#1 at KRIZ: “Island Girl” by Elton John, from the #1 album, Rock Of The Westies. The Eagles have two hits on this week’s chart: “Lyin’ Eyes” climbs to #2 as “One Of These Nights,” a former #1, descends to… Continue reading
#1 at KRIZ/Phoenix: “Old Fashioned Love Song” by Three Dog Night, leaping up from #8 last week. Before joining Three Dog Night, Cory Wells, who sings harmony on this hit, was based in Phoenix performing with his Cory Wells Blues… Continue reading
#1 at KUPD/Phoenix: “I Honestly Love You,” a heartfelt cheater’s declaration by Olivia Newton-John, her first national U.S. #1 hit. In this stage of its existence, “Kozmic Kupid” veered heavily into teeny-bopper territory, but still played some rockin’ hits, such… Continue reading
#1 at KRIZ/Phoenix: “Sugar Sugar” by the Archies, the biggest “bubblegum” hit of all time and the most successful song ever by a cartoon group. The Archies were actually studio musicians fronted by singer Ron Dante, who filled a similar… Continue reading
#1 at KRIZ/Phoenix: “Sweet Hitch-Hiker” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, the 19th in their incredible string of 20 Top 40 radio hits before breaking up. It all began just three years earlier with “Suzi Q.” The band saturated the airwaves because… Continue reading
#1 at KZZP/Phoenix: “The Breakup Song” by San Francisco’s Greg Kihn Band. They don’t write ’em like that anymore! The Moody Blues’ 1980s comeback began with “Gemini Dream” (#5), which sounds more like the Electric Light Orchestra than classic Moodys.… Continue reading
#1 at KRUX/Phoenix: “Ballad of the Green Berets” by Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler, whose parents were born in Phoenix. He grew up in various places throughout the Southwest — including Arizona — and lived in Tucson during the 1970s. Although this Vietnam… Continue reading
#1 at KZZP/Phoenix: “Keep On Loving You” by R.E.O. Speedwagon, their most enduring hit on oldies radio. It knocks out “Hey Nineteen,” Steely Dan’s lament on growing old, which name-checks Aretha Franklin, as well as the 1967 one-hit-wonder group the… Continue reading
#1 song of the year at KRIZ/Phoenix: “Let It Be” by the Beatles. The Fab Four were followed by Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “Close To You” by the Carpenters. These were the top three songs of… Continue reading
#1 at KUPD/Phoenix: “Rock On” by David Essex, a very cool record that still sounds cool today. It appeared on the soundtrack to a film from earlier in the year titled That’ll Be The Day, which also starred Essex as… Continue reading
