April 1979. The Kingdom was in the midst of the election campaign that would bring Margaret Thatcher to power. Though I don't feel that many of the makers of the music on the following chart voted Conservative. Just a hunch.
40 - "Valley of the Dolls," Generation X
The punk band that launched Billy Idol had their third and final hit with this catchy rock tune about sex and violence. Simple and good. But not at all related to the 1966 novel by Jacqueline Susann, nor to the film version which starred Patty Duke and Manson-murders victim Sharon Tate.
39 - "Everybody’s Happy Nowadays," Buzzcocks
More punk, this time from a Bolton band who were a little more on the melodic side than most of their peers. The fifth of their six hits was this sharp blast of angst about being envious of others' joy. They may have been the best of their time at striking the balance between accessibility and credibility.
38 - "Let's Fly Away," Voyage
A French disco group with a British singer. Fluffy dance music about going on holiday. Okay, but far from enduring.
37 - "The Logical Song," Supertramp
Their biggest hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Roger Hodgson declared that he didn’t need no education before Roger Waters did. But he didn't have a children's choir backing him up.
36 - "Imperial Wizard," David Essex
Mr. "Rock On"'s last 70s hit was this martial-sounding call to arms against tyranny. An interesting, if not quite effective, to combine punk anger with glam gloss.
35 - "Remember Then," Showaddywaddy
Another retro number from these guys, this time a cover of a 1962 Earls hit about recalling a lost love. Not very mem-mem-rememem-meh-memorable.
34 - "BYOF," Fantastic Four
This Detroit group had a number of R&B hits in the 60s, but their only British hit was this groovefest whose title stands for "Bring Your Own Funk." Not sure why they thought that was necessary, since this seems to contain more than enough to go around.
33 - "Questions and Answers," Sham 69
From Horsham in Surrey, this punk band picked up five late 70s hits, the fourth being this poppy tune about being true to yourself and not just accepting what you are told. Basic, but effective.
32 - "I Don't Want to Lose You," Kandidate
This British soul group's biggest hit was this meh ballad from the soundtrack of a movie called Sunburn, which not only starred Farrah Fawcett, but also three British actors who would go on in the 80s to star in three separate dramas on three separate U.S. networks: Joan Collins of ABC's Dynasty, John Hillerman of CBS's Magnum, P.I., and William Daniels of NBC's St. Elsewhere. That's way more interesting than this song.
31 - "Tragedy," The Bee Gees
Their fourth U.K. #1. Just sublime disco drama.
30 - "English Civil War," The Clash
The sixth hit for The Only Band That Matters was this adaptation of the American Civil War song "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" describing a potential conflict spawned by a rising tide of far-right racism. It's true, everything old is new again.
29 - "You Bet Your Love," Herbie Hancock
This Chicago jazz keyboardist played with Miles Davis in the 60s, then embarked on a solo career that touched on pop, funk, and here, disco. Pretty standard stuff, remarkable mainly for Hancock's vocoder-assisted vocals and some nice keyboard work. But not as attention-grabbing as, say, "Rockit."
28 - "The Staircase (Mystery)," Siouxsie and the Banshees
The second hit for Ms. Sioux and crew was this gothy rocker that uses architectural features as a metaphor for confusion. I think that's it. Great stuff.
27 - "Wow," Kate Bush
Her third Top 40 was this drama ballad about aspiring artists being given the runaround by the people who make up the business half of "show business." And yes, I would say the song lives up to the title.
26 - "Forever in Blue Jeans," Neil Diamond
The D-Man with his simple pop tune about being happy with modest means. I don't know about forever, but I'm in blue jeans right now, and I feel pretty good.
25 - "Clog Dance," Violinski
Led by ELO violinist Mik Kaminsky, this band had their only hit with this rock instrumental. Sounds like stock production music to accompany sports highlights. Meh.
24 - "Silly Thing," The Sex Pistols
This creation of impresario Malcolm McLaren became the snotty face of punk when they debuted in 1976. By this time, singer Johnny Rotten had left, and bassist Sid Vicious had just committed suicide while awaiting trial for the murder of girlfriend Nancy Spungen. The group was still attempting to carry on, releasing an album, The Great Rock n’roll Swindle, which featured some tracks with Rotten and Vicious, as well as other contributors such as infamouse train robber Ronnie Biggs. This song, however, is mainly a showcase for guitarist Steve Jones and drummer Paul Cook, the latter of whom sings lead. It's loud, fast, and angry, but without the bilious vocal sneers of Rotten, it just blends in with the rest of the punk pack. But we'll hear more from this LP later.
23 - "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)," The Jacksons
Michael and bros., dancing, shouting, and funking stuff up. Just joy.
22 - "Hold the Line," Toto
Top 5 at home, #14 here. The Brits had it right.
21 - "The Runner," The Three Degrees
These Philly ladies hit #2 at home and #1 here with the classic "When Will I See You Again," but while they struck out on the American charts afterwards, they'd make the British Top 40 seven more times with songs like this disco workout about a commitmentphobic lover. On this, they sound like ABBA, but with soul. And I mean that as the highest of compliments.
In Part Two: fortune, felines, and armed forces.
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