Loving you isn't the right thing to do

Continuing my trip up the list of the most streamed songs for each year.  

1976 : Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac


I know this track well - I don't think I ever knew it was a single, but it was the first single from Rumours on both sides of the Atlantic, all 3:43 of it.  Having said that, I can't say it's a massive surprise that any track from Rumours takes the year - but it will be interesting to check out the competition.  And let's also take a moment to check out them hairstyles!

Wikipedia has the expected large amount on the track - a reasonably detailed musical breakdown which means little to me, the usual details of the Lyndsey Buckingham/Stevie Nicks turmoil and a note that the initial critical response was somewhat muted, but it's been re-evaluated due to "the song's resurgence in popularity with millennials".  Commercial performance in the UK was somewhat limited - four weeks only in early '77 and another eight weeks between '09 and '15.  It did better in the US - 11 weeks in the top 40, peaking at #10 and it's apparently the 4201st most successful single released between July 9, 1955 and February 3, 2007 in terms of chart performance.  Which seems VERY specific in so many ways.  It did get to #1 in The Netherlands and Belgium though.

Wikipedia lists a few cover versions - Wilson Phillips (exactly what you'd expect), Lea Michele (ditto) and Lissie (probably the best of the bunch) have all had minor chart success with it.  secondhandsongs.com doesn't come up with many more - the only artists I recognised were The Cranberries (not a bad version at all) and Boy George (interesting, but not great).

So, given that it didn't storm the UK charts in 1976 - what did?  Well - prepare to be impressed.  Top of the pile is Brotherhood Of Man's "Save All Your Kisses For Me" followed by Elton & Kiki's "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", Pussycat's "Mississippi" (I don't even remember this one), ABBA's "Dancing Queen" and Dr Hook's "A Little Bit More".  And I don't think anyone will be surprised that none of them won the year (although I'd be happy giving it to ABBA).  

Other offerings from the charts are ABBA's "Mamma Mia" and "Money Money Money", CW McCall's "Convoy" (it was never going to win, but it's such a great cheesy track), Elton John's "Pinball Wizard", The Wurzels' "Combine Harvester" (can you believe that got to #1?), The Real Thing's "You To Me Are Everything", Candi Staton's "Young Hearts Run Free" and Smokie's "Living Next Door To Alice" (Alice?  ALICE?!?).  Is it just me or did ABBA make the best three tracks of 1976?  Or at least three of the best five?  Some offerings from the US charts are Wings's "Silly Little Love Songs" (the top selling track apparently!), Paul Simon's "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" and Tavares' "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel" - the last two being fine tracks but unlikely to take the year.

So, all in all, I'm perfectly happy with Fleetwood Mac taking this year - it's a great track and the competition seems very thin on the ground

1975 - Some absolutely astonishing cover versions
1977 - Another fine track from Rumours


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