May 1974 -- crazy at the top

I got to hear the entire top 40 today -- and the first 4 songs I heard lots of times as I had some false starts with Sirius XM, which for this countdown does not let you skip tracks forward or back.

It's a funny crossing point here in 1974 -- you get the very beginnings of the disco era (MFSB), with plenty of the folk/adult contemporary that dominated the early 70s (Carpenters), plus solo Beatles, some awesome 70's soul (Gladys Knight, the Stylistics), and some early 70's standard acts that either went on to decades more of fame (Elton John, Chicago) or who flamed out when disco arrived (Three Dog Night).

James Brown had his token hit, which was apparently a problem for the producers of the show -- it was his usual sales-driven, heavy R&B, which never went too far up the charts, and sounded much like his others, and usually in the first hour of the show.

It all seemed normal enough until the top 10 -- there we had 3 instrumentals (!), the last ever Three Dog Night song (with a circus theme), the so-bad-it's-good "Midnight at the Oasis", a proper novelty hit at #2, and an odd remake at #1 -- Grand Funk remaking Carole King / Little Eva.

First hit: Earth, Wind, and Fire!  Five former #1's on the top 40, with 4 future ones.

Favorites: (4-stars) Sunshine on my Shoulders & You're the Best thing (my fav)  

1 1 THE LOCO-MOTION –•– Grand Funk (Capitol)-10 (2 weeks at #1)

2 6 THE STREAK –•– Ray Stevens (Barnaby)-5
3 5 DANCING MACHINE –•– Jackson 5 (Motown)-9
4 11 THE ENTERTAINER –•– Marvin Hamlisch (MCA)-8
5 3 BENNIE AND THE JETS –•– Elton John (MCA)-13
6 9 THE SHOW MUST GO ON –•– Three Dog Night (Dunhill)-9
7 8 TUBULAR BELLS –•– Mike Oldfield (Virgin)-12
8 2 TSOP (The Sound Of Philadelphia) –•– MFSB Featuring the Three Degrees (Philadelphia International)-11
9 12 (I’ve Been) SEARCHIN’ SO LONG –•– Chicago (Columbia)-9
10 15 MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS –•– Maria Muldaur (Reprise)-12

11 4 BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME –•– Gladys Knight and the Pips (Buddah)-13
12 7 HOOKED ON A FEELING –•– Blue Swede (EMI)-13
13 17 YOU MAKE ME FEEL BRAND NEW –•– The Sylistics (Avco)-8
14 22 BAND ON THE RUN –•– Paul McCartney and Wings (Apple)-4
15 21 I WON’T LAST A DAY WITHOUT YOU –•– The Carpenters (A&M)-5
16 14 COME AND GET YOUR LOVE –•– Redbone (Epic)-18
17 13 OH MY MY –•– Ringo Starr (Apple)-10
18 10 JUST DON’T WANT TO BE LONELY –•– The Main Ingredient (RCA)-15
19 23 HELP ME –•– Joni Mitchell (Asylum)-9
20 24 OH VERY YOUNG –•– Cat Stevens (A&M)-9

21 27 DON’T YOU WORRY ‘BOUT A THING –•– Stevie Wonder (Tamla)-6
22 16 I’LL HAVE TO SAY I LOVE YOU IN A SONG –•– Jim Croce (ABC)-11
23 32 FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY –•– The O’Jays (Philadelphia International)-5
24 18 LOOKIN’ FOR A LOVE –•– Bobby Womack (United Artists)-15
25 19 MY MISTAKE (Was To Love You) –•– Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye (Motown)-12
26 30 THE PAYBACK (Part 1) –•– James Brown (Polydor)-8
27 20 SUNSHINE ON MY SHOULDERS –•– John Denver (RCA)-16
28 26 KEEP ON SINGING –•– Helen Reddy (Capitol)-10
29 39 MY GIRL BILL –•– Jim Stafford (MGM)-4
30 36 I’M IN LOVE –•– Aretha Franklin (Atlantic)-6

31 35 MIGHTY MIGHTY –•– Earth, Wind and Fire (Columbia)-10
32 28 SEASONS IN THE SUN –•– Terry Jacks (Bell)-18
33 25 THE LORD’S PRAYER –•– Sister Janet Mead (A&M)-12
34 41 LET’S GET MARRIED –•– Al Green (Hi)-7
35 29 LET IT RIDE –•– Bachman-Turner Overdrive (Mercury)-12
36 46 SUNDOWN –•– Gordon Lightfoot (Reprise)-5
37 33 MOCKINGBIRD –•– Carly Simon and James Taylor (Elektra)-15
38 57 BILLY, DON’T BE A HERO –•– Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods (ABC)-4
39 50 IF YOU LOVE ME (Let Me Know) –•– Olivia Newton-John (MCA)-5
40 48 STANDING AT THE END OF THE LINE –•– Lobo (Big Tree)-5