For the week ending July 28, 1979
I was really hoping for the chance to hear the "B" show from 1970, a vastly superior year for music. But, alas, it didn't work out for me. Although the fall of '79 would see four killer one-hit wonder songs hit the Top 40, the summer of that year saw somewhat of a musical malaise (accompanying President Carter's economic malaise, I guess). I didn't hear songs 40-34, so thank you, Hervard, for supplying those songs in your critique.
40. Chuck E.'s In Love/Rickie Lee Jones--A mildly interesting, jazzy number, but I liked it better then than I do now.
39. Heaven Must Have Sent You/Bonnie Pointer--A fairly bouncy, energetic song. I remember that there were two versions of this song played at the time: one had a straightforward sound, the other sounded like it had scat-singing parts interspersed in the song.
38. Kiss In The Dark/Pink Lady--I am not familiar with how this song sounds. I do know that this group was one of the few Japanese acts to hit the charts, and that they starred in a short-lived TV show (I think in 1980, with a guy named Jeff) that is considered one of the worst TV shows in history.
37. Let's Go/The Cars--A fairly catchy rocker, one of the better songs by this otherwise mediocre rock group. It was obviously inspired by the early '60's rock classic "Let's Go" by the Routers.
36. Morning Dance/Spyro Gyra--This was a very pleasant, enjoyable light jazz number that the late, great Bob Sievers of WOWO, Ft. Wayne played a lot that summer. (He also gave much airplay to the group's two fine followups, also: "Catching The Sun" and "Cafe Amore".)
35. I'll Never Love This Way Again/Dionne Warwick--A nice, dramatic ballad with strong vocals by Warwick.
34. Days Gone Down (Still Got That Light In Your Eyes)/Gerry Rafferty--I am not familiar with how this song sounds either, but I do know that Gerry was not Japanese and never starred in a bad TV show.
33. The Devil Went Down To Georgia/The Charlie Daniels Band--I have always been drawn to this riveting story song about Johnny the fiddler triumphing over the Devil.
32. Heart Of The Night/Poco--A pleasant, relaxing number with a sweet slide guitar throughout.
31. After The Love Has Gone/Earth, Wind, & Fire--This song proves that this R&B group had the magic touch with ballads, as well. I especially like the dramatic segues from each verse to the chorus.
30. Suspicions/Eddie Rabbitt--Although rather mediocre musically, it does have intriguing lyrics, which detail a guy's inner conflict between the ecstasy of a solid romantic relationship and the feelings of paranoia about possibly losing it all.
29. Weekend/Wet Willie--I was hearing this for the first time, and I remember liking it a lot. I remember it seemed to have a disco feel to it.
28. Up On The Roof/James Taylor--It's OK, I guess (It does get pleasantly dramatic towards the end), but it doesn't hold a candle to the Drifters' sprightly, harmonizing original.
27. Is She Really Going Out With Him/Joe Jackson--Due to computer glitches, I didn't hear this or the following song. Anyway, this was OK (I am amused at how he called ugly guys gorillas), but I like Joe's songs from the '80's much better.
26. One Was Or Another/Blondie--This was a fairly fun rocker. Did you know that this song was used in a commercial for, of all things, two brands of farm herbicides (Prowl and Pursuit, to be specific). Growing up in northern Indiana, farm chemical commercials were all over TV, especially in the winter and spring. I guess the company that made these products realized the need to make their ads more hip; hence, the use of this hard rock song.
25. Shadows In The Moonlight/Anne Murray--A smooth, relaxing country pop song.
24. People Of The South Wind/Kansas--I was not familiar with this song; appparently, it hasn't stood the test of time like "Dust In the Wind", or "Point Of Know Return". However, I was impressed by this upbeat lost hit.
23. Sad Eyes/Robert John--I can take it or leave it. (It was quite overplayed back in the day.)
22. Lead Me On/Maxine Nightingale--It's OK, but it pales in comparison to the fantastic, sunshine-on-wax classic "Right Back Where We Started From", probably my favorite song of 1976.
21. Does Your Mother Know/ABBA--A lost hit from this legendary group that's far better than many of their better-known songs. It stands out in that it actually rocks out hard, and it features one of the male members on lead.
20. Getting Closer/Wings--I was not familiar with this song and really wasn't impressed with it. (Although I hope to hear it again just to catch the "my salamander" line. I didn't catch it the first time.)
19. Do It Or Die/Atlanta Rhythm Section--Another computer glitch prevented me from hearing this and #18. Anyway, this is another number that I can take or leave.
18. My Sharona/The Knack--This catchy rocker had "guilty pleasure" written all over it. Despite the raunchy, sexist lyrics, I still love this song. The overall rhythm of the guitar riff, plus the build-up in each verse which culminated with "My-my-my-my-my whoooo!" make for one irresistible pop-rock megahit. (One major irony is that more success has probably been realized by the artist who launched his career with a parody of this song. While the Knack broke up years ago after having only two lesser followups, and lead singer Doug Fieger has passed on, "My Bologna" singer "Weird Al" Yankovic is still going strong and enjoying a major career renaissance.)
17. She Believes In Me/Kenny Rogers--A very enjoyably dramatic country pop song.
16. Mama Can't Buy You Love/Elton John--This is probably the best of Elton's post-1976 hits. (That year arguable was when he hit the peak of his success.) Tom Bell's Philly-soul production gave this song a smooth, yet soulful feel.
15. I Was Made For Loving You/KISS--Mediocre, at best.
14. I Can't Stand It No More/Peter Frampton--I wasn't familiar with this song, but found it mediocre, as well. (A far cry from the hits from "Frampton Comes Alive")
13. Ain't No Stopping Us Now/McFadden & Whitehead--Although they wrote and produced some killer Philly-soul classics (including the stellar "Backstabbers", which will be featured on this weekend's show. I CAN'T WAIT!), this dance number, to me, has always been rather unimpressive.
12. You Can't Change That/Raydio--Nice lyrics, but musically just so-so.
11. Boogie Wonderland/Earth, Wind, & Fire & The Emotions--As I said in the last '79 countdown, it's a fine dance number, especially the dramatic segue with the "ohhhhh, ohhhh".
10. The Main Event/Fight/Barbara Streisand--I have always enjoyed this fun, energetic dance number, possibly the most frenetic song she had ever recorded. This doesn't deserve its status as a lost hit.
9. When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman/Dr. Hook--One of the few above-average songs the group ever released. I am especially fixated by the tension-and-release segue from the end of each verse leading into the chorus.
8. Shine A Little Love/ELO--A good, but not great song. It does stand out mainly for the instrumental passages, which seem to simulate the rhythm of factory machinery.
7. I Want You To Want Me/Cheap Trick--I love this catchy, pulsating rocker more and more as the years go by. I especially like the vocal rhythm demonstrated as the singer goes, "didn't I, didn't I, didn't I".
6. Gold/John Stewart--I can take it or leave it.
5. Makin' It/David Naughton--A fun bundle of energy sung by that Dr. Pepper guy.
4. Hot Stuff/Donna Summer--A slightly above average rock/disco hybrid megahit. I still would love to once again see that clip from "Solid Gold" of Steve Allen mockingly reciting the lyrics of this song as a joke. (Maybe it's on Youtube.)
3. Good Times/Chic--A good, but not great disco classic with an irresistible dance riff which was sampled just months later in that early rap classic "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang.
2. Ring My Bell/Anita Ward--Another good, but not great, disco megahit.
1. Bad Girls/Donna Summer--It's obvious that Ms Summer was at her career zenith about this time. I really shouldn't like this song due to the obvious subject matter, but I still do. I'm especially fixated by the "toot toot, hey, beep-beep" part, followed by the staccato police whistle, played over and over, especially at the end.
And my favorite song of the countdown (drum roll):
Because the pickings this week are relatively slim, I've got to go with the slimy, but irresistibly pulsating "My Sharona".