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Post by davewollenberg on Apr 4, 2020 7:05:10 GMT -5
Has Premiere let 'Father figure' play in its entirety? More often than not, they cut out the 2nd verse.
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Post by OnWithTheCountdown on Apr 4, 2020 8:33:46 GMT -5
My response can be found in this thread, where it should be.
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Post by Hervard on Apr 9, 2020 17:07:00 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - April 11, 2020
This week's presentation - April 14, 1979
Droppers: EVERYTIME I THINK OF YOU - THE BABYS (36) - They had two Top 20 hits on the Hot 100, and this is my favorite of the two (though "Isn't It Time" is also a great one). CRAZY LOVE - POCO (33) - One of two songs that they charted with in 1979. I like both about the same, but neither of them hold a candle to "Nothin' To Hide" - by far my favorite Poco song. BIG SHOT - BILLY JOEL (31) - Based on this song's initial chart action, it looked like this might be a big Top Five like "My Life", but the song only got as high as #14 and spent only six weeks in the Top 40. His next hit, "Honesty" hit a similar brick wall a few months later. Indeed, 52nd Street was a huge seller, but was definitely not his best singles album. DON'T CRY OUT LOUD - MELISSA MANCHESTER (29) - People sure got tired of this one quickly, as two weeks ago, this was in the Top Ten (though, from the way it looks, this song might have just made it by the skin of its teeth). Of her three Top Ten hits, this was definitely my favorite, though her first, "Midnight Blue" is a great one as well.
LW#3: TRAGEDY - BEE GEES LW#2: WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES - THE DOOBIE BROTHERS LW#1: I WILL SURVIVE - GLORIA GAYNOR 40: ROCK AND ROLL FANTASY - BAD COMPANY (debut) - I remember hearing this one on the jukebox near the concession stands at the beach, where I went nearly everyday back in the summer of 1979. It's not bad, but I prefer a few others from them. 39: HAPPINESS - THE POINTER SISTERS (debut) - Interesting story about how their minister threatened to kick them out of his church if they sang secular music. As for the song, it wasn't bad, but I preferred their Top Ten song from earlier in the year. 38: ROLLER - APRIL WINE (debut) - The second of three Top 40 hits here in the States from this Canadian band. It was pretty good, but I preferred their next hit "Just Between You And Me", which would chart two years later. 37: RUBBER BISCUIT - THE BLUES BROTHERS (37) - Meh, this song was mildly amusing, but also kind of annoying (especially the unintelligible refrain). In any case, I preferred their cover of "Gimme Some Lovin'" from the following summer. 36: ROXANNE - THE POLICE (40) - Meh, I don't really care for their 70s hit, which were more rock-based than their later hits. I actually prefer "Every Breath You Take" over this one, which says a lot. 35: CRAZY LOVE - THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND (39) - The second of two songs by that title that charted during 1979 (the other, of course, falls out of this week's countdown). This song featured their usual southern rock sound. It was a pretty good song, but I preferred other songs from them, such as "Ramblin' Man" and "Straight From The Heart". LDD: WHEN I NEED YOU - LEO SAYER - One of two #1 songs that Leo scored with in 1977. It was a good song, but my least favorite of his three 1977 hits. 34: BUSTIN' LOOSE - CHUCK BROWN & THE SOUL SEARCHERS (34) - Meh, this was typical roof-raising R&B. I think you know what I feel about this type of music, right? ARCHIVES: BROTHER LOUIE - STORIES - Originally recorded by Hot Chocolate, it was this Big Apple band that brought it to the charts. I actually kind of liked this song, despite the fact that I'm not a huge fan of faceless pre-1975 music. OPTIONAL EXTRA: DEEPER THAN THE NIGHT - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN - Her second of two hits from 1979. I personally preferred her other one, "A Little More Love", but this wasn't far behind at all, as it was also a great song! 33: RENEGADE - STYX (38) - Another song I remember hearing on the radio a lot back in the day (since Styx is from Chicago, WLS tended to play out a lot of their hits). It was a good, summertime sounding song, but definitely not their best. 32: DISCO NIGHTS (ROCK FREAK) - GQ (debut) - This was the first of two hits (from the same year, no less) from this soul group from the Bronx. This was one of several songs sampled in Kon Kan's 1989 hit "I Beg Your Pardon". I seem to recall that I preferred their other hit, "I Do Love You", which charted later that summer. 31: MAYBE I'M A FOOL - EDDIE MONEY (22) - The only Top 40 hit from Money's sophomore album Life For The Taking, but a great song it was! One of his all-time best! 30: I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S RIGHT - EVELYN "CHAMPAGNE" KING (23) - The second of four Top 40 hits for this singer from the Bronx. It was pretty good, but my favorite song from her would be "Love Come Down". 29: WHAT YOU WON'T DO FOR LOVE - BOBBY CALDWELL (18) - This was his only Top 40 hit, but he had a handful of other AC and smooth jazz hits. This song was covered by Go West in 1993, but I preferred this version. 28: LOVE TAKES TIME - ORLEANS (35) - This was their last of three Top 40 hits, all of which made the Top 20. Actually, they were almost all Top Ten hits, but this one just barely fell short (the song did peak at #7 on the R&R chart, so it performed the hat trick there). This song, which sounds a cross between their other two hits, was my favorite of the three songs, although the others were great ones too. That said, it's too bad they didn't have anymore chart hits. 27: SUPERMAN - HERBIE MANN (28) - This song wasn't bad, despite the fact that it was disco (but it wasn't R&B, so...) 26: HEAVEN KNOWS - DONNA SUMMER w/BROOKLYN DREAMS (14) - As I've said before, "Love Never Felt So Good" by Justin Timberlake & Michael Jackson sounded a lot like this song, which was possibly my favorite of Donna Summer's many 1979 hits. 25: I GOT MY MIND MADE UP - INSTANT FUNK (27) - The only Top 40 hit by this Philly Soul band. I wasn't too crazy about the song, however - the "say what"s were kind of annoying. 24: BLOW AWAY - GEORGE HARRISON (26) - This was Harrison's comeback hit, after two years being away from the chart. It only got as high as #16 on the Hot 100, but it climbed to #4 on the R&R chart. I guess more people bought Harrison's 1979 album, which was self-titled, than they did the single. It was a great song - one of my favorite of Harrison's solo hits. 23: PRECIOUS LOVE - BOB WELCH (25) - Though I preferred Welch's two Top 20 hits from the year before, this was a good one as well. Bummer that he left Fleetwood Mac right before they hit big. ARCHIVES: LET'S GET IT ON - MARVIN GAYE - The second of three #1 hits by this R&B great (don't even ask me how many R&B #1's he'd had by this point, LOL!). This song, which has been used in several commercials IIRC, was a pleasant R&B s low jam). OPTIONAL EXTRA: LOVE YOU INSIDE OUT - THE BEE GEES - This one was said to have been artificially moved to the top, so as to keep their #1 streak alive. Whether or not that is true I have no idea, but nevertheless, this was a good song - my second favorite from Spirits Having Flown behind "Tragedy". 22: LOVE BALLAD - GEORGE BENSON (24) - One of the best jazz guitarists of all time! This was a good song - contained his trademark scat singing. Possibly my favorite of his Top 40 hits, since my favorites from him are generally the ones that didn't quite make the pop chart, but did well at AC (i.e. "Breezin'" and "I Just Want To Hang Around You"). 21: LOVE IS THE ANSWER - ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY (32) - Sadly, this was their final Top 40 hit. Too bad, as all of their hits were great IMO, this one included. I always thought the message in this song was inspirational, so it was no surprise when Christian singer Cindy Morgan did a (great!) cover of this song about twenty years later. 20: SHAKE YOUR BODY (DOWN TO THE GROUND) - THE JACKSONS (30) - Meh, I wasn't a big fan of this one. As I've mentioned before, their earlier material was their best IMO. 19: DA YA THINK I'M SEXY - ROD STEWART (10) - This song had recently completed a four-week run at #1 on the Hot 100. It's not a bad song, but I'll never forgive it for beating out "What A Fool Believes" for R&R's top song of 1979! 18: SHAKE YOUR GROOVE THING - PEACHES & HERB (5) - This was a comeback hit for the duo, as they had charted several times in the late-60s, and the best was yet to come. This song hit the Top Five, and the follow-up, which is my favorite from them, went all the way to the top! 17: TAKE ME HOME - CHER (20) - Ah, Cher's first comeback - the first of at least three. This was a great song, though I prefer a few of her songs from said comebacks (which happened in 1987 and 1998). 16: LIVIN' IT UP - BELL & JAMES (17) - An ideal song for the weekend! 15: HE'S THE GREATEST DANCER - SISTER SLEDGE (19) - A very jiggy song! Not sure if I prefer this or "We Are Family". LDD: GUITAR MAN - BREAD - This was indeed fitting for the LDD, as it was from a woman who had a chance meeting with a guitar player that she wishes she could have gotten to know a little better. 14: IN THE NAVY - THE VILLAGE PEOPLE (21) - As we all know, their biggest hit was one of my "No. Just no" songs (and sometimes it would get a rating even worse than that). This one, on the other hand, I actually really like. Probably because there wasn't a goofy, overdone dance to go along with it (they could have easily done that with the "They want you! They want you! They want you as a new recruit!" chant, but to my best of knowledge, that has not materialized - yet). 13: GOODNIGHT TONIGHT - WINGS (16) - This was the last of their Top Ten hits from the 70s (they would have one more, which would end up becoming one of their biggest hits of all-time, a year later). This was a great song, but I preferred a few others, including said 1980 #1. ARCHIVES: DELTA DAWN - HELEN REDDY - The chorus of this song was obviously inspired by the popular Christian hymn "Amazing Grace". OPTIONAL EXTRA: OLD TIME ROCK & ROLL - BOB SEGER - This song became more well-known after it was featured in Risky Business during Tom Cruise's famous dance in his skivvies. I was never a big fan of the song, though (at least they butchered it pretty good - the playing time was only a minute and a half). 12: I JUST FALL IN LOVE AGAIN - ANNE MURRAY (12) - 1979 was definitely her heyday, as she had three Top 40 singles that year, and bookended the year with two others. This was possibly the best of the bunch, though "Shadows In The Moonlight" would be a close second. 11: I WANT YOUR LOVE - CHIC (13) - Of their four Top Ten hits, this one seems to be the most obscure. It is by far my favorite song from them (possibly because of the lack of overplay). 10: LADY - LITTLE RIVER BAND (10) - As you probably know all too well, this is my all-time favorite song from them! I prefer the album version, which, in some AT40 rebroadcasts, is edited in, but not this week; the chopped down single version that leaves a lot to be desired was featured. 9: STUMBLIN' IN - SUZY QUATRO & CHRIS NORMAN (11) - Pretty much your typical MOR type hit. It was a good one, though nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. 8: HEART OF GLASS - BLONDIE (9) - The first of four #1 songs by them. I preferred "Call Me" and "Rapture", but I liked this and "The Tide Is High" about the same. 7: REUNITED - PEACHES & HERB (15) - This was by far their biggest hit ever, spending the entire month of May at the top. As mentioned earlier, this is also my favorite song from them - one of the best love songs of all time! 6: TRAGEDY - THE BEE GEES (3) - They were still on a hot streak with number one songs. This was one of them, and definitely one of their best, IMO! This song also put the band in a tie for fourth place with the Rolling Stones for the artist with the most #1 songs ever. Of course, they would move into fourth place by themselves three months later. 5: MUSIC BOX DANCER - FRANK MILLS (6) - I heard this song constantly back in 1979 and thought my parents had the radio tuned into the easy listening station. It wasn't until over ten years later when one of my fellow HS choir members was playing it on the piano and I casually asked what it was. When he told me the title, I recognized the title as being a Top 40 hit. I liked this song - the high piano notes indeed make it sound like a music box being set to disco. 4: SULTANS OF SWING - DIRE STRAITS (4) - Their heyday was definitely the mid-80s, but their first hit was actually a few years earlier. Of their charted hits, this would be my favorite. I remember listening to their self-titled album all the time back in the day (in fact, I think the lyrics sheet still has my dirty fingerprints on it). 3: KNOCK ON WOOD - AMII STEWART (7) - As a superstitious person, I find myself doing this quite a lot. As for the song, however, I'm not a big fan. OPTIONAL EXTRA: YOU DECORATED MY LIFE - KENNY ROGERS - Meh, this one was so/so, but it doesn't hold a candle to "She Believes In Me", which it would have made more sense to play, but so it goes. 2: I WILL SURVIVE - GLORIA GAYNOR (1) - Ah, the anthem for abused women Another great disco classic, and one that got a lot of mileage on the charts. This one used to be so/so, but now is one of my favorite disco hits ever! 1; WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES - THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (2) - This was their biggest hit ever, and deservedly so, as it is my all-time favorite from them! Glad that we finally got the show on which this song was #1!
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Post by Hervard on Apr 9, 2020 17:07:11 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - April 11, 2020
This week's presentation - April 10, 1982
Droppers: (Bear with me - this is a long list here!) JUST CAN’T WIN ‘EM ALL – STEVIE WOODS (38) - It does sound a little out of place for 1982 - sound more like something from the late 70s, but it was a good one, IMO. Too bad it climbed no higher than #38. TAKE IT EASY ON ME - LITTLE RIVER BAND (36) - This song was their sixth Top 40 hit. It would also be their last, though two of their hits after this didn't miss the Top Ten by much. This was one of my favorites from them, though my absolute favorite, "Lady", was on this week's 70s A-show. LEADER OF THE BAND – DAN FOGELBERG (35) - One of Fogelberg's story songs that he's famous for. I never used to like this song very much during its chart run, but it has since grown on me - a great song indeed! SPIRITS IN THE MATERIAL WORLD - THE POLICE (34) - There are spirits eating your cereal? Well, ignore them and get yourself another bowl. But seriously, I did like this song a lot. MIRROR MIRROR - DIANA ROSS (33) - This song was co-written by Michael Sembello, of "Maniac" fame, and he offered it to the Pointer Sisters, who rejected it since it was, in their words, "a hokey nursery rhyme". I myself was never a huge fan of the song. TONIGHT I'M YOURS (DON'T HURT ME) - ROD STEWART (31) - The previous week, half of the lower quarter of the chart was pretty clear, as several songs, like this song took very small drops. The law of gravity was setting in this week, however, as six of this week's droppers fell all the way down to the 90s, believe it or not! This was the biggest drop of them all, falling 61 spots to #92! SHAKE IT UP - THE CARS (29) - No huge loss here. Though I would indeed rather hear this than their other Top Five hit, "Drive", this was never one of my personal faves from them. ON THE WAY TO THE SKY – NEIL DIAMOND (27) - Wait - there were eight debuts and none of the droppers fell from inside the Top 20? I thought this was 1982! But seriously, the second of three Top 40 hits from the album of the same title. I personally prefer the first hit, "Yesterday's Songs", which we heard on the last 1982 show. This one was a little dull.
LW#3: WE GOT THE BEAT - THE GO GO'S LW#2: OPEN ARMS - JOURNEY LW#1: I LOVE ROCK AND ROLL - JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS 40: THE OTHER WOMAN - RAY PARKER, JR (debut) - This was Ray's first solo Top 40 hit. It was OK, but one of my least favorites from him. I generally prefer his songs from the Raydio era. 39: DON'T YOU WANT ME - THE HUMAN LEAGUE (debut) - This is a relatively rare example of when an act's biggest hit is also my favorite from them. The reason that's rare is mainly because, since it's the biggest hit, it gets tons of airplay, but this one has held up quite well despite that. 38: HANG FIRE - THE ROLLING STONES (debut) - The third of four Top 40 hits from Tattoo You, their biggest album ever (in terms of weeks at #1). The song was OK, but far from being their best. 37: GENIUS OF LOVE - THE TOM TOM CLUB (debut) - Mariah Carey was apparently a fan of this song, for she sampled it in her 1995 hit "Fantasy". I, on the other hand, didn't care for this song at all. 36: THEME FROM "MAGNUM P.I." - MIKE POST (37) - One of several TV show themes from Mr. Post that hit the charts. I liked this one, but preferred a few others, like the "Hill Street Blues" theme, and "Theme from LA Law", the latter of which was a Top 20 AC hit six years later. 35: POP GOES THE MOVIES (PART 1) - MECO (39) - Mike Post was good at doing movie songs while Meco excelled at movie songs. This song was a medley of a random selection of different songs from the silver screen. I thought this was pretty good, although I didn't recognize all the songs (enough to connect them with their respective movies, that is). 34: THE BEATLES MOVIE MEDLEY - THE BEATLES (debut) - The medley craze was still active at this point, though it was beginning to wind down. This song holds a rather undesirable chart record; not long after it peaked, this song would take the biggest drop ever on the Hot 100 (remember - anything after 11/30/91 does not count) by falling from #20 all the way to #92! 33: MAMA USED TO SAY - JUNIOR (debut) - Stevie Wonder is definitely a force to be reckoned with on this week's Hot 100, as he is on the chart with a solo hit, a duet, a medley of his songs was poised to debut the following week and here is a song that sounds like something he'd sing. It was a good song. 32: BOBBIE SUE - THE OAK RIDGE BOYS (22) - Their first Top 40 hit, "Elvira" was barf-inducing, IMO. This song was actually pretty good, though. 31: CENTERFOLD - J. GEILS BAND (19) - This song had recently spent six weeks at #1, and deservedly so, as it was by far their best hit ever! Another overplayed song that has held up nevertheless. 30: ALWAYS ON MY MIND - WILLIE NELSON (debut) - As I've said before, my favorite version of this song would be the Pet Shop Boys techno cover from 1988, but I do like this better than the two other versions that Casey played in a medley during the time the Pet Shop Boys version was charting - by Elvis Presley and Brenda Lee, IIRC. 29: EBONY & IVORY - PAUL McCARTNEY & STEVIE WONDER (debut) - This song was the highest debut, not only on AT40, but on the entire Hot 100. The song would spend seven weeks at #1 and ranked among the Top Five of that year. Back in the day, I hated this song, because, every time you turned on the radio, there it was. I was burned out on it for quite awhile, but have learned to start liking it better over the past few years. It's a great song with a great message! 28: I'VE NEVER BEEN TO ME - CHARLENE (32) - I guess you could call this one a guilty pleasure, as I like this song, but know many who hate it with a passion - especially the spoken word bridge. I can see why that would be gag-inducing to some, but I personally don't mind it. 27: BABY MAKES HER BLUE JEANS TALK - DR. HOOK (28) - This band had been hitting the charts for almost exactly ten years at this point but, unfortunately, this would be their final Top 40 hit. 26: JUKEBOX HERO - FOREIGNER (26) - The follow up to the infamous Wf*gLY. I actually preferred the latter, as overplayed as it was, since I was never a huge fan of this one. 4 was indeed one of their most successful albums, but none of its singles were among my favorites from them. LDD: THROUGH THE YEARS - KENNY ROGERS - This may not have been one of his biggest chart hits, but it sure became popular in the LDD department! As of the last show of 1987, it was requested as a dedication 17 times! I can see why, as it is a great song! 25: GET DOWN ON IT - KOOL & THE GANG (40) - I didn't care too much for any of their hits from 1982 (except for "Just Take My Heart", but that was more of a 1981 hit, even though it did spill over into 1982). I wasn't a fan of this one, for some reason. 24: DID IT IN A MINUTE - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (30) - One of several Top Ten songs from them that radio all but ignores anymore, which is a shame, as this was one of their best hits ever! 23: MY GUY - SISTER SLEDGE (23) - This song was written by Smokey Robinson who himself was in the Top 40 earlier with "Tell Me T (which he did not write BTW), and, of course, was a #1 hit for Mary Wells 1964. This was a very good cover and I'm not sure which of the two I prefer. 22: GOIN' DOWN - GREG GUIDRY (25) - One of several one-hit wonders on this week's chart. The only thing is, we know that it's going to stay that way, as Mr. Guidry is no longer with us. Great song, though! OPTIONAL EXTRA: MAN ON YOUR MIND - LITTLE RIVER BAND - As their former Top Ten hit "Take It Easy On Me", stepped off the chart, their new hit was on its way up, at #57 this week. 21: 867-5309/JENNY - TOMMY TUTONE (24) - I wonder if anyone still has this phone number, and if they're still receiving nuisance calls from people asking for Jenny? Hope they have caller ID. Anyway, this was a good song. 20: NOBODY SAID IT WAS EASY - LE ROUX (21) - Another one hit wonder here (although there are at least two acts who are phonetically identical - a Christian band from Nashville that were active early in this century and an English synthpop act who charted ten years ago with "Bulletproof". This was a great song - one I've heard many times on my Barry Scott's Lost 45's CD. 19: TAKE OFF - BOB AND DOUG McKENZIE (16) - My brother was a big fan of them back in the mid-80s - he and a buddy even did a skit for a talent show back in 1984 - was pretty funny, as was this song. Geddy Lee, of Rush, did a great job singing the chorus. 18: FIND ANOTHER FOOL - QUARTERFLASH (19) - Of their three Top 40 hits, this would probably be my least favorite. Still, not too bad. 17: SWEET DREAMS - AIR SUPPLY (11) - Definitely one of the biggest new acts of the 1980s (though most of their chart hits were in the early half of the decade). I liked most of their Top 40 hits, but this was one of my least favorites. 16: '65 LOVE AFFAIR - PAUL DAVIS (18) - This song has that malt shop era sound to it (the title was originally "'55 Love Affair", they moved it up a decade so it wouldn't sound so "geezerly"). This was a great song - Davis' highest peaking hit and one of his all time best, IMO. 15: ONE HUNDRED WAYS - QUINCY JONES FEATURING JAMES INGRAM (17) - The third Top 40 hit from The Dude and the second to featured James Ingram on lead vocals. This was a great song - definitely my favorite of the three. 14: PRETTY WOMAN - VAN HALEN (15) - Of their three hits up to this point, two were cover versions. This, of course, was a remake of Roy Orbison's #1 hit from 1964. This was a good rendition, but nothing compares to the original. EXTRA: FAME - DAVID BOWIE - This was moved to Optional Extra status, as in the original show, it was one of those biggest hit by a certain artist deals, used as time filler. As for the song, it was so/so, but I generally preferred his 80s hits. 13: SHOULD I DO IT - THE POINTER SISTERS (13) - They definitely had a retro sound in 1982, as both this song and "American Music" had a sixties sound to them. This was possibly my favorite of their hits that year. 12: EDGE OF SEVENTEEN - STEVIE NICKS (14) - The third single from Nicks' first solo album, and, though it wasn't the highest peaking song from that album, it seems to be the one that gets the most recurrent airplay. I preferred "Leather And Lace", but this one was a good one as well. 11: PAC-MAN FEVER - BUCKNER & GARCIA (9) - Of course, I think I've mentioned numerous times that I drove my Dad and brother up the wall by playing this album ad nauseum. I'm surprised that my Dad didn't hide the record when I wasn't looking. As for the song, it was definitely my theme, as I was obsessed with Pac Man back in the day. 10: DO YOU BELIEVE IN LOVE - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (12) - Ah, the song that kicked off the career of possibly THE biggest group/band of the 1980s! It was indeed a great song - one that pops up every now and then on oldies stations. 9: KEY LARGO - BERTIE HIGGINS (10) - This was Higgins' only Top 40 hit, but it definitely got quite a lot of mileage on the charts, spending 18 weeks in the Top 40. I thought it was a decent song - and as I recall I also liked "Just Another Day In Paradise", which just missed the Top 40 later on in 1982. 8: THAT GIRL - STEVIE WONDER (4) - This was Stevie's solo hit mentioned earlier. This was a huge hit on the R&B chart, spending a ninth and final week at #1 there. It also looked like it might hit #1 on the Hot 100 at first, with how fast it was climbing the chart, but it ran out of steam before getting there (but, of course, he did end up hitting #1 in May with his duet with Paul McCartney). I liked this, but preferred several other songs from him (including his third hit from Musiquarium, "Ribbon In The Sky" which didn't quite make the Top 40). 7: OPEN ARMS - JOURNEY (2) - As this song was coming off an incredible seven-week run at the top of the Radio & Records chart (at the time, a tie for the longest stay at #1 on that chart), it was on its way down the Hot 100 as well, after trying for six weeks to break into the #1 position. Anyway, I was previously burned out on this song, but now that I don't hear it every day, I've started liking it again. 6: DON'T TALK TO STRANGERS - RICK SPRINGFIELD (8) - Rick had one number one on Billboard and the Radio & Records chart - only with different songs. "Jessie's Girl" was Rick's #1 on the Hot 100, but this was his song that topped the R&R chart, where it spent five weeks at #1. Both songs are among my favorite songs from Mr. Springfield. LDD: THE TIDE IS HIGH - BLONDIE - Wow, this LDD was short and sweet. It was from a girl, apparently in elementary or middle school, who had a crush on a boy in her class, who she thought also had a crush on her. I wonder how it all turned out. 5: MAKE A MOVE ON ME - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (5) - This was the current #1 song on the Radio & Records chart. It looked like it could also hit #1 on the Hot 100 as well, what with its initial chart action, but this is all the higher it got (which isn't bad, either). This is definitely one of my favorite ONJ songs ever! 4: FREEZE FRAME - J. GEILS BAND (7) - As their former #1 "Centerfold" was spending its final week on the survey, this song was reaching its peak position, where it would hold for four weeks. I wasn't a huge fan of this song - I much preferred said #1 song. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WHEN IT'S OVER - LOVERBOY - The third Top 40 hit for this band from Canada, though it failed to make the Top 20, as did their first two. They did manage to finally go Top 20 the following year (and came close to the Top Ten). Anyway, this song was OK, but one of my least favorites from them (although I have found myself liking it a little better than previously). 3: THEME FROM "CHARIOTS OF FIRE" - VANGELIS (6) - This song was just four weeks away from setting a record for the longest climb to the top, eclipsing the 21-week record shared by Nick Gilder, with "Hot Child In The City" and Robert John, with "Sad Eyes" by one week. Glad this one made it to the top, because it was a great one - one of my favorite instrumentals of all time! 2: WE GOT THE BEAT - THE GO-GO'S (3) - I generally liked the Go-Go's, but this was an exception - definitely my least favorite song from them. 1: I LOVE ROCK AND ROLL - JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS (1) - One of the biggest hits of 1982, and my favorite of all three of her 1982 hits. This is another one of those songs that despite overplay, has held up quite well.
Coming up next week: Easter Weekend of 1987!
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Post by Hervard on Apr 9, 2020 17:07:21 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - April 11, 2020 This week's presentation - April 14, 1984 Droppers: BACK WHERE YOU BELONG - .38 SPECIAL (36) - We all know what my three favorite songs by them are, but this song would possibly be my fourth favorite, as it was a great one as well! This one sounds a cross between "If I'd Been The One" and "Like No Other Night". RED RED WINE - UB40 (34) - A cover of Neil Diamond's mid-chart hit from 1968. I wasn’t too crazy about this song, especially after it was re-released in 1988 and way overplayed. But at least this one didn’t have the annoying “Red red wine you make me feel so fine...” bridge. RUNNER - MANFRED MANN'S EARTH BAND (30) - The comeback hit for this English band that had not hit the charts in seven years, when they hit the Top 40 for a single week with "Spirit In The Night". This was a great song - one of my favorites from them. GIVE IT UP - KC (26) - His first (and only) hit without the Sunshine Band (well, unless you count his duet with Teri DeSario from 1980). It was a good song and, with all the airplay it received on the stations I listened to, it's a surprise it did not climb any higher than #18 on the chart. THRILLER - MICHAEL JACKSON (23) - This song set (or actually, further secured) a record for the most Top Ten hits from a single album when it hit the Top Ten like the previous six. As for the song, I definitely preferred the album version - the single edit doesn't have the Vincent Price narration near the end, so I'm not sure if this song would have hit #1 even if its single release had been when radio stations began playing this song (instead of a month later) - especially since virtually everyone had the Thriller album. 40: BORDERLINE - MADONNA (debut) - Her first of many, many Top Ten hits, and definitely one of her best songs ever, IMO. 39: DANCING IN THE STREETS - SHALAMAR (debut) - This one wasn't too bad, but I preferred "The Second Time Around" and "Dead Giveaway". 38: LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY - DENEICE WILLIAMS (debut) - Wow, back-to-back Footloose songs here! Of the four songs from that movie that were on the chart this week, this is probably my favorite. Nice, upbeat song. Like the film's title track, it went to #1. 37: ONE IN A MILLION - THE ROMANTICS (37) - Of their three hits, this is the only one that doesn't get much in the way of recurrent airplay (though I do remember hearing it a time or two on Backtrax USA). Too bad, as it was a great song, like the other two (Yes, I know “What I Like About You” did not hit the Top 40, but with all the airplay it gets today, it might as well have). 36: OH SHERRIE - STEVE PERRY (debut) - The very first solo hit from the man who was still actively the lead singer of Journey. He would have a total of four hits from Street Talk, but this was the biggest of the bunch - a great song IMO (though I don't know what cinnamon gum has to do with anything) 35: NO MORE WORDS - BERLIN (39) - For some reason, this one reminded me somewhat of "Breakdance" by Irene Cara, coming up later in the show. It wasn't a bad song, but I preferred "Take My Breath Away". 34: HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO - BONNIE TYLER (35) - This song pretty much rode on the coattails of "Total Eclipse Of The Heart", as well as being from the soundtrack of a box office smash - otherwise, this probably would not have made the Top 40. The song wasn't bad, but I preferred her two other Top 40 hits. 33: THE KID'S AMERICAN - MATTHEW WILDER (33) - Many people consider him a one-hit wonder, since the only song they know from him was his first hit, "Break My Stride", but he did indeed have a follow-up, though it wasn't anywhere near as big. This song was OK, but I preferred said first hit. 32: SHOW ME - THE PRETENDERS (38) - I liked most of their Top 40 hits, this one included. Possibly my third favorite, behind "Back On The Chain Gang" and "Brass In Pocket". 31: BREAKDANCE - IRENE CARA (debut) - Here's the song I mentioned earlier. Probably my least favorite of Irene's Top 40 hits. I was never a big fan of breakdance music anyway (although I did occasionally partake in the fad, mainly at school dances). 30: A FINE FINE DAY - TONY CAREY (32) - The first of two songs that this man charted with in 1984. It was a great song - one of my favorite songs of 1984 (and possibly my favorite song on the chart this week). 29: THE LONGEST TIME - BILLY JOEL (40) - Interesting that all the voices in this song are Billy Joel - I always thought he had several singers backing him up. Anyway, I liked this song, as well as the An Innocent Man album as a whole, due to its wide variety of musical styles. 28: 99 LUFTBALLONS - NENA (14) - This song just missed being the fourth song to be sung entirely in a foreign language to hit #1 (and it would further diversify the other three, which were all sung in different languages). AT40 generally played the German version of this song, like this week, but I believe that they played the English version twice, and played the hybrid version a few times as well, though I'm not sure how many and on which shows (one of them was the year-ender, I think). Anyway, of those three, I prefer the English version - since I never took German in High School. 27: THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE - DAN FOGELBERG (21) - Fogelberg's songs were generally tender love ballads by this point but this song, though about love, rocked out a little. It was a great song - one of my favorites from him. 26: LEAVE IT - YES (28) - Mainly an album rock group, they did have a handful of Top 40 hits. I preferred this over "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" (since the latter was quite overplayed). 25: THE AUTHORITY SONG - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (29) - John's version of "I Fought The Law (And The Law Won)". A great, fun song indeed! Anyone ever notice that the beginning of this song is similar to "Footloose"? A coincidence, I'm sure, as this song was recorded before that one. 24: GOT A HOLD ON ME - CHRISTINE McVIE (18) - Fleetwood Mac was between albums at this point and Christine decided to follow in the footsteps of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks and try a solo career. This was her first solo hit, and it was a good one - sounded a lot like her hits with Fleetwood Mac on which she sang lead. 23: COME BACK AND STAY - PAUL YOUNG (22) - This English singer's first hit here in the States. The song was pretty good, but I preferred most of his later hits. 22: HEAD OVER HEELS - THE GO-GO'S (27) - With the exception of the annoying "We Got The Beat", which we heard on this week's "A" show, I like all of their songs about the same. They're all good ones! LDD: EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE – THE POLICE - Possibly THE most overplayed song of the 1980s. I guess it’s not so bad, though - at least they don’t play crap like “Breakdance” every single hour on 80s stations. That would definitely cause me to tune out! Not quite appropriate for the dedication, as it was from a lady to all the minor league baseball players. What, is she going to stalk them all? OPTIONAL EXTRA: SISTER CHRISTIAN - NIGHT RANGER - Like I've said before, I became the butt of many jokes since this song contains my name, but it is still one of my favorites from them nevertheless. They butchered this song like usual, including the guitar solo, which was my favorite part of the song. Oh well, that's the breaks. 21: DON'T ANSWER ME - ALAN PARSONS PROJECT (25) - They definitely seemed to have the most chart success with Eric Woolfson on lead vocals. I liked this song, but I preferred a few of their other hits. 20: TONIGHT - KOOL & THE GANG (24) - The hot band with the Kool name, as Casey sometimes referred to them. And hot they were indeed; they were the most successful R&B act on the Pop chart so far in the 1980s! This song was pretty good, but I preferred other hits from them, such as "Joanna" and their best one ever, "Too Hot". 19: TO ALL THE GIRLS I'VE LOVED BEFORE - JULIO IGLESIAS AND WILLIE NELSON (31) - A true guilty pleasure, as many people I know hate this song, due to the cheese factor, as well as the fact that Julio wasn't very good at singing English. This was another song with the huge peak difference on the Billboard & R&R charts - while it climbed all the way to #4 on the former, it only climbed as high as #15 on the latter. It must have been a huge seller (it did reach gold status). 18: RADIO GA-GA - QUEEN (16) - This song title pretty much sums up my opinion of the song itself. 17: GIRLS - DWIGHT TWILLEY (17) - I liked this song, though it wasn't quite as good as the solo hit from his former bandmate Phil Seymour from three years before. 16: I WANT A NEW DRUG - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (12) - A song that charted twice in 1984 - peaked at #6 the first time around and then came back and hit #1 in August its second time out. It was a good song, but I preferred "If This Is It", also from the Sports album. 15: YOU MIGHT THINK - THE CARS (19) - This song was good, but I preferred their next hit, "Magic", which had that great summertime sound. 14: THEY DON'T KNOW - TRACEY ULLMAN (15) - One of few artists whose name begins with the letter U to chart - in fact, several weeks later, Casey mentioned how she was the first artist with that letter to hit the Top Ten. She has since been joined by UB40, USA For Africa, and U2, among others. Anyway, I liked this song, which was her only Top 40 hit. 13: LOVE SOMEBODY - RICK SPRINGFIELD (20) - The first and most successful of his three Top 40 hits from the movie Hard To Hold, and it was hard to believe that this would be his last Top Ten hit. As for the song, it was a great one, like many of his hits. 12: EAT IT - "WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC (13) - Oddly enough, this was his only Top 40 hit (well, pre-Soundscan, that is). Then again, all of his songs were novelty songs, which tend to come and go real quick. This one just happened to hit the Top 40 before it got old. I liked this song, as well as many of his other ones. 11: GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN - CYNDI LAUPER (9) - This is the song that started it all off for the unusual one. It was a great one - not sure if I prefer this one or "She Bop". OPTIONAL EXTRA: IT'S MY LIFE - TALK TALK - Wasn't this an extra on the last 1984 show as well? Well, anyway, this song wasn't that big of a hit (didn't even crack the Top 30), but it gets a significant amount of recurrent airplay, mainly due to No Doubt's cover from about 20 years later. I prefer the remake, but the original's not bad either. 10: JUMP - VAN HALEN (5) - This song, which had just spent the past five weeks at #1, isn't really a bad song, but sounded more like a commercial or a sporting event intro. I do prefer other songs from them, though - my favorite being "Dance The Night Away", from five years before. 9: ADULT EDUCATION - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (8) - One of two new hits from their first Greatest Hits album. I liked both it and "Say It Isn't So", but still, I preferred many other songs from them. 8: HOLD ME NOW - THOMPSON TWINS (11) - It's not often that my favorite song by an artist is also their biggest, but such is the case with this song. This song's overplay back in the day did not tarnish it at all! A great song indeed! 7: HERE COMES THE RAIN AGAIN - EURYTHMICS (4) - The third Top 40 single for this British duo and one of their biggest hits, peaking at #4 for the past three weeks. It was pretty good, but it doesn't hold a candle to "There Must Be An Angel". LDD: YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL – JOE C0CKER - Wow, very touching LDD. But as for the song, I'm not a huge fan, as you probably already know. And what did Casey mean by “the original ‘You Are So Beautiful’" in the outro? Who had remade it since then? 6: MISS ME BLIND - CULTURE CLUB (7) - This was their sixth consecutive Top Ten hit and, sadly, ended up being their last. It was a good one, but their musical quality was indeed starting to decline at this point. 5: AUTOMATIC - THE POINTER SISTERS (6) - Another act whose musical quality was starting to slip. I do, however, prefer this song over their next release "Jump (For My Love), though only slightly. 4: HELLO - LIONEL RICHIE (10) - This beautiful song was on its way to becoming one of his most successful Top 40 hits ever, and deservedly so, as it was also one of my favorites from him! 3: SOMEBODY'S WATCHING ME - ROCKWELL (2) - Michael Jackson ended a 74-week chart streak, as "Thriller" dropped out of the 40 this week, but he is still heard, along with his brother Jermaine, singing the chorus in this song. Both artists' vocals was definitely instrumental in the song doing as well as it did, as Rockwell's next hit, "Obscene Phone Caller" only got as high as #35. Anyway, I liked this song. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SELF-CONTROL - LAURA BRANIGAN - This was a song that, back in the day, I did not like at all, but now I think it's pretty decent. Still, I prefer a few others from her. 2: AGAINST ALL ODDS (TAKE A LOOK AT ME NOW) - PHIL COLLINS (3) - his was a song that was definitely worthy of hitting the top, as it's one of Phil's best songs ever! Too bad Van Halen had to go and beat this song out for the top song of 1984, according to Radio & Records 1: FOOTLOOSE - KENNY LOGGINS (1) - Going into this song,. Casey talked about Henrietta, Oklahoma banning public dancing, a story which would be repeated three years later. This was the leadoff single and title song from one of a movie about a town that also made it illegal to boogie. Of course, I preferred his other song from the movie, which would hit the chart that summer. This song wasn't bad either, though it was (and still is) quite overplayed.
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Post by mga707 on Apr 9, 2020 17:48:42 GMT -5
37: RUBBER BISCUIT - THE BLUES BROTHERS (37) - Meh, this song was mildly amusing, but also kind of annoying (especially the unintelligible refrain). In any case, I preferred their cover of "Gimme Some Lovin'" from the following summer. The best that can be said about 'Rubber Biscuit' is that it perfectly illustrates the adage that cocaine can make even the stupidest idea seem brilliant...
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Post by at40nut on Apr 11, 2020 8:51:50 GMT -5
37: RUBBER BISCUIT - THE BLUES BROTHERS (37) - Meh, this song was mildly amusing, but also kind of annoying (especially the unintelligible refrain). In any case, I preferred their cover of "Gimme Some Lovin'" from the following summer. The best that can be said about 'Rubber Biscuit' is that it perfectly illustrates the adage that cocaine can make even the stupidest idea seem brilliant... That song kind of reminds me of a novelty song by The Beat Farmers called "Happy Boy" which was played on the Dr. Demento Show
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Post by caseyfan100 on Apr 11, 2020 12:43:28 GMT -5
37: RUBBER BISCUIT - THE BLUES BROTHERS (37) - Meh, this song was mildly amusing, but also kind of annoying (especially the unintelligible refrain). In any case, I preferred their cover of "Gimme Some Lovin'" from the following summer. The best that can be said about 'Rubber Biscuit' is that it perfectly illustrates the adage that cocaine can make even the stupidest idea seem brilliant... The song is a remake. The original is by a group called The Chips. Released in 1956 it can be heard in the movie Mean Streets from 1973.
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Post by at40nut on Apr 11, 2020 20:37:36 GMT -5
"No More Words" by Berlin and "Breakdance" by Irene Cara were each produced by Giorgio Moroder. I was watching Scarface the other night and he produced the music in that movie as well.
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Post by Hervard on Apr 17, 2020 13:04:25 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - April 18, 2020 This week's presentation - April 22, 1978 DROPPERS: I GO CRAZY - PAUL DAVIS (35) - What a chart run this song had! It spent nearly a half a year in the Top 40 and was a few weeks away from becoming the longest running song on the Hot 100 - an even 40 weeks! It was a great song, but I preferred a few others from him. WHICH WAY IS UP - STARGARD (33) - Why, it's the only way, according to songwriters George Jackson and Johnny Henderson. But seriously, this was pretty much your typical late-70s R&B disco, and I think we all know all too well my general opinion on that... ALWAYS AND FOREVER - HEATWAVE (28) - One of the best love songs of all time, and by far my favorite of their three hits (the other two were disco songs that sounded very much alike). THUNDER ISLAND - JAY FERGUSON (27) - The first of two Top 40 hits by this man from the San Ferdinando Valley. I'm sure I've heard his other hit, "Shakedown Cruise" before, but wtf did it sound like again? This was a good song that I vaguely remember hearing back in the day. LADY LOVE - LOU RAWLS (24) - He may have had more than two Top 40 hits, but this and "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" are the only two songs that I've heard from him (that I know of, anyway). And, yes, both are great songs IMO and I'm unsure which is my favorite of the two. BEFORE MY HEART FINDS OUT - GENE COTTON (23) - Short, but sweet. This song's playing time was only two and a half minutes long, but what a great song it was - about a love affair that was ending and him advising her to make a clean break for it. Truly, the April 15 chart was much better; we lost several true gems on this chart 40: DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC - SHAUN CASSIDY (debut) - He had four Top 40 hits in 1977-78, bookended by cover versions, this one being the Lovin' Sp00nful's debut hit from 1965. This was a good cover, though not quite as good as the original. 39: ROCKET RIDE - KISS (40) - Meh, not one of their best songs by any means. 38: IT'S A HEARTACHE - BONNIE TYLER (debut) - Some people call her a "female Rod Stewart", since both have similarly raspy voices. This was a good song, though I preferred “Total Eclipse Of The Heart”. 37: ON BROADWAY - GEORGE BENSON (debut) - One of several remakes on this week's chart. It was pretty good, with Benson's trademark scat singing, but I still preferred the original by the Drifters. 36: WEREWOLVES OF LONDON - WARREN ZEVON (debut) - Of course, the bass for this song is familiar to the younger generation, since Kid Rock used it for the bass of his 2008 hit "All Summer Long". I did prefer that song, but this one's a great song as well! 35: LOVE IS LIKE OXYGEN - SWEET (38) - They had five Top 40 hits, all reaching the upper half of the chart. This one was their final Top 40 hit. It wasn't bad - reminded me of something that ELO would do. 34: MORE THAN A WOMAN - TAVARES (39) - Interesting story about how the release of the Bee Gees' version of this song was cancelled to give this one a chance (although some people suspect that it was to keep their streak of #1 hits intact, but that's another story for another time). This was a good song, but I preferred the Bee Gees' version which, despite no single availability, did peak at #21 on the R&R chart in May. 33: BABY HOLD ON - EDDIE MONEY (36) - Here's one of those songs that didn't quite hit the Top Ten, but gets quite a lot of recurrent airplay. A great song indeed - one of my favorites from him! 32: FANTASY - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (34) - Hmm, I have mixed feelings about this song. You see, I do like it a lot, but about this time three years ago, I was going through some real stressful times and on one of those days, this song, for some reason, kept playing in my head. I haven't heard it since then, so I need to learn to disassociate this song with said stressful era. 31: MOVIN' OUT - BILLY JOEL (37) - The second of four releases from one of Joel's best singles albums of all time. All four songs were great, IMO - I like them about the same, though in different ways. QL: Has any song ever debuted in the Top 40 at #1? A: No, but "Volare" by Domenico Mudugno debuted at #2 back in 1958. We also found out that a gnat's eyelash is the same size as a snail's whisker. 30: SHADOW DANCING - ANDY GIBB (debut) - This song, of course, was on its way to becoming the top song for all of 1978. However, it is possibly my least favorite of his hits (but at least my favorite Andy Gibb song won out for the year before, so it's all good). 29: FOOLING YOURSELF - STYX (30) - The instrumental intro to this song was used for LaPorte High School's exclusive radio show "Slicer News & Views" (aired on our local station on Sunday afternoons). When I took radio class in my sophomore year, my voice was heard a few times introducing that very program! As for this song, well, it wasn't one of their biggest hits ever, but it was definitely a popular album rock hit. I liked it. 28: I'M GONNA TAKE CARE OF EVERYTING - RUBICON (29) - I don't remember hearing this song at all back in 1978, but have heard it many times since, on my Barry Scott's Lost 45s CD. It's a great song! 27: LOVE IS THICKER THAN WATER - ANDY GIBB (17) - As his new song was getting started, his older song, which had been on the survey since before Christmas time, was on its way down, but it was able to hold in the Top 40 for two more weeks. This was the first of three #1 songs in a row for Gibb. It wasn't quite as good as "I Just Want To Be Your Everything", but I prefer it over "Shadow Dancing". OPTIONAL EXTRA: TWO OUT OF THREE AIN'T BAD - MEAT LOAF - Interesting how Meat Loaf hit the charts in the 70s and 90s, but had absolutely no chart action during the 1980s. He had a handful of Top 40 hits, with this being my favorite - as well as one of my favorites on this week's show. I do, however, prefer the full album version over the single, which was what AT40 usually, if not always, played. 26: TWO DOORS DOWN - DOLLY PARTON (31) - The follow-up to what is possibly my favorite song from her, "Here You Come Again". This song, on the other hand, isn't anything special IMO. Not sure why; it just never did anything for me. 25: THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND - ANDREW GOLD (25) - This may have been all the further that this song climbed on the chart, but it didn't exactly fall into obscurity, as the song became very popular in the Long Distance Dedication department over the next few years. Not sure if I prefer this or his other, more successful hit "Lonely Boy" as both songs were great! 24: THIS TIME I'M IN IT FOR LOVE - PLAYER (32) - Their second of their three Top 40 hits, and the second biggest as well, peaking at #10. It wasn't bad, but I preferred "Baby Come Back". 23: EBONY EYES - BOB WELCH (14) - This is one of few songs that mentions the title only in the bridge and not any other time in the song. Of Welch's two Top 40 hits, I preferred "Sentimental Lady", but this one was a good one as well. 22: DISCO INFERNO - TRAMMPS (26) - Burn, baby burn! For a disco song, this was actually not bad. One of several hits from the Saturday Night Fever on this week's chart. 21: EMOTION - SAMANTHA SANG (11) - This song was actually recorded for the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, but not used. This one was written by Barry and Robin Gibb, who also sang back-up on the song. It was pretty good 20: TOO MUCH, TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE - JOHNNY MATHIS AND DENIECE WILLIAMS (debut) - Wow, what a huge debut! Mathis, by the way, was the artist with the current record for the longest running song on the Hot 100. Of course, he'd hold that record for only four more weeks. But I imagine he wasn't terribly disappointed, especially a few weeks after that, when this song hit #1. 19: SWEET TALKIN' WOMAN - THE ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (20) - Definitely a similarity between this and "Do You Believe In Love" by Huey Lewis & The News, which wasn't coincidence, as Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Shania Twain's ex, wrote the Huey Lewis songs, and both Robert and Shania are big fans of Electric Light Orchestra fans, and also that the main inspiration for "Do You Believe In Love" was this song. When comparing them, they both sound similar in structure!. Anyway, this was definitely one of my personal faves from them and one I remember quite well from its chart run. 18: IMAGINARY LOVER - ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION (22) - Their second hit was on its way to becoming their second Top Ten as well. I liked this and their first hit " 17: FEELS SO GOOD - CHUCK MANGIONE (21) - The first of two hits he placed on the Top 40 (and the last one was heard on a recent 1980 show). Not sure which one I preferred, but both are great songs, IMO! 16: FLASHLIGHT - PARLIAMENT (18) - On the show from the week before, this was the only song in the Top 20 that I didn't particularly care for. Such is the case this week, as the new entries in the Top 20 since then are all great ones. This one wasn't bad, but it was pretty much your typical faceless disco. 15: GOODBYE GIRL - DAVID GATES (15) - The theme song from the Richard Dreyfuss movie of the same title. This was IMO just as great as many of his other songs that he did with Bread. 14: COUNT ON ME - JEFFERSON STARSHIP (16) - This would be their first Top Ten hit in nearly three years. Marty Balin was still singing lead at this point, and this is my favorite song of theirs with him on lead. OPTIONAL EXTRA: TAKE A CHANCE ON ME - ABBA - I like many, if not most, of their Top 40 hits, but this isn't one of them. Not sure why, but it just doesn't do anything for me. 13: STAYIN' ALIVE - THE BEE GEES (2) - The first of two songs from them on this week's chart (but they were involved with quite a few others). This was my favorite song of theirs on the chart, but my favorite from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack would be "How Deep Is Your Love". 12: RUNNIN' ON EMPTY - JACKSON BROWNE (13) - Given its early chart action, this song looked to be Top Ten bound, but unfortunately, the song just barely missed, peaking at #11. Too bad, as it was definitely one of my favorite Jackson Browne songs and one I remember quite well from back in the day. 11: YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT - JOHN TRAVOLTA & OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (19) - Casey made a slight faux pas earlier in the show; he said that "This Time I'm In It For Love" was the biggest mover - it actually tied with this song for that honor. The first of several big hits from what would be the summertime blockbuster movie Grease. 10: OUR LOVE - NATALIE COLE (10) - Her last Top Ten hit before she went on a hiatus that lasted for the better part of the 1980s, when she ran into many personal problems, including drug addiction. This was one of her best hits of the 1970s. 9: WE'LL NEVER HAVE TO SAY GOODBYE - ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY (9) - This song had an unusually short chart run for a song that hit the Top Ten - not sure why it zipped up and down the chart so fast - perhaps because it sounded so much like "Goodbye Girl"? Anyway, they had a handful of hits on the chart and all of them were great songs. 8: JACK & JILL - RAYDIO (8) - This song contains one of the funniest misheard lyrics near the end ("He got down on his right knee", which is sometimes heard as "he got down on his Granny") As for the song itself, it's a great one - possibly my favorite songs from him/them. 7: WITH A LITTLE LUCK - WINGS (12) - This song was usually mercilessly edited, but this week, it didn't seem to be as much as usual. Still, I liked it when they played the full song, which they did on at least two occasions, but since it runs nearly six minutes long, I realize there wasn't always enough time to do that. As for this song, it was definitely one of my favorite songs from Wings. Casey correctly predicted this song going all the way to the top! 6: DUST IN THE WIND - KANSAS (6) - A song with a vaguely haunting melody. It was another great song that I remember quite well! 5: THE CLOSER I GET TO YOU - ROBERTA FLACK & DONNY HATHAWAY (7) - The second of their two Top Ten hits on the chart This was the biggest of their collaborations, making it to #2 on the charts in May. It is also my favorite of the two songs I've heard from them (as I have yet to hear their version of the Carole King song "You've Got A Friend" - maybe I'll hop on over to YouTube and check it out). Anyway, it's too bad that they cut out the last chorus. 4: LAY DOWN SALLY - ERIC CLAPTON (3) - One of several Top 40 hit by Clapton featuring Marcy Levy (the co-writer of this song) on backup vocals. It was a good song, though I prefer several other songs by him. But hey, as long as it isn’t the grossly overplayed “Change The World”... 3: CAN'T SMILE WITHOUT YOU - BARRY MANILOW (4) - A few weeks back, Casey mentioned that this song was heading to #1, but it was not to be - basically, during the winter and spring of 1978, if you weren't the Bee Gees or involved with the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack (or at least on the RSO label), you were pretty much SOL as far as hitting the top was concerned. But it did get as high as #3, which is great too. As for the song, it was a good one - became the subject of at least two touching LDDs a few years later. OPTIONAL EXTRA: TUMBLING DICE - LINDA RONSTADT - This song would become only the second lone entry into the Top 40 a few weeks later. It didn't last too long on the Hot 100 either - just eight weeks, which is an unusually short term for a song that made the Top 40 (but certainly not unheard of). As for the song, it was so/so, but definitely not her best remake (and to tell the truth, I wasn't too crazy about the original by the Rolling Stones neither). 2: IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU - YVONNE ELLIMAN (5) - This song would hit the top, becoming the first #1 song since January that was not by Andy Gibb or the Bee Gees (although the Bee Gees did write the song and recorded a version of it, putting it on the B-side of "Stayin' Alive". It was possibly my favorite song on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, and easily my favorite song from Yvonne - a great song indeed! 1: NIGHT FEVER - THE BEE GEES (1) - Casey mentioned how this was the longest-running #1 song so far in 1978, with seven weeks to its name at this point (and, of course, they'd secure their 1978 record even further the following week). As for my opinion of the two above songs, I preferred "Stayin' Alive" over this song, which was still a pretty good one as well.
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Post by Hervard on Apr 17, 2020 13:05:18 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - April 18, 2020
This week's presentation - April 18, 1987
Droppers: AS WE LAY - SHIRLEY MURDOCK (31) - Ah, a song about infidelity. After spending the night with a mistress, this married man must go home and face his irate wife! Melodically, this song sounds a little like something from the sixties. THAT AIN'T LOVE - REO SPEEDWAGON (29) - The first Top 40 hit in about a year and a half for this band from Champaign, Illinois. As we all know, I prefer their power ballads, but this is possibly my favorite of their upbeat material. It is indeed a great song! SOMEWHERE OUT THERE - LINDA RONSTADT & JAMES INGRAM (27) - I never saw the animated movie that this song is from, but I definitely heard the song many a time (we even sang it for our spring choir concert in my sophomore year in high school). I loved this song, like most of James' (and many of Linda's) songs.
40: THE RIGHT THING – SIMPLY RED (debut) - Their first hit from their sophomore album, Men And Women, which did not fare quite as well as their debut album Picture Book. This song did not get any higher than #27, which I thought was a shame, as it's a great song! 39: YOU KEEP ME HANGIN’ ON – KIM WILDE (debut) - This song ended up breaking the record for the longest span of time between the original version of the song hitting #1 and a remake hitting #1 - a record that had been broken several times over the past year and had been held for over a decade by "Please Mr. Postman". As I've said several times before, I prefer this version over the Supremes and Vanilla Fudge versions, though my all-time favorite Kim Wilde song would be her near-miss song "You Came", from 1988. 38: I WILL BE THERE – GLASS TIGER (34) - A good example of Third Single Syndrome here. The first two singles from The Thin Red Line hit the Top Ten, yet this is all the further this single got, which I thought was a shame, as it was my second favorite from them (a close second, might I add) behind "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)". 37: SE LA – LIONEL RICHIE (debut) - This was Lionel's last Top 40 hit before taking a five-year break from the charts. It was a pretty good song, with a reggae feel to it, but definitely not his best. 36: LIGHT OF DAY – THE BARBUSTERS (35) - Of course, this is Joan Jett & The Blackhearts with their only hit under that pseudonym. I liked the song - reminded me a little of "R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A." by John Cougar Mellencamp. 35: I KNOW WHAT I LIKE – HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (40) - This song just barely kept their Top Ten streak going, as it peaked at #9 and spent but a single week in the Top Ten. It was a good song, but definitely not his best. 34: RIGHT ON TRACK – THE BREAKFAST CLUB (39) - The only Top 40 song for John, Claire, Andy, Brian, and Allison, written on March 24, 1984 as they served a Saturday detention. Unfortunately, due to legal technicalities, Principal Vernon received all the royalties. 33: MANDOLIN RAIN – BRUCE HORNSBY & THE RANGE (16) - This song seems to be generally edited on AT40, but at least they generally took out the second verse instead of the "running down by the lake shore" bridge, which is my favorite part of the song. They played that edit this week. Anyway, I liked all three singles from The Way It Is, but this was my favorite. 32: NOTHING’S GONNA CHANGE MY LOVE FOR YOU – GLENN MEDEIROS (37) - The first Top 40 hit for this high school student from Kaui. Due to how fast the charts moved in 1987, there were only two songs that made the year-end survey that did not quite make the Top 20. This was the more successful of those, peaking at #12 in June. A great song, IMO, and one of my favorite songs of the whole year. 31: BIG LOVE – FLEETWOOD MAC (38) - Their first of five singles from "Tango In The Night", with Lindsey Buckingham handling the lead vocals. It was OK, but my favorite song from the album was the next single, "Seven Wonders", featuring Stevie Nicks singing lead. LDD: COOL CHANGE – LITTLE RIVER BAND - Very fitting for the dedication, since it was about a recovering alcoholic, who, according to the author of the LDD, probably was thinking that it was indeed time for a cool change when he had his last drink two years before. As for the song, it was a great one - definitely one of my favorite LRB songs of all time! OPTIONAL EXTRA: ALWAYS - ATLANTIC STARR - This song became a very popular wedding song and was a far cry from their last Top Ten hit, which was about infidelity. This was my favorite of their Top 40 hits. 30: SHIP OF FOOLS (SAVE ME FROM TOMORROW) – WORLD PARTY (33) - The only Top 40 hit for this London-based one-man band was sailing right along on the chart. I liked it, but, as someone on these boards once observed, it sounded more like a fall hit than spring. I wonder if it would have done better on the charts had it been released about six months later. 29: WHAT YOU GET IS WHAT YOU SEE – TINA TURNER (15) - The last of three Top 40 singles from Turner's Break Every Rule album. Though this song did get close to the Top Ten, I still felt it was quite underrated (namely, since it gets no recurrent airplay). Needless to say, I liked the song a lot. 28: TALK DIRTY TO ME - POISON (36) - The breakthrough hit from this glam rock band from Pennsylvania did pretty well, hitting the Top Ten. I liked it, but wasn't quite my favorite song from them. I generally preferred their power ballads. 27: THE FINAL COUNTDOWN - EUROPE (11) - The horns in this song reminded me a little of the intro to "Only Time Will Tell" by Asia. It was pretty good, but I preferred the other two Top 40 hits from the album of the same name. 26: LET’S WAIT AWHILE – JANET JACKSON (13) - This was a great song with a great message about abstinence and my favorite of the Control singles. 25: SERIOUS - DONNA ALLEN (28) - ARGH, how many times does she have to say, “TALK, talk about serious”? Enough is enough! Needless to say, I wasn't a big fan of this song. 24: THE LADY IN RED – CHRIS DEBURGH (30) - Chris had charted a few times earlier in the 80s, but this is the song that put him on the map. I loved this song when it first hit the chart, but the stations I listened to back in the day all but played it out and I became quite tired of it. It's good to hear every now and then, but I wouldn't want to hear it every day. 23: THE HONEYTHIEF - HIPSWAY (21) - The thing I remember most about this song was its catchy chorus (“The light of deep regret, let me see what I don’t get”). A great song that I felt was quite underrated. EXTRA: BAND ON THE RUN – PAUL McCARTNEY - Interesting story about how Slim Whitman helped to get Paul McCartney’s music career to a start. 22: SMOKING GUN – THE ROBERT CRAY BAND (26) - The only hit by this band headed up by Robert Cray, a blues-rock guitarist/vocalist. This was all the higher it got on the Hot 100, but did much better on the Rock chart, peaking at #2, behind "Livin' On A Prayer" by Bon Jovi (and then "Midnight Blue" by Lou Gramm leapfrogged over it). It was a good song - one that takes me back to the spring of 1987. 21: HEAT OF THE NIGHT – BRYAN ADAMS (32) - I liked this song, though my least favorite single from Into The Fire (probably because the other two didn't get anywhere near as much airplay - in fact, I don't think I ever heard either of them outside of countdown shows - or radio station "late night fights" (Victim Of Love was a winner on the latter of the two on U93). OPTIONAL EXTRA: WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE - BON JOVI - This song demonstrated the band's country/western side, a format that they would switch to a decade later. This was a good song, but I preferred "Never Say Goodbye", an album cut from Slippery When Wet that was getting moderate radio airplay around this time. 20: CAN’TCHA SAY (YOU BELIEVE IN ME)/STILL IN LOVE – BOSTON (25) - Their mid-80s comeback album, Third Stage, yielded them two additional Top Ten hits, and this song didn't do too bad either, peaking here at #20. It was my favorite song from Third Stage, which turned out to be their most successful singles album. 19: WHAT’S GOING ON – CYNDI LAUPER (24) - This was a cover version of Marvin Gaye's classic Top Ten hit from 1971, when Lauper was still in high school. I remember hating this song when it was on the charts. Now, I like it, even better than the original. 18: COME AS YOU ARE – PETER WOLF (22) - The former lead singer of the J. Geils Band had two solo hits in 1984 and was back with his second album, to which this was the title track. It was a great song! 17: LET’S GO – WANG CHUNG (9) - After having their first Top Ten hit (getting ever so close to #1), they landed their second one two weeks before. I preferred this song, though over the past few years, I've learned to like said first Top Ten hit (the one about wanking John) better than previously. 16: DOMINOES - ROBBIE NEVIL (20) - He'd charted early in the year with a hit that peaked in the runner-up position and at first, it looked like he might collect his second Top Ten hit, but this song ran out of steam at #14. Too bad, as this was my favorite of his 1987 hits. 15: STONE LOVE – KOOL & THE GANG (19) - This song, like "Victory", would also hit the Top Ten, and, unfortunately, it turned out to be their last Top 40 hit. I liked this song, but my favorite of the Forever singles was "Special Way", which was a Top Ten AC hit in December of that year. 14: TONIGHT, TONIGHT, TONIGHT - GENESIS (4) - This song, which always makes me thirsty for an ice cold Michelob, was pretty good, but not one of my favorites from them. I especially hated the album version, which U93 started playing around this time - the instrumental bridge with those goofy sound effects, reminiscent of the background music in the old-school Donkey Kong Country games, drags on and on. Fortunately, I seldom hear that version anymore. 13: WITH OR WITHOUT YOU - U2 (23) - The first of three hits from one of the biggest albums of the 80s, The Joshua Tree. It wasn't bad, but quite overplayed. I preferred the other two singles. 12: LA ISLA BONITA - MADONNA (18) - The fifth hit from True Blue was burning up the chart en route to becoming another Top Five hit. It was the final song from the album, but Madonna was at work on her next project, the movie "Who's That Girl", which would spawn two Top Ten hits later in the year. This was a good song; indeed had a tropical island feel. 11: WALKING DOWN YOUR STREET – THE BANGLES (14) - The band that had a thing about walking back in 1987, as illustrated by the titles of their two hits from that year. Anyway, you know that I prefer this over the other one, though I did prefer their first two hits from the Different Light album, but this one’s still a great song! OPTIONAL EXTRA: LESSONS IN LOVE - LEVEL 42 - This British band was a two-hit wonder (as far as Top 40 hits go), and both songs hit the Top 20. I liked the two of them about the same - both were great songs. 10: (I JUST) DIED IN YOUR ARMS – CUTTING CREW (17) - The first of three Top 40 hits for this band from London - all from their debut album Broadcast. This one was OK, but quite overplayed, both back in 1987 and nowadays on oldies stations. I preferred their other two hits. 9: COME GO WITH ME - EXPOSE (6) - I liked most of their hits, but this wasn't one of them! Definitely my least favorite single from the Exposure album. My favorite was the next release, "Point Of No Return", which was a big summer hit. 8: THE FINER THINGS – STEVE WINWOOD (10) - Back In The High Life was definitely Winwood's most successful album as far as singles go, as there were four of them that hit the Top 40. This was the third and there was no "Third Single Syndrome" here, as this was the second most successful song from the album behind the #1 "Higher Love". This was very possibly my favorite song from the album, though there are several other songs by him that I prefer. LDD: ROCKIN’ ROBIN – MICHAEL JACKSON - Any other time, this song would probably get a “No. Just no”, but the dedication that went along with this song was quite moving. I sure hope that the man who wrote it eventually got to be a part of his son’s life again. His ex-wife must have really wanted to get away from him because, while he still lived in Maine, she and their son moved all the way to California. 7: LEAN ON ME – CLUB NOUVEAU (2) - his was probably my least favorite song on the countdown back in the day, and naturally, it wasted no time getting to #1! It's still not one of my favorite songs, but its saving grace is that it's better than the insomnia-curing original - definitely a "No. Just no" song in my book! 6: LOOKING FOR A NEW LOVE – JODY WATLEY (12) - This song came very close to hitting #1, but it was stuck at #2 for four weeks, behind the Cutting Crew and U2, the latter of which leapfrogged over this song, which I thought was OK, but I preferred a few of her other songs, including ones that she did as part of Shalamar. 5: MIDNIGHT BLUE – LOU GRAMM (8) - After a decade of heading up Foreigner, he decided to give a solo career a try. This was his first solo hit to make the charts. It was a good one, but I preferred the other two, both from his second solo album Long Hard Look. 4: SIGN '☮️' THE TIMES - PRINCE (7) - This song was OK, but it was rather monotonous. Definitely not his best song by any means. 3: DON’T DREAM IT’S OVER – CROWDED HOUSE (5) - Two members of the band Split Enz (which had a minor hit in 1980 called "I Got You") helped to form this band who had two Top Ten hits in 1987. I thought both were great songs, though I preferred their follow-up, "Something So Strong", which sounded sort of like a more upbeat version of this song. OPTIONAL EXTRA: YOU CAN CALL ME AL - PAUL SIMON - One of several 1987 songs that charted twice. This song barely fell short of the Top 40 during its original release in the fall of 1986. After Simon's current album, Graceland, won a Grammy for Album of the Year, Paul decided to re-release the song and this time around it got as high as #23. It was a good song IMO. 2: NOTHING’S GONNA STOP US NOW - STARSHIP (1) - The theme to the comedy movie "Mannequin", which I had seen at the local theater the previous weekend. This was one of my favorite songs by Starship, though it wasn't quite as good as "It's Not Enough". 1: I KNEW YOU WERE WAITING (FOR ME) – ARETHA FRANKLIN & GEORGE MICHAEL (3) - A one time pairing of the Queen Of Soul and the former lead singer of Wham! - and a great pairing at that, since it hit #1 the following week. Definitely one of my favorites from both artists!
Coming up next week: A twofer offering - April 26, 1980 being the "A" show and the same date in 1986 as the "B" option.
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Post by jmack19 on Apr 19, 2020 16:58:24 GMT -5
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Post by Hervard on Apr 24, 2020 13:11:14 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - April 25, 2020
This week's presentation - April 26, 1980
Droppers: DESIRE - ANDY GIBB (39) - This was his sixth Top Ten song in a row, as well as the last. It was a good one, but I preferred others from him such as "An Everlasting Love" and "I Just Want To Be Your Everything". THREE TIMES IN LOVE - TOMMY JAMES (38) - He was on his own at this point, without the Shondells. It didn't take anything away from the song, however, as I preferred this song over any of his earlier songs. CARRIE - CLIFF RICHARD (34) - Here's an interesting factoid: This man's first four Top 40 hits each charted in different decades. However, he put two more singles on the chart in 1980 including this one, which reminded me of his 1976 hit "Devil Woman". It was a good song, though I preferred his other two 1980 songs.
LW#3: RIDE LIKE THE WIND - CHRISTOPHER CROSS LW#2: ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL - PINK FLOYD LW#1: CALL ME - BLONDIE 40: THE SEDUCTION - THE JAMES LAST BAND (debut) - The love theme from American Gigolo, and the first of two hits from that movie on the chart this week. They actually played the Giorgio Moroder version this week, which uses a piano instead of a sax, like the James Last version, which was a great one - sounds a little like something Dave Koz might do. The Giorgio version was a good one as well. 39: THE ROSE - BETTE MIDLER (debut) - I learned to appreciate the radio version more when my 7th grade choir sang this song at the spring concert. Still, I prefer several others by the Divine Miss M. 38: TRAIN IN VAIN (STAND BY ME) - THE CLASH (debut) - They only had two Top 40 hits, but both of them seem to get a fair amount of radio airplay, mainly on 80s stations. 37: ONLY A LONELY HEART SEES - FELIX CAVALIERE (36) - This was an obscure song, but not so much to me - I have heard it plenty of times on my Barry Scott's Lost 45's CD. It's a great one - too bad it only got as high as #36. 36: SET ME FREE - UTOPIA (27) - Headed up by Todd Rundgren, whom had a handful of Top 40 hits in the 1970s, this was their only Top 40 hit. It was a good song. 35: THE SECOND TIME AROUND - SHALAMAR (31) - The biggest hit from this R&B band formed by Don Cornelius, the producer and host of SOOOOOOUUUUUUUUL TRAAAAAAAAIIIIN. It is also my favorite song from them. 34: HIM - RUPERT HOLMES (21) - Two hits in a row from him about cheating in a relationship - only this time, it's just her instead of both of them. And the only clue he needed was a package of cigarettes, a brand of which he did not smoke. I prefer this song over the Pina Colada song, since the latter is overplayed. 33: HEART HOTELS - DAN FOGELBERG (40) - This was the second and last single from Fogelberg's Phoenix album. It was a great song - one of my all-time faves from him. 32: FIRE IN THE MORNING - MELISSA MANCHESTER (33) - Her sixth Top 40 hit, and one of her best - too bad it only got as high as #32 - but at least her two Top Ten songs (up to 1980, that is) were great ones as well! ARCHIVES: YOU DON'T BRING ME FLOWERS - NEIL DIAMOND & BARBRA STREISAND - I never understood how this song became as big a hit as it was. Really - who wants to hear these two geezers whining and sniveling about not receiving a few flowers. So the neighbors got tired of them prowling around in their garden - who could blame them? OPTIONAL EXTRA: ROCK LOBSTER - I was never a big fan of this song either - I preferred their 90s songs! 31: DO RIGHT - PAUL DAVIS (35) - One of his more obscure songs, so it doesn't get a lot of recurrent airplay, which I think is a shame, as it's a great song. 30: HOW DO I MAKE YOU - LINDA RONSTADT (18) - Ah, the "Transistor Teeth" song! It was okies, but one of my least favorites from her. 29: FUNKYTOWN - LIPPS, INC. (37) - Both versions of this song that charted were by one-hit wonders. That sure doesn't happen very often! Anyway, I preferred the cover version by Pseudo-Echo, which was a Top Ten hit in the summer of 1987. 28: AND THE BEAT GOES ON - THE WHISPERS (19) - One of Will Smith's favorite songs, especially when visiting Miami! As for me, it's not bad, but I preferred "Rock Steady". 27: CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE - QUEEN (15) - Definitely Elvis-inspired, it is probably the last of Queen's Top 40 hits that I liked. 26: BREAKDOWN DEAD AHEAD - BOZ SCAGGS (30) - "Lido Shuffle Part 2", as some people call it (but Part 1 will always be the best, right?) This one's a great song as well! 25: BRASS IN POCKET (I'M SPECIAL) - THE PRETENDERS (29) - Their very first Top 40 hit, as well as one of their best. Not sure if I prefer this or "Back On The Chain Gang". LDD: STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN - LED ZEPPELIN - Possibly the only time this great classic hit was ever played on AT40. I always wonder how this song would have done on the charts had they released it as a single. 24: STOMP - THE BROTHERS JOHNSON (28) - I wasn't a big fan of this song, or them in general. 23: ANY WAY YOU WANT IT - JOURNEY (26) - This song may have only gotten as high as #23, but gets more recurrent airplay than many of their bigger hits. It is a good one, but I prefer many others from them. 22: CARS - GARY NUMAN (25) - This is one of the songs I associate most with the spring/early summer of 1980! Even though it could use a few more verses (in place of all the instrumental parts), it is still a great song nevertheless. ARCHIVES: LE FREAK - CHIC - - This was the first song to hit #1 three times in a single chart run. And everytime it hit #1, it would spend a week longer at the top than the last time. With a grand total of six weeks on top, this was the biggest disco hit of all time, according to AT40's Top 40 Disco Songs countdown the previous summer. I was never a big fan of the song, but it is tolerable. 21: I CAN'T HELP IT - ANDY GIBB & OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (32) - This was the era when Olivia did several duets. This one and her duet with Cliff Richard called "Suddenly" sounded a lot alike, IMO. Both good songs. 20: THINK ABOUT ME - FLEETWOOD MAC (22) - One of their most obscure songs ever - so much that I don't think it's on any of their Greatest Hits albums. It was a pretty good song, though I prefer many others from them. 19: I PLEDGE MY LOVE - PEACHES & HERB (20) - Their final Top 40 hit. It was a good one, but I preferred "Reunited" which, of course, was by far their biggest hit ever. 18: HURT SO BAD - LINDA RONSTADT (23) - She could very well be the queen of remakes, as this is one of many songs that Linda charted with, a cover of a song originally done by Little Anthony & The Imperials. It was a good song. 17: BIGGEST PART OF ME - AMBROSIA (24) - They had two Top Ten hits, and they are my two favorites from them. Not sure if I prefer this or "How Much I Feel". Both great songs indeed! 16: OFF THE WALL - MICHAEL JACKSON (10) - The laughs at the beginning of this song sound very eerie - like the kind you hear in a haunted house. 15: PILOT OF THE AIRWAVES - CHARLIE DORE (17) - Kind of unusual for a female to be named Charlie, though. Perhaps her real name is Charlotte or Charlene. You know what paradise is? It's a lie. It's - wait a minute... But seriously, this was the only Top 40 hit for this London native. I liked it. EXTRA: AT THE HOP - DANNY & THE JUNIORS - Good song, though this sounded a little out of place for 1980. The song was the highest Hot 100 debut record by a new artist, coming in at #23 (although this predated the actual "Hot 100" by seven months - the chart was called the Top 100 when this song charted). 14: TOO HOT - KOOL & THE GANG (11) - Their first Top Ten of the 1980s (I count"Ladies' Night" as a 70s hit), and there was definitely a lot more where that came from! This song is my all-time favorite song from them! 13: DON'T FALL IN LOVE WITH A DREAMER - KENNY ROGERS WITH KIM CARNES (16) - A one-time duet between Kenny and Kim (I am well aware that they also sang on "What About Me", but James Ingram was also on that song, so technically, it wasn't a duet). Anyway, this is a great song - one of my favorites from both artists (as is "What About Me"). 12: HOLD ON TO MY LOVE - JIMMY RUFFIN (14) - A song written and produced by the late Robin Gibb (who also sings back-up). A great song - it hit the Top Ten, but didn't get quite enough points to register on the YE Top 100. ARCHIVE: TOO MUCH HEAVEN - THE BEE GEES - I liked most of their slow songs (from 1975 on, that is), but this is possibly my least favorite of them. Not sure why, but I just have never gotten into this song. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WE LIVE FOR LOVE - PAT BENATAR - Her second Top 40 single, which doesn't get quite as much airplay as her two other 1980 hits. This one had never been one of my favorite songs from her, but it has grown on me over the past few years and I really like it now! 11: WORKING MY WAY BACK TO YOU - THE SPINNERS (9) - This one just missed hitting #1 - the song at the top was just too strong for it. Anyway, this is a great song - much better than the original by the Four Seasons, in which Frankie Valli sounds like he's trying to force out a stubborn turd. 10: SEXY EYES - DR. HOOK (13) - Their last Top Ten hit, as well as their most successful. It was a good one, but I think we all know what my favorite Dr. Hook song is (for those who don't, it was the song that charted before this one). 9: YOU MAY BE RIGHT - BILLY JOEL (12) - Their last Top Ten hit, as well as their most successful. It was a good one, but I think we all know what my favorite Dr. Hook song is (for those who don't, it was the song that charted before this one). LDD: MOTHER AND CHILD REUNION - PAUL SIMON - This song was indeed fitting for the dedication, which was about a couple who had a baby when they were still in their teens and felt it in the child's best interest to give her up for adoption, and they were hoping that they could eventually meet the child someday. 8: I CAN'T TELL YOU WHY - THE EAGLES (8) - A rare song featuring Timothy B. Schmit on lead vocals (in fact, until 1995, it was the only song with him singing lead to hit the Top 40). This was a good song - my favorite single from The Long Run, but it's not quite as good as the album cut "The Sad Café" 7: FIRE LAKE - BOB SEGER (7) - Wow, a song by the Eagles back-to-back with a song that features three of them singing back-up! This was the first of three Top 40 hits from Seger's Against The Wind album, and my favorite of the three. 6: LOST IN LOVE - AIR SUPPLY (6) - The debut hit for this Australian band that was all over the charts during the next three years, but then almost instantly became yesterday's news. This was one of my favorites from them - a great song indeed! 5: SPECIAL LADY - RAY, GOODMAN & BROWN (5) - aka "The Trio Formerly Known As The Moments". This was their only hit under their new name, which apparently worked, as it was their biggest hit (and their only Top Ten). I never used to like this song, but now I think it's a great one. Since several people I know hate this song, I guess you could call it a guilty pleasure! 4: WITH YOU I'M BORN AGAIN - BILLY PRESTON & SYREETA (4) - Several people I know hate this song with a passion, so I guess you could call it a guilty pleasure of mine. I just like the hypnotic effect of this song. 3: ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL - PINK FLOYD (2) - Generally an album rock act, they managed to have a few pop singles, including the biggest of them all. I like this song, but it's definitely not my favorite song on the chart. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SHINING STAR - THE MANHATTANS - I've already mentioned, too many times, I'm sure, that I preferred this one over their other big hit, the day-darkening "Kiss And Say Goodbye". 2: RIDE LIKE THE WIND - CHRISTOPHER CROSS (3) - The only song moving upward in an extremely tight top eight, in which several songs in holding position actually had yet to reach their peak. The first of four Top 20 hits from his debut album! Not sure if I preferred this or the next two - all of them were great! The song made a valiant effort to hit the top, but was stuck in the runner-up position for a month. Glad to hear that Cross is recovering well from his coronavirus illness. 1: CALL ME - BLONDIE (1) - This is the song that held Christopher Cross at bay. Of course, everybody knows that this song was the top hit of 1980, and deservedly so, as this was one of my favorite songs from them!
Coming up next week: No big surprise, as next week's offering is the May 4, 1985 show that most of us suspected it would be.
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Post by Hervard on Apr 24, 2020 13:11:28 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - April 25, 2020
This week's presentation - April 26, 1986
Droppers: A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE (IS ALL IT TAKES) - NEW EDITION (38) - The fact that this song tanked so fast seemed indicative that New Edition were one of those acts that were good for only one album, but they actually did have a few additional hits a few years later. This was pretty good, but I preferred their two 1985 hits. THIS COULD BE THE NIGHT - LOVERBOY (34) - They had been hitting the chart for several years, but in 1985, they finally had their first Top Ten hit. This was the second in a row, but this wasn't the beginning of any long streak. This was their final Top Ten hit. It was a great one - one of my favorites from them! NIKITA - ELTON JOHN (32) - His only hit from 1986 (solo, anyway). I liked it - I remember it quite well from back in the day.
LW#1: KISS - PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION 40: TOMORROW DOESN'T MATTER TONIGHT - STARSHIP (debut) - This was a great song! I liked this one better than several of their Starship releases (like "Sara" and "It's Not Over ('Til It's Over)") Still, "It's Not Enough" is the best, IMO. 39: FOR AMERICA - JACKSON BROWNE (30) - This, sadly, was Browne's final Top 40 hit. It was a good song; very patriotic. The song deserved a higher peak than #30, IMO. 38: FEEL IT AGAIN - HONEYMOON SUITE (debut) - I thought this was a pretty good song, although I have a feeling I would have gotten tired of it quickly had it been a big hit, but outside of the countdown shows, I never heard it played. 37: STICK AROUND - JULIAN LENNON (debut) - I like this and "Say You're Wrong", from his previous album, about the same. I heard that his song "Want Your Body" was next to be released, but it didn't go anywhere. Too bad, as it was such a beautiful song. 36: THESE DREAMS - HEART (23) - Their very first #1 hit! Oddly enough, while Ann Wilson had generally sung lead, Nancy was given a turn at the lead vocals and this one went all the way to the top (they would have another #1 hit the following year, and that would be with Ann singing lead). Anyway, this was a great song - one of my favorite songs from them (as is their other #1 hit "Alone"). 35: OVERJOYED - STEVIE WONDER (24) - This song sounds like the song was recorded in a tropical rain forest. But it was a good one - by far, my favorite song from Wonder's In Square Circle. I was hoping that it would be another Top Ten hit like the first two but, in fact, the song only got as high as #24. It did, however, fare much better on the AC chart, where it had spent the past two weeks at #1. 34: BE GOOD TO YOURSELF - JOURNEY (39) - The first of four Top 40 hits from their Raised On Radio album. Though it's my least favorite of the singles, I still think it's a good one. 33: MOVE AWAY - CULTURE CLUB (40) - They had a wave of popularity throughout 1983 and the first half of 1984, but after that, they sort of fizzled out, so they decided to wait another year before giving it another shot. Unfortunately, it was less than stellar, as this song missed the Top Ten (at least it did peak higher than either of their songs from their last album Waking Up With The House On Fire). This was their last hit as a group (though Boy George had two more solo singles) 32: NEVER AS GOOD AS THE FIRST TIME - SADE (37) - Most of their songs were chill-out type songs, and this was definitely one of them. It was nice and relaxing. 31: ROUGH BOY - ZZ TOP (36) - This was somewhat of a rare bird - a ballad by ZZ Top. Up to now, most of their songs were rockers (although they sort of went the pop way with their Afterburner album). Anyway, as seldom as they did slow songs, they seemed to do pretty good with them, IMO, anyway, as this was one of my favorite songs from them. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I WANNA BE A COWBOY - BOYS DON'T CRY - A one-hit wonder, as I figured they might be, with this novelty song. It wasn't a bad song, but I liked it a lot better back in the day. 30: SECRET LOVERS - ATLANTIC STARR (19) - A song about infidelity. I liked it, as well as their song from the following year, "Always", which, ironically, is a song about promising to be faithful. 29: I CAN'T WAIT - STEVIE NICKS (16) - One of two songs by that title on the chart this week. This one was by far the better of the two IMO, as I was never a huge fan of the other song. 28: IS IT LOVE - MR. MISTER (33) - They were pretty much a flash in the pan, but their first three singles did quite well, all reaching the Top Ten (the first two making it all the way to the top!) This song was a good one, though I slightly preferred "Broken Wings". 27: R.O.C.K. IN THE U.S.A. (A SALUTE TO 60S ROCK) - JOHN COUGAR MELLANCAMP (11) - This was his biggest hit during the eight or so years that he used both of his surnames (his real one and the one that he was assigned as his stage name). The song peaked at #2 a few weeks back, not quite able to dislodge another musical salute of sorts from #1. Anyway, this was my favorite song from him back in the day, but, while I still like it, somehow, it doesn't sound quite as good as it did 30 years ago. 26: SATURDAY LOVE - CHERELLE WITH ALEXANDER O'NEAL (26) - This was the first of two charted duets between these two R&B acts. The other one, "Never Knew Love Like This" would chart about two years later. I like both of them about the same. This one definitely has a catchy chorus! 25: ALL I NEED IS A MIRACLE - MIKE & THE MECHANICS (29) - They were relatively new at the time, but were doing quite well, with their first hit having hit the Top Ten, and this one about a month away from doing the same. Of their first two hits, this was my favorite, though I did prefer a few others from them, including their next single "Taken In". 24: LIVE TO TELL - MADONNA (35) - This was the first of two weeks in a row that this song made the biggest move of the week, so it's no surprise that this song became another of many #1 hits from her, and deservedly so, as it was a great song! 23: I DO WHAT I DO - JOHN TAYLOR (25) - He had been charting for three years as bass guitarist for Duran Duran, but this was his first solo hit. This one was very catchy. The first time I heard this song, I was singing the chorus to myself all day (misheard lyrics and all!) 22: I CAN'T WAIT - NU SHOOZ (28) - What I couldn't wait for was this song to go poof! I was not a big fan of this one at all. I much preferred Stevie Nicks' song of the same title, heard earlier in the countdown. 21: ON MY OWN - PATTI LaBELLE & MICHAEL McDONALD (31) - I felt the same about this song back in the day (due to excessive airplay), but it was one of those songs that ages like fine wine. I think it's a great song now. LDD: CARRY ON WAYWARD SON - KANSAS - Given the subject matter of the LDD, it's an odd coincidence that this show was broadcast the same day as the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. As for the song - it was a great one, like many of Kansas' Top 40 hits. OPTIONAL EXTRA: TUFF ENUFF - FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS - Though I'm not a huge fan of southern rock, this one was actually pretty good. 20: SOMETHING ABOUT YOU - LEVEL 42 (27) - This song sure got a lot of mileage on the chart. Spent 14 weeks on the chart, which was unusually long for a song that did not even hit the Top Five. It was even more impressive on R&R - peaked at #9 and spent 15 weeks in the Top 40 - which tied it with several other songs for the longest run on the chart within 1986. I can see why it did so well, as it was an awesome song! 19: SO FAR AWAY - DIRE STRAITS (21) - The third single from their multi-platinum album Brothers In Arms. It was a great song, IMO - my favorite from that album! 18: IF YOU LEAVE - ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK (20) - Of their four Top 40 hits, this was their only Top Ten. I preferred their other three hits, my favorite being "So In Love", which, oddly enough, sounds a lot like this one. 17: TENDER LOVE - FORCE MD'S (10) - The only Top 40 hit for this Staten Island based R&B act. A great song - I especially like the part near the end where they go so far up the scale on the piano that it sounds like a music box. 16: I THINK IT'S LOVE - JERMAINE JACKSON (17) - As his sister Janet was just getting started, Jermaine's chart career ended right here with this song that was peaking at #16 this week. It was a great song - nearly as good as his two 1984 hits. 15: LET'S GO ALL THE WAY - SLY FOX (7) - One of several one-hit wonders on this week's chart. This song had actually been released a year earlier, but didn't really go anywhere. Their decision to re-release it in 1986 proved to be worthwhile, as it hit the Top Ten. It was a good song. 14: AMERICAN STORM - BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND (15) - This one definitely had a touch of early Springsteen to it, as it reminded me a lot of "Born To Run". It was also reminiscent of his 1983 hit "Even Now". This was the first of two Top 20 hits from Like A Rock. The other one was, of course, the title track. I definitely preferred this one - one of Seger's best. 13: BAD BOY - MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (18) - This one had sort of an old Motown sound to it. It was the second of many big hits for this band from Cuba (and even more for the lead singer, Gloria Estefan, who would go on to have a successful solo career several years later). It was a good one; my favorite of their 1986 hits. 12: GREATEST LOVE OF ALL - WHITNEY HOUSTON (22) - One of Whitney's best songs ever, and it became popular in the LDD department. This is a song that I never got tired of and it still sounds as fresh as it did over 30 years ago! Glad that it ended up as her biggest hit (as far as weeks at #1 go) from her debut album, which had been on the album chart for over a year at that point. 11: WHAT YOU NEED - INXS (6) - After hitting the charts here and there for about three years, they finally had their first Top Ten hit with this song, but the best was yet to come in 1988. One of those songs, "New Sensation" reminded me a lot of this one. Both are good songs. OPTIONAL EXTRA: RAIN ON THE SCARECROW - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP - The fourth of five singles from the Scarecrow album. I hear this one every now and then on Sunny 101.5's "Totally 80s Weekends". I never used to like this one, but now I think it's a pretty decent song. 10: TAKE ME HOME - PHIL COLLINS (14) - Many people thought that "Don't Lose My Number" was the final hit from No Jacket Required, but I believe they were holding off on new releases from the album to give "Separate Lives", his duet with Marilyn Martin, a chance (which proved to be worthwhile, as that song went all the way to the top). They resumed with No Jacket Required singles here with a song that closes out most of his concerts. A great song indeed! 9: YOUR LOVE - THE OUTFIELD (13) - The first of a handful of Top 40 hits from this British band who apparently knew nothing about baseball, despite their name (though the outfield that they refer to is that of the game of Cricket). This was a good song, but I preferred their next single, "All The Love In The World", which charted that summer. 8: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY - JANET JACKSON (12) - The first of many, many hits that Janet would place on the charts. However, this was one of my least favorite songs from her. I generally liked her later songs (especially the Rhythm Nation era). 7: ROCK ME AMADEUS - FALCO (4) - This was the song responsible for shutting out John Cougar Mellencamp's hit back at #36 out of the top spot. They played the more annoying version of it this week, the one with the chronology of Amadeus' life. I liked the one that started out with "Ooh, Rock Me Amadeus". They seemed to play the former first, but they played the other version a few times - they even played one that seemed to be a combination of the two on the April 5 show, which some of us heard last year as a "B" show). 6: THE HARLEM SHUFFLE - THE ROLLING STONES (8) - This song was mediocre at best; definitely not one of their best hits. But it did have a fast-rise, fast-fall chart run; in fact, it was a rare Top Five hit that did not make the year-end chart. LDD: YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND - JAMES TAYLOR - A song from a high school senior who loved school so much that he did not want to graduate. This was a fitting LDD for all of the friends that he cultivated throughout his school career. 5: WHY CAN'T THIS BE LOVE - VAN HALEN (9) - The Van Hagar era was off to a running start, as the band's very first hit with their new lead singer Sammy Hagar was going strong in the Top Five! It was a great song, though I did slightly prefer the next two hits from 5150. 4: MANIC MONDAY - THE BANGLES (2) - Their breakthrough hit had spent the past two weeks at #2 (edged out of #1 by a song by the artist who wrote this one). This was one of my favorite songs from them, which is more than I can say for their song that hit #1 at the end of the year. 3: WEST END GIRLS - PET SHOP BOYS (5) - This was an example of a band's first hit being their biggest, making it all the way to the top! It was a good one, but I preferred several others from them, including their next hit "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money)". OPTIONAL EXTRA: NOTHIN' AT ALL - HEART - Their recent #1 hit "These Dreams" was spending a final week in the Top 40 this week, but Heart did not skip a beat, as this song would debut on the chart the following week. This is possibly my least favorite of the four songs from their 1985 comeback album, but it's still a good song. 2: ADDICTED TO LOVE - ROBERT PALMER (3) - This song was hitting #1 on the R&R chart this week and would do the same on the Hot 100 the following week. The song was definitely one of the most overplayed hits of the 80s. I rather liked this song back in the day, but I'm still burned out on it (since the song still continues to receive a ton of recurrent airplay). 1: KISS - PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION (1) - Meh, not a fan of this one, or any of his falsetto songs (well, except for "Mountains", the follow-up to this song).
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Post by Hervard on May 1, 2020 13:24:04 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - May 2, 2020 This week's presentation - May 4, 1985 Droppers: SOMEBODY - BRYAN ADAMS (37) - He definitely got quite a lot of mileage out of his Reckless album - the six singles released from it kept him on the chart for most of 1985, and this was the second of them. I liked this song, but preferred a few others from him, including a few from the same album. CAN'T FIGHT THIS FEELING - REO SPEEDWAGON (36) - Here's a band whose power ballads seemed to be favored by the Top 40 audience, as their three Top Five hits were all such songs. This song, which was one of my all-time faves from them, had just come off of a three-week run at #1, though, with more weeks in the Top Ten and Top 40, their 1981 hit #1 "Keep On Lovin' You", which spent a single week at #1, was their biggest hit (of course, inasmuch as the charts did not move as fast in 1981 as they did in 1985, that may not be a fair comparison). LOVERGIRL - TEENA MARIE (25) - Often regarded as a one-hit wonder, "Lovergirl" was actually Teena's second hit. Her first, "I Need Your Loving", peaked at #37 in early 1981. This song fared much better, reaching its peak this week at #4. This song is pretty good, though I do remember disliking this song during its chart run. 40: NEVER ENDING STORY - LIMAHL (debut) - Of course we all know that this guy was the lead singer of Kajagoogoo, whose only hit "Too Shy" I think we know all too well I hate with a passion. This one, on the other hand, was a great song! 39: INVISIBLE – ALISON MOYET (debut) - A one hit wonder, and a former member of Yaz (who never had a Top 40 hit). Her voice sounds a cross between Cher and Laura Branigan. Too bad this song didn't get any higher than #31, since I liked it a lot. 38: SMUGGLER’S BLUES – GLENN FREY (debut) - The first of two hits by Frey from the "Miami Vice" soundtrack. This is my favorite of the two by a slight margin, but I generally preferred him with the Eagles. 37: MATERIAL GIRL - MADONNA (23) - I think it's an understatement that 1985 was a great year for Madonna. She had a ton of hits on the chart that year. She came very close to having three on this week's chart, as "Angel" was right outside the Top 40, at #41. If only it had a few more station or sales reports... She did manage to have three songs on the R&R chart, as "Angel" was debuting at #38 on that chart this week, with this song right ahead of it at #37. This was my least favorite of her 1985 hits, but it was still a good one. One more thing; Casey erroneously indicated that this song had been on the chart for fourteen weeks, while, in fact, this was its twelfth week on. 36: LOST IN LOVE – NEW EDITION (39) - This one never hit the R&R chart, but, even though I wasn't yet listening to American Top 40, I do vaguely remember hearing this song back in the day. Around that time, I had a dream about spending the day with a girl from my class that I had a crush on (who ended up not wanting to have anything to do with me, lol), and I was writing a story based on the dream. This song sort of brings back those puppy love feelings, so I must have heard it sometime - probably on B96, which was beginning to play more urban-based music. Anyway, this was definitely one of my favorite songs by them! A true bonafide guilty pleasure! 35: SAY YOU’RE WRONG – JULIAN LENNON (40) - His album Valotte spawned three Top 40 hits. This was my favorite of the three, and I feel it deserved a higher peak than #21 (especially since the first two songs hit the Top Ten). 34: ‘TIL MY BABY COMES HOME – LUTHER VANDROSS (38) - Featuring Billy Preston on the organ, this was Luther's second Top 40 hit (third, if you count his duet with Dionne Warwick, "How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye") and it was a good one, but I preferred many others from him - mainly his 90s material. 33: HEAVEN – BRYAN ADAMS (35) - Wow, kind of an unusual small jump for a future #1 song. This was the first of three #1 hits for Adams (sure seems like he had more, doesn't it?) I'm glad that this got a second chance on the charts (as when it was first released, from the box office bomb "A Night In Heaven", it went nowhere). EXTRA: NEW YORK NEW YORK – FRANK SINATRA - Old Blue Eyes' 110th and final chart entry here. This one reminded me a lot of my aunt's old records, which I used to listen to when I went over to my grandmother's (her mom) house to visit every Sunday afternoon, as many of those were from the forties and fifties. Anyway, this one peaked at #32 in June, 1980 and probably would have done better had it been released back in the Big Band era. I thought it was a nice throwback song. 32: CELEBRATE YOUTH – RICK SPRINGFIELD (33) - He was pretty much a has-been at this point. His album Tao spawned only two singles, neither of which hit the Top 20. I preferred the other single, "State Of The Heart" by a fair margin. This song wasn't bad, but I can see why it peaked so low (other than the fact that Springfield had already had his day in the sun). 31: WALKING ON SUNSHINE – KATRINA AND THE WAVES (34) - A great, fun song that always takes me back to the summer of 1985! OPTIONAL EXTRA: SUSSUDIO - PHIL COLLINS - The second of four releases from No Jacket Required. Definitely my least favorite of them - this one was a little too gimmicky, IMO, as well as overplayed. 30: ONE LONELY NIGHT – REO SPEEDWAGON (32) - After they'd had a big #1 earlier in the year, I figured that this song, their second hit from Wheels Are Turnin' (as well as another personal favorite of mine) would hit the Top Ten, but it only got as high as #19 (which isn't bad either). Their biggest pop success was definitely in 1981, with Hi Infidelity. 29: VOX HUMANA – KENNY LOGGINS (30) - This one was a little weird. I can see why it tanked so fast. I prefer many others from him, such as the follow-up "Forever", which was a one-week wonder later that summer (and hit the Top Five on the AC chart). 28: FOREVER MAN – ERIC CLAPTON (26) - This song was a #1 Album Rock hit, but here on the Top 40 chart, the song only got up to #26. It was a pretty good song - one I remember hearing from time to time during the spring of 1985. 27: JUST A GIGOLO/I AIN’T GOT NOBODY – DAVID LEE ROTH (29) - His second hit from Crazy From The Heat, a mini-album containing only four songs, all of them cover versions of older hits. 26: IN MY HOUSE – MARY JANE GIRLS (31) - This was the only Top 40 hit for this Rick James-produced soul & funk group (though I have heard a few others from them, such as their cover of the Four Seasons' "Walk Like A Man" which was a mid-charter a year later). This was my favorite of their songs that I know. 25: FRESH – KOOL & THE GANG (27) - This was the second of four hits from the album Emergency (in fact, three of them hit the Top Ten - ironically, the only one that did not was the title track). This was my favorite of that album's singles. LDD: I MADE IT THROUGH THE RAIN – BARRY MANILOW - It seems that more often than not, this song had the second verse cut when played on AT40. This time, however, the song was left intact, which is good, because it's a great song, like most of his hits (and who knows - maybe that verse related to the author's situation and was what inspired her to write the LDD in the first place). 24: THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER – HOWARD JONES (28) - This song and Billy Joel's hit from later that summer, "You're Only Human", both had similar messages. It was a great one, though my favorite from him would be "No One Is To Blame", from the following summer. 23: MISSING YOU – DIANA ROSS (13) - The first of two tributes to the late Marvin Gaye, who had an even 40 Top 40 hits, 24 of them during the "Beatle Years", making him the biggest solo artist of that era. This was my favorite of the two tributes. 22: ALONG COMES A WOMAN - CHICAGO (14) - A landmark single for them, as this was their last Top 40 hit before Peter Cetera left the band for a solo career. It was a pretty good song, though I preferred several others from them. 21: ROCK AND ROLL GIRLS – JOHN FOGERTY (20) - Once the lead singer of Creedence Clearwater Revival, he was on his own at this point, and doing quite well. The first two songs from Centerfield hit the Top 20, including this one. I preferred the title track, which I'm surprised never hit the Top 20 (could have to do with the fact that it was the flipside to this song). OPTIONAL EXTRA: ANGEL - MADONNA - As mentioned earlier, this song was at #41 this week. Based on its debut on the Hot 100 at #48 the week before, one would think it was a cinch to hit the Top 40, but it wasn't quite strong enough. This was a good song, but not quite her best. 20: SUDDENLY – BILLY OCEAN (24) - To many Billy Ocean fans, it's pretty common knowledge that an incident associated with this song actually inspired one of Ocean's hits, "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)", which hit #1 the following summer. Both songs are great, IMO, and among my personal faves from Ocean. Too bad they cut the second verse. 19: NEW ATTITUDE – PATTI LaBELLE (21) - A great and very positive sounding song that reminds me of the revelation I had back in June, 2009 about developing a more positive attitude than I'd had previously. There is still room for improvement, but I've been told by several people that they've noticed the change. 18: SOME THINGS ARE BETTER LEFT UNSAID – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (19) - Their Big Bam Boom album was their third in a row to be certified multi-platinum. This was the third single from it, and it would peak at #18. I'm thinking it might have peaked higher had it been released a few years earlier, as it sort of had an early-80s sound to it (in fact, the choruses reminded me of the verses of "Even The Nights Are Better" by Air Supply). I thought it was a good song. 17: ONE MORE NIGHT – PHIL COLLINS (11) - The first single from Phil Collins' aforementioned No Jacket Required album, which would spawn two more songs during 1985, and another in the spring of 1986. This was my favorite of those songs and it must have been a strong song, to be able to fend off "We Are The World" like it did its second week at #1 (not to mention blocking a big name like Madonna from the top spot). 16: AXEL F – HAROLD FALTERMEYER (22) - The second of two hits from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack on this week's chart, as well as the first of three instrumentals to hit the Top 40 in 1985 (not sure when the last time that many instrumentals charted within a year's time). I remember that sometimes, I'd shadowbox in time to the music of this song. Not sure why; just one of many weird things I did as a young teenager. 15: DON’T COME AROUND HERE NO MORE – TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (17) - Meh, I was never a huge fan of this song. I preferred his early-80s hits. 14: EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD – TEARS FOR FEARS (18) - The first of three big hits for TFF in 1985. This song went all the way to #1 and is my second favorite, behind "Head Over Heels". 13: I’M ON FIRE – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (9) - He was still cranking out hit after hit from his Born In The USA album. This was the fourth one, which peaked at #6 three weeks prior. It was a great song - one of my favorites from Born In The USA. 12: THAT WAS YESTERDAY - FOREIGNER (15) - The second hit from Agent Provacateur, it was looking like it would be another Top Ten hit, but it fell short, peaking at #12 this week. It did hit the Top Ten on the R&R chart and was played regularly on the stations I listened to (especially U93, which played it well into the summer). It was easily my favorite of their two 1985 hits, as well as possibly my favorite song from them of all time! 11: EVERYTHING SHE WANTS - WHAM (16) - This was not only their third hit in a row, but their third #1 as well. This was my favorite of the three. 10: SMOOTH OPERATOR – SADE (12) - Their debut hit, which became one of their biggest, peaking at #5 in May. It wasn't one of my favorites back in the day, but now I think it's a great one! OPTIONAL EXTRA: VOICES CARRY - 'TIL TUESDAY - The first of two Top 40 hits from this band from Boston. It was a good one, though I preferred their other Top 40 hit (which was quite underrated, I must say), "What About Love", from late 1986. 9: ALL SHE WANTS TO DO IS DANCE – DON HENLEY (10) - The second release from Building The Perfect Beast. It's my least favorite of the singles, however - for some reason, this song never did much for me. 8: NIGHTSHIFT – THE COMMODORES (4) - The second of the two Marvin Gaye tributes that I mentioned earlier, only this one also paid homage to Jackie Wilson, another R&B great who had also passed away in 1984. This song was OK, but the Commodores were just not the same without Lionel Richie. 7: SOME LIKE IT HOT – THE POWER STATION (8) - One of several Duran Duran side projects. This song was OK, but I generally preferred Duran Duran, including their then-new song "A View To A Kill", which would debut on the Hot 100 the following week and go on to hit #1 that summer. 6: OBSESSION – ANIMOTION (7) - Their first of three Top 40 hits from this technopop band from Los Angeles. It was their biggest hit and I thought it was a decent song, but I preferred their other Top Ten hit, "Room To Move", from 1989. LDD: YOU’RE THE INSPIRATION - CHICAGO - The third hit from their Chicago 17 album (and their final Top Ten hit with Peter Cetera singing lead). It was a good song, but I preferred their previous hit "Hard Habit To Break". 5: ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK – MURRAY HEAD f/ANDERS GLENMARK (6) - That is how the song would be credited today, since Glenmark sings in the song while Murray Head raps. As usual, this song started out with the classical prelude, which I liked. The song itself is pretty good too, although it was quite overplayed back in the day! They usually edited this one (heavily at times), but this week, they seemed to play the song intact. 4: DON’T YOU (FORGET ABOUT ME) – SIMPLE MINDS (5) - Their first four hits sounded very much alike, IMO. This was my least favorite of the four (probably since it was way overplayed). I do like the movie from which it came, The Breakfast Club. 3: RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT - DeBARGE (3) - This song turned out to be their biggest hit ever, getting as high as #3, where it spent the past two weeks. It was a good one, but I preferred their next hit, "Who's Holding Donna Now", which turned out to be their second best hit, peaking at #6 that summer. OPTIONAL EXTRA: THE SEARCH IS OVER - SURVIVOR - This was their biggest hit that wasn't associated with any of the Rocky movies. It was a great song - one that became somewhat popular in the LDD department. 2: CRAZY FOR YOU - MADONNA (2) - This song had been stuck in the runner-up position for three weeks and, with a multi-million selling benefit song at the top, it looked like that might be all the further the song got, thus cheating Madonna out of a #1 hit two times in a row, but the song did manage a week at #1. The song was #1 for two weeks on the R&R chart and went on to become the biggest song of the year, and deservedly so, as it was such a great song! 1: WE ARE THE WORLD – USA FOR AFRICA (1) - One of the biggest selling singles ever, and for a great cause - aiding in famine relief in Ethiopia. I did get tired of the song back in the day, both from radio airplay and rehearsing it almost every day for our spring choir concert in 7th grade, but it's great to hear it every now and then. Coming up next week: As many predicted, next week, we get May 14, 1983, for the first time since 2010, its only other airing on the series.
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