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Post by mrjukebox on Apr 1, 2019 16:23:25 GMT -5
Because of the movie,"Bohemian Rhapsody" made the top forty for a third time-It peaked at #33.
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Post by mga707 on Apr 1, 2019 22:07:40 GMT -5
LOVE IS THE DRUG - ROXY MUSIC (30) - The only Top 40 hit for this English art-rock band. They did have a song that somewhat returned from obscurity when 10,000 Maniacs covered it in 1997. I preferred that one, though this one wasn't bad either. I wasn't sure which song you had in mind, but looked it up and realized it was 10,000 Maniacs who did that female-sung version of "More Than This" I hear sometimes. I remember "More Than This" from early MTV, and Bill Murray's karaoke scene in Lost in Translation. "More Than This" is one of the best songs ever written, IMO. I would probably even not mind the 10,000 Maniacs version, although I really don't like them as a rule. And that is just one of many great scenes in "Lost In Translation". Those of us who enjoy that film also remember a scene with a certain song (can't say the title here) by Peaches...
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Post by mrjukebox on Apr 2, 2019 16:26:05 GMT -5
In the spring of 1984,Julio Iglesias was a guest on "The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson"-Iglesias & Carson who was dressed up as Willie Nelson performed "To All The Girls I've Loved Before"-It was hysterical!
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Post by Hervard on Apr 3, 2019 13:04:59 GMT -5
In the spring of 1984,Julio Iglesias was a guest on "The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson"-Iglesias & Carson who was dressed up as Willie Nelson performed "To All The Girls I've Loved Before"-It was hysterical! www.youtube.com/watch?v=l61kKhbAHeo
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Post by pb on Apr 3, 2019 18:59:58 GMT -5
1: ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL – PINK FLOYD (3) - This was the song that shut the Spinners out of the top spot. Generally an album rock act, they managed to have a few pop singles, including the biggest of them all. I like this song, but it's definitely not my favorite song on the chart. It also arguably blocked Dan Fogelberg, who spent a second week at #2 while Queen and Pink Floyd swapped places around him, before falling out of the top ten the next week. "Longer" did become the first of four AC #1s for him.
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Post by Hervard on Apr 5, 2019 12:20:43 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - April 6, 2019
This week's presentation - April 12, 1975
Droppers: I AM LOVE - THE JACKSON 5 (33) - Normally, I don't like their mid-70s hits, but this song's saving grace was the maudlin, schmaltzy part 1 (did AT40 ever play that one, BTW?) SAD SWEET DREAMER - SWEET SENSATION (30) - Of course, this was not the same vocal group who charted in 1989/90 with a handful of hits. This was their only Top 40 hit. It was OK, but nothing special. BUTTER BOY - FANNY (29) - I wonder if this song was banned in England, given the fact that the band's name is British vulgar slang for a certain body part (not the rear-end, either!) As for the song, it wasn't bad, but nothing special.
40: WHO’S SORRY NOW – MARIE OSMOND (40) - This was the first time I've heard this song that I know of. Somehow, when this show was broadcast two years ago, I missed it (there is quite dearth of critiques in April, 1975) - I seem to recall it was sort of a busy weekend, and since 1975 was a take it or leave it year, I decided to skip it then. Moreover, this song was only on the chart for two weeks and, since the week before was a special (the Disappearing Acts show), this was the only show this song was on. It was a pretty good rendition of the Connie Francis classic - I slightly preferred the original, though). 39: DON’T CALL US, WE’LL CALL YOU - SUGARLOAF (21) - 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: AUTOBAHN - KRAFTWERK (debut) - The sole Top 40 hit for this German synthesizer band. It was a very interesting sounding song, I must say. 37: LIVING A LITTLE, LAUGHING A LITTLE – THE SPINNERS (37) - Another song that was on the chart for the same two weeks as the Marie Osmond song back at #40, so this was the first time that I remember hearing it. It was a good song, though I prefer a few others from them. 36: AMIE – PURE PRAIRIE LEAGUE (debut) - Hard to believe that this song only got as high as #27 (and spent but three weeks in the Top 40), considering all the recurrent airplay it receives. It was a good song, though I slightly preferred their 1980 Top Ten hit "Let Me Love You Tonight". 35: SHAME, SHAME, SHAME – SHIRLEY & COMPANY (24) - Meh, this one wasn't bad, but quite repseveral one-hit wonders on this week's chart. 34: ONLY YESTERDAY – THE CARPENTERS (debut) - They had hit #1 earlier in the year with their second chart topper, a cover of the Marvelette's classic "Please Mr. Postman", and looked like they might have another one, but this one didn't quite make it. It did peak at #4, which is great also. Anyway, of their three 1975 hits, this one was my favorite by a fair margin. 33: THANK GOD I’M A COUNTRY BOY – JOHN DENVER (39) - This song had a somewhat slow start, but it was indeed on its way to the top! No surprise there, however, as Denver was all over the charts in 1975! This was one of two #1 songs he had that year. It was a great one; very lively and fun! 32: SHOESHINE BOY – EDDIE KENDRICKS (34) - Though not as successful as his former band the Temptations, he did have a decent solo career. This was a pretty good song, though nothing exceptional. 31: TANGLED UP IN BLUE – BOB DYLAN (31) - Casey mentioned that even though this song held at #31 for a second week, that meant that most fans bought his albums than his singles, which is indeed a good sign! As for the song, it was OK, but I was never a huge Bob Dylan fan. 30: STAND BY ME – JOHN LENNON (36) - One of several Top 40 covers of the Ben E. King classic. Besides this and the original, Spyder Turner charted with it in 1967, and Mickey Gilley's version from the Urban Cowboy soundtrack hit in 1980 (which would be my favorite of the bunch). This one was also pretty good IMO. 29: HOW LONG - ACE (35) - The first of three bands to hit the Top 40 with Paul Carrack on lead vocals (well, technically, it would be two, as he had left Squeeze by the time they had their first Top 40 hit). Anyway, this was Ace's only big hit, but what a great one it was - one of my favorite songs involving Mr. Carrack! 28: I DON’T LIKE TO SLEEP ALONE – PAUL ANKA (38) - Most of his mid-70s hits tend to be on the cheesy side. This one is no exception, but it's still a good song nonetheless. OPTIONAL EXTRA: PINBALL WIZARD - ELTON JOHN - This song never made the Hot 100, due to never having been released as a single, but it did hit the R&R chart, peaking at #9. I thought it was a good song. 27: MY EYES ADORED YOU – FRANKIE VALLI (10) - This was his first solo hit to make the Top 40, as all his other appearances on the chart were as lead singer of the Four Seasons, whom themselves would make a comeback later on in 1975 with the #3 song "Who Loves You". As for the song, it's a good one, but I preferred a few others from him, both solo and with the Four Seasons. 26: KILLER QUEEN - QUEEN (32) - This was their breakthrough smash. It didn't quite hit the Top Ten, but it came close. 10cc's 1977 hit "The Things We Do For Love" reminds me a lot of this song. Both are great songs, IMO. 25: THE BERTHA BUTT BOOGIE PART 1 – THE JIMMY CASTOR BUNCH (25) - He/they generally did novelty songs (as all four that made the Hot 100 were all classified as such). This song was OK, but a little goofy. 24: IT’S A MIRACLE – BARRY MANILOW (28) - For the longest time, I thought "Copacabana" was Manilow's first upbeat song. I had no idea that he had any of those from so early in his career but, in fact, he upped the tempo for his second hit - presumably to show everyone that he could rock out just as well as he could chill out. Of course, he generally went with slow songs. Anyway, I think it goes without saying that I do not remember this song from its chart run. It was a good one (has a little Motown flavor to it), but my favorite of his 1975 hits was his next release, "Could It Be Magic". 23: HE DON’T LOVE YOU (LIKE I LOVE YOU) – TONY ORLANDO & DAWN (27) - So far, this song was having an average chart run, but it would break wide open the following week, catapulting to #5! The song hit #1 two weeks after that and stayed there for three weeks - one of the longest running #1 songs of 1975. The song was not bad, but definitely not their best. 22: SATIN SOUL – THE LOVE UNLIMITED ORCHESTRA (22) - The first of two hits on this week's chart that Barry White was involved with. He was the leader of this band, who was peaking with this instrumental (his solo hit is coming up later in the Top Ten). This one was pretty good - was my favorite of the two by a thin margin. 21: JACKIE BLUE – OZARK MOUNTAIN DAREDEVILS (26) - This group from Springville, MO had charted the previous spring with the #25 hit "If You Wanna Get To Heaven" and returned a year later with a song that fared quite a lot better, peaking at #3. Of their two Top 40 hits, this is by far my favorite - a great one that I remember quite well (it was played as a recurrent for several years after it charted). 20: LONG TALL GLASSES (I CAN DANCE) – LEO SAYER (23) - This was his first of a handful of chart hits. It did well, peaking at #9, and the best was yet to come - two years later, he'd have two #1 hits as well as a Top 20. This song was pretty good, but I preferred a few others from him, including two of said 1977 hits. 19: HAVE YOU NEVER BEEN MELLOW – OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (9) - Ah, the winner of the Fox Oldies World Series of Pop Music 2018 back in October! This song had recently become her second consecutive #1 song! I liked both songs (the other being "I Honestly Love You") but slightly preferred this one. 18: YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL – JOE C0CKER (5) - Meh, you are so boring is more like it. Next song, please... 17: SHINING STAR – EARTH, WIND & FIRE (20) - This song was on its way to becoming their very first and only #1 hit. A great song indeed, though I preferred "That's The Way Of The World", from the same year, meaning that 1975 was definitely one of their best years, IMO. 16: L-O-V-E (LOVE) – AL GREEN (19) - Al Green had quite a few chart hits during the early 1970s, including his hit before this one, "Sha La La (Makes Me Happy", which hit the Top Ten in 1974. This would be his final Top 20 hit until his comeback in late 1988, when he charted with his duet with Annie Lennox, "Put A Little Love In Your Heart". This song was pretty good, though I'm not generally a huge fan of his. 15: WALKING IN RHYTHM – THE BLACKBYRDS (18) - This was one of two songs for this soul group founded by Donald Byrd. I vaguely remember the other one, "Happy Music", but I seem to remember that I preferred this one. 14: BEFORE THE NEXT TEARDROP FALLS – FREDDY FENDER (17) - Meh, not one of the best hits of the year at all. It's hard to believe that this song made it to #1, as dated as it sounds, even for 1975. OPTIONAL EXTRA: CUT THE CAKE - AVERAGE WHITE BAND - This band either hit the Top Ten or missed the Top 30 entirely with their five hits. This was one of their two Top Ten hits - it's pretty much "Pick Up The Pieces" with lyrics. 13: HARRY TRUMAN - CHICAGO (13) - This one was more or less a novelty song (sort of an unusual music style for Chicago), which would explain its fast-rise, fast-fall chart run. This was written by band member Robert Lamm shortly after the resignation of President Nixon the year before. 12: SUPERNATURAL THING PART 1 – BEN E. KING (16) - One of only two AT40 era songs that King had. This was so/so, but I preferred the other one. 11: EMMA – HOT CHOCOLATE (15) - Though I'm not a huge Hot Chocolate fan, I actually thought this one was really good. 10: ONCE YOU GET STARTED - RUFUS & CHAKA KHAN (11) - Not generally a big fan of Rufus - pretty much the only song I like from them is "Ain't Nobody". I preferred a few other songs from Chaka Khan as a solo artist. 9: WHAT AM I GONNA DO WITH YOU – BARRY WHITE (14) - This is that solo Barry White song that I mentioned earlier. Like Rufus, Barry is another R&B singer that I was never a huge fan of. This song was not bad, but it sounded quite a lot like his 1974 #1 "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe". 8: CHEVY VAN – SAMMY JOHNS (12) - He may have had only one big hit, but what a song it was! One of my favorite songs of the entire year! Glad that they played the song intact, as they sometime edited it - which was sort of pointless, as it's a rather short song in the first place (clocks in at a little less than three minutes). With the second verse and chorus cut, its playing time wouldn't be much more than two minutes, if that. 7: LADY MARMALADE - LABELLE (7) - After a hefty fall from #1 the week before, this song managed to hold in place this week. That certainly didn't happen very often, did it? As for the song, it was a great one, but I actually preferred the remake by Christina Aguilera & friends - definitely the summer hit of 2001! 6: (HEY WON’T YOU PLAY) ANOTHER SOMEBODY DONE SOMEBODY WRONG SONG – B.J. THOMAS (6) - One of two #1 songs for Mr. Thomas. It's pretty good, but I preferred the other one, which topped the chart five years before. My favorite song by him of all time would be "Hooked On A Feeling". 5: POETRY MAN – PHOEBE SNOW (6) - Casey totally jinxed this song! He said that it had been moving up a step at a time and that, in four more weeks, it should be number one. Well, this was all the higher the song got - it dropped to #25 the following week and then out of the Top 40 the week after! What a bummer! Well, anyway, this was her only solo Top 40 hit (she did chart again in a duet with Paul Simon later on that year, and had a few AC-only hits). I like the hypnotic effect of this song. This and "If I Can Just Get Through The Night" (one of said AC-only hits) are in an arm-wrestling match for my favorite song from her. 4: EXPRESS – B.T. EXPRESS (4) - Is it me, or does this song sound like "Pick Up The Pieces" by AWB? It was pretty good, IMO. 3: NO NO SONG/SNOOKEROO – RINGO STARR (3) - Casey mentioned both titles in both the intro and the outro to this song, implying that he was going to play them both, but he only went with the first one. That's OK, though, since I prefer that song (though the B-side was good as well). OPTIONAL EXTRA: SNOOKEROO - Wait - my mistake - they actually DID play this song (as the extra in this rebroadcast - they still only played "No No Song" in the original show). Anyway, see my comment above for more details. 2: LOVIN’ YOU – MINNIE RIPERTON (1) - EWWW, GET IT AWAY FROM ME!!! Well, OK, maybe it's not that bad, but it's just so CHEESY!! 1: PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM – ELTON JOHN (2) - Here is the song that put an end to the twelve-week revolving door of one-week #1 hits (a record that, to my best of knowledge, still stands today), by spending two weeks on top - just like his last song, whose second week at #1 was the week before said revolving door began. This song also put Elton John in a tie for first place with the Jackson 5 for the artist with the most #1 hits during the 70s. Of course, Elton would end up having #1 all to himself later that year when he hit #1 with "Island Girl". Anyway, this song was OK, but it was quite overplayed (and still pops up regularly on oldies stations). I preferred many other hits from him, including many of his 1975 chart hits.
Coming up next week: A "brand-new" show, from April 16, 1977!
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Post by Hervard on Apr 5, 2019 12:22:12 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - April 6, 2019
This week's presentation - April 9, 1983
LW#1: BILLIE JEAN – MICHAEL JACKSON 40: RIO – DURAN DURAN (debut) - This, of course, was the title cut from this English band's first big album here in the States. While it's true that this was my favorite Duran Duran song for several years, I somehow got tired of it. I still like it, though. 39: I DON’T CARE ANYMORE – PHIL COLLINS (39) - Phil's first hit from Hello, I Must Be Going, peaked at #10, but the second one stalled out here at #39 for three weeks. This one sounds a little like an African rain dance. It was OK, but I preferred many others from him. 38: SOME KIND OF FRIEND – BARRY MANILOW (debut) - Manilow seemed to be picking up the tempo at this point in his career - in a one-year period, three of four songs he charted with in a period between spring, 1982 and spring, 1983 were upbeat songs. This one was a good one. 37: STRAY CAT STRUT – THE STRAY CATS (22) - This was the second Top Ten hit for this rockabilly trio headed up by Brian Setzer, following "Rock This Town", which peaked at #9. This one did significantly better, hitting #3 a few weeks before. This was my second favorite song from them, behind "I Won't Stand In Your Way", which charted at the end of that year. 36: MAKE LOVE STAY – DAN FOGELBERG (29) - This song always reminded me of his 1981 Top Five hit "Hard To Say". It was a great song, IMO, like most of his songs. 35: BREAKING US IN TWO – JOE JACKSON (23) - The verses of this song sound a little like "Day After Day" by Badfinger. This was a cool song, possibly my favorite by him (although it’s a close race between this and “Is She Really Goin’ Out With Him”). 34: WHIRLY GIRL – OXO (36) - This was the only Top 40 hit by this Florida quartet, but what a song it was! It's one of those songs that makes you want to just get up and dance! Too bad this didn't get any higher than #28. 33: WELCOME TO HEARTLIGHT – KENNY LOGGINS (40) - This song was part of a somewhat funny LDD situation in late 1984. Someone who learned the hard life of working on a farm requested this song as "Welcome To Hard Life". I rather liked this song, though it was far from being my favorite from Loggins. I preferred the other two High Adventure singles. 32: IT MIGHT BE YOU – STEPHEN BISHOP (38) - Here's a song that spent an unusually long time on the Hot 100 for a song that only got as high as #25 - 20 weeks. I don't think it was promoted at Top 40 radio, though I certainly don't know why, as it was the theme from a blockbuster movie. Despite its , it definitely did well at AC radio, however, where it was gearing up to hit #1 the following week. 31: I LIKE IT - DeBARGE (34) - The debut hit for this family band, and it didn't do too bad, peaking at #31 two weeks before. Their next two songs hit the Top 20, but their best year was clearly 1985 when they had two Top Ten hits. The song was pretty good, though I prefer most of their other slow songs like “Time Will Reveal” and “Who’s Holding Donna Now”. OPTIONAL EXTRA: MY LOVE - LIONEL RICHIE - This song, reminiscent of Lionel's hit with the Commodores, "Easy", was a good song, though I preferred the first two hits from his debut solo album. 30: LIES – THE THOMPSON TWINS (30) - Wow, lots of debut hits in this area of the chart - in this case, an English band who were actually a trio despite their name (I seem to remember a story about how that caused a few problems with booking shows). As for the song, it was good, but my favorite song from them was "Hold Me Now", which was also their biggest. 29: LET’S DANCE – DAVID BOWIE (debut) - Of course, we all know that my favorite songs from him were "Day-In, Day-Out" and "Never Let Me Down", both from his 1987 by the title of the latter song. But this song is also pretty good. 28: OVERKILL – MEN AT WORK (debut) - Interesting how this song made the highest Hot 100 debut in twelve years. The last one to do so, "Imagine" by John Lennon, debuted so high due to its delay of being released as a single. This song, however, didn't have any kind of head start in airplay. I guess since it was the first song by the new album from a band whose last album had spawned two #1 hits and was hyped like crazy. Despite its spectacular debut, this song did not quite make it to #1 on the Hot 100, but it did manage to spend three weeks on top of the R&R chart. Anymore, radio tends to play the Business As Usual songs to death, but I never hear any of the Cargo singles outside of radio shows. 27: ALL RIGHT – CHRISTOPHER CROSS (19) - And what do you know - 1983's first Top 30 debut is one step above the one that bests it by one position! This was a great song and, given its healthy start, it's quite a surprise that it only got as high as #12. 26: SOLITAIRE – LAURA BRANIGAN (33) - The first of many big hits written by one of the most successful songwriters ever, the great Diane Warrren. This was my least favorite of Laura's first three hits, but it's still a good song! 25: POISON ARROW – ABC (25) - LDD: SHIPS – BARRY MANILOW - Wow, interesting that the writer of the LDD was from South Bend. I wonder what station in that area ran AT40 back then? As for the song, it was a great one, like most of Manilow's ballads, and fitting for the LDD. 24: FALL IN LOVE WITH ME – EARTH, WIND AND FIRE (17) - I don't remember this song from back in the day, as the stations I listened to back then never played this. It wasn't bad, but definitely not their best. 23: I WON’T HOLD YOU BACK - TOTO (28) - Their album Toto IV, which had recently won a Grammy for Album of the Year, was living up to its name, as it produced as many Top 40 hits. This was also their fourth (and, as it turned out, final) Top Ten hit. It was a great one, IMO. 22: EVEN NOW – BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (27) - Ever notice how this and his 1986 hit "American Storm" sound similar? Both songs are great, but I slightly prefer this one. 21: CHANGE OF HEART – TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS (21) - This song, which had a very erratic chart run, was in the midst of a three-week peak at #21. It was a great song, and I loved how the vinyl of the 45 of the song was red. OPTIONAL EXTRA: AFFAIR OF THE HEART - RICK SPRINGFIELD - This song wasn't bad, but this is around the time when his musical quality was beginning to slip, IMO. 20: LITTLE TOO LATE – PAT BENATAR (20) - Definitely a high point in the show for our friend JessieLou! This was a good song, but I preferred several others from her (especially her last song before this, "Shadows Of The Night"). 19: LITTLE RED CORVETTE - PRINCE (24) - I never knew how dirty it was until about fifteen years ago, when I looked at the lyrics (since there are times that I couldn’t understand what he was saying). This was the first Top Ten hit from a singer who we lost five years ago. R.I.P. Prince. 18: I’VE GOT A ROCK ‘N’ ROLL HEART – ERIC CLAPTON (18) - I wasn't generally a huge fan of his music, but this one was actually a good one, IMO. But that line about getting off on '57 Chevies and screaming guitars can be taken wrong nowadays... 17: SHAME ON THE MOON – BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (16) - The song, penned by country singer Rodney Crowell, peaked at #2 for four weeks here on AT40, but managed a week at #1 on the R&R chart - in fact, its #1 week happened to be on the first weekly countdown show I ever listened to ("Countdown America" with John Leader). It's a good song - sounds sort of like a laid-back version of his 1980 hit "Fire Lake". 16: SHE BLINDED ME WITH SCIENCE – THOMAS DOLBY (26) - I'm so glad that AT40 generally played the album version of this song. The single version, which is pretty much the only version you hear on retro shows, was just too watered down, IMO. 15: TWILIGHT ZONE – GOLDEN EARRING (10) - A great song that the two Chicago stations that I listened to back then (WLS 94.7 and B96) played quite a lot. That said, it's a shock that this song came nowhere near the R&R chart. Here on AT40, it peaked at #10. 14: BACK ON THE CHAIN GANG – THE PRETENDERS (5) - This was their second Top 40 hit and their first Top Ten. Possibly my favorite song from them (though "Brass In Pocket" might give this a run for its money). 13: I KNOW THERE’S SOMETHING GOING ON - FRIDA (13) - One of two former members of Abba that hit the chart in 1983 (the other was Agnetha Faltskog, whose "Can't Shake Loose" charted in the fall). Phil Collins' trademark drumming was featured in this song (and you can hear him on backup vocals). This song was pretty good, but I generally preferred her material with Abba. 12: DER KOMMISSAR – AFTER THE FIRE (15) - Their very first hit, too - as well as their last. This one was an 80s mix show essential! LDD: (SATORIAL ELOQUENCE) DON’T YA WANT TO PLAY THIS GAME NO MORE – ELTON JOHN - Wow, both LDDs this week were from the Great Lakes area! That sure doesn't happen very often, does it? As for the song, it was pretty good - one that gets absolutely no recurrent airplay. 11: YOU ARE – LIONEL RICHIE (4) - This was #1 on the R&R chart during one of the seven weeks that "Billie Jean" topped the Billboard chart. This one definitely takes me back to early spring, 1983 - namely, since it receives absolutely no recurrent airplay. Yet "All Night Long" is played regularly - where is the justice I tell ya! But seriously, I liked this song a lot. Glad that it managed to at least top the R&R chart, which was about a month earlier. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SHE'S A BEAUTY - THE TUBES - The second Top 40 hit from this band formed in San Francisco. I was never a big fan of this one; my favorite of theirs was actually their near-miss on the Hot 100, "Talk To Ya Later", from the fall of 1981. 10: BEAT IT – MICHAEL JACKSON (14) - One of several rock-based Michael Jackson songs to hit the charts. Eddie Van Halens's guitar solo in this was outstanding! 9: JEOPARDY – THE GREG KIHN BAND (12) - This song saved them from being one-hit wonders, and also gave them their first Top Ten hit. A great song that always takes me back to the spring of 1983. 8: SEPARATE WAYS - JOURNEY (8) - This song was sitting atop the R&R chart for a second and final week (the Greg Kihn Band song would unseat it the following week). On the Hot 100, however, this is where it peaked - for six weeks. Aside from R&R's oddball bullet policy, the fact that Frontiers sold millions of copies contributed to its peak difference (as most Journey fans bought the album). This was my favorite release from their Frontiers album, but there were many other songs from them that I preferred. 7: ONE ON ONE – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (9) - This song had peaked at #2 two weeks prior, yet was still moving up the Hot 100. I really liked this song - was my favorite of the three singles from the H2O album. 6: WE’VE GOT TONIGHT – KENNY ROGERS AND SHEENA EASTON (6) - Well, I must say that I do prefer this one over the original by Bob Seger, but it still is definitely not my favorite song by either artist. 5: MR. ROBOTO - STYX (7) - I'M KILROY!! This was somewhat of a comeback hit for Styx, as they had been absent from the chart for about two years. I was never a huge fan of this song, though - one of my least favorites from them. 4: COME ON EILEEN – DEXY’S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS (11) - After being stuck at #11 for two weeks, this song made up for it by making a huge seven-spot move. It would hit #1 two weeks later. As for my opinon about the song, it's not quite my cup of tea, mainly due to overplay (I did use to like it though, as I have the 45 of it somewhere). 3: HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF – DURAN DURAN (3) - This, of course, was the breakthrough hit here in the States from one of the most successful bands of the 1980s! It was also my favorite of their 1983 hits, as well as one of my all-time favorites from them! OPTIONAL EXTRA: STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART - BRYAN ADAMS - His very first Top 40 hit. I read in another thread that this song just barely missed making the Top 100 of 1983. The song was OK, but I preferred many others from him. 2: DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME – CULTURE CLUB (2) - I prefer the shorter version of this song without the whiny intro and the annoying bridge (Which I think most radio stations played that version near the end of the song's chart run IIRC). Well, they did play the version with the intro, but the good news is that it didn't contain the bridge. 1: BILLIE JEAN – MICHAEL JACKSON (1) - The second of seven singles from the monster album Thriller, and it turned out to be the biggest, spending seven weeks at the top. It was a good song - has held up quite well over the years. Kind of odd that they played the full version of this at the LW#1 and an edited version for the song here at #1. Usually, it's the other way around.
Coming up next week: Another twofer offering - April 17, 1982 as the "A" show, and April 6, 1985 as the "B". I'm hoping that the week after that is a standalone, as that is Easter weekend, which is usually a very busy one for me!
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Post by Hervard on Apr 5, 2019 12:54:17 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - April 6, 2019
This week's presentation - April 4, 1987
This show was just aired (as an "A" show, no less) just two years ago. Since my Internet was down that week, I didn't get to listen to the entire show until about a year later, which is when I posted it. This is a recycled version of that commentary, minus the random wit (as it was April Fool's Day when I posted it last year).
LW#1: LEAN ON ME – BILL WITHERS - This is how it was listed on the oldradioshows website. I decided to keep it as is due to the slight hilarity. 40: RESPECT YOURSELF - BRUCE WILLIS (18) - Wow, what a drop! Almost had a 1982-esque Top 20 drop. Anyway, today, this song would be listed as by Bruce Willis featuring the Pointer Sisters, especially since one of them sang the second verse, and were heard singing back-up throughout the song, which I thought was OK, but nothing exceptional. 39: NOTHING'S GONNA CHANGE MY LOVE FOR YOU - GLENN MEDEIROS (debut) - The first Top 40 hit for this high school student from Kaui. Due to how fast the charts moved in 1987, there were only two songs that made the year-end survey that did not quite make the Top 20. This was the more successful of those, peaking at #12 in June. A great song, IMO, and one of my favorite songs of the whole year. 38: SHIP OF FOOLS (SAVE ME FROM TOMORROW) - WORLD PARTY (debut) - The only Top 40 hit for this London-based rock group was setting sail on AT40 this week. I liked it, but, as someone on these boards once observed, it sounded more like a fall hit than spring. I wonder if it would have done better had it been released about six months later. 37: THE LADY IN RED - CHRIS DE BURGH (debut) - Chris had charted a few times earlier in the 80s, but this is the song that put him on the map. I loved this song when it was on the chart, but the stations I listened to back in the day all but played it out and I became quite tired of it. It's good to hear every now and then, but I wouldn't want to hear it every day. 36: SERIOUS - DONNA ALLEN (40) - ARGH, how many times does she have to say, “TALK, talk about serious”? Enough is enough! Needless to say, I wasn't a big fan of this song. 35: WITH OR WITHOUT YOU - U2 (debut) - The first hit from one of the biggest albums of the 80s, The Joshua Tree. It wasn't bad, but quite overplayed. I preferred the other two singles. 34: I WILL BE THERE - GLASS TIGER (38) - A good example of Third Single Syndrome here. The first two singles from The Thin Red Line hit the Top Ten, yet this is all the further this single got, which I thought was a shame, as it was my second favorite from them (a close second, might I add) behind "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)". 33: LIGHT OF DAY - THE BARBUSTERS (37) - Of course, this is Joan Jett & The Blackhearts with their only hit under that pseudonym. I liked the song - reminded me a little of "R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A." by John Cougar Mellencamp. 32: YOU GOT IT ALL – THE JETS (22) - After two upbeat dance songs (one of which just missed the Top 40 the previous summer), they slowed the tempo down for this one. It apparently worked, as this song hit the Top Ten. This, along with their AC hit from 1989, "The Same Love" are my two favorite songs from them - great songs indeed! LDD: ST. ELMO’S FIRE (MAN IN MOTION) – JOHN PARR - Since it's been a year, I've already forgotten what the LDD was about, but I seem to remember something about winning a race, or something similar to what the movie St. Elmo's Fire is about. As for the song, I liked it when it first came out, but got tired of it after hearing it no less than five times a day, or so it seemed. 31: LIVIN’ ON A PRAYER – BON JOVI (19) - Speaking of overplayed songs, this was definitely a classic example. The only thing is, I never really liked it in the first place. Instead, I was really into what I thought was going to be the third release from Slippery When Wet, the album cut "Never Say Goodbye". The thing about that song is, though it did chart on the airplay chart, its handicap was that many radio stations did not chart album cuts, like the Hot 100, and the ones that did had been playing it for so long that, by the time it hit the airplay chart, many stations had already dropped the song from their playlists. Otherwise, it would have been a Top Ten hit. Anyway, that song's sporadic airplay apparently did not affect this song at all, as it spent a month at #1 back in February. 30: BIG TIME – PETER GABRIEL (16) - The first two singles from the So album are quite overplayed (especially "Sledgehammer"), but this one you hardly hear anymore. Perhaps that's why it's my favorite song from the album. 29: CAN’TCHA SAY (YOU BELIEVE IN ME)/STILL IN LOVE - BOSTON (36) - Their mid-80s comeback had yielded them two additional Top Ten hits, and this song didn't do too bad either, peaking at #20. It was by far my favorite song from Third Stage, which turned out to be their most successful singles album. 28: JACOB’S LADDER – HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (13) - Here's another song from a very successful singles album, Fore! The third song from the album, it hit #1 back in early March and, as this song was on its way down, the fourth song was debuting on the Hot 100 at #54, on its was to becoming the album's fourth Top Ten hit. As for this one, this one has to be one of the least-played #1 songs of the 1980s, as, outside of countdown shows, you never really hear this song on the radio. I liked it, but it wasn't one of my favorites from him. 27: SMOKING GUN – THE ROBERT CRAY BAND (33) - I seem to remember a stretch story being told about this song on this week's countdown, such was the case with two other shows - the previous week's show and the one from April 25. Unless I'm getting this confused with one of those. It's kind of hard to write a critique when trying to rely on your memory of a song you heard practically a whole year before. Whatever the case, I thought that this was a good song - one that takes me back to the spring of 1987. 26: WHAT’S GOING ON – CYNDI LAUPER (35) - This was a cover version of Marvin Gaye's classic Top Ten hit from 1971, when Lauper was still in high school. I remember hating this song when it was on the charts. Now, I like it, even better than the original. 25: LA ISLA BONITA - MADONNA (39) - The fifth hit from True Blue was burning up the chart en route to becoming another Top Five hit. It was the final song from the album, but Madonna was at work on her next project, the movie "Who's That Girl", which would spawn two Top Ten hits later in the year. This was a good song; indeed had a tropical island feel. 24: COME AS YOU ARE – PETER WOLF (30) - The former lead singer of the J. Geils Band had two solo hits in 1984 and was back with his second album, to which this was the title track. It was a great song! 23: AS WE LAY – SHIRLEY MURDOCK (23) - Ah, a song about infidelity. After spending the night with a mistress, this married man must go home and face his irate wife! Melodically, this song sounds a little like something from the sixties. 22: (I JUST) DIED IN YOUR ARMS – CUTTING CREW (34) - The first of three Top 40 hits for this band from London - all from their debut album Broadcast. This one was OK, but quite overplayed, both back in 1987 and nowadays on oldies stations. I preferred their other two hits. 21: DOMINOES – ROBBIE NEVIL (29) - He'd charted early in the year with a hit that peaked in the runner-up position and, with the good-sized move this song made, it looked like he might collect his second Top Ten hit, but this song ran out of steam at #14. 20: STONE LOVE – KOOL & THE GANG (25) - This song, like "Victory", would also hit the Top Ten, and, unfortunately, it turned out to be their last Top 40 hit. I liked this song, but my favorite of the Forever singles was "Special Way", which was a Top Ten AC hit in December of that year. 19: THE HONEYTHIEF - HIPSWAY (24) - The thing I remember most about this song was its catchy chorus (“The light of deep regret, let me see what I don’t get”). A great song that I felt was was quite underrated. 18: LOOKING FOR A NEW LOVE – JODY WATLEY (26) - This song came very close to hitting #1, but it was stuck at #2 for four weeks, behind the Cutting Crew and U2, the latter of which leapfrogged over this song, which I thought was OK, but I preferred a few of her other songs, including ones that she did as part of Shalamar. 17: WALKING DOWN YOUR STREET – THE BANGLES (21) - The band that had a thing about walking back in 1987, as illustrated by the titles of their two hits from that year. Anyway, you know that I prefer this over the other one, though I did prefer their first two hits from the Different Light album, but this one’s still a great song! 16: THAT AIN’T LOVE – REO SPEEDWAGON (17) - The first Top 40 hit in about a year and a half for this band from Champaign, Illinois. As we all know, I prefer their power ballads, but this is possibly my favorite of their upbeat material. It is indeed a great song! 15: SOMEWHERE OUT THERE – LINDA RONSTADT & JAMES INGRAM (6) - I never saw the animated movie that this song is from, but I definitely heard the song many a time (we even sang it for our spring choir concert in my sophomore year in high school). I loved this song, like most of James' (and many of Linda's) songs. 14: THE FINER THINGS – STEVE WINWOOD (20) - Back In The High Life was definitely Winwood's most successful album as far as singles go, as there were four of them that hit the Top 40. This was the third and there was no "Third Single Syndrome" here, as this was the second most successful song from the album behind the #1 "Higher Love". This was very possibly my favorite song from the album, though there are several other songs by him that I prefer. 13: WHAT YOU GET IS WHAT YOU SEE – TINA TURNER (15) - Another third single, but it did better than "Two People", which just barely made the Top 30. Though this song did get close to the Top Ten, I still felt it was quite underrated (namely, since it gets no recurrent airplay). Needless to say, I liked the song a lot. 12: SIGN ‘O’ THE TIMES – PRINCE (14) - This song was OK, but it was rather monotonous. Definitely not his best song by any means. 11: MIDNIGHT BLUE – LOU GRAMM (12) - After a decade of heading up Foreigner, he decided to give a solo career a try. This was his first solo hit to make the charts. It was a good one, but I preferred the other two, both from his second solo album Long Hard Look. 10: LET’S GO – WANG CHUNG (11) - After having their first Top Ten hit (getting ever so close to #1), they were landing their second one this week. I preferred this song, though over the past few years, I've learned to like said first Top Ten hit (the one about wanking John) better than previously. 9: MANDOLIN RAIN – BRUCE HORNSBY & THE RANGE (5) - Since, of course, I didn't hear this part of the countdown, I don't know whether or not they edited it, but they generally did. At least they usually cut the second verse instead of the "running down by the lake shore" bridge, which is my favorite part of the song. Anyway, I liked all three singles from The Way It Is, but this was my favorite. 8: THE FINAL COUNTDOWN - EUROPE (8) - The horns in this song reminded me a little of the intro to "Only Time Will Tell" by Asia. It was pretty good, but I preferred the other two Top 40 hits from the album of the same name. 7: DON’T DREAM IT’S OVER – CROWDED HOUSE (9) - Two members of the band Split Enz (which had a minor hit in 1980 called "I Got You") helped to form this band who had two Top Ten hits in 1987. I thought both were great songs, though I preferred their follow-up, "Something So Strong", which sounded sort of like a more upbeat version of this song. LDD: ALL CRIED OUT - LISA LISA & CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE - Now I DO remember this LDD from the time this show originally aired. It was about a girl who had been best friends with another girl who began going out with her boyfriend. The jilted girl tried everything she could to break them up, but found out it was as futile as "trying to cut the world in half with a chainsaw" as she put it. The girl wanted to reconcile with her best friend, which I myself am not sure would be the best thing to do. Going out with your best friend's ex is one of the no-no's in the unwritten code of best friends, and it would be very awkward for all three of them to continue to hang out together. Once you break that rule, then the friendship has very little chance of ever being the same again. Glad I never had to deal with any of that drama back in school. But I digress. As we all know, this was one of my favorite songs of all time. 6: I KNEW YOU WERE WAITING (FOR ME) – ARETHA FRANKLIN & GEORGE MICHAEL (10) - A one time pairing of the Queen Of Soul and the former lead singer of Wham! - and a great pairing at that, since it went to #1 for a pair of weeks in late April. Definitely one of my favorites from both artists! 5: COME GO WITH ME - EXPOSE (7) - I liked most of their hits, but this wasn't one of them! Definitely my least favorite single from the Exposure album. My favorite was the next release, "Point Of No Return", which was a big summer hit. 4: LET’S WAIT AWHILE – JANET JACKSON (3) - A little over a year before, Cyndi Lauper had set a record for the most Top 40 hits from a single album by a solo female - five from She's So Unusual. This song tied the record as it was the fifth from Control, and Janet was obviously not satisfied with a tie as she went on to break the record for the most Top Ten hits from an album by a solo female (as the fifth song from Cyndi Lauper's album ran out of gas at #27). A song with a great message about abstinence and my favorite of the Control singles. 3: TONIGHT, TONIGHT, TONIGHT - GENESIS (4) - This song, which always makes me thirsty for an ice cold Michelob, was pretty good, but not one of my favorites from them. I especially hated the album version, which U93 started playing around this time - the instrumental bridge with those goofy sound effects, reminiscent of the background music in the old-school Donkey Kong Country games, drags on and on. Fortunately, I seldom hear that version anymore. 2: LEAN ON ME – CLUB NOUVEAU (1) - This was probably my least favorite song on the countdown back in the day, and naturally, it wasted no time getting to #1! It's still not one of my favorite songs, but its saving grace is that it's better than the insomnia-curing original by Bill Withers - definitely a "No. Just no" song in my book! 1: NOTHING’S GONNA STOP US NOW - STARSHIP (2) - The theme to the comedy movie "Mannequin", which I saw in the theater later that week. This was one of my favorite songs by Starship, though it wasn't quite as good as "It's Not Enough".
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Post by pb on Apr 5, 2019 14:31:38 GMT -5
LW#1: LEAN ON ME – BILL WITHERS - This is how it was listed on the oldradioshows website. I decided to keep it as is due to the slight hilarity. As an 80's kid I knew this as a Club Nouveau song for some time before I heard Withers's original.
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Post by Hervard on Apr 11, 2019 17:11:23 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - April 13, 2019
This week's presentation - April 16, 1977
40: SPRING RAIN - SILVETTI (40) - Their only song, which many thought was going to be a one-week wonder as well, as it had debuted a few weeks back, then dropped out, but it returned for an encore two weeks later, and spent a pair of weeks in the anchor position of the chart. As for the song, it was pretty much your typical disco instrumental of its time. 39: UPTOWN FESTIVAL - SHALAMAR (debut) - I can't help myself loving this song and getting uptight while going to a go-go, where hopefully, they'll play this song. But seriously, I thought this song was neat - five classic Motown songs woven into a medley. 38: HELLO STRANGER – YVONNE ELLIMAN (debut) - The second of five hits for her, and the second biggest, behind "If I Can't Have You". I prefer the latter by a fair margin 37: HEARD IT IN A LOVE SONG – THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND (debut) - A "two-hit wonder", and this is by far their best known of the two hits - and my favorite as well (though I seem to remember that "Fire On The Mountain" was pretty good as well). 36: LONELY BOY – ANDREW GOLD (debut) - This may have been his biggest chart hit, but his other one, "Thank You For Being A Friend", from the following year, became a very popular LDD request. This was my favorite song from him, though his other one was great as well. They edited this song by cutting out the instrumental bridge. Oh well, at least they didn't cut an entire verse, like they often do, especially during the late-70s before the show was extended to four hours. 35: SAM – OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (20) - This song is sort of a variable for me, since it has ranged from one extreme to the other, although for the past few years, it's been sort of in the middle. Either way, it wasn't her best hit by any means. 34: DANCING MAN - Q (38) - Hmm, is it me or do this song and "Giving It Up For Your Love" by Delbert McClinton sound somewhat alike? 33: SOMETIMES – FACTS OF LIFE (37) - The only Top 40 hit by Blair, Jo, Natalie and Tootie. It's not bad - your typical 70s slow jam. 32: SAY YOU’LL STAY UNTIL TOMORROW – TOM JONES (16) - EWWW, GET IT AWAY FROM ME!! Heh, just kidding - this one isn't bad, but nothing special either. 31: SIR DUKE – STEVIE WONDER (debut) - In this song, which was on its way to #1, Stevie dropped several names in this song, all of musical pioneers that time did not allow us to forget, including the king of all, Duke Ellington, to whom, of course, the title referred. Although I prefer several other songs by Mr. Wonder, this was a great one nonetheless. 30: AT MIDNIGHT (MY LOVE WILL LIFT YOU UP) – RUFUS FEATURING CHAKA KHAN (30) - I'm not generally a big fan of them, but this one was actually pretty good. 29: ANGEL IN YOUR ARMS - HOT (35) - This may have been their only hit, but it sure got a lot of mileage on the charts, practically reaching the 20-week mark. I used to like it a little, but not so much anymore. 28: N.Y. YOU GOT ME DANCING – ANDREA TRUE CONNECTION (32) - This was her/their second Top 40 hit, but it didn't quite measure up to the success of their first one, "More, More, More" from the previous year. 27: CALLING DR. LOVE - KISS (31) - 1976 - 1977 was definitely their heyday, since that was when they had the most hits. This song wasn't bad, but I preferred their two Top Ten hits. OPTIONAL EXTRA: DREAMS - FLEETWOOD MAC - The biggest single from one of the biggest albums of all time, Rumors. The song is my least favorite of the singles, however, presumably due to overplay. It's still a pretty good one, though. 26: FLY LIKE AN EAGLE – THE STEVE MILLER BAND (13) - 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! 25: FREE – DENIECE WILLIAMS (26) - This one was a good one. I preferred her Footloose hit, but this one is better than her snoozefest from 1982. 24: DISCO LUCY ( I LOVE LUCY THEME) – WILTON PLACE STREET BAND (24) - Interesting disco interpretation of the theme from a TV show that almost everyone knows. 23: I LIKE DREAMIN’ – KENNY NOLAN (19) - 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. This song reminds me a little of "My Eyes Adored You", which would be no coincidence, as Nolan wrote that one as well. This is a good song - that is, when it doesn't stick in my mind all day, like it has done several times before. 22: YOUR LOVE – MARILYN McCOO & BILLY DAVIS JR. (28) - Good song - I preferred this over their song from earlier in the year. 21: THE FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST – ROD STEWART (22) - Originally done by Cat Stevens, this one was covered several times, the most successful one being Sheryl Crow's version, which was the biggest AC hit of 2004. I prefer that version over this one and the original (most likely since I've heard it much more than the others). 20: I’M YOUR BOOGIE MAN – K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND (25) - One of two Top Five hits from them in 1977. I preferred the other one, which just narrowly missed hitting #1 several months later. 19: CAN’T STOP DANCING – THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE (23) - Well I must say that this one's better than their last hit before this one! Still, nothing exceptional. 18: MAYBE I'M AMAZED - WINGS (12) - Wow, was this song ever mercilessly butchered! Not sure how long the playing time was, but I don't think it was even two minutes. As I recall, it was edited like that several times. Such a shame, too, as it was a great song - the live version was much better than the studio version from the early-70s, IMO. 17: LIDO SHUFFLE – BOZ SCAGGS (21) - Definitely one of the hits that I associate with the spring of 1977 (and the station that I listened to played it well into the summmer as well). My favorite of his hits! 16: COULDN’T GET IT RIGHT – THE CLIMAX BLUES BAND (27) - Another act that had two Top 40 hits, like several acts on this week's chart. Both were big hits that lasted quite awhile on the charts. This was a good song, but I preferred "I Love You", which charted four years later and we just might hear on a future 1981 show. 15: I WANNA GET NEXT TO YOU – ROSE ROYCE (18) - Their first hit was an upbeat dance number and for the second song, they went with a ballad. It was pretty much your typical 70s slow jam. I preferred "Car Wash". 14: CARRY ON WAYWARD SON - KANSAS (11) - The first of seven Top 40 hits from this band from Topeka. This one didn't quite make the Top Ten, though it may as well have, with all the airplay it got back in the day. Anyway, this was one of my favorites from them. 13: WHEN I NEED YOU – LEO SAYER (17) - One of three Top 20 hits that Leo charted with during the year. It was OK, but somewhat schmaltzy. I preferred his other two songs, which bookended this one. 12: TRYING TO LOVE TWO – WILLIAM BELL (14) - At least two songs about infidelity on this week's chart, the other one being the one back at #29. I preferred this one - the other one is somewhat of a cure for insomnia. 11: RIGHT TIME OF THE NIGHT – JENNIFER WARNES (15) - This song was written by Peter McCann who himself gearing up to hit the chart with his own hit "Do You Wanna Make Love". I preferred this song - it wasn't quite as cheesy. 10: RICH GIRL – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (4) - The first of many #1 hits from them, and one of their best. This is another one I remember from back in the day! EXTRA: PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM – ELTON JOHN - This song, dedicated to tennis superstar Billie Jean King, was played as the final Optional Extra. The song broke the longest streak of one-week number one songs, in 1975, by spending a pair of weeks at the top (which was nothing compared to its six-week run atop the R&R charts). This song was OK, but it was quite overplayed (and still pops up regularly on oldies stations). 9: SO IN TO YOU – THE ATLANTIC RHYTHM SECTION (10) - They had a handful of Top 40 hits and I thought most of them were great, including this one! 8: LOVE THEME FROM “A STAR IS BORN” (EVERGREEN) – BARBRA STREISAND (9) - This was the biggest hit so far this year, since it was #1 for three weeks. There was a quick turnover of #1 hits in the first few weeks of 1977, but it was slowing down at this point, and by the latter half of the year, of course, long stays at #1 became the norm. Anyway, this is a guilty pleasure of mine, since many people I know hate this song. Not me! 7: I’VE GOT LOVE ON MY MIND – NATALIE COLE (8) - This was her biggest hit ever, peaking at #5 and spending 14 weeks on the chart. It was indeed a good one, though I preferred several others from her. 6: DANCING QUEEN - ABBA (1) - 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. They sure did a hack job on this song, didn't they? Kind of pointless, as it's not like it's that long of a song in the first place. 5: THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE – 10 CC (6) - This song still sounds as fresh as it did back in the day. I never got tired of this one! 4: HOTEL CALIFORNIA – THE EAGLES (7) - One of their biggest hits, as well as one they're most famous for. It's one of my favorites from them as well. 3: SOUTHERN NIGHTS – GLEN CAMPBELL (5) - Campbell had many Top 40 hits, and two of those went all the way to #1, including this one. I like it, but preferred his other #1 hit, "Rhinestone Cowboy" from two years before. 2: DON’T LEAVE ME THIS WAY – THELMA HOUSTON (3) - No relation to Whitney, to my best of knowledge. Casey correctly predicted this song going to #1 on the Hot 100, as it already done on the Dance and Soul charts. This was Houston's only big hit, but it was definitely a long-standing one. I liked it, but I preferred the underrated cover by the Communards from ten years later. Glad that they had the song on the jukebox at the local arcade. I played it practically everytime I went there. 1: DON’T GIVE UP ON US – DAVID SOUL (2) - The only Top 40 single for Hutch. It's a pretty cheesy song, but not bad.
Coming up next week: Another stand-alone offering, from April 20, 1974.
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Post by Hervard on Apr 11, 2019 17:12:37 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - April 13, 2019 ("A" show)
This week's presentation - April 17, 1982
Droppers: BOBBIE SUE - OAK RIDGE BOYS (32) - Their first Top 40 hit, "Elvira" was barf-inducing, IMO. This song was actually pretty good, though. CENTERFOLD - J. GEILS BAND (31) - Ah, the song about finding your high school sweetie in a girlie magazine! This song spent a total of six weeks at #1, and ranked #3 for all of 1982. I preferred this song over their other Top Ten song in 1982, "Freeze Frame" - by a wide margin, might I add. JUKEBOX HERO - FOREIGNER (26) - 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. MY GUY - SISTER SLEDGE (23) - This song, written by the Smokey Robinson, was a #1 hit for Mary Wells 1964. This was a very good cover and I'm not sure which of the two I prefer.
LW#3: CHARIOTS OF FIRE - VANGELIS LW#2: WE GOT THE BEAT - GO-GO'S LW#1: I LOVE ROCK 'N ROLL - JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS 40: MAKING LOVE - ROBERTA FLACK (debut) - 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. 39: STILL IN SAIGON - CHARLIE DANIELS BAND (debut) - A song about a Vietnam veteran experiencing post traumatic stress disorder. The subject matter was sort of depressing, but the song itself had a great melody. Definitely my favorite song from this pop/country band from Nashville! 38: STARS ON 45 III (STEVIE WONDER TRIBUTE) - STARS ON (debut) - Ah, the band who started the medley craze! Of all of them, I preferred the Beatles one, but this one was pretty good as well. 37: TAKE OFF - BOB AND DOUG McKENZIE W/ GEDDY LEE (19) - My brother was a big fan of them back in the mid-80s - he and a buddy even did a skit for a talent show back in 1984 - was pretty funny, as was this song. Geddy Lee, of Rush, did a great job singing the chorus. 36: EMPTY GARDEN (HEY HEY JOHNNY) - ELTON JOHN (debut) - This was Elton's tribute to the late John Lennon. It was definitely one of his best 80s hits, IMO. 35: POP GOES THE MOVIES, PART 1 - MECO (35) - Another medley, of Meco's interpretations movie songs. Pretty good. 34: MAGNUM P.I. THEME - MIKE POST (36) - Meco was good at doing movie songs, while Mike Post excelled at TV show themes, like this one. liked this one, but preferred a few others, like the "Hill Street Blues" theme, and "Theme from LA Law", the latter of which was a Top 20 AC hit six years later. 33: GENIUS OF LOVE - TOM TOM CLUB (37) - Mariah Carey was apparently a fan of this song, for she sampled it in her 1995 hit "Fantasy". I, on the other hand, didn't care for this song at all. 32: DON'T YOU WANT ME - HUMAN LEAGUE (39) - This is a relatively rare example of when an act's biggest hit is also my favorite from them. That's mainly because, since it's the biggest hit, it gets tons of airplay, but this one has held up quite well despite that. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WAKE UP LITTLE SUSIE - SIMON & GARFUNKEL - I preferred this version over the original by the Everly Brothers. It sounded quite energetic (since it was performed at their live concert in Central Park). 31: MAMA USED TO SAY - JUNIOR (33) - Stevie Wonder is definitely a force to be reckoned with in this week's countdown, as he is on the chart with a solo hit, a duet, a medley of his songs was heard earlier and here is a song that sounds like something he'd sing. It was a good song. 30: HANG FIRE - ROLLING STONES (38) - The third of four Top 40 hits from Tattoo You, their biggest album ever (in terms of weeks at #1). The song was OK, but far from being their best. 29: SWEET DREAMS - AIR SUPPLY (17) - Definitely one of the biggest new acts of the 1980s (though most of their chart hits were in the early half of the decade). I liked most of their Top 40 hits, but this was one of my least favorites. LDD: CHANGES IN LATITUDES, CHANGES IN ATTITUDES - JIMMY BUFFETT - Ah, the king of "beach songs". This one was OK, but it doesn't hold a candle to "Fins". 28: THE OTHER WOMAN - RAY PARKER, JR (40) - This was Ray's first solo Top 40. It was OK, but one of my least favorites from him. I generally prefer his songs from the Raydio era. 27: SHOULD I DO IT - THE POINTER SISTERS (13) - 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. 26: ALWAYS ON MY MIND - WILLIE NELSON (30) - 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. 25: BABY MAKES HER BLUE JEANS TALK - DR. HOOK (27) - This band had been hitting the charts for almost exactly ten years at this point but, unfortunately, this would be their final Top 40 hit. 24: PAC-MAN FEVER - BUCKNER & GARCIA (11) - I actually played Pac Man twice last week, more or less to redeem myself after two sucky bowling games, which I played with some of my co-workers. My Pac Man game was much better - got a score of 278,710 (don't even ask what my bowling score was!) 23: I'VE NEVER BEEN TO ME - CHARLENE (28) - 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. 22: BEATLES MOVIE MEDLEY - BEATLES (34) - The medley craze was still active at this point, though it was beginning to wind down. This song holds a rather undesirable chart record; not long after it peaked, this song would take the biggest drop ever on the Hot 100 (remember - anything after 11/30/91 does not count) by falling from #20 all the way to #92! OPTIONAL EXTRA: WHEN IT'S OVER - LOVERBOY - Their third Top 40 hit - failed to make the Top 20, as did their first two. They did manage to go Top 20 the following year (and came close to the Top Ten) with "Hot Girls In Love". Anyway, this song was OK, but one of my least favorites from them. 21: EBONY & IVORY - PAUL McCARTNEY & WINGS (29) - This song had debuted on the entire Hot 100 the week before and would jump into the Top Ten the following week, so it was clear where this song was going! It would spend seven weeks at #1 and ranked among the Top Five of that year. Back in the day, I hated this song, because, every time 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! 20: GET DOWN ON IT - KOOL & THE GANG (25) - I didn't care too much for any of their hits from 1982 (except for "Just Take My Heart", but that was more of a 1981 hit, even though it did spill over into 1982. I wasn't a fan of this one, for some reason. 19: GOIN' DOWN - GREG GUIDRY (22) - One of several one-hit wonders on this week's chart. The only thing is, we know that it's going to stay that way, as Mr. Guidry is no longer with us. Great song, though! 18: NOBODY SAID IT WAS EASY (LOOKIN' FOR THE LIGHTS) - LE ROUX (20) - Another one hit wonder here (although there's a Christian group whose name is phonetically identical - I think they spell their name LaRue - either way, it's not the same group). This was a great song - one I've heard many times on my Barry Scott's Lost 45's CD. 17: DID IT IN A MINUTE - HALL & OATES (24) - One of several Top Ten songs from them that radio all but ignores anymore, which is a shame, as this was one of their best hits ever! 16: FIND ANOTHER FOOL - QUARTERFLASH (18) - Of their three Top 40 hits, this would probably be my least favorite. Still, not too bad. 15: 867-5309 / JENNY - TOMMY TUTONE (21) - I wonder if anyone still has this phone number, and if they're still receiving nuisance calls from people asking for Jenny? Hope they have caller ID. Anyway, this was a good song. EXTRA: TO SIR WITH LOVE - LULU - Billboard's top song of 1967 - and IIRC, this song was used as a LDD request on more than one occasion. It was a nice song - I like this and her 1981 hit "I Could Never Miss You More Than I Do" about the same. 14: 100 WAYS - QUINCY JONES FEATURING JAMES INGRAM (15) - The third Top 40 hit from The Dude and the second to featured James Ingram on lead vocals. This was a great song - definitely my favorite of the three. 13: '65 LOVE AFFAIR - PAUL DAVIS (16) - This song has that malt shop era sound to it (the title was originally "'55 Love Affair", they moved it up a decade so it wouldn't sound so "geezerly"). This was a great song - Davis' highest peaking hit and one of his all time best, IMO. 12: PRETTY WOMAN - VAN HALEN (14) - Of their three hits up to this point, two were cover versions. This, of course, was a remake of Roy Orbison's #1 hit from 1964. This was a good rendition, but nothing compares to the original. OPTIONAL EXTRA: ROSANNA - TOTO - Definitely one of the big summer hits of 1982! This was a great song, and one of my favorite of their upbeat songs! 11: EDGE OF SEVENTEEN - STEVIE NICKS (12) - 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 one was a good one as well. 10: THAT GIRL - STEVIE WONDER (8) - This was Stevie's solo hit mentioned earlier. This was a huge hit on the R&B chart, spending a ninth and final week at #1 there. It also looked like it might hit #1 on the Hot 100 at first, with how fast it was climbing the chart, but it ran out of steam before getting there (but, of course, he did end up hitting #1 in May with his duet with Paul McCartney). I liked this, 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). 9: OPEN ARMS - JOURNEY (7) - 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. LDD: COME TOGETHER - BEATLES - Somewhat of a humorous LDD, from a girl who had braces (or "tin grins", as she called them), but actually like having them. I presume that she picked this song because that was what her braces were helping her teeth to do. 8: KEY LARGO - BARRY HIGGINS (9) - 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. 7: DO YOU BELIEVE IN LOVE - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (10) - Ah, the song that kicked off the career of possibly THE biggest group of the 1980s! It was indeed a great song - one that pops up every now and then on oldies stations. 6: DON'T TALK TO STRANGERS - RICK SPRINGFIELD (6) - This song was in the midst of a five-week run atop the R&R chart, and looked like it might be peaking here on the Hot 100, but it would eventually climb to the runner-up position. Oddly enough, you don't hear it much on the radio. Pretty much all they play by him is "Jessie's Girl". Both of those are among my favorites by this man from Australia. 5: MAKE A MOVE ON ME - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (5) - And here is the song that the above song unseated from #1 on the R&R chart. It looked like it could hit #1 on the Hot 100 as well, what with its initial chart action, but this is all the higher it got (which isn't bad, either). This is definitely one of my favorite ONJ songs ever! 4: FREEZE FRAME - J. GEILS BAND (4) - As their former #1 "Centerfold" dropped off the survey, this song was sitting at its peak position for a second of four weeks. I wasn't a huge fan of this song - I much preferred said #1 song. 3: CHARIOTS OF FIRE - VANGELIS (3) - This song was just three weeks away from setting a record 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! OPTIONAL EXTRA: HEAT OF THE MOMENT - ASIA - 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! 2: WE GOT THE BEAT - GO-GO'S (2) - I generally liked the Go-Go's, but this was an exception - definitely my least favorite song from them. 1: I LOVE ROCK 'N ROLL - JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS (1) - One of the biggest hits of 1982, and my favorite of all three of her 1982 hits. This is another one of those songs that despite overplay, has held up quite well.
Coming up next week: Well, we know that one of the shows will be from April 23, 1988, but since we just had an "A" show from that year just a few weeks back, most of us assume that it is a "B" show, but either one is possible. If it is indeed a "B" show, then I'll guess that the "A" show is April 19, 1980.
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Post by Hervard on Apr 11, 2019 17:13:46 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - April 13, 2019 ("B" show)
This week's presentation - April 6, 1985
I have fond memories of this show - I was listening to it after church when it was aired as an AT40 Flashback in 2001 while playing Donkey Kong Land-2 on my GameBoy Color (in fact, I remember that I was stuck on one of the wasp hive levels for awhile). Then, after the show was over, since it was in the upper-70s and sunny outside, I went for a drive up in Michigan and had fun getting myself lost (as I was unfamiliar with the roads up there at the time). I created a breach in male etiquette and actually stopped at a convenience store to ask for directions. Fortunately, I found out I was just a few blocks from an interstate highway (I-94), which would take ne back to LaPorte County. No driving this week, as I just had cataract surgery on my left eye (besides, it's a little chilly outside). Well, without further ado, here is my commentary for this show:
Droppers: SECOND NATURE - DAN HARTMAN (39) - The movie Streets Of Fire brought him back to the charts the year before with what became his biggest hit ever, "I Can Dream About You". This song, however, couldn't push past #39, which is too bad, because it was a great song IMO. MISLED - KOOL & THE GANG (36) - They were in the midst of a streak of songs with one-word titles (in fact, didn't they hold the record for that?). Anyway, I liked all three of their Top Ten hits from the Emergency album, although my favorite of those was "Fresh". I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS - FOREIGNER (35) - They finally had their very first #1 song, about three years after coming ever so close with Wf*gLY, which, as we know all too well, spent ten frustrating weeks at #2 (and, incidentally, is one of the LDD songs on this week's show). Of those two, I preferred this one, which featured Jennifer Holliday, Tom Bailey (of the Thompson Twins) and the New Jersey Mass Choir on backing vocals. THIS IS NOT AMERICA - DAVID BOWIE/PAT METHENY GROUP (32) - Bowie seemed to be trying to make a comeback after a year and a half away from the charts, but this was where the song peaked (no matter; he'd have much more success with his collaboration with Mick Jagger, "Dancing In The Street" that fall. This song was pretty good, though not quite as good as his hits from two years later.
40: WHY CAN'T I HAVE YOU - THE CARS (33) - The first four singles from Heartbeat City made it into the Top 20, but, now that just about all fans of the Cars had the album (I imagine many got it as a Christmas gift), this was all the further the song got. I liked the song, but it definitely was not their best. 39: CALIFORNIA GIRLS - DAVID LEE ROTH (23) - About a month before, this song matched the #3 peak of the original by the Beach Boys just 20 years before. Based on the big move to third place, it looked like he might top that peak the following week but, in fact, the song started dropping the following week. Anyway, I liked this song - even slightly better than the original. 38: EVERYTHING SHE WANTS - WHAM (debut) - This was not only their third hit in a row, but their third #1 as well. This was my favorite of those. 37: FOREVER MAN - ERIC CLAPTON (40) - This song was a #1 Album Rock hit, but here on the Top 40 chart, the song only got up to #26. It was a pretty good song - one I remember hearing from time to time during the spring of 1985 36: DON'T COME AROUND HERE NO MORE - TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (debut) - Meh, I was never a huge fan of this song. I preferred his early-80s hits. 35: NEW ATTITUDE - PATTI LABELLE (debut) - A great and very positive sounding song that reminds me of the revelation I had back in June, 2009 about developing a more positive attitude than I'd had previously. There is still room for improvement, but I've been told by several people that they've noticed the change. 34: ROCK AND ROLL GIRLS - JOHN FOGERTY (debut) - Once the lead singer of Creedence Clearwater Revival, he was on his own at this point, and doing quite well. The first two songs from Centerfield hit the Top 20, including this one. I preferred the title track, which I'm surprised never hit the Top 40 (could have to do with the fact that it was the flipside to this song). 33: SAVE A PRAYER - DURAN DURAN (22) - It seems that more often than not, they either cut out the second verse of this song, or linked verses one and two together, and this week was no exception (they did the former). That's too bad, because I really liked this song - one of my favorite Duran Duran songs of all time. 32: SOME THINGS ARE BETTER LEFT UNSAID - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (37) - Their Big Bam Boom album was their third in a row to be certified multi-platinum. This was the third single from it, and it would peak at #18. I'm thinking it might have peaked higher had it been released a few years earlier, as it sort of had an early-80s sound to it (in fact, the choruses reminded me a little of the verses of "Even The Nights Are Better" by Air Supply). I thought it was a good song. 31: TAKE ME WITH U - PRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION W/APOLLONIA (25) - This was the fifth release from Purple Rain and the first song from the soundtrack to miss the Top Ten, which was really no big surprise, as the soundtrack sold millions of copies, so that means that most Prince fans had the soundtrack and, hence, there was no point in buying the single. I thought that this was a great song. 30: LUCKY - GREG KIHN (34) - He had two Top 20 hits with his band, but couldn't seem to cut it as a solo artist, as this, his only solo Top 40 hit, barely made it into the Top 30. It was a pretty good song, but I preferred "Jeopardy". 29: RADIOACTIVE - THE FIRM (31) - The only Top 40 hit for this British supergroup, consisting of members of various bands such as Led Zeppelin, Bad Company and Manfred Mann. The song was OK, but I wasn't a huge fan. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SUDDENLY - BILLY OCEAN - To many Billy Ocean fans, it's pretty common knowledge that an incident associated with this song actually inspired one of Ocean's hits, "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)", which hit #1 the following summer. Both songs are great, IMO, and among my personal faves from Ocean. Too bad they cut the second verse. 28: SMOOTH OPERATOR - SADE (38) - Their debut hit, which became one of their biggest, peaking at #5 in May. It wasn't one of my favorites back in the day, but now I think it's a great one! 27: CARELESS WHISPER - WHAM (17) - We all know that I used to like this song, but my fascination for this song dimmed significantly when a girl that I was hoping to dance with at a middle school dance got back together with her boyfriend and basically threw me under a bus. Fortunately, that happened when this song was on its way down the chart. Another good thing is that, the following Monday morning, I got to see the girl get paddled after a teacher heard her cussing me out just for saying hi to her. Ah, the joys of karma! LDD: WAITING FOR A GIRL LIKE YOU - FOREIGNER - We still got to hear a Foreigner ballad on this week's show - as their recent #1 song stepped off the chart, their other slow song (up to this point, anyway) happened to be one of this week's LDDs. As mentioned earlier, I preferred said #1 song. 26: RELAX - FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD (20) - THIS terrible song was UK's #1 song of 1984? *GROIN* 25: THAT WAS YESTERDAY - FOREIGNER (29) - Wow, rather poor placement of this week's LDDs. I wonder if they were supposed to be the other way around (as the one in Hour 4 is also put two places removed from another song by the same artist). Well, anyway, this song was nicely progressing up the chart, looking like it might be another Top Ten. However, the song fell short, peaking at #12. It did hit the Top Ten on the R&R chart and was played regularly on the stations I listened to (especially U93, which played it well into the summer). It was easily my favorite of their two 1985 hits, as well as possibly my favorite song from them of all time! 24: SOME LIKE IT HOT - THE POWER STATION (30) - One of several Duran Duran side projects. This song was OK, but I generally preferred Duran Duran, including their hit on this week's chart 23: ONLY THE YOUNG - JOURNEY (16) - Their first Top Ten hit since "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" exactly two years before (although lead singer Steve Perry had a Top Ten hit in the year between). From the Vision Quest soundtrack, this song had peaked at #9 the week before. It was a good song, but not quite my favorite song from them. 22: KEEPING THE FAITH - BILLY JOEL (21) - Many people thought he was done putting out hits from An Innocent Man, as it had been awhile since the last single, "Leave A Tender Moment Alone" had charted, and it only got as high as #27. But he surprised everybody by releasing a sixth single, and it proved to be worthwhile, as it was a Top 20 hit. It was a good song, but I preferred many others from them, including a few from said album. 21: ALONG COMES A WOMAN - CHICAGO (26) - A landmark single for them, as this was their last Top 40 hit before Peter Cetera left the band for a solo career. It was a pretty good song, though I preferred several others from them. 20: ALL SHE WANTS TO DO IS DANCE - DON HENLEY (24) - The second release from Building The Perfect Beast. It's my least favorite of the singles, however - for some reason, this song never did much for me. OPTIONAL EXTRA: ONE LONELY NIGHT - REO SPEEDWAGON - They had a big #1 earlier in the year (one of my personal faves by them, might I add). I figured that this song, their second hit from Wheels Are Turnin' (as well as another personal favorite) would hit the Top Ten, but it only got as high as #19 (which isn't bad either). Their biggest pop success was definitely in 1981, with Hi Infidelity. 19: ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK - MURRAY HEAD (27) - As usual, this song started out with the classical prelude, which I liked. The song itself is pretty good too, although it was quite overplayed back in the day! They usually edited this one (heavily at times), but they seemed to play the song intact. 18: DON'T YOU (FORGET ABOUT ME) - SIMPLE MINDS (28) - Their first four hits sounded very much alike, IMO. This was my least favorite of the four (probably since it was way overplayed). I do like the movie from which it came, The Breakfast Club. 17: THE HEAT IS ON - GLENN FREY (11) - The highest peaking song from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, peaking at #2 two weeks before. It was not bad, but I generally preferred him with the Eagles. 16: PRIVATE DANCER - TINA TURNER (7) - She was definitely hotter than ever at this point, as this, the title track from her current album, had recently become her third consecutive Top Ten hit. It was a good one - not sure which of the Private Dancer singles I prefer. 15: HIGH ON YOU - SURVIVOR (8) - They were in the midst of their second wave of popularity. Their first, in the early-80s, had yielded them three Top 40 hits, including their monster #1 smash "Eye Of The Tiger". After being absent from the Top 40 for two years, they were back with their album Vital Signs, which yielded them three Top 20 hits. I liked this one, but preferred the other two, especially "I Can't Hold Back", which remains one of my favorite songs from them of all time! 14: OBSESSION - ANIMOTION (19) - Their first of three Top 40 hits from this technopop band from Los Angeles. It was their biggest hit and I thought it was a decent song, but I preferred their other Top Ten hit, "Room To Move", from 1989. 13: MISSING YOU - DIANA ROSS (15) - The first of two tributes to the late Marvin Gaye, who had an even 40 Top 40 hits, 24 of them during the "Beatle Years", making him the biggest solo artist of that era. This was my favorite of the two tributes. 12: JUST ANOTHER NIGHT - MICK JAGGER (15) - Of course, he had been singing lead with the Rolling Stones (who were still together and not done hitting the charts), but he had a few solo hits, including this, which was his biggest hit on his own (his biggest was the aforementioned "Dancing In The Street" with David Bowie). 11: SOMEBODY - BRYAN ADAMS (13) - He definitely got quite a lot of mileage out of his Reckless album - the six singles released from it kept him on the chart for most of 1985, and this was the second of them. I liked this song, but preferred a few others from him, including a few from the same album. 10: TOO LATE FOR GOODBYES - JULIAN LENNON (6) - Well, then is it early enough for helloes? No, seriously, this was pretty good, but possibly my least favorite of his singles. OPTIONAL EXTRA: FRESH - KOOL & THE GANG - This was the second of four hits from the album Emergency (in fact, three of them hit the Top Ten - ironically, the only one that did not was the title track). This was my favorite of that album's singles. 9: RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT - DEBARGE (18) - This song turned out to be their biggest hit ever, getting as high as #3 back in May. It was a good one, but I preferred their next hit, "Who's Holding Donna Now", which turned out to be their second best hit, peaking at #6 that summer. 8: I'M ON FIRE - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (14) - He was still cranking out hit after hit from his Born In The USA album. This was the fourth one, which would peak at #6 the following week. It was a great song - one of my favorites from Born In The USA. 7: NIGHTSHIFT - COMMODORES (10) - The second of the two Marvin Gaye tributes on the chart this week, only this one also paid homage to Jackie Wilson, another R&B great who had also passed away in 1984. This song was OK, but the Commodores were just not the same without Lionel Richie. 6: CAN'T FIGHT THIS FEELING - REO SPEEDWAGON (3) - Here's a band whose power ballads seemed to be favored by the Top 40 audience, as their three Top Five hits were all such songs. This song, which was one of my all-time faves from them, had just come off of a three-week run at #1, though, with more weeks in the Top Ten and Top 40, their 1981 hit #1 "Keep On Lovin' You", which spent a single week at #1, was their biggest hit (of course, inasmuch as the charts did not move as fast in 1981 as they did in 1985, that may not be a fair comparison). LDD: STILL - COMMODORES - As mentioned earlier, this song was placed just two songs after their current hit "Nightshift" (although, in this case, it was with two different lead singers, as Lionel Richie hadn't yet left the band when this song was recorded). Anyway, this song used to get a "No. Just No" (a comment that I seldom use anymore), but now I like it better than I used to. Not sure how appropriate this is for the dedication, as it was from a woman to her husband, who she was happily married to, while the lyrics to "Still" imply that the relationship is coming to an end. 5: LOVERGIRL - TEENA MARIE (4) - Often regarded as a one-hit wonder, "Lovergirl" was actually Teena's second hit. Her first, "I Need Your Loving", peaked at #37 in early 1981. This song fared much better, reaching its peak this week at #4. This song is pretty good, though I do remember disliking this song during its chart run. 4: CRAZY FOR YOU - MADONNA (9) - This song was the biggest mover on the chart over the past two weeks and made a good-sized jump this week, so it was no surprise that this song hit #1. In fact, as we all know, this song turned out to be the top song of 1985, according to Radio & Records, and deservedly so, as it was a great song! 3: MATERIAL GIRL - MADONNA (2) - This marked the first time since the summer of 1979 that the same artist had two songs in the Top Five at the same time. This was at #1 on the R&R chart the week before, and it was looking like it may do the same on the Hot 100, but it had to settle for second place, as another song leapfrogged over it and still another song pushed it back a spot this week. This was my least favorite of her 1985 hits, but it was still a good one. OPTIONAL EXTRA: JUST A GIGOLO/I AIN'T GOT NOBODY - DAVID LEE ROTH - His second hit from Crazy From The Heat, a mini-album containing four songs, all of them cover versions of older hits. 2; WE ARE THE WORLD - USA FOR AFRICA (5) - At the beginning of the show, after Casey recapped the previous week's Top Three, he mentioned the big jump to #5 that this took and implied that it could hit #1 this week, like I'm sure many people thought it would (in fact, as fast as it was selling and with all the airplay it was receiving, I was surprised that it did not). I'm sure it didn't miss by much, though. Anyway, it was a good song for a great cause. 1: ONE MORE NIGHT - PHIL COLLINS (1) - This was the song that denied Madonna from having her second #1 hit (no matter, in addition to the one she had about a month later, she would have many more in years to come). This was is also the song that was strong enough to prevent "We Are The World" from hitting #1 this week, so it was apparently a very powerful hit!
Coming up next week: Well, we just found out that 1988 is actually next week's "A" show (I told you it wasn't out of the question). The back-up show is April 18, 1981, which was also featured as a "B" show last year, so I'll be posting a recycled commentary for that one, along with a brand-new one for 1988, which has not been touched since 2010.
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Post by mrjukebox on Apr 14, 2019 12:12:02 GMT -5
"Hotel California" was another song that was heavily edited as well.
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Post by Hervard on Apr 19, 2019 13:32:42 GMT -5
This week's "B" show was played just last year, so here's a recycled commentary...
American Top 40: The 80s - April 14, 2018
This week's presentation - April 18, 1981
Droppers: ME WITHOUT YOU - ANDY GIBB (40) - He was unstoppable in the late-70s, but he wore out pretty quickly in the 1980s. This was his last Top 40 hit, and it just barely made it, peaking in the anchor position. I seem to remember that this song was pretty good - had a nice melody. CELEBRATION - KOOL & THE GANG (30) - I remember this song quite well - aside from radio airplay, it got a lot of play on juke boxes, such as the one at Pizza Hut, a place that my dad would take my brother and me to every Sunday for dinner back in early 1981. WINNER TAKES IT ALL - ABBA (20) - Wow, all the droppers were ten spaces apart last week, and at the cusp of each chart zone. This, sadly, would be their final Top Ten hit. It, along with "Dancing Queen" (which we heard on this week's 70s "B" show) were my two favorites from them. Too bad that it dropped off, especially from such a high position!
LW#1: KISS ON MY LIST – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES 40: LOVED YOU LIKE I NEVER LOVED BEFORE – JOHN O’BANION (debut) - The only top 40 hit from this Kokomo native (the city in Indiana, that is; not the place the Beach Boys were singing about). It was a pretty decent song; had sort of a sixties sound to it. 39: WASN’T THAT A PARTY – THE ROVERS (debut) - Meh, this was a little goofy for my tastes. I remember their hit in 1968, "The Unicorn" was used as the intro music for a segment called "Ark In The Park" (basically, a taped segment of a trip to Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo) on the old Ray Rayner Show from the 1970s 38: MISTER SANDMAN - EMMYLOU HARRIS (39) - Interesting remake of the old Chordettes hit. I slightly prefer the original, but this one was good too. 37: HOLD ON LOOSELY - .38 SPECIAL (debut) - This is one of those mid-charters that now receives more radio airplay than ever. Of course, I prefer many others from them, but this is still a good song. 36: TURN ME LOOSE - LOVERBOY (36) - Here is another such song. It looked like it was peaking this week, but it did manage to get a spot higher the following week before falling out of the Top 40. Perhaps the fact that the above two songs were the debut hits of the bands who sing them have something to do with their recurrent airplay. Anyway, this song was pretty good, but I preferred several others from this Canadian band. 35: THE PARTY’S OVER (HOPELESSLY IN LOVE) - JOURNEY (37) - This was one of their songs where the (main) title isn't heard until near the end, like "Don't Stop Believin'", which hit the chart at the end of that year. As for the song, it wasn't bad, but it was one of my least favorite songs from them. Casey mentioned that this was a live recording, but, in fact, it was not; it was a studio recording on an otherwise live album (thanks davewollenberg for this factoid). 34: WHAT KIND OF FOOL – BARBRA STREISAND & BARRY GIBB (18) - We almost missed this song completely this year, as, on the last 1981 show, the song was a week away from debuting, and this week, it was spending its final week in the Top 40. Glad we got to hear it, because this was a great song - easily my favorite of their two duets! I liked how the other Bee Gees sing back-up during the final choruses. 33: WATCHING THE WHEELS – JOHN LENNON (38) - This one reminds me of his 1971 hit "Imagine". I like both songs about the same, but my favorite song from John's Double Fantasy album would have to be "(Just Like) Starting Over" (which, BTW, is coming up as a LDD in Hour 2). 32: SUKIYAKI – A TASTE OF HONEY (34) - Their second and final Top 40 hit. I liked this, but preferred the 1994 remake by 4PM - that one had more interesting chord progressions. 31: I MISSED AGAIN – PHIL COLLINS (35) - Phil's first solo hit, which, to this day, I just can't believe he didn't include on his HITS album, as it was his very first solo hit. It was a great one, too - one of my favorite of his solo hits. 30: I LOVE YOU – THE CLIMAX BLUES BAND (32) - Here's one I remember quite well, as I was taking swimming lessons during the summer of 1981 and I heard this song almost every day at the pool. It is one of the songs I associate most with that summer! A great song indeed - easily my favorite of their two Top 40 hits. ARCHIVES: THE GAME OF LOVE – WAYNE FONTANA & THE MINDBENDERS - Another band who had two Top 40 hits. This was their first one, and the only one to hit the top (though their other one, "Groovy Kind Of Love" didn't miss by much, peaking at #2 the following year. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SINCE I DON'T HAVE YOU - DON McLEAN - A song, originally by the Skyliners, that has been covered many times, by artists like Art Garfunkel, Guns 'N Roses, and this one - my favorite version of the song, as well as one of my favorite songs by Don McLean, right up there with "American Pie" and "Vincent" 29: HOW ‘BOUT US - CHAMPAIGN (31) - As I’ve said before, it’s pretty much a toss-up between their two hits as to which one is my favorite. Both are great songs, IMO. 28: IT’S A LOVE THING – THE WHISPERS (29) - They had six songs that peaked in the lower half of the Hot 100 before finally hitting the Top 40 the year before. This was their third song and this is where it peaked. Their next Top 40 hit would be their biggest, getting as high as #7 in the late summer of 1987. LDD: (JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER – JOHN LENNON - Interesting how all three of Lennon's Final Fantasy singles are represented in this week's countdown. As stated earlier, this is my favorite of those, and it definitely fit the dedication. I wonder if the woman who had been in the process of filing for divorce from her husband managed to work things out, like she had started hoping when she heard this song on the radio on the way to the courthouse to finalize the divorce. 27: BETTE DAVIS EYES – KIM CARNES (33) - Casey mentioned that her first two hits made the Top Ten back in 1980. With such an average chart jump this week, who knew that this song would spend the better half of the summer at #1, becoming the top song of the year in the process? It was definitely worthy - one of the best #1 hits of 1981! 26: YOU BETTER YOU BET – THE WHO (28) - Here's one I remember quite well! It sounds a lot like Pete Townshend's solo hit from the previous year, "Let My Love Open The Door", and I always thought it was Townshend singing lead, but, in fact, it was Roger Daltrey. This was one of my favorite songs by the Who. 25: SWEETHEART – FRANKE & THE KNOCKOUTS (27) - They had a trio of Top 40 hits in the early-80s. All three were great hits, but this was by far my favorite! 24: TOO MUCH TIME ON MY HANDS - STYX (26) - Their second Top Ten hit from the Paradise Theater album. Even though I prefer the first of those, "The Best Of Times", this is also a good one - a song I learned to like a little better over the years (since I used to think it was mediocre). 23: TIME OUT OF MIND – STEELY DAN (25) - Wow, lots of songs moving up two spots this week! This was their final Top 40 hit. This one had their trademark jazz/rock sound heard in most of their Top 40 hits. I preferred this song over "Hey Nineteen", but I generally preferred the songs from Aja. 22: JUST BETWEEN YOU AND ME – APRIL WINE (22) - Here's a song that appeared to be at its peak position, as it was in its second week at #22, but the song moved up a spot the following week. Anyway, this is one I remember from back in the day. It was a great song, IMO. 21: AIN’T EVEN DONE WITH THE NIGHT – JOHN COUGAR (23) - This one had fallen into obscurity until about fifteen years ago, when it began being played on 80s stations. It's a good song, though not quite his best. ARCHIVES: MRS. BROWN YOU’VE GOT A LOVELY DAUGHTER – HERMAN’S HERMITS - Meh, this was OK, but the voice was kind of annoying. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SUPER TROUPER - ABBA - This was about where their "The Winner Takes It All" was in the countdown the week before. The song was OK, but I prefer it predecessor. 20: TAKE IT ON THE RUN – REO SPEEDWAGON (24) - Their second Top 40 hit and, like the first one, it was a power ballad. I love both songs but slightly prefer this one. 19: DON’T STOP THE MUSIC – YARBROUGH & PEOPLES (19) - Yes, please stop the music - especially this one, because it’s quite annoying. 18: LIVING INSIDE MYSELF – GINO VANELLI (21) - A good way to save money on rent! But seriously, this was probably my favorite of his two Top Ten hits. EXTRA: TAKE GOOD CARE OF MY BABY – BOBBY VEE - Interesting story about how the infamous plane crash that killed three rock & roll greats was instrumental in starting his music career. 17: 9 TO 5 – DOLLY PARTON (16) - This song had been moving down really slowly over the past few weeks, but the law of gravity set in the following week, as it fell clean out of the Top 40. Anyway, Dolly Parton's first pop hit, "Here You Come Again" peaked at #3, and after four songs that missed the Top Ten, she had her very first #1 hit. It was a great song - one of my favorites from her. 16: SOMEBODY’S KNOCKIN’ – TERRI GIBBS (17) - 15: HELLO AGAIN – NEIL DIAMOND (13) - Another song that took a small drop this week, but would fall out of the countdown the following week. This was the second of three Top Ten hits by Neil Diamond from "The Jazz Singer". It was my least favorite of the three, but it was a great song nevertheless. 14: CRYING – DON McLEAN (7) - You could definitely tell that this was a Roy Orbison song (as it sounded a great deal like "Blue Bayou"). This was another one of my favorite songs by McLean. 13: HER TOWN TOO – JAMES TAYLOR & J.D. SOUTHER (15) - A one-time collaboration that saved the second artist from the dreaded "one hit wonder" title. It was a great song - too bad it just barely missed the Top Ten. 12: KEEP ON LOVING YOU – REO SPEEDWAGON (9) - I believe this would be considered their biggest hit ever. "Can't Fight This Feeling" may have spent two more weeks on top, but this song had more staying power - it spent two more weeks in the Top 40 than that song spent on the Hot 100. This was a song I definitely remember from its chart run, and I never got tired of it - a great power ballad indeed! 11: I CAN’T STAND IT – ERIC CLAPTON AND HIS BAND (11) - This song looked like it would just barely miss making the Top Ten, as it was stuck at #11 for three weeks. But the song did manage to climb another spot to peak at #10 in early May. I believe this was the only Top 40 that credited "his band". The song is not quite my favorite from him, but there are several songs that I prefer this over ("Tears In Heaven" comes to mind). Did anyone else notice the bad edit in this song? It sped up slightly halfway through the song and then, as Casey was outro-ing the song, it switched to the original speed, which sounded a little choppy and they wanted to insert a better version of the song, but somehow, it didn't start right away, after Casey was done giving the intro. ARCHIVES: TICKET TO RIDE – THE BEATLES - One of many of their big hits during the 1960s and a somewhat rare one with a playing time exceeding three minutes. This song was pretty good, but I prefer many others from them. OPTIONAL EXTRA: A WOMAN NEEDS LOVE (JUST LIKE YOU DO) - RAY PARKER, JR. & RAYDIO - Statistically, their biggest Top 40 hit ever. Reminds me a lot of their 1979 hit "You Can't Change That". Both are great songs; not sure which one I prefer. 10: DON’T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME – THE POLICE (10) - They had their first Top Ten hit ever earlier in the year and this song matched its peak position the week before. Of their three big 1981 hits, this one was definitely my favorite. 9: THE BEST OF TIMES - STYX (3) - This was their first of two Top 40 hits from Styx' Paradise Theater album, as well as my favorite of those two (though, as I mentioned earlier, I do like the other one, "Too Much Time On My Hands" more than I had previously). Both are great songs! 8: BEING WITH YOU – SMOKEY ROBINSON (14) - This song was mediocre at best. I preferred much of his earlier material, including hits with the Miracles. 7: WHILE YOU SEE A CHANCE – STEVE WINWOOD (8) - This song, which was at #1 on the R&R chart this week, was Winwood's first Top 40 (solo) hit. It was possibly my all-time favorite song from him. LDD: FEELS SO GOOD – CHUCK MANGIONE - Sort of unusual for an instrumental song to be a LDD, but the title of the song did indeed fit the story. 6: ANGEL OF THE MORNING – JUICE NEWTON (12) - This successful country artist crossed over to Pop with this one. I like it, but preferred most of her other Top 40 hits. 5: WOMAN – JOHN LENNON (4) - This was technically Lennon's first posthumous hit, as "Starting Over" had been released before Lennon's untimely death. It came very close to hitting #1, but couldn't quite get past REO Speedwagon or Blondie. It did, however, spend a month at the top on the R&R chart. Anyway, this has always been one of my favorite John Lennon songs. 4: JUST THE TWO OF US – GROVER WASHINGTON JR. (5) - This song was gearing up to spend a pair of weeks atop the R&R chart. It almost made it here on the Hot 100, but just barely fell short. It was a great song - kind of reminds me of "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" by Paul Simon. 3: MORNING TRAIN – SHEENA EASTON (6) - I used to like this song a lot, but now it is, in fact, one of my least favorite songs from her. OPTIONAL EXTRA: TIME - ALAN PARSONS PROJECT - The first song from Parsons to use Eric Woolfson on lead vocals (which proved to be a good tactic, as they had many of their biggest hits with him). This song used to make me cry, until a friend of mine made a funny parody. 2: RAPTURE - BLONDIE (2) - They were definitely a hot item in the early 1980s - had the top song of 1980, and two #1 songs in early 1981. This was the second of those two, and definitely my favorite! 1: KISS ON MY LIST – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (1) - 1981 was definitely a great year for them, as they had two #1 hits, as well as two Top Five hits, one of which went on to hit #1 in early 1982. Of those four songs, this was definitely my favorite.
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Post by Hervard on Apr 19, 2019 13:34:38 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - April 20, 2019
This week's presentation - April 23, 1988
Droppers: I GET WEAK - BELINDA CARLISLE (39) - She came so close to having two consecutive #1 hits, but this one just missed. This was definitely my favorite song from her sophomore album, as well as one of my all-time faves from her! HYSTERIA - DEF LEPPARD (38) - The title track from one of the biggest selling albums of the 1980s, and the first of four Top Tens from it. It was a good one - reminded me a little of "State Of The Heart" by Rick Springfield, from three years prior. FATHER FIGURE - GEORGE MICHAEL (34) - He was really on a roll with big solo hits - this was his second #1, and he definitely didn't stop there. I like this song a lot better than I did back during its chart run. SITTIN' ON THE DOCK OF THE BAY - MICHAEL BOLTON (22) - Bolton's second chart hit, featuring Journey's Neil Schon on guitar. It was a good one - I actually preferred this cover over the original by Otis Redding, which had topped the chart exactly 20 years before this one reached its peak of #11.
40: ONE GOOD REASON – PAUL CARRACK (debut) - It looked like this song was somewhat riding on the coattails of his Top Ten hit from earlier in the year, "Don't Shed A Tear", as it only got as high as #28. I liked both songs about the same, but my favorite of Carrack's solo hits was his AC hit from 1997 "For Once In Our Lives". 39: STRANGE BUT TRUE – TIMES TWO (debut) - A faceless band, but a great song! I felt it was underrated. 38: EVERYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (debut) - Definitely one of the most successful duos of all time, having many chart hits over the past twelve years (though they had been absent from the chart for three years as Daryl had a brief solo career). This, however, would end up being their final Top Ten hit. This was pretty good, but I prefer many others from them. 37: GOING BACK TO CALI (FROM “LESS THAN ZERO”) – L.L. COOL J. (31) - Now THIS was back when rap was somewhat tolerable, and not loud and obnoxious! I liked this song, though I preferred his first Top 40 hit "I Need Love". 36: MY GIRL - SUAVE (debut) - The fourth rendition of this song that was first a hit for the Temptations a year before this LA singer was even born. It was a great rendition of the song, updated to fit the late-80s more. That said, I'm somewhat surprised that it did not get any higher than #20 on the charts. 35: NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP – RICK ASTLEY (25) - YAHHH!! I'VE BEEN RICKROLLED!!! That was pretty much a guarantee with any show from 1988, up until October, when "It Would Take A Strong, Strong Man" dropped from the chart. That song, BTW, was my favorite of his 1988 songs. This would be my second favorite. 34: SAY IT AGAIN – JERMAINE STEWART (37) - Had this one been released about five to ten years before, it might have gotten higher than #27, as it sounds a little more like something from earlier in the 1980s. Of his two Top 40 hits, this was my favorite. 33: KISS AND TELL (FROM “BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY”) – BRYAN FERRY (35) - Ferry was, of course, the lead singer of the band Roxy Music, famous for songs like "Love Is The Drug" and "More Than This". This was a good song - too bad it didn't get any higher on the charts than #31. In fact, it dropped out of the Top 40 the following week. 32: DREAMING – ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK (36) - They had a total of four hits on the charts, and this was their second biggest behind "If You Leave". It was pretty much a toss-up between this one and "So In Love" as my favorite song by them. 31: ONE MORE TRY – GEORGE MICHAEL (40) - When "Father Figure" was riding high on the charts, I listened to the "Faith" album for the first time and heard this song. I loved it instantly and hoped it would be released next and, sure enough, it was. This was one of very few songs to top the chart for more than two weeks in 1988. How I miss the days when the charts moved fast! There was absolutely no need for a recurrent rule. 30: I WANT HER – KEITH SWEAT (18) - He was definitely a big hit on the Black Singles chart, but he had a few pop crossovers. This was pretty good, but my favorite song from him would be "I'll Give All My Love To You", from early 1991. OPTIONAL EXTRA: CIRCLE IN THE SAND - BELINDA CARLISLE - This was her fourth and final Top Ten hit. This song was OK, but not one of my favorites by her by a longshot. I preferred "I Get Weak", along with the two Wild Horses singles in 1989 and 1990. 29: PIANO IN THE DARK – BRENDA RUSSELL FEATURING JOE ESPOSITO (32) - Wow, a song by my second cousin! No, seriously, I thought this song was a great one. With such a weak chart move, it looked like this one wasn't going to do very well, but it had a rather persistent chart run. I like this almost the same as “So Good, So Right”. 28: CHECK IT OUT – JOHN COUGAR MELLANCAMP (14) - This was the third and final Top 40 hit from The Lonesome Jubilee, and it was my favorite of the three - a great song indeed! 27: PAMELA - TOTO (31) - This was their second hit with a woman's name. I wasn't a big fan of this song, since, at the time the song was charting, there was someone in my life by that name that I wasn't too fond of. I definitely preferred their other "woman's name" hit (and so did the Pop audience, as that song spent five weeks in the runner-up position, while this song didn't even hit the Top 20). 26: YOU DON’T KNOW – SCARLETT & BLACK (20) - Don't they sound a little like Glass Tiger? When I first heard this song, I knew that Glass Tiger had a new song out and I thought that this was it, but it turned out that it was not. Anyway, I liked this song which is has pretty much fallen into obscurity. 25: I WISH I HAD A GIRL – HENRY LEE SUMMER (28) - Ah, a fellow Hoosier here! I liked this song, but preferred his next single, "Darlin' Danielle Don't". Too bad that song didn't make the Top 40. 24: ENDLESS SUMMER NIGHTS – RICHARD MARX (16) - This song narrowly missed the top spot, but the act at #1 was just too strong for him. But he would also eventually hit #1 - in fact, he did with his next hit. The song wasn't bad, but I preferred many others from him. Interesting story about the endless summer days that materialize in the summer up near the north pole (as there is no such thing as endless summer nights). 23: FISHNET – MORRIS DAY (24) - A song produced by Jimmy Jam Harris & Terry Lewis. It's a catchy song that reminds me a little of "Fake" by Alexander O'Neal (also a Jimmy Jam Harris /Terry Lewis production) 22: TWO OCCASIONS – THE DEELE (27) - This song used to be the "Nighty Night" song for Open House Party with John Garabedian. I liked it, but preferred several songs that Babyface did on his own later on down the line. 21: WAIT – WHITE LION (29) - This was one of two Top Ten hits by this band, and this one was far and away my favorite song of the two ("When The Children Cry" was too maudlin for my tastes). 20: I DON’T WANT TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU – FOREIGNER (30) - I usually like their slow songs, but this one was kind of dull (and I read somewhere that Lou Gramm wasn't a fan of this one either - which had something to do with how under-sung this was). 19: OUT OF THE BLUE – DEBBIE GIBSON (11) - The third single and title track of her second album. This was so far my favorite song from the album (though "Only In My Dreams" was a close second), but of course, my favorite was the fourth single, which went all the way to #1 in June. 18: SHATTERED DREAMS – JOHNNY HATES JAZZ (26) - I know three songs by them - their two Top 40 hits, as well as their AC hit "Turn Back The Clock". Not sure if I prefer this song or the AC hit (as I like both), but I preferred both over "I Don't Want To Be A Hero". For some reason, that one never did much for me. 17: NAUGHTY GIRLS (NEED LOVE TOO) – SAMANTHA FOX (23) - Meh, I preferred "Touch Me", as well as her cover of "I Only Wanna Be With You". I never cared much for this one. 16: ALWAYS ON MY MIND – PET SHOP BOYS (21) - Of the four versions that I've heard (of which Casey played a montage on the April 9 show), this one was far and away my favorite. The other versions were so bland (though I've kind of warmed up to Willie Nelson's version over the years). There was something about the techno beat to this song that made it such a great rendition of the song. 15: ROCKET 2 U – THE JETS (7) - I'm not generally a big fan of their upbeat songs, but I actually liked this one. 14: ELECTRIC BLUE - ICEHOUSE (19) - This Aussie band was a two-hit wonder on the charts, as they had two Top 20 hits in 1988. They had peaked at #14 early in the year with "Crazy" and got as high as #7 with this one. They were both great songs, IMO. 13: ONE STEP UP – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (17) - This was a good song. Of course, I've mentioned that this song sounds like something Gordon Lightfoot would sing. It was the third and final Top 40 song from Springsteen's Tunnel Of Love album. In fact, it would be his last Top 40 song for about four years. 12: SOME KIND OF LOVER – JODY WATLEY (10) - This song was pretty good, but pretty much "Don't You Want Me Part 2". 11: MAN IN THE MIRROR – MICHAEL JACKSON (4) - Michael was still on a hot streak with #1 hits - he had already had four from his Bad album alone, which was a record at the time. He would secure the record even more with a fifth #1 two months later. As for my opinion of the song, it definitely has a good message, but is still far from being his best. 10: PROVE YOUR LOVE – TAYLOR DAYNE (13) - This one was mediocre at best. It paled in comparison to her debut hit "Tell It To My Heart", IMO. 9: PINK CADILLAC – NATALIE COLE (12) - The second of two Springsteen hits on this week's countdown! Of course, Springsteen himself originally recorded this one - wasn't featured on any of his albums, but it was the B-side to "Dancing In The Dark" (as well as a concert favorite). I actually preferred this version of the song, though only slightly - both versions are great, IMO. 8: ANYTHING FOR YOU – GLORIA ESTEFAN & MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (15) - Their first and only #1 hit (though Gloria would log two more #1s billed as a solo artist). I liked this song, but I still prefer a few others from Gloria Estefan, both with the Miami Sound Machine and solo. LDD: BORN IN THE U.S.A. – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - Wow, Springsteen did a hat trick on the show this week! The story was a little depressing, however, as it was from a girl who'd planned to take her aunt to see Bruce Springsteen, but the aunt died before she got the chance 7: I SAW HIM STANDING THERE - TIFFANY (9) - Interesting how this song fared better on the charts then the original by the Beatles. While the latter peaked at #14 back in 1964, Tiffany's cover did twice as well, getting as high as #7. As for this song - though I tended to like her more mellow hits like "Could've Been" and "All This Time", I liked this one - by far, my favorite of her two mid-sixties remakes (since the other one was way overplayed). 6: ANGEL - AEROSMITH (8) - I don't think I ever got tired of this song. I wasn't sure it was going to be a big hit, due to its weak initial chart performance, but it picked up steam and became their biggest hit ever, a boasting right it would retain for ten more years. 5: GIRLFRIEND - PEBBLES (6) - The Deele had their own hit back at #22 and they produced this one (in fact, they were featured singing the second bridge of this song - and even got their name dropped in the song, which was sort of just there, IMO - I didn't like it or hate it. I did like "Mercedes Boy", though. 4: WISHING WELL – TERENCE TRENT DARBY (5) - Like "Angel", this song had sort of a slow start on the charts, but it didn't stop until it went all the way to the top! I liked it, but preferred his next hit, "Sign Your Name". 3: GET OUTTA MY DREAMS, GET INTO MY CAR – BILLY OCEAN (1) - The spoken part at the beginning was apparently inspired by "Get Off My Cloud" by the Rolling Stones. But it apparently worked, as it made it to #1 - and was R&R's biggest CHR hit of 1988 - and deservedly so, as this was one of my favorite of his upbeat hits. 2: DEVIL INSIDE - INXS (2) - This song just missed becoming the first song with the word "Devil" in the title to hit #1 (and as far as I know, it hasn't happened yet, has it?) Well, anyway, this was my second favorite INXS song from 1988 (behind "New Sensation") but I'm not generally a huge fan of them for some reason. 1: WHERE DO BROKEN HEARTS GO – WHITNEY HOUSTON (3) - Up until this week, Whitney had been in a tie with Madonna for the most solo number ones by a female, with six apiece. With this song, Whitney pulled into first place all by herself (and those seven number ones were consecutive, to boot!). However, this was the last in that streak, as her next release, "Love Will Save The Day", in fact, barely touched the Top Ten. Of Whitney's seven #1s, this was my favorite, so I'm glad that this song made it all the way to the top!
Coming up next week: The 1980 "A" show drought continues, as they're going with the April 26, 1986 show instead. Oh well, at least it has been longer than a mere month since the last 1986 show.
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