Better late than never.
Yes, after what amounted to a busy weekend, I slept it all off last night, and it felt really good.
So here I am back in my perch, and I could have taken off today, as it is the Labor Day holiday, but as you know, I decided to put out a Rant today, because I am so used to working on this holiday that I had to satisfy my work fix by putting one out.
So here goes … I am sure some of you will like it while others will totally dismiss it, but that is fine with me.
Today is the unofficial end to summer, although we actually still have a few weeks to go until the season actually ends.
This has not been a very good summer for my family and I, and it is magnified by the fact that today, we should be doing what millions of other people are doing … which is swimming, but we cannot do that because our backyard pool is kaput, and has been out of order during almost the entire summer.
If we had the use of the pool, we would certainly have the radio on, and we would be listening to an oldies station that we can get from southern New Jersey that plays an excellent mis of 1950s, 1960s and 1970s music.
I don’t know how we can get this station, but we do, and in the past, as we swam in the backyard pool, the station’s music provided the perfect background for our day in the water … but alas, that is not happening this year.
Looking back 50 years, what were people listening to when they went to the beach or the pool to swim on Labor Day?
During the week of September 2, 1972’s Hot 100 chart from Billboard, the Top 10 of that week provided a good glimpse into the music of the day with a really good mix of songs and artists.
Coming in at #10 for the week was “Back Stabbers” by the O'Jay’s. The song would get as high as #3 on the chart in a few weeks.
The #9 song on the chart was “Rock and Roll Part 2” by Gary Glitter. This song had a second life as a rallying cry at sports contests, but it was permanently deep-sixed when Glitter was charged and convicted with various crimes against minors.
Jim Croce’s popularity continued at #8, with his “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim” becoming another substantial hit for him. He would die in a plane crash in 1973.
The Carpenters continued their hit streak with the #7 song of the week, “Goodbye To Love.” This is as high as the song would get on this chart.
Country crossover legend Mac Davis had the #6 song on the charts this week with “Baby Don’t Get Hooked On Me.” Davis became not only a top singer and songwriter during this period, but he also became a prolific actor, appearing in numerous TV shows and movies.
“Hold Your Head Up” by Argent was the #5 song of the week. The band, led by Rod Argent, pretty much were almost forced to form after the post-Zombies success of “Time of the Season,” and Argent had quite a run, itself, of top-selling LPs during the early 1970s.
Looking Glass had one of the most popular songs of the 1970s with their one big hit, which was “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)," which came in at #4 this week. The song had just reached the #1 spot on the chart during the previous week.
Al Green continued his smooth soul onslaught with “I’m Still In Love With You,” which hit #3 this week. This is as high as the song would get on this chart.
One of the great British Invasion bands of the 1960s continued to have hits into the 1970s, and the Hollies had one of their biggest American hits with “Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress),” which was this week’s #2 song. This is as high as the song would get on the chart.
And the #1 song for the week was—
“”Alone Again (Naturally)” by Gilbert O’Sullivan.
The song would stay in the top spot for a total of two weeks.
The highest debuting single of the week was the live version of “For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her,” from Simon and Garfunkel, which debuted at #76 this week and which would get as high as #53 on the chart. It was paired with “America,” which barely scraped into the Hot 100 at #97.
The “Highest Mover” on the Hot 100, the song that moved up the most places on the chart from last week to this week, was “Use Me” by Bill Withers, which jumped to #53 this week from #80 last week. The song would become a huge hit for the singer, eventually peaking at #2 a few weeks later.
So there you have it, the Top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 from 50 years ago, songs that you definitely would be listening to if you went to the beach or jumped in the pool to swim during this Labor Day holiday, which was on September 4 of that year.
Everyone have a great Labor Day holiday, and I will speak to you again tomorrow.
Yes, after what amounted to a busy weekend, I slept it all off last night, and it felt really good.
So here I am back in my perch, and I could have taken off today, as it is the Labor Day holiday, but as you know, I decided to put out a Rant today, because I am so used to working on this holiday that I had to satisfy my work fix by putting one out.
So here goes … I am sure some of you will like it while others will totally dismiss it, but that is fine with me.
Today is the unofficial end to summer, although we actually still have a few weeks to go until the season actually ends.
This has not been a very good summer for my family and I, and it is magnified by the fact that today, we should be doing what millions of other people are doing … which is swimming, but we cannot do that because our backyard pool is kaput, and has been out of order during almost the entire summer.
If we had the use of the pool, we would certainly have the radio on, and we would be listening to an oldies station that we can get from southern New Jersey that plays an excellent mis of 1950s, 1960s and 1970s music.
I don’t know how we can get this station, but we do, and in the past, as we swam in the backyard pool, the station’s music provided the perfect background for our day in the water … but alas, that is not happening this year.
Looking back 50 years, what were people listening to when they went to the beach or the pool to swim on Labor Day?
During the week of September 2, 1972’s Hot 100 chart from Billboard, the Top 10 of that week provided a good glimpse into the music of the day with a really good mix of songs and artists.
Coming in at #10 for the week was “Back Stabbers” by the O'Jay’s. The song would get as high as #3 on the chart in a few weeks.
The #9 song on the chart was “Rock and Roll Part 2” by Gary Glitter. This song had a second life as a rallying cry at sports contests, but it was permanently deep-sixed when Glitter was charged and convicted with various crimes against minors.
Jim Croce’s popularity continued at #8, with his “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim” becoming another substantial hit for him. He would die in a plane crash in 1973.
The Carpenters continued their hit streak with the #7 song of the week, “Goodbye To Love.” This is as high as the song would get on this chart.
Country crossover legend Mac Davis had the #6 song on the charts this week with “Baby Don’t Get Hooked On Me.” Davis became not only a top singer and songwriter during this period, but he also became a prolific actor, appearing in numerous TV shows and movies.
“Hold Your Head Up” by Argent was the #5 song of the week. The band, led by Rod Argent, pretty much were almost forced to form after the post-Zombies success of “Time of the Season,” and Argent had quite a run, itself, of top-selling LPs during the early 1970s.
Looking Glass had one of the most popular songs of the 1970s with their one big hit, which was “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)," which came in at #4 this week. The song had just reached the #1 spot on the chart during the previous week.
Al Green continued his smooth soul onslaught with “I’m Still In Love With You,” which hit #3 this week. This is as high as the song would get on this chart.
One of the great British Invasion bands of the 1960s continued to have hits into the 1970s, and the Hollies had one of their biggest American hits with “Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress),” which was this week’s #2 song. This is as high as the song would get on the chart.
And the #1 song for the week was—
“”Alone Again (Naturally)” by Gilbert O’Sullivan.
The song would stay in the top spot for a total of two weeks.
The highest debuting single of the week was the live version of “For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her,” from Simon and Garfunkel, which debuted at #76 this week and which would get as high as #53 on the chart. It was paired with “America,” which barely scraped into the Hot 100 at #97.
The “Highest Mover” on the Hot 100, the song that moved up the most places on the chart from last week to this week, was “Use Me” by Bill Withers, which jumped to #53 this week from #80 last week. The song would become a huge hit for the singer, eventually peaking at #2 a few weeks later.
So there you have it, the Top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 from 50 years ago, songs that you definitely would be listening to if you went to the beach or jumped in the pool to swim during this Labor Day holiday, which was on September 4 of that year.
Everyone have a great Labor Day holiday, and I will speak to you again tomorrow.
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