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Post by Hervard on Aug 28, 2020 13:04:57 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - August 29, 2020
This week's presentation - August 30, 1980
LW#3: TAKE YOUR TIME - S.O.S. BAND LW#2: SAILING - CHRISTOPHER CROSS LW#1: MAGIC - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN 40: YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO KEEP YOUR LOVE FOR ME - JERMAINE JACKSON (debut) - One of three songs by Jermaine that did not hit the R&R chart. This one was understandable, as it only got as high as #34 on this chart (and the R&R chart was a Top 30 chart then), but the other two must have been big sellers, as one hit the Top 20 and another one was even a Top Ten hit on the Hot 100. As for this song, I liked it - a pleasant slow jam - was also one of two obscure songs in Hour 1. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that Premiere chose to repeat this show? 39: HE'S SO SHY - THE POINTER SISTERS (debut) - This was one of their biggest hits, as well as one of my all-time faves from them! 38: LITTLE JEANNIE - ELTON JOHN (24) - One of only two Top Tens from him between early 1977 and late 1983, and one of my favorites of his 1980s hits - a great one - very upbeat and happy sounding. 37: NEVER KNEW LOVE LIKE THIS BEFORE - STEPHANIE MILLS (debut) - This one still pops up on Lite Rock stations every now and again. It was Mills' only Top Ten hit, but a great one it was! 36: JESSE - CARLY SIMON (40) - A song about an old flame who comes back and wins back her heart, despite her best attempts to resist. It's a great song - one that I regularly played on the jukebox at Pizza Hut. 35: HEY THERE LONELY GIRL - ROBERT JOHN (39) - This song doesn’t get much airplay anymore, but I don’t consider it obscure because of the original by Eddie Holman from early 1970, which many people are familiar with. I thought this was a pretty good remake, although I prefer the original. 34: HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE BACK - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (debut) - The other “obscure” song in Hour 1. Unsurprisingly, it was not of the duo's more successful hits by any means (only got as high as #30). The song was OK, but definitely not one of my favorites from them. 33: MISUNDERSTANDING - GENESIS (14) - This is definitely one that I associate with the summer of 1980, since the radio stations I listened to back then played this all the time back then. That said, I'm surprised it only got as high as #14 on the Hot 100. OPTIONAL EXTRA: REAL LOVE - THE DOOBIE BROTHERS - Going into this song, Larry read off all the other songs with this common song title that hit the Top 40. Hard to believe that, as many songs as they had, this was only their fourth Top Ten hit. It was indeed a good one, though not quite as good as some of their others, like “Black Water” and “What A Fool Believes”, both #1 BB songs. “Real Love” would also be a #1 hit - on R&R, anyway. On Billboard, it managed to climb up to #5. ARCHIVE - SURRENDER - ELVIS PRESLEY - Adapted from an Italian song entitled "Come Back To Sorrento", this was the King's fourth #1 hit of the 1960s. It wasn't bad, but certainly not one of his best. 32: I'M ALRIGHT - KENNY LOGGINS (36) - I remember seeing this movie (Caddyshack) back in the day! The gopher that had been terrorizing the golf course was dancing to this song at the end. A great song by whom would become the movie soundtrack king of the 1980s! 31: XANADU - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (debut) - This was a great song, and my favorite song from the movie soundtrack of the same title, which apparently outperformed the movie itself, which received bad reviews from many renowned movie critics. 30: DON'T ASK ME WHY - BILLY JOEL (32) - This song sounded a little different from his other Glass Houses singles; it has that sort of folk rock that appeared on his earlier albums. But it was a great one - my favorite song from Glass Houses. LDD: BABE - STYX 29: SOMEONE THAT I USED TO LOVE - NATALIE COLE (31) - I always thought that this sounded like something from a Broadway musical. It was a good song, and it would be her last hit until the late-80s, as she battled drug addiction for the next few years. I'm glad that she overcame it, as she had many great hits in the 80s and early 90s. 28: ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST - QUEEN (debut) - *GROIN* Why did this song have to make such a strong debut? As we all know, I'm not a big fan of this one. I prefer their other #1 song, from earlier in the year. Don't get me wrong; I actually used to like the song, but after hearing it a million times, both on the radio and every single juke box I came across back in the day, it got a quite old. 27: SHINING STAR - THE MANHATTANS (12) - They had sixteen Hot 100 hits, but only three of those made the Top 40, one of those just barely. Of their two big hits, this was definitely my favorite. 26: ONE IN A MILLION YOU - LARRY GRAHAM (29) - Even though I know what one of our regular posters here thinks of this song, I like this song - your typical early-80s slow jam. I guess you could call it a guilty pleasure! 25: MAKE A LITTLE MAGIC - DIRT BAND (25) - They seemed destined to remain a "one-hit wonder", a status they held for about nine years, then, when they dropped the "Nitty Gritty" from their name, they ended up having two more hits, both in 1980. This song, which featured Nicholette Larson on back-up vocals was a good one, but I preferred "An American Dream" from earlier in the year. 24: HOT ROD HEARTS - ROBBIE DUPREE (28) - Of course, I liked both of his Top Ten hits, though I slightly prefer "Steal Away". Is the back-up singer on this the same one that sings back-up on "Steal Away"? 23: ALL OVER THE WORLD - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (27) - One of three of their hit songs from Xanadu (and one of two on this week's chart). I preferred the title track over this song, but this one was good as well. EXTRA: BLUE MOON - THE MARCELS - This song was about a Smurf with his pants down. 22: YOU'LL ACCOMP'NY ME - BOB SEGER (26) - Although this was my least favorite of Seger's three Top 40 hits from Against The Wind, it's a great song nonetheless. 21: BOULEVARD - JACKSON BROWNE (22) - Browne's first Top 40 hit in two years - and a great one it is - one I remember quite well from back in the day. I always thought the title was "Nobody, Nobody" until a few years later. 20: OLD FASHION LOVE - COMMODORES (21) - Stevie Wonder's "I Ain't Gonna Stand For It" reminded me a lot of this song. I liked both songs, but preferred this one. 19: YOU'RE THE ONLY WOMAN - AMBROSIA (20) - Their fifth and, sadly, last Top 40 hit. It was a great one, but I preferred "How Much I Feel" and "Biggest Part Of Me". LDD: RUNAROUND SUE - DION - The person who wrote the LDD lived very close to where I live, as she was from South Bend, Indiana. This dedication was basically to tell this guy who was infatuated with the girl to back off. 18: WHY NOT ME - FRED KNOBLOCK (18) - Here is a rather depressing song, but the melody itself is somewhat upbeat. The song is about a guy who goes to the wedding of an old flame and finds himself wishing he was the groom. He probably should have gone golfing with Eddie! I sure wouldn't ever attend the wedding of an ex, especially one that I still had feelings for - I would make other plans that day and spare myself the hurt! 17: JOJO - BOZ SCAGGS (17) - Was he singing about K-Ci's partner? He couldn't have been singing about the one who sang "Leave (Get Out)" since, as far as I know, her parents hadn't even met yet. But seriously, this was a good song - had sort of a smooth jazz flavor to it. 16: DRIVIN' MY LIFE AWAY - EDDIE RABBITT (23) - This was his biggest hit to date, but his next one would go all the way to the top. Both were great songs! 15: TAKE A LITTLE RHYTHM - ALI THOMSON (15) - This guy sounds like Paul McCartney (and coincidentally, he’s from the same city where Paul recorded his live version of “Coming Up” with his group Wings). I like this song - too bad it was his only hit. 14: IT'S STILL ROCK & ROLL TO ME - BILLY JOEL (6) - I like this song better than I used to, but still, it is my least favorite of the four singles from Glass Houses, one of Joel's best albums IMO. 13: LOOKIN' FOR LOVE - JOHNNY LEE (19) - Here's the song that was gearing up to become the most successful song from Urban Cowboy. I like this song, though I didn't really like it much back in the day. I guess it's one of those songs that gets better with age! 12: INTO THE NIGHT - BENNY MARDONES (16) - I don't remember this song at all from 1980, but I definitely remember it from 1989, when it returned to the charts - I heard it on AT40 and then ended up buying the single later on that summer. I played it quite a lot and ended up getting tired of the song. It's pretty good now, but I preferred several songs on his self-titled album which came out in 1989 (and included an updated version of "Into The Night") - these include "How Could You Love Me" and "I'll Be Good To You". ARCHIVE: RUNAWAY - DEL SHANNON - Considering I don't like that many early-sixties song, this song isn't that bad. It is the only of this week's three Archive songs that I like. 11: LATE IN THE EVENING - PAUL SIMON (13) - Love the salsa beat of this song! Quite a departure from his usual style. I was asleep during this song - did they censor the word "jay" (a marijuana reference) like they sometimes do? Not sure why, though - especially given that the support for the legalization of pot is has gone way up since the early 1980s. 10: MORE LOVE - KIM CARNES (10) - She had the duet with Kenny Rogers back in the spring, now she was on the chart with her first big solo hit. Of course, the best was yet to come. Not sure if I prefer this song or "Bette Davis Eyes" - I think it's one of those cases where it depends on my mood. 9: LET MY LOVE OPEN THE DOOR - PETE TOWNSEND (9) - This one and one of the Who's songs, "You Better You Bet" sound very much alike but, oddly enough, it was a different member of the Who that sang lead on that one. 8: GIVE ME THE NIGHT - GEORGE BENSON (11) - Definitely one of the best jazz/pop artists around. Like many of his songs, this one contains his trademark scat singing. I like it, but prefer a few others from him. 7: ALL OUT OF LOVE - AIR SUPPLY (8) - This song slams on the brakes this week, making a more modest one-spot move after skipping over the 11-20 zone the week before. 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. 6: FAME - IRENE CARA (7) - Here's a song that got to be a theme song twice - first as the theme from the movie of the same title in 1980, and then again as the theme from the TV show called Fame, which ran for about five seasons, starting in 1982. The song wasn't bad, but one of my least favorite songs from Cara. 5: TAKE YOUR TIME (DO IT RIGHT) - S.O.S. BAND (3) - This was the S.O.S. Band's Top 40 hit (although I imagine they had others on the R&B and dance charts). This song wasn't bad, but nothing exceptional. 4: EMOTIONAL RESCUE - ROLLING STONES (4) - Ah, my former supervisor's "favorite" song (Too bad she no longer works at the library, so I don't get to torment her by singing this song anymore, LOL!) This was another guilty pleasure on this week's countdown (as many people I know, other than said former supervisor, dislike the song, due to Jagger's falsetto singing). 3: MAGIC - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (1) - Ah, good ol’ Olivia Yewton John (as the daughter of yet another one of my former co-workers called her when she was little). Anyway, this was her longest-running #1, at four weeks (as her other #1 songs spent no longer than two weeks on top). This was a great song IMO, though I prefer a few others from her. 2: UPSIDE DOWN - DIANA ROSS (5) - Three weeks before, this song had made a monster debut at #10. Last week, however, in an extremely tight Top Five, the song was stuck in the same positon as the previous week, but it had not peaked. This week, it resumed its fast climb to #1, where it would spend the entire month of September. 1: SAILING - CHRISTOPHER CROSS (2) - As this song was completing a four-week run at the top of the R&R chart, it made it to the top of the Hot 100 - the first of two #1 songs for Cross. Try closing your eyes with this song on and you’ll feel like you’re out on the water! A great song indeed!
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Post by Hervard on Aug 28, 2020 17:40:50 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - August 29, 2020
This week's presentation - August 30, 1986
Droppers: HANGING ON A HEART ATTACK - DEVICE (35) - This song sounds a lot like “Love Touch” by Rod Stewart (and with good reason; Holly Knight wrote both songs). This one’s more rocky than I remember - I always thought it was a dance/disco type song. Then again, I never really paid too much attention as it wasn’t really one of my favorite songs (and I never really heard it outside of countdown shows). Anyway, I think it's a good one. ONE STEP CLOSER TO YOU - GAVIN CHRISTOPHER (34) - Definitely one of my favorite songs from 1986! I heard this one quite often during its chart run, but then never. I felt this one was way underrated INVISIBLE TOUCH - GENESIS (33) - Their lead-off hit from the album of the same title, and to #1 it went! Good thing, as it's my favorite song from the album (as well as the fact that they'd been hitting the chart for nearly ten years). SUZANNE - JOURNEY(30) - Ah, I can smell the cool night air as I sat with my then-girlfriend in her backyard (even though her name was not Suzanne, some of the lyrics fit, like "those summer nights with me". This great song was my second favorite of the four Top 40 hits from Raised On Radio, behind "I'll Be Alright Without You". RUMBLESEAT - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (29) - I couldn’t believe that this song only got as high as #28. When I first heard it, I thought it had Top Ten written all over it. I guess not. Then again, seeing that it was the fifth single from a huge smash album, it wasn’t a big seller (since most fans had the album) and there was no need to call in and request it. ALL THE LOVE IN THE WORLD - THE OUTFIELD (25) - Here is song that I associate most with the summer of '86, since I don't think that I've heard it (outside of countdown shows) since it fell off the chart. This one wasn't quite as big as their first song, "Your Love", but at least it did hit the Top 20.
The above songs were all great songs, IMO, making me wish that this show was guest hosted instead of the previous week's show. Oh well, it's all good, as there were a few of this week's six debuts that I really liked.
LW#1: PAPA DON’T PREACH – MADONNA 40: MONEY’S TOO TIGHT TO MENTION – SIMPLY RED (debut) - A song whose lyrics are very timely in today's economy. Makes me thankful that I still have a job. Despite its grim lyrics, I thought it was a great song melodically. 39: TWIST AND SHOUT – THE BEATLES (debut) - This song broke the record for the longest span between chart appearances - nearly 22 and a half years. The song was re-released thanks to its inclusion in two popular 1986 movies ("Back To School" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"). Though it was nowhere near as big a hit as it was in its original chart run, it did spend four more weeks on the Hot 100 (since the charts moved much faster back in the 1960s). It was a good song, but definitely not their best. 38: DANGER ZONE – KENNY LOGGINS (26) - This was the first Top Gun single released - and the king of movie soundtrack hits, Kenny Loggins, was the one singing it. He was also the artist of another single from the soundtrack that did not hit the Top 40 ("Playing With The Boys"). I preferred this one and the Top 40 audience apparently did as well, since it practically made it to #1. 37: ALL CRIED OUT – LISA LISA & CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE (debut) - Here's a song that takes me back to my freshman year in high school! I remember that it was often #1 on U93's Top Ten at Ten - sort of armwrestling with "You Give Love A Bad Name" by Bon Jovi. As we all know, this was my favorite song of the entire decade, according to my Personal Top 30 charts. 36: LOVE WALKS IN – VAN HALEN (debut) - This was my favorite of the three Top 40 hits from 5150. Another song that takes me back to my freshman year! Too bad it only got as high as #22. 35: VELCRO FLY – ZZ TOP (debut) - This song had been on the R&R chart for the past three weeks and finally made the AT40 chart. However, this was all the further the song got; it held at #35 the following week, dropped to #39 and was gone after that. It was not bad, but I preferred the other three Afterburner singles. 34: MISSIONARY MAN - EURYTHMICS (debut) - Meh, this was OK, but one of my least favorite songs by them. I preferred their song that was charting exactly a year before (which some of us will be hearing on next week's "B" show). 33: HEAVEN IN YOUR EYES - LOVERBOY (40) - Another hit from Top Gun - one of three that hit the Top 40. I forget exactly where in the movie this song was, but I seem to recall it was only played for a few seconds, on someone's radio. Anyway, I liked this song, but preferred their other 1986 ballad "This Could Be The Night". 32: TAKEN IN – MIKE & THE MECHANICS (32) - This song seemed to have taken residency of the #32 position, since this was its fourth week there. Definitely one of their most underrated songs! This one should have been a Top Ten hit just like their other two hits from 1986, IMO! At least it did do well on the AC chart, peaking at #7. 31: OH PEOPLE – PATTI LaBELLE (37) - This song was definitely riding on the coattails of LaBelle's recent #1 duet with Michael McDonald, though it was making somewhat promising progress on the chart, but it peaked at #29 the following weeks and fell clean off the chart the following week, which I thought was a shame, as it was a great song! OPTIONAL EXTRA: TRUE COLORS - CYNDI LAUPER - The lead-off single from her sophomore album, as well as the title track, was debuting at #63 on the Hot 100, on its way to becoming her second #1 hit. It wasn't bad, but a little too melancholy for my taste. I preferred the next two singles from True Colors. 30: LOVE TOUCH (THEME FROM “LEGAL EAGLES”) – ROD STEWART (17) - This was written by Holly Knight, who headed up the band Device, who dropped out of the Top 40 with their sole Top 40 hit "Hanging On A Heart Attack", and it definitely showed, given the similarity between the two songs. Though I slightly preferred the Device song, both of them were good songs. 29: SLEDGEHAMMER – PETER GABRIEL (19) - The first of three Top 40 hits from Gabriel's album So. Tell you what, I wasn't crazy about this song to begin with and the excessive airplay only made me like it less. To this day, I'm still burned out on it and usually change the station when it comes on. I do like "Shock The Monkey" and "Big Time", though. 28: PRESS – PAUL McCARTNEY (39) - Wow, as this song continued to take baby steps up the R&R chart, it made a huge move on AT40. The song wasn't bad, but I prefer many other songs from him, solo or with the Beatles or Wings. 27: THROWING IT ALL AWAY - GENESIS (38) - Another song moving up eleven spots - only this song went on to hit the Top Five while the Paul McCartney song petered out at #21. This song was OK, IMO, but my least favorite of the five singles from Invisible Touch. LDD: WHEN THE HEART RULES THE MIND - GTR - Wow! This was a powerful LDD, one that we were "warned" about in a different thread. As for the song, it was a great one IMO. 26: WHEN I THINK OF YOU – JANET JACKSON (36) - As the old saying goes, third time's a charm, as this was Janet's third release from Control, and it went all the way to the top - her first of many #1 songs! I liked this song, but generally preferred the Rhythm Nation era. 25: TWO OF HEARTS – STACY Q (31) - Meh, don't care much for this one. The ah-ah-ah-I need, I need you part is somewhat embarrassing and definitely annoying. 24: THE CAPTAIN OF HER HEART - DOUBLE (27) - A song by a rare bird - a Swiss band. In fact, Casey mentioned a few weeks back that this was the first Swiss act to hit the chart. I imagine there have been more since then, but I can't think of any others. Anyway, I really liked this song - mellow and relaxing. 23: DREAMTIME – DARYL HALL (28) - His first of two solo hits before rejoining his sidekick John Oates. I liked both of them, but slightly preferred this one. 22: LOVE ZONE – BILLY OCEAN (24) - Your typical mid-80s slow jam. I preferred the song that preceded this as well as the follow-up - both tender love ballads. OPTIONAL EXTRA: TYPICAL MALE - TINA TURNER - She had already hit #1 on the Hot 100 with "What's Love Got To Do With It", which barely missed the top spot on the R&R chart. The tables would turn with this song, as it DID make it to #1 on R&R, but didn't quite make it all the way on the Hot 100. I liked both songs, but preferred this one. 21: YOU SHOULD BE MINE (THE WOO WOO SONG) – JEFFREY OSBORNE (13) - Another R&B slow jam. This one would have been a great song if not for the dumb title, and the "Can you woo woo woo" choruses. I preferred many other songs from him, like "On The Wings Of Love" and "Don't You Get So Mad". 20: THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW – THE MONKEES (21) - Well, their comeback was sure quite short-lived, as it only consisted of this song, which was reaching its peak position this week. I thought it was a great song - one that takes me back to the summer of 1986 (rather than my freshman year, by which time radio stations weren't playing this much anymore - though I do remember hearing it on the way to school one time, very early in the year). 19: MAN SIZE LOVE - KLYMAXX (22) - The first of two Top 40 hits from the movie "Running Scared", both of which are on the chart this week. Of course, it's pretty much a toss-up between this and "I'd Still Say Yes" as my favorite song from Klymaxx, depending on whether I'm in the mood for an upbeat song or a ballad. 18: DON’T FORGET ME (WHEN I’M GONE) – GLASS TIGER (23) - Of course, today, this song would be credited to Glass Tiger featuring Bryan Adams (as he is heard singing in the choruses). This was my favorite of their four Top 40 hits (though "I Will Be There", which charted the following spring, would be a fairly close second). 17: THE EDGE OF HEAVEN - WHAM (10) - This was a bittersweet song for Wham! fans, as it was their final Top 40 hit. But at least it was one of their best, IMO, anyway. George Michael, who was pretty much the voice of Wham! anyway, went on to have an even more successful career, so it really didn't make much of a difference. 16: YANKEE ROSE – DAVID LEE ROTH (18) - This was a song that I didn't care much for back in the day (though I did like the part at the beginning - David's conversation with his guitar at the beginning of the song. Other than that...) 15: WALK THIS WAY – RUN D.M.C. (20) - Ah, those were the days, when rap was halfway decent. Of course, since this was a remake of a familiar song, that could have had something to do with how I like it, but back when this was on the charts, I did not like it, but in retrospect, it doesn't sound so bad now - in fact, I actually prefer it over the original by Aerosmith. 14: BABY LOVE - REGINA (14) - This one sounds like a Madonna song (which is no coincidence, as this was co-written by Stephen Bray, who collaborated with Madonna during the 1980s, co-writing and co-producing many of her big hits in the 1980s. I'm sure there were a few folks wondering if this song had peaked the previous week, as it was stalled out at #14. It got a second wind this week, which was good, because it was a great song! 13: WORDS GET IN THE WAY – MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (16) - Their third hit and, like the first two, it hit the Top Ten. I’ve said that I prefer their ballads to their upbeat songs, but this is actually one of my least favorite of their slow songs - I actually prefer a few of their upbeat songs, such as "Bad Boy" and "Betcha Say That" over this one. 12: GLORY OF LOVE (THEME FROM “KARATE KID PART II”) – PETER CETERA (5) - I preferred the first Karate Kid movie over the second (but that could be because I've only seen the second once while I've watched the first one multiple times). The song, however, was a great one - possibly my favorite Peter Cetera solo hit ever! 11: WE DON’T HAVE TO TAKE OUR CLOTHES OFF – JERMAINE STEWART (8) - I always got this song confused with "How Will I Know" by Whitney Houston, as the drum intros sounded alike (of course, both songs were Narada Michael Walden productions), I never knew what song it was until the instruments kicked in. This was a good song with a good message OPTIONAL EXTRA: I DIDN'T MEAN TO TURN YOU ON - ROBERT PALMER - Well, who said you did? No, seriously, both of the Riptide Top Ten singles were overplayed (and "Addicted To Love" still is). The only song from the album I liked was "Hyperactive", since that song was not overplayed - in fact, I don't believe I ever heard it outside of countdown shows even during its chart run. 10: MAD ABOUT YOU – BELINDA CARLISLE (4) - Now that the Go-Go's were gone-gone, several members of the band embarked on solo careers. This was the first of six solo Top 40 hits by the lead singer. It was pretty good, but I remember hating it back in the day. I still prefer most of her other Top 40 hits. 9: STUCK WITH YOU – HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (15) - He/they had already had a #1 hit the year before and were on their way to their second (I was pretty sure right off the bat that this would be a #1, based on their super-high debut on the R&R chart at #21 a few weeks before). This would log three weeks on top - one of the longest stays at #1 in 1986 (of course, today, that would be considered a short term at the top). Anyway, this was a great song and I'm glad it ended up as R&R's top song of the year. LDD: LOVE CHILD – THE SUPREMES - This LDD was similar to the first one, as it was about someone given up for adoption - only this one was about a teen coming to realize why she was given up. The song indeed fit the dedication. 8: RUMORS – TIMEX SOCIAL CLUB (9) - Casey mentioned how this song, which was a recent #1 on the Soul and Dance charts, "hadn't made up its mind on the pop chart yet", as it was doing somewhat of a yo-yo routine. Back in the day, I was fed up with this song by this point, as the radio stations that I listened to felt the need to play this song every single hour, or so it seemed. Now that I don't hear it ten times a day, I actually kind of like it now. Anyone remember the parody of this song by Bobby Jimmy & The Critters, called "Roaches"? U93 played that one quite often. 7: SWEET FREEDOM (THEME FROM “RUNNING SCARED”) – MICHAEL McDONALD (11) - Michael did quite well on the charts as a solo artist - I'm sure that the fact that he was the former lead singer of the Doobie Brothers was somehat instrumental in that. This was one of his Top Ten hits and it was a good one. 6: FRIENDS AND LOVERS – CARL ANDERSON AND GLORIA LORING (12) - For some odd reason I found the sudden crescendo in the first chorus (where they sing, “We don’t have to be one...OR THE OTHER) quite disturbing. But I eventually came to really like this song - that is, until the radio stations that I listened to played it ad nauseum and I was getting quite tired of it (by that time, Eddie Rabbitt & Juice Newton were charting at country with a cover of the song which I preferred over the original). 5: DANCING ON THE CEILING – LIONEL RICHIE (6) - Of course, this is only possible if the building your in has been flipped over. But seriously, the song was pretty good, and it had a great video. I did, however, get sick of hearing kids at school saying, "Hey, look at that footprint on the ceiling!" 4: TAKE MY BREATH AWAY (THEME FROM “TOP GUN”) - BERLIN (7) - The second hit from one of the biggest movie soundtracks of '86! The soundtrack yielded three Top 40 hits, and one that didn't make the Top 40. Plus, I believe that several other songs, like Mighty Wings by Cheap Trick, received airplay as album cuts on a few radio stations. I liked this song - definitely not as annoying as their first Top 40 hit "No More Words". 3: PAPA DON’T PREACH - MADONNA (1) - Here is another song that I hated with a passion when it was on the charts. It's not bad now that I don't hear it every single time I turn on the radio, but still, I prefer many other songs by Madonna. OPTIONAL EXTRA: IN YOUR EYES - PETER GABRIEL - Meh, not generally a big fan of him, especially the "So" album, since the first two singles from it are way overplayed. Given that, I'm surprised that this song came nowhere near the Top Ten. 2: VENUS - BANANARAMA (3) - I wasn't a big fan of this song. I preferred their two other Top 40 hits, especially "I Heard A Rumour". 1: HIGHER LOVE – STEVE WINWOOD (2) - This has got to be one of the most overplayed songs of the 1980s. I’m still burned out on it (not that it was one of my favorite songs in the first place). No, I prefer many others by him, thank you very much!
Coming up next week: The same sort of situation as the week before, with the "A" option being an early-80s show and the "B" offering from the mid-80s. September 5, 1981 will be heard on most stations next week and September 7, 1985 will be the "B" show. I guess that means you'll have to log onto the iHeartRadio channel to hear the "dead dog dedication". Oh - and there will be a special Labor Day Weekend show as well - Part 3 of the #1 Hits of the 80s, covering November, 1984 through May, 1986.
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Post by dth1971 on Aug 28, 2020 19:26:42 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - August 29, 2020 This week's presentation - August 30, 1986 Droppers: HANGING ON A HEART ATTACK - DEVICE (35) - This song sounds a lot like “Love Touch” by Rod Stewart (and with good reason; Holly Knight wrote both songs). This one’s more rocky than I remember - I always thought it was a dance/disco type song. Then again, I never really paid too much attention as it wasn’t really one of my favorite songs (and I never really heard it outside of countdown shows). Anyway, I think it's a good one. ONE STEP CLOSER TO YOU - GAVIN CHRISTOPHER (34) - Definitely one of my favorite songs from 1986! I heard this one quite often during its chart run, but then never. I felt this one was way underrated INVISIBLE TOUCH - GENESIS (33) - Their lead-off hit from the album of the same title, and to #1 it went! Good thing, as it's my favorite song from the album (as well as the fact that they'd been hitting the chart for nearly ten years). SUZANNE - JOURNEY(30) - Ah, I can smell the cool night air as I sat with my then-girlfriend in her backyard (even though her name was not Suzanne, some of the lyrics fit, like "those summer nights with me". This great song was my second favorite of the four Top 40 hits from Raised On Radio, behind "I'll Be Alright Without You". RUMBLESEAT - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (29) - I couldn’t believe that this song only got as high as #28. When I first heard it, I thought it had Top Ten written all over it. I guess not. Then again, seeing that it was the fifth single from a huge smash album, it wasn’t a big seller (since most fans had the album) and there was no need to call in and request it. ALL THE LOVE IN THE WORLD - THE OUTFIELD (25) - Here is song that I associate most with the summer of '86, since I don't think that I've heard it (outside of countdown shows) since it fell off the chart. This one wasn't quite as big as their first song, "Your Love", but at least it did hit the Top 20. The above songs were all great songs, IMO, making me with that this show was guest hosted instead. Oh well, it's all good, as there were a few of this week's six debuts that I really liked. LW#1: PAPA DON’T PREACH – MADONNA 40: MONEY’S TOO TIGHT TO MENTION – SIMPLY RED (debut) - A song whose lyrics are very timely in today's economy. Makes me thankful that I still have a job. Despite its grim lyrics, I thought it was a great song melodically. 39: TWIST AND SHOUT – THE BEATLES (debut) - This song broke the record for the longest span between chart appearances - nearly 22 and a half years. The song was re-released thanks to its inclusion in two popular 1986 movies ("Back To School" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"). Though it was nowhere near as big a hit as it was in its original chart run, it did spend four more weeks on the Hot 100 (since the charts moved much faster back in the 1960s). It was a good song, but definitely not their best. 38: DANGER ZONE – KENNY LOGGINS (26) - This was the first Top Gun single released - and the king of movie soundtrack hits, Kenny Loggins, was the one singing it. He was also the artist of another single from the soundtrack that did not hit the Top 40 ("Playing With The Boys"). I preferred this one and the Top 40 audience apparently did as well, since it practically made it to #1. 37: ALL CRIED OUT – LISA LISA & CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE (debut) - Here's a song that takes me back to my freshman year in high school! I remember that it was often #1 on U93's Top Ten at Ten - sort of armwrestling with "You Give Love A Bad Name" by Bon Jovi. As we all know, this was my favorite song of the entire decade, according to my Personal Top 30 charts. 36: LOVE WALKS IN – VAN HALEN (debut) - This was my favorite of the three Top 40 hits from 5150. Another song that takes me back to my freshman year! Too bad it only got as high as #22. 35: VELCRO FLY – ZZ TOP (debut) - This song had been on the R&R chart for the past three weeks and finally made the AT40 chart. However, this was all the further the song got; it held at #35 the following week, dropped to #39 and was gone after that. It was not bad, but I preferred the other three Afterburner singles. 34: MISSIONARY MAN - EURYTHMICS (debut) - Meh, this was OK, but one of my least favorite songs by them. I preferred their song that was charting exactly a year ago (which we heard on last week's show the very week it was debuting). 33: HEAVEN IN YOUR EYES - LOVERBOY (40) - Another hit from Top Gun - one of three that hit the Top 40. I forget exactly where in the movie this song was, but I seem to recall it was only played for a few seconds, on someone's radio. Anyway, I liked this song, but preferred their other 1986 ballad "This Could Be The Night". 32: TAKEN IN – MIKE & THE MECHANICS (32) - This song seemed to have taken residency of the #32 position, since this was its fourth week there. Definitely one of their most underrated songs! This one should have been a Top Ten hit just like their other two hits from 1986, IMO! At least it did do well on the AC chart, peaking at #7. 31: OH PEOPLE – PATTI LaBELLE (37) - This song was definitely riding on the coattails of LaBelle's recent #1 duet with Michael McDonald, though it was making somewhat promising progress on the chart, but it peaked at #29 the following weeks and fell clean off the chart the following week, which I thought was a shame, as it was a great song! OPTIONAL EXTRA: TRUE COLORS - CYNDI LAUPER - The lead-off single from her sophomore album, as well as the title track, was debuting at #63 on the Hot 100, on its way to becoming her second #1 hit. It wasn't bad, but a little too melancholy for my taste. I preferred the next two singles from True Colors. 30: LOVE TOUCH (THEME FROM “LEGAL EAGLES”) – ROD STEWART (17) - This was written by Holly Knight, who headed up the band Device, who dropped out of the Top 40 with their sole Top 40 hit "Hanging On A Heart Attack", and it definitely showed, given the similarity between the two songs. Though I slightly preferred the Device song, both of them were good songs. 29: SLEDGEHAMMER – PETER GABRIEL (19) - His first of three Top 40 hits from Gabriel's album So. Tell you what, I wasn't crazy about this song to begin with and the excessive airplay only made me like it less. To this day, I'm still burned out on it and usually change the station when it comes on. I do like "Shock The Monkey" and "Big Time", though. 28: PRESS – PAUL McCARTNEY (39) - Wow, as this song continued to take baby steps up the R&R chart, it made a huge move on AT40. The song wasn't bad, but I prefer many other songs from him, solo or with the Beatles or Wings. 27: THROWING IT ALL AWAY - GENESIS (38) - Another song moving up eleven spots - only this song went on to hit the Top Five while the Paul McCartney song petered out at #21. This song was OK, IMO, but my least favorite of the five singles from Invisible Touch. LDD: WHEN THE HEART RULES THE MIND - GTR - Wow! This was a powerful LDD, one that we were "warned" about in a different thread. As for the song, it was a great one IMO. 26: WHEN I THINK OF YOU – JANET JACKSON (36) - As the old saying goes, third time's a charm, as this was Janet's third release from Control, and it went all the way to the top - her first of many #1 songs! I liked this song, but generally preferred the Rhythm Nation era. 25: TWO OF HEARTS – STACY Q (31) - Meh, don't care much for this one. The ah-ah-ah-I need, I need you part is somewhat embarrassing and definitely annoying. 24: THE CAPTAIN OF HER HEART - DOUBLE (27) - A song by a rare bird - a Swiss band. In fact, Casey mentioned a few weeks back that this was the first Swiss act to hit the chart. I imagine there have been more since then, but I can't think of any others. Anyway, I really liked this song - mellow and relaxing. 23: DREAMTIME – DARYL HALL (28) - His first of two solo hits before rejoining his sidekick John Oates. I liked both of them, but slightly preferred this one. 22: LOVE ZONE – BILLY OCEAN (24) - Your typical mid-80s slow jam. I preferred the song that preceded this as well as the follow-up - both tender love ballads. OPTIONAL EXTRA: TYPICAL MALE - TINA TURNER - She had already hit #1 on the Hot 100 with "What's Love Got To Do With It", which barely missed the top spot on the R&R chart. The tables would turn with this song, as it DID make it to #1 on R&R, but didn't quite make it all the way on the Hot 100. I liked both songs, but preferred this one. 21: YOU SHOULD BE MINE (THE WOO WOO SONG) – JEFFREY OSBORNE (13) - Another R&B slow jam. This one would have been a great song if not for the dumb title, and the "Can you woo woo woo" choruses. I preferred many other songs from him, like "On The Wings Of Love" and "Don't You Get So Mad". 20: THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW – THE MONKEES (21) - Well, their comeback was sure quite short-lived, as it only consisted of this song, which was reaching its peak position this week. I thought it was a great song - one that takes me back to the summer of 1986 (rather than my freshman year, by which time radio stations weren't playing this much anymore (though I do remember hearing it on the way to school very early in the year) 19: MAN SIZE LOVE - KLYMAXX (22) - The first of two Top 40 hits from the movie "Running Scared", both of which are on the chart this week. Of course, it's pretty much a toss-up between this and "I'd Still Say Yes" as my favorite song from Klymaxx, depending on whether I'm in the mood for an upbeat song or a ballad. 18: DON’T FORGET ME (WHEN I’M GONE) – GLASS TIGER (23) - Of course, today, this song would be credited to Glass Tiger featuring Bryan Adams (as he is heard singing in the choruses). This was my favorite of their four Top 40 hits (though "I Will Be There", which charted the following spring, would be a fairly close second). 17: THE EDGE OF HEAVEN - WHAM (10) - This was a bittersweet song for Wham! fans, as it was their final Top 40 hit. But at least it was one of their best, IMO, anyway. George Michael, who was pretty much the voice of Wham! anyway, went on to have an even more successful career, so it really didn't make much of a difference. 16: YANKEE ROSE – DAVID LEE ROTH (18) - This was a song that I didn't care much for back in the day (though I did like the part at the beginning - David's conversation with his guitar at the beginning of the song. Other than that...) 15: WALK THIS WAY – RUN D.M.C. (20) - Ah, those were the days, when rap was halfway decent. Of course, since this was a remake of a familiar song, that could have had something to do with how I like it, but back when this was on the charts, I did not like it, but in retrospect, it doesn't sound so bad now - in fact, I actually prefer it over the original by Aerosmith. 14: BABY LOVE - REGINA (14) - This one sounds like a Madonna song (which is no coincidence, as this was co-written by Stephen Bray, who collaborated with Madonna during the 1980s, co-writing and co-producing many of her big hits in the 1980s. I'm sure there were a few folks wondering if this song had peaked the previous week, as it was stalled out at #14. It got a second wind this week, which was good, because it was a great song! 13: WORDS GET IN THE WAY – MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (16) - Their third hit and, like the first two, it hit the Top Ten. I’ve said that I prefer their ballads to their upbeat songs, but this is actually one of least favorite of their slow songs - I prefer a few of their upbeat songs, such as "Bad Boy" and "Betcha Say That" over this one. 12: GLORY OF LOVE (THEME FROM “KARATE KID PART II”) – PETER CETERA (5) - I preferred the first Karate Kid movie over the second (but that could be because I've only seen the second once while I've watched the first one multiple times). The song, however, was a great one - possibly my favorite Peter Cetera solo hit ever! 11: WE DON’T HAVE TO TAKE OUR CLOTHES OFF – JERMAINE STEWART (8) - I always got this song confused with "How Will I Know" by Whitney Houston, as the drum intros sounded alike (of course, both songs were Narada Michael Walden productions), I never knew what song it was until the instruments kicked in. This was a good song with a good message OPTIONAL EXTRA: I DIDN'T MEAN TO TURN YOU ON - ROBERT PALMER - Well, who said you did? No, seriously, both of the Riptide Top Ten singles were overplayed (and "Addicted To Love" still is). The only song from the album I liked was "Hyperactive", since that song was not overplayed - in fact, I don't believe I ever heard it outside of countdown shows even during its chart run. 10: MAD ABOUT YOU – BELINDA CARLISLE (4) - Now that the Go-Go's were gone-gone, several members of the band embarked on solo careers. This was the first of six solo Top 40 hits by the lead singer. It was pretty good, but I remember hating it back in the day. I still prefer most of her other Top 40 hits. 9: STUCK WITH YOU – HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (15) - He/they had already had a #1 hit the year before and were on their way to their second (I was pretty sure right off the bat that this would be a #1, based on their super-high debut on the R&R chart this week at #21). This would log three weeks on top - one of the longest stays at #1 in 1986 (of course, today, that would be considered a short term at the top). Anyway, this was a great song and I'm glad it ended up as R&R's top song of the year. LDD: LOVE CHILD – THE SUPREMES - This LDD was similar to the first one, as it was about someone given up for adoption - only this one was about a teen coming to realize why she was given up. The song indeed fit the dedication. 8: RUMORS – TIMEX SOCIAL CLUB (9) - Casey mentioned how this song, which was a recent #1 on the Soul and Dance charts, "hadn't made up its mind on the pop chart yet", as it was doing somewhat of a yo-yo routine. Back in the day, I was fed up with this song by this point, as the radio stations that I listened to felt the need to play this song every single hour, or so it seemed. Now that I don't hear it ten times a day, I actually kind of like it now. Anyone remember the parody of this song by Bobby Jimmy & The Critters, called "Roaches"? U93 played that one quite often. 7: SWEET FREEDOM (THEME FROM “RUNNING SCARED”) – MICHAEL McDONALD (11) - Michael did quite well on the charts as a solo artist - I'm sure that the fact that he was the former lead singer of the Doobie Brothers was somehat instrumental in that. This was one of his Top Ten hits and it was a good one. 6: FRIENDS AND LOVERS – CARL ANDERSON AND GLORIA LORING (12) - For some odd reason I found the sudden crescendo in the first chorus (where they sing, “We don’t have to be one...OR THE OTHER) quite disturbing. But I eventually came to really like this song - that is, until the radio stations that I listened to played it ad nauseum and I was getting quite tired of it (by that time, Eddie Rabbitt & Juice Newton were charting at country with a cover of the song which I preferred over the original). 5: DANCING ON THE CEILING – LIONEL RICHIE (6) - Of course, this is only possible if the building your in has been flipped over. But seriously, the song was pretty good, and it had a great video. I did, however, get sick of hearing kids at school saying, "Hey, look at that footprint on the ceiling!" 4: TAKE MY BREATH AWAY (THEME FROM “TOP GUN”) - BERLIN (7) - The second hit from one of the biggest movie soundtracks of '86! The soundtrack yielded three Top 40 hits, and one that didn't make the Top 40. Plus, I believe that several other songs, like Mighty Wings by Cheap Trick, received airplay as album cuts on a few radio stations. I liked this song - definitely not as annoying as their first Top 40 hit "No More Words". 3: PAPA DON’T PREACH - MADONNA (1) - Here is another song that I hated with a passion when it was on the charts. It's not bad now that I don't hear it every single time I turn on the radio, but still, I prefer many other songs by Madonna. 2: VENUS - BANANARAMA (3) - I wasn't a big fan of this song. I preferred their two other Top 40 hits, especially "I Heard A Rumour". 1: HIGHER LOVE – STEVE WINWOOD (2) - This has got to be one of the most overplayed songs of the 1980s. I’m still burned out on it (not that it was one of my favorite songs in the first place). No, I prefer many others by him, thank you very much! Coming up next week: The same sort of situation as the week before, with the "A" option being an early-80s show and the "B" offering from the mid-80s. September 5, 1981 will be heard on most stations next week and September 7, 1985 will be the "B" show. I guess that means you'll have to log onto the iHeartRadio channel to hear the "dead dog dedication". Oh - and there will be a special Labor Day Weekend show as well - Part 3 of the #1 Hits of the 80s, covering November, 1984 through May, 1986. No, Hervard, Labor Day weekend will be part 2 of #1 Hits of the 1980's, not part 3. (Or maybe on Fourth of July weekend part 2 of #1 Hits of the 1980's was played with no notice mixed in with AT40 50th. anniversary related shows?)
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Post by mga707 on Aug 28, 2020 21:05:25 GMT -5
34: HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE BACK - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (debut) - The other “obscure” song in Hour 1. Unsurprisingly, it was not of the duo's more successful hits by any means (only got as high as #30). The song was OK, but definitely not one of my favorites from them. The first, and least successful, single from the album which would really get their 1980-85 parade of hit singles going: 'Voices". The other three would peak at #12, #1, and #5, respectively. Not very often is the first single from an album that produces multiple hits the lowest-charting. My personal favorite of the four, if anyone cares.
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Post by OnWithTheCountdown on Aug 29, 2020 6:13:56 GMT -5
No, Hervard, Labor Day weekend will be part 2 of #1 Hits of the 1980's, not part 3. (Or maybe on Fourth of July weekend part 2 of #1 Hits of the 1980's was played with no notice mixed in with AT40 50th. anniversary related shows?) This week's presentations (Weekend of September 5-6, 2020): September 5, 1981 (A) / September 7, 1985 (B) / #1 Hits of the 1980s, Part 3 (Nov. 1984 - May 1986) - September 3, 2016 (BONUS).
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Post by Hervard on Aug 29, 2020 7:37:44 GMT -5
34: HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE BACK - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (debut) - The other “obscure” song in Hour 1. Unsurprisingly, it was not of the duo's more successful hits by any means (only got as high as #30). The song was OK, but definitely not one of my favorites from them. The first, and least successful, single from the album which would really get their 1980-85 parade of hit singles going: 'Voices". The other three would peak at #12, #1, and #5, respectively. Not very often is the first single from an album that produces multiple hits the lowest-charting. My personal favorite of the four, if anyone cares. I definitely care. My favorite from the album would be the #1. This song would be my third favorite, since, for some reason, I've never really liked "You Make My Dreams". The other song was a great remake of the Righteous Brother's "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" that I actually prefer over the original, which sounds so dated. One thing I never understood was why that song peaked way lower on the Hot 100 (#12) than on the R&R chart (#4), since all of the other songs peaked around the same positions on both charts (I'm guessing that "Good To Be Back" peaked right outside the R&R Top 30, since it made it to the top of the New & Active list). Late 1980 must have had several monster sellers, as "Never Be The Same" by Christopher Cross was a similar situation (#15 BB, #3 R&R).
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Post by dth1971 on Aug 29, 2020 8:14:17 GMT -5
No, Hervard, Labor Day weekend will be part 2 of #1 Hits of the 1980's, not part 3. (Or maybe on Fourth of July weekend part 2 of #1 Hits of the 1980's was played with no notice mixed in with AT40 50th. anniversary related shows?) I get it, Part 2 was played on July 4th. weekend, and Parts 4 and 5 will be played again next year in 2021...
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Post by mrjukebox on Aug 29, 2020 18:21:05 GMT -5
Hervard,"Why Not Me" was # 1 on the adult contemporary chart forty years ago this week-Personally,I prefer his only other hit "Killin' Time" which was a duet with Susan Anton in early 1981.
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Post by pb on Aug 30, 2020 11:16:12 GMT -5
11: LATE IN THE EVENING - PAUL SIMON (13) - Love the salsa beat of this song! Quite a departure from his usual style. I was asleep during this song - did they censor the word "jay" (a marijuana reference) like they sometimes do? Not sure why, though - especially given that the support for the legalization of pot is has gone way up since the early 1980s. Uncensored this weekend.
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Post by OnWithTheCountdown on Aug 30, 2020 12:10:42 GMT -5
IIRC, none of the original shows would censor that word, so it would be Premiere editing. Am doing a 1980 marathon this year, and currently listening to the 8/30 show. Nice set of debuts in this show, especially Stephanie Mills and Queen.
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Post by mrjukebox on Aug 30, 2020 14:14:31 GMT -5
Shortly after "Another One Bites The Dust" began its fast ascent up the charts,"Weird Al" Yankovic,that master parodist,released "Another One Rides The Bus"-It was performed live the evening of 9/14/80 on "The Dr.Demento Show" which was on Los Angeles station KMET-"Bus" was released on TK Records-That's the label that KC & The Sunshine Band recorded for-The label subsequently went belly up-Three years later,in 1983,"Bus" appeared on "Weird Al's" self titled debut album.
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Post by chrislc on Aug 30, 2020 17:12:10 GMT -5
>1: HIGHER LOVE – STEVE WINWOOD (2) - This has got to be one of the most overplayed songs of the 1980s. < If not the most. I am even hearing it on a new car commercial. I never got this song and still don't. This has to be one of the worst Top Tens ever. But I was about to turn 30 and that probably has something to do with my opinion.
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Post by Hervard on Aug 31, 2020 11:46:50 GMT -5
>1: HIGHER LOVE – STEVE WINWOOD (2) - This has got to be one of the most overplayed songs of the 1980s. < If not the most. I am even hearing it on a new car commercial. I never got this song and still don't. This has to be one of the worst Top Tens ever. But I was about to turn 30 and that probably has something to do with my opinion. "Higher Love", "Sledgehammer" (also on this week's chart) and "Addicted To Love" are possibly THE three most overplayed songs of 1986. I never was a fan of any of the above. I also agree with you about the Top Ten - along with "Higher Love", there's "Venus", "Papa Don't Preach" and "Mad About You", although that song isn't as bad as it was back in the day. The other songs are not bad, but nothing to write home about either.
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Post by Hervard on Sept 4, 2020 13:01:30 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - September 5, 2020 This week's presentation - September 5, 1981 Droppers: THE STROKE - BILLY SQUIER (38) - His first of two Top 40 hits in 1981 - and I think we all know that it was by far my least favorite (in other words, no big loss). "In The Dark", which would chart a few weeks later, was definitely my favorite of his 1981 hits, as well as one of my favorites of Squier. IN THE AIR TONIGHT - PHIL COLLINS (37) - 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. EVERLASTING LOVE - REX SMITH & RACHEL SWEET (32) - Going into this song, Casey answered a question letter about versions of the same song charting in the 60s, 70s and 80s. This one fit the criteria - one of five such songs, and, to my best of knowledge, it was the only of them to go on to have a version hit the Top 40 in the 90s as well, when Gloria Estefan hit the Top 40 with her version. This one was a great cover - sounded a lot like Carl Carlton's version from seven years before. YOU'RE MY GIRL - FRANKIE & THE KNOCKOUTS (27) - They had three Top 40 hits and, though this was my least favorite of them, I still thought it was a great one! LW#1: ENDLESS LOVE – DIANA ROSS & LIONEL RICHIE 40: THE NIGHT OWLS – THE LITTLE RIVER BAND (debut) - This song was on its way to becoming their fifth Top Ten hit. Though I prefer other songs from them, this was a really good song - one I remember from its chart run. 39: NICOLE – POINT BLANK (40) - This was this Texas band's only Top 40 hit. While it only charted in the lower reaches of the AT40 chart, it got significant airplay on Chicago's WLS back in the fall of 1981, so I also remember this one quite well. A great song! 38: SOME DAYS ARE DIAMONDS – JOHN DENVER (debut) - His first hit of two hits during the 1980s. It wasn't bad, but I preferred most of his material from the 1970s, which I am more familiar with, as my Mom used to play his records all the time when I was very young. 37: YOU COULD TAKE MY HEART AWAY – SILVER CONDOR (39) - One of many faceless MOR-type songs that charted in 1981. I thought it was a great song and quite underrated. 36: CHLOE – ELTON JOHN (debut) - One of his lesser known hits, as it only got as high as #34 and spent but three weeks on the chart. It was a good song, but I prefer many others from him. 35: DON’T GIVE IT UP – ROBBIE PATTON (26) - Of course, there were several Fleetwood Mac members backing him up on this song (in fact, Patton was apparently an unofficial member of Fleetwood Mac on their concert tour in 1979). As for this song, it was a great one and quite underrated - was somewhat reminiscent of "Everlasting Love", a song that, as stated earlier, is one of this week's droppers. 34: IT’S NOW OR NEVER – JOHN SCHNEIDER (20) - 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. 33: SUPER FREAK – RICK JAMES (debut) - Of course, the bass for this song was used in "U Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer nearly a decade later. That's probably the only reason that I somewhat like it, though it's nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. 32: DRAW OF THE CARDS – KIM CARNES (36) - The follow-up to her monster hit "Bette Davis Eyes". I wasn't a huge fan of it ; it definitely doesn't hold a candle to what became the top song of 1981. Apparently, the general pop audience agreed, as the song only got as high as #28 on the chart. ARCHIVES: ODE TO BILLY JOE – BOBBY GENTRY - This was a story song about a man who committed suicide by throwing himself off the Tallahatchie Bridge in Mississippi. OPTIONAL EXTRA: BURNIN' FOR YOU - BLUE OYSTER CULT - This song just barely "disqualified" BOC as a one-hit wonder (as the song only got as high as #40). I'm kinda surprised it peaked so low, as I heard the song all the time back in the fall of 1981 (mainly on WLS). I thought it was a good song; not sure if I prefer this or "(Don't Fear) The Reaper". 31: ELVIRA – THE OAK RIDGE GEEZERS (14) - Glad that this song took such a huge jump and would drop out the following week. That AT40 would be guest-hosted, but since Gary Owens, the host, died five years ago, they played the show in tribute to him, so I got to announce the song dropping out. For those who missed it, what I said was "OO-HOO! GOOD RIDDANCE TO THIS PIECE OF TRASH!! BABY, BYE-BYE-BYE, BYE BYE!! Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, good-bye! Don't let the screen door hit you on your way out! ABC ya! Wouldn't wanna be ya!" (well, actually, I just now added that last sentence on, but hey - it does fit, right? 30: BREAKING AWAY - BALANCE (33) - 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 song that sounds a lot like "Tired Of Toein' The Line" by Rocky Burnette. 29: START ME UP – THE ROLLING STONES (35) - They started out 17 years before and were still on a roll, as this song climbed as high as #2, becoming their biggest hit of the 1980s. I'm sort of burned out on this one, due to overplay, but it's still not bad. LDD: YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND – CAROLE KING - I definitely prefer this to James Taylor's version, which I always found too maudlin for my liking. It also fit the LDD - amazing how someone who was in our life for only a week can become a BFF! 28: IN YOUR LETTER – REO SPEEDWAGON (34) - The fourth and final single from the biggest album of 1981, Hi Infidelity. I like this song (which had sort of a malt shop era sound) and the first two singles from the album about the same - all of them are great songs! 27: HEARTS – MARTY BALIN (13) - He was the lead singer of the Jefferson Starship in the mid- to late-1970s, hitting the Top Ten several times. This song also made the Top Ten, peaking at #8. This was definitely my favorite of his solo hits. Glad they left the song intact (as it seems that they usually cut out the second verse). 26: LOVE ON A TWO WAY STREET – STACY LATTISAW (28) - Her second hit, which was a ballad, like her first one. This one, however, wasn't quite as much of a snoozefest as that debut song. I prefer this one. 25: I COULD NEVER MISS YOU (MORE THAN I DO) - LULU (30) - The comeback hit for this Glasgow native who had several chart hits in the late-60s and early-70s, including the #1 "To Sir With Love". This song, which was obviously inspired by "The Immigrant" by Neil Sedaka, was her second biggest behind that song, peaking at #18. 24: ARTHUR’S THEME – CHRISTOPHER CROSS (31) - The theme from the hilarious Dudley Moore movie Arthur. It was a great song - definitely my favorite song from Christopher Cross, as well as one of my favorite songs of the entire decade! 23: FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – SHEENA EASTON (29) - Sheena's second Top Ten hit, following "Morning Train" from earlier in the year. I much preferred this song - one of my all-time faves from her! 22: THE VOICE – THE MOODY BLUES (25) - They were more famous for their 60s and 70s hits, but I myself generally preferred their 80s hits, including this one, one of my favorites from them! ARCHIVES: THE LETTER – THE BOXTOPS - I like this, as well as the parody of this by comedian Dr. Dave called “Vanna Pick Me A Letter”. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I'VE DONE EVERYTHING FOR YOU - RICK SPRINGFIELD - Many people have mentioned that his songs sound a lot alike. Well, that might be true, but this song and his next release, "Love Is Alright Tonite" are so similar that it was always hard for me to tell them apart until they got around to the chorus. Both songs are good, but I preferred a few others from Mr. Springfield, including his song up in the Top Ten on this week's chart. 21: THAT OLD SONG – RAY PARKER JR. & RAYDIO (23) - Their final hit before Parker went solo later in the year. This was a good song, but definitely not their best. 20: FEELS SO RIGHT - ALABAMA (22) - 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. 19: THE BEACH BOYS MEDLEY – THE BEACH BOYS (24) - They decided to go the way of Stars On 45 and put together a medley of eight of their most well-known hits. It was a good one - I liked all of the songs they put together. 18: HOLD ON TIGHT - ELO (21) - As we all know, I preferred their 70s hits. Their musical quality took a nosedive in the 80s, IMO. 17: FIRE AND ICE – PAT BENATAR (19) - Her second of three Top 40 hits in 1981. It was a good one, though I preferred "Treat Me Right". 16: REALLY WANNA KNOW YOU – GARY WRIGHT (18) - This was Gary's obscure third hit. Of course, since it wasn't overplayed, that might be why it's my favorite song from him (though "Love Is Alive" would be a close second). 15: THE BREAKUP SONG – THE GREG KIHN BAND (17) - Here's one that I remember from back in the day! WLS played this one very regularly. I like it, but preferred their biggest hit ever, the top five hit "Jeopardy" from about a year and a half later. 14: BOY FROM NEW YORK CITY – THE MANHATTEN TRANSFER (12) - 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"). 13: COOL LOVE – PABLO CRUISE (15) - This song was their only #1 on my Personal Top 30 chart. I liked most of their Top 40 hits - my favorites (besides this one) would be "What'cha Gonna Do" and "Love Will Find A Way". 12: STEP BY STEP – EDDIE RABBITT (16) - 1981 was definitely his best year on the Pop charts, as he had two Top Five hits, including a #1 hit, "I Love A Rainy Night" from earlier in the year. While I prefer that song, I really like this one as well. 11: I DON’T NEED YOU – KENNY ROGERS (11) - Here's another country act that had a great year in 1981! He 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! ARCHIVES: TO SIR WITH LOVE – LULU - Kind of a coincidence that they got to this song the week that they told the first artist story about her since her comeback. OPTIONAL EXTRA: OUR LIPS ARE SEALED - THE GO-GO'S - This song only got as high as #20, but what a chart run it had - 15 weeks in the Top 40, an unusually long run for a song that came nowhere near the Top Ten. This was my favorite song from them. 10: THE THEME FROM “THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO” (BELIEVE IT OR NOT) – JOEY SCARBURY (3) - One of the most successful TV show themes of all time (as well as one of my favorites)! This one almost got up to the top, but just barely fell short (it did manage to sneak in a week on top of the R&R chart). Is this show out on DVD yet? 9: JESSIE’S GIRL – RICK SPRINGFIELD (5) - Possibly THE song from 1981 that receives the most recurrent airplay (but "Bette Davis Eyes" would be giving it a run for its money). Despite the overplay, it has held up quite well! 8: LADY YOU BRING ME UP – THE COMMODORES (9) - One of three songs on this week's chart that Lionel Richie is involved with (all in the final hour, no less). Possibly my favorite of the three. 7: WHO’S CRYING NOW - JOURNEY (10) - Oddly enough, though they had three #1 songs on the R&R chart, they had none on the Hot 100, showing that more people bought their albums than their singles, which, of course, is good news. This song was good; had a great Santana-like guitar solo at the end by Neil Schon. 6: QUEEN OF HEARTS – JUICE NEWTON (6) - Sort of a reverse-jinx on this song this week, as Casey mentioned that this song “may have peaked” at #6 the previous week. Not quite; the song got a second wind two weeks later and hit #2. Although, as I've said many times, I preferred her 1982 songs, this is also a great one. LDD: THE BEST OF TIMES - STYX - It was their first of two Top 40 hits from Styx' Paradise Theater album, as well as my favorite of those two (though I do like the other one, "Too Much Time On My Hands" more than I had previously). Both are great songs! 5: (THERE'S) NO GETTIN’ OVER ME – RONNIE MILSAP (5) - Wow, this was definitely 1981, with so 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. 4: URGENT - FOREIGNER (8) - This song was from the album "4" and that is exactly where this song peaked - and guess how many weeks it spent there! 3: STOP DRAGGIN’ MY HEART AROUND – STEVIE NICKS WITH TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (3) - This song was spending its first of six weeks at its peak of #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. OPTIONAL EXTRA: PRIVATE EYES - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES - One of two #1 songs from the duo in 1981. Though they both sounded somewhat alike, I preferred "Kiss On My List" by a fairly wide margin. This was still a good one, though. 2: SLOW HAND – THE POINTER SISTERS (2) - This song was on its way down the R&R chart, after a pair of weeks at #1 earlier in the month. This was definitely one of my favorite songs from them! 1: ENDLESS LOVE – DIANA ROSS & LIONEL RICHIE (1) - As we know all too well, "Bette Davis Eyes" was, up to this point, the biggest hit of the decade. Little did he know that this song would join that song, as both songs spent nine weeks at #1 and would be in a horse race for the top spot of the entire year. Of course, we all know which song won out. Anyway, I used to dislike this song, but now I think it's a good one, though I wouldn't want to hear it all the time. Coming up next week: We'll be going back to standalone mode, as there is only one show on deck - the one for September 8, 1984, which hasn't been featured as an "A" show since 2014, so I guess it was ripe for a repeat.
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Post by Hervard on Sept 4, 2020 13:02:42 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - September 5, 2020 ("B" show)
This week's presentation - September 7, 1985
Dropped: LIVE EVERY MOMENT – REO SPEEDWAGON (36) - Well, the first two hits from Wheels Are Turnin' both hit the Top 20, yet this one couldn't push past #36. It wasn't one of my all-time faves from them, though it was still pretty good. I was generally a big fan of their music, especially the power ballads. WHEN YOUR HEART IS WEAK – COCK ROBIN (35) - Must! Resist! Inserting! Lecherous! Batman! Joke! Here! But seriously, this song was pretty good, though a little cheesy. STATE OF THE HEART – RICK SPRINGFIELD (34) - Nice to hear him do a slow song. By now, Rick had long since had his day in the sun. He would only hit the chart once more after this, about two and a half years later. ROCK ME TONIGHT (FOR OLD TIME'S SAKE) – FREDDIE JACKSON (33) - 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". GLORY DAYS – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (32) - Wow, the droppers were all in a row on the preceding weeks' countdown. That didn't happen too often, IIRC, Anyhoo, Bruce had recently joined Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie as only the third artist to score with five Top Tens from a single album. Bruce wasn't done yet, though - he released two more songs from Born In The USA and those hit the Top Ten at well, tying him with Michael Jackson for the record number of Top Tens from one album. This was one of my favorite songs from the album - a great one indeed!
LW#1: THE POWER OF LOVE – HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS 40: SPANISH EDDIE – LAURA BRANIGAN (debut) - That would be Eduardo, wouldn't it? But seriously, this was possibly her most underrated song ever, as the song only got as high as #40. I feel it deserved a higher peak, as it was one of her best songs IMO. 39: I WONDER IF I TAKE YOU HOME – LISA LISA & CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE (38) - This must have been one of those songs that received sporadic airplay, due to the fact that it only drops one spot this week, yet four songs above it last week fall out of the countdown. Well, whatever the case, this was a pretty good song, but as we all know, I preferred "All Cried Out" by a wide margin. 38: I GOT YOU BABE – UB40 WITH CHRISSIE HYNDE (debut) - A very interesting reggae version of the Sonny & Cher classic. Too bad they didn't re-release it later on like they did "Red Red Wine", since it may have done a little better on the charts. 37: DO YOU WANT CRYING – KATRINA AND THE WAVES (debut) - This song was clearly riding on the coattails of their recent Top Ten hit "Walking On Sunshine", as #37 was all the higher it got. I liked it, but preferred said Top Ten hit. 36: NO LOOKIN’ BACK – MICHAEL McDONALD (40) - Co-written by Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins (along with Ed Sanford, of "Smoke From A Distant Fire" fame), this song appeared on both Loggins' 1985 album Vox Humana and Michael McDonald's album to which this was the title track. Both versions sound very much alike, so I'm not sure which one I prefer. Either way, it's a great song! 35: YOU SPIN ME ROUND (LIKE A RECORD) – DEAD OR ALIVE (22) - A two-hit wonder band from Liverpool, England. I slightly preferred their other song, "Brand New Lover", which was a Top 20 hit (as was this one) about two years later, but this one's pretty good as well (though it's too bad Flo Rida had to go and mess it nearly a quarter of a century later). 34: C-I-T-Y – JOHN CAFFERTY & THE BEAVER BROWN BAND (39) - They had a nice little string of hits over the past year. This would probably be my third favorite of them behind "Tough All Over" and "Tender Years". 33: DANCING IN THE STREET – MICK JAGGER & DAVID BOWIE (debut) - This remake of the old Martha & the Vandella’s classic was the biggest mover of the week. It was a good song - I liked it about the same as the original. 32: FORTRESS AROUND YOUR HEART - STING (debut) - As his first solo hit was on its way down the chart, his second solo hit was heading up the chart, en route to a peak at #8. This would be my favorite of the four hits from the Dream Of The Blue Turtles album. 31: WHO’S HOLDING DONNA NOW – DEBARGE (21) - It took a few years, but they finally hit the Top Ten in 1985 with "Rhythm Of The Night". This one followed suit, peaking at #6 several weeks earlier. This was easily my favorite of the two hits! 30: EVERY STEP OF THE WAY – JOHN WAITE (37) - His first solo hit, "Missing You" went to #1, but he couldn't seem to match that success with any of his follow-ups. This song, which uses a line from that song as the opening lyrics, was underrated, IMO. OPTIONAL EXTRA: PART TIME LOVER - The first of three Top 40 hits from Wonder's In Square Circle album, and his ninth and final #1 hit (unless you count his role in "That's What Friends Are For"). 29: EVERYTIME YOU GO AWAY – PAUL YOUNG (19) - 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. 28: IF YOU LOVE SOMEBODY SET THEM FREE - STING (18) - This song, Sting's first of many solo Top 40 hits, was said to be an antidote to his biggest hit ever, "Every Breath You Take", which he considered "a really nasty song". Whether that's true or not, I'm not completely sure, but it does sound feasible. Either way, I like this song, but generally preferred his 90s hits. LDD: I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU – DOLLY PARTON - Kind of weird to hear this one on AT40, since I don't believe that it ever hit the AT40 chart. Had the letter been written ten years later, I doubt seriously that this would be the version of the song to be played. 27: MYSTERY LADY – BILLY OCEAN (24) - One of only three Top 40 hits during Ocean's chart career that did not hit the Top 20. I guess slow jams like this were passé. Anyway, I thought it was a good song, though certainly not his best. 26: THERE MUST BE AN ANGEL – EURYTHMICS (27) - Of course, we know full well that this is my favorite of their Top 40 hits! Lennox's vocals are somewhat theatrical sounding, and Stevie Wonder does a killer harmonica solo in the bridge of the song! 25: LONELY ‘OL NIGHT – JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (30) - The first of five Top 40 hits from Mellencamp's album Scarecrow and possibly my favorite song from the album (although "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A." and "Rain On The Scarecrow" were good ones as well). 24: CRY – GODLEY & CREME (29) - "Huh huh - he's faking. He's not really taking a dump!" Yeah, when I saw the episode of Beavis & Butthead with the video to this song, I never saw it the same way again! 23: SAVING ALL MY LOVE FOR YOU – WHITNEY HOUSTON (31) - She had only just begun and was already taken the charts by storm! Her first hit, which had left the chart the week before, got as high as #3 and this song would become her very first #1, and there was quite a lot where that came from! It was a good one, but I preferred many, many others from her. 22: SHAME – THE MOTELS (25) - Their fourth and final Top 40 hit. It was my least favorite of their hits, but was still a great one - that said, it's too bad they didn't have more Top 40 hits. 21: TAKE ON ME – A-HA (28) - The first hit for this Norwegian act, who's often known as a one-hit wonder, because of this song (as not everyone is familiar with "The Sun Always Shines On TV"). This was a great song, and I'm glad it hit #1! OPTIONAL EXTRA: MIAMI VICE THEME - JAN HAMMER - One of three instrumentals that charted in the Top 40 during 1985, as well as the most successful, as this song made it to #1. I liked this song, but I preferred the other two 1985 instrumentals. 20: WHAT ABOUT LOVE - HEART (15) - 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. 19: LIFE IN ONE DAY – HOWARD JONES (20) - Like DeBarge, heard earlier in the show, he didn't start hitting the Top Ten right away, but he did manage to make it earlier this year. This one did well too, peaking in the teens. It was my favorite of his hits up to this point (my absolute favorite would chart a little less than a year later). 18: OH SHEILA – READY FOR THE WORLD (26) - The first of three Top 40 hits from this R&B band from Flint, Michigan, as well as the biggest (would hit #1 in October). It wasn't bad, but I preferred "Love You Down". 17: DRESS YOU UP - MADONNA (23) - Madonna was on a roll at this point, with five Top Fives in a row (this one would follow suit), and there was a lot more where that came from! This was one of my favorite of her upbeat songs. 16: SMOKIN’ IN THE BOYS ROOM – MOTLEY CRUE (17) - Something I got caught doing once back in my sophomore year. Fortunately, the teacher just scoffed and walked off - didn't want to waste his time apparently, so I dodged a bullet there! As for the song, it was a pretty good song, considering I wasn't a huge fan of them. 15: DARE ME – THE POINTER SISTERS (16) - Ah, the infamous “uptempo GD number”, as Casey Kasem put it in the infamous Dead Dog Dedication the week before. It’s a good song. I’ve said many times that the Pointer Sisters’ music quality started going down as of 1984, but this was an exception. 14: NEVER SURRENDER – COREY HART (7) - 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. 13: SHOUT – TEARS FOR FEARS (6) - Meh, I never cared for this one at all. I guess you could say this is a song I can do without. 12: FREEDOM – WHAM! (14) - This used to be my favorite song ever since I first heard it in mid-June, 1985, when B-96 gave this song early action, when "Everything You Want" was still in the Top Ten. However, overplay sort of dimmed my like for this song. This song had a normal climb up the BB chart, but was burning up the R&R chart until it hit the Top Ten, and it only got as high as #6. I have a feeling that early action on other stations besides B-96 played a role in that. It peaked at #3 on Billboard though, which is surprising, seeing that this was their fourth single from "Make It Big". Usually, sales are quite small for fourth singles, especially from such a successful album as "Make It Big" was. Maybe the fact that the single version was different than the album version (I think) was instrumental in that (wasn't the single version the one with the trumpet solo at the end?) Another question - is it me or did they cut out the second verse more often than not during this song's chart run? 11: INVINCIBLE (THEME FROM “THE LEGEND OF BILLIE JEAN”) – PAT BENATAR (12) - Her fourth and final Top Ten hit (I know, right; I thought she had more than that as well!) Anyway, this wasn't quite my favorite song from her, but it was pretty good. 10: POP LIFE - PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION (13) - This was one of my favorite songs by Prince, but it sure seemed to come and go pretty quickly - so much that, even though it got as high as #7, it didn't even make the Top 100 of the year, which I thought was a shame. It did a lot better on my Personal Top 30, though, hitting #1 and ranking #4 on the year-ender. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I'M GOIN' DOWN - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - He may have been goin' down, but the song was on its way up, en route to #9. It was a good song, but one of my least favorites of the seven Born In The USA singles. 9: YOU’RE ONLY HUMAN (SECOND WIND) – BILLY JOEL (9) - I liked the way that Joel decided not to go back and correct the goof in this song (when he flubbed a line near the end and laughed) in order to prove the point he was making in this song, which I thought was a good one, but it wasn't his best. 8: DON’T LOSE MY NUMBER – PHIL COLLINS (11) - Anyone notice that the video of this seemed to be a ripoff of the video for "You Might Think" by the Cars? As for the song, I liked it and was surprised that it was omitted from Collins' HITS album. LDD: ALONE AGAIN (NATURALLY) - GILBERT O'SULLIVAN - Though the LDD was rather inspiring, I always thought this song was depressing. 7: CHERISH – KOOL & THE GANG (8) - This song just barely missed hitting #1, but the song at the top was just too strong for it. Anyway, I liked this song - it was my second favorite single from Emergency behind "Fresh". 6: MONEY FOR NOTHING – DIRE STRAITS (10) - One of three songs on this week's chart that Sting's involved with (of course, he's the one who wants his MTV). The song was OK, but it was very overplayed. I preferred their three other Top 40 hits, as well as a few album cuts from their first, self-titled album. 5: SUMMER OF ‘69 – BRYAN ADAMS (5) - Of course, this song told a fictional story, as Adams was only nine years old that summer - he'd be riding bikes and playing touch football, not playing in a band. 4: FREEWAY OF LOVE – ARETHA FRANKLIN (3) - With none other than Clarence Clemons playing sax, this was Aretha's comeback hit - that put her back into the Top Ten, that is. It was definitely a comeback over on the R&R chart, from where she'd been absent for over eleven years. Anyway, this song was pretty good, but I preferred her next hit, the title track of her Who's Zoomin' Who album, as well as a few of her songs after that. 3: WE DON’T NEED ANOTHER HERO (THUNDERDOME) – TINA TURNER (4) - Like Heart, Tina Turner was definitely most successful on the charts during her 1980s comeback, and this is one of her biggest hits, just missing the top spot, peaking at #2. I thought it was a good song, though I preferred a few of her others. 2: THE POWER OF LOVE – HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (1) - 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. This is possibly the song by Lewis that gets the most recurrent airplay anymore. I like it, but wish that radio stations would occasionally play a few of their big hits that are all but ignored nowadays. 1: ST. ELMO’S FIRE (MAN IN MOTION) – JOHN PARR (2) - The first of two songs from the St. Elmo's Fire soundtrack to hit the Top 40. I liked this song, but it was quite overplayed. I preferred the love theme from the movie, which would debut on the countdown a month later.
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