K-Tel Top 100 Songs

First posted 4/27/2016; updated 8/12/2020.

K-Tel: Top 100 Songs

In 1966, K-Tel released its first compilation, 25 Country Hits. Over the next two decades, the company would release more than a hundred compilations, most focused on the pop hits of the day. A 2013 Forbes article called the company “the spotify of the 1970s.” The company was founded by Philip Kives, a business executive, entrepreneur, and marketing expert from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He was born on February 12, 1929, and died at age 87 on April 27, 2016. In honor of him, the DMDB presents a list of the top 100 songs to appear on K-Tel compilations and the top 20 K-Tel compilations (see list here). Top 100 Songs: Act “Song” (Year), featured K-Tel albums 1. Bill Haley & the Comets “We’re Gonna Rock Around the Clock” (1954), 25 Rockin’ and Rollin’ Greats, 25 Rock Revival Greats, Rockin’ and Rollin’, Juke Box Jive 2. Derek & the Dominos “Layla” (1971) 22 Explosive Hits, Today’s Super Greats Part 1 3. Roy Orbison “(Oh) Pretty Woman” (1964) 25 Rockin’ and Rollin’ Greats, 25 Rock Revival Greats, Rockin’ and Rollin’ 4. Abba “Dancing Queen” (1976) Music Machine, The Magic of Abba 5. Chuck Berry “Johnny B. Goode” (1958) 25 Rock Revival Greats, Rockin’ and Rollin’ 6. Gloria Gaynor “I Will Survive” (1978) High Energy 7. Carl Perkins “Blue Suede Shoes” (1956) 25 Rockin’ and Rollin’ Greats 8. Elvis Presley “Suspicious Minds” (1969) Elvis Love Songs 9. Little Richard “Tutti Frutti” (1955) Hometown USA 10. Rod Stewart “Maggie May” (1971) Believe in Music, Today’s Super Greats Part 2 11. Elton John “Your Song” (1970) Elton John: Milestones 12. Elvis Presley “Love Me Tender” (1956) Elvis Love Songs 13. Fats Domino “Blueberry Hill” (1956) 25 Rock Revival Greats, Rockin’ and Rollin’ 14. Creedence Clearwater Revival “Proud Mary” (1969) 20 Super Hits – The Best of CCR 15. The Penguins “Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)” (1954) Hometown USA 16. Blondie “Heart of Glass” (1978) High Energy 17. Jerry Lee Lewis “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (1957) Hometown USA 18. Elvis Presley “It’s Now or Never” (1960) Elvis Love Songs 19. Del Shannon “Runaway” (1961) Juke Box Jive 20. Survivor “Eye of the Tiger” (1982) Hit Explosion 21. Chic “Le Freak” (1978) High Energy 22. Jerry Lee Lewis “Great Balls of Fire” (1957) 25 Rock Revival Greats, Rockin’ and Rollin’ 23. The Platters “The Great Pretender” (1955) 25 Rockin’ and Rollin’ Greats 24. Debby Boone “You Light Up My Life” (1977) heartbeat of the ‘70s 25. Blondie “Call Me” (1980) Power Play, Rock 80, Women of Rock 26. Elvis Presley “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” (1960) Elvis Love Songs 27. The Knack “My Sharona” (1979) Power Play, Rock 80 28. Buddy Holly “Peggy Sue” (1957) 60 Flashback Greats of the ‘60s 29. The Five Satins “In the Still of the Night” (1956) Hometown USA 30. James Taylor “Fire and Rain” (1970) 20 Dynamic Hits 31. Paul Anka “Diana” (1957) Juke Box Jive 32. Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps “Be-Bop-A-Lula” (1956) 25 Rockin’ and Rollin’ Greats 33. Tony Orlando & Dawn “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” (1973) 22 Fantastic Hits, Superstars Greatest Hits 34. Eurythmics “Sweet Dreams Are Made of This” (1983) Hot Tracks 35. Irene Cara “Flashdance...What a Feelin’” (1983) Street Beat 36. Harry Nilsson “Without You” (1971) Reflections 37. Bo Diddley “Bo Diddley” (1955) 25 Rock Revival Greats, Rockin’ and Rollin’ 38. James Brown “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” (1965) 60 Flashback Greats of the ‘60s 39. Little Richard “Long Tall Sally” (1956) 25 Rockin’ and Rollin’ Greats, 25 Rock Revival Greats, Rockin’ and Rollin’, Hometown USA 40. Free “All Right Now” (1970) 20 Power Hits 41. Olivia Newton-John “Physical” (1981) Women of Rock 42. 10cc “I’m Not in Love” (1975) Music Express 43. Boston “More Than a Feeling” (1976) The Rock Album 44. Commodores “Three Times a Lady” (1978) Spotlight, Together 45. Pretenders “Brass in Pocket” (1979) Rock 80, Certified Gold 46. Isaac Hayes “Theme from Shaft” (1971) Super Bad 47. Lipps Inc. “Funkytown” (1980) Sound Waves 48. The Everly Brothers “Wake Up Little Susie” (1957) Rockin’ and Rollin’, 25 Rock Revival Greats, 25 Rockin’ and Rollin’ Greats 49. Bonnie Tyler “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (1983) Women of Rock 50. The Drifters “Save the Last Dance for Me” (1960) Rock ‘N’ Roll Fever 51. The Box Tops “The Letter” (1957) 20 Explosive Hits, Today’s Super Greats Part 3 52. The Everly Brothers “Bye Bye Love” (1957) 24 Great Tear Jerkers 53. Wild Cherry “Play That Funky Music” (1976) Disco Rocket, Music Machine 54. Cream “Sunshine of Your Love” (1967) 60 Flashback Greats of the ‘60s 55. Gerry Rafferty “Baker Street” (1978) Spotlight 56. Michael Jackson “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” (1979) Hitline, Wings of Sound 57. George McCrae “Rock Your Baby” (1974) 20 Dynamite Hits, Disco Mania, Souled Out 58. Diana Ross “Upside Down” (1980) Sound Waves 59. Donna Summer “I Feel Love” (1978) Disco Fire 60. Captain & Tennille “Love Will Keep Us Together” (1975) Music Express 61. Roger Miller “King of the Road” (1965) 24 Great Truck Driving Songs 62. Creedence Clearwater Revival “Fortunate Son” (1969) 20 Super Hits – The Best of CCR 63. Elton John “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” (1973) Music Machine, Elton John: Milestones 64. Terry Jacks “Seasons in the Sun” (1974) 20 Dynamite Hits 65. Elton John “Bennie and the Jets” (1973) Elton John: Milestones 66. The Kingston Trio “Tom Dooley” (1958) Good Time Music 67. Creedence Clearwater Revival “Bad Moon Rising” (1969) 20 Super Hits – The Best of CCR 68. Elvis Presley “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (1961) Elvis Love Songs 69. The Orioles “Crying in the Chapel” (1953) 24 Great Tear Jerkers 70. Sister Sledge “We Are Family” (1979) Hitline 71. The Byrds “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)” (1965) 20 Power Hits Vol. 1 72. The Tokens “The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh)” (1961) Juke Box Jive, Goofy Greats, Good Time Music 73. The Turtles “Happy Together” (1967) Rock ‘N’ Roll Feer, 60 Flashback Greats of the ‘60s 74. The Four Seasons “Big Girls Don’t Cry” (1962) The Greatest Hits of Franki Valli & the Four Seasons 75. The Platters “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” (1958) 24 Great Tear Jerkers 76. Elton John “Crocodile Rock” (1973) 22 Fantastic Hits, 20 Power Hits, Elton John: Milestones 77. Van McCoy “The Hustle” (1975) Disco Mania 78. Elton John & Kiki Dee “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” (1976) Elton John: Milestones 79. Andy Gibb “Shadow Dancing” (1978) Starburst, Disco Nights 80. Blue Öyster Cult “Don’t Fear the Reaper” (1976) The Rock Album 81. Elton John “Daniel” (1973) Right On, Elton John: Milestones 82. Dion “Runaround Sue” (1961) Hometown USA, 60 Flashback Greats of the ‘60s 83. Charlie Rich “Behind Closed Doors” (1973) Country Road 84. Tammy Wynette “Stand by Your Man” (1968) Country Road 85. Toy Orlando & Dawn “Knock Three Times” (1970) 20 Power Hits Vol. 2, Today’s Super Greats Part 2 86. Elton John “Rocket Man” (1972) 22 Fantastic Hits, 20 Power Hits, Superstar’s Greatest Hits, Elton John: Milestones 87. The Emotions “Best of My Love” (1977) Disco Fire 88. The Crystals “Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)” (1963) Rock ‘N’ Roll Fever 89. Bill Withers “Lean on Me” (1972) 22 Fantastic Hits, Super Bad Is Back, Superstars Greatest Hits 90. Tommy James & the Shondells “Crimson and Clover” (1968) Superstars Greatest Hits 91. The Four Seasons “Sherry” (1962) Greatest Hits of Franki Valli & the Four Seasons 92. Carl Douglas “Kung Fu Fighting” (1974) Disco Mania, Out of Sight 93. Bachman-Turner Overdrive “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet” (1974) Out of Sight 94. The Police “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” (1981) Radio Active, The Hit List 95. Wilbert Harrison “Kansas City” (1959) Juke Box Jive 96. Sonny James “Young Love” (1956) The Best of Country Music Vol. 7 97. Andy Gibb “I Just Want to Be Your Everything” (1977) Music Machine 98. Gary Numan “Cars” (1979) Rock 80 99. The Dixie Cups “Chapel of Love” (1964) 60 Flashback Greats of the ‘60s 100. Kiss “Rock and Roll All Nite” (1975) Disco Mania, Hit Machine Resources and Related Links: K-Tel Top 20 Albums

K-Tel: Top 20 Albums

First posted 4/27/2016; updated 8/12/2020.

K-Tel: Top 20 Albums

In 1966, K-Tel released its first compilation, 25 Country Hits. Over the next two decades, the company would release more than a hundred compilations, most focused on the pop hits of the day. A 2013 Forbes article called the company “the spotify of the 1970s.” The company was founded by Philip Kives, a business executive, entrepreneur, and marketing expert from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He was born on February 12, 1929, and died at age 87 on April 27, 2016. In honor of him, the DMDB presents a list of the top 100 songs (see list here) to appear on K-Tel compilations and the top 20 K-Tel compilations. (years covered, year of release): 1. Rock Revival Greats (1954-65, 1972) 2. Rockin’ and Rollin’ (1954-65, 1972) 3. 25 Rockin’ and Rollin’ Greats (1954-64, 1972) 4. Hometown USA (1954-66, 1979) 5. Juke Box Jive (1954-66, 1975) 6. Elton John: Milestones (1970-79, 1980) 7. Elvis Love Songs – 16 Original Hits (1956-71, 1981) 8. Music Machine (1973-77, 1977) 9. 24 Great Tear Jerkers (1955-65, 1976) 10. 20 Super Hits – The Best of Creedence Clearwater Revival (1968-71, 1978) image from discogs.com, my first EVER album purchase! 11. High Energy (1978-79, 1979) 12. Rock 80 (1978-80, 1980) 13. Music Express (1973-75, 1975) 14. Women of Rock (1978-84, 1986) 15. Believe in Music (1971-72, 1972) 16. 20 Dynamite Hits (1972-74, 1974) 17. 60 Flashback Greats of the ‘60s (1957-70, 1972) 18. Right On (1973-76, 1976) 19. 22 Fantastic Hits (1972-73, 1973) 20. Hit Machine (1974-76, 1976) Resources and Related Links: K-Tel Top 100 Songs

The Thrill of the New

I am a download junkie. There’s no denying it – the 28,000+ songs on my hard drive weren’t all ripped from my CD collection that now does little more than keep one of the basement walls from being bare. A healthy chunk of my music has known no other home but the computer and isn’t likely to find its way to disc. Occasionally I still buy a CD (they still make ‘em, can you believe it?), but generally out of necessity – some of the stuff is obscure enough that I can’t find it to download.

Still, I get nostalgic for my former music buying habits – paying for an actual, tangible object that might have even required unwrapping. Hmm…I guess a benefit of the mp3 is that you don’t have to wait for your fingernails to grow before you can get the shrink wrap off a CD. How about those awful plastic cases CDs and cassettes used to come in that required super human strength or a machete to open?

I’ve survived a few music formats. Beyond 45 records, my first-ever album music purchase was a K-Tel compilation eight track. That might evoke more than a few chuckles, but there’s even more ammo when it comes to the cassette department, considering my first venture into the tape world was the Xanadu soundtrack. I am proud of my first CD buy – Marillion’s Clutching at Straws, even if I didn’t own a CD player when I bought it. I already had the cassette, but the CD had a bonus track and my buddy across the hall in the dorm let me play it on his CD player.

In my pre-digital adult life, Tuesdays were weekly holidays since that’s when new releases came out. In my college days, the only game in town was (shudder) Wal-Mart, but I occasionally hopped a ride with a buddy to Streetside Records thirty minutes away. In post-college days, my musical hunts often took me to Westport. For those unfamiliar with the Kansas City area, Westport is the kind of neighborhood where, well, there were lots of used record shops. My favorite was Music Exchange. It was one of those places that smelled of dust from the crates of old records and whose door and windows were wallpapered with notices of when and where local bands were playing.

Once the CD dominated, my most frequent stop was Disc Traders. Neither would win a best-name contest, but at the latter they knew me by name, knew my tastes well enough to make recommendations, and weren’t wearing brightly-colored smocks and asking if I needed a shopping cart. It was a relief to know that even in suburbia, I could hit a store that didn’t have a TM after their logo – or even a logo for that matter.

Wrapped or unwrapped, once the acquisition was home or in the car, I’d check out the album packaging, read off song titles, peruse the liner notes and lyrics, and plop the thing in for that virgin listen. What really heightened the experience is when the tunes of choice were either 1) new stuff by a favorite act, or 2) a been-on-my-most-wanted-list-forever item.

I can’t remember the last time I plopped down cash or credit card on an actual counter instead of clicking on the “Pay Now” button. While grabbing up 7 Worlds Collide on Amazon.com may not be the same as stumbling across that long-sought 3rd Matinee disc (complete with a “For Promotional Use Only” label) at whatever-the-name-of-that-place-was-on-75th-Street, both methods can still elicit joy.

Last Friday, two new Kevin Gilbert CDs greeted me in my mailbox. There hasn’t been a “new” KG album since 2002’s Kaviar Sessions. Of course, unless you’re Elvis, Hendrix, or 2pac, you aren’t moving a lot of product from the grave. To the credit of KG’s estate, they’ve released a handful of gems since his untimely passing in 1996, most notably The Shaming of the True in 2000 – my favorite album of the last decade. No worries if you don’t know the name – his solo stuff hasn’t even scraped the bottom of the Billboard charts. His greatest fame comes from his 1990 Toy Matinee project that sold a few hundred thousand shy of gold on the strength of minor album-rock hit “Last Plane Out” and his stint as one of the under-appreciated musicians behind Sheryl Crow’s success with Tuesday Night Music Club. If you’re curious about him, check out my Dave’s Music Database page on him or go straight to the official KevinGilbert.com website.

However, I digress. The point of this blog wasn’t to convert you to KG’s music (well, maybe a little), but to simply relive those music buying experiences in era when phrases like “backmasking” and “dropping the needle on a stack of vinyl” dominated instead of “iTunes” and “synching up your musical device.” The names and formats in your own collection will vary, but there remains one constant among anyone who’s ever bought music – the elation of that perfect purchase, the discovery of a lost treasure, the arrival of a long-awaited must-have. Go ahead and break out that Xanadu soundtrack again – nobody has to know but you.

Dave’s Faves: My Album Collection in 1983

Dave’s Faves: My Album Collection in 1983

I bought my first album – an eight track actually – in 1979. It was a K-Tel compilation called High Energy which featured a few songs which still rank amongst my top 100 of all time: Styx’s “Renegade,” Blondie’s “Heart of Glass,” and Chic’s “Le Freak.” Over the next few years, I added a new eight track once and a while. In September 1982, I joined the Columbia House Record and Tape Club and began not just the transition of my collection from eight track to cassette, but a move to a much faster-growing collection. 1983 would be a significant year for me as I added dozens more albums to my collection, picking up something new every week or so. They would have a long-lasting effect on me as well. The albums pictured below still rank in my top 100 albums of all time. By year’s end, this was what my collection looked like: Air Supply Lost in Love (1980) Air Supply The One That You Love (1981) Asia Asia (1982) Asia Alpha (1983) The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour (1967) The Beatles Hey Jude (1968) The Beatles 1962-1966 (compilation: 1962-66, released 1973) The Beatles 1967-1970 (compilation: 1967-70, released 1973) Pat Benatar Get Nervous (1982) Blondie Parallel Lines (1978) Blondie Eat to the Beat (1979) Chicago Chicago 16 (1982) Def Leppard Pyromania (1983) John Denver Greatest Hits (compilation: 1969-72, released 1973) Neil Diamond The Jazz Singer (soundtrack, 1980) Dan Fogelberg Greatest Hits (compilation: 1972-82, released 1982) Foreigner 4 (1981) Foreigner Records (compilation: 1976-82, released 1982) J. Geils Band Freeze Frame (1981) Daryl Hall & John Oates H2O (1982) Daryl Hall & John Oates Rock ‘N’ Soul Part I (compilation: (1973-83, released 1983) Michael Jackson Thriller (1982) Billy Joel The Nylon Curtain (1982) Billy Joel An Innocent Man (1983) Journey Escape (1981) Journey Frontiers (1983) Barry Manilow Greatest Hits (compilation, released 1978) Men at Work Business As Usual (1981) Men at Work Cargo (1983) John Cougar (Mellencamp) American Fool (1982) Olivia Newton-John Greatest Hits (compilation: 1971-76, released 1977) Olivia Newton-John Totally Hot (1978) Olivia Newton-John/Electric Light Orchestra Xanadu (soundtrack, 1980) Olivia Newton-John Physical (1981) Olivia Newton-John’s Olivia’s Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (1982) Stevie Nicks The Wild Heart (1983) The Police Ghost in the Machine (1981) The Police Synchronicity (1983) Kenny Rogers Greatest Hits (compilation: 1977-80, released 1980) Queen Greatest Hits (compilation: 1973-81, released 1981) Styx Styx II (1973) Styx The Grand Illusion (1977) Styx Cornerstone (1979) Styx Paradise Theater (1981) Styx Kilroy Was Here (1983) Toto Toto IV (1982) John Williams (composer) Star Wars IV: A New Hope (soundtrack, 1977) Various Artists: Flashdance (soundtrack, 1983) K-Tel: High Energy (1979) K-Tel: Starflight (1979) K-Tel: Wings of Sound (1979) Two of a Kind (soundtrack, 1983) 1983 proved to be the year when my music obsession took the great leap forward. I was now an addict for life. Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “My Album Collection” (see where it stood in different years) Dave’s Music Database (3/24/1979). “My First Album Purchase: K-Tel: High Energy” Dave’s Music Database (9/25/1982). “The Columbia House Record Club” Dave’s Music Database: “Dave’s Faves: My Top 100 Albums” Dave’s Music Database (9/18/1982). “My First Personal Song Chart” Dave’s Music Database: “Dave’s Faves: My Top 100 Songs” First posted 8/12/2020; updated 8/31/2021.

My First Album: K-Tel’s High Energy compilation

High Energy various artists

Released: 1979 Charted: 5/27/1978 to 3/24/1979 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: disco/pop/rock

Tracks: (Click for codes to singles charts.) Blondie “Heart of Glass” (Deborah Harry, Chris Stein) [3:09] (1/3/79, 11 US, 11 CB, 11 HR, 11 RR, 44 AC, 14 UK, 11 CN, 15 AU, sales: 3.72 million) Amii Stewart “Knock on Wood” (Floyd, Cropper) [3:20] (1/27/79, 11 US, 11 CB, 11 HR, 3 RR, 6 RB, 6 UK, 11 CN, 2 AU, sales: 2 million) Gloria Gaynor “I Will Survive” (Dino Fekaris, Freddie Perren) [3:16] (12/16/78, 13 US, 11 CB, 11 HR, 2 RR, 9 AC, 4 RB, 14 UK, 1 CN, 5 AU, sales: 14 million) Peaches & Herb “Shake Your Groove Thing” (Dino Fekaris, Freddie Perren) [3:25] (10/28/78, 5 US, 5 CB, 7 HR, 8 RR, 4 RB, 26 UK, 5 CN, 13 AU) Instant Funk “I Got My Mind Made Up (You Can Get It Girl)” (K. Miller, S. Miller, R. Earl) [3:23] (1/6/79, 20 US, 22 CB, 26 HR, 13 RB, sales: 1 million) Chic “Le Freak” (Edwards, Rodgers) [3:36] (9/21/78, 16 US, 17 CB, 17 HR, 12 RR, 15 RB, 48 AC, 7 UK, 12 CN, 15 AU) Foxy “Hot Number” (Ish Ledesma) [4:12] (2/17/79, 21 US, 29 CB, 38 HR, 4 RB) G.Q. “Disco Nights (Rock Freak)” (Emanuel LeBlanc, Herb Lane, Keith Crier, Paul Service) [3:37] (2/10/79, 12 US, 10 CB, 11 HR, 22 RR, 12 RB, sales: 1 million) The Pointer Sisters “Fire” (Bruce Springsteen) [3:38] (11/11/78, 2 US, 2 CB, 2 HR, 2 RR, 21 AC, 14 RB, 34 UK, 3 CN, 7 AU, sales: 1 million) Foreigner “Double Vision” (Lou Gramm, Mick Jones) [3:25] (9/22/78, 2 US, 5 CB, 8 HR, 2 RR, 2 CL, 7 CN, 97 AU, sales: 1 million) Orleans “Love Takes Time” (Larry Hoppen, Marilyn Mason) [3:28] (3/24/79, 11 US, 12 CB, 18 HR, 7 RR, 13 AC, 23 CL, 23 CN) Pablo Cruise “Love Will Find a Way” (David Jenkins, Cory Lerios) [3:47] (5/27/78, 6 US, 5 CB, 4 RR, 28 AC, 18 CL, 5 CN, 8 AU) Farragher Brothers “Stay the Night” (Farragher, Farragher) [3:25] (2/24/79, 50 US) Captain & Tennille “You Never Done It Like That” (Greenfield, Sedaka) [2:58] (7/29/78, 10 US, 10 CB, 6 HR, 12 RR, 14 AC) Gino Vannelli “I Just Wanna Stop” (Gino Vannelli) [3:32] (9/9/78, 4 US, 2 CB, 8 HR, 2 RR, 4 AC, 21 RB, 12 CN, 59 AU) Styx “Renegade” (Tommy Shaw) [3:52] (3/17/79, 16 US, 18 CB, 22 HR, 17 RR, 10 CN) Total Running Time: 66:00

Rating: 4.033 out of 5.00 (average of 3 ratings) Quotable: This is where my obsession with music began. Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: 1979. I was 12 years old. I plunked down my hard-earned allowance at K-mart for the K-Tel compilation High Energy. K-Tel was a Canadian-based company launched in 1962. They specialized in selling products like the Veg-O-Matic and the Miracle Brush via infomercials, but also pioneered the idea of producing compilation albums featuring original hits by the original performers. From their first set in 1966 through the end of the ‘80s, the company put out somewhere around 100 albums. The album didn’t achieve any kind of landmark status for K-Tel, but it was significant for me as my very first album purchase. On his K-Tel tribute website, Herc proclaims it one of his top 5 K-Tel albums and that nearly a dozen fans told him High Energy was also their first album. HK I use the term “album” loosely as I bought it in the decidedly unwieldy 8-track format. Sure it allowed for more portability and durability than vinyl, but the listener didn’t have the same control – and there was that loud ka-klunk sound signifying the jump between tracks. Over the years I changed with the formats, accumulating cassettes, CDs, and now some 40,000 digitized songs on my laptop. Of the some 4000 albums I now have in my collection, though, none measures up to the sentimentality of High Energy. The collection was an odd mix. Side one of the vinyl version consisted of seven top-ten R&B songs, six of which were also top 5 hits on the disco chart, and 4 which hit #1 on the pop chart. HK Andrew Weiss of Armagideon Time said it “had one of the strongest first sides of any K-Tel release, ever.” AT “The one-two electrodance punch of Blondie’s Heart of Glass and Amii Stewart’s spaced-out cover of my favorite Sixties soul track was reason enough to buy a copy. Throwing in the apex disco of I Will Survive plus the party jam combo of Shake Your Groove Thing and Le Freak bumped High Energy into the stratosphere.” AT Three of those songs (“Heart of Glass,” “I Will Survive,” and “Le Freak”) rank in the DMDB’s top 1% of all time. “The second side was K-tel's usual blend of Top 40 fare with both soft rock and hard rock.” HK Weiss says it was “all over the place…[and] never manages to hit anything close to a sweet spot.” AT Of course, it was precisely the disparity which drew me in. I loved “Heart of Glass” and “Le Freak” as well as Foreigner’s Double Vision and Styx’s Renegade and now I had them all in one package! Four decades later, “Heart of Glass,” “Le Freak,” and “Renegade” still rank in my top 100 songs of all time. Interestingly, while side one felt like the pinnacle of disco, Weiss considers High Energy “a significant artifact” in the death of the format because it marked “a looming shake-up of the status quo” and the extinction of a “bloated and complacent music industry.” AT “Hard rock, soft rock, easy listening pop, mellow soul, jazz rock — all would stagger into the new decade of diminishing returns and increasingly fractalized formatting and marketing practices.” AT The album was a mess and it may well have marked the end of an era. It was, however, the beginning for me. More than forty years later, I look around my living room at the jukebox, the chart book sitting on my coffee table, and the photo over my fireplace of my kids playing air guitar. Music has become a pervasive force in my life and I can trace it back to the point when High Energy entered my life. Notes: Confusingly, the same title was used for K-Tel collections later released on cassette and CD which had very different track listings.

Review Sources: Dave’s Music Database (4/27/2016). “K-Tel Top 100 Songs and Top 20 Albums” AT Armagideon Time (9/18/2017). “Do K-Tel #17: High Energy (1979)” HK Herc’s K-Tel Albums “ K-Tel Kollection 1973-1984: High Energy 1979” Playlists.net (a Spotify playlist of 15 of the 16 songs on the set) WK Wikipedia: K-Tel First posted 8/6/2020; last updated 9/5/2021.

Styx charted with “Renegade”

Renegade Styx

This post has been moved here.

Elton John hit #1 with “Bennie and the Jets”

Bennie and the Jets Elton John

Writer(s): Elton John (music), Bernie Taupin (lyrics) (see lyrics here) Released: February 4, 1974 First Charted: February 16, 1974 Peak: 11 US, 11 CB, 11 HR, 13 RR, 15 RB, 1 CL, 37 UK, 12 CN, 5 AU (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): 2.8 US, 0.25 UK, 3.05 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 3.0 radio, 55.08 video, 238.03 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Elton John established himself as the most successful act of the 1970s on the strength of hits like “Bennie and the Jets” and five other #1’s that decade. This, however, was his first of only a handful of forays onto the R&B chart, where it reached #15. He was thrilled with the accomplishment, saying “Even if it doesn’t get any higher than 34 I’m gonna stick it up and frame it.” FB He knew, though, that it wasn’t his primary audience. He told Rolling Stone, “What am I going to do on my next American tour? Play the Apollo for a week, open with ‘Bennie’ then say, ‘Thanks, you can all go home now.’” FB It did, however, land him an appearance on Soul Train. WK In the United States, the song was the third single from Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, following “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” and the title cut. In most other territories, “Candle in the Wind” was released as the third single with “Bennie” (spelled “Benny”) as the B-side. WK Elton didn’t want to release “Bennie” as a single because he was sure it would fail. However, a radio station in Ontario started playing it and then it became the #1 song in the Detroit market. WK The record company decided it would make for the better A-side in America and slated “Candle” as the flip side. FB The song was sort of an homage to the factionary band of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and the glam rock of David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust persona. Elton described Bennie as “a sci-fi rock goddess” SF and lyricist Bernie Taupin said Bennie and the Jets “were supposed to be a prototypical female rock ‘n’ roll band out of science fiction.” SF He explained that he “had this wacky science fiction idea about a futuristic rock and roll band of androids fronted by some androgynous kind of Helmut Newton style beauty.” SF He said that Robert Palmer’s video for “Addicted to Love” portrayed how he saw the band: “a dapper frontman backed by robotic models.” SF Taupin also said the song, told from the standpoint of a fan, was a satire on the music industry and its greed and glitz. WK Also of note – the song integrates live sound effects from a show Elton played at Royal Festival Hall in 1972 and a falsetto where Elton tries to sound like Frankie Valli of the Four Seasons. SF Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Elton John FB Fred Bronson (2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (5th edition). Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 362. SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 4/12/2021; last updated 7/23/2022.

Elton John charted with “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Elton John

Writer(s): Elton John (music), Bernie Taupin (lyrics) (see lyrics here) Released: September 7, 1973 First Charted: September 29, 1973 Peak: 2 BB, 11 CB, 11 GR, 11 HR, 13 RR, 7 AC, 1 CL, 6 UK, 11 CN, 4 AU, 6 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 2.0 US, 0.2 UK, 2.2 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 4.0 radio, 50.73 video, 324.4 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: The title cut for Elton John’s seventh album, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, was released as the second single after “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting.” While “Saturday” peaked at #12, “Road” went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts on three of the other major pop charts in America at the time. The song was a top singles pick in the October 20, 1973 issue of Billboard which said, “Elton returns to a medium tempo for his large, round sounding production of a man returning to a simple life. At times it’s hard to understand Elton, but the sonic impression is still strong and haunting. The blending of voices with strings on the bridges is beautiful.” BB Circus magazine’s Janis Schach called the song “delicate and beautiful.” WK All Music Guide’s Stewart Mason has called it “a strong contender for the coveted title of John’s finest song ever.” AMG “Extravagant, but not pretentious,” AMG the “arrangement builds slowly…to a full orchestral climax at the end of each chorus.” AMG “The wordless melisma that decorates the bridge between the verse and chorus melodies is straight out of the Beach Boys playbook.” AMG “It’s very likely his single finest vocal moment.” AMG The title is a reference to The Wizard of Oz and the yellow brick road. Bernie Taupin, who wrote the lyrics, often wrote about Elton, but this song “about giving up a life of opulence for one of simplicity in a rural setting” SF appears to be more about Taupin as John “has enjoyed a very extravagant lifestyle.” SF Taupin said, “I was going through that whole ‘got to get back to my roots’ thing…I don’t believe I was ever turning my back on success…I think I was just hoping that maybe there was a happy medum way to exist successfully in a more tranquil setting.” SF It is also “evocative of faded Hollywood glamour;” AMG “a clear-eyed, somewhat bitter, but not vindictive kiss-off to a wealthy former paramour.” AMG Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Elton John AMG All Music Guide review by Stewart Mason BB Billboard (10/20/1973). Page 62. SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 4/12/2021; last updated 9/15/2023.