From the Frying Pan into the Fire
Yup, no sooner did I graduate from North Andover High School, then I jumped right into the fire for four years at what was then known as Lowell State Teacher’s College. That year marked the beginning of one of many major life-changes and for that reason, I think the songs of this particular time period stick in my mind all the more.
Alrighty nostalgia fans. Here are some of the top hits of 1971 that did NOT crack the top ten list. (If you’re like me, you’ll be scratching your head, too!)
These Winners Lost!
- Ain’t No Sunshine – Bill Withers
- Baby I’m-a Want You – Bread
- Beginnings – Chicago
- Black Magic Woman – Santana
- Brown Sugar – The Rolling Stones
- Color My World – Chicago
- Day After Day – Badfinger
- Family Affair – Sly & the Family Stone
- For All We Know – The Carpenters
- Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves – Cher
- Have You Ever Seen the Rain – Creedence Clearwater Revival
- Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again – The Fortunes
- I Am, I Said – Neil Diamond
- I Don’t Know How to Love Him – Helen Reddy
- I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing – The Seekers
- If – Bread
- If I Were Your Woman – Gladys Knight and the Pips
- If Not for You – Olivia Newton-John
- If You Could Read My Mind – Gordon Lightfoot
- If You Really Love Me – Stevie Wonder
- Imagine – John Lennon
- It Don’t Come Easy – Ringo Starr
- It’s Impossible – Perry Como
- Love the One You’re With – Stephen Stills
- Me and Bobby McGee – Janis Joplin
- Me and You and a Dog Named Boo – Lobo
- Mr. Bo Jangles – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
- My Sweet Lord – George Harrison
- Never Can Say Goodbye – The Jackson Five
- One Less Bell to Answer – The Fifth Dimension
- One Tin Soldier – Coven
- One Toke Over the Line – Brewer and Shipley
- Peace Train – Cat Stevens
- Power to the People – John Lennon
- Proud Mary – Ike and Tina Turner
- Riders on the Storm – The Doors
- (I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden – Lynn Anderson
- She’s a Lady – Tom Jones
- Smiling Faces Sometimes – Undisputed Truth
- Stairway to Heaven – Led Zepplin
- Sweet City Woman – The Stampeders
- Temptation Eyes – The Grass Roots
- Theme from Shaft – Isaac Hayes
- Treat Her Like a Lady – Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose
- When You’re Hot, You’re Hot – Jerry Reid
- Wild Horses – The Rolling Stones
- Wild Night – Van Morrison
- Wild World – Cat Stevens
- You Are Everything – The Stylistics
- You’ve Got a Friend – James Taylor
Just SOME of the great songs of 1971 that DIDN’T make the top ten cut… can you believe it?
So the songs that DID make the cut must be absolutely mind-blowing, right? Not necessarily. The statistics I used to compile this list were based solely on SALES… in other words, which ever song rung up the cash register the most, took the honors.
Of course, tastes in music are completely subjective. “One man’s trash…” you know. My preference definitely would have been much different than the following. See if you agree!
The Top Ten Songs of 1971
10. Knock Three Times – (Tony Orlando and) Dawn
9. Maggie May – Rod Stewart
8. Take Me Home Country Roads – John Denver
7. Just My Imagination – The Temptations
6. Go Away Little Girl – Donny Osmond
5. One Bad Apple – The Osmonds
4. Indian Reservation – Paul Revere and the Raiders
3. How Can You Mend a Broken Heart – The Bee Gees
2. It’s Too Late – Carole King
1. Joy to the World – Three Dog Night
Surprised? Shocked? I know I was.
You can listen to each individual song by clicking on the links in the list above. From those pages you will have access to even more interesting background information on the songs and the artists.
If you prefer to listen to the entire uninterrupted playlist, you can do so by clicking the video below. Enjoy
In any case, just reading over the song titles and the list of artists was a HUGE nostalgia kick for me. I hope you enjoyed it as much.
You gotta Love That Feeling!
OOPS! Did You Miss Something?
If you missed the previous installment for 1970, you can find it here:
