#1 at KRUX/Phoenix: “Let It Be” by the Beatles, the group’s penultimate hit. On April 9, Paul McCartney announced in a press release that he was leaving the band — but, in fact, the group had disintegrated for various reasons over the prior six months. (He used the shocking announcement to promote his new solo album, McCartney, which would be released April 17.)
All four Beatles already had projects outside the band. McCartney wrote “Come And Get It” (#22 on this week’s KRUX survey) for the Apple band Badfinger, from The Magic Christian film co-starring Ringo Starr. Ringo would release his first solo album, Sentimental Journey, on April 24. Meanwhile, John Lennon, who formed Plastic Ono Band the year before, drops this week from #3 to #11 with “Instant Karma.” And George Harrison, who had produced two instrumental albums, Wonderwall Music (1968) and Electronic Sound (1969), was about to start recording his triple-disc masterpiece, All Things Must Pass, which would become the first solo #1 album by an-Beatle.
Beyond the Beatles, a lot of great music was on the radio. Jumping to #2 from #7 is “Something’s Burning,” the sensual Mac Davis song performed by Kenny Rogers & The First Edition.
Climbing from #8 to #4 is the Guess Who’s biggest hit, the double-sided “American Woman” backed with the medley of “No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature.” The single included edited versions on both sides, but many stations ultimately played the longer renditions from the album.
Other notable hits:
- “Evil Ways,” Santana’s first hit single, drops to #7;
- “Love Or Let Me Be Lonely” (#14), third hit for the California vocal group the Friends of Distinction;
- “Give Me Just A Little More Time” (#15) by Chairmen of the Board, written and produced by the famous Motown team of Holland-Dozier-Holland;
- “Woodstock” (#20) by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, written by Joni Mitchell, who was not at the festival;
- “Kentucky Rain” (#24), one of Elvis Presley’s best late-career hits, written by future country star Eddie Rabbit;
- “Come Running” (#25) by Van Morrison from his classic Moondance album.
A bunch of one-hit wonders are on this week’s chart, but oh, what hits they were:
- “Spirit In The Sky” (#5) by Norman Greenbaum, the coolest-sounding religious rock song ever;
- “Long Lonesome Highway” (#6) by Michael Parks, theme song from his TV show Then Came Bronson;
- “Little Green Bag” (#8) by the Dutch group George Baker Selection;
- “Vehicle” (#12), the horn-heavy classic by the Ides of March;
- “Reflections Of My Life” (#19), a pensive hit by the Scottish band Marmalade.