Songs of 1976 That Should Have Been Bigger Hits Part 3

This is Part 3 of my series of songs from 1976 that should have been bigger hits. Here is a quick rundown of the artists and songs.

The Real Thing - You to Me Are Everything
Yvonne Fair - It Should Have Been Me
Attitudes - Sweet Summer Music
Ray Sawyer - (One More Year of) Daddy's Little Girl
Fools Gold - Rain, Oh Rain
Prelude - For a Dancer
Sundown Company - Norma Jean Wants to Be a Movie Star
Ellison Chase - Let's Rock
American Flyer - Let Me Down Easy
Rick Derringer - Let Me In

Category:

Music

Tags:

• real
• thing
• yvonne
• fair
• attitudes
• ray
• sawyer
• fools
• gold
• 1976
• top
• 100
• prelude
• sundown
• company
• ellison
• chase
• american
• flyer
• derringer
• norma
• jean

[arkady714]

No offense, really. But not one of these songs has anything resembling a catchy melody and not one set of lyrics has anything substantial behind them.

Some of the words are either weak, cliche or both. "Let me in, sweet mama?" "That should have been me?"

Please. Dropping names of famous people who have worked on some of these songs is no argument against their failures. They're just not good music.

[nccvball]

@arkady714

To each his (or her) own. All these songs have a hook, beat, or rhythm that caught my ear at some point.

I never claim that any of these songs are "Pet Sounds", "Sgt. Pepper", or "Some Girls". If the lyrics are to be the main selling point, I grab any random Beatles tune or Top 10 song on today's chart and demonstrate the simplicity of vocabulary and repetitive use of words.

Very rarely do artists randomly become successful. Someone saw talent, and I try to highlight that.

[Kwikkill34]

I'm always to open to new stuff, old, new, popular or not...thank you!

[nccvball]

@Kwikkill34

You're welcome. More videos are on the way.

[LolaCrazy222]

YES!!! It's great that you included American Flyer's "Let Me Down Easy". I found the American Flyer record "Let Me Down Easy" is on at a used record shop for only three dollars. It's good that Craig Fuller got success later with the Pure Prairie League. You would think with Beatles producer George Martin they would get the success they deserved.

[nccvball]

@LolaCrazy222

Same here, I thought the novelty of having George Martin as your producer would have been enough to get more airplay.

[DaveWollenberg]

Dennis Locorriere was also the lead singer of Dr. Hook.

[lefthandedgenious]

@arkady714 That would only confifm that thier generation did not know what talented people really are.

[SundownerDrifting]

The reason "You to Me Are Everything" wasn't a big hit was that the American group Revelation covered it and the two versions fought it out on the charts, neither cracking the top 40. A pity, as the Real Thing version at least was really great.

1976 songs I thought should have been bigger hits:

Joan Armatrading: "Love and Affection"

A Band Called "O": "A Smile Is Diamond"

Cado Belle: "Got to Love"

Lake: "On the Run"

John Miles: "Music"

The Movies: "Dancin' on Ice"

10cc: "I'm Mandy, Fly Me"

[libidooverdrive]

@arkady714 failures. that's pretty harsh considering most of them made a living in music. And many of them have damn fine voices. dropping names. oh please yourself do you even know the meaning of dropping names.? He's telling us who they have worked with or knew. some of them were discovered by these "dropped names'. stop being a prick

[GINGERALER]

@arkady714 Well I am 44 and the 70s was my era, as was the 80's, as was the 90's. Nothing wrong in appreciating music of different 'era's" regardless of age. I even like a lot of stuff that was a hit before I was born. I am always proud when I hear of people under 30 who love 70's pop, rock and disco. You should never limit yourself to any one era.

[arkady714]

@chriswz261 It is important to live in your own era. I was a kid during these times and got sick to my stomach whenever someone (normally a jealous baby boomer who could not handle growing old) say how things were better in the old days.

There was still a generation of American who hated rock music back then. Try not to laugh, but 20 years from now, people who are kids today and the kids of tomorrow will sing the praises of Britney, Miley and Justin. I promise you.

[chriswz261]

@arkady714 Dude are you kidding??? This is when music was actually GOOD! And the funny thing about that is I am only 31...I have grown up in the 90's and heard Nirvana (my favorite) all the way to Eminem...both great artists but this kind of music is just classsic bro! For real...

[cwrightwi1]

Yuck.

[classie60]

ANYBODY have the full version of SUNDOWN COMPANY doing "Norma Jean wants to be a Moviestar" ?

[SissingPyd]

Soul music was rubbish then and it's the same now.