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Post by mga707 on Jan 24, 2019 14:10:35 GMT -5
90). 1: SHOW AND TELL - AL WILSON – It seems there were a lot of #1 Hits in 1974, with many peaking for a single Week. The were indeed: 35. A record at the time, tied the following year. '74/'75 was definitely the 'revolving door' period for #1 singles. My sympathies on the loss of your sister.
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Post by doofus67 on Jan 24, 2019 15:30:12 GMT -5
1: SHOW AND TELL - AL WILSON – It seems there were a lot of #1 Hits in 1974, with many peaking for a single Week. There were indeed: 35. A record at the time, tied the following year. '74/'75 was definitely the 'revolving door' period for #1 singles. And on the Cash Box chart in '74, there were 48 different toppers. In one stretch, from June of '74 to April of '75, the #1 song changed for 44 weeks in a row. One of my favorite statistics of all time!
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Post by mkarns on Jan 24, 2019 19:10:59 GMT -5
EXTRA: BILLIE JEAN – MICHAEL JACKSON - Wow, they must have had a lot of time to fill this week if they had time to play last week’s top two and an extra. Unless they decided to edit down certain songs - probably good ones. Actually, this song itself was edited down rather heavily. The story to tie in with this song was how Thriller was the first album to generated seven Top 40 hits (several other albums have since tied the record, including an album that spawned eight radio single - by none other than Michael's sister Janet. Anyway, this song was a good one. We’ll definitely be hearing it again later on this year - possibly on the next 1983 show, as it debuted in late January.
We'll definitely be hearing "Billie Jean" on the next 1983 show, except in the unlikely event that we get nothing from that year until Memorial Day weekend or so, since it was on AT40 until late May. Premiere has never waited that long in the calendar year to play the first A or standalone from that year with the obvious exceptions of 1970 and, for the first several years, 1979. (That doesn't count 2007 when the 80s shows didn't start until April.)
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Post by jamie9012 on Jan 25, 2019 11:17:09 GMT -5
10: LOVE'S THEME - LOVE UNLIMITED ORCHESTRA – Barry White again, but this time as a Co-writer and Producer. It seems as though, in my Critiques, I make a lot of comparisons between Songs. The Theme from the TV Show “Hill Street Blues” sounds like it. Some of the guitar Riffs remind me also of a Song that I have mentioned in the past called “Marleen”, by Marianne Rosenberg. Good post. I found "Marleen" on YouTube. There's a clip that's gotten more than half a million views, which is impressive. I have a soft spot for disco anyway, but this song is well done. Granted, I couldn't understand the words other than the title . The string arrangement is very reminiscent of "Love's Theme," as is the scratchy rhythm guitar. Discovering "new" music is a good thing! So sorry about your sister. Remember the good times with her. Hello.
It is a nice Song. In the chorus she sings: "Marleen, one of us must go now. Marleen, that's why I beg you, leave Marleen". Both the singer and Marleen want the same man.
Thank you for the sympathies.
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Post by jamie9012 on Jan 25, 2019 11:18:46 GMT -5
90). 1: SHOW AND TELL - AL WILSON – It seems there were a lot of #1 Hits in 1974, with many peaking for a single Week. The were indeed: 35. A record at the time, tied the following year. '74/'75 was definitely the 'revolving door' period for #1 singles. My sympathies on the loss of your sister. That is a LOT of #1 Hits! Definitely a good time for music.
Thank you very much, mga707.
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Post by Hervard on Jan 25, 2019 14:16:44 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - January 26, 2019
This week's presentation - January 29, 1977
Droppers: LOVE ME - YVONNE ELLIMAN (34) - You can hear the Bee Gees influence on this one (as they were the ones who produced it). It wasn't bad, but I preferred another Bee Gees produced song from her (that, of course, would be "If I Can't Have You", which became her biggest hit ever). THIS SONG - GEORGE HARRISON (32) - Wow, what a creative title - a follow-up to "That Song"? No, seriously, this one was pretty good, but I much preferred his next hit, "Crackerbox Palace". SHAKE YOUR RUMP (TO THE FUNK) - THE BAR-KAYS (31) - Meh, typical roof-raising R&B; no big loss. THE RUBBERBAND MAN - THE SPINNERS (30) - What, does he shoot rubberbands at unsuspecting victims? But seriously, this song's OK, but definitely far from being my favorite song from them.
40: THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE - 10CC (debut) - This song sounds like something Queen might have done, doesn't it? Of their two Top Ten his, this would be my favorite - a song I remember quite well from back in the day. 39: I LIKE TO DO IT - K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND (debut) - Up to now, KC & The Sunshine band would either hit #1 or bomb royally. This was their first non-#1 Top 40 hit (though it would only get two spots higher the following week. I wasn't too crazy about the song, which was mediocre at best. I preferred their bigger hits (well, except for their whinefest that is "Please Don't Go". 38: BOOGIE CHILD - THE BEE GEES (debut) - Another song I wasn't overly crazy about. I definitely prefer many of their other hits, including "Love So Right", which preceded this song. 37: IT KEEPS YOU RUNNIN' - THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (39) - A song that had the exact same Top 40 run as the KC & The Sunshine Band, as the song fell off the chart the following week. 36: LIVING NEXT DOOR TO ALICE - SMOKIE (40) - ALICE?? WHO THE F--- IS ALICE?? No, seriously, this is a pretty cool song, as is Gompie’s mid-90's remake of the song. 35: YOU'VE GOT ME RUNNIN' - GENE COTTON (37) - Though I preferred his hit from the following year, "Before My Heart Finds Out", this was a good one as well. 34: I NEVER CRY - ALICE COOPER (26) - Cooper was more famous for his hard rockers, but he did release a few ballads - in fact, this was the second of three in a row. My favorite was "Only Women", and I'm not sure if I prefer this one or "You And Me". Depends on my mood at the time. 33: SORRY SEEMS TO BE THE HARDEST WORD - ELTON JOHN (23) - Elton's chart career all but came to a grinding halt after this song fell out of the charts, as most of his Top 40 hits over the next seven or so years did not hit the Top Ten. There are everal theories about why this was, though I am not going to go into any of them right now. This song, the first of two singles from his Blue Moves album was a great one, as melancholy as it was. 32: GO YOUR OWN WAY - FLEETWOOD MAC (38) - The first of four singles from one of the biggest albums ever, Rumors, which kept them on the charts almost steadily throughout 1977. It's my second favorite of the four, behind "You Make Lovin' Fun". 31: SAVE IT FOR A RAINY DAY - STEPHEN BISHOP (35) - This song may have been about a rainy day, but at least it didn't have that type of fee to it - in fact, it was quite upbeat. The song was not bad, but it doesn't hold a candle to "On And On", from later in 1977. 30: DON'T LEAVE ME THIS WAY - THELMA HOUSTON (debut) - This song set the record for the slowest climbing #1 song by a woman. I'm sure the record has been broken by now, but that would likely be after 11/30/91, which was when I stopped believing in the Hot 100. I like this song, but preferred the Communards remake, which peaked at #40 ten years later. 29: STAND TALL - BURTON CUMMINGS (24) - The former lead singer of the Guess Who managed to have two solo hits, and this was the biggest. It was a good one and, as I've said before, it would make a great closing theme for a movie whose plot dealt with a story of success. 28: LIVIN' THING - THE ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (17) - Here's one I remember hearing back in the day. It's a great song - one of my favorites from them! OPTIONAL EXTRA: SO IN TO YOU - ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION - They had a handful of Top 40 hits and I thought most of them were great, like this one! Not sure if I prefer this one or the song where, on one version, they featured Stevie Nicks as the vocalist 27: WHISPERING/CHERCHEZ LA FEMME/SE SI BON - DR BUZZARD'S ORIGINAL SAVANNAH BAND (28) - IIRC, they usually rotated between the three songs that they played. Even though Casey mentioned all three titles, they went with the second one, which was a good one. 26: DANCING QUEEN - ABBA (33) - It's a rather rare occasion when my favorite song by a certain act ends up being their biggest hit ever, but this is definitely an example. It seems that, more often than not, they did a hack job on this song which, IMO, is kind of pointless, as it's not like it's that long of a song in the first place. I guess they had to edit where they could, as AT40 had long since outgrown its three-hour allotment. 25: NIGHT MOVES - BOB SEGER (29) - The title track from one of Seger's best albums ever! I preferred the next single from that album, "Mainstreet", but this one was great also. This one was mercilessly butchered as well! 24: YEAR OF THE CAT - AL STEWART (36) - He may have only had four Top 40 hits, but I liked each one of them! Not sure where this one ranks - possibly second behind "Time Passages". 23: AIN'T NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING - DONNY & MARIE OSMOND (27) - Wow, this sounds very similar to the original by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Not sure which of the two I prefer - both are great! 22: TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT (GONNA BE ALRIGHT) - ROD STEWART (11) - This song wasted absolutely no time hitting #1 and this week, surpassed "Silly Love Songs" as the longest-running #1 song of 1976. Since it charted so late in the year, however, it was deferred to 1977's list, on which it was in the runner-up position, behind Andy Gibb. Casey was a little off with his stats about this song, however. He said it had been around for twelve weeks, when, in fact, this was actually its fifteenth week on - or fourteenth, if he didn't count the frozen week (as he was one off with its Top Ten and #1 weeks). Anyway, this was a great song! One of his best. His song from early 1990, “Downtown Train” sounds a lot like this one. 21: SATURDAY NITE - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (22) - Well, it's actually early afternoon when I'm listening to this show, but it is indeed Saturday. As for this song, it is actually pretty good, though it's definitely not their best. 20: HARD LUCK WOMAN - KISS (25) - This song charted twice - once in early 1977 and again in the summer of 1994, when Garth Brooks peaked at #26 with his cover version, which featured Kiss themselves on the instruments. Both versions sounded very similar, so it's hard to tell which version I prefer - both of them are great IMO. 19: AFTER THE LOVIN' - ENGLEBERT HUMPERDINCK (8) - This is my favorite song from him by default, as it's the only song I've ever heard by him - that I know of, anyway. Not sure that I'd really like anything else by him, though, as this one was quite "geezerly". 18: YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A STAR (TO BE IN MY SHOW) - MARILYN McCOO & BILLY DAVIS JR. (5) - This was the very first #1 song of 1977. It was a pretty good song, but I prefer many other songs on this week's chart. 17: JEANS ON - DAVID DUNDAS (19) - Well, I should hope you have your jeans on! I don't want to see you in your briefs, thank you very much! But seriously, this song was pretty good. 16: WEEKEND IN NEW ENGLAND - BARY MANILOW (21) - It definitely feels like a typical New England day where I am this weekend, with high temperatures in the teens (which is going to seem warm compared to the impending cold snap). 15: FLY LIKE AN EAGLE - THE STEVE MILLER BAND (18) - The third Top 40 single from the album of the same name. It would also be the last, as Miller would release Book Of Dreams soon after this song ended its chart run. This is one of my favorite Steve Miller songs ever! 14: I LIKE DREAMIN' - KENNY NOLAN (16) - Interesting story about him failing his song writing class, as he became a world renowned songwriter anyway. After years of writing big hits for other artists, Kenny wrote one for himself, and it proved to be worthwhile, as the song climbed all the way to #3. It's a good song when it doesn't stick in my mind all day, like it has done several times before OPTIONAL EXTRA: CAN'T STOP DANCIN' - THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE - Even though this song did not hit the Hot 100 until March, they played this one in memory of the Captain, Darryl Dragon, since it was their only 1977 hit (I guess they didn't have the heart to subject us to "Muskrat Love", which had fallen out of the Top 40 the previous week). 13: SOMEBODY TO LOVE - QUEEN (13) - Definitely not my favorite song from them by any means. I seem to recall that I liked George Michael's live remake of the song in 1993, though. 12: LOST WITHOUT YOUR LOVE - BREAD (14) - They were mainly an early-70s band, but they did have a comeback hit in early 1977, which would hit the Top Ten two weeks later. A great song indeed - one of my favorites from them! 11: ENJOY YOURSELF - THE JACKSONS (15) - The Jacksons had been hitting the chart for years, but I wasn't a big fan of them by this point. They were much better in the early 70s, when they were known as the Jackson 5. 10: WALK THIS WAY - AEROSMITH (12) - Their second Top Ten (and last one for another eleven years). I liked this song, but preferred Run DMC's cover from 1986. 9: LOVE THEME FROM "A STAR IS BORN" (EVERGREEN) - BARBRA STREISAND (16) - The soundtrack of "A Star Is Born" would hit #1 on the album chart a few weeks later and the song would do the same on the Hot 100 a few weeks after that, and deservedly so, as this was one of Streisand's best songs ever! 8: BLINDED BY THE LIGHT - MANFRED MANN'S EARTH BAND (9) - After a huge, ten-spot jump the week before, this song makes a more modest move this week (even Casey expected it to move faster). I was surprised that they played this song intact, as they generally played the first verse, and then jumped to the final chorus. Anyway, this was a great song - one I remember from back in the day. 7: TORN BETWEEN TWO GEEZERS - MARY MacGREGOR (10) - Ugh - this is a song that I wouldn't mind to see chopped down. To me, the song sounds a lot like a confession on the Jerry Springer show, especially the first verse (you know, how the Jerry Springer guests butter up their lover before spilling the beans)? I was never a fan of this song, which is definitely a cure for insomnia. The song, unfortunately, would leap to #1 the following week. 6: NEW KID IN TOWN - THE EAGLES (7) - The lead-off single from the album for which the Eagles seem to be most famous. I like their two #1 songs from that album best, but I'm not sure which one I prefer, as both are great songs and among my favorites from them! 5: HOT LINE - THE SYLVERS (6) - I wonder how many kids who hear this song say, "WTF" to the woman near the beginning saying, "Number, please" As for this song, I like it and "Boogie Fever" about the same (although the latter sometimes wins out). 4: YOU MAKE ME FEEL LIKE DANCING - LEO SAYER (3) - This would be the first of two #1 songs from him, during the same year, no less. This would be my favorite of the two songs, by a fair margin. 3: DAZZ - BRICK (4) - Typical roof raising R&B music of the 70s that I wasn't a big fan of. OPTIONAL EXTRA: LONG TIME - BOSTON - With a rather decent debut position on the Hot 100 (at #62), one might think that Boston was headed for their second Top Ten hit, but this one, in fact, didn't even hit the Top 20. WLS played this song quite a lot back in the day, so I remember hearing it all the time and am pretty surprised it didn't do any better than it did. 2: I WISH - STEVIE WONDER (1) - The first of two #1 hits he had in 1977. This song must hold the record for the most consecutive jumps of eleven spots, with three in a row. As for my opinion of the song, I liked it, but preferred his next hit, "Sir Duke", which would also hit #1, the following spring. 1: CAR WASH - ROSE ROYCE (2) - For a disco song, this one was pretty good. I remember that sometime during my senior year in high school, I started to watch the movie of the same name, but dozed off during the first half hour. Must not have made that big of an impression on me.
Coming up next week - Well, February 1, 1975 seems to be a pretty common prediction and, since that show has not been touched since early 2008, it sounds like a pretty good one to me, so I'll make that my primary prediction, with February 3, 1979 as my back-up (and, if that's the one they choose, it's possible for the 1975 show to be the "B" show).
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Post by Hervard on Jan 25, 2019 14:17:52 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - January 26, 2019
This week's presentation - January 28, 1984
Droppers: UPTOWN GIRL - BILLY JOEL (40) - Joel's salute to Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. It was a good song (I did prefer it over "Tell Her About It"), but I preferred the title track to An Innocent Man. IN THE MOOD - ROBERT PLANT (39) - The follow-up to his first solo Top 40 "Big Log", this song was not a remake of the old Glenn Miller classic. Not bad, but I generally prefer Plant with Led Zeppelin. GOLD - SPANDAU BALLET (29) - Well, they weren't a one-hit wonder, but they could be called a "one big hit wonder", since their debut hit "True" was a Top Five hit, but the follow-ups didn't come anywhere close to matching that success. This song barely touched the Top 30, and their next hit, "Only When You Leave" petered out at #34. Of their three hits, I preferred their biggest one. This was a pretty decent song, though. ALL NIGHT LONG (ALL NIGHT) - LIONEL RICHIE (23) - As we all know, I'm not a fan of this song, so no big loss. UNDERCOVER OF THE NIGHT - ROLLING STONES (20) - They had been charting for twenty years, but they definitely still had their touch, as this song hit the Top Ten, putting them in second place all by themselves in the category of most Top Ten hits by a group, with 20 of them so far. I thought it was pretty good, but far from being one of my favorites from them.
40: I WANT A NEW DRUG - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (debut) - A song that charted twice in 1984 - peaked at #6 the first time around and then came back and hit #1 in August its second time out. But seriously, it was a good song, but I preferred "If This Is It" from the Sports album. 39: THE DREAM (HOLD ON TO YOUR DREAM) - IRENE CARA (debut) - This song was the closing theme from the movie "DC Cab" in which Irene starred as herself. It's a great song - reminds me a lot of her last hit before this, "Why Me". This was, IMO, a underrated song (as the song climbed only two spots higher), though I don't think the movie received astronomical reviews either. 38: BANG YOUR HEAD - QUIET RIOT (debut) - Meh, I was never a huge fan of this song. Their other Top 40 hit, "Cum On Feel The Noize" was far superior, IMO. 37: NEW MOON ON MONDAY - DURAN DURAN (debut) - I've mentioned before that I don't like most of their 1984 songs. This one, however, was an exception, as it was one of my favorite songs from them 36: REMEMBER THE NIGHTS - MOTELS (37) - Like the Irene Cara song, this one was way underrated. It is my favorite song from the band and, naturally, it was the lowest peaker (not only was this all the higher that it got, but it dropped 35: THE SIGN OF FIRE - THE FIXX (32) - Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius? But seriously, this song wasn't bad - I liked it better than the overplayed "One Thing Leads To Another", but it wasn't quite as good as "Saved By Zero". 34: STAY WITH ME TONIGHT - JEFFEREY OSBORNE (30) - He seemed to have more chart success as a solo artist than with LTD (although he never hit the Top Ten, like his band did with "Back In Love Again". Of his singles, this was one of my least favorites, but I still like it. 33: NIGHTBIRD - STEVIE NICKS (35) - This song is pretty obscure, but I heard it quite a lot back in 1984, since U93 started playing it pretty early on, and gave it moderate airplay for about two months, so I remember it well. 32: SEND ME AN ANGEL - REAL LIFE (38) - Strange that Casey answered a question letter about an artist returning to the chart with a remake of his own hit, as an updated version of this song would end up recharting five years later. I associate this song more with 1989 than 1984, as during the latter year, I never heard the song outside of countdown shows, but heard it as part of regular programming quite a lot in the former. A great song! 31: GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN - CYNDI LAUPER (debut) - This is the song that started it all off for the unusual one. It was a great one - not sure if I prefer this one or "She Bop". 30: IF I'D BEEN THE ONE - .38 SPECIAL (19) - I think it's been made abundantly clear that this, along with "Caught Up In You" and "Like No Other Night" are my three favorites from them - not sure which of the three I like the most. OPTIONAL EXTRA: HERE COMES THE RAIN AGAIN - THE EURYTHMICS - The third Top 40 single for this British duo and one of their biggest hits, peaking at #4 in late March. It was pretty good, but it doesn't hold a candle to "There Must Be An Angel". 29: READ 'EM & WEEP - BARRY MANILOW (21) - Definitely one of the best balladeers ever! This was one of my all-time faves from him! I loved the theatrical sound, courtesy of Jim Steinman. 28: TIME WILL REVEAL - DEBARGE (18) - The third Top 40 hit for this R&B family act from Grand Rapids, Michigan. I always thought it was a woman singing the lead vocals, but it was actually the falsetto of El DeBarge. This was my favorite song from them up to this point. LDD: I JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING - ANDY GIBB - This was possibly my favorite Andy Gibb song of all time (though "An Everlasting Love" would definitely give it a run for its money). 27: NOBODY TOLD ME - JOHN LENNON (36) - This was Lennon's third posthumous hit (and the fourth to peak after his death). I definitely prefer the Double Fantasy singles; this one was kind of just there. 26: BABY I LIED - DEBORAH ALLEN (26) - This one had a somewhat odd chart run. Two weeks before, it appeared to have peaked at #36, then the week after, shot ahead ten spots to #26, where it holds this week. Not sure what happened there. Whatever the case, it was a great song! 25: SO BAD - PAUL McCARTNEY (28) - The second and final Top 40 hit from McCartney's Pipes Of Peace album, though its chart performance did not measure up to the first hit, which is coming up a little later on. 24: YAH MO BE THERE - MICHAEL McDONALD & JAMES INGRAM (27) - Kind of an odd title, but a great song - one of my favorite songs from both artists. 23: WRAPPED AROUND YOUR FINGER - THE POLICE (31) - Of the four singles from Synchronicity, this just might be my favorite, but I still prefer others from both the band and Sting solo. 22: 99 LUFTBALLONS - NENA (33) - This song, of course, had three different versions that were played on AT40. The original German version, which was usually the one that they went with (like this week), the English version, which was played once or twice, and the "hybrid" version (alternating between the two languages throughout the song). I know that they played that one on at least one weekly show, as well as the year-ender. Since I never took German in high school, I preferred the English version, but for the most part, I like all three of them. 21: MIDDLE OF THE ROAD - PRETENDERS (25) - They had a handful of songs that hit the Top 40. This one was pretty good, but I preferred "Brass In Pocket" and "Back On The Chain Gang". OPTIONAL EXTRA: GOT A HOLD ON ME - CHRISTINE McVIE - Her first solo hit ever, and it was a good one - sounded a lot like her hits with Fleetwood Mac on which she sang lead. 20: JUMP - VAN HALEN (34) - This was their very first Top Ten hit (second on R&R, as their first Top 40 hit, "Dance The Night Away" peaked at #10 there), and it would be their biggest hit ever, spending five weeks on top. The song was OK, but it sounded more like a commercial or music for a sporting event - definitely not worthy of being such a big hit - and I'll never forgive it for beating out "Against All Odds" by Phil Collins as R&R's #1 song of 1984. I generally preferred the Van Hagar era, which kicked off two years later. 19: AN INNOCENT MAN - BILLY JOEL (24) - On a different show, Billy Joel said that this was inspired by the music of Ben E. King, but the intro to this song is a dead ringer for that of "Blue Bayou" by Linda Ronstadt. Both are great songs and this is definitely one of my favorites from the album of the same title. 18: LET THE MUSIC PLAY - SHANNON (22) - This was one of those songs that I could take or leave. 17: CURLY SHUFFLE - JUMP 'N THE SADDLE (15) - You gotta be a big Three Stooges fan to appreciate this song. I grew up watching the Stooges, so I knew Curly's catchphrases heard in the choruses quite well. Since Jump 'N The Saddle was a Chicago band, this one got heavy airplay on both WLS and WBBM-FM. 16: HOLIDAY - MADONNA (17) - This was the one that started it all off for the material girl. It was a pretty good song, but I preferred her next hit "Borderline", which was her first Top Ten hit. 15: SAY IT ISN'T SO - HALL & OATES (10) - One of two new songs on their first Greatest Hits album. The song wasn't bad, but definitely far from their best. 14: I STILL CAN'T GET OVER LOVING YOU - RAY PARKER, JR (16) - "I Want A New Drug" isn't the first song that they ripped off - for this one, they used a line from the Police's monster song from the year before, "Every Breath You Take" I do prefer this song over the former, which was way overplayed. This song sounds like the prequel to "Jamie", as it's also about a former lover that he can't seem to let go of. 13: UNION OF THE SNAKE - DURAN DURAN (11) - The first Top 40 hit from Seven And The Ragged Tiger - the song wasn't bad, but, as stated earlier, I preferred their next hit, "New Moon On Monday". 12: PINK HOUSES - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (13) - Hmm, I wonder if any of the pink houses he speaks of have that same freeway running through the front yard? I'll have to look into it. But seriously, this song was a good one - I preferred it over the first hit from "Uh-Huh" by a considerable margin. 11: THINK OF LAURA - CHRISTOPHER CROSS (14) - This song always brings tears to my eyes, as it always reminds me of a friend of mine that died back in the summer of 2009. The lyrics describe her perfectly - except that her name was Kelley, not Laura. Nowadays, the song is all the more poignant, as another friend like that passed away this past summer and this song also describes the kind of a person she was. OPTIONAL EXTRA: FOOTLOOSE - KENNY LOGGINS - The leadoff single and title song from one of the biggest movies of the year. Of course, I preferred his other song from the movie, which would hit the chart that summer. This song wasn't bad either, though it was quite overplayed. 10: THAT'S ALL - GENESIS (12) - Their first six songs all missed the Top Ten, but this one would start a long streak of Top Ten hits (that is, speaking in terms of Top 40 hits; their next hits "Illegal Alien" and "Taking It All Too Hard" also hit the Hot 100, but peaked before hitting the Top 40). As for this song, I liked it, but it's definitely not their best. 9: TWIST OF FATE - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (7) - This was the first of two Top 40 hits from the lesser known Travolta/Newton-John movie Two Of A Kind. I liked this song, but I preferred the next hit, "Livin' In Desperate Times" - also from said movie. 8: RUNNING WITH THE NIGHT - LIONEL RICHIE (9) - The second single from possibly Richie's biggest album ever - it was much better than the first (like basically anything from him), but I preferred the next release, "Hello", which would hit #1 a few months later. 7: SAY SAY SAY - PAUL McCARTNEY & MICHAEL JACKSON (2) - Definitely one of the songs I associate the most with the winter of 1983, as the song was #1 for nearly half of the season. I was burned out on it for quite awhile, but now, it's good to hear it every now and again. It had a great video. 6: JOANNA - KOOL & THE GANG (8) - The first of seven consecutive Top 40 hits from them that featured one-word titles. One of my favorites from them! 5: BREAK MY STRIDE - MATTHEW WILDER (5) - I wasn't a big fan of this song back in the day, but now I like it. LDD: TAKE ME DOWN - ALABAMA - One of three Top 40 crossovers for this country band. Though my least favorite of the bunch, it was still pretty good. 4: I GUESS THAT'S WHY THEY CALL IT THE BLUES - ELTON JOHN (6) - A song that might be credited as "Elton John featuring Stevie Wonder", as the latter does an awesome harmonica solo in this song! Did they play this song intact or did they cut out said harmonica solo (as my live stream crapped out at the beginning of the second verse). 3: TALKING IN YOUR SLEEP - ROMANTICS (4) - Casual listeners might be surprised that this was their first Top 40 hit, since "What I Like About You", which possibly gets more recurrent airplay than this one, surely must have hit the Top 40. But, as we all know, the song peaked at #49 on the chart. This song hit the Top Five and was their first of two Top 40 hits. The second one, "One In A Million", was my favorite of those. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SOMEBODY'S WATCHING MY - ROCKWELL - Today, this song would be credited as Rockwell featuring Michael Jackson & Jermaine Jackson, as both artists are prominently heard singing in the chorus. That was definitely instrumental in the song doing as well as it did, as his next hit, "Obscene Phone Caller" only got as high as #35. Of course, this was my favorite of those two songs. 2: KARMA CHAMELEON - CULTURE CLUB (3) - Meh, I'm not a big fan of this one, which is the song responsible for preventing "Joanna" from hitting #1. Besides, Boy George and his Club were starting to get old at this point. 1: OWNER OF A LONELY HEART - YES (1) - They were more of an album act than anything, but had a handful of chart hits and this, of course, was their biggest. It was their only Top Ten, but a big one it was, as it went all the way to the top.
Coming up next week: As of yet, we know that February 2, 1980 is one of the shows coming up this week, and, unless they changed things up this week, this is either an "A" or "B" show. I tend to err towards the former, and am thinking that the "B" show would be February 6, 1988. Since that show was played just two years ago, and 1987 just last week, then the only feasible show to be the "A" show other than 1980 is a 1986 show (it would almost certainly be February 1), but I have a feeling that they're going to hold off on 1986 as an "A" show for a few more weeks, like they usually do to years that represented the last year-ender. If 1980 is indeed the "A" show, then virtually any year could be the "B" show, but I'll go with the 2/6/88 show as my prediction.
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Post by pb on Jan 26, 2019 17:13:33 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - January 26, 2019 This week's presentation - January 29, 1977 22: TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT (GONNA BE ALRIGHT) - ROD STEWART (11) - This song wasted absolutely no time hitting #1 and this week, surpassed "Silly Love Songs" as the longest-running #1 song of 1976. Since it charted so late in the year, however, it was deferred to 1977's list, on which it was in the runner-up position, behind Andy Gibb. Casey was a little off with his stats about this song, however. He said it had been around for twelve weeks, when, in fact, this was actually its fifteenth week on - or fourteenth, if he didn't count the frozen week (as he was one off with its Top Ten and #1 weeks). Anyway, this was a great song! One of his best. His song from early 1990, “Downtown Train” sounds a lot like this one. 21: SATURDAY NITE - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (22) - Well, it's actually early afternoon when I'm listening to this show, but it is indeed Saturday. As for this song, it is actually pretty good, though it's definitely not their best. 20: HARD LUCK WOMAN - KISS (25) - This song charted twice - once in early 1977 and again in the summer of 1994, when Garth Brooks peaked at #26 with his cover version, which featured Kiss themselves on the instruments. Both versions sounded very similar, so it's hard to tell which version I prefer - both of them are great IMO. I listened to this show today. Interesting (to me, anyway) that after Rod Stewart's song, EW&F also used the phrase "tonight's the night" and Kiss's song sounded exactly like a "Maggie May" era Rod Stewart song.
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Post by mga707 on Jan 26, 2019 23:23:16 GMT -5
I listened to this show today. Interesting (to me, anyway) that after Rod Stewart's song, EW&F also used the phrase "tonight's the night" and Kiss's song sounded exactly like a "Maggie May" era Rod Stewart song. [/quote] Interesting observation. Probably why "Hard Luck Woman" is one of my two favorite Kiss songs, along with "I Was Made For Lovin' You", the song that sent the 'Disco sucks' crowd into apoplexy in 1979! Guess I like Kiss songs that don't sound like Kiss songs...
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Post by Hervard on Feb 1, 2019 13:58:51 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - February 2, 2019
This week's presentation - February 1, 1975
KUNG FU FIGHTING - CARL DOUGLAS (38) - This is a song that has sort of been overdone in recent years, mainly in TV commercials, which dimmed any fascination that I might have had for this song - not that it was one of my favorite songs in the first place. RIDE 'EM COWBOY - PAUL DAVIS (37) - The first Top 40 hit for the late Paul Davis. It was OK, but I preferred his later hits. ANGIE BABY - HELEN REDDY (36) - This was pretty good - not really a cheesefest like most of her Top 40 hits. THE ENTERTAINER - BILLY JOEL (35) - The second song with this title to hit the charts within a year (the other, of course, being Marvin Hamlisch's version of the ragtime classic). This was my favorite of the two - it didn't sound anywhere near as geezerly as the other one. This would be Joel's last chart hit for about two years, but his words in his song ("I won't be here in another year if I don't stay on the charts") definitely did not apply, since he pretty much stayed on the charts for the next two decades (although by the mid-1990s, his hits were pretty much limited to AC radio) JUNIOR'S FARM - PAUL McCARTNEY & WINGS (17) - Wow, for awhile there, it looks like all the droppers would be bunched up near the bottom of the chart, but this one, on the other hand, took a huge drop from way up in the Top 20 (what year does THAT remind you of?) Anyway, it was a pretty good song. The flipside, "Sally G" was played as the second Optional Extra.
40: HAPPY PEOPLE – THE TEMPTATIONS (debut) - This song only lasted a single week on the chart, and, with only two additional Top 40 hits, neither of which hit the Top 20, it was clear that the Temptations were pretty much has-beens (although they were featured on Rod Stewart's throwback to Motown, which went Top Ten in 1991. As for this song, it wasn't bad, but not as good as their older material. 39: DON’T CALL US, WE’LL CALL YOU – SUGARLOAF/JERRY CORBETTA (debut) - The second of two Top Ten hits from this rock band from Denver. It was a good one, but I preferred their first hit, "Green-Eyed Lady". 38: DING DONG, DING DONG – GEORGE HARRISON (debut) - This was obviously a song for the New Year. It was also the first of at least two songs by former Beatles to use the Westminster chime sequence (the other being "Let 'Em In" by Wings, at the beginning). As for the song, it wasn't bad, but a little silly - since it was more or less a novelty song, it only lasted six weeks on the entire Hot 100. 37: ROLL ON DOWN THE HIGHWAY – BACHMAN-TURNER OVERDRIVE (debut) - Wasn't this featured in a commercial a few years ago? Anyway, it's a good song, but not quite as good as "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet". 36: LADY MARMALADE - LaBELLE (debut) - Of this week's five new songs, this, of course, turned out to be the biggest, hitting #1 in late March. A great song, but I actually preferred the remake by Christina Aguilera & friends - definitely the summer hit of 2001! 35: ONLY YOU - RINGO STARR (27) - The week before, "Please Mr. Postman" became the third song to hit #1 twice by different artists, and this song became the third song to perform another impressive chart feat - hitting the Top Ten four times with different versions. The Platters did it first, with the highest charting version, but this one came close, peaking at #6. This was possibly my favorite version of the song. 34: BUNGHOLE IN THE JUNGLE – JETHRO TULL (24) - I liked this song - I'll betcha Beavis did as well 33: YOU’RE THE FIRST, THE LAST, MY EVERYTING – BARRY WHITE (18) - Based on the revolving door of #1 songs, which was still ongoing, it looked like this song would hit #1, but since Elton John took it upon himself to spend an extra week at #1, leaving poor Barry hanging at #2, at which time the song's momentum wore out, but no matter; he'd already had a #1 hit the previous year). 32: BIG YELLOW TAXI – JONI MITCHELL (40) - She had hit the Hot 100 with this song in 1970, but it was the live version that made the Top 40. I liked it, but preferred "Help Me" from the year before. 31: I BELONG TO YOU – LOVE UNLIMITED (34) - Hey wow, two steps above Barry White is a band managed by him. This was the second of two Top 40 hits from the female soul trio. I preferred their other song "Walkin' In The Rain With The One I Love", though this one was pretty good as well. 30: I’M A WOMAN – MARIA MULDAUR (39) - Another act with their second Top 40 hit - in this case, one from from this Big Apple native. As cheesy as "Midnight At The Oasis" was, I actually preferred that one. This one was pretty good, though - sort of depends on my mood at the time. 29: CAN’T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD – THE ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (33) - The first of 20 Top 40 hits from this band formed in Birmingham, England, and one of my favorite songs from them of all time, and I was pleasantly surprised that they played the full album version on this show. The single version definitely leaves a lot to be desired. It doesn't contain the second verse and the synth solo in the middle is cut way down. No, give me the album version any day. 28: MY EYES ADORED YOU – FRANKIE VALLI (32) - This song was on its way to #1, and at the time, it held the record for the longest climb to #1 (hit the top in its 18th week). Of course, that record would be broken many times over. As for the song, it's a good one, but I preferred a few others from him, both solo and with the Four Seasons. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I'VE BEEN THIS WAY BEFORE - NEIL DIAMOND - This song had a somewhat unusual Top 40 chart run - debuted at #34, stayed at that position, and then dropped out. It was a pretty good song. 27: LADY - STYX (31) - The first of many Top 40 hits from this band from Chicago. It was so/so, but definitely not their best. 26: READY – CAT STEVENS (26) - I remember listening to Cat Stevens when I was little. I don't remember this one, presumably since it didn't make much of an impression on me. It wasn't bad, but I preferred other songs from him, like "Moon Shadow" and "Oh Very Young" 25: YOUR BULLDOG DRINKS CHAMPAGNE – JIM STAFFORD (30) - Like most of Stafford's hit, this was a novelty song, which tend to get old fast. It sounded pretty good (much better than the campy "Wildwood Weed"), but I don't think I'd want to hear it on a regular basis. 24: LONELY PEOPLE - AMERICA (29) - Despite their name, they were actually an English band. This song wasn't bad, but one of my least favorites from them. 23: NIGHTINGALE – CAROLE KING (28) - Carole was the artist who, at the time, had the top selling album by a solo artist - a record that has been broken many times over! This was her fifth and final Top Ten hit. I liked it. 22: STRUTTIN’ – BILLY PRESTON (22) - One of several instrumental songs of Preston's to hit the chart. The flip side of this one was his version of "You Are So Beautiful", which Joe Cocker charted with a few weeks later, but Preston was the one who wrote it. As for this song, it was pretty good - the synth sounds were really odd, weren't they? 21: SWEET SURRENDER - JOHN DENVER (25) - As we all know, I grew up listening to his music, and I remember hearing this one quite a lot - a great song indeed! 20: LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS – ELTON JOHN (11) - This is the song that defied the 1974-75 one-week limit at #1, and it's easy to see how - this was a great song - the instruments and Elton's voice made it sound quite majestic! One of my all-time faves from Elton John, who would have a slew of big hits over the next 20 years, and then some! 19: FREE BIRD – LYNYRD SKYNYRD (19) - Definitely a classic rock staple here! Although I'm not a huge fan of them, this one was actually pretty good. Too bad Will To Power had to go and ruin it about 13 years later. 18: LOOK IN MY EYES PRETTY WOMAN – TONY ORLANDO & DAWN (23) - This song would just barely miss the Top Ten, but no matter; their next hit would top the chart for three weeks later that spring. This song was pretty good; it is my favorite of the two hits I mentioned. 17: #9 DREAM – JOHN LENNON (21) - This would eventually live up to its title, climbing to #9, where it peaked. Though I preferred many other solo Lennon hits, this one was pretty good as well - reminds me a little of bandmate George Harrison's #1 hit "My Sweet Lord". 16: BLACK WATER – THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (20) - This song was on its way to becoming their very first #1 hit. Even though I preferred their other #1 hit, this one was a great song nonetheless. 15: ROCK ‘N ROLL (I GAVE YOU THE BEST YEARS OF MY LIFE) – MAC DAVIS (16) - I've heard this song plenty of times on my Barry Scott Lost 45's CD. A great story song it is! OPTIONAL EXTRA: SALLY G - PAUL McCARTNEY & WINGS - As the flipside to this song dropped out this week, this song, which had recently hit the country chart, was debuting on the Hot 100. This wasn't bad, but I preferred the "A" side. 14: ONE MAN WOMAN/ONE WOMAN MAN – PAUL ANKA WITH ODIA COATES (7) - This was their second of four Top 40 hits together. This song was pretty good - the chorus reminds me a little of "Haven't Got Time For The Pain" by Carly Simon, from the previous year. 13: NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE – GLORIA GAYNOR (9) - Great discofied version of the Jackson Five ballad that charted four years prior. The Communards also did a decent dance version of this one in the late 1980s. 12: DOCTOR’S ORDERS – CAROL DOUGLAS (15) - No relation to Mr. Kung Fu Fighter, I don't think. Anyway, this song pretty good, but not quite my favorite song on the chart. 11: GET DANCIN’ – DISCO TEX & THE SEX-O-LETTES (14) - Even though this one was the roof-raising R&B music that I wasn't a fan of, this one actually wasn't too bad. 10: SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL – GRAND FUNK (12) - Ah, the song that got a higher position on the 1975 year-ender than it had really earned. I liked this song, but preferred their next top 40 hit "Bad Time". 9: BEST OF MY LOVE – THE EAGLES (15) - One of a handful of the Eagles' hits to feature Don Henley on lead vocals. It was a pretty good one, but the subject matter was a little depressing. Not a good listen for someone in a dying relationship. 8: MORNING SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN – DONNY & MARIE OSMOND (8) - The second song on which they charted as a duet. I liked it, but my favorite song of theirs was their version of "Deep Purple", from the following year 7: MANDY – BARRY MANILOW (3) - This was the first of many hits for this balladeer, and the first of three #1 hits. I tell you what, I used to like the song, until I heard the urban legend associated with this song. 6: PLEASE MR. POSTMAN – THE CARPENTERS (1) - As stated earlier, this song was the third song to hit #1 in two versions by different artists. I actually preferred this one over the original. 5: PICK UP THE PIECES – THE AVERAGE WHITE BAND (10) - The first and biggest hit by this Scottish group. This was a good one - had a hint of Philly soul in it. 4: YOU’RE NO GOOD – LINDA RONSTADT (6) - She'd had two Top 40 hits a few years earlier, but this was the one that would get her chart career started proper, hitting #1 two weeks later. It was a great one! 3: BOOGIE ON REGGAE WOMAN – STEVIE WONDER (5) - Casey predicted that this song could hit #1 as soon as next week, but the general rule of the revolving door of #1 hits is that the song would have to climb to #2 first, which this song never did. It stayed at #3 for a pair of weeks and then began dropping. OPTIONAL EXTRA: HAVE YOU NEVER BEEN MELLOW - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN - Ah, the winner of the Fox Oldies World Series of Pop Music 2018 back in October! This song would debut on the chart next week and soon after, become her second consecutive #1 song! I liked both songs (the other being "I Honestly Love You") but slightly preferred this one. 2: FIRE – THE OHIO PLAYERS (4) - Now Casey DID correctly predict this going to #1 (as the general rule of said revolving door was also that if you made it to #2, you were virtually assured of hitting #1 the following week). Anyway, I was not a big fan of this song or them in general (though their other #1 hit, "Love Rollercoaster" wasn't bad). 1: LAUGHTER IN THE RAIN – NEIL SEDAKA (2) - Interesting that Sedaka's comeback hit would be a #1 song (though it sure took its sweet time getting there). This has always been one of my favorite songs from Sedaka and so glad that it was #1 the week of my third birthday (though I didn't even know this song back then, as young as I was).
Coming up next week: Well, as yet, we do not know what show is on deck for next week, but I'm hoping for 1979 (would most likely be 2/10, which was last played in 2012). I'll make that my back-up prediction, though - my main one is 2/11/1978, which hasn't been touched since 2008, which was before I began listening to the 1970s version of the show, so that one would be new to me.
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Post by Hervard on Feb 1, 2019 14:00:06 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - February 2, 2019
This week's presentation - February 2, 1980
Droppers: ROTATION - HERB ALPERT (30) - I have an idea or two what our friend freakyflybry has to say about this song, but, since I generally like smooth jazz instrumentals, I think it’s a good one, though I prefer a few others by Alpert. JANE - JEFFERSON STARSHIP (28) - 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. PLEASE DON'T GO - KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND (20) - Well, thank God that this annoying whinefest DID go this week! To think that it was #1 less than a month before!
LW#3: COWARD OF THE COUNTY - KENNY ROGERS LW#2: DO THAT TO ME ONE MORE TIME - THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE LW#1: ROCK WITH YOU - MICHAEL JACKSON 40: SECOND TIME AROUND - SHALAMAR (debut) - The most successful Top 40\ hit from this R&B band formed by Don Cornelius, the producer and host of SOOOOOOUUUUUUUUL TRAAAAAAAAIIIIN. It is also my favorite song from them. 39: LAST TRAIN TO LONDON - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (40) - This song's bass sounds suspiciously like that of Heat Wave's two upbeat songs "Boogie Nights" and "The Groove Line". Not to mention the fact that the end of the chorus reminded me a lot of the Mary Tyler Moore theme. Not a bad song, but I preferred many others from them. 38: WHEN I WANTED YOU - BARRY MANILOW (debut) - We all know that I liked most of his hits and this was definitely one of them, though not quite my favorite song from him. 37: LADIES' NIGHT - KOOL & THE GANG (13) - Wow, people were getting tired of this one fast, with such a drop! Of course, their latest song, "Too Hot" was on its way up the chart, a week away from debuting. That, of course, is the one I prefer. This one's not bad, though. 36: LOST HER IN THE SUN - JOHN STEWART (39) - The third Top 40 hit for the former lead singer of the Kingston Trio. The song wasn't bad, though nowhere near as good as "Gold". 35: YOU KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU - SANTANA (36) - This song was definitely underrated, IMO, as it got only a spot higher on the chart. One of my favorite Santana songs of all time! 34: WONDERLAND - THE COMMODORES (38) - Well, Lionel had apparently gotten over the lady that he lost in the song "Still" and was now wanting to take his new flame to his "Wonderland". I liked this song, but I still preferred many others from them (as well as Lionel Richie solo). 33: COOL CHANGE - LITTLE RIVER BAND (32) - After such a hard, 22-spot fall the week before, this song's parachute seemed to open this week and it was moving down only a single spot. They were really on a roll, scoring 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". ARCHIVES: DANCING QUEEN - ABBA - The last time this show ran, most of the archives were demoted to Optional Extra status. Ironically, the one that they left in was a song that is pretty much obscure while the other two are played regularly on oldies-based AC stations. This way, it's the other way around. More on that later. Anyway, I think we all know that this is one of my favorite songs from Abba of all time. OPTIONAL EXTRA: HIM - RUPERT HOLMES - Two hits in a row from him (Him HIM) about cheating in a relationship - only this time, it's just her instead of both of them. And the only clue he needed was a package of cigarettes, a brand of which he did not smoke. I prefer this song over the Pina Colada song, since the latter is overplayed. 32: VOICES - CHEAP TRICK (33) - For quite awhile, it looked like this was going to be their only chart entry of the 80s, but they came back with a vengeance in the summer of 1988 with their biggest hit ever, the #1 hit “The Flame”. I'm still burned out on that song, due to overplay, but such is not the case with this song, which sounds very "Beatle-esque" - one of my favorite Cheap Trick songs! Quite underrated as well (as this was all the higher the song got; in fact, it fell clean out of the Top 40 the following week). 31: BETTER LOVE NEXT TIME - DR. HOOK (12) - This song may have only got as high as #12, but it placed respectably high on the 1980 year-ender (#53, to be exact). And, I think we all know it's my all-time favorite song from them. 30: DO YOU LOVE WHAT YOU FEEL - RUFUS & CHAKA KHAN (34) - One of about a dozen Top 40 hits for them on which both of their names were credited. This song was pretty much your typical early-80s disco R&B song. It wasn’t really anything special. 29: WORKING MY WAY BACK TO YOU - THE SPINNERS (37) - This one just missed hitting #1 - the song at the top was just too strong for it. Anyway, this is a great song - much better than the original by the Four Seasons, in which Frankie Valli sounds like he's trying to force out a stubborn turd. 28: FOREVER MINE - THE OJ'S (29) - This was pretty much your typical old school R&B slow jam. It was a good one. 27: WHY ME - STYX (27) - This follow-up to their #1 hit "Babe" certainly came nowhere near to matching the success of that song, did it? Despite its decent debut in the Top 40, this song only got as high as #26. This was a pretty good song, but I prefer many other songs from them, including said #1 song. 26: WAIT FOR ME - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (18) - 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. 25: SEPTEMBER MORN - NEIL DIAMOND (31) - This one always reminds me of that hilarious Family Feud that was on about this time back in 1980. Anyway, this is a pretty good song, but not quite my favorite song from Diamond. 24: FOOL IN THE RAIN - LED ZEPPELIN (26) - Generally an album rock act, they managed to have a few pop singles, including this one, which was their last Top 40 hit before disbanding later in 1980. 23: THIRD TIME LUCKY - FOGHAT (23) - I was never a huge fan of them, but this one was actually a great one! 22: DESIRE - ANDY GIBB (debut) - This was his comeback hit after a year away from the charts. And, with such an impressive debut, it looked as though he might become as big as ever, but, though the song did quite well, peaking at #4, it was his final Top Ten hit. It was a good song, but it didn't hold a candle to "I Just Want To Be Your Everything". ARCHIVES: DON'T GIVE UP ON US - DAVID SOUL - This was the only song that remained in the countdown when it first ran back in 2008, but this week, it's been moved to Optional Extra status. The song is OK, but a little cheesy. 21: AN AMERICAN DREAM - THE DIRT BAND f/LINDA RONSTADT (24) - I don't care if Linda did not receive label credit, as she should have, since her voice was clearly heard on this song - my favorite of the Dirt Band's two 1980 hits. 20: DAYDREAM BELIEVER - ANNE MURRAY (22) - This was one of my favorite songs by the Monkees and I actually preferred Murray's cover over that one, so that shows how much I liked it! Indeed, 1978-1980 was Murray's best era, IMO! 19: ROMEO'S THEME - STEVE FORBERT (21) - One of a handful of one-hit wonders that charted during 1980. It may have been the only Top 40 hit for this man, but what a great song it was! 18: DON'T LET GO - ISAAC HAYES (19) - Wow, what a heart-breaking story about him filing for bankruptcy and having to watch them auction off everything he owned. But several years later, he was back, though this turned out to be his final Top 40 hit. 17: LONGER - DAN FOGELBERG f/JERRY HEY (25) - Of course, Hey was the one who does the majestic sounding flugelhorn solo in the bridge, and that was definitely instrumental (no pun intended) in making this one of Fogelberg's best songs ever! 16: ON THE RADIO - DONNA SUMMER (35) - Wow, what a huge leap! Wasn't the number one song that I'm sure most people expected, though. It did peak at #5, however, which was still great. I liked this song a lot - definitely one of her best! 15: DEJA VU - DIONNE WARWICK (17) - 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. 14: SEND ONE YOUR LOVE - STEVIE WONDER (6) - The first of two hits from Wonder's album Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants, and the only one to make the Top 40 (I guess he mainly concentrated on album sales instead of singles for this one). I liked this song a lot - has sort of a hypnotic effect to it. LDD: I WRITE THE SONGS - BARRY MANILOW - Wow! Imagine being raised without music! Glad that the author's friend helped to make up for lost time by playing many records for him! As for the song, well, it was one of my least favorite songs by Barry Manilow. Not sure why, though. My favorite by him would probably be "Read 'Em And Weep", which we got to hear on last week's 1984 show. 13: WE DON'T TALK ANYMORE - CLIFF RICHARD (7) - 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. ARCHIVES: DON'T LEAVE ME THIS WAY - THELMA HOUSTON - A disco classic here. Is it me or did they play a longer version of this song than usual? Well, whatever the case, I like this song, but I prefer the Communards remake of the song, which came out exactly ten years later. OPTIONAL EXTRA: ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL (PART II) - PINK FLOYD - Like Led Zeppelin, they were mainly an AOR act, they managed to have a few pop singles, including this one, which, of course, was the biggest of them all. I like this song, but it's definitely not one of my favorites. 12: THIS IS IT - KENNY LOGGINS (15) - This one indeed got a lot of mileage for a song that didn't even hit the Top Ten, spending sixteen weeks in the Top 40. Heck; later in the 1980s, most of the #1 songs weren't able to log that many weeks on the chart. It was a good song, but not quite my favorite from him. 11: I WANT TO BE YOUR LOVER - PRINCE (11) - Prince's chart 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. 10: DON'T DO ME LIKE THAT - TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (14) - Like Prince, Tom Petty was definitely an act of the 80s (and early 90s), as up to this point, their only other 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). 9: YES, I'M READY - TERI DESARIO w/KC (16) - A guilty pleasure, as some people I know hated this one. I liked it - much better than his whinefest that started off the year at #1. Did I mention that I'm glad that song went poof this week? 8: THE LONG RUN - THE EAGLES (9) - With its early action on the Hot 100 (a debut at #33 and a huge jump the following week), it looked like they would chalk up another #1 hit - and, on the R&R, this actually did make it to the top (two weeks before), but it peaked here at #8 on the Hot 100 (which is still good). I preferred this song over "Heartache Tonight", but my favorite song from the Long Run album is the LP cut "The Sad Cafe". 7: SARA - FLEETWOOD MAC (10) - This was actually the song that unseated "The Long Run" from top of the R&R chart (this week, no less), but since Tusk was such a big album, and the first new album from them in two years, most fans were buying the album, and the singles did not sell quite as well. As I've said before, this was by far my favorite song from Tusk, as well as one of my favorite Fleetwood Mac songs of all time. 6: ESCAPE (THE PINA COLADA SONG) - RUPERT HOLMES (4) - One of two of his two Top Ten hits. Of course, I preferred the other one, but this one wasn't too bad. Has sort of a cheese factor, but it's not as bad as the other pina colada song from the guy in the hat. 5: CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE - QUEEN (8) - Queen showed their rockabilly side with this song. It was a good song - easily my favorite of their two #1 songs in 1980! 4: CRUISIN' - SMOKEY ROBINSON (5) - This one sounds very dated, even for 1980, but not bad. Still, I preferred the Huey Lewis/Gwyneth Paltrow cover from 2000. 3: COWARD OF THE COUNTY - KENNY ROGERS (3) - Ah, the story about Tommy (aka "Yellow") putting the Gatlin Boys in their place. A great song indeed, but I still prefer many others from him. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SEXY EYES - DR. HOOK - This song wouldn't debut until a few weeks later, but they played it in remembrance of lead singer Ray Sawyer, who died on New Year's Eve. It was a good song, but of course, I preferred their song in the countdown this week. 2: DO THAT TO ME ONE MORE TIME - THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE (2) - And here's another artist we recently lost - Darryl Dragon, aka "The Captain", which Larry mentioned at the end of the outro to the Dr. Hook song. Anyway, as we all know, this is my all-time favorite from them. Though it spent but a single week at #1, its longevity in the Top Ten, Top 40, and the Hot 100 helped to place it at #3 on the year-end chart, and deservedly so! 1: ROCK WITH YOU - MICHAEL JACKSON (1) - This song also placed respectably high in the year-ender - #4 to be exact. It's another song that overplay hasn't tarnished at all - in fact, I like it better than I did back in the day. This is my second favorite song from Off The Wall behind "She's Out Of My Life".
Coming up next week: Looks like a standalone show next week, from February 9, 1985 - last played in 2011.
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Post by Hervard on Feb 1, 2019 14:01:27 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - February 2, 2019
This week's presentation - February 1, 1986
40: EVERYBODY DANCE - TA MARA & THE SEEN (35) - Typical mid-80s dance music, but I actually rather like this one. 39: DAY BY DAY - THE HOOTERS (debut) - They were more or less a flash in the pan, with three Top 40 hits. This one was pretty good, though I slightly preferred "And We Danced". 38: RUSSIANS - STING (debut) - This song is based on a classical music piece, but I can't remember off the top of my head which one. Anyway, I liked this song - very haunting. 37: THESE DREAMS - HEART (debut) - A high point for our friend JessieLou! Oddly enough, while Ann Wilson had generally sung lead, Nancy was given a turn at the lead vocals and this one went all the way to the top (they would have another #1 hit, and that would be with Ann singing lead). Anyway, this was a great song - one of my favorite songs from them (as is their other #1 hit "Alone"). 36: HE'LL NEVER LOVE YOU (LIKE I DO) - FREDDIE JACKSON (39) - After two slow songs, he went with a mid-tempo song as his third Top 40 hit. I liked this, as well as his first two, about the same. 35: KING FOR A DAY - THE THOMPSON TWINS (40) - As we all know, I wasn't a huge fan of "Lay Your Hands On Me", but their second from Heres To Future Days was a good one. Still, I preferred a few others from them. 34: YOU'RE A FRIEND OF MINE - CLARENCE CLEMONS & JACKSON BROWNE (24) - One of two friendship anthems on this week's chart - the other one is coming up much later. This definitely has the typical E Street Band sound, with Clarence's saxophone. It's a good song indeed. 33: DIGITAL DISPLAY - READY FOR THE WORLD (37) - This song was apparently a huge seller, as it peaked at #21 on the Hot 100, but didn't quite make the R&R chart. I preferred this one over the overplayed "Oh Sheila", but it wasn't quite as good as "Love You Down", which would chart a year later. 32: FACE THE FACE - PETE TOWNSEND (27) - This former member of The Who, whom disbanded in 1983, had two solo Top 40 hits. His first one, "Let My Love Open The Door", was a Top Ten hit in 1980. This one didn't quite match the success of that one, peaking at #26 two weeks before. I liked this one, but preferred the other solo hit. 31: SECRET LOVERS - ATLANTIC STARR (38) - A song about two people bored with their spouses, so they sneak around to be together. Sounds like a typical situation for the Jerry Springer show. Anyway, it's a good song nevertheless. LDD: BREAK MY STRIDE - MATTHEW WILDER - I wasn't a big fan of this song back in the day, but now I like it. It fit the dedication well, too. 30: EVERYTHING IN MY HEART- COREY HART (31) - This song reminded me a lot of "Never Surrender". I preferred that song slightly, but this is a great one as well - definitely deserved a higher peak than #30, IMO. 29: TONIGHT SHE COMES - THE CARS (15) - Meh, I never was a fan of this song. Not sure how the song would be received today, given the title. 28: THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON TV - A-HA (32) - Often referred to as a one-hit wonder, this Norwegian band actually did have a follow-up. I preferred "Take On Me", but this was a good one as well. 27: TARZAN BOY - BALTIMORA (34) - This song charted twice - once in 1986 and again in 1993, thanks to its inclusion in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III movie (and it was also used in promos for Listerine Cool Mint mouthwash around that time. It was a good song. 26: IT'S ONLY LOVE - BRYAN ADAMS AND TINA TURNER (18) - Bryan Adams had six Top 40 hits from the Reckless album and, for the final one, he teamed up with a singer he'd admired as a teenager. I figured that, with such a team, the song would be a Top Ten hit, but this was all the higher it got (since Reckless had been out for a year, most fans had the album, which usually resulted in low singles sales for the last few hits). 25: SMALL TOWN - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (14) - One of many Top Ten singles for this Hoosier, though not one of my favorites from him. It is passable, though. 24: SILENT RUNNING - MIKE & THE MECHANICS (30) - This was their first Top 40 single, but such was not the case with the lead singer Paul Carrack, who had charted as the lead singer of groups like Ace and as a solo artist as well. I liked this song, but preferred their next two singles, both of which charted later in 1986. 23: SARA - STARSHIP (29) - It's good to hear this song every now and again, but back in the spring of 1986, this song was way overplayed and I, along with my Dad and older brother, was sick of hearing it no less than once every hour, or so it seemed. 22: A LOVE BIZARRE - SHEILA E. (26) - I'm not generally a huge fan of hers, though I did like her underrated "The Belle Of St. Mark", from late 1984. 21: ALIVE & KICKING - SIMPLE MINDS (12) - I preferred this song over the overplayed "Don't You (Forget About Me)", but the follow-up to this, "Sanctify Yourself" was my favorite song in the world for quite awhile the following spring. This was a good song, too IMO. Given how big a hit it was, I'm surprised it doesn't get much in the way of recurrent airplay. 20: LIFE IN A NORTHERN TOWN - THE DREAM ACADEMY (25) - This song indeed had a northern town feel to it, especially with the wind sound effects. Indeed, my favorite of their two Top 40 hits. 19: PARTY ALL THE TIME - EDDIE MURPHY (9) - Not a bad song, but Murphy was much better as a comedian, IMO. 18: SIDEWALK TALK - JELLYBEAN (20) - This one wasn't quite my cup of tea. I preferred Jellybean's other Top 40 hit featuring Elisa Fiorello on the vocals, "Who Found Who". 17: GOODBYE - NIGHT RANGER (19) - I often say that "Sister Christian" is my favorite Night Ranger song, but I always forget how much I liked their 7 Wishes singles. This was my favorite of those (in fact, it was #1 on my Personal Top 30 for many weeks). Too bad it didn't get any higher than #17 on the Hot 100, but that's better than missing the Top 40 completely. 16: THE SWEETEST TABOO - SADE (22) - Their second and final Top Ten hit, though they would chart a few more times. Of their Top Ten hits, I preferred "Smooth Operator", but this one was pretty good as well. 15: LIVING IN AMERICA - JAMES BROWN (23) - Brown's first Top 40 hit in over a decade, and the following week, this song would set a record of longest span between Top Ten hits (The record has since been broken, possibly by Paul McCartney, who is coming up later in the countdown). Anyway, this song was so/so, but I was never a huge James Brown fan. 14: I MISS YOU - KLYMAXX (8) - This song definitely got a lot of chart mileage - so much that it ranked on the year-end Top 100 higher than it peaked on the weekly charts. It's a great song, though I preferred their other two Top 40 hits. 13: KYRIE - MR. MISTER (21) - Their second number one song in a row - and, just like that song, it spent two weeks at #1. That said, it definitely looked like Mr. Mister would become one of the biggest new acts of the 1980s. Unfortunately, that was not to be; after another Top Ten hit in June and a mid-charter a year later, they would never hit the chart again. Anyway, I thought this song was pretty good, but I preferred their first #1 "Broken Wings". 12: CONGA - MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (16) - Their debut hit became their first Top Ten (despite its initially slow climb). It was OK, but I preferred many other songs from both MSM and Gloria Estefan as a solo artist. 11: HOW WILL I KNOW - WHITNEY HOUSTON (17) - Whitney had a great 1985, with two Top Five hits (including a #1) and was off to a good start for 1986, moving steadily up the chart with a song that was on its way to becoming her second #1 song. It was an OK song, but I preferred her next hit, which would also hit #1. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WHAT YOU NEED - INXS - This was their first Top Ten hit, but the best was yet to come in 1988. One of those songs, "New Sensation" reminded me a lot of this one. Both are good songs. 10: GO HOME - STEVIE WONDER (13) - Wonder had been hitting the charts since the early sixties and, with two Top Ten hits from In Square Circle, it looked like he was far from over but, unfortunately, this was his final Top Ten hits, and he had three more singles after that. I liked this song, but preferred his next hit "Overjoyed". 9: WALK OF LIFE - DIRE STRAITS (7) - They had been a one hit wonder until the previous summer when they charted with their biggest hit "Money For Nothing". This was their third hit and, like the first two, it was a Top Ten hit. It was a good song, IMO. 8: SPIES LIKE US - PAUL McCARTNEY (10) - Paul went for almost 30 years without having a Top Ten hit. This was the final one before the drought. He would return in early 2015 as a featured singer on Kanye West's "FourFiveSeconds". I believe that might be the record, but I'm not totally sure. As for this song, the theme to the movie of the same title, it wasn't bad, but I preferred other songs from him, solo and with the Beatles and Wings. 7: WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH - BILLY OCEAN (11) - Another movie hit on this week's countdown. The theme from the Michael Douglas film Jewel Of The Nile, this was my favorite Billy Ocean song back during its chart run, but I've since heard many other songs that I prefer, most of them ballads. It's still a good song, though. 6: MY HOMETOWN - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (6) - The seventh and final song from Born In The USA album - and all seven songs reached the Top Ten, tying the record with Michael Jackson's Thriller as the album that spawned the most Top Ten hits. This was possibly my favorite song from the album, though "I'm On Fire" and "Glory Days" were very close behind. 5: SAY YOU, SAY ME - LIONEL RICHIE (2) - Yet another movie song - from the White Nights soundtrack, which yielded two number one hits. The song was pretty good, but definitely not one of my favorite songs from him. LDD: MISSING YOU - JOHN WAITE - I was never a big fan of this song. Still, it was appropriate for the dedication. 4: TALK TO ME - STEVIE NICKS (4) - One of her most successful solo hits. I liked this song, but preferred her next release "I Can't Wait". OPTIONAL EXTRA: R.O.C.K. IN THE U.S.A. - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP - This was his biggest hit during the eight or so years that he used both of his surnames (his real one and the one that he was assigned as his stage name), peaking at #2. This was my favorite song from him back in the day, but, while I still like it, somehow, it doesn't sound quite as good as it did 33 years ago). 3: I'M YOUR MAN - WHAM (5) - As this song was reaching its peak of #3 this week, little did we know that Wham! would be splitting up. No matter; lead singer George Michael would go on to have an even more successful solo career. As for this song, it's a good one, but I prefer others from Wham! as well as George Michael solo. 2: BURNING HEART - SURVIVOR (3) - This song had an unusually long run on the R&R chart - it was the first song since the fall of 1984 to spend more than fifteen weeks on the chart. It spent 16 weeks on both R&R and AT40. Of their Rocky soundtrack hits, it would be my favorite. 1: THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR - DIONNE & FRIENDS (1) - Dionne seemed to only be able to hit #1 as part of a collaboration and never on her own. Her first #1 song was her song with the Spinners, "Then Came You" in the fall of 1974. More than a decade later, with help from her friends Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight & Elton John, she hit #1 again with her biggest hit ever, as this was its third of four weeks on top. In fact, as we all know, this song came out on top for all of 1986, and deservedly so, as this was a great song!
Coming up next week: See end note for above 1980 show.
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Post by mga707 on Feb 1, 2019 14:17:56 GMT -5
Hervard, that is one INTENSE color you picked for 1980. It's practically vibrating on my computer screen!
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Post by Hervard on Feb 1, 2019 17:50:01 GMT -5
Hervard, that is one INTENSE color you picked for 1980. It's practically vibrating on my computer screen! Thanks. I'll be using four different shades of pink/red for February (in honor of Valentine's Day), just like I used different shades of blue (to represent cold weather) during January.
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Post by pb on Feb 3, 2019 15:09:19 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - February 2, 2019 This week's presentation - February 2, 1980 OPTIONAL EXTRA: HIM - RUPERT HOLMES - Two hits in a row from him (Him HIM) about cheating in a relationship - only this time, it's just her instead of both of them. And the only clue he needed was a package of cigarettes, a brand of which he did not smoke. I prefer this song over the Pina Colada song, since the latter is overplayed. I listened to the album once that had "Escape" and "Him" and I remember most of the other songs were also about cheating.
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