Throwing back to the week of June 7, 1975, we find John Denver atop the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Thank God I’m a Country Boy.’ The song hit #1 on the country chart the week before, making it one of six songs to top both charts that year (I covered another of them, Freddy Fender’s ‘Before the Next Teardrop Falls,’ just a couple of weeks ago).
This was Denver’s third #1 hit of four total in his career. All four came between 1973 and 1975. It also reached #1 in Canada and, go figure, Yugoslavia.
Throwing back to the week of May 24, 1975, we find Earth, Wind & Fire atop the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Shining Star,’ the band’s only chart-topping hit. I posted that song during my Decades look at the albums of 1975.
At #2 that week was ‘Before the Next Teardrop Falls’ by Freddy Fender, an American Tejano singer. Fender started his career in 1960 but was sidelined when a marijuana possession charge landed him in jail for three years. My lord!
Throwing back to the week of May 10, 1975, we find Tony Orlando & Dawn atop the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You),’ a cover of the Jerry Butler song ‘He Will Break Your Heart.’
Butler’s version was also a hit, making it to #7 on this chart in 1960. The song was covered by more than a dozen artist in the 60s and early 70s, but Orlando’s 1975 version was the most successful.
Throwing back to the week of April 26, 1975, we find country crooner B.J. Thomas atop the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song.’
This was Thomas’ second #1 hit on this chart, following his recording of ‘Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On MY Head,’ which appeared in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
Throwing back to the week of April 12, 1975, we find Elton John atop the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Philadelphia Freedom.’ This was John’s fourth #1 hit on the chart on his way to seven in his career.
This was the first song John and lyricist Bernie Taupin ever wrote as a standalone single. John wanted to honor his friend Billie Jean King, who had become an international voice for feminism after her defeat of Bobby Riggs in the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ tennis match. The song was named for the Philadelphia Freedoms, King’s team in the World Team Tennis league.
Meet Me In Montauk 