Thursday, March 29, 2018

Throwback Thursday:
KKUA's Top 69 Hits of 1971


We resume our blog after a year long hiatus with this Throwback Thursday (#TBT) post which was originally featured at Hawaii Radio & Television Guide Archive. First up, is the Top 69 Hits of 1971 from KKUA Radio.
KKUA was the dominant top 40 radio station in Hawaii in the mid 1970s. They had a strong AM signal at 690 on the dial and could be heard throughout most of the state. Their main rival was KPOI which broadcast at 1380 on the AM dial as well as 97.5 on FM. KPOI’s AM played top 40 and was the most popular pop music station in Hawaii through much of the 1960s and early 1970s. Their FM played album rock tracks.
1971 Hit Records
Some of the hit records from 1971.
Every year, KKUA counted down the year’s Top 69 songs. The chart below is from the Top 69 of 1971 which listed Three Dog Night‘s “Joy to the World” as the #1 song of the year.
 Rank and TitleArtistPeak Pos. on Top 20
 1. Joy To The WorldThree Dog Night1
 2. I’ve Found Someone of My OwnFree Movement1
 3. Just My ImaginationTemptations1
 4. Smiling Faces (Sometimes)Undisputed Truth1
 5. TimothyThe Buoys1
 6. Go Away Little GirlDonny Osmond1
 7. Knock Three TimesDawn1
 8. Indian ReservationThe Raiders1
 9. One Bad AppleOsmonds1
 10. Chatto-Matte-KudasaiSam Kapu1
 11. My Sweet LordGeorge Harrison1
 12. Precious & Few *Climax featuring Sonny Geraci1
 13. I’m So PoudMain Ingredient1
 14. Sweet City WomanThe Stampeders1
 15. Life Is That WayJose Feliciano1
 16. It’s ImpossiblePerry Como1
 17. DominoVan Morrison1
 18. SuperstarThe Carpenters1
 19. WoodstockMatthew’s Southern Comfort2
 20. Never Can Say GoodbyeJackson Five2
 21. Gypsies, Tramps & TheivesCher2
 22. Maggie MayRod Stewart2
 23. Yo YoOsmonds2
 24. Sweet & InnocentDonny Osmond2
 25. It’s Too LateCarole King2
 26. Mr. Big StuffJean Knight1
 27. Stay AwhileThe Bells2
 28. Don’t Pull Your LoveHamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds2
 29. IfBread2
 30. Black Magic WomanSantana2
 31. For All We KnowThe Carpenters2
 32. The Pushbike SongMixtures2
 33. MandrillMandrill2
 34. I Can’t StopOsmonds2
 35. Tears of A ClownSmokey Robinson & the Miracles2
 36. Stick-UpHoneycone2
 37. LiarThree Dog Night2
 38. Watcha See, is Watcha GetThe Dramatics2
 39. Your SongElton John3
 40. Draggin’ The LineTommy James2
 41. Morning Of Our LivesThe Arkade3
 42. How Can You Mend A Broken HeartBee Gees3
 43. I Hear Those ChurchbellsDusk2
 44. Proud MaryIke & Tina Turner2
 45. I Love You For All SeasonsFuzz3
 46. We Can Make It GirlSociety of Seven3
 47. Ain’t No SunshineBill Withers3
 48. Albert FlasherGuess Who3
 49. Most of AllB.J. Thomas3
 50. Three Cheers For LoveDick Jensen3
 51. Mama’s PearlJackson Five4
 52. Rainy Days And MondaysThe Carpenters4
 53. No Matter WhatBadfinger4
 54. I Do Take YouThree Degrees4
 55. Somebody’s Been Sleeping100 Proof Aged in Soul4
 56. Just An Old Fashioned Love  SongThree Dog Night4
 57. I Just Want To CelebrateRare Earth4
 58. Put Your Hand In The HandOcean4
 59. Oye Como VaSantana4
 60. Love Means (You Never Have To Say You’re Sorry)Sounds of Sunshine4
 61. GamesRedeye5
 62. Brown SugarRolling Stones5
 63. LolaThe Kinks5
 64. I Dig Everything About YouThe Mob5
 65. Love SongThe Vogues5
 66. What Are You Doing    Sunday?Dawn5
 67. Baby I’m A Want YouBread5
 68. Frisco BaySociety of Seven5
 69. Born To WonderRare Earth5

The big hit of 1971 that was played to death on KKUA and practically all other top 40 stations was 
Three Dog Night‘s “Joy To The World.” The song was at the number one spot for was seven weeks, making it the most popular song on KKUA.CHART NOTES: 
That year a number of local records got airplay on mainstream Top 40 radio. The most prominent local hit of 1971 was Sam Kapu‘s “Chatto Matte Kudasai” which at first sounded totally out of place on a top 40 format, but eventually got so popular that it went number one in the summer summer. Records by the Society of Seven, who at the time had a record deal with Uni Records (which later became MCA) charted with the singles “We Can Make It Girl,” and “Frisco Bay”. Dick Jensencharted with his top 40 hit single, “Three Cheers For Love.” The local hits are indicated by blue type.
Climax‘s “Precious And Few” was a number 1 hit in Hawaii during the summer of 1971 before breaking out nationally in 1972. The group was very popular in Hawaii having charted several more times with the hits “Life And Breath,” “Walking in the Georgia Rain” and “Caroline This Time”.
Several nationally released singles were hot in Hawaii and nowhere else. These included “Morning of Our Lives” by The Arkade, “Life is That Way” by José Feliciano, “I Dig Everything About You” by The Mob, “Love Song” by The Vogues, “Mandrill” by Mandrill, “I Can’t Stop” by The Osmonds, “I Hear Those Churchbells Ringing” by Dusk, and “The Pushbike Song” by The Mixtures.
Other songs that got a lot of airplay in 1971 that did not make this chart included “Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep” by Middle of the Road, “Give Up Your Guns” by The Buoys and “Keep it in the Family” by The Road Home.
Among the popular albums of 1971 were Three Dog Night‘s “Naturally” which contained the #1 hit “Joy To The World” as well as the very radio friendly ballad “Sunlight,” a track that never was released as a single. Also popular was Carole King‘s “Tapestry”, Santana‘s “Abraxus”, Sly & the Family Stone‘s “There’s a Riot Going On,” and several albums by theJackson Five and Osmonds.
KKUA’s 1971 Personalities included the following:
Jim Peters 6:AM
Steven B. Williams 9:AM
Gene Davis 12 noon
Ron King 3:PM
Scott Edwards 6:PM
Dick Wainwright 9:PM
Rick Shannon Midnight

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