#AtoZChallenge 1970's Billboard Hits - K is for...

Moving right along with the #AtoZChallenge.  Today is the twelfth day of the challenge and that brings us to the letter K. These three songs were the top ‘K’ songs according to the Billboard Hot 100 Year-End lists.



1973 - Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack


"Killing Me Softly with His Song" is a song composed by Charles Fox with lyrics by Norman Gimbel. The song was written in collaboration with Lori Lieberman, who recorded the song in late 1971. In 1973 it became a number-one hit, in US and Canada, for Roberta Flack, also reaching number six in the UK Singles Chart. The song has since been covered by numerous artists, including a version by the Fugees that won the 1997 Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

In September 1972, Flack was opening for Marvin Gaye at the Greek Theater; after performing her prepared encore song, Flack was advised by Gaye to sing an additional song. Flack later said, "I said well, I got this song I've been working on called 'Killing Me Softly...' and he said 'Do it, baby.' And I did it and the audience went crazy, and he walked over to me and put his arm around me and said, 'Baby, don't ever do that song again live until you record it.'"

Released in January 1973, Flack's version spent a total of five non-consecutive weeks at #1 in February and March, more weeks than any other record in 1973, being bumped to number 2 by the O'Jays' "Love Train" after four straight weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. Billboard ranked it as the No. 3 song for 1973.





1976 -  Kiss And Say Goodbye - The Manhattans

"Kiss and Say Goodbye" is a song recorded by the American R&B vocal group The Manhattans. It was one of the biggest hits of 1976. The song was written by Manhattans member Winfred "Blue" Lovett. The lyrics and melody came to him late one night. As he later recalled, "Everything was there. I got up about three o'clock in the morning and jotted down the things I wanted to say. I just put the words together on my tape recorder and little piano. I've always thought that when you write slow songs, they have to have meaning. In this case, it's the love triangle situation we've all been through. I figured anyone who's been in love could relate to it. And it seemed to touch home for a lot of folks."

Released as a single, the song became a worldwide hit for the group, spending two weeks at number one on the U.S. Pop and U.S. R&B charts. and reaching number four on the UK Singles Chart in the middle of 1976. In the U.S., the song was the 400th #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart. It also became just the second single to earn platinum certification status, after the RIAA established the designation in 1976. (Johnnie Taylor's "Disco Lady" had been the first a few months earlier.) Billboard ranked it as the No. 6 song for 1976.






1978 - Kiss You All Over - Exile

"Kiss You All Over" is a 1978 song performed by the group Exile. It was written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn. It was included on the band's album Mixed Emotions, and it featured Jimmy Stokley and guitarist JP Pennington on lead vocals. It was a number one single in the United States, but proved to be Exile's only big hit in the pop rock market. It held the Number One spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks, and Billboard ranked it as the No. 5 song for 1978. In the United Kingdom, the song was released on Mickie Most's RAK Records, and it peaked at number 6 in the UK Singles Chart. In this song, a string synthesizer is used. In 2010, Billboard ranked the song ninth on its list of "The 50 Sexiest Songs Of All Time".








Be sure to follow the 2017 AtoZ Challenge playlist for all of the songs featured in this years challenge.




Did you listen to any of these tunes in the 70's?  Would you like to know more about these artists in future posts? Let me know in the comments.

What does tomorrow bring?

Tomorrow brings us the letter 'L'. 
Any guesses as to which Billboard Hits from the 70s will be showcased?