This weeks American Top 40 replay is from the week of December 2, 1978. Yesterday I named You Don’t Bring Me Flowers as one of the worst hits of the 70s and wouldn’t you know it- the #1 song on December 2, 1978 was- You Don’t Bring Me Flowers. Also Paul Anka who I dissed for You’re Having My Baby- was on the chart. Overall a pretty good week some stinkers but some great stuff too. I’ll take it.
1 4 YOU DON’T BRING ME FLOWERS –•– Barbra Streisand & Neil Diamond (Columbia) -6 (1 week at #1) (1) F
2 1 MacARTHUR PARK –•– Donna Summer (Casablanca) -13 (1) B
3 3 HOW MUCH I FEEL –•– Ambrosia (Warner Brothers) -14 (3) C
4 6 LE FREAK –•– Chic (Atlantic) -6 (4) A
5 7 I JUST WANNA STOP –•– Gino Vannelli (A&M) -13 (5) D
6 2 DOUBLE VISION –•– Foreigner (Atlantic) -11 (2) C
7 8 I LOVE THE NIGHTLIFE (Disco ‘Round) –•– Alicia Bridges (Polydor) -22 (7) C
8 9 TIME PASSAGES –•– Al Stewart (Arista) -10 (8) A+
9 16 MY LIFE –•– Billy Joel (Columbia) -5 (9) B+
10 12 SHARING THE NIGHT TOGETHER –•– Dr. Hook (Capitol) -12 (10) C
11 13 (Our Love) DON’T THROW IT ALL AWAY –•– Andy Gibb (RSO) -8 (11) A
12 14 STRANGE WAY –•– Firefall (Atlantic) -10 (12) B
13 5 YOU NEEDED ME –•– Anne Murray (Capitol) -21 (1) C
14 15 ALIVE AGAIN –•– Chicago (Columbia) -7 (14) C
15 17 Y.M.C.A. –•– The Village People (Casablanca) -7 (15) B
16 31 TOO MUCH HEAVEN –•– Bee Gees (RSO) -3 (16) A+
17 20 STRAIGHT ON –•– Heart (Portrait) -11 (17) B
18 23 HOLD THE LINE –•– Toto (Columbia) -9 (18) C
19 25 CHANGE OF HEART –•– Eric Carmen (Arista) -12 (19) C
20 22 SWEET LIFE –•– Paul Davis (Bang) -15 (20) B
21 24 DON’T WANT TO LIVE WITHOUT IT –•– Pablo Cruise (A&M) -12 (21)B
22 26 HOW YOU GONNA SEE ME NOW –•– Alice Cooper (Warner Brothers) -7 (22) B-
23 11 READY TO TAKE A CHANCE AGAIN –•– Barry Manilow (Arista) -12 (11) D
24 29 OOH BABY BABY –•– Linda Ronstadt (Asylum) -4 (24) A-
25 27 THE POWER OF GOLD –•– Dan Fogelberg / Tim Weisberg (Epic / Full Moon) -8 (25) A
26 10 YOU NEVER DONE IT LIKE THAT –•– The Captain and Tennille (A&M) -18 (10) F
27 30 PART-TIME LOVE –•– Elton John (MCA) -4 (27) B
28 18 HOT CHILD IN THE CITY –•– Nick Gilder (Chrysalis) -26 (1) F
29 37 WE’VE GOT TONITE –•– Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band (Capitol) -6 (29) C
30 34 I’M EVERY WOMAN –•– Chaka Khan (Warner Brothers) -9 (30) A-
31 19 DANCE (Disco Heat) –•– Sylvester (Fantasy) -16 (19) B
32 40 PROMISES / WATCH OUT FOR LUCY –•– Eric Clapton and His Band (RSO) -8 (32) C+
33 28 ONE NATION UNDER A GROOVE (Part 1) –•– Funkadelic (Warner Brothers) -12 (28) A+
34 42 NEW YORK GROOVE –•– Ace Frehley (Casablanca) -8 (34) A+
35 36 THIS IS LOVE –•– Paul Anka (RCA) -9 (35) D
36 21 BLUE COLLAR MAN (Long Nights) –•– Styx (A&M) -12 (21) C
37 39 RUN FOR HOME –•– Lindisfarne (Atco) -10 (37) B+
38 51 EVERY 1’S A WINNER –•– Hot Chocolate (Infinity) -4 (38) A
39 41 THERE’LL NEVER BE –•– Switch (Gordy) -9 (39) C
40 43 INSTANT REPLAY –•– Dan Hartman (Blue Sky) -8 (40) B
slicethelife 
This was around the time Foreigner and Styx started to get popular. I just could never get into them much. Talented musicians but kinda like Bryan Adams to me… very good but I could not get into them for some reason.
I’ve never owned a Foreigner or Styx album. Styx Stinx.
Yea I never owned either one either. They just bored me to tears.
I do think of- Come Sail Away- as being hilarious….I don’t think the boys in Styx meant it to be though.
lol…I’ll call your hand and raise you a “Babe”… just bad so bad it hurts
I take your Babe and raise you a Mr Roboto – “Domo arigato!” So bad 😂
Excellent! How did I forget that! You won the pot with that.
Oh dear GOD, I hate ‘Babe’.
It’s a song waiting to be mocked… just awful
And, played, ad nauseam, until all are bleeding from the ears…
I’ve had more joy out of this thread about Styx than I ever got from the band.
That’s funny… They have always been bottom feeders. A friend of mine’s first concert was Styx- The Grand Illusion Tour… I told him with that as your first concert- the only way to go was up…but he liked it.
I can’t think of many songs worse than You Don’t Bring Me Flowers – another good choice!
Thank you! I think looking at the late 70s hits Neil Diamond had- he was clearly losing it -the sharpness of his songs- going more towards easy listening.
I still don’t get why people liked any version of MacArthur Park.