The Billboard Hot 100 is a chart published since August 1958 by Billboard magazine which ranks the best-performing singles in the United States. In 1977, it was compiled based on a combination of sales and airplay data sourced from surveys of retail outlets and playlists submitted by radio stations, respectively. During the year, 29 different singles spent time at number one.
The first issue of Billboard with a 1977 cover date was dated January 8, as the magazine published a special double issue dated December 25, 1976, and did not release an issue the following week. For the first time in the Hot 100's history, the chart was not updated that week, and every entry on the Hot 100 was "frozen" in position from the previous week. This included the number one for the final week of 1976, Rod Stewart's "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)", which received an eighth week at number one as a result of the frozen chart. In the issue dated January 8, it was displaced by "You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)" by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr.; the husband-and-wife singers had achieved two number ones in the 1960s as part of the 5th Dimension but it was their first chart-topper as a duo. Leo Sayer, Rose Royce, Mary MacGregor, and Manfred Mann's Earth Band all also topped the Hot 100 for the first time in January and February. Sayer returned to the top spot in May with "When I Need You" and was one of only three acts with two number ones in 1977, along with Stevie Wonder and the Eagles. "Blinded by the Light", a chart-topper for Manfred Mann's Earth Band, was a cover version of a song written and originally recorded by Bruce Springsteen; although he is one of the most successful recording artists of all time, none of Springsteen's own singles have topped the Hot 100. Between March and June, Daryl Hall & John Oates, ABBA, David Soul, Thelma Houston, and Fleetwood Mac all reached number one for the first time. ABBA is also one of the most commercially successful acts of all time worldwide, but the single week which the Swedish group spent atop the chart with "Dancing Queen" was its only appearance at number one in the United States.
In October, Debby Boone gained her first number one with "You Light Up My Life". The single occupied the top spot for ten consecutive weeks, setting new records for both the longest unbroken run and the highest total number of weeks spent by a single atop the Hot 100; previously singles by Bobby Darin, Percy Faith, and the Beatles had spent nine weeks in the top spot, either consecutively or non-consecutively. "You Light Up My Life" appeared in the film of the same name, released earlier the same year, in which it was performed by Kasey Cisyk; Joseph Brooks, who produced and scored the film, was dissatisfied with her performance and brought Boone in to record a version for release as a single. Cisyk's version was subsequently also released but only reached number 80. Boone's single was one of several number ones of 1977 which were either taken directly from films or were re-recordings of themes from recent films. Rose Royce's "Car Wash" appeared in the film of the same name and Barbra Streisand reached number one with "Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)", from the film A Star is Born, in which she had a leading role. Bill Conti gained his first and only number one in July with "Gonna Fly Now (Theme From Rocky)", taken from the film Rocky, and Meco did the same in October with a disco-style recording of themes from Star Wars. The year's final chart-topper was "How Deep Is Your Love" by the Bee Gees, which was featured in the disco-themed film Saturday Night Fever. Andy Gibb, the younger brother of the Bee Gees, gained his first number one in the second half of the year, as did Alan O'Day, Shaun Cassidy, and the Emotions.
Chart history
+Issue dateTitleArtist(s)409 "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)"410"You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)" and Billy Davis Jr.411"You Make Me Feel Like Dancing"412"I Wish"413"Car Wash"Rose Royce414"Torn Between Two Lovers"415"Blinded by the Light"416"New Kid in Town"Eagles417"Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)"418"Rich Girl"419"Dancing Queen"ABBA420"Don't Give Up on Us"421"Don't Leave Me This Way"422"Southern Nights"423"Hotel California" Eagles424"When I Need You" 425"Sir Duke" 426"I'm Your Boogie Man"KC and the Sunshine Band427"Dreams"Fleetwood Mac428"Got to Give It Up"429"Gonna Fly Now (Theme From Rocky)"430"Undercover Angel"431"Da Doo Ron Ron"432"Looks Like We Made It"433"I Just Want to Be Your Everything"434"Best of My Love"433 (re)"I Just Want to Be Your Everything" 434 (re)"Best of My Love"435"Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band"Meco436"You Light Up My Life"437"How Deep Is Your Love"Bee Gees
Notes
Number-one artists + List of number-one artists by total weeks at number one Weeks at No. 1 Artist10 Debby Boone 5 The Emotions 4 Stevie Wonder Andy Gibb 3 Barbra Streisand 2 Mary MacGregor Daryl Hall & John Oates Eagles Leo Sayer Meco Bee Gees 1 Rod Stewart Marilyn McCoo Billy Davis Jr. Rose Royce Manfred Mann's Earth Band ABBA David Soul Thelma Houston Glen Campbell KC and the Sunshine Band Fleetwood Mac Marvin Gaye Bill Conti Alan O'Day Shaun Cassidy Barry Manilow
See also 1977 in music List of Cash Box Top 100 number-one singles of 1977 List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of the 1970s
References
Works cited