American Top 40 - Fourth of July 1979 Special: "The Top 40 Hits of the Disco Era, 1974-1979"

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For the American Top 40 episode of July 7, 1979, Casey counted down "The Top 40 Hits of the Disco Era, 1974-1979." Methodology for determining chart placement is never discussed in the episode, but Casey states that "The Disco Era" started on July 4, 1974 when "Rock the Boat" hit #1 on the pop chart. In his words, it was the first song to hit #1 that had that "disco sound and disco feel." For comparison, I'll note here that Billboard magazine published its first disco chart on October 26, 1974, titled "Disco Action." Also, I share the opinion of many who believe the first disco song was "Soul Makossa" by Cameroonian saxophonist Manu Dibango, which peaked at #35 in 1973. But here's how the countdown is described in a June 30, 1979 memo to AT40 subscribing stations:

Rather vague, no? But here's what they came up with:

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AT40 Extra #1: "Rock the Boat" by The Hues Corporation for reasons mentioned above.

Rank	Song	Artist	Top 40 Debut	Top 40 Peak	Disco Chart Peak	R&B Chart Peak
40	"Love To Love You Baby"	Donna Summer	12/20/75	2	1	3
39	"Shake Your Groove Thing"	Peaches & Herb	1/27/79	5	2	4
38	"(Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again"	L.T.D.	11/12/77	4	19	1
37	"Last Dance"	Donna Summer	6/3/78	3	1	5
36	"Turn the Beat Around"	Vicki Sue Robinson	6/19/76	10	1
35	"Keep It Comin' Love"	K.C. & The Sunshine Band	8/13/77	2	9	3
34	"Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)"	The Jacksons	3/31/79	7	20	3
33	"Dance With Me"	Peter Brown	5/6/78	8	4	5

AT40 Extra #2: "How Deep Is Your Love" by The Bee Gees. The AT40 staff interviewed "dozens of disco DJs all around the country" and asked them which song they used to "cool things off a bit." This song was the third most mentioned.

Rank	Song	Artist	Debut	Top 40	Disco	R&B
32	"That's the Way (I Like It)"	K.C. & The Sunshine Band	11/1/75	1	18	1
31	"I Feel Love"	Donna Summer	9/3/77	6	3	9
30	"Dazz"	Brick	11/20/76	3	7	1
29	"Disco Inferno"	The Trammps	3/25/78	11	1	9
28	"Knock On Wood"	Amii Stewart	2/24/79	1	5	6

AT40 Extra #3: "The Twist" by Chubby Checker. Included as "the biggest dance hit of all time."

Rank	Song	Artist	Debut	Top 40	Disco	R&B
27	"You Should Be Dancing"	The Bee Gees	7/17/76	1	1	4
26	"Get Up and Boogie (That's Right)"	Silver Convention	4/17/76	2	5	5
25	"In the Navy"	Village People	3/31/79	3	14	30
24	"You Sexy Thing"	Hot Chocolate	12/6/75	3		6
23	"Got to Give It Up"	Marvin Gaye	4/23/77	1	1	1

AT40 Extra #4: "Three Times a Lady" by Commodores. Second-most popular slow song as voted by Disco DJs.

Rank	Song	Artist	Debut	Top 40	Disco	R&B
22	"Fly, Robin, Fly"	Silver Convention	10/25/75	1	1	1
21	"Hot Stuff"	Donna Summer	4/28/79	1	1	3
20	"Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band"	Meco	8/27/77	1	6	8
19	"More, More, More"	Andrea True Connection	4/24/76	4	2	23
18	"Miss You"	The Rolling Stones	6/10/78	1	6	33

AT40 Extra #5: "Disco Duck" by Rick Dees & His Cast of Idiots. Included because it was a #1 tune that wasn't played in discos and, instead, mocked disco music. Casey claims that the popularity of this novelty song was "a declaration that disco had arrived. If disco could be taken seriously enough to poke fun at it, then it wasn't just a passing fad, it had become a legitimate part of our pop culture."

Rank	Song	Artist	Debut	Top 40	Disco	R&B
17	"Car Wash"	Rose Royce	12/11/76	1	3	1
16	"If I Can't Have You"	Yvonne Elliman	2/25/78	1
15	"(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty"	K.C. & The Sunshine Band	7/31/76	1	9	1

AT40 Extra #6: "Reunited" by Peaches & Herb. The top slow song as voted by Disco DJs.

Rank	Song	Artist	Debut	Top 40	Disco	R&B
14	"I'm Your Boogie Man"	K.C. & The Sunshine Band	4/27/77	1	9	3
13	"Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)"	Chic	12/10/77	6	1	6
12	"MacArthur Park"	Donna Summer	9/30/78	1	1	8
11	"Don't Leave Me This Way"	Thelma Houston	1/29/77	1	1	1
10	"Y.M.C.A."	Village People	11/11/78	2	2	32
9	"Boogie Oogie Oogie"	A Taste of Honey	7/22/78	1	1	1
8	"I Love the Nightlife (Disco Round)"	Alicia Bridges	9/9/78	5	2	31

AT40 Extra #7: "The Hustle" by Van McCoy & Soul City Orchestra. Included as it "introduced the most popular dance step in American discos," according to Casey.

Rank	Song	Artist	Debut	Top 40	Disco	R&B
7	"Do Ya Think I'm Sexy"	Rod Stewart	12/23/78	1	1	5
6	"I Will Survive"	Gloria Gaynor	1/20/79	1	1	4
5	"A Fifth of Beethoven"	Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band	7/4/76	1		10

AT40 Extra #8: "San Francisco (You've Got Me)" by Village People. Included as the song that "did the best on the disco chart without making the pop chart." Not to be pedantic, but the song topped the chart as an album cut alongside the other three tracks on the album. Casey mistakenly claims the song wasn't released as a single. It was actually the very first single released by the group and would peak on the Bubbling Under chart at #102 in January 1978.

Rank	Song	Artist	Debut	Top 40	Disco	R&B
4	"Best of My Love"	The Emotions	7/2/77	1	11	1
3	"Stayin' Alive"	The Bee Gees	12/24/77	1	3	4
2	"Night Fever"	The Bee Gees	2/11/78	1	3	8
1	"Le Freak"	Chic	11/18/78	1	1	1

Would make a helluva playlist. Artists appearing more than once in the countdown: Chic (2), The Bee Gees (2), The Village People (2), K.C. & The Sunshine Band (4), and Donna Summer (5). These 5 acts are responsible for 37.5% of the 40 tunes. The soundtrack for Saturday Night Fever fares quite well, too.

I could complain about the inclusion of the Rolling Stones or the low ranking of my all-time favorite disco tune, If I Can't Have You, but I won't because I'm happy to see Chic in the #1 spot. Plus, there were some great Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards disco tunes still to come with the likes of Sister Sledge and Diana Ross.

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Previously, I've looked at these AT40 episodes:

May 26, 1984

July 2, 1983 - "The Forty Top Acts of the Eighties - So Far"
November 6, 1982
September 18, 1982
October 24, 1981
July 19, 1980
July 5, 1980 - "The Book of Records"
February 16, 1980
August 4, 1979
June 9, 1979 - Guest host: Bruce Philip Miller
September 16, 1978

July 1, 1978 - "The 40 Biggest Acts of the 70's"
April 1, 1978 - "AT40 Goes to the Movies"
April 23, 1977
July 4, 1976 - "4th of July's Greatest Hits"

Top Albums of February 16, 1980

A look at the top ten albums in music industry magazines the week of February 16, 1980. Something for everyone here: prog rock, disco, R&B, soft rock, country, and plain ol' rock 'n' roll:

	Billboard	CashBox	Record World
1	The Wall Pink Floyd	The Wall Pink Floyd	The Wall Pink Floyd
2	Damn the Torpedoes Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers	Damn the Torpedoes Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers	Off the Wall Michael Jackson
3	Off the Wall Michael Jackson	Off the Wall Michael Jackson	The Long Run Eagles
4	The Long Run Eagles	The Long Run Eagles	On the Radio Greatest Hits Vols 1 & 2 Donna Summer
5	Phoenix Dan Fogelberg	Phoenix Dan Fogelberg	Damn the Torpedoes Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
6	Kenny Kenny Rogers	On the Radio Greatest Hits Vols 1 & 2 Donna Summer	Phoenix Dan Fogelberg
7	On the Radio Greatest Hits Vols 1 & 2 Donna Summer	Kenny Kenny Rogers	Kenny Kenny Rogers
8	Tusk Fleetwood Mac	Cornerstone Styx	Cornerstone Styx
9	Cornerstone Styx	Tusk Fleetwood Mac	In Through the Out Door Led Zeppelin
10	September Morn Neil Diamond	Freedom at Point Zero Jefferson Starship	Freedom at Point Zero Jefferson Starship

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Exclusive MFD meta-analysis of the above charts:

1. The Wall(30 pts)
2. Off the Wall (25 pts)
3. Damn the Torpedoes (24 pts)
4. The Long Run (23 pts)
5. Phoenix (17 pts)
6. On the Radio (16 pts)
7. Kenny (13 pts)
8. Cornerstone (8 pts)
9. Tusk (5 pts)
10. (tie) Freedom at Point Zero and In Through the Out Door (2 pts)
12. September Morn (1 pt)

Donna Summer during My Favorite Decade (Albums)

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A LOVE TRILOGY (1976)

U.S. Album Chart Peaks:
Billboard 200	21
Billboard R&B	16
CashBox	39

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FOUR SEASONS OF LOVE (1976)

U.S. Album Chart Peaks:
Billboard 200	29
Billboard R&B	13
CashBox	37

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I REMEMBER YESTERDAY (1977)

U.S. Album Chart Peaks:
Billboard 200	18
Billboard R&B	11
CashBox	31

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ONCE UPON A TIME... (1977)

U.S. Album Chart Peaks:
Billboard 200	26
Billboard R&B	13
CashBox	24

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LIVE AND MORE (1978)

U.S. Album Chart Peaks:
Billboard 200	1
Billboard R&B	4
CashBox	2

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BAD GIRLS (1979)

U.S. Album Chart Peaks:
Billboard 200	1
Billboard R&B	1
CashBox	1

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ON THE RADIO (1979)

U.S. Album Chart Peaks:
Billboard 200	1
Billboard R&B	4
CashBox	2

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WALK AWAY (1980)

U.S. Album Chart Peaks:
Billboard 200	50
Billboard R&B	54
CashBox	91

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THE WANDERER (1980)

U.S. Album Chart Peaks:
Billboard 200	13
Billboard R&B	12
CashBox	8

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I'M A RAINBOW (Recorded 1981, released 1996)

U.S. Album Chart Peaks:
Billboard 200	-
Billboard R&B	-
CashBox	-

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DONNA SUMMER (1982)

U.S. Album Chart Peaks:
Billboard 200	20
Billboard R&B	6
CashBox	14

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SHE WORKS HARD FOR THE MONEY (1983)

U.S. Album Chart Peaks:
Billboard 200	9
Billboard R&B	5
CashBox	9

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CATS WITHOUT CLAWS (1984)

U.S. Album Chart Peaks:
Billboard 200	40
Billboard R&B	24
CashBox	38

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Covering the Covers: There Goes My Baby

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This series looks at some of the covers that came out during the years 1976-85 or songs that were originally released during that time period and subsequently covered. Boring, rote covers need not apply. Looking for artists that can take a song and add their own blend of spice. As the lovely Kate Pierson of The B-52's once said about the Talking Heads cover of "Take Me to the River": It's a rare thing that a band can do a cover song and make it their own. Simply put, they made Al Green's 'Take Me to the River' into a Talking Heads song."

Today's study: There Goes My Baby, written by Benjamin Nelson, Lover Patterson & George Treadwell, original released by The Drifters.

Released: April 1959 (Atlantic) Produced by: Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller

U. S. Billboard Charts:
Hot 100	2
R&B	1

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Released: July 1984 (Geffen) Produced by: Michael Omartian Album: Cats Without Claws

U. S. Billboard Charts:
Hot 100	21
R&B	20

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Charting the Charts: Donna Summer - Once Upon a Time (1977)

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Here's a look at how the 1977 Donna Summer album Once Upon a Time fared on the album charts in various publications:

1977
Date	Billboard 200	Billboard R&B (60)	Cashbox 200	Cashbox R&B (75)
Nov 19			95	50
Nov 26	48	31	80	33
Dec 3	40	21	54	24
Dec 10	36	14	43	17
Dec 17	31	13	35	14
Dec 24	29	18	30	11
Dec 31	29	18	26	8

1978
Date	Billboard 200	Billboard R&B (60)	Cashbox 200	Cashbox R&B (75)
Jan 7	27	18	25	7
Jan 14	26	18	24	7
Jan 21	26	24	31	10
Jan 28	30	24	35	12
Feb 4	29	21	37	13
Feb 11	43	25	48	14
Feb 18	89	26	59	18
Feb 25	130	26	59	22
Mar 4	130	26	60	22
Mar 11	126	29	72	23
Mar 18	120	32	75	26
Mar 25	115	32	85	29
Apr 1	111	32	102	32
Apr 8	109	32	118	32
Apr 15	104	35	132	36
Apr 22	104	44	167	37
Apr 29	104	50	195	38
May 6	99	51	200	46
May 13	97	53		55
May 20	95	58		61
May 27	93			75
Jun 3	89			68
Jun 10	104			66
Jun 17	104			65
Jun 24	108			65
Jul 1				70
Jul 8			195	71
Jul 15			191
Jul 22			189
Jul 29			188

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Album ad #70

Donna Summer - She Works Hard for the Money (1983)

Donna Summer - Bad Girls (1979)

Released: April, 1979 (Casablanca) Produced by: Giorgio Moroder & Pete Bellotte Peak on the US Billboard 200: 1 (6 nonconsecutive weeks*) Peak on the CashBox 200: 1 (5 nonconsecutive weeks)

Side One	Side Two
Hot Stuff Bad Girls Love Will Always Find You Walk Away	Dim All the Lights Journey to the Center of Your Heart One Night in a Lifetime Can't Get to Sleep at Night
Side Three	Side Four
On My Honor There Will Always be a You On My Honour All Through the Night	Our Love Lucky Sunset People

*Bad Girls battled Supertramp's Breakfast in America album for the top spot during the summer of 1979 before Get the Knack was released.

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Billboard, May 5, 1979, p. 78

CashBox, May 5, 1979, p. 15

Robert Christgau (Village Voice)

You tend to suspect anyone who releases three double-LPs in eighteen months of delusions of Chicago, but Donna is here to stay and this is her best album. The first two sides, four songs per, never let up--the voice breaks and the guitars moan over a bass-drum thump in what amounts to empty-headed girl-group rock and roll brought cannily up-to-date. Moroder makes his Europercussion play on side four, which is nice too, but side three drags, suggesting that the rock and roll that surfaces here is perhaps only a stop along the way to a totally bleh total performance. Me, I still love my Marvelettes records. A-

ed. note: Mr. Christgau writes a C plus review then gives the album a grade of A minus? That's why I love the guy's reviews.

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U.S. Billboard charted singles:	Hot 100	Disco	R&B	AC
Hot Stuff	1	1	3
Bad Girls	1	1	1
Dim All the Lights	2	1	13	44
Walk Away	36		35

22nd Annual Grammy Awards
"Hot Stuff"	Best Female Rock Vocal Performance	Won
"Bad Girls"	Best Female Pop Vocal Performance	Nominated
"Bad Girls"	Best Female R&B Vocal Performance	Nominated
"Dim All the Lights"	Best Disco Recording	Nominated
Bad Girls	Album of the Year	Nominated

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To call this thing a concept album about prostitution might be a stretch, but let's go there anyway.  It's easier to call it a concept album about sex. I was twelve when this released so both sex and prostitution were things we didn't discuss at our house (I was a preacher's kid).  That made this forbidden music which made it that much more attractive to me, naturally.

"Ma’am, who is this Queen of Disco?" (SNL, 4/15/2000)

The first LP (sides 1 & 2) is a great stand-alone album that sees disco moving to a slightly harder sound - Giorgio Moroder sure knew what he was doing.  Tracks are carefully segued with no breaks just like a good DJ would mix it, so there's no need to skip any of those tracks.  In addition to the three hits ("Bad Girls," "Hot Stuff," "Dim All The Lights"), I'm particularly fond of "Journey to The Center Of Your Heart" and the funky chorus of "One Night In A Lifetime." We're not as lucky with side three which bogs down with ballads.  Not that Summer can't pull off a good ballad, but that's not why I buy her music.  Side four gets us back with a return to the more synth-oriented sound that hearkens back to "I Feel Love."  The album ends with the wonderful but overlooked "Sunset People."

I didn't own this album when it was released.  I mistakenly thought there wasn't much need to own it since I could hear the hit songs on the radio (bad pun intended). A single album (sides one and two with "Sunset People" subbed in for "Love Will Always Find You") would have easily rated a grade of A+, but I had to dock the thing a few points for side three.

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Note: much of this post's content has previously appeared on this blog. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

Thank God It's Friday soundtrack (1978)

"After 5000 years of civilization, we all need a break."

It's Friday night and everyone is headed to the hot disco, The Zoo. The Commodores are scheduled to play if the roadie shows up with the instruments while Nicole (Donna Summer) dreams of becoming a disco star. Other characters are there to win the dance contest, or to put a little excitement into a blind date or fifth anniversary festivities.  This flick didn't last long in theaters and is currently rated at 30% over at Rotten Tomatoes.  But, oh! the soundtrack...

Casablanca Records issued a three disk soundtrack album which peaked at #10 in its 27 weeks on the Billboard 200. The featured song, Donna Summer's "Last Dance," became a critical and commercial success, winning the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and Grammy Awards for 1) Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and 2) Best R&B Song. Sadly, the "Disco" category wasn't instituted at The Grammy Awards until the following year or there would have been a battle royale between TGIF, Saturday Night Fever, and anything by Chic. But I digress.

Side One	Side Two
"Thank God It's Friday" by Love and Kisses "After Dark" by Pattie Brooks "With Your Love" by Donna Summer "Last Dance" by Donna Summer	"Disco Queen" by Paul Jabara "Find My Way" by Cameo "Too Hot Ta Trot" by The Commodores "Leatherman's Theme" by Wright Bros. Flying Machine "I Wanna Dance" by Marathon
Side Three	Side Four
"Take It To The Zoo" by Sunshine "Sevilla Nights" by Santa Esmeralda "You're the Most Precious thing in My Life" by Love and Kisses	"Do You Want the Real Thing" by D.C. LaRue "Trapped in a Stairway" by Paul Jabara "Floyd's Theme" by Natural Juices "Livin' Lovin' Givin'" by Diana Ross "Love Masterpiece" by Thelma Houston "Last Dance (Reprise) by Donna Summer
Special Bonus 12" Single
"Je T'Aime (Moi Non Plus)" by Donna Summer

This is normally where I list the songs included in the movie in the order the music appeared in the film, but why reinvent the wheel? Friend o' the blog (and regular contributor of CD longbox pictures) Dirk Digglinator already did the work way back in 1996! In celebration of our Summer of Summer celebration, Dirk graciously submitted a photo of his meticulous work and I'm happy to present it below. Many thanks, Dirk.

Dirk also submitted this 2019 update/errata/confirmation to the above list:
4. I Wanna Dance - Marathon  Maddy & Jennifer...
6. From Here To Eternity (1) - Giorgio  Tony enters the ‘Zoo’
7. From Here To Eternity (2)
8. Romeo And Juliet (1)
25. Je T’aime (Moi Non Plus) (1)
32. Je T’aime (Moi Non Plus) (2) - Donna Summer  Sue & Dave (‘Baba-Kazoo’) argue
33. Romeo And Juliet (2) - Alec R. Costandinos  Dave (‘Baba-Kazoo’) swallows his wedding ring
34. In Hollywood (Everybody Is A Star) - Village People  Maddy leaves Jennifer...
38. I’m Here Again - Thelma Houston  (?? / Confirmed)

So now you can remove the "(Nearly)" qualifier from the title of the above list. Consider it definitive and MFD approved! 👍

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Previous MFD movie soundtrack breakdowns:
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
FM (1978)
Grease (1978)
The Last American Virgin (1982)
Roller Boogie (1979)
Saturday Night Fever (1977)
Sixteen Candles (1984)
The Sure Thing (1985)
Sixteen Candles (1984)
200 Cigarettes (1999)
Valley Girl (1983)
Vision Quest (1985)