Footloose "Fake I.D." Music Video Official [HD] - Big & Rich ft. Gretche...for Footloose

Hey, I've been driving all over the town
On my cellphone wearin' it out
And I finally tracked you down

Hey, everybody says you're the man
The final piece to my master plan
You got my world in the palm of your hand

Well I know that you got it
Come on and just sell it
Got the cash up in my pocket
You know I gotta get it

Hey mister won't you sell me a fake ID
There's a band in the bar that I'm dying to see
I got my money and you got what I need
Hey mister won't you sell me a fake ID

Hey, don't even think about tellin' me no
It's only twenty minutes 'till the show
Hey mister turn it over let's go

No, I ain't gonna need a receipt
Just make sure that it looks like me
So the bouncer don't call the police

And don't tell my daddy
Stole the keys to his caddy
Don't dilly…

Footloose (1984 film)

Footloose is a 1984 American musical drama film directed by Herbert Ross. It tells the story of Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon), an upbeat Chicago teen who moves to a small town in which, as a result of the efforts of a local minister (John Lithgow), dancing and rock music have been banned.

The film is loosely based on actual events that took place in the small, rural, and religious community of Elmore City, Oklahoma.

Plot

Ren McCormack, a teenager raised in Chicago, moves with his mother to the small town of Bomont to live with his aunt and uncle. Soon after arriving, Ren befriends Willard Hewitt, and from him learns the city council has banned dancing and rock music. He soon begins to fall for a rebellious teenage girl named Ariel, who has an abusive boyfriend, Chuck Cranston, and a strict father, Shaw Moore, who is a reverend of the local church.

After trading insults with Chuck, Ren is challenged to a game of chicken involving tractors. Ren wins when his shoelace becomes stuck and prevents him from jumping from the tractor. Reverend Moore distrusts Ren, and he grounds Ariel, forbidding her to see him. Ren and his classmates want to do away with the no-dancing law and have a senior prom. He drives Ariel, Willard, and Ariel's best friend, Rusty, to a country bar about 100 miles away from Bomont to experience the joy and freedom of dancing, but once there, Willard is unable to dance and gets into a jealous fight with a man who dances with Rusty. Later, Ren teaches Willard to dance.

Ren decides to challenge the anti-dancing ordinance so that the senior class can hold a senior prom. He goes before the city council and reads several Bible verses to cite scriptural support for the worth of dancing to rejoice, exercise, or celebrate. Although Reverend Moore is moved, the council votes against Ren's proposal. Vi, Moore's wife, is supportive of the movement and explains to Moore that he cannot be everyone's father and that he is hardly being a father to Ariel. She also says that dancing and music are not the problem. Moore feels betrayed that even his wife does not believe in him even though she assures him that she always did, telling him, "Shaw, it's 20 years now I've been a minister's wife. And I've been quiet, supportive, unobtrusive; and after 20 years I still think you're a wonderful, wonderful preacher. You can lift a congregation up so high they have to look down to see Heaven. But it's the one-to-one where you need a little work."

Despite further discussion with Ren about his own family losses in comparison to Moore's losses and Ariel's opening up about her own sinful past, even going so far as to admit that she has had sexual relations, Moore cannot bring himself to change his stance. His son Bobby was killed in a car crash while returning from a night of dancing, resulting in Moore's arranging to ban music and dancing in the community. However, he has a change of heart after seeing some of the townsfolk burning books that they think are dangerous to the youth. Realizing the situation has gotten out of hand, Moore stops the book-burning, rebukes the people, and sends them home.

The following Sunday, Moore asks his congregation to pray for the high school students putting on the prom, which is set up at a grain mill just outside the Bomont town limits. Shaw and Vi listen outside, dancing for the first time in years. Chuck and his friends arrive and start a fight with Willard, who with Ren knocks them out. Ren, Ariel, Willard, and Rusty rejoin the party and happily dance the night away.

Cast

Kevin Bacon as Ren

Lori Singer as Ariel

John Lithgow as Rev. Shaw Moore

Dianne Wiest as Vi Moore

Chris Penn as Willard

Sarah Jessica Parker as Rusty

John Laughlin as Woody

Elizabeth Gorcey as Wendy Jo

Frances Lee McCain as Ethel McCormack

Jim Youngs as Chuck Cranston

Timothy Scott as Andy Beamis

Production

Dean Pitchford wrote the screenplay (and most of the lyrics) for Footloose, Herbert Ross directed the movie, and Paramount Pictures co-produced and distributed it.

Michael Cimino was hired by Paramount to direct the film when negotiations with Ross initially stalled. After four months working on the film, the studio fired Cimino, who was making extravagant demands for the production, including demanding an additional $250,000 for his work, and ended up rehiring Ross.

Casting

Tom Cruise and Rob Lowe were both slated to play the lead. The casting directors were impressed with Cruise because of the famous underwear dance sequence in Risky Business, but he was unavailable for the part because he was filming All the Right Moves. Lowe auditioned three times and had dancing ability and the "neutral teen" look that the director wanted, but injury prevented him from taking the part.[4] Bacon had been offered the main role for the Stephen King movie Christine at the same time that he was asked to do the screen test for Footloose. He chose to take the gamble on the screen test. After watching his earlier movie Diner, the director convinced the producers to go with Bacon.

The film also starred Lori Singer as Reverend Moore's independent daughter Ariel, a role for which Madonna also auditioned. Daryl Hannah turned down the offer to play Ariel in order to play Madison in Splash. Elizabeth McGovern turned down the role to play Deborah Gelly in Once Upon a Time in America. Melanie Griffith, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Rosanna Arquette, Meg Tilly, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Heather Locklear, Meg Ryan, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jodie Foster, Phoebe Cates, Tatum O'Neal, Bridget Fonda, Lori Loughlin, Diane Lane and Brooke Shields were all considered for the role of Ariel. Dianne Wiest appeared as Vi, the Reverend's devoted yet conflicted wife.

The film featured an early film appearance by Sarah Jessica Parker as Ariel's friend Rusty, for which she received a Best Young Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Musical, Comedy, Adventure or Drama nomination at the Sixth Annual Youth in Film Awards. It was also an early role for Chris Penn as Willard Hewitt, who is taught how to dance by his friend Ren.

Filming

The film was shot at various locations in Utah County, Utah. The high school and tractor scenes were filmed in and around Payson and Payson High School. The church scenes were filmed in American Fork and the steel mill was the Geneva Steel mill in Vineyard. The drive-in scenes were filmed in Provo at what was then the "High Spot" restaurant. The restaurant closed in the late 1980s and there is now an auto parts store located at 200 N 500 W. The final sequence was filmed in Lehi with the Lehi Roller Mills featured in the final sequence.

For his dance scene in the warehouse, Bacon said he had four stunt doubles: "I had a stunt double, a dance double [Peter Tramm] and two gymnastics doubles."

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was released in cassette, 8-track tape, vinyl, and CD format. The soundtrack was also re-released on CD for the 15th anniversary of the film in 1999. The re-release included four new songs: "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)" by Quiet Riot, "Hurts So Good" by John Mellencamp, "Waiting for a Girl Like You" by Foreigner, and the extended 12" remix of "Dancing in the Sheets".

The album includes "Footloose" and "I'm Free", both by Kenny Loggins, "Holding Out for a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler, "Girl Gets Around" by Sammy Hagar, "Never" by Australian rock band Moving Pictures, "Let's Hear It for the Boy" by Deniece Williams, "Somebody's Eyes" by Karla Bonoff, and "Dancing In The Sheets" by Shalamar, and the love theme, "Almost Paradise" by Mike Reno from Loverboy and Ann Wilson of Heart. Some of the songs were composed by Eric Carmen and Jim Steinman and the soundtrack went on to sell over 9 million copies in the USA.

The first two tracks both hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and received 1985 Academy Award nominations for Best Music (Original Song). "Footloose" also received a 1985 Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Original Song – Motion Picture.

The late film composer Miles Goodman has been credited for adapting and orchestrating the film's score.

Reception

Critical response

The film received mixed reviews from critics. Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert called it "a seriously confused movie that tries to do three things, and does all of them badly. It wants to tell the story of a conflict in a town, it wants to introduce some flashy teenage characters, and part of the time it wants to be a music video." Dave Denby in New York rechristened the film "Schlockdance", writing: "Footloose may be a hit, but it's trash - high powered fodder for the teen market... The only person to come out of the film better off is the smooth-cheeked, pug-nosed Bacon, who gives a cocky but likeable Mr. Cool performance."

Jane Lamacraft reassessed the film for Sight and Sound's "Forgotten pleasures of the multiplex" feature in 2010, writing "Nearly three decades on, Bacon's vest-clad set-piece dance in a flour mill looks cheesily 1980s, but the rest of Ross's drama wears its age well, real song-and-dance joy for the pre-Glee generation."

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film received an approval rating of 51% based on 39 reviews, with an average rating of 5.6/10.[16] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 42 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

Box office

Despite mixed critical reviews, the film grossed $80,035,403 domestically.

Bruce Springsteen - Tougher Than the Rest and the History of the Song

Tougher Than The Rest Lyrics
Songwriters: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Tougher Than The Rest lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing

Well it's Saturday night
You're all dressed up in blue
I been watching you awhile
Maybe you been watching me too
So somebody ran out
Left somebody's heart in a mess
Well if you're looking for love
Honey I'm tougher than the rest

Some girls they want a handsome Dan
Or some good-lookin' Joe, on their arm
Some girls like a sweet-talkin' Romeo
Well 'round here baby
I learned you get what you can get
So if you're rough enough for love
Honey I'm tougher than the rest

The road is dark
And it's a thin thin line
But I want you to know I'll walk it for you any time
Maybe your other boyfriends
Couldn't pass the test
Well if you're rough and ready for love
Honey I'm tougher than the rest

Well it ain't no secret
I've been around a time or two
Well I don't know baby maybe you've been around too
Well there's another dance
All you gotta do is say yes
And if you're rough and ready for love
Honey I'm tougher than the rest
If you're rough enough for love
Baby I'm tougher than the rest

"Tougher Than the Rest" is a song by Bruce Springsteen from his 1987 Tunnel of Love album. It was released as a single in some countries, following "Brilliant Disguise" and the title track, but was not released as a single in the United States.^[1] It reached as high as No. 3 on the Swiss charts, and also reached the Top 20 in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Austria.

History

Like much of the Tunnel of Love album, "Tougher Than the Rest" was recorded in Springsteen's home studio, called Thrill Hill East, between January and May 1987 with several members of the E Street Band. On this song, Springsteen played several instruments and is backed by Danny Federici on organ and Max Weinberg on percussion. Although it was originally written as a rockabilly song, the final version has a slower and more methodical rhythm.

On the Tunnel of Love album, "Tougher Than the Rest" is the second song, following the acoustic "Ain't Got You", and introduces the sound that will permeate the remainder of the album.The synthesizer sound is layered and melodic and the drum sound is moody, heavy and menacing^[ Springsteen's vocal is also menacing and boastful as he sings the simple but elegant lyrics detailing his infatuation.

At least one of the singer and the woman he is singing to appear to be on the rebound from prior relationships. The singer recognizes that he is not a "handsome Dan" or a "sweet talking Romeo" and admits that he has "been around a time or two". He is not bothered with the possibility that the woman may have "been around too."Although the singer knows how messy and rough love can be, he claims that he is ready for it, but insists that the woman must also be equally tough and willing to take chances. The song is in some ways reminiscent of Springsteen's earlier song "Thunder Road", in which the singer wants to take the woman away, even though he tells her that "you ain't a beauty but hey you're alright". But unlike the earlier song, in this song the singer's goals are more realistic – rather than looking to run away with the woman, here he just wants to ask the woman to dance.^[ In the context of this song the phrase, 'There's another dance, all you have to do is say yes,' is an allusion to taking a chance and falling in love. This is echoed in the song 'Girls in their Summer Clothes' which includes the line 'Love's a fools' dance, I ain't got no sense, but I've still got my feet.'

The music video features live concert footage interspersed with vignettes of couples made at venues on his "Tunnel of Love Express" tour. The video includes both gay and lesbian pairs interspersed with heterosexual couples as representatives of the artist's fans. Springsteen included this explicitly homosexual imagery with neither fanfare nor exploitation. Like several other music videos from the Tunnel of Love album, including "Brilliant Disguise", "Tunnel of Love" and "One Step Up", the video for "Tougher Than The Rest" was directed by Meiert Avis. The video was later released on the VHS and DVD Video Anthology / 1978-88.

Live performance history
"Tougher Than the Rest" has been reasonably popular in live performances. Next to Brilliant Disguise and the title track, this song is third and only other song from the album to receive several appearances live. From the Tunnel of Love Express Tour (where it typically opened the second set) that supported the initial release of the album through July 2005, the song received 98 live performances in concert.[13] A live version of the song, recorded on April 27, 1988 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was released on the EP Chimes of Freedom. That version runs 6:39.

Best Of Carole King I Feel The Earth Move

I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down
I feel my heart start to trembling
Whenever you're around

Ooh, baby, when I see your face
Mellow as the month of May
Oh, darling, I can't stand it
When you look at me that way

I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down
I feel my heart start to trembling
Whenever you're around

Ooo, darling, when you're near me
And you tenderly call my name
I know that my emotions
Are something I just can't tame
I've just got to have you, baby, uh huh huh uh huh huh yeah

I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down, a'tumbling down
I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down, a'tumbling down
I just lose control
Down to my very soul
I get hot and cold, all over, all over, all over, all over
I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down, a'tumbling down
I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down, a'tumbling down,
A'tumbling down, a'tumbling down, a'tumbling down, a'tumbling down, tumbling down!Carole King (born Carol Joan Klein, February 9, 1942) is an American composer and singer-songwriter. She is the most successful female songwriter of the latter half of the 20th century in the USA, having written or co-written 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1955 and 1999. King also wrote 61 hits that charted in the UK,making her the most successful female songwriter on the UK singles charts between 1952 and 2005.
King's career began in the 1960s when she and her first husband, Gerry Goffin, wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists, many of which have become standards. She has continued writing for other artists since then. King's success as a performer in her own right did not come until the 1970s, when she sang her own songs, accompanying herself on the piano, in a series of albums and concerts. After experiencing commercial disappointment with her debut album Writer, King scored her breakthrough with the album Tapestry, which topped the U.S. album chart for 15 weeks in 1971 and remained on the charts for more than six years.

King has made 25 solo albums, the most successful being Tapestry, which held the record for most weeks at No. 1 by a female artist for more than 20 years. Her most recent non-compilation album was Live at the Troubadour in 2010, a collaboration with James Taylor that reached number 4 on the charts in its first week and has sold over 600,000 copies. Her records sales were estimated at more than 75 million copies worldwide.

She has won four Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for her songwriting. She is the recipient of the 2013 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, the first woman to be so honored. She is also a 2015 Kennedy Center Honoree.

King was born Carol Joan Klein in February 1942 in Manhattan, to a Jewish family. Her mother, Eugenia (née Cammer), was a teacher, and her father, Sidney N. Klein, was a firefighter for the New York City Fire Department,Sidney, a chemistry major, and Eugenia, an English and drama major, met in an elevator when they were students at Brooklyn College, in 1936.

They married in 1937, during the end of the Great Depression. Eugenia dropped out of college to run the household; Sidney also quit college and briefly took a job as a radio announcer. With the economy struggling, he then took a more secure job as a firefighter in New York. After King was born, they remained in Brooklyn, and eventually were able to buy a small two-story duplex where they could rent out the upstairs for income..

Eugenia had learned how to play piano as a child and, after buying a piano, would sometimes practice. Carol had an insatiable curiosity about music in general from the time she was about three years old, so her mother began teaching her some very basic piano skills, but did not give Carol actual lessons.When Carol was four years old, her parents discovered she had developed a sense of absolute pitch, which enabled her to often name a note correctly by just hearing it. Sidney enjoyed showing off his daughter's skill to visiting friends: "My dad's smile was so broad that it encompassed the lower half of his face. I enjoyed making my father happy and getting the notes right."

Carol's mother then began giving her real music lessons when Carol was four years old. Carol would climb up on the stool and be raised even higher by sitting on a phone book.With her mother sitting alongside her, Carol was taught music theory and elementary piano technique, including how to read notation and execute proper note timing. King wanted to learn as much as possible: "My mother never forced me to practice. She didn't have to. I wanted so much to master the popular songs that poured out of the radio."

Carol began kindergarten when she was four years old, but after her first year she was promoted directly to second grade because she had an exceptional facility with words and numbers.[12]:16 In the 1950s, she went to James Madison High School. She formed a band called the Co-Sines, changed her name to Carole King, and made demo records with her friend Paul Simon for $25 a session.[16] Her first official recording was the promotional single "The Right Girl", released by ABC-Paramount in 1958, which she wrote and sang to an arrangement by Don Costa.

She attended Queens College, where she met Gerry Goffin, who was to become her songwriting partner. When she was 17, they married in a Jewish ceremony on Long Island in August 1959 after King had become pregnant with her first daughter, Louise. They quit college and took daytime jobs, Goffin working as an assistant chemist and King as a secretary. They wrote songs together in the evening.

Neil Sedaka, who had dated King when he was still in high school, had a hit in 1959 with "Oh! Carol". Goffin took the tune and wrote the playful response, "Oh! Neil", which King recorded and released as a single the same year. The B-side contained the Goffin-King song "A Very Special Boy". The single was not a success.After writing The Shirelles' Billboard Hot 100 #1 hit "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", the first No.1 hit by a black girl group, Goffin and King gave up the daytime jobs to concentrate on writing. "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" became a standard.

I Feel The Earth Move

The most sexual song on the album, this piano-driven cut is the first track on Carole King's classic Tapestry album, which spent nearly six years on the album charts, thanks in large part to women who bought the album en masse. While the song had a sexual feel, King never used sex appeal in her marketing, which earned her a great deal of respect with women who could relate to her songs and outlook.

The earthquake metaphor can be seen as King's coming out, opening her album with confidence and setting the stage for a new sound. With a piano hook and very forthright lyrics, it certainly made a statement.

There is some confusion over whether this song was a #1 hit. The facts are that given its upbeat nature, King's record label selected "Earth Move" as the A-side to Tapestry's first single. However, after a few weeks of continuous airplay many DJs began to give the slower, lamenting B-side "It's Too Late," an equal amount of spin. Soon, it came to the point where "It's Too Late," dominated and ended up topping the charts by May of 1971. Billboard has since declared the record a double A-side and it is generally listed as such in books and articles that both songs reached #1 on the Hot 100 chart.

This was used in the movie Terms of Endearment. It was also used in an episode of the TV show Eli Stone.
The pop singer Martika covered this as her follow up to her #1 hit "Toy Soldiers." Her dance/rock version reached #25 on the pop charts in the U.S. and #7 in the UK. It also charted high in Australia, Japan and Spain and a number of other countries.

70's Classic Hits - 70s Greatest Hits Playlist

Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb and Andy Gibb of the Bee Gees at the 1977 billboard Music Awards.

One family dominated the Billboard Hot 100 in the '70s: The Gibbs. The three brothers in the Bee Gees landed three of the top 20 hits of the decade, and Andy Gibb -- another brother -- had two more as a solo artist. The Gibb Brothers single-handedly account for 25 percent of the top twenty in the '70s. They didn't start in disco, but they changed with the times, and as a white group embracing the disco sound, they became an unstoppable commercial juggernaut. (Walter Murphy & the Big Apple Band's "A Fifth of Beethoven," which appeared on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack alongside the Bee Gees mega-hits, also made it onto the top 20 list.) The Bee Gees weren't the only act to have success with disco -- so did Chic, Donna Summer, the Emotions, and Gloria Gaynor -- meaning that the genre accounted for at least half of the decade's biggest songs.

The '70s saw a lot more women on the upper reaches of the charts. While only one woman landed a top twenty hit in the '60s top twenty recap, seven ladies achieved that status in the '70s. Some of these were disco frontwomen, but more were balladeers: Debby Boone, Barbra Streisand, Carly Simon, and Roberta Flack. In contrast to the previous decade, there weren't many big rock hits; The Knack and Paul McCartney's Wings were the only two, and Wings' "Silly Love Songs" featured a pronounced bass groove that is basically disco. (The former Beatle had a fondness for that genre; see also his 1979 single "Goodnight Tonight.")

Speaking of Paul McCartney, he's one of very few singers to appear in the top 20 in two consecutive decades. He made the list twice with the Beatles in the '60s and appeared on it again in the '70s with Wings. Marvin Gaye was the only singer to match McCartney's feat, with "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" in the '60s and his sensual classic "Let's Get It On" in the '70s.

Check out the Spotify playlist of the top 20 below and read on to see when each hit peaked.  

 

1. "You Light Up My Life" - Debby Boone
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: October 15, 1977

2. "Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright)" - Rod Stewart
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: November 13, 1976

3. "Le Freak" - Chic
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: December 9, 1978

4. "How Deep Is Your Love" - Bee Gees
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: December 24, 1977

5. "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" - Andy Gibb
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: July 30, 1977

6. "Silly Love Songs" - Wings 
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: May 22, 1976

7. "Let's Get It On" - Marvin Gaye
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: September 8, 1973

8. "Night Fever" - Bee Gees
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: March 18, 1978

9. "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree" - Dawn Featuring Tony Orlando
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: April 21, 1973

10. "Shadow Dancing" - Andy Gibb 
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: June 17, 1978

11. "Stayin' Alive" - Bee Gees
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: February 4, 1978

12. "Hot Stuff" - Donna Summer
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: June 2, 1979

13. "You're So Vain" - Carly Simon
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: January 6, 1973 

14. "Play That Funky Music" - Wild Cherry
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: September 18, 1976

15."My Sharona" - The Knack
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: August 25, 1979

16."Killing Me Softly With His Song" - Roberta Flack 
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: February 24, 1973

17. "Best Of My Love" - The Emotions
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: August 20, 1977

18. "The Way We Were" - Barbra Streisand
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: February 2, 1974

19. "A Fifth Of Beethoven" - Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: October 9, 1976

20. "I Will Survive" - Gloria Gaynor
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: March 10, 1979

This top Billboard Hot 100 songs of each decade is ranked based on each title's performance on the Hot 100 through the chart dated Nov. 1, 2014. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. To ensure equitable representation of the biggest hits across multiple decades, time frames are weighted to account for fluctuating chart turnover rates due to different methodologies utilized.

70's Classic Hits - 70s Greatest Hits Playlist

The Top 20 Billboard Hot 100 Hits of the 1970s



Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb and Andy Gibb of the Bee Gees at the 1977 billboard Music Awards.

One family dominated the Billboard Hot 100 in the '70s: The Gibbs. The three brothers in the Bee Gees landed three of the top 20 hits of the decade, and Andy Gibb -- another brother -- had two more as a solo artist. The Gibb Brothers single-handedly account for 25 percent of the top twenty in the '70s. They didn't start in disco, but they changed with the times, and as a white group embracing the disco sound, they became an unstoppable commercial juggernaut. (Walter Murphy & the Big Apple Band's "A Fifth of Beethoven," which appeared on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack alongside the Bee Gees mega-hits, also made it onto the top 20 list.) The Bee Gees weren't the only act to have success with disco -- so did Chic, Donna Summer, the Emotions, and Gloria Gaynor -- meaning that the genre accounted for at least half of the decade's biggest songs.

The '70s saw a lot more women on the upper reaches of the charts. While only one woman landed a top twenty hit in the '60s top twenty recap, seven ladies achieved that status in the '70s. Some of these were disco frontwomen, but more were balladeers: Debby Boone, Barbra Streisand, Carly Simon, and Roberta Flack. In contrast to the previous decade, there weren't many big rock hits; The Knack and Paul McCartney's Wings were the only two, and Wings' "Silly Love Songs" featured a pronounced bass groove that is basically disco. (The former Beatle had a fondness for that genre; see also his 1979 single "Goodnight Tonight.")

Speaking of Paul McCartney, he's one of very few singers to appear in the top 20 in two consecutive decades. He made the list twice with the Beatles in the '60s and appeared on it again in the '70s with Wings. Marvin Gaye was the only singer to match McCartney's feat, with "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" in the '60s and his sensual classic "Let's Get It On" in the '70s.

Check out the Spotify playlist of the top 20 below and read on to see when each hit peaked.  

 

1. "You Light Up My Life" - Debby Boone
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: October 15, 1977

2. "Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright)" - Rod Stewart
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: November 13, 1976

3. "Le Freak" - Chic
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: December 9, 1978

4. "How Deep Is Your Love" - Bee Gees
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: December 24, 1977

5. "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" - Andy Gibb
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: July 30, 1977

6. "Silly Love Songs" - Wings 
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: May 22, 1976

7. "Let's Get It On" - Marvin Gaye
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: September 8, 1973

8. "Night Fever" - Bee Gees
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: March 18, 1978

9. "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree" - Dawn Featuring Tony Orlando
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: April 21, 1973

10. "Shadow Dancing" - Andy Gibb 
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: June 17, 1978

11. "Stayin' Alive" - Bee Gees
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: February 4, 1978

12. "Hot Stuff" - Donna Summer
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: June 2, 1979

13. "You're So Vain" - Carly Simon
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: January 6, 1973 

14. "Play That Funky Music" - Wild Cherry
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: September 18, 1976

15."My Sharona" - The Knack
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: August 25, 1979

16."Killing Me Softly With His Song" - Roberta Flack 
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: February 24, 1973

17. "Best Of My Love" - The Emotions
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: August 20, 1977

18. "The Way We Were" - Barbra Streisand
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: February 2, 1974

19. "A Fifth Of Beethoven" - Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: October 9, 1976

20. "I Will Survive" - Gloria Gaynor
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1, Peak Date: March 10, 1979

This top Billboard Hot 100 songs of each decade is ranked based on each title's performance on the Hot 100 through the chart dated Nov. 1, 2014. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. To ensure equitable representation of the biggest hits across multiple decades, time frames are weighted to account for fluctuating chart turnover rates due to different methodologies utilized.