Chart Critiques

[freakyflybry]

October 17, 1987

40. Squeeze - Hourglass (debut) - cool song! I prefer "Tempted" though
39. Michael Jackson f/Siedah Garrett - I Just Can't Stop Loving You (23) - I like this, but it's my least favourite single from the "Bad" album (aside from "Another Part Of Me"). I have a feeling they released this first so it would hit #1 on hype, THEN release the classics.
38. Loverboy - Notorious (39) - it's a cool song, but I prefer most of their other top 40 hits over this
37. Fat Boys & Beach Boys - Wipe Out (26) - A weird combination, but the Fat Boys knew how to make classics sound fresh for the 80's.
36. Dan Hill & Vonda Shepard - Can't We Try (31) - I like this but I prefer "Searchin' My Soul".
35. Los Lobos - La Bamba (25) - this is just so insanely catchy, I just can't help but get this stuck in my head whenever I hear it!
34. Los Lobos - Come On, Let's Go (debut) - this one isn't quite as good as "La Bamba" but I like it... kinda odd how they had 2 top 40 hits and they were in different languages
33. ABC - When Smokey Sings (20) - great song! An 80's mix show essential
32. Mr. Mister - Something Real (Inside Me/Inside You) (29) - a good synthpop tune, but listening to it, I'm surprised it didn't go top 20! Guess the sophomore slump really kicked in for these guys.
31. Poison - I Won't Forget You (debut) - they knew how to do a ballad and still rock out during it! One of my favourites from them
LDD: Billy Joel - You're Only Human (Second Wind) - good song, good message, but I prefer many other Billy songs
30. R.E.M. - The One I Love (debut) - great song! This is where the Flashback version (which I heard on Clear Channel's Format Lab) started, and it definitely made for a fitting Flashback as it's a song that should be familiar to all 80's fans
29. The Other Ones - Holiday (36) - a very different sounding song, but it's cool... the origin of their name reminds me of how Foreigner got their name (as they were half German and half Australian)
28. Richard Marx - Should've Known Better (debut) - great song! Likely in my top 5 from him
Extra: The Supremes - Someday We'll Be Together - actually, the artist credit should've said Diana Ross f/Insignificant Background Singers because that's basically what it was, as neither of the background singers were in the Supremes! As for the song, it's pretty good, likely in my top 5 favourite Supremes songs
27. Belinda Carlisle - Heaven Is A Place On Earth (40) - great song! Another 80's mix show essential
26. Cutting Crew - I've Been In Love Before (34) - I really like this one, and find it underrated compared to "(I Just) Died In Your Arms", although this one does get some AC airplay these days, just not as much as their bigger hit
25. Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes - (I've Had) The Time Of My Life (35) - great song! A true karaoke favourite
24. Kenny G - Don't Make Me Wait For Love (28) - not a fan of this one, although it escapes the "No. Just no." that his instrumentals get because of the vocal
23. Smokey Robinson - One Heartbeat (14) - not bad but I prefer his earlier stuff
22. REO Speedwagon - In My Dreams (22) - I find REO's later stuff to be underrated, this song included
21. U2 - Where The Streets Have No Name (24) - great song! Surprised this didn't make the top 10 given its recurring classic rock airplay
20. Bruce Springsteen - Brilliant Disguise (30) - I really like this one, though I prefer his 1984-85 and some of his 90's singels
19. Pet Shop Boys - It's A Sin (21) - great song! The Pet Shop Boys could do no wrong in the 80's
18. The Cars - You Are The Girl (19) - good, catchy song... reminds me why The Cars are one of the 80's classic "feel good" bands
17. Natalie Cole - Jump Start (13) - I like this one but I prefer her later stuff after this; still prefer this over most of her 70's stuff though
16. Swing Out Sister - Breakout (18) - good dance song... don't mind hearing this on the odd occasion (like on countdown shows!)
15. Whitney Houston - Didn't We Almost Have It All (6) - I like this, but this is my second least favourite 80's hit from her (behind "You Give Good Love"). Is it just me, or does the intro to this song sound a lot like "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You" by Michael Bolton?
14. Billy Idol - Mony Mony (17) - great song! The live version is quite energetic, but I prefer the studio version which seems to get played more these days
13. Fleetwood Mac - Little Lies (16) - great song! One of my favourites from them alongside the "Rumours" era
12. Expose - Let Me Be The One (12) - This isn't bad, but I've always found Gioia's lead vocals inferior to those songs that Jeanette sang the lead vocals to (particularly her ballads which I find the best Expose songs)
11. Tiffany - I Think We're Alone Now (15) - great song! Another 80's mix show essential
10. Bananarama - I Heard A Rumour (4) - very typical of the Stock Aitken Waterman sound but I like this one a lot
9. John Mellencamp - Paper In Fire (9) - I usually like his stuff... this song's good but not one of my favourites from him
8. Levert - Casanova (10) - catchy song! One of the best soul hits of that era
7. Heart - Who Will You Run To (7) - great song! I feel this one's kinda underrated compared to their bigger 80's hits though
LDD: Stevie Wonder - I Just Called To Say I Love You - great song! A very fitting dedication from a mother to her son from the navy
6. Whitesnake - Here I Go Again (1) - I like this one, but I prefer the album rock version over the pop remix that Casey played
5. Madonna - Causing A Commotion (11) - good song, but I like many others by her more
4. Michael Jackson - Bad (8) - great song! Definitely one of Michael's best, and probably my favourite non-Thriller song from him
3. Europe - Carrie (3) - great song! This one was #1 on R&R around this time
2. Prince & Sheena Easton - U Got The Look (5) - I like this one, but both artists had many better. I can see why a show like this was picked, as it includes 3 of THE quintessential 80's artists (Madonna, MJ and Prince) in the top 5, as well as Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, U2, etc. all having hits out at the same time
1. Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam - Lost In Emotion (2) - not normally a big fan of them, but I like this song... kinda obscure for a #1 though

[laura]

40: HOURGLASS - SQUEEZE(pretty good, but not as good as "Tempted")
39: I JUST CAN'T STOP LOVING YOU - MICHAEL JACKSON WITH SIEDAH GARRETT (Never really liked his slow stuff. Prefer "Bad")
38: NOTORIUS - LOVERBOY (Decent rocker that should have gotten a bit higher)
37: WIPEOUT - FAT BOYS & THE BEACH BOYS (The strangest combination of artists ever. At least this rap song is better than the stuff we have today)
36: CAN'T WE TRY - DAN HILL (DUET WITH VONDA SHEPARD) (Good I guess, but definitely not the best duet in the show)
35: LA BAMBA - LOS LOBOS (A wonderful song! I actually got the movie for Christmas. Never really got around to watching it though)
34: COME ON, LET'S GO - LOS LOBOS (Pretty good, but not as good as their previous one)
33: WHEN SMOKEY SINGS - ABC (A very nice tribute to Smokey)
32: SOMETHING REAL (INSIDE ME/INSIDE YOU) - MR. MISTER (Never really a fan of their music, but I can tolerate this)
31: I WON'T FORGET YOU - POISON (Great, but pales in comparison to "Every Rose Has Its Thorn")
LDD: YOU’RE ONLY HUMAN (SECOND WIND) – BILLY JOEL (A great song with a great message)
30: THE ONE I LOVE - R.E.M. (Nice debut from them, even though I rather "It's The End Of The World As We Know It")
29: HOLIDAY - THE OTHER ONES (Obscure, but it's still a great song!)
28: SHOULD'VE KNOWN BETTER - RICHARD MARX (Not a big fan of him, but this is still a very great song)
EXTRA: SOMEDAY, WE’LL BE TOGETHER – THE SUPREMES (Not really their best, even if it actually wasn't the group)
27: HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH - BELINDA CARLISLE (I really love this song!)
26: I'VE BEEN IN LOVE BEFORE - THE CUTTING CREW (Very interesting sounding track, and underrated too)
25: (I'VE HAD) THE TIME OF MY LIFE - BILL MEDLEY & JENNIFER WARNES (Even though it has been played many times on AC radio, still timeless)
24: DON'T MAKE ME WAIT FOR LOVE - KENNY G. (Boring. Just boring)
23: ONE HEARTBEAT - SMOKEY ROBINSON (A bit slow, but still smooth)
22: IN MY DREAMS - REO SPEEDWAGON (Good, but not their best)
21: WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME - U2 (Fair; their other songs from that album where much better)
20: BRILLIANT DISGUISE - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (A very decent song from the Boss)
19: IT'S A SIN - THE PET SHOP BOYS (A great dance song. Not as memorable as their others, but still excellent)
18: YOU ARE THE GIRL - THE CARS (One of their last times on the chart, but even with that, I find it good at best)
17: JUMP START - NATALIE COLE (Not as good as "Pink Cadillac", but it's do-able)
16: BREAKOUT - SWING OUT SISTER (Very nice song with a very unique beat)
15: DIDN'T WE ALMOST HAVE IT ALL - WHITNEY HOUSTON (I rather this over her other ballads)
14: MONY MONY - BILLY IDOL (Used to listening to the studio version they play on the radio, but I can take this)
13: LITTLE LIES - FLEETWOOD MAC (A personal favorite of mine. Note that I really love almost all their hit songs)
12: LET ME BE THE ONE - EXPOSE (Not the worst, but not their best either)
11: I THINK WE'RE ALONE NOW - TIFFANY (Not really fond of this kind of music, but I've been through worse)
10: I HEARD A RUMOUR (FROM "DISORDERLIES") - BANANARAMA (So much synth and drum, but even with the SAW sound, it's decent)
9: PAPER IN FIRE - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (Should have done a bit better than it did; this song is very good)
8: CASANOVA - LEVERT (Has a nice beat and I can dance to it, lol)
7: WHO WILL YOU RUN TO – HEART (Another great song by Heart! I wonder why I find this stuff a bit better than their more classic-rock sounding ones)
LDD: I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU – STEVIE WONDER (Such a sweet song)
6: HERE I GO AGAIN - WHITESNAKE (I much prefer the rockier version played on radio now then the pop mix used in the show)
5: CAUSING A COMMOTION - MADONNA (kinda mehish)
4: BAD - MICHAEL JACKSON (The better of the two songs he has on the chart this week)
3: CARRIE - EUROPE (One of the better power ballads of the era)
2: U GOT THE LOOK - PRINCE (Of the duets, this one is the best, not to mention it is fast and not a ballad like the others)
1: LOST IN EMOTION - LISA LISA & CULT JAM ("Head to Toe" was better, but a great song still. Love the xylophone ending! lol)

[laura]

40: SHAKE YOU DOWN - GREGORY ABBOTT(slow, but a pretty nice soul song)
39: YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU…DON'T YOU - HOWARD JONES (not exactly his best)
38: WILD WILD LIFE - TALKING HEADS (different sounding, but I like it)
37: DON'T GET ME WRONG - THE PRETENDERS (not as memorable as their others, but still a great song)
36: IN YOUR EYES - PETER GABRIEL (one of my favorites songs from the chart!)
35: DON'T FORGET ME WHEN I'M GONE - GLASS TIGER (another song that sounds a bit different from the others, but another good one at that)
LDD: LIFE IN ONE DAY - HOWARD JONES (now this is one of his better songs!)
34: (FOREVER) LIVE AND DIE - ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK (I didn't really care for this one honestly)
33: WHAT ABOUT LOVE - 'TIL TUESDAY (same as #34)
32: TWO OF HEARTS - STACEY Q (such a cute song that I can't stop listening to)
31: STAND BY ME - BEN E. KING (a real classic!!)
30: A MATTER OF TRUST - BILLY JOEL (doesn't really stand out like his others)
29: THROWING IT ALL AWAY - GENESIS (a nice and slow one, very cool)
28: HEARTBEAT - DON JOHNSON (I said it once and I'll say it again: he shouldn't sing)
27: SOMEBODY'S OUT THERE - TRIUMPH (would take some getting used to for me to like it)
26: FREEDOM OVERSPILL - STEVE WINWOOD (out of the songs he released from that album, this is my least fave)
25: WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN - BANGLES (what 80's show will be complete without this song?!? ;D)
24: GIRL CAN'T HELP IT - JOURNEY (good)
23: EVERYBODY HAVE FUN TONIGHT - WANG CHUNG (great song!!!)
22: TO BE A LOVER - BILLY IDOL (the music's pretty soft for an uptempo song, but it works)
21: JUMPIN' JACK FLASH - ARETHA FRANKLIN (a great rendition of the Stones!)
20: I AM BY YOUR SIDE - COREY HART (NO!!!!!!)
19: WHEN I THINK OF YOU- JANET JACKSON (Absolutely love it!!)
18: THE WAY IT IS- BRUCE HORNSBY & THE RANGE (A great song with excellent piano!!)
17: ALL CRIED OUT - LISA LISA & CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE (good for a slow song)
16: EMOTION IN MOTION - RIC OCASEK (another one that'll take me a while to appreciate)
15: HIP TO BE SQUARE - HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS (yet another great song! Root for the underdog!)
14: LOVE WILL CONQUER ALL - LIONEL RICHIE (Sorry, but NO!)
13: I'LL BE OVER YOU - TOTO (kinda good, and I liked Casey's Val speak thing when he introduced this one)
12: THE NEXT TIME I FALL - PETER CETERA WITH AMY GRANT (a nice ballad!)
11: SWEET LOVE - ANITA BAKER (love her voice and the music is nice!)
LDD: IMAGINE - JOHN LENNON (if only we had peace on earth)
10: THE RAIN - ORAN "JUICE" JONES (meh, but the spoken word thing at the end made me chuckle a bit)
9: WORD UP - CAMEO (a great danceable hit!)
8: TYPICAL MALE - TINA TURNER (not really her best)
7: YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME - BON JOVI (this was when Bon Jovi were really exploding onto the scene! Great song!)
6: TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT - EDDIE MONEY (no show'll be complete without it!)
5: TRUE BLUE - MADONNA (wonder why they don't play this song more often)
4: HUMAN - HUMAN LEAGUE (love this one!)
3: TRUE COLORS - CYNDI LAUPER (and this too! Very pretty!)
2: I DIDN'T MEAN TO TURN YOU ON - ROBERT PALMER (another very great and fun song!)
1: AMANDA - BOSTON (Oddly first heard of this song when it was covered by a techno group. Took me a while to like this song, and it is working)

[freakyflybry]

40: SHAKE YOU DOWN - GREGORY ABBOTT - Meh, nothing really special. Still, don't mind hearing it occasionally. This is one #1 hit that really doesn't get much play anymore.
39: YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU…DON'T YOU - HOWARD JONES - I like this one... but yeah, I like all of his other R&R top 10's (and probably "Lift Me Up" and "Life In One Day" (more on that one later)) better.
38: WILD WILD LIFE - TALKING HEADS - This is one band where some of their non-top 40 hits (such as "And She Was", as well as "Once In A Lifetime") are better known than this one! I like them generally, this song included, but they had better.
37: DON'T GET ME WRONG - THE PRETENDERS - I generally like their music, this song included, but I do prefer "Brass In Pocket", "Back On The Chain Gang" and "I'll Stand By You".
36: IN YOUR EYES - PETER GABRIEL - I like most of his big hits about the same... this is quite good but I think "Big Time" is his best (partially because it isn't as overplayed as "Sledgehammer")
35: DON'T FORGET ME WHEN I'M GONE - GLASS TIGER - I prefer "Someday" over this but I like this one too despite overplay. I also like a few of their Canada-only hits.
LDD: LIFE IN ONE DAY - HOWARD JONES- This one does get occasional airplay these days, but not as much as some other songs of his. I like this one and felt it was a very appropriate LDD song given the letter (and that it was this song specifically that changed the writer's life!)
34: (FOREVER) LIVE AND DIE - ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK - I prefer their previous 2 hits (and yes, I think they both sound the same). This one was alright too though.
33: WHAT ABOUT LOVE - 'TIL TUESDAY - I like this one but I prefer "Voices Carry".
32: TWO OF HEARTS - STACEY Q - I like this one, probably the best on 80's mix shows.
31: STAND BY ME - BEN E. KING - this is definitely the best version of the song, and it didn't sound dated in 1986! Definitely beats Sean Kingston's sampling of this
30: A MATTER OF TRUST - BILLY JOEL - My favourite song from this album. Still, I prefer many other songs from him.
29: THROWING IT ALL AWAY - GENESIS - I like most of their stuff... this was pretty good but I preferred all the other "Invisible Touch" singles too.
28: HEARTBEAT - DON JOHNSON - A good song, so definitively 80's. Another song that's best on 80's mix shows.
27: SOMEBODY'S OUT THERE - TRIUMPH - Is it wrong for me to generally not be that familiar with a Canadian band like this? This song's pretty good though, reminded me of something Survivor would do.
26: FREEDOM OVERSPILL - STEVE WINWOOD - My least favourite of the "Back In The High Life" singles, but it's still pretty good, as are all of his solo top 40 hits.
25: WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN - BANGLES - I prefer "Eternal Flame" and "Hazy Shade of Winter", but this one was quite good too. I haven't got tired of it, but maybe because I was 4 years old when this was out.
24: GIRL CAN'T HELP IT - JOURNEY - I like this one a lot, and it seems like the radio ignores any Journey songs after 1983, which is a shame, as many of my favourites from them (this song included) are quite good too.
23: EVERYBODY HAVE FUN TONIGHT - WANG CHUNG - Great song! This is one of those classic 80's "feel-good" songs.
22: TO BE A LOVER - BILLY IDOL - Not bad, but he's had better
21: JUMPIN' JACK FLASH - ARETHA FRANKLIN - It's hard to top the Stones, and Aretha tried and did a good job but doesn't come close to the original. Britney Spears, take note... because THIS is how you remake the Stones, not how you did your crap remake of "Satisfaction"!
20: I AM BY YOUR SIDE - COREY HART - I prefer pretty much all of his earlier songs but this was good too.
19: WHEN I THINK OF YOU- JANET JACKSON - my second or third favourite from "Control". But I do generally prefer Janet's 89-95 stuff over this.
18: THE WAY IT IS- BRUCE HORNSBY & THE RANGE - I like this but I prefer some of his other big hits. "Mandolin Rain" and "The Valley Road" being those I prefer from the 80's, as well as his obscure 90's hit "Walk In The Sun".
17: ALL CRIED OUT - LISA LISA & CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE - This song was good but I preferred Allure's remake from 1997.
16: EMOTION IN MOTION - RIC OCASEK - Good song, but I preferred his stuff with the Cars.
15: HIP TO BE SQUARE - HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS - I generally like their stuff... this one included. My least favourite from that album was "I Know What I Like" though.
14: LOVE WILL CONQUER ALL - LIONEL RICHIE - This one was okay, but I like most of his other solo songs better.
13: I'LL BE OVER YOU - TOTO - I prefer some of their earlier stuff but this is good too.
12: THE NEXT TIME I FALL - PETER CETERA WITH AMY GRANT - Pretty good song, but both have had better, such as Amy's big 1991 hits, as well as "One Good Woman".
11: SWEET LOVE - ANITA BAKER - I like this one, probably my favourite from her (although "Just Because" is close behind).
LDD: IMAGINE - JOHN LENNON - Classic! I really like this one, probably even more than any Beatles song As for the dedication, very touching, and the issue of nuclear disarmament is still very much relevant to this day.
10: THE RAIN - ORAN "JUICE" JONES - The spoken word part is also my favourite part of this. But I like the song throughout.
9: WORD UP - CAMEO - I like this one... ironically enough, it was Korn's remake that got me into this (and I normally don't like Korn at all!) Similarly, Mariah Casey's sampling got me into "Candy" more.
8: TYPICAL MALE - TINA TURNER - This is also one of my favourites from her. If I were to guess her only #1, I'd have guessed easily "What's Love Got To Do With It" (which was indeed her only Billboard #1). But radio programmers should wake up and realize she had more songs than that, and play stuff like this more.
7: YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME - BON JOVI - I really like this one, but I do prefer several other songs from them, including some of their 90's stuff.
6: TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT - EDDIE MONEY - I really like this one... in my top 5 from him likely, but I do prefer a few others.
5: TRUE BLUE - MADONNA - I preferred "Papa Don't Preach", "Open Your Heart" and "La Isla Bonita", but this was good too.
4: HUMAN - HUMAN LEAGUE - This is a close favourite from them for me, just ahead of "Don't You Want Me".
3: TRUE COLORS - CYNDI LAUPER - I like this one, but I prefer the 4 big hits from "She's So Unusual".
2: I DIDN'T MEAN TO TURN YOU ON - ROBERT PALMER - I really like this one... but I do prefer a few others from him like "Bad Case of Loving You", "Addicted To Love" and "Simply Irresistible".
1: AMANDA - BOSTON - As much as I enjoy their 70's classics, this is my favourite from them. And once again, after this, they had a long gap between hits, as after this album, they didn't hit again until 1994 (but they flopped that time).

[vto66]

Here's my chart critique for the 10/16/1971 AT40 show (which aired October 25 on XM 70s):


40. Long Ago and Far Away--James Taylor (Nice, mellow ballad. James is always at his best doing folksy, acoustic tunes such as this one)
39. Natural Man--Lou Rawls (Great song. Smooth yet funky, and an all-time classic)
38. MacArthur Park (Part 2)--The Four Tops (Never heard this one before. It's OK, but not as memorable as their 60s classics, or even as memorable as Richard Harris' original version or Donna Summer's discofied remake)
37. Women's Love Rights--Laura Lee (I can take this one or leave it)
36. You've Got To Crawl--Eighth Day (Not familiar with this one either. Another "take it or leave it" tune for me)
35. Inner City Blues--Marvin Gaye (Another message song in the "What's Going On"/"Mercy Mercy Me" mode. Admirable effort, but the first of those ("What's Going On") is far and away the best)
34. Only You Know And I Know--Delaney and Bonnie (Good jazz-folk-rock styled tune. I'm more familiar with Dave Mason's version, but I like this one just about as much, which is quite a bit)
33. The Story in Your Eyes--Moody Blues (One of the Moodies' best. Catchy yet progressive. I especially like the blend of honky-tonk like piano riffs and spacey guitar work toward the end of the song)
32. One Fine Morning--Lighthouse (One of my least favorite songs on this week's chart. It sounded to me like a pale imitation of Blood, Sweat and Tears or early Chicago)
31. Easy Lovin'--Freddie Hart (A "lost gem"!! A country ballad that sounds the way country ballads were meant to sound)
30. The Love We Had--The Dells (Another low point in the show for me. Somehow I found the lead singer's vocals too raw for a romantic ballad like this one)
29. Make It Funky (Part 1)--James Brown (I'm not much of a James Brown fan, but this one sounded pretty cool)
28. Birds Of A Feather--Raiders (Their last pop hit ever. It's a nice pop-rock ditty, but not quite up there with classics like "Kicks" "Hungry" or "Indian Reservation". This one sounds better suited for someone like Lobo or the Partridge Family)
27. Loving Her Was Easier--Kris Kristofferson (I enjoyed this one. An engaging blend of folksy vocals, haunting lyrics and a pleasant melody)
26. Never My Love--Fifth Dimension (Impressive remake of the 1967 Association classic. Marilyn McCoo's high-stepping near the end nearly moved me to tears.
25. Stagger Lee--Tommy Roe (The second of two back-to-back remakes. As great as "Never My Love" was, this one was completely the opposite!! My most-hated song on this week's chart. This sounded like Tommy Roe doing the Rolling Stones, and not all that great. I prefer to remember him for his 60s classics like "Dizzy" and "Sheila')
24. Wedding Song (There Is Love)--Paul Stookey (Beautiful, just beautiful!! What more can I say?)
23. Rain Dance--The Guess Who (Not one of their better-known songs, but I enjoyed hearing this one. Loved those Native-American-styled chants during the chorus)
22. Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep--Mac and Katie Kissoon (One of my favorites from this week's show. Another "lost classic" with strong vocals, a great beat and a nice, calypso-flavored melody. Katie later went on to become a background singer for acts like Eric Clapton, Elton John and Phil Collins)
21. Spanish Harlem--Aretha Franklin (Ehh, I can take this one or leave it. It's not as memorable to me as Ben E. King's original, but way better than Tommy Roe's deconstruction of "Stagger Lee")
20. Peace Train--Cat Stevens (A true classic with a timeless message!! Those lyrics never fail to move me ["Why MUST we go on hating" indeed. Brilliant!] Passionate vocals, a riveting melody and a blend of gospel-styled backup vocals and African-styled chanting don't hurt this one either)
19. Stick-Up--Honey Cone (A fun little ditty. The lyrics are a bit goofy, and the group comes off sounding like a female version of the Jackson 5, but there's nothing wrong with that. It's still a good song)
18. Thin Line Between Love and Hate--Persuaders (I prefer the Pretenders' remake, but this one's alright)
17. I Woke Up In Love This Morning--Partridge Family (I'm such a sucker for songs like this!!! Fun, catchy, good-time pop tune that always snaps me out of a bad mood)
16. Trapped By A Thing Called Love--Denise LaSalle (Enjoyable, blues-flavored ballad that sounds like it could have come out of the early portion of the Rock Era, yet still sounds fresh and sassy)
15. I Found Someone Of My Own--Free Movement (Don't know what to say about this one. It's more tolerable than certain other tunes on this chart ["Stagger Lee", anyone?], but nowhere near as classic or memorable as others, but not quite a "take it or leave it" type of tune either. It just is what it is)
14. So Far Away--Carole King (Another timeless classic. The arrangement is simple, the vocals are moving and the lyrics are stirring. King definitely got it right on this one. From her famous "It's Too Late Album" better known as "Tapestry")
13. Tired Of Being Alone--Al Green (Like "So Far Away," this one has also held up very well over the years, and deservedly so. It's hard not to appreciate the raw emotion the now Reverend Green displays as he sings about the perils of being away from his loved one, climaxing in a raspy, high-pitched wail in the fade-out. Those raw vocals seem to work better here than they did in that Dells song from earlier in the show)
12. Smiling Faces Sometimes--Undisputed Truth (Never understood this song. Are they telling us not to trust anyone just because they smile? As far as the "take it or leave it" aspect of certain tunes goes, I'd have to leave this one)
11. Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves--Cher (Four years after "You Better Sit Down Kids", Ms. "Snap out of it!!" makes a triumphant comeback with this goofy guilty pleasure of a tune. No socially-conscious messages here, just a fun little number to sit back and enjoy)
10. Sweet City Woman--Stampeders (Interesting blend of styles here. They're from Canada, they play country-rock and this tune has a slight West Indian flavor ito it. I liked this one better when I was younger, but it's still a decent, good-time tune)
9. Ain't No Sunshine--Bill Withers (Another of my all-time favorites from this show!!! A wonderfully-crafted song that sounds as fresh today as it did the day it was first recorded. Not unlike "So Far Away" in its simple, acoustic arrrangement and passionate yet unembellished vocals. Another true classic!!)
8. If You Really Love Me--Stevie Wonder (Love this one!! One of Stevie's most enjoyable tunes, and well-deserving of its place among this show's Top 10)
7. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey--Paul and Linda McCartney (Classic, Truly classic!!! Probably one of Paul's most "progressive" styled numbers from his post-Beatle era. Its melding of different musical pieces into one song may have paved the way for "Bohemian Rhapsody" and also no doubt inspired the creation of 10cc with their unique musical style. I enjoy hearing this one whenever I have a chance)
6. Do You Know What I Mean--Lee Michaels (Here's a great, good-time rocker that reminds me of the stuff J. Geils Band did some years later. Impressive keyboard work and gutsy vocals make this another classic tune)
5. Go Away Little Girl--Donny Osmond (Very nice job by the future "Captain Purple" on this old Steve Lawrence hit. Of all the "remakes" on this show, this one is my favorite)
4. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down--Joan Baez (One of the key voices in the 60s-"folk-rock" wave, and deservedly so. Joan's vocals here are hauntingly beautiful, and that catchy "Da-da-da...." chorus is a nice, light-hearted touch. Awesome!!)
3. Yo-Yo--Osmonds (Donny's back....and this time his brothers have tagged along for this high-energy rock'n'soul number. Pegged by some as a "white Jackson 5", they practically make the J-5 sound almost comatose here with their lung-busting vocals and bold, brassy arrangement. I liked this song better when I was a kid, but even today, it still sounds very impressive)
2. Superstar--Carpenters (Things mellow out yet again with this gorgeous ballad. Karen's vocals here are sweet yet sad, and the orchestratiion is stunning. I always considered Karen Carpenter one of THE greatest voices in popular music, and this song is one of the key reasons why. Another all-time classic)
1. Maggie May--Rod Stewart (Long before Rod the Mod wondered if anyone thought he was sexy, he made a few truly classic pop-rock tunes. This, the most popular song of the week, was arguably THE most classic of them all!! Rod's vocals are tough but tender, and the melody and instrumental arrangement are the greatest I've ever heard in a Rod Stewart song. Nice way to end the show!!! ;D)

[freakyflybry]

November 1, 1980

40: Billy Joel - Sometimes A Fantasy (new) - I like this one, but I prefer his 3 other 1980 songs over this
39: Waylon Jennings - Theme From "The Dukes Of Hazzard" (new) - Quite meh
38: John Lennon - (Just Like) Starting Over (new) - great song! Definitely one of his best
37: Al Stewart - Midnight Rocks (24) - it was okay but kinda forgettable
36: AC/DC - You Shook Me All Night Long (39) - great song! It's amazing how they still sound the same today... I'm surprised give its continued popularity that this song didn't peak very high (and in fact, didn't make the R&R chart at all)
35: Jimmy Hall - I'm Happy That Love Has Found You (new) - not bad but kinda forgettable
34: George Benson - Give Me The Night (28) - "Turn Your Love Around" was better but this is okay too
33: Anne Murray - Could I Have This Dance? (35) - I actually don't mind this but I prefer "You Needed Me"
32: Neil Diamond - Love On The Rocks (new) - He had some good songs... but this wasn't one of them.
31: Christopher Cross - Never Be The Same (40) - I like this one... one of my favourites from him
30: Roger Daltrey - Without Your Love (38) - Not a fan of this, I generally prefer him with The Who
29: Paul Simon - Late In The Evening (18) - One of my favourite solo songs from him
28: The Rolling Stones - She's So Cold (32) - I like this one, but it's not one of my favourites from them
27: Olivia Newton-John & ELO - Xanadu (17) - This is quite good... one of Olivia's best
26: Stacy Lattisaw - Let Me Be Your Angel (29) - not a fan of this one, it was kinda boring
25: Pat Benatar - Hit Me With Your Best Shot (33) - great song! Good to see there's some 80's-sounding stuff on here, I really like most of Pat's stuff
LDD: Billy Joel - You May Be Right [1980] - Great song! I like this better than the Billy song on the chart at the time.
24: Jackson Browne - That Girl Could Sing (27) - I normally like him, but this song wasn't anything special
23: Irene Cara - Out Here On My Own (25) - Ballads just didn't seem to work for her, I prefer her upbeat songs
22: Willie Nelson - On The Road Again (22) - It's nothing really special but not awful either
21: Hall & Oates - You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling (23) - this is one case where a remake was pulled off very well, as I think I like this one better than the Righteous Brothers version
20: Leo Sayer - More Than I Can Say (26) - I like this but prefer songs like "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" and "Living In A Fantasy"
19: Devo - Whip It (21) - great song! One of the catchiest songs on the chart
18: Eddie Rabbitt - Drivin' My Life Away (13) - I prefer "I Love A Rainy Night" but this is good too
17: Supertramp - Dreamer (Live) (20) - I prefer the studio version, but it sounded good live too. Their best stuff from me is their 1979 hits
16: Kenny Loggins - I'm Alright (09) - I usually like Kenny's stuff a lot... and this song is a perfect example of that
15: The Jacksons - Lovely One (19) - This one isn't bad but I prefer their 1970 hits
14: Boz Scaggs - Look What You've Done To Me (14) - not a fan of this one, but I do like his upbeat songs
13: Cliff Richard - Dreaming (16) - "Devil Woman" and "We Don't Talk Anymore" were better but this is good too
12: Air Supply - All Out Of Love (08) - I'm not supposed to like them, but for some reason, I do. This song's pretty good despite the cheese factor
11: Carly Simon - Jesse (12) - Give me her 70's stuff over this any day!
10: Stevie Wonder - Master Blaster (15) - A cool, Bob Marley-influenced song... but I like most of his other big hits more
09: Diana Ross - I'm Coming Out (11) - cool song! But I prefer it when Notorious B.I.G. sampled it.
08: Stephanie Mills - Never Knew Love Like This Before (10) - I actually don't mind this one
07: Diana Ross - Upside Down (04) - I prefer this over her other song in the top 10
LDD: The Commodores - Three Times A Lady [1978] - I like this but it's not a song I want to hear too often
06: Donna Summer - The Wanderer (07) - I like this song but it's one of my least favourites from her
05: The Doobie Brothers - Real Love (05) - I prefer most of their other hits... this one's just ok, nothing special
04: Kenny Rogers - Lady (06) - No. Just no.
03: The Pointer Sisters - He's So Shy (03) - I like this one, one of my favourites from them
02: Queen - Another One Bites The Dust (02) - excellent song! The bass line is classic
01: Barbra Streisand - Woman In Love (01) [Second week at #1] - I'm not generally a fan of hers, but I think this song's pretty good. Definitely my favourite solo song from her, but I do prefer some of her duets.

[mkarns]

December 24 (and 31), 1983:

40: IN THE MOOD - ROBERT PLANT (lush, synth-dominated production, as with "Big Log", is not what most might expect from Plant but he further demonstrates his versatility)
39: BABY I LIED - DEBORAH ALLEN (country/pop hit, though the production is very much 80s AC pop. Allen's vocal style manages to countrify it)
38: THINK OF LAURA - CHRISTOPHER CROSS (No thanks. Cross produced some good mellow pop hits before, but this is just plain boring.)
37: WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT - NAKED EYES (I liked their two earlier hits better, but this one's OK.)
36: HEART AND SOUL - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (Excellent; they really hit their stride here.)
35: THE SIGN OF FIRE - THE FIXX (two previous hits were better, but this is still good)
34: GOLD - SPANDAU BALLET (good uptempo follow up to "True")
33: STAY WITH ME TONIGHT - JEFFREY OSBORNE (good rock-edged R&B)
32: THE CURLY SHUFFLE - JUMP 'N THE SADDLE (the countdown's comic relief. Liked how Casey called Curly possibly the first breakdancer during the explanatory Three Stooges story.)
31: HOLIDAY - MADONNA (fun dance hit, but is it going to launch the sort of career that people will still be paying attention to in 25 years or so? )
30: AIN'T NOBODY - RUFUS WITH CHAKA KHAN (excellent)
29: PINK HOUSES - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (one of many good slice-of-Americana hits from him.)
28: I STILL CAN'T GET OVER LOVING YOU - RAY PARKER, JR. (kinda meh; clever quoting of the Police's "Every Breath You Take" was most memorable part.)
27: THAT'S ALL - GENESIS (again meh; OK but they've done better)
26: TIME WILL REVEAL - DeBARGE (nice, though El should go easier on the falsetto)
25: IF I'D BEEN THE ONE - .38 SPECIAL (very good)
24: CRUMBLIN' DOWN - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP ("Pink Houses" was more interesting lyrically, but this is still very good, with a strong beat)
23: READ 'EM AND WEEP - BARRY MANILOW (Barry Manilow as Meat Loaf? Actually worked surprisingly well IMO. Jim Steinman's typically dramatic writing and production made this pretty exciting to listen to, in a sense. There are other Manilow songs that I can tolerate but this is the only one I actually like.)
22: JOANNA - KOOL & THE GANG (I like their faster stuff better, but this is OK)
21: RUNNING WITH THE NIGHT - LIONEL RICHIE (noticeably faster and harder edged than what we usually associate with him; atmospheric lyrics and production)
20: IN A BIG COUNTRY - BIG COUNTRY (Why didn't they have more hits? One of the countdown's best.)
19: WHY ME - IRENE CARA (great uptempo dance number; one of only two non-soundtrack top 40 hits from her.)
18: ISLANDS IN THE STREAM - KENNY ROGERS WITH DOLLY PARTON (a certain kitsch factor here perhaps, but nice and sentimental if lightweight.)
17: KARMA CHAMELEON - CULTURE CLUB (also some kitschy appeal, but an enjoyable if overplayed song)
16: SYNCHRONICITY II - THE POLICE (great. Should have gone top 10 as did the other singles from that album.)
15: CUM ON FEEL THE NOIZE - QUIET RIOT (great rocker that should have been a hit for Slade a decade earlier--as it was in Britain--but QR does it justice)
14: MAJOR TOM (COMING HOME) - PETER SCHILLING (like the fast tempo and atmospheric feel, along with the interesting lyrics; sort of a "Space Oddity" sequel?)
13: CHURCH OF THE POISON MIND - CULTURE CLUB (interesting Motown-ish feel)
12: TALKING IN YOUR SLEEP - THE ROMANTICS (I like this a lot, better than "What I Like About You", which has been overused in commercials and such over the years; as a result it is probably better known now even though "Talking" was a much bigger hit at the time)
11: I GUESS THAT'S WHY THEY CALL IT THE BLUES - ELTON JOHN (one of his best 1980s ballads)
10: BREAK MY STRIDE - MATTHEW WILDER (pleasant trifle, but I don't quite get why it became such a big hit. I actually prefer the Sean Combs (then "Puff Daddy") hit which swipes the chorus.)
9: UNDERCOVER OF THE NIGHT - ROLLING STONES (good hard edged rocker with what appeared to be an interesting political theme to the lyrics.)
8: TWIST OF FATE - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (one of her best)
7: LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD - PAT BENATAR (also great)
6: UPTOWN GIRL - BILLY JOEL (successful adaptation of the Four Seasons' sound)
5: ALL NIGHT LONG - LIONEL RICHIE (overplayed but still good; I actually like this better than most of the ballads that Lionel is usually identified with)
4: OWNER OF A BROKEN HEART - YES (known until then for prog-rock, they made a surprisingly successful foray into the synth-based production and beats for 80s pop radio, though a little of Jon Anderson's voice goes a long way for me.)
3: UNION OF THE SNAKE - DURAN DURAN (memorable chorus and great playing/production; the title and lyrics make no sense but who cares?)
2: SAY IT ISN'T SO - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (they seemed to take a somewhat harder production edge here than some of their earlier hits. Works very well.)
1: SAY SAY SAY - PAUL McCARTNEY & MICHAEL JACKSON (a very good song by most standards, though in all honesty both artists have done better. Still fun and very well sung and produced.)

[laura]

Props to mkarns for reviving this lol

40: IN THE MOOD - ROBERT PLANT (a very soft song and nice synth work. A local classic rock station plays this song with a rather lengthy intro that makes me think of "Alive and Kicking" by Simple Minds)
39: BABY I LIED - DEBORAH ALLEN (I was rather suprised to find out that this was a country song. Wasn't feeling this one too much)
38: THINK OF LAURA - CHRISTOPHER CROSS (Aww, you shouldn't have LOL! Even though I love the title, it's a bit too mellow)
37: WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT - NAKED EYES (This one I was not really fond of when I heard it)
36: HEART AND SOUL - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (A really good poppy song. One of their best.)
35: THE SIGN OF FIRE - THE FIXX ("One Thing Leads To Another" and "Are We Ourselves" are altogether way better)
34: GOLD - SPANDAU BALLET (Too mehish for my taste)
33: STAY WITH ME TONIGHT - JEFFREY OSBORNE (very catchy stuff that should have done a bit better than it acutally did)
32: THE CURLY SHUFFLE - JUMP 'N THE SADDLE (After a few serious songs, you must have one that injects humor into the countdown. A really funny treat.)
31: HOLIDAY - MADONNA (Her first time out, but still a fun song, though her improved has since greatly improved )
30: AIN'T NOBODY - RUFUS WITH CHAKA KHAN (Yet another song that definitely should have done much better.)
29: PINK HOUSES - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (A fantastic song that describes the lives of rural Americans.)
28: I STILL CAN'T GET OVER LOVING YOU - RAY PARKER, JR. (Never liked his slow songs, and this is no exception.)
27: THAT'S ALL - GENESIS (A fun-sounding song, not what you'd expect from them)
26: TIME WILL REVEAL - DeBARGE (A good R&B song)
25: IF I'D BEEN THE ONE - .38 SPECIAL (IMHO, underrated.)
24: CRUMBLIN' DOWN - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (A nice rocker to balance out the lighter "Pink Houses")
23: READ 'EM AND WEEP - BARRY MANILOW (Never liked Barry Manilow and still never will.)
22: JOANNA - KOOL & THE GANG (I rather their more dancy stuff)
21: RUNNING WITH THE NIGHT - LIONEL RICHIE (The tempo and style are different from what you usually hear from him, but nonetheless great production)
20: IN A BIG COUNTRY - BIG COUNTRY (A really great pop-rock song with a bit of Irish-Scottish flavor to it.)
19: WHY ME - IRENE CARA (A really great dancey number, but alas did not do as good as her soundtrack songs.)
18: ISLANDS IN THE STREAM - KENNY ROGERS WITH DOLLY PARTON (Took a while for me to catch on to this one. I prefer the sample from "Ghetto Superstar".)
17: KARMA CHAMELEON - CULTURE CLUB (The harmonica parts were oddly catchy, and the instrumentation is groovy)
16: SYNCHRONICITY II - THE POLICE (A great rocker that is underrated compared to their other songs from the album, and it makes me fear Nessy more.)
15: CUM ON FEEL THE NOIZE - QUIET RIOT (A rocking tune and their only really big hit. The band who originally did this song, Slade, would hit the 40 a year later with "Run Runaway".)
14: MAJOR TOM (COMING HOME) - PETER SCHILLING (Spacey lyrics and solid production make this song really good.)
13: CHURCH OF THE POISON MIND - CULTURE CLUB (A fun uptempo song.)
12: TALKING IN YOUR SLEEP - THE ROMANTICS (I absolutely love this song, though a lot of people seem to remember "What I Like About You" more than this one.)
11: I GUESS THAT'S WHY THEY CALL IT THE BLUES - ELTON JOHN (A wonderful ballad with an early rock-n-roll sounding beat.)
10: BREAK MY STRIDE - MATTHEW WILDER (A really great song with a really fun beat.)
9: UNDERCOVER OF THE NIGHT - ROLLING STONES (Very rocking, but I only heard this song once.)
8: TWIST OF FATE - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (Very danceable and fun-sounding.)
7: LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD - PAT BENATAR (A wonderful song that is very memorable. I remember singing this song in my cousin's car!)
6: UPTOWN GIRL - BILLY JOEL (One of my faves from Billy Joel. Love The Four Seasons inspired sound.)
5: ALL NIGHT LONG - LIONEL RICHIE (It's pretty boring, but very bouncy.)
4: OWNER OF A BROKEN HEART - YES (A nice crossover from prog rock to pop, and the production, which I believe was from Trevor Horn, is really solid and spontaneous.)
3: UNION OF THE SNAKE - DURAN DURAN (One of their best songs.)
2: SAY IT ISN'T SO - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (A nice and edgy song from them, and also another really wonderful one from them too.)
1: SAY SAY SAY - PAUL McCARTNEY & MICHAEL JACKSON (An essential tune from the 80s. Very excellent!!!)

[vto66]

Here's my recap for SiriusXM's "American Top 40" from December 16, 1972:

40. Los Paraguoys--Rod Stewart (According to AT40 lore, "Angel" should have been played as the No. 40 song here. I had not heard this one before, but I thought it was pretty cool, especially those Latin-style brass riffs toward the end.)
39. What Am I Crying For--Dennis Yost and Classics IV (Another one I hadn't heard before. This one was pretty good)
38. Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight--James Taylor (Definitely not my favorite James Taylor song. It starts out nice and mellow, but it gets a little too jazzy toward the end for my own personal tastes.)
37. You're So Vain--Carly Simon (Classic Carly!!! A fun little pop rocker with some guy who sounds an awful lot like Mick Jagger on backup vocals!! Wanna know something scary...When I first heard this song when I was a kid, I actually thought this song was about ME!!!!! ;D)
36. Sunny Days--Lighthouse (Pleasaant little tune. I like this one much better than "One Fine Morning")
35. I Didn't Know I Loved You--Gary Glitter (Otherwise known as "Rock & Roll Part 3." A catchy, upbeat rocker that had me stomping and shouting along)
34. Alive--Bee Gees (Not to be confused with "Stayin' Alive", their dance-floor anthem from a few years later, this is not one of their more memorable tunes, but it's still a pretty good ballad)
33. If I Could Reach You--Fifth Dimension (Classic ballad!!! One of 5D's all-time greatest songs, featuring some stirring tear-jerking vocals from Marilyn McCoo)
32. I Wanna Be With You--Raspberries (Another great one!! This sounds to me like the type of song The Beatles would have recorded had they hung on for a few more years, or like the type of song Wings should have recorded. Anyway, it was good to hear this one again)
31. Been to Canaan--Carole King (One of my all-time favorite Carole King songs. This one has a nice, mellow feel to it that puts me in a relaxed mood. I actually like this one better than some of King's bigger hits)
30. I'll Be Around--Spinners (Classic song, truly wonderful!! Great singing, great playing and great lyrics!! One of the definitive "Philly Soul" numbers.)
29. I'd Love You To Want Me--Lobo (Nice and sweet. Another all-time fave of mine.)
28. Pieces Of April--(Decent change-of-pace number for a group better remembered for upbeat, energetic rockers like "Joy To The World" and "Black & White." I wish this had been a bigger hit)
27. Superstition--Stevie Wonder (Little Stevie grows up and gets all down, dirty 'n funky!!! A true classic that still sounds fresh today)
26. Long Dark Road--Hollies (This one's OK. Not as well-known as, say, "Long Cool Woman", "He Ain't Heavy" or "Carrie-Anne", but it's a decent pop-rock tune with some cool harmonica work)
25. Dialogue--Chicago (I found this one quite interesting, with the two vocalists trading lines with a socially-conscious tone to them accompanied by their trademark brass-rock sound)
24. Your Mama Don't Dance--Loggins and Messina (One of the few songs on this show I did not care for. I preferred their version of "Danny's Song" which I believe was from this same period, and should have been the hit)
23. Sitting--Cat Stevens (Cat's singing here seems a bit harder-edged than it had been on his previous hits, but it's still a decent piece of passionate folk-rock)
22. Operator--Jim Croce (A talented performer taken from us way too soon, he made quite a few great songs, and this was no exception!)
21. Walk On Water--Neil Diamond (One of Neil's more "progressive" sounding numbers. I haven't heard this one very often, not since it first came out, in fact. I actually consider it a "lost classic" in that sense)
20. Living In The Past--Jethro Tull (Ahh, the notorious Jethro Tull with their famed flute-tooting leader Ian Anderson!! Probably one of their most tolerable songs, if not THE most tolerable.)
19. Summer Breeze--Seals & Crofts (Their first hit, and also their best!! this song reminds me of sitting in a chair on a back porch with a Dr. Pepper and enjoying the warm summer air. An all-time mellow rock classic.)
18. Corner Of The Sky--Jackson 5 (Ehh..I can take this one or leave it. It's no "ABC", "I'll Be There" or even "Shake Your Body", for that matter. I actually thought Barry "Greg Brady" Williams did a better job on this song on the notorious Brady Bunch variety special from a few years later)
17. Keeper Of The Castle--Four Tops (Another "take it or leave it" moment for me. Not as memorable as their Motown classics from the previous decade, or their later hits "Ain't No Woman" and "When She Was My Girl."
16. Sweet Surrender--Bread (Decent tune, on a par with most of their other hits)
15. Superfly--Curtis Mayfield (One of the funkiest tunes on this show, along with "Superstition." Very catchy and, at least musically, upbeat.)
14. Crazy Horses--The Osmonds (Very interesting, "change of pace" number for Donny and the boys. A funky rocker with those notorious horse-whinny guitar riffs. I loved this as a kid but now consider it more of a "guilty pleasure."
13. Something's Wrong With Me--Austin Roberts (I always liked this song. Probably should have done better than "Rocky" chart-wise. Great singing and orchestration. If I'm not mistaken, I think Austin was also the singing voice of Bamm-Bamm Rubble on "Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm" around the time this record was a hit.)
12. Funny Face--Donna Fargo (Love this one!!!! A pleasant slice of country-pop balladry and one of the best examples of how to do a country-pop ballad right. Donna's vocals are passionate and emotional, without being too over-the-top. She knew exactly when to hold back and when to stretch out, and she sure could teach Carrie, LeAnn, Faith and a few other "modern country divas" a thing or ten!!! ;D
11. Rockin' Pneumonia--Johnny Rivers (This one truly does rock!!! One of his all-time best!! I love that New Orleans-style vibe in the piano work. A sure-fire cure for a down and depressed mood)
10. I'm Stone In Love With You--Stylistics (Another classic "Philly Soul" ballad. The Stylistics are, in my mind, one of the truly great soul groups ever. Russell Thompkins Jr. is one soul singer who doesn't have to shout to make himself heard, and that's what I love about him. These guys should be in the R&R Hall of Fame.)
9. I Can See Clearly Now--Johnny Nash (Bright, shiny and relentlessly upbeat!!! Another true classic!!! If I'm ever in a bad or sad mood, this is one of those songs that never fails to snap me out of it and has me believing that things will indeed get better.)
8. Ventura Highway--America (Great mellow-rock number. One of their best)
7. Clair--Gilbert O'Sullivan (YES!!!!!!! One of my all-time faves by this guy!!! A truly-classic piece of good-old-fashioned, slightly dopey Seventies pop. Well-sung, well-performed, and well-crafted, right down to those girlish giggles at the very end.
6. Papa Was A Rolling Stone--Temptations (I used to love this song, but now I find it a bit spooky and creepy. Another experiment by a mainstream act to do a more "progressive'-styled number. Some regard this as a classic, but I prefer "Just My Imagination."
5. It Never Rains In Southern California--Albert Hammond (Now this is more like it!! Great song, still sounds wonderful after all these years!!)
4. You Ought To Be With Me--Al Green (My favorite Al Green song. I'm a sucker for those descending guitar licks throughout this tune, and Green's vocals are passionate and pleasant)
3. If You Don't Know Me By Now--Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes (No, that's not Harold Melvin belting his heart out here on this number, but rather, Teddy Pendergrass. I'm normally not too crazy for the raw style of singing as displayed by Teddy on this number, but the string-laden "Philly Soul" orchestration helps soften a few of those rough edges. Mick Hucknall and Simply Red did an admirable job of remaking this song in 1989, but Hucknall's vocals sound almost limp in comparison to Pendergrass' larynx-busting delivery.
2. I Am Woman--Helen Reddy (The classic "woman's lib" anthem in all its glory!!! This came down from the previous week's No. 1 spot. As a man, I know I'm probably supposed to hate this song, but I regard it as a true pop classic. Reddy would gain notoriety the following year by referring to God as "She" in her Grammy acceptance speech, but then again, God can be whatever we want God to be)
1. Me And Mrs. Jones--Billy Paul (My most unfavorite song on this week's chart, and here it is, all the way at the top!! Oh, well, there were so many other great songs on the AT40 show this week, that this doesn't exactly ruin it for me. What don't I like about this song? It seems to glorify the whole sordid idea of two people, married to others, having an affair. That, and it stopped one of my favorite songs from this chart ("Clair") from hitting No. 1. Thanks a lot, Billy!!!!! But still, this was one of the better Classic AT40 shows I've heard in a while. Lots of great music.

[mkarns]

12/26/87 (and 1/2/88, given the "freezing" of the year end charts at that time):

40: PUSH IT – SALT-N-PEPA (history making first female rap top 40 hit; looms larger in history now and still holds up.)
39: WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS – THE PET SHOP BOYS & DUSTY SPRINGFIELD (excellent pairing and song)
38: EVERYWHERE – FLEETWOOD MAC (nice and catchy, if a bit lightweight)
37: MOTORTOWN – THE KANE GANG (don't remember it; nothing too special)
36: HONESTLY - STRYPER (sincere if somewhat wimpy rock ballad)
35: POP GOES THE WORLD – MEN WITHOUT HATS (one of the clinkers in this countdown. "The Safety Dance" was brilliant, but I thought this was dumb.)
34: DON’T SHED A TEAR - PAUL CARRACK (excellent)
33: SAY YOU WILL - FOREIGNER (meh; kind of overproduced)
32: TRUE FAITH – NEW ORDER (great)
31: I LIVE FOR YOUR LOVE – NATALIE COLE (her prior and follow up uptempo hits were better, but Natalie sings this well as always)
30: TUNNEL OF LOVE – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (great title track from a somewhat underrated album, IMO)
29: SHOULD’VE KNOWN BETTER – RICHARD MARX (one of his best. I like this better than his ballads)
28: WE’LL BE TOGETHER – STING (good song by an artist who was able to have hits with thoughtful songs during this rather fluffy period for music)
27: POWER OF LOVE – LAURA BRANIGAN (excellent; as good as or better than Celine Dion's 1990s version which was a much bigger hit)
26: I WANT TO BE YOUR MAN - ROGER (crossover hit for R&B star worked well; vocoder provides a nice touch without being overdone)
25: HUNGRY EYES (FROM “DIRTY DANCING”) – ERIC CARMEN (somewhat bland, but Carmen sings it well)
24: THAT’S WHAT LOVE IS ALL ABOUT – MICHAEL BOLTON (No thanks, though this was before Bolton got overexposed and overreliant on covers)
23: I COULD NEVER TAKE THE PLACE OF YOUR MAN - PRINCE (great)
22: CRAZY - ICEHOUSE (kind of a left field hit, and quite nice)
21: (I’VE HAD) THE TIME OF MY LIFE – BILL MEDLEY & JENNIFER WARNES (song holds up well despite some overplay with time; association with extended closing dance scenes in "Dirty Dancing" helps)
20: SEASONS CHANGE - EXPOSE (very good. For a dance-oriented act, Expose could do ballads very well)
19: ANIMAL – DEF LEPPARD (it's Def Leppard, so it's gotta be good IMO, though bigger and better hits were still to come)
18: THERE’S THE GIRL - HEART (OK, but most of their other hits of this period were better)
17: HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH – BELINDA CARLISLE (excellent)
16: COULD’VE BEEN - TIFFANY ("I Think We're Alone Now" was better; this was mega-popular around the junior high school at the time but doesn't hold up for me today.)
15: HAZY SHADE OF WINTER – THE BANGLES (great; I actually like this better than the Simon & Garfunkel version, despite the deletion of the "vodka and lime" line)
14: DUDE (LOOKS LIKE A LADY) – AEROSMITH (raw but polished rocker that built on "Walk This Way" to establish one of rock's most impressive comebacks)
13: CANDLE IN THE WIND – ELTON JOHN (live version of Marilyn Monroe tribute song; I like this better than either the studio version or the mega-selling 1997 Princess Diana rewrite)
12: TELL IT TO MY HEART – TAYLOR DAYNE (promising debut hit for an excellent singer whose later material got more interesting)
11: VALERIE – STEVE WINWOOD (good song that originally charted in the early 80s, but didn't hit the top 40 then; in 1987 it was remixed and became the hit it deserved to be)
10: NEED YOU TONIGHT - INXS (cool, stylish rocker from one of the more innovative rock bands of the period)
9: CHERRY BOMB – JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (good folk-rocker)
8: CATCH ME (I’M FALLING) (FROM THE FILM “HIDING OUT”) – PRETTY POISON (meh; somewhat catchy but routine dance pop)
7: THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL – MICHAEL JACKSON (perhaps the best of his "Bad" singles; strong beat and singing without overdone production or guest appearances)
6: DON’T YOU WANT ME – JODY WATLEY (very good)
5: SHAKE YOUR LOVE – DEBBIE GIBSON (a trifle but an enjoyable one, from a talented artist who as a teen wrote all her songs herself)
4: GOT MY MIND SET ON YOU – GEORGE HARRISON (one of the best on this show, and a well deserved comeback hit)
3: IS THIS LOVE - WHITESNAKE (liked it for a short time then; still OK now)
2: SO EMOTIONAL – WHITNEY HOUSTON (one of her best, and harder-edged, hits of this period. Became the first #1 of 1988)
1: FAITH – GEORGE MICHAEL (rockabilly-flavored tune that was an interesting change from the R&B dance/pop he usually put out at this time; managed to be both catchy and thoughtful. Very good.)

[reachinforthestars]

Dec 22, 2008 14:35:44 GMT -5 mkarns said:

12/26/87 (and 1/2/88, given the "freezing" of the year end charts at that time):

27: POWER OF LOVE – LAURA BRANIGAN (excellent; as good as or better than Celine Dion's 1990s version which was a much bigger hit)

Song originally charted in 1985 for Air Supply and then for Jennifer Rush in 1986, but neither made the top 40. How would I know this? Because I really dislike the song and it terrorized me on four different occasions by four different artists. Thankfully, I had pretty much stopped listening to radio by the time Celine Dion's horrible version was released.

[mmb]

Here's my reply on this countdown:

CASEY KASEM’S AMERICAN TOP 40 - 1971 YEAR END COUNTDOWN

40: NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE - JACKSON FIVE (cute, believe it or not written by Clifton Davis of THAT'S MY MAMA & AMEN)

39: GYPSY'S TRAMPS & THIEVES - CHER (Cher's voice overall can be monotonous at times, but this is one of her best songs)

38: RAINY DAYS & MONDAYS - CARPENTERS (sappy but listenable, co-written by Paul Williams)

37: HELP ME MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT -SAMMI SMITH (always had trouble with this song, written by Kris Kristofferson)

36: IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND - GORDON LIGHTFOOT (love Gordon's voice, one of his first big hits)

35: FOR ALL ME KNOW - CARPENTERS (again another sappy song, but the Carpenters always seem to hit the right notes, from the movie LOVERS AND OTHER STRANGERS)

34: CHICK A BOOM - DADDY DEWDROP (kind of corny, sounds like something Chuck Barris would sing)

33: PUT YOUR HAND IN THE HAND - OCEAN (like this song, but as a kid, I pictured the male singer to look like the Vic Tayback cook in those old Ajax Dishwasher ads from the 70's)

32: SWEET & INNOCENT - DONNY OSMOND (never crazy about Donny's early material)

31: MY SWEET LORD - GEORGE HARRISON (was potent then and still potent today, that lawsuit was ridiculous, they really don't sound alike)

30: SUPERSTAR - CARPENTERS (haunting rendition of the Leon Russell/Bonnie Bramlett composition)

29: TEMPTATION EYES - GRASS ROOTS (I like this song, it's the kind of song you want to hear back-to-back 3 or 4 times)

28: AMOS MOSES - JERRY REED (love it, always been a fan of Jerry Reed, even in later stuff like SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT and THE WATERBOY)

27: JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR - MURRAY HEAD (while I have Christian beliefs, I thought this was overblown)

26: I'VE FOUND SOMEONE OF MY OWN - FREE MOVEMENT (love it, good childhood memories)

25: SHE'S A LADY - TOM JONES (fun, written by Paul Anka)

24: SIGNS - FIVE MAN ELECTRICAL BAND (has a Three Dog Night sound, but still good, later remade by Tesla)

23: AIN'T NO SUNSHINE - BILL WITHERS (still a great song, written by Booker T. Jones)

22: UNCLE ALBERT & ADMIRAL HALSEY - PAUL & LINDA McCARTNEY (Uncle Albert sequence is too dreary, but the Admiral Halsey sequence is fun, reminiscent of a mid-60's Beatles hit)

21: WHAT'S GOIN' ON - MARVIN GAYE (overplayed, but the message is still potent, though in truth more people would rather hate and kill then show love and compassion)

20: THE NIGHT THEY DROVE OLD DIXIE DOWN - JOAN BAEZ (nice folksy rendition of Robbie Robertson's classic storytelling of a South soldier)

19: DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN - LEE MICHAELS (fun, organ like song in the tradition of a Tommy James and the Shondells song)

18: MR. BIG STUFF - JEAN KNIGHT (not a song I would play if it were on my playlist, but listenable and fun)

17: YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND - JAMES TAYLOR (in my opinion, his version of Carole King's composition is far superior to the songwriter's version)

16: BROWN SUGAR - ROLLING STONES (still a rocker after all these years)

15: TREAT HER LIKE A LADY - CORNELIUS BROTHERS & SISTER ROSE (over recent years, this song has become a toetapper for my feet)

14: SMILING FACES SOMETIMES - UNDISPUTED TRUTH (still a potent song and the inspiration for the O'Jays' BACK STABBERS)

13: WANT-ADS - HONEY CONE (listenable, would make a pretty good remake for either the girl thingycat Dolls or The Cheetah Girls)

12: TIRED OF BEING ALONE - AL GREEN (as a boy, I pictured Mr. Green to look like comedian Buddy Hackett when I first heard his voice lol. As for the song, OK, LET'S STAY TOGETHER and HERE I AM are some of my favorites from the Rev.)

11: ME & BOBBY McGEE - JANIS JOPLIN (for some reason, I don't care much for this version of the Kris Kristofferson composition)

10: KNOCK THREE TIMES - TONY ORLANDO & DAWN (not bad, I appreciate it more for Bill Murray's rendition of it in the movie MAD DOG & GLORY)

9: JUST MY IMAGINATION (RUNNIN' AWAY WITH ME) - TEMPTATIONS (my least favorite Temptations song)

8: TAKE ME HOME, COUNTRY ROADS - JOHN DENVER WITH FAT CITY (still like this song, btw FAT CITY would later evolve into the STARLAND VOCAL BAND)

7: GO AWAY LITTLE GIRL - DONNY OSMOND (see number 32)

6: INDIAN RESERVATION - PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS (back to my boy thoughts, I would think of smelly feet when I hear the beat of this song, but the lyrics are powerful, I enjoy hearing the "myth" behind this song by the writer John D. Loudermilk)

5: HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART - BEE GEES (still sounds good after 38 years)

4: ONE BAD APPLE - THE OSMONDS (the less said about the Osmonds, the better)

3: IT'S TOO LATE - CAROLE KING (while I'm partial to JAZZMAN, this song is great, a girl comes to mind especially on the bridge prior to the chorus)

2: MAGGIE MAY - ROD STEWART (was great then and is great now, if not for the next song, this would be number one for 1971)

1: JOY TO THE WORLD - THREE DOG NIGHT (a Hoyt Axton composition, some call it blasphemous, but I can still enjoy this song and have fun with the lyrics)

Thanks for viewing.

THE MALE MEDUSAN BILZRAT

[mrjukebox]

Here's an interesting piece of trivia:Hoyt Axton & his mother Mae are the only two songwriters in history to have a particular song be #1 for the entire year-In 1956,Mae Axton wrote "Heartbreak Hotel" which became Elvis Presley's breakthrough smash-Fifteen years later in 1971,her son Hoyt wrote "Joy To The World",which wound up being the biggest hit for Three Dog Night.

[mrjukebox]

The above information came from Fred Bronson's "Billboard Book Of Number One Hits"-Might as well give credit where credit is due.

[mrjukebox]

"Indian Reservation" was orginally a hit for a British singer named Don Farndon in 1968-It appears on a CD compilation called "Dick Bartley Presents:Collector's Essentials The 1960's"-Yes,that's the same Dick Bartley who hosts the live Saturday night show "Rock & Roll's Greatest Hits"-Call Dick up & perhaps he'll play Farndon's version.