It’s…
The Chart
It’s a week at the top this month for Bowie’s “Fame” before Neil Sedaka’s “Bad Blood” rules the roost for the next three.
- “Ain’t No Way To Treat A Lady” – Helen Reddy
- “At Seventeen” – Janis Ian
- “Bad Blood” – Neil Sedaka
- “Ballroom Blitz” – Sweet
- [new] “Born To Run” – Bruce Springsteen
- “Brazil” – Ritchie Family
- “Calypso / I’m Sorry” – John Denver
- [new] “Carolina In The Pines” – Michael Murphey
- “Could It Be Magic” – Barry Manilow
- “Dance With Me” – Orleans
- [new] “Do It Any Way You Wanna” – Peoples’ Choice
- “Fallin’ In Love” – “Hamilton Joe Frank & Reynolds”
- “Fame” – David Bowie
- “Feel Like Makin’ Love” – Bad Company
- “Feelings” – Morris Albert
- “Fight The Power” – Isley Brothers
- “Games People Play” – Spinners
- “Gone At Last” – Paul Simon & Phoebe Snow
- [new] “Heatwave” – Linda Ronstadt
- “How Long” – Pointer Sisters
- “I Believe There’s Nothing Stronger Than Our Love” – Paul Anka & Odia Coates
- [new] “I Only Have Eyes For You” – Art Garfunkel
- [new] “Island Girl” – Elton John
- “It Only Takes A Minute” – Tavares
- “Lady Blue” – Leon Russell
- [new] “Low Rider” – War
- [new] “Lyin’ Eyes” – Eagles
- “Miracles” – Jefferson Starship
- “Mr. Jaws” – Dickie Goodman
- [new] “Nights On Broadway” – Bee Gees
- “Rhinestone Cowboy” – Glen Campbell
- [new] “Rockin’ All Over The World” – John Fogerty
- “Rocky” – Austin Roberts
- “Run Joey Run” – David Geddes
- [new] “S.O.S.” – Abba
- [new] “Sky High” – Jigsaw
- [new] “Something Better To Do” – Olivia Newton-John
- [new] “Sos” – Abba
- “That’s The Way Of The World” – Earth Wind & Fire
- [new] “The Way I Want To Touch You” – Captain & Tennille
- [new] “This Will Be” – Natalie Cole
- “Wasted Days And Wasted Nights” – Freddy Fender
- [new] “What A Difference A Day Made” – Esther Phillips
- “Who Loves You” – Four Seasons
- [new] “You” – George Harrison
[new] = New to the chart this week.
You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.
The Times
On October 1, 1975, the sports world witnessed an epic, brutal showdown when Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier met in the Philippines for their legendary third and final heavyweight title bout, dubbed the “Thrilla in Manila.” Fought in sweltering heat, the relentless 14-round battle pushed both men to their absolute physical limits before Frazier’s trainer halted the fight prior to the final bell, granting Ali the TKO victory. Beyond its athletic legacy, the event marked a historic milestone for modern television: it was the first major sports broadcast beamed around the globe live via satellite, establishing HBO and pay-cable television as high-stakes forces in media entertainment.
Late-night television was then transformed on October 11, 1975, when NBC premiered a groundbreaking, live variety show titled NBC’s Saturday Night (later renamed Saturday Night Live). Hosted by comedian George Carlin and created by producer Lorne Michaels, the show introduced an irreverent ensemble cast of young comedic talent dubbed the “Not Ready for Prime Time Players”—including Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, and Dan Aykroyd. Blending sharp political satire, unpredictable live sketch comedy, and avant-garde musical guests, the broadcast radically disrupted traditional TV formats and launched a multi-decade American comedy institution. This interview with the cast shortly before it went live is a great watch.
And live stadium spectacle hit a glamorous peak on October 25, 1975, when Elton John kicked off a pair of historic, sold-out concerts before 110,000 screaming fans at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium. As the first musical act to headline the stadium since The Beatles nine years prior, Elton John delivered a high-octane performance at the absolute height of “Eltonmania.” Taking the stage in a custom, bedazzled sequined Dodgers baseball uniform designed by Bob Mackie, the shows were filmed and broadcast globally, capturing the definitive visual excess, theatrical flair, and massive scale of mid-70s stadium rock.
The Take
In late 1973, on the road in Tennessee, Bruce Springsteen awoke with the title “Born to Run”, which he wrote down. According to him, it was the first spark of the later song.
Written in the first person, the song is a love letter to a girl named Wendy, for whom the hot rod-riding protagonist seems to possess the passion to love, just not the patience. However, Springsteen has noted that it has a much simpler core: getting out of Freehold. U.S. Route 9, a highway passing through Freehold, is mentioned from the lyric “sprung from cages out on Highway 9”.
At the time of the single release, Billboard described “Born to Run” as “one of the best rock anthems to individual freedom ever created,” describing it as “a monster song with a piledriver arrangement” that could become Springsteen’s biggest hit yet. Cash Box said that “Springsteen sounds like a cross between Roger McGuinn (from his Byrds days) and nobody else we’ve ever heard.”
And then in other notable, and oft since-sampled songs, we have War’s “Low Ride”. AllMusic says of the song: “the lyric takes the cool, laidback image of the lowrider— the Chicano culture practice of hydraulically hot-rodding classic cars— and using innuendo, extends the image to a lifestyle”. Plus, there’s those sax riffs!
Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.