November 1979. Around this time, the Times of London resumed publishing after an 11-month strike. And people could read it while these songs played on the radio.
40 - "It's a Disco Night (Rock Don't Stop)," The Isley Brothers
The Cincinnati soul vets try out disco. They don't dilute the funk, and Ronald is his usual smooth-voiced self. It's on trend, but still truly theirs.
39 - "Bird Song," Lene Lovich
The third and final hit for the Detroit native features her using her signature new wave wail to actually mimic bird calls. Also, the lyrics seem to indicate that she is comparing a lost love to a bird who flies away and dies, only for her to find and...eat. Possibly the instance where the crazy of her singing best matches the crazy of the song.
38 - "Whatever You Want," Status Quo
The Quo's last Top Five of the decade starts out interesting, but eventually becomes their usual marriage of corporate rock and pub singalongs. As those go, it's one of their better ones, but it doesn't quite transcend the formula.
37 - "Sarah," Thin Lizzy
An uncharacteristic soft-rocker written by Phil Lynott about his newborn daughter. Tender, sweet, and catchy. The rock version of "Isn't She Lovely."
36 - "Queen of Hearts," Dave Edmunds
Edmund's had a hit here with this chugging song about the risks of the game of love two years before Juice Newton had an American smash with it. Juice did better. Edmunds whine just doesn't make me care about the song.
35 - "Dreaming," Blondie
Their fifth Top Five here was this sparkly power pop gem about the power of reverie. Debbie Harry was inhabiting the dreams of many at this time, and songs like this helped discourage awakening.
34 - "Sad Eyes," Robert John
The Brooklyn singer's falsetto-laden yacht rocker was his only Top 40 here, reaching #31. In Canada, it hit #3, and in the States, it somehow hit #1. I do not understand how. Especially since the song it knocked off was "My Sharona." America really must have fell for those puppy-dog peepers.
33 - "You Can Do It," Al Hudson and the Soul Partners
A solid one-hit funk-disco wonder from a Detroit group. Third-rate Chic is still very enjoyable.
32 - "You've Got My Number (Why Don't You Use It)," The Undertones
The third hit for the Derry pop-punks was this punchy pickup attempt. Short, sharp, super.
31 - "Since You've Been Gone," Rainbow
The first Top Ten for Ritchie Blackmore's post-Deep Purple band was this rocking lost-love lament. A pop-metal precursor.
30 - "I Don't Want to Be a Freak (But I Can't Help Myself)," Dynasty
The biggest hit for this L.A. funk band was this song about a woman who loses control over her own body when favorable music plays. But in a sexy way, of course. No adult diapers required.
29 - "He Was Beautiful," Iris Williams
This Welsh singer had her biggest hit with a drippy love song, dramatically sung to the tune of the music used as the theme to The Deer Hunter. It's a shame she couldn't have incorporated "Didi mao!" into the lyrics
28 - "The Great Rock n'Roll Swindle," The Sex Pistols
The title track to the film about the short, chaotic career of the band is bratty braggadocio about how the group milked easy money out of their first two labels, contains a line that had already been fulfilled by Sid Vicious ("I'm a jealous god and I want everything/I loved you with a knife") and ends with them profanely slagging off rock stars, including themselves. That pretty much sums up the pointless but memorable nihilism of their brief, cacophonous run.
27 - "No More Tears," Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand
The diva duel for the ages. It's all Donna on my scorecard, but Babs gets credit for going the distance.
26 - "Rise," Herb Alpert
Herbie goes disco. He did fine, so I don't mind if he toots his own horn.
25 - "Knocked it Off," B.A. Robertson
The Scotsman's second hit was this whimsical attempt at satire about how easy it is to write a hit and get rich. He's all snarky and sarcastic, but where someone like Ian Dury could do something like this and make it charming, this guy comes off like a snob who'd above this pop nonsense and is just doing this to make money until Andrew Lioyd Webber discovers him and he can sing real music. Bleah.
24 - "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," The Charlie Daniels Band
Chuck's tale of fiddlin' with Satan got him his only real chart action over here. I wonder if Granny is telling the truth about her dog's temperament. Maybe that chicken in the bread pan knows.
23 - "Message in a Bottle," The Police
Britain responded to Sting's SOS to the world with a #1. It's no hundred million bottles, but I'm sure it was similarly validating.
22 - "Luton Airport," Cats UK
The only hit for this all-female band was this new wavish number about a working class girl's fling in Spain. It was inspired by a liquor commercial, and it owes more than a little to Squeeze's "Cool for Cats." A song of it's time and place that can't possibly matter to anyone beyond that.
21 - "Ladies Night," Kool and the Gang
Their first Top Ten in all three Crown countries, and the beginning of their most commercial period. Yes, "Cherish" is partly this song's fault. It's a good enough song to overcome that, but still.
In Part Two: So much disco. God save us.
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