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Post by Hervard on May 24, 2019 12:36:20 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - May 25, 2019
This week's presentation - May 24, 1986
Well, this week's "B" show was played as an "A" option this weekend last year, so it's recycled commentary time...
American Top 40: The 80s - May 26, 2018
This week's presentation - May 24, 1986
WHAT YOU NEED - INXS (39) - Given how overplayed their "Kick" songs were, I liked their non-"Kick" songs better. This one was pretty good, even though it is also rather overplayed. ROCK ME AMADEUS - FALCO (37) - Of course, my opinion on this song depends on what version it is. Generally, they played the more annoying one - the one with the Amadeus life chronology. I liked the one that started out with "Ooh, Rock Me Amadeus", which they played a few times - they even once played a version that seemed to be a combination of the two during one of its number one weeks. LET'S GO ALL THE WAY - SLY FOX (36) - Good song - an 80s mix show essential! Two weeks before, Casey talked about how this song was originally a hit the year before and it was re-released in 1986. STICK AROUND - JULIAN LENNON (34) - I like this and "Say You're Wrong" about the same. I heard that his song "Want Your Body" was next to be released, but it didn't go anywhere. Too bad, as it was such a beautiful song.
40: MANIC MONDAY – THE BANGLES (29) - This was their breakthrough song. IMO, it was a great one. Their best song was their next release, "If She Knew What She Wants" (which is one of this week's Optional Extras). Their worst, of course, was the next one after that. Come on, you know the title! 39: YOUR WILDEST DREAMS – THE MOODY BLUES (debut) - As big as this legendary band was, it's a surprise that they only had three Top Ten hits. This was one of them, peaking at #9 the following week, and deservedly so, as it is one of my all-time faves from them! 38: WHERE DO THE CHILDREN GO – THE HOOTERS (debut) - Surprisingly, this was the lowest peaking Top 40 hit of 1986 - somehow, there were no songs peaking at #39 or #40 that year - the only year in which that happened, as far as I know. This was also the only "one-week wonder" that year, as the song dropped out the following week. 37: LIKE NO OTHER NIGHT - .38 SPECIAL (debut) - This was the only Top 40 hit from their sixth studio album, Strength In Numbers (the follow-up, "Somebody Like You" ran out of gas at #48 in late August). In fact, this would be their final Top 40 hit until 1989, by which time Max Carl became lead singer and, of course, they weren't 38 Special anymore (in my book, anyway). Of course, we all know that this is one of my three favorite songs by this band from Florida. 36: AMERICAN STORM – BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (24) - I like this song a lot. One of the few from his second Greatest Hits album that I like. Kinda reminds me of Springsteen's "Born To Run". 35: TUFF ENUFF – THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS (debut) - Though I'm not a huge fan of clsssic rock, this one was actually pretty good. 34: HARLEM SHUFFLE – THE ROLLING STONES (19) - This song was mediocre at best; definitely not one of their best hits. But it did have a fast-rise, fast-fall chart run; in fact, it was a rare Top Five hit that did not make the year-end chart. 33: VIENNA CALLING - FALCO (38) - This song pretty much rode the coattails of "Rock Me Amadeus", as it didn't do anywhere near as well (the fact that it was somewhat of a novelty song could have been instrumental in that as well). I did prefer this song slightly, since it wasn't quite as overplayed, but still, it wasn't one of my favorite songs. 32: WHO’S JOHNNY (“SHORT CIRCUIT” THEME) – EL DEBARGE (40) - This one I liked quite significantly better than "Rhythm Of The Night". I thought the video was funny too. I associate this one with the summer of 1986 since you don't hear it much anymore. This was the first of two members of DeBarge to chart on his own in 1986 (His brother, Chico, of course, charted with a solo hit at the very end of that year called "Talk To Me". 31: RAIN ON THE SCARECROW – JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (37) - The week before, this was a rare occurrence in which a song was requested as a LDD. Prolly not; The farmer who requested it had likely listened to the album, heard the song, and realized that it fit the plight he was talking about in the dedication. LDD: CHERISH – KOOL & THE GANG OPTIONAL EXTRA: MAD ABOUT YOU - BELINDA CARLISLE - Her first solo hit after leaving the Go-Go's. Duran Duran member Andy Taylor, who himself would have a solo Top 40 hit a few weeks later played electric guitar in this song. The song was not bad, though I sure had different sentiments about it back during its chart run! 30: KISS – PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION (17) - Meh, not a fan of this one, or any of his falsetto songs (well, except for "Mountains"). 29: ALL THE THINGS SHE SAID – SIMPLE MINDS (31) - This one was basically a combination of their three previous songs. I thought it was OK. 28: I WANNA BE A COWBOY – BOYS DON’T CRY (33) - Like "Vienna Calling", the fact that it was basically a novelty song is probably why this didn't hit the Top Ten. I liked it, though, but I got tired of it around the time it peaked on the chart. Still, it's good to hear it every now and then. 27: MOTHERS TALK – TEARS FOR FEARS (30) - This song was pretty good, although the lyrics didn't really make sense. I definitely prefer "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" and "Head Over Heels" over this. Still, I preferred this song over "Shout". 26: TOMORROW DOESN’T MATTER TONIGHT - STARSHIP (28) - This was a classic example of Third Single Syndrome, as the first two singles from Knee Deep In The Hoopla had hit #1, yet this was all the higher this song got, which is too bad, as it was a great song! I liked this one better than several of their Starship releases (like "Sara" and "It's Not Over ('Til It's Over)") Still, "It's Not Enough" is the best, IMO. 25: HOLDING BACK THE YEARS – SIMPLY RED (32) - The first of several big hits by this English band headed up by Mick "Red" Hucknall. When I first heard this song when it debuted on the R&R chart the previous week, I was like, wow, what a great song! However, the song was quite overplayed and I grew tired of it. Still, it's good to hear every now and then. 24: ROUGH BOY – ZZ TOP (22) - This was somewhat of a rare bird - a ballad by ZZ Top. Up to now, most of their songs were rockers (although they sort of went the pop way with their Afterburner album). Anyway, as seldom as they did slow songs, they seemed to do pretty good with them, IMO, anyway, as this was one of my favorite songs from them. 23: NEVER AS GOOD AS THE FIRST TIME - SADE (20) - Most of their songs were chill-out type songs, and this was definitely one of them. It was nice and relaxing. 22: NO ONE IS TO BLAME – HOWARD JONES (27) - Of his two Top Ten hits, this would be my favorite, hands down. It's another song that takes me back to the summer of 1986, which was an especially good one for me (trust me; it's a long story!). Anyway, I was kinda disappointed that this was nixed from the "CT40 Summer Hits of the 1980s, due to the cutoff rule. 21: A DIFFERENT CORNER – GEORGE MICHAEL (26) - It had been announced a few months back that George and Andrew were parting ways later on in the year. George was already launching his solo career, with the first of many Top 40 hits. I wasn't too keen on this song, however, since it was so maudlin. OPTIONAL EXTRA: LIKE A ROCK - BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND - Ah, the Chevy Trucks song! I liked this, but preferred "American Storm". 20: NOTHIN’ AT ALL - HEART (25) - The fourth of five singles from Heart's self-titled album and the last to hit the Top 40 (the fifth hit "If Looks Could Kill" ran out of gas at #54). This song was a good one, though definitely not their best. 19: THERE’LL BE SAD SONGS (TO MAKE YOU CRY) – BILLY OCEAN (23) - Now this song DID make the aforementioned CT40 Summer Hits of the 1980s. It's yet another song I associate with Summer, 1986 since radio stations played it all the time. It wasn't one of my favorite songs back then, but I really like it now. 18: CRUSH ON YOU – THE JETS (21) - The breakthrough hit from this family act from Minneapolis. I wasn't a big fan it, however, since I generally preferred their ballads (though their next hit, "Private Number", which just missed the Top 40 later on in the year, was pretty good. 17: ADDICTED TO LOVE – ROBERT PALMER (10) - Definitely one of the most overplayed hits of the 80s. I rather liked this song back in the day, but I'm still burned out on it (since the song still continues to receive a ton of recurrent airplay). 16: MOVE AWAY – CULTURE CLUB (18) - They had a wave of popularity throughout 1983 and the first half of 1984, but after that, they sort of fizzled out, so they decided to wait another year before giving it another shot. Unfortunately, it was less than stellar, as this song missed the Top Ten (at least it did peak higher than either of their songs from their last album Waking Up With The House On Fire). This was their last hit as a group (though Boy George had two more solo Top 40 hits) 15: YOUR LOVE – THE OUTFIELD (6) - The first of a handful of Top 40 hits from this British band who apparently knew nothing about baseball, despite their name (though the outfield that they refer to is that of the game of Cricket). This was a good song, but I preferred their next single, "All The Love In The World", which charted that summer. 14: IS IT LOVE – MR. MISTER (15) - They were pretty much a flash in the pan, but their first three singles did quite well, all reaching the Top Ten (the first two making it all the way to the top!) This song was a good one, though I slightly preferred "Broken Wings". 13: BE GOOD TO YOURSELF – JOURNEY (16) - The first of four Top 40 hits from their Raised On Radio album. Though it's my least favorite of the singles, I still think it's a good one. 12: SOMETHING ABOUT YOU – LEVEL 42 (13) - This song sure got a lot of mileage on the chart. Spent 14 weeks on the chart, which was unusually long for a song that did not even hit the Top Five (it was even more impressive on R&R - peaked at #9 and spent 15 weeks in the Top 40 - which tied it with several other songs for the longest run on the chart within 1986). I can see why it did so well, as it was an awesome song! 11: WHY CAN’T THIS BE LOVE – VAN HALEN (3) - The Van Hagar era was off to a running start, as the band's very first hit with their new lead singer Sammy Hagar hit the Top Three! It was a great song, though I did slightly prefer the next two hits from 5150. 10: ALL I NEED IS A MIRACLE – MIKE & THE MECHANICS (14) - They were relatively new at the time, but were doing quite well, with their first hit having hit the Top Ten, and this one on the verge of doing the same. Of their first two hits, this was my favorite, though I did prefer a few others from them, including their next single "Taken In". OPTIONAL EXTRA: IF SHE KNEW WHAT SHE WANTS - THE BANGLES - As I mentioned earlier, this was my favorite song by the Bangles (and, of course, it ended up being their lowest peaking chart hit). Then, of course, their next song, one of my least favorites from them, had to go and become the biggest hit of 1987. Oh well, this song did well on my Personal Top 30 chart, spending seven weeks on top, good enough to become the #2 song of the year, behind "All Cried Out" by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam and company. 9: I CAN’T WAIT – NU SHOOZ (12) - What I couldn't wait for was this song to go poof! I was not a big fan of this one at all. I much preferred Stevie Nicks' song of the same title from earlier that year! 8: BAD BOY – MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (8) - This one had sort of an old Motown sound to it. It was the second of many big hits for this band from Cuba (and even more for the lead singer, Gloria Estefan, who would go on to have a successful solo career several years later). It was a good one; my favorite of their 1986 hits 7: TAKE ME HOME – PHIL COLLINS (7) - Many people thought that "Don't Lose My Number" was the final hit from No Jacket Required, but I believe they were holding off on new releases from the album to give "Separate Lives", his duet with Marilyn Martin, a chance (which proved to be worthwhile, as that song went all the way to the top). They resumed with No Jacket Required singles here with a song that closes out most of his concerts. A great song indeed! LDD: SOMEWHERE – BARBRA STREISAND - Interesting choice for a LDD, since it never hit the Top 40 chart. It was, however, a big AC hit earlier in the year, so apparently the author of the dedication listened to AC music as well as Pop. It was indeed fitting for the dedication. 6: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY – JANET JACKSON (4) - The first of many, many hits that Janet would place on the charts. However, this was one of my least favorite songs from her. I generally liked her later songs. 5: IF YOU LEAVE – ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK (9) - Of their four Top 40 hits, this was their only Top Ten (and is the only song of theirs that gets any recurrent airplay). I preferred their other three hits, my favorite being "So In Love", which, oddly enough, sounds a lot like this one. 4: WEST END GIRLS – THE PET SHOP BOYS (2) - This was an example of a band's first hit being their biggest, making it all the way to the top! It was a good one, but I preferred several others from them, including their next hit "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money)". 3: ON MY OWN – PATTI LaBELLE & MICHAEL McDONALD (11) - Wow! With a big jump like that, one would expect this one to hit #1 the following week, but not quite. It was nice enough to wait for the two above songs to have their turn at #1 and then made it three weeks later, spending as many weeks on top. Back in the day, I couldn't stand this song at all (overplay, as well as the fact that I didn't like the song in the first place), but it was one of those songs that ages like fine wine. I think it's a great song now. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE OUR CLOTHES OFF - JERMAINE STEWART - I always got this song confused with "How Will I Know" by Whitney Houston, as the drum intros sounded alike. I never knew what song it was until the instruments kicked in. This was a good song with a good message. 2: LIVE TO TELL - MADONNA (5) - This song was a week away from becoming her third number one hit, and there was a lot more where that came from! Of her two number one song in 1986, this was my favorite by a decent margin (as I didn't care much for "Papa Don't Preach". 1: GREATEST LOVE OF ALL – WHITNEY HOUSTON (1) - One of Whitney's best songs ever, and it became popular in the LDD department. This is a song that I never got tired of and it still sounds as fresh as it did 30 years ago! Glad that it ended up as her biggest hit from her debut album (as far as weeks at #1 go). Speaking of which, this was the first time that a debut album generated more than two number one hits. And, of course Whitney was also in the midst of another streak, which was the longest consecutive string of number one songs - seven in all.
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Post by jamie9012 on May 29, 2019 15:58:23 GMT -5
Greetings Here is one of two Critiques that over the next few Days I will upload. One will be from the Year, that is listed on the second of bobbo428's recent Critique. The other follows now, and will be from the Year after. I had planned originally to include only 20 Songs, but I had to extend it. The Reason: there are so many good Songs in the first half! May 6, 1972 40: DIARY – BREAD – What a heartbreaking Song. This could definitely make tears flow. 39: EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE – BOBBY VINTON – A #24 Hot 100 hit for him. 38: MISTER CAN’T YOU SEE – BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE – A pleasant upbeat Song, the only Top 40 Hit for this Singer who originates from Saskatchewan, Canada. It reminds me a bit of the Song “Jeder Weg hat mal ein Ende” from Marianne Rosenberg. 37: SYLVIA’S MOTHER – DR. HOOK AND THE MEDICINE SHOW – Another very melancholy Song, written by Shel Silverstein. #5 US, #9 DE, #3 CH. In Germany and Switzerland it charted later in the Year. 36: WALKIN’ IN THE RAIN WITH THE ONE I LOVE – THE DRAMATICS – The first Minute sounds very sensual. The spoken parts are definitely a sign that Barry White wrote it. Actually, is that him playing the part as her lover? 35: YOU COULD HAVE BEEN A LADY – APRIL WINE – This hit for the band from Canada was recorded first by the British band Hot Chocolate. 34: NICE TO BE WITH YOU – GALLERY - Simple tune, that is pleasant at the same time. #4 US, #28. 33: HELP ME MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT – GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS – It feels like the Music is on the edge of breaking out into a , but struggles to maintain its reserved sound. For the lyrics, which Gladys delivers with much Emotion, it seems to involve something besides romance. Perhaps the future is generally unclear? She seems to be asking for some kind of Strength, that she doesn’t know. 32: ROUNDABOUT – YES – Excellent rock staple from this group from England. 31: I SAW THE LIGHT – TODD RUNDGREN – R&B-flavored pop number, which would be his second Hot 100 Hit. 30: JUMP INTO THE FIRE – HARRY NILSSON – I do not know if they ever played the full album Version of this, but the Bass played in the bridge is absolutely killer! Actually, the single Version may include that section; I can’t remember. #27 US, #34 DE. 29: TAXI – HARRY CHAPIN – One of his story Songs, that makes you want to continue listening. An engaging one about two former lovers, from this Singer, who died much too soon. 28: (LAST NIGHT) I DIDN’T GET TO SLEEP AT ALL – THE 5th DIMENSION – Not even Medication for sleeping could help her… A nice Song, that reached #8 on the Hot 100. 27: RUN, RUN, RUN – JO JO GUNNE – Classic rock hit that sounds like “Lido Shuffle”, a Song from singer Boz Scaggs that was released a few Years later. This band was itself named after a Song from Chuck Berry. 26: LITTLE BITTY PRETTY ONE – THE JACKSON 5 – A cool remake of the Song that was written in the 1950s. 25: ME AND JULIO DOWN BY THE SCHOOLYARD – PAUL SIMON – The follow-up to his hit “Mother And Child Reunion”. Let your Imagination take you away… 24: CANDY MAN – SAMMY DAVIS JR. – Pretty sweet Song, even if the Rat Pack member did not like it much. It climbed to #1 in June 1972. 23: TUMBLING DICE – THE ROLLING STONES – An edgy Single from the legendary band, like a good amount of their music. Musically engaging throughout. #7 US, #17 DE. 22: HEART OF GOLD – NEIL YOUNG - His second Top 40 hit as a solo Singer. Excellent Song all throughout. #1 US and CA, #6 DE. 21: PUPPY LOVE – DONNY OSMOND - #3 on the Hot 100. Remake of a Paul Anka hit. 20: SLIPPIN’ INTO DARKNESS – WAR – Their third Top 40 hit, it peaked at #16. 19: MORNING HAS BROKEN – CAT STEVENS – I have been hearing his Version lately on the Radio, although I am more familiar with Nana Mouskouri’s version from around the same time. Both are very enjoyable. #6 US, #37 DE. 18: SUAVECITO – MALO – Relaxing Latin-tinged number. The only hit for this band from California, in which Jorge Santana (Brother of Carlos Santana) was a member. Smooth! 17: HOT ROD LINCOLN – COMMANDER CODY & HIS LOST PLANET AIRMEN – Perhaps he should take that car onto the Autobahn… 16: A COWBOY’S WORK IS NEVER DONE – SONNY & CHER – Their final Top 10 hit, reaching #8 US. #48 DE. 15: IN THE RAIN – THE DRAMATICS – Our second outing into the Rain within two Hours. 14: BABY BLUE – BADFINGER – The last of their four Top 40 Hits. #14 US, #30 DE. 13: CASTLES IN THE AIR – DON McLEAN – While not as big a hit as the 8-Minute “American Pie”, this one is just as enjoyable. From his Album “Tapestry”, released in 1970. 12: THE FAMILY OF MAN – THREE DOG NIGHT - #12 US, #38 DE. One of those Bands, that I associate with the early 1970s, especially for American Top 40. 11: OH GIRL – THE CHI-LITES – Sad but beautiful Soul number from this Chicago-formed band. On the way to #1. 10: BACK OFF BOOGALOO – RINGO STARR - #9 US, #12 DE, #8 CH. 9: LOOK WHAT YOU DONE FOR ME – AL GREEN – His third Top 40 hit. It peaked at #4. 8: DOCTOR MY EYES – JACKSON BROWNE – A great start from one of the most respected singers in the Industry (as I seem to recall Casey Kasem saying in a later Episode)! 7: I’LL TAKE YOU THERE – THE STAPLE SINGERS – Oh I definitely love this one! 6: A HORSE WITH NO NAME – AMERICA – Memories of GTA: San Andreas, wandering around Angel Pine, the Back o’Beyond, and ascending Mount Chiliad! But long before it was released (and when Videogames were themselves in their Infancy), a #1 Hot 100 hit for this Band formed in England. 5: DAY DREAMING – ARETHA FRANKLIN – What a Day for a day dream – what a Day for a… No, it is not that Song. 4: ROCKIN’ ROBIN – MICHAEL JACKSON – It definitely calls for the Springtime. #2 for Michael. 3: BETCHA BY GOLLY WOW – THE STYLISTICS – A great R&B Hit for this Band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 2: I GOTCHA – JOE TEX - It so much sounds like James Brown but he did not write it. 1: THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE – ROBERTA FLACK – The real breakout hit for this great Singer from North Carolina. Although not her first Top 40 Hit (that was You’ve Got A Friend with Donny Hathaway), this one remained for six Weeks at the top. My Extra: APRÈS TOI – VICKY LEANDROS – From the Greek Island of Korfu comes this-then 23-year-old (depending on the source). She is part of a musical family; her Father, Leo Leandros, had also been in the 1950s and 1960s successful in Greece and in Germany. She came with her Family to Germany in 1958, and beginning in the 1960s racked up a number of successful hit Songs. The trend continued into the 1970s with one of them being this, her second representation at the Eurovision Song Contest. The Singer speaks of the sadness she will feel because her lover has found another: A Translation was used to help me with the French, but this still may not be completely correct.
“Qu’apres toi, je ne pourrai plus vivre” “Non, plus vivre qu’en souvenir de toi” “Apres toi, j’aurai les yeux humides” “Les mains vides, le coeur sans joie” “Avec toi, j’avais appris a rire” “Et mes rires, ne viennent que par toi” “Apres toi, je ne serai que l’ombre” “De ton ombre, après toi”
“(That) after you, I will not be able to live” “Not to live, just by remembering you” “After you, my Eyes will have Tears” “My Hands empty, a Heart without joy” “With you, I learned to laugh” “And my happiness came from you” “After you, I will be only a Shadow” “Of your Shadow, after you”Vicky represented Luxembourg with “Après toi” at the 1972 Contest, which in that year took place in the UK. It would be that Year’s winner, with 128 Points scored. Also performing well on the music Charts, it spent seven long Weeks at #1 in Switzerland and reached #11 in Germany. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka89ORFu_Tc – From the Contest in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd8vbRaHBuw – Studio Version. Thank you for reading.
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Post by pb on May 31, 2019 15:16:05 GMT -5
26: STAY THE NIGHT - CHICAGO (28) - Based on the way that this song, their first song from the Chicago 17 album, peaked at #16, it looked like it might not be a very big singles album, but the next two hits proved that theory wrong, as they both hit the Top Five - in fact, on the R&R chart, they were both #1s. I preferred those two songs, (especially "Hard Habit To Break") but this was a good one as well. A rare rock song (sort of) for the band at this point. I guess that was a reason for its limited success compared to the other singles.
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Post by Hervard on May 31, 2019 18:15:27 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - June 1, 2019
This week's presentation - June 4, 1977
Droppers: I GOT LOVE ON MY MIND - NATALIE COLE (39) - This was, statistically, her biggest hit ever. I think it's a good one, but I preferred her 1980s and 1990s hits. EVERYBODY BE DANCIN' - STARBUCK (38) - This group is generally known as a one-hit wonder, as the only song that most people know from them is "Moonlight Feels Right", which this one sounds a lot like (even contains the same instruments). But I preferred their bigger hit, which hit the Top Five the previous summer. CALLING DR. LOVE - KISS (22) - 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. SO INTO YOU - ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION (21) - Another somewhat sporadially charting band, like Tavares. This was a great song - not sure whether I prefer this or "Imaginary Lover", their two Top Ten hits (sort of a similar situation with Kiss). RIGHT TIME OF THE NIGHT - JENNIFER WARNES (19) - This song was written by Peter McCann, who himself had a hit in this week's Top 40. This was my favorite of the two hits, as well as one of my faves from Jennifer Warnes.
40: SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT – MANFRED MANN’S EARTH BAND (debut) - After the success of the Springsteen-penned "Blinded By The Light", they decided to give this song, which had originally bombed the year before, peaking at #97, another shot. Well, though it did fare better the second time around, it didn't get any higher than #40. It was actually a pretty good song - I'm surprised it didn't do any better than it did. 39: THIS IS THE WAY THAT I FEEL – MARIE OSMOND (debut) - She just didn't seem to cut it without Donny. Even though her first solo hit, "Paper Roses" was a Top Ten hit, her two follow-ups barely scraped into the Top 40. This song wasn't bad, but nothing special either. 38: KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU - ABBA (debut) - Their second of two hits from 1977 ("The Name Of The Game" doesn't count, as it wasn't even heard on AT40 until 1978). Though I preferred "Dancing Queen", this one was a great song as well! 37: HOLLYWOOD – RUFUS FEATURING CHAKA KHAN (debut) - Their seventh Top 40 hit - your typical 70s R&B slow jam. It was not bad, but I preferred a few others from the band, as well as Chaka Khan as a solo artist. 36: LIDO SHUFFLE – BOZ SCAGGS (18) - Definitely one of the hits that I associate with the spring of 1977 (the station that I listened to played it well into the summmer as well). My favorite of his hits! 35: SLOWDOWN – JOHN MILES (37) - This was the only Top 40 hit for this Jarrow, England native. The song was OK, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. 34: GONNA FLY NOW (THEME FROM “ROCKY”) – MAYNARD FERGUSON (35) - The first of two versions of this song on the chart. I preferred Bill Conti's version, which was in the Top Ten. 33: DA DOO RON RON – SHAUN CASSIDY (debut) - The first of three Top Ten hits for Shaun Cassidy, and the biggest, as it would hit #1 in July. Of the two charted versions of this song, I definitely prefer this one. 32: I JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING – ANDY GIBB (37) - The only of the Gibb brothers that was not in the Bee Gees, but his solo career was definitely a success! His first three singles all hit #1. This was by far my favorite song from him (and it eventually went on to become AT40's top song of 1977). 31: BACK TOGETHER AGAIN – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (34) - The follow-up to their first #1 song. The song, however, didn't do anywhere near as well as "Rich Girl" and as for me, I prefer the latter, though this one wasn't bad either - reminded me a little of Earth, Wind & Fire. 30: MY HEART BELONGS TO ME – BARBRA STREISAND (40) - Her second of two Top Five hits during the year 1977. Both are great songs, but I slightly prefer this one. 29: ARIEL – DEAN FRIEDMAN (37) - This may have been his only Top 40 hit, but it definitely got a lot of mileage, especially for a song that peaked at #26 - ten (non-consecutive) weeks in the Top 40 and 22 on the Hot 100! I love this song - heard it many times on my Barry Scott's Lost 45s CD. 28: LOVE’S GROWN DEEP – KENNY NOLAN (31) - A two-hit wonder, although I imagine that most people don't remember this one, as it has fallen into obscurity. Not sure if I prefer this or "I Like Dreamin'", though the latter tends to get stuck in my mind. OPTIONAL EXTRA: BARRACUDA - HEART - A high point in the show for our friend JessieLou. I used to think this song was just OK, but I've recently gotten to like it a lot recently. 27: HIGH SCHOOL DANCE – THE SYLVERS (29) - Their first two hits made the Top Five, but this one petered out at #17. Can't really call this "Third-Single Syndrome", as the three songs weren't from the same album. This song wasn't bad, but my favorite from them was "Boogie Fever". 26: DO YOU WANNA MAKE LOVE – PETER MCCANN (30) - The first of at least two songs on the countdown during 1977 that McCann wrote. As stated earlier, I prefer the other song; this one was way too schmaltzy IMO. 25: UPTOWN FESTIVAL - SHALAMAR (26) - Five classic Motown songs woven into a medley. Pretty good. 24: MAINSTREET – BOB SEGER (25) - His second release from "Night Moves" and my favorite of the two. This one was doing quite well at first, but hit a brick wall this week, moving up only a single spot, then falling out of the Top 40 the following week. Too bad, as it was a great song! 23: SLOW DANCIN’ DON’T TURN ME ON – ADDRISI BROTHERS (27) - There were several "two-hit wonders" on the countdown this week. Their first hit charted in 1972 and five years later, they came back with this song, which eventually peaked at #20. This one was OK, but nothing special. 22: WHODUNIT - TAVARES (23) - They seemed to chart sporadically throughout the 70s. I like a few of their songs, but this wasn't one of them (too repetitive). 21: MARGARITAVILLE – JIMMY BUFFETT (24) - This song's not bad, but quite overplayed. I preferred other songs from him, such as "Cheeseburger In Paradise" and "Fins". They usually butchered this one, cutting out the instrumental bridge, as well as the ending (when he repeats the last two lines of the chorus) and this week was no exception. Did they ever play this song intact during its chart run? 20: LOOKS LIKE WE MADE IT – BARRY MANILOW (33) - This was his third and final #1 hit. No matter; he'd have many more big hits. This was by far my favorite of his #1 songs. 19: LIFE IN THE FAST LANE – THE EAGLES (28) - This song was off to a promising start, with its high debut and large chart jump this week, but the song just barely missed the Top Ten, ending the streak that they had going (though the streak would have been broken anyway in early 1979, as "Please Come Home For Christmas" wasn't on the chart long enough to hit the Top Ten, as it was a seasonal hit). As for this song, I liked it, but preferred their two other "Hotel California" hits. 18: SOUTHERN NIGHTS – GLEN CAMPBELL (12) - 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. 17: HELLO STRANGER – YVONNE ELLIMAN (15) - 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. 16: JET AIRLINER – THE STEVE MILLER BAND (20) - The second of four Top 40 hits for the band during 1977 (and the lead-off single from Book Of Dreams). Definitely one of their best hits. 15: HEARD IT IN A LOVE SONG – THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND (17) - Another "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). 14: AIN’T GONNA BUMP NO MORE (WITH NO BIG FAT WOMAN) – JOE TEX (16) - Meh, not a fan of this one at all. OPTIONAL EXTRA: EASY - THE COMMODORES - This was when their musical quality began to improve, as their first few hits were mediocre. This remains one of my favorite Commodores songs of all time! 13: HOTEL CALIFORNIA – THE EAGLES (11) - The title track from one of their biggest albums ever and, as stated earlier, one of my favorites from them. A true classic which has aged quite well! Anyone notice the sloppy ending at the beginning, as Casey's intro was ending? 12: ANGEL IN YOUR ARMS - HOT (13) - Another one-hit wonder, though, like "Undercover Angel", it went quite a long way, spending 19 weeks on the chart. I used to like this one, but not so much anymore, as it's about infidelity - plus the music is kind of boring. 11: UNDERCOVER ANGEL – ALAN O’DAY (14) - This was his only charted hit of his own, but he did write several other big hits ("Angie Baby" by Helen Reddy, for instance). As for this song, well, I love it! Definitely one of the best #1 hits of 1977, IMO. 10: WHEN I NEED YOU – LEO SAYER (2) - 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. 9: FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME - FOREIGNER (10) - The first of many hits for this legendary band, and a great one at that - both the song and the band! 8: LONELY BOY – ANDREW GOLD (9) - 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, but the other song is a close second. Both are great songs, IMO. 7: LUCILLE – KENNY ROGERS (8) - 400 children and crap in the field? Oh wait, that's something else... Anyway, this was pretty good, but I prefer many others from him. 6: COULDN’T GET IT RIGHT – THE CLIMAX BLUES BAND (7) - Kind of suspicious how, in a tight Top Ten, this song managed to move up a spot. Moreover, Casey never mentioned this song's chart movement this week. A few people have speculated that they got this and the Leo Sayer song's chart positions switched the week before (as the latter held at #2 after falling out of the top, then lunging to #10 this week), but we'll never know for sure. Anyway, the Climax Blues Band was another two-hit wonder. Of course, we all know that I preferred their other hit, from four years later. This one was pretty good as well 5: GONNA FLY NOW (THEME FROM “ROCKY”) – BILL CONTI (6) - This song was in the midst of taking it step-by-step all the way to the top. As mentioned earlier, this was my favorite of the two on this week's chart. 4: GOT TO GIVE IT UP PART 1 – MARVIN GAYE (5) - I'm generally not a huge fan of Marvin Gaye, but for some reason, I like this one. Kind of a surprise, as this one has been compared to "Blurred Lines", which I still hate with a passion. 3: DREAMS – FLEETWOOD MAC (4) - 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, OPTIONAL EXTRA: GIVE A LITTLE BIT - SUPERTRAMP - Quite a pleasant surprise that they played this song intact, seeing that it was an Optional Extra. Of course, maybe they were making it up to us for all the songs in the countdown that were edited. 2: I’M YOUR BOOGIE MAN – K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND (3) - One of two Top Five hits from them in 1977. I preferred the other one, which just narrowly missed hitting #1 several months later. 1: SIR DUKE – STEVIE WONDER (1) - Interesting that, except for the bookends, every song in the Top Ten was moving up a spot. Even more interesting - every rising song in the Top Five would end up hitting #1, but none of the other songs in the lower half of the Top Ten. Anyway, in this song, 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.
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Post by Hervard on May 31, 2019 18:17:53 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - June 1, 2019 This week's presentation - June 2, 1984 Droppers: NO MORE WORDS - BERLIN (37) - For some reason, this one reminded me somewhat of "Breakdance" by Irene Cara, coming up later in the show. It wasn't a bad song, but I preferred "Take My Breath Away". IT'S MY LIFE - TALK TALK (31) - This song wasn't that big of a hit (didn't even crack the Top 30), but it gets a significant amount of recurrent airplay, mainly due to No Doubt's cover from about 20 years later. I prefer the remake, but the original's not bad either. THEY DON'T KNOW - TRACEY ULLMAN (26) - She was more of an actor, but she did manage to have one Top 40 hit. It was a good song. FOOTLOOSE - KENNY LOGGINS (23) - It seems that lately, I hear this song everytime I turn on the radio, especially Sunny 101.5, which I have my car radio locked into pretty much full time. AUTHORITY SONG - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (21) - John's version of "I Fought The Law (And The Law Won)". A great, fun song indeed! LW#1: LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY – DENIECE WILLIAMS 40: MUSIC TIME - STYX (debut) - This would be their final Top 40 hit for another six and a half years, and it just barely made it, as #40 was where it peaked. The song was OK, but definitely not one of my favorite songs by them! 39: I CAN DREAM ABOUT YOU - DAN HARTMAN (debut) - He'd hit #1 as a part of the Edgar Winter Group in 1973 with "Frankenstein", and returned to the Top Ten on his own with this song. Back in the day, I couldn't stand this song, but think it's a pretty good one now, but still, I preferred his next two hits "We Are The Young" and "Second Nature". 38: WHISPER TO A SCREAM (BIRDS FLY) - ICICLE WORKS (40) - My supervisor at work has taken an interest in this band lately. This was their only Top 40 hit. Typical mid-80s new wave music, it's a pretty good song, IMO as well. 37: WHAT IS LOVE - HOWARD JONES (debut) - Neither of his songs from his first album hit the Top 20, but he'd have much better luck with his next album Dream Into Action, which would be released the following spring and spawn three hits, each of which hit the Top 20. As for this song, it's a good one, but I preferred his other 1984 hit "New Song". 36: LEGS - ZZ TOP (debut) - The first of two Top Ten hits (both of which peaked at #8) for this southern rock band, as well as pretty much their only hit that gets any sort of recurrent airplay, although I do occasionally hear "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Gimme All Your Lovin", though neither of those hit the Top 30. 35: INFATUATION - ROD STEWART (debut) - This song has been compared to his Top Five hit from early 1981, "Passion", since both songs sound alike. I preferred the latter of the two songs - this one never really did much for me. 34: LOVE WILL SHOW US HOW - CHRISTINE McVIE (35) - Her second (and, as it turned out, final) solo Top 40 hit, from her second of three solo albums. 33: DANCE HALL DAYS - WANG CHUNG (38) - One of many newcomers to the chart in 1984. This was actually their second hit, and one of theirs that gets the most recurrent airplay (along with "Everybody Have Fun Tonight"). This song was OK, but I preferred most of their other hits. 32: MAGIC - THE CARS (39) - The second of five singles from Heartbeat City, and my favorite of the five by a fair margin. Definitely released at the right time of year, as it had that summertime sound to it (I seem to remember the video was very summerlike as well). 31: ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE - SCORPIONS (25) - The first Top 40 hit from the city in Germany where the hamburger originated, though I had heard their music before - two years before, they had a song that got heavy airplay on Chicago station WLS, called "No One Like You". I liked this song, but slightly preferred their two 1991 hits. 30: MY EVER CHANGING MOODS - THE STYLE COUNCIL (32) - There's a little resemblance between this song and "The Game Of Love" by Santana/Michelle Branch. I prefer the latter, but this song was pretty good as well. 29: MODERN DAY DELILAH - VAN STEPHENSON (34) - The only Top 40 hit for this Hamilton, Ohio native (and, sadly, it will stay that way, as he passed away back in 2001). Too bad, as this was a good song - had sort of a country rock sound to it. 28: LOVE SOMEBODY - RICK SPRINGFIELD (15) - Rick seemed to still be on a roll at this point. That said, who knew that this song, a great one, would be his final Top Ten? LDD: PRIVATE EYES – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES - I'm not sure how fitting this song is for the dedication, as I've always regarded it as a "stalker" song. The author didn't seem to be stalking his former lover; he just kept in contact with her, as she did with him. Nevertheless, the song is a good one, though I prefer its soundalike song "Kiss On My List". 27: WHO'S THAT GIRL - THE EURYTHMICS (30) - The first of two songs by that title that charted in the 1980s. While it is true that this is one of my least favorite songs by the Eurythmics, I must say that I do prefer it over the other song, by Madonna, of course, since the latter was way overplayed (and I never really liked it in the first place). As for the Eurythmics, I think we all know what my favorite song from them is! 26: STAY THE NIGHT - CHICAGO (28) - Based on the way that this song, their first song from the Chicago 17 album, peaked at #16, it looked like it might not be a very big singles album, but the next two hits proved that theory wrong, as they both hit the Top Five - in fact, on the R&R chart, they were both #1s. I preferred those two songs, (especially "Hard Habit To Break") but this was a good one as well. 25: RUN, RUNAWAY - SLADE (27) - The first of two songs that they charted with in 1984 (as well as their only two chart hits). Their second hit, a ballad entitled "My Oh My" would make a brief appearance on the chart later in the summer. This song, a rocker, was my favorite of their two hits. 24: HOLD ME NOW - THE THOMPSON TWINS (10) - It's not often that my favorite song by an artist is also their biggest, but such is the case with this song. A great song indeed! 23: EYES WITHOUT A FACE - BILLY IDOL (33) - Be truthful now - how many of you, like me, thought he was asking the object of his affection to dinner or a movie? (as in "Hows About A Date"). Definitely a common misheard lyric. This was a good song, though my favorite song by him would probably be "Sweet Sixteen". 22: ALMOST PARADISE…LOVE THEME FROM "FOOTLOOSE" - MIKE RENO AND ANN WILSON (29) - This, of course, was the love theme from Footloose. One of my favorite singles from the soundtrack - in fact, it might be second to Kenny Loggins' "I'm Free" as my favorite Footloose song! 21: YOU MIGHT THINK - THE CARS (12) - I already mentioned that "Magic" was my favorite song from the Heartbeat City. This one was possibly my second favorite, since it was a good one as well. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT - COREY HART - Wow, he was offered the role of Marty McFly in Back To The Future? I wonder if that would have affected the airplay of his hit that summer "Never Surrender"? (I'm thinking probably not). Anyway, this was the first Top 40 hit for this Montreal, Canada native, and one of his biggest. I like it, but I preferred most of his other hits. 20: YOU CAN'T GET WHAT YOU WANT (TILL YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT) - JOE JACKSON (24) - Possibly THE longest song title of 1984! Anyway, this song was a good one (great horn section), but I personally preferred "Is She Really Goin' Out With Him" and "Breakin' Us In Two". 19: HEAD OVER HEELS - THE GO-GO'S (11) - With the exception of the annoying "We Got The Beat", I like all of their songs about the same. They're all good ones! 18: DANCING IN THE DARK - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (36) - Wow! What an impressive chart leap! Looked like this had "number one" written all over it (and it would have gone to #1 if not for that crapfest by Prince!). It did, however, manage to sneak in a week at #1 on the R&R chart. This was also the first of an incredible seven singles from Springsteen's album Born In The USA, all of which made the Top Ten. 17: DANCING IN THE SHEETS - SHALAMAR (17) - Well, we go from "Dancing In The Dark" to "Dancing In The Sheets", the latter of which is generally done in the dark, but let's not get any further into that... Anyway, this was another hit from the Footloose soundtrack. However, this wasn't one of my favorites, from the album or the band. My favorite song from them would be "The Second Time Around". 16: IT'S A MIRACLE - CULTURE CLUB (20) - With its strong early chart action, one would think that this was a cinch to hit the Top Ten. Not quite - it only got as high as #13 two weeks later. This pretty much showed that people were getting tired of the band, who'd been on the charts continually for nearly a year and a half. I disliked this song when it was on the chart, but I think it's pretty good now, though nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. 15: THE LONGEST TIME - BILLY JOEL (14) - Interesting that all the voices in this song are Billy Joel - I always thought he had several singers backing him up. Anyway, I liked this song, as well as the An Innocent Man album as a whole, due to its wide variety of music styles. 14: JUMP (FOR MY LOVE) - THE POINTER SISTERS (22) - I have never liked the title of this song - it's like she's treating her man like a dog, making him do tricks for her to love him. If I was dating someone like that, I'd pack my bags and be outta there! 13: I'LL WAIT - VAN HALEN (16) - This song has sort of an early-80s classic rock feel to it. I think it's a good one, and I prefer it over their recent #1 song. 12: BORDERLINE - MADONNA (18) - Her first of many Top Ten hits, and definitely one of her best songs ever, IMO. Like was usually the case, they played the single version of the song, but there were a few shows on which there was enough time to play the album version (where the choruses, especially the last one, are longer, as are a few of the instrumental parts). This song also showed tenacity on the charts, as it spent 15 weeks on the chart which, back then, was unusually long for a song that peaked at #10. 11: SELF CONTROL – LAURA BRANIGAN (19) - This was a song that, back in the day, I did not like at all, but now I think it's pretty decent. Still, I prefer a few others from her. 10: TO ALL THE GIRLS I'VE LOVED BEFORE - WILLIE NELSON & JULIO IGLESIAS (6) - A true guilty pleasure, as many people I know hate this song, due to the cheese factor, as well as the fact that Julio wasn't very good at singing English. This was a song with the huge peak difference on the Billboard & R&R charts - while it climbed all the way to #4 on the former, it only climbed as high as #15 on the latter. Two years before, that was very commonplace, but by 1984, such discrepancies were quite rare. This song must have been a huge seller (it did reach gold status). OPTIONAL EXTRA: WHEN DOVES CRY - PRINCE - I think that I disliked this song even more than "Self-Control" back during its chart run. And guess what - I still dislike it even more. Not sure why, this one just didn't do much for me (though I did like his other Purple Rain singles). 9: BREAKDANCE - IRENE CARA (9) - This is probably my least favorite of her Top 40 hits. I was never a big fan of breakdance music (although I did occasionally partake in the fad, mainly at school dances). 8: THE HEART OF ROCK 'N' ROLL - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (13) - They seemed to like the #6 spot on the countdown, as three of their five hits from Sports peaked there. I used to really like this song, but overplay tarnished my fascination for this song somewhat, though it's still a pretty good song. My favorite Sports single would be the next one, "If This Is It", which charted later that summer. LDD: CAT’S IN THE CRADLE – HARRY CHAPIN - This song was very appropriate for the dedication, which was very sad. The stepdad of the author of the dedication was ordered by the court that he couldn't see his kids from a previous marriage anymore. 7: AGAINST ALL ODDS (TAKE A LOOK AT ME NOW) - PHIL COLLINS (4) - This song had recently spent three weeks at #1, and deservedly so, as its one of his all-time best! Too bad Van Halen had to go and beat this song out for the top song of 1984, according to Radio & Records. 6: SISTER CHRISTIAN - NIGHT RANGER (8) - Like I've said before, I became the butt of many jokes since this song contains my name, but it is still one of my favorites from them nevertheless. Too bad they cut out the second verse, but at least they left in the guitar solo in the middle - that was one of the best parts of the song. 5: THE REFLEX - DURAN DURAN (7) - I tell you what, I liked many songs from them, but never really got into this one. 1984 just wasn't their best year, IMO (though I did like "New Moon On Monday" - by far my favorite of their songs that charted that year). 4: OH SHERRIE - STEVE PERRY The very first solo hit from the man who was still actively the lead singer of Journey. He would have a total of four hits from Street Talk, but this was the biggest of the bunch - a great song IMO (though I don't know what cinnamon gum has to do with anything) 3: HELLO - LIONEL RICHIE (2) - This may not have been his BIGGEST hit, but it was definitely one of them, and it's also one of my favorites from Lionel. Glad this song made it to #1! 2: TIME AFTER TIME - CYNDI LAUPER (3) - Possibly THE most successful newcomer of 1984, with four Top Five hits from her debut album. This was the second of them, and possibly my least favorite, since it's somewhat depressing. It's still not bad, though. Interesting story about time measurement. 1: LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY - DENIECE WILLIAMS (1) - As the biggest hit from the Footloose soundtrack, this song was a very close second to the title track. I hated this song when it was on the chart, due to all the overplay, but now, it's good to hear it every once in awhile instead of everytime I turn on the radio. Coming up next week: We have a twofer offering - the first being the June 5, 1982 show, with June 11, 1988 as the "B" option. The last time either of these shows were heard was 2015, and it was flipped around, with 1988 being the "A" show and 1982 as the "B".
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Post by mga707 on May 31, 2019 22:53:55 GMT -5
9: BREAKDANCE - IRENE CARA (9) - This is probably my least favorite of her Top 40 hits. I was never a big fan of breakdance music (although I did occasionally partake in the fad, mainly at school dances). Listening to this song today I was struck by how utterly 'generically '80s-sounding' it is! I could picture it in a montage sequence in a generic '80s movie!
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Post by mrjukebox on Jun 1, 2019 20:21:37 GMT -5
Hervard,you made a slight error regarding Shaun Cassidy-He actually had four top forty hits-The last one was "Do You Believe In Magic?" in the spring of 1978.
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Post by Hervard on Jun 2, 2019 10:37:00 GMT -5
Hervard,you made a slight error regarding Shaun Cassidy-He actually had four top forty hits-The last one was "Do You Believe In Magic?" in the spring of 1978. My bad - I actually meant Top Ten hits.
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Post by pb on Jun 3, 2019 17:56:05 GMT -5
40: MUSIC TIME - STYX (debut) - This would be their final Top 40 hit for another six and a half years, and it just barely made it, as #40 was where it peaked. The song was OK, but definitely not one of my favorite songs by them! I was a big Styx fan in the early 80's, but lost interest by this time and never heard this song until now. Odd song, Dennis DeYoung's vocal seems to be imitating Thomas Dolby.
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Post by seminolefan on Jun 3, 2019 19:18:34 GMT -5
9: BREAKDANCE - IRENE CARA (9) - This is probably my least favorite of her Top 40 hits. I was never a big fan of breakdance music (although I did occasionally partake in the fad, mainly at school dances). Listening to this song today I was struck by how utterly 'generically '80s-sounding' it is! I could picture it in a montage sequence in a generic '80s movie! Yeah, when I think of breakdance songs, this one is nowhere near the top of the list.
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Post by mkarns on Jun 3, 2019 22:17:44 GMT -5
40: MUSIC TIME - STYX (debut) - This would be their final Top 40 hit for another six and a half years, and it just barely made it, as #40 was where it peaked. The song was OK, but definitely not one of my favorite songs by them! I was a big Styx fan in the early 80's, but lost interest by this time and never heard this song until now. Odd song, Dennis DeYoung's vocal seems to be imitating Thomas Dolby. Well, "Mr. Roboto" should be an indicator that by now he was blinded by science. Tommy Shaw, by contrast, preferred straighter-up rock 'n' roll with less conceptuality, helping lead to their split.
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Post by jamie9012 on Jun 6, 2019 12:55:23 GMT -5
Hello. Here is the second Critique that I want to upload. May 15, 1971 40: BATTLE HYMN OF LT. CALLEY - C COMPANY FEATURING TERRY NELSON – Starting out the Top 40 with a novelty Song. Very much of its time, it is about Lt. William Calley and the My Lai killings during the Vietnam War. Last Year, I saw on the Television a program about the Vietnam War, and the killings were discussed. 39: THE DRUM - BOBBY SHERMAN – A playful Song, that was his last Top 40 (#29). 38: BABY LET ME KISS YOU - KING FLOYD – A more funky follow-up to “Groove Me”, but less of a hit. Speaking of “Groove Me”, I can tell that it was recorded at the same session as “Mr. Big Stuff” from Jean Knight. ARCHIVE: MOTHER-IN-LAW - ERNIE K-DOE - #1 for one Week 10 Years earlier. Fred Flintstone sings this Song about Wilma’s mother. 37: BOOTY BUTT - RAY CHARLES – An interesting Instrumental despite such a strange Title. It does feature some vocals toward the end 36: ME AND MY ARROW - NILSSON – Before I learned a few Years ago that Arrow is a Dog, the best that I could do was imagine Cupid flying around with his own Arrow. 35: COOL-AID - PAUL HUMPHREY & THE COOL-AID CHEMISTS – A true Instrumental. This uptempo soul number was his/their only Top 40 Hit. 34: WOODSTOCK - MATTHEW'S SOUTHERN COMFORT – A good Tribute to the Festival of Peace, Love, and Music. 33: I'LL MEET YOU HALFWAY - THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY - #9 on the Hot 100. They had previously hit #1 with their Song “I Think I Love You”. 32: DON'T KNOCK MY LOVE (PART #1) - WILSON PICKETT – Part one on the A-Side, Part two on the B-side. 31: REACH OUT I'LL BE THERE - DIANA ROSS – Her solo Career had only begun, but it had already shown great promise. After a big #1 Hit, this remake of the Hit from The Four Tops peaked at #29. But remember- more was to come! 30: TREAT HER LIKE A LADY - CORNELIUS BROTHERS & SISTER ROSE – Good Song! Somewhat unusual for this Song is a lack of string of string Instruments. Also, the lead Guitar seems to submit to the bass. 29: (FOR GOD'S SAKE) GIVE MORE POWER TO THE PEOPLE - CHI-LITES – They had a Song to appear in the 1972 Episode. And they are also here, with a political Message. 28: ONE TOKE OVER THE LINE - BREWER & SHIPLEY - #10 on the Hot 100. It is definitely of the era. 27: RIGHT ON THE TIP OF MY TONGUE - BRENDA & THE TABULATIONS – The second of two Top 40 Hits for them. Their first (and the bigger of the two) was from 1967. 26: TOAST AND MARMALADE FOR TEA - TIN TIN – Produced by Maurice Gibb. This sounds much like The Beatles (with John Lennon singing). Two members of this group later wrote more successful Songs performed by other artists, including “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late” from Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams and “Physical” from Olivia Newton-John. 25: I DON'T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM - HELEN REDDY – From Jesus Christ Superstar; I’ve heard a lot of this Rock Opera, but I’ve never seen it. the first Version was recorded by Yvonne Elliman. However, Reddy’s Version, from Capitol Records, was the first to be released as a Single. Reddy peaked at #13, Elliman at #28. 24: SUPERSTAR - MURRAY HEAD WITH TRINIDAD SINGERS – And another Song from Jesus Christ Superstar. I like how the orchestral Beginning lead into an upbeat Song. Released in 1969, the Single did not initially chart high, but more that a Year later, it re-entered the Hot 100 and peaked at #14 on 29 May of 1971. Murray Head is also known for his hit “One Night In Bangkok”. 23: JUST MY IMAGINATION (RUNNING AWAY WITH ME) - THE TEMPTATIONS – Falling on the Chart is one of four #1 Hits for this Band from Detroit, Michigan. Eddie Kendricks provides an excellent lead. 22: I LOVE YOU FOR ALL SEASONS - THE FUZZ – No, it is not the Police. The only Hit for this all-female Trio. 21: WE CAN WORK IT OUT - STEVIE WONDER – Stevie did an excellent job with this Remake of this Beatles hit. It is definitely among my favorites on the Chart! 20: ANOTHER DAY - PAUL McCARTNEY – Was this his first solo Hit? With the Beatles, you never know. #5 US, #6 DE, #7 CH, and to help the Order to be broken, #2 UK. 19: TIMOTHY - THE BUOYS – This tale of the cannibalistic actions of two coal-miners against the title character was banned on many radio stations-just as it was intended to be. The Buoys went to #17 with this Song, which was written by Rupert Holmes. 18: I DON'T BLAME YOU AT ALL - SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES – It sounds upbeat and little playful, but if one does not pay attention to the Text, the message of the Song will be missed. Their final hit before Smokey left for a solo career. 17: HERE COMES THE SUN - RICHIE HAVENS – Another Beatles remake in the countdown! Although they had recently disbanded, their presence remains strong! I could imagine hearing this Version, in a Movie about a family in the 1920s or 1930s. 16: WHAT'S GOING ON - MARVIN GAYE – A Song with a timeless message. #2 on the Hot 100. SPECIAL: RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES - CROSBY STILLS, NASH & YOUNG – The only contemporary Album on which I could find this Song was their live issue “4 Way Street”. If it appeared on another, please let me know. RANDOM EXTRA: TEMPTATION EYES – THE GRASS ROOTS – Yes, this Song was not in the Top 40 at this point, and was not one of the Songs included as an Extra in the original 1971 Broadcast. But I had to include it, because I thought that it made a nice addition to this list! It reached #15 on the Charts. 15: POWER TO THE PEOPLE - JOHN LENNON & THE PLASTIC ONO BAND - #11 US, #7 DE, #5 CH. 14: SWEET AND INNOCENT - DONNY OSMOND – His first solo Hit, peaked at #7. 13: IT DON'T COME EASY - RINGO STARR – It starts out like a Boston song, but breaks out into the familiar Beatles sound from Ringo and George Harrison. #4 US, #5 DE & CH. 12: WANT ADS - THE HONEY CONE – Definitely a favorite! #1 in June 1971. 11: LOVE HER MADLY - THE DOORS – I don’t know a lot about The Doors, though I do hear some of their 1960s Hits on the Radio. This one peaked here at #11. 10: CHICK-A-BOOM (DON’T YA JES’ LOVE IT) - DADDY DEWDROP – The only Top 40 Hit for this singer from Cleveland, Ohio. ARCHIVE: MONDAY MONDAY - THE MAMAS & THE PAPAS - #1 for three Weeks on the Hot 100 in May 1966. Also #2 DE and AT. It seems that many people do not like Mondays. The Mamas and the Papas, The Bangles, and (with no comparison at all, and a very tragic Example) a teenage Girl. 9: I AM, I SAID - NEIL DIAMOND – It sounds like he misses his Home, and yet, he cannot return. 8: STAY AWHILE - THE BELLS – This Song was the primary Reason why I listed “Temptation Eyes”. I don’t know why, but it feels to me like a great sibling to the upbeat nature of the other one. I always like to hear this one on a rainy night, because it suits the mood. “Stay Awhile” does not seem to be played on the Radio much anymore. However, because it reached #1 in Canada, I am sure that it receives more airplay there. A great Song to hear indeed! 7: BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER - ARETHA FRANKLIN 6: BROWN SUGAR - THE ROLLING STONES – A hard rocker with lyrics about an abusive slave owner. I guess that only the Rolling Stones could do that. #1 US, #4 DE, #1 CH (one Week; 6 June 1971) 5: ME AND YOU AND A DOG NAMED BOO - LOBO – A good song to sing along to. #5 US, #15 DE. 4: IF - BREAD – Sentimental Ballad in the normal David Gates style. 3: PUT YOUR HAND IN THE HAND - OCEAN – When I heard an Episode in 2011, I thought that the Title was “Put Your Hand In My Hand”. This religious Song reached #2 US, #13 DE, and #4 CH. It reached #10 in Canada. 2: NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE - THE JACKSON FIVE – Good, laid-back R&B hit. 1: JOY TO THE WORLD - THREE DOG NIGHT - #1 US for six Weeks, #17 DE. A definite Classic designed to put one in a good mood. And it works for me! My Extra: UN BANC, UN ARBRE, UNE RUE – SEVERINE – Born in 1948, Josiane Grizeau originally planned to be a language Teacher. After singing in different Bands in her teen years, she released her first Single in 1967 under the name “Céline”. Two Years later she took a new Pseudonym: Severine. Already she had scored some success with recordings used in Films afterwards, but her big breakthrough would come in 1971. She recorded a Song about following dreams after the loss of childhood. Written by Yves Dessca and Jean-Pierre Bourtayre. As with my last Critique, I used a Translation to help: “On a tous un banc, un arbre une rue Où l'on a bercé nos rêves On a tous un banc, un arbre une rue Une enfance trop brève”
We each have a Bench, a Tree, a Street In which we cherished our Dreams We each have a Bench, a Tree, a Street A Childhood that is too short"With “Un banc, un arbre, une rue”, Severine represented Monaco in the Eurovision Contest of 1971. With 128 Points scored, it would be that year’s winner. It also charted in Germany at #23 and Switzerland at #5. Somewhat unusually, it managed to break into the charts in the United Kingdom, reaching #9 there. “Un banc…” was translated into several Languages including English and German, with the latter version also charting. These do not include Versions recorded by other artists. www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBXuPs7scZowww.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ8V7-oS6ykwww.youtube.com/watch?v=W1tSXCssXcQThis shall be it for me in May. I had wanted to do perhaps two more Critiques from the last Month, but I did not have enough time. Any future Critiques that I make this month will be in June. Thank you. Bis bald!
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Post by pb on Jun 6, 2019 18:04:28 GMT -5
20: ANOTHER DAY - PAUL McCARTNEY – Was this his first solo Hit? It was (although "Maybe I'm Amazed," from his first solo album in 1970, became a hit later in the 70's in a live version).
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Post by Hervard on Jun 6, 2019 18:25:25 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - June 8, 2019 This week's presentation - June 12, 1976 Droppers: STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS - PAUL SIMON (40) - The title track from his album that spawned the #1 hit "Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover". Not sure what happened, but surprisingly, this song didn't get any higher than #40. Such a shame, as it was one of Simon's best hits ever! IT'S OVER - BOZ SCAGGS (38) - I keep forgetting that Scaggs' debut hit is not "Lowdown" - that was just his first big hit (as #38 is where this song peaked). Anyway, this one was actually a really good song - quite underrated, IMO. UNION MAN - CATE BROTHERS (37) - One of many one-hit wonders during the 70s that tried to get in on the disco craze. This song wasn't anything exceptional, IMO. LOVE REALLY HURTS WITHOUT YOU - BILLY OCEAN (36) - Ocean's first hit was peaking this week and for many years, he was a one-hit wonder, but that all ended in the fall of 1984, when he went all the way to #1 with his second hit "Caribbean Queen". This song was pretty good - his song "When The Going Gets Tough" sounded a lot like this one. CRAZY ON YOU - HEART (35) - Their first of many Top 40 hits. I'm so surprised that this song got no higher than #35 and lasted but two weeks on the chart, as this was played all the time on the station I listened to (WLS in Chicago) back in the summer of 1976. YOUNG BLOOD - BAD COMPANY (28) - A cover of the fifties hit by the Coasters - they sounded a little like Elvis on this one. STRANGE MAGIC - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (25) - This was the third of a total of twenty hits for this English orchestral rock band. It was OK, but not one of my favorites from them, especially since I associate it with the royally depressing movie "The Virgin Suicides", (since it is played during the prom scene). 40: I'M EASY - KEITH CARRADINE (debut) - Meh, sounds more like second-rate Jim Croce. I used to like this song, but not much anymore. 39: DANCE WIT ME - RUFUS FEATURING CHAKA KHAN (debut) - A one-week wonder here. Kind of a surprise, as they had just come off of one of their biggest hits ever. As for this song, it was pretty much your typical R&B dance number. Nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. 38: MAKING OUR DREAMS COME TRUE - CYNDI GRECCO (debut) - "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, schlemiel! Schlimazel! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!" One of many TV show themes that made the charts in 1976 - in this case, the one from "Laverne & Shirley", which IIRC was on after Happy Days back in the day. The TV show was great, as was this song. 37: TEAR THE ROOF OFF THE SUCKER - PARLIAMENT (debut) - Gerardo sampled this song - or was it a remake? I never really paid much attention to that song, so it was kind of hard to tell. As for this song, it pretty much blends in with all the faceless disco music during this era. 36: LET HER IN - JOHN TRAVOLTA (debut) - He currently had a gig as Vinnie Barbarino on Welcome Back, Kotter, but he showed his second talent on this week's chart with his debut hit. It was a pretty good one and would hit the Top Ten about the following month. 35: TODAY'S THE DAY - AMERICA (debut) - Here's another song I remember from back in the day. I'm surprised that this only got as high as #23, as WLS played this one all the time back in the day. It was a good one, though I preferred a few others from them. 34: THAT'S WHERE HAPPY PEOPLE GO - THE TRAMMPS (39) - As we all know, I wasn't a big fan of this kind of music (although their 1978 hit "Disco Inferno" wasn't bad). 33: SHOW ME THE WAY - PETER FRAMPTON (26) - The first of three Top 40 hits from the monster album Frampton Comes Alive and my favorite of the three. 32: YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND - QUEEN (debut) - Here's another song that didn't hit the top ten, which I can't believe - it sure got a lot of airplay. Although that depends on the radio stations in your area. I listened to WLS a lot and that song peaked at #4 on their station’s playlist. I still hear this on oldies station every now and then, which is good, because this is one of my favorites from Queen. 31: LOVE IN THE SHADOWS - NEIL SEDAKA (16) - This was a case of Third Single Syndrome. The first two hits from The Hungry Years hit the Top Ten, but this was all the higher this song got, which was too bad, as it was a great song! 30: GET CLOSER - SEALS & CROFTS (34) - Jim Seals' brother, England Dan, along with singing partner John Ford Coley, were debuting on the Hot 100 this week with, "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight", their debut hit, which would hit the Top 40 four weeks later. Like that song, this one would also hit the Top Ten. This song wasn't bad, though not quite their best. Jim Seals sort of sounded like he had a runny nose in this song. 29: TRYIN' TO GET THE FEELING AGAIN - BARRY MANILOW (17) - He had three Top 40 hits in 1976 and for me, this would be my favorite of those (though "This One's For You" would be a close second). 28: ROCK AND ROLL LOVE LETTER - BAY CITY ROLLERS (29) - I wasn't generally a big Rollers fan. This song wasn't bad, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I SHOT THE SHERIFF - ERIC CLAPTON - The story to tie in with this song was a special report about the writer of this song, Bob Marley, who was in the midst of a worldwide tour with his band The Wailers. This song was pretty good - since it was the one I've heard the most, I prefer it over the original by Bob Marley himself. 27: RIGHT BACK WHERE WE STARTED FROM - MAXINE NIGHTINGALE (15) - She had two Top 40 hits, both of which hit the Top Five. My favorite one, however, was her other one, called "Lead Me On", which charted in the summer of 1979. This one was also pretty good, but quite overplayed. 26: THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN - THIN LIZZY (32) - Here's another one of my personal faves from back in 1976 (yes, I liked hard rock when I was as young as four years old, lol!) 25: AFTERNOON DELIGHT - STARLAND VOCAL BAND (33) - Wow, I didn't know that they sang back-up on John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads". This song, one about engaging in a quickie with your significant other during your lunch break, is another song I remember quite well (needless to say, I had no idea what it was really about, though, as young as I was). 24: MOONLIGHT FEELS RIGHT - STARBUCK (31) - Refresh my memory - is that a marimba or a xylophone that is used in this record? Well, whatever it is, it definitely makes the song a great listen for a warm evening. Definitely my favorite of Starbuck's two hits. 23: TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN - STEVE MILLER BAND (30) - The first of three Top Twenty hits from Miller's Fly Like An Eagle album. This one narrowly missed hitting the Top Ten. The song was OK, IMO, but I preferred the other two singles from said album (both of which DID hit the Top Ten). 22: FOOLED AROUND AND FELL IN LOVE - ELVIN BISHOP (12) - Here's a song I remember quite well from back in the day! Today it would be billed as "The Elvin Bishop Band featuring Mickey Thomas". Definitely one of my favorite songs from 1976! 21: KISS AND SAY GOODBYE - THE MANHATTANS (27) - As we all know, I'm not a big fan of this song. Had the spoken intro been omitted, it might not be so bad, but still, the song is overall depressing (as goodbyes are one of my weaknesses). Give me "Shining Star" any day! 20: BARETTA'S THEME (KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE SPARROW) - RHYTHM HERITAGE (24) - They had two Top 40 hits - both themes from TV series. This one wasn't bad, but I preferred "Theme From S.W.A.T." 19: NEVER GONNA FALL IN LOVE - ERIC CARMEN (22) - His second hit and the follow-up to the #2 hit "All By Myself". I preferred this song - one of Carmen's best hits ever! 18: I WANT YOU - MARVIN GAYE (20) - I'm more familiar with Robert Palmer's 1991 cover, which sounds so much like the original - in fact, I kept expecting this song to segue back into "Mercy Mercy Me". 17: MOVIN' - BRASS CONSTRUCTION (19) - Another faceless disco hit, just like the one back at #37. 16: TAKIN' IT TO THE STREETS - DOOBIE BROTHERS (21) - Another song I remember quite well from 1976 (though one of the stations I listened to gave this one early action, so I associate it more with the spring). Definitely one of my all-time faves from them! 15: LOVE IS ALIVE - GARY WRIGHT (18) - Now here is one of the songs I most associate with the summer of 1976, as the radio stations I listened to played it constantly. I definitely prefer it over "Dream Weaver", which is the only of Wright's three hits that receives any recurrent airplay (though once in a blue moon I do hear this one). 14: BOOGIE FEVER - SYLVERS (13) - They had three Top 40 hits, and this was their biggest, hitting #1 earlier in the month. This is also my favorite of their hits. OPTIONAL EXTRA: GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE - THE BEATLES - Here's one I remember quite well, since it was #1 on the WLS station playlist, so I heard it all the time that summer. It was a great song! 13: I'LL BE GOOD TO YOU - BROTHERS JOHNSON (23) - The first Top 40 hit for this soul duo from Los Angeles. This is my favorite song by them, which isn't saying much, as I disliked their three other hits. I preferred the cover by Quincy Jones featuring Chaka Khan and Ray Charles, which hit the charts in early 1990. 12: WELCOME BACK - JOHN SEBASTIAN (7) - This song wasted no time hitting #1, but it only lasted a week up there. At least his descent was initially slow, as he only dropped one this week and was in holding position the next week. This was definitely one of the best TV show themes of all time! 11: RHIANNON - FLEETWOOD MAC (11) - Here's another one I remember quite well from 1976! The second of three hits from their self-titled album, and the only one to feature Stevie Nicks on lead vocals. This is my favorite of the three hits from Fleetwood Mac - too bad it didn't have a little more steam, as this song just barely missed hitting the Top Ten. 10: FOOL TO CRY - ROLLING STONES (10) - This song had a very strong start, debuting at the halfway point of the chart. However, it only managed to climb ten spots higher. But at least it made the Top Ten, but spent only seven weeks on the chart. I wasn't a fan of it myself, as, with the exception of "As Tears Go By", they didn't do very good with ballads. 9: MORE, MORE, MORE (PART 1) - ANDREA TRUE CONNECTION (13) - Of their two Top 40 hits, I preferred this song. The Canadian alternative rock band Len apparently liked it as well, as they sampled it in their big 1999 hit "Steal My Sunshine". 8: SHOP AROUND - THE CAPTAIN AND TENNILLE (9) - One of several remakes on this week's chart. This one wasn't bad, but I preferred the original by the Miracles. 7: SARA SMILE - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (8) - The first of a whole slew of hits from the duo - it's not bad, but definitely not one of their best, IMO. 6: SHANNON - HENRY GROSS (6) - Ah, the infamous "Dead Dog Dedication" song! It's a good one, but after mid-September, 1985, we never looked at this song in the same way again! 5: HAPPY DAYS - PRATT & McCLAIN (5) - 1976 was indeed the year for TV show themes! This was one of my favorite TV shows, and definitely a long lasting one - wasn't it on the air for ten years? 4: LOVE HANGOVER - DIANA ROSS (1) - She had two number one hits in 1976, and the first one, "Theme From Mahogany" would easily be my favorite of them. This one just never did anything for me 3: MISTY BLUE - DOROTHY MOORE (4) - This song was written in the mid-sixties, which definitely shows, as it sounds like a song from that era. The song's OK, but nothing exceptional. OPTIONAL EXTRA: LAST CHILD - AEROSMITH - Here's one I remember hearing from time to time back in the day. Good song, but I generally prefer their 80s and 90s hits 2: GET UP AND BOOGIE - SILVER CONVENTION (3) - At the beginning of the show, Casey mentioned that there was a new number one song (which, technically speaking, was incorrect). I imagine that many people thought that this song, which even Casey predicted going to number one (on more than one occasion), was the one that ended up winning out, but, of course, that turned out not to be the case. Anyway, this one is a toughie, as far as learning all the lyrics! It was a good one, IMO 1: SILLY LOVE SONGS - WINGS (1) - This was the aforementioned song that prevented Silver Convention from collecting their second number one hit. The song wasted no time hitting the top, but dropped out after only one week up there. Some people thought that was it for the song, but they had another think coming! Not only did the song return to the top, but it spent an additional four weeks up there and would go on to win the gold for the entire year! The song's OK, but I prefer many other songs from them, my favorite being "With A Little Luck", which would also hit #1.
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Post by Hervard on Jun 6, 2019 18:26:14 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - June 8, 2019
This week's presentation - June 5, 1982
CIRCLES – ATLANTIC STARR (38) - Many people think that "Secret Lovers" was their first hit but, in fact, it was not. Of their four Top 40 hits, this was the only one that was upbeat. This one was pretty good, but I preferred the ballads. I LOVE ROCK N’ ROLL – JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS (37) - Here is song that overplay hasn't tarnished at all (IMO, anyway). This was the first of three Top 20 hits from her during 1982, and my favorite of the three. THE BEATLES MOVIE MEDLEY – THE BEATLES (20) - The medley craze was still active at this point, though it was beginning to wind down. This song actually fell to #92 this week - the biggest drop ever on the Hot 100 (remember - anything after 11/30/91 does not count). CHARIOTS OF FIRE - VANGELIS (12) - This song set a record the week before 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! GET DOWN ON IT – KOOL & THE GANG (10) - You know it had to be 1982 with three songs dropping out of the Top 40 from inside the Top 20. This one fell clean off from up in the Top Ten - one of several songs to do that during the year. Anyway, 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.
LW#3: I’VE NEVER BEEN TO ME - CHARLENE LW#2: DON’T TALK TO STRANGERS – RICK SPRINGFIELD LW#1: EBONY & IVORY – PAUL McCARTNEY & STEVIE WONDER 40: PERSONALLY – KARLA BONOFF (debut) - Back in the summer of 1994, I bought Karla’s Wild Heart Of The Young album, after hearing the title track playing over a scene in The Wonder Years, and it turned out to be a worthy purchase, as I liked each and every song on the album, this one included. 39: MURPHY’S LAW - CHERI (debut) - Ah, the law that states "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong"! Ever have one of those days? I certainly have. As for the song itself, well, surprisingly, I like it. When I first heard it on Backtrax USA about fifteen years ago, I was like, “What is this crap?” But the laid-back jazzy melody makes up for the weird voices. 38: FRIENDS IN LOVE – DIONNE WARWICK AND JOHNNY MATHIS (40) - A one-time duet from two artists who, at the time, had 47 solo songs between them (by now, it must be at least 50). Anyway, it was a great song - one of my favorite songs from both artists. Too bad this was all the higher the song got (but it did quite well on the AC charts, peaking at #5). 37: FORGET ME NOTS – PATRICE RUSHEN (debut) - This song was sampled twice in the 1990s - first of all in George Michael's 1996 hit "Fastlove", then used as the bass line in one of Will Smith's most overplayed songs ever, "Men In Black" a year later. I dub this "The Blinker Song", as there was one time that a blinker that I was coming up to at the junction of Indiana State Road 2 and US Highway 6 kept perfect rhythm with the song , which I'm sure I've mentioned here a time or two. 36: I DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START – EDDIE RABBITT (36) - Known more for his upbeat songs like "Drivin' My Life Away" and "I Love A Rainy Night", he did have a few ballads, like this one, that had a country-folk sound to it. I liked it, but I preferred several others from him, including the two I mentioned above. 35: BREAK IT UP - FOREIGNER (debut) - This song was the fourth single from their album 4. The song's pretty good - sounds a little like several of their late-70s hits ("Cold As Ice" and "Blue Morning, Blue Day" come to mind). 34: ONLY THE LONELY – THE MOTELS (39) - The first of four Top 40 hits from this band from Los Angeles. I liked all four of those hits, my favorite being "Remember The Nights", from early 1984. This was their biggest hit overall, and the only one that gets any kind of recurrent airplay nowadays. 33: TAKE ME DOWN - ALABAMA (debut) - Given how huge they were at country, it's a surprise that they only had four crossover hits (especially during the early-1980s when country crossovers abounded). This song wasn't bad, but didn't hold a candle to "Love In The First Degree" 32: PLAY THE GAME TONIGHT - KANSAS (35) - Wow, two groups named after states back to back in the countdown. That sure didn't happen often, did it? Anyway, this song was Kansas' very first song with John Elefante as the lead singer, as former lead singer Steve Walsh had left the group to start a solo career. This was a pretty good song, but I generally preferred their earlier material. OPTIONAL EXTRA: HARD TO SAY I'M SORRY - CHICAGO - Interesting placement here - first, two bands named after states and now one named after a city - namely, the one where they formed They had been absent from the chart for over three years, but more than made up for lost time with this song, which would go all the way to #1 by late summer. Of course, at one time, it was my favorite song in the world, but now, I'm pretty much burned out on the song (Az Yet's 1997 cover, which sounded much like the original, was instrumental in that), so much that I usually change the station when it comes on the radio. 31: ANY DAY NOW – RONNIE MILSAP (34) - Another one of several country crossover artists that hit during 1982. This was one of my favorite songs from Milsap - a great song indeed! 30: WHEN HE SHINES – SHEENA EASTON (32) - As I've said before, I generally prefer her slow songs, but this is an exception, as there are several of her upbeat songs that I prefer over this one. It's a pretty good song, but a little too sappy. 29: TAINTED LOVE – SOFT CELL (33) - Definitely one of the most overplayed songs of the 1980s. Of course, we all know that this song held the record for the longest consecutive run on the Hot 100 - in fact, I believe that the song has such a record for the pre-Soundscan era (remember - "What About Me" by Moving Pictures doesn't count, as that song had two chart-runs). LDD: SWEET DREAMS – AIR SUPPLY - 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. It was appropriate for the LDD, though. 28: WHEN IT’S OVER – LOVERBOY (30) - The third Top 40 hit for this band from Canada, though it failed to make the Top 20, as did their first two. They did manage to finally go Top 20 the following year (and came close to the Top Ten). Anyway, this song was OK, but one of my least favorites from them (although I have found myself liking it a little better than previously). 27: WAKE UP LITTLE SUSIE – SIMON AND GARFUNKEL (27) - A great cover version of the Everly Brothers classic, recorded at their 1981 concert in Central Park. Too bad this song couldn't get past #27 on the charts! 26: WITHOUT YOU – FRANKE AND THE KNOCKOUTS (28) - The beginning of this song reminds me of "How Deep Is Your Love" by the Bee Gees. As for this song, it's a great one - a close second to "Sweetheart" as far as my favorite songs from them. 25: MY GIRL – DONNIE IRIS (25) - Doesn't this one sound a lot like "Hot Fun In The Summertime"? Of his three Top 40 hits, this one would probably be my favorite. 24: CAUGHT UP IN YOU - .38 SPECIAL (31) - Definitely one of my absolute favorites from them! This was their first of two Top Ten hits (you thought they had more, didn't you?) 23: FANTASY – ALSO NOVA (23) - The only Top 40 hit for this Montreal native. It was a great song - one I remember hearing on the radio regularly back in 1982. 22: STILL IN SAIGON – THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND (22) - 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. OPTIONAL EXTRA: AFTER THE GLITTER FADES - STEVIE NICKS - The fourth and final Top 40 hit from Bella Donna. The first three hit the Top 20, but this one ran out of gas at #32. I have a feeling that the song with her group Fleetwood Mac "Hold Me", which hit the Top 40 two weeks later and became a huge hit, might have been partially responsible for its low charting (of course, the fact that it was from an album that had been out for nearly a year might have played a role in that as well). Nevertheless, this was definitely one of her best songs ever and quite underrated, IMO. 21: RUN FOR THE ROSES – DAN FOGELBERG (18) - A song about racehorses that can bring me to tears, especially after hearing it as a LDD to Secretariat in late 1989, as well as hearing it the same day as the tragic death of Eight Belles (the show for that weekend happened to be 1982). 20: HURTS SO GOOD – JOHN COUGAR (29) - Here's one of the biggest songs of the decade that fell short of the #1 spot. Chart performance-wise, it was his biggest hit ever (before late 1991, anyway). A good song that has aged quite well. 19: LET IT WHIP – THE DAZZ BAND (24) - This was the week's #1 song on the soul chart, and it was on its way up the Hot 100, eventually peaking at #5. I wasn't a big fan of the song, however. 18: LOVE’S BEEN A LITTLE BIT HARD ON ME – JUICE NEWTON (26) - Of course, this was one of my favorite songs from her, as it was one of her 1982 hits. I preferred the other two, but this is still a great one nonetheless! 17: BODY LANGUAGE - QUEEN (21) - Not a big fan of this one. Indeed, their music quality took a nosedive once the 80s started, IMO. 16: MAKING LOVE – ROBERTA FLACK (19) - A guilty pleasure of mine, as I know several people who would give this "No. Just no" status, but I really like it - especially the synths in the song. 15: DID IT IN A MINUTE – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (9) - 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! 14: MAN ON YOUR MIND – THE LITTLE RIVER BAND (14) - They were done hitting the Top Ten at this point, but they had a few more Top 20 hits, this one included. It was a great one, though not quite their best. 13: EMPTY GARDEN – ELTON JOHN (13) - A great tribute to the late John Lennon. Definitely one of Elton's best hits of the 80s! 12: IT’S GONNA TAKE A MIRACLE – DENIECE WILLIAMS (15) - Interesting story of how she sang this song (originally done by the Royalettes) in a talent show and didn't even place. She fared much better with this cover of the song - hit #1 on the R&B charts and would reach the Top Ten the following week. This song had that "rainy day" sound to it, but it was still pretty good - not as good as her #1 hit two years later, though. 11: CRIMSON AND CLOVER – JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS (17) - This one wasn't quite as good as her song that had just left the countdown, but I prefer it over her third hit from later on that year, as well as the original by Tommy James. OPTIONAL EXTRA: ABRACADABRA - STEVE MILLER BAND - Exactly five years before, this band was climbing the chart with "Jet Airliner", which would be their last Top Ten until this song, which was moving 75-56 on the Hot 100 this week, came along. But the song didn't stop there - it went all the way to #1. I was getting tired of the song near the end of its chart run, but now I think it's a good song, since it's not overplayed as a recurrent. 10: ROSANNA - TOTO (16) - This song spent four weeks at #1 on the R&R chart, but couldn't get any higher than #2 on the Hot 100. Nevertheless, it became their biggest hit overall (as it spent much longer in the Top Ten than their #1 song "Africa"). It was a good song that still gets quite a lot of recurrent airplay. 9: ’65 LOVE AFFAIR – PAUL DAVIS (6) -This song has that malt shop era sound to it (I believe the title was originally "'55 Love Affair", but for some reason, they moved it up a decade). This was a great song - Davis' highest peaking hit and one of his all time best, IMO. 8: HEAT OF THE MOMENT - ASIA (11) - The first of four Top 40 hits for this supergroup, as well as their biggest. My third favorite from them, only ahead of "Don't Cry" (which is also a good one). 7: ALWAYS ON MY MIND – WILLIE NELSON (8) - 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, as well as the version by John Wesley Ryles that Casey played a drop piece of this week. 6: DON’T YOU WANT ME – THE HUMAN LEAGUE (7) - This song, one of two #1 songs that held the aforementioned Toto song out of the top spot, is one of the songs I most associate with the summer of 1982, as that was when it was #1 and played a lot on the stations I listened to - a great song indeed! OPTIONAL EXTRA: YOU MAKE MY DREAMS - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES - I'm generally a big Hall & Oates fan, but this one never really did anything for me. One of my least favorite of their Top Ten hits. It did, however, fit the dedication like a glove! 5: THE OTHER WOMAN – RAY PARKER JR. (5) - It looked like this song had peaked at #5, as it was at that position for a third week, but it managed to move up one more the following week. This song wasn't bad, but I generally prefer his songs from the Raydio era. 4: 867-5309/JENNY – TOMMY TUTONE (4) - 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. 3: I’VE NEVER BEEN TO ME - CHARLENE (3) - Like the Roberta Flack song back at #16, this was another guilty pleasure. People who dislike this song especially hated the fact that they were subjected to the song twice on this week's show. OPTIONAL EXTRA: EYE OF THE TIGER - SURVIVOR - This, of course, was the other song that locked Toto out of the top spot by leapfrogging over it the week that the Human League dropped out of #1. This song has held up quite well despite overplay. I still prefer a few others by them, such as "I Can't Hold Back", "The Search Is Over", and their low charter from late 1983 "Caught In The Game". 2: DON’T TALK TO STRANGERS – RICK SPRINGFIELD (2) - This song had recently spent five weeks atop the R&R chart, but was still going strong on the Hot 100. 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. 1: EBONY & IVORY – PAUL McCARTNEY & STEVIE WONDER (1) - This song was quite overplayed, but now that I don't hear it anywhere near as often as I used to, I actually like this song - it definitely has a great message.
Coming up next week: June 18, 1983 - although this isn't exactly a standalone show. Since next weekend happens to be the fifth anniversary of Casey Kasem's passing, the two-hour special about him, called A Tribute to the King of the Countdown: Casey Kasem, is also scheduled for next week. I might catch that one as well, if possible.
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