Episode 70: The Week Ending Valentine’s Day, 1976

Episode 70: The Week Ending Valentine’s Day, 1976

Author: Mark Roback February 12, 2024 Duration: 2:26:14

As you look back on the times of your life, what was Valentine’s Day like? Back in the 70s, were you a love machine who used your charms to land a money honey? Did you break the heart of a sweet thing? Perhaps the tables turned at some point and you rode a love rollercoaster with an evil woman. I am sure you found out that love hurts and oh how breaking up is hard to do. Well, one thing I am sure of is that I love music. So wake up everybody, because this week we are going to take a slow ride through the Billboard Top 40 from the Week of February 14, 1976. We may sing a song or two. Won’t you join me, because I surely can’t do this all by myself?


Link to a listing of the songs in this week’s episode: https://top40weekly.com/1976-all-charts/#US_Top_40_Singles_Week_Ending_14th_February_1976


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:


Love to Love You Love Machine

Tracks of My Love Roller Coaster

50 Ways to Leave Your Convoy

Tangerine You Sexy Thing

Dream on Weaver


Some links to things we discussed in this episode:


Evel Knievel on the Sonny and Cher Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0BMon_x57M


Bugs Bunny... "Leopold!": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt1V61SPI_w


The Brady Bunch Hour - All By Myself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSeWcZICF7E


Frank Sinatra - I Sing the Songs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad9_cy1znSk


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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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