AT40: The 80s - December 27, 2014 - January 3, 2015
This week's presentation - The Top 100 Songs of 1980
AT40: The 80s ran the top half of this show the last weekend of 2008. Since at the time I didn't have access to the show, or wireless Internet (and I certainly did not want to tie up the phone line for four hours just to listen to the show), I got a better idea and listened to the entire thing on New Years Day 2009. Then, exactly five years later, I listened to it again and posted a new critique (since when it was run in 2008, I wasn't yet posting chart critiques here). A year after THAT, Premiere ran the entire show, so I posted a duplicate of the commentary (the one I made in 2013), adding in the Optional Extras. This will be a brand new posting (replacing said duplicate), and, like most of my year-end lists from the 80s, it is complete with chart stats! In this survey, there are 40 male artists, 16 female artists, 39 groups/bands, and five duos (that adds up to 100, I believe). Anyway, here is the Top 100 of 1980!
100: BROKEN HEARTED ME - ANNE MURRAY (12(2)/-/12/17) - Even though this song's chart run was mainly in 1979 (and its Top 40 run didn't even last into 1980), this one, along with many others that peaked in late 1979, ranked on the 1980 year-ender, due to AT40's oddball time frame - this year, apparently songs that peaked between November 1, 1979-November 1, 1980, with their entire chart run counted. The latter of those I believe started with this very year-ender. Anyway, this was one of my favorite Anne Murray songs of all-time, as well as her two other 1979 hits.
99: OLD-FASHION LOVE - COMMODORES (#20(2)/-/11/16) - This was the lowest peaking hit to make the survey. Even though their 1980 album Heroes hit the Top Ten, this was the only song from that album to make the Top 40. Stevie Wonder's "I Ain't Gonna Stand For It" reminded me a lot of this song. I liked both songs, but preferred this one.
98: ONE FINE DAY - CAROLE KING (#12(2)/-/10/17) - One of those cases where the songwriter of a song charts with it after it charts one or more times by other artists. This would by my (close) second favorite version of the song (that I've heard), behind Rita Coolidge's rendition from the previous year. Both were great renditions of this classic that King herself wrote!
97: DÉJÀ VU - DIONNE WARWICK (#14(2)/-/11/19) - She made a comeback in the fall of 1979 after an absence of nearly five years and, with this song, proved that it wasn't a fluke. I preferred said comeback hit, but this was very close behind, as it was a great one as well.
96: TUSK - FLEETWOOD MAC (#8(3)/5/10/15) - The first Top Ten hit on the 1980 list thus far. I must say, this song sure came and went quickly, and I can see why - they'd been absent from the chart for awhile, and people were eager about their new hit, which I'm sure was heavily promoted upon its release and it rocketed up the chart. But, since it was such a weird song, its chart climb lasted but a month (it peaked in its fifth week on the chart) and then the song fell fast. I was never a fan of the song myself - sounds more like a Superbowl halftime performance. No, I much preferred their other song on this year's countdown!
95: MISUNDERSTANDING - GENESIS (#14(2)/-/11/18) - I'm surprised that this one ranked so low, given all the airplay it received in 1980, as well as the recurrent airplay a few years after. Despite this, it didn't even hit the Top Ten on the Hot 100 (though it did peak at #3 on R&R). This was definitely one of my favorite Genesis songs of all time!
94: SHIPS - BARRY MANILOW (#9(2)/2/11/14) - Another Top Ten hit that had a somewhat fast-rise, fast-fall chart run. Written by Ian Hunter, who himself had a song called "When The Daylight Comes" that got sporadic radio airplay in the spring of 1979, this song was recorded by one of the hottest AC artists of all time. I thought was a great one - my favorite of his two Top 20 hits from the 1980 survey period (as well as the only song of his to make the big list).
93: XANADU - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN AND ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (#8(2)/3/10/17) - Well, the movie Xanadu might not have been a huge blockbuster, but the soundtrack sure did quite well, spawning five Top 40 hits, each one of them making the Top 20. The title track was the second biggest of those, as well as possibly my favorite - a great song indeed!
92: GOOD GIRLS DON'T - THE KNACK (#11(2)/-/11/16) - Well, they never quite equalled the success of "My Sharona" (then again, given how massive that song was, that would be very tough). This song was definitely my favorite of the two.
91: AN AMERICAN DREAM - DIRT BAND f/LINDA RONSTADT (#13(2)/-/11/19) - I know that Ronstadt did not receive label credit, but she definitely deserved it, what with the great harmony she provided on this song! Though both of the Dirt Band's 1980s were great IMO, I preferred this one.
90: OFF THE WALL - MICHAEL JACKSON (#10(2)/2/11/17) - The laughs at the beginning of this song sound very eerie - like the kind you hear in a haunted house. This was OK, but my least favorite of his three songs on this year's show (I do prefer it over "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", which charted during the 1979 period).
89: TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME - SUPERTRAMP (#10(3)/3/11/15) - The last of three singles from Supertramp's monster album Breakfast In America, which ended up as the #1 album of 1979. I liked all three hits from Breakfast In America, as well as many of the unreleased tracks which I feel should have been hits (i.e. "Oh Darling", "Lord Is It Mine")
OPTIONAL EXTRA: MORE THAN I CAN SAY – LEO SAYER (1981) – Since this song charted so late in the year, it was deferred to 1981’s year-end chart, where it ranked at #28. It's a great song, but I preferred others from him, such as "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" and "How Much Love".
88: SHE'S OUT OF MY LIFE - MICHAEL JACKSON (#10(2)/2/11/16) - Had this song had a little more oomph in it, it would have been the first time that siblings were in the Top Ten at the same time (with solo hits, anyway), but by the time that "Let's Get Serious" by Jermaine Jackson made the Top Ten, this song had already dropped from its peak position of #10. No matter; it would happen eventually - in the fall of 1995, to be exact. And what do you know - it involved the Jacksons (more specifically, Michael and Janet). Anyway, I thought this was a great song - my favorite from the Off The Wall album, though somewhat poignant, as I heard this song very soon after he died back in 2009 (on an AT40 show, no less), and came very close to breaking down (much like Michael does at the end of this song).
87: DON'T LET GO - ISAAC HAYES (#18(2)/-/12/21) - Ah, the voice of Chef on South Park. I'm not a big fan of his music, however, although this one wasn't too bad.
86: DAYDREAM BELIEVER- ANNE MURRAY (#12(3)/-/11/17) - This was one of my favorite songs by the Monkees and I actually preferred Murray's cover over that one, so that shows how much I liked it! Indeed, 1978-1980 was Murray's best era, IMO!
85: LET ME LOVE YOU TONIGHT - PURE PRAIRIE LEAGUE (#10(2)/2/11/17) - This song (my favorite PPL song) was the only Top Ten hit for this band, led by Vince Gill, husband of Amy Grant. It doesn't get much recurrent airplay anymore, but their 1975 "Amie" certainly does - and that song only lasted three weeks on the chart!
84: SARA - FLEETWOOD MAC (#7(3)/5/11/14) - Well, we're up to the first song that hit #1 on the R&R chart. This one spent a single week on top of that survey in late January, but since Tusk was such a big album, and the first new album from them in two years, most fans were buying the album (many putting it on their Christmas lists, I'm sure) and the singles did not sell quite as well. As stated earlier, this was by far my favorite song from Tusk, as well as one of my favorite Fleetwood Mac songs of all time. BTW, they played the full album version of the song on this countdown - w00t!
83: LOVIN', TOUCHIN', SQUEEZIN - JOURNEY Remember, they say "na" exactly 154 times in the song. Yes, there was a time that I was so bored that I actually counted them. 22 na's in each group, and there are seven groups of na's, so do the math from there. Anyway, not all the na's are heard on this show, since they fade out the song early IMO, the song is a great one - one of my favorites from them.
82: YOU MAY BE RIGHT - BILLY JOEL (#7(3)/4/11/15) - The first of four Top 40 hits from Glass Houses. It's my third favorite, behind the last two releases. Too bad those last two didn't make the list (both peaked low and didn't last long on the charts - besides, the last one, "Sometimes A Fantasy" peaked just past the 1980 cutoff date, so it wouldn't have made this list anyway).
81: HOT ROD HEARTS - ROBBIE DUPREE (#15(2)/-/12/18) - Of course, I liked both of his Top Ten hits, though I slightly prefer "Steal Away". I used to think that the back-up singer on this the same one that sings back-up on "Steal Away", but it sounds like it's just Dupree himself singing an octave higher (since the tone quality of the voice is the same).
80: ROMEO'S TUNE - STEVE FORBERT (#11(2)/-/12/19) - One of a handful of one-hit wonders on this year's chart. It may have been the only Top 40 hit for this man, but what a great song it was!
79: I WANNA BE YOUR LOVER - PRINCE (#11(2)/-/12/16) - His success was almost exclusively in the 80s (and beyond) - he was climbing the charts with this one at the end of 1979, but peaked in 1980 - and then, of course, we all know that, as of 1983, he became one of the biggest artists of the 1980s and was successful in the 1990s as well. This song wasn't bad, but I preferred many others from him.
78: INTO THE NIGHT - BENNY MARDONES (#12(2)/-/12/20) - I don't remember hearing this song at all in 1980, but I definitely remember it from 1989, when it returned to the charts - I heard it on AT40 and then ended up buying the single later on that summer. I played it quite a lot and ended up getting tired of the song. It's pretty good now, but I preferred several songs on his self-titled album which came out in 1989 (and included an updated version of "Into The Night") - these include "How Could You Love Me" and "I'll Be Good To You".
77: HURT SO BAD - LINDA RONSTADT (#8(3)/3/11/14) - She could very well be the queen of remakes, as this is one of many such songs that Linda charted with, a cover of a song originally done by Little Anthony & The Imperials. It was a good song, but I prefer many others from her (that said, this is my favorite of her two songs on this chart).
76: LET MY LOVE OPEN THE DOOR - PETE TOWNSHEND (#9(3)/3/12/19) - This one and one of the Who's songs, "You Better You Bet" (which was a Top 40 hit during the spring of the following year) sound very much alike but, oddly enough, it was a different member of the Who that sang lead on that one. I really liked this song - one of Townshend's best solo hits, IMO.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: (JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER – JOHN LENNON (1981) - Like the Leo Sayer song, it was also held off from the 1980 year-ender and placed among 1981’s biggest songs, as the song hit #1 past the 1980 cutoff date (in fact, it was topping the charts the very week that this countdown started, meaning that it was not announced as the week's #1 song until its third week on top). Of the three singles from Lennon's Double Fantasy album, this was my favorite!
75: BRASS IN POCKET (I'M SPECIAL) - PRETENDERS (#14(2)/-/12/22) - Wow, for some reason, I keep forgetting that this song made the 1980 year-ender! This was their very first Top 40 hit, as well as one of their best. Not sure if I prefer this or "Back On The Chain Gang"
74: TIRED OF TOEIN' THE LINE - ROCKY BURNETTE (#8(2)/2/12/19) - Another one-hit wonder, but his only song was a great one!
73: AGAINST THE WIND - BOB SEGER (#5(3)/6/11/17) - Difficult, but not impossible. But seriously, this song, the title track from one of the biggest albums of 1980. was definitely one of his best songs ever (and another one I remember quite well - both from the radio and the album, which my Mom had on cassette and we listened to it in the car all the time). Wasn't there a show where the full album version of this was played, or am I just imagining things?
72: HOW DO I MAKE YOU - LINDA RONSTADT With sugar and spice and everything nice, of course!
But seriously, this song (also known as the "Transistor Teeth" song) was okies, but one of my least favorites from her.
71: HIM - RUPERT HOLMES (#6(2)/5/12/17) - Two hits in a row from him (Him HIM) about cheating in a relationship - only this time, it's just her instead of both of them. And the only clue he needed was a package of cigarettes, a brand of which he did not smoke. I prefer this song over the Pina Colada song, since the latter is overplayed.
70: I'M ALRIGHT - KENNY LOGGINS - Well, movie hits account for more than a tenth of this year's big list, as eleven of them were big enough chart hits to make it! This movie (Caddyshack) is actually a movie that I remember seeing back in the day! The gopher that had been terrorizing the golf course was dancing to this song at the end. A great song!
69: YOU DECORATED MY LIFE - KENNY ROGERS ((#7(2)/5/12/18) - Back-to-back Kennys here! And he was part of a configuration as well - in this case, one of seven country hits during 1980 to make the survey (though this song was more associated with 1979). I liked most of Rogers' Top 40 hits, but this wasn't one of them. I mean, it's tolerable, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to.
68: FIRE LAKE - BOB SEGER (#6(2)/4/12/16) - We heard my second favorite song from Against The Wind several songs back and now, we're up to my favorite, by a fair margin. This is also one of my all-time favorites from Seger!
67: I CAN'T TELL YOU WHY - EAGLES (#8(3)/4/12/16) - A rare song featuring Timothy B. Schmit on lead vocals (in fact, until 1995, it was the only song with him singing lead to hit the Top 40. This was a good song - possibly my favorite single from The Long Run, but it's not quite as good as the album cut "The Sad Café"
66: THE LONG RUN - EAGLES (#8(2)/3/12/15) - Speaking of Bob Seger, about a year and a half ago, I realized the similarity of the chord progressions of this song and those of Seger's 1981 hit "Tryin' To Live My Life Without You". I was working in a building next door to a music store and I could hear the CD they were playing. At first, I thought it was a Bob Seger album, but then, based on the next few songs I had heard, I realized they were playing an Eagles greatest hits album (turned out to be their Eagles Farewell Tour album), and the song I had actually heard was this song, which is pretty much in a horse race with the above song as my favorite song from which this was the title cut.
65: DON'T DO ME LIKE THAT - TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (#10(2)/2/13/18) - The first of two Top 40 hits from d**n The Torpedoes (the second, "Refugee" just missed). Like Prince, they definitely were most successful in the 80s, where this song carried over into - up to that point, their only pther hit was "Breakdown" - and that only song got to #40. This song would end up being their biggest hit (by themselves) for almost exactly ten years - until "Free Fallin'" outpeaked it by three spots (still, their biggest hit ever was "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around", on which they teamed up with Stevie Nicks).
64: ON THE RADIO - DONNA SUMMER (#6(2)/6/12/17) - This is how most people heard the show during its original broadcast
But seriously, I liked this song a lot - definitely one of her best!
63: REAL LOVE - DOOBIE BROTHERS (#5(2)/5/11/16) - This song just made the 1980 list under the wire (as it peaked at #5 during the last two weeks of the survey period; otherwise, it would have been deferred to 1981's list). Anyhoo, it's hard to believe that, as many songs as the Doobie Brothers had, this was only their fourth Top Ten hit. It was indeed a good one, I vaguely remember hearing it back in the day.
62: STOMP - BROTHERS JOHNSON (#7(2)/2/13/19) - One of three acts among this year's Top 100 whose albums were produced by the great Quincy Jones. One thing I remember about this song, which I frankly was never crazy about, is its odd chart run. The song debuted at #30, took baby steps up to #16, then shot ahead to #7, stayed there for another week, then dropped back to #17, held there for another week and then dropped to #18. I wonder what the deal was there? Payola to get it into the Top Ten? Who knows?
61: THE SECOND TIME AROUND - SHALAMAR (#8(2)/4/13/23) - The biggest hit from this R&B band formed by Don Cornelius, the producer and host of SOOOOOOUUUUUUUUL TRAAAAAAAAIIIIN. It is also my favorite song from them.
60: FAME - IRENE CARA (#4(2)/6/12/26) - A song that got to be a theme song twice - first as the theme from the movie of the same title in 1980, and then again as the theme from the TV show that starred the future Top 40 great Janet Jackson, called Fame, which ran for about five seasons, starting in 1982. The song wasn't bad, but one of my least favorite songs from Cara.
59: LATE IN THE EVENING - PAUL SIMON (#6(3)/7/12/16) - We're up to another R&R-only #1 here. While Diana Ross was spending the month of September at #1 on the Hot 100, this song, which dethroned Ross from the top of R&R after only a single week, spent a pair of weeks at #1. I love the salsa beat of this song! Quite a departure from his usual style.
58: COOL CHANGE - LITTLE RIVER BAND (#10(1)/1/13/18) They were really on a roll, with the fourth of six Top Ten hits in a row (though they would take a two-year break after this song). Of those, this is possibly my second favorite from LRB, behind "Lady", from earlier that year.
57: DESIRE - ANDY GIBB (#4(4)/8/12/15) - The only song responsible for keeping the Gibbs' streak of charting on year-end charts alive in 1980. Based on this song's initial performance on the chart, it looked like it was a sure thing). Well, that was not to be, as this was all the higher the song got. It was a good one, but I preferred others from him such as "An Everlasting Love" and "I Just Want To Be Your Everything".
56: YOU'RE ONLY LONELY - J.D. SOUTHER (#7(3)/4/13/21) -This was his only solo Top 40 hit (his other entry was his duet with James Taylor, a little over a year later). Anyway, that's too bad, because both songs were great. I preferred this one.
55: LOOKIN' FOR LOVE - JOHNNNY LEE (#5(2)/5/13/21) - One of six original singles from Urban Cowboy (which, at the time, was a record). This could be considered a guilty pleasure of mine, though I never used to like this song. I guess it's one of those songs that gets better with age!
54: JESSE - CARLY SIMON (#11(2)/-/13/23) - Now this song made it to 1980's list by the skin of its teeth, as it peaked on November 1, the very last week of the survey period! This is a song about an old flame who comes back and wins back her heart, despite her best attempts to resist. Hard to believe this missed the Top Ten, though it ranks unusually high on the year-ender. It's a great song - one that I regularly played on the jukebox at Pizza Hut back in the day.
53: BETTER LOVE NEXT TIME - DR. HOOK (#12/-/14/19) - This song also placed respectably high on the 1980 year-ender for a song that didn't make it to the Top Ten (there is still one left - in fact, it is way up in the 30s!). Anyway, I think we all know this is my all-time favorite song from them.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: LADY – KENNY ROGERS (1981) - Here's another big 1980 hit that made a big splash during the last two months of that year. Since it had been deferred to 1981, it looked to be in a great position to snag the top spot of that year, what with its six-week run at #1. but who knew that two other songs had even stronger staying power at the top. As for this song, I guess you could call it a guilty pleasure, since I liked it a lot.
52: LET'S GET SERIOUS - JERMAINE JACKSON (#9(2)/3/14/23) - Anyone notice the resemblance between this and "Grease" by Frankie Valli? I heard this song at the water park two summers ago and at first I thought it was this song, but then realized that it wasn't. As for the song, which Casey announced as the #1 Soul song of 1980, it isn't bad, but I generally preferred his mid-80s songs.
51: TOO HOT - KOOL & THE GANG (#5(2)/5/13/18) - Another Soul act, with their first new song of the 1980s (as I consider "Ladies' Night", which is coming up a little later, a 1979 hit, since that is the year it peaked. This song is my all-time favorite song from them, and my favorite song of 1980, according to my Personal Top 30 chart.
50: LONGER - DAN FOGELBERG (#2(2)/7/13/22) - Of course, Hey was the one who does the (awesome!) flugelhorn solo in the bridge, and that was definitely instrumental (no pun intended) in making this one of Fogelberg's best songs ever!
49: WE DON'T TALK ANYMORE - CLIFF RICHARD (#7(2)/4/14/20) - He was definitely much more successful over in England, his home country, but he did have a decent amount of success here in the states, where he became the first artist to have chart success in the '50s, '60s, '70s and '80s, with nine Top 40 hits, three of which hit the Top Ten, including this one, which just might have been his most successful - pointwise, that is; it peaked a spot lower than "Devil Woman", but spent two more weeks in the Top 40. I liked most of his hits (that I've heard), this one included.
48: SPECIAL LADY - RAY, GOODMAN & BROWN (#5(2)/4/14/20) - Another guilty pleasure, although I used to dislike this song, but it has gotten better with age. A great song from the band formerly known as the Moments.
47: LADIES NIGHT - KOOL & THE GANG (#8(2)/5/14/24) - Of course, my favorite Kool & The Gang song was heard back at #51, but this one wasn't bad either. The beginning reminds me a little of "Car Wash" by Rose Royce.
46: GIVE ME THE NIGHT - GEORGE BENSON (#4(2)/7/14/23) - Definitely one of the best jazz artists around. Like many of his songs, this one contains his trademark scat singing. I like it, but prefer a few others from him.
45: TAKE YOUR TIME (DO IT RIGHT) PART 1 - S.O.S. BAND (#3(2)/7/14/21) - Casey mentioned that this was the first chart single by the S.O.S. Band. It turned out to be their only Top 40 hit (although I imagine they had others on the R&B and dance charts, as this song topped both charts). This song wasn't bad, but nothing exceptional.
44: SHINING STAR - MANHATTANS (#4(3)/5/14/25) - Another song that was a big hit on the Soul chart - one of 32 on this year's Top 100. I've already mentioned, too many times, I'm sure, that I preferred this one over their other big hit, the day-darkening "Kiss And Say Goodbye". This is another song that you might call a guilty pleasure of mine
43: DON'T FALL IN LOVE WITH A DREAMER - KENNY ROGERS & KIM CARNES (#4(3)/5/14/19) - I tell you what, I think that it's too bad they didn't do more collaborations, because both of them (this and "What About Me" in 1984) were among my favorites by both artists.
42: MORE LOVE - KIM CARNES (#10(3)/3/15/19) - Wow, both of her 1980 hits appear back-to-back on the survey! I preferred the song above, but I liked this one too - about the same as "Bette Davis Eyes", depending on my mood at the time.
41: DIM ALL THE LIGHTS - DONNA SUMMER (#2(2)/9/14/21) - Donna Summer was one of four artist to place three hits among the Top 100 of 1980, though only one of those peaked in 1980. The other two were late 1979 hits. This one peaked just two weeks after the cutoff date for that year. Disco may have been burning out, but Donna Summer, an established artist, was still going strong. This song was pretty good, though far from being their best.
40: EMOTIONAL RESCUE - ROLLING STONES (#3(2)/8/14/19) - Ah, my former supervisor's "favorite" song (she still works at the library, so I still get to torment her by singing this song, LOL!) Another guilty pleasure (as many people I know, other than said former supervisor, dislike the song, due to Jagger's falsetto singing).
39: CUPID/I'VE LOVED YOU FOR A LONG TIME - SPINNERS (#4(3)/7/14/19) - Casey made a slight faux pas when he said that this was the only medley on the survey. There are actually two, and the other one is by the same act, in the same medley mode (working a modern-day song into the song as a bridge). I preferred the first one, which is coming up later, though this one was great as well.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: I'M ALIVE - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (#16/-/8/15) - One of two songs for this English band from the Xanadu soundtrack (three, counting their collaboration with Olivia Newton-John back at #93). Though their other song from the movie, "All Over The World" was slightly more successful, this one seems to get the most recurrent airplay of the two, so that's probably why they chose this song, which was pretty good, though I preferred said duet with ONJ.
38: HE'S SO SHY - POINTER SISTERS (#3(3)/5/17/26) - This was one of their biggest hits (at first, looking like a possible #1, but, as strong as the top two songs at the time were, this song was no match for them. Anyway, this was also one of my all-time faves from them! Based on its stats, it looks like they underestimated this song's remaining chart life (since this song peaked late in the survey period and was given projected points).
37: SAILING - CHRISTOPHER CROSS (#1(1)/7/13/21) - It was only a matter of time before we reached the first of 20 songs that hit #1 during the 1980 survey period. I'm kind of surprised it only spent a single week at #1, considering it spent a month at the top of the R&R chart. But the song definitely came out at the right time of year, when people escaped the heat by taking their boats on the lake or ocean for a day of sailing. I liked all three of Cross' 1980 hits from his first album about the same - all three were great songs!
36: WITH YOU I'M BORN AGAIN - BILLY PRESTON AND SYREETA (#4(4)/6/15/29) - By the end of 1980, this song had spent more weeks on the Hot 100 than any other song - 29 in all. Queen would surpass that by two weeks in early 1981 with a song that's coming up later in the countdown. This song was a one time pairing between a guy whose first hit was "Get Back", the one he sang with the Beatles, and had a string of big hits in the early and mid-70s and the late Syreeta Wright, who was married to Stevie Wonder in the early-80s. Anyway, I love this song - it has a hypnotic effect to it, though I do know several people who hate this song with a passion.
35: BIGGEST PART OF ME - AMBROSIA (#3(3)/8/14/19) - This was the second of Ambrosia's two Top Five hits and they are my two favorites from them. Not sure if I prefer this or "How Much I Feel". I'm fairly sure there was at least a week when the full album version of this was played on AT40 - can someone confirm this?
34: DRIVIN' MY LIFE AWAY - EDDIE RABBITT (#5(2)/6/15/25) - One of seven country songs on this week's chart, which Casey announced in the tease to this song. This was his biggest hit to date, peaking at #5. His next one would go all the way to the top. Both were great songs!
33: HEARTACHE TONIGHT - EAGLES (#1(1)/9/13/15) - Another one-week #1 on the Hot 100 that spent a month atop the R&R chart. However, that was understandable, as most Eagles fans were buying The Long Run - one of their most successful albums ever. This is the first of three songs from that album, all of which made the 1980 survey. This song was mediocre at best. For some reason, it just never did anything for me.
32: SEND ONE YOUR LOVE - STEVIE WONDER (#4(4)/10/14/18) - The first of two hits from Wonder's album Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants, and the only one to make the Top 40 (I guess he mainly concentrated on album sales instead of singles for this one). I liked this song a lot - like the Billy Preston/Syreeta duet, it has sort of a hypnotic effect to it.
31: THIS IS IT - KENNY LOGGINS ((#11(2)/-/16/23) - This is by far the highest ranked song on the chart that never hit the Top Ten. But its longevity was largely instrumental in that - note that it spent sixteen weeks in the Top 40. There were two #1 songs on the list that didn't even log that many weeks on the entire Hot 100! As for my opinion of the song, it's a good one, but I preferred many others from him.
30: STEAL AWAY - ROBBIE DUPREE (#6(2)/7/15/23) - The first of this Brooklyn born man's two Top 40 hits, and you can definitely hear the Doobie Brothers' "What A Fool Believes" in this one - Michael McDonald even sings backup near the end - or so I used to think. Some sources say it was him, others say that it was someone completely different. Whatever the case, this was a great song and my favorite of Dupree's two big hits.
29: SEXY EYES - DR. HOOK (#5(2)/6/15/21) - This song sounds like it would have been produced by George Benson, doesn't it? Dr. Hook had the most success in the 1970s, but they did have a few in the 80s, including one of their biggest hits ever - that would be this one, of course, which I liked, but, as I've mentioned many times, it doesn't hold a candle to "Better Love Next Time". This would also be their final Top Ten hit.
28: COWARD OF THE COUNTY - KENNY ROGERS (#3(4)/8/15/19) - Ah, the story about Tommy (aka "Yellow") putting the Gatlin Boys in their place. I definitely preferred this over Rogers' other solo song on the survey this week (I still prefer "Don't Fall In Love By A Dreamer" by a considerable margin.
27: NO MORE TEARS (ENOUGH IS ENOUGH) - BARBRA STREISAND AND DONNA SUMMER (#1(2)/9/13/15) - The first song on the list to manage more than one week at #1. I used to hate this song with a passion, but now, I don't mind it quite as much. Still, I could take it or leave it.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: REFUGEE - TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS - (#15(2)/-/10/14) - Earlier in the show, I mentioned how I used to always play "Jesse" by Carly Simon on the juke box at Pizza Hut, where my Dad used to take my brother and me to every Sunday back when I was in third grade. This was another song that I played every time we went. Definitely one of his/their best, along with "Don't Do Me Like That"!
26: YES, I'M READY - TERI DESARIO WITH KC (#2(2)/7/16/23) - A guilty pleasure, as some people I know hated this one. I liked it - much better than his whinefest that started off the year at #1. The bad news is, that one is still yet to come.
25: CARS - GARY NUMAN (#9(3)/5/17/25) - This is one of the songs I associate most with the spring/early summer of 1980! Even though it could use a few more verses (in place of all the instrumental parts), it is still a great song nevertheless. As synth-heavy as it was, it was almost ahead of its time!
24: THE ROSE - BETTE MIDLER (#3(3)/8/16/25) - I learned to appreciate the radio version better when my 7th grade choir sang this song at the spring concert. Still, I prefer several others by the Divine Miss M.
23: WORKING MY WAY BACK TO YOU/FORGIVE ME GIRL - SPINNERS (#2(2)/8/16/25) - This one just missed hitting #1 - the song at the top was just too strong for it. Anyway, this is a great song - much better than the original by the Four Seasons, in which Frankie Valli sounds like he's trying to force out a stubborn turd.
22: LOST IN LOVE - AIR SUPPLY (#3(4)/6/17/23) - The debut hit for this Australian band that was all over the charts during the next three years, but then almost instantly became yesterday's news. This was one of my favorites from them - a great song indeed!
21: CRUSIN' - SMOKEY ROBINSON (#4(4)/7/17/25) - He still had it in the 1980s, as this one hit the Top Five. It wasn't bad, but sounds sort of dated for its time.
20: RIDE LIKE THE WIND - CHRISTOPHER CROSS (#2(4)/9/17/21)
19: STILL - COMMODORES (#1(1)/13/15/20) - This song had hit #1 in November, 1979, and wasn't in any hurry to head down the chart (as evidenced in its Top Ten weeks count). Anyway, I used to dislike this song due to how depressing it was, but now I think it's a pretty good song. Still (no pun intended), I preferred their other fall, 1979 hit.
18: LITTLE JEANNIE - ELTON JOHN (#3(4)/11/17/21) - This was one of only two Top Ten songs that he had during the period spanning from the spring of 1977 through the fall of 1983, and deservedly so, as it is one of my favorites of his 1980s hits.
17: BABE - STYX (#1(2)/11/14/19) - Since they were from Chicago, they got tons of airplay on WLS, so I heard this song many, many times back in the day, and the song hasn't lost its luster at all. One of my favorites from them!
16: ALL OUT OF LOVE - AIR SUPPLY (#2(4)/10/17/27) - This was the lowest ranking #1 hit. Going out of this song, Casey mentioned that "we'll hear nothing but number one songs from here to the top." This, however, was one of my least favorite Air Supply songs, although I must like it better than I used to, as it no longer gets "No. Just no" status.
15: ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST - QUEEN (#1(3)/12/21/31) - Another song whose chart run past the cutoff date was underestimated. All points totaled, it's entirely possible that this one would have come out on top. Not that I'm complaining, as I'm not a huge fan of this song. I prefer their other #1 song, from earlier in the year, which is still to come! Another good thing - this song was edited (as it seemed to be more often than not).
14: WOMAN IN LOVE - BARBRA STREISAND (#1(3)/11/19/24) - Here's another song that seems to have gotten cheated out of a few projected points (though not quite as obvious as the song above). Anyway, this was a a great song. You can tell that Barry Gibb, who was Streisand's duet partner on her next two hits, was involved in the production of this song, which was also edited for this show.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: ANYWAY YOU WANT IT - JOURNEY (23(2)/-/6/15) - This was likely not a near-miss song, as it didn't even hit the Top 20 (which is a big surprise, considering its recurrent airplay), and didn't spend long in the Top 40 or the Hot 100. It's a good song, but far from being their best.
13: ESCAPE (THE PINA COLADA SONG) - RUPERT HOLMES (#1(3)/10/16/21) - I was glad that they played the entire version of this song, instead of cutting out the second verse, which they did a few times during its chart run. Story songs like this should be left intact, IMO.
12: FUNKYTOWN - LIPPS, INC. (#1(4)/9/15/23) - Funny how Casey called this the summer hit of 1980, as most of its #1 run was during the spring.
11:
PLEASE DON'T GOPLEASE DO GO (AND TAKE THIS REPULSIVE GARBAGE WITH YOU) - KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND (#1(1)/11/18/26) - My revised title for this song says it all!
10: COMING UP (LIVE AT GLASGOW) - PAUL McCARTNEY AND WINGS (#1(3)/11/16/21) - It was definitely a great idea for radio stations to abandon the studio version of this to this live version! Speaking of which, about two years ago, I got a reply to a comment that I posted on a YouTube video of the studio version of the song. My comment was: "I never liked this version of the song. The vocals on this song were overdubbed or altered or whatever so much that a) it didn't even sound like Paul McCartney and b) you could barely understand what Paul was singing, especially in the choruses. No, I much preferred the live version. The Top 40 audience apparently thought so as well, because once radio stations began playing the live version, the studio version was all but left for dead about a month after the song first hit the charts." The reply went like so: "Its clearly not for everyone and that's why I like it. Same with the album itself. Couldn't care less what masses think." Alrighty then...
9: POP MUZIK - M (#1(1)/9/20/24) - Yes, I know all too well that I'm in the minority here - but I'm sorry; this song just doesn't do anything for me.
8: MAGIC - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (#1(2)/11/19/21) - This song put ONJ in a three-way tie with Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand in second place for female singer who sang lead on the most #1 songs. Actually, a tie was all she could manage because by the time she next hit #1, Streisand had already had another #1 hit. Of course, by now, that second place record has all but been beaten many times over. Not sure whether or not Diana Ross' record has been beaten, but she had a total of 19 number one songs, which would be very hard to beat.
7: IT'S STILL ROCK AND ROLL TO ME - BILLY JOEL (#1(4)/12/17/22) - This would be what I consider more of a summer hit than "Funkytown" (probably because its chart run spanned the summer of 1980, but the song itself has that summertime feel to it. Though my least favorite of the Glass Houses singles, it's still a good one to me!
6: CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE - QUEEN (#1(4)/12/17/22) - Queen showed their rockabilly side with this song. It was a good song - easily my favorite of their two #1 songs in 1980!
5: UPSIDE DOWN - DIANA ROSS (#1(4)/14/17/29) - This song, of course, made the highest debut on the chart in years, when it started off at #10 back in August. Of course, it was by an established artist, and I'm sure they promoted this song like crazy. Casey was correct when he predicted this song to go all the way to #1, where it spent the entire month of September, as I mentioned earlier.
4: ROCK WITH YOU - MICHAEL JACKSON (#1(4)/9/19/24) - Here is a song that overplay hasn't tarnished at all! This is my second favorite single from Off The Wall, behind "She's Out Of My Life".
3: DO IT TO ME ONE MORE TIME - CAPTAIN AND TENNILLE (#1(1)/14/22/27) - Of course, this is my all-time favorite from them, as you probably know all too well! Though it spent but a single week at #1, its longevity in the Top Ten, Top 40, and the Hot 100 helped to place it so high on the chart, and deservedly so!
2: ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL, PART II - PINK FLOYD (#1(4)/12/19/25) - Generally an album rock act, they managed to have a few pop singles, including the biggest of them all. I like this song, but it's definitely not my favorite song on the chart
1: CALL ME - BLONDIE (#1(6)/12/19/25) - This song had the longest run at the top than of any of the 20 number one songs during 1980's survey period - six in all. It was also the top movie hit of 1980 (as well as one of the biggest soundtrack hits of all time), by a band whose #1 songs show great diversity, from disco to new wave, and from reggae to rap. This, of course, was the new wave song and, with that type of music becoming more popular than ever in 1980, it's no surprise that this song came out on top! A great song indeed!