Your favorite songs to peak at #4 on AT40

[80sat40fan]

What have been your favorite songs to peak at #4 on American Top 40? Whether you have 4 songs to post or 44, this is the place to share some of your favorite tunes.

A handy list of where songs peaked by year can be found here (website opens to 1980 - 1984, other years available):
web.archive.org/web/20040407082330/http://www.gramble.com/music/80speak.html

I'll pick one favorite per year from the 70s and 80s with two exceptions:

70: "Black Magic Woman" by Santana
71: "It Don't Come Easy" by Ringo Starr
72: "Mother & Child Reunion" by Paul Simon
73: "Just You 'N Me" by Chicago
74: "Jungle Boogie" by Kool & The Gang
75: "Express" by B.T. Express
76: "More, More, More" by The Andrea True Connection
77: "Easy" by The Commodores
78: "Feels So Good" by Chuck Mangione
79: "Sultans Of Swing" by Dire Straits

80: "With You I'm Born Again" by Billy Preston & Syreeta
81: "Urgent" by Foreigner
82: "Jenny/867-5309" by Tommy Tutone
83: (tie): "One Thing Leads To Another" by The Fixx + "True" by Spandau Ballet
84: "Eyes Without A Face" by Billy Idol
85: "Never" by Heart
86: "Take Me Home Tonight" by Eddie Money
87: "Little Lies" by Fleetwood Mac
88: "I Don't Want Your Love" by Duran Duran
89: I don't have a favorite #4 tune from '89 so '83 gets two picks

[JessieLou]

70: Chicago - 25 Or 6 To 4
71: Hamilton, Joe Frank, & Reynolds - Don't Pull Your Love
72: The Spinners - Could It Be I'm Falling In Love
73: Chicago - Just You 'N Me
74: America - Tin Man
75: Grand Funk Railroad - Bad Time
76: The Eagles - Take It To The Limit
77: Foreigner - Feels Like The First Time
78: Bob Seger - Still The Same
79: Suzi Quatro & Chris Norman - Stumblin' In

80: George Benson - Give Me The Night
81: Journey - Who's Crying Now
82: Stevie Wonder - That Girl
83: Elton John - I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues
84: Eurythmics - Here Comes The Rain Again
85: Heart - Never
86: Genesis - Land Of Confusion
87: Fleetwood Mac - Little Lies
88: Eric Carmen - Hungry Eyes
89: Skid Row - 18 & Life

[trekkielo]

1970

"25 or 6 to 4" by Chicago
"Black Magic Woman" by Santana
"All Right Now" by Free

1971

"An Old Fashioned Love Song" by Three Dog Night
"It Don't Come Easy" by Ringo Starr
"Draggin' the Line" by Tommy James
"I Hear You Knocking" by Dave Edmunds
"I Am... I Said" by Neil Diamond
"Don't Pull Your Love" by Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds
"Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" by Marvin Gaye

1972

"Mother and Child Reunion" by Paul Simon
"Could It Be I'm Falling in Love" by The Spinners
"Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast" by Wayne Newton

1973

"Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder
"Smoke On the Water" by Deep Purple
"Just You 'N' Me" by Chicago

1974

"The Show Must Go On" by Three Dog Night
"The Lord's Prayer" by Sister Janet Mead
"The Americans" by Byron MacGregor
"Tin Man" by America
"The pregnant dog Is Back" by Elton John
"Rikki Don't Lose That Number" by Steely Dan

1975 "Mr. Jaws" by Dickie Goodman

1976

"Night Moves" by Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
"Take It to the Limit" by Eagles
"More, More, More" by Andrea True Connection

1977

"Baby, What a Big Surprise" by Chicago
"Feels Like the First Time" by Foreigner
"We Are the Champions" by Queen
"Easy" by Commodores

1978

"Still the Same" by Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
"Feels So Good" by Chuck Mangione
"Don't Look Back" by Boston

1979

"Don't Bring Me Down" by Electric Light Orchestra
"Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits
"Heaven Knows" by Donna Summer
"Stumblin' In" by Suzi Quatro & Chris Norman

1980 "Cupid/I've Loved You for a Long Time" by The Spinners

1981

"Urgent" by Foreigner
"Who's Crying Now" by Journey
"Oh No" by Commodores
"For Your Eyes Only" by Sheena Easton

1982

"Hold Me" by Fleetwood Mac
"Freeze-Frame" by The J. Geils Band
"Shake It Up" by The Cars
"Heat of the Moment" by Asia
"867-5309/Jenny" by Tommy Tutone

1983

"Puttin' On the Ritz" by Taco
"I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" by Elton John

1984 "Thriller" by Michael Jackson

1985 "Don't Lose My Number" by Phil Collins

1986

"Land of Confusion" by Genesis
"Throwing It All Away" by Genesis
"No One Is to Blame" by Howard Jones
"Living in America" by James Brown

1987

"Little Lies" by Fleetwood Mac
"I Heard a Rumour" by Bananarama
"Heart and Soul" by T'Pau

1988 "Hungry Eyes" by Eric Carmen 

[vince]

This is my list. It was a tough choice some years.

70: Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin
71: Proud Mary - Ike & Tina Turner
72: Day After Day - Badfinger
73: Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple
74: Rikki Don't Lose That Number - Steely Dan
75: Someone Saved My Life Tonight - Elton John
76: Muskrat Love - Captian & Tennille, just kidding,it's actually Take It To The Limit - Eagles
77: Night Moves - Bob Seger
78: Don't Look Back - Boston
79: Sultans Of Swing - Dire Straits

80: Fame - Irene Cara
81: Urgent - Foreigner
82: 867-5309 / Jenny - Tommy Tutone
83: One Thing Leads To another - Fixx
84: Here Comes The Rain Again - Eurythmics
85: Never - Heart
86: Living In America - James Brown
87: La Isla Bonita - Madonna
88: Don't Be Cruel - Cheap Trick
89: 18 And Life - Skid Row

[dukelightning]

1970..Whole Lotta Love..Led Zeppelin
1971..Black Magic Woman..Santana
1972..Freddie's Dead..Curtis Mayfield
1973..Could it be I'm Falling in Love..Spinners (why are people putting this song into 1972, it did not make the top 40 until 1/20/73) and in my only tie of the 70s...Just You 'N' Me..Chicago
1974..I've Got to Use My Imagination..Gladys Knight & the Pips
1975..Fight the Power..Isley Brothers
1976..More, More, More..Andrea True
1977..Night Moves...Bob Seger...Lp version
1978..I Just Wanna Stop..Gino Vannelli
1979..Heaven Knows..Donna Summer
1980..Give Me the Night..George Benson
1981..Who's Crying Now..Journey
1982..That Girl..Stevie Wonder
1983..True..Spandau Ballet
1984..Lucky Star..Madonna
1985..Lovergirl..Teena Marie
1986..Living in America..James Brown
1987..Don't Disturb This Groove...System
1988..I Don't Want Your Love..Duran Duran
1989..only tie of the 80s shows how much variey there is my musical tastes...Back to Life..Soul II Soul and 18 and Life..Skid Row

[Caseyfan4everRyanfanNever]

For some reason known only to him, my best buddy is hooked on Crusin by Smokey Robinson which peaked at #4 in early 1980.

[pointpark04]

I have no idea how "Little Lies" didn't get higher than number four. Seriously - what a great song, and one of my top ten hits of 1987.

[80sat40fan]

Apr 8, 2015 9:16:37 GMT -5 dukelightning said:

Could it be I'm Falling in Love..Spinners (why are people putting this song into 1972, it did not make the top 40 until 1/20/73)

Good catch... CIBIFIL by The Spinners didn't make the Hot 100 until 12/30/72 so all of its weeks on AT40 were in 1973. The website I referred everyone to lists that song in 1972 when it should be in 1973... and the same goes for "Your Mama Don't Dance" by Loggins & Messina which peaked in January of 1973.

[seminolefan]

Here's mine:

1970: Black Magic Woman - Santana
1971: Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) - Marvin Gaye
1972: Freddie's Dead - Curtis Mayfield
1973: Could It Be I'm Falling In Love - The Spinners
1974: The B**** Is Back - Elton John
1975: Fight The Power (Part 1) - The Isley Brothers
1976: More, More, More (Part 1) - The Andrea True Connection
1977: It's Ecstasy (When You Lay Down Next To Me) - Barry White
1978: Use Ta Be My Girl - The O'Jays
1979: Heaven Knows - Donna Summer w/Brooklyn Dreams
1980: Give Me The Night - George Benson
1981: Urgent - Foreigner
1982: That Girl - Stevie Wonder
1983: You Are - Lionel Richie
1984: Thriller - Michael Jackson
1985: Lovergirl - Teena Marie
1986: What Have You Done For Me Lately - Janet Jackson
1987: La Isla Bonita - Madonna
1988: Sign Your Name - Terence Trent D'Arby
1989: Back To Life (However Do You Want Me) - Soul II Soul
1990: Groove Is In The Heart - Deee-Lite
1991: Sensitivity - Ralph Tresvant

[ivanzero]

'70: Rainy Night in Georgia - Brook Benton
'71: It Don't Come Easy - Ringo Starr
'72: Freddie's Dead - Curtis Mayfield
'73: Could It Be I'm Falling In Love - Spinners
'74: Rikki Don't Lose That Number - Steely Dan
'75: Someone Saved My Life Tonight - Elton John
'76: Sara Smile - Daryl Hall & John Oates
'77: Easy - Commodores
'78: I Just Wanna Stop - Gino Vannelli
'79: Chuck E.'s in Love - Rickie Lee Jones

'80: Cruisin' - Smokey Robinson
'81: A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do) - Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio
'82: That Girl - Stevie Wonder
'83: True - Spandau Ballet
'84: Here Comes The Rain Again - Eurythmics
'85: Cool It Now - New Edition
'86: Throwing It All Away - Genesis
'87: Don't Disturb This Groove - The System
'88: Sign Your Name - Terence Trent D'Arby
'89: Back To Life (However Do You Want Me) - Soul II Soul

[Deleted]

What about favorite songs to peak at #7 on AT40?

I know I am going off topic, but my favorite song to peak at #7 on AT40 is Boy From New York City by The Manhattan Transfer.

[retroguy]

Definitely Urgent by Foreigner was a big favorite of mine in 1981. I bought the 4 album on vinyl the 2nd day after it was released.
Here is a very strange phenomenon in the chart movement of Urgent that I noticed as it was happening in 1981 but Casey didn't catch it.
Of course Urgent was the 1st single from the "4" album so for it to peak at number 4 was interesting but on top of that it spent 4 weeks at #4. And then before it moved to number 4 it moved up 4 notches to #4 and then spent the 4 weeks at #4 and then dropped 4 notches back to number 8. PRETTY BIZARRE don't you think?

[torcan]

1970 - Ride Captain Ride (Blues Image)
1971 - I Am I Said (Neil Diamond)
1972 - Day After Day (Badfinger)
1973 - Just You N Me (Chicago)
1974 - Rikki Don't Lost that Number (Steely Dan)
1975 - Only Yesterday (Carpenters)
1976 - More More More (Andrea True Connection)
1977 - Night Moves (Bob Seger)
1978 - You're In My heart (Rod Stewart)
1979 - Sail On (Commodores)

1980 - Fame (Irene Cara)
1981 - urgent (Foreigner)
1982 - Hold Me (Fleetwood Mac)
1983 - True (Spandau Ballet)
1984 - Thriller (Michael Jackson)
1985 - The Search is Over (Survivor)
1986 - No One is To Blame (Howard Jones)
1987 - Only In My Dreams (Debbie Gilson)
1988 - One Good Woman (Peter Cetera)
1989 - Patience (Guns N Roses)


By the way, to date I know there have been threads for Favorite No. 3, No. 4, No. 5 and No. 10 songs. Has there been No. 2? I thought I remembered one but I can't find it.