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Post by freakyflybry on Nov 21, 2015 16:53:31 GMT -5
November 28, 1987Falling off: Levert - Casanova (40) - The only top 40 hit from this R&B trio from Cleveland. It was a good one, very modern-sounding soul. Prince & Sheena Easton - U Got The Look (39) - The biggest hit from this Minneapolis native's "Sign O' The Times" album. This catchy upbeat number reached #2, with Scottish star Sheena Easton's vocals accompanying the Purple One's funky production on one of his best songs! Kenny G - Don't Make Me Wait For Love (37) - This song by the Seattle-based saxophonist featured the vocals of Lenny Williams. I don't mind his vocal tracks like this, though his instrumentals are usually boring. Timothy B. Schmit - Boys Night Out (35) - The only solo release by this member of the Eagles. While this lacked his usual falsetto, it was still a good, underrated song. 40. Laura Branigan - Power Of Love (debut) - Jennifer Rush recorded this first, and Celine Dion would have the biggest hit version in 1994. This final top 40 hit by the late singer from Brewster, NY was a good one, though not my favourite version of the song. 39. U2 - Where The Streets Have No Name (28) - The third top 40 hit from this Irish band's signature album "The Joshua Tree". Great song - one that still gets classic rock airplay to this day, the chords at the start really do hook the listener in! 38. Expose - Let Me Be The One (32) - The third release from this Miami dance trio's "Exposure" album". It was a good one but I preferred the other three singles. 37. Michael Jackson - Bad (24) - The title track from his classic album "Bad". Great song - one of his signature tunes! 36. Los Lobos - Come On, Let's Go (25) - The second and final top 40 hit by this Latin-infused Los Angeles band, and second straight Ritchie Valens remake from the film "La Bamba". Good song - a nice throwback to the 50's. 35. Michael Jackson - The Way You Make Me Feel (debut) - We heard from the previous single earlier, now here's the follow-up and third of five straight #1's from the "Bad" album. Nice groove in the beat - even just the two songs on here showed the diversity that earned him the title "King Of Pop". 34. Heart - There's The Girl (debut) - The third release from this Seattle rock band's album "Bad Animals", with guitarist Nancy Wilson on vocals. It was a great one, nice change of pace from Ann's hits - definitely more of a rock edge than a lot of stuff they had around then but still very 80's sounding. By the way, interesting story about the origin of the term "skid row" - I wonder if Casey or Shadoe re-told this story when the band Skid Row was charting? 33. Elton John - Candle In The Wind (debut) - He originally released this on the "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" album, but I actually prefer this version recorded live in Melbourne, Australia which would go on to finally give this song the top 10 position it had deserved all along. 32. Madonna - Causing A Commotion (20) - The second release from the Material Girl's soundtrack to "Who's That Girl"- great song! 31. Def Leppard - Animal (36) - The first top 40 hit from this Sheffield band's diamond certified album "Hysteria". It was a great song, much like the entire album - a definite classic! 30. Yes - Love Will Find A Way (31) - The lead-off release from this British progressive rock band's album "Big Generator". Great song - a perfect way to show the world that Yes was back! 29. INXS - Need You Tonight (38) - The first single from this Australian band's album "Kick". This song definitely had a kick - Michael Hutchence's vocals on this were in top form and you could tell why this would be their only #1 hit as it holds up very well today! 28. Pet Shop Boys - It's A Sin (15) - This London-based duo had yet another winner here! Love the thunder effect in this song, one of their best! 27. John Mellencamp - Cherry Bomb (34) - The second hit from "The Lonesome Jubilee" by this rocker from Seymour, IN. It was another very strong song, accompanied by an interesting story by Casey about how he was forced to record as "John Cougar" early in his career. 26. Taylor Dayne - Tell It To My Heart (33) - The first top 40 hit by this dance-pop singer from Long Island, NY. Still holds up very well as it remains one of my favourites from her! 25. Michael Bolton - That's What Love Is All About (30) - After a career as a songwriter, this Connecticut native dove head first into the top 40 with the first of many hit ballads that he would be known for into the 90's. It was an alright song but I prefer his stuff from the "Soul Provider" and "Time, Love and Tenderness" albums. 24. The Jets - I Do You (29) - Out of this Minneapolis-based family group's top 40 hits, this was the only one to miss the top 10. I like it but I prefer some of their top 10 hits. LDD: Whitney Houston - Greatest Love Of All - One of the saddest dedications ever, from a couple in memory of their young daughter who died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. A true tearjerker - I know Hervard had warned me about it! Great song though, very fitting, especially the first line. 23. Fleetwood Mac - Little Lies (8) - The third hit from this legendary band's "Tango In The Night" album, as well as their final top 10 single. Great song - definitely one of their all-time classics! 22. Aerosmith - Dude (Looks Like A Lady) (27) - The lead single from this Boston rock band's comeback album "Permanent Vacation". Great song - I can definitely see why classic rock stations still play this gender-bending hit! 21. Stevie Wonder - Skeletons (22) - The final top 40 solo hit from this Motown legend - he still had the funk that characterized many of his classics here! 20. Steve Winwood - Valerie (23) - Originally released in 1982, this song by the veteran singer from Birmingham, England was remixed to promote his "Chronicles" collection. Great song that Eric Prydz used as the basis for his Eurodance hit "Call On Me" in 2004. 19. George Harrison - Got My Mind Set On You (26) - The final #1 hit by this former Beatle from Liverpool, as well as the final #1 by any of the Beatles. Great song - I was always surprised that he had a hit this late as I thought the song was much older (probably because it's a remake of an obscure 60's hit). 18. Squeeze - Hourglass (18) - Interesting story about how this British band reunited during a snowstorm and decided to stay together. I'm glad they did as they finally got their top 40 break with this, one of their best songs. 17. Pretty Poison - Catch Me (I'm Falling) (21) - The first of two top 40 hits by this dance group from Camden, NJ. Great song! 16. Whitney Houston - So Emotional (19) - The third release from the "Whitney" album by this native of East Orange, NJ, and her sixth of seven straight #1 hits. Great song, one of my favourite upbeat songs from her! 15. Poison - I Won't Forget You (13) - The second top 40 hit by this glam rock band from Harrisburg, PA. One of their best ballads! 14. Jody Watley - Don't You Want Me (17) - The second solo top 40 from the former Shalamar lead singer from Chicago. One of her best songs! 13. Swing Out Sister - Breakout (6) - The first top 40 hit by this jazz-influenced dance group from England. Still enjoy this one a lot today! 12. R.E.M. - The One I Love (12) - One of the most misunderstood songs ever, as Casey said, by this college rock band from Athens, GA. Their first top 40 hit and still one of my favourites from them! 11. Whitesnake - Is This Love (16) - The second top 40 and second top 5 hit by this hard rock band from England led by David Coverdale. Classic power ballad, still one of my favourites! 10. Debbie Gibson - Shake Your Love (14) - Casey mentioned the last time so many teenagers hit the top 40 was in 1977. Well, we definitely had a lot of teen stars in 1987 as this second release from the Long Island based singer-songwriter proved with a catchy little hit that I still enjoy! 9. Cutting Crew - I've Been In Love Before (9) - The third and final top 40 hit by this British group - I find this gets underrated as it's a great song that sadly does not get much play anymore, compared to their first hit "(I Just) Died In Your Arms". 8. Sting - We'll Be Together (11) - The lead single by the Police lead singer's second solo album "Nothing Like The Sun". Always enjoyed this one as I almost always like Sting/The Police. LDD: REO Speedwagon - In My Dreams - Dedicated to a couple who endured many hardships but eventually fell apart though she still had feelings for him. Great song - especially given the subject matter, he was still in her dreams. 7. Tiffany - I Think We're Alone Now (4) - The first top 40 hit by this teen star from Norwalk, CA, and a remake of the Tommy James classic. One of my favourite 80's pop hits! 6. Bruce Springsteen - Brilliant Disguise (5) - This New Jersey native had a hard act to follow as he was following up the huge "Born In The U.S.A." album. This lead single from the "Tunnel Of Love" album showed he still had that hit prowess, and remains today one of my favourites from him. 5. George Michael - Faith (10) - The lead single and title track from this Wham! soloist's multi-platinum solo debut album. A simple little track that would go on to be one of my favourites, as well as the #1 song for all of 1988! 4. Richard Marx - Should've Known Better (7) - The second hit from this Chicago-based singer-songwriter's self-titled debut album - A great rocker that remains one of my favourites from him. 3. Billy Idol - Mony Mony (1) - This Tommy James cover was a live favourite at this British glam rocker's concerts, and in 1987 he finally released it as a single. Smart move - it became his one and only #1 and deservingly so! 2. Belinda Carlisle - Heaven Is A Place On Earth (3) - The biggest solo hit by the former member of all-girl group The Go-Go's. Great song - an example of 80's pop perfection! 1. Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes - (I've Had) The Time Of My Life (2) - The two Orange County, CA based singers who had several prior hits teamed for this classic from the film "Dirty Dancing". A favourite at karaoke everywhere and one of my favourite 80's movie hits!
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Post by dukelightning on Nov 21, 2015 17:29:12 GMT -5
Great critique freakyflyby. I have heard that story about Skid Row in Seattle on at least 2 later shows than this....could have been both Shadoe AT40 and CT40. BTW, that story about John Cougar was also told on the 11/15/80 show. So he told the same story almost exactly 7 years later.
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Post by Hervard on Nov 21, 2015 19:20:36 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - November 21, 2015 This week's presentation - November 28, 1987 Meh, late 1987 was when music was beginning to go downhill - besides, this show was originally run on a day on which pretty much everything went wrong. I won't go into detail, but I'll tell you right now that the LDD in Hour 2 really got to me and stayed with me all day and, as a result, I was in a bad mood all day, and my stepfamily, who I spent most of my Sundays with, were getting all over my a$$ (take THAT, censors!) about it. I mean like, what the hell - they got into snits from time to time and they didn't hear me beeotching about it, did they? I mean, I guess the whole day wasn't so bad - while my Dad was at a double rehearsal for his upcoming Christmas play, my stepmom took her girls and me to the local movie theater to see Hiding Out and snuck candy, which she'd bought at the nearby discount store, in for us, to avoid the ridiculously high prices (since the drinks were expensive enough as it was). Other than that... Well, without further ado, here is my commentary: Droppers: CASANOVA - LEVERT (40) - They were definitely more of a soul act than Pop, as this was their only Top 40 hit. It was pretty good, but I preferred Gerald's solo hit from 1994, "I'd Give Anything". U GOT THE LOOK - PRINCE w/SHEENA EASTON (39) - This one looked like it might hit #1, but it was pushed back due to the heavy traffic in the Top Five. BTW, I'm aware that Sheena Easton did not receive label credit, but she should have, since her voice was prominently heard on the song. During its chart run, I thought this song was mediocre, but it's a song that gets better with age, like fine wine. I think it's a great one now. DON'T MAKE ME WAIT FOR LOVE - KENNY G w/LENNY WILLIAMS (37) - My opinion on this song depends on which version they play. I prefer the single version, since the the album version is schmaltzed up. The vocals are more oversung, it doesn't contain as much saxophone and it seems to have an echo to it (from being overdubbed, I assume). I think that AT40 used both versions intermittently during its chart run. BOYS NIGHT OUT - TIMOTHY B. SCHMIT (35) - He doesn't sound as feminine in this song as he did in his two Top 40 hits with the Eagles. I thought this was a good song - had sort of a haunting sound to it. 40: POWER OF LOVE – LAURA BRANIGAN (debut) - This was the third version of this song to hit the Hot 100, but only the first to crack the Top 40. It is a good one, but what really irks me is how they always butcher this song. Not sure if this edited in the original show or if it was a Premiere edit. I guess they generally played the edit version on the show, but I do know that on the December 5 show, the song was played intact. Unfortunately, that show was subhosted by Charlie VanDyke so we won't be hearing that one (not sure which version of the song was played on the 1/10 and 1/17 shows, also hosted by VanDyke). 39: WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME – U2 (28) - The third and final Top 40 single from their monster album The Joshua Tree (the fourth, "In God's Country" just barely missed). This was my favorite song from the album, most likely since it wasn't overplayed like the two that preceded it. 38: LET ME BE THE ONE - EXPOSE (32) - This was their third hit. Of their three 1987 hits (I regard "Seasons Change" as a 1988 song), this is my second favorite. "Point Of No Return" was by far my favorite. 37: BAD – MICHAEL JACKSON (24) - Wow! Four weeks before, the song was at #1 and this week, it was practically off the charts! It indeed had a short chart run! It was a good song, but I preferred his other song on this week's chart - more on that in a moment. 36: COME ON, LET’S GO – LOS LOBOS (25) - Their second hit and, like the first, it was a remake of a Ritchie Valens song (since it was from the Ritchie Valens Story). This was by far my favorite of their two chart hits. 35: THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL – MICHAEL JACKSON (debut) - And how about that - Michael almost appeared back-to-back on the chart this week! Anyway, as I said, this was my favorite of his two songs on the chart, though my sentiments were quite different back in the day, since I hated this song back then - I referred to it as "a dicky song" in my journal entry when this song was #1. Now I think it's a good song! 34: THERE’S THE GIRL - HEART (debut) - This was a song on which Nancy Wilson sang lead (IIRC, this was the second chart hit on which she handled the lead vocals, but I could be wrong). It was pretty good, but I preferred their other two Top 40 hits from Bad Animals (not sure how the fourth one, "I Want You So Bad" goes, since it never hit the Top 40. 33: CANDLE IN THE WIND – ELTON JOHN (debut) - This was one of three versions of this song that I've heard, and my least favorite. I much prefer the original studio version, which Chicago's Z95 played in place of this live version (in fact, I remember hearing it on the way to the movie theater). I wonder if we'll hear the January 30, 1988 show in 2016, on which AT40 played the original version). 32: CAUSING A COMMOTION - MADONNA (20) - This song almost hit #1, but instead, was stuck at #2 for three weeks, while the two Tommy James remakes leapfrogged over her. While I'm glad that the two songs made chart history, I preferred this song by a fair margin. 31: ANIMAL – DEF LEPPARD (36) - Ah, the first Top 40 hit from their behemoth album Hysteria (the first release, "Women" had fallen way short, peaking at #80 in early September). I wonder if it would have done better had they decided to re-release it after the album became a huge hit - I'm guessing probably so). Anyway, I liked this song. 30: LOVE WILL FIND A WAY - YES (31) - Generally an album rock band, they did have a handful of pop hits. This one got as high as #30 on the chart. It was a good one, though I preferred the next release, which hit in early 1988. OPTIONAL EXTRA: TRUE FAITH (MORNING SUN) - NEW ORDER - This English band had several big club hits ("Blue Monday" and "Bizarre Love Triangle" come to mind), but this was their first song to crack the Top 40. It was a good one, but it sure had an unusual chart run - did what Casey referred to as a "yo-yo routine". 29: NEED YOU TONIGHT - INXS (38) - The first of four Top 40 hits from what would become their best singles album, Kick. I wasn't a huge fan of it, or INXS in general, but they did have a few good songs (this just wasn't one of them). 28: IT’S A SIN – THE PET SHOP BOYS (15) - This song has been compared to "Wild World" by Cat Stevens. Jonathon King, a British DJ accused the Pet Shop Boys of plagiarizing the song and went so far as to record his own cover version of "Wild World" as a single, using musical arrangement that was similar to "It's a Sin", in an attempt to demonstrate his claims. He released the single only to have it backfire on him. Not only did the single go absolutely nowhere, but the Pet Shop Boys sued King and won. As for the song, I liked it - one of my favorite songs by the Pet Shop Boys. 27: CHERRY BOMB – JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (34) - Here's another song I hated back in the day, but now I think it's a good one. 26: TELL IT TO MY HEART – TAYLOR DAYNE (33) - I'd been hearing this one on Chicago's B96 about a month before it hit the chart, and I always thought that, based on the opening synth notes sounded like a dance version of Glenn Frey's "The One You Love". This was probably my favorite song from the album that Casey said she was in the studio recording at the time. 25: THAT’S WHAT LOVE IS ALL ABOUT – MICHAEL BOLTON (30) - This was the first of many Top 40 hits that Michael would chalk up over the next ten or so years. It was a great song - one of my favorite songs from him! 24: I DO YOU – THE JETS (29) - A song whose title could be misconstrued, LOL! As for my opinion of the song, it's nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to, and it is certainly not an ideal song to be placed before... LDD: THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL – WHITNEY HOUSTON - Ouch! Just ouch! One of the most tearjerking LDD's that I've ever heard! It was from two young parents in memory of their daughter, who had died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome when she was not even four months old! I just can't fathom the pain they must have been feeling and wouldn't wish such a horrible situation on my worst enemy. This, of course, was the LDD I mentioned in the intro of my critique and I remember crying my eyes out when I heard the LDD on the show's original run. And, as I said, it stayed with me all day (when I was fifteen, I was easily moved - but I think you already know that!). Anyway, the song, which was #1 on the day that the baby was born, was indeed fitting for the dedication. 23: LITTLE LIES – FLEETWOOD MAC (8) - A song that Lindsey Buckingham co-produced before leaving the band. You can even hear him singing on this - he's the one that goes "Tell me, tell me lies" in the chorus. The song's OK, but one of my least favorite songs from them. 22: DUDE (LOOKS LIKE A LADY) - AEROSMITH (27) - This is another song I remember hearing on the way to the theater (we'd run a few other errands prior to going), and my younger stepsisters were laughing at the title of the song. Not a bad song, but I preferred the next release, which would go on to become Aerosmith's biggest hit (up to that point, that is). 21: SKELETONS – STEVIE WONDER (22) - This became Stevie Wonder's eighteenth #1 on the Black Singles chart, putting him in second place by himself. Not sure if he equalled or surpassed Aretha Franklin's record of 20 #1's - I'm thinking probably not. As for the song, it's pretty good, but sounds suspiciously like "Freedom Overspill" by another Stev(i)e whose last name also begins with W - coincidence? You decide! OPTIONAL EXTRA: COULD'VE BEEN - TIFFANY - Here's another song that I'd been hearing on B96 for several weeks - and I kept hoping that it would soon hit the charts - which it would the following week. And, like her first hit, it went to #1 - in fact, its first week at the top was on the chart dated January 29, 1988 - my sixteenth birthday, so that was a great birthday present for me! 20: VALERIE – STEVE WINWOOD (23) - A song that originally charted in 1982, when it was released from Winwood's album Talking Back To The Night, but it didn't quite make the Top 40. But it became a Top Ten hit its second time around, and deservedly so, as it was a great song! 19: GOT MY MIND SET ON YOU – GEORGE HARRISON (26) - This was George's first hit in over six years, and he picked up right where he left off, as this was a big hit like his last one before this (only this one went to #1 on the Hot 100). I liked the song when it first came out, but to this day, I'm still a tad burned out on it due to overplay. 18: HOURGLASS - SQUEEZE (18) - Before playing this song, Casey played a drop piece of their 1981 hit "Tempted" which, of course, now gets way more recurrent airplay than this song. Paul Carrack sang lead on that one, but had left the group by the time this song came around. The lead singer on this one reminds me of Paul McCartney. I liked this song - it had a very catchy chorus! 17: CATCH ME (I’M FALLING) – PRETTY POISON (21) - Of course, I heard this song in the movie Hiding Out, during the skating rink scene. It's a pretty good song, but I preferred the other hit that the soundtrack spawned ("Live My Life" by Boy George, which I thought was totally underrated). 16: SO EMOTIONAL – WHITNEY HOUSTON (19) - This would become Whitney's sixth number one in a row (limited to songs that hit the Hot 100, that is), setting a record. I liked this one, but much preferred the next release, which would extend her #1 streak to seven. 15: I WON’T FORGET YOU - POISON (13) - This song reminded me a little of "Missing You" by John Waite - and the subject matter wasn't all that different. I preferred most of their other hits, though this one wasn't bad either. 14: DON’T YOU WANT ME – JODY WATLEY (17) - She seems to have pairs of songs that sound alike. Her next hit, "Some Kind Of Lover" sounds a lot like this one (and "Real Love" is a dead ringer for "Looking For A New Love". I thought this song was pretty good. 13: BREAKOUT – SWING OUT SISTER (6) - They seemed destined to be a two-hit wonder, until "Am I The Same Girl" charted in 1992 (I assume it hit the AT40 chart, which by then was not going by the Hot 100, where the song peaked at #45). Anyway, I thought this song was pretty good, but I preferred their next hit, the underrated "Twilight World". 12: THE ONE I LOVE – R.E.M. (12) - This one had a little hint of folk music to it. It wasn't bad, but I preferred most of their 90s hits. 11: IS THIS LOVE - WHITESNAKE (16) - 10: SHAKE YOUR LOVE – DEBBIE GIBSON (14) - I like most of her hits, but always thought this one was a little too teenybopper sounding for my tastes. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SEASONS CHANGE - EXPOSE - This was a rare case of the final song from 9: I’VE BEEN IN LOVE BEFORE – CUTTING CREW (9) - Pretty much the only song from them we heard anymore is the tired, overplayed "(I Just) Died In Your Arms". I have heard this one on the radio a time or two in the past few years. It's a pretty good one. 8: WE’LL BE TOGETHER - STING (11) - The first hit from Sting's second solo album Nothing Like The Sun. It wasn't bad, but not quite his best. I preferred many songs on his other solo albums. LDD: IN MY DREAMS – REO SPEEDWAGON - I had dozed off at this point, so I didn't hear the LDD. I'm assuming that it wasn't anywhere near as depressing as the other LDD in the show. As for the song, it was a great one - one of REO's best songs ever! 7: I THINK WE’RE ALONE NOW - TIFFANY (4) - I wasn't a big fan of this remake. This was likely my least favorite of her Top 40 hits. Her new song, "Could've Been", which was gearing up to hit the Top 40, was far better, IMO. 6: BRILLANT DISGUISE – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (5) - Of his two 1987 hits, this was definitely my favorite. His other one, from his live greatest hits album, was a mediocre cover of a mediocre song, IMO. 5: FAITH – GEORGE MICHAEL (10) - Not one of his best songs by any means. Too bad this one had to go and become the biggest hit of 1988. 4: SHOULD’VE KNOWN BETTER – RICHARD MARX (7) - I often compare this song to Kenny Loggins' "I'm Free (Heaven Helps The Man)" since they both sound alike. I prefer the Kenny Loggins song, but this is also a great one - my favorite from his self-titled album. And they played the album version, which contains the longer instrumental bridge. 3: MONY MONY – BILLY IDOL (1) - One of two Tommy James covers that rode up the chart side by side. They debuted the same week, hit the Top Ten the same week, and came so close to dropping off the same week as well. They were #1 back-to-back as well. It was my favorite of the two - especially the live version. Wasn't it the next week when Charlie Van Dyke told the story about Idol being the first act represented by the letter I hitting #1? 2: HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH – BELINDA CARLISLE (3) - This song was in a tie with "We Got The Beat" as her biggest hit, solo or with the Go-Go's, such was the case with the latter. Of course, the following week, this song would beat that song out (no pun intended) and hit #1, as Casey predicted (so he didn't jinx it). It's a great song; my second favorite from the Heaven On Earth album, behind "I Get Weak". 1: (I’VE HAD) THE TIME OF MY LIFE – BILLY MEDLEY AND JENNIFER WARNES (2) - Dirty Dancing fever was just getting started, with this song, which I like, but for some reason, I hated it with a passion when it was on its way up the chart. Probably because of the overplay, but I never liked it in the first place. Now I think it's a good one, though I wouldn't want to hear it on a regular basis.
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Post by Jessica on Nov 21, 2015 20:33:35 GMT -5
Hope your day got better Hervard. That dedication was rough.
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Post by Hervard on Nov 21, 2015 21:32:16 GMT -5
Hope your day got better Hervard. That dedication was rough. The day back in 1987 you mean? Not really - although my depression over the LDD became secondary because of all the crap that happened later on that day. Things got better the next day, however. Nothing special; it's just that things didn't seem to fall over like a row of dominoes, like it did on 11/29/87, LOL!
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Post by trekkielo on Nov 21, 2015 21:53:24 GMT -5
BTW, that story about John Cougar was also told on the 11/15/80 show. So he told the same story almost exactly 7 years later. Casey Kasem also told a similar story about John Cougar Mellencamp's name change before "Crumblin' Down" on American Top 40 from October 29th, 1983.
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Post by jamie9012 on Nov 22, 2015 15:52:59 GMT -5
I have not been able to log in for awhile for a number of reasons. I have not had access to a Computer (the Computer Labs in the Library were, for a while, closed for maintenance). Also, it seems that my radio station no longer plays the American Top 40 Episodes. Finally, I have been for the last few Weeks rather busy. In fact, I wanted to write another Critique in the middle of October.
Should I not log in during the next few days, I hope that the Thanksgiving holiday will be happy and safe for all.
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Post by freakyflybry on Nov 28, 2015 16:45:17 GMT -5
Let's get the ball rolling with this week's 1986 show!
November 29, 1986
Falling off: Tina Turner - Typical Male (33) - The lead single from this legendary Tennessee-born singer's "Break Every Rule" album. It was a good song that proved her "Private Dancer" album was no fluke Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam - All Cried Out (31) - A nice ballad that was this New York trio's second top 40 hit - Allure and 112 would cover it in 1997 and take it back to the top 10. Anita Baker - Sweet Love (29) - The first top 40 hit by this Detroit-based soul and jazz singer - a nice groove here. Corey Hart - I Am By Your Side (25) - Another decent-sized hit by this Montreal singer that was another good song.
40. Kansas - All I Wanted (debut) - The comeback from this band named for their home state - their 80's stuff was generally underrated and this marked the return of their original lead singer, Steve Walsh. 39. Run DMC - You Be Illin' (debut) - The second top 40 by this New York rap trio - another good song from the Hall of Famers. 38. Glass Tiger - Someday (debut) - The second top 40, and second top 10 hit by the band from Newmarket, ON - another great song from them! 37. David & David - Welcome To The Boomtown (39) - A song with a dark message about people who seek fame in their hometown of Los Angeles - their only hit but it was a good one. 36. Daryl Hall - Foolish Pride (38) - The second solo hit from the Philadelphia singer's solo album away from partner John Oates - it was another good one. 35. Timbuk 3 - The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades (40) - The only top 40 hit by this husband and wife act - a very cynical look at viewing the future through hazy eyes that is often misunderstood and still gets radio airplay. 34. Cyndi Lauper - True Colors (18) - The lead-off ballad from this New York singer's second album - great song that has a positive message about loving someone for who they really are inside. 33. Bruce Springsteen - War (debut) - A cover of Edwin Starr's classic by this legendary New Jersey rocker from his live 4-disc set that debuted at #1 - a very energetic remake. 32. Til Tuesday - What About Love (26) - The second and final hit from this Boston-based band led by Aimee Mann - good song! Extra: Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - The legendary rock band's signature tune that almost was forgotten as Keith Richards thought up the classic riff in his sleep and thankfully recorded it - great song that still holds up very well. 31. Kool & the Gang - Victory (37) - The legendary funk and soul band from Jersey City, NJ had another winner here - pun intended! 30. Billy Ocean - Love Is Forever (36) - Another hit ballad from the singer originally from Trinidad and Tobago - one of many that show his vocal talents well. 29. Ric Ocasek - Emotion In Motion (17) - The only solo top 40 hit by the lead singer of The Cars - good song though his group efforts were generally better. 28. Genesis - Land Of Confusion (34) - This British supergroup's third single from the "Invisible Touch" album touched on some deep issues - the video featured puppets that lampshaded this. Great song that still gets recurrent airplay. 27. Janet Jackson - Control (35) - The fourth single by the youngest of the Jackson siblings to reach the top 40 - great song that showed she was truly in "control"! 26. Talking Heads - Wild Wild Life (28) - The final top 40 hit by this New York-based new wave band - another great song from them. 25. Survivor - Is This Love (32) - The final top 40 hit by the rock band from Chicago - another solid effort from them! LDD: The Jackson 5 - I'll Be There - One of four #1 hits this young quintet had in 1970 for Motown - great enduring classic that also would hit #1 for Mariah Carey in 1992. 24. Howard Jones - You Know I Love You... Don't You? (30) - One of this Southampton native's more forgotten hits - still a good song though! 23. Robert Palmer - I Didn't Mean To Turn You On (14) - The third single from this British singer's solo comeback album "Riptide" - great song was originally recorded by Cherrelle a couple years prior. 22. Orchestra Manoeuvres In The Dark - (Forever) Live And Die (24) - The third single by this Liverpool-based synthpop band - One of their more forgotten hits but it was a good one. 21. Robbie Nevil - C'est La Vie (27) - The first top 40 hit by this Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter - great song with an uplifting message. 20. Steve Winwood - Freedom Overspill (20) - The second single from this former Spencer Davis Group, Traffic and Blind Faith singer's comeback album "Back In The High Life" - another good song from him. 19. The Pretenders - Don't Get Me Wrong (22) - The band led by Akron, OH native Chrissie Hynde had many great songs in the 80's and this was one of their best. 18. Oran "Juice" Jones - The Rain (12) - The only top 40 hit from this American soul singer - good song where he really lays it down to his cheating ex in the spoken word outro! 17. Gregory Abbott - Shake You Down (23) - The only top 40 hit from the New York-based soul singer - nice song that would eventually hit #1. 16. Duran Duran - Notorious (21) - After shedding two of their three Taylors, the Birmingham band returned to the studio - this Nile Rodgers produced track would become one of their biggest hits and one of my favourites from them. 15. Ben E. King - Stand By Me (19) - Originally a big hit in 1961, the movie of the same name brought this timeless classic back to the top 40. Great song - R.I.P. Ben E. King. 14. Toto - I'll Be Over You (11) - The lead single from this Los Angeles band's "Fahrenheit" album - Great song that features Michael McDonald on backing vocals. 13. Eddie Money - Take Me Home Tonight (5) - The comeback hit from this former NYPD cop - Great song that features Ronnie Spector reprising a line from her classic "Be My Baby" in the chorus. 12. Billy Idol - To Be A Lover (15) - A remake of an obscure soul hit from William Bell by this British rocker - he turned it into a great, bouncy rock tune. 11. Wang Chung - Everybody Have Fun Tonight (13) - The biggest hit by this British new wave act - great song with a classic singalong chorus. 10. The Bangles - Walk Like An Egyptian (16) - The biggest hit by this Los Angeles girl group - interesting story about what "walk like an Egyptian" really meant to them. Great song - a true 80's classic that still sounds great today, and was the #1 song of 1987. 9. Lionel Richie - Love Will Conquer All (10) - The second top 10 hit from this Tuskegee, AL native's album "Dancing On The Ceiling" - nice soul tune here. 8. Bruce Hornsby & The Range - The Way It Is (9) - A social commentary hit from the band led by the Virginia-born singer, songwriter and pianist - great song that holds up well today. LDD: Daryl Hall - Dreamtime - We heard his other solo hit earlier on, and here he is with his other solo hit - another strong tune. 7. Boston - Amanda (2) - The biggest hit and only #1 by this band named after their hometown - Great power ballad that holds up well among their other classics. 6. Cameo - Word Up (6) - The first top 40 hit by this New York-based funk ensemble - Great song with a catchy groove. 5. Huey Lewis & The News - Hip To Be Square (8) - the second of five top 10 hits from this San Francisco Bay Area band's "Fore!" album - Great song with a message that you shouldn't have to try and please others to be cool, just to be yourself. 4. Peter Cetera & Amy Grant - The Next Time I Fall (7) - The former Chicago lead singer and Nashville-based contemporary Christian singer teamed up for this duet from the former's album "Solitude/Solitaire" - Great song that would eventually hit #1 the following week. 3. Madonna - True Blue (3) - The title track from this Michigan native's hugely successful album - Great song that has its deserved place among her classics. 2. Human League - Human (1) - The second #1 hit by this Sheffield-based synthpop band - Great song produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. 1. Bon Jovi - You Give Love A Bad Name (4) - The first #1 by this band from Sayreville, NJ named after lead singer Jon Bon Jovi - Great rock classic from the "Slippery When Wet" album that has stood the test of time.
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Post by dukelightning on Nov 28, 2015 19:16:09 GMT -5
I like that critique too. Especially since you appear to be like me in that it is hard to find songs you really do not like on a countdown. Was the case on this show as it was on the 1987 countdown you critiqued last week. Great stuff...keep it up!
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Post by Hervard on Nov 28, 2015 20:01:17 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - November 28, 2015
This week's presentation - November 29, 1986
40: ALL I WANTED - KANSAS (debut) - Their first hit since the summer of 1982, and didn't they have their original lead singer back on this one? Anyway, this was a good song, though as I’ve said before, it seems a little incomplete. 39: YOU BE ILLIN’ – RUN-D.M.C. (debut) - They were a one-hit wonder on the R&R chart, but they did have a second hit on AT40, obviously fueled mainly by sales. This was a funny song - imagine, going into KFC and ordering McDonald’s food (and when was the last time a Big Mac and an order of small fries cost only a quarter?). 38: SOMEDAY – GLASS TIGER (debut) - Another act with their second hit on the chart (and they would have a few more after this). Anyway, this was a good song, though my least favorite song from The Thin Red Line. 37: WELCOME TO THE BOOMTOWN – DAVID & DAVID (39) - Another AT40-only song. In fact, this was all the higher it got; it dropped out the following week. I liked this one - I remember hearing this every once in awhile on Chicago station Z95 back in late 1986. 36: FOOLISH PRIDE – DARYL HALL (38) - Well, his first solo hit made the Top Ten, but it seemed pretty clear that this was not going to equal it's success, which was a shame, as it was a great song. 35: THE FUTURE’S SO BRIGHT, I GOTTA WEAR SHADES – TIMBUK 3 (40) - I wonder how many people are saying this now! Anyway, I was never a big fan of this song. 34: TRUE COLORS – CYNDI LAUPER (18) - Her second #1 hit and, like the first one, it was a ballad. The song was pretty good, but I preferred the other singles from the album of the same name. 33: WAR – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND (debut) - Nowadays, albums debuting at #1 are pretty much the norm, but back when the charts were figured the old-fashioned way, it was quite rare. This was only the fourth album to start off at the top. As for the song, it was OK, but one of my least favorite Springsteen songs, though it does have a good message. 32: WHAT ABOUT LOVE – ‘TIL TUESDAY (26) - Not a cover of the Heart song from the year before. This was their second hit, but it didn't quite measure up to the success of "Voices Carry" - it peaked at #26 the previous week. Too bad; it was a great song! EXTRA: SATISFACTION – ROLLING STONES - A song with a famous guitar riff that would have been lost if not for a tape machine that was inadvertently left running. 31: VICTORY – KOOL & THE GANG (37) - I heard that the students at Boston Middle School did aerobics to this song in late 1986. I'll betcha they'd had it with this song by the time that unit was over with! OPTIONAL EXTRA: GOLDMINE - POINTER SISTERS - Wow, who knew this would be their final Top 40 hit! I wasn't a fan of it back in the day, but it's good to hear every once and again. 30: LOVE IS FOREVER – BILLY OCEAN (36) - One of his tender love ballads, and a great one at that! One of my all-time faves from Mr. Ocean! 29: EMOTION IN MOTION – RIC OCASEK (17) - Well, this may be "moodier" than anything he did with the Cars, but not quite as depressing as "Drive" (then again, he didn't even sing lead on that one, so perhaps that one wouldn't count). As for the song, it was a good one. 28: LAND OF CONFUSION – GENESIS (34) - This was on its way to becoming the third of five Top Five singles from the Invisible Touch album. It was one of the best songs from that album, IMO. 27: CONTROL – JANET JACKSON (35) - And here's another song from an album that generated five Top Five hits (the sixth hit petered out at #14). This, however, would be my least favorite of the Top Fives. 26: WILD WILD LIFE – TALKING HEADS (28) - Of course, we all know how much I LOVED their first Top 40 hit! This one was a good one, though - not sure if I prefer this or "And She Was". 25: IS THIS LOVE – SURVIVOR (32) - This would wind up being their final Top 40 hit. I liked it, but preferred many others from them (including at least two that didn't quite make the Top 40). LDD: I’LL BE THERE – JACKSON 5 - Fitting for the LDD, as it was from a teen to a football great who helped him to help himself become more confident. 24: YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU...DON’T YOU? – HOWARD JONES (30) - This is definitely one of his songs that gets the least amount of recurrent airplay. I thought it was pretty good, though not quite his best. 23: I DIDN’T MEAN TO TURN YOU ON – ROBERT PALMER (14) - I was never a big fan of Palmer, and this is definitely one of my least favorites from him (at least it wasn't anywhere near as overplayed as "Addicted To Love". 22: (FOREVER) LIVE AND DIE – ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK (24) - Anyone ever notice the similarity between this and "What Have I Done To Deserve This" by the Pet Shop Boys? Well, anyway, I thought this was a pretty good song, but I preferred "So In Love" and "Dreaming". 21: C’EST LA VIE – ROBBIE NEVIL (27) - His first Top 40 hit. It was a good one, though I preferred his two follow-ups (this one was a little overplayed). OPTIONAL EXTRA: THIS IS THE TIME - BILLY JOEL - Too bad the station on which I was listening to the show (WBET, Sturgis MI) skipped this extra, as it was one of my favorite Billy Joel songs of all time. 20: FREEDOM OVERSPILL – STEVE WINWOOD (20) - This is the song I mentioned that Stevie Wonder's "Skeletons" sounds a lot like. I preferred this song, though. 19: DON’T GET ME WRONG – THE PRETENDERS (22) - Their first Top 40 hit in about a year and a half. I liked this one, but preferred several others from them. 18: THE RAIN – ORAN “JUICE” JONES (12) - This was his only Top 40 hit, but it was a great one - especially at the end, when he's giving his now ex-gf the what-for after he found out she went and cheated on him! 17: SHAKE YOU DOWN – GREGORY ABBOTT (23) - Here's another one-hit wonder - this one hit #1 on the charts, yet doesn't get much in the way of recurrent airplay. 16: NOTORIOUS – DURAN DURAN (21) - Their only big hit from the album of the same name, which showed that Duran Duran had pretty much already had their day in the sun (although they did make a decent comeback in 1993). 15: STAND BE ME – BEN E. KING (19) - Interesting that seven versions of this song hit the charts. My favorite of them would probably be the country remake by Mickey Gilley. But this version was a good one as well. 14: I’LL BE OVER YOU – TOTO (11) - Wow, this song just barely missed hitting the Top Ten! Too bad, as it's one of Toto's all-time best hits, IMO. 13: TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT – EDDIE MONEY (5) - I like many of the Money Man's songs, but this definitely isn't one of them. Possibly my least favorite song from him. 12: TO BE A LOVER – BILLY IDOL (15) - This song indeed sounds different from the William Bell version. As for the song, it was so/so, but I preferred the next two singles from Whiplash Smile. 11: EVERYBODY HAVE FUN TONIGHT – WANG CHUNG (13) - This song would hit #1 on R&R a few weeks later, but didn't quite make it on the AT40 chart. I used to think this song was mediocre, but I've learned to like it a little better over the past few years. 10: WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN – BANGLES (16) - This was the song that beat them to the top spot. I think we all know how much I dislike this song. OPTIONAL EXTRA: BRAND NEW LOVER - DEAD OR ALIVE - Their second of two Top 20 hits. Neither of them were my favorite songs in the world, but I slightly preferred this one over the other song from a year and a half before. 9: LOVE WILL CONQUER ALL – LIONEL RICHIE (10) - This song sounded very much like his song "Love Will Find A Way", an album cut from Can't Slow Down. I liked both songs, which were great ones, about the same. 8: THE WAY IT IS – BRUCE HORNSBY & THE RANGE (9) - They had a handful of chart hits and this was their biggest. It's a great song - still sounds just as fresh today as it did back in 1986! LDD: DREAMTIME – DARYL HALL - Ah, this is Hall's other solo Top 40 hit. Definitely fitting for the dedication, as it apparently describes what happened with the author's younger sister. Of Hall's two solo hits, I actually prefer this one, though, as I said, "Foolish Pride" is also a great one. 7: AMANDA – BOSTON (2) - Definitely one of the biggest comebacks of the 80s - they had their first #1 hit, a Top Ten, and a Top 20 hit from Third Stage. Their music style was still the same, but didn't sound too out of place for the 80s at all. 6: WORD UP – CAMEO (6) - Western whistling in a dance hit? Well, apparently it worked, as it was a big hit. I wasn't a big fan of it, however. 5: HIP TO BE SQUARE – HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS (8) - This song was hitting #1 on the R&R chart this week, and en route to #3 here on AT40. The song wasn't bad, but definitely far from being my favorite song from them. 4: THE NEXT TIME I FALL – PETER CETERA WITH AMY GRANT (7) - This song would hit #1 on the AT40 chart the following week (and was peaking at #2 on R&R this week). I liked this song, though I preferred several others by both artists. 3: TRUE BLUE – MADONNA (3) - The title track from an album that spawned four Top Five hits (not counting "Live To Tell", which had pretty much run its course on the chart by the time True Blue was released). This was my favorite song from the album. 2: HUMAN – HUMAN LEAGUE (1) - Their second of two #1 hits. Of course, my favorite was their first one, "Don't You Want Me", from four years before. 1: YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME – BON JOVI (4) - Wow, for three weeks in a row, the #1 song on AT40 never topped the R&R chart (and this one was the farthest removed - it peaked at #7 on R&R - 1982 anyone?) Anyway, I generally preferred their slower songs, but this was one of my favorite of their rockers.
Coming up next week: Another "new" show, from 12/8/84. So far, my predictions for the remainder of the year are correct - I hope the trend continues, especially the week of 12/19, on which I predicted 12/20/80. Isn't that the show where we hear the story about "Tragedy" by the Bee Gees helping the little girl overcome her fear of thunderstorms?
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Post by freakyflybry on Dec 5, 2015 15:14:12 GMT -5
December 8, 1984
Falling off: Sammy Hagar - I Can't Drive 55 (38) - A protest against reduced interstate highway speed limits by this future Van Halen vocalist. It was just a fun song! John Waite - Tears (37) - The second release from his solo LP "No Brakes". I can't say I remember it too well, but I'm fairly sure I liked it. Culture Club - The War Song (30) - This British phenomenon was starting to show signs of fading. The message behind this song was good, but I wasn't a fan of the song itself, so no big loss. Chicago - Hard Habit To Break (23) - The second hit from "Chicago 17". It was a great song that showed their strengths in the 80's. David Bowie - Blue Jean (22) - The lead single from his "Tonight" album. Great song - one of his best!
40. Billy Ocean - Loverboy (debut) - The second single from his album "Suddenly", another great song from him! 39. John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band - Tender Years (debut) - From Rhode Island, this followed up their top 10 hit "On The Dark Side" - it was alright. 38. Sheila E - The Belle Of St. Mark (debut) - The second single from this singing drummer from Oakland, CA who often worked with Prince. Good song - very underrated! 37. Philip Bailey & Phil Collins - Easy Lover (debut) - A duet from two singers of the same name, both leaders of successful bands Earth, Wind & Fire and Genesis. Great song - it was a pairing made in heaven, the two Phils had some great chemistry here. 36. Kenny Rogers, Kim Carnes & James Ingram - What About Me (33) - Three successful solo singers team up for this song. I wasn't a fan of it myself, I prefer "We Are The World" that all three also appeared on among others. 35. U2 - Pride (In The Name Of Love) (39) - The lead singer from this Irish rock band's "The Unforgettable Fire" album - great song that pays tribute to Martin Luther King. 34. Don Henley - The Boys Of Summer (debut) - The lead singer from the album "Building The Perfect Beast" by the Eagles singer/drummer from Gilmer, TX. It was a great song - one that the Ataris would also cover in 2003. 33. Ray Parker Jr. - Jamie (40) - The follow-up to the Detroit-based singer's #1 hit "Ghostbusters" - it was another great song from him. 32. Toto - Stranger In Town (35) - The lead single from the Los Angeles band's "Isolation" album. It was a good song, very underrated. LDD: Kansas - Carry On Wayward Son - The signature tune from this rock band from Topeka, KS that hit the charts in 1977 - great song that still gets airplay today. 31. Dennis DeYoung - Desert Moon (20) - The only solo hit from the Styx vocalist from Chicago - great song that stands well alongside Styx songs. 30. Rebbie Jackson - Centipede (32) - The only top 40 hit by the oldest of the Jackson siblings - good song. 29. REO Speedwagon - I Do'Wanna Know (31) - The lead single from "Wheels Are Turnin'" by this Champaign, IL band - good rocker that is underrated compared to many of their other hits. 28. Chicago - You're The Inspiration (36) - A prom and wedding favourite from the legendary band - great song that I still enjoy to this day. 27. Bob Seger - Understanding (34) - This track by the Detroit rocker is from the film "Teachers" - good song, another underrated one. 26. Dan Hartman - We Are The Young (28) - His third solo top 40 hit and second in 1984 - good song! 25. Stevie Wonder - I Just Called To Say I Love You (16) - The lead single from the soundtrack to "The Woman In Red" - great song that has unfortunately been panned by critics. 24. The Cars - Hello Again (26) - The fourth release from this Boston band's landmark album "Heartbeat City" - it was another good one. 23. Bryan Adams - Run To You (29) - The lead single from this Kingston, ON born rocker's album "Reckless" - great song that shows why he was one of the biggest artists of the 80's. 22. Jermaine Jackson - Do What You Do (25) - Another Jackson sibling here, this is a nice ballad. 21. Bruce Springsteen - Born In The U.S.A. (27) - The title track from this New Jersey rocker's most successful album - great song that is often misunderstood as patriotic but is really a Vietnam War protest song. 20. Jack Wagner - All I Need (24) - The only top 40 hit by this actor from General Hospital - good song! 19. Billy Ocean - Caribbean Queen (12) - The comeback smash from this Trinidad-born soul singer based in London - great song that kickstarted his 80's streak of hits. 18. Huey Lewis & The News - Walking On A Thin Line (19) - The fifth single from this San Francisco Bay Area band's "Sports" album - great song! 17. Corey Hart - It Ain't Enough (17) - The second single from this Montreal singer's "First Offense" album - great song! 16. Julian Lennon - Valotte (18) - The lead single and title track from the debut album by the son of John Lennon - great song that shows talent runs in the family. 15. Prince - Purple Rain (4) - The title track from this Minneapolis legend's movie and album - great song that remains among his most enduring classics. 14. Sheena Easton - Strut (9) - The lead single from this Scottish singer's "A Private Heaven" album - great song that transitioned her into a more sultry mode. 13. Survivor - I Can't Hold Back (15) - The lead single from this Chicago band's "Vital Signs" album that introduced the late Jimi Jamison - great song! 12. Tina Turner - Better Be Good To Me (5) - The soul legend from Tennessee had her third single in her comeback year - great song that carried her career in high mode! 11. Madonna - Like A Virgin (21) - The lead single and title track from the second album from this singer from Bay City, MI - great song that has held up very well since! 10. Pat Benatar - We Belong (14) - The lead single from this Long Island rock star's "Tropico" album - it is among my favourites from her! 9. New Edition - Cool It Now (13) - The first top 40 hit from this Boston-based teen quintet - nice, bouncy pop tune! 8. Lionel Richie - Penny Lover (8) - The 5th single from the landmark "Can't Slow Down" album by the former Commodore from Tuskegee, AL - good song! 7. The Honeydrippers - Sea Of Love (11) - The first single from this Robert Plant-led supergroup from their only EP release - nice remake of the old Phil Phillips song. 6. Paul McCartney - No More Lonely Nights (10) - The lead single from his soundtrack to "Give My Regards To Broad Street" - great song! 5. Cyndi Lauper - All Through The Night (6) - The fourth single from this Queens, NY singer's landmark "She's So Unusual" album - another great song from her, she was unstoppable in 1984! LDD: The Beatles - I Want To Hold Your Hand - The song that put this Liverpool quartet on the map back in 1964 - great song that has held up very well. 4. Duran Duran - Wild Boys (7) - The lead single from the live album "Arena" by the quintet from Birmingham, England - great song that shows the catchy pop melodies these guys had! 3. Chaka Khan - I Feel For You (3) - The biggest solo hit from the former Rufus frontwoman from Chicago - great song that features Stevie Wonder on harmonica and was written by Prince. 2. Wham! - Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (1) - The first top 40 hit in the USA from this British duo - great song that showed George Michael was destined for superstardom! 1. Hall & Oates - Out Of Touch (2) - The lead single from this Philadelphia duo's "Big Bam Boom" album - great song that is among many classics from them!
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Post by Hervard on Dec 5, 2015 19:51:09 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - December 5, 2015
This week's presentation - December 8, 1984
Droppers: I CAN'T DRIVE 55 - SAMMY HAGAR (38) - This song had gone totally forgotten by me until I heard it in Back To The Future II, in early 1990, in the scene where Marty was trying to make sense of the altered 1985, brought on by his buying the Grey's Sports Almanac in 2015. Anyway, this is a pretty good song, though this is my least favorite of his four Top 40 hits TEARS - JOHN WAITE (37) - Well, he definitely wasn't a one-hit wonder as a solo artist after leaving the Babys, but he certainly never measured up to the success of his first hit. Anyway, I definitely preferred this over his depressing first hit. THE WAR SONG - CULTURE CLUB (30) - They definitely were on their way out, as this, the first hit from their new album, only got as high as #17, and it was downhill from there. HARD HABIT TO BREAK - CHICAGO (23) - People definitely bought the Chicago 17 album more than the singles, as the second and third singles hit #1 on R&R but fell short on the Hot 100 (and the fourth hit, a #7 R&R hit, didn't even crack the Top Ten). Anyway, this was definitely my favorite of the singles from 17. BLUE JEAN - DAVID BOWIE (22) - Even though I'm generally not a huge fan of his (and we all know my favorite songs from him were his two 1987 Top 40 hits), this one was actually pretty good.
40: LOVERBOY – BILLY OCEAN (debut) - He was still hanging around with "Caribbean Queen", but his next hit was already on its way up. This, of course, was my favorite of his two hits on this week's chart. 39: TENDER YEARS – JOHN CAFFERTY & THE BEAVER BROWN BAND (debut) - Pretty much the only song you hear by them is "On The Dark Side". Their next two hits were way underrated. "Tough All Over" is my favorite from them, but this would be a close second. 38: THE BELLE OF ST. MARK – SHEILA E. (debut) - Now THIS is a classic example of an underrated hit. "The Glamorous Life" was played on every single station (and still gets a fair amount of recurrent airplay), but this one, on the other hand, I don't think I ever heard outside of countdown shows. It is by far my favorite song from her. 37: EASY LOVER – PHILLIP BAILEY WITH PHIL COLLINS (debut) - Sort of a random pairing, but it obviously worked, as it was a huge hit. I liked it, but I preferred other hits from both artists, with their respective bands. 36: WHAT ABOUT ME – KENNY ROGERS WITH KIM CARMES AND JAMES INGRAM (33) - Wow, it looked like this song was going to fall out this week, but it somehow slowed its descent this week, which is great, because it's an awesome song - one of my favorites on the chart. 35: (PRIDE) IN THE NAME OF LOVE – U2 (39) - Given how much recurrent airplay this song receives, it's hard to believe that this song didn't even hit the Top 30. 34: THE BOYS OF SUMMER – DON HENLEY (debut) - Ah, a summer hit charting in winter (and the weekend that the song hit the Top Ten, it was truly winter where I was - it didn't even make it to zero degrees that day, and the wind chills were horrendous). 33: JAMIE – RAY PARKER, JR. (40) - Ah, a song about not being able to let go of an old girlfriend! I know that feeling! The song was a good one - my favorite of his two songs released in 1984. 32: STRANGER IN TOWN - TOTO (35) - They played the second verse in this week's show, but the S.O.B. part was inverted. I liked the song, but is not quite my favorite from them. LDD: CARRY ON WAYWARD SON - KANSAS - Their very first chart hit. Fitting for the dedication, and it was a pleasant surprise to hear the full album version (as they generally played the single version). OPTIONAL EXTRA: OPERATOR - MIDNIGHT STAR - They played a remix of the song this week. The song was pretty good - the robotic voice was indeed different, but nothing exceptional. 31: DESERT MOON – DENNIS DeYOUNG (20) - Well, this turned out to be his only solo Top 40 hit, but a great song it was - and it managed to hit the Top Ten. One of his Styx band mates, Tommy Shaw, had recently had a hit of his own, called "Girls With Guns". 30: CENTIPEDE – REBBIE JACKSON (32) - One of two of the Jackson siblings on this week's chart. I preferred the other one, as I was never a huge fan of this song at all. 29: I DO’WANNA KNOW – REO SPEEDWAGON (31) - I generally preferred their power ballads, but this would definitely be one of my favorite of their upbeat hits. 28: YOU’RE THE INSPIRATION - CHICAGO (36) - As their older song drops off, this one is roaring up the charts, en route to #3. I like it, though not quite as much as said older song. 27: UNDERSTANDING – BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (34) - One of his/their more obscure hits. Sort of reminds me of his 1980 hit "Against The Wind". 26: WE ARE THE YOUNG – DAN HARTMAN (28) - After hitting big with the frankly overplayed "I Can Dream About You", this one didn't even hit the Top 20, which was a shame, as I really liked this song. 25: I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU – STEVIE WONDER (16) - A question about this song - did AT40 ever play the long version of the song, with the voice alternator repeating a few lines from the first verse? I seem to remember hearing that on the radio every now and then, but nowadays, stations go with the single version - which isn't bad either. 24: HELLO AGAIN – THE CARS (26) - A somewhat obscure song by the Cars (although, I say "somewhat" only because the song was used as a TV channel promo for a short time - not sure which channel, though). Anyway, this would be my second least favorite of the Heartbeat City singles (come on, you KNOW what my least favorite is!) 23: RUN TO YOU – BRYAN ADAMS (29) - He definitely got quite a lot of mileage out of his Reckless album - the six singles kept him on the chart for most of 1985, and this was the first of them. I liked it, but preferred a few others from Adams. 22: DO WHAT YOU DO – JERMAINE JACKSON (25) - And here is the other Jackson on this week's chart (too bad Michael was on hiatus - he could have made it a hat trick). Anyway, as mentioned before, this is my favorite of the two on this week's chart - also one of my favorite Jermaine Jackson songs of all time! OPTIONAL EXTRA: TENDERNESS - GENERAL PUBLIC - Their first of two Top 40 hits. I preferred their other hit, from nearly ten years later - their cover of the Staple Singers "I'll Take You There". This one was mediocre at best. 21: BORN IN THE U.S.A. – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (27) - I do believe that this song became his signature song. I'm kind of surprised that this one didn't go to #1, but then again, neither did his previous signature song, "Born To Run" (Hell, that one didn't even hit the Top 20!). Anyway, like most of the singles from Born In The USA, I like this one a lot. 20: ALL I NEED – JACK WAGNER (24) - After a healthy fifteen-place jump the week before, the song makes a more modest move this week. This was Frisco Jones' only Top 40 hit, and a great song it was - one of my favorite songs from 1984! 19: CARIBBEAN QUEEN (NO MORE LOVE ON THE RUN) – BILLY OCEAN (12) - This is the song that relieve him from the dreaded classification of "one-hit wonder", and, to boot, it became one of his biggest hits ever. As I mentioned near the beginning of this commentary, I preferred his "new" hit. 18: WALKING ON A THIN LINE – HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (19) - The fifth and final single from Sports, his/their biggest singles album ever. While "If This Is It" is by far my favorite song from the album, I'm not quite sure where to rank this song. 17: IT AIN’T ENOUGH – COREY HART (17) - Well, this one sure didn't measure up to the success of "Sunglasses At Night" (although it did hit the Top 20). Still, this was quite underrated, IMO. One of my all-time faves from him. 16: VALOTTE – JULIAN LENNON (18) - He definitely had his father's voice. When I first heard this song, I thought it was another posthumous hit from the late John Lennon (since he'd had a Top Ten hit earlier in the year). This was my favorite song from Julian's album of the same name. 15: PURPLE RAIN – PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION (4) - The title track from the soundtrack that was spending its 19th of 24 total weeks at #1 - definitely one of the most successful soundtracks of the 80s! I like this song, though I remember by this time in 1984, I'd had enough of this song - I switched the station everytime it came on (such was the case with just about any song from the soundtrack). 14: STRUT – SHEENA EASTON (9) - This was the second of two hits during 1984 for Ms. Easton. I preferred the more obscure other hit, "Almost Over You" - was never a huge fan of this one. 13: I CAN’T HOLD BACK - SURVIVOR (15) - This song, on the other hand, has been a personal fave of mine for a long time! Back around this time in 1984, it was my favorite song in the world. 12: BETTER BE GOOD TO ME – TINA TURNER (5) - Her comeback was in full swing, with her second of three consecutive Top Ten hits. I like this song about the same as "What's Love Got To Do With It". 11: LIKE A VIRGIN - MADONNA (21) - This song was the biggest mover for the second of three consecutive weeks! It was clear to see that this was going to be her first #1 - and there was a lot more where that came from! A great song indeed! OPTIONAL EXTRA: I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS - FOREIGNER - Backed by Jennifer Holiday and the New Jersey Mass Choir, this would finally put them on top of the chart (after coming ever so close with Wf*gLY) in early 1985. Though I preferred the next single from their album Agent Provocateur, "That Was Yesterday", this one was a great one as well! 10: WE BELONG – PAT BENATAR (14) - She never quite made it to #1, but this was one of her biggest hits ever. I like it, but prefer several others from her. 9: COOL IT NOW – NEW EDITION (13) - This song could be heard every single day in the small gym at the middle school I went to, as the girls did aerobics to the song. So glad I didn't have to do that, as I never liked this song, but hearing it several times every day would have driven me nuts (actually, we didn't have gym class every day, but that's beside the point). Anyway, I preferred their next two hits, which hit the AT40 chart in 1985. 8: PENNY LOVER – LIONEL RICHIE (8) - Interesting story going into this song, about sayings involving pennies. As for Casey's uncertainty of the context in which Lionel uses the word penny, I'm pretty sure that he's talking about a girl by that name (as at the end, he says, "Oh Penny...") 7: SEA OF LOVE – THE HONEYDRIPPERS (11) - Del Shannon did a great cover of this song back in early 1982. This version wasn't bad, but it certainly was overplayed back in the day! 6: NO MORE LONELY NIGHTS – PAUL McCARTNEY (10) - There were two versions of this song on the Give My Regards To Broad Street soundtrack. The other one was more upbeat - it was a good one, but I preferred this version. 5: ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT – CYNDI LAUPER (6) - Definitely one of the best new artists of 1984, as she had four chart singles and each one of those hit the Top Five. This one was my favorite of the four. LDD: I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND – THE BEATLES - This one definitely fit the dedication, as it was from someone with their very first case of puppy love to the object of her affection. 4: THE WILD BOYS – DURAN DURAN (7) - Meh, I was not a fan of this song. 1984 was definitely not their best year, IMO (though "New Moon On Monday" was a good one). 3: I FEEL FOR YOU – CHAKA KHAN (3) - I wasn't too crazy about this song either, though I loved her next release, "Through The Fire", which did not hit the Top 40, but was a pretty decent sized AC hit. OPTIONAL EXTRA: NEUTRON DANCE - POINTER SISTERS - OMG, I remember those pinball number count segments from Sesame Street that Larry mentioned in the intro. They also performed a few songs on the show, like "Hush Little Baby" and "Swingin' Alphabet". As for this song, it definitely wasn't their best. Remember - the post-1982 songs by them that I liked were few and far between. 2: WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO-GO – WHAM! (1) - Their first of three Top Five singles from Make It Big. Had "Freedom" not gotten the early action that it did, they might have all been #1 songs. Who knows? Anyway, I liked this song, but my favorite song from the album was "Everything She Wants" 1: OUT OF TOUCH – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (2) - This song broke the tie for the act who had the most #1 songs in the 1980s so far. Was it Michael Jackson who previously had the record? If so, he would eventually regain that title, as he had five more #1 songs while this was Hall & Oates' final #1 song, which was a good one, but far from being their best.
Coming up next week: December 17, 1983!
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Post by davewollenberg on Dec 6, 2015 21:25:11 GMT -5
Actually, Chris (Hervard), 'War song' peaked at #17, and 'Inspiration' peaked at #3. Just trying to keep you honest, my friend!
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Post by Hervard on Dec 7, 2015 20:41:07 GMT -5
Actually, Chris (Hervard), 'War song' peaked at #17, and 'Inspiration' peaked at #3. Just trying to keep you honest, my friend! Thanks for the correction, Dave (davewollenberg) #18 is actually where "War Song" peaked at on the R&R chart. Not sure where I got #4 as the peak for "Inspiration", as it didn't peak there in R&R or Billboard. In my old age, my brain cells are just not what they used to be, LOL!
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Post by Hervard on Dec 12, 2015 9:56:03 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - December 12, 2015
This week's presentation - December 15, 1979
DREAMING - BLONDIE (31) - I seem to recall that I liked this song - I'm sure I preferred it over the annoying "One Way Or Another", but not quite as much as "Call Me". IF YOU REMEMBER ME - CHRIS THOMPSON & NIGHT (28) - The theme from the movie "The Champ", which contains possibly THE most heartbreaking scene ever in film-dom. As for the song, it's a great one - possibly my favorite song from Barry Scott's Lost 45's. YOU DECORATED MY LIFE - KENNY ROGERS (25) - I liked most of his Top 40 hits, but this wasn't one of them. I mean, it's tolerable, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to.
LW#3: STILL - COMMODORES LW#2: NO MORE TEARS (ENOUGH IS ENOUGH) - DONNA SUMMER/BARBRA STREISAND LW#1: BABE - STYX I only have one question - my live stream went out before the show started - how much of "Still" did they play (since they sometimes edit down the extras)? 40: VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR - THE BUGGLES (debut) - Although this song is more associated with the 80s (due to the fact that it was the very first video shown on MTV), it actually charted at the tail end of the 70s. I thought it was a great song - too bad it didn't get any higher than #40 - in fact, this was its only week in the Top 40. 39: I STILL HAVE DREAMS - RICHIE FURAY (debut) - I heard this song for the very first time (that I know of) on this show, since it was unavailable on YouTube when they ran the 12/22 show several years ago (the station I listened to only did the last three hours), and thought it was a good one. 38: DÉJÀ VU - DIONNE WARWICK (debut) - She'd recently made a comeback after an absence of nearly five years and, with this song, proved that it wasn't a fluke. I preferred said comeback hit, but this was very close behind, as it was a great one as well. 37: TUSK - FLEETWOOD MAC (22) - Well, this song sure came and went quickly, and I can see why - like Dionne Warwick, they'd been absent from the chart for awhile (though not as long), and people were eager about their new hit, which I'm sure was heavily promoted upon its release and it rocketed up the chart. But, since it was such a weird song, its chart climb lasted but a month (it peaked in its fifth week on the chart) and then the song fell fast. I was never a fan of the song myself - I much preferred "Sara". 36: DIM ALL THE LIGHTS - DONNA SUMMER (19) - Disco was burning out, but Donna Summer, an established artist, was still going strong. I did prefer this over her duet with Barbra Streisand, but still, it wasn't one of my favorite songs from her. 35: CHIQIUTITA - ABBA (39) - Definitely one of Sweden's most successful acts. I thought that this song deserved a higher peak than #29, since it was one of their best, IMO. 34: LOVE PAINS - YVONNE ELLIMAN (34) - Another underrated hit, but it was a disco tune and, as I said already, it was on its way out. Had this song charted a year or two before, it might have been more successful (since Yvonne herself had a #1 hit during that time). 33: THIRD TIME LUCKY (FIRST TIME I WAS A FOOL) - FOGHAT (33) - I was never a huge fan of them, but this one was actually a great one! ARCHIVE: PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC - WILD CHERRY - The only Top 40 hit from a band whose name was inspired by a box of cough drops. The song wasn't bad, but rather overplayed. OPTIONAL EXTRA: LOST HER IN THE SUN - JOHN STEWART - His first Top 40 hit not to feature any back-up vocals from Fleetwood Mac. It was pretty good, but I preferred the other two hits, especially "Gold". 32: DON'T LET GO - ISAAC HAYES (36) - Ah, the voice of Chef on South Park. I'm not a big fan of his music, however, although this one wasn't too bad. 31: DON'T DO ME LIKE THAT - TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (37) - They definitely were most successful in the 80s, where this song carried over into - up to now, their only hit was "Breakdown" - and that only song got to #40. This song would end up being their biggest hit (by themselves) for almost exactly ten years - until "Free Fallin'" outpeaked it by three spots (still, their biggest hit ever was "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around", on which they teamed up with Stevie Nicks). 30: WAIT FOR ME - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (35) - They were making another attempt at riding high on the charts (and this actually did quite well, being their first hit to peak above #20 since "Rich Girl" nearly three years before, but they would really hit pay dirt in 1981, with three Top Five hits, two of those being big #1s. This one was actually a really good one - I vaguely remember it from back in the day, but I don't think the stations I listened to played it very often. LDD: KNOCK ON WOOD - AMII STEWART - I was never a big fan of this song, but it definitely fit the dedication, given that the author of the LDD was nicknamed Thunder, and the nickname of the person about which the dedication was written was Lightning. 29: D@MNED IF I DO - THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT (32) - Another band, like Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, that didn't have much chart success in the 1970s, but improved in the 80s. This was their very first Top 30 hit, but they would hit the Top 20 in 1981 and then had their first and only Top Ten hit the following year. I preferred most of their 80s songs, but this was a good one as well. 28: I NEED A LOVER - JOHN COUGAR (29) - And here's another - this was his breakthrough hit, and this was where it peaked - but by 1982, he was knocking them dead, with two of the biggest hits of that year. This song was pretty good, though - I'm kind of surprised this one didn't peak higher. 27: I WANNA BE YOUR LOVER - PRINCE (40) - What do you know - three in a row! Prince's success was almost exclusively in the 80s (and beyond) - he was climbing the charts with this one at the end of 1979, but peaked in 1980 - and then, of course, we all know what happened as of 1983 - he became one of the biggest artists of the 1980s and was successful in the 1990s as well. This song wasn't bad, but I preferred many others from him. 26: COWARD OF THE COUNTY - KENNY ROGERS (30) - Ah, the story about Tommy (aka "Yellow") putting the Gatlin Boys in their place. I definitely preferred this over Rogers' song that dropped out of the survey this week. 25: POP MUZIK - M (14) - Yes, I know that I'm in the minority here - but I'm sorry; this song just doesn't do anything for me. 24: BROKEN HEARTED ME - ANNE MURRAY (12) - Even though this song's chart run was mainly in 1979 (and its Top 40 run didn't even last into 1980), this one, along with many others that peaked in late 1979, ranked on the 1980 year-ender - in fact, it was the song that kicked it off. Anyway, this was one of my favorite Anne Murray songs of all-time, including her two other 1979 hits. 23: THIS IS IT - KENNY LOGGINS (27) - This was also on the 1980 list - and it ranked at #30, an unusually high position for a song that had missed the Top Ten, but its chart longevity helped it achieve its position. The song wasn't bad, but I preferred many others from him, including most of his movie hits. 22: CRUISIN' - SMOKEY ROBINSON (24) - This one sounds very dated, even for 1980, but not bad. Still, I preferred the Huey Lewis/Gwyneth Paltrow cover from 2000. ARCHIVE: A FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN - WALTER MURPHY & THE BIG APPLE BAND - Casey answered a question letter on this week's 1983 show about the slowest climb to #1 within the Top 40. This song held the record of fifteen weeks by itself for about three years, but then within a few months after that, it was in a four-way tie, since three other songs that tied it. As of this show, it was in a two-way tie with "Sad Eyes" by Robert John. I thought this was an interesting disco interpretation of the Beethoven classic. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WORKING MY WAY BACK TO YOU/FORGIVE ME GIRL - THE SPINNERS - Well, supposedly Arrow 107.1 plays the Optional Extras, but they skipped over this one (of course, they may have since stopped playing the extras, but the 1970 station list thread hasn't been updated for over two years, so I'm not sure). Anyway, I liked this song much better than the original by the Four Seasons (since Frankie Valli sings in that one like he's trying to force out a huge turd), but I'm curious about what Larry said in the intro (and outro) to this song. 21: I WANT YOU TONIGHT - PABLO CRUISE (23) - I liked most of their Top 40 hits, this one included. 20: JANE - JEFFERSON STARSHIP (26) - This was their first Top 40 hit with Mickey Thomas singing lead after Marty Balin had left the band. It was a good one, but I preferred many of their others. 19: THE LONG RUN - THE EAGLES (33) - Wow, with a jump like that, it looked like they would chalk up another #1 hit (and, on the R&R, this actually did make it to the top, but it peaked at #8 on the Hot 100 (which is still good). I preferred this song over "Heartache Tonight", but my favorite single from the Long Run album is the LP cut "The Sad Cafe". 18: BETTER LOVE NEXT TIME - DR. HOOK (20) - This song also placed respectably high on the 1980 year-ender for a song that didn't make it to the Top Ten, coming in at #53. And, I think we all know it's my all-time favorite song from them. 17: SHIPS - BARRY MANILOW (9) - Not quite as good as his song on this week's 1983 show, but still a great song nonetheless. 16: HEAD GAMES - FOREIGNER (18) - The title track from one of their album that wasn't quite as successful as many of their others, in terms of singles (as neither of the two Top 40 hits from this album hit the Top Ten. No matter; their next album would make up for that, with two Top Ten hits, including the infamous Wf*gLY, which spent ten weeks in the runner-up position. Anyway, this was a great song - by far my favorite of the two Head Games hits. 15: HALF THE WAY - CRYSTAL GAYLE (16) - This song went a little further than its title, peaking here at #15. It's a good song, like most of the songs I've heard from her, including Country and AC only hits. 14: WE DON'T TALK ANYMORE - CLIFF RICHARD (17) - He was definitely much more successful over in England, his home country, but he did have a decent amount of success here in the states, with nine Top 40 hits, three of which hit the Top Ten, including this one, which just might have been his most successful - pointwise, that is (it peaked a spot lower than "Devil Woman", but spent two more weeks in the Top 40. I liked most of his hits (that I've heard), this one included. 13: COOL CHANGE - LITTLE RIVER BAND (15) - They were really on a roll, with the fourth of six Top Ten hits in a row. Of those, this is possibly my third favorite from LRB, behind "Lady" and "Take It Easy On Me". 12: ROCK WITH YOU - MICHAEL JACKSON (21) - It definitely looked like Michael had himself a second #1 in a row with this - and indeed, that did happen, as this spent a month at #1 shortly after the new year. This one used to be mediocre IMO, but now I think it's a great one - my second favorite hit from Off The Wall behind "She's Out Of My Life". 11: LADIES NIGHT - KOOL & THE GANG (13) - Of course, my favorite Kool & The Gang song was about two months away from charting, but this one wasn't bad either. ARCHIVE: DISCO DUCK - RICK DEES & HIS CAST OF IDIOTS - No. Just no. OPTIONAL EXTRA: LONGER - DAN FOGELBERG - Good; Arrow 107.1 played this one. They probably just were running low on time during the first hour. Anyway, this is one of Fogelberg's best hits, IMO. The flugelhorn solo by Jerry Hey is just majestic! 10: TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME - SUPERTRAMP (11) - Interesting that the harmonica solo in this song sounded a lot like that of the #10 song on the 1983 show, "Church Of The Poison Mind" (and both songs peaked there, to boot!) This was a pretty good song, but I preferred several of the unreleased tracks from the Breakfast In America album, which should have also been released. 9: HEARTACHE TONIGHT - EAGLES (7) - Well, they sure did a hack job on this one, didn't they? It's just as well, though, as I was never a big fan of this song. LDD: CAN'T SMILE WITHOUT YOU - BARRY MANILOW - Wow! What a LDD! Two malfunctions/mistakes were instrumental in saving the suicidal writer's life. First, she pulled the trigger of the gun, and it didn't work. Then, her radio somehow kicked on and the DJ announced the next song as "Dancing Queen" by Abba - only to play "Can't Smile Without You" instead - a song between her and an old friend who didn't live in her town anymore. Then, when she called him, explaining how she wished she could help out her alcoholic mother, who abused her constantly. Her mother overheard and then promised to get help. Definitely one of the most powerful LDDs ever! As for the song, it's a good one, but I preferred many others from him. 8: DO THAT TO ME ONE MORE TIME - CAPTAIN & TENNILLE (10) - Of course, this is my all-time favorite from them, as you probably know all too well! 7: YOU'RE ONLY LONELY - J.D. SOUTHER (8) - This was his only solo Top 40 hit (his other entry was his duet with James Taylor, a little over a year later). Anyway, that's too bad, because both songs were great. I preferred this one. 6: NO MORE TEARS (ENOUGH IS ENOUGH) - BARBRA STREISAND/DONNA SUMMER (2) - As I said earlier, I wasn't a big fan of this song. 5: SEND ONE YOUR LOVE - STEVIE WONDER (6) - This one was very hypnotic. I liked it a lot! 4: ESCAPE (THE PINA COLADA SONG) - RUPERT HOLMES (5) - This is a story song that should not be edited down at all, but they cut out the second verse of this. Oh well, IIRC, they usually left this song alone. 3: PLEASE DON'T GO - K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND (4) - UGH, who could blame her for leaving, what with this whinefest. I'd run for the hills, daring not to look back! OPTIONAL EXTRA: SARA - FLEETWOOD MAC - Wow, Colbie Caillat's dad produced this song and the album from which it came! Anyway, this was definitely my favorite of the singles from Tusk. Arrow 107.1 skipped over this one as well, but I caught it on WGHN, which I listened to in order to hear the LDD again, so ha! 2: STILL - COMMODORES (3) - This song had hit #1 a month earlier, and looked like it might return to the top for an encore, but, even though this week's #1 song would fall out of the top spot the following week, this is not the song that dethroned it. Anyway, I used to dislike this song due to how depressing it was, but now I think it's a pretty good song. Still, I preferred their other 1979 hit. 1: BABE - STYX (1) - Since they were from Chicago, they got tons of airplay on WLS, so I heard this song many, many times back in the day, and the song hasn't lost its luster at all. One of my favorites from them!
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