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List of Melody Maker number-one singles of the 1970s

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Melody Maker was a British weekly pop music newspaper which was published from 1926 to 2000. Record charts in the United Kingdom began life on 14 November 1952 when NME (New Musical Express) began compiling the first UK-wide sales-based hit parade. Melody Maker's own chart began on 7 April 1956. Prior to 15 February 1969, when the British Market Research Bureau chart was established, there was no one universally accepted source and many periodicals compiled their own chart. During this time the BBC used aggregated results of charts from the NME and other sources to compile the Pick of the Pops chart. In 1969, Record Retailer and the BBC commissioned the British Market Research Bureau (BMRB) to compile the singles chart.[1]

Prior to this, The Official Charts Company and Guinness' British Hit Singles & Albums, consider Record Retailer the canonical source for the British singles chart in the 1960s;[1] While NME had the biggest circulation of charts in the 1960s and was more widely followed, Melody Maker's chart was considered more influential and equally highly cited.[2][3] After 1969, the joint venture between Record Retailer and the BBC is widely considered as the beginning of the official UK Singles Chart.[2][3][4] Melody Maker, like NME, continued compiling its own chart until 14 May 1988.[5]

Notable differences in the Melody Maker charts in this decade when compared to the official chart run by BMRB and even NME are additional number-one singles for Gary Glitter, Queen, Showaddywaddy, Wings, The Real Thing, David Soul, John Travolta and The Jam. Such songs as "Boogie Nights" by Heatwave and "Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)" by Joe Tex reached the top of the Melody Maker chart although neither topped the BMRB or NME charts.[6] Twenty-two acts achieved a number-one single on the Melody Maker chart but never had an official number-one single,[nb 1] although one of them was part of a singing duo whose other half had reached number one solo.[nb 2]

During the 1970s, Melody Maker charted 201 number-one singles, of which 49 did not make the top of the official UK Singles Chart. Of that figure, 18 singles also did not reach number one on the NME charts. One of the standouts in Melody Maker's unique number ones of the 1970s was "Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto de Aranjuez (Theme From 2nd Movement)" by Manuel and the Music of the Mountains (pseudonym of veteran arranger/conductor Geoff Love), which was number one for one week in February 1976. The BBC, which drew their charts from the BMRB, had announced this as the number one single in the United Kingdom, but the chart was withdrawn four hours later due to compilation errors, making it the shortest period that a song had been number one on the official charts.[7] Melody Maker thus had this at number one for six days and twenty hours longer than the BBC.

Number-one singles

[edit]
Gary Glitter had a total of five number ones in Melody Maker - with his first and last not recognised by the Official Charts Company.
Joe Tex had his only pop number one in Melody Maker with "Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman).".
John Travolta had his only solo number-one when "Sandy" topped the Melody Maker chart.
Key
The song did not reach number one on the BMRB chart which is considered as the official chart after 15 February 1969.
[nb #] The song spent a week at number one where it shared the top spot with another song.
Contents
No. Artist[nb 3] Single[nb 3] Reached
number one[nb 3]
Weeks at
number one[nb 3]
1970
226 Rolf Harris "Two Little Boys" 20 December 1969 6
227 Marmalade "Reflections of My Life" ‡ 31 January 1970 1
228 Edison Lighthouse "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" 7 February 1970 3
229 The Jackson 5 "I Want You Back" ‡ 28 February 1970 1
230 Lee Marvin "Wand'rin' Star" 7 March 1970 3
231 Simon & Garfunkel "Bridge over Troubled Water" 28 March 1970 4
232 Norman Greenbaum "Spirit in the Sky" 25 April 1970 4
233 England World Cup Squad "70" "Back Home" 23 May 1970 1
234 Christie "Yellow River" 30 May 1970 3
235 Mungo Jerry "In the Summertime" 20 June 1970 4
236 Free "All Right Now" ‡ 18 July 1970 3
237 Elvis Presley "The Wonder of You" 8 August 1970 5
238 Smokey Robinson and The Miracles "The Tears of a Clown" 12 September 1970 2
239 Freda Payne "Band of Gold" 26 September 1970 5
240 Deep Purple "Black Night" ‡ 31 October 1970 1
241 Matthews' Southern Comfort "Woodstock" 7 November 1970 3
242 Don Fardon "Indian Reservation" ‡ 28 November 1970 1
243 Dave Edmunds "I Hear You Knocking" 5 December 1970 2
244 McGuinness Flint "When I'm Dead and Gone" ‡ 19 December 1970 3
1971
245 Clive Dunn "Grandad" 9 January 1971 3
246 George Harrison "My Sweet Lord" 30 January 1971 7
247 Mungo Jerry "Baby Jump" 20 March 1971 1
248 T. Rex "Hot Love" 27 March 1971 5.5[nb 1]5[nb 4]
249 Dave and Ansel Collins "Double Barrel" 1 May 1971 3.5[nb 1]2[nb 4]
250 Dawn "Knock Three Times" 15 May 1971 5
251 Tony Christie "I Did What I Did for Maria" ‡ 19 June 1971 1
252 Middle of the Road "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" 26 June 1971 5
253 T. Rex "Get It On" 31 July 1971 3
254 The New Seekers "Never Ending Song of Love" ‡ 21 August 1971 3.5[nb 2]1[nb 5]
255 Diana Ross "I'm Still Waiting" 21 August 1971 0.5[nb 3]1[nb 5]
re The New Seekers "Never Ending Song of Love" ‡ 28 August 1971 1
re Diana Ross "I'm Still Waiting" 4 September 1971 2
256 The Tams "Hey Girl Don't Bother Me" 18 September 1971 3
257 Rod Stewart "Reason to Believe" / "Maggie May" 9 October 1971 6
258 Slade "Coz I Luv You" 20 November 1971 3
259 Benny Hill "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)" 11 December 1971 5
1972
260 The New Seekers "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)" 15 January 1972 4
261 T. Rex "Telegram Sam" 12 February 1972 2
262 Chicory Tip "Son of My Father" 26 February 1972 2
263 Don McLean "American Pie" ‡ 11 March 1972 1
264 Nilsson "Without You" 18 March 1972 5
265 Royal Scots Dragoon Guards "Amazing Grace" 22 April 1972 5
266 T. Rex "Metal Guru" 27 May 1972 3
267 Don McLean "Vincent" 17 June 1972 3
268 Gary Glitter "Rock and Roll Parts 1 & 2" ‡ 8 July 1972 1
269 Donny Osmond "Puppy Love" 15 July 1972 4
270 Alice Cooper "School's Out" 12 August 1972 3
271 Rod Stewart "You Wear It Well" 2 September 1972 2
272 Slade "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" 16 September 1972 2
273 T. Rex "Children of the Revolution" ‡ 30 September 1972 1
274 David Cassidy "How Can I Be Sure" 7 October 1972 1
275 Lieutenant Pigeon "Mouldy Ol' Dough" 14 October 1972 5
276 Gilbert O'Sullivan "Clair" 18 November 1972 2
277 Chuck Berry "My Ding-a-Ling" 2 December 1972 5
1973
278 Little Jimmy Osmond "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool" 6 January 1973 2
279 David Bowie "The Jean Genie" ‡ 20 January 1973 1
280 Sweet "Blockbuster" 27 January 1973 4
281 Strawbs "Part of the Union" ‡ 24 February 1973 2
282 Slade "Cum On Feel the Noize" 10 March 1973 3
283 Donny Osmond "The Twelfth of Never" 31 March 1973 2
284 Gilbert O'Sullivan "Get Down" 14 April 1973 1
285 Dawn featuring Tony Orlando "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" 21 April 1973 5.5[nb 3]4[nb 6]
286 Wizzard "See My Baby Jive" 19 May 1973 1.5[nb 3]3[nb 6]
287 Suzi Quatro "Can the Can" 9 June 1973 3
288 10.CC "Rubber Bullets" 30 June 1973 1
289 Slade "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" 7 July 1973 2
290 Peters and Lee "Welcome Home" 21 July 1973 1
291 Gary Glitter "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am!)" 28 July 1973 3
292 The Carpenters "Yesterday Once More" ‡ 18 August 1973 3
293 Donny Osmond "Young Love" 8 September 1973 1
294 Barry Blue "Dancing on a Saturday Night" ‡ 15 September 1973 1
295 Wizzard "Angel Fingers (A Teen Ballad)" 22 September 1973 1
296 Sweet "The Ballroom Blitz" ‡ 29 September 1973 1
297 Simon Park Orchestra "Eye Level (Theme From The Thames TV Series "Van Der Valk")" 6 October 1973 4
298 David Cassidy "The Puppy Song" / "Daydreamer" 3 November 1973 2
299 Gary Glitter "I Love, You Love, Me Love" 24 November 1973 4
300 Slade "Merry Xmas Everybody" 22 December 1973 3
1974
301 Leo Sayer "The Show Must Go On" ‡ 12 January 1974 3
302 Mud "Tiger Feet" 2 February 1974 3
303 Suzi Quatro "Devil Gate Drive" 23 February 1974 3
304 Alvin Stardust "Jealous Mind" 16 March 1974 1
305 Paper Lace "Billy Don't Be a Hero" 23 March 1974 3
306 Terry Jacks "Seasons in the Sun" 13 April 1974 2
307 Mud "The Cat Crept In" ‡ 27 April 1974 1
308 ABBA "Waterloo" 4 May 1974 3
309 The Rubettes "Sugar Baby Love" 25 May 1974 2
310 R. Dean Taylor "There's a Ghost in My House" ‡ 8 June 1974 1
311 Showaddywaddy "Hey Rock and Roll" ‡ 15 June 1974 1
312 Ray Stevens "The Streak" 22 June 1974 1
313 Gary Glitter "Always Yours" 29 June 1974 1
314 Charles Aznavour "She" 6 July 1974 4
315 George McCrae "Rock Your Baby" 3 August 1974 2
316 The Three Degrees "When Will I See You Again" 17 August 1974 3
317 Donny and Marie Osmond "I'm Leaving It All Up to You" ‡ 7 September 1974 1
318 The Osmonds "Love Me for a Reason" 14 September 1974 1
319 Carl Douglas "Kung Fu Fighting" 21 September 1974 2
320 John Denver "Annie's Song" 5 October 1974 1
321 Sweet Sensation "Sad Sweet Dreamer" 12 October 1974 2
322 Ken Boothe "Everything I Own" 26 October 1974 3
323 Queen "Killer Queen" ‡ 16 November 1974 2
324 David Essex "I'm Gonna Make You a Star" 30 November 1974 1
325 Gary Glitter "Oh Yes, You're Beautiful" ‡ 7 December 1974 1
326 Barry White "You're the First, the Last, My Everything" 14 December 1974 1
327 Mud "Lonely This Christmas" 21 December 1974 3
1975
328 Status Quo "Down Down" 11 January 1975 1
329 Ralph McTell "Streets of London" ‡ 18 January 1975 1
330 The Tymes "Ms Grace" 25 January 1975 2
331 Pilot "January" 8 February 1975 2
332 Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel "Come Up And See Me – Make Me Smile" 22 February 1975 2
333 Telly Savalas "If" 8 March 1975 2
334 Bay City Rollers "Bye Bye Baby" 22 March 1975 6
335 Bobby Goldsboro "Honey" ‡ 3 May 1975 1
336 Minnie Riperton "Lovin' You" ‡ 10 May 1975 2
337 Tammy Wynette "Stand by Your Man" 24 May 1975 3
338 Windsor Davies and Don Estelle "Whispering Grass" 14 June 1975 2
339 10.CC "I'm Not in Love" 28 June 1975 3
340 Johnny Nash "Tears on My Pillow" 19 July 1975 1
341 Bay City Rollers "Give a Little Love" 26 July 1975 1
342 Typically Tropical "Barbados" 2 August 1975 2
343 The Stylistics "Can't Give You Anything (But My Love)" 16 August 1975 3
344 Rod Stewart "Sailing" 6 September 1975 4
345 David Essex "Hold Me Close" 4 October 1975 2
346 Art Garfunkel "I Only Have Eyes for You" 18 October 1975 1
re David Essex "Hold Me Close" 25 October 1975 1
347 David Bowie "Space Oddity" 1 November 1975 4
348 Hot Chocolate "You Sexy Thing" ‡ 29 November 1975 1
349 Queen "Bohemian Rhapsody" 6 December 1975 7
1976
350 ABBA "Mamma Mia" 24 January 1976 3
351 Slik "Forever and Ever" 14 February 1976 2
352 Manuel and the Music of the Mountains "Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto de Aranjuez" ‡ 28 February 1976 1
353 Tina Charles "I Love to Love (But My Baby Loves to Dance)" 6 March 1976 4
354 Brotherhood of Man "Save All Your Kisses for Me" 3 April 1976 4
355 ABBA "Fernando" 1 May 1976 5
356 J. J. Barrie "No Charge" 5 June 1976 1
357 Wurzels "Combine Harvester" 12 June 1976 1
358 Real Thing "You to Me Are Everything" 19 June 1976 3
359 Candi Staton "Young Hearts Run Free" ‡ 10 July 1976 2
360 Demis Roussos "The Roussos Phenomenon (E.P.)" 24 July 1976 1
361 Elton John & Kiki Dee "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" 31 July 1976 5
362 Wings "Let 'Em In" ‡ 4 September 1976 1
363 ABBA "Dancing Queen" 11 September 1976 3
364 Real Thing "Can't Get By Without You" ‡ 2 October 1976 1
re ABBA "Dancing Queen" 9 October 1976 1
365 Pussycat "Mississippi" 16 October 1976 2
366 Chicago "If You Leave Me Now" 30 October 1976 6
367 Showaddywaddy "Under the Moon of Love" 11 December 1976 2
368 Johnny Mathis "When a Child Is Born" 25 December 1976 3
1977
re Showaddywaddy "Under the Moon of Love" 15 January 1977 1
369 David Soul "Don't Give Up on Us" 22 January 1977 1
370 Julie Covington "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" 29 January 1977 2
371 Leo Sayer "When I Need You" 12 February 1977 4
372 Heatwave "Boogie Nights" ‡ 12 March 1977 1
373 The Manhattan Transfer "Chanson D'Amour" 19 March 1977 2
374 ABBA "Knowing Me, Knowing You" 2 April 1977 1
375 David Soul "Going In With My Eyes Open" ‡ 9 April 1977 2
re ABBA "Knowing Me, Knowing You" 16 April 1977 3
376 Deniece Williams "Free" 7 May 1977 1
377 Rod Stewart "I Don't Want to Talk About It" / "The First Cut Is the Deepest" 14 May 1977 3
378 Joe Tex "Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)" ‡ 4 June 1977 1
re Rod Stewart "I Don't Want to Talk About It" / "The First Cut Is the Deepest" 11 June 1977 2
379 The Jacksons "Show You the Way to Go" 25 June 1977 2
380 Hot Chocolate "So You Win Again" 9 July 1977 2
381 Donna Summer "I Feel Love" 23 July 1977 5
382 The Floaters "Float On" 27 August 1977 2
383 Space "Magic Fly" ‡ 10 September 1977 2
384 Jean-Michel Jarre "Oxygène (Part IV)" ‡ 24 September 1977 1
re Space "Magic Fly" ‡ 1 October 1977 1
385 Elvis Presley "Way Down" 8 October 1977 1
386 La Belle Epoque "Black Is Black" ‡ 15 October 1977 2
387 Rod Stewart "You're in My Heart" ‡ 29 October 1977 2
388 ABBA "The Name of the Game" 12 November 1977 2
389 Status Quo "Rockin' All Over the World" ‡ 26 November 1977 1
390 Wings "Mull of Kintyre" 3 December 1977 8
1978
391 Althea & Donna "Uptown Top Ranking" 28 January 1978 3
392 ABBA "Take a Chance on Me" 18 February 1978 3
393 Rose Royce "Wishing on a Star" ‡ 11 March 1978 1
394 Kate Bush "Wuthering Heights" 18 March 1978 1
395 Blondie "Denis" ‡ 25 March 1978 3
396 Showaddywaddy "I Wonder Why" ‡ 15 April 1978 2
397 Bee Gees "Night Fever" 29 April 1978 3
398 Boney M. "Rivers of Babylon" 20 May 1978 4
399 John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John "You're the One That I Want" 17 June 1978 9
400 Commodores "Three Times a Lady" 19 August 1978 6
401 John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John "Summer Nights" 30 September 1978 6
402 John Travolta "Sandy" ‡ 11 November 1978 1
403 The Boomtown Rats "Rat Trap" 18 November 1978 2
404 Rod Stewart "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" 2 December 1978 2
405 Boney M. "Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord" 16 December 1978 4
1979
406 Village People "Y.M.C.A." 13 January 1979 1
407 Ian Dury "Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick" 20 January 1979 2
408 Blondie "Heart of Glass" 3 February 1979 4
409 Bee Gees "Tragedy" 3 March 1979 1
410 Elvis Costello "Olivers Army" ‡ 10 March 1979 1
411 Gloria Gaynor "I Will Survive" 17 March 1979 4
412 Art Garfunkel "Bright Eyes" 14 April 1979 5
413 M "Pop Muzik" ‡ 19 May 1979 1
414 Roxy Music "Dance Away" ‡ 26 May 1979 1
415 Blondie "Sunday Girl" 2 June 1979 2
416 Anita Ward "Ring My Bell" 16 June 1979 2
417 Tubeway Army "Are Friends Electric?" 30 June 1979 3
418 Janet Kay "Silly Games" ‡ 21 July 1979 1
419 The Boomtown Rats "I Don't Like Mondays" 28 July 1979 5
420 Cliff Richard "We Don't Talk Anymore" 1 September 1979 3
421 Gary Numan "Cars" 22 September 1979 2
422 The Police "Message in a Bottle" 6 October 1979 2
423 The Buggles "Video Killed the Radio Star" 20 October 1979 2
424 Dr. Hook "When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman" 3 November 1979 2
425 The Jam "The Eton Rifles" ‡ 17 November 1979 3
426 The Police "Walking on the Moon" 8 December 1979 2
427 Pink Floyd "Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)" 22 December 1979 4
Contents

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ La Belle Epoque, Barry Blue, The Carpenters, Tony Christie, Elvis Costello, Deep Purple, Don Fardon, Free, Bobby Goldsboro, Heatwave, Jean-Michel Jarre, Janet Kay, M, Manuel and the Music of the Mountains, McGuinness Flint, Ralph McTell, Marie Osmond, Minnie Riperton, Rose Royce, Space, R. Dean Taylor, and Joe Tex never had an official number-one single; in addition, La Belle Epoque, Blue, Fardon, Heatwave, Jarre, Manuel, Osmond, Rose Royce, Taylor, and Tex never had a number-one single on the NME charts.
  2. ^ Marie Osmond's brother and singing partner Donny Osmond had a number-one single in 1972 with "Puppy Love."
  3. ^ a b c d The names, singles, dates and duration of the number-ones are from Melody Maker."Melody Maker Singles Charts 1970's". UKMix. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  4. ^ a b T. Rex' "Hot Love" and Dave and Ansel Collins' "Double Barrel" were classified jointly as number one on 1 May 1971. For the previous five weeks "Hot Love" had held the number-one spot individually, and the following week "Double Barrel" was number one outright.
  5. ^ a b The New Seekers' "Never Ending Song of Love" and Diana Ross' "I'm Still Waiting" were classified jointly as number one on 21 August 1971. The following week, "Never Ending Song of Love" claimed the number-one spot outright, and "I'm Still Waiting" was number one for two weeks after that.
  6. ^ a b Dawn featuring Tony Orlando's "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" and Wizzard's "See My Baby Jive" were classified jointly as number one on 19 May 1973. For the previous four weeks "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" had been number one outright, and for the following two weeks "See My Baby Jive" claimed the number-one spot individually.

References

[edit]
Footnotes
  1. ^ a b "Key Dates in the History of the Official UK Charts". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 10 January 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  2. ^ a b Smith, Alan. "50s & 60s UK Charts – The Truth!". Dave McAleer's website. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  3. ^ a b Leigh, Spencer (20 February 1998). "Music: Charting the number ones that somehow got away". The Independent. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  4. ^ Warwick, Neil; Kutner, Jon; Brown, Tony (2004). The Complete Book Of The British Charts: Singles and Albums (3rd ed.). London: Omnibus Press. p. v. ISBN 1-84449-058-0. Until 15th February 1969, there was no officially compiled chart.
  5. ^ Smith, Alan. "Every No.1 in the 1960s is listed from all the nine different magazine charts!". Dave McAleer's website. Archived from the original on 10 May 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  6. ^ "Chart Archive - 1980s Singles". everyHit.com. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  7. ^ Jones, Alan (16 November 2002). "Alan Jones' top 50 chart facts". Music Week (Celebrating 50 Years of the Singles Chart ed.). pp. 5–14.