Best Song: The Isley Brothers - Summer Breeze
In the 70s so far we seem to have soul music and older acts keeping the scores up. Well here's one that fits both categories with The Isley Brothers being around for 20 years by this point. There are group who always kept up with the times though, even in the 21st century their records didn't sound out of place amongst the more modern R&B music.
Worst Song: Ray Stevens - The Streak
No shortage of dreadful records to pick from, but this novelty record was a transatlantic number one which I find baffling. It's a country style record about reports of streaking, it really is a terrible record.
Top 40 Review
Just the one Motown record this time, a Northern Soul record from R Dean Taylor with "There's A Ghost In My House" which gets full marks. The more modern soul records come from The Drifters with "Kissin' In The Back Row" and Main Ingredient with "Just Don't Want To Be Lonely" which both get half marks.
We have several glam rock records in there, but again none of them get full marks. Disco wise we have "Rock Your Baby" by George McCrae which is ok.
One has to look to art rock for the good records in this chart in "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us" by Sparks and "Wall Street Shuffle" by 10cc.
The surprise record that I like comes from Roy Wood with "Going Down The Road". Generally Roy Wood or Wizzard songs to me sound like "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" with different lyrics, so I didn't have high hopes for this one but fortunately it sounds completely different.
We have the obligatory old record re-entering the charts in "Young Girl" by Gary Puckett And The Union Gap, a record I like. There's also a hit for 1950s debutant Neil Sedaka with "Laughter In The Rain", again a good record.
A lot of what I see in this chart though is just generic pop which is either irritating or has no substance. It's like they've forgotten The Beatles & co existed and picked up from the early 60s. That's also understandable, an 18 year old from when The Beatles first charted in 1962 would be 30 by this point so the teens of this era would probably want something that rebels against 30 year old's.
Whatever the reasons, there is a lot of crap in this chart and a lack of decent soul music to keep up the score this time.
Score: 12.5
Table
A poor showing from 1974 with only the pre-Beatles years below it:
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