Casey Kasem’s… Coast to Coast… American Top 40!

On our drive from San Antonio to Dallas a few weeks ago, we had an amazing boomer memory fest.  For some reason, (probably having to do with the recent scandals regarding Casey Kasem’s illness and death) the radio was playing Casey Kasem’s Countdown, Coast to Coast, Top 40, from June 3, 1972.  I was in 7th grade, my husband, Randy, a sophomore in high school.  June 3, 1972!!!  Talk about a flashback! If you are a boomer, you know Casey Kasem very well, because you tuned into the radio every Sunday you possibly could, to hear the Top 40 songs in the nation. The whole nation, coast to coast! Casey also let us know which songs were new on the top 40, and which slots they had come from, whether they had gone up or down.

Now, you want to talk about classic rock and roll, 70s style?  From the ridiculous (Long Haired Lover from Liverpool (#39) by Little Jimmy Osmond) to the sublime (Old Man (#31) by Neil Young) to the crazy one hit wonders (Hot Rod Lincoln at #9 by Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen…what the hell?), it was a really entertaining ride home as we sang along to the rock of our childhood/teen years. Let me give you an idea of the kind of music being made in the early 1970s!!! These artists, on the Top 40 during ONE WEEK in 1972 will knock your socks off:

Vincent by Don McClean at #38.  Oh, I absolutely loved that song, and loved that it was about Vincent Van Gogh, who committed suicide.  It brought tears to my 13 year old eyes!

Living in a House Divided by Cher at #37.  She recorded it right after she and Sonny broke up, remember?  We were all so broken hearted that the show was over!

Doctor my Eyes by Jackson Browne at #36.  Talk about an awesome song! I always think it was his second best, after the roadie song, Stay.…

Hey, it was 1972, the year of the Godfather!  At number #3 we had Andy Williams singing the Theme from the Godfather, Speak Softly Love.  Randy didn’t remember it had words, but I sang them right through to the end! And Lean on Me by Bill Withers #26, and Taxi by Harry Chapin at #24!  I had forgotten about Taxi, but I’ve downloaded it on itunes now.  Oh, and at #23 Amazing Grace by The Pipes & Drums & The Military Band Of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.  No, I’m not kidding.

Elton John’s Rocket Man was at #32; Paul Simon’s Me and Julio at #22; Diary at #16 by Bread (remember Bread???); the Carpenters, the Jackson Five, Song Sung Blue #12 by Neil Diamond; #11 was Last Night by the Fifth Dimension!  Remember Aquarius by the Fifth Dimension? Their lead female singer was tremendous.  I LOVED her voice. Cat Stevens, the Rolling Stones, and at #4 The Candy Man by Sammie Davis Jr!!!  The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face by Roberta Flack! #2 Oh Girl  by The Chi-Lites and……at #1 “I’ll Take You There” by The Staple Singers! Quite a list of artists….almost every song remembered (some reluctantly!), and memories of mid-western days of sunshine, cornfields, and piles of colorful leaves.  Body shirts, bell bottom jeans, and blue eyeshadow.  First dances, first parties, spin the bottle, and the first kiss.

Thank you, Casey Kasem.  Your years of the Top 40 were the background music of my childhood…right up to adulthood.  It was a gift to hear that wonderful voice again. Okay…so tell me: you remember these songs? Can you believe they were on the Top 40 at the same time? What do they remind you of? (x rated memories are fine!  tell all!)