I love trivia about the charts. Things like Billy Idol’s cover of the Tommy James song “Mony Mony” being knocked out of the #1 spot by another Tommy James song, Tiffany’s cover of “I Think We’re Alone Now.” I was looking back at the #1 albums of 1974 earlier. Paul McCartney hit #1 with Band On The Run for one week in April, two straight weeks in mid-June, and one more week in early July. He first took the #1 spot knocking off John Denver’s Greatest Hits. He was then knocked out of #1….by John Denver’s Greatest Hits! The last time Paulie was knocked off was by Elton John’s Caribou, which stayed there for four consecutive weeks until it was knocked out of the #1 spot…by John Denver!

Fifty years ago today, in the middle of the 3rd of 5 straight weeks, was Jim Croce with You Don’t Mess Around With Jim. It was recorded without his having a record deal. 40 labels turned down releasing it until ABC Records took a shot. The title track single went to #8, “Operator” hit the top 20, and the posthumous “Time in a Bottle” hit #1. The album would remain on the Hot 100 for a total 93 weeks. Bob Dylan and The Band knocked him out of the #1 album spot with Planet Waves.

It got me thinking about the #1 albums that held the spot for the longest duration, and which albums knocked them out. The Slayers of the Giants. There have been a number of albums that held the top spot for 15+ straight weeks, only to be unseated by albums that in some cases didn’t remain there all that long. Bobbie Gentry’s Ode to Billy Joe knocked off Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band after 15 weeks. Carole King held the #1 slot with Tapestry for 15 weeks as well, replaced by Rod Stewart’s Every Picture Tells a Story. An album somewhat lost to time had a 16 week run at #1, Andy Williams’ Days of Wine and Roses. The album had a huge hit single with the great “Can’t Get Used to Losing You,” which Beyoncé sampled years later. He’d be knocked out of the top spot by The 12 Year Old Genius, the debut album from Little Stevie Wonder.

One of the best flips of the top spot goes to Prince and Bruce Springsteen in ’84 and ’85. Bruce was at #1 with Born in the USA. He was unseated by Purple Rain which lodged for 24 straight weeks, until it was knocked off by Born in the USA.

I saw Prince at this time, at the Nassau Coliseum, with Sheila E. opening. Somehow I scored exceptional seats (was that with Ticketron??), about 12 rows from the stage, just off center. Sheila E. finished up her set, the techs are getting the stage together for the main event. A couple of rows in front of me is a guy dressed to the hilt as Prince. The whole thing: purple sparkling coat, the spikes on the shoulder, the round glasses, the pompadour. He’s sitting there chatting with a couple of others to his right, and he did look remarkably like him. People walking in the aisle are doing double-takes, elbowing each other, laughing at him, making comments. Finally the stage is set, it’s about to start, the lights go down…the guy leaps up and runs to the stage–IT WAS PRINCE!!!!!!!!!!!!

A couple of years later I saw him at Madison Square Garden. “Kiss” is riding high. He plays an incredible 2-1/2 hour set, an encore, and that was that. I sat for a while to let the most of the crowd filter out. It’s about 20 minutes later, suddenly the lights go down…AND PRINCE COMES BACK ON and plays another half hour for the couple of hundred of us left in the place!! Amazing.

In honor of today’s 50th anniversary of You Don’t Mess Around With Jim at #1, Today’s Playlist is a SomethingIsHappening compendium of songs from every #1 album from the year 1974, in order of appearance:

#Prince #1974 #JimCroce #AndyWilliams #BruceSpringsteen #PurpleRain #BornInTheUSA