I got to hear the whole countdown this week from October 1973.
It started off interesting with the debut of the first posthumous hit by Jim Croce, who died just a few weeks earlier. Casey acknowledged this.
What Casey didn't know was that two first-time American groups would become among the most popular of the 80's...the Pointer Sisters and Kool and the Gang. The sound of both developed a lot over time, especially the Pointers.
Lots of past or future #1's on the countdown this week, including one each by Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye, who debuted with a duet. Roberta Flack debuted with a song which broke her streak of #1's and Grammy winners, when "Jesse" only hit #30.
He told the story of how the DeFranco family was first featured in teen fan magazines before releasing a single. It ended up being their only top 10, and they were off the charts for good one year later. Another family band the Osmonds, were almost at the end of their hit making, but little sister Marie was cruising up to #5 with her eventual #1 hit on the country chart, becoming the youngest female to do so. Hard to believe she's still widely famous 45 years later!
But then again, this was a chart full of famous people, despite no Beatles or Elvis. In this classics-filled countdown, I was surprised to find Bob Dylan's and the Doobie Brothers songs missed the top 10, as did future Eagle Joe Walsh.
The hit R&B ballad "Love Jones" was parodied by Cheech and Chong, and it was awfully funny!
Another odd charter was "Why Me" by Kris Kristofferson who would eventually hit #16, despite falling this week and one other time. 19 weeks in the top 40 in the end, 38 on the Hot 100, with one of the most explicit Christian songs I remember ever hearing on the chart. It ended being the #2 song of the year!
And you would think the Allman Brothers would've hit #1, having burst to #2 so quickly and abruptly, but it fell the very next week and never hit #1. And what Casey didn't know is that Cher would be married to Greg Allman in a couple years...
Favorite: All I Know
1 1 HALF-BREED –•– Cher (MCA)-11 (2 weeks at #1)
2 7 RAMBLIN MAN –•– The Allman Brothers Band (Capricorn)-8
3 3 LET’S GET IT ON –•– Marvin Gaye (Tamla)-14
4 5 HIGHER GROUND –•– Stevie Wonder (Tamla)-9
5 8 ANGIE –•– The Rolling Stones (Rolling Stones)-6
6 6 THAT LADY (Part 1) –•– The Isley Brothers (T-Neck)-14
7 2 LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK –•– Paul Simon (with the Dixie Hummingbirds) (Columbia)-11
8 11 MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA –•– Gladys Knight and the Pips (Buddah)-7
9 10 KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ (Part 1) –•– Eddie Kendricks (Tamla)-8
10 4 WE’RE AN AMERICAN BAND –•– Grand Funk (Capitol)-12
2 7 RAMBLIN MAN –•– The Allman Brothers Band (Capricorn)-8
3 3 LET’S GET IT ON –•– Marvin Gaye (Tamla)-14
4 5 HIGHER GROUND –•– Stevie Wonder (Tamla)-9
5 8 ANGIE –•– The Rolling Stones (Rolling Stones)-6
6 6 THAT LADY (Part 1) –•– The Isley Brothers (T-Neck)-14
7 2 LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK –•– Paul Simon (with the Dixie Hummingbirds) (Columbia)-11
8 11 MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA –•– Gladys Knight and the Pips (Buddah)-7
9 10 KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ (Part 1) –•– Eddie Kendricks (Tamla)-8
10 4 WE’RE AN AMERICAN BAND –•– Grand Funk (Capitol)-12
11 14 YES WE CAN CAN –•– The Pointer Sisters (Blue Thumb)-9
12 23 HEARTBEAT-IT’S A LOVEBEAT –•– The DeFranco Family Featuring Tony DeFranco (20th Century)-6
13 25 PAPER ROSES –•– Marie Osmond (MGM / Kolob)-5
14 17 FREE RIDE –•– The Edgar Winter Group (Epic)-10
15 15 CHINA GROVE –•– The Doobie Brothers (Warner Brothers)-9
16 12 MY MARIA –•– B.W. Stevenson (RCA)-12
17 20 BASKETBALL JONES FEATURING TYRONE SHOELACES –•– Cheech and Chong (Ode)-6
18 9 DELTA DAWN –•– Helen Reddy (Capitol)-17
19 29 ALL I KNOW –•– Garfunkel (Columbia)-5
20 26 KNOCKIN’ ON HEAVEN’S DOOR –•– Bob Dylan (Columbia)-7
12 23 HEARTBEAT-IT’S A LOVEBEAT –•– The DeFranco Family Featuring Tony DeFranco (20th Century)-6
13 25 PAPER ROSES –•– Marie Osmond (MGM / Kolob)-5
14 17 FREE RIDE –•– The Edgar Winter Group (Epic)-10
15 15 CHINA GROVE –•– The Doobie Brothers (Warner Brothers)-9
16 12 MY MARIA –•– B.W. Stevenson (RCA)-12
17 20 BASKETBALL JONES FEATURING TYRONE SHOELACES –•– Cheech and Chong (Ode)-6
18 9 DELTA DAWN –•– Helen Reddy (Capitol)-17
19 29 ALL I KNOW –•– Garfunkel (Columbia)-5
20 26 KNOCKIN’ ON HEAVEN’S DOOR –•– Bob Dylan (Columbia)-7
21 13 SAY, HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY SWEET GYSPY ROSE –•– Dawn Featuring Tony Orlando (Bell)-14
22 16 BROTHER LOUIE –•– The Stories (Kama Sutra)-17
23 21 WHY ME –•– Kris Kristofferson (Monument)-28
24 30 ROCKY MOUNTAIN WAY –•– Joe Walsh (Dunhill)-10
25 18 TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING –•– Diana Ross (Motown)-20
26 42 SPACE RACE –•– Billy Preston (A&M)-4
27 22 YOU’VE NEVER BEEN THIS FAR BEFORE –•– Conway Twitty (MCA)-10
28 28 GET IT TOGETHER –•– Jackson 5 (Motown)-7
29 34 HURTS SO GOOD –•– Millie Jackson (Spring)-6
30 31 IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR –•– Cross Country (Atco)-9
22 16 BROTHER LOUIE –•– The Stories (Kama Sutra)-17
23 21 WHY ME –•– Kris Kristofferson (Monument)-28
24 30 ROCKY MOUNTAIN WAY –•– Joe Walsh (Dunhill)-10
25 18 TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING –•– Diana Ross (Motown)-20
26 42 SPACE RACE –•– Billy Preston (A&M)-4
27 22 YOU’VE NEVER BEEN THIS FAR BEFORE –•– Conway Twitty (MCA)-10
28 28 GET IT TOGETHER –•– Jackson 5 (Motown)-7
29 34 HURTS SO GOOD –•– Millie Jackson (Spring)-6
30 31 IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR –•– Cross Country (Atco)-9
31 41 WE MAY NEVER PASS THIS WAY (Again) –•– Seals and Crofts (Warner Brothers)-4
32 40 FUNKY STUFF –•– Kool and the Gang (De-Lite)-6
33 39 SUMMER (The First Time) –•– Bobby Goldsboro (United Artists)-8
34 45 ECSTASY –•– The Ohio Players (Westbound)-10
35 66 YOU’RE A SPECIAL PART OF ME –•– Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye (Motown)-2
36 38 LET ME IN –•– The Osmonds (MGM / Kolob)-6
37 19 THEME FROM “CLEOPATRA JONES” –•– Joe Simon Featuring the Mainstreeters (Spring)-12
38 44 JESSE –•– Roberta Flack (Atlantic)-4
39 33 JIMMY LOVES MARY-ANNE –•– Looking Glass (Epic)-13
40 76 I GOT A NAME –•– Jim Croce (ABC)-
32 40 FUNKY STUFF –•– Kool and the Gang (De-Lite)-6
33 39 SUMMER (The First Time) –•– Bobby Goldsboro (United Artists)-8
34 45 ECSTASY –•– The Ohio Players (Westbound)-10
35 66 YOU’RE A SPECIAL PART OF ME –•– Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye (Motown)-2
36 38 LET ME IN –•– The Osmonds (MGM / Kolob)-6
37 19 THEME FROM “CLEOPATRA JONES” –•– Joe Simon Featuring the Mainstreeters (Spring)-12
38 44 JESSE –•– Roberta Flack (Atlantic)-4
39 33 JIMMY LOVES MARY-ANNE –•– Looking Glass (Epic)-13
40 76 I GOT A NAME –•– Jim Croce (ABC)-
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