December 12 in Music History: The 1970s Number Ones
On December 12 in music history, the number one song in America changed with every year of the 1970s.
The Billboard Hot 100 chart week that contains December 12 had a different song on top in all ten years.
Those ten songs spent 39 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 December 12, one bar per year.
Chart: Music of the 70s, from this site's weekly Billboard Hot 100 data.
December 12 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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Tears of a Clown | Smokey Robinson & the Miracles | 1970 | Dec 12 to Dec 18 | 1 of 2 | 2 | Stevie Wonder wrote the music and Smokey Robinson the lyrics, and a bassoon is one of its few pop-hit sounds. | |
| Family Affair | Sly and the Family Stone | 1971 | Dec 11 to Dec 17 | 2 of 3 | 3 | Sly Stone's drum-machine groove was later reused by the Temptations and Stevie Wonder. | |
| I Am Woman | Helen Reddy | 1972 | Dec 9 to Dec 15 | 1 of 1 | 1 | Helen Reddy and Ray Burton wrote it, and it was the first Australian-penned song to win a Grammy. | |
| Top of the World | The Carpenters | 1973 | Dec 8 to Dec 14 | 2 of 2 | 2 | Karen Carpenter re-recorded her lead vocal for the single because she was not satisfied with the original. | |
| Kung Fu Fighting | Carl Douglas | 1974 | Dec 7 to Dec 13 | 1 of 2 | 2 | It began as a B-side, recorded in two takes in the last ten minutes of a three-hour session. | |
| Fly, Robin, Fly | Silver Convention | 1975 | Dec 6 to Dec 12 | 2 of 3 | 3 | Silver Convention became the second German act to top the US charts, after Bert Kaempfert. | |
| Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright) | Rod Stewart | 1976 | Dec 11 to Dec 17 | 5 of 8 | 8 | Jerry Jumonville played the saxophone solo, and the BBC originally banned the song. | |
| You Light Up My Life | Debby Boone | 1977 | Dec 10 to Dec 16 | 9 of 10 | 10 | Joseph Brooks wrote it, and it won him the Academy Award for Best Original Song. | |
| Le Freak | Chic | 1978 | Dec 9 to Dec 15 | 1 of 6 | 6 | Nile Rodgers says it grew out of being refused entry to Studio 54 around New Year's Eve 1977. | |
| Babe | Styx | 1979 | Dec 8 to Dec 14 | 1 of 2 | 2 | Dennis DeYoung wrote it as a birthday present for his wife, Suzanne. |
Chart week is the Billboard Hot 100 week that contains December 12 that year.
Week of run says which week of the song's time at number one that was, such as 2 of 5.
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 December 12 in music history, the Hot 100 chart week that includes December 12, the number one song was a different record in every year from 1970 to 1979.
Here is what the ten weeks show at a glance:
- The ten songs spent 39 weeks at number one in total.
- "You Light Up My Life" had the longest run, with ten weeks starting October 15, 1977, and December 12 fell in its ninth.
- 5 of the ten songs were in their first week at number one that week.
- 4 were somewhere in the middle of a longer run, and one was in the final week of its run.
Want Your Own Week?
The Birthday #1 Song Finder does this for any 1970s birthday.
Enter the date and it shows the song that was on top that week.
How the December 12 Week Was Picked
Billboard chart weeks do not line up with the calendar, so there is no single week called December 12.
This page takes the weekly Hot 100 week that contains December 12 in each year.
That week began on a different date each year:
- 1970: the chart week of December 12, 1970, with "The Tears of a Clown" by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles on top.
- 1971: the chart week of December 11, 1971, with "Family Affair" by Sly and the Family Stone on top.
- 1972: the chart week of December 9, 1972, with "I Am Woman" by Helen Reddy on top.
- 1973: the chart week of December 8, 1973, with "Top of the World" by The Carpenters on top.
- 1974: the chart week of December 7, 1974, with "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas on top.
- 1975: the chart week of December 6, 1975, with "Fly, Robin, Fly" by Silver Convention on top.
- 1976: the chart week of December 11, 1976, with "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)" by Rod Stewart on top.
- 1977: the chart week of December 10, 1977, with "You Light Up My Life" by Debby Boone on top.
- 1978: the chart week of December 9, 1978, with "Le Freak" by Chic on top.
- 1979: the chart week of December 8, 1979, with "Babe" by Styx 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.
December 12 in Music History, 1970 to 1972: A Motown Hit, a Funk Landmark and an Anthem
The first three Decembers of the decade brought a Motown classic, a drum-machine funk record and a song that became an anthem.
1970: "The Tears of a Clown" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
Stevie Wonder wrote the music, and Hank Cosby produced the instrumental track.
Smokey Robinson wrote the lyrics and sang lead, and the song first appeared on the 1967 Miracles album Make It Happen.
Wikipedia says Motown Britain released it as a single first, in July 1970, and it reached number one in the UK before the US version came out.
Charles R. Sirard played the bassoon, which is one of the few hit pop singles to feature that instrument.
It was the Miracles' first and only number one with Robinson as lead singer.
The run began December 12, so the chart week that contains December 12 was the first of its two weeks.
1971: "Family Affair" by Sly and the Family Stone
Sly Stone wrote and produced "Family Affair," and it came from the album There's a Riot Goin' On.
Epic released the single on November 6, 1971, and Wikipedia calls it the band's third and final number one pop single.
It also topped the R&B chart, and the drum-machine rhythm was reused later by the Temptations and by Stevie Wonder.
The song is number 79 on the 1972 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
It spent three weeks at number one, and December 11 was the second.
1972: "I Am Woman" by Helen Reddy
Helen Reddy and Ray Burton, both Australian, wrote "I Am Woman."
Wikipedia says it debuted at number 99 in the June 24, 1972 issue and reached number one in the December 9, 1972 issue.
Reddy won the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and it was the first Australian-penned song to win a Grammy.
It was also the first Hot 100 number one by an Australian-born artist.
This site's weekly data shows one week at number one, the week of December 9.
More of her records are on Helen Reddy Songs.
December 12 in Music History, 1973 to 1975: A Sibling Duo, a Kung Fu Craze and a German Disco Hit
The middle of the decade brought a duo's second number one, a B-side that took over the charts and a German studio group.
1973: "Top of the World" by the Carpenters
Richard Carpenter wrote the music and John Bettis wrote the lyrics.
The album version came from 1972, and the single version was recorded on August 15, 1973.
Karen Carpenter re-recorded her lead vocal for the single because she was not satisfied with the original.
Wikipedia says the single followed Lynn Anderson's country cover, which reached number two on the country chart.
It was the duo's second number one on the Hot 100.
The song is number 39 on the 1974 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
It held the top for two weeks, and December 8 was the second and last.
More of their records are on Carpenters Songs.
1974: "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas
Carl Douglas wrote "Kung Fu Fighting," and Biddu produced it.
Biddu had hired Douglas to sing "I Want to Give You My Everything" and needed a B-side.
Only about ten minutes of a three-hour session were left, so just two takes were recorded.
Wikipedia says Robin Blanchflower of Pye Records insisted it be the A-side.
It reached number one on both the Hot 100 and the Hot Soul Singles chart.
The song is number 15 on the 1975 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
Douglas also appears on the 70s one-hit wonders list.
The run began December 7, so the week that contains December 12 was the first of two.
1975: "Fly, Robin, Fly" by Silver Convention
Sylvester Levay and Michael Kunze wrote "Fly, Robin, Fly," and it was the third single from the album Save Me.
Wikipedia calls it a chart-topper with only six words.
Silver Convention became the second German act to top the US charts, after Bert Kaempfert.
The song won the 1976 Grammy for Best R&B Instrumental Performance.
It held the top for three weeks, and December 6 was the second.
The song is number 14 on the 1976 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
December 12 in Music History, 1976 to 1979: Two Long Runs, a Disco Comeback and a Power Ballad
The last four Decembers brought the decade's two longest runs, a disco record that kept returning and a decade-closing ballad.
1976: "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)" by Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart wrote "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)," and Tom Dowd produced it for the album A Night on the Town.
Jerry Jumonville played the saxophone solo.
Wikipedia says the BBC originally banned the song.
It reached number one on November 13, 1976 and stayed there eight consecutive weeks, until January 1, 1977.
December 11 was the fifth of those eight weeks.
The song is number 1 on the 1977 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
1977: "You Light Up My Life" by Debby Boone
Joseph Brooks wrote "You Light Up My Life" and produced Debby Boone's version.
It won him the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Grammy for Song of the Year.
Boone's version was recorded in April 1977 and released on August 16, 1977.
It ran ten weeks at number one, from October 15 to December 17, 1977.
December 10 was the ninth of the ten weeks.
The song is number 3 on the 1978 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
1978: "Le Freak" by Chic
Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers of Chic wrote and produced "Le Freak."
Atlantic released it on September 21, 1978, as the first single from C'est Chic.
Rodgers says it was devised around New Year's Eve 1977 after he and Edwards were refused entry to Studio 54.
It was Chic's first number one on the Hot 100, and it also topped the R&B chart.
This site's weekly data shows six weeks at number one, in three separate stretches.
The chart week of December 9 was its first, then Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond took over, and it returned December 23 and again January 20.
The song is number 3 on the 1979 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
1979: "Babe" by Styx
Dennis DeYoung wrote "Babe" as a birthday present for his wife, Suzanne.
It was the lead single from the album Cornerstone, released on September 14, 1979.
Wikipedia says it was not meant for Styx at first, and J.Y. Young and Tommy Shaw convinced DeYoung to include his demo.
It was Styx's first and only number one in the US, and the penultimate number one of the 1970s.
It spent two weeks at number one, starting December 8.
December 12 in Music History by the Numbers: Short Runs, Long Runs and Where Each Song Stood
Ranking the ten songs by weeks at number one shows how unevenly the top spot was shared.
| Song | Artist | Year | Weeks at #1 | First week | Last week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| You Light Up My Life | Debby Boone | 1977 | 10 | October 15, 1977 | December 17, 1977 |
| Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright) | Rod Stewart | 1976 | 8 | November 13, 1976 | January 1, 1977 |
| Le Freak | Chic | 1978 | 6 | December 9, 1978 | February 3, 1979 |
| Family Affair | Sly and the Family Stone | 1971 | 3 | December 4, 1971 | December 18, 1971 |
| Fly, Robin, Fly | Silver Convention | 1975 | 3 | November 29, 1975 | December 13, 1975 |
| The Tears of a Clown | Smokey Robinson & the Miracles | 1970 | 2 | December 12, 1970 | December 19, 1970 |
| Top of the World | The Carpenters | 1973 | 2 | December 1, 1973 | December 8, 1973 |
| Kung Fu Fighting | Carl Douglas | 1974 | 2 | December 7, 1974 | December 14, 1974 |
| Babe | Styx | 1979 | 2 | December 8, 1979 | December 15, 1979 |
| I Am Woman | Helen Reddy | 1972 | 1 | December 9, 1972 | December 9, 1972 |
Each box is one week at number one, and the gold box is the week that contains December 12.
Chart: Music of the 70s, from this site's weekly Billboard Hot 100 data.
Where December 12 Fell in Each Run
The weeks split three ways:
- 5 songs were in their first week at number one: "The Tears of a Clown," "I Am Woman," "Kung Fu Fighting," "Le Freak" and "Babe."
- 4 were in the middle of a longer run: "Family Affair," "Fly, Robin, Fly," "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)" and "You Light Up My Life."
- One was in the last week of its run: "Top of the World."
Test Your Own Memory
Which of these ten December 12 in music history number ones would you have bet on?
Earlier weeks have their own lists, this week in music history for October 24, November 7 in music history and November 28 in music history.
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 December 12 in music history in the 1970s?
The number one song for the Hot 100 chart week that includes December 12 changed every year. It was "The Tears of a Clown" in 1970, "Family Affair" in 1971, "I Am Woman" in 1972, "Top of the World" in 1973 and "Kung Fu Fighting" in 1974. The list ends with five more, up to "Babe" in 1979.
Which 70s number one song stayed on top the longest around December 12?
Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life" stayed on top the longest, with ten weeks at number one from October 15 to December 17, 1977, according to this site's weekly Hot 100 data. The chart week that contains December 12 was the ninth of those ten weeks.
What was the number one song on December 12, 1978?
Chic's "Le Freak" was number one for the Hot 100 chart week of December 9 to 15, 1978. Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond's "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" took the top spot the next week, and "Le Freak" came back for two weeks starting December 23 and three more starting January 20, 1979, six weeks in all, according to this site's weekly Hot 100 data.
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 December 12 began December 12 in 1970, December 11 in 1971 and 1976, December 10 in 1977, December 9 in 1972 and 1978, December 8 in 1973 and 1979, December 7 in 1974 and December 6 in 1975.
Related Posts
Sources
- The Tears of a Clown, Wikipedia, for the writers, the producer, the bassoon and the UK release.
- Family Affair (Sly and the Family Stone song), Wikipedia, for the writer, the album, the release date and the reused drum-machine rhythm.
- I Am Woman, Wikipedia, for the writers, the number one date and the Grammy.
- Top of the World (Carpenters song), Wikipedia, for the writers, the single version and the Lynn Anderson cover.
- Kung Fu Fighting, Wikipedia, for the writer, the producer and the two-take recording session.
- Fly, Robin, Fly, Wikipedia, for the writers, the six-word note, the Grammy and the second-German-act milestone.
- Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright), Wikipedia, for the writer, the producer, the saxophone solo and the eight weeks at number one.
- You Light Up My Life (song), Wikipedia, for the writer, the awards, the release date and the ten weeks at number one.
- Le Freak, Wikipedia, for the writers, the release date and the Studio 54 origin story.
- Babe (Styx song), Wikipedia, for the writer, the album and Styx's only US number one.
- Billboard Hot 100, Wikipedia, for how the weekly chart used for number one runs works.