#1 Jazz Albums of 1977: Side-by-Side Charts

---

Week	Billboard	Cash Box	Record World
Jan 1	Breezin’ George Benson	Breezin’ George Benson	Breezin’ George Benson
Jan 8
Jan 15
Jan 22			A Secret Place Grover Washington, Jr.
Jan 29	A Secret Place Grover Washington, Jr.	A Secret Place Grover Washington, Jr.
Feb 5
Feb 12
Feb 19		In Flight George Benson	In Flight George Benson
Feb 26	In Flight George Benson
Mar 5
Mar 12
Mar 19
Mar 26
Apr 2
Apr 9
Apr 16		Heavy Weather Weather Report
Apr 23		In Flight George Benson
Apr 30		Heavy Weather Weather Report
May 7
May 14
May 21			Heavy Weather Weather Report
May 28	Heavy Weather Weather Report
June 4
June 11	Conquistador Maynard Ferguson	Friends and Strangers Ronnie Laws
June 18		Heavy Weather Weather Report
June 25	In Flight George Benson	Free as the Wind The Crusaders	Free as the Wind The Crusaders
July 2
July 9	Free as the Wind The Crusaders
July 16
July 23			Lifestyle (Living and Loving) John Klemmer
July 30			Free as the Wind The Crusaders
Aug 6
Aug 13
Aug 20
Aug 27
Sept 3
Sept 10			Lifeline Roy Ayers Ubiquity
Sept 17
Sept 24
Oct 1
Oct 8			Nightwings Stanley Turrentine
Oct 15
Oct 22	Nightwings Stanley Turrentine		Engimatic Ocean Jean-Luc Ponty
Oct 29		Engimatic Ocean Jean-Luc Ponty
Nov 5
Nov 12			Reach for It George Duke
Nov 19
Nov 26	Enigmatic Ocean Jean-Luc Ponty	Feels So Good Chuck Mangione
Dec 3		Reach for It George Duke
Dec 10	Feels So Good Chuck Mangione
Dec 17		Heads Bob James
Dec 24
Dec 31
Week	Billboard	Cash Box	Record World

---

Dr. Smooth’s Flashback #15: Record World #1 albums of 1978

Spend an hour remembering the #1 jazz albums of 1978 according to Record World magazine.

Playlist:

---

Track 1: “Reach for It” by George Duke, from the album Reach for It.

---

Track 2: “You Make Me Dance” by Grover Washington, Jr., from the album Live at The Bijou.

---

Track 3: “Windsong” by George Benson from the album Weekend in L.A..

---

Track 4: “Maui-Waui” by Chuck Mangione, from the album, Feels So Good.

---

Track 5: “Stuff Like That” by Quincy Jones, from the album Sounds…And Stuff Like That!!.

---

Track 6: “Merry-Go-Round” by The Crusaders from the album Images.

---

Track 7: “Children of Sanchez” by Chuck Mangione, from the album Children of Sanchez.

---

Track 8: “Maracas Beach” by Grover Washington, Jr., from the album, Reed Seed.  

---

Track 9: “Young and Fine” by Weather Report, from the album Mr. Gone.

---

Thanks to Herc of Herc’s Hideaway for support.

Charting the Charts: Grover Washington, Jr – A Secret Place (1976)

---

Here’s a look at how the Grover Washington, Jr. album A Secret Place fared on various charts (chart peaks in bold):

1977	Billboard			Cash Box			Record World*
Date	200	Jazz	Soul	200	Jazz	R&B	200	Jazz	R&B
Jan 1					31
Jan 8			45	159	9	59	109
Jan 15	121	10	37	109	2	50	72	3	18
Jan 22	71		15	87	2	36	60
Jan 29	51	1	11	73	1	19	54	1	13
Feb 5	41		9	65	1	17	49	1	12
Feb 12	39	1	7	58	1	16	44	1	12
Feb 19	36		7	54	2	14	40	2	11
Feb 26	33	2	12	51	2	13	45
Mar 5	31		12	48	2	12	65	2	11
Mar 12	31	2	12	63	2	14	67	3	17
Mar 19	42		12	71	2	14	71	3	24
Mar 26	39	2	15	76	3	20	81	3
Apr 2	55		15	76	3	28	130	4
Apr 9	132	2	17	119	3	43
Apr 16	132		48	122	4	50	166
Apr 23	178	4	48	148	7	62
Apr 30	195			173	8	71
May 7					9
May 14		7			10			18
May 21					11			22
May 28		11			10			33
Jun 4					10			35
Jun 11		12			12
Jun 18					20
Jun 25		12			23
Jul 2					29
Jul 9		34
1977	Billboard			Cash Box			Record World*

*Record World chart data incomplete, will update as information becomes available

---

Charting the Charts: Maynard Ferguson – Conquistador (1977)

---

Here’s a look at how the Maynard Ferguson album Conquistador fared on various charts:

1977
Date	Billboard Jazz (40)	Billboard 200	Cash Box 200	Cash Box Jazz (40)
April 2		159	157	17
April 9	18	121	127	8
April 16		110	107	6
April 23	3	91	87	5
April 30		81	81	5
May 7		70	75	6
May 14	6	49	69	6
May 21		40	62	6
May 28	2	37	57	5
June 4		29	52	6
June 11	1	26	49	7
June 18		24	47	6
June 25	3	22	45	7
July 2		22	47	7
July 9	9	45	56	6
July 16		45	67	15
July 23	7	68	80	16
July 30		68	98	17
Aug 6	*	64	102	16
Aug 13		62	121	22
Aug 20	6	62	160	23
Aug 27		58	174	28
Sept 3		78		30
Sept 10	14	103
Sept 17		103
Sept 24	15	195
Oct 1
Oct 8	15*

*In 1977, Billboard published a top 40 Jazz Albums list in the 2nd and 4th issue of every month but one: for some reason, charts were not published in the August 13 and August 27 issues. Instead, one chart was printed that month in the August 20 issue. Also, the October 8 chart was simply a reprint of the previous list of September 24.

---

REVIEWS:

Billboard, March 26, 1977, p. 78

Down Beat, July 14, 1977, p. 42

---

Cash Box #1 Jazz Albums of 1977

In 1977 issue, Cash Box magazine published a Jazz Album list weekly.  Forty albums were ranked in each chart. Here’s a chart of the #1 jazz albums for 1977:

Week Ending	Album	Artist(s)
January 1	Breezin’	George Benson
January 8
January 15
January 22
January 29	A Secret Place	Grover Washington, Jr.
February 5
February 12
February 19	In Flight	George Benson
February 26
March 5
March 12
March 19
March 26
April 2
April 9
April 16	Heavy Weather	Weather Report
April 23	In Flight	George Benson
April 30	Heavy Weather	Weather Report
May 7
May 14
May 21
May 28
June 4
June 11	Friends and Strangers	Ronnie Laws
June 18	Heavy Weather	Weather Report
June 25	Free as the Wind	The Crusaders
July 2
July 9
July 16
July 23
July 30
August 6
August 13
August 20
August 27
September 3
September 10
September 17
September 24
October 1
October 8
October 15
October 22
October 29	Enigmatic Ocean	Jean-Luc Ponty
November 5
November 12
November 19
November 26	Feels So Good	Chuck Mangione
December 3	Reach for It	George Duke
December 10
December 17	Heads	Bob James
December 24
December 31

---