I am amazed by the popularity of one hit wonders, and how the topic brings back nostalgic memories for many folks.

Over the past 3 years, I have published one hit wonders blogs from years 1969 through 1972. These articles are among my most viewed messages of all-time.

With this edition of my musical musings, I am concentrating on the best “one hit wonders” from 1968.  I will be counting down the top songs in this category from 55 years ago.

Audio aircheck above: Fred King WROV Roanoke June 1968. WROV Top 40 survey below from June 10, 1968. Courtesy of the WROV History Website/Pat Garrett.

I have fond memories listening to top 40 radio from my home in Roanoke, Virginia during 1968. My go to station was legendary WROV 1240 AM, which was the top-rated radio outlet in my city.

The WROV DJs that I remember back in 1968 were Jack Fisher, Fred Frelantz, Bart Prater, Fred King, Ron Phelps and Phil Beckman. During daylight hours, I exclusively listened to WROV.

When WROV reduced power at sundown, I would listen to top 40 AM radio stations located hundreds of miles away from my Virginia home. 50,000-watt WLS 890 AM Chicago and WABC 770 AM New York were my top two choices for nighttime listening.

What exactly is a “One Hit Wonder?” The basic definition: An artist has only one hit song on the national Billboard Hot 100 pop chart during their career. This music blog message pertains solely to hit songs within the United States.

To avoid any confusion, here are the criteria that I am using to define a one hit wonder:

• No other songs from an artist ever peaking at number 40 or higher on the Billboard National Pop Chart. (Chart positions from number 40 to number 1).

• One hit wonders vary from country to country. An artist may have just one hit in the United States but may have multiple hits in another country.

• Regional hits are not taken into account: A second song must be a national hit and chart within the Billboard Top 40 pop survey.

•  Singles that peak from numbers 41 through 100 on the national Billboard Hot 100 pop chart are generally not considered as a second hit. Example: a 2nd song peaking at number 87 does not constitute an artist as a two-hit-wonder.

All documentation of chart positions I share below in this article comes from The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn.  I proudly own a hard copy of this excellent reference manual, which I consider to be the ‘bible” handbook for music history with Top 40 radio.

As a point of reference, below are the top 10 biggest records of 1968.  Only two of the songs listed are one hit wonders: “Love is Blue” and “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.”

1          “Hey Jude”      The Beatles

2          “Love is Blue”  Paul Mauriat

3          “Honey”          Bobby Goldsboro

4          “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”      Otis Redding

5          “People Got to Be Free”         The Rascals

6          “Sunshine of Your Love”         Cream

7          “This Guy’s in Love with You”    Herb Alpert

8          “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”     Hugo Montenegro

9          “Mrs. Robinson”         Simon & Garfunkel

10        “Tighten Up”   Archie Bell & the Drells

Before starting my countdown with the best 1968 one hit wonders, I must clear up some Internet erroneous information that some proclaim on this topic.

There are two outstanding singles from 1968 by artists who have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Some may disagree with me but I don’t consider either of these individuals as “one hit wonders.”

1.  Jimi Hendrix:  “All Along the Watchtower” Peaked at #20 on Billboard Hot 100

A song written by the legendary Bob Dylan, “All Along the Watchtower” was the only Jimi Hendrix song to chart #40 or higher on the Billboard Hot 100. However, the superb guitarist did have three other songs peaking between numbers 52 and 67: “Crosstown Traffic”, “Purple Haze” and “Foxy Lady.”  Here in 2023, all 3 of these singles continue to receive heavy airplay on US classic rock radio stations.

2. Janis Joplin:  “Piece of My Heart” Big Brother & the Holding Company: Peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The San Francisco psychedelic rock band Big Brother & the Holding Company had Janis Joplin as lead singer. While “Piece of My Heart” was the only song to chart #40 or higher on the Billboard Hot 100, the group’s follow up single, “Down on Me” peaked at #43 during the fall of 1968.  Joplin also had a posthumous #1 hit “Me and Bobby McGee” in 1971.

 Noteworthy 1968 one hit wonders outside of my top 20 countdown:

• Fire—The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
• Skip a Rope—Henson Cargill
• Shame Shame—Magic Lanterns

• In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida—Iron Butterfly
• Playboy—Gene and Debbie
• Love Makes a Woman—Barbara Acklin

Novelty 1968 One Hit Wonders:

Tip Toe Thru’ the Tulips with Me—Tiny Tim

Here Comes the Judge—Shorty Long

Quick Joey Small (Run Joey Run)—Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus

Here Comes the Judge—Pigmeat Markham

As Casey Kasem used to say on his American Top 40 show: “It’s now on with the countdown.”

20.  Sweet Inspiration—The Sweet Inspirations

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #18 Hot 100, 84^th Biggest Song of 1968

R&B girl group. Worked as backup singers for soul, pop and rock artists. Cissy Houston, mother of Whitney Houston, a member of this ensemble.

19.  Green Tambourine—The Lemon Pipers

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #1 Hot 100, 47^th Biggest Song of 1968

Psychedelic rock band from Oxford, Ohio. Lyrics depict a street musician busking for money. It was first #1 hit for Buddah Records.

18.  Nobody But Me—The Human Beinz

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #8 Hot 100, 67^th Biggest Song of 1968.

Song written by siblings O’Kelly, Rudolph, and Ronald Isley. Youngstown, Ohio band names a variety of popular 60s dances in song.

17.  Girl Watcher—The O’Kaysions

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #5 Hot 100, 45^th Biggest Song of 1968

Beach pop group from Wilson, North Carolina. In 2003, group received a Hall of Fame award from the Carolina Beach Music Association for “Girl Watcher.”

16.  Master Jack—Four Jacks and a Jill

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #3 Adult Contemporary, #18 Hot 100

South African folk rock combo. “Master Jack” went to #1 in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Zimbabwe and in the group’s home country.

15.  Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)—John Fred & His Playboy Band

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #1 Hot 100, 25^th Biggest Song of 1968

Louisiana based rock band. Novelty hit. Song title is parody on John Lennon’s psychedelic classic, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” by the Beatles.

14.  The Good, The Bad and the Ugly—Hugo Montenegro

Peaks positions on Billboard Charts: #2 Hot 100, 8^th Biggest Song of 1968

American orchestra leader and composer of film soundtracks. His best-known work is interpretations of the music from Western movies. An unexpected hit.

13.  Grazing in the Grass—Hugh Masekela

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #1 Hot 100, 18th Biggest Hit of 1968.

Hugh Masekela was a jazz trumpet player from South Africa. Music was composed by Philemon Hou and features a cowbell.  Tune inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2018.

12.  The Horse—Cliff Nobles & Co.

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #2 Hot 100, 21st Biggest Hit of 1968

Interesting that Cliff Nobles didn’t perform on the tune credited to him. A group of session musicians jammed in the studio to create the instrumental track. “The Horse” was released as the B-Side of the 45-rpm single “Love is All Right” and is the instrumental version of that tune.

11.  Summertime Blues—Blue Cheer

Peak Position on Billboard Charts: #14 Hot 100, 56^th Biggest Song of 1968

“Summertime Blues” originally was a hit by Eddie Cochran in 1958. Cover by San Francisco, California psychedelic hard rock band.  Blue Cheer is considered pioneers for the “heavy metal” genre of music.

10.  Angel of the Morning—Merrilee Rush & the Turnabouts

Peak Position on Billboard Charts: #7 Hot 100: 28^th Biggest Song of 1968.

The song earned a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary-Pop Vocal Performance, Female. Rush and her band opened up for Paul Revere & the Raiders in 1967.

9.    Shape of Things to Come—Max Frost & the Troopers

Peak Position on Billboard chart:  #22 Hot 100

Max Frost & the Troopers is actually a fictional band that was featured in a 1968 movie “Wild in the Streets.”  Harley Hatcher has lead vocals on song. Produced by Mike Curb.

8.    Love is Blue—Paul Mauriet

Peak positions on Billboard Charts:  #1 Hot 100, 2nd Biggest Hit of 1968

With “Love is Blue” reaching number 1 for five weeks during February and March in 1968, Paul Mauriat became the first French artist to top the Billboard Hot 100. The tune also spent 11 weeks at number 1 on the “Easy Listening” chart and became the second-best-selling record in 1969 according to Billboard.

7.    Harper Valley PTA—Jeannie C Riley

Peak Position on Billboard Charts:  #1 Hot 100, 17^th biggest Song of 1968

Country singer-songwriter Tom T Hall created a most unusual story for this crossover Top 40 hit. The Harper Valley PTA meeting was a wild and wacky affair as an “unfit mother” addresses her concerns about the hypocrisy of multiple other members with the school organization.

6.    MacArthur Park—Richard Harris

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #2 Hot 100, 51^st Biggest Song of 1968

First 45-rpm single over 7 minutes long to reach top 10 on Billboard Hot 100. Irish actor Richard Harris interpreted Jimmy Webb’s epic story song.  Songwriter won a Grammy Award in 1969.

5.    I Love You—People

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #14 Hot 100:  53rd Biggest Song of 1968

California Rock Band. Written by the Zombies bassist Chris White. Larry Norman was lead singer. He went on to become a pioneer in Christian rock music: starting in 1969 and continuing into the 70s.

4.    Reach Out of the Darkness—Friend and Lover

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #10 Hot 100: 49^th Biggest Song of 1968.

Folk-singing duo composed of husband/wife team Jim and Cathy Post.  Song became a protest anthem against American politics during the late 60s.

3.    Classical Gas—Mason Williams

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #2 Hot 100, 43rd Biggest Hit of 1968

“Classical Gas” was composed by Mason Williams and features instrumental backup by the professional session musicians known as the “Wrecking Crew.” During 1969, the tune won three Grammy Awards for categories all associated with instrumental music.

2.    Journey to the Center of the Mind—The Amboy Dukes

Peak Position on the Billboard Chart: #16 Hot 100

Chicago, Illinois based group founded in 1964 by Ted Nugent. The Amboy Dukes were known primarily as a psychedelic/hard rock band.  Musically and lyrically, this masterpiece helped to define the 60s psychedelic era of songs on top 40 radio.  Nugent started a solo career in 1975.

1.    Pictures of Matchstick Men—Status Quo

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #12 Hot 100, 55^th Biggest Song of 1968

British rock band Status Quo has my number 1 song with “Pictures of Matchstick Men.” Formed in 1962, the band is still active in 2023. Interestingly, while Status Quo has charted fifty-seven top 40 hits in the UK, they have just one hit song in the US.

Status Quo co-founder, guitarist and lead singer Francis Rossi wrote the song for band’s only American hit. The songwriter’s lyrics use the term “matchstick men” which came from a reference to the paintings and drawings of English artist L. S. Lowry.

“Pictures of Matchstick Men” is musically rich, with the tune featuring a phasing audio effect and wah-wah guitars. The record is said to be one of the first to use this technique. The distinctive four-note guitar riff throughout the song makes this a memorable song from the summer of 1968.

 Without a doubt, I consider “Pictures of Matchstick Men” by Status Quo as one of the best singles from 55 years ago and the greatest one hit wonder of 1968.

Now that I have humbly submitted my countdown of 1968 one hit wonders, I am curious to find out your opinion on this topic. Obviously, I do not want to come across as authoritative with my critique.  The songs that you feel are the best may be completely different from my selections.

 What do you consider to be the best one hit wonders from 1968?  There are no right or wrong answers. I welcome your thoughts.

Listening to music from the golden age of Top 40 radio will always have a special place in my heart.  I cherish and fondly remember my favorite “one hit wonders” of 1968.  Rock on!

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I discovered top 40 radio in early 1967 as an 11-year-old boy in Roanoke, Virginia.  Finding WROV 1240 AM that year, expanded musical horizons in my life and set up a future course for me working as a radio DJ.

Attending Oakland Elementary School, I was familiar with the Beatles and viewed “The Monkees” TV series on a weekly basis but my knowledge of pop/rock music was limited.

Christmas 1966, I was gifted 3 albums that whetted my appetite for popular music at that time: “Boots” by Nancy Sinatra, “Gary Lewis & the Playboys Greatest Hits” and The Monkees’ self-titled debut album.  Santa Claus also left a record player underneath the Christmas tree that year.

My parents were not rock fans so I didn’t inherit any guidance on this popular type of music. My father listened to country music on WSLC 610 AM while my mother favored the smooth “Middle of the Road” format on WDBJ 960 AM. 

In the winter months of 1967, I was curious about radio and started my lifelong love of music. Located in our living room was a huge RCA stereo console, which featured an AM/FM radio. I spent many afternoons exploring various local Virginia stations after I got home from school.

It was also in this time period that I bought my first record album: “More of the Monkees.”  This was the second LP released by the TV rock band and featured the mega number 1 hit “I’m a Believer.”

Forward to spring break 1967: with no school happening, I found an AM desk-top tube radio in our kitchen. The stations that I listened to that week both had Top 40 formats: WROV 1240 AM and WPXI 910 AM.

Then on my 12^th birthday in May 1967, my parents gave me a transistor radio. From that point on, I was hooked on top 40 radio and WROV.

Legendary Top 40 WROV 1240 AM was the top-rated radio station in Roanoke during the mid to late 60s and also throughout the 70s decade. The two DJ’s that I distinctly remember from WROV back in ‘67 are Jack Fisher and Fred Frelantz.

WROV DJs Fred Freelantz and Jack Fisher. Photo courtesy of WROV History Website/Pat Garrett.

My radio listening expanded during the “summer of love” in ’67, as I commandeered the desk-top tube radio from our kitchen and permanently kept this device in my bedroom. During daylight hours, I exclusively listened to WROV.

Unlike my small transistor radio, the devise in my bedroom could pick up radio stations that were located hundreds of miles away from my Virginia home. On many nights that summer, I would tune in 50,000-watt, clear channel AM radio stations, such as WLS 890 Chicago and WABC 770 New York.

I still have fond memories listening to top 40 radio during 1967.  For the remainder of this article, I will be sharing what I consider to be the best songs played on top 40 music stations 55 years ago.

As a guide, I used the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1967 survey for songs I selected with my countdown. For chart information, I utilized, “The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits” by Joel Whitburn.

Below are the top 10 songs of 1967 according to Billboard:

1          “To Sir With Love”                   Lulu

2          “The Letter”                              The Box Tops

3          “Ode to Billie Joe”                    Bobbie Gentry

4          “Windy”                                    The Association

5          “I’m a Believer”                        The Monkees

6          “Light My Fire”                         The Doors

7          “Somethin’ Stupid”                  Frank & Nancy Sinatra

8          “Happy Together”                    The Turtles

9          “Groovin'”                                 The Young Rascals

10        “Can’t Take My Eyes off You” Frankie Valli

Songs listed below are 1967 singles that I like but fell outside my top 20 countdown, randomly placed with no ranking.  It was extremely hard excluding these outstanding songs from the final listing:

• Soul Man—Sam & Dave
• The Letter—The Box Tops
• Light My Fire—The Doors
• To Sir with Love–Lulu
• Expressway (To Your Heart)—The Soul Survivors

• Somebody to Love—Jefferson Airplane
• Ode to Billie Joe—Bobbie Gentry
• Pleasant Valley Sunday—The Monkees
• All You Need is Love—The Beatles
• Gimme Little Sign—Brenton Wood

• Mirage—Tommy James & the Shondells
• I Had too Much to Dream (Last Night)—The Electric Prunes
• Friday on My Mind—The Easybeats
• Here Comes My Baby—The Tremeloes
• Reflections—The Supremes

As Casey Kasem used to say on his American Top 40 show: “It’s now on with the countdown.”

20.   White Rabbit—Jefferson Airplane

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #8 Hot 100, 81^st Biggest Song of 1967

Written by Jefferson Airplane’s vocalist Grace Slick. Lyrics uses figurative language from two Lewis Carroll books: “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking-Glass.”  “White Rabbit” was a standout performance at Woodstock in 1969.

19.   Kind of a Drag—The Buckinghams

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #1 Hot 100, 16^th Biggest Song of 1967

Band from Chicago, Illinois. “Kind of a Drag” was the first of 3 consecutive top 10 hits and 5 top 40 charting singles in 1967.  Song has outstanding horn section.

18.   Respect—Aretha Franklin

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #1 Hot 100, 13^th Biggest Song of 1967

Otis Redding penned this song in 1965. Two years later, Aretha Franklin went to Muscle Shoals recording studio in Alabama and re-created Redding’s composition into an anthem.  “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” became Franklin’s first number 1 hit and is considered her signature song.

17.   Groovin’—The Young Rascals

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #1 Hot 100, 9^th Biggest Song of 1967

First number 1 hit for New Jersey formed band. Song is in both the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s “500 Songs that Shaped Rock & Roll.”  The Rascals dropped “Young” from their name at the end of 1967.

16.   Happy Together—The Turtles

Peak Positions of Billboard Charts:  #1 Hot 100, 8^th Biggest Song of 1967

Only number 1 hit for the band. Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan formed a duo called “Flo and Eddie” after breakup of the Turtles. Song is in the Grammy Hall of Fame.

15.   Daydream Believer—The Monkees

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #1 Hot 100, 94^th Biggest Song of 1967

Song written by John Stewart. Last number 1 hit by the band. Davy Jones of the group sings lead vocals on the track.

14.   We Ain’t Got Nothin’ Yet—The Blues Magoos

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #5 Hot 100, 65^th Biggest Song of 1967.

Psychedelic rock band from New York City. A one hit wonder. Considered in the sub-genre “Frat Rock” category. Tune has catchy organ-guitar riff.

13.   The Rain, The Park & Other Things—The Cowsills

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #2 Hot 100, 49^th Biggest Song of 1967

Debut smash for Newport, Rhode Island family band. Sold 3 million records. Reached number 1 on the Cashbox Top 100 chart. A quintessential “Sunshine Pop” selection.

12.   Sweet Soul Music—Arthur Conley

Peak Position of Billboard Charts:  #2 Hot 100, 17^th Biggest Song of 1967

“Sweet Soul Music” was co-written by Arthur Conley and Otis Redding. Lyrics honors some of the biggest R&B artists from the mid 60s:  The Miracles, Lou Rawls, Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding and James Brown. Brass instruments create a rich sound on the tune.

11.   On a Carousel—The Hollies

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #11 Hot 100, 42^nd Biggest Song of 1967

“On a Carousel” is a perfect pop song, written by Hollies band members Allan Clarke, Graham Nash and Tony Hicks.  Melodic tune and vocal harmonies are rich on popular recording.

10.   I Was Made to Love Her—Stevie Wonder

Positions on Billboard Charts:  #2 Hot 100, 14^th Biggest Song of 1967

Stevie Wonder was just 17 years old when “I Was Made to Love Her” was a hit. The musical prodigy played clavinet and harmonica, while the legendary Funk Brothers provided premier bass, drums and guitar backup on this Motown classic.

9.     Never My Love—The Association

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #2 Hot 100, 20^th Biggest Song of 1967.

“Never My Love” peaked at #1 on the Cashbox Top 100 chart.  Popular wedding song over the past 55 years. Second most played song on radio and TV during the 20th century according to BMI.

8.     San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)—Scott McKenzie

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #4 Hot 100, 48^th Biggest Song of 1967

The Mamas and Papas’ John Phillips wrote this song for his friend Scott McKenzie. “San Francisco” became the anthem for the “Summer of Love” in 1967, as thousands of young people flocked to the Haight-Ashbury area of San Francisco, California, searching for peace, love and tranquility.

7.     Bernadette—The Four Tops

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #4 Hot 100, 82^nd Biggest Song of 1967

One of Motown’s greatest bass lines is found on this song.  Levi Stubbs provides outstanding vocals on the Four Tops last top 10 hit of the 60s.  I rank “Bernadette” as the 8^th best Motown single of the Detroit years with the recording company.

6.     Ain’t No Mountain High Enough—Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #19 Hot 100, 87^th Biggest Song of 1967

I rate Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell’s single as the best Motown duet of all-time and the second greatest song during the 1961-1971 time period with the record company founded by Barry Gordy. With instrumentation by the Funk Brothers and Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Terrell/Gaye are marvelous on this toe-tapping tune.

5.     I Can See for Miles—The Who

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #9 Hot 100, 98^th Biggest Song of 1967

The Who’s first top ten hit in the U.S.  Rolling Stone places “I Can See for Miles” as the second greatest song by the British band.  Pete Townshend’s soaring guitar and Keith Moon’s driving drum playing, makes this one of the best rock singles from the 1990 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees.

4.     Incense & Peppermints—Strawberry Alarm Clock

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #1 Hot 100, 23^rd Biggest Song of 1967

Psychedelic rock band formed in Glendale, California. Founding member Ed King went on to fame with Lynyrd Skynyrd.  Recorded songs in the “Sunshine Pop” genre. “Tomorrow” was a second top 40 hit for the band.

3.     For What It’s Worth—Buffalo Springfield

Peak Positions on Billboard Chart: #7 Hot 100, 27^th Biggest Song of 1967

Originally called “For What It’s Worth (Stop, Hey What’s That Sound).” Stephen Stills wrote and sang lead vocals on the single.  Became an anthem during the 1967 “Summer of Love” and is considered one of the greatest protest songs from the 20^th century.

2.     Penny Lane—The Beatles

Peak Positions of Billboard Charts:  #1 Hot 100, 55^th Biggest Song of 1967

“Penny Lane” and “Strawberry Fields Forever” were originally set to appear on the Beatles “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album. Instead, both songs were released as a double-A sided 45-rpm single.

Paul McCartney’s masterpiece “Penny Lane” uses many instruments not associated with most Beatles songs:  flutes, piccolos, oboes, trumpets and a flugelhorn. “Penny Lane” is my second favorite Beatles song of all-time and was the first 45-rpm single that I bought with my own money during the spring of 1967.

1. Whiter Shade of Pale—Procol Harum

Peak Positions of Billboard Charts:  #5 Hot 100, 38^th Biggest Song of 1967

British band Procol Harum came through with another 1967 “Summer of Love” anthem with their song “A Whiter Shade of Pale.”  The single sold over 10 million copies world-wide, inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and is number 57 on the Rolling Stone “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list.

The music was composed by band member Gary Brooker and Matthew Fisher, while lyrics were written by the group’s Keith Reid. Melody on the song has a classical music feel, with an outstanding mixture of organ and bassline. This is a brilliant piece of music, in my humble opinion.

“A Whiter Shade of Pale” is my second favorite song of all-time and Procol Harum’s chef d’oeuvre is my number 1 top 40 single of 1967.

Now that I have submitted what I consider to be the most significant top 40 hits of 1967, I am curious to find out your opinions on this topic.  What are your favorite songs on my countdown?

Obviously, I do not want to come across as authoritative with my critique of superb pop hits from 1967. The songs that you might feel are the best, may be completely different from my selections.

Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts and comments below on what you consider to be the fantastic top 40 hits of 45 years ago.  I look forward reading your responses. Rock on!

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What are the most significant top 40 songs from 45 years ago?   While that are no definitive answers to that question, I will be sharing what I consider to be the best pop singles of 1977.

During 1977, I lived in Roanoke, Virginia and was employed by WJLM 93.5 FM as a country DJ.  With this full-time position, I was totally immersed within the genre of country music at my radio station.

Whenever I wasn’t working at WJLM, my radio listening tended to be in non-country formats.  Since my first love musically was rock music, I predominantly listened to top 40 stations. And whenever possible, I also tuned into “All Things Considered” on Roanoke’s NPR affiliate, WVWR 89.1 FM.

My go to radio station that I heard the most during 1977 was WROV 1240 AM. I was employed part-time at this legendary top 40 outlet while attending Virginia Western Community College during 1974 and 1975.  I fondly remember regularly listening to WROV DJs Bart Prater, Rob O’Brady, Bill Jordan and Larry Bly in ’77. 

Since WROV reduced their power at sundown, I would sometimes listen to a couple of 50,000 watt AM stations during the nighttime:  WLS 890 Chicago and WABC 770 New York.

On the FM band, I could listen to a couple of high-powered top 40 North Carolina stations that came in strong throughout the Roanoke Valley:  WKZL 107.5 FM Winston-Salem and WRQK 98.7 FM Greensboro. And if weather conditions were just right, I could pick up Q94 Richmond (94.5 FM) which was a premier Top 40 station in Virginia.

With this edition of my musical musings, I am concentrating on most significant top 40 hits from 45-years ago. Using Billboard magazine’s, “Year-End Hot 100 Singles of 1977” chart as a reference, I will countdown the what I consider to be the best songs in this category.

Below are the ten biggest records of 1977 according to Billboard.  Interesting that none of these songs made my final countdown list.

1          “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)”–Rod Stewart

2          “I Just Want to Be Your Everything”–Andy Gibb

3          “Best of My Love”–The Emotions

4          “Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)”–Barbra Streisand

5          “Angel in Your Arms”—Hot

6          “I Like Dreamin'”–Kenny Nolan

7          “Don’t Leave Me This Way”–Thelma Houston

8          “(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher”–Rita Coolidge

9          “Undercover Angel”–Alan O’Day

10        “Torn Between Two Lovers”–Mary MacGregor

Before starting my listing with the best top 40 hits of 1977, I have tabulated 10 singles that fell just outside of my top 20 countdown. These songs are in a random order and have no ranking.

• Weekend in New England—Barry Manilow
• Give a Little Bit—Supertramp
• Don’t Worry Baby—B.J. Thomas
• On and On—Stephen Bishop
• Lido Shuffle—Boz Scaggs

• Don’t Stop—Fleetwood Mac
• Stand Tall—Burton Cummings
• Livin’ Thing—Electric Light Orchestra
• Swayin’ to the Music (Slow Dancing)—Johnny Rivers
• You Don’t Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)—Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr.

Without further ado, here are the top selections with my 1977 countdown of fantastic top 40 hits:

20.  Strawberry Letter 23—The Brothers Johnson

Peak Positions on Billboard:  #5 Hot 100, 54^th Biggest Song of 1977

R&B band with siblings George (“Lightnin’ Licks”) and Louis (“Thunder Thumbs”) E. Johnson. “Strawberry Letter 23” was produced by Quincy Jones and the song featured studio guitar player Lee Ritenour.

19.  Easy—The Commodores

Peak Positions on Billboard: #4 Hot 100, 33^rd Biggest Song of 1977

Front man Lionel Richie wrote and sang lead vocals. “Easy” opened the way for two other number 1 hits for the Commodores during the late 70s: “Three Times a Lady” and “Still.”

18.  Carry on My Wayward Son—Kansas

Peak Positions on Billboard: #11 Hot 100, 58^th Biggest Song of 1977 

Written by guitarist Kerry Livgren.  Vocals and keyboard duties were from Steve Walsh. This classic rock single is considered the signature song for Kansas.

17.  Telephone Line—Electric Light Orchestra

Peak Positions on Billboard: #7 Hot 100, 15^th Biggest Song of 1977

Hybrid progressive/pop/classical/rock English band.  Composed, produced and vocals are from ELO leader Jeff Lynne.

16.  I Wish—Stevie Wonder

Peak Positions on Billboard: #1 Hot 100, 51^st Biggest Song of 1977

Lead single from the legendary “Songs in the Key of Life” album. Stevie wonder wrote and produced the song and it won a Grammy Award for “Best R&B Vocal Performance.”

15.  New Kid in Town—Eagles

Peak Positions on Billboard: #1 Hot 100, 59^th Biggest Song of 1977

New Kid in Town” was penned by Don Henley, Glenn Frey and J.D. Souther.  First single from “Hotel California” album.  Song won a Grammy Award for “Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices.”

14.  Whatcha Gonna Do? Pablo Cruise

Peak Position on Billboard: #6 Hot 100, 16^th Biggest Song of 1977

American rock band. This yacht rock classic song was written by Pablo Cruise members David Jenkins and Cory Lerios.  From the album, “A Place in the Sun.”

13.  Nobody Does It Better—Carly Simon

Peak Positions on Billboard: #2 Hot 100, 83^rd Biggest Song of 1977

This power ballad was composed by Marvin Hamlish with lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager. Theme song from James Bond movie “The Spy Who Loved Me.” Carly Simon’s single received both Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for best original song.

12.  Just a Song Before I Go—Crosby Stills & Nash

Peak Positions on Billboard: #7 Hot 100, 47^th Biggest Song of 1977

Acoustic ballad written by Graham Nash.  Comeback hit for CSN, superb harmonies and excellent guitar solo from Stephen Stills.

11.  Barracuda—Heart

Peak Positions on Billboard: #11 Hot 100, 53^rd Biggest Song of 1977

The Wilson siblings are leaders on this hard driving rock masterpiece.  Ann’s excellent vocals and Nancy’s exceptional guitar playing shine on this song.

10.  Dancing Queen—ABBA

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #1 Hot 100, 12th Biggest Song of 1977

ABBA’s most recognizable and popular song. Inducted into Grammy Hall of Fame in 2015. Melodic tune and excellent vocal harmonies by the Swedish quartet. Reached number 1 in 14 countries around the world.

9.    Dreams—Fleetwood Mac

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #1 Hot 100, 39^th Biggest Song of 1977

“Dreams” is the only Fleetwood Mac song to peak at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Written by Stevie Nicks. Ranked #9 on Rolling Stone’s, “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” listing published in 2021.

8.   I’m In You—Peter Frampton

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #2 Hot 100, 42^nd Biggest Song of 1977

English singer-songwriter and guitarist.  Was the highest charting single for Peter Frampton. Background vocals provided by Mick Jagger.

7.   Fly Like an Eagle—Steve Miller Band

Peak Position on Billboard Charts:  #2 Hot 100, 79^th Biggest Song of 1977

Title track from the Steve Mille Band’s biggest selling studio album. Mix of synthesizer and guitar creates a laid back, soaring experience. Most beloved song by the California band.

6.   So in to You—Atlanta Rhythm Section

Peak Position on Billboard Charts: #7 Hot 100, 38^th Biggest Song of 1977

American Southern rock band formed in 1970. Had six top 40 hits. “So in to You” was the biggest hit from the Georgia group. Now considered “Yacht Rock.”

5.   Couldn’t Get It Right—Climax Blues Band

Peak Position on Billboard Charts:  #3 Hot 100, 32^nd Biggest Song of 1977.

British blues/rock band. Formed in Stafford, England. Group is a two-hit wonder. Also charted with “I Love You” in 1981.

4.   Go Your Own Way—Fleetwood Mac

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #10 Hot 100, 94^th Biggest Song of 1977

Song written by Lindsey Buckingham about his relationship woes with fellow Fleetwood Mac member Stevie Nicks.  First single from the “Rumours” album.  Song is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Rolling Stone ranks “Go Your Own Way” as the #1 best Fleetwood Mac song of all-time.

3.   Year of the Cat—Al Stewart

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #8 Hot 100, 92^nd Biggest Song of 1977

Signature song for Scottish singer-songwriter Al Stewart. Melodic tune that features cello, violin, piano, guitar, synthesizer and saxophone. Recorded by engineer Alan Parsons at London’s Abbey Road Studios.

2.   Sir Duke—Stevie Wonder

Peak Position on Billboard Charts:  #1 Hot 100, 18^th Biggest Song of 1977

Stevie Wonder wrote his song as a tribute to jazz legend Duke Ellington. Lyrics also mention Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.  “Sir Duke” was produced, arranged and composed by Wonder.

This salute has outstanding saxophone and trumpet playing and is the second single from the acclaimed, “Songs in the Key of Life” album.  My favorite Stevie Wonder song of all-time is “Sir Duke.”

1.   Hotel California—Eagles

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts 1977:  #1 Hot 100:  19th Biggest Song of Year

One of the most iconic rock songs from the 20th Century is “Hotel California.”  Co-written by Don Felder, Glenn Frey and Don Henley, the words depict both literal and symbolic interpretations of Southern California lifestyles from the 70s. 

Themes of good vs evil and light vs darkness are developed throughout the song. Eagles won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1977 with the band’s signature recording. Without a doubt, “Hotel California” is the number 1 song on my 1977 “Fantastic Top 40 Hits” countdown.

 Now that I have submitted what I consider to be the most significant top 40 hits of 1977, I am curious to find out your opinions on this topic.  What are your favorite songs on my countdown?

Obviously, I do not want to come across as authoritative with my critique of superb pop hits from 1977. The songs that you might feel are the best, may be completely different from my selections.

Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts and comments below on what you consider to be the fantastic top 40 hits of 45 years ago.  I look forward reading your responses. Rock on!

To subscribe to my blog via email, please click the “Follow” button in the menu above.

During the past 30 to 35 years, it has been extremely rare for instrumental songs to become hits on the Billboard Hot 100.  However, hit songs without singing were commonplace on Top 40 radio from 1960 through 1985. In that time span, there were 18 different instrumental songs all peaking at number one.

The biggest instrumental hit of the 60s is “The Theme from a Summer Place” by Percy Faith and the Orchestra. This monster hit spent 9 consecutive weeks at number 1 and was the biggest record of 1960 according to Billboard.  Faith won a Grammy Award for “Record of the Year” in 1961 for this song.

The summer of 1968 was the pinnacle for instrumental hits on Top 40 radio.  On the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending August 3, there are three instrumentals in the top eight positions: “Classical Gas” by Mason Williams peaked at #2, “Grazing in the Grass” from Hugh Masekela ranked #4 and “The Horse” by Cliff Noble and Co was number 8.

At the end of 1968, Billboard ranked 6 instrumental songs in their “Year-End Hot 100 Singles” chart with Paul Mauriat’s tune “Love is Blue” coming in as the second biggest record for ’68.

With this latest music blog message, I will be counting down what I consider to be the top 10 most significant instrumental singles between the years of 1965 and 1969. This time frame is considered to be part of the “Golden Age of Top 40 Radio.”

Criteria that I am using in this article:

• Tune charted during the 1965 to 1969 time period
• Single peaked at number 10 or higher on the Billboard Hot 100 chart
• Song has NO voices, speaking of words or whistling anywhere on the tune

My favorite instrumental:  Soul Coaxing by Raymond Lefèvre and His Orchestra. Peaked at number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the spring of 1968.

Instrumentals that are good but not eligible for my countdown because of human voices, brief singing or whistling:

• Soul Finger—The Bar-Kays
• The Good, The Bad and the Ugly—Hugo Montenegro
• No Matter What Shape—The T-Bones
• I Was Kasier Bill’s Batman—Whistling Jack Smith
• The “In” Crowd—Ramsey Lewis Trio

Instrumental songs just outside of my top 10

• Hang ‘Em High—Booker T and the MGs
• Quentin’s Theme—Charles Randolph Grean Sounde
• Keem-O-Sabe—Electric Indian

As Casey Kasem used to say on his American Top 40 show: “And now it’s on with the countdown.”

10.  Midnight Cowboy—Ferrante & Teicher (1969)

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #2 Easy Listening, #10 Hot 100

Musical score written by John Berry for the 1969 film “Midnight Cowboy.”  The Ferrante & Teicher duo were American piano players who recorded many movie soundtracks, show tunes and light classical music tunes.

9.    Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet—Henry Mancini & His Orchestra (1969)

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #1 Hot 100, 15^th Biggest Hit of 1969

From the 1969 movie “Romeo & Juliet.” Music written by Nino Rota and rearranged by Henry Mancini, who plays the piano on the tune. Session musician Hal Blaine added drums to this track.

8.    Grazing in the Grass—Hugh Masekela (1968)

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #1 Hot 100, 18^th Biggest Hit of 1968.

Hugh Masekela was a jazz trumpet player from South Africa. Music was composed by Philemon Hou and features a cowbell.  Tune inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2018.

7.    Hawaii Five-0—The Ventures (1969)

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #4 Hot 100, 58^th Biggest Hit of 1969

Written by Morton Stevens as the theme music for CBS TV series Hawaii Five-O. The Ventures cover version spent 14 weeks on the Billboard chart. One of the band’s biggest hits.

6.    The Horse—Cliff Nobles & Co (1968)

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #2, Hot 100, 21^st Biggest Hit of 1968

Interesting that Cliff Nobles didn’t perform on the tune credited to him. A group of session musicians jammed in the studio to create the instrumental track. “The Horse” was released as the B-Side of the 45-rpm single “Love is All Right” and is the instrumental version of that tune.

5.    Soulful Strut—Young-Holt Unlimited (1968)

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #3 Hot 100, #2 Easy Listening

Young-Holt Unlimited was a jazz trio from Chicago, Illinois. The music ensemble included Eldee Young and Isaac “Redd” Holt who both left Ramsey Lewis Trio in 1966, as well as Ken Chaney who became a member in 1968.

4.    Time is Tight—Booker T and the MGs (1969)

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #6 Hot 100, 3^rd Biggest Hit of 1969

Booker T and the MGs were a mainstay with Stax Records out of Memphis, Tennessee and the are considered the quintessential R&B instrumental band of the 60s. These musicians had seven Top 40 hits and the group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.

3.    Love is Blue—Paul Mauriat & His Orchestra (1968)

Peak positions on Billboard Charts:  #1 Hot 100, 2^nd Biggest Hit of 1968

With “Love is Blue” reaching number 1 for five weeks during February and March in 1968, Paul Mauriat became the first French artist to top the Billboard Hot 100. The tune also spent 11 weeks at number 1 on the “Easy Listening” chart and became the second best selling record in 1969 according to Billboard.

2.    A Taste of Honey—Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (1965)

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #1 Easy Listening, #7 Hot 100

Signature tune by Herb Alpert received four Grammy Awards, including “Record of the Year” in 1966. “A Taste of Honey” topped the Billboard Easy Listening chart for five weeks and the American trumpeter was a 2006 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.

1. Classical Gas—Mason Williams (1968)

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #2 Hot 100, 43^rd Biggest Hit of 1968

“Classical Gas” was composed by Mason Williams and features instrumental backup by the professional session musicians known as the “Wrecking Crew.” During 1969, the tune won three Grammy Awards for categories all associated with instrumental music. Without a doubt, the musical masterpiece known as “Classical Gas” by Mason Williams is my number 1 selection for the best instrumental top 40 single of the mid to late 60s.

Now that I have submitted my top 10 premier pop instrumental hits of the 60s, I am curious to find out your opinions of this topic.  What are your favorite songs on my countdown?

Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts and comments below on what you consider to be the best Top 40 pop instrumental hits from the mid to late 60s.  I look forward reading your responses. Rock on!

To subscribe to my blog via email, please click the “Follow” button in the menu above.

Graphic above by Julianne Woodson

What are the best songs played on Top 40 radio during the 70s that were not released as singles by record companies?

Obviously, there are no definitive answers to my question. If I asked the above inquiry to 100 folks, I would surely receive one hundred different responses.

With this latest music blog message, I will be revealing my top selections based on these factors: Growing up in Roanoke, Virginia, listening to WROV 1240 AM and then being employed by the legendary top 40 station, starting in 1974.

My regular radio listening started in the spring of 1967 after my parents gave me a transistor radio.  I quickly discovered WROV and was hooked on their Top 40 format.

Then in the summer of 1967, I commandeered a desk-top tube radio from our kitchen and permanently kept this device in my bedroom.  On most nights that summer, I would tune in 50,000-watt, clear channel AM radio stations, such as WLS 890 Chicago and WABC 770 New York.

When I started listening to the radio 55 years ago, I quickly realized that Top 40 stations aired only songs that were released as 45-rpm singles by record companies.  The biggest album from the 1967 “summer of love” was “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” by the Beatles. Since Capitol Records didn’t release any singles on the Fab Four album, there were no songs from the LP regularly played on Top 40 outlets.

It wasn’t until late 1968/early 1969, that I noticed Top 40 radio playing album tracks.  The Beatles “White Album” came out during November 1968 but Capitol Records did not release any singles from the LP in America. However, many top 40 formatted stations played select cuts from the self-titled Beatles album.

On WROV Roanoke, they played three tracks from the Beatles “White Album.” First, the station aired “Back in the U.S.S.R” and then followed up with “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” and “Rocky Raccoon.”

 Above is an audio clip when I was a guest DJ for a My Fab Four segment on SiriusXM’s the Beatles Channel.  Featured on this audio clip: “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” & “Back in the USSR” from the “White Album.” Two of my four favorite Beatles songs of all-time.

Forward to the 70s.  Most Top 40 stations were still on the AM band at the beginning of the decade. The emergence of FM radio in the late 60s and early 70s created challenges for existing AM radio stations.

Since music sounded 100% better on FM, ratings for AM Top 40 stations starting declining. To compensate for the competitive disadvantage AM Top 40 radio had against new FM signals, many long-standing AM outlets decided to tweak their traditional playlists.

Most Top 40 AM stations in the early 70s started playing the longer album version of songs rather than the shorter edited 45-rpm single record. Many of these AM outlets also embraced the playing of “non-single” album tracks on their hot rotation playlists. 

Sometimes an AM Top 40 station playing an album track would result in a record company releasing a song as a 45-rpm single. This happened during my first job in radio at WROV in 1974.

 During early September 1974, WROV music director Chuck Holloway started playing the song “Black Water”, which was a track from the Doobie Brothers “What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits” album. After just a few spins on Holloway’s nighttime DJ air-shift, “Black Water” became an immediate hit in Roanoke.

Soon after, Phil Beckman at WQRK Norfolk and Buzz Bennett with KDWB Minneapolis added “Black Water” to their playlists. Finally, Warner Bros Records released the song as a single and the Doobie Brothers achieved their first number 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 during March 1975.  WROV received a gold record for being the first radio station to play and break “Black Water” as a hit song in America.

For the remainder of this message, I will be counting down what I consider to be the ten best classic Top 40 hits of the 70s. These were songs that received heavy airplay on WROV 1240 AM Roanoke, played as an album track and not released by a record company as a 45 RPM single.

My countdown of songs in this category is based solely on my experience of living in Roanoke, Virginia and listening to Top 40 WROV. The ten selections below are from my point of reference and are not meant to be a definitive listing of top album tracks aired on Top 40 radio in America during the 70s.

Before starting the countdown, here are some clarification points on non-single album tracks played on Top 40 radio:

• Information on album tracks not released as 45 RPM singles pertains only to the United States.

• Time frame for non-single songs is up to 24 months after an album was initially released.

•  Since only singles were eligible to appear on Billboard Hot 100, album tracks didn’t qualify to chart in the 70s.

• Some songs that were originally album tracks only may have subsequently been released as a single, years or even decades after the first release of a song.

• Later versions of singles could be in a variety of formats:  45 RPM, 12 Inch disc, Cassette, CD or Digital Download.

• With the 2001 advent of iTunes, all songs on countdown can now be purchased as a digital single: via multiple Internet platforms.

While the album tracks from the countdown are associated with airplay on WROV, all of the selections are still well-known songs in the 21^st Century.  Most can be heard daily on various radio outlets:  classic rock, classic hits, oldies and multiple SiriusXM channels in 2022.

A song just outside of my top 10 countdown is an album track that WROV played during 1976: “Turn the Page” from the Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band LP, “Live Bullet.”  Two singles were released from the album: “Nutbush City Limits” and a medley of “Travelin’ Man/Beautiful Loser”

WROV’s Music Director and DJ Bill Jordan provides information below on why he decided adding “Turn the Page” to his station’s playlist in 1976: “I was music director during a pretty interesting time at WROV. We had morphed into sort of a Top 40/Album Oriented format, and readily played album cuts that “fit” the sound we wanted.”

Jordan continues, “A friend switched me on to Bob Seger’s “Turn the Page” from his “Live Bullet” album. We started playing it in very light rotation and it quickly exploded. Record stores couldn’t keep the album in stock.

In fact, “Turn the Page” became so popular that Capitol Records considered delaying the release of the “Night Moves” album. In 1977, Seger performed at the Salem Civic Center in his last show as an opening act for Black Sabbath.

“Turn The Page” brought the house down. Great times!”

It is now time for the countdown. The top ten radio hits of the 70s not released as 45 RPM singles:

10.  Southern Man—Neil Young

From the “After the Gold Rush” album: Released September 19, 1970

WROV DJ I Associate with Song: Terry Young 1973

Singles released from album:   “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” and “When You Dance, I Can Really Love.”

“Southern Man” is found on two albums: Neil Young’s 1970, “After the Gold Rush” LP and a live version on a live 1971 Crosby Stills Nash & Young album, “4 Way Street.”  WROV DJ Terry “Motormouth” Young played this track on his 7 to midnight shift during the winter and spring of 1973. The fast-talking DJ went on bigger radio stations like WLEE Richmond and WCAU Philadelphia.  Terry Young was also on SiriusXM’s 60s on 6 channel during the first part of this century.

9.    Isn’t She Lovely—Stevie Wonder

From the “Songs in the Keys of Life” album: Released September 28, 1976

WROV DJ I Associate with Song: Rob O’Brady 1977

Singles released from album: “I Wish”, “Sir Duke”, “Another Star” and “As.”

When Stevie Wonder’s album “Songs in the Key of Life” came out, many consumers wanted Tamla Records to release “Isn’t She Lovely” as a single. Wonder didn’t want his over six-minute song to be edited and refused to have his song cut up into a shorter 45-RPM record. Many Top 40 stations played the song anyway, including WROV.  Rob O’Brady would often play Wonder’s album track on his morning drive show and announce that it was dedicated to his loyal listeners, fondly known as “O’Brady’s Ladies.”

8.    Let It Flow—Eric Clapton

From the “461 Ocean Boulevard” album: Released July 1974

WROV DJs I Associate with Song: Chuck Holloway, Bart Prater & Rob O’Brady 1974

Singles released from album: “I Shot the Sheriff” and “Willie and the Hand Jive.” 

While most Top 40 stations added “Willie and the Hand Jive” to their playlists after Eric Clapton hit number 1 with “I Shot the Sheriff”, WROV went in another direction.  Music director Chuck Holloway added the album track “Let it Grow” to its hot rotation and aired in all day-parts. Clapton plays a dobro on this track and Yvonne Elliman provides backup vocals on this melodic tune.

7.    South City Midnight Lady—The Doobie Brothers

From “The Captain and Me” album: Released March 2, 1973

WROV DJ I Associate with Song: Bart Prater & Larry Bly 1973

Singles released from album: “Long Train Running” and “China Grove.”

“South City Midnight Lady” is quite different from most Doobie Brothers songs. The tune features a pedal steel guitar, strings and synthesizer. I distinctly remember WROV’s morning DJ Larry Bly playing the song regularly in the fall of 1973.  However, I mostly associate this Doobie Brothers song with afternoon announcer Bart Prater. “South City Midnight Lady” was Prater’s favorite song that he played on WROV.  The legendary Roanoke DJ played it regularly on the station between 1973 and 1981, before leaving to work at crosstown K92 FM.

6.    The Chain—Fleetwood Mac

From the “Rumours” album: Released February 4, 1977

WROV DJ I Associate with Song: Rob O’Brady 1977

Singles released from album: “Go Your Own Way”, “Dreams”, “Don’t Stop” and “You Make Loving Fun.”

Fleetwood Mac (FM) was hot on Top 40 radio in 1977 with four-top 10 singles.  Fans wanted more songs to be played from the “Rumours” album and WROV obliged by adding a fifth song from the LP.  “The Chain” is the only FM song from the album with writing credits from all five members (Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie, John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood.  The band also regularly opens their concert tours by playing “The Chain.”

5.    Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding—Elton John

From the “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” album: Released October 5, 1973

WROV DJ I Associate with Song: Chuck Holloway 1974

Singles released from album: “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting”, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” and “Bennie and the Jets.”

“Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” was too long for a single release, but we played it at WROV in 1974 when I first started working for the station.  Coming in at over 11-minutes long, this rock song was aired only after 7 pm and then up to 5 am the next morning.    Chuck Holloway played it at least once every evening on his air shift.  This medley of two songs from the “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” album, is a renowned musical masterpiece by the Bernie Taupin/Elton John duo.

4.    I Heard It Through the Grapevine—Creedence Clearwater Revival

From the “Cosmo’s Factory” album: Released July 8, 1970

WROV DJ I Associate with Song: Bill Thomas 1970

Singles released from album: “Travelin’ Band/Who’ll Stop the Rain”, “Up Around the Bend/Run Through the Jungle” and “Lookin’ Out My Backdoor/Long as I Can See the Light.”

Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) had 3-double sided top 5 hit singles from their “Cosmos Factory” album.  In the fall of 1970, many Top 40 stations played CCR’s 11-minute cover version of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.”  At WROV, the CCR album track only aired during night time air shifts.  7 to midnight DJ Bill Thomas played the album track on Roanoke’s top 40 outlet.

In 1972, CCR broke up and John Fogerty had a nasty falling out with his record company.  Fantasy Records released an edited 3:53 version of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” as a single.  It peaked at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973. Obviously, this version cuts out most of the outstanding instrumental ending with the Motown cover tune.

3.    Maybe I’m Amazed—Paul McCartney

From self-titled “McCartney” album: Released April 17, 1970

WROV DJ I Associate with Song: Jack Fisher 1970

Apple Records was in a quandary in April 1970:  Paul McCartney officially confirmed that the Beatles had broken up, and the last Fab Four album, “Let it Be” was set to be released in May, along with the Beatles single, “The Long and Winding Road.”

On top of all that activity, a self-titled “McCartney” debut solo album, came out just a week after the news that the Beatles were history.  It was then decided by Apple Records that no singles would be released from Sir Paul’s LP.  That didn’t stop WROV from adding the album track “Maybe I’m Amazed” to its playlist. It was a midday favorite of legendary DJ Jack Fisher.

Forward to December 1976:  an album by Paul McCartney & Wings was released called “Wings Over America.”  This live LP featured a cover of “Maybe I’m Amazed” and it became the lead single from the album. This new rendition peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the spring of 1977.

2.    Baba O’Riley—The Who

From the “Who’s Next” album: Released August 14, 1971

WROV DJ I Associate with Song: Dan Alexander 1971

Singles released from album: “Won’t Get fooled Again” and Behind Blue Eyes.”

The opening track from the 1971 “Who’s Next” album is “Baba O’Riley.”  The song most music critics consider as the best ever recorded by the Who was not released as a 45-RPM single 51 years ago.

According to Wikipedia:  “Baba O’Riley” appears in Time magazine’s “All-Time 100 Songs” list, Rolling Stone’s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.”

My fond memory of hearing this album track played on WROV:  DJ Dan Alexander created comedy bits on his AM drive show, under the fictional character name of Marvin Meriweather. One morning just after Alexander started playing “Baba O’Riley”, Marvin shouts out the chorus refrain: “It’s only TEENAGE WASTELAND, they’re all WASTED.”   It was truly a LOL moment for me.

1. Stairway to Heaven—Led Zeppelin

From the “Lead Zeppelin IV” album: Released November 8, 1971

WROV DJs I Associated with Song:  Terry Young and Shane Randall 1973

Singles released from album: “Black Dog” and “Rock and Roll.”

My number 1 selection on the countdown is “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin, which is the signature song by the English band. WROV’s Terry Young played the song every night in 1973, when he was employed by the station.

Composed by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, “Stairway to Heaven” is considered by many as the best rock song of all-time.  This Led Zeppelin tune was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, voted as the third “Greatest Rock Song” by VH1, ranked #31 on the Rolling Stone “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” listing and inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003.

Led Zeppelin didn’t release many singles during their career and their greatest song was only available as an album track during the 70s decade.   Without a doubt, “Stairway to Heaven” is the number 1 song played on WROV/Top 40 radio in the 70s and not released as a 45 RPM single.

Now that I have submitted my top ten 70s album tracks that weren’t released as singles, I am curious to find out your opinions of this topic.  What are your favorite songs on my countdown?

If you were living in the 70s and listened to Top 40 radio were any of the tunes listed above played on your home town station?  Or maybe a Top 40 outlet in your community played different album tracks than the songs that I documented in this article?

Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts and comments below on what you consider to be the best album tracks that never were released as a 45 RPM record during the 70s.  I look forward reading your responses. Rock on!

To subscribe to my blog via email, please click the “Follow” button in the menu above.

I am amazed by the popularity of one hit wonders, and how the topic brings back nostalgic memories for many folks. Three articles that I have written over the past couple of years, about 1969, 1970 and 1971 one hit wonders, are among my most viewed messages of all-time.

With this edition of my musical musings, I am concentrating on the best “one hit wonders” of 1972.  I will be counting down the top songs in this category from 50 years ago.

I have fond memories listening to Top 40 radio during 1972.  I turned 17 that year and lived in Roanoke County, Virginia. During daytime hours, I was a regular listener to a couple of local Top 40 AM radio stations:  WROV and WBLU.

My go to station was legendary WROV 1240 AM, which was the top-rated radio outlet in Roanoke. The WROV DJs that I remember during 1972 include Bart Prater, Larry Bly, Dan Alexander, Ron Tompkins, Phil Beckman and Charlie Bell. 

WBLU 1480 AM was the other Top 40 outlet in the Roanoke radio market. The only times that I listened to WBLU was traveling via school bus to and from Glenvar High School, and during an afternoon art class that I took during my junior year.

At sundown, WROV reduced their power and WBLU signed off the air, so I tuned in radio stations located hundreds of miles away from my Virginia home. Since radio waves changed on a nightly basis, I would listen to a variety of 50,000-watt, clear channel AM stations on any given night.

There were three main stations that I listened to during the nighttime:  WLS 890 AM Chicago, WCFL 1000 AM and WABC 770 AM New York. On the Big 89 WLS, I remember DJs John Records Landecker, Fred Winston, Chuck Buell and JJ Jeffries.  When tuning in WCFL, I would listen to Larry Lujack, Big Ron O’Brien and Bob Dearborn.  With WABC, I regularly heard Cousin Brucie (Bruce Morrow) and Dan Ingram.

A Top 40 radio station that is memorable to me in 1972 was WAPE 690 AM Jacksonville.  My family was on vacation in Florida during July ’72 and I talked my parents into letting me visit the WAPE studios that was located in Orange Park. Since it was my dream to become a DJ once I graduated from high school, getting to visit the “Big APE” was extremely exciting for me.

 During my tour of WAPE, I got to meet music director and afternoon DJ Cleveland Wheeler, who gave me a quick look around the station. Then before leaving, Wheeler allowed me to view the “Big APE” main studio, where Larry Dixon was working his midday DJ shift.

 My visit to WAPE was influential in my pursuit to make radio a career. Less than two years later, I landed a job with WROV Roanoke in April 1974. I was thankful that I had the opportunity to tour the “Big APE” during the summer of 1972.

What exactly is a “One Hit Wonder?” The basic definition: An artist has only one hit song on the national Billboard Hot 100 pop chart during their career. This music blog message pertains solely to hit songs within the United States.

To avoid any confusion, here are the criteria that I am using to define a one hit wonder:

• No other songs from an artist ever peaking at number 40 or higher on the Billboard National Pop Chart. (Chart positions from number 40 to number 1).

• One hit wonders vary from country to country. An artist may have just one hit in the United States but may have multiple hits in another country.

• Regional hits are not taken into account: A second song must be a national hit and chart within the Billboard Top 40 pop survey.

• Any songs peaking outside of the Top 40, are always excluded for consideration.

• Songs that peak from numbers 41 through 100 on the national Billboard Hot 100 pop chart are never considered as second hits.

All documentation of chart positions I share below in this article comes from The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn.  I proudly own a hard copy of this excellent reference manual, which I consider to be the ‘bible” handbook for music history with Top 40 radio.

When I started researching the topic of 1972 one hit wonders, I found some interesting data. There happened to be no artists with only one hit, among the 20 biggest songs from 50 years ago. Below are the top records for 1972, according to Billboard magazine:

1          “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”            Roberta Flack

2          “Alone Again (Naturally)”       Gilbert O’Sullivan

3          “American Pie”           Don McLean

4          “Without You”               Nilsson

5          “The Candy Man”       Sammy Davis Jr.

6          “I Gotcha”       Joe Tex

7          “Lean on Me”  Bill Withers

8          “Baby, Don’t Get Hooked on Me”      Mac Davis

9          “Brand New Key”        Melanie

10        “Daddy Don’t You Walk So Fast”        Wayne Newton

11        “Let’s Stay Together”  Al Green

12        “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)”  Looking Glass

13        “Oh Girl”         The Chi-Lites

14        “Nice to Be with You” Gallery

15        “My Ding-a-Ling”        Chuck Berry

16        “(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right”  Luther Ingram

17        “Heart of Gold”           Neil Young

18        “Betcha by Golly, Wow”         The Stylistics

19        “I’ll Take You There”   The Staple Singers

20        “Ben”   Michael Jackson

Before I start sharing my 1972 one hit wonders countdown, I need to correct inaccurate information on the topic.  Some Internet sites erroneously give 1972 one hit wonder status to songs and artists with multiple Top 40 hits. Clearly, the two singles listed below ARE NOT 1972 ONE HIT WONDERS:

1. Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)—Looking Glass 

One of my all-time favorite epic story songs from the 70s is actually a two-hit wonder. During the summer of 1972, “Brandy” was a number 1 song.   Looking Glass had a follow up hit in 1973 with “Jimmy Loves Mary Ann” which peaked at number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100. If “Brandy” had truly been the only hit for Looking Glass, it would have made #1 on my 1972 one hit wonder countdown.

• Layla—Derek & the Dominoes

It is absurd to place Eric Clapton as a one hit wonder. Clapton is the writer, singer and lead guitarist for the song “Layla” which was recorded under his band’s name of Derek & the Dominoes. The only 3-time member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, had 16 Top 40 solo hits, including covering his song “Layla” in 1993. The legendary guitarist also charted multiple top 40 hits, as a member of Cream and the Yardbirds. Absolutely, Eric Clapton is NOT a one hit wonder.

As I surveyed all true one hit wonders from 1972, I found 13 high quality singles that are on my countdown. These are songs that I deem to be culturally, historically, aesthetically significant, meaningful or relevant. Ahead of my countdown beginning, I want to share some extra songs that didn’t make my Baker’s Dozen listing.

Novelty records that were one hit wonders in 1972:  

•          Jungle Fever—The Chakachas

•          How Do You Do—Mouth and Macneal

•          The Delegates—Convention 72

Six-extra ’72 one hit wonders. These selections are all quality songs, that fell just outside of my Baker’s Dozen countdown:

• White Lies Blue Eyes—Bullet
• Small Beginnings—Flash
• Easy Livin’—Uriah Heap
• Run Run Run—Jo Jo Gunne
• Hallelujah—Sweathog
• Suavecito—Malo

Without further ado, here are what I consider to be the 13 best one hit wonders from 1972. My Baker’s Dozen countdown starts now:

13. Hot Rod Lincoln—Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen

Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100: #9, 69^th Biggest Hit of 1972

Novelty tune. Commander Cody’s band combines country, rock, pop and western swing genres of music. Lyrics describe illegal auto racing in California.

12. Popcorn—Hot Butter

Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100: #9, 28^th Biggest Hit of 1972

First of two instrumental tunes on the countdown. Music composed by Gershon Kingsley.  Conductor Stan Free utilizes a Moog synthesizer on this song.

11. Good Time Charlie’s Got the Blues—Danny O’Keefe

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts:  #5 Adult Contemporary #9 Hot 100 in 1972

Folk singer-songwriter from Spokane, Washington. Danny O’Keefe has written hundreds of songs recorded by other artists: most prominent include Elvis Presley, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, John Denver, Jackson Browne and Glen Campbell.

10. Motorcycle Mama—Sailcat

Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100: #12, 89^th Biggest Hit of 1972

Southern rock band from Alabama. Song written by Sailcat member John Wyker. The group decided to break up in 1973, after “Motorcycle Mama” was their only Billboard Hot 100 chart success.

9.   Day by Day—Godspell

Peak Positions on Billboard Charts: #8 Easy Listening, #13 Hot 100 in 1972

Cast from the Off-Broadway musical Godspell, are featured on this folk-rock ballad. Parables from the biblical book of Matthew provide lyrical content for this successful anthem.

8.   Beautiful Sunday—Daniel Boone

Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 #15, 42^nd Biggest Song of 1972

English pop musician. Daniel Boone named “Most Likable Singer” by Rolling Stone magazine in 1972. According to Wikipedia, “Beautiful Sunday” is the biggest selling single by an international artist in modern Japanese musical history.

7.   Thunder and Lighting—Chi Coltrane

Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 #17, Cash Box #15, Record World #12

Pianist, singer-songwriter with rock and gospel music genres. American Chi Coltrane was known as “The First Lady of Rock” in the United States and the “Queen of Rock” throughout Europe during the 70s.

6.   Sunshine—Jonathan Edwards.

Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 #4, 37^th Biggest Song of 1972

Country folk-rock song.  Jonathan Edwards was born in Aitkin, Minnesota. Opened up tours for the Allman Brothers Band and B.B. King after “Sunshine” became a hit tune.

5.   Joy—Apollo 100

Peak Positions on Billboard Hot 100 #6, 71^st Biggest Song of 1972

The second instrumental song on the countdown.  “Joy” It is an up tempo contemporary rendition of a 1723 composition by Johann Sebastian Bach called “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.”

4.   Precious and Few—Climax

Peak Position of Billboard Hot 100 #3, 30^th Biggest Song of 1972

Soft rock band from Los Angeles, California. Lead singer of Climax was Sonny Geraci, who also provided lead vocals on the song “Time Won’t Let Me” from his former band the Outsiders during 1966.

3.   Bang a Gong (Get It On)—T. Rex

Peak Position of Billboard Hot 100 #10, 56^th Biggest Song of 1972

Originally named Tyrannosaurus Rex, the English glam rock band shorten their name to T. Rex in 1969. Song written by front man Marc Bolan. Among one of the best glitter rock singles from the 70s.

2.   The City of New Orleans—Arlo Guthrie.

Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 #18, 45th Biggest Song of Year

Late singer-songwriter Steve Goodman portrays a train ride from Chicago to New Orleans on the Illinois Central Railroad and their legendary “City of New Orleans” rail line.  The song was written in 1971, after Amtrak took over servicing the famous railroad route from Illinois Central. Arlo Guthrie’s biggest Top 40 hit.

1. Hold Your head up—Argent

Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 #5, 50^th Biggest Song of 1972.

As a founding member of the Zombies, Ron Argent was keyboardist and a chief song-writer for his British rock band.  He penned 3 of the Zombies biggest hits:  “She’s Not There”, “Tell Her No” & “Time of the Season.”  

In 1969, Ron Argent left the Zombies and formed a new rock band, named after himself:  Argent. Three years later, the band released the album “All Together Now” which featured Argent’s only song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100: “Hold Your Head Up.”

Here is what legendary keyboardist Rick Wakeman proclaims in a Louder Sound Dot COM quote: “Rod (Argent) is a good friend, and I’m not just picking people because they’re my mates, I’m picking this because it’s brilliant. The organ solo in “Hold Your Head Up” is, for me, one of the finest organ solos on a record. It’s brilliantly put together, and from an era where you couldn’t go back and correct notes and redo things. It’s a true solo. A little work of art, so it has to go in. It’s just brilliant, so good.”

The first time that I heard Argent’s song was via radio, on WAPE Jacksonville and the Big APE played it multiple times the week I was on vacation in Florida (July ’72).   I loved the song when it was a hit and still have fondness for the tune nearly 50 years later.  Without a doubt, my top number 1 outstanding one hit wonder from 1972 is “Hold Your Head Up” by Argent.

Now that I have humbly submitted my countdown of 1972 one hit wonders, I am curious to find out your opinion on this topic. Obviously, I do not want to come across as authoritative with my critique.  The songs that you feel are the best may be completely different from my selections.

 What do you consider to be the best one hit wonders from 1972?  There are no right or wrong answers. I welcome your thoughts.

I leave you with lyrics from a 1972 Mac Davis authored song, “I Believe in Music” that pop rock band Gallery covered during 1972: “Music is the universal language, and love is the key, to peace hope and understanding, and living in harmony.”   Rock on!

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