1971

Top Selling Singles 1971

1. Dawn Knock – Three Times
2. Rod Stewart – Maggie May / Reason To Believe
3. T Rex – Hot Love
4. George Harrison – My Sweet Lord
5. Clive Dunn – Grandad
6. The Tams – Hey Girl Don’t Bother Me
7. The Mixtures – Pushbike Song
8. Diana Ross – I’m Still Waiting
9. The New Seekers – Never Ending Song Of Love
10. Judy Collins – Amazing Grace

Christmas No.1: Benny Hill – Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West)

Top Selling Albums 1971

1. Simon and Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water
2. Rod Stewart – Every Picture Tells A Story
3. The Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers
4. T.Rex – Electric Warrior
5. Various Artists – Motown Chartbusters Volume 5
6. James Taylor – Mud Slide Slim And The Blue Horizon
7. The Moody Blues – Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
8. Andy Williams – Andy Williams Greatest Hits
9. Paul and Linda McCartney – Ram   
10. Carole King – Tapestry

At the Box Office 1971

1. Billy Jack
2. Fiddler on the Roof
3. Diamonds Are Forever
4. The French Connectio
5. Summer of ’42
6. Dirty Harry
7. A Clockwork Orange
8. The Last Picture Show
9. Bedknobs and Broomsticks
10. Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song

Cost of Living

Average house price	£5,000
Average salary	£31/week
Average car price	Ford Cortina £968
Petrol	34p/gallon
Pint of beer	16p
Packet of 20 Cigarettes	27p
Pint of milk	5p

In the News

• Prime Minister – Edward Heath (Conservative)
• The first ever postal workers’ strike took place
• The Broadcast receiver licence was abolished for radios
• Rolls-Royce went bankruptand was nationalised.
• There was a serious fire at Kentish Town West railway station. The station remained closed until 1981.
• The government lifted all restrictions on gold ownership. Since 1966 British citizens had been banned from holding more than four gold coins or from buying any new ones unless they held a licence.
• Decimalisation: Decimal Day: the UK and the Republic of Ireland both switched to decimal currency
• British Leyland launched the Morris Marina
• The Daily Mail appeared as a broadsheet newspaper for the last time, being relaunched the following day as a tabloid.
• The first Hard Rock Cafe opened near Hyde Park Corner
• Chay Blyth became the first person to sail around the world east to west against the prevailing winds
• Spaghetti Junction motorway interchange was opened
• Oil overtook coal as the most consumed fuel in the United Kingdom for the first time.

On the Telly

• BBC Open University broadcasts began.
• The Old Grey Whistle Test was aired for the first time on BBC 2. [theme]
• Sesame Street begins airing on British television for the first time
• The Two Ronnies makes its debut on BBC1 [theme]
• The first episode of the late night chat show Parkinson with host Michael Parkinson is broadcast on BBC1. [theme]
• Debut of The Generation Game, presented by Bruce Forsyth [theme]
• Debut of Sale of the Century. [theme]
• Mr Benn [theme]

In Music

• The first Reading Festival “of jazz and progressive music” took place.

Top Selling Christmas Toys

• Space Hopper
• Mastermind Board Game
• Weebles
• Clackers
• Etch a Sketch

Gadgets

• Cassette recorders were still cutting edge. A Phillips EL3302 cost £28.35. In today’s money that would be just under £300.

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