Remembering The Inaugural Top 40 Countdown With Casey Kasem

The American Top 40 Countdown was broadcast each week by radio personality and actor Casey Kasem.

It was the must-listen-to radio show of the 1970s and ’80s. As Casey would say, “The countdown features the best-selling and most-played songs from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from Canada to Mexico.” For the next three hours, fans would hunker down and wait to find out what would be ranked the No. 1 Hit of the Week.

Casey Kasem hosted the original American Top 40 weekly radio program from the inaugural show on July 4, 1970, until August 6, 1988. Nostalgic America / Getty Images

DEBUT LINE UP – JULY 4, 1970

Here, we look back at twenty of the Top 40 songs in the line up of Casey Kasem’s inaugural show, on July 4, 1970.
Casey Kasem - Countdown 40 - 38
40: End Of Our Road - Marvin Gaye
39: Silver Bird - Mark Lindsey
38: Spill The Wine - Eric Burden Nostalgic America / Getty Images

Casey Kasem - Countdown 37 - 35

37: Go Back - Crabby Appleton
36: I Just Can't Help Believing - B.J. Thomas
35: Spirit In The Dark - Aretha Franklin Nostalgic America / Getty Images

Casey Kasem - Countdown 34 - 32

34: Mississippi - John Phillips
33: Westbound #9 - Flaming Ember
32: It's All In The Game - Four Tops Nostalgic America / Getty Images

Casey Kasem - Countdown 31

31: Save The Country - Fifth Dimension Nostalgic America / Getty Images

Casey Kasem - Countdown 30 - 29

30: Ohio - Crosby, Stills, Nash And Young
29: Everything Is Beautiful - Ray Stevens Nostalgic America / Getty Images

Casey Kasem - Countdown 28 - 27

28: Check Out Your Mind - Impressions
27: Question - Moody Blues Nostalgic America / Getty Images

Casey Kasem - Countdown 26

26: Signed, Sealed, Delivered - Stevie Wonder Nostalgic America / Getty Images

Casey Kasem - Countdown 25 - 24

25: Sugar, Sugar - Wilson Pickett
24: Teach Your Children - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Nostalgic America / Getty Images

Casey Kasem - Countdown 23 (tie)

23: Which Way You Goin' Billy - The Poppy
Family Oldie: Little Ole Man - Bill Cosby Nostalgic America / Getty Images

Casey Kasem - Countdown 22 - 15

22: Love On a Two-Way Street - Moments
21: Mississippi Queen - Mountain
20: Make It With You - Bread
19: Are You Ready - Pacific Gas & Electric
18: Love Land - Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
17: Tighter & Tighter - Alive And Kicking
16: My Baby Loves Lovin' - White Plains
15: A Song of Joy - Miguel Rios
15: Oldie: Hello Dolly - Louis Armstrong Nostalgic America / Getty Images

Casey Kasem - Countdown 14 - 9

14: United We Stand - Brotherhood Of Man
13: Get Ready - Rare Earth
12: Ooh Child - Stairsteps
11: Gimme Dat Ding - The Pipkins
10: Hitchin' A Ride - Vanity Fair
10: Oldie: Spinning Wheel - Blood Sweat & Tears
9: The Wonder Of You - Elvis Presley Nostalgic America / Getty Images

Casey Kasem - Countdown 8

8: The Long And Winding Road - Beatles Nostalgic America / Getty Images

Casey Kasem - Countdown 7

7: Close To You - Carpenters Nostalgic America / Getty Images

Casey Kasem - Countdown 6-3

6: Lay Down (Candles In The Wind) - Melanie
5: Band Of Gold - Freda Payne
4: Ride Captain Ride - Blues Image
3: Ball Of Confusion - Temptations Nostalgic America / Getty Images

Casey Kasem - Countdown 2 (tie)

2: The Love You Save - Jackson Five (Tie) Nostalgic America / Getty Images

Casey Kasem - Countdown 2 (tie)

2. Oldie: Satisfaction - Rolling Stones Nostalgic America / Getty Images

Casey Kasem - Countdown # 1

And now The First # 1 Hit!
Thanks to Casey Kasem and his legendary mix of factoids (where he told the story how Three Dog Night got its name). His first # 1 Song was:
Mama Told Me Not To Come - Three Dog Night Nostalgic America / Getty Images