I'm not sure if I know Sylvia's Mother - it kind of sounds familiar but I definitely can't sing it... A Little Bit More, that's the one that 911 covered isn't it? That also probably would have been pretty low down for me I think, although it is definitely better than this one.

3 hours ago, Jester said:

Hmmm alright then I’ll give it a go and get back to you!

Ok that was awful.

I was fully expecting Lena Martell to be bottom of the list because it's generally perceived to be on of the worst number ones of all time . I don't know why it topped the charts but I do know it was recorded in 1977 and was a cover of an American song written by Kris Kristofferson.

I think the Dr Hook song is excellent and is not only my favourite number one of the year but possibly also the best Top 40 hit of the year. I think the lyrics are funny, they were a band who didn't take themselves too seriously and there's humour in a lot of their songs.

I really like “Sylvia’s Mother”, but generally the hits I have heard from Dr Hook have been pretty boring, this one included.

22 hours ago, My Random Music said:

I was fully expecting Lena Martell to be bottom of the list because it's generally perceived to be on of the worst number ones of all time . I don't know why it topped the charts but I do know it was recorded in 1977 and was a cover of an American song written by Kris Kristofferson.

I think the Dr Hook song is excellent and is not only my favourite number one of the year but possibly also the best Top 40 hit of the year. I think the lyrics are funny, they were a band who didn't take themselves too seriously and there's humour in a lot of their songs.

Oh no! Sorry that I can't share your love of the Dr Hook song. Do you mind me asking if you remember it from the time? Thanks for the extra info about the Lena Martell track, it makes sense that it was originally an American artist.

16 | Art Garfunkel - Bright Eyes

Weeks at number one: 6

End of year position: 1

Rating: 5/10

Next up we have the biggest selling single of the year and it falls in a comparatively lowly 16th. I'm not sure there are many songs about death that you'd also describe as twee, but here we are with this one. It starts off quite well as the orchestration floats in before Art's voice delivers a sensitive verse, but the song peaks there for me as it doesn't really go anywhere different from that moment on and I find it just drags and drags.

I assume that the Watership Down film had a big influence over the success of this track, something I've never seen now I think about it even though I know the story well. It's difficult to think that it's the type of song that would have been so successful without it, although maybe people could have been just missing Simon & Garfunkel seeing as they were hugely popular - again, happy for anyone who remembers it from the time to shed some light on whether the film did make a big difference or not.

My mum often mentions that this song seemed to be on the radio all the time when I was born and that she used to love looking into my eyes as it played... which, you know, should be a lovely sentiment but I can't help but feel that she was very much seeing what she wanted to from those lyrics!! Anyway, I've always been very glad that I was a late birth, I like to think I was holding on in there until I knew there was a better #1 to be born to (which will come up a little bit later!)

Not a lot more to say on this one really as I just find it all a bit dull... and to counter that dullness, I'll mention that Pop Muzik by M sadly stalled behind this one and I'd definitely have liked to see that bag a week or two in place of this as that remains one of the most distinctive and fun songs of the year.

Lena Marlin was obviously aimed at an older audience who may have remembered the early days of the chart in the early 50s when songs like it were popular. Like the Robson and Jerome of its day.

I have never watched Watership Down but its supposed to be very sad. Bright Eyes I think was largely helped by the emotive video and film especially when a rabbit gets killed by a car. 6 weeks at #1 was way too much though!

The Dr Hook song is catchy enough but there were better disco songs, especially in 1979.

Edited Monday at 20:292 days by TheSnake

I saw the film a few times as a kid- pretty harrowing for an under 10- I've still never seen the ending again since i saw it decades ago.. The song i can leave but it works within the context of the film for sure.

30 minutes ago, dandy* said:

I'll mention that Pop Muzik by M sadly stalled behind this one and I'd definitely have liked to see that bag a week or two in place of this as that remains one of the most distinctive and fun songs of the year.

'The Groove Is In The Heart' of its day!

I've never seen or read Watership Down. Bright Eyes would be in my top five, a beautiful song. It was written by Mike Batt who also wrote A Winter's Tale for David Essex and all the hits by The Wombles.

I think watching the film (and reading the book) does make the track work a lot better, it's a very bleak and mournful song which matches the very dark tone of the film (and this was aimed at kids!), and I think Art's vocals really suit it well.

3 hours ago, dandy* said:

Oh no! Sorry that I can't share your love of the Dr Hook song. Do you mind me asking if you remember it from the time? Thanks for the extra info about the Lena Martell track, it makes sense that it was originally an American artist.

No worries, we can't all like the same thing. No I don't remember it at the time, my memories of the charts didn't begin until 1987 and I've been a music nerd ever since.

I would also put "Bright Eyes" nearer the bottom than the top, it's not too bad but like others have said it works better in the film than as a stand alone song. Interesting how Paul Simon is considered the bigger solo artist from Simon & Garfunkel but had no solo number ones whereas Art Garfunkel topped the charts with 2 of his 3 solo Top 40 hits.

The only one of these I knew (so far) before visiting this thread was the Dr Hook one, and I always despised it.

23 hours ago, Chez Wombat said:

I think watching the film (and reading the book) does make the track work a lot better, it's a very bleak and mournful song which matches the very dark tone of the film (and this was aimed at kids!), and I think Art's vocals really suit it well.

23 hours ago, Gezza said:

I saw the film a few times as a kid- pretty harrowing for an under 10- I've still never seen the ending again since i saw it decades ago.. The song i can leave but it works within the context of the film for sure.

Maybe I should watch the film in that case - I can imagine it suiting the story well

23 hours ago, King Rollo said:

I've never seen or read Watership Down. Bright Eyes would be in my top five, a beautiful song. It was written by Mike Batt who also wrote A Winter's Tale for David Essex and all the hits by The Wombles.

I can hear the David Essex one, quite a similar vibe in a way... more surprised by the Wombles!!! 😂

I saw Dennis from Dr Hook in 2003 as part of a classmates birthday invite. Was a nice evening and so would've been the first time I heard 'When Your In Love With A Beautiful Woman'. I think it's nice enough albeit nothing special.

Haven't heard the one above it and the Lena track is not for me.

15 | Cliff Richard - We Don't Talk Anymore

Weeks at number one: 4

End of year position: 3

Rating: 6/10

Cliff can probably count himself a little unlucky to feature so soon as I really don't mind this track but it turns out that we're already up to songs that I don't mind now - there aren't many years where I'd be on board with the top 15. I'm not really a fan of many of Cliff's songs, some of his early ones are kinda okay for what they are, but after that there's only really this and Wired for Sound that I'd not turn off, with the latter probably being my favourite of his. Considering how successful he was, it's perhaps surprising that he had to wait until 1979 before getting a #1 in the 70s, and he did it in some style as it finished in the end of year top 3 to boot.

I feel like this track was probably a shift in direction for him as the production definitely feels loosely inspired by the trend for disco and synths that was so prominent in the charts at the time - albeit it does somehow sound a little bit more tinny than the real classics from the era. I say 'probably a shift in direction' because I don't actually know and have definitely got no intention of subjecting myself to Cliff's earlier 70s singles to find out. But anyway, this one is okay - I think the bridge is the strongest bit and the bits that immediately follow the chorus, it also has the unexpected moment of Cliff suddenly going a bit falsetto out of nowhere - possibly because his clothing is far too tight in the video.

I've had a look back at the charts that month whilst Cliff was on top and I can't make a case for any of the other songs that were realistically in with a shot to have made it instead... and I'm out of ideas for what to write about this one now, it's okay but as it happens nothing to write home to buzzjack about.

Its a good song and has an early 80s synth sound to it, one of Cliff's best, not that that's a really high barrier for me.

Edited Tuesday at 20:451 day by TheSnake

Bright Eyes is lovely but I doubt I would put it much higher myself looking at what's left. Mike Batt is such a talented songwriter though.

Cliff would be a few places higher for sure, one of about 10 singles from him that I really enjoy (to go along with the 50 or so that I don't...). He did have some decent tracks in the 70s and in the 80s.

'Bright Eyes' is... fine. I've not seen Watership Down so perhaps my feelings would be stronger if I changed that.

'We Don't Talk Anymore' is one of Cliff's best songs for me! Perhaps edged out by the more influential 'Move It'. This one does feel fairly trend-chasing indeed, with the Bee Gees being hot property at the time - so insert disco shimmer and some falsetto. But the synthy direction is still a welcome switch-up.

That's a song my Mum used to play very often when I was young, and it drove me mad!

Admittedly he does have much worse songs though.