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The very first UK chart - a list of the ten best-selling gramophone records
of the moment - was published in 1952, and dated for the week ending 14th
November. A quarter of a century later, the Top 40 (as it had long since evolved
into) had become an integral piece of British culture. One of the most
successful acts during those first 25 years were the Scandanavian pop maestros
ABBA. 1974's Waterloo got them off and running with a debut #1, and then after a
handful of misfires the big hits really started rolling in almost without a
pause. Latest smash, The Name Of The Game had risen with typical haste to the
very summit, and now on its second week the track held the honour of being at
#1 for the UK Chart's silver anniversary.
Former #1, Yes Sir I Can Boogie by European disco-lettes Baccara held on to
the #2 spot and Rod Stewart's You're In My Heart remained at its peak of #3,
but Status Quo and The Tom Robinson Band were both moving upwards; Quo's
version of the John Fogerty song Rockin' All Over The World inched up from #5 to
#4, while 2-4-6-8 Motorway made inroads into the Top 5 by moving up from #8.
The single which would make the biggest advance 7 days later, however, was
stuck at #6. Queen's We Are The Champions, featuring the unofficial double A-side
We Will Rock You, went on to hit #2.
Santana: The Ultimate Collection
The award for longest title for any charting UK hit between 1952 and 1977
went to Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft (The Recognised Anthem Of
World Contact Day), the quirky #9 single from The Carpenters. They enjoyed
several Top 10 hits during the 1970s as well as huge success on the album charts,
but Calling Occupants.. would be their last significant entry on the Top 40,
the duo's career tragically cut short when Karen Carpenter died in 1983.
A pair of oldies straddled the Top 10: Smokie's cover of 60s classic Needles
& Pins was up to #10, just keeping out a re-issue of Virginia Plain by Roxy
Music which originally made #4 in 1972 but had to settle for #11 second time
around. Santana, meanwhile, were up from #25 to #18 with a version of the
1964 Zombies hit She's Not There.
Two of the decade's most consistent hitmakers, David Bowie and Electric
Light Orchestra, weren't having the best of times; Bowie's majestic Heroes
strangely failed to go beyond #24, and was already falling to #25. Turn To Stone,
taking over the #24 slot, eventually became a modest Top 20 hit for ELO. New
releases by The Jacksons (Goin' Places) and Slade (My Baby Left Me)
similarly fell a long way short of earlier glories; the former went nowhere but #26,
while the latter's debut position of #32 was also its highest.
Kenny Everett: The Complete Naughty Bits!
The Bee Gees, though, were about to hit unprecendented heights courtesy of
their work on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. How Deep Is Your Love made a
subdued entry at #36, but just two weeks later was as high as #12 and on
course for the Top 3. 1978 and 1979 would see an incredible run of Gibb-penned
hits, both for themselves and for other acts, not only in the UK but
especially in America.
Other future Top 10 hits included Darts' Daddy Cool (moving #37-#21),
Belfast by Boney M (up 12 to #22), Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers' Egyptian
Reggae (new at #31) and Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue by Crystal Gayle (in
at #35 and finally a Top 5 hit some 9 weeks later in January 1978). Elvis
Costello & The Attractions' Watching The Detectives - holding at #33 having
debuted there the week before - would also prove to be a slow-burner, ultimately
reaching #15 on its 10th chart appearance.
Any comment on the Top 40 of November 12th 1977 wouldn't be complete without
mentioning the single entering at #39: Captain Kremmen, by Kenny Everett and
Mike Vickers. Everett fared better in 1982 with Snot Rap, the #9 peak of
that single comprehensively beating the eventual #32 high of Captain Kremmen.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
