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The Best Episodes of The Midnight Special

Every episode of The Midnight Special ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The Midnight Special!

The Best Episodes of The Midnight Special

The Midnight Special is an American late-night musical variety series that aired on NBC during the 1970s and early 1980s, created and produced by Burt...

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  1. 8.8/10(29 votes)

    #1 - Pilot

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    S1:E1

    John Denver guest hosted Mama Cass, The Everly Brothers, The Isley Brothers, Harry Chapin, Linda Ronstadt, Argent and Helen Reddy. Among the musical highlights were Harry Chapin performing his hit "Taxi", Linda Ronstadt sang her popular ballad "Long Long Time", Helen Reddy sang "I Am Woman" and the Britsh group Argent performed their 1972 hit "Hold Tour Head High"

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  2. 8.2/10(6 votes)

    #2 - Host: Tom Jones

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    S5:E14

    Tom Jones (host) - ""Feel the Need"" --Glen Campbell - medley of Beach Boys songs --Tom Jones and Sly & the Family Stone - ""Everyday People"" --Tom Jones and Lynn Anderson - ""Don't Go Breakin' My Heart"" --Tom Jones - ""Delilah,"" ""Third Rate Romance,"" ""Why Me Lord,"" ""Get Back,"" ""Feelings,"" ""You Don't Have to Say You Love Me,"" ""Love Machine"" & ""Say You'll Stay until Tomorrow"" --Glen Campbell - ""Bloodline"" --Emerson, Lake & Palmer (on film) - ""I Believe in Father Christmas"" --Sly and the Family Stone - ""What I Was Thinkin' in My Head"" --Lynn Anderson - ""Stand by Your Man"" --Closing credits: Tom Jones - ""Say You'll stay till Tomorrow"" (reprise)

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  3. 8.1/10(20 votes)

    #3 - The 1980 Floor Show starring David Bowie

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    S2:E10

    Opening credits: male dancers pose forming letters spelling out ""Bowie The 1980 Floor Show"" (dancers appear throughout show). --David Bowie - medley: ""1984,"" ""You Didn't Hear It from Me"" and ""1984"" reprise --David Bowie - ""Sorrow"" --Dooshenka (female impersonator) introduces Carmen --Carmen (band from Spain) - ""Bulerias"" --David Bowie - ""Everything's Alright"" & ""Space Oddity"" --David Bowie - ""I Can't Explain"" --Marianne Faithfull - ""As Tears Go By"" --David Bowie - ""Time"" --The Troggs - ""Wild Thing"" --Carmen - ""Bullfight"" --David Bowie - ""Jean Genie"" --Marianne Faithfull - ""20th Century Blues"" --David Bowie and Marianne Faithfull - ""I Got You, Babe"" --The Troggs - ""I Can't Control Myself"" & ""Strange Movies"" --Closing credits: David Bowie - ""You Didn't Hear It from Me"" and ""1984"" (same performance as earlier in sh

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  4. 8.1/10(9 votes)

    #4 - Host: Lou Rawls

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    S5:E30

    Lou Rawls (host) - ""Some Folks Never Learn,"" ""See You When I Git There,"" ""Spring Again"" & ""Some Day You'll Be Old"" --Lou Rawls and Donna Summer - ""Swing Low Sweet Chariot"" --Sammy Davis (cameo, walk on) --Andrew Gold - ""Lonely Boy"" & ""Go Back Home Again"" --Gordon Lightfoot - ""Race Among the Ruins"" --Melanie - ""Cyclone"" --Leo Sayer - ""When I Need You"" & ""You Make Me Feel Like Dancing"" --Gino Vannelli - ""Summers of My Life"" --Midnight Special salute to Earth, Wind & Fire

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  5. 8.0/10(8 votes)

    #5 - Hosts: Ike and Tina Turner

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    S2:E22

    Ike and Tina Turner (hosts) - ""City Girl Country Boy,"" ""With a Little Help from My Friends,"" ""Proud Mary"" & ""I Smell Trouble"" --Electric Light Orchestra - ""Showdown"" & ""Bluebird Is Dead"" --David Essex - ""Rock On"" & ""Streetfight"" --Jose Feliciano - ""I Like What You Give"" & ""Blame It On the Sun"" --Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids - ""Dancin' on a Saturday Night"" & ""Muleskinner Blues"" --Mandrill - ""Git It All"" --Todd Rundgren - ""Couldn't I Just Tell You?"" & ""The Dream Goes On Forever""

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  6. 7.8/10(7 votes)

    #6 - Host: Al Green

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    S1:E28

    -Al Green (guest host) - ""Let's Stay Together,"" ""Tired of Being Alone,"" ""Call Me,"" ""How Can You Mend a Broken Heart"" & ""Here I Am"" --Ramblin' Jack Elliott - ""San Francisco Bay Blues"" --Foghat - ""She's Gone"" ""I Just Want to Make Love to You"" --The Stylistics - ""Point of No Return,"" ""I'm Stone in Love with You"" & ""Stop, Look and Listen"" --Livingston Taylor - ""Good Friends"" & ""Over the Rainbow"" --Bobby Womack - ""Nobody Wants You When You're Down and Out"" & ""Harry Hippie""

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  7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 WORST Episodes of The Midnight Special

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  8. 7.8/10(7 votes)

    #7 - Host: Olivia Newton-John

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    S3:E24

    Olivia Newton-John (host) - ""If You Love Me (Let Me Know),"" ""Have You Never Been Mellow?"" ""You Ain't Got the Right,"" ""The Air That I Breathe"" & ""I Never Did Sing You a Love Song"" --Waylon Jennings - ""Honkey Tonk Heroes"" & ""You Ask Me To"" --Kenny Rankin - ""Silver Morning"" & ""Catfish"" --Ike and Tina Turner - ""Sexy Ida,"" ""Bayou Song"" and ""Baby Get It On"" --Salute to Leo Sayer. Leo is shown singing ""The Show Must Go On,"" ""Long Tall Glasses"" and ""It's Your Way"" --Leo Sayer - ""In My Life"" (or ""I've Got to Do Something with My Life"") and ""The Dancer""

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  9. 7.7/10(8 votes)

    #8 - Host: Chubby Checker

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    S1:E17

    Chubby Checker - ""Let's Twist Again,"" ""Pony Time,"" Limbo Rock"" & ""Slow Twistin'"" --Jimmy Clanton - ""Just a Dream"" --Danny and the Juniors - ""At the Hop"" & ""Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay"" --Ben E. King - ""Spanish Harlem"" & ""Stand by Me"" --Little Anthony and the Imperials - ""Going Out of My Head"" & ""Two Kinds of People in the World"" --Lloyd Price - ""Personality"" --Lloyd Price and the Skyliners - ""I'm Gonna Get Married"" --The Ronettes - ""Baby I Love You"" & ""Do I Love You"" --The Shirelles - ""Baby It's You"" & ""Will You Love Me Tomorrow"" --The Skyliners - ""This I Swear"" & ""Since I Don't Have You"

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  10. 7.4/10(8 votes)

    #9 - Host: Ray Charles

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    S1:E10

    -Ray Charles (guest host) - ""Eleanor Rigby,"" ""Georgia on My Mind"" & ""What'd I Say"" --Ray Charles with the Raelets (a.k.a. Raylettes) - ""I Can Make It Through the Days (But Oh Those Lonely Nights)"" --Bill Cosby talks with Ray Charles and dances while Charles sings ""Every Saturday Night"" --Carol Burnett talks with Ray Charles --Aretha Franklin - ""A Brand New Me"" --Aretha Franklin & Ray Charles - ""Takes Two to Tango"" --The Raelets - sing ""Shake"" (while Charles plays the piano) --The Earl Scruggs Revue - ""T for Texas"" & ""Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven"" --Freeman and Murray (comedy team of Freeman King and Murray Langston) - team reenacts the boxing scene from ""Great White Hope"" in slow motion

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  11. 7.4/10(8 votes)

    #10 - Host: Frankie Avalon

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    S2:E36

    Frankie Avalon (host) - ""Why,"" ""Just Ask Your Heart,"" ""De De Dinah,"" ""Gingerbread,"" ""Bobby Sox to Stockings"" & ""Venus"" --Frankie Avalon and Fabian - ""Scrapbook"" & ""Fireball 500"" --Lou Christie - ""The Gypsy Cried"" & ""Lightnin' Strikes"" --Fabian - ""Rock Around the Clock,"" ""Turn Me Loose"" & ""Tiger"" --The Fleetwoods - ""Come Softly to Me"" & ""Mr. Blue"" --Frankie Ford - ""Sea Cruise"" --Jimmie Rodgers - ""Kisses Sweeter Than Wine,"" ""Honeycomb"" & ""Oh Oh I'm Falling in Love Again"" --The Royal Teens - ""Short Shorts"" & 'the Great Midnight Special Rock 'n' Roll Opera"" --Sam and Dave - ""Hold On I'm Comin'"" & ""Soul Man"" --Shirley and Lee - ""Let the Good Times Roll"

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  12. 7.3/10(15 votes)

    #11 - Host: Helen Reddy

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    S1:E2

    Helen Reddy (host) - ""I Am Woman,"" ""Peaceful"" & ""Come On John"" --Ed McMahon (walk-on cameo) - wishes the show sucess --Ike and Tina Turner Revue- ""I Can't Turn You Loose"" & ""With a Little Help from My Friends"" --George Carlin (comedian) - stand-up comedy monologue --Curtis Mayfield - ""Superfly"" --Don McLean - ""Dreidel"" & ""If We Try"" --Rare Earth - ""We're Gonna Have a Good Time"" & ""I Just Want to Celebrate"" --Kenny Rankin - ""Comin' Down"" --The Byrds - ""Mr. Tambourine Man"" & ""So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star"" --The Impressions - ""Preacher Man"" --Helen Reddy, Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions - ""Amen""

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  13. 7.3/10(8 votes)

    #12 - Host: Curtis Mayfield

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    S1:E20

    Curtis Mayfield (guest host) - ""Superfly,"" ""If I Were Only a Child Again"" & ""Back to the World"" --Canned Heat - ""Let's Work Together,"" ""Harley Davidson Blues"" & ""Woodstock Boogie"" --Jose Feliciano - ""Simple Song,"" ""Compartments"" & ""Light My Fire"" --Leroy Hutson - ""Love Oh Love"" --Ravi Shankar - ""Ahir Bhairav"" --Lakshmi Shankar - ""A Bhajan"" --The Spinners - ""One of a Kind Love Affair,"" ""I'll Be Around"" & ""Could it Be I'm Falling in Love"" --Tufano-Giammarese - ""Music Everywhere"" & ""I'm a Loser"

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  14. 7.3/10(7 votes)

    #13 - Host: Billy Preston

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    S1:E32

    -Billy Preston (guest host) - ""Will It Go Round in Circles,"" All Spaced Out,"" ""Music's My Life"""" & ""That's the Way God Planned It"" --Billy Preston and Buddy Miles - ""My Sweet Lord"" --Bo Diddley - ""Bo Diddley"" & ""Bo Diddley-Itis"" --Ned Doheny - ""I Can Dream"" --Gladstone - ""Natural Inclination"" --Maureen McGovern - ""The Morning After"" (theme song from ""The Poseidon Adventure"") --Buddy Miles - ""Them Changes"" & ""Thinking of You"" --Steely Dan - ""Reeling in the Years,"" ""Show Biz Kids"" & ""My Old School"

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  15. 7.1/10(9 votes)

    #14 - Host: Anne Murray

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    S1:E6

    Anne Murray (Host) - "Snowbird," "Danny's Song" and "I Know." Anne Murray, Steve Martin and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - "Shuckin' the Corn." The Association - "Along Comes Mary," "Crazy Songs and Looney Tunes" and "Names, Tags, Numbers and Labels." Badfinger - "No Matter What" and "Suitcase." Steve Martin (comedy segment) - routines on parts of the body, sound effects and plays the banjo. Don McLean - "Vincent," "Dreidel" and "If We Try." Sam Neely - "Loving You Just Crossed My Mind" and "Rosalie." Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - "Jambalaya." Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee - "People Get Ready" and "Walkin' My Blues Away."

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  16. 7.0/10(7 votes)

    #15 - Host: Johnny Rivers

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    S1:E3

    Johnny Rivers (host) - ""Blue Suede Shoes,"" ""Rockin' Pneumonia, Boogie Woogie Flu"" & ""Got My Mojo Workin'"" --The Ace Trucking Company (comedy troupe) - routines about an airplane flight; 2 old friends and a prayer meeting. --Albert Hammond - ""It Never Rains in Southern California"" and ""If You Gotta Break Another Heart"" --Merilee Rush - ""Start Again"" & ""Comfort and Please You"" --The Spinners - ""Could It Be I'm Falling in Love"" and ""I'll Be Around"" --Steely Dan - ""Do It Again"" and ""Reeling in the Years"" --Paul Williams (singer / songwriter) - ""Out in the Country"" and ""I Won't Last a Day Without You"" --Wolfman Jack - sings ""I Ain't Never Seen a White Man

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  17. 7.0/10(11 votes)

    #16 - Host: Mac Davis

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    S1:E4

    Mac Davis (host) - ""Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me,"" ""I Believe in Music,"" ""Dream Me Home,"" ""Home"" & ""Half and Half (Song for Sara)"" --The Doobie Brothers - ""Jesus Is Just Alright"" & ""Listen to the Music"" --Waylon Jennings - ""You Can Have Her"" --Billy Paul - ""Me and Mrs. Jones"" & ""Brown Baby"" --Billy Preston - ""Blackbird,"" ""Georgia on My Mind"" & ""That's the Way God Planned It"" --Joan Rivers (comedy segment) --On film: the ""Dueling Banjos"" segment from ""Deliverance"

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  18. 7.0/10(7 votes)

    #17 - Host: Harry Chapin

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    S1:E5

    Harry Chapin (Host) - "Sunday Morning Sunshine" "Sniper" and "Taxi." Kerrie Biddell - "Spirit in the Dark." Blood, Sweat and Tears - "Rosemary" "Hip Pickles" and "Snow Queen." The Committee (comedy segment). The Hollies - "Magic Woman Touch" and "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother." Curtis Mayfield - "Freddie's Dead" and "Superfly." Timmy Thomas - "Why Can't We Live Together?"

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  19. 7.0/10(8 votes)

    #18 - Host: Paul Williams

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    S1:E7

    Paul Williams (host) - ""Old Fashioned Love Song,"" ""Drift Away"" & ""That's Enough for Me"" --Edward Bear - ""Last Song"" & ""Close Your Eyes"" --Loretta Lynn - ""One's On the Way"" & ""Coal Miner's Daughter"" --Seals & Crofts - ""Hummingbird"" & ""Summer Breeze"" --Sha Na Na - ""Hound Dog,"" ""Yakety Yak"" & ""I Wonder Why"" --Lakshmi Shankar (Ravi's sister) - sings ""Nata Nagara"" in praise of Krishna. --Ravi Shankar - ""Tilak Shyam"" --Jonathan Winters (cameo appearance, following Paul Williams' first song) --On film: the ""Dueling banjos"" segment from ""Deliverance""

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  20. 7.0/10(10 votes)

    #19 - Host: Paul Anka

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    S1:E8

    Paul Anka (host) - "Girl," "Put Your Head on My Shoulder," "Hits Medley" and "Jubilation." Bobby Darin - "If I Were a Carpenter," "Splish Splash," and "Roll Over Beethoven." The Coasters - "Poison Ivy," "Charlie Brown" and "Yakety Yak." Tammy Wynette - "Kids Say the Darnedest Things." The Ace Trucking Company (comedy segment). The Edwin Hawkins Singers - "Oh, Happy Day" and "New World." Paul Anka and The Edwin Hawkins Singers - "Sweet Georgia Mine." The Doobie Brothers - "Natural Thing" and "Listen to the Music." George Jones - "What My Woman Can't Do."

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  21. 7.0/10(6 votes)

    #20 - Hosts: Sly and the Family Stone

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    S2:E7

    -Sly and the Family Stone (hosts) - ""Stand,"" ""Higher,"" ""Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin),"" ""If You Want Me to Stay"" & ""Dance to the Music"" --Mark Almond - ""Get Yourself Together"" & ""The City"" --Little Sister - ""I'm the One You're the One"" --Melissa Manchester - ""Oh Heaven How You've Changed Me"" --Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons - medley of hits & ""The Scalawag Song"" --Freddy Weller - ""The Perfect Stranger"" & ""The Roadmaster"" --Atlee Yeager - ""I Wanna Be Alone with You""

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  22. 6.7/10(8 votes)

    #21 - Hosts: Gladys Knight & the Pips

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    S1:E18

    Gladys Knight and the Pips (guest hosts) - ""Friendship Train,"" ""Daddy Could Swear I Declare,"" ""I Don't Want to Do Wrong"" & ""Neither One of Us"" --Dr. John - ""Right Place, Wrong Time"" & ""Such a Night"" --Robert Klein (comedy segment) --Skylark - ""Wildflower"" & ""Woodstock"" --The Staple Singers - ""Respect Yourself"" & ""We the People"" --John Stewart - ""Road Away"" & ""Chilly Winds""

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  23. 6.6/10(9 votes)

    #22 - Hosts: The Bee Gees

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    S1:E11

    The Bee Gees; guests: Jerry Lee Lewis; Gladys Knight; Johnny Nash; Skeeter Davis --The Bee Gees (guest hosts) - ""To Love Somebody,"" ""Lonely Days,"" ""I Saw a New Morning"" and a medley of hits (""New York Mining Disaster 1941,"" ""I Started a Joke,"" ""Massachusetts"" and ""How Can You Mend a Broken Heart"") --The Bee Gees and Jerry Lee Lewis - medley: ""Money,"" ""Good Golly Miss Molly,"" ""Long Tall Sally,"" ""Jenny Jenny,"" ""Tutti Frutti"" and ""Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On"" --Skeeter Davis - ""One Tin Soldier"" & ""End of the World"" --Gladys Knight & the Pips - ""Neither One of Us"" & ""I Heard It Through the Grapevine"" --Jerry Lee Lewis - ""Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On"" --Johnny Nash - ""Stir it Up"" & ""I Can See Clearly Now"" --Jim Weatherly - ""You Are a Song"" --Frank Welker (comedian) - does imitations of animals; Marlon Brando (""Godfather"" character); and other imitations.

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  24. 6.6/10(8 votes)

    #23 - Bill Cosby

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    S1:E12

    Bill Cosby (guest host, appearing with a band) - "Ursulena (With Your Washing Machina)," "I've Got to Be Strong" (sung by member of his group) & "I Lost My Baby At the Dance Last Night" --David Brenner (stand-up comedian) - jokes about airplanes; the moon shot; dating in New York City and King Kong --Ray Charles - "Early in the Morning" --Fanny - "All Mine" & "Last Night I Had a Dream" --Waylon Jennings - "Lovin' Her Was Easier," "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues" & "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line" --Billy Preston - "Will It Go Round in Circles" & "Outa-Space" --Steely Dan - "Reelin' in the Years" --Taj Mahal - talks about "Sounder," plays "Cheraw" on banjo & sings "Texas Woman Blues"

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  25. 6.4/10(7 votes)

    #24 - Host: Jim Croce

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    S1:E21

    Jim Croce (guest host) - ""Operator,"" ""Roller Derby Queen,"" ""You Don't Mess with Jim,"" ""Speedball Tucker,"" ""Big Bad Leroy Brown,"" ""Careful Man"" --Little Anthony and the Imperials - ""Dance to the Music"" & ""La La La at the End"" --Savoy Brown - ""Tell Mama"" & ""Coming Down Your Way"" --Barbara Fairchild - ""Teddy Bear"" --Shawn Phillips - ""Anello (Where Are You)"" & ""America"" --Wishbone Ash - ""Jailbait"" --Bobby Womack - ""It's All Over Now"" & ""Nobody Wants You When You're Down and Out""

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  26. 6.4/10(7 votes)

    #25 - Host:The Bee Gees

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    S1:E22

    Hosts: The Bee Gees; guests: Wilson Pickett; Steve Miller Band; Jimmie Spheeris; Maxine Weldon ""I Gotta Get a Message to You,"" ""Alexander's Rag Time Band,"" ""Run to Me,"" ""Morning of My Life,"" ""Holiday,"" ""Let There Be Love,"" ""My World"" & ""Wouldn't I be Someone"" --The Bee Gees and Wilson Pickett - ""Hey Jude"" --Wilson Pickett - ""In the Midnight Hour"" & ""Mr. Magic Man"" --Steve Miller Band - ""Loving on the U.S.A."" & ""Shu ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma"" --John Kay - ""I'm Movin' On"" and ""Moonshine (Friend of Mine)"" --Jimmie Spheeris - ""The Original Tap Dancing Kid"" & ""Beautiful News"" --Maxine Weldon - ""Johnny One Time"" --The Muledeer and Moondoog Medicine Show English

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Best Episodes Summary

"Pilot" is the best rated episode of "The Midnight Special". It scored 8.8/10 based on 29 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 8/19/1972. This episode scored 0.6 points higher than the second highest rated, "Host: Tom Jones".