|
Post by mga707 on Sept 4, 2020 13:41:16 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - September 5, 2020 This week's presentation - September 5, 1981 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. Probably my favorite JD song. Like it far more than any of his big hits. The fact that, as we now know, he battled chronic depression for most of his adult life is evident when one listens to the lyrics. A LOT like the othr song, IMO. I always sing 'Evelasting Love' to the chorus of this one.
|
|
|
Post by mrjukebox on Sept 4, 2020 13:59:35 GMT -5
Both 9/5/81 & the show from the previous week 8/29/81 have been featured numerous times on the 24-hour "AT40" channel from I-Heart Radio.
|
|
|
Post by mrjukebox on Sept 6, 2020 16:52:29 GMT -5
Hervard-Slight correction in your post on "Summer Of 69"-Adams would've been ten in 1969.
|
|
|
Post by Hervard on Sept 7, 2020 6:02:45 GMT -5
Hervard-Slight correction in your post on "Summer Of 69"-Adams would've been ten in 1969. Not during the summer - he was born in November, 1959.
|
|
|
Post by Hervard on Sept 11, 2020 13:37:07 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - September 12, 2020
This week's presentation - September 17, 1977
Droppers: YOU MADE ME BELIEVE IN MAGIC - BAY CITY ROLLERS (39) - Their third and final Top Ten hit (in fact, after this, they'd have one last Top 40 hit before fading into obscurity). Anyway, this is about the only song by them that I like. WHATCHA GONNA DO - PABLO CRUISE (37) - The first of several great songs by them. This one peaked at #3 on my Personal Top 30 chart in September 1977. I actually like this one a little better than "Cool Love", which actually made it to #1 on my chart due to a lack of good songs (IMO, mind you) in the fall of 1981. In 1977, however, there were plenty of great ones. BLACK BETTY - RAM JAM (34) - Meh, no big loss here. I'm not a big fan of Southern Rock, so this song didn't really do anything for me. SO YOU WIN AGAIN - HOT CHOCOLATE (31) - I was never a huge fan of them, but this one actually was not too bad. GIVE A LITTLE BIT - SUPERTRAMP (27) - This was their very first Top 20 hit. The song peaked at #15 the week before, but it did far better than the remake by the Goo Goo Dolls (on the pop chart, that is; that version of the song was a #1 Hot AC smash, a format that did not exist back in 1977). This was one of my favorite songs by Supertramp. EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE - THE BEE GEES (26) - Their final song before their biggest wave of popularity ever - this song was pretty good, but not quite their best. CHRISTINE SIXTEEN - KISS (25) - One of three songs with which they charted during 1977. It was pretty good, but I preferred their ballads (as well as "Hard Luck Woman" from earlier in the year).
40: THE KING IS GONE - RONNIE McDOWELL (debut) - A very touching tribute to Elvis Presley, whom we had sadly lost a little over a month before. Given that, it's no surprise that this song went gold almost instantly. 39: SURFIN' U.S.A. - LEIF GARRETT (debut) - The first of three chart hits for this then-young man. A few years ago, you could still catch him on TruTV, on re-runs of their show The Smoking Gun Presents: World's Dumbest..., but I'm not sure how often that station runs that show anymore - if they even still do. Well, anyway, I guess you could call this one a guilty pleasure of mine, as I rather like this song - but I can definitely see why many people hated this one. 38: ANOTHER STAR - STEVIE WONDER (debut) - Looks like many people bought the Songs In The Key Of Life album over the summer, as the first two singles from it went all the way to #1, yet the next two songs didn't even touch the Top 30. This was a good song, though I prefer many others from him. 37: JUST REMEMBER I LOVE YOU - FIREFALL (debut) - They only had one Top Ten hit ("You Are The Woman" from the year before), but two of their songs just barely missed. This was one of those songs, and it is one of my favorite songs by Firefall. 36: I BELIEVE YOU - DOROTHY MOORE (40) - This was her second hit - sounded a little like "Misty Blue", only I liked this one a lot better. 35: YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE - DEBBY BOONE (debut) - THE ULTIMATE GUILTY PLEASURE HERE!! This song was on its way to becoming the longest running #1 song of the 1970s! A great song indeed! 34: CAT SCRATCH FEVER - TED NUGENT (38) - A classic rock staple here! I was never a huge fan of the song, however. Not sure - it was just a little loud for me, I guess. I did like Chicago DJ Steve Dahl’s parody of this, “Hump Day Fever”. 33: HEAVEN ON THE SEVENTH FLOOR - PAUL NICHOLAS (debut) - This was melodically a great song, but the lyrics were sort of questionable - the guy was stuck in an elevator with someone who wanted nothing to do with him - and he was happy nonetheless. I'd have felt very awkward and, like the girl in the elevator with me, I'd want them to have us out ASAP. But that's just me. As I said, the music itself was great. 32: DAYTIME FRIENDS - KENNY ROGERS (36) - He had his first solo hit earlier that year, and it was one of his biggest hits, peaking at #5. This song didn't do quite as well (only got as high as #28), but the best was yet to come for him. It was a pretty good song, but far from being his best IMO. 31: THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL - GEORGE BENSON (35) - I, along with many of us, am more familiar with Whitney Houston's version of this song and prefer that one, but this is a good version as well. EXTRA: THE NIGHT THEY DROVE OLD DIXIE DOWN - JOAN BAEZ - This version of the song wasn't bad, but I preferred the original version by The Band, recorded in 1969. 30: HARD ROCK CAFÉ - CAROLE KING (32) - Her popularity had peaked during the first half of the 1970s, but she indeed had a few last gasps in the late-70s. This was her second-to-last Top 40 hit. It was a good one. 29: HOW MUCH LOVE - LEO SAYER (17) - A true example of "Third Single Syndrome". After two #1 hits from Endless Flight, this was all the higher this song got. Too bad, as it was my favorite of his three EF singles. 28: BRICK HOUSE - COMMODORES (debut) - I swear that I hear this song at every single dance party or wedding reception that I go to! Plus, this is overplayed on oldies stations - I definitely prefer their other 1977 hit "Easy" by far. OPTIONAL EXTRA: DON'T IT MAKE MY BROWN EYES BLUE - CRYSTAL GAYLE - Her first Top 40 hit came close to hitting #1, but I don't think I need to tell you the song that locked it out of #1. Anyway, I liked all of Crystal Gayle's Top 40 hits (and a few that hit only the AC chart). 27: SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED - PETER FRAMPTON (33) - His current album, I'm In You, didn't quite live up to the success of Frampton Comes Alive (one of the most popular live albums of all time), but it did spawn two Top 20 hits. The title track, of course, was my favorite, but this was not bad either. 26: JUNGLE LOVE - STEVE MILLER BAND (30) - The second single from Book Of Dreams and one of four songs that he charted with in 1977. This was pretty good, but my least favorite of singles from that year. 25: BARRACUDA - HEART (13) - A high point in the show for our friend JessieLou. This is a song that I used to think was just OK, but I've recently gotten to like it a lot recently. 24: IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A SONG - RONNIE MILSAP (28) - I wonder if anyone thought this was the new song by Barry Manilow when they first heard the opening piano notes, as it definitely sounded like something Manilow would sing. Unsurprisingly, I thought this was a great song. 23: I FEEL LOVE - DONNA SUMMER (29) - I liked many of her disco hits, but this sure wasn't one of them - way too repetitive. Basically the same three sentences sung over and over and over again. 22: JUST A SONG BEFORE I GO - CROSBY, STILLS & NASH (12) - They had been hitting the chart for nearly ten years but, oddly enough, this was their very first Top Ten hit. I preferred their later hits myself. 21: WAY DOWN - ELVIS PRESLEY (24) - This song had indeed been on its “way down” and had actually fallen out of the Top 40. But shortly after Elvis had died, the song came back to the Top 40 and looked like it might be heading for the Top Ten. However, it only got as high as #18 the following week. 20: NOBODY DOES IT BETTER - CARLY SIMON (23) - 1977 was definitely the year for movie songs! This one, from the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me, was one of many songs held out of #1 by Debby Boone's eternal #1 hit (it did sneak in a week at #1 on the R&R chart). It is one of my favorite songs by Carly Simon, as well as one of my faves on this week's chart. 19: DON'T WORRY BABY - B.J. THOMAS (20) - Kind of a surprise that the Beach Boys only got as high as #24 with their version of this song, since it receives a lot of recurrent airplay. This song would peak at #17. I liked this one a lot. 18: BOOGIE NIGHTS - HEATWAVE (22) - Their first Top 40 hit. Part 2 of this song ("The Groove Line") would chart the following year and would also hit the Top Ten. Both songs were so/so IMO, but my favorite song from them was the one that charted between those two songs, "Always And Forever", one of the most popular love songs of all time. 17: EASY - COMMODORES (7) - This song spent nearly the entire summer climbing the chart, peaking at #4 in late August. A great song indeed - definitely when the Commodores' musical quality began noticeably improving IMO. Too bad they cut out the second verse. 16: SWAYIN' TO THE MUSIC - JOHNNY RIVERS (17) - Of course, the crickets (the creatures, not the band) help him out in the first verse of this song. It wasn't bad, but I preferred a few others from him (i.e. "Summer Rain", "Secret Agent Man") 15: ON AND ON - STEPHEN BISHOP (16) - This was his biggest hit, and it would end up being his biggest hit ever; just barely missed the Top Ten, which I thought was a shame, as it was my favorite song from him. A small consolation - it did hit the Top Ten on the R&R chart, peaking at #8. Anyway, this was another song that was edited (which was pretty dumb IMO, as the song's not that long to begin with. 14: THAT'S ROCK AND ROLL - SHAUN CASSIDY (19) - Ah, the teen idol of the late-70s. I remember a girl who was in kindergarten with me at the time had a huge crush on him. I liked most of his music - this and Da Doo Ron Ron are probably my two favorites from him. OPTIONAL EXTRA: IT'S ECSTASY WHEN YOU LAY DOWN NEXT TO ME - BARRY WHITE - This song was usually edited down to about a minute and a half, this week being no exception (which was just as well to me, since I wasn't a fan of it). 13: STAR WARS THEME/CANTINA BAND - MECO (18) - This song was on its way to #1 - in fact, it would get there two short weeks later, thus breaking up ongoing battle for the top spot between Andy Gibb and the Emotions. 12: COLD AS ICE - FOREIGNER (14) - Their second hit - and there was a lot more where that came from! This would probably be my favorite of their two Top Ten hits from 1977 (though "Feels Like The First Time" was also a great one!). Yet another great song that was butchered by cutting out the second verse. 11: (YOUR LOVE HAS LIFTED ME) HIGHER AND HIGHER - RITA COOLIDGE (2) - Her first big hit - couldn't quite break up the fight for the top spot between Andy Gibb and the Emotions, but still managed to sneak in a week at #2. This was definitely my favorite version of this song that I've heard. 10: STAR WARS (MAIN TITLE) - LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (11) - The second of two versions of this song on this week's chart. Meco's disco version was in the process of stealing this one's thunder, as the former jumped into the Top Ten the following week, while this song took a hard fall to #36. Too bad, as this was my favorite of the two versions of the song. 9: SMOKE FROM A DISTANT FIRE - SANFORD TOWNSEND BAND (10) - Ah, the Hall & Oates soundalikes. However, they weren't anywhere near as successful; this was their only Hot 100 hit. But at least it was a Top Ten. I remember hearing this one back in the day, as well as on Sunny 101.5, which played it every once in awhile back in the late-80s/early 1990s. Did they edit this one? You better believe it! Truly, AT40 had long since outgrown its three-hour running time and it wouldn't be extended to four hours for another year. 8: TELEPHONE LINE - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (9) - This song had a rather slow climb up the charts; debuted in early July and peaked at #7 the last week of September. It was a great one; one of my favorites from them. 7: STRAWBERRY LETTER #23 - BROTHERS JOHNSON (8) - This one wasn't quite my cup of tea, although it wasn't exactly "roof-raising R&B" music - it was actually somewhat mellow. I guess it just didn't do anything for me. 6: KEEP IT COMIN' LOVE - K.C. AND THE SUNSHINE BAND (15) - Their only Top Ten hit that did not go to #1 (it didn't miss by much, though; it peaked at #2 for three weeks, but couldn't quite get past Meco; then, when Debby Boone leapfrogged this song, of course, there was no hope). I never used to like this song very much, but now I think it's one of their best. 5: DON'T STOP - FLEETWOOD MAC (6) - The third Top Ten song from what would become the top album of 1977. I used to like it, but overplay changed it. 4: HANDY MAN - JAMES TAYLOR (4) - Both husband and wife were on the chart at the same time. We heard Carly Simon back at #20, and her then-husband was sitting at his peak of #4 with this great song. My mom used to be able to play this song on her guitar, so I remember it quite well. EXTRA: CAN'T BUY ME LOVE - BEATLES - Of course, Casey told his favorite chart factoid about the Beatles occupying the entire Top Five the week of April 4, 1964. This was the song on top that week. It was a good song, but I preferred others from them. 3: BEST OF MY LOVE - EMOTIONS (1) - This song had spent the past four weeks on top - and it wasn't quite done yet, as it would return to the top spot, giving the artist at #1 a taste of his own medicine. Anyway, I really liked this song - I definitely preferred it over the Eagles' former #1 song of the same title, since that one was a melancholy song about a dying relationship while the Emotions song was a fun, upbeat song about a love affair that was strong and flourishing. 2: FLOAT ON - FLOATERS (5) - This looked like a sure-fire #1 hit, with such a jump to the runner-up position, but this was all the higher the song got. This song inspired a Sesame Street segment that came out in early 1978. It featured a song called "Give Me Five", performed by Bob, Gordon, David and Luis. It featured each of them introducing themselves (like the Floaters group members did in this song) and then singing a verse. I actually preferred that version (since it was by people that I saw on TV regularly back in the day). This song was pretty good as well. 1: I JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING - ANDY GIBB (3) - This song appeared to be on its way down the chart, but after dipping to #3 the previous week, it decided that three weeks weren't quite enough and made an encore appearance at the top. It went on to become AT40's #1 song of 1977, and it was definitely worthy of that honor - it was my favorite song from Gibb!
|
|
|
Post by Hervard on Sept 11, 2020 13:38:04 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - September 12, 2020 This week's presentation - September 8, 1984 TWO SIDES OF LOVE - SAMMY HAGAR (38) - Of his four solo Top 40 hits, this was his lowest peaking, only getting as high as #38, where it peaked for three weeks. Too bad, as it was a great song - my third favorite of his hits, behind "Give To Live" and "Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy". 17 - RICK JAMES (36) - - Another song in the 30s logging three weeks at its peak. I don't remember hearing this song back in the day, since it didn't chart on Countdown America and, even though it did make an appearance on the WLS station survey, I never heard them play it. Anyway, considering the type of music it was, this song was actually pretty good, though nothing exceptional. PANAMA - VAN HALEN (32) - The third song from their huge album whose title just might have been inspired by George Orwell But seriously, this would be my second favorite of their three Top 40 singles from the 1984 album, behind "I'll Wait". DANCING IN THE DARK - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (29) - We heard the second single from Born In The USA, and now we have the song that started it all off. If not for that d@mn Prince song, this would have been his first #1 (it did, however, sneak in a week at the top on R&R, before Prince topped the chart). LW#1: WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT - TINA TURNER 40: BOP 'TIL YOU DROP - RICK SPRINGFIELD (debut) - The third of three Top 40 hits from the movie in which Rick starred, Hard To Hold. It was a good song, but I preferred the other two singles. 39: ARE WE OURSELVES - FIXX (debut) - This was their second biggest hit, behind the overplayed "One Thing Leads To Another". It's a good song, but my two favorites from them are "Saved By Zero" and "Secret Separation". 38: ONLY WHEN YOU LEAVE - SPANDAU BALLET (39) - This was their third chart hit as well - the only thing is, this was from their second album and the first two were from their first. This song, which reminded me a lot of one of those songs ("Gold") was pretty good, but I slightly preferred "True". 37: I'M SO EXCITED - THE POINTER SISTERS (debut) - Of course, this song was originally released in 1982 and peaked at #30. The decision to re-release it proved to be worthwhile, as it hit the Top Ten. Anyway, despite the slight teenybopper air to this song, I actually thought this song was pretty good. 36: CARIBBEAN QUEEN (NO MORE LOVE ON THE RUN) - BILLY OCEAN (debut) - He seemed destined to be a one-hit wonder, as "Love Really Hurts Without You" was his only hit for over eight years. But Billy came back with a vengeance in 1984 and there was a lot more where that came from. As for the song, it wasn't bad, but I preferred many others from him. 35: SEXY GIRL - GLENN FREY (24) - I could really relate to this song, as the guy who lived next door to me when this song was out had a daughter about my age who I had the hots for. 34: GO INSANE - LINDSAY BUCKINGHAM (35) - I personally preferred his early 1982 hit, "Trouble", but I'll tell you what, this song is nowhere near as annoying as "Holiday Road". That song can tend to stick in my mind! 33: THERE GOES MY BABY - DONNA SUMMER (37) - One of several songs by Summer that starts off with a slow tempo and then picks up a little ways into the song. This one was actually one of my favorites from her (though I remember disliking it during its chart run). 32: SAD SONGS (SAY SO MUCH) - ELTON JOHN (25) - The first hit from his Breaking Hearts album - the only Top Ten (although he did make the Top Ten on R&R with "Who Wears These Shoes"). I liked both songs about the same (and I also liked "In Neon"). 31: THE LUCKY ONE - LAURA BRANIGAN (34) - The follow-up to one of her biggest hits, "Self-Control". Like "There Goes My Baby", this song starts off as a ballad and then becomes upbeat. I like this song, but slightly preferred the Donna Summer song. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO-GO - WHAM! - Another song that, like the Pointer Sisters song, has a teenybopper feel to it. I liked it back during its chart run, but now, it's just OK. I still like it better than "Careless Whisper" for reasons I have explained here before. 30: STATE OF SHOCK - THE JACKSONS f/MICK JAGGER (18) - Meh, I never really liked this song. It had that summertime sound to it, though. 29: RIGHT BY YOUR SIDE - EURYTHMICS (31) - Very interesting song from them - has sort of a Caribbean feel to it. A great song indeed! 28: LEAVE A TENDER MOMENT ALONE - BILLY JOEL (27) - For awhile, this looked like it would be the final Top 40 hit from An Innocent Man, but Joel would surprise us in early 1985 with a sixth song. As for this song, it might have fallen into obscurity if not for the fact that it was a #1 AC song and received much airplay at that format. LDD: LOOKS LIKE WE MADE IT - BARRY MANILOW - Unfortunately,he was done hitting the Top 40 chart at this point. This was his third and final #1 hit, which definitely fit the LDD. 27: LUCKY STAR - MADONNA (40) - The third and final single from her first album, as she was gearing up to release Like A Virgin, which would turn out to be even more successful. This song was OK, but was my least favorite song from her thus far. 26: I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU - STEVIE WONDER (33) - My favorite version of this song was the one where he used a voice alternator as he repeated part of the first verse. Not sure if AT40 ever played that one, but I do remember hearing it on his AC version of his show in early 1995 when he played it as an extra or LDD. Either way, it was a good song and one that would end up putting him in second place for solo artist with the most #1s (of course, Elvis Presley was comfortably in the lead). 25: TORTURE - THE JACKSONS (30) - Their second song to chart in 1984. Though I definitely prefer this over their other song (heard back at #30), I preferred their early-70s songs. 24: HARD HABIT TO BREAK - CHICAGO (28) - The first of two songs from the Chicago 17 album that hit #1 on R&R, but not Billboard. This was my favorite song from the 17 album by a fairly large margin. 23: WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE - TWISTED SISTER (26) - This song reminded me a little of "Cum On Feel The Noize" by Quiet Riot. I liked this one a lot. 22: I CAN DREAM ABOUT YOU - DAN HARTMAN (12) - Here's one that I never used to like, but now, I think it's not bad. I still prefer his next two singles. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WHO WEARS THESE SHOES - ELTON JOHN - The second single from Breaking Hearts, though not quite as successful as the first one, "Sad Songs (Say So Much)". I thought it was a good song (and at least it did manage one week in the Top Ten on the R&R chart). 21: WHEN YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES - NIGHT RANGER (23) - They had a slew of great songs in the 80s. There is not a single Top 40 hit of theirs that I don't like - the only one that doesn't quite get "great song" status is their first Top 40 entry, "Don't Tell Me You Love Me", from early 1983. 20: DYNAMITE - JERMAINE JACKSON (20) - Well, I may not have been much for the two Jacksons hits from 1984, but such is not the case with Jermaine's two Top 40 songs from that year, as those are among my favorites from him. 19: ALL OF YOU - JULIO IGLESIAS & DIANA ROSS (19) - The second hit from Julio's album 1100 Bel Air Place album. I think it's a great song, though I know a few folks who consider it a "No. Just no" song (I guess I can see why, though). You might call this a guilty pleasure of mine! 18: CRUEL SUMMER - BANANARAMA (21) - Of their three Top 40 hits, this one is right in the middle - I prefer it over their remake of the Shocking Blue's "Venus" but, of course, my favorite song from them is "I Heard A Rumour" Be back with the rest later this weekend... 17: COVER ME - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN 16: ROUND AND ROUND - RATT 15: ROCK ME TONIGHT - BILLY SQUIER 14: IF EVER YOU'RE IN MY ARMS AGAIN - PEABO BRYSON 13: THE GLAMOROUS LIFE - SHEILA E. 12: LIGHTS OUT - PETER WOLF 11: WHEN DOVES CRY - PRINCE 10: DRIVE - CARS 9: SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT - COREY HART 8: THE WARRIOR - SCANDAL W/ PATTY SMYTH 7: IF THIS IS IT - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS 6: LET'S GO CRAZY - PRINCE 5: STUCK ON YOU - LIONEL RICHIE LDD: OUT HERE ON MY OWN - IRENE CARA 4: GHOSTBUSTERS - RAY PARKER, JR 3: SHE BOP - CYNDI LAUPER 2: MISSING YOU - JOHN WAITE 1: WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT - TINA TURNER This show was has network commercials.
|
|
|
Post by Hervard on Sept 18, 2020 12:34:40 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - September 18, 2020
This week's presentation - September 20, 1986
I'll get the 1984 commentary done eventually. Meanwhile...
Droppers: VELCRO FLY – ZZ TOP (39) - This song debuted at #35 three weeks before, and that's where it peaked. It was not bad, but I preferred the other three Afterburner singles. THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW – THE MONKEES (36) - Well, their comeback was sure quite short-lived, as it only consisted of this song, which peaked at #20 two weeks before. I thought it was a great song - one that takes me back to the late summer of 1986, as well as the beginning of my freshman year, although, by that time, radio stations weren't playing this much anymore). YANKEE ROSE – DAVID LEE ROTH (22) - This was another 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...
40: PARANOIMIA – THE ART OF NOISE WITH MAX HEADROOM (debut) - One of the oddest songs to make the Top 40 - surprised it wasn't classified as a novelty song. I liked it, but probably would have gotten tired of it had it been a bigger hit. 39: WE DON’T HAVE TO TAKE OUR CLOTHES OFF – JERMAINE STEWART (34) - I always got this song confused with "How Will I Know" by Whitney Houston, as the drum intros sounded alike (of course, that would be no coincidence, as 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 about abstinence. 38: MAD ABOUT YOU – BELINDA CARLISLE (31) - 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. 37: GIRL CAN'T HELP IT - JOURNEY (debut) - At the time, this was my favorite release from “Raised On Radio” (and beyond, as it was still my favorite after the last song was released in the spring of 1987). Since then, my tastes have changed and “I’ll Be Alright Without You” is my favorite. I still like this one, though - I especially like the end, when it becomes a completely different song. I’m kinda surprised they didn’t entitle it “Girl Can’t Help It/Fire In His Eyes”. 36: GLORY OF LOVE (THEME FROM “THE KARATE KID PART II”) – PETER CETERA (24) - 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! 35: POINT OF NO RETURN – NU SHOOZ (37) - This song definitely didn't measure up to the success of their first hit "I Can't Wait", which is a shame, because I preferred this song. 34: EARTH ANGEL (FROM “KARATE KID PART II”) – NEW EDITION (debut) - The second hit from the Karate Kid 2 soundtrack to hit the Top 40 - though the song didn't quite measure up to the success of the first one, it did get as high as #21. It was a good song, and one of my favorite New Edition hits. 33: I DIDN’T MEAN TO TURN YOU ON – ROBERT PALMER (38) - 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. LDD: YOUR WILDEST DREAMS - THE MOODY BLUES - As big as this legendary band was, it's a surprise that they only had three Top Ten hits. This was one of them, peaking at #9 two months earlier, and deservedly so, as it is one of my all-time faves from them! As the author of the LDD said, it depicted her situation perfectly. 32: SWEET LOVE – ANITA BAKER (35) - This was the first of four Top 40 hits from her, though she did have a few more on the Jazz and Adult Contemporary charts. This song was pretty good, though I preferred other songs from her, such as "Just Because" and a few of said Jazz/AC hits. 31: MONEY$ TOO TIGHT (TO MENTION) – SIMPLY RED (32) - 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. OPTIONAL EXTRA: THE WAY IT IS - BRUCE HORNSBY & THE RANGE - They had a handful of chart hits and this was their biggest. It's a great song - still sounds just as fresh today as it did back in 1986! 30: TRUE COLORS – CYNDI LAUPER (40) - The lead-off single from her sophomore album, as well as the title track. It wasn't bad, but a little too melancholy for my taste. I preferred the next two singles from True Colors. 29: A MATTER OF TRUST – BILLY JOEL (33) - This song had been out for quite awhile, so I was thinking this song wouldn't get too far. But the Columbia record label apparently heavily promoted this song, as it managed to hit the Top Ten. It was a good song, but I preferred Joel's next release, "This Is The Time". 28: RUMORS – TIMEX SOCIAL CLUB (19) - 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. 27: PAPA DON’T PREACH – MADONNA (14) - 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. 26: LOVE WALKS IN – VAN HALEN (28) - This was my favorite of the three Top 40 hits from 5150. One of many songs in this week's countdown that takes me back to my freshman year! Too bad it only got as high as #22. 25: TWIST AND SHOUT – THE BEATLES (29) - The Fab Four had the song's inclusion in two successful movies to thank for its return to the chart. Though it peaked much lower than in its original run, it spent four weeks longer on the Hot 100 than in that first run (as the charts in 1964 moved like lightning). I liked it, but the Beatles had many other songs that I preferred. 24: MAN SIZE LOVE (FROM “RUNNING SCARED”) - KLYMAXX (15) - Of course, it's pretty much a toss-up between this and "I'd Still Say Yes" as my favorite song from Klymaxx. 23: ALL CRIED OUT – LISA LISA & CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE (26) - Here's another song that takes me back to my freshman year! 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. 22: HEAVEN IN YOUR EYES - LOVERBOY (25) - One of several chart hits 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". 21: PRESS – PAUL McCARTNEY (21) - Despite the pretty good-sized jump the week before, this was all the further the song got. The song wasn't bad, but I prefer many other songs from him, solo or with the Beatles or Wings. 20: HEARTBEAT – DON JOHNSON (30) - The first chart hit for Sonny Crockett (and actually, his only solo hit, as his other Top 40 hit would be his duet with Babs "Till I Loved You"). This was a great song - I remember hearing it all the time near the beginning of my freshman year in High School! OPTIONAL EXTRA: VICTORY - KOOL & THE GANG - Of course, this replaced the original extra of "I'll Be Over You" by Toto, since co-founder Ron Bell died last week. Anyway, I heard that the students at Boston Middle School, which I had graduated from the year before, did aerobics to this song in late 1986. I'll betcha they'd had it with this song by the time that unit was over with! 19: TYPICAL MALE – TINA TURNER (27) - 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. 18: MISSIONARY MAN – THE EURYTHMICS (23) - Their last of nine Top 40 hits before Annie Lennox embarked on a solo career (as well as Dave Stewart, though he only had one Top 40 hit). I wasn't a big fan of this song, however - definitely one of my least favorites from them. 17: THROWING IT ALL AWAY - GENESIS (20) - Here's another song that went to #1 on the R&R chart the previous week, but didn't quite make it on the Hot 100. It did peak at #4, though, which isn't bad either. This song was OK, IMO, but my least favorite of the five singles from Invisible Touch. 16: THE CAPTAIN OF HER HEART - DOUBLE (16) - A song by a rare bird - a Swiss band. In fact, according to Casey, 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. 15: TWO OF HEARTS – STACEY Q (17) - Meh, don't care much for this one. The ah-ah-ah part is somewhat embarrassing. 14: WHEN I THINK OF YOU – JANET JACKSON (18) - 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. 13: SWEET FREEDOM (THEME FROM “RUNNING SCARED”) – MICHAEL McDONALD (7) - Well, I never saw the movie, but I definitely remember the song. It was a great one, like most of McDonald's solo hits. 12: HIGHER LOVE – STEVE WINWOOD (6) - Meh, the only good thing about this song is the fact that it was on its way down the chart. I'm still burned out on the song, mainly due to overplay (not that it was one of my favorite songs in the first place). 11: LOVE ZONE – BILLY OCEAN (13) - Your typical mid-80s slow jam. I preferred the song that preceded this as well as the follow-up - both tender love ballads. This was a good song as well. 10: BABY LOVE - REGINA (10) - The only hit from whom many people consider a "Madonna clone", since their voices sound alike. Despite the fact that I'm not generally a big fan of dance music, I really liked this song. OPTIONAL EXTRA: HUMAN - HUMAN LEAGUE - Their second of two #1 hits. Of course, my favorite was their first one, "Don't You Want Me", from four years before. 9: DREAMTIME – DARYL HALL (12) - His first of two solo hits before rejoining his sidekick John Oates. I liked both of them, but slightly preferred this one. 8: DON’T FORGET ME (WHEN I’M GONE) – GLASS TIGER (11) - 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). 7: VENUS - BANANARAMA (5) - I wasn't a big fan of this song. I preferred their two other Top 40 hits, especially "I Heard A Rumour". 6: WALK THIS WAY – RUN-D.M.C. (9) - 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. 5: WORDS GET IN THE WAY – MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (8) - Their third hit and, like the first two, it hit the Top Ten. It was a good song, but one of my least favorite of their ballads. LDD: DANIEL – ELTON JOHN - This song was requested in an effort for the author to rebuild the relationship with his brother that was destroyed by the drug addiction the author had gone through. I remember this as being the opening song to Elton's 1973 album Don't Shoot Me I'm Only The Piano Player, which I listened to a lot when I was real little. 4: TAKE MY BREATH AWAY (THEME FROM “TOP GUN”) - BERLIN (1) - This was the second of two singles from Top Gun on this week's chart. It was a good song, but my favorite song from the Top Gun soundtrack was the album cut "Mighty Wings" by Cheap Trick. Too bad that wasn't released as a single. 3: FRIENDS AND LOVERS – CARL ANDERSON AND GLORIA LORING (4) - I loved the country cover version of this by Eddie Rabbitt & Juice Newton that was climbing the country chart about this time in 1986, but I was definitely getting tired of this version, as the radio stations I was listening to were playing this song to death. Now that we rarely hear it anymore, it's good to hear every now and again. OPTIONAL EXTRA: TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT - EDDIE MONEY - I like many of the Money Man's songs, but this definitely isn't one of them. Possibly my least favorite song from him (and, of course, it was his biggest hit). 2: DANCING ON THE CEILING – LIONEL RICHIE (2) - Of course, this is only possible if the building your in has been flipped over, or if the law of gravity happened to change. As for the song, it's pretty good, but definitely not his best song. 1: STUCK WITH YOU – HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (3) - He/they had already had a #1 hit the year before and were collecting their second this week. This would log two more week at the top for a total of three - 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 especially glad it ended up as R&R's top song of the year.
Coming up next week: September 24, 1983!
|
|
|
Post by Hervard on Sept 25, 2020 13:34:31 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - September 26, 2020 This week's presentation - September 25, 1976 Droppers: DR. TARR AND PROFESSOR FETHER - ALAN PARSONS PROJECT (37) - This was the first Top 40 hit for "the Project". Though I preferred their 80s hits, especially the ones with Eric Woolfson on vocals, this was a good one too. KISS AND SAY GOODBYE - THE MANHATTANS (34) - No big loss at all, as I found this song quite depressing, especially when they played the spoken part at the beginning. As we all know, I preferred "Shining Star" over this song any day! I CAN'T HEAR YOU NO MORE - HELEN REDDY (32) - It's kind of refreshing to hear a non-cheesy song from her. I don’t even mind the fact that this is disco. STREET SINGIN - LADY FLASH (27) - The only hit for Barry Manilow's back-up singers. It was a good song but, of course, I preferred most of Barry's big hits. 40: FERNANDO - ABBA (debut) - The beginning of this song reminds me of "El Condor Pasa" by Simon & Garfunkel. This is definitely one of my favorite songs by Abba, right up there with "Dancing Queen" and "Winner Takes It All". 39: DON'T STOP BELIEVIN' - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (33) - No, this was not the original version of the song Journey charted with at the end of 1981. It was completely different. But you already knew that, right? Anyway the song was pretty good, but sounds a lot like her other mid-70s hits. I preferred said Journey song. 38: THE WRECK OF THE EDMUND FITZGERALD - GORDON LIGHTFOOT (debut) - A true story about an ore freighter that was caught in a fierce storm in Lake Superior the year before, and ultimately sunk, killing all 29 crewmen on board. They generally edited this song, usually cutting from the verse about the wreck to the one about the memorial for the ship's crew, but they played the song intact this week. As depressing of a story as it is, I like the song - one of my favorite of his Top 40 hits. 37: YOU ARE THE WOMAN - FIREFALL (debut) - Oddly enough, this, Firefall's first hit, was their only Top Ten. They had two songs that just barely missed, however. This was a great song, but I preferred one of said near-misses, "Just Remember I Love You". 36: SUNRISE - ERIC CARMEN (40) - This was his third Top 40 hit. It was pretty good, but I preferred his other two hits from earlier that year. 35: SUPERSTAR - PAUL DAVIS (36) - This was a tribute to many artists that were truly superstars, like Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Linda Ronstadt, and Joni Mitchell. Not bad, but I preferred most of his other hits. 34: GET THE FUNK OUT MA FACE - THE BROTHERS JOHNSON (38) - Great song! That is, if you’re into R&B disco, which, unfortunately, I’m not. But I realize that a lot of people are, so they probably like this song - and really, more power to them. It just doesn't do anything for me. 33: BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY - PETER FRAMPTON (30) - As Frampton Comes Alive was having an on-again, off-again relationship with the #1 spot on the album chart, the second single from it was on its way down this week, having peaked at #12 for the past two weeks. The song was pretty good, but I preferred the two other singles from what would become the top album of the year. 32: IT'S O.K. - THE BEACH BOYS (39) - The title pretty much matches my opinion of the song. I preferred their Top Ten hit, "Rock And Roll Music" from earlier in the year, as well as a few of their sixties hits that the band is most famous for. 31: THIS MASQUERADE - GEORGE BENSON (29) - A nice, mellow chill-out type song, as was his next release, the instrumental "Breezin'". Too bad the latter didn't hit the Top 40. 30: BETH - KISS (debut) - They may be more known for their hard rock songs, but their two biggest hits, both of which hit the Top Ten, were ballads, and those are among my favorites from them. I like this song and "Forever" about the same. 29: LET 'EM IN - WINGS (24) - One of the only songs I've ever heard that opens with a Westminster chime doorbell. As for the song, it is my favorite of Wings' two Top Five hits from 1976. I still preferred a few others from them. 28: HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL (PART 1) - TAVARES (25) - While it's true that I'm no fan of R&B disco, I actually kind of liked this song. OPTIONAL EXTRA: NADIA'S THEME (THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS) - BARRY DE VORZON & PERRY BOTKIN JR. (14) - The Theme for "The Young And The Restless". I definitely recognize the music, even if I have never seen any episodes of it. I like it - a great chill-out type song. 27: (DON'T FEAR) THE REAPER - BLUE OYSTER CULT (31) - A classic rock staple here. The one that radio usually plays features the instrumental bridge, but it was cut out in this song, such was the case during its entire run on AT40, I believe. 26: ONE LOVE IN MY LIFETIME - DIANA ROSS (28) -I assume that it's no coincidence that this sounded so much like her version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". This was a good song - much better than her previous hit "Love Hangover", but I preferred her other 1976 hit, "Theme From Mahogany". 25: DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART - ELTON JOHN & KIKI DEE (14) - This song wasted absolutely no time hitting #1, but didn't seem to be in a hurry to leave the Top 40, as its drop was rather slow. As a result of its tenacity, the song was the second most popular song of 1976, behind "Silly Love Songs" by Wings. Of course, I think we all know that I prefer this one, right? 24: MAGIC MAN - HEART (26) - A high point in the show for our friend JessieLou! This was their second Top 40 hit, and it made the Top Ten, unlike their debut hit, "Crazy On You". Both songs still get regular airplay on classic rock and oldies stations (and I remember both from back in the day, since WLS played them regularly). 23: I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU - BAY CITY ROLLERS (35) - The first of two remakes of this song to make the Top 40. The second one came in early 1989 for Samantha Fox. I like both of them about the same. 22: SHOWER THE PEOPLE - JAMES TAYLOR (22) - This is a song that has aged quite well - still sounds great 40+ years later! 21: ROCK'N ME - THE STEVE MILLER BAND (27) - Another one I remember from back in the day! Glad this one got to sneak in a week at the top before Rod Stewart began his marathon run up there. 20: YOU SHOULD BE DANCING - THE BEE GEES (10) - They were in the midst their second wave of popularity at this point, as this song, like "Jive Talkin'" the year before, was a #1 hit. It was so/so, but I preferred other hits from them, especially from Saturday Night Fever. 19: THAT'LL BE THE DAY - LINDA RONSTADT (20) - One of many remakes from her. It wasn't bad, but I preferred the original by the Crickets (not the same ones who sing back-up on Johnny Rivers’ “Slow Dancing”). 18: WHO'D SHE COO - THE OHIO PLAYERS (18) - One of many remakes from her. It wasn't bad, but I preferred the original by the Crickets (not the same ones who sing back-up on Johnny Rivers’ “Slow Dancing”). 17: WHAM BAM (SHANG-A-LANG) - SILVER (19) - Track 11 on Volume 2 of Barry Scott Presents: Lost 45s of the 70's & 80's, a CD I've listened to many a time, so I've heard this song many times as a result. It's a good one! 16: SHE'S GONE - HALL & OATES (20) - This was their second hit, and the best was definitely yet to come for this dynamic duo! This song was so/so, but definitely not their best. 15: GETAWAY - EARTH, WIND & FIRE (17) - Indeed, one of the biggest R&B acts of the 1970s! Though this wasn't quite as good as "That's The Way Of The World" and "September", it was still a good song nevertheless. OPTIONAL EXTRA: The story about the first country song to hit #1 on the Pop chart ("Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) by Tex Williams). Thankfully, they only played a drop piece, as I did not like the song at all. 14: A LITTLE BIT MORE - DR. HOOK (15) - Meh, this used to be one of my favorite songs from them, but for some reason, such is not the case anymore. I listened to "I Never Cry" by Alice Cooper, which the above Optional Extra replaced for whatever reason, while this song was playing. 13: STILL THE ONE - ORLEANS (16) - They had three Top 20 hits, and I really liked all three of them about the same, but this one would be my favorite by a thin margin over the other two. Glad that they played the entire song (as I seem to recall that they butchered this one more often than not). 12: WITH YOUR LOVE - JEFFERSON STARSHIP (12) - Another high point for JessieLou! This one sounded very much like their big hit "Miracles", from the year before. I liked it, but I preferred their two 1978 hits when Marty Balin was still lead singer. 11: SAY YOU LOVE ME - FLEETWOOD MAC (11) - Their self-titled album had been out for over a year and would finally hit #1 on the album chart a few weeks later, setting a record for the slowest climb to #1 on that chart. As for this song, I thought it was good, though I slightly preferred "Rhiannon". 10: YOU'LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER LOVE LIKE MINE - LOU RAWLS (5) - This song just missed hitting #1, which is a shame, since this was a great song! At least it did hit the Top Five and was Rawls' biggest hit ever. 9: DISCO DUCK (PART 1) - RICK DEES (13) - OK, how in the world did this goofy, annoying song get to #1? Oh yeah, disco was all the rage back in 1976. Whatever... 8: IF YOU LEAVE ME NOW - CHICAGO (9) - Now here's one I heard at least once a day back in the fall of 1976! But I don't think I ever got tired of it. Has a very haunting melody to it (so I guess it was fitting that it would hit #1 on Halloween weekend). 7: SUMMER - WAR (8) - Oddly enough, despite the title, this song was peaking on the weekend after the autumnal equinox. Of course, I like this song at any time of year. 6: DEVIL WOMAN - CLIFF RICHARD (7) - His first Top 40 hit in over a decade ended up being his biggest hit ever, peaking at #6 this week. This song was pretty good, but I generally preferred his 80s hits. 5: LOWDOWN - BOZ SCAGGS (6) - He had a few low charters in the early-70s and a minor Top 40 hit earlier in 1976, but this is the song that really put him on the map. The song wasn't bad, but I preferred most of his other hits that charted after this. 4: (SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE) SHAKE YOUR BOOTY - K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND (2) - While I prefer a few others by them, this still is better than their 1979 whinefest "Please Don't Go". 3: A FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN - WALTER MURPHY & THE BIG APPLE BAND (4) - This was an interesting disco version of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. One of the most successful instrumentals of all time (and THE most successful instrumental to be adapted from a classical composition). OPTIONAL EXTRA: MORE THAN A FEELING - BOSTON - Here's one I remember from back in the day - I thought they were singing "Poor little Felix, so I sent all the apples to work". Too bad radio stations usually play the single version of the song, which is chopped down way too much, IMO. Definitely one of my favorite songs by Boston. 2: I'D REALLY LOVE TO SEE YOU TONIGHT - ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY (3) - The brother of half of the duo Seals & Crofts, who had recently charted with "Get Closer" peaked at #2 with the first hit for him, along with his "sidekick". This was my favorite song from them. (Please, don’t even get me started on how Barry Manilow totally messed this song up about 20 years later with his dance remake...) 1: PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC - WILD CHERRY (1) - Here's another song that had a bad cover version years later. Honestly - ever since Vanilla Ice went and effed up this song in early 1991, I never was able to look at this song in the same light ever again!
|
|
|
Post by Hervard on Sept 25, 2020 13:34:41 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - September 26, 2020
This week's presentation - September 24, 1983
LW#2: TELL HER ABOUT IT – BILLY JOEL LW#1: MANIAC – MICHAEL SEMBELLO 40: COLD BLOODED – RICK JAMES (debut) - This was a one-week wonder on AT40, so I'd only heard it once before, the other time this show was broadcast. The song was OK, but I'm not a huge Rick James fan. 39: IF ANYONE FALLS – STEVIE NICKS (debut) - She was still doing quite well as a solo artist, and this was one of my favorite solo hits from her - definitely my favorite from The Wild Heart. 38: IT’S A MISTAKE – MEN AT WORK (22) - Well, they definitely had a great year, but their chart days were nearing the end. This would end up being their last Top Ten hit. It was my second favorite of theirs, behind "Overkill". 37: IT MUST BE LOVE - MADNESS (38) - Well, "Our House" was indeed a big hit, but this one, on the other hand, didn't even touch the Top 30. I thought it was pretty good, but I preferred their first one. 36: SITTING AT THE WHEEL – THE MOODY BLUES (39) - "Running On Empty" meets "Sister Goldenhair", as I hear elements of both songs in this song, which was the Moody Blues' comeback hit after two years off. Because of that, many people thought it would do better than it did but, unfortunately, it didn't even make the Top 20. The song did, however, hit #1 on my Personal Top 30, since I liked it a lot. 35: SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER – THE MOTELS (40) - They had four Top 40 hits, and I liked all of them. This one would peak at #9, like their first hit "Only The Lonely". I think that we all know that my favorite song from them was "Remember The Nights". 34: DON’T FORGET TO DANCE – THE KINKS (36) - Well, their 80s comeback was short-lived, but not before they had their biggest hit ever, "Come Dancing" earlier in the summer. This song didn't do quite as well, but the station that I listened to, U93, played it quite regularly. 33: LADY LOVE ME – GEORGE BENSON (33) - A great jazz artist here! This song had his trademark scat singing during the bridge. This was one of my favorite of his songs that charted at Top 40 radio, but I preferred a few others that charted at smooth jazz and AC ("Breezin'" and "I Just Want To Hang Around You" come to mind). 32: DON’T YOU GET SO MAD – JEFFREY OSBORNE (25) - For some reason, I associate this song and the George Benson song together, since, for one, they're both mid-tempo R&B song, as well as the fact that they climbed the R&R chart together. More often than not, it seemed, they were back to back, like they are on this week's countdown. I liked this song a lot, but preferred a few others from Osborne. OPTIONAL EXTRA: LOVE IS A STRANGER - THE EURYTHMICS - Not a fan of this one - I actually prefer their song on this week's chart, as overplayed as it is. Apparently, the general Top 40 audience agreed, as, despite their first song hitting #1, this one only got as high as #23. 31: TONIGHT I CELEBRATE MY LOVE – PEABO BRYSON AND ROBERTA FLACK (34) - This was one of several duets from them, though it was the only one that charted on AT40 (the second, "You're Looking Like Love To Me" just missed, in early 1983). I preferred that one by far (as it was my #1 song of 1984 on my Personal Top 30 charts), but this was a great one as well! 30: DELIRIOUS - PRINCE (37) - Meh, I'm not a fan of this one at all. Give me "Little Red Corvette" any day! 29: BIG LOG – ROBERT PLANT (32) - The first solo hit by the lead singer of the legendary band Led Zeppelin. I've always wondered how high "Stairway To Heaven" would have climbed had it been released as a single. As for this song, it was a good one, but I generally prefer his Led Zeppelin singles, including the one mentioned above. 28: TELL HER NO – JUICE NEWTON (31) - Here's another song that got heavy airplay on U93 in the fall of 1983, so I'm kinda surprised that this song only peaked in the low 20s. It was a good one, but, as we know all too well, I preferred her 1982 songs. LDD: I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU – DOLLY PARTON - Wow, wasn't this used as a LDD on a show a few weeks ago? It's no surprise that it became a popular LDD request after Whitney Houston's cover of it became a huge pop hit nearly ten years later. This song was indeed fitting for the dedication. 27: (KEEP FEELING) FASCINATION – THE HUMAN LEAGUE (20) - Definitely a group that's associated with the 80s, with their electronic, new wave sound. I preferred "Don't You Want Me" and their next hit after this one, "Mirror Man", but I like this song too. 26: KISS THE BRIDE – ELTON JOHN (27) - This song wasn't bad, but I can see why it wasn't one of his bigger hits. 25: TELEFONE (LONG DISTANCE LOVE AFFAIR) – SHEENA EASTON (30) - I generally prefer her slower songs, but this one was an exception. One of my all-time faves from her! 24: HUMAN TOUCH – RICK SPRINGFIELD (21) - I was never a huge fan of this song. One of my least favorites from him. 23: BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE – THE TALKING HEADS (28) - OH HELL NO!! If you're gonna burn down the house, make sure that as many copies of this song as possible are inside said house! 22: DEAD GIVEAWAY - SHALAMAR (23) - This one isn't quite as good as "Second Time Around", but I like it a lot better than "Dancing In The Sheets". 21: ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER – THE FIXX (29) - This song is very overplayed. What's sad is that this is the only song of theirs that gets any kind of recurrent airplay while other great songs of theirs are ignored. OPTIONAL EXTRA: UPTOWN GIRL - BILLY JOEL - Ah, his salute to the Four Seasons. I like this song a lot better than his other song on the chart this week. 20: I’LL TUMBLE 4 YA – CULTURE CLUB (18) - aka "The Mexican Hat Dance Song". I liked this song when it first came out (I even bought the 45), then eventually, I hated it (gave it "No. Just No" status a few times, IIRC). Now I like it almost as much as I did during its chart run. 19: LAWYERS IN LOVE – JACKSON BROWNE (13) - I remember when a friend of mine thought that this song was called "Laurie's In Love" back in the day. I think the song's not bad, but I prefer many others from her. 18: SHE WORKS HARD FOR THE MONEY – DONNA SUMMER (11) - Another overplayed song, but at least radio does play a few other songs by her, unlike The Fixx. 17: ISLANDS IN THE STREAM – KENNY ROGERS DUET WITH DOLLY PARTON (26) - I've grown to like this song a lot better than I have over the past few years. Still, there are other songs by both artists that I prefer. 16: HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU – LAURA BRANIGAN (19) - Of course, it's pretty common knowledge that Michael Bolton wrote this one (and later on recorded his own version). This is my favorite of Laura's 1983 hits (including "Gloria", which ranked on 1983's year-end list), but I slightly prefer Bolton's version. 15: EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE – THE POLICE (6) - Not sure how a song about stalking managed to spend eight weeks at #1, but whatever. 14: PROMISES, PROMISES – NAKED EYES (15) - 1983 was definitely their heyday, as they had their two biggest hits that year (along with a minor hit at the very end). This was my favorite of their two Top 20 hits (I forget how "When The Lights Go Out" goes at the moment). 13: TRUE – SPANDAU BALLET (17) - PM Dawn and Nelly apparently like this song, as both artists sampled it in their songs. I think the song's pretty good, too, though I didn't like it too much during its chart run. EXTRA: YELLOW SUBMARINE – THE BEATLES - Interesting how the sound effects in the song came about. As for the song itself, it's not bad, but definitely not their best. 12: FAR FROM OVER – FRANK STALLONE (14) - This was the only Top 40 hit from actor Sylvester Stallone's younger brother. It was a great song, IMO. 11: KING OF PAIN – THE POLICE (16) - This is definitely a lot better (and less played) than their other song on the chart this week! OPTIONAL EXTRA: LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD - PAT BENATAR - Well what is it - a stranger or a battlefield? Those are two completely different things! But seriously, this song was on its way to becoming her second Top Ten hit (yes, I also thought she'd had more Top Ten hits up to this point). It was OK, but one of my least favorite songs by her. 10: DON’T CRY - ASIA (10) - They were somewhat of a flash in the pan, as they only had three Top 20 hits, in the span of slightly over a year. This was a good one, though my least favorite of their Top 40 hits. 9: (SHE’S SEXY) + 17 – THE STRAY CATS (12) - For some reason, I was never a big fan of this song. Definitely my least favorite of their Top 40 hits. 8: PUTTIN’ ON THE RITZ – TACO (8) - Though the song was half a century old, it was remade very nicely to not sound too out of place for the 80s. I liked it. LDD: STAND BY ME – MICKEY GILLEY - I used to consider this a mediocre cover of the Ben E. King classic, but I've heard it many times (usually here on AT40) over the past few years and it is actually now my favorite version of the song. 7: HUMAN NATURE – MICHAEL JACKSON (13) - Michael was still cranking out hits from Thriller. This was the fifth of seven, and it was one of my favorite songs on the album. 6: SWEET DREAMS – THE EURYTHMICS (5) - The first of ten Top 40 hits from them, and it was their biggest hit, hitting #1 a few weeks back. It wasn't bad, but quite overplayed. 5: MAKING LOVE OUT OF NOTHING AT ALL – AIR SUPPLY (9) - The first of two songs in the Top Five written by Jim Steinman. I liked both of them about the same - they're both great hits! 4: MANIAC – MICHAEL SEMBELLO (1) - One of two #1 songs from the movie Flashdance. I preferred the title track over this one. 3: THE SAFETY DANCE – MEN WITHOUT HATS (3) - Of course, AT40 usually played the single version of the song which I preferred, because it pretty much got straight to the point, without all the instrumental mumbo jumbo and the spelling of "Safety", as if we didn't know how to spell it. That version is the one that gets virtually all of the recurrent airplay (and was the one that the radio stations I used to listen to played). 2: TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART – BONNIE TYLER (4) - The other Steinman-composed song on the chart this week, and this one would end up going all the way (in fact, it would block the other one from the #1 spot!) As I mentioned earlier, I liked both songs about the same. 1: TELL HER ABOUT IT – BILLY JOEL (1) - The first song from what could be Joel's most successful album ever (spawned six singles - only one of which didn't quite hit the Top 20). This was the biggest song from the album - hitting #1 this week, and had actually topped the R&R chart two weeks before - must have sold a tad slower. Anyway, this song wasn't bad, but was one of my least favorite songs from him.
|
|
|
Post by mrjukebox on Sept 26, 2020 5:39:18 GMT -5
Rumor has it that "Uptown Girl" was written about Christie Brinkley whom Joel married in 1985-It was actually written about another supermodel Elle Mc Pherson.
|
|
|
Post by OnWithTheCountdown on Sept 26, 2020 8:54:50 GMT -5
Is it just the station I'm listening to (WDNY), or does Casey Kasem sound like he's talking into a bottle on the 1976 show? Thinking it's the station's stream. Sometimes the current AT40 channel sounds like that, with the compressed audio coupled with streaming. I'm listening to my copy of the show, and Casey sounds good. 🙂
|
|
|
Post by mrjukebox on Sept 26, 2020 16:12:43 GMT -5
Loved the video for "Tell Her About It"-For those of you who might not remember the video,it was intended as an homage to "The Ed Sullivan Show" which aired on CBS every Sunday night from 1948-1971-Will Jordan's portrayal of Sullivan was spot on.
|
|
|
Post by SFGuy on Sept 28, 2020 2:05:15 GMT -5
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.
Actually, this was a parody not a ripoff. He also did a take off of the "Every Breath You Take" and "California Girls" videos. The other parts were probably parodies but I don't recognize where they were from.
|
|
|
Post by Hervard on Oct 2, 2020 12:58:28 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - October 3, 2020 This week's presentation - September 27, 1975 Droppers: YOUR LOVE – GRAHAM CENTRAL STATION (38) - The only Top 40 hit from this San Francisco band headed up by former Sly & The Family Stone bass player Larry Graham. A pretty good song, IMO. I do, however, prefer Graham's solo hit "One In A Million You", which hit the Top Ten five years later. BLACK SUPERMAN/MUHAMMAD ALI – JOHNNY WAKELIN & THE KINSHASA BAND (30) - One of several one-hit wonders on this week's chart. The song was not bad, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. R.I.P. to the subject of this song HOW SWEET IT IS (TO BE LOVED BY YOU) – JAMES TAYLOR (29) - I still hear this one from time to time on oldies stations . It is indeed a great one - very upbeat and positive sounding. THIRD RATE ROMANCE - AMAZING RHYTHM ACES (14) - Wow, what a drop! Reminds me a little of 1982, only the song dropped to #41 this week instead of way down in the 60s or 70s. 1975 had quite a few songs dropping from inside the Top 20 to right outside the Top 40. Anyway, this song was a really good one - had a country-rock sound. 40: LYIN’ EYES – THE EAGLES (debut) - They certainly butchered this one pretty good (then again, the single version is already heavily edited - since the album version is six and a half minutes long - pretty much a no-no by mid-70s standards, especially for AT40). Anyway, this was a great song - one of my favorites from them! 39: IF I EVER LOSE THIS HEAVEN – THE AVERAGE WHITE BAND (debut) - Their first two hits were pretty good, but this one is more laid back than those first two. It was by far my favorite of the three. Too bad it didn’t get past #39. 38: I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU – ART GARFUNKEL (debut) - A classic golden oldie that has been covered many times over! This is one of the best renditions of it that I've ever heard. 37: I GOT STONED AND I MISSED IT – JIM STAFFORD (debut) - This was an AT40 "one-week wonder". Even though it was on the chart for two weeks, its other week was pre-empted by the Rock & Roll Acts of the 50's show the following week. This song was OK, but I'm generally not a huge fan of country novelty hits. 36: SOLITAIRE – THE CARPENTERS (17) - They had been charting for five years and were still going strong, with two Top Ten hits so far in 1975 and, at first, it looked like this one might follow suit, but it ran out of gas at #17. It was a great song, but I preferred their last hit before this one, "Only Yesterday". 35: WHAT A DIFF’RENCE A DAY MAKES – ESTHER PHILLIPS (39) - Meh - her grating voice negates any redeeming qualities that this song might have. 34: YOU’RE ALL I NEED TO GET BY – TONY ORLANDO & DAWN (37) - This Motown classic was given a great makeover, IMO. Really, the song did not sound much different than the original. 33: DO IT ANY WAY YOU WANNA – PEOPLES CHOICE (36) - This one was quite repetitive. Not a fan of it at all. 32: THEME FROM “JAWS” – JOHN WILLIAMS (35) - This song was battling it out with Dickie Goodman's' novelty song about the movie, as both songs debuted on the chart the previous week. The latter, however, was clearly winning. I liked both songs about the same - in different ways, of course. 31: CAROLINA IN THE PINES – MICHAEL MURPHEY (34) - One of two Top 40 hits for Murphey in 1975. Previously, I had preferred "Wildfire", but I have come to like this song a lot better than in the past. Either way, both are great songs! 30: WHO LOVES YOU – THE FOUR SEASONS (40) - Their comeback hit (as well as the last one with Frankie Valli singing lead) was already looking to be successful, as this song took the longest leap on the chart this week. It was a great song - one of their best, IMO. 29: LADY BLUE – LEON RUSSELL (33) - I remember Leon most from the Bangla Desh benefit album from earlier in the decade, on which he sang a few songs. As for this song, it was a great one - nice and mellow. 28: GET DOWN TONIGHT – K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND (15) - Well, this song wasted absolutely no time hitting #1, and it fell just as fast, spending nine weeks in the Top 40, an unusually short term for a #1 song. Its run on the R&R chart was much longer, where it spent nine weeks in the Top TEN! It was a good song - my favorite of their two #1 hits during 1975. OPTIONAL EXTRA: ROCKIN' ALL OVER THE WORLD - JOHN FOGERTY - Fogerty's third hit since the disbanding of Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was okies, but I preferred his three 1985 hits (as well as several by CCR). 27: MIRACLES – JEFFERSON STARSHIP (31) - Marty Balin had taken over as lead singer at this point. This wasn't bad, but I preferred the two 1978 songs with him singing lead. 26: GONE AT LAST – PAUL SIMON & PHOEBE SNOW (28) - With the fast beat and the Dixie Hummingbirds singing along, this sounds like an upbeat gospel choir tune. It's a great, energetic song! 25: BAD BLOOD – NEIL SEDAKA (32) - Today, this song would be billed as being by Neil Sedaka featuring Elton John (and, ironically, the featured artist would be the one to succeed this song at #1). It was a good song - one of my favorite songs from Sedaka. 24: ROCKY – AUSTIN ROBERTS (26) - This song was pretty cheesy, but still a good song. 23: BRAZIL – THE RICHIE FAMILY (27) - This was an interesting remake of the big band classic from the 1940s with Philly music incorporated into it. 22: THE PROUD ONE – THE OSMONDS (22) - This song reminds me a little of "Someday At Christmas" by Stevie Wonder. It was a good song, though I prefer a few others from them (Donny and Marie duets included). 21: HOW LONG (BETCHA’ GOT A CHICK ON THE SIDE) – THE POINTER SISTERS (24) - Meh, I preferred Ace's Top Ten hit "How Long" from earlier in the year. That is all. 20: DAISY JANE - AMERICA (21) - I've mentioned how much "Let's Wait Awhile" by Janet Jackson and "Heart Hotels" remind me of this song, and there is a third song but, for the life of me, I can't remember which one. Anyway, this is my second favorite of their three 1975 hits, behind "Sister Goldenhair". A fairly close second, I might add, because I really like the song. 19: FALLIN’ IN LOVE – HAMILTON, JOE FRANK AND REYNOLDS (8) - This former #1 song was much better than the two remakes from the 1990s that I’ve heard (La Bouche and another one I remember hearing in 1995 - not sure who it was by, but it had rap in it). 18: THEY JUST CAN’T STOP IT (THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY) – THE SPINNERS (23) - This was their lowest peaking song to hit the Top Ten. That's right; they either hit the Top Five or missed the Top Ten altogether. This was one of my favorite songs from them. 17: IT ONLY TAKES A MINUTE - TAVARES (25) - Well, as they say, third time's a charm, as this song, the previous week's #1 R&B song, was their third Top 40 hit and their first (and only) Top Ten. It was actually pretty good, considering I'm not generally a big fan of this kind of music. 16: FEELINGS – MORRIS ALBERT (20) - This cheese factor indeed abounds in this song, but I've actually learned to like it better than I used to (a few years back, it always got "No. Just no" status, but not anymore). 15: I BELIEVE THERE’S NOTHING STRONGER THAN OUR LOVE – PAUL ANKA & ODIA COATES (18) - His fourth and final single with Odia Coates. It was pretty good, but I preferred his 1983 hit "Hold Me 'Til The Morning Comes", which was another team-up, with Peter Cetera, only he didn't receive label credit. 14: MR. JAWS – DICKIE GOODMAN (19) - This is the parody I mentioned back at #32. One of Goodman's famous break-in type songs that became his trademark. This song used brief clips of about a dozen songs from 1975, most of them from earlier in the year to "answer" comedic questions posed by voice actors. It was a good song, but I'd probably get tired of it if I heard the song over and over again (such was the case with the general public, as this song kind of came and went, which was somewhat typical of novelty songs like this). OPTIONAL EXTRA: BORN TO RUN - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - This was definitely one of his signature songs! Hard to believe that this song didn't get any higher than #23! 13: THAT’S THE WAY OF THE WORLD – EARTH, WIND & FIRE (12) - Their second hit of the year and by far the best - as well as one of my favorites from them of all time! Anyone ever notice the similarity between this song and "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over" by Lenny Kravitz? 12: DANCE WITH ME - ORLEANS (16) - They may have had only three Top 40 hits, but all three were great! I don't even know which of them is my favorite. 11: AIN’T NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY – HELEN REDDY (13) - Like most of her songs, the cheese factor is definitely present, but compared to several of her more cringe-worthy songs, this one was actually a good song. 10: FEEL LIKE MAKIN’ LOVE – BAD COMPANY (10) - One of two Top Ten hits from them. It was a good one, IMO - still receives recurrent airplay today on oldies and classic rock stations. 9: BALLROOM BLITZ - SWEET (11) - Sorry, but I'm not a fan of this one at all. 8: WASTED DAYS AND WASTED NIGHTS – FREDDY FENDER (9) - Meh, I didn't care much for this one either - his voice was kind of annoying. 7: AT SEVENTEEN – JANIS IAN (3) - I know several people who dislike this song, due to the "cheese factor", but I actually thought it was a great one - I guess you could call it a guilty pleasure! 6: COULD IT BE MAGIC – BARRY MANILOW (6) - His third of many big hits. This song, based on the melody of Chopin's Prelude In C Minor, was by far my favorite of his three 1975 hits. 5: RUN JOEY RUN – DAVID GEDDES (7) - This song probably wouldn't be so bad if not for the whiny voice singing at the beginning of each verse. 4: FIGHT THE POWER PT. 1 – THE ISLEY BROTHERS (5) - "I got knocked on the ground/With all this bullsh*t going down" At least that was what was heard on the first two weeks that this song was on the countdown! Even though this one was the roof-raising R&B music that I generally hate, this one was actually not bad. 3: RHINESTONE COWBOY – GLEN CAMPBELL (2) - Earlier in the hour, Casey mentioned some of the biggest hits so far this year and that Elton John held the record for most weeks in the Top 40, with seventeen. It was pretty evident that this song would likely beat that record, as it was in its fifteenth week on and all the way up at #3. It ended up spending eighteen weeks on the chart and became one of the biggest songs of 1975. OPTIONAL EXTRA: S.O.S. - ABBA - This song was two weeks away from debuting and, based on its early action, it looked like it would be their second Top Ten, but it ran out of gas at #15. It wasn't bad, but I preferred many others from them. 2: FAME – DAVID BOWIE (1) - The song wasn't bad, but quite overplayed IMO. I don't think that I need to remind y'all that my favorite songs from him are his two songs from 1987, do I? 1: I’M SORRY – JOHN DENVER (4) - Wow, this song sure wasted no time hitting the top. Surprisingly, this was its only week at #1 - "Fame" reclaimed the top spot the following week. At least this song stuck around for awhile, spending five weeks in the runner-up position. During that time, the song “Calypso”, which was on the flipside, joined this song to make for a double-sided hit. AT40 intermittently played both songs during the remainder of its chart run.
|
|
|
Post by Hervard on Oct 2, 2020 12:58:39 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - October 3, 2020 This week's presentation - October 5, 1985 Droppers: SUMMER OF '69 - BRYAN ADAMS (35) - 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. THERE MUST BE AN ANGEL (PLAYING WITH MY HEART) - THE EURYTHMICS (33) - 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! That said, it's too bad the song dropped out. I GOT YOU BABE - UB40 w/CHRISSIE HYNDE (32) - 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. YOU'RE ONLY HUMAN (SECOND WIND) - BILLY JOEL (27) - 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. It had a great message, though. SMOKIN' IN THE BOYS' ROOM - MOTLEY CRUE (26) - Something I actually 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. FREEWAY OF LOVE - ARETHA FRANKLIN (23) - 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 (coming up as an Optional Extra), as well as a few of her songs after that. 40: BOY IN THE BOX - COREY HART (debut) - Hmm, I wonder how such a song title would fly today? Anyway, this wasn't bad, but I generally preferred Hart's slower songs, like his last his before this, "Never Surrender", which, to date, is his biggest hit. The second verse was cut out - I'm assuming this was a Premiere edit, as I don't believe they generally edited debut songs, but I could be wrong. 39: LOVE THEME FROM ST. ELMO'S FIRE - DAVID FOSTER (debut) - The last of three instrumentals to chart on AT40 in 1985. This was actually my favorite of the three, since the other two were rather overplayed (but don't get me wrong - I like both of them). 38: NEVER - HEART (debut) - They were enjoying their biggest chart success yet with their mid-80s comeback, as this would become their second Top Five hit (and they'd have two more after this). Anyway, it would be a toss-up between this and "These Dreams" as my favorite song from their self-titled album - both are great songs! 37: COMMUNICATION - THE POWER STATION (debut) - Meh, their first two hits weren't too bad, but this one just didn't do anything for me. 36: YOU ARE MY LADY - FREDDIE JACKSON (debut) - Jackson had the most success on the R&B chart, but he did have a few pop crossovers, like this one. I liked it, though it was a little cheesy. My favorite song from him would probably be his Christmas song "One Wish". 35: INVINCIBLE - PAT BENATAR (21) - The only song between #34 and #40 that's not a debut. I liked this song, but preferred many others from her. 34: LAY YOUR HANDS ON ME - THOMPSON TWINS (debut) - For years, I had no idea where they got this name, since they're a trio (and not even related) nor is anyone named Thompson (I have since found out from a fellow poster (thanks, bestmusicexpert), that they were named after the two bumbling detectives Thomson and Thompson in Hergé's comic strip The Adventures of Tintin). Anyhoo, I'm not a big fan of this song - my least favorite of their charted hits. 33: AND WE DANCED - HOOTERS (38) - Another band whose name I had a misconception about - at first, I thought they were talking about owls. But it was actually the nickname for the keyboard harmonica (melodica) that band member Rob Hyman played. For the record, I never thought they named themselves after a certain body part. Anyway, this was a good song - my favorite of their three Top 40 hits. 32: YOU BELONG TO THE CITY - GLENN FREY (39) - His second of two contributions to Miami Vice (that charted, anyway). My favorite would probably be the other one, "Smuggler's Blues", which charted earlier in the year. OPTIONAL EXTRA: THE NIGHT IS STILL YOUNG - BILLY JOEL - Sort of a curveball extra here, as this song didn't go very far on the charts. It was a good song, but I preferred many others from him. 31: WE BUILT THIS CITY - STARSHIP (40) - Their first hit under their name without Jefferson attached to it. It was a great song - one of their best, under any of their names. 30: ONE NIGHT LOVE AFFAIR - BRYAN ADAMS (37) - The fifth of six hits from Reckless, all of which hit the Top 20, which is definitely impressive. It was a good song, but my favorite song from the album would be "Heaven" (and that, of course, was the most successful of the six). 29: SUNSET GRILL - DON HENLEY (34) - The last of four singles from "Building The Perfect Beast", and my favorite from the album (though "Not Enough Love In The World" is a close second). This song peaked at #14 on the R&R chart, but didn't even hit the Top 20 on the Hot 100 (1982, anyone?) 28: BE NEAR ME - ABC (36) - This was the first of two Top Ten hits for this English group. It wasn't bad, but I preferred their two earlier hits. 27: I'M GONNA TEAR YOUR PLAYHOUSE DOWN - PAUL YOUNG (31) - He seemed to do best with remakes, as both of his Top Ten hits were previously done by other acts. But this one didn't miss the Top Ten by much, peaking at #13. It was pretty good, but it doesn't hold a candle to "Everytime You Go Away", my favorite song from him! 26: THE POWER OF LOVE - HUEY LEWIS (17) - A song from one of the best movies ever, Back To The Future. Definitely one of the songs I associate the most with the summer of 1985, along with the aforementioned favorite Paul Young song. 25: EVERY STEP OF THE WAY - JOHN WAITE (25) - 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. 24: THE WAY YOU DO THE THINGS YOU DO/MY GIRL (LIVE AT THE APOLLO) - DARYL HALL, JOHN OATES, DAVID RUFFIN, EDDIE KENDRICK (29) - This was a great rendition of these two classics by the Temptations - very energetic, as many live hits are. 23: FOUR IN THE MORNING (I CAN'T TAKE ANYMORE) - NIGHT RANGER (30) - As I've said many times, I loved most of their Top 40 hits, this one included. Not really sure what my favorite song from them is - I like everything (except for "Don't Tell Me You Love Me") about the same. 22: WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER HERO - TINA TURNER (12) - 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. 21: 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. 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: SEPARATE LIVES (LOVE THEME FROM WHITE NIGHTS) - PHIL COLLINS w/MARILYN MARTIN - I never saw the movie, but I heard the song many, many times in the fall of 1985. It was a great one! 20: HEAD OVER HEELS - TEARS FOR FEARS (28) - No case of Third Single Syndrome here! Though it didn't hit #1 like the last two, it did get as high as #3. This is by far my favorite of the three Top 40 hits from Songs From The Big Chair. 19: LOVIN' EVERY MINUTE OF IT - LOVERBOY (24) - I just listened to their Greatest Hits album on Thursday as I was taking a leisurely drive up in Michigan, and, of course, this song was on it. 18: C-I-T-Y - JOHN CAFFERTY AND THE BEAVER BROWN BAND (19) - They had a nice little string of hits over the past year. This would probably be my second favorite of them behind "Tough All Over". 17: DARE ME - THE POINTER SISTERS (14) - Ah, it's the song that fueled Casey's rage for the Dead Dog Dedication song! 16: CRY - GODLEY & CRÈME (18) - ARRRGGGGHHHHH!!! ~Beavis. But seriously, I liked the song, but I preferred the two Top Ten hits by 10cc (which, of course, Godley & Creme had been part of). 15: ST. ELMO'S FIRE (MAN IN MOTION) - JOHN PARR (8) - The second of two songs on this week's chart from the St. Elmo's Fire soundtrack. I liked this song, but it was quite overplayed. I preferred the love theme from the movie. 14: I'M GOIN' DOWN - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (20) - He may have been goin' down, but the song was on its way up, en route to #9. It was a good song, but not quite my favorite of the seven Born In The USA singles. 13: MIAMI VICE THEME - JAN HAMMER (22) - One of two instrumentals on this week's survey, which hadn't happened since the summer of 1982. Anyway, I liked this song, but, as stated earlier, I preferred the other instrumental. 12: FORTRESS AROUND YOUR HEART - STING (16) - The second solo hit by Sting, and my favorite of the four hits from the Dream Of The Blue Turtles album. 11: DON'T LOSE MY NUMBER - PHIL COLLINS (4) - Anyone notice that the video of this seemed to be a ripoff of the video for "You Might Think" by the Cars? At least that's what I thought; I have since been told that it was actually a parody of that one, as well as several other videos (actually someone posted that just two posts above). As for the song, I liked it and was surprised that it was omitted from Collins' HITS album. OPTIONAL EXTRA: WHO'S ZOOMIN' WHO - ARETHA FRANKLIN - The title track from Franklin's big comeback album - and my favorite song from that album, as one of my favorites from Franklin overall. 10: PART TIME LOVER - STEVIE WONDER (15) - 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") 9: DANCING IN THE STREET - MICK JAGGER & DAVID BOWIE (11) - This song, a remake of the old Martha & the Vandella’s classic wasn't bad, but I prefer other songs by both artists. 8: LONELY OL' NIGHT - JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP (10) - 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). 7: FREEDOM - WHAM! (3) - Well, Wham didn't have four #1s in a row, but George Michael as a solo artist would achieve that feat in 1988. This was my favorite song in the world in the summer of 1985, but I played it quite a lot and got a little tired of it, but it's still a great one! As usual, this song was edited, cutting out the first chorus and second verse. 6: SAVING ALL MY LOVE FOR YOU - WHITNEY HOUSTON (9) - This would be her first of many #1 songs. It was a good one, but I preferred many, many others from her. LDD: YOU'RE ONLY HUMAN (SECOND WIND) - BILLY JOEL - This, of course, is one of this week's droppers. This was in response to a LDD heard on the September 7 show, which was played as a "B" show a month back. 5: DRESS YOU UP - MADONNA (6) - Madonna was on a roll at this point, with six Top Fives in a row, and there was a lot more where that came from! This was one of my favorite of her upbeat songs. 4: TAKE ON ME - A-HA (7) - 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! 3: OH SHEILA - READY FOR THE WORLD (5) - The first hit from this R&B band from Flint, Michigan song was poised to hit the top spot the following week. The song was not bad, but I preferred "Love You Down". OPTIONAL EXTRA: ONE OF THE LIVING - TINA TURNER - As "We Don't Need Another Hero" was spending its last week on the chart, Tina would replace herself with this song, which was debuting at #52 and would kick off the Top 40 the following week. 2: CHERISH - KOOL & THE GANG (2) - With this song, they 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". 1: MONEY FOR NOTHING - DIRE STRAITS (1) - And this was the song that kept "Cherish" out of the top spot. Of course, this was the song that kept "Cherish" out of the top spot. It was one of two 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.
|
|