The Great Seventies countdown- the top 40 begins...

"Today, we enter the last three espisodes of the countdown" The Host tells the assembled multitiude.  "We have heard the thunder of the songs of my heart.  Here begins the lightning."

40- SOS, ABBA, 1975, #15.  This song inspired today's lead in.  The chorus always seemed vocal lighntning to me on long nights listening to Ron Gregory on WOWO.

39- Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head, BJ Thomas, 1970, #1.  I've mentioned before,some songs just engender a certain respect- almost reverence- for what they are or what they stand for.  This song, the first #1 of the decade, fits that bill.

38- It Don't Come Easy, Ringo Starr, 1971, #4.  One of my all time favorite guitar solos with George Harrison, interwoven with the backing vocals from Badfinger and Stephen Stills on piano.

37- Dream Weaver, Gary Wright, 1975, #2.  My first "space song".  Much like ELO's Eldorado, a plea to let the dreamer go on dreaming.

36- Seasons In The Sun, Terry Jacks, 1974, #1.  See the comment on #39.  The ultimate when-you-want-to-cry song.  Much better lyrics than the original French.

35- So Far Away, Carole King, 1971, #14.  This song is why her voice is like the Jazzman:  "She can cry like a fallen angel..."

34- The Chain, Fleetwood Mac,  1977, unreleased.  Never has their been so much of the musicians' personal emotions poured into a song.  With every member of the band in the midst or on the edge of a personal break up at the time, all that angst made this so much more powerful.




33- If, Bread, 1971, #4.  My first memories of this song were of its use on a Miss Fort Wayne pageant ad.  The pictures and song wove together something special for me.

32- Could This Be The Magic, Barry Manilow, 1975, #6.  Here is where it really becomes hard for me to not see these songs higher.  Each one from here on is a whisker from being in the top ten.

31- Carry On, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, 1970, non-charting.  Re-introduced to me by a high school teacher, along with Jesus Christ Superstar.  Amazing harmony.




30- Dance With Me, Orleans, 1975, #6.  One of the charter members of the Mythical Top Ten (see previous posts for this concept).

29- Someone Saved My Life Tonight, Elton John, 1975, #4.  All of you patiently waiting for that third EJ song, here you go.  So it wasn't Daniel or Tiny Dancer or Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.  Once again a personal-angst song for the artist, and it really comes through.

28- Baby Blue, Badfinger, 1971, #14. The best song of a cursed band.

27- Misty, Ray Stevens, 1975, #14.  Ray  was always so much better on his serious songs.  Grammy winner for best arraingement, if you're into such things.



26- American Pie, Don McLean, 1972, #1.  You can see how much the rest of these songs mean to me if this, the greatest of American compositions, is way back here.  Another "reverence" song.

25- Falling In Love, Hamilton, Joe Frank, and Reynolds, 1975, #1.  I could easily just listen to the instrumental track all day.

24- Nights In White Satin/Late Lament- Moody Blues, 1972, #2.  The most beautiful of orchestral pieces of work, from the first strings to the final gong.

23- Yesterday Once More, the Carpenters, 1973, #2; and
22- Only Yesterday, the Carpenters, 1975, #4.  Not trying to be cheap on the descriptions, but I grew up in love with Karen Carpenter, and my focus has always been to what has been, and this applies to both songs.  And since I ranked them next to each other, you only have to hear it once.

21- Fool If You Think Its Over, Chris Rea, 1978, #12.  "I'll buy your first good wine, Ooh we'll have a real good time/ save your crying for the day... that may not come..."

"Next week, you will only get ten songs," The host says, "and in two weeks we'll finish out with the top ten.  And to go home today, here's a movie clip you'll find interesting..."