Photo: ABC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Our Top 10 Top 10 Bee Gees Songs Of 1970s (1974 -1984) picks up where our last Bee Gees article focusing on the music of the 1960s and early 1970s left off. The sound of the Bee Gees began to change dramatically in 1974 with the release of their album Mr. Natural which saw the arrival of producer Arif Mardin on board. However, the band’s sound had not yet completely changed but was showing signs of evolving from the heavy emotional ballads of their early 70s material to a more r&b sound on the Mr.Natural album. At the time the band began listening to a lot of Stevie Wonder who was huge at the time. The band’s 1975 album Main Course would mark a very dramatic change in sound in the Bee Gees and also the beginning of a spectacular commercial run that had not really been seen before in pop music.
Disco music had actually been around in the NYC underground clubs since the late 1960s. However with the success of The Hues Corporation’s “Don’t Rock The Boat,” in 1974 and Van McCoy’s massive hit single “The Hustle,” that spurned on a new dance craze, disco was ready for mass consumption. The Bee Gees album Main Course is not a disco record, it’s a melodic funk pop r&b record. Yet it was an album that had huge commercials success with a couple of massive hit singles and really serves as the transition of the Bee Gees from a pop rock bands to a band that would become the ultimate symbol of the Disco Movement with the songs they composed and recorded for the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack.
This Bee Gees songs list will only focus on the songs the Bee Gees released between 1975 and 1989. A four years period of commercial success that was only ever matched The Beatles and Michael Jackson. One of the Bee Gees greatest commercials achievements they ever celebrated was the run the group had of six straight number one singles on the US Billboard Hot 100. Only Bing Crosby, The Beatles, and Elvis Presley had ever achieved such a commercial feat. All of the success was fueled by four albums including Main Course in 1975, Children Of The World in 1976, the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack in 1977 and the Spirits Having Flown album in 1979.
# 10 – Too Much Heaven
We open up our top 10 Bee Gees 1970s songs list with the heartwarming song “Too Much Heaven.” The song was originally recorded as just a single to be given to the “Music for UNICEF” fund. The Bee Gees were thanked by President Jimmy Carter at the White House for their contribution to the fund. The public thanked them more as sales of the song helped fuel the recording all the way to the number one position on the US Billboard Hot 100. This would be the first Bee Gees number one single in two years that was not released on the soundtrack to the Saturday Night Fever motion picture soundtrack. The song was also released on the 1979 album entitled Spirits Having Flown. It was the first of three singles released from the album. The album was released in 1979.
# 9 – Love So Right
Continuing with our top 10 Bee Gees 1970s songs list we take a listen to the great song entitled “Love So Right.” The song was released on the album entitled Children of the World. The album was released in 1976. It was the second single released from the album. The song was a hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number three. If you listen to the groove in this one you can hear how the Bee Gees were inspired by The Delfonics in writing and recording this song.
# 8 – More Than A Woman
In the number eight spot our top 10 Bee Gees 1970s songs list we present the song entitled “More Than A Woman.” This was one of a pair of Bee Gees songs that were released on the Saturday Night Live soundtrack that were recorded by the Bee Gees and another group and became a hit by both artists. The super star soul group Tavares had a huge hit with the song “More Than A Woman,”on the US Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number thirty two. The Bee Gees never released it as a single. Nonetheless, it’s one of their most spectacular recordings.
# 7 – Nights On Broadway
In the number seven position our top 10 Bee Gees 1970s songs list is the song entitled “Nights On Broadway.” This is the first of three songs from the Bee Gees Main Course album to appear on this list. The album was released in 1975. This is such a brilliant song with a killer chorus. It was the second of three singles released from the album. The song was a top 10 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number seven. The piano groove and lick is one of legend. The middle eight of the song is a work of art.
# 6 – Tragedy
Landing in the number six spot our top 10 Bee Gees 1970s songs list we present the song “Tragedy.” The song was released on the album entitled Spirits Having Flown. The album was released in 1979. By this time, the Bee Gees had perfected the art of the killer chorus. They could do no wrong as once again they scored another number one single on the US Billboard Top 100 making it five in a row.
# 5 – How Deep Is Your Love
At the halfway point on our top 10 Bee Gees 1970s songs list is the legendary ballad ‘How Deep Is Your Love.” The song was issued on the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack. It was the first single released from the album and started the Bee Gees run of six straight number one singles on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song also stayed in the Billboard Top 10 for seventeen weeks. It was the song that finally knocked Debby Boone’s “You Light Up My Life,” from the number one spot.
# 4 – Night Fever
“Night Fever,” was our favorite song on the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack, There was just something really special about the song especially in the song’s introduction which was actually a variation on the “Theme from A Summer Place.” Just a perfect recording! It was the fourth single released from the album. It also served as the follow up single to “Staying Alive.” The song was a number one hit on the US Billboard Hot 100. “Night Fever,” also hit number one in the United Kingdom.
# 3 – Jive Talking
The start of the Bee Gees disco era really begin with the song “Jive Talking.” While it’s not a disco song in the exact sense of the word disco, it’s a funky r&b track clearly inspired by Stevie Wonder’s “Boogie On Reggae Woman.” The song was such a huge success the Bee Gees realized that they had stumbled on a new sound that would completely change the musical direction of the group. The song was released on the album entitled Main Course. The album was released in 1975. “Jive Talking,” was the first single released from the album. The song was a hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number one.
# 2 – You Should Be Dancing
As we start to get to a close on our top 10 Bee Gees 1970s songs list we celebrate the phenomenal song “You Should Be Dancing.” The song was released on the album entitled Children of the World. The album was released in 1976. While “Jive Talkin,” was the song that began the transition, “You Should Be Dancing.” served as the first official Bee Gees disco hit. It was the first of four singles released from the album. The song was a hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number one.
# 1 – Staying Alive
We close out our top 10 Bee Gees 1970s songs list with the obvious choice. There is no other Bee Gees song more famous than “Staying Alive.” The song was released on the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack. The song, the dance and that John Travolta walk through his Brooklyn neighborhoods to the songs grooves remains one of pop culture’s most loved and for many hated moments.One cannot fail to mention especially on a classic rock site how disco music was seen as a threat to rock music by rock and roll fans. But that’s a story for another article. In the end, even if you weren’t a fan of this music, one must respect the impact it had on society and how now looking back, it does bring back some really sweet memories.
Staying Alive It was the third single released from the album. The song was a monster hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number one and staying in the number one spot for over a month. The song also hit number one in various countries around the world. It is regarded as one of the greatest songs ever written and recorded.
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