1977 - Part II A New Hope DONE- Top 10 Sex Pistols, Meco, Rocky, Kraftwerk, Saints, Marvin Gaye, JM Jarre, Stranglers, John Williams & Stevie Wonder (1 Viewer)

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Our next 3 start with a punk song but the artist is disguised. Much rumour and innuendo about who sings, but only 2 possibilities

After that we have one of the biggest hits of the year, which deserves a listing

The last one was the debut single from a unique band at the time.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#86 - Celia and the Mutations - Mony Mony
#11 out of 13 - Punk

This cover of the Tommy James and the Shondells song was heard by Billy Idol at the height of punk. He was a huge fan of the original and at first stuck his version on an EP in 1981. He liked the song so much he did a “live” version that was a US #1 in the mid 80s. He had good timing. Celia and the Mutations not so much. The Mutations are the Stranglers by the way. They were riding high with their own material and were having some fun with this. The question always has been about the vocalist here. Is it their make up artist Celia Gollin I think or was it one of their vocalists sped up from 33rpm to 45rpm to sound like a female vocalist? Listening to this at 33rpm does sound like a Stanglers vocal, but they love being mysterious about this song.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#85 - Leo Sayer - When I need You
#7 Out of 8 - International #1’s

This is a pleasant song from a pair of great songwriters in Albert Hammond and Carole Bayer-Sager. Leo Sayer always had a nice guy persona and was one of the most popular singles artists at the time. Divorces and management stealing all his money caused him to have a live mental breakdown on the UK Celebrity Big brother show in 2007. This song resonated with a lot of people, was performed well and deserves a mention on this list. He lives in Australia now.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#84 - Village People - San Francisco
#5 out of 7 - Disco

The debut single from a unique band at the time. The follow up, Macho Man broke them in a big way. In hindsight it was obvious they were a gay band, but at the time it was quite stupidly taboo. Its not as if there wasnt ample evidence in their material and costumes, but it came as a major shock to many when they were “outed”. Growing up in Australia, Macho Man and YMCA were huge and particularly with manual labourers who saw themselves in the band. They got a big shock when the blindingly obvious became well known.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

#85 - Leo Sayer - When I need You
#7 Out of 8 - International #1’s

This is a pleasant song from a pair of great songwriters in Albert Hammond and Carole Bayer-Sager. Leo Sayer always had a nice guy persona and was one of the most popular singles artists at the time. Divorces and management stealing all his money caused him to have a live mental breakdown on the UK Celebrity Big brother show in 2007. This song resonated with a lot of people, was performed well and deserves a mention on this list. He lives in Australia now.

I remember seeing this performed on The Muppet Show.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

#85 - Leo Sayer - When I need You
#7 Out of 8 - International #1’s

This is a pleasant song from a pair of great songwriters in Albert Hammond and Carole Bayer-Sager. Leo Sayer always had a nice guy persona and was one of the most popular singles artists at the time. Divorces and management stealing all his money caused him to have a live mental breakdown on the UK Celebrity Big brother show in 2007. This song resonated with a lot of people, was performed well and deserves a mention on this list. He lives in Australia now.

From the three hits of his I know, it seems like Sayer was carving out an Elton-lite niche. Both this and Long Tall Glasses very much sound like Elton. And then You Make Me Feel Like Dancing bears a slight resemblance to some of Elton's disco-ier songs like Bite Your Lip (Get Up and Dance) and Grow Some Funk of Your Own.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

#84 - Village People - San Francisco
#5 out of 7 - Disco

The debut single from a unique band at the time. The follow up, Macho Man broke them in a big way. In hindsight it was obvious they were a gay band, but at the time it was quite stupidly taboo. Its not as if there wasnt ample evidence in their material and costumes, but it came as a major shock to many when they were “outed”. Growing up in Australia, Macho Man and YMCA were huge and particularly with manual labourers who saw themselves in the band. They got a big shock when the blindingly obvious became well known.

The world's gay-dar was not nearly as developed in the '70s as it is now.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Next up we have an artist that I am putting into New Wave which will probably horrify most.
This artist had 8 top 40 hits. This will be the second of them. One of those anonymous artists that was around for several years but had no noticeable hook. Just the songs.

After that we go to Electronic world. This is a bit of a novelty really. It did reach #2 in the UK. Another french artist.

Last one is from the New Wave category, but could just as easily be punk. The driving force in this band was in an eminent pre punk band that was before their time. The flame also went out quick on his new band, but they make a contribution to this list.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#83 - Alan Parsons Project - I Wouldn’t Want To Be Like You
#14 out of 18 - New Wave

The Alan Parsons Project takes its name from the former Beatles and Pink Floyd Engineer. Parsons and his co creator Eric Woolfson may have been the most anonymous musicians of their time. They did have a top 3 hit in Eye in the Sky and three other top 20 hits, as well as 4 including this one inside the top 40. Pretty similar results in their album sales. This one wasn’t sung by Woolfson, but rather frequent collaborator Lenny Zakatek who sung on 24 tracks across eight albums.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#82 - Space - Magic Fly
#7 out of 9 - Electronic

This little instrumental novelty number is in the popcorn genre of electronic music. It was a big hit in Europe in 1977, including #2 in the UK. It didnt touch the US Charts, but the band did have a couple of minor success on the US dance charts in 1979 with My Love Is Music and Save Your Love For Me. I havent seen anything written, but they look like they would have been hugely influential to future french groups Daft Punk and Air.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

#82 - Space - Magic Fly
#7 out of 9 - Electronic

This little instrumental novelty number is in the popcorn genre of electronic music. It was a big hit in Europe in 1977, including #2 in the UK. It didnt touch the US Charts, but the band did have a couple of minor success on the US dance charts in 1979 with My Love Is Music and Save Your Love For Me. I havent seen anything written, but they look like they would have been hugely influential to future french groups Daft Punk and Air.

You ain't kidding. First YouTube comment: "Daft Punk's grandparents".

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#81 - (Johnny Thunders and the) Heartbreakers - Chinese Rocks
#13 out of 18 - New Wave

Former New York Dolls member Johnny Thunders tried to get his Heartbreakers project off the ground, but the band was stuck in the UK as punk arrived after getting an invite to support the Sex Pistols. Keen to capitalize and with no money to return anyway, they got their debut LP off the ground. With fellow Dolls member, Jerry Nolan they were all mired in the usual rock n roll traps of drug and poor management. This song was either entirely written by Dee Dee Ramone or cowritten. Debate surrounds the issue. Richard Hell also figures in here somewhere as well.

 

[zamboni]

#83 - Alan Parsons Project - I Wouldn’t Want To Be Like You
#14 out of 18 - New Wave

The Alan Parsons Project takes its name from the former Beatles and Pink Floyd Engineer. Parsons and his co creator Eric Woolfson may have been the most anonymous musicians of their time. They did have a top 3 hit in Eye in the Sky and three other top 20 hits, as well as 4 including this one inside the top 40. Pretty similar results in their album sales. This one wasn’t sung by Woolfson, but rather frequent collaborator Lenny Zakatek who sung on 24 tracks across eight albums.

Zakatek had some pipes - also sang on their big hit “Games People Play” a few years later.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

#83 - Alan Parsons Project - I Wouldn’t Want To Be Like You
#14 out of 18 - New Wave

The Alan Parsons Project takes its name from the former Beatles and Pink Floyd Engineer. Parsons and his co creator Eric Woolfson may have been the most anonymous musicians of their time. They did have a top 3 hit in Eye in the Sky and three other top 20 hits, as well as 4 including this one inside the top 40. Pretty similar results in their album sales. This one wasn’t sung by Woolfson, but rather frequent collaborator Lenny Zakatek who sung on 24 tracks across eight albums.

I said this in the British Isles countdown: I Robot, the album from which this comes, may be the closest anyone came to replicating the vibe of Dark Side of the Moon. Which makes sense given Parsons' involvement with that record. It's a great headphones-and-substances record.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Next up we have an international day with a trip to Ghana and Italy where we have 2 songs.

One of the Italian songs was covered by a well known female vocalist in the 80s, but she coukd only get her cover to #55 in the US. It did however reach #2 in Australia. The same songwriter gave her the biggest hit of her career

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#80 - Umberto Tozzi - Ti Amo
#8 out of 12- International

To say this was a hit in Italy would be an understatement. It was #1 not for 7 days or 7 weeks, but for 7 months. It was popular elsewhere, even reaching #25 in Australia and going gold despite no airplay. Australia did have a large proportion of first and second generation Italians helping it. Tozzi then went on to write Gloria, another massive hit for him. It was reasonably popular internationally as well. It was translated and did well when Jonathan King did a version in the UK. It took until 1982 when this track found its way to the lovely Laura Branigan. Now I love her version. For many reasons. It was also the first somg I drafted in an FBG draft many years ago. Laura had a patchy career. Some great moments, but her covers of How Am I supposed to Live Without You and Power of Love are awful. Pure and Simple. Her cover of Tozzi’s Ti Amo went to #2 in Australia and I was serenaded at 4 o’Clock in the morning by a lady I did not want to be serenaded by outside the block of flats I was living in. So **** you Umberto Tozzi

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#79 - Ebo Taylor - Heaven
#7 out of 12 - International

Our third assist sees us in Ghana for this nice musical interlude. I do like this better than the Miguel De Deus one purely because there isn’t a 100 repititions of the line Black Soul Brother. The music on that one though was magnificent. Would be much higher if not for the negative. Our assister can maybe provide more info and context on this one.

 

[rockaction]

#81 - (Johnny Thunders and the) Heartbreakers - Chinese Rocks
#13 out of 18 - New Wave

Former New York Dolls member Johnny Thunders tried to get his Heartbreakers project off the ground, but the band was stuck in the UK as punk arrived after getting an invite to support the Sex Pistols. Keen to capitalize and with no money to return anyway, they got their debut LP off the ground. With fellow Dolls member, Jerry Nolan they were all mired in the usual rock n roll traps of drug and poor management. This song was either entirely written by Dee Dee Ramone or cowritten. Debate surrounds the issue. Richard Hell also figures in here somewhere as well.

One of the more sinister and memorable riffs/choruses in punk rock history, this was later clipped and covered by none other than the Ramones themselves because it was so good. The Heartbreakers don't really need a Johnny Thunders parenthetical aside, but that's a mere quibble. He was indeed that memorable of a guitar player; it's just that he was buried in junk so the later output is erratic. There was no quality control as all of the money that was supposed to go into execution and production went into heroin.

It's sad, really, to hear his solo efforts and think what a garage rock/just pure rock talent was wasted due to the stuff.

 

[zamboni]

#80 - Umberto Tozzi - Ti Amo
#8 out of 12- International

To say this was a hit in Italy would be an understatement. It was #1 not for 7 days or 7 weeks, but for 7 months. It was popular elsewhere, even reaching #25 in Australia and going gold despite no airplay. Australia did have a large proportion of first and second generation Italians helping it. Tozzi then went on to write Gloria, another massive hit for him. It was reasonably popular internationally as well. It was translated and did well when Jonathan King did a version in the UK. It took until 1982 when this track found its way to the lovely Laura Branigan. Now I love her version. For many reasons. It was also the first somg I drafted in an FBG draft many years ago. Laura had a patchy career. Some great moments, but her covers of How Am I supposed to Live Without You and Power of Love are awful. Pure and Simple. Her cover of Tozzi’s Ti Amo went to #2 in Australia and I was serenaded at 4 o’Clock in the morning by a lady I did not want to be serenaded by outside the block of flats I was living in. So **** you Umberto Tozzi

#79 - Ebo Taylor - Heaven
#7 out of 12 - International

Our third assist sees us in Ghana for this nice musical interlude. I do like this better than the Miguel De Deus one purely because there isn’t a 100 repititions of the line Black Soul Brother. The music on that one though was magnificent. Would be much higher if not for the negative. Our assister can maybe provide more info and context on this one.

Admittedly, these are a big blind spot for me and I had no idea which was the song title and which was the artist.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#78 - Krisma (Chrisma) - Lola
#6 out of 9 - Electronic

I absolutely love the vibe created on this one. So moody and interesting. Would have much higher right now than i did when i started the list, as it gets even better with repeat listens. Whole album isn’t bad from this Italian artist who gets their name from the half of the husband and wifes first names (Christina and Maurizio). For some reason the spelling of the band name changed from Chrisma to Krisma in 1980, although Christina didnt change the spelling of her name. In an interesting aside Oscar winning Future film composer Hans Zimmer pretty much started his career on synths for this band

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#80 - Umberto Tozzi - Ti Amo
#8 out of 12- International

To say this was a hit in Italy would be an understatement. It was #1 not for 7 days or 7 weeks, but for 7 months. It was popular elsewhere, even reaching #25 in Australia and going gold despite no airplay. Australia did have a large proportion of first and second generation Italians helping it. Tozzi then went on to write Gloria, another massive hit for him. It was reasonably popular internationally as well. It was translated and did well when Jonathan King did a version in the UK. It took until 1982 when this track found its way to the lovely Laura Branigan. Now I love her version. For many reasons. It was also the first somg I drafted in an FBG draft many years ago. Laura had a patchy career. Some great moments, but her covers of How Am I supposed to Live Without You and Power of Love are awful. Pure and Simple. Her cover of Tozzi’s Ti Amo went to #2 in Australia and I was serenaded at 4 o’Clock in the morning by a lady I did not want to be serenaded by outside the block of flats I was living in. So **** you Umberto Tozzi

#79 - Ebo Taylor - Heaven
#7 out of 12 - International

Our third assist sees us in Ghana for this nice musical interlude. I do like this better than the Miguel De Deus one purely because there isn’t a 100 repititions of the line Black Soul Brother. The music on that one though was magnificent. Would be much higher if not for the negative. Our assister can maybe provide more info and context on this one.

Admittedly, these are a big blind spot for me and I had no idea which was the song title and which was the artist.

No shame in that. I didnt know the ones im getting assists on like Ebo Taylor. Artist first, song title second

 

[Don Quixote]

#79 - Ebo Taylor - Heaven
#7 out of 12 - International

Our third assist sees us in Ghana for this nice musical interlude. I do like this better than the Miguel De Deus one purely because there isn’t a 100 repititions of the line Black Soul Brother. The music on that one though was magnificent. Would be much higher if not for the negative. Our assister can maybe provide more info and context on this one.

I'm the assister here again.... My favorite songs in the US favorite songs thread were relatively heavy on jazz, some Motown funkyness, and some unconscious bias for call-and-response songs. West Africa in the 1970s had a pretty good mix of all of these things -- Ebo Taylor has a bit of blending between the jazz/horns/exuberance of Ghana Highlife, Afrobeat, and funk that just lays a pretty good groove. While this song is light on lyrics, it does layer in some of that call-and-response around the 4:00 minute mark. (For any Usher fans, Heaven was sampled by him in She Don't Know),

Ebo Taylor has become one of my favorites. I'm a pretty recent convert to his music and some of the other West Africa musicians (mostly just had not explored or heard it before), but a bit of revelation when I did. I think Heaven is my favorite of his, but he's been putting solid stuff for 50 years (and still around). If you like this one and want to explore more of his stuff, check out Come Along with the Pelikans, or Atwer Abroba. Then keep going.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Next up we get a little less eclectic as we have 2 well known acts, at least in respectable music circles and another International #1

Both the well known acts were in Tims list. Both slot into the Punk category, but could just as easily sit in New Wave. There is no doubt the better song(s appear on Tims list, but these songs deserve a ranking too.

The International #1 was a number one single in at least 10 European countries and very high in the end of year chart. Was top 10 in Australia and the UK as well. And it did nothing in the US.
It did receive an amazing second and third life during the Euro football championships in 2020/2021 when it was adopted by a country partcipating.

 

[krista4]

Thread title.

 

[timschochet]

#81 - (Johnny Thunders and the) Heartbreakers - Chinese Rocks
#13 out of 18 - New Wave

Former New York Dolls member Johnny Thunders tried to get his Heartbreakers project off the ground, but the band was stuck in the UK as punk arrived after getting an invite to support the Sex Pistols. Keen to capitalize and with no money to return anyway, they got their debut LP off the ground. With fellow Dolls member, Jerry Nolan they were all mired in the usual rock n roll traps of drug and poor management. This song was either entirely written by Dee Dee Ramone or cowritten. Debate surrounds the issue. Richard Hell also figures in here somewhere as well.

This was a miss on my part. I should have made room for it. Great song

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#81 - (Johnny Thunders and the) Heartbreakers - Chinese Rocks
#13 out of 18 - New Wave

Former New York Dolls member Johnny Thunders tried to get his Heartbreakers project off the ground, but the band was stuck in the UK as punk arrived after getting an invite to support the Sex Pistols. Keen to capitalize and with no money to return anyway, they got their debut LP off the ground. With fellow Dolls member, Jerry Nolan they were all mired in the usual rock n roll traps of drug and poor management. This song was either entirely written by Dee Dee Ramone or cowritten. Debate surrounds the issue. Richard Hell also figures in here somewhere as well.

This was a miss on my part. I should have made room for it. Great song

You will be saying this a lot more over the next 77 songs lol.
Right now we are churning through the stuff that wouldnt make my top 100.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#77 - The Clash - Complete Control
#10 out of 13 - Punk

With 3 superior Clash songs landing on Timschochets list, no need for further representation here right? Wrong. Complete Control ended up being the highest charting Clash song of 1977 on the UK singles chart. Many other songs on their debut album (UK version) are also worthy of inclusion. Over the next five years Joe Strummer and Mick Jones would go on to become one of the best songwriting duos in music history. When Jones left the quality deteriorated on Clash Material, although Jones would go on to have some success with Big Audio Dynamite

 

[krista4]

#77 - The Clash - Complete Control
#10 out of 13 - Punk

With 3 superior Clash songs landing on Timschochets list, no need for further representation here right? Wrong. Complete Control ended up being the highest charting Clash song of 1977 on the UK singles chart. Many other songs on their debut album (UK version) are also worthy of inclusion. Over the next five years Joe Strummer and Mick Jones would go on to become one of the best songwriting duos in music history. When Jones left the quality deteriorated on Clash Material, although Jones would go on to have some success with Big Audio Dynamite

I've never listened to much Clash - I guess the "hits" never did it for me enough to want to delve further. But I fell in love with this one during the British Isles countdown.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#76 - Baccara - Yes Sir I Can Boogie
#6 out of 8 - International #1’s

This spanish female duo arrived out of nowhere with one of the biggest European hits of the late 70s. If it wasn’t for only reaching #2 in Austria and #9 in the UK, it would have a picket fence of #1 rankings in every other European country on wiki. The follow up “Yes Sir, I’m a Lady” did quite well reaching number one in several countries but after that the hits started drying up. Disappearing from public conciousness until it bobbed up as the unofficial song of the Scotland soccer team heading into the Euro 2020 finals. One of the lesser known players was filmed in drag miming to this song at a wedding and it became a team song, then into the public sphere and back into the UK charts.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#75 - Television - Venus
#9 out of 13 - Punk

Marquee Moon is the standout track from one of the best albums of 1977. That song would be much higher on my list than it ended up being on Tims. Venus is one of the other tracks worthy of inclusion. I think the issue for a lot of people is that this is a critics band without much appeal from the masses, but a general concensus of music critics arent going to be wrong when it comes to quality.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

#75 - Television - Venus
#9 out of 13 - Punk

Marquee Moon is the standout track from one of the best albums of 1977. That song would be much higher on my list than it ended up being on Tims. Venus is one of the other tracks worthy of inclusion. I think the issue for a lot of people is that this is a critics band without much appeal from the masses, but a general concensus of music critics arent going to be wrong when it comes to quality.

Sometimes the critic hivemind doesn’t make sense to me. But not here. Television deserved all their good press.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Tomorrow we start with a **** up on my part. I categorized this artist first as International and then Black.
Wrong on both counts lol. It is stuck in the black category, although i could do a late move if I wanted to. Maybe i get pleasure out of confusing myself. Just never saw a film clip before listening. The name of the artist doesn’t exactly scream US band full of white guys from Ohio either

After that we have a highly unlikely artist who had a 3 song run of “hits” that coincided with his appearance on one of the biggest TV shows at the time. He actually recorded music before becoming a recognisable actor. This song went to #1 in the UK just like the first in this group of 3, with the other one making #2 in the UK. The first of these 3 hits was a global #1 including the US but that was 1976.

The last is another euro disco hit. This time a cover

 

[massraider]

, although Jones would go on to have some success with Big Audio Dynamite

Bad timing/too early for that band. I would love to have seen them out there with the Madchester crew.

 

[rockaction]

#75 - Television - Venus
#9 out of 13 - Punk

Marquee Moon is the standout track from one of the best albums of 1977. That song would be much higher on my list than it ended up being on Tims. Venus is one of the other tracks worthy of inclusion. I think the issue for a lot of people is that this is a critics band without much appeal from the masses, but a general concensus of music critics arent going to be wrong when it comes to quality.

My second favorite track off of Marquee Moon. Well, maybe "Prove It" is second, but who cares?

How I fell (Did you feel low?)
No (Huh?)
I fell right into the arms of Venus de Milo

I love the call-and-response here. Definitely taking something from the Shangri-La's, only putting it into a free jazz/punk song.

 

[rockaction]

#77 - The Clash - Complete Control
#10 out of 13 - Punk

With 3 superior Clash songs landing on Timschochets list, no need for further representation here right? Wrong. Complete Control ended up being the highest charting Clash song of 1977 on the UK singles chart. Many other songs on their debut album (UK version) are also worthy of inclusion. Over the next five years Joe Strummer and Mick Jones would go on to become one of the best songwriting duos in music history. When Jones left the quality deteriorated on Clash Material, although Jones would go on to have some success with Big Audio Dynamite

Picked this for the British Isles countdown. Number eleven overall in the Punk Hundred countdown I did on this very site. It's a ferocious artistic statement that The Clash would be the owners of their art, thank you very much.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#74 - Pere Ubu- The Modern Dance
#9 out of 10 - Black (sorry)

Ok. Lets get this one out of the way. I messed up. Not the song, it deserves a place here.
You see the name Pere Ubu and think “Is that African or South American?”
Listening to it, quirky vocals and vibrant. Ok, wiki this and says they are from Cleveland. Big surprise.
Oh well, gotta be black right? Didnt research any furthe.
After list completed and categorized, saw a film clip. Mmmm, they are fairly light.
They did have white artists on the Black charts occasionally didnt they?

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#73 - David Soul - Silver Lady
#13 out of 17 - Mainstream/Other

Right at the height of Starsky and Hutch, David Soul had a golden patch of 3 hit singles. First came in 1976, Don’t Give Up On Us which was massive. Number one in the UK, US and half the western world. The follow up - Going In With My Eyes Open still went to #2 in the UK, but was nowhere bear as successful elsewhere. 1977 continued with Silver Lady which improved his success, but as with his last track it stalled outside the US Top 50. Probably forgettable ultimately, but i was always fascinated by what the heck a silver lady was

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#72 - La Belle Epoque - Black is Black
#6 out of 12 - International

The cover of the Los Bravos hit was a smash hit throughout Europe and most of the west, but not the US. This spanish group, hot on the heels of Baccara and their number one, Yes Sir I Can Boogie had the Spanish seeming the epicentre of euro disco. It was fleeting as the Italians started get their groove on. This was a last minute shoo in to the list as one I thought was eligible, wasn’t.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

#74 - Pere Ubu- The Modern Dance
#9 out of 10 - Black (sorry)

Ok. Lets get this one out of the way. I messed up. Not the song, it deserves a place here.
You see the name Pere Ubu and think “Is that African or South American?”
Listening to it, quirky vocals and vibrant. Ok, wiki this and says they are from Cleveland. Big surprise.
Oh well, gotta be black right? Didnt research any furthe.
After list completed and categorized, saw a film clip. Mmmm, they are fairly light.
They did have white artists on the Black charts occasionally didnt they?

As far as I know Pere Ubu were a white band from Cleveland. I find it highly unlikely that much of their experimental output showed up on any charts, including country & western.

 

[rockaction]

#74 - Pere Ubu- The Modern Dance
#9 out of 10 - Black (sorry)

Ok. Lets get this one out of the way. I messed up. Not the song, it deserves a place here.
You see the name Pere Ubu and think “Is that African or South American?”
Listening to it, quirky vocals and vibrant. Ok, wiki this and says they are from Cleveland. Big surprise.
Oh well, gotta be black right? Didnt research any furthe.
After list completed and categorized, saw a film clip. Mmmm, they are fairly light.
They did have white artists on the Black charts occasionally didnt they?

Pere Ubu was indeed probably almost all white and was from Cleveland. I believe the singer was a portly man named Dave Thomas. They formed from the ashes of Rocket From The Tombs, a famous Cleveland proto-punk act. Pere Ubu never charted anything, really. "The Modern Dance" and "Final Solution" are their most well-known songs (at least to this dilettante). They're a tough listen, IMO, and I can't get into them. A bit too experimental for me.

I know of them because The Dead Boys from OH rose from Rocket From The Tombs' ashes also, and that's the band I more indentify with. Rocket From The Tombs is worth the listen if you ever get the chance. "Ain't It Fun" is a great rock-n'-roll song.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Pere Ubu is like about as white as you can get. Doesn’t matter as long as you like the song.

 

[zamboni]

Pere Ubu is like about as white as you can get. Doesn’t matter as long as you like the song.

I used to think it was the owner of him

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Pere Ubu is like about as white as you can get. Doesn’t matter as long as you like the song.

I used to think it was the owner of him

The singer could also be the owner of Wendy's.

 

[krista4]

Will there be a playlist for this when it's over? I'm falling impossibly behind but would really love to catch up in easy-to-me fashion at some point.

 

[New Binky the Doormat]

Will there be a playlist for this when it's over? I'm falling impossibly behind but would really love to catch up in easy-to-me fashion at some point.

what is the new avatar?

 

[zamboni]

Will there be a playlist for this when it's over? I'm falling impossibly behind but would really love to catch up in easy-to-me fashion at some point.

All Frankie Teardrop, all the time.

 

[krista4]

Will there be a playlist for this when it's over? I'm falling impossibly behind but would really love to catch up in easy-to-me fashion at some point.

what is the new avatar?

In keeping with the goat theme but going international, it's a pic I took of goats in trees in Morocco. Yes, I said goats in trees.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Will there be a playlist for this when it's over? I'm falling impossibly behind but would really love to catch up in easy-to-me fashion at some point.

Just links in the first 3 posts....eventually.
Can imagine this being a spotify nightmare

Next up we have an underappreciated female artist, botn in another country but british (adding to my krista31 lol). Her highest ranking song in the US was only #78, but she was popular, but unique, in the UK and Australia.

After that an Aussie band that broke through but fizzled out quickly during punk. Probably Australia second biggest punk band. The title of the song is amusing, but maybe only to me

Lastly we have a song made more famous by another artist within a calendar year, but his version didnt chart until 1980. The original that i will included did go to Number one in New Zealand and number two in Switzerland, but it wasnt released as a single in US, UK etc. The cover ended up on Tims list, but I like this version better.

 

[New Binky the Doormat]

Will there be a playlist for this when it's over? I'm falling impossibly behind but would really love to catch up in easy-to-me fashion at some point.

what is the new avatar?

In keeping with the goat theme but going international, it's a pic I took of goats in trees in Morocco. Yes, I said goats in trees.

ty ...please get something significantly more in resolution.

 

[krista4]

Will there be a playlist for this when it's over? I'm falling impossibly behind but would really love to catch up in easy-to-me fashion at some point.

what is the new avatar?

In keeping with the goat theme but going international, it's a pic I took of goats in trees in Morocco. Yes, I said goats in trees.

ty ...please get something significantly more in resolution.

Hmmm, looks ok on my end, though I did have to zoom the pic a bit. Maybe I could pull one from the internet that's more of a close-up.