What Song Was the Number One Hit of the Year You Graduated From High School?

We were talking the other day about what song was the number one hit the year we graduated from high school. Thanks to Wikipedia we have the answer. For me the song was Shadow Dancing by Andy Gibb. I know. Sad.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_Hot_100_chart_achievements_and_milestones

Hot 100 songs of the year: 1958-2009

1958 – “Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu)” – Domenico Modugno

 

 

 

 

 

1959 – “The Battle of New Orleans” – Johnny Horton

 

 

 

 

 

1960 – “Theme from A Summer Place” – Percy Faith

 

 

 

 

 

1961 – “Tossin’ and Turnin’” – Bobby Lewis

 

 

 

 

 

1962 – “Stranger on the Shore” – Mr. Acker Bilk

 

 

 

 

 

1963 – “Sugar Shack” – Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs

 

 

 

 

 

1964 – “I Want to Hold Your Hand” – The Beatles

 

 

 

 

1965 – “Wooly Bully” – Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs

 

 

 

 

 

1966 – “Ballad of the Green Berets” – SSgt Barry Sadler

 

 

 

 

 

1967 – “To Sir With Love” – Lulu

 

 

 

 

 

1968 – “Hey Jude” – The Beatles

 

 

 

 

 

1969 – “Sugar, Sugar” – The Archies

 

 

 

 

 

1970 – “Bridge Over Troubled Water” – Simon & Garfunkel

 

 

 

 

 

1971 – “Joy to the World” – Three Dog Night

 

 

 

 

 

1972 – “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” – Roberta Flack

 

 

 

 

 

1973 – “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” – Dawn Featuring Tony Orlando

 

 

 

 

 

1974 – “The Way We Were” – Barbra Streisand

 

 

 

 

 

1975 – “Love Will Keep Us Together” – Captain & Tennille

 

 

 

 

 

1976 – “Silly Love Songs” – Wings

 

 

 

 

 

1977 – “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)” – Rod Stewart

 

 

 

 

 

1978 – “Shadow Dancing” – Andy Gibb

“Shadow Dancing” is a song by Andy Gibb that reached number one for seven weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978. According to Billboard’s Book Of Number One Hits, Gibb became the first solo artist in the history of the U.S. pop charts to have his first three singles hit the number-one spot. Additionally, “Shadow Dancing” was listed by Billboard as being the number one single of 1978. In addition the song peaked at number eleven on the soul chart.^[1]

The song was written by Andy and his brothers (Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb) in Los Angeles, while the trio of brothers were working on the film Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. “And one night,” Andy would recall, “while we were relaxing, we sat down and we had to start getting tracks together for the album” (also titled Shadow Dancing, which would eventually hit #7 on the U.S. album charts). “So we literally sat down and in ten minutes, we had a group going, (singing) the chorus part. As it says underneath the song, we all wrote it, the four of us.”

While Andy Gibb would have three more Top 10 hits in the U.S., this would be his final chart-topping hit in America.

The song lists at #40 on Billboard’s All Time Top 100.

 

 

1979 – “My Sharona” – The Knack

 

“My Sharona” is the debut single by The Knack, released in 1979 from their album Get the Knack. It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart where it remained for six weeks and was #1 on Billboard’s Top Pop Singles of 1979 year-end chart. It was certified gold (one million units sold) by the Recording Industry Association of America.