Radio Hits in November 1973: Name That Tune
by Best Classic Bands Staff
“I am not a crook.”
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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