlantic - Writers: Bernard Edwards, Nile Rodgers - Producers: Bernard Edwards, Nile Rodgers The disco / funk classic "Le Freak" was released on September 21, 1978 amd commemorates Studio 54 for its notoriously long customer waiting lines, exclusive clientele, and discourteous doormen. According to guitarist Nile Rodgers, the song was devised during New Year's Eve of 1977, as a result of his and bassist Bernard Edwards' being refused entrance to Studio 54, where they hab been invited by Grace Jones, due to her failure to notify the nightclub's staff. He said the lyrics of the refrain were originally "Fuck Off!" rather than "Freak Out!". It was what the doorman had said to him when he slammed the door to them. "Le Freak" stormed atop the hitlist in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In France it reached no.2, in Germany no.5, and in United Kingdom no.7. |
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Y.M.C.A. - Village People
12 weeks No.1
between
week 51, 1978 and
week 9, 1979 Labels: Metronome / Casablanca - Writers: Jacques Morali, Victor Willis - Producer: Jacques Morali "Y.M.C.A." released on November 13, 1978, was one of the biggest party- and gayhymns of the Seventies. Taken at face value, the song's lyrics extol the virtues of the Young Men's Christian Association. In the gay culture from which the Village People sprang, the song was implicitly understood as celebrating the YMCA's reputation as a popular cruising and hookup spot, particularly for the younger men to whom it was addressed. The song remains popular and is played at many event, with crowds using the dance in which the arms are used to spell out the four letters of the song's title. "Y.M.C.A." jumped atop the charts in almost all countries, among others in United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Australia, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland and it was the biggest hit in 1979 globally. |
1979
 |
Tragedy - Bee Gees
6 weeks No.1
between
week 10, 1979 and
week 15, 1979 Label: RSO - Writers: Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb - Producers: Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson "Tragedy" started in February 1979 and was included on the album Spirits Having Flown. Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb wrote this song and "Too Much Heaven" in an afternoon off from making the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band movie, in which they were starring. In the same evening, they wrote "Shadow Dancing", which was performed by Andy Gibb (no.6 globally in August 1978). Though not originally in Saturday Night Fever, it has subsequently been added to the musical score of the West End version of the movie-musical. "Tragedy" reached no.1 in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Canada, Italy, Spain, Ireland, and New Zealand. |
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I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
1 week No.1
week 16, 1979 Label: Polydor - Writers: Freddie Perren, Dino Fekaris - Producer: Dino Fekaris "I Will Survive" was released on October 23, 1978. The legendary disco smash is frequently recalled as a symbol of female strength and as a gay anthem. The lyrics describe the narrator's discovery of personal strength following an initially devastating breakup. Originally released as the B-side to a cover version of the Righteous Brothers song "Substitute", "I Will Survive" became a worldwide hit for Gaynor when disc jockeys played that side of the record instead. The song reached no.1 in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Ireland. "I Will Survive" received the Grammy Award for Best Disco Recording in 1980, the only year the award was given. |
 |
Heart Of Glass - Blondie
3 weeks No.1
between
week 17, 1979 and
week 19, 1979 Label: Chrysalis - Writers: Debbie Harry, Chris Stein - Producer: Mike Chapman "Heart Of Glass" was released in January 1979 as the third single of the band's third studio album Parallel Lines. Debbie Harry and Chris Stein wrote an early version of "Heart Of Glass", called "Once I Had A Love", in 1974-75. This earlier version was initially recorded as a demo in 1975. The song had a slower, funkier sound with a basic disco-beat. This original version was inspired by Hues Corporation's hit "Rock The Boat". In June 1978 producer Mike Chapman changed this demo to an irresistible disco / new wave smash. "Heart Of Glass" went to the top position in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Switzerland... and finally it ranked at no.2 on the countdown chart 1979 with a total of 9.846.000 points. |
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In The Navy - Village People
2 weeks No.1
between
week 20, 1979 and
week 21, 1979 Labels: Metronome / Casablanca - Writers: Jacques Morali, Victor Willis, Henri Belolo - Producer: Jacques Morali "In The Navy" was released on January 17, 1979. After the enormous commercial success of their 1978 monster smash "Y.M.C.A." which unexpectedly became the unofficial hymn and powerful advertising tool for the YMCA, the group took on another national institution, the United States Navy. The Navy contacted group manager Henri Belolo to use the song in a recruiting advertising campaign for television and radio. "In The Navy" landed at no.1 in Canada and the Netherlands, at no.3 in the United States and Germany, and at No.2 in United Kingdom. |
 |
Hot Stuff - Donna Summer
10 weeks No.1
between
week 22, 1979 and
week 32, 1979 Label: Casablanca - Writers: Pete Bellotte, Harold Faltermeyer, Keith Forsey - Producers: Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte "Hot Stuff" was released on April 13, 1979 as the lead single from Donna Summer's seventh studio album Bad Girls. Although Donna had previously been mainly been associated with disco songs, this release showed a significant rock direction, including a guitar solo by ex-Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan guitarist Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter. "Hot Stuff" won the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in the inaugural year the award was given out. The song went to the top position in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Switzerland. |
 |
Ring My Bell - Anita Ward
3 weeks No.1
between
week 31, 1979 and
week 34, 1979 Labels: TK / Juana - Writer: Frederick Knight - Producer: Frederick Knight "Ring My Bell", released in April 1979, was originally written for then 11-year-old Stacy Lattisaw, as a teenybopper song about kids talking on the telephone. When Lattisaw signed with a different label, Anita Ward was asked to sing it instead, and it became her only major hit. The song is noted for its innovative use of the Synare electronic drum, playing a decaying high-pitched tom tone on the first beat of every bar. The lyrics concern a woman encouraging her partner to relax with her after a hard day at work. "Ring My Bell" reached the top spot in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Spain, Norway, and New Zealand. |
 |
My Sharona - The Knack
6 weeks No.1
between
week 35, 1979 and
week 40, 1979 Label: Capitol - Writers: Doug Fieger, Berton Averre - Producer: Mike Chapman "My Sharona", released in June 1979, was the debut single by the Los Angeles based rock band. When songwriter Doug Fieger was 25 years old, he met 17-year-old Sharona Alperin, who inspired a two-month-long run of songwriting, as well as becoming Fieger's girlfriend for the next four years. The music of the song echoes many elements of songs from the 1960s. For example: the main melodic hook is an inversion of the signature riff from "Gimme Some Lovin", a 1967 hit by the Spencer Davis Group... or the stuttering vocal effect of the repeated 'muh muh muh my Sharona' phrase is reminiscent of Roger Daltrey's vocals in the 1965 song "My Generation" by The Who. "My Sharona" was no.1 in the United States and the biggest there in 1979, it went also to the top position in Canada, Australia, and Italy. |
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Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - Michael Jackson
2 weeks No.1
between
week 41, 1979 and
week 42, 1979 Label: Epic - Writer: Michael Jackson - Producers: Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" was released on July 28, 1979 as the lead single of Michael's fifth studio album Off The Wall. It was the first solo recording over which Jackson had creative control. The song is credited as a disco / funk song. It introduced Jackson's falsetto voice and vocal hiccups, which would become one of Jackson's signature techniques. The song went to the summit in the United States, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, New Zealand, and Ireland. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" earned Jackson his first solo Grammy Award, winning Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 1980 Grammy Awards. |
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Pop Muzik - M
2 weeks No.1
between
week 43, 1979 and
week 44, 1979 Labels: MCA / Sire - Writer: Robin Scott - Producer: Robin Scott Certainly the shortest name of a music project ever: behind the pseudonym M stood the British musician Robin Scott. "Pop Muzik" was initially recorded in R&B and funk styles before a friend of Scott suggested using synthesizer. He describes the genesis of the song: 'I was looking to make a fusion of various styles which somehow would summarise the last 25 years of pop music. It was a deliberate point I was trying to make. Whereas rock and roll had created a generation gap, disco was bringing people together on an enormous scale. That's why I really wanted to make a simple, bland statement, which was, all we're talking about basically (is) pop music'. "Pop Muzik" was released in the UK first, peaking at no.2 on 12 May 1979, unable to break Art Garfunkel's six-week stint at no.1 with "Bright Eyes". Later the smash reached also the hot spot in the United States, Germany, Canada, Australia, Sweden, Switzerland, and Denmark. |
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Heartache Tonight - Eagles
1 week No.1
week 45, 1979 Label: Asylum - Writers: Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Bob Seger, J.D.Souther - Producer: Bill Szymczyk "Heartache Tonight" was released on September 18, 1979 and included on the band's album The Long Run. The song originated from an electric jam session between Glenn Frey and J.D.Souther who would visit Frey's home in Los Angeles whenever he was in town on tour. Frey and Souther wrote the first verse while listening to Sam Cooke songs. In the heat of jamming, Frey called Bob Seger on the phone and sang him the verse. Seger then blurted out the chorus. "Heartache Tonight" topped the charts in the United States and Canada and received a 1979 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. |
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Still - Commodores
1 week No.1
week 46, 1979 Label: Motown - Writer: Lionel Richie - Producers: James Anthony Carmichael, Commodores "Still" was released on September 14, 1979 and appears on their album Midnight Magic. It was the band's first global no.1, after 'Three Times A Lady' peaked at no.2 a year ago. The song went also to no.1 in the United States, furthermore it reached no.2 in Canada and no.4 in United Kingdom. |
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No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) - Barbra Streisand & Donna
Summer
4 weeks No.1
between
week 47, 1979 and
week 50, 1979 Labels: Columbia / Casablanca - Writers: Paul Jabara, Bruce Roberts - Producers: Gary Klein, Giorgio Moroder, Harold Faltermeyer "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)", released in October 1979, was released in two versions: the full-length version was found on Barbra Streisand's album Wet and a longer eleven minute plus version was featured on Donna Summer's compilation On The Road: Greatest Hits Volume I & II. The sales of the two were amalgamated. Summer and Streisand never performed the song together live after recording it. "Enough Is Enough" climbed atop the hitlist in the United States amd Sweden, and reached no.2 in Canada and Spain, no.3 in United Kingdom and Norway. |
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Video Killed The Radio Star - Buggles
4 weeks No.1
between
week 51, 1979 and
week 2, 1980 Label: Island - Writers: Geoff Downes, Trevor Horn, Bruce Woolley - Producers: The Buggles "Video Killed The Radio Star", released on September 7, 1979, was wrote by Geoff Downes, Trevor Horn and Bruce Woolley in an hour of one afternoon in 1978, six months before it was recorded by Bruce Woolley & The Camera Club and later by the Buggles, consisting of Horn and Downes. The song relates to concerns about mixed attitudes towards 20th-century inventions and machines for the media arts. Musically, the song performs like an extended jingle with unusual musical pop elements. "Video Killed The Radio Star" topped the hitlists in United Kingdom, France, Australia, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden and Ireland. |