THE BIGGEST SONGS OF SUMMER, 1968
The National Charts:
Here are The Top 50 Songs of Summer, 1968, based on the combined rankings of these songs on the Billboard, Cash Box and Record World charts. Very special thanks to Randy Price for compiling this information EXCLUSIVELY for Forgotten Hits!
1.
THIS GUY'S IN LOVE WITH YOU - Herb Alpert (A&M)
2. LADY
WILLPOWER - Gary Puckett & The Union Gap (Columbia)
3. JUMPIN' JACK
FLASH - The Rolling Stones (London)
4. STONED SOUL
PICNIC - The 5th Dimension (Soul City)
5. GRAZING IN
THE GRASS - Hugh Masekela (Uni)
6. THE HORSE
- Cliff Nobles & Co. (Phil-L.A. Of Soul)
7. ANGEL OF THE
MORNING - Merrilee Rush & The Turnabouts (Bell)
8. MacARTHUR
PARK - Richard Harris (Dunhill)
9. HELLO, I
LOVE YOU - The Doors (Elektra)
10. MRS. ROBINSON
- Simon & Garfunkel (Columbia)
11. YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY
- The Ohio Express (Buddah)
12. HURDY GURDY MAN
- Donovan (Epic)
13. REACH OUT OF THE
DARKNESS - Friend & Lover (Verve Forecast)
14. THE LOOK OF LOVE
- Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 (A&M)
15. TURN AROUND, LOOK
AT ME - The Vogues (Reprise)
16. CLASSICAL GAS
- Mason Williams (Warner Bros.-7 Arts)
17. INDIAN LAKE -
The Cowsills (MGM)
18. MONY MONY -
Tommy James & The Shondells (Roulette)
19. PEOPLE GOT TO BE
FREE - The Rascals (Atlantic)
20. SUNSHINE OF YOUR
LOVE - Cream (Atco)
21. BORN TO BE WILD
- Steppenwolf (Dunhill)
22. THINK -
Aretha Franklin (Atlantic)
23. HERE COMES THE
JUDGE - Shorty Long (Soul)
24. DREAM A LITTLE
DREAM OF ME - Mama Cass (Dunhill)
25. SKY PILOT (pt. 1)
- Eric Burdon & The Animals (MGM)
26. PICTURES OF
MATCHSTICK MEN - The Status Quo (Cadet Concept)
27. TIGHTEN UP -
Archie Bell & The Drells (Atlantic)
28. I LOVE YOU -
People (Capitol)
29. A BEAUTIFUL
MORNING - The Rascals (Atlantic)
30. LIGHT MY FIRE
- Jose Feliciano (RCA Victor)
31. THE GOOD, THE BAD
AND THE UGLY - Hugo Montenegro (RCA Victor) 32. STAY IN MY CORNER - The Dells (Cadet)
33. SHE'S A
HEARTBREAKER - Gene Pitney (Musicor)
34. AUTUMN OF MY LIFE
- Bobby Goldsboro (United Artists)
35. LICKING STICK --
LICKING STICK (pt. 1) - James Brown
& The Famous Flames (King)
36. I COULD NEVER
LOVE ANOTHER (After Loving You) -
The Temptations (Gordy)
37. NEVER GIVE YOU UP
- Jerry Butler (Mercury)
38. D.W. WASHBURN
- The Monkees (Colgems)
39. SEALED WITH A
KISS - Gary Lewis & The Playboys (Liberty)
40. JOURNEY TO THE
CENTER OF THE MIND - The Amboy Dukes
(Mainstream)
41. AIN'T NOTHING
LIKE THE REAL THING -
Marvin
Gaye & Tammi Terrell (Tamla)
42. HOW'D WE EVER GET
THIS WAY - Andy Kim (Steed)
43. YOU KEEP ME
HANGIN' ON - Vanilla Fudge (Atco)
44. I CAN'T STOP
DANCING - Archie Bell & The Drells (Atlantic)
45. SOUL-LIMBO -
Booker T. & The MG's (Stax)
46. HALFWAY TO
PARADISE - Bobby Vinton (Epic)
47. MASTER JACK -
Four Jacks And A Jill (RCA Victor)
48. A MAN WITHOUT
LOVE (Quando M'Innamora) -
Engelbert Humperdinck (Parrot)
49. DON'T TAKE IT SO
HARD - Paul Revere & The Raiders (Columbia)
50. LOVE MAKES A
WOMAN - Barbara Acklin (Brunswick)
Now let's see how this list compares to our local Chicagoland Charts.
The Chicago Charts
1 - Jumpin' Jack Flash - The Rolling Stones
2 - This Guy's In Love With You - Herb Alpert
3 - Turn Around Look At Me - The Vogues
4 - Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf
5 - Pictures Of Matchstick Men - Status Quo
6 - Stoned Soul
Picnic - The 5th Dimension
7 - Hello I Love You - The Doors
8 - I Love You - People
9 - I Need Love - Third Booth
10 - Angel Of the Morning - Merilee Rush
11 - Lady Willpower - Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
12 - Grazing In The Grass - Hugh Masekela
13 - Classical Gas - Mason Williams
14 - People Got To Be Free - The Rascals
15 - Sealed With a Kiss - Gary Lewis & the Playboys
16 - Mrs. Robinson - Simon & Garfunkel
17 - Yummy Yummy Yummy - The Ohio Express
18 - Hurdy Gurdy Man
- Donovan
19 - How'd We Ever Get This Way - Andy Kim
20 - The Horse - Cliff Nobles & Company
21 - Light My Fire - Jose Feliciano
22 - 1-2-3 Red Light - 1910 Fruitgum Company
23 - Indian Lake - The Cowsills
24 - She's A Heartbreaker - Gene Pitney
25 - Reach Out In The Darkness - Friend & Lover
26 - Journey To the Center Of the Mind - The Amboy Dukes
27 - Alice Long - Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart
28 - Don't Take It So Hard - Paul Revere & The Raiders
29 - The Look Of Love - Sergio Mendes & the Brasil 66
30 - Stay In My Corner - The Dells
31 - MacArthur Park - Richard Harris
32 - Autumn Of My Life - Bobby Goldsboro
33 - Can't You See Me Cry - The New Colony Six
34 - Think - Aretha Franklin
35 - If I Were A Carpenter - The Four Tops
36 - Sunshine Of Your Love - Cream
37 - Like To Get To Know You - Spanky And Our Gang
38 - Slip Away - Clarence Carter
39 - Dream A Little Dream - Mama Cass Elliott
40 - Do It Again - The Beach Boys
41 - Master Jack - Four Jacks & A Jill
42 - Face It Girl, It's Over - Nancy Wilson
43 - Here Comes The Judge - Shorty Long
44 - Young Birds Fly - The Cryan' Shames
45 - Sky Pilot - Eric Burdon & The Animals
46 - You Keep Me Hangin' On - Vanilla Fudge
47 - Soul Limbo - Booker T. & the MGs
48 - I'm A Midnight Mover - Wilson Pickett
49 - Lickin' Stick - Part One - James Brown
50 - Halfway To Paradise - Bobby Vinton
THE TOP 50 SONGS FROM THE SUMMER OF '69
Ahh, yes ... The Summer of '69 ... I remember it well. (Well, sort of ... as the summer drew to a close, I would turn 16 ... and there sure was some GREAT music coming out of our radios way back then!)
We all know what Canadian Rocker Bryan Adams was doing that summer ...
that was the year he got his first real six-string ... he told ME that he
bought it at the five-and-time ... and, as I recall, he played it till his
fingers bled ... yes, it was the Summer of '69.
That means Bryan would turn TEN later that year ... so he got a much earlier
start on playing music than I did!!! (Personally, I got MY first six-string in
1967 ... inspired by seeing how much fun The Monkees were having every week, I
knew that this was something that I wanted to do, too. Notice that I didn't say
my first "real" six-string ... the one I bought in '67 was one of
those cheap, Japanese jobbers where the strings sat about six feet off the fret
board ... lol ... couldn't play it worth a damn which, in hindsight, I realize
was only PARTLY my fault ... but I didn't care ... I was makin' music!!! lol)
Things would improve from there and, by February of '68, I'd taken a few guitar
lessons ... (let me tell you, I played a MEAN "Rockin' In The Rye"!!!)
... and, later that year, I bought MY first real six-string ... a Gibson ES-335
... Cherry Red ... a BEAUTIFUL guitar. By then I'd already started writing my
own songs and was well on my way to obscurity!!!
But TODAY's feature isn't about MY music ... or even Bryan Adams' music ... it's ALL about the Top 50 Biggest Songs From The Summer of '69 ... as compiled by Randy Price and Jack Levin exclusively for our Forgotten Hits Newsletter.
Just like we did when we saluted "The Summer Of Love," we've put together a list of The 50 Biggest Songs Of The Summer of '69. (By the way, you can find that special Summer Of Love Countdown posted elsewhere on this very same Forgotten Hits Website.)
https://fhsummeroflove.blogspot.com/
And, just like we did when we assembled THAT
feature, we went to our "Go To" Chart Guys, Randy Price and Jack
Levin, whom we asked to compile this information for our Forgotten Hits
Readers.
And both of these guys did exactly what we asked them to ... come up with a
chart based on the statistics of June, July and August ONLY of 1969 that shows
the National and the Local rankings of The 50 Most Popular Songs of that
Summer.
As expected, there are lots of similarities ... in fact, 39 of The Top 50
Titles are common to BOTH charts, leaving only a discrepancy of eleven songs on
either chart that might be considered "surprises." Randy's National
Chart is based on the information he collected from all three major national
trades at the time: Billboard Magazine, Cash Box Magazine and Record World
Magazine ... in effect, the SUPER Charts that we have been talking about these
past few years. Jack's Chicagoland Chart comes from information compiled from
the two big Top 40 AM Giants here in Chicago at the time, WLS and WCFL ... no
small feat, I might add, because in 1969 WCFL was no longer publishing and
distributing their weekly charts in the record stores like they had in '66 and '67 ...
instead, much like WLS would do a few years later, they would send a poster to
be mounted in the record department of the major stores where you would go to
buy your singles. After years and years and years of diligent research, our
team of Collectible Chart Maniacs have put together charts reflecting the
information that many of these guys wrote down in their private journals for
this era and, thanks to that diligence, we are able to share this chart
information with you today.
So, without further adieu, here are your OFFICIAL Top
50 Lists!!!
THE NATIONAL CHARTS:
(compiled by Randy Price)
1. IN THE YEAR 2525 (Exordium & Terminus) - Zager
& Evans (RCA Victor 74-0174)
2. CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION - Tommy James & The Shondells (Roulette 7050)
3. SPINNING WHEEL - Blood, Sweat & Tears (Columbia 44871)
4. ONE - Three Dog Night (Dunhill 4191)
5. LOVE THEME FROM ROMEO & JULIET - Henry Mancini & His Orchestra (RCA Victor 74-0131)
6. GOOD MORNING STARSHINE - Oliver (Jubilee 5659)
7. WHAT DOES IT TAKE (To Win Your Love) - Jr. Walker & The All Stars (Soul 35062)
8. MY CHERIE AMOUR - Stevie Wonder (Tamla 54180)
9. BAD MOON RISING - Creedence Clearwater Revival (Fantasy 622)
10. BABY, I LOVE YOU - Andy Kim (Steed 716)
11. SWEET CAROLINE (Good Times Never Seemed So Good) - Neil Diamond (Uni 55136)
12. IN THE GHETTO - Elvis Presley (RCA Victor 47-9741)
13. MOTHER POPCORN (You Got To Have A Mother For Me) (pt. 1) - James Brown (King 6245)
14. GET BACK - The Beatles (Apple 2490)
15. HONKY TONK WOMEN - The Rolling Stones (London 910)
16. COLOR HIM FATHER - The Winstons (Metromedia 117)
17. RUBY, DON'T TAKE YOUR LOVE TO TOWN - Kenny Rogers & The First Edition (Reprise 0829)
18. LOVE ME TONIGHT - Tom Jones (Parrot 40038)
19. TOO BUSY THINKING ABOUT MY BABY - Marvin Gaye (Tamla 54181)
20. QUENTIN'S THEME - The Charles Randolph Grean Sounde (Ranwood 840)
21. PUT A LITTLE LOVE IN YOUR HEART - Jackie DeShannon (Imperial 66385)
22. BLACK PEARL - Sonny Charles & The Checkmates, Ltd. (A&M 1053)
23. A BOY NAMED SUE - Johnny Cash (Columbia 44944)
24. THE BALLAD OF JOHN AND YOKO - The Beatles (Apple 2531)
25. GRAZING IN THE GRASS - The Friends Of Distinction (RCA Victor 74-0107)
26. ISRAELITES - Desmond Dekker & The Aces (Uni 55129)
27. POLK SALAD ANNIE - Tony Joe White (Monument 1104)
28. MY PLEDGE OF LOVE - The Joe Jeffrey Group (Wand 11200)
29. LAUGHING - The Guess Who (RCA Victor 74-0195)
30. LOVE (Can Make You Happy) - Mercy (Sundi 6811)
31. I'D WAIT A MILLION YEARS - The Grass Roots (Dunhill 4198)
32. LET ME - Paul Revere & The Raiders (Columbia 44854)
33. THESE EYES - The Guess Who (RCA Victor 74-0102)
34. GET TOGETHER - The Youngbloods (RCA Victor 47-9752)
35. GOOD OLD ROCK 'N ROLL - Cat Mother & The All Night News Boys (Polydor 14002)
36. YESTERDAY, WHEN I WAS YOUNG - Roy Clark (Dot 17246)
37. I TURNED YOU ON - The Isley Brothers (T-Neck 902)
38. OH HAPPY DAY - The Edwin Hawkins Singers (Pavilion 20001)
39. MORE TODAY THAN YESTERDAY - The Spiral Starecase (Columbia 44741)
40. SEE - The Rascals (Atlantic 2634)
41. LAY LADY LAY - Bob Dylan (Columbia 44926)
42. SOUL DEEP - The Box Tops (Mala 12040)
43. GIVE PEACE A CHANCE - The Plastic Ono Band (Apple 1809)
44. I CAN SING A RAINBOW / LOVE IS BLUE - The Dells (Cadet 5641)
45. SUGAR, SUGAR - The Archies (Calendar 1008)
46. EVERYDAY WITH YOU GIRL - The Classics IV (Imperial 66378)
47. GREEN RIVER - Creedence Clearwater Revival (Fantasy 625)
48. RECONSIDER ME - Johnny Adams (SSS Int'l 770)
49. DON'T LET THE JONESES GET YOU DOWN - The Temptations (Gordy 7086)
50. HURT SO BAD - The Lettermen (Capitol 2482)
The Chicagoland Charts:
(compiled by Jack Levin)
1. In The Year 2525 - Zager & Evans
2. Honky Tonk Women - The Rolling Stones
3. Crystal Blue Persuasion - Tommy James & the Shondells
4. Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet - Henry Mancini
5. One - Three Dog Night
6. Good Morning Starshine - Oliver
7. Baby I Love You - Andy Kim
8. Hurt So Bad - The Lettermen
9. Put A Little Love In Your Heart - Jackie DeShannon
10. What Does It Take - Jr. Walker & the All Stars
11. Birthday - Underground Sunshine
12. Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival
13. Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
14. The Israelites - Desmond Dekker & the Aces
15. Soul Deep - The Box Tops
16. Too Busy Thinking About My Baby - Marvin Gaye
17. Polk Salad Annie - Tony Joe White
18. Quentin's Theme - Charles Randolph Greene Sound
19. Spinning Wheel - Blood, Sweat & Tears
20. Let Me - Paul Revere & the Raiders
21. Ruby Don't Take Your Love To Town - Kenny Rogers & the First Edition
22. A Boy Named Sue - Johnny Cash
23. Medicine Man - Buchanan Brothers
24. Color Him Father - The Winstons
25. Get Back - The Beatles
26. My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder
27. Lay Lady Lay - Bob Dylan
28. Laughing - The Guess Who
29. Green River - Creedence Clearwater Revival
30. In The Ghetto - Elvis Presley
31. I'll Never Fall In Love Again - Tom Jones
32. My Pledge Of Love - The Joe Jeffery Group
33. Grazing In The Grass - The Friends Of Distinction
34. Special Delivery - The 1910 Fruitgum Company
35. Black Pearl - Sonny Charles & the Checkmates
36. Working On A Groovy Thing - The Fifth Dimension
37. Mother Popcorn - James Brown
38. Morning Girl - Neon Philharmonic
39. Easy To Be Hard - Three Dog Night
40. Sugar Sugar - The Archies
41. Get Together - The Youngbloods
42. The Ballad Of John & Yoko - The Beatles*
*The Ballad Of John & Yoko would
have scored higher, but it failed to chart on WLS.
43. Marakeesh Express - Crosby, Stills & Nash
44. See - The Rascals
45. Give Peace A Chance - The Plastic Ono Band
46. Did You See Her Eyes - The Illusion
47. Everyday With You Girl - The Classics IV
48. I Could Never Lie To You - The New Colony Six
49. Good Old Rock And Roll - Cat Mother & The All Night Newsboys
50. Day Is Done - Peter Paul & Mary
The Top 50 Songs Of Summer, 1970
The Biggest Songs of Summer, 1970 -
based on The National Charts
1. MAMA TOLD ME (Not To Come) - Three Dog Night (Dunhill)
2. BAND OF GOLD - Freda Payne (Invictus)
3. BALL OF CONFUSION (That's What The World Is Today) -
The Temptations (Gordy)
4. THE LOVE YOU SAVE - The Jackson 5 (Motown)
5. (They Long To Be) CLOSE TO YOU - Carpenters (A&M)
6. MAKE IT WITH YOU - Bread (Elektra)
7. RIDE CAPTAIN RIDE - The Blues Image (Atco)
8. LAY DOWN (Candles In The Rain) - Melanie with The Edwin Hawkins
Singers (Buddah)
9. SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED I'M YOURS - Stevie Wonder (Tamla)
10. TIGHTER, TIGHTER - Alive And Kicking (Roulette)
11. HITCHIN' A RIDE - Vanity Fare (Page One)
12. O-O-H CHILD - The Five Stairsteps (Buddah)
13. THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD - The Beatles (Apple)
14. SPILL THE WINE - Eric Burdon & War (MGM)
15. GET READY - Rare Earth (Rare Earth)
16. WHICH WAY YOU GOIN' BILLY? - The Poppy Family (London)
17. THE WONDER OF YOU - Elvis Presley (RCA Victor)
18. GIMME DAT DING - The Pipkins (Capitol)
19. WAR - Edwin Starr (Gordy)
20. LAY A LITTLE LOVIN' ON ME - Robin McNamara (Steed)
21. I JUST CAN'T HELP BELIEVING - B.J. Thomas (Scepter)
22. IN THE SUMMERTIME - Mungo Jerry (Janus)
23. ARE YOU READY? - Pacific Gas & Electric (Columbia)
24. EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL - Ray Stevens (Barnaby)
25. TEACH YOUR CHILDREN - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Atlantic)
26. (If You Let Me Make Love To You Then) WHY CAN'T I TOUCH YOU? -
Ronnie Dyson (Columbia)
27. OHIO - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Atlantic)
28. LOVE ON A TWO-WAY STREET - The Moments (Stang)
29. THE LETTER - Joe Cocker (A&M)
30. A SONG OF JOY (Himno A La Alegria) - Miguel Rios (A&M)
31. UNITED WE STAND - The Brotherhood Of Man (Deram)
32. MY BABY LOVES LOVIN' - White Plains (Deram)
33. LOVE LAND - Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
(Warner Bros.)
34. PATCHES - Clarence Carter (Atlantic)
35. WESTBOUND #9 - The Flaming Ember (Hot Wax)
36. TELL IT ALL BROTHER - Kenny Rogers & The First Edition (Reprise)
37. UP AROUND THE BEND - Creedence Clearwater Revival (Fantasy)
38. IT'S ALL IN THE GAME - The Four Tops (Motown)
39. THE SLY, SLICK, AND THE WICKED - The Lost Generation (Brunswick)
40. 25 OR 6 TO 4 - Chicago (Columbia)
41. OVERTURE FROM TOMMY (A Rock Opera) - The Assembled Multitude
(Atlantic)
42. QUESTION - The Moody Blues (Threshold)
43. CECILIA - Simon & Garfunkel (Columbia)
44. MISSISSIPPI QUEEN - Mountain (Windfall)
45. SUMMERTIME BLUES - The Who (Decca)
46. CHECK OUT YOUR MIND - The Impressions (Curtom)
47. MAKE ME SMILE - Chicago (Columbia)
48. DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS - Tom Jones (Parrot)
49. SILVER BIRD - Mark Lindsay (Columbia)
50. MAYBE - The Three Degrees (Roulette)
The Biggest Songs of Summer, 1970 -
Chicagoland Charts
1. The Love You Save - The Jackson Five
2. Close To You - The Carpenters
3. Make It With You - Bread
4. Mama Told Me (Not To Come) - Three Dog Night
5. Ball Of Confusion - The Temptations
6. Spill The Wine - Eric Burdon & War
7. Ride Captain Ride - Blues Image
8. Ooh Child - Five Stairsteps
9. Band Of Gold - Freda Payne
10. Tighter & Tighter - Alive & Kicking
11. My Baby Loves Loving - White Plains
12. Lay Down (Candles In The Rain) - Melanie
13. The Long And Winding Road - The Beatles
14. Signed, Sealed, Delivered - Stevie Wonder
15. In The Summertime - Mungo Jerry
16. War - Edwin Starr
17. Why Can't I Touch You - Ronnie Dyson
18. Hitchin' A Ride - Vanity Fare
19. I Just Can't Help Believing - B.J. Thomas
20. Lay A Little Lovin' On Me - Robin McNamara
21. Loveland - Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
22. Get Ready - Rare Earth
23. Love On A Two Way Street - The Moments
24. Gimme Dat Ding - The Pipkins
25. 25 Or 6 To 4 - Chicago
26. A Song Of Joy - Miguel Rios
27. Mississippi Queen - Mountain
28. Question - The Moody Blues
29. Make Me Smile - Chicago
30. Daughter Of Darkness - Tom Jones
31. The Wonder Of You - Elvis Presley
32. Are You Ready - Pacific Gas & Electric
33. The Letter - Joe Cocker
34. Cottage Cheese - Crow
35. United We Stand - Brotherhood Of Man
36. Patches - Clarence Carter
37. Mississippi - John Phillips
38. Julie Do Ya Love Me - Bobby Sherman
39. Overture From Tommy - The Assembled Multitude
40. Up Around The Bend - Creedence Clearwater Revival
41. Everything Is Beautiful - Ray Stevens
42. Hand Me Down World - The Guess Who
43. Cecilia - Simon & Garfunkel
44. Lookin' Out My Back Door - Creedence Clearwayer Revival
45. Neanderthal Man - Hotlegs
46. Hey Mr. Sun - Bobby Sherman
47. It's All In The Game - The Four Tops
48. Solitary Man - Neil Diamond
49. Hi De Ho - Blood, Sweat and Tears
50. Silver Bird - Mark Lindsay
=================================================
We now flip back to The Top Ten Biggest Hits of each Summer for the remainder of this Summer Recap, starting with 1971 and running thru 1980
THE NATIONAL CHARTS
1971:
1. IT'S TOO LATE - Carole King
2. You've Got A Friend - James Taylor
3. Indian Reservation - The Raiders
4. Mr. Big Stuff - Jean Knight
5. How Can You Mend A Broken Heart? - The Bee Gees
6. Rainy Days And Monday - The Carpenters
7. Want Ads - Honey Cone
8. Brown Sugar - The Rolling Stones
9. I Feel The Earth Move - Carole King
10. Treat Her Like A Lady - Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose
1972:
1. ALONE AGAIN, NATURALLY - Gilbert O'Sullivan
2. If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don't Want To Be Right - Luther Ingram
3. Brandy - Looking Glass
4. Daddy, Don't You Walk So Fast - Wayne Newton
5. Too Late To Turn Back Now - Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose
6. Lean On Me - Bill Withers
7. The Candy Man - Sammy Davis, Jr.
8. I'll Take You There - The Staple Singers
9. Outta-Space - Billy Preston
10. Oh Girl - The Chi-Lites
1973:
1. BAD, BAD LEROY BROWN - Jim Croce
2 . Will It Go Round In Circles - Billy Preston
3. The Morning After - Maureen McGovern
4. My Love - Paul McCartney and Wings
5. Kodachrome - Paul Simon
6. Give Me Love - George Harrison
7. Playground In My Mind - Clint Holmes
8. Live And Let Die - Paul McCartney and Wings
9. Pillow Talk - Sylvia
10. Brother Louie - Stories
1974:
1. BILLY, DON'T BE A HERO - Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods
2. Sundown - Gordon Lightfoot
3. Rock Your Baby - George McCrae
4. The Night Chicago Died - Paper Lace
5. You Make Me Feel Brand New - The Stylistics
6. Feel Like Makin' Love - Roberta Flack
7. Annie's Song - John Denver
8. Rock The Boat - The Hues Corporation
9. Tell Me Something Good - Rufus
10. Band On The Run - Paul McCartney and Wings
1975:
1. LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER - The Captain and Tennille
2. One Of These Nights - The Eagles
3. Please Mr. Please - Olivia Newton-John
4. Jive Talkin' - The Bee Gees
5. The Hustle - Van McCoy
6. Listen To What The Man Said - Paul McCartney and Wings
7. When Will I Be Loved - Linda Ronstadt
8. Sister Golden Hair - America
9. Someone Saved My Life Tonight - Elton John
10. I'm Not Lisa - Jessi Colter
1976:
1. SILLY LOVE SONGS - Paul McCartney and Wings
2. Kiss And Say Goodbye - The Manhattans
3. Afternoon Delight - The Starland Vocal Band
4. Don't Go Breakin' My Heart - Elton John and Kiki Dee
5. Get Up And Boogie - The Silver Convention
6. Misty Blue - Dorothy Moore
7. Love Is Alive - Gary Wright
8. You Should Be Dancing - The Bee Gees
9. Shop Around - The Captain and Tennille
10. Let 'em In - Paul McCartney and Wings
1977:
1. I JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING - Andy Gibb
2. I'm In You - Peter Frampton
3. Undercover Angel - Alan O'Day
4. Looks Like We Made It - Barry Manilow
5. Got To Give It Up - Marvin Gaye
6. Best Of My Love - The Emotions
7. Dreams - Fleetwood Mac
8. Da Doo Ron Ron - Shaun Cassidy
9. Gonna Fly Now - Bill Conti
10. Higher And Higher - Rita Coolidge
1978:
1. SHADOW DANCING - Andy Gibb
2. Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty
3. Miss You - The Rolling Stones
4. Grease - Frankie Valli
5. Three Times A Lady - The Commodores
6. Take A Chance On Me - ABBA
7. You're The One That I Want - John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
8. Last Dance - Donna Summer
9. It's A Heartache - Bonnie Tyler
10. Too Much, Too Little, Too Late - Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams
1979:
1. RING MY BELL - Anita Ward
2. Bad Girls - Donna Summer
3. Hot Stuff - Donna Summer
4. Good Times - Chic
5. We Are Family - Sister Sledge
6. Makin' It - David Naughton
7. My Sharona - The Knack
8. Just When I Needed You Most - Randy VanWarmer
9. The Main Event / Fight - Barbra Streisand
10. Love You Inside Out - The Bee Gees
1980:
1. IT'S STILL ROCK AND ROLL TO ME - Billy Joel
2. Coming Up - Paul McCartney
3. Little Jeannie - Elton John
4. Magic - Olivia Newton-John
5. Funkytown - Lipps, Inc.
6. The Rose - Bette Midler
7. Sailing - Christopher Cross
8. The Biggest Part Of Me - Ambrosia
9. Steal Away - Robbie Dupree
10. Take Your Time - The SOS Band
Kudos to Andy Gibb ... he is the ONLY artist to top the Summer Chart TWICE during the '70's, first in 1977 with "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" and then again a year later with "Shadow Dancing." Meanwhile, his brothers didn't do too badly either ... the OTHER Brothers Gibb scored Top Ten Summer Singles with "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" in 1971, "Jive Talkin'" in 1975, "You Should Be Dancing" in 1976 and "Love You Inside Out" in 1979. In addition to writing and producing Andy's hits, they also had a hand in Frankie Valli's big comeback record "Grease".
In 1979, Donna Summer finished second and third with "Bad Girls" and "Hot Stuff" respectively ... she also made The Top Ten Chart in 1978 with "Last Dance."
But while Disco may have dominated the charts from 1975 - 1979, by 1980 it was "still rock and roll" that won out ... as Billy Joel scored the biggest hit of the summer with "It's Still Rock And Roll To Me".
The Chicagoland Charts
1971:
1. IT'S TOO LATE - Carole King
2. Never Ending Song Of Love - Delaney and Bonnie
3. Don't Pull Your Love - Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds
4. You've Got A Friend - James Taylor
5. How Can You Mend A Broken Heart? - The Bee Gees
6. Draggin' The Line - Tommy James
7. Rainy Days And Mondays - The Carpenters
8. Want Ads - Honey Cone
9. Smiling Faces Sometimes - Undisputed Truth
10. Riders On The Storm - The Doors
1972:
1. ALONE AGAIN, NATURALLY - Gilbert O'Sullivan
2. Brandy - Looking Glass
3. Song Sung Blue - Neil Diamond
4. Lean On Me - Bill Withers
5. Nice To Be With You - Gallery
6. Too Late To Turn Back Now - Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose
7. The Candy Man - Sammy Davis, Jr.
8. Outta Space - Billy Preston
9. Long Cool Woman - The Hollies
10. Tumbling Dice - The Rolling Stones
1973:
1. MY LOVE - Paul McCartney and Wings
2. The Morning After - Maureen McGovern
3. Kodachrome - Paul Simon
4. Brother Louie - Stories
5. Monster Mash - Bobby "Boris" Pickett
6. Pillow Talk - Sylvia
7. Yesterday Once More - The Carpenters
8. Get Down - Gilbert O'Sullivan
9. Give Me Love - George Harrison
10. Touch Me In the Morning - Diana Ross
1974:
1. BAND ON THE RUN - Paul McCartney and Wings
2. Sundown - Gordon Lightfoot
3. Rock The Boat - The Hues Corporation
4. Billy, Don't Be A Hero - Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods
5. Annie's Song - John Denver
6. The Night Chicago Died - Paper Lace
7. Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me - Elton John
8. Rock Your Baby - George McCrae
9. The Air That I Breathe - The Hollies
10. Waterloo - ABBA
1975:
1. LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER - The Captain and Tennille
2. Listen To What The Man Said - Paul McCartney and Wings
3. Wildfire - Michael Murphey
4. Sister Golden Hair - America
5. Magic - Pilot
6. Jive Talkin' - The Bee Gees
7. Someone Saved My Life Tonight - Elton John
8. The Hustle - Van McCoy
9. Killer Queen - Queen
10. I'm Not In Love - 10cc
1976:
1. SILLY LOVE SONGS - Paul McCartney and Wings
2. Afternoon Delight - The Starland Vocal Band
3. Shop Around - The Captain and Tennille
4. Got To Get You Into My Life - The Beatles
5. Rock And Roll Music - The Beach Boys
6. The Boys Are Back In Town - Thin Lizzy
7. Crazy On You - Heart
8. Get Closer - Seals and Crofts
9. Don't Go Breakin' My Heart - Elton John and Kiki Dee
10. Love Hangover - Diana Ross
1977:
1. UNDERCOVER ANGEL - Alan O'Day
2. Da Doo Ron Ron - Shaun Cassidy
3. I Just Wanna Be Your Everything - Andy Gibb
4. You Made Me Believe In Magic - The Bay City Rollers
5. I'm In You - Peter Frampton
6. Lonely Boy - Andrew Gold
7. Looks Like We Made It - Barry Manilow
8. Do You Wanna Make Love - Peter McCann
9. Feels Like The First Time - Foreigner
10. I'm Your Boogie Man - KC and the Sunshine Band
1978:
1. YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT - John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
2. Shadow Dancing - Andy Gibb
3. King Tut - Steve Martin
4. Miss You - The Rolling Stones
5. Too Much, Too Little, Too Late - Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams
6. Last Dance - Donna Summer
7. Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty
8. Grease - Frankie Valli
9. With A Little Luck - Paul McCartney and Wings
10. It's A Heartache - Bonnie Tyler
1979:
1. HOT STUFF - Donna Summer
2. I Want You To Want Me - Cheap Trick
3. Makin' It - David Naughton
4. Ring My Bell - Anita Ward
5. Bad Girls - Donna Summer
6. Reunited - Peaches and Herb
7. Heart Of Glass - Blondie
8. The Logical Song - Supertramp
9. Shake Your Body - The Jacksons
10. My Sharona - The Knack
1980:
1. COMING UP - Paul McCartney
2. It's Still Rock And Roll To Me - Billy Joel
3. The Rose - Bette Midler
4. Lost In Love - Air Supply
5. Funky Town - Lipps, Inc.
6. Gimme Some Lovin' - The Blues Brothers
7. Misunderstanding - Genesis
8. Magic - Olivia Newton-John
9. Steal Away - Robbie Dupree
10. Brass In Pocket - The Pretenders
Ironically, WLS published a special TOP TEN HITS OF SUMMER, 1980 List as part of their September 6th Survey ... and "Coming Up" by Paul McCartney didn't even make the list!
It showed Billy Joel's "It's Still Rock And Roll To Me" in the top spot, followed by "Lost In Love", "The Rose", "Steal Away" and "Misunderstanding" ... all of which made OUR Top Ten Countdown as well.
The biggest difference, of course, is that we actually tabulated the points earned by these tracks during the months of June, July and August of 1980 ... and ONLY during those three months.
How WLS chose to overlook "Coming Up"'s performance is beyond me ... it was #1 for FOUR WEEKS in June and July. Other #1 Records included "Lost In Love" (#1 for 3 weeks), "It's Still Rock And Roll To Me" (also #1 for 4 weeks) and "Magic", which would eventually spend FIVE weeks on top of the WLS MusicRadio 89 Survey, carrying through to the end of September.
On their Year-End Survey, they ranked "Lost In Love" as the biggest record of the year, followed by Billy Joel's "It's Still Rock And Roll To Me". On THIS chart, "Coming Up" by Paul McCartney finished at #30 ... behind 22 songs that never made it to #1 ... I guess topping the charts for four weeks didn't count for much that year!
In his book "Chicago Top 40 Charts, 1980 - 1990", Ron Smith put "Coming Up" at #6 for 1980. His chart is ALSO based on total points accumulated throughout the course of the year and, because OUR chart only concerns itself with the Summer Months of June, July and August, Ron's year-end rankings are noticeably different. For example, "It's Still Rock And Roll To Me" finishes ahead of "Coming Up" on Ron's year-end chart at #5 ... but WLS' choice for Biggest Single Of The Year, "Lost In Love" by Air Supply, comes in at #9.
Chicago was clearly a Paul McCartney town ... while Elton John is probably widely considered the biggest artist of the '70's, you sure couldn't prove it by looking at our Summer Charts! McCartney topped the chart in 1973, 1974. 1976 and 1980 with his monster hits "My Love", "Band On The Run", "Silly Love Songs" and "Coming Up" ... and he finished second in 1975 with "Listen To What The Man Said." ("With A Little Luck" also made The Top Ten in 1978, finishing at #9 for the summer!)
Chicago's love of novelty hits also extended into the '70's ... witness "Monster Mash" and "King Tut" finishing in The Top Ten for 1973 and 1978 respectively.
WOULDN'T THESE LISTS MAKE FOR GREAT SUMMER WEEKEND PROGRAMING??? A ROMP THRU THE OLDIES, PLAYING BACK THE TOP TEN HITS OF EVERY YEAR OF DECADE, BEGINNING IN 1955 AND RUNNING ALL THE WAY THRU 1980.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTING IN RUNNING A WEEKEND SPECIAL BASED AROUND THIS THEME, LET US KNOW SO WE CAN POST THE DETAILS ON FORGOTTEN HITS SO OTHER READERS CAN TUNE IN AND LISTEN!
A COUNTDOWN OF THE ALL-TIME SUMMER FAVORITES AS VOTED ON BY ON READERS HAS APPEARED ON NUMEROUS RADIO STATIONS OVER THE YEARS ... WHY NOT CONSIDER ADDING THAT ONE TO YOUR PLAYLIST THIS SUMMER???
© Copyright Kent Kotal / Forgotten Hits, 1998 - 2025 ...
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