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Post by mga707 on May 10, 2015 19:37:24 GMT -5
Chris (Hervard), I remember reading that Henry did his own backup vocals on 'Shannon'. Per the LP "Release", the backups are by Henry along with Mike Corbett, Marty Nelson, and co-producer Tommy West (Cashman and West). BTW, "Shannon" is not really representative of Henry's output. He could rock out, and did on his LPs.
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Post by jmack19 on May 11, 2015 0:07:07 GMT -5
In the last hour of the May 8, 1976 program, it was pointed out 11 years to the day, only one out of the Top 10 spots was occupied by an American act(Gary Lewis & The Playboys was at #2). This reminds me of the June 1, 1985 chart in which the top 8 positions were all held by foreign acts:
8: THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER – HOWARD JONES 7: HEAVEN – BRYAN ADAMS 6: SMOOTH OPERATOR – SADE 5: SUDDENLY – BILLY OCEAN 4: DON’T YOU (FORGET ABOUT ME) – SIMPLE MINDS 3: AXEL F – HAROLD FALTERMEYER 2: EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD – TEARS FOR FEARS 1: EVERYTHING SHE WANTS – WHAM
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Post by jamie9012 on May 11, 2015 10:36:04 GMT -5
Man On The Corner was Phil Collins singing of the homeless. The less successful of his songs on the subject. Another Day In Paradise is the other. As I listened to this Song yesterday, I began to think that this was a taste of what would come from some of his Songs that were recorded later (such as "Another Day In Paradise"). I am also interested by its low peak position. Although it is a very important subject Matter, I wonder if it would have charted higher if it were released a few years later (around 1986 or 1987)? I don't know; I guess it just sounded a bit advanced for this period (but still important).
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Post by slf on May 13, 2015 21:36:51 GMT -5
For the week ending May 8, 1976: 40. Shop Around/The Captain & Tennille--A sharp, catchy, lively cover version of Smokey & The Miracles' (and Motown Record's) first top ten hit. This was one of many remakes from the '70's that I didn't realize were remakes at the time, only to discover the original version sometimes many years later. I ultimately grew to love Smokey & Co's haunting, soulful original even better than this rendition. 39. I Want You/Marvin Gaye--Although this record has a nice dense urban sound, it's otherwise just so-so. 38. Baretta Theme (Keep Your Eye On The Sparrow)/Rhythm Heritage--It was OK, I guess, but I have heard superior versions, including the stirring one that was actually played on the show. 37. Movin'/The Brass Connection--It was nicely upbeat but somewhat repetitious. 36. Fallen Angel/Frankie Valli--I was unfamiliar with this song, but was quite impressed by the beautiful arrangement and sweet lyrics. 35. Anytime I'll Be There/Paul Anka--Another song I was unfamiliar with but enjoyed. I remember it having a smooth, sharp disco-lite arrangement. 34. Hurt/Elvis Presley--Ah jeez, another week, another mediocre latter-day Elvis release. This one's even more intolerably overwrought than most of the others. 33. I Have A Feeling (We'll Be Seeing Each Other Again)/Al Wilson--Still another song I didn't know but enjoyed. It had a lush, sweet feel to it. 32. Union Man/The Cate Bros.--Still another song that was new to me. It didn't impress me as much as those at 36, 35, and 33, but it did have a catchy rhythm. 31. Shout It Out Loud/KISS--As I've said before, I didn't care much for KISS back in the day except for the sweet "Beth". But in recent years, I've developed some appreciation for their fun, frivolous, hard-driving rock sound (but am still not impressed with their makeup and outfits.) This release is definitely a fun, relentless bundle of rock 'n roll energy. 30. More, More, More (Pt. 1)/The Andrea True Connection--This release has always been a guilty pleasure for me. From the first time I heard her breathlessly whisper "Get the cameras rollin'; get the action goin'", I detected the song's naughty, sexual undercurrent. But, doggonit, it has such a smooth, exotic, tropical rhythm that I can't get enough of it. (But it didn't surprise me one bit to learn years later that she had once been a porn star.) 29. Love Really Hurts Without You/Billy Ocean--I was exposed to nearly all of Billy's major hits of the mid-late '80's before I was even aware of this one major hit of his in the '70's, as it somehow flew under my radar at the time. But once I became exposed to this debut (as part of a '70's compilation CD I bought years ago) I quickly concluded that this earnest, hard-driving, piano-pounding bundle of energy blows all those '80's hits out of the water. 28. Love In The Shadows/Neil Sedaka--With its sharp R&B guitar and overall sunny, dynamic disco arrangement, this is one of Neil's best comeback hits. 27. Don't Pull Your Love/Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye/Glen Campbell--This was a rather sweet, pleasant medley, but I believe I enjoy the separate hit versions of each song better, particularly the first song. 26. Young Blood/Bad Company--This cover is just as obnoxious as the original by the Coasters. 25. December 1963 (Oh, What A Night)/The Four Seasons--I can pretty much take it or leave it. (In another case of misheard lyrics, the line "taking my body under" always use to sound, to me, like "ticket for Barney uncle", which makes no sense whatsoever, but it's what I heard.) 24. Happy Music/The Blackbyrds--Yeah, I guess, but not nearly as happy as "Walkin' In Rhythm" (although this song does have a nice R&B guitar riff). 23. Come On Over/Olivia-Newton John--It was somewhat pretty, but forgettable. 22. Sweet Love/The Commodores--The verses are rather dull, but the harmonies to open each chorus are very stirring and dramatic. 21. Only Sixteen/Dr Hook--Another somewhat obnoxious song, mainly because the artist's singing frequently veers into annoying, whining territory, as it does here. 20. Fool To Cry/The Rolling Stones--This sleepytime ballad neither starts me up nor gives me any satisfaction. 19. Happy Days/Pratt & McClain--Although this hit single adopts basically the same arrangement as the version played on the TV show at the time, it doesn't have nearly the energy and, in fact, sounds downright sterile compared to that lively version millions of us heard every Tuesday Night at 8 PM. 18. Rhiannon (Will You Ever Win)/Fleetwood Mac--The song's verses flow smoothly and sweetly, but the song reaches the stratosphere in the choruses when they all harmonize the title "RHIA-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-ONNNN", giving each listener goosebumps. 17. Misty Blue/Dorothy Moore--I can take it or leave it. 16. Strange Magic/ELO--Another solidly produced ELO record. As usual, the slightly demented-sounding strings give it an ominous feel. 15. I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do/ABBA--This sunny, dixieland jazz-derived sing-a-long ditty is one of this group's most lovable songs. 14. Sara Smile/Hall & Oates--I can take it or leave it. 13. Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again/Barry Manilow--One of Barry's most dramatic, bombastic, yet most stirringly beautiful hit songs. I can sense the immense urgency from very beginning, even before the dramatic arrangement bursts wide open. 12. Shannon/Henry Gross--Just too sad and sappy for me. Give me its uptempo predecessor "Dare Me" anytime. 11. Bohemian Rhapsody/Queen--In the spring of '76, what should have been the happiest time of my life (I was wrapping up my time in elementary school and about to advance to middle school in the fall, plus the Bicentennial was about to take place) instead saw my first of many bouts of depression. Unfortunately, this song, which told the depressing tale of a pathetic man who had just committed murder, exacerbated my depression. Therefore, I avoided this gloomy song like the plague for years afterwards. Only in the early '90's, when "Wayne's World" made it a hit all over again did I warm up to at least parts of the song, namely the campy operatic call-and-response part in the middle, followed by the guitar-crunching section. Rarely, though, do I willingly listen to the song from beginning to end. 10. Disco Lady/Johnny Taylor--Remarkably lackluster for a so-called disco song. 9. Let Your Love Flow/The Bellamy Brothers--This smooth, happy sing-a-long smash just flows along so nicely, it's nearly impossible to dislike. These fellows would go on to have a very successful career on the country charts. 8. Get Up And Boogie (That's Right)/Silver Connection--No, not so right. "That's so-so!" is more like it. 7. Love Hangover/Diana Ross--From the lush, mellow opening, to the disco rave-up that takes over, this is a highly enjoyable disco classic, better than the song that preceded it. 6. Show Me The Way/Peter Frampton--Man, how do I love this rock classis? Let me count the ways. The rhythm guitar opening sets the assertive tone. Then Frampton's talking lead guitar gives its first of several fun musical retorts. Then Peter's voice chimes in on the intriguing main melody line, which seems to descend, then ascend. Then comes that tripping drum roll which introduces that electrifying sing-a-long chorus, all the while the rhythm section laying down the bounciest beat imaginable. Thirty-nine years later, I still cannot get enough of this explosive classic rock mainstay. 5. Silly Love Songs/Wings--I can take it or leave it. I might have developed a more favorable opinion of this song, it's just that it was so darn overplayed that summer. 4. Fooled Around And Fell In Love/Elvin Bishop--I can take it or leave it. I am mystified as to why this song's second verse is usually edited out. Is it because of time constraints or because of something risque in that verse's lyrics? 3. Boogie Fever/The Sylvers--It's somewhat fun and lively, but far from great. 2. Right Back Where We Started From/Maxine Nightingale--Musical sunshine. That's really the best way to describe this irresistibly catchy, joyful, masterfully-arranged pop nugget. Those staccato strings grab you from the start and don't let go, Maxine's powerfully happy vocals are almost intoxicating, the backup vocals reinforce the chirpy mood, the lush string interlude add more beauty, and the overall backbeat just exudes cheerfulness. 1. Welcome Back/John Sebastian--Although not quite rising to the cheeriness of the preceding song, this is a similarly happy, bouncy ditty. (As for the show, I rarely got a chance to watch it because my dad declared this show verboten in our house. I think he was offended by "Up your nose with a rubber hose" and the show's other rude catch phrases. Ironically, he had no problem watching "All In The Family" and "Three's Company", which were far more controversial shows.) And my favorite song of the countdown (drum roll): Hat's off to Maxine Nightingale, who gave us one of the happiest songs of the '70's! Thank you and good night.
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Post by Hervard on May 15, 2015 20:31:55 GMT -5
Not sure I'll manage to catch the 1984 "B" show this week (not that it would be a huge loss, as 1984 has abounded over the past few months), so here's a recycled commentary:
American Top 40: The 80s - May 16, 2015
This week’s presentation - May 19, 1984
Awesome! At long last, we finally have a show from every single month during the Casey Kasem AT40 era - in the 1980s, anyway (we still have a few left to go in the 70s, I believe). Although, technically, July 1987 is still kind of questionable, as we’ve heard a special show for that month, but not a weekly show. However, it’s easy to see why that is, as two shows were hosted by Charlie Van Dyke (July 11 and 18) and the regular July 4 show is said to be imperfect in one of the voice tracks. If that’s true, then July 25 would be the only possibility. They could still go with that show; we’ll have to see in about two months. Meanwhile....
Droppers: SOMEBODY’S WATCHING ME - ROCKWELL (37) - Good song, though it was his only big hit (and the fact that Michael Jackson is heard singing back-up was instrumental in that, I’m sure). SHOW ME - THE PRETENDERS (31) - Good song, though I preferred “Brass In Pocket” and “Back On The Chain Gang”. AUTOMATIC - POINTER SISTERS (30) - This song was OK, but I preferred their pre-1984 hits, as I’ve made abundantly clear. DON’T ANSWER ME - ALAN PARSONS PROJECT (21) - Good song, though not quite my favorite song by them.
LW#1: HELLO – LIONEL RICHIE 40: ALMOST PARADISE…LOVE – MIKE RENO AND ANN WILSON (debut) - Great song! One of my favorite songs from the Footloose soundtrack! 39: EYES WITHOUT A FACE – BILLY IDOL (debut) - aka “Hows About A Date”. But seriously, I think this song’s pretty good, though I prefer several others by him. 38: WHO’S THAT GIRL – THE EURYTHMICS (debut) - Meh, not a big fan of this one. One of my least favorite songs from them. 37: MODERN DAY DELILAH – VAN STEPHENSON (40) - Good song. Too bad it was his only Top 40 hit. 36: LOVE WILL SHOW US HOW – CHRISTINE McVIE (38) - Great song, though I slightly prefer “Got A Hold On Me”. 35: STAY THE NIGHT - CHICAGO (39) - Good song, but far from being their best. 34: MY EVER CHANGING MOODS – THE STYLE COUNCIL (36) - Great song! Reminds me a little of “The Game Of Love” by Santana featuring Michelle Branch. 33: A FINE FINE DAY – TONY CAREY (24) - Great song! My favorite of his two Top 40 hits, as one of my favorite songs of 1984! 32: RUN, RUNAWAY - SLADE (34) - Great song! One that my friend and I would sing along with at the top of our lungs when it came on the radio. 31: IT’S MY LIFE – TALK TALK (32) - Good song, though I prefer No Doubt’s cover version. OPTIONAL EXTRA: MAGIC - THE CARS - Great summer song! My favorite song from the Heartbeat City album. 30: IT’S A MIRACLE – THE CULTURE CLUB (debut) - Good song, but it was clear that the Culture Club had already had their day in the sun. This song was off to a promising start, but didn’t have quite enough gas to make it to the Top Ten. 29: YOU CAN’T GET WHAT YOU WANT – JOE JACKSON (33) - Good song, but I prefer several other songs by him. 28: JUMP (FOR MY LOVE) – THE POINTER SISTERS (35) - This song’s OK, but I never liked the title. 27: ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE – THE SCORPIONS (29) - Good song, though I preferred their early-90s songs. 26: WHITE HORSE – LAID BACK (26) - Not quite my cup of tea. Next... 25: MISS ME BLIND – CULTURE CLUB (18) - Great song! My favorite of their two songs on the countdown this week! LDD: JUMP – VAN HALEN - I’m withholding my comment on this for the time being, as my computer was messed up at this point and I didn’t hear the dedication. 24: SELF CONTROL – LAURA BRANIGAN (28) - Good song, though I prefer others by her. 23: NO MORE WORDS - BERLIN (23) - Meh, this one’s kind of annoying. I preferred “Take My Breath Away”. 22: BORDERLINE - MADONNA (25) - Great song! And even more great - they played the album version this week! OPTIONAL EXTRA: DANCE HALL DAYS - WANG CHUNG - This was OK, but possibly my least favorite of their charted hits. 21: THE HEART OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL – HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (27) - Good song, but not my favorite song by them by any means. 20: TONIGHT – KOOL & THE GANG (13) - See my above comment 19: I’LL WAIT – VAN HALEN (22) - Great song! Typical classic rock song of the early to mid-80s. 18: DANCING IN THE SHEETS - SHALAMAR (20) - Meh, it’s OK, but possibly my least favorite song from the Footloose soundtrack. 17: THEY DON’T KNOW – TRACEY ULLMAN (11) - Great song! Too bad it was her only Top 40 hit. 16: SISTER CHRISTIAN – NIGHT RANGER (17) - Even though, as I’ve pointed out many times, I was the butt of many jokes because of the title of this song, it still remains one of my favorite songs by them! 15: THE AUTHORITY SONG – JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (16) - Great song! Possibly my favorite song from Uh-Huh. 14: THE LONGEST TIME – BILLY JOEL (14) - Great song! So cool that doo-wop music still grabbed listeners’ ears. 13: BREAKDANCE – IRENE CARA (15) - Of her charted hits, this one is by far my least favorite. I’m not a fan of roof-raising R&B, as we all know. The same goes for breakdance music. 12: THE REFLEX – DURAN DURAN (19) - And this isn’t much better. This is in a race with “Is There Something I Should Know” as my least favorite Duran Duran song. 11: HEAD OVER HEELS – THE GO GO’S (12) - Good song. One of their best. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WHAT IS LOVE - HOWARD JONES - Good song - kind of a surprise extra, although I have heard it on Backtrax USA a few times. 10: FOOTLOOSE – KENNY LOGGINS (8) - Good song, though quite overplayed. I preferred his other Footloose song, which I hope we’ll hear in a future 1984 show. 9: YOU MIGHT THINK – THE CARS (7) - Good song, though I preferred their next hit, which was one of this week’s extras. 8: OH, SHERRIE – STEVE PERRY (9) - Great song. I liked all of his solo hits about the same. LDD: ONLY TIME WILL TELL - ASIA - Great song! I also missed the dedication that went along with this song (this time, I fell asleep). 7: LOVE SOMEBODY – RICK SPRINGFIELD (5) - Great song! The intro of this song reminded me a little of “Rock And Roll Never Forgets” by Bob Seger. 6: TIME AFTER TIME- CYNDI LAUPER (10) - This song was pretty good, but I preferred her other 1984 hits. 5: TO ALL THE GIRLS I’VE LOVED BEFORE - JULIO IGLESIAS AND WILLIE NELSON (6) - Great song! A true guilty pleasure. 4: HOLD ME NOW – THE THOMPSON TWINS (3) - Great song! Possibly my favorite from the “twins”. 3: AGAINST ALL ODDS (TAKE A LOOK AT ME NOW) – PHIL COLLINS (2) - Great song! This one remains one of my all-time favorites from Phil. OPTIONAL EXTRA: LEGS - ZZ TOP - Good song, though I preferred the Afterburner era, since those songs sounded a little more pop than their trademark southern rock sound. 2: LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY – DENIECE WILLIAMS (4) - Great song! I definitely prefer this to her sleeper song from 1982, “Gonna Take A Miracle”. 1: HELLO – LIONEL RICHIE (1) - Great song! One of his all-time best!
Brand-new commentary coming up for 1986, as that was last run during my pre-commentary days (on these boards, anyway)
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Post by mga707 on May 16, 2015 22:27:00 GMT -5
Hey there guys and gals, let's take a trip back to those crazy disco-fied days of May 1979! I was just a young lad of barely 21, not a big deal, as I'd been 'legal' for two years since back then my state's legal drinking age was only 19. So, here's my take on the AT40 chart for the week ending May 12, 1979. Let's hit the dance floor! 40) I (Who Have Nothing)--Sylvester (40 previous week) Mr. Flamboyant stays pretty low-key on this remake of the Ben E. King/Tom Jones hit, at least compared to previous releases "Disco Heat" and "Mighty Real". Prominent backup vocals by the future Weather Girls. 39) If Loving You Is Wrong--Barbara Mandrell (debut) One of the then-reigning 'Queens of Country' has her only pop top 40 with this Luther Ingram remake. Not too 'countryish' at all, more like straight-ahead AC. Surprising she did not have greater pop chart success. 38) Makin' It--David Naughton (debut) Mr. Dr. Pepper! Are you a Pepper too? Pure pop/disco cheese, yet still enjoyable. 37) Honesty--Billy Joel (debut) ...or, as we jokingly sang it back then, "Sodomy, such a lonely word..." Billy in full-blown Serious Ballad mode. 36) She Believes In Me--Kenny Rogers (debut) One of the better songs from the man who did straddle the pop and country charts with huge success on both. 35) Chuck E's In Love--Rickie Lee Jones (debut) As I teased last night, I've always loved this great song by a true original talent. Rickie Lee, I'll bet you're 'high maintenance', but how you intrigue me! 34) Get Used To It--Roger Voudouris (38) Excellent slice of pop from a true one-hit wonder--no other Hot 100 appearances. First of two forgotten gems in a row. 33) Don't You Write Her Off Like That--McGuinn, Clark, and Hillman (37) Absolutely wonderful forgotten gem by three of the original Byrds! While listening to it I was struck by how much the rhythm track is similar to Jimmy Buffett's "Volcano", which came out later in '79. This is by far my favorite of the two, as Buffett's incessant smugness grates on me. Sorry, 'Parrotheads'... I should dust off this trio's self-titled LP and play it again! 32) Old Time Rock and Roll--Bob Seger (39) Here's a prime example of how decades of overplaying can dim the appeal of what is actually a pretty good song. Don't hear it now as much as I once did, which is good! 31) Ain't Love a Beach (censor that!)--Rod Stewart (debut) I started laughing during this one as I realized how much this song is like an audio version of Rod's recent autobiography! Good ol' Rod has nothing bad to say about any of the many blondes in his past. Incidentally, the blondes stayed around the same age as Rod got older and older--Britt Eklund is actually several years OLDER than Rod! Gotta love an old guy who doesn't hold any grudges and is really into model railroading... 30) You Take My Breath Away--Rex Smith (debut) Yes, Rex was marketed as the next great teen idol after Shaun and Leif had run their respective courses, but, darn it, I do like this song! I'm a sucker for that BIG production, and Rex can actually sing. 29) Such a Woman--Tycoon (33) Don't think I'd heard this one since '79, and I liked it. Another true forgotten oldie! 28) Love Ballad--George Benson (18) Not bad, but the LTD/Jeffery Osborne original from several years earlier is still the definitive version. 27) We Are Family--Sister Sledge (debut) I know I'm in the minority here, judging by how popular this song was, but I always thought it to be pretty formulaic pop/disco. 26) Hot Number--Foxy (31) Another lackluster disco offering. Really just "Get Off", part two. 25) Deeper Than the Night--Olivia Newton-John (35) Wow--hadn't heard this one in a long time, and I'm impressed. Livvy's got some soul here! 24) I Will Survive--Gloria Gaynor (13) What can you say--there's a reason this is one of the disco era's signature songs. 23) Rock'n'Roll Fantasy--Bad Company (25) A solid, straight ahead rocker from Paul Rodgers and Co. 22) What a Fool Believes--The Doobie Brothers (11) It certainly wasn't the Tom Johnston-era Doobies any more. Michael McDonald was now in charge. Good, complex tune. 21) Renegade--Styx (23) Another classic rock staple, Tommy Shaw sings lead on the highest-charting single from the "Pieces of Eight" LP. Another song that has suffered from decades of overplay. 20) I Got My Mind Made Up--Instant Funk (21) "Say whaaat? " An interesting disco concoction. Would not have gotten near the top 40 a year later. 19) Disco Nights--G.Q. (22) Ditto for what I said about the Instant Funk song. A song of it's time, soon to be gone. 18) The Logical Song--Supertramp (24) And still another classic rock staple that has suffered from overplay. Sounded fresh in the spring of '79. 17) Just When I Needed You Most--Randy Vanwarmer (26) What's this? A sensitive singer/songwriter-type in the midst of all this disco and rock? Yep. 16) Blow Away--George Harrison (16) Good introspective tune from the 'quiet Beatle'. 15) Music Box Dancer--Frank Mills (3) Taking a big drop from it's peak is this oh-so-precious (twee?) instrumental. For our 1979 mellow sides. 14) Knock On Wood--Amii Stewart (4) Definitely not mellow is Ms. Stewart's high-energy remake of an R&B classic. If this didn't get you moving, you were probably dead. 13) Love Takes Time--Orleans (15) Another song I had not heard in a long time and had consequently forgotten how good it is! Way better than their other two previous hits. 12) Love Is the Answer--England Dan and John Ford Coley (14) Their final big hit, and again their best song (my opinion). Almost a perfect pop song. 11) Love You Inside Out--The Bee Gees (17) A bit different-sounding song from the Brothers Gibb. Not really disco, but still 'disco-ish'. I like it. 10) Shake Your Body--The Jacksons (12) A great bit of disco/funk from the now-grown-up Jacksons, with Michael in charge. 9) He's the Greatest Dancer--Sister Sledge (10) Halston, Gucci, Fiorucci: Rappers ain't the only ones to brand-name drop. Would somebody PLEASE clarify for me what it is they say right before "...he's the greatest dancer". Have NEVER been able to figure out that line! 8) Take Me Home--Cher (9) Yep, Ms. Bono's jumping on the bandwagon, just in the nick of time... 7) I Want Your Love--Chic (7) To me Chic always exemplified the coke-snorting excesses of Studio 54-style disco better that any other act, especially with this song. 6) Goodnight Tonight--Wings (8) I was really hoping that Sir Paul might do an unexpected song or two on his tour last summer and throw this one onto the set list (along with maybe "Coming Up"), but, alas, no. Still a mind-blowing concert, though. 5) In the Navy--Village People (6) Yep, good-looking guys with 'stasches portraying male archetypes. That's all Jacques Morali was going for when he put this act together, you bet. 4) Stumblin' In--Suzy Quatro and Chris Norman (5) This could be the only song in this top 10 that doesn't exude '1979'. Could have actually been as big of a hit earlier of later. Good song. 3) Hot Stuff--Donna Summer (20) I still remember how fresh this sounded blasting out of the speakers back then. Donna and Giorgio Moroder were smart enough to figure out that the sound had to evolve, and boy did it ever. Another classic. 2) Heart of Glass--Blondie (2) As is this. Riding high on love's pure bluish light--an old girlfriend absolutely loved that line (I liked "...soon turned out to be a pain in the a**" ). Was it New Wave or disco? Both? How can that be, the two genres are supposedly like matter and antimatter! But hey, it worked! 1) Reunited--Peaches and Herb (1) I guess there had to be one song that everyone could sway and grope to, and this one was THE slow dance song of 1979! And there you go, what a singular time it was! Never to be repeated...
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Post by Hervard on May 17, 2015 7:34:23 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - May 16, 2015 This week's presentation - May 12, 1979 DROPPERS: (Bear with me - this is a long list here!) SWEET LUI-LOUISE - IRONHORSE (36) - The only song from this band, somewhat of a BTO spinoff. I seem to remember that this one was OK, but nothing exceptional. ROLLER - APRIL WINE (34) - Wow, the Canadian bands seem to be getting the heave ho this week. This one was pretty good, but didn't hold a candle to "Just Between You And Me". ROXANNE - THE POLICE (32) - This was their very first Top 40 single. I didn't care much for it, however, so no big loss. HAPPINESS - POINTER SISTERS (30) - This one was so/so, but it didn't hold a candle to "Fire" (which, incidentally, is one of this week's LDDs). CRAZY LOVE - ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND (29) - I remember this one was pretty good - not sure, though, if I preferred it or Poco's recent Top 40 hit of the same name). SULTANS OF SWING (28) - This English band seemed destined to be a one-hit wonder, as this was their only Top 40 hit for several years, but that all ended in 1985, when they had their very first #1, and two more big hits after that. TRAGEDY - THE BEE GEES (27) - Their second hit (and my favorite) from Spirits Having Flown. PRECIOUS LOVE - BOB WELCH (19) - Wow, a drop from inside the Top 20! This wasn't 1982! But seriously, this one was pretty good IIRC, but I preferred his two other Top 20 hits, both from the year before. LW#3: MUSIC BOX DANCER – FRANK MILLS LW#2: HEART OF GLASS - BLONDIE LW#1: REUNITED – PEACHES & HERB 40: I WHO HAVE NOTHING - SYLVESTER (40) - This was the last of three Top 40 hits for this LA native. It was nothing special, IMO, but I loved the story about him appearing in his school yearbook as a woman. 39: IF LOVING YOU IS WRONG (I DON'T WANT TO BE RIGHT) – BARBARA MANDRELL (debut) - Interesting country version of the Luther Ingram classic! Not sure which one I prefer. Kind of weird that this was Mandrell's only Top 40 hit - given how big a country star that she was, one would guess that she'd have more crossover success. 38: MAKIN’ IT – DAVID NAUGHTON (debut) - Another one-hit wonder. This one hit the Top Five on the Hot 100, but only reached #25 on the R&R chart. As for my opinion on this song, it was OK, but a little gimmicky. 37: HONESTY – BILLY JOEL (debut) - This song indeed hit a brick wall! After making a promising eleven-spot move the following week, it climbed only two more spots and then fell clean off the chart. I guess it was more or less an AC hit (where it hit the Top Ten). It was a good song, though definitely not his best. LDD: THE CLOSER I GET TO YOU – ROBERTA FLACK & DONNY HATHAWAY - Definitely a fitting song for the dedication. And a great song it is - by far, my favorite of their three charted duets. 36: SHE BELIEVES IN ME – KENNY ROGERS (debut) - This is definitely one of the songs that I most associate with the summer of 1979! It is indeed a great song and one of Kenny's best songs ever! 35: CHUCK E’S IN LOVE – RICKIE LEE JONES (debut) - Wow, two songs in a row that hit #1 on the R&R chart, but fell short on the Hot 100. This song was pretty good, but 34: GET USED TO IT – ROGER VOUDOURIS (38) - Hmm, several one-hit wonders in the first hour. Oddly enough, he predicted that he was going to be a huge success (I believe that story was told on the May 19, 1979 show). ARCHIVES: THE JOKER – STEVE MILLER - His very first Top 40 hit, and the first of three #1s for him. I preferred the other two, although this wasn't bad. OPTIONAL EXTRA: RING MY BELL - ANITA WARD - This was her only Top 40 hit, but was a huge one! It was so/so, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. The rest coming up later! 33: DON’T YOU WRITE HER OFF – McGUINN, CLARK & HILLMAN (37) - Of course, we all know that all three were members of the Byrds. I liked this song, even better than most songs by the Byrds. 32: OLD TIME ROCK & ROLL – BOB SEGER (39) - I find it odd that this song didn't get above #28, considering all the recurrent airplay it gets. Not that I'm complaining, because I never really got into this song. One of my least favorites from him. 31: AIN’T LOVE A BEACH – ROD STEWART (debut) - Darned censors! Anyway, this was Rod's follow-up to one of his biggest hits ever, "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy". However, it was nowhere near as successful, as it ran out of gas before it even hit the Top 20. It was pretty good, but definitely far from being his best. 30: YOU TAKE MY BREATH AWAY – REX SMITH (debut) - This song was from the TV movie Sooner Or Later, in which Rex himself was the star. I loved this song when it was on the charts and still love it today - one of favorite songs from 1979 29: SUCH A WOMAN - TYCOON (33) - Yet another one-hit wonder. This song was good, but nothing special. 28: LOVE BALLAD – GEORGE BENSON (18) - One of the best jazz guitarists of all time! This was a good song - contained his trademark scat singing. Possibly my favorite of his Top 40 hits, since my favorites from him are generally the ones that didn't quite make the pop chart, but did well at AC (i.e. "Breezin'" and "I Just Want To Hang Around You"). 27: WE ARE FAMILY – SISTER SLEDGE (debut) - This was their first of two hits on the countdown this week (and their previous hit was still in the Top Ten this week). Not sure which of the two songs I prefer, although neither of them are exceptional, IMO. 26: HOT NUMBER - FOXY (31) - Well, this isn't really a hot number to me, as I'm not into this type of music (but you already know that, right?) 25: DEEPER THAN THE NIGHT – OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (35) - Her second of two hits from 1979. I personally preferred her other one, "A Little More Love", but this wasn't far behind at all, as it was also a great song! 24: I WILL SURVIVE – GLORIA GAYNOR (13) - Definitely one of the biggest hits of 1979, and one of my favorite disco hits of all time! Unfortunately, this was its final week in the Top 40 (there was apparently a huge influx of popular music at the time, as illustrated by this week's eight debuts). 23: ROCK ‘N’ ROLL FANTASY – BAD COMPANY (25) - This was their only gold single (yet it only got as high as #13 - not sure what the deal was there). Anyway, this was one of my personal faves from the summer of 1979 - I heard this one on the beach house jukebox on a regular basis. ARCHIVES: SHOW AND TELL – AL WILSON - This soul singer from Mississippi had four hits, most of which were mid-charters, but this one went all the way to the top. I like this song. OPTIONAL EXTRA: AIN'T NO STOPPIN' US NOW - McFADDEN & WHITEHEAD - These two were the founders of Philly soul music! This was one of the best Philly soul hits of all time, IMO! 22: WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES – THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (11) - They had two #1 hits, and they were two of their very best. This was definitely my favorite of the two! 21: RENEGADE - STYX (23) 20: I GOT MY MIND MADE UP – INSTANT FUNK (21) - Another Philly band, though I wasn't too crazy about the song (the "say what"s were kind of annoying). 19: DISCO NIGHTS – G.Q. (22) - This was the first of two hits (from the same year, no less) from this soul group from the Bronx. This was one of several songs sampled in Kon Kan's 1989 hit "I Beg Your Pardon". I seem to recall that I preferred their other hit, "I Do Love You", which charted later that summer. 18: THE LOGICAL SONG - SUPERTRAMP (24) - This British rock band formed in 1969 and had their very first Top Ten hit exactly ten years later. This was my favorite song in the world back in 1979. I liked most of their Breakfast In America album, which I finally bought in August of that year (remember - I was only seven and didn't have a ton of spending money). 17: JUST WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST – RANDY VANWARMER (26) - The only Top 40 song from this man from Colorado who, sadly, passed away eleven years ago. It was a really good song, but not one to listen to when feeling depressed, especially over a recent breakup. 16: BLOW AWAY – GEORGE HARRISON (16) - This was Harrison's comeback hit, after two years being away from the chart. It only got as high as #16 on the Hot 100, but it climbed to #4 on the R&R chart. I guess more people bought Harrison's 1979 album, which was self-titled, than they did the single. It was a great song - one of my favorite of Harrison's solo hits. 15: MUSIC BOX DANCER – FRANK MILLS (3) - This song climbed all the way to #3 in its tenth week in the Top 40. After that, people seemed to suddenly get tired of the song, as this was when it started taking a free fall. It would fall out of the Top 40 completely a mere three weeks after peaking at #3. As for my opinion of the song, it was a great one - one of my favorite instrumentals of all time! LDD: FIRE – THE POINTER SISTERS - Interesting LDD, as it was from a kid who recently got braces and the taunting that he got from his friends was like going through fire. This song, which peaked at #2 back in February, was one of my favorite songs from the Pointer Sisters! 14: KNOCK ON WOOD – AMII STEWART (4) - This was one of a few artists heard on this week's show that was a one-hit wonder, with their only hit making it all the way to the top. This song was OK, but it wasn't one of my favorites. 13: LOVE TAKES TIME - ORLEANS (15) - This was their last of three Top 40 hits, all of which made the Top 20. Actually, they were almost all Top Ten hit, but this one just barely fell short. The song, which sounds a cross between their other two hits, was my favorite of the three songs. ARCHIVES: YOU’RE SIXTEEN – RINGO STARR - A line from this song inspired Billy Ocean's #1 hit from 1988, "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car". This was a great song - my favorite of the two versions that I heard. OPTIONAL EXTRA: BOOGIE WONDERLAND - EARTH, WIND & FIRE w/THE EMOTIONS - A one-time teaming of these two R&B acts. The song was OK, IMO, but I preferred other songs from both artists (of course, I've only heard one other song by the Emotions). 12: LOVE IS THE ANSWER – ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY (14) - As well as there being many one-hit wonders on this week's chart, there are also several acts with their final hits, and this is one of them. Their last of six Top 40 hits, four of them Top Tens, including this one, it is one of my favorites of the bunch. In fact, I don't think there were any songs that I didn't like (though I'd have to listen to "Gone Too Far" to be able to tell for sure, as that is the only song from them that I don't remember). 11: LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT – THE BEE GEES (17) - This one was said to have been artificially moved to the top, so as to keep their #1 streak alive. Whether or not that is true I have no idea, but nevertheless, this was a good song - as mentioned earlier, it is my second favorite from Spirits Having Flown behind "Tragedy". 10: SHAKE YOUR BODY (DOWN TO THE GROUND) – THE JACKSONS (12) - Meh, not one of their best by any means. As I've said several times before, I preferred their earlier songs. 9: HE’S THE GREATEST DANCER – SISTER SLEDGE (10) - Of course, everybody knows that Will Smith sampled this song for his big 1998 hit "Gettin' Jiggy Wit' It". As I said earlier, I like both songs about the same. 8: TAKE ME HOME - CHER (9) - I seem to remember a story about this song waking a girl from a coma (told on the 1/23/88 show to tie in with her comeback hit "I Found Someone". Anyhoo, I liked this song, though I generally preferred her 90s hits. 7: I WANT YOUR LOVE - CHIC (7) - Of their four Top Ten hits, this one seems to be the most obscure. It is by far my favorite song from them. 6: GOODNIGHT TONIGHT - WINGS (8) - This was the last of their Top Ten hits from the 70s (they would have one more, which would end up becoming one of their biggest hits of all-time, a year later). This was a great song, but I preferred a few others, including said 1980 #1). 5: IN THE NAVY – THE VILLAGE PEOPLE (6) - As we all know, their biggest hit was one of my "No. Just no" songs (and sometimes it would get a rating even worse than that). This one, on the other hand, I actually really like. Probably because there wasn't a goofy, overdone dance to go along with it (they could have easily done that with the "They want you! They want you! They want you as a new recruit!" chant, but to my best of knowledge, that has not materialized - yet). 4: STUMBLIN’ IN – SUZI QUATRO & CHRIS NORMAN (5) - She starred on Happy Days as Leather Tuscadero, and he was lead singer of Smokie, of "Living Next Door To Alice" fame. They teamed up for this song, which was a good one, IMO. 3: HOT STUFF – DONNA SUMMER (20) - Wow! Not very often that the biggest mover is way up in the Top Three! It was clear where this song was headed! This was a good one - my second favorite of her 1979 hits, behind "Heaven Knows". OPTIONAL EXTRA: MINUTE BY MINUTE - THE DOOBIE BROTHERS - The title track from the #1 album in the country the week of this show. The Doobies would replace themselves on the chart the following week - this one would move in as "What A Fool Believes" stepped off the chart. Of course, that was the song that I preferred of the two. 2: HEART OF GLASS - BLONDIE (2) - This band has sort of an odd chart history - they either hit #1 or missed the Top 20 entirely with their eight hits. This was the first of four #1s. It was good, but I preferred "Call Me" and "Rapture". 1: REUNITED – PEACHES & HERB (1) - This was by far their biggest hit ever, spending the entire month of May at the top. It is also my favorite song from them - one of the best love songs of all time! Coming up next week: The regular countdown for next week will be the one from May 26, 1973 and the special, in honor of Memorial Day, will be the latest installment of the #1 hits of the 70s. I forget - what song were they up to when they last left off?
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Post by ivanzero on May 17, 2015 15:48:35 GMT -5
Finally another '79! This year invariably sends me into paroxysms of nostalgia, so bevare! BEVARE!
40 – I (Who Have Nothing) – Sylvester One of the two late Queens of Disco slides in with a knockout update of a song first brought to us by a recently departed King of R&B, Ben E. (R.I.P.) and later thoroughly owned by King Tom Jones. They really should do a Sylvester biopic – s/he had one heck of a life story.
39 – (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right – Barbara Mandrell Doesn't quite hold a candle to Luther Ingram's original or Millie Jackson's scorching remake, but still a solid interpretation. Ms. Mandrell has a terrific voice & the string arrangement is tasty. I'm with Hervard - why didn't she have more pop success ala Crystal Gayle?
38 - Makin' It – David Naughton Theme song to a short-lived Saturday Night Fever inspired sitcom (!), sung by the Dr. Pepper guy, who also starred. With a description like that you'd expect dreck, but you'd be wrong – it's a dynamite slab of popped-up disco.
37 – Honesty – Billy Joel Here we have a real show-stopper, with a powerhouse vocal that's a real heart stopper. Ballads have always been one of his strengths, and this is one of the strongest. The finish just soars.
36 – She Believes In Me – Kenny Rogers Unlike this song's protagonist, the singer did make an impact with his “little songs”. A touching ballad about the kind of woman every music man wishes he had – one who won't have a meltdown when you come home late from a gig or when inspiration strikes in the middle of the night.
35 – Chuck E's In Love – Rickie Lee Jones Color me enchanted. I was smitten from the get-go and have followed her ever since (in a lot of weird, wild, wonderful directions!). Had one of the best concert experiences of my life a few years ago, seeing her under the stars in an outdoor ampitheatre. It still blows my mind that someone this uncompromisingly offbeat could hit #4 and win a Grammy, but it really happened.
34 – Get Used To It – Roger Voudouris Not sure when this was recorded, but it could possibly be one of the first of hordes of records with a varation on the “What A Fool Believes” riff. In any event, it shows the true mark of a good pop record – 36 years later and without a lot of airplay it still manages to sound like a staple.
33 – Don't You Write Her Off – McGuinn, Clark & Hillman Yikes! 3/5 of the original Byrds reunite and all we get is this lame pseudo-Caribbean dud. I do agree that it's preferable to most Jimmy Buffett.
32 – Old Time Rock & Roll – Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band Yep - so overexposed for so long, I can't remember it ever feeling fresh. Solid Seger nonetheless.
31 – Ain't Love a Birch – Rod Stewart Always found this one downright delightful. Rod's in full “charming rogue” mode and the wistful lyrics & backing track fit like a glove. He wears it well indeed. I can imagine quite a few suits in the biz weren't quite as delighted with this as a follow-up to “Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?”.
30 – You Take My Breath Away – Rex Smith Felt obliged to hate it back then (Karen said I was “just jealous because Rex is a fox”), but it's really grown on me since. The lyrics aren't the height of eloquence – I know there are other lines than the title and “I don't know what to say” but it doesn't feel like it – however Rex has such a good voice that he totally sells 'em. And I do love that popgasmic guitar solo.
29 – Such A Woman – Tycoon Never been too impressed by this, but it does manage to mostly sound ahead of it's time by a few years & comes off like a direct ancestor of early to mid '80s AOR. Still retains a bit of '70s flavor – Firefall particularly comes to mind.
28 – Love Ballad – George Benson Not even a pro like GB can top the glorious slow-jam majesty of LTD's original, so he wisely ups the tempo, throws in one of his patented scat/guitar solos and comes up with a minty fresh winner.
27 – We Are Family – Sister Sledge Not even gonna try to critique this – it's too culturally ingrained. The theme song for the 1979 world champion Pittsburgh Pirates – a team I couldn't help but root for, especially after my Dodgers missed the playoffs.
26 – Hot Number – Foxy Sometime later in '79, I ordered a box of assorted 45s from either the Sears or Montgomery Wards catalog – it was a grab bag thing and you didn't know what you were getting, but it was supposedly chock full of “top hits”! Needless to say, it wasn't. This was among them, and the only Top 40 hit of the bunch. The A-side is enjoyable enough (the talk box is a nice touch), but the real gem is the B-side “Call It Love”, a deliciously breezy mid-tempo ballad that should've gotten way more airplay.
25 – Deeper Than The Night – Olivia Newton-John On my very first critique, I mentioned the inexplicably intense (in a positive way) effect “A Little More Love” always has on me. The follow-up doesn't quite hit that sweet spot (how could it?), but there's plenty of that ONJ voodoo still at work.
24 – I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor This was on that February critique, so ...
23 – Rock N' Roll Fantasy – Bad Company I had a rocker buddy who absolutely DETESTED the synthetic drum part on this song – he'd rant that it was “disco pollution”. Shucks – I always thought it added quite a cool touch to a most excellent BadCo track.
22 – What A Fool Believes – The Doobie Brothers The keyboard riff that launched a thousand imitations. I'm not entirely sure Loggins & McDonald actually invented it but they sure as heck immortalized it. The record is pure Top 40 perfection, so irresistible that even my rock-skeptical Dad was powerless against it. You can't fight the power of the smooth!
21 – Renegade – Styx Over-played. I've been listening to a lot of Deep Purple lately, so it's impossible not to detect quite a bit of their influence on this and “Blue Collar Man” – especially that heavy organ sound, straight out of the Jon Lord playbook.
20 – I Got My Mind Made Up – Instant Funk I'm a certified fool for heavy funk-infused dancefloor jams, so this one really floats my mothership. In fact, this track is probably greatly responsible for my addiction – I hadn't really been exposed to a lot of the stuff until I bought this 45 & put it in heavy rotation. 19 – Disco Nights – GQ I absolutely adore the follow-up (“I Do Love You”), so this fairly standard disco workout tends to pale in comparison. The “Rock! Freak!” shouts in the extended version do liven things up. The B-side is a decent cover of “Boogie Oogie Oogie” (!).
18 – The Logical Song – Supertramp There are times when songs are overplayed, and one can't find things to say, for such a simple man … I know it sounds absurd, but please tell me who I aaaaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmm. 1,2,3,5!
17 – Just When I Needed You Most – Randy VanWarmer The Warminator successfully treads the fine line between sensitive & wimp-out, and even throws in a groovy zither solo … at least I think it's a zither. The chorus really gives off a LeBlanc & Carr vibe.
16 – Blow Away – George Harrison I mentioned the late '70s lack of Beatles other than Paul on the airwaves in my '78 critique, so the appearance of this 45 was met with no small amount of rapture by yours truly, & it's still a rush to hear it. I can't really detect much residue of the burn-out Casey mentioned in his intro – he sounds more to me like a guy who's relaxing into his mid-30s with a gorgeous new wife and a firstborn child. Trying out the househusbandry of his former band mate was probably very tempting.
15 – Music Box Dancer – Frank Mills A pleasant enough little earworm, but it still boggles the mind that an easy-listening instrumental got all the way to #3 in May '79! It strikes me a bit as one of the last shakes of the fist from pre-baby boomers before they lost the airwaves forever.
14 – Knock On Wood – Amii Stewart I never set foot in a disco proper, but I can still just imagine what this one did to the assembled sweaty masses, especially cranked to 10 over a decent sound system. In the words of Danny Zuko, it's ELECTRIFYIN' … lectrifyin' … lectrifyin' ...
13 – Love Takes Time – Orleans Not remotely as memorable as their other two biggies. At least they put their shirts back on for the album cover.
12 – Love Is The Answer – England Dan & John Ford Coley I hesitate to call any “soft rock” tune a masterpiece, but if any deserves that designation, this one does. Pure aural bliss with a production that just glistens. The first couple of minutes are merely outstanding, but then when the choir chimes in and a rocket blasts the outro into orbit, it approaches nirvana. I hope Todd Rundgren was flattered.
11 – Love You Inside Out – Bee Gees Here we go again! Another song I'm inexplicably freaking nuts about. It's as if those dastardly Gibb brothers figured out how to perfectly arrange all the elements of a pop music neutron bomb engineered to level my brain.
10 – Shake Your Body – The Jacksons It's strange that Michael would sing about “burning the disco out” later in the year, because with this one he and his brothers done already did it. Maybe it was a different disco. In any event, it's audio arson in the first degree.
9 – He's The Greatest Dancer – Sister Sledge MGA, the lyric is “oh, what, WOW! He's the greatest dancer”. (For years, I thought it was "I wonder why he's the greatest dancer"). The first of two Chic songs in the top 10 – sure, it's billed to the fine sisters from Philly but the lush production is Rogers / Edwards to the core.
8 – Take Me Home – Cher Your wish is my command, madam! Would it be alright if we bring that costume from the album cover? Probably my favorite example of a flagging career rejuvenated by the omnipresent disco thump – she was resistant to dive into the genre, but when she did it just clicked in a big way – both artistically & commercially.
7 – I Want Your Love – Chic Having been exposed to the extended version first, I've never had much use for the 45 version of this – it feels like it ends just as it's really getting started. Apparently the Sledge sisters were supposed to do this one too, but I'm glad Bernard & Nile saved it for Alfa Anderson to sing – she kills.
6 – Goodnight Tonight – Wings Disco was so pervasive in '78 – '79 that even Macca (sorta) tried his hand at it – and came up with a dose of pure strange magic. Seriously – this is one weird (and wonderful) production. I still remember how odd it felt to buy a Paul McCartney single with that orange Columbia label in a black Columbia sleeve.
5 – In The Navy – Village People Yes indeed, the Village Voice was the place to advertise in the late '70s for those looking for he-men. This was their 3rd & last Top 40 hurrah, and I thought I'd heard the last of them until a year later when my Sophomore year girlfriend Holly dragged me to the multiplex for a dollar matinee of Can't Stop The Music (which got realllll creative with their origin story). Naturally, I ran into a couple of buddies on the way out who asked what we'd seen, and naturally Holly blurted it out before I could lie. Took me weeks to live that one down.
4 – Stumblin' In – Suzi Quatro & Chris Norman Leather Tuscadero! Wah-wah-wah. I do like this tune, but it's a doggone shame that it's the only Suzi Quatro record that made the Top 40. That this Detroit gal wasn't as big here as she was in the UK is one of the biggest musical injustices of the '70s. As for Chris, I guess he finally got over living next door to Alice.
3 – Hot Stuff – Donna Summer An absolute monster – talk about kicking down the door and taking over the room! And Donna was just getting warmed up … a little something called “Bad Girls” was just a few weeks away from blasting in to join forces.
2 – Heart of Glass – Blondie Hm, turns out one of Deborah Harry's favorite pastimes was sleeping. I guess those late nights at the Mudd Club took their toll. What really is left to say about this song? – an iconic single from a classic album.
1 – Reunited – Peaches & Herb And here it is, the Mack Daddy of the slow dance. Not many songs could've held “Hot Stuff” off from the top spot for a couple more weeks, but this wasn't just any song – it was pure gold. Herb Fame's vocal on this flat out hits me in the heart.
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Post by pb on May 17, 2015 16:37:56 GMT -5
21 – Renegade – Styx Over-played. I've been listening to a lot of Deep Purple lately, so it's impossible not to detect quite a bit of their influence on this and “Blue Collar Man” – especially that heavy organ sound, straight out of the Jon Lord playbook. Probably early Yes with Tony Kaye on organ like "Yours Is No Disgrace" was an influence for them.
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Post by mga707 on May 17, 2015 19:08:02 GMT -5
Finally another '79! This year invariably sends me into paroxysms of nostalgia, so bevare! BEVARE! Figured you would not sit out this one, so that's why I 'rush-released' my version last night. Top-notch competition like yours keeps me from slacking off.
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Post by Hervard on May 17, 2015 19:10:50 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - May 16, 2015
This week's presentation - May 17, 1986
I DO WHAT I DO - JOHN TAYLOR (39) - This one was very catchy. The first time I heard this song, I was singing the chorus to myself all day (misheard lyrics and all!)
DON'T WANNA TRY - FRANKIE J TENDER LOVE - FORCE MD's (38) - Great song - shame that it dropped off. FEEL IT AGAIN - HONEYMOON SUITE (34) - I thought this was a pretty good song, although I have a feeling I would have gotten tired of it quickly had it been a big hit, but outside of the countdown shows, I never heard it played. I THINK IT'S LOVE - JERMAINE JACKSON (29) - This was sort of a departure from his other hits. This one definitely had a touch of jazz in it. It was definitely one of my favorites from Jermaine. 40: WHO'S JOHNNY - EL DeBARGE (debut) - This one I liked quite significantly better than "Rhythm Of The Night". I thought the video was funny too. I associate this one with the summer of 1986 since you don't hear it much anymore. 39: WHAT YOU NEED - INXS (26) - Given how overplayed their "Kick" songs were, I liked their non-"Kick" songs better. This one was pretty good, even though it is also rather overplayed. 38: VIENNA CALLING - FALCO (debut) - Meh, I wasn't too keen on this song. It had sort of a novelty flavor to it, which is why it didn't do as well as "Rock Me Amadeus". 37/LDD: RAIN ON THE SCARECROW - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (debut) - Wow, as far as I know, this is the only show I've ever heard where a LDD song was a debut. I wonder if the farmer who requested this song knew it was going to be released as a single. Prolly not; he had likely listened to the album, heard the song, and realized that it fit the plight he was talking about in the dedication. 36: ROCK ME AMADEUS - FALCO (24) - They played the more annoying version of it this week, the one with the chronology of Amadeus' life. I liked the one that started out with "Ooh, Rock Me Amadeus". But it was cool that they played each version intermittently - they even played one that seemed to be a combination of the two during one of its number one weeks. 35: LET'S GO ALL THE WAY - SLY FOX (27) - Good song - an 80s mix show essential! Two weeks before, Casey talked about how this song was originally a hit the year before and it was re-released in 1986. 34: STICK AROUND - JULIAN LENNON (32) - I like this and "Say You're Wrong" about the same. I heard that his song "Want Your Body" was next to be released, but it didn't go anywhere. Too bad, as it was such a beautiful song. EXTRA: MONEY - PINK FLOYD - This song was played in honor of the album from which it was released, Dark Side Of The Moon, spending its 12th year on the chart. The week of thos show, the album was at #134 in its 624th week on the chart. 33: I WANNA BE A COWBOY - BOYS DON'T CRY (debut) - Like "Vienna Calling", the fact that it was basically a novelty song is probably why this didn't hit the Top Ten. I liked it, though, but I got tired of it around the time it peaked on the chart. Still, it's good to hear it every now and then. 32: HOLDING BACK THE YEARS - SIMPLY RED (40) - I thought this was pretty good. This was the week it was debuting on the R&R chart - back then, it was unusual for a song to hit the AT40 chart first, especially if it was by a new act that basically nobody had ever heard of before. 31: ALL THE THINGS SHE SAID - SIMPLE MINDS (36) - This one was basically a combination of their three previous songs. I thought it was OK. OPTIONAL EXTRA: STAND BY ME - BEN E. KING - This one was obviously grafted from another AT40, but I'm not sure which one. Anyway, this was a good song, although I actually prefer a few other covers of this song that I've heard. 30: MOTHERS TALK - TEARS FOR FEARS (35) - This song was pretty good, although the lyrics didn't really make sense. I definitely prefer "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" and "Head Over Heels" better than this. Still, I preferred this song over "Shout". 29: MANIC MONDAY - BANGLES (18) - This was their breakthrough song. IMO, it was a great one. Their best song was their next release, "If She Knew What She Wants". Their worst, of course, was the next one after that. Come on, you know the title! 28: TOMORROW DOESN'T MATTER TONIGHT - STARSHIP (30) - This was a great song! I liked this one better than several of their Starship releases (like "Sara" and "It's Not Over ('Til It's Over)") Still, "It's Not Enough" is the best, IMO. 27: NO ONE IS TO BLAME - HOWARD JONES (31) - Of his two Top Ten hits, this would be my favorite, hands down. It's another song that takes me back to the summer of 1986, which was an especially good one for me (trust me; it's a long story!). Anyway, I was kinda disappointed that this was nixed from the "CT40 Summer Hits of the 1980s, due to the cutoff rule. 26: A DIFFERENT CORNER - GEORGE MICHAEL (37) - No. Just no. 25: NOTHIN' AT ALL - HEART (33) - This is probably my least favorite of the four songs from the Bad Animals album, but it's still pretty good. 24: AMERICAN STORM - BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (16) - I like this song a lot. One of the few from his second Greatest Hits album that I like. Kinda reminds me of Springsteen's "Born To Run". 23: THERE'LL BE SAD SONGS (TO MAKE YOU CRY) - BILLY OCEAN (28) - Now this song DID make the aforementioned CT40 Summer Hits of the 1980s. It's yet another song I associate with Summer, 1986 since radio stations played it all the time. It wasn't one of my favorite songs back then, but I really like it now. 22: ROUGH BOY - ZZ TOP (23) - This was somewhat of a rare bird - a ballad by ZZ Top. Up to now, most of their songs were rockers (although they sort of went the pop way with their Afterburner album). Anyway, as seldom as they did slow songs, they seemed to do pretty good with them, IMO, anyway, as this was one of my favorite songs from them. 21: CRUSH ON YOU - THE JETS (25) - Speaking of slow songs, here's an act whose such songs are pretty much the only ones I like from them (though I did slightly like their near-miss hit "Private Number). This one just never really did anything for me. 20: NEVER AS GOOD AS THE FIRST TIME - SADE (22) - Most of their songs were chill-out type songs, and this was definitely one of them. It was nice and relaxing. 19: HARLEM SHUFFLE - THE ROLLING STONES (9) - This song was mediocre at best; definitely not one of their best hits. But it did have a fast-rise, fast-fall chart run; in fact, it was a rare Top Five hit that did not make the year-end chart. 18: MOVE AWAY - CULTURE CLUB (21) - They had a wave of popularity throughout 1983 and the first half of 1984, but after that, they sort of fizzled out, so they decided to wait another year before giving it another shot. Unfortunately, it was less than stellar, as this song missed the Top Ten (at least it did peak higher than either of their songs from their last album Waking Up With The House On Fire). This was their last hit as a group (though Boy George had two more solo singles) 17: KISS - PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION (12) - Meh, not a fan of this one, or any of his falsetto songs (well, except for "Mountains"). 16: BE GOOD TO YOURSELF - JOURNEY (20) - The first of four Top 40 hits from their Raised On Radio album. Though it's my least favorite of the singles, I still think it's a good one. 15: IS IT LOVE - MR. MISTER (19) - They were pretty much a flash in the pan, but their first three singles did quite well, all reaching the Top Ten (the first two making it all the way to the top!) This song was a good one, though I slightly preferred "Broken Wings". 14: ALL I NEED IS A MIRACLE - MIKE & THE MECHANICS (17) - They were relatively new at the time, but were doing quite well, with their first hit having hit the Top Ten, and this one on the verge of doing the same. Of their first two hits, this was my favorite, though I did prefer a few others from them, including their next single "Taken In". 13: SOMETHING ABOUT YOU - LEVEL 42 (15) - This song sure got a lot of mileage on the chart. Spent 14 weeks on the chart, which was unusually long for a song that did not even hit the Top Five (it was even more impressive on R&R - peaked at #9 and spent 15 weeks in the Top 40 - which tied it with several other songs for the longest run on the chart within 1986. I can see why it did so well, as it was an awesome song! 12: I CAN'T WAIT - NU SHOOZ (14) - What I couldn't wait for was this song to go poof! I was not a big fan of this one at all. I much preferred Stevie Nicks' song of the same title from earlier that year! 11: ON MY OWN - PATTI LaBELLE & MICHAEL McDONALD (13) - I felt the same about this song back in the day (due to excessive airplay), but it was one of those songs that ages like fine wine. I think it's a great song now. 10: ADDICTED TO LOVE - ROBERT PALMER (2) - Speaking of excessive airplay, this was definitely one of the most overplayed hits of the 80s. I rather liked this song back in the day, but I'm still burned out on it (since the song still continues to receive a ton of recurrent airplay). 9: IF YOU LEAVE - ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK (10) - Wow, all the overplayed songs that you still hear on the radio (well, not so much the LaBelle/McDonald collaboration) seem to be clustered together hear near the edge of the Top Ten! Anyway, of their four hits, this was their only Top Ten. I preferred their other three hits, my favorite being "So In Love", which, oddly enough, sounds a lot like this one. 8: BAD BOY - MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (8) - This one had sort of an old Motown sound to it. It was the second of many big hits for this band from Cuba (and even more for the lead singer, Gloria Estefan, who would go on to have a successful solo career several years later). It was a good one; my favorite of their 1986 hits. 7: TAKE ME HOME - PHIL COLLINS (7) - Many people thought that "Don't Lose My Number" was the final hit from No Jacket Required, but I believe they were holding off on new releases from the album to give "Separate Lives", his duet with Marilyn Martin, a chance (which proved to be worthwhile, as that song went all the way to the top). They resumed with No Jacket Required singles here with a song that closes out most of his concerts. A great song indeed! LDD: EVERYTHING I OWN - BREAD - This was an interesting LDD - it was to a guitarist whose instrument had been stolen. Interestingly enough, as they were recording this show, they were notified by the author of the LDD who said his guitar had been found and returned to him. A happy ending indeed! 6: YOUR LOVE - THE OUTFIELD (6) - The first of a handful of Top 40 hits from this British band who apparently knew nothing about baseball, despite their name. This was a good song, but I preferred their next single, "All The Love In The World", which charted that summer. 5: LIVE TO TELL - MADONNA (11) - This song definitely looked like it was heading for the top - and it indeed made it! Very deservingly so, as it was a great one! 4: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY - JANET JACKSON (5) - The first of many, many hits that Janet would place on the charts. However, this was one of my least favorite songs from her. I generally liked her later songs. 3: WHY CAN'T THIS BE LOVE - VAN HALEN (4) - The Van Hagar era was off to a running start, as the band's very first hit with their new lead singer Sammy Hagar hit the Top Three! It was a great song, though I did slightly prefer the next two hits from 5150. 2: WEST END GIRLS - PET SHOP BOYS (1) - This was an example of a band's first hit being their biggest, making it all the way to the top! It was a good one, but I preferred several others from them, including their next hit "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money)". 1: GREATEST LOVE AT ALL - WHITNEY HOUSTON (3) - One of Whitney's best songs ever, and it became popular in the LDD department. This is a song that I never got tired of and it still sounds as fresh as it did 30 years ago! Glad that it ended up as her biggest hit from her debut album (as far as weeks at #1 go).
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Post by davewollenberg on May 17, 2015 19:38:09 GMT -5
Funny how the '79 & '86 shows we just had, BOTH had songs called 'Take me hone'.
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Post by mga707 on May 17, 2015 21:32:56 GMT -5
25: NOTHIN' AT ALL - HEART (33) - This is probably my least favorite of the four songs from the Bad Animals album, but it's still pretty good. It's the fourth single from the "Heart" LP, the band's 1985 'reboot' LP. "Bad Animals" was released about a year later, spring '87.
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Post by mkarns on May 17, 2015 21:34:38 GMT -5
25: NOTHIN' AT ALL - HEART (33) - This is probably my least favorite of the four songs from the Bad Animals album, but it's still pretty good. It's the fourth single from the "Heart" LP, the band's 1985 'reboot' LP. "Bad Animals" was released about a year later, spring '87. And the version played must have been a single re-record or remix, as the album version isn't the same; the guitar solo especially is different. I think it was November 8, 1986; if not that then probably Nov. 15th. Casey's story sounded very much like one from early in its 1986-87 run, but its re-debut week (11/1/86) was guest hosted.
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Post by Hervard on May 23, 2015 17:17:53 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - May 23, 2015
This week's presentation - May 24, 1980
Droppers: SPECIAL LADY - RAY, GOODMAN & BROWN (38) - aka "The Trio Formerly Known As The Moments". This was their only hit under their new name, which apparently worked, as it was their biggest hit (and their only Top Ten). I never used to like this song, but now I think it's a great one. HOLD ONTO MY LOVE - JIMMY RUFFIN (37) - After three Top 40 hits in 1966, he went dormant for awhile, but had a short-lived comeback in early 1980. This one was probably my favorite of his hits. STARTING OVER AGAIN - DOLLY PARTON (36) - This one fizzled out kinda fast, but her two follow-ups hit #1. This was my favorite of her 80s hits - it was a great one despite how depressing it was. This was the #1 country song this week. I CAN'T TELL YOU WHY - THE EAGLES (28) - One of very few songs of theirs with Timothy B Schmit singing lead. It's pretty good, but far from being one of my faves from the Eagles. More on this song a little later. FIRE LAKE - BOB SEGER (24) - The first of three Top 40 songs from his Against The Wind album, and my favorite of the three - it was a great one! DO RIGHT - PAUL DAVIS (23) - Wow, all six droppers this week were really good. Needless to say, I preferred the May 17 show over this one. Maybe they'll feature this as a B-show next year?
LW#3: LOST IN LOVE - AIR SUPPLY LW#2: RIDE LIKE THE WIND - CHRISTOPHER CROSS LW#1: CALL ME - BLONDIE 40: LOVE STINKS - J. GEILS BAND (debut) - Kind of a surprise that this one only got as high as #38, given its recurrent airplay. It's a good one, but definitely not their best. 39: DON'T SAY GOODNIGHT - ISLEY BROTHERS (debut) - One of those sleepy R&B slow jams of the early 80s that sound more like early 70s. It's OK, but nothing special. 38: IT'S STILL ROCK & ROLL TO ME - BILLY JOEL (debut) - This song debuted on the Hot 100 way up at #38, so it was clear where this song was going! I've learned to like it a little better than previously, but it is still my least favorite of his four Top 40 hits from Glass Houses. 37: WE LIVE FOR LOVE - PAT BENETAR (40) - Her second Top 40 single, which doesn't get quite as much airplay as her two other 1980 hits. It's a good one, but definitely not my favorite from her. 36: I DON'T WANT TO WALK WITHOUT YOU - BARRY MANILOW (39) - Another artist who had three Top 40 singles in 1980 (with the last being a Top Ten, such was the case with Pat Benatar. This one was pretty good, though I preferred said Top Ten, which was "I Made It Through The Rain". 35: HEADED FOR A FALL - FIREFALL (35) - Great song! I like this about the same as their first two Top 20 hits. 34: LADY - WHISPERS (debut) - See my comment for song #39. (It did have a great synth bridge, though). 33: LET ME LOVE YOU TONIGHT - PURE PRAIRIE LEAGUE (debut) - Casey mentioned their first Top 40 hit "Amie", which I heard earlier today at Ultra Foods, a grocery store in Griffith, Indiana. I preferred this song by a fairly large margin. It reminds me a little of "Shadows In The Moonlight" by Anne Murray, which is one of my faves by her. ARCHIVES: RING MY BELL - ANITA WARD - This was one of the Optinal Extras on last week's 1979 show. The song wasn't bad, but nothing exceptional. OPTIONAL EXTRA: STAND BY ME - MICKEY GILLEY - One of several covers of the classic Ben E. King hit that charted in the Top 40. This was possibly my favorite version. 32: GEE WHIZ - BERNADETTE PETERS (34) - One of several instances where an someone known more for their acting had one chart single. This one was a good one - reminded me a little of "Break It To Me Gently". 31: LET ME BE THE CLOCK - SMOKEY ROBINSON (31) - Wow, lots of R&B slow jams in the 31-40 zone. His songs in the 80s either hit the Top Ten or missed the Top 30 altogether. This was one of the latter cases. It was a good song - reminiscent of his hits with the Miracles. 30: SHOULD HAVE NEVER LET YOU GO - NEIL & DARA SEDAKA (30) - Neil, of course, had a ton of Top 40 hits, but this was the only chart hit for his daughter Dara. It was a great song - one of my favorite Sedaka hits. 29: CUPID/I'VE LOVED YOU FOR A LONG TIME - SPINNERS (debut) - Their second medley to chart during 1980 (and both are remakes, which feature a new song, which serves as the bridge). Both are great songs and I like both about the same. LDD: BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER - SIMON & GARFUNKEL - Great, classic song! But the idea of "giving back" a song that was dedicated to you from someone that you no longer love seems so futile, though that is just my opinion and nothing more. 28: THE SEDUCTION - JAMES LAST BAND (30) - The love theme from American Gigolo, and the first of two hits from that movie on the chart this week. It was a great one - sounds a little like something Dave Koz might do. 27: WONDERING WHERE THE LIONS ARE - BRUCE COCKBURN (32) - Not to burst the bubble of any gutter-minds reading this, but his last name is actually pronounced "Coh-burn". As for the song, it had sort of a folk-rock feel to it. It was a good one, IMO. 26: WITH YOU I'M BORN AGAIN - BILLY PRESTON & SYREETA (5) - Wow, that was a huge drop (though it would only fall three spots the following week). I love this song - it has a hypnotic effect to it, though I do know several people who hate this song with a passion. 25: LET'S GET SERIOUS - JERMAINE JACKSON (29) - Let's not and say we did. No, "serious"-ly, the song isn't bad, but I generally preferred his mid-80s songs. 24: PILOT OF THE AIRWAVES - CHARLIE DORE (14) - Casey mentioned that she was a cast member of a British(?) version of Sesame Street called "Rainbow". I wonder if she was also on another kid's show called "Hi-C" (or something like that), because there was a lady named Charlie on that (and there aren't many women by that name). Well, anyway, as for the song, it was pretty good. 23: TRAIN IN VAIN (STAND BY ME) - CLASH (25) - They only had two Top 40 hits, but both of them seem to get a fair amount of radio airplay, mainly on 80s stations. ARCHIVES: BAD GIRLS - DONNA SUMMER - She almost succeeded herself at #1 - only Anita Ward prevented her from doing that. Anyway, I preferred her other #1, although this wasn't bad either. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I CAN'T TELL YOU WHY - THE EAGLES - Wow, this is unusual - when was the last time they played a dropper as an Optional Extra? 22: YOU MAY BE RIGHT - BILLY JOEL (7) - I wonder if the broken pane of glass we see Joel looking through on the back of the Glass Houses album is the one we hear breaking at the beginning of the song, which is my third favorite from the album - a great song indeed! 21: HEART HOTELS - DAN FOGELBERG (22) - This was the second and last single from Fogelberg's Phoenix album. It was a great song - one of my all-time faves from him. 20: LITTLE JEANNIE - ELTON JOHN (27) - One of only two Top Tens from him between early 1977 and late 1983, and one of my favorites of his 1980s hits. 19: SHE'S OUT OF MY LIFE - MICHAEL JACKSON (26) - Casey talked about instances where siblings were in the Top 40 at the same time and it got me to thinking that 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 this song ran out of gas at #11. 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. 18: STEAL AWAY - ROBBIE DUPREE (21) - The first of his two Top 40 hits, and you can definitely hear the Doobie Brothers' "What A Fool Believes" in this one (Michael McDonald even sings backup). 17: ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL - PINK FLOYD (09) - LOL @ that guidance counselor letter! I'm surprised the writer didn't mention the end, where they promote masturbation ;D Maybe it's because they usually never played that part on the countdown. 16: BRASS IN POCKET - PRETENDERS (17) - Their debut Top 40 hit. It was a great one - too bad it didn't quite make the Top Ten. 15: BREAKDOWN DEAD AHEAD - BOZ SCAGGS (15) - Not sure why, but I was humming this song to myself earlier today. Perhaps because I knew that this show was on tap for this weekend and that this song would be on it. Whatever the case, it was a great song - sounded a lot like Lido Shuffle, which is very likely my favorite song of his. 14: COMING UP - PAUL McCARTNEY (19) - UGH! I hated this version of the song. You couldn't understand what the heck he was saying, and, quite frankly, it didn't even sound like McCartney. Thank God some radio stations started playing the flipside, which was the live version and this one was left for dead. 13: THE ROSE - BETTE MIDLER (20) - 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. 12: I CAN'T HELP IT- ANDY GIBB w/OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (13) - This was the era when Olivia did several duets. This one and her duet with Cliff Richard called "Suddenly" sounded a lot alike, IMO. Both good songs. ARCHIVES: GOOD TIMES - CHIC - 1979 was definitely their year, as they had two #1 songs, as well as a Top Ten (which was my favorite of the three). This one was OK, but quite overplayed. OPTIONAL EXTRA: TIRED OF TOEIN' THE LINE - ROCKY BURNETTE - He may have only had one hit, but he indeed came from a musical family, as his father and uncle had Top 40 hits, and his nephew Billy became a member of Fleetwood Mac in 1987. As for the song, it was indeed a great one! 11: AGAINST THE WIND - BOB SEGER (18) - The title track from one of his best albums ever, IMO. I like this song. One of the songs I associate with the spring of 1980 (my mom had this tape and played it a lot before this song came out - around the time "Fire Lake" was charting) 10: CARS - GARY NUMAN (12) - Another song that reminds me of spring/summer, 1980, although, as synth-heavy as it was, it was a little ahead of its time. I thought it was great, though it could have used a few more verses. 9: RIDE LIKE THE WIND - CHRISTOPHER CROSS (2) - This one made a valiant effort to hit the top, but was stuck in the runner-up position for a month. It was a great song, like most of his Top 40 hits. LDD: DEPENDIN' ON YOU - DOOBIE BROTHERS - This song indeed fit the dedication. I do, however, prefer many of their other hits. 8: HURT SO BAD - LINDA RONSTADT (11) - She could very well be the queen of remakes, as this is one of many songs that Linda charted with, a cover of a song originally done by Little Anthony & The Imperials. It was a good song. 7: STOMP - BROTHERS JOHNSON (16) - Ugh, I was never a fan of this one. Not quite a "No. Just no", but close. 6: BIGGEST PART OF ME - AMBROSIA (10) - They had two Top Ten hits, and they are my two favorites from them. Not sure if I prefer this or "How Much I Feel". 5: SEXY EYES - DR. HOOK (5) - Their last Top Ten hit. It was a good one, but I think we all know what my favorite Dr. Hook song is (for those who don't, it was the song that charted before this one). 4: DON'T FALL IN LOVE WITH A DREAMER - KENNY ROGERS W/ KIM CARNES (8) - A one-time duet between Kenny and Kim (I am well aware that they also sang on "What About Me", but James Ingram was also on that song, so technically, it wasn't a duet). Anyway, it is a great song - one of my favorites from both artists (as is "What About Me"). 3: LOST IN LOVE - AIR SUPPLY (3) - The first of many big hits by them, and this is definitely one of my favorites from them. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I'M ALIVE - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA - One of many big hits from the Xanadu soundtrack, though I preferred their song that they sang with Olivia Newton-John. This one was not bad, but definitely not their best. 2: FUNKYTOWN - LIPPS, INC. (4) - Another song that sounded a little ahead of its time, what with the synths and the electronic voices. However, I preferred the cover by Pseudo-Echo, that also hit the Top Ten in 1987. 1: CALL ME - BLONDIE (1) - Of course, everybody knows that this song was the top hit of 1980, and deservedly so, as this was one of my favorite songs from them!
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