UK charts 70's III

Well, I feel it's about time I tackled the UK charts for the 70's just like I did for the Billboard charts, again I'm using a homemade chart on RYM to determine the order each entry appears on this list as well as stopping at a particular point to highlight only the best of the best over there this decade. I'm also skipping over entries that didn't become a hit in the southern hemisphere whilst providing alternate art where possible for each entry to give them a visual difference compared to their other appearances on this site.

Given how his was a massive hit for Marshall and Hain here in Australia, it makes sense that it would also be as such in their homeland even if it appears to be equally as successful over there as it was over here right down to having the same peak position of number three in both countries. They're even a one hit wonder in both countries, creating a further parallel to their career in the UK and Australia.

Not only did this not get to number one in Elton's John's homeland, it also barely cracked the UK top five which makes it confusing as to how it was so successful internationally. That said, it does appear high on this list due to how long it lasted on the charts over there, suggesting his fellow Brits were merely torn about whether this was worth making a hit initially and eventually decided to make it as such.

Although this is the only appearance form David Cassidy on this list, it wasn't due to a lack of hits he had in the UK as there were three other candidates from his catalogue that sadly won't be appearing on this list due to their failure in the southern hemisphere. This was one of two chart toppers he had over there, the other being "How can I be sure" which was what he released prior to this.

Even in their homeland, this was the only hit that the Strawbs had which makes this a rare case of a British artist this decade finding massive worldwide success with only one single. It's also one of many songs from a one hit wonder to not make it to number one over there, although that certainly didn't prevent it from finding an audience here in Australia.

Given how the tenth anniversary remix of this breakthrough single from the Real thing managed to be a hit for them in the UK, it's only fitting that the original release was a chart topper for them in their homeland. As this was their only hit in the southern hemisphere (actually it was only a hit in NZ) this will be their only appearance on this list even though they had two other candidates for it.

From what I can gather, the Brits were ready to have these guys as a one hit wonder with "Waterloo" following that song's victory at the 1974 Eurovision contest. It's only when this became one of the biggest hits of the decade here in Australia, they decided to give them a second chart topper over there, only to then make them a household name for the rest of the decade just like they were here.

We have another UK chart topper for Rod Stewart, this time it's with his lone disco hit that as we saw in my Billboard list, revived his fortunes in America just as the decade was coming to an end. Obviously, this was simply another hit for the spikey haired crooner given how his fellow Brits kept his career alive and healthy since he went solo with this top entry on this list.

Given how this was a massive hit for Matthews southern comfort band (oh Jebus that band name) in NZ, it only makes sense that this ode to Woodstock would be a UK chart topper for the British band even if this was the best they could do in their catalogue. It's an example of a band being in the right place at the right time as this would've crashed and burnt in both countries had it been released even a year later.

If you recall from my Australian and NZ lists, there was a rising interest in classical music this decade which arguably began with this one and only hit from Argentinian composer Waldo De Los Rios from the start of the decade. It was a massive hit for him in the UK despite it barely cracking their top five, meaning that it charted higher in Australia and NZ for the composer.

Huh, so it turns out this signature track from Bachman Turner overdrive was the most successful in the UK back in the day, OK so it was actually in NZ given how it's near the top of that list on my site, but the fact it was big over there because of how well it did in the UK is where I was getting at. This is despite the fact this got stuck at number two over there despite it topping the Billboard charts.

This is David Essex's second UK chart topper, although it wasn't his second biggest hit in his homeland as that honour goes to "Lamplight" which was the second single from his debut album. Having him go from experimental art rock to more mainstream ballads must have been a shock for his core audience back in the day, however he clearly won over a new audience who made him that much more successful.

This is the third and final chart topper from 10cc on this list, although if you're worried that I'm not including "The things we do for love" on here, then don't as that's still to come on this list. I'm not sure how this managed to crossover to America for the band and not their two earlier entries, however this resulted in the song nearly topping the Billboard charts with one of their artsier singles.

If you're wondering if I forgot about this iconic track from American singer Candi Staton, rest assured I didn't as the woman of colour failed to score a single hit in her homeland this decade despite this nearly topping the UK charts. This explains why it was a hit here in Australia but not in NZ as we Aussies were clearly following the Brits lead by making this a huge hit during the height of the Countdown era.

Unlike the rest of the world where Van McCoy is a one hit wonder, this was one of two hits he had in the UK as the other one was with "The shuffle" three years after this topped the Billboard charts in his homeland. I should also mention here that Candi Staton also wasn't a one hit wonder in the UK as "Nights on Broadway" was also a candidate for this list which was a hit the same year "The shuffle" was.

Even though this will be the Four seasons only appearance on this list, they had two other minor hits in the UK including "Who loves you" which if you recall, made it onto my Billboard list for the decade. Although both of Frankie Valli's entries on that list were hits in the UK, only one of them will be appearing on this list as this went to number one over there despite the mediocre success "My eyes adored you" had with the Brits.

Ever wanted to know how this Australian band managed to have several appearances on my NZ list despite not having a single hit in their homeland? It turns out they were based in the UK when they scored those hits, although this was their only candidate for the list which means that the kiwis loved them more than their fellow Aussies or the Brits.

Even though this failed to get to number one in Bonnie Tyler's homeland, it was nonetheless a massive success for her in the UK which no doubt led to its international success worldwide. I read somewhere that she performed this on Countdown which is how it got to number one here in Australia, if that's the case, the performance is currently lost media as I can't find it anywhere on the internet.

Even though this wasn't as big in the UK as it was in the duo's native America, it makes sense that it was a hit for them given how Deniece Williams in particular was on a roll with the Brits. We've actually skipped over her biggest hit over there which was "Free," a UK chart topper she had a year prior to this collaboration. This more than explains why "Let's hear it for the boy" was the big hit off the Footloose soundtrack over there.

If you're wondering if I forgot about these guys on my Billboard list, rest assure that I didn't as the RNB group found more success in the UK than they did in their native America throughout the decade. This explains why they had two hits here in Australia and NZ (albeit with different entries in both countries) as we Aussies and kiwis were following the Brits lead in making them a household name.

Although all three of Tina Charles's entries will be appearing on this list, this was by far the biggest hit she had in her homeland given how it was the only one to get to number one on the UK charts. This is interesting given how "Dance little lady dance" was clearly her biggest hit here in Australia, although I'll explain the lore behind how that happened when we get to it.

It's lucky this was a big hit for David Bowie in NZ, otherwise I wouldn't be able to feature his biggest hit of the decade in his homeland on this list. He had plenty of candidates on this list which is to be expected given how patriotic the Brits tended to be for their local talent, however he only had one candidate for my Billboard list which was his American chart topper "Fame" which wasn't a hit in his homeland.

This is the only other chart topper that Gilbert O'Sullivan had in his homeland, again we're looking at his three biggest hits in America in reverse order as this was his second biggest hit over there just like it was in his homeland. If I included every entry on my RYM list, there'll be two more entries to come before we get to his big Billboard chart topper on this list.

Queen only had one chart topper in their homeland throughout the decade, although it wasn't due to a lack of hits as every entry on this list was a bridesmaid given how they all got stuck at number two over there. This was their biggest hit in America this decade as we saw on my Billboard list, although it wasn't a comeback over there as we'll be looking at their big hit from A day at the races soon.

I've you read my NZ list for this decade; you'll know that Tony Christie had a ton of entries over there which will lead you to believe he was a household name in his homeland. It turns out that wasn't the case as not only did this fail to get to number one on the UK charts, but it was also his only hit over there, meaning the kiwis gave him a string of hits for no other reason than they loved his music.

This is the only candidate Cher had for this list, not only that, but it was also her only hit this decade despite having a massive worldwide hit with "Half breed" as we saw on my Billboard list. I have a theory when it comes to her greatest hits packages, that being they were compiled based on how well she did in the UK which makes sense given how her hair metal period had mediocre success at best in her homeland.

It's good to see these guys more spread out on this list compared to my Billboard list, mainly because it felt like they had dominated the American music scene if you were to go through that list given how many entries they had by this point on that list. In any case, we have the lead single to their album Spirits having flown which wasn't a UK chart topper but regardless a huge success over there.

I mentioned on my Billboard list that this was a bigger hit in the UK for Clarence Carter than it was in his homeland, there's the proof in the pudding as this nearly topped the UK charts for the musician of colour right at the start of the decade. It appears this didn't have any appeal in NZ as it was us Aussies who made it a hit for him and not the kiwis.

If you're wondering if this was a hit for the Cuff links here in Australia given how it only makes the cut on this list due to its placement on the NZ side of my site, it was and only didn't appear on that side of my site due to it being well on its way out of our charts by the time the 70's rolled around. This was also a straggler for the band in the UK as it peaked in 1969 over there just like it did worldwide.

If you're wondering how this became a huge hit here in Australia for the fictitious family even though it failed to appear on my Billboard list, it turns out this was a huge hit for them in the UK despite the fact that this was their only hit over there. I guess this taking off over there explains how David Cassidy was able to score four hits with none of them being the sole hit he had in his homeland.

You know this was a huge success for Charlie Rich when even the Brits were willing to make it a success for him, again why the kiwis weren't interested in this Billboard chart topper I'll never know given how big it was internationally for him. This was almost a UK chart topper for the country legend; however, it didn't quite make it all the way over there.

I'm sort of cheating with this entry given how this only became a hit for David Bowie in 1975 as opposed to 1973 like it was throughout the rest of the world, however I'm counting this for the list as this was a hit upon its initial release in 1969 in his homeland, meaning his fellow Brits were simply confused as to why it was given a second chance in 1973 only to give it a second chance two years later.

If you're wondering how this became a hit here in Australia when it flopped in Joe Tex's native America, wonder no more as we have the Brits to thank for why this track about his err...... dislike for heavier women crossed over to Australia back in the day. For what it's worth, he did have a hit in his homeland as "I gotcha" was a strong candidate for my Billboard list.

Here we are with the biggest hits the Carpenters had in the UK, although it's worth noting that this isn't the oldest song from them on this list as they did have sound success prior to this nearly topping the UK charts for them. Even though they don't have as many entries on this list, the Brits can at least take comfort in the fact that their popularity lasted longer over there than it did in their homeland.

This is the third of four entries from Leo Sayer on this list, it was his biggest hit in America as we saw on my Billboard list likely due to it being a disco track as opposed to his ballad as well as the two pop rock tracks that appear on this list. I would ask why his fellow Brits weren't into this track, however it did nearly top the UK charts, so they clearly did enjoy this for what it was.

We still have plenty of UK chart toppers to look over on this list, even so it's a bit strange how this wasn't even higher on this list for Gary Numan given how it was a rare pre-MTV new wave track to become a success over in America. I guess you can argue that this was released shortly after his earlier entry with Tubeway army, making this an example of burn out among his fellow Brits.

Even though this was Barry Blue's only candidate for this list, he did have a second hit with "Do you wanna dance" even if it was too minor for me to consider its placement on here. This also was a bridesmaid on the UK charts despite how big it was here in Australia, again the first half of the decade was particularly bad at cycling out songs from the top of the charts.

Even though this was a much bigger hit for Rod Stewart in his homeland than it was on the Billboard charts, it still didn't get to number one in either country like it did here in Australia for the spikey haired crooner. That's not to say he had the most success here in Australia this decade, rather that every album he released here had at least one hit from it as opposed to America and the UK where that wasn't always the case.

I don't know how the Brits came across this debut single from Dr Hook given how it was far from the biggest hit the (at the time) comedy band had in their homeland, however it nearly topping the UK charts more than explains why it was a massive chart topper for them in Australia and NZ despite its mediocre success in their homeland. I guess this means we have the Brits to thank for their international popularity.

Although this also failed to get to number one in the UK like it did on Billboard, the fact it appears much higher on this list than it did on my Billboard list should explain how this managed to be one of the biggest hits of the decade in Australia and NZ for the brother and sister duo. Even though this isn't their most recent entry on this list, they would struggle for success in the UK from here on out.

Even though this is the only entry from the Rubettes on this list as well as their sole UK chart topper, it's worth noting that I did skip over an entry of theirs on my RYM list as "Juke box jive" proved to be their biggest hit back home even if that failed to get to number one over there. They even had a third candidate for this list in the form of "I can do it," meaning they were well loved in their homeland (albeit briefly.)

We have our second appearance from Wings on this list; this time it's with their biggest hit in America which means that it was only a failure for the band here in Australia as we have to thank the kiwis for its presence on this list. Like I said earlier, Paul only had one chart topper in his homeland this decade with the band's earlier entry on this list, meaning this was a bridesmaid on the UK charts.

This is one of only two entries from Lobo on this list, although given how much higher it appears on here compared to where it came in on my Billboard list, I think it's safe to say that he was more successful over there than his homeland even with the absence of his third hit on this list. This is impressive given how this too failed to get to number one on the UK charts.

As this had no problems becoming a hit here in Australia for the Scottish band, you can imagine how effortless it was for their fellow Brits to make it a UK chart topper for them during the midpoint of the decade. I should point out that as far as I can tell, they didn't appear on Countdown until 1976, meaning none of these singles were boosted by their presence on the show the way their later material was.

It's easy to forget that there was a real possibility that "Maggie may" was a fluke for Rod Stewart given how he was previously the lead singer for the band Faces prior to its release, any fears he had of being a one hit wonder were put to rest when this lead single to his second album topped the UK charts a year after that song did. It bombed in America as he wouldn't escape the one hit wonder bin until "Tonight's the night" over there.

Here's that collaboration between Donny and Marie I mentioned earlier, again it was their big hit they had together on the Billboard charts given how international audiences were a bit too put off by their other big collaboration they had in NZ with "Morning side of the mountain" as well as their more innocent "Deep purple" from a year after that.

This was a bit of a mini comeback for the king of rock and roll in Australia and the UK given how he struggled for success in both countries by the midpoint of the decade, although at least we were keeping tabs on his career as opposed to his fellow Americans who were well and truly done with him by this point in time.

It appears Australia was the only place in the world where this debut single from A taste of honey wasn't a mainstream success in the world, although for what it's worth, they definitely play this more on our oldie's stations than the literal dozens of songs that outranks it on my 1978 list. That said, they're a one hit wonder in the UK as their cover of "Sukiyaki" failed to chart over there like it did in NZ and their native America.

We have another UK chart topper from Slade on this list, again it comes to us complete with poor grammar that was admittedly their gimmick back in the day. This is the band's final appearance on this list, although like I said, they had tons of other candidates on here due to how well loved they were by their fellow Brits.

Even though this wasn't a chart topper for Carly Simon in the UK like it was internationally, it was nonetheless a massive hit for the singer/songwriter over there given how it comfortably makes it this high on my list. She does have another entry to come on this list, however outside of these two hits, she didn't have any other success over there like she did throughout the rest of the world.

This is the only other UK chart topper that the brothers Gibb had this decade, although unlike in America where their chart-topping success was restricted to the 70's, they would have one more chart topper over there with "You win again" in 1987 which is nothing like what we've seen on this list from the trio. This also means that this chart topper still did worse than the lead single to Spirts having flown which wasn't a chart topper.