Fireball's Fantastic 500 -- Late 1970s, Part VIII

[Pastor Fireball]

We've gone through 153 songs over the past 15 weeks. Today, we finally put an end to the 1970s... at least until we revisit the decade briefly in the special lists at the end of the year. Before we get into the 1980s, I will post a full recap of all 182 songs that have appeared in my Top 500 thus far, including today's entries. Naturally, I will regularly update that list and link back to it in future posts. There will also be some bonus statistics, because you can't have a countdown without stats.

So without further ado, here are ten more songs that are not "I Don't Like Mondays" by the Boomtown Rats.

#10. Shining Star, Earth, Wind & Fire (1975)

After a string of minor hits, EWF finally broke through in 1975 with this funky classic. It was the first of their many #1 hits on the R&B singles chart, but it was their only #1 hit on the Hot 100. For this song, they won a Grammy in 1976 and received a Grammy Hall of Fame citation in 2007.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu9a29UR2dU

#9. After the Love Has Gone, Earth, Wind & Fire (1979)

EWF gets its third entry on this list (and second in the top ten for this time period) with a song that was rejected by Daryl Hall & John Oates because they weren't interested in singing other people's songs at the time. This song went on to win two Grammys and get a nomination for Record of the Year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUCLNPOjPZw

#8. Because the Night, Patti Smith Group (1978)

The mother of punk music gave us this classic power ballad, her only entry in the Hot 100.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_BcivBprM0

#7. Endless Flight, Leo Sayer (1976)

The title track of the album that also gave us "How Much Love" back at #25. For this song, Andrew Gold (whom we already saw at #74 for "Lonely Boy") gets all of the credit, as he wrote it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diuvvTgEfd8

#6. Nobody Does It Better, Carly Simon (1977)

Another Marvin Hamlisch composition for everybody to enjoy. Carly must have been singing about herself because nobody could possibly do this Oscar-nominated James Bond theme better than her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqXkMpFPZnE

#5. Edge of the Universe, the Bee Gees (1975)

The album Main Course was an absolute fountain of hits. That same album produced "Jive Talkin'", which was featured last week at #20. Two other songs narrowly missed the cut for my Top 500--"Fanny (Be Tender with My Love)" and "Come on Over" (later covered by Olivia Newton-John). As for this song, I first discovered it after Robin Gibb died, as a part of a week-long Bee Gees tribute on SIRIUS XM '70s on 7. I was instantly enthralled by the lyrics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBiKjy9f8rk

#4. What You Won't Do for Love, Bobby Caldwell (1979)

Another song whose appearance should come as a surprise to nobody on this forum. Again, I'm betting that most of you expected this song to be higher, if not at #1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gru4IfbKlfU

#3. Lovely Day, Bill Withers (1977)

It wasn't a big hit at the time, but it certainly hasn't stopped "Lovely Day" from becoming a standard on '70s radio and from appearing in countless TV and film productions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYi7uEvEEmk

#2. Days Gone Down (Still Got the Light in Your Eyes), Gerry Rafferty (1979)

This is a song that has gotten some extra special meaning to me recently, as I've lost eight of my closest friends over the course of the past three years. For four of these funerals, I rewrote some of these lyrics and sang my version in front of a cumulative total of over 1,500 mourners. It was one of the most emotionally difficult things I've ever had to do in front of a crowd, and I've had to do it four times. Outside of that, this is such a painfully beautiful song. Gerry was a master at writing beautiful music. I know that everybody--including T_Bone--picks "Baker Street" as the best, but I have to show some love to Gerry's lesser hits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j16FeQHoESo

Cue the drumroll! My all-time favorite song of the late 1970s is...



































#1. Feels So Good, Chuck Mangione (1978)

Another instrumental makes my list, but this one reigns supreme as my favorite song of the entire 1970s, not just the latter half. I could listen to this one for hours on end... and I do mean the full 9 1/2-minute version, not the radio edit. That radio edit just does not do this song any justice. You really do need to take the time to listen to the entire song. It's pure auditory heaven.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDSBV0vTfTo

That's it for another chapter of my series. The early 1980s begins next Friday!