Casey Counts Down the Hits for 38 Years

[MEF]

On American Top 10 weekend of July 5-6, 2008, Casey mentions that fact that its the 38th anniversary of him counting down the hits every weekend.

He thanks his staff, all the radio stations that air his radio show and all the listeners who tune in all those years.

If you want to here Casey say this, listen to the 2nd hour of AT10 during the 3rd segment. He will lead into an AT10 extra a song that was played on the first AT40 show. I'm not sure if Casey makes a reference on AT20, since I have yet to hear the whole AT20 this weekend.

Thank you Casey and staff for many years of enjoyable weekend radio.

[JasonWQMA]

This anniversary is also mentioned on AT40 this week. Ryan starts the show playing a clip from the first AT40 show and mentioning Casey still counting down the hits on AT10 and AT20.

[BrettVW]

Congrats to Casey - 38 years later and still going strong with the countdown. It was an honor and pleasure to meet Casey earlier this year at Casey Kasem Day - I have the picture of he and I framed and I will always cherish the opportunity to meet one of my idols.

[mrjukebox]

I didn't hear this weekend's edition of "AT10"-What song from the very first "AT40" was played as an extra?

[BROWNJB1]

The song that Casey played on American Top 10 that was featured on the very first AT40 show back in 1970 was, "Make It With You" by Bread. "Make It" debuted on the very first AT40 show all the way up at No. 20.

[BrettVW]

Nothing was mentioned about the anniversary on AT20.

[pzimm7700]

I finally heard AT10 this week yesterday, and it got me to thinking. I will start this off by saying I am sorry if this is deemed disrespectful, I don't intend it to be. I am being open and honest about something that I thought about.

No one thought he would be doing this by the year 2000. Anyone who was listening in the 80's and early 90's would have figured he would retire at some point. And dare I say, no one at all, even in 1999 thought he would be doing any shows come 2008. But he still is, and that is remarkable in many ways. In an era of background music while boring DJ's talk with no emotion, radio shows are geared towards smaller and smaller playlists, and they sound like something far from what we are used to, American Top 10 and American 20 continue to for the most part be the same style we all listened to American Top 40 and Casey's Top 40 for.

I don't want the day to come where Premiere says "we can't come to a new contract with you," "we have decided to disband the shows and don't need you anymore," or "we have decided to move in a different direction and you don't fit in with it, thank you for all you have done." I want Casey Kasem to go out on top like Tom Brokaw did on CBS, or Walter Chronkite did on CBS. I want him to be the one who says "I've had enough, I have seen my day, I want to enjoy my life now, I'm retiring, so long folks."

So it got me to thinking when would the best time for that be, in two years he will reach 40 years of counting down the hits, most notably the top 40. I think that could be as good a time as any for him to make his exit and enjoy the rest of his life. He will have earned it, and unless things change between now and then, he would be able to leave on his own merits, not a corporation forcing him out.

[mrjukebox]

I'm sure Casey will eventually call it a day at some point-I hope that Premiere will select his son Mike as the replacement host-Mike has subbed twice for his father & has done a remarkable job.

[robert]

I recall something like the Premiere signed Casey for either ten years or until the end of the decade be said when he left AT40 in January 2004, so it might well be that he has a contract until 2010 which would be his 40th anniversary of counting down the hits.

And I agree on Mike, though I would be happy if they re-sign Casey for another contract, and even if it sounds like a daydream, I wish him to be able to do the counting and story-telling even at 80 or 90, if he still enjoys it, but agree that he well deserves to step out upon his own decision rather than anyone else's.