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Post by reachinforthestars on May 9, 2009 0:19:24 GMT -5
6: FIRE LAKE – BOB SEGER My favorite single from “Against The Wind” (and the other two were great, too.) There were 4 singles from the album. |
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Post by reachinforthestars on May 9, 2009 0:28:30 GMT -5
3: LOST IN LOVE – AIR SUPPLY (6) - This was the song that started it all off for them! Air Supply had a Top 20 single called "Empty Pages" and a gold album in Australia prior to this song. But "Lost In Love" was their international breakthrough hit. |
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Post by freakyflybry on May 9, 2009 9:55:24 GMT -5
7: YOU MAY BE RIGHT – BILLY JOEL This song was a great one - my second favorite of the Top Ten songs from “Glass Houses”, behind “Don’t Ask Me Why”. "Don't Ask Me Why" peaked at #19. He was probably thinking about R&R, where that did go top 10.  |
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Post by Hervard on May 9, 2009 12:22:09 GMT -5
6: FIRE LAKE – BOB SEGER My favorite single from “Against The Wind” (and the other two were great, too.) There were 4 singles from the album. Yeah, but I was talking in terms of Top 40 songs. "The Horizontal Bop" ran out of gas just short of the Top 40. |
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Post by freakyflybry on May 9, 2009 15:26:43 GMT -5
May 3, 1980
40. Dolly Parton - Starting Over Again (debut) - a sad song but good one... didn't know Donna Summer wrote this!
39. Jermaine Jackson - Let's Get Serious (debut) - catchy stuff, I like this one
38. Bruce Cockburn - Wondering Where The Lions Are (debut) - good song, being Canadian I'd already been familiar with this
37. Smokey Robinson - Let Me Be The Clock (debut) - nothing really remarkable, I generally prefer his bigger hits
36. Queen - Crazy Little Thing Called Love (27) - great song! And LMAO @ Freddie Mercury's after-hours shopping!
35. James Last Band - The Seduction (40) - No. Just no.
34. The Clash - Train In Vain (38) - great song! An 80's mix show essential
33. Robbie Dupree - Steal Away (debut) - this is pretty good, my favourite out of his two hits
32. Melissa Manchester - Fire In The Morning (32) - she's had so much better, this wasn't anything special at all
Archive: Rod Stewart - Do Ya Think I'm Sexy? - great song, definitely one of my favourites from him
31. The Whispers - And The Beat Goes On (28) - catchy stuff! I prefer Will Smith's sampling of this though
30. Michael Jackson - Off The Wall (16) - good song, but my least favourite from said album
29. Bette Midler - The Rose (39) - good song! I prefer her 1989-90 stuff though
28. Peaches & Herb - I Pledge My Love (19) - No. Just no. And what do you know... this song bored me so much it put me to sleep!
27. Dan Fogelberg - Heart Hotels (33) - wtf did this sound like again? I'm guessing not as good as "Make Love Stay" as that woke me up yet I slept right through this!
26. Paul Davis - Do Right (31) - this was pretty good, reminded me of "Cool Night"... and it must've been good as it woke me up!
25. Kool & the Gang - Too Hot (14) - great song! One of my favourites from them
24. Lipps Inc. - Funkytown (29) - great song! An 80's mix show essential
LDD: Styx - Babe - great song, a very popular LDD song around this time
23. Journey - Any Way You Want It (23) - great song! Another 80's mix show essential
22. The Pretenders - Brass In Pocket (25) - great song, I usually like their stuff and this is no exception
Archive: Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive - great song though kinda overplayed, it's held up well
21. Brothers Johnson - Stomp (24) - I like this one, nice slice of disco here
20. Fleetwood Mac - Think About Me (20) - good song but they've had many better
19. Boz Scaggs - Breakdown Dead Ahead (26) - this, however, is one of my favourites from him! This is the kind of song I feel he does best
18. Gary Numan - Cars (22) - great song! Songs like this were the signs of the sound of the 80's starting out
17. Andy Gibb & Olivia Newton-John - I Can't Help It (21) - for some reason, this wasn't very remarkable to me... kinda sounds like something Olivia would've hit with in the 70's
16. The Spinners - Working My Way Back To You (11) - catchy stuff, more disco, and probably my favourite from them though I'm not normally a Spinners fan
15. Linda Ronstadt - Hurt So Bad (18) - this was just okay, I like most of her other hits better (aside from her 1982-83 stuff which is meh)
14. Ambrosia - Biggest Part Of Me (17) - good song! Not surprised AC stations still play this today
Extra: The Four Seasons - Big Girls Don't Cry - I'm not normally an early 60's fan but this song's pretty good
13. Charlie Dore - Pilot Of The Airwaves (15) - not bad at all, I can see why it was a hit
12. Ray, Goodman & Brown - Special Lady (5) - No. Just no.
Archive: Bee Gees - Tragedy - great song! I like most of their late 70's stuff and this is no exception
11. Kenny Rogers & Kim Carnes - Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer (13) - one of my favourites from both artists... not something I normally like but I like this song for some reason
10. Jimmy Ruffin - Hold On To My Love (12) - another song I wasn't expecting to like but this is quite catchy
9. Dr. Hook - Sexy Eyes (10) - I don't mind a few of their 70's hits but this one I'm not into
8. The Eagles - I Can't Tell You Why (8) - great song! I like most of their hits, this is no exception
7. Billy Joel - You May Be Right (9) - similarly, I like most of Billy's hits, and this is definitely no exception
6. Bob Seger - Fire Lake (7) - I like most Bob Seger songs... he had a few better than this but this is quite good anyway
LDD: Gladys Knight & the Pips - The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me - a very fitting LDD song, one of her best songs
5. Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall (3) - great song! An 80's mix show essential
4. Billy Preston & Syreeta - With You I'm Boring Again (4) - No. Just no.
3. Air Supply - Lost In Love (6) - great song! Probably my favourite from them
2. Christopher Cross - Ride Like The Wind (2) - good song, is it just me, or did Michael McDonald do a lot of background vocals for other artists back then?
1. Blondie - Call Me (1) - great song! One of my favourites from them though I do slightly prefer "Heart of Glass"
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Post by mkarns on May 9, 2009 19:00:00 GMT -5
"Don't Ask Me Why" peaked at #19. He was probably thinking about R&R, where that did go top 10. That may also be the case with calling "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" the #1 song of 1979; in Billboard, the Knack's "My Sharona" earned that honor. |
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Post by mrjukebox on May 10, 2009 13:20:33 GMT -5
Here's my chart critique for the 5/8/71 countdown:#40-"Don't Change On Me"-Ray Charles-One of Ray's lesser known chart entries-OK,but I like his earlier stuff a lot better#39-"Me & My Arrow"-Nilsson-Delightful song which was featured in the animated movie "The Point"-#38-"For God's Sake,Give More Power To The People"-The Chi-Lites-I believe this was the first top 40 hit for this Chicago vocal group,which was led by the late Eugene Record-Powerful song with a great message-#37-"Battle Hymn Of Lt Calley"-C Company featuring Terry Nelson-In 1968,Lt William Calley led his troops into the village of My Lai & massacred most of the citizens who lived there-Calley was later court martialed & was subsequently found guilty of first-degree murder-The My Lai massacre was considered one of the major atrocities of the Vietnam War-Granted this song is a tad dated,but a powerful one nonetheless-#36-"Woodstock"-A year earlier,Crosby,Stills,Nash,& Young took this Joni Mitchell composition into the top 20-Exactly a year later,this British group fronted by Ian Matthews,reached the top 30 with this rather mellow version-In 1979,Matthews returned to the top 40 with his solo effort "Shake It"-#35-"Baby,Let Me Kiss You"-King Floyd-A great follow-up to "Groove Me"-#34-"I Play & Sing"-Dawn-OK,but I prefer their other hits-#33-"Toast & Marmalade For Tea"-A Bee Gees soundalike-This is intentional because the song was produced by that group's Maurice Gibb-Steve Kipner of Tin Tin returned to the top 40 ten years later as the co-writer of Olivia Newton-John's smash hit "Physical"-By the way,Tin Tin took their name from an animated series,which I recall watching as a kid-#32-"Eighteen"-Alice Cooper-The breakthrough smash for Vince Furnier,who took his stage name from an actual witch-Great rocker-#31-"No Love At All"-BJ Thomas-Another winner for this Oklahoma artist-#30-"Right On The Tip Of My Tongue"-Great R&B song-Unfortunately,it doesn't recieve recurrent airplay these days-Second of two top 40 hits for Brenda & The Tabulations-#29-"Me & Bobby Mc Gee"-Janis Joplin-Janis was the second artist after Otis Redding to score a posthumous #1 song-Penned by Kris Kristofferson-I'll let our resident country songs expert briguy give more info on this song-A great rocker-#28-"I Don't Know How To Love Him"-Helen Reddy-Taken from the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar",this was one of two versions that would make the top 40-The other version was by Yvonne Elliman-Reddy's version turned out to be the most successful-#27-"Superstar"-Murray Head with The Trinidad Singers-The title song from the aformentioned "Jesus Christ Superstar"-Powerful song filled with emotion-After an absence of fourteen years,Head returned to the top 40 in 1985 with "One Night In Bangkok"-#26-"She's A Lady"-Penned by Paul Anka,this was the biggest hit for Welsh singer Tom Jones-#25-"Here Comes The Sun"-Richie Havens-Legend has it that George Harrison was sitting in Eric Clapton's garden one morning just before the sun came up-This song appeared on the Beatles 1969 album "Abbey Road",but was never released as a single-Richie did this song justice-#24-"It Don't Come Easy"-Ringo Starr-The first appearance by a former Beatle on this week's countdown-This was Ringo's first solo outing & one of his best-#23-"Wild World"-Cat Stevens-The breakthrough smash for this English singer-songwriter who was born Steven Georgiou-Later redone by Maxi Priest & the group Mr.Big-One of Cat's greatest songs-#22-"I Love You For All Seasons"-Fuzz-Great song-Wound up being the only hit for this female R&B group-#21-"I Don't Blame You At All"-Smokey Robinson & The Miracles-Follow-up to "Tears Of A Clown"-Should've been a bigger hit-#20-"One Toke Over The Line"-Brewer & Shipley-A one-hit wonder-Great tune-Listen for Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead on pedal steel guitar--#19-"We Can Work It Out"-Stevie Wonder-The second remake of a Beatles classic to make the top 40 on 5/8/71-Loved Stevie's interpretation-#18-"Want Ads"-The Honey Cone-Great R&B tune-Headed for #1-Group member Carolyn Willis later provided the female vocal on "Get Closer",a top 10 smash for Seals & Crofts in 1976-#17-"Timothy"-The Buoys-A story song about three guys trapped in a mine who have no provisions & must resort to cannibalism-It was banned on many radio stations at that time,but it's still a classic in my book-Written by Rupert Holmes of "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" fame-#16-"Sweet & Innocent"-Donny Osmond-No. Just no.-#15-"Just My Imagination"-Temptations-Marked Eddie Kendricks' final appearance with the group before he left to pursue a solo career-Still sounds great after all these years-#14-"Another Day"-Paul Mc Cartney-Sir Paul's first solo entry & one of his best-#13-"Brown Sugar"-The Rolling Stones-A song inspired by Claudia Linnear,who was a member of The Ikettes,the group who backed up Ike & Tina Turner on stage-Mick Jagger had quite a crush on her-Powerful song with a great saxophone solo by Bobby Keyes-#12-"Love Her Madly"-Taken from the Doors final LP with Jim Morrison "L.A.Woman", a classic rocker in every sense of the word-#11-"Power To The People"-John Lennon-One of John's best post-Beatles solo hits-Another one that doesn't receive recurrent airplay these days-#10-"Me & You & A Dog Named Boo"-Lobo-The first hit for this singer whose birth name was Kent Lavoie-A bona fide guilty pleasure-#9-"Chick A Boom"-Daddy Dew Drop-Richard Monda aka:Daddy Dew Drop scored his only chart entry which ,as Casey mentioned.came from the Saturday morning cartoon series "Sabrina & The Groovy Ghoulies"-#8-"Bridge Over Troubled Water"-Aretha Franklin-Aretha put her indelible stamp on her version of this Simon & Garfunkel classic-Another winner from the undisputed Queen Of Soul-#7-"Stay Awhile"-The Bells-See my review of "Sweet & Innocent"-#6-"What's Going On"-Marvin Gaye-Still relevant thirty-eight years later-One of my favorite Marvin Gaye tunes-#5-"If"-Bread-Classic soft-rock number-Later recorded by actor Telly Savalas,whose version was quite successful on the British pop charts-#4-"I Am,I Said"-Neil Diamond-A classic & one of Neil's more introspective songs-#3-"Put Your Hand In The Hand"-Ocean-Ok,but nothing special-#2-"Never Can Say Goodbye"-Great tune written by actor Clifton Davis,whom you might remember from the sitcoms "That's My Mama" & "Amen"-Was a hit for The Jackson Five on 5/8/71-Was later covered by Isaac Hayes & Gloria Gaynor,who released a disco version in late 1974-#1-"Joy To The World"-Three Dog Night-Originally written for an animated TV special that never saw the light of day,TDN had their all-time biggest smash with this one-An enduring classic to be sure.
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Post by mrjukebox on May 10, 2009 13:26:11 GMT -5
Regarding "Chick A Boom"-it's another guilty pleasure of mine.
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Post by reachinforthestars on May 10, 2009 14:45:45 GMT -5
#24-"It Don't Come Easy"-Ringo Starr-This was Ringo's first solo outing Ringo's first solo outing was a song called "Beaucoups Of Blues", which was 6 months earlier. It reached #87 on the Hot 100. |
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Post by mrjukebox on May 10, 2009 16:48:06 GMT -5
I completely forgot about that song.
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Post by mkarns on May 11, 2009 10:48:31 GMT -5
May 8, 1971: 40: DON'T CHANGE ON ME - RAY CHARLES (very well done, though not one of his best.) 39: ME AND MY ARROW - NILSSON (a bit odd, but interesting) 38: (FOR GOD'S SAKE) GIVE MORE POWER TO THE PEOPLE - CHI-LITES (sounds like the Chi Lites and John Lennon were on the same page! Upbeat, politically edged song much different from the ballads they're best known for.) 37: BATTLE HYMN OF LT. CALLEY - C COMPANY FEATURING TERRY NELSON (No. Just no--both musically and politically.) 36: WOODSTOCK - MATTHEWS SOUTHERN COMFORT (nice rendition of Joni Mitchell's classic song about the festival. I like this better than the CSNY version that was a hit a year earlier.) 35: BABY LET ME KISS YOU - KING FLOYD (pretty obvious "Groove Me" followup--but very good.) 34: I PLAY AND SING - DAWN (not nearly as good, or successful, as their two preceding hits.) 33: TOAST & MARMALADE FOR TEA - TIN TIN (as mentioned, an excellent Maurice Gibb production much like Bee Gees hits of the time.) 32: EIGHTEEN - ALICE COOPER (great chart debut for theatrical shock-rock king.) 31: NO LOVE AT ALL - B.J. THOMAS (OK) 30: RIGHT ON THE TIP OF MY TONGUE - BRENDA & THE TABULATIONS (slow, powerfully sung R&B ballad.) 29: ME AND BOBBY McGEE - JANIS JOPLIN (as you'd expect, brilliantly sung version of classic song.) 28: I DON'T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM - HELEN REDDY (well sung hit from "Jesus Christ Superstar"; works well even outside of its original context, and started the artist on a long run of hits.) 27: SUPERSTAR - MURRAY HEAD W/ THE TRINIDAD SINGERS (another JCS hit, though one more obviously tied to the rock opera. Hard to tell from listening to it that it is sung by the same man who had a 1980s hit with "One Night in Bangkok".) 26: SHE'S A LADY - TOM JONES (great R&B-influenced song; like a slightly slower "It's Not Unusual.) 25: HERE COMES THE SUN - RICHIE HAVENS (I like the Beatles original better, but this is still very good. Liked the energetic guitar strumming. Incidentally, George Harrison, its author, was the only Beatle not in the countdown as a solo artist this week, but maybe you can call this a hit by proxy.) 24: IT DON'T COME EASY - RINGO STARR (speaking of the Beatles...his first solo hit, and I think his best, along with "Photograph.") 23: WILD WORLD - CAT STEVENS (good first US hit--he had been recording in the 60s--though some later ones were even better.) 22: I LOVE YOU FOR ALL SEASONS - FUZZ (sweet soul tune) 21: I DON'T BLAME YOU AT ALL - SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES (last hit for Smokey with his group; very good.) 20: ONE TOKE OVER THE LINE - BREWER & SHIPLEY (a bit dated, but enjoyable.) 19: WE CAN WORK IT OUT - STEVIE WONDER (as with #25, a worthy Beatles cover. Stevie really put his own sound to it while keeping it recognizable.) 18: WANT ADS - THE HONEY CONE (brilliant) 17: TIMOTHY - THE BUOYS (a hit song about cannibalism?  Cleverly done, as you'd expect from the composer of the Pina Colada song and the Tony award winning "Mystery of Edwin Drood".) 16: SWEET AND INNOCENT - DONNY OSMOND (his first solo hit is well sung, sounding somewhat like prepubescent Michael Jackson, but the flute dominated arrangement is pretty annoying.) 15: JUST MY IMAGINATION (RUNNING AWAY WITH ME) - THE TEMPTATIONS (lovely, nicely sung ballad.) 14: ANOTHER DAY - PAUL McCARTNEY (good, catchy slice of life hit.) 13: BROWN SUGAR - THE ROLLING STONES (great rocker, if politically incorrect.) 12: LOVE HER MADLY - THE DOORS (one of their lighter toned hits, but still good.) 11: POWER TO THE PEOPLE - JOHN LENNON (sort of a sequel to "Give Peace a Chance". More of a chant/screed than a song, but delivered with conviction.) 10: ME AND YOU AND A DOG NAMED BOO - LOBO (OK, but somewhat cheesy IMO. His later hits were better.) 9: CHICK-A-BOOM - DADDY DEWDROP (No. Just no. Maybe it worked in a cartoon, but not on its own.) 8: BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATERS - ARETHA FRANKLIN (excellent rendition of a song that was great to start with.) 7: STAY AWHILE - THE BELLS (pretty sexy for the time. I liked it.) 6: WHAT'S GOING ON - MARVIN GAYE (another politically charged tune, and the fact that it's still played and used today for causes says much about its enduring quality.) 5: IF - BREAD (pretty but boring.) 4: I AM..I SAID - NEIL DIAMOND (thoughtful lyrics, but a little odd. His chair was supposed to hear him say something? :  3: PUT YOUR HAND IN THE HAND - OCEAN (another song about Jesus? Apparently riding the JCS coattails, this one isn't nearly as good. Feels like a mediocre Sunday school ditty.) 2: NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE - JACKSON FIVE (great; their roll of classics continued.) 1: JOY TO THE WORLD - THREE DOG NIGHT (overplayed even today, but it does hold up. Catchy and well sung.) |
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Post by mkarns on May 15, 2009 14:54:38 GMT -5
May 1, 1982 (played by XM-8 in somewhat truncated form, though at least all the week's top 40 hits were there. Some of these reviews I recycled from my critique of a March 1982 countdown)
40: WAKE UP LITTLE SUSIE - SIMON & GARFUNKEL (fun remake, though an original song would have been preferable)
39: MY GIRL - DONNIE IRIS (good; more new wavish than his two earlier hits)
38: SHANGHAI BREEZES - JOHN DENVER (meh)
37: IT'S GONNA TAKE A MIRACLE - DENIECE WILLIAMS (nice remake of a minor 60s hit for the Royalettes)
36: IF I HAD MY WISH TONIGHT - DAVID LASLEY (zzzzzz…yawn)
35: PAC-MAN FEVER - BUCKNER & GARCIA (fun as a single, but the concept probably wore thin over a whole album. Casey mentioned some of B&G’s other song titles; how does one “Do the Donkey Kong”?)
34: FANTASY - ALDO NOVA (great)
33: LET'S HANG ON - BARRY MANILOW (another remake? Meh again, but at least it’s upbeat)
32: MAKING LOVE - ROBERTA FLACK (nicely sung ballad in her typical style)
31: GENIUS OF LOVE - TOM TOM CLUB (great dance track that never gets old; even Mariah Carey’s samplings of it still sound good.)
30: STILL IN SAIGON - CHARLIE DANIELS BAND (more rock-oriented than his earlier hits, with no country feel; compelling lyrics about Vietnam vets.)
29: STARS ON 45 III (STEVIE WONDER TRIBUTE) - STARS ON 45 (the original SO45 Beatles medley was a fun one shot, but the concept wore thin fast, especially as here there isn’t always a common beat to unify the songs. Still, I can’t give it a No, because it does include parts of some great songs.)
28: MAN ON YOUR MIND – LITTLE RIVER BAND (routine but pleasant)
27: MAGNUM P.I. THEME - MIKE POST (enjoyable, catchy TV theme; I like this better than his “Hill Street Blues” theme which was a bigger hit)
26: RUN FOR THE ROSES - DAN FOGELBERG (good lyrics about the Kentucky Derby)
25: BABY MAKES HER BLUE JEANS TALK - DR. HOOK (nothing too special, though it is somewhat harder edged than earlier hits)
24: MAKE A MOVE ON ME - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (good, though "Physical" was better.)
23: EMPTY GARDEN (HEY HEY JOHNNY) - ELTON JOHN (tribute to John Lennon which is poignant without getting too sappy)
22: HANG FIRE - ROLLING STONES (light for them, but fun and catchy)
21: DON'T YOU WANT ME - HUMAN LEAGUE (probably the song that really ignited the synth-pop boom; catchy tune that never seems to get old.)
20: HEAT OF THE MOMENT - ASIA (great song by “supergroup”; for musicians that first made a mark in 70s progressive rock, they adapted to the 80s well as this sounds good next to the new wave-oriented hits of the time.)
19: PRETTY WOMAN - VAN HALEN (fun, campy metal remake of Roy Orbison classic)
18: EDGE OF SEVENTEEN - STEVIE NICKS (great rocker)
17: GOIN' DOWN - GREG GUIDRY (blah)
16: ALWAYS ON MY MIND - WILLIE NELSON (production is pretty sterile, more AC pop than country, but Willie improves it with his singing, something he can do with just about anything it seems.)
15: THE OTHER WOMAN - RAY PARKER, JR. (fun, somewhat risqué soul rocker)
14: BEATLES MOVIE MEDLEY - THE BEATLES (see #29 review)
13: GET DOWN ON IT - KOOL & THE GANG (good dance number)
12: KEY LARGO - BERTIE HIGGINS (nice, though rather anachronistic. Probably fits better in a 1970s countdown)
11: DID IT IN A MINUTE - HALL & OATES (very good; sounds a bit different from their last couple of hits)
10: I'VE NEVER BEEN TO ME - CHARLENE (No. Just no. Admittedly, I’m not the song’s intended audience.)
9: '65 LOVE AFFAIR - PAUL DAVIS (more upbeat than most of his earlier hits; not great, but a decent change of pace)
8: 867-5309 (JENNY) - TOMMY TUTONE (considered an 80s classic for good reason; brilliant and catchy)
7: DO YOU BELIEVE IN LOVE - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (excellent chart debut)
6: WE GOT THE BEAT - GO-GOS (great. 80s mix essential still sounds fresh and energetic)
5: DON'T TALK TO STRANGERS - RICK SPRINGFIELD (I like "Jessie's Girl" better, but this is still very good.)
4: FREEZE FRAME - J. GEILS BAND (kind of an obvious follow up to Centerfold, but fun sing (shout?)-along number)
3: EBONY & IVORY - PAUL MCCARTNEY & STEVIE WONDER (unfortunately, this song proves that putting two great musicians together does not ensure that the resulting product will be very good)
2: CHARIOTS OF FIRE - VANGELIS (boring, unless you think about the movie)
1: I LOVE ROCK 'N' ROLL - JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS (Overplayed but great; holds up very well)
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Post by Hervard on May 15, 2009 19:36:33 GMT -5
Kind of surprised that they didn't do this show on AT40: The 80s this weekend, since it had been awhile since the last 1982 show. But they went with 1981 instead. I wonder what show WRVF will run in place of this one?
Anyway, I kinda thought they’d do 1982 this week. We may have to wait two more weeks for that year, because, as far as I know, they’ve never done three consecutive years before. Then again, you never know. Anyway, I used to have this show. Back around the time AT40 Flashback nixed shows from 1980 and 1981, I thought this one was originally slated for broadcast (I later found out that it wasn’t), so I obtained it through a trade. Anyway, let's get to this week's commentary:
Dropping off this week:
#34: Crying/Don McLean - Good song. At least we heard it on the last 1981 show.
#33: The Best Of Times/Styx - This song is one of this week’s LDD’s so I’ll comment on it later.
LW#1: MORNING TRAIN – SHEENA EASTON - Will comment on this one later too.
40: TIME OUT OF MIND - STEELY DAN (22) - Pretty good, sounds like many of their other songs.
39: AI NO CORRIDA - QUINCY JONES f/DUNE (debut) - Meh, nothing I’d go out of my way to listen to.
38: JESSIE'S GIRL - RICK SPRINGFIELD (debut) - After a nine-year hiatus from the chart, Rick was rarin’ to go, and what a big splash he made, with sixteen hits (although, quite surprisingly, only five of them hit the Top Ten). This was his biggest, spending a pair of weeks at #1 in August. I like it - it’s definitely his signature song.
37: WASN'T THAT A PARTY - THE ROVERS (37) - Kind of a goofy song. Surprised that this wasn’t classified as a novelty song in Joel Whitburn’s books. Anyway, this is the kind of song that would have gotten old fast (not surprised it didn’t get past #37)
36: BLESSED ARE THE BELIEVERS - ANNE MURRAY (36) - OK song, but how many times did she repeat the chorus in the song? About 20? Anyway, I prefer most of Anne Murray’s other songs.
35: KEEP ON LOVING YOU - REO SPEEDWAGON (26) - Wow, this one was still on the chart this late, especially with “Take It On The Run” way up in the Top Ten? Not that I’m complaining, because it’s a great song - one of their best.
34: WOMAN - JOHN LENNON (16) - Another song I was surprised to see still on the chart (even more surprised that it was in the Top 20 the previous week). But it was also a great one. Peaked at #2 on BB, but spent a month at #1 on R&R.
33: DON'T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME - THE POLICE (14) - Wow, lots of songs peaking or on their way down in the lower half of the chart. I’ll bet there were tons of debuts on the May 16 chart! Anyway, I liked this song - much better than you-know-what!
32: FIND YOUR WAY BACK - JEFFERSON STARSHIP (36) - Good song, with the typical early-80s classic rock sound. Not quite as good as “No Way Out” and “It’s Not Enough”, but I still like it.
31: THIS LITTLE GIRL - GARY U.S. BONDS (40) - Cool song, sounds like something from the early 60s (which is no surprise, as that was his heyday). I see that Bruce Springsteen
helped to produce this song, and I think I heard him singing backup.
30: SINCE I DON'T HAVE YOU - DON McLEAN (35) - Good song (though his falsetto was a little creepy). I like the original version by the Skyliners a little better.
ARCHIVES: I GOT YOU BABE – SONNY & CHER - Not surprised that they left this one in, because it’s a song that most people were familiar with. It’s OK, but I prefer Cher’s later songs.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: THEME FROM “GREATEST AMERICAN HERO” – JOEY SCARBURY- This one was cut off at the beginning for some reason. Anyway, it was an awesome song - one of my personal faves from 1981.
29: SOMEBODY'S KNOCKIN' - TERRI GIBBS (13) - I love this song! Too bad it didn’t hit the Top Ten (IIRC, despite such a big drop this week, it actually moved back up the next week. Weird!) Another oddity - I don’t remember any 1981 shows with the second hour starting with song #29. That was more common in the mid-80s.
28: HOLD ON LOOSELY - .38 SPECIAL () - This was one of their lowest peaking songs, yet is the one that gets the most airplay nowadays (along with their biggest song “Caught Up In You” from the following year). Anyway, this song’s good, but I prefer most of their other songs.
27: AMERICA - NEIL DIAMOND (39) - Great song, but my least favorite from “The Jazz Singer”. This week’s biggest mover.
LDD: THE BEST OF TIMES - STYX - Great song, one of their best. Very moving LDD. When the girl arrived home, I expected her to say that her mother beat her for going out without asking permission (since the girl said her mother was out and didn’t know where she was; I thought maybe she was out drinking). Anyway, it was so heartwarming to hear that her best friends’ parents filed for adoption. Not sure if Casey mentioned that this song dropped off the chart this week - don’t think so.
26: LOVE YOU LIKE I NEVER LOVED BEFORE - JOHN O'BANION (28) - Wow, 1981 had a lot of songs that had sixties flavor to them. This was one of them and it was a great one.
25: WHAT ARE WE DOIN' IN LOVE - DOTTIE WEST - Why Kenny Rogers wasn’t credited on this song I have no idea, because he did more than sing backup (he had several solo lines). Anyway, it was a great song.
24: SAY YOU'LL BE MINE - CHRISTOPHER CROSS (31) - This song is good, but one of my least favorites by him. The first time I heard this was on one of the May, 1981 shows I got in a trade. Nicholette Larson sang backup on this.
23: I MISSED AGAIN - PHIL COLLINS (27) - Ah, Phil’s first solo hit! And a great one it was. I’m surprised it wasn’t on his “Greatest Hits” album (but several songs were clearly missing from “HITS”).
22: I LOVE YOU - THE CLIMAX BLUES BAND (24) - This is one of the songs I associate most with the summer of 1981, since Chicago’s WLS played this one in heavy rotation. It was a great one - brings back great memories. They chopped this one down a tad.
21: MEDLEY: STARS ON 45 - STARS ON 45 (32) - Pretty good song. Medleys were very popular in the early 1980s.
20: A WOMAN NEEDS LOVE - RAY PARKER JR. & RAYDIO (25) - Good song, one of my favorites by Ray Parker, jr.
ARCHIVES: HELP – THE BEATLES - Meh, it’s OK, but they’ve had many better.
Optional Extra: YOU MAKE MY DREAMS - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES - This song would debut the following week. It’s OK, but one of my least favorites by them.
19: HOW 'BOUT US – CHAMPAIGN (23) - Good song - not sure if I prefer this one or their other hit “Try Again”. I think it’s a toss-up.
18: YOU BETTER YOU BET - THE WHO (21) - Cool song. It sounds a lot like Pete Townshend’s solo hit from the year before, “Let My Love Open The Door”. In fact, isn’t that him singing lead? (I can never tell whether it’s Townshend or Daltry)17: AIN'T EVEN DONE WITH THE NIGHT - JOHN COUGAR (19) - Good song. This song has started popping up on 80s stations over the past few years.
16: SWEETHEART - FRANKIE & THE KNOCKOUTS (20) - Awesome song! Possibly my favorite song on the entire countdown this week.
15: WHILE YOU SEE A CHANCE - STEVE WINWOOD (8) - Another one of my favorite songs on the chart this week. It may have come nowhere near hitting #1 on BB, but at least it did get a week at the top on R&R. Unsurprisingly, they played the version with the “Your way - EEE!” I wonder if they ever played the album version on the show (I’m guessing probably not).
14: RAPTURE - BLONDIE (6) - Cool song, one of my favorites by them.
13: WATCHING THE WHEELS - JOHN LENNON (17) - Pretty good song, but I prefer the other two singles from “Double Fantasy”.
12: TOO MUCH TIME ON MY HANDS – STYX (15) - This was pretty good, but they’ve had many better songs, such as the one used as a Long Distance Dedication.
EXTRA: PEGGY SUE – BUDDY HOLLY - Good song, and interesting story about how Peggy Sue appeared in many other big hits.
11: HER TOWN TOO - JAMES TAYLOR & J.D. SOUTHER (11) - Great song. Souther adds great harmony to this song and he and Taylor should have done more duets.
ARCHIVES: EVE OF DESTRUCTION – BARRY McGUIRE - OK song, but kinda depressing subject matter.
OPTIONAL EXTRA: THE WAITING - TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS - Petty has had many great hits, this one included.
10: I CAN'T STAND IT - ERIC CLAPTON & HIS BAND (10) - This one’s OK; not one of my favorites, but still, I’d rather listen to it than “Tears In Heaven”.
9: SUKIYAKI - A TASTE OF HONEY (18) - I like this one better than the original, but I prefer 4PM’s version of it. Casey mentioned that this was the week’s #1 Soul song.
8: LIVING INSIDE MYSELF - GINO VANELLI - Great song, possibly my favorite from him.
7: TAKE IT ON THE RUN - REO SPEEDWAGON (12) - Great song, another one of my favorites from them, like their other song on the chart this week.
6: KISS ON MY LIST - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (5) - Awesome song! Definitely one of my favorites by them.
LDD: WHEN I NEED YOU – LEO SAYER - Good song, despite the cheese factor. Still, I prefer songs like “How Much Love” and “More Than I Can Say”. This song was number one on the Hot 100 exactly four years before.
5: BETTE DAVIS EYES - KIM CARNES (7) - This was 1981's biggest hit, according to both BB and R&R. And it was very deserving of that honor, as it’s a great song.
4: ANGEL OF THE MORNING - JUICE NEWTON (4) - Good song, but possibly my least favorite song by her.
3: BEING WITH YOU - SMOKEY ROBINSON (3) - This one’s OK, but he’s had many better. I believe this song was #1 on R&R this week.
2: JUST THE TWO OF US - GROVER WASHINGTON JR. (2) - Great song! Much better than Will Smith’s rap remake.
1: MORNING TRAIN - SHEENA EASTON (1) - This song was OK, but I prefer many other songs by her.
Predictions for next week: I have a feeling they’ll go with 1982 next week. If not, then most likely 1988. Though 1983 isn’t out of the question either.
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Post by mstgator on May 17, 2009 21:01:06 GMT -5
15: WHILE YOU SEE A CHANCE - STEVE WINWOOD (8) - Another one of my favorite songs on the chart this week. It may have come nowhere near hitting #1 on BB, but at least it did get a week at the top on R&R. Unsurprisingly, they played the version with the “Your way - EEE!” I wonder if they ever played the album version on the show (I’m guessing probably not). I seem to recall they did play the album version one time (although I can't remember the exact week). Refreshing not to hear that awkward edit (thank goodness you never hear the single version on the radio anymore). |
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Post by reachinforthestars on May 17, 2009 22:25:43 GMT -5
18: YOU BETTER YOU BET - THE WHO (21) - Cool song. It sounds a lot like Pete Townshend’s solo hit from the year before, “Let My Love Open The Door”. In fact, isn’t that him singing lead? Daltrey is actually singing lead. |
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Cleverly done, as you'd expect from the composer of the Pina Colada song and the Tony award winning "Mystery of Edwin Drood".)
