Casey Kasem's American Top 40 - The 70s

scotchandcigar

All I wanted was some steak
Feb 13, 2009
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I've thought about it after seeing all the other similar threads here, but as someone who owns I dunno, probably 5000 albums I wouldn't even know where to start.
5,000 is a lot, I probably have a thousand between CDs and albums. Still too many to rank, so I've just been going chronologically, listing favorite songs from favorite albums.
 

sadchild

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Mar 28, 2016
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Even in my massive MP3 collection I don't think I have 5000 albums. I've got 3000 artist folders, and more than half of them don't have one full album. Of course, I have 10 Cure albums and 9 Depeche albums, but those are unusual.

I just started in 2009 with a text file, adding songs as they came to mind (or to my speakers). By 2011, I had a top 200 ranked in order with another few hundred songs in "groups-of-songs-I-like-about-the-same-amount" below that, with a grand total of around 500. Now my list has 700 or so with 333 ranked by number.
 

scotchandcigar

All I wanted was some steak
Feb 13, 2009
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I've got to get back to re-ripping the rest of my CD's again.
Me too. I did some back when our company issued desktop computers, which was quite a while ago. I mainly use the mp3's on my phone for the beach. So I've been selecting from the same 150 or so mp3 albums for about 15 years.
 

HecticArt

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Oct 19, 2008
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When my hard drives failed, and I lost most of my mp3s, I started to re-rip my collection. I think I’ve only gotten about 7,000 songs ripped, but probably have half to do again.
SXM has given me enough variety to listen to all day, so it’s been easy to be lazy.
I need to get back to it. I got another RAID drive not too long ago, so I’ve got another 4TB that’s in need of some good music.
 

sadchild

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I've got a couple dozen DVDs that serve as backups of my MP3s. Each time I get 4GB of MP3s ready to add to the collection (correct bitrate, normalized, ID3 tagged) I burn a DVD. Then I add them to the main directory.
 
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HecticArt

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I have another external drive that I copy them to from time to time. I keep that drive at work not only to listen to, but as one of those redundancies in case something tragic happens to my main drive(s). Once you've lost as much music as I did, you get extra paranoid.

I lost a fair amount of photographs too. Some stuff that I sold at art shows and from vacations and studio shoots. Fortunately nothing from any of the weddings I've shot or the few commercial clients that I've had.
 

sadchild

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I do DVDs of photos too (two copies of those because they're irreplaceable - and one copy goes to my in-laws house). I have a USB drive I back those up on (until they're burnt).
 

sadchild

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December 1, 1973

40: SWEET UNDERSTANDING LOVE – THE FOUR TOPS
39: RAMBLIN’ MAN – ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND
38: NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS – IKE & TINA TURNER
37: WE MAY NEVER PASS THIS WAY (AGAIN) – SEALS & CROFTS
36: D’YER MAK’ER – LED ZEPPELIN
35: HALF-BREED - CHER
34: BE – NEIL DIAMOND
33: SHOW AND TELL – AL WILSON
32: WHO’S IN THE STRAWBERRY PATCH WITH SALLY – TONY ORLANDO AND DAWN
31: WHY ME – KRIS KRISTOFFERSON
30: MIND GAMES – JOHN LENNON
29: LIVING FOR THE CITY – STEVIE WONDER
28: OOH BABY – GILBERT O’ SULLIVAN
27: KNOCKIN’ ON HEAVEN’S DOOR – BOB DYLAN
26: MY MUSIC - LOGGINS & MESSINA
25: COME GET TO THIS – MARVIN GAYE
24: ROCKIN’ ROLL BABY – THE STYLISTICS
23: ALL I KNOW - GARFUNKEL
22: THE JOKER – THE STEVE MILLER BAND
21: YOU’RE A SPECIAL PART OF ME – DIANA ROSS & MARVIN GAYE
20: NEVER, NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP – BARRY WHITE
19: ANGIE – THE ROLLING STONES
18: TIME IN A BOTTLE – JIM CROCE
17: LET ME SERENADE YOU – THREE DOG NIGHT
16: I GOT A NAME – JIM CROCE
15: CHEAPER TO KEEP HER – JOHNNIE TAYLOR
14: IF YOU’RE READY (COME GO WITH ME) – THE STAPLE SINGERS
13: LEAVE ME ALONE (RUBY RED DRESS) – HELEN REDDY
12: PAPER ROSES – MARIE OSMOND
11: HELLO IT’S ME – TODD RUNDGREN
10: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL – CHARLIE RICH
9: HEARTBEAT-IT’S A LOVE BEAT – THE DeFRANCO FAMILY
8: THE LOVE I LOST (PART 1) – HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES
7: MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA – GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS
6: JUST YOU ‘N’ ME - CHICAGO
5: KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ – EDDIE KENDRICKS
4: SPACE RACE – BILLY PRESTON
3: GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD – ELTON JOHN
2: PHOTOGRAPH – RINGO STARR
1: TOP OF THE WORLD – THE CARPENTERS
 

MonoStereo

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December 1, 1973

36: D’YER MAK’ER – LED ZEPPELIN

I give Casey somewhat of a pass here, since it was 1973 & the story on this song's title maybe wasn't known yet. But it made me chuckle that he kept long-standing radio tradition alive by mispronouncing the title. At least he put a spin on it I'd never heard before.


32: WHO’S IN THE STRAWBERRY PATCH WITH SALLY – TONY ORLANDO AND DAWN

This is great example of why I have trouble with countdowns from this early in the decade. Too many songs like this that fall into a category I call "Corny Bullshit".

18: TIME IN A BOTTLE – JIM CROCE
16: I GOT A NAME – JIM CROCE

I know he'd just passed away a couple months earlier, but 2 songs in the Top 20? That's can't have happened too much in the years since.
This one was a big of a slog for me ( I bailed once I got a look at the top 10 ) for the reasons mentioned above, plus it was really similar to a countdown that was played not that long ago.
 

IdRatherBeSkiing

Sherbet is NOT and NEVER WILL BE ice cream.
Oct 11, 2008
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I know he'd just passed away a couple months earlier, but 2 songs in the Top 20? That's can't have happened too much in the years since.
This one was a big of a slog for me ( I bailed once I got a look at the top 10 ) for the reasons mentioned above, plus it was really similar to a countdown that was played not that long ago.
I assume one was going up and one down. It has happened several times. I think Donna Summer had both Bad Girls and Hot Stuff in the top 5. I think Michael Jackson and Prince have done it. They release their 2nd hit while the first is at #1 and they meet in the top 20 as they pass.
 

Aaron

Moderator
Oct 10, 2008
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12/10/1977

40. AS - STEVIE WONDER
39. LOVE IS THICKER THAN WATER - ANDY GIBB
38. DON'T LET ME BE MISUNDERSTOOD - SANTA ESMERELDA
37. DANCE, DANCE, DANCE - CHIC
36. TURN TO STONE - ELO
35. GETTIN' READY FOR LOVE - DIANA ROSS
34. SHORT PEOPLE - RANDY NEWMAN
33. WE JUST DISAGREE - DAVE MASON
32. JUST THE WAY YOU ARE - BILLY JOEL
31. THE WAY I FEEL TONIGHT - BAY CITY ROLLERS
30. MY WAY - ELVIS PRESLEY
29. RUNAROUND SUE - LEIF GARRETT
28. SERPENTINE FIRE - EARTH, WIND & FIRE
27. SHE'S NOT THERE - SANTANA
26. WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS - QUEEN
25. I GO CRAZY - PAUL DAVIS
24. IT'S ECSTASY - BARRY WHITE
23. GONE TOO FAR - ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY
22. HEY DEANIE - SHAUN CASSIDY
21. YOUR SMILING FACE - JAMES TAYLOR
20. SWINGTOWN - STEVE MILLER BAND
19. YOU'RE IN MY HEART - ROD STEWART
18. COME SAIL AWAY - STYX
17. YOU CAN'T TURN ME OFF - HIGH INERGY
16. ISN'T IT TIME - BABYS
15. SLIP SLIDIN' AWAY - PAUL SIMON
14. BOOGIE NIGHTS - HEATWAVE
13. SENTIMENTAL LADY - BOB WELCH
12. HERE YOU COME AGAIN - DOLLY PARTON
11. BABY COME BACK - PLAYER
10. YOU MAKE LOVIN' FUN - FLEETWOOD MAC
9. BABY, WHAT A BIG SURPRISE - CHICAGO
8. BACK IN LOVE AGAIN - LTD
7. WE'RE ALL ALONE - RITA COOLIDGE
6. HEAVEN ON THE SEVENTH FLOOR - PAUL NICHOLAS
5. IT'S SO EASY - LINDA RONSTADT
4. BLUE BAYOU - LINDA RONSTADT
3. HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE - BEE GEES
2. DON'T IT MAKE MY BROWN EYES BLUE - CRYSTAL GAYLE
1. YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE - DEBBY BOONE
 

IdRatherBeSkiing

Sherbet is NOT and NEVER WILL BE ice cream.
Oct 11, 2008
27,227
13,832
168
Toronto, ON
19 good/ok songs for me. Several I did not recognize by name at least.

#4 & #5 both Linda Ronstadt. Another example of artists having 2 songs in top 20/10/5 at the same time. Hall & Oates did it too on the 1981 countdown (top 20).
 
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MonoStereo

Well-Known Member
May 12, 2020
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12/10/1977

40. AS - STEVIE WONDER
39. LOVE IS THICKER THAN WATER - ANDY GIBB
38. DON'T LET ME BE MISUNDERSTOOD - SANTA ESMERELDA
37. DANCE, DANCE, DANCE - CHIC
36. TURN TO STONE - ELO

Due to a trip to Trader Joe's, we were out later than normal. So I had to hear the above part of the countdown in the car. But I got home in time to hear the following chunk :

33. WE JUST DISAGREE - DAVE MASON
32. JUST THE WAY YOU ARE - BILLY JOEL
31. THE WAY I FEEL TONIGHT - BAY CITY ROLLERS
30. MY WAY - ELVIS PRESLEY
29. RUNAROUND SUE - LEIF GARRETT
28. SERPENTINE FIRE - EARTH, WIND & FIRE

The only problem is that when I got home, it was time to exercise. And the above run of tunes were the soundtrack. And I don't think I've ever had a worse batch of tunes to listen to for exercise purposes in my LIFE. The Earth Wind & Fire came along too late, because I was cooling down at that point.

25. I GO CRAZY - PAUL DAVIS

Still one of my wife's favorite all-time "goo goo eyes" songs.

17. YOU CAN'T TURN ME OFF - HIGH INERGY

This week's "Haven't Heard It In Forever" entry.

16. ISN'T IT TIME - BABYS

Man, The Babys were a great singles band. I like their "Head First" album, too - but that & their "Anthology" best-of is about all you need.

14. BOOGIE NIGHTS - HEATWAVE

Still a go-to power jam.

6. HEAVEN ON THE SEVENTH FLOOR - PAUL NICHOLAS

I'd COMPLETELY forgotten about this song, & was surprised it got this high on the charts. It's a lotta fun.

3. HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE - BEE GEES

( insert tiny weiner joke here )

1. YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE - DEBBY BOONE

If you ever needed an extra reason to hate this song ( you don't - it's fuggin' garbage ) do some Googling about the guy who wrote it. Just a terrible human being, for reasons way worse than this song ( which would have been enough, but he felt the need to go the extra mile ).

Overall, this countdown was WAY too mellow for my liking. And people wonder why punk came along around this time.