1973 AT40 Mystery
Jan 30, 2009 17:06:59 GMT -5
Post by top30countdown on Jan 30, 2009 17:06:59 GMT -5
Here's a letter which appeared in this week's Chart Beat Chat on billboard.com. I'm wondering if anyone here knew the answer (what the methodology change for the 6/9/73 chart was).
ANOTHER AT40 MYSTERY SOLVED
Dear Fred:
Andy Ray's query concerning Casey Kasem's show for the week ending March 12, 1977 reminded me of an earlier incident. For the week ending June 9, 1973, Casey apparently didn't have the Hot 100 by recording time. Instead, Casey (and his staff, I presume) estimated the positions.
Only four positions turned out to be correct:
No. 1: "My Love" by Paul McCartney & Wings
No. 2: "Frankenstein" by the Edgar Winter Group
No. 28: "Leaving Me" by the Independents
No. 31, "No More Mr. Nice Guy" by Alice Cooper.
Most of Casey's estimated positions were way off, with many moving in the opposite direction from what actually happened. I wonder if anyone could shed some light on this mystery.
David Dana-Bashian
Garden Grove, Calif.
Dear David,
The Hot 100 for the week-ending June 9, 1973 is a memorable chart because Billboard changed chart methodology that week. It was such a radical change that "Last Week" numbers were omitted, as there was not much connection to the prior week's chart. I remember that Hot 100 because suddenly "Bad Weather," a Stevie Wonder composition recorded by the Supremes, debuted after being available for weeks. But then it was gone the following week, never to return.
That doesn't answer your question, but it's why I remember that chart. As I did last week, I turned to "American Top 40" expert, Rob Durkee, who worked with Casey Kasem on the show and who has written a book about the series.
Rob replied that he didn't work on the show in 1973 but promised to check with Pete Battistini, who wrote a book about the series' '70s years. Pete responded that the AT40 staff received the new Billboard chart on May 30, 1977, and recorded that week's show. It was sent to stations the next day and then Billboard called Tom Rounds at the Watermark production company to let him know that the chart had been revised. It was too late to re-record that week's AT40, so the numbers you heard were from the original chart that was discarded.
I can't ask the folks who compiled the June 9, 1973 chart for Billboard what happened because they are no longer with us. I don't mean they don't work for the magazine anymore, I mean they are no longer with us, physically. But I thank Rob and Pete for their expertise.
ANOTHER AT40 MYSTERY SOLVED
Dear Fred:
Andy Ray's query concerning Casey Kasem's show for the week ending March 12, 1977 reminded me of an earlier incident. For the week ending June 9, 1973, Casey apparently didn't have the Hot 100 by recording time. Instead, Casey (and his staff, I presume) estimated the positions.
Only four positions turned out to be correct:
No. 1: "My Love" by Paul McCartney & Wings
No. 2: "Frankenstein" by the Edgar Winter Group
No. 28: "Leaving Me" by the Independents
No. 31, "No More Mr. Nice Guy" by Alice Cooper.
Most of Casey's estimated positions were way off, with many moving in the opposite direction from what actually happened. I wonder if anyone could shed some light on this mystery.
David Dana-Bashian
Garden Grove, Calif.
Dear David,
The Hot 100 for the week-ending June 9, 1973 is a memorable chart because Billboard changed chart methodology that week. It was such a radical change that "Last Week" numbers were omitted, as there was not much connection to the prior week's chart. I remember that Hot 100 because suddenly "Bad Weather," a Stevie Wonder composition recorded by the Supremes, debuted after being available for weeks. But then it was gone the following week, never to return.
That doesn't answer your question, but it's why I remember that chart. As I did last week, I turned to "American Top 40" expert, Rob Durkee, who worked with Casey Kasem on the show and who has written a book about the series.
Rob replied that he didn't work on the show in 1973 but promised to check with Pete Battistini, who wrote a book about the series' '70s years. Pete responded that the AT40 staff received the new Billboard chart on May 30, 1977, and recorded that week's show. It was sent to stations the next day and then Billboard called Tom Rounds at the Watermark production company to let him know that the chart had been revised. It was too late to re-record that week's AT40, so the numbers you heard were from the original chart that was discarded.
I can't ask the folks who compiled the June 9, 1973 chart for Billboard what happened because they are no longer with us. I don't mean they don't work for the magazine anymore, I mean they are no longer with us, physically. But I thank Rob and Pete for their expertise.
