# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/21 "2014-09-25T16:30:41Z")
Week of September 20, 1980. 1. Upside Down-Diana Ross 2. All Out of Love-Air Supply 3. Another One Bites The Dust-Queen 4. Fame-Irene Cara 5. Looking For Love-Johnny Lee Wow, pretty bad. “Another One Bites The Dust” is the only song I really liked on that list. That Queen album is actually one of the first albums I got when I was 12. [https://weeklytop40.wordpress.com](https://weeklytop40.wordpress.com) ---
**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, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/22 "2014-09-25T16:40:36Z")
All right, got it - week of May 8, 1982: 1. Chariots of Fire - Vangelis 2. Ebony & Ivory - Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder 3. I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts 4. Don’t Talk To Strangers - Rick Springfield 5. Freeze-Frame - The J. Geils Band ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/23 "2014-09-25T16:46:46Z")
March 12, 1977: 1 1 LOVE THEME FROM “A STAR IS BORN” (Evergreen) –•– Barbra Streisand (Columbia)-14 (2 weeks at #1) (1) 2 3 FLY LIKE AN EAGLE –•– The Steve Miller Band (Capitol)-13 (2) 3 4 I LIKE DREAMIN’ –•– Kenny Nolan (20th Century)-19 (3) 4 6 NIGHT MOVES –•– Bob Seger (Capitol)-14 (4) 5 5 BLINDED BY THE LIGHT –•– Manfred Mann’s Earth Band (Warner Brothers)-17 (1) Yeesh. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/24 "2014-09-25T16:47:49Z")
Week ending May 17, 1959 1. THE HAPPY ORGAN –•– Dave “Baby” Cortez 2. SORRY (I Ran All the Way Home) –•– The Impalas 3. COME SOFTLY TO ME –•– The Fleetwoods 4. 19 KOOKIE, KOOKIE (Lend Me Your Comb) –•– Edward Byrnes and Connie Stevens 5. (Now and Then There’s) A FOOL SUCH AS I –•– Elvis Presley ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/25 "2014-09-25T16:57:28Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > 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!) Fast forward one year to February 1974: 1- The Way We Were, Barbra Streisand 2 - Love’s Theme, Love Unlimited Orchestra 3 - You’re Sixteen, Ringo Starr 4- Until You Come Back To Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do), Aretha Franklin 5 - Let Me Be There, Olivia Newton-John ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/26 "2014-09-25T17:03:22Z")
September 21st, 1969: “Sugar, Sugar” -The Archies “Jean” -Oliver “Easy To Be Hard” -Three Dog Night “Green River” -Creedence Clearwater Revival “Honky Tonk Women” -The Rolling Stones ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/27 "2014-09-25T17:06:33Z")
Week ending March 12, 1977 1 LOVE THEME FROM “A STAR IS BORN” (Evergreen) –•– Barbra Streisand 2 FLY LIKE AN EAGLE –•– The Steve Miller Band 3 I LIKE DREAMIN’ –•– Kenny Nolan 4 NIGHT MOVES –•– Bob Seger 5 BLINDED BY THE LIGHT –•– Manfred Mann’s Earth Band I can’t say I’m really crazy about any of these. “Night Moves” is okay but I prefer Springsteen’s original “Blinded By the Light” to Manfred Mann’s. I don’t like Steve Miller while Streisand’s and Nolan’s songs are typical 70s MOR pablum. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/28 "2014-09-25T17:07:14Z")
For the week of Oct. 26, 1963: 1. “Sugar Shack,” Jimmy Gilmer And The Fireballs 2. “Be My Baby,” The Ronettes 3. “Deep Purple,” Nino Tempo & April Stevens 4. “Busted,” Ray Charles 5. “Blue Velvet,” Bobby Vinton You can sure see how the pop music scene was ripe to be taken over by the Beatles and the British Invasion! ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/29 "2014-09-25T17:18:09Z")
Almost exactly 32 years ago: 1. “Abracadabra” - Steve Miller Band 2. “Jack and Diane” - John Cougar 3. “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” - Chicago 4. “Eye of the Tiger” - Survivor 5. “You Should Hear How She Talks About You” - Melissa Manchester I had to look that last one up–I remember the song vividly but neither the title nor the artist registered from reading the list. ---
**Author:** ![SUZ\_MAC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e8cbc/32.png) [@SUZ\_MAC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SUZ_MAC)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/30 "2014-09-25T17:23:27Z")
Joy to the World - Three Dog Night Maggie May - Rod Stewart It’s too Late - Carole King One Bad Apple - The Osmond Brothers How can you mend a broken heart - The Bee Gees ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/31 "2014-09-25T17:24:19Z")
October 1965: 1. Yesterday - the Beatles 2. The In Crowd - Ramsey Lewis Trio 3. Hang On Sloopy - the McCoys 4. Treat Her Right - Roy Head 5. Eve Of Destruction - Barry McGuire ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/32 "2014-09-25T17:25:48Z")
December 1994: 1. TLC - “Creep” 2. Bon Jovi - “Always” 3. Real McCoy - “Another Night” 4. Boyz II Men - “On Bended Knee” 5. Ini Kamooze - “Here Comes the Hotstepper” I can honestly say I do not recognize _any_ of these songs by name. ---
**Author:** ![TheZenPaperboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9a28c/32.png) [@TheZenPaperboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheZenPaperboy)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/33 "2014-09-25T17:26:48Z")
Week ending July 5th 1969 1 Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet – Henry Mancini 2 Spinning Wheel – Blood Sweat & Tears 3 Bad Moon Rising – CCR 4 Good Morning Starshine – Oliver 5 One – Three Dog Night One good song #3 Hate Hate Hate # 2 and #4 ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/34 "2014-09-25T17:27:05Z")
The last week in March, 1976: 1 DECEMBER 1963 (Oh What a Night) The Four Seasons (3 weeks at #1) Not my favorite Four Seasons, but I remember and still like this one. 2 DREAM WEAVER Gary Wright This song and David Bowie’s “Fame” put me right back in the gym bleachers where we had to sit on rainy lunch hours in junior high as clearly as if were still stuck there. The only two songs they ever played over the loudspeakers. 3 LONELY NIGHT (Angel Face) The Captain and Tennille Don’t remember this at all. 4 ALL BY MYSELF Eric Carmen 5 DISCO LADY Johnnie Taylor We used to sing a vulgar parody of this. What do you expect from 12 year olds? ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/35 "2014-09-25T17:27:25Z")
The very last week of January 1976 was a good week for music. 1. Love Rollercoaster – Ohio Players 2. I Write The Songs – Barry Manilow 3. Love to Love You Baby – Donna Summer 4. You Sexy Thing – Hot Chocolate 5. I Love Music – O’Jays ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/36 "2014-09-25T17:31:10Z")
August 1989. 1. Richard Marx - Right Here Waiting 2. Paula Abdul - Cold Hearted 3. New Kids on the Block - Hangin’ Tough 4. Gloria Estefan - Don’t Wanna Lose You 5. Bobby Brown - On Our Own (From Ghostbusters 2) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/37 "2014-09-25T17:31:34Z")
Cool idea for a thread! From [Home - B\_Borst](http://www.bobborst.com/popculture/top-100-songs-of-the-year/?year=1953) ```auto Position Artist Song Title 1 Percy Faith Song From Moulin Rouge 2 Les Paul and Mary Ford Vaya Con Dios 3 Patti Page Doggie in the Window 4 Eddie Fisher I'm Walking Behind You 5 Ames Brothers You, You, You ``` And if you had asked for my favorite of that time: 12 – Frank Chacksfield – Ebb Tide or 7 – Les Baxter – April in Portugal ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/38 "2014-09-25T17:32:22Z")
August 1964 1. “The House of the Rising Sun” – The Animals 2. “Where Did Our Love Go?” – The Supremes 3. “Everybody Loves Somebody” – Dean Martin 4. “Under the Boardwalk” – the Drifters 5. “Because” – The Dave Clark Five ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/39 "2014-09-25T17:40:29Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > 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. Not that it’s important, really, but you and my older brother are the same age, to the day. 😃 I’m a youngster compared to you guys - I didn’t turn 12 until 11 months and five days later. Top 40 for week ending July 25 (the day before my birthday.) 1 THE ONE THAT YOU LOVE –•– Air Supply 2 BETTE DAVIS EYES –•– Kim Carnes 3 JESSIE’S GIRL –•– Rick Springfield 4 THEME FROM “GREATEST AMERICAN HERO” (Believe It Or Not) –•– Joey Scarbury 5 ELVIRA –•– The Oak Ridge Boys I like Bette Davis Eyes, love Jessie’s Girl, and kind of hate the rest. (But, as a 12-year-old girl, I kind of adored Air Supply. Because I really was their target audience. In fact, a few months later, “Santa” brought me a Soundesign stereo with record player and cassette, plus that very Air Supply cassette. He also put a sheet of hologram/foil stickers with my name and little balloons in my stocking, and I promptly put My Name stickers all over my new cassette, so that my little sister wouldn’t “borrow” it.) ---
**Author:** ![zoog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7ea924/32.png) [@zoog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoog)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/40 "2014-09-25T17:42:16Z")
Week ending March 8, 1975: 1 - HAVE YOU NEVER BEEN MELLOW –•– Olivia Newton-John 2 - BLACK WATER –•– The Doobie Brothers 3 - MY EYES ADORED YOU –•– Frankie Valli 4 - LADY MARMALADE (Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi) –•– LaBelle 5 - LONELY PEOPLE –•– America Yuck. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529.md?page=3)