7 of the 70s: 5/22/14 (1973)

Throwback Thursday is back with seven more nuggets from the 70s, and this week I'm back to 1973, the year the completed Sears Tower in Chicago becomes the tallest building in the world...

Charlie Rich - "The Most Beautiful Girl"
from the album Behind Closed Doors (1973)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1
Songwriters: Rory Bourke, Billy Sherrill, Norro Wilson

Rich channeled a little of the "King" in this break-up tearjerker and topped the pop, country, and easy-listening charts.

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Marie Osmond - "Paper Roses"
from the album Paper Roses (1973)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #5
Songwriters: Fred Spielman, Janice Torre

The female member of the Osmond brand came out swinging with her cover of Anita Bryant's pop hit and adding "a little bit country".

Anne Murray - "Danny's Song"
from the album Danny's Song (1973)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #7
Songwriter: Kenny Loggins

The Canadian country queen gave some motherly sweetness to Kenny's song for his titular brother's son in the biggest hit version of the classic.

John Denver - "Rocky Mountain High"
from the album Rocky Mountain High (1972)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #9
Songwriters: John Denver, Mike Taylor

I swear if I listen to too much of his work I'll end up moving to Colorado, but seriously, John is still criminally underrated for his amazing body of work. I still owe a lot of my taste on listening to my parents' 8-track collection which included all of his 70s albums.

Loggins & Messina - "Thinking Of You"
from the album Loggins & Messina (1972)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #18
Songwriter: Jim Messina

It was the former Buffalo Springfield member Messina who took the lead on this one of the duo's many hits, most of which Kenny had fronted.

Conway Twitty - "You've Never Been This Far Before"
from the album You've Never Been This Far Before (1973)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #22
Songwriter: Conway Twitty

This country twanger put Conway back in the pop top-40 for the first time since "C'est Si Bon" in 1960. And then, Family Guy.

Joe Stampley - "Soul Song"
from the album Soul Song (1973)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #37
Songwriters: George Richey, Billy Sherrill, Norro Wilson

The soul singer from Louisiana would go on to pair with comic singer Moe Bandy, and tread in murky waters like the homophobic "Where's The Dress?", but at the start he was a soul/country fusion gem.

I'll return later with eight more from 1983...