August 1971

 Here's for the next in my ongoing series of reviewing the Top 40 songs from 50 years ago.  I've been doing this version of the review for over a year now, plan to continue indefinitely.  

  So what was August 1971 like?

There were 4 weeks of August '71, and there were 55 songs that spent time in the Top 40. As usual, lots of great stuff.  1971 was a pretty outstanding year!

One one song topped the charts over August's 4 weeks:  The Bee Gee's "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart".  It was #1 for 4 weeks, spanning the whole month.

Here's the top 10 songs of the month, ranked by average chart position over the 4 weeks of the month:

• How Can You Mend A Broken Heart - Bee Gees - 1
• Mr. Big Stuff - Jean Knight - 3.25
• Take Me Home, Country Roads - John Denver - 3.5
• Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology) - Marvin Gaye - 6.75
• You've Got A Friend - James Taylor - 6.75
• Beginnings/Colour My World - Chicago - 8.25
• Draggin' The Line - Tommy James - 8.75
• Signs - Five Man Electrical Band - 9
• Indian Reservation (The Lament Of The Cherokee Reservation Indian) - The Raiders - 9.5
• Sweet Hitch-Hiker - Creedence Clearwater Revival - 11.25

Nineteen (19) songs made their Top 40 debut, a couple of pretty notable songs.  Here they are (listed by entering position):

• Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey - Paul & Linda McCartney - 21
• Go Away Little Girl - Donny Osmond - 24
• Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers - 27
• Spanish Harlem - Aretha Franklin - 29
• Bangla-Desh - George Harrison - 31
• The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - Joan Baez - 33
• I Woke Up In Love This Morning - The Partridge Family - 35
• Mighty Clouds Of Joy - B.J. Thomas - 36
• Maggie May - Rod Stewart - 36
• I Just Want To Celebrate - Rare Earth - 37
• Go Down Gamblin - Blood, Sweat & Tears - 37
• Stick-Up - The Honey Cone - 38
• I'm Leavin - Elvis Presley - 38
• Saturday Morning Confusion - Bobby Russell - 38
• Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who - 39
• Tired Of Being Alone - Al Green - 39
• Mother Freedom - Bread - 39
• Where You Lead - Barbra Streisand - 40
• Resurrection Shuffle - Ashton, Gardner & Dyke - 40