On The Charts - May 1973

  Continuing the review of songs that were on the Top 40 (US) charts 50 years ago (1973).  We're on to May, and 33% through the year!  

All of the 1973 music posts can be seen HERE, btw.

Following the normal format, here's the Top 10 songs for May 1973, based on the average chart position (US charts) over the 4 weeks in the month:

• Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree - Dawn Featuring Tony Orlando - 2
• You Are The Sunshine Of My Life - Stevie Wonder - 3
• Little Willy - The Sweet - 4
• Frankenstein - Edgar Winter Group - 5.5
• Drift Away - Dobie Gray - 6.5
• Daniel - Elton John - 7.75
• Stuck In The Middle With You - Stealers Wheel - 8.5
• The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia - Vicki Lawrence - 10.25
• Wildflower - Skylark - 11
• The Cisco Kid - War - 11.25

"Tie a Yellow Ribbon..." was #1 for the first 2 weeks of May, and the last 2 weeks of April, for a 4-week run at the Top.  I rather dislike this song, probably because it was SO inescapable at the time.  Stevie Wonder's "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" was #1 for the third week of May; a little surprising, I would have expected it to be on top longer than 1 week...  And the month ended with Edger Winter's "Frankenstein".  Back in the days when instrumentals weren't rare, and occasionally hit #1!  Other than "Tie A Yellow Ribbon" it's a really great Top 10.  I own 8 of the 10 songs.

There were 59 individual songs on the Top 40 over the course of the 4 weeks, which is slightly higher than the previous months of 1973.  

Here's the songs that made their Top 40 debut in May 1973:

• Steamroller Blues/Fool - Elvis Presley - 30
• Will It Go Round In Circles - Billy Preston - 30
• Long Train Runnin' - The Doobie Brothers - 30
• Playground In My Mind - Clint Holmes - 32
• Right Place Wrong Time - Dr. John - 34
• Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) - George Harrison - 34
• Super Fly Meets Shaft - John & Ernest - 35
• One Of A Kind (Love Affair) - The Spinners - 35
• It Sure Took A Long, Long Time - Lobo - 36
• I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby - Barry White - 37
• And I Love You So - Perry Como - 37
• Teddy Bear Song - Barbara Fairchild - 37
• I Can Understand It - The New Birth - 38
• Hearts Of Stone - The Blue Ridge Rangers - 38
• No More Mr. Nice Guy - Alice Cooper - 39
• Give It To Me - The J. Geils Band - 39
• Let's Pretend - Raspberries - 40
• Close Your Eyes - Edward Bear - 40
• Blue Suede Shoes - Johnny Rivers - 40

A few gems, and a lot that I don't even remember.

So that's it, look for the post later this month of songs that dropped off the Hot 100 in Maywithout having made the Top 40!