February 13 in Music History: The 1970s Number Ones
On February 13 in music history, the number one song in America changed with every year of the 1970s.
The Billboard Hot 100 chart week that contains February 13 had a different song on top in all ten years.
Those ten songs spent 25 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 February 13, one bar per year.
Chart: Music of the 70s, from this site's weekly Billboard Hot 100 data.
February 13 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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venus | Shocking Blue | 1970 | Feb 7 to Feb 13 | 1 of 1 | 1 | Robbie van Leeuwen of Shocking Blue wrote it, and Wikipedia says it was the first song by a Dutch band to top the Hot 100. | |
| One Bad Apple | The Osmonds | 1971 | Feb 13 to Feb 19 | 1 of 5 | 5 | George Jackson wrote it with the Jackson 5 in mind, and Donny Osmond has said Michael Jackson told him the group chose "ABC" instead. | |
| Let's Stay Together | Al Green | 1972 | Feb 12 to Feb 18 | 1 of 1 | 1 | Al Green, Willie Mitchell and Al Jackson Jr. wrote it, and the Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry in 2010. | |
| Crocodile Rock | Elton John | 1973 | Feb 10 to Feb 16 | 2 of 3 | 3 | It was Elton John's first US number one, and he has said it was written as a kind of joke. | |
| Love's Theme | Love Unlimited Orchestra | 1974 | Feb 9 to Feb 15 | 1 of 1 | 1 | Wikipedia says Barry White wrote this instrumental in 1965, but it was not recorded until 1973. | |
| Fire | Ohio Players | 1975 | Feb 8 to Feb 14 | 1 of 1 | 1 | A fire truck siren opens the record, and Wikipedia says Stevie Wonder heard the basic track and predicted a big hit. | |
| 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover | Paul Simon | 1976 | Feb 7 to Feb 13 | 1 of 3 | 3 | Steve Gadd's drum pattern is a signature of the record, and it was Paul Simon's only number one as a solo act. | |
| Torn Between Two Lovers | Mary MacGregor | 1977 | Feb 12 to Feb 18 | 2 of 2 | 2 | Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary co-wrote it with Phillip Jarrell, and Mary MacGregor recorded it at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. | |
| Stayin' Alive | Bee Gees | 1978 | Feb 11 to Feb 17 | 2 of 4 | 4 | The Bee Gees looped two bars of the "Night Fever" drum track after drummer Dennis Bryon left the sessions. | |
| Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? | Rod Stewart | 1979 | Feb 10 to Feb 16 | 1 of 4 | 4 | Rod Stewart has admitted to "unconscious plagiarism" of a Jorge Ben Jor song, and the royalties went to UNICEF. |
Chart week is the Billboard Hot 100 week that contains February 13 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 February 13 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 February 13.
Here is what the ten weeks show at a glance:
- The ten songs spent 25 weeks at number one in total.
- "One Bad Apple" had the longest run, with five weeks, and "Stayin' Alive" and "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" tie for second with four weeks each.
- 7 of the ten songs were in their first week at number one that week, and four of those had only that one week.
- 2 were somewhere in the middle of a longer run, and 1 was in the final week of its run.
Want Your Own Week?
The Birthday #1 Song Finder does this for any 1970s birthday, not only February 13 in music history.
Enter the date and it shows the song that was on top that week.
How the February 13 Week Was Picked
Billboard chart weeks do not line up with the calendar, so there is no single week called February 13.
This February 13 in music history page takes the weekly Hot 100 week that contains February 13 in each year.
That week began on a different date each year:
- 1970: the chart week of February 7, 1970, with "Venus" by Shocking Blue on top.
- 1971: the chart week of February 13, 1971, with "One Bad Apple" by The Osmonds on top.
- 1972: the chart week of February 12, 1972, with "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green on top.
- 1973: the chart week of February 10, 1973, with "Crocodile Rock" by Elton John on top.
- 1974: the chart week of February 9, 1974, with "Love's Theme" by Love Unlimited Orchestra on top.
- 1975: the chart week of February 8, 1975, with "Fire" by Ohio Players on top.
- 1976: the chart week of February 7, 1976, with "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" by Paul Simon on top.
- 1977: the chart week of February 12, 1977, with "Torn Between Two Lovers" by Mary MacGregor on top.
- 1978: the chart week of February 11, 1978, with "Stayin' Alive" by Bee Gees on top.
- 1979: the chart week of February 10, 1979, with "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" by Rod Stewart 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.
February 13 in Music History, 1970 to 1972: A Dutch Debut, a Five-Week Teen Hit and a Soul Classic
The first three Februaries of the decade brought a Dutch rock band, a family act and a soul singer.
1970: "Venus" by Shocking Blue
Robbie van Leeuwen, the band's guitarist, wrote "Venus."
He wrote new lyrics to music based on Tim Rose and the Big 3's "The Banjo Song."
It came out in the Netherlands on July 14, 1969, on the Pink Elephant label.
Wikipedia says it was the first song by a Dutch band to reach number one on the Hot 100.
The written lyrics misspelled "goddess" as "godness," and Mariska Veres sang the misspelled word on the record.
This site's weekly data shows one week at number one, the chart week of February 7, 1970.
The song is number 33 on the 1970 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
Bananarama's 1986 version also reached number one in the US, according to Wikipedia.
1971: "One Bad Apple" by the Osmonds
George Jackson wrote "One Bad Apple" with the Jackson 5 in mind.
Donny Osmond said Michael Jackson told him the group nearly recorded it first but chose "ABC" instead.
The Osmonds recorded it on October 26, 1970, at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, with Rick Hall producing.
Hall had each brother sing the opening line, and Merrill and Donny were chosen.
It came out on November 14, 1970, on MGM Records, from the album Osmonds.
Wikipedia says it reached number one on February 13, 1971, and stayed there for five weeks.
This site's weekly data agrees, with five weeks from February 13 to March 13.
So the chart week that contains February 13 was the first of five.
The song is number 4 on the 1971 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
1972: "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green
Al Green, Willie Mitchell and Al Jackson Jr. wrote "Let's Stay Together."
Mitchell produced and recorded it, and the single came out in November 1971 on Hi Records.
It topped Billboard's R&B chart for nine weeks.
Rolling Stone ranked it number 60 on its 2004 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
The Grammy Hall of Fame inducted it in 1999, and the Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry in 2010.
This site's weekly data shows one week at number one, the chart week of February 12, 1972.
The song is number 11 on the 1972 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
The full story is on the Let's Stay Together page, and more of his records are on Al Green.
February 13 in Music History, 1973 to 1975: A Rock and Roll Joke, an Orchestral Instrumental and a Fire Siren
The middle of the decade brought a retro rock song, an instrumental with no lead singer and a funk record that opens with a siren.
1973: "Crocodile Rock" by Elton John
Elton John and Bernie Taupin wrote "Crocodile Rock."
The US release came on November 20, 1972, ahead of the album Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player.
A Farfisa organ riff, played by John, drives the record, and he sang all the vocals, including the falsetto backing parts.
Wikipedia says it was inspired by Daddy Cool's "Eagle Rock," which John heard on his 1972 Australian tour.
In 1974, Buddy Kaye, who composed "Speedy Gonzales," sued over the falsetto chords, and the case was settled and dismissed.
Wikipedia says it reached number one on February 3, 1973, John's first US number one, and stayed there for three weeks.
The chart week that contains February 13 was the second of the three.
The song is number 7 on the 1973 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
More of his records are on Elton John.
1974: "Love's Theme" by the Love Unlimited Orchestra
Barry White wrote and produced "Love's Theme."
Wikipedia says he wrote it in 1965, but it was not recorded until 1973, at Whitney Recording Studios in Glendale, California.
It came out in November 1973 on 20th Century Records.
Wikipedia calls it one of the few instrumental, purely orchestral singles to reach number one.
It spent two weeks at number one on Billboard's Easy Listening chart.
Black Box sampled it in "Ride on Time" in 1989.
This site's weekly data shows one week at number one, the chart week of February 9, 1974.
The song is number 3 on the 1974 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
1975: "Fire" by the Ohio Players
Seven members of the Ohio Players share the writing credit for "Fire," and the band produced it.
It was recorded at Paragon Studios in Chicago and released in November 1974 on Mercury Records.
A fire truck siren is heard at the start and again in the instrumental break.
While the band was performing in California, Stevie Wonder heard the basic track and predicted it would be a big hit.
It reached number one on both the Hot 100 and the Hot Soul Singles chart in early 1975.
This site's weekly data shows one week at number one, the chart week of February 8, 1975.
The song is number 31 on the 1975 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
It was also the theme song for the first 18 seasons of the TV show Hell's Kitchen.
February 13 in Music History, 1976 to 1979: A Breakup Song, a Love Triangle and Two Late-Decade Giants
The last four Februaries brought a song about leaving, a song about staying and two of the biggest records of 1978 and 1979.
1976: "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" by Paul Simon
Paul Simon wrote the song, and he and Phil Ramone produced it for the album Still Crazy After All These Years.
It came out on December 20, 1975, on Columbia Records, the same day it entered the Hot 100 at number 74.
Steve Gadd's drum pattern is one of its most recognizable features.
Wikipedia notes that although the title says 50 ways, the lyrics mention only five.
It peaked at number one on February 7, 1976, and stayed there for three weeks.
It was Simon's only number one on that chart as a solo act.
This site's weekly data agrees, with three weeks from February 7 to February 21.
So the chart week that contains February 13 was the first of three.
The song is number 8 on the 1976 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
1977: "Torn Between Two Lovers" by Mary MacGregor
Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary and Phillip Jarrell wrote "Torn Between Two Lovers."
Yarrow and Barry Beckett produced it, and MacGregor recorded it in 1976 at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama.
It came out in November 1976 on Ariola, from her debut album of the same name.
It also reached number one on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart and number four in the UK.
A 1979 TV movie starring Lee Remick, George Peppard and Joseph Bologna took its title from the song.
This site's weekly data shows two weeks at number one, February 5 and February 12, 1977.
So the chart week that contains February 13 was the second and last.
The song is number 10 on the 1977 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
1978: "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees
Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb wrote "Stayin' Alive" for the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.
Wikipedia says they wrote it over a few days at the Château d'Hérouville, with more recording at Criteria Studios in Miami.
It was released on December 15, 1977, on RSO Records.
Drummer Dennis Bryon left the sessions early when his mother died, and a drum machine did not work.
So the group took two bars from the "Night Fever" drum track and recorded them as a repeating loop.
Wikipedia says it reached number one for the week of February 4, 1978, and stayed there four weeks.
It was the second of the Bee Gees' six consecutive US number ones.
The chart week that contains February 13 was the second of the four.
The song is number 4 on the 1978 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
The full story is on the Stayin' Alive page, and more of the group's records are on Bee Gees.
1979: "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" by Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart, Carmine Appice and Duane Hitchings wrote the song, and Tom Dowd produced it.
It was the first single from the album Blondes Have More Fun, released on November 10, 1978.
The song borrows a melody from Jorge Ben Jor's "Taj Mahal," and Ben Jor sued over it.
In his 2012 autobiography, Stewart called it "unconscious plagiarism."
He also admitted to lifting the synth riff from an arrangement by Bobby Womack.
The royalties went to UNICEF, and he performed it at the Music for UNICEF Concert in January 1979, the same concert as the January 9 in music history list covers.
Wikipedia says it spent four weeks at number one in February 1979.
This site's weekly data agrees, with four weeks from February 10 to March 3.
So the chart week that contains February 13 was the first of four.
The song is number 4 on the 1979 year-end Hot 100, in this site's year-end data.
February 13 in Music History by the Numbers: Short Runs, Long Runs and Where Each Song Stood
Ranking the ten songs of February 13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One Bad Apple | The Osmonds | 1971 | 5 | February 13, 1971 | March 13, 1971 |
| Stayin' Alive | Bee Gees | 1978 | 4 | February 4, 1978 | February 25, 1978 |
| Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? | Rod Stewart | 1979 | 4 | February 10, 1979 | March 3, 1979 |
| Crocodile Rock | Elton John | 1973 | 3 | February 3, 1973 | February 17, 1973 |
| 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover | Paul Simon | 1976 | 3 | February 7, 1976 | February 21, 1976 |
| Torn Between Two Lovers | Mary MacGregor | 1977 | 2 | February 5, 1977 | February 12, 1977 |
| Venus | Shocking Blue | 1970 | 1 | February 7, 1970 | February 7, 1970 |
| Let's Stay Together | Al Green | 1972 | 1 | February 12, 1972 | February 12, 1972 |
| Love's Theme | Love Unlimited Orchestra | 1974 | 1 | February 9, 1974 | February 9, 1974 |
| Fire | Ohio Players | 1975 | 1 | February 8, 1975 | February 8, 1975 |
Each box is one week at number one, and the gold box is the week that contains February 13.
Chart: Music of the 70s, from this site's weekly Billboard Hot 100 data.
Where February 13 Fell in Each Run
The weeks split three ways:
- 7 songs were in their first week at number one: "Venus," "One Bad Apple," "Let's Stay Together," "Love's Theme," "Fire," "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" and "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"
- 2 were in the middle of a longer run: "Crocodile Rock" and "Stayin' Alive."
- 1 was in the last week of its run: "Torn Between Two Lovers."
Test Your Own Memory
Which of these ten February 13 in music history number ones would you have bet on?
The list runs from a Dutch rock band to a disco-era chart giant.
Earlier weeks have their own lists, including January 9 in music history, December 12 in music history, November 28 in music history, November 7 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 February 13 in music history in the 1970s?
The number one song for the Hot 100 chart week that includes February 13 changed every year. It was "Venus" in 1970, "One Bad Apple" in 1971, "Let's Stay Together" in 1972, "Crocodile Rock" in 1973 and "Love's Theme" in 1974. Five more follow, ending with "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" in 1979.
Which 70s number one song stayed on top the longest around February 13?
The Osmonds' "One Bad Apple" held the longest run of the ten songs, with five weeks, according to this site's weekly Hot 100 data. It ran from February 13 to March 13, 1971. The Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" and Rod Stewart's "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" tie for second with four weeks each.
What was the number one song on February 13, 1971?
The Osmonds' "One Bad Apple" was number one for the Hot 100 chart week that began February 13, 1971. It was the first of its five weeks at number one, according to this site's weekly Hot 100 data. Wikipedia says it reached number one on February 13, 1971, and was Billboard's number four song of 1971.
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 February 13 began February 13 in 1971, February 12 in 1972 and 1977, February 11 in 1978, February 10 in 1973 and 1979, February 9 in 1974, February 8 in 1975 and February 7 in 1970 and 1976.
Related Posts
Sources
- Venus (Shocking Blue song), Wikipedia, for the writer, the release date, the first-Dutch-band claim, the Bananarama cover and the misspelled lyric.
- One Bad Apple, Wikipedia, for the writer, the Jackson 5 story, the recording, the release and the five weeks.
- Let's Stay Together (Al Green song), Wikipedia, for the writers, the release, the R&B run and the honors.
- Crocodile Rock, Wikipedia, for the recording, the release, the organ, the inspiration, the lawsuit and the three weeks.
- Love's Theme, Wikipedia, for the writer, the recording, the release and the Easy Listening run.
- Fire (Ohio Players song), Wikipedia, for the writers, the recording, the siren, the Stevie Wonder story and Hell's Kitchen.
- 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, Wikipedia, for the writer, the release, the drummer, the five methods and the three weeks.
- Torn Between Two Lovers (song), Wikipedia, for the writers, the recording, the release and the other charts.
- Stayin' Alive, Wikipedia, for the writers, the recording, the drum loop, the release and the four weeks.
- Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?, Wikipedia, for the writers, the album, the plagiarism claim, the UNICEF royalties and the four weeks.
- Billboard Hot 100, Wikipedia, for how the weekly chart used for number one runs works.