TOP 40 ACTS OF THE ROCK ERA
(The Very First American Top 40 Special)
Broadcast 1st May 1971
| Pos | Artist |
Song Played |
Accomplishments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elvis Presley |
Don't Be Cruel/It's Now Of Never/Suspicious Minds | 18 #1 hits, 37 Top 10 hits, 95 Top 40 hits |
| 2 | The Beatles | I Want To Hold Your Hand/Let It Be | 20 #1 hits, 32 Top 10 hits, 47 Top 40 hits |
| 3 | Pat Boone | Love Letters In the Sand | 5 #1 hits, 12 Top 10 hits, 38 Top 40 hits |
| 4 | Connie Francis | Who's Sorry Now | 3 #1 hits, 16 Top 10 hits, 35 Top 40 hits |
| 5 | The Supremes | Where Did Our Love Go | 12 #1 hits, 20 Top 10 hits, 29 Top 40 hits |
| 6 | Rick Nelson | Poor Little Fool | 2 #1 hits, 17 Top 10 hits, 35 Top 40 hits |
| 7 | Ray Charles | Hit the Road Jack | 3 #1 hits, 11 Top 10 hits, 30 Top 40 hits |
| 8 | The Four Seasons | Sherry | 4 #1 hits, 13 Top 10 hits, 27 Top 40 hits |
| 9 | Fats Domino | Blueberry Hill | No #1 hits, 8 Top 10 hits, 36 Top 40 hits |
| 10 | Brenda Lee | I'm Sorry | 2 #1 hits, 12 Top 10 hits, 29 Top 40 hits |
| 11 | The Everly Brothers | Bye Bye Love | 3 #1 hits, 15 Top 10 hits, 27 Top 40 hits |
| 12 | James Brown | I Got You (I Feel Good) | No #1 hits, 6 Top 10 hits, 32 Top 40 hits |
| 13 | Marvin Gaye | I Heard It Through the Grapevine | 1 #1 hit, 12 Top 10 hits, 29 Top 40 hits |
| 14 | Bobby Vinton | Blue Velvet | 4 #1 hits, 8 Top 10 hits, 26 Top 40 hits |
| 15 | Bobby Darin | Mack the Knife | 1 #1 hit, 10 Top 10 hits, 22 Top 40 hits |
| 16 | Sam Cooke | You Send Me | 1 #1 hit, 5 Top 10 hits, 29 Top 40 hits |
| 17 | The Beach Boys | Good Vibrations | 3 #1 hits, 13 Top 10 hits, 27 Top 40 hits |
| 18 | The Rolling Stones | (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction | 5 #1 hits, 12 Top 10 hits, 18 Top 40 hits |
| 19 | The Temptations | Ball Of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today) | 3 #1 hits, 13 Top 10 hits, 27 Top 40 hits |
| 20 | The Miracles | Shop Around | 1 #1 hit, 4 Top 10 hits, 26 Top 40 hits |
| 21 | Paul Anka | Diana | 1 #1 hit, 8 Top 10 hits, 25 Top 40 hits |
| 22 | Nat King Cole | Rambin' Rose | No #1 hits, 6 Top 10 hits, 25 Top 40 hits |
| 23 | Perry Como | It's Impossible | 1 #1 hits, 7 Top 10 hits, 27 Top 40 hits |
| 24 | The Platters | Smoke Gets In Your Eyes | 2 #1 hits, 7 Top 10 hits, 23 Top 40 hits |
| 25 | Chubby Checker | The Twist | 3 #1 hits (one hit #1 twice), 8 Top 10 hits, 22 Top 40 hits |
| 26 | Dean Martin | Everybody Loves Somebody | 2 #1 hits, 5 Top 10 hits, 17 Top 40 hits |
| 27 | Brook Benton | It's Just a Matter Of Time | No #1 hits, 8 Top 10 hits, 24 Top 40 hits |
| 28 | Andy Williams | Can't Get Used To Losing You | 1 #1 hit, 8 Top 10 hits, 26 Top 40 hits |
| 29 | Frank Sinatra | Strangers In the Night | 2 #1 hits, 8 Top 10 hits, 27 Top 40 hits |
| 30 | The 5th Dimension | Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failure) (Medley) | 2 #1 hits, 5 Top 10 hits,15 Top 40 hits |
| 31 | Roy Orbison | Oh, Pretty Woman | 2 #1 hits, 9 Top 10 hits, 22 Top 40 hits |
| 32 | Areatha Franklin | I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Loved You) | 1 #1 hit, 10 Top 10 hits, 23 Top 40 hits |
| 33 | Dionne Warwick | This Guy's In Love With You | No #1 hits, 8 Top 10 hits, 22 Top 40 hits |
| 34 | Jackie Wilson | Lonely Teardrops | No #1 hits, 6 Top 10 hits, 24 Top 40 hits |
| 35 | Simon and Garfunkel | Mrs. Robinson | 3 #1 hits, 7 Top 10 hits, 13 Top 40 hits |
| 36 | Stevie Wonder | Fingertips (Part 2) | 1 #1 hit, 11 Top 10 hits, 20 Top 40 hits |
| 37 | The Young Rascals/The Rascals | People Got To Be Free | 3 #1 hits, 6 Top 10 hits, 13 Top 40 hits |
| 38 | The Monkees | I'm a Believer | 3 #1 hits, 6 Top 10 hits, 11 Top 40 hits |
| 39 | The Four Tops | Baby, I Need Your Loving | 2 #1 hits, 5 Top 10 hits, 17 Top 40 hits |
| 40 | Dion | Abraham, Martin and John | 1 #1 hit, 9 Top 10 hits, 14 Top 40 hits |
The very first non-year end countdown done by American Top 40. As nothing like it was done before, it makes for interesting listening. The songs selected for each artist were usually the acts' biggest hit, but for some a more recent hit was played. Top 2 artists has more than one song played. The special was in part necessary for AT40 to do. According the "American Top 40: The Countdown of the Century" by Rob Durkee, until this week, AT40 in fact played the Top 40 of the Hot 100 chart one week ahead. For instance, when the first AT40 show was broadcast on the 4th of July weekend 1970, the 11th of July chart was used. For the 11th of July show, the 18th of July chart was used and so on. So in fact, people were listening to the top 40 songs before they were even published in Billboard! After awhile it became a bit too awkward and hectic to do this so it was decided to broadcast the chart for the weekend the show was to be broadcast. The 24th of April 1971 show broadcast the 1st of May 1971 chart. When the regular countdowns resumed on the 8th of May 1971 weekend, it broadcast the 8th of May chart. So the AT40 listeners actually never missed a chart when they heard this special.