It’s time for the latest installment in my quest to determine my “peak music year”.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about you may want to take a few minutes  in the wayback machine and read these previous posts for context:

What Does My Taste In Music Say About Me?

Music Friday 1965 BillBoard Hot 100 Edition

Music Friday 1966 BillBoard Hot 100 Edition

Music Friday 1967 BillBoard Hot 100 Edition

Music Friday 1968 BillBoard Hot 100 Edition

Music Friday 1969 BillBoard Hot 100 Edition

Music Friday 1970 BillBoard Hot 100 Edition

All caught up?  Good.  Let’s now embark on our analysis of the 1971 BillBoard Hot 100.  As you may remember from the earlier posts, the charts from 1965 through 1969 tended to be dominated by The Beatles.  They did also appear on, but did not dominate, the 1970 chart.  1971 is the first chart in the post-Beatles era, the band having broken up in 1970.  We do see, however, the appearance of two former Beatles – Paul McCartney and George Harrison on the chart;  Harrison for three weeks at #1 (My Sweet Lord/Isn’t It A Pity) and McCartney for one week at #1 (Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey).  That observation aside, 1971 seems to be a year of confusion, with an odd mixture of rock and roll with counterculture overtones, moderate to extreme bubblegum pop and a few I’m not sure what the hell to call this weirdness one hit wonders.  You can click here to see the chart for yourself.  I suppose in hindsight that the times were somewhat turbulent and the chart may be a refection of the fact that America was searching for it’s soul in more ways than one.

Since I do not see a clear runaway winner this year, I’m going for the group that had the song with the longest stretch at #1, six weeks, which is Three Dog Night with Joy To The World:

This is a tune that is more commercial than counterculture and maybe even flirts modestly with bubblegum.  It seems to be ultimately a kind of effervescent, uplifting and non-controversial song that may have been just what the coutry was looking for.  Or I have a good imagination.  No matter.  So 1971 was a stange music year, and most likely not my peak music year.  In fact there really isn’t a song in the bunch that excites me enough to go to YouTube and find a video to embed.  I mean, there are a few notables in there, but this is after all a project to determine My peak music year not everybody else’s.  So your mileage may vary.  If you’re a big fan of Tony Orlando & Dawn or The Osmonds then 1971 may be your peak music year.  But I doubt it.