WLS Top 27 for Week of October 9, 1972-- Part 1: 'Thunder and Lightning'

These were the top songs in Chicago according to WLS, 890 AM, fifty years ago.

*  Means the song was climbing the charts.  The number behind the artist is how high the song got on the Billboard Hot 100 National Chart.

27.  *DON'T EVER BE LONELY-- Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose     #23      I had forgotten this nugget.  If you don't remember it, check it out on You Tube.

26.  *IF I COULD REACH YOU--  Fifth Dimension       #19     What a voice.  That Mariyn McCoo and gang could really sing well together.

25.  *THUNDER AND LIGHTNING--  Chi Coltrane      #17      For some reason I always thought  it was a black woman singing this song, but it wasn't.  One kickin' song.   Born in Racine, Wisconsin.  Her one and only top 40 tune.

24.  RUN TO ME--  Bee Gees   #16     A forgotten Gibbs brothers song.

22.  CITY OF NEW ORLEANS--  Arlo Guthrie      #18     Written by Chicago's Steve Goodman.  A real American tapestry.  His only Top 40.  Also famous for that great "Alice's Restaurant."

21.  *STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN--  Mel & Tim       #19     I'd forgotten about this song but what a great smoothie as Herb Kent would call it.  Their second of two Top 40s, the other one being "Backfield in Motion" (#10 in 1969).

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Penny A Point Ain't Nobody Keeping Score."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"City of New Orleans"

WLS Top 26 Songs for Week of September 11, 1972-- Part 2: 'Everybody Plays the Fool'

20.  EVERYBODY PLAYS THE FOOL--  Main Ingredient     #3     This songs takes me right back to driving the famed Ramblin' Wreck along Lincoln Highway in the fall of 1972, my senior year at NIU.  Vocal trio from the Bronx, New York.

19.  MOTORCYCLE MAMA--  Sailcat     #12     Just 2:12 long.  A very interesting album cover.  Pop duo from Alabama.  Their one and only-ever hit.

18.  RUN TO ME--  Bee Gees      #16     Such harmony.  Trio of brothers from Manchester, England.  Moved to Australia in 1958 and returned to England in 1967.  At first I thought they were the Beatles performing under a different name.

17.  POWER OF LOVE--  Joe Simon      #11     I'd forgotten this one.  Too bad.  Died in 2021.  This guy oozed soul.  Written by Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff and Joe Simon.

16.  HONKY CAT--   Elton John        #8     A real honky tonk song for Elton.  Kind of gets your body moving.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "You're The Queen Of My Highway."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Motorcycle Mama"

WLS Top Ten for Week of August 28, 1972: 'You Don't Mess Around with Jim'

These were the Top Ten songs (and Debuts) in Chicago fifty years ago this week.

1.  BRANDY--  Looking Glass    "You're a Fine Girl"

2.  ALONE AGAIN(NATURALLY)--  Gilbert O'Sullivan

3.  LONG COOL WOMAN--  Hollies

4.  HOLD YOUR HEAD UP--  Argent

5.  I'M STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU--  Al Green

6.  IF LOVING YOU IS WRONG--   Luther Ingram

7.  GOODBYE TO LOVE--  Carpenters

8.  YOU DON'T MESS AROUND WITH JIM-  Jim Croce

9.  COCONUT--  Nilsson

10.  GUITAR MAN--  Bread

*****************************

DEBUTS

17.  BLACK AND WHITE--  Three Dog Night

24.  RUN TO ME--  Bee Gees

26.  GO ALL THE WAY--  Raspberries 

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Who Draws The Crowd And Plays So Loud."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

WLS Top 30 for Week of March 13, 1972-- Part 4: 'Sweet Seasons'

That's right, 50 years ago.  That's half a century for those of you counting.

* means the song was climbing the charts.  The number after the artist means how high the song got on the Billboard Hot 100 National chart.  WLS, of course, was just in the Chicagoland area.

15.  *I GOTCHA--  Joe Tex      #2     Just try not to move with this song.  One of my favorites.  His biggest hit.

14.  *FLOY JOY--  Supremes     #16     The Supremes now consisted of Mary Wilson, Jean Terrell and Cindy Birdsong.

13.  MY WORLD--  Bee Gees     #16     I sure don't remember this one.  But, I was going to school at the University of Georgia and maybe they didn't play it all that much in the state.

12.  SWEET SEASONS--  Carole King    #9    Born Carole Klein in 1942.  Neil Sedaka's 1959 hit "Oh Carol" was about her.

11.  *GLORY BOUND--  Grass Roots   #34   San Francisco group formed in 1964.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "You Thought I Didn't See Ya Now, Didn't Ya."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"I Gotcha"

WLS Top 30 for Week of November 9, 1971-- Part 3: 'Rock Steady'

*  Means the song is climbing the charts.  The number after the artist is how high the song got on the Billboard Hot 100 National chart.

20.  *ROCK STEADY--  Aretha Franklin     #9      The Queen of Soul gives us some Funk.  Follow up to "Spanish Harlem."

19.  *TWO DIVIDED BY LOVE--  Grass Roots       #16     Creed Bratton (("The Office") had already left the group by this time.  One comment says they still have this on 8-track.  Group formed in San Francisco with Rob Grill on vocals and bass.

18.  *I DON'T WANT TO LIVE INSIDE MYSELF--  Bee Gees       #53       At first, I really thought this group was the Beatles in disguise.

17.  DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN--  Lee Michaels      #6     He found out about her and who?  From Los Angeles.

16.  *EVERYBODY'S EVERYTHING--  Santana      #12     That's the Tower of Power on horns.  Gregg Rolie on Hammond organ and vocals.  Is that a party way to start this song?

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Every Night Your Tears Come Down."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Two Divided By Love"

WLS Top 30 for Week of August 9, 1971-- Part 5, The Top Ten: 'Sweet Hitch-Hiker'

*  means it was climbing the WLS charts.  The number behind the artist is how high the song got on the Billboard Hot 100 National Chart.

10.  DRAGGIN' THE LINE--  Tommy James   #4

9.  *SIGNS--  Five Man Electric Band    #3

8.  NEVER ENDING SONG OF LOVE--  Delaney & Bonnie & Friends    #13

7.  BEGINNINGS/COLOUR MY WORLD--  Chicago     #7    Formerly the Chicago Transit Authority.

6.  *SWEET HITCH-HIKER--  Creedence Clearwater Revival    #6   Their last Top Ten.

5.  *TAKE ME HOME, COUNTRY ROADS--  John Denver        #2       His first hit.   One of the most popular songs played each year at the Oktoberfest tents in Munich.

4.  *WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS LOVE / ABRAHAM, MARTIN & JOHN--  Tom Clay    You should give this one a listen.  Wow!!     #8

3.  *MERCY MERCY ME--  Marvin Gaye    #4

2.  *RIDERS ON THE STORM--  Doors    #14   Their last Top 40.

1.  HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART--  Bee  Gees   #1

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Long-Haired Freaky People Need Not Apply."  --Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Signs"

WLS Top Ten for Week of July 26, 1971: 'Mercy Mercy Me'

That's right, fifty years ago today.  That means a half a century.  If you remember these, that might mean that time sure is flying by.

1.  DRAGGIN' THE LINE--  Tommy James

2.  HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART--  Bee Gees

3.  IT'S TOO LATE--  Carole King        It was #1 for four weeks.

4.  NEVER ENDING SONG OF LOVE--  Delaney and Bonnie & Friends

5.  SOONER OR LATER--  Grass Roots

6.  BEGINNINGS--  Chicago

7.  YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND--  James Taylor

8.  DON'T PULL YOUR LOVE--  Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds       Never understood why one guy had two names and the others just one?

9.  MERCY MERCY ME--  Marvin Gaye

10.  SUMMER SAND--  Dawn

************************************

DEBUTS

27.  WON'T GET FOOLED AGAIN--

28.  RESURRECTION SHUFFLE--

29.  SMILING FACES SOMETIMES--

30.  LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH--

************************************

ALL HIT BOUND

I JUST WANT TO CELEBRATE--  Rare Earth

AIN'T NO SUNSHINE--  Bill Withers

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "When You're Down And Troubled And Need A Helping Hand."  Answer below.  

"You've Got a Friend"

WLS Top Ten for Week of July 19, 2021: 'Don't Pull Your Love'

The Top Ten songs and debut songs in Chicago back 50 years ago today according to powerhouse WLS 890 AM. 

1.  IT'S TOO LATE--  Carole King

2.  YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND--  James Taylor

3.  DRAGGIN' THE LINE--  Tommy James

4.  DON'T PULL YOUR LOVE--  Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds

5.  GET IT ON--  Chase

6.  MR. BIG STUFF--  Jean Knight

7.  SOONER OR ATER--  Grass Roots

8.  HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART--  Bee Gees

9.  FUNKY NASSAU--  Beginning of the End

10.  NEVER ENDING SONG OF LOVE--  Delaney and Bonnie & Friends

*****************************

DEBUTS

24.   WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW/ABRAHAM, MARTIN & JOHN--  Tom Clay

25.  MIGHTY CLOUDS OF JOY--  B.J. Thomas

26.  SWEET HITCHHIKER--  Creedence Clearwater Revival

27.  SIGNS--  Five Man Electric Band

28.  MAYBE TOMORROW--  Jackson Five

ALL HIT BOUND

LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH--  Isley Brothers

RESURRECTION SHUFFLE--  Ashton, Gardner & Dyke

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "It's Just A Matter Of Time Before You Make Up Your Mind."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Sooner or Later"

WLS Top 30 for Week of July 12, 1971-- Part 5: 'Sooner Or Later'

With the Top Ten songs, I only give its highest Billboard Hot 100 position and whether or not it was climbing the charts.  Since this usually takes awhile for the song to reach the Top Ten, I more than likely made comments about it the month before.

10.  HERE COMES THAT RAINY DAY FEELING AGAIN--  Fortunes     #15

9.  *HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART--  Bee Gees     #1

8.  HIGH TIME WE WENT--  Joe Cocker     #22

7.  *SOONER OR LATER--  Grass Roots    #9

6.  *GET IT ON--  Chase

5.  *DRAGGIN' THE LINE--  Tommy James (But no Shondells this time)

4.  *MR. BIG STUFF--  Jean Knight   #2

3.  DON'T PULL YOUR LOVE--  Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds   #4

2.  YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND--  James Taylor

1.  IT'S TOO LATE--  Carole King (4th week at #1)    #1

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "I Can Think Of Younger Days When Living For My Life."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"How Can You Mend A Broken Heart"

WLS Top Ten for Week of June 28, 1971: 'Nathan Jones'

Only fifty years ago.  Hey!!  That's half a century.   Who's old?

1.  IT'S TOO LATE--  Carole King

2.  IF NOT FOR YOU--  Olivia Newton-John

3.  NATHAN JONES--  Supremes

4.  DOUBLE BARREL--  Dave and Ansil Collins

5.  HERE COMES THAT RAINY DAY FEELING AGAIN--  Fortunes

6.  YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND--  James Taylor

7.  DON'T PULL YOUR LOVE--  Hamilton, Joe Frank, & Reynolds

8.  INDIAN RESERVATION--  Raiders

9.  RAINY DAYS & MONDAYS--  Carpenters

10.  WHEN YOU'RE HOT, YOU'RE HOT--  Jerry Reed

***********************************

DEBUTS

27.  HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART--  Bee gees

28.  I DON'T WANT TO DO WRONG--  Gladys Knight & the Pips

29.  WATCHING THE RIVER FLOW--  Bob Dylan

30.  BEGINNINGS--  Chicago

ALL HIT BOUND

TAKE ME HOME, COUNTRY ROADS--  John Denver

RINGS--  Cymarron

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Well Now Me And Homer And Big John Talley Had A Crap Game Goin' Back In The Alley."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"When You're Hot, You're Hot"

WLD Top 30 for Week of February 8, 1971-- Part 1: 'Lonely Days'

Fifty years ago in Chicago.   * means it was rising on the charts.  The number after the artist refers how high it got in the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

HITBOUND:   *ONE TOKE OVER THE LINE--  Brewer & Shipley     #10    Very folky.  Did Lawrence Welk really call this a gospel song?  "Subversive to American Youth."  You got to be tokin' me.  One Hit Wonders.

30.  LONELY DAYS--  Bee Gees      #3    Always love those tempo shifts.   Maurice and Robin were twins.   Three brothers.

29.  IMMIGRANT SONG--  Led Zeppelin       #16    Love those illusions to the ancient world.  They only had one song that went Top Ten.  Guess which one.

28.  WHEN I'M DEAD AND GONE--  McGuinness Flint        #47     You probably had forgotten about this little nugget.  I sure had.  But glad to find it again.  A very unique sound.  A mandolin?  A kazoo?   Technically, not even One Hit Wonders.   This was their only song to crack the Hot 100.

27.  LET YOUR LOVE GO--  Bread     #28      For those of you who think the group was all schmaltz.  Schmaltz this!!  At just 2:23, way too short.  Could have used more.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "We Come From The Land of The Ice And Snow."  Answer below (and it is not Spring Grove right now, even though that is what we really, really have).  --RoadDog

"Immigrant Song"

WLS Top 30 for Week of January 11, 1971-- Part 5: 'Love the One You're With'

The Top Ten songs in Chicago fifty years ago.  

*  Means the song is climbing the chart.  The number behind the artist is how high it got on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

10.  STONED LOVE--  Supremes   #7Who needs Diana?

9.  MY SWEET LORD--  George Harrison     #1

8. *IF I WERE YOUR WOMAN--  Gladys Knight & the Pips     #9

7.  *YOUR SONG--  Elton John    #8    His first big hit.

6.  DOMINO--  Van Morrison      #9

5.  *LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH--   Stephen Stills      #14

4.  *IMMIGRANT SONG--  Led Zeppelin     #16

3.  *I HEAR YOU KNOCKING--  Dave Edmunds     #4    His first and by far biggest hit.

2.  LONELY DAYS--  Bee Gees     #3

1.  KNOCK THREE TIMES--   Dawn      #1     With that Tony Orlando fella, you know.

Name That Tune (From the above songs):  "Don't Want To Discuss It, Think It's Time For A Change."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Domino"

WLS Top Ten for Week of January 4, 1971: 'My Sweet Lord'

The Top Ten songs in Chicago fifty years ago on Superstation WLS (World's Largest Store) 890 AM.  Back in those wonderful AM days.

1.  KNOCK THREE TIMES--  Dawn

2.  LONELY DAYS--  Bee Gees    The Pre-Disco Bee Gees

3.  DOMINO--  Van Morrison

4.  I HEAR YOU KNOCKING--  Dave Edmunds

5.  IMMIGRANT SONG--  Led Zeppelin

6.  MY SWEET LORD--  George Harrison  He didn't copy.

7.  LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH--  Steven Stills

8.  STONED LOVE-- Supremes

9.  BLACK MAGIC WOMAN--  Santana

10.  ONE LESS BELL TO ANSWER--  Fifth Dimension

*****************************************

DEBUTS

26.  ROSE GARDEN--  Lynne Anderson

27.  GAMES--  Red Eye

28.  1900--  Yesterday Liz Damon's Orient Express

29.  MOST OF ALL--  B.J. Thomas

HIT PARADE BOUND:  SOMEBODY'S WATCHING YOU--  Little Sister

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "We Come From The Land Of Ice And Snow."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Immigrant Song"

WLS Top Ten for June 2, 1969: "Grazing In the Grass"

OK, so I forgot two in a row.  Sorry.

1.  GET BACK--  Beatles
2.  MORNING GIRL--  Neon Philharmonic
3.  BAD MOON RISING--  Creedence Clearwater Revival

4.  IN THE GHETTO--  Elvis Presley
5.  OH, HAPPY DAY--  Edwin Hawkins Singers
6.  LOVE--  Mercy
7.  I COULD NEVER LIE TO YOU--  New Colony Six

8.  GRAZING IN THE GRASS--  Friends of Distinction
9.  LOVE THEME FROM ROMEO AND JULIET--  Henry Mancini
10.  TOO BUSY THINKING ABOUT MY BABY--  Marvin Gaye

********************

DEBUTS

33.  WHAT DOES IT TAKE--  Jr. Walker & The Allstars
37.  SPINNING WHEEL--  Blood, Sweat & Tears

38.  WITH PEN IN HAND--  Vicki Carr
39.  COLOR HIM FATHER-- Winstons

40.  TOMORROW, TOMORROW--    Bee Gees

Name That Tune (From the above songs):  "JoJo Was A Man Who Thought He Was A Loner."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"Get Back"

WLS Top 40 for November 4, 1968-- Part 6: "I Gotta Get A Message To You"

Fifty years ago in Chicago.  WLS 890 AM Radio.

15.  SHAME SHAME--  Magic Lanterns     #29    Shame on you if you forgot this song  (like I did).  From Lancashire, England.  Their only Top 40.

14.  BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC--  Andy Williams     #33    Who'd have figured this song on a pop station?  Sang it at the memorial service for Robert Kennedy at St. Patrick's Cathedral.

13.  CHEWY CHEWY--  Ohio Express     #15   Yet another Bubble Gum song!!  We NEED more Bubble Gum Music, not cow bells.  Pride and joy of Mansfield, Ohio.

12.  I GOTTA GET A MESSAGE TO YOU--  Bee Gees    #8   Or, are they another name for the Beatles.

11.  MIDNIGHT CONFESSIONS--  Grass Roots    #5   Their biggest hit.   From San Francisco.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "My Eyes Have Seen the Glory."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

IT'S ALL IN A NAME:  Doctor's son named Bill.


"Battle Hymn of the Republic"

Ode to the Bee Gees-- Part 3: "I Started a Joke"

We went to New England for a vacation some time ago and one of the first sings we heard on the radio after landing at Boston, Massachusetts' Logan Airport and getting our rental car was "Massachusetts."  That being one of "Our Songs" made it a very special moment.

12.  I've Got to Get a Message to You

11.  Spicks and Specks

10.  More Than a Woman

9.  I Started a Joke

8.  Lonely Days

7.  Holiday

6.  In the Summer of His Years

5.  Night Fever

4.  How Deep is Your Love

3.  I Can't See Nobody

2.  Fanny (Be Tender With My Love)

1.  Stayin' Alive    Rob O'Connor had this to say about this song:  "There likely isn't a person alive who is conscious that doesn't know this song and enjoy it at some level.  What kind of nasty piece of work do you have to be to deny the joy of a song that demands you go for a fast walk, you slow-walkin' rebel, you."

It is always funny to hear the first beats of the song and watch everyone grimace, then get up and dance, or at least start doing the moves in their chair or nodding their head with the beat.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Well, You Can Tell By the Way I Walk."  --RoadDog

THE SHOCKING TRUTH ABOUT OKRA:  Well, actually, I really, really like fried okra when it is piping hot, like they serve at Lambert's Cafe's PassArounds..


"Stayin' Alive"

Ode to the Bee Gees-- Part 2: "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?"

Of course, when I first heard the Bee Gees back in the 60s, I thought they were the Beatles performing under a different name.

22.  First of May--  from the Odessa album

21.  Black Diamond--  Odessa album

20.  Kilburn Towers

19.  Swan Song

18.  How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?

17.  To Love Somebody

16.  Massachusetts  (Hey, That's "Our Song!)

15.  New York Mining Disaster, 1941

14.  World

13.  Lemons Never Forget

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Something's Telling Me I Must Go Home."  --RoadDog

THE SHOCKING TRUTH ABOUT OKRA:  You campers will be happy to hear that dried okra makes great bio-degradable tent stakes.

"Massachusetts"

Ode to the Bee Gees-- Part 1: Just One Brother Left Now

From the May 21, 2012, List of the Day by Rob O'Connor "Robin Gibb and remembering the Bee Gees.

The Bee Gees were not just a disco group.  Barry is now the only remaining one of the Gibb brothers.  Andy Gibb died in 1988, Maurice in 2003 and Robin in 2012.

After not recording for awhile, i see that Barry Gibb has a song "In the Now" that is #23 on the November 19, 2016 Beach Music Top 40 Chart.  The Bee Gee's "Massachusetts" was one of Liz and my "Special Songs" when we first started dating and going steady back in high school.

This is a career overview list with a few obscurities thrown in as well.  Mr. O'Connor gives some more information on each one, but I'm mostly just listing the songs.

25.  If I Can't Have You--  Barry did this one with a voice that reached sky-high.  Best known by Yvonne Elliman.

24.  Melody Fair--  From the red "Odessa" double album with the red velvet cover.

23.  Words

Little Old "Magnolia Breath" Me..  --RoadDog

THE SHOCKING TRUTH ABOUT OKRA:  Consuming fried okra north of the Mason-Dixon line is considered gastric perversion and may lead close friends to refer to you as "magnolia breath."