We start this post with a little background. In 1970, American Top 40 debuted on seven radio stations with the concept of the national radio countdown show. They was no guarantee that the show will last or even make it. It did succeed and grew into a part of the American culture.
Flash forward to 1979 and the first rival national radio countdown show emerged called “The Weekly Top 30” while at the same time TV shows also came on board with their own version of the top 10 songs of the week. For this research, there were three TV shows that featured the hits of the week: American’s Top 10 (TV version of the American Top 40), Solid Gold (with dancers performing to short segments of the hits) along with The Midnight Special and the “Midnight Special Dancers”.
Also, trade magazines (Radio & Records and Cashbox Magazine) compiled the hits of the week in various lengths. Later, other shows like Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 and Dick Clark National Music Survey would use these publications for their countdowns.
So, here we are…all six charts for the week in one handy reference guide to compare and contrast the differences in rankings. One thing is certain, everyone had different song rankings but for the most part the trend of the songs are similar (week to week).
The other key is that these were all national charts not a local or regional chart representing a certain area of the United States so regional favorites didn’t play a factor. With that in mind, there was only one total agreement. The number 82 song of the week was Chicago’s “Thunder And Lightning”.
Now, what makes this reference guide so interesting is that the TV shows song rankings are not easily found thus you can look at some very rare charts in this guide.
Enjoy and thanks for reading!!!
Code: B=American Top 40/Billboard Chart, CB=Cashbox Magazine, R&R=Radio & Records Magazine, W30=The Weekly Top 30 (countdown radio show), SG=Solid Gold TV show, MS=The Midnight Special TV show
- ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST/Queen (CB 1, B 1, R&R 3, W30 1, SG6, MS 4)
- UPSIDE DOWN/Diana Ross (CB 2, B 3, R&R 4, W30 10, SG 1, MS 5)
- ALL OUT OF LOVE/Air Supply (CB 3, B 2, R&R 13, W30 15, MS 1)
- LOOKIN’ FOR LOVE/Johnny Lee (CB 4, B 9, W30 14, MS 2)
- DRIVIN’ MY LIFE AWAY/Eddie Rabbitt (CB 5, B 5, W30 8, MS 7)
- GIVE ME THE NIGHT/George Benson (CB 6, B 4, R&R 15, W30 11, SG 4, MS 8)
- WOMAN IN LOVE/Barbra Streisand (CB 7, B 7, R&R 2, W30 9, SG 9)
- FAME/Irene Cara (CB 8, B 12, W30 27, MS 6)
- I’M ALRIGHT/Kenny Loggins (CB 9, B 8, R&R 10, W30 3, SG 7, MS 9)
- XANADU/Olivia Newton-John & Electric Light Orchestra (CB 10, B 10, R&R 7, W30 2, SG 5)
- LATE IN THE EVENING/Paul Simon (11 CB, B6, R&R 5, W30 5, SG 2, MS 3)
- REAL LOVE/Doobie Brothers (CB 12, B 11, R&R 1, W30 7, SG 8)
- EMOTIONAL RESCUE/Rolling Stones (CB 13, B 29)
- ALL OVER THE WORLD/Electric Light Orchestra (CB 14, B13, W30 6)
- HOT ROD HEARTS/Robbie Dupree (15 CB, B 16, R&R 12, W30 4, SG 3)
- HE’S SO SHY/Pointer Sisters (CB 16, B 15, R&R 6, W30 12, SG 10)
- LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE TO ME/Boz Scaggs (CB 17, B 20, R&R 8, W30 13)
- ONE IN A MILLION YOU/Larry Graham (CB 18, B 22, W30 30, MS 10)
- JESSE/Carly Simon (CB 19, B 18, R&R 9, W30 16)
- NEVER KNEW LOVE LIKE THIS BEFORE/Stephanie Mills (CB 20, B 17, R&R 14, W30 18)
- THE WANDERER/Donna Summer (CB 21, B 21, R&R 11, W30 20)
- YOU’LL ACCOMP’NY ME/Bob Seger (CB 22, B 14, W30 21)
- SAILING/Christopher Cross (CB 23, B 62, W30 26)
- DREAMING/Cliff Richard (CB 24, B 26, R&R 17, W30 25)
- DON’T ASK ME WHY/Billy Joel (CB 25, B 19, W30 17)
- I’M COMING OUT/Diana Ross (CB 26, B 34)
- MIDNIGHT ROCKS/Al Stewart (CB 27, B 27, R&R 16, W30 23)
- NO NIGHT SO LONG/Dionne Warwick (CB 28, B 23, R&R 20, W30 22)
- WHO’LL BE THE FOOL TONIGHT/Larsen-Feiten Band (CB 29, B 31, R&R 18, W30 19)
- HOW DO I SURVIVE/Amy Holland (CB 30, B 24, R&R 25, W30 24)
- LADY/Kenny Rogers (CB 31, B 39, R&R 19)
- ON THE ROAD AGAIN/Willie Nelson (CB 32, B 30, R&R 23, W30 28)
- THE LEGEND OF WOOLEY SWAMP/Charlie Daniels Band (CB 33, B 35)
- WHIP IT/Devo (CB 34, B 37, R&R 22)
- LET ME BE YOUR ANGEL/Stacy Lattisaw (CB 35, B 40)
- DREAMER/Supertramp (CB 36, B 33, R&R 21)
- YOU’RE THE ONLY WOMAN (You And I)/Ambrosia (CB 37, B 25)
- INTO THE NIGHT/Benny Mardones (CB 38, B 66)
- MASTER BLASTER (Jammin’)/Stevie Wonder (CB 39, B32)
- OUT HERE ON MY OWN/Irene Cara (CB 40, B 36)
- I’M ALMOST READY/Pure Prairie League (CB 41, B 38, R&R 24, W30 29)
- YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELING/Daryl Hall & John Oates (CB 42, B 41, R&R 28)
- TAKE YOUR TIME (Do It Right) (pt. 1)/S.O.S. Band (CB 43, B 71)
- MAGIC/Olivia Newton-John (CB 44, B 65)
- LOVELY ONE/Jacksons (CB 45, B 45, R&R 26)
- TOUCH AND GO/Cars (CB 46, B 43)
- BOULEVARD/Jackson Browne (CB 47, B 75)
- SOMEONE THAT I USED TO LOVE/Natalie Cole (CB 48, B 28)
- THAT GIRL COULD SING/Jackson Browne (CB 49, B 49, R&R 30)
- I GOT YOU/Split Enz (CB 50, B 53)
- MORE LOVE/Kim Carnes (CB 51, B 85)
- LET ME TALK/Earth, Wind & Fire (CB 52, B 50)
- WALK AWAY/Donna Summer (CB 53, B 42)
- GIRL, DON’T LET IT GET YOU DOWN/O’Jays (CB 54, B 55)
- MY PRAYER/Ray, Goodman & Brown (CB 55, B 47)
- TURN IT ON AGAIN/Genesis (CB 56, B 58)
- CAN’T WE TRY/Teddy Pendergrass (CB 57, B 52)
- (Sartorial Eloquence) DON’T YA WANNA PLAY THIS GAME NO MORE?/Elton John (CB 58, B 46)
- LIVE EVERY MINUTE/Ali Thomson (CB 59, B 57)
- HEY THERE LONELY GIRL/Robert John (CB 60, B 91)
- MORE THAN I CAN SAY/Leo Sayer (CB 61, B 60, R&R 29)
- MY GUY/MY GIRL/Amii Stewart & Johnny Bristol (CB 62, B 63)
- WITHOUT YOUR LOVE/Roger Daltry (CB 63, B 54)
- SWITCHIN’ TO GLIDE/Kings (CB 64, B 56)
- HEROES/Commodores (CB 65, B 64)
- COULD I HAVE THIS DANCE/Anne Murray (CB 66, B 44)
- YOU SHOOK ME ALL NIGHT LONG/AC/DC (CB 67, B 51)
- ANGELINE/Allman Brothers Band (CB 68, B 59)
- SHE’S SO COLD/Rolling Stones (CB 69, B 48, R&R 27)
- HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE BACK/Daryl Hall & John Oates (CB 70, B 84)
- LET MY LOVE OPEN THE DOOR/Pete Townshend (CB 71, B 70)
- HOLD ON/Kansas (CB 72, B 68)
- TURNING JAPANESE/Vapors (CB 73, B 76)
- HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT/Pat Benatar (CB 74, B 73)
- IT’S STILL ROCK AND ROLL TO ME/Billy Joel (CB 75, B 77)
- OLD-FASHION LOVE/Commodores (CB 76, B 86)
- TAKE A LITTLE RHYTHM/Ali Thomson (CB 77, B 99)
- CRY LIKE A BABY/Kim Carnes (CB 78, B 72)
- THIS TIME/John Cougar (CB 79, B 74)
- THEME FROM THE DUKES OF HAZZARD (Good Ol’ Boys)/Waylon Jennings (CB 81, B 67)
- THUNDER AND LIGHTNING/Chicago (CB 82, B 82)
- GAMES WITHOUT FRONTIERS/Peter Gabriel (CB 83, B 61)
- RED LIGHT/Linda Clifford (CB 85, B 78)
- YOU BETTER RUN/Pat Benatar (CB 86, B 95)
- YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO KEEP YOUR LOVE FOR ME/Jermaine Jackson (CB 87, B 83)
- SHINING STAR/Manhattans (CB 88, B 94)
- IF YOU SHOULD SAIL/Nielsen/Pearson (CB 90, B 69)
- I BELIEVE IN YOU/Don Williams (CB 91, B 89)
- GOOD MORNING GIRL/STAY AWHILE/Journey (CB 94, B 81)
- RUNNING BACK/Eddie Money (CB 99, B 90)
CASHBOX ONLY SONGS:
- I AIN’T MUCH/Atlanta Rhythm Section (80)
- FIRST TIME LOVE/Livingston Taylor (84)
- ASHES TO ASHES/David Bowie (89)
- MISUNDERSTANDING/Genesis (92)
- ONE LIFE TO LIVE/Wayne Massey (93)
- WHY NOT ME/Fred Knoblock (95)
- FUNKIN’ FOR JAMAICA (N.Y.)/Tom Browne (96)
- LEAVING L.A./Deliverance (97)
- STAND BY ME/Mickey Gilley (98)
- TIRED OF TOEIN’ THE LINE/Rocky Burnette (100)
BILLBOARD ONLY SONGS:
- I’m Happy That Love Has Found You/Jimmy Hall (79)
- Case Of You/Frank Stallone (80)
- Lola/The Kinks (87)
- I’ve Just Begun To Love You/Dynasty (88)
- The Breaks (Part 1)/Kurtis Blow (92)
- Rebels Are We/Chic (93)
- JoJo/Boz Scaggs (96)
- More Bounce To The Ounce Part I/Zapp (97)
- The Part Of Me That Needs You Most/Jay Black (98)
- Make A Little Magic/The Dirt Band (100)