Number Ones
The 1970s
1975-1979

 

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1960
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1975
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Week Ending ACT + Links TITLE Weeks TALLY COMMENT
18 Jan 1975 Status Quo Down Down 1 Only No 1 This famous band of head bangers had 22 Top 10s out of 52 hits between 1968 and 1996, but only this No 1.
25 Jan 1975 Tymes Ms Grace 1 Only No 1 US group that first charted in 1963.  They had only two other hits before this No 1.
1 Feb 1975 Pilot January 3 Only No 1 British group whose two follow-ups failed even make the Top 30.
22 Feb 1975 Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) 2 Only No 1 They had two Top 10s before this. Harley went solo in 1976 but never made the big time.
8 Mar 1975 Telly Savalas If 2 Only No 1 Actor who starred in the tv cop show "Kojak".  He spoke his way through this song by David Gates from Bread.  
22 Mar 1975 Bay City Rollers Bye Bye Baby 6 1st No 1 Scottish band that dressed in tartan and built up a fanatical teen following.  Best-selling single of 1975.
3 May 1975 Mud Oh Boy 2 3rd & last No 1 Buddy Holly hit from 1958.  They had a further 4 Top 10 hits by the end of 1976.
17 May 1975 Tammy Wynette Stand By Your Man 3 Only No 1 Legendary US country music singer for whom this song became a trade mark.
7 Jun 1975 Windsor Davies & Don Estelle Whispering Grass 3 Only No 1 Spin-off from the BBC sitcom "It Ain't Half Hot Mum".   This pair were the stars.
28 Jun 1975 10 CC I'm Not In Love 2 2nd No 1 Classic love song and radio play list favourite.  They were major stars of the 1970s.
12 Jul 1975 Johnny Nash Tears On My Pillow 1 Only No 1 Texan who specialised in soft reggae arrangements, and had much success in the UK.
19 Jul 1975 Bay City Rollers Give A Little Love 3 2nd & last No 1 "Rollermania" had been coined by this time, but by mid-77, it was all over.
9 Aug 1975 Typically Tropical Barbados 1 Only No 1 Two recording engineers created this reggae dance hit, but became One-hit Wonders.  The song, with new words and title made No 1 again in 1999.
16 Aug 1975 Stylistics Can't Give You Anything (But My Love) 3 Only No 1 Philadelphian satin soul group who charmed the UK with a succession of smooth ballads.
6 Sep 1975 Rod Stewart Sailing 4 3rd No 1 One of his classic anthems, which returned to No 3 the following year, after use in a tv documentary series.
4 Oct 1975 David Essex Hold Me Close 3 2nd & last No 1 He was at the height of his popularity at this time.  In the 1980s he concentrated on stage musicals.
25 Oct 1975 Art Garfunkel I Only Have Eyes For You 2 1st No 1 Having separated from Paul Simon, he recorded mostly MOR standards.
8 Nov 1975 David Bowie Space Oddity 2 1st No 1 He made No 5 with this in 1969.  Rick Wakeman provides synthesiser backing.
22 Nov 1975 Billy Connolly D.I.V.O.R.C.E. 1 Only No 1 Scottish comedian who made this parody of a Tammy Wynette hit.
29 Nov 1975
Xmas No 1
Queen Bohemian Rhapsody 9 1st No 1 All-time classic which was accompanied by a video, and was the first No 1 to benefit from tv exposure.  In 1991, the record was back at No 1.
31 Jan 1976 Abba Mamma Mia 2 2nd No 1 Two years after their first No 1 they were back, and their careers took off.
14 Feb 1976 Slik Forever And Ever 1 Only No 1 Scots band led by Midge Ure.  He went on to groups Visage and Ultravox, but his next No 1 was solo in 1985.
21 Feb 1976 Four Seasons December '63 2 Only No 1 Major 60s act, with falsetto vocalist, Frankie Valli,  who made a strong return in the 70s with the band and solo.
6 Mar 1976 Tina Charles I Love To Love 3 Only No 1 She once recorded budget cover versions and was in band 5000 Volts.   Solo, she had two other Top 10 hits.
27 Mar 1976 Brotherhood Of Man Save Your Kisses For Me 6 1st No 1 UK Eurovision winner, which shot them to stardom for a couple of years.  Best-selling single of 1976.
8 May 1976 Abba Fernando 4 3rd No 1 The momentum was now picking up - Abbamania began.
5 Jun 1976 J J Barrie No Charge 1 Only No 1 Slushy, sentimentality from the Canadian.  Female vocals are by Vicky Brown, late wife of 60s' rocker Joe Brown.
12 Jun 1976 Wurzels Combine Harvester (Brand New Key) 2 Only No 1 Cider-drinking folkies from the West Country with a reworking of Melanie's hit.
26 Jun 1976 Real Thing You To Me Are Everything 3 Only No 1 TV talent show winners from Liverpool who enjoyed hits for the rest of the decade.
17 Jul 1976 Demis Roussos The Roussos Phenomenon EP (main track: Forever And Ever) 1 Only No 1 Overweight Greek star, prone to wearing kaftans.  Most of his success came from live performances.
24 Jul 1976 Elton John & Kiki Dee Don't Go Breaking My Heart 6 1st No 1 for Elton, Only No 1 for Kiki The British legend had  scored five No 1s in the US before this one.  His next UK No 1 was 14 years away.
4 Sep 1976 Abba Dancing Queen 6 4th No 1 This classic dance track was their only US No 1.  Still heard on radio in to the 2000s.
11 Oct 1976 Pussycat Mississippi 4 Only No 1 First Dutch act to make the UK top spot.  Success was short lived.
13 Nov 1976 Chicago If You Leave Me Now 3 Only No 1 They started as rockers in late 60s, but settled into AOR and became the darlings of American FM radio.
4 Dec 1976 Showaddywaddy Under The Moon Of Love 3 Only No 1 Rock 'n' roll revival group from Leicester who had nine Top 10 hits with remakes.
25 Dec 1976
Xmas No 1
Johnny Mathis When A Child Is Born 3 Only No 1 American MOR star who first charted in 1958, and was 41 by the time he got to No 1 with this Christmas classic.
15 Jan 1977 David Soul Don't Give Up On Us 4 1st No 1 One half of top tv cop show "Starsky & Hutch" (he was blonde Hutch) who was a singer before he became an actor. Written by Tony Macaulay. Top seller of 1977.
12 Feb 1977
400th No 1
Julie Covington Don't Cry For Me Argentina 1 Only No 1 From the Tim Rice & Andrew Lloyd-Webber musical "Evita".  Julie was in tv series "Rock Follies", but did not take a role in the "Evita" stage production.
19 Feb 1977 Leo Sayer When I Need You 3 Only No 1 Discovered and managed by Adam Faith, Leo had 10 Top 10 hits over nearly 10 years. Written by Albert Hammond & Carole Bayer Sager.
12 Mar 1977 Manhattan Transfer Chanson D'Amour 3 Only No 1 MOR mixed harmony group who worked in New York gay bars, singing 40s and 50s swing classics.
2 Apr 1977 Abba Knowing You Knowing Me 5 5th No 1 Their previous release had stalled at No 3, but they returned for another run of chart toppers.
7 May 1977 Deniece Williams Free 2 Only No 1 She was in in Stevie Wonder's backing group in the early 70s, and gained a few solo hits until 1984.
21 May 1977 Rod Stewart I Don't Want To Talk About It / First Cut Is The Deepest 4 4th No 1 He was now enjoying super star status with world-wide popularity.
18 Jun 1977 Kenny Rogers Lucille 1 1st No 1 Country music singer with US hits in the late 60s.  This hit gave him stardom in the UK.
25 Jun 1977 Jacksons Show You The Way To Go 1 Only No 1 Four members of the Jackson Five, including Michael.  They had several disco hits 77-81.
2 Jul 1977 Hot Chocolate So You Win Again 3 Only No 1 Led by Errol Brown, they had 30 hits from 1970 to 1984.   Remixed hits charted into the 1990s.
23 Jul 1977 Donna Summer I Feel Love 4 Only No 1 US disco diva produced by Giorgio Moroder.  She had scored 40 hits by 1999.
20 Aug 1977 Brotherhood Of Man Angelo 1 2nd No 1 Two girls and two men who were tackling Abba head-on, but were destined to lose.
27 Aug 1977 Floaters Float On 1 Only No 1 Soul/funk act from Detroit, formed in 1964. Top US soul hit of 1977. One-hit Wonders.
3 Sep 1977 Elvis Presley Way Down 5 17th No 1 Released just before the King died on 16/8/77, it shot to No 1 as a result.  It put him equal with the Beatles, each amassing 17 No 1 hits.
8 Oct 1977 David Soul Silver Lady 3 2nd & last No 1 He had 5 hits which all made the Top 12.  After that his successes were back in acting.
29 Oct 1977 Baccara Yes Sir I Can Boogie 1 Only No 1 First Spanish act to reach the UK No 1, and first female duo to do so.  One more hit and they were gone.
5 Nov 1977 Abba The Name Of The Game 4 6th No 1 The Abba success wagon was at full speed now, with a film in the can and a world tour having taken place.
3 Dec 1977
Xmas No 1
Wings Mull Of Kintyre 9 Only No 1 (1st for Paul McCartney) Paul's first No 1 since he was a Beatle in 1969.  Before his next he had disbanded Wings.
4 Feb 1978 Althia & Donna Up Town top Ranking 1 Only No 1 Two Jamaican teenagers who put some Carribean slang to existing music.  One-hit Wonders.
11 Feb 1978 Brotherhood Of Man Figaro 1 3rd & last No 1 The formula worked again, but after this the hits faded away and they turned to the cabaret circuit.
18 Feb 1978 Abba Take A Chance On Me 3 7th No 1 Still riding high, they completed a second hat trick of chart toppers.
11 Mar 1978 Kate Bush Wuthering Heights 4 Only No 1 Somewhat freaky, this talented singer/songwriter enjoyed 10 years of stardom, but only one No 1.
8 Apr 1978 Brian & Michael Matchstalk Men And Matchstalk Cats And Dogs 3 Only No 1 Celebrating the work of northern painter, L S Lowry, the backing vocals are by the St Winifred's School Choir, who had a No 1 in 1980.
29 Apr 1978 Bee Gees Night Fever 2 3rd No 1 They wrote the soundtrack to "Saturday Night Fever", and relaunched their careers as kings of disco.
13 May 1978 Boney M Rivers Of Babylon 5 1st No 1 Carribean act, recorded in Germany, who were major stars in the late 70s.  Best selling single of  1978.
17 Jun 1978 John Travolta & Olivia Newton John You're The One That I Want 9 1st No 1 From the soundtrack of "Grease", the film and music from it dominated the second half of 1978.
19 Aug 1978 Commodores Three Times A Lady 5 Only No 1 Led by Lionel Richie who wrote the song, they had considerable success until Richie went solo in 1982.
23 Sep 1978 10 CC Dreadlock Holiday 1 3rd & last No 1 By this time Godley and Creme had left the group, and the hits quickly dried up.
30 Sep 1978 John Travolta & Olivia Newton John Summer Nights 7 2nd No 1 for Olivia; 2nd & last No 1 for Travolta. Another classic track from the film "Grease".  The album was second best selling of 1978, beaten by "Saturday Night Fever".
18 Nov 1978 Boomtown Rats Rat Trap 2 1st No 1 Irish new wave outfit led by the now-legendary Sir Bob Geldorf.
2 Dec 1978 Rod Stewart Da Ya Think I'm Sexy 1 5th No 1 He jumped on the disco bandwagon for this hit.  It was remixed in 1997 by N-Trance, reaching No 7.
9 Dec 1978
Xmas No 1
Boney M Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord 4 2nd & last No 1 Remake of a 1957 No 1.  They had two more Top 10s, but faded in the early 80s.
6 Jan 1979 Village People Y.M.C.A. 3 Only No 1 Classic disco hit from New Yorkers who started out in the Big Apple's gay bars.
27 Jan 1979 Ian Dury & The Blockheads Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick 1 Only No 1 They were a popular part of the new wave scene, but this is more of a novelty item.
3 Feb 1979 Blondie Heart Of Glass 4 1st No 1 Led by the charismatic Debbie Harry, they found considerable success between 1978 and 1982.
3 Mar 1979 Bee Gees Tragedy 2 4th No 1 By then a major disco act, this was from their No 1 album, "Spirits Having Flown".
17 Mar 1979 Gloria Gaynor I Will Survive 4 Only No 1 Established US disco diva who finally got to No 1 with a song that became the karaoki No 1 in the 1990s.
14 Apr 1979 Art Garfunkel Bright Eyes 6 2nd & last No 1 From the cartoon film "Watership Down".  Written by Wombles voice Mike Batt.
26 May 1979 Blondie Sunday Girl 3 2nd No 1 Originally regarded as new wave, their material was now finding a broader audience.
16 Jun 1979 Anita Ward Ring My Bell 2 Only No 1 She was a gospel singer in Memphis, but ended up recording disco tracks.  One-hit Wonder.
30 Jun 1979 Tubeway Army (Gary Numan) Are 'Friends' Electric 4 1st No 1 Numan provided vocals, guitar and synthesiser for this locally recorded hit.
28 Jul 1979 Boomtown Rats I Don't Like Mondays 4 2nd & last No 1 Geldorf was later famous for his Live Aid fund raising event. He went into TV production in the 1990s.
25 Aug 1979 Cliff Richard We Don't Talk Anymore 4 10th No 1 After a lean time through most of the 70s, this first No 1 for 11 years started run of Top 10 hits throughout the 80s.
22 Sep 1979 Gary Numan Cars 1 2nd & last No 1 After a string of hits through the 80s, he turned to flying, and now concentrates on his active web site.
29 Sep 1979 Police Message In A Bottle 3 1st No 1 Led by Sting, who wrote the songs, they were to become one of the major bands of the 1980s.
20 Oct 1979 Buggles Video killed The Radio Star 1 Only No 1 A studio band featuring producer Trevor Horn.  Famously, it was the first ever item played on MTV.
27 Oct 1979 Lena Martell One Day At A Time 3 Only No 1 British MOR album artist who had this unexpected hit.  One-hit Wonder.
17 Nov 1979 Dr Hook When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman 3 Only No 1 US country-rock act formed in 1969.  They found favour in the UK with a series of melodic love songs.
8 Dec 1979 Police Walking On The moon 1 2nd No 1 Like their first No 1, this came from their album "Reggatta De Blanc".
15 Dec 1979
Xmas No 1
Pink Floyd Another Brick In The Wall 5 Only No 1 They had charted in 1967, but in the 70s concentrated on albums, their most famous being "The Dark Side Of The Moon".  They returned to live concerts in the 1990s.

NOTES:

  • "One-hit Wonders" are acts that achieved just one number one, and had no other hits at all.
  • The dates and total weeks at No 1 shown may not always appear to line up.  This is because some number ones fell from the top and returned a week or so later.  The "weeks" shows the total of all periods at number one.
  • No link to your favourite artist's web site?  Please e-mail me with details of your recommended sites.

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