Don’s Top 10 From May 5, 1977

(#15 last week) Jennifer had three big hits in her career, all five years apart, but is much better known for the second & third, both #1 duets, with Joe Cocker & Bill Medley. Written by Peter McCann, who would have his own hit as an artist in just a few weeks ("Do You Wanna Make Love").

(#4 last week) This is one insanely catchy song! But not a surprise. The members of 10cc have a long, complicated history in pop music. Leader Graham Gouldman was a hugely successful songwriter first, penning hits like "For Your Love" (The Yardbirds) & "Bus Stop" (The Hollies). An early version of 10cc without Gouldman called Hotlegs scored a big international hit with "Neanderthal Man" in 1971. Two years earlier, while on vacation (!), they cut a GREAT tune called "Sausalito" that somehow was released under the name Ohio Express (who had previously hit with "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy" & Chewy Chewy") & was a minor hit. Eric Stewart was lead singer on the Mindbenders 1966 classic "A Groovy Kind Of Love". All this is just scratching the surface. Two other members, Godley & Creme, left after "I'm Not In Love" in 1975. They had a hit as a duo with "Cry" in 1985.

(#1 last week) Turns out, this song was about a rich BOY (his then-girlfriend Sara's ex-boyfriend), but Daryl Hall changed it to girl so as not to offend her. This was the second single from the album "Bigger Than Both Of Us"; everyone with the duo thought the biggest hit would be the first single, "Do What You Want, Be What You Are", but it bombed out at #39.

(#6 last week) Cole released her first platinum record with her third release, Unpredictable, mainly thanks to this number-one R&B hit.

(#9 last week) What was in the water in 1977 that TWO songs about one person & two lovers would become hits within weeks of each other? First Mary MacGregor, then this soul smash from R&B veteran Bell.

(#11 last week) Atlanta Rhythm Section was formed from two other bands, the Candymen (Roy Orbison's backup group in the 60s) & the Classics IV ("Spooky"). In 1978, they made it all the way to the White House, becoming one of the first rock groups to perform there.

(#2 last week) The Eagles describe this as their "interpretation of the high life" in Los Angeles. The single won the Grammy for Record Of The Year & was a certified million-seller. Interestingly, not all the critics loved it immediately. Rolling Stone's knocked it in a cover article on the band in 1977. Much later, the magazine named this the 49th greatest song of all time.

(#7 last week) Much bigger hit locally than nationally, where this didn't even make the top 10 (#22 peak). If #13 was about a series of real musicians, #3 was about a series of fictional detectives. Very reminiscent lyrically of the 1957 hit "Searchin" by the Coasters.

(#5 last week) Another chart veteran still pumping out the hits. Glen goes as far back as the Champs, the group that did "Tequila" (he joined them after). As a member of the legendary "Wrecking Crew" (or, "The Clique"), Glen played on countless hits other than his own.

(#8 last week; 1st week at #1) Written by the team of Albert Hammond & Carole Bayer Sager, some have said this was "borrowed" from a Leonard Cohen song, "Famous Blue Raincoat". Sayer & the songwriters were sued & settled out of court.