1977 Billboard Number One Hits: Every Hot 100 Chart-Topper

The 1977 Billboard Number One Hits list captured pop music in a major transition year. Soft rock, soul, disco, movie themes, country-pop, arena rock, and early signs of the late-1970s soundtrack boom all shared the top spot. Rod Stewart opened the year with Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright), Debby Boone dominated with You Light Up My Life, and the Bee Gees closed the year with How Deep Is Your Love, pointing directly toward the disco explosion of 1978.

This page follows the Billboard Hot 100 issue dates for 1977, shown here as reader-friendly weekly date ranges. Because Billboard chart weeks can cross calendar years, this list begins with Rod Stewart’s late-1976 carryover and continues into early 1978 with the Bee Gees’ How Deep Is Your Love.

The Billboard Hot 100 ranks the most popular songs in the United States using radio airplay and sales. These are official Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 songs, not pop-only, adult-contemporary-only, disco-only, R&B-only, country-only, or “this was definitely playing in every wood-paneled living room” rankings.

1977 Billboard Number One Hits by Week

January 1 – January 7, 1977: Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright) – Rod Stewart
January 8 – January 14, 1977: You Don’t Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show) – Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr.
January 15 – January 21, 1977: You Make Me Feel Like Dancing – Leo Sayer
January 22 – January 28, 1977: I Wish – Stevie Wonder
January 29 – February 4, 1977: Car Wash – Rose Royce
February 5 – February 18, 1977: Torn Between Two Lovers – Mary MacGregor
February 19 – February 25, 1977: Blinded by the Light – Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
February 26 – March 4, 1977: New Kid in Town – Eagles
March 5 – March 25, 1977: Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born) – Barbra Streisand
March 26 – April 8, 1977: Rich Girl – Daryl Hall and John Oates
April 9 – April 15, 1977: Dancing Queen – ABBA
April 16 – April 22, 1977: Don’t Give Up on Us – David Soul
April 23 – April 29, 1977: Don’t Leave Me This Way – Thelma Houston
April 30 – May 6, 1977: Southern Nights – Glen Campbell
May 7 – May 13, 1977: Hotel California – Eagles
May 14 – May 20, 1977: When I Need You – Leo Sayer
May 21 – June 10, 1977: Sir Duke – Stevie Wonder
June 11 – June 17, 1977: I’m Your Boogie Man – KC and the Sunshine Band
June 18 – June 24, 1977: Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
June 25 – July 1, 1977: Got to Give It Up – Marvin Gaye
July 2 – July 8, 1977: Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky) – Bill Conti
July 9 – July 15, 1977: Undercover Angel – Alan O’Day
July 16 – July 22, 1977: Da Doo Ron Ron – Shaun Cassidy
July 23 – July 29, 1977: Looks Like We Made It – Barry Manilow
July 30 – August 19, 1977: I Just Want to Be Your Everything – Andy Gibb
August 20 – September 16, 1977: Best of My Love – The Emotions
September 17 – September 23, 1977: I Just Want to Be Your Everything – Andy Gibb
September 24 – September 30, 1977: Best of My Love – The Emotions
October 1 – October 14, 1977: Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band – Meco
October 15 – December 23, 1977: You Light Up My Life – Debby Boone
December 24, 1977 – January 14, 1978: How Deep Is Your Love – Bee Gees

Song-by-Song Notes on the 1977 Billboard No. 1 Hits

Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright) – Rod Stewart

Rod Stewart opened the 1977 Billboard Hot 100 calendar with Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright), a late-1976 carryover. The song’s intimate tone and soft rock production made it one of Stewart’s biggest American singles.

Its one 1977 chart week capped a long No. 1 run that had begun the previous year. It gave the new chart year a smooth, slightly scandalous start, which was very Rod Stewart of it.

You Don’t Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show) – Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr.

Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. reached No. 1 with You Don’t Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show). The husband-and-wife duo had already been part of The 5th Dimension, but this gave them a major chart-topper under their own names.

Its one-week run blended pop, soul, and adult-contemporary appeal, making it a warm early-year hit.

You Make Me Feel Like Dancing – Leo Sayer

Leo Sayer reached No. 1 with You Make Me Feel Like Dancing, a falsetto-driven pop-disco hit that became one of his signature songs. The song’s bright energy fit neatly into the dance-friendly direction pop was taking in the late 1970s.

Its one-week stay was the first of two Leo Sayer No. 1 songs during the 1977 chart year.

I Wish – Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder topped the Hot 100 with I Wish, a funk-driven single from Songs in the Key of Life. The song looked back at childhood with a groove strong enough to keep nostalgia from getting too sleepy.

Its one-week run gave Wonder another No. 1 from one of the most celebrated albums in pop and soul history.

Car Wash – Rose Royce

Rose Royce reached No. 1 with Car Wash, the funky title song from the film of the same name. Produced by Norman Whitfield, the track turned a workplace comedy soundtrack into a major pop and R&B hit.

Its one-week run made the phrase “car wash” sound a lot more glamorous than the actual job usually feels.

Torn Between Two Lovers – Mary MacGregor

Mary MacGregor spent two weeks at No. 1 with Torn Between Two Lovers, a soft pop ballad about romantic conflict. Its gentle arrangement and direct storytelling made it a natural fit for adult-contemporary radio.

The song’s success gave MacGregor her signature hit and one of the year’s most recognizable ballads.

Blinded by the Light – Manfred Mann’s Earth Band

Manfred Mann’s Earth Band reached No. 1 with Blinded by the Light, a cover of a Bruce Springsteen song. Their version transformed the original into a progressive rock and pop-radio hit with one of the most famously misheard lyrics in classic rock.

It remains the only Springsteen-written song to top the Billboard Hot 100. The Boss wrote it; Manfred Mann’s Earth Band drove it to No. 1.

New Kid in Town – Eagles

Eagles reached No. 1 with New Kid in Town, the first Hot 100 chart-topper from Hotel California. The song’s smooth harmonies and reflective lyric captured the band’s polished California rock sound.

Its one-week run started a major 1977 chart year for Eagles, who returned to No. 1 a few months later with the album’s title track.

Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born) – Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand spent three weeks at No. 1 with Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born). The song was tied to the 1976 film A Star Is Born and became one of Streisand’s signature ballads.

It later won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, giving the year one of its strongest movie-music connections before the later soundtrack boom became impossible to miss.

Rich Girl – Daryl Hall and John Oates

Daryl Hall and John Oates reached No. 1 for the first time with Rich Girl. The song’s polished pop-soul sound helped establish the duo as major hitmakers before their even bigger early-1980s run.

Its two-week stay was an early chart summit for a pair that would become one of the most reliable Hot 100 acts of the next decade.

Dancing Queen – ABBA

ABBA earned its only U.S. Hot 100 No. 1 with Dancing Queen. The Swedish group’s disco-pop classic became one of the most beloved dance songs of the 1970s and a long-running pop-culture favorite.

Its one-week American chart peak was brief, but the song’s afterlife has been enormous. Some songs age; this one keeps finding new dance floors.

Don’t Give Up on Us – David Soul

David Soul reached No. 1 with Don’t Give Up on Us, a soft pop ballad released while he was widely known for starring on Starsky & Hutch. The song’s gentle arrangement and television-star visibility helped it cross over strongly.

Its one-week run made Soul one of several actor-singers to land a major Hot 100 moment in the 1970s.

Don’t Leave Me This Way – Thelma Houston

Thelma Houston topped the Hot 100 with Don’t Leave Me This Way, a dramatic disco and soul classic. Originally associated with Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Houston’s version turned the song into a full dance-floor anthem.

Its one-week run helped mark disco’s growing mainstream power in 1977. The voice did not ask politely; it demanded the room.

Southern Nights – Glen Campbell

Glen Campbell reached No. 1 with Southern Nights, a country-pop version of Allen Toussaint’s song. Campbell’s recording turned it into a bright, easygoing crossover hit.

Its one-week run gave Campbell another major pop success after years of visibility in country, pop, and television.

Hotel California – Eagles

Eagles reached No. 1 again with Hotel California, one of the band’s most famous recordings. The song’s mysterious lyric, layered guitars, and long closing solo made it one of classic rock’s defining singles.

Its one-week Hot 100 run was short compared with its cultural life. Apparently, you can check out of a chart week, but the song never really leaves.

When I Need You – Leo Sayer

Leo Sayer returned to No. 1 with When I Need You, a soft ballad written by Albert Hammond and Carole Bayer Sager. The song showcased a smoother adult pop side after the dance energy of “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing”.

Its one-week run made Sayer one of the few artists with two Hot 100 No. 1 songs in 1977.

Sir Duke – Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder spent three weeks at No. 1 with Sir Duke, a joyful tribute to Duke Ellington and other jazz greats. The song’s brass arrangement, celebratory lyric, and upbeat rhythm made it one of the brightest singles from Songs in the Key of Life.

Its run gave Wonder his second No. 1 of 1977 and one of the year’s most musically affectionate hits.

I’m Your Boogie Man – KC and the Sunshine Band

KC and the Sunshine Band reached No. 1 with I’m Your Boogie Man, another groove-heavy dance hit from one of the decade’s most successful disco and funk-pop acts. The song’s playful title and tight rhythm made it a natural dance-floor single.

Its one-week stay added to the group’s run of mid-1970s chart success.

Dreams – Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac earned its only Hot 100 No. 1 with Dreams, from Rumours. Stevie Nicks’ vocal and the song’s cool, understated groove made it one of the album’s defining tracks.

Its one-week run does not reflect its long cultural life. Decades later, Dreams found new audiences through streaming, memes, and one very famous cranberry-juice skateboard ride.

Got to Give It Up – Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye reached No. 1 with Got to Give It Up, a loose, party-like funk and disco single. The recording’s live-party atmosphere made it feel less like a studio track and more like a room listeners had wandered into.

Its one-week run gave Gaye his third and final Hot 100 No. 1 as a solo artist.

Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky) – Bill Conti

Bill Conti reached No. 1 with Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky), the instrumental theme from Rocky. The song became inseparable from training montages, underdog stories, and the image of Rocky Balboa running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Its one-week run gave 1977 one of its strongest movie-theme moments. No lyrics needed — just horns, sweat, and stairs.

Undercover Angel – Alan O’Day

Alan O’Day reached No. 1 with Undercover Angel, a quirky soft pop hit with a fantasy-like storyline. O’Day had already found success as a songwriter, including work recorded by other artists.

Its one-week run made him a rare example of a songwriter landing his own Hot 100 chart-topper as a performer.

Da Doo Ron Ron – Shaun Cassidy

Shaun Cassidy reached No. 1 with Da Doo Ron Ron, a remake of The Crystals’ 1963 hit. Cassidy’s version brought the oldies-pop song to a new teen audience during his peak television and music popularity.

Its one-week run was part nostalgia, part teen idol momentum, and very much part of 1977’s variety-pack chart.

Looks Like We Made It – Barry Manilow

Barry Manilow reached No. 1 with Looks Like We Made It, a dramatic adult-pop ballad. The song gave Manilow another major Hot 100 peak during his mid-1970s commercial prime.

Its one-week stay showed that traditional pop balladry still had plenty of space at No. 1, even as disco and rock were growing louder.

I Just Want to Be Your Everything – Andy Gibb

Andy Gibb reached No. 1 with I Just Want to Be Your Everything, his debut single and first major American hit. Written by Barry Gibb, the song introduced Andy as part of the broader Gibb family chart story that would soon dominate the late 1970s.

Its No. 1 run was interrupted by The Emotions, then returned for another week in September. The chart practically had a revolving door for Andy Gibb and Best of My Love.

Best of My Love – The Emotions

The Emotions spent five total weeks at No. 1 with Best of My Love, though the run was interrupted by Andy Gibb. Produced by Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire, the song became one of the biggest soul and disco-pop hits of the year.

Its bright groove and powerhouse vocals made it one of 1977’s most joyful chart-toppers. It did not just bring love; it brought a horn section’s worth of good mood.

Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band – Meco

Meco reached No. 1 with Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band, a disco version of John Williams’ music from Star Wars. The single captured the film’s enormous cultural impact and filtered it through the late 1970s dance-floor sound.

Its two-week run was one of the most unusual movie-related hits of the decade. The Force was strong, and apparently it had a beat.

You Light Up My Life – Debby Boone

Debby Boone spent 10 weeks at No. 1 with You Light Up My Life, the longest Hot 100 run of 1977. The ballad came from the film of the same name and became Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 song.

Its long reign made it one of the biggest pop singles of the decade. It was gentle, earnest, and absolutely immovable for 10 weeks.

How Deep Is Your Love – Bee Gees

The Bee Gees closed the 1977 Billboard Hot 100 year with How Deep Is Your Love, which carried into January 1978. The song came from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack and introduced the group’s massive soundtrack-era run.

Its cross-year success was a preview of 1978, when the Bee Gees and the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack would dominate the Hot 100. The disco wave had not fully crashed in yet, but you could already hear the bassline offshore.

Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Stories of 1977

You Light Up My Life Was Billboard’s Year-End No. 1

Debby Boone’s You Light Up My Life spent 10 weeks at No. 1 and finished as Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 song of 1977. It was the year’s longest-running chart-topper and one of the biggest ballads of the decade.

Soundtracks Became a Major Chart Force

Car Wash, Evergreen, Gonna Fly Now, Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band, You Light Up My Life, and How Deep Is Your Love all had film connections. The 1977 chart strongly pointed toward the soundtrack-heavy years that followed.

Disco Kept Building Toward Its Peak

You Make Me Feel Like Dancing, Car Wash, Don’t Leave Me This Way, I’m Your Boogie Man, Got to Give It Up, Best of My Love, and Meco’s Star Wars disco adaptation all showed how dance music was moving closer to the center of pop.

Leo Sayer, Stevie Wonder, and Eagles Each Had Two No. 1 Songs

Leo Sayer reached No. 1 with You Make Me Feel Like Dancing and When I Need You. Stevie Wonder topped the chart with I Wish and Sir Duke, while Eagles reached No. 1 with New Kid in Town and Hotel California.

The Bee Gees Set Up 1978

How Deep Is Your Love reached No. 1 at the end of 1977 and carried into 1978. It was the opening move in the Bee Gees’ Saturday Night Fever chart takeover.

1977 Billboard Number One Hits Trivia

You Light Up My Life by Debby Boone was Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 song of 1977.
You Light Up My Life spent 10 weeks at No. 1, the longest Hot 100 run of the year.
Leo Sayer, Stevie Wonder, and Eagles were the only acts with two Hot 100 No. 1 songs during 1977.
Dancing Queen gave ABBA its only U.S. Hot 100 No. 1.
Dreams gave Fleetwood Mac its only Hot 100 No. 1.
Blinded by the Light remains the only Bruce Springsteen-written song to top the Hot 100.
Gonna Fly Now became the famous theme associated with Rocky Balboa’s training run in Philadelphia.
Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band turned John Williams’ movie music into a disco No. 1.
How Deep Is Your Love closed 1977 and set up the Bee Gees’ huge 1978 chart year.

Why the 1977 Billboard Number One Hits Matter

The 1977 Billboard Number One Hits list shows pop music moving toward the late-1970s soundtrack and disco boom. Film songs were everywhere, dance music was gaining power, and soft rock still had a strong grip on radio.

The year also produced several one-of-a-kind chart milestones: ABBA’s only U.S. No. 1, Fleetwood Mac’s only No. 1, Debby Boone’s 10-week ballad reign, and Meco’s disco version of Star Wars. That is a very 1977 sentence, and somehow every part of it is true.

For chart fans, 1977 was a setup year: disco was rising, soundtracks were gaining muscle, the Bee Gees were about to take over, and pop radio still had plenty of room for ballads, rock, soul, country-pop, and one galaxy far, far away with a dance beat.