The Daily Dose/May 30, 2025
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

THIS IS CASEY, COUNTING THEM DOWN: Last time out here, we whined about how our method of ranking #1 songs differed from how Casey Kasem did it on his countdown of the Top 50 hits of the 1970s – the Countdown of the Decade, as it’s known. 

Dry, Technical Matter: Exact details of how Casey and company did it aren’t known, save for Casey noting the rankings were drawn from official Billboard chart data, though it’s presumed the issuing of points for each position gained in the survey is used. 

Fly In The Ointment: This is whack. The only way to rank songs is by peak position. When ranking #1 songs, weeks at the top are the first tie breaker, followed by weeks in the Top 10, Top 40, and Hot 100. If another tie-breaker was needed – and, thrillingly, it was here – you can go back to weeks in the Top 5.  

Get Out Your History Books: Here is the Top 10 from the Countdown of the Decade, with weeks at #1 in parentheses:

1: YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE – DEBBIE BOONE (10)
2: BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER – SIMON & GARFUNKEL (6)
3: JOY TO THE WORLD – THREE DOG NIGHT (6)
4: THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE – ROBERTA FLACK (6)
5: ALONE AGAIN (NATURALLY) – GILBERT O’SULLIVAN (6)
6: TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT – ROD STEWART (8)
7: AMERICAN PIE – DON McCLEAN (4)
8: HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE – BEE GEES (3)
9: STAYIN’ ALIVE – BEE GEES (4)
10: MY SHARONA – THE KNACK (6)

Have A Nice Day: Now, anyone familiar with the era, like us, knows this is a rock-solid Top 10 that is very difficult to argue with. We’re going to quibble with it anyway. Here are the Top 10 hits of the 1970s, ranked by weeks at #1, with ties broken as noted above and listed in parentheses: 

1: YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE – DEBBIE BOONE (10)
2: NIGHT FEVER – THE BEE GEES (8/13 T10)
3: TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT – ROD STEWART (8/11 T10)
4: SHADOW DANCING – ANDY GIBB (7)
5: LE FREAK – CHIC (6/15 T10)
6: MY SHARONA – THE KNACK (6/12 T10)
7: ALONE AGAIN (NATURALLY) (6/11 T10/15 T40/18 H100/10 T5)
8: THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE – ROBERTA FLACK (6/11 T10/15 T40/18 H100/9 T5)
9: JOY TO THE WORLD – THREE DOG NIGHT (6/11 T10/15 T40/17 H100)
10: BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER – SIMON & GARFUNKEL (6/10)

The Bottom Line: If you made it this far, you probably don’t get invited to (m)any parties, either. And it should be noted that if you got ten chart buffs in the same room, you might well end up with ten different Top 10 hits of the 1970s. Except for #1, where ten weeks cannot be argued with.Now, our method did not come down from Mount Sinai, but for our money, it’s the best way to do it, and if you do not have your own personal method, feel free to use it. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow and Hunter run into a houseman at the hospital using someone else’s badge. Today’s Diary. 

Perhaps thinking they may be part of some roving band of marauding cleaners, Hunter starts asking what the deal is…

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On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it. 

In 1806 – Future President of the United States Andrew Jackson kills attorney and slave trader Charles Dickinson in a duel in Adairville, Kentucky. Dickinson got the first shot off and hit Jackson in the chest, the shot deflected somewhat by a brass button on Jackson’s coat. Dickinson was shot in the chest and bled to death. Jackson never had the bullet removed, and carried it for the rest of his life. The duel came about from a dispute over a horse race. Adairville is across the border from their native Tennessee, where dueling was illegal. 

In 1911 – Ray Harroun wins the first Indianapolis 500, winning in 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 8 seconds, 1 minute, 43 seconds ahead of Ralph Mulford. It remains the only Indy victory for Harroun, who retired after the race, and was the highest finish in ten races for Mulford. All cars that could drive one-quarter of a mile in twelve seconds – 75 mph – qualified for the race, though the starting grid was determined by date of entry. Harroun was relieved by Cyrus Patschke for 35 laps 

In 1960 – The Everly Brothers are at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the second of six consecutive weeks with Cathy’s Clown. It was the ninth of 15 Top 10 hits for the duo and was their fourth and final #1. The song also spent seven weeks at #1 in Great Britain and one week at #1 on Billboard’s soul chart, their third and final soul #1. The song was written by Don Everly and was recorded live in one take. In 1989, a version by Reba McEntire to #1 on Billboard’s country chart, making it one of the few songs to go to #1 on all three major Billboard singles charts. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

History and our own conscience will judge us harshly if we do not now make every effort to test our hopes by action.
John F Kennedy

Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.

Billboard’s #1 song of 2017 was Shape of You by Ed Sheeran, which spent twelve non-consecutive weeks at #1. 

Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.

What song spent the most weeks at #1 in the 1980s? – Answer next time! 

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Friends, The Daily Dose will return. Promise. This is not a haitus.

Click here to read today’s entry in The Diary of a Nobody. 

Regards,

Share Gaylon! Go!

Friends,

Your heavyweight champion of the world – The Daily Dose – will return.

Click here to read today’s entry in The Diary of a Nobody. 

Thank you for being you,

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The Daily Dose/May 27, 2025
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

OH HELL, HERE WE GO: This past weekend we heard our all-time favorite radio show, Casey Kasem’s American Top 40’s countdown of the Top 50 hits of the 1970s – the Countdown of the Decade as it’s known. For our money, it remains one of radio’s finest efforts, certainly better than anything we ever did when we plied that more or less honorable trade ages ago. 

Dry, Technical Matter: There is a 24/7 AT40 channel that plays their year-end top 100 hits of the year shows every holiday weekend. They generally throw in one of Casey’s special shows, and once a year or so, they’ll play the Countdown of the Decade. 

Fly In The Ointment: One thing we’ve always quibbled with – and something we’ve discussed here before – is how songs are ranked. Casey says several times that the countdown is computed by AT40 staff based on data from Billboard’s weekly charts….Fair enough, though further details appear to be a proprietary secret, though we would not have a seizure of the system awarded points for reaching each chart position. 

Stop Us If You’ve Heard This Before: It’s different than the system we would use. For our money, the only criterion is a song’s peak position. In this case, every song went to #1, so you’d break ties with the number of weeks at #1, weeks in the Top 5, Top 10, Top 40, and on the Hot 100. Honestly, we don’t see how anybody ranks songs any other way. Using the points method, it is entirely possible a #2 song could outrank a #1 song in a year-end survey, which happens a lot and is utterly whack. My song went to number one, yours didn’t, therefore my song is bigger than yours. 

The Bottom Line: You’re probably thinking we were going to bore everyone with a comparison of Casey’s Top 10 and ours – they are different – but we won’t bore you with that. Yet. We will save it for next time.  

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow declines to read an email for health reasons. Today’s Diary. 

The AFDM showed it to me and it was fairly long (typical AFDM thoroughness, no doubt), tho to avoid stroke we didn’t actually read it…

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Of course you would.
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It’s easy reading on any device. 

———

On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it. 

In 1703 – The city of St Petersburg is founded by Russian Tsar Peter the Great to give Russia a year-round seaport. The city is located at the mouth of the Neva River, about halfway between Finland and Estonia. The city served as Russia’s capital from 1713-1728 and again from 1730-1918, when it was moved to Moscow and today has a population of roughly 5.3 million, the northernmost European city with more than one million people. The site had originally been the site of a fortress built by Swedes in 1611. 

In 1961 – Ralph Boston establishes a new world record in the long jump at the Modestp Relays in California. Boston jumped 27 feet, one=quarter of an inch, to break the record of 26 feet, 11 inches he had established in August 1960. Boston would break the record by 1.5 inches in July, and all told held the world six different times. The world record is now 29 feet, 4.25 inches, done by Mike Powell in 1991. 

In 2017 – Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber is at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the first of a record-tying 16 consecutive weeks with Despacito. The song went to #1 in 41 other countries, including Ukraine and Great Britain, and was Billboard’s 2nd-biggest song of the year. It remains the only #1 song by Fonsi and Daddy Yankee and was the fifth of nine #1s for Bieber. The song tied the mark established by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men with One Sweet Day and the record is now 19 weeks, by Lil Naz X and Billy Ray Cyrus (Old Town Road) and Shaboozey [A Bar Song (Tipsey)]

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

But his time is not now, and so the legend dies.
Charles Kuralt

Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.

Chief Justice of the United States Salmon P Chase presided over the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson. 

Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.

What was Billboard’s #1 song of 2017? – Answer next time! 

Share Gaylon! Go!

The Daily Dose/May 26, 2025
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™

Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.

USA! USA!: Today is Memorial Day here in the US, a day set aside for honoring our nation’s war dead, a worthwhile and solemn occasion. Its roots date back to after the Civil War, when communities put flowers on the graves of those who died in that war, though it did not become a federal holiday until 1971. 

Dry, Technical, Matter: There are probably few families in America who have not had someone go off to war, and while, statistically, most people come back from their war, some do not. 

Fly In The Ointment: Over the centuries, approximately 2.8 million Americans have died in battle, with 40,000 more missing. There is no reason to think they’re alive, so think of them today, too, dammit, becaue some became POWs and did not have the benefit of quick death.  

A Warm, Personal Remembrance: We are very fortunate: everyone on both sides of our family returned from their wars. Six-time great-grandpa Absalom in the Revolution, Grandpa Gaylon in War I, Dad and Uncle Don in War II. More than one uncle returned from Vietnam, and my late brother returned from the Gulf. In fact, no one returned with so much as a bad case of dandruff. Not every family was that lucky, including two widows we know. 

Me! Me! Me!: There wasn’t a war for us to fight, and we spent four years in the Navy mainly catching up on our rest, a treasured pastime to this day. 

The Bottom Line: Please, do not thank a veteran or a current servicemember today. It is inappropriate, and they would resent it. Do, however, take a moment to remember those who did not come back and do so without fussing over whether or not you supported the wars they died in. Every one of them died for our country. 

Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually. 

The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow has a busy night at the hotel. Today’s Diary. 

…you might be thinking ol’ Sparrow was humming on all customer service cylinders here, graciousness oozing, ineffably, from every pore.

Don’t think that. We keep this job because we’re not asked to do too much, and all pesky guests do is get in the way of our treasured project work.

———

Would you like 4Ever & Ever access to Gaylon’s crap?
Of course you would.
Click here. It’s only $24.99.

Click here for complimentary chapters of all of Gaylon’s books.
It’s easy reading on any device. 

———

On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it. 

In 1868 – President of the United States Andrew Johnson is acquitted by one vote in his impeachment trial in the United States Senate. Johnson had been impeached by the House of Representatives on nine articles in March, most concerning violating the Tenure of Office Act, which forbade the president from removing cabinet members without the Senate’s consent, an act later found unconstitutional. The final not guilty vote was cast by Kansas Senator Edmund Ross, who stated he believed the offense was not deserving of impeachment. 

In 1974 – Johnny Rutherford wins the Indianapolis 500 by 22 seconds over Bobby Unser, the only other driver on the lead lap. It was the first of three Indy 500 wins for Rutherford, and remains the only 2nd-place finish of Unser, to go along with two wins. It was the first Indy 500 held on the Sunday before Memorial Day, as previous races had been held on the holiday itself, known for many years as Decoration Day in parts of the US. 

In 1976 – Johnny Cash is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the first of two consecutive weeks with One Piece at a Time. It was the 47th and penultimate Top 10 country hit for Cash and his 17th of 18 #1s. The song also went #1 country in Canada, peaked at #32 in Great Britain, at #29 on the Hot 100, and was Billboard’s 9th-biggest country song of the year. 

Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.

It is ridiculous and indecent to suppose that those who have other creeds, gods, and sacred scriptures than our own will be “damned”.
Will Durant
The Story of Civilization, Vol X: Rousseau and Revolution

Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.

Walter Hagen and Jack Nicklaus have won the most PGA Championships with five each. 

Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon! It’s not that hard.

Who was the presiding judge in Andrew Johnson’s impeachment trial? – Answer next time! 

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