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Post by Hervard on Feb 26, 2020 14:57:15 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - February 29, 2020
This week's presentation - February 28, 1987
Droppers (which Casey seemed to name in random order) SHAKE YOU DOWN - GREGORY ABBOTT (39) - One of the #1 hits of the 80s that gets the least amount of recurrent airplay. Sort of odd, since it's not like he has any other songs that get a lot of play, as this was his sole Top 40 hit. STAY THE NIGHT - BENJAMIN ORR (33) - The first solo hit for the man who took turns with Ric Ocasek singing lead on the Cars hits. Like Gregory Abbott, he became a one-hit wonder and, sadly, we lost him in late 2000 to pancreatic cancer. As for this song, I thought it was a pretty good one. I heard it regularly on U93 in early 1987. LAND OF CONFUSION - GENESIS (32) - This song is known for its unique "claymation" video. I liked that one, as well as the song - my third favorite single from the Invisible Touch album, behind "In Too Deep" and the title track. SOMEDAY - GLASS TIGER (30) - Too bad they didn't have anymore Top 40 hits than they did, since this was my least favorite of their hits, and I thought it was a good one.
40: THAT AIN'T LOVE - REO SPEEDWAGON (debut) - The first Top 40 hit in about a year and a half for this band from Champaign, Illinois. As we all know, I prefer their power ballads, but this is possibly my favorite of their upbeat material. It is indeed a great song! 39: DON'T NEED A GUN - BILLY IDOL (debut) - This would be our only chance to catch this song on this series, as it only spent an additional week on the chart, and that show was hosted by Charlie Van Dyke. 38: C'EST LA VIE - ROBBIE NEVIL (29) - The first of three Top 20 hits from Nevil's self-titled debut album. I prefer the other two, since they weren't as overplayed as this one, which isn't bad either. 37: MIDNIGHT BLUE - LOU GRAMM (debut) - The first of three Top 40 solo hits for the lead singer of Foreigner. It was a good one, but I preferred the other two, both from his second solo album. 36: AS WE LAY - SHIRLEY MURDOCK (debut) - This one sounded a little like an oldie, but it was a good one - I heard this one a lot on B96 (WBBM in Chicago) a few weeks before it debuted on AT40. 35: WE CONNECT - STACY Q (40) - This song got its world premiere on the sitcom The Facts Of Life. Unfortunately, that promotion didn't help much, as this was all the higher the song got. I liked this song much better than "Two Of Hearts". EXTRA: GET BACK - THE BEATLES - Not bad, but I prefer many others from them, collectively as the legendary band, as well as solo hits. 34: DON'T DREAM IT'S OVER - CROWDED HOUSE (38) - I remember the hit that Casey mentioned, "I Got You" by Split Enz. Two members of that band helped to form Crowded House, who had two Top 40 hits, both in 1987. I thought both were great songs, though I preferred their follow-up, "Something So Strong", which sounded sort of like a more upbeat version of this song. 33: WE'RE READY - BOSTON (20) - Sort of funny that Casey mentioned how this song was about being ready to get married, as, the day before this show, my Dad had gotten married to his second wife - a marriage that would last a little over six years. As for the song, which sure fell fast after it peaked, it's one of my favorite songs by Boston. 32: LET'S GO - WANG CHUNG (35) - After having their first Top Ten hit (getting ever so close to #1), they were gearing up for their second. I preferred this song, though over the past few years, I've learned to like said first Top Ten hit (the one about wanking John) better than previously. 31: THE FACTS OF LOVE - JEFF LORBER f/KARYN WHITE (27) - Wow, after making a good-sized six-spot move the previous week, this song drops back this week. Kind of weird, as this song was a typical late-80s dance song. I wonder if it would have done better if released a few years later, after Karyn White became an established artist. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SIGN "O" THE TIMES - PRINCE - I was never a big fan of this song, mainly since it had sort of a monotonous melody. I preferred many other songs from him. 30: THE FINAL COUNTDOWN - EUROPE (34) - The horns in this song reminded me a little of the intro to "Only Time Will Tell" by Asia. It was pretty good, but I preferred the other two Top 40 hits from the album of the same name. 29: CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE - COREY HART (24) - Of course, nothing can beat the original by the King, but this was a great cover! Casey mentioned how this was the most successful remake of the song thus far. Six years later, as we all know, UB40 came along and bested this version with their reggae remake. Not sure how it did on AT40, but on the R&R chart, it spent three weeks at #1, becoming one of the biggest hits of that year. 28: CANDY - CAMEO (31) - I was never a big fan of them, though this song wasn't too bad. 27: TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT - GENESIS (36) - Earlier, I mentioned that "Land Of Confusion" was my third favorite single from Invisible Touch. This is my fourth favorite. It wasn't anything exceptional, but I hated the album version, which U93 started playing around this time - the instrumental bridge with those goofy sound effects drags on and on. Fortunately, I seldom hear that version anymore. 26: TALK TO ME - CHICO DeBARGE (21) - Interesting story about how the children, who all slept in one room, weren't allowed to talk once the lights went out for the night, but could sing all they wanted. As for the song, it was a good one. 25: CHANGE OF HEART - CYNDI LAUPER (10) - It seems to me that this one is edited more often than not. This was one of those times, which is too bad, since it's one of my favorites from her. 24: AT THIS MOMENT - BILLY VERA & THE BEATERS (16) - ARGH! Where is Carl Winslow when you need him? 23: COME GO WITH ME - EXPOSE (28) - I liked most of their hits, but this wasn't one of them! Definitely my least favorite single from the Exposure album. My favorite was the next release, which was a big summer hit. 22: LEAN ON ME - CLUB NOUVEAU (37) - This was probably my least favorite song on the countdown back in the day, and naturally, it was the biggest mover of the week! It's still not one of my favorite songs, but its saving grace is that it's better than the insomnia-curing original by Bill Withers - definitely a "No. Just no" song in my book! 21: NOTHING'S GONNA STOP US NOW - STARSHIP (26) - The theme to the comedy movie "Mannequin", which I saw in the theater a few months later. This was one of my favorite songs by Starship, though it wasn't quite as good as "It's Not Enough". LDD: WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH - BILLY OCEAN - This song, about two classmates of the writer of the dedication - classmates who had cancer, was indeed fitting for the dedication. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I KNEW YOU WERE WAITING (FOR ME) - ARETHA FRANKLIN & GEORGE MICHAEL - A one time pairing of the Queen Of Soul and the former lead singer of Wham! And a great pairing at that, since it went to #1 for a pair of weeks in late April. Definitely one of my favorites from both artists! 20: BRAND NEW LOVER - DEAD OR ALIVE (25) - This one wasn't bad, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to either. 19: OPEN YOUR HEART - MADONNA (8) - Of all the hits she charted with in 1987, this would be my favorite! A great song indeed! 18: STOP TO LOVE - LUTHER VANDROSS (17) - And here's another great song - one of my favorite songs from him period. Reminds me a lot of his previous hit, "Give Me The Reason", which didn't quite make the Top 40. 17: I WANNA GO BACK - EDDIE MONEY (23) - I can definitely relate to this song - going back to good times of the past. One his best songs ever IMO! 16: NOBODY'S FOOL - CINDERELLA (15) - They definitely had several great power ballads. Not sure if I prefer this or "Don't Know What You Got 'Til It's Gone", from the fall of the following year. 15: LET'S WAIT AWHILE - JANET JACKSON (22) - A song with a great message about abstinence. It's a good song, but I preferred a few others from her. 14: I'LL BE ALRIGHT WITHOUT YOU - JOURNEY (18) - This song is far and away my favorite single from Raised On Radio, and one of my all-time faves from Journey. EXTRA: EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE - THE POLICE - With two extras in the countdown, you knew that there had to be a LDD for a song that was still in the countdown. More on that in a moment. This song is definitely the most overplayed song of the 1980s, but I always like the story behind the song, about this being what Sting considers the nastiest song that he ever wrote. As burned out as I am on this song, there are actually several songs by the Police that I prefer this one over (De Do Do Do De Da Da Da comes to mind). 13: LOVE YOU DOWN - READY FOR THE WORLD (9) - After a single week in the Top Ten, this song began its descent, but it gained enough points to be the song to kick off the Top 100 of 1987. I like this song a lot better than their other Top Ten hit "Oh Sheila" (because of overplay, as well as the fact that I was never crazy about that song in the first place). 12: MANDOLIN RAIN - BRUCE HORNSBY & THE RANGE (19) - Interesting story about the mandolin leading into this song. This is another song that was chopped down more often than not, but this time, it was played intact! 11: TOUCH ME (I WANT YOUR BODY) - SAMANTHA FOX (5) - I liked her first two singles, (this and "Do Ya Do Ya (Wanna Please Me)), but wasn't crazy about her next two Top 40 hits, which were pretty much the same song. She did, however, do a pretty decent cover Dusty Springfield's "I Only Wanna Be With You". 10: BALLERINA GIRL - LIONEL RICHIE (7) - Of the four singles from Dancing On The Ceiling, this was my favorite (though "Love Will Conquer All" was a close second). 9: BIG TIME - PETER GABRIEL (13) - The first two singles from the So album are quite overplayed (especially "Sledgehammer"), but this one you hardly hear anymore. Perhaps that's why it's my favorite song from the album. 8: (YOU GOTTA) FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT (TO PARTY) - THE BEASTIE BOYS (14) - Back in the day, I liked that song, because, being fifteen years old, I could definitely relate. My fascination for this song has dimmed significantly since then, though it's still not too bad. 7: RESPECT YOURSELF - BRUCE WILLIS (12) - Today, this song would be listed as by Bruce Willis featuring the Pointer Sisters, especially since one of them sang the second verse, and were heard singing back-up throughout the song, which I thought was OK, but nothing exceptional. 6: SOMEWHERE OUT THERE - LINDA RONSTADT & JAMES INGRAM (11) - Wow, this was a first - they edited this song, taking out the instrumental break, as well as a chorus. I wonder if it was like that on the original show? Anyway, this was one of my favorite songs from both artists - a great song indeed. 5/LDD: YOU GOT IT ALL - THE JETS (6) - This song definitely fit the dedication, from a girl who likes a guy going out with a girl who is pretty, but very self-centered. This is possibly my favorite Jets song of all time (though "The Same Love" from late 1989, might give it a run for its money). 4: WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME - CHICAGO (3) - A week after we heard the last song by them with Peter Cetera on lead vocals, we hear the first one with Cetera's replacement, Jason Scheff, whose voice seemed to be an exact cross between Cetera and Bill Champlin. 3: KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF - THE GEORGIA SATELLITES (2) - It looked like this song was poised to hit #1 the previous week, but it wasn't to be; the song fell back this week. The song wasn't too bad, but I'm not much for southern rock. 2: JACOB'S LADDER - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (4) - This song was almost at the top rung, which it would reach two weeks later. This is another #1 hit that doesn't get much recurrent airplay, like the Gregory Abbott song mentioned earlier. I liked this song, but preferred a few others from him/them. 1: LIVIN' ON A PRAYER - BON JOVI (1) - I was surprised that this song was still hanging onto #1, especially since radio had started playing "Never Say Goodbye" (although that one would never be released as a single, which I thought was a shame, as it was a great song!) This one was mediocre at best.
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Post by mrjukebox on Feb 26, 2020 17:28:32 GMT -5
1987 was also the year that Aretha Franklin became the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.
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Post by jamie9012 on Mar 5, 2020 18:23:13 GMT -5
Hello. My Critique from the 1972 Episode. March 4, 1972 40: IN THE RAIN - THE DRAMATICS - This was the biggest charting Single for this group, peaking at #5 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the R&B Chart. 39: ROUNDABOUT – YES – Driven heavily by the bass line, this hard rockin’ number secured this English band their first US Top 20 hit. 38: PUPPY LOVE - DONNY OSMOND - Remake of a Paul Anka hit.#3 on the Hot 100. Donny will be back in the Countdown with his Band later. 37: YOU WANT IT, YOU GO IT – THE DETRIOT EMERALDS – “…but you better hurry ‘cause it’s going fast”. Perhaps they have a little more Patience than Badfinger (or Paul McCartney). 36: NICKEL SONG – MELANIE – A Folk song that became her penultimate Top 40 hit. Also reached #43 in Germany (DE). 35: FOOTSTOMPIN - MUSIC - GRAND FUNK RAILROAD – Footstompin’, Headbangin’, and anything else to show that you are jammin’. 34: STAY WITH ME – FACES – The 1st of two Top 40 Hits for this British band. Members include Rod Stewart on Vocals and Ronnie Wood on Guitar. 33: RING THE LIVING BELL – MELANIE – A favorite of mine! Unfortunately, this would peak only at #21 on the Hot 100 (perhaps musical tastes were changing?). Also reached #41 DE (May 1972). 32: FIRE AND WATER - WILSON PICKETT – Lyrically, it is somewhat similar to Pat Benatar’s 1981 Hit “Fire and Ice”. If the Title itself sounds familiar, it is the Titletrack to the 1970 Album by the British band Free. They are best known for “All Right Now”. 31: WE'VE GOT TO GET IT ON AGAIN - ADDRISI BROTHERS – A nice Top 40 Soft Rock hit for this duo of Brothers. As Songwriters, their biggest Success came from the Song “Never My Love” by The Association in 1967. 30: TALKING LOUD AND SAYING NOTHING (Part 1) - JAMES BROWN – The “Godfather of Soul” reached #27 with this juxtaposing Hit. 29: SOFTLY WHISPERING I LOVE YOU - ENGLISH CONGREGATION – Depending on where one is, they may be known by this Name, or simply as “The Congregation”. This Song (their only Hit) was written and first performed by Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook as the Duo “David and Jonathan”. The Congregation reached #10 DE, #4 CH, #4 UK, and #29 US. 28: BLACK DOG - LED ZEPPELIN – A rock staple for this British band. Robert Plant delivers as always very strong Vocals. #15 US, #22 DE, #6 CH. 27: RUNNIN' AWAY - SLY & THE FAMILY STONE – A pleasant tune with contrasting lyrics. 26: DAY AFTER DAY – BADFINGER – The band is joined by George Harrison and Leon Russell. #4 US, #25 DE. 25: AIN’T UNDERSTANDING MELLOW- JERRY BUTLER/BRENDA LEE EAGER – This R&B Duet reached #21 on the Hot 100. 24: ANTICIPATION - CARLY SIMON – Great Song that is one of my favorites from her! 23: ROCK AND ROLL LULLABY - B.J. THOMAS – A Song about a teenage girl raising her own Son. A tough situation. 22: I CAN'T HELP MYSELF (SUGAR PIE, HONEY BUNCH) - DONNIE ELBERT – Both of his Top 40 Hits were remakes. The first (from the previous Year) was his rendition of the Supremes’ classic “Where Did Our Love Go”. This time he returns with a remake from The Four Tops. 21. I GOTCHA - JOE TEX - It so much sounds like James Brown but he did not write it. Roberta Flack prevented this from reaching the top. 20: A HORSE WITH NO NAME – AMERICA - #1 on the Hot 100 for three Weeks. I remember this from the Soundtrack to GTA: San Andreas. 19: JUNGLE FEVER – CHAKACHAS - Peaked at #8 on the Hot 100. 18: NEVER BEEN TO SPAIN - THREE DOG NIGHT – Adding to their growing list of big Hits was this number written by Hoyt Axton. Axton wrote also another of their big Hits, “Joy To The World”. 17: FLOY JOY - THE SUPREMES – Although Diana Ross was by now gone from the group, this still has a 1960s feel to it. 16: MY WORLD - BEE GEES - #16 US, #41 DE. The message of it all: she is on his mind all the time. 15: DON'T SAY YOU DON'T REMEMBER - BEVERLY BREMERS - It has a 1950s or 1960s Sound to it, somewhat different from the early 1970s. 14: MOTHER AND CHILD REUNION - PAUL SIMON – I don’t want to seem as a broken record, but I tend to associate this Song with early May 2018, as my Sister was terminally ill and dying. Despite this, I still like the Song and it gives me hope. #4 US and #23 DE. 13: JOY - APOLLO 100 - Now it is the time for some classical Music. It is brought to us by Bach, through Tom Parker and friends. 12: AMERICAN PIE (PART 1) - DON McLEAN - A #1 hit for this singer from New York. Also #9 DE. Perhaps one of the longest hit songs (when one listens to the entire Song). 11: THE WAY OF LOVE – CHER - Long ago, there was a French singer (of Italian heritage) named Dalida who was hugely successful from the 1950s to the 1980s. Despite this, she had a very troubled Life and eventually committed suicide. As I heard this Song, I thought, “This sounds like something that Dalida would sing!” And when I searched the Song, I saw that she did release a French version of it in 1966. I thought that it was interesting. 10: GET IT ON - T.REX – Their only US Hit. #10 US, #3 DE & CH (both in 1971). Sadly, Lead singer Marc Bolan was killed in a car accident in 1977. 9: SWEET SEASONS - CAROLE KING – A great Song to enjoy at any time of the Year! From the beneath the shade of a tree on a hot Summer day, or in front of a Fireplace on a cold Winter day. 8: LET'S STAY TOGETHER - AL GREEN – One week at #1 for this Classic. 7: HEART OF GOLD - NEIL YOUNG - His second Top 40 hit as a solo Singer. Excellent Song all throughout. #1 US and CA, #6 DE. 6: THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT - ROBERT JOHN - Perhaps best known for his 1979 hit “Sad Eyes”, this Singer from Brooklyn, New York appears on the Chart with this remake. For me, he is one of the most obscure Singers based on his success. #3 US, #40 DE. 5: EVERYTHING I OWN – BREAD - - David Gates certainly has a knack for heartfelt ballads, although I think I have heard more upbeat songs from him/Bread. A great tribute to his Father. 4: DOWN BY THE LAZY RIVER - DONNY OSMOND - I wonder who the lead Singer was on this Song? I know that I have heard him on other Osmonds Songs. 3: PRECIOUS AND FEW – CLIMAX – The only Top 40 Hit for this band from California. It peaked here at #3. 2: HURTING EACH OTHER – THE CARPENTERS - One of several Songs from them to peak at #2. However it did peak at #1 on the Easy Listening Chart. 1: WITHOUT YOU – HARRY NILSSON – Can be depressing on the wrong kind of Day, but still very beautiful. This spent four Weeks at #1 in the US and reached #12 DE. My Extra: SOLEY SOLEY – MIDDLE OF THE ROAD – Middle Of The Road is a Band formed in Scotland in 1970. Its members included: Sally Carr on Vocals, Ian Lewis Campbell on Guitar, Eric Lewis Campbell (Brother of Ian) on Bass, and Ken Andrew on Drums. They had previously performed under different Names before releasing Music as Middle Of The Road. In 1971 they scored their first of several big hits with many of them reaching #1 in different Countries. This one, from their Album Acceleration, was written by musician Fernando Arbex from Spain. Soley Soley reached #2 DE, #1 CH (Jan. 1972), and #5 UK. www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJfrq6y8ucwwww.youtube.com/watch?v=6eaCM5m8y6oA Version in French by Nana Mouskouri, with the Title “Soleil soleil” - www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XwR7K96y-QThank you for reading.
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Post by pb on Mar 5, 2020 20:00:30 GMT -5
33: RING THE LIVING BELL – MELANIE – A favorite of mine! Unfortunately, this would peak only at #21 on the Hot 100 (perhaps musical tastes were changing?). Also reached #41 DE (May 1972). Nice quirky song. I guess it was less commercial than "Brand New Key," and competition from the song she did for a previous label "Nickel Song" might have hurt.
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Post by Hervard on Mar 6, 2020 13:15:17 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - March 7, 2020
This week's presentation - March 8, 1975
40: BEFORE THE NEXT TEARDROP FALLS - FREDDY FENDER (debut) - Meh, I wasn't a huge fan of this song. Something about his voice. 39: FIRE - OHIO PLAYERS (28) - Not a big fan of this song or them in general (though their other #1 hit, "Love Rollercoaster" wasn't bad). 38: SUPERNATURAL THING (PART 1) - BEN E. KING (debut) - One of only two AT40 era songs that King had. This was so/so, but I preferred the other one. 37: I GET LIFTED - GEORGE McCRAE (37) - wtf did this sound like again? 36: EMMA - HOT CHOCOLATE (debut) - Though I'm not a huge Hot Chocolate fan, I actually thought this one was good. 35: PART OF THE PLAN - DAN FOGELBERG (40) - This was Fogelberg's first Top 40 hit. It and his next hit "Power Of Gold" were both upbeat numbers, giving fans a somewhat false sense of his general music style. He would slow down the tempo during the 1980s, indeed! 34: I'VE BEEN THIS WAY BEFORE - NEIL DIAMOND (34) - Wow, this song had a somewhat unusual chart run - debuted at #34 the week before, stayed at that position, and then dropped out. It was a pretty good song. 33: HARRY TRUMAN - CHICAGO (debut) - This one was more or less a novelty song (sort of an unusual music style for Chicago), which would explain its fast-rise, fast-fall chart run. This was written by band member Robert Lamm shortly after the resignation of President Nixon the year before. 32: EMOTION - HELEN REDDY (39) - This song didn't have the cheese factor that many of her other songs did. It was actually a good song, IMO. 31: CHEVY VAN - SAMMY JOHNS (38) - He may have had only one big hit, but what a song it was! One of my favorite songs of the entire year! 30: SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL - GRAND FUNK (5) - Of course, it's the song that AT40 inadvertently ranked too high on the year-end! I liked this song, but preferred their next top 40 hit "Bad Time". 29: NEVER LET HER GO - DAVID GATES (30) - Of course, we all know he was the lead singer of Bread, who had pretty much had their day in the sun (though they would have a comeback hit two years later), so Gates was testing the waters as a solo singer. Though nowhere near as successful as he was with his band, he had a trio of Top 40 hits, all of which I liked. My favorite song from him was "Goodbye Girl", though this would be a close second, as it was a great song as well. 28: ONCE YOU GET STARTED - RUFUS WITH CHAKA KHAN (debut) - Not generally a big fan of Rufus - pretty much the only song I like from them is "Ain't Nobody". I preferred many other songs from Chaka Khan as a solo artist. 27: HEY WON'T YOU PLAY ANOTHER SOMEBODY DONE SOMEBODY WRONG SONG - B.J. THOMAS (36) - One of two #1 songs for Mr. Thomas. It's pretty good, but I preferred the other one, which topped the chart five years before. My favorite song by him of all time would be "Hooked On A Feeling". 26: YOU'RE NO GOOD - LINDA RONSTADT (18) - She'd had two Top 40 hits a few years earlier, but this was the one that would get her chart career started proper, hitting #1. It was a great one! 25: NO NO SONG - RINGO STARR (31) - This was part of a two-sided single, so they alternated both songs on AT40. the flipside of "No No Song" and I seem to remember that they alternated both songs on AT40. This week was the A-side's turn, which I personally preferred, although Snookeroo was pretty good as well. 24: NIGHTINGALE - CAROLE KING (9) - Her final Top Ten hit. I liked it. 23: SHAME SHAME SHAME - SHIRLEY & CO (27) - Meh, this one wasn't bad, but nothing exceptional either. 22: I AM LOVE (PART #2) - JACKSON FIVE (26) - Normally, I don't like their mid-70s hits, but this song's saving grace was the schmaltzy part 1. 21: SAD SWEET DREAMER - SWEET SENSATION (25) - Of course, this was not the same vocal group who charted in 1989/90 with a handful of hits. This was their only Top 40 hit. It was OK, but nothing special. 20: MY BOY - ELVIS PRESLEY (23) - No. Just no. 19: MOVIN' ON - BAD COMPANY (19) - The first of three songs that they charted with in 1975. It wasn't bad, but I generally preferred their later songs. 18: TO THE DOOR OF THE SUN - AL MARTINO (21) - Meh, next song please... 17: UP IN A PUFF OF SMOKE - POLLY BROWN (20) - Not that this one was any better! 16: YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL - JOE Cocker (24) - And the icing on the cake - a No. Just no song! 15: POETRY MAN - PHOEBE SNOW (17) - Wow! How refreshing it is to hear this song - one of my favorites on the countdown. This was her only solo Top 40 hit (she did chart again in a duet with Paul Simon later on that year, and had a few AC only hits). I like the hypnotic effect of this song. This and "If I Can Just Get Through The Night" are in an arm-wrestling match for my favorite song from her. 14: ROLL ON DOWN THE HIGHWAY - BACHMAN TURNER OVERDRIVE (14) - Wasn't this featured in a commercial a few years ago? Anyway, it's a good song, but not quite as good as "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet". 13: EXPRESS - B.T. EXPRESS (16) - Is it me, or does this song sound like "Pick Up The Pieces" by AWB? It was pretty good, IMO. 12: I'M A WOMAN - MARIA MULDAUR (12) - The second of two Top 40 hits from this Big Apple native. As cheesy as "Midnight At The Oasis" was, I actually preferred that one. This one was pretty good, though - sort of depends on my mood at the time. 11: DON'T CALL US, WE'LL CALL YOU - SUGARLOAF (15) - The second of two Top Ten hits from this rock band from Denver. It was a good one, but I preferred their first hit, "Green-Eyed Lady". 10: CAN'T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (11) - One of my favorite ELO songs of all time, though the single version leaves a lot to be desired. It doesn't contain the second verse and the synth solo in the middle is cut way down. No, give me the album version (which AT40 played on four occasions) any day! 9: PICK UP THE PIECES - AVERAGE WHITE BAND (7) - Here is that song I mentioned earlier that the song "Express" sounds like. I thought this one was pretty good as well. 8: LOVIN' YOU - MINNIE RIPERTON (22) - EWWW, GET IT AWAY FROM ME!!! Well, OK, maybe it's not that bad, but it's just so CHEESY!! And what's with Minnie singing her daughter's name over and over near the end? 7: BEST OF MY LOVE - EAGLES (1) - This drops from #1 this week, yet it retains its bullet? Must have been a statistical error. Anyhoo, this song was one of a handful of the Eagles' hits to feature Don Henley on lead vocals. It was a pretty good one, but the subject matter was a little depressing. Not a good listen for someone in a dying relationship. 6: LADY - STYX (10) - The first of many Top 40 hits from this band from Chicago. It was so/so, but definitely not their best. 5: LONELY PEOPLE - AMERICA (6) - Despite their name, they were actually an English band. This was a good song, but one of my least favorites from them. 4: LADY MARMALADE - LABELLE (8) - Casey predicted this song to go to #1, and he was indeed right (no jinx there)! Anyway, this was a great one, but I actually preferred the remake by Christina Aguilera & friends - definitely the summer hit of 2001! 3: MY EYES ADORED YOU - FRANKIE VALLI (4) - This song was just two weeks away from hitting #1, and at the time, it held the record for the longest climb to #1 (hit the top in its 18th week). Of course, that record would be broken many times over. 2: BLACK WATER - DOOBIE BROTHERS (3) - This song was next in line in the revolving door of #1 songs and the first of two #1 songs from them, and both of those are among my favorite songs from them (of course, we all know that I prefer the other one). 1: HAVE YOU NEVER BEEN MELLOW - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (2) - The second of two #1 songs in a row for ONJ. I liked both of them but slightly preferred this one.
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Post by Hervard on Mar 6, 2020 13:15:33 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - March 7, 2020
This week's presentation - March 7, 1981
Droppers: TOO TIGHT – CON FUNK SHUN (40) - This was a one-week wonder on AT40. I vaguely remember this one - didn't they sound a little like Earth, Wind & Fire? HEARTBREAK HOTEL – THE JACKSONS (35) - Not a "Hot Elvis Remake" - it was actually an original song. Though I'm not generally a fan of their later hits, this one was actually pretty good.
LW#1: I LOVE A RAINY NIGHT - EDDIE RABBITT 40: BACK IN BLACK - AC/DC (37) - This Australian heavy metal band only had three Top 40 hits, but that's because they were generally an album rock act. Many of their songs played on as AOR album cuts are known to many people. This song only got as high as #37, but is widely known because it is an AOR staple. I thought it was pretty good, but I preferred "You Shook Me All Night Long" (another AOR favorite) from the previous fall. 39: EVERY WOMAN IN THE WORLD - AIR SUPPLY (28) - As we all know, Air Supply had a streak of eight consecutive Top Five hits, but this song came close to interrupting the streak, as it was stuck at #6 for a five weeks but it managed to just barely climb a spot higher before dropping the following week. Though definitely not one of my favorites from them, it was still a good song. 38: (JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER - JOHN LENNON (16) - This song had recently spent five weeks at #1, becoming Lennon's most successful solo hit. Too bad he didn't live long enough to know that. This was definitely a worthy #1 song, as it's one of his best songs ever IMO. 37: STAYING WITH IT - FIREFALL (39) - This was Firefall's sixth and final Top 40 entry. It was a good song, but I preferred "You Are The Woman" and "Just Remember I Love You". 36: ANGEL OF THE MORNING - JUICE NEWTON (debut) - This Lakehurst, NJ native had been hitting the country charts for several years and, im 1981, started her brief but fairly successful Top 40 chart career with this cover of a song that was originally a hit in 1968 for Merrilee Rush & The Turnabouts. I like it, but preferred most of her other Top 40 hits. 35: HEY NINETEEN - STEELY DAN (17) - One of their last big hits before going their separate ways later in 1981. It's a good song, but I preferred many of their 1970s hits, particularly the ones on the Aja album. 34: JUST THE TWO OF US - GROVER WASHINGTON JR. f/BILL WITHERS (debut) - This song was on its way to spending a pair of weeks atop the R&R chart. It almost made it here on the Hot 100, but just barely fell short. It was a great song - kind of reminds me of "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" by Paul Simon. 33: SOMEBODY'S KNOCKIN' - TERRI GIBBS (38) - One of many country artists who crossed over to the Pop charts in 1981, though this ended up being her only Top 40 hit, which was a great one, IMO - has a very haunting melody. Too bad it didn’t hit the Top Ten. 32: GUITAR MAN – ELVIS PRESLEY (36) - Presley's third posthumous Top 40 hit. Not one of my favorite songs from him by any means, but it was okies. 31: (GHOST) RIDERS IN THE SKY - OUTLAWS (32) - This was a remake of a late 1940s song originally done by Vaughn Monroe. I remember the good old days, back in elementary school, of “ghost riding” on my bike (getting off my bike when it was still rolling). I pissed off a lot of drivers that way! As for the song, it was a good one - nicely updated so as not to sound too out of place for the early-1980s. 30: PRECIOUS TO ME - PHIL SEYMOUR (33) - He first appeared in the Top 40 as part of the Dwight Twilley Band, and this week, he was on the rise with his first and only solo hit. I first heard this song on American Top 40 Flashback in 2001 and instantly loved it. IMO, the song was quite underrated, as it only got as high as #22. Nevertheless, I have heard this song many times, as it is on my Barry Scott's Lost 45s CD that I got for Christmas in 2002 and have listened to so much that I'm surprised I haven't worn it out, LOL! ARCHIVES: EVERYBODY LOVES SOMEBODY SOMETIME – DEAN MARTIN - I remember that this song was used in a Western Union commercial back in the 1990s (with the word "somebody" replace with "some money". The song was pretty good, though somewhat "geezerly". OPTIONAL EXTRA: HER TOWN TOO - JAMES TAYLOR & J.D. SOUTHER - A one-time collaboration that saved the second artist from the dreaded "one hit wonder" title. It was a great song - too bad it just barely missed the Top Ten. 29: AH! LEAH! - DONNIE IRIS (29) - Wow, this song's title is a homophone for Aaliyah (Haughton), the R&B singer who had a handful of Top 40 hits before her untimely death in 2001 (plus, there's a teenager by that name that was, at one time, regular at the library at which I work). As for the song, it was pretty good, but I preferred "Love Is Like A Rock", which hit the Top 40 the following year. 28: TOGETHER - TIERRA (18) - This was pretty much your run-of-the-mill early 80's slow jam. I liked it. 27: MORNING TRAIN - SHEENA EASTON (34) - I used to like this song a lot, but now it is, in fact, one of my least favorite songs from her. Not sure why; I guess I just got tired of it. 26: DON'T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME - THE POLICE (31) - They had their first Top Ten hit ever earlier in the year and this song would eventually match its peak position. Of their three big 1981 hits, this one was definitely my favorite. 25: WHILE YOU SEE A CHANCE - STEVE WINWOOD (30) - He was the lead singer of the Spencer Davis group back in the 1960s, but he would have much more chart success as a solo artist in the 1980s. This was his first solo hit and it peaked at #7 on the Hot 100 (and even managed a week at #1 on the R&R chart). This was possibly my all-time favorite song from him. 24: SMOKEY MOUNTAIN RAIN - RONNIE MILSAP (24) - Milsap was hot on the country chart, but up to now, he'd been a one-hit wonder at Top 40 radio. But things were starting to happen for him there at this point, as he'd have a handful of Top 40 hits, including a Top Ten, which was his next release. As for this song, it was a good one, though I preferred a few others from him. 23: LIVING IN A FANTASY - LEO SAYER (26) - The final Top 40 hit for this Shoreham, England native. The song was pretty good, but I preferred several others from him. 22: FADE AWAY - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (27) - This was the second single from The River. It was pretty good, but I preferred "Hungry Heart", as well as many of his later songs. LDD: SEASONS IN THE SUN – TERRY JACKS - This was a song that became more of a joke than anything. Definitely a major cheesefest! 21: HEARTS ON FIRE - RANDY MEISNER (23) - After leaving the Eagles in 1977 and trying to have fun in retirement for several months, Randy got a solo career going. His first solo album didn't fare well at all, but his second one yielded two Top 40 hits. This one was the second and slightly more successful of those, peaking at #19 in March. It was a great song, IMO, and one I've heard many a time on my Barry Scott's Lost 45s CD, though I still haven't figured out who that is singing back-up in the choruses. 20: TREAT ME RIGHT - PAT BENATAR (22) - The third single from Crimes Of Passion, and, though it did not hit the Top Ten like the second one, it did hit the Top 20, peaking #18 the following week. This was a great song - one of my favorite Pat Benatar songs ever! ARCHIVES: WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO – THE SUPREMES - Definitely one of the most successful female groups of all time! This was one of their many #1 hits - and a good one at that! OPTIONAL EXTRA: AIN'T EVEN DONE WITH THE NIGHT - JOHN COUGAR - This one had fallen into obscurity until about 15-20 years ago, when it began being played on 80s stations. It's a good song, though not quite his best. 19: A LITTLE IN LOVE - CLIFF RICHARD (19) - He charted in two forms in 1981 - in a duet with Olivia Newton-John and on this song as a solo artist. This song appeared to have peaked at #19, as it had held at that position this week, but the song seemed to get a second wind the following week, moving up to #17, where it peaked. The song fared much better on the R&R chart, peaking at #5. This was definitely one of my favorite songs from Cliff Richard. 18: GAMES PEOPLE PLAY - THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT (22) - This was their last Top 40 hit before Eric Woolfson took over as lead singer. On this one, Lenny Zakatek provided the lead vocals. I thought it was a pretty decent song, though I generally preferred the Woolfson-lead songs. 17: KISS ON MY LIST - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (25) - 1981 was definitely a great year for them, as they had two #1 hits, as well as two Top Five hits, one of which went on to hit #1 in early 1982. Of those four songs, this was definitely my favorite. 16: PASSION - ROD STEWART (13) - I've mentioned that Rick Springfield seemed to have pairs of songs that sound alike. Rod Stewart has a few of those as well - this one's "counterpart" would be his summer, 1984 hit "Infatuation". I prefer this one, however. 15: WHAT KIND OF FOOL - BARBRA STREISAND (20) - As I've mentioned many times, this was by far my favorite of their two duets. I liked how the other Bee Gees sing back-up throughout the song, especially during the final choruses. 14: SAME OLD LANG SYNE - DAN FOGELBERG (9) - This song used to be played on the radio at any time of year, but now, it seems to be limited to the Christmas season, just because it mentions Christmas Eve at the beginning. This song, of course, tells the story about a chance meeting with an old flame on Christmas Eve, 1975. A great song, like most of Fogelberg's hits. EXTRA: QUARTER TO THREE – GARY U.S. BONDS - When they played a drop piece of this before going into the commercial break, I thought it was “Runaround Sue” by Dion. Gary U.S. Bonds would end up having a comeback single later on in the year, called “This Little Girl”. I preferred that one, though this one wasn't bad either. 13: THE TIDE IS HIGH - BLONDIE (7) - They were definitely a hot item in the early 1980s - had the top song of 1980, and two #1 songs in early 1981. Of their number one songs, this was possibly my least favorite, though it wasn't bad. 12: RAPTURE – BLONDIE (15) - And here they are again! This was their other #1 song from 1981. All four of their number one songs were musically diverse, covering genres like disco, new wave, reggae, and even rap, which was the case with this song. This was possibly my favorite of the four. ARCHIVES: THE HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN – THE ANIMALS - The debut hit for this British band, as well as their only #1. It was a good one. OPTIONAL EXTRA: TURN ME LOOSE - LOVERBOY - This is one of those mid-charters that now receives more radio airplay than ever. I prefer many others from this Canadian band, but this is still a good song. 11: I AIN'T GONNA STAND FOR IT - STEVIE WONDER (12) - This song had sort of a jazz flavor to it. It's a good one, but I slightly preferred his previous song, "Master Blaster". 10: HELLO AGAIN - NEIL DIAMOND (14) - This song, Neil's second of three hits from the Jazz Singer, would go on to peak at #6 in late March. I liked all three of the Jazz Singer singles, but my favorite was the one coming up later in the countdown. 9: THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL - ABBA (10) - This, sadly, would be their final Top Ten hit. It, along with "Dancing Queen" were my two favorites from them. 8: GIVING IT UP FOR YOUR LOVE - DELBERT McCLINTON (8) - For some reason, I was never a fan of this song. Passable at best. 7: CRYING - DON McLEAN (11) - You could definitely tell that this was a Roy Orbison song (as it sounded a great deal like "Blue Bayou"). This was definitely one of my favorite songs by McLean, right up there with "American Pie" and "Vincent". 6: CELEBRATION - KOOL & THE GANG (4) - I remember this song quite well - aside from radio airplay, it got a lot of play on jukeboxes, such as the one at Pizza Hut, a place that my dad would take my brother and me to every Sunday for dinner back in 1981. LDD: THE MORNING AFTER – MAUREEN McGOVERN - I always think of the “Succubus” episode of South Park when I hear this song, which I thought was a great one. 5: THE BEST OF TIMES - STYX (6) - It was their first of two Top 40 hits from Styx' Paradise Theater album, as well as my favorite of those two (though I do like the other one, "Too Much Time On My Hands" more than I had previously). Both are great songs! 4: KEEP ON LOVING YOU - REO SPEEDWAGON (3) - I believe this would be considered their biggest hit ever. "Can't Fight This Feeling" (which we'll be hearing on this week's "B" show) may have spent two more weeks on top, but this song had more staying power - it spent two more weeks in the Top 40 than that song spent on the Hot 100. This was a song I definitely remember from its chart run, and I never got tired of it - a great power ballad indeed! 3: WOMAN - JOHN LENNON (3) - This song was in its last of four weeks at #1 on the R&R chart but, oddly enough, had yet to peak on the Hot 100, which it would two weeks later, climbing to the runner-up spot. The song was technically Lennon's first posthumous hit, as "Starting Over" had been released before Lennon's untimely death. It is my second favorite song from Double Fantasy behind that song. 2: 9 TO 5 - DOLLY PARTON (2) - This song was patiently waiting at #2 for an encore appearance at #1, where she had been two weeks before. This was a great song IMO, though I did prefer her first Top Ten hit "Here You Come Again" from three years before. 1: I LOVE A RAINY NIGHT - EDDIE RABBITT (1) - And this is the song that interrupted Dolly Parton’s streak at #1. But little did anyone know that Parton was plotting her revenge, which she would get the following week. I'm glad that this song hit #1, because it is one of my favorite songs from him.
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Post by Hervard on Mar 6, 2020 13:15:51 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - March 7, 2020 This week's "B" presentation - March 9, 1985 Droppers: OPERATOR - MIDNIGHT STAR (36) - This was a big dance and R&B hit (it was a #1 hit on the latter) and it also did well on the Hot 100, peaking at #17. It was a catchy song and very weird, electronically sung in the verses and choruses alike. The "phone off the hook" sound effect at the beginning was rather irritating, though. I WANNA HEAR IT FROM YOUR LIPS - ERIC CARMEN (35) - This song actually fell off of the chart, despite moving up the previous week, but it was more notable on the R&R chart, where it moved 34-30 this week and also dropped out the following week. I guess people suddenly decided that they didn’t like this song. I thought it was OK, but my favorite songs from him are his two 1976 hits. YOU'RE THE INSPIRATION - CHICAGO (32) - The third hit from their Chicago 17 album (and their final Top Ten hit with Peter Cetera singing lead). It was a good song, but I preferred their previous hit "Hard Habit To Break ROCKIN' AT MIDNIGHT - THE HONEYDRIPPERS (31) - The two Top 40 hits for this band, led by Robert Plant, of Led Zeppelin fame, were both covers of earlier hits, this one, a song originally a hit for Roy Brown in the early 40s. It wasn't bad, but I preferred "Sea Of Love". FOOLISH HEART - STEVE PERRY (22) - Perry's fourth solo hit from the album Street Talk. It was a really good song IMO - it and "Oh Sherrie" both receive a decent amount of recurrent airplay (although this song is generally played on AC-oriented oldies stations). 40: ALONG COMES A WOMAN - CHICAGO (debut) - A landmark single for them, as this was their last Top 40 hit before Peter Cetera left the band for a solo career. It was a pretty good song, though I preferred several others from them. 39: THE BOYS OF SUMMER – DON HENLEY (26) - Ah, a summer hit charting in winter - and the winter of 1985 was indeed a cold one, although by this point, it was beginning to warm up - in fact, I remember that it was in the sixties on the weekend I heard this show. As for this song, it was a great one - my third favorite single from Building The Perfect Beast, behind "Sunset Grill" and "Not Enough Love In The World" (though it would be a very close race between those songs). 38: THE BORDERLINES – JEFFREY OSBORNE (40) - His sixth solo hit since leaving L.T.D. in 1980. This was a pretty good song, but I preferred a few others from him, especially his late 1982 hit "On The Wings Of Love". 37: RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT - DeBARGE (debut) - This song turned out to be their biggest hit ever, getting as high as #3 in May. It was a good one, but I preferred their next release, "Who's Holding Donna Now", which turned out to be their second best hit, peaking at #6. 36: WHY CAN’T I HAVE YOU – THE CARS (debut) - The first four singles from Heartbeat City made it into the Top 20, but, now that just about all fans of the Cars had the album (I imagine many got it as a Christmas gift), this song only managed to climb one spot higher. I liked the song, but it definitely was not their best. 35: THIS IS NOT AMERICA – DAVID BOWIE/PAT METHENY (debut) - This was the theme from the spy drama film The Falcon And The Snowman. I've never seen the film, since that genre isn't really my cup of tea, but I do remember this song, though I never really heard it outside of countdown shows. This song, which peaked at #32 the following week, was pretty good, though not quite as good as Bowie's hits from two years later). 34: MISSING YOU – DIANA ROSS (debut) - The first of two tributes to Marvin Gaye on this week's chart, who was the biggest solo artist of "the Beatle Years" (with 24 Top 40 singles during that era). Of the two tribute songs, I preferred this one. 33: TAKE ME WITH U – PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION WITH APOLLONIA (37) - This was the fifth release from Purple Rain and the first song from the soundtrack to miss the Top Ten, which was really no big surprise, as the soundtrack sold millions of copies, so that means that most Prince fans had the soundtrack and, hence, there was no point in buying the single. I thought that this was a great song. 32: OBSESSION - ANIMOTION (38) - Their first of three Top 40 hits from this technopop band from Los Angeles. It was their biggest hit and I thought it was a decent song, but I preferred their other Top Ten hit, "Room To Move", from 1989. 31: TURN UP THE RADIO - AUTOGRAPH (34) - This song always reminded me of "Feels Like The First Time" by Foreigner, and their voices sound a lot like Ratt. Too bad it was their only Top 40 hit, as it was a great one! 30: JUNGLE LOVE – THE TIME (21) - This was a rare case where a group's Top 40 hits charted after they had disbanded (they had another Top 40 hit "The Bird" later in 1985). I preferred this song, though it wasn't anything exceptional. 29: I’M ON FIRE – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (39) - He was still cranking out hit after hit from his Born In The USA album. This was the fourth one, which would peak at #6 in April. It was a great song - one of my favorites from Born In The USA. OPTIONAL EXTRA: CRAZY FOR YOU - MADONNA - This song, from the movie Vision Quest was released while "Material Girl", from Madonna's Like A Virgin album, was still climbing the chart, though that didn't seem to affect the song's performance that much. This song would waste no time hitting the Top Ten and would eventually hit #1. In fact, as we all know, this song turned out to be the top song of 1985, according to Radio & Records, and deservedly so, as it was a great song! Wow, a rare show in which the second hour kicked off with song #28. The only other show like that (that I know of) was the April 6, 1985 show, one of the first shows in the AT40: The 80s series. On the following week’s show, on the other hand, the second hour started off with #31. 28: NIGHTSHIFT – THE COMMODORES (33) - The second of the two Marvin Gaye tributes on the chart this week, only this one also paid homage to Jackie Wilson, another R&B great who had also passed away in 1984. This song was OK, but the Commodores were just not the same without Lionel Richie. 27: SOMEBODY – BRYAN ADAMS (30) - He definitely got quite a lot of mileage out of his Reckless album - the six singles kept him on the chart for most of 1985, and this was the second of them. I liked this song, but preferred a few others from him, including a few from the same album. 26: SOLID – ASHFORD & SIMPSON (17) - For some reason, I did not like this song at all during its chart run, but now I think it's a great song. Wham!'s song "Everything She Wants" sounds a little like this song, IMO. 25: JUST ANOTHER NIGHT – MICK JAGGER (28) - Of course, he had been singing lead with the Rolling Stones (who were still together and not done hitting the charts), but he had a few solo hits, including this, which was his biggest hit on his own (his biggest was his collaboration with David Bowie that fall, "Dancing In The Street"). 24: KEEPING THE FAITH – BILLY JOEL (27) - Many people thought he was done putting out hits from An Innocent Man, as it had been awhile since the last single, "Leave A Tender Moment Alone" had charted, and it only got as high as #27. But he surprised everybody by releasing a sixth single, and it proved to be worthwhile, as it was a Top 20 hit. It was a good song, but I preferred many others from them, including a few from said album. 23: NAUGHTY NAUGHTY – JOHN PARR (24) - His first of two Top 40 hits, both in 1985 (and he had the movie St. Elmo's Fire to thank for his second and bigger hit). I preferred that one over this one, which was kind of just there, IMO. LDD: UNDERSTANDING – BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND - Wow! What an intense story. Casey didn’t say mention the name of the girl who wrote it, for reasons that, as he put it, “will become obvious”. Probably the intensity of the situation, as it was about a very abusive Dad who would constantly beat up his wife, and then, for no reason at all, go into his daughters rooms, grab them by the hair, bend them over his lap and whip them with a leather belt until they couldn't sit down. That made me so mad hearing that. I hope the guy is rotting in hell right now! Well, OK, maybe that's going a little far, but hearing the LDD definitely put bad parents in perspective! 22: HIGH ON YOU - SURVIVOR (25) - This Chicago band had recently come off of their first Top 40 hit in about two years, "I Can't Hold Back" (which was by far my favorite song from them). I also liked this follow-up song, which would peak at #8 a few weeks later. 21: SAVE A PRAYER – DURAN DURAN (23) - It seems that more often than not, they either cut out the second verse of this song, or linked the first and second choruses together, but it seems that they left the song intact this week, which is good, because I really liked this song - one of my favorite Duran Duran songs of all time. 20: METHOD OF MODERN LOVE – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (11) - The second of four Top 40 hits from their album Big Bam Boom. This song wasn't bad, but I don't understand why they didn't spell out the word "modern" OPTIONAL EXTRA: ALL SHE WANTS TO DO IS DANCE - DON HENLEY - The second release from Building The Perfect Beast. It's my least favorite of the singles, however - for some reason, this song never did much for me. 19: MR. TELEPHONE MAN – NEW EDITION (12) - I'd long since grown tired of their song "Cool It Now" at this point, but their second hit, on the other hand, was my favorite song from them - in fact, according to my Personal Top 30 chart, it was the biggest hit for all of 1985! You could tell that Ray Parker, Jr produced this, as it sounds a lot like several of his older hits with Raydio (even has the same synthesizer). 18: ONLY THE YOUNG - JOURNEY (20) - As Steve Perry's solo album Street Talk was pretty much done, its last single falling off the chart this week, his band Journey was on its way up the chart with their first hit since late 1983. From the Vision Quest soundtrack, this song would peak at #9 later in the month. It was a good song, but not quite my favorite song from them. 17: RELAX – FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD (19) - Meh, never cared for this one at all. 16: EASY LOVER – PHILIP BAILEY & PHIL COLLINS (8) - Wow, 1985 was definitely Phil's year! He had just released his "No Jacket Required" album, which would be possibly his biggest singles album ever, spawning three singles within the year, and he bookended those with very successful duets, including this one, which was a great song IMO - the two Phils sounded great together! TRIBUTE: BARBARA COWSILL - She was the mother of the 60s band the Cowsills (whom inspired the Partridge Family), who had passed away in late January. 15: PRIVATE DANCER – TINA TURNER (16) - She was definitely hotter than ever at this point, as this would become her third consecutive Top Ten hit. It was a good one - not sure which of the Private Dancer singles I prefer. 14: ONE MORE NIGHT – PHIL COLLINS (22) - The first single from Phil Collins' aforementioned No Jacket Required album, which would spawn two more songs during 1985, and another in the spring of 1986. This was my favorite of those songs and it must have been a strong song, to be able to fend off "We Are The World" like it did its second week at #1. 13: THE OLD MAN DOWN THE ROAD - JOHN FOGERTY (10) - The former lead singer of Creedence Clearwater Revival had been absent from the chart, even as a solo singer for nearly a decade. His comeback hit became his most successful solo hit. It was a good song, but my favorite solo hit from him was "Centerfield", which just missed the Top 40 later that year (but seems to be the one that receives the most recurrent airplay nowadays). 12: LOVER GIRL – TEENA MARIE (14) - Often regarded as a one-hit wonder, "Lovergirl" was actually Teena's second hit. Her first, "I Need Your Loving", peaked at #37 in early 1981. This song fared much better, reaching its peak this week at #4. This song is pretty good, though I do remember disliking this song during its chart run. 11: LOVER BOY – BILLY OCEAN (5) - Wow, both “Lover” songs on the countdown, back to back. Since they were going in opposite directions, one would think this was the only time they were adjacent to each other on the countdown, but not quite. On the year-ender, both songs were once again back-to-back! Anyway, this song did almost as well as "Caribbean Queen", peaking at #2, but the song at #1 was too strong for it. Too bad, as I prefer this song over that one, which just had to go and become the biggest hit of 1985, but we get ahead of ourselves... This was one of my favorite of Ocean's upbeat songs. 10: MISLED – KOOL & THE GANG (13) - It appeared that this song had peaked the previous week, but they surprised everyone and broke into the Top Ten this week. They were in the midst of a streak of songs with one-word titles (in fact, didn't they hold the record for that?). Anyway, I liked all three of their Top Ten hits from the Emergency album, although my favorite of those was "Fresh". OPTIONAL EXTRA: ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK - MURRAY HEAD f/ANDERS GLENMARK - That is how the song would be credited today, since Glenmark sings in the song while Murray Head raps. As usual, this song started out with the classical prelude, which I liked. The song itself is pretty good too, although it was quite overplayed back in the day! 9: SUGAR WALLS – SHEENA EASTON (9) - Naughty naughty, Sheena! I wasn't a big fan of this song at all - I generally preferred her more "innocent" songs from earlier in the decade. 8: I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS - FOREIGNER (7) - They finally had their very first #1 song, after coming ever so close with Wf*gLY, which, as we know all too well, spent ten frustrating weeks at #2. I actually preferred this one, which featured Jennifer Holliday, Tom Bailey (of the Thompson Twins) and the New Jersey Mass Choir on backing vocals. 7: NEUTRON DANCE – THE POINTER SISTERS (6) - One of two songs from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack in this week's Top Ten. I never really cared for this song, or any post-1982 Pointer Sisters songs. This one was apparently an inspiration for KT Tunstall's "Black Horse & The Cherry Tree" (especially with the "woo-hoos"), which accounts for how I hated that song with a passion during its chart run. 6: TOO LATE FOR GOODBYES – JULIAN LENNON (15) - Well, then is it early enough against helloes? No, seriously, this was pretty good, but possibly my least favorite of his singles. LDD: THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE – SIMON & GARFUNKEL - Before Hall & Oates came along in the 1970s, these two were the most successful duo of all-time. They went on to have pretty successful solo careers when they parted ways in the early 1970s. This song definitely fit the LDD. 5: MATERIAL GIRL - MADONNA (18) - Wow, it's not often that the biggest jumper of the week is way up in the Top Five! One would think this song was on its way to #1, but it didn’t quite make it, peaking at #2 a few weeks later (though this song did sneak in a week at #1 on R&R). Even though this was my least favorite of her 1985 songs, it was still a good one. 4: CALIFORNIA GIRLS – DAVID LEE ROTH (3) - The previous week, this song was matching the peak of the original by the Beach Boys just 20 years before. It looked like he would top that this week, but, in fact, it dropped back this week. Anyway, I liked this song - even slightly better than the original. 3: THE HEAT IS ON – GLENN FREY (4) - The other of the hits from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack in this week's Top Ten (in fact, they appeared back to back last week), as well as the biggest, as it would peak at #2. It was not bad, but I generally preferred him with the Eagles. OPTIONAL EXTRA: IN MY HOUSE - MARY JANE GIRLS - This was the only Top 40 hit for this soul & funk group (though I have heard a few others from them, such as their cover of the Four Seasons' "Walk Like A Man" which was a mid-charter a year later). This was my favorite of their songs that I know. 2: CARELESS WHISPER – WHAM FEATURING GEORGE MICHAEL (1) - We all know that I used to like this song, but my fascination for this song dimmed significantly when a girl that I was hoping to dance with at a middle school dance got back together with her boyfriend and basically threw me under a bus. Fortunately, that happened when this song was on its way down the chart. Another good thing is that, the following Monday morning, I got to see the girl get paddled after a teacher heard her cussing me out just for saying hi to her. Ah, the joys of karma! Anyway, still another good thing was that they edited this song, cutting right to the second chorus from the first verse. Thus, we never got to hear the title, which was mentioned only once, in the second verse. 1: CAN’T FIGHT THIS FEELING – REO SPEEDWAGON (2) - Here's a band whose power ballads seemed to be favored by the Top 40 audience, as their three Top Five hits were all such songs. This song, which was one of my all-time faves from them, was in the midst of a three-week run at #1, though, as stated in my 1981 commentary, with more weeks in the Top Ten and Top 40, their 1981 hit #1 "Keep On Lovin' You", which spent a single week at #1, was their biggest hit (of course, the charts did not move as fast in 1981 as they did in 1985, so that may not be a fair comparison).
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Post by mrjukebox on Mar 8, 2020 9:17:08 GMT -5
I believe Casey mentioned that Donny & Merrill Osmond shared lead vocals on "Down By The Lazy River".
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Post by keithr63 on Mar 8, 2020 11:21:28 GMT -5
REO has so many better songs (that rock) than I Can’t Fight This Feeling,but it hit # 1 so what can I say.😄 They started changing their sound on Hi Infidelity
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Post by mga707 on Mar 8, 2020 11:36:46 GMT -5
I believe Casey mentioned that Donny & Merrill Osmond shared lead vocals on "Down By The Lazy River". Correct.
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Post by Hervard on Mar 8, 2020 14:57:06 GMT -5
REO has so many better songs (that rock) than I Can’t Fight This Feeling,but it hit # 1 so what can I say.😄 They started changing their sound on Hi Infidelity Perhaps that's why the Top 40 audience became more accepting of them (as their first hit from Hi Infidelity was their first Top 40 hit). Moreover, their power ballads were the ones that tended to do best - although "Keep The Fire Burnin'", despite being an uptempo song, did hit the Top Ten.
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Post by bobbo428 on Mar 10, 2020 22:42:45 GMT -5
CHART COMMENTARY FROM FOUR DOZEN YEARS AGO Local weather: Frigid with evening snow
40 IN THE RAIN-DRAMATICS This mellow ballad always made me think of early spring, and it had an excellent instrumental and vocal hook. It reminded me of going outside for a walk when it was just warm enough for rain. It was one of the best soul ballads of the year. 39 ROUNDABOUT-YES A classic tune with an irresistible, swirling keyboard hook, this was art rock at its best. 38 PUPPY LOVE-DONNY OSMOND This treacly number was strident and dripping with sap; when it first came out, I thought it was about the love of puppies. 37 YOU WANT IT, YOU GOT IT-DETROIT EMERALDS A fairly funky, rhythmic R&B number that was a medium-sized pop hit 36 THE NICKEL SONG-MELANIE The record was a happy sing-along that tackled an important issue, gambling—and reaping where one didn’t sow, especially in the music industry. The tune was popular almost exactly a year after the New Seekers’ version. 35 FOOTSTOMPIN’ MUSIC-GRAND FUNK RAILROAD A rhythmic number that lived up to its title, it had a Friday night party sound. 34 STAY WITH ME-ROD STEWART/FACES This was standard early-‘70s boogie-rock, with Rod playing his Casanova role. Meh. 33 RING THE LIVING BELL-MELANIE A flower-power song with country and gospel overtones, this was seldom heard after 1972. 32 FIRE AND WATER-WILSON PICKETT Pickett’s last top-40 pop hit was a grooving number with a rock & roll sound as well as R&B vibe. 31 WE’VE GOT TO GET IT ON AGAIN-ADDRISI BROTHERS The Addrisis’ first claim to fame was writing “Never My Love” for the Association in 1967. This melodic tune was the duo’s first hit as performers, and it stuck in my mind a lot that February/March. 30 TALKING LOUD AND SAYING NOTHING-JAMES BROWN A plea for independence that had the usual Brown funky beat, as well as politically libertarian lyrics 29 SOFTLY WHISPERING I LOVE YOU-ENGLISH CONGREGATION A mesmerizing pop vocal number with haunting choruses evocative of Christmas, this was a big hit locally. OE NO ONE TO DEPEND ON-SANTANA A melodic song that is seldom heard these days, it would be sampled in the 1990 Mellow Man Ace hit “Mentriosa.” I am not familiar with the song (by Vitamin c?) mentioned by Mr. Morgan 9forgot his first name—shame on me!). 28 BLACK DOG-LED ZEPPELIN A stereo blaster that teenagers loved to crank, the tune had a bluesy delivery and remains a classic-rock icon. I enjoyed the story my woman friend Pat told the other day while we were listening to the countdown. 27 RUNNIN’ AWAY-SLY & THE FAMILY STONE A tuneful song addressing the important issues of runaways, it had a killer hook. 26 DAY AFTER DAY-BADFINGER This song reminds me of a blizzard that hit the Northeast that February--the tune had that foreboding, urgent sound that made it stand out. 25 AIN’T UNDERSTANDING MELLOW-JERRY BUTLER & BRENDA LEE EAGER The record was a slow jam about being conciliatory regarding another’s shortcomings, as well as praising another’s honesty. This was a quiet storm sort of song which featured sophisticated production and a subtle hook. I don’t remember hearing this song in 1972, unfortunately. 24 ANTICIPATION-CARLY SIMON This acoustic ballad was well-written, perceptive, and well-sung. I often associated it with anticipating snowstorms. 23 ROCK AND ROLL LULLABY-B.J. THOMAS A poignant, early spring-sounding pop-rock tune that told a story of an unwed mother who struggled to raise her son, the Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil song featured the excellent twangy guitar sound of Duane Eddy, as well as stellar backup vocals by the Blossoms and Dave Somerville (the latter of the 1950s vocal group the Diamonds). I CAN’T HELP MYSELF (SUGAR PIE, HONEY BUNCH)-DONNIE ELBERT R&B cover of the 1965 Four Tops hit featured a falsetto vocal and an instrumental track similar to that in Billy Ocean’s 1976 hit “Love Really Hurts without You.” 21 I GOTCHA-JOE TEX A funky, infectious, playful, suggestive R&B number that was his biggest pop hit ever 20 A HORSE WITH NO NAME/ EVERYONE I MEET IS FROM CALIFORNIA-AMERICA When I first heard this song, I was immediately hooked by its upbeat, folk-tinged hook. I can remember the first time I heard this song, on a snowy morning. Since I was only ten years old at the time, I did not read into the lyrics. 19 JUNGLE FEVER-CHAKACHAS An unusual R&B instrumental record that sounded like real animals during the interludes—it definitely had a steamy feel and was controversial for its time. 18 NEVER BEEN TO SPAIN-THREE DOG NIGHT This song had a mid-winter feel to it¬¬¬ and was standard early-‘70s pop-rock. It was a record that started off slowly and built up more toward the end. 17 FLOY JOY-SUPREMES A Motown 1960s throwback, this ballad was the group’s last top-20 pop hit. 16 MY WORLD-BEE GEES Standard pop-rock fare with earnest vocals 15 DON'T SAY YOU DON'T REMEMBER-BEVERLY BREMERS A rather saccharine pop ballad by this singer/actress OE: THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE-ROBERTA FLACK This soft ballad originally had been recorded in 1969 and became a smash after being included in a movie (Play Misty for Me). It ended up winning for Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the Grammys. The version I heard this weekend sounded awfully brief. I enjoy the tune more than I did 48 years ago. 14 MOTHER AND CHILD REUNION-PAUL SIMON This was a reggae-tinged song that immediately grabbed my attention because of its irresistible hook. It ended up being one of the first 45s that I ever bought. Simon's solo career stretched for 44 years, up to newer songs such as “Wristband,” from 2016. 13 JOY-APOLLO 100 I first heard this exhilarating instrumental shortly before Christmas; in fact, I can remember hearing it on the way to church on Christmas Eve 1971 as rain was falling. The record was based on Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desire.” 12 AMERICAN PIE-DON MCLEAN This tune was incredible--I couldn’t stop singing it or trying to figure out what the lyrics meant. The song was chock-full of vivid lyrical imagery. In 2010, Five for Fighting would release a poignant single called “Slice,” inspired by this McLean masterpiece. 11 THE WAY OF LOVE-CHER A sweeping piano anchored this record; the lyrics were bittersweet. The song built to a rousing, melismatic climax. 10 BANG A GONG (GET IT ON)-T. REX This was a hard-rocking tune with some smarmy lyrics. I enjoy it much more than the monotonous 1985 Power Station remake. 9 SWEET SEASONS-CAROLE KING This song seemed to long for spring. It had a more rhythmic feel than her earlier hits; the brass and piano had good interplay, and the subtle organ in the background reflected the ambivalence of March. The Stylistics' 1973 hit "Rock & Roll Baby" was probably influenced by this song musically. 8 LET’S STAY TOGETHER-AL GREEN An earnest song with excellent staying power, it made Al Green a major star. A dozen years hence, the gritty Tina Turner would make her comeback with a remake of this song. 7 HEART OF GOLD/ SUGAR MOUNTAIN-NEIL YOUNG An excellent folk-rock tune that was an immediate favorite with me and has aged well. It featured Young’s distinctive, haunting vocals. Young has almost exclusively been an album-oriented act, but this, his only top 20 solo pop hit, went all the way to the top. 6 THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT-ROBERT JOHN A remake of the Tokens’ 1961 hit that stayed faithful to the original, except for a tuba interlude in the middle 5 EVERYTHING I OWN-BREAD This song was possibly Bread’s most catchy. The lyrics resonated with many people, illustrating that you don’t know what you have until it’s too late. 4 DOWN BY THE LAZY RIVER-OSMONDS Foot-stomping bubblegum number was huge with teenyboppers and may still be a guilty pleasure for many current fifty/sixty-somethings.
3 PRECIOUS AND FEW-CLIMAX Even though it was a winter hit, the melody reminded me of spring--reassuring and mellow. The song did stay on the chart until April, giving it a long chart life. 2 HURTING EACH OTHER-CARPENTERS A sincere record with a killer hook, this was an instant hit. When the song was a hit, I thought they were actually physically injuring each other. 1 WITHOUT YOU-NILSSON Written by Al Hamm of Badfinger, this reflective song of heartache was a huge hit for Nilsson. The lyrics were prophetic--tragically, the writer of this song would take his own life by mid-decade. The opening piano notes of the tune were similar to those in Bette Midler’s 1980 hit “The Rose.” OE: BETCHA BY GOLLY, WOW-STYLISTICS An excellent example of the Thom Bell Philly sound, this reminded me of early spring with its upbeat, hopeful melody—similar to the Delfonics’ “La-La Means I Love You.”
SHOULD HAVE MADE IT:
LOVE ME, LOVE ME LOVE-FRANK MILLS This was a heartrending, folk-tinged story song that caught my father’s (and my) attention; it should have been a much bigger hit. I enjoyed the accordion riff, as well as the chorus. WAKING UP ALONE-PAUL WILLIAMS This single was a poignant tearjerker of a ballad about a man unsuccessfully trying to win back the affections of a woman he had left years before. I hoped this would be a much bigger pop hit. This song reminded me of winter segueing into spring.
Chart commentaries excerpted from my 2016 book “The Songs of Our Lives: A Journey Through Pop Music Land, 1955-79.” Book available at a discount!
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Post by bobbo428 on Mar 10, 2020 22:45:06 GMT -5
THE TOP-40 HITS FROM 44 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK Local weather: Cloudy and mild—near 50 degrees. It was our warmest February since 1954 in our area, and I was enjoying the shift to springlike conditions. Feb. 21, 1976, was the first time I ever bought a copy of Billboard Magazine. Of all the new entries on the Hot 100, I don’t think any of them made the top 40! I forget - where did you live at the time? I also remember February, 1976 being unusually warm. As I've mentioned before, we were having our kitchen remodeled that year and my Mom and I would oftentimes sit out in the yard, wearing lightweight jackets, watching the men work. Lots of these times were during the early stage of the remodel, which means it would have still been February. I was living near Binghamton, NY--about halfway between New York City and Buffalo. Many songs from February 1976 had a springlike feel to them--possibly because of the unusually mild temperatures. We would pay royally for the mild February with an abnormally cold fall-winter later that year and early in 1977.
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Post by Hervard on Mar 13, 2020 13:25:27 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - March 14, 2020 This week's presentation - March 12, 1983 Droppers: TIED UP - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (38) - Wow! Olivia had been on a roll for awhile there, but, surprisingly, #38 was all the higher that this song got. The song was OK, but not one of her best. I can kinda see why it didn't do any better than it did. AFRICA - TOTO (27) - They didn't quite hit the top with "Rosanna" (which spent a month at #1 on R&R), but the tables were turned for this song - it had recently hit #1 on the Hot 100 but peaked at #2 on R&R. Anyway, due to overplay back during its chart run, I detested this song back then, but now that I don't hear it ten times a day, I rather like it. HEART TO HEART – KENNY LOGGINS (15) - One of several early 1983 songs that hit the Top 3 on the R&R chart, but didn't quite hit the Top Ten on the Hot 100. This song had just come off of a five-week peak at #15 on the latter. It's a great song - one of my favorite of Loggins' Top 40 hits, although the single version seems to be cut down too much. LW#1: BILLIE JEAN - MICHAEL JACKSON 40: DON'T TELL ME YOU LOVE ME - NIGHT RANGER (40) - This was their first hit, and the music style was somewhat misleading, as they were more successful on the charts with power ballads than with hard rockers like this one. I remember hearing this one all the time on WLS back in early 1983, so I'm surprised that this one never got above #40 on AT40. Though it was my least favorite of their charting hits, it was a good one nevertheless. 39: BURNING HEART - VANDENBERG (debut) - Here's another song I remember hearing on WLS every now and again, though not as often as the Night Ranger song. Vandenberg was the first of two Dutch bands in the countdown 38: CHANGE OF HEART - TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (debut) - This song had one of the most erratic chart runs of all time - the following week, it shot ahead to #28, stayed there for another week, then made another good-sized jump to #21, where it peaked. It was a great song, and I loved how the vinyl of the 45 of the song was red. 37: YOU CAN'T HURRY LOVE - PHIL COLLINS (29) - The first of two Supremes covers that charted during the 1983 chart year. The other one was "Stop! In The Name Of Love" by the Hollies, from that summer (both, BTW, were among the Supremes five #1's in a row, mentioned earlier). I preferred the Hollies song, but this was a good one as well. 36: LIES - THE THOMPSON TWINS (debut) - The debut single of this English band who were actually a trio despite their name (interesting story about how that caused a few problems with booking shows). As for the song, it was good (I even used to own the 45), but my favorite song from them was "Hold Me Now", which was also their biggest. 35: I'M ALIVE - NEIL DIAMOND (35) - Oddly enough, this song spent all of its Top 40 weeks at #35 - four in all, this being the last. This song was pretty good - I remember hearing it from time to time back in early 1983 (mainly on AC station WTHQ). 34: MAKE LOVE STAY - DAN FOGELBERG (39) - The second of two new tracks on his first Greatest Hits album, which had come out in October of the previous year. The first one, "Missing You" had charted at the end of 1982 and now this one was on its way up, en route to a peak of #28. This song always reminded me of his 1981 Top Five hit "Hard To Say". It was a great song, IMO, like most of his songs. 33: THE WOMAN IN ME - DONNA SUMMER (33) - A rare slow song from her (slow all the way through, that is - the songs of hers that start out slow and pick up the pace a few bars into the song don't count). It was a good song, as was Heart's remake of it about ten years later. They sounded very much alike, IIRC. 32: MY KIND OF LADY - SUPERTRAMP (32) - The second of two Top 40 hits from their ...Famous Last Words album. This one has sort of a sixties sound, like the first hit from the album "It's Raining Again". In fact, it sounds a little like a slow version of that song, especially at the end, when it's nearly in the same key. It was a great song! 31: POISON ARROW - ABC (36) - The follow-up to their debut hit "The Look Of Love". I'm kind of surprised that this song only got as high as #25, as WLS and B96 (Chicago stations) played this song on a regular basis. 30: DREAMIN' IS EASY - STEEL BREEZE (30) - Their second hit didn't quite measure up to the success of the first. I liked both songs about the same - I felt this one was way underrated. OPTIONAL EXTRA: EVEN NOW - BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND - Ever notice how this and his 1986 hit "American Storm" sound similar? Both songs are great, but I slightly prefer this one. 29: LITTLE TOO LATE - PAT BENATAR (37) - A high point in the show for our friend JessieLou (especially since it made the biggest jump of the week)! This was a good song, but I preferred several others from her (especially her last song before this, "Shadows Of The Night"). 28: GOODY TWO SHOWS - ADAM ANT (23) - One of several rockabilly songs not involving the Stray Cats that charted around this time period. I liked this song, but preferred his 1995 hit "Wonderful", which had sort of an early-80s sound to it, making me wonder how it would have done had it charted around now instead of "Goody Two Shoes". 27: JEOPARDY - THE GREG KIHN BAND (34) - This song saved them from being one-hit wonders, and also gave them their first Top Ten hit. A great song that always takes me back to the spring of 1983. 26: ON THE LOOSE - SAGA (26) - One I remember quite well from early 1983 (since the stations I listened to back then played it regularly). It's a good song, but surprisingly, I'm a little tired of it, since it's on a mix tape that I used to listen to on a regular basis, but it's still a great song! 25: DER KOMMISAR - AFTER THE FIRE (31) - The first hit from this band from London - as well as their last. This one was an 80s mix show essential! 24: YOUR LOVE IS DRIVING ME CRAZY - SAMMY HAGAR (13) - According to my Personal Top 30 charts, this song was the #1 song of 1983, as well as one of the biggest hits of the 1980s. On the Hot 100, the song didn't quite make the Top Ten, but at least it gained enough points to register on the year-ender. I remember hearing this song all the time back in early 1983, since the radio stations I listened to played it often. 23: PASS THE DUTCHIE - MUSICAL YOUTH (10) - This song was OK, but nothing I'd want to hear on a regular basis. 22: YOU AND I - EDDIE RABBIT AND CRYSTAL GAYLE (7) - A one-time duet from two of my favorite pop/country artists, and a great one at that - one of my favorite from both of them. 21: I'VE GOT A ROCK AND ROLL HEART - ERIC CLAPTON (28) - I wasn't generally a huge fan of his music, but this one was actually a good one, IMO. But that line about getting off on '57 Chevies and screaming guitars can be taken wrong nowadays... 20: COME ON EILEEN - DEXY'S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS (25) - Meh, I'm still burned out on this song. But I did used to like it - I even bought the single when the song was on its way up the charts. LDD: SWEET DREAMS - AIR SUPPLY OPTIONAL EXTRA: BEAT IT - MICHAEL JACKSON - The above song unseated Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" out of #1, but Michael got revenge with this song - One of several rock-based songs of his to hit the charts. Eddie Van Halens's guitar solo in this was outstanding! 19: BREAKING US IN TWO - JOE JACKSON (19) - The verses of this song sound a little like "Day After Day" by Badfinger. This was a cool song, possibly my favorite by him (although it’s a close race between this and “Is She Really Goin’ Out With Him”). I was pleasantly surprised that they did not edit this song (as they usually do around the halfway point of the song). 18: FALL IN LOVE WITH ME - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (21) - I don't remember this song from back in the day, as I don't believe that the stations I listened to back then ever played this. It wasn't bad, but definitely not their best. 17: ALLENTOWN - BILLY JOEL (17) - Excluding all Hot 100 chart data past 11/30/91, I believe this could hold the record for the longest peak at #17. It was in its sixth and final week there - and here's a good one - it didn't plummet straight off the chart the week after its last week at #17. Anyway, this was one of his best (and unfortunately, the message in this song is still timely today). 16: I KNOW THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON - FRIDA (22) - One of two former members of Abba that hit the chart in 1983 (the other was Agnetha Faltskog, whose "Can't Shake Loose" charted in the fall). Phil Collins' trademark drumming was featured in this song (and you can hear him on backup vocals). This song was pretty good, but I generally preferred her material with Abba. 15: DOWN UNDER - MEN AT WORK (14) - This one, along with "Who Can It Be Now", was, and still is, quite overplayed. Too bad the Cargo singles don't get much in the way of airplay anymore - they are far superior to the ones from Business As Usual, IMO. 14: TWILIGHT ZONE - GOLDEN EARRING (16) - Another great song that the two Chicago stations I listened to back in 1983 played quite a lot. That said, it's a shock that this song came nowhere near the R&R chart. Here on AT40, it peaked at #10. 13: MR. ROBOTO - STYX (20) - This was somewhat of a comeback hit for Styx, as they had been absent from the chart for about two years. I was never a huge fan of this song, though - one of my least favorites from them. 12: ALL RIGHT - CHRISTOPHER CROSS (12) - This song had a promising start, debuting on the entire Hot 100 at #29. Sounds like a sure-fire Top Five hit, yet it didn’t even hit the Top Ten, though it did hit #3 on the R&R chart - I guess, since it was from a long-awaited album, people bought it instead of the single. Anyway, like most of Cross' Top 40 hits, this song was a great one, IMO. 11: ONE ON ONE - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (18) - This song came very close to topping the R&R chart, but was edged out by “Billie Jean”. I’m kinda surprised it only got as high as #7 on Billboard (then again, it wasn’t as far removed as the aforementioned three songs that peaked at #3 on R&R yet failed to hit the Top Ten on Billboard). Anyway, of the H20 singles, this was my favorite. 10: SEPARATE WAYS (WORLDS APART) - JOURNEY (15) - This song was on its way to #1 on the R&R chart, where it would spend a pair of weeks. On the Hot 100, however, it would peak at #8 - for six weeks. Aside from Billboard's oddball bullet policy, the fact that Frontiers sold millions of copies contributed to its peak difference (as most Journey fans bought the album). This was my favorite release from their Frontiers album, but there were many other songs from them that I preferred. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I WON'T HOLD YOU BACK - TOTO - Their album Toto IV, which had recently won a Grammy for Album of the Year, was living up to its name, as it produced as many Top 40 hits. This was also their fourth (and, as it turned out, final) Top Ten hit. It was a great one, IMO. 9: BABY COME TO ME - JAMES INGRAM & PATTI AUSTIN (6) - This was their first of two duets that made the chart - the second was "How Do You Keep The Music Playing" would peak at #45 later in the year, but would do much better at AC radio. This song was a good one, but I preferred said other duet as well as some of their solo hits. 8: WE'VE GOT TONIGHT - KENNY ROGERS & SHEENA EASTON (8) - Well, I must say that I do prefer this one over the original by Bob Seger, but it is definitely not my favorite song by either artist. 7: YOU ARE - LIONEL RICHIE (11) - his one definitely takes me back to early spring, 1983 - namely, since it receives absolutely no recurrent airplay. Yet "All Night Long" is played regularly - where is the justice I tell ya! But seriously, I liked this song a lot. Glad that it got in a week at #1 on the R&R chart - this very week, in fact! 6: BACK ON THE CHAIN GANG - THE PRETENDERS (9) - This was their second Top 40 hit and their first Top Ten. Possibly my favorite song from them (though "Brass In Pocket" might give this a run for its money). LDD: YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND - JAMES TAYLOR 5: HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF - DURAN DURAN (5) - This, of course, was the breakthrough hit here in the States from one of the most successful bands of the 1980s! It was also my favorite of their 1983 hits, as well as one of my all-time favorites from them! 4: DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME - CULTURE CLUB (4) - Yes I do, because you played the version of this with the whiny intro. But, since you were nice enough to leave out the annoying bridge, I'll spare you. But seriously, this song, when both annoying elements are absent, is actually a good one. 3: STRAY CAT STRUT - STRAY CATS (3) - Going into this song, Casey answered a question letter about how many songs with animals in the title had hit number one. He named off twelve of them, and said that this song could become the 13th. However, that was not to be, as this was all the higher the song got. This was their second Top Ten hit (following "Rock This Town", which had recently peaked at #9), and, of course, this one did significantly better. This song was my second favorite from them, behind "I Won't Stand In Your Way", which charted at the end of that year. OPTIONAL EXTRA: ALWAYS SOMETHING THERE TO REMIND ME - NAKED EYES - Here's one of those acts that only lasted a little over a year on the charts. This was the biggest of their four hits and the only one that made the Top Ten. I preferred their next hit "Promises Promises". 2: SHAME ON THE MOON - BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (2) - The song, penned by country singer Rodney Crowell, peaked at #2 for four weeks here on AT40, but managed a week at #1 on the R&R chart - in fact, its #1 week happened to be on the first weekly countdown show I ever listened to ("Countdown America" with John Leader). It's a good song - sounds sort of like a laid-back version of his 1980 hit "Fire Lake". 1: BILLIE JEAN - MICHAEL JACKSON (1) - The second of seven singles from the monster album Thriller, and it turned out to be the biggest, spending seven weeks at the top. It was a good song - has held up quite well over the years.
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Post by jamie9012 on Mar 15, 2020 14:04:20 GMT -5
I believe Casey mentioned that Donny & Merrill Osmond shared lead vocals on "Down By The Lazy River". Thank you.
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