The Great Seventies coundown - 20 to 11

"That is NOT the time," The Host says, "but the numbers that we will count down here on our next to last week.  Unless it is the time when you are reading the text, which is entirely up to you.  Ten songs stand between us and the final, top ten.  Let us proceed..."

20- I'll Be Good To You, Brothers Johnson, #3, 1976.  One of my favorite hooks is the progression in the chorus' "I'll-be-good".  I could hear that forever.

19- Old Days, Chicago, #5, 1975.  Part of the Mythical Top Ten.  My earliest memories, embarrassingly enough, were of a love song to "Goldy".  Shoulda had my ears checked even then.

18- Blinded By The Light, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, #1, 1977.  Springsteen should have had Manfred Mann cover ALL his songs.

17- Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey, Paul and Linda McCartney, #1, 1977.  My falling in love with Linda began here.

16- Hello It's Me, Todd Rundgren, #5, 1973.  You should know that someone who has Utopia songs in the countdown will have this one pretty high.  A song that never ceases growing on me.

15- My Little Town, Simon and Garfunkel, #9, 1975.  Deep piano chords always sounded best at night echoing across my room.  For Garfunkel, being a Jew,  "pledging allegience to the wall" meant the Western Wall;  for me, it meant you weren't paying attention to the flag as you recited.  Worked either way.

14- Sister Golden Hair, America, #1, 1975.  Another Mythical Top Ten member.  And she did have golden hair...

13- Telephone Line, Electric Light Orchestra, #7, 1977.  Tuesday, I hear the song for the first time.  Thursday, it debuts at #1 on my top ten- one of only 2 do do so in 6 or seven years worth of charts.  Sunday, I owned the 45.

12- Nights On Broadway, the Bee Gees, #7, 1975.  Saw this done on Mike Douglas too.  And the Midnight Special.

11- Summer Breeze, Seals and Crofts, #6, 1972.  Absolutely the most image-inducing song of my life. I picture the whole scene every time.

 

"Ten songs remain," The Host says, and then the show that never really ends closes... for now.  "Come back next week, to see which song... plays last."