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MIKE SMITH’S HOT HUNDRED UK HITS

1978

 

In 1978 Disco music continued to be very popular in the charts, with the Bee Gees, Boney M and American newcomers, Earth, Wind & Fire enjoying several hits.  However, there was still room for plenty of other music, especially the hits from the soundtrack of the film "Grease" which was the biggest grossing film in both the UK and USA during 1978.  American New Wave act Blondie, fronted by the charismatic Debbie Harry, had four Top 20 hits, which kicked off a long and successful chart career.  Revival bands Darts and Showaddywaddy had three Top 10 hits each, and more chart success came to Rod Stewart and American middle-of-the-road star Barry Manilow.

Swedish group Abba had two big hits whilst also releasing their own film and topping the album chart.  The biggest selling single came from Boney M whose double-A side "Rivers Of Babylon" and "Brown Girl In The Ring" reigned on the UK chart for 40 weeks, five of which were at Number One.

These are my personal favourite recordings from this particular year, listed in the order in which they entered the UK hit singles chart.  You may not agree with my choices, but these were UK chart hits that had plenty of air play on the music radio stations of the day, such as BBC Radio 1, Capital Radio, and other commercial radio stations.

 


1

Title: Wishing On A Star
Artist: Rose Royce
Writer(s): Billie Rae Calvin
Entered chart 14 Jan 1978; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart: 14.

Rose Royce was an American Soul and R&B group featuring lead singer Gwen Dickey (born 1 Dec 1953 in Biloxi, Mississippi, USA).  It was an eight-piece band, including a small brass section, based in Los Angeles.  They came to fame when their producer and songwriter, Norman Whitfield, was asked to compose and produce songs for a new film called "Car Wash".  Whitfield wrote the songs and used Rose Royce to perform them for the soundtrack.  The film and soundtrack album were a success, with the single "Car Wash" peaking at Number One in the USA.  It was a Top 10 hit in the UK during early 1977.  More hits followed, with two more UK Top 10 hits during 1978. Singles after that were less successful and Dickey left the band in 1980.  She was replaced and the act continues to perform in the USA.


2

Title: Figaro
Artist: Brotherhood Of Man
Writer(s): Tony Hiller, Lee Sheriden & Martin Lee
Entered chart 14 Jan 1978; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 11.

The Brotherhood Of Man was the project of songwriter Tony Hiller, started in 1969.  Originally it was a vehicle for an ever-changing selection of session singers.  In 1970 they had a Top 10 hit with "United We Stand" (see year 1970, song 12) with vocalists Tony Burrows, Roger Greenaway, co-writer Johnny Goodison and two female singers.  In 1973 Hiller decided to stabilise the group, having two males and two females on a permanent basis.  This led to the group eventually recording the song "Save Your Kisses For Me" in 1976, which reached Number One in the UK charts and was the British entry in the 1976 Eurovision Song Contest, which the group won (see year 1976, song 18).  The singers were Martin Lee, Nicky Stevens, Sandra Stevens and Lee Sheriden.  Two more chart-toppers followed in 1977 and 1978 respectively.  Although the hits stopped at the end of the 1970s, the group continues on the cabaret and nostalgia circuits.
# This was the group's final Number One hit of three in total.  A hit in May reached number 15, but only two minor hits followed that.


3

Title: If I Had Words
Artist: Scott Fitzgerald & Yvonne Keeley
Writer(s): Jonathan Hodge (lyrics) & Saint-Saëns (melody)
Entered chart 14 Jan 1978; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart: 10.

Scott Fitzgerald was born on 28 Apr 1948 in Glasgow, Scotland.  He issued his first recording in 1974, but did not reach the UK charts until 1978 when he recorded this song in duet with Dutch singer Yvonne Keeley.  The song was also a hit in the Netherlands.  He went on to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Go" in 1988, coming second in the contest.
Yvonne Keeley was born on 6 Sep 1952 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.  She began her career as a session singer in London, and sang on the 1975 Steve Harley hit "Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)".  Keeley was part of the group the Star Sisters which was popular in the Netherlands during the 1980s.  She also worked as radio presenter at the Dutch regional broadcaster Radio Rijnmond.

#
The melody is taken from the main theme of the maestoso section of Saint-Saëns' Symphony No.3 in C minor (Symphony with Organ), written in 1886, with an added reggae beat.


4

Title: Lovely Day
Artist: Bill Withers
Writer(s): Bill Withers & Skip Scarborough
Entered chart 14 Jan 1978; Highest Position 7; Weeks on chart: 8.

Bill Withers (4 Jul 1938 - 30 Mar 2020) was born in West Virginia, USA.  Withers enlisted with the United States Navy at the age of 18 and served for nine years, during which time he became interested in singing and writing songs.  He left the Navy in 1965 and relocated to Los Angeles in 1967.  He had a variety of manual jobs whilst he developed a career in music.  In early 1970 he gained a recording contract at the age of 32 and recorded an album.  His second album came in 1972 and included the single "Lean On Me" which became a Number One hit in the USA and a Top 20 hit in Britain (see year 1972, song 64).  This was his first UK hit since "Lean On Me".  He had problems with CBS records during the second half of the 1970s and early 1980s, and thus only recorded sporadically during that time.  Disillusioned with the recording industry, he retired in 1985.  However, his name was kept alive with remixes and compilation albums, as well as by songs he wrote for other performers.  In the 21st century he was inducted into three different halls of fame in the USA.
#
This recording was remixed in 1988, and that version reached number four in the UK charts during September that year.


5

Title: I Was Only Joking
Artist: Rod Stewart
Writer(s): Gary Grainger & Rod Stewart
Entered chart 28 Jan 1978; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart: 8.

Rod Stewart was born 10 Jan 1945 in north London, England.  His father was Scottish, and Stewart has always celebrated his Scottish roots.  He came to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the Jeff Beck Group, and then the Faces, but he recorded solo in addition to his group duties.  Stewart's 1971 solo album "Every Picture Tells a Story" made him a household name, reaching Number One in the UK and USA.  The album contained the Tim Harding song "Reason To Believe", which was issued as a single.  The B-side of that record was "Maggie May" which soon became the dominant side, reaching Number One on both sides of the Atlantic.  His fame grew to worldwide proportions, and he has sold over 120 million records throughout the world.  He has had nine Number One albums in the UK Album chart, and his tally of 62 UK hit singles includes 31 that reached the Top 10, six of which were chart toppers.  Stewart has had 16 Top 10 singles in the USA.  From 2002 to 2010 he issued five albums in his "Great American Songbook" series, which were all successful in the charts.  He was knighted in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to music and charity.  He issued a new album, "The Tears Of Hercules", in 2021, which reached number five on the UK album chart.
#
This recording was part of a double A-side with "Hot Legs".


6

Title: Come Back My Love
Artist: Darts
Writer(s): Bobby Mansfield
Entered chart 28 Jan 1978; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 12.

Darts was a nine-piece British revival band that achieved chart success in the late 1970s and early 1980s with revivals of early US Rock 'n' Roll, R&B and Doo-wop songs.  They achieved their first hit in November 1977 with a medley of "Daddy Cool" (a hit for the Rays in 1955) and "The Girl Can't Help It" (a hit for Little Richard in 1957).  In total they had six Top 10 hits plus a further two Top 20 hits by 1980.  With falling popularity, the band broke up in 1983, and members pursued other avenues in the music business.
#
"Come Back My Love" was originally recorded by New York-based American group The Wrens in 1955.  It was not a hit.  The song's writer, Bobby Mansfield, was a founding member of the group.  He died in 2013 at age 76.


7

Title: Mr Blue Sky
Artist: Electric Light Orchestra
Writer(s): Jeff Lynne
Entered chart 28 Jan 1978; Highest Position 6; Weeks on chart: 11.

The Electric Light Orchestra (commonly known as ELO) was formed in 1970 by two members of the band The Move, Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood.  Wood left ELO in 1972, and Lynne became the band's lead vocalist, songwriter and record producer.  Bev Bevan was the drummer, and he remained a fixture until 1986.  The band's sound is characterised by a full orchestral backing, often with classical overtones.  During ELO's original 13-year period of active recording and touring, they sold over 50 million records worldwide, and collected numerous awards.  From 1972 to 1986, ELO accumulated 27 top 40 hits on the UK Singles Chart, and fifteen top 20 hits on the American charts.  They also achieved seven Top 10 albums in the UK, including two that reached Number One on the album chart.  Lynne disbanded the group in 1986, following which, drummer Bevan created ELO Part II and a couple of small hits ensued for them.  That incarnation ceased in 1999.  Lynne finally reformed the band in 2014 as Jeff Lynne's ELO.  They toured frequently, and issued a new album in 2019.
#
This track is taken from their late 1977 album "Out Of The Blue" which reached number four in the UK album chart and eventually spent 108 weeks on the chart.  The band's next hit came in June (song 45).


8

Title: Take A Chance On Me
Artist: Abba
Writer(s): Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus
Entered chart 4 Feb 1978; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 10.

Abba was a Swedish group who shot to fame when they won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Waterloo".  The members were: Agnetha Fältskog (born 5 Apr 1950 in Jönköping, Sweden), Anni-Frid "Frida" Lyngstad (born 15 Nov 1945 in Ballangen, Norway), Björn Ulvaeus (born 25 Apr 1945 in Gothenburg, Sweden), and Benny Andersson (born 16 Dec 1946 in Stockholm, Sweden).  Following their "Waterloo" success, there was a slight gap in record sales until 1975 when they began a run of 18 UK Top 10 hits, lasting until 1981.  They were the most successful Scandinavian act, with success in the USA, Australia, most of Europe and other parts of the world.  They toured the world extensively during the second half of the 1970s.  In 1977 "ABBA: The Movie" a  drama-documentary about their Australian tour was released.  Three 'greatest hits' albums were issued between 1976 and 1982, but in 1992 their "Gold" compilation album was released, which reached Number One in the UK, eventually staying on the chart for 328 weeks.  The group split in 1982, and Benny and  Björn went on to write the musical "Chess" (with Tim Rice) which opened in London in 1986.  In 1999 a musical called "Mamma Mia!", which featured numerous Abba songs opened in London.  A film version of the musical was released in 2008.  Agnetha has issued several solo albums, the most recent in 2013.  Frida initially retired from the music business and moved to Switzerland.  However, in late 2021 it was announced that Abba had reunited to record a new album called "Voyage".
#
This track is taken from their album "Abba: The Album" which entered the UK album chart on the same date as the single entered the singles chart.  The album reached Number One, being their third chart-topper of eight consecutive Number One albums.
# The band's next hit did not come until September (song 66).


9

Title: Emotion
Artist: Samantha Sang
Writer(s): Barry & Robin Gibb
Entered chart 4 Feb 1978; Highest Position 11; Weeks on chart: 13.

Samantha Sang was born on 5 August 1951 in Melbourne, Australia.  She began singing at a young age, using the name of Cheryl Gray.  At the age of 15 she issued her first single and by 1967 she was in the Australian charts Top 10.  In 1969 she travelled to the UK where she met the Bee Gees pop group and signed a deal with their management, changing her name to Samantha Sang (Sang was her real surname).  Some singles were recorded and released, but none reached the UK charts.  In 1977 she recorded the song "Emotion" which was co-written and co-produced by Barry Gibb.  It reached number three in the USA, number two in Australia and number eleven in the UK.  Although she continued to record and release new material, she had no other hits in the UK.  She eventually returned to live in Australia.
#
Barry Gibb provided a strong harmony and vocal backing on the recording which almost made it a duet.
# In 2001, American female group Destiny's Child recorded the song, taking it to number three in the UK charts that year.


10

Title: Stayin' Alive
Artist: The Bee Gees
Writer(s): Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb
Entered chart 4 Feb 1978; Highest Position 4; Weeks on chart: 18.

The Bee Gees were brothers Barry Gibb (born 1 Sep 1946, Isle of Man), and twins Robin Gibb (22 Dec 1949 - 20 May 2012) and Maurice Gibb (22 Dec 1949 - 12 Jan 2003), also born on the Isle of Man.  The three brothers grew up in Manchester, UK, but in the mid-1950s the family moved to Australia.  They began performing at a young age, and by 1960 they were appearing on TV.  After achieving their first chart success in Australia as the Bee Gees with "Spicks and Specks", they returned to the UK in January 1967, when producer Robert Stigwood began promoting them to a worldwide audience.  In 1967 they had their first UK hit, the somewhat morbid song "New York Mining Disaster 1941", which reached number twelve.  Hits continued through the remainder of the 1960s, when they enjoyed success in the USA as well.  Things went quiet in the early 1970s, but in the mid-1970s they jumped on the Disco bandwagon and became superstars.  They wrote several songs for the 1977 film "Saturday Night Fever" which starred John Travolta, and singles as well as the soundtrack album were worldwide hits.  Their success continued through the following decades, and they also wrote and produced many hits for other artists.  Their final new album came in 2001, but with the death of Maurice two years later, the other two embarked on solo projects apart from a couple of charity events where they performed together.  Robin died in 2012, and Barry has since performed and recorded solo.
#
This song was featured on the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack and album.  The song reached Number One in the USA, and it has become the quintessential Disco record of the era.
# The B-side of the single was "If I Can't Have You" (also from "Saturday Night Fever") which was also recorded by Yvonne Elliman, and her version was a UK hit in May 1978 (song 31).


11

Title: Fantasy
Artist: Earth, Wind & Fire
Writer(s): Maurice White, Verdine White & Eddie del Barrio
Entered chart 11 Feb 1978; Highest Position 14; Weeks on chart: 10.

Earth, Wind & Fire is a Soul/Funk/Disco band with as many as ten members, including a horn section.  The band was formed by Maurice White (19 Dec 1941 - 4 Feb 2016), and he and Philip Bailey were the joint lead singers.  They first recorded in 1971 and gradually became more and more successful with their first USA Number One single hit coming in 1975.  They first charted in the UK in 1977 when "Saturday Nite" reached the Top 20.  Their most successful year in the UK charts was 1979 when three hits reached the Top 10.  They have continued to perform, with a changing band membership, although Philip Bailey, Verdine White (Maurice's brother) and Ralph Johnson are still part of the band, having been present since the early 1970s.
# The band's next Top 40 hit came in October (song 76).


12

Title: Baker Street
Artist: Gerry Rafferty
Writer(s): Gerry Rafferty
Entered chart 18 Feb 1978; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart: 15.

Gerry Rafferty (16 Apr 1947 - 4 Jan 2011) was born in Paisley, Scotland.  Rafferty had humble beginnings in Scotland, but in his teens began writing music.  Moving to London, he spend time busking whilst trying to make it in the music business. In 1969 he joined with later comedian Billy Connolly to form the group the Humblebums.  They recorded a couple of albums, but separated in 1971.  In 1972 Rafferty joined with old school friend Joe Egan to form the group Stealers Wheel, and they enjoyed some success in the charts (see year 1973, song 41).  However, that success was short-lived and they broke up in 1974.  He went solo from that time, but contractual issues prevented him from recording until 1977.  His album "City To City" was a Top 10 success in the UK album chart and it spawned the single "Baker Street".  Another Top 10 single and album followed in 1979, but sales of new material slowly diminished after that.  Nevertheless he continued to record periodically, his final album coming in 2009.  Sadly he died from liver failure in 2011 at the age of 63.
# Baker Street is in the west end of London, where Rafferty lived when he first went to London.
# The saxophone eight-bar solo that is a prominent part of the recording was played by session musician Raphael Ravenscroft.


13

Title: I Can't Stand The Rain
Artist: Eruption
Writer(s): Ann Peebles, Don Bryant & Bernard Miller
Entered chart 18 Feb 1978; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart: 11.

Soul/Disco band Eruption was formed in England in 1974 with lead singer Precious Wilson.  In 1977 they went to Germany where they signed a record deal, and toured with Boney M.  Their first UK hit came in early 1978 when their recording of "I Can't Stand The Rain" reached the Top 10.  They had one more Top 10 in 1979, but no more hits came their way in the UK.  They did have a few more hits in Germany, but the band broke up in 1985.  Precious Wilson still tours, either solo, or with a new band also called Eruption.
# The song was written in 1973, and recorded by co-writer Ann Peebles.  It was a number 41 hit in the UK charts during 1974.


14

Title: Denis
Artist: Blondie
Writer(s): Neil Levenson
Entered chart 18 Feb 1978; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 14.

Blondie is an American Rock band founded during 1974 in New York City by singer Debbie Harry (born 1 Jul 1945 in Miami, USA) and guitarist Chris Stein (born 5 Jan 1950 in New York City).  The band was a pioneer in the New Wave scene.  Fronted by the charismatic Debbie Harry the band had their debut UK hit in 1978 with the song "Denis".  They went on to considerable success during the last two years of the 1970s and into the early 1980s.  During that time they enjoyed four Number one hits in the USA and five chart-toppers in the UK.  There were also six Top 10 albums in the UK album chart from 1978 to 1982 including a 'best of' album.  However, by 1982 things were not going well.  A UK and European tour was cancelled due to poor ticket sales, and in November 1982, the band publicly announced that they had disbanded.  In 1983, Stein was diagnosed with the life-threatening illness pemphigus, and Debbie Harry took on the roll of carer for him.  Harry embarked on solo career in the mid-1980s, and had the UK Top 10 single "French Kissing In The USA" in late 1986.  Several more lesser hits continued into the early 1990s.  In 1997, with Stein fully recovered, the members of Blondie reunited, and they hit the UK Number One spot in 1999 with "Maria".  The band has continued to record and perform into the 2020s.
# The song was written in
1963, and it became a USA Top 10 hit when recorded by the American Doo-Wop group Randy & the Rainbows. 


15

Title: Matchstalk Men And Matchstalk Cats And Dogs
Artist: Brian & Michael
Writer(s): Michael Coleman & Brian Burke
Entered chart 25 Feb 1978; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 19.

Brian and Michael was a Folk music-style duo who had been working mainly in Denmark, Sweden and Germany during the first part of the 1970s.  They were also friends with Kevin Parrott who was lead guitarist with a local Manchester band.  Parrott arranged for the pair to record the song which he produced.  However, Brian Burke decided to leave the duo after the recording had been made, and when it became a hit, Parrott took on the role of Brian for all the live performances that followed.  Although further recordings were made, none were hits, and this remains the duo's only hit record.  Coleman and Parrott continued in the music business for many years, but Coleman finally retired in 2016.
# "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs" was a tribute to the artist L. S. Lowry, who had died in February 1976.  The chorus makes reference to Lowry's style of painting human figures, which was similar to stick figure drawings.
# The children's choir which provides the backing vocals is St Winifred's School Choir, who went on to have their own Number One hit in 1980 with "There's No One Quite Like Grandma".  The brass band on the recording is the Tintwistle Brass Band, from the village in Derbyshire where Parrott lived at the time.


16

Title: Baby Come Back
Artist: Player
Writer(s): Peter Beckett & J C Crowley (Group members)
Entered chart 25 Feb 1978; Highest Position 32; Weeks on chart: 7.

Player was an American Soft-rock band formed during the late 1970s in Los Angeles, USA.  Peter Beckett was the lead singer and song writer who originated from Liverpool, England.  He had been in some local bands in the UK but moved to Los Angeles in 1974 at the age of 26.  He met John Crowley at a party and the decided to form Player.  They recorded their debut album in 1977 and the track "Baby Come Back" was taken from the album.  The single became and American Number One hit, but in the UK it only managed number 32.  No other recording reached the UK charts.  Even by late 1978 there were disagreements among the band members, and this resulted in the departure of John Crowley who returned to his native Texas where he developed a career in Country Music.  The remaining members continued and recorded sporadically for the following decades, most recently in 2013, although during the 1980s Beckett was mainly working as a songwriter for other artists.


17

Title: Is This Love
Artist: Bob Marley
Writer(s): Bob Marley
Entered chart 25 Feb 1978; Highest Position 9; Weeks on chart: 9.

Bob Marley (6 Feb 1945 - 11 May 1981) was born in Jamaica.  He was a Reggae singer, songwriter, musician, and guitarist who achieved international fame and acclaim.  Starting out in 1963 with the group The Wailers, he forged a distinctive songwriting and vocal style that would later resonate with audiences worldwide.  Marley's first UK hit came in 1975, the classic live recording of "No Woman, No Cry".  "Jamming" was his second UK Top 10 entry.  Following an assassination attempt, Marley relocated to London at the end of 1976.  However, in 1977 he was diagnosed with a form of cancer.  Despite that he continued recording and performing world wide, and performed his last concert in the USA during 1980.  His health deteriorated soon after that, and he died in spring 1981.  A compilation of his greatest recordings, called "Legend", was issued in 1984 which entered the UK album chart at Number One, where it would eventually clock 330 weeks on the chart.  Further albums were released, including another 'best of...' in 2001 which reached number five on the UK album chart.
# This track is taken from Marley's 1978 album "Kaya" which reached number four on the UK album chart.  He did not reach the UK singles chart Top 10 again until June 1980.


18

Title: Sometimes When We Touch
Artist: Dan Hill
Writer(s): Dan Hill & Barry Mann
Entered chart 25 Feb 1978; Highest Position 13; Weeks on chart: 13.

Dan Hill was born on 3 Jun 1954 in Toronto, Canada.  He began singing and performing as a teenager, and released his first single in 1972.  He recorded his first album in 1975, but it was not until 1978 that he enjoyed his first major success when "Sometimes When We Touch" was released.  The recording reached Number One in his native Canada and number three in the USA.  Although he continued to have hits in Canada, it was not until 1987 that he entered the USA Top 10 again, when he recorded a duet with American singer-songwriter Vonda Shepard.  Titled "Can't We Try", it peaked at number six, and began a short run of USA Top 10 hits until 1991.  He continued to write and perform into the 21st century, with a new album "On The Other Side Of Here", released in 2021.
# "Sometimes When We Touch" is Hill's only entry on the UK charts.


19

Title: Every 1's A Winner
Artist: Hot Chocolate
Writer(s): Errol Brown
Entered chart 4 Mar 1978; Highest Position 12; Weeks on chart: 11.

Hot Chocolate is a five-piece Soul band from London, England which became one of the most successful acts during the 1970s and 1980s.  It was formed by Errol Brown (12 Nov 1943 - 6 May 2015, born in Jamaica) and Tony Wilson (born in Trinidad on 8 Oct 1947).  They started in 1968 as a Reggae band, but from 1970, under the guidance of producer Mickie Most, they moved to a Soul/Pop style.  Their first hit was "Love Is Life" in 1970, and this began a run of 25 UK Top 40 singles (12 Top 10) until 1984.  Later in the 1980s, reissues returned them to the charts.  There were some personnel changes from time to time, with Wilson leaving in 1976 and Errol Brown departing in 1986.  The band broke up after Brown's departure for a solo career, but it was reformed with a new vocalist in 1992, with another new vocalist in 2010, and it continues to perform in Britain and Europe until the present.
# This track comes from the band's 1978 album, also titled "Every 1's A Winner", which peaked at number 30 on the UK album chart..  They were next in the singles chart during December 1978 (see song 93).


20

Title: I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass
Artist: Nick Lowe
Writer(s): Nick Lowe, Andrew Bodnar & Steve Goulding
Entered chart 11 Mar 1978; Highest Position 7; Weeks on chart: 8.

Nick Lowe was born on 24 March 1949 at Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England.  He began his music career in 1969 when he joined with school friend Brinsley Schwarz to form a band named Brinsley Schwarz.  No hits came for the band and Lowe left in 1975.  He became a record producer at Stiff Records, and recorded an album and singles whilst there.  Lowe's first chart success came in 1978 when "I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass" reached number seven in the UK charts - his only Top 10 success.  From the 1980s he worked with various bands, notably Rockpile with Dave Edmunds, and wrote many songs, some of which were picked up by other artists.  He is still performing, and has appeared at the Glastonbury Festival in 2011 and again in 2019.
# Lowe's next significant hit, "Cruel To Be Kind" came in August 1979.


21

Title: Follow You Follow Me
Artist: Genesis
Writer(s): Tony Banks, Phil Collins & Mike Rutherford
Entered chart 11 Mar 1978; Highest Position 7; Weeks on chart: 13.

Genesis was formed in Surrey, England during 1967.  It was a five-piece Progressive Rock band which in addition to the three band members who wrote this song (see above), included vocalist Peter Gabriel and guitarist Steve Hackett.  Their first hit album came in 1972 but Gabriel left in 1975 and went on to a successful solo career.  Following Gabriel's departure, drummer Phil Collins took over vocal duties.  Hackett left in 1977, and their 1978 album was titled "And Then There Were Three".  That album spawned this single which was the band's first entry in the UK Top 10 singles chart.  They went on to considerable success with hit singles, and in particular hit albums, six of which reached Number One.  Whilst Genesis was fully active, Phil Collins began a concurrent highly successful solo career from 1981, and for several years he performed with the group and solo.  Although they performed through the 2010s, with Collin's deteriorating health, the band's last performance was in 2022, when he sang but did not play drums.  It is not expected that there will be any further performances or recordings from the band.
# The band's next Top 10 hit did not come until 1980 when "Turn It On Again" reached number eight.


22

Title: If You Can't Give Me Love
Artist: Suzi Quatro
Writer(s): Mike Chapman & Nicky Chinn
Producer: Mickie Most
Entered chart 18 Mar 1978; Highest Position 4; Weeks on chart: 13.

Suzi Quatro was born 3 Jun 1950 in Detroit, Michigan, USA.  She had a musical father, and learned to play drums and bass guitar at an early age, and in 1966 joined with her two sisters and others in the all-female band the Pleasure Seekers.  She moved to England in 1971 after being seen by record producer Mickie Most.  Her first release in the UK during 1973, "Can The Can" went to Number One, followed by the number three hit "48 Crash".  She was back at Number One in 1974 with "Devil Gate Drive", and later that year "The Wild One" reached number seven.  Things went quite chart-wise after that until 1978 when she was in the Top 10 again with "If You Can't Give Me Love".  That was her last major hit in the UK.  She continued performing and making some recordings into the 21st century.  During the 1980s she turned to acting and appeared in several TV dramas and stage musicals.  In the 2000s she hosted some music shows on BBC radio.
# Her next hit in this list came in November, her duet with Chris Norman titled "Stumbin' In" (song 84).


23

Title: Never Let Her slip Away
Artist: Andrew Gold
Writer(s): Andrew Gold
Entered chart 25 Mar 1978; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart: 13.

Andrew Gold (2 Aug 1951 - 3 Jun 2011) was born in California, USA.  Gold's parents were both musicians, so Gold was destined to go into the music business.  As a multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter he worked with numerous other musicians in the 1970s, in particular with Linda Ronstadt.  His debut solo album was released in 1975, but it was his second album, "What's Wrong With This Picture?" that spawned his UK debut single "Lonely Boy" (see year 1977, song 26), which reached number seven in both the USA and Canada.  In 1978 he reached the UK Top 10 for the only time with "Never Let Her Slip Away".  In 1981 Gold worked with 10cc on their new album, and when 10cc broke up in 1983, band member Graham Gouldman formed the duo Wax with Gold.  The duo had a couple of modest hits in the second half of the 1980s, but separated in 1989.  Gold continued as a composer, producer and session musician during the 1990s and 2000s, but died from heart failure in 2011 at the age of 59.
# In 1992, British band Undercover recorded the song and their version also reached number five in the UK charts that year.


24

Title: I Wonder Why
Artist: Showaddywaddy
Writer(s): Melvin Anderson & Ricardo Weeks
Entered chart 25 Mar 1978; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 11.

Showaddywaddy is a Rock 'n' Roll band specialising in revivals of songs from the late 1950s and early 1960s.  The band was formed in Leicester, England in 1973.  They came to prominence after appearing on the TV talent show "New Faces".  The group was fronted by Dave Bartram (born 23 Mar 1952), and he remained in the group until 2011 when he then became their manager.  They first reached the charts in 1974, and went on to have 23 hits, ten of which made the Top 10, until 1982.  They have continued to perform until the present, although there have been several personnel changes, especially in recent years.
# The song was written in 1958 and recorded that year by American group Dion & The Belmonts.  That version reached number 22 on the USA charts but did not chart in the UK.


25

Title: Too Much, Too Little, Too Late
Artist: Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams
Writer(s): John Vallins & Nat Kipner
Entered chart 25 Mar 1978; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart: 14.

Johnny Mathis was born on 30 Sep 1935 in Texas, USA, but his family moved to San Francisco, where he grew up.  His father encouraged him to sing, and he was having voice lessons from the age of 13.  He began singing in clubs in 1955, and was soon given a recording contract.  His crooning style was very popular with the older generation, and TV appearances increased his popularity.  He issued dozens of albums of ballads and standards, as well as having some success in the singles market.  In 1976 his Christmas perennial, "When A Child Is Born", first entered the UK charts, reaching Number One.  A few further hits continued in the UK until 1979.
Deniece Williams was born on 3 Jun 1951, in Gary, Indiana, USA.  She began singing as a college student, and as well as singing with a group, she became a backing singer on several of Stevie Wonder's albums.  In 1975 she gained a new recording contract, and her recording "Free" became a hit in 1977 (see year 1977, song 25).  Her final UK hit came in 1984.  In the late 1980s she issued a couple of Gospel albums.  Her most recent album was released in 2007, which reached the Top 50 of the American R&B chart.
# "
Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" reached Number One in the USA charts.


26

Title: Let's All Chant
Artist: Michael Zager Band
Writer(s): Michael Zager & Alvin Fields
Entered chart 1 Apr 1978; Highest Position: 8; Weeks on chart: 12.

Michael Zager was born on 3 Jan 1943 in New Jersey, USA.  He is primarily a record producer, but also a composer of mostly TV commercial jingles and film music.  In 1977, he wrote, produced and recorded this Disco song, which was his band's only major hit in the UK and USA.  Since that time he has produced recordings for numerous artists, and has written a couple of books about the art of composing and producing.


27

Title: Night  Fever
Artist: The Bee Gees
Writer(s): Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb
Entered chart 15 Apr 1978; Highest Position: 1; Weeks on chart: 20.

This was the group's follow-up to their hit "Stayin' Alive" (see song 10 above).  Like its predecessor, it featured in the film "Saturday Night Fever".  It was a Number One hit in the USA too, remaining at the top for eight weeks (only two in the UK).  It has become a Disco classic, but is arguably not now as popular as "Stayin' Alive".
# The trio's next hit, "Too Much Heaven", charted in November (song 92).


28

Title: Rivers Of Babylon
Artist: Boney M
Writer(s): Brent Dowe & Trevor McNaughton
Entered chart 29 Apr 1978; Highest Position: 1; Weeks on chart: 40.

Boney M was a Euro-Caribbean vocal group created in 1976 by German record producer Frank Farian, who was the group's primary songwriter.  Originally based in Germany, the four original members were Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett from Jamaica, Maizie Williams from Montserrat and Bobby Farrell, a dancer from Aruba.  In reality, only the two female vocalists Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett sang on the recordings, and any male voice was that of producer Frank Farian, not Bobby Farrell, backed up by session singers as necessary.  However, all four performed on live presentations of Bonny M recordings.  They became extremely popular throughout Europe during the Disco era, and they had scored ten Top 10 hits on the UK charts by the end of the decade.  Their albums "Night Flight To Venus" and "Oceans Of Fantasy" both went to Number One on the British album chart in the years 1978 and 1979 respectively.  In 1980 their "20 Golden Greats" compilation album also topped the album chart.  After 1985, the members had gone their separate ways, although some continued performing Boney M songs with the addition of different singers well into the 21st century.
# The song was originally recorded in 1970 by the songwriters who were members of the Jamaican reggae group The Melodians.  It became a Number One hit in Jamaica.
# The Boney M version was a double A-side with "Brown Girl In The Ring", number 29, below.


29

Title: Brown Girl In The Ring
Artist: Boney M
Writer(s): Frank Farian
Entered chart 29 Apr 1978; Highest Position: 1; Weeks on chart: 40.

This recording was on the same physical record as "By The Rivers Of Babylon", although originally it was the B-side of the disc.  However it began to get airplay on the radio, and it started to sell in its own right.  It was not until 5th August 1978 that it was listed in the charts as a separate entity, eventually peaking at number two.  However, as it was on the same record as the Number One hit, it is normally shown in listings books as being a joint Number One hit.
# The song is based on a Jamaican children's game of the same title.


30

Title: Love Is In The Air
Artist: John Paul Young
Writer(s): Harry Vanda & George Young (former members of the Easybeats)
Entered chart 29 Apr 1978; Highest Position: 5; Weeks on chart: 13.

John Paul Young was born on 21 Jun 1950 in Glasgow, Scotland, but emigrated to Australia with his family in 1962.  Still in his teens, he began a singing career that saw him appear in the Australian production of "Jesus Christ Superstar".  His first hit in Australia came in 1972, and several hits followed in that country.  It was not until 1978 that he made his mark in the UK with the song "Love Is In The Air", which was a Top 10 hit also in the USA.  However, his popularity began to wane after that, even in Australia.  Nevertheless he has continued with live performances, and has appeared on Australian TV numerous times into the 2010s.
# The recording has been remixed twice, first in 1992 when it reached number 49 in the UK charts, and again in 2002 when it peaked at number 25.


MORE TO COME


Acts with most appearances in this list:

Bee Gees: 3 + 1 Samantha Sang with Barry Gibb
Blondie: 4
Boney M: 3
Darts: 3
Earth Wind & Fire: 3
ELO: 3
Barry Manilow: 3
Showaddywaddy: 3
Rod Stewart: 3
John Travolta: 3 (2 with ONJ)
Olivia Newton John: 3 (2 with John Travolta)


Composers with most appearances in this list:

Don Henley & Glenn Frey: 3 (all for the Eagles)
Carole Bayer Sager: 3 (1 with Albert Hammond; 1 with Bette Midler & Bruce Roberts; 1 with Marvin Hamlisch)
Van McCoy: 3 (1 with Joe Cobb)


New Names in 1978
These are new names in the Hot Hundred listings.  To qualify, new acts must have gone on to have at least three entries in these lists.  One-hit Wonders do not qualify.

Darts
Earth, Wind & Fire
Rose Royce (2 entries only)



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Comments and corrections to: mjs@onlineweb.com

Compiled August 2023
Updated 09/05/2024

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