Back to the 1970s

  August 4, 1979 - 42 Years Ago Today: Electric Light Orchestra had the Hot Shot Debut at No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart with their single, "Don't Bring Me Down." This was their 17th chart entry on the Hot 100 and it became their highest ranking single when it peaked at No. 4 on September 8, 1979 and their second of three Gold singles. Between 1972-86, ELO scored 27 singles on the Hot 100 which included 20 Top 40's and 7 Top Tens. Vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist Jeff Lynne wrote all of their hit singles. 

  August 4, 1973 - 48 Years Ago Today: Paul Simon (with The Dixie Hummingbirds) had the Hot Shot Debut at No. 60 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart with his single, "Loves Me Like A Rock." This self-penned song was Simon's 7th solo chart entry on the Hot 100 and it became his 3rd Top Ten and 2nd consecutive single to peak at No. 2 on October 6, 1973. The single also became his first of 3 No. 1's on the Billboard AC Chart. As a solo artist, Simon scored 21 Hot 100 singles which included 13 Top 40's, 6 Top Tens and one No. 1. Paul Simon was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice - in 1990 as one-half of Simon & Garfunkel and in 2001 as a solo artist. 

August 5, 1978 - 43 Years Ago Today: Captain & Tennille debuted at No. 83 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart with their single, "You Never Done It Like That." The Howard Greenfield/Neil Sedaka-penned song became the husband & wife's 10th chart entry on the Hot 100. It peaked at No. 10 on November 18, 1978 becoming their 7th Top 40 and 6th Top Ten. Between 1975-80, the duo scored 14 singles on the Hot 100 which included 9 Top 40's, 7 Top Tens and 2 No. 1's. 5 of their singles also topped the Billboard AC Chart and six were certified Gold. Please click the following link to view the accompanying video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsUioN2pFd0

  August 5, 1972 - 49 Years Ago Today: Chicago had the Hot Shot Debut at No. 60 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart with their single, "Saturday In The Park." This Robert Lamm-penned song was the group's 11th chart entry and the leadoff single from their album, "Chicago V," which was their first of five consecutive No. 1 albums. The single peaked at No. 3 on September 23, 1972 and became their 8th Top 40 and 5th highest ranking Top Ten hit to date and was certified Gold. It was followed by the single, "Dialogue (Part I & II)," which peaked at No. 24. Chicago's string of 12 Top Ten hits continued throughout the end of the 1970s making them the No. 5 recording act of the decade and one of the greatest recording acts of all time, ranked at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. Chicago were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. 

August 7, 1976 - 45 Years Ago Today: Olivia Newton-John debuted at No. 80 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart with her single, "Don't Stop Believin'." This John Farrar-penned single was her twelfth chart entry on the Hot 100 and became her tenth Top 40 single which included five Top Tens and two No. 1's to date. The single peaked at No. 33 on September 18, 1976 and also enjoyed one week atop the Billboard AC Chart which was her eighth of ten AC No. 1's. In total, Newton-John scored forty singles on the Hot 100 chart which included twenty-seven Top 40's, fifteen Top Tens and five No. 1's. Her 1996 single, "The Grease Megamix," with John Travolta reached No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay Chart which was published between October 20, 1984-November 28, 1998. Please click the following link to view the accompanying video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zts-JA1m2gA

  August 12, 1978 - 43 Years Ago Today: Meat Loaf (with Ellen Foley and Phil Rizzuto) debuted at No. 82 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart with the single, "Paradise By The Dashboard Light." This iconic single was the follow-up to the hit, "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad," both lifted from the multi-Platinum album, "Bat Out Of Hell." The single just cracked the Top 40 and peaked at No. 39 on September 23, 1978. The single was written by Jim Steinman.

August 14, 1971 - 50 Years Ago Today: Joan Baez debuted at No. 72 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart with her single, "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." This was the folk singer's fourth chart entry on the Hot 100 and her first single to crack the Top 40 and Top Ten when it peaked at No. 3 on October 2, 1971 and was certified Gold. The single also enjoyed a five-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard AC Chart. It was written by Robbie Robertson. Baez was the recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007. She will also be the recipient of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors on December 5, 2021. Please click the following link to view the accompanying video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad5aZifeLIc