January | 2019 | Just Another Blog From a Woman

Top Ten Tunes- 1975

Posted on January 25, 2019 by Hayley Beasley Dye

Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 1975.

For previous top ten tunes, please click on the year: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

In 1975, Margaret Thatcher defeated Edward Heath and became the first female leader of the Conservative party in its history, 43 people were killed in the Moorgate tub train crash, a large National Front protest took place in London against Europe integration, after brake failure a coach plunges off a bridge in West Yorkshire killing the driver and 31 female pensioners becoming the worst UK road accident in history, 67% of voters in a referendum voted to remain in the EEC, the London Hilton hotel was bombed by the IRA killing 2 and injuring 63 people, Fawlty Towers was broadcast for the first time, an IRA bomb exploded near Green Park tube station killing 1 and injuring 20 people, an IRA bomb intended for politician Sir Hugh Fraser kills oncologist Gordon Hamilton Fairley, the first vicim of the Moors Murders is discovered in Leeds, the first public performance by Sex Pistols takes place, racing driver Graham Hill (Damon Hill’s father) dies in an air crash, the co-founder of the Guinness Book of Records Ross McWhirter is shot dead by the IRA, the Vietnam War ends, VHS is introduced to the world, the 15 year civil war in Lebanon starts between Maronite Christians and Muslin militias and the films Jaws, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Dog Day Afternoon, One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest, Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Tommy are all released (what a year for film!) and I started to make my mum look like she ate all the pies….

Oh gang, I can’t believe this is it. This is THE final Top Ten Tunes. I started this feat of an idea way back in November 2017 and here we are in 2019 and I’ve finally gone through every year from 1960 to 2018 with my Top Ten Tunes from each year, along with the news form each year, a bit of reminiscing and some rather wonderful photography hopefully capturing the various eras. I’ve learned a lot, it’s renewed my passion in music from the past and it has also taken me down memory lane. I thoroughly enjoyed doing these lists and thank you so much for joining me every week or even if you just popped in from time to time. And I really hope I didn’t let you down when it came to your birth year’s selection of music (and sorry if I didn’t cover your birth year). At the end of this post, I’ve gathered together a renewed selection of facts about these playlists similar to how I did with this post HERE and there’ll be a playlist at the end of every favourite song of mine from every year (all 59 songs!).

So, here we go, for the final time, my 10 personal favourite tunes from a particular year and this week, it’s 1975.

1. You Sexy Thing by Hot Chocolate

2. Young Americans by David Bowie

3. Lovin’ You by Minnie Riperton

4. I’m Not in Love by 10cc

5. Black Country Woman by Led Zeppelin

6. Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) by Steve Harley & the Cockney Rebels

7. Never Can Say Goodbye by Gloria Gaynor

8. Love is the Drug by Roxy Music

9. Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen

10. Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen

I mean, I’m so basic, I’m going to pick Queen this week. I tried really hard not to go for the obvious one, but I had to pick the one that just so happens to genuinely be my favourite (which is exactly as I have done every other week). So, please don’t be shy (especially not on our final week), tell me which is your favourite.

When I did the years 1976-2018, the nationality of acts that appeared the most was British and that was by quite a long way, but interestingly between 1960-1975, the most popular nationality for these playlists was American. In fact, for this period, all the acts were either American or British, apart from just 3 acts (who all hailed from the Caribbean).

My top 4 acts from 1960-1975 are:

4. Elton John (features 4 times)

3. Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye & David Bowie (5 times each)

2. Stevie Wonder (7 times)

1. Beatles (9 times)

That means, my overall top 5 acts (from 1960-2018) are:

5. Bjork (features 7 times)

4. George Michael & Beyonce (8 times each)

3. Beatles & Blur (9 times each)

2. Madonna, Stevie Wonder & Kylie Minogue (10 times each and Madge has been knocked off the top spot by…..)

1. David Bowie is my most popular artist throughout all of these Top Ten Tunes, appearing 12 times. First appearing in 1969 and featuring for the final time in 2016. I think that really says something about Bowie as an artist.

All of those top artists are favourite artists of mine unsurprisingly, apart from Elton John. I must like him more than I think I do!

Last thing, from next week onwards I’ll be doing posts on my favourite songs by certain artists, so I hope I still see you all on some of those future posts.

And here’s that final playlist of every one of my favourite songs from every single year from 1960-2018. Phew!

See you next week for my Top Blur Songs!

Top Ten Tunes- 1974

Posted on January 18, 2019 by Hayley Beasley Dye

Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 1974.

For previous top ten tunes, please click on the year: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

1974 General Election - Prime Minister Harold Wilson

Harold Wilson becomes Prime Minister

In 1974, the IRA bomb a coach on the M62 in West Yorkshire, killing 12 people (2 of which were children), Grenada becomes independent from the UK, the general election takes place and results in a hung parliament, Ted Heath announces his resignation and Harold Wilson becomes Prime Minister leading a minority Labour government, 180 Brits die when a plane crashes near Paris– killing all 346 people on board, the Eurovision Contest takes place in Brighton and a band called Abba wins with the song Waterloo, 34 people are killed in bombings that take place in Dublin and Monaghan, clashes between the far-right National Front and counter-protesters results in a 21 year old student being killed, the IRA bomb the Houses of Parliament, another IRA bomb explodes at the Tower of London killing 1 person, the Guildford pub bombing kills 5 people, a second general election takes place, which results in Labour winning, another IRA bomb explodes at the Brook’s club in London, Lord Lucan disappears after the death of his children’s nanny, the IRA bomb a pub in Woolwich killing 2 people, McDonald’s open their first restaurant in the UK, 21 people are killed in an IRA bomb in a pub in Birmingham, the London home of Ted Heath is bombed by the IRA– he only narrowly missed the explosion, Richard Nixon becomes the first American president forced to resign after the Watergate scandal, the Rumble in the Jungle takes place when George Foreman and Muhammed Ali fight in a much hyped boxing match- Ali wins, Gerald Ford becomes the President of the United States, Isabel Peron becomes the first female President in the world when she becomes President of Argentina, West Germany wins the World Cup and the films Chinatown, The Godfather Part II, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Death Wish, The Towering Inferno, The Man With Golden Gun and Swallows and Amazons are all released.

Al Pacino In 'The Godfather: Part II' Woody Allen And Mia Farrow In 'A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy' '

This week contains one of my all time favourite songs, lots of familiar faces from previous Top Ten Tunes and the introduction of some band called Queen. Spotify playlist at the end.

1. Killer Queen by Queen

2. Jet by Paul McCartney & Wings

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3. You’re The First, The Last, My Everything by Barry White

This photo of Bazza is perfection

4. You Are Everything by Marvin Gaye & Diana Ross

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5. That’s the Spirit by Judee Sill

Photo of Judee SILL

6. This Town Ain’t Big Enough For the Both Of Us by Sparks

7. Rebel Rebel by David Bowie

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8. Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing by Stevie Wonder

9. I’m In Love by Aretha Franklin

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10. Candle in the Wind by Elton John

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Queen and Bowie are my runners up, but Judee Sill is easily my favourite this week as it’s one of my all time favourite songs. Please let me know below which one of these 1974 gems is your favourite.

See you next week for the final ever Top Ten Tunes and 1975!

Top Ten Tunes- 1973

Posted on January 11, 2019 by Hayley Beasley Dye

Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 1973.

For previous top ten tunes, please click on the year: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Princess Anne’s wedding

In 1973, the UK enters the EEC (European Economic Community), 400 children attack British troops in Derry, Northern Ireland, Pink Floyd release The Dark Side of the Moon the best-selling album of all time by a British artist, two IRA bombs explode in London killing 1 and injuring 250, the Northern Ireland sovereignty referendum voted in favour of remaining within the UK with 98.9% of the votes, the new London Bridge was opened, women were admitted into the London Stock Exchange for the first time, the Bahamas gains full independence, 18 coal miners are killed in Derbyshire in a cage brake failure accident and 7 miners die in West Yorkshire in another coal mine accident, more IRA bombs explode in both Manchester and London, the Princess Royal (Anne) marries Captain Mark Phillips, the US ends its involvement with Vietnam after signing the Paris Peace Accords, the American Indian Movement (AIM) occupied Wounded Knee in South Dakota taking 11 hostages to highlight the injustices that Native Americans faced, Sears Tower in Chicago is completed, the Sydney Opera House is opened, the World Trade Center is also opened, Basque terrorists kill the Spanish Prime Minister Luis Carrero Blanco, the films The Exorcist, American Graffiti, The Wicker Man, Live and Let Die, and Mean Streets are released and both my big brother and my husband were born.

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Another absolutely storming week this week. Only two more weeks of these Top Ten Tunes after this week!

1. Nutbush City Limits by Ike and Tina Turner

2. Top of the World by The Carpenters

In 1973, The Carpenters performed at the White House.

3. Killing Me Softly With His Song by Roberta Flack

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4. Living For the City by Stevie Wonder (Whilst the song is from 1973, this video isn’t quite, but almost. Listen to that voice!)

5. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John

elton-john-1973

6. Love Train by The O’Jays

7. You Can’t Always Get What You Want by The Rolling Stones (from the 1969 album Let It Bleed, it was randomly released as a single in 1973)

8. Piano Man by Billy Joel

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9. Life on Mars? by David Bowie

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10. Love Reign O’er Me by The Who (this had to be in here this week as Quadrophenia is one of my all time favourite films)

who onstage big

Struggling to pick a favourite from those last three songs, but I’m going to go for Billy Joel this week. If you can pick one, which one is your favourite?

See you next week for 1974!

Top Ten Tunes- 1972

Posted on January 4, 2019 by Hayley Beasley Dye

Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 1972.

For previous top ten tunes, please click on the year: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

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Survivors of the 1972 Andes plane crash.

In 1972, British troops open fire on unarmed demonstrators in Derry, Northern Ireland killing 14– the event is remembered as “Bloody Sunday”, protestors burn down the British Embassy in Dublin, an IRA bomb kills 6 people in Aldershot barracks, Edward, Duke of Windsor dies at 77– 35 years after he abdicated from the throne, a British plane crashes near Staines killing all 118 people on board, the first gay pride march takes place in London, a series of IRA explosions in Belfast leave 9 dead, in County Londonderry 9 are killed by IRA car bombs, the Olympics takes place in Munich, West Germany- where 11 Israel athletes are murdered in a terrorist attack, the first episode of Emmerdale Farm is broadcast, the Watergate Scandal starts when wiretapping laws are broken and 5 White House officials are arrested for burglarising the Democratics’ offices, President Nixon is re-elected as president of the United States, 16 people survive a plane crash in the Andes after practising cannibalism and the films The Godfather, Deliverance, Cabaret, The Poseidon Adventure and Super Fly are released.

Cabaret-2

Outstanding week this week. Some of my all time favourite songs are on this week’s list. Here they are, in no particular order. Spotify playlist at the end.

1. Rockin’ Robbin by Michael Jackson

Undated handout photo of Michael Jackson from his days as part of The Jackson 5