4 Incredible Songs That Topped Out at No. 10 in 1977

We’re turning our attention today to the year 1977. Music fans know that it was a time when disco ruled the roost, while rock bands also were enjoying huge success. Soft rock was also starting to rise in popularity around this time. It made for a wild time on the pop charts. Let’s focus on four songs that are absolute classics but got stuck at No. 10 in that unforgettable year.

“Walk This Way” by Aerosmith

This song benefited from both a re-release and a remake. Aerosmith first released “Walk This Way” as a single off their Toys In The Attic LP in 1975. Although it didn’t do anything at first, their record company gave it another spin a year later once the band had earned a bit more notoriety. By early 1977, the song, written by Aerosmith’s lead singer Steven Tyler and lead guitarist Joe Perry, had risen to No. 10. Nine years later, Run-DMC noted that Tyler’s fast-talking lyrics weren’t all that far off from a typical hip-hop flow. Their collaboration with Aerosmith on a remake put the song at No. 4 and helped the Boston hard rockers regain their commercial footing after a long dry spell.

“Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac

One of the great kiss-off songs in rock history always carried a little bit of an extra edge to it because folks knew that it was one band member singing about another. Lindsey Buckingham was reflecting on the icy aftermath of his failed romantic relationship with Stevie Nicks. And let’s just say he didn’t pull any punches. Nonetheless, the song sounds invigorating even amidst all the bad vibes. Much credit goes to Mick Fleetwood’s primal wallop of a drumbeat and Buckingham’s guitar attack, both his tinkling acoustic and strutting electric. The song epitomized the brutal honesty that made the Mac’s Rumours album so iconic. And it became a thrilling live spectacle every time they trotted it out over the years.

“Maybe I’m Amazed” by Paul McCartney & Wings

Don’t fret, we haven’t messed up the years here. Even casual fans of The Beatles and their solo exploits likely know that “Maybe I’m Amazed” first appeared in 1970 on Paul McCartney’s debut solo LP, McCartney. Unlike most of the rest of that record, which sounded off-the-cuff and improvisatory, this track featured McCartney doing a full production job on it. But he wouldn’t release it as a single. Seven years later, he did a 180. Only the version he released came from the album Wings Over America. That live record rehashed the tour where McCartney first started playing old Beatles songs once again with his new group. He and the band also dove into a passionate performance of “Maybe I’m Amazed”, a sneaky Top 10 hit in ’77.

“Swayin’ To The Music (Slow Dancing)” by Johnny Rivers

This hit featured an interesting combination of talents. Jack Tempchin wrote the song. If that name rings a bell, it’s probably because of his work writing classics for Eagles like “Peaceful Easy Feeling” and “Already Gone” and for his later writing partnership with Glenn Frey as a solo artist. Tempchin was also an artist in his own right, releasing this song in 1976 with the band The Funky Kings. Meanwhile, Johnny Rivers, who did most of his chart damage in the 60s, snapped a little bit of a commercial slump with his cover of “Swayin’ To The Music (Slow Dancing)” in 1977. Rivers gave Tempchin’s lyrics a measured, luxurious reading and ended up with his last Top 10 hit in the process.

(Photo by Ron Pownall/Getty Images)