Thursday Thirteen

These are the number one songs from the first week in January 1976! Fifty years ago.

1. “Saturday Night” by Bay City Rollers. The song that convinced an entire generation that spelling S‑A‑T‑U‑R‑D‑A‑Y was a personality trait.

2. “Let’s Do It Again” by The Staple Singers. A smooth, grown‑up groove that absolutely did not mean “let’s do the laundry again,” though that’s how adulthood interprets it now.

3. “Love Rollercoaster” by Ohio Players. Proof that in 1976, even romance required seatbelts and a height requirement.

4. “I Write the Songs” by Barry Manilow. Barry, sweetheart, you didn’t write this one — but we admire the confidence. (The song was written by Bruce Johnson, a member of the Beach Boys.)

5. “Fly, Robin, Fly” by Silver Convention. Three words. That’s it. That’s the whole lyrical budget. And somehow it still slaps.

6. “Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)” by Diana Ross. A song that asks the same question adulthood does every morning before coffee.

7. “Fox on the Run” by Sweet. For when you want glam rock but also need to be home by 9.

8. “That’s the Way (I Like It)”by KC & The Sunshine Band. Disco’s answer to “don’t overthink it.”

9. “Convoy” — C.W. McCall. A novelty CB‑radio trucker anthem that somehow became a national mood. America was weird, and honestly, charming. What happened to us?

10. “Eighteen With a Bullet” by Pete Wingfield. A song title that sounds like a crime drama but is actually about chart positions. The 70s were nothing if not dramatic.

11. “Nights on Broadway” by Bee Gees. Falsetto so sharp it could slice bread. Also the soundtrack to at least three unwise romantic decisions.

12. “Sky High” by Jigsaw. A breakup song disguised as a motivational poster. You think it’s uplifting until you listen to the lyrics.

13. “Over My Head” by Fleetwood Mac. Christine McVie quietly carrying the entire emotional weight of the decade, as usual. My favorite on this list, although I like "I Write the Songs," "Theme from Mahagony," and "That's the Way," too. Just not as much. It's hard to beat Fleetwood Mac when it comes to songs and bands I enjoy.

*An AI tool helped me create this list, mostly because you can't get away from the things in a search now.*

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 941st time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.