The Yearly GELT's TOP 1975-1979

1979

Artist of the Year :  Sugarhill Gang

Named after a northern district of Harlem, the Sugarhill Gang clearly made discover rap to a wide public and helped since to have it such an inseparable genre of the current music culture. Being composed of Wonder Mike, Master Gee and Big Bang Hank, from Englewood, New Jersey, three performers banded by visionary songwriter-producer Sylvia Robinson who became famous with  Pillow Talk, a 1973 hit often considered as prototypical of the disco era, Sugarhill Gang had  their smash hit with Rapper's Delight, a song openly taken from Good Times' Chic bassline. 

Seen as a variation of hip-hop culture emerged in New York in the mid-70s, rap will originally be defined as the sometimes outrageous expression of a black tough guy street culture before becoming soon a worldwide general use product. Based on chanted spoken words and systematic research of the rhyme effect, rap combines a simplistic or repetitive rhythm background generally using beat boxes while not hesitating to add soul or funk chords.

#	Artist	Title	CT	VIDEO
1	Michael Jackson	Don't Stop Til You Get Enough (Michael Jackson)
2	Fleetwood Mac	Sara (Stevie Nicks)
3	Sugarhill Gang	Rapper's Delight (Sylvia Robinson/Big Bang Hank/Wonder Mike/Master GeeBernard Edwards/Nile Rodgers/Grandmaster Caz/Alan Hawkshaw)
4	Chic	Good Times (Bernard Edwards/Nile Rodgers)
5	Earth, Wind & Fire	Boogie Wonderland (Allee Willis/Jon Lind)
6	Electric Light Orchestra	Don't Bring Me Down (Kenny Gamble/Leon Huff)
7	Donna Summer	MacArthur Park (Jimmy Webb, 1968)
8	The Clash	London Calling (Joe Strummer/Mick Jones
9	The Jacksons	Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground) (Michael Jackson/Randy Jackson)
10	Lipps, Inc.	Funkytown (Steven Greenberg)
11	Sister Sledge	We Are Family (Bernard Edwards/Nile Rodgers)
12	The Pretenders	Brass In Pocket (Chrissie Hynde/James Honeyman-Scott)
13	Donna Summer	Hot Stuff (Pete Bellotte/Harold Faltermayer/Keith Forsey)
14	Police	Message In A Bottle (Sting)
15	ACDC	Highway To Hell (Angus Young/Malcolm Young/Bon Scott)
16	Gary Numan	Cars (Gary Numan)
17	The Knack	My Sharona (Doug Fieger/Berton Averre)
18	Michael Jackson	Rock With You (Rod Temperton)
19	Anita Ward	Ring My Bell (Stacy Lattisaw)
20	The Bee Gees	Too Much Heaven (Barry Gibb/Robin Gibb/Maurice Gibb)
21	Billy Joel	My Life (Billy Joel)
22	Kiss	I Was Made For Lovin' You (Paul Stanley/Desmond Child/Vini Poncia)
23	Paul McCartney & Wings	Goodnight Tonight (Paul McCartney)
24	The Buggles	Radio Killed The Video Star (Trevor Horn/Geoff Downes/Bruce Wolley)
25	Supertramp	The Logical Song (Roger Hodgson)
26	Kool & The Gang	Ladies Night (George M. Brown & Kool & The Gang)
27	Nicolette Larson	Lotta Love (Neil Young)
28	Barbra Streisand & Donna Summer	No More Tears (Bruce Roberts/Paul Jabara)
29	Toto	Hold The Line (Davis Paich)
30	Patrick Hernandez	Born To Be Alive (Patrick Hernandez)
31	Leif Garrett	I Was Made For Dancin' (Michael Lloyd/John D'Andrea)
32	Elvis Costello	Oliver's Army (Elvis Costello)
33	Peaches & Herb	Reunited (Dino Fekaris/Freddie Perren)
34	Linda Ronstadt	Ooh Baby Baby (Smokey Robinson/Pete Moore, 1965)
35	Donna Summer	Bad Girls (Donna Summer/Eddie Hokenson/Bruce Sudano/Joe "Bean" Esposito)
36	Suzy Quatro & Chris Norman	Stumblin' In (Mike Chapman/Nickie Chinn)
37	Cheryl Linn	Got To Be Real (Cheryl Linn/David Paich/David Foster)
38	Amii Stewart	Knock On Wood (Eddie Floyd/Steve Cropper, 1966)
39	Eruption	One Way Ticket (Jack Keller, Hank Hunter)
40	Abba	Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (Benny Andersson/Björn Ulvaeus)

1978

Artist of the Year : The Bee Gees

It has been already 20 years since the Bee Gees formed in 1958 by the brothers Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb  were for the first time on the radio after being noticed for their performance in close harmony singing. This happened in Bribane, Australia, where the family had moved a few months earlier after leaving England.  From then on, the trio performed regularly on TV shows and released some singles that allowed them to be displayed among popular Australian artists. Success was however slow to come and fearing to have their contract broken with producers, the Bee Gees decided to try their luck in England. Chance finally smiled to them after getting a five year- contract at Polidor Records when they  reached  # 1 in UK charts from January, 1968 with Massachusetts, a song different enough of their usual soul influenced production. 

After several years punctuated with successes but also failures and a temporary disbandment, the Bee Gees bring a second wind to their career in 1974 after moving to Miami. There, they take an interest to disco and create a new sound that would become their hallmark. In 1976, the release of You Should Be Dancing allows the trio to reach a high level of stardom and further to the achievement of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, the Bee Gees will become around the world the ultimate reference of the disco era.

#	Artist	Title	CT	VIDEO
1	The Bee Gees	Night Fever (Barry Gibb/Robin Gibb/Maurice Gibb)
2	Gerry Rafferty	Baker Street (Gerry Rafferty)
3	Earth, Wind & Fire	September (Maurice White/Al McKay/Allee Willis)
4	The Bee Gees	Stayin' Alive (Barry Gibb/Robin Gibb/Maurice Gibb)
5	The Rolling Stones	Miss You (Mick Jagger/Keith Richards)
6	Chic	Le Freak (Bernard Edwards/Nile Rodgers)
7	Rod Stewart	Da Ya Think I' Sexy ? (Rod Stewart/Carmine Appice/Duane Hitchings/Jorge Ben Jor)
8	Chaka Khan	I'm Every Woman (Nickolas Ashford/Valerie Simpson)
9	Police	Roxanne (Sting)
10	Blondie	Heart Of Glass (Bebbie Harry/Chris Stein)
11	Van Halen	Runnin' With The Devil (Alex Van Halen/David Lee Roth/Michael Anthony/Edward Van Halen)
12	John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John	You're The One That I Want (John Farrar)
13	Bonnie Tyler	It's A Heartache (Ronnie Scott/Steve Wolfe)
14	Donna Summer	Last Dance (Waldo Holmes)
15	Frankie Valli	Grease (Barry Gibb)
16	Robert Palmer	Every Kinda People (Andy Fraser)
17	Billy Joel	Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)
18	Gloria Gaynor	I Will Survive (Freddei Perren/Dino Fekaris)
19	Barry Manilow	Copacabana (At The Copa) (Barry Manilow/Jack Feldman/Bruce Sussman)
20	Dire Straits	Sultans Of Swing (Marc Knopfler)
21	John Paul Young	Love Is In The Air (George Young/Harry Vanda)
22	Eddie Money	Baby Hold On (Ediie Money/Jimmy Lyon)
23	Exile	Kiss You All Over (Mike Chapman/Nicky Chinn)
24	Yvonne Elliman	If I Can't Have You (Barry Gibb/Robin Gibb/Maurice Gibb)
25	The Cars	Just What I Needed (Rick Ocaseck)
26	Alicia Bridges	I Love The Night Life (Alicia Bridges/Susan Hutchison)
27	Andy Gibb	Shadow Dancing (Andy Gibb/Barry Gibb/Robin Gibb/Maurice Gibb)
28	Eruption	I Can't Stand The Rain (Peebles/Don Bryant/Bernard "Bernie" Miller, 1973)
29	George Benson	On Broadway (Barry Mann/Cynthia Weill/Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller, 1963)
30	The Who	Who Are You (Pete Townshend)
31	Samantha Sang	Emotion (Barry Gibb/Robin gIBB)
32	Kate Bush	Wuthering Heights (Kate Bush)
33	Heatwave	The Groove Line (Tod Temperton)
34	Evelyn "Champagne" King	Shame (John H. Fitch, Jr./Reuben Cross)
35	Sweet	Love Is Like Oxygen (Andy Scott/Trevor Griffin)
36	The Little River Band	Reminiscing (Graeme Goble)
37	Village People	YMCA (Henri Belolo/Jacques Morali/Victor Willis)
38	The Jacksons	Blame It On The Boogie (Mick Jackson/Dave Jackson/Elmar Krohn)
39	Sylvester	You Make Me Feel (James Wirrick/Sylvester James)
40	A Taste Of Honey	Boogie Oogie Oogie (Janice Mary Johnson/Perry L. Kibble)

1977

Artist of the Year : CHIC

How to resist the disco invasion while its beat pounds relentlessly on the dance floors and loops all night long on the radios. Who can therefore claim to be the artist of the year to summarize through a song the fever that takes over the young people on Saturdays nights. 
The winner would perhaps be Chic, the New York band formed by soul-funk guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards, claiming both their rock culture but whose contribution to the disco movement would be decisive. Chic, that occurred since its foundation in New York clubs, would gradually steer its musical stature from a rock basis to a DJ style. Hiring in 1977 drummer Tony Thompson who had previously worked for Labelle finally asserted the band’s personality, both funky and groovy, able to avoid falling into the tempting trap of easy solution. Dance, Dance, Dance exemplifies it still today because as written by Amy Hanson in Allmusic.com, it "was a magnificent introduction to the band. Effusive and driven by both disco and funk riffs, the song not only brought people to the dancefloors, it was a delicious taste of the cheekily constructed, subtle double meanings that the band would use in so many ways throughout their career."

#	Artist	Title	CT	VIDEO
1	Chic	Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah) (Bernie Edwards/Nile Rogers/Kenny Lehman)
2	Paul McCartney	Mull Of Kintyre ( Paul McCartney)
3	Donna Summer	I Feel Love (Donna Summer/Giorgio Moroder/Pete Bellotte)
4	The Bee Gees	How Deep Is Your Love (Barry Gibb/Robin Gibb/Maurice Gibb)
5	Elton John	Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word (Elton John /Bernie Taupin)
6	David Bowie	Heroes (Kenny Gamble/Leon Huff)
7	The Jackson Five	Show You The Way To Go (Kenny Gamble/Leon Huff)
8	Queen	We Will Rock You (Freddie Mercury)
9	Abba	Name Of The Game (Benny Andersson/Björn Ulvaeus)
10	The Manhattan Transfer	Chanson d'Amour (Wayne Shanklin, 1958)
11	Baccara	Yes Sir I Can Boogie (Frank Dostal/Rolf Soja)
12	Julie Covington	Don' t Cry For Me Argentina (Tim Rice/Andrew Lloyd Weber)
13	Marvin Gaye	Got To Give It Up (Art Stewart/Marvin Gaye)
14	Peter Gabriel	Solsbury Hill (Peter Gabriel)
15	Andy Gibb	I Just Want To Be Your Everything (Barry Gibb)
16	KC & The Sunshine Band	I'm Your Boogie Man (Harry Wayne Casey/Richard Finch)
17	Glen Campbell	Southern Nights (Allen Toussaint)
18	Crystal Gayle	Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue (Richard Leigh)
19	Santa Esmeralda	Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood (Bennie Benjamin/Gloria Caldwell/Sol Marcus, 1964)
20	Fleetwood Mac	Dreams (Stevie Nicks)
21	The Emotions	Best Of My Love (Maurice White/Al McKay)
22	The Sylvers	Hot Line (Freddie Perren/Kenneth St. Lewis)
23	The Brothers Johnson	Strawberry Letter 23 (Shuggie Otis)
24	Crosby, Stills Nash & Young	Just A Song Before I Go (Graham Nash)
25	Hot Chocolate	So You Win Again (Russ Ballard)
26	Leo Sayer	You Make Me Feel Like Dancing (Vini Poncia/Leo Sayer)
27	Heatwave	Boogie Nights (Rod Temperton)
28	Barbra Streisand	Evergreen (Barbra Streisand/Paul Williams)
29	Ram Jam	Black Betty (Hudie Ledbetter)
30	Boney M	Ma Baker (Frank Farian/Fred Jay/George Reyam)
31	Stevie Wonder	I Wish (StevieWonder)
32	The Floaters	Float On (Marvin Willis/Arnold Ingram/James Mitchell)
33	Manfred Mann's Earth Band	Blinded By The Light (Bruce Springsteen, 1972)
34	Linda Ronstadt	Blue Bayou (Roy Melson/Joe Melson, 1963)
35	Alan O'Day	Undercover Angel (Alan O'Day)
36	Candi Staton	Nights On Broadway (Barry Gibb/Robin Gibb/Maurice Gibb)
37	Joe Tex	Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman) (Bennie Lee McGitlin/Buddy Killen)
38	Olivia Newton-John	Sam (Don Black/Hank Marvin/John Farrar
39	Barry Manilow	Copacabana (At The Copa) (Barry Manilow/Jack Feldman/Bruce Sussman)
40	The Carpenters	All You Get From Love Is A Love Song (Steve Eaton)

1976

Artist of the Year : Eagles

Iconic of the Californian rock sound of the 70s, Eagles is the story of a band of young musicians from all over the United States able to devise a pretty subtle blend of folk, country as well as hard-rock influenced music. Led by songwriters Don Henley and Glenn Frey, the group becomes, after releasing its two first albums, a serious enough reference on the rock scene but proves to be one of the most popular American bands with their following LPs, On the Border in 1974 and  One Of These Nights in 1975. The coming of a fifth member, as well as their successful tours across the USA and Europe confirm their star status. They release in December 1976 Hotel California which will top the charts for several months. With their rich, melodic inspiration and their balanced mix of folk and rock sounds, Eagles is an archetypal consensus-based group perfectly playing with the emotional ranges to remain popular through the years.

#	Artist	Title	CT	VIDEO
1	Eagles	Hotel California (Don Felder/Don Henley/Glenn Frey)
2	The Bee Gees	You Should Be Dancing (Barry Gibb/Robin Gibb/Maurice Gibb)
3	Donna Summer	Could It Be Magic (Adreinne Anderson/Barry Manilow)
4	Thelma Houston	Don't Leave Me This Way (Kenneth Gamble/Leon Huff/Cary Gilbert)
5	Elton John & Kiki Dee	Don't Go Breaking My Heart (Anne Orson/Carte Blanche/James Newton-Howard)
6	Lou Rawls	You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine (Kenny Gamble/Leon Huff)
7	Andrea True Connection	More More More (Gregg Diamond)
8	Rose Royce	Car Wash (Norman Whitfield)
9	KC & The Sunshine Band	(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty (Harry Wayne Casey/Richard Finch)
10	Abba	Fernando (Bennie Andersson/Björn Ulveaus/Stig Anderson)
11	Chicago	If You Leave Me Now (Peter Cetera)
12	Heatwave	Boogie Nights (Ted Te)
13	Jeanette	Porque Te Vas (Jose Luis Perales)
14	Starbuck	Moonlight Feels Right (Bruce Blackman)
15	Silver Convention	Get Up And Boogie (That's Right) (Silvester Levay/Stefan Prager)
16	Barry White	Let The Music Play (Barry White)
17	Adriano Celentano	Svalutation (Gino Santercole/Adriano Celentano/Luciano Beretta/Vito Pallavicini)
18	Blue Öyster Cult	Don't Fear The Reaper (Donald Roeser)
19	Stevie Wonder	Sir Duke (Stevie Wonder)
20	Peter Frampton	Show Me The Way (Peter Frampton)
21	Paul McCartney & Wings	Silly Love Songs (Paul & Linda McCartney)
22	Mort Shuman	Sorrow (Mort Shuman)
23	Pratt & McClain	Happy Days (Norman Gimble/Charles Fox)
24	David Bowie	Golden Years (David Bowie)
25	Boney M	Daddy Cool (Frank Farian/George Reyam)
26	The Bellamy Brothers	Let Your Love Flow (Larry E. Williams)
27	Candi Staton	Young Hearts Run Free (David Crawford)
28	Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons	December 1963 (Oh What A Night) (Bob Gaudio/Judy Parker)
29	The Rolling Stones	Fool To Cry (Mick Jagger/Keith Richards)
30	Hot Chocolate	You Sexy Thing (Errol Brown)
31	Kraftwerk	Radioactivity (Ralf Hütter/Florian Schneider/Emil Schulte)
32	Abba	Money Money Money (Bennie Andersson/Björn Ulveaus/Stig Anderson)
33	Diana Ross	Do You Know Where You'r Going To (Michael Masser/Gerald Goffin)
34	The Miracles	Love Machine (Billy Griffin)
35	Rod Stewart	Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright) (Rod Stewart)
36	Kiss	Beth (Peter Criss/Stan Penridge/Bob Ezrin)
37	Wild Cherry	Play That Funky Music (Rob Parissi)
38	Earth, Wind & Fire	Sing A Song (Maurice White/Al McKay)
39	The Trammps	Disco Inferno (Leroy Green)
40	Abba	Dancing Queen (Bennie Andersson/Björn Ulveaus/Stig Anderson)

1975

Artist of the Year : Donna Summer

Born near Boston in an African-American middle-class family, she first expressed her singing talent in the parish choir where she became a soloist at the age 10. Aware of her capabilities, she chooses a few years later to give up school getting started as a professional singer in a rock band performing in Boston and New York. But what will actually decide her career occurs when she joins the famous Broadway musical Hair when it moves to tour across Europe. Donna has her first success in Germany, where she settles down, sharing her time between the nights on musicals stages and the day where she occurs as a model or shooting in TV spots. She records her first songs in 1973 without much success but the release of the 17-minute track Love To Love You Baby, doesn't delay to stir up a huge enthusiasm in dance clubs. Its daring concept, the steady accented beat of the bass drum with the syncopated bass line and the distinctive sound mixing violins, brass and synthesizers mark the advent of disco, a genre that will become very popular and dominate the music scene for several years. For Donna Summer, this is the beginning of a tidal wave. Released in Germany and after conquering Europe, her record enters the American charts in December and will reach #1 for several months.

#	Artist	Title	CT	VIDEO
1	10cc	I'm Not In Love (Eric Stewart/Graham Gouldman)
2	Art Garfunkel	I only Have Eyes For You (Harry Warren/Al Dubin, 1934))
3	Captain & Tennille	Love Will Keep Us Together (Neil Sedaka, Howard Greenfield, 1973)
4	Eagles	One Of These Nights (Don Henley/Glen Frey)
5	KC & The Sunshine Band	That's The Way I Like It (Harry Wayne Casey/Richard Finch)
6	David Bowie	Fame (David Bowie)
7	Queen	Bohemian Rhapsody (Freddy Mercury)
8	Aerosmith	Walk This Way (Steven Tyler/Joe Perry)
9	Eric Carmen	All By Myself (Eric Carmen)
10	Morris Albert	Feelings (Louis Gasté)
11	Donna Summer	Love To Love You Baby (Donna Summer/Giorgio Moroder/Pete Bellotte)
12	Maxine Nightingale	Right Back Where We Started From (Pierre Tubbs/J. Vincent Edwards)
13	Silver Convention	Fly, Robin Fly (Stephan Prager/Sylvester Levay)
14	Electric Light Orchestra	Can't Get It Out Of My Head (Jeff Lynne)
15	Neil Sedaka & Elton John	Bad Blood (Neil Sedaka/Phil Cody)
16	Paul Simon	50 Ways To Leave Your Lover (Paul Simon)
17	Major Harris	Love Won't Let Me Wait (Vinnie Barrett/Bobby Eli)
18	Eagles	The Best Of My Life (Don Henley/Glen Frey/J.D. Souther)
19	Barry Manilow	Could It Be Magic (Adrienne Anderson/Barry Manilow)
20	Abba	Mamma Mia (Bennie Andersson/Björn Ulveaus/Stig Anderson)
21	The Miracles	Love Machine (Billy Griffin/Pete Moore)
22	Jefferson Starship	Miracles (Martin Balin)
23	Barry White	You're The First, My Last, My Everything (Barry White)
24	America	Sister Golden Hair (Gerry Beckley)
25	Sweet	Ballroom Blitz (Nicky Chinn/Mike Chapman)
26	Bruce Springsteen	Born To Run (Bruce Springsteen)
27	The Bee Gees	Jive Talkin' (Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb)
28	Shirley & Company	Shame Shame Shame (Sylvia Robinson)
29	The Carpenters	Mr Postman (Brian Holland/Freddy Gormann/Georgia Dobbins/Robert Bateman/William Garrett,1961)
30	Elton John	Island Girl (Elton John)
31	Carl Douglas	Kung Fu Fighting (Carl Douglas/Biddu Appaiah)
32	Leo Sayer	Long Tall Glases (I Can Dance) (David Alexander Courtney/Leo Sayer))
33	The O'Jays	I Love Music (Kenny Gamble/Leon Huff)
34	Roxy Music	Love Is The Drug (Brian Ferry)
35	Olivia Newton-John	Have You Never Been Mellow (John Farrar)
36	War	Why Can't We Be Friends (Papa D. Allen/Harold Brown/B.B. Dickerson/Lonnie Jordan/Charles Miller/Lee Oskar/Howard J. Scott)
37	Augustus Pablo	King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown (Augustus Pablo)
38	Paul McCartney & Wings	Listen To What The Man Said (Paul & Linda McCartney)
39	Ozark Mountain Daredevils	Jackie Blue (Steve Cash/Larry Lee)
40	Esther Phillips	What A Difference A Day Makes (Maria Grever, 1934/Stanley Adams)