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 The 1974 Radio One All-Time Top 100, As voted for by listeners in 1974 |
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 Jan 23 2023, 12:41 PM
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#141
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 BuzzJack Legend
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3. ALBATROSS - Fleetwood Mac (1968)
Lovely gentle instrumental and Fleetwood Mac continue to sell on a weekly basis - but their classic album was still 3 years in the future and the line-up substantially different from this early Blues classic. Why is it so high, given this never makes any rundowns these days? It had topped the UK chart in early 1969, then Fleetwood Mac had 2 years of Blues/Rock-based hits guided by the troubled Peter Green, so they had a bigger fan-base to call-on - but mostly it was a big hit in 1973 all over again, hitting number 2, so it was fresh in people's minds as they voted. It's lovely, but it's no Rumours, and not even a Little Lies or Everywhere. |
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Jan 23 2023, 01:51 PM
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#142
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BuzzJack Legend
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2. HONEY - Bobby Goldsboro (1968)
OK, final death disc on the list - and I'm torn with this one. It's almost unbearably sad and potentially twee, telling the everyday things a young husband misses after his young wife dies, and it walks a tightrope of good taste. Whether it falls off one one side or the other is personal, I find. I was aware of the song, quite liked it, and loved Bobby Goldsboro's voice from his 1973 atmospheric gem Summer, The First Time (you won't hear it much these days) - but number 2? I doubt I saw that coming, though it had been an actual number 2 in 1968. Well, sure enough it was re-issued after the results of the poll and hit UK number 2 again in Spring 1975 when I lived near Gloucester, by which point I was dealing with the shock death of a recent classmate Martin Milliard in a motorbike accident aged 16 or 17. His best mate Davvy was in my 6th form and really cut up by it, so I tried to help a bit just with sympathy and letting him talk. One breaktime someone slagged off this record, and I stuck up for it, feeling quite sad and trying to understand loss the record hit home a bit more personally to me, and Davvy also felt empathy with the sentiment and spoke up. So, I guess it might depend on your personal circumstances - but I still find it sad emotionally, and always will. |
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Jan 23 2023, 02:18 PM
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#143
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BuzzJack Legend
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1. YOUNG GIRL - Gary Puckett & The Union Gap (1968)
And so the most-popular record of all-time with young girls and women was a record about a Young Girl lying about her age to a man a few years older than her. Her age is never stated, but we assume she's under-age and looks very mature. In these woke-aware days some regard this record as a bit dodgy in 2023. I just don't see it - the male singer (the fab Gary Puckett has an amazing soaring vocal) was 25 at the time and the song is clearly about his telling her to go home now he's found out she was lying about her age cos he's afraid it might go "too far". As in, as per the societal norm of the time, they hadn't yet "done it". The Union Gap had a great string of singles, Lady Willpower being one that can get airplay and is almost as good a follow-up to this 1968 UK chart-topper. As for why girls went mad on it? Did many girls at that time try and look older and and want older boyfriends? Yes, they certainly did, albeit usually just a year or 2 older to get one up on the competition. I loved this record when I was 10, dad bought a compilation album of 1968 hits in Singapore, and this record was on it, and having topped the poll it was top 10 again in 1974 either just before or just after, I can't recall the timing. I think it was more 60's generation buying it than 1974 music fans (they were more into The Osmonds, David Cassidy and Glam Rock or Northern Soul) but the principle of fancying pop stars a few years older was still alive and kicking. It was an odd one to win though, and hasn't turned up in any beyond the 70's. |
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Jan 23 2023, 05:28 PM
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#144
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I'll just stick around and do some more damage
Joined: 14 February 2009
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Well that's a dreadful #1 and I've not heard of #2 to my knowledge so if I pretend 3-5 are the real top 3 that's pretty good
 Well done getting this finished, I think I only skim read some parts of it but have read the top end properly at least! A very intriguing snapshot. |
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Jan 23 2023, 06:10 PM
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#145
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 18 July 2012
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QUOTE(Brer @ Jan 23 2023, 05:28 PM)  Well that's a dreadful #1 and I've not heard of #2 to my knowledge so if I pretend 3-5 are the real top 3 that's pretty good Well done getting this finished, I think I only skim read some parts of it but have read the top end properly at least! A very intriguing snapshot. Thanks bre it was frustrating me i never get time to finish anything! Hooeay got it done at long last! As ive never found it on the net i thought it might be of minor historical interest if only to show that some music is not as much rated with the passage of time! 
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Jan 23 2023, 06:11 PM
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#146
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
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I played the Everly Brothers song as I didn't know it. They have much better songs than that one. Otherwise that's a good top 10. I see I predicted Bridge Over Troubled Water to be number 1 so I was only 4 places out.
If the order of the top 5 was reversed, it would look better. |
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Jan 23 2023, 06:20 PM
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#147
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 Alone and wounded
Pronouns: She/her
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Thanks for your persistence with this John, what a fascinating time capsule!
I'm a huge fan of 'Albatross' so it's refreshing to be taken back to a time when it was especially revered, when Rumours (understandably!) soaks up a lot of the adulation nowadays. It didn't exist yet, but still 'Space Oddity' and 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' are my other biggest highlights of the top 10, the former is my 2nd favourite Bowie song after 'Life On Mars?' 
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Jan 23 2023, 07:37 PM
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#148
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 BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 20 April 2009
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Thanks for sharing this! Although the more I read the more horrified I am by the taste on display haha. What’s with all the death records and the lack of Beatles in particular? I do actually quite like Young Girl though, and there are some other classics in the Top 10.
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Jan 23 2023, 07:57 PM
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#149
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 18 July 2012
Posts: 22,811 User: 17,376
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QUOTE(King Rollo @ Jan 23 2023, 06:11 PM) I played the Everly Brothers song as I didn't know it. They have much better songs than that one. Otherwise that's a good top 10. I see I predicted Bridge Over Troubled Water to be number 1 so I was only 4 places out. If the order of the top 5 was reversed, it would look better. Thanks Rollo, and I think everyone would agree with that suggestion to reverse the top 5 I agree about Ebony Eyes, so many great songs in their repertoire, but that's not one of 'em! 
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Jan 23 2023, 08:04 PM
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#150
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 18 July 2012
Posts: 22,811 User: 17,376
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QUOTE(Jade @ Jan 23 2023, 06:20 PM) Thanks for your persistence with this John, what a fascinating time capsule! I'm a huge fan of 'Albatross' so it's refreshing to be taken back to a time when it was especially revered, when Rumours (understandably!) soaks up a lot of the adulation nowadays. It didn't exist yet, but still 'Space Oddity' and 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' are my other biggest highlights of the top 10, the former is my 2nd favourite Bowie song after 'Life On Mars?' Thanks Jade and good to hear you love Albatross. When I was 10 i loved the tune, but it got a bit overshadowed latterly - plus I can never get the image of John Cleese in a lady ice-cream seller get-up in a cinema, in a Monty Python sketch, shouting "Albatross! Albatross!" instead of ice-cream in his portable ice-cream tray there was a stuffed albatross. Dampens the haunting loveliness of the song a bit Life On Mars is my top Bowie too, but Space Oddity is well up there! Topped my chart in 1975 as well as the UK's. |
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Jan 23 2023, 08:08 PM
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#151
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 18 July 2012
Posts: 22,811 User: 17,376
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QUOTE(JulianT @ Jan 23 2023, 07:37 PM) Thanks for sharing this! Although the more I read the more horrified I am by the taste on display haha. What’s with all the death records and the lack of Beatles in particular? I do actually quite like Young Girl though, and there are some other classics in the Top 10. Thanks Julian You're right about some of the taste on display too! Story songs about people dying is very much a 20th century thing (and earlier!) I can't imagine one making the charts these days, except as a genuine tribute to an actual partner, parent, child or something.
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