|
Post by dukelightning on Mar 2, 2024 21:08:49 GMT -5
AT40 never did play the album versions of either "Night Moves" or "Blinded by the Light". For the latter they certainly should have when it was played in the archives segment. They did it for "American Pie" and I think they should have done it for any hit whose album version was well known. They had the time with it being a 4 hour show, we know that! As for "Year of the Cat", not sure if it was the album version or simply playing the 45 without any edits. But in the 1977 year end show, the version played was 6:05 and they let the instrumental ending go for 50 seconds before Casey came on.
|
|
|
Post by Hervard on Mar 8, 2024 14:56:12 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - March 9, 2024
This week's presentation - March 4, 1978
Droppers: TOO HOT TA TROT – THE COMMODORES (37) - More of the same here. I have pointed out that their music began to improve with 1977's "Easy", but I still wasn't much for their funk/soul hits, like this one. I prefer their more "laid-back" songs. DON’T LET ME BE MISUNDERSTOOD – SANTA ESMERALDA (30) - An interesting disco rendition of the classic by the Animals. Coincidentally, both songs peaked at #15 on the Hot 100. THEME FROM CLOSE ENCOUNTERS - MECO (25) - The first of two versions of this song to chart in 1978. For the past few weeks, the songs were on the chart simultaneously, which was the second time that this happened with the two artists involved. The first time was in 1977, when John Williams & The London Symphony Orchestra was charting with the original theme from Star Wars at the same time as Meco was charting with his disco rendition. The latter more or less stole the thunder from the former, as it went to #1. This time around, the tables were turned, as #25 was all the further this version got while John Williams was up in the Top 20. I preferred this version, but both versions were pretty good, IMO. FFUN – CON FUNK SHUN (23) - Like “Flash Light”, this song blends in with all the soul/disco songs that were popular in the late 70s.
40: RUNNIN' ON EMPTY - JACKSON BROWNE (debut) - This song looked like it might become his second Top Ten hit, but it just narrowly missed. That's too bad, as it was IMO one of his best hits ever! (A small consolation is the fact that this song DID hit the Top Ten on the R&R chart, peaking at #6). I remember this song quite well from back in the day! 39: THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND - ANDREW GOLD (debut) - He didn't quite match the chart success of "Lonely Boy" with this one, but the song did become quite popular in the LDD department, until the mid-80s, when other songs like "That's What Friends Are For" came along and stole its thunder. Anyway, I liked both of Gold's Top 40 hits about the same - both of them were great! 38: NATIVE NEW YORKER - ODYSSEY (21) - This was their only Top 40 hit. They sounded a little like the Bee Gees, didn't they? As for the song itself, it was a good one - has sort of a jazzy feel to it. 37: LONG, LONG WAY FROM HOME - FOREIGNER (22) - Third Single Syndrome definitely applied here, as this song only got as high as #20, after the first two songs from their self-titled album hit the Top Ten. I definitely preferred said first two hits - this one was kinda just there. 36: LADY LOVE - LOU RAWLS (39) - He may have had more than two Top 40 hits, but this and "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" are the only two songs that I've heard from him (that I know of, anyway). And, yes, both are great songs IMO and I'm unsure which is my favorite of the two. 35: BEFORE MY HEART FINDS OUT - GENE COTTON (debut) - Short, but sweet. This song's playing time was only two and a half minutes long, but what a great song it was - about a love affair that was ending and him advising her to make a clean break for it. 34: WHICH WAY IS UP - STARGARD (debut) - Why, it's the only way, according to songwriters George Jackson and Johnny Henderson. But seriously, this was pretty much your typical late-70s R&B disco, and I think we all know all too well my general opinion on that... 33: FLASHLIGHT - PARLIAMENT (38) - Another such song - pretty much blends in with all the soul/disco songs that were popular in the late 70s. 32: POOR POOR PITIFUL ME - LINDA RONSTADT (36) - I imagine this song did quite well on the country charts, since it definitely sounded country - even more than usual for Linda. It was a good song. 31: YOU'RE IN MY HEART - ROD STEWART (19) - This song did not quite make it to the top of the Hot 100, but it would become his second #1 on R&R - an exception to the rule of thumb about the Bee Gees/Saturday Night Fever/RSO label that seemed to apply in early 1978. Anyway, this was a great song - one of my favorites both back in the day and now. As is usually the case, they edited this one, jumping from the first verse to the second chorus. 30: GOODBYE GIRL - DAVID GATES (33) - This was the theme song from the Richard Dreyfuss movie of the same title. This was IMO just as great as many of his other songs that he did with Bread. 29: IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU - YVONNE ELLIMAN (40) - This song was definitely on its way to #1 - of course I'm sure that the fact that it was from a hot movie soundtrack was somewhat instrumental in that, but it did have its own merits. It was possibly my favorite song on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, and easily my favorite song from Yvonne. EXTRA: TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT - THE EAGLES - This was played as the first Optional Extra. The story to tie in with the song was how the band made it a point to walk through the crowd talking to their fans before their shows. As for the song, it was my favorite from their Greatest Hits album from 1975 - the first album that it ever appeared on. If my memory serves me correctly, I believe this is the only of the Eagles' Top 40 hits to feature Randy Meisner on lead vocals. 28: JACK & JILL - RAYDIO (32) - This song contains one of the funniest misheard lyric near the end ("He got down on his right knee", which is sometimes heard as "he got down on his Granny") As for the song itself, it's a great one - possibly my favorite songs from him/them. 27: EBONY EYES - BOB WELCH (35) - Here's one of several "two-hit wonders" on this week's charts. Welch, a former member of Fleetwood Mac hit the Top Ten earlier in the year with "Sentimental Lady" and now he was on his way up with his second hit. I preferred "Sentimental Lady", but this was also a great song! 26: DUST IN THE WIND - KANSAS (34) - A song with a vaguely haunting melody. It was another great song that I remember quite well! 25: ALWAYS & FOREVER - HEATWAVE (29) - One of the best love songs of all time, and by far my favorite of their three hits (the other two, of course, were disco songs that sounded very much alike). 24: BABY COME BACK - PLAYER (15) - This was pretty much the only song for the first few months of 1978 not connected with the Gibb family or the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack that managed to hit #1 (It was on the RSO label, though, so that may have helped). 23: OUR LOVE - NATALIE COLE (31) - Her last Top Ten hit before she went on a hiatus that lasted for the better part of the 1980s, when she ran into many personal problems, including drug addiction. This was one of her best hits of the 1970s, IMO. 22: THE WAY YOU DO THE THINGS YOU DO - RITA COOLIDGE (26) - Like Foreigner's hit earlier in the show, this song was an example of Third Single Syndrome - peaked at #20 after two Top Ten hits from her Anytime...Anywhere album. I preferred said Top Tens, but this was a great one as well. 21: FALLING - LeBLANC & CARR (28) - Their only Top 40 hit. The song peaked at #13, but spent over a half a year on the Hot 100, an unusually long term for a song that never hit the Top Ten. I liked this song a lot - too bad it didn't have a little more oomph in it so it would have hit the Top Ten. 20: WONDERFUL WORLD - ART GARFUNKEL W/ JAMES TAYLOR & PAUL SIMON (24) - One of two songs that Art and James collaborated on (the other one was in late 1993, when they recorded a cover version of the Everly Brothers' "Crying In The Rain". I preferred that one, as well as the original of this by Sam Cooke. This song is a good one as well. 19: SHORT PEOPLE - RANDY NEWMAN (14) - Of course, it's pretty common knowledge that this song's meaning was misinterpreted, with many people thinking that it was poking fun at people who were short, but at the bridge, he says that short people are just the same as everyone else. I thought it was a great song. 18: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY - LITTLE RIVER BAND (20) - They had yet to hit the Top Ten, but they would do just that later in the year with their hit "Reminiscing". I generally liked their songs, but for some reason, this song, their third Top 40 hit, never really did anything for me. Definitely one of my least favorites from them. 17: CAN'T SMILE WITHOUT YOU - BARRY MANILOW (27) - Many fans of Barry Manilow were thinking that this one might go all the way (Casey even said something to that effect a few weeks later), but it was not to be. As I said earlier, during the winter and spring of 1978, if you weren't the Bee Gees or involved with the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack (or at least on the RSO label), you were pretty much SOL as far as hitting the top was concerned 16: THUNDER ISLAND - JAY FERGUSON (18) - The first of two Top 40 hits by this man from the San Ferdinando Valley. I'm sure I've heard his other hit, "Shakedown Cruise" before, but wtf did it sound like again? This was a good song that I vaguely remember hearing back in the day. 15: WHAT'S YOUR NAME - LYNYRD SKYNYRD (17) - A great classic rock group here! This one, as well as most of their others, gets tons of recurrent airplay on classic rock stations today. This was one of my favorites from them. 14: NAME OF THE GAME - ABBA (16) - I really liked many songs from Abba, but this wasn't one of them. One of my least favorite songs from them. OPTIONAL EXTRA: BOOGIE SHOES - KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND - Given the fact that this was from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, as well as who sang it, I'm surprised that this song didn't get any higher than #35. Not that I mind, as I was never a huge fan of this song - mediocre at best. 13: THEME FROM "CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND" - JOHN WILLIAMS (13) - See my comment for the Meco version of this song, one of this week's droppers. 12: PEG - STEELY DAN (12) - As usual, they did an odd hack job with this song, by cutting out the second verse (or the second half of the first verse, if that's what you'd call it) and the first chorus. Truly, a four-hour show was called for a few years before it finally became a reality, which, of course, was later on in the year. Anyway, this was one of my favorite songs from them of all time! 11: WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS - QUEEN (7) - By now, many radio stations were playing "We Will Rock You" with this one. In fact, I'm fairly sure every radio station I listened to were playing both songs and never just one or the other. Of course, I prefer this one - one of my all-time favorites by Queen! 10: HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE - THE BEE GEES (10) - This week, the Bee Gees broke the record for most weeks in the Top Ten with the same song. The record had been previously held by none other than brother Andy Gibb, who remained in the Top Ten for sixteen weeks with "Love Is Thicker Than Water". This record would stand for a little over fourteen years. This was my favorite of the Bee Gees' Saturday Night Fever hits, as well as one of my favorite songs from them of all time. 9: I GO CRAZY - PAUL DAVIS (11) - Ah yes, the slowest rising Top Ten hit of the rock era. The song, which never moved up more than three spots per week ever since it hit the Top 40, would peak at #7 two weeks later in its 30th week on the Hot 100 and would end up breaking the record for the longest run on the chart - an even 40 weeks! It was a good song, though he had a few others that I preferred. 8: JUST THE WAY YOU ARE - BILLY JOEL (3) - The first of four releases from one of his best singles albums ever. I liked all four of the songs and, though "She's Always A Woman" was my favorite of those, the others, including this one, were great as well. Did they ever play the full album version of the song during its chart run? (I'm fairly sure I remember them playing that one as a LDD one time). 7: LAY DOWN SALLY - ERIC CLAPTON (9) - One of several Clapton songs featuring Marcy Levy (the co-writer of this song) on backup vocals. It was a good song, though I prefer several other songs by him. But hey, as long as it isn’t the grossly overplayed “Change The World”, or the royally depressing "Tears In Heaven"... 6: DANCE, DANCE, DANCE (YOWSAH, YOWSAH, YOWSAH) - CHIC (6) - Meh, not a fan of this one, mostly since it is quite repetitive. I preferred other songs from them, especially "I Want Your Love" from the following year. 5: NIGHT FEVER - THE BEE GEES (8) - I already mentioned the record that the Bee Gees held at #10, but they were also part of another record - the most soundtrack hits in the Top 40 at the same time. There was the Yvonne Elliman song back at #29, and the Bee Gees had three in the Top Ten this week. All four of them had or would eventually hit #1 as well. Of the four hits, this was my least favorite, but it was still a good one. 4: EMOTION - SAMANTHA SANG (5) - Here is yet another song in which the Bee Gees were involved - Barry Gibb sang the backup vocal. That just might have been somewhat instrumental in how well it did. It was a good song. 3: SOMETIMES WHEN WE TOUCH - DAN HILL (4) - This is the only song in this week's Top Five that didn't involve any of the Gibbs, by an artist that seemed destined to be a one-hit wonder, a title he held for nearly ten years, but the day was saved in the late summer of 1987, when his duet with Vonda Shepard "Can't We Try" came along and broke the curse. I preferred that song, as well as a few other Dan Hill songs, over this one, but it still is a good one. OPTIONAL EXTRA: DISCO INFERNO - THE TRAMMPS - Yet another song from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack (although, like the KC & The Sunshine Band extra from earlier, the song was originally released from a different album a few years before). The re-release of both songs helped to place them on the charts and this one managed to peak at #11. As for the song, even though I generally don't care for faceless disco (as if you didn't already know that, LOL), this one is actually pretty good. 2: STAYIN' ALIVE - THE BEE GEES (1) - This song had held the top spot for the past four weeks, and with their latest hit "Night Fever" burning up the charts, one would think this song would fall relatively fast, but, oddly enough, after falling to #6 the previous week, this song got a second wind and moved back to #2, where it would hold for five more weeks. This was my second favorite song from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack behind "How Deep Is Your Love". 1: LOVE IS THICKER THAN WATER - ANDY GIBB (2) - The second of three #1 songs in a row for Gibb. This marked the first time that someone bumped a relative out of the top spot. And, at this point, it seemed pretty likely that it would happen back-to-back, from the same artists who were bumped out of #1 in the first place. Anyway, this wasn't quite as good as "I Just Want To Be Your Everything", but I prefer it over "Shadow Dancing".
|
|
|
Post by Hervard on Mar 8, 2024 14:56:25 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - March 9, 2024
This week's presentation - March 8, 1980
LW#3: DO THAT TO ME ONE MORE TIME – THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE LW#2: YES, I’M READY – TERI DESARIO WITH K.C. LW#1: CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE - QUEEN 40: COME BACK – THE J. GEILS BAND (debut) - Their first of two hits during 1980. Neither of them cracked the Top 30, but they would make up for that two years later, with a huge #1 hit, along with Top Five follow-up. Anyway, this song wasn't bad, but I preferred their next hit, "Love Stinks" 39: BABY TALKS DIRTY – THE KNACK (debut) - This one sounded too much like "My Sharona". My favorite song by them (by a fair margin, might I add) was "Good Girls Don't". 38: LOST IN LOVE – AIR SUPPLY (debut) - The debut hit for this Australian band that was all over the charts during the next three years, but then almost instantly became yesterday's news. This was one of my favorites from them - a great song indeed! 37: KISS ME IN THE RAIN – BARBRA STREISAND (37) - I'm kind of surprised that this one didn't get any higher than #37 (then again, it might have had it been released about five or so years earlier). I liked it, though it was definitely not her best! 36: I THANK YOU – ZZ TOP (39) - Can’t say I’ve ever heard the Sam & Dave version of this song (and if I did, I don’t remember). This one’s pretty good, but I prefer other hits by them. 35: WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN – BETTE MIDLER (38) - Back-to-back remakes here on the chart. This wasn't bad, but I preferred the original, as well as Michael Bolton's cover from late 1991. 34: BACK ON MY FEET AGAIN – THE BABYS (debut) - Not quite as successful as their previous two hits. As you may guess, I prefer those songs, especially “Everytime I Think Of You”, but this one’s good too. Indeed, he did better songs with the Babys before he went solo. 33: THIS IS IT – KENNY LOGGINS (23) - This one indeed got a lot of mileage for a song that didn't even hit the Top Ten. It was a good song, but not quite my favorite from them 32: FIRE LAKE – BOB SEGER (40) - This song actually ties for the biggest move within the Top 40 this week (as Casey's mention implied that this song held that title on its own). Anyway, this song was definitely Top Ten bound. It was easily my favorite song from Seger's Against The Wind album. ARCHIVES: BEST OF MY LOVE - THE EMOTIONS - Definitely one of Mariah Carey's favorite songs, as she used basically the same bass line, and named the song after the band. It was indeed a great song! 31: WITH YOU I’M BORN AGAIN – BILLY PRESTON & SYREETA (36) - Several people I know hate this song with a passion, so I guess you could call it a guilty pleasure of mine. I just like the hypnotic effect of this song. 30: THREE TIMES IN LOVE – TOMMY JAMES (34) - He was on his own at this point, without the Shondells. It didn't take anything away from the song, however, as I preferred this song over any of his earlier songs. 29: OFF THE WALL – MICHAEL JACKSON (33) - The laughs at the beginning of this song sound very eerie - like the kind you hear in a haunted house. LDD: YOU MAKE ME FEEL BRAND NEW – THE STYLISTICS - The most successful hit for this band known for their falsetto vocals. It was a great song, and fitting for the LDD. 28: CALL ME – BLONDIE (debut) - This song was definitely on its way to #1 - not only on the weekly charts, but for the entire year of 1980, and deservedly so! 27: 99 - TOTO (27) - Something you might be asked to repeat when getting a respiratory examination. As for the song, it is one of my favorite songs by Toto - a great one indeed! 26: COWARD OF THE COUNTY – KENNY ROGERS (21) - One of Rogers' best story songs ever! Glad he gave those bullies what they had coming! 25: I CAN’T TELL YOU WHY – THE EAGLES (32) - A rare song featuring Timothy B. Schmit on lead vocals (in fact, until 1995, it was the only song with him singing lead to hit the Top 40. This was a good song - my favorite single from The Long Run, but it's not quite as good as the album cut "The Sad Café" 24: HEARTBREAKER – PAT BENATAR (28) - I liked most of her songs, but for some reason, I never really got into this one. It was mediocre at best, IMO. 23: RIDE LIKE THE WIND – CHRISTOPHER CROSS (31) - This song shared the biggest jump honor with Bob Seger, but Casey must have overlooked this one. Anyway, this was the first of four Top 20 hits from his debut album! Not sure if I preferred this or the next two - all of them were great! ARCHIVES: “STAR WARS” THEME/CANTINA BAND - MECO - The first of two discofied Star Wars songs to hit the Top 40 - later this year, Meco would hit with "Empire Strikes Back" medley, which I preferred over this one, but I liked this too. 22: ROMEO’S TUNE – STEVE FORBERT (11) - The only Top 40 hit for this man, but what a great song it was! 21: GIVE IT ALL YOU GOT – CHUCK MANGIONE (24) - Of course, this was the theme for the 1980 Winter Olympics. It was a great song, IMO, as was his hit from two years prior, "Feels So Good". 20: WHEN I WANTED YOU – BARRY MANILOW (20) - We all know that I liked most of his hits and this was definitely one of them, though not quite my favorite song from him. 19: SPECIAL LADY – RAY, GOODMAN & BROWN (26) - Another guilty pleasure of mine. I used to dislike this song, but somehow, I started really liking it. 18: SEPTEMBER MORN – NEIL DIAMOND (17) - This one always reminds me of that hilarious Family Feud that was on about this time back in 1980, where someone gave "September" as an answer and caused Richard Dawson to have a huge laugh attack. 17: REFUGEE – TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (19) - Here's one I remember playing on the jukebox at Pizza Hut, where my Dad used to take my brother and me to every Sunday back when I was in third grade. 16: HOW DO I MAKE YOU – LINDA RONSTADT (18) - With sugar and spice and everything nice, of course! EXTRA: LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER – THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE - Unfortunately, for them, it did not. 15: CRUISIN’ – SMOKEY ROBINSON (7) - He still had it in the 1980s, as this one hit the Top Five. It wasn't bad, but sounds sort of dated for its time. 14: ROCK WITH YOU – MICHAEL JACKSON (8) - Here is a song that overplay hasn't tarnished at all! This is my second favorite single from Off The Wall, behind "She's Out Of My Life". 13: AN AMERICAN DREAM – THE DIRT BAND f/LINDA RONSTADT (13) - I don't care if Linda did not receive label credit, as she should have, since her voice was clearly heard on this song - my favorite of the Dirt Band's two 1980 hits. 12: DAYDREAM BELIEVER – ANNE MURRAY (12) - This was one of my favorite songs by the Monkees and I actually preferred Murray's cover over that one, so that shows how much I liked it! ARCHIVES: YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE – DEBBY BOONE - Now THIS was a true guilty pleasure - many people think that if they never hear this song again, it'll be too soon. But, since I never heard it much when it was a big hit, I think it's a great one! 11: TOO HOT – KOOL & THE GANG (15) - Just one step away from the Top Ten for this one - my favorite song from Kool & The Gang of all time! 10: THE SECOND TIME AROUND - SHALAMAR (14) - The biggest of their four Top 40 hits, and my favorite of the bunch - by far! 9: HIM – RUPERT HOLMES (16) - LOL @ the story about the teacher's scheme to humiliate Holmes backfiring on him! Served Him right too. What did the students think of HIM then?? But seriously, I liked this song. 8: WORKING MY WAY BACK TO YOU / FORGIVE ME, GIRL – THE SPINNERS (9) - This one just missed hitting #1 - the song at the top was just too strong for it. Anyway, this is a great song - much better than the original by the Four Seasons, in which Frankie Valli sounds like he's trying to force out a stubborn turd. 7: DO THAT TO ME ONE MORE TIME – THE CAPTAIN & TENNILLE (3) - As we probably already know (and as my comment for their extra earlier in the show implies), this is far and away my favorite song from them! Glad that it was as big a hit as it was! LDD: GOD ONLY KNOWS – THE BEACH BOYS - As well known as this song is (still gets decent recurrent airplay), it's a surprise that it only got as high as #39 on the charts! It's a great song and it fit the dedication. 6: ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL – PINK FLOYD (10) - Generally an album rock act, they managed to have a few pop singles, including the biggest of them all. I like this song, but it's definitely not my favorite song on the chart. 5: ON THE RADIO – DONNA SUMMER (6) - This is how most people heard the show during its original broadcast But seriously, I liked this song a lot - definitely one of her best! 4: DESIRE – ANDY GIBB (5) - I wonder if people were still thinking this one would hit #1 (as its initial chart performance made it look like it was a sure thing). Well, that was not to be, as this was all the higher the song got. It was a good one, but I preferred others from him such as "An Everlasting Love" and "I Just Want To Be Your Everything". 3: LONGER – DAN FOGELBERG f/JERRY HEY (4) - Of course, Hey was the one who does the (awesome!) flugelhorn solo in the bridge, and that was definitely instrumental (no pun intended) in making this one of Fogelberg's best songs ever! 2: YES, I’M READY – TERI DESARIO WITH K.C. (2) - This was by far my favorite of the two early 1980 songs in which KC was involved (the other one was "Please Don't Go And Please Take Your Whinefest With You"). 1: CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE - QUEEN (1) - Queen showed their rockabilly side with this song. It was a good song - easily my favorite of their two #1 songs in 1980!
|
|
|
Post by Hervard on Mar 8, 2024 14:56:37 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - March 9, 2024
This week's presentation - March 17, 1984
OWNER OF A LONELY HEART - YES (39) - They were more of an album act than anything, but had a handful of chart hits and this, of course, was their biggest. It was a good one - an 80s mix show essential! TALKING IN YOUR SLEEP - THE ROMANTICS (36) - I preferred their next hit "One In A Million", but this was a great one as well - like the Yes song (as well as several others on this week's show), this was another 80s mix show essential! THIS WOMAN - KENNY ROGERS (23) - Kenny's second hit produced by the Bee Gees. The first one, "Islands In The Stream", of course, hit #1. This song got as high as #23 - I actually like this one better than his duet with Dolly Parton, as it wasn't quite as overplayed. THAT'S ALL - GENESIS (22) - After a Top 20 hit, as well as several low-charters, Genesis finally netted their first Top Ten hit ever. The song was pretty good, but I preferred many others from them, as well as many of Phil Collins' solo hits YAH MO B THERE - JAMES INGRAM w/MICHAEL McDONALD (21) - Kind of an odd title, but a great song - one of my favorite songs from both artists. LW#2: GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN - CYNDI LAUPER LW#1: JUMP - VAN HALEN 40: TONIGHT - KOOL & THE GANG (debut) - Casey mentioned how they were the hot band with the Kool name. This song was pretty good, but I preferred other hits from them, such as "Joanna" and their best one ever, "Too Hot". 39: LOVE SOMEBODY - RICK SPRINGFIELD (debut) - Another great song! The first and most successful of his three Top 40 hits from the movie Hard To Hold, and it was hard to believe that this would be his last Top Ten hit. 38: DON'T LET GO - WANG CHUNG (40) - This one was quite underrated. Pretty much all we hear from them today is “Dance Hall Days” and “Everybody Have Fun Tonight”. Too bad, as this was a great song IMO! 37: RED, RED WINE - UB40 (debut) - Interesting how they got their name - from an unemployment benefit form, which they filled out a lot of, as they were unemployed. I wasn’t too crazy about this song, especially after it was re-released in 1988 and way overplayed. But at least this one didn’t have the annoying “Red red wine you make me feel so fine...” bridge. 36: EAT IT - "WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC (debut) - Oddly enough, this was his only Top 40 hit (well, pre-Soundscan, that is). Then again, all of his songs were novelty songs, which tend to come and go real quick. This one just happened to hit the Top 40 before it got old. I liked this song, as well as many of his other ones. 35: JOANNA - KOOL & THE GANG (19) - As their new song debuted, this song was on its last legs. 34: THEY DON'T KNOW - TRACY ULLMAN (debut) - One of few artists whose name begins with the letter U to chart - in fact, several weeks later, Casey mentioned how she was the first artist with that letter to hit the Top Ten. She has since been joined by UB40, USA For Africa, and U2, among others. Anyway, I liked this song, which was her only Top 40 hit. 33: AN INNOCENT MAN - BILLY JOEL (18) - Billy Joel said that this was inspired by the music of Ben E. King, but the intro to this song is a dead ringer for that of "Blue Bayou" by Linda Ronstadt. Both are great songs and this is definitely one of my favorites from the album of the same title. LDD: EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE - THE POLICE - Quite an inspiring dedication, from a guy to his grandfather, who was exercising daily to stay alive (since he became sick when he was 68 and if he didn't exercise, he'd have little chance of living to see his 70th birthday, but with the grandson who wrote this LDD as his coach, the man followed the doctor's orders and had celebrated his 70th birthday about six months before. I hope he lived to see many more! OPTIONAL EXTRA: YOU MIGHT THINK - THE CARS - This song was good, but their next hit was better - had that great summertime sound. 32: GIRLS - DWIGHT TWILLEY (38) - I liked this song, though it wasn't quite as good as the solo hit from his bandmate Phil Seymour. 31: LIVING ON DESPERATE TIMES - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (33) - Her second of two Top 40 hits from her Two Of A Kind movie. Too bad this one didn't do as well as the first one, "Twist Of Fate", since it was my favorite of the two, as well as one of my favorite ONJ songs of all time! 30: COME BACK AND STAY YOUNG - PAUL YOUNG (32) - This English singer's first hit here in the States. The song was pretty good, but I preferred most of his later hits. 29: NEW SONG - HOWARD JONES (31) - Interesting how his recording career was launched under false pretenses (a phony fan club and phony magazine). It was a good song - one of my favorites by him, but not quite as good as "No One Is To Blame". 28: RADIO GA GA - QUEEN (35) - The title pretty much sums up my opinion of this song. 27: LET'S STAY TOGETHER - TINA TURNER (30) - Definitely one of the most successful comebacks of the 1980s, although this one, a remake of the biggest #1 R&B hit of the 1970s, was one of her lower charting hits. Her next hit, of course, would go all the way to the top. I liked this song, though it wasn't one of her best, IMO. 26: HELLO - LIONEL RICHIE (37) - Casey mentioned how this was the second-biggest moving song on the chart, something he rarely did. But, since this song made a good-sized move, I guess he decided that it deserved honorable mention. I agree, as it's one of his best songs, IMO and I'm glad it made it to #1. 25: ALMOST OVER YOU - SHEENA EASTON (25) - - I like her ballads best, as we all know, and this is possibly my favorite song from her ever. I felt this one was underrated, as it didn't get any higher than #25 on the Hot 100. It did fare much better at AC radio, peaking at #4 and spending half a year on that chart - not bad! 24: THE POLITICS OF DANCING - RE-FLEX (26) - For some reason, this song never did anything for me. One of my least favorite new wave hits from the 1980s. 23: RUNNER - MANFRED MANN'S EARTH BAND (29) - We heard him/them on the 1970s show this week and now we got their comeback Top 40 hit from seven years later. It was a good song - I believe I like both songs about the same. 22: BACK WHERE YOU BELONG - .38 SPECIAL (28) - Is it me, or was this song back-to-back on the chart with "Runner" more often than not? They seemed to chart together on R&R, which is why I closely associate these two songs - when I hear one, I automatically think of the other. Well, anyway, we all know what my three favorite songs by them are, but this song would possibly be my fourth favorite, as it was a great one as well! This one sounds a cross between "If I'd Been The One" and "Like No Other Night". OPTIONAL EXTRA: AUTHORITY SONG - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP - John's version of "I Fought The Law (And The Law Won)". A great, fun song indeed! Anyone ever notice that the beginning of this song is similar to "Footloose"? A coincidence, I'm sure, as this song was recorded before that one. 21: MISS ME BLIND - CULTURE CLUB (27) - This, unfortunately, was their last Top Ten hit. It was a good one (I definitely like it much better than their other hit on this week's chart), but their musical quality was indeed starting to decline at this point. 20: AGAINST ALL ODDS (TAKE A LOOK AT ME NOW) - PHIL COLLINS (34) - When Casey mentioned "Hello" as the second-biggest mover, I figured this song was the one that jumped the highest. Like "Hello", this was another song worthy of hitting the top, as it's one of Phil's best songs ever! Too bad Van Halen had to go and beat this song out for the #1 hit of 1984, according to Radio & Records 19: HOLD ME NOW - THE THOMPSON TWINS (24) - A rare case where an act's biggest hit is my favorite by them. This song's overplay back in the day did not tarnish it at all! 18: GIVE IT UP - K.C. (20) - His first (and only) hit without the Sunshine Band (well, unless you count his duet with Teri DeSario from 1980). It was a good song and, with all the airplay it received on the stations I listened to, it's a surprise this was all the higher it got on the charts. 17: LET THE MUSIC PLAY - SHANNON (13) - I could take it or leave it. 16: KARMA CHAMELEON - CULTURE CLUB (10) - Same with this song. At least they cut out the second verse of this song - definitely one of the cheesiest hits of 1984! Sorry, I just never got into this song. 15: WRAPPED AROUND YOUR FINGER - THE POLICE (11) - Of the four singles from Synchronicity, this just might be my favorite, but I still prefer others from both the band and Sting solo. 14: THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE - DAN FOGELBERG (16) - Fogelberg's songs were generally tender love ballads by this point but this song, though about love, rocked out a little. It was a great song - one of my favorites from him. 13: ADULT EDUCATION - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (17) - One of two new hits from their first Greatest Hits album. I liked both it and "Say It Isn't So", but still, I preferred many other songs from them. 12: AUTOMATIC - THE POINTER SISTERS (15) - As I've mentioned many times before, this is when their musical quality began to take a nosedive. I do, however, prefer this song over their next release "Jump (For My Love), though only slightly. 11: GOT A HOLD ON ME - CHRISTINE McVIE (14) - Her first solo hit ever, and it was a good one - sounded a lot like her hits with Fleetwood Mac on which she sang lead. OPTIONAL EXTRA: HEAD OVER HEELS - THE GO-GO'S - I like all of their songs (except "We Got The Beat") about the same. They're all good ones! 10: NEW MOON ON MONDAY - DURAN DURAN (12) - This was far and away my favorite of their 1984 hits. I'm glad that they played the song intact, instead of cutting the second verse (and second chorus) like they did several times during the song's chart run, IIRC. 9: NOBODY TOLD ME - JOHN LENNON (6) - This was Lennon's third posthumous hit (and the fourth to peak after his death). I definitely prefer the Double Fantasy singles; this one was nothing exceptional, IMO. 8: HERE COMES THE RAIN AGAIN - THE EURYTHMICS (8) - The third Top 40 single for this British duo and one of their biggest hits. It looked like it might be peaking this week, but it managed to resume its climb the following week, eventually peaking at #4. It was pretty good, but it doesn't hold a candle to "There Must Be An Angel". LDD: BRASS IN POCKET (I'M SPECIAL) - THE PRETENDERS - The Culture Club was definitely a force to be reckoned with on this show - they had two songs on the countdown and this song was dedicated to Boy George from two teenage girls who ignore anyone who mocks them for being a little different, just like Boy George did. They didn't specify how they were different, I don't think (just something about the way they dressed). Anyway, this was a fitting song for the dedication. 7: I WANT A NEW DRUG - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (6) - A song that charted twice in 1984 - peaked at #6 the first time around and then came back and hit #1 in August its second time out. It was a good song, but I preferred "If This Is It" from the Sports album. 6: THRILLER - MICHAEL JACKSON (4) - This song set (or actually, further secured) a record for the most Top Ten hits from a single album several weeks before when it hit the Top Ten like the previous six. As for the song, I definitely preferred the album version - the single edit doesn't have the Vincent Price narration near the end, so I'm not sure if this song would have hit #1 even if its single release had been when radio stations began playing this song (instead of a month later) - especially since virtually everyone had the Thriller album. 5: FOOTLOOSE - KENNY LOGGINS (9) - The leadoff single and title song from one of the biggest movies of the year. Of course, I preferred his other song from the movie, which would hit the chart that summer. This song wasn't bad either, though it was quite overplayed. 4: 99 LUFTBALLOONS - NENA (3) - This song just missed being the fourth song to be sung entirely in a foreign language to hit #1 (and it would further diversify the other three, which were all sung in different languages). AT40 generally played the German version of this song, like this week, but I believe that they played the English version twice, and played the hybrid version a few times as well, though I'm not sure how many and on which shows (one of them was the year-ender, I think). Anyway, of those three, I prefer the English version - since I never took German in High School. 3: SOMEBODY'S WATCHING ME - ROCKWELL (5) - The fact that Michael Jackson sang the chorus of this song was definitely instrumental in the song doing as well as it did, as Rockwell's next hit, "Obscene Phone Caller" only got as high as #35. Anyway, I liked this song, as well as Jackson's other song in this week's countdown. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SISTER CHRISTIAN - NIGHT RANGER - Like I've said before, I became the butt of many jokes since this song contains my name, but it is still one of my favorites from them nevertheless. By the way, the station I caught this on did not play the Extras - was this song played intact, or did they mercilessly edit it? 2: GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN - CYNDI LAUPER (2) - This is the song that started it all off for the unusual one. It was a great one - not sure if I prefer this one or "She Bop". 1: JUMP - VAN HALEN (1) - UGH, I've never read the novel 1984, which Van Halen's album with this song is named after, and I don't ever plan to either! I heard enough from Casey's description of the book to put the state of today's world in perspective! Heck, after hearing the description, I don't even mind as much that this song beat out the Phil Collins song from earlier in the show on the R&R year-ender! It's really not a bad song; it just sounds more like a commercial or music for a sporting event than a song. I do prefer other songs from them, though - my favorite being "Dance The Night Away", from five years before.
|
|
|
Post by mrjukebox on Mar 8, 2024 15:48:59 GMT -5
Slight correction regarding "I Thank You"-It was originally a hit for Sam & Dave in early 1968.
|
|
|
Post by mrjukebox on Mar 8, 2024 15:50:29 GMT -5
"With You I'm Born Again" was played at the wedding of Casey & Jean Kasem in December 1980.
|
|
|
Post by mrjukebox on Mar 9, 2024 12:07:39 GMT -5
"Emotion" was later covered by Destiny's Child.
|
|
|
Post by mrjukebox on Mar 9, 2024 15:49:46 GMT -5
Don Henley,Glenn Frey & Timothy B.Schmitt of The Eagles contributed background vocals to Bob Seger's "Fire Lake".
|
|
|
Post by mrjukebox on Mar 9, 2024 19:13:45 GMT -5
The flugelhorn solo in "Longer" is fantastic!
|
|
|
Post by mrjukebox on Mar 10, 2024 9:39:36 GMT -5
Hervard,In your critique of "The Way You Do The Things You Do",you said "Like Rita Coolidge's hit earlier in the show,this song was an example of Third Single Syndrome"-I think you meant to say Foreigner.
|
|
|
Post by SFGuy on Mar 12, 2024 1:02:44 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - March 9, 2024
This week's presentation - March 4, 1978
32: POOR POOR PITIFUL ME - LINDA RONSTADT (36) - I imagine this song did quite well on the country charts, since it definitely sounded country - even more than usual for Linda. It was a good song.
Looking back at some old Billboard magazines, look like this song peaked at number 46 on the country charts.
|
|
|
Post by Hervard on Mar 12, 2024 18:29:21 GMT -5
Hervard,In your critique of "The Way You Do The Things You Do",you said "Like Rita Coolidge's hit earlier in the show,this song was an example of Third Single Syndrome"-I think you meant to say Foreigner. I stand corrected. I guess I had been using this critique for Foreigner's hit, which, until this week, had been lower on the chart than the Rita Coolidge song. Good catch!
|
|
|
Post by Hervard on Mar 15, 2024 14:00:51 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - March 16, 2024
This week's presentation - March 10, 1979
DROPPERS: YOU MAKE ME FEEL MIGHTY REAL - SYLVESTER (36) - I wonder if Tweety Pie had any songs out around this time? (Hey - it's possible - (Speedy) Gonzalez, another Looney Tune, is in the countdown a little later on). SOUL MAN - THE BLUES BROTHERS (34) - Their two biggest remakes that charted have several things in common; they both peaked in the top 20 and the week after they spent their last week at the peak, they both fell 20 spots. Anyway, this song wasn't bad, but I preferred the other remake ("Gimme Some Lovin'), which charted the following year. SHAKE IT - IAN MATTHEWS (33) - This song had the MOR sound that would become more commonplace in the early-80s, shortly after the death of disco. I liked this song - I vaguely remember hearing this one back in the day. STORMY - SANTANA (32) - The first of at least two covers originally done by the Classics IV that hit the chart in 1979 (the other would be Atlanta Rhythm Section's remake of "Spooky"). I liked this version of "Stormy" - not sure if I prefer it or the original.
LW#3: I WILL SURVIVE – GLORIA GAYNOR LW#2: FIRE - THE POINTER SISTERS LW#1: DO YOU THINK I'M SEXY - ROD STEWART 40: THE CHASE - (THEME FROM "MIDNIGHT EXPRESS") - GEORGIO MARODER (debut) - The only Top 40 hit for this Italian music producer. It was a pretty good song. 39: I WANT YOUR LOVE - CHIC (debut) - The follow-up to their monster smash, "Le Freak" which became the top song of the disco era, according to AT40's disco special aired that summer (and was still on the chart this week, continuing to live up to that honor). I'm not generally a big fan of them, but I actually liked this song. 38: HE'S THE GREATEST DANCER - SISTER SLEDGE (debut) - A very jiggy song! Not sure if I prefer this or "We Are Family". LDD: TIME IN A BOTTLE – JIM CROCE - This one has gotten a "No. Just no" in the past, but I guess it's not that bad - it's just far from being my favorite Jim Croce song. 37: LIVIN' IT UP (FRIDAY NIGHT) - BELL & JAMES (debut) - An ideal song for the weekend! 36: TOO MUCH HEAVEN - THE BEE GEES (35) - They were indeed in the midst of a #1 streak at the time. I personally preferred "Tragedy", as well as "Love You Inside Out". 35: EVERY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE - EDDIE RABBITT (39) - I remember seeing this movie about 30 years ago and thought it was pretty good. As for the song, it's not bad, but definitely not Rabbitt's best hit ever. 34: I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S RIGHT - EVELYN "CHAMPAGNE" KING (38) - The second of four Top 40 hits for this singer from the Bronx. It was pretty good, but my favorite song from her would be "Love Come Down". ARCHIVE: YOU’RE SO VAIN – CARLY SIMON - As surprising as it may seem, what with all of her chart hits, this song, which featured Mick Jagger on back-up vocals was her only #1. It was pretty good, but definitely not her best song. This song was played as the first Optional Extra the first time this show was rebroadcast, but, by now, it was placed back in the show (where it belongs). OPTIONAL EXTRA: PRECIOUS LOVE - BOB WELCH - Though I preferred Welch's two Top 20 hits from the year before, this was a good one as well. 33: MAYBE I'M A FOOL - EDDIE MONEY (37) - The only Top 40 hit from Money's sophomore album Life For The Taking, but a great song it was! One of his all-time best! 32: SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT - BARRY MANILOW (31) - Wow! Any other time, a song that drops more than 20 spots at this point in the chart, it would drop out the next week, but this song, which fell 9-31 the week before only slips a single spot. Anyway, as we all know, I like most of Manilow's slow songs, this one included although it's definitely not his best. 31: I WAS MADE FOR DANCING - LEIF GARRETT (26) - Another song that took a hefty fall the week before and drops more slowly, though not quite as dramatic as the difference in the chart run of the Barry Manilow song. This song wasn't bad, but I preferred his two remakes from 1977. Wasn't this used in a TV commercial back in the day? 30: MUSIC BOX DANCER - FRANK MILLS (40) - Interesting story about how the record company goofed and inadvertently sent it to a rock station. If not for that, this song would have never seen the light of day. I heard this song constantly back in 1979 and thought my parents had the radio tuned into the easy listening station. It wasn't until over ten years later when one of my fellow HS choir members was playing it on the piano and I casually asked what it was. When he told me the title, I recognized the title as being a Top 40 hit. I liked this song - the high piano notes indeed make it sound like a music box being set to disco. 29: SONG ON THE RADIO - AL STEWART (29) - This song definitely bears resemblance to Carole King's Jazzman. It's a great song, though I slightly preferred "Time Passages". 28: BLUE MORNING, BLUE DAY - FOREIGNER (15) - The third and final single from Double Vision, as well as my favorite. 27: NO TELL LOVER – CHICAGO (14) - Sort of a childish sounding title, but it apparently worked, as the song did well on the chart. Did even better on the AC chart, where it hit the Top Five. I like the song, but it's definitely not their best. 26: HAVEN'T STOPPED DANCING YET - GONZALEZ (27) - Meh, just another disco tune... 25: STUMBLIN' IN - SUZI QUATRO & CHRIS NORMAN (30) - Pretty much your typical MOR type hit. It was a good one, though nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. 24: FOREVER IN BLUE JEANS - NEIL DIAMOND (28) -This was a good song, but it sure didn't last long on the chart, did it? It climbed to #20 and then dropped off the week after it peaked! Perhaps the Top 40 audience was still down on him for doing that awful duet with Barbra Streisand. 23: CRAZY LOVE – POCO (25) - One of two songs that they charted with in 1979. I like both about the same, but neither of them hold a candle to "Nothin' To Hide" - by far my favorite Poco song. 22: KNOCK ON WOOD - AMII STEWART (24) - After taking a large, fourteen-spot jump the week before, the song makes a more modest move to #14. Not one of my personal favorites, but a disco classic that has stood the test of time. ARCHIVE: SUPERSTITION – STEVIE WONDER - This song is one of Wonder's songs that gets the most recurrent airplay. I guess it was demoted to Optional status so they wouldn't have to edit down many countdown songs (it has since been re-inserted into the show). As for the song, it's OK, but definitely not one of my favorites from him. OPTIONAL EXTRA: DOG AND BUTTERFLY - HEART - Back in 1990, this one was occasionally played on Sunny 101.5 and for some reason, I didn't like it very much at all, but now I think it's one of their best! Too bad the song didn't climb any higher than #34. 21: BIG SHOT - BILLY JOEL (23) - Like "Knock On Wood", the song had made a huge jump the week before (debuting in the Top 40), but only moved up two this week. It looked like this might be a big Top Five like "My Life", but the song only got as high as #14 and spent only six weeks in the Top 40. His next hit, "Honesty" hit a similar brick wall a few months later. Indeed, 52nd Street was a huge seller, but was definitely not his best singles album. 20: I JUST FALL IN LOVE AGAIN - ANNE MURRAY (22) - 1979 was definitely her heyday, as she had three Top 40 singles that year, and bookended the year with two others. This was possibly the best of the bunch, though "Shadows In The Moonlight" would be a close second. 19: LADY - THE LITTLE RIVER BAND (21) - As you probably know all too well, this is my all-time favorite song from them! I prefer the album version, which, in some AT40 rebroadcasts, is edited in, but not this week; the chopped down single version that leaves a lot to be desired was featured. LDD: I JUST WANT TO STOP – GINO VANELLI - This song was indeed fitting for the dedication, as it mentions Montreal, where the author and her ex-boyfriend spent time together on a school trip. 18: DANCIN' SHOES - NIGEL OLSSON (18) - With such a title, one would expect an upbeat, disco song, but this one is a slow dance song. I liked it. 17: THE GAMBLER - KENNY ROGERS (16) - I used to like this song, but that annoying Geico ad from a few years ago that used this song has actually dimmed my fascination for this song. 16: EVERY TIME I THINK OF YOU - THE BABYS (19) - They had two Top 20 hits on the Hot 100, and this is my favorite of the two (though "Isn't It Time" is also a great one). 15: WHAT YOU WON'T DO FOR LOVE - BOBBY CALDWELL (20) - Interesting story about how his recording career got started. Anyway, this was his only Top 40 hit, but he had a handful of other AC and smooth jazz hits. This song was covered by Go West in 1993, but I preferred this version. 14: DON'T CRY OUT LOUD - MELISSA MANCHESTER (17) - Her second of three Top Ten hits. This one is my favorite of those, though her first, "Midnight Blue" is a great one as well. 13: GOT TO BE REAL - CHERYL LYNN (12) - A song that was apparently inspired by "Best Of My Love" by the Emotions, since the bass line sounded similar. This was a pretty good song - was sampled twelve years later in Father MC's "I'll Do 4 U". 12: LOTTA LOVE - NICOLETTE LARSON (9) - I have only heard three songs by her (four, if you count the song “Make A Little Magic” by the Dirt Band, on which she sang back-up), but I like all of them, including this one, which was probably my favorite. A great song indeed - sort of a blend of disco and MOR Pop. ARCHIVE: CROCODILE ROCK – ELTON JOHN - Now this one was left in the broadcast. It used to be one of my favorite Elton John songs when I was real little, but now I think it's a little corny, especially the "la la la" chorus. I generally change the station when this song comes on. My question, however, is why Suzy left him for some four-inch guy? OPTIONAL EXTRA: LOVE IS THE ANSWER - ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY - Sadly, this was their final Top 40 hit. Too bad, as all of their hits were great IMO, this one included. I always thought the message in this song was inspirational, so it was no surprise when Christian singer Cindy Morgan did a (great!) cover of this song about twenty years later. 11: LE FREAK - CHIC (7) - After spending fifteen weeks in the Top Ten, this song spends its first week in the teens (as it skipped over that zone on the way up with its 37-6 move). This song was way overplayed, but it was indeed a disco classic. 10: SULTANS OF SWING - DIRE STRAITS (13) - Their heyday was definitely the mid-80s, but their first hit was actually a few years earlier. Of their charted hits, this would be my favorite. I remember listening to their self-titled album all the time back in the day (in fact, I think the lyrics sheet still has my dirty fingerprints on it). 9: Y.M.C.A. - THE VILLAGE PEOPLE (8) - As I've said before, I used to like this song, but it, along with the popular dance to it, got run into the ground big time. Now I generally reach for the station tuner when it comes on - except for on countdown shows, of course 8: WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES - THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (10) - Wow, this chart contains several songs that made huge moves the week before, but step up two places this week. In fact, no songs above #24 move anymore than three spots. A competitive chart indeed! Anyway, this song went to #1 about a month later - and deservedly so, as it was my favorite song from them. Another good thing - the song was left intact this week (as they sometimes cut the second verse of the song). 7: SHAKE YOUR GROOVE THING - PEACHES & HERB (11) - Wups - I guess there is a song moving up more than three spots in the Top 20. Anyway, this was a comeback hit, as they had charted several times in the late-60s, and the best was yet to come. This song hit the Top Five, and the follow-up, which is my favorite from them, went all the way to the top! 6: A LITTLE MORE LOVE - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (5) - She just came off of a great year, with three Top Five hits, all from the movie Grease, in which she starred with John Travolta, and started off 1979 quite well also, with another Top Five hit - one of her best! 5: HEAVEN KNOWS - DONNA SUMMER & BROOKLYN DREAMS (6) - As I've said before, "Love Never Felt So Good" by Justin Timberlake & Michael Jackson sounded a lot like this song, which was possibly my favorite of Donna Summer's many 1979 hits. 4: FIRE - THE POINTER SISTERS (2) - Bruce Springsteen had only had two Top 40 hits at this point, but he wrote many songs for other artists, like this song. It was a great one - one of my favorite songs by the Pointer Sisters. 3: TRAGEDY - THE BEE GEES (4) - This song was definitely on its way to the top, as it was in only its fifth week on the entire Hot 100 with one of their best hits ever, IMO! OPTIONAL EXTRA: BLOW AWAY - GEORGE HARRISON - Larry mentioned the song's peaks in other record chart magazines. It appears that R&R is the only one in which it hit the Top Ten (peaked at #4 there). I guess more people bought Harrison's self-titled album, from which this was the only Top 40 hit. It was a great one, though - among my favorite songs from Harrison. 2: DO YOU THINK I'M SEXY - ROD STEWART (1) - This song, still #1 on the disco chart this week, had just completed a four-week run at #1. It's not a bad song, but I'll never forgive it for beating out "What A Fool Believes" for R&R's top song of 1979! 1: I WILL SURVIVE - GLORIA GAYNOR (3) - The anthem for abused women was in its first of three non-consecutive weeks at #1 (she was nice enough to let the Bee Gees in for two weeks). This one used to be so/so, but now is one of my favorite disco hits ever!
|
|
|
Post by Hervard on Mar 15, 2024 14:01:02 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - March 16, 2024
This week's presentation - March 14, 1981
LW#1; I LOVE A RAINY NIGHT – EDDIE RABBITT 40: AIN'T EVEN DONE WITH THE NIGHT - JOHN COUGAR (debut) - This one had fallen into obscurity until around the beginning of the 2000s, when it began being played on 80s stations. It's a good song, though not quite his best. 39: DON'T STOP THE MUSIC - YARBROUGH AND PEOPLES (debut) - Yes, please stop the music - especially this one, because it’s quite annoying! 38: HER TOWN TOO - JAMES TAYLOR & J.D. SOUTHER (debut) - 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. 37: STAYING WITH IT - FIREFALL WITH LISA NEMZO (37) - 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: JUST BETWEEN YOU AND ME - APRIL WINE (debut) - Another act with their last Top 40 hit - in this case, this band from Montreal who'd charted with a pair of hits in the 1970s, both of which peaked in the 30s. This was April Wine's biggest hit in the States, peaking at #21 (in April, no less). This is a song that I remember from back in the day. It was a great song, IMO. 35: 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 who used to be a 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. 34: TOGETHER - TIERRA (28) - This was pretty much your run-of-the-mill early 80's slow jam. I liked it. 33: PASSION - ROD STEWART (16) - 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. 32: SAME OLD LANG SYNE - DAN FOGELBERG (14) - 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. ARCHIVES: OH PRETTY WOMAN – ROY ORBISON - Until oldies stations stopped playing songs from the 1960s, this one was regularly played on those stations. I liked this song, but preferred a few others from Orbison, including his posthumous hit from 1989 (which used pretty much the same guitar riff from this song). OPTIONAL EXTRA: SWEETHEART - FRANKE & THE KNOCKOUTS - They had a trio of Top 40 hits in the early-80s. All three were great hits, but this was by far my favorite! 31: ANGEL OF THE MORNING - JUICE NEWTON (36) - This successful country artist crossed over to Pop with this one. I like it, but preferred most of her other Top 40 hits. 30: GUITAR MAN - ELVIS PRESLEY (32) - Presley's third posthumous Top 40 hit. Not one of my favorite songs from him by any means, but it was okies. 29: I CAN'T STAND IT - ERIC CLAPTON AND HIS BAND (debut) - I believe this was his only Top 40 hit that credited "his band". The song is not quite my favorite from him, but there are several songs that I prefer this over ("Tears In Heaven" comes to mind). EXTRA: BREATHE – PINK FLOYD - A song from their everlasting album Dark Side Of The Moon. I found it interesting that they played this song instead of “Money”, especially since I don’t think this was even a well-known album cut. It was a good one, though 28: SOMEBODY'S KNOCKIN' - TERRI GIBBS (33) - 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. 27: JUST THE TWO OF US - GROVER WASHINGTON JR. (34) - 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. 26: PRECIOUS TO ME - PHIL SEYMOUR (30) - 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! 25: 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. 24: MORNING TRAIN - SHEENA EASTON (27) - I used to like this song a lot, but now it is, in fact, one of my least favorite songs from her. 23: LIVING IN A FANTASY - LEO SAYER (23) - The final Top 40 hit for this Shoreham, England native. The song was pretty good, but I preferred several others from him. LDD: DON’T FALL IN LOVE WITH A DREAMER – KENNY ROGERS WITH KIM CARNES - The first of two songs on which they collaborated (three, if you count "We Are The World", on which they both had solo lines). I liked that song, but much preferred this song, as well as their other song, "What About Me" (with James Ingram, of course!) 22: DON'T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME - THE POLICE (26) - They had their first Top Ten hit ever earlier in the year and this song would matched its peak position about a month later. Of their three big 1981 hits, this one was definitely my favorite. ARCHIVES: DO WAH DIDDY DIDDY – MANFRED MANN - Meh, I never cared for this song at all. I much preferred his other #1 hit. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WASN'T THAT A PARTY - THE ROVERS - This song was most likely selected because of the band's Irish heritage. This song was OK, but a little goofy for my tastes. I remember their hit in 1968, "The Unicorn" was used as the intro music for a segment called "Ark In The Park" (basically, a taped segment of a trip to Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo) on the old Ray Rayner Show from the 1970s. 21: WHILE YOU SEE A CHANCE - STEVE WINWOOD (25) - 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. 20: FADE AWAY - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (22) - 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. 19: HEARTS ON FIRE - RANDY MEISNER (21) - 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 18: TREAT ME RIGHT - PAT BENATAR (20) - 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 this week at #18. This was a great song - one of my favorite Pat Benatar songs ever! 17: A LITTLE IN LOVE - CLIFF RICHARD (19) - He'd been on the chart in two forms earlier in the year - 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 the week before, but the song seemed to get a second wind this week. However, this was where the song 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. 16: GAMES PEOPLE PLAY - THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT (18) - 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, such was apparently the case with the fans, as those were the songs that did the best on the charts. 15: THE TIDE IS HIGH - BLONDIE (13) - 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. 14: KISS ON MY LIST - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (17) - 1981 was definitely a great year for this dynamic duo, as they had two #1 hits, as well as two additional Top Five hits, one of which went on to hit #1 in early 1982. Of those four songs, this was definitely my favorite. 13: GIVING IT UP FOR YOUR LOVE - DELBERT McCLINTON (8) - For some reason, I was never a fan of this song. Passable at best. 12: WHAT KIND OF FOOL - BARBRA STREISAND & BARRY GIBB (15) - 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. 11: I AIN'T GONNA STAND FOR IT - STEVIE WONDER (11) - This song had sort of a jazz flavor to it. It's a good one, but I slightly preferred his previous song, "Master Blaster". ARCHIVES: BABY LOVE – THE SUPREMES - Would have been interesting if they sang “Baby Love, walking down the street, since the other two archive songs mentioned those words. This song is pretty good. I prefer other Supremes hits, though, such as “I Hear A Symphony”, “Come See About Me” and “Someday We’ll Be Together”. 10: CELEBRATION - KOOL & THE GANG (6) - I remember this song quite well - aside from radio airplay, it got a lot of play on juke boxes, such as the one at Pizza Hut, a place that my dad would take my brother and me to every Sunday for dinner back in 1981. 9: HELLO AGAIN - NEIL DIAMOND (10) - 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. 8: THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL – ABBA (9) - This, sadly, would be their final Top Ten hit. It, along with "Dancing Queen" were my two favorites from them. LDD: CUPID/I’VE LOVED YOU FOR A LONG TIME – THE SPINNERS - I was taking a snooze during the better part of Hour 3 as well as nearly half of Hour 4, but woke up during this song. I'll have to listen to the LDD again. I will say right now that it was a little interesting that both LDDs were songs that peaked at #4 for three weeks, and from the same year. 7: RAPTURE - BLONDIE (12) - I mentioned earlier that they had three number ones in the 1980s. All three of them, as well as their first #1 in 1979, 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. If I'm not mistaken, I believe they played the album version of this song. 6: CRYING - DON McLEAN (7) - You could definitely tell that this was a Roy Orbison song (as it sounded a great deal like "Blue Bayou"). This was definitely one of my favorite songs by McLean, right up there with "American Pie" and "Vincent". 5: I LOVE A RAINY NIGHT - EDDIE RABBITT (1) - This was Rabbitt's biggest hit ever, coming off of a two-week run at the top, and deservedly so, as it was one of his best songs IMO. 4: THE BEST OF TIMES - STYX (5) - This was their first of two Top 40 hits from Styx' Paradise Theater album, as well as my favorite of those two (though, as I have mentioned before, I do like the other one, "Too Much Time On My Hands" more than I had previously). Both are great songs! 3: WOMAN - JOHN LENNON (3) - This song had just spent a month at #1 on the R&R chart but, oddly enough, had yet to peak on the Hot 100, which it would the following week, 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: KEEP ON LOVING YOU - REO SPEEDWAGON (4) - 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! 1: 9 TO 5 - DOLLY PARTON (2) - Dolly Parton's first pop hit, "Here You Come Again" peaked at #3, and after four songs that missed the Top Ten, she had her very first #1 hit. When Eddie Rabbitt's latest had bumped this out of the top spot two weeks before, it looked like that was it for this song, but this week, the song got its revenge by dethroning that song from the top. Anyway, this was a great song - one of my favorites from her.
|
|
|
Post by Hervard on Mar 15, 2024 14:01:13 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - March 16, 2024
This week's presentation - March 19, 1988
DROPPERS: NEED YOU TONIGHT - INXS (39) - The first of four Top 40 hits from what would become their best singles album, Kick. I wasn't a huge fan of it, or INXS in general, but they did have a few songs that I liked (this just wasn't one of them). DON'T SHED A TEAR - PAUL CARRACK (35) - He'd had top 40 success as the lead singer of bands like Ace and Mike + The Mechanics, and he even had a few solo hits. This was a good song, but I preferred a few others from him, both solo and with said bands. COULD'VE BEEN - TIFFANY (33) - Here's a song that I'd been hearing on B96 since around the time "I Think We're Alone Now" was #1 and I kept hoping that it would soon hit the charts - which it did around Christmastime. And, like her first hit, it went to #1 - in fact, its first week at the top was on the chart dated January 29, 1988 - my sixteenth birthday, so that was a great birthday present for me! SAY YOU WILL - FOREIGNER (29) - Tell you what, I liked most of their material, but for some reason, I never really got into this song.
40: BECAUSE OF YOU – THE COVER GIRLS (31) - The first Top 40 hit for this freestyle girl group from the Big Apple. I'm kind of surprised that this was all the higher the song got, as it seemed radio-friendly for the late-1980s (and I regularly heard it on B96 back in the day). 39: SEASONS CHANGE - EXPOSE (26) - A rare instance where the final song from an album turns out to be the most successful (I seem to remember this happening a few other times in 1988, by acts like the Jets and Richard Marx). Anyway, this would be my second favorite release from their Exposure album behind "Point Of No Return". 38: WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD – LOUIS ARMSTRONG (debut) - Of course, this song's inclusion in “GOOOOOOD MOOOOORNING VIETNAAAAAAM!!!!” was responsible for it briefly recharting. It was a great song, and has aged quite well. Anyone remember the version of this song that has Kenny G's sax playing mixed in? 37: PUSH-IT – SALT-N-PEPA (34) - As we know all too well, I’m not a big rap fan, but generally, 80s rap was OK, and this is an example. I couldn't help but notice how they replaced the word "pissed" with "high" (since that doesn't even rhyme with "kiss"). One of the stations I used to listen to played a version that cut out that line entirely. 36: PINK CADILLAC – NATALIE COLE (debut) - Of course, we all know that Springsteen himself originally recorded this one (Casey even mentioned it). The song wasn't featured on any of his albums, but it was the B-side to "Dancing In The Dark" (as well as a concert favorite). I actually preferred this version of the song. 35: ELECTRIC BLUE - ICEHOUSE (debut) - One of two Top 20 hits for this six-member Aussie band. Both were great songs; I liked them about the same. 34: ONE STEP UP – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (debut) - Wow, two Springsteen songs debut on the chart the same week - and practically back-to-back! Springsteen himself sang this song and, of course, I've mentioned before that this song sounds like something Gordon Lightfoot would sing. It was the third and final Top 40 song from Springsteen's Tunnel Of Love album. In fact, it would be his last Top 40 song for about four years. I liked this song a lot. 33: YOU DON’T KNOW – SCARLETT & BLACK (38) - Don't they sound a little like Glass Tiger? When I first heard this song, I knew that Glass Tiger had a new song out and I thought that this was it, but it turned out that it was not. Anyway, I liked this song which has pretty much fallen into obscurity. 32: PROVE YOUR LOVE – TAYLOR DAYNE (40) - This one wasn't bad, but it wasn't quite as good as "Tell It To My Heart", IMO. 31: NEVER KNEW LOVE LIKE THIS – ALEXANDER O’NEAL w/CHERRELLE (37) - The second of two duets that these two R&B artists charted with. The first one, "Saturday Love", credited as Cherelle with Alexander O'Neal, peaked at #26 in April, 1986. This song, with the credits the other way around, did almost as well, peaking at #28. I liked both of them but slightly preferred this one. 30: WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS – THE PET SHOP BOYS & DUSTY SPRINGFIELD (18) - Not a fan of this one. This one looked like a sure-fire #1 song, but, luckily, another song leapfrogged over it. OPTIONAL EXTRA: YOU GOT IT (THE RIGHT STUFF) - NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK - This was the second of many big hits for this boyband who was all the rage in 1989, with six Top 40 hits during the year. I liked this one; had a catchy bassline and chorus. 29: HUNGRY EYES – ERIC CARMEN (20) - This one marked his second comeback of the 80s, and this one proved to be more successful than his one in 1985, in that he had two Top Ten hits (the first one yielded a single mid-chart hit). This was another song that, like the Pet Shop Boys song, never really did anything for me. 28: I SAW HIM STANDING THERE - TIFFANY (32) - This song broke the record for the most songs that were remade into Top 40 hits. Until this song, the Beatles tied with Ben E. King, with seven apiece. I tended to like Tiffany's more mellow hits like "Could've Been" and "All This Time", but I liked this one - by far, my favorite of her two mid-sixties remakes. 27: PUMP UP THE VOLUME – M/A/R/R/S (21) - This song was played ad nauseum on B96 on Z95 (the latter on which the song spent six weeks at #1) back in early 1988. It's good to hear every now and then. 26: ROCK OF LIFE – RICK SPRINGFIELD (32) - Many people figured that more would come of Springfield's comeback, since he'd been one of the hottest acts of the early-80s. However, this would be his final Top 40 hit. It was pretty good, but I preferred most of his earlier hits. 25: LOVE OVERBOARD – GLADYS KNIGHT BAND THE PIPS (13) - Weird that they were the longest charting group of the rock era up to that point. This was somewhat of a random comeback (as, not counting her vocals on "That's What Friends Are For", Gladys, along with the Pips, been absent from the Top 40 since 1975). I liked this song, but preferred a few of her/their older hits. 24: WHEN WE WAS FAB – GEORGE HARRISON (25) - Another artist who enjoyed a short-lived comeback in 1988, with a #1 song. I figured this one might at least hit the Top Ten, but that was not to be, which is too bad, since this was a great song! I liked this, but preferred his other hit about reminiscing about his Beatles days ("All Those Years Ago"). 23: ANGEL - AEROSMITH (30) - They had been absent from the charts for nine years as several members struggled with drug problems, and, the previous fall, they came back, hotter than ever (on the charts, anyway). This would end up being their biggest hit for many years, and deservedly so, since it was one of my favorite songs from them. This week, it sounds like they played the album version of the song, which contains a longer intro, the instrumental bridge was a little longer than usual, and at the end, they sing "come and save tonight" over and over again before the fade-out. 22: CAN’T STAY AWAY FROM YOU – GLORIA ESTEFAN AND MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (10) - After the disappointing performance of the second single from their sophomore album, they bounced back quite well with this one, hitting the Top Ten. I liked it, but slightly prefer their song in the countdown this week. 21: CHECK IT OUT – JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (24) - This was the third and final Top 40 hit from The Lonesome Jubilee, and it was my favorite of the three - a great song indeed! 20: WISHING WELL – TERENCE TRENT D’ARBY (27) - This song had sort of a slow start on the charts, but it picked up steam and went all the way to the top! I liked it, but preferred his next hit, "Sign Your Name". OPTIONAL EXTRA: SMALL WORLD - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS - They seemed to have a thing about worlds, as this was their second consecutive Top 40 hit with that word in the title. I actually preferred this one – and I don't think any overplay of “Perfect World” had anything to do with it, as that was never one of my favorites from them in the first place. It's too bad this one didn't get any higher than it did, but the band's popularity was clearly beginning to wane at this point – the album from which this was the title track was their last to be certified platinum. 19: WHERE DO BROKEN HEARTS GO – WHITNEY HOUSTON (28) - Whitney indeed had a #1 hit streak going. Although this one was the last one in said streak, it was the seventh, further securing her record. I'm glad this song made it to the top, since this is one of my favorite songs from her! 18: SOME KIND OF LOVER – JODY WATLEY (23) - This song was pretty good, but it was pretty much "Don't You Want Me Part 2". 17: I FOUND SOMEONE – CHER (11) - This was Cher's comeback hit since "Take Me Home", which peaked at #8 in May, 1979. As for the song, it wasn't bad, but I generally preferred her later songs such as "Just Like Jesse James", "Save Up All Your Tears" and "Believe" to name a few. LDD: SORRY SEEMS TO BE THE HARDEST WORD – ELTON JOHN - The first hit from his album Blue Moves, the first album of his to be released under his own label Rocket Records. As melancholy as it is, I liked the song a lot. 16: DEVIL INSIDE - INXS (22) - Casey mentioned that this song was up six in its sixth week in the countdown from a six-man band. Odd that it happened to a song with the word "Devil" in the title. (To boot it was from their sixth studio album - AND it was at number SIXteen!) Anyway, we have both Angels and Devils in this week's countdown. In fact, both songs debuted in the countdown back-to-back just a few weeks before. Though I preferred "Angel", this song was pretty good as well. 15: BE STILL MY BEATING HEART - STING (15) - Well, ...Nothing Like The Sun may have been his most successful solo album (selling 18 million copies worldwide), but it sure didn't fare that well in the singles department, as it generated only two Top 40 hits. This was the second, as well as my favorite of those hits (most likely since it's pretty much fallen into obscurity). 14: GIRLFRIEND - PEBBLES (While Bam-Bam was flopping with his song "Boyfriend", this song became the first hit for this artist, whose real name was Perri McKissack, and one of her most successful at that. I rather liked this song, but I preferred a few other songs from her, including "Mercedes Boy" and her duet with Babyface, "Love Makes Things Happen". 13: (SITTIN’ ON) THE DOCK OF THE BAY – MICHAEL BOLTON (17) - I found out that there was more than one Journey connection to this song. In addition to Neil Schon playing guitar, the song was produced by Jonathan Cain, one of Journey's keyboardist. I actually preferred this cover over the original by Otis Redding, which was #1 20 years ago this week. 12: ROCKET 2 U – THE JETS (16) - I'm not generally a big fan of their upbeat songs, but I actually liked this one. They played an odd version of this song that replaced the rap bridge by a longer second chorus. Not sure if they've ever used that version before or not. 11: HYSTERIA – DEF LEPPARD (14) - The second single, and the title track from one of the biggest selling albums of the 1980s. It was a good one - reminded me a little of "State Of The Heart" by Rick Springfield, from three years prior. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WALK ON WATER - EDDIE MONEY - Well, the Bible tells us that Jesus did it (and I seem to remember that someone did it in the video for "Magic" by The Cars), but Eddie Money seemed to want to be the third one, in order to right a wrong done unto his loved one. I liked this song, but preferred a few others from him, including the follow-up, "The Love In Your Eyes", which petered out at #24 in March. 10: GET OUTTA MY DREAMS, GET INTO MY CAR – BILLY OCEAN (12) - This song would become the top song of 1988, according to R&R. It was a good song - reminded me a little of his 1986 hit "When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going". 9: I WANT HER – KEITH SWEAT (9) - He was definitely a big hit on the Black Singles chart, but he had a few pop crossovers. This song looked like it may have peaked, as it was at #9 for a second week, but that's probably because this was a congested area of the chart (which would explain the meager two-spot move of the Billy Ocean song, which had been moving like lightning over the past few weeks). The song did manage to climb to #5 a few weeks later. Anyway, this song was pretty good, but my favorite song from him would be "I'll Give All My Love To You", from early 1991. 8: JUST LIKE PARADISE – DAVID LEE ROTH (6) - The former lead singer of Van Halen would have several big solo hits of his own. This was a pretty good one that we don't hear much anymore. 7: OUT OF THE BLUE – DEBBIE GIBSON (8) - Casey mentioned how her previous two hits had peaked at #4 and said this one could do the same. Well, it definitely looked like that might happen, as the song climbed to #4 the following week and held there for another week, losing its bullet. But somehow, it managed to climb a spot higher, becoming her highest peaking hit to date. It wouldn't stay that way for long, however, as the follow-up, "Foolish Beat" hit #1. This was a good song, but I much preferred said follow-up. 6: SHE’S LIKE THE WIND – PATRICK SWAYZE FEATURING WENDY FRASER (3) - The second of two Dirty Dancing hits in this week's countdown. A few weeks before, both songs were in the Top Five, proving just how hot that soundtrack was. This was a nice song, IMO - too bad Lumidee had to go and mess it up. 5: ENDLESS SUMMER NIGHTS – RICHARD MARX (5) - Well, we all know that there's no such thing here on Earth, since non-stop darkness only occurs in winter in areas near the poles. This song just narrowly missed the top spot, but he would also eventually hit #1 - in fact, he did with his next hit. The song wasn't bad, but I preferred many others from him. 4: MAN IN THE MIRROR – MICHAEL JACKSON (7) - He was still on a hot streak with #1 hits - he had already had three from his Bad album alone, and this would make it four, which was a record at the time. He would secure the record even more with a fifth #1 several months later. As for my opinion of the song, it definitely has a good message, but is still far from being his best. 3: FATHER FIGURE – GEORGE MICHAEL (2) - Here's another solo male that was on a hot streak himself - this was his second #1, and he definitely didn't stop there. Earlier I mentioned that "What Have I Done To Deserve This" almost made it to #1, but another song beat it to the punch. That would be this song, which I like a lot better than I did back during its chart run (in fact, at this point, I was already listening to "One More Try" even though that song hadn't even been released yet. 2: I GET WEAK – BELINDA CARLISLE (4) - She came so close to having two consecutive #1 hits, but this one just missed. This was definitely my favorite song from her sophomore album, as well as one of my all-time faves from her! OPTIONAL EXTRA: WAITING FOR A STAR TO FALL - BOY MEETS GIRL - This song's title was inspired by a sighting of a shooting star by one of the members at a Whitney Houston concert. It was a good song, though quite overplayed back in the day. 1: NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP – RICK ASTLEY (1) - YAHHH!! I'VE BEEN RICKROLLED!!! That was pretty much a guarantee with any show from 1988 during the Casey Kasem era. This was my second favorite of the three two Top Ten singles from Rick's Whenever You Need Somebody album (remember - this and "Together Forever" were pretty much the same song). I also liked the title track, which was a #1 hit in his native England and I believe was on the dance charts in late 1988.
|
|