The Top 100 Adult Songs of the 70's*: #50-41

Inside The Rock Era has presented three homegrown music specials in rapid fire succession, with our latest being The Top 100 Adult Songs of the 70's*.  We began October 1, and are halfway through:

 

 

#50:

"Hello Stranger"
Yvonne Elliman
1977

Yvonne Elliman had an overall #1 hit with "If I Can't Have You", but among adults, this one was bigger.  It topped the Adult chart for four weeks, and spent seven in the Top 5.  The competition was relatively weaker, but it did face "It's Sad To Belong" and "Southern Nights".

#49:

"All I Know"

Art Garfunkel

1973

After leaving the duo Simon & Garfunkel, Art enjoyed good success on the Adult chart in the 70's.  This one went to #1 for four weeks, and spent seven in the Adult Top 5.  Other songs out at the same time included "The Most Beautiful Girl" and "Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose?".

#48:

"The Way We Were"

Barbra Streisand
1974

 

Streisand's beautiful song was out the same time as fellow Top 100 Adult songs* "Love's Theme", "Time In A Bottle", "Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)", "The Most Beautiful Girl" by Charlie Rich, "Last Time I Saw Him", and Anne Murray's "Love Song".  It's pretty impressive to score two weeks at #1 and eight in the Top 5 in such a productive period. 

 

 

#47:

"Just Remember I Love You"
Firefall
1977

Firefall landed this #1 song of two weeks that also spent seven inside the Adult Top 5.  Two great songs were right there battling with it--"Nobody Does It Better" and "How Deep Is Your Love". 

#46:

"Even Now"

Barry Manilow

1978

 

Manilow logged three weeks at #1 against tough competition--"We'll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again", Michael Johnson's "Bluer Than Blue", "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late", Roberta Flack's "If Ever I See You Again", and "Feels So Good".  "Even Now" also showed strength after it fell, and achieved seven weeks in the Adult Top 3. 

 

 

 

#45:

"Three Times A Lady"

Commodores

1978

The Commodores hit #1 for three weeks, and also spent two weeks at #2 and seven inside the Top 5 with this classic, probably more popular overall than it was on the Adult chart.  It competed with "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" from Chris Rea.

 

#44:

"Love's Theme"

Love Unlimited Orchestra

1974

As impressive as "The Way We Were" was, this song beat it out on the Adult chart (not true overall), taking over from Streisand at #1 at the tail end of 1973.  It was a dynamite time for Adult music, with songs like "The Way We Were", "Time In A Bottle", "Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)", "Love Song" from Anne Murray, "Last Time I Saw Him", and "The Most Beautiful Girl".  Going against six of The Top 100 Adult Songs of the 70's* is a daunting task, but "Love's Theme" not only sailed right through for two weeks at #1, it also spent four weeks at #2 and eight weeks in the Top 5.  

#43:

"For All We Know"
Carpenters
1971 

This great Oscar-winning song from the movie Lovers and Other Strangers topped the Adult chart for three weeks in 1971, and hung around for a total of seven weeks in the Top 3.  It faced two of the biggest Adult songs of the decade in ringing up those numbers--Bobby Goldsboro's "Watching Scotty Grow" and "(Where Do I Begin) Love Story" by Andy Williams.

 

#42:

"Where Do I Begin (Love Story)"

Andy Williams
1971

Here's one of the biggest of the "Easy Listening" songs, which is what the Adult chart was called prior to 1978.  Andy Williams scored a #1 of four weeks, and seven total weeks in the Adult Top 5.  It competed against "For All We Know", "Watching Scotty Grow", and Bread's "If".

 

 

#41:

"American Pie"

Don McLean
1972

It bears repeating, especially here, that this is a ranking of The Top Adult Songs of the 70's*, not the overall Top Songs of the 70's*.  We say that because this classic obviously would be ranked much higher among the general population.  Keep in mind that the "adults" of 1972 are today's senior citizens.  As Adult radio blossomed with the Baby Boomers, the format got more popular, and included a much larger base than in 1972.  

 

"American Pie" nonetheless achieved three weeks at #1 among the older crowd, but only remained in the Adult Top 3 for four weeks, and logged only six total weeks in the Top 5.  Competition included Nilsson's "Without You" and "Hurting Each Other" by the Carpenters.


So ten more songs are in the books, and we have the best 40 Adult songs of the decade ahead of us!