Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Music Column – The Breakfast Show with William Price King and Sally Cronin – Chart Hits 1978 – Part One – Billy Joel, The Commodores, Bee Gees, Queen

Each week William and I select two top hits from the charts in the US and UK starting with 1960 for two weeks followed by 1961 etc..through to 1985. We will also include some of the notable events in those years for the up and coming stars who were centre stage at the time. We are now in the 1970s.

Welcome to our show and we are excited to share decades of music with you in 2021. Here is my first selection of top 1978 hits which I hope you will enjoy.

News Event:  January 16th 5th American Music Awards: Stevie Wonder, Fleetwood Mac & Conway Twitty

Billy Joel – Just the Way You Are

“Just the Way You Are” won two Grammy Awards: Record of the Year, and Song of the Year. It was Billy Joel’s first Top 10 hit in the US and his first top 20 single in the UK, and topped the Billboard Easy Listening Chart for an entire month. It was certified gold by the RIAA.

News Event: January 21st Bee Gees’ album “Saturday Night Fever” goes #1 for 24 weeks

The Commodores – Three times a Lady

“ Three times a Lady,” written by lead singer Lionel Richie, is from the Commodores’ album “Natural High.” It was their first #1 hit in the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK, and was nominated for two Grammy Awards: Song of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group, or Chorus. It won a 1979 American Music Award and a People’s Choice Award.

News Event: February 23rd 20th Grammy Awards: Hotel California, Fleetwood Mac, Debbie Boone wins

Now time for my first picks from 1978 and I hope you will enjoy my selection.

Bee Gees – Staying Alive

“Stayin’ Alive” is a song written and performed by the Bee Gees from the Saturday Night Fever motion picture soundtrack. The song was released in December 1977 as the second single from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. It moved to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States in February, where it would stay for four weeks.  In the United Kingdom, “Stayin’ Alive” was not as popular as it was in the United States, but was still a huge hit, topping out at number four. beegees  

News Event: April 12th 13th Academy of Country Music Awards: Kenny Rogers and Crystal Gayle win

Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody

“Bohemian Rhapsody,” written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, topped the UK Singles Chart for nine weeks. After Mercury’s death, it topped the charts for another five weeks, eventually becoming the UK’s third best-selling single of all time. In the US, the song peaked at #2 after being used in the film “Wayne’s World” (1992). In 2018, the release of the film “Bohemian Rhapsody” brought the song renewed popularity and chart success worldwide. Queen Official

Additional sources: On This Day – Music – Hits of the 70s: Playback FM – Wikipedia

Your Hosts for The Breakfast Show

William Price King is an American jazz singer, crooner, and composer.

His interest in music began at an early age when he studied piano and clarinet in high school. At Morehouse College in Atlanta where he grew up, he sang in the Glee Club and studied classical music. After graduation he went off to the Yale School of Music where he earned a Masters degree. From there he journeyed to New York where he created a jazz trio ‘Au Naturel’ which performed in some of the hottest venues in Manhattan including gigs on Broadway and the famous ‘Rainbow Room.’ These gigs opened doors for performances in Montreal and a European tour.

While touring Europe he met a lovely French lady, Jeanne Maïstre, who, a year later became his wife. King left the group ‘Au Naturel’ and settled in the south of France where he started a new life on the French Riviera, opening his own music school – the “Price King Ecole Internationale de Chant.” He has had the pleasure over the years of seeing many of his students excel as singers on a professional level, and some going on to become national celebrities. He continues to coach young singers today, in his spare time.

Blog– IMPROVISATION – William Price King on Tumblr – Buy William’s music: William Price King iTunes – Facebook – William Price King – Twitter – @wpkofficial
Regular Venue – Cave Wilson

Sally Cronin is an author, blogger and broadcaster who enjoyed four years as part of the team on Onda Cero International’s English speaking morning show in Marbella and then for two years as a presenter on Expressfm the local radio station in Portsmouth. She co-presented two ‘Drive Time’ shows a week with Adrian Knight, hosted the live Thursday Afternoon Show and The Sunday Morning Show guests including musicians and authors. Following this she became Station Director for a local internet television station for two years, producing and presenting the daily news segment, outside broadcasts and co-presenting the Adrian and Sally chat show live on Friday evenings.

She and her husband David have now returned to Ireland where they live on the Wexford Coast where she blogs and continues to write books.

Books :Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – More reviews: Goodreads – blog: Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Twitter: @sgc58 – Facebook: Sally Cronin – LinkedIn: Sally Cronin

Next week 1978 Part Two. We hope you will tune in.. as always we love to hear from you.. thanks William and Sally.