Song of the Year 1973

Since his beginnings as a 13 year old prodigy hitting the charts in 1963 with Fingertips, this was Stevie Wonder's biggest year on the charts. Touring with the then hot Rolling Stones, Superstition and You are the Sunshine of my Life crossed over to become successful best sellers beyond his Motown Records career. By the way, his real name was Stevland Hardaway Judkins. Bio of Stevie Wonder at NNDB

Billboard Top 40 of 1973

Tony Orlando Tie A Yellow Ribbon

1. Tie A Yellow Ribbon, Tony Orlando and Dawn
2. Bad Bad Leroy Brown, Jim Croce
3. Killing Me Softly With His Song, Roberta Flack
4. Let's Get It On, Marvin Gaye
5. My Love, Paul McCartney and Wings
6. Why Me, Kris Kristofferson
7. Crocodile Rock, Elton John
8. Will It Go Round In Circles, Billy Preston
9. You're So Vain, Carly Simon
10. Touch Me In The Morning, Diana Ross
11. The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia, Vicki Lawrence
12. Playground In My Mind, Clint Holmes
13. Brother Louie, Stories
14. Delta Dawn, Helen Reddy
15. Me And Mrs. Jones, Billy Paul
16. Frankenstein, Edgar Winter Group
17. Drift Away, Dobie Gray
18. Little Willy, Sweet
19. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, Stevie Wonder
20. Half Breed, Cher
21. That Lady, Isley Bros.
22. Pillow Talk, Sylvia
23. We're An American Band, Grand Funk Railroad
24. Right Place, Wrong Time, Dr. John
25. Wildflower, Skylark
26. Superstition, Stevie Wonder
27. Loves Me Like A Rock, Paul Simon
28. The Morning After, Maureen McGovern
29. Rocky Mountain High, John Denver
30. Stuck In The Middle With You, Stealers Wheel
31. Shambala, Three Dog Night
32. Love Train, O'Jays
33. I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More, Barry White
34. Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose, Tony Orlando and Dawn
35. Keep On Truckin' (Pt. 1), Eddie Kendricks
36. Dancing In The Moonlight, King Harvest
37. Danny's Song, Anne Murray
38. Monster Mash, Bobby "Boris" Pickett and The Crypt Kickers
39. Natural High, Bloodstone
40. Diamond Girl, Seals and Crofts

Top Albums of 1973

Music News 1973

The one day concert, Summer Jam at Watkins Glen, New York draws a bigger than Woodstock did in 1969. 600,000 fans coming to see The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers Band and The Band. Newspaper account of the time

Pink Floyd gives us Dark Side of the Moon, with the hit song Money which becomes one of the classic rock albums of all time.

Elvis Presley's concert in Hawaii is as of that time the most expensive show ever produced and watched by the most people live, a billion people worldwide. The Elvis Concert in Hawaii

Rock & Roll 1973

Brother of popular Blues guitarist Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter teams up with Rick Derringer (Hoochie Goochie Rock and Roll) to form the Edgar Winter Group. The album They Only Come Out at Night has two hits, Frankenstein and Free Ride, both had good radio play. Edgar Winter's Frankenstein

Hard and Heavy 1973

Grand Funk Railroad was a very successful band on the concert tour and sold more albums in 1970 than any other American Band. But it was not until 1973 with the song American Band that band leader Mark Farner came to the top of the game. Grand Funk, the beginnings

Rhythm & Blues 1973

Marvin Gaye who came to fame with Tammi Terrell in 1967 with his R & B hit I Heard it Through the Grapevine, followed by a political hit in 1971 with What's Going On and moving to sex with Let's Get it On in 1973. A top money maker for Motown Records Marvin Gaye was shot and killed by his father in 1984. The Marvin Gaye Story

Folk and Country Rock 1973

Influenced by Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstat's backup band is formed into the Eagles in 1972 with hit songs Take it Easy and Witchy Woman. Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner follow in 1973 with another hit album Desperado. Eagles Home Page

Southern Rock

Following the success of Southern Rockers The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd puts some good ole boy confederate flag politics into their music and with the song Freebird become an overnight hit. The song Alabama the following year closed the deal and they were on their way to the top until lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and vocalist Cassie Gaines were killed in a plane crash in 1977. Their name comes from misspelling their high school gym teacher who didn't like long hair. History of Lynyrd Skynyrd

Country & Western 1973

Prolific song writer Kris Kristofferson and his wife Rita Coolidge do 3 duet albums together, this is their first album. More on the life and times of Kris Kristofferson