Radio Hits in November 1973: Name That Tune
by Best Classic Bands Staff
In November 1973, the world was getting increasingly caught up in the Watergate scandal. While President Richard Nixon was professing “I am not a crook,” days later his attorney revealed the infamous 18 1/2-minute gap in the White House tape recordings.
And on Los Angeles Top 40 radio leader KHJ, rock songs still dominated the survey.
Bubbling under… Debuting at #30 (on its way to #3) were Michigan rockers Brownsville Station with the biggest hit of their career, “Smokin’ in the Boys Room.” Enjoy our feature story on Brownsville Station.
Climbing from #30 to #27 was Stevie Wonder‘s “Living For the City” from his brilliant Innervisions album. Todd Rundgren jumped from #29 to #25 with his third (and final) Top 20 single, “Hello, It’s Me.” The single was the biggest hit of his career, peaking at #5.
Related: Our story about the song’s wild success
Philadelphia soul group Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes ruled the R&B charts in the ’70s with ten Top 10 singles. “The Love I Lost,” with a great vocal by lead singer Teddy Pendergrass, climbed from #19 to #16 this week, on the way to #7 pop and #1 R&B.
The Steve Miller Band were enjoying their breakthrough hit, “The Joker,” this week moving from #23 to #13. It would become the first of their three #1 chart hits.
The Rolling Stones’ “Angie” was at #9, a few weeks after it had become the band’s seventh #1 Hot 100 hit. At #8, Billy Preston earned his fourth Top 5 hit in just two years with “Space Race.”
Jim Croce had died in a plane crash two months earlier and radio was embracing his music. His beautiful “I Got A Name” was at #7 this week on KHJ; it would soon be followed by “Time In a Bottle” which ultimately hit #1.
The title cut from Elton John’s hugely successful double album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was at #6 (on it’s way to #2), one of 16 Top 10 hits he had in the ‘70s.
Ringo Starr’s “Photograph” is the subject of an On This Day feature, marking the anniversary of its hitting #1. The song, co-written with George Harrison, was #3 this week on KHJ.
The Carpenters were at #2 with “Top of the World,” their second of three #1 hits. The duo enjoyed 12 Top 5 singles from 1970-1975.
At #1? Chicago’s “Just You ‘N’ Me,” one of the band’s insane number of Top 10 singles: 21. (Nationally, Chicago had to wait until 1976’s “If You Leave Me Now” to earn their first #1.)
30. “Smokin’ in the Boys Room” – Brownsville Station (Big Tree)
27. “Living in the City” – Stevie Wonder (Tamla)
25. “Hello, It’s Me” – Todd Rundgren (Bearsville)
16. “The Love I Lost” – Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes (Phila. Intl.)
13. “The Joker” – Steve Miller Band (Capitol)
10. “Heartbeat It’s a Lovebeat” – The DeFranco Family (20th Century)
9. “Angie” – The Rolling Stones (Rolling Stones)
8. “Space Race” – Billy Preston (A&M)
7. “I Got a Name” – Jim Croce (ABC)
6. “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” – Elton John (MCA)
5. “Why Me” – Kris Kristofferson (Monument)
4. “Midnight Train to Georgia” – Gladys Knight & The Pips (Buddah)
3. “Photograph” – Ringo Starr (Apple)
2. “Top of the World” – The Carpenters (A&M)
1. “Just You ‘N’ Me” – Chicago (Columbia)
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