Chart Manipulations

[jlthorpe]

What about the omission of "Killing Me Softly with His Song" by Roberta Flack? It had one more week in the Top 40 than The Osmonds' "One Bad Apple" and both spent 5 weeks at #1, yet The Osmonds ranked at #11.

[LC]

I just happened to stumble across this on Youtube. It's a story 60 Minutes did in 1978 about the hot phenomenon of disco music. And it includes interview clips with Billboard's chart-manipulator-in-chief, Bill Wardlaw.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3hy5BxDwkg

[vince]

Jan 9, 2023 17:19:19 GMT -5 mfr said:

I guess AT40 could have made mistakes or changed their methodology. Billboard did both, and one part of the decade might not be a good match for another part, as others have noted.

Billboard often stated that #1s were given bonus points equal to the number of positions in the chart. So 100 points for the Hot 100 #1. It would seem in 1977 it was only 50. What wasn't referenced was that the number of bonus points seem to have increased for each subsequent week at #1, so 100 for the first week, 200 for the second and so on.

In 1977 it appears to have been 50 for the first week and 100 for the second and so on. I think Andy Gibb would still have been above The Emotions despite this. Billboard usually counted returns to #1 as a new first week at #1 rather than a continuation.

AT40 and BB did change methodologies through the years. Here is a link to an analysis of BB's YE Pop singles chart ranking with attempted matches.

link

AT40 does not appear to have used BB or their year end ranking to compile their 70s decade end countdown.

[vince]

Jan 9, 2023 19:36:47 GMT -5 jlthorpe said:

What about the omission of "Killing Me Softly with His Song" by Roberta Flack? It had one more week in the Top 40 than The Osmonds' "One Bad Apple" and both spent 5 weeks at #1, yet The Osmonds ranked at #11.

The omission of "Killing Me Softy" in AT40's 70s decade end countdown is very questionable. Even more questionable is how "One Bad Apple" managed to beat out every song in the decade that was #1 5 weeks. "One Bad Apple" spent the least amount of weeks on the Hot 100 of any of the 70s 5 week #1s. "I'll Be There", "It's Too Late", and "Maggie May" were all in the top 10 longer, top 40 longer, and Hot 100 longer. They were all hits around the same time so that a correction factor should not have made that much difference. The situation is similar with "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and the other 6 week #1s.

I do not think AT40 used a mathematical methodology to compile the Top 50 of the 70s. The AT 40 staff probably just picked and arranged what they thought they thought belonged in the countdown or picked their favorites from a list of #1s. The AT40 staff may have tried to rank the list using the 70s methodology, reverse rank with 100 bonus points for each week at #1, and came out with a disastrous list with "Why Me" in the top 20 or something like that. So they scrapped that list and went with the dart board method.

[OnWithTheCountdown]

Maybe those tasked with the tabulation of the 70s decade-end asked after seeing the initial rankings, "Why me?" 😂

And then came the dartboard.

[mfr]

Jan 9, 2023 22:24:04 GMT -5 vince said:

Jan 9, 2023 17:19:19 GMT -5 mfr said:

I guess AT40 could have made mistakes or changed their methodology. Billboard did both, and one part of the decade might not be a good match for another part, as others have noted.

Billboard often stated that #1s were given bonus points equal to the number of positions in the chart. So 100 points for the Hot 100 #1. It would seem in 1977 it was only 50. What wasn't referenced was that the number of bonus points seem to have increased for each subsequent week at #1, so 100 for the first week, 200 for the second and so on.

In 1977 it appears to have been 50 for the first week and 100 for the second and so on. I think Andy Gibb would still have been above The Emotions despite this. Billboard usually counted returns to #1 as a new first week at #1 rather than a continuation.

AT40 and BB did change methodologies through the years. Here is a link to an analysis of BB's YE Pop singles chart ranking with attempted matches.

link

AT40 does not appear to have used BB or their year end ranking to compile their 70s decade end countdown.

Thank you for the link Vince. You've done a lot of work on those year-end corrections. I've been down parts of that road myself and when I get the chance to look at the detail - which might be some way off - I'll post some thoughts in there.    

[vince]

Jan 10, 2023 17:04:36 GMT -5 OnWithTheCountdown said:

Maybe those tasked with the tabulation of the 70s decade-end asked after seeing the initial rankings, "Why me?" 😂

And then came the dartboard.

This is my guess as to what the pre-dartboard top hits of 70s based on reverse rank with 100 bonus points for each week at #1 looked like.

This The top 30 of the 70s with no correction factor.

3060 *1 YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE Debby Boone (1977)
2929 *2 HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE The Bee Gees (1977)
2758 *3 I JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING Andy Gibb (1977)
2560 *4 SHADOW DANCING Andy Gibb (1978)
2533 *5 TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT (Gonna Be Alright) Rod Stewart (1976)
2527 6 I GO CRAZY Paul Davis (1978)
2527 *7 LE FREAK Chic (1979)
2498 *8 STAYIN' ALIVE The Bee Gees (1978)
2490 *9 NIGHT FEVER The Bee Gees (1978)
2310 *10 LOVE IS THICKER THAN WATER Andy Gibb (1978)
2272 *11 BEST OF MY LOVE The Emotions (1977)
2261 *12 MY SHARONA The Knack (1979)
2239 *13 BABY COME BACK Player (1978)
2197 *14 KISS YOU ALL OVER Exile (1978)
2194 *15 RAINDROPS KEEP FALLIN' ON MY HEAD B. J. Thomas (1970)
2165 *16 LOVE THEME FROM "A STAR IS BORN" (Evergreen) Barbra Streisand (1977)
2163 *17 A FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN Walter Murphy & the Big Apple Band (1976)
2146 *18 TIE A YELLOW RIBBON 'ROUND THE OLD OAK TREE Tony Orlando And Dawn (1973)
2142 19 WHY ME Kris Kristofferson (1973)
2130 *20 THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE Roberta Flack (1972)
2119 *21 I WILL SURVIVE Gloria Gaynor (1979)
2102 *22 ALONE AGAIN (Naturally) Gilbert O'Sullivan (1972)
2100 *23 JOY TO THE WORLD Three Dog Night (1971)
2078 *24 DO YA THINK I'M SEXY? Rod Stewart (1979)
2070 *25 HOT CHILD IN THE CITY Nick Gilder (1978)
2061 *26 PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC Wild Cherry (1976)
2045 *27 BAD GIRLS Donna Summer (1979)
2036 28 I LOVE THE NIGHT LIFE (Disco 'Round) Alicia Bridges (1978)
2035 *29 BOOGIE OOGIE OOGIE A Taste Of Honey (1978)
2031 *30 LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER The Captain and Tennille (1975)

Here is the methodology with a correction factor. Each song record is compared to average of the top 20 of the year it is from. This ranking while following a mathematical methodology awards longevity. Basicaly, it is messed up with 3 non in the top 30.

1.583 1 YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE Debby Boone (1977)
1.427 2 I JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING Andy Gibb (1977)
1.406 3 HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE The Bee Gees (1977)
1.376 4 TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT (Gonna Be Alright) Rod Stewart (1976)
1.368 5 RAINDROPS KEEP FALLIN' ON MY HEAD B. J. Thomas (1970)
1.319 6 JOY TO THE WORLD Three Dog Night (1971)
1.312 7 LE FREAK Chic (1979)
1.292 8 THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE Roberta Flack (1972)
1.275 9 ALONE AGAIN (Naturally) Gilbert O'Sullivan (1972)
1.270 10 LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER The Captain and Tennille (1975)
1.248 11 MAGGIE MAY / REASON TO BELIEVE Rod Stewart (1971)
1.237 12 THE WAY WE WERE Barbra Streisand (1974)
1.234 13 RHINESTONE COWBOY Glen Campbell (1975)
1.229 14 SHADOW DANCING Andy Gibb (1978)
1.229 15 I'LL BE THERE Jackson 5 (1970)
1.228 16 AMERICAN PIE (Parts 1 and 2) Don MacLean (1972)
1.225 17 IT'S TOO LATE / I FEEL THE EARTH MOVE Carole King (1971)
1.224 18 TIE A YELLOW RIBBON 'ROUND THE OLD OAK TREE Tony Orlando And Dawn (1973)
1.222 19 WHY ME Kris Kristofferson (1973)
1.220 20 FEELINGS Morris Albert (1975)
1.213 21 I GO CRAZY Paul Davis (1978)
1.199 22 STAYIN' ALIVE The Bee Gees (1978)
1.195 23 NIGHT FEVER The Bee Gees (1978)
1.192 24 I THINK I LOVE YOU The Partridge Family (1970)
1.178 25 BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER Simon & Garfunkel (1970)
1.175 26 BEST OF MY LOVE The Emotions (1977)
1.175 27 A FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN Walter Murphy & the Big Apple Band (1976)
1.174 28 MY SHARONA The Knack (1979)
1.163 29 (They Long To Be) CLOSE TO YOU The Carpenters (1970)
1.159 30 PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM The Elton John Band (1975)

[doofus67]

You know by now that I've been using the "Ranking the '70s" scoring system for my Fantasy charts. It's the brainchild of Dann Isbell, a teacher of English in the East Asian countries, and Bill Carroll, a scientist specializing in chemistry. What follows is a look at how that book's top 50 of the decade stacked up.  Please keep in mind that the chart data used in RT70s, and RT70s alone, came from Cash Box, not Billboard.

Bill took a basic point scale and added a statistical element called normalization. This allows us to see that each song on the list is ranked where it is because it was a big hit in its time, not necessarily because it compares favorably to songs from throughout the decade.  

The trade mags' methodology, of course, kept changing along the way, and so did the movement patterns of hits. Bill's formula better reflects that perpetual evolution.  The absence of anything from 1974 or 1975 in this top 50 really drives the point home that nothing stood out during that period, not on a chart where 92 different songs had a turn at #1!

You'll notice much bigger scores because the basic point scale is based on 1000 for #1.  I'll post the full scale soon; I use it myself, without that normalization thing.

*Only one side of this single is listed; unlike Billboard, there was no combined-A-and-B-side policy in Cash Box.

Score	#	Title and artist
11239	1	YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE Debby Boone (1977)
10356	2	JOY TO THE WORLD Three Dog Night (1971)
10352	3	AMERICAN PIE Don McLean (1972)
10066	4	SHADOW DANCING Andy Gibb (1978)
10002	5	LE FREAK Chic (1978)
9964	6	I'LL BE THERE The Jackson 5 (1970)
9782	7	RAINDROPS KEEP FALLIN' ON MY HEAD B.J. Thomas (1970)
9547	8	*MAGGIE MAY Rod Stewart (1971)
9333	9	NIGHT FEVER The Bee Gees (1978)
9272	10	ABC The Jackson 5 (1970)
9269	11	ALONE AGAIN (Naturally) Gilbert O'Sullivan (1972)
9173	12	I THINK I LOVE YOU The Partridge Family (1970)
9172	13	KNOCK THREE TIMES Dawn (1971)
8857	14	*MY SWEET LORD George Harrison (1970)
8842	15	VENUS Shocking Blue (1970)
8818	16	AFTERNOON DELIGHT The Starland Vocal Band (1976)
8758	17	MY SHARONA The Knack (1979)
8678	18	KISS YOU ALL OVER Exile (1978)
8639	19	STAYIN' ALIVE The Bee Gees (1978)
8603	20	TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLE OAK TREE Dawn Featuring Tony Orlando (1973)
8597	21	DA YA THINK I'M SEXY? Rod Stewart (1979)
8540	22	HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE The Bee Gees (1977)
8527	23	THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE Roberta Flack (1972)
8515	24	LET'S STAY TOGETHER Al Green (1972)
8420	25	SPIRIT IN THE SKY Norman Greenbaum (1970)
8365	26	BRAND NEW KEY Melanie (1971)
8291	27	BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER Simon & Garfunkel (1970)
8236	28	LET IT BE The Beatles (1970)
8120	29	I WRITE THE SONGS Barry Manilow (1976)
8067	30	FAMILY AFFAIR Sly & the Family Stone (1971)
8024	31	*IT'S TOO LATE Carole King (1971)
7911	32	THEME FROM SHAFT Isaac Hayes (1971)
7880	33	MY LOVE Paul McCartney & Wings (1973)
7833	34	SILLY LOVE SONGS Wings (1976)
7752	35	ONE BAD APPLE The Osmonds (1971)
7708	36	CROCODILE ROCK Elton John (1973)
7701	37	TORN BETWEEN TWO LOVERS Mary MacGregor (1977)
7696	38	I WANT YOU BACK The Jackson 5 (1970)
7684	39	THE TEARS OF A CLOWN Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (1970)
7682	40	HOT CHILD IN THE CITY Nick Gilder (1978)
7580	41	NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE The Jackson 5 (1971)
7467	42	HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART The Bee Gees (1971)
7437	43	BAD GIRLS Donna Summer (1979)
7353	44	ROCKIN' ROBIN Michael Jackson (1972)
7330	45	BAKER STREET Gerry Rafferty (1978)
7317	46	TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT (Gonna Be Alright) Rod Stewart (1976)
7259	47	*AMERICAN WOMAN The Guess Who (1970)
7257	48	THREE TIMES A LADY The Commodores (1978)
7243	49	INDIAN RESERVATION (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian) The Raiders (1971)
7205	50	WAR Edwin Starr (1970)

[chrislc]

>This The top 30 of the 70s with no correction factor.

3060 *1 YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE Debby Boone (1977)
2929 *2 HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE The Bee Gees (1977)
2758 *3 I JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING Andy Gibb (1977)
2560 *4 SHADOW DANCING Andy Gibb (1978)
2533 *5 TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT (Gonna Be Alright) Rod Stewart (1976)
2527 6 I GO CRAZY Paul Davis (1978)
2527 *7 LE FREAK Chic (1979)
2498 *8 STAYIN' ALIVE The Bee Gees (1978)
2490 *9 NIGHT FEVER The Bee Gees (1978)
2310 *10 LOVE IS THICKER THAN WATER Andy Gibb (1978)<

Well there we go. Airing that Decade Top Ten at the end of 1979 would have been unbelievably tone-deaf. Casey would have replaced Ted Kennedy post Roger Mudd interview at the top of the "Why Did I Do That" list.

[Michael1973]

I notice that the Hot 100 for 2/9/80 finds former top 10 hit Ladies Night holding at #37 while a whole bunch of fast-falling songs plunge past it. Was this more of Wardlow's handiwork?

[doofus67]

Yes, I think that "Ladies Night" staying put at #37 is deliberate. On the same top 40, the follow-up, "Too Hot," is making an impressive debut, leaping from #49 to #27. This gives Kool & the Gang an artificial overlap. That's our Bogus Bill...

[djjoe1960]

Feb 14, 2023 12:11:37 GMT -5 doofus67 said:

Yes, I think that "Ladies Night" staying put at #37 is deliberate. On the same top 40, the follow-up, "Too Hot," is making an impressive debut, leaping from #49 to #27. This gives Kool & the Gang an artificial overlap. That's our Bogus Bill...

Both Ladies Night & Too Hot (by Kool & the Gang) were in the Top 40 in Cash Box for two weeks in February , 1980--perhaps Wardlow wanted Billboard (and Casey/AT40)
to not be shown up by that rival trade, like what happened in December, 1974 (4 ex-Beatles in Top 40).

P.S. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers had two songs in the cash Box Top 40 in Feb 1980 (Don't Do Me Like That & Refugee).

[chrislc]

Feb 14, 2023 12:11:37 GMT -5 doofus67 said:

Yes, I think that "Ladies Night" staying put at #37 is deliberate. On the same top 40, the follow-up, "Too Hot," is making an impressive debut, leaping from #49 to #27. This gives Kool & the Gang an artificial overlap. That's our Bogus Bill...

But what would be accomplished for the group or the label by having two Kool & the Gang songs in the Top 40 at the same time? Who in the world would care, other than chart geeks like us? I don't think programmers in markets that meant anything would play Ladies Night an extra week because of that, but maybe I'm wrong. And getting an extra two plays on this show on the weekend wouldn't translate into anything meaningful.

I'm not implying that he didn't move stuff around with no justification, but what would be his motivation for this one?

[woolebull]

Feb 15, 2023 17:17:02 GMT -5 chrislc said:

Feb 14, 2023 12:11:37 GMT -5 doofus67 said:

Yes, I think that "Ladies Night" staying put at #37 is deliberate. On the same top 40, the follow-up, "Too Hot," is making an impressive debut, leaping from #49 to #27. This gives Kool & the Gang an artificial overlap. That's our Bogus Bill...

But what would be accomplished for the group or the label by having two Kool & the Gang songs in the Top 40 at the same time? Who in the world would care, other than chart geeks like us? I don't think programmers in markets that meant anything would play Ladies Night an extra week because of that, but maybe I'm wrong. And getting an extra two plays on this show on the weekend wouldn't translate into anything meaningful.

I'm not implying that he didn't move stuff around with no justification, but what would be his motivation for this one?

That was my thought as well. Looking back 43 years we now know the monster that Kool would become from a top 40 standpoint. February of 1980? I just don't see what would be gained.

[doofus67]

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the chart date of the first top 40 of the post-Wardlow Era, I present The Story of Bogus Bill.

For each number, substitute the matching song title in the key below.

One (28), Bogus Bill was summoned to the management office of Billboard. They needed to have a (15) meeting with him. He must have thought, "(38). My career is in (3)."

They said, "Bill, your method of compiling the charts is (32). Therefore, (20) no longer wanted or needed in this company. It is (30) for us to go our (12). Now, (1)!"

So Bogus Bill hopped in his (10) and drove off into the sunrise. Once he received his severance pay, he called a couple of his lady friends. "(2) and (7), let's take a trip to (17), where there are nothing but white stars in the sky. It's all paid off. Just hope the plane doesn't go into a holding pattern!"

Come to think of it, boys and girls, (13), have you ever seen a (19) of our hero? Me neither. Hey, maybe we should call him (9) Bill!

Good night, and sleep as tight as the top 11 on April 2nd!

Key...
1 Beat It
2 Come On Eileen
3 Jeopardy
7 Billie Jean
9 Overkill
10 Little Red Corvette
12 Separate Ways
13 Even Now
15 One on One
17 Rio
19 Photograph
20 You Are
28 Mornin'
30 Time
32 So Wrong
38 I Know There's Something Going On