Episode 53: The Week Ending May 6th 1978

Episode 53: The Week Ending May 6th 1978

Author: Mark Roback May 7, 2023 Duration: 2:13:59

I guess it’s a heart ache to say that this is the last episode of Season 1 and yet in reality, it really feels so good. At this point we’ve been stayin’ alive for 53 episodes, but since we feel like we are running on empty, a short break will do us good. But baby hold on, before we go, we are going to shine a flashlight on the Billboard Top 40 from the Week of May 6th, 1978. There’s no need to get the deacon blues, we won’t be going away like dust in the wind. If you believe in magic, and with a little luck, we’ll be back in a couple of months. You can count on me and my co-host because it takes every kind of people to make a podcast.


Link to a listing of the songs in this week’s episode: https://top40weekly.com/1978-all-charts/#US_Top_40_Singles_Week_Ending_6th_May_1978


Data Sources: Billboard Magazine, where the charts came from and on what the countdown was based.

Websites: allmusic.com, songfacts.com, wikipedia.com (because Mark’s lazy)

Books: “Ranking the 70’s” by Dann Isbell, and Bill Carroll

“American Top 40 With Casey Kasem (The 1970’s) by Pete Battistini.


Rejected Episode Titles:


Shadow Dancing in the Flashlight

Werewolves of London On Broadway

Movin’ Out Two Doors Down

Too Much, Too Little, Too Late, Two Doors Down

Dust in the Wind Feels So Good

Take a Chance on Deacon Blues


Some points of interest we talked about in this episode:


Harry Belafonte Banana Boat Song Day O: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZABxj718uA


ROCK-N--ROLL SPORTS CLASSIC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlmEwFAxW1o


HOT L BALTIMORE opening credits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMuft7yMHD0


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Every week, Mark Roback and his friend Pete dust off a random episode of Casey Kasem's American Top 40 from the 1970s. 70s Weekly Countdown with Mark and Pete is more than just a nostalgic trip through the charts. Each song in that week's lineup gets a thoughtful rating and a deep dive-they unpack the stories behind the music, the artists' trajectories, and what made those particular tracks resonate. But the context is just as important as the countdown. The conversation naturally expands to include the major headlines, the TV shows everyone was watching, and the cultural moments that defined that specific week in history. Woven into the analysis are personal anecdotes from Mark and Pete, connecting the music to their own coming-of-age experiences during that era. This podcast is a layered exploration of a decade, using the pop chart as a starting point to examine the sound, the spirit, and the surprising details of the 1970s. You'll hear passionate debates, learn obscure facts, and get a feel for what it was like to live through that time, all through the shared lens of two friends who genuinely love the material.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

70s Weekly Countdown with Mark and Pete
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