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Musical Chairs aired on CBS from June 16 to October 31, 1975 at 4:00pm EST replacing TattleTales, one of my faves from that era. The producer was Don Kirshner (Don Kirshner's Rock Concert).
Fans of Pyramid will also recall that show occasionally getting off track and beginning with the Lightning Round until Dick Clark could get the timing right.
You might call this the first Black game show as both the host and many of the musical guests were African-American including The Spinners, Lou Rawls, Dee Dee Warwick and Irene Cara. Other performers include Margaret Whiting, Shari Lewis, Marilyn Michaels, Jane Oliver and Julie Budd. One of the tapings I attended:
The game itself is a twist on Name That Tune, contestants listened to a portion of a song performed by that week’s guests, then try to guess the next line of the lyric from 3 choices shown to them. The tone of Musical Chairs was emblematic of the decade’s relaxed, informal television culture. Unlike the stiff formality of earlier game shows, it embraced humor, flirtation, and a casual rapport between host and contestants. Adam Wade’s smooth, friendly presence helped set this mood; he encouraged banter and kept the atmosphere upbeat rather than competitive. This approach mirrored changing social norms of the 1970s, when television began to reflect a more open, youth-oriented sensibility influenced by pop music, fashion, and shifting attitudes toward authority.
Adam Wade also appeared on Good Times in primetime as a love interest to neighbor Williona. |
The 1970s daytime program Musical Chairs made TV history for having the first Black network game show host, Adam Wade. 
Shot in New York (as was $10,000 Pyramid) I went to a taping of both of those shows in the summer of ’75. Early in its run, Musical Chairs got behind so that each show started with what should have been the ending of the show before it. In other words, the final Bonus Round began each program. Wade worked for weeks trying to get the show back on track but it always seemed to run long. At least on the episodes I watched.
They shot an entire week of Musical Chairs in one day, if I recall correctly, the guests for that week were Sister Sledge who were practically regulars on Musical Chairs. I was a fan of Sister Sledge so that was cool. 
The theme song by The Tokens (also frequent guests) actually explains how the game works, basically.
Visually, the show also bore the unmistakable stamp of its time. Bright colors, bold set designs, and contemporary music cues reinforced its modern identity. Contestants’ clothing—often featuring bell-bottoms, platform shoes, and patterned shirts—made the show a time capsule of mid-1970s style.