Plan B Forum

I'm scheduled to join my surviving classmates for my 50th high school class reunion later on this summer.  The coordinator of the reunion sent out an email yesterday, offering to present a brand new shiny Lincoln (penny) at the reunion to whomever could find and confirm the song that was #22 on the Top 40 for the week of June 3, 1972 (the week of our graduation).

Well, I will be receiving the prize because I was able to determine that the #22 song for that week was "Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard", by Paul Simon.  But while I was looking at all the songs on the list (see below), I was struck by the number of bands and singers that are still out there and still performing.  A couple of them, like Elton John and Jackson Browne, are even still touring!!

• 1. The Staple Singers - I'll Take You There (+1)
  2. The Chi-Lites - Oh Girl (-1)
  3. Roberta Flack - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (0)
  4. Sammy Davis Jr. - The Candy Man (+1)
  5. Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show - Sylvia's Mother (+4)
  6. Cat Stevens - Morning Has Broken (0)
  7, The Rolling Stones - Tumbling Dice (0)
  8. Gallery - Nice to Be with You (+3)
  9. Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen - Hot Rod Lincoln (+1)
  10. Al Green - Look What You Done for Me (-6)
  11. The 5th Dimension - (Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All (+1)
  12. Neil Diamond - Song Sung Blue (+6)
  13. The Jackson 5 - Little Bitty Pretty One (0)
  14. Love Unlimited - Walking in the Rain with the One I Love (+6)
  15. The Carpenters - It's Going to Take Some Time (+2)
  16. Bread - Diary (+3)
  17. Billy Preston - Outa-Space (+11)*
  18. Todd Rundgren - I Saw the Light (+3)
  19. Jimmy Castor Bunch - Troglodyte (Cave Man) (+10)
  20. Joe Tex - I Gotcha (-12)
  21. The Stylistics - Betcha by Golly, Wow (-7)
  22. Paul Simon - Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (0)
  23. Royal Scots Dragoon Guards - Amazing Grace (+8)
  24. Harry Chapin - Taxi (+1)
  25. War - Slippin' Into Darkness (-9)
  26. Bill Withers - Lean on Me (+10)
  27. America - I Need You (+11)*
  28. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Someday Never Comes (+6)
  29. Millie Jackson - Ask Me What You Want (+1)
  30. The Moody Blues - Isn't Life Strange (+2)
  31. Neil Young - Old Man (+2)
  32. Elton John - Rocket Man (+8)
  33. Frederick Knight - I've Been Lonely for So Long (+6)
  34. Andy Williams - Speak Softly, Love (Love Theme from The Godfather) (+1)
  35. Aretha Franklin - Day Dreaming (-20)**
  36. Jackson Browne - Doctor My Eyes (-12)
  37. Cher - Living in a House Divided (NEW!)
  38. Don McLean - Vincent (-11)
  39. Little Jimmy Osmond - Long Haired Lover from Liverpool (NEW!)
  40. The Supremes - Automatically Sunshine (NEW!)

-"BB"-

You'll be looking around and saying to yourself: "Who the heck are all these old people?"

Bill--before you count your chickens, make certain you are looking at the right top 40 and the right music genre. The AT 40 which was hosted by Kasey Kasem in those days was the national pp chart, but there were also regional charts and some for major cities, not to mention that many genres (country, soul/R&B, easy listening, maybe even AOR) had their own charts.

And you're right, there are some good songs their, but I could do without the bagpipes (Amazing Grace) and Hot Rod Lincoln. This was just a couple of years before disco began to dominate the charts.

As I scanned the list, I stopped at three. That one is one of my top five love songs.

snailgate

Indeed

I had to look at the Top 40 from the week I graduated.

The fact that it contained Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Baby Got Back", and Billy Ray Cyrus' "Achy Breaky Heart" should tell you how weird my generation is.

Those were the days (my friend)

Top 40 Hits of December 1967
1 Beatles Hello Goodbye
2 Tom Jones I'm Coming Home
3 Beatles Magical Mystery Tour (EP)
4 Long John Baldry Let The Heartaches Begin
5 Val Doonican If The Whole World Stopped Loving
6 Gene Pitney Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart
7 Dave Clark Five Everybody Knows
8 Scaffold Thank U Very Much
9 Monkees Daydream Believer
10 Des O'Connor Careless Hands
11 Cliff Richard All My Love
12 Bee Gees World
13 Traffic Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush
14 Simon Dupree & The Big Sound Kites
15 Engelbert Humperdinck The Last Waltz
16 Four Tops Walk Away Renee
17 Diana Ross & The Supremes In And Out Of Love
18 Troggs Love Is All Around
19 Felice Taylor I Feel Love Coming On
20 Foundations Baby Now That I've Found You
21 Frankie Vaughan There Must Be A Way
22 Georgie Fame Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde
23 Shirley Bassey Big Spender
24 Frankie Vaughan So Tired
25 Small Faces Tin Soldier
26 Dave, Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich Zabadak!
27 Sam & Dave Soul Man
28 Bee Gees Massachusetts
29 Donovan There Is A Mountain
30 Dave Davies Susannah's Still Alive
31 Scott Walker Jackie
32 Kinks Autumn Almanac
33 Petula Clark The Other Man's Grass
34 Cilla Black I Only Live To Love You
35 Mireille Mathieu La Derniere Valse
36 Anita Harris Just Loving You
37 Engelbert Humperdinck Release Me
38 Who I Can See For Miles
39 Eric Burdon San Franciscan Nights
40 Chris Farlowe Handbags And Gladrags

Sturgeon's Law explains these old top40 lists and the simultaneous popularity of 'oldies' music programs.

The oldies usually pick from a list that covers much more than one week. They can do some sorting.

Sturgeon's Law: Ninety percent of anything is shit.

snailgate

I'm not sure I agree, BP; in music (popular music) I think we tend to be drawn to what we liked as kids, and can listen to much of it. As long as the songs are not played too many times (like with top 10 radio), there is a certain charm and warm feeling from hearing them. For example, on Meade's list, number 33 is Georgie Fame's Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde. I Liked it then, but will agree it hasn't stood the test of time; however, it wouldn't bother me to hear it now once or twice. I think that's the same of many of the oldies; a small part of them might be crap, but many are just something that evokes a good nostalgic feel.