Chart Critiques

[freakyflybry]

100. Anne Murray - Broken Hearted Me - this was kinda so-so, I prefer many other songs by her
99. Commodores - Old-Fashion Love - definitely not one of their best, but still, they've had worse
98. Carole King - One Fine Day - I prefer songs like "It's Too Late" and "Jazzman" but this was alright too
97. Dionne Warwick - Deja Vu - meh-tastic, I prefer many others by her
96. Fleetwood Mac - Tusk - I normally like Fleetwood Mac, but this song was WEIRD!
95. Genesis - Misunderstanding - great song! One of the best Genesis songs
94. Barry Manilow - Ships - not a fan of this, but it avoids the "No. Just no." because of the oft-repeated story about how it came to be with his father
93. Olivia Newton-John & ELO - Xanadu - great song! One of my favourites from BOTH artists!
92. The Knack - Good Girls Don't - is it just me, or does this sound like a 60's song? It's not bad but I prefer "My Sharona"
91. Dirt Band - An American Dream - is it just me, or does this sound like Jimmy Buffett? It's a decent song though
90. Michael Jackson - Off The Wall - is it just me, or am I saying "is it just me, or does this sound like..." too much? Anyway, this kinda reminds me of later Jacksons stuff, I like it
89. Supertramp - Take The Long Way Home - great song! I love how Supertramp experimented with different instruments in their music, gave it one of their best qualities
88. Michael Jackson - She's Out Of My Life - very haunting song, I like this one
87. Isaac Hayes - Don't Let Go - a catchy disco tune here, even if I associated Isaac Hayes more with the 70's and the theme from Shaft
86. Anne Murray - Daydream Believer - I prefer the Monkees version, but this was good too
85. Pure Prairie League - Let Me Love You Tonight - cool song, I like this one
84. Fleetwood Mac - Sara - now THIS is more like the Fleetwood Mac I like (I generally like their Stevie Nicks songs the best)
83. Journey - Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin' - great song! I prefer many of their later songs though, but for their first top 40 hit, this was quite good (though I'm surprised previous songs like "Wheel In The Sky" and "Lights" never made the top 40 given how much they're still played to this day!)
82. Billy Joel - You Make Me Right - great song! Billy Joel is usually really good, this being no exception
81. Robbie Dupree - Hot Rod Hearts - I prefer his other song still to come but this was okay too
80. Steve Forbert - Romeo's Tune - good song! He may have only had one hit but it was a good one
79. Prince - I Wanna Be Your Lover - another good way to start off a soon-to-be-legendary career, I like this but prefer many of his later songs
78. Benny Mardones - Into The Night - see what I said for Steve Forbert
77. Linda Ronstadt - Hurts So Bad - ehh... not one of her best songs. But still, it beats some others that I find meh.
76. Pete Townshend - Let My Love Open The Door - good song! I like this as much as, or even more than, The Who songs
75. Pretenders - Brass In Pocket - loves it! The Pretenders are generally really good
74. Rocky Burnette - Tired Of Toein' The Line - another memorable one-hit wonder, I like this song
73. Bob Seger - Against The Wind - one of my absolute favourites from him, and that says a lot since he's had many great songs
72. Linda Ronstadt - How Do I Make You - this is actually one of my favourites from her; rather oddly, one of only 2 originals she had that made the top 10 ("Somewhere Out There" being te other)
71. Rupert Holmes - Him - nothing really special here, give me his other song on here any day!
70. Kenny Loggins - I'm Alright - the song that started his streak of movie hits And this is definitely one of his best songs overall. ;D
69. Kenny Rogers - You Decorated My Life - Surprisingly, I actually don't mind this, it's okay if I don't hear it too often (and that's more than I can say for his songs on the 1981 year-end, as ALL of those would get a "No. Just no." from me)
68. Bob Seger - Fire Lake - another great song but I prefer "Against The Wind" on the same year-end
67. Eagles - I Can't Tell You Why - great song! The Eagles are one of those bands who are generally good
66. Eagles - The Long Run - I like this one too, but I prefer their other 2 on the same show (rather oddly, I generally prefer the Don Henley songs from them yet the one he sang is my least favourite out of the three they had on here)
65. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Don't Do Me Like That - great song! Still one of Tom's best
64. Donna Summer - On The Radio - great song! This showed Donna Summer still had it in the 80's
63. Doobie Brothers - Real Love - I like this, but it's probably one of my least favourites of all their top 40 hits (I generally prefer their Tom Johnston-led Southern rock songs, yet rather oddly, my 2 favourites from them, their #1's, both had different vocalists, as Patrick Simmons sang "Black Water" and Michael McDonald sang "What A Fool Believes"!)
62. Brothers Johnson - Stomp - another good post-disco song, this is quite catchy
61. Shalamar - The Second Time Around - not a fan of Shalamar in general, this song was just alright... I don't think Jody Watley got really good until she went solo
60. Irene Cara - Fame - loves it! I prefer "Flashdance" though, but this is excellent too
59. Paul Simon - Late In The Evening - great song! He had better with Simon & Garfunkel and in the 70's but this is still one of his best
58. Little River Band - Cool Change - one of my favourites from them! Not sure what their best for me would be, but this would be in my top 5
57. Andy Gibb - Desire - I prefer his 1977-78 songs over this, this was just okay
56. J.D. Souther - You're Only Lonely - good song!
55. Johnny Lee - Lookin' For Love - No. Just no.
54. Carly Simon - Jesse - I prefer 70's stuff like "You're So Vain" and "You Belong To Me"... this one was just so-so
53. Dr. Hook - Better Love Next Time - I'm not a fan of them at all, but this song was just alright
52. Jermaine Jackson - Let's Get Serious - this was okay, you can definitely tell Stevie Wonder produced this... but I'm surprised this, having been a top 10 hit on Billboard, NEVER charted on R&R Then again, he did the reverse on "Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming", given it wasn't released as a single but made the top 10 in airplay anyway.
51. Kool & the Gang - Too Hot - great song! This was the kind of song they did the best, and it shows
50. Dan Fogelberg - Longer - This isn't the type of song I normally like, but for some reason, I really like this one... definitely my favourite from him
49. Cliff Richard - We Don't Talk Anymore - great song! Easily my favourite from him
48. Ray, Goodman & Brown - Special Lady - No. Just no.
47. Kool & the Gang - Ladies Night - see what I said for Too Hot, I really like this too
46. George Benson - Give Me The Night - this is pretty decent, but I prefer "Turn Your Love Around"
45. S.O.S. Band - Take Your Time (Do It Right) - good song! A good one to hear on 80's mix shows
44. The Manhattans - Shining Star - No. Just no.
43. Kenny Rogers & Kim Carnes - Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer - I don't know why, but I somehow don't mind the Kenny Rogers songs that made this year-end, this being pretty decent too
42. Kim Carnes - More Love - but Kim Carnes sounded better on THIS one! My second favourite from her behind "Bette Davis Eyes"
41. Donna Summer - Dim All The Lights - good song, but probably one of my least favourites from her
40. Rolling Stones - Emotional Rescue - great song! The falsetto really made this song unique
39. The Spinners - Cupid/I've Loved You For A Long Time - not really a big fan of this, or really the Spinners in general, but I prefer the song they have coming up later
38. Pointer Sisters - He's So Shy - great song! One of the best Pointer Sisters songs
37. Christopher Cross - Sailing - this is probably my favourite from him, love the laid back feel to this
36. Billy Preston & Syreeta - With You I'm Boring Again - No. Just no. My second most hated song of the 80's, behind "Elvira" by the Oak Ridge Boys (and despite both of those making top 5 Billboard, thankfully they both missed the top 10 on R&R!)
35. Ambrosia - Biggest Part Of Me - good song! I like their 3 big hits about the same, my favourite depends on my mood for the day.
34. Eddie Rabbitt - Drivin' My Life Away - I like this but prefer the next song about the rainy night.
33. Eagles - Heartache Tonight - another great song! One of my favourite Eagles songs
32. Stevie Wonder - Send One Your Love - this one was decent, but not one of my favourite Stevie songs
31. Kenny Loggins - This Is It - good song! One of my favourites from him though I generally prefer his movie hits
30. Robbie Dupree - Steal Away - I like this one, my favourite from him
29. Dr. Hook - Sexy Eyes - When I said I'm not generally a fan of Dr. Hook, that includes this song as I think it's rather meh
28. Kenny Rogers - Coward Of The County - I didn't used to like this, but I guess the story told in the song has made me like it lately
27. Donna Summer & Barbra Streisand - No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) - great song! My favourite from Barbra though I prefer several other Donna songs
26. Teri DeSario with KC - Yes, I'm Ready - No. Just no.
25. Gary Numan - Cars - great song! One of the best synthpop songs, and an 80's mix show essential
24. Bette Midler - The Rose - I actually really like this one, surprisingly... one of my favourites from her
23. The Spinners - Working My Way Back To You/Forgive Me Girl - I'm not a Spinners fan in general but I do like this one somewhat, probably my favourite from them as I don't really rate their 70's stuff
22. Air Supply - Lost In Love - great song! My favourite from them
21. Smokey Robinson - Cruisin' - I prefer "The Tears Of A Clown" and "Being With You" but this was alright too
20. Christopher Cross - Ride Like The Wind - I prefer "Sailing" but this was quite good too
19. Commodores - Still - No. Just no.
18. Elton John - Little Jeannie - my favourite from his 1977-81 period, but I prefer many songs from both before and after then
17. Styx - Babe - great song! I prefer "Mr. Roboto" though, but this is a close second
16. Air Supply - All Out Of Love - as cheesy as this is, I like it, but I prefer their other song on this chart
15. Queen - Another One Bites The Dust - great song! Easily one of my favourites from them
14. Barbra Streisand - Woman In Love - my favourite solo song from her, but I do prefer the duet that was lower down
13. Rupert Holmes - Escape (The Pina Colada Song) - a guilty pleasure, I like this one
12. Lipps Inc. - Funkytown - great song! Another 80's mix show essential
11. KC & the Sunshine Band - Please Don't Go - No. Just no. KC, please stick to disco! (and thankfully he did when he returned in 1984 with "Give It Up")
10. Paul McCartney - Coming Up - great song! I'm glad it was the live version that became the hit, as that's the one I like, one of my favourites from Paul's post-Beatles period
9. M - Pop Muzik - great song! I'd say it would be an ideal song for 80's mix shows, if only it hadn't peaked and spent most of its run in 1979, as really, this sounds VERY 80's.
8. Olivia Newton-John - Magic - great song! Definitely one of her best
7. Billy Joel - It's Still Rock And Roll To Me - out of all his songs, I'm glad this was one of his #1's as it's one of my favourites from him
6. Queen - Crazy Little Thing Called Love - great song! While I do think of Queen as more of a 70's band, I like their 80's stuff too... rather oddly, when I was younger, I thought this was Elvis that sang this!
5. Diana Ross - Upside Down - Adam hates this, but I really like it. One of my favourite solo songs from her, but I do prefer some Supremes songs over this
4. Michael Jackson - Rock With You - great song! I prefer much of his later stuff but this was really good too
3. Captain & Tennille - Do That To Me One More Time - meh, most of their stuff is really meh for me, this included (though I do like "Love Will Keep Us Together").
2. Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall - great song! If I'd had to guess their only #1, I'd have guessed this easily... definitely one of my favourites from them, and one of their rare songs that still gets played outside classic rock stations (which of course are generally loaded with Pink Floyd songs)
1. Blondie - Call Me - great song! This really set the stage for THE 80's sound, as despite being the very beginning of the decade, this sounds like it could've worked later in the decade too.

[mrjukebox]

Remember Cyndi Lauper's ghastly version of "What's Going On?"-Marvin Gaye's version is still the greatest.

[mrjukebox]

This comment pertains to the top 40 of 1971 countdown.

[mmb]

Here's my reply to the Top 40 acts of the 70's 1970-1974:



40: PAUL SIMON - LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK: Listenable and dancable, but KODACHROME is a much better song.

39: BARRY WHITE - I'M GONNA LOVE YOU JUST A LITTLE MORE BABY: Songs like these were responsible for high pregnancy rates in the 70's.

38: MELANIE - BRAND NEW KEY: Despite being number one, it's not one of her best songs, LAY DOWN (CANDLES IN THE RAIN) is a better choice.

37: SLY & THE FAMILY STONE - THANK YOU (FALETTINME BE MICE ELF AGIN): While partial to EVERYDAY PEOPLE, this song has some nice licks and some shameless self plugging to the San Francisco band's other songs. Later sampled in Janet Jackson's 1989 song RHYTHM NATION.

36: GILBERT O' SULLIVAN - ALONE AGAIN (NATURALLY): Though sappy, I do like this song, as a boy, I always thought the comedy trio THE THREE STOOGES sang this song, my brother thought it was the BEATLES.

35: GRAND FUNK - WE'RE AN AMERICAN BAND: Love it, still strikes a chord to this day, and this band still rocks on tour.

34: SPINNERS - COULD IT BE I'M FALLING IN LOVE: One of their best songs.

33: NEIL DIAMOND - CRACKLIN' ROSIE: Back to my silly boy days, when I thought Match Game panelist at the time Richard Dawson was trying a singing career. Neil can still belt it out with the best of them.

32: BILLY PRESTON - WILL IT GO 'ROUND IN CIRCLES: The best of his two number one songs.

31: RARE EARTH - GET READY: Not bad rendition of the TEMPTATIONS classic.

30: BREAD - MAKE IT WITH YOU: First and only number one song for the Los Angeles soft rock group, in my book they had better songs that weren't that successful (THE GUITAR MAN, SWEET SURRENDER, AUBREY etc).

29: ROLLING STONES - BROWN SUGAR: Easy on the ears, but still a rocker.

28: BILL WITHERS - AIN'T NO SUNSHINE: Still a compelling song to hear after nearly 40 years, produced by Booker T. Jones.

27: ANNE MURRAY - SNOWBIRD: Still a nice song to listen to, to me it was more noticeable for the rainbow colored Capitol label at the time.

26: TEMPTATIONS = PAPA WAS A ROLLING STONE: A song that hits close to home from my standpoint, one of their 10 best.

25: OSMONDS - ONE BAD APPLE: Was never a big Osmonds fan.

24: WAR - THE CISCO KID: Back to my silly boy instincts, the smell of a hot piece of Original Recipe Kentucky Fried Chicken comes to mind on the introduction of this song, which is still a fun song.

23: O'JAYS - BACK STABBERS: One of their best, should've been number one.

22: MARVIN GAYE - LET'S GET IT ON: As a boy, I was not allowed to listen to this song, didn't understand why at the time. It is a good song, but maybe I was told a certain message.

21: ROBERTA FLACK - THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE: Sorry people, I know a lot love this song for it's from the Clint Eastwood movie PLAY MISTY FOR ME, but this song has always been boring to my ears, they should've selected KILLING ME SOFTLY WITH HIS SONG as their choice for her.

20: RINGO STARR - IT DON'T COME EASY: Not bad, features the group BADFINGER on harmony vocals.

19: STYLISTICS - BETCHA BY GOLLY, WOW: One of the best from Philadelphia's finest, call me ignorant but the soul groups to come out of Philadelphia and Chicago best those from Detroit and Los Angeles.

18: ARETHA FRANKLIN - DAY DREAMING: Surreal, but not the best of the Queen of Soul's material, should've gone with either SPANISH HARLEM or UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO ME.

17: CARLY SIMON - YOU'RE SO VAIN: Still a great song and used for laughs in the movie HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS.

16: JOHN DENVER - TAKE ME HOME, COUNTRY ROADS: Good song, but either ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH or SUNSHINE ON MY SHOULDERS should've been the choice when mentioning Mr. Deutschendorf (John Denver's real name).

15: DONNY OSMOND - GO AWAY LITTLE GIRL: Moving on.

14: CHER - GYPSIES, TRAMPS AND THIEVES: One of Cher's best, though see my previous critique.

13: GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS - IF I WERE YOUR WOMAN: Haunting song, should've gone with either MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA or NEITHER ONE OF US.

12: AL GREEN - LET'S STAY TOGETHER: Sadly, only number one song for the Rev, who as I said as a boy I pictured to look like Buddy Hackett.

11: DIANA ROSS - AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH: MARVIN GAYE AND TAMMI TERRELL's version is superior to this overblown version, TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING should've been the choice when talking about Ms. Earle (Diana Ross's real name).

10: TONY ORLANDO & DAWN - KNOCK THREE TIMES: As mentioned in the last critique, more of interest to me for Bill Murray's rendition in the movie MAD DOG & GLORY.

9: CHICAGO - SATURDAY IN THE PARK: Love this song as a kid, use to enjoy the gray colored Columbia label when my family had it as a 45. Silly boy thought: When I used to hear the line A REAL CELEBRATION WAITING FOR US ALL, I pictured the guy who repeats the line WAITING FOR US ALL to look like Rob Reiner, I guess that's when I used to see him and Carroll O' Connor argue on ALL IN THE FAMILY.

8: HELEN REDDY - I AM WOMAN: I understand this song brings ire to conservative men and men who think women are second class citizens, but when you hear the song carefully, she might be singing about a woman, but this song could easily be sung about people who have overcome obstacles to be where they're at, though there's a flight of stairs to climb. From the movie STAND UP AND BE COUNTED.

7: JIM CROCE - YOU DON'T MESS AROUND WITH JIM: Fun song, should've gone with BAD, BAD LEROY BROWN.

6: ELTON JOHN - ROCKET MAN: One of Reginald Dwight's best, though a double entendre song, it could be about a man living in outer space alone or a man who's too spaced out on drugs.

5: PAUL McCARTNEY & WINGS - MY LOVE: Back to the silly boy sentiments, for some crazy reason, I thought actor Bobby Van sung this song, maybe cause he sung it in a special, I don't remember. Good ballad, I would've selected his first solo hit ANOTHER DAY.

4: STEVIE WONDER - YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE: Loved it as a kid, still love it today.

3: THREE DOG NIGHT - MAMA TOLD ME NOT TO COME: Randy Newman composition, good though partial to SHAMBALA and OUT IN THE COUNTRY.

2: JACKSON FIVE - I WANT YOU BACK: Good for its heyday, made much better material after that.

1: CARPENTERS - (THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU: Though sappy, the CARPENTERS' music has stood the test of time, and I glad to hear that youngsters have caught on to their material and don't feel embarrassed by it.

Hope you enjoyed it, thanks for reading.

[mrjukebox]

"Cisco Kid" was meant to be a homage to the 1950's western that starred Duncan Renaldo & Leo Carillo-"Rocket Man" has something in common with David Bowie's "Space Oddity"-Both songs were produced by Gus Dudgeon,who produced most of Elton John's hits in the 70's.

[cursereversed]

I know I'm way behind but my take on the Top 40 of the year I was born (wow; am I really turning 38 this year )

40: Never can Say Goodbye (Jackson 5)-Was #2 the week I debuted; wish it had been #1 (more on that later)
39: Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves (Cher)-There are only a couple of Cher songs I can stand and this is definitely one of them; was helped by the debut of her and Sonny's variety show that summer.
38: Rainy Days and Mondays (Carpenters)-When I was little I wondered why the Carpenters recorded only ballads; then I paid attention to Karen's voice and figured out why.
37: Help Me Make It Through The Night (Sammi Smith)-Good song but pales in comparison to Martina McBride's remake.
36: If You Could Read My Mind (Gordon Lightfoot)-very well-written and the beginning of a solid career.
35: For All We Know (Carpenters)-see #38
34: Chick-A-Boom (Daddy Dewdrop)-always like it when a novelty song becomes a hit; interesting that a song from a cartoon featured lyrics like this,
33: Put Your Hand In The Hand (Ocean)-Meh. Part of both the "Canadian Invasion" and the "Faith-Based Invasion" of the charts in 1971.
32: Sweet & Innocent (Donny Osmond)-Didn't particularly care for it but anything Donny sang that year would've been a hit.
31: My Sweet Lord (George Harrison)-Good song. Interesting that Casey said they couldn't count the first 5 weeks of its chart life (including 1 week at #1) since they were in 1970.
30: Superstar (Carpenters)-I wonder how many of their fans knew what this song was really about; I know I like this song more since finding out that it's about a groupie.
29: Temptation Eyes (Grass Roots): Pleasantly surprised to see it here since it didn't even crack the Top 10; title reminds me of a girl I went to high school with .
28: Amos Moses (Jerry Reed)-Great song by a one-of-a-kind artist who unfortunately left us in 2008.
27: Superstar (Murray Head)- Fun song that overcame cries of blasphemy to become a hit; one of three songs with the same title that charted in 1971.
26: I've Found Someone Of My Own (Free Movement)-good example of early 70's R&B; didn't know it dropped off the Hot 100 and re-entered.
25: She's A Lady (Tom Jones)-one of his best.
24: Signs (Five Man Electrical Band)- good but "Absolutely Right" was better.
23: Ain't No Sunshine (Bill Withers)- another fine career-starter for a man who was installing toilets on 747's before becoming a star.
22: Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey (Paul & Linda McCartney)-love the sound effects; 2nd #1 by a former Beatle and they both resulted in a lawsuit.
21: What's Going On (Marvin Gaye)-best song on this chart; it's a crime this never went to #1 on the Hot 100 (it was #1 R&B).
20: The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (Joan Baez)-one of those choruses you can't help but sing along to; showed the great diversity of this chart.
19: Do You Know What I Mean (Lee Michaels)-Good pure rock song.
18: Mr. Big Stuff (Jean Knight)-Very nice; later used in a Burger King commercial.
17: You've Got A Friend (Jams Taylor)-I like James. I like Carole King. I HATE this song (this and "I've Got You Babe" are my two least favorite songs ever).
16: Brown Sugar (Rolling Stones)-proof that comprehensible lyrics aren't necessary to make a great record.
15: Treat Her Like a Lady (Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose): Don't like them but this is their best song.
14: Smiling Faces Sometimes (Undisputed Truth)-loved it.
13: Want Ads (Honey Cone)-good song with catchy lyrics.
12: Tired Of Being Alone (Al Green)-the Reverend brought it every time; hymns must sound tremendous at his church.
11: Me & Bobby McGee (Janis Joplin)-very good but also depressing to know it was a posthumous #1.
10: Knock Three Times (Dawn)-another catchy lyric and more good use of a sound effect.
9: Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) (The Temptations)-One of their best; last song Eddie Kendricks did before he left.
8: Take Me Home Country Roads (John Denver with Fat City)-always liked it; as mrjukebox said Bill and Taffy would be heard from later in the decade.
7: Go Away Little Girl (Donny Osmond)-this is the an example of why I like Carole King; with Donny singing a song Carole co-wrote it would've been a shock if this hadn't gone to #1.
6: Indian Reservation (The Raiders)-my least favorite Raiders song but still one of the better ones on this chart.
5: How can You Mend A Broken Heart (Bee Gees)-like their disco stuff better but they had to start/comeback somewhere.
4: One Bad Apple (The Osmonds)-liked them better when they weren't knee-deep in Velveeta.
3: It's Too Late (Carole King)-don't particularly care for most of Tapestry but this is good.
2: Maggie May (Rod Stewart)-Rock & Roll classic; we are all deeply indebted to the DJ in Cleveland who flipped over "Reason to Believe" and started playing this.
1: Joy To The World (Three Dog Night)-as much as I love music it's ironic that the #1 song the week I was born is something I intensely dislike; the fact that this passed "What's Going On" to get to #1 makes it even worse (as do the part about Cory Wells not wanting to record it and the fact that it's the only TDN song I don't like)

[freakyflybry]

January 23, 1982

40. Genesis - Abacab (debut) - good song! AT40 edited out the outro (I know they did play the long version at times too)
39. Barry Manilow - Somewhere Down The Road (debut) - not a fan of this, but it's tolerable
38. Del Shannon - Sea of Love (debut) - I prefer the Honeydrippers version but this was alright too
37. Eddie Schwartz - All Our Tomorrows (40) - not bad! This still does occasionally get Canadian airplay (as he's from Canada)
36. Loverboy - Working Out For The Weekend (38) - and so are these guys! Great song, an 80's mix show essential
35. Bertie Higgins - Key Largo (39) - this isn't the type of song I normally like but for some reason I like this one
34. Sneaker - More Than Just The Two Of Us (36) - it's ok but kinda forgettable
33. Alabama - Love In The First Degree (37) - No. Just no.
32. Queen & David Bowie - Under Pressure (29) - Much like "Working For The Weekend", this is another one I'm surprised to see peaked so low! I really like this one, among my favourites from both artists
31. Kool & the Gang - Take My Heart (28) - it's not bad, but definitely not one of their best
30. Kenny Rogers - Through The Years (35) - one of his more tolerable ones (I think its LDD play may have influenced that)
29. Journey - Open Arms (debut) - great song! One of their best
LDD: Stephanie Mills - Never Knew Love Like This Before - I like this!
28. Journey - Don't Stop Believin' (27) - excellent song! perhaps even better than the other song on here
27. Diana Ross - Why Do Fools Fall In Love (25) - cool song! Not a fan of the original (or really, almost any 50's music), but the remake was good
26. Rick Springfield - Love Is Alright Tonight (30) - good song, much like his entire early 80's output
25. Rod Stewart - Young Turks (15) - speaking of songs that sound the same, what's the difference between this and "Tonight I'm Yours"? Both are good though
24. Neil Diamond - Yesterday's Songs (11) - one of my favourites from him, possibly his best 80's song though I prefer a few earlier
23. Billy Joel - She's Got A Way (24) - A nice, simple song... but that's where its appeal lies for me
22. Air Supply - Sweet Dreams (26) - good song! One of my favourites from them
21. Sheena Easton - You Could Have Been With Me (23) - A nice ballad, though I prefer her uptempos generally
20. Ronnie Milsap - I Wouldn't Have Missed It For The World (20) - No. Just no.
19. Beach Boys - Come Go With Me (21) - see what I said for Diana Ross, though the remake is just ok... not quite as good as "Kokomo" or their 60's stuff
18. Little River Band - Take It Easy On Me (22) - I really like this one, definitely one of my favourites from them
17. Dan Fogelberg - Leader Of The Band (19) - I like his story-telling songs, this included (also helped because it's a rare non-obscure song from him)
16. Rolling Stones - Waiting On A Friend (17) - good song! Still not one of their best though
15. Eddie Rabbitt - Someone Could Lose A Heart Tonight (16) - but this IS one of his best; I normally don't go for the country crossover of this era (as you can tell with my responses for Alabama and Ronnie Milsap) but this song was good
Extra: Buffalo Springfield - For What It's Worth - good song, and the story about the traffic jam that formed them (and consequently, a few other bands) was quite interesting too
14. The Cars - Shake It Up (18) - great song! An 80's mix show essential, the Cars were one of the best 80's feel-good bands
13. Paul Davis - Cool Night (14) - I like this one, but I prefer "'65 Love Affair" as it's so un-typical of his sound!
12. Barbra Streisand - Comin' In And Out Of Your Life (12) - I actually like this one, though I'm not big on Babs in general
11. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - Hooked On Classics (11) - this has to be the weirdest hit of this era! Not a huge fan of it, but it's interesting to hear Casey name the classical pieces in this song
10. Juice Newton - The Sweetest Thing (10) - good song! Definitely one of her best!
9. Lindsey Buckingham - Trouble (9) - I like this, though I feel he's best with Fleetwood Mac
8. Earth, Wind & Fire - Let's Groove (3) - great song! Another 80's mix show essential
LDD: Helen Reddy - You And Me Against The World - No. Just no.
7. George Benson - Turn Your Love Around (8) - probably my favourite from him, and by a big margin too
6. Stevie Nicks & Don Henley - Leather and Lace (7) - one of my favourites from both artists! I generally like them both, in solo hits and with Fleetwood Mac/The Eagles too
5. Quarterflash - Harden My Heart (6) - great song! One of my favourites on the chart
4. Hall & Oates - I Can't Go For That (4) - I enjoy pretty much everything they've done, and this is one of my absolute favourites from them
3. J. Geils Band - Centerfold (5) - another catchy song that I like a lot... an 80's mix show essential
2. Foreigner - Wf*gLY (2) - Aww poor Foreigner... they just couldn't seem to get to #1 But it's a great song regardless
1. Olivia Newton-John - Physical (1) - at least they were blocked by another song that's just as good! Definitely one of my favourite Olivia songs!

[mrjukebox]

Yes,Bill & Taffy Danoff,who backed up John Denver on "Take Me Home Country Roads",later formed the Starland Vocal Band-Their lone top 40 hit was "Afternoon Delight" in 1976-A year later,they had the misfortune to star in their own variety show-One of the show's regulars was an unknown comic named David Letterman-Say,whatever happened to him?

[mrjukebox]

"Go Away Little Girl" went to #1 in January 1963-Eight years later in 1971,Donny Osmond took that same song to #1-It was the first of nine songs in the rock era that went to #1 for two different artists or groups-In addition to writing "Go Away Little Girl",Carole King & Gerry Goffin also wrote "The Locomotion",which went to #1 for Little Eva (1962) & Grand Funk (1974).

[mrjukebox]

By the way,Steve Lawrence did the original version of "Go Away Little Girl".

[cursereversed]

January 22, 1972

40: White Lies, Blue Eyes (Bullitt)-Good song that had peaked mid-chart the week before.
39: Looking For A Love (J. Geils Band)-Better then their 80's dance hits (which bore no resemblance to the Stones).
38: Hurting Each Other (Carpenters)-Typical Carpenters song. Not that there's anything (at all) wrong with that.
37: Don't Say You Don't Remember (Beverly Bremers)-Only the first few notes sounded that much like Karen but the inevitable comparison probably hurt Beverly. Liked the emotion in her voice.
36: Just An Old Fashioned Love Song (Three Dog Night)-Simplistic lyrics. Good but their other entry was better.
35: Joy (Apollo 100)-Who says classical music isn't cool?
34: Precious and Few (Climax)-No. Just no.
33: All I Ever Need Is You (Sonny and Cher)-Not as bad as most S&C records but still not very good.
32: Fire And Water (Wilson Pickett)-Good R&B version of a rock song (written by the members of Free).
31: Have You Seen Her (Chi-Lites)-Good early 70's R&B whose meaning was totally destroyed by MC Hammer.
30: Make Me The Woman You Go Home To (Gladys Knight and the Pips)-Okay but their later songs were better.
29: That's The Way I Feel About You (Bobby Womack)-Meh.
28: Levon (Elton John)-Good, underappreciated song.
27: Black Dog (Led Zeppelin)-Great song, didn't realize it had charted. "Stairway To Heaven" was on the same album but was never a single.
26: Stay With Me (Faces)-Nice, straight-ahead rock and roll.
25: Witch Queen Of New Orleans (Redbone)-It definitely put a spell on me. Hadn't heard it since my local oldies station played it on Halloween.
24: Cherish (David Cassidy)-Other than the absence of the cold ending, a good remake of the Association hit
23: Once You Understand (Think)-Socio-political drivel is more like it. Where's a Weird Al Yankovic parody when you really need it?
22: Kiss An Angel Good Morning (Charley Pride)-Good cross-over record by the only African-American to make it big in country music.
21: Without You (Nilsson)-Better then Badfinger's original version but the sound seemed off for some reason.
20: It's One Of Those Nights (Yes Love) (The Partridge Family)-Of the three teen idols on this chart David Cassidy had the best voice. Shirley Jones also sang on the records but Danny, Susan and the other two stars of the TV show didn't, BTW.
19: Hey Big Brother (Rare Earth)-Love them.
18: Anticipation (Carly Simon)-Mmmmm ketchup ;D. A very good song in its own right.
17: One Monkey Don't Stop No Show (Honey Cone)-Not as good as "Want Ads".
16: Hey Girl (Donny Osmond)-Another top-notch Goffin/King composition.
15: Got To Be There (Michael Jackson)-If you had played this on Top 40 radio in the 80's I wonder how many people would have figured out it was him.
14: Family Affair (Sly And The Family Stone[d])-Very funky.
13: I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing (Hillside Singers)-Prefer this version to the upcoming one.
12: Drowning In The Sea Of Love (Joe Simon)-Good but nothing special.
11: Never Been To Spain (Three Dog Night)-As I said, the better of their two songs on this chart.
10: Sugar Daddy (Jackson Five)-I wonder how many of their fans got in trouble with their parents for singing this. Nice to see a brother besides Michael getting a solo.
9: You Are Everything (Stylistics)-Very good example of the Philadelphia sound.
8: Clean-Up woman (Betty Wright)-Enjoyed the lyrics a lot.
7: I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing (New Seekers)-Too slick-sounding and, unlike the Hillside Singers, they seemed afraid to even leave Coke's two catchphrases ("It's the real thing" and "What the world wants today") in the song.
6: Scorpio (Dennis Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Band)-Second instrumental on this chart and they're both excellent. Like how Casey chose to let the guitar intro play and then step on the less-interesting part of the opening.
5: Day After Day (Badfinger)-Beatles influence really shows here.
4: Sunshine (Jonathan Edwards)-Bland but catchy.
3: Let's Stay Together (Al Green)-Another wonderful performance by the Reverend.
2: Brand New Key (Melanie)-Richly deserved its 3 weeks at the top. Very rare to see a former #1 holding at #2, which shows you how strong it was.
1: American Pie (Don McLean)-The word "classic" is slightly overused, which is why I refrained from using the term in this post. Until now, that is. An absolute classic and I'm glad Premiere chose to air a countdown in which the full version was played.

[mkarns]

My copy of "The Worst Rock & Roll Records of All Time" lists "Once You Understand" as the second worst. Listening to it, I see where they came from; the "song" consists mostly of banal parent/teen disputes with an annoying chorus underneath, until the maudlin jerk-the-heartstrings ending.

And while he's just started at it, Darius "Hootie" Rucker seems to be following in Charlie Pride's footsteps as a successful African-American country perfomer.

[mrjukebox]

"Once You Understand" should've been spoofed-The first time I heard this song was on Dr.Demento's show a few years ago.

[mmb]

My take on last week's American Top 40: the 80's from February 2, 1985 (my junior high graduation year):

40: NAUGHTY NAUGHTY - JOHN PARR: Catchy rock song, too bad he was a 2-hit wonder.

39: LOVERGIRL - TEENA MARIE: Easy on the ears, but I never cared for this song.

38: RELAX - FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD: Overblown but innocuous

37: TOO LATE FOR GOODBYES - JULIAN LENNON: Has its ups and downs, some days listenable, other days...

36: ONLY THE YOUNG - JOURNEY: Not one of the San Francisco band's best, but listenable. From the movie VISION QUEST.

35: PRIVATE DANCER - TINA TURNER: Despite it being written by Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler and a guitar solo by Jeff Beck, this is one of Tina's least inspiring songs.

34: ROCKIN' AT MIDNIGHT - HONEYDRIPPERS: Fun song as Plant, Page and Beck go to the big band era.

33: MISTAKE #3 - CULTURE CLUB: Probably hits too close to home for Boy George.

32: DO WHAT YOU DO - JERMAINE JACKSON: Not bad.

31: WE BELONG - PAT BENATAR: One of Pat's first AC songs.

30: TENDERNESS - GENERAL PUBLIC: Cute, heard at the end of the 1995 movie CLUELESS.

29: THE WILD BOYS - DURAN DURAN: Like TOO LATE FOR GOODBYES, it depends on the mood.

28: MONEY CHANGES EVERYTHING - CYNDI LAUPER: The red-headed babe goes Dylan in this song.

27: BORN IN THE USA - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Still a powerful song in spite of its political views.

26: CAN'T FIGHT THIS FEELING - REO SPEEDWAGON: You can understand why it hit #1 later.

25: MR. TELEPHONE MAN - NEW EDITION: Not bad song, written by Ray Parker Jr. Should've been a top 10 song.

24: JUNGLE LOVE - THE TIME: Not bad, from the movie PURPLE RAIN.

23: CALIFORNIA GIRLS - DAVID LEE ROTH: OK rendition of the Beach Boys classic. Already knew Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys was a backing vocalist, didn't know Christopher Cross was the other.

22: THE OLD MAN DOWN THE ROAD - JOHN FOGERTY: Love it, used to have a cassette copy of his album CENTERFIELD!

21: MISLED - KOOL & THE GANG: Not bad, when I first heard it, I thought James JT Taylor went solo, because at first I didn't think it sounded like a Kool and the Gang song.

EXTRA: DESPERADO - EAGLES: Nice ballad, until you hear it backwards.

20: FOOLISH HEART - STEVE PERRY: Lacks the quality of the Journey lead singer's golden voice, but the better of the 2 songs next to ONLY THE YOUNG.

19: SUGAR WALLS - SHEENA EASTON: Written by Prince, never honestly cared for it.

18: OPERATOR - MIDNIGHT STAR: As a young boy I used to think the sound of the phone going off the hook was worthy of a dance song, interesting Midnight Star thought of it as well.

17: LOVE LIGHT IN FLIGHT - STEVIE WONDER: Danceable, but I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU was the better song of the two.

16: JAMIE - RAY PARKER, JR: Cute song, should've at least hit #10.

15: CALL TO THE HEART - GIUFFRIA: I've always liked this song, though David Eisley sang like Steve Perry. If this song had been a Journey song, it would've gone top 10.

14: SOLID - ASHFORD & SIMPSON: Pretty good.

13: THE HEAT IS ON - GLENN FREY: Still a fun song, from the movie BEVERLY HILLS COP.

12: RUN TO YOU - BRYAN ADAMS: Not a rocker, but a pretty good Bryan Adams song.

11: ALL I NEED - JACK WAGNER: Still listenable, he now appears on THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL.

10: NEUTRON DANCE - POINTER SISTERS: I'll always think of the chase scene in BEVERLY HILLS COP everytime I hear this song.

9: METHOD OF MODERN LOVE - HALL & OATES: Good track from the BIG BAM BOOM album.

8: I WOULD DIE 4 U - PRINCE: Not one of Prince's best, but it's listenable.

7: LIKE A VIRGIN - MADONNA: Innocuous, but never honestly cared for this song.

6: THE BOYS OF SUMMER - DON HENLEY: Fun song then, fun song today.

5: LOVERBOY - BILLY OCEAN: This song too depended on your mood

4: YOU'RE THE INSPIRATION - CHICAGO: Still a good song.

3: CARELESS WHISPER - WHAM/GEORGE MICHAEL: Nice sounding song, mixes R&B with a jazzy sound and good lyrics.

2: EASY LOVER - PHIL COLLINS & PHILLIP BAILEY: This song suffered from overkill when I was young, but since buying Phil's greatest hits CD, this is one of the songs I listen to, now it's not played on the radio as much.

1: I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS - FOREIGNER: Like MISLED, I first heard this song, thinking it was a solo effort by Lou Gramm, but this was a powerful song then and a powerful song today.

[mrjukebox]

"Rockin' At Midnight" was originally titled "Good Rockin Tonight"-It was first covered by an R&B singer named Roy Brown & then when Elvis Presley got signed to Sun Records in 1954,that became one of his first hits for that label.