# What songs were in the top 5 when you turned 12? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 25, 2014, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529 "2014-09-25T15:10:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/1 "2014-09-25T15:10:01Z")
Pop music is widely known as being aimed at 12-year-olds. Here’s your chance to share what songs were in the top five when you turned that age. I turned 12 in March of 1981 and here’s what was hot here in the US: 1. [The Best of Times](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-seebMbckw) - Styx 2. [Keep On Loving You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJzNZ1c5C9c) - REO Speedwagon 3. [Woman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyEn9LIR9cI) - John Lennon 4. [9 to 5](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwDMFOLIHxU) - Dolly Parton 5. [I Love a Rainy Night](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_6QFH-CEQM) - Eddie Rabbit ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/2 "2014-09-25T15:20:30Z")
September 1973 1 _Delta Dawn_ by Helen Reddy 2 _Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose_ Tony Orlando 1. _We’re An American Band_ Grand Funk 4\* Brother Louie\* Stories 1. _Let’s Get It On_ Marvin Gaye ETA: I’m not really a fan of any of these. ---
**Author:** ![Eddie\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@Eddie\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eddie_F)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/3 "2014-09-25T15:22:07Z")
1. “Physical” - Olivia Newton-John 2. “Waiting for a Girl Like You” - Foreigner 3. “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” - The Police 4. “Oh No” - Commodores 5. “Let’s Groove” - Earth, Wind & Fire Not bad, I s’pose. Two absolutely terrific songs (nos. 3 and 5), one charmingly saccharine power ballad (number 2), and two songs that are utter dreck. ---
**Author:** ![Simmerdown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simmerdown/32/14859_2.png) [@Simmerdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simmerdown)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/4 "2014-09-25T15:34:50Z")
August 1975 1. _Jive Talkin’_ – The Bee Gees 2. _One of These Nights_ – The Eagles 3. _Please Mr. Please_ – Olivia Newton-John 4. _Someone Saved My Life Tonight_ – Elton John 5. _Fallin’ in Love_ – Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/5 "2014-09-25T15:44:53Z")
I turned 12 on August 21, 1980. The top 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100 that week were: 1. “Magic,” Olivia Newton-John 2. “Sailing,” Christopher Cross 3. “Take Your Time (Do It Right) Part 1,” The S.O.S. Band 4. “Emotional Rescue,” The Rolling Stones 5. “Upside Down,” Diana Ross I actually like all of these pretty well. The ages of 11-16 are my peak years for listening to and enjoying Top 40 pop music. Once I got a car and put a tape deck in it, I started to listening to other stuff and pretty much lost touch. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/6 "2014-09-25T15:46:04Z")
July 1982 “Eye of the Tiger” – Survivor “Rosanna” – Toto “Hurts So Good” – John Cougar “Hold Me” – Fleetwood Mac “Let It Whip” – Dazz Band I’m sure I liked all of these at the time, since I don’t hate them even now. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/7 "2014-09-25T15:47:13Z")
Billboard top five singles for the week of May 9th, 1981 (my birthday is actually the 12th): 1. “Morning Train (Nine to Five)” (Sheena Easton) 2. “Just the Two of Us” (Grover Washington Jr & Bill Withers) 3. “Being with You” (Smokey Robinson) 4. “Angel of the Morning” (Juice Newton) 5. “Bette Davis Eyes” (Kim Carnes) I dunno, I don’t think any of those songs are particularly aimed at 12 year old demographics. ---
**Author:** ![FuriousGeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecae2f/32.png) [@FuriousGeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuriousGeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/8 "2014-09-25T15:54:44Z")
First week of July, 1979… good g-d, the humanity. 1 Bad Girls - Donna Summer 2 Ring My Bell - Anita Ward 3 She Believes In Me - Kenny Rogers 4 Chuck E.'s In Love - Rickie Lee Jones 5 We Are Family - Sister Sledge ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/9 "2014-09-25T15:58:29Z")
November 1962 He’s A Rebel The Crystals Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance) The Contours Monster Mash Bobby Boris Pickett And The Crypt-Kickers All Alone Am I Brenda Lee Only Love Can Break A Heart Gene Pitney I know them, and they were okay, but I really didn’t get into music until a couple of years later with the Beatles. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/10 "2014-09-25T16:01:39Z")
February 1973 1 CROCODILE ROCK –•– Elton John 2 YOU’RE SO VAIN –•– Carly Simon 3 OH, BABE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY –•– Hurricane Smith 4 DUELING BANJOS –•– Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandel 5 KILLING ME SOFTLY WITH HIS SONG –•– Roberta Flack Nothing really good, but at least there’s nothing as bad as the #1 single the day I was born (“Calcutta” by Lawrence Welk!) ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/11 "2014-09-25T16:02:32Z")
5: NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN – THE MOODY BLUES 4: EVERYBODY PLAYS THE FOOL – THE MAIN INGREDIENT 3: BURNING LOVE – ELVIS PRESLEY 2: USE ME – BILL WITHERS 1: MY DING-A-LING – CHUCK BERRY OK, there is only one good song here (#5). #10 was “Go All The Way” by the Raspberries, so the week (10/21/72) wasn’t that bad, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/12 "2014-09-25T16:03:02Z")
OK, my Google-fu is really sucking here. I can get lists of all songs that hit #1, or were in the top 10, or were in the top 40 at some time during 1966, but I can’t get the top 5 or 10 or 40 by week. What’s the secret? ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/13 "2014-09-25T16:05:22Z")
April 15, 1972 1. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack 2. A Horse With No Name - America 3. I Gotcha - Joe Tex 4. Rockin’ Robin - Michael Jackson 5. Heart of Gold - Neil Young ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/14 "2014-09-25T16:06:15Z")
In the UK in March 1969: Peter Sarstedt - Where Do You Go To My Lovely Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine Englebert Humperdinck - The Way It Used To Be Cilla Black - Surround Yourself With Sorrow Dean Martin - Gentle On My Mind I don’t think I would knowingly choose to listen to any of these ever ever again, except the Marvin Gaye (although I prefer the Credence version) ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/15 "2014-09-25T16:09:14Z")
I’d love to tell you, but I have no idea where you guys are finding these charts - I’ve Googled every combination of Billboard charts and the month and year I was born, and can’t find anything other than lists for the #1 song for every week or the top songs 100 songs for the whole year. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/16 "2014-09-25T16:14:58Z")
Try this page > **[Top Songs Of 1969 - Top40Weekly.com](https://top40weekly.com/1969-all-charts/)** > > All US top 40 singles for 1969 including drops, power hits and debuts. Notable artists include Creedence Clearwater Revival, Kool and the Gang, Jackson 5 (For the Uk I just googled charts march 1969 and it was the first hit!) ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/17 "2014-09-25T16:15:58Z")
**Carl Douglas** _Kung Fu Fighting_ **Spooky & Sue** _Swinging On A Star_ **De Strangers** _Schele Vanderlinde_ **Donny & Marie Osmond** _I’m Leaving It (All) Up To You_ **George McCrae** _I Can’t Leave You Alone_ Only the first one is familiar. (Belgium - November 1974) ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/18 "2014-09-25T16:19:42Z")
Oh dear god… I can see why I transistioned to AOR so early. I thought it my older sister’s influence, but geez. From January 1978… 1. Slip Sliding Away - Paul Simon - I don’t remember this one 2. You’re In My Heart - Rod Stewart - Barf 3. Stayin’ Alive - Bee Gees - This one’s ok, gone on to be a classic of the genre 4. Short People - Randy Newman - Not his best song, but it’s ok. 5. Baby Come Back - Player - Barf. On the plus side, Queen’s still fresh and not-yet-overplayed-to-death We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions was #6 that week. > [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > I’d love to tell you, but I have no idea where you guys are finding these charts - I’ve Googled every combination of Billboard charts and the month and year I was born, and can’t find anything other than lists for the #1 song for every week or the top songs 100 songs for the whole year. This will get you to the archives for my year. From there you can navigate to the Top 10 for the year and week you want [http://www.billboard.com/archive/charts/1978/hot-100](http://www.billboard.com/archive/charts/1978/hot-100) ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/19 "2014-09-25T16:23:03Z")
The week of September 7, 1985 1. St. Elmo s Fire (Man In Motion)John Parr 2. The Power Of Love Huey Lewis 3. We Don t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) Tina Turner 4. Freeway Of Love Aretha Franklin 5. Summer Of 69 Bryan Adams ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/20 "2014-09-25T16:27:25Z")
#5 - Bob Lind, “Elusive Butterfly.” I won’t claim it’s the greatest song ever written, but it’s always been a personal favorite of mine. #4 - The Mamas and the Papas, "California Dreamin’. A really fine song that (IMHO, at least) has held up very well over the decades. #3 - Herman’s Hermits, “Listen People.” I was a big Hermits fan back then, but even at the time, my feeling was that this song left a bit to be desired. #2 - Nancy Sinatra, “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.” Still iconic after all these years. #1 - Barry Sadler, “The Ballad of the Green Berets.” Gah. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529.md?page=2)