Episode 62: The Week Ending November 3, 1973

Episode 62: The Week Ending November 3, 1973

Author: Mark Roback October 16, 2023 Duration: 2:06:01

Oh my Maria, was she the most beautiful girl in China Grove? Even though I was a bit of a ramblin’ man, she still loves me like a rock. Whether I was off on that midnight train to Georgia, or on that Rocky Mountain way seeking higher ground, I always kept her photograph close to my heart. She stuck by me through my indiscretions even those with that lady Angie. Somewhere in those travels, I began to appreciate the love I lost and realized that at home I had been on the top of the world, close enough to be knockin’ on heaven’s door. This week we keep on truckin’ and take a free ride through the Billboard Top 40 from the Week of November 3, 1973. All I know is that I can’t get enough of that funky stuff.


Link to a listing of the songs in this week’s episode: https://top40weekly.com/1973-all-charts/#US_Top_40_Singles_Week_Ending_3rd_November_1973


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:


Goodbye Yellow Funky Stuff

Love’s Me Like a Basketball

Ramblin’ Man on the Midnight Train to Georgia

The Rocky Mountain Way to Higher Ground

Space Truckin’ Race

Top of the World Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

I Got a Name, it’s Tyrone Shoelaces


Some points of interest we discussed in this episode:


The Brady Bunch Episode “Sergeant Emma”: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0769855/


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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: 50

70s Weekly Countdown with Mark and Pete
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