📰 POP 30 Charts – Chart Spread: Mar. 1973

Writer: Melody Maker Chart Department

Date: March 10, 1973

Length: 3–4 min read

A full‑page Melody Maker chart spread capturing the UK’s Top 30 singles and albums — plus U.S. imports — at a moment when glam rock, soul, MOR pop, and transatlantic hits collided across the British charts.

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A volatile week of glitter, riffs, soul, and crossover chaos — Slade explode to No. 1 as Sweet, Faces, and Alice Cooper circle the top slots.

Excerpt

Melody Maker’s March 10 POP 30 spread is a glam‑era time capsule: Slade rocket to No. 1 with “Cum On Feel the Noize,” Sweet’s “Blockbuster” slips from the top, Alice Cooper climbs with “Hello Hurray,” and Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust LP continues its long chart life. The U.S. charts add a second layer of movement, with Roberta Flack, Neil Diamond, and War shaping the American landscape.

📰 Key Highlights

• Slade’s “Cum On Feel the Noize” leaps from No. 17 to No. 1

• Sweet’s “Blockbuster” drops to No. 4 after a strong run

• Alice Cooper’s “Hello Hurray” climbs to No. 10

• Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust holds at No. 17 on the album chart

• Mahavishnu Orchestra’s Birds of Fire enters multiple charts simultaneously

• Elton John dominates both UK and U.S. album charts with Don’t Shoot Me

📰 Overview

The March 10, 1973 POP 30 chart spread captures a UK music scene in full technicolour motion. Glam rock remains dominant, but the charts are increasingly eclectic — soul, MOR, and U.S. imports all competing for space. Slade’s explosive jump to No. 1 signals their peak commercial power, while Sweet’s “Blockbuster” begins its descent after weeks at the top.

The album chart is equally varied: Elton John holds No. 1 with Don’t Shoot Me, Focus and Carly Simon remain strong, and Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust continues its slow‑burn rise nearly a year after release. Meanwhile, Mahavishnu Orchestra’s Birds of Fire makes an unusual crossover, appearing in both singles and albums lists.

📰 Source Details

Publication / Venue: Melody Maker

Date: March 10, 1973

Format: Full‑page POP 30 chart spread

Provenance Notes: Verified via original print scan; includes UK Singles, UK Albums, U.S. Albums, and U.S. Singles charts.

📰 The Story

The singles chart is pure 1973 volatility. Slade’s “Cum On Feel the Noize” makes a dramatic leap from No. 17 to No. 1 — a testament to their fanbase and the immediacy of the single’s release. Sweet’s “Blockbuster,” which had dominated the previous weeks, slips to No. 4 but remains a major presence. Faces hold strong at No. 3 with “Cindy Incidentally,” while Alice Cooper’s “Hello Hurray” climbs to No. 10, marking his growing UK impact.

The album chart shows Elton John’s Don’t Shoot Me firmly at No. 1, with Slade, Carly Simon, and Focus close behind. Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust sits at No. 17 — a steady mid‑chart presence that reflects its long cultural tail. Meanwhile, Aladdin Sane appears lower in the chart, foreshadowing Bowie’s next major era.

The U.S. charts add a transatlantic dimension: Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly” dominates the singles, while Neil Diamond’s Hot August Night and War’s The World Is a Ghetto shape the album landscape. Sweet’s “Little Willy” and Alice Cooper’s “Hello Hurray” appear in both UK and U.S. lists, showing glam’s international reach.

Mahavishnu Orchestra’s Birds of Fire is the week’s anomaly — entering multiple charts simultaneously, a rare crossover moment for jazz‑fusion and a sign of Melody Maker’s broader editorial scope.

📰 Visual Archive

A full‑page Melody Maker POP 30 chart spread featuring UK Singles, UK Albums, U.S. Albums, and U.S. Singles — dated March 10, 1973.

Melody Maker’s POP 30 — full chart spread, March 10, 1973.

📰 Related Material

• Slade – “Cum On Feel the Noize” (1973)

• Sweet – “Blockbuster” (1973)

• Alice Cooper – “Hello Hurray” (1973)

• David Bowie – Ziggy Stardust (1972)

📰 Closing Notes

A volatile, glitter‑soaked week in UK pop history — glam rock at its commercial peak, soul and MOR rising, and transatlantic hits reshaping the charts. Melody Maker’s POP 30 captures March 1973 in all its noisy, colourful, genre‑blurring energy.

#POP30 #MelodyMaker #Slade #Sweet #AliceCooper #DavidBowie #1973 #ChartChronicle

📰 Sources

• Melody Maker, March 10, 1973

• UK and U.S. chart archives

• Contemporary label catalogues (RCA, Polydor, Bell, CBS)

📝 Copyright Notice

All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non‑commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.