6 April 1974:
1 ( 1 ) W.O.L.D - Harry Chapin < 3rd week at #1 >2 ( 3 ) Emma - Hot Chocolate
3 ( 2 ) Jet - Wings (#1[2])
4 ( 11 ) Keep On Singing - Helen Reddy
5 ( -- ) Piano Man - Billy Joel
6 ( 4 ) Seven Seas Of Rhye - Queen (#4)
7 ( 7 ) I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song - Jim Croce
8 ( 6 ) Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me - Gladys Knight & The Pips (#6)
9 ( 12 ) Oh My My - Ringo Starr
10 ( 5 ) Candle In The Wind - Elton John (#2[1])
11 ( 10 ) Just Don't Want To Be Lonely - Main Ingredient (#10)
12 ( 21 ) The Entertainer - Marvin Hamlisch
13 ( 8 ) Ma-Ma-Belle - Electric Light Orchestra (#7)
14 ( 22 ) Doctor's Orders - Sunny
15 ( -- ) Remember You're A Womble - Wombles
16 ( 13 ) Long Live Love - Olivia Newton John (#13)
17 ( 24 ) The Golden Age Of Rock And Roll - Mott The Hoople
18 ( 17 ) Let It Ride - Bachman-Turner Overdrive (#17)
19 ( 19 ) Homely Girl - Chi-Lites
20 ( 9 ) Bennie And The Jets - Elton John (#3)
21 ( 15 ) I Get A Little Sentimental Over You - New Seekers (#15)
22 ( 16 ) Rock & Roll Hoochie Koo - Rick Derringer (#13)
23 ( 14 ) Rebel Rebel - David Bowie (#6)
24 ( 26 ) Angel Face - Glitter Band
25 ( 23 ) A Very Special Love Song - Charlie Rich (#23)
26 ( 25 ) T.S.O.P (The Sound Of Philadelphia) - MFSB & Three Degrees (#25)
27 ( 18 ) School Love - Barry Blue (#11)
28 ( -- ) Everyday - Slade
29 ( 38 ) My Mistake (Was To Love You) - Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye
30 ( 31 ) Shanghai'd In Shanghai - Nazareth
31 ( 32 ) Touch A Hand Make A Friend - Staple Singers
32 ( -- ) Long Legged Woman Dressed In Black - Mungo Jerry
33 ( 40 ) Dancing Machine - Jackson Five
34 ( 20 ) The Air That I Breathe - Hollies (#1[2])
35 ( 30 ) I've Got A Thing About You Baby - Elvis Presley (#30)
36 ( -- ) I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) - Genesis
37 ( 28 ) Mighty Love - Spinners (#18)
38 ( 27 ) Who Do You Think You Are - Candlewick Green (#13)
39 ( 36 ) Trying To Hold On To My Woman - Lamont Dozier (#31)
40 ( -- ) I've Been Searchin' So Long - Chicago
-- ( 29 ) Devil Gate Drive - Suzi Quatro (#3)
-- ( 33 ) Billy Don't Be A Hero - Paper Lace (#7)
-- ( 34 ) Seasons In The Sun - Terry Jacks (#4)
-- ( 35 ) Teenage Dream - Marc Bolan & T.Rex (#23)
-- ( 37 ) Jealous Mind - Alvin Stardust (#11)
-- ( 39 ) Come And Get Your Love (Hail) - Redbone (#20)
It was obvious when I started doing this that artists with long established careers by 1977 in my chart would get their earlier hits in, but some didn't start their UK chart careers until after 1977 but did have some US hits before and Billy Joel is one of those. (My chart has also seen hits by J Geils Band, Denise LaSalle, Emotions, Kool & The Gang and Bette Midler prior to their UK chart debuts later on). This week it's the turn of Billy Joel to make his chart debut, having previously made his "debut" in my chart around March 1978 with "Just The Way You Are". Of course "Piano Man" is a pretty well-known song of his. Crashing in at #5 this week it may well give him his first #1 (or his 5th depending how you count them).
Fallen stars part 2: Slade only enter at #28 this week with Everyday. This is a slower-paced track and so they show a bit of diversity I guess, but it's not as good as other songs out. Mike Batt taking the Wombling theme into the chart was one thing - often theme songs for TV shows turn into hits - but now it's been extended to a new Wombles song. Very nice violin intro, fun song albeit silly lyrics but then it's singing about Wombles as I guess it should. Perhaps a good example of how a song like this should be done. But there's no denying Mike Batt is a talented musician and composer.
Further down we have the chart debut for Genesis whose best year in my chart was 1986 when they had two #1s and they were the most successful act in my chart that year, even bigger than the Smiths (and their album kept the Smiths off #1 in the UK chart), not only that but Peter Gabriel wasn't in the band at the time and he also had his most successful year in 1986 with 2 number ones of his own. In their debut above he is of course part of the band.