Casey Kasem's American Top 40 - The 70s

[sadchild]

Wow I know a LOT of these! How random...

Good 8
Okay 6
Bad 11
? 15

Good
40. Blue Oyster Cult - (Don't Fear) The Reaper (NEW!)
37. Steve Miller Band - Rock'n Me (NEW!)
25. Daryl Hall & John Oates - She's Gone
17. Cliff Richard - Devil Woman
13. Fleetwood Mac - Say You Love Me
9. Boz Scaggs - Lowdown (?7)*
6. Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music
5. KC & the Sunshine Band - (Shake Shake Shake) Shake Your Booty

Okay
38. Linda Ronstadt - That'll Be the Day (NEW!)
36. Starland Vocal Band - Afternoon Delight
34. Rick Dees & His Cast of Idiots - Disco Duck (NEW!) so bad it's kinda good, like a train wreck
20. Orleans - Still the One
12. Peter Frampton - Baby I Love Your Way
3. Wings - Let Em In

Bad
35. Heart - Magic Man (NEW!)
31. Vicki Sue Robinson - Turn the Beat Around
26. James Taylor - Shower the People
18. Chicago - If You Leave Me Now
16. Jefferson Starship - With Your Love
14. Seals & Crofts - Get Closer
8. Elton John & Kiki Dee - Don't Go Breaking My Heart
7. Walter Murphy & the Big Apple Band - A Fifth of Beethoven
4. England Dan & John Ford Coley - I'd Really Love to See You Tonight
2. Lou Rawls - You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine
1. Bee Gees - You Should Be Dancing

"How can you like Disco Duck and Afternoon Delight more than Magic Man?!?!"

 

[scotchandcigar]

21 good and nostalgic songs.

40. Blue Oyster Cult - (Don't Fear) The Reaper (NEW!)
38. Linda Ronstadt - That'll Be the Day (NEW!)
37. Steve Miller Band - Rock'n Me (NEW!)
35. Heart - Magic Man (NEW!)
28. Beach Boys - Rock and Roll Music
27. Earth Wind & Fire - Getaway
26. James Taylor - Shower the People
25. Daryl Hall & John Oates - She's Gone
22. Gary Wright - Love is Alive
20. Orleans - Still the One
18. Chicago - If You Leave Me Now
13. Fleetwood Mac - Say You Love Me
12. Peter Frampton - Baby I Love Your Way
10. George Benson - This Masquerade
9. Boz Scaggs - Lowdown (↑7)*
8. Elton John & Kiki Dee - Don't Go Breaking My Heart
7. Walter Murphy & the Big Apple Band - A Fifth of Beethoven
6. Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music
5. KC & the Sunshine Band - (Shake Shake Shake) Shake Your Booty
3. Wings - Let Em In
1. Bee Gees - You Should Be Dancing

Some thoughts:

- I don't know how anybody who plays the guitar can leave out George Benson, who Rick Beato called "the greatest of all time". I love how he sings along to his guitar solos



- Sadchild somehow dislikes Heart's Magic Man (what's not to like?), and he will call it a "bad" song.

- England Dan & John Ford Coley - I'd Really Love to See You Tonight
I'm not talking 'bout the linen.

- Lou Rawls - You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine
Listening carefully to the message of this song, this guy's an asshole. Obviously he fucked-up, so she left him. But then the whole song is about how great he is, and how much of a loser she is. Nowhere in the song is any kind of apology, or even an acknowledgement that he caused her to leave.

- Earth Wind & Fire - Getaway
I don't know how anyone with a pulse can't like this song. It certainly moved the Soul Train crowd

 

[Channel98]

You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine was written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, who wrote more than 140 chart hits including Billy Paul's Me & Mrs. Jones, Thelma Houston's Don't Leave Me This Way, Jerry Butler's Moody Woman and Only The Strong Survive, the O'Jays' Love Train and For The Love Of Money, the Jacksons' Enjoy Yourself, the Soul Survivors' Expressway To Your Heart and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' If You Don't Know Me By Now.

Mister scotch, if you don't like Lou Rawls' You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine, you will probably dislike Michael Bublé's dreary remake even more. This is from his album cleverly titled Michael Bublé, released on February 11, 2003:

 

[sadchild]

- Sadchild somehow dislikes Heart's Magic Man (what's not to like?), and he will call it a "bad" song.

He's a magic man, momma... Ugh

- Lou Rawls - You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine

Interesting! Similar thing with Uncle Kracker "Follow Me" where he says "yeah you're married and boinking me, but don't think for a second you should leave him for me, and if you try to find a different side piece he won't measure up to me"

Won't give you money, I can't give you the sky
You're better off if you don't ask why
I'm not the reason that you go astray and
We'll be alright if you don't ask me to stay
Follow me, everything is alright
I'll be the one to tuck you in at night
And if you want to leave, I can guarantee
You won't find nobody else like me

 

[scotchandcigar]

He's a magic man, momma... Ugh

Yeah, it ain't no "kiss on my list", or "I can't go for that, no can do".

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

1978/03/18
repeat countdown

* = current or future #1
** = past #1
red = debut

The bottom 60: debuts and future or former #1s:
(--) 99. NUMBER ONE - ELOISE LAWS
(--) 98. I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU - RONNIE MCDOWELL
(--) 90. TWO OUT OF THREE AIN'T BAD - MEAT LOAF
(--) 89. BOMBS AWAY - BOB WEIR
(--) 81. SITTING IN LIMBO - DON BROWN
(--) 79. MOVIN' OUT (ANTHONY'S SONG) - BILLY JOEL
(--) 69. TWO DOORS DOWN - DOLLY PARTON
(41) 47. BABY COME BACK - PLAYER **

This weeks drops:
(31) 49. POOR POOR PITIFUL ME - LINDA RONSTADT
(27) 48. THEME FROM "CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND" - JOHN WILLIAMS

The Top 40:
(44) 40. FEELS SO GOOD - CHUCK MANGIONE
(48) 39. THE CLOSER I GET TO YOU - ROBERTA FLACK
(40) 38. IT'S YOU THAT I NEED - ENCHANTMENT
(38) 37. YOU REALLY GOT ME - VAN HALEN
(26) 36. WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS - QUEEN
(15) 35. HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE - BEE GEES **
(36) 34. THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND - ANDREW GOLD
(35) 33. HOT LEGS - ROD STEWART
(11) 32. PEG - STEELY DAN
(34) 31. LADY LOVE - LOU RAWLS
(33) 30. BEFORE MY HEART FINDS OUT - GENE COTTON
(32) 29. SWEET TALKING WOMAN - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA
(30) 28. FLASHLIGHT - PARLIAMENT
(29) 27. THEME SONG FROM "WHICH WAY IS UP" - STARGARD
(39) 26. WE'LL NEVER HAVE TO SAY GOODBYE - ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY
(37) 25. RUNNINí ON EMPTY - JACKSON BROWNE
(28) 24. GOODBYE GIRL - DAVID GATES
(25) 23. DUST IN THE WIND - KANSAS
(24) 22. EBONY EYES - BOB WELCH
(23) 21. ALWAYS & FOREVER - HEATWAVE
(20) 20. THE WAY YOU DO THE THINGS YOU DO - RITA COOLIDGE
(22) 19. JACK AND JILL - RAYDIO
(19) 18. OUR LOVE - NATALIE COLE
(18) 17. (WHAT A) WONDERFUL WORLD - ART GARFUNKEL WITH JAMES TAYLOR & PAUL SIMON
(16) 16. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY - LITTLE RIVER BAND
(17) 15. FALLING - LEBLANC & CARR
(21) 14. IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU - YVONNE ELLIMAN *
(13) 13. WHAT'S YOUR NAME - LYNYRD SKYNYRD
(12) 12. NAME OF THE GAME - ABBA
(14) 11. THUNDER ISLAND - JAY FERGUSON
( 9) 10. JUST THE WAY YOU ARE - BILLY JOEL
( 7). 9. DANCE, DANCE, DANCE, YOWSAH YOWSAH - CHIC
( 3). 8. SOMETIMES WHEN WE TOUCH - DAN HILL
( 8). 7. I GO CRAZY - PAUL DAVIS
(10). 6. CAN'T SMILE WITHOUT YOU - BARRY MANILOW
( 1) 5. LOVE IS THICKER THAN WATER - ANDY GIBB **
( 5). 4. LAY DOWN SALLY - ERIC CLAPTON
( 4). 3. EMOTION - SAMANTHA SANG
( 6). 2. STAYIN' ALIVE - THE BEE GEES **
( 2). 1. NIGHT FEVER - THE BEE GEES *

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

18 good from 1978:
(44) 40. FEELS SO GOOD - CHUCK MANGIONE
(26) 36. WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS - QUEEN
(15) 35. HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE - BEE GEES **
(36) 34. THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND - ANDREW GOLD
(35) 33. HOT LEGS - ROD STEWART
(11) 32. PEG - STEELY DAN
(32) 29. SWEET TALKING WOMAN - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA
(37) 25. RUNNINí ON EMPTY - JACKSON BROWNE
(28) 24. GOODBYE GIRL - DAVID GATES
(25) 23. DUST IN THE WIND - KANSAS
(24) 22. EBONY EYES - BOB WELCH
(12) 12. NAME OF THE GAME - ABBA
(14) 11. THUNDER ISLAND - JAY FERGUSON
( 1) 5. LOVE IS THICKER THAN WATER - ANDY GIBB **
( 5). 4. LAY DOWN SALLY - ERIC CLAPTON
( 4). 3. EMOTION - SAMANTHA SANG
( 6). 2. STAYIN' ALIVE - THE BEE GEES **
( 2). 1. NIGHT FEVER - THE BEE GEES *

10 ok from 1978:
(38) 37. YOU REALLY GOT ME - VAN HALEN
(22) 19. JACK AND JILL - RAYDIO
(18) 17. (WHAT A) WONDERFUL WORLD - ART GARFUNKEL WITH JAMES TAYLOR & PAUL SIMON
(16) 16. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY - LITTLE RIVER BAND
(21) 14. IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU - YVONNE ELLIMAN *
(13) 13. WHAT'S YOUR NAME - LYNYRD SKYNYRD
( 9) 10. JUST THE WAY YOU ARE - BILLY JOEL
( 7). 9. DANCE, DANCE, DANCE, YOWSAH YOWSAH - CHIC
( 3). 8. SOMETIMES WHEN WE TOUCH - DAN HILL
(10). 6. CAN'T SMILE WITHOUT YOU - BARRY MANILOW

 

[nysfboy328]

25 Good:
40. Chuck Mangione - Feels So Good (NEW!)
39. Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway - The Closer I Get to You (NEW!)
36. Queen - We Are the Champions
35. Bee Gees - How Deep is Your Love
32. Steely Dan - Peg (↓21)*
26. England Dan & John Ford Coley - We'll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again (↑13)*
25. Jackson Browne - Running on Empty
24. David Gates - Goodbye Girl
23. Kansas - Dust in the Wind
19. Raydio - Jack and Jill
18. Natalie Cole - Our Love
15. LeBlanc & Carr - Falling
14. Yvonne Elliman - If I Can't Have You
13. Lynyrd Skynyrd - What's Your Name
11. Jay Ferguson - Thunder Island
10. Billy Joel - Just the Way You Are
9. Chic - Dance Dance Dance (Yowsah Yowsah Yowsah)
8. Dan Hill - Sometimes When We Touch
7. Paul Davis - I Go Crazy
6. Barry Manilow - Can't Smile Without You
5. Andy Gibb - (Love Is) Thicker Than Water
4. Eric Clapton - Lay Down Sally
3. Samantha Sang - Emotion
2. Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive
1. Bee Gees - Night Fever

 

[scotchandcigar]

I'll say 15 for 78.

(44) 40. FEELS SO GOOD - CHUCK MANGIONE
(38) 37. YOU REALLY GOT ME - VAN HALEN
(26) 36. WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS - QUEEN
(35) 33. HOT LEGS - ROD STEWART
(11) 32. PEG - STEELY DAN
(32) 29. SWEET TALKING WOMAN - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA
(30) 28. FLASHLIGHT - PARLIAMENT
(37) 25. RUNNINí ON EMPTY - JACKSON BROWNE
(25) 23. DUST IN THE WIND - KANSAS
(13) 13. WHAT'S YOUR NAME - LYNYRD SKYNYRD
(12) 12. NAME OF THE GAME - ABBA
(14) 11. THUNDER ISLAND - JAY FERGUSON
( 9) 10. JUST THE WAY YOU ARE - BILLY JOEL
( 5). 4. LAY DOWN SALLY - ERIC CLAPTON
( 6). 2. STAYIN' ALIVE - THE BEE GEES **

Notes:

8. Dan Hill - Sometimes When We Touch
- This would be a finalist in the "Top 10 songs I'd want playing when I stick the barrel of a gun in my mouth".

(15) 35. HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE - BEE GEES **
( 4). 3. EMOTION - SAMANTHA SANG
( 6). 2. STAYIN' ALIVE - THE BEE GEES **
( 2). 1. NIGHT FEVER - THE BEE GEES *
- Obviously the "Saturday Night Fever" effect. I randomly picked 1 of the top 2 to split the difference.

(30) 28. FLASHLIGHT - PARLIAMENT
- Great song, and I hear it now on the local college radio station. But back in the day, I wasn't aware of it, because it wasn't on any "alt-rock" channel playlists.

 

[Jon]

(38) 37. YOU REALLY GOT ME - VAN HALEN
(26) 36. WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS - QUEEN
(15) 35. HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE - BEE GEES **
(11) 32. PEG - STEELY DAN
(32) 29. SWEET TALKING WOMAN - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA
(30) 28. FLASHLIGHT - PARLIAMENT
(37) 25. RUNNINí ON EMPTY - JACKSON BROWNE
(25) 23. DUST IN THE WIND - KANSAS
(24) 22. EBONY EYES - BOB WELCH
(13) 13. WHAT'S YOUR NAME - LYNYRD SKYNYRD
( 9) 10. JUST THE WAY YOU ARE - BILLY JOEL
( 5). 4. LAY DOWN SALLY - ERIC CLAPTON
( 6). 2. STAYIN' ALIVE - THE BEE GEES **
( 2). 1. NIGHT FEVER - THE BEE GEES *

13, but, quite frankly, I'm surprised it clinched double figures.

 

[Channel98]

Sometimes When We Touch was written by Dan Hill and Barry Mann (real name: Barry Imberman). Mann and his wife, Cynthia Weil, wrote more than a hundred 1960s-70s-80s hits including Kicks, Hungry, Footsteps, Uptown, Blame It On The Bossa Nova, My Dad, Bless You, Brown Eyed Woman, Come Back Silly Girl, Soul & Inspiration, Don't Know Much, On Broadway, Rock & Roll Lullaby, Make Your Own Kind Of Music, We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place, Sweet Cherry Wine, Somewhere Out There and Saturday Night At The Movies.

Sometimes When We Touch has been recorded by more than 90 artists including Tina Turner, Barry Manilow, Rod Stewart, Engelbert Humperdinck, Lynn Anderson, Tommy Steele, Cilla Black, Marty Robbins, Oscar Peterson, Darlene Love, Dottie West, Acker Bilk, Paul Nicholas and Richard Clayderman, A version by Mark Gray and Tammy Wynette reached #6 on the country chart in May 1985. Barry Mann recorded his own version in 1999 for his Soul & Inspiration album, released on January 18, 2000.

 

[HecticArt]

Noine

(38) 37. YOU REALLY GOT ME - VAN HALEN
(26) 36. WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS - QUEEN
(35) 33. HOT LEGS - ROD STEWART
(11) 32. PEG - STEELY DAN
(32) 29. SWEET TALKING WOMAN - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA
(30) 28. FLASHLIGHT - PARLIAMENT
(37) 25. RUNNINí ON EMPTY - JACKSON BROWNE
(25) 23. DUST IN THE WIND - KANSAS

Meh..
( 9) 10. JUST THE WAY YOU ARE - BILLY JOEL

 

[sadchild]

Good 7
Okay 2
Bad 11
? 20

Good
37 38 VAN HALEN - YOU REALLY GOT ME
36 26 QUEEN - WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS
32 11 STEELY DAN - PEG
25 37 JACKSON BROWNE - RUNNING ON EMPTY
23 25 KANSAS - DUST IN THE WIND
11 14 JAY FERGUSON - THUNDER ISLAND
02 06 BEE GEES - STAYIN' ALIVE

Okay
33 35 ROD STEWART - HOT LEGS
10 09 BILLY JOEL - JUST THE WAY YOU ARE

Bad
40 DE CHUCK MANGIONE - FEELS SO GOOD
39 DE ROBERTA FLACK with DONNY HATHAWAY - THE CLOSER I GET TO YOU
35 15 BEE GEES - HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE
14 21 YVONNE ELLIMAN - IF I CAN’T HAVE YOU
13 13 LYNYRD SKYNYRD - WHAT’S YOUR NAME
08 03 DAN HILL - SOMETIMES WHEN WE TOUCH
07 08 PAUL DAVIS - I GO CRAZY
06 10 BARRY MANILOW - CAN’T SMILE WITHOUT YOU
05 01 ANDY GIBB - (LOVE IS) THICKER THAN WATER
04 05 ERIC CLAPTON - LAY DOWN SALLY
01 02 BEE GEES - NIGHT FEVER

 

[Aaron]

Good 7
Okay 2
Bad 11
? 20

Good
37 38 VAN HALEN - YOU REALLY GOT ME
36 26 QUEEN - WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS
32 11 STEELY DAN - PEG
25 37 JACKSON BROWNE - RUNNING ON EMPTY
23 25 KANSAS - DUST IN THE WIND
11 14 JAY FERGUSON - THUNDER ISLAND
02 06 BEE GEES - STAYIN' ALIVE

Okay
33 35 ROD STEWART - HOT LEGS
10 09 BILLY JOEL - JUST THE WAY YOU ARE

Bad
40 DE CHUCK MANGIONE - FEELS SO GOOD
39 DE ROBERTA FLACK with DONNY HATHAWAY - THE CLOSER I GET TO YOU
35 15 BEE GEES - HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE
14 21 YVONNE ELLIMAN - IF I CAN’T HAVE YOU
13 13 LYNYRD SKYNYRD - WHAT’S YOUR NAME
08 03 DAN HILL - SOMETIMES WHEN WE TOUCH
07 08 PAUL DAVIS - I GO CRAZY
06 10 BARRY MANILOW - CAN’T SMILE WITHOUT YOU
05 01 ANDY GIBB - (LOVE IS) THICKER THAN WATER
04 05 ERIC CLAPTON - LAY DOWN SALLY
01 02 BEE GEES - NIGHT FEVER

In varying degrees, I like every song on your bad list.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

In varying degrees, I like every song on your bad list.

I think all but one is on my good or ok list as well.

I know I have mentioned this before but I don't hear much difference between "Staying Alive" and "Night Fever". But for sad it's the difference between good and bad.

 

[Aaron]

I much rather Night Fever, but I’m good with both songs.

 

[Channel98]

Night Fever is one of four Bee Gees songs covered by reggae rock band Dread Zeppelin for their 1992 album It's Not Unusual, which also includes remakes of Disco Inferno, Theme From Shaft and three other songs – but not Tom Jones' It's Not Unusual, Go figure!

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Night Fever is one of four Bee Gees songs covered by reggae rock band Dread Zeppelin for their 1992 album It's Not Unusual, which also includes remakes of Disco Inferno, Theme From Shaft and three other songs – but not Tom Jones' It's Not Unusual, Go figure!

I think this is the first time I have actually heard the lyrics. I didn't recognize the song until the chorus.

 

[MonoStereo]

Sometimes When We Touch was written by Dan Hill and Barry Mann (real name: Barry Imberman). Mann and his wife, Cynthia Weil, wrote more than a hundred 1960s-70s-80s hits including Kicks, Hungry, Footsteps, Uptown, Blame It On The Bossa Nova, My Dad, Bless You, Brown Eyed Woman, Come Back Silly Girl, Soul & Inspiration, Don't Know Much, On Broadway, Rock & Roll Lullaby, Make Your Own Kind Of Music, We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place, Sweet Cherry Wine, Somewhere Out There and Saturday Night At The Movies.

Sometimes When We Touch has been recorded by more than 90 artists including Tina Turner, Barry Manilow, Rod Stewart, Engelbert Humperdinck, Lynn Anderson, Tommy Steele, Cilla Black, Marty Robbins, Oscar Peterson, Darlene Love, Dottie West, Acker Bilk, Paul Nicholas and Richard Clayderman, A version by Mark Gray and Tammy Wynette reached #6 on the country chart in May 1985. Barry Mann recorded his own version in 1999 for his Soul & Inspiration album, released on January 18, 2000.

Weird that they didn't mention that it's also one of my Most Hated Songs Of All Time. Huh.

 

[HecticArt]

I kinda like the Dread version better.