#AtoZChallenge 1970's Billboard Hits - R is for... and #BOTB Results





We are moving right along with the #AtoZChallenge and today brings us to the letter R.  But first, let’s talk about the recent Battle of the Bands results.



The song for the battle was “My Sharona” and the contenders were Void vs Eldritch. 


The total votes came out as:  (drumroll, please.....)


Void with 7 votes

Eldritch with 4 votes


Congratulations to the winner!


Thank you everyone that took the time to cast your vote in that battle! The next battle takes place on May 1st with a different song.



Today’s letter for the #AtoZChallenge is R. Here are a few of the billboard hits from the 70’s that start with the letter R.



1970 - Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head - B.J. Thomas


"Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" is a song written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach for the 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. David and Bacharach also won Best Original Score. The song was recorded by B. J. Thomas in seven takes, after Bacharach expressed dissatisfaction with the first six. In the film version of the song, Thomas had been recovering from laryngitis, which made his voice sound hoarser than in the 7-inch release. The film version featured a separate vaudeville-style instrumental break in double time while Paul Newman performed bicycle stunts.

The single by B. J. Thomas reached number 1 on charts in the United States, Canada, Norway and reached number 38 in the UK Singles Chart. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks in January 1970 and was also the first American number-one hit of the 1970s. The song also spent seven weeks atop the Billboard adult contemporary chart. Billboard ranked it as the No. 4 song of 1970. According to Billboard magazine, Thomas' single had sold over 2 million copies by March 14, 1970, with eight-track and cassette versions also climbing the charts.






1975 - Rhinestone Cowboy - Glen Campbell


"Rhinestone Cowboy" is a song written by Larry Weiss and most famously recorded by American country music singer Glen Campbell with instrumental backing by the Wrecking Crew, L.A. session musicians. The song enjoyed immense popularity with both country and pop audiences when it was released in 1975.

Weiss wrote and recorded "Rhinestone Cowboy" in 1974, and it appeared on his 20th Century Records album Black and Blue Suite. It did not, however, have much of a commercial impact as a single. In late 1974, Campbell heard the song on the radio, and during a tour of Australia, decided to learn the song. Soon after his return to the United States, Campbell went to Al Coury's office at Capitol Records, where he was approached about "a great new song" — "Rhinestone Cowboy".

Released in May 1975, "Rhinestone Cowboy" immediately caught on with both country and pop audiences. The song spent that summer climbing both the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Billboard Hot 100 charts before peaking at number one by season's end - three nonconsecutive weeks on the country chart, two weeks on the Hot 100. Billboard ranked it as the number-two for 1975.








1979 - Reunited - Peaches and Herb


"Reunited" was a hit song for R&B vocal duo Peaches & Herb. As the second single release from their 1978 album, 2 Hot, the song was a huge crossover smash, topping both the pop and soul charts. It spent four weeks at number one on both the R&B singles chart and the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1979 and sold over 2 million copies. Billboard ranked it as the No. 5 song for 1979. In Canada, "Reunited" likewise reached number one and was the No. 9 song for the year.







Be sure to follow the 2017 AtoZ Challenge playlist for all of the songs featured in this years challenge.




Did you listen to any of these tunes in the 70's?  Would you like to know more about these artists in future posts? Let me know in the comments.

What does tomorrow bring?
Tomorrow brings us the letter 'S'. 
Any guesses as to which Billboard Hits from the 70s will be showcased?






Comments

  1. Wow, these bring back memories. :-) Thank you for writing about this topic.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Candace!

      Glad I could help you with your trip down memory lane.

      ~Mary

      Delete
  2. Mary,

    You're reeling in some really gr-8 hits! BJ Thomas used to live in Sevierville or Gatlinburg TN (not far from Knoxville) in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. I'm not sure if he still resides there or not but at one point he had a mewsic theater. "Rain Drops Are Falling On My Head" is a one of my favorites but then again it's hard to not find a song from the 70s that isn't on my favorites list. :)

    Art Sketching Through the Alphabet "R" (realistic rabbit & rascally roadrunner)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cathy,

      That must have been great having him live nearby. I always thought the song was super cheesy, but fun at the same time. Glad that I could find some of your favorites for you today.

      ~Mary

      Delete
    2. Mary, I always secretively hoped we'd see him in the Smoky's but never have but these days I wonder if I'd even recognize him. :)

      Delete
  3. Oh, Peaches and Herb. I haven't heard that name in a very long time. Thanks for this!

    http://darlamsands.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Darla

      It does make one wonder what ever happened to them. I may have to delve into them a little further.

      ~Mary

      Delete
  4. Great tunes, Mary! I'll have to start listening to the playlist...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi John

      I really like having the playlist. I put one together for each of the challenges, and I listen to them throughout the year. Sometimes makes for great inspiration for other posts.

      ~Mary

      Delete
  5. Debs,

    I have have to agree. As a cancer survivor myself, I worry about losing my mind the most. I think that's why I like doing this type of blog, it keeps my mind active learning about the various artists and the stories behind the songs.

    ~Mary

    ReplyDelete
  6. great music from my earlier years , have to love it thanks so much for sharing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Angie!

      Appreciate you stopping by!

      ~Mary

      Delete
  7. Out of all of these "Reunited" has to be my favorite one! The other two OMG did they play the hell out of those or what!!! I can remember saying if I ever hear those again it will be none to soon for me. They made so much fun out of those two didn't they? Well, Have a great weekend... not sure if I'll be around tomorrow because I have a very important benefit to go too and hubby's band is playin. hugssssssss

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh shoot! That reminds me I need to edit my post for Monday to include the Monday's Music Moves Me. Have a great time at the benefit and enjoy some good music!

      ~Mary

      Delete
  8. Not too surprised with the Battle results.

    Three more memory packed songs. Not that I ever disliked it, but I didn't fully appreciate "Reunited" until relatively recently (maybe last 15 years which is relatively recently in a way). I don't know why, but the song started playing in my head at some point. Must have been a trigger that set it off, but now I don't recall what that was. That's now probably my favorite of all of these.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it's funny how songs can 'strike' our memories at different points of our lives. My sister used to play 'Raindrops' on the piano and so that song reminds me of her, 'Rhinestone' reminds me of my tween years. I can't really place a specific event, just that time frame, and 'Reunited' reminds me of an ex-boyfriend that keeps circling around every few years trying to reignite that fire.

      Thanks for stopping by! My battle for the first is one that is a little out of my 'norm'.

      ~Mary

      Delete
  9. I remember all of these songs, but can't say any of them were on my list of favourites. I did love the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid". "Raindrops" will always remind me of that scene with the bicycle. The kind of song that makes you smile. ☺ Interesting trivia as always, Mary.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Debbie

      You know, I don't know that I've ever watched the movie. I'll have to see our local library has a copy and watch it. My cousin and I are on a old movie/old tv show kick as of late.

      ~Mary

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  10. I remember hearing/seeing Peaches and Herb on the old show "Midnight Special" way back in the day. Great ballad and very soulful....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I loved how their voices blended and harmonized. It was as if they were meant to be together. Thanks for stopping by!

      ~Mary

      Delete
  11. So happy to see Void won:) Yay!
    Will be listening to the selection of songs while making my morning cuppa.
    Have a lovely Saturday Mary.
    R is for Rann of Kutchch

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Arti!

      To me, this was a difficult battle, because I had such a hard time finding decent competitors. Combining the challenge with the battle was tough!

      ~Mary

      Delete
  12. A very nice collection. There were many moments when I've skipped around the house and belted out Raindrops keep falling on my head.

    Suzy at Someday Somewhere - Respond Intelligently

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    Replies
    1. Hi Suzy

      That is a surefire way to brighten up the morning, especially if it's really a rainy day.

      ~Mary

      Delete
  13. LOVE THESE! I was born in 71 so these were a mainstay at my house. I really enjoyed walking down memory lane! It's funny how songs take you back to where you were when you first heard them!

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    1. Hi Barrett!

      I'm so glad that I could take you on that stroll down the ol' memory lane. Keep coming back for more - I've got some good ones in here :)

      ~Mary

      Delete
  14. Great post, even though I was not born close to this time period. I do like Paul Macartney and And Raindrops keep falling on my head. Keep it up.

    ReplyDelete
  15. MARY! MARY! QUITE EXTRAORDINARY...
    I can't believe how far behind I've fallen in commenting. I'm so far behind that I can actually see my own butt -- and that's NOT a pretty sight!

    Oh, Glen Campbell -- I like almost EVERYTHING by poor ol' Glen, and I own a 40-track compilation CD of his. Even got to see him perform once in the late '70s at the Riviera in Lost Wages, and got to go backstage to his dressing room and meet him. Nice chap.

    That was a good close BOTB contest you had. A 3-vote margin of victory is always good stuffs.

    You said you were doing something a bit out of the ordinary for the May 1st Battle Of The Bands. And it just so happens that May 1st is a significant celebration day for International Communism. So, my guess: You'll be using a song written by John Lenin?
    [:^)}

    ~ D-FensDogG
    Check out my new blog @
    [Link:) Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. oooh.. Good guess! But I had completely forgotten about International Communion Day. Remind me to stock up on wafers and wine, and I'll set aside the day to watch reruns of Hogan's Heroes and Father Brown's Mysteries. Coincidentally, the inspiration came from a youtube recommendation with someone with 'Red' in their name. Seems to be a conspiracy.

      ~MMQE

      Delete

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