Various Artists - Billboard Top Hits 1976 (1991)

I'll own up to buying this Rhino disc solely for the Theme From S.W.A.T.. The 45 of that discofied TV theme was the first single I ever purchased with my allowance money back in early '76, so that made this used CD deal $3 well spent.

Except for S.W.A.T. and Don't Go Breaking My Heart, I have these tunes on other CDs, most notably Rhino's Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day, Vol. 18 as well as that label's The Disco Box. I guess once you license a tune, you want to use it as much as possible? Can't really blame 'em.

Curiously, the track listing on the front cover doesn't match the actual track listing.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks:

1. Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Elton John & Kiki Dee (#1 pop, #1 AC, #3 disco)
   I can't believe I didn't have this great tune on CD before the purchase of this disc. After all, I once named this duet as the best tune of the year. It's a helluva an album opener as I am already up and dancing. Credit where credit is due: it's the arrangement by James Newton Howard that makes this thing a winner.
2. Dream Weaver - Gary Wright (#2 pop, #14 AC)
   While I prefer Our Love Is Alive, this perfectly titled single is certainly dreamy with its combination of electric piano and synths supported by that upward moving bass line. Also on Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day, Vol. 18. When my boys were young, we often went to the home games of the Houston Astros. At that time, they had a between innings ad they would run selling their hot dogs. They used this tune but changed the lyrics from "dream weaver" to "steamed wieners." So bad it was comical.
3. Love Machine (Pt. 1) - The Miracles (#1 pop, #5 R&B, #20 disco)
   And I'm up and dancing again to this perfect melding of disco and R&B, courtesy of some amazing falsetto vocals and Freddie Perren's production prowess. Hooks galore. Previously on the blog: 1, 2, & 3
4. Let Your Love Flow - The Bellamy Brothers (#1 pop, #2 AC)
   This country rock sure goes down easy. I still hear it often and have yet to meet anyone my age who doesn't have some childhood memory attached to it. And they're still touring! I just had some friends see them last week in El Campo and they'll be near my place in two weeks. More power to 'em. Also on Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day, Vol. 18
5. Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry (#1 pop, #1 R&B, #12 disco)
   I sure did play this funky music back in '76. Previously on the blog: 1, 2, 3, & 4
6. Saturday Night - Bay City Rollers (#1 pop)
   '50s style pop but tweaked for a teen idol bubblegum boy band. I loved it back in '76, but I'm no longer much of a fan of this infectious earworm. The band burned bright with six Top 40 hits '76 - '77, but by the time my family moved to Bay City, Texas in 1978, it was taboo to even acknowledge the group's existence much less speak their name. And yes, I'm aware that the Scottish band took its name from the "other" Bay City, the one in Michigan. To its credit, Bay City MI actually is much closer to Saginaw Bay than Bay City TX is to Matagorda Bay, but I digress. Also on Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day, Vol. 15
7. Fooled Around And Fell In Love - Elvin Bishop (#3 pop)
   I always liked this bluesy ballad. Bishop isn't the singer, that's Mickey Thomas of Jefferson Starship. But it's not like Bishop takes a back seat to anyone: as an original member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2015). Also on Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day, Vol. 18
8. I'd Really Love To See You Tonight - England Dan & John Ford Coley (#2 pop, #1 AC)
   This was the biggest of the duo's six Top 40 hits; I like all six. A song about a booty call decades before that term entered the lexicon. Good soft country rock from good Texas boys. Previously on the blog: 1 & 2
9. All By Myself - Eric Carmen (#2 pop, #6 AC)
   Liberally borrowing from Rachmaninoff and his own previous work, Carmen put together a hit ballad. Lots of strings, muted guitar, and piano. Sure, it's plagiarized, but it's catchy as all get out. Also on The Absolute Best Soft Rock of the 1970's
10. Theme From S.W.A.T. - Rhythm Heritage (#1 pop, #6 AC, #11 R&B)
    I remember exactly what drew me to this tune back in '76: it's that funky bass line on the breakdown section underneath the sirens and squealing tires. Then there's that opening with the hi-hat and wah wah/Boomerang pedal guitar lick. Never seen one episode of the series, oddly enough. I was more into half-hour sitcoms and variety shows in '76, I suppose. Even more odd, though, is the fact that the single version (above) clocks in at 4:07 while the album version is 3:21 and, on some promo copies, there's a 2:47 "short version" and that's the version on this CD.

All 10 tracks were top 5 hits and all placed on the Billboard year-end list:

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: All tunes guaranteed heard on my Radio Shack transistor radio:

Click here for more memories of 1976, paricularly Bicentennial celebrations.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Billboard Top Hits 1980 - 1984 (1992)