Episode 83: The Week Ending November 17, 1979

Episode 83: The Week Ending November 17, 1979

Author: Mark Roback November 16, 2024 Duration: 2:36:13

This week it’s so good, so right, that we have some guest rankings to go along with ours. Still, there is a potential that there will be a heartache tonight. Will we rise above our individual biases and say “enough is enough”? This week we listen to the pop muzic in the Billboard Top 40 from the week ending November 17, 1979. Will this be ladies night, or something that appeals more to a dirty white boy? Who knows? Damned if I do. This night won’t last forever, so dim all the lights and close your eyes. Perhaps you will dream, just beware of the dream police.


Link to a listing of the songs in this week’s episode: https://top40weekly.com/1979-all-charts/#US_Top_40_Singles_For_The_Week_Ending_17th_November_1979


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:


Do That to Me One More Time Dirty White Boy


You Decorated My Tusk


Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough Pop Muzic


Take the Long Way Home to Escape from the Dream Police


Things we talked about in the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c617Nh0RHgU


Rory Gallagher – Toads Place New Haven 1979: https://youtu.be/c617Nh0RHgU?si=9CMszdDdOe4aNSl5


Celebrity Comedy Football Classic TV Special Trailer: https://youtu.be/51A08eUGu6c?si=T3BdpPXevjuiktIF

Album Art:

#37 Confusion: https://www.discogs.com/master/17491-Electric-Light-Orchestra-Discovery/image/SW1hZ2U6NTI1MzMxOA==


#33 I Want You Tonight: https://www.discogs.com/master/299747-Pablo-Cruise-Part-Of-The-Game/image/SW1hZ2U6NDY1ODc5Ng==



# 17 Take the Long Way Home: https://www.discogs.com/master/25362-Supertramp-Breakfast-In-America/image/SW1hZ2U6MjI0NDc1NTU=


#9 Please Don’t Go: https://www.discogs.com/master/180906-KC-And-The-Sunshine-Band-Do-You-Wanna-Go-Party/image/SW1hZ2U6MjA0OTE4NjQ=  (scroll for postcard) 


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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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