Top of the Pops!

This week's countdown is from Dec 22nd 1979.
30 years ago these 5 songs closed out the decade of the 70s.

5- Still -The Commodores
The "B" side of their big hit "Sail On" which peaked at #4 in October of '79. This hit #1 in November and spent 1 week at the top but spent the rest of 1979 in the top 5.


4- Send One Your Love - Stevie Wonder
Peaking at #4 and staying in the top 4 for most of January 1980, this was the first single from the album "Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants" and the only song in this week's top 5 that did not reach the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.


3- Babe - Styx
The biggest single for Styx was this former #1 hit that spent the previous 2 weeks at the top. Technically this was all Dennis DeYoung on vocals and a Tommy Shaw guitar solo, but it became their biggest hit and 2nd #1 single after "Lady" in 1975.


2 - Please Don't Go - KC and The Sunshine Band
This "ballad" was a departure from the usual party sound of KC but it became his last #1 and eventually the first #1 song for the 1980s. This song hit the Hot 100 in August and slowly made its way to the top 5 and would after 2 weeks at #2 hit the top spot January 5th 1980.


1- Escape (Pina Colada Song) - Rupert Holmes
The top song for the last 2 weeks of 1979 and the 1970s was this "mini-movie" written by Rupert Holmes. His only previous chart success came as a songwriter with the song "Timothy" which the Buoys took to #17 in 1971. This will forever be the "Pina Colada Song" because thats all most people could remember was the hook of "if you like Pina Colada's and getting caught in the rain". "Escape" also spent one week at #1 in January 1980 displacing "Please Don't Go".