Episode 82: The Week Ending October 19, 1974

Episode 82: The Week Ending October 19, 1974

Author: Mark Roback October 17, 2024 Duration: 2:20:23

Well it may seem like this podcast is an overnight sensation, but actually it took an everlasting love and devotion for the need to be the best that got us here. Sure you may be saying “What? You haven’t done nothin’!”. Well to that we say, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Our 2 listeners can’t get enough of the show, and they consider us the kings of the party. This week Billboard Top 40 from the week ending October 19, 1974 makes me feel like I got the music in me! So much so that we may just break into our Longfellow serenade, that one is my melody of love.


Link to a listing of the songs in this week’s episode: https://top40weekly.com/1974-all-charts/#US_Top_40_Singles_Week_Ending_19th_October_1974


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:


Clap for the Beach Baby


Jazzy Tinman


I’ve Got the Wolfman In Me


Another Saturday Night Longfellow Serenade


Second Avenue, That Carefree Highway


Stop and Smell the Honey, Honey



Things we talked about in the episode:


“Straight Down the Middle” Bing Crosby song /video: https://youtu.be/XDkV_41qEVM?si=O6x9Qh2GZOcpMD6d


James Brown's Celebrity Hot Tub Party - SNL: https://youtu.be/xeSwrFKFNFw?si=YgPjkvg9kHyrDgkp


 


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


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
Podcast Episodes
Episode 19: The Week Ending September 14, 1974 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:10:06
At first, maybe you didn’t feel like makin' love, but she was one hell of a woman. She told you things like she never knew love before, and then came you. You were still reluctant, but you took one look at her those skin…
Episode 18: The Week Ending September 9, 1978 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:24:01
What happens when a magnet and steel come close to each other? Well the two objects bond together. Conversely, when the floor has grease all over, then you’re steppin’ in a slide zone. Back in the day, you probably thoug…
Episode 17: The Week Ending August 23, 1975 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:04:29
Supposedly the number 13 is unlucky, but is this the week when we learn the truth at 17? In fact, there were those in the 70’s who pleaded “please mister please”, don’t choose B17 on the jukebox, because that song could…
Episode 16: The Week Ending August 27, 1977 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:42:22
It wasn’t as easy to communicate back in the 70’s as it is now. At best, you could get in touch via the telephone line, but perhaps you had to resort to something more primitive strawberry letter. Perhaps the only thing…
Episode 15: The Week Ending August 7, 1971 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:49:52
What you see is what you get is not always the undisputed truth. Smiling faces sometimes turn out to be liars. However, we’ve all become wiser with as time passes like the summer sand. I just want to celebrate that we wo…
Episode 14: The Week Ending July 31, 1976 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:02:06
Someone’s knocking at the door. It could be a sophisticated lady, are you going to let her in? Or it could be that the boys are back in town and they are ready to give up the funk and tear the roof off the sucker, are yo…
Episode 13: The Week Ending July 15, 1972 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:47:02
With the Apollo space program winding down, things had really started moving fast in 1972. We were still quite young and often pleaded with our fathers, “Daddy, don’t you walk so fast; what are you some kind of rocket ma…
Episode 12: The Week Ending July 14, 1979 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01:33
With 12 episodes in the till, there ain’t no stopping us now, and you can’t change that! We started out with big dreams of making it, but not in terms of gold, only in terms of good times. As we explored the boogie wonde…
Episode 11: The Week Ending July 28, 1973 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:58:41
As we circle back to 1973, it’s yesterday once more. Chances are you didn’t have a lot of money. Perhaps you were just looking for the right place where peaceful waters run, your own Shambala. Maybe you were looking to r…
Episode 10: The Week Ending July 4, 1970 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:54:40
In this episode we sing a song of joy to commemorate the very first episode of American Top 40. What was it like for you back then, did it seem everything was beautiful, or was it all just a ball of confusion. Do you rem…