29 April 1978
1 ( 2 ) She's So Modern - Boomtown Rats < 2nd #1 >2 ( 1 ) You're The One That I Want - John Travolta & Olivia Newton John (#1[2])
3 ( 4 ) Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) - Billy Joel
4 ( 6 ) Take Me I'm Yours - Squeeze
5 ( 3 ) If You Can't Give Me Love - Suzi Quatro (#2[3])
6 ( 12 ) Automatic Lover - Dee D Jackson
7 ( -- ) Because The Night - Patti Smith Group
8 ( 10 ) More Than A Woman - Tavares
9 ( 5 ) With A Little Luck - Wings (#4)
10 ( 11 ) Do It Do It Again - Rafaella Carra
11 ( -- ) What A Waste - Ian Dury & The Blockheads
12 ( 7 ) Let's All Chant - Michael Zager Band (#6)
13 ( -- ) Love Is In The Air - John Paul Young
14 ( 23 ) Werewolves Of London - Warren Zevon
15 ( 24 ) Back In Love Again - Donna Summer
16 ( 25 ) Bad Old Days - Co-Co
17 ( 9 ) Never Let Her Slip Away - Andrew Gold (#4)
18 ( 8 ) Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty (#1[5])
19 ( -- ) Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad - Meat Loaf
20 ( 20 ) I Must Be In Love - Rutles
21 ( 14 ) Everybody Dance - Chic (#13)
22 ( 22 ) Ego - Elton John
23 ( -- ) Rivers Of Babylon - Boney M
24 ( 18 ) Long Live Rock And Roll - Rainbow (#18)
25 ( 30 ) Shadow Dancing - Andy Gibb
26 ( 16 ) It Takes Two To Tango - Richard Myhill (#14)
27 ( 15 ) Too Much Too Little Too Late - Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams (#10)
28 ( 13 ) Sweet Talkin' Woman - Electric Light Orchestra (#3)
29 ( 21 ) Two Doors Down - Dolly Parton (#21)
30 ( 27 ) Rocket Ride - Kiss (#27)
31 ( 28 ) Hey Senorita - War (#28)
32 ( 17 ) I Wonder Why - Showaddywaddy (#11)
33 ( 19 ) Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man) - Styx (#16)
34 ( 26 ) Baby Hold On - Eddie Money (#26)
35 ( 32 ) Theme From The Hong Kong Beat - Richard Denton & Martin Cook (#32)
36 ( -- ) Just For You - Alan Price
37 ( -- ) The Day The World Turned Day-Glo - X-Ray Spex
38 ( -- ) Come To Me - Ruby Winters
39 ( -- ) Dance A Little Bit Closer - Charo & The Salsoul Orchestra
40 ( 29 ) Glad To Be Gay - Tom Robinson Band (#2[2])
-- ( 31 ) Denis - Blondie (#3)
-- ( 33 ) (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea - Elvis Costello & The Attractions (#6)
-- ( 34 ) Boogie Shoes - KC & The Sunshine Band (#21)
-- ( 35 ) Follow You Follow Me - Genesis (#8)
-- ( 36 ) Imaginary Lover - Atlanta Rhythm Section (#23)
-- ( 37 ) More Like The Movies - Dr Hook (#17)
-- ( 38 ) The Circle Is Small (I Can See It In Your Eyes) - Gordon Lightfoot (#28)
-- ( 39 ) I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass - Nick Lowe (#9)
-- ( 40 ) This Time I'm In It For Love - Player (#32)
Rip it up now, Bob, because on my chart you won't get another chance. Not because Rat Trap won't get to #1, but because Summer Nights won't. Rat Trap will have its work cut out to get to #1 though, as it will be replacing the number one single of all time. That's later in the year.
Patti Smith recorded an album in 1975 called "Horses", one of the songs on it being "Redondo Beach" which she wrote and Morrissey later covered as that was one of his favourite albums of all time (if not his favourite).
Because The Night was recorded but only in demo form by Bruce Springsteen, as he hadn't completed the lyrics and was struggling. When Patti Smith completed that job, she also got to record her version and it was released. This was essentially the 2nd hit single written by Bruce Springsteen but recorded by a different artist after "Blinded By The Light" in 1976, whilst in the UK Bruce hadn't yet had a hit of his own. It could well be his 3rd number one as a songwriter.
Ian Dury also makes his debut this week.
Meat Loaf debuts too. Jim Steinman wrote the song, and we'll have more from this singer during the course of the year.
John Paul Young gets a classic hit between those, but I don't think we'll ever hear from him again after that.
As for Boney M, Rivers Of Babylon only the 5th highest entry, but those other 4 above it are all classics and much better. Brown Girl In The Ring will chart separately later in the year, not when it enters the US chart, but on the week when it starts reclimbing the chart, i.e. the week it climbed from 20 to 18. I will have to be careful to watch that. And it may be a bigger hit than Rivers Of Babylon too.
Alan Price had the #1 single of the year in 1974 with Jarrow Song but has gone a bit soft here.
And lower, another debutant, X-Ray Spex, now much revered but this song is a bit shouty. The lead singer calls herself Polly Styrene.