1973 In Music - July's Almost Made the Charts

 Continuing my look at songs that dropped off the charts during the month, but never made the Top 40.  And for July, I counted 18.  That's pretty much typical.

Here they are, with peak position noted:

Hey You! Get Off My Mountain - The Dramatics - 43

The Free Electric Band - Albert Hammond - 48

Love And Happiness - Earnest Jackson - 58

Letter To Lucille - Tom Jones - 60

What About Me - Anne Murray - 64

Be What You Are - The Staple Singers - 66

Shambala - B.W. Stevenson - 66

Brother's Gonna Work It Out - Willie Hutch - 67

First Cut Is The Deepest - Keith Hampshire - 70

Kids Say The Darndest Things - Tammy Wynette - 72

Avenging Annie - Andy Pratt - 78

Mother-in-law - Clarence Carter - 80

I Can Make It Thru The Days (But Oh Those Lonely Nights) - Ray Charles - 81

Giving It All Away - Roger Daltrey - 83

You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me) - Johnny Rodriguez - 86

I Don't Want To Make You Wait - The Delfonics - 91

My Heart Just Keeps On Breakin' - The Chi-lites - 92

Hello Stranger - Fire And Rain - 100

I can't say there's anything here that really shocks me.  i only own one of these songs (Avenging Annie), and I wouldn't really argue for it to be a hit.

Why Bother?

 I'm over 1/2 way through my 4th year doing monthly reviews of the Top 40 charts from 50 years ago.  Starting with January 2020, through July 2023, just posted yesterday.

I decided to look at see how popular this has been through the years.  Looking at views, as reported in blogger, the most popular post was September 2020, with a paltry 39 views.  Ouch.  Worse is the steady decline since then.

So what of it?  At time i wonder why I do it.  I mostly do it for myself, but I could study the charts w/o bothering with the blog post.  I certainly don't pest as often (photos etc) as I used to, I've largely shifted to Instagram, where a photo probably gets 10x the views.  I think that the era of blogging is probably long gone.  On the other hand, I kind of like that I've been here since 2004.  And it does document that I've been using the LSquared Imaging name for almost 20 years.  (Reality is that I was using it before 2004, but can't document it).

Anyway, this isn't meant to be a rant...  although I'll tag it as such.  Maybe just musing.  

I'm sure I'll continue these posting through the end of 2023.  We'll see after that.

On The Charts - July 1973

 Continuing the review of songs that were on the Top 40 (US) charts 50 years ago (1973).  We're on to July, and into the second half of the year!  

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

Following the normal format, here's the Top 10 songs for July1973, based on the average chart position (US charts) over the 4 weeks in the month:

• Will It Go Round In Circles - Billy Preston - 2.25
• Bad, Bad Leroy Brown - Jim Croce - 2.5
• Kodachrome - Paul Simon - 4
• Shambala - Three Dog Night - 4.5
• Yesterday Once More - Carpenters - 4.75
• Give Me Love - (Give Me Peace On Earth) - George Harrison - 6.25
• Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple - 7.5
• Playground In My Mind - Clint Holmes - 9
• Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy - Bette Midler - 11
• Diamond Girl - Seals and Crofts - 11.75

Only 2 songs topped the charts in July, 1973.  Billy Preston's "will It Go Round In Circles" held the top for the first 2 weeks, followed by Jim Croce's "Bad Bad Leroy Brown".  Another great month at the top of the charts, another in a great year.  I only own 8 of the top 10, though, can you guess which I don't have?

There were 56 individual songs on the Top 40 over the course of the 4 weeks in July, which is back in line with the average, after a low June.

22 songs made their Top 40 debut in July, which is a little above the average for the year.  Here they are, with their debut rank:  

• Touch Me In The Morning - Diana Ross - 29
• The Morning After - Maureen McGovern - 29
• Live And Let Die - Paul McCartney And Wings - 29
• Uneasy Rider - Charlie Daniels - 30
• Get Down - Gilbert O'Sullivan - 31
• Feelin' Stronger Every Day - Chicago - 32
• I Believe In You (You Believe In Me) - Johnnie Taylor - 32
• Delta Dawn - Helen Reddy - 32
• Here I Am Come & Take Me - Al Green - 33
• Where Peaceful Waters Flow - Gladys Knight And The Pips - 34
• If You Want Me To Stay - Sly and The Family Stone - 34
• How Can I Tell Her - Lobo - 35
• Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye - 36
• Brother Louie - Stories - 37
• Why Me - Kris Kristofferson - 37
• Soul Makossa - Manu Dibango - 37
• Angel - Aretha Franklin - 38
• Are You Man Enough - Four Tops - 38
• Goin' Home - The Osmonds - 39
• Swamp Witch - Jim Stafford - 39
• Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose - Dawn - 39
• The Plastic Man - The Temptations - 40

Some solid songs here, which will be climbing the charts over the next month...

So that's it, look for the post later this month of songs that dropped off the Hot 100 in July without having made the Top 40!