My Summertime Song Memories ... 1976

Each week, I am releasing a list of my 15 favorite songs from the first 15 summers I lived in my beloved hometown of Toms River, N.J. between 1974-88. That takes me from the summer I was 7 until the summer I was 21. Each song from each summer has a special meaning and I will try to convey them as best as I possibly can. So I will rank each summer's hit song memory from Nos. 15 through No. 1. Each song was a hit that peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 between Memorial Day Weekend and Labor Day Weekend.

This week, it's the Sounds of the Summer of '76:

15.You Should Be Dancing—Bee Gees (#1, September)

That bass pumps at the start and you know you can't resist the slingshot-sounding keyboards of this record. Barry Gibb -- a man and his falsetto -- still sounds so rich to this day. Halfway through the record you come to the realization -- you should be dancing. A late second-half-of-the-summer memory for me.

14. Happy Days—Pratt & McClain (#5, June)

So after the producers of the "Happy Days" TV series said enough was enough with the original theme of Bill Haley & The Comets' classic "Rock Around The Clock," they got two guys named Pratt and McClain to record the good-time song written by Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox and it became an iconic part of our everyday lives for the next nine years and forever in our television-watching memory banks. And made for a great early summer hit of our Bicentennial year.

13. Shannon—Henry Gross (#6, June)

OK, I admit it -- I get all watery-eyed every so often when I hear about the sad tale of Shannon, sung by former Sha-Na-Na member Henry Gross. Anyone who has ever had a dog … or pet for that matter … understands the emotion of this sad tale. It's rare when we hear about it in a song, but sung so beautifully by Mr. Gross. Great Beach Boys feel to this song (especially the fact that the dog in question is Carl Wilson's Irish setter, Shannon, which was hit by a car). Somewhere above, Casey Kasem is scowling down.

12. Turn The Beat Around—Vicki Sue Robinson (#10, August)

One of the all-time great disco tracks ever recorded, but then again, I'm a sucker for a great string section behind a dance tune. It's part orchestral, part Latin, mostly Disco, which makes this such a timeless treasure from an era that had such a glut of records that it oversaturated the musical landscape and caused the ground to cave from under it. The late Vicki Sue Robinson kept pace with the high-energy of this record and 18 years later, Gloria Estefan would do the same thing with the remake.

11. Love Hangover—Diana Ross (#1, May)

Miss Thang had never really done a "Disco" record until she recorded this piece of dance paradise that the Fifth Dimension gave a try to, but was a bigger hit for the Supremes' former supreme leader and lead singer. The slow pace at the start plods a little, but then that beat picks up and it's a nonstop dance-fest the rest of the way as Ms. Ross does many different vocal sounds, me always loving the echo of "If there's a cure for this, I don't want it." Hal Davis' production is always one of the best ever during the Disco era. 

10. Don't Go Breaking My Heart—Elton John & Kiki Dee (#1, August)

The biggest artist in the world by 1976 had done a duet with his Rocket Records partner and good friend, Kiki Dee, and you thought these two had natural talent together. Though it turned out to be a one-time and good-spirited song, my 9-year-old mind thought that Captain Fantastic stopped making solo records and was going to duet with this woman I never really heard of the rest of his career. The things you think of when you're young!

9. Got To Get You Into My Life—Beatles (#7, July)

The way this song got played on WABC-AM all summer, the Beatles had "come together" again. No, but how anyone forgot to ever release this tune at Parlophone Records in the UK or Capitol Records here should have had a tongue-lashing coming. Still one of my all-time faves by the Fab Four. McCartney nails the vocals and one of the few things you ever hear on a Beatles records shines through -- those horns. Always loved when McCartney himself does this song in concert.

8. Misty Blue—Dorothy Moore (#3, June)

Even to this day, whenever I hear this song on the radio, I picture a rainy summer afternoon or evening song. It's slow, but it's so elegant in its offering to its listener. Dorothy Moore from the state of Mississippi performs remarkably on lead vocals with a wonderful-sounding vocal backdrop behind her. It works amazingly as a torch record, but it has that "come over here and cuddle up with me" attitude to it. Hey, if she says yes, I'm going over!

7. Sara Smile—Daryl Hall & John Oates (#4, June)

Like "Misty Blue," this song has that same bluesy, slow-moving approach. Daryl Hall sings the hell out of this record that became the first hit for the duo from Philadelphia, the group's calling card. John Oates delivers a great blues guitar work that makes you think that for one moment that's B.B. King playing behind them. As a matter of fact, "Sara Smile" sounds like the song that King turned down to let these guys have a chance to make it in the music business.

6. Kiss And Say Goodbye—The Manhattans (#1, July)

Sometimes when this song fades out before it ends, I get mad. One of those sad songs about having a relationship between two people come to an end, that bass vocal opening by Winfred "Blue" Lovett, the man who wrote the song, sets the whole tone. Then it's Gerald Alston who delivers one of the all-time great lead vocals on a sad record such as this one. And then I think about  how Alston joined the group when original lead singer George Smith suddenly became ill and died not too long afterward. This song only works all the way to the very end, the last "bye" the group sings. A great ballad that gave the group its first No. 1 pop hit.

5. More, More, More—Andrea True Connection (#4, July)

Another great tune from the genre of Disco music, the story goes that sometime soft-porn actress Andrea True, a singer on the side, could not leave Jamaica because an attempted coup in the country was taking place and she couldn't transfer her Jamaican money back to American money, so to spend the rest of the money, she called good friend and writer-producer Greg Diamond to Jamaica to write what would be her biggest pop hit. It's always exciting to hear "More, More, More" on the radio when it comes on and a good piano lick hypnotizes my mind, like this one does. I always love the bridge where it sounds like they're doing mouth-popping sounds with their fingers. Tried to emulate that for years, but it's so hard to do that double-pop sound. Great horns and very sexy vocals from the late True to make this a Disco and pop smash.

4. Let 'Em In—Wings (#3, August)

There are a lot of things I think about when I hear this song -- the doorbell opening, the piano that pounds throughout this record thanks to Sir Paul, the 1776-sounding drumbeat leading up to the chorus, those horns, that trombone solo, the people honored in the chorus ("Sister Susie, Brother John, Martin Luther, Phil and Don, Uncle Ernie, Auntie Gin. Open the door … let 'em in!") and the fade-out that comes right back in at the very end. Feels like Macca spent a year and a half trying to make that song work. Well, whatever time it took, it was more than well worth it. It's a dandy tune that made it big in the late Summer of '76 thanks to radio, sales and the tour the band was doing that year.

3. The Boys Are Back In Town—Thin Lizzy (#12, July)

Too bad this would turn out to be the only Top 40 hit in this country for the band Thin Lizzy. Phil Lynott, who we lost way too soon at the age of 36 in 1986, had that rarity for a lead singer of a hard rock band -- a true, soulful vocal. It bleeds all over the radio or whatever your listening to on "The Boys Are Back In Town." I would always turn my transistor radio up when that song came on the radio back then. Super. great guitar work by both Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson is so memorable because it almost had a bagpipe feel to it. One of classic rock's greatest tunes ever recorded, "The Boys Are Back In Town" made the Summer of '76 very memorable. 

2. Afternoon Delight—Starland Vocal Band (#1, July)

Seems every countdown needs one schlocky, forever-remembered pop tune that drives it. And here this one does with the memorable "Afternoon Delight" by the not-so-memorable Starland Vocal Band, who had helped John Denver for years as his backing act and helped Denver out on his breakthrough 1971 smash "Take Me Home, Country Roads." This is playful in nature and if you were younger, you had no idea what "Afternoon Delight" was … I thought they were going out for lunch for all I knew! Enticing to the ears and maybe a little over the top in approach. Who puts skyrocket sounds on a record, huh?? The harmonies by the two married couples of the group still remain the best thing about this song -- and the last part where it's just them singing the title and the acoustic guitar finishing the record out. How can you not be enticed by "Afternoon Delight?" It's too easy to be! And I'll have a soft spot for with its use in the movie Anchorman.

1. Moonlight Feels Right—Starbuck (#3, July)

Two things forever stand out about "Moonlight Feels Right." The first is the Southern feel of this record. It has that breezy, cool feel to it, so laid-back that you wish a Pepsi and a Moon pie were right nearby. Secondly, how many songs do you know that have a marimba solo?! Huh!? For the record, it's a guy named Bo Wagner playing the marimba on the record. It's why "Moonlight Feels Right" stands out above all the other great songs of our Bicentennial year's summer. It's an easy, breezy song that found its right passageway to being released during the right season of the year. This song would never have worked if released in the fall or winter. This is a summer song! I will always think of this song as a summer song -- even if it's played in the winter on the radio. That "summer song" designation was planted on this song long ago and will last for however time I have left on this planet.

My Summertime Song Memories ... 1975

Each week, I am releasing a list of my 15 favorite songs from the first 15 summers I lived in my beloved hometown of Toms River, N.J. between 1974-88. That takes me from the summer I was 7 until the summer I was 21. Each song from each summer has a special meaning and I will try to convey them as best as I possibly can. So I will rank each summer's hit song memory from Nos. 15 through No. 1. Each song was a hit that peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 between Memorial Day Weekend and Labor Day Weekend.

This week, it's the Sounds of the Summer of '75:

15. Love Won't Let Me Wait—Major Harris (#5, June)
Sultry, sexy, and not too embarrassing to the ears of an 8-year-old. OK, maybe the actual act of fornication on the cord may have turned me all sorts of shades of red, but I was a fan of the music, not necessarily the words other than the title of the song. What's an 8-year-old to believe anyway? Major Harris was a terrific teller of this tale of resisting temptation. So smooth the R&B on this that you never hit a speed hump once.

14. Dyn-o-mite—Bazooka (#10, August)
I remember this song for two reasons. That fun-sounding piano you heard every so often on that tune (I was crazy about a good-sounding piano on a record then). The other was the fact that "Dyn-o-mite" was the catch-phrase for none other than Jimmie "J.J." Walker from the TV show "Good Times." And as a fan of the old "$10,000 Pyramid" game show on ABC at the time, I remember the week Jimmie Walker went up against Meredith Baxter (before the Birney) and in all 10 games they played all week, not ONCE did Jimmie Walker win. It was as if every contestant who got sent to play with him after winning some money on the show by Ms. Baxter was destined to not come back.

13. Someone Saved My Life Tonight—Elton John (#4, August)
I used to call this the "Sugar Bear" song. And I always remember how it was just Elton and his piano narrating this song about that night in which he contemplated taking his own life. Song goes beat-less until drummer Nigel Olsson hits the cymbals and puts a beat and Elton exclaims, "I never realized the passing hours, of evening showers, a slip noose hangin' in my darkest dreams. I'm strangled by your haunted social scene, just a pawn outplayed by a dominating queen. It's four o'clock in the morning, dammit. Listen too me good! I'm sleepin' with myself tonight! Saved in time, thank God my music's still alive!" I was 8 and even I thought the future Sir Elton was tormented. Did I mind that the song was almost six minutes long? Hell, no! That man could spell out a dramatic song so well. Great backing vocals, it's one of the best Sir Elton ever recorded.

12. Fallin' In Love—Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds (#1, August)

I always loved the lush, dreamy sound of this record. Did I ever believe it to be a No. 1 hit? Oh, no! But it fit perfectly in the middle of the Summer of 1975. Dan Hamilton gave a great vocal and the strings on this one made this memorable for generations to come … even as Drake did his best to recapture even a slight little bit of the nostalgia on his first hit "Best I Ever Had." Personally, I wish he wouldn't have ruined my summertime memory.

11. One Of These Nights—The Eagles (#1, August)

I have always thought of "One Of These Nights" as one of the more mysterious songs I've ever heard. Maybe that was the lead vocals of drummer Don Henley, whose vocals always seemed to have that mysterious tone to them, like on "Witchy Woman" or on "Hotel California" later on. The opening musical drop was unique and Don Felder's lead guitar is spot on. I can always go back in my mind every time I hear that song and remember the place I was that Summer of '75 when I heard that song.

10. Wildfire—Michael Murphy (#3, June)

That story about the ghost horse and the woman who the horse belonged to who in a blizzard was lost -- it gets me every single time. What gets me more are the piano intros and outros to this record. Makes me cry of the beauty of this country-pop record by Michael Murphy. Even if the horse wasn't real in the lyrics of this song Murphy had co-written seven years earlier, you still end up being attached to whatever happened to it. Sometimes it's the illusion that captures our imaginations and we just don't know it until a long time later. That's "Wildfire" in its 4-minute, 45-second glory. 

9. Magic—Pilot (#5, July)

It's another piece of guilty pop music pleasure! That song comes on the radio and you can't turn it off. "Ho-ho-ho, it's Magic! You knooooow! Never believed it's not soooooo!" There are those songs that put smiles on your face the moment you hear it. You hear that hard-driving opening and you know it's leading to this one. The Scottish group that did this song, Pilot, had a bigger international hit that year called "January." But that's a wintertime song. This is a summertime memory forever that you hear at the end of the Adam Sandler movie "Happy Gilmore." Right to the very last note, it's a classic.

8. Sister Golden Hair—America (#1, June)

In 1989, I saw America as part of a '70s two-act performance with Three Dog Night. I saw Gerry Beckley pick up his acoustic guitar and when he counted down to start this song and then strum those first few notes, I went nuts. When I think of a warm, Jersey Shore/California beach song, "Sister Golden Hair" comes to mind. You aren't sure Beckley is singing about joining the ministry or thinking about marriage when he's singing, "Well I ain't ready for the alter." Lets your mind figure out exactly what he sings, but there's one thing definitely for sure about this record -- he can't live without this golden-haired girl. Great harmony involving Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and the late Dan Peak and one of two No. 1 hits the group had, the other being 1972's "Horse With No Name."

7. Jive Talkin'—Bee Gees (#1, August)

Another song that I always will equate to a great Summer of '75 musically. Hearing that guitar- and bass-inspired open that Barry Gibb once said was the sound he heard under the wheels going over the causeway that led him to the Miami-based studio the brothers recorded the "Main Course" album at gives way to a great guitar jam for which Gibb sings, "It's just your jive talkin', telling me lies." Fantastic melody, fantastic vocals by Barry Gibb and great production put together by Arif Mardin, whose goal was to make the Bee Gees a funkier act than their ballad-laden records of years past. "Jive Talkin'" is simply a wonderful ride from Point A to Point B on your car radio that you never want to end, causeway drive or not

6. I'm Not In Love—10cc (#2, July)

Arguably one of the greatest productions ever put together for a song. The "Wall of Voices" delivered by group members and co-producers Kevin Godley and Lol Crème are still amazing to hear all these years later. Eric Stewart tries to convince the audience he's not in love and in the middle of the song, the record changes direction and you hear that one woman singing over and over again, "Big boys don't cry … big boys don't cry … big boys don't cry … big boys don't cry." That wall of voices gets louder and they dictate the rest of the musical direction. Best version of this song is the entire 6-minute version where the vocals just fade out slowly at the end along with the musical backdrop. Brilliance has always been how I thought of this song and it still amazes me that three different records ("The Hustle," "One Of These Nights" and "Jive Talkin'") kept "I'm Not In Love" out of the top spot. Blasphemy, I say!

5. Swearin' To God—Frankie Valli (#6, July)

Another of the amazing songs I remember from the Summer of '75, one of my all-time favorite summers musically. Whenever I hear that opening to this record, I don't turn off the radio whatsoever. It's pure magic, even from the falsetto-tenor vocals brought forward by the Four Seasons lead vocalist. "Just touch me again. I'm king of all men. And reigning from above!" Also, "I cross my heart and hope to diiiiiiiiie … I doooooo! Just call me a one-woman lover. I can't even look at another."  It's a Disco record that doesn't sound overly Disco and memorably features Valli taking turns on this song with a young female backing singer named Patti Austin. The horns take this song out in a grand manner. 

4. Why Can't We Be Friends?—War (#6, August)

To this day, this song has international appeal to it. We can agree to disagree, but let's put those disagreements away and find out how each other is doing. That's "Why Can't We Be Friends?" Seems each member of the group gets a line to sing for the record. It's just a great summertime sing-a-long record. You can't help it! You end up singing "Why can't we be friends?" over and over again. Funky horns and a great percussion. It's as much a summertime jam as their 1976 song "Summer" would turn out to be.

3. Get Down Tonight—KC & The Sunshine Band (#1, August)

These guys from Hialeah, Fla., came along in the latter part of the Summer of '75 and blew the rest of the summer away with this raucous romp, featuring a plucking guitar and a great keyboard played by Harry Wayne Casey, group leader and lead singer. Fantastic backbeat, amazing horns, and just puts a smile on your face. This one was push-all-chips-to-the-middle-all-in Disco without apologies. And there never should be any apologies for a part of my childhood that I won't ever forget on such a great debut hit in this country.

2. Love Will Keep Us Together—Captain & Tennille (#1, June)

Love or hate it's schlockiness, "Love Will Keep Us Together" is considered one of the all-time greatest summertime songs ever. It came out in early May, hit No. 1 by the start of the Summer of '75 and just stayed at the top for four weeks. You knew from listening to Toni Tennille on vocals she was no doubt in love and explaining, "Young and beautiful, someday your looks will be gone. When the others turn  you off, who'll be turning you on -- I will! I will! I will! I will!" How do you NOT forget that one … and when Tennille sings "Sedaka's back!" in telling the world that Neil Sedaka was making a comeback and that he co-wrote this tune. Whether you love it or hate it, "Love Will Keep Us Together" is a part of  our summer soundtracks forever!

1. The Hustle—Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony (#1, July)

From the moment you hear those first three bass notes, you're hooked on this dance craze song. Van McCoy only "heard" this dance was big in the early forms of discos everywhere, but he never actually "saw" it and came up with a musical backdrop that had dancer partners learning their own steps to this really funky and irresistible tune, full of fantastic horns provided by McCoy's Soul City Symphony and backing vocals simply echoing "Do the hustle!" with a flute playing over those horns. Who does that?! Who puts a flute front and center over horns?! It worked magnificently and left us with one of the all-time great Disco instrumentals ever recorded ... and a summertime memory that went to No. 1 to boot!

My Summertime Song Memories ... 1974

Each week, I am releasing a list of my 15 favorite songs from the first 15 summers I lived in my beloved hometown of Toms River, N.J. between 1974-88. That takes me from the summer I was 7 until the summer I was 21. Each song from each summer has a special meaning and I will try to convey them as best as I possibly can. So I will rank each summer's hit song memory from Nos. 15 through No. 1. Each song was a hit that peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 between Memorial Day Weekend and Labor Day Weekend.

This week, it's the Sounds of the Summer of '74:

15. Sundown—Gordon Lightfoot (#1, June)

Mellow rock had taken over the radio airwaves and no one could be as mellow as the Canadian folk singer-turned-pop star Gordon Lightfoot. This was his only No. 1 hit and it never seemed to fail that my transistor radio would play "Sundown" every time the dusk would arrive on my then-sleepy little Toms River neighborhood. His normally animated voice never wavered on this one, which may make it sound dull, but he always left me with that great line in the record, "Sometimes, I think it's a sin when I feel like I'm winnin' when I'm losin' again." Words one can take to heart.

14. Takin' Care Of Business—Bachman-Turner Overdrive (#12, August)

For years, this song has become a sports anthem. But in 1974, it was a great ridin' down the road song that came on WABC-AM, especially when the work day was done. Randy Bachman's lead vocals still sound direct and to the point when he sings, "Takin' care of business, everyday. Takin' care of business, every way. I've been taking care of business, it's all mine. Takin' carin' of business, and workin' overtime, workout!" Words a 7-year-old may not understand then, but someone in their 50s certainly knows the meaning of now. Good, heavy sound from the Canadian rockers.

13. Billy, Don't Be A Hero—Bo Donaldson & The Haywoods (#1, June)

Schmaltzy? Sure! A young man goes off to fight in the Civil War and all everyone, including his love, wants is for him to come back home safely after the conflict is over. Always loved the whistle of the record and the storytelling done by songwriters Mitch Murray and Pete Callander, told by lead singer Mike Gibbons (Bo Donaldson was actually the keyboardist of the group). Bubblegum pop perhaps, but it still sounds great -- or schmaltzy -- to this day. By the way, it would be years until I found out that a British group called Paper Lace had done the version of this song first. And speaking of which ...

12. The Night Chicago Died—Paper Lace (#1, August)

Here you go! Not "Billy, Don't Be A Hero," but at least Paper Lace got a piece of the American pop pie thanks to this tale about the night violence broke out on the streets of Chicago (some people may say it's still happening to this day), told from the same pens that penned "Billy, Don't Be A Hero," Mitch Murray and Pete Callendar. Drummer Phillip Wright was also the group's lead vocal and he gave what I always thought was a dramatic description of the details that led to the night the Windy City met its deadly demise. "There was shouting in the street, and the sound of running feet. Then I asked someone who said, "About a hundred cops are dead." You thought Mrs. O'Leary's cow made a return to kick over the lantern that destroyed the city all over again. Yes, fictitious, but there, for a moment, I wanted to read more about that night Chicago died. I was naïve back then.

11. Rock The Boat—The Hues Corporation (#1, July)

Some call this record the beginning of the Disco Era in that Summer of '74. There were other "disco" records before it, but hey, no one referred to those records as "disco." It was performed by a trio from Los Angeles who named itself after Howard Hughes, but just took the "g" and the "h" from the name. That song comes on the radio and you know the words to it. "So I like to know where you got the notion? Say I'd like to know where you got the notion? Rock the boat (Don't the rock the boat, baby), rock the boat (Don't tip the boat over), Rock the boat (Don't rock the boat, baby), rock the booooaaaaaatttt!" One of the all-time great summertime memories of my early upbringing. I always loved the horns that accompanied the vocals. A piece of pop -- and "disco" -- genius.

10. Rock Your Baby—George McRae (#1, July)

You can't think of "Rock The Boat" without "Rock Your Baby." There are a number of similarities. First, both songs start with the word "Rock" in them. Both are versions of what would be known as early Disco music. Both were by artists hitting the Top 40 for the first time. And one followed the other one to the No. 1 spot as "Rock Your Baby" replaced "Rock The Boat" at the top of the pop chart. I have always loved that opening, that quiet, percussive opening that reminds me of Timmy Thomas' 1973 smash "Why Can't We Live Together." Then you hear the whisper of that strummed guitar and the electronic keyboard that leads the way into a Disco classic. Great beat without ever sounding over the top and great guitar added in there. The keyboards were played by Harry Wayne Casey of the up-and-coming act K.C. & The Sunshine Band and the band's Jerome Smith delivers the guitar work. Another warm memory of summers forever gone by.

9. Band On The Run—Paul McCartney & Wings (#1, June)

Other than "Imagine" by John Lennon, "Band On The Run" is the best song done by any of the former Beatles solo. "Band On The Run" is brilliantly done in three parts by McCartney, the first of despair in being trapped behind bars and walls, the second part starting to rock out a little more with the plan of what that person is going to do once out of entrapment, saying "if we ever get out of here," and then the raucous third part leading to the "band on the run." McCartney is a great storyteller with the three parts of the record. He also delivers fantastic bass guitar work (one of his best, I believe) as well as co-electric guitar work with Denny Laine. Though a No. 1 hit before the summer (June 8, 1974), it still remains a summertime memory to me.

8. Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me—Elton John (#2, July)

One of the greatest compositions put together by the legendary team of Elton John and Bernie Taupin, that feeling of loneliness is glorified in this monster hit that should have been No. 1. The slow-moving track gives indication as to the mood Sir Elton is feeling on this record, especially the line, "Losing everything is like the sun going down on me." It's desperation and isolation and even depression. But you're sucked in on how the Rocket Man is doing. Great musical backdrop by Sir Elton on piano and a warm, horns accompaniment arranged by Del Newman. You sure hope he got some help after hearing that song.

7. Annie's Song—John Denver (#1, July)

I have always considered "Annie's Song" one of the all-time greatest love songs ever composed. Interestingly, it was written while John Denver was going up a ski lift the previous summer, admiring the natural beauty surrounding him. Though this song was written for his wife Annie, you never hear her name uttered once by Denver on this song. It's the song that saved his marriage to her for at least nine more years. Everything on that particular record is simply gorgeous -- his angelic vocal, the strings behind him and the acoustic guitar. Want to hear that beauty explored further? Listen to flutist James Galway's instrumental version of that song. The musical backdrop alone makes "Annie's Song" the best song John Denver recorded.

6. Come Monday—Jimmy Buffett (#30, July)

Unabashedly, I make no apologies or qualms about it -- "Come Monday" is my favorite Jimmy Buffett. It's not quite tropical as much of his catalog … actually, it's more Rocky Mountains sounding like a John Denver song. But it's undoubtedly Buffett as he traipses throughout the country to be with his woman, but has the hardships of the road to deal with. He has his Hush Puppies on, so he guess he never was much for glitter Rock 'n Roll. Every song should have the tagline "Come Monday, it'll be all right." Mondays never seem to be that way. But this one works and is every bit a Buffett summertime song as "Margaritaville" and "Volcano." Grab a cheeseburger and enjoy every bit of this memory maker.

5. You Make Me Feel Brand New—The Stylistics (#2, June)

Easily, the best thing the Philadelphia-based group the Stylistics ever recorded. This is as slow-moving a song you'll get, but a great love song and a great song to slow dance to. Thom Bell, the song's producer out of Philadelphia International Records, and the late Linda Creed co-wrote this one that features not just one, but two lead voices. Normally, it was Russell Thompkins Jr. on lead vocals, but Thompkins' falsetto vocals were moved over by Airrion Love's alto at the start of each lyric. It's a great lyric and a beautiful love song that never fails to make me emotional every time I hear it.

4. Tell Me Something Good—Rufus (#3, August)

Ohhhh, my soul!!! My soul finger gets dipped deep into the pool because of this funky piece of R&B goodness. The oo-WAH-oo-WAH-oo-WAH-oo-WAH from the wah-wah pedal gets me going and then Chaka Khan's voice … so sexy, so sultry, so perfect for this particular song. It's a fun romp. It's the best way I can describe this song, especially at the chorus when everyone chimes, "Tell me something good!" followed by that wah-wah pedal's distorted, "Tell me, tell me, tell me." You can never go wrong when that song comes on the radio. The slinkiness of that song, written by none other than Stevie Wonder, is what you remember most. You wish there was 48 hours to each day as Ms. Khan sings and how long you wish this song could go on for. It was the perfect vehicle for the band and the perfect way for the summer to nearly come to an end.

3. Sideshow—Blue Magic (#8, August)

This is the greatest Stylistics song the Stylistics never recorded. As a matter of fact, I thought this might be the follow-up to "You Make Me Feel Brand New" and another Philly International Records classic. Instead, I found out it was by this R&B vocal group called Blue Magic, who weren't on Philly International Records, but were on Atco Records. That slow-moving instrumental leads to a carnival barker yelling out, "Hurry!! Hurry!! Step right up! See the saddest show in town for only 50 center!" That leads right into Ted Mills' tenor-soprano vocals that are so reminiscent of those done by Thompkins of the Stylistics. For a Stylistics knockoff, it's a wonderful and warm memory of what syrupy, good-sounding soul is all about. I never turn the radio off when this song comes on.

2. The Air That I Breathe—The Hollies (#6, July)

Eric Clapton once described Tony Hicks' opening, long-driven note to "The Air That I Breathe" as the most soulful opening note he has ever heard on any song ever. Allan Clarke's lead vocal is smooth an narrative and a pleasure to listen to from start to finish. But the payoff of this amazing piece of music -- one of the greatest songs ever recorded in my opinion -- is that 22-second bridge in which Clarke goes in and out with his last syllable of "breathe," Hicks plucks the lead guitar like he was delivering on a wah-wah pedal and then that powerful orchestra of strings and horns comes in to take you to another place -- maybe that place where you can breathe that air! That 22 seconds stops time and is a great example of why classical instruments and rock music can work in perfect harmony. It's done masterfully on this 4-minute, 13-second piece of pop music perfection.

1. Waterloo—ABBA (#6, August)

The song borne out from the Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton, England, in April 1974 was a worldwide smash that made its way to the U.S. a month later and would be a No. 6 hit by August, making it a summertime classic. It is one of pop music's guilty pleasures, along with ABBA's biggest hit ever, "Dancing Queen." This record starts like a ton of bricks coming at you, the pounding piano of Benny Andersson, the driving guitar work of Bjorn Ulvaeus, and the dynamic vocal harmonies of Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lynstad. Yes, ABBA arrived thanks to this song, which still to this day, is my all-time favorite ABBA song. Its intensity, its fire, its drive is what reminds me of why pop music in the 1970s had moments of clarity such as "Waterloo."