American Top 40: The 80s - December 31, 2015
This week's presentation - December 25, 1982-January 1, 1983 (Top 100 Songs of 1982)
100. YOU DON'T WANT ME ANYMORE - STEEL BREEZE (#16(2)/-/11/20) - I've mentioned many times before that this song sounds a little like something Rick Springfield would sing. I think it's a great song, as well as their other Top 40 hit, "Dreamin' Is Easy", which would chart in early 1983.
99. SPIRITS IN THE MATERIAL WORLD - THE POLICE (#11(2)/-/10/13) - There are spirits eating your Cheerios? Well, ignore them and get yourself another bowl. But seriously, I did like this song a lot.
98. ANY DAY NOW - RONNIE MILSAP (#14(2)/-/9/16) - One of several country crossover artists that hit during 1982. This was one of my favorite songs from Milsap - a great song indeed!
97. SOMEONE COULD LOSE A HEART TONIGHT - EDDIE RABBIT (#15(2)/-/10/15) - One country crossover artist deserves another! This one is by a man who had been hitting the Pop charts for several years. This song was good, but one of my least favorite of his hits.
96. HOLD ON - SANTANA (#15(2)/-/10/14) - Carlos Santana definitely had his best chart success during his comeback around the turn of the century - especially at Hot AC radio. I liked a lot of those songs, as overplayed as they were, but they didn't hold a candle to this song - possibly my favorite Santana song of all time!
95. PRETTY WOMAN - VAN HALEN (#12(2)/-/9/16) - In addition to country crossovers, the 1982 year-ender had a handful of cover versions on it. Ronnie Milsap's record back at #98 was a cover of a song that Chuck Jackson charted with in 1962 and this, of course, was a remake of the Roy Orbison classic. This song was good, but nothing compares to the original.
94. PERSONALLY - KARLA BONOFF (#19(2)/-/12/18) - Back in the summer of 1994, I bought Karla’s Wild Heart Of The Young album, after hearing the title track playing over a scene in The Wonder Years, and it turned out to be a worthy purchase, as I liked each and every song on the album, this one included.
93. SHOULD I DO IT - POINTER SISTERS (#13(2)/-/10/16) - They definitely had a retro sound in 1982, as both this song and "American Music" had a sixties sound to them. This was possibly my favorite of their hits that year.
92. LOVE IN THE FIRST DEGREE - ALABAMA (#15(2)/10/21) - Another country crossover - one of four by this band from the south. This was my favorite of their Top 40 hits. I liked this and "Dancin', Shaggin' On The Boulevard" (a country song from circa 1997) about the same.
91. IT'S GONNA TAKE A MIRACLE - DENIECE WILLIAMS (#10(2)/2/9/17) - We come to the first Top Ten hit on the 1982 year-ender (and all of the Top Ten songs in the survey period made the cut - how about that. Anyway, this was another remake. The original, by the Royalettes, just missed the Top 40 in 1965, but it was Deniece who finally brought it to the Top 40. The song wasn't too bad, but I preferred "Let's Hear It For The Boy".
90. DO I DO - STEVIE WONDER (#13(3)/-/9/14) - Billboard named him Top Soul Singles Artist of 1982, and this was one of three songs from him that hit the Top 40 during 1982. Several songs that hit the Top 40 throughout 1982 were sampled in future Top 40 hits, in this case, "Livin' It Up" by Cookie Monster - er, I mean Ja Rule. Of course, I preferred this song.
89. EDGE OF SEVENTEEN (JUST LIKE THE WHITE WINGED DOVE) - STEVIE NICKS (11(2)/-/10/14) - The third single from Nicks' first solo album, and, though it wasn't the highest peaking song from that album, it seems to be the one that gets the most recurrent airplay. I preferred "Leather And Lace", but this song was a good one as well.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: IT'S RAINING AGAIN - SUPERTRAMP (#11 (4)/-/11/13) - For the first half of the year-ender, they chose songs that charted late in 1982 and were deferred over to the Top 100 of 1983. Kind of weird that the other three songs were #1's, yet despite their spectacular debut on the entire Hot 100 at #31, this song actually failed to crack the Top Ten. I guess it was the long-awaited first hit from them in two years and then people decided they didn't really like the song after all. Perhaps it was that, or more people bought the album ...Famous Last Words than the single (as the song did peak at #2 on the R&R chart). Whatever the case, it was a great song according to me. Whenever this song came on, I'd turn it way up and sing along with it at the top of my lungs, driving my older brother nuts, LOL!
88. WHAT'S FOREVER FOR - MICHAEL MURPHEY (#19(5)/-/11/20) - Chiefly a country artist, Murphey had several pop crossovers. His biggest was "Wild Fire", a #3 hit in 1985, but this was second biggest hit, peaking at #19 for five weeks. It is also my favorite of his crossover hits - a great song indeed!
87. THROUGH THE YEARS - KENNY ROGERS (#13(2)/-/11/15) - This may not have been one of his biggest Top 40 hits, but it sure became popular in the LDD department! Between now and the last show of 1987, it was requested as a dedication 17 times! I can see why, as it is a great song!
86. EMPTY GARDEN (HEY HEY JOHNNY) - ELTON JOHN (#13(2)/-/10/17) - This was Elton's tribute to the late John Lennon. It was definitely one of his best 80s hits, IMO.
85. JUST ONCE - QUINCY JONES FEATURING JAMES INGRAM (#17(2)/-/10/23) - They just barely missed having two songs on the year-ender, as the other one, "One Hundred Ways", gained just a few less points than the Steel Breeze song at #100 and came in at #101, which I thought was a shame, as I prefer it over this one by a decent margin. Don't get me wrong, though, as I like this song too.
84. BREAK IT TO ME GENTLY - JUICE NEWTON (#11(3)/-/10/17) - Billboard's Top Female Artist of 1982. During the year, she had three Top 20 hits, all of which charted on the big list and are my three favorite Juice Newton hits (as I felt 1982 was her best year). This would be my favorite and, if only it had a little more oomph, it would have been her fifth Top Ten in a row.
83. GET DOWN ON IT - KOOL & THE GANG (#10(2)/2/9/17) - Only the second Top Ten to be heard on this show. As we all know, 1982 was a year of odd chart moves, due to Billboard's star/superstar rule. This, in some cases, caused songs to fall clean off the Top 40 chart from way up in the Top Ten. This was one of those cases, as this song disappeared after two weeks in the anchor position of the Top Ten. Anyway, I wasn't a big fan of their two songs that charted within 1982. I preferred their other song on this list, which was a 1982 holdover.
82. MAKING LOVE - ROBERTA FLACK (#13(3)/-/11/21) - I wonder if this one ever got confused with her 1974 song "Feel Like Makin' Love"? I prefer this one, because of the melody, and the synth in the instrumental bridge. A true guilty pleasure, as I know several people who would give this "No. Just no" status.
81. YOU COULD HAVE BEEN WITH ME - SHEENA EASTON (#15(2)/-/12/18) - Her success in 1982 didn't quite match up to that of 1981, but she did have two Top 40 hits, and this was by far the biggest of the two - as well as my favorite, and one of my favorites by her overall.
80. BLUE EYES - ELTON JOHN (#12(3)/-/10/18) - Have you ever noticed that this sounds a little like something Elvis Presley could have recorded? Perhaps that's why I like it so much, though I do slightly prefer his other song on the survey, which we heard a few songs back.
79. THEME FROM "HILL STREET BLUES" - MICHAEL POST (#10(2)/2/10/22) - TV show themes were most popular in 1976, but they seemed to have a resurgence in 1981 and 1982, though the former year contained at least two of them that hit the Top Ten. I have a 45 on the Elektra Spun Gold label with this as the "B" side of the other Top Ten TV show theme from 1981, "Greatest American Hero". I really liked this song - especially Larry Carlton's killer guitar solo in the bridge!
78. OUR LIPS ARE SEALED - THE GO-GOS (#20(2)/-/13/30) - This was the lowest peaking song to make the countdown - though it barely touched the Top 20, its longevity on the chart accounts for how high it placed on the survey. Of their three hits they placed on the year-end wrap-up, this was my favorite.
77. TAKE MY HEART (YOU CAN HAVE IT IF YOU WANT IT) - KOOL & THE GANG (#17(3)/-/12/17) - This is that other song by them that I mentioned earlier. Gwen Stefani's big #1 from 2007 "The Sweet Escape" sounds somewhat reminiscent of this one. A great song indeed!
76. VACATION - THE GO-GOS (#8(3)/4/9/14) - The second of their trio of hits on the big list. I liked this one - my second favorite of their 1982 hits.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: MICKEY - TONI BASIL - (#1(1)/10/18/27) - With stats like that, this was sure to rank high on 1983's list. This was a great cheerleading anthem! Another song I'd jam to back in the day, like the first Optional Extra.
75. LOVE WILL TURN YOU AROUND - KENNY ROGERS (#13(5)/-/10/17) - This song was another example of a song that dropped out of the Top 40 after spending multiple weeks at its peak. The song did manage to hit the Top Ten on the R&R chart, which is good, since this is one of my favorite songs from Kenny Rogers!
74. I RAN (SO FAR AWAY) - A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS (#9(2)/4/10/22) - The first (and biggest) of three hits by this English new wave and synthpop band. I liked all three songs, but I'm not sure which one I liked best.
73. MIRROR MIRROR - DIANA ROSS (#8(3)/3/10/14) - This song was co-written by Michael Sembello, of "Maniac" fame, and he offered it to the Pointer Sisters, who rejected it since it was, in their words, "a hokey nursery rhyme". I myself was never a huge fan of the song.
72. CRIMSON & CLOVER - JOAN JETT &THE BLACKHEARTS (#7(2)/3/10/15) - This one wasn't quite as good as her monster hit "I Love Rock And Roll" from earlier in the year, but I prefer it over her third hit from later on that year, as well as the original by Tommy James.
71. WAITING ON A FRIEND - THE ROLLING STONES (#13(3)/-/12/15) - They started out in the mid-60s as part of the British Invasion and were still going strong in the 80s. This was their second of four Top 40 hits from their album Tattoo You, and my favorite of the four, as well as the only one to make the Top 100 of 1982.
70. THINK I'M IN LOVE - EDDIE MONEY (#16(3)/-/12/17) - His first Top 40 hit in nearly three and a half years. This one was in holding pattern this week, but managed to climb a spot higher a few weeks later. It was a good song, though I preferred several others from him (such as "Maybe I'm A Fool", "Endless Nights" and "After This Love Is Gone", among others.
69. LOVE IN CONTROL (FINGER ON THE TRIGGER) - DONNA SUMMER (#10(1)/1/11/18) - Now this song had an odd run on the chart, even by 1982 standards. The song looked like it was peaking at #12, then it surprised everyone by moving up to #11 the following week, and then #10 the week after, before falling clean out of the Top 40, defying the "more than one week at its peak" rule. I'm wondering if they fudged around with the chart somewhat so this song wouldn't just miss the Top Ten. As for my opinion of this song, I wasn't a big fan of it - sounded a little like something the Jacksons would do - in fact, when I first heard this song, I thought that's who it was.
68. CAUGHT UP IN YOU - .38 SPECIAL (#10(3)/3/12/17) - Definitely one of my absolute favorites from them! This was their first of two Top Ten hits (you thought they had more, didn't you?)
67. DON'T STOP BELIEVIN' - JOURNEY (#9(3)/4/13/16) - This song could be the song from them that receives the most recurrent airplay on oldies stations (though many AC-based ones still play "Faithfully" on a regular basis). Anyway, this song has held up quite well despite overplay - it is still one of my favorites. Too bad they cut out the second verse.
66. MAKE A MOVE ON ME - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (#5(3)/5/10/14) - She was Billboard's Top Pop Singles Artist of the year and this song, one of three songs she placed on the Top 100 of 1982, is one of the reasons why. This is by far my favorite of the three songs, as well as one of my all-time favorite songs from her.
65. DID IT IN A MINUTE - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (#9(2)/4/11/16) - Another act who had many hits in 1982 - four, to be exact (though only two of those made the list). This was far and away my favorite of those hits and is among my favorite songs from the duo.
64. YESTERDAY'S SONGS - NEIL DIAMOND (#11(2)/-/12/15) - The easy listening superstars seemed to be nostalgic about oldies in late 1981, as Barry Manilow had also had a Top 40 hit about the same subject matter. That song, by the way, also charted in the 1982 survey period, but didn't quite make the list. As for this song, it was a great one - one of Diamond's best hits ever. Too bad it just barely missed the Top Ten on the weekly charts.
63. COMIN' IN AND OUT OF YOUR LIFE - BARBARA STREISAND (#11(1)/1/11/16) - Wow, the two artists who teamed up on a true bonafide "No. Just no" song appear on the year-ender back-to-back. While I don't like that song, this song, on the other hand, is one of my favorites from her - a great song indeed.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: TRULY - LIONEL RICHIE (#1(2)/10/13/18) - Many people ask me why this is one of my favorite Lionel Richie songs ever, yet "Still", which sounds much like this, always gets (or used to get) a "No. Just no". The reason being is, while both songs are about undying love, the Commodores song is about a love affair coming to an end, while this song seems to be about a relationship that is going great and only getting better. Plus, this song was charting during a pretty good time in my life.
62. TAKE IT AWAY - PAUL McCARTNEY (#10(5)/5/11/16) - Earlier, I mentioned how I suspected that "Love Is In Control" was artificially moved up into the Top Ten. The fact that this song, which peaked at #10 for five weeks, dropped back only one spot reinforces that suspicion - I'm thinking that, with the rule that was in place, it would have spend another week at #10. But who knows - that's just speculation and nothing more. Anyway, I really liked this song - one of my favorite of Sir Paul's solo hits.
61. COOL NIGHT - PAUL DAVIS (#11/-/2/13/19) - Surprised that this song missed the Top Ten, as it was played all the time on the stations I listened to back in the day. One of my favorite songs from the late Paul Davis!
60. HOOKED ON CLASSICS - THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA (#10(2)/2/12/20) - On the January 23 show, Casey named each piece heard in the medley as they were played (the other time I can remember was on the year-ender). He did the same on this show as well. I liked this song - an interesting medley of classic songs set to disco!
59. DO YOU BELIEVE IN LOVE - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (#7(3)/4/13/17) - This was the song that started it all off for this band, one of the top acts of the 1980s. This was a great song, which occasionally pops up on oldies stations.
58. PAC-MAN FEVER - BUCKNER & GARCIA (#9(2)/3/14/19) - Oh yeah, I remember running this album into the ground in 1982! I was video game fanatic back then. The album, based entirely on video games, contains songs about arcade classics like Pac Man, Frogger, Centipede, Donkey Kong, Asteroids, Defender, Mousetrap, and Berzerk, in that order. Indeed, I played the album enough times to ingrain the order of the songs into my mind for life; heck, I'm surprised that my Dad didn't hide the record when I wasn't looking, as I drove both him and my brother by playing the record ad naseum!
57. WASTED ON THE WAY - CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH (#9(4)/5/12/15) - Their first Top 40 hit since the summer of 1977, and one of two Top 40 hits that the trio placed on the chart in 1982. The second one, "Southern Cross", didn't quite make the list, as it charted too late in the year (probably wouldn't have made it anyway, based on its chart stats), but this one sure did - which is good, as it is my favorite of the two.
56. SOMEBODY'S BABY - JACKSON BROWNE (#7(3)/6/12/19) - The only Top 40 hit from the 1982 comedy film Fast Times At Ridgemont High, and one of Jackson Browne's more successful hits - as well as one of my favorites from him.
55. TAKE IT EASY ON ME - THE LITTLE RIVER BAND (#10(2)/2/15/19) - Their fifth and final Top Ten hit (though they still had two more Top 20s ahead of them). This was one of my favorites from LRB, right up there with "Lady".
54. LOVE'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT HARD ON ME - JUICE NEWTON (#7(2)/4/13/17) - Another song from Billboard's Top Female Album act of 1982. Of course, this was one of my favorite songs from her, as it was one of her 1982 hits. I preferred the other two, but this is still a great one nonetheless!
53. KEEP THE FIRE BURNIN' - REO SPEEDWAGON (#7(3)/6/13/16) - This was their only upbeat song that hit the Top Ten. It was pretty good, but I generally preferred their power ballads.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: MANEATER - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (#1(4)/13/17/23) - This was sort of a throwback to the sixties Motown sound (in fact, when Lamont Dozier first heard the opening notes to this song, he thought it was the cover of "You Can't Hurry Love" that Phil Collins had recorded and released around the same time). It apparently worked, as it became their biggest hit and, by its gigantic chart jump a few weeks back (36-12!), it's no surprise. It's a good song, but I prefer many others from them.
52. TROUBLE - LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM (#9(2)/5/14/19) - "Ah-two, ah-three, a fowah!" Definitely my favorite solo hit from him - not an annoying earworm like "Holiday Road"!
51. LEADER OF THE BAND - DAN FOGELBERG (#9(2)/4/16/20) - One of Fogelberg's story songs that he's famous for. I never used to like this song very much during its chart run, but it has since grown on me - a great song indeed!
50. WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE - DIANA ROSS (#7(3)/6/14/20) - This is a cover of a song that charted three times in the fifties, so I'm not sure who originally did it. Anyway, it's pretty good, but far from being her best. Much better than her hokey nursery rhyme that we heard back at #73.
49. TAINTED LOVE - SOFT CELL (#8(2)/3/15/43) - Definitely one of the most overplayed songs of the 1980s. Of course, we all know that this song held the record for the longest consecutive run on the Hot 100 - in fact, I believe that the song has such a record for the pre-Soundscan era (remember - "What About Me" by Moving Pictures doesn't count, as that song had two chart-runs).
48. I'VE NEVER BEEN TO ME - CHARLENE (#3(3)/6/14/20) - I guess you could call this one a guilty pleasure, as I like this song, but know many who hate it with a passion - especially the spoken word bridge. I can see why that would be gag-inducing to some, but I personally don't mind it.
47. FREEZE FRAME - THE J. GEILS BAND (#4(4)/8/12/16) - They were still in the midst of a #1 streak with "Centerfold" the week this song debuted. I wonder if the song would have spent more weeks on top had they held off a few weeks on the release of this song? (Probably not, as strong as the next #1 song was! Well, anyway, I wasn't a huge fan of this song; I preferred said #1 song.
46. '65 LOVE AFFAIR - PAUL DAVIS (#6(2)/7/13/20) - This song has that malt shop era sound to it (I believe the title was originally "'55 Love Affair", but for some reason, they moved it up a decade). This was a great song - Davis' highest peaking hit and one of his all time best, IMO.
45. ONLY THE LONELY - THE MOTELS (#9(4)/4/15/23) - The first of four Top 40 hits from this band from Los Angeles. I liked all four of those hits, my favorite being "Remember The Nights", from early 1984. This was their biggest hit overall, and the only one that gets any kind of recurrent airplay nowadays.
44. EVERY LITTLE THING SHE DOES IS MAGIC - THE POLICE (#3(2)/4/15/19) - They had three Top Ten hits in 1981, but this one spilled over into the 1982 survey period. A great song - much better than their other "Every" song (though lately I've noticed that I don't really dislike it as much as I previously did).
43. HEAT OF THE MOMENT - ASIA (#4(3)/6/12/18) - The first of two hits from their self-titled debut album, which turned out to be the biggest album of 1982. This was my third favorite song from Asia, behind "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes" and "Only Time Will Tell" - a great song indeed!
42. I KEEP FORGETTIN' - MICHAEL McDONALD (#4(3)/7/13/19) - REGULATORS!!! Mount up! Well, at least that would be the song that, twelve years later, sampled this song, which was a great song and showed that Michael McDonald was good as a solo artist as well as lead singer of the Doobie Brothers.
41. OH NO - THE COMMODORES (#4(3)/4/15/20) - Little did anyone know that this song was their final Top 40 hit with Lionel Richie on lead, as the following year, he would begin a very successful solo career, with four #1 songs, in addition to the duet with Diana Ross that was one of 1981's biggest hits.
40. HEART ATTACK - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (#3(4)/7/13/21) - Another song from the Top Pop Single Artist of 1982. This song just barely made the 1982 survey, as it peaked on the final week in the survey period (though it did hold that position for a month - not sure how they gave projected points in such a situation, but whatever. Anyway, though I preferred "Make A Move On Me", this was a good one as well.
39. HERE I AM (JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS OVER YOU) - AIR SUPPLY (39) - They definitely made a big splash in the early-80s, though they were beginning to lose their luster at this point, as they recently had their first hit to fail to crack the Top Five (in fact, it barely touched the Top 40). This one, however, did keep their Top Five streak alive and could be called a guilty pleasure of mine, as many people I know don't like this song at all (some consider it their least favorite Air Supply song). According to me, however, it is one of their best.
38. EVEN THE NIGHTS ARE BETTER - AIR SUPPLY (#5(3)/6/15/20) - One great Air Supply song deserves another. This is the song that holds the undesirable record for the song that took the longest fall out of the Top 40. Three weeks later, tt would fall from #6 to #42 (but you already knew that, right?) Anyway, like "Here I Am", this was one of their best songs, IMO.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: JUKEBOX HERO - FOREIGNER (#26(2)/-/6/13) - The follow up to the infamous Wf*gLY. I actually preferred the latter, as overplayed as it was, since I was never a huge fan of this one. 4 was indeed one of their most successful albums, but none of its singles were among my favorites from them.
37. THE OTHER WOMAN - RAY PARKER, JR. (#4(2)/7/14/21) - A song about infidelity. The sequel to this song, in which he expressed remorse for his unfaithful behavior, "Bad Boy", was scaling the Top 40 at the time of this show, but it didn't quite measure up to the success of this song, which was Ray's first hit without Raydio. It was okies, but one of my least favorites from him.
36. THAT GIRL - STEVIE WONDER (#4(3)/9/13/18) - This song, another by Billboard's Top Soul Singles artist of 1982, indeed did much better on the Soul Chart, spending nine weeks on top (and, unsurprisingly, became the #1 Soul song of the year). I liked it, but preferred several other songs from him (including his third hit from Musiquarium, "Ribbon In The Sky" which didn't quite make the Top 40).
35. YOU CAN DO MAGIC - AMERICA (#8(5)/6/15/20) - A comeback hit for them in two different ways - their first Top Ten hit since 1975, when "Sister Golden Hair" hit #1, and their first Top 40 since 1976, when they peaked at #23 with "Today's The Day". This song peaked at #8 in October. It was one of their best hits, IMO, and one I remember quite well back in the day!
34. KEY LARGO - BERTIE HIGGINS (#8(2)/4/17/29) - This was Higgins' only Top 40 hit, but it definitely got quite a lot of mileage on the charts, spending 18 weeks in the Top 40. I liked it - and as I recall I also liked "Just Another Day In Paradise", which just missed the Top 40 later on in 1982.
33. YOUNG TURKS - ROD STEWART (#5(4)/6/15/19) - The only song in the survey that doesn't mention the title in the lyrics (though he does sing young, he never mentions Turks once). This was one of my favorite Rod Stewart hits of the 1980s. I did prefer it over "Tonight I'm Yours", although that song is pretty much Part 2 of this song.
32. ALWAYS ON MY MIND - WILLIE NELSON (#5(3)/6/15/23) - As I've said before, my favorite version of this song would be the Pet Shop Boys techno cover from 1988, but I do like this better than the two other versions that Casey played in a medley during the time the Pet Shop Boys version was charting - by Elvis Presley and Brenda Lee, IIRC.
31. YOU SHOULD HEAR HOW SHE TALKS ABOUT YOU - MELISSA MANCHESTER (#5(3)/5/15/25) - She definitely nailed the fives - and, had one of her lower charters not made the Top 40, this would have been her fifth Top 40 hit. Anyway, this was a good song, although sounds a little like a note you’d find in a middle school girls’ notebook.
30. TURN YOUR LOVE AROUND - GEORGE BENSON (#5(2)/6/16/22) - A great jazz star George was indeed! This wasn't one of my favorites from him, but it's still a good song nonetheless
29. LET IT WHIP - THE DAZZ BAND (#5(2)/6/16/23) - Their only Top 40 hit and, somehow, this one completely missed the R&R chart but still managed to climb to #5 on the Hot 100. Must have been a huge seller! I wasn't a huge fan of it, but it wasn't too bad.
28. SWEET DREAMS - AIR SUPPLY (#5(2)/7/15/20) - The highest placing song by one of several Australian acts on the list. I liked most of their Top 40 hits, but this was one of my least favorites.
27. LEATHER & LACE - STEVIE NICKS AND DON HENLEY ((#6(3)/8/15/19) - Her second duet from Bella Donna to hit the charts, following her one with Tom Petty the previous summer. This is my favorite of the two, by a fairly large margin.
26. 867-5309/JENNY - TOMMY TUTONE (#4(3)/8/16/27) - Ah, the "nuisance phone call song"! I wonder if anyone named Jenny had the number in question. Anyway, this was a great song. One that takes me back to the spring of 1982!
OPTIONAL EXTRA: COME GO WITH ME - THE BEACH BOYS (#18(2)/-/8/15) - This was the song with the shortest playing time to chart in 1982, clocking in at 2:06. I preferred this remake over the original by the Dell Vikings.
25. EYE IN THE SKY - THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT (#3(3)/8/17/25) - Here is a song that was overplayed back in the day, but now, I seldom hear it outside of countdown shows anymore. Definitely one of my favorite songs from them.
24. THE SWEETEST THING (I'VE EVER KNOWN) - JUICE NEWTON (#7(4)/7/18/24) - 1981-1982 was definitely her heyday, with four Top Ten hits (and another that just barely missed). This is my second favorite of those hits, behind "Break It To Me Gently", which was said near-miss (peaked at #11 - what a shame).
23. UP WHERE WE BELONG - JOE C0CKER & JENNIFER WARNES (#1(3)/7/15/23) - Ah, we're up to the first of a lucky thirteen number one songs! It's a pretty good one, but I prefer a few other songs by Jennifer Warnes (never been a huge Joe Cocker fan).
22. HOLD ME - FLEETWOOD MAC (#4(7)/10/15/17) - This one, however, set a record for the longest peak at any position outside of #1 or #2 that, as far as I know, could still be standing today (though, of course, I stopped believing in the Hot 100 soon after 11/30/1991). It was one of my favorites from them back in the day, but I have since grown tired of the song (though it's good to hear it every now and again).
21. SHAKE IT UP - THE CARS (#4(3)/7/17/22) - All points totaled, this was possibly the Cars' biggest hit ever. However, for some reason, I never really got into this one.
20. WE GOT THE BEAT - THE GO-GOS (#2(3)/9/15/19) - Interesting that, up to the first week in March, the Supremes were the only all-girl group to have a #1 album. I generally liked the Go-Go's, but this was an exception - definitely my least favorite song from them.
19. OPEN ARMS - JOURNEY (#2(6)/10/14/18) - This song spent six weeks in the runner-up position, but couldn't seem to overtake songs like "Centerfold" and "I Love Rock & Roll". The song, however, did make it to the top of the R&R chart - and spent seven weeks at #1, becoming R&R's top hit of 1982 in the process. Anyway, I was previously burned out on this song, but now that I don't hear it every day, I've started liking it again.
18. LET'S GROOVE - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (#3(5)/9/16/24) - This is another song that recently grew on me after several years of not really liking it. One of 1982's biggest Soul Hits (as it spent eight weeks on top of that chart).
17. THEME FROM "CHARIOTS OF FIRE" - VANGELIS (#1(1)/9/15/28) - This song set a record back in May for the longest climb to the top, eclipsing the 21-week record shared by Nick Gilder, with "Hot Child In The City" and Robert John, with "Sad Eyes" by one week. Glad this one made it to the top, because it was a great one - one of my favorite instrumentals of all time!
16. DON'T TALK TO STRANGERS - RICK SPRINGFIELD (#2(4)/11/16/21) - Rick had one number one on Billboard and the R&R chart - only with different songs. "Jessie's Girl" was Rick's #1 on the Hot 100, but this was his song that topped the R&R chart, where it spent five weeks at #1. Both songs are among my favorite songs from Mr. Springfield.
15. WHO CAN IT BE NOW - MEN AT WORK (#1(1)/9/17/27) - Earlier, I mentioned that there were several acts from the land down under on the chart, so it's no surprise that two of them end up back to back. This song, along with their other Business As Usual #1, "Down Under" are both way overplayed. Yet radio stations pretty much ignore any of the Cargo singles, which IMO are superior to the two #1s.
14. ROSANNA - TOTO (#2(5)/11/18/23) - The namesake song of Rosanna Arquette. Like the Journey song back at #19, this song was stuck at #2 behind two different #1 songs, but it became their biggest hit overall. It was a good song that still gets quite a lot of recurrent airplay.
13. HARDEN MY HEART - QUARTERFLASH (#3(2)/12/19/24) - A song with an instantly recognizable saxophone solo. I liked it, but preferred "Take Me To Heart", which charted the following summer, and also features the saxophone, played by none other than Rindy Ross, who, of course, also sings).
OPTIONAL EXTRA: GLORIA - LAURA BRANIGAN (#2(3)/10/22/36) - Based on its impressive stats, it's obvious that this song was deferred to 1983's chart year. This was a really good song and it looked like it might give "Tainted Love" a run for its money in terms of longevity, but this song didn't quite match it - spent 36 weeks on the Hot 100, which was great as well (and it was the longest charting song on the Hot 100 for a female artist - before the Soundscan era, at least.
12. I CAN'T GO FOR THAT (NO CAN DO) - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (#1(1)/12/17/21) - This song seemed destined to peak at #4, a position it held for five weeks before jumping over two songs to log a single week on top. Anyway, this song was sampled in at least three different songs over the next few decades, so it was apparently very well-liked. I thought it was pretty good, though far from being my favorite song from them.
11. HARD TO SAY I'M SORRY - CHICAGO (#1(2)/12/18/24) - This is another song that looked like the #1 spot was a lost cause, as it was stuck at #5 for four weeks, but it managed to rise above the competition and went all the way to #1, where it spent two weeks. As you probably know all too well, at one time, it was my favorite song in the world, but now, I'm pretty much burned out on the song (Az Yet's 1997 cover, which sounded much like the original, was instrumental in that), so much that I usually change the station when it comes on the radio.
10. JACK AND DIANE - JOHN COUGAR (#1(4)/10/17/22) - This is another song that I used to like back in the day before overplay pretty much did it in. I definitely preferred his other song in the countdown, which is coming up a little later.
9. WAITING FOR A GIRL LIKE YOU (aka Wf*gLY) - FOREIGNER (#2(10)/15/19/23) - This is one of the songs that the aforementioned Hall & Oates songs leapfrogged over. However, that added to the frustration of this song, as it was stuck in the runner-up position for a record ten weeks. However, it got the last laugh on the year-ender, as it ranked three spots higher (and in the Top Ten to boot) than the song that it played such a dirty trick on. And it did spend six weeks at #1 on the R&R chart.
8. DON'T YOU WANT ME - THE HUMAN LEAGUE (#1(3)/12/21/28) - This was one of two #1 songs that held the aforementioned Toto song out of the top spot. This is one of the songs I most associate with the summer of 1982, as that was when it was #1 and played a lot on the stations I listened to - a great song indeed!
7. ABRACADABRA - THE STEVE MILLER BAND (#1(2)/14/19/25) - Here is another song that people were beginning to doubt would hit #1, as it spent a month at #3, but the song had just the magic that it needed to break away from that spot which it had held for the entire month of August and became their third #1 song - I guess you could say it did a hat trick
6. HURTS SO GOOD - JOHN COUGAR (#2(4)/16/22/28) - He was the Top Male Singles artist of the year, according to Billboard, and his two big 1982 hits, both of which ranked in the Top Ten, were the very reasons for that! Even though this song just barely fell short of hitting #1 (shut out by "Eye Of The Tiger"), it was actually a bigger hit than his #1, all points totaled. This was also the biggest "non-#1" song of 1982. Oh yeah, my opinion of the song - as stated earlier, it is my favorite of his two big #1 hits - one that has held up well despite overplay.
5. EBONY & IVORY - PAUL McCARTNEY & STEVIE WONDER (#1(7)/12/15/19) - This was Stevie Wonder's biggest of three songs on the chart, though he had help on this one. Back in the day, I hated this song, because, everytime you turned on the radio, there it was. I was burned out on it for quite awhile, but have learned to start liking it better over the past few years. It's a great song with a great message!
4. I LOVE ROCK AND ROLL - JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS (#1(7)/12/16/20) - Here is another song that overplay hasn't tarnished at all (IMO, anyway). This was the first of three Top 20 hits from her during 1982, and my favorite of the three.
3. CENTERFOLD - THE J. GEILS BAND (#1(6)/12/20/25) - Yet another overplayed song that has held up nevertheless! As I mentioned earlier, I preferred this song over their other song in the countdown - by a wide margin, might I add.
2. EYE OF THE TIGER - SURVIVOR (#1(6)/15/18/25) - This song also spent six weeks on top - its Top Ten weeks are what likely helped it get the slighter edge on the chart. And, yes, this was still another song that has held up pretty well despite overplay. I do prefer a few others from them, though, including their other Rocky hit, which was a big hit in 1986.
1. PHYSICAL - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (#1(10)/15/21/26) - Wow, it looked like Debby Boone could hold the record for most weeks at #1 by a female artist forever, but, in fact, she was joined by Olivia just a little over four years later. This song, of course, was the song most responsible for holding that poor Foreigner song out of #1. However, due to the lyrical content of this song, there were enough stations that refused to play it to affect its performance on the R&R chart, where it was the song that was held at bay - by the song that it shut out of #1 on the Hot 100. Turnabout is indeed fair play. Anyway, this was a pretty good song, but I preferred her two other songs on the countdown, especially "Make A Move On Me".