In 1975, RPM magazine published a chart for top-performing singles in the easy listening/middle-of-the-road categories in Canada. The chart, entitled Pop Music Playlist, has undergone numerous name changes, becoming MOR Playlist in 1976, Adult Oriented Playlist in 1977, Contemporary Adult in 1981 and finally Adult Contemporary in 1984 until the magazine's final publication in November 2000. The first number-one in 1975 was "Cat's in the Cradle" by American singer-songwriter Harry Chapin, continuing from the 1974 charts, and the last was "Something Better to Do" by English-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John. Ten acts have their first number-one in the chart in 1975: Barry Manilow, Jessi Colter, Frankie Valli (as solo from The Four Seasons), Van McCoy, Murray McLauchlan, Janis Ian, Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds, Hagood Hardy and Art Garfunkel (as solo from Simon & Garfunkel). Five Canadian acts, Paul Anka, Gordon Lightfoot, Ken Tobias, Murray McLauchlan and Hagood Hardy had at least one number-one that year.
The best-performing single of the year was "I'm Sorry" by the American singer-songwriter John Denver, which spent four non-consecutive weeks at number one on the chart. Denver also had the most weeks at number one in 1975, totalling seven, and also had two further number-ones singles earlier in the year with "Sweet Surrender" and "Thank God I'm a Country Boy". Olivia Newton-John spent a total of six weeks at number one with "Have You Never Been Mellow" (four weeks), "Please Mr. Please" and "Something Better to Do". Paul Anka (with Odia Coates) charted three number-ones in 1975, such as "One Man Woman, One Woman Man", "I Don't Like to Sleep Alone" and "I Believe (There Is Nothing Stronger that Our Love)" to become the Canadian act with the most number-ones and total weeks at number one.
Chart history +KeyThe yellow background indicates the #1 song on RPM's year-end top 25 middle-of-the-road singles chart of 1975.
+Issue dateTitleArtist(s) "Cat's in the Cradle" Harry Chapin "One Man Woman, One Woman Man" Paul Anka and Odia Coates "Only You" Ringo Starr "Mandy" Barry Manilow "Please Mr. Postman" The Carpenters "Morning Side of the Mountain" Donny & Marie Osmond "Best of My Love" Eagles "Sweet Surrender" John Denver "Have You Never Been Mellow" Olivia Newton-John "Emotion" Helen Reddy "My Boy" Elvis Presley "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" B. J. Thomas "I Don't Like to Sleep Alone" Paul Anka and Odia Coates "Lady Luck" Ken Tobias "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" John Denver "Rainy Day People" Gordon Lightfoot "Anytime" Frank Sinatra "Wonderful Baby" Don McLean "Love Will Keep Us Together" Captain & Tennille "Wildfire" Michael Murphey "Midnight Blue" Melissa Manchester "I'm Not Lisa" Jessi Colter "When Will I Be Loved" Linda Ronstadt "Swearin' to God" Frankie Valli "The Hustle" Van McCoy "Down by the Henry Moore" Murray McLauchlan "Please Mr. Please" Olivia Newton-John "At Seventeen" Janis Ian "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" James Taylor "At Seventeen" Janis Ian "Fallin' in Love" Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds "I Believe (There Is Nothing Stronger Than Our Love)" Paul Anka and Odia Coates "I'm Sorry" John Denver "The Homecoming" Hagood Hardy "I Only Have Eyes for You" Art Garfunkel "I'm Sorry" John Denver "The Way I Want to Touch You" Captain & Tennille "Something Better to Do" Olivia Newton-John
Notes
References
External links Search RPM charts collection at Library and Archives Canada