Adult Contemporary is a chart published by Billboard ranking the top-performing songs in the United States in the adult contemporary music (AC) market. In 1973, 26 songs topped the chart, then published under the title Easy Listening, based on playlists submitted by easy listening radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores.[1]
In the first issue of Billboard of 1973, the band Bread retained the number one position from the final chart of the previous year with "Sweet Surrender",[2] but the group held the top spot for only one further week before being replaced by "Been to Canaan" by Carole King. Helen Reddy had the highest total number of weeks at number one in 1973, spending two weeks in the top spot with "Delta Dawn" and four with "Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)". The latter song tied with "All I Know" by Art Garfunkel for the year's longest unbroken run at number one. Reddy, The Carpenters and Tony Orlando and Dawn were the only acts with more than one chart-topper during the year. Among acts to top the Easy Listening chart for the first time in 1973 was English singer Elton John,[3] a singer who would achieve consistent success on the chart for more than 40 years. By 2016 he held the records for both the greatest number of hits and the largest amount of number ones on the chart, and five years earlier Billboard had named him the most successful act of the listing's first 50 years.[4]
Helen Reddy's six weeks at number one was the highest total for any act in 1973."All I Know" by Art Garfunkel(pictured in 2017) was one of two songs to spend four weeks at number one.Elton John topped the chart for the first time with "Daniel". He would go on to be one of the most successful acts in the chart's history.
References
^Whitburn, Joel (2007). Joel Whitburn Presents Billboard Top Adult Songs, 1961-2006. Record Research Incorporated. p. vi. ISBN 9780898201697.
^ a b"Adult Contemporary chart for January 6, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
^"Elton John Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
^Trust, Gary (June 13, 2016). "Elton John Charts Record-Extending 72nd Adult Contemporary Hit". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2019.