# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/61 "2014-09-25T21:30:32Z")
May 1964 1 MY GUY –•– Mary Wells 2 HELLO, DOLLY –•– Louis Armstrong 3 LOVE ME DO –•– The Beatles 4 BITS AND PIECES –•– The Dave Clark Five 5 DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A SECRET –•– The Beatles Only two Beatles songs in the Top 5 that week, but they’d make up for it later. ---
**Author:** ![PeacePlease](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/71c47a/32.png) [@PeacePlease](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PeacePlease)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/62 "2014-09-25T21:44:19Z")
1 Captain and Tennille Love Will Keep Us Together 2 Glen Campbell Rhinestone Cowboy 3 Elton John Philadelphia Freedom 4 Freddy Fender Before the Next Teardrop Falls 5 Frankie Valli My Eyes Adored You November 9th, 1975 What a sad, sad representation! ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/63 "2014-09-25T22:09:55Z")
August 1967 ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE-The Beatles LIGHT MY FIRE-The Doors PLEASANT VALLEY SUNDAY-Monkees I WAS MADE TO LOVE HER-Stevie Wonder BABY I LOVE YOU-Aretha Franklin ---
**Author:** ![Kimble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimble/32/19185_2.png) [@Kimble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimble)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2014, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/64 "2014-09-25T23:53:23Z")
End of 1983, ranked out of 5 stars. No links, since I’m at work. **1) “Say Say Say” – Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson** … Didn’t care for it then, but appreciate Jackson’s singing more now. \*\* then, \*\*1/2 now **2) “Say it Isn’t So” – Hall & Oates** … Not my favorite of theirs – needed higher tempo, more synths. \*\* then and now **3) “Union of the Snake” – Duran Duran** … My sister liked them, so I couldn’t like them then; now, it’s okay. \*\* then, \*\*\* now **4) “Owner of a Lonely Heart” – Yes** … The synth stings and drums were so cool then! Now, meh. \*\*\*\* then, \*\*1/2 now **5) “All Night Long (All Night)” – Lionel Richie** … “Middle of the road? Man, it stanks! / Let’s run over Lionel Richie with a tank” – slightly anachronistic, but appropriate. \*\* then and now ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/65 "2014-09-26T00:22:59Z")
“US Top 40 Singles For The Week December 14, 1991”: 1 BLACK OR WHITE –– Michael Jackson 2 IT’S SO HARD TO SAY GOODBYE TO YESTERDAY –– Boyz II Men 3 SET ADRIFT ON MEMORY BLISS –– P.M. Dawn 4 WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN –– Michael Bolton 5 ALL 4 LOVE –– Color Me Badd I’m another person who just wasn’t into music at age 12. Now I see why! ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/66 "2014-09-26T00:25:55Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > 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 Not much different a week later: Week ending April 22, 1972 1. THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE –•– Roberta Flack (Atlantic)-8 (2 weeks at #1) 2. ROCKIN’ ROBIN –•– Michael Jackson (Motown)-7 3. I GOTCHA / A MOTHER’S PRAYER –•– Joe Tex (Dial)-14 4. A HORSE WITH NO NAME –•– America (Warner Brothers)-10 5. IN THE RAIN –•– The Dramatics (Volt)-9 Sucks to me turning twelve, I guess, unless the 3rd or 5th songs are any good. They don’t ring a bell with me at all. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/67 "2014-09-26T00:33:02Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > Sucks to me turning twelve, I guess, unless the 3rd or 5th songs are any good. They don’t ring a bell with me at all. Well, [I Gotcha by Joe Tex](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6CiG3apcd0) does sound vaguely familiar. Probably nothing I’d like at twelve, but 50 year old me can appreciate it. ---
**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 26, 2014, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/68 "2014-09-26T01:35:28Z")
You know what the weird part is about these lists? They are only five songs but most of the time I either don’t remember or have never heard of one or two of them. What does that say about “Classic Rock” station playlists? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/69 "2014-09-26T01:37:58Z")
_ **Billboard USA** _ week ending 7 January 1967: 1. I’M A BELIEVER-MONKEES 2. SNOOPY VS THE RED BARON-Royal Guardsmen 3. TELL IT LIKE IT IS-Aaron Neville 4. WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL-New Vaudeville Band 5. SUGAR TOWN-Nancy Sinatra ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/70 "2014-09-26T02:02:39Z")
September 1988: 1. Sweet Child O’Mine - Guns N Roses 2. Simply Irresistible - Robert Palmer 3. Perfect World - Huey Lewis and the News 4. Don’t Worry, Be Happy - Bobby McFerrin 5. I’ll Always Love You - Taylor Dayne Nothing terrible, but nothing that I really love either. Luckily, there have been some major advances in the music field since that time. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/71 "2014-09-26T02:22:45Z")
Week ending September 28, 1963 1 BLUE VELVET –•– Bobby Vinton 2 SALLY, GO ‘ROUND THE ROSES –•– The Jaynetts 3 BE MY BABY –•– The Ronettes 4 HEAT WAVE –•– Martha and the Vandellas 5 MY BOYFRIEND’S BACK –•– The Angels I remember them all. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/72 "2014-09-26T03:00:45Z")
For the week of March 24th, 1979: 1. Tragedy, by the Bee Gees. HATED IT 2. I Will Survive, Gloria Gaynor. It was OK, grew on me as it became an oldie. 3. What a Fool Believes, Doobie Brothers. Liked it a lot, still like it now. 4. Heaven Knows, Donna Summer. Boring, then and now. 5. Shake Your Groove Thing, Peaches & Herb. Boring, then and now. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/73 "2014-09-26T03:30:15Z")
The week of August 4, 1979 1 BAD GIRLS-DONNA SUMMER 2 Good Times-Chic 3 Ring My Bell-Anita Ward 4 The Main Event/Fight-Barbra Streisand 5 Gold-John Stewart Gaaah…that’s a poor selection of songs… ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/74 "2014-09-26T03:33:55Z")
> [@Reeses\_Monkey](#): > > 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 Oh my goodness, OP, I was an avid Top 40 with Casey Kasem listener from 1975-1985 and this list takes me back. I would have been 12 in 1980: Another One Bites the Dust #1. I totally remember when that came out – it was edgy and dangerous! Here we go – I remember all of these like it was yesterday. 1 1 ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST –•– Queen (Elektra)-9 (2 weeks at #1) (1) 2 7 WOMAN IN LOVE –•– Barbra Streisand (Columbia)-6 (2) 3 3 UPSIDE DOWN –•– Diana Ross (Motown)-14 (1) 4 2 ALL OUT OF LOVE –•– Air Supply (Arista)-18 (2) 5 5 DRIVIN’ MY LIFE AWAY –•– Eddie Rabbitt (Elektra)-17 (5)\*\*\*\* ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/75 "2014-09-26T03:45:19Z")
Week ending 4 September 1978 1 BOOGIE OOGIE OOGIE –•– A Taste Of Honey (Capitol) -12 (1 week at #1) (1) 2 THREE TIMES A LADY –•– The Commodores (Motown) -13 (1) 3 HOT BLOODED –•– Foreigner (Atlantic) -11 (3) 4 HOPELESSLY DEVOTED TO YOU –•– Olivia Newton-John (RSO) -10 (4) 5 KISS YOU ALL OVER –•– Exile (Warner Brothers / Curb) -10 (5) 6 GREASE –•– Frankie Valli (RSO) -16 (1) 7 AN EVERLASTING LOVE –•– Andy Gibb (RSO) -9 (7) 8 SUMMER NIGHTS –•– John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John and Cast (RSO) -6 (8) 9 SHAME –•– Evelyn “Champagne” King (RCA) -13 (9) 10 GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE –•– Earth, Wind and Fire (Columbia) -8 (10) Weird - I remember hardly any of these. ---
**Author:** ![pohjonen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pohjonen/32/423_2.png) [@pohjonen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pohjonen)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/76 "2014-09-26T03:58:20Z")
June 24, 1961 1. Moody River - Pat Boone 2. Travelin’ Man - Ricky Nelson 3. Quarter To Three - Gary U.S. Bonds 4. Stand By Me - Ben E. King 5. Raindrops - Dee Clark 4 and 5 were my favorites. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/77 "2014-09-26T05:50:58Z")
1. I’m A Believer - The Monkees 2. Snoopy vs The Red Baron - The Royal Guardsmen 3. Tell It Like It Is - Aaron Neville 4. Good Thing - Paul Revere & The Raiders 5. Sugar Town - Nancy Sinatra ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/78 "2014-09-26T06:08:43Z")
Week of April 24th 1991: 1. Chesney Hawks - The One and Only 2. Cher - The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in his kiss) 3. James - Sit Down 4. Waterboys - The Whole of the Moon 5. Madonna - Rescue Me I’m just glad it wasn’t Cher (though that song did get to #1). And the bonus question of #1 when I was born…Bright Eyes (the theme from Watership Down). Set the tone nicely. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/79 "2014-09-26T06:50:39Z")
I see Procrustus was born a month before me. October 1973: 1. [“Midnight Train to Georgia”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v78-ftcqpNw) - Gladys Knight & The Pips 2. [“Angie”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcZn2-bGXqQ) - The Rolling Stones 3. [“Half Breed”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6E98ZRaU1s) - Cher 4. [“Ramblin’ Man”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VxoXn-0Ezs) - The Allman Brothers Band 5. [“Keep On Truckin’”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zIUJFYqVgg) - Eddie Kendricks ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529/80 "2014-09-26T15:20:03Z")
Week ending November 15, 1980: 1 2 LADY –•– Kenny Rogers (Liberty)-7 (1 week at #1) (1) 2 1 WOMAN IN LOVE –•– Barbra Streisand (Columbia)-11 (1) 3 5 THE WANDERER –•– Donna Summer (Geffen)-9 (3) 4 4 ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST –•– Queen (Elektra)-14 (1) 5 6 I’M COMING OUT –•– Diana Ross (Motown)-7 (5) Dreck, dreck, unmemorable, meh (probably my least favorite Queen hit), dreck. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-were-in-the-top-5-when-you-turned-12/699529.md?page=5)