Episode 90: The Week Ending May 17, 1975

Episode 90: The Week Ending May 17, 1975

Author: Mark Roback May 15, 2025 Duration: 2:11:39

1975; seems like it was only yesterday. During that time of high unemployment, you wondered if you ever would amount to more than a shoeshine boy. It was a bad time. You felt like you were standing on shaky ground, wondering if you would get hijacked, or trampled underfoot. Who would of known that no matter how long it took, eventually you would become a shining star. This week you’ll be listening to the songs in Billboard Top 40 from the week of May 17, 1975 that I’ll play for you. You’re bloody well right I will!


Link to a listing of the songs in this week’s episode: https://top40weekly.com/1975-all-charts/#US_Top_40_Singles_Week_Ending_17th_May_1975


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:


He Don’t Love the Immigrant


Walking in Rhythm, I Got Trampled Underfoot


My Chevy Van Got Hijacked


Shoeshine Boy Made My Shoes Look Like a Shining Star


Rainy Day Wildfire

 

Some links to things we discussed in this episode:


Album Art:


#31 FOPP https://www.discogs.com/master/91554-Ohio-Players-Honey/image/SW1hZ2U6MjE2Mzk5Mjc=


#7 Only Sixteen https://www.discogs.com/master/105114-Dr-Hook-Bankrupt/image/SW1hZ2U6MzQxMjEyNjU=


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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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