7 of the 70s: 8/22/13 (1978)...

Hey gang - it's time to serve up seven more nuggets of seventies realness, and this week I'm back to 1978, the year Pope Paul VI died, succeeded by John Paul I, who only was pope a month before dying as well...

Yvonne Elliman - "If I Can't Have You"
from the albums Saturday Night Fever (Original Soundtrack) and Night Flight (1978)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1
Songwriters: Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb

The Hawaiian singer had the fourth #1 pop hit from the iconic disco soundtrack album after the Bee Gees were going to give her "How Deep Is Your Love" instead.

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ABBA - "Take A Chance On Me"
from the album ABBA: The Album (1977)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #3
Songwriters: Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus

I had told someone recently how I knew I was gay when I wanted to marry Harrison Ford as a kid. Ditto that for Benny Andersson. Oofdah. Also this song rules.

Sweet - "Love Is Like Oxygen"
from the album Level Headed (1978)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #8
Songwriters: Trevor Griffin, Andrew Scott

The last top-10 hit for the British glam-rock band tacked on to the disco scene, and as a little kid I was addicted to this song, especially the spaced-out album version, which was like Yes doing disco.

Robert Palmer - "Every Kinda People"
from the album Double Fun (1978)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #16
Songwriter: Andy Fraser

 Robert Palmer's breezy early success sounded like a Caribbean-style "What's Going On", with its style, conversational lyric, and peaceful theme.

Quincy Jones - "Stuff Like That"
from the album Sounds...and Stuff Like That! (1978)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #21
Songwriters: Nick Ashford, Steve Gadd, Eric Gale, Quincy Jones, Ralph MacDonald, Valerie Simpson, Richard Tee...

This lil' nugget features songwriters Ashford & Simpson and the supreme Chaka Khan on vocals.

The Village People - "Macho Man"
from the album Macho Man (1978)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #25
Songwriters: Henry Belolo, Jacques Morali, Peter Whitehead, Victor Willis

Oh man. Who's idea was this entire video? Working out in their outfits? Really? Well, I guess you can hand it to them for earnestness.

The Cars - "My Best Friend's Girl"
from the album The Cars (1978)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #35
Songwriter: Ric Ocasek

The pioneers of new wave sold this ode to the cockblocked with every inch of their lives, and it's theme of longing is universal.

That's it for this 70s throwback...I'll be back with 8 more from 1988..