Skip to main content

Top 100: 40-31.

40. Sail On - Commodores. Low-register harmony perfection in Lionel Richie’s natural-born country/blues style did nothing in 1979 Australia: if the market couldn’t get another Three Times a Lady there were plenty of Air Supply records to buy.

39. Walk Away - Matt Monro. Monro’s V12 baritone purrs through this slice of 1960s aural cinema verite like a 1964 Bentley off to the shops.

38. My Pledge of Love - Joe Jeffrey Group. Rolling guitar backed by joyful strings and keyboard knew exactly what it was to wake up remembering you'd fallen in love the night before; knocked John Lennon's ballad of himself off No. 1 in 1969.

37. Right Down the Line - Gerry Rafferty. Hypnotic keyboard line teases the 1970s power-pop track along like an instrumental Pied Piper.

36. Hung Up on a Dream - Zombies. Psychedelic journey into parallel universe of impossible chord changes and 1968-style echoed-out vocals from influential but lost Odessey and Oracle LP.

35. Eloise - Barry Ryan. Insane 1967 screamer with Robert Plant and John Paul Jones helping out in the recording session.

34. Coat of Many Colors - Dolly Parton. Sentimental, unless you stuck out like a sore thumb at school and were mocked.

33. Sunday Morning - Velvet Underground. Forget the music cred banana t-shirts; this was the real deal.

32. Can't Find My Way Home - Blind Faith. Music critics walk the streets trying to find the holy grail - this was it but they didn't see it in the dark.

31. Lover Please - Clyde McPhatter. His last big hit; see also his earlier Honey Love with the Drifters.

Comments