Gezza

45. IF YOU LEAVE ME NOW- Chicago (670,300) 1976 16 weeks on the chart Peak position: 1 Undoubtedly the biggest hit of Chicago’s career, sung and composed by Peter Cetera this was a transatlantic chart topper. It was something of a comeback in the UK at least being their first hit in over 6 years.

46. TIGER FEET- Mud (664,300) 1974 11 weeks on chart Peak position: 1 Taking advantage of the traditional quiet post Christmas lull in the record industry, this shot to the top to become the first of three No 1’s for the group. It was a Chinn/ Chapman penned track which ended up the best selling single of 1974 and was one of 14 top 20 hits for the glam rock group between 73 and 76.

47. TAKE A CHANCE ON ME- Abba (658,000) 1978 10 weeks on chart Peak position: 1 The song that gave a group a 7th chart topper and enabled them to be the most successful act of the decade by that metric. Dreamt up by Ulvaeus as a rhythm is his head to keep pace as he was running it eventually got developed into a full track, it saw No 1 again in 1992 as part of Erasure’s “Abba-esque EP” but was their final No 1 of the 70s. This is their 4th and highest placed track on the top 100.

All depends on how you view parenthesis I suppose. Without it it's Manic St Preachers "If You Tolerate This...." and Bombalurina's "Itsy Bitsy..."- both have 39 letters. With it then I think it is still Scott Mackenzie with 41 letters. Then of course you could consider double a-sides.....

no sexing up for @jimwatts after this display! It's OK- mid ranking for me- there is much worse

48. MATCHSTALK MEN & MATCHSTALK CATS AND DOGS- Brian & Michael (656,700) 1978 19 Weeks on chart Peak position: 1 Written by the duo in response to painter W.S Lowry’s death in 1976, the record was actually produced by Kevin Parrott who had to step in during live performances as “Brian” after the real life Brian left the duo shortly after the song was released in late 1977. The cover is naturally a Lowry print and the backing vocals are courtesy of St Winifred’s Choir two years before they claimed their own No 1! It was also the second longest chart topper by letters (to this point) beaten only by Scott McKenzie.

49. THE WONDER OF YOU- Elvis Presley (656,100) 1970 21 weeks on chart Peak position: 1 Released first as a single by Ray Peterson in 1959 (#23), “The Wonder Of You” was written originally as a gospel song but of course found greater fame when recorded by a newly resurgent Elvis in 1970. Elvis’ version was a live recording from his Vegas residency which Presley asked permission for personally "He [Elvis] asked me if I would mind if he recorded 'The Wonder of You.' I said, 'You don't have to ask permission; you're Elvis Presley.' He said, 'Yes, I do. You're Ray Peterson.' It was Evis’ final No 1 in his lifetime and a 16th overall.

50. DANCING QUEEN- Abba (650,500) 1976 15 Weeks on chart Peak position: 1 Inspired apparently by US disco (and George McCrae in particular) this of course became pretty much Abba’s signature tune, it was originally pencilled in as a follow up to “Mama MIa” but was pushed back in favour of “Fernando” which was felt to have a wider appeal given its folkier feel- just shows how wrong labels can be on occasion. It was also their only US chart topper.

recap 51-100 100. LE FREAK- Chic (518,800)* 99. SUBSTITUTE- Clout (518,900) 98. SHE- Charles Aznavour (520,000) 97. ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL- Pink Floyd (521,200)* 96. MERRY XMAS EVERYBODY- Slade (522,800)* 95. RASPUTIN- Boney M (525,100) 94. CHANSON D’AMOUR- Manhattan Transfer (525,900) 93. HOLD ME CLOSE- David Essex (526,000) 92. GIVE A LITTLE LOVE- Bay City Rollers (529,800) 91. ANGELO- Brotherhood Of Man (532,600) 90. YES SIR I CAN BOOGIE- Baccara (533,600) 89. HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE- The Bee Gees (541,400)* 88. SON OF MY FATHER- Chicory Tip (541,800) 87. SO YOU WIN AGAIN- Hot Chocolate (542,700) 86. MOTHER OF MINE- Neil Reid (549,000) 85. ROCK YOUR BABY- George McCrae (549,200) 84. HOT LOVE- T.Rex (549,400) 83. SANDY- John Travolta (550,100) 82. DA YA THINK I’M SEXY- Rod Stewart (551,900)* 81. GRANDAD- Clive Dunn (552,600)* 80. KNOCK THREE TIMES- Dawn (559,800) 79 FERNANDO- Abba (560,800) 78. SEE MY BABY JIVE- Wizzard (566,000) 77. TRAGEDY- Bee Gees (569,600) 76. WAY DOWN- Elvis Presley (570,500) 75. CUM ON FEEL THE NOIZE- Slade (572,000) 74. OLIVER’S ARMY- Elvis Costello & The Attractions (575,300) 73. WUTHERING HEIGHTS- Kate Bush (576,200) 72. I FEEL LOVE- Donna Summer (577,000) 71. THE FLORAL DANCE- Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band (578,300)* 70. KNOWING ME KNOWING YOU- Abba (579,000) 69 STAND BY YOUR MAN- Tammy Wynette (580,400) 68. SPIRIT IN THE SKY- Norman Greenbaum (583,200) 67. WHEN WILL I SEE YOU AGAIN- Three Degrees (584,000) 66. BAND OF GOLD- Freda Payne (584,100) 65. DREADLOCK HOLIDAY- 10CC (589,500) 64. SILVER LADY- David Soul (594,200) 63. BILLY DON’T BE A HERO- Paper Lace (595,400) 62. WHISPERING GRASS- Windsor Davies & Don Estelle (598,600) 61. SEASONS IN THE SUN- Terry Jacks (604,100) 60. POP MUZIK- M (607,400) 59. WHEN I NEED YOU- Leo Sayer (610,700) 58. AMAZING GRACE- Judy Collins (613,600) 57. YOU WON’T FIND ANOTHER FOOL LIKE ME- The New Seekers (615,700)* 56. CAN’T GIVE YOU ANYTHING (BUT MY LOVE)- The Stylistics (617,700) 55. GONNA MAKE YOU A STAR- David Essex (619,200) 54. A LITTLE BIT MORE- Dr Hook (623,100) 53. MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE- The Police (625,700) 52. ERNIE (THE FASTEST MILKMAN IN THE WEST)- Benny Hill (628,200)* 51. CHIRPY CHIRPY CHEAP CHEAP- Middle Of The Road (642,600)

51. CHIRPY CHIRPY CHEAP CHEAP- Middle Of The Road (642,600) 1971 34 weeks on chart Peak position: 1 Written and first released by Lally Scott in late 1970 in Italy where he was living, it became a top 20 single for him there but there was little appetite by his record company to release it elsewhere which led to Middle Of The Road picking the track up (they were working in Italy at the time although from Scotland). It was first released here in early 1971 but did next to nothing until it started to become a hit in Europe which led to a re-issue that May and after just 3 weeks on sale it sat at No 1 championed by Tony Blackburn on Radio 1. Two more top 10 singles followed then they disappeared by the end of 1972.

52. ERNIE (THE FASTEST MILKMAN IN THE WEST)- Benny Hill (628,200)* 1971 17 weeks on chart Peak position: 1 It’s Christmas 1971 and this is sitting at No 1. Erstwhile “Comedian” Hill was enormously popular in the 60s/70s/80s as a prime time entertainer and this track was originally performed in his show in 1970, a quick re-write of some lyrics and we lapped it up on release. Hill was actually a milkman pre fame (though the tale itself is fictional) and he also scored three top 30 singles in the early 60s proving this was a return to the charts and in some style.

234k

The goodies did it on totp Christmas special. Wings did it on the normal edition

53. MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE- The Police (625,700) 1979 11 weeks on chart Peak position: 1 The Police’s first chart topper was the lead track to their second album and started them off on a run of a hattrick of chart toppers (albeit re-issues were in between). They were probably the biggest UK band in the land as the 70s ended.

54. A LITTLE BIT MORE- Dr Hook (623,100) 1976 14 Weeks on chart Peak position: 2 Finally a chart topper in 1999 for boyband 911, but here’s the first incarnation for Dr Hook which spent 5 weeks at No 2 stuck frustratingly behind Elton John & Kiki Dee in the summer of 1976. It actually first surfaced as an album track by Bobby Gosh in 1973 before getting plucked from obscurity!

55. GONNA MAKE YOU A STAR- David Essex (619,200) 1974 17 Weeks on chart Peak position: 1 Positioned at the time as a British version of David Cassidy and Donny Osmond (appealing to predominately female audience) Essex had fun gently poking fun at the proposition including the lyrics to this, his first chart topper. Releasing singles since the mid 60s to not much interest he got his break in 1971 when he was cast as lead in the musical “Godspell” which in turn lead to his first film “That’ll Be The Day” in 1973 and the single “Rock On” from it- a top 3 single. His good looks assured him headlines and the hits flowed well into the 80s. This track is produced by Jeff Wayne (pre “War Of The World’s”).

56. CAN’T GIVE YOU ANYTHING (BUT MY LOVE)- The Stylistics (617,700) 1975 11 weeks on chart Peak position: 1 Soul Group that hit it big in the early 70s with producer Tom Bell moulding the group around lead singer Russell Thompkins Jnr’s distinctive vocals to secure a string of hits. After Bell stopped working with the group in 1974 they faded badly in the US but reached new heights here with this No 1 and a string of top 10 singles into 1976.

57. YOU WON’T FIND ANOTHER FOOL LIKE ME- The New Seekers (615,700)* 1973 16 weeks on chart Peak position: 1 After the coke song and representing the UK at Eurovision, the New Seekers experienced a bit of a lull in 1973 with 4 singles all missing the top 10 but it was all salvaged as the year closed with this track. A big hit over the festive period it sneaked a week at No 1 come January 1974 and just in time, the group announced their split in May of the same year ultimately reforming with new members a few years later with only minimal success and no top 20 hits.

58. AMAZING GRACE- Judy Collins (613,600) 1970 67 weeks on chart Peak position: 5 Getting her breakthrough in the US in 1968 with a cover of “Both Sides Now” (US#8) it took until 1970 to become a hit here (#14) and laid the groundwork for her version of “Amazing Grace” which debuting inauspiciously at No 49 in December of that year. The track took 11 weeks to peak at No 5 but spent an incredible 67 weeks in the top 50, recorded in St Paul’s Cathedral for atmosphere and the song was picked up in the US as anthem for those that opposed the Vietnam War. The song will be back in the countdown later on!

59. WHEN I NEED YOU- Leo Sayer (610,700) 1977 13 weeks on chart Peak position: 1 Sayer’s biggest 70 hit was penned by Albert Hammond and Carole Bayer Sager for Hammond’s album of the same name, then picked up by Sager a year later for the single version. It was his only No 1 out of 8 top 10 singles in the decade though of course he did return to the top spot in 2006 with Meck.

60. POP MUZIK- M (607,400) 1979 14 weeks on chart Peak position: 2 A rather quirky track that was Robin Scott’s (M) only Top 30 hit, it came with an eye catching promo (for the 70s) and a gimmick. On the 12” both the a side and b side were on the same side of the vinyl so it depended which groove the needle hit as to which song you got! It made No 2 behind Art Garfunkel and went to No 15 as a remix ten years later.

61. SEASONS IN THE SUN- Terry Jacks (604,100) 1974 12 weeks on chart Peak position: 1 A cheery song! An English adaptation from a Belgian 1961 song “The Dying Man” (“Le Moribond”) given words in 1963 about a dying man saying farewell to his friends, in truth Jacks did re-write some of the lyrics but got in trouble when he claimed all the words were his own. Jacks own version reflected his feelings about a close friend who was dying of Leukemia and topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic and of course also made No 1 in 1999 for Westlife as we saw the century out. When it hit No 1 it made Canadian Jacks the first No 1 act from the country since Paul Anka 17 years previously, but it wasn’t his first time In the charts having made the top 10 in 1970 as part of the Poppy Family with his then wife Susan though they had separated by the time this was a hit.

@Spiceboy back on the naughty step with you

62. WHISPERING GRASS- Windsor Davies & Don Estelle (598,600) 1975 12 weeks on chart Peak position: 1 Two actors who were, by 1975, household names thanks to their starring role in the BCB comedy series “It Ain’t Half Hot Mum”. The track itself dates back to the 1930’s and was chosen as a vehicle to launch Estelle’s singing career (he was a trained singer) off the back of the show, however it was felt it would have more appeal if it was a duet with the equally popular Davis with music based from the same era as the show was set in. We saw fit to send it to No 1.

63. BILLY DON’T BE A HERO- Paper Lace (595,400) 1974 14 Weeks on chart Peak position: 1 An anti-war ditty written by established songwriting heavy hitters Mitch Murray and Peter Callander (they’d written top 10 hits for Gerry & The Pacemakers, Georgie Fame, Cliff Richard and Freddie & The Dreamers among others). The group hit it big after years of trying by winning “Opportunity Knocks” (think a 70s version of “Britain’s Got Talent”) and were seen by Callander’s wife who proposed the idea of working with the group to her husband. They grabbing themselves a couple of top 10 hits before fading- a cover of this track by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods topped the US charts later in 74.