It’s a lovely week of autumnal sunshine here in Auckland in 2026, let’s hear Sadie tell us what tunes we are in for this week!
Songs of the month
- “Another Saturday Night” – Cat Stevens
- [new] “Back Home Again” – John Denver
- “Beach Baby” – First Class
- “Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love Babe” – Barry White
- “Can’t Get Enough” – Bad Company
- [new] “Carefree Highway” – Gordon Lightfoot
- “Clap For The Wolfman” – Guess Who
- “Do It Baby” – Miracles
- [new] “Do It” – B.T. Express
- “Earache My Eye” – Cheech & Chong
- [new] “Everlasting Love” – Carl Carlton
- [new] “Fallin’ In Love” – “Souther Hillman Furay Band”
- “Free Man In Paris” – Joni Mitchell
- [new] “Give It To The People” – Righteous Brothers
- “Hang On In There Baby” – Johnny Bristol
- [new] “Honey Honey” – Abba
- “I Honestly Love You” – Olivia Newton-John
- “I Love My Friend” – Charlie Rich
- “I Shot The Sheriff” – Eric Clapton
- [new] “I’ve Got The Music In Me” – Kiki Dee
- “Jazzman” – Carole King
- [new] “Life Is A Rock” – Reunion
- [new] “Longfellow Serenade” – Neil Diamond
- “Love Me For A Reason” – Osmonds
- [new] “My Melody Of Love” – Bobby Vinton
- “Never My Love” – Blue Swede
- “Nothing From Nothing” – Billy Preston
- [new] “Overnight Sensation” – Raspberries
- “Rock Me Gently” – Andy Kim
- [new] “Skin Tight” – Blue Swede
- “Skin Tight” – Ohio Players
- “Steppin’ Out” – Tony Orlando And Dawn
- “Stop And Smell The Roses” – Mac Davis
- [new] “Straight Shootin’ Woman” – Steppenwolf
- “Sweet Home Alabama” – Lynyrd Skynyrd
- “The Bitch Is Back” – Elton John
- [new] “The Need To Be” – Jim Weatherly
- “Then Came You” – Dionne Warwick And The Spinners
- [new] “Tin Man” – America
- [new] “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night” – John Lennon
- “Who Do You Think You Are” – Bo Donaldson And The Heywoods
- [new] “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” – Bachman-Turner Overdrive
- “You Haven’t Done Nothin’” – Stevie Wonder
- “You Little Trustmaker” – Tymes
- “You’re Having My Baby” – Paul Anka
[new] = New to the chart this week.
You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.
This month in history
One of the most famous sporting events of the 20th century took place on October 30, 1974, in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The “Rumble in the Jungle” saw Muhammad Ali attempt to reclaim his world heavyweight title against the heavily favored, undefeated champion George Foreman. The fight was a massive global television spectacle, watched by an estimated 1 billion people. Ali’s brilliant “rope-a-dope” strategy tired Foreman out, allowing Ali to win by knockout in the eighth round, cementing his legacy not just as a boxer, but as a global pop culture icon.
On Halloween 1974, Brian De Palma unleashed a bizarre, some say brilliant, rock opera that has since become a massive cult classic: Phantom of the Paradise. A satirical mashup of The Phantom of the Opera, Faust, and the modern music industry, the film featured Paul Williams as an evil record producer. While it was initially a box office failure in the US, it became a cult phenomenon and heavily influenced later projects like The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Also in October, The Rolling Stones released their 12th studio album, It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll. This record marked a major transitional milestone for the band, serving as the final album with guitarist Mick Taylor and paving the way for the arrival of Ronnie Wood. The lead single, “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It),” quickly became a definitive rock anthem, but it was the legendary promotional music video that truly captured the playful excess of the mid-70s music scene. Dressed in matching sailor uniforms inside a massive plastic tent, the band played the track as the entire space slowly filled to the brim with thousands of gallons of soap foam, nearly submerging Charlie Watts’ drum kit by the final chorus.
What’d Sadie think?
Two weeks at the top for Olivia Newton-John’s “I Honestly Love You” before “Nothing From Nothing” by Billy Preston and “Then Came You” by Dionne Warwick And The Spinners have a week of glory.
Sadie would like everyone to know, in no uncertain terms, she is SICK AND TIRED of Cat Steven’s “Another Saturday Night” – but I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that it has started the playlist the past few weeks.
Meanwhile, new to the charts is “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” by Bachman–Turner Overdrive. Apparently it was recorded as a throw-away and not intended for their album, “We have this one song, but it’s a joke. I’m laughing at the end. I sang it on the first take. It’s sharp, it’s flat, I’m stuttering to do this thing for my brother.” On being convinced to include it on the album, they recorded a version without the iconic stutter, that luckily didn’t make it onto the record!
Loved ’em
- “Everlasting Love” – Carl Carlton
- “Tin Man” – America
- “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” – Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Liked ’em
- “Back Home Again” – John Denver
- “Carefree Highway” – Gordon Lightfoot
- “Do It” – B.T. Express
- “Honey Honey” – Abba
- “I’ve Got The Music In Me” – Kiki Dee
- “Longfellow Serenade” – Neil Diamond
- “Overnight Sensation” – Raspberries
- “Straight Shootin’ Woman” – Steppenwolf
- “The Need To Be” – Jim Weatherly
- “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night” – John Lennon
Leave ’em
- “Fallin’ In Love” – “Souther Hillman Furay Band”
- “Life Is A Rock” – Reunion
- “My Melody Of Love” – Bobby Vinton
- “Skin Tight” – Blue Swede
Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.