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Post by bestmusicexpert on Feb 16, 2015 8:36:31 GMT -5
I think they did that a lot to Peg. 4 minutes doesn't seem so long in 1978 that there'd be an official 3 minute edit, but maybe there was.
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Post by mrjukebox on Feb 16, 2015 13:40:12 GMT -5
When he did his outro to "What A Wonderful World",Casey stated that Sam Cooke had the original hit in 1960 but he forgot to mention that it was also a top five hit for Herman's Hermits in 1965.
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Post by jamie9012 on Feb 17, 2015 13:01:53 GMT -5
Greetings
It is good that they played an Ep. from 1985 because I do like the Music from that Year. I will list the top 20 Songs.
February 16, 1985
20: OPERATOR – MIDNIGHT STAR - Good! 19: I WOULD DIE 4 U – PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION - I really used to think that Prince was singing, "I wouldn't die for you" during the Chorus. 18: FOOLISH HEART – STEVE PERRY - This is my favorite Song from this former lead Singer of the band Journey. With sincere Lyrics and slow, soothing Music, it became another Hit for him. 17: LIKE A VIRGIN - MADONNA - About two years ago, I remember hearing that her voice was sometimes altered to sound younger. I can believe it in the Singles from her first two or three Albums. I think that, in 1986, her songs began to sound much more mature. 16: MISLED – KOOL & THE GANG - This one reminded me of "Operator". 15: MR. TELEPHONE MAN – NEW EDITION - I can also hear the influence from Ray Parker Jr. in this Song (as Hervard mentioned)! 14: THE OLD MAN DOWN THE ROAD – JOHN FOGERTY - When it comes to his Recordings from the 1980s, I am more familiar with "Centerfield". Hard to believe that it only peaked at #44 on the Billboard Hot 100. 13: YOU’RE THE INSPIRATION - CHICAGO - A strong Hit from this band, which has been performing since the 1960s. 12: SOLID – ASHFORD & SIMPSON - Solid as a rock! 11: SUGAR WALLS – SHEENA EASTON - I did not hear this Song. 10: CALIFORNIA GIRLS – DAVID LEE ROTH - Often, I think that the Verison of this Song from the Beach Boys is a new Song! The beginning just sounds so timeless and modern! 9: THE BOYS OF SUMMER – DON HENLEY - For me, this is one of those Songs that can lose its message behind the nice Music. A #5 Hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for this member of The Eagles (which, a few years earlier, had disbanded). 8: THE HEAT IS ON – GLENN FREY - Another member from The Eagles. I like to listen to this one on hot days. #2 in March of 1985. 7: CAN’T FIGHT THIS FEELING – REO SPEEDWAGON - This one will also reach #1 in March of 1985. It was written by lead singer Kevin Cronin. 6: NEUTRON DANCE – THE POINTER SISTERS - I did not hear this Song. 5: METHOD OF MODERN LOVE – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES - Very good! This single follows "Out Of Touch", which reached #1. 4: LOVERBOY – BILLY OCEAN - I do not know why, but I used to think that Billy Ocean was the name of a Band! Actually, I think that the surname "Ocean" was a bit unusual for me. 3: EASY LOVER - PHIL COLLINS AND PHILIP BAILEY - When I first heard this one on the Radio, I listened to it a lot. I really liked the music. 2: I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS - FOREIGNER - A beautiful song, which is similar to "Waiting For A Girl Like You", this Hit fell to the #2 Position this Week after two Weeks at #1. 1: CARELESS WHISPER – WHAM FEATURING GEORGE MICHAEL - Unlike what Casey Kasem mentioned in his quote from George Michael, I thought that the lyrics in this Song were very mature. I think that many People can relate to them. "Careless Whisper" remained at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three Weeks. And in Germany, it reached #3.
Thank you for reading.
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Post by slf on Feb 18, 2015 21:57:10 GMT -5
For the week ending February 18, 1978: 40. Breakdown/Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers--A snoozer. It's too bad his first top 40 entry couldn't have been the vastly superior "American Girl", a true rockin' classic. (Was it even released as a single?) 39. Galaxy/War--I had never heard this song before, and I forget how it sounded, but I seem to remember it as being slightly above average, but far from special. 38. Dust In The Wind/Kansas--A semi-snoozer, redeemed by the pleasant vocal harmonies and the nice string instrumental interlude. 37. Goodbye Girl/David Gates--Although not as great as most of the hits he had with Bread, this release included much of the lush, mellow grandeur featured in those old hits. 36. Jack & Jill/Raydio--I can take it or leave it. I like "You Can't Change That" and "A Woman Needs Love" better. 35. Our Love/Natalie Cole--A beautiful and musically complex soul ballad, with first-rate vocals by Ms Natalie. 34. Can't Smile Without You/Barry Manilow--It's OK, but it's one of his less impressive hits, IMHO. I liked his previous hit, the stirring "Daybreak", much better. 33. Always And Forever/Heatwave--After the scorchingly fun disco smash "Boogie Nights", this Heatwave broke with this tepid ballad, which I have much cooler feelings towards. I would warm up to these guys several months later, when they once again would burn up the dance floor with "The Groove Line". 32. Falling/LeBlanc & Carr--Another snoozer. 31. Serpentine Fire/Earth, Wind, & Fire--It's one of this group's better songs. I enjoyed the harmonies and the horns, and it had a nice Caribbean sound. 30. Streetcorner Serenade/Wet Willie--so-so rock record, truth be told. 29. What A Wonderful World/Paul Simon w/Art Garfunkel & James Taylor--Rather tepid cover version of an otherwise sweet love song made famous by Sam Cooke and later livened up by Herman's Hermits. I was somewhat intrigued, however, by the new, closing verse. Was it a new verse written for this recording or was it part of the song to begin with? 28. The Way You Do The Things You Do/Rita Coolidge--A pleasantly smooth and sultry cover of the Temptations' debut hit. 27. Desiree/Neil Diamond--A pulsating, energetic release, which, as you all know by now, would have as its biggest claim to fame the first song played as a Long Distance Dedication. 26. Happy Anniversary/The Little River Band--A pleasant, yet sad, soft rock song, full of regret and celebrating what might have been in relation to his ex-wife. 25. Theme From "Close Encounter"/Meco--This highly enjoyable disco release had the same glorious wall-of-sound production as his majestic "Star Wars" theme from several months back. 24. Too Hot Ta Trot/The Commodores--So-so, at best. 23. Ffun/Con Funk Shun--Ditto. 22. Name Of The Game/ABBA--It has the same smooth vocal blend and polished production as most of this group's other fine releases, but it doesn't stand out as being exceptional. 21. Native New Yorker/Odyssey--This powerfully dramatic release is one of my favorite songs of the countdown. From the intriguing opening, to the intricate, complex dance arrangement, to the ladies' strong vocals, this disco classic ranks up there with those on the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack, several of which are coming up. 20. Long, Long Way From Home/Foreigner--Mediocre, like most of this band's releases. 19. Thunder Island/Jay Ferguson--It's a somewhat fun, catchy song, but I enjoy his old band Spirit's "I Got A Line On You" much better. 18. What's Your Name/Lynyrd Skynyrd--Although this iconic band recorded some enjoyable songs (most notably FREEBIRD!), much of their material is like this overrated, overplayed song--dull, honky-tonk drenched dreck. 17. Night Fever/The Bee Gees--In a major change of musical gears, this monster hit from "Saturday Night Fever" is probably my favorite hit single from that album. The strings add an extra layer of beauty and grandeur and I love the rhythmic way the brothers sing the words of the chorus. (BTW, my absolute favorite SNF cuts are the Bee Gee's gorgeous rendition of "More Than A Woman" and the stirring, dramatic instrumental "Manhattan Skyline".) 16. You're In My Heart/Rod Stewart--Although it's hopelessly sappy and cheesy, it is refreshingly heartfelt and lyrically innocent, at least compared to that intolerable raunchfest from a year earlier "Tonight's The Night". 15. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood/Santa Esmerelda--This disco cover version of the old Animals hit from the British Invasion is a nice, upbeat rendition and better than the original. 14. "Close Encounters" Theme/John Williams--Although not as contemporary-sounding as Meco's record, it's still pretty enjoyable. 13. Peg/Steely Dan--This is one of my favorite songs by this fine jazz-rock band. I especially like the infectious ending, where the catchy, yet lush, beautiful chorus is played four times. 12. I Go Crazy/Paul Davis--A beautifully sad love ballad which much have touched a lot of listeners' hearts to keep it in the Top 40 for so many weeks. 11. Lay Down Sally/Eric Clapton--I dislike this song for the same reason I dislike the Skynyrd song from earlier--it has a grating honky-tonk sound to it. Gimme "Layla" any day over this. 10. How Deep Is Your Love/The Bee Gees--This smooth, beautifully-produced ballad is almost as enjoyable as this group's upbeat disco classics. It's ironic that when Barry, Robin, and Maurice made their career move to disco music, their ballads, which were their longtime specialty, improved in quality, as well. 9. Baby, Come Back/Player--Good, but far from exceptional. 8. Short People/Randy Newman--Although I fully understand the satirical nature of this novelty song (and, in truth, I understood it then), I had a very hard time dealing with this song back in the day. A particular schoolyard nemesis loved to mockingly recite the song's lyrics in front of me constantly. Oh, did I mention I'm only 5' 3 1/2"? And I was even shorter in 1978. 7. Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)/Chic--A fairly fun disco release, the "Yowsah" X3 gimmick being the most interesting thing about it. 6. Emotion/Samantha Sang--I can take it or leave it. 5. Sometimes When We Touch/Dan Hill--An embarrassingly sappy, overwrought ballad. 4. We Are The Champions/Queen--On the other hand, this is a highly enjoyable, guitar-driven power ballad. Of course, it's best served with the frenetic appetizer "We Will Rock You", which it almost always is. 3. Just The Way You Are/Billy Joel--Quite posssibly his best and most uplifting, heartfelt love ballad, full of sincerity and delightfully free of the attitude and snarling anger of some of his later releases. 2. (Love Is) Thicker Than Water/Andy Gibb--I can take it or leave it. 1. Stayin' Alive/The Bee Gees--Probably this trio's signature song, at least of their disco hits. It has a killer bass riff, sharp disco arrangement, and stellar vocals by Barry, Robin, and Maurice. Furthermore, I've heard that if you perform CPR to the beat of this song on a victim of cardiac arrest, you can possibly save his life. And my favorite song of the week (drum roll): Odyssey's "Native New Yorker" narrowly edges out "Night Fever" in the war of disco masterpieces. Thank you and good night!
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Post by Hervard on Feb 20, 2015 12:49:30 GMT -5
This week’s presentation: February 27, 1988
Well, it took long enough, but they finally gave us a show from 1988. And they keep up their “former Flashback every other week” pattern. This one was part of the Flashback series, run in early March, 2002. That year had a lot of 1988 shows run, but some of those were to fill in holes left when Premiere decided to nix all shows from 1980 and 1981. Anyway, here is my commentary on this week’s countdown, which features seven debuts.
Droppers (long list here!):
LIVE MY LIFE - BOY GEORGE (40) - Great song! Shame that it fell off, and even more of a shame that it only spent a single week on the chart. Definitely an underrated song, but it just goes to show that Boy George was pretty much passe at that point (though he did hit the Top Ten five years later (on the Radio & Records chart, anyway) with “The Crying Game”. TELL IT TO MY HEART - TAYLOR DAYNE (39) - Great song! One of her best (in fact the best from her debut album, IMO). I COULD NEVER TAKE THE PLACE OF YOUR MAN - PRINCE (38) - Great song! THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL - MICHAEL JACKSON (37) - Good song, though I hated it with a passion during its chart run. GOT MY MIND SET ON YOU - GEORGE HARRISON (36) - Wow, lots of downward moving songs in the lower reaches of last week’s chart! I wonder how many debuts there were that week! Anyway, this song was OK, but it was quite played out. I prefer his song on this week’s chart. 853-5937 - SQUEEZE (33) - Ah, the other song that spawned nuisance phone calls (though nowhere near as many as the Tommy Tutone song caused). POP GOES THE WORLD - MEN WITHOUT HATS (30) - Great song! I like this one better than “The Safety Dance” - both versions.
40: WISHING WELL - TERENCE TRENT D’ARBY (debut) - Great song, but I preferred “Sign Your Name” (which we just might be hearing sometime this summer). Earlier, I mentioned that there were seven debuts on this week’s chart. Six of them debuted on the corresponding R&R chart. Seeing that this one debuted on that chart the week before, it’s sort of ironic that it was the lowest of the debuts. But it would eventually catch up with its progress, and then some going all the way to #1 on Billboard (didn’t quite make it on R&R, peaking at #3). 39: ANGEL - AEROSMITH (debut) - Great song! I remember thinking that this song wasn’t going to do very well, since at first, it climbed slowly. Fortunately, it picked up steam and ended up becoming their biggest hit to date, a title it would hold for ten years. 38: DEVIL INSIDE - INXS (debut) - Good song, though I’m not generally a big fan of them. 37: TUNNEL OF LOVE - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (21) - Good song. Not sure if I prefer this or “Brilliant Disguise”. 36: SOME KIND OF LOVER - JODY WATLEY (debut) - Good song, although her songs sound so much alike. This one is basically “Don’t You Want Me part 2". 35: CHECK IT OUT - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (debut) - Great song! My favorite single from the “Lonesome Jubilee” album. 34: WHEN WE WAS FAB - GEORGE HARRISON (debut) - Great song! This definitely should have done much better than it did, especially since “Got My Mind Set On You” was a number one song. 33: GIRLFRIEND - PEBBLES (debut) - Good song - not sure if I prefer this or “Mercedes Boy”. 32: I LIVE FOR YOUR LOVE - NATALIE COLE (23) - Great song! One of her best! 31: TWILIGHT WORLD - SWING OUT SISTER (34) - Earlier, I asked a rhetorical question about how many debuts there were last week. Well, now I remember - three of them, and this one was the highest. It’s a great song, and definitely quite underrated, as this was all the highest it got. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD - LOUIS ARMSTRONG - Great song! I was glad that this song got another chance on the chart (though it only peaked at #32). 30: EVERYWHERE - FLEETWOOD MAC (17) - Great song! My second favorite release from Tango In The Night, behind “Seven Wonders”. 29: GET OUTTA MY DREAMS, GET INTO MY CAR - BILLY OCEAN (35) - Great song! This was R&R’s top song of 1988! 28: ROCKET 2 U - THE JETS (32) - Great song, though I generally prefer their ballads. 27: BECAUSE OF YOU - THE COVER GIRLS (29) - Great song! 26: HAZY SHADE OF WINTER - THE BANGLES (15) - Great rendition of the old Simon & Garfunkel classic. Still, I prefer many others by them. 25: SITTIN’ ON THE DOCK OF THE BAY - MICHAEL BOLTON (31) - Wow, two great remakes in a row! I actually like this version better than the Otis Redding version (since I’ve heard it more times). LONG DISTANCE DEDICATION: STAND BY ME - BEN E. KING - OMG, was this ever a tear-jerker of a Long Distance Dedication! It was from an 18-year old girl to her cat, who had recently died of liver cancer. I cried like a baby the first time I heard it and you know what, it still brings me to tears, especially the part where she left the cat at the vet. I’m a cat person, and I’ve lost several cats, so I can totally relate. This one was so compelling that I actually wrote a Long Distance Dedication in response to it. It was never read (on the air, that is), but I’m sort of glad - it was pretty stupid. When you write a letter when you’re all sad and crying, you tend to write cheesy things, and that dedication letter was a perfect example. 24: HYSTERIA - DEF LEPPARD (28) - Good song - sounds kind of like “State Of The Heart” by Rick Springfield. 23: PUSH IT - SALT-N-PEPA (19) - Good song. This was back when rap was actually halfway decent. They played a different mix of this song than usual. 22: BE STILL MY BEATING HEART - STING (25) - Good song - this song has pretty much fallen into obscurity. 21: NEED YOU TONIGHT - INXS (14) - Meh, I was never a big fan of this song. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I SAW HIM STANDING THERE - TIFFANY - This was pretty good, but I prefer her slow songs, like the one by her coming up on the countdown. 20: I WANT HER - KEITH SWEAT (26) - Good song, though I preferred “I’ll Give All My Love To You”. 19: LOVE OVERBOARD - GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS (22) - Great song! She definitely still had it in the late-1980s! 18: OUT OF THE BLUE - DEBBIE GIBSON (24) - Good song, though not quite as good as her next release from the album of the same title. 17: MAN IN THE MIRROR - MICHAEL JACKSON (27) - Good song. This is just about the only song from the Bad album that didn’t have a fast-rise, fast fall. 16: I WANT TO BE YOUR MAN - ROGER (10) - I never really liked this one, for some reason. 15: ENDLESS SUMMER NIGHTS - RICHARD MARX (20) - Good song, though I prefer several others by him (i.e. “Angelia” and “Now And Forever”). 14: I FOUND SOMEONE - CHER (16) - This was OK, but I preferred her ‘90s hits. 13: PUMP UP THE VOLUME - M/A/R/R/S - My stepsisters and I used to love this fun song. One of them said that the funny voice after the “put the needle on the record” verse sounded like our grandmother, lol! 12: JUST LIKE PARADISE - DAVID LEE ROTH (18) - Good song, but not quite my favorite by him. 11: COULD’VE BEEN - TIFFANY (3) - Great song! This one used to bring me to tears (yes, I was a big crybaby when I was sixteen - and proud of it, too, dammit!) OPTIONAL EXTRA: ELECTRIC BLUE - ICEHOUSE - Great song! Too bad that WUEZ opted not to play it. 10: CAN’T STAY AWAY FROM YOU - MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (11) - Good song, though I prefer several others by them. 9: DON’T SHED A TEAR - PAUL CARRACK (9) - Great song! It demonstrated how Paul could do just as well solo as with Mike + The Mechanics and Squeeze. 8: I GET WEAK - BELINDA CARLISLE (12) - Great song! One of my favorites from her! 7: SAY YOU WILL - FOREIGNER (6) - This one was OK, but definitely not their best. 6: SEASONS CHANGE - EXPOSE (1) - Wow, big drop from #1! This was my second favorite song from Exposure, behind “Point Of No Return”. 5: HUNGRY EYES - ERIC CLAPTON (5) - Not a fan of this song. Definitely one of my least favorites by him. 4: NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP - RICK ASTLEY (8) - Ahh, here is the point in the show where we get Rickrolled! This was a good song, but I got tired of it due to overplay. I preferred his song “It Would Take A Strong Strong Man” from later on in the year. 3: SHE’S LIKE THE WIND - PATRICK SWAYZE (7) - Great song! OPTIONAL EXTRA: WHERE DO BROKEN HEARTS GO - WHITNEY HOUSTON - Great song! One of her best, and one of my favorite #1 songs of 1988! I’m glad that WUEZ didn’t skip over this one! 2: WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS - PET SHOP BOYS & DUSTY SPRINGFIELD (2) - Meh, both artists involved have had much better hits! 1: FATHER FIGURE - GEORGE MICHAEL (4) - Great song, though I hated it back in the day. Not sure why; it’s a nice mellow song and nowhere near as annoying as “Faith”.
Predictions for next week: Since rumor has it that they're going to be offering the 9/12/81 show next week (in honor of host Gary Owens, who recently passed away), I'm thinking that there will be only one show offered next week. Therefore, my guess for next week's show is 2/27/82. My back-up prediction is 2/25/84 (aka "The Happy Days" Dedication show).
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Post by Hervard on Feb 20, 2015 12:49:49 GMT -5
Droppers: ROCK THE CASBAH - THE CLASH (31) - Great song! The week before, this song had taken a hard fall from #8. The 1982 chart system was apparently still in place, where songs spent multiple weeks at their peak position, then dropped fast. SPACE AGE LOVE SONG - A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS (30) - Good song - I liked all three of their Top 40 hits about the same. WHAT ABOUT ME - MOVING PICTURES (29) - Great song! Too bad this was their only Top 40 hit. HEART OF THE NIGHT - JUICE NEWTON (26) - Good song, but not her best by any means.
LW#2: DOWN UNDER - MEN AT WORK LW#1: BABY, COME TO ME - PATTI AUSTIN WITH JAMES INGRAM Of course, we'll talk about those two songs later on.
40: DON'T TELL ME YOU LOVE ME - NIGHT RANGER (debut) - I remember hearing this one all the time on WLS back in early 1983, so I'm surprised that this one never got above #40 on AT40. No matter; it's not really one of my favorites by them, but it was indeed great to hear it again after all these years. 39: POISON ARROW - ABC (debut) - Good song - I like this and "The Look Of Love" about the same. 38: TIED UP - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (38) - Wow, this song is indeed tied up! As for my opinion of the song, it was OK, but not one of her best. I can kinda see why it didn't do any better than it did. 37: MY KIND OF LADY - SUPERTRAMP (debut) - Great song! Has sort of a '60s feel to it. 36: THE CLAPPING SONG - PIA ZADORA (36) - No. Just no. 35: I'M ALIVE - NEIL DIAMOND (35) - Good song. Oddly enough, this song spent all of its Top 40 weeks at #35. 34: DREAMIN' IS EASY - STEEL BREEZE (39) - Great song! This one was definitely underrated, IMO. 33: THE WOMAN IN ME - DONNA SUMMER (37) - Good song; kind of a departure from her usual dance/disco songs. 32: I'VE GOT A ROCK 'N' ROLL HEART - ERIC CLAPTON (40) - Great song! Although nowadays, that line about getting off on '57 Chevies and screaming guitars can be taken wrong... 31: COME ON EILEEN - DEXY'S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS (debut) - Me, this one's OK, but quite overplayed. This song has become the butt of several jokes, due to the title. OPTIONAL EXTRA: LIES - THOMPSON TWINS - Hmm, is this our "curveball extra" of the week? This one isn't heard very often anymore. It was a pretty good one, but I slightly preferred their two 1984 hits. 30: MANEATER - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (25) - Good song, but far from being their best. 29: SEXUAL HEALING - MARVIN GAYE (23) - It's okies, but I'm generally not a big fan of his. 28: THE OTHER GUY - LITTLE RIVER BAND (11) - Good song, but I preferred their next hit, "We Two", as well as a few of their '70s hits, especially "Lady". 27: FALL IN LOVE WITH ME - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (33) - This song was OK, but not quite their best. 26: ON THE LOOSE - SAGA (28) - Great song! This is another mid-charter that WLS played a lot back in early 1983. 25: I KNOW THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON - FRIDA (32) - Good song, but I preferred her with Abba. LDD: I MADE IT THROUGH THE RAIN - BARRY MANILOW - Great song! And they included the second verse! I fell asleep during the dedication, so I'm not sure how well it fit. 24: MR. ROBOTO - STYX (34) - This wasn't bad, but I preferred many other songs by them. 23: BREAKING US IN TWO - JOE JACKSON (27) - Great song! One of his best, right up there with "Is She Really Going Out With Him". 22: YOU CAN'T HURRY LOVE - PHIL COLLINS (10) - Good song - I actually prefer this over the original by the Supremes (probably because I heard this one before I even knew about the original) 21: ONE ON ONE - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (24) - Great song! My favorite of their two songs on the countdown this week. OPTIONAL EXTRA: BEAT IT - MICHAEL JACKSON - Great song! One of my favorites by him, and one of three #1s by him that has a rock edge to it. 20: SEPARATE WAYS (WORLD APART) - JOURNEY (22) - Great song! My favorite release from Frontiers. 19: AFRICA - TOTO (5) - Great song, although I remember detesting this song back during its chart run. 18: TWILIGHT ZONE - GOLDEN EARRING (20) - Great song! Definitely my favorite of their two Top 40 hits. 17: ALLENTOWN - BILLY JOEL (17) - Great song! One of his best, and unfortunately, the message in this song is still timely today. 16: ALL RIGHT - CHRISTOPHER CROSS (16) - Wow, I wonder if people thought this song was already peaking? Well, it was not, but it would only get four spots higher. Anyway, this was a great song. I liked most of Cross's Top 40 hits (though "Say You'll Be Mine" was a little on the mediocre side). 15: HEART TO HEART - KENNY LOGGINS (15) - Wow, three songs in a row that peaked in the teens on Billboard, but got as high as #3 on the R&R chart. I loved this song and was pleasantly surprised that they played the album version of the song this week (as they generally went with the single version). 14: YOU ARE - LIONEL RICHIE (18) - Great song! One of his best! 13: YOUR LOVE IS DRIVING ME CRAZY - SAMMY HAGAR (14) - Great song! Very likely my favorite of his solo hits! 12: GOODY TWO SHOES - ADAM ANT (12) - Good song - part of the mini-comeback of rockabilly music. 11: BACK ON THE CHAIN GANG - THE PRETENDERS (19) - Great song! Definitely one of their best! OPTIONAL EXTRA: LITTLE RED CORVETTE - PRINCE - Good song, although it didn't make sense IMO to cut the second verse, yet play the long ending. 10: PASS THE DUTCHIE - MUSICAL YOUTH (13) - This is OK, but can be somewhat annoying. 9: WE'VE GOT TONIGHT - KENNY ROGERS AND SHEENA EASTON (21) - This song was OK, but I prefer many others by both artists. 8: DOWN UNDER - MEN AT WORK (2) - This song was OK, but quite overplayed. Casey read a correction about his story about vegemite (that it's not exclusive to Australia), told on the December 18 show (which we heard late last year). I wonder if that's why they chose this show? 7: YOU AND I - EDDIE RABBITT WITH CRYSTAL GAYLE (7) - Great song! One of my favorite songs by both artists involved! LDD: JUST TO BE CLOSE TO YOU - THE COMMODORES - This song is OK, but not one of my favorites by them. It was, however, very fitting for the dedication. I wonder if the writer and his lady got married after he got out of prison? 6: HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF - DURAN DURAN (9) - Great song! One of my favorite songs by them! 5: DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME - CULTURE CLUB (8) - Yes I do, because you played the version of this with the whiny intro. But, since you were nice enough to leave out the annoying bridge, I'll spare you. But seriously, this song, when both annoying elements are absent, is actually a good one. 4: BILLIE JEAN - MICHAEL JACKSON (6) - Great song! This was on its way to #1, becoming one of the biggest songs of 1983. 3: STRAY CAT STRUT - STRAY CATS (4) - Great song - another part of the short-lived comeback of the rockabilly music style. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SHE BLINDED ME WITH SCIENCE - THOMAS DOLBY - Good song - however, since it was an Optional Extra, they decided to go with the single version instead of the album version, which they usually played on AT40 and the version that I liked the best. 2: SHAME ON THE MOON - BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (3) - Great song! I didn't know that this hit the country chart (though I'm not surprised, as this does have a bit of a country/western feel to it. 1: BABY, COME TO ME - PATTI AUSTIN WITH JAMES INGRAM (1) - Although I do prefer several of their solo hits, I thought this was a great one and very deserving of hitting #1.
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Post by slf on Feb 22, 2015 10:00:17 GMT -5
For the week ending February 20, 1971:
40. Your Time To Cry/Joe Simon--Although Joe's delivery was quite soulful, the song overall was only so-so, not nearly as good as the powerful "Drowning In the Sea Of Love" a year later.
39. Help Me Make IT Through The Night/Sammi Smith--I've never cared for this song, mainly because of the fatalistic attitude that dominates the lyrics. She seems to not care about the natural consequences of her actions, so long as her immediate carnal urges are satisfied. To me, it's a tragic way to go through life.
38. Love The One You're With/Stephen Stills--I'm somewhat inclined to similarly disapprove of the "instant gratification" sentiments of this song as I once interpreted them to be, until another poster, several months ago, offered up the idea that the song had a more honorable meaning. He interpreted the song as saying one should pursue a woman who's attainable as opposed to one who's far away and uninterested. Either way, it's still a fairly beautiful song musically.
37. Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted/The Partridge Family--More and more, I'm starting to appreciate how polished and well-produced these Partridge Family releases were, including this one. They are much better than their bubblegum reputation would convey. And, although it's undeniably sappy, the spoken word confessional towards the end is rather charming and heartfelt.
36. Jody's Got Your Girl And Gone/Johnny Taylor--In this fun, funky release, I think we finally found the answer to the Soul Philosopher's earlier musical question: Who's making love to your old lady? It's Jody!
35. Born To Wander/Rare Earth--I was unfamiliar with this particular Rare Earth single before yesterday, but was quite impressed with the Latin rhythm and the sweet flute playing.
34. We Gotta Get You A Woman/Runt (aka Todd Rundgren)--This fun, carefree piano rocker is one of my favorite songs of the countdown. I'm also intrigued by the song's closing line, in which he lets it slip that he's gotta get himself a woman, too.
33. Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You/Wilson Pickett--This is another song I didn't know, but was impressed by. It had a fun, sprightly, upbeat arrangement. I'm coming to the conclusion that these early '70's obscure Wilson Pickett songs are better than his well-known '60's hits.
32. Proud Mary/Ike & Tina Turner--Although I enjoy the frenetic nature of the main part of the song, I am most fixated by Tina's sassy declaration that "We, never, ever, do nothin' nice and easy!" (I think we all can confess that the spoken word intro is what makes the song stand out.)
31. I Really Don't Want To Know/Elvis--Another ho-hum latter day Elvis ballad.
30. Precious, Precious/Jackie Moore--This torch song was mildly funky, but far from great.
29. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)/The Temptations--Although it has suffered from overplay, I am still touched by the melancholy sentiments emanating from this smooth ballad. The singer seems to have repeatedly failed at love and has only his imagination of what could be to sustain him. 28. Let Your Love Go/Bread--With this release, these masters of the sweet love ballad demonstrate that they could rock out with the best of them.
27. (Do The) Push And Pull, Pt 1/Rufus Thomas--This James Brown-inspired number was musically fun but lyrically trite and repetitious, even more so than the typical James Brown dance track from that same time period.
26. Temptation Eyes/The Grass Roots--This pumping, pulsating bundle of energy is far and away my favorite song by this band.
25. Me & Bobby McGee/Janis Joplin--It's somewhat soothing and pleasant, but IMHO, a little of Janis' abrasive style goes a long way. (That said, I'm sorry that her self-destructive lifestyle took her out at such a young age. It's sad that she never got her life straighted out.)
24. She's A Lady/Tom Jones--Although shamelessly bombastic, the brash arrangement and Tom's uber-assertive vocal delivery makes this an irresistibly fun song.
23. Remember Me/Diana Ross--With its lush strings and otherwise dramatic arrangement, this is one great lost soul number, even better than the previous charttopper, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".
22. For All We Know/The Carpenters--Full, rich harmonies. Sweet lead vocals by Karen. In other words, a typical stellar Carpenters hit. (And is that a clarinet I hear on the record?)
21. Stoney End/Barbara Streisand--The jazzy, pounding piano, the dense arrangement, the sweet background vocals, and, of course, Ms Streisand's dynamic vocals combine to create one majestic hit song.
20. It's Impossible/Perry Como--As much as I love rock and roll and soul, the music world would be sorely lacking without lush, stirring MOR ballads such as this lovely one.
19. One Less Bell To Answer/The Fifth Dimension--Despite the trite lyrics, Marilyn McCoo and company rise to the occasion and delivery another rich, smooth vocal performance.
18. If I Were Your Woman/Gladys Knight & The Pips--This dramatic soul ballad, as I said once before, reminds me of an impending rain storm. The opening bass and piano seem to simulate light rain drops, then as each verse begins, either the rumbling piano or the Pips' shouts seem to simulate thunder.
17. Have You Ever Seen The Rain/CCR--No, but I heard the rain in the previous song.
16. My Sweet Lord/George Harrison--As I said a couple of months ago, I love the driving beat, the sliding guitar work, and Phil Spector's overall production of this song, but hate the Hari Krishna chants towards the end.
15. Amazing Grace/Judy Collins--Now HERE'S the real thing, a masterful version of possibly the best-known and loved Christian hymn of all time. Does Judy have a gorgeous singing voice, or what?
14.Theme from Love Story/Henry Mancini--Gently sweet instrumental.
13.Your Song/Elton John--This pleasant piano ballad is made even more beautiful by the inclusion of periodic harp playing, most notably in the song's stirring close.
12. Amos Moses/Jerry Reed--An irresistibly fun story, with enthusiastic delivery by the late Jerry Reed. I also love the tight guitar riff.
11. Watching Scotty Grow/Bobby Goldsboro--OK, at the risk of being permanently banned from this site, or even ex-communicated from the human race, I'm just going to come out and say it: I love this song. Hey, I vividly remember this sweet, smooth ode to fatherhood being all over the radio, and my dad owning and playing the 45 single, so the fond memory factor kicks in whether I like it or not. And the lyrics are rather charming and well-written and Bobby sings them with sweet sincerity. And the punchy intermittent horn riff seals the deal.
10. Lonely Days/The Bee Gees--Aside from the intriguing marching beat leading into each chorus, this song is mediocre, at best. Their "Saturday Night Fever" songs from last week were vastly superior.
9. Mr Bojangles/The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band--A charming, rollicking story song. I especially love the way it dramatically slows down at the beginning of each chorus right before the singer implores the title character to dance.
8. Sweet Mary/Wadsworth Mansion--A very catchy song with an urgently-sung chorus and frenetic, fun ending about "hopping a freight". It's too bad these were one-hit wonders; they were good enough to have a few followups.
7. Groove Me/King Floyd--It has a tense, dramatic chorus, but is otherwise mediocre. Two years later, a particular British band with a similar name would achieve massive success here in the States, thus dethroning this king.
6. Mama's Pearl/The Jackson 5--Another dynamic, masterfully-produced Motion release by Michael and the gang.
5. If You Could Read My Mind/Gordon Lightfoot--A fairly beautiful, well sung ballad. All in all, an impressive debut hit by this legendary Canadian balladier.
4. I Hear You Knocking/Dave Edmunds--With its interesting guitar work and intriguing arrangement, this is fairly fine song. I'm most fixated, however, by his name dropping during the instrumental break, particularly his shout-out to the late Smiley Lewis, who had the original version of this song.
3. Rose Garden/Lynn Anderson--From the assertive string opening, to the lush strings throughout, to sharp country pickin', to Lynn's strong vocals, this is one of the all-time great country-pop songs.
2. Knock Three Times/Dawn--It has a sharp, brassy arrangement, but is not as good as "Candida", or "Tie A Yellow Ribbon".
1. One Bad Apple/The Osmonds--Bubble gum or not, this is one masterful pop song, from the flute opening to each verse, to the assertive, jazzy chorus, to Donny's cutesy but still strong vocals.
And my favorite song of the countdown (Drum roll):
Although a fine countdown, my absolute favorite songs of '71 wouldn't come along until later in the year, so there's no obvious standout song this week. But I think I'll go with the great pop song that was this nation's favorite song of the week, "One Bad Apple".
Thank You for reading.
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Post by pb on Feb 22, 2015 13:49:04 GMT -5
22. For All We Know/The Carpenters--Full, rich harmonies. Sweet lead vocals by Karen. In other words, a typical stellar Carpenters hit. (And is that a clarinet I hear on the record?) Oboe. Trivia note: two members of Bread were among the writers of the song, using pseudonyms.
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Post by bestmusicexpert on Feb 22, 2015 16:02:33 GMT -5
I love the chorus and the musical backing for the Lightfoot tune.
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Post by Hervard on Feb 22, 2015 23:18:40 GMT -5
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Post by mga707 on Feb 23, 2015 14:04:34 GMT -5
24. She's A Lady/Tom Jones--Although shamelessly bombastic, the brash arrangement and Tom's uber-assertive vocal delivery makes this an irresistibly fun song. The line in the song that cracks me up is when Tom asserts "I can leave her home alone and there's no messin'", which makes it sound like he's singing about a paper-trained puppy! Between that and Todd 'Runt' Rundgren's backhanded compliment that "...they may be stupid but they sure are fun", this was one golden age for male chauvinism!
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Post by pb on Feb 23, 2015 14:52:45 GMT -5
The line in Rundgren's song was "talking about things with that special one/they may be stupid but they sure are fun." Todd would later say he meant that the things you talk about may be stupid, not the women.
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Post by blackbowl68 on Feb 27, 2015 9:33:14 GMT -5
I know this is late, but after hearing the 2/27/1988 AT40 show, it made me wish American Top 40 was produced in New York rather than Hollywood. The chart for that week had a decidedly "New York feel" to it, but AT40 seemingly removed that element from the songs they played.
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Post by jmack19 on Feb 27, 2015 12:54:02 GMT -5
Casey answered a trivia question about artists having the most consecutive years hitting the top 10. (The question came from a listener in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, which I am ironically listening to the broadcast on CPKE from that city.) His answer was two acts: The Temptations and Stevie Wonder. The former is correct but the latter is not. The Temptations did indeed make the top 10 every year from 1965 to 1973. Stevie Wonder, on the other hand, never made the top 10 in 1972. He actually has two strings: 1966 to 1971, and 1973 to 1977. His song "Superstition" entered the top 10 the first chart week of 1973, and Casey's mistake could be attributed to thinking it got in the week before. Unfortunately, it doesn't account for why he thought Stevie missed in 1975. At the time (2/85), Lionel Ritchie had sang lead on Top 10 hits by the Commodores for 6 years('76-'81) & had Top 10 songs for 3 more years as a solo artist. He went on to reach the Top 10 later in 1985, as well as 1986 & 1987.
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Post by Hervard on Feb 27, 2015 14:22:14 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - March 1, 1986
Glad we got a new show this week - well, sort of. I did hear three quarters of this one back on March 4, 2001, when it was a part of the American Top 40 Flashback series. I remember hearing it as I took a drive around southern LaPorte County as I was killing time waiting for a parking space to open up (I live right across the road from a church whose service began as the service at my church ended). So the second hour will definitely remind me of that chilly overcast morning. The first hour, however, will be brand-new. Here is my (building) commentary on the show:
Droppers:
WALK OF LIFE - DIRE STRAITS (37) - Good song - not sure if I preferred this or "So Far Away". GO HOME - STEVIE WONDER (36) - Good song, but I preferred his next Top 40 hit "Overjoyed". SAY YOU SAY ME - LIONEL RICHIE (32) - It's okies, but definitely not my favorite song from him. TALK TO ME - STEVIE NICKS (31) - Good song. I preferred her next hit, which wasn't far away from the countdown, IIRC. SPIES LIKE US - PAUL McCARTNEY (30) - This one was pretty good, but far from being his best. Note that two of the droppers were the last Top Ten hits from acts that were huge in the sixties and seventies and the first half of the 80s (of course, in the case of McCartney, that has changed, as the Rihanna song on which he was a featured artist just hit the Top Ten (on the Top 40 airplay chart, anyway) this week.
40: CALLING AMERICA - THE ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (debut) - Great song! I felt that this song was underrated. 39: TENDER LOVE - FORCE M.D.'S (debut) - Great song! I remember two different versions of this song played on the countdown - one of them had a "la la la" bridge, and the other had a longer instrumental break instead. This week, they played the latter. 38: NO EASY WAY OUT - ROBERT TEPPER (debut) - Good song. This was my second favorite Rocky IV smash, behind "Burning Heart". 37: NEEDLES AND PINS - TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS WITH STEVIE NICKS (debut) - Good song - one I don't remember from its original chart run (since it didn't quite make the R&R chart). 36: GOODBYE IS FOREVER - ARCADIA (debut) - Good song. Much better than their other hit "Election Day". 35: HE'LL NEVER LOVE YOU (LIKE I DO) - FREDDIE JACKSON (25) - Good song - typical mid-tempo 80s R&B music. LDD: MEMORY - BARRY MANILOW - Good song. 34: NIGHT MOVES - MARILYN MARTIN (38) - Awesome song! Didn't quite measure up to the success of her previous hit (although, given who she sang with on that one, it would be kind of hard to do, since Marilyn Martin wasn't an established artist. As I recall, this was her last hit. 33: MANIC MONDAY - THE BANGLES (39) - Great song! One of their best! 32: THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON T.V. - A-HA (20) - Good song, and interesting story about why there is no Channel 1 (of course, now that is not true, with digital TV. 31: ANOTHER NIGHT - ARETHA FRANKLIN (34) - This is the song that kicked off the show during said drive around Union Mills (one of the small towns in southern LaPorte County. This one was actually starting as I was pulling away from the curb in front of the church. Not sure how I remember that, but anyway, I thought this was a good song - I preferred it over "Freeway Of Love", but it didn't quite measure up to "Who's Zoomin' Who". 30: LET'S GO ALL THE WAY - SLY FOX (35) - WHEE! A pretty good song. It was originally released in 1985 but went absolutely nowhere. The decision to give it another shot proved to be worthwhile. 29: ROCK ME AMADEUS - FALCO (40) - This one depends on which version they played. I had to go get my church photo taken today, so I'll amend this as soon as I catch the first half hour of Hour 2 sometime this weekend. 28: DIGITAL DISPLAY - READY FOR THE WORLD (21) - As high as this got on the Hot 100, I'm surprised that this didn't at least chart in the lower reaches of the R&R chart. Must have been a huge seller. Anyway, I forget how this one goes, but I seem to remember it sounded a little like "Oh Sheila". 27: (HOW TO BE A) MILLIONAIRE – ABC (33) - Heh, how nice that would be! Anyway, I liked this song, and a very interesting story about miser Hetty Green. All that money and she didn't use a dime of it to provide the necessities of life for her kids. Sort of puts things in perspective for kids who think their parents are mean. 26: BEAT'S SO LONELY - CHARLIE SEXTON (29) - This song didn't get much airplay, but must have sold a lot, since it managed to spend three weeks at seventeen, the last of those was in its seventeenth week on the Hot 100. Charlie's age at the time? That's right, seventeen! As for my opinion of the song, it was so/so. 25: THIS COULD BE THE NIGHT - LOVERBOY (27) - Great song! My favorite of their two 1986 ballads! 24: I'M YOUR MAN - WHAM! (13) - Good song. I believe it was around this time that it was announced that George and Andrew were going their separate ways. 23: WHAT YOU NEED - INXS (28) - Good song. Much better than their other song with "need" in the title. 22: STAGES - ZZ TOP (23) - Good song, and interesting story about how they spent their time off from recording and tours for several years. 21: SANCTIFY YOURSELF - SIMPLE MINDS (24) - Great song! This used to be my favorite song in the world back in 1986. It still sounds great today! OPTIONAL EXTRA: WEST END GIRLS - PET SHOP BOYS - Good song, but not quite their best. 20: THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR - DIONNE & FRIENDS (10) - A tribute song to raise money for AIDS research. I didn't like it much when it was charting, since it was so overplayed, but now, it's nice to hear it every now and then. It turned out to be AT40's number one song of 1986. 19: NIKITA - ELTON JOHN (22) - Back to back Elton John songs on this week's show. He was one of the "friends" in song #20 and here is one of his solo hits. I liked it - one of the songs I most associate with the early spring of 1986. 18: DAY BY DAY - THE HOOTERS (18) - Good song. The week before, this song made a promising 28-18 move, but that was all the higher it got. Must have been a vacuum effect kind of thing. 17: R.O.C.K. IN THE U.S.A. - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (26) - I loved this song back in the day, but this one just hasn't aged well. 16: RUSSIANS - STING (19) - Good song. I like the eerie melody in this song. 15: CONGA - MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (15) - This song was OK, but one of my least favorites from them. 14: BURNING HEART - SURVIVOR (9) - Great song! One of my favorites from them! 13: TARZAN BOY – BALTIMORA (13) - This song makes me want to gargle with Listerine Cool Mint mouthwash!! 12: KING FOR A DAY - THE THOMPSON TWINS (17) - Good song, but I prefer a few others by them. 11: A LOVE BIZAARE - SHEILA E. (12) - Meh, I was never a big Sheila E fan. I did like "The Belle Of St. Mark", probably because it didn't get played to death. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WHERE ARE YOU NOW - JIMMY HARNEN w/SYNCH - Great song! Glad that this song came back in 1989 (and hit the Top Ten, to boot) after getting only as high as #77 three years before! 10: THESE DREAMS - HEART (14) - Great song! Probably my favorite on which Nancy Wilson sang lead. 9: SECRET LOVERS - ATLANTIC STARR (11) - Great song! Not sure if I prefer this or "Always". 8: SILENT RUNNING - MIKE & THE MECHANICS (8) - Good song, though I preferred their next two singles. 7: LIFE IN A NORTHERN TOWN - THE DREAM ACADEMY (7) - Great song! Another one that takes me back to the late winter of 1986! 6: WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH - BILLY OCEAN (3) - Good song. 1986 was definitely his best year - three Top Ten songs (one of those a #1) and another song that charted at the end of the year, eventually hitting the Top 20. 5: THE SWEETEST TABOO – SADE (6) - This was a good song, but not quite as good as "Smooth Operator". LDD: EMPTY GARDEN (HEY HEY JOHNNY) - ELTON JOHN - Great song, and definitely fitting for the dedication. 4: LIVING IN AMERICA - JAMES BROWN (5) - Meh, I was never a huge James Brown fan. 3: SARA - STARSHIP (4) - If I recall correctly, this one would hit #1 the following week. I loved this song to death when it came out and eventually grew sick of it when I heard it every d**ned time I turned on the radio (My Dad and brother hated it toom for the same reason)), but now I think it's OK. Still far from being their best, though. OPTIONAL EXTRA: ADDICTED TO LOVE - Meh, one of the most overplayed songs of the 80s! 2: HOW WILL I KNOW - WHITNEY HOUSTON (1) - Another song my Dad and brother hated, again, due to overplay, plus, it was kind of a teenybopper song. I used to like it back when it was popular, which was in my early teenage years. 1: KYRIE - MR. MISTER (2) - Care for an eraser? Oh, Kyrie Eleison(sp?). This song was pretty good, but I preferred "Broken Wings".
Coming up next week: We have another twofer. The "A" show is brand-new, from March 6, 1982. The "B" show is 3/14/87, which is a repeat from 2011.
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