#AtoZChallenge 1970's Billboard Hits - U is for...


Today the #AtoZChallenge  brings us to the letter U. These three songs were the top ‘U’ songs according to the Billboard Hot 100 Year-End lists.



1971 - Uncle Albert-Admiral Halsey - Paul and Linda McCartney

"Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" is a song by Paul and Linda McCartney from the album Ram. Released in the United States as a single on 2 August 1971, it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on 4 September 1971, making it the first of a string of post-Beatles, McCartney-penned singles to top the US pop chart during the 1970s and 1980s. Billboard ranked it number 22 on its Top Pop Singles of 1971 year-end chart. It became McCartney's first gold record as a solo artist.





1974 -  Until You Come Back To Me - Aretha Franklin

"Until You Come Back to Me" is a song written by Morris Broadnax, Clarence Paul, and Stevie Wonder. The song was originally recorded by Stevie Wonder in 1967, but his version was not released as a single and did not appear on an album until 1977's anthology Looking Back. The most well-known version of this song is the 1973 release by Aretha Franklin, who had a million-selling, top 10 hit, on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard's R&B chart. The song reached No. 1 on the R&B chart and No. 3 on the Hot 100 chart in 1974. With this peak at number three Franklin became the first artist in the history of the Hot 100 chart to have a hit song peak at each position from one to ten on the chart. To date, only three other artists have achieved this feat: Marvin Gaye in 1983, Madonna in 1996, and Taylor Swift in 2015. Aretha's version of the song was ranked by Billboard as the No. 11 song for 1974.





1977 - Undercover Angel - Alan O'Day

"Undercover Angel" was a hit single for singer/songwriter Alan O'Day. Certified gold, it reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 on the Australian Singles Chart. In 1977, Warner Bros. Music decided to form a special label, Pacific Records, for their composers who also performed. O'Day was the first artist signed, and his first release was "Undercover Angel." The original vinyl pressing was released with the B-side "Just You".

The song, which O'Day described as a "nocturnal novelette", was released without fanfare in February 1977. Within a few months, it had reached #1 in the U.S., even without an album to support it. O'Day said of the experience, "It's wonderful when you find out what feels right, and then it also feels right to other people. That's a songwriter's dream." O'Day had also composed "Angie Baby", a #1 hit for Helen Reddy; "Undercover Angel" thus landed him in a very exclusive club of singer/songwriters who wrote a chart-topper for themselves and one for another artist.






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 'V'. 
Any guesses as to which Billboard Hits from the 70s will be showcased?






Comments

  1. Aretha Franklin is a a Diva of Soul - you can't ignore her voice :)
    Sophie
    Sophie's Thoughts & Fumbles - Dragon Diaries

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    1. Yes, I do believe she could sing the telephone book and it would be powerful.

      ~Mary

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  2. Nice to drop by such an artistic and musical blog. Though I am not such a big fan of classics, I enjoyed listening to Aretha Franklin here.

    U - Understanding Pranayam: http://wp.me/p7S3Op-dz #AtoZChallenge

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, SoulMom!

      Stick around... I cover all sorts of music - old, new, different genres, etc.

      ~Mary

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  3. Oh, Arethra Franklin. Her performance in "The Blues Brothers" is an amazing showcase for her talent. Nice choices!

    http://darlamsands.blogspot.com/

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Darla!

      Aretha really is a powerhouse when it comes to her voice.

      ~Mary

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  4. Replies
    1. Hi Shirley

      I think that sometimes different songs get lost in the recesses of our minds. I can't tell you how many times I've had a 'oh, that song!' moment.

      ~Mary

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  5. A good collection of songs.It is a tedious task to sort out songs according to alphabets.Great going!!

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    Replies
    1. If you love spreadsheets as much as I do, it's not that tedious at all :)

      ~Mary

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  6. I don't remember the last one at all. Aretha, is of course, a true icon. As for Paul McCartney; I'm still agreeing with John Lennon from a previous post. ☺ IMO, he did his best work with The Beatles.

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    1. That last song has been stuck in my head for about a week. I hope tomorrow brings something to help with that ailment.

      ~Mary

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  7. A really interesting theme! And I haven't heard these but now that I heard them they are indeed lovely songs.

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    1. The 70's were a unique time when the songs were either really good or awful. I figured going with the billboard hits would give me half a chance at finding the good ones.

      ~Mary

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  8. 'Uncle Albert - Admiral Halsey' is a strange song but I have always liked it. Sometimes strange is good. Take me for example...

    HA!

    ~ D-FensDogG
    [Link:) Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends

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    Replies
    1. A strange one, indeed! The song isn't half bad, either.

      Oh! I just noticed you changed the link to your other blog - Hope you get some good traffic!

      ~Mary

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    2. MMQE ~
      Once upon a time ago my F-FFF blog was fairly popular. But I abandoned it when I went through a rough patch for about a year and a half.

      I'm now trying to be more active on it, as I've always considered it my most significant blog, but I doubt it will ever be even semi-popular again.

      Oh, well. That's what I get for abandoning my own child.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  9. "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" was a favorite of mine when it was out. I always thought Paul wasted his time with Wings, mostly because his solo stuff was so good.

    Aretha Franklin... what can I say? Magnificent.

    I had to listen to remind myself about "Undercover Angel." Nocturnal novelette, eh? ;)

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  10. Gosh, "Undercover Angel" is a blast from the past. I don't guess I've heard this anytime in the past 30 years.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

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  11. Mary,

    Geez, I'm playing catch up this morning. I had not realized how far behind I was with your posts. I'm really sorry for not being more on top of things. "Uncle Albert" I haven't heard in forever. "Undercover Angel", ah...that brings back some fuzzy memories. :) Thanks for the mewsical memories!

    Art Sketching Through the Alphabet "U" (Unicorn)

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