Various Artists - Billboard Top Soft Rock Hits 1973 (1997)

Billboard Top Soft Rock Hits is a series of compilation albums released by Rhino Records in 1997, each featuring ten soft rock hit recordings from a specific year in the 1970s. Five albums in the series were released, one each for the years 1970 through 1974. In addition to the individual availability of each volume, the series was also issued in box set. The Easy Listening chart was renamed Adult Contemporary in 1979 and the latter label is usually the nomenclature we use around here.

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

Tracks:

1. You're So Vain - Carly Simon
   Previously heard on The Absolute Best Soft Rock of the 1970's; here's what I wrote then: "A great song...I'm hooked from that immediately recognizable bass line. Who is the song about? I couldn't care less. As a young tot, I never understood why she was singing about "grounds in my coffee." ;-)" Nominated for a Grammy in the categories of Record Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, eventually losing to Killing Me Softly With His Song by Roberta Flack in both categories.
2. The Most Beautiful Girl - Charlie Rich
   Getting jilted never sounded so good. So many hooks in the chorus that the songs starts off with it. I'm not much for country music, but there's no denying this is a stone cold country classic.
3. We May Never Pass This Way (Again) - Seals & Crofts
   The follow-up single to Diamond Girl, the duo writes and delivers another hit. The verse ain't much, but the pre-chorus builds into a sing-along chorus, complete over some high-flying strings. Then there's the bridge that's so white-boy-funky they play it twice. The older I get, the more I relate to the lyrical content.
4. My Maria - B.W. Stevenson
   Previously heard on Greatest Hits of the 70s, Volume One and Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day, Vol. 11 where I wrote that "The liner notes call this single 'likeable but unremarkable.' I concur, but the chorus sure is fun to wail along with."
5. Shambala - Three Dog Night
   A feel-good hippie anthem about a Buddist mythical kingdom - a literal heaven on earth. Love the bass line and, again, the chorus sure is fun to wail along with.
6. Time In A Bottle - Jim Croce
   I didn't appreciate this looping ballad in '73 but it's a whole different thing these days. And when the song switches from minor to major at the chorus -- perfect. Previously heard on Photographs & Memories: His Greatest Hits.
7. Don't Expect Me To Be Your Friend - Lobo
   This one doesn't do much for me. It's not bad, but I don't think it ever gets to where it needs to go. But it did quite well on the charts so what do I know?
8. And I Love You So - Perry Como
   In which a legendary crooner takes on a country-folk song written by Don McLean with full orchestration. My ear is always drawn to the marimba part which shouldn't work but does. Nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male, eventually losing to You Are The Sunshine Of My Life by Stevie Wonder.
9. Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress) - Helen Reddy
   The follow-up to Delta Dawn mines the same lyrical content as the earlier hit, but there's no doubt that chorus is catchy as hell and I audiated it often back when I was working. Watch below for maximum '70s:
   
   
10. Dueling Banjos - Eric Weissberg & Steve Mandell
    Previously heard on Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day, Vol. 11; here's what I wrote then: "To be fair, this isn't a bad little bluegrass tune and it is performed expertly. Because of its use in the movie Deliverance, it has been overplayed and mocked so much that it has become a parody of itself." Winner of a Grammy award in the category of Best Country Instrumental Performance.

Charts, we got charts:

Song	Hot 100	AC	Country
You're So Vain	1	1
The Most Beautiful Girl	1	1	1
We May Never Pass This Way (Again)	21	2
My Maria	9	1
Shambala	3	3
Time In A Bottle	1	1
Don't Expect Me To Be Your Friend	8	1
And I Love You So	29	1
Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)	3	1
Dueling Banjos	2	1	5

In 1973, a total of 26 singles topped the Easy Listening/Adult Contemporary charts; a listing of those 26 are available over at Wikipedia.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I have no designs on trying to complete the 5 disc set, but if they just keep popping up in used bins, we'll see what happens. Please, no wagering.