1978 Top Thirteen

1) Kate Bush - Man With The Child In His Eyes - 07-1978
2) Billy Joel - Just The Way You Are - 03-1978
3) The Electric Light Orchestra - Mr. Blue Sky 02-1978
4) Earth, Wind & Fire - Fantasy - 03-1978
5) The Patti Smith Group - Because The Night - 05-1978
6) Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Davy's On The Road Again - 06-1978
7) Abba - Take A Chance On Me - 02-1978
8) The Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive - 03-1978
9) Blue Oyster Cult - (Don't Fear) The Reaper - 07-1978
10) City Boy - 5-7-0-5 - 08-1978
11) Andrew Gold - Never Let Her Slip Away - 04-1978
12) The Motors - Airport - 06-1978
13) Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street - 03-1978

And the nearly made its:
Joe Walsh - Life's Been Good - 08-1978
Julie Covington - Only Women Bleed - 01-1978
Dean Friedman - Lucky Stars - 10-1978
Elkie Brooks - Lilac Wine - 03-1978
The Commodores - Three Times A Lady - 08-1978
The Jacksons - Blame It On The Boogie - 10-1978
The Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen In Love - 10-1978
Raydio - Jack And Jill - 05-1978
John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John - You're The One That I Want - 06-1978
Rose Royce - Love Don't Live Here Anymore - 10-1978
Donna Summer - MacArthur Park - 10-1978
The Boomtown Rats - Rat Trap - 10-1978
Crystal Gayle - Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue - 01-1978
Chic - Le Freak - 12-1978
Clout - Substitute - 07-1978
Yvonne Elliman - If I can't Have You -05-1978
Eruption - I Can't Stand The Rain - 03-1978
Exile - Kiss You All Over - 09-1978
Genesis - Follow You Follow Me - 04-1978
Marshall Hain - Dancin' In The City - 06-1978
Heatwave - Mind Blowing Decisions - 07-1978
Nick Lowe & His Cowboy Outfit - I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass - 03-1978
Odyssey - Native New Yorker - 01-1978
Frankie Valli - Grease - 09-1978
Bill Withers - Lovely Day - 01-1978
John Paul Young - Love Is In The Air - 05-1978

1977 Top Thirteen

1) The Eagles - Hotel California - 05-1977
2) The Emotions - Best Of My Love - 09-1977
3) The Rods - Do Anything You Wanna Do - 09-1977
4) The Bee Gees - How Deep Is Your Love - 11-1977
5) Heatwave - Boogie Nights - 02-1977
6) Andrew Gold - Lonely Boy - 05-1977
7) Carly Simon - Nobody Does It Better - 08-1977
8) Santana - She's Not There - 11-1977
9) Queen - We Are The Champions - 11-1977
10) Abba - The Name Of The Game - 11-1977
11) Elkie Brooks - Pearl 's A Singer - 04-1977
12) Leo Sayer - When I Need You - 02-1977
13) Yes - Wonderous Stories - 09-1977


And bubbling under - so many good ones this year - even a couple of novelty ones!

Fleetwood Mac – Don’t Stop - 1977 
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Fanfare For The Common Man - 06-1977
The Commodores - Easy - 08-1977 (Motown)
Elvis Costello - Watching The Detectives - 12-1977 (Stif)
Carole Bayer Sager - You're Moving Out Today - 06-1977 (Elektra)
Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke - 04-1977 (Motown)
Alessi - Oh Lori - 07-1977 (A&M)
Deniece Williams - That's What Friends Are For - 08-1977 (CBS)
The Jacksons - Show You The Way To Go - 06-1977 (Epic)
David Soul - Don't Give Up On Us - 01-1977 (Private Stock)
Meri Wilson - Telephone Man - 09-1977 (Pye International)
Thin Lizzy - Dancin' In The Moonlight - 09-1977 (Vertigo)
The Stranglers - No More Heroes - 10-1977 (UA)
Candi Staton - Nights On Broadway - 08-1977 (Warner)
Status Quo - Rockin' All Over The World - 10-1977 (Vertigo)
Billy Ocean - Red Light Spells Danger - 04-1977 (GTO)
The Moments - Jack In The Box - 02-1977 (All Platinum)
Mr. Big - Romeo - 02-1977 (EMI)
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - Don't Leave Me This Way - 02-1977
The Floaters - Float On - 08-1977 (ABC)
Patsy Gallant - From New York To L.A. - 10-1977 (EMI)

And here’s some more:
Baccara - Yes Sir I Can Boogie - 10-1977 (RCA)
Boney M. - Daddy Cool - 02-1977 (Atlantic)
Elkie Brooks - Sunshine After The Rain - 10-1977 (A&M)
The Brotherhood Of Man - Angelo - 07-1977 (Pye)
Rita Coolidge - We're All Alone - 08-1977 (A&M)
Julie Covington - Don't Cry For Me Argentina - 01-1977 (MCA)
The Detroit Emeralds - Feel The Need In Me - 07-1977 (Atlantic)
The Drifters - You're More Than A Number In My Little Red Book - 01-1977 (Arista)
The Eagles –Life In the Fast Lane – 0?-1977
The Electric Light Orchestra - Telephone Line - 06-1977 (Jet)
Hot Chocolate - So You Win Again - 06-1977 (RAK)
Thelma Houston - Don't Leave Me This Way - 03-1977 (Motown)
La Belle Epoque - Black Is Black - 10-1977 (Harvest)
Mary MacGregor - Torn Between Two Lovers - 03-1977 (Ariola America)
Manhattan Transfer - Chanson D'Amour - 02-1977 (Atlantic)
Van McCoy - The Shuffle - 05-1977 (H & L)
Olivia Newton-John - Sam - 07-1977 (EMI)
Queen - We Will Rock You - ??-1977 (EMI)
Ram Jam - Black Betty - 10-1977 (Epic)
Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers - Roadrunner - 08-1977 (Berserkley)
Rose Royce - Car Wash - 02-1977 (MCA)
Boz Scaggs - Lido Shuffle - 06-1977 (CBS)
David Soul - Silver Lady - 09-1977 (Private Stock)
Space - Magic Fly - 09-1977 (Pye International)
The Steve Gibbons Band - Tulane - 09-1977 (Polydor)
Rod Stewart - I Don't Want To Talk About It/First Cut Is The Deepest - 05-1977 (Riva)
The Stranglers - Peaches/Go Buddy Go - 07-1977 (UA)
Barbra Streisand - Evergreen (From ' A Star Is Born') - 05-1977 (CBS)
Donna Summer - I Feel Love - 07-1977 (GTO)
10cc - Things We Do For Love - 01-1977 (Mercury)
Thin Lizzy - Don't Believe A Word - 02-1977 (Vertigo)
The Tom Robinson Band - 2-4-6-8 Motorway - 11-1977 (EMI)
Bonnie Tyler - It's A Heartache - 12-1977 (RCA)
Deniece Williams - Free - 04-1977 (CBS)
Wings - Mull Of Kintyre/Girls' School - 11-1977 (Capitol)
Stevie Wonder - I Wish - 01-1977 (Tamla Motown)

70s Men's Fashions

The 70s saw a plethora of different styles for both women and men, the latter including such gems as Double Denim, leather Jackets, curly perms and the ubiquitous platform shoes. Status Quo were avid exponents of the double (and even triple) denim.

The so-called “Peacock Revolution” which started in the 1950s had made it acceptable for men to wear brighter colours, bolder prints and wear their hair long. While the suit continued to be a staple for many men, new, inventive styles were popularized. It started with a hippie 60s hangover – baggie tie-dye shirts and psychedelic prints, then a host of “wash and wear” synthetic materials led to many casual leisure clothes like tracksuits being worn outside of sports.

Bell-bottom trousers, characterized by a high waist, a tight fit through the thighs, and a flare beginning at the knees and extending outward, were paired with suits and wide collar shirts in varying patterns from loud florals to polka dot to checks and everything in between.

In the early 1970s, men’s fashion tried to emphasize a tall, lean figure. Turtlenecks, slim-fitting shirts, and tight-fitting flared pants all worked to popularize the silhouette. The safari suit, popularized by Roger Moore as James Bond, was a popular option in the summer: the light-coloured suit was worn belted and had large patch-pockets and came many variations of long- or short-sleeves and trousers or shorts.

Chunky cable knit turtleneck sweaters (often with matching belts or hats) preceded three-piece disco suits circa 1977’s hit flick Saturday Night Fever. As the decade progressed, the dominant menswear silhouette widened as double-breasted suits with wider shoulders and narrower legs and lapels came into fashion.

Right at the end, punk styles, as popularised by the Sex Pistols, emerged. Clothes were slashed and ripped, embellished with safety pins, zips and studs and T-shirts were printed with aggressive anarchistic slogans.

1976 Top Thirteen

Hmmm. At this point I can't decide if the large bias toward the rockier tracks is is more to do with my present-day tastes than 17-year-old me.
But my criteria when ordering the top 13 involves putting myself back in my sixth form shoes and visualising which records I actually bought (or taped from the top 20 run-down on Sunday - come on, we all did it!) and listened to while doing my homework.
Or the ones I danced around the kitchen to while making the evening meal for the family. And of course the ones I danced to in discos.


1) Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Blinded By The Light - 09-1976
2) John Miles - Music - 04-1976
3) Chicago - If You Leave Me Now - 10-1976
4) Abba - Dancing Queen - 09-1976
5) Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back In Town - 07-1976
6) Dolly Parton - Jolene - 06-1976
7) Fleetwood Mac - Rhiannon - 02-1976
8) The Four Seasons - December '63 (Oh What A Night) - 02-1976
9) Elton John & Kiki Dee - Don't Go Breaking My Heart - 07-1976
10) Gladys Knight & The Pips - Midnight Train To Georgia - 06-1976
11) Queen - Somebody To Love - 11-1976
12) The Bee Gees - You Should Be Dancing - 08-1976
13) 10cc - I'm Mandy Fly Me - 04-1976



And the ones I couldn't bear to leave out:
The Shangri-Las - Leader Of The Pack - 07-1976
Leo Sayer - You Make Me Feel Like Dancing - 11-1976
Steve Harley - Here Comes The Sun - 08-1976
The Isley Brothers - Harvest For The World - 08-1976
The Climax Blues Band - Couldn't Get It Right - 11-1976
Bonnie Tyler - Lost In France - 11-1976
Neil Diamond - Beautiful Noise - 11-1976
Candi Staton - Young Hearts Run Free - 06-1976
Sailor - Glass Of Champagne - 01-1976
The Real Thing - You To Me Are Everything - 06-1976
Robin Sarstedt - My Resistance Is Low - 05-1976
Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music - 11-1976
David Dundas - Jeans On - 08-1976
Tina Charles - I Love To Love (But My Baby Loves To Dance) - 02-1976
Andrea True Connection - More, More, More - 05-1976
Yvonne Fair - It Should Have Been Me - 02-1976
The Kursaal Flyers - Little Does She Know - 12-1976
Manuel & His Music Of The Mountains - Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto De Aranjuez - 02-1976
Paul Nicholas - Dancing With The Captain - 11-1976
Sherbet - Howzat - 10-1976

1975 Top Thirteen

Some real big hitters this year, with Queen and 10CC, but the Glam Rockers are defo giving way and the epic Jive Talkin' foreshadows the Bee Gees chart takeover a couple of years down the line.

1) Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody - 11-1975
2) Helen Reddy - Angie Baby - 02-1975
3) 10CC - I'm Not In Love - 06-1975
4) Minnie Riperton - Loving You - 04-1975
5) Slade - How Does it Feel? - 02-1975
6) Billy Swan - I Can Help - 01-1975
7) The Average White Band - Pick Up The Pieces - 03-1975
8) The Bee Gees - Jive Talkin' - 06-1975
9) Gloria Gaynor - Never Can Say Goodbye - 01-1975
10) Supertramp - Dreamer - 03-1975
11) Leo Sayer - Moonlighting - 09-1975
12) The Chi-Lites - Have You Seen Her/Oh Girl - 07-1975
13) Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) - 02-1975


And, as ever, the ones bubbling under - still the odd novelty song creeping up on my blind side.
Ace - How Long? - 03-1975
David Bowie - Space Oddity - 10-1975
The Eagles –Lyin’ Eyes – 06-1975
Pilot - January - 02-1975
Greg Lake - I Believe In Father Christmas - 12-1975
Slade - In For A Penny - 12 -1975
The Four Seasons - Who Loves You? - 10-1975
Hot Chocolate - You Sexy Thing - 11-1975
Andy Fairweather-Low - Wide Eyed And Legless - 12-1975
Roxy Music - Love Is The Drug - 11-1975
David Essex - Hold Me Close - 09-1975
Stevie Wonder - Boogie On Reggae Woman - 02-1975
John Lennon - Imagine - 11-1975
Linda Lewis - It's In His Kiss - 08-1975
The Stylistics - Can't Give You Anything (But My Love) - 08-1975
Shirley & Company - Shame, Shame, Shame - 02-1975
Peter Wingfield - Eighteen With A Bullet - 07-1975
Moments & Whatnauts - Girls - 03-1975
The Bay City Rollers - Bye Bye Baby - 03-1975
Peter Shelley - Love Me Love My Dog - 04-1975
Typically Tropical - Barbados - 07-1975
Abba - S.O.S. - 10-1975
The Bay City Rollers - Give A Little Love - 07-1975
The Blackbyrds - Walking in Rhythm - 03-1975
Susan Cadogan - Hurts So Bad - 05-1975
David Bowie - Golden Years - 12-1975
Susan Cadogan - Hurt So Good - 05-1975
Glen Campbell - Rhinestone Cowboy - 11-1975
Jim Capaldi - Love Hurts - 11-1975
The Carpenters - Only Yesterday - 05-1975
Judy Collins - Send In The Clowns - 05-1975
Billy Connolly - D.I.V.O.R.C.E. - 11-1975
Dana - It's Gonna Be Cold Cold Christmas - 12-1975
Windsor Davies & Don Estelle - Whispering Grass - 05-1975
The Drifters - There Goes My First Love - 09-1975
The Eagles – One of These Nights – 0?-1975
The Eagles – Take it to the Limit – 0?-1975
David Essex - Stardust - 01-1975
Fox - Only You Can - 03-1975
Art Garfunkel - I Only Have Eyes For You - 09-1975
Gloria Gaynor - Reach Out I'll Be There - 04-1975
Jim Gilstrap - Swing Your Daddy - 04-1975
Bobby Goldsboro - Honey - 04-1975
Justin Hayward & John lodge - Blue Guitar - 11-1975
Jigsaw - Sky High - 11-1975
Elton John - Philadelphia Freedom - 04-1975
Judge Dread - Je T'Aime (Moi Non Plus) - 07-1975
KC & The Sunshine Band - That's The Way (I Like It) - 08-1975
Kenny - The Bump - 01-1975
Kenny - Fancy Pants - 03-1975
Jonathan King - Una Paloma Blanca - 10-1975
Mac & Katie Kissoon - Sugar Candy Kisses - 02-1975
Gladys Knight & The Pips - The Way We Were/Try To Remember - 05-1975
Gladys Knight & The Pips - The Best Thing That Ever Happened - 08-1975
Kraftwerk - Autobahn - 06-1975
Love Unlimited - It May Be Winter Outside (But In My Heart It's Spring) - 03-1975
Barry Manilow - Mandy - 03-197
Johnny Mathis - I'm Stone In Love With You - 03-1975
Van McCoy - The Hustle - 06-1975
George McCrae - It's Been So Long - 08-1975
Mud - The Secrets That You Keep - 02-1975
Mud - Oh Boy - 04-1975
Johnny Nash - Tears On My Pillow - 06-1975
Nazareth - My White Bicycle - 07-1975
Maxine Nightingale - Right Back Where We Started from - 11-1975
Donny & Marie Osmond - Morning Side Of The Mountain - 01-1975
The Osmonds - The Proud One - 06-1975
Queen - Now I'm Here - 02-1975
Esther Phillips - What A Diff'rence A Day Makes - 11-1975
Demis Roussos - Happy To Be An Island In The Sun - 12-1975
The Rubettes - I Can Do It - 03-1975
Telly Savalas - If - 03-1975
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Delilah - 08-1975
Showaddywaddy - Three Steps To Heaven - 05-1975
Showaddywaddy - Heartbeat - 09-1975
Smokey - If You Think You Know How To Love Me - 08-1975
Billie Jo Spears - Blanket On The Ground - 08-1975
Chris Spedding - Motor Biking - 09-1975
Status Quo - Roll Over Lay Down - 06-1975
Steeleye Span - All Around My Hat - 12-1975
Ray Stevens - Misty - 07-1975
Rod Stewart - Sailing - 08-1975
Rod Stewart - This Old Heart Of Mine - 11-1975
The Stylistics - Star On A TV Show - 02-1975
The Stylistics - Sing Baby Sing - 05-1975
Sweet - Fox On The Run - 04-1975
10cc - Life Is A Minestrone - 04-1975
10cc – Art for Art’s Sake – 11-1975
The Three Degrees - Take Good Care Of Yourself - 05-1975
The Trammps - Hold Back The Night - 11-1975
The Tymes - Ms Grace - 01-1975
Frankie Valli - My Eyes Adored You - 03-1975
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - The Night - 05-1975
Wings -Listen To What The Man Said - 06-1975
Tammy Wynette - Stand By Your Man - 05-1975
Tammy Wynette - D.I.V.O.R.C.E. - 07-1975

1974 Top Thirteen

Finally, at fourteen, I was allowed to go to the Friday night disco in my friend's village hall and it felt so-oo glamorous and exciting. Proper grown up with all the older kids, including my first proper boyfriend.
Glam Rock was still around, but for me this was when the soul stuff I loved started turning into disco with Disco Tex, KC and the Sunshine Band and George McCrae's unforgettable Rock Your Baby.
Somewhere in between we had the likes of Cockney Rebel, The Rubettes and Mud. C'mon, own up to putting those thumbs in your belt hooks to do the classic box-step to Tiger Feet.

1) Bachman-Turner Overdrive - You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet -12-1974
2) The Hollies - The Air That I Breathe - 03-1974
3) George McCrae - Rock Your Baby - 07-1974
4) R. Dean Taylor - There's A Ghost In My House - 06-1974
5) Slade - Everyday - 04-1974
6) Paul McCartney & Wings - Band On The Run - 07-1974
7) David Bowie - Rebel Rebel - 02-1974
8) Queen - Seven Seas Of Rhye - 04-1974
9) Golden Earring - Radar Love - 01-1974
10) Ringo Starr - You're Sixteen - 03-1974
11) The Stylistics - You Make Me Feel Brand New - 08-1974
12) The Chi-Lites - Homely Girl - 04-1974
13) Terry Jacks - Seasons In The Sun - 03-1974

So much good music, I could have added at least half a dozen more.
Doobie Brothers – Listen to the Music – 03-74
Kiki Dee – I Got the Music in Me – 09-74
Paul McCartney & Wings - Jet - 03-1974
Mud - Tiger Feet - 01-1974
The Hues Corporation - Rock The Boat - 05-1974
Cozy Powell - Dance With The Devil - 01-1974
Johnny Bristol - Hang On In There Baby - 09-1974
Eric Clapton - I Shot The Sheriff - 08-1974
Cockney Rebel - Judy Teen - 06-1974
Lynsey De Paul - No Honestly - 11-1974
Lulu - The Man Who Sold The World - 02-1974
Disco Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes - Get Dancing - 12-1974
The Drifters - Kissin' In The Back Row Of The Movies - 07-1974
Bryan Ferry - The In Crowd - 06-1974
Hot Chocolate - Emma - 03-1974
KC & The Sunshine Band - Queen Of Clubs - 09-1974
Andy Kim - Rock Me Gently - 09-1974
Robert Knight - Love On A Mountain Top - 01-1974
Mud - The Cat Crept In - 04-1974
Alan Price - Jarrow Song - 06-1974
Suzi Quatro - Devil Gate Drive - 02-1974
Charlie Rich - The Most Beautiful Girl - 04-1974
The Rubettes - Juke Box Jive - 11-1974
Santana – Samba Pa Ti - 09-1974
Leo Sayer - One Man Band - 06-1974
Elton John - Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds - 12-1974
Gary Shearston - I Get A Kick Out Of You - 10-1974
The Sparks - This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us - 05-1974
Jim Stafford - Spiders & Snakes - 05-1974
The Sweet - Teenage Rampage - 01-1974
The Three Degrees - When Will I See You Again - 07-1974
Stevie Wonder - He's Misstra Know It All - 05-1974
Elton John - Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - ??-1974
Barry White - You're The First, The Last, My Everything - 11-1974

1970s Women’s Fashions

In researching this, I came across an article suggesting the 70s was “one of the most stylish decades of all time.” Make of that what you will. It certainly had a massive variety, taking us from the 60s extremes of chic mini-skirts and long hippy beads and dreds, all the way through to the anti-fashions of grungy punk in 1979.

The early 70 saw lots of bare midriffs as frilly crop-tops accompanied tight denim, leather or matching fabric trousers, all suitably flared from either the knees or thighs. I had a pair of pale purple, brushed-denim flares with big brown buttons all the way from knee to floor, and I remember wearing them until they fell apart and mum chucked them out. Bell bottoms or Oxford bags, trouser legs used a lot of material. In contrast, women’s tops became skimpier as tight-fitting halter-necks and boob-tubes became all the rage, firstly in discos, then in general wear.

By the middle of the decade, the mini-skirts and hot pants gave way to midi- and maxi-dresses, kaftans with lots of ruching, ruffles and Laura Ashley prints. We had every conceivable type of jumpsuit from crazy, open-fronted crochet to cool cotton for the beach, and the one I remember was short-sleeved, zip-fronted in functional denim-look polyester, but it was a nightmare trying to pee if the pub had an outside loo!
More women had office-based careers, and wrap dresses offered a professional appearance in the office, which could then be dressed up for an evening on the town immediately after work. Trousers became increasingly acceptable for both formal and work wear for women, and trouser suits became less form-fitting and feminine. Blouses went for a more masculine styling, adopting the long, sharp-pointed collars, mostly in plain colours. Brown was the stand-out colour of the decade, teamed with yellow, orange and/or turquoise. What were we thinking?

The late 70s saw Glam Rock/Disco overtaken by Punk Rock and the OTT spangles and sequins turned to torn denim and lace held together with safety pins. Black leather trousers/skirt formed the basis of many outfits, often teamed with leopard print or tartan.

I haven't mentioned hair and makup, as that's coming in a later article, as are men's fashions. If you have a particular 70's clothing memory, please share in a comment below.