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!
