45 years ago today, long before the Levitating vs. Leave the Door Open battle for #1, there was a huge controversy over the #1 battle between Baker Street and Shadow Dancing.

 

A music industry rumour has claimed that "Baker Street" did overtake "Shadow Dancing" in the US in one of its seven weeks at the summit in 1978, with Casey Kasem recording his American Top 40 countdown placing it at the top. However, at a dinner with Gibb's managers, then-Billboard chart director Bill Wardlow was allegedly told that if "Shadow Dancing" did not remain at #1, Gibb would be pulled from the lineup of an upcoming Billboard concert. Wardlow allegedly asked the magazine to leave the song at the top, and Kasem was told to re-record his countdown. Although this story is disputed, "Baker Street" did spend two weeks at #1 on the singles chart at rival magazine Cashbox, which had no obligations to Gibb or his managers.

 

The Top 10 that week:

 

July 15, 1978

01 01 Shadow Dancing - Andy Gibb (5th of 7 weeks at #1)
02 02 Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty
03 03 Take a Chance On Me - ABBA
04 04 Use Ta Be My Girl - The O'Jays
05 05 Still The Same - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
06 07 Miss You - The Rolling Stones
07 09 The Groove Line - Heatwave
08 08 Dance With Me - Peter Brown (w/Betty Wright)
09 06 It's a Heartache - Bonnie Tyler
10 13 Last Dance - Donna Summer

 

Baker Street: 

 

Shadow Dancing: 

 

I only heard Baker Street before. I’ve always liked that one. 

Shadow Dancing is by far  the better song . the sax solo from Baker Street was good though. in the weeks after Shadow Dancing was #1 it was  higher on the Hot 100  than Baker Street. Shadow Dancing was the #1 song of 1978 and Baker Street was # 26 .

 

Aug 5 1978  Shadow Dancing #5  Baker Street #6

Aug 12 1978 Shadow Dancing #15  Baker Street #16

Aug 19 1978 Shadow Dancing #30  Baker Street #33

Aug 26 1978 Shadow Dancing #40 Baker Street   #83

Edited July 15, 20233 yr by jdanton2

Baker Street all the way