American Top 40: The 80s - March 17, 2012
This week’s presentation - March 19, 1983
Well, looks like most of us were correct with our predictions. Of course, it was indeed time for a show from 1983, as we hadn’t had a show from that year since the year-ender, which was spread over two weeks, so I figured it would be at least two months before we heard another one. As for the last time we had a weekly show from 1983, we’d have to go back to early November of last year. It’s even been quite awhile since the last late 1982 show (that was heard on December 4). There are only two songs on this week’s chart that were on that one as well. Can you pick them out?
Droppers:
DON’T TELL ME YOU LOVE ME - NIGHT RANGER (40) - Great song, though I generally prefer their songs from the 1984-1985 time period (including “Goodbye”, even though that song peaked in 1986).
YOU CAN’T HURRY LOVE - PHIL COLLINS (37) - Great song! I actually prefer this over the original by the Supremes.
I’M ALIVE - NEIL DIAMOND (35) - This was OK, but far from being his best. Oddly enough, this song spent its entire Top 40 chart run at #35.
THE WOMAN IN ME - DONNA SUMMER (33) - This song was pretty good, but I prefer Crystal Gayle’s country song of the same title from a little over a year earlier.
GOODY TWO SHOES - ADAM ANT (28) - Great song! Part of the minor comeback of rockabilly music during the early-80s.
LW#1: BILLIE JEAN – MICHAEL JACKSON
40: SO CLOSE – DIANA ROSS (debut) - Great song! Has sort of a late-fifties feel to it (sounds a little like “Earth Angel” and “In The Still Of The Nite”).
39: BURNING HEART - VANDENBERG (39) - Good song, but not my favorite song on the chart.
38: WINDS OF CHANGE – JEFFERSON STARSHIP (debut) - Great song! This one reminds me a little of “The Night Owls” by Little River Band.
37: LITTLE RED CORVETTE - PRINCE (debut) - Great song, despite a few of the lyrics.
36: SHE BLINDED ME WITH SCIENCE – THOMAS DOLBY (debut) - Great song! As usual, they played the album version.
35: ON THE LOOSE - SAGA (26) - This used to be one of my favorite songs in the world back in the day, but I have this song on a tape that I’ve listened to quite a lot lately, so my fascination for this song has dimmed somewhat.
34: YOUR LOVE IS DRIVING ME CRAZY – SAMMY HAGAR (24) - Great song! One of his best, as well as one of my favorite songs of all of 1983!
33: PASS THE DUTCHIE – MUSICAL YOUTH (23) - Meh, not a huge fan of this one.
32: LIES – THOMPSON TWINS (36) - Great song! One of their best!
31: MY KIND OF LADY - SUPERTRAMP (32) - This is also a great one as well. Their two Top 40 hits from ...Famous Last Words both sounded like songs from the sixties.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: IT’S RAINING MEN - THE WEATHER GIRLS - This one didn’t quite hit the Top 40, but gets a little recurrent airplay. I think it’s a pretty good song.
AMENDED OPTIONAL EXTRA: MORNIN' - AL JARREAU - Mr. Jarreau died about a month before this show's second run by Premiere, so they decided to insert this song, which was about a month away from hitting the Top 40. Anyway, contrary to what Larry said, this was not Jarreau's first Top 40 hit - he had actually charted in the fall of 1981 with "We're In This Love Together". This would be his second Top 40 hit. It was a great one, though I slightly preferred his theme from Moonlighting, which would make an appearance on the chart in July, 1987.
30: DREAMIN’ IS EASY – STEEL BREEZE (30) - Great song! Not sure if I prefer this or “You Don’t Want Me Anymore”.
29: MAKE LOVE STAY – DAN FOGELBERG (34) - I know I’m sounding like a broken record, but this countdown has many great songs on it and this is one of them. Reminds me of his 1981 hit “Hard To Say”.
28: CHANGE OF HEART – TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (38) - Great song, but this one sure had a weird chart run. Despite its large jump this week, the song remained at #28 the following week, then jumped ahead to #21, where it peaked.
27: POISON ARROW – ABC (31) - Great song! My second favorite song from them behind “Look Of Love”.
26: YOU AND I – EDDIE RABBIT & CRYSTAL GAYLE (22) - Great song! One of my favorite songs from both artists!
25: LITTLE TOO LATE – PAT BENATAR (29) - Great song! I did, however, prefer “Shadows Of The Night”.
24: BEAT IT – MICHAEL JACKSON (debut) - Great song! My favorite of his two songs on the countdown this week. Eddie Van Halen did great guitar work on this song!
LDD: YOU DECORATED MY LIFE – KENNY ROGERS - Not one of my favorite songs by Kenny, but it was very fitting for the dedication.
23: ALLENTOWN – BILLY JOEL (17) - Great song! Spent the past six weeks at #17.
22: DOWN UNDER – MEN AT WORK (15) - This song is OK, but definitely not their best. Their two Business As Usual songs were way overplayed, yet the Top 40 hits from Cargo are virtually ignored.
21: BABY, COME TO ME – PATTI AUSTIN & JAMES INGRAM (9) - Great song! Very deserving of hitting #1.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO - THE CLASH - Another song that didn’t quite hit the Top 40, but receives recurrent airplay on 80s stations. The song was OK, but I’m generally not a huge fan of them.
20: DER KOMMISSAR – AFTER THE FIRE (25) - Good song, though not my favorite on the chart this week.
19: I’VE GOT A ROCK ‘N’ ROLL HEART – ERIC CLAPTON (21) - Good song, but the line “I get off on ‘57 Chevies” probably wouldn’t go over very well today.
18: BREAKING US IN TWO – JOE JACKSON (19) - Great song! I wonder if Jackson was inspired by “Day After Day” by Badfinger for this song. Anyway, I’m glad they didn’t butcher this song like they usually do, around the instrumental bridge.
17: FALL IN LOVE WITH ME – EARTH, WIND & FIRE (18) - Good song, but definitely not their best.
16: JEOPARDY – GREG KIHN BAND (27) - Great song! My favorite of their few Top 40 hits.
15: I KNOW THERE’S SOMETHING GOING ON - FRIDA (16) - Good song, but I generally prefer her with Abba.
14: COME ON EILEEN – DEXY’S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS (20) - Meh, this song was way overplayed. I did like it at first, though (I even bought the 45).
13: TWILIGHT ZONE – GOLDEN EARRING (14) - Great song! I prefer this way over “Radar Love”.
12: ALL RIGHT – CHRISTOPHER CROSS (12) - Great song! Too bad this one didn’t quite make it to the Top Ten - although it did peak at #3 on the Radio & Records chart - must have been a poor seller.
11: STRAY CAT STRUT – STRAY CATS (3) - Great song! My favorite of their three Top Ten hits.
10: MR. ROBOTO - STYX (13) - Its okies, but one of my least favorites from them.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: PHOTOGRAPH - DEF LEPPARD - Great song! My favorite single from Pyromania.
9: ONE ON ONE – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (11) - Great song! My favorite of their 1983 hits.
8: SEPARATE WAYS – JOURNEY (10) - Great song! An 80s mix show essential!
LDD: ANNIE’S SONG – JOHN DENVER - I knew that Casey was going to play this song based on what he said in the tease. This song always reminds me of that funny scene in “My Best Friends Wedding” when the kids inhale helium and sing this song.
7: WE’VE GOT TONIGHT – KENNY ROGERS AND SHEENA EASTON (8) - This was OK, but one of my least favorites by both artists.
6: YOU ARE – LIONEL RICHIE (7) - Great song! I actually heard this song earlier today while going for a leisurely drive, taking advantage of the incredibly warm weather we’ve been experiencing over the past week.
5: BACK ON THE CHAIN GANG – THE PRETENDERS (6) - Great song! Definitely one of my favorite songs by them!
4: HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF – DURAN DURAN (5) - Great song! One of their best!
3: DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME – CULTURE CLUB (4) - Well, they played the annoying version, complete with the whiny intro and the irritating bridge, so I think you know (just know) what that means!
OPTIONAL EXTRA: ALWAYS SOMETHING THERE TO REMIND ME - NAKED EYES - Good song but, of course, I preferred their other big hit, “Promises, Promises”.
2: SHAME ON THE MOON – BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (2) - Great song! This song reminded me a little of “Fire Lake” (although I preferred that song).
1: BILLIE JEAN – MICHAEL JACKSON (1) - Although I mentioned earlier that I preferred “Beat It”, this was a great one too. Another song I heard while out driving today.
Predictions for next week: Well, many people are predicting March 22, 1986 for next week, so I think I’ll go with the majority. My backup prediction is March 28, 1981. That might be a longshot, since that would be closer to the week after (March 31). They could conceivably do March 21, since they first did that in 2009 and the two repeats so far this year have been shows first aired by AT40: The 80s three years ago. But, hoping that they avoid doing a repeat, those are my choices.