Рейтинг хитов 1970-х: от «I'm a Believer» Нила Даймонда до «Soul Makossa»

We now continue with the more significant or interesting non top-10 hits of the 1970s, continuing with the significant hits of Neil Diamond. Neil Diamond- I'm A Believer (#51): Of course, this is Diamond's most significant hit of all time, and I have no idea how many houses he was able to buy from the royalties he received from this slice of perfect pop. Of course, the major hit version was by the Monkees, and their rendition was far better and far more commercial than Diamond's version, which is nevertheless not bad at all. This was originally released on the Bang label, and was issued as a single at this time to compete with Diamond's Uni (MCA) hits. Stones (#14)- Okay, but not nearly as memorable as Diamond's other solemn songs. Play Me (#11)- I can't believe this very memorable, tender song, from my favourite Diamond album, Moods, didn't at least make the top-10, or even hit the top spot as the sing-along Song Sung Blue from the same album did. Was it because of the use of the word "brang"? Still, #11 is quite good and the song was so memorable that Roch Voisine cribbed a lot of it for his own hit On The Outside. The similarities between the two songs was so obvious that when I first heard the Voisine song on the radio, I called the radio station to see if they were hearing what I was hearing. They were. Nobody at Voisine's recording session heard the similarities? It's mind-boggling. Diamond was added to the song's credits as a co-writer. Walk On Water (#17)- Also from the Moods album, which starts off a bit overserious (like Canta Libre, my least favourite song on the album) and then becomes a very good rousing gospel-like number. Cherry Cherry (#31)- Not another re-release of the Bang hit (my favourite Diamond song of the 1960s, by the way), but a live rendition from the Hot August Night album, which some consider to be Diamond's best live album. The version here is cool, and has some nifty percussion. Many of Diamond's live album had him in much deeper voice, and overdoing it on the shouting, especially on Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show. Be (#34)- This is a nice song with some interesting musical elements, but it's sadly tainted by being in the critically derided Jonathan Livingston Seagull movie, which was included in a book I had of some of the worst movies of all time. This single marked Diamond's switch from Uni (MCA) to Columbia Records, where he would be for the rest of his career up to this point. If You Know What I Mean (#11), Desirée (#16), Forever In Blue Jeans (#20), September Morn (#17): On one hand, I'm surprised these songs didn't go higher on the charts, as they're all very well known and memorable. On the other hand, this is when Diamond went pure pop and seemed to be aiming strictly at an older demographic. The first of these songs has a bit more depth lyrically, though. Manu Dibango- Soul Makossa (#35): One of the most memorable world music songs, in this case Cameroon in Africa, to hit the charts. Very rhythmic and funky. Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band- Whispering/Cherchez La Femme/Se Si Bon (#27): I had been under the impression this song went much higher on the charts. In any case, it's a wonderful combination of disco and old-timey Big Band. Dr. Hook- Better Love Next Time (#12): This group started off on Columbia Records as uber-hippie and kind of sloppy sounding in an appealing way with the big hits Cover of the Rolling Stone and Sylvia's Mother, and then went pure pop on Capitol Records, many of them top 10 hits. This is one of their poppier songs — memorable but not much depth and the start of their chart decline with the exception of the #5 hit Sexy Eyes. Next time: Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods, the Doobie Brothers and others.