April 17 in Music History: The 1970s Number Ones
On April 17 in music history, the number one song in America changed with every year of the 1970s.
The Billboard Hot 100 chart week that contains April 17 had a different song on top in all ten years.
Those ten songs spent 33 weeks at number one between them.
You can play every one from the table below.
Each row also shows how far into its run the song was that week.
Total weeks at number one for the song on top the week of April 17, one bar per year.
Chart: Music of the 70s, from this site's weekly Billboard Hot 100 data.
April 17 in Music History, 1970 to 1979: Play the Ten Number Ones
Press Play on any row and the list keeps going, song after song, until you press Stop.
Tap a column heading to sort by song, artist, year, chart week or weeks at number one.
| Play | Chart week | The story | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Let It Be | The Beatles | 1970 | Apr 11 to Apr 17 | 1 of 2 | 2 | Paul McCartney said it came from a dream about his mother, who died of cancer in 1956, and George Martin produced the single. | |
| Joy to the World | Three Dog Night | 1971 | Apr 17 to Apr 23 | 1 of 6 | 6 | Hoyt Axton wrote it, and the original lyrics began "Jeremiah was a prophet," but no one liked them. | |
| The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face | Roberta Flack | 1972 | Apr 15 to Apr 21 | 1 of 6 | 6 | Ewan MacColl wrote it in 1957 for Peggy Seeger, and Clint Eastwood chose Flack's version for his film Play Misty for Me. | |
| The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia | Vicki Lawrence | 1973 | Apr 14 to Apr 20 | 2 of 2 | 2 | Bobby Russell wrote it, and Vicki Lawrence, who was married to him at the time, was the first to record it. | |
| Bennie and the Jets | Elton John | 1974 | Apr 13 to Apr 19 | 1 of 1 | 1 | Elton John did not want it released as a single, but heavy airplay on Windsor station CKLW changed that. | |
| Philadelphia Freedom | Elton John Band | 1975 | Apr 12 to Apr 18 | 1 of 2 | 2 | Elton John and Bernie Taupin wrote it as a favor to tennis star Billie Jean King, who played for the Philadelphia Freedoms. | |
| Disco Lady | Johnnie Taylor | 1976 | Apr 17 to Apr 23 | 3 of 4 | 4 | Wikipedia calls it the first single certified platinum by the RIAA. | |
| Don't Give Up on Us | David Soul | 1977 | Apr 16 to Apr 22 | 1 of 1 | 1 | Tony Macaulay wrote and produced it, and David Soul was already famous for Starsky and Hutch. | |
| Night Fever | Bee Gees | 1978 | Apr 15 to Apr 21 | 5 of 8 | 8 | The Bee Gees had already written it when asked for a song called "Saturday Night," and they persuaded Robert Stigwood to rename the film Saturday Night Fever. | |
| What a Fool Believes | The Doobie Brothers | 1979 | Apr 14 to Apr 20 | 1 of 1 | 1 | Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins wrote it, and it won Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 1980 Grammys. |
Chart week is the Billboard Hot 100 week that contains April 17 that year.
Week of run says which week of the song's time at number one that was, like 2 of 4.
Chart weeks and weeks at number one come from this site's weekly Hot 100 file, and the story lines are credited in Sources.
The Short Answer: Who Was on Top Each Year
For April 17 in music history, the number one song was a different record in every year from 1970 to 1979.
That is the Hot 100 chart week that includes April 17.
Here is what the ten weeks show at a glance:
- The ten songs spent 33 weeks at number one in total.
- "Night Fever" had the longest run, with eight weeks, and "Joy to the World" and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" tie for second with six each.
- 7 of the ten songs were in their first week at number one that week, and two of those had only that one week.
- 2 were somewhere in the middle of a longer run, and 1 were in the final week of their runs.
Want Your Own Week?
The Birthday #1 Song Finder does this for any 1970s birthday, not only April 17 in music history.
Enter the date and it shows the song that was on top that week.
How the April 17 Week Was Picked
Billboard chart weeks do not line up with the calendar, so there is no single week called April 17.
This April 17 in music history page takes the weekly Hot 100 week that contains April 17 in each year.
That week began on a different date each year:
- 1970: the chart week of April 11, 1970, with "Let It Be" by The Beatles on top.
- 1971: the chart week of April 17, 1971, with "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night on top.
- 1972: the chart week of April 15, 1972, with "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack on top.
- 1973: the chart week of April 14, 1973, with "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" by Vicki Lawrence on top.
- 1974: the chart week of April 13, 1974, with "Bennie and the Jets" by Elton John on top.
- 1975: the chart week of April 12, 1975, with "Philadelphia Freedom" by Elton John Band on top.
- 1976: the chart week of April 17, 1976, with "Disco Lady" by Johnnie Taylor on top.
- 1977: the chart week of April 16, 1977, with "Don't Give Up on Us" by David Soul on top.
- 1978: the chart week of April 15, 1978, with "Night Fever" by Bee Gees on top.
- 1979: the chart week of April 14, 1979, with "What a Fool Believes" by The Doobie Brothers on top.
Where the Numbers Come From
Chart weeks and weeks at number one come from the weekly Hot 100 file on this site.
The story line for each song is a fact from that song's Wikipedia page.
Anything that could not be confirmed against those sources was left out.
Every run on this page was unbroken, so "week of run" counts the weeks since the song first reached number one.
April 17 in Music History, 1970 to 1972: A Beatles Farewell, a Bullfrog Anthem and a Folk Song in a Film
The first three Aprils of the decade brought the Beatles' last number one, the biggest single of 1971 and a ballad borrowed from a Clint Eastwood thriller.
1970: "Let It Be" by the Beatles
Paul McCartney wrote and sang "Let It Be," which is credited to Lennon-McCartney.
George Harrison played lead guitar, Ringo Starr played drums and George Martin produced the single.
McCartney said he had a dream about his mother, who died of cancer in 1956, and that it was great to visit with her again.
The single came out on March 6, 1970, and Wikipedia says it spent two weeks at number one in April.
This site's weekly data agrees, with the weeks of April 11 and April 18, 1970.
So the chart week that contains April 17 was the first of two.
The song is number 9 on the 1970 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
1971: "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night
Hoyt Axton wrote "Joy to the World."
Wikipedia says he wanted his producers to hear a new melody, and they asked him to sing any words to it.
The original lyrics began "Jeremiah was a prophet," but no one liked them.
Wikipedia says the single sold 5 million copies worldwide and that Billboard ranked it the number one pop single of 1971.
This site's weekly data shows six weeks at number one, from April 17 to May 22, 1971.
So the chart week that contains April 17 was the first of six.
The song is number 1 on the 1971 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
The full story is on the Joy to the World page.
1972: "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack
Ewan MacColl wrote "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" in 1957 for Peggy Seeger.
Clint Eastwood chose Roberta Flack's version for Play Misty for Me, his 1971 directorial debut, where it plays over a love scene.
Wikipedia says her single held the top spot for six weeks in spring 1972.
This site's weekly data agrees, with six weeks from April 15 to May 20, 1972.
So the chart week that contains April 17 was the first of six.
The song is number 1 on the 1972 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
April 17 in Music History, 1973 to 1975: A Story Song, a Crowd That Was Not There and a Tennis Tribute
The middle of the decade brought a country-flavored murder tale, an Elton John single that almost never came out and a dedication to a tennis star.
1973: "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" by Vicki Lawrence
Bobby Russell wrote "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" in 1972.
Vicki Lawrence was married to Russell at the time, and Wikipedia says she was the first to record it.
She recorded it with producer Snuff Garrett and Wrecking Crew session musicians, after Cher's camp turned the song down.
It spent two weeks at number one in 1973, and Tony Orlando and Dawn's "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" replaced it.
This site's weekly data shows the weeks of April 7 and April 14, 1973.
So the chart week that contains April 17 was the second and last.
The song is number 11 on the 1973 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
1974: "Bennie and the Jets" by Elton John
Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin wrote "Bennie and the Jets," which first appeared on the 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.
Wikipedia says John was set against releasing it as a single, believing it would fail.
Heavy airplay on CKLW in Windsor, Ontario, made it the number one song in Detroit, and other stations followed.
It sounds like a live recording, but it was recorded in the studio, with crowd sounds added later by producer Gus Dudgeon.
This site's weekly data shows one week at number one, the chart week of April 13, 1974.
The song is number 9 on the 1974 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
More on the singer is on the Elton John page.
1975: "Philadelphia Freedom" by the Elton John Band
Elton John and Bernie Taupin wrote "Philadelphia Freedom" as a favor to John's friend, tennis star Billie Jean King.
King played for the Philadelphia Freedoms, a tennis team.
The single was credited to the Elton John Band and came out on February 28, 1975.
Wikipedia calls it John's fourth of six US number one singles.
This site's weekly data shows two weeks at number one, April 12 and April 19, 1975.
So the chart week that contains April 17 was the first of two.
The song is number 3 on the 1975 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
April 17 in Music History, 1976 to 1979: A Platinum First, a TV Star, a Soundtrack Giant and a Grammy Winner
The last four Aprils brought a record-setting disco single, a detective show heartthrob, the middle of the longest run of the ten and a Doobie Brothers Grammy winner.
1976: "Disco Lady" by Johnnie Taylor
Harvey Scales, Albert Vance and Don Davis wrote "Disco Lady."
It was released on Columbia Records, which became Taylor's label after Stax Records went bankrupt.
Wikipedia calls it the first single certified platinum by the RIAA.
It spent all four weeks of April 1976 at number one.
This site's weekly data agrees, with four weeks from April 3 to April 24.
So the chart week that contains April 17 was the third of four.
The song is number 3 on the 1976 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
1977: "Don't Give Up on Us" by David Soul
Tony Macaulay wrote and produced "Don't Give Up on Us."
Wikipedia says David Soul's success came from his role in the hit TV show Starsky and Hutch.
The single was number one in the UK for four weeks in January and February 1977.
It reached number one on the Hot 100 for one week in April.
This site's weekly data shows that week as April 16, 1977.
The song is number 29 on the 1977 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
1978: "Night Fever" by the Bee Gees
The Bee Gees began recording "Night Fever" in April 1977 at the Château d'Hérouville in France and finished in September at Criteria Studios in Miami.
Robert Stigwood asked the group for a song called "Saturday Night" for the film, but they disliked the title and had already written "Night Fever."
They convinced him to use it and to rename the film Saturday Night Fever.
Wikipedia says the song debuted on the Hot 100 at number 76 and reached number one, where it stayed eight weeks.
This site's weekly data agrees, with eight weeks from March 18 to May 6, 1978.
So the chart week that contains April 17 was the fifth of eight.
The song is number 2 on the 1978 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
The full story is on the Night Fever page.
1979: "What a Fool Believes" by the Doobie Brothers
Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins wrote "What a Fool Believes."
On the Doobie Brothers' version, McDonald sings the lead vocal.
It won Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the 1980 Grammy Awards.
Wikipedia says it topped the Hot 100 for one week from April 14, 1979.
This site's weekly data agrees, with the chart week of April 14, 1979.
The song is number 19 on the 1979 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
April 17 in Music History by the Numbers: Short Runs, Long Runs and Where Each Song Stood
Ranking the ten songs of April 17 in music history by weeks at number one shows how evenly the top spot was shared.
| Song | Artist | Year | Weeks at #1 | First week | Last week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Night Fever | Bee Gees | 1978 | 8 | March 18, 1978 | May 6, 1978 |
| Joy to the World | Three Dog Night | 1971 | 6 | April 17, 1971 | May 22, 1971 |
| The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face | Roberta Flack | 1972 | 6 | April 15, 1972 | May 20, 1972 |
| Disco Lady | Johnnie Taylor | 1976 | 4 | April 3, 1976 | April 24, 1976 |
| Let It Be | The Beatles | 1970 | 2 | April 11, 1970 | April 18, 1970 |
| The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia | Vicki Lawrence | 1973 | 2 | April 7, 1973 | April 14, 1973 |
| Philadelphia Freedom | Elton John Band | 1975 | 2 | April 12, 1975 | April 19, 1975 |
| Bennie and the Jets | Elton John | 1974 | 1 | April 13, 1974 | April 13, 1974 |
| Don't Give Up on Us | David Soul | 1977 | 1 | April 16, 1977 | April 16, 1977 |
| What a Fool Believes | The Doobie Brothers | 1979 | 1 | April 14, 1979 | April 14, 1979 |
Each box is one week at number one, the gold box is the week that contains April 17, and a gap means another song held the top spot.
Chart: Music of the 70s, from this site's weekly Billboard Hot 100 data.
Where April 17 Fell in Each Run
The weeks split three ways:
- 7 songs were in their first week at number one: "Let It Be," "Joy to the World," "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," "Bennie and the Jets," "Philadelphia Freedom," "Don't Give Up on Us" and "What a Fool Believes."
- 2 were in the middle of a longer run: "Disco Lady" and "Night Fever."
- 1 were in the last week of their runs: "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia."
Test Your Own Memory
Which of these ten April 17 in music history number ones would you have bet on?
The list runs from the Beatles in 1970 to the Doobie Brothers in 1979.
Earlier weeks have their own lists, including March 20 in music history, February 13 in music history, January 9 in music history, November 28 in music history and this week in music history for October 24.
The 70s Music Trivia Quiz has ten new questions each round.
For the whole decade at the top, see the 70s number one hits page.
More of the decade lives on the Music of the 70s home page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the number one song on April 17 in music history in the 1970s?
The number one song for the Hot 100 chart week that includes April 17 changed every year. It was "Let It Be" in 1970, "Joy to the World" in 1971, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" in 1972, "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" in 1973 and "Bennie and the Jets" in 1974. Five more follow, ending with "What a Fool Believes" in 1979.
Which 70s number one song stayed on top the longest around April 17?
The Bee Gees' "Night Fever" held the longest run of the ten songs, with eight weeks, according to this site's weekly Hot 100 data. It ran from March 18 to May 6, 1978. Three Dog Night's "Joy to the World" and Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" tie for second with six weeks each.
What was the number one song on April 17, 1971?
Three Dog Night's "Joy to the World" was number one for the Hot 100 chart week that began April 17, 1971. It was the first of its six weeks at number one, according to this site's weekly Hot 100 data. Billboard ranked it the number one pop single of 1971, and it is number 1 on the 1971 year-end Hot 100.
How can I find the number one song from my own birthday?
You can find the number one song from your birthday with the Birthday #1 Song Finder on this site. Enter a birthday from the 1970s and it shows the song that topped the Billboard Hot 100 that week, using the same weekly chart data as the ten songs on this page.
Why does the chart week change from year to year?
This site's weekly Hot 100 file dates each chart week from a Saturday, and that date moves each year. The week containing April 17 began April 17 in 1971 and 1976, April 16 in 1977, April 15 in 1972 and 1978, April 14 in 1973 and 1979, April 13 in 1974, April 12 in 1975 and April 11 in 1970.
Related Posts
Sources
- Let It Be (song), Wikipedia, for the writer, the musicians, the release date and the two weeks.
- Joy to the World (Three Dog Night song), Wikipedia, for the writer, the original lyrics and the sales and ranking claims.
- The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Wikipedia, for the writer, the film and the six weeks.
- The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia, Wikipedia, for the writer, the first recording and the two weeks.
- Bennie and the Jets, Wikipedia, for the writers, the single release and the studio crowd sounds.
- Philadelphia Freedom (song), Wikipedia, for the writers, the Billie Jean King dedication and the credited artist.
- Disco Lady, Wikipedia, for the writers, the label, the platinum claim and the four weeks.
- Don't Give Up on Us (song), Wikipedia, for the writer, the Starsky and Hutch role and the UK and US number ones.
- Night Fever, Wikipedia, for the recording, the title story and the eight weeks.
- What a Fool Believes, Wikipedia, for the writers, the lead vocal, the Grammys and the one week.
- Billboard Hot 100, Wikipedia, for how the weekly chart used for number one runs works.