The Top 100 Adult Songs of the 70's*: #40-31

 Some great songs lie ahead, so don't miss a song in The Top 100 Adult Songs of the 70's*!

 

#40:

"Let It Be"

Beatles

1970

 

Paul McCartney was inspired to write this song about his mother Mary, who died when he was 14.  As it turned out, "Let It Be" made an appropriate statement about moving on (from the Beatles breakup).  This song had a much tougher obstacle getting to #1 ("Bridge Over Troubled Water") than it did staying there, as the rest of the competition in 1970 was weak.  Plus, after posting four weeks at #1, "Let It Be" dropped to #8 against that weaker competition.  It's a much stronger song overall than it was on the Adult chart.

#39:

"Muskrat Love"
Captain & Tennille
1976

This dynamic duo achieved a smash hit with their cover of the America song "Muskrat Love".  The synthesized sound of the muskrats was also included in the end groove, so when the 45 ended, it played the muskrats continuously until the record was taken up.  The song topped the Adult chart for four weeks, spent three more at #2, and ten weeks in the Top 5.  Other top songs at the time included ABBA's "Fernando" and Chicago's "If You Leave Me Now".

#38:

"The Most Beautiful Girl"
Charlie Rich
1973 

This song has a lot going for it--three weeks at #1 in the midst of top-notch Adult songs like "The Way We Were", "Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)", "Time In A Bottle", Art Garfunkel's "All I Know", and "Top Of The World".  "The Most Beautiful Girl" remained in the Top 3 for seven weeks, and spent eight in the Top 5.  "The Most Beautiful Girl" was a triple #1 in fact--#1 Popular, #1 Adult, and #1 Country.

#37:

"Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)"

Helen Reddy
1973

This song went to #1 for four weeks, and spent seven weeks in the Adult Top 5.  Other songs out at the same time included "The Most Beautiful Girl", "Time In A Bottle", "The Way We Were", and "Love's Theme".  However, most of those songs came on after "Leave Me Alone" fell from #1 (in other words, they didn't compete with it for #1).  This diminishes the achievement of #1 for four weeks somewhat.

 

#36:

"Southern Nights"
Glen Campbell
1977

Glen Campbell got the urge to record this song when he visited songwriter Jimmy Webb (who had written several other songs for Campbell) at his house.  Webb was playing "Southern Nights" by Allen Toussaint.  Campbell asked Webb if he could borrow the record, then came up with his own arrangement and recorded it.  "Southern Nights" spent four non-consecutive weeks at #1 with this Adult smash, and eight in the Top 5.  "Evergreen" and Olivia Newton-John's "Sam" were out at the same time.

 

 

 #35:

"Bluer Than Blue"

Michael Johnson

1978

 

This song was written by Randy Goodrum, who later wrote "You Needed Me" for Anne Murray.  Newcomer Michael Johnson took on Barry Manilow's "Even Now", Roberta Flack's "If Ever I See You Again", and "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" by Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams, and scored a #1 Adult smash of three weeks.  But "Bluer Than Blue" also posted four weeks at #2, and nine weeks in the Top 5.

#34:

"Send One Your Love"

Stevie Wonder

1979

 

Song #34* is from Stevie Wonder's album Journey Through The Secret Life of Plants.  The last Adult Contemporary #1 of the decade, "Send One Your Love" reached #1 for four weeks, but after its run, fell off rather quickly.  Stevie Wonder only totaled seven weeks in the Adult Top 5, which keeps it from ranking higher.  It went head-to-head with two other Top 40 Adult Songs of the 70's*--J.D. Souther's "You're Only Lonely" and Anne Murray's "Broken Hearted Me".

#33:

"The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down"

Joan Baez

1971

Joan Baez took a song by the Band and made it into a classic.  This great song battled Olivia Newton-John's "If Not For You" and "Superstar" by the Carpenters" to land at #1 for five weeks on the Adult chart.  It logged a total of seven weeks in the Top 5.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#32:

"Without You"

Nilsson

1972

 

This song was written by Pete Ham and Tom Evans of Badfinger.  Nilsson spent five weeks at #1 against "American Pie" and "Hurting Each Other", but then dropped completely out of the Top 5.  All told, "Without You" only spent seven weeks in the Top 5, or it would be ranked much higher.  And remember that this is a ranking of the Top Adult Songs, not the best overall Songs of the 70's. 

#31:

"Rainy Days And Mondays"

Carpenters

1971

Paul Williams and Roger Nichols had written "We've Only Just Begun" for the Carpenters in 1970, and the duo accepted another one from the songwriting pair the following year.  This great song rose to #1 for four weeks, spent eight in the Top 3, and a total of nine weeks in the Top 5.  It held off "It's Too Late" from Carole King, and also competed against "If" by Bread and "Me And You And A Dog Named Boo".


We're really getting into some heavyweights for the decade now, and we hope you'll join Inside The Rock Era tomorrow as we present Songs 30-21*!