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Post by Hervard on Jul 5, 2020 21:26:30 GMT -5
WTOJ is running the Y2K special, which I've decided to post a recycled commentary:
The 40 Days That Changed Music
1955 - The dawn of the Rock & Roll Era* August 20, 1955 - Chuck Berry, the "Father of Rock & Roll", had his first chart hit. January 10, 1956 - Elvis Presley, the King of Rock, arrives in RCA Studio and begins an incredible recording career. February 3, 1959 - Buddy Holly killed in plane crash January 12, 1959 - Motown started by Berry Gordy December 31, 1961 - Beach Boys' first gig Early 1960s - Phil Spector's Wall Of Sound February 9, 1964 - British Invasion July 25, 1965 - Bob Dylan's "electric controversy" Fall, 1965 - James Brown's first Top Ten (not sure this was exactly what Casey talked about) September 12, 1966 - The Monkees debuted on NBC TV January 27, 1967 - Aretha Franklin signed to Atlantic Records June 16-18, 1967 - Monterey Pop Festival October 18, 1967 - Rolling Stone Magazine debuted August 15-18, 1969 - Woodstock festival April 10, 1970 - Announcement of the Beatles' breakup August 25, 1970 - Elton John's debut at the Troubadour nightclub June 19, 1971 - Carole King's Tapestry album tops the album chart November 8, 1971 - Led Zeppelin IV, album containing "Stairway To Heaven", released February 10, 1972 - Ziggy Stardust makes his earthly debut January 6, 1976 - Frampton Comes Alive album released December 16, 1977 - Saturday Night Fever movie released in the U.S. September 16, 1979 - "Rapper's Delight", first rap hit, released as a single Early 1979 - Birth of the "Second British Invasion" December 8, 1980 - John Lennon shot and killed by Mark David Chapman August 1, 1981 - MTV started up March 25, 1983 - Michael Jackson performs moonwalk on Motown 25th anniversary special August 3, 1983 - Prince performs the song "Purple Rain" on stage for the first time June 4, 1984 - Bruce Springsteen's Born In The USA album released November 12, 1984 - Release of Madonna's Like A Virgin album November 25, 1984 - Band Aid records "Do They Know It's Christmas", a benefit song for Ethiopian famine relief January 28, 1985 - "We Are The World" recorded by USA For Africa, also for famine relief April 25, 1990 - MC Hammer sued by Rick James for copyright infringmenet for sampling "Super Freak" without permission Early 1990s - Popularity of grunge rock Early 1990s - Charts dominated by female singers. July 5, 1997 - Lilith Fair, one of many traveling music festivals in the 1990s, founded by Sarah McLachlan Spring, 1997 - "Boyband" trend quickly becomes popular - Backstreet Boys have their first Top Ten hit. February 24, 1999 - Ricky Martin becomes a mega-star overnight after smash performance at Grammy Awards
(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock - Bill Haley & His Comets Maybelline - Chuck Berry Heartbreak Hotel - Elvis Presley That'll Be The Day - Buddy Holly & The Crickets My Girl - The Temptations Surfin' USA - Beach Boys Be My Baby - Ronettes I Wanna Hold Your Hand - The Beatles Positively Fourth Street - Bob Dylan Say It Loud - James Brown I'm A Believer - The Monkees White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane Respect - Aretha Franklin Let It Be - The Beatles Your Song - Elton John It's Too Late - Carole King Changes - David Bowie Stayin' Alive - The Bee Gees Changes - David Bowie Show Me The Way - Peter Frampton Rapper's Delight - Sugarhill Gang Roxanne - The Police (Just Like) Starting Over - John Lennon Billie Jean - Michael Jackson Born In The USA - Bruce Springsteen Thriller - Michael Jackson (EXTRA) Like A Virgin - Madonna When Doves Cry - Prince Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid We Are The World - USA For Africa U Can't Touch This - MC Hammer Come As You Are (Unplugged) - Nirvana I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston I Will Remember You (Live) - Sarah McLachlan Quit Playing Games With My Heart - Backstreet Boys Livin' La Vida Loca - Ricky Martin
* It is debatable when the rock era began. Some say it started on January 1, 1955, while others say it began when Bill Haley hit #1 with "(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock". Either way, it was 1955.
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Post by mga707 on Jul 5, 2020 21:33:03 GMT -5
A quick FYI: You have Bowie's "Changes" listed twice. Otherwise, nice overview of the show. Have not yet heard the last half of it. will have to tune it in later tonight on WTOJ, is it will almost certainly be the last chance to hear it, maybe ever.
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Post by mga707 on Jul 5, 2020 22:02:53 GMT -5
I'm listening now, and I found another error or two in your above list: Two James Brown songs got played, "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" followed by "Say It Loud...", as you indicated. The JB segment was about his rise to stardom, his unique live shows, and how he moved into social commentary in his songs. Also, "Woodstock" by Matthew's Southern Comfort (1971) was played in connection with the commentary about the festival. Surprised they didn't go with the 1970 CSN&Y original version.
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Post by bobbo428 on Jul 8, 2020 15:51:30 GMT -5
40 THE END OF OUR ROAD-MARVIN GAYE A cover of a 1968 Gladys Knight hit, this was an enjoyable, well-produced version. 39 SILVER BIRD-MARK LINDSAY This song was a haunting pop rocker that brought to mind Merilee Rush’s “Angel of the Morning.” The record made effective use of both a vocal and an instrumental bridge. The tune was used in a Yamaha ® motorcycle commercial in the mid-1970s. 38 SPILL THE WINE-ERIC BURDON & WAR This was the last major hit for Eric Burdon and the first for War, one of the most consistent hitmakers of the '70s. The song sang of a trip that the singer had one summer day; you could tell that the guy was stoned, and he was having a good time in his trance. It was appropriate that this song was a summer hit because both the lyrics and the music conjured up images of a July heat wave, tall grass, and insects flying to and fro. It soared to the top five on the chart. 37 GO BACK-CRABBY APPLETON Psychedelic, organ-drenched guitar rocker had a strong hook and is a forgotten gem. 36 I JUST CAN’T HELP BELIEVING-B. J. THOMAS This Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil composition was a reflective soft-rock tune about a guy hoping that his girlfriend would stay with him permanently. 35 SPIRIT IN THE DARK/THE THRILL IS GONE-ARETHA FRANKLIN WITH THE DIXIE FLYERS The A-side was a tasty mixture of soul, gospel, and rock and was a moderate pop success. “The Thrill Is Gone” was a subdued piano version of the recent B.B. King hit. 34 MISSISSIPPI-JOHN PHILLIPS A finger-popping, Cajun-sounding summer tune that was a moderate success 33 WESTBOUND #9-FLAMING EMBER Soulful tune was the R&B band’s biggest pop hit. 32 IT’S ALL IN THE GAME-THE FOUR TOPS Cover of the 1958 Tommy Edwards hit was given a soulful treatment. 31 SAVE THE COUNTRY-THE 5TH DIMENSION A rousing number that never failed to lift my spirits, it was an antiwar song with a gospel flavor to it. It was written by Laura Nyro, who also wrote hits for Barbra Streisand ("Stoney End"), Blood, Sweat, and Tears ("And When I Die"), and Three Dog Night ("Eli's Coming”). Even at that young age, Nyro's songs made me think. "Save the Country" helped me believe that the human race was capable of much more than it had demonstrated in the past. 30 OHIO-CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG A charging call to arms, took the Nixon administration to task for its handling of the May 4 Kent State tragedy. I really enjoyed the pointed lyrics and passionate guitar work, as well as Neil Young’s vocals. 29 EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL-RAY STEVENS I found this song to be a little maudlin when it was popular, but the message was undeniable: everybody has intrinsic worth. 28 CHECK OUT YOUR MIND-THE IMPRESSIONS Smooth soul with the caressing voice of Mayfield 27 QUESTION-THE MOODY BLUES This existential acoustic rocker was like an aural whirlpool. I enjoyed the shifts in mood and tempo—from chugging rocker to reflective ballad—and back to a rocker. There was definite tension in the lyrics and the instrumentation, both the strings and the guitars. "Question" was a complex song reminding me of a summer day with a thunderstorm brewing--when the ballad segued into a charging guitar, it reminded me of the clouds opening up at 4:30 on an August afternoon. 26 SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED (I’M YOURS)-STEVIE WONDER A bouncy slice of Motown pop-soul that became a big pop hit, Peter Frampton would remake it in 1977. 25 SUGAR SUGAR-WILSON PICKETT The 1969 bubblegum smash got the Memphis treatment, turning it into a soulful jam. 24 TEACH YOUR CHILDREN-CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG This was some pertinent advice with a steel guitar backdrop—it received a lot of MOR as well as pop and rock airplay. 23 WHICH WAY YOU GOIN’ BILLY-POPPY FAMILY This was a melancholy, organ-drenched pop rocker that had a strong hook in the chorus. The lead singer, Susan Jacks, had a somewhat mournful voice that reminded me of Mary Hopkin—when I was young, I used to confuse the two acts, thinking that Mary Hopkin was a member of the Poppy Family. 22 LOVE ON A TWO-WAY STREET-THE MOMENTS This was a classic, silky R&B number with a strong hook; the lyrics were about a love affair gone wrong. 21 MISSISSIPPI QUEEN-MOUNTAIN A hard-rocking, summer sort of tune with a smoking guitar sound 20 MAKE IT WITH YOU-BREAD Mellow and hopeful sounding, I enjoyed this much more as an adult than a nine-year-old kid. It was a deserved smash. 19 ARE YOU READY?-PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC A rousing, gospel-tinged rocker that was a big hit—the guitar riffs were outstanding. 18 LOVE LAND-CHARLES WRIGHT & THE WATTS 103RD STREET RHYTHM BAND I heard this a few times that summer but hardly again until I found the 45 at a thrift store 20 years later. This was a soulful song with strong vocal and instrumental hooks. 17 TIGHTER TIGHTER-ALIVE & KICKING A soul-tinged pop tune with a strong hook, this was inspired by Tommy James & the Shondells. 16 MY BABY LOVES LOVIN’-WHITE PLAINS This was a bubblegum pop tune that sounded just like “Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes” because it featured the same singer, Tony Burrows. 15 A SONG OF JOY-MIGUEL RIOS Strangely enough, this song always struck me as sad, not joyful. It was probably because of the plaintive vocal delivery on this recording. The record was based on the final movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. 14 UNITED WE STAND-BROTHERHOOD OF MAN This had a graduation, June-like feel to it, as well as Fourth of July message. The song had renewed popularity after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. 13 GET READY-RARE EARTH Rock-oriented cover of the Temptations hit was a smash that year. 12 O-O-H CHILD-FIVE STAIRSTEPS A haunting, yet reassuring soul/pop tune about someone striving to rise above racial discrimination, this was a song that was apropos for the times. I was in a melancholy mood during the summer of '70, and this was one song that I could relate to well. 11 GIMME DAT DING-PIPKINS This was a silly yet cool novelty song that had a good piano hook, as well as a cameo from legendary disc jockey Wolfman Jack—it was a top-10 success tht featured the vocals of Tony Burrows. 10 HITCHIN’ A RIDE-VANITY FARE This catchy, summery tune reminded me of the longing to get back home after a busy weekend. The lyrics sang of a guy who urgently needed to get home to his wife. 9 THE WONDER OF YOU-ELVIS PRESLEY Frequently played that summer, it was a bit maudlin but sung with emotion by the King. 8 THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD-THE BEATLES This was one of the ultimate graduation songs, it was the sweeping sort of number that often reached #1 during the month of June. It was to June 1970 what Le Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance” was to June 2000. The tune still holds up quite well five decades later. 7 (THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU-THE CARPENTERS I came to know the superstar duo well when this ballad came out. It was the biggest hit of that summer, spending four weeks at #1 that July and August. This Bacharach-David composition originally was offered to Herb Alpert, who had had a #1 hit in 1968 with a similarly-structured song, "This Guy's In Love with You." Alpert turned the song down, and it was offered to the new duo. The result was a stunning success. I enjoyed the song a lot because Karen Carpenter’s voice could soothe a child in the throes of summer melancholia. 6 LAY DOWN (CANDLES IN THE WIND)-MELANIE This was inspired by her experience at Woodstock the previous year. You can almost hear the rain and see the candles that she was singing about. Background vocals from the Edwin Hawkins Singers gave the record a spiritual overtone--and the feeling that something monumental was taking place. Unfortunately, I was a bit too young to actually remember Woodstock, let alone participate in it. 5 BAND OF GOLD-FREDA PAYNE One of my favorites of the year, this brassy, percussive, infectious R&B number sang of a woman whose husband left her shortly after they had married. It had a good bubblegum soul sort of vibe that went well with summertime. 4 RIDE CAPTAIN RIDE-BLUES IMAGE A rock story song about a mysterious voyage, this had a strong hook and an unforgettable keyboard riff. The track opened with a swirling instrumental intro, which kicked into an excellent blues-rock sound about a sailing adventure. 3 BALL OF CONFUSION (THAT’S WHAT THE WORLD IS TODAY)-THE TEMPTATIONS A song I didn’t hear until five years later, this ended up becoming one of my favorite hits of 1970. It was a rapid-fire panorama of issues troubling the world. It was my favorite Temptations record, and it was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, who helped steer the group from good-timey love songs to records with harder-hitting lyrics. 2 THE LOVE YOU SAVE-JACKSON 5 This was another slice of the soulful bubblegum sound made famous by these brothers and their third consecutive #1 hit. The record was well crafted with vocal and instrumental layers--and easy to like. 1 MAMA TOLD ME (NOT TO COME)-THREE DOG NIGHT This song put Randy Newman on the map; it came complete with the sardonic brand of humor that Newman is known for.
I enjoyed all of the AT40 extras, notably “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter,” which I vaguely remember hearing as a four-year-old in the spring of 1965. I enjoyed the KLFM Carpenters medley, most of which was “We’ve Only Just Begun.” I had heard the 1975 rebroadcast of this countdown on Wilkes Barre, PA’s WILK. Since I did not have any Billboard chart books yet in 1975, I was fascinated by finding out which songs were where on the chart. I also found out that many of the current songs that I was hearing on local station WNBF weren’t on the top 40 because that was an MOR—rather than pop—station.
SHOULD HAVE MADE IT:
CINNAMON GIRL-NEIL YOUNG WITH CRAZY HORSE The record had an unforgettable guitar riff and an outdoor summer feel. Young has been many things, ranging from flaky to visionary—as his styles varied from acoustic ballads to country-rock to a garage rock sound. SONG FROM M*A*S*H-AL DELORY This jazzy instrumental movie theme was only a minor pop hit that summer, but the melody stuck in my mind because of extensive MOR play that summer. It did spend about 3 months on the chart, from the tail end of second grade to the beginning of my 3rd grade year. Little that I know that this would become one of the most aired TV themes ever, thanks to the highly-rated TV series that would premiere two years later.
Most of these chart critiques were from my book "The Songs of Our Lives--A Journey Through Pop Music Land, 1955-79."
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Post by mga707 on Jul 8, 2020 16:51:15 GMT -5
11 GIMME DAT DING-PIPKINS This was a silly yet cool novelty song that had a good piano hook, as well as a cameo from legendary disc jockey Wolfman Jack—it was a top-10 success tht featured the vocals of Tony Burrows. I have to correct you here--the late Bob Smith, aka Wolfman Jack, is NOT on 'Gimme Dat Ding'. The 'Wolfman-ish' vocal is indeed by the prolific Tony Burrows. Enjoyed your review of this historic show!
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Post by mga707 on Jul 8, 2020 16:58:57 GMT -5
4 RIDE CAPTAIN RIDE-BLUES IMAGE A rock story song about a mysterious voyage, this had a strong hook and an unforgettable keyboard riff. The track opened with a swirling instrumental intro, which kicked into an excellent blues-rock sound about a sailing adventure. The lyrics are supposedly inspired by the 1968 U.S.S. Pueblo incident, in which a Navy spy ship and it's crew (with 83 aboard rather than 73) was captured and held by North Korea for 11 months, January 23 through December 23 of that year.
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Post by bobbo428 on Jul 8, 2020 20:46:31 GMT -5
11 GIMME DAT DING-PIPKINS This was a silly yet cool novelty song that had a good piano hook, as well as a cameo from legendary disc jockey Wolfman Jack—it was a top-10 success tht featured the vocals of Tony Burrows. I have to correct you here--the late Bob Smith, aka Wolfman Jack, is NOT on 'Gimme Dat Ding'. The 'Wolfman-ish' vocal is indeed by the prolific Tony Burrows. Enjoyed your review of this historic show! Thanks for the heads up--I will make note of this for the second edition of my 1960/70s book.
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Post by bobbo428 on Jul 8, 2020 21:45:54 GMT -5
CHART COMMENTARY FROM 36 YEARS AGO (7/7/84) Weather: Partly sunny and refreshingly cool (unlike July 2020 in the Northeast) Station I listened to the show on in 1984: WKRZ (Scranton-Wilkes Barre, PA0
Of the songs that fell off, I was most disappointed not to hear Joe Jackson’s “You Can’t Get What You Want.” Tonight I listened to the countdown on Aruba’s Hits 100, with the best commercials—and even better, none of those obnoxious Premier ads!
40 BOYS DO FALL IN LOVE-ROBIN GIBB This made-for-MTV pop-rocker was fairly tuneful, but it was only a moderate pop success. 39 PRIME TIME-ALAN PARSONS PROJECT Sedate and atmospheric soft-rock tune was a moderate pop hit, their last to make the top 40. 38 FAREWELL MY SUMMER LOVE-MICHAEL JACKSON A fairly melodic, if languid, summery number that actually was 11 years old at the time 37 ALIBIS-SERGIO MENDES A major AC hit that summer, this song was about getting wise to an unfaithful lover. The tune had a funky mellow groove and should have done better than the top 30. 36 SHE’S MINE-STEVE PERRY I heard this in the countdown and I like it a lot more than in 1984—it should have been as big as “Oh, Sherrie.” 35 IT’S A MIRACLE-CULTURE CLUB Fourth single from Colour by Numbers was a soulful, late-springy tune with a tropical sound and ska frills. 34 ROMANCING THE STONE-EDDY GRANT This pulsating, captivating movie theme should have been a much bigger hit nationally. 33 STUCK ON YOU-LIONEL RICHIE Lionel was one of the few R&B singers to cross over to country radio. I enjoyed this song a lot in 1984, but it’s been aired too much in the decades since. 32 IF EVER YOU’RE IN MY ARMS AGAIN-PEABO BRYSON I wanted very much for this song to make the top 10 on the national pop charts, and it just made it, reaching No. 10. It was a sincere, soulful ballad with an earnest vocal delivery and an excellent bridge. 31 PANAMA-VAN HALEN This sultry summertime rock tune was a major pop hit. I enjoyed Casey’s story about the Van Halen brothers and how they came to choose the instruments they became famous for. 30 SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT-COREY HART A generic pop song by a video-genic act, this was my least favorite by Hart but his only one with much recurrent airplay. 29 SISTER CHRISTIAN-NIGHT RANGER An AOR piano ballad with lyrics seemingly about a guy trying to score with a Christian woman, this was their first top-10 hit and has received tons of recurrent airplay. 28 I’M FREE (HEAVEN HELPS THE MAN)-KENNY LOGGINS This was standard mid-’80s movie pop, from Footloose, though this was actually catchier than the title song. 27 WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT-TINA TURNER This ubiquitous pop ballad had a captivating chorus yet cynical lyrics that were appropriate for the era. It ended up receiving the Grammy for Record of the Year. It was an example of how, by the mid-’80s, the emphasis in pop music shifting from love songs to ones about sexual pleasure. The song crowned a stunning comeback by this star. LDD: IT'S A LONG WAY THERE-LITTLE RIVER BAND My all-time favorite by the band—was an immediate winner for me. The lyrics dealt with striving and persevering, along the lines of the Hollies’ “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother.” I was pleasantly surprised by this LDD choice—I was expecting one of the group’s more maudlin tunes, like “Reminiscing.” 26 DON’T WALK AWAY-RICK SPRINGFIELD Another slab of pabulum from Rick, this was a moderate hit. 25 NO WAY OUT-JEFFERSON STARSHIP This was synth-driven AOR radio fodder with lyrics about a guy caught cheating. The video was definitely more inventive than the song itself. 24 I CAN DREAM ABOUT YOU-DAN HARTMAN This melodic tune was a much-played hit from a movie I never saw (Streets of Fire). Several years ago, the song was covered by Hall & Oates. 23 STAY THE NIGHT-CHICAGO One of their harder-edged outings, this was a summery tune that reached the top 20. The song was more macho and sexually aggressive than most of their other singles—probably a bid for AOR airplay. 22 A MODERN DAY DELILAH-VAN STEPHENSON The tune was a scintillating slice of high-tech mid-’80s guitar rock. It was the first Delilah song to make the top 40 since 1968 (Tom Jones’s “Delilah”)—and the last until 2007’s “Hey There Delilah,” by the Plain White Ts. Stephenson would form the country band Blackhawk in the ‘90s. 21 STATE OF SHOCK-JACKSONS This was a rock-inspired bubblegum tune with a summer vibe; it was seldom heard after 1984, however. I thought Mick Jagger’s cameo was hilarious. 20 BREAKIN’—THERE’S NO STOPPIN’ US-OLLIE & JERRY This fun tune was a major pop hit, reaching the top 10. It was an upbeat song with an irresistible chorus and had summer written all over it. In addition, it had that cheerful, June-like “I’m-going-to-ace-my-exams” feel to it. It reminded me of McFadden & Whitehead’s “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now.” 19 GHOSTBUSTERS-RAY PARKER JR. The rousing title song from the blockbuster movie of the summer, this was Parker’s biggest pop hit. 18 OH SHERRIE-STEVE PERRY A palatable slice of midtempo rock by the lead singer of Journey, this mainstream song has gotten huge amounts of airplay on light rock stations. This was what I called a “normal” song. 17 SAD SONGS (SAY SO MUCH)-ELTON JOHN This familiar adult contemporary song was a big pop hit; it still gets played a lot on light rock stations. 16 DANCE HALL DAYS-WANG CHUNG Dancing-friendly British pop-rock tune was fun and quirky, as well as a major pop hit. 15 BORDERLINE-MADONNA This was a soulful ballad that reached the top 10. This song logged six months on the chart and continues to get a lot of AC airplay today. 14 INFATUATION-ROD STEWART A somewhat derivative, pandering song that was what radio programmers liked—I hated this tune in 1984 but now consider it average. 13 DOCTOR! DOCTOR!-THOMPSON TWINS A sly MTV pop tune with clichéd lyrics, this was a big hit. 12 MAGIC-THE CARS This hard-driving summer rock tune was another big hit for this group; it had a charging guitar riff. 11 LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY-DENIECE WILLIAMS From a movie I’ve never seen, Footloose, it was a bouncy late-spring tune celebrating an unsung guy. The song was a smash, becoming the artist’s first No. 1 hit in exactly six years. 10 LEGS-ZZ TOP The standard AOR boogie rock number got a lot of play on MTV and was the band’s first top-10 pop hit. I enjoyed Casey’s story about band member Dusty Beard. 9 HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL-HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS Third single from Sports was a perfect anthem for the era; for me, this song epitomized 1984: It was President Reagan’s peak year of popularity, and the song served as a backdrop for the Yuppie Decade. 8 ALMOST PARADISE…LOVE THEME FROM FOOTLOOSE-MIKE RENO AND ANN WILSON Humdrum, formulaic movie power ballad from Footloose was all over the radio that summer. 7 TIME AFTER TIME-CYNDI LAUPER A song pledging support during hard times, this sincere pop-rock ballad was her first number 1 pop hit. 6 EYES WITHOUT A FACE-BILLY IDOL A rare ballad by this generally hard-rocking performer, this had a melodic midsummer feel and was his first top-10 hit. The bridge, however, was more typically Idol. 5 THE REFLEX-DURAN DURAN This was the band’s weakest single—and one of their biggest hits. They all too often epitomized the flash-over-substance syndrome infecting the music business in 1984. 4 SELF CONTROL-LAURA BRANIGAN I enjoyed this song a lot that summer; it had multiple vocal and instrumental hooks, scoring a pop bull’s eye. LDD: “Weekend in New England,” strangely enough, was also on the Hot 100 at the same time as the LRB song above, in late November-mid-December 1976. 3 JUMP (FOR MY LOVE)-POINTER SISTERS An ordinary dance-pop tune that got huge amounts of pop and AC airplay, this was only mildly captivating but nevertheless made the top five. It may be a bleeping uptempo dance record, but at least this Pointer Sisters song didn’t lead into a dead dog dedication. LOL. 2 DANCING IN THE DARK-BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN I enjoyed this a lot at the time; the lyrics packed quite a punch as well. It was the last song recorded for his monster album Born in the USA but the first—and biggest—hit from it. The lyrics were about the frustration associated with completing the album. I was hoping it would reach number 1, but Prince’s “When Doves Cry” proved too big a hit to overcome. 1 WHEN DOVES CRY-PRINCE This sparsely-produced funk song nevertheless had a great deal of tension—as well as a mean groove. It was the biggest pop hit of 1984 nationwide, with a pulsating rhythm and a hook that helped make the Purple One a superstar. The tune had that midsummer vibe for sure.
Most of the chart commentaries were condensed from my book “X-Citement: A Journey Through Pop Music Land, 1980-1999.”
Of the optional extras, I enjoyed “The Warrior.” I was thoroughly bored with the monotonous “Missing You.” This has had three dozen years of sustained recurrent airplay, yet catchier (in my opinion) songs by John Waite get NO recurrent airplay. And three other songs called “Missing You,” by Dan Fogelberg, Diana Ross, and Steve Perry, get NO airplay as oldies—and I enjoy all three. “Rock Me Tonite,” by Billy Squier, was a blustering, run-of-the-mill AOR tune was big on pop radio but not on MTV because of a silly video for this record. Lyrically, it was a macho tune. There were a lot of songs like this in the summer of 1984, so I tuned into AC to avoid the MTV pop rat race. The fourth extra, by Sheila, was catchy and had a summery feel.
SHOULD HAVE MADE THE TOP 40:
A LITTLE LOVE-JUICE NEWTON A country-pop tune with a solid hook, this was a midchart pop performer. It was one of many country crossover tunes that would struggle on pop radio beginning that year. HANG UP THE PHONE-ANNIE GOLDEN A 1960s-inspired tune that I heard only once or twice, this had a strong hook and should have been a hit. THIN LINE BETWEEN LOVE AND HATE-PRETENDERS A well-sung remake of the 1971 hit by the R&B group The Persuaders, I hoped this would be a much bigger pop hit. HOLD ME-TEDDY PENDERGRASS/WHITNEY HOUSTON A sincere pop/soul ballad, this was Whitney’s first song to chart. I hoped that it would be a bigger pop hit. SOUTH CENTRAL RAIN (I’M SORRY)-R.E.M. A catchy, jangly song, this was the band’s first single to make my personal chart and their first I recall hearing when it came out. The lyrics sang of a guy trying to calm a lover after a misunderstanding. It was a refreshing antidote to the pedestrian AOR of Night Ranger and Billy Squier—or headbangers like Ratt, all of whom were in the top 20 that summer. THE LEBANON-THE HUMAN LEAGUE Opening with a cool, low-pitched guitar riff, it soon was joined by a U2-like sound, and then a strong synth hook. This was about war in the Middle East, and the tune had an alluring vibe. I wish I’d been more familiar with the song back then.
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Post by Hervard on Jul 10, 2020 13:15:53 GMT -5
I'll eventually get around to critiquing last weekend's 1984 show, but for now, we'll get started with this week's two 1980s shows. American Top 40: The 80s - July 11, 2020 This week's presentation - July 9, 1983 Droppers: MY LOVE - LIONEL RICHIE (37) - This song was the third of an incredible 13 consecutive Top Ten hits for Mr. Richie. It was a good one, but my least favorite of his three Top 40 songs from his debut album. DON'T PAY THE FERRYMAN - CHRIS DEBURGH (34) - We just missed hearing this song, as the last 1983 show, not too long ago, happened to be the one for the week before this song debuted. Too bad this song didn't last any longer on the chart than it did. OVERKILL - MEN AT WORK (31) - Their debut hit, "Who Can It Be Now" (which this sounds somewhat like), hit #1 on the Hot 100, but not R&R. The tables were turned with this song, as this spent three weeks at #1 on the latter and peaked at #3 on the former. Truly, the Cargo singles, sadly ignored by 80s stations were superior to the two from Business From Usual, which you can count on hearing during any two-hour period listening to any 80s station. Anyway, this was definitely my favorite song from this Australian band. WE TWO - LITTLE RIVER BAND (29) - They'd definitely had their day in the sun several years before, over a period of about three and a half years, but, unfortunately, this was their next to last Top 40 hit. It was definitely one of my favorites from them, giving "Lady" a run for its money. THE WOMAN IN YOU - THE BEE GEES (24) - It looked like the Bee Gees were making a comeback, but it wasn't a big one, as this didn't even hit the Top 20 (they would, however, return to the Top Ten six years later with their song "One"). LW#1: FLASHDANCE…WHAT A FEELING - IRENE CARA 40: TRY AGAIN - CHAMPAIGN (30) - This song indeed looked promising at first with a debut at #30, with prospects of it possibly surpassing the #12 peak of their first hit, but that was not to be, as the song only got as high as #23, where it held for three weeks. The song did well at AC radio, though, peaking at #6 (and I remember hearing it on U93's Top 93 of 1983 countdown). I liked their two Top 40 songs about the same - both great songs! 39: ROCK AND ROLL IS KING - ELO (debut) - They were good in the 70s, but, IMO, not so much in the 1980s. Melodically, this was pretty much "Hold On Tight Pt. 2". 38: CHINA GIRL - DAVID BOWIE (debut) - "And when I get excited, my little China Girl says, 'Oh baby, just you shut your mouth!' As we probably know all too well, my favorite songs from him were his two 1987 hits, but this one wasn't bad either. 37: FAITHFULLY - JOURNEY (22) - Strange that this song missed the Top Ten, since it still receives a ton of recurrent airplay, especially on AC-based oldies stations. I like it, but preferred many others from them. 36: WHITE WEDDING - BILLY IDOL (36) - The final release from his second album, which was eponymously titled. I'm surprised that this song peaked so low, as I remember hearing this quite a lot in the summer of 1983 on Chicago's WLS. 35: STOP IN THE NAME OF LOVE - HOLLIES (40) - This was an interesting remake of the Supremes hit - they changed the lyrics around a little, the most notably being in the chorus (when they changed the second "before you break my heart" to "before you tear it apart"). Less notably, they removed the explanation point from the title. It was a great song, IMO, and I preferred this one over the Supremes version. 34: ROCK OF AGES - DEF LEPPARD (debut) - The second of three Top 40 hits from Hysteria, none of which managed to hit the Top Ten, but the best was yet to come - their album Hysteria, which came out almost exactly four years later would spawn a host of big hits for them! As for my opinion of the song, it wasn't bad, but I preferred many others from them. 33: ALWAYS SOMETHING THERE TO REMIND ME - NAKED EYES (20) - Here's one of those acts that only lasted a little over a year on the charts. This was the biggest of their four hits and the only one that made the Top Ten. I preferred their next hit "Promises Promises". 32: IT'S A MISTAKE - MEN AT WORK (debut) - Well, they definitely had a great year, but their chart days were nearing the end. This would end up being their last Top Ten hit. It was my second favorite of theirs, behind "Overkill". 31: LET'S DANCE - DAVID BOWIE (15) - The beginning of the song sounds so much like the refrains in "Twist And Shout". Though I'm not a huge David Bowie fan, I actually thought this one was pretty good - my favorite of his two #1 hits. OPTIONAL EXTRA: BEEFALO SOLDIER - BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS - Wow, that was definitely an unusual extra pick! If anyone had guessed that one, then they'd have to have been cheating! Anyway, this song was OK, though I'm generally not a huge reggae fan. 30: SAVED BY ZERO - THE FIXX (debut) - Their very first Top 40 hit, and possibly my favorite from them. Too bad it doesn't receive as much airplay as "One Thing Leads To Another". 29: TAKE ME TO HEART - QUARTERFLASH (38) - They had three Top 40 hits, all of which I liked, but this one would probably be my favorite. 28: (KEEP FEELING) FASCINATION - HUMAN LEAGUE (32) - Definitely a group that's associated with the 80s, with their electronic, new wave sound. I preferred "Don't You Want Me" and their next hit after this one, "Mirror Man", but I like this song too. LDD: YOU NEEDED ME - ANNE MURRAY - Definitely a fitting song for the dedication, because the situation was much like the story the lyrics tell. As 1978-80 was Murray's best period, IMO, it should come as no surprise as this was one of my favorites from her. 27: ROLL ME AWAY - BOB SEGER (27) - The third and final Top 40 hit from The Distance. Despite the fact that the two others were bigger hits, this was the only single from that album to appear on Seger's first Greatest Hits album. I liked all three singles about the same (for different reasons, of course, since the musical style of all three was quite diverse. 26: WISHING (IF I HAD A PHOTOGRAPH OF YOU) - A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS (28) - They were pretty much a "flash in the pan" - they had three Top 40 hits within the span of a year and then they were gone. This song was pretty good, but I preferred their first two hits. 25: MANIAC - MICHAEL SEMBELLO (39) - There are several large chart jumps in Hour 2 and we start off with the biggest of them all. This was the second of two #1 hits from the movie Flashdance. I preferred the title track, but such was not the case back in the day, when I'd had enough of that song by this point, while this brand-new song was one of my favorites. 24: BEAT IT - MICHAEL JACKSON (16) - This song featured an (awesome) guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen. As a result, it was played on AOR stations as well as Top 40 radio. This was my favorite single from Thriller. 23: HOT GIRLS IN LOVE - LOVERBOY (35) - Here's another big mover. It was looking like they just might finally have their first Top Ten hit. Well, though they did make it to R&R's Top Ten, this song fell just a spot short and they'd have to wait another two years for their first Top Ten on the Hot 100. Anyway, I remember hearing this hot hit all the time during that hot summer. Not so much anymore; pretty much all we hear anymore are their lower peaking songs like "Working For The Weekend" and "Turn Me Loose". I liked this song, but prefer a few others from them. 22: CUTS LIKE A KNIFE - BRYAN ADAMS (33) - The second hit, as well as the title track, from the album that put Adams on the map here in the States. It was OK, but definitely not his best. I generally preferred the Reckless era. 21: AFFAIR OF THE HEART - RICK SPRINGFIELD (12) - There were a record-setting 24 foreign acts on the chart this week and Springfield was one of two artists on the chart this week representing Australia. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I'LL TUMBLE 4 YA - CULTURE CLUB - aka "The Mexican Hat Dance Song". I liked this song when it first came out (I even bought the 45), then eventually, I hated it (gave it "No. Just No" status a few times, IIRC). Now I like it almost as much as I did during its chart run. 20: SWEET DREAMS (ARE MADE OF THIS) - EURYTHMICS (26) - It has been said that they tacked on the subtitle so as not to confuse it with Air Supply's "Sweet Dreams" from the previous year. Whether or not this is true is not certain, but anyway, this was the first of ten Top 40 hits from them, and it was their biggest hit, hitting #1 in early September. It wasn't bad, but quite overplayed. 19: BABY JANE - ROD STEWART (21) - Well, this was nowhere near as successful as his other "girl" hit (of course, that would be "Maggie May"). Though it wasn't his best hit, I liked it. 18: SHE WORKS HARD FOR THE MONEY - DONNA SUMMER (25) - As illustrated on this week's 1979 show, she was one of the biggest artists of the disco era. This became her biggest hit since then, peaking at #3 on the Hot 100 (and going all the way on the Soul chart). I wasn't a huge fan of this song; I rather preferred her earlier material, as well as a few of her hits later in the 80s. 17: ALL THIS LOVE - DeBARGE (18) - The second hit for this R&B family act from the Motor City. I liked it better than their first Top 40 entry, "I Like It", but IMO, it's not quite as good as "Time Will Reveal", which charted at the end of 1983. I see a resemblance between this song and Beth Nielsen Chapman's "That's The Easy Part", the latter, from Chapman's 1990 self-titled album. 16: SHE'S A BEAUTY - THE TUBES (10) - The second Top 40 hit from this band formed in San Francisco. I was never a big fan of this one; my favorite of theirs was actually their near-miss on the Hot 100, "Talk To Ya Later", from the fall of 1981. 15: 1999 - PRINCE (23) - Going into this song, Casey named songs that referred to years in the future. Of course, at this point, 1999 is nearly twenty years in the past and, surprise, surprise - the world did NOT end in 1999. This song had three chart runs - one from 1982, this one, and the last one at the beginning of the year responsible for this song's name. Due to the overplay, I'm still burned out on it and it is actually one of my least favorite songs from him (not that I was crazy about it in the first place). 14: STAND BACK - STEVIE NICKS (19) - She was still an active member of Fleetwood Mac, but also had a successful solo career going as well. This was the first of three hits from The Wild Heart. It was a good one, but sounds quite a lot like "Little Red Corvette... 13: IS THERE SOMETHING I SHOULD KNOW - DURAN DURAN (17) - Yes, there is something you should know - this song is royally annoying! I preferred many others by them, including their breakthrough hit here in the States, "Hungry Like The Wolf". EXTRA: SPILL THE WINE - ERIC BURDON AND WAR - Interesting story about how this song came to be, and how this song more than compensated for the bill resulting from the very incident! 12: I'M STILL STANDING - ELTON JOHN (14) - I'm surprised that this song only got as high as #12, considering it got a ton of airplay during the summer of 1983, and definitely had a summer feel to it. Must have been a poor seller. Anyway, I liked this song - one of his best 80s hits! 11: FAMILY MAN - HALL & OATES (8) - Meh, not one of their better hits by a longshot. My least favorite of their 1983 hits. The duo was the #1 act on the previous week's Top 40 Acts of the 1980s countdown, which Premiere featured earlier this years as a Memorial Day bonus show. OPTIONAL EXTRA: THE SAFETY DANCE - MEN WITHOUT HATS - Of course, AT40 usually played the single version of the song which I preferred, because it pretty much got straight to the point, without all the instrumental mumbo jumbo and the spelling of "Safety", as if we didn't know how to spell it. 10: OUR HOUSE - MADNESS (13) - This was the first of two hits with which this British band charted here in the states (although they are often regarded as a one-hit wonder, as not many people know their second hit, "It Must Be Love"). I prefer this song, which I remember hearing on the radio all the time back in the summer of 1983. Just a few years ago, I learned the meaning of the line "the kids are playing up downstairs". For the longest time, I meant that it meant that they were running up and down the stairs, but "playing up" is actually a British term for "misbehaving" (commonly referred to as "acting up") 9: DON'T LET IT END - STYX (6) - Their second and final Top 40 hit from Kilroy Was Here. This was also my favorite of the two, since Mr. Roboto was pretty much played out, although, as I've stated before, it can be hard for me to listen to this song and, on several occasions, I've had to turn the volume down during the first verse. The song isn't quite as depressing once the beat picks up right before the first chorus. 8: COME DANCING - THE KINKS (11) - An act who was part of both British invasions. Though the Kinks were more famous for their '60s and early-70s hits, this was actually their biggest hit. It had tied "Tired Of Waiting For You" for its peak of #6, weeks at the peak (2) and weeks in the Top Ten. "Tired", however, spent only eight weeks in the Top 40 and this song bested that by four weeks. Anyway, this is one of my favorite songs from them. LDD: ALL RIGHT - CHRISTOPHER CROSS - This song, which had peaked at #12 earlier in the year, fit the dedication like a glove, as it was from a girl to her parents, all of whom were going through tough times, but as the song said, it would be all right and they were going to make it. 7: TIME (CLOCK OF THE HEART) - CULTURE CLUB (4) - This was only their second hit and they were already on a roll. Of their Kissing To Be Clever singles, this would probably be my favorite. 6: WANNA BE STARTIN' SOMETHING - MICHAEL JACKSON (9) - Well, he had definitely long since started a long string of hits, and it would not be finished anytime soon! This wasn't bad, but I found it sort of annoying - especially the album version, which seemed to go on and on. Fortunately, AT40 usually, if not always, played the single edit, which was nearly two minutes shorter. 5: TOO SHY - KAJAGOOGOO (7) - I don't think I need to remind you how annoying I think this song is, do I? 4: NEVER GONNA LET YOU GO - SERGIO MENDES (5) - Today, this song would be billed as "Sergio Mendes featuring Joe Pizzulo & Leeza Miller". This was a somewhat overplayed song that I loved to death at first, but eventually got tired of it. I do like it now; the synth bridge after the second verse is great! Too bad they cut it out, making for a poor edit in the process. 3: FLASHDANCE….WHAT A FEELING - IRENE CARA (1) - The aforementioned title track to the Adrian Lyne-directed movie. A great song, though my sentiments were quite different back in the day, as this song was played out during the summer of 1983. OPTIONAL EXTRA: LAWYERS IN LOVE - JACKSON BROWNE - The highest debut of the week (at #59), this was the title track of Browne's seventh album. I preferred it over the follow-up, "Tender Is The Night", but it's still not one of my favorites from him. 2: ELECTRIC AVENUE - EDDIE GRANT (3) - Another one of the most played songs of the summer of 1983 (It was #1 on WLS for three or four weeks). It was a good one, although I did get tired of hearing it no less than ten times a day. 1: EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE - THE POLICE (2) - And this was the most overplayed song of them all. It still is, too. I'm not sure how a song about stalking managed to spend two months at #1, but whatever.
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Post by Hervard on Jul 10, 2020 13:16:03 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - July 11, 2020
This week's presentation - July 9, 1988
TOMORROW PEOPLE - ZIGGY MARLEY & THE MELODY MAKERS (39) - Well, his dad, reggae great Bob Marley, might not have made the chart, but he did manage to have one Top 40 hit, albeit barely, as this was its only week on the chart. Ziggy's son, Skip, as a featured artist on Katy Perry's "Chained To The Rhythm", had the most success, as that song made the Top Ten back in 2017. Anyhoo, I really liked this song, which says a lot, considering I’m not a big fan of reggae music. A funny thing about this song - the first time I heard it, it was on a very statical radio station. I could have sworn he was singing, “Don’t want no femur wearing your pants”. CIRCLE IN THE SAND - BELINDA CARLISLE (37) - This was Belinda's fourth and final Top Ten hit. This one was OK, but not one of my favorites by her by a longshot. I preferred "I Get Weak", along with the two Wild Horses singles in 1989 and 1990. ALPHABET ST. - PRINCE (30) - This was Prince's last hit for about a year, before he came back with three songs from the Batman soundtrack in 1989. This song was OK, but far from being his best.
40: SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE – ROBERT PALMER (debut) - Meh, not a fan of this song - was way overplayed, and it wasn't one of my favorite songs in the first place. 39: TROUBLE – NIA PEEPLES (35) - This was pretty much your typical late-80s dance track. But I thought it was a pretty good one. 38: ONE MORE TRY – GEORGE MICHAEL (32) - When "Father Figure" was riding high on the charts, I listened to the "Faith" album for the first time and heard this song. I loved it instantly and hoped it would be released next and, sure enough, it was, and straight to #1 it went. This is definitely one of his best solo hits. 37: FAST CAR – TRACY CHAPMAN (debut) - Sounded kind of out of place for Top 40 music at the time - in fact, the week before this show, I tuned in late to one of the other shows I was listening to at the time (“Countdown USA”), heard this song, and thought my radio station was being overpowered by another station. One of at least three occasions that this happened. Anyway, I thought this song, which reminded me a little of "Oh Very Young" by Cat Stevens, was a good song - much better than her ad nauseum played "Give Me One Reason". 36: MONKEY – GEORGE MICHAEL (debut) - The fourth release from George's Faith album and, like the other three, it went to #1 in no time. Not bad, but I prefer many others from him, both solo and with Wham! 35: LOVE WILL SAVE THE DAY – WHITNEY HOUSTON (40) - This song would end up breaking her streak of #1 hits, like I sort of figured it would, based on the fact that it didn't start off as strong as her #1 songs (its relatively weak chart jump this week is a perfect example). I sure didn't expect it to miss by so much, though - it barely even touched the Top Ten, and failed to make the year-end countdown. I wasn't terribly disappointed, as this was not one of her best songs by any means. 34: TALL COOL ONE – ROBERT PLANT (26) - Ah, the lead singer of the legendary Led Zeppelin. This was pretty good - the part at the end, with a montage of guitar riffs from many of their classic hits, was really cool! 33: RAG DOLL - AEROSMITH (38) - Their third and final hit from Permanent Vacation. This one was so/so, but I much preferred "Angel", which had hit #3 earlier in the year. 32: KISS ME DEADLY – LITA FORD (20) - One of several heavy metal songs on this week's countdown. I'll bet this was a highlight for our friend JessieLou. I liked this song, too, as well as the follow-up "Back To The Cave". 31: BEDS ARE BURNING – MIDNIGHT OIL (23) - This was one of several Aussie bands on the chart this week. I remember hearing this song all the time in early 2001 on Chicago's 94.7 The Zone - a then-80s station that had the skimpiest variety of music. One day (March 10, 2001, to be exact), when I was out for a leisurely drive, I must have heard the song at least three times. No wonder that format didn't last long on that station! As for the song, it's a good one, so at least it wasn't a crappy song that was overplayed. OPTIONAL EXTRA: KNOCKED OUT - PAULA ABDUL - This was Paula Abdul's debut single and it just barely missed the Top 40, peaking at #41 in August. Her next release fared even worse, peaking at #88, but third time was a charm, as she finally caught on in a major way - in fact, I believe on the heels of the success of her #1 songs and the Top Five peak of the re-released "The Way That You Love Me", they gave this song another try as well, though it did not chart here in the states on its second release. As for the song, it was OK, but definitely not her best song. 30: TOGETHER FOREVER – RICK ASTLEY (19) - Ah, the prerequisite Rickroll, which was virtually unavoidable in 1988. This one was more or less a watered-down version of "Never Gonna Give You Up". I preferred the next hit from the Whenever You Need Somebody album, "It Would Take A Strong Strong Man". The title track was also a great song, but that one wasn't released in the US, which I thought was a shame (though as I recall, that was a decent-sized hit on the dance chart). 29: THE TWIST – THE FAT BOYS (36) - Meh, they should have left this one alone... 28: I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY – KYLIE MINOGUE (33) - The first hit from the first wave of popularity from this Melbourne, Australia native. This and "It's No Secret" were my two favorite of her 80s hits. 27: LOVE CHANGES (EVERYTHING) – CLIMIE FISHER (34) - One of several one-hit wonders on the chart this week and this is one of them. This was a good song - sounds a little like a song Rod Stewart would sing. 26: I STILL BELIEVE – BRENDA K. STARR (18) - This was her first of two Top 40 hits - and she almost had a third hit, her duet with George Lamond called "No Matter What", but that one ran out of gas at #49 - too bad, as that was my favorite song from her. This, however, was a close second, as it was a great one! 25: THE COLOUR OF LOVE – BILLY OCEAN (29) - His first hit from Tear Down These Walls hit #1, and I was hoping this one would follow suit, but it only got as high as #17 (at least it hit the Top 20). This was definitely one of my favorites from him. 24: DO YOU LOVE ME – THE CONTOURS (28) - This was originally a #3 hit in 1962, but thanks to its inclusion on the More Dirty Dancing, it had a second run on the charts, this time around, just missing the Top Ten. It's a pretty good song, but I preferred the updated version, which AT40 would occasionally play. 23: I DON’T WANNA LIVE WITHOUT YOUR LOVE - CHICAGO (31) - The first of five singles from Chicago 19 (although I believe that "What Kind Of Man Would I Be" was released from their Greatest Hits album - but I could be wrong). Anyway, this was a good song, but I preferred the other four (including "We Can Last Forever", which didn't quite hit the Top 40, but was a Top 20 AC hit). 22: JUST GOT PAID – JOHNNY KEMP (25) - One of two Top 40 hits from this R&B singer from the Bahamas. It was OK - your typical late-80s dance music. 21: I DON’T WANNA GO ON WITH YOU LIKE THAT – ELTON JOHN (27) - The second of two "I Don't Wanna" songs on the survey - and those songs pretty much climbed the chart together. I liked this song, but preferred many others from him. 20: MAKE IT REAL – THE JETS (11) - 1988 seemed to be the year for the rare "last single with most success" - from an album that spawned three or more hits, that is. This was almost the case with their album Magic, as the first three singles from the album hit the Top Twenty, including two Top Tens. This song went on to peak at #4. However, they did release a fifth hit from Magic, "Sendin' All My Love", but that song tanked at #88 and lasted but four weeks on the Hot 100. They should have quit while they were ahead. Anyway, this was a great song, though I slightly preferred "You Got It All". OPTIONAL EXTRA: SWEET CHILD O' MINE - GUNS 'N ROSES - This song was debuting on the corresponding Radio & Records chart this week, at #40 and was poised to break into the Top 40 of the Hot 100 the following week at #34. This is the song that started the chart career of this hard rock band from LA, and remains their biggest hit to date. It's a good song - one of my favorites from them. 19: 1-2-3 – GLORIA ESTEFAN AND MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (24) - Could she have been counting the Top Ten songs they'd scored with their Let It Loose album? Well, this would make it number four, as it sailed straight into the Top Ten as well. 18: PARADISE - SADE (22) - Sade was mainly a smooth jazz and AC artist, as well as R&B (in fact, this song was on top of that chart this week), but they did have a handful of Top 40 hits - four, to be exact (well, before the PPW era, anyway) and all of them hit the Top 20. This one just barely squeaked in, peaking at #20 in July. It was a great song - my favorite of their hits! 17: PARENTS JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND – D.J. JAZZY JEFF & THE FRESH PRINCE (21) - Like Fresh Prince in the first story, about school shopping, I was sixteen back when this song was popular, so I could definitely relate (although my Mom never bought me school clothes from two generations prior)! I liked this song - this was back when rap was still tolerable. 16: THE VALLEY ROAD – BRUCE HORNSBY & THE RANGE (9) - This was the third and final Top Ten hit for Hornsby. I liked this song, but preferred the three hits from The Way It Is. 15: DIRTY DIANA – MICHAEL JACKSON (5) - This one set a record, as the fifth #1 song from the same album. It was one of my favorites from the Bad album. 14: SIGN YOUR NAME – TERENCE TRENT D’ARBY (17) - This and "Wishing Well" are pretty much the only two songs by him that I like. I preferred this one - had a somewhat haunting sound to it. LDD: KEY LARGO – BERTIE HIGGINS 13: FOOLISH BEAT – DEBBIE GIBSON (7) - This could have been yet another example of the "last single with most success" phenomenon, as this was the only #1 song from Out Of The Blue, but while she was still hot, she decided to release a fifth single - which didn't even hit the Top 20 (didn't upset me too terribly, as I wasn't crazy about the song). Such was not the case with this great song, though - this one most definitely one of her best hits ever. 12: LOST IN YOU – ROD STEWART (13) - Here's an artist who had been hitting the charts for two decades, and his hit streak was far from over. This one didn't quite hit the Top Ten, but it didn't miss by much, peaking at #12 the previous week. It was a great one - possibly my favorite of his four Top 40 hits from the Out Of Order album. 11: RUSH HOUR – JANE WIEDLIN (15) - The second of the Go-Gos to hit the Top 40 with a solo hit. Unfortunately, she wasn't quite as successful as bandmate Belinda Carlisle, as this was her only Top 40 hit. It was a great song - too bad her follow-up "Inside A Dream" only got as high as #57, since I preferred that song. OPTIONAL EXTRA: PLEASE DON'T GO GIRL - NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK - The debut hit from this boyband that would be all the rage with the pre-teen girls over the next two years. Honestly – just about every young girl I knew had a favorite New Kid. They were way overrated, IMO, but they did have a few decent songs. This one was OK, but a little too whiny, like many “please don't go” types of songs (KC & The Sunshine Band come to mind) 10: NOTHIN’ BUT A GOOD TIME - POISON (6) - This song hit the Top Ten on the Hot 100, peaking here at #6, but just missed on the R&R chart. Poison didn't have their first Top Ten on that chart until "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", which went all the way to the top. Anyway, this was a great song - one of my favorite songs by Poison! 9: MAKE ME LOSE CONTROL – ERIC CARMEN (16) - On several occasions, they cut out the second verse in this song (my favorite of the three), such was the case this week. Definitely my favorite of Carmen's two 1988 hits ("Hungry Eyes" was too overplayed, which I guess is understandable, since it was from a very popular movie soundtrack). 8: HANDS TO HEAVEN - BREATHE (14) - When I first heard this song, I thought it was a new hit by Air Supply - the singer sounded a lot like Russell Hitchcock in the choruses. I liked this song at first, but overplay tarnished it for me. I preferred their songs on their Peace Of Mind album two years later. 7: NITE AND DAY – AL B. SURE (10) - Ah, a nice and mellow slow jam - much better than his upbeat songs (like "Off On Your Own Girl"). I liked the synthesizer used in this song. 6: ROLL WITH IT – STEVE WINWOOD (12) - It’s true I hated it when it first came out, but then I gradually started to like it more and more. This is a great one to crank up while driving (but not too loud, especially in cities with noise ordinances, lol!) 5: HOLD ON TO THE NIGHTS – RICHARD MARX (8) - Here's another rare example of the final release from a multi-singles album being the biggest. The first three hit the Top Five, but this one went all the way. I preferred several others from him, though - most of them from Repeat Offender. 4: NEW SENSATION - INXS (4) - 1988 had an unusually high number of Aussie acts, INXS being by far the most successful, with all four of their hits making the Top Ten. I'm not generally a huge fan of them, but I actually liked this song. 3: POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME – DEF LEPPARD (3) - They'd had moderate success on the Top 40 charts with the Pyromania album, but it was the Hysteria album that REALLY put them on the map. This was their first Top Five hit and looked like it would hit #1, but Richard Marx leapfrogged over them the following week with his hit that we heard back at #5. No matter; they would top the chart with their next single "Love Bites". Not sure if I preferred that one or this. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE SOMEWHERE - THE MOODY BLUES - I had been hearing this song on U93 since the beginning of summer and was wondering if it would ever hit the Top 40. Well, it finally did the following week, though it only got as high as #30. As I've mentioned in my past commentaries, my favorite songs of theirs were from the 1980s and this was no exception. 2: MERCEDES BOY - PEBBLES (2) - Is it me, or were there more songs about cars and driving than usual in the summer of 1988? Who knows; maybe it seems like that because that was the summer I took Driver's Ed. Didn't get my license until seven years later, though (mainly due to procrastination). Anyway, I was kind of surprised that this song didn’t quite make it to #1, given its big jump to the runner-up position the week before (when Casey even mentioned that it looked like the song was going to hit #1). 1: THE FLAME – CHEAP TRICK (1) - After an eight-year absence from the chart, Cheap Trick came back in a major way, as this song went all the way to the top and was one of the most played songs of the summer of 1988. As a result, I'm still kind of burned out on this one, but it's tolerable. Still, I preferred many of their earlier hits, including "I Want You To Want Me" and "Voices".
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Post by Hervard on Jul 11, 2020 17:37:52 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - July 18, 2020
This week's presentation - July 20, 1985
I decided to post this one a little earlier than usual, mainly since it's the only one I'll be listening to next week. This is a recycled commentary from the show's last run the same weekend in 2015.
Droppers: IN MY HOUSE - MARY JANE GIRLS (37) - This was the only Top 40 hit for this soul & funk group (though I have heard a few others from them, such as their cover of the Four Seasons' "Walk Like A Man"). This was my favorite of their songs that I know. WALKING ON SUNSHINE - KATRINA & THE WAVES (34) - This band had several Top 40 hits, but this is definitely their most memorable (as well as the only one that most people remember). It was my favorite of their hits, but the others were also great. SMUGGLER'S BLUES - GLENN FREY (32) - This song was featured in an episode of Miami Vice, in which Glenn was cast as a pilot. EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD - TEARS FOR FEARS (25) - 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".
LW#1: A VIEW TO A KILL - DURAN DURAN - Details of this song coming up later. 40: FOREVER - KENNY LOGGINS (debut) - Definitely one of the most underrated songs of the 80s! This was all the further it got, which was a shame, since it was definitely one of his best songs ever, IMO! The song, however, spent an unusually long time on the Hot 100 - 22 weeks, so it might have been one of those songs that stations were late to add. Had the stations reported the song on their charts at the same time, it might have gone further. 39: YOU'RE ONLY HUMAN (SECOND WIND) - BILLY JOEL (debut) - This one wasn't one of my favorites from him, but it definitely had a great message. He even left in a mistake that he made recording this song to prove his point that "you're only human - you're supposed to make mistakes". 38: THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER - HOWARD JONES (24) - This song had a similar message to the Billy Joel song at #39. It was a great one, though my favorite from him would be "No One Is To Blame", from the following summer. 37: POSSESSION OBSESSION - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (33) - This was their final top 40 hit (of their own) before Daryl embarked on a short-lived solo career. It was a good song, but I can see why it wasn't one of their more successful songs. 36: STATE OF THE HEART - RICK SPRINGFIELD (40) - Is it me or was this song mercilessly butchered this week? Well, anyway, this was a rare ballad from Mr. Springfield. I liked it - too bad it wasn't one of his more successful hits, but he had clearly had his day in the sun. His last Top Ten hit was "Love Somebody" from the previous summer. 35: NOT ENOUGH LOVE IN THE WORLD - DON HENLEY (39) - I was surprised that, after two Top Ten hits from Building The Perfect Beast, this song only got as high as #34. I think that, like "Boys Of Summer", it was released at the wrong time of year. This one sounds like more of an autumn hit than one for the summer. Anyway, this and "Sunset Grill" are in a horse race for my favorite song from Perfect Beast. 34: GETCHA BACK - THE BEACH BOYS (27) - This is another band who'd pretty much had their day in the sun - only they weren't done yet - three years later, they would have one of their most successful songs to date. This song was a good one - as summery as it sounded, I'm a little surprised it didn't at least hit the Top 20. LDD: FLASHDANCE (WHAT A FEELING) - IRENE CARA - This song indeed fit the dedication, as it was from the sister of a girl who was pursuing her dream of being a ballerina, but was turned down by just about every place she tried, since she was too short. 33: CANNONBALL - SUPERTRAMP (28) - This was the first song by Supertramp after Roger Hodgson had left the band. It was pretty good, but definitely not one of their best. Unfortunately, it was their final Top 40 hit. 32: WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER HERO (THUNDERDOME)- TINA TURNER (debut) - The first (and most successful) of two songs from the movie Thunderdome, in which Tina herself starred. I like it, but it's definitely not my favorite song from her. OPTIONAL EXTRA: DON'T LOSE MY NUMBER - PHIL COLLINS - Even though this was one of Phil's biggest hits ever, it was surprisingly absent from his HITS album. It was a good song, but definitely not his best. 31: FIND A WAY - AMY GRANT (36) - This was Amy's first crossover Top 40 hit, but there was more where that came from - she hit #1 in December of the following year in a duet with Peter Cetera and then, in 1991 and 1992, had a ton of chart success with her album Heart In Motion. I thought this was a great song. 30: ST. ELMO'S FIRE (MAN IN MOTION) - JOHN PARR (debut) - A two-hit wonder from Nottingham, England - this was by far the most successful of his two hits (spent two weeks at #1 in September). I thought it wasn't bad, but it sure was overplayed. 29: TOUGH ALL OVER - JOHN CAFFERTY & THE BEAVER BROWN BAND (24) - Several songs in this week's show were butchered, but this one had a messy edit in the middle - I could tell that they were editing out the bridge. Nevertheless, this was my favorite song from them. 28: SUMMER OF '69 - BRYAN ADAMS (38) - So Bryan joined a band, in which one of the members actually quits to get married, when he was only ten? Interesting. Anyway, this song wasn't bad, but I preferred his other song in the countdown this week. 27: ROCK ME TONIGHT (FOR OLD TIMES SAKE) - FREDDIE JACKSON (35) - He was big on the soul charts (where this one spent six weeks at #1), but he also had a few Pop hits as well. This one, as well as the others, were great, but my favorite song from him was his Christmas song "One Wish". 26: ANGEL - MADONNA (17) - When Casey was reading off hit singles with the word "angel" in their titles, he completely overlooked Shelley "Mary Stone" Fabares' #1 hit "Johnny Angel". Did anyone wrote in to correct him? Oh, the song - it's a good one, but I preferred many others from her, including her album cut "Into The Groove", which was charting at R&R around this time. 25: WHAT ABOUT LOVE - HEART (31) - This was Heart's comeback hit and their songs didn't have the same classic rock sound that their previous ones did, which might have helped, as they had more success on the pop charts than before, with seven Top Ten hits, including two #1s. 24: FREEWAY OF LOVE - ARETHA FRANKLIN (30) - So Clarence Clemons played sax on this song? Did he also perform on John Cafferty's hit "Tough All Over"? The sax definitely had that Clemons sound to it. Anyway, this song was pretty good, but I preferred her next hit, the title track of her Who's Zoomin' Who album. 23: CRAZY IN THE NIGHT (BARKING AT AIRPLANES) - KIM CARNES (15) - Did anyone notice that the beginning of this song and "Stand" by R.E.M. sound very similar? As for the song, it's a good one, though I preferred most of her other hits. 22: YOU SPIN ME AROUND (LIKE A RECORD) - DEAD OR ALIVE (26) - Another two-hit wonder, like John Parr. I slightly preferred their other song, "Brand New Lover", which was a Top 20 hit about two years later. AT40 EXTRA: I LOVE ROCK AND ROLL - JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS - Great story about Jett not only saving the life of a toddler who had nearly drowned in the ocean, but actually coaxed him back into the water and played with him so he wouldn't be scared of the ocean all summer. The song that they chose to tie in with it was her/their #1 song (though it was the spring of 1982, not 1983 as Casey said), which has held up quite well despite overplay. OPTIONAL EXTRA: SMOKIN' IN THE BOYS' ROOM - MOTLEY CRUE - The first Top 40 hit for this heavy metal band from LA. It's my favorite of their upbeat songs. 21: POWER OF LOVE - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (29) - A song from one of the best movies ever, IMO. I loved the Back To The Future trilogy! This was played in the first one as Marty McFly rode his skateboard to school after finding out he was 20 minutes late, hoping to dodge his principal, but no such luck. 20: HEAVEN - BRYAN ADAMS (12) - Though I do prefer the studio version, it was very interesting to hear the live version of the song (on Side B of the studio version). WLS played this version every now and then back in 1985. 19: JUST AS I AM - AIR SUPPLY (19) - They were one of the most popular groups around in the early 1980s, but this ended up being their last Top 40 hit, which was a shame, since I liked most of their Top 40 hits. 18: PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE - DEPECHE MODE (22) - The first Top 40 hit for this English band. I never cared much for it, however; I preferred their two Top 20 hits from 1990. 17: WHO'S HOLDING DONNA NOW - DeBARGE (21) - Their last hit "Rhythm Of The Night" hit the Top Ten and this one would follow suit. It was definitely my favorite of their two Top Ten hits. 16: THE GOONIES 'R' GOOD ENOUGH - CYNDI LAUPER (10) - Another movie hit - one of six on this week's chart. I saw this movie once, 20-some years after it came out, and thought it was a good one. Anyone who has played the arcade game "The Goonies" (or the NES game "Goonies II") should be familiar with this song, as an instrumental version of it plays, in the attic scenes in the latter (not sure where it plays in the arcade game, since it's been over 25 years since I've played that). The song is also great - one of my favorite songs from Cyndi Lauper. 15: 19 - PAUL HARDCASTLE (16) - I thought that this was Max Headroom when I first heard it. It wasn't bad, but kind of weird. 14: BANG A GONG (GET IT ON) - THE POWER STATION (18) - The only remake on this week's chart - and I prefer this song over the original, since it seems a lot more energetic. 13: NEVER SURRENDER - COREY HART (20) - This was a rare case where the biggest hit by an artist (with at least five hits) was my favorite by them. This one peaked at #3 in August, and overplay hasn't tarnished it at all. 12: SENTIMENTAL STREET - NIGHT RANGER (13) - This one reminded me a lot of Sister Christian (and what do you know - those were their only Top Ten hits - I guess the Top 40 audience preferred their power ballads). 11: VOICES CARRY - 'TIL TUESDAY (8) - Another of several "two-hit wonders" on this week's chart. This was their first, and biggest hit. I thought it was pretty good, but I preferred their other hit, "What About Love", from late 1986. OPTIONAL EXTRA: CHERISH - KOOL & THE GANG - This one was number one for six weeks on the AC chart (and I believe was the top song of the year). It also was a huge pop smash, peaking at #2 for three weeks, becoming their second biggest hit behind "Celebration". I liked it, but prefer several others from them. 10: WOULD I LIE TO YOU - EURYTHMICS (5) - This was sort of a departure from their usual pop sound - they rocked with this one. Of course, we all know that my favorite song from them was their next release. 9: SHOUT - TEARS FOR FEARS (14) - Never cared for this one at all. 8: GLORY DAYS - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (9) - The fifth of an incredible seven Top Ten songs from Springsteen's most successful album ever "Born In The USA". This one used to be so/so, but I've grown to really like this song over the past few years. 7: IF YOU LOVE SOMEBODY SET THEM FREE - STING (11) - Or as Casey says, "Set 'Em Free". Anyway, this, of course, is the song that launched Sting's successful solo career. It was a good one, but I mainly prefer his 90s hits. LDD/6: THE SEARCH IS OVER - SURVIVOR - This song became pretty popular in the LDD department, which is often the case with songs that are requested for LDDs while still on the charts. It was a great song, IMO - one of my favorite songs by them. 5: SUSSUDIO - PHIL COLLINS (2) - 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. 4: YOU GIVE GOOD LOVE - WHITNEY HOUSTON (7) - The first of many, many, many big Top 40 hits for her (it wasn't her first Hot 100 appearance, however, as she sang on a duet with Teddy Pendergrass the year before, called "Hold Me"). 3: EVERYTIME YOU GO AWAY - PAUL YOUNG (6) - This was definitely among the most played songs of the summer of 1985, but it has held up quite well. I don't think I ever got tired of this song, and I'm glad that it made it to #1. OPTIONAL EXTRA: CRY - GODLEY & CREME - ARRRGGGGHHHHH!!! ~Beavis. But seriously, I liked the song, but I preferred the two Top Ten hits by 10cc (which, of course, Godley & Creme had been part of). 2: RASPBERRY BERET - PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION (3) - This was #1 on the R&R chart the week before, yet it was still on its way up the AT40 chart. It used to be one of my favorite songs by Prince, but not so much anymore. 1: A VIEW TO A KILL - DURAN DURAN (1) - We got to hear this one twice this week! Which is a good thing, as this was one of my all-time faves by Duran Duran.
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Post by bobbo428 on Jul 23, 2020 20:43:23 GMT -5
40 FOREVER-KENNY LOGGINS The song was a heartfelt, melodic ballad building to a rousing, emotional climax—bridging the gap between Barry Manilow’s late-‘70s ballads and the power ballads of the late 1980s. It reminded me of a woman I’d meet in September 1985 named Sue. 39 YOU'RE ONLY HUMAN (SECOND WIND) - BILLY JOEL This was a song speaking to youths on the edge--it was an anti-suicide song with an iry summer vibe to it, surprisingly enough. The lyrics were a bit threadbare, traveling into pop psychology cliché territory. The tune could be a public service ad these days. 38 THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER-HOWARD JONES This was an upbeat synthpop tune that fit in well with the optimistic vibe of the mid-‘80s. It was the first hit from the British singer’s big-selling album Dream into Action, as well as his first top-10 American hit. 37 POSSESSION OBSESSION-DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES A melodic, soulful number, I enjoyed this fourth single from Big Bam Boom more than their previous two hits. The lyrics were about a greedy lover. The theme would be explored further in the duo’s 1988 hit “Everything Your Heart Desires.” 36 STATE OF THE HEART-RICK SPRINGFIELD This was a fairly likable pop-rocker, but—like its predecessor—also missed the top 20. It would be Springfield’s last hit until 1988. 35 NOT ENOUGH LOVE IN THE WORLD-DON HENLEY A ballad about the struggles of living with a mate, this had a country-rock hook and a wistful vibe. The tune was only a moderate success, however. 34 GETCHA BACK-THE BEACH BOYS A nostalgic pop-rocker, it had a solid chorus and could have been a hit in the mid-‘60s. LDD: Irene Cara’s song definitely fit the dedication, and I enjoyed it. 33 CANNONBALL-SUPERTRAMP This was a rhythmic number with a faster tempo than most of their hits—the lyrics were still a bit cynical. The tune reached the top 30 and was the band’s final American pop entry. A highlight of the record was the insistent piano riff. 32 WE DON’T NEED ANOTHER HERO (THUNDERDOME)-TINA TURNER A standard movie theme, this was fairly catchy. Turner’s gritty vocals helped enhance a typical mainstream tune and helped bring it to the top five. 31 FIND A WAY -AMY GRANT Like Billy Joel’s hit, this summery tune urged downcast people to hang in there. 30 ST. ELMO’S FIRE (MAN IN MOTION)-JOHN PARR This mainstream, synth-drenched rock movie song had a fairly strong chorus and was just what radio wanted: a normal, summery record. Lyrically, it was inspiring—but musically it was standard AOR/pop-rock fare. It was hard to dislike—but also difficult to get too excited about either. 29 TOUGH ALL OVER-JOHN CAFFERTY AND THE BEAVER BROWN BAND The song was a melodic, earnest pop-rocker telling the tales of several working-class people—including a waitress and a factory worker--struggling to make ends meet. The record reached the top 30, but I was hoping it would be a bigger hit. However, this was number 1 on the AOR format. It probably would have been a big country hit during the 2000s or 2010s and should be remade for that format. 28 SUMMER OF '69-BRYAN ADAMS This single was a mainstream, commercial tune that could be a forerunner to Bowling for Soup's "1985" because both songs waxed nostalgic for a bygone era. However, "Summer of 1969" sounded nothing like the '60s--it was a formulaic mid-1980s rock song that made me think of 1985, not 1969. I don't think of "Crystal Blue Persuasion," "Good Morning Starshine," or "Bad Moon Rising" when I hear this Adams song. Not surprisingly, this was not autobiographical--Adams was simply trying to capitalize on the Big Chill/Yuppie wave of 1960s nostalgia. The song was successful, reaching the top 10. 27 ROCK ME TONIGHT (FOR OLD TIME’S SAKE)-FREDDIE JACKSON This soulful number had a retro sound and brought back memories of the summer of 1973 because it reminded me of both Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” and Johnnie Taylor’s “I Believe in You.” 26 ANGEL-MADONNA A guilty pleasure, this tune was another dance floor-friendly record with an infectious chorus. Ms. Ciccone was the hottest singer in America that year. 25 WHAT ABOUT LOVE?-HEART A standard power ballad, this reestablished the band’s presence on pop radio and became the band’s first top-10 hit in over four years. The first few times I heard this song, I enjoyed it a lot; after it had been around and received saturation airplay, I realized it was an early example of a formula to be repeated ad nauseam by many acts over the next decade. 24 FREEWAY OF LOVE-ARETHA FRANKLIN This was a standard, hip, grooving mid-‘80s rhythmic pop number, but it was good to see the Queen of Soul back in the pop top 10 after an 11-year absence. 23 CRAZY IN THE NIGHT (BARKING AT AIRPLANES)-KIM CARNES This was one of Carnes’s catchiest songs, and I was hoping that it would reach the top 10. It might have had it been released for Halloween because the record had a spooky, autumnal vibe. Still, it did reach No. 15. Unfortunately, it would be Kim’s final top-40 pop success. 22 YOU SPIN ME ROUND (LIKE A RECORD)-DEAD OR ALIVE A high-NRG dance number produced by the team of Stock, Aitken & Waterman, this was a major hit and gets a lot of recurrent airplay. The singer seemed to have one thing on his mind, though. 21 THE POWER OF LOVE-HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS The big box office movie of the summer of 1985 was Back to the Future, and this was the smash hit from the film. It was a bouncy, carefree mid-summer sort of record, becoming the band’s first No. 1 single. 20 HEAVEN-BRYAN ADAMS This had been only a minor success the first time around—a year before, but it was re-released on the strength of his Reckless album and became his first No. 1 hit. The rock ballad had grown on me by 1985. A dance version of the song would be a top-10 hit by DJ Sammy & Yanou featuring Do in 2002--and would be even catchier than the original. 19 JUST AS I AM-AIR SUPPLY The soft rock duo’s final top-40 pop hit was a catchy number that reached the top 20. Musically, the record had the feel of a Chicago power ballad. After this release, the act’s releases were low-charting or AC-only hits. 18 PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE-DEPECHE MODE This had a good message and a fairly strong hook, though a bit cluttered musically. 17 WHO’S HOLDING DONNA NOW-DEBARGE A bit maudlin, the tune nevertheless was sincere, if in a languid way. Lyrically, it had an “I’m-missing-her” feel and a lonesome vibe. It became the group’s second and last top-10 pop single. 16 THE GOONIES ‘R’ GOOD ENOUGH-CYNDI LAUPER The single was a cute, tuneful movie theme that made the top 10 but was seldom heard after 1985. In 2016, Lauper would record a country song called “Funnel of Love,” with a similar feel. 15 19-PAUL HARDCASTLE A spoken-word/dance record with a strong instrumental backing, it was about the difficulties that American soldiers had fighting in Vietnam at age 19. The lyrics mentioned post-traumatic stress syndrome. 14 GET IT ON (BANG A GONG)-THE POWER STATION This cover of the T-Rex classic was more monotonous, though it actually charted higher. The record was in the hard-rock zone, appealing to the MTV crowd. The interlude was a bit more rhythmic, though. 13 NEVER SURRENDER-COREY HART An inspiring song, this had a stellar vocal hook and was one of my favorites that summer. It became Hart’s biggest hit—and was much catchier than the much-overplayed “Sunglasses at Night.” 12 SENTIMENTAL STREET- NIGHT RANGER This was a standard corporate-rock power ballad that radio programmers sent to the top 10. The record managed to please pop, AOR, and MTV audiences and was as mainstream as could be. The tune also had a summery vibe. 11 VOICES CARRY-‘TIL TUESDAY With lead vocals by Aimee Mann, this Boston band had a new wave feel. The song was their breakthrough and had a brooding, fall-like aura. Mann’s voice reminded me a bit of Scandal’s Patty Smyth. 10 WOULD I LIE TO YOU?-EURYTHMICS A footstomping, outdoors-on-an-85-degree afternoon song, this was one of the rockers that epitomized that summer. It became the duo’s third and last top-10 pop hit. 9 SHOUT-TEARS FOR FEARS This single was a motivational footstomper with lyrics inspired by Arthur Janov’s school of Primal Therapy, where people learned to face their fears. The record proved to be cathartic and went well with hot summer days. The song soared to the top. 8 GLORY DAYS/STAND ON IT-BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN Another rocker from The Boss, the lyrics of “Glory Days” told the story of a classmate who was a baseball star in school but was living in the past. Another verse was about a girl whom all of the guys were in awe over. Unfortunately, like the baseball star, she too was trapped reliving her past. 7 IF YOU LOVE SOMEBODY, SET THEM FREE-STING His first hit after leaving The Police, this single was a refutation of that band's 1983 hit, "Every Breath You Take." "Breath" was a song of control and surveillance, while "If You Love Somebody" was about giving one's mate some freedom. I found this to be a breezy summertime record. 6 THE SEARCH IS OVER-SURVIVOR This pop-rock power ballad had an emotional hook and was a good prom-time song. It reached the top five and also had adult contemporary appeal. 5 SUSSUDIO-PHIL COLLINS This was not one of my personal favorites by Collins; it was derivative of Prince's much better song "1999." 4 YOU GIVE GOOD LOVE-WHITNEY HOUSTON This diva’s pop breakthrough had a smooth R&B sheen and was a ballad all over the airwaves that summer. The lyrics were suggestive, though in a romantic framework. The record had an Anita Baker feel to it as well. I seldom hear it as an oldie, however. 3 EVERY TIME YOU GO AWAY-PAUL YOUNG This cover of a 1980 Hall & Oates album cut had a blue-eyed soul vibe and went all the way to number 1. Musically, the record had a summery slow-jam sound and was a major AC success as well. 2 RASPBERRY BERET-PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION With a haunting string riff and engaging melody, this became a top-five single. It was about a guy who met an unusual girl while working at a store. The song had an autumnal sound, and the lyrics had teen appeal. 1 A VIEW TO A KILL-DURAN DURAN A James Bond movie theme, this was a fairly enjoyable track. "View to a Kill" epitomized mid-'80s pop--along with Heart, Bryan Adams, Loverboy, and Night Ranger, Duran Duran was one reason why pop radio was becoming a menu of normalophile pop-rock.
Of the optional extras, I enjoyed Phil Collins’ “Don’t Lose My Number” but not the Motley Crue song. “Cherish” was good but reminded me too much of a young woman I’d meet ffew weeks later. “Cry” was too strident for me. This infectious, urgent pop-rocker was a major hit and my favorite of the four singles (all top-10) from his Grammy-winning album No Jacket Required.
SHOULD HAVE MADE IT:
CENTERFIELD-JOHN FOGERTY One of the rare songs exclusively about baseball to make the pop chart, this had a summery roots-rock feel. As a fan of that sport, I hoped it would be a bigger pop hit. STIR IT UP-PATTI LABELLE This energetic dance tune from Beverly Hills Cop actually had a stronger chorus than her previous hit. PEOPLE GET READY-JEFF BECK & ROD STEWART A well-executed remake of the 1965 civil rights anthem by the Impressions, this had vocals by Rod Stewart as well as Beck’s bluesy guitar work. I hoped this would be a bigger hit, but it did reach the top 50. FRANKIE-SISTER SLEDGE A nostalgic tune with a 1960s Motown girl-group vibe, it was a minor pop hit but fared better on the AC chart—and reached No. 1 in the United Kingdom. YOUR LOVE IS KING-SADE A mellow slice of blue-eyed soul, it made me think of 1973 (like the concurrent Freddie Jackson hit “Rock Me Tonight”). The tune had a caressing midsummer vibe.
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Post by Hervard on Jul 24, 2020 13:04:43 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - July 25, 2020 This week's presentation - July 29, 1978 PROVE IT ALL NIGHT - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (33) - This was his second Top 40 hit and #33 was all the further it got, but, of course, the best was yet to come. The 1980s was clearly Springsteen's decade, especially with the Born In The USA album. YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT - JOHN TRAVOLTA & OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (31) - This was the first of two duets from Grease that they charted with, as well as one of two #1 hits from the soundtrack (the title track, coming up later, was the other). I like both duets about the same - it depends on my mood at the time. Regardless, both are great songs. WONDERFUL TONIGHT - ERIC CLAPTON (29) - One of Clapton's songs that receive the most recurrent airplay today (given that, I'm surprised it did not make an appearance on the R&R chart). It was a good song. Anyone remember this Yahoo Internet commercial from 2005 that features this song? TWO OUT OF THREE AIN'T BAD - MEATLOAF (13) - He had a handful of Top 40 hits, with this being my favorite - as well as one of my favorites on this week's chart. I do, however, prefer the full album version over the single, which was what AT40 usually, if not always, played. I wonder if Ken Martin would have inserted the full version had this song still been on? IF I EVER NEEDED YOU AGAIN - ROBERTA FLACK (24) - This song reminded me a lot of "You Light Up My Life" by Debby Boone, especially in the bridge. But there's a good reason for that, as Joe Brooks wrote both songs. I thought this was a great song - not sure if I prefer this or her recent Top Five duet with Donny Hathaway. 40: MACHO MAN - VILLAGE PEOPLE (debut) - Meh, not a big fan of this one. It's more tolerable than their next top 40 hit, though. 39: MR. BLUE SKY - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (debut) - I don’t remember hearing this song at all back in 1978. The first time I ever remember hearing it was in early 1989 when it was a Long Distance Dedication on AT40. Speaking of Long Distance Dedications, we were four weeks away from the very first one ever heard on the show. 38: TWO TICKETS TO PARADISE - EDDIE MONEY (debut) - As usual, they played a different version of this song than was usually heard on the radio (the single version, I would imagine). I remember hearing this one quite regularly back in the day. I liked it, but I preferred several others from them. 37: RIVER OF BABYLON - BONEY M (39) - A song written in 1970 and adapted from the texts of Psalms 19 and 137 in the Hebrew Bible. Melodically, I find it somewhat annoying, since it can stick in my mind. 36: FOOL IF YOU THINK IT'S OVER - CHRIS REA (debut) - Here's a good song I remember quite well. About ten years after he charted with this, he recorded a new version, which did not do justice to the original at all. 35: YOU - RITA COOLIDGE (debut) - I noticed that this song's verses have a slightly similar melody as that of "Mr. Blue Sky". Though not quite as good as her two 1977 Top Ten hits, it's still a great song nevertheless. 34: STUFF LIKE THAT - QUINCY JONES (debut) - The first of a handful of Top 40 hits for this musician from Chicago who almost always featured a guest vocalist (in this case, Ashford & Simpson & Chaka Khan). I preferred his more mellow material from the 80s - this song was nothing special - sounds like most of the disco material from the late-70s. 33: SHAME - EVELYN "CHAMPAGNE" KING (37) - This, on the other hand, was a disco song that I thought was not bad. Still doesn't hold a candle to "Love Come Down", which charted four years later. 32: LOVE OR SOMETHING LIKE IT - KENNY ROGERS (34) This song sure didn't last long on AT40, but fared much better at AC, where it peaked at #12, and especially at country, where it was poised to hit #1 the following week. I thought this song was pretty good, but definitely nowhere near being his best. 31: THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY - LOVE & KISSES (22) - A great weekend welcome song! This one has sort of a Philly feel to it - in fact, it reminded me a little of "TSOP" by MFSB, from four years prior. Not a bad song. 30: CAN WE STILL BE FRIENDS - TODD RUNDGREN (32) - More famous for his earlier-70s hits like "Hello It's Me" and "I Saw The Light", "Runt" had a pair of hits in the latter half of the 70s, like this one, which turned out to be his final Top 40 entry. It's so/so, but it can stick in my mind, especially the bridge. Still, I'd rather hear it than that annoying "Bang The Drum All Day" song! 29: AN EVERLASTING LOVE - ANDY GIBB (40) - His first three songs hit #1 and it looked like this song could be his fourth, but that was not to be. Once it hit the Top Ten, it moved up no more than one spot at a time, peaking at #5, which is still great. This would be a close second to "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" as my favorite song from Gibb. 28: BOOGIE OOGIE OOGIE - A TASTE OF HONEY (36) - Here's another disco hit that I like - it was the first of two Top Ten hits for this R&B disco act from Los Angeles. This was the most successful, spending three weeks at #1 in September. It's also my favorite of their two hits - the other of which was heard on this week's 80's show (A option), spending its final week in the 40. 27: I'VE HAD ENOUGH - WINGS (30) - The third of four singles from their London Town album. It was OK, but it didn't hold a candle to "With A Little Luck". OPTIONAL EXTRA: KISS YOU ALL OVER - EXILE - 1978 was definitely a good year for producer Mike Chapman, as he had at least two songs that topped the chart that fall. This was the first of them. Of the two, I preferred the other one, which, coincidentally, is also coming up as an Optional Extra. 26: HOPELESSLY DEVOTED TO YOU - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (35) - As I've related before, this was a special song between my former girlfriend and myself - it took awhile to be able to enjoy this song once again after we broke up, but that all changed back several years back, when our paths crossed and she and I actually recently had a brief conversation, letting me know that we were at least back on speaking terms again. 25: SONGBIRD - BARBRA STREISAND (25) - I remember singing this in choir as part of our spring concert back in my sophomore year in High School (hard to believe that was over 30 years ago!) I got a little sick of rehearsing it every day back then, but it's good to hear the original version every now and then. 24: KING TUT - STEVE MARTIN (26) - Glad he didn't quit his acting job! Just saying! 23: STAY - JACKSON BROWNE (27) - Interesting how Browne changed the lyrics around to be addressing his audience instead of a loved one, like in the original. As for the song, it's not bad, but I preferred "The Load Out", which some radio stations play right before this song, as that's how Browne usually does this song in his concerts. 22: FM - STEELY DAN (23) - This song, the title track from the John A. Alonzo directed film, certainly didn't stick around for long! It appeared to be peaking the week before in just its fourth week on, but managed to climb one more notch before falling clean off the survey the following week. I like most of Steely Dan's hits and this is no exception. 21: BLUER THAN BLUE - MICHAEL JOHNSON (19) - This Colorado native had three Top 40 hits and this was the biggest of them, peaking at #12. It was a great one, but I still prefer "This Night Won't Last Forever", which got as high as #19 in 1979. 20: DANCE WITH ME - PETER BROWN (20) - Some people call her a "female Rod Stewart", since both have similarly raspy voices. This was a really good song, though I preferred “Total Eclipse Of The Heart”. 19: IT'S A HEARTACHE - BONNIE TYLER (12) - The first Top 40 hit for this Welsh singer whom some people call a "female Rod Stewart", since both have similarly raspy voices. This was a really good song, though I preferred “Total Eclipse Of The Heart”. 18: I'M NOT GONNA LET IT BOTHER ME TONIGHT - ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION (21) - I thought most of their songs were good, but this one was somewhat mediocre. Definitely nowhere near as good as "So In To You" or "Imaginary Lover". 17: TAKE A CHANCE ON ME - ABBA (9) - I like many, if not most, of their Top 40 hits. This song was pretty good - one that I've learned to like over the past year or so. I definitely prefer it over their other 1978 hit "The Name Of The Game", but it doesn't hold a candle to "Dancing Queen" or "The Winner Takes It All". 16: MAGNET AND STEEL - WALTER EGAN (20) - Stevie Nicks, who this song was said to be about, was heard singing back-up on this song, which somehow, I associate more with the fall of 1978 instead of the summer (probably because that was when WLS played the song; it peaked on their survey in late October). Though I preferred "Fool Moon Fire", from 1983, this was a good one too. 15: MY ANGEL BABY - TOBY BEAU (18) - It was a group, not a solo male, like many people thought (such was the case with Pablo Cruise, coming up in the Top Ten). The song was pretty good. 14: LIFE'S BEEN GOOD - JOE WALSH (17) - The second of two hits from the movie FM on this week's chart, as well as the most successful. Not sure why, but this song never really did anything for me (presumably since I was never a huge Joe Walsh fan anyway). OPTIONAL EXTRA: HOT CHILD IN THE CITY - NICK GILDER - Here is the other Mike Chapman produced song that I alluded to earlier. This song, of course, set the record for the longest climb to #1 - a record it held by itself until a little less than a year later. It was a good song - had that summertime feel to it. Had Gilder known how long it was going to take to reach the top, I wonder if he would have released it several months earlier. 13: COPACABANA - BARRY MANILOW (15) - Definitely a departure from his usual ballad style. In fact, the rush release of this song while "Even Now" was still on its way up the chart caused the latter to tank (which wasn't really a bad thing, as "Even Now" wasn't one of his better hits anyway, IMO). This was a good one. 12: RUNAWAY - JEFFERSON STARSHIP (13) - I believe this was their final Top 40 hit featuring the late Marty Balin on lead vocals. I liked this song, but slightly preferred "Count On Me", which had charted earlier in the year. 11: HOT BLOODED - FOREIGNER (14) - Of course, this song's intro is very similar to "Love Will Find A Way" by Pablo Cruise, coming up a little later on in the countdown. Of their three singles from Double Vision, this would be my least favorite, but it's a great song nevertheless. 10: LOVE WILL FIND A WAY - PABLO CRUISE (11) - Here is that song I mentioned earlier. I remember this one quite well from back in the day. A great song, though I slightly preferred "What'cha Gonna Do", from the previous summer. 9: THE GROOVE LINE - HEATWAVE (7) - aka "Boogie Nights Part 2". I wasn't a huge fan of either song, but their ballad "Always And Forever", which charted between those two songs, was a great one. 8: USE TO BE MY GIRL - THE O'JAYS (4) - Their last of six Top Ten hits. It was actually a great song - possibly my favorite of their hits! 7: STILL THE SAME - BOB SEGER (4) - This song was looking like it might be his first #1, but it ran out of steam at #4 the week before, which is great; don't get me wrong. But in 1978, topping the chart was nearly impossible if you weren't on the RSO label. This was by far my favorite of the singles from Seger's Stranger In Town album 6: THREE TIMES A LADY - COMMODORES (10) - This one was definitely on its way to the top! The song spent two weeks atop the Hot 100 (and spent four weeks at #2 after falling out) - all of which they spent at #1 on R&R, for a total of six weeks there. I loved this song - so did a lot of other people, as it became a very popular LDD song (and was played at many wedding receptions as well). 5: GREASE - FRANKIE VALLI (6) - The title track to one of the biggest movie soundtracks ever was on its way to the top. It's OK, but I prefer several other songs - both from the soundtrack as well as Valli himself, both solo and with the Four Seasons. OPTIONAL EXTRA: JUST WHAT I NEEDED - THE CARS - This song has aged quite well. Given all the airplay it receives on oldies and rock stations, I'm surprised that it did not get any higher than #27. 4: LAST DANCE - DONNA SUMMER (5) - This was her first of eight consecutive Top Five hits. This song got as high as #3, but the best was yet to come, as her next hit would hit #1 and she'd have three more #1 songs, all in 1979! I like this song, though it’s somehow kind of depressing - probably since I always associate this with the end of the summer and school starting again (since I heard it a lot when I was starting first grade - one of the toughest transitions ever!) 3: MISS YOU - ROLLING STONES (3) - Not a big fan of this song, but I liked their other disco song, which would hit the Top Five two years later. Interesting story about the Stones' mixed reviews from music critics. 2: BAKER STREET - GERRY RAFFERTY (2) - This was apparently the week that the song was #1 on the original version of the Hot 100 before a few last minute changes were made, putting it back at #2, where it had been for the past five weeks. But the song did make it to the top of the R&R chart for four weeks. I tell you what, I used to really like this song, but not so much anymore. Perhaps overplay on oldies stations. I generally switch the station when this comes on. 1: SHADOW DANCING - ANDY GIBB (1) - As you might expect, this song was on the RSO label. In fact, the only period that RSO was not represented at #1 so far in 1978 was in the early summer, when "With A Little Luck" by Wings and "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" by Johnny Mathis/Deniece Williams, topped the chart back-to-back for a total of three weeks. This song was on its way to becoming the top song of the entire year. However, it is possibly my least favorite of his hits (but at least my favorite won out for the year before, so it's all good). Coming up next week - We can cross off 1975 from the list of years that have yet-unaired AT40 shows left, as the August 2 show is on deck for next week. In fact, the only two years with unplayed shows are 1972 and 1979. I have a feeling that we'll be hearing the final show from the former year in a few weeks, and 1979 would be complete had they played one of the two remaining shows from late that year at the end of 2019, but for whatever reason, they decided not to. However, if they opt to play the December 1 show this year, that will be my last critique (well, except for the updated versions for shows that I haven't commented on since before 2015), since I posted the one for November 24, 1979, last fall, sort of in protest of them continuing to snub those two shows) I wonder if, during 2021 (as well as what's left of this year), they'll be playing any of the late 1978 and 1979 shows that so far have only had the last hour played? There are two of those left for 1978, but since they're two weeks apart, I seriously doubt that we'll be getting both this year. Five of them are left in 1979 and I doubt we'll get any of them this year - especially if they have one of the two late 1979 shows mentioned in the last paragraph slated to air. The August 18 show would be feasible if not for the fact that would be the same weekend as the August, 1972 show that Premiere hasn't yet played. Unless they plan to pair up the two for that weekend and offer the 1979 show with the first-hour optional for the first time. They usually don't do it like that, but stranger things have happened. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
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Post by Hervard on Jul 24, 2020 13:04:53 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - July 25, 2020
This week's presentation - July 25, 1981
Droppers: IS IT YOU – LEE RITENOUR (37) - This song, which featured Bill Champlin and Eric Tagg on vocals. was a great song, although it sounded a lot like "store music" A LIFE OF ILLUSION – JOE WALSH (34) - I forget how this one goes, which probably means it wasn't anything impressive. I was never a huge Joe Walsh fan, so that theory sounds feasible.
Only two debuts this week, but the following week was a different story, with eight new entries in the Top 40! Some of the droppers were among my favorite songs on the chart, so I definitely preferred this week's chart over that of August 1.
LW#1: BETTE DAVIS EYES – KIM CARNES 40: GIVE IT TO ME BABY - RICK JAMES (40) - One of five Top 40 hits, and this one just barely made it, peaking at #40 for two weeks. The song was mediocre at best - nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. 39: FEELS SO RIGHT - ALABAMA (debut) - They were mainly a country group, but they did have a few pop crossover hits. This was their first of four such songs. It was OK, but possibly my least favorite song that hit the Pop chart. 38: STRONGER THAN BEFORE - CAROLE BAYER SAGER (30) - This was your typical post-disco MOR songs. It was a great one, though - I personally think the MOR era should have lasted longer than it did, but that is just an opinion and nothing more. 37: ROCK 'N ROLL DREAMS COME THROUGH - JIM STEINMAN (39) - I liked this song, as well as Meat Loaf's 1994 cover. But the song didn't seem as "theatrical" as most of Steinman's material (the fact that it wasn't a ballad might have had something to do with it). Is it me, or does the a cappella part of this song near the end seem to go on and on? 36: SUKIYAKI - A TASTE OF HONEY (21) - The second incarnation of the song to hit the charts, only this time, they added English lyrics. I liked this song, but preferred the 4PM cover from 1994. 35: I LOVE YOU - THE CLIMAX BLUES BAND (36) - Now here is a song whose chart run near the end was really weird. A few weeks back, it took a hard fall from 12 to 31. Outta there next week? Not quite - it fell back to #37, then climbed a spot, stayed there, and this week climbs back up another notch. It would drop off the survey the following week. Anyway, I liked this song; I do remember hearing it a lot when I was taking swimming lessons, since the radio at the pool was running WLS, which played the heck out of this song. 34: COOL LOVE - PABLO CRUISE (debut) - By the artist name, one might think this is a solo artist, but it was, in fact, a band. This is my favorite song from them - their only #1 on my Personal Top 30 chart. 33: DOUBLE DUTCH BUS WRECK - FRANKIE SMITH (35) - One of the most annoying songs to ever hit the Top 40. That is all. 32: AMERICA - NEIL DIAMOND (20) - Appropriately enough, this song peaked on the charts on Flag Day weekend. It's definitely a great song, though my favorite Jazz Singer song would be "Love On The Rocks". ARCHIVE: LAST TRAIN TO CLARKSVILLE - THE MONKEES - This one reminded me a lot of "Paperback Writer" by the Beatles (especially with the ad lib parts in the background). It was a good song, but I preferred several others from them, especially their comeback hit from 1986, "That Was Then, This Is Now". OPTIONAL EXTRA: THE BEACH BOYS MEDLEY - THE BEACH BOYS - Stars On 45 had indeed created a monster, as the Beach Boys decided to put together a medley of their own. 31: WINNING - SANTANA (17) - Santana had three Top 40 hits in the 80s, and they were the best three of their career, IMO. I like all of them so much that I'm not sure what my favorite is. 30: THIS LITTLE GIRL - GARY U.S. BONDS (15) - In this great, energetic song, you can definitely hear the influence from Springsteen, who wrote this one (and isn't that Clarence Clemons on sax?) 29: THE BREAKUP SONG (THEY DON'T WRITE 'EM) - THE GREG KINH BAND (33) - This was another song regularly played by WLS in the late summer of 1981 (in fact, it was making its first appearance on their weekly survey this very week), so I remember this. It was good, but I preferred "Jeopardy". 28: IN THE AIR TONIGHT - PHIL COLLINS (31) - The second hit from Collins' debut album. Like the first (which I preferred, BTW), the song peaked at #19, but is still heard regularly on oldies stations today. I like the song better than I used to but still, it's not one of my favorites from him. 27: URGENT – FOREIGNER (32) - Of course, we all know, this song peaked at #4 for four weeks, and it was the first single from the album "4". It is my second favorite from that album, behind "Break It Up". 26: DON'T LET HIM GO - REO SPEEDWAGON (28) - Of the four singles released from their Hi Infidelity album, this was my least favorite but it was still a great one! That whole album was really good - definitely one of their best! LDD: ALL OUT OF LOVE – AIR SUPPLY - Though this is one of my least favorite Air Supply songs, I must like it better than I used to, as it no longer gets "No. Just no" status. 25: LADY YOU BRING ME UP - THE COMMODORES (29) - At this point, Lionel Richie was gearing up to embark on a solo career. Unfortunately, the band didn't sound the same after that. I liked this song, especially the electronic piano solo at the beginning. 24: ENDLESS LOVE - DIANA ROSS & LIONEL RICHIE (38) - Wow, Lionel does a hat trick on this week's chart, as being part of a group, duo and producer. This is the second of the three configurations, and it became one of the biggest hits of not only the entire year, but of all of the 1980s - a month later, it would begin a nine-week tenure at #1, matching that of "Bette Davis Eyes" - only the latter ultimately won out as 1981's top song. Anyway, I've learned to like this song a little better than I used to, though it's still not one of my favorites by either of the artists involved. 23: IT'S NOW OR NEVER - JOHN SCHNEIDER (27) - Of course, we all know that this was a remake of an old Elvis song, the melody of which was adapted from "O Sol Mio". Not sure which version I prefer. Both were pretty good. ARCHIVE: POOR SIDE OF TOWN – JOHNNY RIVERS - This song always reminded me a little of his version of "Tracks Of My Tears". I liked both songs, along with other Rivers songs like "Secret Agent Man" and "Summer Rain". OPTIONAL EXTRA: BREAKING AWAY - BALANCE - The first of two songs with this title to hit the Hot 100 in 1981 (although the second one, by Al Jarreau was called "Breakin' Away". Balance decides to be grammatically correct with a great song that sounds a lot like "Tired Of Toein' The Line" by Rocky Burnette. 22: SEVEN YEAR ACHE - ROSANNE CASH (22) - I remember I was driving myself crazy trying to find out what the "God, I hope he comes back soon" song was. I finally found out when Casey played it as an extra on AT20 (AC) back in April, 1999. Sylvia's "Nobody" sounds somewhat like this song which is a great one. As many #1 country songs that Roseanne Cash had, it's a wonder that this was the only song that crossed over to Pop. 21: SWEET BABY - STANLEY CLARKE & GEORGE DUKE (24) - Wow, I had forgotten how many MOR ballads that there were on the charts in 1981, after disco had died and before the MTV era started. As mentioned earlier, I actually liked that era, although I realize a lot of people here would beg to differ. 20: THE STROKE - BILLY SQUIER (25) - I never liked this song. Give me "In The Dark" or "Everbody Wants You" any day! 19: TOUCH ME WHEN WE'RE DANCING - THE CARPENTERS (23) - Their comeback hit - although it would be a short-lived comeback, as it was their final Top 40 hit, but Karen Carpenter's health was beginning to deteriorate, due to her battle with anorexia. I thought this was a great song. 18: MODERN GIRL - SHEENA EASTON (18) - Her second Top 40 hit, which didn't quite measure up to the success of her first (no matter; she'd have a lot more chart success in the next few years). I preferred this over the first song, as the latter was overplayed. The synth solo in the bridge was great! 17: TIME - THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT (19) - The first song from Parsons to use Eric Woolfson on lead vocals (which proved to be a good tactic, as they had many of their biggest hits with him). This song used to make me cry, until a friend of mine made a funny parody. 16: NO GETTING' OVER ME - RONNIE MILSAP (26) - Wow, this was definitely 1981, with many country crossovers. Oddly enough, this was his only Top Ten pop hit. It was a good one - the beginning of this song and that of his 1982 hit "Any Day Now" sound very similar. 15: A WOMAN NEEDS LOVE (JUST LIKE YOU DO) - RAY PARKER JR. & RAYDIO (14) - Their final Top Ten hit before Ray went solo the following year. A great song; the instrumental arrangement sounded a lot like that of their 1979 hit "You Can't Change That". 14: QUEEN OF HEARTS - JUICE NEWTON (16) This was one of several songs that was shut out of #1 by "Endless Love". I like this song; good driving music! 13: GEMINI DREAM - THE MOODY BLUES (13) - Another legendary band, like Santana, whose 80s hits I prefer of their ones from the 60s and 70s. I liked this one, but preferred "The Voice", from the same album. 12: STARS ON 45 MEDLEY - STARS ON 45 (12) - This song kicked off the aformentioned medley craze that lasted for about a year (but became a little tedious near the end). I did like this one, though; a great selection of Beatles songs. ARCHIVE: YOU KEEP ME HANGIN' ON - THE SUPREMES: One of their many #1 hits. I liked it, but preferred Kim Wilde's cover, which also hit #1, a little over 20 years later. OPTIONAL EXTRA: STOP DRAGGIN' MY HEART AROUND - STEVIE NICKS w/TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS - This song was en route to a six-week peak at #3, which would be the longest stay at that position for twelve more years. It was a good song, but I preferred other songs by both artists. 11: ALL THOSE YEARS AGO - GEORGE HARRISON (2) - Wow, quite a drop from the runner-up position. This song was tribute to the late John Lennon. It was a great song - one that I have yet to grow tired of. Harrison did great guitar work on this one! 10: HEARTS - MARTY BALIN (11) - He was the lead singer of the Jefferson Startship in the mid and late-70s, but I preferred this solo hit over all of his JS hits. One of my favorites on the chart this week. Too bad they cut out the second verse, like they always seemed to do. 9: BOY FROM NEW YORK CITY - THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER (10) - This was by far their biggest Pop hit. I liked it, but preferred a few others from them, including several songs that didn't quite hit the Top 40 (such as "Mystery" and "Choo Choo Ch-Boogie"). LDD: YOUR SONG – ELTON JOHN - This is the song that started it all off for Elton, one of the best artists of all time, IMO. 8: YOU MAKE MY DREAMS - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (5) - They were definitely on a hot streak in the 80s. This song, however, was one of my least favorites from them. I preferred their two other 1981 hits. 7: SLOW HAND - THE POINTER SISTERS (9) - This was another one of the songs that would be edged out of #1 due to the marathon run at the top of "Endless Love". This song would, however, hit #1 for a pair of weeks on the R&R chart, which was good, because this was definitely one of their best hits, IMO. 6: I DON'T NEED YOU - KENNY ROGERS (8) - Earlier, I mentioned that Lionel Richie was in this week's countdown in three different configurations. This is the song of which he was the producer, by a country sinfer that had a great year in 1981! Rogers had a handful of big hits, including the third biggest hit of the year (even though that was more of a 1980 hit, but due to their weird time frame, that song was deferred to 1981's year-ender). This was his other Top Ten song from the year. I guess you could call it a guilty pleasure, as many people I know hate this song, but I think it's a great one! 5: ELVIRA - THE OAK RIDGE BOYS (6) - EWWWWW, GET IT AWAY FROM ME!! 4: THE THEME FROM "THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO" - JOEY SCARBURY (7) - This was one of my favorite songs on the chart. It peaked at #2 on the Billboard chart while Lionel and Diana had their endless run #1, but it did manage to sneak in a week at the top of the R&R chart. 3: JESSIE'S GIRL - RICK SPRINGFIELD (4) - Despite the overplay, I liked this song. It never made it to the top of the R&R chart and, oddly enough, it was actually on its last legs on that chart this week, despite it having a lot of steam left on the Billboard chart. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WHO'S CRYING NOW - JOURNEY - Larry mentioned that none of the four songs from Escape would hit #1, but it was definitely a different story on the R&R chart, as two of the songs made it to #1 on the R&R chart, including what was then a tie for the longest run at #1 on that chart. Of course, that was their 1982 hit "Open Arms", which was the top song of that entire year. This was the other song, which topped the R&R chart for a week in September. This song was good; had a great Santana-like guitar solo at the end by Neil Schon (though this week, the song was faded out before it got to that part). 2: BETTE DAVIS EYES - KIM CARNES (1) - Well, this song didn't quite tie the rock era record for the most weeks at #1, but no matter; nine weeks was a long run on top and, although she was in a horse's race with "Endless Love" for top song of 1981, she ended up winning out. I was glad, since this was by far my favorite of the two. 1: THE ONE THAT YOU LOVE - AIR SUPPLY (3) - This is one of my favorite songs from them, since Russell Hitchcock sang both the choruses and the verses on this one. I generally don't like the ones that Graham Russell sings (though I do like "Lost In Love", on which Graham sings pretty much the whole thing. Except for the lead-ins to the chorus, Hitchcock doesn't start singing on that one until the last chorus. This was also Air Supply's only number one song on Billboard, and deservedly so!
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Post by Hervard on Jul 24, 2020 13:05:08 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - July 21, 2018 This week's presentation - July 25, 1987 Dropped: WHY YOU TREAT ME SO BAD - CLUB NOUVEAU (40) - A one-hit wonder on AT40, and quite a far cry from their first hit, their cover of the Bill Withers classic "Lean On Me", which, of course, went all the way to #1. This song was sampled in many songs, the most successful being "I'm Gonna Be Alright" by Jennifer Lopez featuring Nas in 2002. It was OK, but nothing special. DIAMONDS - HERB ALPERT f/JANET JACKSON & LISA KEITH (38) - Not sure whether or not the success of this song, which was never one of my favorites, affected the chart performance of "The Pleasure Principle" (whose release I heard was delayed so as not to cause competition with this song. FLAMES OF PARADISE - ELTON JOHN & JENNIFER RUSH (37) - Now here's a song I haven't heard since its chart run (outside of retro countdown shows, of course)! This one only peaked at #36 and was out of the Top 40 by the time Casey returned to AT40 after a two-week hiatus. It was a good one, though I preferred other songs by Elton John (the only other song I've heard by Jennifer Rush was her version of "Power Of Love" - not sure which of those I prefer). LESSONS IN LOVE - LEVEL 42 (35) - This British band was a two-hit wonder (as far as Top 40 hits go), and both songs hit the Top 20. Both songs were great - I liked them about the same. IN TOO DEEP - GENESIS (29) - This was the fifth and final single from their most successful album Invisible Touch. It is my second favorite of those singles behind the title track (but you already knew that, right?) LW#1: ALONE - HEART 40: LOVE POWER - DIONNE WARWICK & JEFFREY OSBORNE (debut) - A song written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager for a one-time pairing of these two pop/R&B artists. This is definitely one of my favorite songs by both artists involved (actually, there were at least three well-known artists involved with this song, as Kenny G played the sax solo in the bridge). 39: SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GONE - THE OUTFIELD (debut) - Their third Top 40 hit and, of the five they had, their lowest peaking one, which I thought was a shame, as this was one of their best IMO - my second favorite song of theirs behind "All The Love In The World", from the previous summer. 38: ONE FOR THE MOCKINGBIRD - CUTTING CREW (40) - I felt this one was totally underrated, especially given that their first hit from earlier in the year hit #1 (and might I add, is still way overplayed today). This song, on the other hand, only got as high as #38 on the chart and spent as many weeks as "(I Just) Died In Your Arms" spent at the top. It was definitely my favorite of their three Top 40 hits. 37: JUST TO SEE HER - SMOKEY ROBINSON (27) - As his first hit from One Heartbeat was about to fall out of the Top 40, a tribute to him was poised to debut on the countdown the following week, so he just barely missed being in the Top 40 at the same time. No matter; the title track from Smokey's album was also on its way up the chart and, not only would IT be in the countdown at the same time as the tribute, but both songs would be in the Top Ten simulataneously in early October. Anyway, I liked this and "One Heartbeat" about the same. In early 1989, he was a featured vocalist on a song called "We've Saved The Best For Last" which sounded very much like this song. 36: HYPNOTIZE ME (FROM "INNERSPACE") - WANG CHUNG (debut) - This song certainly did not match the success of their last two hits - its debut position was actually where it peaked and it would start dropping the following week. That's too bad, because I thought it was a great song! 35: LIVING IN A BOX - LIVING IN A BOX (debut) - One of a handful of one-hit wonders on this week's chart. This song was one of at least three Top 40 hits in a twelve-year period that begin with the line "Woke up this morning..." (the others being by Peter Frampton and Bruce Springsteen). I always found that kind of interesting. As for the song, it was pretty good. 34: CAN'T WE TRY - DAN HILL (DUET WITH VONDA SHEPARD) (debut) - This is an artist who seemed destined to become a one-hit wonder, but, nearly ten years after his first chart appearance, he surprised everyone and came back. After this, however, he would never again hit the Top 40, but would go on to have many hits on the AC charts. Like his first hit, "Sometimes When We Touch", this song made the Top Ten, and deservedly so, as it was a great song! 33: ALWAYS - ATLANTIC STARR (32) - Kind of weird that the song only dropped one spot, especially after a big drop the week before. In fact, I remember back when this show originally aired, there were heavy thunderstorms in the area early that morning and it knocked out the transmitter for the station (U93), and it came back on in the middle of song #39. When Casey read off the droppers, and this song was not among them, then it was a logical assumption that this would have been the song at #40. So you can imagine my surprise when this song started playing after the "Number 33" jingle. Anyway, this song became a very popular wedding song and the subject matter was a far cry from their other Top Ten hit, which was about infidelity. This was my favorite of their Top 40 hits. 32: IT'S NOT OVER ('TIL IT'S OVER) - STARSHIP (34) - Their second-to-last chart hit (and their final Top Ten). It was a good one, but I preferred several others from them, in all three incarnations. 31: HEAD TO TOE - LISA LISA & CULT JAM (18) - They dropped Full Force, Paul Anthony and Bowlegged Lou for this one (but they were still featured on at least another song on the same album), and to number one this song went. It was OK, but I was never too crazy about the song. I preferred the next release "Lost In Emotion", which also hit the top of the chart. OPTIONAL EXTRA: STRANGELOVE - DEPECHE MODE - Sort of a curveball extra, since the song only got as high as #76 on the Hot 100. It fared much better on the dance charts, where it spent three weeks at #1. It was a great song - not sure if I prefer it over their two Top 20 hits from 1990, but I do like it quite a lot better than "People Are People", as well as "Personal Jesus". 30: LA BAMBA - LOS LOBOS (36) - This was their first of at least three remakes of old Ritchie Valens songs (they did a version of "Donna", but I don't think it was ever released as a single). Anyway, this song was so/so, but way overplayed. I preferred their version of "Come On Let's Go" which we'll hopefully hear later on this year on the series (I'm sure I'll hear it on an ad nauseum played AT40 from the fall of 1987 on the iHeartRadio station). 29: HEARTS ON FIRE - BRYAN ADAMS (30) - Not a cover of Randy Meisner's 1981 hit, but pretty much the same concept (as both songs, whose titles imply a plural of hearts, actually use the word in the lyrics with a contraction, meaning "heart is on fire"). Anyway, this was a great song - definitely underrated, as it only got as high as #26. Wasn't the story about Bryan Adams being mistaken for a roadie told on a show recently featured on this series? 28: EVERY LITTLE KISS - BRUCE HORNSBY & THE RANGE (16) - This one originally charted a year before, but only got as high as #72. After the success of "The Way It Is" and "Mandolin Rain", they decided to give it another chance, which proved to be worthwhile, as the song made it to #14 the second time around. Definitely one of the songs I associate most with the summer of 1987! 27: SEVEN WONDERS - FLEETWOOD MAC (31) - The second of five Tango In The Night singles, and my favorite of the bunch. I generally prefer the songs with Stevie Nicks singing lead. LDD: ENDLESS LOVE - DIANA ROSS & LIONEL RICHIE - This song definitely fit the dedication, which I must say was quite moving! 26: WHO'S THAT GIRL - MADONNA (33) - Meh, this was mediocre at best. One of my least favorite of her hits and possibly my least favorite of her #1s. 25: MOONLIGHTING (THEME) - AL JARREAU (23) - TV themes were all the rage back around 1976, but their popularity waned significantly by this time. I was surprised that this one only got as high as #23 (and only #37 on the airplay chart), since I heard it all the time in the summer of 1987 - and even got tired of it at one point. That's probably because I listened to an AC station (WNSN, South Bend) occasionally, and this was #1 on the AC chart - this week, in fact 24: BACK IN THE HIGH LIFE AGAIN - STEVE WINWOOD (25) - This, of course, is the title track from his most successful singles album. It's pretty good, but I preferred a few others from him. Today, the song would be billed as Steve Winwood featuring James Taylor. 23: ROCK STEADY - THE WHISPERS (26) - The biggest of their four Top 40 hits - as well as my favorite. 22: DON'T MEAN NOTHING - RICHARD MARX (28) - The first of many hits for this man from the Windy City. It was a good one, but definitely not my favorite from him. 21: ONLY IN MY DREAMS - DEBBIE GIBSON (24) - The breakthrough hit for one of the biggest teen music stars from this era. It was a good song - my second favorite song from Out Of The Blue behind the #1 "Foolish Beat". 20: HAPPY - SURFACE (20) - Their very first Top 40 hit. I heard this quite a lot that summer and was quite surprised that it only got as high as #20. They hit big two years later with "Shower Me With Your Love" and even bigger in early 1991 with "The First Time", which hit the top and was the fifth biggest hit of that year. 19: SONGBIRD - KENNY G (11) - His first song to hit the chart - and it turned out to be his biggest. I liked it, but generally preferred his songs that featured a vocalist, including the aforementioned "We've Saved The Best For Last". 18: I'D STILL SAY YES - KLYMAXX (19) - I believe they were more of an R&B act, but they did have three Top 40 hits. This was my favorite of the three (though "Man Size Love" was a close second, especially when I'm in the mood for something upbeat). 17: THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE - JANET JACKSON (17) - The sixth and last single from the Contol album. The first five were all Top Five hits, but this one missed the Top Ten. Her first wave of popularity was over, but the best, of course, was yet to come - her next album would yield eight Top Ten radio hits. This song wasn't bad, but I can see why this one didn't do as well as the other Control singles. 16: WOT'S IT TO YA - ROBBIE NEVIL (21) - Ah, nothing like a loud kiss-off song! I like this and "Dominoes" about the same ("C'est La Vie" was pretty good, but it was quite overplayed). 15: LUKA - SUZANNE VEGA (22) - Does the opening notes of this song remind anyone else of the Jetsons' doorbell? Well, anyway, like Jennifer Rush, there are only two songs by her that I've heard, and this would be my favorite (I remember being sick of hearing the "do do dodo do dododo..." refrains of "Tom's Diner" everytime I turned on the radio in late 1990/early 1991). That song, by the way, was also on Solitude Standing album, only it was a cappella and the "do do" part didn't come until the very end. 14: CROSS MY BROKEN HEART - THE JETS (15) - LOL, sounds like they're singing "That's just f---ing hogwash". As for my opinion of this song, well, it's mediocre at best. As we probably know all too well, I prefer their ballads over their upbeat dance numbers like this. 13: KISS HIM GOODBYE - THE NYLONS (14) - This was a somewhat rare a cappella song (by late 80s standards anyway). But I liked it - about the same as the original, but in different ways, of course, as the music styles of both versions were very different. 12: GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS - MOTLEY CRUE (13) - I was never crazy about their music, but I did like their slow songs (such as "Without You" and "Home Sweet Home". 11: FUNKYTOWN - PSEUDO ECHO (6) - A one-hit wonder, with a remake of a #1 hit from earlier in the decade. I preferred this pop/rock version over the dance/techno version by Lipps Inc., who were also a one-hit wonder. Mental note: Do not cover this song if you want to have multiple chart hits. 10: POINT OF NO RETURN - EXPOSE (5) - Of their four hits to chart in 1987-88, this was my favorite of the bunch (you thought that I preferred "Seasons Change, didn't you?) 9: DON'T DISTURB THIS GROOVE - THE SYSTEM (4) - This was their only big hit on the pop chart. It wasn't bad, but I preferred their next release "Nighttime Lover", which, sadly, wasn't released to pop radio (and if it was, it didn't go far). 8: HEART AND SOUL - T'PAU (12) - Yet another one-hit wonder. I never particularly cared for this song, however. I preferred the Huey Lewis song of the same name (plus pretty much any rendition of the popular piano piece). LDD: STUCK ON YOU – LIONEL RICHIE - Wow, both of this week's LDDs are by the same artist! Anyway, this was a good song - my favorite of this week's LDD picks. 7: SOMETHING SO STRONG - CROWDED HOUSE (8) - One of several two hit wonders on this week's show, such as Dan Hill (though, in this case, the songs were from the same album). I preferred this song, but "Don't Dream It's Over" was a close second. They almost had a third Top 40 hit the following year, "Better Be Home Soon", but that one petered out at #42. That was a good one as well. 6: RHYTHM IS GONNA GET YOU - GLORIA ESTEFAN & MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (10) - the Jets, this is another group that I prefer singing ballads than upbeat songs (though "Bad Boys" and their next release after this, "Betcha Say That" were exceptions). This song was pretty good, but definitely far from being their best. 5: I WANT YOUR SEX - GEORGE MICHAEL (9) - Don't care for this one at all! If not for the lyrical content, this one might have become one of the biggest hits of the year - possibly even THE biggest. I might dislike "Walk Like An Egyptian", but I'd rather listen to that one than this. 4: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY (WHO LOVES ME) - WHITNEY HOUSTON (3) - Although by the time of the original airing of this show, I'd had it with this song, due to its overplay, I somehow came to like it shortly after its airplay waned and was glad it came out on top for the year on the R&R chart. 3: I STILL HAVEN'T FOUND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR - U2 (7) - This was the second of two #1 hits from The Joshua Tree, and my favorite of the two. The song has held up quite well despite overplay. 2: SHAKEDOWN - BOB SEGER (2) - A line in "Like A Rock", a Top 20 hit from the summer before, might have served as an omen, as it had indeed been twenty years that Seger had been charting and he had yet to hit #1 (which he finally would the following week). This song was OK, but definitely not his best, IMO. 1: ALONE - HEART (1) - This song was spending a third and last week at #1. At this point, both of the Wilson sisters had a turn at handling the lead vocals on a number one song. This was my favorite of the two hits and I found it sick and wrong that this one lost to "Walk Like An Egyptian" as 1987's #1 song. But such is life.
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