Songs Casey Never Played, 5/15/76

By Wm. on May 23, 2026

Let’s get caught up, more or less, with this series of AT40 wannabees from 50 years ago. This time out they’re all from acts with which I have reasonable familiarity, with one exception.

95. Tammy Wynette, “‘Til I Can Make It on My Own”
Wynette was perhaps getting close to the end of her commercial peak by 1976–there were several Top 10 appearances on the country singles chart yet to come, but this incredible performance turned out to be her penultimate #1 country hit. It was also Wynette’s last time on the Hot 100 (about to climb to #84) until the KLF recruited her for “Justified and Ancient” fifteen years later.

89. John Fogerty, “You Got the Magic”
My stated intention at the outset of this excursion back to 1976 was to feature only songs new to me. I’m making an exception here for a song that I decided merited mention–I can distinctly recall “You Got the Magic” receiving airplay on Cincinnati’s WSAI that spring. Originally slated to be the lead single of a never-released album called Hoodoo, it had one more week and two more spot to climb.

88. Yvonne Fair, “It Should Have Been Me”
Co-penned by Norman Whitfield and first a #40 hit for Gladys Knight & the Pips in 1968. Fair absolutely burns the house down with her cover, which made it to #5 in the UK (it stalled out at #85 here in the States). The embedded clip appears to be snipped from a 1991 Jools Holland British TV movie called Mr. Roadrunner.

73. Melissa Manchester, “Better Days”
Follow-up single to “Just You and I,” which had reached #27 back in March. I don’t know I’d say “Better Days” is as awesome as that one, but it’s darn good, certainly deserving of higher than a #71 peak.

64. Donna Summer, “Could It Be Magic”
Pretty decent take on the Manilow hit from the previous year, yet it feels like it could be even more magical than it is…I’m wondering what the 1978 version of Summer could have done with it. Would jump to #52 the following week, hold steady the next, and then drop off the chart completely.

42. Hot Chocolate, “Don’t Stop It Now”
I hear a mix of the lust in “You Sexy Thing” and the plaintive agony of “Emma” in the line, “Keep on giving it to ME.” Man, the late Errol Brown sure could bring it. As you might expect, this is where “Don’t Stop It Now” topped out.