#1 at KRUX/Phoenix: “Killing Me Softly With His Song” by Roberta Flack, skyrocketing to the top from #15 last week. The song was inspired by a poem that singer Lori Lieberman wrote about her experience watching a concert by Don McLean — who wrote lots of terrific sensitive songs (“American Pie” notwithstanding). The Fugees also made it into a hip-hop hit in 2006.
Falling to #2 is John Denver’s signature song, “Rocky Mountain High,” title track of the #3 album. Another former #1 hit, Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” drops to #4 — the song that transformed Stevie from a star to a superstar. It’s from the #2 album, Talking Book. The #1 album is The World Is A Ghetto by War, whose title track jumps from #16 to #10 on the singles chart.
Other big jumpers include the Spinners’ “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love” (#14 to #7), “Dancing In The Moonlight” (#17 to #9) by one-hit wonder King Harvest, and the O’Jays’ classic “Love Train” (#25 to #18).
Other former #1 songs are “You’re So Vain” (#14) by Carly Simon from the #4 album No Secrets, and “Crocodile Rock” (#15) by Elton John from the #11 album, Don’t Shoot Me, I’m Only The Piano Player.
At #25 is “Jambalaya” by the Blue Ridge Rangers, which was a side project by Creedence Clearwater Revival leader John Fogerty. The album featured cover songs of old country music standards — in this case, Hank Williams’ bayou classic.
Two popular instrumentals appear on this week’s chart:
- “Dueling Banjos” (#20 to #11) by Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell from the Deliverance movie soundtrack, this week’s #7 album;
- Keyboardist Deodato’s disco-jazz flavored “Also Sprach Zarathrustra” (new at #20), better known as the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey. The song was written in 1896 by classical composer Richard Strauss. KDKB legend Bill Compton used a shortened version from the 1969 movie soundtrack as the opening theme to his radio show.
Debuting at #27 is “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” third hit from the Eagles self-titled debut album.