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Post by Hervard on Jul 1, 2019 7:37:09 GMT -5
Wups! Thanks for the correction.
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Post by Hervard on Jul 4, 2019 13:36:22 GMT -5
Happy Fourth Everyone! I'm gonna start the critique thing earlier than usual, since most of them are recycled anyway. To start, here is the 70s show, which I will be catching on WSQL tonight. American Top 40: The 70s - July 6, 2019 This week's presentation - July 10, 1976 40: I'D REALLY LOVE TO SEE YOU TONIGHT - ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY (debut) - The brother of half of the duo that we'll be hearing later was en route to peaking at #2 with the first hit for him, along with his "sidekick". This was my favorite song from them. (Please, don’t even get me started on how Barry Manilow totally messed this song up about 20 years later with his dance remake...) 39: HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL - TAVARES (debut) - While it's true that I'm no fan of R&B disco, I actually kind of liked this song. 38: SILVER STAR - FOUR SEASONS (38) - This was their final Top 40 hit (well, except for the remix of "December, 1963" in 1994), and it only lasted two weeks on the chart, so, due to there being a special the week before, this was the only time it was heard on the countdown. It was OK, but not my favorite by them. 37: YOU'LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER LOVE LIKE THIS - LOU RAWLS (debut) - This song would just miss hitting #1, which is a shame, since this was a great song! At least it did hit the Top Five and was Rawls' biggest hit ever. 36: A FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN - WALTER MURPHY (40) - This song was taking baby steps up the chart at this point. Little did anyone know that this song would eventually pick up steam and go all the way to #1! 35: SOMETHING HE CAN FEEL - ARETHA FRANKLIN (debut) - I don't remember this song back in the day - the first version of this one that I heard was En Vogue's remake from the summer of 1992. That one would be more successful, hitting the Top Ten while this version would peak at #28 a few weeks later. This one wasn't bad, but sounds kind of dated - I preferred said remake. 34: GOOD VIBRATIONS - TODD RUNDGREN (35) - If I hadn’t known who sang it, I would have thought it was a slightly different version of the original by the Beach Boys, because it sounded very much like it. Of course, nothing can compare to the original, but this version was pretty good. Makes me thirsty for a Sunkist orange soda! 33: SOMEBODY'S GETTING' IT - JOHNNIE TAYLOR (33) - He had recently come off of his biggest hit ever, the four-week chart topper "Disco Lady", which went on to become one of the year's biggest hits. This song, on the other hand, couldn't manage to get any higher than #33, where it had peaked the previous week. It was a pretty good song, though nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. 32: MAMMA MIA - ABBA (32) - Somewhat of a surprise that this song didn't get any higher than #32, seeing that it's one of their most played songs on oldies stations. It was a good song, but IMO doesn't hold a candle to "Dancing Queen" or "The Winner Takes It All". 31: SOPHISTICATED LADY (SHE'S A DIFFERENT LADY) - NATALIE COLE (36) - The third Top 40 hit from the daughter of the great Nat "King" Cole. It was pretty good, but I preferred her material from the 80s and 90s. 30: YOUNG HEARTS RUN FREE - CANDI STATON (37) - The tenth and last (as well as biggest) hit for this American soul and gospel singer from Hanceville, Alabama. It was a pretty good song IMO. 29: I NEED TO BE IN LOVE - CARPENTERS (38) - Richard and Karen weren't quite as big as they were earlier in the decade, but their songs were still great, like this one, which peaked at #25 two weeks later. 28: LAST CHILD - AEROSMITH (31) - 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. OPTIONAL EXTRA: DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART - ELTON JOHN & KIKI DEE - This great song wasted absolutely no time hitting the #1 spot, where it would hold for the entire month of August (it was even bigger on R&R, spending seven weeks on top, which was a record at the time). This song was all over the radio back in the summer of 1976, but I never got tired of it. 27: SAVE YOUR KISSES FOR ME - BROTHERHOOD OF MAN (28) - This one sounds more like a kiddie song, but not too bad. 26: I'M EASY - KEITH CARRADINE (30) - Meh, sounds more like second-rate Jim Croce. I used to like this song, but not much anymore. 25: MAKING OUR DREAMS COME TRUE - CYNDI GRECCO (25) - "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, schlemiel! Schlimazel! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!" Another TV show theme, 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. 24: TEAR THE ROOF OFF THE SUCKER - PARLIAMENT (27) - Gerardo did a semi-remake of this song, called "We Want The Funk", which peaked at #16 in the summer of 1976. As for this song, it pretty much blends in with all the faceless disco music during this era. 23: TODAY'S THE DAY - AMERICA (24) - Here's another song I remember from its chart run. 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. 22: TURN THE BEAT AROUND - VICKI SUE ROBINSON (26) - There definitely is not much difference between this and Gloria Estefan's cover 18 years later. That said, I don't know which version I prefer. They edited this one kind of weird this week - I think they cut out two verses, as the first one played was the one about the flute player. 21: LOVE HANGOVER - DIANA ROSS (18) - 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. 20: YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND - QUEEN (21) - You know what, I can’t believe this song didn’t hit the Top Ten - 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. 19: GET UP & BOOGIE - SILVER CONVENTION (7) - This one is a toughie, as far as learning all the lyrics! It was a good one; too bad it just narrowly missed becoming their second #1 hit... 18: GET CLOSER - SEALS & CROFTS (20) - Jim Seals' brother, England Dan, along with singing partner John Ford Coley, kicked off this week's show with their debut song, "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight", which would hit the Top 40 two 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. 17: IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN - NEIL DIAMOND (19) - Two weeks ago, this song had made an impressive debut at #24, making it look like a possible #1 song, but, in fact, the song missed the Top Ten altogether.This song has sort of a theatrical sound to it, as if Jim Steinman had produced it. I liked this song, but there are a few other songs from Diamond that I prefer. 16: THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN - THIN LIZZY (17) - 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!) 15: ROCK & ROLL MUSIC - BEACH BOYS (16) - This song definitely showed that, even though the sixties was clearly their decade, they still had it in the 70s! 14: TAKE THE MONEY & RUN - STEVE MILLER (15) - The first of three Top Twenty hits from Miller's Fly Like An Eagle album. This one narrowly missed hitting the Top Ten. This song was OK, IMO, but I preferred the other two singles from said album (both of which DID hit the Top Ten). OPTIONAL EXTRA: BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY - PETER FRAMPTON - Frampton Comes Alive was having an on-again, off-again relationship with the #1 spot on the album chart. This was the second single from the album, which would go on to become the top album of the entire year. This song was pretty good, but I preferred the two other singles from the album. 13: MOONLIGHT FEELS RIGHT - STARBUCK (14) - 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. 12: LET HER IN - JOHN TRAVOLTA (13) - 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 good one and would hit the Top Ten two weeks later. 11: NEVER GONNA FALL IN LOVE AGAIN - ERIC CARMEN (11) - This was Carmen's second hit and the follow-up to the #2 hit "All By Myself". I preferred this song - one of Carmen's best hits ever! Too bad it just barely missed hitting the Top Ten! 10: GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE - BEATLES (12) - Here's one I remember quite well, since it was #1 on the WLS record survey so I heard it all the time that summer. It was a great song! 9: SARA SMILE - HALL & OATES (4) - The first of a whole slew of Top 40 hits from the duo. This one definitely had a lot of mileage, as it had been on the chart since early April, yet it was falling from its peak position this week. The song is not bad, but definitely not one of their best, IMO. 8: LOVE IS ALIVE - GARY WRIGHT (10) - 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). 7: MISTY BLUE - DOROTHY MOORE (3) - 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. 6: 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. The only thing is, it wasn't over for this song - after a two-week hiatus, the song would return to #1 for an additional four weeks and, as stated earlier, would become the top song of 1976. The song's OK, but I prefer many other songs from them, my favorite being "With A Little Luck", which would also hit #1. EXTRA: WHOLE LOTTA LOVE - LED ZEPPELIN - This song, used as the final Optional Extra, is definitely a classic rock staple, like many Zeppelin hits. This song was OK, but I prefer many others from them. 5: MORE, MORE, MORE - ANDREA TRUE CONNECTION (6) - 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". 4: SHOP AROUND - CAPTAIN & TENNILLE (5) - One of several remakes on this week's chart. This one wasn't bad, but I preferred the original by the Miracles. 3: I'LL BE GOOD TO YOU - BROTHERS JOHNSON (8) - 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. 2: KISS & SAY GOODBYE - MANHATTANS (9) - Wow, what a huge chart jump! One would guess that it would hit #1 the following week, but not quite. I'm thinking that its big move was partially due to vacuum effect, with so many songs clearing out of the Top Five at the same time. Anyway, as we all know, I find this song depressing, especially the spoken part at the beginning. There were a few weeks that they skipped over that part, but. unfortunately, this wasn't one of those weeks. No - give me their other Top Ten hit "Shining Star" any day. 1: AFTERNOON DELIGHT - STARLAND VOCAL BAND (2) - During this era, Casey always mentioned when there was a new #1 song, but his was one week where Casey was really selling it. Several times throughout the show, he mentioned that there was a new number one song - at least one time, saying it was a “delightful” new #1. And, going into the #1 song, Casey said, “And I know what you're saying - you're saying, 'I knew it all the time!'" Actually, for close chart followers, it wasn’t any big surprise, as that was the only ascending song within striking distance of the top spot and the week before, it made a five-spot move to #2. Anyway, I like this song a lot. Coming up next week: Back to the twofers - the "A" show is from July 15, 1972 and the "B" show is from the same date in 1978.
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Post by Hervard on Jul 4, 2019 13:37:14 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - July 8, 2017 This week's presentation - July 12, 1980 Droppers: CLONES (WE'RE ALL) - ALICE COOPER (40) - A rare case where a song was not played on American Top 40, because the only week it was in the Top 40, the regular show was pre-empted by a special, so I must say it - wtf did this sound like again? (Maybe when I have time, I'll see if they have it on YouTube video). ATOMIC - BLONDIE (39) - Wow - this song's peak was a far cry from her previous song, which ended up being the top song of 1980. I don't remember what it sounds like either, so I'll take a listen to this next time I'm on YouTube. ASHES BY NOW - RODNEY CROWELL (37) - Wow, I'm gonna be busy on YouTube today. There was an unusually high number of low peakers dropping out this week. I do happen to remember that this song was OK. It was Rodney Crowell's only Top 40 chart entry, but he wrote a lot of songs that other singers recorded and had great success with, plus he had a Top Ten AC that he wrote with Roy Orbison, "What Kind Of Love". That was a good one. THEME FROM NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FRANK SINATRA (32) - Like the three above songs, this one didn't make it to the Top 30 - the only difference is, I am quite familiar with this song - Old Blue Eyes' 110th and final chart entry here. This one reminded me a lot of my aunt's old records, which I used to listen to when I went over to my grandmother's (her mom) house to visit every Sunday afternoon, as many of those were from the forties and fifties. Anyway, this one peaked at #32 two weeks later. and probably would have done better had it been released back in the Big Band era. I thought it was a nice throwback song. TWO PLACES AT THE SAME TIME - RAY PARKER, JR & RAYDIO (30) - A physical impossiblilty (well, unless you clone yourself or borrow Doc Brown's Delorean). Now this song did make the Top 30, albeit barely (peaked right at #30). I vaguely remember that this song was good, but not quite his/their best. STOMP - THE BROTHERS JOHNSON (28) - The only of this week's droppers that got past #30 - that doesn't happen very often, does it? Especially with such a large number of songs dropping out. Anyway, I was never a fan of this one. Not quite a "No. Just no", but close. This one had an odd chart run around the time it peaked - it made a big 16-7 move and held that spot the next week. One might think it would move forward a spot or two the following week, but instead, dropped back to #17, held there for another week and then dropped to #18 and then resumed a normal chart run from there (well, from what was left of its chart run within the Top 40? I wonder what the deal was there? LW#3: THE ROSE – BETTE MIDLER - wtf did this sound like again? LW#2: FUNKY TOWN – LIPPS INC. - Best song on the chart - I hope it's still on this week LW#1: COMING UP – PAUL MCCARTNEY - BLEGH!! If this song is still on this week, I hope they play the studio version - the live version is SOOOOO annoying! 40: MAKE A LITTLE MAGIC – THE DIRT BAND (debut) - They seemed destined to remain a "one-hit wonder", a status they held for about nine years, then, when they dropped the "Nitty Gritty" from their name, they ended up having two more hits, both in 1980. This song, which featured Nicholette Larson on back-up vocals was a good one, but I preferred "An American Dream" from earlier in the year. 39: JO JO – BOZ SCAGGS (debut) - Was he singing about K-Ci's partner? He couldn't have been singing about the one who sang "Leave (Get Out)" since, as far as I know, her parents hadn't even met yet. But seriously, this was a good song - had sort of a smooth jazz flavor to it. 38: KING OF THE HILL – RICK PINETTE AND OAK (debut) - Pinette sounded sort of a cross between Russell Hitchcock (of Air Supply) and Barry Manilow. This was his/their only Top 40 hit, but it was a good one. 37: OLD FASHION LOVE – THE COMMODORES (debut) - Stevie Wonder's "I Ain't Gonna Stand For It" reminded me a lot of this song. I liked both songs, but preferred this one. 36: INTO THE NIGHT – BENNY MARDONES (debut) - I don't remember this song at all from 1980, but I definitely remember it from 1989, when it returned to the charts - I heard it on AT40 and then ended up buying the single later on that summer. I played it quite a lot and ended up getting tired of the song. It's pretty good now, but I preferred several songs on his self-titled album which came out in 1989 (and included an updated version of "Into The Night") - these include "How Could You Love Me" and "I'll Be Good To You". 35: TAKE A LITTLE RHYTHM - ALI THOMSON (debut) - The only Top 40 hit for this Glasgow, Scotland native, the younger brother of Dougie Thomson, who was the bass guitarist for Supertramp. He reminded me a little of Paul McCartney, both his voice and music style. This was a good song. 34: WALKS LIKE A LADY - JOURNEY (38) - This one was quite different than most of Journey's hits. It had sort of an R&B sound to it. Given that, I'm not surprised that it didn't get any higher than #32. 33: CALL ME - BLONDIE (26) - Here's a rare case where a song outlasts its follow-up - both in the Top 40 and the Hot 100. "Atomic" had fallen to #92, and would fall out the following week, as "Call Me" exited the Top 40. Anyway, as I said earlier, this song was the #1 song of 1980, and it was indeed worthy, IMO. 32: DON’T FALL IN LOVE WITH A DREAMER – KENNY ROGERS WITH KIM CARNES (27) - It's too bad they didn't do more collaborations, because both of them (this and "What About Me" in 1984) were among my favorites by both artists. ARCHIVE: TEEN ANGEL – MARK DINNING - Wow, as I recall, they had edited this song out of the original broadcast of this show, back in 2008. Not sure if they put it back in the 2013 broadcast, because I was having kind of a bad day and wasn't paying full attention to the show. Anyway, I wasn't a big fan of this song - the melody and the subject matter was depressing. OPTIONAL EXTRA: LOOKIN' FOR LOVE - JOHNNY LEE - This would hit #1 on the Country chart the following week, which Larry mentioned in the intro. Another guilty pleasure of mine, though I never used to like this song. I guess it's one of those songs that gets better with age! 31: LET ME LOVE OPEN THE DOOR – PETE TOWNSHEND (35) - Casey referred to him as "Peter Townshend" coming out of the song, even though I thought he went by Pete. Anyway, this one and one of the Who's songs, "You Better You Bet" sound very much alike but, oddly enough, it was a different member of the Who that sang lead on that one. 30: SHOULD’VE NEVER LET YOU GO – NEIL SEDAKA & DARA SEDAKA (19) - Neil, of course, had tons of hits back over the past three decades, but this was his daughter Dara's only appearance in the Top 40. It was definitely a great song - one of my favorite Sedaka songs, and especially relaxing after such an upbeat song before. 29: CARS – GARY NUMAN (17) - I loved this song back when it was on the charts, although nowadays, I realize how empty it sounded, with half the song being instrumental. It's still great, though - takes me back to 1980, since the radio stations I listened to back in the day played this one all the time. As synth heavy as this song is, it was a little ahead of its time. 28: STAND BY ME – MICKEY GILLEY (32) - I always associate this song with playing Pac Man, as that's what I was doing when I first heard this song (that I knew of, anyway) ten years after the fact. It was playing on the radio at the small grocery store I was at, which had several video games by the entrance. I didn't like it that much at first, but then it kind of grew on me and is now possibly my favorite version of the song that I've heard. 27: MISUNDERSTANDING - GENESIS (31) - Their second Top 40 hit, and the first one to hit the Top 20, and another song that my station used to play all the time back in the summer of 1980. Given that, I'm surprised the song didn't even hit the Top Ten on the Hot 100 (though it did peak at #3 on the R&R chart). This was definitely one of my favorite Genesis songs of all time! 26: SAILING – CHRISTOPHER CROSS (34) - Now here's a great song that came out at the right time of year, since it's about a popular summertime activity. In Cross' short pop chart career, he put out many great songs. In fact, I can't think of one song by him that I don't like. This is among my favorites by him. 25: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK - MECO (29) - I guess you could call this a guilty pleasure, as many people hate the idea of Darth Vader's entry theme being set to disco, but I like it, even better than Meco's version of the Star Wars theme and Cantina Band song. LDD: WE ARE FAMILY – SISTER SLEDGE - This song was quite fitting for the dedication, which was quite moving. I can't imagine having a child at 14, and three by age 17! That girl sure didn't get to enjoy her teen years! 24: SHE’S OUT OF MY LIFE – MICHAEL JACKSON (13) - Anymore, this is a poignant song - it's a sad one in the first place (both melodically and the subject matter), but I remember hearing this (on this show) not long after hearing of Michael's death and the song actually made me cry then, and still brings tears to my eyes when I hear it. Despite all of this, it is still my favorite song from his Off The Wall album. 23: ALL NIGHT LONG – JOE WALSH (25) - One of several songs from the Urban Cowboy soundtrack on this week's chart. 22: EMOTIONAL RESCUE – THE ROLLING STONES (33) - Wow, on the last regular broadcast of AT40, this song wasn't even on the Hot 100, now it's over three quarters of the way up the chart! One might think that this song would be a cinch to hit #1, but not quite (it did get as high as #3). Anyway, this was my former supervisor's "favorite" song (she still works at the library, so I still get to torment her by singing this song, LOL!) Another guilty pleasure (as many people I know, other than said former supervisor, dislike the song, due to Jagger's falsetto singing). ARCHIVE: THEME FROM “A SUMMER PLACE” – PERCY FAITH - EWWWWW, WTF IS THIS??? To quote our friend Freakyflybry, "When I tune into a countdown show, I don't want to hear ELEVATOR MUSIC! I nearly fell asleep when this came on. " He is indeed right on there! I'd expect to hear this when having my teeth drilled or being given a physical head-to-toe assessment (hoping that the nurse giving it is hot), but during a countdown show - no. Glad that the shows didn't exist back in 1960. OK, my rant is done. Next song, please... OPTIONAL EXTRA: BOULEVARD - JACKSON BROWNE - Browne's first Top 40 hit in two years - and a great one it is - one I remember quite well from back in the day. WMGN, however, went with "Don't Do Me Like That" by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, but that song was great as well. 21: LOVE THE WORLD AWAY – KENNY ROGERS (24) - This would be the second biggest song from Urban Cowboy - behind "Lookin' For Love". But this was by far my favorite song from the movie - just barely missed being the top song of 1980 according to my personal Top 30 charts - Kool & The Gang's "Too Hot" beat it by the narrowest margin possible. 20: GIMME SOME LOVIN’ – THE BLUES BROTHERS (22) - Surprised that this song only got as high as #18, given how big the Blues Brothers movie was, plus the station that I listened to back in 1980 played this one regularly. Anyway, this was a great song. I preferred this one over the original, because it sounds more energetic. 19: TAKE YOUR TIME – THE S.O.S. BAND (23) - This turned out to be their only Top 40 hit (although I imagine they had others on the R&B and dance charts, where Casey mentioned this song was #1 this week). This song wasn't bad, but nothing exceptional. EXTRA: TOM DOOLEY – THE KINGSTON TRIO - Tell you what, if we had to hear two sleepy songs from 1960, why did they have to play this one to boot? They could have played it two weeks ago, or even before, because they were playing late 70s songs as archives and everyone was more familiar with them. I preferred Kingston Trio member John Stewart's three Top 40 hits, by far. 18: BIGGEST PART OF ME - AMBROSIA (9) - Let me get this straight; they had room to squeeze in the ho-hum "Tom Dooley" song, but they had to fade this great song out at the beginning of the last chorus. Heck, they could have even inserted the bridge ("More than a lazy river...") if they'd just foregone "Tom Dooley" which simply JUST DOESN'T BELONG ON A 1980 SHOW!!! OK, rant over - next song, please... 17: MORE LOVE – KIM CARNES (21) - She was on her way down with her duet with Kenny Rogers back in the spring, now she was scaling the chart with her first big solo hit. Of course, the best was yet to come. Not sure if I prefer this song or "Bette Davis Eyes" - I think it's one of those cases where it depends on my mood. 16: I’M ALIVE – THE ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (18) - One of two Xanadu singles on the chart this week. It was so/so, but I preferred their duet with Olivia Newton-John, which, of course, was the title track and would chart later on in the summer. 15: IN AMERICA – THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND (20) - Of course, I think we all know that my favorite song from them is "Still In Saigon". This song, however, is also pretty good, as is their signature hit "The Devil Went Down To Georgia". 14: ONE FINE DAY – CAROLE KING (16) - One of those cases where the songwriter of a song charts with it after it charts one or more times by other artists. This would by my second favorite version of the song (that I've heard), behind Rita Coolidge's rendition from the previous year. 13: TIRED OF TOEIN’ THE LINE – ROCKY BURNETTE (15) - Johnny Burnette's son here must have gotten tired of it right off as his first hit turned out to be his only hit. It was a great one, though - definitely sounds like something from the early sixties, which is when Johnny Burnette had several chart hits. 12: AGAINST THE WIND – BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (6) - Difficult, but not impossible. But seriously, this song, the title track from this former #1 album was on its way down the chart, having peaked at number five the previous month. It was definitely one of his best songs ever (and another one I remember quite well - both from the radio and the album, which my Mom had on cassette and we listened to it in the car all the time). 11: SHINING STAR – THE MANHATTANS (12) - They had sixteen Hot 100 hits, but, surprisingly, only three of those made the Top 40, one of those just barely. Of their two big hits, this was definitely my favorite. ARCHIVE: STUCK ON YOU – ELVIS PRESLEY - Well, it was refreshing to hear an archive song wasn't boring elevator music or a depressing song about a teen girl dying as she tried to save her boyfriend's class ring from the car that was stalled on the tracks. This was a good one! OPTIONAL EXTRA: DRIVIN' MY LIFE AWAY - EDDIE RABBITT - This song was his biggest hit to date, peaking at #5, but his next one would go all the way to the top. Both were great songs! WMGN played "Never Knew Love Like This Before" by Stephanie Mills instead, so at least it was a good song, instead of "Another One Bites The Dust" or some other overplayed song from 1980. Besides, they played this song right after the show was over. 10: LET ME LOVE YOU TONIGHT – PURE PRAIRIE LEAGUE (11) - This song (my favorite PPL song) was the only Top Ten hit for this band, led by Vince Gill, husband of Amy Grant. It doesn't get much recurrent airplay anymore, but their 1975 "Amie" (which I assumed was not named after his wife) certainly does - and that song only lasted three weeks on the chart! EXTRA: I’LL TAKE YOU THERE - THE STAPLE SINGERS - One of those filler extras, when Casey mentions the three biggest hits of a certain artist from the 1970s and plays the biggest hit by them. Why couldn't they have played one of these in the third hour as well, instead of the song about a guy getting hanged? 9: LET’S GET SERIOUS – JERMAINE JACKSON (10) - Anyone notice the resemblance between this and "Grease" by Frankie Valli? I heard this song at the water park last summer and at first I thought it was this song, but then realized that it wasn't. As for the song, it isn't bad, but I generally preferred his mid-80s songs. 8: MAGIC – OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (14) - This was the other hit from Xanadu on this week's chart, and it would end up being the biggest of them all by far, spending four weeks at #1. I liked this song, but it was not quite my favorite ONJ song. 7: FUNKY TOWN – LIPPS INC. (2) - Like "Cars", this was another song that sounded a little ahead of its time, what with the synths and the electronic voices. It apparently worked, as the song spent a month at the top, and even had the strength to keep such a fast climbing song as "Coming Up" at bay for several weeks! It wasn't bad, though I did preferred the cover by Pseudo-Echo, that also hit the Top Ten in 1987. LDD: I PLEDGE MY LOVE - PEACHES & HERB - at the newlyweds having to spend a whole year apart, so soon after getting married. It goes to show that, if you're in the military, it's not a good idea to get married until you get out, via resignation or retirement. This song was a good one, and fitting for the dedication, though I preferred "Reunited" (which would be an appropriate song to dedicate when he returned home, especially if it was for good). 6: STEAL AWAY – ROBBIE DUPREE (7) - One of two Top 20 hits for this Brooklyn native. This was my favorite song from him - sounded a lot like "What A Fool Believes" by the Doobie Brothers, one of my all-time faves. 5: CUPID / I’VE LOVED YOU FOR A LONG TIME – THE SPINNERS (8) - They seemed to be on a roll with medleys, as this was their second one in a row and it, like the first one, hit the Top Ten. I wonder if they just decided to stop while they were ahead; who knows? Anyway, I liked both medleys about the same. 4: LITTLE JEANNIE – ELTON JOHN (5) - This was Elton's first, and biggest, hit of the 1980s. It was a great one - very upbeat and happy sounding, which is more than I can say for some of his songs ("The Last Song" for instance). 3: THE ROSE – BETTE MIDLER (3) - One of several movie soundtrack hits on the chart this week. I liked it, but such was not the case back in 1985, the year that my 7th grade choir sang it in the spring concert. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I'M ALRIGHT - KENNY LOGGINS - I remember seeing this movie (Caddyshack) back in the day! The gopher that had been terrorizing the golf course was dancing to this song at the end. A great song! WMGN did not play an extra in this song's place, but, as I mentioned earlier, they did play "Driving My Life Away" first thing following the broadcast. 2: IT’S STILL ROCK AND ROLL TO ME – BILLY JOEL (4) - This song was just a week away from becoming Joel's very first #1 hit. I like this song better than I used to, but still, it is my least favorite of the four singles from Glass Houses, one of Joel's best albums IMO. 1: COMING UP (LIVE AT GLASGOW) – PAUL MCCARTNEY & WINGS (1) - Wow, this song was still going strong at #1! I'm so glad they were playing the live version by now, rather than the robotic version that was played at the beginning of its chart run (since that was the version that was released, before radio stations began playing the live version, leaving the studio version for dead. If not for" Funkytown", this song might have been in the running for top song of 1980, along with "Call Me". Then again, maybe not, as the latter was stuck in the #2 position after being knocked out of #1 by "Funkytown".
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Post by Hervard on Jul 4, 2019 13:37:56 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - July 6, 2019 This week's presentation - July 4, 1987 Droppers: FASCINATED - COMPANY B (40) - Great song! I'm surprised this one didn't go Top Ten; it was definitely representative of the dance/pop music of the mid-late 80s. It's a great song and a shame that we didn't hear it this year. WITH OR WITHOUT YOU - U2 (38) - The first hit from one of the biggest albums of the 80s. It wasn't bad, but I preferred the other two singles. I'LL STILL BE LOVING YOU - RESTLESS HEART (37) - Country crossovers were very commonplace in the 80s, but by this point, they were a rare bird. This one petered out at #33 on the chart, but it did well at Country, of course, as well as AC, where it peaked at #3. Definitely a great song, and one of my favorites from 1987! NOTHING'S GONNA CHANGE MY LOVE FOR YOU - GLENN MEDEIROS (35) - His first of three Top 40 hits, and my favorite of the three. This peaked at #12 a month prior and managed to place on the Top 100 of 1987 (which was a significant feat, given how fast the charts moved in 1987! ROCK THE NIGHT - EUROPE (33) - The second of three Top 40 singles from their Final Countdown album - my favorite and the most underrated (as it only got as high as #30). It is also my favorite of all of their songs that I've heard. JAMMIN' ME - TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (32) - Wow, that's kinda rare - six droppers and they were all outside the Top 30. As for this song, which expressed his frustration with media disinformation, I liked it, but prefer several others from him. 40: SEVEN WONDERS – FLEETWOOD MAC (debut) - The second of five Tango In The Night singles, and my favorite of the bunch. I generally prefer the songs with Stevie Nicks singing lead. 39: HEARTS ON FIRE – BRYAN ADAMS (debut) - Adams makes the same faux pas as Randy Meisner with this title, but it is still a great song! My second favorite single from Into The Fire, and my second favorite, behind "Victim Of Love". 38: FLAMES OF PARADISE – JENNIFER RUSH (DUET WITH ELTON JOHN) (debut) - Now here's a song I haven't heard since its chart run! This one only peaked at #36 and was out of the Top 40 by the time Casey returned to AT40 after a two-week hiatus. It was a good one, though I preferred other songs by Elton John (the only other song I've heard by Jennifer Rush was her version of "Power Of Love" - not sure which of those I prefer). 37: LUKA – SUZANNE VEGA (debut) - Does the opening notes of this song remind anyone else of the Jetsons' doorbell? Well, anyway, like Jennifer Rush, there are only two songs by her that I've heard, and this would be my favorite (I remember being sick of hearing the "do do dodo do dododo..." refrains of "Tom's Diner" everytime I turned on the radio in late 1990/early 1991). That song, by the way, was also on Solitude Standing album, only it was a cappella and the "do do" part didn't come until the very end. 36: BACK IN THE HIGH LIFE AGAIN – STEVE WINWOOD (debut) - This, of course, is the title track from his most successful singles album. It's pretty good, but I preferred a few others from him. 35: THE LADY IN RED – CHRIS DE BURGH (22) - 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. 34: ONLY IN MY DREAMS – DEBBIE GIBSON (39) - The breakthrough hit for one of the biggest teen music stars from this era. It was a good song - my second favorite song from Out Of The Blue behind the #1 "Foolish Beat". 33: MOONLIGHTING (THEME) – AL JARREAU (debut) - TV themes were all the rage back around 1976, but their popularity waned significantly by this time. I was surprised that this one only got as high as #23 (and only #37 on the airplay chart), since I heard it all the time in the summer of 1987 - and even got tired of it at one point. That's probably because I listened to an AC station (WNSN, South Bend) occasionally, and this was #1 on the AC chart in late July. 32: WOT’S IT TO YA – ROBBIE NEVIL (36) - Ah, nothing like a loud kiss-off song! I like this and "Dominoes" about the same ("C'est La Vie" was pretty good, but it was quite overplayed). 31: SOUL CITY – PARTLAND BROTHERS (27) - The only hit for this duo from Canada. It as a good one - should have gotten higher on the charts. 30/LDD: YOU KEEP ME HANGIN’ ON – KIM WILDE (17) - This song was definitely fitting for the dedication. And, as I've said several times before, I prefer this version over the Supremes and Vanilla Fudge versions. OPTIONAL EXTRA: LA BAMBA - LOS LOBOS - This was their first of at least three remakes of old Ritchie Valens songs (they did a version of "Donna", but I don't think it was ever released as a single). Anyway, this song was so/so, but way overplayed. I preferred their version of "Come On Let's Go" which we'll hopefully hear later on this year on the series. 29: CROSS MY BROKEN HEARTS – THE JETS (34) - LOL, sounds like they're singing "That's just f---ing hogwash". As for my opinion of this song, well, it's mediocre at best. As we probably know all too well, I prefer their ballads over their upbeat dance numbers like this. 28: HAPPY - SURFACE (31) - Their very first Top 40 hit. I heard this quite a lot that summer and was quite surprised that it only got as high as #20. They hit big two years later with "Shower Me With Your Love" and even bigger in early 1991 with "The First Time", which hit the top and was the fifth biggest hit of that year. 27: I’D STILL SAY YES - KLYMAXX (29) - I believe they were more of an R&B act, but they did have three Top 40 hits. This was my favorite of the three (though "Man Size Love" was a close second, especially when I'm in the mood for something upbeat). 26: THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE – JANET JACKSON (30) - The sixth and last single from the Contol album. The first five were all Top Five hits, but this one missed the Top Ten. Her first wave of popularity was over, but the best, of course, was yet to come - her next album would yield eight Top Ten radio hits. This song wasn't bad, but I can see why this one didn't do as well as the other Control singles. 25: MEET ME HALF WAY – KENNY LOGGINS (13) - Earlier, I mentioned that "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You" by Glenn Medeiros missed the Top Ten, yet placed among the Top 100 of 1987. This song did the same and was the only other such song that year. I liked this song, but preferred many others by him, including a few of his other movie hits. 24: KISS HIM GOODBYE – THE NYLONS (26) - This was a somewhat rare a cappella song (by late 80s standards anyway). But I liked it - about the same as the original, but in different ways, of course, as the music styles of both versions were very different. 23: SWEET SIXTEEN – BILLY IDOL (20) - I'm not generally a big Billy Idol fan, but this is an exception - possibly my favorite song from him. 22: ENDLESS NIGHTS – EDDIE MONEY (21) - Interesting story about Eddie Money becoming a junk food junkie and slob while on the road. This is possibly his most underrated song. Yes, it did get up to the halfway point on the chart, but what radio station plays it anymore? They just assume we want to hear "Take Me Home Tonight" fot the millionth time. 21: I WANT YOUR SEX – GEORGE MICHAEL (28) - Don't care for this one at all! If not for the lyrical content, this one might have become one of the biggest hits of the year - possibly even THE biggest. I might dislike "Walk Like An Egyptian", but I'd rather listen to that one than this. 20: RHYTHM IS GONNA GET YOU – GLORIA ESTEFAN AND MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (24) - Like the Jets, this is another group that I prefer singing ballads than upbeat songs (though "Bad Boys" and their next release after this, "Betcha Say That" were exceptions). This song was pretty good, but definitely far from being their best. OPTIONAL EXTRA: HERE I GO AGAIN - WHITESNAKE - They played the album(?) version of this song (I keep forgetting which is which) which I prefer over the other version, which was the one that I heard on the radio the most - this version I rarely if ever heard outside of countdown shows. 19: HEART AND SOUL – T’PAU (23) - One of several one-hit wonders on this week's show. I never particularly cared for this song, however. 18: WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE – BON JOVI (10) - This song demonstrated the band's country/western side, a format that they would switch to a decade later. This was a good song, but I preferred "Never Say Goodbye", an album cut from Slippery When Wet that was getting moderate radio airplay around this time. 17: I STILL HAVEN’T FOUND WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR – U2 (25) - This was the second of two #1 hits from The Joshua Tree. As stated earlier in this commentary, I preferred this song. LDD: HEARTLIGHT – NEIL DIAMOND - This song was kinda cheesym but it definitely fit the dedication, which I felt was quite touching. 16: GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS – MOTLEY CRUE (19) - I was never crazy about their music, but I did like their slow songs (such as "Without You" and "Home Sweet Home". 15: EVERY LITTLE KISS – BRUCE HORNSBY & THE RANGE (18) - This one originally charted a year before, but only got as high as #72. After the success of "The Way It Is" and "Mandolin Rain", they decided to give it another chance, which proved to be worthwhile, as the song made it to #14 the second time around. Definitely one of the songs I associate most with the summer of 1987! 14: LESSONS IN LOVE – LEVEL 42 (12) - This British band was a two-hit wonder (as far as Top 40 hits go), and both songs hit the Top 20. Both songs were great - I liked them about the same. 13: DIAMONDS – HERB ALPERT f/JANET JACKSON & LISA KEITH (8) - Not sure whether or not the success of this song, which was never one of my favorites, affected the chart performance of "The Pleasure Principle". 12: ALWAYS – ATLANTIC STARR (5) - This song became a very popular wedding song and was a far cry from their other Top Ten hit, which was about infidelity. This was my favorite of their Top 40 hits. 11: SOMETHING SO STRONG – CROWDED HOUSE (15) - Another two-hit wonder, like Level 42 (though, in this case, the songs were from the same album). I preferred this song, but "Don't Dream It's Over" was a close second. They almost had a third Top 40 hit the following year, "Better Be Home Soon", but that one petered out at #42. That was a good one as well. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WHEN SMOKEY SINGS - ABC - This song borrowed the bass line from "Tears Of A Clown", one of Smokey's biggest hits with the Miracles. It was a pretty good song (and, amazingly, there was a week when both this and one of Smokey's hits were in the Top Ten simultaneously), but I preferred their 1983 hits. 10: FUNKYTOWN – PSEUDO ECHO (16) - Another one-hit wonder, with a remake of a #1 hit from earlier in the decade. I preferred this pop/rock version over the dance/techno version by Lipps Inc. 9: POINT OF NO RETURN - EXPOSE (14) - Of their four hits to chart in 1987-88, this was my favorite of the bunch (you thought that I was going to say that I preferred "Seasons Change, didn't you?) 8: JUST TO SEE HER – SMOKEY ROBINSON (9) - Well speak of the devil! We were just talking about Smokey Robinson earlier and here he is! I liked this and "One Heartbeat" about the same. In early 1989, he was a featured vocalist on a song called "We've Saved The Best For Last" which sounded very much like this song. 7: DON’T DISTURB THIS GROOVE – THE SYSTEM (11) - This was their only big hit on the pop chart. It wasn't bad, but I preferred their next release "Nighttime Lover", which, sadly, wasn't released to pop radio (and if it was, it didn't go far). 6: IN TOO DEEP - GENESIS (3) - This was the fifth and final single from their most successful album Invisible Touch. It is my second favorite of those singles behind the title track (but you already knew that, right?) 5: SONGBIRD – KENNY G (6) - His first song to hit the chart - and it turned out to be his biggest. I liked it, but generally preferred his songs that featured a vocalist, including the aforementioned "We've Saved The Best For Last". 4: HEAD TO TOE – LISA LISA & CULT JAM (2) - They dropped Full Force, Paul Anthony and Bowlegged Lou for this one (but they were still featured on at least another song on the same album), and to number one this song went. It was OK, but I was never too crazy about it. I preferred the next release "Lost In Emotion". 3: SHAKEDOWN – BOB SEGER (7) - Fascinating story about the "grassers" that Seger would participate in (dances out in remote fields using their car radios). As for the song, it wasn't bad, but definitely not my favorite song from him. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WHO'S THAT GIRL - MADONNA - Not one of her best hits by any means. 2: ALONE - HEART (4) - This song was a week away from becoming their second #1 hit (meaning that each of the Wilson sisters had a turn at handling the lead vocals on a number one song). This was my favorite of the two hits and I found it sick and wrong that this one lost to "Walk Like An Egyptian" as 1987's #1 song. But such is life. 1: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY – WHITNEY HOUSTON (1) - Casey mentioned how Whitney was the first solo female to hit #1 four times in a row. But she would break her own record several more times before "Love Will Save The Day" (which barely touched the Top Ten) broke the streak a year later. As for this song, I was definitely sick and tired of it by this point, but now I think it's a great one - one of her best upbeat songs! Coming up next week: Another twofer - July 9, 1988 as the "A" offering, along with July 18, 1981 as the "B" show.
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Post by Hervard on Jul 4, 2019 13:38:13 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - Special Independence Day Presentation
The Triathlon of Rock & Roll - Original broadcast date: July 2, 1988
40: JIMMY PAGE - WHOLE LOTTA LOVE (LED ZEPPELIN) - He was the guitarist for the Yardbirds in the 1960s and most of his hits as a member of Led Zeppelin were in the 1970s. They had only one Top 40 hit in the 1980s, "Fool In The Rain", which wasn't played much by radio at this point, so I guess that's why they went with this song, which was pretty good, though I think "All My Love" would have been a better choice, as that would give the song its first play on AT40 (as the song was not released as a single and hence only charted on airplay only charts), as well as the fact that it was from late 1979 and closer to the 1980s. Most people were familiar 39: CLIFF RICHARD - DREAMING - He would actually qualify for a "quadrathlon", since he started out in the 1950s and was still charting in the early 1980s, thus spanning his chart careers over four different decades. This was his biggest 80s hit, peaking at #10 in the fall of 1980. It was a good song, but I preferred a few others by him. 38: CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH - SOUTHERN CROSS - They just barely made it, as they first hit the charts in 1969. They were quiet during the first two and a half years of the 1980s until they had a pair of Top 40 hits in 1982. This was the second of those, which was a Top 20 hit in December of that year. It was a great one, though I preferred "Wasted On The Way". 37: MARTY BALIN - HEARTS - He was the lead singer of the Jefferson Starship in the mid- to late-1970s, and would not have qualified if not for his solo work in 1981, when he had two Top 40 hits. This was by far the biggest of them, peaking at #8 in the summer of that year, as well as my favorite of the two - a great song! 36: ROBERT PLANT - SEA OF LOVE (THE HONEYDRIPPERS) - Another member of Led Zeppelin - in this case, the lead singer. His songs with Led Zeppelin would have qualified him to make the list, but he also had a few solo hits, one of which was in the midst of its chart run at the time of this special, and two with his band the Honeydrippers in the mid-1980s. This song was pretty good, but I generally preferred his hits with Led Zeppelin. 35: THE MOODY BLUES - YOUR WILDEST DREAMS - Another act that had a song on the chart at the time, though it had yet to reach the Top 40. More known for their early-70s hits, they had a pair of Top 40 hits in the 1960s and came back in the 1980s with a handful of hits, including this one, which was their only Top Ten in the 1980s. It is also one of my all-time faves from them! 34: PATTI LABELLE - NEW ATTITUDE - She was the founder of the Blue Belles in the 1960s, the group LaBelle in the 1970s, and had her best success as a solo artist in the 1980s, with three Top 40 hits, one of them a #1 duet with Michael McDonald. Since he would have his own position on the chart 33: GRAHAM NASH - WASTED ON THE WAY (CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH) - Ah, so THAT'S why they featured "Southern Cross" for the CS&N song - Graham Nash had a few hits of his own in the 1970s, and, of course, his hits with his band in the 60s and 80s put him on the map. Anyway, as I said earlier, this great song was my favorite of the two songs by the trio. 32: THE KINKS - COME DANCING - More famous for their 60s and 70s hits, this London rock band actually had their biggest hit with this hit from the summer of 1983. 31: BILLY PRESTON - WITH YOU I'M BORN AGAIN (WITH SYREETA) - As the "fifth Beatle", Preston sang on their 1969 #1 hit "Get Back", had a successful solo career in the 1970s, which included two #1 hits. He had only this one hit in the 1980s, but what a hit it was, lasting well over a half a year on the Hot 100 in 1980. This one is a guilty pleasure of mine! OPTIONAL EXTRA: WE DIDN'T START THE FIRE - BILLY JOEL - Joel wasn't qualified for this chart, since he didn't have any hits in the 1960s, but if there had been a Triathlon Special for the 1990s, he would have made that one and this song would have done it for him, as it was still on the charts as the 1990s rolled in, but he continued to have many hits after that. This song was so/so, though it wasn't one of his best hits IMO. It's more of a list of random events during Joel's lifetime than a song. 30: BILL MEDLEY - (I'VE HAD) THE TIME OF MY LIFE (WITH JENNIFER WARNES) - Of course, he was half of the Righteous Brothers in the 1960s and 1970s. After Medley went solo in 1974, they were absent from the chart until 1990, when two versions of their 1965 hit "Unchained Melody" recharted. In the 1980s, however, Medley charted with this #1 duet with Jennifer Warnes from the blockbuster movie Dirty Dancing. It's a good song, though my sentiments were very different back in the day, especially when this song was on its way up the chart. 29: JERMAINE JACKSON - DYNAMITE - He, along with brother Michael, made the list by the skin of their teeth, as their first hit "I Want You Back" debuted in the Top 40 in December, 1969. Then, of course, they had a ton of hits in the 1970s and Jermaine had a handful of Top 40 hits in the 1980s as a solo artist, including this one, which was one of my favorites from him. 28: HERB ALPERT - DIAMONDS (FEATURING JANET JACKSON & LISA KEITH) - Alpert had three Top Ten hits in the 1960s, including the #1 "This Guy's In Love With You", returned to #1 in 1979 with "Rise" (which gave him the distinction having a #1 vocal hit as well as a #1 instrumental), and then hit in 1987 with this song, his final Top Ten. I wasn't a huge fan of this song, however - I preferred said #1's. 27: TINA TURNER - BETTER BE GOOD TO ME - She hit the charts in the 1960s and early 1970s with her then-husband Ike. In the 1980s, she came back bigger than ever as a solo artist, hitting #1 in 1984 with "What's Love Got To Do With It". The featured song was the follow-up to that song, which also hit the Top Ten. It was a good song, but I preferred a few others from her. 26: ERIC CLAPTON - I CAN'T STAND IT - This guitar great charted in the 60s and 70s as part of various bands, and had a few solo hits as well, including this one (though it was actually credited to the Eric Clapton Band). 25: LINDA RONSTADT - SOMEWHERE OUT THERE (WITH JAMES INGRAM) - As part of the Stone Poneys, she had a single hit in the 1960s, "Different Drum" and then had a number of solo hit in the 1970s and 1980s. This duet with James Ingram from An American Tail was her most recent hit (up to the date of this show, that is). I thought it was a great song and it became a very popular "across-the-miles" type Long Distance Dedication request. 24: THE SPINNERS - CUPID/I'VE LOVED YOU FOR A LONG TIME - Their first Top 40 hit, "That's What Girls Are Made For", was their only Top 40 hit in the sixties. The 70s were definitely their heyday, with many big hits, including five Top Tens. Their success in the 1980s was short-lived, but it did give them two additional Top Ten hits - both of them remakes of big 1960s hits, in which they added their own songs, sung as a bridge. This was their most recent hit. I liked it and the first medley, "Working My Way Back To You/Forgive Me Girl" about the same. 23: BOB SEGER - SHAKEDOWN - Like the Spinners, Seger had a single hit in the sixties, "Ramblin', Gamblin' Man" with the Bob Seger System. He had quite a few hits in the 1970s and 1980s, which was when he finally hit #1 with this song, from the Beverly Hills Cop II soundtrack. It was a so/so song, but one of my least favorites from him. 22: JEFFERSON AIRPLANE/ JEFFERSON STARSHIP/STARSHIP - MEDLEY: SOMEBODY TO LOVE/WHITE RABBIT/MIRACLES/WITH YOUR LOVE/COUNT ON ME/RUNAWAY/JANE/WE BUILT THIS CITY/SARA/NOTHING'S GONNA STOP US NOW/IT'S NOT OVER ('TIL IT'S OVER) - The first multi-song medley, as they evolved with band names, as well as musical styles. And, of course, these songs spanned the '60s, the '70s, and the '80s. 21: JOHN FOGERTY - THE OLD MAN DOWN THE ROAD - As the lead singer of Creedence Clearwater Revivial, he charted in the 60s with a number of hits, and then hit the charts intermittently as part of CCR and solo, and then finally, he had a pair of solo hits in 1985. This was the biggest of those, peaking at #10. It was a good song - reminiscent of his material with CCR. 20: JAMES BROWN - MEDLEY: I GOT YOU (I FEEL GOOD)/PAPA'S GOT A BRAND NEW BAG/IT'S A MAN'S MAN'S WORLD/COLD SWEAT/I GOT THE FEELIN'/SAY IT LOUD- I'M BLACK AND I'M PROUD/GIVE IT UP OR TURNIT A LOOSE/MOTHER POPCORN/GET UP (I FEEL LIKE BEING A) SEX MACHINE/SUPER BAD/HOT PANTS/GET ON THE GOOD FOOT/LIVING IN AMERICA - Another medley, from none other than the Godfather of Soul. This, of course, is only a small sampling of his 44 Top 40 hits. He only had one Top hit in the 1980s, "Living In America", which turned out to be one of his biggest hits. 19: GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE PIPS - LOVE OVERBOARD - Of course, Gladys' heyday was the 1960s and 1970s. This was the only song in the 1980s on which she got label credit (as "That's What Friends Are For" was credited to "Dionne & Friends"). This was a good song, but I preferred a few of her earlier hits. 18: SMOKEY ROBINSON - JUST TO SEE HER - He first charted in the 1960s as lead singer of the Miracles. He had a few hits with them in the early 1970s before embarking on a solo career in 1972. He had a few hits over the course of the decade and after a hiatus during the early to mid-1980s, he came back with two more Top Ten hits. This was the first of them. I liked it and the other one, "One Heartbeat" about the same. 17: DIONNE WARWICK - HEARTBREAKER - Another artist who had numerous Top 40 hits during the 1960s and 1970s and a handful in the 1980s, including the aforementioned "That's What Friends Are For". This song, produced by the Bee Gees, who also provided back-up vocals, was her biggest solo hit, peaking at #10 in early 1982. It was a great song IMO - one of my favorites from her. 16: BARBRA STREISAND - WOMAN IN LOVE - Another song written by the Bee Gees, though they did not sing back-up on this song. This was by far Streisand's biggest hit of the 1980s, spending three weeks on top in the fall of 1980. It was one of her best songs ever in my opinion as well. 15: CHER - I FOUND SOMEONE - She hit in the '60s and '70s both solo as well as with her then husband Sonny Bono, and just made it in the 1980s, as this song, which was her first hit of the decade, hit just a few months before this special. It was pretty good, but I generally preferred her 90s hits. 14: PAUL SIMON - YOU CAN CALL ME AL - Another artist who charted both solo and as part of a duo. His partner, Art Garfunkel, did not have any Top 40 hits during the 1980s, but Paul had a handful of them, including his most recent hit. This song first charted in the fall of 1986, running out of gas at #44. After his success at the 1987 Grammy Awards, he decided to give the song another chance and the song went to #23 the second time around. It was a good song. 13: KENNY ROGERS - ISLANDS IN THE STREAM (WITH DOLLY PARTON) - In the 60s and early 1970s, Rogers hit the Top 40 several times as part of his band the First Edition, but his biggest success was as a solo artist, with many big hits in the 1970s, and two #1s in the 1980s. This was his most recent ones, a duet with another country singer Dolly Parton. This was a song that I used to dislike, but now think it's pretty good. 12: NEIL DIAMOND - AMERICA - He had quite a lot of Top 40 hits in all three decades considered for this show. This was one of three hits from a movie in which he starred The Jazz Singer. It is my second favorite from the soundtrack, behind "Love On The Rocks". 11: GEORGE HARRISON - GOT MY MIND SET ON YOU - Three of the four of the Beatles were represented on this show, due to their many hits in the 1960s and solo hits during the 1970s and 1980s. Poor Ringo Starr was the odd man out, as he didn't have any big hits in the 1980s. George was absent from the chart for much of the 80s, but two of his three songs during the decade were big hits, and this one was the most successful, hitting #1 in early 1988. I liked the song a lot when it first came out, but got sick of it due to overplay. I much preferred his two other 80s hits, both of which were retrospects of Harrison's Beatles days. 10: ARETHA FRANKLIN - FREEWAY OF LOVE - There were several artists on this list who charted many times in the 60s and 70s and then, after a sizeable hiatus, made a successful comeback. Aretha was a prime example, she went nearly a decade without a Top 40 hit, but came back just as strong as ever in the summer of 1985 with this great hit, and she had several others over the next few years, her biggest being her duet with George Michael, the #1 "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)". Too bad they didn't play that, as I preferred it over this song, which was still a good song. OPTIONAL EXTRA: BATDANCE - PRINCE - Like Billy Joel, he would have made a Triathlon special of the 70s, 80s, and 90s, as he first charted in 1979 with "I Wanna Be Your Lover" and, of course, had a ton of hits in the 80s and 90s. This song was OK, but I might have appreciated it more if I'd seen the movie Batman. 9: MARVIN GAYE - SEXUAL HEALING - He was immensely successful in the 60s and 70s, on both the pop and R&B charts, and had one hit in the 1980s before his life was cut short the following year. I was never a huge fan of his music, but this song was actually pretty good. 8: BARRY GIBB - MEDLEY: TO LOVE SOMEBODY/WORDS/I'VE GOTTA GET A MESSAGE TO YOU/HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART/RUN TO ME/JIVE TALKIN'/NIGHTS ON BROADWAY/FANNY(BE TENDER WITH MY LOVE)/YOU SHOULD BE DANCING/LOVE SO RIGHT/HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE/STAYIN' ALIVE/NIGHT FEVER/TOO MUCH HEAVEN/TRAGEDY/LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT/GUILTY/WHAT KIND OF FOOL/SHINE, SHINE - I'm lost - Barry Gibb gets this position instead of the Bee Gees as a whole, even though they did have two hits in the 1980s. It's true that neither of them were Top Tens, but Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin made it, despite having one song in the 80s that only peaked three spots higher than the Bee Gees' biggest hit of the 1980s. Was Page part of a band who did have a Top Ten hit in the 1980s? That would be the only logical explanation I can think of. Well, anyway, this was a good medley with a nice selection of the Bee Gees/Barry Gibb's biggest hits. EDIT: In doing further research, I found out that Jimmy Page actually WAS a member of two other bands that charted in the 1980s - the Honeydrippers and the Firm. In that case, they could have used "Radioactive" as the song for Page - or swapped "Sea Of Love" for one of Robert Plant's solo hits - such as "Tall Cool One", which was charting at the time. Of course, I'm not sure when this show was compiled - might have been before "Tall Cool One" was even released. Anyway... 7: ROLLING STONES - UNDERCOVER OF THE NIGHT - Sort of a weird song pick, as by 1988, very few, if any, stations were still playing this song. "Start Me Up" would have been a better choice. Not that I'm complaining, as that song was quite overplayed. I prefer this song by a fair margin, though it's still far from being my favorite song from them. 6: MICK JAGGER - DANCING IN THE STREET (WITH DAVID BOWIE) - Jagger double-dips, as he also had solo hits in the 1980s, as well as with the Rolling Stones in all three decades. This song, recorded for Live Aid, was his most successful hit in the 80s away from the Stones, peaking at #7 in the fall of 1985. Not a bad song, but I generally preferred his hits with the Stones. 5: STEVIE WONDER - PART-TIME LOVER - His first hit, "Fingertips - Part 2", was one of his biggest hits ever, spending three weeks at #1. He had a ton of big hits in the 1970s, including five #1s. He had four #1 hits in the 1980s (though he was only credited on three of those). 4: MICHAEL JACKSON - WANNA BE STARTIN' SOMETHIN' - Like Jermaine, Michael made it just barely, as the first Jackson Five hit came along very late in the 1960s. He continued to hit with the band throughout the 70s, with a few solo hits dotted in between. By the 1980s, he was completely on his own, for the most part. The highlight, of course, was the Thriller album, which became the first to spawn seven Top 40 hits! This was one of them, though I don't know why they didn't pick one of the two #1s. Not sure; this song never did anything for me. 3: DIANA ROSS - WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE - In the 60s, she enjoyed immense success as part of the Supremes, one of the most successful bands ever, and in the 1970s, she went solo and had many more big hits, including four #1s. Her two biggest hits ever came in the 1980s, helping her to achieve the bronze medal. 2: JOHN LENNON - NOBODY TOLD ME - The silver medal winner was one of the Beatles main lead singers. After their breakup in 1970, he continued to chart as a solo artist here and there over the next five years, and then he took a five year hiatus to help take care of his newborn son Sean. He made a comeback in 1980, though it was cut short when he was murdered as his first comeback hit "(Just Like) Starting Over" was on its way up the chart. This song was from his posthumous album Milk And Honey. Not bad, but I preferred the three Double Fantasy singles 1: PAUL Mc CARTNEY - MEDLEY: YESTERDAY/ANOTHER DAY/UNCLE ALBERT-ADMIRAL HALSEY/HI HI HI/MY LOVE/LIVE AND LET DIE/HELEN WHEELS/JET/BAND ON THE RUN/JUNIOR'S FARM/LISTEN TO WHAT THE MAN SAID/SILLY LOVE SONGS/LET'EM IN/MAYBE I'M AMAZED/WITH A LITTLE LUCK/GOODNIGHT TONIGHT/COMING UP (LIVE AT GLASCOW)/EBONY AND IVORY/TAKE IT AWAY/NO MORE LONELY NIGHTS/SPIES LIKE US/FULL SONG: SAY, SAY, SAY - One of Lennon's bandmates, the other main lead singer of the Beatles, grabs the gold, and this medley served as a Grand Finale of sorts, mainly spotlighting his work with Wings in the 1970s and his solo hits and duets in the 1980s. Actually, "Say Say Say" was not played in full, as it went straight from the first verse to the last chorus. But it was a good way to cap off this special nonetheless.
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Post by pb on Jul 4, 2019 16:10:58 GMT -5
Droppers: CLONES (WE'RE ALL) - ALICE COOPER (40) - A rare case where a song was not played on American Top 40, because the only week it was in the Top 40, the regular show was pre-empted by a special, so I must say it - wtf did this sound like again? (Maybe when I have time, I'll see if they have it on YouTube video). Listening to this for the first time, it reminds me of Gary Numan's "Cars," but not quite as catchy.
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Post by doofus67 on Jul 4, 2019 17:45:02 GMT -5
Droppers: CLONES (WE'RE ALL) - ALICE COOPER (40) - A rare case where a song was not played on American Top 40, because the only week it was in the Top 40, the regular show was pre-empted by a special, so I must say it - wtf did this sound like again? (Maybe when I have time, I'll see if they have it on YouTube video). Listening to this for the first time, it reminds me of Gary Numan's "Cars," but not quite as catchy. I think it sounds like, not "Cars," but The Cars. It has (almost) the guitar riff from "Just What I Needed" and the synthesizer riff from "Dangerous Type." In fact, Alice used their producer, Roy Thomas Baker.
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Post by at40nut on Jul 5, 2019 3:02:54 GMT -5
If you take a little rhythm out of Ali Thomson's song "Take A Little Rhythm", you get a song that sounds like the first 3:30 minutes of "Dogs" by Pink Floyd.
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Post by pb on Jul 8, 2019 17:52:45 GMT -5
27: SAVE YOUR KISSES FOR ME - BROTHERHOOD OF MAN Never noticed this one until this weekend. They managed to combine "Tie A Yellow Ribbon" and Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Clair" into one song.
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Post by doofus67 on Jul 8, 2019 19:57:28 GMT -5
27: SAVE YOUR KISSES FOR ME - BROTHERHOOD OF MAN Never noticed this one until this weekend. They managed to combine "Tie A Yellow Ribbon" and Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Clair" into one song. And yet, it managed to sell 6 million copies worldwide, and was even the #1 song of the year in the UK.
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Post by mrjukebox on Jul 10, 2019 17:16:43 GMT -5
The Brotherhood Of Man was a studio group which featured vocalist Tony Burrows-Their first top forty appearance was in the summer of 1970 with "United We Stand".
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Post by pb on Jul 10, 2019 17:51:58 GMT -5
The Brotherhood Of Man was a studio group which featured vocalist Tony Burrows-Their first top forty appearance was in the summer of 1970 with "United We Stand". I prefer that song.
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Post by Hervard on Jul 12, 2019 14:09:59 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - July 13, 2019 This week's presentation - July 15, 1978 YOU'RE THE LOVE - SEALS & CROFTS (40) - They had a handful of big hits in the 70s, but unfortunately, this was their final Top 40 hit. It wasn't bad, but I preferred most of their earlier hits. CHATANOOGA CHOO CHOO - TUXEDO JUNCTION (32) - Here is a cover of a big band classic by Glenn Miller - one that we'll never hear on the AT40: The 70s, as it was only on for two weeks - the first of which was pre-empted by a special (the Top 40 acts of the 1970s) and the following week was guest-hosted. I wonder if this is the highest peaking song that was never played on the retro-AT40 series? Anyway, I seem to remember that this was a decent remake. BECAUSE THE NIGHT - PATTI SMITH GROUP (19) - I'm more familiar with the 1993 cover of this song by 10,000 Maniacs, which doesn't sound all that different from this one (except for one of the chords in the chorus). Not sure which of the two I prefer, but, due to overplay of the cover, I'm still burned out on the song overall. 40: I’VE HAD ENOUGH - WINGS (debut) - The third of four singles from their London Town album. It was OK, but it didn't hold a candle to "With A Little Luck". 39: WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW – DAVE MASON (39) - A cover of the Shirelle's classic, and a good one at that. Too bad that it ran out of steam here at #39. 38: LOVE OR SOMETHING LIKE IT – KENNY ROGERS (debut) - This song sure didn't last long on AT40, but fared much better at AC, where it peaked at #12, and especially at country, where it was would #1 the following week. I thought this song was pretty good, but definitely nowhere near being his best. 37: ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG – BILLY JOEL (24) - This song might have been a Top Ten hit if not for its lyrical content. Many radio stations refused to play this song, which impeded its climb - the song only got as high as #24. It was a great song - one of his best, IMO. 36: CAN WE STILL BE FRIENDS – TODD RUNDGREN (37) - I liked this song, though I sure don't remember ever hearing it outside of AT40. 35: PROVE IT ALL NIGHT – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (debut) - This was his second Top 40 hit and it only got two spots higher, but, of course, the best was yet to come. The 1980s was clearly Springsteen's decade, especially with the Born In The USA album. 34: LOVE IS LIKE OXYGEN - SWEET (15) - They had five Top 40 hits, all reaching the upper half of the chart. This one was their final Top 40 hit. The song reminded me of something that ELO would do, though I wasn't a big fan of it. 33: YOU’RE THE ONE THAT I WANT – JOHN TRAVOLTA & OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (14) - The first of two duets from Grease that they charted with, as well as one of two #1 hits from the soundtrack (the title track, coming up later in the countdown, was the other). I like both duets about the same - it depends on my mood at the time. Regardless, both are great songs. 32: STAY – JACKSON BROWNE (38) - Interesting how Browne changed the lyrics around to be addressing his audience instead of a loved one, like in the original. As for the song, it's not bad, but I preferred "The Load Out", which some radio stations play right before this song, as that's how Browne usually does this song in his concerts. 31: HOT LOVE, COLD WORLD – BOB WELCH (33) - The third of three Top 40 hits that charted for Welch in 1978, though it didn't quite match up to the success of the first two, as #31 is where the song peaked. 30: KING TUT – STEVE MARTIN (35) - Glad he didn't quit his acting job - just saying. 29: SONGBIRD – BARBRA STREISAND (34) - I remember singing this in choir as part of our spring concert back in my sophomore year in High School (hard to believe that was over 30 years ago!) I got a little sick of rehearsing it every day back then, but it's good to hear the original version every now and then. 28: I’M NOT GONNA LET IT BOTHER ME TONIGHT – ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION (35) - I thought most of their songs were good, but this one was somewhat mediocre. Definitely nowhere near as good as "So In To You" or "Imaginary Lover". 27: YOU BELONG TO ME – CARLY SIMON (10) - A high point in the show for JessieLou here! This was a great song - one of Simon's best hits. I liked it as well as the Doobie Brothers' version, which was on their Livin' on the Fault Line album from the year before. OPTIONAL EXTRA: LOVE IS IN THE AIR - JOHN PAUL YOUNG - 26: MAGNET AND STEEL – WALTER EGAN (31) - Stevie Nicks, who this song was said to be about, was heard singing back-up on this song, which somehow, I associate more with the fall of 1978 instead of the summer (probably because that was when WLS played the song; it peaked on their survey in late October). Though I preferred "Fool Moon Fire", from 1983, this was a good one too. 25: IF EVER I SEE YOU AGAIN – ROBERTA FLACK (27) - This song reminded me a lot of "You Light Up My Life" by Debby Boone, especially in the bridge. But there's a good reason for that, as Joe Brooks wrote both songs. I thought this was a great song - not sure if I prefer this or her recent Top Five duet with Donny Hathaway, which dropped out this week. 24: THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY – LOVE & KISSES (25) - Ah, the ever-popular weekend welcome! This was the title track of the movie "Thank God It's Friday", a disco musical that was sort of in a box office battle with Grease, which was released around the same time. This song has sort of a Philly feel to it - in fact, it reminded me a little of "TSOP" by MFSB, from four years prior. 23: FM (NO STATIC AT ALL) – STEELY DAN (28) - A movie title song hat trick here, as this is the third in a row - in this case, the title track from this film directed by John A. Alonzo. I like most of Steely Dan's hits and this is no exception. 22: MY ANGEL BABY – TOBY BEAU (29) - It was a group, not a solo male, like many people thought (such was the case with Pablo Cruise, coming up later, in the Top Twenty). The song was pretty good. 21: THREE TIMES A LADY – THE COMMODORES (26) - This one was definitely on its way to the top! The song spent two weeks atop the Hot 100 (and spent four weeks at #2 after falling out) - all of which they spent at #1 on R&R, for a total of six weeks there. I loved this song - so did a lot of other people, as it became a very popular LDD song (and was played at many wedding receptions as well). 20: HOT BLOODED - FOREIGNER (30) - Of course, this song's intro is very similar to "Love Will Find A Way" by Pablo Cruise, coming up a few songs later. Of their three singles from Double Vision, this would be my least favorite, but it's a great song nevertheless. 19: LIFE’S BEEN GOOD – JOE WALSH (23) - The second of two hits from the movie FM on this week's chart. Not sure why, but this song never really did anything for me. I wasn't a huge Joe Walsh fan anyway. 18: I CAN’T STAND THE RAIN - ERUPTION (18) - Sort of a faceless disco song, but, considering my general opinion on that kind of music, this song was actually pretty good. 17: COPACABANA (AT THE COPA) – BARRY MANILOW (22) - Definitely a departure from his usual ballad style. In fact, the rush release of this song while his recent Top 40 hit, "Even Now" was still on its way up the chart caused the latter to tank (which wasn't really a bad thing, as "Even Now" wasn't one of his better hits anyway, IMO). This was a good one. 16: WONDERFUL TONIGHT – ERIC CLAPTON (17) - One of Clapton's songs that receive the most recurrent airplay today (given that, I'm surprised it did not make an appearance on the R&R chart). It was a good song. Anyone remember this Yahoo Internet commercial from 2005 that features this song? 15: RUNAWAY – JEFFERSON STARSHIP (20) - I believe this was their final Top 40 hit featuring Marty Balin on lead vocals. I liked this song, but slightly preferred "Count On Me", which had charted earlier in the year. 14: LOVE WILL FIND A WAY – PABLO CRUISE (21) - Here is that song I mentioned earlier. I remember this one quite well from back in the day. A great song, though I slightly preferred "What'cha Gonna Do", from the previous summer. OPTIONAL EXTRA: YOU NEEDED ME - ANNE MURRAY - Her first hit in over four years, but it was worth the wait, as this song made it all the way to the top. This was one of her all-time best, ranking right up there with her three 1979 Top 40 hits, as well as her two from 1980. Indeed, 1978-1980 was her heyday, especially on my Personal Top 30 chart. They sure did a hack job with this song, cutting straight to the end from the first chorus. 13: TWO OUT OF THREE AIN’T BAD – MEAT LOAF (11) - He had a handful of Top 40 hits, with this being my favorite - as well as one of my favorites on this week's chart. I do, however, prefer the full album version over the single, which was what AT40 usually, if not always, played. 12: BLUER THAN BLUE – MICHAEL JOHNSON (12) - This Colorado native had three Top 40 hits and this was the biggest of them, peaking at #12. It was a great one, but I still prefer "This Night Won't Last Forever", which got as high as #19 in 1979. Interesting story about how his bout with pneumonia and his brother's leg injury was instrumental in starting Johnson's music career. 11: GREASE – FRANKIE VALLI (16) - The title track to one of the biggest movie soundtracks ever was on its way to the top. It's OK, but I prefer several other songs - both from the soundtrack as well as Valli himself, solo and with the Four Seasons. 10: LAST DANCE – DONNA SUMMER (13) - She was indeed on a roll, but the best was yet to come, as her next hit would hit #1 and she'd have three more #1 songs, all in 1979! This was a good one, like many of her big hits. 9: IT’S A HEARTACHE – BONNIE TYLER (6) - Some people call her a "female Rod Stewart", since both have similarly raspy voices. This was a really good song, though I preferred “Total Eclipse Of The Heart”. 8: DANCE WITH ME – PETER BROWN (8) - Meh, I preferred the Orleans song of the same title from three years before. This one just didn't do anything for me. 7: THE GROOVE LINE - HEATWAVE (9) - aka "Boogie Nights Part 2". I wasn't a huge fan of either song, but their ballad "Always And Forever", which charted between those two songs, was a great one. 6: MISS YOU – THE ROLLING STONES (7) - Completing a hat trick of disco songs, by one of the last bands that you'd expect to have a disco hit, but in fact, they did have one more, two years later. That song, of course, was "Emotional Rescue", which I prefer over this one by a fair margin. 5: STILL THE SAME – BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (5) - At first, this song was looking like it might be his first #1, but not quite. In fact, many people thought this song might be peaking here at #5, but it did manage to climb a spot higher. Don't get me wrong; a #4 peak is great, but it should have gone to #1 IMO. But in 1978, topping the chart was nearly impossible if you weren't on the RSO label. 4: USE TA BE MY GIRL – O’JAYS (4) - Their last of six Top Ten hits. It was actually a great song - possibly my favorite of their hits! OPTIONAL EXTRA: KISS YOU ALL OVER - EXILE - 1978 was definitely a good year for producer Mike Chapman, as he had at least two songs that topped the chart that fall. This was the first of them. Of the two, I preferred the other one (which was "Hot Child In The City" by Nick Gilder). 3: TAKE A CHANCE ON ME - ABBA (3) - I like many, if not most, of their Top 40 hits. This song was pretty good - one that I've learned to like over the past year or so. I definitely prefer it over their other 1978 hit "The Name Of The Game", but it doesn't hold a candle to "Dancing Queen" or "The Winner Takes It All". 2: BAKER STREET – GERRY RAFFERTY (2) - This song just narrowly missed topping the Hot 100, but was in its third of four weeks on the corresponding R&R chart this week. I tell you what, I used to really like this song, but not so much anymore. Perhaps overplay on oldies stations. I generally switch the station when this comes on. 1: SHADOW DANCING – ANDY GIBB (1) - As you might expect, this song was on the RSO label. The song was in the midst of a seven-week run at #1, on its way to becoming the top song of the entire year. However, it is possibly my least favorite of his hits (but at least my favorite won out for the year before, so it's all good). Coming up next week - We'll be getting July 19, 1975 next week - which is sort of odd, seeing that it has been mentioned that there's a show from that year coming up in mid-August.
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Post by Hervard on Jul 12, 2019 14:10:20 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - July 13, 2019
This week's presentation - July 18, 1981
TWO HEARTS - STEPHANIE MILLS (40) - On my 1978 commentary, I mentioned how Tuxedo Junction's rendition of "Chatanooga Choo Choo" will never be heard on this series, since it only spent two weeks on the chart. Here is another such song, and it's the same case - the week it debuted, the regular show was replaced by a special (the Top 40 Hits of the Beatles) and the following week, AT40 was guest-hosted. I once had a copy of the July 11 show, so I have heard the song before. As I recall, it wasn't anything impressive - definitely not as good as her Top Ten hit from the year before "Never Knew Love Like This Before". FOOL IN LOVE WITH YOU - JIM PHOTOGLO (25) - One of two Top Ten hits from this Los Angeles native. I also forget how this one goes, but I do remember that it was a good one. WHAT ARE WE DOIN' IN LOVE - KENNY ROGERS & DOTTIE WEST (23) - Yes, I know that Kenny Rogers did not receive official label credit, but he certainly should have, as he was prominently heard in this song. It was a great song - I wonder if it would have gone higher had he gotten credit, as he definitely was on a hot streak at this point in his career.
LW#1: BETTE DAVIS EYES – KIM CARNES 40: GIVE IT TO ME BABY – RICK JAMES (debut) - Though he clearly had the most success on the R&B chart (on which this song had recently spent five weeks at #1), he did have a handful of Top 40 hits. This one just barely made it, peaking at #40 for two weeks. The song was mediocre at best - nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to 39: ROCK ‘N ROLL DREAMS COME THROUGH – JIM STEINMAN (debut) - I liked this song, as well as Meat Loaf's 1994 cover. But the song didn't seem as "theatrical" as most of Steinman's material (the fact that it wasn't a ballad might have had something to do with it). I was glad that Casey faded this song out before it got to the a cappella part near the end, as that seems to go on and on. 38: ENDLESS LOVE – DIANA ROSS & LIONEL RICHIE (debut) - Lionel actually does a hat trick on this week's chart, as being part of a group, duo and producer. This is the first of the three configurations, and it became one of the biggest hits of not only the entire year, but of all of the 1980s - a month later, it would begin a nine-week tenure at #1, matching that of "Bette Davis Eyes" - only the latter ultimately won out as 1981's top song. Anyway, I've learned to like this song a little better than I used to, though it's still not one of my favorites by either of the artists involved. 37: IS IT YOU – LEE RITENOUR (22) - Wow, I just heard this song on WMGN's Magic Sunday Morning about two hours ago! Today, this would be billed as "Lee Ritenour featuring Eric Tagg & Bill Champlin". This may have been Ritenour's only Top 40 hit, but I thought it was a neat song. 36: I LOVE YOU – CLIMAX BLUES BAND (36) - Now here is a song whose chart run near the end was really weird. A few weeks back, it took a hard fall from 12 to 31. Outta there next week? Not quite - it fell back to #37, then climbed a spot, stayed there this week and the following week climbed back up another notch. It would drop off the survey the following week. Anyway, I liked this song; I do remember hearing it a lot when I was taking swimming lessons, since the radio at the pool was running WLS, which played the heck out of this song. 35: DOUBLE DUTCH BUS – FRANKIE SMITH (38) - One of the most annoying songs to ever hit the Top 40. That is all. 34: A LIFE OF ILLUSION – JOE WALSH (34) - His fourth and final solo Top 40 hit. It was OK, but nothing impressive. I was never a huge Joe Walsh fan anyway. 33: THE BREAKUP SONG (THEY DON'T WRITE 'EM) – THE GREG KIHN BAND (39) - This was another song regularly played by WLS in the late summer of 1981 (in fact, it would making its first appearance on their weekly survey the following week), so I definitely remember this. It was good, but I preferred "Jeopardy". 32: URGENT - FOREIGNER (37) - Of course, we all know, this song peaked at #4 for four weeks, and it was the first single from the album "4". It is my second favorite from that album, behind "Break It Up". ARCHIVES: CHERISH – THE ASSOCIATION - Meh, kinda boring. I prefer "Never My Love" by them, and I also prefer "Cherish" by Kool & The Gang. OPTIONAL EXTRA: FIRE AND ICE - PAT BENATAR - Her second of three Top 40 hits in 1981. It was a good one, though I preferred "Treat Me Right". 31: IN THE AIR TONIGHT – PHIL COLLINS (33) - The second hit from Collins' debut album. Like the first (which I preferred, BTW), the song peaked at #19, but is still heard regularly on oldies stations today. I like the song better than I used to but still, it's not one of my favorites from him. 30: STRONGER THAN BEFORE – CAROLE BAYER SAGER (30) - This was your typical post-disco MOR songs. It was a great one, though - I personally think the MOR era should have lasted longer than it did, but that is just an opinion and nothing more. 29: LADY (YOU BRING ME UP) – THE COMMODORES (35) - At this point, Lionel Richie was gearing up to embark on a solo career. Unfortunately, the band didn't sound the same after that. I liked this song, especially the electronic piano solo at the beginning. LDD: I’LL HAVE TO SAY I LOVE YOU IN A SONG – JIM CROCE - I like this one, as Jim Croce was always one of my mom's favorite artists and I heard this one a lot when I was real little. This one was definitely fitting for the dedication, since the author's boyfriend was enlisting in the service and as he headed off for basic, he called back "I love you", but she did not respond - because she couldn't. 28: DON’T LET HIM GO – REO SPEEDWAGON (29) - This was my least favorite song from their Hi Infidelity album, but it was still a great one! 27: IT’S NOW OR NEVER – JOHN SCHNEIDER (31) - Of course, we all know that this was a remake of an old Elvis song, the melody of which was adapted from "O Sol Mio". Not sure which version I prefer. 26: NO GETTIN’ OVER ME – RONNIE MILSAP (32) - Oddly enough, this was his only Top Ten pop hit. 25: THE STROKE – BILLY SQUIER (28) - I never liked this song. Give me "In The Dark" or "Everbody Wants You" any day! 24: SWEET BABY – STANLEY CLARKE & GEORGE DUKE (26) - Another MOR song. As you may have guessed, I liked it. 23: TOUCH ME WHEN WE’RE DANCING – THE CARPENTERS (27) - Their comeback hit - although it would be a short-lived comeback, as it was their final Top 40 hit, but Karen Carpenter's health was beginning to deteriorate, due to her battle with anorexia. I thought this was a great song. 22: SEVEN YEAR ACHE – ROSANNE CASH (24) - I remember I was driving myself crazy trying to find out what the "God, I hope he comes back soon" song was. Finally, when Casey played it as an extra on AT20 (AC) back in April, 1999. Sylvia's "Nobody" sounds somewhat like this song. ARCHIVES: REACH OUT I’LL BE THERE – THE FOUR TOPS - This one used to be an oldies station staple back when they still played 60s songs. I liked this song as well as Michael Bolton's 1992 remake. OPTIONAL EXTRA: REALLY WANNA KNOW YOU - GARY WRIGHT - This was Gary's obscure third hit. Of course, since it wasn't overplayed, that might be why it's my favorite song from him (though "Love Is Alive" would be a close second). 21: SUKIYAKI – A TASTE OF HONEY (17) - The second incarnation of the song to hit the charts, only this time, they added English lyrics. I liked this song, but preferred the 4PM cover from 1994. 20: AMERICA – NEIL DIAMOND (14) - Anyone notice that this song peaked on the charts on Flag Day weekend? It's definitely a great song, though my favorite Jazz Singer song would be "Love On The Rocks". 19: TIME – THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT (20) - 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. 18: MODERN GIRL – SHEENA EASTON (19) - Her second Top 40 hit, which didn't quite measure up to the success of her first (no matter; she'd have a lot more chart success in the next few years). 17: WINNING - SANTANA (18) - Santana had three Top 40 hits in the 80s, and they were the best three of their career, IMO. I like all of them so much that I'm not sure what my favorite is. 16: QUEEN OF HEARTS – JUICE NEWTON (21) - This was one of several songs that was shut out of #1 by "Endless Love". I like this song; good driving music! 15: THIS LITTLE GIRL – GARY U.S. BONDS (12) - Great song! You can tell that Springsteen was involved in this one! EXTRA: THIS OLD HEART OF MINE – THE ISLEY BROTHERS - This song wasn't bad, but I preferred one that Ronald Isley did with Rod Stewart in 1990. 14: A WOMAN NEEDS LOVE – RAY PARKER JR. & RAYDIO (11) - Their final Top Ten hit before Ray went solo the following year. A great song; the instrumental arrangement sounded a lot like that of their 1979 hit "You Can't Change That". 13: GEMINI DREAM – THE MOODY BLUES (15) - Another legendary band, like Santana, whose 80s hits I prefer of their ones from the 60s and 70s. I liked this one, but preferred "The Voice", from the same album. 12: MEDLEY – STARS ON 45 (7) - This song kicked off a medley craze that lasted for about a year (but became a little tedious near the end). I did like this one, though; a great selection of Beatles songs. ARCHIVES: 96 TEARS - ? & THE MYSTERIANS - At the time, this band and Queen were the only acts represented by the letter Q to hit the top. As for the song, it wasn't bad, but nothing exceptional. OPTIONAL EXTRA: COOL LOVE - PABLO CRUISE - This song was their only #1 on my Personal Top 30 chart. I liked most of their Top 40 hits - my favorites (besides this one) would be their two Top Tens "What'cha Gonna Do" and "Love Will Find A Way" 11: HEARTS - MARTY BALIN (13) - He was the lead singer of the Jefferson Startship in the mid and late-70s, but I preferred this solo hit over all of his JS hits. One of my favorites on the chart this week. Too bad they cut out the second verse, like they always seemed to do. 10: BOY FROM NEW YORK CITY – MANHATTAN TRANSFER (16) - This was by far their biggest Pop hit. I liked it, but preferred a few others from them, including several songs that didn't quite hit the Top 40 (such as "Mystery" and "Choo Choo Ch-Boogie". 9: SLOW HAND – THE POINTER SISTERS (10) - This was another one of the songs that would be edged out of #1 due to the marathon run at the top of "Endless Love". This song would, however, hit #1 for a pair of weeks on the R&R chart, which was good, because this was definitely one of their best hits, IMO. 8: I DON’T NEED YOU – KENNY ROGERS (9) - Here's another country act that had a great year in 1981! He had a handful of big hits, including the third biggest hit of the year (even though that was more of a 1980 hit, but due to their weird time frame, that song was deferred to 1981's year-ender). This was his other Top Ten song from the year. I guess you could call it a guilty pleasure, as many people I know hate this song, but I think it's a great one! 7: THE THEME FROM “THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO” – JOEY SCARBURY (8) - This was one of my favorite songs on the chart. It peaked at #2 on the Billboard chart while Lionel and Diana had their marathon run on top, but it did manage to sneak in a week at the top of the R&R chart. LDD: PILOT OF THE AIRWAVES – CHARLIE DORE - This song was pretty good, and definitely fitting for the deducation. I thought it was great that the radio DJ helped the girl through her problems. 6: ELVIRA – THE OAK RIDGE BOYS (6) - EWWWWW, GET IT AWAY FROM ME!! 5: YOU MAKE MY DREAMS – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (5) - To tell the truth, this wasn't a great deal better either - Hall & Oates had many hits that I preferred over this. 4: JESSIE’S GIRL – RICK SPRINGFIELD (4) - Despite the overplay, I liked this song. It never made it to the top of the R&R chart and, oddly enough, it was actually on its last legs on that chart this week, despite it having a lot of steam left on the Billboard chart. 3: THE ONE THAT YOU LOVE – AIR SUPPLY (3) - This is one of my favorite songs from them, since Russell Hitchcock sang both the choruses and the verses on this one. I generally don't like the ones that Graham Russell sings (though I do like "Lost In Love", on which Graham sings pretty much the whole thing. Except for the lead-ins to the chorus, Hitchcock doesn't start singing on that one until the last chorus. This was also Air Supply's only number one song on Billboard, and deservedly so! OPTIONAL EXTRA: WHO'S CRYING NOW - JOURNEY - Even though Journey had been charting for three years, with many songs that still get regular airplay, this was their very first Top Ten hit (yes, I was just as surprised as you were). They would have many others, though. I liked this song, especially the great Santana-like guitar solo at the end by Neil Schon. 2: ALL THOSE YEARS AGO – GEORGE HARRISON (2) - A tribute to the late John Lennon. It was a great song - one that I have yet to grow tired of. Harrison did great guitar work on this one! 1: BETTE DAVIS EYES – KIM CARNES (1) - This song was in a tie for the second longest run at the top on the Hot 100. If not for that d**n Stars On 45 medley, it would have tied the record. Oh well, at least it still came out on top for all of 1981.
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Post by Hervard on Jul 12, 2019 14:10:38 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - July 13, 2019
This week's presentation - July 9, 1988
HEART OF MINE - BOZ SCAGGS (40) - I liked all of his Top 40 hits, but this one is in a horse race with "Lido Shuffle" for my favorite song from Scaggs! In any case, it's my favorite of his ballads. NAUGHTY GIRLS (NEED LOVE TOO) - SAMANTHA FOX (37) - Of her four Top 40 hits, this was the biggest. Wasn't quite one of my favorites, and it was pretty much rehashed in her next Top 40 hit "I Wanna Have Some Fun". I preferred "Touch Me" and her cover of "I Only Wanna Be With You", as well as their Top 40 miss from the previous summer, "Do Ya Do Ya (Wanna Please Me). SUPERSONIC - J.J. FAD (32) - A female rap trio from LA, with their only Top 40 hit. A rather decent rap song, IMO - my favorite part was where two of them were rapping and the other was beatboxing at the beginning. EVERYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (29) - Here is yet another artist on this week's chart with their last Top Ten hit (though they just barely missed with the ironically titled "So Close" in late 1990). This was pretty good, but I prefer many others from them.
40: LOVE WILL SAVE THE DAY – WHITNEY HOUSTON (debut) - This song would end up breaking her streak of #1 hits, like I sort of figured it would, based on the fact that it didn't start off as strong as her #1 songs. I sure didn't expect it to miss by so much, though - it barely even touched the Top Ten, and failed to make the year-end countdown. I wasn't terribly disappointed, as this was not one of her best songs by any means. 39: TOMORROW PEOPLE – ZIGGY MARLEY & THE MELODY MAKERS (debut) - Well, his dad, reggae great Bob Marley, might not have made the chart, but he did manage to have one Top 40 hit, albeit barely, as this was its only week on the chart. I really liked this song, which says a lot, considering I’m not a big fan of reggae music. A funny thing about this song - the first time I heard it, it was on a very statical radio station. I could have sworn he was singing, “Don’t want no femur wearing your pants”. 38: RAG DOLL - AEROSMITH (debut) - Their third and final hit from Permanent Vacation. This one was so/so, but I much preferred "Angel", which had hit #3 earlier in the year. 37: CIRCLE IN THE SAND – BELINDA CARLISLE (23) - This was Belinda's fourth and final Top Ten hit. This one 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. 36: THE TWIST – THE FAT BOYS w/CHUBBY CHECKER (debut) - Meh, they should have left this one alone... 35: TROUBLE – NIA PEEPLES (39) - This was pretty much your typical late-80s dance track. But I thought it was a pretty good one. 34: LOVE CHANGES (EVERYTHING) – CLIMIE FISHER (38) - Several one-hit wonders here in Hour 1 of this week's countdown, and this is one of them. This was a good song - sounds a little like a song Rod Stewart would sing. 33: I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY – KYLIE MINOGUE (35) - The first hit from the first wave of popularity from this Melbourne, Australia native. This and "It's No Secret" were my two favorite of her 80s hits. 32: ONE MORE TRY – GEORGE MICHAEL (16) - 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, and straight to #1 it went. This is definitely one of his best solo hits. I sure didn't like the hack job they did on the song this week, however. 31: I DON’T WANNA LIVE WITHOUT YOUR LOVE – CHICAGO (34) - The first of five singles from Chicago 19 (although I believe that "What Kind Of Man Would I Be" was released from their Greatest Hits album - but I could be wrong). Anyway, this was a good song, but I preferred the other four (including "We Can Last Forever", which didn't quite hit the Top 40, but was a Top 20 AC hit). EXTRA: ST. ELMO’S FIRE (MAN IN MOTION) – JOHN PARR - The story behind this song was about Rick Hansen, the wheelchair-bound man who inspired the 1985 movie St. Elmo's Fire. This was the first of two songs from the St. Elmo's Fire soundtrack to hit the Top 40. I liked this song, but it was quite overplayed. I preferred the love theme from the movie, which would hit the charts that fall. OPTIONAL EXTRA: FAST CAR - TRACY CHAPMAN - This one always reminded me of "Oh Very Young" by Cat Stevens. It was a good song - much better than her ad nauseum played "Give Me One Reason". 30: ALPHABET ST. - PRINCE (16) - This was Prince's last hit for about a year, before he came back with three songs from the Batman soundtrack in 1989. This song was OK, but far from being his best. 29: THE COLOUR OF LOVE – BILLY OCEAN (30) - His first hit from Tear Down These Walls hit #1, and I was hoping this one would follow suit, but it only got as high as #17 (at least it hit the Top 20). This was definitely one of my favorites from him. 28: DO YOU LOVE ME – THE CONTOURS (33) - This was originally a #3 hit in 1962, but thanks to its inclusion on the More Dirty Dancing, it had a second run on the charts, this time around, just missing the Top Ten. It's a pretty good song, but I preferred the updated version, which AT40 would occasionally play. 27: I DON’T WANNA GO ON WITH YOU LIKE THAT – ELTON JOHN (36) - The second of two "I Don't Wanna" songs on the survey - and those songs pretty much climbed the chart together. I liked this song, but preferred many others from him. 26: TALL COOL ONE – ROBERT PLANT (25) - Ah, the lead singer of the legendary Led Zeppelin. This was pretty good - the part at the end, with a montage of guitar riffs from many of their classic hits, was really cool! 25: JUST GOT PAID – JOHNNY KEMP (31) - One of two Top 40 hits from this R&B singer from the Bahamas. It was OK - your typical late-80s dance music. 24: 1-2-3 – GLORIA ESTEFAN & MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (28) - Could she have been counting the Top Ten songs they'd scored with their Let It Loose album? Well, this would make it number four, as it sailed straight into the Top Ten as well. 23: BEDS ARE BURNING – MIDNIGHT OIL (17) - This was one of several Aussie bands on the chart this week. I remember hearing this song all the time in early 2001 on Chicago's 94.7 The Zone - a then-80s station that had the skimpiest variety of music. One day (March 10, 2001, to be exact), when I was out for a leisurely drive, I must have heard the song at least three times. No wonder that format didn't last long on that station! As for the song, it's a good one, so at least it wasn't a crappy song that was overplayed. 22: PARADISE - SADE (24) - Sade was mainly a smooth jazz and AC artist, as well as R&B (in fact, this song was on top of that chart this week), but they did have a handful of Top 40 hits - four, to be exact (well, before the PPW era, anyway) and all of them hit the Top 20. This one just barely squeaked in, peaking at #20 in July. It was a great song - my favorite of their hits! 21: PARENTS JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND – D.J. JAZZY JEFF & THE FRESH PRINCE (26) - Like Fresh Prince in the first story, about school shopping, I was sixteen back when this song was popular, so I could definitely relate (although my Mom never bought me school clothes from two generations prior)! I liked this song - this was back when rap was still tolerable. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SWEET CHILD O' MINE - GUNS 'N ROSES - This is the song that started their chart career, and remains their biggest hit to date. It's a good song - one of my favorites from them. 20: KISS ME DEADLY – LITA FORD (14) - This was the first of three heavy metal songs in a row. I'll bet this was a highlight for our friend JessieLou. I liked this song, too, as well as the follow-up "Back To The Cave". 19: TOGETHER FOREVER – RICK ASTLEY (10) - Ah, the prerequisite Rickroll, which was virtually unavoidable in 1988. This one was more or less a watered-down version of "Never Gonna Give You Up". I preferred the next hit from the Whenever You Need Somebody album, "It Would Take A Strong Strong Man". The title track was also a great song, but that one wasn't released here in the states, which I thought was a shame (though as I recall, that was a decent-sized hit on the dance chart). 18: I STILL BELIEVE – BRENDA K. STARR (13) - This was her first of two Top 40 hits - and she almost had a third hit, her duet with George Lamond called "No Matter What", but that one ran out of gas at #49 - too bad, as that was my favorite song from her. This, however, was a close second, as it was a great one! 17: SIGN YOUR NAME – TERENCE TRENT D’ARBY (27) - This and "Wishing Well" are pretty much the only two songs by him that I like. I preferred this one - had a somewhat haunting sound to it. 16: MAKE ME LOSE CONTROL – ERIC CARMEN (22) - On several occasions, they cut out the second verse in this song (my favorite of the three), but this time, they decided to leave the song intact. Definitely my favorite of Carmen's two 1988 hits ("Hungry Eyes" was too overplayed, which I guess is understandable, since it was from a very popular movie soundtrack). 15: RUSH HOUR – JANE WEIDLIN (19) - The second of the Go-Gos to hit the Top 40 with a solo hit. Unfortunately, she wasn't quite as successful as bandmate Belinda Carlisle, as this was her only Top 40 hit. It was a great song - too bad her follow-up "Inside A Dream" only got as high as #57, since I preferred that song. 14: HANDS TO HEAVEN - BREATHE (20) - When I first heard this song, I thought it was a new hit by Air Supply - the singer sounded a lot like Russell Hitchcock in the choruses. I liked this song at first, but overplay tarnished it for me. I preferred their songs on their Peace Of Mind album two years later. 13: LOST IN YOU – ROD STEWART (18) - Here's an artist who had been hitting the charts for two decadees, and his hit streak was far from over. This one didn't quite hit the Top Ten, but it didn't miss by much, peaking at #12 the previous week. It was a great one - possibly my favorite of his four Top 40 hits from the Out Of Order album. LDD: OPEN ARMS - JOURNEY - I was snoozing during much of Hour 2, so I'll have to comment on this song when I hear the LDD. 12: ROLL WITH IT – STEVE WINWOOD (21) - It’s true I hated it when it first came out, but then I gradually started to like it more and more. This is a great one to crank up while driving (but not too loud, especially in cities with noise ordinances, lol!) 11: MAKE IT REAL – THE JETS (4) - 1988 seemed to be the year for the rare "last single with most success" - from an album that spawned three or more hits, that is. This was almost the case with their album Magic, as the first three singles from the album hit the Top Twenty, including two Top Tens. This song went on to peak at #4. However, they did release a fifth hit from Magic, "Sendin' All My Love", but that song tanked at #88 and lasted but four weeks on the Hot 100. They should have quit while they were ahead. Anyway, this was a great song, though I slightly preferred "You Got It All". OPTIONAL EXTRA: SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE - ROBERT PALMER - Meh, not a fan of this song - was way overplayed, and it wasn't one of my favorite songs in the first place. 10: NITE AND DAY – AL B. SURE! (11) - Ah, a nice and mellow slow jam - much better than his upbeat songs (like "Off On Your Own Girl"). I liked the synthesizer used in this song. 9: THE VALLEY ROAD – BRUCE HORNSBY & THE RANGE (5) - This was the third and final Top Ten hit for Hornsby. I liked this song, but preferred the three hits from The Way It Is. 8: HOLD ON TO THE NIGHTS – RICHARD MARX (15) - Here's another rare example of the final release from a multi-singles album being the biggest. The first three hit the Top Five, but this one went all the way. I preferred several others from him, though - most of them from Repeat Offender. 7: FOOLISH BEAT – DEBBIE GIBSON (2) - This could have been yet another example of the "last single with most success" phenomenon, as this was the only #1 song from Out Of The Blue, but while she was still hot, she decided to release a fifth single - which didn't even hit the Top 20 (didn't upset me too terribly, as I wasn't crazy about the song). Such was not the case with this great song, though - this one most definitely one of her best hits ever. But what a sloppy edit near the end! The same one was used on at least two other shows. Totally screwed up the continuity of the song. 6: NOTHIN’ BUT A GOOD TIME - POISON (8) - This song hit the Top Ten on the Hot 100, peaking here at #6, but just missed on the R&R chart. Poison didn't have their first Top Ten on that chart until "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", which went all the way to the top. Anyway, this was a great song - one of my favorite songs by Poison! 5: DIRTY DIANA – MICHAEL JACKSON (1) - This one set a record, as the fifth #1 song from the same album. It was one of my favorites from the Bad album. 4: NEW SENSATION - INXS (9) - 1988 had an unusually high number of Aussie acts, INXS being by far the most successful, with all four of their hits making the Top Ten. I'm not generally a huge fan of them, but I actually liked this song. 3: POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME – DEF LEPPARD (7) - They'd had moderate success on the Top 40 chart with the Pyromania album, but it was the Hysteria album that REALLY put them on the map. This was their first Top Five hit and looked like it would hit #1, but Richard Marx leapfrogged over them with his hit that we heard back at #8. No matter; they would top the chart with their next single "Love Bites". Not sure if I preferred that one or this. Is it me, or did Casey erroneously refer to their album as Animal? OPTIONAL EXTRA: MONKEY - GEORGE MICHAEL - This song barely missed hitting the Top 40 this week, debuting on the Hot 100 at #42. It wasn't bad, but I prefer many others from him, both solo and with Wham! 2: MERCEDES BOY - PEBBLES (6) - Is it me, or were there more songs about cars and driving than usual in the summer of 1988? Who knows; maybe it seems like that because that was the summer I took Driver's Ed. Didn't get my license until seven years later, though (mainly due to procrastination). Anyway, I was kind of surprised that it didn’t quite make it to #1, given its big jump to the runner-up position (Casey even mentioned that it looked like the song was going to hit #1). 1: THE FLAME – CHEAP TRICK (3) - After an eight-year absence from the chart, Cheap Trick came back in a major way, as this song went all the way to the top and was one of the most played songs of the summer of 1988. As a result, I'm still kind of burned out on this one, but it's tolerable. Still, I preferred many of their earlier hits, including "I Want You To Want Me" and "Voices".
Coming up next week: Although it seems a little too soon, 1986 is on tap next week, a mere four weeks after the last show from that year.
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